Inventory Management at Southern Toro Distributorship Essay

Inventory Management at Southern Toro Distributorship - Essay Example From the case, two topics can be derived. The first topic takes into account the specific problems affecting the distributorship and involves the development of an effective system for managing independent demand inventory. This focuses on analyzing how the distributorship determines the quantities of irrigation products it orders in keeping up with a demand that shifts erratically. The second topic that arises from the case is the vital aspect that is inventory management as a policy variable. Southern Toro is a distributorship and thus its profitability is heavily reliant on inventory management. In the event that Joe Jr. does assume control of the distributorship, a financial analysis of the company would become imperative. The exhibit TN-1 provides some of the common financial ratios for the fiscal years from 2007-2009 (Schroeder, Goldstein & Rungtunasatham, 2010). The ratios indicate that the distributorship has been increasing its net worth steadily over the years; however, the return on its invested capital has been low. The distributorship’s projected future financial outlook is also alarming. The exhibit TN-1 reveals that Toro is highly leveraged and a sharp increase occurred in 2009 (Schroeder, Goldstein & Rungtunasatham, 2010). This implies that any future financing will come at increased cost. The distributorship’s liquidity is also decreasing, which further implies that Toro would become forced to look for additional financing unless other steps become undertaken. The inventory turnover also indicates that the distributorship’s activity is also decreasing. The exhibit also reveals the distributorship’s Return on Assets- ROA is not high and has been declining steadily over the years. The ROA can become improved with better management (Jones & George, 2007). However, it may probably never hit the extreme highs.  It is upon Joe Jr. to decide if or not the ROA can be enough to satisfy his ambitions.  

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 22

Journal - Essay Example These skills not only prove to be useful in one’s career but also in one’s daily life. For example, one of the skills you develop is delegating work to your subordinates. If you are the kind of person who wants everything perfect then this maybe a bit difficult because other people in your view can never perform that job in the same way that you can. But what delegation does is that it saves you a lot of time and that time can be spent on other more important things rather than paying too much attention on petty details. But this is not as simple as it sounds. Delegation simply does not work itself many a times especially in the context of student societies when the students are working for free without any monetary incentive. What this situation requires is a mix of charisma and knowledge of as to how to motivate your subordinates. Your personality should have strong communication skills and if you are delegating a difficult task to your subordinate then you need to ex plain to him what intrinsic value he can derive from that work when there is no apparent monetary benefit. These are some of the skills that you can always integrate in your office life and in your daily life. For instance the experience that I gained at university in the student society can easily be utilized in arranging a grand family reunion or a wedding in the family. There are many parts of my story which serve as a source of wisdom and knowledge for me in an optimistic way. For instance being the president of a student society means that you have to deal with the responsibility of the society as well as the pressure of your studies and maintaining your social life. This sometimes creates a lot of stress and time management issues. But when you look back at that time after a few years, you realize that the skills gained back then are proving to be mighty useful. Some

Outline of the Tea Party Platform Essay Example for Free

Outline of the Tea Party Platform Essay Believe that heavy taxes are a burden for those who apply their personal liberty to work hard ? Need for government to protect the freedom of citizens with interference of the government that has exceeded its necessary size or scope. 2. Eliminate National Debt ? there is a need to have fiscal conservative policies at all levels of government ? narrow down the national debt for the good of the average American 3. Protect Free Markets ? Allow free markets to prosper without the infringement of the national government ? Belief that free markets should be protected and are the backbone of the U. S 4. Abide By the Constitution of The United States ? Belief that the U. S Constitution is the supreme law and should be held as so ? Constitution but be upheld in all areas, levels and branches of government 5. Promote Civic Responsibility ? Citizen involvement should be upheld ? Belief that citizen inolment directs the behaviors of the representatives both on a local and national level 6. Reduce the Overall Size Of Government ? Belief that a â€Å"bloated† or overcrowded bureaucracy leads to uneconomical spending ? Reducing the size of governement will than in turn help eliminate inefficiencies that result in deficit spending 7. Believe In The People ? Guaranteed freedoms for the American people will cause then to thrive and grow in a democratic, capitalist enviroment which allows individuals to achieve and go after achievements 8. Maintain Local Independance ? The strength of the Tea Party movement is the ability of citizens at the local level to establish their own platforms ? Belief that each citizen’s voice should be heard

Health Visitor Reflective Essay

