Beaten Like Dogs

Beaten Like Dogs ? â€Å"They went by, fallen, dragging their packs, dragging their lives, deserting their childhood, cringing like beaten dogs. † This quote stated in the book the Night written by Elie Wiesel. This quote simply sums up the book in a few words. For me it shows the indescribable misery endured by the Jewish people. This quote really has a deep impact on me. It makes me realize how lucky I am, to live in a country where there is a freedom to practice whatever religion you want to be a part of.It makes me feel so bad for all the torture that the Jews suffered. When I think about the gas chambers, the starvation, and the abuse, I put myself in the position of a Jewish person. If my family was told we were all going to shower, and finally be clean, and we were actually being executed. It makes me sick to my stomach. The disgust the images from this quote bring to me, I will never forget. When I juxtapose my life with an 18 year old Jewish boy’s life in 1945 I realize the suffrage that they went through. I choose to have a job, which I get paid for.While a Jewish boy at this time would be forced to do hard labor for no pay and if they refuse they would be brutally murdered. I eat everyday three meals a day but this boy however gets little to no food. Could I live like this? Suffering everyday surviving physical and mental torture. I really don’t think I could, all of the people, good innocent people being persecuted for their religion I have realized were stronger then the over compensating Nazi’s who got there high from literally breaking down these good people.This quote has changed the way I look at my life and the freedom and choices I get to make every day. Such as: school, clothing, sports, and my job. Also the quote has changed my view on abusive parents. I’ve always known this is a bad thing, but the quote makes me picture how an abused child could feel on the inside. In my opinion Wiesel named the book â₠¬Å"Night† because the Jewish people in the death camps felt like they were trapped in the darkness, and would never see the light of day again.

Do Young People Today Make Good Use of Their Leisure Time?

Leisure time can be well spent in many different ways. One popular option among the young is playing video games and watching television. While other activities like sports,social gathering and reading are available to them,many people feel that they spend too much time on these indoor games and screens and prefer them to be more active. In this essay,I will discuss my view on the issue to get positive results out of free time. Nowadays, younger generation has greater choices of leisure facilities than previous one. Among such facilities are television and video games.Some social experts and families are concerned about health of teenage overindulge on these activities. This is supported by some reports that sitting too long in front of television could lead to problems of eyes and back. On the other hand, some medical experts believe that some video games can improve the dexterity of the player and this could help his or her future career like operating doctor or pilot. In addition, watching television keeps young audience inform about what happens around locally as well as globally. Related article: How Teenagers Spend Their TimeThat would enhance teenagers' inquisitive mind and encourage them to keep eyes on challenging local and international issues. While such benefit is welcomed, there also are dangers of exposing them to violence, crimes and explicit scenes on some television series which can have negative impact on younger personalities. Alternatively, there are many activities which have positive results in term of social, physical and educational values. For example, walking, jogging and trekking in a recreational park improve their physical strength and give an opportunity to observe nature and environment.Furthermore, spending time with family, relatives and friends outdoor enriches their social lives. As a result, they would be more interactive and responsible socially. Finally, one could simply be entertained by reading at home or playing some music. In conclusion, how much time should we spend on each activity during extra time is debatable. Each ha s its own merit so long as individual does not involve excessively. In my opinion, young and adult alike should choose sensibly on type of activity and time spent to get most benefits out of their free time.

Avoiding Future Frauds with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Essay

It is clear that the establishment of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) act in 2002 was specific to reducing future financial fraud and imposing criminal penalties for publicly traded companies. What is not clear is whether or not the act has proved to be successful in its implementation and governance. The establishment of the act and subsequent amendments are intended to protect the public from fraud in the financial accounting of publicly traded corporations. In 2002, there were opinions both for and against the effectiveness of SOX. More than a decade later, there are still opinions on both sides of the debate. Criticism of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act The effectiveness of the Sarbanes-Oxley act has been highly criticized since its inception. One of the major contentions is that the Sarbanes-Oxley act has no provisions to differentiate the requirements for small publicly traded businesses from large conglomerates (that lead and often monopolize the marketplace). Publicly traded companies that are small in size may find the costs of compliance prohibitive to the future of their business (Coustan, 2004). Critics of SOX believe that this unnecessarily reduces the number of players in a competitive marketplace. The cost of compliance can be excessive for some smaller companies. Auditing expenses cause companies to seek private investment and become privately owned (San Antonio Express-News, 2007). Ten years ago, critics expressed â€Å"fears that small, publicly listed companies might not meet internal control reporting requirements without substantial additional expense; some may have to delist because of it. It could mean only larger companies will go public† (Coustan, 2004, p. 1). In recent years, this debate continues. Critics still express concerns â€Å"that Sarbanes-Oxley is overreaching and has placed unnecessary  restrictions on corporations that have and will continue to unduly inhibit corporate performance until they are removed† (Brite, 2013). Another major contention of critics is that the costs of compliance for outweigh the benefits in an international marketplace. Those against SOX feel that the costs outweigh the benefits and speak out in public forums stating that the â€Å"Sarbanes-Oxley has burdened the US financial market with costly rules and regulations that have reduced international competitiveness† (debate.org, 2014). There are those that openly share the opinion that the implementations of regulatory overkill through the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley act â€Å"wrongfully make the innocent suffer for the guilty† (Gilmore, 2013). The reporting requirements of SOX are specific to businesses in the United States. Unlike American business, international business does not have the same requirements. â€Å"Regulatory compliance opposes economic costs on organizations and can affect their competitive advantage† (Srinivasan, 2014, p. 44). Increasing the cost for American business decreases competitive advantage in the worldwide marketplace. In addition to cost and competitive advantage, the structure of the bill has also been called into question. The Court of Appeals recently found difficulty with the wording of the amended 18 USC, citing that â€Å"paragraph (b) of the statute includes the word â€Å"knowingly† while paragraph (c) does not† (Bishop, 2013). The opinions of the Court of Appeals lends to the public opinion expressed in published CPA perspectives that â€Å"SOX was a hastily assembled bill† (Moran, 2013). Involved and cumbersome requirements cause confusion and frustration for companies attempting to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley act even more than a decade after its implementation. Companies and lawmakers alike have had difficulty over the years with the interpretation of and compliance with the act. â€Å"SOX brought about many changes to the way public companies had to operate, and there was some question as to how these would stand up over time† (Moran, 2013). Positive Aspects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Despite complaints by critics, there are positive aspects of the Sarbanes-Oxley act that have withstood the test of time. Initial reactions have softened after smaller businesses were granted some relief in later amendments of the act. Larger businesses found that compliance with the act  increased investor confidence and contributions. In addition, the resultant increase in financial transparency has improved business relationships on many levels. First and foremost, there are many of the opinion that the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley act increased investor confidence and protection in the marketplace. â€Å"Does Sarbanes-Oxley prevent all bad actors from defrauding investors? No law could accomplish that. But it can and has deterred such activity† (Gillian, 2012, p. 1). Those in support of the Sarbanes-Oxley act agree that there is a positive side for investors and the businesses in which they invest. â€Å"A 2005 survey by the Financial Executives Research Foundation f ound that 83 percent of large company CFOs agreed that SOX had increased investor confidence, with 33 percent agreeing that it had reduced fraud† (Hanna, 2014, p. 2). With an increase in confidence and a perceived reduction of fraud, investors could more confidently make intelligent business decisions on the purchase and sale of publicly traded companies. Those on the positive side of the SOX act believe that the effects on small business have softened. Studies show that as companies become more accustomed to the costs of compliance, the expense decreases (San Antonio Express-News, 2007). In addition, the effects on smaller companies were ultimately deferred. â€Å"Audit standards also were modified in 2007, a change that reportedly reduced costs for many firms by 25 percent or more per year† (Hanna, 2014, p. 1). Although the costs of compliance decrease retained earnings, investors are more confident in the reliability of company reports (Gillian, 2012). â€Å"The cost of being a publicly traded company did cause some firms to go private, but research shows these were primarily organizations that were smaller, less liquid, and more fraud-prone† (Hanna, 2014, p. 1). These modifications of the act allowed more small businesses to remain competitive in the marketplace. Business relationships have also improved with increased transparency. The reduction of information asymmetry is a direct benefit to both the company and the investors. â€Å"Information asymmetry is a situation in which one party in a transaction has more or superior information compared to another† (Brite, 2013, p. 1). Periodic testing of internal controls required by SOX 404, increases transparency among internal and external stakeholders of the business. The American Institute of CPAs states on their website that â€Å"section 404B has led to improve financial reporting and greater  transparency† (American Institute of CPAs, 2006 – 2014). Conclusion and Opinion To evaluate the effectiveness of SOX in preventing future frauds, one must take into consideration the many different situations in which the legislation is applicable. Enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley act increases corporate responsibility and sets restrictions on auditor services. This certainly reduces the potential for fraud; however it does not eliminate it. From a business perspective, compliance is beneficial. The costs of implementing the requirements may be high; however the benefit of increased investor confidence in a publicly traded environment is higher. There are going to be situations in which fraud is inevitable. Fraudulent wrongdoers and companies will find loopholes and the recent Court of Appeals case is evidence of that fact. As with any law, this regulation will reduce the frequency of, but not prevent, purposeful future criminal activity. References American Institute of CPAs. (2006 – 2014). Section 404B of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Retrieved from AICPA: American Institute of CPAs: http://www.aicpa.org/advocacy/issues/pages/section404bofSOX.aspx Bishop, K. (2013, June six). Grand Theft Auto Meets the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved from California Corporate and Securities Law: http://calcorporatelaw.com/2013/06/grand-theft-auto-meets-the-sarbanes-oxley-act/ Brite, C. (2013, June 30). Is Sarbanes-Oxley a Failing Law? Retrieved from University Of Chicago Undergraduate Law Review: http://uculr.com/articles/2013/6/30/is-sarbanes-oxley-a-failing-law Coustan, H. L. (2004, February). Sarbanes-Oxley: What It Means to the Marketplace. Retrieved from Journal of Accountancy: http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2004/Feb/SarbaneSOXleyWhatItMeansToTheMarketplace.htm debate.org. (2014). Do you believe the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has failed? Retrieved from debate.org: http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-you-believe-the-sarbanes-oxley-act -has-failed Gillian, K. (2012, July 24). It Enhanced Investor Protection. Retrieved from nytimes.com: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/07/24/has-sarbanes-oxley-failed/sar

