Culture and organisation (HR related) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Culture and organisation (HR related) - Essay Example Hagan (1996) postulates that globalization has not only altered the nature and the intensity of competition but has had to dictate and shape organizations in terms of what consumers wants, how and when they want it and what they are prepared to pay for it (Hagan 1996:1). Arguing in the same light, Kanter (1995:71) on his work of "Mastering Change" stipulated that success in the present day business is not for those companies trying to re-engineer the way they do things, or for those fixing the past (Kanter 1995). To the researcher, trying to fix the past will not be an adequate response. Kanter rather argues that, success is based on an organisation's ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). Today, it has become quite eminent that, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). For example, the much sing song conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien:1). This paper examines the human resources challenges and cultural problems Mitsubishi Corporation currently face in the light of the global financial crisis. The paper is divided into four sections. Section one of the paper provides a brief overview of the activities of Mitsubishi Corporation. Section two of the report discusses the central issues to be addressed in this report. Section three presents the central problem and issues, while the last section of the paper suggested applicable solutions and improvement based on the problems identified in the first section. This section also presents pertinent recommendation and a way forward for Mitsubishi Corporation. 1.1 Overview of Mitsubishi Corporation Activities Mitsubishi Corporation is a Japanese based general trading Company with over 200 bases of operations in about 80 countries (Report 2008). According to the company's Report (2008), it activities are diverse and can be classified under seven business groups; industrial finance, logistics and development group, energy and business group; metals group; Machinery group, Chemical group and Living essentials group company (Report 2008). 2.0 Justification and Theoretical Framework to conduct this study According to Dwyer & Kemp (2000), organizational culture is a tool in the management strategic armory which appears to be invisible yet it influences "why" "how" "what" and "when" things are done in an organization (Dwyer & Kemp 2000) in other words "it is the way things are being done here" (Johnson 1992:28, Johnson & Scholes 1997:66). It has been argued by Dwyer & Kemp (2000) that most traditional approach to organisational strategy ignores an important and powerful

Advertising and marketing communications Assignment

Advertising and marketing communications - Assignment Example This paper explores the potentiality of the different medium of advertising sought after a critical reading of the lecture series to incorporate the learning theories in practice on Public Health Campaign promoting HEALTHY EATING. Here we consider various theoretical issues for understanding marketing communications such as integrated marketing communications, the communication process, the communication environment and ethics. Further, we consider different marketing communication channels and apply our theoretical understanding of communications to examine their effectiveness. The present problem being children related, there is special references in pediatric suggestions suppose to reflect in periodicals. The in box materials suggest the substantial literature while the Strategic Steps are drawn on how to carry out this campaign.Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other mammals associated with certain health conditio ns or increased mortality. Although obesity is an individual clinical condition, it needs to show concern as a serious and growing public health problem: excessive body weight has been shown to predispose to various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. CHILDHOOD OBESITY is a medical condition that affects children. Characteristically it delves a weight well above the mean for their height and age and a body mass index well above the norm. Childhood obesity has become an "epidemic" in Western countries, in particular, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Over 15% of American children are currently under the curse to be obese, and the number is growing. Strategic step 1: INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Communication has always provided the symbolic resources and medium for the construction of identity. We are now more sensitive to the way that the growth of commercial symbols such as brands has added richness to the choice of symbols we might use to build and communicate identities and ideas. Integrating marketing communications is not straightforward, for this includes non-integrated management of communications, different types of language and mindset for different types of promotional activities and the complex nature of many organizations. Marketers need to write messages, transmit those messages and those messages, to a greater or lesser degree, and have the intended effect on the readers and viewers. OBESITY: THE CAUSES WITHOUT BLAMING THE GENES Acquired Childhood obesity results from poor eating habits, as well as genetic and hormonal causes. Fast food restaurants and junk food are popular with children. Even frequent eating out often results in weight gain. Children who do not engage in frequent physical activity are much more likely to suffer from obesity. This is due to the recent technological developments, including video games, computers, and mobile phones. Physically inactive children are unable to burn off the calories that they gain from eating. Do you agree Send your comments. Psychological factors These factors influence a child's eating habits and many children eat in response to stress and or negative emotions such as boredom, anger, sadness, anxiety or depression. Do you agree Write your problem to us. Hereditary Many might think obesity could be hereditary. Mostly obesity occurs by shared unhealthy eating habits in the household, it has been suggested that there may be a genetic reason for obesity. However, recent studies have shown that while there is evidence of in vitro influences on food choice, perhaps the largest influence can occur during the toddler years. Indeed, recent studies have shown that parents influence an estimated 72% of what and how much their