Health Visitor Reflective Essay I attended a core group meeting for a family with complex needs. Parents Poppy and Richard had struggled to overcome a class A drug addiction and that there were grave concerns about the wellbeing of the 4 children in the family home. I sat opposite Poppy across a small table as this was the last available seat in the room. Richard was unable to attend but it had a very positive start for Poppy who discussed some of the improvements since the last official meeting. She appeared content and motivated to ensure things continued to improve. I was aware that an important discussion was going to take place about a serious incident which had occurred within the family and had been observed by a health visitor visiting the family next door. The purpose of the discussion was to support Poppy to understand the risks of leaving children unattended in the car and readdress the on-going issue of smoking around the children in confined spaces. The issue was broached by the social worker and Poppy immediately expressed unease. She denied having been involved until Poppy was informed it had been witnessed by another health visitor. Poppy became very angry, very quickly and made reference to the name the health visitor (her name had not been disclosed in the meeting). Her anger was then directed at my community practice teacher and me as the health visitor/student in the room. Poppy maintained intense eye contact with me and when I glanced away she noticed and it escalated her anger. Amongst the shouting and swearing Poppy was asking why Health visitors always interfere with her family and she was expressing that there was nothing wrong with what she was alleged to have done. As the main receiver of Poppys upset I tried to put active listening skills in to practice. Chosen Reflective Model and Rationale: Reflection is described by Boud et al (1985 p43) as a generic term for those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lead to a new understanding and appreciation . It is deemed a particularly valuable tool within the health profession for many reasons. Reflection is a tool which can be used at all levels within the health care setting and is arguably imperative within practice (Ralphe et al 2011). It facilitates critical thinking (Cotton 2011) and by scrutinizing experiences professionals are then able to decipher the evidence within their own practice. Moreover it supports practitioners to make more sense of difficult and complex situations (Driscoll and Teh 2001). The collection of knowledge of individuals and groups through the form of refelction helps people to look not only at the situation but at how to understand it enough to be able to commit to improve similar situations which may arise again. Thus leading to improved practice (Ghaye and Lillyman 2010) Examples of reflective models include Gibbs (1988), Johns (2004) and Driscol (2000). Johns model is recommended for more complex reflection and decision making (REF). On one hand this would work well as a basis for this assignment however the model looks at the situation which has been resolved and it could be argued that it does not consider how the situation can be taken forward (Rolfe 2001). Although this could be adapted the Gibbs model of reflection (Gibbs 1988) has been chosen as a guide for this assignment. Despite being a fairly straight forward model, it is favourable because it aids a clear description of the scenario, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience and conclusion for each point that will be reflected upon. This enables careful consideration on what I would do if the situation occurs again. Communicating in Difficult Circumstances and Relevance to Health Visiting: According to the Department of Health (2007) one of the key elements to health visiting practice is to deliver the healthy child programme (Department of health 2009). This outlines the role of the health visitor and this includes the need for the health visitor to reduce health inequalities and protect children at risk (Department of Health 2009). The distressing conversation for Poppy was aimed to protect the children from potential harm caused by cigarette smoke and also to protect the children from the harm of being left unattended in a smoky car. It was acknowledged that smoking cessation had been suggested to Poppy but denied with such ferocity that the idea was to put things in place to protect the children from being harmed as a result of her smoking. After all as professionals we have to remind ourselves that Poppy has a right to smoke if she chooses to. The safeguarding of the children is paramount and therefore despite it being a tricky issue to address, it was an issue wh ich was vital to work with in order to safeguard the children. It is important to recognise that delivering these messages set out in the healthy child programme (2009) are not always straight forward. The people at highest risk of poor health are often those who have a lesser understanding of the consequences of their actions on the health of themselves and their families. They are perhaps less likely to comprehend the information which is delivered to them and the fact that this information is often changing (Knai 2009). Good communication is therefore crucial. Communication is defined by Porche (2004 pp266) as The transfer of Information and the understanding of the information from one individual another. It is the process through which individuals share thoughts, ideas, facts, beliefs, values and traditions. The department of health (2012) recently published Developing the Culture of Compassionate Care, which highlights Communication as one of the 6 Cs (Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, Commitment) required to maximise compassionate care. It acknowledges that good communication skills contributes to better listening which results in people receiving care feeling valued and therefore happier with the service they receive (Department of Health 2012). Focusing on communication in difficult situations is very relevant to Health visiting practice as there are frequent barriers which