Should Abortions Be Made Illegal In The U.K Essay Example Essay Example

Should Abortions Be Made Illegal In The U.K Essay Example Paper Should Abortions Be Made Illegal In The U.K Essay Introduction I am sure you need no reminding at how controversial the topic of abortion is, there have been endless debates for decades on the subject and to be elected president of the United States, you must have a view on abortion. It really is a very important issue in modern day society.The abortion law was passed in 1967, brought about by an MP, David Steel. Which is still the law governing abortions in England, Scotland and Wales. The primary objective of the law was to eliminate illegal, backstreet clinics which were open to women who wished to have an abortion. However, procedures in these took place under filthy conditions since they did not have to abide any rules or regulations regarding hygiene. This unfortunately led to the deaths of many women. However, the law succeeded, nearly all of these clinics were shut down but which has led to a surge in the number of abortions taking place.Nowadays abortion is permitted if some conditions are met, such as, whether the pregnancy will pose a risk to the life of the mother or whether there is a strong chance that the child may suffer from serious mental or physical abnormalities. However it is very difficult to define for example, serious abnormalities, a reason why the topic of abortion produces a wide variety of attitudes. Nevertheless, it is still rather easy for women to obtain an abortion in the U.K and many â€Å"pro-life† campaigners want the law on abortion to be made much stricter. On the other hand supporters of abortion believe that the law does not go far enough and that abortion should be made more readily available.Although abortion is easily available within Great Britain, it is not obtainable in Northern Ireland unless serious complications may arise. Supporters of abortion feel that the situation is inadequate since it is out of step with the rest of the U.K. Yet many women from Northern Ireland travel over to Britain in order to receive an abortion, some even say this discriminates those who can not afford to travel. I do agree that the situation in Northern Ireland penalises women living here and although I am not eagerly in favour of abortion I feel that more women in Northern Ireland should be given the chance to terminate their pregnancy without travelling to mainland Britain.Other people’s views on abortion vary dramatically with endless debates sparked over a single question, is abortion morally wrong? Some people think that abortion is morally wrong, but that having an abortion may be the best alternative, although others would argue that abortions are not morally wrong and that the choice should be given to the women. Such a view would be considered as being â€Å"pro-choice.† Many of whom do not support the concept of abortion but admit that it is required in modern day society. I personally agree that abortions are a vital part in society today, however I do feel that more should be done by authorities to reduce the number of abortions currently taki ng place.At present it is rather difficult for an individual, unfamiliar with the concept on abortion to take a strong opinion on the matter, since most of the arguments for and against often contradict each other. The abortion figures are startling, last year over 195,000 terminations took place in England and Wales, a substantial 3.2 percent increase from the previous year and since the 1967 Abortion Act, over 6 million abortions have taken place. It is of little surprise that most of these cases were in women under the age of 21. A reason that â€Å"pro-life† supporters would argue against abortion, saying that nowadays abortion is treated as being an easy way out with little thinking over the matter. Yet it also shows how common abortions actually are in the U.K, a reason why many are insisting that they should be banned.At present there are even some extreme groups in the U.S that try to force people into taking the opinion that abortion is morally wrong through the use shocking pictures and illegal signs. There have been numerous documentaries following such demonstrators and how they attempt to change people’s views using this method. However, in my opinion I feel that people should be allowed to take their own view on a subject and should definitely not be forced in taking a particular side, yet demonstrators insist that abortion is killing and should be addressed by provocative means.Such extremists would take the view that life begins at the point of conception, therefore placing abortion as killing. However, there are a variety of views which can be taken. For example, it could begin at the point of conception right up to the time when the baby is born. Those in favour of abortion would often view the birth as the point when life begins and therefore would not see abortion as murder.Another concern that some individuals take is the fact of how abortions carried out in Britain are costing the National Health Service a substantial sum of money, of which in this economic crisis the nation can simply not afford. Since the total sum accumulated in 2009 was in excess of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20 million, and those would argue that abortions should either be prohibited altogether or a fee should be introduced for each