Climate Change, Global Warming, Renewable and Nuclear Energy Essay

Climate Change, Global Warming, Renewable and Nuclear Energy - Essay Example However, the recently experienced variation particularly in the rise of global temperatures is arguably not as a result of natural variation alone but also the contribution of human activities. These activities are responsible for the heightened Carbon Dioxide levels and other heat trapping gases. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and other Green House Gases (GHGs) such as Methane (CH4), and Nitrous Oxide (N20), contribute to global warming through their green house effect. These gases trap and retain the heat reflected from the earth’s surfaces, hence leading to extreme temperature rise (Turk & Bensel, 2011). The U.S. National Climatic Data Center indicates that global temperatures have been on the rise for the past three centuries. The last century saw an average rise in global temperatures of about 1.58 F with the Arctic warming twice as much (Turk & Bensel, 2011). The past 50 years data on severe temperatures have indicated a significant rise in temperatures; in other words, frosts, cold days and nights were less whereas heat waves, hot days and nights were more prevalent (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Also, this warming has not been attributed to the earth alone but also the oceans which have for the past years absorbed most of the heat present in the atmosphere. As a result, the oceans temperatures have increased significantly too. With time, this heat (from the oceans) will be released back to the atmosphere and this might result in further atmospheric warming. Currently, vast research suggests that global warming is ever increasing due to the high concentration of green house gases within the atmosphere. The green house effect is experienced widely. In fact, scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies have established that there is a lot of absorption of sun’s energy than its emission. Hence, this imbalance is the chief cause of the green house effect (Pewclimate, 2011). The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) produced a report in 2009 regarding the status of impacts of climate change in the U.S. According to it, human activities have greatly contributed to the rise in the concentration of the three main green house gases: Methane, Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide. Indeed, from the pre-industrial period these gases have increased in astonishing percentages. Carbon Dioxide has increased by 40 percent; Methane by 148 percent and Nitrous Oxide by 18 percent (Harding, 2007). Predictions indicate that with th e current rate in increase of global temperature, 2050 will be devastating as the global average temperatures will exceed to almost 280 C. This will result in sudden and irreversible changes such as loss of the Amazon forest, vast melting of the Greenland cap, and release of Carbon dioxide from the soils (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Worse still, it is feared that smoke, hazes and specks emitted from the fossil fuel and vegetation could be currently mitigating global warming by acting as a cover which could be averting solar energy back to space. The current trend of cleaning up air pollution will eradicate this â€Å"global dimming effect† resulting in future increases in average global temperatures by almost 100 C (Turk & Bensel, 2011). Renewable Energy Recently, there has been a major concern to switch from using fossil fuels to the renewable forms of energy. However, to achieve this, we should take note of two things. First, there should be intensive research so as to offer alte rnative sources of energy in order to cut down on the prices of energies. Second, there is need for the energy prices to depict their true value; in other words, these prices should reflect hidden costs such as the environmental costs which are linked to the

Roles of Women Essay Example for Free

Roles of Women Essay The configuration of a womans identity consists of the expectations that society places on her. Such expectations are still in existence today. Authors from the nineteenth and twentieth century are using literature and poetry as a vehicle for the new role and passion of the woman. Such authors as Kate Chopin, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Marge Piercy, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Henry James evoke a new sense of expectations for women in their use of literary language. One must acknowledge the differences in the expected roles of women and those the authors are portraying in order to penetrate the effect the author is trying to convey. These authors go beyond the norm and give women hope for the future. Kate Chopin creates a female character in At the Cadian Ball and The Storm that is vivid and defiant. Calixta is the image of hope that an authentic woman dares to embody. Chopin challenges society in her literature. She tests the roles of women. For instance, the female character she depicts in The Storm and The Cadian Ball is sexually overbearing, an adulterous, and presumptuous. Radek suggest that women of the nineteenth century were not supposed to have any real sexual contact before their marriage. The characteristics that Calixta possesses are dissimilar to the expected roles of women. The women of this time should be reserved, subservient, compliant, and gentle creatures. Henry James paints a picture of a similar vixen in Daisy Miller, although Daisy is innocent and naive in her promiscuity. James, no doubt being male, depicts women in a role outside of that of society. He portrays Daisy as innocently flirtatious. While this is not completely immoral, it is defiant of a placid nature. Mary Wilkins Freeman does not create as much controversy as Chopin, although she does create characters that embody independence rather than subservience. In The New England Nun, Louisa encompasses the typical homemaker characteristics, but she withstands independence when she rejects submission to Dagget, while declining to marry him. Wilkins expresses the hindered spirit of rebellion in The Revolt of Mother. She uses her words to convey the rebellious attitude the woman feels and is dared to communicate. She expresses the anger and uprising women are mandated to keep silent. Poetry is a vehicle for thought provoking expression that flows gently. Such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Marge Piercy communicate their thoughts through the flow of language. Edna St. Vincent Millay writes in an emotional upheaval. In I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed, she transmits her despairing and vulnerable attitude. Marge Piercy writes from the corner in which women confine themselves. She portrays the loneliness that one feels because of the expectations that society places on them. The character in Barbie Doll is driven to suicide because she falls short of these expectations. This poem plays out the helplessness of the woman, while Whats That Smell in the Kitchen portrays the womans rebellious nature. This wife is tired of being socially correct and acts out in fits of rage. Kate Chopin, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Marge Piercy, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Henry James are writers of today. They innovate the true desires, passions, and frustrations of the American woman. While many of them are unable to articulate their inner desires and frustrations through physical expression, due to social restraints, they are able to express these emotions through their writing. This vehicle of emotion is a channel for the mind, body, and soul because of societys secluding forces. These authors are able to play out the roles that they desire, those roles that are unmentionable, through their words. Their words are the true expression of a womans mind and feelings, while society believes that women are not suppose to behave or feel these ways. Hartman says that a womens God-given role was as wife and mother, keeper of the household, guardian of the moral purity of all who lived therein. In conclusion, through the years, it is prevalent that the inner woman bears similar characteristics. Women are consistently making a way through life to gain equality to men. They desire to express the emotions and passions they possess while stepping outside of the societal standards. Chopin uses Calixta as a symbolic representation of the womans sexual emotions that are forcibly in suppression. Freeman symbolizes independence in the character she creates. Millay, simply, expresses her emotions and frustrations as a woman. Piercy articulates the bondage that a woman is under due to the roles and appearances they are expected to maintain. Henry James, not being a woman, creates Daisy, a woman filled with innocent flirtation. This is a characteristic outside of the reserved, subservient expectation. Though these authors may be the initiation of controversy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, their rebellious illustrations are, no doubt, compelling to readers today. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. At the Cadian Ball . Chopin, Kate. The Storm . Freeman, Mary W. A New England Nun . Freeman, Mary W. The Revolt of Mother American Literature, vol 2, 6th ed. William E. Cane. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 145-159. Hartman, Dorothy. Womens Roles in the Late 19th Century. 10 Aug. 2005 http://www. connerprairie. org/historyonline/1880wom. html. James, Henry. Daisy Miller http://ci. moc. edu/webapps/portal/frameset. jsp? tab =coursesurl=/bin/common/course. pl? course_id=_367_1. Millay, Edna St. Vincent. I Being Born A Woman and Distressed American Literature, vol 2, 6th ed. William E. Cane. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 575. Piercy, Marge. Barbie Doll American Literature, vol 2, 6th ed. William E. Cane. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 1453. Piercy, Marge. Whats That Smell in the Kitchen? . Radek, Kimberly. Women in Literature. 9 Aug. 2005 http://www. ivcc. edu/GEN2002/Women_in_the_Nineteenth_Century. htm. Victorian Lace. 12 July 2005 http://www. geocities. com/victorianlace10/women. html. Wyatt, Neal. Biography of Kate Chopin. 1995 http://www. vcu. edu/engweb/eng384/katebio. htm

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride I wouldn't want anyone to think that I'm trying to have the last word here but I thought it only appropriate that the bride speaks and those of you who know me well enough will agree that it's usually hard to keep me quite. Well today is no exception, so here we go! I feel privileged to be sharing our day with most of the friends and family who have been important to us during our lives. Many of you have travelled from afar:- South Africa, Botswana and even the UK, and some of you have had 0to take time off work to be here. Thanks to all of you for the efforts and sacrifices you have made to be with us today. Of course there are those who are unable to be with us and there is one person in particular who I would dearly have loved to be here today to see me married and that is my Dad. He's certainly been in our thoughts today,a s he is everyday. I'd like to thank Allan for his earlier compliments and would like to add how wonderful he looks today. Allan and I have been together for about 14 years (as has been mentioned a number of times tonight) and during that time we've been through a lot. But he has many wonderful qualities - charms, brains & beauty are sadly the only ones missing! No seriously, I would like to thank Allan for being the person that he is. He is good company and is funny, affectionate and loving and he's a friend as well as a partner and it means a lot to be is wife after so many years. I would now like to drink my own private toast to him and or future together. To Allan, you know everything about me and love me just the same. Now I don't mean to bore you with repetition but I would like to say a few personal thank you's to some very special people who have contributed enormously to our day:- * Firstly, to the most wonderful mother a child could ever have – not only for all the love, support and guidance over the years but also for everything you've done towards today. Your massive contribution has been priceless and without you we would never have managed and today would not have been possible, never mind so special.

