An Introduction to Analytical Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An Introduction to Analytical Writing - Essay Example The satirical essay is, without a single doubt, very informative. Being a media practitioner, the author was able to expound his thesis by giving substantial information about the current state of affairs. These pieces of information are glaring examples of how the current crop of people in the congress utilizes mass media to mask the more exacting problems that need to be resolved like budget deficit, health care, and of course the presence and involvement of the United States in Iraq. All these problems are veiled with what appeals to the hearts of everyone: morality and righteousness. Why and how does this whole kit and caboodle happen Simple. Based on my own reckoning, the representatives are clever enough not to know how to safely deceive and bewilder their unknowing constituents. Indeed by conducting hearings that appeal to everyone's heart, they can shift the people's attention from the very core of the problem down to the ones that bob in and out of the social strata. As most of us probably know, people generally react to situations directly affecting them and their parochial needs.

Attributes of entrepreneur Essay Example for Free

Attributes of entrepreneur Essay Confidence positive thlnklng is a major step In the direction of success 5. Positive thinker entrepreneur are positive thinkers. Wealth does not always come to the most intelligent or the most ambitious individuals. Patience -when one owns who his business, there will be times when feels like the roof of craving-in. 7. Decisiveness one should go with his intuition and trust that he is doing the right thing 8. Experience component for growth as a key 9. Information seeking entrepreneur should seek information with client and competitors, seek advice. 10. Perseverance must be willing to persevere during rough times 11. Drive needs to be totally committed 12. Risk taking prefer tasks, which provide them some challenges 13. Innovation creative, they do things in new and different ways 14. Opportunity-seeking readily identifies opportunities for going into or to improve his business 15. Demand for efficiency and quality entrepreneur always strives to find ways to do things better, faster and at a lower cost 16. Systematic planning and monitoring introduces some system in achlevlng his goals by breaking this goal Into short term and long term goals 11. Persuasion and networking easy establishes a network or personal and business contacts around them

Adulery and Death Essay -- essays research papers

Adultery and Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many novels in American Literature contain the theme of the American Dream and how this dream is corrupted by the sins of adultery. In the novels Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the character’s ideal lives are destroyed through their desire to attain someone that they cannot be with. Through their lust and their belief that anything is attainable, the characters of Hurstwood, Dimmesdale, and Gatsby ultimately pay the price of death through their â€Å"dream†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One thing that all of these characters had in common prior to their affairs was the fact they were all respected in their society. They were not outcasts until they started reaching for an obsession that they could not possible be with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the case of Hurstwood, his attraction was to Carrie and inevitably led to his downfall. From the first time Hurstwood laid eyes on Carrie he started to ignore his wife. Soon his wife realized that something was going on and decides to file for a divorce, hire a detective, and locked him out of their house. Since all of their property is in her name, Hurstwood was left with nothing. After being kicked out of his house, Hurstwood moved to New York City with Carrie, once there he bought part of a nearby bar. This business started to fall apart and Hurstwood was forced to start looking ...

Prison Reform in Russia and Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The novel Crime and Punishment occurs in the summer of 1865; a time when radical legal and social changes swept through Russia. The reforms of 1860’s and 1870’s were known as the Great Reforms because they affected every aspect of Russian life. With â€Å"an 1861 decree emancipating the serfs and [a] monumental reform of the court system in 1864,† the Russian society was still transitioning from an Estate-of-the-realm style toward a more just system focused on equality (Burnham 1227). The reformed penal system is not just under the modern sense of justice, yet it provided a far greater level of equality than the previous model, dominated by aristocrats and government officials. Lagging behind a few years, Russia was following the trend of the other European countries by remodeling the penal and criminal justice system (Timasheff 16-18). According to The Politics of Punishment: Prison Reform in Russia, Robbins Jr. asserts, â€Å"the Great Reforms of the 1860s set in motion a process that dramatically altered the Russian penal system† (1282). France and England already had reformed and well-established courts; thus, the Russians felt an urge to follow them (Historically speaking, from the days of the Enlightenment, Russia wanted to be considered a prosperous country like the great European nations, but its tyrannical government and social policies prevented it from doing so. Russia, the little stepbrother of the European states, looked from a distance at the splendor of the flourishing states to the west. Russia’s Czars, Peter and Catherine the great, attempted to model the country like a western state while retaining a unique Russian identity, and the nineteenth century illustrates this transition). Filled with a sense of p... ...tally (Dostoevsky 350-355). Dostoevsky is cynical of the criminal justice system because not only does it cheat society, but also it cheats its own rules. This almighty governmental power is reminiscent the previous unjust systems. Talking about the dying horse in Raskolnikov’s dream, the people insist â€Å"she’s damn well going to gallop,† but Dostoevsky urges them not to beat the dead horse (57). A complete teardown and rebuilt seems like the only real solution to fixing the disorganized justice and penal system of Russia. Dostoevsky uses Crime and Punishment to analyze and critique the transitioning legal and justice system of 1860’s Russia. He argues that the true purpose of the criminal justice system is to rehabilitate and restore an individual; society needs the institution since not everyone is as thoughtful and ultimately good-hearted as Raskolnikov.

Long Term Care Insurance Essay

Given the increasing longevity of Americans and the costs of providing long-term care, anticipation of the costs should be a major element of every family’s financial planning. Current information suggests however, that very few families or individuals give this consideration. What factors might impede this advance planning? What measures might be effective in raising awareness among Americans about this important matter? Support your answer with at least one outside reference. People tend to be irrational in their decisions with regard to long-term medical care. The factors that impede rational decision-making among health care consumers have not changed over the last decade. The major problem is that consumers lack relevant information about the availability and effectiveness of health care services in long-term perspective (RWJF, 1998). Another problem is that rational decision-making about long-term care inhibits the sense of autonomy among consumers; in other words, â€Å"consumer unwillingness to plan for future long-term care needs undercuts their autonomy and precipitates a rush toward dependence and financial difficulties† (RWJF, 1998). Ultimately, consumers have a hidden hope that their relatives and not medical facilities will help them resolve their decision-making issues in future. Here, an information campaign could help develop consumer awareness about the benefits of advance planning, as well as the availability, and the quality of health care services. Very often, physicians themselves fail to assess long-term consumer needs; as a result, better training and full information about the types of long-term health care arrangement may help improve the situation. The number of those involved into advance planning programs will serve a reliable indicator for the program effectiveness in the long run. 2. More than three-fourths of the elderly needing assistance is cared for by family members, many of whom also work outside the home. What implications does this have for employers? What types of employer policies might be appropriate regarding those engaged in providing long-term care for a family member? Support your answer with at least one outside reference. Statistical research suggests that â€Å"over three quarters – 78 percent – of adults receiving long-term care at home rely exclusively on assistance from family members, friends, and volunteers, referred to as informal care† (Thompson, 2004). Despite the benefits which caregiving offers to a disabled person, it has far-reaching negative implications for the mental, physical, and social state of the caregiver. Beyond the mere fact that caregivers are more vulnerable to mental and physical health complications, they face serious employment challenges. â€Å"Some caregivers reduce their hours and others withdraw completely from the labor force† (Thompson, 2004). Employers find it difficult to work with employees, who are depressed or are ill as a result of excessive caregiving. Here, Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) may save employers and employees from financial and physical losses. LTCI is usually a small expenditure for a firm (all LTCI premiums are tax deductible). Simultaneously, â€Å"it assures quality when needed, and equally important, helps the employee protect assets for retirement† (Florek, 2005). Taking into account that workplace accommodations made by caregivers usually cost up to $30 billion annually in lost productivity (Florek, 2005), LTCI may become an excellent solution, providing employers and employees with a chance for a better quality of care without substantial losses for business. 3. Concerns regarding the potential costs of caring for those with mental illness have caused the majority of insurers and HMOs to rely on â€Å"carve-outs† written into their policies. In your own words, describe what the term â€Å"carve-out† means in regards to the behavioral health industry. What are the advantages and disadvantages to this practice? Support your answer with at least one outside reference. â€Å"Carve-out† is a relatively new alternative model of health care provision in behavioral health industry. In simple terms, a â€Å"carve-out† is a system of administrative measures used by health care facilities to shift their responsibility for consumers’ mental health onto a different network of mental health providers. In carve-outs, â€Å"a specialty organization or vendor assumes the responsibility for identifying a network of mental health providers, establishing a mechanism for accessing those providers† (Entrepreneur, 1998). The impact of carve-outs on the quality of health care is rather controversial. Not all states were able to perceive the benefits of significant cost reduction that usually follows the development and implementation of carve-out initiatives at the state level (Brisson et al, 1997). Although Massachusetts was the one to experience dramatic decrease in medical expenditures, that was not the case for Tennessee (Brisson et al, 1997). Moreover, Merrick, Garnick & Horgan (2001) suggest that carve out benefits do not protect enrollees from the â€Å"risk of catastrophic expenditures†. In terms of quality care, the results of scarce research suggest that the implementation of carve-out mechanisms is not associated with a better (or worse) quality of care (Busch, Frank & Lehman, 2004). As a result, the advantages of carve-out programs do not seem to go beyond the dry financial statistics in regards to the reduction of expenditures in mental health industry. References Brisson, A. E. , Frank, R. G. , Notman, E. S. & Gazmararian, J. A. (1997). Impact of a managed behavioral health care carve-out: A case study of one HMO. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from http://www. nber. org/papers/w6242. pdf Busch, A. B. , Frank, R. G. & Lehman, A. F. (2004). The effect of a managed behavioral health carve-out on quality of care for Medicaid patients diagnosed as having schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 61: 442-448. Entrepreneur. (1998). Managing behavioral health. Entrepreneur. com. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from https://www. entrepreneur. com/tradejournals/article/54586928_1. html Florek, P. (2005). Long-term care insurance: protecting the employer, employee, and family. RedOrbit. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from http://www. redorbit. com/news/technology/267111/longterm_care_insurance_protecting_the_employer_employee_and_family/index. html Merrick, E. L. , Garnick, D. W. & Horgan, C. (2001). Benefits in behavioral health carve-out plans for Fortune 500 firms. Psychiatr Serv, 52: 943-948. RWJF. (1998). Advance planning helps consumers make better decisions about long-term care. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from http://www. rwjf. org/reports/grr/022308s. htm Thompson, L. (2004). Long-term care: support for family caregivers. Georgetown University. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from http://ltc. georgetown. edu/pdfs/caregivers. pdf

