W8D 597 Reflecting Plans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W8D 597 Reflecting Plans - Essay Example This is contrary to the fact that most plans outline objectives, functional tactics and actions item. Change is a major factor in the implementation and planning of any given plan. The internal environment is essential towards these changes. Most firms exist in a stagnant internal environment. These environments are resistance to change thus compromise the planning and execution of any given plan (Sinofsky& Iansiti, 2009).The internal environment failure to acknowledge need for change is what attributes to failure of a given plan. Firms may interact well with the eternal environment and lay down models that will enhance communication and interaction with the external environment but may in marshalling the internal environment towards change (Berkun, 2008). Marshalling the internal environment requires a proper leadership model. The lack of leadership within a given organization could be the predicament in the implementation of a given plan (Kipp, 2004). Strategies plans are created to ensure a firm transforms in matters operations and control. The management is required to play an important role within an organization. Lack of a proper leadership models will result to forms not being able to implement plans they developed. Organizations need to acknowledge the setbacks within the internal environment to ensure strategic plans are implemented. PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2014). The new hire: How a new generation of robots is transforming manufacturing. Retrieved from

Video games and Kids Essay Example for Free

Video games and Kids Essay Video games have a positive and negative effect on kids. Video games affect the kids health, for example lead to cardiovascular implication. Also affect their education when affecting their cognition. Others video games effects on kids are when affecting their social and behaviors. Parents need to involve and regulate their children‘s gaming habit. Video games attribute in big portion in kids behavior. Video game affect kids negatively could be a good reason to make a kid violent and make him a killer. According to Anderson, Craig A at â€Å"Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence† he said that video game. Video games affect kids and make theme violent. When the kids consume a lot of violent materiel, he gets confuse between the reality and the fantasy. The kids think that hitting, kicking are allowed in real life. According to Anderson, Craig A, he sees in his essay â€Å"Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence (Part 1)† that the player needs to distinguish between fantasy and real violence. AS result, the player exposes his violence toward his surrounding and become violent. Anderson suggest at the same essay that video games are not only the cause for violence, but others effect as biological, neighborhood and family could attribute in this violence. Video games affect kids’ education and learning. Kids spend more time in playing rather than finishing their school tasks. As consequence, they have a poor grade and low knowledge. According to KIRA BAILEY in his study â€Å"A negative association between video game experience and proactive cognitive control† he said that after the three studies indicate that high levels of video consumption may be associated with a reduction in the efficiency of those processes supporting cognitive control that arise from interactions between anterior cingulated and lateral frontal cortex. Video games affect kids ‘health in too many ways. According to Dorman, Steve M. in his study â€Å"Video and computer games: Effect on children and implications for health education. † First: Cardiovascular Implications is consequence of less activity, because in USA children adopt sedentary lifestyle at early age and they prefer play video games rather than involving in different sport or other physical activities. Video games affect kid’s behavior and social life. According to Messerly, John G, â€Å"How Computer Games Affect CS (and other) Students’ School Performance;† He said: My methodology was simple: I asked students— all computer science majors in an undergraduate program—whether they knew someone whose scholastic or social life had been harmed by computer games. About 90% answered affirmatively, describing students whose fascination chained them to their apartments or dorm rooms for days, weeks, even semesters. Many admitted to having or having had this problem themselves. The effect Is exacerbated by so-called role-playing games like Age of Kings, Dark Age of Camelot, and Ever quest, with addictive power so great some call it Ever-crack. Players create characters and alter egos in cyberspace living out their personal fantasies, usually by adopting the traits they believe they lack in the real world. My informal surveys suggest there is something particularly addictive, if not sinister, about role-playing. (29) Video games have a positive effect on kids. Video games could be a good way to motivate kids. For example, be a good motivate for the kids to finish their duties. Kids could be reward with extra play time, or earn their video games after finishing their tasks. Also a good choice of video games, like challenging games could make kids smart when learning about different subject. Video games could be a good help in kids education. According to Annetta, Leonard A. â€Å"Video Games in Education: Why they should be used and how they are being used. † In her essay, she mentions that the games are not limited in played, but they could be a good explanation for real life. Kids get new information in the virtual world of video games without really knowing that they‘re learning. Anneta , Leonard mentions in her other essay â€Å" Video Games AND Simulation AS Teaching Tools†. She says that the enticement of video games can be used to enhance K-12 education. Also the use of video games could replace a traditional teaching. She gives North Carolina State University (NSCU) as example, because they encourage video games as a supplement to normal instruction. Also she says that virtual-learning environments being introduce to school through (Innovative Gaming Networks In Teacher Education), a synchronous, online graduate course1 and through HI FIVES (Highly Interactive Fun Internet Virtual Environment in Science2. Video games play a big role in health field, strange but true. According to Healthcare Financial Management â€Å"Video Games: Good for your Health†. The games helping in health are: * Games for rehabilitation and therapy which aid balance and mobility in Parkinson’s patients, others used as a â€Å"distraction device† to control pain and stress. * Exergaming which incorporate physical activity, such workout game, or games that make you move to get to the target, for example, kinnect. * Games for major healthcare provider: Insurance companies met to discuss ways to use videogame technology to solve critical healthcare challenges. Additionally, a team of graduate students at Carnegie Mel- Ions Entertainment Technology Center has developed a game called Project ER, designed to lower stress for 60,000 children who visit the EDs of Pittsburgh Medical Centers each year. During a test run, the team gathered considerable research on how to deploy such systems in healthcare settings. * The rise in games for first responders and medical professionals: One new game system allows health professionals to interact with 3-D simulations of emergency healthcare environments. Additionally, an online, multiplayer game trains physicians to communicate more effectively with their patients. Parents need to be aware of the video games danger. And also need to take advantage of the good side of the technology and guide their kids. According to website (media-awareness. ca/english/parent/video games/index. cfm) Amy Phillips says in her essay â€Å"Console video games† that the video games encourages teamwork, increase self-confidence and improve hand and eye coordination, but in negative side the kids could have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality in the games. According to the website, the parents need to involve and have a concern about video games. Parents of young children should be aware of the following concern: Young children may become more aggressive and fearful if they are exposed to high levels of violence in video games. The violence portrayed in video games usually has no consequences, and is often there for the sake of humor. Parents need to watch what the kids are playing in the computer and video games. Parents need to follow up with video game rating. For example; at 2008 study by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that 20% of children under 17 surveyed had bought at least one M-rated game. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that three-quarters of boys in grades seven to twelve had played Grand Theft Auto, an M-rated game. The entertainment industry aggressively markets violent media to young children. In September 2000, the U. S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report that exposed how the media industries actively target young children with violent entertainment meant for adults. According to the FTC, almost every video-game company they investigated regularly marketed violent M-rated games to children. For instance, the E-rated game LittleBigPlanet includes content intended to promote another Sony game, Metal Gear Solid 4, which is rated M. Toys based on action characters from games meant for mature players are often marketed to young children. Halo, an ultra-violent video game rated for players 17 and older, has spawned action figures marketed to children under 8 years old. Other issue is Childrens ideas of what it means to be male and female can be negatively influenced by stereotypes found in media. Video games are designed by males for males, and so generally contain very few female characters. Those females that do appear are often portrayed as victims, while the male characters are the aggressors. The study Video Game Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles shows that young people hold perceptions of gender roles that mirror how men and women are depicted in video games. Many games popular among youth are either played online or downloaded from sites such as Newgrounds and eBaums World. The ESRB rating system does not cover such games. User-created content is an increasing part of todays games. This means that even if the original game has a rating appropriate for your child, it may be possible to download additional content that is not. Games often have a multiplayer component which allows children to play with other people over the Internet. These multiplayer games usually permit conversation between players which is typically immoderate. Other people see that the video games have a positive side on general and for example using the video games in health and in school.