procedure. However an action such as introducing a charge could cause tremendous uproar, as in theory it would be discriminating those who may be in great financial difficulty, who would be left unable to shift the bill. Nevertheless I feel that this is an extremely weak argument to use against abortion, since it would cost the state much more money to fund each child born rather than each procedure. I also feel that it is deeply insensitive to argue on matters of life and death on the bases of economical implications.On the other hand a ban in abortion would most likely lead to a surge in population and many would ask whether the U.K could face such a change. Currently the population stands at just under 65 million and one would ask if abortion was to be made illegal would a population increase be likely. There is a range in opinions however the majority of experts agree that there is increased chance of a rise in population. Mixed with the current rate of immigration, such an increase would be very unsustainable and could severe consequences.Although anti-abortionists would disagree that a ban in abortions would have much of an effect on overall population. However it is hard to believe such a statement when viewing current statistics of the growth in the U.K. It would be a massive understatement to say it would be easy to the government to place a ban.Although it is part of their everyday job, even doctors still do not agree with the overall concept of abortions, with some who even want a ban altogether. Still, 75 percent of doctors believe that women should have the choice on whether to have an abortion or not. However, nearly all medical professionals of those surveyed agreed that the time limit to have an abortion should be halved, from the current 24 weeks to 12 weeks. Although late abortions account for only 1 percent of the overall total, nevertheless carrying out a late abortion can be extremely unpleasant. Since it is pictures of such procedures that anti-abortionists use as deterrents for others.I also coincide with the widespread opinion that the cap on late abortions should be reduced to 12 weeks. Late abortions are not only much more distressing for the patient but can also affect the doctors who carry them out. Some doctors have even been mentally scared, which really does show exactly how unpleasant they are.Regarding abortion for medical reasons for instance; where the mother’s life is in jeopardy, I feel the decision should be up to the mother, family, or doctor. It’s true, the mother and the unborn baby are still two separate individuals but under these difficult circumstances it should be a personal decision for those directly involved. This is the most widely accepted reason in society to have an abortion since many would prefer the mother not to be put through danger, than for the child to grow up with possibly no mother. This situation differs so fundamentally from abortion on demand, which is to have an abortion for convenience, as opposed to choosing which life will be saved. A very difficult situation where the woman has become pregnant is in serious cases such as rape. In such a scenario I believe that the decision should be dependant entirely on the woman. Since it will be her responsibility to raise the child if she chooses to have it.Although these are very hard decisions for those involved, many anti-abortionists insist that it is an easy decision not to have an abortion as the baby can be offered for adoption. However I disagree, I feel that it would be much harder for a woman to put her child up for adoption and possibly try to forget than to have an early abortion. A ban in abortion would lead to a ri se in children being put up for adoption, and in my opinion it will leave a lot more women possibly feeling guilty. Yet there is no doubt that having an abortion will have some sort of an impact on the person involved.Although not much of an issue in the U.K in Africa around 35,000 women die each year due to unsafe and illegal clinics, since abortion is not legal in Africa. This figure is over 40 percent of the global total which is extremely alarming. Critics warn that if abortion is banned in the U.K many similar clinics will open illegally and pose a threat to women willing to take the chance, which would simply not be acceptable.I also feel that many women would choose not to have an abortion if there is better financial and social support for mothers. These include simple things such as more flexible working hours and inexpensive, readily available childcare. However such a move would also have consequences, a lot of money would be spent by government and at present such a chan ge may not be possible.In conclusion, I feel that although abortion is a very sensitive issue in society I also feel it is also very beneficial as a whole. Though, currently the rules are much too relaxed since many women see it as an easy way out of a difficult situation, when in fact it may be the completely wrong decision. At present I feel that the number carried of abortions carried out is much too high and that the time limit should be reduced to 12 weeks. Yet in my opinion I feel that the choice should be solely down to the woman, she will be the one that needs to care for the child and nobody else should have a say whether that is right or wrong. Furthermore, if abortion is made illegal in Britain it will not succeed in preventing it from occurring. The doors of numerous illegal clinics will open, like before the abortion law was passed, which may well result in preventable deaths and even the spread of disease. Should Abortions Be Made Illegal In The U.K Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Lord of the Flies and 1984 Essay Example

