Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Term Paper

Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits - Term Paper Example A company with a number of products, clear vision and unique ideas stands to lure the most competent candidates in each and every level but to maintain this momentum of better performance, it is imperative that the top executive level secures the best talent. A compensation package which is attractive to ensure these talents are maintained at the top management level of the company since they enjoy significant negotiating power and as such additional incentives up and above the compensation package can be impacting in luring an executive to join an organization. Challenging and unique opportunities do sway employees and thus in addition to an appealing compensation package, employee benefits have been applied so as to supplement it. Employee benefits has been very helpful in enhancing economic security of the employees thus curtailing labor turnover, increasing employees loyalty and improving productivity. Compensation is any kind of remuneration that is received by a person in return for his/her performance of the company's or organizational tasks. There are four common methods of compensation: performance related pay (PRP) such as commission, bonus, time rate and piece rate; fixed basic pay; non-economic benefits such as house, car etc and finally ownership benefits where employees are awarded shares (Reid, 2004). Several factors influence the wage and the salary structure, these include: pressure from trade union, lowest wage rates, existing market rates, supply and demand for a particular job, the employee's qualification and the ability of the organization to pay. Compensation in the form of wages is normally given to a worker while compensation in the form of a salary is normally given to an employee. Executive compensation refers to the way senior executives for the business corporations or firms are paid. Executive compensation comprises of the basic salary, options, shares, b onuses plus additional company benefits (Bagley & Savage, 2006). Forms of Executive compensation There are a number of types of executive compensation which offers numerous performance incentives and tax benefits. They include: Stock options -Refers to the privilege sold by a buyer to a seller that gives the latter a right rather than an obligation either to call(buy) or put(sell) the stock at an agreed price on a particular date or within a specified period (Bagley & Savage, 2006). Stock options ensures the CEOs interests are kept at par with that of shareholders since their value is subject to the price of the stock remaining above the strike price/exercise price (price upon which a stock will be sold or bought upon the exercise of the option) of the option. However stock options are open to abuse through options backdating and excessive risk seeking (Lawrence, 2002). Restricted stock - These are stocks awarded to an executive but can only be sold once a specific conditions are arrived at and it carries a similar value to the stock's market price during time of the grant. Deferred compensation -This is normally applied for taxation purposes and involves postponing compensation up to a certain future date. Executive perks compensation includes travel reimbursements, private jet and extra rewards given to the executives. Retirement packages awarded to executives following their retirement from the organization; this is open to abuse as corrupt executives can attach "golden

The Epitome of the 21st Century American Family Essay

The Epitome of the 21st Century American Family - Essay Example The visit to the lake is an annual family ritual and in White’s comparison of his visit as a child as compared to visiting it with his son, he illustrates how the family tradition continues, with many of the same elements recurring. For instance, as a child, he used to â€Å"dress softly as not to wake the others and sneak out into the sweet outdoors and start out in the Canoe† (White 198) and he finds his son doing the same thing, hearing â€Å"the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat.† (White 198). The lake culture is a representation of the family culture, especially when a thunderstorm occurs and the campers run out to swim in the rain, their â€Å"bright cries perpetuating the deathless joke about how they were getting simply drenched †¦..and the joke about getting drenched linking the generations in a strong, indestructible chain.† (White, 202). White thus views the family as a continuing unit, he views himself repeatedly in his own father’s role as he walks and goes fishing with his son, and he reflects upon his son will one day take over his own role at the lake, becoming the father who bring his son for a visit to the lake. White represents the family and its bonds through the symbol of the annual visit to the lake. There are common practices that occur through the years, for instance the camper with the soap at the lake side, or the fly that settles on the fishing rod, or the practice of getting drenched in the rain. These symbolize the enduring nature of the family, some things will never change. The author also uses the lake as the background against which he examines the changes that are being brought about by technology. For instance, families drive up to the lake in their cars rather than in their wagons and the unpacking is completed in a matter of minutes without the fuss that would

