Thursday, October 31, 2019

African and american politics of social change Essay - 1

African and american politics of social change - Essay Example Before the era of the civil rights movement, there was no existing political or social movement in America with profound effects on the political and legal institution (Wendy, 2008). The civil right movement sought to restore the missing and the violated rights of the black people living in America as guaranteed by the fourteenth and fifteens amendment. The movement altered the relation between the state and the federal government; this is because many of the times the federal government was forced to enforce laws protecting the black people in America. The civil right movement resulted to the reemergence of the judiciary in America; this included the Supreme Court whose role was to protect the individual liberties against the majority power. Even with the incredible progress from this movement, the existing racialism and inequity between the black and the white proved difficult to eliminate. With the progress, the blacks still faced lower wages, racial discrimination, and their neighborhoods still had higher crime rates. For the younger black the movement was too mainstream to generate the intended social changes, they wanted something that could give blacks th e same opportunities as the whites both economically and socially. They felt that the movement comprised more of the white perceptions than the black perception. The head for the civil rights movement was reverend martin Luther king; he was also the head of the "southern Christian leadership conference." (Wendy, 2008) The black power movement, on the other hand, rose mainly after the civil rights movement gained momentum, this in the early 960s going on. The movement marked the turning point for the differing relationships between the blacks and the whites in the United States of America. The movement had some proactive and positive force which aimed at helping

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Theoretical approach Essay Example for Free

Theoretical approach Essay The use of a theoretical approach to explain a phenomenon in the society is not uncommon. For this term paper the writer is required to use five theories to answer five moral questions given. One the theory is distributive justice. This theory has to do with justice in the allocation of goods in the society. It aims at reducing inequalities that occur unintentionally and it is guided by several factors. The amount of goods to be distributed, how they will be used and how they will be divided which in essence means it deals with ensuring the outcomes and the consequences of the allocation of goods in society are just. The other theory that will be applied in this term paper is the moral rights theory which entails the rights held by developers of copyrighted materials, the right to publish a book with a pseudonym among other rights. These rights are not anchored solely on law or people’s customs or beliefs they are just natural rights. The virtue of ethics is an approach that focuses on a moral agent’s character but not so much on the rules or the consequences. An action is thereby right or wrong due to what a character does not because of the consequences of their actions. Using this theory an individual will be able to discern whether the definition of what is considered ‘green’ should be standardized. The other theories that will be used to look at the Moral Issue Questions in depth are the utilitarianism and the ethics of care theories. Utilitarian approach advocates for the action that brings the most pleasure to the people. The outcome of an action therefore becomes very important since the results are measured by looking at the levels of satisfaction or dissatisfaction in the general public. The ethics of care theory on the other hand is an approach that looks at action being either right or wrong. This theory advocates for the interests of the people who are vulnerable to warrant special consideration and these people should be protected form harm. These five approaches will be used to look at the moral issues that the scenarios presented pose and the best answer to the MIQ based on those theories. Distributive Justice MIQ. Who should regulate corporate compensation? Defining excessive pay Investment advisors have been known to overcharge their clients for the services rendered. In this case Oakmark family of mutual funds are alleging that the manager of funds from Harris Associates charged the family double the amounts charged for the same services extended to other clients thereby violating their fiduciary duty (Barnes Mufson 2009). The family wants the court to determine if they have a legal claim and how much Harris associates should pay as compensation. The case creates many dilemmas and has myriad consequencies not just on the U. S. Supreme court but also on the political arena as well. The mutual funds field being as competitive as it is the Harris Associates feel mutual funds investors are free to scout the market and get the best advisor for their needs. Also, the fact that they managed to grow the Oaks Family account as extensive as they did means they have done their job. Despite the Harris Associate defending their actions, the Founder of Vanguard Group and a very influential figure in the mutual funds industry feels that what Harris Associates did was a direct violation of the fiduciary duty and the courts should enforce this duty on investment advisors (Barnes Mufson 2009). According to distributive justice theory the courts should regulate the corporate compensation. Leaving the decision to the investment advisors will propagate the injustices even further. Harris Associates were not just in charging the Oak Family double the amount charged other companies for the same or even lesser services rendered. Therefore the court should ensure that the Oak’s get justice and are fully compensated. This is because as the mutual funds industry grows most investment advisors are aligning their loyalties to suit themselves and the government should step in and protect the rights of the investors. Moral Rights MIQ. Should the government penalize Bank of America for accepting bail out money only to pay it back ahead of schedule in order to attract CEO with lucrative pay and benefits? The Federal Government gives corporations bailouts with several conditions which are basically to do with the control and effective running of the a bailout beneficiary. The Bank of America after benefiting from the government bailout is finding it challenging running its operations with the interference of the government. Therefore it has decided to repay the taxpayer aid extended by the government during the financial crisis before the payment periods is over to free itself of any direct government interference. Being free of government debt the company will then be in a position to attract a Chief Executive Officer after the current chief retires since as things stand now most are shying away from working in the corporation due to the present government interference (Appelbaum 2009). According to Appelbaum (2009) the government will not accept the repayment until the Bank can ascertain it is in sound economic health and has stabilized. The bailout was due to a poor expansion decision made by the then Chief Executive. The much needed bailout came but left the bank under the mercy of the government. This government involvement has really affected the search for a new Chief since it has increased the scrutiny of the banks activities and now all the decisions the bank officials make have to be analyzed by the federal government. The government’s intentions bailing out the bank were noble as it was safeguarding one of the countries big economic players and it had to make sure that the bank did not sink to the quagmire again in future. By virtue of the bailout the government therefore owns the corporation since it saved it from a total collapse. According to Moral rights theory the government has to scrutinize all the decisions made in the past and in the present as it has a right by virtue of the money loaned. The government is not penalizing the bank for accepting the bailout money it is just ensuring the situation never happens again. A corporations chief should be versatile enough to work under all conditions and therefore by shying away from a lucrative position because ones activities will be scrutinized by a rightful owner according to the moral rights theorists is not right. The government as a developer has a natural right over the bank and all its undertakings. Therefore the government is justified according to this theory to penalize the bank. Utilitarianism MIQ. Should future space programs be privatized? Private Enterprises Ticket to Fly Into Space According Achenbach (2009) there is the possibility that a time is coming whereby going to the moon or to outer space will be as easy as flying to another destination is today. This is because the notion of privatizing spaceflight is looking more and lucrative each day. The American government is finding it challenging factoring in all the activities of NASA in the budget. A committee was formed by President Obama led by a retired aerospace executive Norman Augustine to evaluate and advise the president on the best course of action to take about NASA. This is because the government is feeling the strain and even according to the Committee there is not enough money for NASA’s 2020 planned trip to the moon. The budget for future spaceflights has been reduced. The committee recommended changes in strategies employed by NASA and proposed NASA looks into or explores other cheaper exploration opportunities. The biggest dilemma has to do with the Ares 1 rocket whose maintenance cost has been very high and the committee has proposed a cancellation should be considered. This creates other complications like individuals loosing their livelihoods and some other security implications. The only way to deal with scraping off the Ares 1 is considering commercial spaceflight (Achenbach 2009). This means charging those that want to experience a trip to space. This way doors would be open to include private players in the industry. Some people are of the opinion that canceling the trip to the moon in 2020 will derail the plans to go Mars and the government should instead look into other recommendations (Achenbach 2009). The utilitarianism approach advocates for the decision that fosters the most pleasurable result for the majority. There are many alternatives to be looked at in this situation with NASA and all the alternatives have their pros and cons. Through the utilitarianism approach the spaceflight should be privatized. This will open up doors to all those interested companies to invest in this industry. This will encourage creativity and give a chance to the interested members of public a chance to visit space. Privatizing the spaceflights will ease the financial burden on the government which presently finances all NASA’s activities. This money could be put to other urgent needs. The private players will be happy as they can now make money independent of the government by flying astronauts to space commercially. Virtue ethics MIQ. Should there be strict guidelines and definitions on what is considered green meats and fish used in restaurants Most people are becoming very health and environmentally conscious and will only consume those products that are perceived to be inline with their ideals. In order to keep up with this trend entrepreneurs are also sourcing for raw materials from producers who use environmentally friendly methods to grow or rear their produce. This health and environmental platform is what Founding Farmers Restaurant anchored its business on. On its menu it had advertised for ‘green cuisines’ as its specialty (Black 2009). On close scrutiny as the business continued to thrive the restaurant started to deviate from its mission statement and selling products produced in environmentally degrading situations but claiming on the menu it was committed serving ‘green’ food. With growth it became very difficult to source for produce from small family farms and still turn a profit. This is because these farmers sell their products at higher prices than large scale producers as they do not benefit from economies of scale. Also, their supplies are not reliable and sometimes their produce is affected by the seasonal production. The management of Founding Farmers defended their decision to source for its produce form large scale producers by maintaining that in other areas the restaurant was fully ‘green’ (Black 2009). The lack of clear definition on what qualifies as ‘green’ or in other words sustainable foods leaves a lot of grey areas in which some of these entrepreneurs can get away with not offering the customer exactly what they need. Some restaurants like Equinox have managed to run their business by fully supporting family farms which is expensive on their part but they are committed to the course. Founding Fathers on the other hand try as much as possible and the effort is appreciated by many but they have overtime misled customers with their menu about the authenticity of their products. This is because they do not get all their meat from family farms neither are their vegetables from the family farms but they vouch for the quality by alluding that the end justifies the means (Black 2009). According to the virtue ethics theory regardless of the outcomes being good they unfortunately have no basis in establishing whether an action was right or wrong. Therefore what the Founding Farmers are doing remains morally wrong whether the food served in the restaurant is healthy or not. The actions of the managers of the business source for the produce from farms whose practices are in question but the restaurant sells its products buy claiming it got its produce from small scale family farms. Even if their servings are healthy they are not entirely ‘green’. Therefore there should be strict guidelines and definitions on what is considered ‘green’ meats and fish served in restaurants as Founding Farmers has been misleading the public. Ethics of care MIQ. Should the government allow for NBC and Comcast merge? A new kind of company, a new challenge for feds Access to information is very important therefore a situation where this access to information can be controlled by a single company poses a security risk to the country and to the public (Kang 2009). The discussions of a possible merger between Comcast and NBC has definitely caught people’s attention since Comcast is among the largest companies dealing with the provision of internet services whereas NBC is one of the largest television network. This means merging the internet with television thus the information that people have access to online and through the cable is the same. Presently there is information that is accessible through the television only and not available online. For instance in a situation whereby the internet providers feel that the information is too controversial and would affect them negatively thus they do not post it online but the same is revealed through cable. If the two are merged the general public would have access to the same information and this reduces the idea of watchdogs. Therefore as the two would be one it means looking out for each other thus movies produced by NBC would be available online as well without being. In essence the situation poses a very high security risk to the people and there is the possibility of serious exploitation of the general public (Kang 2009). The ethics of care approach advocates for the rights of vulnerable groups to be looked out for as they have no way doing it themselves. The government should not therefore allow NBC and Comcast to merge since this would mean limiting the information the people have on important issues. Reference List Achenbach, J. , (2009). Panel May Urge Strapped NASA To Outsource Commercial Flights. Washington Post; Sep, 5th 2009. Appelbaum, B. , (2009). Bank of America to repay U. S. : Firm will be first to reimburse taxpayers completely for bailout. Washington Post; Dec, 3rd 2009. Barnes, R. Mufson, S. , (2009). Defining excessive pay: Investor case may hint at high court approach to compensation. Washington Post; Nov, 1st 2009. Black, J. , (2009). Green cuisine not always as ordered: Founding Farmers still strives for goal of sustainable food. Washington Post; Dec 7th, 2009. Kang, C. , (2009). A new kind of company, a new challenge for feds. Washington Post; 27th, 2009.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Increased Rate of Infections in the Acute Care Setting