Corporate Social Responsibility And Impact On Company Performance Management Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility And Impact On Company Performance Management Essay Traditionally, governments were the main providers of development assistance and were responsible for stimulating social development. In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility has gained considerable ground and it is now common for corporations to get involved in activities resembling those carried out in the name of development assistance. Organizations which eventually practice this approach are looking for answers for questions such as does Corporate Social Responsibility really payoff, are the objectives set by the CSR manager really fulfilled, is their money worth spending at such practices? Considering the current financial scenario around the globe, managers are in dire need to make better, precise and eventually correct decisions. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate (1) if we can reap tangible benefits such as higher financial performance, higher employee commitment, and better reputation by engaging in CSR activities (2) if developing countries would benefit from corporate involvement. (3) Can corporations benefit by gaining access to new markets along with sustaining present markets and will it lead to innovative business strategies. Appropriate literature for this thesis has been derived from previous research journals, thesis, case studies, news paper articles and magazines which have helped us in acquiring general understanding and finding the scope and nature of the subject. The conclusion up till now is that CSR has played an important role in enhancing an organizations image and reputation along with bringing positive change in customers purchasing patterns. I KEYWORDS Corporate Social Responsibility; CSR Payoff; Impact on Company Performance Page No 17 Figure 2-1 CSR and Marketing Strategies Drivers and Constraints III LIST OF TABLES Page No 6 12 Table 1-1 Karachi Sector Division Table 2-1 Potential Benefits of Being Socially Responsible III INTRODUCTION The introducing chapter of this thesis provides a background of our study along with a concept of corporate social responsibility. It also aims to highlight the subjects topicality, significance, and the studys objective on which literature review would be based. Furthermore, the kind of research methodology used along with how the data collected would be interpreted is discussed. Finally, the studys scope, limitations, and significance are discussed. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY In todays competitive world the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become one of the imperative strategies for the companies to stand out in the cut throat market environment. In circumstances where market dimensions and customers preferences become more unpredictable and complex, CSR can play an extra pivotal role to cope up with such situations. But even still managers are confused or rather unaware of whether their CSR approach will prove to be beneficial for them as less efforts have been put into finding out the results of their implementation. Initially CSR was evolved around corporate philanthropy but after passing through several phases it has entered into a new dimension with solidarity movements and environmental activism from the civil sector which is now highly involved in business activities. Accordingly pressures from governments, courts, civil organizations, NGOs, WTO have compelled corporations to follow stringent parameters of corporate behavior, forcing them towards legal compliance, doing business for betterment of the society and less occurrence of damage to civil society and environment and protecting the consumers. In Pakistan, however, where poverty, illiteracy, corruption is the talk of the town CSR journey is in its initial phases and is still struggling to be accepted in its first phase i.e. of philanthropy and legal compliance which is society and government focused. But still some leading organizations in Pakistan have realized that the government alone is not in a position to handle this everlasting situation and have finally spread their arms to help them out in this hour of need. The present societal marketing concept has started making inroads into Pakistan. Many leading corporations have accepted this challenge and have adapted this approach and begun to promote themselves and their brands by associating with it. CSR hence has open new ventures of competition and leading and non-leading corporations are in the race to make a mark on general public and show how much efforts they are putting in to CSR. Companies embrace the responsibility of serving to its stakeholder through different ways; it may be in the shape of improvising their internal operations so that employees, customers, society and environment do not get hurt or doing an act or deed that may increase their customer, employee, supplier loyalty etc. There are numerous ways to show how socially responsible an organization is or wants to be but is this act or deed actually fulfilling the objectives that managers had laid down. What are the success rates achieved by applying CSR? Did customers actually buy their product after looking at a beautiful monument donated to the government? There are many such questions that need to be answered so that managers in future feel confident in taking the right CSR decisions. Ultimately, does CSR payoff or is it a tradeoff between social criteria and investment returns? 1.2 CSR ITS DIFFERENT VIEWS For CSR there exists contrasting point of views, supporters of this concept argue that CSR is the source of value enhancement of any organization, while some organizations argue that the social work is the responsibility of the government and not the business. As awareness regarding pay off of CSR has increased, the debate regarding CSR seems to be disappearing. Prior goals and strategies evolved only around profit maximization with no view of serving the society at large. There have been controversial statements issued in the past such as the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits stated by Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman, September 1970, in New York Times Article. However since the birth of this approach CSR has been touched upon by many authors who show its importance and its inevitable desire to stay in business and society. The birth of CSR has been a long debate with various researchers having different views over its time period and the individuals involved. There have been different arguments placed over it genesis with some saying that its birth took place when in 1930s there was a debate between AA Berle and E Merrick Dodd over the role of managers (Post 2003 ; Turner 2006). Others such as Carroll have described Bowen as the modern Father of Corporate Social Responsibility and believe that his work marks the beginning of the modern period of literature on CSR. Peter Drucker was one of the first to explicitly address CSR, including public responsibility as one of the eight key areas for business objectives developed in his 1954 book, The Practice of Management. While Drucker believed that managements first responsibility to society involved making a profit, he felt it was also most important that management consider the impact of every business policy and action upon society (Joyner Payne 2002, p. 302). The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its publication Making Good Business Sense by Lord Holme and Richard Watts, used the following definition. Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large The best definition that suits our research is by Mallen Baker published on his website which states that CSR is about how companies manage their business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT Traditionally, governments were the main providers of development assistance and were responsible for stimulating social development. In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility has gained considerable ground and it is now common for corporations to get involved in activities resembling those carried out in the name of development assistance. Organizations which eventually practice this approach are looking for answers for questions such as does Corporate Social Responsibility really payoff, are the objectives set by the CSR manager really fulfilled, is their money worth spending at such practices? Considering the current financial scenario around the globe, managers are in dire need to make better, precise and eventually correct decisions. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION Based on previous discussion in the preliminary phase and the problem statement, the following questions arise; Does CSR really payoff? In order to provide an in depth answer to this question, the following sub questions are derived which are also our 1.5 OBJECTIVES OF OUR STUDY 1. Does CSR influence consumer purchasing decision? 2. Does CSR provide an opportunity for a firm to have a competitive advantage? 3. Is there a relationship between CSR activities and corporate performance? 4. Do people perceive a CSR implementing organization and a non CSR implementing organization as same by keeping all other factors constant? 1.6 DATA COLLECTION METHODS Primary Data: In order to measure and quantify our research, survey methods will be used for primary data collection. Questionnaires will be distributed among employees, customers, students and general public. This will help us in getting accurate information regarding the payoffs of CSR and decisions regarding CSR investments. Secondary Data: Secondary data will involve a thorough analysis of related research articles, journals, publications, magazines, newspapers and studies from both international and local websites. 1.7 DATA ORGANIZATION The relationship between organizations corporate social responsibility initiatives and its pay offs is of valued importance. This research has both opportunity and potential. Initially, appropriate literature will be derived from previous researches, case studies and news paper articles which will help us acquire general understanding and finding the scope and nature of the subject. Subsequently, unstructured interviews would then be carried out with professionals concerned within the subject of corporate social responsibility. The purpose of the interview will be to discuss the success and failures caused while implementing CSR in their organizations and would also help in further understanding and approaching the topic in a more creative way. Furthermore our subject will also be discussed thoroughly with our thesis coordinator for better guidance and direction. The literature stage would constitute of thorough understanding of previous researches and theoretical frameworks which are relevant, accurate to our study. Both national and international researches will be considered with no limit concerning the point of time the research was carried out. Internet search engines such as Google will be used comprehensively. Keywords such as Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR payoff, Impact on Company Performance will be used along with other phrases to find the most accurate literature online. 1.8 SAMPLING The sampling frame will constitute of employees (Business Sector) and students (Higher Education Sector) that lie in four different zones of Karachi i.e. North, South, East, and West. The sample for survey will be selected through Non-Probability Stratified/Quota sampling method. There will be two different questionnaires designed for employees and the general public/customers. Questionnaires will comprise of closed-ended questions so that it would be convenient to analyze the findings. The analysis will finally be done on Microsoft Excel. SAMPLING SIZE Below is the breakup for the sample size: Table 1-1: Karachi Sector Divisions KARACHI BUSINESS SECTOR EDUCATION SECTOR North 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires South 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires East 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires West 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires 1.9 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Our study will be beneficial for organizations as well as for society and the government. Organizations will be able to better realize the importance of CSR and hence can then engage themselves in long term strategies rather than focusing on short term tactics. As a result of this activity society can then be served more effectively. Due to this a multiplier effect can be generated and a cash starved government can also benefit from this approach. Findings of our study will help organization to find out the way to utilize resources on social welfare and up liftmen efficiently and effectively. 1.10 SCOPE LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The scope of the study is to quantify the impact of CSR activities and measure its performance to see whether the investment done in implementing CSR has really paid off or not. As students we lack sufficient resources to broaden the geographical scope of the study and extend it to whole of Pakistan, which has forced us to limit our study to Karachi, Pakistan only. Also employees, customers, general public and other students will be involved in our sampling frame, which might lead to biased responses as they will consider us premature students rather than professional researchers. In order to measure the impact of CSR we will have to limit our study and findings to only those CSR initiated projects which are visible to masses. Only then can we be able measure the impact correctly as than our findings will reflect the true scenario. This study is being conducted for an academic purpose with certain time constraints and has to be completed within minimum resources available. The study will be completed by last week of April 2011. LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION We have entered the new millennium with countless societal, environmental, political legal, health issues surrounding us but there seems to be no respite when we talk about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its numerous false dawns that have occurred in the past decades. Perhaps, business shocks and scandals which involved some huge organizations such as Enron, WorldCom and Nike, Shell, together with the impact of rapid climate change on the environment, have played a major role in pushing organizations irrespective of their sizes to rethink their responsibilities towards their stakeholders and rationalize their attitudes according to the societal norms. The upcoming conversations about CSR suggests that it is a normative, multi-level concept, whose meaning depends on various perspectives and relationships, and, that it changes in response to social trends (Silberhorn, D Warren, RC 2007) . Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has variously been described as a motherhood issue (Ryan 2002), the hot business issue of the noughties (Blyth 2005) and the talk of the town in corporate circles these days (Mees Bonham 2004). While earlier thoughts of CSR often had a regional, person-centered philanthropic focus, recent conceptions of CSR are inclusive, broad and diverse (Silberhorn, D Warren, RC 2007). Due to the diverse philosophical status that CSR has achieved over the years it has seriously hampered the theoretical development as well as research into the implementation of these policies (Goebbels, 2002). In order to start research, the first step that has to be taken is to explore how corporations are themselves defining and interpreting CSR. Most empirical studies of CSR have been focused on firms in the USA, Canada and the UK, but few have attempted to assess whether definitions of CSR differ between countries (Hopkins, 2004). These are one of reasons that have led to slow development of CSR in developing countries such as Pakistan. Swanson (1995) suggested that there were three main types of motivation for CSR which helps in engulfing organizations towards this approach: The utilitarian perspective (an instrument to help achieve performance objectives); The negative duty approach (compulsion to adopt socially responsible initiatives to appease stakeholders); and The positive duty view (businesses self-motivated regardless of social pressures) (Maignan Ralston 2002) Companies are primarily reactive with respect to CSR, responding to external pressures rather than proactively defining CSR (LEtang, 1994; Vogel, 2005). Here, industry-specific issues as well as public visibility play a role. ODwyer (2003), Esrock and Leichty (1998) found that companies from sectors with a high-environmental impact had to respond more to external pressures. In addition, societal developments appear to force businesses to evolve their thinking for CSR (Carroll, 1999; Wilson, 2000; Zadek, 2004). Such pressure is said to increase when codified by legislation (Pinkston and Carroll, 1996; ODwyer, 2003). Mass media are then also seen to exert control and build pressure by making company behavior public (Pinkston and Carroll, 1996). There has been a significant growth of CSR firms in the past ten years and the growth is mainly associated with economic development of a region or a state (Poddi, L Vergalli, S 2009). Preston and O, Bannon 1997, Woddock and Graves 1997, MacWilliams Sieger 2001, tried to establish if there exists a link between social responsibility and the performance of firms. Their results were ambiguous and did not show any connection. While on the other hand Poddi, L Vergalli, S 2009 states that there is a clear positive relation between CSR and performance, and it has been proved that CSR influences a firms performance. Lacey, R Kennett-Hensel, PA (2010) noted that customers CSR perceptions are positively linked to their trust in and commitment to the firm. Their findings also show how a firm that engages in CSR initiatives may reap rewards by building trusting and committed customer relationships which, in turn, help forge desirable customer behaviors. It is also been evident from the research that customers level of commitment has a positive effect on purchase behavior, word-of-mouth communications, and following the firms performance. Addressing social issues comes at a cost to business (Tim Barnett). Till the businesses internalize the costs of CSR actions, they keep on hurting their competitive position in the market. This argument is truly relevant in todays context especially after prevailing globally competitive environment, which is if businesses in one country expand assets to address social issues, but those in another country do not. Some argue that employees are not trained to address such problems. This suggests that organizational involvement in CSR may actually make the situation worse. Corporations can best serve societal interests by sticking to what they do best, which is providing quality goods and services and selling them at an affordable price to people who desire them (Tim Barnett) Reasons behind the failure of the CSR are that people often dont have enough knowledge regarding the environment and their rights (Vogel, D 2008). Results from CSR practice cannot be seen quickly. On the other hand, it cannot be directly linked to improved financial performance of the company (Bugariska, B 2009). We can find many examples of organization which have been and are implementing CSR approach but still have not been able to able to increase their reputation and performance (Vogel, D 2008). BP (British Petroleum) is one recent case whose image has been badly affected after its oil spill off Mexico Coast in 2010, before that it was enjoying a strong CSR reputation and had even made a positive contribution towards society and changed its identity. But if we look at the, Goldman Sachs Report (2007) it clearly shows companies that are considered leaders in implementing environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies to create sustained competitive advantage have outperformed the general stock market by 25 percent since August 2005. Additionally, 72% of these companies have outperformed their peers over the same period (Bugariska, B 2009). Any publicized disaster might become an opportunity for good companies to show their social inclinations. The same could be seen with different ts unami or earthquake caused destructions, or the recent floods in Pakistan (2010). CSR strategies may work under certain conditions, but they are highly vulnerable to market failures, including such things as imperfect information, externalities, and free riders (Doane, D 2005). I have not been able to find any research that shows CSR to be a bad thing, states Holme, C 2010. But does it pay? Is it worth doing? We can find enormous web sites of large corporations which only outlay a positive picture. Negative examples are not even touched upon. Research that shows that the heaviest polluters are not the heaviest reporters only serves to confirm the suspicion that the whole story is not being told properly (Brooks, 2009). Holme, C 2010, argues that within organizations CSR activities that support and develop the competitive uniqueness of a business offer considerable opportunities to secure a place in the market. The evidence that he presents is that businesses are still developing their CSR related values during a period of recession which proves its importance for even firms to survive in these harsh times. University of Michigan business administration professor Aneel Karnani believes that companies do what they do because they are responsible to their shareholders. One of the members of top management of the Best Buy Public Affairs Company said that they dont allocate budget for CSR separately but they consider it as the integral part of their companys business model, they are of the opinion that success lies behind CSR. 2.1 CSR CUSTOMERS CSR is rising sharply as a corporate priority: by 2011, the percentage of executives giving high priority to CSR is expected to be 70% (Franklin 2008). There is a belief that firms designs CSR actions because they care and consider CSR activities as companys moral obligation (Vlachos, PA, Tsamakos, A, Vrechopoulos, AP, Avramidis, PK 2008). Some studies (McWilliams and Siegel 2000; Mohr et al., 2001) suggest there is no effect of CSR on consumer loyalty. But according to Casteldo (2008) consumers are interested in the social behavior of firms and the CSR profile of a firm largely influences their purchasing decisions. Sen and Bhattacharya (2001) suggest that CSR can affect consumers intentions to purchase. It is important for firms to communicate and advertise firms CSR initiatives to its customers (Du 2007) which provides greater credibility, and strength to its brand with competitive advantage (Teresa, T, Uncles, MD 2006). It may appear that the strength of CSR as a communication tool can be affected by factors such as consumer involvement and/or switching costs. Not all individuals perceive CSR actions in the same way (BÃ ©nabou, R Tirole, J 2009). CSR is more beneficial when it is not promoted as per normal advertisements, by doing this a favorable impact on the organizations goodwill can be reaped (MOHR, LA, WEBB, DJ HARRIS, KE 2001). A recent study in Pakistan (Ali 2010) confirms that in a developing country context, there is no positive relationship between awareness of corporate social responsibility activities and consumer purchase intention. In developed countries though a lot of pressure has been forced on companies to consider CSR practices which has given rise to organic products and products created according to fair trade ethical and environmental principles (Azmat, F, Samaratunge, R 2009). Table 2-1 Source: Swaen, V 2002, p 7. 2.2 DOES CSR AFFECT PURCHASING DECISIONS? Consumers need to be aware of a firms level of social responsibility before the affects can be quantified (Varadarajan Menon 1988). Ross, Stutts, and Patterson (1990-91) found that 53 percent of a sample could recall a CSR based advertisement, while Webb Mohr (1998) found 79 percent of a sample could describe a specific CSR based campaign only after the concept was explained to them. Customer lacks responsiveness towards CSR because they dont have much knowledge regarding CSR (MOHR, LA, WEBB, DJ HARRIS, KE 2001). Though people study regarding CSR as its clear from the quantity sold of a renowned book Shopping for a better world which is explaining multiple angles of corporate social responsibility (Council on Economic Priorities 1994). As mentioned above we can easily figure out that consumers really desire knowledge on how to spend their money better. Most of the previous studies shown that organization have put less efforts to make people aware first and then taken initiative rather they assumed that people know regarding initiative. However, CSR can be used as a strategic tool to enhance the reputation and public image of a business institution, while at the same time, prove to be profitable for an institution in the long-run (Dusuki, AW Dar, H 2005). The 1999 CondRoper Cause Related Trends Report has researched upon consumer responses to companies participation in CSR based marketing (Cone Communications Press Release 1999). Studies that were conducted since 1993 have shown that more than 80% firms have reported a positive image if it is involved in promoting particular cause. Furthermore, two-thirds of the sample said they are likely to switch brands or retailers to those participating in CSR activities. When research was conducted by Ross and his group members based on 225 sample regarding CSR initiatives by firms, they identified that 55% respondents would purchase a product if they get to know that the firm is supporting a cause. More than 50% respondents were also inclined to switch their brand in near future as the result of the CSR involvement of the company. In another research conducted by Smith and Alcorn (1991) identified that majority of the respondents were of the view that they would switch their brands because the company make donations to nonprofit organizations, and nearly a third (30%) stated that they sometimes buy products simply because the manufacturer supports charitable causes. Consumers also expect firms to protect the environment and behave ethically and that they sometimes base their purchasing decisions on these factors (MOHR, LA, WEBB, DJ HARRIS, KE 2001). However, no surveys could be found that attempt to measure the proportion of people whose purchasing is actually affected. 2.3 OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT SECTORS In Stock Markets, CSR activities do not generate shareholder value in short run but it is also not correct to say that CSR activities do not generate a negative impact on the market value of a company. This is usually because investors think that CSR activities do not affect the future cash flows of a firm (Karlsson, J Chakarova, Y 2008). Research findings in housing sector showed that a great majority of buyers in Malaysia expected a socially responsible developer to provide more CSR features. However, less wealthy buyers were more sensitive to house price. However all participants were ready to pay for extra CSR features (Yam, LHS 2008). In the banking sector, unless the stakeholders perceive CSR investments as being beneficial, these investments may prove to be ineffective. It would appear that CSR activities have been employed too hastily (Calabrese, A Lancioni, F 2008). 2.4 CSR PAKISTAN SOCIETY In Pakistan, mostly multinationals are implementing CSR, competition being the reason behind. Organizations like Unilevers, P G Nestle, Siemens, ICI Pakistan, Pepsi, and Coca Cola have led the scene in Pakistan. Many national companies such as Engro, Jung Group, National Foods Pakistan, English Biscuits Manufacturing have also entered the race. Lately banks have also started following this new trend. In developing countries such as Pakistan, the concept of CSR has been intermingled with the concept of philanthropy or charity (Visser, W). Aga Khan Foundation and Resource Centre NGO conducted a survey of senior officials in over a hundred major companies working in Pakistan and found out that there is enormous potential for involving businesses in community improvement activities. Corporations in Pakistan are donating cash to education and health sectors. Generally pharmaceutical, chemical, food and beverage industries donate their products on a customary basis to different charities and beneficiaries, and also actively react to disaster relief contingencies resulting by floods and other unforeseen natural calamities by donating required products to the affected areas (Ali 2004). Unfortunately the local industry not completely realizing the importance of CSR; proper investment in this area is not been done. Electronic media as well as print media are often silent on this topic. According to a research conducted by Ali, I, Rehman, K, Yilmaz, AK, Nazir, S Fatima Ali, J 2010, they found very low awareness level in customers about CSR, with no linkage between CSR activities and customer purchase intentions. On the other hand D.Dodd, M in his research states that a positive association exists between an organizations involvement in CSR programs and consumers purchase intentions. It can be pointed out that while making a buying decision, customers in Pakistan do not consider corporations contribution towards society. But significant relationship was found between service quality and customer satisfaction. The results showed that customers are ready to pay more attention to pricing strategies than CSR activities of service providers. CSR is now a core business management issue the world over including Pakistan. The stakeholder has finally arrived to share the boardroom agenda with the stock-holder says Waheed, A (2005) in a UNDP report. From labor unions to watchdog organizations, there are multiple organizations available that have the responsibility of establishing and awarding credential to organizations that wishes to be judged for its impact on society. These include ISO 14000 (for environmental management systems), the SA 8000 (social accountability standard) and numerous more. At national level, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has made a first contribution by forming Code of Corporate Governance, and the 2002 Trade Policy formed by the government of Pakistan. Pakistan itself has had to learn quickly in adapting to the CSR paradigm. The country has suffered billion of dollars of damage through the 1990s and still are. International buyers are now continuously asking for CSR credentials from Textile and other edible good industry. Within this environment, it is unavoidable for Pakistan to stay away from CSR (Waheed, A 2005) or the whole economy might collapse. 2.5 CSR PERFORMANCE Belu, C Manescu, C (2009) in their research have found a continuous positive correlation between socially responsible initiatives and financial position of a firm. This proves that there is potential for increased profitability when conducting business with CSR in sight. There is a positiv