Passion for Baseball

â€Å"What is one thing you are passionate about, and why? † Around this time in September, thirteen years ago, I saw a beautiful event happen. I was sitting in front of the small television in my living room and I witnessed Mike Piazza hit a homerun in Shea Stadium. At that moment, I was hooked for life. The game of baseball is rich in history and full of legends, yet is still accessible to almost anyone on this planet. For me, baseball is more than a game; it's a lifestyle.I began playing T-ball at the raw age of six years old and advanced to a new level of play every year. My passion for baseball flowed through my body more and more as I dvanced to new levels of play. However, being on the field was not the only place that cemented my love for America's pastime. In fact, the front of my TV actually influenced me a lot. I would watch almost every depressing Met's game and sit in front of my computer playing two-dimensional Backyard Baseball 2003.Thank god my brother shares m y enthusiasm or who knows what sport I would be playing right now. Year after year, there is something special about baseball that has kept me fascinated. I think there are many reasons why baseball captivates millions of people around the world. I think one of the reasons is that baseball is an eerily perfect game. How did the inventors of baseball know that 90 feet between each base was the perfect length? There are countless plays that come down to a matter of inches.Baseball is often referred to as â€Å"the game of inches† because a matter of inches can be the difference between being safe or out, or even a win or loss. Another reason I like baseball is because I truly believe it brings people together. Just think about twelve years ago today (September 1 1, 2011). Planes crashed into iconic buildings in New York City and Washington D. C. When baseball started back up again, guess who was there to throw out the first pitch in Yankees Stadium? Our president, George W. Bus h. He threw an impeccable strike and the crowd went wild.Through all of the grieving and horror of that week, New York had something to cheer for again. I still get chills Just thinking about that special day. It's magical moments like that, that make baseball so extraordinary. Baseball is often referred to as â€Å"America's Pastime†. I really like that saying because baseball is engrained in America's history. I think its funny that baseball almost has a history as vast as the United States. The idea of playing catch in the backyard or going out to the ballpark with your family is etched into my idea of America†.As a kid that loves the idea of America, it seems fitting that baseball is part of my life. The history is another aspect that keeps me playing. Abner Doubleday first adapted baseball from the British game, â€Å"Rounders†. From then on, baseball has evolved into the modern game that I have grown to love. When I visited the Baseball Hall of Fame, I real ized how important the history was. Every time I step on a baseball field, I think about the other people hat have stepped on a similar field in the past.I think of heroes like Jackie Robinson and Ty Cobb, but I also think of soldiers in World War II that continued to play overseas. I feel honored Just to think that I am playing the same game that they myself not playing baseball and it makes me nauseous Just thinking about it. Like I said, baseball is part of my lifestyle. Even shopping for baseball pants or cleats gets me excited. During my lifetime, I guarantee that I will flip on the TV every morning and watch the highlights of every game, Just like I did as a kid. My passion for baseball will never stop running through my veins.

Dance as an Art Form

The history of dance as an art can be traced with the emergence of cultures around the world and with the evolution of mankind. In early civilizations, dance has been a very essential part of their primitive cultures. When people asked for rain, they danced for the gods of rain. Or when they want to have a good catch, they would move as if they were pulling a net full of fishes. In essence, man expressed himself through movement when oral and spoken language was still on their nascent stage. Together with the visual arts, dance was the first mode of expression and communication.With the progress of different societies, dance has also evolved and adapted to the changes. From religious activities to public performances, dance and other similar movements were popularized as a means of easily understanding the message. Facial expressions, activities familiar to the audience were also characteristic of this art form. As the society advanced to a more sophisticated and more interactive com munity of cultures, dance has also evolved and surpassed its role in the religious activities and courts of rulers. Social dancing as we know it today traces its origins in three possible foundations.Ballroom dancing for example became popular with courtesans in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and not much participated by the commoners. Such exclusivity of dance to the aristocracy distanced ballroom dancing from being patronized by the greater public. It was only after the political and social reforms in the 18th and 19th centuries that the dances of the aristocracy also became popular with the masses. Thus, from being confined to a wealthy few, dance has also benefited from the economic and political victories of the lower and middle classes.Somehow, dance became an integral part of the politicization of culture. The most popular of these ballroom dances is the waltz which originated from the Austrian courts. The dance itself represented the political trend. As the society de viated from dogmatism and rigidity so was the spirit they found in waltz. Due to its popularity, waltz as an art form began to deteriorate and was eclipsed by other dances now unconfined to the elite. The 20th century found the convergence of South American and Caribbean music and rhythm which had more primitive origins.Social dancing evolved from its origins in Europe to a concoction of various cultures. Tap dance and folk dances also influenced the development of social dancing that through time, artistic components were added and invented or revived to produce a more vibrant variety of dances. In the course of the evolution of human societies, culture has adapted to the changes brought about by the modifications in the economic foundations of the era. Culture, as a part of the superstructure, changed through time.The early models of human production system were a very nature-dependent system and as a result they also had a nature-themed dance or dances which depicted movements, p henomenon and mysteries in nature. Come the slave societies, dance depicted the state of the society. Though there was a lineated domain of dance. The ruling slave owners appreciated dances which exemplified their dominion over their slaves, depicted their power while slave communities dance as they intend to be liberated and break free from the bonds of slavery.That is how society and culture works in dynamic and co-relational interactions. Different societies have different levels of appreciation for dance. Aesthetics can not only be solely responsible for the development of dance, utilitarian values are also of prime consideration. The emergence of a ruling class made it possible for dance to attain its position as an art in the courts of the kings and emperors. Utilized as a form of entertainment for the ruler and visiting dignitaries, dance has been appreciated more ever since for the aesthetic qualities that it had than message that it conveyed.What was pleasant for the audien ce became a prime reason for the development of dances. What the ruling class appreciated as art were also the same for their subjects. Historical accounts suggest how dance reached such point beginning as early as the Egyptian civilization. Egyptian society witnessed the evolution of dance from simple hunting rituals during the ancient times. Connected with the religious aspect of their economic activities, dance was used to summon goodwill from the gods and assure bountiful keep.As the Egyptian society progressed, dance was separated from its ritualistic character and was focused in the formal religious necessities. Evident in their movements were the daily activities of the Egyptian people. Greek culture draws its ancestry from Egypt and similarly started out as part of the religious exercises. Dance was seen incorporated to drama and dance festivities. Similarly, Greek dance expressed the activities of the people and each dance corresponds to a certain activity and character of the audience.In Europe, the complete evolution of dance from its utilitarian concepts to an aesthetic value started to surface as early as 364 BC. Though the main purpose was really to honor the gods, dance was also used to entertain the population in times of plagues or any catastrophic events. Since then, dance has been viewed as an art to be appreciated by the population and not only by the gods. Therefore, historically speaking, dance has served its purpose of contextualizing of human thoughts. Expression of these thoughts provided the reason for evolution.

Vietnam riots essays

Vietnam riots essays The Vietnam War is one of the most unique wars ever fought by the United States. It had no official beginning or ending and it was also never really declared a war. During the anti-war demonstrations of the 1960's and 1970's the police were right in the middle. The anti-Vietnam war demonstrations tarnished the image of the police and they were forced to play devils advocate. A good example of this is during the Democratic Party Presidential Convention in Chicago. The protesters became uncontrollable and the police had to intervene because it is part of their job description to maintain law and order. Even though the first amendment guarantees the right to freedom of speech and assembly, this kind of behavior is inexcusable. The protesters at the Democratic Party Presidential Convention behaved in an unruly manner, particularly when they attempted to enter the convention unlawfully. In a situation like this, law enforcement had no other alternative but to react. Many condemned the behavior of the police and called them unfair, while others agreed that they were doing their job. In addition to this, the police was also placed in the middle, at the anti-war college campuses demonstrations. One of the most widely publicized campus protests was the take over at Columbia University in New York, in the spring of 1968. (Dempsey, Frost P.G 21) The students used all of the tactics that were used in previous protests and as negations between administration and students broke down the protestors became uncontrollable. The police was once again called in to control the situation and forced to be in the middle. Most of the demonstrations were disorderly and the police was called to control the protesters. The firebombing of a University of Wisconsin building was a good example of how uncontrollable the demonstrations were. This incident started a wave of college campus bombings and arson. Six student...

