Colligative solutions Essay Example

Colligative solutions Paper A 10% salt solution was said to lower the melting point to -FCC (OFF) and a 20% salt solution was said o lower it to -ICC (205). A more formal treatment Of freezing point depression is given by Ebbing. The freezing point depression Taft is a colligating property of the solution, and for dilute solutions is found to be proportional to the molar concentration CM of the solution: ;TFH = CFML Where Kef is called the freezing-point. Depression constant. A pleasant application of the freezing point depression is in the making of homemade ice cream. The ice cream mix is put into a metal container which is surrounded by crushed ice. Then salt is put on the ice to lower its melting point, The melting of the solution tends to lower the equilibrium temperature of the ice/water solution to the melting point of the solution. This gives a temperature gradient across the metal container into the saltwater-ice solution which is lower than COO. The heat transfer out of the ice cream mix allows it to freeze. Boiling Point Elevation in Solutions The boiling point of pure water is COO, but that boiling point can be elevated by the adding of a solute such as a salt. A solution typically has a measurably higher boiling point than the pure solvent. A treatment of boiling point elevation is given by Ebbing. The boiling point elevation Debt is a colligating property of concentration CM of the solution: Debt = Kbps Where KGB is called the boiling-point-elevation constant. We will write a custom essay sample on Colligative solutions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Colligative solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Colligative solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Solutions may be produced for the purpose of raising the boiling point and lowering the freezing point, as in the use Of ethylene glycol in automobile cooling systems. The ethylene glycol (antifreeze) protects against freezing by lowering the freezing point and preprints a higher operating temperature by raising the boiling point. Vapor pressure lowering[till The vapor pressure of a liquid is the pressure off vapor in equilibrium with the liquid phase, The vapor pressure of a solvent is lowered by addition of a non- volatile solute to form a solution. For an ideal solution, the equilibrium vapor pressure is given by Rallys law as , where is the vapor pressure tooth pure component A, a, and is the mole fraction of the component i in the solution For a solution with a solvent (A) and one non-volatile solute and The vapor pressure lowering relative to pure solvent is , which is proportional to the mole fraction of solute. If the solute dissociates in solution, then the vapor pressure lowering is increased by the van Hoff factor , which represents the true number of solute particles for each formula unit. For example, the strong electrolyte Magic dissociates into one Might ion and tuft CLC-ions, so that if unionization is complete, 3 and _ The measured colligating properties show that i is somewhat less than 3 due to ion association. Osmotic pressure[edit] For more details on this topic, see Osmotic pressure. The osmotic pressure Of a solution is the difference in pressure between the elution and the pure liquid solvent when the two are in equilibrium across a comparable membrane, Which allows the passage Of solvent molecules but not of solute particles. Fifth two phases are at the same initial pressure, there is a net transfer of solvent across the membrane into the solution known as osmosis. The process stops and equilibrium is attained when the pressure difference equals the osmotic pressure. Two laws governing the osmotic pressure of a dilute solution were discovered by the German botanist W. F. P. Prefer and the Dutch chemist J. H. Vans Hoff: 1. The osmotic pressure of a dilute solution at constant temperature is directly proportional to its concentration. 2. The osmotic pressure to a solution is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. These are analogous to Boles law and Charlies Law for gases. Similarly, the combined ideal gas law, , has as analog tort ideal solutions , where is osmotic_ pressure; V is the volume; n is the number of moles of solute; R is the molar gas constant 8. 314] K-1 mol-l; T is absolute temperature; and i is the Van t Hoff factor. The osmotic pressure is then proportional to the molar concentration , nice The osmotic pressure is proportional to the concentration of solute particles CIA and is therefore a colligating property. As with the Other colligating properties, this equation is a consequence of the equality of solvent chemical potentials of the two phases in equilibrium. In this case the phases are the pure solvent at pressure P and the solution at total pressure P -e n. (5] Pioneers of Sociology * Karl Marx He said that the working class Will defeat the ownership class, and result in a utopia where government will wither away to nothing and the Renville of economics will be based on For each according to his needs, and from each according to his ability. His contribution to thinking in sociology is mainly in a perspective called Conflict Theory in which social organization and change is based upon conflicts built into society, Many people see this as having much resemblance to classical (Greek and Latin) myths about the Phoenix Bird (who flies too close to the sun and burns) and creation myths of Toothpaste people of the Great Plains of North America. It is ironical that he predicted revolution to take place in industrialized societies, but the only unionism revolutions in history took place in large agrarian feudal societies (as Russia and China were), Dialectical materialism and conflict approach, * Augusta Comet He was the founder of French positivism. Comet can also be given credit for inventing or coining the term sociology, Comets philosophy of positivism developed from historical studies of the human mind. This led to Comets views of the three stages of the history of sciences. In order as follows, the stages are: 1) Theological nature has a will of its own.