Joy Luck Club essays

Joy Luck Club essays This movie the Joy Luck Club was not that bad. When I first watched this movie, I got bored because the scenes of the movie jumped from one story to another. I did not like that type of movie. But then again, I saw this when I was young. The following paragraph is a brief summary of this movie. At the beginning of the movie, the scene started with a reunion of Suyuans three friends An-mei, Lindo, and Ying-Ying. This reunion is more of a meeting of the Joy Luck Club. Suyuan left China in 1947 during the war after loosing her family and her twin daughters. The twin daughters still remained a mystery of whether or not they are still alive. She settled in San Francisco; she now remarried and has a daughter named June. As growing up, June struggled of understanding her Mom. Her Mom forced her to play the piano by making her practice daily. Both Suyuan and Lindo are very competitive. They like to show off their daughters talent. Waverly is Lindos daughter, and she is a chess prodigy. When Suyuan died, they never did completely resolve their differences. So at that meeting, one of Suyuans friends told June that her sisters are still alive and that she should go and visit them. As the novel ends, she meets her sisters in Shanghai. The second scene focuses on An-mei, who lives with her grandmother because her mother has been disowned. When An-mei is nine, her grandmother dies; and An-mei leaves with her mother to live in the home of a wealthy man and his other wives. An-mei learns how her mother was forced into a dishonorable second marriage and why she has no control over her own life. Her mothers subsequent suicide provides An-mei a better life. An-mei came to San Francisco and got married, and they have seven kids, including Rose. Roses husband was a dermatologist named Ted. Their marriage did not work because he had an affair and now they are divorce. Rose is overwhel...

Heart Of Darkness

Heart Of Darkness Heart of Darkness By: Joseph Conrad The novel Heart of Darkness, was written by a man named Joseph Conrad in 1894. Conrad was born December 3, 1857 into a family of polish decent in the northern Ukraine. The backgrounds of his family members consisted of a father that was an avid translator of Shakespeare as well as poet, along with a mother, that while was prone to illness still was well read and very intelligent. When Conrad was five, his father was exiled into a prison camp in Northern Russia for alleged revolutionist plots against the government. Due to the harsh conditions of the prison, Conrad's mother died within three years and his father four years later. It was the death of his father that sent Joseph into a fit of melancholy, and it was within this sadness that Joseph turned to writing to ease his grief and carried his pain and suffering into most of his novels.Jean-Baptiste Say

Essay about Employement Law Compliance Plan

Essay about Employement Law Compliance Plan Essay about Employement Law Compliance Plan Atwood and allen consulting to: Traci goldeman from: jessica stroklund subject: Landslide Limousine employment law compliance date: cc: Bradley stone After researching employment laws for Landslide Limousine, I have found four major laws that will be applicable. This memo will give an overview of each law as well as noncompliance consequences for each law. The first employment law I would like to bring to your attention is the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law prohibits employers from discriminating based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin (EEOC, n.d.). The exception to this law is that it does not protect applicants and employees that are younger than the age of 40 (Welte, 2015). Bradley would need to be mindful of employees that are hired and their interaction with one another. He can easily be held accountable for employees poking fun at an elderly employee because of their driving skills, or eye sight. Also, Bradley mentioned wanting to have a high end driving service. Often times this includes having a specific employee personality; when looking for this, he should be mindful to not judge individuals based on their looks or beliefs. Consequences of non-compliance often leads to an investigation with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Valid complaints result in lawsuits and heavy pay outs to the wro nged employee. The second law I would like to mention involves Titles I and Disabilities Act of 1990. This law prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals with disabilities (EEOC, n.d.). Every business is required to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This is important for Bradley to understand because he will need to be very clear about the requirements for each position, as well as be open minded about having in office positions for administration purposes for individuals who may not be able to drive. Disability does not just mean physical, there may be an applicant who is not able to drive at night or due to their anxiety cannot drive in rush hour traffic. Having accommodating shifts is one way to avoid violating this law. Noncompliance can also result in an investigation or lawsuit. A third law that I would like to inform Bradley of is the Equal Pay Act of 1963 as well as the Texas Minimum Wage Act. This is important for him, because he mentioned starting his company in Austin Texas. The first part of this law, the Equal Pay Act protects employees from wage discrimination based on their sex. In other words, employees should be paid based of their job performance, skills and level of responsibility within the same job description (EEOC, n.d.). Additionally, in Texas employers are required to pay their employees a minimum of $7.25 as well as provide employees with an earnings statement. Consequence for violating the Equal Pay Act include but are not limited to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment up to six months. The final area I would like to mention is Harassment, it is unlawful to harass an individual

Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Descartes - Essay Example because it is not possible to differentiate the experiences that we have while awake, and the experiences that we have while dreaming; for Descartes, it is possible that we are dreaming while thinking that we are awake. For this reason, therefore, the doubts that Descartes suggests in the dream argument are different and more extreme than the doubts that Descartes suggests in the senses argument; while in the sense argument Descartes argues that it is only some knowledge derived from the senses that can be doubted, in the dream argument Descartes argued and demonstrated that all sensory knowledge can be doubted. The evil demon argument is more extreme than either the sense or the dream argument. This is because, first, while the sense argument suggest that it is only some types of sensory knowledge that can be doubted, the evil demon argument suggest and demonstrate that all sensory knowledge can be doubted. Secondly, while the dream argument demonstrate that sensory knowledge can be doubted, it can reasonably be objected that some simple truths like the truths of mathematics and geometry cannot be doubted; on the other hand, the evil demon argument suggests that even the truths of mathematics and geometry can be doubted because these truths may be nothing but deceptions of an evil genius. While the evil demon argument can deceive Descartes in all his beliefs, the evil demon, however, cannot deceive Descartes into believing that he doesn’t exist. This is because for Descartes, existence is a pre-condition of doubting; according to Descartes, one should exist before doubting. For this reason, Descartes argued that, since he is able to doubt, this means that he exists. Descartes, therefore, concluded that the evil demon cannot deceive him into believing that he doesn’t exist. The main difficulty for Descartes’ philosophical project is accounting for how human body and human mind interact. In giving explanation to how human mind and human body interact,

Statistics Final Exam Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Statistics Final Exam - Speech or Presentation Example In the case of work completed in Excel, copy and paste show the formula(s) used. No work = no credit. The problems on this exam pertain to the Malls of the Thump McDonald Property group. Thump McDonald, often referred to as â€Å"The McDonald†, commissioned his apprentices to look at various statistics to determine the efficiency of his operations. A supplier manufactures batteries for the emergency backup lights in the mall corridors. A random sample of 256 batteries is taken and the sample mean life is 6.5 years with a standard deviation of 0.65 years. The law requires 99% confidence of operation when scheduling of battery replacement. Mall security estimates that the average daily per-store theft is exactly $335, but wants to determine the accuracy of this statistic. The company researcher takes a sample of 81 clerks and finds that =$300 and s = $80. A confidence interval of 90% was used to estimate the proportion of customers who buy at least two items during their shopping mall experience. A random sample of 150 customers produced the following confidence interval: 32% +/- 4%. What is the best way to explain the results? z-test should be used when the sample size is greater than 30 (n>30) and when the mean and the standard deviation are known. T-test is best suites when the sample size is lesser than 30 (n

Management Portfolio in Civil Engineering Essay

Management Portfolio in Civil Engineering - Essay Example Civil Engineering Projects are executed to achieve specific objectives that are the cause & means of socio-economical & environmental changes. Thus the project management of a civil engineering project need to play the role of social change agents comprising of immense managerial qualities like being futuristic, resilient, optimistic, tenacious, committed, passionate, patient, emotionally intelligent, assertive, persuasive, empathetic, ethical, competent, experienced, etc. In the role of change Agentry the project management should be able to: Every project brings with it a number of challenges - materials management, supply chain management, labour management, storage management, health & safety management, environment management, waste management, delivery management, quality management, legal & statutory management, Risk Management costing management and financials management. In nutshell, the entire civil engineering project requires a wide management portfolio to take care of all these aspects of management and such that the project can be successfully taken to completion. This paper critically examines the essentials of such a Management Portfolio and its application in a Civil Engineering Infrastructure Project. Health, Safety and Environment Management In a large Civil Engineering Infrastructure project, the issues & risks pertaining to health, safety and environment are required to be managed effectively. The global guidelines followed are in line with the recommendations on Safety & Health at Work & the Environment by International Labour Office (ILO-OSH), OHSAS 18001

History of U.S. up to JFK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of U.S. up to JFK - Essay Example After WWII, United States embraced capitalism at its best. During this time, change was an inevitable factor throughout the country. War bonds worth hundreds of billions of dollars matured, which gave the country the so much needed financial resources to kick start the economy. Using these and other government-provided resources, the country moved towards the realization of an economic boom. People’s quality of life improved, setting a desirable path for social, economic, and political prosperity. With massive investments already executed, the American workforce became the next point of focus. Among the most outstanding actions in this regard was the implementation of the G.I Bill. The G.I Bill accorded war veterans many different benefits, most of which played the role of financing education and training of workers for the realization of a knowledgeable, skilled, and reliable workforce (Chafe 107). Another key observation of the post WWII era was the emergence of labor unions in America. The 1950s marked the peak of labor union membership, and this allowed low-income workers to migrate from the countryside to towns and cities in search of better job opportunities (Chafe 168). By 1960, this migration process had allowed majority of Americans to hold employment positions that were better paying compared to previous couple of decades. Consequently, the growth and development of suburbs became vibrant across the U.S. Most importantly, U.S culture changed significantly between 1945 and 1963. Following the WWII, both the South and the West became important political regions as power shifted away from the Northeast and Midwest (Chafe 119). During this time, U.S had not only addressed major social issues, but also nurtured a cultural and social belief of international control. American people were convinced that they had a primary role to play in maintaining global peace and political order. A critical look at the global political economy revealed that the U.S

Discuss the values and attitudes of Chouinard and the Patagonia Essay

Discuss the values and attitudes of Chouinard and the Patagonia company and how the company's perfomance is being affected - Essay Example However, Yvon Chouinard looks at it differently. He is a green business premier. Casey (2007, p. 1) looks at the case of green business in through the works of Yvon Chouinard and probed how he became so influential. His secret to success is putting Earth first, questioning growth, ignoring fashion, making goods that don't break or wear out, telling customers to buy less, discontinuing his own profitable products and giving away part of his earnings. Chouinard's intention was to prove that business can make a profit without losing its soul. Refinements of the traditional way of manufacturing clothes are constantly done in Patagonia. His aim is to develop a sustainable initiative which practically shows in how he initiates change continually in their products. Whatever Chouinard thinks is better, they experiment on it and later on find that they indeed discover something better than the usual. It seems that gambling sometimes proved to be beneficial. Let alone the success and the influence that the company advanced against its competitors. The green agenda's point is not on making money, rather to focus on the right things to do. Let's take the instance of the cotton.