Lord of the Flies and 1984 Essay Example Lord of the Flies and 1984 Essay Lord of the Flies and 1984 Essay Essay Topic: 1984 Lord Of the Flies The government is supposed to protect and provide for their people but unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Some leaders would try to get power so that they can use it unjustly and have total control over the society they rule. Many dictators in the past such as Hitler and Mussolini that ruled back in 1930’s have used their position as leaders to make unethical decisions for their entire country and giving themselves the authority to get away with anything. Both ruled with totalitarian characteristics. Lord of the Flies and Nineteen Eighty Four are two stories created in the post Second World War era. The novel Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding symbolizes the natural darkness of humanity shown using a group of young boys that try to construct civilization. While the novel Nineteen Eighty Four written by George Orwell, represents the dangers of a totalitarian society. Both novels Lord of the Flies and Nineteen Eighty Four share major themes that contribu te to the corruption of a community because the government would use their power unjustly leading to a dangerous totalitarian society, the idea that power or dictatorship are achieved through psychological manipulation, and finally, physical action is often used to maintain control and power within the societies present in both novels. A totalitarian society is when a country is governed under one man or a group of people. This government will control every aspect of your life including who you associate with, where you work and even go as far as controlling thoughts which would all lead to the dehumanization of an individual. The concept of dehumanization is present in the novel Lord of the Flies where a young boy named Jack progressively becomes more power dependent and thrives off of his control which leads him into becoming a savage by the end of the novel. Jack was the first to cast off the restraints of civilisation and led the boys down a path of savagery.  T

Retail Services in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Retail Services in China - Research Paper Example In the raising of high transaction expenditures due to market imperfections, it is normally cheap for multinational corporations (MNCs) to do their businesses in new marketplaces by their inner business structures as opposed to depending on the markets. Derived from a case study of Coca-Cola’s entry option into China, this study tests the applicability of internalization assumption to revealing the entry choice of Coca-Cola Company into China. This theory discloses the financial rationale, which was main reason of Coca-Cola’s transformations in their entry choice as it changed from franchising to joint ventures (JVs) with significant local investors, and more currently to the combination of franchising and JVs. When a multinational corporation or company (MNC) gets into new markets, it is fairly costly for it to do business activities owing to high transaction expenses (Mok, Dai & Yeung, 2002). These expenses take in the ones arising from the problems of opportunism, uncertainty, small share of market agents and limited rationality (Williamson, 2002). Williamson (2002) quarreled that the transaction charges of executing, implementing and writing contracts through the market exceed the expenses of internalizing the market. The matter is further exacerbated when the business transactions comprise of multifaceted contractual incidents (Williamson, 2002). Therefore, it seems that an MNC will opt to set up wholly owned subsidiaries (WOSs) to cope with market defects (Williamson, 2002). Except for the choice of WOSs, there are other frequently used modes, as well, like joint ventures (JVs). Anchored in various studies of Coca-Cola in China, this study assesses the usability of the internalization theory to elucidate the entry mode option of MNCs in China. Coca-Cola in China has been considered as the study firm for numerous reasons. First, it is the globe’s largest cola manufacturer and one of the prime MNCs (Williamson, 2002). Secondly, the corporation has a fairly long history of venture in China, since 1979, when financial reform was executed under the de facto management of Deng Xiaoping. Thirdly, going through intense rivalry from its close opponent, Pepsi-Cola, as well as a strange and extremely versatile market environment, Coca-Cola’s skill, accomplishment and endurance, in securing a huge market share, in China, makes up a motivating case by which effects might be studied for the comprehension of MNCs’ entry into the Chinese market through creating equity joint ventures (EJVs) (Mok, Dai & Yeung, 2002). Fourthly, there are just two significant earlier studies on Coca-Cola’s operation in China: PU-TU-USC (2000) and Nolan (1995) (Mok, Dai & Yeung, 2002). Rooted in an encompassing survey of the company’s bottling plant in Tianjin, Nolan (1995) did the initial comprehensive study of the micro-economic effect of just one Coca-Cola plant in the country. He argued