Pleaded vs. Pled

Pleaded vs. Pled Pleaded vs. Pled Pleaded vs. Pled By Maeve Maddox A reader asks to know the past tense and past participle of the verb â€Å"to plead†: I have heard â€Å"pled† being used. Is this correct? The question of pleaded vs. pled is the source of much online discussion, little of it neutral: I personally think it makes newscasters and journalists sound ignorant when they use â€Å"pleaded† to describe what some defendant did in the court. I am actually shocked at the number of people who assert that â€Å"pled† is correct or that â€Å"pled† sounds correct to them. The hair on my neck stands up whenever I hear someone utter the word â€Å"pled.† Some speakers despise pled as an Americanism: The past tense of the verb â€Å"to plead† is â€Å"pleaded†. â€Å"Pled†, no matter how it is spelled, is an American illiteracy. Others defend pled because it’s not an Americanism: Pled, pled, pled, pled, I shall go ahead and use it! I grew up where UK usage was prevalent, but USA usage is now the norm. PLED is UK and Pleaded is USA English. I’m writing pled, pled, pled, pled, pled!!!! Pled is not an â€Å"Americanism.† The British poet Sir Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) uses pled as a past form of the verb plead in The Faerie Queene (1590-1596): And with him to make part against her, came Many grave persons, that against her pled; (the trial of Duessa) The OED gives pleaded as the past of plead, but notes that pled is used as the past form in Scottish and US usage. A statistical analysis made by legal blogger Eugene Volokh of the use of â€Å"pleaded guilty† vs â€Å"pled guilty† and â€Å"well-pleaded† vs â€Å"well-pled† in the ALLCASES database in Westlaw shows an almost 50-50 use of the forms pled and pleaded. Volokh concludes that both uses â€Å"are fully standard† and that he sees â€Å"no basis for labeling either ‘incorrect.’ † Nevertheless, both The Chicago Manual of Style and The AP Stylebook come down firmly on the side of pleaded: pleaded; pled. The first is the standard past-tense and past-participial form. Avoid pled. –CMOS, 5.220 â€Å"Good usage versus common usage.† plead, pleaded, pleading: Do not use the colloquial past tense form, pled. –AP Stylebook. With two such influential style guides against it, pled–at least in printed matter–will probably fade away. A site for lawyers called Above the Law polled readers in 2008 and again in 2011, asking how many preferred pled to pleaded. In 2008, pled garnered 62.5% of the vote; in 2011, pled was still ahead, but the percentage of speakers preferring it had slipped to 57%. On the other hand, pled will very likely hang on in speech. Many speakers, perceiving a difference between pleaded and pled, use both, depending on context. For many speakers, pleaded carries the connotation of begging or beseeching, whereas pled is a less loaded word: The condemned man pleaded for his life. The witness pled the Fifth. Many English verbs retain two past forms that are used with different meanings. For example, the verb â€Å"to hang† retains two past forms: hanged and hung. And both CMOS and AP allow for the use of both forms: hanged; hung. Hanged is used as the past participle of hang only in its transitive form when referring to the killing (just or unjust) of a human being by suspending the person by the neck: â€Å"Criminals were hanged at Tyburn Hill.† But if death is not intended or likely, or if the person is suspended by a body part other than the neck, hung is correct: â€Å"He was hung upside down as a cruel prank.† In most senses, of course, hung is the past form of hang: â€Å"Mark hung up his clothes.† All inanimate objects, such as pictures and Christmas stockings, are hung. –CMOS, 5.220 â€Å"Good usage versus common usage.† hang, hanged, hung: One hangs a picture, a criminal or oneself. For past tense or the passive, use hanged when referring to executions or suicides, hung for other actions. –The AP Stylebook. Bottom line: Both pleaded and pled are acceptable Standard English. Use the form you prefer in speech. Use the form required by your style guide for writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†Mood vs. Tense

Nursing Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing Application - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to present a proper application of theory to practice and the theory this is applied in this part would be taking history in case of a patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This paper would demonstrate the history-taking techniques based on the developmental stage. This would include culture, religion; developmental and physical milestones gross & fine motor skills, language, and social development for the particular age group. (Kar, 2006) A 56 year old male patient was admitted in the hospital with the ailment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. He was suffering from Cough with phlegm. Alongside there was Wheezing and there was also Shortness of breath. It was needed to gather personal details for an intricate future diagnosis and treatment. For this it was important to communicate with the patient in a warm and personal manner by introducing oneself, ensuring patient's privacy, sitting at eye level when speaking with patient to comfort him as the patient was already in a situation of utter discomfort due to his ailment. For this it is important to use both verbal and nonverbal communications skills. Within this approach it is also important to explain the purpose of this interview in a heartily manner to sooth the patient telling him as in the case of legal advisor it is necessary to provide complete and accurate details as it would only help the doctors and nurses to diagnose perfectly and only