The Concept Of Pricing

The Concept Of Pricing This module introduces the concept of pricing and discusses its importance and significance to organisations. With a view to the relative significance of pricing on organisations profits and sales, appropriate pricing policies needs to be formulated strategically. The various pricing decisions that organisations need to make are price setting, adapting price and managing price change which is dealt in this module. Pricing Strategies Introduction This lesson discusses pricing and its importance to organisations and the various factors to be considered while formulating pricing policies: Define the concept of price Explain the factors influencing pricing decisions. Discuss the process of price setting. Explain how organisations adapt prices. Discuss the price change management policies adopted by organisations. Understanding pricing Price is the amount of money at which a product or service is offered in the market. It is the exchange rate of a product or service in terms of its monetary value. Pricing is an important decision area for an organisation. The pricing and sales volume of the product put together determines the profit for an organisation. The sales volume itself depends on the type of pricing policy adopted by the organisation. Profits too are dependent on the pricing policies. Hence organisations have to formulate pricing policies strategically. Pricing also determines the acceptance of the product in the market, one can say that it determines the products future success in the market. IKEA pricing strategy is to provide quality products at low prices to its customers. Internet advertising through Google ads, Pricing is an important aspect not only for the organization producing the product, but also for the consumers as well as the society. Price represents the value of the market offering to the consumers, it also indicates the quality of the product. Increase in price could be perceived favourably by the consumers by interpreting it as a consequence of improvement of quality. (for reference only) The factors affecting pricing policies of an organisation are: Internal Factors While making pricing policies, marketers need to take into account several factors which are the result of company decisions and actions. To a great extent these factors are controllable and alterable by the company. Internal factors are as follows: Objectives of the organisation Positioning sought by organisation through pricing Nature of product Price elasticity of the product The stage of Product life cycle of the product Usage and repurchase level of the product Cost of production Product distinctiveness and positioning Other ps of the marketing mix and their influence on the pricing Composition of product line of the firm External Factors There are a number of influencing factors which are external to the firm and cannot be controlled by the firm but will impact pricing decisions. External factors are as follows: Market structure Consumer behavior Bargaining power of consumer groups Bargaining power of major suppliers Competitors policies Government controls/regulations Other legal aspects Social considerations cartels Setting the Price The organisation has to think over several factors while setting its pricing policy. The process of setting the price is as follows: Deciding the pricing objectives: The organisation has to first of all analyse its position of offering in the market. If the organisational objectives are clearly set, setting price becomes easier. The major objectives that organisations look to pursue through pricing policy are sustenance, profit maximization, market share maximization, market skimming and quality leadership. Organisations would adopt sustenance policy, if there is too much competition and changing in trends due to changes in customer taste and preferences. Here the organisation would generally be looking to cover some variable and fixed cost of production and a marginal profit. This kind of policy is useful only in the short run, in the long run firms would have to add value to its offer or face extinction. Setting the pricing policy : (for reference only) In case the organisational objective of the firm is profit maximization, the firm will then choose that price which will give it maximum profits, cash flow or maximum rate of return on investments. For such a strategy the firm has also to take demand situation into consideration. In case where the main objective of the organisation is market share maximisation, they would generally set a low price so that market can be penetrated easily. Low pricing or penetration pricing policy is applicable in the following situations: Consumers are price sensitive There is possibility of market penetration with the help of low prices Production and distribution cost fall with higher production level and experience Competition is discouraged due to the low prices in the market Skimming price is adopted by firms to gain higher profits in the short run and is applicable in the following situations: High demand exists in the market due to product being a pioneer product Not much competition exists in the market Consumer perception is that, high price indicates quality (for reference only) Determining demand: The different prices set by organisations will lead to difference in demand for the product in the market. The demand curve shows the different quantities demanded by customers at varying prices. Universally, as demand and price of the products are inversely related, according to the law of demand at a higher price lesser the quantity demanded and at lower price higher the quantity demanded. Only in exceptional cases it can be seen that with increase in price of product, demand too increased, especially seen in cases of prestige goods such as perfumes, diamonds etc. (Fig 1.1 Demand Curve) (For reference) Figure 1.1, in the first case shows elastic demand and the second case it shows inelastic demand. Price Sensitivity: The demand curve shows the markets sensitivity to the changes in prices of the product. It shows the response of customers to changes in prices. Generally customers are more price sensitive to products that cost much such as speciality goods and those goods which are frequently such as staple goods. They are less price sensitive to goods which are brought infrequently or such products, the cost of which is insignificant to the customer. Products which would have less price sensitivity are: Distinctive products Where there very few substitutes to the products or customers are not aware of substitute products Quality comparison of substitute products are not easy The price of product is insignificant to the consumers income It is a complementary good to an earlier purchase The product is assumed to be of higher quality, prestige. It is not possible to store the product. The advent of internet has led to an increased price sensitivity in the society. Internet has made it possible for people to compare prices instantly and go for the lowest prices available. Firms have to understand the price sensitivity of their target market and accordingly formulate pricing policies. Demand estimation and forecasting is an important function to be carried out by organisations for determining the demand for their products. There are various methods that can be used to arrive at demand estimation and forecast. Where different variables of the price are identified statistical analysis can be undertaken, data for these variables collected and then analysis is done by using various statistical methods to arrive at the demand forecast. Experimentation method is another way in which demand can be estimated at various price levels. Here the prices of the products are charged differently in different markets or in the same market different prices are introduced at different times and then the result is analysed to arrive at the demand. Another method is doing customer surveys and interview to gauge the customers response to varying prices. Price elasticity of demand: Elasticity of demand is to extend the responsiveness of demand to the different prices charged. The marketer needs to have an idea of how responsive the market demands are, to various prices set by the firm. If with the change in price the demand for the product changes substantially then we can say that the demand is elastic to price. If with a change in price there in very less or no change in the demand for the product the demand would be said to be inelastic. Demand would usually be less or inelastic in the following situations: There is no competition or substitute products in the market Habits Necessity goods Where the price of product is small or insignificant to the consumer Price elasticity depends on the degree of change in prices. Elasticity would be less in case of low level price change and would be more if the price change is significant. For example consumer durables like television and washing machines, with a slight increase in their prices the demand for these product would not fall significantly but with a substantial increase in their prices the demand can come down considerably. If price elasticity differs according to the time period under consideration, in the short run the elasticity would be different than in the long run. This happens because in the short run certain determinants remain static which can be varied in the long run. For example Habits of people can be changed in the long run, competitive scenario can change in the long run. Cost estimation: Pricing policies of firms significantly depends on the cost of production and other related costs incurred by the organisation for offering the product in the market. Firms generally would charge a price which covers the production cost as well as a fair profit for the firms effort and risk. There are different types of cost related to production of a product : Fixed cost which are fixed in nature and do not vary with the level of production or sales. For example rent, interest on capital invested etc. Variable cost vary directly with the level of production of the firm. For example wages, power consumption etc. Total cost can be said as the sum total of the fixed and variable costs for the total production level. Average Cost: can be said as the total cost divided by the total number of units produced. The firm would want to charge at least a price which would cover the total production cost. To develop adequate pricing policies the management needs to know how cost varies with different levels of production. Cost of production would also change according to its production scale and experience. Over the period of time, the experience gained by organisation leads in making more effective and production scheduling policies leading to lower costs. As well as with the expansion of plant and machinery, i.e large scale production helps organisations to lessen the cost of production considerably. Organisations now a days try to adapt their offering as per the requirements of different buyers. A manufacturer may set different terms and prices for different retail chains according to their requirements. Certain retailer may not want to stock too much inventory of a particular product, in that case the delivery that has to be made to this retailer would be much frequent. On the other hand a retailer who has the stocking facility may want deliveries less frequently, accordingly the pricing and profit levels of the manufacturer would differ too. Some companies adopt target pricing, here first of all through market survey the firm arrives at the product features and design. The next step would be to determine at what price the product will be sold. On the basis of the price, a percentage is deducted as profits and the rest would be the cost of production. Hence the organisation has arrived at the cost at which production should happen and that is the target cost at which production should happen. Competitors pricing policies analysis : Competitors policies have significant effect on the firms own policies and strategies. The firm has to have a good knowledge of the competitors policies and their possible response to the firms pricing policies. In case the firm is offering product features which are exclusive and not provided by its competitors then their price should be set accordingly. If competitor provides additional features then their worth to the customers should be evaluated and subtracted from firms price. Selecting a pricing method : The various pricing methods that organisations can use as follows : Mark up Pricing : The most widely used pricing technique is to add a standard mark up to the products cost. Mark up is expressed in terms of percentage. Here, either the cost price or the sale price is taken as the base for determination of the mark up. Eg. Cost price of travel bag Rupees 2000 Mark up Rupees 400 Therefore selling price Rupees 2400 Mark up based on cost price = 500/2000 = 25% Mark up based on Selling price = 500/2400= 20.8% Mark up pricing: Example : Shopkeeper buys goods for Rupees 300/- at a wholesale rate. His cost based mark-up is 25%. Hence sale mark-up price = 100-30 = 75% or 0.75%. Therefore sales price = 300/ 0.75 = 400 While determining any pricing policy current demand, value of product perceived by customers, competition existing in the market has to be considered. Mark up price would only be useful if it brings in expected sales. Mark up price is quite is popular due to the following reasons : Determining cost is quite easy than estimating demand It is a much simpler way of pricing If all firms in industry use this pricing policy then price would be similar, leading to less intense price competition. It is believed that cost pricing is fair for both customers and producers, where customers are not exploited and producers get a fair enough return. Rate on return pricing The price is determined on the basis of a planned rate of return on investment made by the organisation. The total cost of one financial years standard production is estimated and taken as the standard cost. The mark up percentage of profit is obtained by multiplying capital turnover by estimated rate of return. Perceived value pricing : Here the valuation of the product is done on the basis of how much the customers are willing to pay, instead of considering the production and related costs. (for reference) Value pricing : Here the firm charges a fairly lower price for high quality products thereby winning loyal customer. Tesco, UK is one of the largest retailers in UK. Tescos key competence is its pricing policy. It keep its product prices low so that sales can be maximised. Lot many customers were attracted to its products due to its value added low priced products. Tesco launched the unbeatable value campaign in the 1996, it made massive reductions in its prices during this campaign. Tesco adopted a low daily low price strategy alongside its promotional programs. This stragegy stressed on regularising low prices for its customers on a regular and daily basis. Going rate Prices : Going rate pricing emphasises on market conditions. The firm adjusts its own pricing policy to the price structure existing at the industry level. This kind of pricing is usually seen in oligopolistic market structure, where the prices are mutually decided by the firms. Also in cases where costs are difficult to be determined, firms tend to follow the going rate price because it reflects the entire industries price rate. Examples would be petroleum and oil. Auction pricing or price bidding: This type of pricing methods has emerged in the recent years especially due to the growth of Internet. These kind of pricing strategy is mostly seen in electronic goods market, selling a diverse range of products and services by auctioning them through the bidding process. The important function of auction is to dispose of excess products existing with the firm. There are three major auction type pricing. These types are: Ascending bids, (English auctions) : One seller and many buyers. The seller puts up the product or auction and the buyers bid prices, the highest price is accepted. Descending bids (Dutch auctions) : One seller and many buyers or one buyer and many sellers. In this kind of auction the buyer quotes a higher price and then decreases it gradually till a bidder accepts the price. In the other case the buyers lets know his intention to buy a particular product and then the sellers bids the prices by offering lower prices. Sealed bid auctions: Here the suppliers can submit only one bid and do not know about other bids. From the submitted bids the most feasible bid is selected (for reference only) While selecting the final price, additional factors has to be considered by the firm such as : Psychological pricing : Psychological pricing a marketing practice which is based on the theory that certain kind of prices have psychological influence on customers minds. The prices are expressed as odd prices: e.g. Rs. 299.00 or Rs. 499.00. Gain and Risk sharing pricing : This type of pricing is used for pricing complex, high valued products or services. Many times buyers refrain from accepting sellers proposal due to the high risk if the promised value is not delivered. In order to provide some form of risk sharing or price protection as new drugs are adopted into formularies biopharma companies and payers are entering into agreements. Onyx/Bayers Nexavar (sorafenib) and Pfizers Sutent (sunitinib malate) both anti-cancer drugs; Novartis Aclasta (zoledronic acid), and Sanofi-Aventis/Procter Gambles Actonel (risedronate sodium), both osteoporosis drugs are some of the best known drugs. In Germany,Italy and the US, manufacturers have agreed to provide drugs free of charge if no progress is seen after the first treatment, or to recompense health plans, say for instance if bone fractures occur despite the osteoporosis therapy. While setting the final price, firm has also to consider the brand quality, advertising, company pricing policies. Firms also need to consider the distributors and agents, sales persons, competitors, suppliers response to the prices of the product. Finally, firms also need to consider the legal implications while setting their prices. Adapting the price : Organisations generally set different prices according to variations in geographical demand and costs, market segment requirements, purchase time period, order levels, frequency of delivery, guarantees and various other factors. Various price adaptation strategies are as follows: Geographical pricing: It involves the pricing of products to different customers in different locations and countries. Taking into consideration the transportation costs example shipping / cargo costs for distant customers. Also the firm needs to lower the prices of its product/s from sales promotion point of view to retain or expand its business. Considering the export of products to countries abroad where the payment from buyer becomes crucial, should he lack payment he may offer other items. This practice also recognised as countertrade. Countertrade accounts approximately up to 25 percent of current world trade. Usually this trading is done as Buyback agreements, Barter, offset and Compensation deals. Countertrade deals may become complex for example an A company in Europe sells 50 yachts to Turkey and accepts in exchange 150 Turkish made cars, which it sold to Pakistan for Rice, which in turn sold to America and achieved payment in dollars . Such deals are carried by a separate department within the organisation. Other companies may depend on barter houses or countertrade specialists. Most companies give discounts and allowances in order to receive early payments on volume purchases and off-season buying. This may lead to decreased profits, hence an assumptive price of the products needs to be worked out with planning. Marketing researchers have found that up to 35 percent of buyers in most categories are price sensitive. Higher income people are more interested in buying products with added features, customer service, quality and brand. Hence its essential for a strong brand not to get into price discounting in order to react to low price attacks. A company can gain some concessions, if a customer agrees to sign a contract for a bulk years example 3-5 years or if an order is placed in a larger quantity or if an order is placed online thus saving the company money. It is necessary to maintain and monitor all records regarding discounts such as the quantity of customers receiving discount and average discount, etc. It is essential for higher levels of management to conduct a net price analysis in order to get the real price offered. However the realised price is affected not only by discounts, also but by firms average promotional spendings, advertising spendings to retailers to back the product, thus the listed price of the product and so for the net price of the product are two ends of the same thread with couple of other expenses in between. However companies in an overcapacity tend to offer their branded products at a deep discounted rate. Firms should avoid offering discounts to retailers in the long term which in turn would decrease theirs profits in an effort to meet short term volume goals. In order to stimulate early purchase of a product firms can use several pricing techniques. Examples could be found where branded products are offered at a discounted price in order to stimulate extra purchases of other store products. This pays only if the revenue is generated by selling other products in proportion to the lower margins on the loss -leader product. In certain seasons and occasions of festive periods example every June there are back -to-back school sales and during Diwali, Christmas and New Year special prices will be established on products. In order to clear inventories without affecting the listed price, auto companies and other consumer goods companies offer cash rebates to help purchase of products during a certain period. Some auto companies offer the product with an attractive finance scheme such as zero interest rate or in case of consumer durable goods buy now and start paying after six or nine months instead of cutting its price. Equated monthly instalments may be stretched over a longer period in order to lower them, here the consumer focus is on affording to pay back in instalments rather the rate of interest. This can be in cases of auto companies and consumer durable goods etc. Often auto companies offer an attractive warranty and servicing contract in order to promote their sales. Many a times products price is listed at an artificially high price and then offered with a discount .This creates a psychological discounting in minds of consumers that they have purchased the product at a considerably lower price and have gained but in fact havent. Often in order to accommodate differences in customers, products, locations, etc firms adjust their basic price. Thus price differentiation arises where a product is sold at two or more prices without any proportional difference in costs. Customers are charged depending on their intensity of demand. Buyers would be charged at a lower rate depending on the volume of buying. In case of Museums or places of historic importance there is lower admission fee to children, foreigners, etc. A firm charges 30 Rs for adding 150 gms sugar in a Rasgulla tin pack sweet, however it charges 35 Rs for adding the same quantity of sugar for a Kala Jamun pack sweet. A firm can price the same product at two different levels based on image differences. A detergent manufacturer can put detergent in one packet, name it with an image, and price it at 50 Rs. It can put the same detergent in another packet with a different name and image and price it at 75 Rs. Soft drinks prices often differ in an A grade restaurant, vending machines or when sold in canteens or general stores. Same product is priced differently at different locations even though the cost of offering at each location is the same. A concert audience is charged variably for seating as per their preferences for different locations. Prices differ by season, day or hour etc. Electricity as an important public utility source is charged differently by time of day in United Kingdom. Restaurants and Clubs in United Kingdom charge less during happy hours. Airlines have different fares on same flight for same class for instance its economy class, which also is known as Yield Management / Revenue Management system. They have child fares, adult fares, seasonal fares etc. Extra luggage price by an airline for a single kilo differs from Dubai to London as opposed to travelling the other way back from London to Dubai. Websites have coupled up different sellers product together such as Car Insurance, Consumer durable goods, home insurance, medical insurance etc, which allows buyers to discriminate between sellers by comparing their prices. Responding to price changes : Many time organisations have to go for price cuts and increase as per the situation. Price Cuts : It is a possibility that organisation may go for price cuts due to existence of price cuts, also where even with added effort the sales have not increased or due to declining market share. Price cuts can lead to price wars in the market. Lower price can be used by firms so as to dominate market. Organisations may also have to cut down the prices in case of recession. Price Increase : Price increases are undertaken by organisations when there is cost inflation. With rise in cost of production the organisations profits lessens, hence they need to go for price increase to earn normal profits. Many times organisations increase their prices more than the increase in cost due to anticipation of further cost increase. Price increase can also happen when there is too much demand for the product and the supply is less. Price increase can be done in the following ways : Final price is not set, until the product is delivered to the customer. Generally seen in construction and heavy equipment industries. Here firm wants customers to pay current price and all or part of any cost inflation that can happen before the delivery of the product. Here the price is kept same but some elements are separated from the product and priced individually. Example in case of automobiles, accessories, other additional features come with extra cost. Discount if any, could be reduced to maintain profits. Organisation also can tackle high cost and over demand without raising prices as follows : Reducing the amount offered without increasing the prices By substituting raw materials with less expensive materials wherever possible Lessening the product features to lessen its cost Lessening product services Usage of less cost packaging Creating economy brands Reacting to changes in prices : Price changes can have a reaction from customers, competitors, distributors, suppliers and governments. Customers may perceive and respond to price cuts in different ways. Price cuts may be interpreted as lower quality product or faulty products. Price rise would generally carry some positive indications to customers. The product is considered to be of high quality and having added value when prices increased. Competitors may also respond in various ways to price changes. To contemplate competitors reaction organisations have to access their financial situation, sales scenario, market share and their objectives. In case the competitors objective is to increase market share then they will change their price in response of firms price changes. If its objective is profit motivation then it will increase its promotional activities to maintain its sales. Responding to competitors price changes : It is an important decision on how firm should react to price changes by competitors, the products could go for product augmentation having homogenous characteristics. If product augmentation is not possible then they would have to go for price cuts to counter the competitors price cuts. If price is increased by the competitor in the homogenous market, then other firms may not increase their prices until it is unavoidable. If price change happens in a heterogeneous market then the various aspects needs to be considered before responding to the price change : What is the reason for competitors price cuts is it due to over capacity of production, rise in costs of production or the intention is to increase market share. Is the price change temporary or permanent What will be the scenario if the firm does not respond to competitors price change Are other competitors going to respond to the price change and if yes how? Market leaders many a times have to face price changes from new entrants in the market or smaller competitors. There are many ways in which a market leader can respond to competitors price changes: Maintain price Market leader my decide to maintain its current price and profit due to the belief that : Too much profits will be lost if prices are decreased It would not lose too much market share It is possible to regain market share when required Maintain price and add value to its offering The product could be augmented, its services and communication improved. Reduce price : Leader may go for price cuts to match the competitors price cuts due to following reasons : As the market is price sensitive it would lose market share It would be difficult to build market share once lost Its costs reduces with higher volume in production Increase price and increase quality: The leader may decide to initiate price increase and also increase quality of product and also introduce new brands or innovative products. Introduce low priced product line : It could contemplate adding a low priced product line to