Increased Rate of Infections in the Acute Care Setting Rey Albert Tablazon Kim Harper Healthcare associated infections develop in a patient as a result of their exposure to healthcare facilities or procedures. They include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), C. difficile and other infections caused by bacteria and viruses encountered in healthcare facilities (CUPE, 2009). Hospital acquired infection can result in prolonged or permanent disability and some hospital acquired infections prove fatal (Taylor, Plowman, Roberts, n.d.).The rates of these hospital acquired infections in the acute care setting have increased especially in Alberta. For example, in 2007, a preliminary surveillance report on MRSA in patients from 47 Canadian acute-care sentinel hospitals found that the MRSA rate was 8.62 per 1000 admissions (AHW, 2011). Also, since reporting began in 1999, a cumulative total of 1,241 VRE infected cases were reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada (Agency) through December 31, 2011 (PHAC, 2013). With the incidences of these super-infections occurring in the acute care setting, the health of the individuals being admitted in the hospital is further placed at risk. The individuals at risk include mostly children and the elderly. According to the population projections of the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance (2013), the number of Albertans aged 80 years and older would more than triple from the current level of about 115,000 in 2012 to over 383,700 by 2041 (p. 3). This means that more and more elderly individuals will be at high risk for infections such as MRSA which according to the report by AHC (2011), have infection rates highest in the elderly (70 years and older). Acquiring infections in the acute care setting can have a great impact on the affected person’s life. This might mean he can no longer go to work while being treated in the hospital which would mean financial losses which not only affect the individual, but also his family. Furthermore, treating super infec tions in a hospital care setting can significantly impact the country’s economy. A survey of Canadian hospitals (reported in 2000) estimated the direct costs of hospital acquired infections in Canada to be approximately $1 billion annually. In 2007, MRSA alone was estimated to be costing Canada’s healthcare system $200-250 million per year (CUPE, 2009). Identifying Solutions to Prevent Super-infections Super-infections can be costly to treat and most often than not, prove fatal for the individuals afflicted with such. However, over the years, methods have been developed to further prevent individuals admitted to in an acute care setting from contracting such infections. Such methods involve adding more healthcare cleaning and infection control staff with proper training. Knowing how to deal with a situation where infection occurs can greatly reduce the risk of certain infections from spreading further among individuals in an acute care setting. Hospitals in Canada and Europe have demonstrated that investment in more cleaning and infection control staff, training and workforce stability has brought infection rates down (CUPE, 2009). Most infections acquired in the acute care setting can be transferred through direct contact. It can either be direct contact with an infected individual or an object that has come into contact with an infected individual. Transfer of infectious bacteria can be prevented through proper hand washing. Hospitals nowadays tend to have hand sanitizers placed strategically over the entire hospital. While antimicrobial soap and water are still recommended for hands that are visibly soiled or have been exposed to bodily fluids, alcohol-based gels or rubs are now preferred for routine decontamination of hands after most patient contact. These products rapidly kill bacteria and most viruses, and actually are gentler on the hands than repeated use of soap and water (IHI, 2012). The nurse’s role is to educate, not only the individuals being admitted into an acute care setting, but also the visitors coming in and out of the hospital to wash their hands properly. Nursing Care Plans There are three nursing care plans that were drafted from this scenario which may apply to potential high risk individuals involved. First nursing diagnosis is an actual problem, fear/anxiety (see Appendix A for a breakdown of the care plan). Second nursing diagnosis is a potential problem, risk for infection (see Appendix B for a breakdown of the care plan). The last nursing diagnosis is an educational need, knowledge deficit (see Appendix C for a breakdown of the care plan). Conclusion Preventing the spread of super-infections involves team effort. Not only is this limited to the health care workers, but also extends to families and visitors in an acute care setting. The addition of more staff that are trained and knowledgeable in dealing with infection prevention certainly helps keep such infections at bay. Most of these infections are acquired through direct contact; therefore, proper hand washing should be performed before and after coming into contact with an individual or any object that is present in the hospital. Not only will it reduce the risk of contracting a super-infection towards oneself, it will also prevent the spread towards other individuals. References Albert Health and Wellness, (2011). Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) – 2010 AHW Report. Retrieved from http://www.health.alberta.ca/documents/MRSA- Alberta-Report-2006-2010.pdf Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, (2013). Alberta population projection. Retrieved from http://www.finance.alberta.ca/aboutalberta/population-projections/2013-2041-alberta- population-projections.pdf Canadian Union of Public Employees, (2009). Health care associated infections: a backgrounder. Retrieved from http://cupe.ca/health-care/health-care-associated- infections Doenges, M.E., Moorhouse, M.F., Murr, A.C., (2006). Nursing care plans. Guidelines for individualizing client care across the life span 7th ed. USA. F.A. Davis Company Elsevier, (n.d.). Infection, risk for universal precautions; standard precautions; CDC guidelines; OSHA. Retrieved from http://www1.us.elsevierhealth.com/MERLIN/Gulanick/archive/ Constructor/gulanick33.html Institute for Healthcare Improvement, (2014). Reducing MRSA Infections: Staying One Step Ahead. Retrieved from http://www.ihi.org/knowledge/Pages/ImprovementStories/ ReducingMRSAInfectionsStayingOneStepAhead.aspx Nanda Nursing Interventions, (2012). Nursing diagnosis knowledge deficit – gestational diabetes mellitus. Retrieved from http://nanda-nursinginterventions.blogspot.ca/2012/08/nursing- diagnosis-knowledge-deficit.html Nursing Care Plan, (n.d.). Nursing care plan. Retrieved from http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_ perrin_criticalcare_1/98/25168/6443016.cw/content/index.html Nursing Care Plan, (2012). Nursing care plan for deficient knowledge. Retrieved from http://nanda-nursing-care-plan.blogspot.ca/2012/02/nursing-care-plan-for-deficient.html Public Health Agency of Canada, (2013). Vancomycin-resistant enterococci infections in Canadian acute-care hospitals: Surveillance Report January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.ammi.ca/media/55895/cnisp_vre_surveillance_report_ 1999_to_2011-en.pdf Taylor, K., Plowman, R., Roberts, J.A., (n.d.) The challenge of hospital acquired infection. USA. Stationery Office Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C