Free Waste Land Essays: The Current Relevance :: T.S. Eliot Waste Land Essays

The Current Relevance of The Waste Land Eliot’s poem, The Waste Land, is at least as relevant to life today as it was in 1922, when it was first published. All of the themes stated at the beginning of the Norton Anthology's introduction to the poem ("spiritual dryness," a lack of "regenerating belief" to give meaning to life, and death without resurrection) are with us to an even greater degree than they were at the time the poem was first published. (Introduction 2146) The attitudes toward sexuality that are implicitly condemned throughout the work have not changed in any way that Eliot would be likely to see as an improvement, either. "The Waste Land" does not merely present an anthropological description of a culture, however, and the solution proposed by Eliot seems as relevant today as it must have been in 1922. Like Blake, Eliot constructs a personal mythology, but Eliot draws on a larger number of sources than Blake does: various religions from both the east and the west, works of literature from around the world, and works of philosophy and anthropology. Eliot refers to the fragmentary references throughout the poem at the end of the poem by saying, "These fragments I have shored against my ruins" -- that is, Eliot has taken fragmentary references and pieced them together in an attempt to come to grips with the modern situation in which he finds himself. (line 431) The references from the poem are nearly always references to the past, when a cultural heritage was common to an entire people, the themes described in the Norton Anthology's introduction were nonexistent (or were problematic to a much lesser degr ee than in the modern era), and when sexuality found its expression in a context Eliot would have seen as appropriate -- a mature relationship between men and women that expresses both love and physical passion. Perhaps more important than the building of this personal mythology, however, is the solution Eliot explicitly offers in "What the Thunder Said." Eliot weaves in a Hindu story in which gods, devils, and humans each ask their common father, Prajapati, for advice.

Living in love

A feeling of overwhelming gratitude to Swami and a sense of oneness with Him washed over me and warmed me to the core. Somehow those words brought home to me Just how much LOVE Swami has brought into my life, transforming my outlook and my interaction with others to such an extent that In some tiny way, people are starting to see Him In me. † Be about My Work, My Beloved Backchat. Your breath will carry the scent of the blossoms of Heaven.Your example will be that of Angels. Your joy will be My Joy. † (Buchanan Sir Asthma SAA Babe) What a breathtaking promise!! It is spectacular but true. As Swami's physical body seems to become smaller and more distant day by day, there is a corresponding exponential growth in His spiritual presence felt in the people around us, be they labeled or unlabelled Sal devotees. More and more we are glimpsing the Divine in the thoughts, words and deeds of those around us.People everywhere seem to be yearning for something more in their lives th an material success, it is as If they are Just walling for the opportunity to serve others and will respond to the call In hordes. Many are not even walling for the opportunity, they are creating their own service projects with a selflessness and zeal which just has SAA written all over it, even if they o not know His physical form.In the same South African newspapers which report unthinkable crime and corruption, we find creeping in regular stories of ‘ordinary people with hearts of gold, reaching out to the orphans, the sick, and the poor masses. The experience at work that I have related above is not unique. I am certain that each and every person on this earth has had or will have at some point, this humbling moment when you have done a small service to someone and yet feel as If you have received a million times more than you gave.That Is the LOVE principle – It has no measure! I am feeling the magic of Swami's Love working in my life more and more each day. Brothe rs and sisters whom I thank for giving me the challenges I need to refine my character. There are no more tragedies, only life experiences which are exactly what I need at that moment. There are no more wrong people, only fellow souls on a journey of discovery. I feel a kinship growing with everyone around me, they are becoming clones of me in different disguises but each with a core of LOVE.How can I ate or despise myself; how can I not give myself a second chance; how can I not accept myself for who they are; how can I not give myself the benefit of the doubt; how can I not appreciate the good in myself; how can I grudge myself the little bit of love they crave; how can I not spare myself a kind thought, word or deed; how can I not reach out to myself when they are in pain and suffering. The feeling that all are myself is guiding me so that more and more I find myself walking in love, talking with love, living in LOVE.

Ines of My Soul Essays

Ines of My Soul Essays Ines of My Soul Paper Ines of My Soul Paper In Isabel Allende’s Ines of My Soul, one woman, Ines Suarez, challenges the traditional role of women and society by embarking upon a journey alongside her companion to conquer a part of the New World. Throughout the expedition, Ines faces challenges because of her gender, yet she also manages to use her gender and the traditional gender role to her advantage. In Spain, machismo was prevalent in society, allowing for men to feel and act as if inherently superior to women. Although she was not a submissive wife, Ines was still subject to sexist remarks by her husband, Rodrigo de Quiroga. For example, as Ines attempted to discourage Rodrigo from an expedition to the New World by arguing that everything had already been discovered, Rodrigo shouts, â€Å"How ignorant you are, woman! † Yet, Ines refused to be submissive and would sometimes react rebelliously and demand respect, sometimes resorting to physical violence in order to be respected. Although societal norms encouraged women to stay home, Ines had the intention of leaving to the New World behind Rodrigo, despite the dangers they could have faced. As soon as the trip initiated, Ines gained her respect from the members on board. Working in a nun’s hospital in Plasencia, Ines had learned how to cauterize wounds and care for people with broken bones, which worked to her benefit as sailors sought her help, in addition to her food. Ines would also use the role as the disconsolate wife to her advantage. As she intended to sail to Peru with a group of Dominican priests, Ines wore her black dresses to express her fidelity to Juan, yet Ines had not loved Juan in years. Yet, Ines would endure several worrying situations, especially among men. Since it was rare for a woman to set sail alone and surrounded completely by men, Ines was an easy target for sexual harassment. Sebastian Romero in one instance tried to rape Ines. On her journey to Peru, men also harassed Ines despite the vigilance by priests. The fact that Ines was one of the very few Spanish women in the region did contribute to some challenges, yet it also contributed to certain benefits. Ines explains that since men were not accustomed to seeing a Spanish woman without a partner, they also treated her with great consideration. In that long, slow journey to Cuzco they tended to my needs, shared their food with me, lent me their tents and mounds, and gave me boots and a blanket woven of vicuna, the finest cloth in the world. † Indeed, Ines enjoyed many privileges because she was Spanish. Ines also benefitted of the different culture of the New World. In Peru, no one denied her respect. Pedro de Valdivia was a married man yet Ines justified their relationshi p by arguing that in the New World, â€Å"†¦men needed immediate love, or a substitute for it. Besides, men have mistresses in Spain. † Ines’s character was very different from the traditional conduct of women at that time. In fact, Pedro admits that Ines was intimidating. She was also very assertive. Yet, because of women’s inferior status in society, Ines would not be taken seriously as she tried to convince Pizarro to allow her to accompany Pedro de Valdivia on his quest to Chile. However, Ines would use one of her skills to her advantage, that of dowsing, or locating water as an argument for why she should be allowed to go. When in Chile, Ines does indeed find water and all the conquistadores manage to drink, for which they, especially Pedro de Valdivia, were very thankful with Ines. â€Å"She saved us from thirst and in the desert†¦she, more than anyone, deserves to participate in this meeting. † Yet, Ines did express concern at times with her role as a woman among men. As the captains debated whether to execute Sancho de la Hoz, Ines remained silent and did not tell Pedro what he should do, since she did not want to be seen as a virago who told de Valdivia everything that he should do. During the battles against the indigenous, Ines and the other women were expected to cook for the soldiers and take care of them. Indeed, the women played a key role in the sustenance of the soldiers. Ines, Catalina, Cecilia, and other women would go to surrounding areas and trade with the indigenous tribes. They also considered themselves ‘healers’ and ‘physicians. ’ As Ines states, â€Å"We had good hands for setting broken bones, cauterizing wounds, and helping as midwives; those talents served us well. Certainly, Ines and the other women played an important role in the colonization of such countries, including Chile. In Spain, women lived in a highly patriarchal society. Yet, even though such traits were present in the New World, women were allowed to express themselves more freely there. In the New World, women had a higher chance of social mobility and increasing their social status. With them, they brought their nurturing skills as caretakers of the soldiers, which contributed to their survival significantly. However, one also has to consider the hardships that women had to endure. Ines Suarez faced many of these challenges, yet her character allowed her to overcome them. She also possessed unique talents that allowed her to earn a higher level of respect from the men. However, not all women who came with the conquistadors shared such qualities. ? Bibliography Allende, Isabel. Ines of My Soul. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Burkholder, Mark A. , and Lyman L. Johnson. Colonial Latin America. 7 ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin The Wall surname has several possible meanings: a topographical surname often originally bestowed on someone who dwelled at or near a stone wall, from the Old English weall, and Latin vallum meaning wall or rampart. Often this was a wall built to fortify a town or a sea wall.  The Wall surname was also sometimes an occupational name given to a special kind of mason; a wall was one who specialized in building wall structures. This same meaning also has origins in Germany, from the middle high German wal.A topographical surname for someone who lived by a spring, from the northern Middle English walle, and Old English wà ¦lla, meaning well.In Germany the surname could indicate someone who lived near a wall, from the middle high German wal, or be a variant of the last name Wahl, meaning election or choice.In Ireland, Wall may have originally been de Valle (Gaelic  de Bhl),  meaning of the valley.Wall could also have Swedish origins, from  vall, meaning pasture or grazing ground. Surname Origin: English, Scottish, Swedish, German, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: WALLS, WALE, WALES, WAHL, WALLENBERG, WAHLBERG  See also WALLER. Where in the World Is the WALL Surname Found? The Wall surname is found most commonly in Ireland, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the East and South East regions. It is also fairly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England, as well as Sweden, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.  Forebears  has the Wall last name as almost evenly common in both Ireland and Sweden. The Wall surname is fairly evenly distributed across the United States, but is especially common in North Carolina where it ranks #159. Famous People with the Last Name WALL Max Wall - English comedian and actorGarret D. Wall - New Jersey military officer and politicianWilliam Guy Wall - American painter of Irish birthArt Wall - PGA golf champion of the 1950sLucille Wall  - American actressJohn Wall  -  English Catholic Franciscan friar; martyr Genealogy Resources for the Surname WALL Wall/Walls DNA ProjectJoin over 220 researchers with the Wall surname or its variants interested in working together to combine Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out Wall ancestors around the world. 10 Top Databases for British GenealogyMillions of records from England, Scotland and Wales are available online in the form of digital images or transcriptions. These ten websites are a great starting point for anyone researching British ancestry. Wall Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Wall family crest or coat of arms for the Wall surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Wall Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Wall surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Wall query. FamilySearch - WALL GenealogyExplore over 3.2 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Wall surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WALL Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Wall surname around the world. DistantCousin.com - WALL Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Wall. The Wall Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Wall last name from the website of Genealogy Today. -References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Definition and Examples of Narrative Climax