The idea of democracy Essay Example for Free

The idea of democracy Essay The example Provident provides is exemplary of what the founding fathers of America had in mind with the idea of democracy. Since all men are created equally, it seems only right that we would contribute to the betterment of all, including those of different races. The Provident example is key is illustrating that â€Å"a solid investment strategy† in the form of philanthropic giving helps to fuel the economy on many different levels. Since Provident, â€Å"A greater percentage of our population has achieved a higher standard of living than any other country with our levels of diversity. † In the spirit of democracy, self funding provides more opportunities, which provides a positive element to capitalism. Those who have already benefitted from capitalism have the opportunity to fuel new opportunities for more people, providing a unique balance between democracy and capitalism. This is why the United States has been so successful; more successful than any other nation actually. This balance is necessary in order for either of the two systems to work correctly and fairly. Without philanthropic giving, a very unique feature of the United States, this balance would be impossible. Generosity blurs some of the social restraints placed on people in different economic brackets and allows more people more opportunities for success.

HR Practices Of Four Seasons

HR Practices Of Four Seasons Introduction Nowadays the range of luxury hotels all over the world is very big. There are different types of luxury hotels and all of them have their own policy, procedures and missions. Competition among these kinds of hotels is huge nowadays. The competition is based not on prices or percentage of discounts but it is based on values, exclusivity, atmosphere and quality of service. One of these competitors is world known, luxury brand Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. However Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts managed to differentiate them from all other competitors in the Hotel Industry. In Four Seasons, management has a huge value of their employees, because they know that the power of service is in human resources. Human Recourse Management in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts definitely plays very important role for providing success of the company and delivering premises to their employees and customers. The following research provides readers with full picture of Human Resource Management Polic y of Four Seasons hotels and Resorts. Also additional recommendations and comments are given in order to clarify the policy and mission of Human Resource Management. The research includes five important questions about HRM. Answers for these questions can be used as tools to improve the human resource policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. As for readers the research will help them to understand the value and mission of Human Resource Management in Hospitality Industry. Introduce the Company and its positions in the Hospitality Industry. Is it an employer of choice? Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company was founded in 1960 by Isadore Sharp and positioned as luxury hotel chain. The first hotel was opened in 1961 in the downtown area of Toronto, Canada. Isadore Sharp started a new kind of luxury hotels by making it personalized, taking care of each customer and offering an excellent service for their guests. For funds Sharp involved his brother-in-law, Eddie Creed and his friend, Maurry Koffler. Each of them contributed to the project. From 1970 till 1976 there were opened several Four season Hotels and resorts in London, Ontario and Bahamas. In 1976 Four Seasons hotels and Resorts grew and decided to expand in North America. So in 1976 they entered the US market in San-Francisco. So in 1977, Isadore Sharp along with Creed and Korrler decided to convert Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts into private company. Four Seasons has created a new niche in luxurious segment of Hospitality Industry, thus provided themselves with a great opportunity to grow. In 1986 the company went public, by being presented on stock market, but in 2007 it became private company again. By 1991 the company had around 36 hotels all over the world and around 13 sales and corporate offices. However Four Seasons faced with some financial issues and was rescued by investor from Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed. In 1994 he purchased 25 percent of Four Seasons stocks and invested around C$100 million. After investing by Saudi Prince, the Four Seasons continued their expiation and opened new properties in Singapore, Mexico City, Berlin and Prague. In mid-nineties, whole hotel industry faced a downturn. As a result Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts turned to managing style rather owning hotels because it was much more profitable in the long run. (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). Nowadays Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has 84 properties all over the world with exclusive service and very clear companys culture. Nowadays Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has several competitors in Hospitality Industry. They are Fairmont Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Positions of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are very strong now. Despite on financial problems they faced in 1994, Four Seasons managed to stabilize and continue growing in hospitality industry. Four Seasons continues to have more of its hotels designated as AAA Five Diamond properties than any other hotel company and it has the most Mobil Five Star awards in the industry. The company is also consistently highly ranked in readers surveys in publications such as Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Institutional Investor, Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report and the Zagat Survey. (Hospitalitynet, 2010). First of all, the writer would like to give the definition of term Employer of choice. Any employer of any size in the public, private, or not-for-profit sector that attracts, optimize and holds top talent for long tenure, because the employees choose to be there. (Herman and Gioia, 2002, p. xi). Personalized service is a unique feature of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. But in order to make the service unique for their guests, the company pays attention to their employees. Four seasons Management teams do value their staff and treat them as guests, also with uniqueness. As one of employees said: Youre never threated like just and employee. You are a guest. (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). This is the one and the most important reason why Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts became an Employer of choice. The company is recognized by many popular magazines as an Employer of Choice. For example, since 1998 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are among 100 The best Companies to Wo rk for, by Fortune Magazine. In 2009 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company was awarded The best Workplace by Great Place to Work Institute Canada. Later in 2009 the Company was awarded Lifetime Commitment Award by National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH). In addition