A Book Report on Socrates Café by Christopher Phillips Essay

This seeks to write a book report for the book Socrates Cafe by Christopher Phillips. This paper discusses the author’s declared purpose in writing the book in relations to what Socrates may have left as legacy in latter’s works. The dilemma of believing what may not be the truth. We live as we believe as they say. If Socrates is alive today, he would have asked: â€Å"Do we voluntarily have convictions or could they be imposed upon us? How do we acquire the things the we ultimately believed? † Convictions lead us to action because we believe what we are doing. Without conviction it is really hard, to move into action. Seel Jr. , shared to us the same dilemma when he said, â€Å"There is a danger in both Christian families and Christian schools that indoctrination is taken for education. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One’s convictions cannot be coerced. Instead, they are ultimately based on what we love and best learned in an environment of trust. Too often family dinner tables, Sunday schools, and Christian school classrooms are only one-way conversations—telling at the expense of listening. See more:  First Poem for You Essay As such, many Christians have never learned the intellectual discipline of asking questions. † We are however not left without any option. We can ask questions. Seel, Jr. agreed, saying â€Å"Yet an educated mind begins with a questioning mind. One of the distinctive of the school where I teach is its commitment to allow students the freedom to express their uncertainty. The policy manual reads, â€Å"Students are treated as young adults and are encouraged to develop their own convictions. This will inevitably mean that at times students may challenge their parents’ beliefs and question their own. The school seeks to create an environment where students are able to respectfully raise honest questions and express doubts within a community of loving acceptance and intellectual inquiry. † The importance of book of Phillips on Socratic Cafe assumes a remarkable significance with our dilemma. The author aims to bring back questioning in the minds of many. Seel, Jr. confirmed this when he said, â€Å"His aim is to bring probing conversations about the important questions to common people. † Do we really need to seek the truth? How do we seek the truth? We should be searching the truth. In the inventions, that we make we discover the truth of many things. We adopt decisions in our courts because that is how we see the law at a certain point in time but we also change jurisprudence in the light of evolution of events. Without the desire for truth man would have remained ignorant that the earth is flat and not round or that the earth is the center of the universe. Our discoveries reveal our desire for truth. For greater purpose we seek the truth as in the way court cases are decided, thus truth is a requisite of justice. Indeed, Seel, Jr. aid, â€Å"Our community is committed to the pursuit of truth. Convictions are to be held and beliefs maintained on this basis alone. There are obviously many reasons why a person becomes a Christian. We all have our stories. But ultimately, Christianity is to be believed because it is true. It is True Truth, as Francis Schaeffer used to say. More than true for me; rather the truth of reality. But to recognize this, one must first learn to ask honest questions. † Seel, Jr. further said that â€Å"The Socratic Method is a powerful tool for sharpening our thinking and exposing what we don’t know. It is a powerful pedagogical tool but a disastrous epistemological one. † Phillips has the right to make use of the title of his book are he is believed to have hosted Socratic dialogues and has traveled the country holding various and numerous conversations in coffee houses, bookstores, senior centers, elementary schools and even prisons. † Seel, Jr. agreed saying, â€Å"The greatest danger of truth is not falsehood, but diversion and indifference. †¦.. Humility is beginning of wisdom. † Without searching for the truth we will always be mislead and continue to live in ignorance. The reason why we rarely ask why  Our not asking why seemed to have been conditioned with our environment. Thus, Seel, Jr. agreed saying, and â€Å"Our convictions are too often based on social conformity rather than personal reflection. We say we are concerned about truth. But we do not pay the dues truth demands. † Given the benefits, what are examples of questions asked by Phillip under Socratic Method? Christopher Phillips asks in the Socrates Cafes: What are the Big Questions and what makes them so? What is a question? What would life be like without questions? Why am I here? What is home? Where am I stuck? What is a friend? What is wonder? What is silence? What is old? Am I asking the right questions? What am I meant to do? What is love? What is what? Why ask why? Socrates claimed that an unexamined life was not worth living. If we live without consideration of its destination, and whether the road traveled will get us there, then we are fools and not wise. Or as Jesus asks, â€Å"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? † It must be noted that the questions are interconnected with one another so that the answer to one question would lead to more truth in answering the following questions. Would not asking too much a sign of presumptive superiority of the person asking that could discourage relations with the person or persons asked? This is where Socrates have made the Socratic Method unique and worth memorable from the lessons he has to left his fellowmen. Seel, Jr. mentioned them as follows: First, Socrates always showed his opponents deference. By putting himself in the position of the learner rather than the teacher, he avoided raising in his opponent feelings of suspicion or defensiveness. The second lesson of Socratic argument is: Encourage your opponent to make the argument his or her own. The third lesson of Socrates is: Seek a shared higher standard. However, Seel, Jr. noted that on the third criterion, Phillips failed on this area. Arguing, Seel, Jr. said, â€Å"In the hands of Phillips, â€Å"The Socratic method is a way to seek truth by your own lights. † For Phillips the questions are the end not the means to an end. † The argument of Seel, Jr. claiming failure of Phillips could be contradicted and explained under which this paper qualifies Phillips work to have pass under the third criteria. Phillips, said, â€Å"The one thing Socrates know beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was fond of saying, was that he didn’t know anything beyond a shadow of a doubt. Yet Socrates, contrary to what many think, did not try to pose the ultimate sceptic. He was not trying to say all the knowledge was groundless, that we were doomed to know nothing. Rather, he was emphasizing that what he had come to know, the truths he had discovered by hard-won experience, were slippery, elusive, always tentative at best ,always subject to new developments, new information, new alternatives. Every last bit of knowledge, every assumption, Socrates felt, should always be questioned, analyzed, challenged. Nothing was ever resolved once and for all. The fact that question leads to further question does necessarily not mean â€Å"ending with the question† but rather the truth that is revealed by every question leads to further truth. The Author reemphasizing the impossibility of exhausting all the questions In trying to explain his work, â€Å"socratising† is almost obvious in many part of the book. Thus, Phillips said, â€Å"It is with this that I launched Socrates Cafe. And the one and only firm and lasting truth that has emerged from all the Socrates Cafe, discussion. I’ve taken part in is that it is not possible to examine, scrutinize, plumb, and mine a question too thoroughly and exhaustively. There is always more to discover. This is the essence of magic, of what I have come to call ‘Socratising’† He further said, â€Å"Socrates Cafe does not have to be held in cafe. It can take place anywhere a group of people- or a group of one –chooses to gather an inquire philosophically. It can take place around a dining table, in a church or a community centre, on a mountaintop, in a nursing home, a hospital, senior centre, a school, a prison. † As long as man lives, he will continue to ask question whether inside or outside his religion. He must be fortunate to have freedom to Socratic Method, anytime and in any where. This is clearly expressed by author saying, â€Å"Anywhere and anytime you desire to do more than regurgitate and nauseam what you read or think you have read, about philosophers of the past who are considered by academics to the undisputed exclusive members of the philosophical pantheon. It can take place anywhere people want to do philosophy, to inquire philosophically, themselves, whether with a group of people or alone. † Conclusion: Socratic Cafe is a powerful book in making Socrates alive in the heart and mind of people of believe in Socratic Method. In indeed seldom any kind of TV talk shows is made a success without the artful way of asking questions. Any good research must have a research questions. If many good inventions started with research and if research seeks to address to a research question it could categorically be said that questions will always be there. Questioning stops if the truth is found, but who could claim to have found the truth. Hence the message of Socrates Cafe will always leave something practical if not profound knowledge and realizations for people seeking the truth to subject their works to further questions, This would be good for such is also is the reality that a man travels in this travel to seek perfection in his ways or in trying to know his God from inside and outside on himself. One could not escape the relevance of the Socratic way of teaching or learning as it could be applied by group or individually, anywhere and anytime.