Human cloning and animal cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human cloning and animal cloning - Essay Example Haugen (2007) asserts that, though human cloning has not been extensively expounded on like the animal cloning, it has been researched that it is going to have a number of benefits to human: To start with, human cloning eliminates defective genes. Today genetic illness is not a number one killer disease but this could be in the near future. As humans frequently reproduce, damage to their genes goes high. This creates mutations and malfunctioning of the genes. Down’s syndrome that affects women can be avoided by cloning. Tay-Sachs disease which is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder could be prevented through cloning.Therefore; elimination of these problems could only be done by cloning of healthy human cells. Secondly, cloning enhances faster recovery from traumatic injury. Accidents sometimes, cause a lot of pain and injury to humans. For instance an athlete who gets injured and the recovery process is slow, true healing could only be done by cloning of their own cells to help a faster recovery process. Thirdly, it helps in solving out infertility problems. A lot of couples now days go through difficult times trying to solve out their infertility issues. Without successfully having children, the couples run out of time and money. Human cloning has made it achievable for these couples to have children. In addition, human cloning reverses heart attacks- Heart disease is a number one killer in the U.S and other industrialized countries. Scientists believe that heart attack victims can be treated by cloning their healthy heart cells and injecting them into the areas of the heart that have been damaged. Plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery is another advantage. Human cloning has made it possible for breast implants and other cosmetic procedures to be a success. With the new technology of human cloning doctors are able to manufacture fat, bone, connective tissue or cartilages

An Australian MNC has subsidiaries in France, China, Canada, Turkey Essay

An Australian MNC has subsidiaries in France, China, Canada, Turkey and Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa. With particular reference to legal, political, eco - Essay Example nent â€Å"down under† that expounds on European legacy with a democratically free market economy that just adopted economic reforms in 1980s contributing to its current robust economy. With a Western-style capitalist economy, output had risen beyond the internal needs so that raw materials and agricultural products lead the export sector of Australia. Low inflation, reforms and strong ties with countries like China coupled with conservative fiscal policies have maintained a very strong economy boasting of a $642.1. billion GDP purchasing power parity (CIA, 2006) and a 2.6 percent 2005 growth rate estimate. Australia’s GDP per capita is $32,000 as of 2005 (CIA, 2006). In order to necessitate different approaches to the establishment of an Australian multinational corporation’s (MNC) subsidiaries and their on-going operations in countries like France, China, Canada, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa, various legal, political, economic and cultural issues must be addressed. Following are a country-per-country exploration on tackling business in consideration of the country’s environments, needs and other issues: Zitta Jewelries Corporation established in 1978 is one of the clienteles of Climax Mining Limited of Australia with vast connection and outlets all over the world, or among country capitals and major cities. Zitta either supplies raw materials such as gold, silver, copper, precious and semi-precious stones to jewelry manufacturers all over the world but they also distribute finished jewelry products, with their own exclusive jewelry shops in France, Canada, China, Turkey, South Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia. It employs about 350 persons all in all. Likewise, Zitta also outsource products from various countries especially where subsidiaries exist and leverage this products in all other outlets. Zitta both supplies raw materials to a subsidiary, or either source out raw materials from the subsidiary country when allowed. This way, each

Analyse and apply the appropriate marketing strategy in the context of Essay

Analyse and apply the appropriate marketing strategy in the context of the marketing planning process - Essay Example Through study of some important brands and their respective marketing strategies the overall position and pattern have been gauged in context of marketing strategies. Toyota Motor Corporation is a big player in the world of automobiles. It manufactures various types of cars, trucks, passenger cars and minivans. Under the brand name Prius it sells hybrid vehicles. The company also has a wide range of SUV or sport utility vehicles as well as other speciality vehicles. One of the company’s primary objectives is to manufactures such vehicles which would provide safety, security and comfort to the consumers (Company Description, May 2009; Toyotas ITS vision, 2009). Toyota or for that matter any company would set up strategies to achieve its business goals or objectives. Similarly it creates marketing strategies to achieve its goals in terms of marketing objectives. Marketing strategy as a concept caters to three parts, the internal factors of the company itself, the customer and the competitors of the firm. A marketing strategy of a firm focuses on the market in terms of segmentation, targeting and positioning. Segmentation is dividing the market into groups which have similar characteristics. This is used by the companies to target their products to cater to the specific segments. The company always focuses towards creating a higher position for its products in comparison to its competitors so that it can leverage this and sell more. One of the basic and most important concepts of marketing strategy is that of the 4Ps of marketing which constitute the marketing mix of an organisation. The marketing mix or the 4Ps are; product, price, promotion and placement. Toyota offers a wide array of automobiles. It produces trucks, minivans, luxury sedans and hybrids among many other cars. The company also offers various brands for its various offerings. The Lexus brand is its luxury offering. While the Scion brand

The Holocaust History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Holocaust History - Research Paper Example Holocaust is the term that comes under exercise for several million people incorporating Jews, Gypsies and several others who have come under the systematic, bureaucratic, and state-sponsored persecution or brutal act that is murder or assassination by the Nazis government along with its associates or crime partners for the duration of World War II (Social Studies School Service  & Dyke, 2005). The teachings and learning of racism and racist values have come under practice since generations, thus, resulted in the extensive abhorrence or enmity towards the Jews, which then emerged into the Holocaust. In other words, it was simply a created misapprehension or confusion and not accepting the different due to the lack of awareness that may even initiate from one racist as well. The Holocaust has come under derivation from the Greek language origin that means, â€Å"Sacrifice by fire†. The era of Holocaust began when Hitler came into governance and his period of dictatorship star ted and ended with the defeat of Nazis that calculates to slightly more than ten years (Social Studies School Service  & Dyke, 2005). ... uch as Roma or Gypsies, the disabled people, few people of Slavic community Poles, Russians, homosexuals and many more also came under their assassination due to their alleged racial inferiority. Political, ideological, and behavioral factors were the widespread reasons of justification for their persecution (Social Studies School Service  & Dyke, 2005). The Final Solution was one of the Nazis policies that killed much more than five million European Jews that included men, women and children as they resided in the countries that Nazi took over or conquered during the World War II. These Jews came under the consideration as the principal target of Nazis racism, although they came under vicious killing with a perception of being threat and risk to Germany. Other people that embrace Gypsies and disabled patients came under assassination according to their Euthanasia program (Social Studies School Service  & Dyke, 2005). The hunger of Nazis and his collaborators did not go away as t hey continued their inhuman acts of killing while the dictatorship of Nazis extended across Europe. They murdered and persecuted few millions of Soviet prisoners of war. Moreover, several thousand Polish people came under deportation to Germany, where they came under compelling to live under dreadful conditions like a forced labor. Homosexuals were also the victims of Nazis government who came under maltreatment if their behaviors were not according to the social norms. Political rivals and religious protesters were also in their list of victims who came under either imprisonment or persecution (Social Studies School Service  & Dyke, 2005). The Holocaust left an indelible imprint on to the entire populace of the world, which still when comes under remembrance, people comes under shock and

Marketing In Harvard Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing In Harvard Style - Essay Example Individuals are exposed to tens of thousands of advertisements in a single day.With all these numerous advertisements being bombarded at a single buyer,marketers craftily design their campaigns in consideration to the consumer's processing of these stimuli in order to make a purchase decision. In doing so, they keep in mind what is called consumer perception or "the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets information inputs to create a meaningful picture of the world" (Kotler 2005). It is irrefutable that each individual processes stimuli differently because of personal differences. Thus, perception varies among individuals who perceive the same thing. This is due to three perceptual processes known as selective attention, selective distortion, and selective retention.Selective attention refers to the ability of the consumers to notice and to be attracted only be advertisements which appeal to them. With all massive amount of advertisement each day, customer s are only captivated by those which are relevant to them. It is found out that the advertisement which catches customers' attention are those stimuli which represents their current need, those which they anticipate, and those whose deviation are large in relation to the normal size of stimuli (Kotler and Armstrong 2001). For example, an ad which features beauty products which inhibits oil production will irrefutably attract one who is searching for one. Likely, if the ad is placed in a health and beauty specialist, the customers are expected to notice. And lastly, bigger discounts are more likely to be taken note of than smaller ones. The next process is called selective distortion which refers to "the tendency of customers to twist information into personal meanings" (Kotler 2005) and interpret them according to their needs. It should be noted that the different background of the consumers enables them to interpret advertisements in their individual ways which is influenced by their social class, employment, and others. Lastly, selective retention refers to the customers' remembering of their selected products' good points while forgetting that of the competitors' products advantages (Lynch 2003). As a marketer, advertisements are usually designed according to their intended market. Companies make advertisements which appeal to a specific target market by using celebrities, colors, and dramatic effects which will likely attract them. Offering huge discounts are also other ways of capturing their attention. However, in selective distortion, there is nothing much that a marketer can do in order to influence buyers. Selective retention is facilitated by repeating the messages that they intend the buyer to learn. The key in advertising still, is the marketers' understanding of customers which will perceive and experience them. Question 2. 1. A reference group "consists of all groups with a direct (face-to face) or indirect effect on all people's attitudes or behaviors" (Kotler 2005). 2. The four types of reference groups include primary groups, secondary groups, aspirational groups, and disassociative groups. Primary groups which are those which have a direct influence on the person because of his continuous and informal interaction with them including his family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. On the other hand, more formal relations which require less continuous interaction like religious groups, trade associations, and professional are called secondary groups. Aspirational groups are those which the individuals aspires to have membership of while disassociative ones represents those which have values or beliefs that a customer finds unacceptable (Kotler and Armstrong 2005). 3. Customers associate themselves with reference groups because of their want to be acceptable to the people within the group, they