Friday, October 25, 2019

South Africa :: essays research papers

AMAGASAKI, Japan - The death toll jumped to 71 Tuesday as crews pulled more victims from the wreckage of Japan's deadliest rail crash in decades. Investigators focused on whether excessive speed or the driver's inexperience caused the train to derail and slam into a building. AP Photo AFP Slideshow: Train Derails in Japan, Dozens Dead Train Derails in West Japan, Killing 50 (AP Video) The seven-car commuter train carrying 580 passengers left the rails Monday morning near Amagasaki, a suburb of Osaka about 250 miles west of Tokyo. It hit an automobile and then a nine-story apartment complex. More than 440 people were injured. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled out a conscious but seriously injured 46-year-old woman then reached a 19-year-old man passenger, also in serious condition. But most of the work was grim as crews pulled 14 more bodies from the twisted rail carriages, pushing the death toll from 57 to 71. Two of the five derailed cars were shoved inside and flattened against the wall of the building's first-floor parking garage. Distraught relatives rushed to hospitals looking for loved ones who might have been injured or killed in the 5:18 a.m. crash. They struggled to comprehend their loss. "I only saw him the night before," said Hiroko Kuki, whose son died in the crash. "I wish he were alive somewhere... I wish it were only a nightmare." Takamichi Hayashi said his elder brother, 19-year-old Hiroki, might be among those still in the wreck. He said Hiroki had called their mother twice on a mobile phone from inside one of the train cars hours after the crash but remained unaccounted for.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

George’s first diary Essay

We’re here now, at the ranch. Our new home, for the time being anyway, until Lennie messes up again! He’s always messing up, losing us our jobs! Stay here, and save the money here instead of always being on the run. He made us lose our last job. That’s why we had to leave. You see, Lennie loves soft things; he loves to stroke them and hold them. One day he saw a girl with a soft dress on. Of course, the first thing Lennie does is touch it. The girl doesn’t realise how stupid he is, (and simple) and thinks he’s going to rape her and she screams. Lennie, being the idiot that he is just holds on and rips the dress! So, that leads to us being chased by a lot of angry people! Now we have to start all over again. If only he weren’t with me. Aw hell, I can’t say that. He’d die without me. And I don’t reckon I’d be doing that great without him either. Who would I have to talk to? Well anyway, on the way to the ranch, the bus driver, being a lazy bastard, wouldn’t take us all the way. We didn’t want to walk all night so we stayed in the brush until morning. It was just a little clearing in the woods with a stream running through it. I told Lennie that if he got in trouble he should come there. Its safe and hidden away so I could easily find him! But if it comes to that, if he messes up again. I’ll kill him, I’m sure I will. I’ve had my full of him and I don’t think I have much patience left! Oh yeah, he made me tell him yet again about the house we’re gonna get. Him and his rabbits. He always makes me remind him about our house and his damned rabbits! I love thinking about what our life will be like too when we get the house but he drives me crazy, having to remind him every two seconds. The thing I’m most looking forward to is not being told what to do. Being my own boss! I can’t wait. We met our workmates today. They seem okay. We got a nigger working with us too. Haven’t met him yet. There’s a guy called Candy. He’s pretty old and a right gossip. Seems nice enough though! The boss seems okay too. Candy says he’s real generous! Though how much I can trust what he says, I don’t know! Curley the boss’s son, on the other hand, he’s horrible. Reminds me of a troublemaker and all the other workers seem to agree! He took one look at us, especially Lennie and started to make trouble. I don’t like the look of him, I just don’t know what I’m gonna do if he starts any trouble. Lennie’s dangerous. This Curley’s married too. Met his wife! A right piece of jailbait if ever I seen one! Lennie liked her. I’ll have to make sure he stays right out her way. She gonna cause us trouble otherwise, I can feel it. Met Slim too. Hell of a nice guy, he is. Seems well respected too. Real nice. I do like having nice workmates but it is worrying, knowing that there’s an evil bastard lurking ’round too! I’ve a bad feeling ’bout Curley, its real bad. George Georges second diary Dear Diary, What a heck of a day! It started off so well. I knew that Curley would be trouble, I said it. He ruined what could’ve been a good day. Started off well. Got to know Slim a little, or, well, he got to know me better. There must be something good about Slim, I must have sensed it ‘coz I told him things ’bout Weed and ’bout the house we’re saving for. He understood Lennie didn’t mean no harm in Weed. He’s fair and knows a ‘nice fella’ when he meets one. He also has a dog. It had pups so I got one for Lennie. Aw, he was so pleased. Petting it and hugging it. I’m a bit worried that he’s gonna pet it too much. Lennie just don’t know his own strength Goddamn it! I felt so sorry for Candy today. You see, he’s got a dog too, but his is old and tired. It’s like Candy’s best friend. Well, Carlson started complaining about the smell of him (the dog) then started talkin’ ’bout shooting him, putting him out of his misery he said. I suppose I agreed at the time but seeing Candy’s face was enough to change anyone’s mind. Slim suggested he have one of the puppies but I’m not sure whether he decided to. Well anyways, Lennie and I thought we were the only ones in the bunkhouse, where we sleep. The others went off to see Curley have a pop at Slim; he thought his wife was with him. I notice he never seems to be able to find her, though she’s always lookin’ for him. So Lennie and I get talking ’bout our house we’re saving for. What we didn’t know was that Candy was there too! Well, I was a bit wary at first. Worried that he would tell the others but then he decided that he wanted to be part of it. Even said he’d put up over half the money we needed! It was great. In a matter of minutes we went from just talking about it, to it being a fast-coming reality! I told him to keep it to himself for the time being until we were ready. It was so exciting. Then, in come Curley and the others and Curley’s ready for a fight. Slim was shouting at him of sleeping with his wife. Anyways, dopey old Lennie’s still sitting there smiling away to himself about the thought of his rabbits, and Curley notices and thinks he’s mocking him and of course picks a fight. He starts punching poor Lennie, and Lennie having listened real hard to what I told him was not fighting back! After a while, I told Lennie to fight back. I couldn’t bear it. He was just yelping like a dog. Anyways, he got scared and just held on tightly to the closest thing at hand, Curley’s fist. He just wouldn’t let go. It was bleeding and everything. We got him off in the end and blackmailed Curley to say he got it caught in a machine. I don’t like this place. It smells of trouble. I can tell. George Crook’s diary Dear Diary, Here I am. Just another day of either being ignored or picked on ‘coz of me being a Negro. I hate this. Day in day out. It’s not fair the way I’m ignored. The others say I smell but I wash more than they all do. My back hurts too. Its seems like its getting worse every day. The liniment don’t seem to be much use either. They call me Crooks too. That ain’t my name. It’s not what my mother gave me and I don’t like it. I can’t say nothing though, I’m just a nigger they keep tellin’ me. I gots a room to myself and I have no one to talk to or play cards with. I’m not even allowed to borrow their cards to play solitaire. It smells in my room. All the shit is kept just under my window and on those hot days, the steam rises into my room and rests on my sheets ready to smother me as I go to sleep. I got another tellin’ off today too. Curley’s hand got hurt in a machine and the boss o’ course blames me. Likes I did it! Not that I wouldn’t mind ruffin’ him a little. He’s a nasty asshole and needs to be brought down a bit. I’d get hung if I did it so I s’pose I better leave to the white men! They all gone to the town today. Their regular Cathouse visit. I’d never be allowed in one of those, at least I don’t reckon I would. They never asked me to go with ’em so I never went. Just in me room, on me lonesome, rubbing me back†¦.. †¦.. Lennie and Candy jus’ been in here! I was a bit funny at first ‘coz I thought Lennie was coming for trouble but no, he said the others had gone and he had jus’ been with his pup. Him and his pup! Oh boy. He loves it so much but he’s not careful. Those big hands o’ his are likely to break that pup one day if he ain’t careful. Anyways, I said he could come in and we got to talking a little. He’s a bit slow. He don’t remember anything you tell him. Just talks ’bout George and his rabbits he’s gonna get when they get a house. He’s all set on getting a house. He wants to tend rabbits! Whenever the subject changed to something other than those rabbits, he went straight back to ’em like we’d been talking ’bout ’em all the time! He’s awful fond o’ that George one. I just said one tiny little thing ’bout George not coming back from town and he went mad. Like I jus’ told him someone had died or something. It took a while to calm him down. Then, Candy comes in too. He’s by my room and I ask him what he wants. I thought he may o’ been wanting to talk too but he was just looking for Lennie. He came in too, though. They talked to each other most but it was nice them just being there. Well, they were talking ’bout their house. Candy was gonna go there too. I thought that I’d ask if I could help. They wouldn’t have to pay me o’ course, just put me up, but before they could answer that bitch walked in. She’s trouble if ever I did see it. She asking ’bout Curley and where he’s at but she knows where! I don’t understand these white folk. Talk about them being so educated and well learned and they ask such stupid questions! Anyways, I asked her to go away real politely mind, the same way any of the boys round here say it when they know she’s looking for trouble. She does her nut and starts yelling ’bout needing people to talk to too! Then she starts telling me she’s gonna tell the boss I been doing bad things and get me strung up. I don’t want to be strung up so I shut up. Candy was nice though. He told her that if she did that he would stick up for me. I ain’t ever known anyone to stick up for me before. Candy then said, when she’d gone, that the boys were coming back. I told ’em they better go. I didn’t want all of those white fellas thinking they can bother me when they like. I gotta have some rights even if I don’t like ’em. I dunno. It’s been a funny day that’s all. I better get back to my liniment. That back o’ mine is just murder. Georges last diary Dear diary, This has been the worst day I’ve ever had and I don’t think I’m’ a ever gonna have a worser one. I had to do it. It weren’t nothing evil. I di’nt wanna hurt him. He was my only friend, more like family and I feel jus’ awful. If you coulda seen her, what he did. If only you coulda seen the other option he woulda had. Curley’s evil way. I suppose I woulda done the same in his place but Lennie di’nt do no harm. At least he never meant none. I feel awful, just awful. He never meant no harm. They may o’ been nice? No, that’s stupid talk. Tha’s the kinda thing Lennie woulda said! He’s a crazy bastard. I mean he was. Oh I feel awful. What will I do now? What can I do? I s’pose the only thing to do is to spend my money the way anyone else would, if they di’nt have a Lennie with ’em. We were just having a game o’ horseshoe. Lennie was in the barn with that damn pup I reckon. I’d left him in the bunkhouse but he ended up there. Anyways, we were all playing and I had no thought to what he was doing. The next thing I knew, Candy was looking all pale and calling me over to the barn. For a second I thought she was just resting. It was the look on Candy’s face that made me guess. I knew what he was thinking and I knew he was right. She was lying there, that good for nothing piece of jailbait, her neck all twisted and face down in the straw. Lennie did it. Crazy bastard. I knew he was the only one, but to think of it was killing me from the inside. I ain’t never felt that before. I suppose in the back of my mind, I always knew he would go too far, that he wasn’t safe and should not o’ been left alone. But I di’nt wanna think like that. Now I had to. From that moment I knew what I had to do and just set about doing it. I knew that I had to get to him before them. I told Candy to make out I never saw this and tell the others and then fetch me. I had to go to the bunkhouse and get Carlson’s Luger. I wasn’t completely sure why first but I realised when I saw him. Candy said he’d do that and I ran out. Next time I saw her ever’ one was there too blaming Lennie for ever’ thing. Curley was shook up and was ready to explode. He scared me looking like that but I had to keep my cool. I had to make it like I was on their side, out to kill for murder. That word sends shivers down me and I know I done it too now. Lennie always said we were the same. All of them ran to get guns to help out Curley. Two-faced that’s what they are. One minute they’re complaining about him and the next they are trying to be his best friend betraying their true friend. Oh I can’t blame ’em really if it weren’t Lennie I reckon I woulda done it too. Anyway Carlson never found his gun. They all thought Lennie had it. Only I knew that Lennie wasn’t so clever to think forward like that! Slim knew what I was doing though. He knew well enough. His face said he knew and was ready to do what he knew was best. I sent Curley in the other direction to where I knew Lennie was. He woulda gone to the brush like I told him too. He always tried to do what I told him. I ran off and found him straight. He was sitting there by the river and was talking to something. He kept saying sorry: Saying he knew I would look after him. He made me tell him about our house for what was to be the last time. I mentioned it, and, he heard it. I told him not to look at me. I was trying to be a man but I couldn’t control my eyes. I was shaking too. I don’t want to write his last moments. I don’t want to have this later and be reminded of the moment my life as I knew it ended. I want to remember Lennie as the Lennie I knew. Not the one I saw moments later. That Lennie will go from me. If I still believed in God (a part of me that was there but now has gone) I would pray to ask Lennie to forgive me but I know that he cannot be in my life because he let this happen. If Lennie was ever here and I could talk to him once more, I’d tell him that I didn’t mean what I said about not wanting him there. That now he isn’t, I feel lost. And last, that he was my friend; my best friend and I wish he was still here.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Governments’ Responsibility to Global Temperatures Essays