then it would be possible to treat properly and thus this would help the patient to recover in a better and faster manner. It is also helpful and advantageous to use open-ended questions and summarize the interview for patient to be sure t he information is correct. (Fletcher, 2003) The details and summary of the patient's first hand vital particulars based on the interview performed are enumerated below. Culture: This patient was born and brought up in the United States however he seems to have as strong cultural overtone of his ancestral roots in South Asia but as a mainstream member of the American society he identifies himself as an American in the political and social context of the word. Religion: according to his birth certificate the patient could be enumerated as a Hindu by religion but like his cultural background he is attached to the American way of life and has no bias about any from of medical treatment or procedure. Physical milestones: The patient suffered from jaundice twice at the age of 16 and then again at the age of 27. He was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 44 and he is still suffering from it however a report taken only 2 months back suggests blood sugar content sums up to 103. Gross & fine motor skills: Gross & fine motor skills were found to be at a normal stage however there was reported pain on the left shoulder and upper arm. Otherwise gross & fine motor skills were found to be normal. Language: The patient comes from an all American background and therefore he is fluent in English however he has a slight accent on his language of English like most South Asian. His mother tongue is Bengali. Social development: the patient was accompanied by his wife who is a native of India though she is well acquainted with the English

Stress From Life Events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stress From Life Events - Essay Example These habits are what majorly lead to some of the illnesses associated with stress for example smoking as a habit leading to lung or throat cancers. With the current stress rating levels, one would require significant social support as a way of coping with the stress. Without this, it is possible for an individual to have constantly negative thoughts about the problems they are facing or pains they are undergoing. The thoughts on the long run develop such problems as headaches and or extreme migraines. A total count reading of 451 from Rahe’s assessment would probably indicate chronic stress. From scientific studies, chronic stress results in a boost in the catecholamine and suppressor T cells levels that lead to the lowering of the immune system. With a suppressed immune system, the body system is vulnerable to opportunistic infections such as viral and bacterial attacks. With these attacks probability of getting ill is substantially high. Development of ulcers is one of the few indicators that an individual is undergoing stress. Stress alters the concentration levels of the acids in the gut leading to peptic ulcers. This is possible as stress changes the way one’s body functions. Stress that usually affects the brain has its effects felt directly in the stomach as the brain, and the stomach are linked via exchange of chemicals and messages in the brain-gut- axis. With ulcers, uptake of food is usually hampered lowering the immune system of the body got from the foods. Being an asthmatic breathing difficulties are likely to be met. However, these can easily be checked if appropriate medical guidelines are followed. Stress causes the release of histamine in the blood among other chemicals. Histamine leads to allergic symptoms and it gets worse with high levels of histamine in the bloodstream. In asthmatics, it causes broncho- constriction, making breathing impossible. An asthmatic attack is thus probable. When having stress, the body ensures sugars are

IFM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IFM - Essay Example Besides the contributions by the members, the cooperative enjoys the loan facilities that are extended to the cooperative unlike the case with other cooperative societies. Through the lack of ranks within the management positions or the general employee’s positions, the members enjoy an equated level of salaries despite their experience as well as despite their period of stay within the cooperative society. The cooperative society still has relatively low level of operations because it has been in operation for relatively little period after its re-establishment in the last ten years. Based on the reason that the cooperative lacks a well-defined structure of administration, all members comprehensively are wholly liable for the consequences of decisions made. Moreover, the lack of this well-defined structure of management has often placed the business at a risk because the decisions made lack the professional approval because members lack management skills and professional expe rtise. However, the modern day cooperative operations would suffer severe losses in the event of operating without well laid out structures as Fortune Inc does. Business operations at any level necessitates clearly laid down structures and hierarchy in operations for the ease of its operations. The cooperative needs to establish a central management team who would be responsible in decision making while at the same time taking the responsibilities in consequences resultant from the decision made (Background paper on cooperatives, n. d., p. 1-3; Co-operative in the 21st Century, 2001, p. 6-7). The size of the cooperative, which has an employee base of twenty-five people, is relatively small compared to other large organizations. However, decision-making processes would be