that the firm’s business structure, in general, has encouraging effects on the labor development, product markets and rising capital in China. This study corresponds to another large-scale research done by a team of economists at Tsinghua University, Peking University and the University of South Carolina (USC) (PU-TU-USC, 2000) (Mok, Dai & Yeung, 2002). Derived from an input-output model, the three institutions estimate that the financial effects of Coca-Cola’s venture, as well as recurrent operation, comprising of the downstream (distribution) and upstream (suppliers) business associations, in the Coca-Cola business structure, in China, formed an overwhelming 414,000 jobs, 1.2 billion yuan of tax payments and 21.7 billion yuan of output in 1 998 (PU-TU-USC, 2000; Mok, Dai & Yeung, 2002). Regardless of this priceless information brought out by the above studies, there is no precise literature giving theoretical foundation for the entry mode option of Coca-Cola in our concerned country (Mok, Dai & Yeung

Prompt. Bridging the gap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prompt. Bridging the gap - Essay Example fluenced significant transformations in ways of life and in validating that this unifying force confirms universality of responsibility with one another. In the United States, a country known to have espoused diversity in culture, a quick research on the predominant religion in the country revealed that Christianity still prevails with 78.4% of the respondents acknowledging their religious affiliations (The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life). More interesting, the religious affiliations of members of the United States congress have been disclosed that more than half are Protestants with the rest being diversely affiliated to other religions and only 5 out of 435 members not specifying any religious membership (The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life). In this regard, one strongly believes that religion plays a crucial factor in influencing diplomatic policies and in facilitating resolution of political conflicts within the local and international sphere. When government leaders have signified and acknowledged affiliations to religious groups, as verified and attested within the chambers of the 111th congress, decisions regarding foreign policies, resolution of conflicts, and guiding principles towards governance are most likely to be defined and influenced by the religious teachings and traditions that are imbibed. For example, as cited by Albright, during her 1981 visit in Poland, significant changes were observed regarding the form of government until such time that Pope John Paul’s visit influenced the people to boldly profess their Catholic faith and openly express their intent to be liberated from the bonds of communism. Despite the government’s declaration that Pope John Paul was to be regarded an enemy of the state due to the convictions and threats posed by his teachings, the firm belief and adherence to faith exemplified by the greater majority, remarkably led to the liberate Poland, â€Å"brought down the Be rlin Wall, reunited Europe, and transformed

Problem solving Essay Example for Free

Problem solving Essay Introduction This case is about a sales supervisor, Debbie’s Ronson, having a group meeting with the sales department. The meeting was held to discuss two things, one last week’s performance, and two Debbie handed out a memo outlining a new format for scheduling their calls. At the end of the meeting Debbie discussed the meeting to one of her fellow supervisors, saying she gives them a chance to talk in the meetings but there is never a response. Debbie believes they are either shy or disinterested in her meetings. Statement of Problem. In this case Debbie, the sales supervisor, held a meeting for the four basic meeting purposes, give information, exchange information, find facts and solve problems (296-297) using the leader-controlled approach(p. 297). During the first half of the meeting Debbie discussed last week’s performance. After discussing it she asked if there were any questions, no response. The second half of the meeting Debbie discussed the new schedule for calls, once again no response no ideas. The overall problem Debbie is having is the non-responsiveness from her sales department during meetings. Solution There are a few ways as to how Debbie can fix this problem. One she can take a second and see if this meeting is actually necessary to have asking herself â€Å"why are we here? † and having a clear purpose which is also enabling other pre meeting plans to be developed to support the purpose of the meeting p301. Two Debbie could, clarify her expectations of the meeting (p304). At the beginning of the meeting Debbie can explain why this meeting was called for and that she is expecting to give information as well as hearing feedback from the group. 1. What might be some reasons for participants not saying much at Debbie’s meetings? Her department members could feel as though the meeting is pointless and would like to get back to their jobs, that to the department members, their job is more important. 2. Assume that you are a facilitation consultant. What advice would you give Debbie for encouraging participation in future meetings? If I was a facilitation consultant I would suggest Debbie to make sure she is prepared, that she is asking the right questions during the meeting.