they were awarded Inductee to Canadas 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame 2010. Also Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts pay a lot of attention to trainings and development programs, thus in 2010 the company was listed in Training top 125 by Training Magazine. (FourSeason, 2010). As Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in an international company and has many hotels all over the world, some of Four Seasons properties were also recognized by leading tourism and hospitality magazines. For example Four Seasons Hotels in the United Kingdom were The Best place to Work in Hospitality in 2008; Four Seasons Hotel Dublin received Business Award Status, based on the Hotels best practices in Recruitment and Select ion and Learning, Development and Progression; in 2008 Four Seasons Hotel Prague was awarded as Company of the Year 2008. This award is given to the companies who supporting the employment of hearing-challenged individuals. (FourSeason, 2010). All these awards and recognitions are the main indicator of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts culture and a result of well-organized corporate environment. Explain its culture, its unique to the Company, how does this vary from its major competitors. Four Seasons Hotels and resorts has their own and unique service culture. The culture is mainly based on Golden Rule by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The philosophy of Golden Rule is very simple and clear. As the CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Isadore Shard defined it: The Golden Rule do unto others, as you would have them to do unto you (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). According to Mr. Sharp definition it is very important to treat everyone: guests, colleagues and partners as you would want them to treat you. Within Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts the Golden Rule applied to every person in the company and it does not matter whether you are manager or front line employee. What Four Seasons calls its unique service culture is based on a series of insights and beliefs about the person who provides the act of service, and the one who receives it. In writers opinion, the Golden Rule makes the uniqueness and creating a very positive atmosphere within all company and all properties around the world. The scheme below represents the forming of the culture. (Scheme 1) Scheme 1 As readers can see from the Scheme 1 there are several steps leading to the organizational culture. The first step is Philosophy of companys founder. As it was mentioned above Mr. sharp has his own philosophy of service and companys culture which is based on making the service exclusive and personalized. By implementing his own view of the service into Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Companys structure, Isadore Sharp has created absolutely new type of culture not only for his personal need but also for whole the company. The next step is Selection Criteria, which is based on recruiting and selection of candidates. As we know from the case-study of Four Seasons Hotels Inc., each potential candidate for any position in four seasons Hotels and Resorts had to pass through five interviews and the final one was with the General Manager of the Hotel. In the example above readers can see that selection process in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is very difficult. It means that the company ne eds the best employees from the best. The selection process is very important for the company, because managers look for really professionalized persons or persons who have potential to learn and to be trained. The thing is that Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts based on personal service, thats why they have such complicated selection process. The next steps of analyzing Four Seasons culture are Top Management and Socialization. Top Management plays very important role in forming companys culture. As readers can see, in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company, senior executives help to establish behavioral standards that can be adopted by the company. Socialization is a process which helps new employees to adopt into companys culture and implement skills and advantages in practice, by making service in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts personalized. In addition the Socialization step can be separated into several stages like Pre-arrival stage, Encounter stage and Metamorphosis stage. Al l these stages directly helps in the process of forming the culture of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. In writers opinion, Four Seasons company culture is much differentiated form its main competitors. As an example, the companys culture of Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts is based on Gold Standards of the company. Gold Standards consist of six parts which includes the credo, the motto of the company, the three steps of service, service values, the 6th diamonds and the employee promises. (Gold Standards of Ritz-Carlton, 2010). As if follows, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton cultures are focused on making the service they provide more personalized, but in addition Four Seasons hotels and Resorts are focused on their employees. As a result, readers can make a conclusion that in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the culture is as guests oriented as employees oriented. To prove this statement, the writer would like to present a phrase maintained in the case-study: Loyalty to guests is important, but employees come first. (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). One of the most important Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts differences from major competitors is that the company is more employees oriented rather other companies in Hospitality industry. As a result it attracts more and more employees to join Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. How does HRM fit into the companys vision, mission values? Do these reflect a strategic purpose? How does HRM fit into the overall identity of the company, its managers and employees, make recommendations for any improvement and justify these. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts haves their own vision, mission and values which are behead on Golden Rule. From HRM point of view, it directly into companys values, vision and mission. From the strategic nature of HRM in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, they deal with day-to-day issues, but it is also proactive in nature and integrated with other management functions. In addition HRM makes more clarified strategic view of human resource in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. From the recruitment point of view, human resource management makes sophisticated recruitment for all employees. In addition it has strong internal labour market for core employees. (Henderson, 2008). One of the most important values of Four Seasons hotels and Resorts is empowerment. HRM is responsible for delivering this feature to employees vision. Empowerment is management responsibility of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take personal initiative and make decisions to solv e problems and issues of the guests and improve service quality and performance of the company. It is