Definition and Examples of Narrative Climax In a narrative (within an essay, short story, novel, film, or play), a climax is the turning point in the action (also known as the crisis) and/or the highest point of interest or excitement. Adjective: climactic. In its simplest form, the classical structure of a narrative can be described as rising action, climax, falling action- known in journalism as BME (beginning, middle, end). EtymologyFrom the Greek, ladder. Examples and Observations The Climax of E.B. Whites Essay Once More to the LakeOne afternoon while we were there at that lake a thunderstorm came up. It was like the revival of an old melodrama that I had seen long ago with childish awe. The second-act climax of the drama of the electrical disturbance over a lake in America had not changed in any important respect. This was the big scene, still the big scene. The whole thing was so familiar, the first feeling of oppression and heat and a general air around camp of not wanting to go very far away. In mid-afternoon (it was all the same) a curious darkening of the sky, and a lull in everything that had made life tick; and then the way the boats suddenly swung the other way at their moorings with the coming of a breeze out of the new quarter, and the premonitory rumble. Then the kettle drum, then the snare, then the bass drum and cymbals, then crackling light against the dark, and the gods grinning and licking their chops in the hills. Afterward the calm, the rai n steadily rustling in the calm lake, the return of light and hope and spirits, and the campers running out in joy and relief to go swimming in the rain, their bright cries perpetuating the deathless joke about how they were getting simply drenched, and the children screaming with delight at the new sensation of bathing in the rain, and the joke about getting drenched linking the generations in a strong indestructible chain. And the comedian who waded in carrying an umbrella.When the others went swimming my son said he was going in too. He pulled  his dripping trunks  from the line where they had hung all through the shower, and wrung them out. Languidly, and with no thought of going in, I watched him, his hard little body, skinny and bare,  saw him wince slightly as he pulled up around his vitals the small, soggy, icy garment. As he buckled the swollen belt, suddenly my groin felt the chill of death.(E.B. White, Once More to the Lake. Essays of E.B. White, 1941. Rpt.  Harpe r Row, 1977) Climaxes in AnecdotesAnecdotes are really miniature stories with all the appurtenances of same. They must lay the groundwork so the reader can follow the action. They must introduce characters with clear objectives, then show the characters striving toward those objectives. They usually have conflict. They move toward a climax, then usually have a denouement, just like a short story. And they have to be structured; the raw material from which theyre built is seldom in final form when you get it. Warning: Structuring does not mean changing facts, it means perhaps rearranging their order, cutting nonessentials, emphasizing the quotes or actions that drive home the point.(Andrà © Fontaine and William A. Glavin, The Art of Writing Nonfiction, 2nd ed. Syracuse University  Press, 1991)Climaxes in Nonfiction- My nature essays have . . . been fairly conventional to date. Every essay has some sort of hook to catch the readers attention in the opening . . .; consists of a beginning, middle, and end; includes significant amounts of natural history information; moves toward some discernible climax, which can take the form of a revelation, an image, a rhetorical question, or some other closing device . . .; and strives at all times to keep the personal presence of the narrator in the foreground.(John A. Murray, Writing About Nature: A Creative Guide, revised ed. University  of New Mexico Press, 1995)- The essay, unlike the article, is inconclusive. It plays with ideas, juxtaposing them, trying them out, discarding some ideas on the way, following others to their logical conclusion. In the celebrated climax of his essay on cannibalism, Montaigne forces himself to admit that had he himself grown up among cannibals, he would in all likelihood have become a cannibal himself.(Thomas H. Eriksen, Engaging Anthropology: The Case for a Public Presence. Berg Publishers, 2006) Ayn Rand on the Climax in a Nonfiction ArticleThe climax in a nonfiction article is the point at which you demonstrate what you set out to demonstrate. It might require a single paragraph or several pages. There are no rules here. But in preparing the outline, you must keep in mind where you start from (i.e., your subject) and where you want to go (i.e., your theme- the conclusion you want your reader to reach). These two terminal points determine how you will get from one to the other. In good fiction, the  climax- which you must know in advance- determines what events you need in order to bring the story to that point. In  nonfiction  too, your conclusion gives you a lead to the steps needed to bring the reader to the  climax.The guiding question in this process is: What does the reader need to know in order to agree with the conclusion? That determines what to include. Select the essentials of what you need in order to convince the reader- keeping in mind the context of yo ur subject.(Ayn Rand,  The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers, 1958.  NAL, 2000) Charlie Chaplin on Comic ClimaxesBesides [Douglas] Fairbanks pool one day, the playwright Charles MacArthur, who had lately been lured from Broadway to write a screenplay, was bemoaning the fact that he was finding it difficult  to write visual jokes.Whats the problem? asked [Charlie] Chaplin.How, for example, could I make a fat lady, walking down Fifth Avenue, slip on a banana peel and still get a laugh? It’s been done a million times, said MacArthur. Whats the best way to get the laugh? Do I show first the banana peel, then the fat lady approaching; then she slips? Or do I show the fat lady first, then the banana peel, and then she slips?Neither, said Chaplin without a moments hesitation. You show the fat lady approaching; then you show the banana peel; then you show the fat lady and the banana peel together; then she steps over the banana peel and disappears down a manhole.†(David Niven, Bring on the Empty Horses. G.P. Putnams Sons, 1975) Pronunciation: KLI-max

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 44

No topic - Essay Example However, they do not take an initiative of providing a systematic formula that can help people eradicate this kind of danger (Al-Nuemat Ahmed: pp. 56). Such ethical issues have a great impact on the consumers directly and to the society. Consumers always imagine they pay so much money because these companies spend a lot in advertising their products (Al-Nuemat Ahmed: pp. 58). However, since marketers are good at deceiving consumers, they always use the concept of deceptive marketing to lure them into buying. They do this by lowering the product prices but still putting into consideration the expenses. This kind of ethical dilemma has also made consumers materialistic because they tend to change their primary needs. In the process, the society ends up facing many problems. This is because people are quick at judging what other possesses and not how they behave in a society. Companies rely on marketing techniques to increase the number of sales. However, in the process of doing so, they always end up feeding consumers with wrong information through misleading advertisements. This is because they are after gaining a competitive advantage over their rivals. This in turn hurt the consumers after they realize the health issues related with the products. Al-Nuemat Ahmed Adnan. Current and Emerging Ethical Issues in Marketing New Directions and Proposals. Global Journal of Management and Business Research. 12.23(2012): 55- 62. Accessed 8 April 8, 2014

Determination the Role of the US in War Research Paper

Determination the Role of the US in War - Research Paper Example It tends to be forgotten that war affects all people in a nation. Not just the soldiers who fight on the front lines or their families who must deal with their absences and deaths, but everyone living within that nation. In his speech, Charles Lindberg declared the importance of listening to the nation as a whole as it is the whole nation who is subjected to war and not just a few individuals. This opinion has altered the way that war is viewed. Instead of war being an act of simple revenge, fighting regardless of the outcome, war has become a game that we, as players on the same team, must win. To successfully win, we have to remember the entirety of our nation when we consider starting or entering the war. The position of the United States in war has led to a vital development in society, one in which every person’s opinions, through voting, are taken to heart and the majority wins. As Lindberg stated, â€Å"There is no better way to give comfort to an enemy than to divide the people of a nation over the issue of foreign war.†1 When a nation finds itself in its own battle with citizen pinned against citizen, they are only making themselves easier targets for their enemies. Should they enter a war with their own drama, they stand no chance at winning. When Lindberg gave his speech, he was providing the United States with one of the most effective methods of success that this nation can have when subjected to war: unity. This is why America boasts of its democracy, and it shows especially during times of war.  

