Cultural Relativism- Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cultural Relativism- Critical Analysis - Essay Example Argument in standard form Premises 1. According to cultural relativists, there are no universal moral principles. 2. Each society has its own different codes of conduct 3. Each moral or code of conduct applies only to the society in question. 4. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance towards the custom practices of other cultures Conclusion There is no objective truth in morality; it is nothing more than socially approved customs in a given culture. Discussion Cultural relativism is where each culture or ethnic groups is to be viewed on its customs, behavior on values and norms and not on the basis of those of other cultures or ethnic groups. Cultural relativists see moral norms as a result of culture. They see that many cultures disagree widely on moral norms and values, and there is no way which is clear to solve the differences therein. They, therefore, conclude that there are no accepted objective truths. Cultural relativists see other cultures, not as different not as â€Å"w rong†. According to premise one above, it wrong to say that there are no universal moral principles, according to cultural relativists. ... The Cultural relativism does not conclude that it is not possible to have a universal system of moral values to guide humans from a universal perspective. Rather, it explains that every society has its own moral norms and values to guide members of that society, but these values are of worth to those who abide by them, but they may differ from those of other, different society members (Herskovits 31). This failure to understand the differences between intra and cross cultural relativism is the one which led ethicist like Abraham Edel to write â€Å"If cultural relativism is a sociological truth, then your morality judgment of good and bad, right and wrong) is a function (cause) of your domicile. If moral norms and values assertions are expressive (subjective), it all depends on your feelings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Edel 27-28). Cultural relativism only has relevance between cultures and not within a specific culture. It is a cross-cultural principle, not an intra-cultural principle. The firs t premise thus does not make the conclusion that morality is nothing more than socially approved customs to be true since it is evident that cultural relativism does not advocate ethical or individual relativism. In premise 4 if we abide by cultural relativism, then we will not be able to judge other cultures. We would no longer see other customs as inferior to our own, judging other societies merely because they are â€Å"different†. This will be good but only in some cases but not in a case where a society is anti-Semitic and waged a war against a Semite society. Cultural relativism would stop us from interfering, and we cannot even judge on the society which tolerant of Semites and one which is anti-Semites it would be

Analyzing Personal Conflict Management Styles Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Personal Conflict Management Styles Essay Conflict management is the detriment of many teams or groups in accomplishing its goals. This is because most people do not understand the different conflict styles and how to apply the rules and principles associated with the style you may be dealing with. In this paper I will analyze three of the five management styles discussed in the textbook Communication in Small Groups. Avoidance and competition are two styles that I believe have the greatest effect on hindering a group or team from accomplishing its goals. Collaboration, however, is a style that I believe is most effective in assisting a team in attaining its goals. This is a style that I use not only in my professional life but also in my personal life and have seen the difference this style of conflict management makes on individuals who are approached with this technique. Avoidance, according to the Collins English Dictionary is â€Å"the act of keeping away from or preventing from happening. † This definition sums up the reason I believe that of the five conflict managing styles, this one is among the top reasons some teams fail at achieving their goals. Whether it is just that a person does not like confrontation, are afraid to voice his or her true opinions out of fear, or simply do not want to hurt another person’s feelings, the simple fact remains that the team may not be aware of everything they need to consider. They miss the opportunity to be more objective in reaching an educated decision on the goals the team is trying to attain. This can also lead to members of the team feeling as though a member does not care and give them reason to discount whatever input that member may have. It is important to remember that there are certain instances when avoidance is needed to move the team along. For instance if what is causing the conflict is something trivial that will not have an adverse effect on the ultimate goal of the team it is likely a good idea to avoid it. It may be also be a good idea to use this method temporarily to give a team time to gather their thoughts on an important issue they need to resolve, but cannot get certain members to be objective or reasonable because they are standing firm behind their point of view. Competition is a conflict management style exactly opposite of avoidance. This is a very confrontational style, which characteristics consist of forcefully persuading others that their position is the only correct position. A person who exerts this style in most cases seeks to win with the intent of another person losing. They want control and work to achieve it no matter what. This type of style is infectious to a team. It is hard for a team to work at attaining a common goal if the level of competition in the team is such that no one can agree. Competition often leads to unethical ways of trying to persuade others in the team like shouting, or even threatening. These types of behaviors lead to defensiveness and distrust as members may feel as if they are forced into a decision rather than arriving at a decision on their own. Again, just like with all management styles it is not always a bad thing to be competitive. When working as a team it is important to remember the goals of the team and be mindful that the actions taken are working toward that goal. No matter how right a person is individually, he or she must find a way to get the rest of the team to agree that their point of view is correct or the best action for the goal the team is trying to accomplish. Otherwise, they will accomplish nothing and alienate themself from the team. The other members of the team can again feel as if that member does not care about what is best for the team and discount his or her ideas as one sided. Of all of the conflict management styles, collaboration is the style that most researchers agree is the best for achieving the goals of a team. â€Å"To collaborate is to have a high concern for both yourself and others† (Beebe Masterson, 2009, p. 52). This common belief among users of this style drives them to search for answers using all of the tools at the team’s disposal. The different dynamics of the team become assets. They see the differences that distinguish the members of the team as points of view are respected and viewed objectively. Differences like a male versus a female’s perspective, race, culture, and even social or economic status are viewpoints that give all in the team a bigger picture of the different issues they may need to consider when coming to a conclusion about how best to achieve their goal. Though this style is thought of as the best route for teams to use, it is lso one of the most difficult. Even a person who has a natural talent or personality that promotes this style of conflict management has to practice to be effective using this style in a team setting. A person cannot be judgmental and must be sure not to take anything said personally. This is something that most if not all of the team members must have an awareness of. All team members have to feel comfortable with the results and with what was given up from their own personal point of view to arrive at the team’s decision. This style is also very demanding so it requires a good amount of patience. Depending on how quick a decision is needed it is not always possible for a team to achieve and some in the team may not believe that their best interests were achieved. I realized through this research that I am a person who naturally uses the collaboration style of conflict management in many areas of my life. In my relationship with my wife, I use collaboration as a way to strengthen our alliance in running our household. Feeling as if we are a team benefits the decisions we make for our family. Our children see us as united in our decision making. This is something we had to work to achieve and collaboration was the key to its success. We had a competitive style at first and our children would use that fact to split us up on decisions that we made pertaining to them. I could break that cycle by focusing on putting our ego’s aside. Our discussions were no longer about who was right or wrong. It was a process that started with accommodation to show I was willing to take the first step. That eventually grew into compromise, which is what most couples strive for. Finding a middle ground gives most couples the sense that they are working as a team. Collaboration, however, is the ability of that team not to find a middle ground, but actively work to agree and the best plan or action together by understanding and processing each other’s viewpoint to come up with decisions together. It is a style that comes in handy when training my children on the importance of being responsible and accountable for their actions. Collaborating on goals so that they are part of the decision-making process empowers them to believe they have control over what decisions they make. In my school and professional life collaboration has proven to be a way to drive for results. Team members work better when they are at ease in their decision-making, and everyone is comfortable with each other. Disagreements work themselves out with little stress because of the trust established through everyone’s willingness to collaborate on the goals set in place. Because the goals were set together, everyone has a vested interest in its outcome and most want that outcome to be a successful one. When I do encounter a person on my team with a conflicting style, I tend to take some time away from the situation to evaluate the best course of action for our progress. I take into account the level of importance our issue may have on our ultimate goal and what if any ethical issues are involved. Collaboration, though it is my favorite approach, is not always the approach I may use to resolve the issue. I am not one to avoid the issue entirely, but I have had to use accommodation, compromise, and even competition depending on what the issue is and what personality I am dealing with. In conclusion, you can see that there is no one way to manage conflict. I believe that being able to adapt to the different conflict styles will assist a person in overcoming conflict. Collaboration best supports a person who is adaptable and best supports a team’s objective because it focuses on the goals of the team by giving each person on the team’s needs equal importance.

Collegiate Sports Essay -- NCAA

Weston (2006) provided a more focused approach in describing the value of foreign signings in collegiate competition. However, instead of focusing on the financial gains associated with sustained success in division 1 competition, Weston discussed the benefits of international recruitment to collegiate sports as a whole to promote globalization and integration in collegiate sports. The term international student-athletes was used by Weston in referring to any foreign born student recruited by a university to play a specific sport in exchange for a college scholarship. In order to gauge the benefits of international recruitment, Weston asserts that a review of pertinent factors must be made. Factors stated by by Weston in her study includes the current standards of the NCAA, the effects of these signings to the educational opportunities and playing environment for local student-athletes and the American perception of internationalization of college sports (Weston, 2006). The primary benefit of international recruitment is the improvement of an already celebrated phenomenon in the United States. Globalization in collegiate sports through migration and movement of foreign athletes is generally beneficial for all institutions (Weston, 2006). The presence of these international athletes provide diversity that enriches the whole educational and sporting experience in inter-collegiate sports, fostering a sense of brotherhood, international relations, and cultural integration that Weston believes would improve the political and social awareness of students that are not only limited in the realm of sports competition. The increased number of available talent increases the quality of competition, resulting into the improvement of the sp... ...es present for local students to have success in their respective sports. Abbey-Pinegar asserted that the enforcement of discernible rules and regulations would help improve and standardized the system of international recruitment, allowing more schools to experience its benefits rather then only a few. Abbey-Pinegar concluded that international signings of foreign student-athletes would continue for the desire of many schools is to create a winning team for the success of their sports programs. Creating policies and standards that enforce regulation and standardization of international recruitment can help create a level playing field for schools in the different NCAA divisions. Furthermore, the creation of such regulations can help alter the focus of many towards the benefits that international recruitment brings to the students rather than the institution.