Polititical scandals :: checking politicians backgrounds

When it comes to the importance of checking state and local politicians, I think it is extremely important to a certain extent. Any job should require some background check when the job is publicly related. Police officers for instance have an extensive background check if they have suspicion of a current or upcoming officer. Officers can contact a number of friends, relatives, bosses, etc. of the officer to ask questions, in hopes of catching the individual of guard. I feel that this is somewhat necessary for someone that we are supposed to trust to protect and serve our communities. It seems that even though United States soldiers have probably the most patriotic job in the country, although they do not need such a background check because of the demand for soldiers. Besides the demand, I think that it doesn’t matter all that much for some jobs. A politician, is someone the state, or communities needs to trust for much larger issues than protecting and serving. Not only do they have the power to move mountains, locally and nationally, but they hold somewhat of a role model position. These politicians are expected to be the best, most honorable, trust worthy citizens, eligible for such a job. The public sees this, sometimes too much through rhetorical situations, but sees it none the less. A politician is comparable to the president of the United States, professional athletes, and anyone that holds the title of a role model. I feel they should have a very extensive background check, but there is a place to draw the line. Neil Goldschmidt for example seemed to be the definition of a stereotypical politician, by that I mean holding all the positive qualities I previously stated. He did a tremendous amount of work for Portland and surrounding areas, and brought about much needed and appreciated commitment. When someone is to pry back into his life to determine if he was a good person, so to speak, back twenty years, I would say that there was no need for that. On the other hand if any suspicions happened to surface in the years of his employment, I would definitely feel they should be investigated. Not saying that any human being capable of committing any crime like that, shouldn’t be convicted to the fullest extent. Just that spending so much time and money on somebody, could be spent so much better somewhere else.