Governments’ Responsibility to Global Temperatures Essays Governments’ Responsibility to Global Temperatures Essay Governments’ Responsibility to Global Temperatures Essay Name: Course: Tutor: Date: : Governments’ Responsibility to Global Temperatures The Kyoto Protocol and the Copenhagen Climate Council are some of the many establishments that many countries, both in the developed and the developing countries, have been signatories to the agreements. The main aim of these agreements by the world governments is to ensure that the world’s temperatures do not increase by more than two degrees Celsius by the year 2050 (Cirman, et al. 29). Despite the governments’ efforts to curb this situation, which has threatened life in the universe, the main debate lies on whether these agreements are as effective as anticipated. The bigger question is whether the governments are adhering to these agreements. With the increase in industrial activities as countries try to improve their economies, the recession, and other factors that influence the quantity of carbon emissions, governments are not fulfilling their ethical and business responsibilities when proposing to act collectively to limit the rise in the global temperatures to t wo degrees Celsius by the year 2050. Implications of Carbon Emission Reduction Company or Corporation Corporations or companies are the biggest carbon emitters in this carbon emission cycle. According to the Global Carbon Project, a 5.9% carbon emission rise was noted in the year 2010[1] was had the corporations as the majority contributors (â€Å"Global Warming† 2011). Most of these companies/corporations are owned by the governments. During the recession, period, it was estimated that the global emissions had decreased. The European emissions decreased by 3% in the year 2008 (Bowen Nicola 12). However, it is estimated that the Kyoto Protocol only played a forty percent role in this reduction. Thirty percent of the reduction was made possible by the recession while the remaining percentage was brought by the switch from coal to natural gases (Bowen and Nicola 13)[2]. China, India and the United States are the highest ranking in greenhouse gas emissions. The United States has the Clean Air Act, which dictates on the assurance of clean air. In order to ensure that there are policies put in place in order to reduce the emissions, the government allows trading of permits and licenses that give the limit of gasses to be emitted by a given entity (Treves 15). This mostly applies to corporations/companies. Entities exceeding their limit are allowed to purchase the allowances of the entities that have not exhausted their limit. This is a major step in adhering to the agreements made. However, governments are not taking any visible actions on the companies that exceed their limits without purchasing the extra allowance. This governments’ ignorance is evident with the increase of greenhouse gas emissions having the companies contribute to the greater percentage. Additionally, there has been an increase in economic activities using coal. In a country like China, the companies are still using coal under the government’s watch. Although the Chinese government proclaims that it had reduced in their use of coal in a report given in the year 2009, this reduction has not reached the required part. Organizations focusing on the global warming report that the Chinese government is not putting the required pressure to reduce the use of coal fuel on the companies in question. As earlier noted, a percentage of the emission decrease noted is due to the switch made from using coal to using natural gases. Unfortunately, most companies have switched to fossil-based natural fuel. Fossils emit carbon, which is the key component contributing to global warming. The targets for greenhouse gas emission have only been met by a few countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France, amongst a few others (Treves 20). Approximately forty countries have been able to reduce their reduction by five percent while the majority of the remaining countries increased their emissions by ten percent. Although there is a decrease noted due to the agreements set, the governments are not doing enough to ensure that the policies set are followed to the maximum. Employees The commonly known Mc-Cain Lieberman or the Climate Stewardship Act of 2005 was estimated to bring forth approximately 800,000 job opportunities in the United States by the year 2025. According to the study, 510,000 job opportunities would be established by the year 2015. The number would have risen to 602,000 by the year 2020 and a toll of 801,000 would be recognized by the year 2025 (Treves 35)[3]. This act was put in place in order act on the agreements set in the Kyoto Protocol. If the needed follow up was done, most job opportunities would be in the medical service industry, retail and wholesale and the construction industries as there would be an increase in energy efficiency. It was also identified that most of the employment opportunities would be in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Ohio, New York, Nevada, Minnesota and Michigan (Trves 36). Although this is seen as though it will only benefit the United States, employees in the other countries can also benefit if the government makes sure that the policies and laws to ensure the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions are put in place as agreed in the Kyoto Protocol amongst other agreements. By the year 2012, the promised jobs have not been very evident especially due to the recession that affected most economies. Additionally, the United States government has not been very effective in ensuring that the policies put in place in line with the act have been greatly followed. Consumers The consumers are the most affected on the business hierarchy in relation to the greenhouse gas emissions. Although the government is more focused on the corporations/companies, the consumers have their own role to play. If all the other factors were assumed or held constant, companies would not make products if the consumers failed to buy them. On the other hand, the consumers buy products due to existing needs. However, consumers have choices most of the time. For example, a consumer has choice of using electricity over using charcoal fuel (Cirman et al.33)[4]. If consumers chose to buy products that have been manufactured using no or less greenhouse gas emission over the others, then they would play a major role in encouraging the companies to emit less if no greenhouse gas. Additionally, governments can create consumer awareness over the choices they have. For example, the government can educate the consumer on which products emitting more greenhouse gas during their manufacturing. The consumers have a significant role to play in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as the corporations are. The governments need to create more awareness to the consumers. Shareholders The shareholders of any company/corporation are as part of the business as the managers and the employees in that business. They should engage in the implementation and follow-up of the policies put in place to curb the greenhouse gas emissions. Although governments are more focused on a company’s stakeholders, the shareholders have their role to play. They can enquire for the company’s statistics on the emissions during a particular period when they attend the annual meetings. They can also inquire for bi-annual or quarterly reports on the effectiveness of the policies pit in place. The governments rarely ask for the shareholders’ help in the control of the company/corporations, emission regulation, but they should do so as the process will be more effective. Society The Society is the most affected by all the activities related to greenhouse gas emissions and regulation. The society inhales the gases and experiences all the consequences of environmental pollution. However, the society has its own role to play if the government could focus on them more that it is focusing on them. Individuals can take part in activities that will decrease the emissions. For example, a family can choose to use one car instead of using the two, three or four of them. A society can decide to use fuels that do not emit carbon or any other harmful gases. Non-governmental organizations are greatly involved in the societal awareness of ways they can discourage the corporations from emitting high levels of gases[5]. These organizations also educate the society on ways of reducing the carbon emission (Cirman et al. 50). However, the government has not put much focus on the society. Educating the society on the type of cars and the best fuel to use, making the society aware about the companies that are not concerned about the environment, are good ways of adhering to these agreements (Bowen Nicola 7). Ethical Implications The government has an environmental ethical responsible towards its citizens. A government’s concern is not assessed by its promises but rather the concern is assessed by the results of the government’s actions. The governments should see that the policies put in place are followed and the entities failing to follow these policies are reprimanded in one way or another. Allowing companies to reap large profits as the expense of the environment is not ethical at all. Although most of these activities boost most of the countries’ economies, they are harmful to the environment in the end. If governments were ethically responsible for the environment as they are supposed to be, the noted increased percentages in the greenhouse gas emissions even after the signing of the agreements should not be present. If countries like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which have powerful economies have reached the targeted emission level, other governments have a responsibility of reaching their targets. They owe it to the society. Bowen, Alex Nicola Ranger. Mitigating Climate Change through Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Science and Economics of future Paths for Global Annual Emissions. Policy Brief, December 2009: 1-45. Cirman, Andreja, Polona Domadenik, Matjaz? Koman, and Tjas?a Redek. â€Å"The Kyoto Protocol in a Global Perspective.† Economic and Business Review. 11.1 (2009): 29-54. Print. â€Å"Global Warming and Climate Change† (2011). New York Times, Dec 21. Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html Treves, Tullio. Non-compliance Procedures and Mechanisms and the Effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements. The Hague, Netherlands: T.M.C. Asser Press, 2009. Print. [1] This is despite the recession experienced during this period as indicated by the Global Carbon Project in the New York Times article.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on School Restructuring