History of U.S. up to JFK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of U.S. up to JFK - Essay Example After WWII, United States embraced capitalism at its best. During this time, change was an inevitable factor throughout the country. War bonds worth hundreds of billions of dollars matured, which gave the country the so much needed financial resources to kick start the economy. Using these and other government-provided resources, the country moved towards the realization of an economic boom. People’s quality of life improved, setting a desirable path for social, economic, and political prosperity. With massive investments already executed, the American workforce became the next point of focus. Among the most outstanding actions in this regard was the implementation of the G.I Bill. The G.I Bill accorded war veterans many different benefits, most of which played the role of financing education and training of workers for the realization of a knowledgeable, skilled, and reliable workforce (Chafe 107). Another key observation of the post WWII era was the emergence of labor unions in America. The 1950s marked the peak of labor union membership, and this allowed low-income workers to migrate from the countryside to towns and cities in search of better job opportunities (Chafe 168). By 1960, this migration process had allowed majority of Americans to hold employment positions that were better paying compared to previous couple of decades. Consequently, the growth and development of suburbs became vibrant across the U.S. Most importantly, U.S culture changed significantly between 1945 and 1963. Following the WWII, both the South and the West became important political regions as power shifted away from the Northeast and Midwest (Chafe 119). During this time, U.S had not only addressed major social issues, but also nurtured a cultural and social belief of international control. American people were convinced that they had a primary role to play in maintaining global peace and political order. A critical look at the global political economy revealed that the U.S

Respect in work place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Respect in work place - Essay Example Several employers are no longer kind to employees, they misbehave with their employees and some even resort to physical violence against them. This is a very serious issue which needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later. Respecting the employees will always motivate them and this would lead to their overall satisfaction and they will work with dedication. It is the right of an employee to be treated with dignity and respect; this is the most basic thing which every employee completely deserves. â€Å"What is respect in the workplace? Respect is kindness given to employees, co-workers, and/or bosses. Respect is also treating people the same, with dignity, and the same way you would want to be treated. Respect makes employees feel valued for what they do. Without respect, workers will feel as though they are as though they are not valued and unimportant. This can affect their self-esteem, self-worth, and cause lower production rates.† It is very important to respect everyone, overall job satisfaction can only be achieved when the employees feel wanted and they will feel wanted only when they are respected and treated really well. It hardly takes much to respect an individual; it comes effortlessly to some people while some others have to work really hard on it. At the end of the day everyone should be happy only then can an organization become successful. How to give Respect (2011). Respect in the Workplace. N.p Web.

Ivan Ilyitch and Wasted Lives Essay Example for Free

Ivan Ilyitch and Wasted Lives Essay The stories dealt with in this paper seek happiness in the wrong places. They stress the failures of modern life, the falsity of success and the elusiveness of happiness when it is not grounded in virtue. Virtuous and simple living are the last things to be discussed in these stories, but happiness is searched for according to the easiest and most sensual manners possible. Modern society has failed to bring happiness and fulfillment, and these stories speak as to why. What is terrible about modern life is the definitions of happiness and fulfillment based on money and social standing. It is roundly condemned by journalists and moralists, but remains as powerful as ever as motivating factors in behavior. In Tolstoy’s famous Death of Ivan Ilyitch, the film’s hero, Ivan, is a lawyer, a member of the prestigious judicial council (127) who has recently taken ill, as lies in his last few hours considering his life. His main concern throughout his life is what Tolstoy calls comme il faut, that is, the maintaining of appearances regardless of circumstances. Even his marriage was based on social standing and on the opinions of high society, rather than love (130). In â€Å"The Necklace,† the young woman wants the necklace that nearly destroys their life solely so that she will look like a successful person at the party given by the Ministry of Education. It ends in disaster as the necklace is lost. After being passed over for several promotions, Ivan was sent to a remote outpost in â€Å"the country,† where he quickly fell into boredom and ennui. He then left his family to go back to his Petrograd post, because high society is the only place he felt comfortable. His social cues came from that society. After falling while decorating his house–decorating solely for the approbation of the same society–he developed what appears to be cancer, and quickly died, mirroring the life and death of Aurora in Terms. The will cannot bring happiness and human life often has a rhythm of its own that cannot be controlled by the state, social institutions or an overprotective mother. It is in this interval that he meets Gerasim, a simple peasant without pretense or guile, the opposite of Ivan (148). Gerasim was Ivan’s assistant when he was ill. Gerasim cared not for society, but for the simple hard work that typified the peasant. He was a â€Å"natural† man rather than Ivan, the â€Å"artificial† one. But in Chapter IX is where a â€Å"voice† begins to speak to Ivan, speaking to him about life. Happiness is based on simplicity, not on the worship of the status quo and the domination of social norms. The artificial world of high society was not joyous, but merely a set of obligations. â€Å"And that deadly official life, and anxiety about money and so for one year, and two, and ten, and twenty, always the same thing† (157). But this was the life of success, of high society, of the elite: and it failed to make Ivan happy. The move from childhood, with its simple joys, to that artificial world of elite adulthood was correlated with the falsity of his happiness and the deadening of joy. This is also to be seen in â€Å"Araby,† where children are the only ones left with imagination as they come of age. The complex and hypocritical world of high society deadened him and his life. This story about a dying man looking at his life seems to be well read, but never heeded. Ivan is all of us who equate success with money and social standing, who view childhood as â€Å"trivial† and the approbation of institutions as central. Ivan conformed his entire life, from his marriage to political views, around what was dominant in high society. In this process, he was successful, but not happy. If anything, the two concepts exist in an inverse relation. Success in modern life is not a happy life. It is unhappy because ultimately, it is one set of obligations after another. Money is always a problem–investments, the market, inflation, taxes, economic cycles all contribute to the anxiety of all but the most wealthy of moderns. Social life, as in Ivan, is a bore, with a set round of obligatory social relations and gatherings, all of which seem to set the â€Å"success† class apart from the commoners. But Ivan, through the example of Gerasim, sees that the simple peasant, the agriculturalist, without the social obligations of the Petrograd lawyer, is happy, joyful and finds a great deal of satisfaction in labor and its invigorating aspects so common in farm work. But labor, in modern life, is something to be avoided rather than embraced and farm work is seen as â€Å"backward† in the prejudice of moderns. In the film Terms of Endearment, the parallels are subtle, but present. Aurora is the protective mother, always concerned for the ultimate happiness of her daughter, Emma. Once’s Emma’s first romance fails, and Aurora seems pushed out of her life, the latter finds romantic comfort with a married, â€Å"successful† man, a banker, Sam Burns. At the same time, Aurora, after remaining sexless for many years, has a whirlwind relationship with an ex-astronaut, Garrett Breedlove. It is hard to see the placement of the false society here, as is the case with The Necklace and A Good Man. Both Emma and her mother live within the false society of modern life, believing that sex and finding the â€Å"right† man will bring happiness. Virtue is not mentioned, nor the life of the mind, but happiness is defined solely in respect of an other, a romantic, sexual relationship that is supposed to make people happy. Both characters, Aurora and Emma, are trapped and the free sex that exists throughout the movie is a conformist device, not a rebellious one. If anything, the fact that Aurora dies of cancer tells her that happiness cannot be found in this life, for even if Aurora was right all along, and Emma was her best friend, she still would have died a miserable death. Having sex with the drunken Breedlove has changed nothing. This film seems to be a set of negative examples: overprotection does not lead to protected children, and sex does not lead to happiness, nor does romance. If anything, it is a veiled attack on the modern obsession with the sexually carnal, that promises pleasure and happiness but usually ends with emptiness. Such is also the final scene in â€Å"Araby,† where the fair itself, symbolizing all sexual and sensual, is a disappointment. The build up the young boy has created in himself was far too high for actual reality. Sex is modern life is often considered this Holy Grail of acceptance that often leads to disappointment. The Necklace, a short story by Guy de Maupassant, has far more parallels with Tolstoy than Terms. The single reality is that the necklace is part of the world of falsity within which Ivan and his ilk live. The very fact that the necklace itself is a cheap fake is part of the scheme–it matters not if the object is genuine, it does its job of making the world think that you belong and that you’re part of the â€Å"successful† club. The obligation that Ivan finds in his life is mirrored in the couple’s having to work for a decade to repay the alleged price of the genuine necklace, which never even existed. The necklace is the ultimate attack on the falsity of â€Å"successful† life–the necklace exists solely to convince others of something, but it is not even real. At the same time, the labor that has gone into paying for the non-existent real necklace speaks of the waste and profligacy of the wealthy, who normally pay huge sums for such trinkets, and call it happiness or success. The young boy in â€Å"Araby† though that his love interest and the fair at Araby would provide this. All these sorts of things provide is emptiness. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is a far more subtle work, centering around a self-centered grandmother that speaks of The Misfit, a killer who is allegedly making his way though to Florida, where her family wants to go on vacation. The family eventually makes their way to Tennessee where, in an accident caused by a hidden cat, the disabled car is sat upon by the Misfit and his group, who eventually murders the entire family when the grandmother yells out that the Misfit is here, hence, necessitating the Misfit’s murder of his identifiers. There is a hint that the Misfit is in fact the grandmother’s son, and the grandmother, possibly attempting to save her own life, attempts to calm of Misfit by touching him, which leads to a scene where the murderer hesitates, but soon steps back to shoot her. It seems that Terms and Good man are highly parallel, showing an overprotective parent seeking happiness in all the wrong places. Where The Necklace and Ivan are centered around the concept of falsity and the lies and hypocracy of modern life and its arbitrary definition of â€Å"success. † All four are concerned with happiness broadly speaking, but only Tolstoy holds out the hope for any real happiness, a happiness that can only be gained by simplicity and a return to the land. Modern behaviors cannot understand this.