Secure Online Shopping System Model on Customer Behavior

Secure Online Shopping System Model on Customer Behavior Introduction Research Background Safety and security over the cyberspace has become such an important issue in determining consumer behavior. Thus the introduction of a Secure Online Shopping System (SOSS) is vital towards survival of an online business.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Secure Online Shopping System Model on Customer Behavior specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Secure online shopping system is a platform where consumers of the product are able to make orders on particular product and make payments using their credit cards. The SOSS platform will ensure the safety and security of those cards. Research carried out by different organizations shows that the level of trust of internet shopping of many Chinese has increased making them willing to shop online as long as their security is ensured (Ira 2002). Since the development of electronic commerce, practitioners of E-commerce have strived to gain insight in to consumer behavior in cyberspace. SOSS target to woe global consumers of beauty products to make their purchases online. Economical and social responsible purchasing behaviors of consumers have become significant determinants of consumer behavior therefore SOSS will ensure that consumers’ social and economic welfare is well thought-out. According to Ira (2002), online consumers continued to use the internet amidst the economic recession experienced in Europe. According Kotler (1997), the highest number of internet users in China are those aged between 25 to 44 years. It further states that online purchases amongst these internet users are done by those in their late teens and early twenties. As a result, the SOSS platform will be used as that mainly target the individuals in the age bracket that use internet shopping frequently. It is thus important to establish how SOSS will influence behavior of customers in the Chinese Market.Advertising Looking for essay on busi ness economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Statement of the Problem Each year, vast numbers of new products in different groups are launched globally. Factors such as growing advertising costs and increasing competition have made the successful implementation of a new product more difficult in recent years. The concept of E-commerce in relation to the topic of online consumer behavior has been examined by different researchers in a variety of contexts. Despite the immense progress that researchers from different business disciplines that have made on this vast and new concept, none of these studies have focused on the security dimension of online shopping. Thus, introduction security aspect of online shopping services will be analyzed to establish its influence on behavior of consumers. To achieve this broad objective of increasing online customer base for the products offered in Chinese market, we analyze online consu mer behavior in a systematic manner using various consumer behavior theories and models. Consumer behavior theories have been applied to study online consumer behavior; however, gaps still exist between the online and offline consumer behavior that warrants further studies. Consumers are generally influenced by two factors: internal influences and external influences. Internal influences are personal feelings and thought that includes; self-concept, motivation, attitudes, emotions and perceptions. These factors generally influence perception, purchasing patterns, and attitude customers develop towards a product or a service offered by the business. Besides, these factors are directly linked to internal and external interacting social aspects that control the pattern of thought and expressed feelings. Resonating on the facets of internal and external influences, this paper develops a comprehensive matrix for purchasing patterns exhibited by customers within the Chinese market in orde r to understand how SOSS influences the behavior of consumers in e-commerce.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Secure Online Shopping System Model on Customer Behavior specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Purpose of Study To succeed in the e-business era therefore, companies need create adept initiatives and maintain long term sustainable relationship with loyal. SOSS is proficient platform that will help e-businesses remain relevant in this digital period (Ira 2002). Then purpose of this study is to explicitly review emotions and motivations as the emerging forces within consumers that activate certain behaviors. Emotions are described as temporary state that show present changes in motivations whereas motivation are persistence need that stimulate long term goals in consumers. These emotions control direct and indirect behavior inclination that arouse the instinct to purchase or refuse to purchase. Though a temporary st ate of mind, emotions challenge the market preference and direct judgment to buy. Therefore, the research is specific on how SOSS will impact on consumer behavior by arousing their motivation to buy products online. The aim is to find respondents who are the potential, if not actual customers of our online products who fall within the category of youths and young adults described in the introduction. One reason that informed the decision was the fact that such respondents are categorized as the most internet shoppers in China. Limitations of Study The study aims to make sure that the respondents chosen are aware of the brands investigated. Thus, a certain degree of familiarity with internet shopping and the security risks will be a prerequisite among the interviewees, in order to carry out meaningful discussions. As a result, consumers who do not show any familiarity of the brand will not include as respondents despite having knowledge of online shopping. Besides, being an empirical study, the researcher will depend on responses by these respondents that might not give accurate data.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, biased or selfish responses will have negative effects on the final outcome and this may render some of the findings inaccurate. In addition, the researcher may experience the constraint of time delays in sending the responses. Review of the Literature Koufaris (2002) asserts that the previous studies have been relatively fragmented with contradictory results. A large body of knowledge has been developed in consumer behavior analysis by influential authors such as Engel and Nicosia among others. A large part of this literature concerns differentiable products, thus, may not be explicitly applicable in a service such as online shopping. It is therefore necessary to understand the intrinsic differences between offline and online consumer behaviors. Attitude and Perception on Online Trade Attitude is the general evaluation that consumers engage in before deciding to purchase a particular product or service. Attitudes are direct personal experiences that are influenced by con sumers’ personality, advertisement, family and friends. Perceptions are unique ways through which consumers internalize and interpret information about a product. Consumer engagement is essential towards winning and maintaining a client especially in a competitive market setting where the best offer carries the day. The offer could be in the form of price, quality, and quantity. When information on attitude is verifiable, it is easy for a company to execute a well researched plan within allocated resources. The processed information is used by consumers in making â€Å"the buying decision,† as such, SOSS provides consumers with the platform to share information on the internet. There has been substantial research on consumer behavior, examining the decision process, and influences upon it, in terms of storage and brand characteristics and consumer behaviors (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008). Central to the theories of consumer behavior is the conviction that different consumers go through markedly complex decision making process that is influenced at different stages by a number of possible variables. The buying process normally begins with the need for a particular product or good. The need that is created prompts the consumers search for available information concerning the good or service that can satisfy that need. Having considered the available information, consumers then evaluate alternatives before making a purchase (Kotler, 1997, p.17). SSOS will not only avail the information on the product, but also ensure that customers security of their information making shopping accurate and safe. (Source: Kotler 1997) External Influences of Online Buying Behavior Several external influences affect online consumer behavior. These influences include individual culture and sub-culture, group associations, social cultural and household structure. Under SOSS we classify external influences as negative externalities that determine consumer b ehavior. Consumer behavior studies have shown that consumers’ attitude, opinions, belief, and values shape consumer buying decisions. Products that consumers view to be violating their cultural belief often attract fewer customers (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008). In fact, cultural beliefs influence and dictate how consumers meet their needs. Often, customer tend to associate satisfaction and value of a good on cultural believe or inclination in line with the preset societal mindset. Culture controls dressings, morals, and even association. As long as a service or a good is associated with positive result, the sales for such a good are likely to skyrocket. On the other hand, the reverse often leads to damning or uncomfortable response from potential customers who may appear reluctant to play along (Ira 2002). Therefore, acceptance of a good or service is a reflection of its responsiveness to culture and a target group’s social affiliation. The household str ucture basically represents the household composition in terms of age, occupants and their incomes (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008). On the other hand, groups in the context of consumer behavior represent individuals who share a set of common values, norms and beliefs. The group and the household to which a consumer belongs to has a significant influences on consumer behavior that is influencing the decision making process. Mass media services are mainly concerned with generation of modern cultures. Cultural values normally influence whatever values that are generated by mass media. Cultural values normally dictate what consumers would purchase; in fact, people buy certain signs when they are driven by the implication conveyed. Moreover, semiotics plays a significant role in the ads because it inspects signs and implications that are conveyed and thus alerts the users about the relevance of a product. E-Commerce Models The Models of Intention, Adoption, and Continuance a re essential in investigating the concepts of intention, adoption, and continuance on the process of online consumer purchasers. (Source: Kotler 1997) This model is an integration of two models of consumer behaviors: Kotler’s expectation-confirmation model and Ira’s attitudinal theoretical model (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008). The attitudinal theoretical model is used in examining the variables informing consumer purchasing intention and adoption. According to this model, â€Å"behavior is principally determined by intent. Other factors like, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and attitudes are also shown to be related to an appropriate set of significant normative, behavioral, and control values about that behavior† (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008, p. 89). However, this model does not explain consumer behavior in relation to repurchase. Ira’s expectation-confirmation model, on the other hand, focuses on past purcha se behavior of consumers. This model is used in explaining consumer satisfaction with a service or good through their repeat purchases. Thus, â€Å"consumer satisfaction is the key focus of this model and expressed via the gap that exist between the perceived performances† (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008, p. 78). Kotler (1997) found that personal innovativeness of individual consumers is key personality characteristic that give an explanation of consumer online behavior. Baskerville (2004) contends that consumers’ trust on the internet is a significant determinant of online shopping. E-commerce is non discriminative on the size of business since even retail chains are in a position to trade online. Moreover, this model of business operation functions exclusively online (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008). In addition, â€Å"web tracking technology permits sites that practicing E-commerce to monitor customer satisfaction and preference† (Ira 2002, p. 56). These aspects allow such companies re-model to customize service delivery and maintain quality. At technological advancement improves, E-commerce is likely to widen further. Consequently, it is cheap and easy to operate and open online stores â€Å"without a brick –and-mortar presence† (Thomson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland 2008). In addition, E-commerce offers entrepreneurial opportunities to persons in all business fields. The recorded sales data estimate progress at 4% annually across the globe (Ira 2002). Ira (2002) states that â€Å"It wasn’t until 1994 that e-commerce (as we know it today) really began to accelerate with the introduction of security protocols and high speed internet connections such as DSL, allowing for much faster connection speed and faster online transaction capability†(Ira 2002, p. 46). However, full adaptation of E-commerce begun in 2000 in America and Europe by pioneer companies such as Amazon and eBay which beca me prominent in E-commerce for many brands of products (Baskerville 2004). Model and Hypotheses Conceptual Framework The aims and objectives of this research paper are: To gauge and quantify the reasons for the behavioral influence of SOSS in online trade within China To identify the underlying factors that influence online purchasing behavior within China To identify the most profitable online business model in the stratified market of China To establish the most appropriate technique for introducing and maintaining sustainability of e-business within the borders of China Research Questions What are the profitable e-business models today? How do they compare to those that failed? How to transfer consignment business model to e-commerce especially in a specialized niche market Will people accept consignment business model in China? What difficulties are facing? Hypotheses Below are the null and alternative hypothesis based on the research problem. H1o. There is no link in e-busi ness efficiency and purchasing behavior in China. H1a. There is a link in