very tedious and time consuming while incorporating the decisions of all the employees, hence the need for a clearly established framework of organizational management. The organization incorporates employees from t he age of twenties to the mid-fifties and as such has a well-distributed working age. Beside, members are paid on an equal basis through which all employees earn an equal salary besides contributing equal amounts to the cooperative. However, the structure of operation that lacks to define responsibilities as well as the structures of authorities is undesirable due to the reason that the organization would lack command in operations. Moreover, the organization would fail to confer responsibility to any person in the event of liability to be suffered and as such, the people would fail to take responsibility in decision-making or regarding acting on behalf of the organization. Among other objectives to be pursued by the cooperative would be to establish legal documents and register the cooperative as a distinct entity with the registrar of cooperatives. Besides registration, other important documents defining the employees and the shareholders are necessary. Besides the responsibility outline, there is the need to have the cooperative establish a management team who would serve as the vision bearers to the team and therefore champion the

How Learned Helplessness Can Impact Patient Satisfaction Nursing Essay

How Learned Helplessness Can Impact Patient Satisfaction Nursing Essay Ever since To Err is Human did patients really start to care about the quality of care they received from their physicians, hospitals, and healthcare organizations. However, healthcare organizations had already recognized the importance of patient satisfaction several years earlier. Many organizations started measuring patient satisfaction as a way to judge the perceptions of how their patients viewed their experiences while under their care. There are many facets to measuring patient satisfaction but to date the concept of learned helplessness has not been incorporated into the mix. Learned helplessness is a phenomenon occurring in many places in our society. It affects how we work, interact with others, conduct our business, and employ our thoughts and views on healthcare. When experience with uncontrollable events leads to the expectation that future events will also be uncontrollable, disruption in motivation, emotion, and learning may occur. That phenomenon has been called learn ed helplessness (Cemalcilar 2003). Armed with a better understanding with how learned helplessness plays a role in patient satisfaction healthcare settings will be better able to alleviate this discomforting phenomenon and thus should raise patient satisfaction scores. This paper serves as a vehicle to investigate the concept of learned helplessness combined with a review of patient satisfaction and provide guidance for research to further our understanding of the relationship between the two. Literature review: Learned helplessness came about by accident in 1965 by Martin Seligman and his team while studying the relationship between fear and learning. Seligman observed an unexpected behavior while investigating Pavlovs theory on stimulus and response. Seligman didnt pair the bell with food but rewarded the dog with a small shock while restraining the dog to keep it from running away. The researcher thought that the dog would experience fear after hearing the bell and would try to run away or display some other type of behavior. After this the dog was placed into a box with two compartments divided by a low enough fence that the dog could see the other side and escape if the dog so desired. To their amazement, after the bell was sounded the dog didnt try to run away but instead just laid or sat on the one side of the box. The researchers repeated the test but instead of sounding the bell they gave the dog a small shock. As was the case with the bell the dog decided to stay on its initial sid e of the box. The test was repeated with a dog that had never been subject to any of the previous experiments and when given the shock the dog took flight and jumped over the small fence to escape. What was decided was that the first dog, while being restrained, learned that trying to get away from the shock was pointless and the dog had no control over its destiny and was therefore helpless. Some researchers have contended that the dog just thought he was being punished for some act of wrongdoing or that the end of the pain from the shock was indeed the reward. However, this behavior has been used in a variety of situations which will be explained here in an effort to learn more about this phenomenon. Learned helplessness has detrimental effects on children. They develop a lack of self-confidence in challenging tasks which result in deterioration of performances (Dweck, Davidson, Nelson, Enna, 1978). These children do not develop good problem solving strategies and can suffer from lack of attention and think that all of their efforts are fruitless. Children like this are often held back a grade in an effort to bolster their social and academic skills. In the end, they get a message that they are worthless and hopeless (Berger, 1983). These children may be inadequately prepared to take on new learnings and perform out of the ordinary tasks. Failure become synonymous in these childrens vocabulary and repeated efforts may do little to change their outlook. In Eriksons view, he suggests that children with few successes will become inferior which leads them to have a low self-esteem (Berger, 1983). Most learned helpless students give up trying to gain respect through their academic pe rformance so they