based concept of giving employees the skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well giving them responsibilities of their actions. (BusinessDictionary, 2010). In Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts management pay lots of attention to empowerment because it helps to increase the level of service and in addition it makes employees feeling more responsible and important for the company. Thats why in all Four Seasons properties employees can act and take decisions independently. It means that for human recourse management, employees satisfaction is very important as guests satisfaction. Based on this writer can definitely say that Human Resource Management make big contribution into companys vision, value and mission. In Human Resource Management, trainings play also an important role in employees development and success. As for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, trainings ar e transformed into learning and development philosophy transcending job-related training programs. The advantage of trainings in Four Seasons is that all trainings are designed foal all levels of employees including non-management. In addition trainings are designed to develop leadership and personal skills. For example Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has a special program designed for graduates of hotel schools. Applying to Manager In Training Programs (MIT) is meant that candidates has the attitude to be trained, accept Golden Rule and successfully implement it in their job. (Manager In Training Programms, 2010). In order to improve HRM policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resort the writer would suggest several steps to make it more balanced between guest oriented policy and employees oriented policy. Four Seasons are trying to balance these two subjects, but it seems that they are a bit confused about it. The solution of this issue is to provide more benefits for their employees. First of all it would increase the flow of qualified persons who have ability to be learnt. From the other hand it would motivate employees to increase their level of education, to apply for mote training programs in order to get career development in the future. The third advantage of increasing employees benefits is that this would change and directly review the policy of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts thus make it more employees oriented. But for the other hand the company should not forget about their main goals personalized service for each customer. That is why Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts make their em ployees empowered. The HRM policy of the company is also based on forwarding employees to the right way, the way of Golden Rule. They dont do anything special, but their work is not easy, because Human Resource Department is the first who faced with employees challenges and in addition they have to bring the ideas and values of Golden Rules into employees minds, in order to reach companys goals which are based on exclusive and personalized service in all Four seasons Hotels and Resorts. Does it have effective policies and procedures in HRM? Critically evaluate the ones you have identified. As readers can see from examples above, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have very specific HRM policy. The thing is that in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Human Resource Management is based on standards, but they dont have lots of rules. As they prefer personalized customer service they do empower their employees, so they can act in any situations. This allows employees to take actions and to feel free to respond all customers needs. As in all situations, there is a risk of making wrong decision. The employee will be responsible for this, but in all cases the company can lose their customer which will affect the company as a whole. As Human Resource policy in Four Seasons Hotels and resorts is more companys philosophy orientated the employee turnover is just a half compared with the whole industry. Four Seasons created their own niche in the hospitality industry. Nowadays Four Seasons Hotels and resort has several main competitors. From HRM point of view, employees benefits are one of the most attractive parts for people who are interested in joining company. The term employees benefits is common for all industries. Employee benefits are all benefits and services, other from wages for time worked, that are provided to employees in whole or in part by their employers. (Definition of Employee benefits, 2010). Below, the researcher presented the table of benefits, which presents the whole picture of benefits policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and its main competitor Ritz-Carlton. The table will help readers to analyze and examine employee benefits of two main competitors in luxury mid-size hotel niche. In addition both competitors use management contracts model of managing properties. This is very good decision. The thing is that there are several recent examples that show that franchising method of managing properties doesnt work in a proper way nowadays. Development of employees commitment or loyalty directly depends on job conditions provided by employer. That is why providing basic benefits in necessary for big companied like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. But in order to attract more employees whey included more benefits in basic conditions. Definitely this action would influence the flow of employees and would increase motivation, which will positive effect the company. Table 1 Benefits Hotel Brands Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts Career growth opportunities Career growth/promotions opportunities Unique deep culture Discounts on spa treatments Best-in Industry training Childcare discounts Luxury environment in magnificent locations world wide Tuition reimbursement Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries Income replacement programs (both short and long-term disability) Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals Discounted accommodation in all Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts Paid holidays / vacation Paid vacation, sick and holiday leave Educational assistance Health and wellness insurance programs Dental and medical / disability / life insurance Life/health/dental/vision insurance Retirement benefits / pension Retirement savings and profit sharing plans Employee service awards Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts Annual employee party / social and sporting events Service anniversary awards Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants Complimentary or low cost meals in your Employee Dining Room (Four Seasons Benefits, 2010), (Ritz-Carlton: Understand Benefits, 2010) After careful comparison of both employees benefits, readers can define several differences, which directly influence the loyalty of employees. In order to make HRM policy more reliable, writer would suggest to enlarge number of benefits. In addition increasing different incentives for line-staff employees would also positive effect Human Resource policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. If you were the VP of HRM how would you move the company forward in the next five years? Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is very developed luxury hotel chain.