Balancing Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Management

Balancing Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Management THE NEED TO BALANCE THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENTS IN RISK MANAGEMENT RISK ASSESSMENT In order to control the health and safety of any business, there are certain things that must be controlled and risk is the foremost thing. While doing this it must be analyzed what can create difficulties and cause harm to the business activities or the people working in the organization. Risk assessment involves a necessary step of choosing the correct actions for the risk identified. (Wissem, 2013) QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT Qualitative assessment is a great point to start assessing your business. It is a useful method to gather information and provides insight to your approach. Data is collected through several sources rather than choosing only one source to work with, the data is reviewed, respondents to the researchers are examined, their behaviors are observed and progress towards interview. It presents a complex picture into an uncomplicated way. It can help you organize all your data, learn more through the information gathered. It allows you to think deeply and explore the needs of your business. It is mostly used where definitive and closed answers are unacceptable. We analyze how to increase the productivity in the business, on what basis we must award our employees in a business to bring out more productivity in our company. The qualitative approach is usually done through several methods including: one-on-one interviews open ended questions focus groups observations QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT The answers to How many, How often or How much are discovered through quantitative assessment. The results of quantitative assessment emphasizes on numbers and measurements. They are more dependable in most cases. Any data collected can be useless if the instruments are not well designed and clearly explained and clearly explained to the people who are involved in the research. Quantitative can only give you measures to the way things are done, but to analyze why the things are done in such manner is where qualitative becomes a help. It answers those questions that are usually valid but difficult to be answered. For example, a company hires 250 employees in a new department, to measure their performance on a scale from one to ten, to analyze how actively they are performing on their job, what level of productivity have they brought into the company ever since they have become part of this company is what we analyze in quantitative assessment. BALANCING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT Generally, quantitative assessment is accurate, trustworthy and a quick measuring surface. However, with some amendments, it can be upgraded where it can add more value to our assessments. The more representative a quantitative assessment is, the more are the chances that the analysis will reflect the picture of a scenario more precisely. It is necessary that the data collection tools used in the assessments is appropriate and well designed. Whereas qualitative assessments explores the reasons and possibilities to why things are happening in a certain way. Qualitative data like quantitative data is based on empiric investigation and evidence. However, qualitative research explores information and generates case studies and summaries rather than lists of numeric data. (acaps, May 2012) Assessments are concluded when the qualitative analysis come out, without qualitative we cannot understand the reasons behind the ups and downs in performances. There are certain ways in which they can add value to our assessments whether it is quantitative or qualitative. The effectiveness of our objective can increase if you know how to use our tools to analyze the risk because and qualitative can offer to examine the culture, the genders, and the individual feelings that are making efforts for a greater contribution and quantitative can bring this into figures to quickly evaluate the situation. If we rely in either of the two assessments, our research will tend to be incomplete. But a qualitative assessment tends to make one an active and responsible person, that likes to reflect and communicates with people.ÂÂ   (Northcote) But with the absence of quantitative assessment we cannot conclude what we have learned so far. The Family Health International (Mack, Woodsong, MacQueen, Guest, Namey) says about the ways qualitative can investigates. To do is to be It can seek answers to our questions Systematically use a predefined set of procedures to answer the question Collection of evidence Produce findings that we are not determined in advance It also provides a great help in identification of tangible factors, factors like genders, culture, norms, ethnicity and religions. The aim is to create a balance between both assessing ways. The differences exist mainly in their analytical objectives, the answers they represent, the instruments and tools they applied in retrieving the results and how flexible the answers can be. Although, both, quantitative and qualitative, are impossible to be occurring simultaneously, they both represent different set of skills, but to achieve our aim, and make balance in the quantitative and qualitative assessments, we can find ways to apply quantitative on our qualitative research. The researchers who are assessing the qualitative work must have a clear understanding of the methods and practices of quantitative and so do the researchers of quantitative must hold proper knowledge of the other to avoid confusions and conflicts in the data.ÂÂ   Under the quantitative assessments, all the stati stical tests undertaken, all the formulas and tactics used must be clearly identified as to why these tests were used and what are the results. Since we can only get the figures in quantitative approach, for example if we are a ball pen manufacturers, we are using 5000kg and we are manufacturing 50,000 ball pens every years, which means every ball pen manufactured requires 100gm polymer. These figures are calculated and analyzed by quantitative assessments. If we talk about the color of the pen, the quality of the polymer, which type of pen, and what style are we looking for, is it a gel pen or an ink pen is all answered by qualitative approach. After all is understood, it is now time to combine the data we collected so far. When we combine those data we assess all the risks that are possible to occur. Combining both will identify issues and collects information on elements for which quantitative is not enough; we are able to generate assumptions which are further verified by quanti tative assessment, the quantitative results are explained through qualitative approach and we can select or reject data to work on further by using both assessments. We cannot choose one way to work through, the best way to analyze the risk assessment is to involve both, because neither is better than the other, both are equally important. Quantitative analyzes the market size, demographics, and other variations while qualitative provides us with taste preferences, behavior patterns, and other needs. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES These two assessment techniques are primary aspect for any research; no research can be completed without analyzing the case using quantitative and qualitative approach. Businesses can face all kinds of risk some are capable of depriving from profits or even bankruptcy. For any risk identification, it is necessary to analyze whether the business activities are going on right way. For that, quantitative give us an inflexible, close-ended questionnaires in which the respondents are supposed to choose between the given options, they allow the researcher to work within a controlled environment, uses more rigid styled instruments, but the outcome is more reliable, accurate and objective, reduces the complexities. They are standardized, so we can easily compare our findings and free of any bias. Whereas its drawbacks are some loopholes in the information which makes it hard to understand the issues as to why are scoring low on the scale, it could be in any questionnaire, a survey or any ot her analysis. It gives narrow, limited data. But this is ideal for those who are looking for precise and pertinent data. For example Quantitative assessment can collect data in figures like an area affecting 10,000 people by earthquake, magnitude of 6.7, in several districts; the information of quantitative will answer the questions like: How many people have been victims of this earthquake? In how many areas did the earthquake hit? What was the severity of the earthquake? The Qualitative assessment seeks to explore the phenomenon, describe relationships, and experiences. They are open-ended and give us rich details and explanation, we can experience a depth analysis, and all can be done within limited resources. Researches are involved to his or her concern only in quantitative (Rwegoshora, 2014) whereas in qualitative researchers get close and learn more about the respondents to their investigations. Researchers collect data themselves and examine documents, observe the behaviors of respondents and interview them (Center for Teaching). This is a constructive approach and assists a leaner to understand a certain perspective. It focuses on the importance of learning process of individuals. It can help you arranger your facts, figures and all the data, learn more through the information them. It is used where definitive tasks are demanded, like social sciences, arts or any relevant areas and concerns of business studies. Apart from that qualitative are sometimes not verifiable, though it requires a thorough analysis and skilled workers to work out the prime data collection. But again, the data is flexible and we see more interaction between a researcher and a respondent. Without these assessments, the research may go all in vain, and will not be any useful to the researcher or the respondent because they will not be usefully examined. The purpose of the research assessment is to bring out clear and manifested outcome with fewer score on risk levels. It brings authenticity into our research and places emphasis on process rather than product. It will help define the relationships and individual experiences with variations. In quantitative assessments, researchers are free to respond and does not influence them or determine how they will react to the next questions. The differences exist in both ways of assessment, one of the major one is their flexibility, quantitative are usually more inflexible and qualitative are more. The differ ence is also the open ended, in which the participants are free to participate with their opinions and suggestions and close ended (or fixed). Nevertheless, it requires a thorough understanding of the questions asked to inspect all the possible responses. The major challenge is to find the right balance for all phases of assessments to identify all sorts of trends and risks that are likely to occur. It will be a great supportive step through philosophical assumptions, strategies and risk that can be controlled in the future planning of the business and ultimately present a complex situation into a simpler picture CONCLUSION This essay provides an insight towards the qualitative and quantitative assessment in a risk assessment and the need to balance both. For every research conducted, we have to analyze the risk we can go through. All data collection must have a clear understanding of differences; it may be in qualitative or quantitative. Therefore, to analyze those risks we must have a clear understanding and a support of quantitative with qualitative assessments to explain every figure we have computed. acaps. (May 2012). Qualitative and Quantitative Research Techniques for Humanitarian Needs Assessment. acaps. Center for Teaching, R. . (n.d.). Qualitative Research Introduction. Washington, DC: Research Support Group at the Social Science Research Lab . Mack, N., Woodsong, C., MacQueen, K. M., Guest, G., Namey, E. (n.d.). Qualitative Research Methods: A DATA COLLECTORS FIELD GUIDE. Retrieved from fhi360: https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/Qualitative%20Research%20Methods%20-%20A%20Data%20Collectors%20Field%20Guide.pdf Northcote, A. K. (n.d.). The Struggle for Balance in the use of Quantitative and Qualitative Online Assessment Tasks. Australia. Rwegoshora, H. M. (2014). A Guide to Social Science Research. Dar es Salaam: Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers. Wissem, E. (2013). RISKS MANAGEMENT: NEW LITERATURE REVIEW. POLISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, 291.