turn to other means for recognition. They may become the class clown, bully or tease. When they begin adolescent years they try to gain respect through antisocial behaviors (Berger, 1983). With learned helpless children, competence is almost entirely destroyed. They lose confidence within themselves because they experience failures, leading them to believe they are failures. They might feel competent about something at first but if they fail in that activity they wont bother to try it again for fear of failure. Autonomy is also faint in a learned helpless students life. They feel as though they have no control over their environment because no matter how hard they tried in the past, they never succeeded. As for relatedness, learned helpless students feel as though they dont belong because they believe that they dont relate to the environment. This is why they become the class clown, bully or tease in order to get their recognition. These results may include becomin g an antisocial individual during their adolescent years or earlier. These three factors are all detrimental to an individuals growth and development in our social world today. There have been a few scales conducted and measured trying to use this construct in a variety of situations. The majority of these studies utilized learned helplessness as a secondary construct in explaining either complaint behavior (Lee and Soberon-Ferrer 1999) and measuring the relationship between empowerment and learned helplessness (Campbell and Martinko 1998). The study showed that there were many differences between empowerment and learned helplessness. Another study was conducted in a hospital setting with a reported reliability of 0.85. It had a positive relationship with Becks hopelessness scale (r=.252) and a negative correlation with Rosenbergs Self-Esteem scale (r=-.622) (Quinless 1988). Another way it can affect people is through different emotions such as pessimism, futility, risk aversion, depression, and self-esteem. It has been defined in people as a state of which the consumer cannot control their destiny or outcomes and therefore relinquish control over a certain situation. What research to date has been conducted to study patient behavior with learned helplessness? Raps et. al (1982) found that the longer a patients length of stay was the worse the patient performed on cognitive tasks that index learned helplessness. First, they determined this because of a perceived loss of control by the patient. Second, increased hospitalization resulted not only in increased deficits but also in increased vulnerability to identical deficits produced by minimal amounts of uncontrollable noise, suggesting that the process underlying the deficits in the no-noise conditions is learned helplessness produced by hospitalization. Third, increased hospitalization disrupted performance at the problem-solving tasks, but not at the verbal intelligence test-replicating the previous results from laboratory studies of learned helplessness and suggesting that the deficits of our subjects were not a general deterioration but instead a more specific difficulty with new learning (Rap s et al. 1982). Fourth, increased hospitalization produced increased depressive symptoms that covaried with poor performance both across and within conditions. This pattern suggests again that perceptions of helplessness caused the observed deficits, since depression involves a diminished sense of efficacy (Raps et al. 1982). Faulkner (2001) set out to investigate the relevance of learned helplessness and learned mastery theories in the respective development of dependence and independence in older hospitalized people. Faulkners experiment shows how an exposure to uncontrollable or disempowering circumstances potentially places patients at risk of developing learned helplessness. This condition has the potential to retard self-care performance in the absence of supervision, direction, or active personal assistance thus rendering patients dependent (Faulkner 2001). Moreover, this dependence may not remain specific to the task within which LH was induced, but may generalize to affect patient performance in other activities. To date the accepted scale to use when measuring learned helplessness is the LHS scale developed by Quinless and McDermott-Nelson. A conceptual definition is necessary in order to further explore this phenomenon. Learned helpless can be defined by a state in which a person thinks that they cannot control their own destiny and the life experiences which happen to them. This definition incorporates the key elements found throughout the research: loss of control, depression, low self-esteem, pessimism, and defeat. Learned helplessness can have the potential for explaining some variation in patient satisfaction scores. In order to further explore how the two are interrelated, an investigation into patient satisfaction must be employed. Patient satisfaction: With the effectiveness of medical care being increasingly measured according to economic as well as clinical criteria, the inclusion of patients opinions in assessments of services has gained greater prominence over the past 25 years (Sitzia Wood 1997). As health care budgets come under scrutiny, so consumers in the West have become more critical of the health care provided, organizing and claiming rights as active participants in the planning and evaluation of health services (Sitzia Wood 1997). An increase in interpersonal relationship interest sparked the development for a need to understand the patient-physician relationship which gave rise to patient satisfaction measurement. Consumer advocate groups such as the National Consumer Council produced Patients rights, which