Discrimination Legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discrimination Legislation - Essay Example linguistically, as in a school, most individuals spoke different languages so, for better understanding of the lessons, these students had to be separated, and taught the same language, or example English before they joined again to form a set of class understanding the same language, this is just but an example of a positive gesture of an affirmative action. On the same note, employees got divided and taught the same rules, before being joined up again. At that time, affirmative action proved rather indispensable, considering the fact that, people had to be taught, the same language, in order to understand their roles, and duties in the particular organization, though, recently a research conducted by a PhD student at the university of Purdue showed that, some human resource managers have taken advantage of this, to embezzle themselves funds, so how do they do this? Well, one might be wondering the thing is after shuffling workers in a particular work station, the restriction they put is that, for any promotion to be awarded. Although the perpetual dislike for affirmative action, has been established in most countries, some countries more so the developing once, have emulated the idea, and are working out pertinent ways to have it

PERFORMANCE BUDGETING Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PERFORMANCE BUDGETING - Coursework Example This makes it easy and efficient to evaluate the performance of the concerned managers at job delivery. Performance budgeting focuses on the changes in the funding of the budget rather than the approximation fronted by the previous budget cycles. This makes it more flexible and appropriate for public budgeting whose demands are dynamic. It offers flexibility for the relocation of budgets when needs arises. In addition to these, it identifies agencies and programs that seek similar goals hence drawing inter-relationships to the legislature attentions and enabling a possibility of increased awareness and budgets to the local governments. Finally, performance budgeting provides a platform for rewarding achievement and imposing of sanctions in the case of poor performance. This attributes makes it suitable for public sector budgeting at large including the federal government. However, it will present major challenges to the federal government. The efficiency ratings used in this model are rudimentary because they measure bureaucratic activity quantitatively rather than qualitatively. This shortcoming means the federal government could by focusing on the quantity of the services rather than its quality. Moreover not all bureaucratic activities are easily quantifiable. Performance budgeting system is very handy when evaluating the output of the managers after budget allocations. It provides an insight on how the allocated budget was spent, its impact and effects. This model of accounting is hence suitable for public budgeting where integrity and service delivery is

The Case for Reparations Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

The Case for Reparations Article - Essay Example The Mississippi region had many cases of lynching colored Americans, unnecessary arrests, slavery, discriminatory learning, and discrimination against access to resources, among other issues, (p.2, 3, 6). The article was written to expose the trauma experienced by colored Americans to diverse Americans race but the African Americans, in particular. Perhaps, AP published this article to address the American government and other legal authorities to seek justice for the atrocities carried out on the black American race. Overly, the target audience might be the global populace since racial discrimination, slavery, and reparations affect international the society. When reading through this article, a variety of evidences is showed to explain the central themes of the story. However, this paper only focuses on a few indications outlined in the article. For instance, the AP reported that Mississippi involved lynching black populace (p.2) and whoever resisted legal arrangements was gravely injured or killed (p.3). There was the lack of legal protection for the black people (p.5), and land currently developed as a country club in Virginia was forcefully acquired from blacks (p.6). In addition, Ross explains that there was meager support for educating the black race that resided in Mississippi (p.7) and that he failed to receive a legitimate mortgage just because there was no financing for black people (p.18).

Response to article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response to article - Essay Example I believe that the corporate society will have to change to accommodate generation y since they need new and young blood to operate optimally. I agree with Thatcher that the future of American workforce is brighter. The days of richest Americans getting richer for doing less with the middle class doing all the work and getting less earnings for it are ending. A new generation have learnt to take their extracurricular skills seriously such that they can create jobs for themselves. In addition, many will not do a job they hate just to be employed. They would rather stay in their parent’s houses doing nothing because their parents can provide for them. To them, the world provides enormous opportunities and they have to choose the best. In the 21st century, advancement in technology has empowered many and they would want the companies they work for adopt these technology. In conclusion, generation y understands the easier options of carrying out business and will not bow to old complex methods. Companies will have to adopt easier options to accommodate them, making it easier for the existing

PERFORMANCE BUDGETING Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PERFORMANCE BUDGETING - Coursework Example This makes it easy and efficient to evaluate the performance of the concerned managers at job delivery. Performance budgeting focuses on the changes in the funding of the budget rather than the approximation fronted by the previous budget cycles. This makes it more flexible and appropriate for public budgeting whose demands are dynamic. It offers flexibility for the relocation of budgets when needs arises. In addition to these, it identifies agencies and programs that seek similar goals hence drawing inter-relationships to the legislature attentions and enabling a possibility of increased awareness and budgets to the local governments. Finally, performance budgeting provides a platform for rewarding achievement and imposing of sanctions in the case of poor performance. This attributes makes it suitable for public sector budgeting at large including the federal government. However, it will present major challenges to the federal government. The efficiency ratings used in this model are rudimentary because they measure bureaucratic activity quantitatively rather than qualitatively. This shortcoming means the federal government could by focusing on the quantity of the services rather than its quality. Moreover not all bureaucratic activities are easily quantifiable. Performance budgeting system is very handy when evaluating the output of the managers after budget allocations. It provides an insight on how the allocated budget was spent, its impact and effects. This model of accounting is hence suitable for public budgeting where integrity and service delivery is

Response to article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response to article - Essay Example I believe that the corporate society will have to change to accommodate generation y since they need new and young blood to operate optimally. I agree with Thatcher that the future of American workforce is brighter. The days of richest Americans getting richer for doing less with the middle class doing all the work and getting less earnings for it are ending. A new generation have learnt to take their extracurricular skills seriously such that they can create jobs for themselves. In addition, many will not do a job they hate just to be employed. They would rather stay in their parent’s houses doing nothing because their parents can provide for them. To them, the world provides enormous opportunities and they have to choose the best. In the 21st century, advancement in technology has empowered many and they would want the companies they work for adopt these technology. In conclusion, generation y understands the easier options of carrying out business and will not bow to old complex methods. Companies will have to adopt easier options to accommodate them, making it easier for the existing

Rogers Chocolates Essay Example for Free

Rogers Chocolates Essay 1. The premium chocolate industry is changing dramatically with the growth rate in the chocolate industry falling as a whole, other traditional big name chocolate companies like Hershey’s and Cadburys are moving more towards the premium chocolate industry. The premium chocolate industry growing 20 percent annually and with the baby boomers purchasing more chocolate, they put are putting great emphasize on quality and brand when they purchase their chocolates. The underlying drivers of change are changes that companies go through in the industry and competition conditions. There are 14 total driving forces that drive industry change but Roger’s chocolates has 6 driving forces in particular that affect them the most. First are the changes in the long-term industry growth rate because of the decreasing growth rate in the chocolate industry. Second are the changes in who buys the product and how they are used because as mentioned in the text, 20 percent of the â€Å"heavy users’ account for 54 percent of the pre-Christmas sales. Third is marketing innovation because their customers and clients had environmental concerns in bettering their packaging, procurement, and operational decisions. Fourth driving force are the entry or exit of major firms and this can been seen with companies like Hershey’s and Cadburys moving more toward the premium chocolate industry. Fifth driving force is the regulatory influences and government policy changes because larger chocolate manufactures are seeking a redefinition in the word chocolate under USFDA guidelines so that they could purchase cheaper versions of the product and still call it chocolate. Six and final driving force is changing societal concerns, attitudes, and lifestyle. People nowadays are more focused in the way they eat and are more concerned with their diet. Organic chocolate is a major topic and now dark chocolate is becoming more popular because it had been proven to be healthier than milk chocolate cause of their heart-healthy anti-oxidant. 2. Roger’s Chocolates competitive strategy is basically focused on their rich and long lasting history of their company. Roger’s Chocolates was founded in 1885 and they were Canada’s oldest chocolate company. Some of their products include Empress Squares, Dark Chocolate Almond Brittle, Marquis Assortment, Collectible Gift Tins, Fruit Nut Collection, and Ice Cream products. Their industry position is not where they hope to be, because of stiff completion from Godiva, Bernard Callebaut, and Lindt. One thing that management has done is focus their high quality hand wrapped chocolates which include Victoria Creams and they have also introduced their specialty items such as chocolate coved truffles, caramels, and orange peels. Roger’s Chocolate has introduced their line of sugar-free chocolate which opens up their market to people who cannot eat that much sugar like diabetics. Roger’s Chocolates functional strategy and tactics need to improve to be aligned with their competitive strategy, they should not only pride themselves in the uniqueness of how they specially wrap their chocolate they need to be more competitive within their industry by offering more selections of their products like fat-free products or market themselves better like Godiva does when you join their membership for free, every visit when you buy something Godiva gives you a free truffle. Something like that is what Roger’s Chocolates need to focus more on. 3. The action that Steve Parkhill should undertake to improve Rogers’ competitiveness in the Canadian Premium Chocolate Industry is focus more on what their customers want from the product. It is nice and everything that Roger’s Chocolates comes nicely packaged but the majority of the people are not interested in that part, though it does bring attention to the product. The taste of the chocolate is what is important and the ingredients it comes from as well. He needs to see what is it about their product that could give them the competitive advantage of their competitors. Also in terms of culture, although Canada is full of tourism, they need to establish themselves in other places where there are high volume of people that like premium chocolate. Expand their products towards the United States where people go visit like big cities. 4. SWOT analysis †¢Strengths = Premium chocolate markets grows 20 percent annually, high quality hand wrapped packages, stores are located in tourist areas (cruise ship traffic), well established in history, high quality ingredients. †¢Weakness = Name is not recognized internationally, expansion of the company is not considered, the sales agents do not provide links of their resellers to the website so customers do now know all the places that sell Rogers’ chocolates, do not sell my the majority to their customers †¢Opportunity = Expand their products to the U. S. or internationally, become a public company to get more exposure, produce organic items †¢Threats = Hershey’s and Cadbury moving towards the premium chocolate market, many competitors (like Godiva) , Board members do not want to grow, potential selling of the company to investors, post 9/11 tourism is slowing down. The future for Roger’s Chocolates looks like it is going to stay steady with no real big changes coming in the future. They will keep their rich history going but it does not seem like anytime in the future Roger’s Chocolates will be expanding their business. 5. At first Roger’s Chocolates was in a strong financial position due to the fact that the company was privately held and did not have to deal with public shareholders. But just after the current shareholder acquired the company, growth had substantially slowed down in the past years. Tourism has fallen down a lot as well since September 11. 2001 and the decline of the dollar has not helped much the financial either. Roger’s Chocolates level of profitability is doing well with Canada’s market for chocolate being $167 million dollars annually that is a big chunk of the market share for Roger’s chocolate to work with. Their liquidity seems to be doing well, Roger’s chocolates has strong resources in keeping their facilities and raw materials working well. Though there is a lot of room for Roger’s Chocolate to expand they seem to be operating at an average level.

