Saturday, August 31, 2019

Religious Differences in the Early New England Colonies Essay

New England Colonies were established by people who were exile because of their religious beliefs, Most were known as separist. Most wanted to escapes and break free from the Anglican Church which was also known as the Church of England. They wanted the freedom to worship God in their own way. Yet, they however did not want to extend the freedom to everyone. Those who wanted to â€Å"purify† the Church of England were known as the puritans. They believe the Church of England was too similar to the Catholics in structure and ceremony. The puritans specially were intolerant to those who did not believe in their beliefs. The puritans were known as the non separists, the separists were people who wanted to completely break free from the Church of England. Also there was a group called the Antinomians in which Anne Hutchinson and her supporters opposed to the rule of law. The Quakers whom believed that they did not need to learn from ministry, since one person’s interpretation of the scripture was as valid as anyone else’s. It was religions such as these and others that caused different people to break free and go to different parts of the New World so that they can be free to practice their beliefs, In the new world most were able to practice their own beliefs while yet some were exiled, driven out, or accepted into their colonies. Regardless of which, religion was the common factor for people leaving the old world and forming New England Colonies in the New World.

Friday, August 30, 2019

An Assignment on the Linguistic Acquisition Device Essay

In linguistics, language acquisition is the process through which human beings obtain the capability to comprehend and perceive language as well as produce sentences and words and utilize them to communicate. According to Chomsky, his Linguistic Acquisition Device (LAD) encompassed a device that children were born that could be defined as the inborn ability to comprehend the language principles. This LAD fits his innateness Hypothesis of language acquisition because he believed that once a child was exposed to language, the LAD would enable him or her to learn language in an outstanding pace as also elucidated under his critical period hypothesis Question Two According to Noam Chomsky’s critical period hypothesis, human speech encompassed a genetically programmed ability that had a critical age threshold. This is because like a variety of other human behaviors, an individual’s ability to acquire language is based on critical periods that are defined as the limited time span during which the individual is sensitive to the language acquisition external stimuli that enables him or her to acquire language. Once this time is surpassed the individual has minimum chances of acquiring language. This critical period in language acquisition was adolescence to Chomsky. Question Three Genie was discovered in Los Angeles on November 4, 1970. She was discovered by a social worker in Temple City, California when she accompanied her mother as she sought for disability benefits due to near blindness. The social worker had initially sensed that something was wrong with Genie and she got so shocked when she greeted them and discovered that Genie was actually 13 years old though the social worker had estimated that she was autistic and half that age. The social worker contacted her supervisor, who after questioning Genie’s mother contacted the police. Genie’s parents were later arrested and she was made the ward of the court and later transferred to the Children’s Hospital Lost Angeles. She was unable to acquire a language within a critical period due to the severe child abuse she went through under the hands of her father. Question Four The symptoms she displayed of this failure after she was discovered were here severe undersize regardless of her advanced age of 13 years. She had no understanding of grammar she could only comprehend 15-20 words. Two short phrases were what consisted of her active vocabulary and hence she had complete lack of speech, not because she was selectively mute but because she lacked any type of language. Though she had considerable memories of her past she lacked a way to communicate them. Question Five The forbidden experiment was the language deprivation experiment under which infants were isolated from any normal utilization of signed or spoken language as an attempt to discover the origin or language or human nature’s fundamental characteristics. Viktor became a model of this experiment because before his discovery he had lived in a forest like a wild animal and had been unable to understand or speak any language. After being placed under the care of Dr Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, he acquired the language rudiments and became socialized. Question Six She began to use the two-word phrases when she started to understand about 200 vocabulary words. Her speech began to improve after settling in her ne surrounding though it continued to exhibit latency. With time she started using negative forms with not rather than the prefix un. By October 1973 she could easily comprehend complex negation forms. By October 1971 she could listen to people talking and even contribute to the conversations. By November f the same year her speech and grammar could be equated to that of an 18 or 20 month old baby. By 1972 she could use complex noun phrases and regular plurals as well as understand interrogative words. By 1973 she was using determiners, definite articles, possessives and imperative sentences. She however did not acquire automatic speech. Question Seven The ethical implications of the language deprivation experiment are that it encompassed an inhuman experiment that would deprive the infants of their language acquisition abilities. Regardless of this Viktor benefited from this experiment because he was later able to acquire language rudiments and be socialized. The ethical implications of the experiments on Genie were linked to the fact that they subjected her to additional child abuse rather  than help her because the researchers were more focused on the results of their results rather than hoe the research could benefit Jeanie. To some extent Jeanie benefited from the experiments because her language abilities improved but the researchers used her to acquire fame. Works Cited: Linda, Garmon, dir. The Secret of the Wild Child. IMDBPro, 1994. Film.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Effects of Divorce

This can cause children to have many social problems as they start to get older. Most boys that are raised by single mothers are likely to end up going to prison. Young girls that have parents who are divorced will more likely start having sex at an early age. Divorce is also listed as a social symptom because it is the representation for other couple related problems. An example can be how people are a lot greedier in today's world and prefer riches over family values. Like the man who would stay home to drink all night and ignore his family.Or a woman who constantly heats on her husband because he works too much. Our current society does not understand the true importance of family, children, and marriage itself. Divorce would mainly be an excuse for people who are trading off the things that can really fuel a couple's love. Being distracted and won over by material things does happen in real life, like a similar situation you would see in movies. Some Of these negative factors can include: Sex with complete strangers Obtaining over-expensive vehicles and houses Obtaining money and valuable, cosmetic items Illegal drug abuse and drug marketingMany married men and women have had affairs outside of their marriage. Women would usually tend to have a deeper, emotional connection with the person they love, and are more likely to have an affair on the side. This is because they might be feeling lonely or are looking to fill that empty emotional feeling. Men may have more motivations sexually and are less likely to have an emotional bond with a different partner. Cheating may not be the leading cause of a filing divorce, but it can completely destroy a marriage.The biggest reason for married couples to split up with each other s because they are not compatible at all. When couples feel they are incompatible, they will have trouble finding an appropriate way to communicate with each other. Most married couples do not discuss cheating if they suspect one Of doing such . Stress and anxiety are one of the main factors when one has suspicions and fears their mate is being unfaithful. Children may or may not be the cause of a divorce. For them, a divorce can be upsetting stressful, and very confusing if they re younger. This is part of the reason divorce is listed as a problem.It will always have a negative effect n any surroundings, especially the children. At any age, children may feel anger at the idea of their parents being split up. If one was a parent, they can make the process for their kids a lot less painful. Helping their children to cope with divorce will give good stability in the household. Attending to the needs of one's child with a positive and well-mannered attitude can also help them cope. The process will be difficult by default, but this would help the situation. Marriage can be one of the most beautiful things in the world.But with the competitiveness and time restraints in today's society, keeping up with a arraign will become r ather difficult. Many couples will go through plenty of obstacles to make sure that their relationship will remain in a good state. Married couples that are aged between 20 and 30 seem to find divorce as their only solution. They are not as patient as older couples. They would choose not to wait for their relationship to grow and hopefully prosper. Younger couples expect for their relationship to be perfect, which is never possible in any type of marriage.There will always be problems, from the smallest issue to the biggest. A trend in the United States is that the younger peoples have a lot of impatience and high expectations, which eventually leads to a divorce case. The number of cases in this country have been at an increase. Usually the couples would choose to walk out on each other rather than having an argument. This lessens the effect their divorce would have on other surroundings. Couples that live in a fast paced environment will not have enough time to spend with each oth er.Having enough time to spend together is a very important part in keeping a new relationship strong. Marriage eventually comes with its own issues and these issues can be fixed with proper immunization. New, younger couples tend to work long hours which invades any free time they might have. Couples that have challenging careers will spend more time working. Having financial independence can give one a snobby type of ego. But if both people in the relationship have good financial independence, they will eventually realize that money cannot fix what is missing in their marriage.Patience is one of the main factors in keeping up with a working marriage. These relationships are not supposed to be run by only one individual. Couples must work with each other to turn their lifelong journey into a happy, lathe, and successful one at that. Having a good understanding about the value of marriage will benefit both sides of the relationship, rather than treating it as if it was another day o n the job. No two people are going to be like each other. And any possible fight that a couple will have does not mean it is the beginning of the end of their marriage.Communication is one of the best keys in having a strong marriage, or any relationship actually. Couples fail to realize that they need to treat their marriage as their top priority, and to take time out of the day for one on one communication. Divorce should to come in the picture at all if younger couples were to spend more time with each other, especially before they choose to become officially married. If there was not any form of good communication beforehand, then they will find it a struggle to have more romance or attraction to each other after marriage.In cases where divorce might possibly be the solution, both sides of the couple should think about their possibilities. If one's spouse is not responding or communicating, then one needs to talk to themselves about the issue. Sometimes it is more efficient to t hink about how the problem in the arraign started. New ideas might come to life if one figures out any possible solutions to save the marriage from a divorce. This would only help if one really seeks to save a problematic marriage. Honesty can come a long way and if one isn't honest with themselves, how will they be able to fix anything?Marriages will require a large amount of time and nourishment in order to stay healthy until the final day. Love has brought two people together, and it should be able to stay that way. Once the end of the day hits, no couple wants to be walking away from each other. There is a common assumption that one argument between couples in most marriages will end it. The reasons for the argument can usually be unimportant issues. Research has shown that over half of divorces have ended marriages where there was little to no sign of abuse.Time after these marriages have ended, the children involved were having their own side of troubles. Struggles in school B eing bullied Lower grade point averages Depression and anxiety Anti-socialism These are especially common in children from marriages that have little to no problems. A divorce for the smallest issue or no issue at all can be vegetating to a child. They would not understand why divorce has come into their home if they did not see any problems with their parents. There will be times where divorce is the necessary solution to a problem.If this does happen, it would be better for the kids not to lose their relationship with both parents. It would also benefit them if they were not to be dragged down into the parents' never ending fights. Usually when the parents talk to their children, they would list how the divorce would be a good thing and will be good for everyone in the family. This only shows what the parents want ND will not let the children voice their own opinion on the matter. The debate on whether divorce is a solution or just another problem in marriage has been gong on for a long time.The debate is between adults, for adult couples, on determining the point of view of an adult marriage. Children have not been able to say what they think or how they feel. Children from a supposedly good divorce have developed worse behaviors than before. The children that have come from unhappy and slightly problematic marriages have better behavior. But that does not excuse the stress that has been put pony them. A situation like this causes children to grow up too fast and may be susceptible to divorce as they become older.Since parents would technically share the child in terms of living with each parent for a set amount of days, they would feel more stressed out. The child practically has to travel between two completely separate worlds, which involved different rules to live by and the stature of the parent. I personally have a friend who is very close and dear to me, with a similar situation. Her parents have had multiple issues and I have witnessed them myself. They are not divorced, but the idea of divorce has come up in their conversations.With the husband constantly working and being lazy once he comes home, the mother is always doing the chores around the house. There are three kids in the house, which now they are older and have become a lot more mature. My friend in particular had to grow up at a very fast rate because of her mother being sick, and her father being away on a business trip. She had to take over the parent role for her younger siblings and I notice this has taken an effect on her. She has then become over-protective of her Emily, and sometimes protective of me but see it as her being a good friend.Today, the family has become healthier and the parents are still together. Divorce in the end is all of the above; a solution, a problem, and a symptom. Certain couples will have their own way of handling their issues. Abusive couples may require divorce as a major solution. Younger couples should learn how to cope with their issues rather than taking the easy way out. In my friend's case, divorce was merely a temporary symptom. Couples fail to realize that blaming the problem on each Other is what Starts it. The problem n marriage comes from within.