Marks ; Spencer Group Anaylsis Essay

Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 2 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company Overview COMPANY OVERVIEW Marks and Spencer Group (M&S or â€Å"the company†) is one of the leading retailers of clothing, foods and homeware in the UK. The company operates in more than 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is headquar tered in London, the UK and employs 78,169 people. The company recorded revenues of ? 9,740. 3 million (approximately $15,158. 8 million) in the financial year ended April 2011 (FY2011)*, an increase of 2. 1% over FY2010. The operating profit of M&S was ? 836. million (approximately $1,302. 5 million) in FY2011, a decrease of 1. 8% compared to FY2010. The net profit was ? 612 million (approximately $952. 5 million) in FY2011, an increase of 16. 3% over FY2010. *The financial year ended April 2, 2011 was a 52-week period whereas the financial year ended April 3, 2010 was a 53-week period. KEY FACTS Head Office Marks and Spencer Group plc Wa terside House 35 Nor th Wharf Road London W2 1NW GBR Phone 44 20 7935 4422 Fax Web Address http://www. marksandspencer. com Revenue / turnover 9,740. 3 (GBP Mn) Financial Year End April Employees 78,169 London Ticker MKS Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 3 Marks and Spencer Group plc Business Description BUSINESS DESCRIPTION M&S is the holding company of the Marks & Spencer Group of companies. The company is one of the UK’s leading retailers, with more than 21 million people visiting its stores each week. M&S offers clothing and home products, as well as foods, sourced from about 2,000 suppliers globally. It operates through both wholly owned stores and franchise stores. As of FY2011, the company operated 703 stores in the UK. M&S operates over 361 owned and franchised stores in over 42 territories. Though the company primarily repor ts its revenues in terms of geographic segments (UK and international), its operations can be categorized under two divisions: food and general merchandise. The food division concentrates on four main areas: fresh, natural, healthy food; special celebration products; authentic ready meal ranges; and exceptional ever yday food such as â€Å"Oakham† chicken. It operates a chain of 163 Simply Food owned stores and 202 Simply Food franchise stores in high streets, motorway service stations, railway stations and air por ts in the UK. The general merchandise division of the company is categorized into two segments: clothing and home. The clothing segment offers women’s wear, men’s wear, lingerie, children’s wear, and accessories and footwear. Some of the prominent brands offered by this segment include Autograph, Limited Collection, Collezione, Blue Harbour, Girls Boutique, Per Una, Ceriso, Adored, and Truly you. The home segment offers homeware and home accessories, kitchen and tableware, lighting, and furniture products. In addition to selling products through regular stores, the segment also offers catalogue services. M;S offers its products and services online as well as through flagship stores, high street stores, retail park stores, M;S outlets, Simply Food stores, and Simply Food franchised stores. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 4 Marks and Spencer Group plc History HISTORY M;S was founded in 1884 as a stall in an open market in Leeds, the UK. Then known as Marks’ Penny Bazaar, it was the household goods, haberdasher y, toy, and sheet-music business of Michael Marks, a Jewish refugee from Poland. In 1894, he took Thomas Spencer as a business par tner. In 1903, M&S was registered as a private limited company. Although a clothing design depar tment had first been set up in 1938, it was not until after the Second World War that it became fully developed under a leading designer. In 1973, the company entered Canada, and bought Peoples Depar tment Stores and D’Allaird’s, a national women’s wear retailer, both of which it later sold. The company also had direct retailing investments in Canada. It tried to move south of the border in 1988 with the purchase of Brooks Brothers, but the US operation never took off as the company had hoped. Five franchised stores were closed down in Turkey in 1999 when the franchise par tner Turk Petrol Holding couldn’t meet its bank obligations and collapsed. Later in the year, Marks and Spencer Canada, after 25 years of business, closed its 38 stores. The company sold its US clothing chain Brooks Brothers for $225 million in 2001. In 2003, M&S announced the launch of its â€Å"&more† credit card. Alongside this, Marks & Spencer Financial Services was re-branded â€Å"Marks & Spencer Money. † In 2004, M&S completed the sale of Marks & Spencer Retail Financial Services Holdings (M&S Money) to HSBC. During the course of 2005, the company opened 31 Simply Food stores as well as closed the Lifestore project in the UK. M&S expanded the â€Å"Simply Food† format with the acquisition of 28 stores on a leasehold basis from Iceland Foods for a consideration of ? 38 million (approximately $76. 3 million) in 2006. In the same year, M&S sold Kings Super Markets, its only non-M&S branded business to a US investor group consisting of Angelo, Gordon & Co, MTN Capital Par tners and Mr. Bruce Weitz for $61. 5 million in cash. In 2007, M&S and two of its long-term suppliers decided to star t the development of M&S’ first â€Å"eco-factories†, pioneering innovative methods of sustainable manufacturing. One factor y in Sri Lanka would make lingerie and two factories in Nor th Wales would manufacture furniture upholster y. In the same year, the company launched its own branded LCD widescreen TVs. This range was in addition to the existing collection of Sony TVs currently available at M;S. Fur ther in the year, M;S launched school wear made from recycled plastic bottles. The company’s first standalone home store in Lisburn, Nor thern Ireland was launched in 2007. In the same year, M&S launched Big & Tall, an exclusive online men’s wear offering more than 450 items online ranging from tailoring to knitwear to casual shir ts and trousers. Also in 2007, M;S reduced saturated fat level as much as 82% in more than 500 company’s products. The company reduced saturated fat levels in products including sandwiches, ready meals, crisps and savor y snacks. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 5 Marks and Spencer Group plc History Towards the end of 2007, a new Made to Measure shir ts ser vice was launched by M&S, which allowed customers to design a tailor-made shir t within 21 days. The company added new products to its men’s wear por tfolio in FY2008. M;S also launched climate control underwear featuring temperature regulating technology developed by NASA, expanded Collezione brand collection by introducing new shoes, wool and cashmere mix trousers. M;S reinvigorated its Blue Harbour brand to attract 35 to 44 year old men. Also in FY2008, the company star ted to freeze its ready meals for international sale and launched a range of 70 lines in eight countries. Later, the company also launched a 25-piece capsule collection called GD25 from Per Una. In 2008, M;S removed ar tificial colors and flavorings from its entire food and soft drinks range. In the same year, the company improved the quantity of space in a number of major out of towns and city centre stores through store extensions and also added 35 stores to its Simply Food por tfolio, including 25 BP franchised stores. A new flagship store in new Westfield Centre at White City, West London was opened at the end of 2008. To fur ther progress in Asian markets, the company opened its first 38,000 square feet store in Shanghai. M;S then entered into a par tnership with Scottish and Southern Energy, as per which M;S Energy would supply electricity and gas to domestic customers and reward them with M;S store vouchers for helping the environment by reducing their energy usage. M;S announced plans to close 10 of its Simply Food stores in 2009. The company opened Food to Go outlets in Hong Kong in the same year. Also in 2009, M;S announced plans to enter new categories in the Indian market, with the launch of luggage and footwear for men. The company introduced a Ramadan and Eid fashion collection in all the 13 stores throughout the Middle East in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in 2009. Fur ther in the year, M;S launched personalized greetings cards business online. The company also announced to open its second mainland store in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China. M;S also launched a beer and cider range to complement its wine selection. M;S launched a revamped version of its website in 2009, the first major update since 2007. Fur thermore, in 2009, the company began to offer its online international deliver y service to 73 more countries as par t of a drive to grow annual sales of M;S Direct. The company began its offering within the homeware sector in 2009. M;S announced plans to open a store in Marbella, Spain by the end of 2009. In the same year, M;S and India-based Reliance Retail planned to open approximately 50 stores in India in the following five years under the banner of their joint venture company Marks ; Spencer Reliance India. Later in the year, the company outlined plans to cut costs by ? 50 million (about $150 million) by optimizing its supply chain and IT systems. M;S also announced plans to open a new store at the Swords Pavilions shopping center in the Dublin Airpor t, Ireland, in 2009. The company opened its new 22,000 square feet store at Morpeth’s Sanderson Arcade in the same year. M&S decided to launch â€Å"Simply Food† in Western Europe. Fur ther in 2009, the company a nnounced plans to sell a selected range of around 400 branded grocery and household products in all of its UK stores, following a 16-month trial in its stores in the Nor th East and South East of England. In 2010, M&S launched a new Home Energy Service division that would offer customers a suite of energy efficiency products and services. Building on the success of M&S Energy, which was servicing Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 6 Marks and Spencer Group plc History over 125,000 homes, the company would roll-out a number of new products including bespoke energy advice, renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and heat pumps, and energy efficient heating solutions. In the same year, M&S announced a program to be the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015, launching 80 major new commitments under M;S’ eco and ethical plan, Plan A. The new commitments will mean that the company ensures all M&S products become ‘Plan A products’ with at least one sustainable quality. This program will also enable the company’s 2,000 suppliers to adopt Plan A best practice and encourage M;S customers and employees to live ‘greener’ lifestyles. Fur ther in 2010, M;S launched a new version of www. marksandspencer. om designed specifically for use on mobile phones and mobile devices—the first mobile site from a major UK high street retailer. Through this, the company aims to expand its multi-channel offering. During the same year, M;S launched England Football team suit exclusively in M;S stores, to take advantage of the football World cup spending. The company opened its new 1. 1 million square feet distribution centre at ProLogis Park Bradford in the UK in 2010. This warehouse in the UK will serve all the company’s stores with furniture products and store equipment. Later in 2010, M&S launched a range of Solar PV and Solar Thermal water heating solutions. Fur thering the sustainability initiatives, the company also announced that it will use polyester made from recycled PET drinks bottles instead of virgin polymer to make more than 300 million clothing care labels a year. Towards the end of 2010, M&S announced plans to move into rail distribution to reduce its carbon footprint. More than 300,000 general merchandise products per week would move from road to rail distribution. The company also opened a new shopping center in Vilnius, Lithuania at the end of year. In April 2011, M&S opened its greenest ever store at Ecclesall Road in Sheffield. This is the first store of a number of new Sustainable Learning stores planned by the company as par t of its drive to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. The company opened 20 stores in the UK during FY2011, including 17 Simply Foods. In international, M;S opened 49 new stores and closed 15 stores. During the same period, the company entered the Egyptian market with a 28,000 square feet store in the Dandy Mega Mall in Cairo. The company, in July 2011, launched a new iPad application for its investors. This application will provide investors with latest M;S financial news. In the following month, M;S signed a traceability deal with Historic Futures. As per the deal, Historic Futures will provide the company full traceability on ever y single clothing and home product it sells. M;S is the first major retailer to commit to full traceability for non-food products. In September 2011, M;S opened a new store at Westfield, Stratford City with the latest ‘Only at Your M;S’ innovations and customer experiences. In the following month, M&S launched its new French website, http://www. marksandspencer. fr/, marking its first international transactional website. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 7 Marks and Spencer Group plc History The company, in November 2011, opened its new flagship store at 100 Avenue des Champs-elysees in Paris. M&S, in February 2012, launched its outlet format on its website at www. marksandspencer. com/outlet. M&S Outlet will permanently offer a selection of more than 1,300 quality M&S clothing products with up to 40% off the regular high street and online prices. In the same month, the company recalled four products (Crispy Prawn Wonton, Crispy Vegetable Balls, Prawn Baguette Toast, and Prawn Siu Mai Selection) from its Chinese range due to mistake in ‘use by’ date. In March 2012, the company, announced plans to launch a new website for its Irish customers, http://www. marksandspencer. ie/. In April 2012, M&S announced that it will accept secondhand clothes at UK outlets in order to recycle into other fabrics or reuse overseas by the Oxfam charity in an aim to cut waste. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 8 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employees KEY EMPLOYEES Name Job Title Board Marc Bolland Chief Executive Officer Executive Board 975000 GBP Alan Stewar t Chief Finance Officer Executive Board 550000 GBP Kate Bostock Executive Director, General Merchandise Executive Board 590000 GBP John Dixon Executive Director, Food Executive Board 540000 GBP Steven Sharp Executive Director, Marketing Executive Board 655000 GBP Laura Wade-Gery Executive Director, Multi-channel E-commerce Executive Board Amanda Mellor Group Secretar y and Head of Corporate Governance Executive Board Rober t Swannell Chairman of the Board Non Executive Board Vindi Banga Director Non Executive Board Miranda Cur tis Director Non Executive Board Jeremy Darroch Director Non Executive Board 85000 GBP Steven Holliday Director Non Executive Board 85000 GBP Mar tha Lane Fox Director Non Executive Board 70000 GBP Jan du Plessis Director Non Executive Board 70000 GBP Clem Constantine Director, Proper ty Senior Management Tanith Dodge Director, Human Resources Senior Management Dominic Fr y Director, Communications and Investor Relations Senior Management Jan Heere Director, International Senior Management Nayna McIntosh Director, Store Marketing and Design Senior Management Steve Rowe Director, Retail Senior Management Darrell Stein Director, Information Technology and Logistics Senior Management Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Compensation 450000 GBP Page 9 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies KEY EMPLOYEE BIOGRAPHIES Marc Bolland Board: Executive Board Job Title: Chief Executive Officer Since: 2010 Mr. Bolland has been the Chief Executive Officer at Marks and Spencer Group since 2010. Previously, he was the Chief Executive Officer at Morrisons Supermarkets from 2006 to 2010. Prior to this, Mr. Bolland worked at Heineken for 20 years in various management roles, including Executive Board member and Chief Operating Officer, and responsibility for operations and business development in the US, France, Italy, Spain, the Caribbean and Latin America. He also ser ves as a Director at Manpower. Alan Stewart Board: Executive Board Job Title: Chief Finance Officer Since: 2010 Mr. Stewar t has been the Chief Finance Officer at Marks and Spencer Group since 2010. Before joining the company, he was the Chief Financial Officer at AWAS, an aircraft leasing company. Mr. Stewar t spent 10 years at HSBC Investment Bank before joining Thomas Cook in 1996, where he held various senior roles, including Chief Executive at Thomas Cook UK. Mr. Stewar t joined WH Smith in 2005 as Group Finance Director. He also ser ved as a Non Executive Director at Games Workshop Group. Kate Bostock Board: Executive Board Job Title: Executive Director, General Merchandise Ms. Bostock is the Executive Director of General Merchandise at Marks and Spencer Group. She joined the company in 2004. Previously, Ms. Bostock was the Product Director for Childrenswear at Next from 1994. She also ser ved as the Product Director for the George brand covering all areas of clothing and footwear at Asda. John Dixon Board: Executive Board Job Title: Executive Director, Food Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 10 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Since: 2009 Mr. Dixon has been the Executive Director of Food at Marks and Spencer Group since 2009. He joined the company as a Store Management Trainee. Mr. Dixon held various senior roles at the company for over 20 years, including Executive Assistant, Chief Executive, and Director of Home and M&S Direct. Steven Sharp Board: Executive Board Job Title: Executive Director, Marketing Mr. Sharp is the Executive Director of Marketing at Marks and Spencer Group. He joined the company in 2004. Previously, Mr. Shar p served as the Marketing Director at Asda, the Bur ton Group, Booker, and Arcadia Group. Currently, he is a Non Executive Director at Adnams. Laura Wade-Gery Board: Executive Board Job Title: Executive Director, Multi-channel E-commerce Since: 2011 Ms. Wade-Gery has been the Executive Director of Multi-channel E-commerce at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011. Prior to this, she worked at Tesco and held a variety of senior roles, including Chief Executive Officer of Tesco. com and Tesco Direct. Ms. Wade-Ger y also held various roles at Gemini Consulting and Kleinwor t Benson. She has also been a Non Executive Director at Trinity Mirror since 2006. Amanda Mellor Board: Executive Board Job Title: Group Secretary and Head of Corporate Governance Ms. Mellor is the Group Secretary and Head of Cor porate Governance at Marks and Spencer Group. She joined the company in 2004 as the Head of Investor Relations. Ms. Mellor spent her early career in investment management at James Capel before becoming a Director within its Corporate Finance team. She then served at Rober t Fleming, Investment Banking prior to joining The Bur ton Group as the Director of Cor porate Relations and Investor Relations. Robert Swannell Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Chairman of the Board Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 11 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Since: 2011 Mr. Swannell has been the Chairman of the Board at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011. He joined the company in 2010 as a Non Executive Director. Prior to this, Mr. Swannell was a Senior Independent Director at The British Land Company, and 3i Group. He spent over 30 years in investment banking at Schroders/Citigroup. Mr. Swannell was previously the Vice Chairman at Citi Europe and Co-Chairman at Citi’s European Investment Bank. Vindi Banga Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Director Since: 2011 Mr. Banga has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011. He is currently a Par tner at Clayton Dubilier ; Rice, a private equity investment firm. Prior to this, Mr. Banga spent 33 years at Unilever, where he held several senior positions, including President of the Global Foods, Home and Personal Care businesses, and was a member of the Unilever Executive Board. He also serves as a Non Executive Director at Thomson Reuters and Maruti Suzuki India. Miranda Curtis Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Director Since: 2012 Ms. Cur tis has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since February 2012. She is currently the Chairman at Waterstones, and a Non Executive Director at Liber ty Global. Ms. Cur tis has also been a Non Executive Director at National Express Group since 2008. She also serves on the Boards of the Institute for Government, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Camfed (the leading African girls’ education charity). Jeremy Darroch Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Director Since: 2006 Mr. Darroch has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2006. He also ser ves as the Chief Executive at British Sky Broadcasting. Previously, Mr. Darroch ser ved as the Chief Financial Officer at British Sky Broadcasting. Prior to this, he was the Group Finance Director and Retail Finance Director at Dixons Retail (formerly DSG International). Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 12 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Steven Holliday Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Director Since: 2004 Mr. Holliday has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2004. He is the Group Chief Executive Officer at National Grid. Prior to that, Mr. Holliday served as the Director of UK and Europe and was responsible for the UK Elect ricity and Gas businesses. He is also the Chairman of the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Prior to joining National Grid, Mr. Holliday was an Executive Director at British Borneo Oil and Gas. Previously, he held several senior positions at Exxon Group. Martha Lane Fox Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Director Since: 2007 Ms. Fox has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2007. She is the UK’s Digital Champion, the Chairman of Race Online 2012, and a Non Executive Director at Channel 4 Television. Ms. Fox is founder and Chairman of Lucky Voice, and of her own grant-giving foundation, Antigone. She was co-founder of lastminute. com. Jan du Plessis Board: Non Executive Board Job Title: Director Since: 2008 Mr. du Plessis has been a Director at Marks and Spencer Group since 2008. He is the Chairman at Rio Tinto. Previously, Mr. du Plessis was the Chairman at British American Tobacco and a Non Executive Director at Lloyds Banking Group. He also ser ved as the Chairman at RHM from 2005 to 2007. Mr. du Plessis was previously the Group Finance Director at Richemont, a position he held until 2004. Clem Constantine Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, Proper ty Mr. Constantine is the Director, Proper ty at Marks and Spencer Group. He joined the company in 2006. Mr. Constantine was appointed the Group Proper ty and Retail Planning Director at Arcadia Group in 1999. He was appointed to his first finance directorship in 1993, for the IS brand at the Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 13 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Bur ton Group, and moved through several other finance directorships with variable responsibilities including systems and retail. Mr. Constantine was trained as a Char tered Accountant at Stoy Hayward, and joined Debenhams in 1989 as a Financial Analyst. Tanith Dodge Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, Human Resources Since: 2008 Ms. Dodge has been the Director, Human Resources at Marks and Spencer Group since 2008. She was formerly the Group Human Resources Director at WH Smith since 2003. At WH Smith, Ms. Dodge was also responsible for Public Relations, Communications and Post Office Operations. Prior to this, she was the Senior Vice President Human Resources for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at InterContinental Hotels Group. Ms. Dodge also served as the Human Resources Director at Diageo’s two business divisions. She was also the International Human Resources Manager at Prudential Corporation. Dominic Fry Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, Communications and Investor Relations Mr. Fry is the Director, Communications and Investor Relations at Marks and Spencer Group. He joined the company in 2009. Prior to this, Mr. Fr y ser ved at Tulchan Communications. In 1996, he was appointed the Communications Director at J Sainsbury and ser ved in the same role at ScottishPower from 2000 to 2005. In 1989, Mr. Fr y became the Communications Director at AT&T in the UK before moving from there to head up communications at the Channel Tunnel in the mid ’90s. He star ted his career in 1982 working in PR consultancy at Traverse-Healy ; Regester and then Charles Barker. Jan Heere Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, International Since: 2011 Mr. Heere has been the Director, International at Marks and Spencer Group since 2011. He joined Inditex in 2002 where he held a several international roles, most recently as General Manager for Inditex Russia. During 2000–02, Mr. Heere held various senior management roles at Zara, Groupo Inmobiliario Lupaco, and Charanga. He began his career at Manpower in Spain in 1997. Nayna McIntosh Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 14 Marks and Spencer Group plc Key Employee Biographies Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, Store Marketing and Design Ms. McIntosh is the Director, Store Marketing and Design at Marks and Spencer Group. She joined the company in 2005. Prior to this, Ms. McIntosh was par t of the Management Team that set up the per una brand in 2001. Previously, she served as the Sales and Marketing Director for the George brand at Asda stores. Before joining George, Ms. McIntosh was at Next for four years as a Divisional Executive for the South of England. Steve Rowe Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, Retail Since: 2008 Mr. Rowe has been the Director, Retail at Marks and Spencer Group since 2008. He joined the company in 1989 and held a variety of positions in store management, having previously worked at Topshop as a Store Manager. Mr. Rowe joined Head Office in 1992 as a Merchandiser for Menswear. In 1998, he was promoted to Category Manager in the Furniture Depar tment. In 2001, Mr. Rowe led the team developing the Home Growth Strategy, working with McKinsey Consultants, and became Head of Home categories in 2003. He was promoted to the Director of Home a year later in 2004. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Rowe was also responsible for Beauty and New Business Development. Darrell Stein Board: Senior Management Job Title: Director, Information Technology and Logistics Mr. Stein is the Director, Information Technology and Logistics at Marks and Spencer Group. He has been working in IT for 17 years star ting his career at the company in 1990. Mr. Stein re-joined M;S in 2006 as the IT Director. From 2001 to 2006, he ser ved at Vodafone, becoming IT Director for Vodafone UK in 2004. Prior to this, Mr. Stein was Vodafone’s UK Network Director and Global IT Strategy and Architecture Director. From 1996 to 2001, he ser ved at Ernst & Young, leading a number of major IT and Change Programmes in the financial services, retail and utility sectors. In 1994, Mr. Stein joined Mars as a Project Manager. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 15 Marks and Spencer Group plc Major Products and Services MAJOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES M&S is one of the leading retailers of clothing, foods and homeware in the UK. The company’s key products and services include the following: Products: Women’s wear Men’s wear Lingerie Children’s wear Footwear Food and grocery items Homeware and home accessories Kitchen and tableware Lighting Furniture products Services: Credit cards Car, home, travel, and pet insurance Personal loans Brands: Autograph Limited Collection Collezione Blue Harbour Girls Boutique Per Una Ceriso Adored Truly you Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 16 Marks and Spencer Group plc Revenue Analysis REVENUE ANALYSIS Overview The company recorded revenues of ? 9,740. 3 million (approximately $15,158. 8 million) in FY2011, an increase of 2. 1% over FY2010. For FY2011, the UK, the company’s largest geographic market, accounted for 89. 7% of the total revenues. M;S generates revenues through two business divisions: food (51. 5%% of the total revenues in FY2011), and general merchandise (48. 5%). Revenues by division* During FY2011, the food division recorded revenues of ? 4,499. 4 million (approximately $7,002. 4 million), an increase of 1. 9% over FY2010. The general merchandise division recorded revenues of ? 4,233. 6 million (approximately $6,588. 8 million) in FY2011, an increase of 2% over FY2010. *The revenue breakdown by division is only for the revenues from the UK market. Revenues by geography The UK, M;S’ largest geographical market, accounted for 89. % of the total revenues in FY2011. Revenues from the UK reached ? 8,733 million (approximately $13,591. 2 million) in FY2011, an increase of 1. 9% over FY2010. International operations accounted for 10. 3% of the total revenues in FY2011. Revenues from international operations reached ? 1,007. 3 million (approximately $1,567. 7 million) in FY2011, an increase of 4% over FY2010 . Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 17 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS M&S is one of the leading retailers of clothing, foods and homeware in the UK. The company has expanded its food product offering significantly in the recent years. New products launches, focus on expanding healthy products, promotions, and competitive prices are all helping the company attract customers in a highly competitive market. However, surge in shoplifting could negatively impact the cost structure for M&S. Strengths Weaknesses Expanding food offering Strong market position in the clothing segment Geographical expansion to increase the addressable market and reduce vulnerability to mature UK market M&S etched a highly effective CSR strategy M&S legacy stores and systems are a ompetitive disadvantage Declining general merchandise division sales due to inadequate stocking Opportunities Threats Online channel continues to boom and will enable M&S to boost revenues Focus on China and India can lead to expansion in two of the fastest growing markets Surge in shoplifting losses costs the retailers and customers Weak consumer spending in the UK Rising labor c ost in the UK Strengths Expanded food offering The company has expanded its food product offering significantly in the recent years. In 2009, M&S consistently highlighted it is cheaper than Waitrose on a basket of 1,200 items by about 2%. The company, in 2009, decided to invest in its margins in order to provide its customers better value. As a result of this, M&S saw improved perceptions of value by its customers. The company, in FY2011, launched around 1,800 new products in food and positioned itself as the UK’s leading high quality food retailer. The key product launches of the company include Taste Italia, and Made Without Wheat range of gluten-free bread and cakes, With the success of Made Without Wheat product range, the company launched gluten-free sandwiches, sausages, stuffing, and crisp bakes. As of FY2011, the company offered 125 gluten-free products. M&S also became the UK’s second largest favorite health food brand with the launch of its Simply Fuller Longer range which encourages customers to manage their weight with a menu plan. The gross margin of food division increased by 20 basis points to Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 18 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis 30. 8% in FY2011. This was mainly driven by better management of promotions and waste. Fur ther, in the four th quar ter of FY2012 ended March 2012, M&S launched 500 new products in the food division. The sales in this quar ter increased by 3. 1%, The company’s promotions such as roast dinner for ? 5 ($7. 8), Dine In, etc offered its customers with great value solutions for special occasions. M&S’ food division has been performing well in a ver y competitive market and against tough competitors. By launching innovative products and with an expanded food offering, the company has been able to attract the customers in a highly competitive market. Strong market position in the clothing segment M&S has a strong market position in the clothing segment. With more than one in 10 clothing items bought from M&S, the company ranks amongst the three largest clothing retailers in the UK. According to a repor t released by Verdict (Datamonitor’s retail arm) in May 2012, M;S is known for its product quality. The company was ranked first with a score of 49 for its product quality above the market average of 23. According to another repor t released by Verdict in April 2012, M;S enjoys highest conversion rate of 50. 7% and is very successful in conver ting visitors to loyal main users through its varied product offer, in-store service and garment quality. This indicates that M;S is a trustwor thy brand, which all main users would return to knowing that the quality, fit, and ser vice are reliable and consistent. The retailer has recognized that its core market of predominantly mature customers has been especially hard hit by rising core costs of living, falling interest on savings and worse prospects for pensions, and in reaction has lowered its entr y prices to compete more effectively with high street/value operators and supermarkets, helping to maintain the loyalty of its main users and prevent them from shopping elsewhere. Verdict, in its repor t in March 2012, ranked, M;S seventh in the global depar tment store market with a share of 3. 2%. This market leadership enabled M;S to excel throughout the economic downturn, while other mid-market retailers are pressured from the ever expanding value players. Leading market position indicates access to a large customer base and also popularity of M;S’ offering in the clothing segment. Going forward, this market position would enable the company to drive revenues as consumer spending recovers. Geographical expansion to increase the addressable market and reduce vulnerability to mature UK market With a por tfolio of over 361 owned and franchised stores in 42 territories M&S continues to grow its international business. This mix of ownership models and countries enabled the company to perform well in FY2011, even when individual markets were weak. Fur ther, during FY2011, the company entered the Egyptian market with a 28,000 square feet store in the Dandy Mega Mall in Cairo. M&S’ international business grew by 4% in FY2011 despite tough economic situation. As an established retailer in a mature market, it is going to be hard for M;S to continually deliver significant increases in UK sales. However, in the long run, its international business offers an oppor tunity for high growth. By generating much higher volumes, it can deliver margin benefits with suppliers. With production costs rising, this will be an advantage in the UK. International expansion will enable the company to access multiple sales points for most of the product ranges. This is especially relevant for clothing and homewares segments. Also, through expansion in the international markets M;S can reduce Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 19 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis vulnerability to mature UK market. The company can also par ticipate effectively in some of highest growing markets such as China and India. All these factors would enable the company to reduce the overall business risk and facilitate increased revenues. M;S etched a highly effective CSR strategy M;S has to its credit an effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. CSR has been gaining prominence not just among the stake holders and governments but the consumers as well. The company has the highest propor tion of consumers believing it to be a responsible retailer and this can largely be attributed to the success of its Plan A, a ? 200 million (approximately $320. 3 million) 100-point plan launched in 2007 with five areas of focus: climate change, fair par tnership, health, sustainable raw materials, and waste. In FY2011, the company included two more areas in its Plan A: involving customers, and making Plan A how we do business. In the last few years, initiatives launched under the Plan A banner include launching the company’s first eco-store, encouraging suppliers to set-up eco-factories, removing hydrogenated fats from its ready meals, increasing the propor tion of organic food, reducing the salt content of its produce, cer tifying a larger percentage of its fish as originating from sustainable populations, and beginning to sell recycling and composting bins. It is the high profile presence of Plan A in adver tising campaigns, product labeling and store signage that gives M&S one of the best consumer perceptions of a retailer for social responsibility. The campaign works not just as a direct to consumer channel, but also because of the positive coverage it creates. Perhaps more impor tantly, it has publicized all of these initiatives extensively. In 2008, M&S launched a TV adver tising campaign focusing on its ethical, environmental and health-conscious credentials, highlighting that it only uses free range eggs and that its products are now free from ar tificial colors and flavorings. Other, more innovative, ideas have included a joint venture with Oxfam to promote the recycling of old clothes. In addition, more controversially, the retailer introduced a 5p charge for carrier bags at all of its food depar tments in 2008. Though many consumers resented this charge, it has undoubtedly boosted M&S’ reputation as an ethical retailer. Overall, sculpting its CSR strategy into such a high publicity campaign, divided into such clear action points and highly visible benefits, has seen the company move to the forefront of responsible retailing. In FY2011, the company launched Indigo Green, its first range of clothing made using more sustainable fabrics. In April 2012, the company announced to accept secondhand clothes at all the UK outlets except Simply Food stores, to recycle them into other fabrics or to reuse them in order to cut waste. Plan A has seen CSR become core to M;S’ principles in the eyes of the consumer and it has reaped the benefits of this, gaining shoppers as a result and repor tedly saving more than ? 