e-business efficiency and purchasing behavior in China, H2o. There is no link between e-business model and success of an online business. H2a. There is a link between e-business model and success of an online business. H3o. There is no link between online brand awareness and the ease of online sales. H3a. There is a link between online brand awareness and the ease of online. Research Methodology Research Design Both descriptive and qualitative research methods will be used in this inquiry. Qualitative research method is a design which typically investigates behavior when it naturally occurs in a non contrived situation. On the other hand, descriptive survey designs will be used in preliminary and exploratory studies to allow researcher to gather information, summarize, present and interpret for the purpose of clarification. Descriptive investigative research is anticipated to produce statistical information ab out facets of SOSS that concern business that operate online Investigation of the problem will be conducted by means of both literature synopsis and empirical investigation. Subjects of Study and Sample Size The population targeted by this study includes 3 randomly picked participants within the Chinese market. To generate the sample size for this study population, the research will adopt the formulae created in 1972. Sampling Formula n=N/ (1+N (e2)) Where: n = sample size N= Target population e= Degree of freedom n=3/ (1+3*0.052) n=3/1.025 n= 1.025 From this population, random sampling will be applied and questionnaires with close ended questions given to each participant. Data Collection method In the collection of data procedure, the research will adopt a drop and pick module for the sample population. Each respondent will be given a time frame of a week to respond to questions in the questionnaire. Where necessary, further clarification will be accorded to participants. Statisti cal Techniques Used Data analysis will begin from the onset of the interviews until the process of interviews is completed. After all the data are collected, the analysis of the transcripts will be reduced through a procedure known as coding. At this stage the researcher will conduct data reduction, presentation and interpretation. The researcher will carefully but accurately transcribe the responses from participants recorded telephone calls as well as audio recordings. Transcripts from the interview questionnaire will be read and key points noted. Similarities and differences will be identified and key challenges presented by the managers, teachers and educators noted too. After the analysis of data details, symbolic qualitative and high technological ways were employed to arrive at conclusions. The content analysis was used due to its ability to review a wide range of non-construction data. The actual scenario was then analyzed through mathematical, statistical, and computational modus operandi to derive quantifiable results. Basically, the process relied heavily on respondent information from the twenty four participating organizations (Ira 2002). Open ended online questionnaires were the main data collection tools since the process relied on voluntary response. This type of purposive sampling is done through the outlines of criteria which the participants have successfully fulfilled. Open-ended questions were designed to allow the participants to fully express their experience without being too confined within the boundaries of a question. The semi-structured interview was used as it allowed the greatest possible advantages in creating an understanding of the experiences of the participants. The structured set of questions acts as an outline allowing for the participant to inject personal perspective and diverse lines of inquiry that may not have occurred to the interviewer. To make the responses inclusive despite the few numbers of respondents interviewe d, the participants were selected from four different regions within China. The respondents differed in age but fell within the age bracket described as internet shoppers (aged between 25 to 44 years). However, it is worthy to note that due to the limited number of respondents, the interviewees could have been more representative. Nonetheless, the aspects of sex, age, and occupation were taken into account considering the target customers described in the introduction (See Transcripts in Appendix I). The entire interview questions and answers given by respondents are attached in the transcripts as an appendix I.I. Findings and Analysis Before engaging in a business activity, it is vital to access its merits and demerits, risks involved security of the transaction, and regulative organs that directly provide protection from unpredictable and unethical practices by competitors. The participants opine that the main disadvantage of E-commerce is the fears and doubts by potential custome rs who don’t how it works. In this case, the potential customers are afraid of purchasing products online because of doubt on reliability, practicality, and risks involved especially when delivery is done to a wrong party. Some of these customers may be curious on appearance and reality and may develop a negative attitude after an assumption of possible fraud. Besides, online stores do not give an option for wear, touch, trial of the product before purchasing. Therefore, the sale of products such as furniture might be challenging. Moreover, invasion of malware and malicious codes in online stores might turn a simple business transaction into ‘Hellgate’ transmitting virus to PC of potential clients (Baskerville 2004). In addition online trading limits the social aspect of shopping in which parties involve interacting physically with one another. Due to surge in the use of E-commerce, several security reasons have been identified by the participants, especially in safety of information exchanged. The occurrence of some security threats has compromised the principles of authentication, privacy, and non-repudiation which is fundamental in protecting security breaches such as Denial of Service. The most common threats in E-commerce include ICM Flood, Teardrop Attack, Plashing, Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks, and Brute Force Attacks. These practices aim at compromising integrity of E-commerce. Recommendations In the face of globalization and the development of e-commerce competing companies apply strategic techniques to in their products and services to avoid being obsolete. The companies compete through product differentiation through focusing on the service-dormant paradigm with investments in new technology, people, and policies. These investments are imperative for organizations as because customer’s attitudes and motivation significantly influences the consumer behaviors. The earliest marketing principle of marketing was the mo del introduced by McCarthy in 1960 was the 4Ps marketing mix, defined by Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. This marketing model was further modified by Bettman in 1979 to include the service industry introducing three additional variables: People, Physical evidence and Process (Baskerville 2004). Due the unique characteristics of the service industry: intangibility, inseparability, and heterogeneity, these products can be offered to the market for an acquisition, consumption, attention, and use. The product can include the services, places, persons, organizations, physical objects and ideas. From this definition the new service: SOSS that we want to introduce in the operations of online shop in China will fall under a service. The reality of e-commerce in the market guarantees that the service will be very important in ensuring that new and existing customers are given the opportunity to shop cheaply and conveniently for the beauty product with an assurance of privacy and confid entiality. The Price is the amount charged for a product or service offered by a particular business organization (Kotler 1997). The service that SOSS creates is relatively inexpensive since customers will not be charged for using online shopping services, rather they are charging for the product and deliver costs. Apart from these direct costs the customers will have to incur internet service charges by their providers. SOSS therefore reduces the product cost and time incurred by offline shoppers for our products by maximizing on economies of scale since these products are likely to sell in large scale. Process refers to the mechanisms, procedures and flow of activities through which a service is delivered to customers. Koufaris (2002) notes that the process of delivery is an important variable that creates a difference to the benefits the consumers in the service industry reap. In a normal offline buying scenario, customers are likely to queue for the service or product. This is q uite time consuming as the customers have to be present physically. SOSS will eliminate this process by timely delivery thus eliminating the requirement of the physical presence of customers at the shop. SOSS customers will be able to receive the products they have ordered via the online portal. This will ensure that the products are delivered to specific customers at the right time. Customers will be required to provide information about their physical address to facilitate the process of transportation and delivery. With the information in their database SOSS takes into consideration the Place aspect of 7Ps marketing principles. The environment in which a service is assembled and where the customer and the service provider interact is what is referred as â€Å"Physical Evidence† in 7Ps marketing principles (Koufaris 2002). Managerial Implications As a matter of fact, visualization is dependent on internet networking and the ability of the targeted clients to access the same . Reflectively, the success of online trading and marketing depend on the type of business, the nature of products, and model of website in use. In the contemporary society, it is in order to state that online trade made possible through the invention of websites is the only future way of doing sustainable and customer friendly business. Thus, it is important for small, medium, and large business to embrace technology in order to remain competitive in the hostile global business environment. Every aspect of life is actively influenced by the revolutionary technological orientation and customers would gladly go for convenient purchasing tools. These services include all the tangible representation of the service being offered, such as, business cards, brochures, reports and Signage. For example, the design, furnishing as well as the neat arrangement of products on the shelves that will be shown on the website will influence customer perception on the quality of our products. Since ou r online customer are not physically present at the shop, the neat and attractive display and descriptions of products on the SOSS website will give our online shoppers cues that will help them understand the nature of the products they are ordering. Introduction of the Wi-Fi, iTunes, Blackberry applications, and Amazon search engines have made an online trade simple and reliable. For instance, the Wi-Fi and blackberry application permits potential client and seller to video conference and strike a deal irrespective of the distance between these parties. Besides, potential clients are now in a position to bargain, view, and make modifications to their product before making payment. In addition, these gadgets are portable and have widened access to products online without necessarily being connected to the traditional wire internet which was slow. Attitudes are direct personal experiences that are influenced by consumers’ personality, advertisement, family and friends. Percept ions are unique ways through which consumers internalize and interpret information about a product. Consumer engagement is essential towards winning and maintaining a client especially in a competitive market setting where the best offer carries the day. The offer could be in the form of price, quality, and quantity. When information on perception is verifiable, it is easy for a company to execute a well researched plan within allocated resources. The processed information is used by consumers in making ‘the buying decision’. Thus, our business will endeavor to incorporate SOSS within these engines to ensure convenience on the side of consumers and constantly mobile trade. Reflectively, these aspects will influence the decision science and successful management of our business. Conclusion From the examination of our findings, we can wrap up that the extent, to which consumers associate to Secure Online Shopping System (SOSS), is dependent on the degree of the perceived safety of the system and ease of use. Consequently if a high-level of perceived safety and ease of use is achieved, consumers tend to refer more notably to the system. On the other hand, the use of online shopping seems to be dreaded by online consumers when the degree of perceived safety is not achieved or relatively low. Furthermore, the safest and convenient the online consumers perceive an online shopping system in their mind, the more likely it is for them to use it when making online purchases. From the above research, markets are provided with a rich knowledge of consumer behavior as dependent on the degree of perceived positive and negative beliefs on a brand. Therefore, through improved advertising, balanced prices, and quality, markets will be in a position to monitor emotions and motivations which serve as the emerging forces within consumers that activate certain behaviors. These emotions control direct and indirect behavior inclination that arouse the instinct to purcha se or refuse to purchase. Though a temporary state of mind and emotions challenges the market preference and direct judgment to buy or reject a brand. These articles facilitate the process of examining the decision process, and influences upon it; in terms of storage and brand characteristics and consumer behaviors. Finally, this research has been conducted in a very meticulous setting with predetermined respondents’ characteristics. Therefore, we are aware of the possibility that the results could have turned out differently if respondents were picked randomly from across the social divide. References Baskerville, R. (2004). International e-business marketing. Alabama: Cengage Learning EMEA. Ira, K. (2002). E-Marketing: What Went Wrong and How to Do It Right. Los Angeles: KA Press. Kotler, P. (1997). Marketing management: Analysis, planning, implementation and control. Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs. Koufaris, M. (2002). Applying the technology acceptance model and flow the ory to Online consumer behavior, Information System Research, 13 (2): 205-223. Thomson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., Strickland, J. (2008). Crafting Executing Strategy: Concepts and Readings with Connect. Alabama: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Count Raymond of Toulouse - Crusader