Business Performance and Strategy Assessed coursework Essay

Business Performance and Strategy Assessed coursework - Essay Example . In this context, it can be stated that in the contemporary society, the market for products has become volatile due to the strong competition among several companies. In order to maintain a stable position and competitive advantage in the market with high market share, companies are applying several positioning strategies (Andreasen, 2001). In other words, it can be stated that positioning helps companies to build their reputation in the market with profitability. The positioning procedure implemented is used to develop the brand and product name in the global market. After the advent of globalisation, positioning has become important for the companies in order to promote the products and enhance the sales. This procedure of positioning is mainly used for highlighting the products and makes it popular among varied customers (Dabija and Abrudan, 2008). Contextually, market positioning is a method through which the brand name of the company is positively influenced with the help of marketing mix. The appropriate positioning refers to the understanding of the core market competency and applying the strategy for greater market share. Positioning is important for every industry and hence in this paper the emphasis is on the automobile sector and its positive impact on Ford Motor Company. However, in the current market, with the increase in competition in the automotive market, the use of the positioning strategy is becoming more significant (Arab British Academy for Higher Education, 2014). Ford Motor Company is among the leading brands in the automobile industry. This company was initially known as Detroit Automobile Company (Sinha, 2009). However, the company saw its existence in the world of business in the year 1903 and was named as Ford. In the current global market, Ford is recognised to be one of the most profitable companies in the automobile

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Business ethics - Essay Example A person cannot be tortured because one has moral rights. Immanuel Kant is a famous philosopher who proposed a theory named categorical imperative. Categorical imperative is based on the moral principle and it is like a command to tell people what can be done and what cannot. The theory claims that everyone is a free person who has moral right and correlative duty to be compared with another in this way. Kant proposed two formulations of categorical imperative. Kant gives us a term â€Å"maxim† which can be explained as follows: â€Å"A maxim for Kant is the reason a person in certain situation has for doing what he or she plans to do. A maxim would â€Å"become a universal law† if every person in a similar situation chose to do the same thing for the same reason.† (p99) According to the definition of maxim, we can understand the first formulation easily. First formulation of Kant’s categorical imperative is that we only can act according to the reasons th at we want others to do the same toward us in a similar situation, which means transpositonal consideration. Furthermore, the action is morally right if a person acts by a reason to others in a certain situation that he or she has the willing to let others treat him or her in the same situation. If the person cannot have the willing to have others to act the same way that he or she acts towards others, the action is morally wrong. The first formulation has two criteria to estimate whether an action is morally right or wrong. The first criterion is universality that means â€Å"the person’s reasons for acting must be reasons that everyone could act on at least in principle.† (p99) The second criteria is reversibility that means â€Å"the person’s reasons for acting must be reasons that that person would be willing to have all others use, even as a basis of how they treat him or her† (p99). The second formulation

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Connections Between Consumption, Identity, Taste And Style Essay

The Connections Between Consumption, Identity, Taste And Style - Essay Example Products are classified according to their utility nature. While some are consumable products, others are fixed products that cannot be consumed by the purchaser. Various reasons prompt people to acquire products. Some people purchase goods and services for basic use, others purchase as a means having fun while others simply purchase for show off. The various reasons why people buy what they buy are determined by different factors. Their level of income, the purpose in which the product will be put into, their social status and class as well as the economic conditions affecting them are all factors affecting people’s buying patterns. Evidently, there is a connection between consumption, identity, taste and style as portrayed by people’s purchasing patterns in the society. However, there are inherent factors in play that influence these phenomena in the society. These include consumers’ ability to buy as determined by their level of wealth, social status and econo mic status of the people as well as the prevailing status of the economy. This paper will look at the connection between people’s consumption habits in reference to the three habits. Additionally, the various factors influencing the people’s purchasing power will be discussed in the paper. The conclusion will prove that identity, taste and style come along with increased levels of consumption among the people. Economists point out that there is a connection between consumption, identity, taste and style among people, which determine reasons why people purchase different goods and services. Abraham Maslow designed the hierarchy of needs in which he proposed that people’s consumption behaviors are affected by the needs they want to satisfy. In his hierarchy, five stages determined the needs to be satisfied and the reasons for their satisfaction. According to him, the most important needs people satisfy are the basic needs. People need food, shelter and clothing in order to survive. However, as the needs keep being satisfied, consumers move up the stages to incorporate other needs in the hierarchy. The top most stage is self-actualization achieved after people successfully satisfy esteem needs that are geared at instilling confidence and earns respect from other people. Esteem needs and self-actualization needs influence the consumer behavior of people in the society. In this category of needs, people’s desire to have an identity among other people in the society, a change of taste for the type of products they purchase and shopping for style all influence the consumption behaviors of the people. Availability of disposable income to spend by people is the biggest determinant of the kind of commodities and services purchased. Additionally, the social status of people too determines their reasons for settling to purchase different goods. Extravagant lifestyles characterize identity as a consumption behavior among the people in the societ y. Logically, people purchasing for show off rarely need the goods purchased. With the main intention of showing their self-worth and level of their wealth, identity consumers generally make purchases for goods that they do not require in their lives (Bauman 2001, p. 25). People generally want to be identified with what they can afford as a measure of their financial ability. Therefore, wealthy people show their level of wealth through the types of goods they buy or the services that they can pay for (Zukin and Maguire 2004, p. 177). Subsequently, their shopping places and residential areas define their class. Socially respected people opt to show their class through their methods of consumption. Identity has created

