Thursday, October 31, 2019

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime Assignment - 9

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime - Assignment Example According to an article that explores effects curfew laws have on youths, less is evident about the positive impacts. The article states that researches who have tried to analyze the effects of curfews on reducing crime have relied on assumptions and not facts (Kline 2). Many cities in the United States have put in place curfews for teenagers following the 1990s when crime cases amongst the teenagers seemed to be on the rise. This measure therefore aimed at ensuring safety amongst them. These curfews are however usually applicable to teens who are under a specifically stated age. As much as it may reduce crime amongst those under the stated age, it will have no implication on kids just above the statutory age hence they will continue with their criminal behaviors (Kline 1). They will be able to influence the teenagers who will disobey the curfews and indulge in crime. This article, therefore, proves that setting curfews for teenagers is not a solution to the increased crimes amongst teenagers in the cities. A proper solution, therefore, should not direct to the teenagers alone but the youth in general. According to an article in Greater Greater Washington titled as ‘Teens need things to do, not curfews’, curfews have worked effectively on other cities and have been able to reduce the number of crimes amongst teenagers (Reed). The article, however, brings its claims stating that many feel curfews are too restrictive for the teenagers and that they do not eradicative the root cause of crime amongst the teenagers. The main cause of misbehavior amongst the teenagers as per this article is lack of appropriate things to do. Therefore, they keep themselves busy by indulging in criminal activities.  

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Video Games Essay Example for Free

Video Games Essay Whenever I look out from my window at home, nothing but memories come back to me. When the time that me and my friends playing together with many kind of Filipino games like â€Å"Patintero†, â€Å"Langit Lupa†, â€Å"Black123† and many more. I was about 7 years old when I was always want to go outside to play with my friends from morning up to afternoon. My only break was when my Mom calling me saying that â€Å"we’re gonna eat our lunch† so I need to come back home as soon as possible. When I’m with my friends, my life has been always happier than when I am inside of our house. I really loved to be outside and play with my friends because it gives me fulfillment of my childhood life. As I become aware that my street has become barren from children playing outside, those memories soon fade away into silence. The truth of the matter is that video games have affected the children who play them. Although video games have been quite influential on our generation, video games have had a lot of negative effects on the children of today. Children have become obsessed with video games. Since 1980’s, the video game industry has expanded so much in the market, it is only getting larger with the growth of technology. And although these games provide much entertainment, it does not come without a cost. Since the rise of video games, more children have become more obese, more violent and less social.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Critical Analysis of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA)

Critical Analysis of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) This essay presents a critical analysis of strategic management accounting and the roles of management accountants in it. The starting point for this analysis is the argument presented by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 838) that while the recent past has seen increased interest in SMA, the area is still under-defined and no universally accepted SMA framework exists. Principally, this essay argues that whilst strategic management accounting is somewhat under defined, it does have clearly agreed features and aspects which offer a basis for understanding. This essay generally supports the argument that no universally accepted SMA framework exists to date, concurrently it will argue that there are some accepted SMA practices and approaches, which can be drawn upon by organisations to create their own SMA framework, adapted to their own strategic needs. An agreed upon definition of SMA is difficult to come across because management accounting and the role of management accountants are constantly evolving phenomena. Cooper (1996, p. 26) in particular, cites changes in management accounting practice over a period of less than a decade, including the influence of Japanese accounting practices on the UK, and the associated challenges for management accounting professionals. This changing environment is characteristic of the paradox of management accounting, in that new approaches are continually introduced globally, whilst often in the process of being superseded and replaced. Nixon and Burns (2012, p. 229) observed this in the apparent decline of SMA [in practice] and the sustained growth in the number of concepts, models, tools, theoretical perspectives within the discipline. Ultimately, the process of developing theory and practice always lags behind the cutting edge of business, where new concepts are put into practice immediately, often without significant study, in an effort to keep up with competitors and maintain a competitive business strategy (Simmonds, 1981, p. 28). This process of development when considered, it is perhaps not surprising that there is limited agreement around the concept of SMA and the development of a universally accepted framework for the discipline. Examining the work of Lord (1996, p. 347), who noted that the techniques and elements of strategic management accounting may in many cases already be found in firms. However, the information may not be quantified in accounting figures, and may not be collected and used by management accountants. Therefore, this indicates that the process of developing SMA has indeed reduced the role of the management accountant as a uniquely qualified individual. Instead, it is now more plausible that a strategy management accountant will be more focused on operational management, and as argued by Roslender and Hart (2003, p. 255) able to integrate insights from management accounting and marketing management within a strategic management framework. A strategic management accountant is thus arguably a contradiction in terms because, to be truly strategic, a professional cannot narrowly define themselves as an accountant. Instead, a more open-minded, strategic thinker is best positioned to deliver real value to their firm (Shah et al, 2011, p. 3). When considering these arguments, it is apparent that SMA is under defined because it is one of numerous management skills, rather than the single framework argued for by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 838). However, this fragmented nature of SMA makes Lords (2007, p. 151) argument that the concept of [SMA] may need to be developed further to show its role in emergent strategy and its benefits in strategy formulation valid. This postulates questions over whether SMA development should indeed continue through the use of conceptual frameworks and integrated theories, or instead via the development of a range of techniques which can be understood and learnt by accountants and operational management alike, in order to allow management accounting data to play a more strategic role. These techniques already exist, and are analysed by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 851), and the application of these techniques in a strategic manner, which is designed to support overall performance, can be seen as key to the role of the modern management accountant. Modern firms are increasingly required to focus much of their attention on monitoring and assessing their competitors and ensuring they are not left behind by the moves they make in the market. This is an area in which management accountants can help contribute to strategic value creation through a process of competitor position monitoring, providing information to management in order to support effective decision making (Dixon, 1998, p. 274). For example, when analysing operational decisions, accountants can consider factors such as contractual agreements, competitive positioning and resource acquisition, thus providing support for strategic planning and coordination (Brandau and Hoffjan, 2010, p. 77). This hence provides for greater levels of information input into decision making processes, allowing management accountants to act as trusted advisors to operational managers and other individuals within the business. By doing this, management accountants can increase their value to t he business by providing strategic insight into the operation of markets and the factors the organisation must attend to in order to ensure its success in business activities (Porter, 2008, p. 79). Similarly, management accountants can play an important role by assisting in the application of other techniques of value to the business. For example, the strategic use of benchmarking techniques has been shown to help support learning and development effectiveness through challenging businesses to learn how and why they are performing as they are (Coleman and Ingram, 2004, p. 55). This can thus support improved outcomes and the development of a learning culture which is more open to external knowledge. The role of the management accountant in this area is thus to assimilate and provide the information in a way which is useful to the organisation and will support wider strategic goals. For example, Mosse and Whitley (2009, p. 150) highlight the role of management accountants in supporting the benchmarking of websites against factors such as navigational efficiency and user response. By applying management accounting techniques, benchmarking can be used to create more objective asses sments of website performance, thus providing guidance around how to improve this vital marketing channel. Expanding the management accountants role At the same time as applying management accounting techniques, the management accountant must ensure that they are able to go beyond a simple focus on numbers and accounting factors, and taking into account the importance of qualitative factors in modern decision making. This is an area in which a management accountant needs to move beyond being a simple accountant, and towards a more strategic and operational management role, which considers a wider set of factors (Vandyck, 2006, p. 105). This may include a consideration of factors such as marketing, sales, human resources and other factors in order to make effective decisions (Alexander et al, 2011). Advanced strategic management accounting can thus be seen as a process of moving away from a focus on numbers and towards the generation of rounded insight from a range of sources. This can be seen in one of the most important strategic management accounting techniques: the balanced scorecard. Indeed, Kaplan and Norton (1992, p. 73) argue that this technique systematically expands the measurement areas traditionally involved in accounting. Such an approach hence allows for the combination of qualitative and quantitative factors to develop the necessary levels of breadth and insight around a companys sources of value and performance relative to the market and its competitors (Kaplan and Norton, 1996, p. 19). The balanced scorecard has thus been shown to help support the development of organisational strategies and improved performance in a range of contexts (Blooinquist and Yeager, 2008, p. 24). However, the technique has also been developed over time to be more dynamic and responsive to changes in the environment (Nielsen and Nielsen, 2015, p. 2). This hence shows that the role of the management accountant is also to keep pace with such developments and ensure their company stays abreast of them in order to remain effective. In conclusion, this essay has shown that, in general, SMA is relatively under defined and can apply to a range of concepts. However, rather than being a weakness of the discipline, this can actually be one of its main strengths. Specifically, this allows SMA techniques to be applied in a range of contexts, offering deeper and more strategic advice and insight than would be possible under simple management accounting models. The role of management accountants in this concept is thus to acquire, synthesis and analyse a range of quantitative and qualitative information in order to provide operational managers with the level of insight needed to make effective decisions. At the same time, the strategic nature of modern business and management accounting also requires operational managers to develop their own management accounting abilities, in order to make best use of this information and ensure optimal strategic outcomes. SMA was initially introduced by Simmonds (1981), who defined it as the provision and analysis of management accounting data about a business and its competitors, for use in developing and monitoring business strategy. During this period (early 1980s) conventional management accounting received heavy criticism for chiefly focussing on operational issues and not assisting management with external issues like strategic decisions (CIMA, 2016).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Symbols and Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism in literature is the deepness and hidden meaning in a piece of work.   It is often used to represent a moral or religious belief or value. Without symbolism literature is just a bunch of meaningless words on paper.   The most symbolic piece of work in American Literature is Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.   Hawthorne's use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter is one of the most significant contributions to the rise of American Literature.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of Hawthorne's symbolism is very hard to find but several symbols are also obvious.   In the first chapter Hawthorne describes the prison as "the black flower of civilized society".   The prison represents the crime and punishment that was incorporated in the early Puritan life.   He also contrasts the prison with the tombstone at the end of the novel by suggesting that crime and punishment bring about the end of civilized life.   In the same chapter he describes the overgrown vegetation of weeds around the prison.   The weeds symbolize how corrupt civilization really is.   He also points out a positive symbol, the wild rose bush.   This represents the blossoming of good out of the darkness of all civilized life.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most important symbol which is carried throughout the novel is undoubtedly the scarlet letter A.   It initially symbolizes the immoral act of adultery but by the end of the novel the "A" has hidden much more meaning than that.   The "A" appears in many other places than on the chest of Hester Prynne. It is seen on the armor breastplate at Governor Bellingham's mansion.   At night while Dimmesdale is standing on the scaffold he sees a bright red letter A in the sky.   While Pearl is playing near the bay shore she arranges some grass in the form of an A on her own breast.   But one of the most important A's is one the spectators see burnt on Dimmesdale's chest.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The letter A also has a variety of meanings.   Originally standing for the sin of adultery it has a different meaning for each character.   The Puritan community considers the letter a mark of just punishment.   Hester sees the letter as a symbol of unjust humiliation.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Mtv’s 16 & Pregnant Glorifies Teen Pregnancy Essay