Comparing two short stories -My brother?s keeper and Do angels wear E

Comparative analysis of two stories : "My brother’s keeper " " and Do angels wear brassieres?" The two short stories that I am comparing are " My brother’s keeper" by Geoffrey Philp and " Do angels wear brassieres?" by Olive Senior. "My brother’s keeper" talked about history ,race , identity, friendship, family, age, motherhood and sexuality and how they are defined around cultural and traditional positions. It is about a young man named Paul and his account of the changes he went through dealing with a step brother he did not even know existed until the very first day the boy showed up at their door . His step- brother’s name was David and he was coming from America where he was lived with his mother and father until their death. " Do angels wear brassieres?" is about little girl named Beccka’s quest for knowledge and what she had to go through as a teenager living with two females in one house .In this story I saw the relationships among family, friendship, motherhood,voice, tradition, ethnicity and how these fit into the identity of the individual in addition to their gender ,age and sexuality. Although " My brother’s keeper" and "Do angels wear brassieres?" were written by two different authors, they had a lot in common .Both of them were set in the island country of Jamaica and were about single families. From the beginning, the narrator in " My brother’s keep...

Causes of Global Warming

Natural causes of global warming include the release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands, climate change, volcanoes etc. Methane, a greenhouse gas which traps the heat within the earth's atmosphere, is let out in large quantities in the arctic tundra and wetlands. In case of volcanoes, when a volcano erupts, tons of ash is let out into the atmosphere. Even though nature contributes to global warming, this contribution is very insignificant when compared to human contribution for this hazard. Anthropogenic Causes. Anthropogenic causes for global warming are those which are caused due to human activities. The most prominent cause being man-made pollution. A large part of this pollution can be attributed to the burning of fossil fuels. This includes burning coal to produce electricity as well as burning gasoline to power internal combustion engine vehicles. When these fossil fuels are burnt, they let out carbon dioxide, which is yet another greenhouse gas which traps heat within the atmosphere of the Earth and contributes to global warming. Secondly when the Earth is dug to extract these fossil fuels in the process known as mining, the methane inside the Earth's crust escapes into the atmosphere and adds to other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. If we start investigating the anthropogenic causes of global warming, we zero in on one of the most important cause of global warming – population. More population means more requirements, which includes food, electricity and transport. In order to fulfill these requirements, more fossil fuels are consumed, which eventually leads to global warming. Humans breathe out carbon dioxide, and with an increasing population, the amount of carbon dioxide humans breathe out also increases and leads to global warming. Even agriculture contributes to global warming, owing to the extensive use of fertilizers, and the dung produced by cattle which is another prominent source of methane. These were just a few of the numerous global warming causes. Many people argue that global warming is a slow process, But they forget that the factors which cause global warming are rapidly rising. The rate at which we are contributing to global warming has rose considerably, and is expected to rise at a faster rate in the future. We have already done enough of damage, and hence it's high time we understand the global warming causes, we may not live to face the dreaded consequences of global warming, but if we don't act fast, it will be our future generations who will have to bear the brunt.

Alzheimers essays

Alzheimers essays Alzheimers disease (pronounced AHLZ-high-merz) is a complex disease that affects the brain. Approximately 4.5 million Americans have this disease. Although many things about Alzheimers remain a mystery, research continues to bring us a better understanding of the disease, more accurate diagnoses, and more effective treatments. Alzheimers disease is one of several disorders that cause the gradual loss of brain cells. The disease was first described in 1906 by German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Although the disease was once considered rare, research has shown that it is the leading cause of dementia. Recent memory loss that affects skills. It is normal to occasionally forget appointments, recent events, names or telephone numbers. Those in the early stages of Alzheimers Disease may forget things more often and may struggle with or drop out of complex activities, which require a high level of brain power. Repetitiveness in conversation is another sign of short term memory loss. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve them at the end of the meal. People with Alzheimers Disease could prepare a meal, forget to serve it, and also forget they made it. Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimers Disease may forget simple words or substitute inappropriate words, making his or her sentences incomprehensible. Its normal to forget the day of the week or your destination for a moment, but people with Alzheimers Disease can become lost on their own street, not know where they are, how they got there, or how to get home. People can become so involved in an activity that they temporarily forget about the running water tap or such like. They may dress inappropriately, wearing several shirts or blouses or nightwear over day ...

Level of Credibility in the USA

Level of Credibility in the USA 1. Al Gore Former U.S. Presidential CandidateAdvertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Level of Credibility in the USA specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Current Occupation: Environmental Conservation Advocate 2. Warren Buffet CEO Berkshire Hathaway, 2nd Richest Man in the World, Estimated fortune $55 Billion Current Occupation: Investor, Philanthropist 3. Oprah Winfrey first Billionaire African American, Pioneer of televised intimate public discourse Current Occupation Retired, Philanthropist. 4. Mark Zuckerberg Creator of FacebookAdvertising Looking for assessment on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Current occupation Facebook owner and CEO 5. Barrack Obama First African American U.S. President Current Occupation President of the United States The various individuals that have been listed above have all impacted U.S. socie ty in their own unique way. Mark Zuckerberg has helped changed the way we communicate and interact with people online, Barack Obama has shown that minorities can rise to great heights of achievement, Oprah Winfrey became one of the first African American billionaires showing that poverty among minorities can be overcome, Al Gore is championing the cause of the environmental movement even though he lost in his run to be president and finally Warren Buffet has become a stellar example of proper and responsible investing in a world where investors are thought to be cut throat and purely money oriented. All these individuals in their own way reflect the qualities inherent to credibility through their own legitimizing factor. Legitimizing factors refer to aspects inherent to these particular individuals that lend a certain amount of credence and authority to their words and deeds (Tormala, 684). This can come in the form of either academic knowledge in their particular field, recent nota ble accomplishments from which they received public acclaim and distinction, or even a certain type of distinction attained through current actions or the attainment of a particular position of notability (Tarver, 412). This legitimizing factor can be seen in the various individuals given as examples since through their inherent qualities such as their character in the public eye they are afforded a certain level of credibility which in turn gives them the ability to properly persuade audiences regarding the righteousness of their actions or statements. As seen from the various examples given, they all come from diverse backgrounds ranging from politics, economics to technological development yet each has a distinct similarity in terms of the attitude they bring to the public eye. Each of these individuals emphasize on the nearly endless opportunities available to the common individual.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Level of Credibility in the USA sp ecifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They state that individuals can create great things as it can be seen from their own experiences, that the only limitation is a persons inability to see the opportunity that is right before their eyes. What must also be understood is that credibility often comes hand in hand with the accomplishments and power that a person currently wields. In the case of the examples given one distinct types of power emerges, namely, the power of influence through accomplishment. From Al Gore all the way down to Barack Obama the power of influence through accomplishment can be seen in the various goals these people set for themselves and actually accomplished which lends them a distinct air of credibility in terms of public perception towards them. As a result this creates a form of empowerment through which these particular individuals are given credibility through public identification with their various accomplishments. Bas ed on what has been presented on the various individuals chosen for this paper it can be seen that creation of the perception of credibility is often attached to either particular accomplishments or a sense of public identification for that particular individual towards a particular subject that creates perception of credibility. As such when addressing an audience during persuasive presentations it often important to create an initial sense of public identification between you as a speaker and the topic that you are discussing. This often comes in the form of stating that you accomplished a particular task which gives you the ability to speak about it or that youve attained a certain degree of educational accomplishment in a particular field enabling you to make your own persuasive arguments regarding it. Tarver, Jerry. Communication and Credibility. Vital Speeches of the Day 47.13 (1981): 412. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. Tormala, Zakary L., Pablo Brià ±ol, and Richard E . Petty. When credibility attacks: The reverse impact of source credibility on persuasion. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 42.5 (2006): 684-691. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.Advertising Looking for assessment on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Free Essays on I Can’t Bite My Lip Any More