Count Raymond of Toulouse - Crusader Raymond of Toulouse was also known as: Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Raimond de Saint-Gilles, Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, Raymond I of Tripoli, marquis of Provence; also spelled Raymund Raymond of Toulouse was known for: Being the first nobleman to take the cross and lead an army in the First Crusade. Raymond was an important leader of the Crusades armies, and participated in the capture of Antioch and Jerusalem. Occupations: CrusaderMilitary Leader Places of Residence and Influence: FranceThe Latin East Important Dates: Born: c. 1041Antioch captured: June 3, 1098Jerusalem captured: July 15, 1099Died: Feb. 28, 1105 About Raymond of Toulouse: Raymond was born in Toulouse, France, in 1041 or 1042. Upon taking the countship, he began to reassemble his ancestral lands, which had been lost to other families. After 30 years he built up a significant power base in southern France, where he controlled 13 counties. This made him more powerful than the king. A devout Christian, Raymond was a staunch supporter of the papal reform that Pope Gregory VII had initiated and that Urban II continued. He is believed to have fought in the Reconquista in Spain, and may have gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When Pope Urban made his call for Crusade in 1095, Raymond was the first leader to take up the cross. Already past 50 and considered elderly, the count left the lands hed so carefully consolidated in the hands of his son and committed to go on a perilous journey to the Holy Land along with his wife. In the Holy Land, Raymond proved to be one of the most effective leaders of the First Crusade. He helped capture Antioch, then led the troops onward to Jerusalem, where he participated in a successful siege yet refused to become king of the vanquished city. Later, Raymond captured Tripoli and built near the city the castle of Mons Peregrinus (Mont-Pà ¨lerin). He died there in February, 1105. Raymond was missing an eye; how he lost it remains a matter of conjecture. More Raymond of Toulouse Resources: Portrait of Raymond of Toulouse Raymond of Toulouse in Print The link below will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links.   Raymond IV Count of Toulouseby John Hugh Hill and Laurita Lyttleton Hill Raymond of Toulouse on the Web Raymond IV, of Saint-GillesBrief bio at the Catholic EncyclopediaThe First CrusadeMedieval FranceChronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2011-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/rwho/p/who-raymond-of-toulouse.htm

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

International Marketing - Essay Example This essay will conduct an internal and external environment analysis to develop effective business entry strategies. Discussion Magnit and Cityline operate within different industries. It is highly important for the organizations to determine the external environmental opportunities and threats before developing the market entry strategy. Following PEST and Porter’s five Force analyses will help the organizations to determine key external environmental opportunities and threats. PEST Analysis PEST analysis helps an organization to determine the overall impact of external environmental factors on the business performance of the organization. Political India is a politically stable country. The government of India is influencing several international organizations to enter in the Indian market. As the entry of foreign players can overcome several economic and social challenges, government can support the organizations. First of all, the market entry of two organizations can som ehow help the nation to overcome challenges like rising unemployment rate. Employment generation will help the people of country to betterment their lifestyles (Shan, 1991, pp.12-15). Looking into these aspects, it can be stated that the political environment is favourable for Magnit retail chain and Cityline internet service provider. Economical India is economically developing country. Purchasing power and disposable income of people are growing at a significant rate on yearly basis. It is true that India has achieved significant growth rate during the period of recent global economic recession and financial crisis. These favourable economic factors can... This report stresses that Magnit and Cityline are the Russian organizations that do not have any kind of international presence. Huge popularity and high market share in Russia influenced these two organizations to decide to go for global expansion strategy. Magnit is one of the leading retail chains in Russia. On the other hand, Cityline is one of the largest internet service providers in Russia. Magnit is trying to target potential target customers in India as it is true that the demand for consumption of consumer goods in the retail chain has increased significantly among the target customers. On the other hand, Cityline is trying to follow B2B business model as the organization is trying to target the business units and organizations to provide high speed internet prices in competitive package prices. It is clear from above discussion that both the organizations can capitalize on several favourable external environmental opportunities. This paper makes a conclusion that the external threats are quite minimal for both organizations. It is important for both of these organizations to develop an effective market entry strategy as the future performance in India is highly depending upon the developed market entry strategy. It is important for Magnit to follow Joint Venture Model in Indian market as it will help the organization in initial stages. The associated venture will help Magnit to get required business capital and operation resources in low cost. On the other hand, it will be effective for Cityline to follow Franchisee business model as it will help the organization to reduce initial political risks and high operation cost. The franchisee owners will help the parent company or franchiser or Cityline to develop effective customer base.

The Armenian Genocide in Modern Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Armenian Genocide in Modern Politics - Essay Example An inadvertent theme in the sources is the genocide's similarity to the atrocities perpetrated by Nazism in the Second World War – inadvertent, of course, because they record a â€Å"direct precedent for Hitler's genocidal policies† rather than a later imitation. However, the justification of the genocide is also reflected in twenty-first-century policy. Document 10.3, an excerpt from the memoirs of the American ambassador, records the Minister of the Interior's reasons for the genocide as follows: that the Armenians had â€Å"enriched themselves at the expense of the Turks†, that they â€Å"determined to domineer† over the native Turkish people, and that they â€Å"openly encouraged [the Turks'] enemies†. The similarities between this and Nazi anti-Semitism are familiar, but its recurrence in modern America is far more subtle and disturbing. Taalet's projection of his own actions on his enemies is reminiscent of, for example, right-wing accusations of leftist violence, or even the widespread and mistaken idea that both Democratic and Republican rhetoric was equally as bad after the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords. Unlike people who adhere to Republican principles, Democrats are not suggesting â€Å"a fake attack on [their] governor to discredit union protestors†. Although the United States is not participating in genocide, some of the nationalist and racist tendencies currently prevalent are reminiscent of the reasons for the Armenian genocide.... Both the genocide and present US politics can be related to Kramer's idea that war in the twentieth century morphed into a â€Å"new style of warfare† (Sebag Montefiore) which he calls total destruction: conflict was no longer limited to the battleground but included the annihilation of civilians and culture as well. Documents 10.4 and 10.5 refer to Armenians being â€Å"Islamicized† (Author, 167) in order to survive, forsaking their culture in return for their lives; the report to the German government goes on to say that Armenian â€Å"orphanages, hospitals, schools and the like† had either been closed down or were being â€Å"threatened daily by the authorities† (Author, 167). The perpetrators of genocide did not merely want to eradicate Armenian people; their sights were set on the entire cultural history and memory of Armenians. More sneakily, pro-choice laws (and therefore women) in the United States are also threatened daily: three hundred and fifty one separate pieces of abortion-related legislation had been proposed in 2011 before the end of March (Steinmetz). Although the circumstances are very different, the effect is not so; such attack on women's rights could be considered a genocide of sorts, or rather a slow and secret mass femicide. Similarly, â€Å"cases of rape of women and girls even publicly are very numerous† (Author, 162) in the Armenian genocide as in the twenty-first century US, where one in six women and one in thirty-three men are sexually assaulted (RAINN). It is true, however, that nationalism and racism are not so prevalent in American politics as they were in the Armenian genocide, although both have