The Censorship Debate Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Censorship Debate      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do words such as nigger, bitch, or ass offend you?   The answer may seem clear cut, but our nation has been struggling with the issue of censorship almost since its conception.   To many, the aforementioned words are a part of their everyday vocabulary; to others, they are vulgar and unacceptable.   The issue of censorship is much more than just words.   There have been huge controversies over the negative ideas and graphic nature of literature, music, and television.   What is too violent, too negative, too obscene, or too graphic?   And who decides what these standards are?   These are questions that are still debated by many.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature has the greatest history of censorship debates.   For years, there have been arguments over what is acceptable for which age group in which environment.   A prime example of this is Robert Cormier's young adult novel, I Am The Cheese.   Over the past few years in Florida, there has been great debate over whether or not his book is acceptable for use in a junior high or high school classroom.   The novel, which portrays a preteen boy who has been part of the witness protection program, and sees his parents killed when the program fails, has been labeled inappropriate for use in a classroom.   Many teachers argue that the book has substantial educational value, citing the many awards that it has won, but the faction for censorship won this battle, and the book is no longer taught.   Many other literary works, some which are considered classics, have also been deemed inappropriate.   Some titles include: Hamlet, The Red... ...eedom of speech.   Our country was founded on one of these ideas, but our morals and values may be dependent on the other.   As a nation, we must decide which is more important.   I do not feel that there can be any halfway in this decision.   We cannot ban some things and leave others, it has to be all or nothing.   If we are going to censor, we must accept the fact that everything will be affected.   Then we must deal with the issue of who decides the standards, a problem which may be as monumental as deciding whether or not to censor in the first place.   If we decide against censorship, then we must be prepared to deal with whatever is created, no matter how graphic, obscene, or violent any individual may feel that it is.   It is likely that we will never reach an accord, and will be debating this until the end of time.