70 million (approximately $108. 9 million) in efficiencies gained in FY2011 compared with ? 50 million (approximately $77. 8 million) in FY2010. In addition, M&S improved energy efficiency in its stores by 23% and warehouses by 24% in FY2011 compared to FY2007. It also improved the fuel efficiency of its deliver y fleets by 20% and total carbon emissions have been reduced by 13%. The company now recycles 94% of all the waste it generates from its stores, offices and warehouses. The total waste is down by more than a third. M&S also met its sustainable standards by sourcing 90% of wild fish in FY2011 (62% in FY2010) and 76% of wood in FY2011 (72% in FY2010). Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 20 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis By actively promoting a product’s greener attributes (for example fewer, more recognizable and natural ingredients), retailers such as M;S have positioned products as improving one’s personal environment while benefiting the global environment too. Many of their successes have come from emphasizing the former rather than the latter, especially as consumers often associate ethics with a sense of wellbeing. In terms of the issues that concern consumers, the sustainability of natural resources is a major fear, as are climate change and the fairness of sourcing arrangements. Consumers are also attracted to products with health benefits and there is a clear trend that consumers can be persuaded to par t with more money in return for products with a positive impact, not just to them personally, but also to wider society. Indeed, differentiating between products becomes harder and harder to achieve, Verdict expects consumers to turn to auxiliary considerations such as ethicality and sustainability to guide their choices. Consumers are no longer purely satisfied with how a product looks and functions; they want assurances over aspects such as nvironmental impact, hygiene, safety, and fairness. In light of the above mentioned trends where the customer choices are increasingly guided by the sustainability issues, M&S will benefit due to its reputation of being a responsible retailer. Weaknesses M&S legacy stores and systems are a competitive disadvantage M&S suffers some competitive disadvantages compared to Tesco, which has been able to drive earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) growth even in the mature UK market. Tesco benefits from supplier power and state-of-the-ar t IT, supply chain and systems compared with M&S legacy systems. The supermarket retailer has been able to break up the demand cur ve with metro, express and big box store formats out of town and on the high street. Moreover, Tesco stores have been carefully designed with consistent store layouts in order to facilitate store navigation. Extra back room store space has also been allocated to allow for smooth execution of its picking and distribution model. Tesco sells both own label and branded goods (food and non-food) in a bid to drive up footfall and sales conversion. M&S legacy stores are inconsistent in terms of layout. Store size tends to dictate product availability, while a lack of back room store space does not facilitate the same style supermarket pick and delivery model. The legacy systems and stores of M&S are constraining effective servicing of customer demands on a consistent basis. This is placing the company at a clear competitive disadvantage compared to a formidable opponent, Tesco. Declining general merchandise division sales due to inadequate stocking The company’s general merchandise division sales declined in recent times, M&S’ general merchandise division sales decreased by 2. % in the four th quar ter of FY2012 ended March 2012. This was mainly due to shor tage of stock in its stores, Due to this, the company was also not able to meet customer demand for 300,000 knitwear garments under the M&S Woman label. It only sold Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 21 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis 100,000 knitwear garments during this period. Fur ther, in times of high demand, inadequate stock could hamper the sales of the division and result in loss of sales to competitors. This not only affects the revenues of the company but could also result in shift of customers to its competitors. Opportunities Online channel continues to boom and will enable M&S to boost revenues Online retail sales in the UK have grown significantly over a period of time. According to Office for National Statistics, non-seasonally adjusted average weekly value for internet retail sales in the UK was ? 414 million (approximately $644. 3 million) in Februar y 2010, this increased to ? 573. 6 million (approximately $892. 7 million) in February 2012, representing an increase of 18%. Internet sales accounted for only 8% of the total retail sales (excluding fuel) in Februar y 2010. This figure increased to 10. 7% in February 2012. The growing desire for convenience is seeing shoppers buy more online, especially in the category of food and grocery. Consumers have also become savvier, using the internet more to get the best deal they can. Voucher codes, and cashback sites have been instrumental in this. Additionally, improved deliver y and fulfillment options have been encouraging consumers to shop more online. The company operates in the internet channel through M&S Direct where the products are offered through website and newly launched ‘Shop Your Way’ facility, a new ordering service that has been rolled-out in 444 stores (including 151 in Simply Foods stores) during FY2011, allowing customers to place orders either in stores, online or over the phone, for deliver y to either a nominated address or free of charge to their nearest store. M&S Direct’s sales increased from ? 413 million (approximately $642. 8 million) in FY2010 to ? 543 million (approximately $845. million) in FY2011, an increase of 31. 5%. Fur ther, in the first half of FY2012, M&S Direct’s sales increased by 11. 7% with more than three million visitors per week. Thus, by leveraging its online presence, M&S can cater to the requirements of a growing number of customers who are looking for convenience and better deals over the internet. Focus on China and India can lead to expansion in two of the fastest growing markets China and India are two economies which are recording highest growth rates which, in turn, are expected to aid the retail market growth in these two countries. Asia’s retail sales are estimated to increase with China driving the growth. According to the preliminary estimation, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China was CNY47,156. 4 billion ($7,285. 7 billion) in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 9. 2% at comparable prices. The fast pace economic development in China coupled with the rise of the middle class income group and their increasing disposable income have fur ther pushed up the demand for several consumer goods. According to National Bureau of Statistics of China, the total retail sales reached CNY18,391. 9 billion (approximately $2,841. billion) in 2011, representing a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 17. 1%. Fur ther, according to industr y estimates, the countr y’s total retail sales are expected to increase from approximately CNY20 trillion ($3 trillion) in 2012 to approximately CNY26 trillion ($4 trillion) in 2016, representing an increase of about 30%. Strong Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 22 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis underlying economic trends, population growth and the increasing wealth of individuals are key factors that contribute to the retail market expansion in China. The retail industry in India is large owing to a large population and is set to grow as several factors contribute. According to the industry sources, the retail sales in India are forecast to grow from around $411 billion in 2011 to $804 billion by 2015. The key factors behind the forecast growth include strong underlying economic growth, population expansion, increasing wealth of individuals and the rapid construction of organized retail infrastructure. Also, as middle and upper class consumer base expands, there will also be oppor tunities in India’s second and third-tier cities. The greater availability of personal credit and a growing vehicle population are to improve mobility which will also contribute to a trend towards retail sales growth. M;S is strengthening presence in India and China as par t of its geographic expansion and for some time to come, these countries would be the key contributors to the company’s international expansion strategies. The company in with par tnership with Reliance Retail, an established retailer in India, can tap into this lucrative market while expansion in China also continues. Indian and Chinese markets would provide a huge potential revenue base for M&S. Threats Surge in shoplifting losses costs the retailers and customers The UK retailers are exposed to increased costs of shoplifting. Shoplifting has assumed massive propor tions in recent times. According to industry estimates, retail crime costed UK stores ? 1. 4 billion ($2. 2 billion) in 2011. There are about two million thefts per year, which concludes to an average of more than one per minute. According to another industr y repor t, the thefts across the UK stores increased from ? 4. 2 million ($6. 5 million) in 2009 to ? 5. 1 million ($7. 9 million) in 2011, an increase of 20%. Long-term trends also show the figure is likely to continue rising. As a result, retailers have been increasing their surveillance spend. This is increasing the costs for retailers as well as for the end consumers. The shoplifting losses are adding to the costs for the retailers and the customers have also been bearing the brunt. The surge in shoplifting could negatively impact the cost structure for M&S as well. Weak consumer spending in the UK The UK market is suffering from weak consumer spending. The European debt crisis added more downward pressure to the growth prospects of the UK. According to Eurostat, the UK economy grew by 0. 7% in 2011 and is expected to grow by 0. 5% in 2012. In addition, the UK has witnessed high unemployment rate. According to the Office of National Statistics, the unemployment rate for the three months period November 2011 to January 2012 was 8. 4% with 2. 67 million unemployed people in the UK. Increasing unemployment rate is expected to fur ther put pressure on the economy of the UK. High inflation, led by the increase in VAT to 20% and public spending cuts reduced disposable Marks and Spencer Group plc MarketLine Page 23 Marks and Spencer Group plc SWOT Analysis income, leading to a fall in consumer spending on discretionary items. Consumers have been cautious with their spending especially due to soaring petrol prices, tax increases and uncer tainty over jobs. The UK is the key market for M&S. In FY2011, the UK accounted for 89. 7% of M&S’ total revenues. Thus, the sluggish consumer spending and high unemployment rate in the UK could affect most of the non-food retailers and lead to reduced sales volume or shrinking profit margins. Rising labor cost in the UK Labor costs are rising in the UK. In recent times, tight labor markets, increased over time, government mandated increases in minimum wages and a higher propor tion of full-time employees are resulting in an increase in labor costs, which could materially impact the company’s results of operation. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) Regulations came into force in 1999 and since then the NMW rates have been increased annually. The national minimum wage increased from ? 5. 93 per hour ($9. 23 per hour) in October 2010 to ? 6. 08 per hour ($9. 46 per hour) in October 2011. Fur ther, the national minimum wage is expected to increase to ? 6. 19 per hour (9. 63 per hour) from October 2012. In FY2011, M&S employed 78,169 people. Increasing labor costs can adversely affect the company’s operating costs as its wage bills would escalate. This, in turn, could impact its margins adversely. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 24 Marks and Spencer Group plc Top Competitors TOP COMPETITORS The following companies are the major competitors of Marks and Spencer Group plc ASDA Group Limited Debenhams plc H ; M Hennes ; Mauritz AB J Sainsbury plc NEXT plc Selfridges plc Tesco PLC Gap, Inc. , The French Connection Group Plc House of Fraser Group Plc John Lewis Par tnership plc Arcadia Group Limited Home Retail Group Plc Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 25 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company View COMPANY VIEW A statement by Rober t Swannell, the Chairman of the Board at Marks and Spencer Group, is given below. The statement has been taken from the company’s Annual Repor t for FY2011. I feel ver y privileged to be Chairman of this unique company and at such an exciting time in our evolution. Since joining Marks ; Spencer in October and assuming the role of Chairman in Januar y, I have spent much of my time getting to know the business better – meeting our employees, shareholders, customers and suppliers. I first became deeply involved with M;S during the unsolicited takeover attempt in 2004, when I led the advisory team that helped put the M;S case to its shareholders. It was then I learned first hand about this unique company: about the extraordinarily strong relationship it has with its many stakeholders and about its very special ethos. This ethos is a reflection of the high standards our customers expect from M;S – trusting us not only to deliver great value, great quality products but also to do the right thing – socially, environmentally and ethically. We know that putting Plan A at the hear t of how we do business is not just the right thing to do; it is also fundamental to our long-term success. Performance In a challenging marketplace M;S has continued to grow, with underlying profits up 12. 9% on the year. We delivered this by staying true to our heritage of quality and innovation, reminding our customers what makes M;S special. This year Marc Bolland set out a clear medium-term plan for the business, after extensive discussions with colleagues and us, the Board. This is covered in detail in Marc’s review. From day one, I have been struck by the passion and commitment of our people. I am delighted that this year we are paying a bonus to all employees to thank them for their energy and enthusiasm in what has been a difficult trading environment. Dividend We are committed to delivering consistent returns for our shareholders. To this end we have adopted a progressive dividend policy, with dividends broadly covered twice by earnings. We intend to pay a final dividend of 10. 8p per share (last year 9. 5p) in respect of the 2010/11 financial year. Governance Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 26 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company View This year we returned to the traditional governance structure of a separate Chairman and Chief Executive, providing clarity between Marc Bolland and me, with regard to our respective roles. Put simply, I run the Board and Marc runs the business. The Board has a wide range of responsibilities. There are three that I think are par ticularly impor tant for the success of the business: first, to debate and agree our strategy and hold the executive team accountable for its execution; second, to ensure that we have the most talented team to execute this strategy and that we plan effectively for succession; and third, to set the tone for governance, which is par ticularly impor tant at M;S where ‘doing the right thing’ is an integral par t of our ethos. My ob is to ensure the Board has the right mix of skills and talents and to ensure that it works effectively as a team towards shared goals with the right mix of enquir y and suppor t of the executive directors from the non-executive directors. During the year we commissioned a formal Board evaluation from an independent consultant, the findings of which are outlined in the Governance section. This process highligh ted the real enthusiasm of the directors in suppor ting a shared ambition: to guide M;S to the ver y best future. We know that you expect high standards from M;S; it’s our responsibility to learn how we can improve. This review was an impor tant par t of that journey. As stated in our 2009/10 Annual Repor t, we reviewed the senior remuneration structure this year. Following extensive shareholder consultation, we believe we now have a framework that is both relevant to today’s M;S and fully aligned with our strategy. The Board Over the last year the Board has been strengthened by a series of executive appointments. In May 2010 Marc Bolland joined the business as Chief Executive, assuming the day-to-day running of the business from Sir Stuar t Rose in July. In October Alan Stewar t joined as Chief Finance Officer and in February we announced the appointment of Laura Wade-Gery as Executive Director, Multi-channel E-commerce; she will join the Board in July. Whilst the Board features some new faces, these changes have taken place around a core of executive and non-executive directors that has remained stable over recent years. I would like to pay par ticular tribute to Sir Stuar t Rose. When he became Chief Executive in 2004, M;S was at a low ebb. He restored confidence in M;S, re-established its values and built a strong business. The solid platform from which Marc is now implementing his plan is a credit to Stuar t’s energy and tireless commitment to M;S over the last seven years. The smooth management transition – the meticulous handover to me and the suppor t of Marc – is also a credit to Stuar t. In that connection, I would also like to thank Sir David Michels, and the Nominations ; Governance Committee he led, for managing a change of leadership over the past year that was accomplished quietly and effectively. David has decided to step down from the Board at the end of his second term in February 2012, but I am delighted that he will continue his role as Deputy Chairman until then. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 27 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company View I must also thank Louise Patten for the significant contribution she has made over the last five years, playing an impor tant role in each of our Board Committees. As Louise reaches the end of her second three year term on the Board, she has decided not to seek re-election at the upcoming AGM. Looking ahead Our priorities for the year ahead are clear. We have a plan and it is now our collective job to make it happen. The Board will concentrate on delivering exemplary governance at the highest level to enable our executive team to drive this strategy forward. The economy still gives us reason to be cautious. Yet in difficult times, our core values of Quality, Value, Ser vice, Innovation and Trust matter more than ever to M;S customers. These values remain at the hear t of our strategy and I therefore look forward to the future with confidence. Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 28 Marks and Spencer Group plc Locations and Subsidiaries LOCATIONS AND SUBSIDIARIES Head Office Marks and Spencer Group plc Waterside House 35 Nor th Wharf Road London W2 1NW GBR P:44 20 7935 4422 http://www. marksandspencer. com Other Locations and Subsidiaries Marks and Spencer International Holdings Limited Great Britain GBR Marks and Spencer (Nederland) BV NLD Marks and Spencer (Ireland) Limited IRL Marks and Spencer (Asia Pacific) Limited HKG Marks and Spencer Simply Foods Limited Great Britain GBR Marks and Spencer Marinopoulos Greece SA GRC Marks and Spencer SCM Limited

A Critical Essay evaluating a published piece of research from a research skills and methods point of view

As the article contains a section identifying the methodology used in the article, this will form the basis of analysis. Through examination of the methodologies identified therein, the effective use of these techniques will be critiqued, as well as those present in the article, which have not been identified in the section. This paper will explore the methodology used in the article from a broad philosophical approach to the methodology, to factors of analysis, research methods, data collection and appropriateness of the sources used. Positivist Research Philosophy Positivism is a structured approach to interpretation of research and the use of this methodology aims to replicate or test theory. Use of this methodology sees the researcher making certain interpretations about the data that will be collected. These interpretations will be quantified and generalised using some form of statistical analysis (Carter New, 2004) and thus its application within the natural sciences to the study of a subject in a social reality. This approach is deductive in nature where the research develops a theory and then subjects it to testing in the form of measureable hypotheses (Feyerabend, 1981). This has clear application in the current article as the authors are looking to interpret the data collected to draw certain conclusions about the role of the media in intra-EU immigration. Against this research philosophy it is possible to then examine the different kinds of research methods undertaken. This research philosophy is not identified in the article itself, however it is clear that there is a positivist approach taken to the research as there is a strong representation of certain interpretations made on the basis of collected data. Qualitative and Quantitative Research Method From the outset it is clear that the paper makes use of both qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The article identifies the approach used in testing the hypothesis as linking media framing with normative political theory in a systematic way. This approach superficially indicates the inclusion of qualitative research due to the very nature of normative theory. Qualitative research centers around the idea that meaning is socially constructed by individuals based on their interactions with the world and that the world is not based on positivist or quantitative assumptions (Merriam, 2002; 32). Qualitative research suggests that instead, reality is based on multiple interpretations that change over time, and researchers concern themselves rather with understanding these interpretations at a particular time. This research in particular focuses on plurality of interpretations (Flick, 2009). If one understands normative theory as being prescriptive of how one ideally should o r ought to act, imposing a value judgment based on these interpretations (Over, 2004; 3), one can see the understanding of normative political theory as inherently qualitative in nature. By contrast, quantitative methods of research are those which concern data analysed in terms of numbers (Punch, 1998). It is conceivable therefore that normative political theory may be assisted by quantitative research methods, however essentially this requires a value judgment on what political theory ought to be, is essentially positions itself within qualitative research by its very definition, as a value judgment requires the consideration of factors that typically fall within the realm of qualitative research, such as context and evaluation.Arguably, the omission of this statement of methodology from the section in the article itself is justified through redundancy. That is to say, that to the extent that this is both understood as a methodology of normative theory application, as well as the assumptions made about this theory within the paper rather than a process of research or discovery as to what this theory is, perhaps the inclusion of this consideration in the methodology section is somewhat redundant and unnecessary. A mixed method of qualitative and quantitative research exists in this article further in the identification of content analysis as the primary method of analysis in the paper (Balabanova Balch, 2010; 386). Content analysis classified textual material by reducing it to manageable pieces of data by quantifying the occurrence of certain phrases or themes within a text (Weber, 1980). It is therefore clear that content analysis is quantitative to the extent that it attempts to quantify certain themes within the text itself. However, it is simultaneously qualitative in that it takes account of the context of text components, latent structures of sense, distinctiveness in individual cases and things that do not appear in the text itself (Ritsert, 1972). For this reason, the inclusion of qualitative content analysis in analyzing communication texts, such as the current case of media, these factors are important for including context in the process of analysis. This however is not the quali tative inclusion that is referred to by Balabanova and Balch (2010; 396), as the methodology section purports to include qualitative factors through qualitative reading of selected articles to identify the ethical position and the range of communitarian and cosmopolitan issues. Whilst it arguable that these factors are a necessary inclusion of qualitative factors in the research, this