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 86 percent of mothers who give birth out-of-wedlock are teenagers. MTV’s show â€Å"16 & Pregnant,† which has only been on air since June 2009, is already reflecting the rapid boom in teenage pregnancy across various cities in America. Since the early eighties MTV has been considered somewhat of a cultural phenomenon for American adolescents and its depiction of gender has a strong impact that continues to this day (Holtzman 2000). Created by Morgan J.  Freeman (director of teen shows Dawson’s Creek and Laguna Beach), the show â€Å"16 & Pregnant† has been said to be guilty of exacerbating, normalizing and even glorifying teen pregnancy. Perhaps, it’s just reflecting a current social dilemma occurring amongst female youth. Each week a new episode revolves around a different girl struggling with the challenges of teenage pregnancy. The network presents these characters as â€Å"real†, plucked from the grips of reality, validated and â€Å"chosen† to represent some sort of normalized or otherwise glamorized middle-class identity of teenage motherhood. The show depicts women’s roles that are often typified to include traditional gendered norms of heterosexual relationships, marriage, motherhood and femininity. â€Å"16 & Pregnant† serves as a platform to broadcast what is seen as a stereotypical American culture that is now engulfing teen girls everywhere. The social identities MTV presents reinforces those of traditional female roles and gender norms and attempts to establish a new model for pregnant teens in a modern age. Just by airing the show, MTV is assimilating new ideas of teen pregnancy into American society. Historically, there has always been some sort of unspoken Christian tradition that has governed American women’s birth rights; that one should not get pregnant out-of-wedlock. Today, however, teenage pregnancy is so rampant that families are forced to deal with the situation in a positive manner, often honoring the decision the child has made in regards to keeping and raising the newborn child (Gallagher 2009). In a 2004 survey, the Parents Television Council reported that MTV is the most watched program for those between the ages of 12 and 19. Studies showed watching MTV created a more liberal attitude toward pre-martial sex. Teenagers who watch MTV receive messages about sex that are likely to sway their own behavior. MTV is shaping the identity of the â€Å"teenage mom,† a pregnant 16 year old high school student whose uncertainty about motherhood is due to the fact that she views her pregnancy as the consequence of a selfish action that was ultimately unavoidable. 16 & Pregnant† normalizes sexual behavior that eventually forces teenage girls into the traditional gender role of the â€Å"grieving mother†, one who is forced to take care of a baby while struggling to support herself (Schmidt 2009). The first episode of â€Å"16 & Pregnant† takes place in Chattanooga, Tennessee and documents the life of Maci who gets pregnant by her first boyfriend, Ryan. For Maci, adoption and abortion were never an option, she figured she made the decision to have unprotected sex so now she must deal with the consequences. At one point during an argument in the show, Ryan yells out, â€Å"If we didn‘t have a kid, we wouldn’t be together,† and it’s clear from watching the that the two are still just teens. Maci struggles to take care of her newborn child, who, once born, requires constant attention and deals with the turmoil of trying to get Ryan involved in the relationship of fatherhood. The â€Å"teen mom† is now a stable identity offered up on the MTV network to heterosexual female youth; a child who is forced to mature and deal with adult realities as an accepted way of life. The show is sending a message that it is normal for teenage girls to deal with such serious issues as: birth control, adoption, abortion, marriage, and finances, further cementing these issues into the female identity at a young age. Maci symbolizes that it is now acceptable for a sixteen year old girl to be a dedicated mother in America. Episode two introduces Farrah, a cheerleader from Council Bluffs, Iowa who juggles school, work and cheer practice. Her life becomes a lot more complicated when she finds out she is pregnant. Farrah’s best friend turns on her spreading nasty rumors, forcing Farrah to finish school online. Farrah’s ex-boyfriend, also the baby’s father, begins to harass her after he finds out she is pregnant which leads her to change her number. â€Å"I would have never lost my virginity to someone I believed would treat me like this,† Farrah exclaims about her ex-boyfriend. Farrah struggles with single motherhood and has to deal with a judgmental parent who looks down upon her decisions. Episode two again reinforces traditional American cultural eliefs of female gender roles by portraying the woman as the single mother, ultimately responsible for the child, showing the girl dealing with emotional problems while trying to hold the family together, tasks and situations often associated with femininity. These images become engrained on a young viewers minds and being sixteen and pregnant becomes just another fad for young girls to consider. â€Å"MTV has a long history of reflecting the lives of our viewers with compelling reality stories,† says Tony DiSanto, MTV’s president of programming. The program’s featured girls come from rural Mid-Western or Southern states, usually from small, working-class towns, in attempt to appeal to teenage girls of the same background. The implicit message at the center of the series’ class prejudice implies that working-class girls from middle America, should opt to have a child because it’s as good a road to character development as working on the high school yearbook (Bellafante 2009). The show reinforces the stereotype that a woman is at least a good mother, if not anything else and displaces the identity of â€Å"teen mom† onto middle American teenage girls. 16 and Pregnant† seems to, above all, incite viewers to working-class voyeurism, given how many cliches of lower-income American life are exploited. It could be possible that other MTV shows, are themselves, responsible for increases in teenage pregnancy. Shows such as â€Å"The Hills† and â€Å"The Real World† both portray the loose sexual morals of a younger generation, which eventually leads to an adoption of those ideals from the show’s younger viewers. Researchers at the Rand Corp. say they have documented for the first time how such exposure to sexual content on TV can influence teen pregnancy rates. They found that teens exposed to the most sexual content on TV are twice as likely as teens watching less of this material to become pregnant before they reach age twenty. This means that if teenagers think having sex is the â€Å"norm† they will continue to engage in it. â€Å"The relationship between exposure of this kind of content on TV and the risk of later pregnancy is fairly strong,† says Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist. â€Å"Even if it were diminished by other contributing factors, the association still holds† (Bellafante 2009). So, is it in fact MTV who is esponsible for the abundance of pregnant teens it is helping to exploit? One thing for sure is that such a program like â€Å"16 & Pregnant† is endorsing and sanctioning teenage girls as hyper-sexed individuals. So, why does a television show have such an immense impact on the female identity? Sociologist Chris Barker’s study of British Asian girls’ television viewing practices in the U. K. suggest that soap operas provide young women with resources to discuss issues that may not be sanctioned within some of the religious and cultural spaces they inhabit (N&K 2008). Nayak and Kehily, authors of Gender Youth & Culture (2008), would argue that this theory could be applied to teenage girls and reality television shows in the U. S. By watching these shows the conceptualization of â€Å"appropriate femininities† are derived. These shows allow young girls to make moral and ethical judgments about what they see and refashion gender values to suit their own identities (N&K 2008). The girls in â€Å"16 & Pregnant† largely conform to the values of normative femininity in their search for romance, marriage, and long term happiness with a male partner In the end, MTV is glamorizing the life of a teen mother and cementing its identity in a society where sex at a younger and younger age is already becoming the norm. â€Å"16 & Pregnant† is perpetuating the normalization of traditional gender roles by portraying young girls who have already been forced to take on such general notions of femininity and female identity. The young, unwed mom has now become a new identity for young girls to aspire to. Popular culture and the ways in which it is consumed forms a key site for the learning of gender identities, and MTV is the designated teacher.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Cottle India