Six classes a day, five days week, every day the same schedule. Telephones and radios were still luxuries when high schools nationwide petrified the school day into this rigid pattern. The refrigerator and television hadn't been invented, much less the copy machine, computer, and video player. We live in a very different world now, and we know more about how students learn. Yet most contemporary high school and middle school students are still locked into the same schedule that their great-grandparents experienced when they were teenagers. The big question here is what is wrong with the traditional six or seven period day? For starters, say critics, the pace is tough. A typical student will be in nine locations working on nine different activities in a six-and-a-half-hour school day. An average teacher must teach five classes, dealing with 125-180 students with several preparations. This frantic, fragmented schedule is unlike any experienced either before or after high school. "It produces a hectic, impersonal, inefficient instructional environment," states Gordon Cawelti (1994), limits the amount of time to go in-depth on a subject, and tends to discourage using a variety of learning activities. Opportunities for individualization of instruction and meaningful interaction between students and teachers are hard to come by. No matter how complex or simple the school subject, the schedule assigns an impartial national average of fifty-one minutes per class period. And despite wide variation in the time it takes indivi dual students to succeed at learning any given task, the allocated time is identical for all. Schools will have a design flaw as long as their organization is based on the assumption that all students can learn on the same schedule. In addition, since most disciplinary problems occur during scheduled transitions, the more transitions, the more problems. In my district, the principal states this as the number one disci... Free Essays on School Restructuring Free Essays on School Restructuring Six classes a day, five days week, every day the same schedule. Telephones and radios were still luxuries when high schools nationwide petrified the school day into this rigid pattern. The refrigerator and television hadn't been invented, much less the copy machine, computer, and video player. We live in a very different world now, and we know more about how students learn. Yet most contemporary high school and middle school students are still locked into the same schedule that their great-grandparents experienced when they were teenagers. The big question here is what is wrong with the traditional six or seven period day? For starters, say critics, the pace is tough. A typical student will be in nine locations working on nine different activities in a six-and-a-half-hour school day. An average teacher must teach five classes, dealing with 125-180 students with several preparations. This frantic, fragmented schedule is unlike any experienced either before or after high school. "It produces a hectic, impersonal, inefficient instructional environment," states Gordon Cawelti (1994), limits the amount of time to go in-depth on a subject, and tends to discourage using a variety of learning activities. Opportunities for individualization of instruction and meaningful interaction between students and teachers are hard to come by. No matter how complex or simple the school subject, the schedule assigns an impartial national average of fifty-one minutes per class period. And despite wide variation in the time it takes indivi dual students to succeed at learning any given task, the allocated time is identical for all. Schools will have a design flaw as long as their organization is based on the assumption that all students can learn on the same schedule. In addition, since most disciplinary problems occur during scheduled transitions, the more transitions, the more problems. In my district, the principal states this as the number one disci...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Virgin brand analysis Essays