Monday, August 26, 2019

Microsoft Write Up Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microsoft Write Up - Case Study Example There are further opportunities for the company because Microsoft has sought enterprise customers who can sign large deals to long-term commitments and provide a stable cash flow. For example, the Microsoft Azure Cloud offers consulting services to enterprises (Hoffmann, 2013). These opportunities, if utilized appropriately can benefit the company by providing a competitive edge. On the other hand, Microsoft faces some external threats. For instance, many of the users of Microsoft’s products have not shifted to start using the upgraded, newer products. By mid last year, half of the users and companies were still using Windows XP, and a large percentage of the market did not seem likely to buy upgrades (Cox, 2012). Therefore, the company has a lot of work to do in giving a reason to clients to purchase its new products. Secondly, the emergency of mobile devices and the increase in reliance on the Internet poses a threat to Microsoft. Customers and businesses have realized that personal computing can be done without using any of Microsoft’s products (Brodkin, 2013). The introduction of newer and efficient browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google chrome has posed stiff competition to Microsoft’s Internet explorer. Other competing products include Android and iOS. Many users have opted to use them because Microsoft’s platform lacks user reach-motivator for developers to invest in it. Therefore, the company has failed to increase mindshare, whereby developers can work with its own platform or technology. The company faces further competition, and struggles to convert developer interest in the platform into adoption. The company’s lack of commercial has led to its inability to convert windows phone into adoption. Finally, the market is currently dominated by-products from Apple and Google. These are iPhone and iPad, and Google’s Android platform that many manufacturers such as Samsung and LG use to power their devices (BBC , 2013). Google became a threat to Microsoft because it used its revenue from search to fund software-development projects, such as business productivity applications, while Apple focused on the consumer more than Microsoft did (Hoffmann, 2013). These threats are not favorable for the company because Microsoft’s market share has been hurt significantly. External Environment and Financial Performance Analysis of Microsoft Microsoft’s internal strengths lie in its corporate culture. It allows any employee to submit an idea, which is then voted by other employees. Ideas that are not adopted are normally archived for future reference. The company has two yearly Think weeks during which employees can suggest innovative ideas (Koulopoulos, 2009). The company’s integration with Skype to enhance its existing business provides further strength. This is because the company can add voice and videoconferencing services to its enterprise offerings. The company has already cr eated a huge reach to customers with its most successful products, and can access both Internet and mobile platforms (Lunden, 2011). The company has invested in innovation opportunities, and this provides it with an opportunity to improve market share. Further the company’s rigorous recruitment process, which ensures that only the best and the brightest are given the opportunities, enables the company to have an excellent work force. For instance, the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

A Socio-Psychology Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Socio-Psychology Study - Essay Example Choosing people with the same overall qualities such as those mentioned will lower the chances of external causes of stress or fatigue causing emotional or irrational behavior. Interviews with potential participants in the study will help determine these characteristics and rule out people with cause for emotional reactions. In addition to the interviews, potential participants will need to be offered an informed consent document. This document will detail the ideas of the study, explain any potential risks to participating in the study, and assure the privacy and protection of participants' information. Additionally, potential participants will be encouraged to be completely honest regarding their personal lives; an inaccurate answer regarding issues, such as stress and sleeping patterns, can not only skew the results of the study but also place these participants at risk during the study. Once the list of participants has been finalized, a study of their normal behavior and reactions will need to be conducted. This portion of the study will involve analyzing their reactions to various things such as news, familial situations, job stress, and other problems that sometimes arise during daily life. Creating a controlled environment that limits the level of outside influence on emotions will prove to be the most difficult part of performing such a study. Additionally, participants must be told or shown situations that are real to them; natural reactions may not be had if the participants do not believe the situations they are being shown or cannot relate to these situations. During this time, each participant will be given a recommended level of restful sleep. Monitors can also be used to measure things not verbally or visually seen, such as heart rate, breathing, and swea--similar to the machines used by police departments during lie-detector tests. Additionally, the group of participants will be placed together to enable social interaction during the study. They will be introduced to each other under the pretenses of a social setting. During this meeting, activities and features that promote social mingling, such as board games, card games, and refreshments will be offered. Once participants are able to overcome the awkward introduction phase of social interaction, researchers can begin to study their reactions to each other in a social setting. This portion of the study will need to be performed for an extended time period; participants must interact with each other long enough to get to know the other participants in a variety of ways, including long enough for possible pet peeves to arise and cause reactions. After being satisfied with the level of analysis and an understanding of the behavioral patterns and reactions of each participant, the study group will be deprived of several hours of restful sleep over an extended period of time. This will ensure that their fatigue levels are high but not outside of safety levels for normal functioning. At this point, the study will be carried out in the same manner as before; this time watching for signs of emotional reactions, behaviors, and decisions. To minimize the chances of coincidence,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Labour market analysis report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Labour market analysis - Lab Report Example All these factors combined are evidence of good business that will keep on going and of a healthy national coffer that will stay as strong and full as ever. In front of these backdrops are the fruits that will be reaped at the end of the day. As a matter of course, employment and salaries will increase and consumer spending will immensely rise. The foregoing premises have to be laid down because this report will proceed with the labor market specifics of a certain business domain and it is basic knowledge that any financial dynamic moves hand-in-hand with the issue of jobs. In particular, reference is made to the Coles Supermarkets chain. For brevity, it is here referred to as Coles. Any projection presumed in the instant report is pegged constantly at five (5) years. There are two parts here which are divided into two tasks. The first one will be on labor market analysis which will comprise of the performance criteria (1) to determine predicted areas of organizational growth and downsizing and associated labor requirements, (2) to analyze the organization’s current workforce capacity to meet current predicted demands for the goods and services of the business, (3) to research and review current and predicted external labor supply, demographic and economic data, and to forecast human resources supply, (4) to determine the organizational diversity requirements in the workforce, and (5) to make the necessary recommendations for workforce planning. The second part of the report pertains to (1) succession planning and workforce plan evaluation, and (2) developing a succession plan which addresses internal labor needs in the medium to long term requirements, utilizing succession planning principles with an incorporated retention plan. Coles has seven hundred forty (740) stores all over Australia. It has a workforce consisting of about ninety two thousand (92,000) employees.5 This is a relatively large organization.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Classifying Projects Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classifying Projects - Assignment Example Another risk that is likely to come out both projects is that of lack of enough finance. The project might not have enough money to the end of the project. There is a need to take this issue into consideration. The highest risk of all the risks that have been stated above is that of time lapse risk that is associated with residential building project. There is a need to ensure that this risk is well managed so that the continuity of the project will not be affected (Harrison & Lock, 2004). The two projects will be both interesting and challenging to manage. The one project I would choose to manage is the second one. This is because it has a good timeframe for the completion. Time management is an important factor when managing a project. There is also a good time for preparation. This is because, unlike, the first project which is starting on 1st October, the second project will start on January 15. There is humble time for

Thursday, August 22, 2019

It's Beginning to Hurt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

It's Beginning to Hurt - Essay Example Having romantic relationship with several women is seen as the work of the devil, in Christianity. Stewart, the travel writer, is a happy family man, with a happy wife. Happiness in the family is key virtue, and hence supported by religions. The story illustrates the nature of opposite sex relationships (James 35). This relationship is usually sexually and hence immoral. Seduction, as illustrated in the story, encourages the evil act which in Christianity is the aim of the devil. The two characters in the story are aware of the morals of each other; however, they ignore the negative aspects of the morals. Turning a blind eye to the deeds of an individual is viewed as sin in Faustian bargain. And the negative act is favored by the devil. The Half Sister illustrates an individual who is not happy with himself and the world. He believes that he is a total failure in all aspects of the world. Plans are organized to make him marry an ugly woman (James 47). Marriage is always considered a gift; but the author illustrates the negative side of that gift, which is an ugly woman for a wife. This is the negative aspect of the