can effect delivering the public health messages. In this case the barrier was Poppys resistance as a loving Mother to acknowledge the risks which her actions may have on her children and the emotions this consequently provoked creating a difficult situation in which to communicate not just the public health messages but to support Poppy in de-escalation. Resistance to accept information and support from health visitors is an on-going issue (REF) so having the opportunity to critically reflect on the situation will support me to ensure better practice in futur Eye Contact Initially Poppy seemed calm and positive about the progress she had made with her children avoided eye contact. However when angry, Poppy maintained strong eye contact with me in particular. I was surprised at how intimidated I felt, not by the shouting and verbal abuse but by the intense way in which Poppy was looking at me. I glanced away and looked towards my community practice teacher. This move that for me seemed quick and subtle had a profound effect on Poppy and she demanded I look at her when she is talking to me and this was followed with a threat. As specialist community public health nurses it is important to recognise that communication goes way beyond the verbal conversations that we have with people. Nonverbal communication plays a very strong role in the impressions that we give to people therefore having an understanding of what happened with Poppy is key to furthering my communication skills and awareness in future. Non-verbal communication is profound. Eyes and eye contact are a major part of non-verbal communication and many messages are consequently sent and received by the eyes (Sieh and Brentin 1997). The person who is listening holds eye contact with the speaker in order to express that they are listening and taking on board what the speaker is saying. The speaker holds eye contact with the listener so that they will know that the conversation is being directed at them (Lerner 2002). It is a real challenge to define normal eye contact as it differs from person to person depending on personal preference and aspects such as culture. (REF something on culture). It is not possible to create a text book advising when to look and how long for (Rungapadiachy 1999). Therefore responses to eye contact are open to interpretation and could lead to confusion within communicative situations (Sieh and Brentin 1997). Eye contact can have a positive impact on people. A good level of eye contact from the listener can make the person speaking feel as if they are being listened to and listener is interested and focused (Rungapadiachy, 1999). Alternatively, any form of eye contact can cause some people to feel uncomfortable, self-conscious and threatened (Rungapadiachy, 1999). Minimal eye contact may indicate lack of interest (Sieh and Brentin 1997) but it is important to acknowledge that eye contact may be less prominent when engaging in difficult or intimate topics (Rungapadiachy, 1999). Knapp (1978, cited in Rungapadiachy, 1999, pp206) recognises that when a person is disapproving of something it can be displayed in aggressive and intimidating eye contact. Furthermore early signs of anger can be shown via intense and threatening eye contact (Neild-Anderson et al 1999). Poppy initially avoided eye contact. She may have felt self-conscious being surrounded by professionals and despite the discussion being originally very positive, the subject matter was also intimate and personal. Similarly possible that she was able to anticipate what was about to be said. As Health visitors the heart of what we do is safeguard children physically and emotionally. The information discussed was vital within our role but it was not easy for her to deliberate and acknowledge. The intimidating eye contact displayed could have been because she was feeling intimidated or she was not accepting of the information being given to her. Moreover, I broke the eye contact momentarily and this may have upset the foundation of the conversation. For Poppy this could very easily be construed as non-compliance to listen on my part (Kidwell 2006). If we feel that something is unacceptable then it is likely that our eye contact will decrease (Rungapadiachy 1999). I acknowledge that I looked away from Poppy whilst she was communicating with me. Consciously I feel this is because I felt intimidated. However perhaps subconsciously I was not accepting of what she was saying. I attempted to communicate to Poppy through non-verbal communication that I do care and I appreciate that the situation was not an easy one for her. This is much like the view of Chambers and Ryder (2012 p106) who acknowledge that many nurses have become very skilled at communicating messages and meaning without words. However in this case, either I was not portraying myself in the manner that I intended, or it went un noticed as a result of Poppys heightened state of anxiety and upset. At the time I did not consider that Poppy could have misinterpreted my eye contact for staring. Poppys behaviour was intimidating but this did not exempt her from feeling intimidated herself. It is possible she felt under attack as a result of the raised concerns and prolonged eye contact on my part could have been threatening (Duxbury, 2000).Moreover, averting my gaze suddenly, may also have signalled fear in me which could also have distracted Poppy from getting her point across (Manos and Braun 2006). Alternatively I acknowledge that eye contact is also natural process and the anger which Poppy displayed did frighten me thus triggering a fight or flight reaction (Manos and Braun 2006). I did not escape physically but there was a shift in my gaze in order to avoid a threatening glare and it could be argued that this does not assist good listening. Although it was not possible in this situation because of the room space, I understand the importance of positioning within a meeting. I was