Cattle should focus on rural and semi-rural areas as their mall battlefield. Situation Analysis: Strength: 1 . Cattle providing superior quality products with high reputation In the market. 2. At has a strong market position and brand Image due to Its advancement In technology and Innovation. 3. TTS toothbrush product line Is extremely competitive, which It has Invested in growing It toothbrush manufacturing capacity and Improving productivity. They product mix can be adjusted to meet demand without relying on the expensive and risky import process. 4.Only providers of the Battery operated toothbrushes, biggest advantage capture share in market in future. Weakness: 1. Director Patella did not see value in building relationship with seed distributors and small-store owners. 2. Its communication is very weak in rural areas. Opportunity: 1 . India people lack knowledge and understand about Cattle Tailor's product and its effects. 2. Its product are not more popular in rural areas and se mi urban area, so it has change to expand its business and product awareness in rural area with help of increase percentages advertising and promotions.Threats:l . Other two strong competitors (Hand-Dalton and Sardinia) have a good reputation in markets and Cattle has threats to be captured its market share. Positioning Analysis: Good positioning strategy leads good marketing strategy, and improve customer knowledge and attracts them to purchase the product. Positioning creates an image for the product based on its customers. Image can be created by UP. Product:Analysis which product(low end, mid-range and battery-operated) offers the customer value, and If not, then how to do they change their product to meet customer needs and satisfaction.

Chiles Geography and Culture

Chiles Geography and Culture Introduction Chile is a developing country that is located in South America. Whites and white-Amerindians constitute 95% of the country’s population of 16 million people (Roraff Camacho, 2011, p. 13). Chile’s unique culture is a complex blend of European traditions and local heritage. In early 1990s, the country managed to establish a democratic political system, which enhanced its economic growth.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Chile’s Geography and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, Chile has become an attractive investment destination for foreign companies. However, foreign firms need to understand Chile’s culture in order to succeed. It is against this backdrop that this paper analyzes Chile’s culture. Concisely, it will examine the cultural fit between Excel Learning Centers and Chile. Excel is a North American company whose headquarters is locate d in Lansing, Michigan. The company intends to join Chile in order to expand its market share. Stereotypes about Chileans North Americans associate Chileans with the following stereotypes. First, they believe that Chileans always arrive late for meetings, stay late, and like socializing. Chileans enjoy socializing during formal and informal meetings since they highly value personal relationships (Roraff Camacho, 2011, p. 32). In Chilean culture, visitors are expected to arrive at least fifteen to twenty minutes late for social meetings such as dinner. On the contrary, most Chileans are always punctual for business meetings. However, discussions in such meetings may take longer than expected. Second, North Americans believe that Chileans have a strange accent or speak in a funny way. This stereotype is true because Chileans normally speak very fast and hardly pronounce terminal consonants in their speeches. Moreover, the variant of Spanish that is spoken in Chile is quite different from the one spoken in other countries. In particular, Chilean Spanish is characterized with a distinctive melody. Third, North Americans associate Chileans with pride or arrogance. This view is partly true because most Chileans are easily offended. Besides, most of them tend to be arrogant or very proud, especially, when dealing with people who are likely to undermine their achievements. Nonetheless, Chileans are friendly and enjoy working with people from diverse backgrounds (Langhans, 2010). Finally, Americans believe that Chileans like wine and avocados. This view is true because a typical cuisine in Chile, especially dinner, will always include wine and avocado. Traditional Customs and Values Chile is one of the countries in the Americas where modernization is taking place rapidly. This has led to the fusion of Chile’s traditional customs with western cultural practices. Nonetheless, Chileans still adhere to their traditional values. Chile’s culture is based on co llectivism, rather than individualism, which is common in North America. Consequently, the family is a very important social unit in Chile. Chileans maintain close contacts with their extended family members.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, they hardly separate business from family matters, especially, in small companies that are often run entirely by members of a single family (Ahlstrom Bruton, 2009, p. 112). Thus, Chileans consider nepotism as a positive concept that helps in recruiting the right employees. This perspective is likely to be a culture shock to members of Excel since North Americans hardly maintain close relationships with their extended families and consider nepotism as a form of discrimination. Due to modernization, Chile’s class structure follows that of North America, which is based on achievement and possession of material wealth (Roraff Camacho, 2011, p. 49). In Chile, education and wealth are the main determinants of one’s ability to belong to a particular social class. Consequently, Excel’s products such as continuing professional education, college tutoring, and training programs for businesses will be valuable to Chileans. This is because the products will help them to acquire better education and skills, which leads to high income and upward social mobility. Behavioral Dos and Don’ts The acceptable behaviors in Chile’s business culture include the following. To begin with, foreign businessmen are expected to have business cards that are printed in both Spanish and English (Langhans, 2010). This will facilitate effective communication because most Chileans have a better working knowledge in Spanish than English. Thus, business executives from Excel should be aware of the fact that any effort they make to communicate in Spanish will be highly appreciated by Ch ileans. Chileans expect their business partners to arrive on time for meetings. Nonetheless, Excel’s business executives should not be surprised if their Chilean counterparts or clients arrive late for meetings. Even though Chileans value punctuality, they hardly keep time, especially, when attending social meetings (Langhans, 2010). This contradicts North American’s tradition in which businessmen value their time and usually get offended if kept waiting. It is advisable to utilize every chance to socialize with Chileans outside the workplace. This is because Chileans highly value personal relationships with workmates and clients. The relationships enhance harmony at the workplace and facilitate repeat business. In this regard, it is important to focus on building trust when socializing with Chilean clients. Additionally, it is important to avoid controversial topics during informal conversations because Chileans are easily offended (Roraff Camacho, 2011, p. 89). On t he contrary, you should not be offended if a Chilean workmate invades your personal life. This is because Chileans mix family and business matters. Thus, they do not hesitate to discuss personal issues with workmates.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Chile’s Geography and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conducting Business Chilean businesses use a hierarchical organizational structure. This is similar to Excel’s organizational structure in which the president and the board of directors lead the company, whereas other employees hold lower positions. The top-down method is the preferred approach to decision-making in Chilean organizations (Ahlstrom Bruton, 2009, p. 251). Additionally, employees address each other with the proper title and their surname as a sign of respect. Negotiations can take a very long time due to Chileans’ relaxed attitude towards time. Negotiations between North Americans and Chileans can be difficult due to the following cultural differences. First, Americans are likely to take risks, whereas Chileans are risk averse. Thus, Chileans will hardly accept any deal that is associated with a sure loss. Second, Americans focus on the interest of the Individual, while Chileans value the interest of the group. Third, Americans consider conflict to be â€Å"a natural by-product of life, whereas Chileans consider it to be dangerous† (Ahlstrom Bruton, 2009, p. 362). Moreover, Chileans do not contradict or challenge their superiors during negotiations. Chileans try as much as possible to avoid conflicts. However, when conflicts occur, mediators are often invited to help the conflicting parties to find a solution. The mediator normally remains neutral and helps each party to understand the offers made by their colleagues (Rodriguez Gomez, 2009, pp. 276-294). Generally, conflict resolution in Chile follows the legal process of the country and the protocol established by individual firms. For example, Excel’s employs will use the company’s reporting structure to channel their complaints to the management. Language and Communication Style Spanish is the official language in Chile and nearly every Chilean speaks it (Langhans, 2010). Chileans use Spanish to conduct business since it is the dominant language in their country. Thus, Excel will have to print its training materials in Spanish in order to communicate effectively with the Chileans. Moreover, they will have to hire people who can speak Spanish in order to communicate effectively with their clients. Learning Spanish in Chile is better than depending on an interpreter to communicate. This is because Chilean Spanish is different from the one spoken in other countries.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, depending on an interpreter who is not conversant with the Chilean Spanish can cause misunderstandings. Additionally, most Chileans have inadequate English skills, thereby limiting their ability to translate Spanish to English correctly. The disadvantage of learning Spanish is that it requires a lot of time. Thus, foreigners who are in Chile for a short period may not find adequate time to learn the language. Chileans prefer written to verbal style of communication because they consider contractual agreements to be binding. In this regard, Chileans require their business partners to make written commitments after verbal agreements. Additionally, it is advisable to provide all relevant information during negotiations because Chileans make decisions after meetings, rather than during discussions (Roraff Camacho, 2011, p. 114). This improves the decision-making process by eliminating the need to make further clarifications after meetings. View of Women, Men, and Ethnic Groups Ch ile’s law considers men, women, and members of all ethnic groups to be equal. This is similar to the USA where both sexes and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds are considered equal by the law. In Chile, women have equal or better educational achievements than men. Moreover, academic achievement and social status depend on one’s effort, rather than gender or ethnicity. Chilean women are very influential and participate in every aspect of life in their society. This includes joining the labor force at all levels and holding key positions in public and private firms (Rodriguez Gomez, 2009, pp. 276-294). Nonetheless, more men than women are employed in most Chilean organizations. Religion Christianity is the dominant and the most influential religion in Chile. Approximately 89% of Christians are Roman Catholics, whereas the remaining 11% are Protestants (Carillet, 2009, p. 96). Religious leaders play an important role in the country by contributing to social and poli tical policies. Even though religion has little influence on Chilean businesses, it will have some effects on Excel. This is because the education system in the country uses a curriculum that includes religious teachings. In public schools, religious instructions focus on the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, Excel will have to include religious teachings in its K-12 syllabus. Another implication for Excel is that Chile has religious national holidays. Thus, Excel will have to close during the holidays in order to conform to the country’s traditions. Conclusion The aim of this paper was to analyze the cultural fit between Excel Learning Centers and Chile. The findings reveal that Chileans conduct business in Spanish, rather than English. Negotiating with Chileans can also be difficult because they are collectivists and risk averse. On the contrary, North Americans are individualists and are likely to take risks. Unlike North Americans, Chileans always try to avoid conflicts because they highly value group harmony. The similarity between Excel and Chilean firms is that they both follow a hierarchical organizational structure. Additionally, women, men, and different ethnic groups are treated equally by being given equal employment opportunities. References Ahlstrom, D., Bruton, G. (2009). International management: Strategy and culture in the emerging world. London, England: Palgrave. Carillet, J.-B. (2009). Chile and Easter Island. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. Langhans, C. (2010). Doing business in Chile: Chilean social and business culture. Web. Rodriguez, J., Gomez, C. (2009). HRM in Chile: The impact of organizational culture. Employee Relations, 31(3), 276-294. Roraff, S., Camacho, L. (2011). Cultural shock in Chile: A survival guide to customs and etiquette. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on A Males Territory