Kodak Strategy Essay Example for Free

Kodak Strategy Essay The first Kodak camera led to the creation of their first slogan: â€Å"You press the button – we do the rest†. He named the brand of camera Kodak because it was short, it would not be mispronounced, and the name was unique in the business. (Gartrell, n. d. ) By the late 19th century and early 1900’s, advertising played a major role in Kodak’s marketing and promotion strategy. As a result, Kodak became a household word. Today, the Kodak name has become entrenched in home town America. It is known for being very American since its photo spots can be seen at iconic patriotic hot spots like Disneyland. In addition â€Å"Kodak Moments† help make it a household name for photography and imaging. (Wikinvest, 2007) Kodak has always dominated the â€Å"holy trinity of film†; film, paper and chemicals. (Upbin, 2000, para #8) Kodak’s big concern is to remain competitive in the market place. The Eastman Kodak company had to take on some strong competition, such as Polaroid, who is famous for instant photography. Kodak began to sell their version of the instant camera in June 1976 to expand its market. The camera was called the Pronto which spit out a picture card which formed into a picture before the photographers eyes. The idea was successful and although Kodak’s ten picture pack of film was more expensive than Polaroid’s, several Japanese companies made cameras that used the new Kodak Film. (Time Magazine, 1976) Soon after, the disposable camera became popular. According to statistics, U. S. sales of disposable cameras grew 30% a year. Kodak sells more than anyone else, allowing Kodak to have sufficient cash flow to invest in a digital future. In the mid 1990’s Kodak’s innovators began to dabble with digital photography. In fact, they invented the first digital camera and realized that digital technology would transform their business. By the year 2000, Kodak had sunk more than $5 billion into digital investments during the 1990s, but received only $20 million in digital earnings in 1999 to show for it. Daniel Carp, the latest Chief Executive at Eastman Kodak stated that â€Å"digital can generate half of revenue and quarter of profits by 2005†. (Upbin, 2000, para. #3) So why wasn’t Kodak getting a return on their investment? One of the main issues that plagued the Eastman Kodak Company was not their innovation, but their timing in their marketing strategy and their assessment of the adaptability of its consumers. Kodak missed out on several holiday seasons where digital camera growth was high and failed to get a leg up on the competition back in 1996. The company was unable to â€Å"wean itself† from traditional film business. They have three major customer bases. The first is the Photofinishing Group which makes up almost 1/3 of sales. This group is made up of Kodak’s traditional film products and services that the average customer uses, plus products used by the film industry to reproduce and distribute motion pictures. The second group, not formed until 2003, is the Graphic Communications Group (GCG). It’s Kodak’s largest division which includes document imaging and digital printing services for businesses. The third group relates to healthcare services and is called the Health Group. This group specializes in healthcare imaging products such as x-ray devices and specialized films. To catch up to their competition, Kodak created a fourth group, the Consumer Digital Group, to change their main product line from traditional film to digital products. They turned their focus to digital cameras and printers, photo kiosks (like at CVS and Wal-Mart) and online photo sharing. Wikinvest, 2007) The problem was they did not react to the market until almost 2 years after their fierce competitors, such as Hewlett Packard, Canon, and Sony began to overtake the business. The irony is that although Kodak created many digital products that were ahead of their time, such as the Photo CD and high-end digital cameras, Kodak continued to focus their marketing strategy on the investor rat her than the customer. It is unfortunate because many of the digital imaging products that Kodak introduced, and that we still use today, did not get the commitment they deserved from their creators. Because of their own corporate reluctance to replace their main base of income (traditional film), many investors questioned whether it was too late for Kodak to join the digital age. (Nikondigital. org, 2007, para. #2) Timing was not the only problem. Kodak had digital competition from the evolution of the internet, the Sony Corporation, Hewlett Packard, and Canon, to name a few. Despite the invention of the digital camera, Kodak fell behind in efficiency profit margins and sheer sales. The company failed to market other media devices leaving Hewlett Packard and Lexmark to dominate the printer industry. Kodak is now trying to catch up in that area. Kodak needed to make several adjustments in their marketing strategy, develop their product line, promote their product, rethink their distribution efforts and develop a pricing strategy to steal market shares from industry leaders. With a new management philosophy and marketing strategy, Kodak realized the need to adjust its consumables. Most of Kodak’s traditional photography was based on their services, their paper and ink. With the addition of digital imagery, that had to change. Chemicals, to produce the photos were no longer needed for digital photography. How could Kodak compensate for the changing technology? Putting their innovators to the test, Kodak came up with the EasyShare family of cameras. It became one of Kodak’s biggest successes. Even today, it is still the â€Å"simplest way to get started in digital† photography. (Nikondigital. org, 2007, para. #7) Kodak developed this type of camera by studying how camera users take and print pictures and how it fits into their daily lives. Their research paid off. Kodak focused on low-priced, easy-to-use cameras that would appeal to women, who take the majority of snapshots. In 2004 the competition with Sony, the largest digital camera maker, paid off with a rise from a 5% market share in 2000 to a 19% share in 2004. (Hansell, 2004) In addition to the EasyShare system, category expansion has increased Kodak’s consumer base. One of the ways they accomplished this is by developing effective partnerships. To compete with some of the industry leaders, Kodak developed the â€Å"Kodak Gallery† an online photo sharing site which allows consumers to upload their photos and share them with friends and family. This competes with sites like Shutterfly and Photobucket. It recently partnered with Martha Stewart, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. com. (Wikinvest, 2007) Kodak has also planned investment in Lucky Film, Co. Ltd which will strengthen its position in Asia, and has increased its interest in medical markets. They have acquired PracticeWorks, a leader in digital dental imaging, and have improved their economic performance with Kodak Directview PACS System 5 for radiologists. (Eastman Kodak Company, 2004) To promote their products, Kodak has used the traditional advertising as well as some creative promotion techniques. Kodak wants to develop the customers of traditional cameras into future consumers of digital products. One of the ways they are doing this is donating 5,000 traditional cameras to those provinces in China that are not familiar with photography. As China’s rural areas become more economically independent, Kodak hopes to capture the market. This allows Kodak to continue its traditional (bread and butter) line of products to third world nations while focusing the digital sales to the United States, Canada and some European countries. (China Daily, 2004) One way to focus those sales in the U. S. is Kodak’s distribution to direct marketers who want to customize their flyers or retail changes that need variable posters. Digital technology makes it possible to economically print custom copies of anything and at almost any volume. They want to â€Å"elevate print and other visual communications for creativity and commerce†. (Sherburne, 2007, para. #3) Kodak is introducing the MarketMover Network, designed to focus on small business in a similar fashion that the Kodak Creative Network does, where the consumers create the photo books, calendars and flyers. Finally, Kodak’s pricing strategies had to be dramatic. One of the best things we hear about Kodak is the â€Å"quality of their service†. The problem is the competition is rapidly meeting Kodak’s quality standards. In 2007, Kodak developed KOS, the Kodak Operating System to streamline the production system and incorporate that into all aspects of Kodak’s operations. It changed their management philosophy. This had some effect on not only their marketing strategies, but their pricing strategies. In the past, companies were willing to sacrifice profits on the â€Å"durable† portion of their product – the printer, to make money on the â€Å"consumable† portion – printer cartridges. In February of that year, Kodak announced a new pricing strategy. It was a long term competitive dynamic disruption strategy. The strategy was aimed at reducing the cost of printing photos for the average consumer. Consumers will have to change their behavior to focus on printing costs instead of hardware costs. (Neff, 2007) In addition, the new printers will not have as many features as Hewlett-Packard printers currently have. This could corner an aging market that has not wanted to purchase â€Å"fancy† printers due to the challenge of technology. However, there is a growing share of private label recycled ink cartridges. Kodak will need to maintain their focus not only on the pricing of their ink cartridges, but they should reinforce the â€Å"quality† aspect of their product. During the past two decades, the Eastman Kodak has struggled with the advent of digital photography. What sets Kodak apart? Kodak is not a computer company, nor is Kodak a company which dabbles in several industries. They are focused on print products and photography.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Price And Non Price Competition In Shampoo Industry Economics Essay