influenced the rise of consumerism in healthcare. The term patients rights became the rallying cry for Patients to have more control and say about the care that was extended to them. What then determines what pa tient satisfaction is? Linder-Pelz (1982) approached a definition of patient satisfaction through five social-psychological variables proposed as probable determinants of patient satisfaction with health care. These are outlined as: Occurrences-the event which actually takes place, and perhaps more importantly, the individuals perception of what occurred; valueevaluation, in terms of good or bad, of an attribute or an aspect of a health care encounter; expectationsbeliefs about the probability of certain attributes being associated with an event or object, and the perceived probable outcome of that association; interpersonal comparisonsan individuals rating of the health care encounter by comparing it with all such encounters known to or experienced by him or her; and entitlementan individuals belief that s/he has proper, accepted grounds for seeking or claiming a particular outcome. Ware et al. (1983) gives a more definitive taxonomy with eight dimensions: interpersonal mannerfeatu res of the way in which providers interact personally with patients (e.g. respect, concern, friendliness, courtesy); technical quality of carecompetence of providers and adherence to high standards of diagnosis and treatment (e.g. thoroughness, accuracy, unnecessary risks, making mistakes); accessibility/conveniencefactors involved in arranging to receive medical care (e.g. waiting times, ease of reaching provider); financesfactors involved in paying for medical services; efficacy/outcomes of carethe results of services provided (e.g. improvements in or maintenance of health); continuity of careconstancy in provider or location of care; physical environmentfeatures of setting in which care is delivered (e.g. clarity of signs and directions, orderly facilities and equipment, pleasantness of atmosphere); and availabilitypresence of medical care resources (e.g. enough medical facilities and providers). CMS has mandated the HCAHPS measures of patient perception of quality of care as a c ondition of Medicare participation (Griffith White 2007). CMS (Medicare) states the supplier shall conduct beneficiary satisfaction surveys and make the results available upon request and/or listed on their Internet website (if applicable). The supplier shall document and review on a quarterly basis a percentage of beneficiaries satisfied with services. These surveys include questions that are divided into five groups: Your care from nurses, Your care from Doctors, The hospital environment, Your experiences in the Hospital, When you left the Hospital, Overall rating of the Hospital, and Demographic questions. These questions must be incorporated into commercial patient satisfaction surveys and publicly reported. In some cases referring physicians may act as agents for their patients and are concerned with clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction and cost. This is important because if they are not satisfied with their patients responses, they may divert their patients elsewhere. However there are some concerns for those that dont buy into patient satisfaction scores. These fall into the category of social-psychological artifacts. LeVois et al. (1981) states that Social desirability response bias argues that patients may report greater satisfaction than they actually feel because they believe positive comments are more acceptable to survey administrators. Similarly, ingratiating response bias occurs when patients use the satisfaction survey to ingratiate themselves with researchers or medical staff, especially if there are any reservations over the anonymity of respondents (Sitzia Wood 1997). Why then study patient satisfaction? Typically patient satisfaction surveys are after the services have been rendered and the patient has left the hospital or physicians office. Most of the surveys use a 5 point Likert scale with 5 indicating excellent or highly satisfied and 1 being poor or highly dissatisfied. Most managers think that getting an average of 4s is very good or good enough and trying to achieve a 5 rating is too costly or time consuming. This is not the case. Many managers also think that they should focus on unsatisfied customers but research has shown that no matter how much time, effort, and money they invest, there will always be a small percentage of patients that are dissatisfied. Managers should then focus on moving those four ratings to fives. When it comes to customer loyalty, excellent has a different meaning from the other rating categories (Otani et al. 2009). Highly satisfied customers are the ones that are loyal and return for their next encounter or recommend others to the same physician o r facility. This usually comprises of about 75% of the physicians business so it is imperative that they keep this group happy and highly satisfied. In an emerging competitive market such as healthcare, managers should focus on achieving excellent ratings to distinguish their organization from others (Otani et al. 2009). Patients that are merely satisfied will seek care elsewhere and look for other providers. Even though the cost of switching hospitals is quite high, patients have more choices now than they did in previous eras. What are some other reasons to highly satisfy these patients? Satisfied patients tend to comply with prescribed medical treatments (Ford, Bach Fottler 1997). Due to an increase in chronic conditions, it is more imperative that patients follow the treatment process prescribed. This can reduce length of stays and lower readmission rates thus