Virgin brand analysis Essays Virgin brand analysis Paper Virgin brand analysis Paper Virgin background Virgin is an international investment group that operates in over 34 countries and that employs around 50,000 people in about 400 companies worldwide. Its product ranges from mobile services to travel, finance services, music and many many more. It was funded in 1970 by Sir Richard Brannon who started the company by selling cut price records by post through his Virgin Mail Order business. The company expended really quickly and is now a well-recognized and trusted brand all around the world. Virgin group companies even far apart from each other are like one big family that is instant in the delivery of its brand message and the values it stands for. Each company is empowered to run their individual affairs but they do help one another to seek solutions and advancement. Their cohesion across states and countries reinforce their image and inspire trust among consumers. Virgin believes in making a difference and that is what probably gives them an edge on competitors. They are an innovative company who work really hard towards sustainability and who give back to communities. At our core we believe business must be a force for good and use its influence and resources to help find solutions to some of the worlds major issues (virgin. Com). Their involvement in long-term sustainable project has placed them in the world top 25 most innovative companies. Its Australian airline segment has also been experiencing huge growth in recent years. Their marketing campaign as well as their brand strategy is both fun and fascinating in many aspects. This essay will consequently analyze their trademark and its impact on consumer behavior and attempt to explain what has made this company so popular amongst consumers. Different marketing concept and theories will be used to get a better understanding of how the company marketing effort work as a whole and more closely in Australia. Virgin brand analysis Brand personality Science is now able to explain a lot of things that were mysteries a few decades ago. The discovery of DNA has opened new doors in medicine, crime solving but also in marketing. The difference between you or any other human being is 0. 5%. The real factor that differentiates us is in the expression of our genes and in how we communicate the difference in that expression (2002). Similarly brand personality act as the DNA of a company. Commercial brand have evolved and now resemble more to a person than an abstract object. It stands for something, have core values, a vision, a motto and many attributes that make it m ore human and that differentiate it from competitors. I nee Vulgar group Is a great example AT a strong Drank personality Richard Brannon has given his company a multidimensional perspective. For consumers, Virgin is more than Just a brand. It has its own personality and consumers are more prone to purchase from a brand that clicks with their personality. The personality of Virgin could be described as; fun, courageous, sexy, innovative, CEO-minded and daring. The Virgin brand values have stayed unchanged for 40 years and arent Just an image but a reflection of their very essence and the way they do business (virgin. Com). Similarly, a brand enables people to express their own self. These traits given to Virgin are related to a theory that incorporates 5 dimensions that help further explain how consumer connects with certain traits of a brand. Those 5 dimensions consist of; sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness (Asker,1997). For Virgin the 4 first dimensions are definitely the strongest allowed so lets explain them further . If you look at this last decade, the growth for sustainability and CEO-friendly causes has been colossal. As we learn more on the impact of our action on the planet we realize that things need to change. Not only us as individual human being need to change but companies and society as a whole. Richard Brannon has understood that early on and maybe even before it became so popular. He has remolded his company around that evermore-growing trend by investing large amount into the Virgin green fund and different charities. This fund allows resources to go towards developing ii-fuel, renewable energy, CEO-tourism and many others green causes. By doing so, MR.. Brannon has attracted many like-minded consumers who longed for sustainability. In other words, they share the dimension of sincerity with the company. They share common traits such as; genuineness, honesty, cheerfulness and consumers know that by opting for the virgin brand, they also give their money to a company that will invest towards achieving that common goal they share. Another of virgins brand dimension is found in the companys provocative and humorous advertisement campaigns . Their last campaign on virgin money has rated enormous attention by its sexual references and the use of older couples to turn the ad into a Joke. The company is known for shaking things up and doing things that everyone else say shouldnt. These personality traits of imaginativeness, high-spirit, daringness attract many younger consumers who connect with this dimension of excitement because its fun and dangerous. A proof of this is their fans base on Backbone; their most popular age group is between 24 and 35. Young consumer can relate to this type of behavior and are more inclined to connect with this style of advertisement. Their Virgin Oceanic project is even more daring with its wild mission to visit the deepest part of the sea that has never been explored before. This project pushes a step further innovation and adventure and is definitely going to draw even more attention within the youth population. Also, despite having a large array of different products in very different markets the company pusses ten same consistent message, values Ana qualities. IT you Virgin I-J mobile phone market as an example, you discover rapidly that what has created its massive success was its young modern image and strong brand petition and not its experience within the communication industry. Consumers attracted to products and services that are reliable, efficient and trustworthy know they will find that in Virgin. This dimension refers to competence and Virgin has had to build this dimension over time with consistency and quality. Furthermore, consumers that already associate with virgins value will assume that the same qualities will also be true in the other companies under virgin group and adopt these companies faster and more easily which in turn build trust amongst consumers. Finally, Virgin has got a touch of glamour, especially within its airline companies. Most advertisement of virgin airline shows beautiful arrestees and classy airplane interior design. This refers to the sophistications dimension. The airline definitely pushes this image to customers because low price are often associated with poor sophistication and quality. Virgin shows consumers that low price can still offer high- class quality standards and that paying less doesnt necessarily meaner getting less. They have been extensively working on this dimension to appeal to the people injecting more with this dimension. One of their most recent attempts at reaching these types of consumers has been the launch of business class. This happened in 2012 within Virgin Australia and even if Santa is still ahead, they are not far behind: According to the Roy Morgan Air Travel Survey, 54% of business travelers would consider using the airline. This can further be explained by the perceived lack of the competence dimension within Santa during the crisis that stranded all their airplane to the ground in 2011 . Now to explain even further Virgins marketing efforts o appeal to this class, we need to look further in other marketing theories. Brand repositioning If we take Virgin Australia to analyses their positioning, we can see that the big airline companys positioning strategy is low price. All of Virgin Australias service has a fee such as; meal, wireless services, livelier movies and TV shows and even water. Since they made optional services available, they can reduce the price and get competitive power from price. Starters, their main competitors, also have all optional services and they offer lower cost too. This is one of the reasons why Virgin had to do a Product positioning since the competitors were too close to their position. If the company could not show a clear differentiation from its competitors, consumers would not have perceived a real difference and would have been less satisfied with their product since they paid more than with Starters. This extremely close positioning also meant for Virgin Australia that customers have less brand loyalty because they cant see a clear reason why they should choose Virgin over Starters. Even though Virgin had a great primary market positioning strategy, Starters airline had overlapped the market positioning. That is why, in 2012, Virgin Australia airline launched the Virgin Australia business class which is obviously targeting business class people. They launched a series of executive lounge in the airport of all main cities around Australia. In that executive lounge, facilities such as; photocopier, fax, cinema, video game room, bar, data access points, cafe © and lounge areas are included . Virgin tries to create a new positioning and extend the brand. Their product repositioning strategy aimed to create a new interest within consumers and extend their market reach. Not only Virgin Australia positioned their brand, many others too, however, few of them succeed in doing so. There are several key concepts a company needs to apply to successfully reposition their brand. First, before the repositioning, company must do extensive research on the most favorable future market and also assess the threat of potential competitors. In this case Virgin concluded that the business class was the market to target and that to alleviate the threat of their main competitor within this market (Santa) alliances needed to be done. Thats why comprehensive icosahedra alliances overseas tit Air New Zealand, Delta, Tithed, Singapore Airlines, Hawaiian and Virgin Atlantic (Wilson,2012) were made. Secondly, it is important not to launch many new services but one that is well built and polished. The reason is that it could damage the original brands characteristic and consumers could get lost in the process. Virgin has accomplished that in the launch of its business class by targeting a specific portion of the market and ticking all the right elements of services this particular target requires. Thirdly, a company that repositions itself should use marketing strategies to rate awareness within new target-audience. In the case of Virgin Australia, online teaser as well as television, magazine, bus shelter and press all contributed to build the awareness and excitement of the new services to be offered by Virgin. Finally, a company should reposition their brand mainly when there is a real danger to the company because repositioning is very risky. Failure of reposition can not only be unsuccessful but also cause a great deal of damage to the original brand. It is definitely a better idea not to reposition a brand when it dominates the market but in certain case such as Virgin it is inevitable. Emotional appeal rational appeal We now look at Virgin advertisements effort to try to appeal to the consumers. Advertisement can create appeal in 2 ways; emotional appeal and rational appeal. In order to stimulate positive emotions such as love, friendship, Joy or beauty, the brand needs to create the right atmosphere in the delivery of their message related to the brand or the company. Every details are important; setting, tone, color scheme, lighting, etc. On the other hand, emotional appeal can be accomplished through fear using negative emotions such as guilt, fear, empathy, etc. Highlighting the negative consequences that will result if people are not using a certain product is a negative way of stimulating. Emotional appeal strategies are used in advertising campaign for apparel, cosmetics, household goods, Airline companies or in shorter term, pretty much everywhere! Messages, music and implicit elements such as language, gestures, Tactual expression Ana vernal or non-verbal cues are all uses In tens type AT advertisement strategy. How to appeal to consumers can although greatly fluctuate across different countries and cultures. Virgin is an international company and has invested a great deal of time in forming ads that will both convey a consistent message with the Virgin group image but that will also appeal to a certain market within a certain country or culture. When looking at their advertisement campaign within different countries, it is easy to notice different tone and different emotional appeal. As an example Virgin Pacific campaign has much more sexual references than Virgin Australia who seems to focus on peace of mind and comfortableness. That might be in part due to Virgin Australia repositioning and its effort to appeal more to business class. Virgins appeal approach has significantly changed through the years. Very early on, they used to mainly advertise their product by rational appeal. This type of appeal focuses on proving the products usefulness to consumers. It includes promoting the product by stating the products benefit, performance, quality, value, convenience or affordability. It highlights all the functional advantages of using or buying the product by giving fact or even statistics and help assist the consumer in its decision- making process. Messages should convey features and benefits of the product and he specific information that convey scientific fact or a clear understanding of what they get for what they pay. If we take Virgin Blues marketing strategy as an example through its last 13 years of advertisement we notice that they used both emotional and rational appeal. As I mentioned before, very early on, the company used more rational appeal. In the case of Virgin Blue, their advertisement during 2000 to 2003 focused more on the price of their products as well as their attributes using message such as we are assembled the best. Those advertisements have very concise and Lear message that refers to prove the brands quality. However, from 2003 to 2006 we can notice a change in Virgin Blues growing use of emotional appeal; If only you got virgin blue service everywhere, this message was always showed on the virgins commercial during that time. They also start using exciting music and highlight situations that show how Virgin Blue is convenient but also fun. After 2006, when blue room is launched, the advertisement is changed too. Their slogan is Where great ideas fly and New premium economy. To appeal to consumers, Virgin Blue uses both emotional and rational appeal. They show how great their services are but also nice-looking flight attendant, sophisticated design and the use of young and trendy music within their ads to create emotions. Brand equity Brand equity is connected to a brand name or symbol attached to a product or service. The brand equity is divided in 4 parts, which consist of; brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty. These four elements form the basis for the brand development, management and measurement. Brand awareness is how aware consumers are about a certain product or service provided y a company. The advantage of high brand awareness is that it is easier to make Drank collocations, It also Increases ten Telling AT certainty Ana Admiralty. Brand awareness is the most important element of brand equity. First, brand awareness is divided in 2 parts; brand recognition and brand recall. Brand recognition is the ability to recognize the product by its attribute and brand recall is the ability of consumer to remember the brand when the purchase situation of the products arises. To increase brand awareness, frequent exposure to products is a very effective tactic. For that reason Virgin Blue have used astronomical sum into advertisement. Not only television advertisement but also magazine, sponsorship, Internet, involvement in green causes, to only name a few, is used to increase brand awareness. Consistency in these advertisements is also a great factor to consider when doing this type of marketing. In order for consumers to become aware of Virgin Blue and its attribute, the messages need to be clear and consistent throughout its airline company but also throughout Virgin group as a whole. Secondly, brand associations are brands customers will associate with a retain product. Your products attributes, such as organization image and brand personality, logotype and the like is what becomes really meaningful and important because it represent the organization. Therefore, most of these associations of brand can only persist and be viable if the company create and maintain a variety of programs that will aim to remind consumer of their existence. Brand has many associations and all of them have different power. For example Virgin Blues service associations group are stewardess, blanket, video services and money associations group are membership and mileage. The advantages in increasing brand associations are; it is a good motivation factor to buy products, helpful when the company want to extend its brand and it also generates positive attitude and feeling towards product. If we refer back to Virgin Mobile I-J or even Virgin Australia Business class, both have had an easier entry into their respective market due to brand association with already existing Virgin products and services. Virgin groups always deliver, through their advertisement, messages relating to convenience and good services. Their slogans, which we have talked about before, supports their racketing strategy; If, only you got virgin blue service everywhere, Where great ideas fly. So what the company is trying to do is to associate convenience with Virgin Blue. The third component to brand equity is perceived quality and relates to consumers awareness and perception of the quality level of a brand. Perceived quality affect the image of the brand and has an impact on profitability. Psychological concepts are closely related to how the quality is perceived. Psychological attribute of the products or services are associated with emotional or affective benefits such as convenience, pleasure or fun, superiority, etc. The total value of perceived quality and psychological attribute qualities give the tone to the positioning marketing mix and can be used as a mean of connection. The advantage of increased perceived quality act as a basis of positioning and differentiation from competitors, help create a price premium and is also helpful to brand extension. Since perceived quality is important, Virgin advertise their product as the best in the market for consumers out also leavers to tense standards. A proto AT tens Is ten Vulgar America Lorene which, according to the 2013 Airline Quality Rating report, an annual study of airline reference, is the highest-quality major airline in the United States(Late,2013). Fourth, brand loyalty is a positive mindset toward a brand that leads to repeated purchase of the brand. It is an essential element of brand equity because a large number of loyal customers form a customer base, strengthen the image and generate profit. It also save large marketing cost and it increases the incentive of new consumers to try the product due to WHOM. Company can know how strong their brand loyalty is by looking at refund rate, involvement, how customer are satisfied with the products, etc. The are two main approaches to brand loyalty; behavioral and cognitive approach. The behavioral approach states that constant purchasing of one brand over time is an indicator of brand loyalty. The second approach in the marketing literature is cognitive approach to brand loyalty in which the advocates argue that behavior solely does not reflect brand loyalty. According to You(2000), brand loyalty has the power to impact on customer decision to purchase the same product or brand and decline to shift to competitors brands. As a result, You (2000) concludes that brand loyalty is the core of brands value. For the long term success of a company, brand loyalty is considerably important. Virgin is famous at doing special event or using innovative marketing techniques to strengthen brand loyalty. As well as having two approaches to bran loyalty, there also are three levels of engagement; recognition, preference and insistence. The recognition level is a sort of attentiveness to the brand, consumers know it is a viable alternative to purchase. On the second level, the brand loyalty is a little stronger and customers first choice would be that brand but if unavailable will settle for alternative brands. On the third and last level, customers will insist on buying the brand and wont accept any substitute. They are usually very engaged with the brand at this level and have deep emotional or cognitive attach to the brand. In virgins case brand loyalty is extremely important because of its large array of product and services. A customer that is loyal to the brand might be more inclined to buy from Virgin every time the occasion present itself; holidays, phone plans, financial services, etc. To gain brand loyalty, Virgin uses many incentives with its customers such as; fidelity card, flying club loyalty program, credit cards but also organizes special events and get involved in causes that reflect the brand image. These marketing efforts provide more value for the customers and increase satisfaction and confidence in the brand. Conclusion The Virgin brand is definitely one of the strongest brand of our era. The vision of one man, Sir Richard Brannon, has changed the way we market to consumers. Some of his techniques are so innovative and out of the norm that it is very hard to find any theories that could exactly describe how the company is so successful. The Virgin group is a great example of a strong brand personality and identity. The great use of 4 out of 5 brand dimensions has given the company many personality traits that can attract a large array of consumers. Their brand repositioning Tanat we nave analyzed, more so In ten Australian market, NAS Eden a great success due to a clear idea and a great execution that has enhanced the brand image and has created an additional target market with high purchasing power. Their advertisement appeals has transformed over time and is now both cognitive and behavioral, which also expand their reach of consumers because not everyone respond to these 2 different approach separately. Their approach to brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty also give them very strong brand equity and is a big key to their success.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Strategic Outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Outsourcing - Essay Example And this is still true today, the two main reasons for outsourcing attested to by a number of scholars   are 1. Improve Company focus, 2. Reduce and control operating costs (Mylot, 1995; Field, 1998; Greaver, 1999; Barthelemy, .2001). However, in recent times, organizations have become increasingly dissatisfied with their outsourcing contracts. An article from the MIT Sloan Management Review (1998) states that a survey by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young found that only 54% of companies are satisfied with their outsourcing, down from more than 80% a decade ago. The landscape of outsourcing has also changed dramatically in the last year with the increased popularity of SOA and raises questions such as 1. How will software vendors react to service-oriented architecture, real-time infrastructure and fusion? 2. How will enterprises achieve value on their investments in software? Similarly how the ESP are going to address to the questions such as 1. Transform their business models from highly c ustom one-to-one services to a one-to-many or many-to-many service model? 2. Effectively partner with ESP’s that are moving or have moved to a leveraged service model.Interestingly enough Gartner predicts that â€Å"by 2007, driven in part by SOA-based Web services, 18 percent of all IT professional services will be deployed in a multi enterprise, shared service environment. Enterprise application vendors are the likely beneficiaries of the SOA bounty when it comes to outsourcing. Vendors such as Oracle and PeopleSoft have grown.