Price And Non Price Competition In Shampoo Industry Economics Essay Price competition is nothing but competing on the basis of price which may involve price cutting. This may not involve in maximization of profits because price cut by one firm will force others to do the same, in a way every player is more or less having the same market share and no profits or less profits. A monopolistic market is very competitive and a price competition will exist or can sustain only in the short run like the monopolist, the monopolistically firm maximizes short run profit by following the MC=MR rule. As under the monopoly, if the price equals the ATC curve, the firm earns a short run normal profit. If the price is below the ATC curve, the firm suffers a short run loss, and if the price is below the average variable cost curve curve, the firm shuts down. In the words of Nicolson Non price competition is the competition by sellers for sales by means of other than price cutting. In the long run the monopolistically competitive firm, unlike a monopolist, will not earn an economic profit in the long rum. Rather , like a perfect competitor, the monopolistically competitive firm earns only a normal profit in the long run. The reason is that the short run profits and easy entry attract new firms into the industry. So in the long run competition is more likely using the non price factors. This refers to the attempt to attract the customers through changing the quality of the product, changing the market place, intense publicity service etc. Non price competition is the competition through product differ. Coming to the oligopoly market, because each oligopolist is a major factor in the market, oligopolists pricing decisions are mutually interdependent. The price one producer asks significantly affects the others sales. Hence when one oligopolistic firm lowers it price, all the others can be expected to lower theirs, to prevent erosion of their market shares. The oligopolist may have to second-guess other producers pricing policies-how they will react to a change in price, and what that might mean for its own policy. In fact, oligopolistic pricing decisions resemble moves in a chess game. The thinking may be so complicated that no one can predict what will happen. Thus, theories of oligopolistic price determination tend to be confined almost exclusively to the short run. Another line of thought arising from the kinked demand curve model is that, if firms are inhibited from changing their price competitive in some way because of their conjectures about rivals reaction, they will turn instead to non price forms of competition, such as advertizing and product variation, either separately or in combination. However, if a firm A increases its advertising expenditure, and that expenditure is successful in attracting more buyers, there may be some increase in the total market for the product but the main gains will be at the expense of rivals products. Competing firms can, therefore be expected to match any increase in advertising expenditure in an attempt to retain their market any increase in advertising expenditure in an attempt to retain their market share for exactly the same reason that they would match any price reductions. In the end, all firms would be faced with higher advertising costs, but not much to show for it in term of extra sales or profit s. Conversely, if A reduced its advertising expenditure, it would lose sales to its competitors who, having benefited from the situation, would appear to have little incentive to match As reduced level of expenditure. So again, it can be argued that changes in either direction from the status quo are likely to be unprofitable. However, it can also be argued that firms are likely to be more willing to risk an increase in advertising expenditure than a price reduction. A price reduction is, in a sense, a crude weapon that can be easily matched by rivals, whilst advertising has a more qualitative dimension that can less easily be countered. If a firm, therefore, has a good advertising idea or new improved product to market, it might be willing to embark on an advertising campaign to exploit the situation even in the almost certain knowledge that its action would provoke retaliation from competitors, whilst remaining reluctant to engage in a price war. The qualitative dimension to advertising may also lead firm to be less willing to be to act collusively, either formally or informally to reduced advertising expenditures than to rise price. Hence the issues raised in receving two sections are likely to be less constraining influence on advertising and product behavior than on price change. ELASTICITY: The change in demand or supply curve relative to the change in price is called as curves elasticity. Different products have different elasticies depending on the essentiality the elasticity differs from product to product. The products that have the functionality of meeting the necessities are not so venerable to price, because people any way would buy those products. A good is said to be highly elastic if an iota change in price leads to great change in demand or supply. In the same way an inelastic good is something where any change in price would not effect the demand. The equation for elasticity is:   Elasticity = percentage change in quantity / percentage change in price If elasticity (e) >= 1, then the curve is said to be elastic. If e Basically the demand curve is a negative slope, and if there is a large decrease in the quantity demanded with a small increase in price, the demand curve looks flatter, or more horizontal. This flatter curve means that the good or service in question is elastic.   C:UsersSrujanaDesktopuntitled folder 2economics12.gif The inelastic demand small change in quantity due to large change in price.   D:untitled folder 2economics13.gif Elasticity for supply : change in price results in a huge change in the amount supplied. Elasticity in this case would be greater than or equal to one.   D:untitled folder 2economics14.gif big change in price only results in a minor change in the quantity supplied. C:UsersSrujanaDesktopuntitled folder 2economics15.gif Determinants of Elasticity: Many factors influence elasticity, some of which are: Necessities versus Luxuries   To find a substitute is extremely difficult so demand will change very less. Availability of Close Substitutes. Definition of the Market   bigger the market more is the chance of finding the substitutes Time Horizon. Relative Size of Purchase. SHAMPOO INDUSTRY: Hair care products consist of hair oil, shampoos, conditioners and hair color. The size of the shampoo market reached Rs 850 crore and 30,000 tonnes in volume terms. The shampoo Market is the fastest growing item with in personal product category and it has expanded by nearly two and a half times in last few years, though the market is confined mainly to the urban locations in India. Shampoo usage in India: shampoos remain in low penetration category when compared with soaps and detergents whose penetration level is more than 90 percent.As per industry estimates, the urban Markey penetration of shampoo was about 36 per cent whereas in the rural market, usage was of the order of 12 per cent of the total population. Thus, there is a considerable scope for expansion by converting non-users. In respect to function, shampoo are of the following types: a) All purpose shampoos b) Special shampoos for dry, normal, oi!y, tinted, and bleached hair formulated on the principle that these hair conditions require special products c) Baby shampoos formulated to be nonsmarting to the eyes d) Medicated dandruff shampoos e) Color shampoos Factors for selecting a shampoo(Consumer point of view): Ease of application Lather Manageability Fragrance Luster Low level of irritation. Good stability. Economical. Look and feel of shampoo. Benefits offered by shampoo. Major barriers shampoo use in India are: common beliefs that shampoos contain chemicals and so it could damage hair; shampoo is viewed more as a glamour value and lack of conviction about the functional usefulness of shampoo. Until pouch packet was introduced, a large section of the market found even the price quite high and not affordable. Over the last decade or so, marketers have tried different possible experiments to expand there market penetration. Initially major players have tried to create awareness and dispel some of the myths by heavy advertizing. Among many innovative strategies like offering of shampoo for particular major of hair or special formulations, small size packs, especially introduction of sachets etc., shift from the glass bottles to plastic bottle pouch pack lowering of unit price seams to have been most effective. For instance, CavinKare introduced a 50 paise sachet of Chik shampoo, when most other shachets were sold at Rs 2. Such a lower price strategy was an instant success. HUL has also offered its 50 paise pack for Lux shampoo. The claims the 30 ml bubble pack for Clinic Plus, is a cost effective alternative for sachet users. Innovation in features: The creation of an anti dandruff shampoos was the first step. Clinic plus, a word known to every one has bought the first anti dandruff shampoo in to the market. HUL experimented with Sunsilk to make different products for normal, dry, and oily hair. PG s Head Shoulders, Menthol and Pantene Lively Clean offer distinct function benefits to the target users. This strategy enable those brands to gain volume as well as earn better margin. The company that I selected is PG (Proctor Gamble) which has the second largest market share in India. When I visited the departmental store I came across a whole rack of PG products and when I keenly observed the shampoos section there were three different brands. The first one was Head Shoulders which basically aims at solving dandruff problems, when spoken with people I came to know that most of them are suffering from dandruff problems and their choice of selecting this particular shampoo was mainly because of the availability and the trust they have in the company no wonder the company enjoys such a huge market share. This particular brand also has a pinch of conditioner features which is also a valid reason why people select this. The second brand I came across was PGs Pantene which mostly targeted at a niche market however I can confidently say that peoples choice of any shampoo is not on price, this is very dangerous to conclude but this was too evident in my study. The other observation that I made was many were hating Pantene because of the more usage of chemicals which are harmful to hair this can be profited by PG by reducing the amount of chemicals used. The demand curve of Pantene is falling in the recent years and the only reason that I found was the usage of chemicals that in turn lead to hair loss. The third brand that was a bit difficult to find was PGs brand Rejoice my study shows that not many people were opting for rejoice, in an other study Rejoice was ranked as number 1 in Asian market. The typical characteristics, which were evident, are like low price and attractive cover image. Key Strategies Absorbed: As we now that PG is late entrant into the shampoo segment so its main target was to increase its market share. During its time of entry HUL was a huge company and had maximum market share in shampoo segment, so to compete with HULs product PG released a low price shampoo product. We can see that a Price competition took place. As time went on PG increased its products category to compete heavily with HUL and this competition can be called as Non-Price competition. PG have shampoo products catering to all kinds of segments. When I visited the departmental store the products that were targeted for the niche market occupied a considerable amount of space relative to the products that cater the needs of mass market. Pantene and Head Shoulders are the products specially for the niche market and Rejoice was for the mass market. Head and Shoulder priced at Rs.62 for 100ml and for 200ml Rs.120 and Rs. 3 for single sachet which contains around 6ml. Pantene shampoo sachet price is of about Rs. 3, for 100ml pack the price is Rs. 89, for 200ml pack the price is Rs.169,for 400ml pack the price is Rs. 325. Rejoice shampoo sachet price is of about Rs. 2 and for 100ml pack the price is Rs. 33. Space allocated: Two major principles in the success of retail market are sales and profits. The sales volume and the profitability can be measured in the amount of space consumed for the particular product. Depending upon the product category the products are allocated. The amount of space is allocated based on the previous performance of the particular product. If the demand for a particular product is growing then more space is allocated product or else the space allocated is decreased. Allocating the space according to the number of sales done. Allocation of the space for the particular product differs from store to store. The characteristics of the product determine the space allocation in both quality and quantity of space. CONCULSION: My keen observations made me to comment that Pantene has high price and low demand, Head Shoulders enjoys an equilibrium price and Rejoice has a very less demand when compared to other PG products which shows that supply is also on the lower side and hence less availability of Rejoice shampoo. Being it a Oligopolistic market PG spends a lot of amount on Non Price factors to have a Non-Price competition with its main rival HUL.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The send off / Ducle et Decorum est - Compare these two poems by Essay

The send off / Ducle et Decorum est - Compare these two poems by Wilfred Owen which is both about the horrors of war. In any way you like. The send off/ Ducle et Decorum est. Compare these two poems by Wilfred Owen which is both about the horrors of war. In any way you like. Wilfred Owen is trying to tell people the way soldiers were sent off battle and who was there to show them support in of their need. Also he is showing people who were pressured into going to war and they know that they have a 5% chance or not returning back let alone in tacked with an arm missing. Death seems to be mentioned a lot in Wilfred Owen's poems for example the title of "Dulce et decorum est." in an English translation means "It is sweet and fitting to die for ones country. Throughout the poem more pictures are painted of death and funerals e.g. Dulce et Decorum est is an unglamours shocking picture at the front line. It is really making fun of the title I think that there might be a bit of irony in it. The two poems are first hand accounts of the war. Wilfred Owen is trying to tell everyone "don't go to war unless it is absolutely necessary". The two poems are showing the bitterness about war also there is a sense of shame in both of how people where sent off to die and not really care about them because it was their choice and they wanted to die for their country and in the way that the soldiers never returned the same person as when they arrived. Both of the poems are immensely sad by the way that they portrayed things like in Dulce et Decorum est. 'Bent doubles like old beggars under sacks' it is sad what war does to soldiers you don't associate soldiers like old beggars. Also in the send off 'Down the close... ...nt tongues, -- My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. All Wilfred Owens's poems seem to rhyme. The ends of the alternate lines rhyme in most all of his poems for example in "The send off" The 1st line ends in way and the 3rd in gay. This is repeated with other rhyming words all through the poem. On the 7th and 9th lines the rhyme is tramp and camp. In "Dulce et decorum est" we can see the same format of rhyming. The end of each alternate line rhymes i.e. the ends of the 1st and 3rd lines in this case sacks and backs, and the end of the 9th and 10th lines fumbling and stumbling. Do what Owen did. The pain of this piece of writing is its truth. This is something we believe the poet saw and actually experienced. Your experiences can be just as vital.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Internet Privacy :: Essays Papers