reducing costs. Also, it decreases switching. When a patient changes physicians, he or she may be required to retake te sts, which increases the patients costs and may hurt the patient (Otani et al 2009). Another factor is patient satisfaction is now considered a key part of the healthcare quality improvement initiative (Shortell and Kaluzny 2000). Many managed care organizations use patient satisfaction data to determine reimbursement rates to healthcare providers, and many leading companies will not contract with health plans that do not require a patient satisfaction survey. Providers with positive patient satisfaction survey results may receive more financial incentives than providers with poor patient satisfaction survey results (Kongstvedt 2001). In addition a 1 standard deviation point increase in the quality of pt/physician interaction equals a 35% lower chance of a patient complaint for the primary care physician, and a 50% lower chance of a patient complaint for a specialist (Saxton et al. 2008). Saxton (2008) also reports that a one standard deviation decrease in patient satisfaction equal s a five percent increase in the physicians risk management. Compared to physicians in top satisfaction scores: Physicians in middle 1/3 of scores had malpractice lawsuit rates 26% higher while Physicians in bottom 1/3 of scores had malpractice lawsuit rates of 110% higher. According to Saxton (2008) the top five patient priorities are: Response to concerns/complaints during stay, Degree to which hospital staff addressed patients emotional needs, Staff effort to include patient in decisions about their treatment, How well the nurses kept the patient informed, and Promptness in responding to the call button by the patient. One issue not investigated thoroughly is the billing activities of the hospital or caregiver. Richard Clarke, HFMA CEO and President has stated the best care, and great customer service provided during the patients hospital encounter can be destroyed quickly by confusing, complicated, or incorrect billing afterwards (Swayne et al. 2008). According to Swayne (2008, the top five hospital bill features that irritate customers the most are: confusion about what the patients insurance company has paid, confusion about the balance the patient owes the hospital once the insurance company pays its share, use of medical terminology that the patient does not understand, sending a bill to the patient before the insurance company has processed the patients claims, and inability to determine exactly what services the hospital has provided and what the patient is being charged for the service. Follow-on activities are also another area that the physician or caregiver can alter patient satisfaction scores. Many providers think that once the patient is out the door the experience ends there. After a patient has been seen by a physician or is leaving the hospital after surgery, there is a likely need for further services: a child with an ear infection has to return in 10 days for another check-up to make sure the infection is no longer present; after hip surg ery a patient may need to be relocated to a rehabilitation facility to learn to walk again (Swayne 2008). All of these additional services are value adding service activities. All of these factors play a role in learned helplessness as the patient may become frustrated by not having an excellent experience throughout the visit or after the visit. Proposed study: This paper shall utilize the current learned helplessness scale (LHS) and apply it to see how it moderates patient satisfaction scores. Method of study: The proposed model for this study is: Patient Satisfaction Scores Internal State of patient Patient Experience Learned helplessness Learned helplessness This research was consistent with the often used S-O-R paradigm. This paradigm assumes that environments contain stimuli (Ss) that cause changes to peoples internal or organismic states (Os), which in turn cause approach or avoidance responses (Rs) (Mehrabian and Russell 1974). It is anticipated that higher levels of learned helplessness will negatively impact patient satisfaction scores. The area most anticipated are those consistent with loss of control in fulfilling the needs of the patient, like care from the nurses, care from the physician especially in information sharing, and billing issues from either the hospital or the insurance company. The construct will be viewed as a moderator. In general terms, a moderator is a qualitative (e.g., sex, race, class) or quantitative (e.g., level of reward) variable that affects the direction and/or strength of the relation between an independent or predictor variable and a dependent or criterion variable. Specifically within a correlation al analysis framework, a moderator is a third variable that affects the zero-order correlation between two other variables. In the more familiar analysis of variance (ANOVA) terms, a basic moderator effect can be represented as an interaction between a focal independent variable and a factor that specifies the appropriate conditions for its operation. (Baron Kenny 1986). Data collection: Data collection shall be the most challenging facet of this study. It is important to gather rich data that will either support or disprove the theory that learned helplessness lowers patient satisfaction scores. A large enough sample is to be gathered in order to fully demonstrate this phenomenons capability. The LHS will be distributed along with the chosen hospitals patient satisfaction survey and patients will be asked to complete them. It may be necessary to delay the distribution of the survey so the patient has ample time to be contacted or experience learned helplessness