I Can’t Bite My Lip Any More Should music companies that generate violent music be held legally liable for the effects of the music they produce? Over the years music has become more violent, mostly in rap, and rock and roll. Many of the outside critics believe that the violence in music has a lot to do with the increase in violence in society. The critics, as well as some of the parents believe that the producers of the violent material should be held responsible for the effects of the material that they produce. The thing that they should be concerned with most are the people committing the crimes instead of blaming the music. In recent years, the rap industry has been blamed for a number of incidents involving violence. Many of the critics blame it on the so-called "GANGSTA RAP", because of the explicit lyrics in the music. An example of how the rap industry has been blamed is a rapper named Ice T. Who has once fallen under the gun of the critics, because of a song he wrote called "Cop Killa". Not too long after the song was released there were a number of incidents out in Los Angeles, where there were police officers being killed, and others who were almost killed. When these people were caught and questioned, a number of them blamed their actions on the song "Cop Killa". But it is not Ice T's fault for these crimes, but the fault of the person committing these crimes against the police. The media along with the critics of the rap industry would say that while the person that tried to kill the officer is guilty, they were lead to do this because of the lyrics in the song. In the song he said because of this hate, he wanted to go out and kill any cop that he came across. This is a fine example to use because, you can’t blame the rapper for the crime of someone else, in this case it would be Ice T. Long before the release of this record there were cases in which there were people trying to kill officers, not only in L.A. ... Free Essays on I Can’t Bite My Lip Any More Free Essays on I Can’t Bite My Lip Any More I Can’t Bite My Lip Any More Should music companies that generate violent music be held legally liable for the effects of the music they produce? Over the years music has become more violent, mostly in rap, and rock and roll. Many of the outside critics believe that the violence in music has a lot to do with the increase in violence in society. The critics, as well as some of the parents believe that the producers of the violent material should be held responsible for the effects of the material that they produce. The thing that they should be concerned with most are the people committing the crimes instead of blaming the music. In recent years, the rap industry has been blamed for a number of incidents involving violence. Many of the critics blame it on the so-called "GANGSTA RAP", because of the explicit lyrics in the music. An example of how the rap industry has been blamed is a rapper named Ice T. Who has once fallen under the gun of the critics, because of a song he wrote called "Cop Killa". Not too long after the song was released there were a number of incidents out in Los Angeles, where there were police officers being killed, and others who were almost killed. When these people were caught and questioned, a number of them blamed their actions on the song "Cop Killa". But it is not Ice T's fault for these crimes, but the fault of the person committing these crimes against the police. The media along with the critics of the rap industry would say that while the person that tried to kill the officer is guilty, they were lead to do this because of the lyrics in the song. In the song he said because of this hate, he wanted to go out and kill any cop that he came across. This is a fine example to use because, you can’t blame the rapper for the crime of someone else, in this case it would be Ice T. Long before the release of this record there were cases in which there were people trying to kill officers, not only in L.A. ...

Answer questions from articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer questions from articles - Essay Example Schor explains that these statistics underpin the need for the revival of the discourse that will call all individuals and households to reconsider their material requirements. In order for this right to be enforced, she suggests that governments should guarantee their citizens of employment, supply their basic needs, and consider using government income vouchers or transfers (Schor 7). A second element that Schor believes can help overcome the problems in American consumerism is an emphasis on quality of life rather than quantity of stuff. Schor states that it was in the 1970s that the indicators of the quality of the life of Americans stopped reflecting their incomes and the country’s Gross Domestic Product. She states that there is evidence suggesting that earning an income above the poverty line does not necessarily improve an individual’s well-being. She asserts that the lack of emphasis on well-being among the people above the poverty line is an indication of people’s concern with relative rather than absolute income. She states that an alternative explanation to the unlikely relationship between income and well-being could be the fact that increased output undermines factors yielding welfare (Schor 7). She observes that this is seen in the increase in work time, the decline in family leisure and time for one’s community. She offers that these two things exemplify the inverse relationship between growth and social capital. Growth and increased materialism affects a person’s appreciation of personal meaning, social commitment, community, religion, and family, all of which are alternative sets of values. She advises that the labor market should be restructured to allow workers more time to themselves and that companies that require their workers to work for excessive hours should be penalized. Schor believes that this will serve as an alternative indicator of GNP,

Tips to help a teacher support a child with Asperger's syndrome and Outline

Tips to help a teacher support a child with Asperger's syndrome and social interaction difficulties - Outline Example Idea 1: Constant use of body movements such as gestures and facial expressions like eye gazing as a way of interaction between the teacher and the children. This will encounter the problem of marked impairment to boost interaction (Kumar, 2014). Idea 2: in terms of the arrangement, age factor should be a priority. It should involve arranging the students according to their age sets in the class setup. This ensures that any problem of peer relationship in terms of age inappropriateness is avoided (Montgomery, Stoesz & Mccrimmon, 2013). Black, D, Wallace, G, Sokoloff, J, & Kenworthy, L 2009, Brief Report: IQ Split Predicts Social Symptoms and Communication Abilities in High-Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 39, 11, pp. 1613-1619, Kumar, A 2014, Key factors associated with Asperger’s syndrome and implications for effective teaching to enhance student participation and engagement, International Journal of Human Sciences, 11, 2, pp. 484-501, Montgomery, J, Stoesz, B, & Mccrimmon, A 2013, Emotional Intelligence, Theory of Mind, and Executive Functions as Predictors of Social Outcomes in Young Adults with Asperger Syndrome, Focus On Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities, 28, 1, pp. 4-13, Scharfstein, L, Beidel, D, Sims, V, & Finnell, L 2011, Social Skills Deficits and Vocal Characteristics of Children with Social Phobia or Aspergers Disorder: A Comparative Study, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 6, pp.

Read the case study about Cottage Condiments and answer the 4 Essay

Read the case study about Cottage Condiments and answer the 4 questions as a report - Essay Example The major strength for Cottage Condiment is that it produces naturally flavoured products. The products are made from natural fruits and plants which give them a natural flavour. The products are also lowly priced hence making affordable to consumers in the market. Additionally the business is offering a wide range of products including pickles, chutney and relish of different flavors such as peach and ginger, traditional apple, plum and ripe tomato (Hollyoake, 2009, p. 45). Cottage Condiment products have a strong presence in the local market. This is evident from the number of sales that the business is making on a daily basis. The strengths provide a solid foundation for the business to expand into a wider market. The major weakness of Cottage Condiment is that its managers have very little knowledge in business. Jon Wright is a retired engineer who has never engaged in business at any point of his life. His wife also has very little experience in the operations of a business. The owners of the business are retired and have little capital to finance its expansion (Hollyoake, 2009, p. 55). This may curtail the operations and expansion of the business. The market for pickles, chutney and relish has recorded a consistent growth in the last three years. This is a wonderful opportunity for the business to attract a significant portion of the market. The growing demand for Cottage Condiment products in the local market is also an opportunity for the business to expand its operations and serve a larger market. Competition from established businesses such as supermarkets is the greatest threat that Cottage Condiment faces. This may make it harder for the business to grow and serve a larger market because it is already occupied by established businesses. The other threat is the unpredictable market performance which makes it risky to expand in an uncertain market. The UK has a stable political environment that is

Case study information system in management Essay

Case study information system in management - Essay Example From there, the next thing I will do is to create a team of experts that would help me plan and reorganize the system with in the department. I would use the Gantt chart to lay out my proposed schedule to administer the reorganizing of staff and revising of the system in order to revive what the department has lost both in finances and clients. At the same time having the Gantt chart will help the department be able to know (in detail) what are the steps that we are about to do and we know what we need to accomplish and when we should be able to accomplish it. The Pert Chart is also necessary especially for the reorganization of the information system. In one of the seminars or trainings that I plan to hold as part of the reconstruction of the department, I would provide them the Pert Chart to show them the concrete steps that is needed in information system. This way, the staff would be able to understand that each steps under the Pert Chart is significant and also they would be able to understand and realize that all of them would need to follow the steps accordingly.