Hibbett Sports From the moment that I walked into the doors of Hibbett Sports, until the moment I left, it was obvious that I was in a male’s domain. The clothes, equipment, organization, and even the employees were all screaming out masculinity. The lighting was poor, the colors were dark, and it smelled like a locker room. It was apparent that in this store the merchandise was meant for the male gender. I find this quite interesting given that women play sports equally as much as men do. Everything about this store was formed to fit the interest of men. It was completely different from that of a women’s store and because of this I felt a little uncomfortable during my two visits to this store. The first sign that this store is male territory is through the smell of the store. The second that you walk into Hibbett Sports, you are knocked down by the stench of a locker room. Men like this smell because they can relate to it. They recall the times after their football, basketball, or baseball games. It reminds them of whatever memory that they may have of being a strong, sporty, sweaty man. Women on the other hand, do not like this smell at all. A women’s store would have a sweet, fruity, or sexy aroma. This would be a type of smell that they can relate to. Because of the smell of Hibbetts when you first walk in, women are already being turned off and will not want to continue into the store. That makes this predominately male territory and women do not feel welcome here. Secondly, the colors of the store make this male’s territory. Men prefer darker colors while women prefer lighter colors. From the signs, to the walls, to the carpet, and to the clothes, everything in Hibbett Sports is dark. The sign is black, the walls are gray, and the carpet is green. It almost resembles a football stadium with black signs, gray bleachers, and green turf. This definitely appeals to men. Along with the exterior ... Free Essays on A Males Territory Free Essays on A Males Territory Hibbett Sports From the moment that I walked into the doors of Hibbett Sports, until the moment I left, it was obvious that I was in a male’s domain. The clothes, equipment, organization, and even the employees were all screaming out masculinity. The lighting was poor, the colors were dark, and it smelled like a locker room. It was apparent that in this store the merchandise was meant for the male gender. I find this quite interesting given that women play sports equally as much as men do. Everything about this store was formed to fit the interest of men. It was completely different from that of a women’s store and because of this I felt a little uncomfortable during my two visits to this store. The first sign that this store is male territory is through the smell of the store. The second that you walk into Hibbett Sports, you are knocked down by the stench of a locker room. Men like this smell because they can relate to it. They recall the times after their football, basketball, or baseball games. It reminds them of whatever memory that they may have of being a strong, sporty, sweaty man. Women on the other hand, do not like this smell at all. A women’s store would have a sweet, fruity, or sexy aroma. This would be a type of smell that they can relate to. Because of the smell of Hibbetts when you first walk in, women are already being turned off and will not want to continue into the store. That makes this predominately male territory and women do not feel welcome here. Secondly, the colors of the store make this male’s territory. Men prefer darker colors while women prefer lighter colors. From the signs, to the walls, to the carpet, and to the clothes, everything in Hibbett Sports is dark. The sign is black, the walls are gray, and the carpet is green. It almost resembles a football stadium with black signs, gray bleachers, and green turf. This definitely appeals to men. Along with the exterior ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

William Connor Case Study for Cruise Industry Essay

William Connor Case Study for Cruise Industry - Essay Example This "William Connor Case Study for Cruise Industry" essay describes the dissimilarities flanked by the proponents and adversaries of approach, in so as to a conversation is based on why planning is much maligned by its opponents. Strategic organization has usually been portrayed as rotating approximately the separate stages of formulation, accomplishment, and manages, approved out in approximately cascade ladder for ships. These are three stepladder of the intended move toward to plan involves an official procedure to approach configuration: problem consciousness, the growth of explanations and the assortment of an answer (Forbes and Fletcher, 2000). In the similar background, Marlo (2000) indicate a intended approach encompass of a announcement of detailed and spoken meaning, holders with official gearshift (Boisot, M., and Child, J, 2004, 600-628). Jauch and Osborn (1991) observations with his understanding that towards a triumphant outcome of the approach, a firm arrangement is essential for an association. Hence all choices complete from the top organization can be approved out all through the association, with the â€Å"populace† persuaded and act in ways that are predictable to create attractive consequences ad hoc to the diagram. Therefore, strategy-making power rests with top organization, consigns a federal power in an association. In vision of the onward looking natural earth of a intended approach, Mazzolini (1988) experiential that goals or purpose fulfillments are the dangerous ending of the approach.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Please respond to t he 2 students' assignment highlighted in yellow

Please respond to t he 2 students' highlighted in yellow and red. the responses must be each 1 page with at least 4 references - Assignment Example To this end, power became the highest priority for a city state’s survival (Cunha et al., 2013; Harris, 2010). It was very right that Patti looked into the effects of such a situation on the people involved in power such as the prince and other people around. Clearly, the end was very disastrous and met with much destruction instead of construction (quote). In today’s generation however, much of a leader’s actions cannot be based on his will and thoughts about life alone. Today’s world is more of social unit where the actions of one leader at one end of the world greatly affects all people across the globe. I therefore disagree with Patti for heeding to Machiavelli’s advice that even in the 21st century leaders can apply force in some instances to get their principles warranted. As the world becomes a global village, there are bodies that check acts of violence and crime that happen in other parts of the world and try to stop leaders from being dictators (Becker, 2007). The best resolutions leaders should endeavor to use should thus be those that are based on the principles of peace and dialogue. Wittner gave a very vivid background to leadership between the two times in question, namely the Machiavelli era and the 21st century era. In the background, we realize that in the Machiavelli era, Princes, and for that matter leaders were law-makers and possessed sovereign power (Galie & Bopst, 2006). However in today’s world, the real power is given to the ruled rather than the ruler (Hub Pages, 2013). This is so because of the widespread of democracy in most parts of the world, where leadership is vested in the will of the people. To this end, I would perfectly agree with Wittner that the opinion held by Machiavelli that the end justified the means for a leader can no longer prevail in today’s generation of leadership. Indeed as the world becomes one through regional and global bodies such as the United

The Criminal Man by Cesare Lombroso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Criminal Man by Cesare Lombroso - Essay Example Lombroso’s focus is based on shifting of legal thinking to crime. His theories have actually influenced criminological developments throughout both United States and Europe. However, the theories are challenged and mostly discredited. His famous work was L’uomo delinquent (The Criminal Man). Crime results from various causes that range from psychological, biological, individual, and organizational to social factors like education and urbanization. Lombroso accumulated a considerable amount of data analyzing criminal’s physical and skull anomalies using both living subjects and cadavers. The criminal tattoos, jargon and poetry, provides criminal portraits. Psychologically, he described the male offenders as vindictive, vain, delighting in orgies, lazy and dominated by thirsty blood (Lombroso, 2006). In addition, he researched on the relationships of crime to marital status, age, profession, sex, environment and diet. Following the analysis, he concludes that even though a small portion of crime is as a result of social conditions, most it is constitutional. Thus, Lombroso accentuated the influence of biological factors by environmental explanations. The fundamental concepts of â€Å"The Criminal Man† were degeneration, atavism and the born-criminal idea. The first edition introduced the notion of atavism that explains deviant behavior and maintains its centrality in Lombroso theories. Atavism is thought to be an ancestral tendency of reproducing animals and plants and, where there is human concern, to be like one’s grandparent more than their parents (Becker & Wetzell, 2006). The atavistic criminal human signifies the early stage of human evolution. Lombroso specified this type of atavism through various stigmatized physical characteristics, along with ear lobes, finger lengths and head bone structure. Supposing physical atavism was involved with moral corruption, it would