Friday, October 18, 2019

What Is the Impact of the Media On the Body Image of Girls 16-20 Essay

What Is the Impact of the Media On the Body Image of Girls 16-20 - Essay Example The research has shown that media has a very high impact on the body image of young girls. The influence is so high that they often ending up aspiring to have such bodies and in the process, cause significant damage to their physical and mental well being. Body dissatisfaction can result in a very wide range of unhealthy behaviours. Any factor, such as idealized media images, that proves to be a factor of body dissatisfaction has an influence on the well-being. The notion is deeply imbibed and almost becomes a subconscious conditioning due to the wide exposure to mass media. Hence, it becomes very difficult to move them towards the direction of body satisfaction. The author says that many young girls are not fully aware of the artificiality of the images projected on the media. This leads to desperate attempts and disappointment at failed attempts, until it becomes a vicious cycle. The level of vulnerability as well as immaturity often becomes key factors in deciding the level of impact that each individual faces due to the body images projected by the media. If these young girls are made to understand the difference between, ‘images’ and ‘reality’, then they would move away from the concept of body dissatisfaction. To understand the impact of media among the young girls between the ages of 16 to 20, the research methodology that was used was of personal interviews. A personal interview was carried out individual for thirteen girls based in the UK between the said age group. This group was chosen based on the interest that the girls expressed in talking about the issue, and not based on a random criterion. The person al interview

The Character Sketch of the Movie the Black Balloon Assignment

The Character Sketch of the Movie the Black Balloon - Assignment Example One path is his regular teenage life, where he has a crush on a girl. The other path is full of responsibilities; he has to take care of his autistic brother who is a big baby. He faces the ultimate sibling conflict. The family moves to a new place, and the time is the 1990s. Thomas is shown to be anxious about making new friends and all he wants is to fit in. The plot is so refined that it shows the power that went behind the writing. The parents have a hard decision to make where they want to give equal attention and love to each of their children. The mother is inclined to take more care of the one who lacks understanding, social skills and cognitive ability than the other normal people. Sometimes the normal children are supposed to take on more responsibilities and acquire leadership and caring skills. If it were a normal family Thomas would have lesser responsibilities. But his parents cannot always be around Charlie, especially when he goes to school, and during playtime, those activities are accompanied by people of the same age. Â  Thomas is a 15-year-old normal teenager. His family moves to a new home. He is going through a phase feeling like he needs to fit in with his new friends at the school. He struggles with fitting in because his family is unusual; he has an autistic brother who gets the attention of the parents all the time. This makes Thomas feel neglected. However, Thomas loves his brother Charlie and takes very good care of him. Charlie enjoys playing video games, wearing a monkey costume and receiving stars for good behavior. Maggie, their mother, is heavily pregnant, and her doctors have advised her to take rest. Eventually, Thomas has to be in charge of Charlie. This is not an easy task as he has to chase Charlie down when he shoots out of the house.

Study analyzing how a multicultural workforce might affect teamwork Essay

Study analyzing how a multicultural workforce might affect teamwork and communications in large companies - Essay Example Based on different cultural beliefs, there are different ideologies, for instance, those that arise due to difference in religious beliefs. For a successful business operation, any individual worker should be able to work with people of different cultural backgrounds, irrespective of their cultural orientation. A definite example is the management and operation of various Western Companies operating in the Middle East (Kawar, 2012). This essay will utilize Tagreed’s book in analyzing the various ways through which multicultural workforce affects teamwork and communication within the companies. Hofstede (2005) described cultural difference and variation in four distinct categories. The first category is individualist versus collectivism. He states that in certain cultures, individualism is emphasized whereas in others group or teamwork is given an upper hand. For instance, among the Latinos, group work is given a priority over individual work. In such communities, goals are made based on communal or group needs. Most Native Americans, on the other hand, prefer individualism to collectivism. When individuals from the two societies are employed within the same company, it is always hard for them to come to term and agree on the achievement of the company goals and target. Latino workers may find the organizational culture favorable and normal to them unlike the Natives who will look into individual worker achievement before giving considerations to the group or company output. Another way through which cultural variations and diversity may affect a multicultural company is through the existence of cultural variation at the occupational level. An example is teaching career, which requires any employee to have certain definite cultures in order to succeed in their jobs as well as relate well to fellow employees. It becomes a great challenge to individuals who do not