Dqweek7 r 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dqweek7 r 9 - Essay Example John Elkington (1995) coined the phrase, "people, planet, profit". This was while he was at SustainAbility. This is an organization which was created in order to deliver guidelines which are socially responsible. This were supplied to large corporations who considered profits to be more important than any possible benefits for wider society. An enterprise which is described as having a triple bottom line is one which aims to benefit a variety of constituencies, without exploiting or endangering any one group. In 2004 Elkington described wha the named as the "upstreaming" of a percentage of any profit created by selling finished goods to those who originally produced the raw materials used.( This triple bottom line consists of several factors including concerns which are to do with the environment , society and the economy. The phrase "People, planet and profit" describes the ways in which an organization has an impact in these areas. All three should be considered if an organization is to succeed and to do good. The other side of this is sustainability. Lots of companies finds themselves forced sacrifice possible benefits to wider society simply in order to keep going at a profit. Ultimately profit motives are seen far as being more important than any possible social benefits, unless the organization finds that it can do this using the society’s resources (Aupperle, Carroll, and Hatfield, 1985). A quick scan of the media backs up this negative view of what is actually going on. Too many organizations seem devoid of any degree of social responsibility. Considering the readings to date, what are the future projections for the idea of the triple bottom line? If a cost versus benefit analysis were carried out on this subject what conclusions would be reached? What reasons are there for this? Brown, Dillard and Marshall, (2006) came up with a working paper about the Triple Bottom Line. Idea. They described it

Case study information system in management Essay

Case study information system in management - Essay Example From there, the next thing I will do is to create a team of experts that would help me plan and reorganize the system with in the department. I would use the Gantt chart to lay out my proposed schedule to administer the reorganizing of staff and revising of the system in order to revive what the department has lost both in finances and clients. At the same time having the Gantt chart will help the department be able to know (in detail) what are the steps that we are about to do and we know what we need to accomplish and when we should be able to accomplish it. The Pert Chart is also necessary especially for the reorganization of the information system. In one of the seminars or trainings that I plan to hold as part of the reconstruction of the department, I would provide them the Pert Chart to show them the concrete steps that is needed in information system. This way, the staff would be able to understand that each steps under the Pert Chart is significant and also they would be able to understand and realize that all of them would need to follow the steps accordingly.

Econ 4020 reaction 12-13 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econ 4020 reaction 12-13 - Term Paper Example However, the total nation debt has kept on fluctuating with different administration implementing significantly different economic policies. In 1919, the participation of the USA in the World War I escalated the total national debt from $6 billion to slightly above $27 billion. The period marking 1920s was characterized by increased levels of private sector spending. As a result, the government generated excess revenue that lead to reduction of the national debt to $16.9 billion. Rate of unemployment also reduced drastically; the nation almost achieved full employment. Unfortunate, in 1929, another great recession invaded the economy as the private spending started to decline. The rate of unemployment too increased (Davidson, 2010). The total national debt continued to increase and by 1936, its ratio to GDP was approximately 4:6. Notably, irrespective of the high debts the USA economy still grew significantly. The period marking World War II (1941-1945), the USA government expenditure drastically increased due to the massive funding of the war. What is interesting is that while the total national debt increased by over 500%, the GDP also doubled. It is recorded that the period that marked the ending of World War I saw each American household have improved standards of living. There was not negative effect of the war as was speculated. The lesion learnt from the historical economic review of the USA is that there should not be fear in spending huge amount of money that results into high debts. The theoretical evidence provided in this paper justifies that the USA economy mostly thrives in times of recession and great depression. Keynes theory suggests that spenders (government) should increase aggregate market demand through spending heavily. This will go along way into creating more job opportunity and at the same time generating additional profits that can be reinvested to grow the economy (Davidson, 2010). The idea is

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay The series of photographs documented by the Farm Security Administration of the Office of War Information photographers were taken between 1937 and 1943, presumably during the years the unit was in operation. These photographers were tasked to document various manifestations of change and continuity in the prevalent American life, and this resulted in a vivid collection of images that particularly focused on the practice of racial segregation. Curiously, while the photographers were not officially acknowledged to have been directed to document specific scenes, the prints produced exhibited a skew toward signs that indicate racial discrimination and segregation (LOC 2004). Among the thirty-one photos included in the series, all depict signs situated in a number of locations such as bus and train stations, restaurants, cafes, bars, movie theaters, stores, and billiard halls. These signs also collectively show the use of words such as â€Å"colored† and â€Å"white’, which clearly validate the existence of segregation between Caucasian Americans and individuals of ethnic origins such as blacks and Indians. True to the era during which they were photographed, the environment and people incidentally present in each picture appear in authentic manners of architecture and fashion. II. Racial Segregation in America The issue on race and discrimination in America can be famously traced centuries back, with the history of Africans being brought into the country as slaves. Though this deplorable condition had been corrected by the gains of the Civil War, thus granting freedom to blacks. However, the occurrence of the Great Depression in the 1920s brought back situations identical to those experienced by African-Americans previously, as the country was beset by the chaos produced by the lack of jobs and sources of income. In 1932, most blacks found themselves without work, and there was increasing pressure from whites to have blacks fired from any job that they believed should be assigned to unemployed whites. Numerous forms of racial violence again ensued, particularly in the South, during the 1930s (LOC 2002). The legal foundation of racial segregation was the Jim Crow laws, which were imposed in the 1860s mainly in railroad cars, and continued to be enforced throughout the decades until the 1960s (McElrath 2008). The effects of segregation on typical American life and society were apparently significant enough to create scenes extraordinary enough to tell their own stories through photographs, which were precisely what the Farm Security collection achieved. III. Beyond the Signs: Marking the Lines of Race The objective of the Farm Security photographs had been to depict regular American life, yet it is clear how the typicality of the images at the time does not lend itself in the same nature today. There is a point of discussion in the deliberate move to show not just groups of whites and ethnic people, but the centering on the signs that limit freedom, that erase the function of choice. The study of signs, known as semiotics, provides the connection between the audience, interpreter, and the sign itself (Littlejohn 2008). The photos, with their studied involvement of the actual sign, venue, and individuals, already form the three-part process; the blacks are the audience and the photographer is the interpreter, within the space covered by the sign. This shows how the photographers aimed to convey a reality, a system that used semiotics as a way to impose discrimination. This they had done with not just a bit of participation on their end, quite like the way Coles (1997) appropriated documentary work with the linking of lives with the subject. The same logic is utilized by Gripsrud (in Gillespie and Toynbee 2006), when he classified a photographer’s work as indexical—the identifying of a specific aspect of a subject—and therefore lends to much subjectivity. IV. Showing Signs of Racial Conflict to an Audience While the audience of the signs were the blacks—and whites, depending on the sign and situation—the photos’ audience are people who would benefit from knowledge of a different period, as was the arguable objective of the Farm Security photographers in documenting change and continuity in American life. Mainly, the photos were for research and evaluation, whether or not the audience would find them appalling or give them their approval. It may be possible that some of those who comprise the audience are people who have lived through the same era, making them mere confirmations of what they already know; but the more relevant audience would be the uninformed, who would find new insight into American society and its management of racial issues in the late 1930s and early 40s. V. Appropriation of Technique and Style in Communicating Racism The black-and-white photography is already significant on its own, referring to the subjects as well; seeing words on the signs captured in the photographs deals a double blow—‘black’, or ‘colored’, and ‘white’ signs in black-and-white photos. The photographers simply captured the signs as they were, specially for those in venues without people milling around, but there were also photos that provided degrees of humanity and emotion. One of the most striking is a photo of a bar showing whites having beer, a sign on the wall above them that says â€Å"Positively no beer sold to Indians†. Though Indians are known for their penchant for alcohol, it is disturbing one clear sign can show how this ethnic group is singled out and discriminated against—an error of generalization. The white people in the photo appear serious and quite professional, which indicates how the sign should not be misconstrued as a joke. Other photos in the collection, though showing signs and places rather than people as subjects, reveal the increasing culture of urbanization—shown by the railroads, buses, and stores where the signs are found. Urbanization, being common ground for both blacks and whites, necessitates signs; these indicate white control over society and economy, and the intent to keep ‘colored’ people away from this power. Works Cited Primary Source: Library of Congress. â€Å"Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photographers†. Prints Photographs Reading Room. April 30, 2004. http://www. loc. gov/rr/print/list/085_disc. html Secondary Sources: Coles, Robert. â€Å"The Tradition: Fact and Fiction†. Doing Documentary Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Gripsrud, Jostein. â€Å"Semiotics: signs, codes and cultures†. In Gillespie, Marie and Jason Toynbee. Analysing Media Texts. Berkshire: Open University Press, 2006. Library of Congress. â€Å"Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945: Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s†. 2002. http://lcweb2. loc. gov/learn/features/timeline/depwwii/race/race. html McElrath, Jessica. â€Å"Creation of Jim Crow South: Segregation in the South†. About. com. 2008. http://afroamhistory. about. com/od/jimcrowlaw1/a/creationjimcrow. htm