Literary Anaylisis John Donne

Terra Goodfellow Mrs. Ashmore English Dual Credit IV 14 November 2012 Literary Analysis of â€Å"Sweetest Love† by John Donne John Donne was believed to be one of the greatest poets and preachers of the 1600’s. He was very witty and educated, but also very emotional. These characteristics are very predominant in his writing (Stringer 1). This phenomenal poet, John Donne was born in the earlier part of 1572 in London. His parents were both very devout Roman Catholics, though he barely knew his father because he passed just before Donne turned four years old.Donne’s mother was from a good family and when she was involved in the Church she and her family â€Å"endured much for the Roman Catholic doctrine† (Kermode 2). In 1593, John Donne’s brother passed away, and made Donne start to question his faith. John Donne eventually became an Anglican (Jokinen 1). While staying at the Lincoln Inn, John Donne had become friends with Christopher Brooke and in 15 96 joined him on a naval expedition to Spain. He went on another expedition to the Azores in 1597. During his expedition to Azores he wrote â€Å"The Calm† (Jokinen 1).In 1598 John Donne was hired to be the secretary for Sir Thomas Egerton, who, at the time, was a very predominant government official. In 1601 John Donne secretly married Sir Thomas Egerton’s niece, Ann More. When Ann More’s father found out he was furious. John Donne had tried to apologize and even wrote him a letter, but that wasn’t enough and he had John Donne fired and eventually imprisoned (Jokinen 1). Donne had trouble supporting himself and his family for the next fourteen years. In 1615, however, John Donne became an Anglican priest.During this time, John Donne went on to receive a Doctor of Divinity degree from Cambridge University (Stringer 1). In 1616, John Donne â€Å"was appointed reader in divinity at Lincoln’s Inn, where, over the years, he both gave and received sati sfaction† (Kermode 2). After his wife’s death in 1617, John Donne celebrated her memory by writing a sonnet and giving a sermon over her. Donne’s sermons took flight, and his career flourished. Donne was such a remarkable preacher, even preached in the Royal Court for King James I. In 1621, John Donne was appointed to be a dean of St.Paul’s Cathedral and did so until his death on March 31, 1631 (Stringer 1). John Donne’s influence to write was everywhere around him. This intimate poet used almost every situation to write about. His first book of poems, Satires, was written during the time when he was struggling with his faith, and â€Å"is considered one of Donne’s most important literary efforts† (Jokinen 1). John Donne also wrote his love poems, Songs and Sonnets, at this time as well, which was close to the time when he met his wife, Ann More (Jokinen 1). During his expedition to Azores, John Donne wrote â€Å"The Calm† (Joki nen 1). Donne’s style, full of elaborate metaphors and religious symbolism, his flair for drama, his wide learning, and his quick wit soon established him as one of the greatest preachers of the Renaissance Era† (Jokinen 1). Donne used literally everything around him to paint a picture of inspiration. The inspiring poet went through a lot of rough patches in his life and the show in his writings. If one studied his work, they could tell when Donne was going through a joyous time, a loving time, a rough time, or just a mediocre time.In his brilliant writing, â€Å"we learn of his family anxieties (the death of a daughter, a son missing in action, his own departure abroad) and his remorse for past sins† (Kermode 2). Donne also wrote when his wife passed during childbirth. A major part of John Donne’s success was when he was a preacher. He was one of the most successful preachers of his time. His sermons cut deep to the core because he didn’t just prea ch at people, he talked to people. He discussed things rather than throw things in your face.Donne relied on everyday situations and morphed them into works of art. People craved this remarkable writer’s words, and they hung onto them desperately. Donne was very relatable to his audiences and I believe that is why he had so much success. He was a very talented and very intellectual man. My love, I’m not leaving because I’m tired of you. The world cannot show me a better love than you. I’m leaving because I have to. The sun has already set last night and risen today. He cannot understand how to go a shorter way because he only knows the one.But believe me; I will make faster journeys since I don’t have so far to go. How weak is a man’s power, that if his good fortune fails him he can’t live any longer, or remember anything else. But if something bad happens, and we join together with our strength and we nurture it then we will overcome it. When you sigh, you sigh not the wind, but you sigh my soul away. When you weep, sadly, my blood will dry up. It cannot be that you love me as you say if in you, in my life, waste the best of me. Let not your heart think I’m bad.Destiny will play its part and may our tears fulfill. But think that we’re really just asleep, we keep each other in hearts alive, never to be parted (Song n. p. ) In John Donne’s poem, â€Å"Sweetest Love,† John Donne is writing to his beloved wife Anne as he prepares to go on a long journey. Donne explains that he is not leaving to be cruel, or because of his wife, but because he needs to go on a journey. I would characterize the speaker as a man who loves his wife very much and wants what is best for her. He also doesn’t want her to be sad while he is gone.John Donne’s tone does not change during the poem. His tone at the beginning of the poem is comforting and gentle. There is a slight change in the third sta nza. It changes from a light, gentle tone, to a sad, slightly gloomy tone. Clearly, he loves his wife and wants to be with her, but he just isn’t able to do so. The situation of the poem is that Donne and his wife will be parted physically, but not mentally. In the first stanza, Donne uses a phrase that I really like, and I believe that it is vital to understanding the poem and the poet’s tone. The phrase says: But since that I Must die at last, ‘tis best To use myself in jest Thus by feign’d deaths to die. † (Song) Donne is saying here that the temporary parting is simply practice for when one will eventually pass. He is trying to tell Anne that she needs to act as if Donne had died, in order to make it easier if he passes before her. Another phrase I love is: â€Å"When thou sigh’st, thou sigh’st not wind, But sigh’st my soul away;† (Song) I love how personal Donne is here with his wife; by saying the he is so much a par t of her that when she breathes, she breathes his soul.In the second stanza, Donne makes an analogy between his own personal journey, and the sun’s journey. Donne makes this analogy in order to comfort his wife by explaining to her that just like the sun goes away at night; it will always come up in the morning. Donne is telling his wife that he will come back to her. The poet uses short sentences in each of the six eight-lined stanzas. The syntax of the poem puts a comforting feeling, which is how I believe the author wanted it. It reveals an optimistic state of mind. The poem’s stanzas develop and get deeper the farther you get into the poem.Donne just continues to express his love for his wife and to comfort her. The poem does contain a rhyme scheme, and that helps the poem flow. It provides elegance to the poem. The theme in this poem evidently states that no matter how far away physically you are from your loved one, you will always be there in their heart, and yo u two will â€Å"ne’er parted be† (Song). John Donne was a phenomenal writer who wrote with not just a pen, but his heart and soul. His writing is very personal and when one reads his work, that person can definitely see that in his powerful words.Donne was not just a writer or a preacher, but a person with an amazing talent to capture people with his words. Works Cited Jokinen, Anniina. â€Å"The Life of John Donne. † Luminarium. 22 June. 2006. 14 Nov. 2012. Kermode, Frank. â€Å"John Donne. † British Writers Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1979. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Song. † N. p. poemhunter. com. web. 19 November 2012. 2012. Stringer, Gary A. â€Å"Donne, John. † World Book Advanced. World Book, 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