positioned directly opposite Poppy which meant that I was the centre of her vision and she of mine. This meant that where less intrusive peripheral eye contact may have worked better, I was holding what could have been construed intimidating contact (Duxbury, 2000). My Community Practice teacher fed back that my expressions and levels of eye contact were acceptable and skilled. She viewed the reaction as unavoidable because of Poppys nature and the topic of the conversation. I acknowledge that there were a number of factors which triggered Poppys anger and it is because I deem eye contact so important that I have prioritised it. It is very difficult to know whether it directly correlated with the escalation of her emotions and if it did which of the above discussions applied to her. However as a result I am more aware of different personalities and how communication methods can be interpreted and it is this which is so vital for future practice. Seih and Brentin (1997 p5) reinforce this by stating Being sensitive to your own eye contact patterns and the patterns of those with whom you communicate will help you be more perceptive of what is occurring in the communication process, Active Listening I was aware that Poppy needed support to deescalate. I was not confident addressing this myself despite having had years of experience deescalating distressed people who displayed challenging behaviour. This was different. There was pressure on me as Poppy had targeted me and I was feeling increasingly intimidated by what was happening. Whilst Poppy was shouting I nodded a few times so she would feel listened to. She made some unpleasant threats to my community practice teacher and me and was suggesting that there was no problem with leaving children unattended in a smoky car or in smoking with them on her lap. I was equally careful as I did not want to give the impression that I was condoning what was being said. When active listening was used Poppy did respond calmly on occasion. Verbal contributions which I made in response to Poppy included: Am I right in thinking that you feel that your privacy has not been respected? Are you saying you feel health visitors dont think you are a good mother? Active listening is central to good interpersonal skills (Wondrak 1998). Where listening may be deemed passive when a person is talking and another listening it is in fact very active. Active listening is defined by Arnold and Boggs (2007 pp201) as a dynamic, interactive process in which a nurse hears a clients message, decodes its meaning, and provides feedback to the client based on their understanding of what has been said. It is deemed an empathetic means of communication where the listener understands and shares the feelings of the person talking whilst recognising they are not their own feelings and opinions (Balzer-Riley 2008.) A significant advantage of active listening is that it prevents misunderstanding. By relaying back to the person what they say they are feeling it ensures that there is no guess work and thus confusion over what is being said (Balzer-Riley 2008). Active listening is therefore a useful tool in attempting to defuse situations involving conflict (Reznic et al 2012). It allows the individual to communicate and get a response when conversation is not appropriate. In these instances the use of active listening enables the person talking to feel like they are being engaged with but without bombarding them with information they are not in a position to receive (McBride and Maitland 2002). Actively listening gave me the opportunity to be proactive. I was embarrassed and threatened and felt that it was my fault that Poppy was upset (as a result of me diverting eye contact). I had a personal battle because on one hand I felt sad for Poppy as she was clearly distressed and I understand that she has a lot of difficulties in her life. On the other hand I was shocked that she said that she did not care about the issues in hand. It could be argued that she was being defensive because she felt uncomfortable in the situation; however the issued in hand were very real and reflected what she was saying. As theory suggests, active listening in this instance was useful. It enabled Poppy to feel that she was being listened to and perhaps even understood. Although Poppy appeared fraught, the fact that I was relaying to her what she had just told us seemed to gradually calm the situation. It was my hope that by actively listening we would eventually get to a point where Poppy was ready to talk and receive advice and information. I acknowledge this was perhaps naÃÆ' ¯ve but Poppy was empowered enough to make the decision to walk away to calm down. Despite the challenging situation there was no obvious misunderstanding to be resolved, more a serious issue which needed to be addressed. I would like to have been able to offer Poppy some space to calm down but this would not have fitted in with the core group. I was very conscious that there were a room full of people watching and that this would not have supported Poppy to deescalate. It was a relief that by actively listening to Poppy, my CPT was able to encourage her to make the decision. In contrast to the recommendation I made for future practice regarding eye contact, it is recommended that the listener sits squarely in front of the person talking and maintains good eye contact when engaging in active listening (Duxbury 2000). I would agree that this is the case when the conversation is calmer however I learnt that in this scenario this was not appropriate as I was sitting directly in front of Poppy. The verbal communication I contributed through the active listening process had a more positive impact than the way in which I was sitting. Linking in with the above reflection about eye contact, it is recommended to maintain good eye contact with the person talking if it is within their cultural boundaries (McBride and Mailtland 2002). Active