Hazards Associated With Deep Excavations

Hazards Associated With Deep Excavations Health and Safety Task 2 P3 Describe a range of identifiable hazards associated with deep excavations and scaffolding when working from heights. Explain who may be at risk from these potential Hazards? Working from Heights: When working from heights it is vital to remember to be very careful because of the numerous dangers when doing so, there is quite a lot of professions that work from large heights, but the most common one in the construction industry is scaffolding. So Im going to give you some examples of hazards associated with scaffolding; Falling from said height: The dangers here are obvious, depending how far you fall and what you hit when going down and of course how and what you land on all determine how much damage you will take. Now the simplest way to make sure people dont fall of scaffolding is by having safety rails and barriers all the way around the platforms but this can cost a lot of money if they make it completely protected all the way around, so they have to make the scaffolders on site aware of any certain areas that are more dangerous than others for example a hole where ladders are from the area below, an area that isnt as well protected as it isnt an area of high traffic. When talking about falling from heights and who gets injured due to it this will rarely involve the public as they should not be climbing the scaffolding to be able to fall, so this will usually only effect the workers. Objects falling from height: Objects falling from height is one of the main causes of injury and death in the construction industry, this is because of the nature of the items and the large heights that are used on site for example, a lot of bricks and iron poles fall from the top of scaffolding that could be as high as a 30m building or even more, this is why P.P.E like hard hats were introduced because we identified hazards like this and realised this was the best plan of action. Objects falling from height can be very dangerous to the passing public when there is scaffolding being done on a busy main street for example, we now put measures In place so that the public has to be a certain distance away, as well as having netting theyre to try and catch the falling debris. Obviously workers are also injured and killed from falling objects quite regularly as well. Deep Excavations: Deep Excavations is where you have dug a rather large hole that requires foundations to keep the ground from caving inwards and crushing what ever is inside. Now obviously this is very dangerous job because there are a couple of major risks that are involved for example, the ground caving in around you, lack of oxygen in the tunnels, and digging in areas of danger. Ground Caving In: There is a great risk of the ground caving in while digging, the way around this problem is by creating foundations as you go along, these foundations will keep the sides from caving in, this is the most common danger when doing deep excavations, as sometimes people dont make strong foundations and the foundations could break leading to a cave in. Lack of Oxygen: There is a chance when working so low down that there will be a lack of oxygen, obviously we have found ways around this with Oxygen tanks and so on but, there is still a fear that the oxygen will be thin and cause you to pass out. Digging in areas of danger: There is also the danger of digging in dangerous areas when digging for example an electricity cable running along the ground, or major water pipes could also cause serious problems if damaged when digging. So it is very important to check the area that you are digging in properly to make sure that there isnt anything that could cause problems when digging. P4 Review and evaluate the main principle features of a risk assessment for these situations and determine the main differences between risks and hazards? Risk Assessments: There are four principle features of a risk assessment these are; Every employer must take an assessment of the risk to their works and non-employees at work, the risk assessment that has been taken must then be reviewed in case there is any changes needed to it, and then specific risk assessments must be carried out on young persons employed at work. These principles are very important they are what makes risk assessments work, if you dont stick to certain principles for example things could go wrong; Every employer must take and assessment of the risk to their works and non-employees at work, this is arguably the most important of the four as this is the base foundations for the rest, it is important to remember that the risk assessments that are taken are also for the public not just for employees. Secondly the undertaken risk assessment must be reviewed this is due to the fact that there could be a few risks missing, or on the other hand they might have added a few risks that werent there at all. There is also five main points to consider when doing a risk assessment these are: Identify the hazards, decide who might be harmed, evaluate the risks and precautions to be put in place, then record your findings and review your previous risk assessment and update it. Difference between a Risk and a Hazard: A Hazard is something that potentially has the ability to cause harm for example things like hot water/steam, electricity whereas a Risk is the likeliness of that said Hazard happening, for example electricity is being transferred threw a wire this is a potential hazard, there is no risk until the wire for example has been damaged, now there is a risk of being electrocuted so I becomes a risk. M1 Carry out a risk assessment for the task associated with the construction of a retaining wall. Remember to consider the 5 steps to a risk assessment. Introduction: First before I actually do a risk assessment Im going to quickly explain what a retaining wall is and make a diagram so it will be simpler to understand where I have found the risks and why I see them as risks. Retaining Walls: A retaining wall is a style of wall that is used more specifically for holding back dirt/stone back from a certain building/area; retaining walls if erected properly can be incredibly effective at fighting back erosion of the soil around the retaining wall. They are built by digging down and creating foundations and building the wall from the foundations up. D1 Justify your risk assessment strategy with accident records and data available and explain how you have taken all reasonable and practicable steps for control measures monitoring that you believe essential. Measures In Place I believe that we have taken all steps that are essential to control the dangers surrounding building a retaining wall, with a deep excavation for the foundations of the wall. We have found every hazard that we deem worthy of risk and rated said risk, we have put measures in place to make sure that these risks are avoided for example; when digging an deep excavation there is great risk that the ground can cave in from the sides, we get around this by making sure that we have safe solid foundations, making sure that they are maintained is vital as its no good having foundations if there going to break due to negligence. It is clear that its essential to have the right controls in place as the construction industry is a very dangerous place. So in conclusion I believe we have managed to cover every risk there, and as long as we stick to what measure that have been set we should be a lot safer than before. Data on accident records It is important to back up the risk assessment with recent data as to prove that there is a decline in people getting hurt and that the measures that we are putting in place over the years are making a difference. The first set of results shows the amount of injuries due to falling from heights in the construction industry between 1996 2008, the second set of results show the amount of injuries due to falling from heights in the construction industry between 2008 to 2009; it shows the three main types of injury, Fatal, Major and over 3 day injuries.

Doctor-Assisted Suicide Should be Legalized Essay examples -- Euthanas

â€Å"Dogs do not have many advantages over people, but one of them is extremely important: euthanasia is not forbidden by law in their case; animals have the right to a merciful death.† ― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being One of the most controversial topics that is being debated today, both morally and legally, is assisted suicide, sometimes known as active euthanasia. Assisted suicide is the act of directly intervening in order to end the life of a terminally ill patient (i.e. administering a large amount of sleeping pills). The word "euthanasia", comes from Latin "eu" for "good" and "thanatos" for "death" (OCRT 1). Many people in this country are existing in a "living death", suffering on a day to day basis. The Declaration of Independence endows three basic rights to all Americans: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Living in constant pain and agony is a violation of these most basic rights. Terminal illnesses compromise the well being of not only the patient, but also their families, friends, and doctors. People are entitled to request that their life be terminated through medical methods in situations which destroy any hope for quality of life. Many people are against an assisted suicide system. While religion plays a major role in the opposition of euthanasia (many religions, including Christianity and Judaism, are not only against assisted suicide but suicide altogether), the heart of their opposition is the fact that an elderly or poor patient may be coerced into choosing euthanasia by cost-conscious family members or their doctors (Klaidman 62). They feel that an exploitation of a euthanasia system is inevitable. However, these abuses and exploitations can be prevented through a strict regu... ... 1-2). Works Cited "Before the Court, the Sanctity of Life and Death." Various authors. The New York Times . 5 Jan. 2007. Bernards, Neal, ed. Euthanasia . Opposing Viewpoints Ser. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1989. "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide." 2013. Web. 17 April 2015 http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Euthanasiaandassistedsuicide/Pages/Introduction.aspx Flanders, Stephen A. Suicide . Library in a Book Ser. New York: Facts on File, 2011. Klaidman, Daniel and Reibstein, Larry. "Weighing the Right to Die." Newsweek . 13th Jan. 2013 Long, Robert Emmet, ed. Suicide . The Reference Shelf Ser. New York: The H. W. Wilson Company, 1995. "Doctor-Assisted Suicide." Web. 17 April 2015 http://endlink.lurie.northwestern.edu/physician_assisted_suicide_debate/what.cfm Van Beima, David. "Is There a Right to Die?" Time . 13th Jan. 2013: 60-61. Doctor-Assisted Suicide Should be Legalized Essay examples -- Euthanas â€Å"Dogs do not have many advantages over people, but one of them is extremely important: euthanasia is not forbidden by law in their case; animals have the right to a merciful death.† ― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being One of the most controversial topics that is being debated today, both morally and legally, is assisted suicide, sometimes known as active euthanasia. Assisted suicide is the act of directly intervening in order to end the life of a terminally ill patient (i.e. administering a large amount of sleeping pills). The word "euthanasia", comes from Latin "eu" for "good" and "thanatos" for "death" (OCRT 1). Many people in this country are existing in a "living death", suffering on a day to day basis. The Declaration of Independence endows three basic rights to all Americans: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Living in constant pain and agony is a violation of these most basic rights. Terminal illnesses compromise the well being of not only the patient, but also their families, friends, and doctors. People are entitled to request that their life be terminated through medical methods in situations which destroy any hope for quality of life. Many people are against an assisted suicide system. While religion plays a major role in the opposition of euthanasia (many religions, including Christianity and Judaism, are not only against assisted suicide but suicide altogether), the heart of their opposition is the fact that an elderly or poor patient may be coerced into choosing euthanasia by cost-conscious family members or their doctors (Klaidman 62). They feel that an exploitation of a euthanasia system is inevitable. However, these abuses and exploitations can be prevented through a strict regu... ... 1-2). Works Cited "Before the Court, the Sanctity of Life and Death." Various authors. The New York Times . 5 Jan. 2007. Bernards, Neal, ed. Euthanasia . Opposing Viewpoints Ser. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1989. "Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide." 2013. Web. 17 April 2015 http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Euthanasiaandassistedsuicide/Pages/Introduction.aspx Flanders, Stephen A. Suicide . Library in a Book Ser. New York: Facts on File, 2011. Klaidman, Daniel and Reibstein, Larry. "Weighing the Right to Die." Newsweek . 13th Jan. 2013 Long, Robert Emmet, ed. Suicide . The Reference Shelf Ser. New York: The H. W. Wilson Company, 1995. "Doctor-Assisted Suicide." Web. 17 April 2015 http://endlink.lurie.northwestern.edu/physician_assisted_suicide_debate/what.cfm Van Beima, David. "Is There a Right to Die?" Time . 13th Jan. 2013: 60-61.