Preach a narrative sermon based on a short passage of Scripture Essay

Preach a narrative sermon based on a short passage of Scripture applying the learning from the Narrative Preaching Topic to its preparation - Essay Example The word of God in the book of 1Timothy 4:12 reads, â€Å"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.† As a woman, you may be vulnerable to mistreatments due to world culture of consider females as inferior gender. People may abuse and insult you so that you feel to have a lower and powerless to defend yourself. The Bible encourages you not to allow people despise you because of your youth. The fact that you trust and believe in God establishes the foundation of strength and encouragement. Our God and Jesus His Son promised never to forsake the believers. Our Father is always willing and able to come to your rescue. Even God recognizes that that youthfulness is a moment of strength that people should most of what they desire (Spencer, 2014). Despite of the challenges and problems of youthfulness, God views youthfulness with great reverence. As a believer, you should not struggle to gain the trust of the world. Instead, let yourself be trustworthy to God and your life shall not have any blemish. Do not hate your aggressors or those who betray your trust. God will hear you and will not care about your sex. Ask God to give love, understanding and courage to face your worldly enemies. Just as the Bible verse advises, speak to the believers in love, faith, purity and conduct. You cannot exhibit love, faith, purity, and good conduct if you lack God’s mercies (Spencer, 2014). He gives the qualities to those who believe in Him and walk in His ways. Remember that God’s ways are righteous and pure so that any person who wants to walk in the way must desire righteousness and purity. Do not lose heart for The Lord has you in His heart and will be your anchor, protector and comforter when the whole world attempt to forsake you. In fact, it is better for the world to forsake you because it is then that God will accept you. The ways and the love of the world are

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Social Welfare in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Welfare in America - Research Paper Example The great depression of 1930s had devastating effects to the citizens of United States. Legislatures of that time took an initiative to create Social Security act in 1935, which influenced programs such as pension schemes, address issues touching on the unemployed, and children welfare (Alexander 5). Cushion families from financial difficulties was the intention of the social security act. The government stability depends on its ability to address factors influencing the wellbeing of its people. President Roosevelt’s regime lingers in the minds of the Americans whenever they discus social security programs. US legislatures amended the social security act in 1939 to cater for unemployment compensation (Tushnet 125). Unemployed are susceptible to hard life conditions, which can drive them into committing social crimes as a means to cater for their needs. The program intended to provide stipends, which would cater for their basic needs. Federal government created agencies, which could oversee welfare programs in United States. The agencies created through 1939 social security act include Department of Health and Human Service (HHS), Labor Department, Education, Agriculture, and Urban Development and Housing (Caputo 231). Each department addresses issues affecting US citizens. For instance, the department of agriculture addressed influences that originate from agricultural production in the nation. Education department ironed issues, which influenced acquisition of education in the United States. Historians believe that US welfare has been able to address critical issues, which influence human development (Handel 143). In 1965, US passed a social welfare act, which influenced the lives of elderly persons in the nation. The intention of the act was to compensate old persons by creating a kitty, which would cater for their wellbeing. The elderly have the challenge when it comes to finances, which would settle their bil ls in the society. The elderly compensation program has enabled many elderly persons to lead a positive life after retirement. In 1996, US government passed Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (Epstein 46). The intention of the act was to address poverty effects in the society. The growing number of the poor in US was worrying and the government had to develop strategy, which could influence their lives. The act gives the federal government the power to direct funds to various states to cater for the poor. Assisting the poor accords human rights because the government has the mandate to protect the poor (Reintsma 212). Largely, the protection of the poor as stipulated in the in the constitution is a reality through this act. Medicare provision to US citizens has elicited debates on how the poor could benefit from the welfare program. The provision in the Medicare program is to ensure the US citizens can access quality healthcare. The program is in line wi th United Nations requirement, which intends to improve human health care as a basic requirement (Zastrow 136). Medicare social welfare program dates back to the time of President Johnson when United States had to compensate war veterans and their families for their contribution to

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose Essay

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from. - Andrew S. Tannenbaum - Essay Example Computer users are required to use computers in a way or manner respecting the needs of the other computer users and the society in general. There are practises in computing that are regarded illegal, immoral, and unprofessional. Professional responsibility Experts in the field of computing have moral duties and responsibilities to their customers, their bosses, colleagues, as well as the society in general geared towards achieving or accomplishing their skilled and specialised obligations. In other words, all professionals in the field off computing have from time immemorial guided by a code of ethics that guides them to make their own resolutions when face with moral issues. It is important to consider the fact that professional responsibility in computing is directed by moral values and standards, trustworthiness, morality, impartiality, independence as well as magnanimity (Bott, 2005). In definition, professional responsibilities can be defined as the supplementary or extra oblig ations that ought to be assumed by computing professionals or computer users in respect to their exceptional and distinctive understanding, talents, and abilities (Baase, 2012). According to Bott (2005), these ought to be also assumed in respect to their relationship and connections between them and other individuals in computing practise, and the faith and hope of the public in general. Therefore, a computing professional is supposed to support, maintain, and defend the standards and principles within the society, diagnose, identify, and follow the set rules and guidelines of professional practise, and as well endorse and encourage individuals of the public in their endeavours. The role of code of ethics A code of ethics is defined as the standards or principles adopted by an institution aimed at helping employees and other stakeholders within that particular institution make a distinction between what is considered wrong and what is right. Codes of ethics in computing acts to help computer users to comprehend the decisions they make. It is of importance for professionals to ensure that computers are used correctly in order to maintain professionalism. The use of computers in many organisations or institutions is subject to a number of guidelines or procedures. These set guidelines and procedures of practise that ought to be followed discourage individuals using computers in their endeavours to avoid any issues that may invade or go against the certification agreements or accords. There are a lot of standards for computer users to choose from and sometimes it might be confusing. In learning institutions for instance, learners using computer technology have to comply with the set guidelines and standards. These are otherwise known as the code of ethics. Any member of the learning institution or any other person affiliated to the learning institution is bound by the code of ethics either legally or morally (Bynum and Rogerson, 2004). There have been cases in th e past whereby some people have used another person’s email account deceitfully. Institutions have put it down in their codes of ethics that such behaviours are illegal and anyone found guilty of employing fabricated and deceitful identity can be sentenced to serve time in jail or pay a fine. It is not enough to talk about the factors that helps maintain professional practise in computing today without mentioning the negative effects of computers on children. Computers within the reach of children should be

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Preach a narrative sermon based on a short passage of Scripture Essay

Preach a narrative sermon based on a short passage of Scripture applying the learning from the Narrative Preaching Topic to its preparation - Essay Example The word of God in the book of 1Timothy 4:12 reads, â€Å"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.† As a woman, you may be vulnerable to mistreatments due to world culture of consider females as inferior gender. People may abuse and insult you so that you feel to have a lower and powerless to defend yourself. The Bible encourages you not to allow people despise you because of your youth. The fact that you trust and believe in God establishes the foundation of strength and encouragement. Our God and Jesus His Son promised never to forsake the believers. Our Father is always willing and able to come to your rescue. Even God recognizes that that youthfulness is a moment of strength that people should most of what they desire (Spencer, 2014). Despite of the challenges and problems of youthfulness, God views youthfulness with great reverence. As a believer, you should not struggle to gain the trust of the world. Instead, let yourself be trustworthy to God and your life shall not have any blemish. Do not hate your aggressors or those who betray your trust. God will hear you and will not care about your sex. Ask God to give love, understanding and courage to face your worldly enemies. Just as the Bible verse advises, speak to the believers in love, faith, purity and conduct. You cannot exhibit love, faith, purity, and good conduct if you lack God’s mercies (Spencer, 2014). He gives the qualities to those who believe in Him and walk in His ways. Remember that God’s ways are righteous and pure so that any person who wants to walk in the way must desire righteousness and purity. Do not lose heart for The Lord has you in His heart and will be your anchor, protector and comforter when the whole world attempt to forsake you. In fact, it is better for the world to forsake you because it is then that God will accept you. The ways and the love of the world are