listening will be a dynamic part of my communication methods in future and I aim to learn more about the effects of active listening on people who receive care. I would like to attend further training in this area as I now see it as a vital aspect of communication and I acknowledge that active listening skills can be improved. As an active listener, sensitivity is a key concept and I believe it is a method which could be particularly beneficial when communicating with women who are suffering with post natal depression. The concept of active listening is consistent however the ease in which we do it will vary from case to case as will the outcome. The situation described above was tense and it took self-discipline for all those involved not to engage in a conversation which could have caused the incident to worsen further and the non-verbal communication methods varied from what is recommended. In future I will be aware of adaptations which may be required rather than solely facing them at the time. Ultimately active listening will be valued as much as any other forms of communication. Leadership As previously established, communicating in difficult circumstances and communicating information which may be difficult for families to acknowledge is not unique in health visiting. As health visitors embrace new leadership challenges it is important to acknowledge the above reflection and consider how what has been learnt can be disseminated through teams. Throughout the SCPHN course communication skills such as active listening are taught and these skills are useful not only in communicating with families but also with teams. Building relationships and having the ability to communicate and negotiate successfully are key skills in leadership and being able to gage appropriate eye contact and active listening both come under the umbrella of communication (Adams 2010). Effective communication is a core competence in good leaders (Sobieraj 2012) and this is demonstrated in the NHS Leadership Framework (REF) which prioritizes communication as a key component. Recommendations for future Practice as a leader: Further training in non-verbal communication skills needs to be available to teams as this will benefit communication used with families and further professional relationships. Non-verbal communication skills should be discussed with all of the team regularly for example in team meeting s or supervision and used as a measure for understanding and success. Critical reflection on various scenarios should be carried out in order to further understanding in these areas and support the application of evidence based practice. Empower team members to communicate effectively and understand the importance of non-verbal communication strategies As a leader I will take what I have learnt with regards to this reflection and use the skills in communicating with both families and team members. When making recommendations be sure it doesnt start to sound like a shopping list balance this with the demands and pressures of the real world. Maybe find examples of where these suggestions have been put into practiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦this helps to justify your recommendations etc. The above recommendations support the notion of leading with compassion. Offering team members with the compassion we want them to provide enables each individual to feel empowered to give effective and compassionate care of which non-verbal communication is so important (Sobieraj, 2012).

Bringing the Dead Christ to the Patron in the Christian Tradition :: essays papers

Bringing the Dead Christ to the Patron in the Christian Tradition Art during the Christian tradition was produced to enhance the worship of saintly figures by church patrons. Paintings were not only used to tell a biblical story but also to form emotional connections between the patrons and the principles of the church. Artists in the Christian tradition strived to portray events of religious importance with maximum drama to make a lasting impression. They did this by applying artistic advances in ways that draw the patron into the painting. One such event was the death of Christ. While the artists in Florence were starting to practice the potential maximization of the individual, very different things were happening up in Flanders. The region, fresh out of the dark ages, was very centered on religion. Thomas a Kempis taught in his Imitatio Christi that the individual should devote their lives to living a more Christian life and should rid themselves of all secular things. People in this region were also interested in the philosophies of Aristotle and nominalism rather than in Plato as were the people of Florence, who would again search for the perfect ideal during the renaissance. The lack of interest in secular knowledge can be seen in Rogier Van Der Weyden’s Deposition (1435, see figure 1). The artists of Flanders had no interest in the study of the nude; therefore the figures in Deposition have oblong proportions and unnatural balance. However, the Flanders artisans had developed certain techniques, which made their works advanced in certain aspects. For centuries, monks in the area had been illuminating their manuscripts with extreme precision. This focus on detail is seen in Deposition. Every last hair is individualized and patterns on the drapery are painted to the very thread. The faces are no longer stylized but individualized so that you might recognize one of them if you saw them on the street. The advent of oil paint made the scene much more vibrant and allowed artists to paint and repaint over an area, being able to visualize the exact color before it was applied. This new technique far surpassed the limitations of tempera that was being used in Italy. The most important aspect of Deposition is the symbolic tie it makes between the patron and the church. It portrays the sorrow of Christ’s death at the agony of His loss.