Business process management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business process management - Essay Example Finally are investments: getting the maximum return on each investment by certifying that they operate as projected. Process perspective business also tears down walls of the structural aspects of the company and attempt to avoid operating silos. These silos cause each departmental structure to depend solely on its purpose aside from understanding its contribution and value within the organisation. Strategic value of this perspective is from not only the analysing of the existing process, but also learning which areas need improvement. The supporting processes, which are used to achieve goals, are business process improvement. This is the core of process perspectives. Business processes need to be created and instilled to add value and contention to the company, not the inclusion of unnecessary actions. The result of a finely created business process results in value for the consumers through increases in overall effectiveness and lower costs for the business through higher efficacy. Process development is usually seen as an automated process that results in job losses. Even if these are results of process improvements, this is not the ultimate reasoning for it. Process perspective is defined as the interrelated sequential set of actions and responsibilities that turn input into output. The focus of cross-functional and optimal values is the goals of the organisation.

Is justice for all possible in America Research Paper

Is justice for all possible in America - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that for all the legal bodies of the world providing fair and equal justice to all is an ethical and mandatory responsibility; the same holds true for United States of America (USA) as well. The USA follows a federal set up in governance and federalism and dual sovereignty have always remained two mutually conflicting aspects for the United States of America. Though in course of time most of the federal-state conflict attained an agreement on both part, perfection remained a mirage. Within a federal-state set up the state witnessed a declining supremacy, yet the criminal law remained a domain where the state sustained to enjoy the final say. However, Supreme Court kept the states under strict vigilance and often corrected their action in case it deemed necessary. Questions however pierced through the surface that what does fairness actually stands for and what is the true standard for the same. As usual, these couple of questions have also given birth to another; who would be the determining body for fairness. The first amendment and the fourteenth amendment to the USA constitution determine the concept of fairness of justice for the federal and the state government respectively. Historically the USA has remained a multi-ethnic country; from the Red Indians to the Afro-Americans, USA history is all about friction and conflict among people heralding from the different ethnic background. At this background providing justice for all becomes necessary but upholding equality among USA nationals is challenging as well.

Tesco Essay Example for Free

Tesco Essay The Tesco. com site acts as a portal to most of Tescos products, including various non-food ranges (for example, Books, DVDs and Electrical items under the ‘Extra’ banner), Tesco Personal Finance and the telecoms businesses, as well as services offered in partnership with specialist companies, such as dieting clubs, flights and holidays, music downloads, gas, electricity and DVD rentals. Tesco Competitors Tesco currently leads the UK’s other leading grocery retailers in terms of market share. This pattern is repeated online. The compilation below is from Hitwise (2005) and the figures in brackets show market share for traditional offline retail formats from the Taylor Nelson Softres Super panel (see superpanel. tns-global. com) 1. Tesco superstore 27. 28% (29% of retail trade) 2. Asda (13. 36%) 3. Asda @t home 10. 13% (17. 1%) 4. Sainsburys (8. 42%) 5. Tesco wine warehouse, 8. 19% 6. Sainsburys to you 5. 86% (15. 9%) 7. Waitrose. com 3. 42% (3. 6%) 8. Ocado 3. 32% (owned by Waitrose, 3. 6%) 9. Lidl 2. 49% (1. 8%) 10. Aldi-UK 2. 10% (2. 3%) Some companies are repeated since both their main site and the online shopping site are reported on separately. Asda. com now seems to be performing in a consistent manner online to its offline presence. However, Sainsburys online performance seems to be significantly lower compared to its offline performance. Some providers such as Ocado which originally just operated within the London area have a strong local performance. Notably, some of Tesco. com competitors are absent from the Hitwise listing since their strategy has been to focus on retail formats. These are Morrisons (12. 5% retail share, Somerfield (5. 5%) and Co-op (5. 0%). Promotion of service As with other online retailers, Tesco. om relies on in-store advertising and marketing to the supermarkets Clubcard loyalty schemes customer base to persuade customers to shop online. NMA (2005) quotes Nigel Dodd, marketing director at Tesco. com as saying: ‘These are invaluable sources as we have such a strong customer base’. However, for non-food goods the supermarket does advertise online using keyword targeted ads. For existing customers, email marketing and direct mail marketing to provide special offers and promotions to customers is important. According to Humby (2003), e-retailer Tesco. om use what he describes as a ‘commitment-based segmentation’ or ‘loyalty ladder’ which is based on recency of purchase, frequency of purchase and value which is used to identify 6 lifecycle categories which are then further divided to target communications: â€Å"Logged-on†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cautionary†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Developing†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Established†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dedicated†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Logged-off† (the aim here is to winback) Tesco then use automated event-triggered messaging can be created to encourage continued purchase. For example, Tesco. com has a touch strategy which includes a sequence of follow-up communications triggered after different events in the customer lifecycle. In the example given below, communications after event 1 are intended to achieve the objective of converting a web site visitor to action; communications after event 2 are intended to move the customer from a first time purchaser to a regular purchaser and for event 3 to reactivate lapsed purchasers. * Trigger event 1: Customer first registers on site (but does not buy). Auto-response (AR) 1: 2 days after registration e-mail sent offering phone assistance and ? 5 discount off first purchase to encourage trial. * Trigger event 2: Customer first purchases online. AR1: Immediate order confirmationAR2: 5 days after purchase e-mail sent with link to online customer satisfaction survey asking about quality of service from driver and picker (e. g. item quality and substitutions). AR3: Two-weeks after first purchase Direct mail offering tips on how to use service and ? 5 discount on next purchases intended to encourage re-use of online services. AR4: Generic monthly e-newsletter with online exclusive offers encouraging cross-sellingAR5: Bi-weekly alert with personalised offers for customer. AR6: After 2 months ? discount for next shop. AR7: Quarterly mailing of coupons encouraging repeat sales and cross-sales. * Trigger event 3: Customer does not purchase for an extended periodAR1: Dormancy detected – Reactivation e-mail with survey of how the customer is finding the service (to identify any problems) and a ? 5 incentive. AR2: A further discount incentive is used in order to encourage continued usage to shop after the first shop after a break. Tesco’s online product strategy New Media Age (2005) ran a profile of Laura Wade-Gery CEO of Tesco. om since January 2004 which provides an interesting insight into how the business has run. In her first year, total sales were increased 24% to ? 719 million. Laura, is 40 years old, a keen athlete and has followed a varied career developing from a MA in History at Magdalen College, Oxford, an MBA from Insead; Manager and partner in Kleinwort Benson; Manager and senior consultant, Gemini Consulting; Targeted marketing director (Tesco Clubcard), and Group strategy director, Tesco Stores. The growth overseen by Wade-Gery has been achieved thr ough a combination of initiatives. Product range development is one key area. In early 2005, Tesco. com fulfilled 150,000 grocery orders a week but now also offers more intangible offerings, such as e-diets and music downloads. Wade-Gery has also focused on improving the customer experience online – the time it takes for a new customer to complete their first order has been decreased from over an hour to 35 minutes through usability work culminating in a major site revision. To support the business has it diversifies into new areas, Wade-Gery’s strategy was ‘to make home delivery part of the DNA of Tesco’ according to NMA (2005). She continues: ‘What we offer is delivery to your home of a Tesco service – its an obvious extension of the home-delivered groceries concept. ’ My May 2005, Tesco. com had 30,000 customers signed up for DVD rental, through partner Video Island (who run the rival Screenselect service). Over the next year, her target is to treble this total, while also extending home-delivery services to the likes of bulk wine and white goods. Wade-Gery looks to achieve synergy between the range of services offered. For example, its partnership with eDiets can be promoted through the Tesco Clubcard loyalty scheme, with mailings to 10m customers a year. In July 2004, Tesco. com Limited paid ? 2 million for the exclusive licence to eDiets. com in the UK and Ireland under the URLs www. eDietsUK. com and www. eDiets. ie. Through promoting these services through these URLs, Tesco can use the dieting business to grow use of the Tesco. com service and in-store sales. To help keep focus on home retail-delivery, Wade-Gery sold women’s portal iVillage (www. ivillage. co. uk) back to its US owners for an undisclosed sum in March 2004. She explained to NMA: ‘Its a very different sort of product to the other services that were embarking on. In my mind, we stand for providing services and products that you buy, which is slightly different to the world of providing information. ’ The implication is that there was insufficient revenue from ad sales on iVillage and insufficient opportunities to promote Tesco. com sales. However, iVillage was a useful learning experience in that there are some parallels with iVillage, such as message boards and community advisors. Wade-Gery is also director of Tesco Mobile, the joint ‘Pay-As-You-Go’ venture with O2 which is mainly serviced online, although promoted in-store and via direct mail. Tesco also offer broadband and dialup ISP services, but believe the market for Internet telephony (provided through Skype and Vonage for example) is not sufficiently developed. Tesco. com have concentrated on more traditional services which have the demand, for example, Tesco Telecom fixed-line services attracted over a million customers in its first year. However, this is not to say, that Tesco. com will not invest in relatively new services. In November 2004, Tescos introduced a music download service and just six months later, she estimates they have around 10% market share – one of the benefits of launching relatively early. Again, there is synergy, this time with hardware sales. NMA (2005) reported that as MP3 players were unwrapped, sales went up – even on Christmas Day! She says: ‘The exciting thing about digital is where can you take it in the future. As the technology grows, well be able to turn Tesco. com into a digital download store of all sorts, rather than just music. Clearly, film [through video on demand] would be next. ’ But it has to be based firmly on analysis of customer demand. She says : ‘The number one thing for us is whether the product is something that customers are saying they want, has it reached a point where mass-market customers are interested? ’ There also has to be scope for simplification. NMA (2005) notes that Tesco is built on a core premise of convenience and value and Wade-Gery believes what its already done with mobile tariffs, broadband packages and music downloads are good examples of the retailers knack for streamlining propositions. She says: ‘Weve actually managed to get people joining broadband who have never even had a dial-up service’