The Breakfast Club :: essays research papers

The Breakfast Club Five teenagers who don't' know each other spend a Saturday in detention at the suburban school library. At first they squirm, fret and pick on each other. Then after sampling some marijuana, a real encounter session gets underway. The stresses and strains of adolescence have turned their inner lives into a minefield of disappointment, anger and despair. The catalyst of the group is Bender (Judd Nelson), a rebellious working-class punk who seethes with rage and attacks his peers with sarcasm. A cigar burn on his arm is a sign of the abuse he receives at home. Andrew (Emilio Estevez) is a Varsity letterman in wrestling. He's spent most of his youth trying to measure up to his father's machismo image of him. This entails winning in athletic competition and preying upon weaker peers. He and Bender clash. Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) is an unhappy honors student who wishes he could be accepted as a person and not valued just as a brain. Upset over a poor grade in shop, Brian has contemplated suicide rather than live with the ire of his disappointed parents. Allison (Ally Sheedy) is the eccentric of the group. "My home life is unsatisfactory," she confides. Living in her own fantasy world, Allison can't really tell the difference between the truth and the lies she fabricates. These teenagers don't like or respect their parents very much. One asks: "My God, are we gonna be like our parents?" Another in the group replies: "When you grow up, your heart dies." But the storm clouds over their lives are really the result of rigid high school caste systems. Despite an inappropriate music-video sequence and a phony up-tempo finale, The Breakfast Club offers a breakthrough portrait of the pain and misunderstanding which result from the social hierarchy created by youth themselves. The lookers and the jocks are popular and can do whatever they want — except relate to those outside their social circle of winners.

Female Foeticide in India Essay

Save the girl child, or Beti Bachao, Beti Bachao Andolan in Urdu, is a campaign in India to end the gender-selective abortion of female fetuses, which has skewed the population towards a significant under-representation of girls in some Indian states. The â€Å"Beti Bachao† campaign is supported by human rights groups, non-governmental organizations, and state and local government in India. Contents [hide] 1 Female foeticide 2 Beti Bachao awareness campaign 3 National support 4 Effectiveness 5 See also 6 References Female foeticide[edit] Further information: Female foeticide in India Sex-selective abortion, or female foeticide, has led to a sharp drop in the ratio of girls born in contrast to boy infants in some states in India. Ultrasound technology has made it possible for pregnant women and their families to learn the gender of a foetus early in a pregnancy. Discrimination against girl infants, for several reasons, has combined with the technology to result in a rise in abortions of fetuses identified as female during ultrasound testing. The trend was first noticed when results of the 1991 national census were released, and it was confirmed to be a worsening problem when results of the 2001 national census were released. The reduction in the female population of certain Indian states continues to worsen, as results of the 2011 national census have shown. It has been observed that the trend is most pronounced in relatively prosperous regions of India. [1] The dowry system in India is often blamed; the expectation that a large dowry must be provided for daughters in order for them to marry is frequently cited as a major cause for the problem. 2] Pressure for parents to provide large dowries for their daughters is most intense in prosperous states where high standards of living, and modern consumerism, are more prevalent in Indian society. Rates of female foeticide in Madhya Pradesh are increasing; the rate of live births was 932 girls per 1000 boys in 2001, which dropped to 912 by 2011. It is expected that if this trend continues, by 2021 the number of girls will drop below 900 per 1000 boys. 3] Beti Bachao awareness campaign[edit] Beti Bachao activities include large rallies, poster campaigns, wall paintings, billboards, and television commercials and short animations and video films. Celebrities such as video director Jagmeet Bal, and Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, have become involved in â€Å"Save the girl child† initiatives. National support[edit] The Beti Bachao campaign is supported by numerous medical organizations in India, including the Indian Medical Association. 4] Government support at the state level has provided funding for Beti Bachao publicity activities in particular. The expenditures related to the campaign have been a source of political controversy in Madhya Pradesh, which launched its official Beti Bachao Abhiyan campaign in 2012. [5] Effectiveness[edit] The campaign has reported some success in parts of India. In 2009, it was reported that in Gujarat, rates of female births increased from 802 to 882 for every 1000 male births. Beti Bachao activities were credited with this improvement. [6]