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose Essay

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from. - Andrew S. Tannenbaum - Essay Example Computer users are required to use computers in a way or manner respecting the needs of the other computer users and the society in general. There are practises in computing that are regarded illegal, immoral, and unprofessional. Professional responsibility Experts in the field of computing have moral duties and responsibilities to their customers, their bosses, colleagues, as well as the society in general geared towards achieving or accomplishing their skilled and specialised obligations. In other words, all professionals in the field off computing have from time immemorial guided by a code of ethics that guides them to make their own resolutions when face with moral issues. It is important to consider the fact that professional responsibility in computing is directed by moral values and standards, trustworthiness, morality, impartiality, independence as well as magnanimity (Bott, 2005). In definition, professional responsibilities can be defined as the supplementary or extra oblig ations that ought to be assumed by computing professionals or computer users in respect to their exceptional and distinctive understanding, talents, and abilities (Baase, 2012). According to Bott (2005), these ought to be also assumed in respect to their relationship and connections between them and other individuals in computing practise, and the faith and hope of the public in general. Therefore, a computing professional is supposed to support, maintain, and defend the standards and principles within the society, diagnose, identify, and follow the set rules and guidelines of professional practise, and as well endorse and encourage individuals of the public in their endeavours. The role of code of ethics A code of ethics is defined as the standards or principles adopted by an institution aimed at helping employees and other stakeholders within that particular institution make a distinction between what is considered wrong and what is right. Codes of ethics in computing acts to help computer users to comprehend the decisions they make. It is of importance for professionals to ensure that computers are used correctly in order to maintain professionalism. The use of computers in many organisations or institutions is subject to a number of guidelines or procedures. These set guidelines and procedures of practise that ought to be followed discourage individuals using computers in their endeavours to avoid any issues that may invade or go against the certification agreements or accords. There are a lot of standards for computer users to choose from and sometimes it might be confusing. In learning institutions for instance, learners using computer technology have to comply with the set guidelines and standards. These are otherwise known as the code of ethics. Any member of the learning institution or any other person affiliated to the learning institution is bound by the code of ethics either legally or morally (Bynum and Rogerson, 2004). There have been cases in th e past whereby some people have used another person’s email account deceitfully. Institutions have put it down in their codes of ethics that such behaviours are illegal and anyone found guilty of employing fabricated and deceitful identity can be sentenced to serve time in jail or pay a fine. It is not enough to talk about the factors that helps maintain professional practise in computing today without mentioning the negative effects of computers on children. Computers within the reach of children should be

Training Manual Focusing On Financial Valuation Essay Example for Free

Training Manual Focusing On Financial Valuation Essay Any company, especially one that has recently gone public, needs a manual on financial systems that will work hand in hand with its overall business strategy and its structural organizational strategy. In the case of Strident Marks, which is now a public company, valuation in terms of business and actual return on investment increased as the responsibility of profitability intensifies with the presence of stockholders. It is important that the rules and the standards of valuation are set out clearly, as well as the process needed to achieve these rules. Valuation in investment can be divided into actual return on investment in profit, and perceived return on investment in time, efficiency, and output. The training manual should have separate areas that address these two, as well as a consolidating guide that will allow these factors to work together for the good of the company and the shareholders. The profit valuation is the simplest tool as it entails only a cost-benefit analysis and a projected profit versus expense report. Since it is quantifiable, the gains and losses are easily seen and departments can easily account for any changes in policy, as well as in meeting and exceeding targets. Quality returns on investment, on the other hand, are difficult to value and justify. For example, the implementation of an information system cannot be quantified into concrete results in terms of profit, but only to the benefits to the employee, the shareholder, and of course, the client. A method that can be used is to assign actual, numerical values on a grading scale that will allow these factors to be valued. The financial department is crucial in this asect as this division can quantify the value of a perceived benefit versus the actual value of the company as a whole. The financial department can provide a more accurate numerical assessment as opposed to a haphazard assignment. This branch can also ascertain the feasibility of an investment versus the benefits to be gained from it. References Financial Regulation — Good Rules and Bad. (1993). World Bank Development Brief, 12. Retrieved January 17, 2007 from http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/ Publications/Briefs/DB12.html

Monday, October 14, 2019

Bottom Of The Pyramid Marketing Essay

Bottom Of The Pyramid Marketing Essay The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) is the largest and poorest socio-economic group in the society. There are more than four billion people who live their lives on less than $2 per day. Indias rural majority today accounts for more than US$100 billion in consumer spending, making them by far the biggest buyers in the country and contributing significantly to Indias gross domestic product. To tap the vast markets at the BOP, MNCs must specially design and develop quality products and services, or they must select some to alter and make available at lower cost. Serving BOP customers is a profitable opportunity for corporations. It is also a social imperative, given that two-thirds of the human population (about four billion people) are at the bottom of the economic pyramid. By addressing the BOP, MNCs can curtail poverty and improve the living conditions of the worlds poorest. HYPOTHESIS IS THERE SUFFICIENT OPPURTUNITY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID? 70% of the Indian population lives in rural areas. This segment, which is commonly referred to as the bottom of the pyramid, presents a huge opportunity for companies. To expand the market by tapping the countryside, more and more MNCs are foraying into Indias rural markets. Among those that have made some headway are Hindustan Lever, Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, Britannia, Standard Life, Philips, Colgate Palmolive, Amul and many foreign-invested telecom companies. The Opportunity In earlier times rural consumer had to go to a nearby town or city to buy a branded product. The growing power of the rural consumer is now forcing big companies to flock to rural markets. At the same time, they also throw up major challenges for marketers. Servicing rural markets involves ensuring availability of products through a sound distribution network, overcoming prevalent attitudes and habits of rural customers and creating brand awareness. Price-sensitivity is another key issue. Rural income levels are largely dependent on the vagaries of monsoon, and demand is not easy to predict. The Indian rural market currently contributes to 50% of the annual consumption of FMCG goods and is increasing year on year. As a result it is becoming an important market place for fast moving consumer goods as well as consumer durables. The Necessity The rural market is certainly tempting since it comprises 70 % of the countrys population, 41 per cent of its middle class, 58 per cent of its disposable income and a large consuming class. Today, real growth is taking place in the rural-urban markets, or in the 13,113 villages with a population of more than 5,000. In order to efficiently and cost-effectively target the rural markets, companies cover many independent retailers since in these areas, the retailer influences purchase decisions and stock a single brand in a product category. Most of the companies have started tinkering with pack sizes and creating new price points in order to reach out to rural consumers. Thus, sachets and miniature packs, as in the case of shampoo sachets priced at Re 1 and Rs 2 or toothpaste at Rs 10, have become the order of the day and help improve market penetration. Yet, driving consumption of goods in rural areas is not just about lowering prices and increasing volumes but also about product innovation and developing indigenous products to cater to their demands. For example, soap makers use advanced technology to coat one side of the soap bar with plastic to prevent it from wearing out quickly. Impact of globalisation The impact of globalisation is felt in rural India as much as in urban. It will have its impact on target groups like farmers, youth and women. Farmers, today keep in touch with the latest information and maximise both ends. They keep their cell phones constantly connected to global markets. Surely, price movements and products availability in the international market place seem to drive their local business strategies. On youth its impact is on knowledge and information and while on women it still depends on the socio-economic aspect. The marketers who understand the rural consumer and fine tune their strategy are sure to reap benefits in the coming years. In fact, the leadership in any product or service is linked to leadership in the rural India except for few lifestyle-based products, which depend on urban India mainly. Coca-Cola India In 2001, Coca-Cola India attempted to gain leadership in the Indian market and capitalize on the rural markets. In rural markets, soft drinks category was undeveloped. Coca-Cola India believed that the first brand to offer communication targeted to the smaller towns would own the rural market and went after that objective with a comprehensive strategy. The rural segments primary need was out-of-home thirst-quenching and the soft drink category was undifferentiated in the minds of rural consumers. Additionally, with an average Coke costing Rs. 10 and an average days wages around Rs. 100, Coke was perceived as a luxury that few could afford. In an effort to make the price point of Coke within reach of this high-potential market, Coca-Cola launched the Accessibility Campaign, introducing a new 200ml bottle, smaller than the traditional 300ml bottle found in urban markets, and concurrently cutting the price in half, to Rs. 5. This pricing strategy closed the gap between Coke and basic refreshments like lemonade and tea, making soft drinks truly accessible for the first time. At the same time, Coke invested in distribution infrastructure to effectively serve a disbursed population and increased the number of retail outlets in rural, increasing market penetration. Coca-Colas advertising and promotion strategy pulled the marketing plan together using local language and idiomatic expressions which even won them some campaign of the year award in the Advertising Market Coca-Cola doubled its spend on Government Channels, increased price compliance from 30 per cent to 50 per cent in rural markets and reduced overall costs by 40 per cent. Result: the rural market accounts for 80 per cent of new Coke drinkers and 30 per cent of its volumes. CONCLUSION The basic problem with brand marketing is its high cost. Local Markets do offer a cost-effective method of marketing. With the virtual Local Markets the cost saving is still better. Consider for example the case of marketing farm inputs like fertilisers, seeds and pesticides. In the brand marketing approach, the same information is provided by several marketers through different media and methods. In the virtual Markets, several people can join hands and provide best possible information in a most cost effective manner to the farmers. The rural market grab has already begun. Once the rural consumers get attached to these new forms of virtual Local Markets they are going to procure most of their requirements from the same source and sell their produce in the same Markets. This offers an interesting challenge for those companies that are selling in the rural market including the agri-input companies, farm equipment companies, FMCG and consumer durable manufacturers. The bottom of the value-chain pyramid indeed represents a huge gambit of opportunities. Here lies a fortune that is waiting to be explored