Mafia Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Mafia way of life may seem like a romantic updated version of the western movie played out on the streets of the big cities where the good guys and the wise guys who share the same instincts and values do battle before an enthralled public but it is actually very different. The Mafia is really just a group of uneducated thugs making money by victimizing the public. Initially, the Mafia was setup as a prominent supplier of bootlegged liquor, but it has spread into many different areas of crime. During this research paper I will discuss three aspects of the Mafia which are crime, structure and decline in leadership. The Mob siphons off public funds, rigs contracts, corrupts unions which many hard working people with legitimate jobs are a part of, smuggles drugs, and runs illegal gambling rings. These are some of the ways the Mob negatively affects our community and harms innocent citizens. Any illegal activity that brings in big money the Mafia is part of. Union corruption has been the primary focus of many federal investigations and by the end of the 1980’s, four unions, the Teamsters, Longshoremen, Laborers, and Hotel and Restaurant Employees union, had all been identified as mob dominated. Not only does the mob find money makers in the United States, they finds ways to bring money to them from other countries. Alien smuggling generates more than $3 billion a year for the mob. Mobsters will kill without remorse and threaten anyone who won’t go along with what they are doing. To keep free from the arm of the law "corrupters nullify the law-enforcement and political processes primarily by outright bribery and other rationally designed forms of ‘influence’ such as contributions to political campaigns and promises to deliver votes in a particular area." One might think that corruption and bribery is not a problem, but one noted political analyst suggests that "the underworld" contributes 15 percent of the 3 costs of local and state political campaigns which causes one to think that the mob may have a strong hold on many powerful politicians. Mafia involvement with legitimate business’s affects the public in many ways. Respectable bankers have become unwitting allies to the Mafia and most of the securities stolen in the United States during the last two decades are lying safely in the vaults of respectable banks, hypothecated for legi... ...ol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1997. Art. 29. McGarvey, Robert. "Global Organized Crime." American Legion Feb. 1996: 16. Crime. Ed. Trudy Collins. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1997. Art. 64. McKillop, Peter. "The Last Godfathers?" Newsweek 6 Feb 1989: 25. Mueller, Tom. "Cosa Nostra." The New Republic 15 Apr. 1996: 17-18. Norland, Rob. "The ‘Velcro Don’: Wiseguys finish last." Newsweek 13 Apr. 1992: 34-35. Pistone, Joseph D., and Richard Woodley. "Undercover with the Mafia: ‘Respect’ Was the Watchword." Palm Beach Post 10 Apr. 1988: 1E. Crime. Ed. Trudy Collins. Vol. 4. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1993. Art. 8. Reid, Ed. The Grim Reapers. Chicago: Henry Regnery Company, 1969. Reuter, Peter. "The decline of the American Mafia." Public Interest Summer 1995: 89-99. Crime. Ed. Trudy Collins. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1997. Art. 49. Viviano, Frank. "The New Mafia Order." Mother Jones May-June 1995: 45-54. Vulliamy, Ed. "Mafia INC." World Press Review Dec. 1992: 11-16.