Lady Mary Wroth as Proto-Feminist Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Cri

Lady Mary Wroth as Proto-Feminist Lady Mary Wroth is one of very few canonized woman poets in the 17th century canon (Strickland lect. Oct 11 94.). This fact alone lends a type of importance to Wroth that sets her off from her male contemporaries. Wroth wrote poems at about the same time that Robert Herrick, John Donne, Andrew Marvell, and Sir Philip Sidney (to name a few) wrote their courtly lyrics. Wroth wasn't the only woman writer from the time, instead, she was simply one of very few that were saved from historical anonymity. Lady Mary Wroth writes using a fairly conventional form of sonnet making, the "Carpe Diem" style. In using this style, she achieves an interesting internal critique of itself as poetic form. Wroth shows how the form is exclusive and at times self-defeating. Wroth exposes these faults by elaborating on images of masochistic love and how this type of love is furthered by the use of military metaphor. Lastly, I will discuss how Wroth's use of double narration and monologue format also serve to problematize the "Carpe Diem" style. "Carpe Diem" means "seize the day", and this particular translation of the phrase is of particular importance for establishing the validity of Wroth's critique. (Strickland lect. Oct 11 94). These "Carpe Diem" love sonnets usually focused around the narrator trying to seduce a woman into bed or into some type of love relationship. The need to "seize the day was worked in by the narrator in hopes of spurring the woman into action. One good example of this is in Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress". In this poem, Marvell writes: "And the last age should show your heart:/ ... But at my back I always hear/ Time's winged chariot hurrying near" (Marvell n.p.). Marvell... ... too well placed to be considered accidental. Although I cannot claim to be completely knowledgeable in Feminist writing I can only suppose that I have found what I think is there. WORKS CITED Adam, Robert M. & Logan, George M. ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Fifth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1986. Greer, Germaine. The Female Eunuch. New York: McGraw--Hill, 1970. Marvell, Andrew. Andrew Marvell: The Complete Poems. Elizabeth Story Donno ed. New York: Penguin, 1972. Smith, A.J. ed. John Donne: The Complete English Poems. London: Penguin, 1971. Strickland, Ronald. 17th Century English 215 (Course Packet). Normal: Pip Printing, 1994. Strickland, Ronald. Lecture. Literature of the 17th Century. Illinois State University. Normal, 11th Oct. 1994. Wroth, Lady Mary. The Poems of Lady Mary Wroth. Baton Rogue: Louisiana St. UP, 1983. Lady Mary Wroth as Proto-Feminist Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Cri Lady Mary Wroth as Proto-Feminist Lady Mary Wroth is one of very few canonized woman poets in the 17th century canon (Strickland lect. Oct 11 94.). This fact alone lends a type of importance to Wroth that sets her off from her male contemporaries. Wroth wrote poems at about the same time that Robert Herrick, John Donne, Andrew Marvell, and Sir Philip Sidney (to name a few) wrote their courtly lyrics. Wroth wasn't the only woman writer from the time, instead, she was simply one of very few that were saved from historical anonymity. Lady Mary Wroth writes using a fairly conventional form of sonnet making, the "Carpe Diem" style. In using this style, she achieves an interesting internal critique of itself as poetic form. Wroth shows how the form is exclusive and at times self-defeating. Wroth exposes these faults by elaborating on images of masochistic love and how this type of love is furthered by the use of military metaphor. Lastly, I will discuss how Wroth's use of double narration and monologue format also serve to problematize the "Carpe Diem" style. "Carpe Diem" means "seize the day", and this particular translation of the phrase is of particular importance for establishing the validity of Wroth's critique. (Strickland lect. Oct 11 94). These "Carpe Diem" love sonnets usually focused around the narrator trying to seduce a woman into bed or into some type of love relationship. The need to "seize the day was worked in by the narrator in hopes of spurring the woman into action. One good example of this is in Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress". In this poem, Marvell writes: "And the last age should show your heart:/ ... But at my back I always hear/ Time's winged chariot hurrying near" (Marvell n.p.). Marvell... ... too well placed to be considered accidental. Although I cannot claim to be completely knowledgeable in Feminist writing I can only suppose that I have found what I think is there. WORKS CITED Adam, Robert M. & Logan, George M. ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Fifth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1986. Greer, Germaine. The Female Eunuch. New York: McGraw--Hill, 1970. Marvell, Andrew. Andrew Marvell: The Complete Poems. Elizabeth Story Donno ed. New York: Penguin, 1972. Smith, A.J. ed. John Donne: The Complete English Poems. London: Penguin, 1971. Strickland, Ronald. 17th Century English 215 (Course Packet). Normal: Pip Printing, 1994. Strickland, Ronald. Lecture. Literature of the 17th Century. Illinois State University. Normal, 11th Oct. 1994. Wroth, Lady Mary. The Poems of Lady Mary Wroth. Baton Rogue: Louisiana St. UP, 1983.

Alienation And Discrimination: Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers fc

The 1930s was a time period in which racial discrimination played a vital role in the lives of minorities. Around this time period many men were rovers, or men who wandered in search of work. These men were often very lonely. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Crooks, a black stable buck, endures alienation due to racial discrimination. Racial discrimination also hinders him from any type of success. Despite the hardships, he overcomes these obstacles and faces this struggle head on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forced into isolationism, due to segregation, alienation becomes Crooks’ companion. On an attempt for his alienation to be broken, Lennie walks into Crooks’ room â€Å"smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends† (75). At the sight of this Crooks becomes defensive and declares, â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room...They say I stink†(75). It is obvious that Crooks has been treated badly. he wants company but he does not really know how to except it or express himself towards it. Suddenly, â€Å"Crooks scowled but Lennie’s disarming smile defeated him†(76). This action shows the importance of human contact and though he scowls, Lennie looks over him. 1this entire incident shows how Crooks wants his loneliness to end. As Lennie entered Crooks room he (Crooks) slowly began to let his guard down because he needs companionship and friendship with others to share his ideas. Until this point ant time none of the other men had ever been in Crooks’ room just as he had never been in the bunkhouse. More ironic incidents are bound to happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Candy enters Crooks’ room, Curley’s wife enters the room also and tries to hold a conversation with the three men. After the men do not respond to her she states, â€Å"Funny thing... If I catch one man, and he’s alone, I get along with him fine. But just two of the guys get together and you won’t talk†(84). Curley’s wife is also very lonely (just as the men are). The men do not want any trouble so Crooks tells her, â€Å"Maybe you better go along to your house now, we don’t want no trouble†(84)...†You ain’t got no rights in a colored man’s room†(88). She does not have the right to be in his room. Neither of the men want to be in any type of trouble with the boss or Curley, His son, because she decided to go into Crooks’ room. But all of a sudden she becomes furious and exclaims, â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?

Cool hand luke

Cool Hand Luke Film Analysis In class we watched the film â€Å"Cool Hand Luke†, which is about the protagonist Luke, who is arrested for destroying several parking meters late one night while drunk in a small town, Luke was sentenced to prison. Luke was rebellious with little respect for authority, had more spunk than good sense. Luke gains the respect of his fellow inmates by his frequent escape attempts and refusal to break under to harsh punishment. The inmates enjoyed Lake's fearless behavior and ambition for trying to succeed while he was incarcerated. Luke never backed down from a fight or a halogen.Luke was well liked to where his fellow inmates gave him the nickname â€Å"Cool Hand Luke. † To be honest, in my first attempt of watching the film â€Å"Cool Hand Luke† I did not enjoy the film, After watching the film a couple of times it sort of hit me with all of the things the film used to have symbolism and to reference the film to The Bible. There were many examples, but only a few stood out to me such as: like the apostle, Luke. Lake's identification number is thirty seven, which in reference refers to the Book of Luke 1:37, † For with God no thing shall be James Bible).In the film Luke devoured fifty eggs. Which In reference was for the fifty prisoners. So Luke therefore â€Å"absorbed† all of their sins once he ate all the eggs. After eating the eggs Luke was left on the table to recovery from cruelly over feeding his body, Luke is laying down on the table In the shape of a cross. (Referred in the picture below (IAMB. Com) After a couple of viewings of â€Å"Cool Hand Luke† I can truly appreciate this great American classic and see why It was rated In the top 100 films of America by IAMB and ETC. I can truly appreciate how the movie was nominated for four AcademyAwards and see why It at least won one award, this film Is truly beautiful and Inspiring It Is one that should be a mandatory must watch. Cool hand Luke By mosquitoes refers to the Book of Luke 1:37, † For with God no thing shall be impossible. â€Å"(King James Bible). In the film Luke devoured fifty eggs. Which in reference was for the fifty body, Luke is laying down on the table in the shape of a cross. (Referred in the American classic and see why it was rated in the top 100 films of America by IAMB Awards and see why it at least won one award, this film is truly beautiful and inspiring it is one that should be a mandatory must watch.

Pepsi Story

Founded in 1893, Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is a product of the firm â€Å"PepsiCo. † It the sass and sass it was the leading soft drink company in the market. From then to now a lot has changed in terms of market scenario as well as product development. The current market scenario comprises of two main market leaders in the soft drink industry, namely, Pepsi and Coca-Cola (Coke). In addition to these other competitors include Thumbs up, Lima, etc. Pepsi faces heavy competition in the Indian market that is so diverse in terms of cultures, traditions, tastes and references.Narrowing the research to the city of Pun specifically, within India, it can be noticed that the consumer preference is more for Pepsi or Coke over the others. Since Pun is largely a student hub, it contains a lot of the younger generation population. Thus with the research conducted through this study, Pepsi will be able to study how it could get an upper hand over its competitors in the potential and booming market of Pun in terms of brand awareness and consumer preference. Need of the Study The need of the study conducted is highlighted below Will help with competitor analysis.Will help the company to get an idea about consumer tastes and preference. Will help the company get an upper hand over its competitors. Will help the company to gain market dominance. Will ensure brand loyalty. As it can be studied trot the above graph which is based on the responses received from the target market of this study, Coke and Pepsi have a neck to neck competition with Coke leading as compared to the other companies including Pepsi. Thus the main need of this study is for Pepsi to analyze ways in which it could replace Coke to e the market dominator in Pun.It must focus on the branding, pricing and packaging parameters mainly in order to improve or introduce newer products into the market and that is exactly the kind of information this study would provide the firm with. Scope of the Stu dy Scope of the study includes- Parameters such as competitor analysis, branding and packaging analysis. It focuses on carbonated soft drinks. Does not include water and alcoholic beverages. Limited to the city of Pun. Research conducted of behalf of Pepsi. Includes bottled as well as can soft drinks.Limited to age group of about fifteen to forty five years. Included . Methods of Data Collection There are two methods of data collection- 1. Primary 2. Secondary Primary Both males and females Data was collected through the use of questionnaire. First hand information was made available by distributing questionnaires to 50 people in the target market. Secondary It refers to collection of data that already exists and is within reach of everyone else as well. For the purpose of this study secondary data methods such as the internet and various articles were used. Statistical Tools UBar Graph Pie Charts Questionnaire Company Profile Pepsi is a product of the company PepsiCo that is an Ame rican multinational company that has its base in New York. It was founded in 1965, after the merger of Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito Lay. The CEO of the firm is a dynamic Indian lady named Indri Garnishment's Annoy, who has held her position since 2006. PepsiCo owns various firms, namely- Frito Lay Tropical Quaker Oats Storage Various products introduced include Diet Pepsi Lipton Ice Tea 7 up Mountain Dew Miranda Lays Doris These are a few products amongst many others.