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Technology :: Technology Research

Technology is a broad concept that deals with a species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. In human society, it is a consequence of science and engineering, although several technological advances predate the two concepts. Technology is a term with origins in the Greek "technologia", "Ï„Î µÃâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±" — "techne", "Ï„Î ­Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ·" ("craft") and "logia", "ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±" ("saying").[1] However, a strict definition is elusive; "technology" can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include "construction technology", "medical technology", or "state-of-the-art technology". The human race's use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The prehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons. Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of the Earth and its environment. Various implementations of technology influence the values of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms. Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, claiming that it harms the environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientific studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to other generations.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Dual Narration in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay examples --

Dual Narration in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   Joseph Conrads novella Heart of Darkness not only dwells on interesting and thought provoking issues that relate to society today, it is also told in an interesting manner in the form of a "story within a story". This serves not only to show increased levels of mental development from all parties involved, that is Marlow, the frame narrator and the reader - but distances Conrad from the text in such a way that he can promote revolutionary issues without necessarilty being attached to them. The character of Marlow does just this - he is far from neutral and is employed by Conrad to position the reader by offering a double-dose of psychological development from Marlow, and the framed narrator. Perhaps the best way to comprehend Marlow's involvement is through an understanding of his journey through the four thematic stages of his travels. These are the darkness of the river which surrounds him (the Thames), the darkness within Kurtz, and with the city of Brussels, the impe niterable darkness within the Congo, and the darkness present within each individual. Through these aspects of the novella can we as readers comprehend the true value of Marlows character.    Initially, Marlow and his audience find themselves within the picturesque setting of the river thames in London. The frame narrators description of such a scene (paralleled to his final description) offer some of the only comment he gives throughout the novel. This is especially important for we as readersare able to comprehend his psychological journey (if not the other men in the boat) forwards, an enlightened state similar of that to Marlow. A "buddah preaching in European clothes". Most noteable however is the phenomin... ...rlow, and the frame narrators position as commentator, their journies - both physical and psychological, position the reader to such an extent that possibilities become infinitely clearer. The darkness evident initially, including the overpowered Kurtz and the gloom encompassing the stark nature of man underneath "ornaments" and "rags" are all portrayed in such scenes by the narrators. Futhermore Conrad envisages the reader being successfully positioned - recognising their own true heart of darkness - and that of the materialistic, possession driven "civilisation" they live in.       Bibliography    Conrad, J. (1995). Heart of Darkness. London: Penguin Group.    Kingsley, Widmer. Dictionary of Literary Biography: British Novelists 1890-1929. Tulsa: 1984    Hayes, Dorsha. "Heart of Darkness": An Aspect of the Shadow," Spring (1956)   

Friday, October 11, 2019

Evaluating Art Throughout The Ages Essay

Throughout the history of art, evaluation of artistic works has continued even long after the artist’s lifetime. This is because the proper evaluation of any work of art involves an understanding of its cultural and historical context, its philosophy and the message the artist tries to convey. Although beauty (aesthetics) used to be an important component of art evaluation, post-modern and abstract art have delegated it to obscurity. (Schaeffer) Below are some criteria relevant to evaluating art from any period of history : 1. Technical quality and brilliance : These consist of form (structure and expression), contrast (separation of object from background in many instances), texture, colour display or the use of lines (in line art), composition of various objects in the artwork and quality of craftsmanship. 2. Artistic integrity and vision : Artists should remain true to their worldview and to themselves. This means not only uniqueness and originality, but also remaining committed to the ideal and style he is trying to depict. 3. Philosophy and world view : This is often referred to the work’s hidden meaning, and the values it represents. E. g. in prehistoric cave art, the world view would often be related to the day-to-day wish fulfilment of bountiful hunting. Salvador Dali’s artistic philosophy was based on surrealism ( attached picture ), which often had a dream-like quality. 4. Relation to the artist’s life’s work, its genre and period in history : Many of these qualities cannot be completely evaluated during the artist’s life time, and may require significant periods of time after its completion. In many cases it is never complete e. g. masterpieces like the Mona Lisa continue to be evaluated, centuries after it was finished. Reference : Schaeffer Francis (1978). Art and the Bible. Figure. Salvador Dali’s ‘Dream of a Virgin’ depicts his surrealistic philosophy, and a dream state.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

Kolb’s experimental learning model was developed in 1984. The theoretical perspective of the model was that different people showed difference in their development preferences towards different styles of learning. Like any other way, such people would develop different preference to other styles in their lives including leadership, management and negotiating. According to Kolb, a combination of four styles in the learning process determine the nature of the learning styles. Consequently, the legitimacy for learning to take place should be a compound of the four different processes. These styles are: – Firstly, active experimentation seeks to establish the basis of what could be new in the learning process. It seeks to use the combination of various methods aimed at driving towards the act of new knowledge. According to this process, learners should be professional models when left in determining the best criteria within a package of relevant learning materials. This process involves  Ã‚   discussion within small groups, solving of learning problems and getting feedback from peer members. Abstract conceptualization seeks to find and conceptualize the relationship between two or more things. This is achieved through analytic comparison between learning analogies, going to lectures and reading learning materials. Abstract conceptualization is promoted through comparative approaches in case studies, reflective thinking and theoretical reading. According to http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm, reflective observation seeks to relate the perception brought out through observation by a learner in developing contingent knowledge. This could be through observation of journals, logs as well as brainstorming. From what a learner sees from the reflective observation, the trainer should then provide the most adequate interpretation to learner. Concrete experience is what the learner conceptualizes from real life learning experience through an interaction with the learning environment. It involves the use of fieldwork excursions, laboratory findings and physical observations. From what the learner gets from such concrete experience, he/she should then question about the most appropriate area with which such knowledge can be applied. The training methodology involves peer group feedback from learners with directions from their trainer. (Sherry, Lori, 2004) Kolb’s experimental learning theory is therefore a component of four stages /processes. The model is important in that it seeks towards understanding the different learning styles among different individual persons as well as giving a fundamental experimental cycle that helps in its implementation. It forms the benchmark principle in his learning theory where both concrete and immediate experience acts as the basic tool support of the learner’s reflections and observations. Accordingly, whatever reflection and observations that are distilled and assimilated help to provide abstract concepts that produce new action implication that could be taken through active testing. The final consequence of this chain network of activities is the development of rational experience that make fundamental of knowledge. (Carolyn, 1993) Kolb’s learning cycle is a representative process, which involves touching all learning bases through a spiral learning cycle. The cycle involves experiencing, thinking, reflecting and acting. Consequently, the results of concrete and immediate experiences would be reflections and observations. Such set of reflections undergo through a process of assimilation which is then passed through absorption and translation into specific abstract conceptions which have active implications. Such a person can thus involve in an active testing and experimentation of what he /she had got from the former process and thus creating new set of experiences. According to Kolb’s, the preference towards learning styles is diverse for different people. The influence towards a specific learning style is determined by the potentiality of various factors. Kolb’s adequately defined out the three specific stages of development. Elsewhere, the propensity towards the reconciliation within these stages and the integration with these learning styles has its growth and improvement through out the different development stages. (Carolyn, 1993) Indeed, he has cited the acquisition stage as what comes between birth and adolescent. Here, a person develops cognitive structures and basic abilities. Either, specializations is what comes during schooling period and experience towards adulthood. Here, the person develops special styles of learning whose influence is the state of socialization within an organization and the state of education. The stage of integration occurs during mid-career period across the old life domain. The person expresses learning styles which are non-dominant. According to Kolb, the influence towards a particular learning style consists the implications of two state variables.   These include feeling and thinking towards concrete experience and abstract conceptualization. Elsewhere, there is   doing and watching towards active experimentation and reflective thinking. The importance held by knowing the nature of learning style by a particular person helps the trainer to give learning orientations according to such specific methods. Consequently, specific learning style would have positive response to specific stimulus needs. These active training options allied to the different learning styles include the diverging perspective, where the learners have different perspectives to look things. There is a high sensitivity towards learning objectives. Either, there consists assimilation which refers to styles that are concise in nature and which require logical approaches. Here, concepts and ideas make an important aspect. Moreover, converging process involve solving problems as well as applying their learning skills towards finding practical solutions. The accommodating style of learning is relied only in intuition than the use of logics. It involves the use of other person’s learning results in taking experimental and practical impacts. (Sherry, Lori, 2004) Reference Carolyn, Z. (1993) Topical Article: Integrating Separate and Connected Knowing. The Experiential Learning Model. Teaching of Psychology, Vol. 20 Kolb’s Learning Styles, Experimental Learning Theory. Retrieved on 26th April 2008 from http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm Sherry, K Lori, R. (2004) Designing Online Workshop: Using an Experience Learning Model. Journal of College Counseling. Vol. 7