Kellers Model Of Customer Based Brand Equity Marketing Essay

Kellers Model Of Customer Based Brand Equity Marketing Essay How do consumers evaluate service brands: An investigation of the performance of Harrods as a service brand to get their brand image Background of the Research Branding has been one the most exciting yet phenomenal marketing concept of the 21st century. A brand can be viewed as a promise made with consumers, the promise of providing consistent quality and satisfaction (Balmer Greyser, 2003). Therefore the term brand can be defined as a name, symbol, design or a combination of these to identify a product in the marketplace (Keller, 2006). Brands have become very important in recent years and are part of our everyday life and with so much choice available it becomes difficult to choose a particular branded product. Usually consumers tend to select products that are familiar to them, products that tend to have a clear meaningful set of values, attributes and brand names that are trusted (Keller, 2006). Both physical goods and services can be branded, however there has been a vast focus towards the branding of physical goods and very little work carried out on the branding of services (OCass Grace, 2004). The growth of services has been rapid across the world and it has become important to understand the tools that can be used to brand a service to initiate differentiation. Branding of physical products tends to be simpler because the consumer is able to hold, touch and feel the end product. Branding a service is slightly more complicated due to its intangible nature, because youre not going home with an item but more of an experience that occurs with services. Many scholars such as de Chernatony and DallOlmo Riley (1999), Berry (2000), McDonald, de Chernatony and Harris (2001) and OCass and Grace (2003, 2004) have taken an approach to create a framework that can be used towards branding a service. Most of these frameworks are created to measure services that are intangible such as banks, hotels, airline, financial and consultant services. This study will be focusing on the branding of Harrods services. The study has been motivated by the nature of service branding and the frameworks that have been created by scholars previously mentioned. However not all of these frameworks are applicable for this study and therefore will be concentrating only on the framework created by OCass and Grace (2004). The main reason being the framework created by OCass and Grace (2004) is the only one that measures service brands from the consumers point of view. The service brand model by OCass and Grace (2004) will be used against services being offered by Harrods. Harrods is basically famous for the luxury and high class products it offers, however this research emphasises on the services it offers. The main services Harrods offers are as follows: Karim Fayed hearing centre Beauty Sports Fitness Financial and property services Home lifestyle The studio Interior Design Innovation Furniture and interior design Food Fashion and accessories Fine Jewellery Weddings Occasions Corporate gifting services Healthcare Airport Services This research is not particularly focusing on one service it provides, rather it takes all these services in general and the respondents would be the customers of Harrods who have used any of its services. Aims and Objectives The main aim of this project is as followed. What are the service branding factors taken into consideration by consumers when selecting a luxury brand service provider; Harrods? The following objectives have been suggested and need be reached for a successful achievement of the project aim a) To identify, examine and discuss the relevant service branding associations consumers hold towards service brands b) To identify and discuss all the relevant service branding associations directly linked towards Harrods Services c) To examine how important are the service brand association for Harrods service consumers d) To evaluate the influence these associations have on the purchase of services from Harrods Literature Review Overview What is Brand? A brand is basically a trademark or a distinctive name of a product or manufacturer, it conveys and portrays the image of the product; word brand refers to a name, term, symbol, sign or design used by a firm to differentiate its offerings from those of its competitors, to identify a product with a particular seller, Kotler, (1999) stated. Developing a good brand has become a major task for many organizations today because it provides a number of advantages. Strong brands help the firm establish an identity in the market place (Aaker, 1991). A successful brand has a recognizable name which provides specific attributes to the consumer (i.e. quality, elegance, value). According to The Economist (1988) the basic purpose of branding is to build the products image, this image will influence the perceived worth of the product and will increase the brands value to the customer, leading to brand loyalty. From the marketing perspective, Kotler (1994) believes brands convey a few meanings to th e consumers like: Benefit: The help and benefit sought provided by the firm to its consumers, which is transformed by its attributes Culture: The brand reflects an organizations image and equity Personality: The brand is regarded with certain characteristics Users self-image: The brand reflects or consistent with consumers self-image Brand Value: Both physical and mental values provided by the brand to its customers Attribute: The functions of the product brand provide Companies normally develop brands as a source or mode to attract and keep customers by promoting value, image, prestige, or lifestyle. Hence, a brand is not just a symbol but comprises of core product, packaging and marketing communication, which includes many important meanings and values of a firm; the objective of brand building is to develop more valuable profits and benefits to the company. Relationship of Brands and Their Equity According to Motameni and Shahrokhi (1998) today brands play an important part in marketing strategy because it has become an important marketing component for the company and a source of information for the consumers. Branding and brand equity has been a key topic of interest to the researchers of marketing for many years. The term brand can be explained as a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combinations of them which is intended to identify the goods and the services of a seller or a group of sellers to differentiate them from those of competitors (Kotler, 2005. pp 42). This topic of branding and brand equity has been a detailed research topic in the marketing literature. Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) have gave some thorough insight into brand equity, and both have provided theoretical schemes that link brand equity with various consumer response variables. Brand equity has emerged as a marketing imperative, so too has the need to fully understand and manage brand associations (OCass Grace, 2003). Aaker (1996) has defined brand equity as a set of assets (and liabilities) linked to a brands name and symbol that adds to (or subtract from) the value provided by a product or service to a firm and/or that firms customers. Aaker has also identified five assets of brand equity: brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand associations and other proprietary brand assets. Aaker (1996) also presented brand isentity model which is very important in elaborating the concept of brand identity. Fig. 2.1 Source (Aaker 1996) The brand is a very important tool for marketers as consumers use it as a reminder to conclude certain product attributes such as quality (Krishnan Hartline, 2001). Lim OCass (2000) stated that brands are seen to be valuable assets and sources of differentiation that plays a vital role in marketing strategy. Branded goods make it simpler for consumers to identify the product in the marketplace (Lassar et al, 1995), brands also reduce the consumers search costs, perceived risk and signals the quality of the product (Keller, 2006). Kellers Model of Customer Based Brand Equity On the hand Keller (1993, 1998) has proposed a knowledge based framework which is a customer based brand equity model. The framework consists of two dimensions commonly known as brand awareness and brand image. The model consists of product related and non product related attributes (OCass Grace, 2003; Keller, 2003). The product related attributes are explained as the components of the core product or service wanted by consumers (Keller, 1993). The related attributes of service can be described as the process that takes place before, during or after receiving the service. For example when a customer uses a dry cleaning service they are paying for getting their clothing cleaned and the price charged is usually for the unseen elements such as the use of premises, detergent, cleaning equipment and employee expertise (OCass Grace, 2003). The non product related attributes refers to all other attributes that are external to the function or the process of the service offering (Keller, 1993). The four non product related categories are: price, user and usage imagery, brand personality and feelings and experiences. Price is considered a non product related attribute as it remains external to the purchase or consumption of a service (Keller, 1993, 1998). In terms of branding the price does not directly reflect the service or performance. Moreover price is established as an important association in brand image evaluation and a strong quality indicator (OCass Grace, 2004, Keller, 1998). User imagery is related to the type of person who is going to use the product or service (Keller, 1998). The attributes are usually formed by the consumers own experience via contact of brand users or by the image represented by marketing communications. On the other hand usage imagery illustrates the situational factors in which the brand is used (Keller, 1998). For example time of day, week or year, location, or type of activity. The user and usage imagery typically reflects the conventional users of a product or service in the context within which it is used. Brand personality has been defined as set of human characteristics or traits that consumers attribute to a brand (Keller, 2006, p.369). In simpler terms brand personality can be expressed by both demographic and psychographic characteristics, providing a concept upon which the brand can be positioned in the consumers mind. Brand personality or personality characteristics are used to target consumers, hence attracting that particular market where the people can relate themselves to how they see their ideal self (Keller, 2006, p.66). A well established brand personality has the ability to increase emotional ties with the brand along with developing trust and loyalty. According to Keller (1998) feelings and experiences which are also non product related attributes, have become important in terms of consumer evaluations of brands, often occurring through the evaluation of advertising. In the context of services, it is important to evaluate the feelings and experiences of service brands. For the reason that production and consumption occur simultaneously in services, the service experience is the active structure of meanings associated with the behaviours, thoughts and feelings that occur during consumption, which directly impacts on the consumers perceived brand image (Keller, 1998, 2006). The measurement of brand equity has also been a high interest area of study. There are direct and indirect measures for brand equity. The direct approach is an attempt made to assess the value added by the brand to the product (Keller, 1993). The indirect approach focuses on the identification of the potential sources of brand equity (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993). Both these approach can be given a merit, however Keller (1993) argues that direct and indirect approach to measuring brand equity are complementary and should be used together. Concept of Service Branding in the Marketing Literature Basically branding is basically an effective marketing strategy, tool and technique which have been utilized with great results for organizations and enormous success in the past (Rooney 1995). Nowadays, branding is facing a new popularity due to new and innovative applications. Though there have been times when branding was less than successful. Now marketers are working to get the appropriate applications in the given settings. All the problems regarding branding strategy in current time include the selection of a proper brand name. Coonan (1993) stated that this fundamental issue will impact on the success of a branding strategy. Marketers have to choose the advertising strategy to support and communicate the name, once a name is selected. Hence keeping the brand in a strong position is a critical concern. New areas of branding include corporate, industrial, and service branding. These non-traditional branding environments are becoming the future for marketers using branding strategy. To add to the new branding areas, there are new branding techniques. These techniques include brand extensions and ingredient branding. New strategies, techniques, and arenas for branding have to be managed. The organization must support and identify with the strategy. The goals, objectives, and mission of any organization should be in line with the branding strategy employed. There has been a lot of work carried out on branding and brand equity by academic researchers like Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1991, 1996), but majority of their work has been focused on physical goods branding. In the last decade there has been many frameworks created to assist marketers to realise how consumers think about, and respond to brands, as a result enabling marketers to implement effective consumer centred marketing activities. Turley and Moore (1995) have stated that there is an increased growth of service economies throughout the world, but the branding literature has mainly explored branding in terms of physical goods, whereas the branding of services has been minimal and left out of the picture. Several researches have been done on services marketing that has focused on topics such as measuring service quality, service failure to service switching but the examination into branding of services has not been undertaken (OCass Grace, 2004). Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1996) have suggested branding frameworks that can be applied to measure brand equity, however these frameworks are excellent when used towards physical goods but are not fully adaptable for service brands as some attributes need to be taken out or completely adjusted. Keller (1993, 1998) has created a construct known as dimensions of brand knowledge which is an in-depth analytical view of the brand from the perspective of the consumer. The model has been criticised because only a small section of the model has been empirically tested to date and the model overlooks the variations found in the area of consumer evaluation concerning goods and services (OCass Grace, 2003). Keller (1998) has however argued that hi s model can be applied to both branding of goods and services. With respect Berry (2000) has criticised that these models by Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1996) have some aspects in common across the two domains of goods and services, but the application of these models can be questioned. The reason being the marketing principles of goods and services are inconsistent because the difference between the two domains. The core offering of goods is different from the offerings of a service, because core service offering of a service is more complex and largely compromises of elements such as processes, people and physical facilities (Tax Stuart, 1997 cited in OCass Grace, 2004). As a result the evaluation of service brands by consumers maybe different as there maybe the need for more or newer attributes required in examining service brands than physical goods brands, hence the models by Keller (1993, 1998) and Aaker (1996) are inconsistent and cannot be completely relied on when eval uating consumer perceptions of service brands. Service When exploring the concept of service Youngs contribution is very important. Youngs (2000: P 43) says, A service, combined with goods products, is experienced and evaluated by customers who have particular goals and motivations for consuming the service. Gronroos (1990) stated that service is an activity or series of activities of more or less intangible nature. He also stated that service normally, but not necessarily, takes place in interactions between the customers and the service employees and/ or physical resources of goods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customers problems. Young (2000) has mentioned three areas of service, to elaborate it in much better way. First is that service takes place via interaction of consumers and the service provider, it can be a company or an individual. The other factors are the physical resources or the environments playing a vital medium role in the process of service production and consumption. Third service is needed by consumers to provide certain functions such as problem-solving. Boone and Kurtz (1994) have worked on services and according to them each of service characteristics is as follows: 1. Intangibility: Customer cannot sample a service before purchasing it that appealing to customers sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. 2. Inseparability: Customer perceptions of the service provider become their perceptions of the service itself. Often Customers are unable to judge the quality of a service before purchase. 3. Perish-ability: The organization cannot put an unsold service into storage. 4. Difficult to Standardizes: It is mostly impossible to standardize offerings among sellers of the same service or even to standardize the service of a single seller. 5. Buyer Involvement: It is very important that buyers are often involved in the development and distribution of services. 6. Service quality is actually high variable in all aspects. When goods and services are compared on the grounds of their characteristics following table can be helpful in doing comparison. Fig. 2.2 Comparison of products and services and service branding implications (Source Grace and OCass 2003) Kristen (2008) stated that when its about providing service, knowing the expectation of customers and the customers perception of the service encounter is a vital component to delivering superior service. Delivering superior service, especially in the hospitality industry creates a myriad of opportunities for the service organization to surpass the competitive and become a recognized leader in the service industry. It only stands to rationalize that the concept of the service encounter directly affects satisfaction, loyalty and future behavioural intensions; which in turn, has a direct affect on the organizations success and financial stability. There are four basic unique features of services: intangibility, inseparability of production and consumption, heterogeneity and perishability. Heterogeneity of Service Brands The advertising that positions the brand should be met by frontline staff as if imitating the brand. Regular planning, control, automation and regular reviews of performance improvement and consumer reaction should be made use of to overcome heterogeneity and quality control difficulties of service brands (Chernatony Riley, 1999). The human element in service condition cannot be subjected to quality control measures as a product from a factory, thus each service experience is potentially distinctive, where consistency can prove difficult to achieve on a regular basis (Berry, 2000). Berry (2000) believes the concurrent product and consumption of services can enable to customise the service brand to serve the needs of particular consumers better, thereby making the practice of marketing the responsibility of every employee. The previous branding strategy is unlikely to accommodate differing consumer needs because of the rigid structure and almost inflexible approach. By making brandin g an internal as well as external activity, may help ensure consistency across time and differing situations (Chernatony Segal-Horn, 2003). Internal branding also known as internal marketing, has received great deal of attention and an area of vast interest, which has created a consistent organisational culture revolving around the brand concept. Within the service company the brand concept needs to be understood, which allows the brand to become an internal cohesive device, enabling employees to retain flexibility to deal with different people and situations, while conforming to the brand concept. As a consequence employee relations and internal communications are essential means to motivate and retain consumer conscious employees and ensure greater consistency in service quality (Chernatony Riley, 1999). Employees with positive attitudes and behaviour can increase consumer satisfaction with the service brand, which results in increased market share and sales. Intangibility of Service Brands The factor of intangibility of the services of the organization makes it hard for customers to identify and assess the quality of a service and differentiating between other competing brands. There is also a concern to firms as they find it difficult to set accurate prices for services. To overcome this problem number of branding strategies can be implemented. It has been suggested the size and reputation of companies, which are perceived associations of the firms brand name, that are used by consumers as an indicator to measure the quality when selecting between very intangible services (Chernatony Riley, 1999). It has also been noted by Balmer and Greyser (2003) that consumers are willing to pay higher premiums for services of a company with a strong reputation. Moreover firms that recognise the company name as the brand name, categorised by a distinctive corporate identity, personality and image is considered an important service branding strategy, providing endorsements recognit ion and acceptance as well as making the service more meaningful hence tangible (Balmer Greyser, 2003; Berry, 2000). Another service branding strategy that has been encouraged is the use of unique logos or physical facilities that consumers can immediately associate with specific service providers by offering relevant tangible clues (Chernatony Riley, 1999). Many researchers have considered the branding of goods and services have their similarities; however specific nature of services requires tailored approaches (McDonald, de Chernatony and Harris 2001). Since every service is based on series of performances, service brands become a target of being perceived as commodities. To overcome this problem McDonald, de Chernatony and Harris (2001) have taken a different approach and recommended to make service brands more tangible to provide consumers with favourable set of perceptions. The authors have distinguished an effective way to carry this out is by using physical components associated with the service. For example making changes to the physical elements associated with the brand such as staff uniform, consistent office decorations to the type music played in store. However making these changes doesnt assure that consumers will have a positive view when assessing the service, because the actual service the company provides cannot be imp roved due to these changes being made. Inseparability of Service Brands As consumers are involved in services production, their expectation usually differ between encounters, mainly due to the fact how they interact with different service providers. The main influence of satisfaction with a service brand is caused by the similarity between expected and perceived behaviour, making it complex to control service quality (Summers, 1996 cited in Chernatony Riley, 1999). Moreover there is an increased emphasis towards selecting and training staff to provide a service that is consistent, however it has been argued firms should emphasis the use of corporate branding to establish a favourable consumer nature towards the company (Balmer, 1995). According to this perspective, the company brand provides consistency to the employees behaviour while maintaining consumers expectations. On the other hand it has been stated that by involving consumers in the production process, firms are better able to adapt services to individual needs. Perishability of Service Brands Service brands face a great challenge not only does the firm have to build a strong image and reputation to attract consumers (Balmer Greyser, 2003), but also preventing competitors from making promises that attract consumers away, even before the service brand has been experienced. Services cannot be stored and the service encounter often does not involve any transfer of ownership. In services such as life insurance or pensions the service is purchased long before the benefits have been received and evaluated. To overcome these difficulties it has been suggested the company should build strong brand image and reputation as one of the branding options available. Another problem arising from the characteristic of perishability is the difficulty in synchronising supply and demand. Service firms need to formulate strategies either to cope with fluctuating demand or make adjustments to match capacity and demand more closely, or they will not only face financial problems but branding iss ues as well (Chernatony Riley, 1999). The brand as recognised by consumers, encapsulates both the quality of the service and the efficiency with which the service is provided. Chernatony Riley (1999) have provided an example that the brand image of a supermarket chain depends not only on the price and the product they stock , but also how quickly and efficiently customers can pay for the good and exit the store. Long waits at queues can adversely affect the image, unless ways are found to speed up the queues or persuade consumers to shop outside peak times. Therefore organisation systems become part of the branding process that enable the delivery of promises with regards to service quality, speed and efficiency. Frameworks of Branding of Services Because of the unique features of services, consumers have a complex time evaluating the content and quality of a service prior to, during and after the usage of the service. It has been stated by Krishnan and Hartline (2001) branding is more important in services due to the complexity faced by consumers in assessing the purchase of a service. Branding of services is critical for the reason that consumers view services as a commodity. Branding of services has not been a well researched area; hence the literature is slow in development and primarily basic in nature (de Chernatony Segal-Horn, 2003; Grace OCass, 2002). Berry (2000) has suggested service brands should be distinctive, relevant, memorable and flexible and should be named same as the company rather than another name. The intangibility of services makes it difficult for consumers to evaluate the quality of the service. Regarding the growth of services across the world and the incompatibility of brand equity frameworks used for services, academics such as Berry (2000) Chernatony and Riley (1999) McDonald, Chernatony and Harris (2001) have tried to resolve this issue by creating a framework that can be examined towards consumer service branding. Chernatony and Rileys model Chernatony and Riley (1999) have carried out research with brand consultants about what they thought the difference is between goods and service brands and how they address this issue and in doing so they have come up with the double vortex brand model. The study was implemented using qualitative approach consisting of semi structured in-depth interviews with selected brand consultants in the UK. The purpose of the interview was to find out how brand consultants make sense of brands and do consultants have similar views regarding the components of the brand. The aim of this model is to find out can branding be equally used towards goods and services, and consultants perceptions towards the principle of branding a service is similar to branding for goods. In order to describe in simple terms the complex nature of brands the authors Chernatony and Riley (1999) had discovered that all participants had adopted a mental model of some description. Brand elements such as functional capabili ties, symbolic features, signs of ownership, distinctive name, service, shorthand notation and legal protection were all referred by consultants that were interviewed and these elements are used to make the double vortex model. Service Branding of Service Brand Equity Berry (2000) has taken a different approach by analysing strategies of 14 mature service companies and has created the service branding model of service brand equity. Berry (2000) believes that brand equity is made up of two components: brand awareness and brand meaning (brand image). The following has also been argued by Berry (2000) that the most important source of brand awareness is the companys presented brand, being the companys controlled communications. The controlled communications typically consists of advertising, service facilities, the appearance of service providers, the company name and logo (Brassington Pettitt, 2006). The secondary impact on brand awareness is the external communications, which is usually information consumers receive about the service that are uncontrolled by the company. Brand meaning on the other hand is said to be mainly influenced by customers experience with a particular service company (Berry, 2000). The reason being service businesses are sa id to be labour intensive, consisting of human interactions and performance, rather than machinery. Berry (2000) has emphasised that this construct plays a critical role in building the brand. The secondary influence on brand meaning is said to be the companys presented brand and the external communications. The service brand model by Berry (2000) has introduced new conceptual elements such as servicescapes, controlled and uncontrolled communications, which are significant towards branding of services. These are the typical elements which are missing from the brand knowledge model constructed by Keller (1998). Service Brand Model In response OCass and Grace (2003, 2004) have created their own version of the service brand model. This model has been constructed by adopting various measures from other branding models and potential branding dimensions applicable for services to create an integrated approach to resolve issues in consumer service branding. The authors believe by identifying the dimensions within the consumers consciousness they can gain greater knowledge of what brands mean to consumers as well as begin to understand to what extent such dimensions impact on the brand attitudes and purchase intentions of service consumers. This construct specifically gathers first hand responses of consumers evaluation of service brands in terms of how they see the brand, what expectations they have and overall feelings attitudes towards the service brand. This model by OCass and Grace (2004) includes the following dimensions: core service, interpersonal service, perceived values, se