CRM industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRM industry - Essay Example Simply speaking, they have to find where to buy what with the greatest benefit for the company. Information systems for strategic sourcing evolved from simple on-line catalogues to more complex on-line procurement transaction terminals, and even more: "Advanced eSourcing systems went a little bit further than comparing just the price. They compare the total cost of ownership, allowing for more flexible bidding and optimizing the overall supply chain" (Ishikawa et al, 2005). The use of IS for strategic sourcing is appreciated throughout the world. With an increasing number of means of communication, such as mobile phones, email, Internet messengers, pagers, video conferences, etc. contacting your business partner, customer, or employee becomes easy as never before. However such variety in communication devices brings another challenge on the scene: what is the best way to deliver your message to your contact' Since there is never an agreement on communication preferences, the best way is not to use single mean of communication, but rather select them all with the help of unified communication systems (UCS). They serve as a bridge between communication and IT infrastructures allowing its users "maximum choice and flexibility over how, where and when they wish to communicate. UC systems will intelligently route voice and data messages to the user's preferred communication device based on the user's profile." (Jennings, 2006) So UCS may be vital for companies that rely on fast and accurate information flows. Business Intelligence Today the success of a business greatly depends on the feedback that managers receive from company operations. Health of an enterprise is constantly monitored and analysed in order to avoid unexpected failures. Business intelligence without the use of IT is as ineffective as diagnosis without medical equipment. Management needs to get comprehensive information on factors affecting a business. Indicators and metrices on sales, production or internal operations serve as the best base for decision making. Software used for business intelligence may be divided into storing and analyzing the performance, or internal operations and tools for more "human" side of the businesses, i.e. CRM and marketing tools. Nowadays, BI software is still limited with rather slow dynamics. Systems are updated monthly, weekly, or daily. Meanwhile, Golfarelli (2005) argues that "'daily updates are unacceptable whenever an immediate decision must be kept. This is the case for many applications in the industria l world". Thus the business intelligence industry is currently working on dynamic instant updates of information, which will allow using it effectively in every business. Security and Privacy Information stored within companies along with their technology infrastructure often presents the base for their competitive advantages. That is why security issues become increasingly important with the ever growing use of IT in business. Of course, the main driving forces behind security developments are banks. Modern security information systems include not only reactive but proactive measures as protection from perceived threats, such as surveillance, encryption, and

Mass Media, Culture, and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mass Media, Culture, and Society - Essay Example Mass media has traditionally been associated with the responsibility of imparting useful information to the wider masses. This role however has changed over the years. With the passage of time, popular culture has impacted the media. News channels are now focused on giving information, which will earn the channels and the programs higher TRP ratings as opposed to following the rules and regulations. Videos of terrorist attacks and bombings which have been aired on the national news channels are not only disturbing, but it is also against the rules of broadcasting. Similarly newspapers and tabloids print pages contain information about celebrities and their lives, where more pressing issues are often ignored (Berger, 10). A couple of decades back, even movies and TV shows had some morals in them which the producers and writers wanted to put across to the world. They were a source of entertainment but in addition to that they were also a source of beneficial lesson or information. This has changed today. Today the media is market driven. They show the masses what they want to see. The entertainment industry is taking over, to an extent that even news broadcasting has become a source of entertainment (Stevenson). Political talk shows, which have been providing a platform for politicians to discuss topics of interest on a neutral ground, have now become programs which just show how these politicians argue and insult each other. News broadcasting has turned very similar to live drama broadcasting. ... Instead of producing films which are creative and convey a certain message across to the audience, the films produced follow a certain formula that emphasizes on materialistic and superficial things. With shallow and unconvincing characters, these films are based on the basic concept of aggression and greed. The plots are simple to the point that it looks as if templates are used for film making (Berger, 111). One recent example of a news channel broadcasting visuals for higher ratings was from the incident that took place in Karachi on November 28, 2012. A man fell from an 8-storey high building and the Pakistani news channels were constantly telecasting a live video footage of the entire incident. This news piece is one of the many examples which are telecasted on the local news channels. In order to get higher ratings and stay ahead of the numerous competitors, news channels pride themselves to be the first ones to convey the latest new to the masses. However, in the process of be ing on the top and being the first ones at every incident, news channels have forgotten the basic ethics that should follow (Khan). Another example of the amalgamation of mass media and culture are the numerous talk shows, which are aired almost every night on the Pakistani news channels. These shows include Mere Mutabiq (According to Me), To the Point, Target Point and Islamabad tonight to name a few. All of these shows follow the same pattern – members of opposing parties sitting together and discussing recent issues. However, what actually takes place is not discussion, but a blame game. Each party member blames the other political party for misconduct and corruption and thus, results in an argument. Journalism ethics

The American Cultural Myth, America as the Land of Freedom and Essay

The American Cultural Myth, America as the Land of Freedom and Equality - Essay Example The given paper will discuss the American myth and reality and prove that the equal rights the United States provides are still to be got by people in a long and difficult struggle. The question about the reality of American equality is rather controversial. This controversy comes from the miscomprehension of what is meant by equality and freedom and how it is realized in the American society. The myth is that the United States of America represents the place where everybody is â€Å"free†, so he can do everything that comes into his mind. In reality, freedom and equality are really present in America, however, people who come to the state usually feel shock because of the official and bureaucratic limitations, and face difficulties on their way to become a part of the American society. During its history, the United States regulation has been doing its best to counterpoise the independence of a person with the welfare of the country and the outcomes of such efforts sometimes appeared to be rather strange and unexpected. Anti-smoking law that states that those who do not smoke have a right to live without smoke that restricts the right of smokers’ to smoke represents the perfect example of this strangeness. Young people who come to America to study are usually unpleasantly surprised by a great number of regulations that controls each step they make. The social principles in America are really strange. They represent a mix of Puritanism and the commonly nonjudgmental American approach that generates a lot of difficulties for newcomers, because they can’t foresee the American society’s reaction to their actions. Furthermore, in America various ethnic groups live one next to another and each group has its own principles that may differ much from the values of other. Consequently, the newcomers often feel that there are absolutely no rules in the United States and appear at a

Mass Media, Culture, and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mass Media, Culture, and Society - Essay Example Mass media has traditionally been associated with the responsibility of imparting useful information to the wider masses. This role however has changed over the years. With the passage of time, popular culture has impacted the media. News channels are now focused on giving information, which will earn the channels and the programs higher TRP ratings as opposed to following the rules and regulations. Videos of terrorist attacks and bombings which have been aired on the national news channels are not only disturbing, but it is also against the rules of broadcasting. Similarly newspapers and tabloids print pages contain information about celebrities and their lives, where more pressing issues are often ignored (Berger, 10). A couple of decades back, even movies and TV shows had some morals in them which the producers and writers wanted to put across to the world. They were a source of entertainment but in addition to that they were also a source of beneficial lesson or information. This has changed today. Today the media is market driven. They show the masses what they want to see. The entertainment industry is taking over, to an extent that even news broadcasting has become a source of entertainment (Stevenson). Political talk shows, which have been providing a platform for politicians to discuss topics of interest on a neutral ground, have now become programs which just show how these politicians argue and insult each other. News broadcasting has turned very similar to live drama broadcasting. ... Instead of producing films which are creative and convey a certain message across to the audience, the films produced follow a certain formula that emphasizes on materialistic and superficial things. With shallow and unconvincing characters, these films are based on the basic concept of aggression and greed. The plots are simple to the point that it looks as if templates are used for film making (Berger, 111). One recent example of a news channel broadcasting visuals for higher ratings was from the incident that took place in Karachi on November 28, 2012. A man fell from an 8-storey high building and the Pakistani news channels were constantly telecasting a live video footage of the entire incident. This news piece is one of the many examples which are telecasted on the local news channels. In order to get higher ratings and stay ahead of the numerous competitors, news channels pride themselves to be the first ones to convey the latest new to the masses. However, in the process of be ing on the top and being the first ones at every incident, news channels have forgotten the basic ethics that should follow (Khan). Another example of the amalgamation of mass media and culture are the numerous talk shows, which are aired almost every night on the Pakistani news channels. These shows include Mere Mutabiq (According to Me), To the Point, Target Point and Islamabad tonight to name a few. All of these shows follow the same pattern – members of opposing parties sitting together and discussing recent issues. However, what actually takes place is not discussion, but a blame game. Each party member blames the other political party for misconduct and corruption and thus, results in an argument. Journalism ethics