Testing the Materials and its Importance Essay Example for Free

Testing the Materials and its Importance Essay The history of the development of protective gears worn by fire fighters would not be complete without the discussion of the most important aspect involved in the production, creation and standardization of the â€Å"safe† and â€Å"effective† fire protection gear and clothing for fire figthers. â€Å"A number of standards organizations have tests for the performance of thermal protective clothing when it is new, however there is currently no standard for the continuing performance of this gear (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † This is important because brand new equipment, gear and clothing should provide optimum capability for whatever purpose it was designed for. It is quite dangerous, however, that these gears are not subjected to more tests as they age after numerous use, which forces fire fighting organizations to either purchase new fire protective gears after a particular period of time or when they believe that the equipment has already surpassed its usability and efficiency. While some organizations who do not have ample funding from government may opt to make do with what they have even if there gears and protective clothing is in a state of questionable efficiency and usability. This situation may also prove to be a catalyst for the important change in the history of protective gear and clothing used in fire fighting, especially if this particular discrepancy is acted upon with new policies that address the problem of efficiency and reliability of old and used protective gear and clothing. â€Å"As performance of this clothing can deteriorate over its useful lifetime, there is a need to develop methods to determine when fire departments should retire their gear (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † But the presence of tests and examinations nonetheless are important points in the manufacturing and use of fire fighting clothing and gears. These examinations and quality tests through the years have become an important aspect in the creation of fire protection clothing and gear. This action guarantees fire fighters and fire officials that what the government regulates its fire fighters to wear are actually proven safe and effective and will contribute to the safety assurance of the lives of the fire figthers during fire fighting operations. These examinations test different protective gears and clothing, submit it to real, brutal and worse case scenario situations to see how it responds and how it affects the person wearing it, at the same time allowing the investigators to see the areas of improvement for these particular fire protection clothing and gear. Without these examinations and measures designed to regulate the design and use of fire protection gears and clothing, fire fighters do not know for sure if what they are wearing and what they are using can actually help them. â€Å"The National Fire Protection Association has published the NFPA Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting which specifies construction and minimum performance requirements for structural fire fighting gear. The standard references a number of ASTM fabric tests for use in the specification of new gear elements (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † What is more dangerous is that fire fighters maybe led into a false hope of safety that they are unknowingly putting themselves in harm’s way with the odds heavily stacked against them because they are not as well protected as they thought they were.

Cultural Differences Between Russia And Japan

Cultural Differences Between Russia And Japan Russia, being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, is a Mecca for international business relations. People who are looking to break into a new business or attempting to grow their European presence enjoy their success by the development of new Russian clients and partners. Meeting Etiquette Russians value patience and appreciate time to debate, consider and digest negotiations. Trying to impose a decision through high-pressure talk will only make you appear impatient, rude and incapable of professional business interactions. Although it is acceptable for your Russian colleagues to be late to business meetings, but, as a foreigner, you are expected to arrive on time. Also, dont let your late Russian colleagues to apologize for their tardiness, as their behavior is considered to be a test of your patience. If your business meeting is focused on technical topics, be sure to bring technical experts and a Russian interpreter. Your Russian colleagues will expect a thorough presentation of the history and/or precedents associated with your topic. Bringing experts establishes your credibility, foresight and general expertise. Although most Russians speak English, be sure to have a Russian translation of your business card on its flipside, as this indicates your enthusiasm for doing business with your Russian colleagues. Greeting Etiquettes Initial greetings may come across as cool. Do not expect friendly smiles. A handshake is always appropriate when greeting or leaving, regardless of the relationship. Remove your gloves before shaking hands. Dress Codes Business dress is formal and conservative. Wearing very light or bright colors might make you appear lazy or unreliable to a Russian. MEN: They should wear business suits. WOMEN: They should wear subdued colored business suits with skirts that cover the knees. Shoes should be highly polished. Body Language Russians are very demonstrative people, and public physical contact is common. Hugs, backslapping, kisses on the cheeks and other expansive gestures are common among friends or acquaintances and between members of the same sex. Russians stand close while talking. Putting your thumb through index or middle fingers or making the OK sign are considered very rude gestures in Russia. Corporate Culture Russians appreciate punctuality. Business meetings generally begin on time. Business cards are handed out liberally in Russia and are always exchanged at business meetings. The ceremony of presenting and receiving business cards is important. Do not treat it lightly. Hand your business card so the Russian side is readable to the recipient. Representatives of the Russian company or government body are usually seated on one side of a table at meetings with guests on the other side. Your company should be represented by a specialized team of experts. Presentations should be thoroughly prepared, detailed, factual and short on salesmanship. Russians find it difficult to admit mistakes, especially publicly. They also find it difficult to risk offending someone by making requests or assertions. Trying to do business in Russia over the telephone is generally ineffective. The Russian telecommunications system is inadequate, but improving quickly. The telex is widely used. Personal relationships play a crucial role in Russian business. Business negotiations in Russia are lengthy and may test your patience. Plan to be in for a long haul. No contract is final until a contract has been signed. Gifts A small business gift is always appropriate, but its value should correspond to the rank of the Russian businessperson with whom you are meeting. As a general rule, do not give items that are now easily obtainable in Russia. Bring a gift for the hostess when visiting a Russian home. A small gift for a Russian child is always appropriate. Dining Etiquettes The business breakfast is not a part of Russian business culture. Business dining is getting more and more popular. It is generally taken as the time for selling a deal. The center seats are reserved for the most senior officials. Begin eating only after somebody says a toast. Toasting is a very important part of dining. Russians use a continental style of holding the utensils, i.e., the fork is held in the left hand and the knife is held in the right hand while eating. If you are unsure of which utensil to use, start from the outside. Do not turn down offers of food or drink. Given Russian hospitality, this can be difficult, but to decline such offers is considered to be rude. If you are invited for the dinner, do not make other plans for later in the evening. You are expected to spend some time socializing after the meal. After a toast, most Russians like to clink their glasses together. Do not do so if you are drinking something non-alcoholic. Do not get up until you are invited to leave the table. At formal dinners, the guest of honor is the first to get up from the table. Do not begin eating until the host invites you to start. In order to understand the differences between two countries, we need to know what is cross cultural communication. Cross Cultural Communication Cross cultural communication, which is also known as Inter-personal communication, is a field of study that looks upon how people from different cultural backgrounds communicate with each other, and how they endeavor to communicate across the cultures. With the process of globalization increasing day-by-day, especially the increasing global trade, it is very obvious that different cultures will conflict and blend together. People from different cultures find it very hard to communicate not only due to the language barriers but are also affected by the cultural styles. Effective communication between people of different cultures is a very challenging task. The same words can mean different things to different people from different cultures, even when they talk in the same language. Cross cultural communication is a combination of many other fields, like, anthropology, cultural studies, psychology and communication. Its basic responsibility is to produce some guidelines with which people from different cultures can communicate in a better way with each other. Cross cultural communication is based upon the knowledge of certain factors which are as follows: Decision-making practices Cultural values, perception, manners and social structure of the other country Understanding of how members of the group communicate, i.e., verbally, non-verbally, in person, in writing etc. Business Culture of Japan Japanese are highly structured and traditional people. Great importance is given to loyalty, politeness, personal responsibility and on everyone working together for the good of the larger group. Education, ambition, hard work, patience and determination are held in the highest regard. When you are doing business in Japan, make sure that you are not insulting any rule of Japanese culture, if you want your business deal to be successful. Meeting Etiquettes Business meetings in Japan are conducted very formally and they are generally needed to be scheduled in advance. Before everyone takes his/her seat, it is an essential on part of Japanese business to exchange their business cards. Business cards should be printed in a way such that one side is in Japanese and one side in the language of the card holders home country. It is best interest to offer business cards with both hands as this denotes greater respect. Greeting Etiquettes A handshake is appropriate at the time of meeting. The Japanese handshake is always limp with little or no eye contact. Some Japanese bow as well as shake hands. The bow is a greeting used to show respect and is appreciated by the Japanese. A slight bow is acceptable to show courtesy. Dress Codes Dressing is modern and conservative. The Japanese dress well every time. Japanese culture says that one should dress smartly for parties, even if the invitation says Casual or Come as you are. MEN: They should wear dark suits and ties for business. WOMEN: They should wear formal dresses, suits and shoes with heals. Subtle colors and conservative styles are best for women in business. Body Language Nodding is very important in Japanese culture. When Japanese is speaking, especially in English, nodding shows that you are listening and understanding the speaker. Silence is a natural and expected form of non-verbal communication in Japanese culture. Do not feel a need to chatter. Do not stand very close to a Japanese person. Avoid touching a Japanese. Prolonged eye contact or staring is considered to be rude. Do not show affection, such as hugging or shoulder slapping, in public. It is considered insulting by the Japanese. Sit erect with both your feet on the floor. Never sit with crossed legs. Corporate Culture Be punctual for all business and social meetings. If one has any degree of knowledge of Japanese culture, it is greatly appreciated. Japanese exchange business cards even before they shake hands or bow. Make sure that your business card clearly states your position. This will determine who your negotiating counterpart shall be. Keep in mind that the initial negotiations should begin with middle line managers. Do not attempt to go over to senior management. It is considered acceptable to use a Japanese company interpreter in the first meeting. Once negotiations begin, you can hire your own interpreter. Work is always undertaken in a group. The workgroup is strongly united without any competition; either all will succeed or all will fail. Decision-making is done by the whole group. Every person in the group must be consulted before making any decision. This is a very slow process. It takes several meetings in the development of a contract. Whenever the time arrives, close the deal with a handshake. Leave the signing part of the written contract on the later meetings. Always remember not to bring a lawyer. It is important to build business relations that are based on trust. The Japanese do not like complicated legal documents. Written contracts should cover essential points. Gifts The value of the gift does not matter. Instead ritual of gift giving is more important. Allow your Japanese counterpart to begin the gift giving ceremony. Present a gift in a modest fashion, like by saying, This is just a small token, or This is an insignificant gift. It is very important to give and receive a gift properly. Give and receive a gift with both the hands along with a slight bow. The Japanese may refuse a gift once or twice before accepting it. Do not give a gift to anyone unless you have one for everyone present in the meeting. Correct wrapping of the gift is very important. Appearance counts more than the contents. Always be prepared to give and receive a gift at the very first business meeting. Gifts are often given at the end of the first meeting. If you are not giving a proper gift there is a chance of ruining the business relationship. Dining Etiquettes Dining habits in a restaurant are crucial to business. A person is judged by his/her behavior during and after business hours. No business deal is completed without dinner in a restaurant. Drinking is considered to be a group activity. Do not say no when you are being offered a drink. An empty glass signifies that you are asking for another drink. Keep your glass at least half full if you do not want more drink. If a Japanese person initiates to pour more and you do not want it, put your hand over the glass, or fill it with water if required. Similarly, an empty plate signals a desire for more food. Leave a little food on your plate after you have finished eating. Toasting is a very important custom in Japan and many toasts are offered during the course of an evening. At dinner, wait for the toast before you start drinking. Respond to each toast with a toast. Wait for the honored guest before you begin eating. If you are the honored guest, wait until all the food is kept on the table and everyone is ready before you start eating. Business Cultural Differences between Russia and Japan In Japan, a person is always greeted with a bow, which expresses high respect, gratitude, sometimes sympathy or an apology. It is an integral part of Japanese culture. But in Russia, a person is greeted with a mere handshake. Handshakes are firm, confident and brief with proper eye contact in Russian culture but in Japanese culture, handshakes are limp with little or no eye contact. In Russia, tapping on the back is considered to be an expression of friendship or motivation but in Japanese business culture touching or back slapping is avoided. Silence is usually avoided in Russian business or social meetings but in Japan it is an expected form of non-verbal communication. In Russian work culture, it is necessary to maintain an eye contact with the person whom you are talking with or greeting but in Japanese business culture prolonged eye contact is considered as rude. In Russia, gift is given according to the rank of the person to whom the gift is being given, but in Japan, the value of the gift doesnt matter. Instead, gift giving is more important. The problems that are discussed above are some of the cross-cultural problems that a person working in Russia would face after going to Japan and working over there. Ways to overcome the cross-cultural problems Though bowing while greeting is vital in Japan but as a Russian, one is not expected to bow. The thing that is more important is to show respect and gratitude, it can be either with a handshake or a bow. It is important to use full name followed by the companys name at the time of introduction. Always use proper titles when addressing someone. Exchanging business cards is seen to represent the individual. So make sure to keep ample cards with you, with one side printed in Japanese. Always offer the card with both the hands with Japanese side up. Communication is the main problem in cross cultural businesses. Always explain and clarify the meaning of what you are saying to maintain harmony and miscommunication. Try to learn the culture and customs of the country in which you have to reside now. It is important to have a smooth and efficient life as you have to work in that country now, with the country men, so it is for your benefit. The above discussion clearly explains that cross cultural differences will be faced by every person who changes his/her country either for work or some other purpose. In order to overcome the problems that arise due to cross cultural differences, it is very important for the person to understand the culture of the country he/she is shifting to. It is necessary for the person to adopt the new culture as soon as possible to avoid miscommunication with the local residents of that country.