Learning Styles and the Brain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

How Did You Know That?!Learning Styles and the Brain Although most commonly framed in academic contexts, learning style lies at the foundation of individual identity and development. Learning, "the process of acquiring knowledge about the world" (1) and learning style, "...the sum of the patterns of how individuals develop habitual ways of responding to experience" (2) reflect an array of attitudes, emotional responses, preferences and habits. It is the basis of how we interact with, process and are subsequently affected by inputs from our environment. In addition to providing a general overview of learning styles, this paper makes the claim that distinctions resulting from these models support the existence of the I-function. A preliminary understanding of learning styles requires some knowledge of brain functioning. Currently, specific cerebral locations are associated with particular functions. The left and right hemispheres of the brain employ different strategies that classify individuals as either analytic (left) or global (right) learners. "A successive processor (left) prefers to learn in a step-by-step sequential format, beginning with details leading to a conceptual understanding of a skill. A simultaneous processor (right) prefers to learn beginning with the general concept and then going on to specifics." (2) Constructing learning style along these lines has dictated classroom methods for decades. Traditional pedagogy has long favored the left-sided student, emphasizing accurate, rational and sequential thought. Right-sided learners, with a proclivity towards a spontaneous, random, and visual style, possess a mode that is undervalued and often stifled. Current theories of human learning contend that learni... ...ciously change these things, or appreciate how much of who we are is already rooted in the nervous system awaiting the opportunity for expression. Learning models enable students and educators to assess individual learning styles and to tailor strategies and experiences accordingly. Understanding the neuro-biological aspects of learning could provide critical insight for issues such as learning disabilities. Culture affects what particular style is fostered and preferred. Insight into this aspect of learning style might contribute towards understanding inequalities in the educational system that result, for example, in higher dropout rates for minority students, and make educational reform a more attainable goal. Internet Sources: http://www.brains.org/path.htm http://cogsci.ucsd.edu/~stjohn/bbs.abstract.html http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/impnexp.htm Learning Styles and the Brain Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers How Did You Know That?!Learning Styles and the Brain Although most commonly framed in academic contexts, learning style lies at the foundation of individual identity and development. Learning, "the process of acquiring knowledge about the world" (1) and learning style, "...the sum of the patterns of how individuals develop habitual ways of responding to experience" (2) reflect an array of attitudes, emotional responses, preferences and habits. It is the basis of how we interact with, process and are subsequently affected by inputs from our environment. In addition to providing a general overview of learning styles, this paper makes the claim that distinctions resulting from these models support the existence of the I-function. A preliminary understanding of learning styles requires some knowledge of brain functioning. Currently, specific cerebral locations are associated with particular functions. The left and right hemispheres of the brain employ different strategies that classify individuals as either analytic (left) or global (right) learners. "A successive processor (left) prefers to learn in a step-by-step sequential format, beginning with details leading to a conceptual understanding of a skill. A simultaneous processor (right) prefers to learn beginning with the general concept and then going on to specifics." (2) Constructing learning style along these lines has dictated classroom methods for decades. Traditional pedagogy has long favored the left-sided student, emphasizing accurate, rational and sequential thought. Right-sided learners, with a proclivity towards a spontaneous, random, and visual style, possess a mode that is undervalued and often stifled. Current theories of human learning contend that learni... ...ciously change these things, or appreciate how much of who we are is already rooted in the nervous system awaiting the opportunity for expression. Learning models enable students and educators to assess individual learning styles and to tailor strategies and experiences accordingly. Understanding the neuro-biological aspects of learning could provide critical insight for issues such as learning disabilities. Culture affects what particular style is fostered and preferred. Insight into this aspect of learning style might contribute towards understanding inequalities in the educational system that result, for example, in higher dropout rates for minority students, and make educational reform a more attainable goal. Internet Sources: http://www.brains.org/path.htm http://cogsci.ucsd.edu/~stjohn/bbs.abstract.html http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/impnexp.htm

Mattel Toy Recalls