Examine the importance of avoiding plagiarism Essay

Examine the importance of avoiding plagiarism - Essay Example There are many universities that have proper academic guidelines regarding rules of properly citing the sources taken from various journals, books, or websites. Higher educational studies are a very critical stage for the students and this phase is the starting point for building the career for individuals. They need to pass this phase with good grades for attaining future achievements. Due to being in such a critical stage of studies, there are many cases of plagiarism detected amongst students of higher educational studies. This paper discusses the importance of avoiding plagiarism by all individuals in the academic learning environment. The world we are residing in is the information age where the amount of information available for the general community is there in abundance and also is free of charge. It is extremely easy to plagiarise the work of others due to easy availability and accessibility of the work. There are many research papers available online for users and students who want to copy the work do it from these online sources and other research databases as well. Nonetheless, it is extremely important to avoid plagiarising the work of what other authors have done. By plagiarising, the individual is violating the legal laws of the research work or paper and also the individual is considered to be involved in unethical practices. It is highly unethical act to regard someone else’s work as one’s own. By not acknowledging the person via the right reference techniques, the individual is taking the credit of the work. Some students take the aspect of acknowledging sources is to copy paste the work of the author and then write the name of the author in brackets. This again is not the right of acknowledging anyone’s work and would be regarded as plagiarised work. There have been many research studies conducted that

Differences Between Pr and Advertising Essay Example for Free

Differences Between Pr and Advertising Essay Differences Between Advertising and Public Relations Advertising vs. public relations, these two industries are very different even though theyre commonly confused as being one and the same. The following ten properties just scratch the surface of the many differences between advertising and public relations. 1. Paid Vs Free Coverage * Advertising: The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published. For Example: Infosys gives an ad in The Hindu on Wednesdays in the Opportunities column. So it has the liberty and control to opt whether they want to give the ad on a particular Wednesday or not depending on their requirement. * Public Relations: Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, youre focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services. For Example: Tata Nano is the best example of this. Till now Nano was not advertised and all its publicity is through PR. 2. Creative Control Vs. No Control * Advertising: Since youre paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that ad. Any feature of the ad can be designed according to the way you want to portray the image of your company. For Example: Close-up portrays a youthful image through its advertisements, whereas Cadbury (which earlier had largely targeted the youth) has shifted its focus and now projects its chocolate as something for the whole family to enjoy during times of rejoicing. * Public Relations: You have no control over how the media presents (or misrepresents) information about your organization. For Example: Reliance did not have a control over the news which was published regarding the conflict between Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani and had to pay for it in form of loss in the share price (initially). 3. Shelf Life * Advertising: Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release. * Public Relations: You generally submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once. An editor wont publish your same press release three or four times in their magazine. 4. Wise Consumers * Advertising: Consumers know when theyre reading an advertisement theyre trying to be sold a product or service. The consumer understands that we have paid to present our selling message to him or her, and unfortunately, the consumer often views the selling message very guardedly. * Public Relations: When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, theyre seeing something you didnt pay for and view it differently than they do paid advertising. Where we can generate some sort of third-party endorsement by independent media sources, we can create great credibility for our clients products or services. 5. Creativity * Advertising: In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns and materials. Some jingles in the ad have a long bonding with the product. Few Examples: Surf comes with a series of new ads from time to time. Britannia’s jingle is well remembered and is branded even in its website. * Public Relations: In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you search for new news to release to the media. For Example: Apple iPhone is an example of this. Apple created a huge buzz in the market exercising creativity to and extend and the result was a huge demand for the Iphone much before its release date. 6. Target Audience or Hooked Editor * Advertising: Youre looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You wouldnt advertise a womens TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine. * Public Relations: You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an article, to run a press release or to cover your event. . 7. Special Events * Advertising: If your company sponsors an event, you wouldnt want to take out an ad giving yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR department steps in. Public Relations: If youre sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event. 8. Writing Style * Advertising: Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product. * Public Relations: Youre strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any bl atant commercial messages in your communications are disregarded by the media.