A Comparison Between Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby and Veblens The Theory

Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby and Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The American Dream is real; Americans are able to rise out of poverty and into leisurely lifestyles with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Thorstein Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class both address issues of status and wealth that arise from peoples' pursuits of the American Dream. But the authors differ in their beliefs about the nature and motives of peoples' pursuits of wealth. To begin with, Fitzgerald disagrees with Veblen's notion of pecuniary emulation as being intrinsic behavior (a goal in and of itself). He does this by conveying that Gatsby's flamboyant lifestyle is as extravagant as it is only because it is goal-driven (Gatsby wants to get Daisy's attention). Fitzgerald's ideas about the consequences of "conspicuous leisure" and "conspicuous consumption" are no less critical of Veblen's theory. Fitzgerald conveys that those who engage in pecuniary emulation invite superficiality into their social lives an d relationships-a consequence which Veblen fails to even consider. Furthermore, Fitzgerald disagrees with Veblen's belief that pecuniary emulation is consuming (it demands one's focus) by subjecting characters such as Gatsby and Nick to different levels of non-consuming materialism. Fitzgerald believes that the pursuit of wealth for the purpose of invidious distinction is not what Veblen claims it is--that is, that the pursuit is neither intrinsic, fulfilling, nor necessarily consuming.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fitzgerald sees pecuniary emulation as voluntary, non-intrinsic human behavior. In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Veblen writes that wealth "... ...burse and use money-probably because he was a multimillionaire. Because of the biases inherent to the discussion of wealth, one must consider all of society's sentiments in order to obtain a comprehensive basis from which meaningful discourse can spring. Resources such as The Great Gatsby and Theory of the Leisure Class allow that ideal basis to become ever more tangible.    Works Cited and Consulted: Fitzgerald, F. Scott.   The Great Gatsby.   Simon and Schuster Inc., New York: 1991. Hobsbawm, Eric. The Age of Extremes. New York: Pantheon, 1994. Mizener, Arthur, ed. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1963. Raleigh, John Henry. "F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." Mizener 99-103. Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class (New York and London: Macmillan, 1899   

Platos Forms Essay -- essays research papers

I. Introduction Purpose I intend to show the validity of Plato's arguments about his theory of Forms. Aristotle, along with others, cross-examines Plato's proposals. Yet, I happen to see the potential of his point of view and would like to take a deeper look into his theory. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the theory of Plato's Forms from his perspective and that of several others, including Aristotle. Topics The topics in which I will mainly focus on will be Forms as universals, Forms as separate entities (substances), Universe as two realities, and Forms as final causes. For the most part, the topics are interwoven together yet I will try to separate them in such a fashion as to provide sufficient arguments for each main topic. II. "In View of Plato's Theory of Forms" Topic #1: Forms as Universals "The essence of [Plato's] theory of Ideas (Forms) lay in the conscious recognition of the fact that there is a class of entities, for which the best name is probably "universal," that are entirely different from sensible things" (Allen 18). Plato's theory of Forms assumed that Forms are universal and exist as substances. Aristotle firmly disagrees with the idea of Forms being universals. In Scaltsas' Substances and Universals in Aristotle's Metaphysics, he defines universals as being "the object of understanding and thought, the object of knowledge, and indeed of scientific knowledge†¦" (33). Plato's first argument for his idea that Forms are universals uses mathematics and the sciences to explain his theory. According to Plato, science is the 'body of universal and necessary truths' (Jones 125). Jones also pointed out Plato's view that since math is a science, 'there must be forms to be the objects of mathematical knowledge.' "Nothing other than eternal, unchanging forms can qualify to be the objects of scientific knowledge." (Jones 125) Plato also described mathematical objects as being universals and separate substances (Cherniss 180). In Nicholas Denyer's article titled "Plato's Theory of Stuffs" he claims that Plato's argument on Forms, as universals, is valid. He believe... ...elements. Plato's arguments did have some value though but in order for them to stand with the highest merit, they should be revised and refined. There is much relevance for Plato's theory of Forms in today's society. Forms were a way in which Plato defined reality and they can still be used in order for others to find a reality for themselves. In looking at Plato's view, as well as others, it has helped me to see more clearly my concept of reality and the final causes in which I strive for. Forms exist still today; for example, Justice, Beauty, Equality, Truth, and Goodness. Even though people may not realize it, they are searching for final causes, or Forms. "It is easy to understand why and how the Forms are the ultimate objects of human striving. Since they are unchanging and pure, the Forms provide a type of satisfaction that is unavailable from any other source. Not only are we unable to completely possess them, which fires our desire, but also they endure, unlike lesser things that ultimately fall into nonbeing" (Teloh 134).