Breakfast Eating Habit: A Statisical Research Project Essay

Every day millions of people around the globe turn off their alarm clocks and start their day. Some will jump out of bed and hit the door running full tilt because they are already 10 minutes late. Others are up hours before they are required to be anywhere, soak in the sunrise and settle into a predefined routine, of which breakfast may or may not be a part of. But who eats breakfast? Are there any significant factors that predispose certain people to eat breakfast or not eat breakfast? One approach to determining dependency of environmental variables and eating habits is to class individuals according to one of many possible variables. The topic for discussion in this paper is breakfast eating habits among women and the variability of children, specifically, whether women with pre teen children living at home eat breakfast more frequently than women without pre teen children. In theory, a person might assume that that women with pre teen children will tend to eat breakfast more so than women without pre teen children due in part to the responsibility they have to wake up early and prepare their children for the days events including school and sports. Different factors of each home can vary results in either direction but our research attempts to determine the dependency that pre teen may have on their mothers own breakfast eating habits. There is a tremendous amount of research done on the benefits of eating a health breakfast not only for adults, but children as well. Researchers have found that when healthy, lean women skipped their morning meal, it raised their cholesterol levels and diminished their bodies’ sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. In addition, the women tended to eat more calories on breakfast-free days, suggesting that over time, skipping breakfast could spur weight gain. Past studies have also suggested that women who eat breakfast, particularly whole-grain cereals, have lower cholesterol and insulin levels. Along with past evidence, new findings suggest that making time for breakfast is likely to have long-term health benefits. Whether one of those benefits results in a smaller waistline remains unclear. Some research has found a direct correlation between eating breakfast, particularly whole-grain foods, and lower body weight. Conversely, other studies have found no such relationship exists. What is clear is that researchers have found evidence that Mom was right: breakfast may really be the most important meal of the day, especially for growing children. It is essential for children to regularly consume a balanced breakfast. Data supports that the more often adolescents eat breakfast, the less likely they tend to be overweight. Additional studies have shown children are more focused in school and do better academically than those who skip breakfast. Children show the tendency to have more energy throughout the day and are more likely to participate in school activities and sports. Psychologists have determined children mostly observe their parents and follow their actions. A healthy habit of eating breakfast would tend to be a learned trait by following generations and influence the children to continue eating breakfast into adulthood. Experts also surmise that if breakfast is regularly consumed as a family meal, it may reduce the likelihood of drug use as children mature into adults. The feeling of family  closeness and nurturing support is a significant factor in reduced propensity of crime related activities with children. In order to help determine whether or not any dependency exists between breakfast eating habits and having pre teen children, our team created a survey that asked very basic questions relating to age, pregnancy, children, and how many times those women ate a breakfast that consisted of more than water or coffee. Our research chose to exclude women that where pregnant with their first child in order to rule out any difference in opinion of whether or not those women had a child at all. Our research also specifically excluded women under the age of 18 due to a litany of factors that we will not discuss in this paper. The breakfast quantities were lumped into three groups: 0-2 times per week, 3-5 times per week, and 6-7 times per week. We then randomly distributed our survey via the internet in order to capture a diverse group of woman and collated the responses. Since our research focused on determining dependency between pre teen children and eating breakfast, our null and alternative statements were simple: Null Statement – There is no difference in breakfast eating habits of women in relation to having pre teen children or having no pre teen children living in the house. Alternative Statement – Women with pre teen children living in the house eat breakfast more frequently then women who do not have pre teen children living in the house. Failing to reject the null statement would be an indication that no dependency lies between having children and eating breakfast. Conversely and what we expected to see was that a dependency did exist between the two. Our survey yielded 39 respondents, of which the category breakdown is as follows: Breakfast 0-2 Breakfast 3-5 Breakfast 6-7 With Preteen Children 1 7 6 Without Preteen Children 4 4 17 While the data may indicate a correlation between having children and breakfast eating habits exist, performing a Chi Squared Test for Independence revealed that we are 95% confident that no such relationship exists as shown by the graph on the following page: Our research dictates that we need to fail to reject the null hypothesis thus determining that with 95% certainty, no relationship exists. In conclusion, while having pre teen children in the home has no bearing on whether or not women age 18 and higher eat breakfast more often, there may be other factors that would lend itself to a dependency. Actively working, reporting time, time of year, and perhaps a survey on men might be other explored variable in an effort to determine any dependency relating to breakfast eating habits. It was interesting to note that respondents that did not have children ate breakfast in the 6-7 times a week range disproportionately higher than the other two categories. Further research is needed to ferret out any identifiable variable that would support this evidence. It is important to note for further discussion that the test statistic calculated high enough to the critical value that based on a larger sample size, a possibility may still exist that a dependent relationship is real, but not within our sample. Eating breakfast has been determined beneficial for adults and children alike, if research could identify correlations, education could be tailored to specific at risk groups and encourage those within the preferred band of dependency.

Equality essays

Equality essays During the 1960s, the resistance to racial segregation and discrimination included strategies such as civil disobedience, nonviolent resistance, marches, protests, boycotts, "freedom rides," and rallies. There were also continuing efforts to legally challenge segregation through the courts. Many believe that civil rights struggles ended with all the accomplishments resulting from all the sacrifices made in the 1960s. However, struggles continue to this very day even though there is less A massive 1963 March on Washington with more than 200,000 marchers was one of the first civil rights events to grab the attention of the entire nation. Blacks and whites called on President John F. Kennedy and the Congress to provide equal access to public facilities, quality education, adequate employment, and decent housing for African Americans. During the assembly at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his stirring "I Have a Dream" speech.[1] Struggles would be marred by increasing violence against civil rights activists. In 1964, three Mississippi civil rights workers who were encouraging black voter registration were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan with the assistance of the local police. And, in 1965 blacks marching to Montgomery Alabama in support of voting rights are stopped by a police brigade. Fifty marchers were hospitalized after police used tear gas, whips, and clubs against The 1965 Voting Rights was landmark legislation that prohibited states from using literacy tests, interpreting the Constitution, and other methods of excluding African Americans from voting. Prior to 1965, only an estimated twenty-three percent of voting-age blacks were registered nationally, but by 1969 the number jumped to sixty-one percent. In the Southern states, the numbers were more dramatic. This increase in registration led to the election of African...

Sydney Carton essays

Sydney Carton essays The novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is full of determined characters who will do anything to obtain their individual goals. But to me, the most purpose-driven character in this book is definitely Sydney Carton. He shows his determination in several, sometimes paradoxical ways. Consequently, some readers may consider him a hypocrite. But I ask: is it not a sacrifice toward ones goal in life to change his or her very beliefs because of that goal? Sydney Cartons goal in life is to make Luce Manette Darnay happy, and he will do anything to achieve it. Besides his goal of wanting to make Lucie felicitous, Sydney is also determined to do anything to make people understand his point. In the beginning of the book, he asks Charles to go to dinner. At this dinner, Sydney wants the fact that he does not like Charles to be apparent. He does not care that he makes a fool of himself by getting horribly drunk, and that he asks Charles rude, on-the-spot questions. He doesnt even bother to pay for the wine he drank or for Charles meal; instead, he has Charles pay. Provided that Sydney does not like Charles, it comes as a surprise to the reader that in order for Sydney to achieve his goal of Lucies happiness, he must later change his attitude toward Charles. This is where Sydney can be considered a hypocrite, but where I consider him selflessly devoted. After the embarrassing scene Sydney made when he went to dinner with Charles, he swallows his pride for Lucies sake and actually befriends Charles. He even goes as far as to open his heart up to Lucie and to tell her that to make Lucie happy is to make himself happy (or as close as he can get). This fact is also made evident on several occasions when he is acting for her benefit it is said that a look of inspiration in the eyes...not only contradicted his light manner, but changed and raised the man. In other words, he w...

Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps

Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps Marshmallow and Other Common Spelling Traps By Maeve Maddox This sentence on a grammar site is intended to illustrate the use of the colon: It is time for the babys birthday party: a white cake, strawberry-marshmellow ice cream, and a bottle of champagne saved from another party. (Joan Didion) The use of the colon is fine, but a word is misspelled. I wouldn’t swear that Joan Didion is the one responsible for the misspelling. The error could have occurred during transcription. Nevertheless, a great many people do misspell the word for that puffy white thing: marshmallow. The confection got its name from a plant called a marshmallow. The roastable marshmallow was made originally from the mucilaginous root of the marshmallow plant. Note: I got the word mucilaginous from the OED definition for the plant. Doesn’t sound like something I’d want to eat. Nowadays marshmallows get their puffiness from gelatin. Here are some examples of other tricky words that may trip up otherwise competent spellers: 1. Wheelbarrow Incorrect: I mow the lawn [and] dump the bag in a wheelbarrel to add to the compost. Correct : I mow the lawn [and] dump the bag in a wheelbarrow to add to the compost. One meaning of barrow that has been in the language for a very long time is â€Å"a utensil for carrying a load.† A barrow with a wheel attached is a wheelbarrow. 2. Cemetery Incorrect: This is a beautiful cemetary to take a stroll through on a sunny Savannah day. Correct : This is a beautiful cemetery to take a stroll through on a sunny Savannah day. Incorrect: Ive always found old cemetaries to be a peaceful spot for an afternoon walk. Correct : Ive always found old cemeteries to be a peaceful spot for an afternoon walk. The trick to getting this word right is to remember that all three vowels are represented by the letter e. English cemetery comes via French from a Greek word that meant â€Å"a place to sleep,† like a dormitory. Early Christian writers were the first to make cemetery the usual word for a burial ground. 3. Dalmatian Incorrect: Slick - the two-year-old Dalmation mascot of Charleston Fire Station 10 - is back where he belongs after a six-day disappearance. Correct : Slick - the two-year-old Dalmatian mascot of Charleston Fire Station 10 - is back where he belongs after a six-day disappearance. Historically, Dalmatia was a region in the vicinity of Croatia. The Dalmatian dog traces its roots to that region. To get the spelling right, note the three a’s. 4. German shepherd Incorrect: For sale: pedigree german shephard puppies $500. Correct : For sale: pedigree German shepherd puppies $500. It seems to me that anyone selling puppies for $500 ought to be able to spell the name of the breed correctly. The AP Stylebook rule for capitalizing breed names is to capitalize only the part of the name that derives from a proper noun. One reason people may have trouble with spelling the common noun shepherd is that the word has produced family names with a variety of spellings, such as Shepard,  Sheppard,  Shephard  and  Shepperd. When spelling the name of the breed, the thing to remember is that the word shepherd is a combination of sheep + herd. A shepherd is a sheep herder. Think shep+herd. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Expanded and ExtendedA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