Mattel, Inc. is the largest toy company in the world. This largest toy company in the world was founded by Harold Matson and Elliot Handler in 1945, as they started to produce picture frames. However it was Elliott Handler who had a visionary of a side business in dollhouse furniture out of the converted garage (Mattel). As a top company, the primary activities of Mattel are to design, manufacture, and market the toys. As the company’s sales growing slowly, Mattel started to produce varieties of high quality products and became one of the of the best toy companies around the nation at the time.The major move by Mattel was when it sponsored Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club television show that put the company in spotlight and company’s sales increased significantly. That sponsorship of Mickey Mouse Club helped the company to attract a very high proportion of young potential customers. In 1959, the wife of Elliot Handler, Ruth Handler came up with an outstanding ide a that changed Mattel forever. As Ruth Handler watched her daughter playing with paper dolls, she suggested the idea of making three dimensional dolls to her husband.Elliott loved the idea of making such dolls and introduced the doll with a full wardrobe and accessories to the market. The doll initially named after the nick name of daughter of Elliott and Ruth. The introduction of the new doll was a huge success for Mattel and immediately the doll became the major product line of Mattel (Finding). With the success of Barbie doll, Mattel was named a public company and ranked soon as one of the largest industrial companies in the United States. In 1968, Mattel have introduced another consumer-loved product called Hot Wheels. This was second biggest hit since the company introduced Barbie.Hot Wheels immediately labeled Mattel as the largest toy company in the world. As the toy industry was changing and new competitors were coming in, Mattel saw a stiff competition rising in the mid 198 0s. Like other companies in the toy industry, Mattel faced a stiff from the electronic entertainment. The electronic entertainment introduced many electronical videos games in which children switched to at an increasing young age from the traditional entertainment. To cope up with the competition and attract the new generation, Mattel decided to expand into technology by producing lectronic gaming products. Mattel failed to attract a high proportion of consumers, and were unable to fit in with the new strategy as there were new competitors producing electronic games with lower prices. Later, Mattel decided to focus on producing the core products of the company. This strategy to refocus on the core products and makeover some of the core products was a great success for Mattel. For example, after doing makeover, in 1988 to 1993, the sales of Barbie doll increased to $ 1 Billion dollars from $430 Million dollars (Sansweet).As Mattel is known for making most of its own products in their owned manufacturing facilities, the company owned and operated 10 manufacturing plants worldwide. Half of the manufacturing plants are located in China (Jiangyong). Since Mattel started its business, the company produced its products mostly in developing countries to take the advantage of cheap manufacturing costs. Unlike many toy companies, Mattel produced 70% to 80% of its products in their own manufacturing facilities. The company believed that making products in-house will be more stable and high efficient products.According to Mattel, in-house facilities have high standard safety measures and high quality control that produce high-quality products. Besides making most of its products in Mattel’s own manufacturing facilities, some of its production was outsourced to China and other developing countries in order to focus on domestic strategic efforts such as Research and Development and Marketing. However these outsourcing products were not efficient as products were made in in-house facilities. These outsourcing products were less stable and not as efficient.Many times these products needs to be recalled as they do not meet the safety standards and tend to hurt the image of a well-known organization like Mattel. Therefore, Mattel’s strategy was to focus on making most of its core products at their own manufacturing facilities, and outsource the products that are less popular and non-core. Due to outsourcing to other developing countries, the toy industry faced many hardships. The products that are made in developing countries that had substandard quality control were recalled many times due to the safety reasons.Mattel too faced a stiff pressure from the government and consumers for the products that were not safe and stable which are made in manufacturing facilities in China. Recently, Mattel recalled several of its products because they were not safe for consumers. Recalling millions of products, not only reduced the total revenues of the company, as well as it hurt the company’s image at the same time. Mattel had been always trusted by its consumers for making providing its consumers high-quality products and stable products.The recalls that are connected with lead paint made by Mattel’s lont-time manufacturers. These manufacturers are responsible for not having strong safety regulations and not complying with the quality control within the organization. The manufacturer, Early Light Industrial, was responsible for the second major recall of about 1 million toys. The manufacturer had more than 200 employees to inspect if the contractors were complying with safety regulations, but none of them were stationed on-site to inspect the products. Failure to inspect the products left the company with rooms or errors.In order to understand a company’s situation, financial statements are very important. Financial statements allow you to see the company’s performance, financial condition, and financ ial trend. By examining financial statements of Mattel, we can clearly foresee where the company is heading financially. Looking at ROA and PM, both ROA and PM increasing year to year from 2005 to 2007 which is very good news for Mattel. Despite the recalls, Mattel’s total revenue is still increasing year to year. These analyses clearly show that Mattel is performing very well in making profits.Some of the key financial highlights of Mattel recorded below: Selected Financial Highlights of Mattel, Inc. : YEAR 2007 2006 2005 Net Sales 5,970. 