My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay examples -- Educational Educ

Philosophy of Education Becoming a teacher is going to be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. Teaching was never a childhood dream for me like it was with others. Some people have always known that they wanted to become some type of teacher, but I never decided to until I entered college. I’ve always loved being around children and it makes me feel great to be able to help someone, so becoming a teacher is the perfect career choice for me. I believe that the true nature of most students is that they like school and they want to learn. I also believe that the school and the teachers greatly influence their nature over the course of their schooling. I believe that this true nature changes for a lot of students because at some point they go to a school that they don’t like or they have a teacher who is mean to them and expects them to do everything on their own without any guidance or help. I’ve had teachers like his and they made me dislike school very quickly. Hopefully, if this is the case, they will eventually have a great teacher that inspires them to do well and to like school once again. I want to be that teacher. In my opinion, the nature of knowledge is relative or constructed. Every person has their own set of opinions and beliefs that determine what that person perceives as the truth. Most people believe that their ideas, opinions, and beliefs of something are the truth to them. It’s my belief that the overall purpose of education is to improve society as a whole. Everyone should be given an equal opportunity to learn as they mature. I believe that the more educated a person is then the more likely they can become successful. A society full of successful people will be a successful society. Educat... ...ts will quickly lose interest. My professional development plan is to begin my career by substitute teaching after graduation. I do not want to relocate far from my current residence but I’m not completely opposed to it if the right opportunity presents itself. I will continue to substitute until I can find a full-time position. I do want to return to school to get a master’s degree after I have received some experience in the field or I am able to secure a full-time teaching position. There are a lot of different professional groups to join in the fields of physical education, health education, and teacher education. At this time I have not decided on which groups I will join in the future but I do plan to be active in a few of them. I also plan to be very active in the community that I will be teaching in. I feel that this is very important for all teachers.

Oryx and Crake Essay

Throughout the book we learn through flashbacks that Snowman was once jimmy, a young boy who was very different from Snowman. He was changed into the extremely depressed, negative, and socially lacking individual by certain hardships that occurred over his life time. He was abandoned by his parents, Lacked a social life, and his skills were grossly over looked in his society. All making Jimmy feel worthless and pointless spiraling him into the extreme state of depression that currently overtakes him as Snowman. All throughout Jimmy’s childhood there was an extreme lack of affection displayed. He eventually became completely abandoned by his mother and father. His mother with her running away and his father with marring Ramona and attempting to start a new family without him leaving him feeling alone and unwanted. â€Å"Things had changed a lot in the field since Jimmy came along! (came along, as if he hadn’t actually been born, but had just sort of dropped by for a visit. )† (302). Showing that Jimmy feels as though he is not wanted by his father and Ramona like he is not a part of their family at all. This caused Jimmy to avoid any time spent with his father and Ramona. Ramona invited Jimmy for the holidays, but he had no wish to go, so he pleaded overwork† (303). Since Jimmy did not feel as though he was wanted as part of their family he did not join them for normal family events. This caused Jimmy to miss out something everyone else had, a family. Jimmy has not ever really had a healthy social life. Apart from the women he slept with, he had not made friends other the Crake. This had a huge impact on Jimmy’s life, because Crake was away at another school and Jimmy was left to be by himself, causing Jimmy to become extremely lonely. He might go to the movie at the mall, just to convince himself he was part of a group of other people. † (307). When Jimmy worked at Anoo Yoo he did not make a single friend, he spent out his days alone only finding company over the internet or by pretend. He felt completely left out from all of his peers, like an outsider. â€Å"So this was the rest of his life. It felt like a party to which he’d been invited, but an address he couldn’t actually locate. Someone must be having fun at it, this life of his; only, right at the moment, it wasn’t him. † (305). Jimmy’s lack of social life and people skills caused him severe loneliness and depression. The society Jimmy lived in was completely focused on science, leaving no need for any other focuses. Because Jimmy’s talent was not with science but with words, it left his skill greatly underappreciated. He did not feel as though his skill was useful for anything important anymore. â€Å"He should have been pleased by his success with these verbal fabrications, but instead he was depressed by it. The memos that came from above telling him he’d done a good job meant nothing to him because they’d been dictated by semi-literates; all they proved was that no one at Anoo Yoo was capable of appreciating how clever he had been. (301). Although Jimmy was being praised he did not feel as he was being utilized properly, he felt as though he could do more. Overall making him feel useful and underappreciated. Overall Snowman’s personality is not without reason. He was never taught how to love by his parents, causing him to be incapable of a normal relationship with a woman. His lack of social life caused him to put himself down and make himself feel unwanted. He was never fully accepted for his talents even by his parents, because of the focus society had on science. Causing himself hatred, depression and loneliness.

Implementation of Death Penalty in the Philippines

The Philippines is a religion-based country. Filipinos are broad-minded most especially in distinguishing what is right and what is wrong. Their philosophy is centrally base in â€Å"The Bible† with accordance to their religion. But, the government is greatly alarmed because of the continuous rise of the crime rate in the country. This issue became a reason for reinstating Death Penalty as a law in the Justice system of the Philippines. According to one of the sites made by Pearson, the world's largest integrated education, Death Penalty is the infliction of death upon a person by udicial process as a punishment for an offence.Nearly 60 countries are still implementing Death Penalty. Some of these are China, United States, North and South Korea and China. On the other hand, 137 countries, including Philippines, have outlawed Death Penalty. The Philippine Government had made a lot of hearings to discuss whether Death Penalty should be reinstated or not. Theoretical politicians wanted to revive Death Penalty in the Philippine Justice system for they think it would decrease the number of crimes in the country.Philosophical politicians and the Church firmly do not want to return Death Penalty as a law here in the country. Death Penalty as a law in the Philippine Justice System for we a religion oriented and â€Å"The Bible† told us that killing other people is immoral. A death penalty is the sentence of execution for murder and some other capital crimes (serious crimes, especially murder, which are punishable by death). The death penalty, or capital punishment, may be prescribed by Congress or any state legislature for murder and other capital crimes.The Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is not a per se violation of the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Furthermore, the Sixth Amendment does not require a Jury trial in capital crime cases. On 15 April 2006, the sentences of 1 ,230 death row inmates were commuted to li fe imprisonment, in what Amnesty International believes to be the â€Å"largest ever commutation of death sentences† Capital punishment was again suspended via Republic Act No. 9346, which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 24 June 2006.The bill followed a vote held in Congress earlier that month which overwhelmingly supported the abolition of the practice. The penalties of imprisonment and reclusion perpetua (indeterminate sentence, 30-year minimum) replaced the death penalty. Critics of Arroyo's initiative called it a political move meant to placate the Roman Catholic Church, some sectors of which were increasingly vocal in their opposition to her rule. Implementation of Death Penalty in the Philippines By Jokolateee

Internal Analysis

06 Internal Analysis In this part, the report will briefly illustrate the result from analysing the internal environment of CEMEX by supply chain analysis and resources and competences framework and VRIO model. 6. 1 Value Chain Analysis Activities| Resources| Competencies|PrimaryActivities| Supply chain management| | * Good relationships with products suppliers and transportation companies| | Operations| – Internal design| – Import products from Vietnam| | Distribution| – Indirectly: wholesalers, retailers – Stylist packaging| * Knowledgeable salespersons| | Sales and marketing| – Advertising campaigns focus mainly on B2B websites and trade fair| – Effective marketing strategy to differentiate from competitors | | Service| Good relationships with suppliers of different products in Vietnam. Support team for developing new products and help wholesalers to finding new suppliers for other products in Vietnam, India†¦| SupportActivities| Prod uct R&D, Technology and system development| – Market Research and developing new design. | – Rights to copyrights and patents of weaving and designs of carpets/rugs| | Human Resources Management| – 10 employees| * Excellent executive team * Highly skilled employees | | | | |According to threshold/distinctive resources and competencies framework, the defined resources and competencies can be categorized as following: Threshold resources – Distribution system – Opponents’ suppliers – Internal design – Research and development team Threshold resources – Distribution system – Opponents’ suppliers – Internal design – Research and development team Threshold competences * Knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, especially salespersons – Effective and trusted wholesalers/importers Threshold competences Knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, especially salespersons – Effective and trusted wh olesalers/importers Distinctive resources – Excellent managing team – Sale and marketing team – Strong cash position Distinctive resources – Excellent managing team – Sale and marketing team – Strong cash position Distinctive competences – Strong brand name – Customer loyalty – Good quality and competitive price products Distinctive competences – Strong brand name – Customer loyalty – Good quality and competitive price products . 2 VRIO Framework Resource/ competency| Valuable? | Rare? | Difficult to imitate? | Exploitable? | Competitive implication| Excellent managing team| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Sustained competitive advantage| Distribution system to wholesalers/retailers| Yes| No| No| Yes| Competitive Parity| Brand/name| Yes| Yes| No| Yes| Temporary competitive advantage| Sales and marketing team| Yes| Yes| No | Yes| Temporary competitive advantage| Customer loyalty| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Sustained com petitive advantage|