Opium and Dreams in the Romantic Period Essay -- essays research paper

During what is generally defined as the Romantic period, many poets, scientists and philosophers were greatly intrigued by dreams. Southey kept a dream journal, as did Sir Hymphry Davy, a close friend of Coleridge’s; Thomas Beddoes wrote of dreams from a medical perspective in Hygeia and dreams were often a hot topic of conversation at the dinner parties of those who kept company with poets and the like (Ford 1998:5). There were many contradictory theories on the importance, interpretation and origin of dreams, at this time. Some believed that dreams were a form of divine inspiration, others that they were caused by spirits that temporarily possessed the body of the sleeper, while there were those who thought that dreams were a manifestation of the body’s physical condition. De Quincey and Coleridge were two writers who both held an exceptional interest in dreams, each with their own ideas on the subject. In this essay I propose to examine De Quincey’s and Coleri dge’s ideas on dream and daydream, and to show that opium was a profoundly influencing factor in their lives, works and dreams. I shall start by briefly outlining some of De Quincey’s and then Coleridge’s ideas on dreams; I shall then move on to ask what was the effect of opium on their creativity, dreams and imagination, before looking at how dream and daydream are distinguished in their ideas. Finally I wish to include a brief section on the anticipation of Freud, and to close with the question of how important opium was to the writing of my chosen authors. Since dreams and opium are so intertwined in both Coleridge and De Quincey I feel it is appropriate to consider the two subjects alongside each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, dreams and opium are considered simultaneously because he records the largest effect of his opium-eating to have been on his dreams. He first became aware of the effects by a re-awakening of a faculty generally found in childhood: I know not whether my reader is aware that many children, perhaps most, have a power of painting, as it were, upon the darkness, all sorts of phantoms; in some, that power is simply a mechanic affection of the eye; others have a voluntary, or a semi-voluntary power to dismiss or summon them†¦In the middle of 1817, I think it was, that this faculty became positively distressing to... ...a fashion that had started long before; and there has only ever been written the one Kubla Khan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  De Quincey wrote that men are ‘disguised in sobriety’, so opium and dreams serve to expose the true mind of man and perhaps the unconscious mind. Whatever the effect of opium on Coleridge and De Quincey; on their philosophies, on their dreams and on their lives; one cannot truly know the depth or extent of it, but to take opium and go through the experience personally. It is certainly undeniable that it was an influence and an extremely important one that continues beyond the present: furthering the exposure of mans’ psychology through the portal of dreams. Bibliography Coleridge, S. T., Poems, Everyman’s Library, London, 1999. Coleridge, S. T., Biographia Literaria, William Pickering, London, 1847. De Quincey, T., Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and Other Writings, Oxford World’s Classics, Oxford, 1996. Ford, J., Coleridge on Dreaming, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998. Hayter, A., Opium and the Romantic Imagination, Faber and Faber, London, 1968. Marcus, T., Opium in Literature and London, Issue 3. Zembla Magazine, London, 2004.

CRM at Minitex Essay

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a strategy used to learn more about customers’ needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them. It plays an important role in understanding customer’s needs by gathering the information about the customers that helps in marketing and selling the company’s products. With an effective Customer Relationship Management strategy, an organization can increase revenues by providing better services and selling products effectively what the customers want. CRM is the key to better customer services. Through CRM, it is possible to discover new customers and retain the existing ones. For it to function effectively, it is of importance for the organization to understand about their customers, their needs and develop a strategy to meet those needs. Therefore, an organization must look at how the information can be saved and how useful it can be. (Wailgum, 2007) Minitex is a company that sells its products which mainly centered through finance and insurance. These 2 divisions are administered by 4 systems namely marketing, insurance, finance and CFO. (Reddy, 2015) George Degas is the director of sales at Minitex. Harold Blufmen is the VP of insurance division and Mariella Hopkins head of the finance division. It consists of the administration system that works on the billing and payments of the customers, a General Management system that keeps track of the customers are the two back-end systems for the insurance division. (McKeen, 2008) The main Problems at Minitex are: Unprofessional Sales Calls to same customers because the data in Minitex is not centralized, so as the Sales people cannot keep track of customer information with current systems. Mariella Hopkins, VP of the finance who is IT enthusiast is open to collaboration with other department do not want to compromise existing systems. Another drawback is its divisions have specialized system terminology. (Reddy, 2015) Figure 1: CRM relationship and Management (Mckeen, 2008) Aspects for Flow of Information in Minitex The Customer Contacts System: The Customer Contacts system was created recently by Degas’s boss, Jon Bettman. This system gives sales people a better way to keep track of customer information. This system schedules,  sales call on a periodic basis and provides mechanisms for generating and tracking new leads and it also forms the basis on which the marketing department pays the sales people’s commissions. Real- time information on sales by product, salesperson, and region gives Bettman and his team excellent feedback on how well their centralized marketing strategies are performing. For purposes of invoicing and servicing the accounts, the Customer Contacts system also feeds data into the insurance and financing divisions systems after sales are made. The Management Business Center System: Mariella Hopkins the VP of financing, and her division funded the development of a management business center application. This system acts as an online customer self-service system. By this system, customers can obtain statements and online financing and often can get credit approved instantly. Customer service representatives use the same basic system, with to track customer transactions and to provide customer support as needed. The Credit Administration System: Minitex is using a Credit administration system which was developed 20 years ago. Harold Blumfen, VP of insurance is a major profit maker at Minitex, he and his division uses a credit administration system to track customer billings and payments. The General Management System: Minitex uses a general management system to keep track of which products a customer has bought and what services the customer is entitled to. Both Credit Administration System and General Management System fundamentally back end systems. (McKeen, 2008) Discussion Questions 1. Explain how it is possible for someone at Minitex to call a customer and not know (a) that this is a customer and (b) that this is the third time this week that they had been called. With Minitex’s systems, both of these seem easy to accomplish. With the divisions not sharing the same system, they may not have the most updated information when one person is looking up information. This would explain why an employee may call and not know that they are calling a customer. This is especially true, because some of the employees track their own information to their own records, thus not updating the systems. It is possible to not know that a customer has been contacted three times, because the employees use their own memory to keep track of who they have called. 2. Outline the steps that Bettman must take in order to implement CRM at Minitex. In your plan, be sure to include  people, processes, and technology. To start this process of implementing CRM, Bettman needs to get everyone on the same page. He also needs to take leadership of his department, making final decisions based on evidence of the best choice for the entire department, whether or not everyone agrees. Bettman needs to get with Harold Blumfen and Mariella Hopkins and create unity between the two departments of things such as terminology, explaining that both divisions need to collaborate. The next step would be to get a handle on the current system, until they can obtain a new system. This needs to start by making sure that all information is input into the system, ensuring all employees have the most accurate and up-to-date information. This will prevent blunders, and can be a major example to put in Degas’s business case petitioning for a new IT system. Degas, meanwhile, will be working on his business case to give to IT, explaining that a new centralized system is needed. The system needs to be able to have a customer interface, but functionality for both divisions to input information and receive the information output related to their department. He can show the difference of customer interaction with less and more information flow. Degas needs to get Bettman to network with IT in the request for the new system, having the main boss involved will give it more importance. Finally, with leadership and CRM at Minitex, the department will be back on track. (McKeen, 2008) References McKeen, J. D., & Smith, H. (2008). IT strategy: Issues and Practices (2 nd Ed) Reddy, A. (2015, February 12). Crm at Minitrex. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.papercamp.com/essay/147554/Crm-At-Minitrex Wailgum, T. (2007, March 6). CRM Definition and Solutions. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.cio.com/article/2439505/customer-relationship-management/crm-definition-and-solutions.html