form billing issues that may arise. After a sufficient number of surveys have been returned to the author, statistical regression methods will be employed to assess statistical significance as it relates to learned helplessness and patient satisfaction scores. Different factors can be cross-tabulated to see if there are any generalized effects on the scores like age, race, financial, and educational positions . Model fit could be assessed using SEM or other methods to ensure proper allocation and model assessment. Limitations As stated before data collection shall be difficult in performing this study. Hospitals may be reluctant to allow a researcher, independent of the organization, access to their patients and their satisfaction data. This reluctance could be over a variety of factors including patient privacy, fear of inappropriate scores released to the public, and a general distrust for academic research. It may be necessary to conduct this study as a joint venture so the hospital may learn from this study as well as the researcher. Another limitation is patient recall. This is always a factor since consumer recall plays a role in remembering perceptions, actions, and behaviors that occurred in the hospital or caregivers office. Since billing is an issue with learned helplessness, the delay in presenting the surveys may affect memory recall. The last limitation may be that of the construct being studied itself. Since there is little research on learned helplessness as it relates to patient satisfacti on or patient experience it may be difficult to determine how strong a score on the LHS scale must be to fully realize an effect on patient satisfaction. Conclusion: This paper has outlined the construct of learned helplessness and how it potentially could interact with patient satisfaction scores. Patient satisfaction scores are of the upmost importance to hospitals and caregivers as it affects their quality ratings, their allocation from CMS, and their reputation in general. While this project is a major undertaking, the author feels that it is worthy of such time and effort as patients and caregivers seek to further understand the patient experience in healthcare settings. This paper has outlined a course of action and while this project needs to be further investigated, it lays the necessary framework for a study worthy of journal submission. Future research could fully implicate different ways that learned helplessness is formed in different healthcare settings allowing for richer analysis into how patients react to different perceived outcomes. Hospitals and caregivers should be able to use information from this study to redesign their pati ent satisfaction surveys to allow them to gather richer data and use this to improve satisfaction scores which ultimately affect the bottom line. In this new age of healthcare reform, it is imperative that healthcare organization strive in every effort to raise the bar of patient outcomes, not only physical outcomes but mental outcomes as well.

Madison vs. Marshall :: essays research papers

Before we start to take sides, we need to discuss the different point of views of Madison and Marshall. We have to understand that our political landscape during the birth of our nation was much different. The states, were not unified, and were made up of different and often conflicting interests. Along with factions fighting one another and making political progress impossible. As Madison, would describe faction as a number of citizens; whether it be a majority or minority whole, who were motivate by some common impulse of passion or of interest. This broad definition would include the interest groups who dominate the political landscape today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Madison’s work of Federalist No. 10, he identifies factions were a problem. He views them as â€Å"a dangerous vice†, but at the same time saw factions as a necessary evil. He mentions that â€Å"The regulation of these various and interfering interest forms the principal task of modern legislation; and involves the spirit of party and faction in the necessary and ordinary operations of government.† Here Madison states that factions, opposed in spirit to democratic ideals, spreading â€Å"unsteadiness and injustice† which are actually necessary for the function of a representative government. Throughout his paper, Madison explains how pure democracy wouldn’t be able to work, because it had â€Å"no cure for the mischief of faction.† He believed that this type of government will give so much power to the majority that it was doomed to fail. He sounded very confident that the new constitution would work. He believed of ha ving a representative and a republic system. He had no doubt in mind that new constitution would be the end of the states embarrassment to the world. Madison saw democracy not as an ideal but something that could be modified to be fitted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two hundreds years later Thurgood Marshall said that Constitution written by our Founding Fathers was a defect from the start. As he said the first three words of the Constitution says â€Å"We the People† was a flaw. At the time our Founding Fathers didn’t have in mind the majority of Americans. The only thing on their mind was the wealthy population. Also he states how some things they wrote wasn’t place in action years later. For example â€Å"all humans are created equal.† This was a defect; it took an amendment to make this in effect. But Madison did say he couldn’t foresee the future of the government to the effects it could have.

Mercedes-Benz Advertising Brief & Strategy

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