Critical analysis of a book, Nectar in a Sieve Essay

Critical analysis of a book, Nectar in a Sieve - Essay Example The hint of change provided in the lower status of Rukmani’s marriage is carried forward with the building of the tannery in her husband’s village. Conflicts of tradition and the outside world begin to insinuate themselves into Rukmani’s life, bringing change almost faster than she can adjust. Struggling through poverty and heartbreak, as well as the changing socioeconomic culture of their village, Rukmani demonstrates a quiet, pragmatic dignity that is concerned with life. By telling the story of a young Indian woman as she weds her husband and grows old with him, raises a family and suffers several hardships along the way, author Kamala Markandaya strives to present a picture of a changing world and how it is the love of a family that overcomes these tremendous challenges. Markandaya’s novel is a fictional account of an Indian woman’s experience in the rural villages of India presented in first-person narrative voice from Rukmani’s perspective. Because she never provides a village name or date, it is impossible to determine exactly when the story is taking place, giving it a timeless quality that speaks equally today as it did when it was written, shortly after India became independent of Britain. â€Å"Some readers of Nectar in a Sieve see Kamala Markandaya’s portrayal of Indian peasants as mythlike. One figure often mentioned as a model for Rukmani is the goddess Sita. Sita emerged from the earth into life when her stepfather was plowing his fields and became the wife of the Hindu god Rama. In the great epic poem Ramayana, Sita is a symbol of devotion, never-ending patience, and self-sacrifice. In art, she is often shown gazing at Rama with blissful happiness† (â€Å"Study Guide†, n.d.). Rukmani is indeed pr esented as the epitome of self-sacrifice and patience within the novel, consistently working to uphold the traditional beliefs of her

Three Levels of Local Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Three Levels of Local Culture - Essay Example When you study the artifacts level you find that in Bastrop volunteers usually interpret the parish history using local artifacts. The level of architecture of buildings is high. There are several building permits given in a year. In the job industry people use formal language. Newspaper and radio cover the news. Values and beliefs are explained in the sense that when IPC mill was closed the mayor predicted that a lot of people will be affected. This could be termed as his own view. In Bastrop there are various attraction sites which include Cairo museum, Tensas river national wildlife and others. The rate of crime is 75.79% than the national average. The government promises a great work force in order to make small businesses grow (Bastrop, 2015). Bastrop has hardworking people though the poverty line is high. For example multinational organizations operating beyond their own national culture, will still have influence of the deepest culture level. Underlying values reflect the way individuals evaluate the self and world. The decision to build a wood pellet in Bastrop will be observed to see if it will be successful or not hence forgotten. Culture exists as: the front line followed by middle management and lastly is corporate level (Nurdin,

Discuss the military strategy of the North from 1861 to the end of Essay

Discuss the military strategy of the North from 1861 to the end of 1862. How successful was this strategy - Essay Example Even though this strategy led to numerous casualties, it was instrumental in grounding the Southern forces. The North strategy was good to an extent that it diminished any possibility of foreign intervention, particularly from the Great Britain (Bradford, 2010). Finally, it is important to look at how successful the North strategy was. To a greater extent, historians and military strategists agree that the strategy applied by the North from 1861 to the end of 1862 was successful. Martin (2003) argues that this view is informed by the outcomes of the strategy. It is considered successful because it made the Southerners to lose morale because they were constantly exhausting their efforts by being prepared to fight without actually doing so. This strategy saw the North destroying vital transportation routes of the Southerners, a strategy that was effective in ensuring that they won the war (Bradford,

Enter preneuship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enter preneuship - Essay Example The international business scene offers unlimited opportunities for entrepreneurs in generating income and increased revenues. However, such success does not come without a close analysis of the market, as well as the factors that are likely going to contribute to the success of the business at the international markets. Thus, different factors contribute to either the success or failure of businesses operating at an international level. This essay discusses the factors that entrepreneurs should bear in mind whenever trying to establish their operations at the international level. Culture According to Neelankavil (2007), culture of the people is one of the most important factors to consider before establishing a business at the international market. Different countries have different cultures and within these countries, people hold diverse cultural practices and beliefs. Experts argue that since United States is the most developed country globally, assuming that all cultures in the w orld resemble the United States is the worst mistake that a business could make. ... This is however not true as some cultures do not embrace technology at all. Subsequently, whenever deciding on the methods to use in advertising for the products, putting into consideration the level of technology absorption is important. Using technological modes of advertising such as the internet and social media, live adverts and television targeting such people is less likely to have any impact. Further, some communities due to their religious beliefs do not use some products. These could be either processed foods or elements of technology, which they consider unspiritual and unhealthy. An entrepreneur should be aware of such issues in the society before establishing operations in any place. Additionally, observing the traditional cultural events and practices of different communities is equally important for the success of any entrepreneur at the international market (McDonald & Burton, 2002). Observing and respecting these events in addition to making the business appealing to the local people reduces the levels of conflicts with the people. By showing respect and engaging in these events with the people engages the business, thus creating a good relationship with the locals. This could contribute to the success of the business in this market. Legal factors Every country has different legal systems from each other. As constitutions govern different countries, the constitution establishes the laws governing businesses operating within its jurisdiction. As such, any entrepreneur seeking to establish operations at the international level ought to consider the laws governing the businesses in target countries. The most important law to put into consideration is taxation of the businesses in the country (McDonald &

William Paleys Teleological Argument Research Paper

William Paleys Teleological Argument - Research Paper Example When a watch that has an intricate design and function exists, a creator or designer for the watch also exists. Therefore, the existence of the universe and living beings in it uphold the belief that there is someone behind their creation and that creator is God. This can further be discerned from the fact that without a creation no creation is possible. Paley’s view is that a watch has several metal parts and each has a distinct place and function in making the machine work. He then puts forth a reasonable argument that of the alignment is disturbed or if even a tiny part of misplaced, the watch will cease its function. If one puts together bits and pieces of metals and waits for an eternity, the particle will not join together and make a watch and, therefore, it transpires that behind the watch there is a designer who has put the right things in the right place to achieve alignment for the machine to work. He compares the universe to a similar phenomenon, which needs to have a designer to make such a scheme of things to work and argues that God is the designer, which is a tenable contention. Anselm argues that to understand God a human must first believe in Him and without belief understanding does not occur and one cannot hope to first understand God and then believe in Him. He asserts the Christian faith that God is a bei ng â€Å"than which none greater can be conceived† (Oppenheimer & Zalta 2) and, thus, he contends that since God represents perfection, this very notion implies the His existence. In Anselm’s view, belief is the means to understand God and not the end one pursues through understanding God. Thus, if one believes in God, one can feel the presence of God but one cannot aspire to feel the presence of God and then believe in Him. His philosophy emphasizes the ideals of Christian faith, which believes that there is no being greater than God.

States have used Responsibility to protect as a reason not to act Essay

States have used Responsibility to protect as a reason not to act rather than a reason to act. Discuss - Essay Example mple, the Americans used their own troops to attack Afghanistan in October 2001 and Iraq on March 2003.The principle of the state responsibility to protect is a norm and military interventions are the last resort and permission from the United Nations Security Assembly is a requisite before use of force. In this article, I will define the meaning of responsibility to protect and will discuss the state’s responsibility to protect norm by providing instances where the states used international organizations to advance this norm. I will also provide instances where the state failed to effectively intervene. I will analyze the states responsibility to protect role in view of Bosnia and Darfur Sudan as well as the impacts of their actions, for example intervention as in the case of Bosnia and limited or lack of it in the case of Darfur. This article will equally analyze the notion of legitimacy in the intervention of states in pursuit of their responsibility to protect role and it will answer the following questions: If a state is a failed state, and is unable to protect its citizens from the above crimes and peaceful measures are not working, then the international community has an obligation to prevent such crimes through diplomacy or coercive means. In September 2000, The Norm of Responsibility to Protect got a major boost from the Canadian Government. The Commission on States Sovereignty and Intervention, formed by the Canadian Government released its report on December 2001. The report noted that the Global Community has a responsibility to prevent mass atrocities by using diplomatic means or a more coercive means and use of military interventions should be as a last resort. Security should be emphasized while enforcing this role and justice should be carried out to victims of mass atrocities. The African Union, in its founding charter observed the fact that the global community has a duty to intervene in crisis situations if states cannot provide security

William Paleys Teleological Argument Research Paper

William Paleys Teleological Argument - Research Paper Example When a watch that has an intricate design and function exists, a creator or designer for the watch also exists. Therefore, the existence of the universe and living beings in it uphold the belief that there is someone behind their creation and that creator is God. This can further be discerned from the fact that without a creation no creation is possible. Paley’s view is that a watch has several metal parts and each has a distinct place and function in making the machine work. He then puts forth a reasonable argument that of the alignment is disturbed or if even a tiny part of misplaced, the watch will cease its function. If one puts together bits and pieces of metals and waits for an eternity, the particle will not join together and make a watch and, therefore, it transpires that behind the watch there is a designer who has put the right things in the right place to achieve alignment for the machine to work. He compares the universe to a similar phenomenon, which needs to have a designer to make such a scheme of things to work and argues that God is the designer, which is a tenable contention. Anselm argues that to understand God a human must first believe in Him and without belief understanding does not occur and one cannot hope to first understand God and then believe in Him. He asserts the Christian faith that God is a bei ng â€Å"than which none greater can be conceived† (Oppenheimer & Zalta 2) and, thus, he contends that since God represents perfection, this very notion implies the His existence. In Anselm’s view, belief is the means to understand God and not the end one pursues through understanding God. Thus, if one believes in God, one can feel the presence of God but one cannot aspire to feel the presence of God and then believe in Him. His philosophy emphasizes the ideals of Christian faith, which believes that there is no being greater than God.