Landscape Architecture Essay example -- essays papers

Landscape Architecture For my career opportunity project, I have chosen to take a look at the profession of landscape architecture. This field interest me for several reasons. First, I have always liked to draw and design and growing up I always wanted to be an architect or engineer. I felt that engineering put too many limitations on creativity, so architecture was the path of choice. Then, after working with my father’s small business for the past 6 doing some landscaping and lawn care, I decided that since I enjoyed working with plants and landscaping that I might want to look into a profession that would allow me to continue to work in those areas. Landscape architecture seemed to be the next logical choice, allowing me to continue being involved in the landscape industry and also to work much like I would in the field of architecture. When most people think of landscaping, they think of flower beds around a residence. The landscaping that a landscape architect is responsible for designing, however, rarely deals with residential landscapes and when it does so it is only on expensive projects. While landscape architects may do projects ranging form a few thousand dollars on up to as much as the customer would like to spend, the majority of their work is concentrated in the $30,000 to $15 million range (Pethel). You can see where few residential projects would fall into this range. However, this range is broad enough to encompass many different projects in ...

Dissatisfaction and Mortality Essay -- Literacy Analysis

In Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons, the protagonists experience multiple conflicts with society as a whole and with their own place in that society. Emma Bovary and Yevgeny Bazarov, respectively, determine that the solution to their struggles is suicide. By revealing their characters’ reasoning, methods, and legacies, Flaubert and Turgenev seek to expose a fundamental human need for a sense of societal belonging through the resultant act of suicide, should that need go unfulfilled. The sense of despair that is linked to both Emma’s and Bazarov’s suicides originates from their stark incompatibility with the societies into which they were born. Each protagonist goes through a life long struggle to reshape his or her own niche in the community, in a manner reminiscent of attempting to force a key into a lock that it does not fit. Emma, who was brought up in a rural peasant family, had aspirations for a different place in life beginning as a young girl in a convent school. She kept a collection of â€Å"portraits of unidentified aristocratic English beauties† (Flaubert 872). By marrying Charles Bovary (a doctor), Emma raises herself up to the comfortable level of middle class; however, she clearly remains unsatisfied, as she obsesses over magazines from Paris, fills her house with luxury items, and pines for any contact with the upper class. Bazarov also has a more desirable relationship with society in mind. However, unlike Emma, he does not crave for changes in his own lifestyle, but instead he wishes for the majority of society to conform to his ideals. Upon meeting Arkady’s aristocratic father and uncle, Bazarov attempts to persuade them into agreeing with his progressive nihilistic views. He la... ...rimarily in the parallel legacies left behind by Emma and Bazarov. By focusing on their respective protagonists’ reasons and means for committing suicide, as well as their lasting impacts, nineteenth-century novelists Flaubert and Turgenev reveal the importance of possessing a sense of belonging in one’s society. These authors employ Emma’s and Bazarov’s preoccupations with advancing themselves in the eyes of society in order to convey the theme that putting forth such efforts is generally unnecessary (or even counterproductive) to lead a fulfilling life. Works Cited Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. 1856. Trans. Francis Steegmuller. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Sarah Lawall. 7th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. 850-1063. Print. Turgenev, Ivan. Fathers and Sons. Trans. Peter Carson. London: Penguin Classics, 2009. Print.