Internet Privacy The e-commerce merchant (Tanaka, 1999). Table 1 illustrates some types of information collected by websites. Table 1 Personal Information Collected Type of Information Number of Sites1 Percent1 Personal Identifying 335 92.8% Demographic 205 56.8% Personal Identifying Only 132 36.6% Demographic Only 2 .6% Both Personal Identifying & Demographic 203 56.2% None 24 6.6% 1 Number and Percentage from base of 361 surveyed websites. Source: Georgetown Internet Privacy Policy Survey: Report to Federal Trade Commission June 1999 The consumer may feel a name or address is a small price for the item or piece of information they will receive. Usually, the consumer does not understand or take the time to find out the use of the information after placement in the websites’ database. This electronic data gathering on consumers using the Internet by e-businesses creates the demand.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

What Is The Definition Of Marr :: essays research papers

What is the definition of marriage? What is marriage? In Webster’s Dictionary marriage is defined as the institution whereby men and women are joined in special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family. The definition states â€Å"a man and a woman not a man and a man†. Some people believe same gender marriages should be allowed. But right now the law doesn’t allow same gender marriages. I guess only time will tell if that law will ever change. Marriage has always been an evolving institution, bent and shaped by the historical moment and the needs and demands of its participants (Johnson 266). The Romans recognized the phenomenon we call â€Å"falling in love,† but they considered it a hindrance to the establishment of stable households (266). Marriages certified by the state had their foundations not in religion or romance but in pragmatics-e.g., the joining of socially prominent households (266). At the beg inning of the thirteenth century, facing schisms and heresies, and seeking to consolidate its power, the Catholic Church institutionalized marriage, confirming it as a sacrament and requring that a priest officiate-a crucial step in the intrusion of organized religion into what had previously been a private transaction (266). So instead of just having any person marry a couple you now have to have a priests officiate the couple. This is another issue that makes a marriage more difficult besides the gender issue. To be an official marriage a couple must have a license and the right person to perform the wedding, like a justice of the peace or a priests. Throughout the U.S. same-gender marriages are illegal. The state of Hawaii tried recently to allow these marriages. However, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Defense of Marriage Act. This act undercut Hawaii’s effort and made it practically useless. The Defense of Marriage Act permitted states not to recognize same-gender mar riages performed in other states. There is a separation between church and state in this country (Sullivan 260). Andrew Sullivan states â€Å"we are asking only that when the government gives out civil marriage licenses, those of us who are gay should be treated like anybody else† (260). Many people just don’t believe marriage should be between two people of the same sex. Throughout history marriage has always been between a man and a woman and that’s the way many want to keep it.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Major Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Nothing compares to the thrill and excitement of riding a motorcycle for me. The high excitement is unfortunately accompanied by danger too. It’s true that motorcyclists are more prone to die in accidents than those in cars. Riding a motorcycle is not like riding a â€Å"bicycle† there are many precautions to take before handling a machine like this, riding a motorcycle requires self-control and is a lot responsibility. Many people are hurt severely and killed every day by riding a motorcycle; whether the person riding is at fault or not. Riding a motorcycle is not like riding a â€Å"bicycle† there’s many precautions to take before handling a machine like this, riding a motorcycle requires self-control and is a lot responsibility. Many people are hurt severely and killed every day by riding a motorcycle; whether the person riding is at fault or not. Riding a motorcycle is not like riding a â€Å"bicycle† there are many precautions to take before handling a machine like this, riding a motorcycle requires self-control and is a lot responsibility. Many people are hurt severely and killed every day by riding a motorcycle; whether the person riding is at fault or not. An alarming increase in the number of motorcycle accidents has been recorded in recent years, this is why it is important to study and analyze the causal factors of motorcycle accidents in our country. Causal factors remain bad road conditions, speed problems, riding skills, presence of alcohol and undivided roadways. Motorcyclists usually suffer in case of bad road conditions like potholes, debris, and uneven places. Statistics shows that about 70% of the collisions are a result of this. Research indicates that the major cause of motorcycle accidents remains the failure of other motorists to recognize motorcyclists in heavy traffic or at night. High speed is a causal factor of accidents too. Speed displaces the alignment of the motorcycle, as it causes the front end to ‘wobble’. Hence, the motorcyclist loses control and collides against any stationary object or moving vehicle. Most single motorcycle accidents involved hitting a fixed object or speeding when road onditions are bad. Many states post warning signs at road construction projects telling motorcyclists to proceed with caution. Studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that speeding, aggressive driving, and driver inattention are leading causes of motorcycle accidents. Negligence on the part of the motorcyclist also leads to accidents or collisions. So does improper breaking or turning. Bad weather remains a problem or causal factor, though its influence is small in comparison. Also, According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, motorcyclists who drink alcohol then drive are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents than automobile drivers. In 2007, 28 percent of motorcyclists who died had blood alcohol levels of . 08 g/DL or higher, and a study done in L. A. found that alcohol was a factor in almost half of the accidents. Motorcyclists need to pay attention when they're riding. They further should avoid using alcohol before climbing on their bike. There are many causes of motorcycle accidents but many are avoidable. Motorcyclists should be thoroughly familiar with their bike, due to a high number of accidents among riders who had been using a bike less than five months. The transportation safety board suggests riders take an education course to familiarize themselves with motorcycle rules and regulations. Though many states do not require helmets, both studies said wearing helmets reduces the severity of head injuries, and may even save a rider's life. It is obvious that bikes are more dangerous than cars therefore we need to take more precautions and be more careful.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Latinos and other races Essay

Researchers did a study on bicycle helmet use in a rural Georgia town. They observed children riding bicycles during specified days and times over a five month period, both before and after incentive programs like free helmet distribution and bike safety education. Another â€Å"incentive† was that kids’ bicycles would be impounded if they were found riding without a helmet. Researchers canvassed the towns on Friday afternoons and most of the day Saturday, as these were determined to be the most popular riding times. They observed the riders indirectly and noted the child’s age, gender, race, and helmet use. Data was collected for children who were between the ages of 5 and 13, which are the ages that the helmet law covered. The researchers found that these measures increased helmet use from 0% to about 45%. Sampling for this study was somewhat difficult. Because the researchers were using only observation, and they did not track any individual riders or interact with them in any way, they were unable to guarantee that the riders were actually of the targeted age. This is especially true of older kids, between the ages of 10 and 13, as these kids have extremely varying sizes and presence or absence of secondary sexual characteristics, which were two of the determining factors in determining the child’s age. Sampling the older group was also difficult because not everyone in this age group actually received a helmet, since they went to a larger school that included children from another town. The results for this age group, then, are probably skewed and possibly not very valid. The town’s racial make up, too, was heavily slanted towards black children, with 75% black and 25% white children. Due to cultural differences between black and white children, researchers may need to repeat these studies in communities where racial make up is more heavily white, and communities which include Asians, Latinos, and other races. Each culture is individual and each would likely have a different reaction to the helmet laws and police enforcement. Within this community, the researchers probably should have used only the 5 – 10 years age group, as this group could be more carefully controlled. Researchers were aware that this age group, which attended elementary school, did all receive free helmets and bicycle education. They also would possibly have an easier time observing age, as size is more indicative in younger children rather than in older children. This study was somewhat valid. The researchers admit that they were unable to track individual riders, so when they had four observers canvassing the town at once, it was possible that certain riders may have been recorded several times (a possibility that the researchers themselves are aware of, but are not concerned with). Noting, as they said, â€Å"rides† instead of â€Å"riders† also is a limitation, although the researchers felt that their method of observation led to more accurate data than self-reported data via telephone or mail surveys. It is possible that the same group of children was observed multiple times during each session, and in fact overall helmet use was lower. This, too, depends on how the researchers define â€Å"rate of helmet use,† because number of rides where a helmet is used, and the number of riders who use a helmet is a different measure. Another issue with validity is that it was impossible for researchers to track how frequently individual riders wore their helmets. It is possible that some children always wore one, and other children rarely or occasionally wore one. A better measure of helmet use would have been to track individual children and to note how frequently they wore their helmets while riding their bikes. Police enforcement is another issue in this study. Every community who adopts a program of this type may choose a different kind of enforcement, or none at all. This community allowed parent citations (which were rarely used) and bike impoundment (parents had to go and pick the bike up at the police station, where they proved helmet ownership or were offered a free helmet, and they were also re-educated on bike safety). Other communities may rely more heavily on citations, or they may choose fines. Fines were not a good option for this community, as it was a rural community where a large minority lived below the poverty line. Another issue is that the police may be perceived differently in different areas. As the researchers noted, even the knowledge of police presence and enforcement was enough for many children to wear their helmets. This suggests a respect for the police force, which is common in rural areas. In other areas, especially urban, police may not be regarded so highly, and enforcement may become a larger problem. In an urban area, the sheer number of children would also possibly be prohibitive. This study was fairly reliable. Researchers followed up on the helmet use unofficially after 2 years and came up with similar results, which indicates both that helmet use was continuing and that the study was able to achieve the same results. Other studies, if they used the same observation methods, would probably also achieve similar results. This study is repeatable as written, despite its flaws. A better way to do this study would be to gather two groups of children: experimental and control. Both groups would be surveyed and observed for their helmet use at the beginning of the study, and these numbers would be compared. Then, the experimental group would be given the bicycle safety education and be offered free helmets. The second group would be told they should wear helmets but not offered extensive bicycle education or given free helmets. The researchers would then track individual riders through observation on at least a weekly basis to see how many in each group wore their helmets on a frequent basis. This would allow researchers to track â€Å"riders† instead of simply rides, and to make sure that each child was only counted once in their statistics. It would also show the effect of bicycle education and offering free helmets on helmet use. It is likely in this particular study that children only began to wear their helmets because they were offered free helmets. If they had been asked to go and buy helmets, cost would likely have been prohibitive in a rural, low socio-economic area. Therefore, providing the helmets was a key point in the plan. It may be interesting to do a study where children are provided with bicycle education and a list of resources on where to purchase helmets, but not actually provided with them. This study would best be done in a suburban area where the socio-economic status was higher, and would show the effect of bicycle education and possibly police enforcement on helmet use. Since further studies are possible and needed, and since the researchers themselves are aware of the study’s limitations, it would be prudent not to extend these results to all communities and situations. The study is ideal for the researchers’ purposes but has a highly limited scope. Overall, this research is very interesting. Regardless of the study’s limitations, introducing bike safety and helmets into the community resulted in statistically significant increases in helmet use, which purportedly resulted in fewer bike-related injuries and deaths. This is a step in the right direction, and although more research and more community programs are needed to both increase helmet use and decrease injuries, this study shows that programs are effective and change is possible.