Tourism websites analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Tourism websites analysis - Research Paper Example The report also reflects the structure of marketing objectives, is prepared under the accrual, and outputs framework. Yours sincerely, Name: Executive summary The introductory part of this study shows the need for having marketing research. This is through analysis of tourism websites showing that taking a marketing research is necessary in order to formulate decisions and strategies for business success. In carrying out a marketing research, there is need to develop skills needed in seeking information about the market and marketing issues. This helps in assessing quality of information linking it with the business goal to make it stronger. It is also necessary to understand the competitive environment as it helps in seizing market opportunities in places where they exist making the market productive. The analysis shows that every business is analysed by the factors that affect its functions and these factors attribute for the success or failure of the business. In conclusion, hotel s are valued as a strategic community partner due to its mission of enabling people to save money to better their lives. Table of contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Background to the problem †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 Limitation & Future research †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18   Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 21 Introduction Marketing in every industry involves change, as change is inevitable in every business practices, as business people believe that change is able to maintain a competitive position. Hiatt (2010) describes that change is an essential factor to consider for surviving in today’s market. Organisational change involves adding new people or modifying programs it also include change in mission and restructuring operations such as restructuring self managed teams or layoffs, improved new technologies and mergers. Change occurs not for any reason but to accomplish an overall goal and it is usually provoked by outside driving force such as addressing new markets or need for dramatic increases in productivity. The above study shows the impact of marketing in the tourism industry. The study will also show how organizations and among employees undertake the role of human resource in managing change. A review of tourism websites shows that taking a marketing research is necessary in order to formulate decisions and strategies for business success. In carrying out a marketing research, there is need to develop skills needed in seeking information about the market and marketing issues. This helps in assessing quality of information linking it with the business goal to make it stronger. It is also necessary to understand the competitive environment as it helps in seizing market opportunities in places where they exist making the market productive. Companies having the

Motivating Employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

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SIM #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Karl Marx and Emile Durkheimcitizens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Karl Marx and Emile Durkheimcitizens - Essay Example He believes that the individual understands and fits into their society through "Their understanding of religious origin; they are social affairs and the product of collective thought" (Giddens). While the two philosophers had differing opinions on how a society is formed, they are similar in that they both studied how the individual fits into and reacts to their societies. Marx's theory of "fetishism of commodities" first introduced in his main work Capital, focuses on the capitalist society's obsession with goods and its devaluing of labor. He believes, "Commodities are seen as having power over the people who produce them" (Tucker). Therefore members in a capitalist society begin to function in a cycle of laboring for goods. They strive for more and more commodities and work harder and harder to get them, losing focus on the true value of the commodities. This kind of society loses the relationship between the producer and the consumer because the producer only sees the commodity according to the work that he put in to produce it while the consumer values the commodity at face value since they are unaware of what kind of labor went into producing it. Marx's theory reveals a society that is formed out of and run by commodities.