Edward Scissor Hands Essay

Edward Scissor Hands (1990) by Tim Burton, is a romantic fantasy film centred upon a character, Edward (Johnny Depp), an uncommonly gentleman who is in fact an unfinished creation equipped with scissors for hands. Edward is taken in a by a suburban family (the Boggs) and quickly falls in love with the daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). To begin with Edward’s love for Kim is unrequited however as the film progresses we see Kim slowly fall for Edward and their love becomes mutual. Regrettably with Edward being a slightly different and more unusual character, it makes it hard for the two to love each other in solace. A sequence in the film that accurately communicates the difficult relationship between the two is when Edward and Kim share an intimate moment alone while the Boggs family is out searching for Edward. This scenario we witness is different from the typical romance depicted in today’s society and we, as the audience are able to see the awkward love shared between the two characters. I will analyse this sequence through its mise-en-scene, cinematography, narrative, sound, and music and discuss how these concepts help reveal the key ideas of appearance vs. reality as well as Edwards wish to conform to society, focusing particularly on Edward and Kim’s problematic love for one another. This sequence begins just after Kim’s boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) verbally attacks Edward calling him a freak and telling him to leave. Edward leaves the Boggs house angrily wandering the neighbourhood until he finds himself sitting alone on the side of the street. A combination of mise-en-scene concepts, lighting and costume are used to portray the director’s intentions. It is late at night and the lighting of this scene is dark and brooding, creating an atmosphere that works well with the feelings of despair and loneliness that Edward is experiencing. Edwards’s costume, which comprises of a full black attire fits well with the setting also as it exactly reflects his mood, this is because we can associate the colour black with sadness and solitude. It seems natural for Edward to be alone as at the beginning of the film we are shown his home, a decrepit gothic castle, situated on the top of the hill far from the rest of the town. Edwards home is cold, dark and uninviting and he lives by himself alluding to the fact that he fits comfortably into this environment where he sits on the pavement also alone. A wide-angle camera shot is used to emphasise Edwards’s loneliness, as we are able to see his surroundings, which reveals only him against the background of an American suburban house, it’s not long before a dog comes and sits next to Edward. Seeing that his fur has over grown his eyes, Edward snips it away so the dog is able to see. Having hands as scissors makes it hard for Edward to do everyday activities such as dressing and using eating utensils. He is constantly impaired and he himself considers his hands as a defect or abnormality. (Sampson). In this scene where he is reflected in a lonely and gloomy space, he easily fits with the setting, making his scissor hands appear less of a physical disability. His actions towards the dog come across as a normal habit for him and we can understand this because he is by himself and not being compared to the other people of the suburban town who are depicted as normal. This brings about the idea of conformity to society, which is a powerful idea uncovered in the film. The townsfolk who although adored Edward at the beginning of the film now somewhat resent him, and this shot that shows Edward alone, simply emphasises his obvious unfitting place in the suburban society. Edward smiles at his work; happy he is able to be in some way useful. However his happiness is cut short when two bright white lights are seen coming round the corner. A swift and quick succession of music begins to play, a repetition, which mimics close to that of a heart beat as the police car approaches round the corner. The sound accurately communicates a certain amount of fear, which we know Edward is experiencing since the police are searching for him and the viewer is able to empathise with Edward. Seeing the vehicle and recognising its significance Edward quickly rises and briskly leaves the pavement and the dog. This shot quickly transitions to Edward arriving outside the Boggs’s house, and we see him looking into the window. The inside of the house is displayed as warm and inviting, with soft lighting. It reflects the life of the Boggs, which is happy, warm and full of love. It contrasts greatly with the outside environment, which is dark, low-spirited and similar to that of Edwards’s life. With him being on the outside of the house we can understand that this mirrors his exact position in society. He constantly feels out of place in this new suburban civilisation that the Boggs family has brought him into. He looks into the house through the window, he puts a hand against the wall. We as the viewers can read this as almost a longing grasp at the life he wishes he could permanently belong to. This again hints at the idea of conforming to society as it portrays Edwards’s desperation to be accepted. Edward unlocks the door with his scissors and walks into what he thinks is an empty house before Kim comes from behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. Repetitive over the shoulder shots are used to illustrate the two talking to one another and shows where they are in relation to each other. Kim is exposed in a long white dress and illuminated against the background of small brightly lit lanterns and Christmas lights. Her attire suggests innocence and purity, depicting that of an angel. This is how Edward sees Kim in comparison to himself. This image of Kim as an angel is further emphasised when we think back to the ice sculpture that Edward created on the night of the Christmas party, which too was also an angel. The warm lighting behind Kim further explains her as someone with a happy life full of love. Edward in contrast is presented against a dark background, alluding to his difficult and lonely life, which brings many struggles. Still in his black attire, when contrasted with Kim’s white dress, simply emphasises how different their two worlds are and the difficulty of combining the two. This is further made obvious when Kim asks Edward to hold her. Her voice is full of longing and we straightaway can see the obvious love that she holds for Edward. The fact that she at first asks Edward rather than taking her own initiation suggests she is aware of the danger Edwards hands pose but she is not afraid of him. To begin with he tries, bringing his scissor hands up around her head, the desperation for him to hold her is obvious as his scissors twitch around Kim trying to find a way to embrace her. At the same time we see that as Kim gets closer, Edward has a paralysing fear in his eyes. This same fear is reciprocated in his eyes when Peg (Dianne Wiest), Kim’s mother, first applies makeup to his face after she brings Edward back to their family home. It is here that we are able to identify with the idea of appearance vs. reality. Edward is revealed as a monster simply by the costume he wears and having scissors as hands. His appearance shows a lack of humanity however the reality of Edward is in fact that he posses many characteristics associated with any normal human being. Although Edward wants to accept Pegg’s warmth and affection, he is afraid because it is not something he has grown up with. He has lived alone basically his whole life and the thought of being appreciated by someone is something he fears although at the same time craves. His scissors actively impair him from being close to a person romantically, which is why it is hard not to assume Edward is a monster. We can understand that Edward is afraid of adult emotions such as love, due to his solitary upbringing, and so finds it hard to demonstrate these feelings. This is perhaps lessened when we think back to the ice sculptures Edward creates as mentioned earlier, and can understand that these are perhaps an attempt to show his unfathomable fondness for Kim. Although he cannot connect with Kim on an emotional level, he can still make his affection known to her through an outward display of it. In turn because Edward cannot touch Kim directly without hurting her but he can â€Å"touch† her through the snow that falls upon her. (Sampson) This just shows how Edward does not and never will fit into normal society, no mater how hard he try’s they will not accept him. The audience can sympathise with the fact that his appearance communicates the opposite of his true compassionate nature. Although he is not fully human he does posses most characteristics. In saying this, Edwards exclusion from society means that Edward and Kim’s worlds are just to opposite to unify. Seeing the evident danger and impossibility of him safely embracing Kim in his arms Edward eventually replies, â€Å"I cant.† Edward walks away from Kim, obviously dis heartened at the impossibility of the two ever being able to love one another like a normal couple. He stands at the window and looks out into the darkness. It is obvious that Edward is milling over the fact that there love will never work and by his looking out the window into the familiar darkness, he knows that their worlds are too separate and out there is where he belongs. A melodic and gradual ascending piece of music plays in the background; it has a sad tone to it allowing the viewer to empathise with the impeded love the two share. The ascent of the piece comes to a climax when Kim makes her way over to Edward, unfolds his arms and lays herself upon his chest. It is this moment here that the viewer builds hope for the possibility of the two working out. By Kim finding a way for Edward to hold her we can appreciate that they have found a way to love. This scene just emphasises the reality of Edwards’s character and his ability to love. The music piece climaxes with a tone that produces a sense of liberation and joy. A zoom is used to move into a close up of Edwards face as his head rests on top of Kim’s and we can see that finally he feels some sort of peace. The two hold one another and the viewer is able to feel a sense of optimism that they will be able to be together. Not only this but the close up allows us to see the many scars on Edwards face. We can understand that this scarring could represent the emotional scarring of Edwards several failed attempts to meet the expectations of the social society. (Sampson) Because he is such an outcast it is a lot more difficult to manipulate social situations, meaning he struggles to conform and this is the crux of why Kim and him are unable to work as we hoped. Through the collaboration of mise-en-scene and all the film conventions I have described that were used in this sequence, the viewer is easily able to understand the difficult yet reciprocated love between Edward and Kim. From the start of the sequence where we see Edward sitting alone on the pavement we can sympathise with his guiltless nature explored as he only wishes to be a normal human. We see him help the dog out by trimming his hair and this further shows that Edward means no harm by anyone. Edwards return to Kim’s house demonstrates the infatuation he holds for Kim and his desperate attempt to see her. We witness Kim ask Edward to hold her and see his difficult yet extremely desired attempt to express his love to her through embracing. He fails to do this and the sequence ends with Kim taking it upon herself to fold herself into Edwards’s arms. From this very short yet significantly important sequence the viewer is able to see the difficult love shared between the two characters. The sequence exposes the obvious social barriers that prevent the two from loving in peace and the viewers find themselves empathising for Edwards’s desperate attempts to fit into society and be with his true love Kim Boggs. We witness Edwards’s compassionate and caring side that lies behind his gothic appearance, allowing the viewer to read into the idea of a ppearance vs. reality. Bibliography: Sampson, Cory. Tim Burton Collective. 12 September 2013 . Filmography: Edward Scissorhands. Dir. Tim Burton. 20th Century Fox, 1990.