should not be the extent of this inclusion. This is a clear inclusion in the Balabanova and Balch (2010; 386) article if one considers the nature of sources analyzed as being media sources of a particular topic, particularly considering the ethical dimension thereof. There is a definitely inclusion of certain ethical judgments in the content analysis which is essential to the topic itself. To the extent therefore that the content analysis used in the paper is of mixed methodology, this is entirely appropriate given the multifaceted nature of the inquiry itself. By making use of the sources that take ac count of the context, particularly in the choice of sources, it is clear that there are features of qualitative content analysis present in the article. Frame Analysis A further method identified by the methodology section of the article is a framing analysis, which essentially works as a method of defining how an issue is problematised and the effect that this has on the broader discussion (Hope, 2010; 2). Framing, involves selection and highlighting of certain facets of events, making connections between them so that they promote a particular interpretation, evalua ­tion or solution (Entman, 2004). By framing an issue in a certain way the media organize and structure their presentation, in the process including and excluding ideas and argu ­ments to produce a coherent construction and understanding of the issue (Pan and Kosicki, 1993). Despite the inclusion of this methodology, it is questionable whether the authors have made use of this analysis method, as there is no evidence of a discussion involving the framing of the problem statement in a manner that is consistent with this methodology. This is a precise methodology involving various st eps of conceptualization from the primary framework, to the metaframes and finally, the issue frame leading to the problem statement. Essentially, this moves from a very broad general understanding of the issue and moves towards the very specific (Hope, 2010; 5). Whilst it is clear that Balabanova and Balch (2010; 383) have clearly stated their problem statement in the introductory paragraphs of the article, this is not however consistent with the steps of analysis used in a frame analysis. The introduction to the problem statement arguably is well reasoned from the onset, and there is no development or discovery of logic as the process enfolds. Therefore, it is fair to conclude that there is an adequate formation of the problem statement, however this is not done by a frame analysis which purports to form the foundation of the research itself. Data Collection It is arguable that the method of data collection used by Balabanova and Balch (2010) is a qualitative data collection method. This is so because generally empirical or first-hand research is undertaken in quantitative studies which involves the independent collection of data by the researcher, rather than analyzing data that is already available. To this extent, the authors have circumvented a number of logistical issues with regards to the ethics of empirical research. Generally speaking, empirical research must be accompanied by a statement of ethics to ensure that the appropriate ethical standards are adhered to when dealing with research participants. Qualitative data therefore is representative of language data or the experience of the participants of the study, whereas quantitative data is a collection of numbers and figures (Polkinghorne, 2005). Whilst, the article does make use of quantitative data in terms of the fact that it uses this data to form the basis of the analysis , it similarly makes use of qualitative data which can be described as an ‘account’ or ‘evidence’ of human experience (ibid). It stands to reason therefore, that if one considers the subject matter of the article, the findings are a reflection of an experience and otherwise described as evidence of a certain circumstance. To this extent, the quantitative figures are used as a supporting mechanism to add to the validity and reliability of these findings. Validity generally implies that the instrument must measure what it was intended to measure (Barbour, 2008). Therefore to the extent that this data collection method has been used to gather the appropriate evidence and therefore measure the topic of the article, it is a valid mechanism of doing so. The article however does not address the issue of data collection, although it is fairly evident that it is qualitative in nature considering that it was chosen from a specific demographic country, with specific interests in mind when collecting this data. There are certain superficial indicators of reliability in research relating to repetition or consistency in assertion. Golafshani (2003; 598) identifies three types of reliability referred to in research, which relate to, namely the degree to which a measurement, given repeatedly, remains the same, the stability of a measurement over time; and the similarity of measurements within a given time period. Arguably by the very nature of the means of analysis, namely content analysis, these results should prove to be reliable, as the subject of what this method measures is precisely the repeated incidence of specific themes and phrases within the data sampled. The reliability of the data therefore is reliant on the reliability of the tool of analysis in this case. It can be concluded that, despite the lack of discussion as to the reliability of the data, the nature of the test is one which is inherently reliability. This is mitigated further by the limited size of the population of the st udy itself. Sources Cases Generally speaking, it is not appropriate to rely solely on newspaper articles as the basis of academic findings, however for the purposes of the current research, particularly in that the article is based on the influence of the media on the perception of intra-EU migration. As a result therefore the use of these sources is appropriate. The reliability and validity of the research with regards to the sources is upheld in integrity, as there is the adequate inclusion of reputable academic sources, as well as the use of these newspaper sources which form the basis of the data analysis. Conclusion By and large the application of the outlined methodology in the article itself is successful. One could argue that the relevant theoretical considerations with regards to research methodology have been adequately addressed in the article given the length and depth of the subject matter. This however is not to say that the authors have not excluded the fundamental considerations of methodology that merit inclusion, such as more exploration of qualitative research methodology, which has been argued to contribute significantly to the outcomes of the study, yet are not sufficiently included. Despite this exclusion, the collection of data and the sources used to support the hypothesis of the article are sufficient and appropriate in the circumstance, considering that the topic at hand requires an inquiry into the opinions and role of the media in these circumstances. This is supported by a superficial, yet adequate methodological explanation that allows the reader a basic understanding of the methodology used in the paper. References Balabanova and Balch (2010) Sending and receiving: The ethical framing of intra-EU migration in the European press. European Journal of Communication, 25, pp. 382 – 408 Barbour, R.S (2008) Introducing Qualitative Research. Sage Publications: Los Angeles Carter, B and C. New (2004) Making Realism Work. Routledge: London Entman R (2004) Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion, and US Foreign Policy. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press Feyerabend, P.K. (1981) Realism, Rationalism and Scientific Method. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) Flick, U. (2009) An Introduction to Qualitative Research. (4ed) Sage Publications: London Golafshani, N. (2003) Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), pp. 597 – 607 Hope, M. (2010) Frame Analysis as a Discourse-Method: Framing ‘climate change politics’. Paper delivered to the Post-Graduate Conference on Discourse Analysis March 2010,University of Bristol. Merriam, S. (2002) Qualitative Research in Practice. (1ed) John Wiley Sons: New York Over, D (2004) Rationality and the Normative/Descriptive Distinction in Koehler, D. Harvey, N. (eds) ‘Blackwell Handbook of Judgment and Decision Making’ Blackwell: New York Pan Z and Kosicki G (1993) Framing analysis: An approach to news discourse. Political Communication 10(1): 55–75. Polkinghorne, D. (2005) Language and Meaning: Data Collection in Qualitative Research. Journal of Counselling Pyschology, 52(2), pp 137 – 145 Punch, K. (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Sage Publications: London Ritsert, J. (1972 Inhaltsanalyse und Ideologiekritik. Ein Versuch uber kritische Sozialforschung. Frankfurt: Athenaum Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag (as translated) Weber, R. (1980) Basic Content Analysis. (2ed) Sage Publications: London A Critical Essay evaluating a published piece of research from a research skills and methods point of view As the article contains a section identifying the methodology used in the article, this will form the basis of analysis. Through examination of the methodologies identified therein, the effective use of these techniques will be critiqued, as well as those present in the article, which have not been identified in the section. This paper will explore the methodology used in the article from a broad philosophical approach to the methodology, to factors of analysis, research methods, data collection and appropriateness of the sources used. Positivist Research Philosophy Positivism is a structured approach to interpretation of research and the use of this methodology aims to replicate or test theory. Use of this methodology sees the researcher making certain interpretations about the data that will be collected. These interpretations will be quantified and generalised using some form of statistical analysis (Carter New, 2004) and thus its application within the natural sciences to the study of a subject in a social reality. This approach is deductive in nature where the research develops a theory and then subjects it to testing in the form of measureable hypotheses (Feyerabend, 1981). This has clear application in the current article as the authors are looking to interpret the data collected to draw certain conclusions about the role of the media in intra-EU immigration. Against this research philosophy it is possible to then examine the different kinds of research methods undertaken. This research philosophy is not identified in the article itself, however it is clear that there is a positivist approach taken to the research as there is a strong representation of certain interpretations made on the basis of collected data. Qualitative and Quantitative Research Method From the outset it is clear that the paper makes use of both qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The article identifies the approach used in testing the hypothesis as linking media framing with normative political theory in a systematic way. This approach superficially indicates the inclusion of qualitative research due to the very nature of normative theory. Qualitative research centers around the idea that meaning is socially constructed by individuals based on their interactions with the world and that the world is not based on positivist or quantitative assumptions (Merriam, 2002; 32). Qualitative research suggests that instead, reality is based on multiple interpretations that change over time, and researchers concern themselves rather with understanding these interpretations at a particular time. This research in particular focuses on plurality of interpretations (Flick, 2009). If one understands normative theory as being prescriptive of how one ideally should o r ought to act, imposing a value judgment based on these interpretations (Over, 2004; 3), one can see the understanding of normative political theory as inherently qualitative in nature. By contrast, quantitative methods of research are those which concern data analysed in terms of numbers (Punch, 1998). It is conceivable therefore that normative political theory may be assisted by quantitative research methods, however essentially this requires a value judgment on what political theory ought to be, is essentially positions itself within qualitative research by its very definition, as a value judgment requires the consideration of factors that typically fall within the realm of qualitative research, such as context and evaluation.Arguably, the omission of this statement of methodology from the section in the article itself is justified through redundancy. That is to say, that