Indian Book Retail Industry Essay Example for Free

Indian Book Retail Industry Essay The Indian book retail industry is estimated to be over Rs 3,000 crore, out of which organised retail accounts for only 7 per cent.The industry is expected to grow by approximately 15 per cent a year.Book retail contributes only about 1 per cent to the overall retail industry. Text and curriculum books account for about 50 per cent of the sales. Second-hand books are also a big chunk of the book retail market. In the past few years, several large format book store chains have come up, such as Landmark, Crossword and Om Book Shop etc . More than 75 per cent stores of these large chains are in top eight cities. These Organized Book retailers are focusing on improved customer experience. Many book stores have also introduced coffee shops and provide a library-like atmosphere where customers can sit and read, while sipping coffee. Besides this online channel is also significant with players like Flipkart, Indiaplaza, Infibeam etc. With the printed word considered an endangered species in much of a rapidly digitizing world, India now represents one of the best book markets in the world. â€Å"There has definitely been a huge jump in the size of the industry in terms of book sales and the number of books being published,† said Mita Kapur, the founder of Siyahi, a literary agency, who says the number of books published in English is growing by 30 percent a year. Vikrant Mathur, associate director of Nielsen Book, India, said the volume of book sales grew by 45 percent during the first half of 2011. For the entire year, Nielsen, a global information provider, documented English-language book sales of 3.28 billion rupees – about $62 million – from more than 12 million books sold. And that is probably only a fraction of true total sales, since Nielsen only measures about 35 percent of the total market. â€Å"Where physical books are concerned India right now is a very, very big market,† said Priyanka Malhotra, director of Full Circle Publications. â€Å"There is a whole younger generation coming up from BPOs who are starting to read in English, which is where a lot of new demand is coming from.† Online retail have also spurred growth in the industry. To summarize India’s book retail industry is broadly divided into 3 sectors : 1. Organized 2. Unorganized 3. Online The organized sector has big names such as : crosswords, OM book shop , landmark etc to name a few. On the other hand unorganized sector is huge and highly fragmented, with shops spanning from local book stores to road side book shanties to red light book sellers etc. This sector is also filled with piracy and pirated copies of original books (which is a serious threat to the sales of organized sector) Online sector is the newest of them all and has just started to takeoff in sales since last 3-4 years. The major advantage of such a format is the wide variety of offerings under one roof and ease of access for the users. Thus this is the fastest growing sector among all of them. The prominent players in this category are Flipkart.com, Infibeam.com etc. Unorganized sector (Golden book depot) Golden book depot is a typical book store among many in the unorganized sector of the india book retail industry. This store is loacated in the vicinity of our target organized sector store ( OM book shop) i.e. Ber Sarai ( adjacent to IIT) in south Delhi. As can be seen in the photograph, this is a small shop , almost 1/10th of the size of om book shop and most of the products are available behind the counter, with only magazine stand placed just outside the store. As magazines as a category has most no of impulse purchase. On an average around 50-70 customers come to this book store, and this tore has a footfall conversion of over 85% which is very high as compared to the organized sector (OM book shop) . The reason for this behavior is that most of the products in these kind of shops are behind the counter and it doesn’t provide the luxury to the customer to stroll around and search and read a book as in the case of organized sector. Therefore almost all of the customers coming to these shops like golden book depot are aware of what they want and demand that directly from the shop keeper who then searches the book in the shop and hands over to the customer. Besides having a smaller area , less variety of books and behind the counter selling, the sales (in terms of no. of books sold) is still higher in golden book depot as compared to OM book shop . The reason for that being : 1. Availability of educational books , i.e. educational course materials and  competitive exam preparation books. These books constitute the majority of the portion of these book shops in unorganized sector. These kind of books , especially course materials for various courses such as MBA, B.Tech, BCA etc . are not available at book stores like OM book shop. As they (Organized) focus more on selling of novels and leisure read books. 2. Many of the popular shops in unorganized sector offer a facility to bring the old books and exchange them with the new books at a discounted rate or return the old books at a discounted rate in form of cash return. This is a major reason why price conscious middle class Indian customers prefer unorganized sector over organized sector. 3. Perception in the minds of Indian customers that these small shops will offer the same product at cheaper rate than the organized sector shops, which have flashy interiors and huge shop floor. This perception is true also upto some extent as these shopkeepers in these small shops have the control over their margins and not guided by any company policy ( as in the case of OM book shop) that means these shop keepers can even squeeze their margins from around 10% to as low as 1-2% to attract or retain a customer by offering them the cheapest bargain. Organized sector (OM BOOK SHOP ) About Om Book Shop Retailer and Publishing House: Om Book Shop is a part of Om Books International, a leading English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, and is a prominent player in the Indian book industries. The book retailing chain has a significant presence across the Delhi-NCR region. Besides stocking books, movies, magazines and CD ROMs, Om Book Shop is also a major distributor of books of many leading international imprints. OBI began publishing in 1993. Collection: With a strong focus on children books and coffee-table books, the store has a diverse collection including books on Lifestyle, Nature and Wildlife, Fashion, Bollywood, Heritage and Culture, Management, Health Fitness, Cookery, Architecture and Interiors, pictorial books for children etc. Children section is a major thrust area for the company and OBI publishes children’s titles under the Om Kids imprint: illustrated classics, mythology, folk tales, encyclopaedias etc. Loyalty programs and other salient features: Other salient features Om Book Shop currently holds about 50 thousand registered customers with the Om Book Privilege Loyalty Programme which offers points, discounts other offers to its loyal customers. OBS aims to popularize the Gift -a- book idea across its stores and delivers services like Dial-a-book which allows the customers to shop from their homes; and the efficient and helpful staffs in the book stores assists them in finding the right book or the right gift for the right occasion. Overview: Product, Category and Store Product Category: ‘Books’ Retail Format: Category Specialists Customer segments: In terms of demographics, the Om Book shop customer can be a child/adult from any age group, gender, income class (reasonably well off) etc. Store: Om Book Shop is located in DLF Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj. The store is located on the 2nd floor of the mall and the floor plan is provided in Figure1. The store is strategically located in a way that it falls on one of the 2 ways to the food court and movie theatre. Figure 1: Floor Plan of Om Book Store STORE PHILOSOPHY * Layout * Ambience/dà ©cor * Sale program * Loyalty Store layout structure Om book store has a very functional and efficient physical layout. Mall sq. foot area is very expensive so there seems to be an effort on part of the book store to utilize as much area as possible. Hence the layout may be a bit crammed for some customers. The bird’s eye view of the layout is as follows: The front view of the store is a transparent glass window through which a passerby can easily see into the store. The poster’s on display from the  front view are only of â€Å"OM publisher’s† in different categories like kids books, cook books, and biography (Amir Khan’s â€Å"I’ll Do it My Way†. The most popular and eye-catchy book categories are positioned near the entrance of the store. The largest selling categories, Children’s books, Fiction, and New Arrivals are placed in shelves that a customer encounters as soon as he enters the store. These sections also have the largest impulse buy and are therefore kept at the forefront. Om book’s self published books in the kids category is displayed in big piles on the ground straight in the line of path of a customer who walks into the store. Since the child often runs about choosing his/her own story books and activity (colouring/mask) books and heavily influencing the purchase decision of the parent so the children books of the OM publisher has been strategically kept within reach of the child on the ground to woo the him/her. Other publications in the same Children’s category have been kept on the shelf and in â€Å"sideway† display to decrease their exposure to the child/parent. Om Publication’s in any other category when placed on the shelf have been given a frontal full display to encourage sales. Management books being the next most popular category, they have been placed right after the popular categories when comparing in terms of â€Å"distance from entrance†. Categories pertaining to work or hobby like gardening, travelling, cooking etc / or specific topics of interest like astrology, philosophy, poetry, etc have been grouped towards the end of the store, furthest away from the entrance. This is because these categories can usually not create impulse purchase and so every customer need not pass through these segments/aisles. People who do buy these books are targeted shoppers and will anyhow walk to the back end of the shop to pick up his/her book. These categories are not as popular as the others and have loyal customer following. The impulse buy accessories are lined along the passage on either side from the entrance to the cash counter. It is further seen that the counter is placed at the other end from the entrance to ensure that a customer has to walk through all the impulse purchase offerings before he/she can buy the book. The products on offer in this so called â€Å"impulse accessory† shopping segment are: pens (parker and waterman), magazines, cookbooks, horoscope books, key rings, bookmarks, marble-paper/wrapping paper, and bestsellers in each category. It can further be noticed that the best seller section just prior to the cash  counter is dedicated solely to Om publication. Additional aspects of the Store Layout The layout is no doubt very functional keeping in mind the profit maximization philosophy of the store and the main agenda of pushing its own publication to the shopper. However the spacing of shelves is crammed with little walking space, hardly any sitting space (only 2-3 stools), and only 1 book stand. The entire focus is on 1 product offering i.e. books. Unlike competitors in the organised sector like Landmark, it is not focussing on the entire shopping experience, (no coffee, no other items on offer like stationary etc, no sitting space). Store Ambience and Decor The bookshelves were made of engineered wood like particle wood. This created a unique and rich traditional effect. Plastic or metal bookshelves were not used since they do not look expensive and give a modern feel, which was not something the book store wanted. Furthermore the particle wood was coloured a light shade of brown to give a bright and roomy/spacious look to the store. However the bookshelves were placed too close and for a particular section of customers who prefer the comforts of abundant seating arrangement, coffee facility, and walking space (as provided by Landmark), the sheer functional design of the store might be interpreted as a crammed. This might not work well for a particular segment of customers whose involvement with the shopping experience is as high as, if not higher than the involvement with the product itself. Furthermore the store works on the philosophy that it will focus on selling books alone and not encourage customers to spend hours just reading in the store. This is unlike some of its contemporaries like Landmark that encourage customers to sit and read inside the store. Hence at OM book stores some customers may complain that the staff hover close to them and make them feel uncomfortable if they stay too long. The store plays light and slow English instrumental music to suit the taste of the higher-strata of people who usually visit the Promenade Mall and create a relaxed atmosphere in the store. Instrumental music is  played since a song with wordings would disturb the concentration of a customer reading the epilogue/back-cover of a book. This gives a contemporary feel to the store. Store Sale Programs The store’s maximum profit comes from its Children’s section. Hence the sale period coincides with the summer and winter vacation in schools in Delhi. December to Mid-January and May to June are the respective winter and summer sales. The store is also receptive to mall trends in sale. Since almost every other shop in the mall had a sale in July, so the store too announced a sale to cash in on the increased footfall to the mall during the sale-period. There was no Flat Sale offer. Discount amounts were graded on the basis of demand. Books with high demand had low sale; New Arrival, Top 20 Fiction/Non-Fiction, general Fiction, and bestsellers had only 10% discount. The store felt that irrespective of the price these books would sell and so gave negligible discount on them. However on the kids section the discount was higher, around 20%, and even higher discounts on children’s books published in-house by Om Publications. This is because the store believes that parents during the sale period buy in bulk and a higher sale would induce them to buy more and yet it would not affect your margins. Furthermore parents are price conscious when buying for little kids since the books cannot be added to a collection later on and mostly become irrelevant in a short time after the child has outgrown them. The sale on OM publication was the highest because they already had the highest margins on it due to the absence of a middleman, and therefore could easily afford a large discount on those books. By touting the large discounts they aim to attract consumers to their publication and yet make the largest profit on the same sales. The books with the largest discounts (say more than 50%) were displayed in piles on the floor. This was due to the belief that even if the books weren’t displayed at eye-level, even then the mammoth sale amount would encourage the shoppers to make the effort of bending down to pick up the book. To publicise the sale big red stickers were pasted on the glass walls of the store which can be viewed by the casual shopper passing by the store. Inside the store the discount for each section was  mentioned separately through stickers and pointers. Store Loyalty Program A book is generally a product category where the consumer’s involvement with the product (i.e. the book itself) is much higher than his involvement with the store. Even if a person might have store preferences, yet his/her loyalty lies with the book and not with the store. Hence a consumer would not really care much as to whether he bought his/her book at OM Book stores or at Landmark, which is a stones throwaway. Thus in order to boost retention of loyal customers Om book stores has come up with a loyalty program, a privilege card holder concept which is as follows: * 1 point for every Rs.10 purchase. * Minimum points for redemption are 500 points. * 1 point equals Rs 1 reduction in bill amount. 60-70% of walk-in customers were privilege card holders and the store already has 4500 privilege card holders. The scheme is a moderate success. Store Timings | 11 A.M to 10 P.M ( For Mall)11 A.M to 8 P.M ( For standalone shop not the store we studied)| Working days| All 7 Days of the week| Peak days| Saturday and Sunday| Peak hours| Evenings post 6:00 pm| Staff| 10-12 members including the manager. Manager stands behind the counter at one of the two cash registers. He is accompanied by 2 staff members whose work is to: 1. Use the second cash register for quick transactions during peak hour to prevent long queuing period 2. To get a book for a customer if he/she directly comes to the counter and asks for a specific book.| Floor Staff responsibilities| * Taking care of the specific three to four sections assigned to them. * keeping a track of inventory * Filling the requisition form for the replenishing of stock * Guiding the customers if required * Sticking the barcode behind each new book before placing them on the shelf.| Shifts| There are no shifts; each staff member works throughout the day from 11:00 AM -8:00pm (fixed) and from  8:00pm-10:00pm (variable) depending on the rush. Hence post 8:00 pm the retained staff is paid on overtime basis.| Showrooms (strategic positioning)| NCR – 5 in malls and 2 stand aloneMumbai – 1 stand aloneThe store we studied was in the Promenade mall beside DT cinemas movie ticket counter on the 2nd floor.| Revenues| 1.5 to 2 Lakhs on weekdays3 to3.5 Lakhs on weekendsChildren, Fiction – highest selling category (80% of sales)| CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR The product category is such that it involves Limited-Decision Making by the customers. The reasons for purchase of a book from the store can be: * Buying for self- Leisure * Buying for self Knowledge * Buying for Others- Regular * Buying for Others- Situational The greater the motivation to make an optimal decision, the more likely an attribute-based choice will be made. Thus, attribute-based processing is more likely for an expensive book purchase than it is for an inexpensive magazine. The easier it is to access complete attribute-by-brand information, the more likely attribute-based processing will be used. A variety of situations influence which choice approach is most likely. A book bought with the intention of a gift purchase is assigned more importance than a purchase for oneself. Thus, gift purchases would be more likely to produce attribute-based decision processes. Time pressure is a major determinant of choice process used, with increasing time pressures producing more use of attitude-based decisions. Thus, we can identify 3 major clusters of customers that visit Om Book Shop. Category I: DEDICATED READER This is the kind of person who feels complete with a book in his hand. For him, the behaviour is governed by his choices alone and it is solely his decision. He is always trying to find the time to get back to his book. He is convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more. His primary information search happens within the store only. Category II: LITERATE GOOD CITIZEN This is the kind of person who usually buys a book after reading it review by a critic or an expert. Such a person does more information search before coming to the store. For our respondent group, the most dominant sources for this information were reviews and Bestseller lists published in newspapers, magazines or online blogs and sites likes Amazon.com. Category III: FAD READER This is the kind of person who only reads the popular books/ latest bestsellers so he can be up to date on what other people are talking about and be seen by others as someone who is well read. He often reads for the social credit he can get out of it. His primary information search is more through his friend circle or his group of colleagues from whom he might hear the latest ‘fads’ in terms of books. Such a person could also go in for information search in popular newspapers/magazines or the shares on social media websites.