Comparisons Between Araby and A&P Essay

Araby is a story about a young boy who has an intense attraction to this girl. He goes out of his way to watch her every morning, and eventually talks to her. She says how she wants to go to the bazaar but cannot due to the fact that she’s going away on some church related trip. He wants nothing more than to impress this girl so he offers to travel to the bazaar himself and get her something. His uncle is late returning home on the day the boy is to go shop, so the boy ends up having to pay more to get into the bazaar. After looking around for a while, a lady that works there asks if he is interested in anything, and he responds saying no. As he turns to leave, the bazaar is beginning to close for the night, the light shuts off on him as he walks back to return home. A&P is a story about a boy names Sammie who works in a supermarket. In this story Sammie is telling the readers what he sees with an elaborate devotion to detail. One day while he is working, three girls walk in with swimsuits on. He is shown to have some sort of instant attraction to one of the girls. He sees the most attractive girl to be the leader of the three nicknaming her â€Å"Queenie†, and while he goes in to detail of how beautiful her features are, he tells of how her â€Å"followers† were chubby and unattractive. When Sammie’s manager spots the girls, he scolds them about their attire. Sammie wanting to come to the rescue of the girls quits. His manager is a friend of his parents and tells him he is making a mistake, but Sammie doesn’t care. He walks out the store hoping to see â€Å"his† girls, but when they are nowhere in sight he realizes he’s made a mistake that was foolish. In these stories Araby by James Joyce and A&P by John Updike, there are many similarities and at the same time, these stories contain many differences. One of the many similarities between these two stories is that both these boys are seriously intrigued with someone of the opposite sex. While they go in to detail on the appearance of the girls they are interested in, they never give a name. This can be seen as the boys being obsessed with the female species. Another trait these boys share would have to be that they will go out of their way to impress these girls. The boy in Araby offers to go to the bazaar to spend his own money and purchase her a gift. Sammie tries to impress the girls by quitting his job. He feels as if he is defending their honor. Another similarity between these two boys is they failed in impressing the girls in their stories. Sammie quits then goes outside to look for the three girls that he quit for, but they were nowhere in sight. After discovering that they are not outside he feels regret, not only for quitting his job and not impressing the girls like he intended to do, but because he let his manager and parents down, and realized how foolish and rash his decision was. The boy in the Araby story felt foolish after he went out his way to go to the bazaar for this girl, and ended up paying just to leave empty-handed. When the lights turned off on him as he was walking out made it seem as if he was taking a walk of shame. He felt unwise because he was blinded by beauty and wasn’t using his brain. Just as there similarities, there are differences between the two stories Araby and A&P. One difference between the two stories is that in A&P when religion was spoken about it was mentioned briefly. In Araby, religion was mentioned a lot, and whenever it was mentioned it was usually in a negative way. In A&P Sammie mentions how his manager works in the church and has many jobs. In Araby the first time they mention religion, they mention the death of the boy’s family’s tenant, who was a priest. Another difference between these stories is that the boy in Araby only described the girl as being a beautiful object, while Sammie made the girl in his story seem more like a sexual object. Sammie made observations on how her top strap would hang off her shoulder, making her look naked from the neck down to her shoulder. The boy in Araby made comments on how graceful the girl in his story’s hair was.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Describe Dispositional and Situational Factors in Explaining Behavior Essay

Describe the role of situational and dispositional factors in explaining behavior Both situation and dispositional factors play a significant role in people explaining behavior. (in that they guide the judgment on both our actions and people’s actions. ) Attribution theory, known as how people interpret and explain behavior in the social world, is closely related to these two factors. People tend to attribute behavior depending on their roles as actors or observers, known as the actor-observer effect. Milgram’s study (1963) investigated the role of situation and dispositional factors in participants explaining their own behavior. Nine out of twelve participants completed the task under the researcher’s authoritative guidance. The participants considered the task unethical so they attributed their negative behavior to the researcher’s guidance instead of the dispositional factor, such as their personality. When people explain their own behavior, they tend to attribute it to situation factors such as the interference from the authority. Zimbardo et al (1973) conducted an experiment in Stanford’s prison to investigate the role of actor-observer effect. Participants were assigned with either the role of prisoners or the role of guards. In the experiment, both the guards and prisoners were very dedicated into their acting roles. Most of the prisoners obeyed the guards because the guards imposed violent behavior to the prisoners. It is found that the prisoners believed and attributed the guard’s violent behavior to the guard’s dispositional factor. When people observe other’s behavior, they usually attribute it to dispositional factor such as personality. Therefore, with the knowledge of the prison as a simulation, the prisoners still obeyed the guards like they were real guards who always acted violently. People usually attribute their behavior to situational factors when they perform the behavior. Whereas, people attribute others’ behavior to dispositional factor when they are the observers.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Being a Change Agent