George Orwell’s Animal Farm

In the allegorical novel â€Å"Animal Farm†, author George Orwell reminds us how power can corrupt an individual. â€Å"Animal Farm† tells us about the rebellion of animals against humans. The rebellion is a great success and pigs, being the most intelligent animals, take control. However, as time goes on, life for the other animals becomes worse while the pigs prosper. Orwell based this book on Russian communism and used Stalin as prototype for Napoleon. He also tries to demonstrate that once a person has complete power, that individual will become corrupt and will do anything in order to maintain it. Orwell wanted this novel to be a warning for future societies. An example of that is seen in the character Napoleon who slaughters any animal who openly opposes him. He also uses different methods of psychological manipulation and physical threats to maintain his hierarchy of leadership. Napoleon attempts to maintain his power by threatening animals physically, even slaughtering them. For instance, he slaughtered four pigs that opposed him when he abolished the Sunday Meetings. Napoleon killed them using his dogs because they questioning and criticizing his decisions and leadership. If that continued, other animals would start to analyse the situation and come to the conclusion that Napoleon was in fact a poor and corrupted leader. Napoleon could not let this happen, so he murdered the pigs because they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since the expulsion, that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill, and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr Frederick†. Napoleon also murdered three hens (that had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs) after they stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them to disobey Napoleon's orders†. However, it is obvious that Napoleon simply decided to get rid of all opposition. Mass murder was not the only physical threat used by Napoleon. At one point in the novel, hens did not wish to give up their eggs to Napoleon, so he cut off their food supply. Napoleon starved the hens because they opposed him, just like the pigs. Orwell tries to show us that once a dictator gains power, he will not accept any criticism or opposition and will simply murder whoever questions his leadership. For example, a Chilean dictator called Augusto Pinochet murdered over forty thousand people during his first month of power simply because they questioned his decisions. But, Napoleon could not always go to extreme measures such as executing the opposition so he employed Squealor to persuade animals through rhetoric. For example, Squealer, Napoleon's right hand, made up a statistic that animals had more oats, more hay and more turnips than they had had in Jones's day. They also worked shorter hours, had better quality drinking water, lived longer, saw an increased number of their young ones survive infancy, had more straw in their stalls and suffered less from fleas†. In combination with complete isolation from other farms, other animals could not prove Squealer wrong so they believed that they actually had a much better life than other farms. In reality, the animals had even lower food rations than those living on other farms. Napoleon also encourages other animals to use Boxer's slogans such as â€Å"Napoleon is Always Right† and â€Å"I Will Work Harder†Ã¢â‚¬ . Boxer is very loyal to Napoleon due to his low intelligence but he is respected by other animals because of his strength and stubbornness. Napoleon knows that animals will listen to Boxer and try to work as hard as Boxer. In this case, Orwell tries to show that dictators carefully control the flow of information and simply block anything that could potentially harm them (a contemporary example is the Chinese government blocking web-sites such as YouTube because they sometimes contain information that the government deems to be inappropriate). However, making up statistics would not be enough to control the animals so Napoleon used patriotic songs and the seven commandments in order to manipulate the animals. He attempted to make the other animals believe that he was the wisest, kindest leader they had. He did it by replacing â€Å"Beasts of England† â€Å"with â€Å"Comrade Napoleon†Ã¢â‚¬ , a song that contains lyrics such as â€Å"Full belly twice a day, clean straw to roll upon; Every beast big and small sleeps at peace in his stall, thou watchest over all, Comrade Napoleon! This song helps Napoleon maintain his leadership as the animals believe every word it says. Another example of biasing the truth is when Squealer explains why pigs take apples and milk. He justifies it by saying â€Å"Milk and apples contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brain-workers. The whole management and organization of this farm depends on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! â€Å"† Squealer confuses animals with words such as â€Å"substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig † and then acts on the fear of the fact that Jones may come back, although in reality Jones was on the other end of the country. Dictators such as Stalin justified their actions using reasons similar to Squealer's. These reasons were similar in a way that they acted on people's fears, causing them to believe everything Stalin said. Orwell's novel is based on Russian communism and it criticizes the decisions and methods used by Stalin using Napoleon as a representation of him. However, Orwell also tries to warn future generations. Orwell wanted to show what the future would look like if nobody ever questioned their leaders. He wanted to show that once a person obtained great power, he could become corrupt and a many people would suffer because of it. People need to speak their mind, criticize and question everything their government says, otherwise leaders will not care about their people. But, at some point, people may get tired of totalitarianism and they will rebel against their leaders, just like people did in Egypt. One last thing that Orwell wanted to show is how much propaganda can influence people and how hard it can be to regain freedom of speech using examples of the mass executions of animals and the fact that nobody â€Å"dared to speak his mind â€Å"after this mass slaughter. â€Å"