to the extent that this is both understood as a methodology of normative theory application, as well as the assumptions made about this theory within the paper rather than a process of research or discovery as to what this theory is, perhaps the inclusion of this consideration in the methodology section is somewhat redundant and unnecessary. A mixed method of qualitative and quantitative research exists in this article further in the identification of content analysis as the primary method of analysis in the paper (Balabanova Balch, 2010; 386). Content analysis classified textual material by reducing it to manageable pieces of data by quantifying the occurrence of certain phrases or themes within a text (Weber, 1980). It is therefore clear that content analysis is quantitative to the extent that it attempts to quantify certain themes within the text itself. However, it is simultaneously qualitative in that it takes account of the context of text components, latent structures of sense, distinctiveness in individual cases and things that do not appear in the text itself (Ritsert, 1972). For this reason, the inclusion of qualitative content analysis in analyzing communication texts, such as the current case of media, these factors are important for including context in the process of analysis. This however is not the quali tative inclusion that is referred to by Balabanova and Balch (2010; 396), as the methodology section purports to include qualitative factors through qualitative reading of selected articles to identify the ethical position and the range of communitarian and cosmopolitan issues. Whilst it arguable that these factors are a necessary inclusion of qualitative factors in the research, this should not be the extent of this inclusion. This is a clear inclusion in the Balabanova and Balch (2010; 386) article if one considers the nature of sources analyzed as being media sources of a particular topic, particularly considering the ethical dimension thereof. There is a definitely inclusion of certain ethical judgments in the content analysis which is essential to the topic itself. To the extent therefore that the content analysis used in the paper is of mixed methodology, this is entirely appropriate given the multifaceted nature of the inquiry itself. By making use of the sources that take ac count of the context, particularly in the choice of sources, it is clear that there are features of qualitative content analysis present in the article. Frame Analysis A further method identified by the methodology section of the article is a framing analysis, which essentially works as a method of defining how an issue is problematised and the effect that this has on the broader discussion (Hope, 2010; 2). Framing, involves selection and highlighting of certain facets of events, making connections between them so that they promote a particular interpretation, evalua ­tion or solution (Entman, 2004). By framing an issue in a certain way the media organize and structure their presentation, in the process including and excluding ideas and argu ­ments to produce a coherent construction and understanding of the issue (Pan and Kosicki, 1993). Despite the inclusion of this methodology, it is questionable whether the authors have made use of this analysis method, as there is no evidence of a discussion involving the framing of the problem statement in a manner that is consistent with this methodology. This is a precise methodology involving various st eps of conceptualization from the primary framework, to the metaframes and finally, the issue frame leading to the problem statement. Essentially, this moves from a very broad general understanding of the issue and moves towards the very specific (Hope, 2010; 5). Whilst it is clear that Balabanova and Balch (2010; 383) have clearly stated their problem statement in the introductory paragraphs of the article, this is not however consistent with the steps of analysis used in a frame analysis. The introduction to the problem statement arguably is well reasoned from the onset, and there is no development or discovery of logic as the process enfolds. Therefore, it is fair to conclude that there is an adequate formation of the problem statement, however this is not done by a frame analysis which purports to form the foundation of the research itself. Data Collection It is arguable that the method of data collection used by Balabanova and Balch (2010) is a qualitative data collection method. This is so because generally empirical or first-hand research is undertaken in quantitative studies which involves the independent collection of data by the researcher, rather than analyzing data that is already available. To this extent, the authors have circumvented a number of logistical issues with regards to the ethics of empirical research. Generally speaking, empirical research must be accompanied by a statement of ethics to ensure that the appropriate ethical standards are adhered to when dealing with research participants. Qualitative data therefore is representative of language data or the experience of the participants of the study, whereas quantitative data is a collection of numbers and figures (Polkinghorne, 2005). Whilst, the article does make use of quantitative data in terms of the fact that it uses this data to form the basis of the analysis , it similarly makes use of qualitative data which can be described as an ‘account’ or ‘evidence’ of human experience (ibid). It stands to reason therefore, that if one considers the subject matter of the article, the findings are a reflection of an experience and otherwise described as evidence of a certain circumstance. To this extent, the quantitative figures are used as a supporting mechanism to add to the validity and reliability of these findings. Validity generally implies that the instrument must measure what it was intended to measure (Barbour, 2008). Therefore to the extent that this data collection method has been used to gather the appropriate evidence and therefore measure the topic of the article, it is a valid mechanism of doing so. The article however does not address the issue of data collection, although it is fairly evident that it is qualitative in nature considering that it was chosen from a specific demographic country, with specific interests in mind when collecting this data. There are certain superficial indicators of reliability in research relating to repetition or consistency in assertion. Golafshani (2003; 598) identifies three types of reliability referred to in research, which relate to, namely the degree to which a measurement, given repeatedly, remains the same, the stability of a measurement over time; and the similarity of measurements within a given time period. Arguably by the very nature of the means of analysis, namely content analysis, these results should prove to be reliable, as the subject of what this method measures is precisely the repeated incidence of specific themes and phrases within the data sampled. The reliability of the data therefore is reliant on the reliability of the tool of analysis in this case. It can be concluded that, despite the lack of discussion as to the reliability of the data, the nature of the test is one which is inherently reliability. This is mitigated further by the limited size of the population of the st udy itself. Sources Cases Generally speaking, it is not appropriate to rely solely on newspaper articles as the basis of academic findings, however for the purposes of the current research, particularly in that the article is based on the influence of the media on the perception of intra-EU migration. As a result therefore the use of these sources is appropriate. The reliability and validity of the research with regards to the sources is upheld in integrity, as there is the adequate inclusion of reputable academic sources, as well as the use of these newspaper sources which form the basis of the data analysis. Conclusion By and large the application of the outlined methodology in the article itself is successful. One could argue that the relevant theoretical considerations with regards to research methodology have been adequately addressed in the article given the length and depth of the subject matter. This however is not to say that the authors have not excluded the fundamental considerations of methodology that merit inclusion, such as more exploration of qualitative research methodology, which has been argued to contribute significantly to the outcomes of the study, yet are not sufficiently included. Despite this exclusion, the collection of data and the sources used to support the hypothesis of the article are sufficient and appropriate in the circumstance, considering that the topic at hand requires an inquiry into the opinions and role of the media in these circumstances. This is supported by a superficial, yet adequate methodological explanation that allows the reader a basic understanding of the methodology used in the paper. References Balabanova and Balch (2010) Sending and receiving: The ethical framing of intra-EU migration in the European press. European Journal of Communication, 25, pp. 382 – 408 Barbour, R.S (2008) Introducing Qualitative Research. Sage Publications: Los Angeles Carter, B and C. New (2004) Making Realism Work. Routledge: London Entman R (2004) Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion, and US Foreign Policy. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press Feyerabend, P.K. (1981) Realism, Rationalism and Scientific Method. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) Flick, U. (2009) An Introduction to Qualitative Research. (4ed) Sage Publications: London Golafshani, N. (2003) Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), pp. 597 – 607 Hope, M. (2010) Frame Analysis as a Discourse-Method: Framing ‘climate change politics’. Paper delivered to the Post-Graduate Conference on Discourse Analysis March 2010,University of Bristol. Merriam, S. (2002) Qualitative Research in Practice. (1ed) John Wiley Sons: New York Over, D (2004) Rationality and the Normative/Descriptive Distinction in Koehler, D. Harvey, N. (eds) ‘Blackwell Handbook of Judgment and Decision Making’ Blackwell: New York Pan Z and Kosicki G (1993) Framing analysis: An approach to news discourse. Political Communication 10(1): 55–75. Polkinghorne, D. (2005) Language and Meaning: Data Collection in Qualitative Research. Journal of Counselling Pyschology, 52(2), pp 137 – 145 Punch, K. (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Sage Publications: London Ritsert, J. (1972 Inhaltsanalyse und Ideologiekritik. Ein Versuch uber kritische Sozialforschung. Frankfurt: Athenaum Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag (as translated) Weber, R. (1980) Basic Content Analysis. (2ed) Sage Publications: London

Philosophy of education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Philosophy of education - Essay Example I benefits from this form of study as it gives me answers to various programs. I hold the opinion that all fields of study are linked with research as the field forms firm grounds towards understanding a particular field. I also acquire education through apprentice, where I benefit from an expert via studying a particular field in two ways; that is, observation and practices. I find this form of education as the best way of transferring knowledge; for example, artisans are among groups that practice this form of education, whereby the experts transfer their knowledge to the learners directly without much hustles. Although this form of knowledge transfer is one of the oldest, I find it very usually as it has greatly enhanced my knowledge level. While I understand that there are two forms of literacy that are widely analysed, including the liberal tutoring and the vocational tutoring programs, I usully find a link bettween them, and most importantly they collectively work out to bring about a wholesome me – who is educated. The moderate form of learning entails the culture, which gives me a preparation for a professional job in the future. My program of study entails practical courses that hone my interests in my profession. One of the key issues in this form of education is that liberal concepts offer me a room to focus on the wider picture of the study. The curriculum in the liberal education ensures that I become open-minded and, therefore, I can respond to any challenge I encounter in my discipline. For example, in the event that I will take a course in sociology in college, I will be able to associate various social happenings to what I have learnt. What is more, I will have various answers which I can apply in solving the social issues. Liberal education is mostly associated with curriculums in secondary schools, as well as colleges. The reason for the in-depth study of this education at these levels is