Level of Stress Among Call Centre Employees Essay Example for Free

Level of Stress Among Call Centre Employees Essay Level of Stress among Call Centre Employees Submission date: 8th January, 2008 Submitted By: Ayesha Khalid Ayesha Sarfaraz Nazool-e-Tabassum Saira Khan Mussaffa Butt Submitted to Dr. Farah Malik Associate Professor Department of Psychology Government College University Lahore Introduction Stress is used as a general label for a vast complex, interdisciplinary area of interest and study, much of which is health related. Most often stress is related to personal discomfort associated with an over demanding or distressing lifestyle situation (Adams Bromley, 1998) stress is a part of everyday life, we experience stress each day, although it is acknowledged that the degree of stress varies considerably depending on the complexity of the situation and availability of support. For some, the stress is manageable and work or home life is not affected. For others, however, the stress reaches a critical point where there may be a need for medical or psychiatric assistance (Weiten, 2001). The causes of stress can include any event or occurrence that a person considers a threat to his or her coping strategies or resources. Researchers generally agree that a certain degree of stress is a normal part of a living organisms response to the inevitable changes in its physical or social environment, and that positive, as well as negative, events can generate stress as well as negative occurrences (Frey, 2002). There can be innumerable stress factors since different individuals react differently to the same stress conditions. Extreme stress situations for an individual may prove to be mild for another, for yet another person the situations might not qualify as stressing at all. (http://www. lifepositive. com/stress. html). The fact that women report and exhibit higher level of psychological distress than men has been explained in three major ways. The methodological artifact explanation suggests that women are socialized to be more expressive and therefore will admit more emotional symptoms than men in response to the standard psychological stress (Frey, 2002). The stress exposure argument suggests that women face more stressor in general or more severe, persistent stressors than men. Whereas the vulnerability argument suggest that women lack coping resources such as high self esteem, a sense of mastery or appropriate coping strategies for handling the stressors to which they are exposed. Newman (1984 c. f. Eckenrode, 1991) suggested that women over report minor symptoms that inflate over all distress scores (Eller, 2000). Stress in humans in general results from interactions between persons and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their well-being. The element of perception indicates that human stress responses reflect differences in personality, as well as differences in physical strength or general health (Frey, 2002). Stress is often termed as a twentieth century syndrome, born out of mans race towards modern progress and its ensuing complexities. For that matter, causes such as a simple flight delay to managing a teenage child at home can put you under stress. Listing the causes of stress is tricky yet replete with practical diversity (http://www. lifepositive. com/stress. html). General cause of stress include primarily, Threat; a perceived threat will lead a person to feel stressed. This can include physical threats, social threats, financial threat, and so on. Fear; Fear leads to imagined outcomes, which are the real source of stress. Uncertainty; When people are not certain, they are unable to predict, and hence feel they are not in control, and hence may feel fear or feel threatened by that which is causing the uncertainty (http://www. workstress. net/causes. htm). Apart from certain general causes another reason is cognitive dissonance; it is when there is a gap between what people do and what they think, then the outcome experience is cognitive dissonance, which is felt as stress.

Literature of Cyber Security Strategies

Literature of Cyber Security Strategies Natora Shepherd Abstract Staying Safe: Cyber Security for people and Organizations lucidly iterates the imperativeness of cyber security. The journal focuses considerably on how the lack of knowledge of both professional and personal environments has caused a surging level of threats due to security ignorance. The key topics covered by this paper is- The 8 Most Infamous Data Attacks, The Map of Breaching, Whats a PoS Attack, How Consumers View Hacked Business and The Rippling Effect, Heed The Waring Signs Well Provide A Solution. For the reason that 80% or more businesses process significant amounts of data or use PoS systems. Learning The Ins and Outs of Data Breaching May Save Your Company We live in a digital era, where computers are a part of everyday operations. As our technology advances, society has seen how much our nation struggles to secure government, personal, business, and financial data. Currently, the country suffers from a half-million cyber-attacks every minute, making it merely impossible to issue a patch promptly to seal exploited vulnerability and isolate the attack. Unfortunately, computers are not the only electronic devices subjected to cyber-attacks, for this purpose, its imperative that business, government agencies, and organizations construct a systematic approach to safeguarding their computers. Reading this document will provide a clear understanding of- Why are Business Attacked,The 8 Most Infamous Data Attacks, The Blueprint for Breaching, Whats a PoS Attack, How Consumers View Hacked Business and The Rippling Effect, Heed The Waring Signs Well Provide A Solution. Ultimately, as we progress into the future, the level of cultivation breaches upsurges throughout the cyber world. A data breach occurs when hackers exploit a weakness in the targets system. As a result, hackers can extract and access confidential information without the consent or knowledge of the user. Importantly, knowing why hackers mark government agencies, department stores, online stores, and healthcare organization is equally beneficial. Hackers fabricate attacks, where enormous amounts of confidential data are accommodated. Why are Business Attacked. Attacks against companies are increasing at an astounding rate. Yet, in still they continue to ignore incident until its too late. Understanding the motives behind the many attacks discussed enables corporations to concentrate on areas within the business infrastructure a hacker should possibly attack. For one large company, government agencies, and organizations process massive amounts of data on a daily basis. The amount of data acquired through these attacks is the driving force. Needless to say, knowledge holds power and information pertaining to any business is the biggest source of knowledge for a company. For instance, organized crime groups specifically use cyber exploits to commit identity theft, online fraud, and computer extortion. In many cases hacker prey on the knowledge that many businesses has lower defenses which are easy to penetrate. Once the information is in the criminals possession, their free to upload the content on Black Markets sites, underground trading sites. Meanwhile, admittance users navigate through the site scanning immense amounts of debit cards, bank account numbers, credit cards, social security numbers, and so forth (Wright, Sean). In this section, we take a look at five well-known companies that fell victim to data breaches. Data breaches continue to take our nation by storm, with business and organizations being the primary target. The reason why many companies become targets is that more and more businesses have become more contingent on digital data. Companies store the majority of sensitive data on local machines, cloud servers, and enterprise databases, because of this hacking, a companys data is simpler than ever. Lets take a look at some of the largest and most hindering breaches on records dating as far back as 2009. In 2012 Experian was indirectly involved with one of the largest data breaches after acquiring a company called Court Ventures. Court Ventures had a contract with the company U.S. Info Search that enabled clients of U.S Info Search to locate individuals addresses in order to determine which court registers to assess. The data retrieved was then sold to a number of third parties resulting in the data falling into the hands of a Vietnamese fraud service. The Vietnamese fraud service gave its own customers the opportunity to view Americans social security numbers and financial information. 2009 marked a major turning point for the company Heartland Payment Systems suffered a massive data breach resulting in 130 million records being compromised. The system was penetrated by malware planted on their network. Heartland obtained data from more than 250,000 businesses along. Sony PlayStation Network- experienced an outage back in 2011 from an external intrusion resulting in all network users losing access to their system. It was stated that approximately 77 million accounts were compromised. Living Social- is a local marketplace where consumers can buy and share the best things to do in their area. More than 50 million users accessed this site on a daily basis. In 2013 hackers attacked their servers and made off with more than 70 million members personal data worldwide. Evernote- runs a cloud base storage which allows its users to access notes from multiple devices. In 2015 tens of millions of their note-takers found themselves worrying about their security. No, customers, financial information was extracted. However, the hackers were able to gather customers user names, encrypted passwords, and email addresses(Andromeda botnet). The Blueprint for Data Breaching As with anything else, theres more than one type of attack that could put a business in a compromising situation. In this section well talk about the five most popular attacks, leaving any business in devastation. Brute force attack is a very sophisticated algorithm or software written to perform any actions necessary to attack a companies infrastructure. The software does this by searching for vulnerabilities- and several cases targets password protect mechanism. This attack is designed to go through hundreds of thousands of different words, combinations of words combined with numbers in efforts to crack passwords; it does this by evaluating each word in the dictionary seeing if they can access somewhat like a password. DDoS also known as distributed denial of service attacks happens when servers are overloaded with connections, the goal is shutting down the targets network system or website. An example of this particular attack is covered under The 5 Largest Data Breaches section. Next on the list is Phishing attacks which are perhaps among the most frequently reported method of cyber attacks. Theres numerous types of phishing attacks but the one used depends upon the industry. With this approach, hackers send out hundreds of thousands of emails with attachments or link hoping someone will click on them, given hackers system access. Coming in last is ransomware. Ransomware prohibits the use of the infected computer. In other words, it holds files or the PC for ransom. Now, there are various types of ransomware; however, all of the prevents the victim from using the PC. Point-of-Sale (PoS) Malware Point-of-sale malware is a malicious software expressly written to detect, aggregate and exfiltrate payment data. This malware was first exposed in October of 2008 when Visa issued an alert on a new type of exploit. Point-of-sale malware is a memory scraper that searches for data in its true format for track two credit card data. Chewbacca, BlackPOS, Kaptoxa, and Backoff are all types of POS malware. Orchestrating a POS attack is much simpler and a less risky way to obtain customers data without physically visiting the premises. So, what makes POS systems an easy target, well the systems are proprietary set up either by third-party consultants or vendors and may not be well comprehended by clients IT staff. The anatomy of a POS attack on a corporate network involves multiple stages. Ultimately, the hacker must acquire access to the victims network. This access is usually gained through an associated network not directly linked to a common desktop environment. Secondly, they can scan for vulnerabilities in external-facing systems, such as utilizing SQL injection on a web server or pinpointing a periphery device still using the default manufacturer password. Once inside the network, the attacker directs their attention toward the ultimate prize the POS system. They may achieve their objective in various ways, although, the simplest method is collecting user credentials, through password hash extraction, cracking, keylogging Trojans, or brute force. The third step entails the use of data-stealing tools-like RAM-scraping malware and network-sniffing(Colasoft Capsa,/Wireshark). All data gathered during this process is then stored locally in a file until exfiltration. Because POS attacks often take time to carry out the primary goal, hackers need their code to remain persistent on the compromised terminal. Lastly, the hacker may attempt to hijack the internal system acting as the companies primary server. During this process their trying to identify a server that regularly communicated with the POS system, while piggybacking on normal communications to avoid detection (Andromeda botnet). How Consumers View Hacked Business and The Rippling Effect First and foremost just in case, the company you work for has forgotten all business are in the market to make money. However, not possess customer rapport makes it merely impossible to do so. By this token, it is necessary to view this situation through the clients eyes. How exactly does a breach on a company affect consumers or customers perspective of them? Take a moment to rewind back to a time where you felt betrayed by either a business or person. Surely the memory resonates clearly in everyones mind because the human psyche holds a great capacity for feelings of abuse or betrayal. Clearly, it should not come as a surprise that consumers harbor those same negative emotions against business that allow their personal information to be stolen. If it where you would the level of trust remain the same? According to recent statistics75% of consumers say they would cease to do business with a company who had been hacked. Moreover, hacking has a tremendous impact on a business future. So, why are many businesses willing to take the chances of subjecting themselves to these types of threats. Perhaps, saving money now is worth losing loyal customers and withstanding the devastation and setback a breach would have on any companies future. Afterward, depending on the type of corporation or business it could leave them paying out millions of dollars to every customer compromised. Ironically, then and only then companies wish to ponder on the repercussions.(Last Name, Year) Heed The Waring Signs Well Provide A Solution. Most organizations and business are coming to terms with why hacker breaching techniques are becoming more sophisticated. Even with this being the case some companies place all their trust in their antivirus software not recognizing the need to take other precautionary measures. All businesses whether big or small struggles to allocate security resources. In some case its not that IT dont have the required tools to improve their risk of exposures- its more about not having the time. So, here are some early warning signs. Improperly trained employees Solution: Cybersecurity awareness is critical to the operation of any business. All users need appropriate training on how to safeguard all devices on the company network, spot fraudulent e-mails, and when to contact IT personnel. Unclear security policies Solution: Reinforces policies for accessing data, sharing data, granting user permission, and how employees use mobile devices on company network Unforeseen file activity or uncommon log-in patterns from team members Solution: track relationships among users and activities. Keep an eye out for various security product in the ecosystem. Unsupported or None-patched operating systems Solution: All workstations connect to network servers must be continuously patched and up-to-date as a preventive measure against criminals exploiting vulnerabilities. Joint user accounts Solution: one of the most insecure actions, even though it creates conveniences. Oftentimes using shared accounts results in a lack of accountability for access confidential data. Reframing from creating shared accounts prevents these types of data leaks. Unsubstantial Passwords Solution: reframe from the use of short password. A strong password is said to consist of longer words (15 characters at minimum) mixture of numbers, capital letters, lower-case letters, and symbols. Not managing file syncing Solution:make sure all company files remain under company controls at all times. The employees should never use personal accounts for work. In addition, invest in business-ready versions of products like Box, given executive granular authority over company Unsupported or None-patched operating systems Solution: All workstations connect to network servers must be continuously patched and up-to-date as a preventive measure against criminals exploiting vulnerabilities (Warning Signs Of A Breach, n.1-7). Time-consuming account lockouts (security professional encounter 10,000 or more alerts per month). Solution: make sure the SOC team can distinguish between real security incidents which take hours to investigate and heavy fingers. Some many SOC teams proceed to unlock accounts prematurely as a means to save time. Distractions like DDoS attacks used to steer a security operations center(SOC) attention towards isolated the breach, while allowing hackers to move in undetected. Solution: the companies SOC team should have a mitigation solution in place for possible violations. The key is being prepared for what might come, and constantly monitor for suspicious activity across the network(Shteiman, B n.8-9). Conclusion To conclude for years, our nation has felt the crippling effects of cyber attacks targeting business and government sectors. Many of these attacks have brought agencies and corporations to an abrupt halt, as they attempted to veil the devastating effects. Yet, they still choose to ignore the risk by rejecting adequate security and failure to educate themselves. Weve approached the modern day area of cyber attacks; this is why organizations must heed the warnings by taking action. Our nation must move forward by learning how to recognize warning signs and guard against various data breaches and pos attacks. The information from this document was designed to stress the importance of knowing all the threats that lurk around in the cyber world by offering insight on two prominent threats of Data Breaches, PoS devices, and avoidance methods. References 5 types of cyber attacks and how they can affect your business. (n.d.). Retrieved February 02, 2017, from http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2016/06/22/5-types-of-cyber-attacks-and-how-they-can-affect-y?slreturn=1487565444page=6 Mid-Year Review: 6 of the Biggest Cyber Threats of 2016. (2016, September 28). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/2016-biggest-cyber-threats/ New point-of-sale malware distributed by Andromeda botnet. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2016, from http://www.csoonline.com/article/2948966/cyber-attacks-espionage/new-pointofsale-malware-distributed-by-andromeda-botnet.html (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2017, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-warning-signs-your-business-may-risk-data-breach-sean-wright (n.d.). 3 Warning Signs Of A Breach What Security Teams Should Be Looking For. Retrieved December 30, 2016, from https://techcrunch.com/gallery/3-warning-signs-of-a-breach-what-security-teams-should-be-looking-for/ Types of Phishing Attacks. (2007, August 24). Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://pcworld.about.com/od/emailsecurity/Types-of-Phishing-Attacks.htm