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

4G Technology – An Analysis

4G Technology An Analysis 4G refers to the Fourth Generation of cellular wireless standards in telecommunications that will succeed it predecessors 3G 2G. It is a high-speed broadband wireless network that offered comprehensive & secure all IP based services. According to the ITU, requirements for 4G standards were specified by IMT-Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunication-Advanced). The data rates of 4G service for high mobility communication was set to 100 Mbps and low mobility communication was set to 1 Gbps. It focuses on cellular system with extremely high data rates & the concept of seamless technology in all wireless systems. Carriers that are using OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) as an alternative to TDMA and CDMA are promoting their services as 4G even though their data rates are not high according to the ITU. 4G outdoor users that have Internet access through cell phones or smart phones were promised to have a targeted data speed of around 100 Mbps by the IMT-Advanced and t he data speed for indoor users such as LAN (Local Area Network) was suppose to be around 1Gbps. This type of higher speed for both fixed and mobile Internet users is truly amazing. 4G proposes scalable channel bandwidth flexibility of up to 40 MHz. The network resources are dynamically utilized & shared to sustain more simultaneous users over each call. 4G also has the ability to propose high QoS (Quality of Service) for multimedia support and offer smooth handover heterogeneous networks. It must also have the ability to offer wireless LAN roaming & interact with systems used for video broadcasting. Figure 5: Seamless Connection of Networks in 4G [5]. The 4G architecture comprises of 3 crucial areas of connectivity namely PAN (Personal Area Network) WAN (Wide Area Network Cellular Connectivity Each device will have the ability to interact with the Internet based information that is modified over the network used by the device at that time. This structure can support a wide r ange of 4G mobile devices that sustain global roaming. In 4G networks users that join the network have the ability to add mobile routers to the infrastructure. Changing user patterns can be accommodated by dynamically shifting network capacity & coverage. Creating additional routes as the concentration of people is higher in one area compared to the other enables additional access to the capacity of the network. Users can easily avoid congested routes by hoping to the less congested routes. This allows the network to automatically balance the capacity by increasing the network utilization. The service for all the users improve with the increase in number of users. Need for 4G One of the questions that come to mind when thinking about future 4G systems is there need. The first application to be mobilized was voice telephony, few years ago. The short message service (SMS) was the first application to be introduced as a mass-market application. The hardware complexity was not an issue at the given time along with the advantage of small bandwidth requirements. The SMS was just the commencement of various data services like mobile email, web browsing etc. The key feature in most of them was the packet based wireless networks carrying IP data in one hand and powerful terminals that could cope with these applications on the other. Although the network capacity is still not an issue due to less number of users, there are number of reasons for increased bandwidth requirements in the future. First, the number of wireless users increases exponentially resulting into an increase in bandwidth requirement. Second, the popularity of video and music downloads has increased immensely within few years. The information content in a video or music is more than the corresponding text but so is the capacity requirement. Last but not the least, mobile social networks have taken the current internet usage to a much higher level. Picture viewing sites, web blogs and also video sharing sites have reshaped the internet.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Provide a critical review of the current risk management activities of Essay

Provide a critical review of the current risk management activities of any one (large, international) financial institution of y - Essay Example The organization has intensified their cost disciplines while investing in some selective growth areas that support the priorities of execution. Risk management is the process through which potential risks of the organization is identified, analysis is done and then precautionary steps are taken in order to reduce or cut down the risk. In the world of finance this practice is a very common one and is followed by almost every financial institution. Whenever an entity goes with some investment decision they are exposed to a large number of financial risks. The degree of risk involved depends on the type of financial instrument involved in the investment. These financial risks can be of various forms like recession, volatility in the capital market, high inflation and bankruptcy. Therefore, in order to control and minimize the exposure of the investment to such risks, the investors and the fund managers are seen to practice risk management. If adequate attention is not given to the risk management while making important investment decisions then disastrous situation may result during the financial turmoil in the economy (Webster, 2010; The Economic Times, 2013). Different categories of asset classes are attached to different levels of risk. Risk management is a vital function within Barclay, which is operating globally and enjoys great visibility. The risk team formed with the organization plays a significant role by aiding the senior management to incorporate informed decision taking the implications into account. The risk management team of Barclays operates across the organization protects the reputation of the organization by ensuring and securing the financial performance of the organization. The organization has dedicated team of experts who carries out valuable work in managing the issues that causes significant impact on the business (Barclays, 2013a). This study focuses on the risk management of Barclays bank, measures it risk appetite and discusses wheth er corporate governance supports these risk management activities. Figure 1 Source: (Youngberg, 2010) Risk Appetite Good risk management does not signify avoid all types of risk at any cost. It indicates the various types of informed choices that the organization makes related to the risk in pursuit of its measures and objectives that lead to mitigation of risk. Defining the risk appetite of an organization is an integral part of risk management. Best-of-class companies does not design or discuss their risk management as an isolated add-on process but it is viewed as an important part of their strategy execution and design. The new strategic initiative taken by the organization may open attractive opportunities for the organization but the rewards should be balanced properly with the risk that is generated. In order to integrate risk dimensions fully in the strategy design the company needs to be aware of how much risk it is willing to take and how it is planning to balance between opportunities and risks. Foe enterprise risk management defining the risk appetite is very essential (Barfield, R., n.d.). While deciding on the risk appetite of the organization the board of directors should categorize the different types of risk and decides on the capacity. This includes the type and amount of risk the organization is capable of supporting in pursuit to the business objectives and taking into account the access to the

Monday, October 7, 2019

Article Review and Critique Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review and Critique - Article Example Prior to the presentation of the different skills of Franklin, Uldrich presented the different accomplishments in different fields and disciplines (Uldrich, 2005, p.31). According to the article, Benjamin Franklin is a businessman, a scientist, a politician, a diplomat and Founding Father of the American Society. As a businessman, he was able to build and establish the first printing and newspaper chain of businesses in the different American colonies at a young age. He was also the author of the first best seller Poor Richard’s Almanac (p.31). He was also a great civil servant and politician who improved a number of public services and policies. One of the unparalleled achievements that he has was being a politician who participated in the creation and implementation of the founding policies of the American society specifically during the time of the Revolution. ... The first leadership skill presented is the ‘importance of continuous education’ in the success of a person as exhibited in the life of Benjamin Franklin. Through the course of his life, he is continuously learning and exploring different fields. This is a characteristic of a good leader since a leader must be very aware of the different issues and knowledge which can affect the group and can help him in the decisions he needs to undertake in every step of the way towards achievement of his perceived goals. He is self thought leader who was able to explore the different fields important to thrive in the society which includes the political, diplomatic, social and economic aspects of the American and international society. Franklin was an ultimate example of a human being hungry for knowledge (p.32). The author made an important decision of highlighting the said characteristic of Franklin since education is an essential tool in a person’s success but it is not limi ted to formal education. The entrepreneurial skill of Benjamin Franklin was the next leadership skill discussed by Uldrich. Although the business is one of the most important fields where Franklin excelled in, it cannot be considered as the second most essential in all his skills. One explanation that can be perceived in the authors chronology in discussion is the time he undertook each quest. Education started since Franklin’s childhood and continued on through his different careers and his life. His prowess in business occurred as a young man. The author presented and proven Franklin’s leadership skills through the presentation of his achievements as a business man. In addition, entrepreneurial risk taking

Sunday, October 6, 2019

How children learn the sounds of their language Coursework - 1

How children learn the sounds of their language - Coursework Example From the outset children learn to speak as the result of being part of a social and cultural fabric. Halliday (1980) proposes that we ‘learn language, learn through language and learn about language simultaneously as we use language’. Language cannot be learned in isolation from others. As soon as children are born they enter the world they find themselves to be part of adult conversations. For the most part ‘motherese’ (see vialle, Lysaght & Verenkina 2000, p.74), is an extremely small part of the language children hear. The overwhelming majority of the language forms in the children’s immediate culture and environment is framed in adult conventions without any attempt to simplify. As parents and others care for the daily needs of children they chatter to the child, asking questions (‘who’s a pretty baby? Did you have a big sleep?’), they share family stories (‘Grandma’s coming today and we are going shopping’) and they use language that they neither expect the child to understand or respond to at this stage. Families include children in their language acts as they gather around their new offspring. And all this time there is myriad background talk emanating from radios, televisions, computers and often other siblings. While this language may often seem to be a jumble of noise and sounds, there is always one constant in play: meaning is being developed through social interaction. This is the driving force that will operate throughout the initial years in each child’s language development and beyond (vialle, Lysaght & Verenikina 2000, p.66). Language learning is a mutual process -- Children are not passive passengers in the language that surrounds them. Young children can understand a great deal a long time before they can actually vocalize any recognizable words. As active participants in the everyday interactions of life, gradually children realize that