AS Level Sociology - Culture and Identity Families and Households Essay

AS Level Sociology - Culture and Identity Families and Households Wealth, Poverty and Welfare - Essay Example However the connection of income to consumption is not wholly simple. The lower class will use up greater fractions of their income on needs and the elite on wants, but the lower class also give excessively to charitable and religious groups (Haworth 2004). The equivalent of the overwhelming selection of products and services introduced in the late twentieth century is the condition that for a significant percentage of consumers some part of their spending is ‘discretionary’ (Haworth 2004). This discretion entails not only brand preferences, or one clothing style or form of diet or residential architecture rather than another. It reaches the entire notion of ‘lifestyle’ (Haworth 2004). Several families will be penny-wise and prudent, saving for their future; others will adopt a lifestyle that exceeds their means. Several families will continue buying things such as summer homes, home workshops, automobiles, and swimming pools—and other will buy experi ences such as participation in sports, concerts, plays, or operas. Veblen’s notion of ‘conspicuous consumption’ is very accurate at the turn of the 21st century (Haworth 2004), but not limited anymore to the ‘leisure classes’. ... Among the most significant concepts for categorising social life are those that assign social statutes or positions, or socially acknowledged classifications of individuals that denote position in structured social activity or social character (Ellemers, Spears & Doosje 2002). Aside from characterising and positioning individuals in social conditions, social divisions communicate identity or behavioural expectations. The latter are named roles by sociological classical role theory, a tradition applied by identity theory in social psychology (Ellemers et al. 2002). Hence, when individuals use social divisions to identify and acknowledge one another in social circumstances, they bring in role expectations for the behaviour of each other; if they use positions submissively to identify and categorise themselves, they create role expectations or purposes for their personal behaviour (Cote & Levine 2002). Perceived as self-conceptualisations, these reflexively employed positional labels ar e the emphasis of identity theorists, in which they are called ‘identities’ or ‘role-identities’ (Cote & Levine 2002). The theory of social identity in social psychology raises a comparable identity construct, but underlines identities on the basis of wide-ranging social classifications such as social class, ethnic status, and sex, instead of those related to job-related and other roles in the society’s social structure (Ellemers et al. 2002). In Mead’s and symbolic interactionism’s cognitive tradition, identity theorists define identities as â€Å"cognitive responses to oneself [or other] as an object [of consciousness]† (ibid, p. 49). From

Relationship Between Buildings Shape And Energy Conservation Essay

Relationship Between Buildings Shape And Energy Conservation - Essay Example Since centuries, humans continued to benefit from unlimited resources of the planet earth while remaining unaware of adverse effects of human intervention on different aspects of human lives. However, since few decades, a huge number of countries have shown their concern regarding the issue of energy conservation that now poses threats and risks to human lives adversely. In order to save the planet, experts (Williams, pp. 23-25, 2002) now believe that besides creating advanced technologies for zero emissions, it has now become very imperative that construction industry should incline towards sustainable designs and shapes of buildings that play a crucial role in conserving energy largely. For this reason, energy conservation has now become one of the foremost priorities of architects, builders, and other stakeholders in the building industry that are now putting efforts to acquire sustainable shapes of buildings for the highest conservation of the energy. From this perspective, the p roposed research will be a minute contribution in the series of such efforts.Research StatementIn this regard, the proposed research will focus on the following purpose statement:â€Å"To analyze the relationship between Buildings’ Shapes/Designs and Energy Conservation†Research QuestionsIn particular, the proposed study will focus on the following research questions:ïÆ' ¼What is Energy Conservation?ïÆ' ¼What falls under the category of buildings’ shapes?

Sales of Goods by Sea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sales of Goods by Sea - Essay Example The law that governs contracts for the sale of goods entrenched in The Sale of Goods Act 1979 plus 1994 amendments. Merchant B is not supposed to pay Merchant B as supported by the argument below’ â€Å"The seller had the obligation of advising the buyer of the impending war between the two states once he became aware.† On evaluation of the risks of the goods while on transit on the sea, there is a strong link risk allocation. As the seller is in physical possession of goods prior to selling, he has the obligation of assuming the measures of preventing risks (Bernd 1). Before the goods left physical possession of the seller to the carrier, he had the responsibility of advising the buyer the probable outcome of the war such that the buyer could have been aware and accepts to assume the risk. The risk of the cargo is passed to the buyer once goods have been delivered.1 Therefore, the seller (Merchant A) having assumed first physical possession of the goods and keeping in mind that the buyer (Merchant B) had not yet assumed any practical possession of the goods leaves the seller at the legal entity responsible for the cargo. Upon delivery of shipping documents, there is no evidence of goods delivery, thus, Merchant B has not fulfilled his contractual duty to claim meeting his contractual part (Bernd 1). Since the Merchant B had the custody of shipping documents, he is obligated to advice the buyer on any impending risks that may render the goods faulty of not getting to the port of Calais on time (Bernd 1). The reason that goods have not arrived the port of destination does not imply non shipment, but rather, there may be eventualities that the goods have not arrived due to war between France and England. â€Å"It is the obligation of the seller to ascertain the exact state of the goods; whether destroyed of cargo sought refuge at a port in Spain† As per the contract of the case in question, the goods were to be delivered from Dover to Calais. The seller has the obligation of shipping the goods that the answer to the contract (Stone and Carr 39). As stated in section 13 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979,2 that where the contract is for sale of goods by description, the goods ought to correspond to the description. According to Section 2, sub. 5: Under the contract, the transfer of goods from Merchant A to Merchant B was to take place in the future upon delivery at Calais to fulfill the contract to be regarded as an agreement of sale. The agreement becomes a sale upon meeting conditions subject to which goods are transferred. Whether the ship; or goods on board are safe, is not the responsibility of the buyer but the seller. This clearly implies that the goods if happened to have encountered shipment risks of perils of the sea are liable to be indemnified by relevant insurer (Simone 95). The seller being well aware of the conditions surrounding the shipment of the goods, has the obligation of following up to ascertain the sta te of the shipment to ascertain the real situation to ensure terms of contract are met.3 Incorporating the incoterms relating to the contract, a contract of insurance entered into, defines the compensation of goods on transits in case of peril of the sea or any other risk that the cargo may be exposed to.4 For a contract to be termed valid and legally binding it must meet several requirements. Since the contract between A and B had requirements that the goods had to be

The development of business activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The development of business activities - Essay Example One of the major obstacles towards the increase of performance of the firm’s stores across the country seems to be the lack of fair and effective performance appraisal methods and reward systems; despite the fact that the performance appraisal methods should be based on the close cooperation between managers and employees (Falcone et al., 2007, 5) in DIY the level of cooperation among employees of different levels seems to be quite low. In fact, the store managers do not particularly interested in communicating with the employees of the store that is under their supervision – rather they are likely to emphasize on the increase of the profitability of the store – an increase of which they are going to be rewarded – through the Performance Related Pay (PRP) scheme applied to all the firm’s stores across Britain. At a next level, employees in DIY do not participate in the procedures related to the appraisal of their performance – even if their p articipation in the relevant schemes is required – as noted in the study of Harrington (2007, 58) where an emphasis is paid to the importance of performance reviews conducted by employees. It should be noted that no training of employees seems to be included in the firm’s current performance management system; training should be offered to employees and refer not only to the aspects of the firm’s performance management system but also to their skills – aiming to increase the employees’ skills and capabilities; such a training scheme would help towards the improvement of employees’ motivation.

An investigation into the image of Bangkok as a tourist destination Dissertation

An investigation into the image of Bangkok as a tourist destination from British consumer perspectives and Thai industry provide - Dissertation Example The research inferred that Bangkok might not be one of the top vacation places for the British because there are many problems in the city which are causing British tourists to lower their number of visits here. Firstly there is the flood, along with the theft, no security, scams, prostitution, environment and dirt, which is de-motivating the British to come to Bangkok. Useful recommendations have been given like improving the security, the canal system, the law and order, environmental consciousness, marketing efforts, training and development of the hotel industry and an active role played by the government in making improvements in the city so that its attractiveness increases and more British tourists come to visit. Contents Table Contents Table 1.Chapter introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Background 2 1.3 Methodological approach and data sources used of the study 3 1.4 aims and objectives of the research 4 1.5 Hypothesis 6 1.6 The layout of the research 6 1.7 Conclusion 7 2.L iterature review 8 2.1 Introduction 8 2.2 Pest Analysis 9 2.2.1 Political Environment 9 2.2.2 Economic environment 11 2.2.2.1 The tourism industry 11 2.2.3 Social factors 12 2.2.4 Technological factors 14 2.2.5 Ecological environment 15 2.3 SWOT Analysis 17 2.3.1 Strengths 17 2.3.1.1Shopping 17 2.3.1.2 Privately owned tourist spots 18 2.3.1.3 Asian Weather 19 2.3.1.4 Culture 19 2.3.2 Weaknesses 20 2.3.2.1 Counterfeit products 20 2.3.2.2 Pollution 20 2.3.2.3 Gems and Jewellery 20 2.3.2.4 Vehicles rental 21 2.3.2.5 Low maintenance of tourist spots 21 2.3.3 Opportunities 22 2.3.3.1 Investments 22 2.3.4 Threat 23 2.3.4.1 Floods 23 2.3.4.2 Spread of widespread diseases 24 2.3.4.3 Terrorism 25 Chapter 3 Methodology 26 3.1 Introduction 26 3.2 Role of the researcher 26 3.3 Methods 27 3.3.1 Research on British subjects 28 3.3.2 Questionnaire for British subjects 29 3.3.3 Questionnaire for the tourist industry 30 3.3.4 Interview of the British subjects 30 3.3.5 Interview of tradesmen from the tourist industry 31 3.4 Subjects 31 3.4.1 British subjects 31 3.4.2 Criteria for selection 32 3.4.3 Tradesmen selection method 33 3.4.4 Tradesmen selection criteria 33 3.5 Data Analysis 34 3.6Trustworthiness of the method 35 3.6.1 Reliability 35 3.6.2 Validity 35 3.6.3 Ethical validity 36 3.6.4 Generalized validity 36 Chapter 4-Results and discussion 37 4.1. what motivates British consumers 37 4.2 What attracts British tourists to Bangkok 44 Chapter 5-Conclusion and Recommendations 60 5.1 Conclusion 60 5.2 Recommendations 66 5.2.1 Improve the flood-affected areas 66 5.2.2 Maintenance 66 5.2.3 Scams and thefts 67 5.2.4 Environmental social responsiveness 67 5.2.5 Technology 68 5.2.6 Epidemics 69 5.2.7 Legal system 69 5.2.8 Tourist security 69 5.2.9 Marketing 70 5.2.10 Improve service and placement 70 5.2.11Training and up gradation 71 5.2.12 Ecotourism 71 5.3 Limitations 71 6. Appendix 72 7. References 75 1.Chapter introduction This chapter gives a brief overview of the research whe re the topic has been explained in detail along with a background of the research. The aims and objectives have been described, the layout of the research report has been given along with the methodology used. Lastly there is the conclusion of the whole chapter.