Bridge of Montenegro :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I think about my unforgettable experiences in Montenegro, there is always one image that reoccurs in my mind. That picture is the bridge in the river that we used to go swimming in. This bridge does not have a name, however, that does not decrease its importance to the residents that live in that area. It holds various historical facts, information, and stories. Although it is too small to carry automobiles, it allows people to get from one city to the other without driving there. Many people in Montenegro do not have cars or any other means of transportation, so in order for them to get to their desired destination, they must take the bridge. This bridge carried farmer’s cows and sheep’s and led them to their pasture every morning and night. In spite of the fact that cars could not fit through, horses hauled produce over the bridge to nearby markets. The bridge helped people, animals, and food get to where they needed to go instead of taking the streets and risk g etting robbed or hit. Things have changed since the seventy – year old bridge was built. Nowadays it is considered a historic site and diving board to tourists and the citizens. I have noticed the bridge and scenery change before my eyes through the years that I have visited it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I never would have thought it could alter the way it has. Not too long ago, this bridge was the only means of transportation for the natives of Montenegro. When I was younger, I remember the condition of the bridge was as if it were just built. The screws were all in the right places, tightly fastened, and the metal had barely began to chip off. After revisiting this place numerous times, I noticed some distinct transitions. Years later, I observed the transformation of the metal beginning to rust and peel off. Along with that, the nuts and bolts have slowly begun to unscrew themselves due to erosion and time. I remember climbing the surrounding cliffs that led to the bridge and the jumping off of it along with the other children. At that time, doing so was easy. The rocks were a bit difficult to climb, however, with the help of wearing sneakers; it made it a bit easier to ascend. The bridge was built on the peak of the crag, making it accessible to all thrill see kers.

Raise In Red Lantern :: essays research papers

In  ¡Ã‚ §Raise the Red Lantern ¡Ã‚ ¨, the symbolic implications of the ancestral altar in the central reception hall go beyond the family walls, because it displays the portraits of all the powerful officals in the Chen family, thus suggesting the entire patriarchal tradition and its political power.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In  ¡Ã‚ §Raise the Red Lantern ¡Ã‚ ¨, the red lantern, an invented icon here (and one accused of being a fake cultural signifier used merely for sensational purposes), is the film ¡Ã‚ ¦s central symbol and most important metaphor. The colour red is a symbol of sexuality and eroticism, but no longer of passion. More importantly, it turns out to be associated with patriarchal and political power. To get the lantern lit refers to the victory of one woman over all the others, but at the same time it still represents failure for all the women because the woman who gains the lit lantern must be totally exposed, under the red light, before the gaze and under the control of the man. The color red here remains a symbol of blood and death, as in the death scenes of both the servant Yan ¡Ã‚ ¦er and the third wife, who dared to disobey the rules.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sound of the foot massages in Raise the Red Lantern echoes very well the rhythm of tension, obsession, and desire in the daily life of Chen ¡Ã‚ ¦s household. It seems to be the only promising and stimulating sound for the wives in that deadly quiet mansion. Moreover, this sound is often parallel to, or mixed with that of the footsteps of the master when he approaches the selected wife ¡Ã‚ ¦s room. This sound, then, creates a temporary illusion for the woman, who thinks she is going to win the man.