This paper will outline the concept of change agent. It will give us a brief description of what a change agent is. It will discuss the concept in detail further. In the first few pages, we discuss what basically a change agent is and what are the theories and concepts behind it. Later on, we discuss change agents with reference to the procurement process. The role that change agents play in the business environment has become very important in the past few years. Companies adopt and adapt to change often and to help them initiate the process and implement it completely we have change agents.Introduction A change agent is someone who can change an individual’s or organization’s ability and enable them to achieve higher levels of outcome and help them move up the needs hierarchy. (Stevenson, 2008) A change agent is, â€Å"a person who leads a change project or business-wide initiative by defining, researching, planning, building business support and carefully selecting volunteers to be part of a change team. Change Agents must have the conviction to state the facts based on data, even if the consequences are associated with unpleasantness. † (Six Sigma Dictionary, 2003)A change agent has to see the future and over look the present because if he starts to think of the present then he will not be able to bring about the changes that he wants. The vision leads the agent to act a certain way and perform certain activities and functions. Bringing about a change is not simple; it requires a lot of hard work. Hard work is not the only thing that can initiate and implement the change, the agent needs to be passionate about the change and believe in the vision. His passion will ultimately lead the others around him to be passionate and the change to be successful. (Stevenson, 2008)As we all know that motivation is one of the key factors for anything to be successful. Nobody else can motivate the change agent, he needs to motivate himself. He needs to be strong individual who can overlook the comments of others and be misunderstood and not appreciated and still do his job. Most important of all these things is that the change agent needs to be able to understand people and their needs. Without the people it is impossible for the change to be successful, the change agent should not forget them in the process of bringing about a change, because otherwise the change will be useless. (Stevenson, 2008)In today’s world change agents are a common phenomenon, businesses frequently have to redesign business operations to stay up-to-date and enhance their position in the business world by having a comparative advantage, the latest technology and business process. To enable this to happen in their company, the management hires change agents. The change agent analyzes the company and its operations and then develops a vision as to where he wants to see the company. Then he sees what the basic requirements for the change are, training for the employees, re-layering for the organization, new system, investment and many other things. (Hugos, 2008)Once all this has been established, the change process starts, the time period can vary according to the type of change and the extent to which the change is taking place within the organization. During this time period, the change agent interacts with all the people and helps them adapt to the new system and overcome any problems that they might be facing. Once the system has been implemented, the change agent also judges the successful rate of the change. If there has been a productivity increase and a generally better environment than the change has been successful otherwise another theory or method may have to be used for the change.(Hugos, 2008) People resist change, they do not like it when outsiders come and change something in their territory. They feel uncomfortable as the environment changes because they had become used to the previous environment and even thoug h it had some shortcomings, it was their haven. That is why change agents are treated badly and are not liked by the employees of the organization because they think he will change their territory which will change the way things are done and maybe the layout of the office. The change agent will enter their comfort zone and distort it. (Hugos, 2008)The first thing that the change agent needs to do is to get to know the people around him and especially those that are involved in the change process. The agent needs to talk to them and see what they want. He needs to make sure that these employees are comfortable around him and understand the change process and are willing to support him. The best way to get to know the employees and get them to talk to you is to get down working with them. The second thing that the change agent needs to do is take the information he finds during this time very seriously. Things he will learn here are the basic reasons for the change.This information w ill help in developing the vision later. The third and last thing that will happen and will be consequence of the first two steps will be that the employees will start to trust the agent and will open up to him. (Hugos, 2008) Up till now we have talked about how change agents need to maintain a relationship with the target group. We will now discuss who the target groups are. The target groups are the people on which the change will be implemented. In these include, the employees whose attitude, feelings, beliefs, values, and perceptions might need to be changed.Then there are groups or organizations, whose size, composition, structure of authority, hierarchies, communication styles and channels, and many other things may need to be changed. Another category is the community, in which change might be needed within the inter-group relations that exist on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, class, religion etc. and finally there is the society as a whole. Change in the society will be on a very large scale, such as globalization, urbanization, modernization, a change in policies and international relations, the environment, agriculture, education and much more. (Hugos, 2008)The categories of change agents are the directors of a company, administrators, political parties or supporters, the financial backers, volunteers, employees, technical and professional people such as lawyers, sociologists, scientists etc. the types of change strategy that the change agent will adopt will depend on the situation and the type of change that is required, in some ways it will also depend on the relationship between the agent and the target of change. (Hugos, 2008) Change Strategies Then type of change that is needed and the way the change will be implemented is known as the change strategy.There are four strategies that a change agent can follow: empirical-rational strategies, normative/re-educative strategies, power/coercive strategies, and environmental-adaptive strategy. (U NCW, 2008) The empirical-rational strategy is used when the relationship between the target and the agent is unequal on some levels but on the other levels the inequality does not exist. This strategy is used so that the inequality can be reversed. The strategy is most effective when the targets of change are individuals and not groups and organizations.The aim of this strategy is to provide the targets with the information; it assumes that the targets are rational beings that can use this information to gain knowledge and make the best decision possible from the information that is available to them. (UNCW, 2008) The normative/re-educative strategy is used when the agent wants to convince the target. It is not a battle or a debate where the agent wants to defeat the target but the agent wants the target to understand his point of view and finally agree with him. In this strategy the target is brought face to face with the changed ideas and views.They are persuaded to adopt these ne w values and internalize them so that they become part of the group and are something that the group does unconsciously. To make people believe and accept these values, the emotional and the rational appeal are used. They can either be convinced with scientific facts and figured or can be convinced emotionally. The targets of such a strategy are organizations, groups and the communities. (UNCW, 2008) The third strategy is the power/coercive strategy. This strategy will only work when the target is dependent on the agent such as in the case of children.In this strategy there is the use of power, money and authority. The targets may be bribed to follow the change or otherwise face the consequences. The authority in this case may or may not be legitimate. The agents in this case want to be ahead of the target and want to defeat them. It can also be that the agents may be oppressed by the target and will eventually revolt against the target, there have been such cases in history but the y have been on a very large scale, for example; the French Revolution. (UNCW, 2008) The fourth strategy of change is the environmental-adaptive strategy.In this strategy the people are not immediately transferred into the new environment, it is a gradual process. The new organization is created and the employees are made to go through a transition phase. In this the targets will be upset with the change but will quickly adapt to the new environment. (Nickols, 2006) The Change Process The way the change is brought about or the processes that the change is brought about in are known as the change process and there are a few methods for doing this. Each will be discussed individually in the following paragraphs. The basic process of change is the unfreezing, changing and refreezing process.The things that need to be changed will be unlearnt by the employees; they will then learn the new way of doing things or can come up with their own way of doing the job. The best method will then be learned by all the employees. The method will then be refrozen, by learning it. Another process of change is by solving a problem and finding a problem. The thing that needs to be changed is referred to as the problem. The change agent needs to move the target from the state of problem to the solved state. This has to be done in an orderly and disciplined fashion. When this is achieved the problem is solved.This is basically known as the planned change model. (Nickols, 2006) When the change agent is trying to solve the problem he is basically looking for the solution thus, the problem solving part comes when a course of action is looked for to solve the problem. The problem finding part is when the action or thing that needs changing is being found. In this the change agent is finding the thing that is causing the problem and that which will eventually need to be changed. Thus, the problem is first found and then solved in a systematic manner. Some questions need to be answered abo ut the problem.The first thing that needs to be understood is that how the problem has occurred so that such situations can be avoided in the future. (Nickols, 2006) Another thing that needs to be analyzed is that what has caused the problem, so that that can also be solved. The problem has occurred because of a reason and that reason needs to be found and analyzed. There must be something that is lacking in the current situation, and to solve the problem the change agent needs to know these things so that in the solved situation these things are not present. (Nickols, 2006) ConclusionA change agent does not require a specialized set of skills, there is no professional degree needed to be a change agent. There are only a few things that an individual needs to be aware of and know how to manipulate. He needs to be aware of the people around him, but this he needs to limit. If he becomes too aware it can hinder his job or if he completely not aware then he will not be able to implemen t the change successfully. A change agent needs to know what the situation is and after careful analysis he should be able to solve it in his mind before actually solving it in real life because otherwise it might just end up as a disaster.One thing we can conclude from the paper is that the process of forming a relationship with the target is of extreme importance and that without the support of the people involved the change agent cannot achieve his goal. The whole process of will be useless. References 1. Dennis Stevenson (2008). What is a Change Agent? Retrieved on August 24, 2008, http://it. toolbox. com/blogs/original-thinking/what-is-a-change-agent-23764 2. Fred Nickols (2006). Change Management 101: A Primer, Retrieved on August 24, 2008, http://home.att. net/~nickols/change. htm 3. Mike Hugos (2008). How to become a Change Agent, Retrieved on August 24, 2008, http://www. cio. com/article/13091/How_to_Become_a_Change_Agent? page=3 4. Six Sigma Dictionary (2003). Change Agent , Retrieved on August 24, 2008, http://www. isixsigma. com/dictionary/Change_Agent-393. htm 5. University of New Carolina Wilmington (2008). Social Change Strategies. Retrieved on August 24, 2008, http://people. uncw. edu/pricej/teaching/socialchange/Social%20Change%20Strategies. htm

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Employment and contract law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Employment and contract law - Assignment Example There are several problems in the theory of contracts and various limitations. A contract can be formed only if the promisor intends to take the legal obligation. Any contract which fails to explain its legal binding is not enforceable. The main aim of contract law is to safeguard the reasonable expectations if the promise is made in the condition when the promiser has indulged the promisee to believe that it is legal obligation. A formal legal formality involves the evidence of agreement or promise, the cautionary measure and if the promise is required to make oral promise it should be made clear to understand the seriousness of the obligation undertaken. The written contract documents also show formal agreement which have legal consequences. It shows the evidence of the intention of parties, which are involved in the contract. The research in 2007 on unfair trade practices and consumers found that consumer may or may not have a link between signed contract for the product or servic e and consciously entering into a contract3. Employment Law and Contract Charlie Totara of Green Island Enviro-Tours Ltd (GIETL) is planning to hire casual employees. The rule governing individual employment agreements, over the groups of staff fall under a specific category and are legally obliged under the Employment Relations Act 20004. The employment relation Act 2000 requires the agreements to be mentioned in writing and the agreement are essential for every business. The employers run the risk of getting into problem in case of disputes. The rights of employee and employer are protected by the law. If the employee is mistreated by the employee, or the employee misuses company’s properties, the agreement can be used to address the issue. The employee relation act states nine points are significant in individual employment agreement - 1. The name of employee and employer 2. The description of work 3. The location 4. The time of work 5. The salary 6. The explanation of ser vices which will be used to resolve problems 7. The payment term for holidays 8. The redundancy process 9. In case 90 day trial period is used, the statement should be included, which declares the procedure of dismissal. Individual Employment Agreement between an Employer and an Employee Individual Employment Agreement between an Employer and an Employee 1 The Parties 1.1 Individual Employment Agreement The parties to this employment agreement are: 1. GIETL, the "Employer"; and 2. Insert employee's name, the "Employee". 2 The Position and the Duties 2.1 Position The Employee is being employed as Tour guides and assistant. 2.2 Duties as set out in the job description The Employee shall perform the duties set out in the Job Description attached to this agreement. 1. Guiding tourists 2. Communicating with the tourists These duties may be modified and updated by the Employer from time to time following agreement with the Employee. The Employee also agrees to perform all other reasonable duties and comply with reasonable instructions issued by the Employer. 3 Nature and Term of the Agreement 3.1 Casual Individual Employment Agreement (Intermittent) This Employment Agreement is an individual employment agreement entered into under the Employment Relations Act 2000. The parties to this agreement agree that the nature of the relationship is a casual "as required" employment relatio