09 5,650. 16 5179. 02 Cost of Sales 3,192. 79 3,038. 36 2,806. 15 Net Income 599. 9 492. 93 417. 02 Total Assets 4805. 46 4955. 88 4372. 31 ROA (%) 12. 4 9. 5 9. 53 PM (%) 10. 4 8. 72 8. 05 Firm Strategy One of the Mattel’s primary strength is that the company is the leading brand named leading toy company in the toy industry. Ever since Mattel started its business, the company always produced high-quality and consumer-loved products . Mattel has plenty of name brands products that are very popular among the customers. Mattel’s brand name recognition stared in 1959 when the company first introduced the famous doll, Barbie.Other products, Hot Wheels, Fisher Price, and NASCAR also are very popular products and behind the huge success of Mattel. In order to continue making the high-quality products Mattel’s main focus is to keep doing what the company is doing and find out what the customers’ want and desire by research and development. Mattel’s main goal is to maximize production efficiency while minimizing the risks, controlling expenses, and maintaining flexibility. In order to focus on that strategy, Mattel has decided to use the third party manufacturers to produce its non-core products.Slowly, Mattel has been moving its manufacturing to countries like China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and many other developing countries. As Mattel has contracts with thousand of vendors in those co untries, the company does not need to rely on a single manufacturer. However, this strategy may not convey quality assurance of the products and also raise concerns over safety regulations. Due to substandard safety measures revolving toy designing and manufacturing in China, Mattel has been facing some tough challenges.During 2007, Mattel has made five recalls of over 21 million toys are made in China due to the excessive lead paints on toys and having loose magnets that normally impose danger to the children while playing with them. These loose magnets and lead paint can easily be consumed by the children. These recent recalls started to hurt the image of the company and as well as the reputations of the company. Sales in some areas started declining, however, the total revenues of the company is increasing than the previous year.Possible Options As we have detected causes of the problems, we need to come up with alternative solutions to solve the problems. There are some alternat ive strategies Mattel can apply in order to stay on the of the toy industry. Possible alternatives include rebuilding strategy, and manufacturing in United States. Option 1: Rebuilding Strategy: Mattel should focus on rebuilding strategy. The company needs to rebuild the consumer trust in toys, rebuild the trust of the industry, and as well as the trust of China.Accountability and responsibility required strongly to repair the image. Denial and accusations will just hurt the image of the company more as it could bring counter attack by the accused. Option 2: Manufacturing in United States: Mattel may decide to move its manufacturing back to United States as they are facing many problems in foreign countries. However, this strategy will be really costly to Mattel financially. Also, it will harm the relationship with foreign countries. Therefore, rebuilding strategy is strongly recommended. Recommendations and ImplementationsDuring the crisis management, accountability and responsibil ity is very important to maintain the reputations and sales of the company. Admit the wrongdoing, instead of throwing blame on China. Blaming China will just hurt the relationship with the Government China. Mattel, Inc. is also required to change its strategy to address the concerns in design, manufacturing, quality control, and safety assurance of the products. In order to implement the rebuilding strategy, Mattel needs to take some of the important steps. The company needs to be open and truthful.Confess to wrongdoing is a great tool to start re-establishing the trust. The company also needs to focus on communicating with the consumers to address their needs. For better standard safety measures, Mattel should hire a third party for sudden inspections of the products in manufacturing facilities. The company should maintain its current strategy and continue outsourcing in China where it could focus on expanding product lines. The company may also incorporate with established manufac turing facilities where they have standard quality control and strong safety measures.Most importantly, the company needs to focus on more modifying the safety operations in facilities by inspecting standards of production and examining the materials that are supplied by third-parties. October 26, 2010 Robert D. Katz Ishaque Mohammed Ibrahim Mattel’s Case Memo Executive Summary: California-based Mattel, Inc. is well-known to the world for making the high-quality and brand-name recognized products. Recently, the Mattel Company recalled millions of products that are mostly made in China for the safety concerns that raised many questions about the sustainability of the company’s products.Due to these recent recalls, now Mattel is totally aware of the perils of manufacturing in developing countries, where the safety measures and working environment were totally unacceptable. The purpose of this case analysis is to understand the problems that occurred and how Mattel will c ome to solutions to solve them. This case analysis will review the problems Mattel is facing, analyze firm strategy by using SWOT, and recommend alternative strategies to solve the problems and best way for Mattel to proceed successfully in the future.