International Trade, Comparative Advantage and Protectionism

Group D INTERNATIONAL TRADE, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE AND PROTECTIONISM 1. According to the table above determine which country has the absolute advantage in corn and which in soybeans. In addition, determine which country has the comparative advantage in corn and which in soybeans. Make sure to support your answer by deriving the opportunity costs of each. Ans. A producer with absolute advantage over the other in the production of a good or service is if it can produce that product using fewer resources. Therefore; Canada has absolute advantage in Corn and Mexico in Soybean.Comparative advantage is the producer with the lowest opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the  cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action or the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action. For example, the opportunity cost of going to college is the money you would have earned if you worked instead. On the one hand, you lose four years of salary while ge tting your degree; on the other hand, you hope to earn more during your career, thanks to your education,  to offset the lost wages. Canada O/C for corn 8/2 = 4 soybeansCanada O/C for Soybean8/2 = 0. 25 Corns Mexico O/C for corn2/10 = 0. 2 Soybeans Mexico O/C for Soybean10/2 = 5 Corns Canada has comparative advantage in soybean and Mexico has comparative advantage in corn. 2. According to the table above, would there be trade flows in both directions if the exchange rate were $1 = 1 peso? Ans. The USA would gain by exporting  plastic and importing pesos from Mexico. At an exchange rate of 1:1, it now only has to give up $1 worth of plastic to obtain 1 pesos, whereas before trade it had to give up $4 for 8 pesos.On the other hand the USA would not benefit from trade on paper because at the inception USA was getting a good rate on paper at $1 to 3 pesos. 3. If a lower exchange rate spurs exports then why wouldn’t it be a good idea of policymakers to intervene to push the ex change rate as low as they can? Ans. It is not a good idea for policy makers to intervene to push the exchange rate as low as they can because importers sometimes would not benefit or get value for their money. The exchange rate would also affect the quantity of goods received. . What is protection as it refers to international trade? Ans. Protectionism is restraining trade between countries through methods such as tariffs through imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow fair competition between imports and goods and services produced domestically. 5. Explain the law of comparative advantage and why it is important in international trade? Ans. The concept of comparative advantage is an integral part in achieving increased gains in international trade.The concept, first introduced by David Ricardo in 1817 states comparative advantage exist when a country has a â€Å"margin of superiority† in the production of a good or service, where the marginal cost of production is lower. He explained how trade can benefit all parties such as individuals, companies, and countries involved, as long as goods are produced with different relative costs. The net benefits from such activity are called gains from trade. This is one of the most important concepts in international trade.According to the principles, benefits of trade are dependent on the opportunity cost of production. Opportunity cost is measured in terms of what you give up of another other. A country with no absolute advantage in any product, i. e. the country is not the most competent producer for any goods, can still be benefited from focusing on export of goods for which it has the least opportunity cost of production. When countries specialize and trade based on comparative advantage consumers pay less and consume more and resources are used more efficiently.Countries which are open to trade grow faster over the long run that those that remain cl osed. Increased trade benefits consumers and producers, through lower prices and access to a wider variety of goods. This is due to specialization which lowers cost and competition. Trade helps countries in allocating resources as efficiently as possible; it also allows countries to accumulate resources more quickly. 6. Distinguish between a tariff and quota? Explain the effect of tariff/quota on domestic consumption, prices and output. Ans. Tariffs and quotas are tools implemented to protect domestic industries.To distinguish between both we need to explain what a tariff and a quota is. A tariff is a tax or duty placed on imported goods by a domestic government and does not apply to sales of domestically produced goods and a quota is a limit on the quantity of imported products. Base on the explanations above we can note that tariff is imposed to make goods imported from foreign countries more expensive as it raises the price of an imported good, making it more expensive than simil ar domestic goods which protects domestic producers from dumping by foreign countries.As outlines on businessdictionary. com ‘dumping is exporting goods at prices lower than the home market prices’. The rational is to increase demand for domestic products while reducing the quantity of imports. Tariffs are a benefit to domestic producers who faces reduced competition in their home market. The reduced competition causes prices to rise. Sales of domestic producers should also rise, all else being equal. With the increase in production and prices this will cause increase employment and a rise in consumer spending.The tariffs also increase government revenues that can be used to the benefit of the economy. Once the price of the good with the tariff has increased; the consumer is forced to either buy less or of some other good. The price increase will cause a reduction in consumer income. A quota sets a limit on the quantity of goods that can be imported during a particular period. Quotas are employed to protect new industries and keep market entry costs low for domestic producers. They also protect domestic jobs by ensuring that foreign products are not imported in sufficient numbers to meet current demand.This will ensures a percentage of the existing market share is retained by domestic companies. Once there is an increase in imports quotas are more protective than tariffs. Quotas benefit the government by protecting domestic corporations to keep people employed. 7. â€Å"Economists have demonstrated that imports benefits consumers while causing losses to producers and exports benefit producers while causing losses to consumers. In the balance then international trade neither benefits nor hurts a nations as a whole. † Evaluate this statement. Ans.International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders territories. The international trade accounts for a good part of a country’s gross domestic pro duct. It is also one of important sources of revenue for a developing country. The trade which exists between countries consists of buying goods that are produced at a lower cost elsewhere. Individual and countries have different abilities in producing their goods; taking the advantage of these differences in order to have efficiency will enable each to experience gains from trade. . If the Bank of Jamaica suddenly switches to a more expansionary policy, explain the effects it will have on the exchange rate and balance of payments of Jamaica. According to investopedia (2012),an expansionary policy is a macroeconomic policy that seeks to expand the money supply to encourage economic growth or combat inflation (price increases). One form of expansionary policy is fiscal policy, which comes in the form of tax cuts, rebates and increased government spending.Expansionary policies can also come from central banks, which focus on increasing the money supply in the economy. The bank of Jama ica cab increase money supply in two ways. These are; * By reducing the policy interest rate * Open Market Operations due to the purchase of certificate of deposits Reducing the policy interest rate and Impact A reduction in the interest rates will result in Commercial banks and other Deposit taking institution extending more funds to individuals and businesses.In other words the increased ability to borrow funds due to a reduction in policy interest rates will cause more Jamaica dollars to be in circulation. The excess supply of money will result in pressure on the Jamaican dollar resulting in a depreciation of the Jamaican dollar. The pressure that is exerted on the Jamaica dollar due to an expansionary policy will cause a widening of the balance of payment deficit. The Jamaica economy is heavily dependent on imports and therefore it would cost more to import product and services ******

Memories by Trilokesh Mukherjee Essay

The poem ‘Memories’ is by an Indian poet called Trilokesh Mukherjee. The poet grew up in India and this influences the poem, he brings his culture into the poem by using imagery and senses and other literary devices. Also, he refers to the Gods from the Hindu religion and mythology. Hindu religion, mythology and family are all very important to the Indian people and this is all shown in the poem when they are sitting around the fire at night. The theme of this poem is childhood memories and how they are still strong in the poets mind. The setting of this poem is in the evening/night time and this is shown by the fact that all the creatures that are mentioned are nocturnal like the night owls. â€Å"The meal was shared with all the children.† This shows us that everybody is included, and there is a sense of togetherness in this community. The poet uses senses to help paint a picture in the readers head. He uses smell with â€Å"smelled the smoke of the fire†, â€Å"the food being cooked†, â€Å"the smell of the rice.† This is intended to make the reader feel relaxed and get a home feeling and feel delightful. Next, the poet uses sights. â€Å"Glow worms added golden firework sparks on the dark canvas.† The poet wants the readers to see a magical world through a kids eyes, and the glow worms are like fireworks going on. It is like the poet is bringing his dark canvas to life. Thirdly, Mukherjee uses sounds to give us an idea of what we can hear, the poet uses onomatopoeia and gives us three examples of what the reader can hear.†untiring chirping of the crickets and nightjars†, â€Å"hooting of night owls†, â€Å"howling of distant jackals.† There Are four different animals here and it could be that they are forming like a band, like the sounds of the night. There is also another example that again, makes the reader feel calm and relaxed. It is â€Å"her reassuring voice.† This shows us that Grandmother makes him feel safe and calm. There are many different ideas for tone in this poem. There is fascination, where the poet as child and his friends have heard the stories so many times, yet still want to hear more about it again and again. â€Å"Again and again† is emphasising on the repetition of the story. There is also excitement from the little kids. â€Å"†¦and then, Grandma!† Although, they already know what was going to happen since they have heard the story  before. The poet brings in his culture again, and the reader can tell that culture is very important to the poet and also that he is proud of it. When he uses the adjectives â€Å"valiant† and â€Å"wonderful† to describe the Gods from the Hindu religion/ mythology. Towards the end of the poem, the tone of the poem gets sad, when the poet states â€Å"Grandmother is no more.† But, even though he said that, he says â€Å"I can still hear her voice.† This shows us how strong the poets memories are. There is then comfort when the poet said, â€Å"I need only shut my eyes to hear the whispering.† This shows us that he goes back an remembers the scene/ setting of the poem, which could be his happy place. The main message for the poem is that the importance and power of the memories. When he states â€Å"That’s what the memories are about.† This suggests that Mukherjee uses his childhood memories as a comfort zone. The language of the poem is also important in the way they describe the memories. In line 1-3 you can straight away realise that the poet uses the collective pronoun ‘We’ This draws the reader into the poem, making them feel part of the poem. It shows the memories of all the family being together, almost like an autobiography. The poet used assonance of the ‘I’ sound in â€Å"untiring chirping of crickets† it’s brings the sound alive. Also the metaphor in the third line, it suggests the brightness of the glow worms. It is almost like a child-like description of the magic of the moment. In lines 4-5, the poet again uses senses to remind him of the memories from his childhood with his Grandmother. â€Å"Smelled the smoke.† â€Å"The smell of rice.† The smell of rice reminds him of the warmth of the house since rice is more of an Indian cultured food. Mukherjee uses ellipsis at the end of line 5, like a dramatic pause which takes us to another stage of the memory which is his Grandmother telling stories to the children. In lines 6-9, after the dramatic pause, the poet uses the phrase ‘Much later’, this gives us the impression that the meal and the story telling lasted all night. Grandmothers â€Å"reassuring voice† makes her sound like a comforting and loving figure, which could be why this could be his favourite childhood memory and why he talks about it. There is also a paradox used â€Å"Far away, unknown, yet familiar†, this shows that the stories were extraordinary for the children. In lines 10-13, the children (including the poet) are always hungry to hear the story and are never really satisfied with it. The use of dialogue, exclamation marks and question marks, show the reader the excitement of the children listening to the story. In lines 14-17, Grandmother brought their dreams alive with her wonderful storytelling and this suggests again, why this could be their favourite childhood memory with their Grandmother. In conclusion, the poet brings out the main theme of the poem which is his childhood memories and by doing so, he is influenced by his culture and surroundings. Trilokesh Mukherjee uses imagery (senses mostly) and metaphors to bring his poem alive and it’s in the past and then towards the end its comes back to the present. This shows us that the poet is now back to reality. The poet thinks that memories are important and that they take us back to he things that really matter in life which is true and in this case it would be, taking him back, to when he was a young boy and how he and his friends would sit around the open fire and listen to his Grandmother tell stories after a meal.