Thursday, October 17, 2019

LAW 2112 EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

LAW 2112 EUROPEAN SINGLE MARKET - Essay Example This is citizenship in two countries. B) This will allow you to make your family members temporary citizens with you and you will be able to live abroad in the UA nation. 2) To become a citizen, the spouse automatically has their nationality. 3) Children may also take their parents nationality. 4) Extended family can become naturalized. In this process, Citizenship is up to the Home Secretary. They will make a decision about whether a person qualifies. The Secretary will make a decision as it sees fit. There are a number of official requirements for naturalization. The Secretary may wave some of the requirements under certain circumstances. The requirements are as follows: 1) Indefinite right to keep immigration status for a person who does not hold right to adobe in the UA. This person can be admitted to the UA without any time limit to stay. The right of adobe is Irish Citizenship. 2) Must be 18 years of age or older. 3) Must be of sound mind. 4) Must intend to continue to live in the UA or to have Crown service, or a company is established in the UA. 5) Must speak English, Welsh, or Gaelic reasonably well. 6) Must have an understanding of life in UA. 7) Must have good character. 8) Residential requirements must be met. Residential requirements are as follows: 1) Must have been a resident in the UA for at least 5 years (also know as the residential qualifying period), and 2) Must have been present in the UA prior to the date of application, and Must not have spent more than 450 days outside the UA during the 5 year period, and 3) Must not spend more than 90 days not in the UA during a 12 month period, and 4) Must not have breached the Immigration Rules at any time during the 5 years. 5) A child that is born in the UA, where the parents are non British citizens, the child does not receive British status. Spouses and civil partners must do as follows: 1) Must have been a resident in the UA for 3 years prior to the date of the application, and 2) Must have been present in the UA 3 years prior to the application date, and 3) Must not have spent more than 270 days outside of the UA in the past 12 months, of the 3 year period, and 4) In the last 12 months, cannot have spent more than 90 days outside of the UA, and 5) There has been no breach of the immigration rules, during a 3 year period. 6) Before July 1983, only a birth of a legitimate child (born to a married couple) was considered a citizen automatically from the father. At the time of the birth the child is able to have citizenship if the father is able to have indefinite leave or another settled status. The child had automatic British citizenship derived from the father, until July 2006. However, in the instance that the parents are not married at the time of the birth in the United Kingdom and then got married, then the marriage legitimates the child through the father. Although, if the father was a settled British citizen and considered settled in the United Kingdom when the child w as born, the child becomes a citizen starting from the time of the marriage. If a child is born to unmarried parents, the Home Office will usually register the child as a British citizen. . Q) What happens if a marriage breaks up, the spouse is the holder of the British citizenship and the employee is from a country that does not allow dual citizenship? Can the employee travel out of the UA and get back into the country frequently? A) 1)When a marriage or civil partnership permanently dissolves while the partner that retains

Creativity and Critical Thinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Creativity and Critical Thinking - Research Paper Example When British rulers enacted the Rowlett Act, he opposed the law tooth and nail through fasting and Satyagraha (enforcement of truth) – a totally new way of protest against mighty rulers indeed! After imprisonment, the government was forced to free him from the prison due to people’s pressure. In 1930, he marched over 200 miles with his supporters; tens of thousands of people kept on joining him for the seashore town ‘Dandi’ where he produced salt breaking unjust Salt laws enacted by the British government. The movement came to be known as a largest civil disobedience movement during the time that shook the pillars of British rule in India. Gandhi led the independence movement through nonviolent means until British rulers left India in 1947. Gandhi’s experiments with truth and nonviolence are unique and speak about his creativity and critical thinking on the path that may appear arduous and impossible at the first instance but still the fact remains that later his philosophy was increasingly adopted and followed by many prominent leaders such as Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela successfully for righteous cause of the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Study analyzing how a multicultural workforce might affect teamwork Essay

Study analyzing how a multicultural workforce might affect teamwork and communications in large companies - Essay Example Based on different cultural beliefs, there are different ideologies, for instance, those that arise due to difference in religious beliefs. For a successful business operation, any individual worker should be able to work with people of different cultural backgrounds, irrespective of their cultural orientation. A definite example is the management and operation of various Western Companies operating in the Middle East (Kawar, 2012). This essay will utilize Tagreed’s book in analyzing the various ways through which multicultural workforce affects teamwork and communication within the companies. Hofstede (2005) described cultural difference and variation in four distinct categories. The first category is individualist versus collectivism. He states that in certain cultures, individualism is emphasized whereas in others group or teamwork is given an upper hand. For instance, among the Latinos, group work is given a priority over individual work. In such communities, goals are made based on communal or group needs. Most Native Americans, on the other hand, prefer individualism to collectivism. When individuals from the two societies are employed within the same company, it is always hard for them to come to term and agree on the achievement of the company goals and target. Latino workers may find the organizational culture favorable and normal to them unlike the Natives who will look into individual worker achievement before giving considerations to the group or company output. Another way through which cultural variations and diversity may affect a multicultural company is through the existence of cultural variation at the occupational level. An example is teaching career, which requires any employee to have certain definite cultures in order to succeed in their jobs as well as relate well to fellow employees. It becomes a great challenge to individuals who do not

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Creativity and Critical Thinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Creativity and Critical Thinking - Research Paper Example When British rulers enacted the Rowlett Act, he opposed the law tooth and nail through fasting and Satyagraha (enforcement of truth) – a totally new way of protest against mighty rulers indeed! After imprisonment, the government was forced to free him from the prison due to people’s pressure. In 1930, he marched over 200 miles with his supporters; tens of thousands of people kept on joining him for the seashore town ‘Dandi’ where he produced salt breaking unjust Salt laws enacted by the British government. The movement came to be known as a largest civil disobedience movement during the time that shook the pillars of British rule in India. Gandhi led the independence movement through nonviolent means until British rulers left India in 1947. Gandhi’s experiments with truth and nonviolence are unique and speak about his creativity and critical thinking on the path that may appear arduous and impossible at the first instance but still the fact remains that later his philosophy was increasingly adopted and followed by many prominent leaders such as Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela successfully for righteous cause of the

The Argument of Elite Theorists Essay Example for Free

The Argument of Elite Theorists Essay In order to assess how useful this view is, we must first look at the differing factions operating within the framework of elite theory. On doing this it will become apparent within the scope of Government, that this view is outdated and riddled with flaws. Elite theory originally developed from the work of Gaetano Mosca and Vilfredo Pareto, two italian sociologists writing at the turn of the last century. Pareto argued that, in the course of history, different leadership qualities are required in order to adapt society to changed circumstances. Essentially, two types of person can be distinguished, lions and foxes, the former, according to Pareto are stolid and forceful, willing to use violence. The latter are basically sly, wheeler-dealer types. One or other type will rule as long as it can cope with the political and economic problems facing it; but in certain circumstances their particular qualities will be insufficient for the task in hand, and they will be deposed by the other group. Pareto describes this process as the circulation of elites, which rise and fall through a combination of psychological aptitudes and historical circumstances, irrespective of the economic or social structure of society. There are many flaws in Paretos work, but the main ones must centre on his inability to explain the origins of the elites rise to power, and his classification of people into two -and only two-psychological types (S.MOORE,1995). The belief that a superior group forms a ruling elite underlies Moscas(1939) writings too, and it is this superiority that he sees leading the elite to power in the first place. Once there, the elite continues to rule, not solely because it is superior but also through its relatively small membership, which makes it far better organised than the mass of the population. Pareto fails to provide a method of measuring and distinguishing betwwen the supposedly superior qualities of elites. He simply assumes that the qualities of the elite are superior to those of the mass. His criterion for distinguishing between lions and foxes is merely his own interpretation of the style of elite rule (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN,1990). Whereas Pareto and Mosca attempted to provide a general theory to explain the  nature and distribution of power in all societies, the American sociologist C.Wright Mills presents a less ambitious and wide-ranging version of elite theory. He limits his analysis to American society in the 1950s. Unlike the early elite theorists, Mills does not believe that elite rule is inevitable: in fact he sees it as a fairly recent development in the U.S.A. Unlike Pareto, who rather cynically accepts the domination of the masses by elites, Mills soundly condemns it. Since he sees elite rule as based upon the exploitation of the masses, he adopts a conflict version of elite theory (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN,1990). Robert A.Dahl has criticised Mills from a pluralist perspective. He has claimed that Mills has simply shown that the power elite has potential for control. Dahl argues, the potential for control is not equivalent to actual control. Dahl maintains that actual control can only be shown to exist by examination of a series of concrete cases where key decisions are made: decisions on taxation and expenditures, subsidies, welfare progrmas, military policy and so on. Dahl claims that by omitting to investigate a range of key decisions, Mills and also like-minded British sociologists have failed to establish where actual control lies. As a result Dahl argues that the case for a power elite remains unproven (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN, 1990). Since the British variant of power elite theory(the idea of a socially and culturally cohesive establishment) was first asserted in the 1950s, it has decreased rather than gained in plausibility. This is first, because British politics has become more polarised, more open and more democratic. It became more polarised in the 1970s, as large differences between major parties displaced consensus. In these circumstances, it became virtually impossible to maintain that elections did not alter things much, and even more difficult after the general election of 1979. Clearly, the advent of Mrs Thatcher changed things a great deal. Second, British government became more open and less secretive. This happened more by inadvertence than design and it was usually resisted by governments of the day. Nonetheless by the 1980s, the public were far more aware of what went on in the inner counsels of the  Cabinet and in the Whitehall village than was the case a generation previously. The publication of politicians diaries and memoirs(Richard Crossman, Barbara Castle), leaks by civil servants(Clive Ponting) and the revelations of goings-on within the secret services by people like Peter Wright provided fascinating if somewhat selective glimpses of power in the inner sanctums of government and made its mysteries less mysterious. Finally, as we have seen, certain important sectors of British society became more democratic. In political parties, members played an increasing role in the election of leaders and the selection of party candidates; in trade unions, balloting on the choice of leaders and on strike decisions became the norm. The increasing hold of television on society tended to promote both greater openess and greater democracy -not least by providing continual public demonstrations that, far from being cohesive and untied, the so-called establishment spoke with many, often sharply divergent, voices (COXALL ROBINS,1989). The overall count against the notion of an establishment in Britain is clear; it is neither united, nor -in an age of revelations and media coverage- mysterious, nor-and most important of all -free from popular control. It is a myth.