Arab Marriage and Family Formation

Arab Marriage and Family Formation Introduction Arab societies are undergoing major changes as new patterns of marriage and family formation emerge across the region. For long decades, early marriage was the common pattern in the Arab world. However, it is no longer the only pattern. The average age of marriage is rising and more Arab women are staying single for a long time and sometimes they dont get married at all. These new marriage trends in the Arab World are part of a world global phenomenon. The changes of marriage trends in the Arab world reflect the social and economic changes taking place in the region. Arab economies moved away from agrarian based systems which supported both early marriage and extended family numbers [Hoda R.and Magued O., 2005]. The majority of the Arab populations live in cities working in industrial or service sectors. Today, Arab women are more educated and more likely to work outside their homes for personal and financial independence. These changes create a new image of woman and change her past traditional role as a mother and household member. The objective of this research is the studying of marriage issue in the Arab world because marriage is one of the key important factors that determine the social and economic present and future in the Arab countries. Both problems of early marriage and increase of average age of marriage of marriage are explained. Finally, a recommended solutions and actions are proposed in order to naturalize the two problems for decreasing the negative impacts and creation of better Arab societies. Importance of Marriage in Arab Society Family is the main concern in Arab societies. Family is considered the main social security system for young and elder people in Arab countries. In Arab culture, parents are responsible for children well into those childrens adult lives, and children reciprocate by taking responsibility for the care of their aging parents—responsibilities that Arabs generally take on with great pride. Marriage for Arabs is thus both an individual and a family matter. In Arab societies, marriage is considered the turning point that defines prestige, recognition, and societal approval on both partners, particularly the bride. Marriage in Arab societies is considered the social and economic contract between two families. Marriage is also considered the right form of socially, culturally, and legally acceptable sexual relationship [1]. Early marriage in Arab World Early marriage is any form of marriage that takes place at age of 18 years. Early marriages are often associated with enforcement. Forced marriage is the marriage conducted without full consent of both parties and sometimes with a threat [2].From human rights point of view, early marriage is considered a violation of human rights conventions. In Arab societies- especially developing countries- early marriage, is considered a means of securing young girls future and protecting them. Wars and social problems may leads also to early marriage as in Palestine, where the intifada has led to earlier marriage. Many countries in the world have declared 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage. However, more than millions of young girls are expected to marry in the next decade according to the international statistics. [2]. Early marriage has decreased in many world countries in the last decades. However, it is still common in rural areas and among poor people. Poor parents believe that early marriage will protect their daughters and save their future. Young girls are forced into marriage by their families while they are still children because they think that marriage benefits them and secure their financial and social future. Early marriage violates children rights because it decreases their human development, leaving them socially isolated with little education, skills and opportunities for employment and self-realization. These conditions ultimately make married girls vulnerable to poverty .Early marriage is a health and human rights violation because it takes place within the context of poverty and gender inequality with social, cultural and economic dimensions [3]. Reasons of early marriage in Arab World There different reasons of early marriage in Arab countries, some of these reasons are referred to cultural reasons, others are referred to economic reasons. Some of these reasons are: High poverty rates, birth rates and death rates, greater incidence of conflict and civil wars, lower levels of overall development, including schooling, employment, health care and believes that early marriage is a means of securing young girls future and protecting them [4]. Traditional values surrounding girls virginity and family honour play a major role in Arab families decisions to marry off their daughters at young ages [1]. Effects of early marriage Although the trend of early marriage is decreasing in the Arab world, the number of young girls in Arab countries teenagers who are married is still high. Early marriage is generally associated with early childbearing and high fertility, both of which pose health risks for women and their children [5]. Young mothers are at greater risk than older mothers of dying from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. And the younger a bride is, the more significant the age gap with her husband tends to be—which exacerbates her disadvantage in negotiating with her husband on matters such as her own health care needs [6]. Young wives are required to do a many hard domestic duties, including new roles and responsibilities as wives and mothers. The young brides status in the family is dependent on her demonstrating her fertility within the first year of marriage when she is not physiologically and emotionally prepared [7]. Young wives are forced to be responsible for the care and welfare of their families and future generations while they are still children themselves. They have no decision making powers, restricted mobility and limited economic resources. Early marriage is a direct cause of woman poverty and wide age gaps between younger married girls and their spouses create unequal power relations between the young bride and her older and more experienced husband, resulting in husbands having total control over sexual relations and decision-making [5]. Young wives are often unable to make wise plans for their families and may be forced to select between one of two hard choices: either to tolerate husbands violence or to make crimes (killing them). AIDS epidemic increases in young women due to the combination socioeconomic, cultural and political factors that put young women at greater risk of HIV infection due to the lack of sexual knowledge and limited access to information and resources. Younger women may face unsuccessful marriages and divorce could happen as a result of lack of maturity, incomplete independence, limited time to get prepared for marriage and having kids, dealing with education/career building and family formation at the same time. Relative Marriage in Arab World Marriage between relatives is a significant feature in Arab societies. High rate of marriage between relatives is known as  consanguinity. Marriage between relatives is clear in Arab countries such as Libya and Sudan. Sometimes, consanguineous marriage is arranged marriages that reflects the wishes of the marrying relatives. But marriage between close relatives can jeopardize the health of their offspring, as can marriage among families with a history of genetic diseases [1]. New trends in Marriage in Arab world In the last decade, early marriage has declined in many Arab countries such as Kuwait and Emirates. For example , in Emirates, the pace of decline is very significant where the percentage of women ages 15 to 19 who were married dropped from 57 percent in 1975 to 8 percent by 1995 [1]. The general feature of marriage pattern in the for the region as a whole, women are marrying later in late of 20th  or 30th  and some women are not marrying at all. As shown in table (1), In Tunisia, Algeria, and Lebanon, only 1 percent to 4 percent of women ages 15 to 19 are married, and the percentage of women ages 35 to 39 who have never married in these countries now ranges from 15 percent to 21 percent. The percentage of women ages 35 to 39 who have never married is a good indicator for measuring changes in the universality of marriage, because the likelihood of a single woman marrying after age 40 is quite low [8] Source: Pan-Arab Project for Child Development: Arab Mother and Child Health; Council of Health Ministers of GCC States, Gulf Family Health Surveys; and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics special tabulations of the 2004 Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey . Palestinians have different marriage pattern where early is the most type that takes place. The main reason is the war and occupation where families wishes to increase the generation for freeing their countries and help them to face hard life in the region. As shown in figure (), most of Palatines marry in the age of 14 to 24 year old [1]. SOURCES: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, special tabulation, 2004 Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey. The marriage-age gap is particularly pronounced in Arab societies. One-quarter of recent marriages in Egypt and Lebanon had women at least 10 years younger than their husbands [9]. Marriage problem in Egypt The main problem of marriage in Egypt is its high costs especially because of dowry, Shabka, Housing, Furniture and appliances and gihaz. Regardless of the economic situations of marrying couples and their families, the gihaz and other goods purchased to set up the newlyweds home have to be new, not used. The rising cost of marriage is in part attributed to the rising expectations and consumerism that have accompanied the opening of the Egyptian economy, which began in the 1970s. The countrys high cost of housing and furnishings have had a number of unintended consequences for marriage patterns, such as youth entering into  urfi  (common-law marriages that are unregistered and generally secretive) as well as men marrying women who are older and financially secured [10]. Nonconventional Forms of Marriage The high costs of Arab marriage as well as high unemployment and economic difficulties are blamed for the spread of so-called â€Å"urfi† (or common law) marriages among young urban adults in some countries in the region. Generally hidden from the participants families, urfi marriages are undertaken to avoid the difficulties of a standard marriage and give a sexual relationship some degree of legitimacy. The secrecy surrounding urfi marriages puts young women at a particular disadvantage because these women are not able to negotiate the terms of their marriage a role usually played by families in conventional marriages. There are thousands of urfi marriages cases in Egypt among university students [11]. Traditionally,  urfi  marriages have been religiously condoned as proper if the couples parents approve of the marriage and there is a public announcement of the ban. Some families in rural villages opt for  urfi  marriages when the bride is too young to be legally married, deferring the official registration of the marriages to a future date. But the public, the religious establishment, and the legal system have generally perceived urban  urfi  marriages as a pretext and cover for premarital sex. Another form of unconventional marriage in the Arab World is the  mutaa  and  messyar.  Mutaa is a  temporary marriage, which is practiced by the Shiites in southern Lebanon and other areas, couples specify in their marriage contract the date upon which the marriage ends. On ther hand,  Messyar  marriage is common in the Gulf region. In this type of marriage, there is an arrangement that man marries without any of the housing and financial responsibility that a standard Arab marriage generally requires of him. In general, Messyar and Mutaa are practiced mostly by men who are marrying a second wife where they tend to give legitimacy to sexual relationships and reduce the number of never married women in society, they introduce other social complications, such as the upbringing of children from such marriages [1]. Womens rights regarding marriage According to the international human rights conventions, woman has the rights when entering, during and at the end of the marriage. When entering marriage, woman has the same right as a man to enter marriage only with full consent. A woman married under minimum age shouldnt be considered legally married. Marriage must be registered in an official registry. If a woman marries someone with another nationality, she will not have her nationality automatically changed to that of her husband unless she chooses that [12]. During marriage, woman has the same rights and responsibilities as man. She has the right to equal access to health services, the right of protection from violence within the family. She also has the same rights as a man to decide freely about the number and spacing of children and to have access to information, education and means to exercise these rights [12]. Woman has the same rights and responsibilities as her husband towards children regardless of her marital status and family benefits. Change in womans husband nationality during marriage doesnt imply that her nationality must be change. If woman is employed she must not be discriminated against on the grounds of marriage and maternity. At the end of marriage, woman has the same rights as man when a marriage ends. Neither woman nationality nor that of her children shall automatically be affected by the ending of a marriage. Woman has the same rights and responsibilities as a man towards her children regardless of her marital status [12]. How to solve the problem? There is an urgent need to for a better understanding of the social and economic environment surrounding Arab marriage. Policies and governmental programs should meet the youth need to marry and make families. Understanding of marriage patterns changes and their social and economic implications need to be addressed. Successful implementation including right decisions and accurate schedules are needed to address and meet the requirements and needs of young people who want to marry or remain single [1]. The recommended solutions for improving marriage situation in Arab World are: Using International pressure specially regarding woman rights stated in human rights conventions on Arab countries to follow the Womens Conventions. Following poverty reduction strategies Making the required reforms of marriage and family laws to meet the human rights standards and monitoring the impacts of these laws on Arab societies. Providing safety employment opportunities for youth specially girls and women affected or at risk of early marriage. Ensuring the right to education and information for girls, including married girls. Providing incentives to encourage families to educate their children. Encouraging activities that change the attitudes and behaviour of community and religious leaders – especially regarding early marriage, girls education and employment. Developing rules that redefine acceptable ages of marriage and offer social and economic supports that allow parents and girls to delay marriage until suitable age. Raising consciousness about child marriage consequences and impacts of increase of average age of marriage as well. Promoting legal, and chosen forms of marriage Supporting married young girls Work cited Hoda R. and Magued, O,, Marriage in the Arab World , Population Reference Bureau, September 2005. Stephen H. , Early Marriage – Child Spouses , Innocenti Digest no. 7, UNICEF , March 2007. UNIFEM, Forced and Early Marriage, URL:http://www.stopvaw.org/Forced_and_Early_Marriage.htmlMinnesota, Advocates for Human Rights, August 2007. Forum on Marriage and the Rights of Women and Girls, Early Marriage and Poverty Exploring links for policy and program development ,2003. UNFPA, The Promise of Inequality: Gender Inequality and Reproductive Health, URL:http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2003/english/ch2/index.htm, 2005. World Health Organization, â€Å"WHO/UNFPA/Population Council Technical Consultation on Married Adolescents† ,Geneva: WHO, 2003. United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, A Choice by Right: Working Group on Forced Marriages Child Marriage Fact Sheet, 2000. League of Arab States, Pan-Arab Project for Child Development: Arab Mother and Child Health Surveys , Pan-Arab Project for Family Health; Council of Health Ministers of GCC States, Gulf Family Health Surveys; ORC Macro, Demographic and Health Surveys; and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics special tabulations of 2004 Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey. Social Research Center at the American University in Cairo using the Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (2003) and the Lebanon Maternal and Child Health Survey (1996). Diane S. and Barbara I., â€Å"The Cost of Marriage in Egypt: A Hidden Variable in the New Arab Demography,† in the New Arab Family, Cairo Papers in Social Science 24 (2001): 80-116; and World Bank, â€Å"Building Institutions for Markets,† World Bank Report 2002 (Washington DC: World Bank, 2002): table 1. Gihan S., â€Å"The Double Bind,† Al Ahram Weekly On-line 397 (Oct. 1-7, 1998). The International Womens Tribune Centre Rights of Women, A Guide to the Most Important United Nations Treaties on Womens Human Rights, New York 1998.