Factors that influence individual and group dynamics

Factors that influence individual and group dynamics Introduction Organizational Behavior has become a challenging hot topic among many groups who are interested to study the individual and group behavior of people working as teams in organizations. The term organizational behavior may have many definitions. According to Debra (2008), Organizational Behavior is the study of individuals and their behavior within the context of the organization in a workplace setting. She describe it is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology, psychology, communication and management. There are also views that it is not only the study of how organizations behave, but rather the study of individual behavior in an organizational setting. This includes the study of how individuals behave alone, as well as how individuals behave in groups. The purpose of this essay is to gain a greater understanding of those factors that influence individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting so that individuals and the groups and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. It also includes the analysis of organizational factors that may have an influence upon individual and group behavior. However the literature review help the author of this essay to realize that much of organizational behavior research is ultimately aimed at providing human resource management professionals with the information and tools they need to select, train, and retain employees in a fashion that yields maximum benefit for the individual employee as well as for the organization. Going beyond that this essay will discuss Leadership and change management aspects of organizational behavior. Author V.G.Kondalkar describes Organizational behavior is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and organizational structure have on behavior within the organization, for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organizational effectiveness. There for organization behaviors can be discussed in different levels including Individual, group and organization structure. Individual Group Structure Studying these distinct different levels, may helps to understand the organizational behavior at a broader way so that it could see the different aspects at each level which the managers can use to facilitate their day-to-day job. Individual level of analysis At the individual level of analysis, organizational behavior involves the study of learning, perception, creativity, motivation, personality, turnover, task performance, cooperative behavior, deviant behavior, ethics, and cognition. At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws heavily upon psychology, engineering, and medicine. Taking Google as an example to this, Google recruit individuals with best academic and analytical capabilities. By this they expect a knowledge organization. The individuals coming from this kind of back ground will naturally bring in a studious learning culture. There will not be an explicit necessity to motivate them towards learning. Their business is that they invent technologies specially related to internet. Business gets the competitive edge over its competitors by their innovations. To align this strategy they also recruit above kind of people. They always encourage an entrepreneur culture where they expect a flatter structure and less power distance between individuals. So that they expect ideas coming from bottom to up to generate always creative ideas. Individuals can be motivated by different means. Motivation towards expected behavior is where organization can most benefit. Herzberg came up with two factor theory where he define both implicit and explicit factors for motivation. Providing examples to the effectively of indirect motivating factors, organizations like Google offer 20% of their employees work time to involve in a project which each individual like. Given more facilities to child care, good food, health and entertainment Google wants to provide as many as intrinsic motivators. This was very successful as they fulfill the individual needs to a greater extent so that employees can involve their work with their Saul morality. It was one Einstein said people who work if it is just to avoid punishment or to gain the rewarding of good work as like in most religious teachings; they will address the morality of individuals. It is just the fear that makes that work done. There for this essay argue if organizations can really address the morality of individuals like what Google successfully did, they can have the most effective and pleasant work force. It was also highlighted in order to have a moral organization it should recruit people who are capable and self disciplined. On the other hand it will definitely need the support from organization Leadership and culture. However individuals form groups. In other words group behavior is influenced by individual behavior. But obviously group behavior has more power and has more strength. There for to have the best fitting group behavior for the organization it must have the right individuals. This individual behavior paves this essay to the way towards how an organization can best benefit the group behaviors. Group level of analysis At the group level of analysis, organizational behavior involves the study of group dynamics, intra- and intergroup conflict and cohesion, leadership, power, norms, interpersonal communication, networks, and roles. At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon the sociological and socio-psychological sciences. When there are groups it is naturally the first thing come to mind is leadership. Organizations can have many different groups. Sometimes they can be formal and obvious many times they are informal. These groups plays a vital role in an organization as these groups can be treated as energy cells, which concentrate some pockets of power. These pockets are very important to determine the success of organization. On the other hand this is where organizational politics and leadership comes in. As far as organizations are concerned most critical decisions are coming from director board. For example these decisions can be approved only by majority. To make decisions effective and comes in to play they have to get the support of subordinates. As the research to Prof Robert Reich, he finds that many times the subordinates do not support to the logical accuracy of decisions, but they support to the personal traits or any other leadership traits. There most the time subordinates address issues with gut feelings. This is why group behavior is so important. If organizations can form groups which doesnt obey only to the gut feeling but put some effort to overcome mental resistances and come to some rational decisions; such kind of organizations do better in business. Richard trading, one local company once employed only board members from two families. At the board they always had this power struggle. But ultimately the board was introduced with professionals and the group started performs than never before. Because their group directors didnt stop to their gut feeling. This provides how group behaviors can be best effective to organizations. If an organization really focus on these group behaviors they can turn them in to their benefits. Most the time informal group behaviors seen bringing negativities to the organizations. But effectively used these behaviors can be used for organizations advantages. Human resources if managed well hold the key to the success of the organization. According to (Cranny, Smith Stone, 1992 ) human resources output is higher when the employee s function as a team than it is the case when employees do not work as teams . A synergetic effect is what results when organizations embrace team spirit. However creating functional and efficient teams calls for expertise, tolerance and a lot of motivation on the part of the organization. Teams enable employees to exploit their potential and therefore increase job performance. A team consists of members with diverse experience, skills and qualification. These diverse work group and synergy effects have contributed effectively to the organizations like Microsoft to gain competitive advantage by means of creativity and different thinking. It is accepted around the world that diverse work forces are helping to facilitate new idea generation and creativity. As understood the benefits of group behaviors to the organ ization enhanced through essence of diversification, companies like Microsoft earned best advantages. Microsoft in their web site acknowledges that they encourage synergy effects to the organization in the ways and means of diversity. Communication is also another area that organizations can vastly advantage of. Group and team theory of communication have also been studied to determine the best ways to form groups . The choice of communication model is driven by the target recipient . It is important for organizations to understand the dynamics of each form of communication which will enable them to send messages effectively .Communication being an integral part of human existence is the medium through which understanding is gained. In an organization , communication is important since it is the means by which people are able to work together to achieve common goals .Schermerhorn , Hunt , and Osborn (2005 ) defines a team as a formal group of people working together with an aim of achieving common goals . Teams are important in that, they improve performance in an organization , they enhance communication and they make an organization more competitive in that they draw from a wide range of talent . This paper look s at conflict resolution process in teams with an aim of analyzing how conflicts affect teams. Provided above this section of the essay argue that today organizations can best advantage if they effectively manage the effects of organization politics, synergy, diversity and communication at organizations group behaviors. Organization level of analysis At the organization level of analysis, organizational behavior involves the study of topics such as organizational culture, organizational structure, cultural diversity, inter-organizational cooperation and conflict, change, technology, and external environmental forces. At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon anthropology and political science. But the evolution of political nature was described during the group level analysis. Diversity and Cultural level things will be discussed in the latter part. However this section mostly focuses in to the structural impact to the organization behavior. Structure in simple is the degree of complexity, formalization and centralization in the organization. Complexity is the degree of vertical, horizontal and spatial differentiation in an organization Formalization is the degree to which jobs within the organization are standardized. Centralization is the degree to which decision making in concentrated at a single point in the organization Provided above elements of structure it is obvious the structure may interact to people in terms of span of control and power distribution. As discussed before power is coming from others, or subordinates. The reason to power can be different. It can be informal like referent, expert, charismatic, or it can be formal Coming from position. Any way the correct planning of power may help organization to achieve their desired results. Elements of Organizational Behavior The organizations base rests on managements philosophy, values, vision and goals. This in turn drives the organizational culture which is composed of the formal organization, informal organization, and the social environment. The culture determines the type of leadership, communication, and group dynamics within the organization. The workers perceive this as the quality of work life which directs their degree of motivation. The final outcome are performance, individual satisfaction, and personal growth and development. All these elements combine to build the model or framework that the organization operates from. Cultural element A social system is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. Within an organization, the social system includes all the people in it and their relationships to each other and to the outside world. The behavior of one member can have an impact, either directly or indirectly, on the behavior of others. Also, the social system does not have boundaries it exchanges goods, ideas, culture, etc. with the environment around it. Culture is the conventional behavior of a society that encompasses beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices. It influences human behavior, even though it seldom enters into their conscious thought. People depend on culture as it gives them stability, security, understanding, and the ability to respond to a given situation. This is why people fear change. They fear the system will become unstable, their security will be lost, they will not understand the new process, and they will not know how to respond to the new situations. Individualization is when employees successfully exert influence on the social system by challenging the culture. But when challenging culture it must be careful because normally culture is seen as an iceberg to most management specialists. This nature of culture is very illusive and organization must best understand the culture if they are to do best in business. Cultural dimensions will be different from country to country and also from region to region, may be from organization to organization. This best explains why the same model may be success in one culture but not will be success in another culture. Models of Organizational Behavior There are four major models or frameworks that organizations operate out of, Autocratic, Custodial, Supportive, and Collegial: Autocratic The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation of authority. The employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The employee need that is met is subsistence. The performance result is minimal. Custodial The basis of this model is economic resources with a managerial orientation of money. The employees in turn are oriented towards security and benefits and dependence on the organization. The employee need that is met is security. The performance result is passive cooperation. Supportive The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial orientation of support. The employees in turn are oriented towards job performance and participation. The employee need that is met is status and recognition. The performance result is awakened drives. Collegial The basis of this model is partnership with a managerial orientation of teamwork. The employees in turn are oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The employee need that is met is self-actualization. The performance result is moderate enthusiasm. Although there are four separate models, almost no organization operates exclusively in one. There will usually be a predominate one, with one or more areas over-lapping in the other models. The first model, autocratic, has its roots in the industrial revolution. The managers of this type of organization operate mostly out of McGregors Theory X. These kind managers does believe that employees are not good, cannot work their own and should be kept under tight controls etc. The next three models begin to build on McGregors Theory Y who believe employees are capable, and they must be provided with good environment to work as a result they will work and produce good result. However each models has evolved over a period of time and there is no one best model. In addition, the collegial model should not be thought as the last or best model, but the beginning of a new model or paradigm. Change In its simplest form, discontinuity in the work place is change, (Knoster, Villa, 2000). According to Lord Buddha there is no certainty everything is subjected change. This will not only explain the uncontrollable and unexpected but eternal law of change, but also its describe change is unavoidable. There for organization also cant deny this truth. When the attitudes, expectation, trends and styles, change with people factor, the other PESTEL variables can also be change as a result. As a result facing change itself is become a big challenge for many organizations. However the researches evident that 70% of change processes are unsuccessful. Thus change is inevitable for organizations. Almost all people are nervous about change. Many will resist it consciously or subconsciously. Sometimes those fears are well founded the change really will have a negative impact for them. In many cases, however, the target population for the change will come to realize that the change was for the better. The pace of change is ever increasing particularly with the advent of the Internet and the rapid deployment of new technologies, new ways of doing business and new ways of conducting ones life. Organizational Change Management seeks to understand the sentiments of the target population and work with them to promote efficient delivery of the change and enthusiastic support for its results. There are two related aspects of organizational change that are often confused. In Organizational Change Management we are concerned with winning the hearts and minds of the participants and the target population to bring about changed behavior and culture. The key skills required are founded in business psychology and require people people. Provided the significance of peoples factor, as discussed throughout this essay it is ultimately peoples behavior which may affect the organizations behavior at the most severest context. There for it is only the effective leadership which can address these diversities of people behaviors may brings the most success to the organization. Following will discuss how leadership is best effective at todays organizational behaviours. Leadership and Organizational Behavior One can also argue that Organizational Behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. It does this by taking a system approach. That is, it interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the whole person, whole group, whole organization, and whole social system. Its purpose is to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives. As you can see from the definition above, organizational behavior encompasses a wide range of topics, but ultimately its the leadership which can make determine the successful integration of all these variable to produce more optimum results. To begin with, the concept of organizational leadership, as described here, is not entirely new. For almost a century, various observers have glimpsed the self-organizing characteristics of groups, and their natural tendency, more or less of their own accord, to design and direct their own affairs. More than that, there have also been suggestions in the literature that leadership and authority are to be viewed as distinctly separate phenomena. In an intelligently managed organization, that leadership isnt a randomly operating process; its a propulsive force given motion by purpose, and by a joint effort to accomplish it. That is its natural tendency, its bias. But it is managements role to ensure that this organizational leadership has a substantive and meaningful core around which to form itself and to give it traction for advancing the organization toward its stated ends. Using these as a basis, organizational leadership can provide the functions of leadership to an organizationally beneficial degree that cannot be matched by individual charismatic leaders alone. It is also far more reliably focused on the organizations ability to accomplish its own purposes and ensure its own sustainability (rather than resulting in the perversion of those to the interests of senior executive leaders). Conclusion This essay critically analyses the effects of organization behavior in todays context by different aspects. It very clearly proves people are the key factor of the determination of organization behavior. Individual behavior will influence the group behavior. Formations of groups may crates pockets of power. Power can be formal or even informal. But the powerful personalities can influence more effectively the organization. Leadership is best effective where if organization gather many power groups around the personality which can thrive the business to the most effective direction. However organizations are always to change. People create resistive forces most the time to the change. Leadership is successfully useful to reduce the resistive forces to the organization change objectives.