Mental Illness Role Ashley Smith - 956 Words

Mental Illness Role: Ashley Smith did not want to commit suicide. No one would like to die. She was a victim of negligence, but her mental condition played a role in her tragic death. As her inmate friend mentioned, in the Fifth Estate Episode â€Å"out of control†, that Ashley did not really want to die. Ashley Smith was diagnosed from an early age with behavioural problems. She was, in fact, a person with oppositional defiant disorder â€Å"ODD† since her behaviour was clear signs of this illness. She was eventually sent to correctional services for throwing crab apples at the postal worker. Not being treated properly led to the worsening of her condition and caused her to commit more small offences and face longer imprisonment time. Her symptoms were clear to any professional but not to the guards who saw her as a criminal. The main cause of ODD is not known, but can be genetic, family-related or environmental. A person which ODD would experience depression and anxiety which would be sufficient in Ashley’s case to commit suicide after years of torture in the prison. She never had the chance to be treated properly and grew despondent with time and eventually ended her life which she did not mean to do actually. She wanted to punish the guards for being held in a prison for stupid reason. The fact that she was a teenager with an emotional and behavioral disorder was a sign of high risk of suicide. She attempted suicide many times and harmed herself at prison. She was put underShow MoreRelatedThe Old Public Health Model1546 Words   |  7 Pageson structural elements that explain the use of correctional health care in the prison setting today and how this plays a role in the broader public health strategies in the outside community. He does this by explaining factors such as â€Å"the mobilisa tion of prison as a tool for the new public health† and the production of inmates into healthcare ‘consumers’, along with the role of actuarial justice.† Robert explains these ideas by firstly differentiating between the old public health model and theRead MoreThe Medical Model : Where Disability Is Viewed As An Impairment952 Words   |  4 Pagesappropriate care, but also restricts their options for fully autonomous decision-making and informed consent (Foley, 2012; Gilmore Malcolm, 2014). Another concerning medical development created for the care of individuals with disabilities has been the â€Å"Ashley Treatment.† First utilized in 1997, but reported conducted on at least a dozen patients in the U.S. since then, this treatment has been used on young girls with severe intellectual disabilities whose parents obtained treatment for growth reductionRead MoreEating Disorders Essays1393 Words   |  6 Pagesdisorders have the highest mortality rate than any other mental illnesses, but it is estimated that in the U.S. twenty-four million people of all ages suffer from an eating disorder (ANAD). Eating Disorders are not just something that appear overnight and they certainly cannot be prevented, there are several factors that influence these disorders but with help and treatment they can be treated. Bulimia Bulimia nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness. People who suffer from bulimia binge eat regularlyRead MoreOveruse Of Autonomy Of Western Medicine1638 Words   |  7 PagesKendall Duncan Writing 150 Health and Healing Professor Wayland Smith September 12, 2015 Overuse of Autonomy in Western Medicine Within the United States, western medicine is widely accepted in the medical world, however, some cultural and religious beliefs cause opposition when the proposed treatment conflicts with their personal views. Although creating a balance between autonomy and paternalism seems to be the ideal approach to insuring the most successful outcomes, physicians canRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : South Piedmont Community College2351 Words   |  10 PagesAlzheimer’s disease Ashley Linker South Piedmont Community College Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal partRead MoreHappiness, Health and Economy: Three Strongly Related Elements of Religious Faith2065 Words   |  9 Pagessurprised at the huge implication this imposes. It guides us towards the most crucial question of our lives: â€Å"Does our religious faith make us happy?† (Ashley 1) For those people that actually have a religion maybe they have asked themselves, â€Å"Do [I] pray because happy people pray? Do [I] feed the poor or care for the widow because it makes us feel good?† (Ashley 1) Maybe you have acquired a religion faith because you seek that happiness that fills the emptiness of your human shell, a happiness that may fillRead MorePsycho-Social Reflection1884 Words   |  8 Pages Bio-Psycho-Social Reflection Paper Ashley Wilson-Dixon University of Southern California Sergio Rizzo-Fontanesi, Ph.D. SOWK 506 August 31, 2017 Bio-Psycho-Social Reflection Paper As we go through life we may not realize the impact our health, mindset, and relationships have on our overall wellbeing. It is important to fully tend to and take care of our biological, psychological, and social parts of life. Throughout my paper I will be reflecting on my life and describing myselfRead MoreThe Impact of Media on Teens3822 Words   |  16 PagesThe Impact of the Media on Teenagers Ashley J. Sanchez-Menjivar Mr. Tramble HSP3M1-01 Friday, December 14, 2012. Many adolescent teens are exposed to numerous encounters with the media that have a negative impact on their judgments, actions, and opinions. This is referring to the video games, movies, television shows, and magazines that surround them everyday. We begin to discover how it effects their decisions and behaviors. Adolescence is a time when young people are identifying importantRead MoreEssay Wgu C351 Task 14625 Words   |  19 PagesProfessional Presence amp; Influence Ashley A. Lewis Western Governors University Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing, first began to establish nursing as a profession during the Crimean War. Since then, nursing theorists have continued to expand on the thought that patients are made up of more than just the symptoms they present with, Abraham Maslow, Carl Jung, Dr. Larry Dossey and Dorothy Johnson, but none more so than Jean Watson. She developed a theory of humanRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesFrancisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editorial Director: Sally Yagan Director of Editorial Services: Ashley Santora Acquisitions Editor: Brian Mickelson Editorial Project Manager: Sarah Holle Editorial Assistant: Ashlee Bradbury VP Director of Marketing: Patrice Lumumba Jones Senior Marketing Manager: Nikki Ayana Jones Senior Managing Editor: Judy Leale

Essay about Invention of the Phonograph - 1152 Words

Invention of the Phonograph The idea of the phonograph came from the man who invented the light bulb. Thomas Alva Edison is one of the greatest inventors of all time decided to create this invention. In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would decipher telegraphic messages to paper tape. He used a diaphragm with an embossing point. This would be held onto a moving paraffin paper. Thus when spoken into it, the vibrations made indentations on it. Edison decided to change the idea by using a tin foil wrapped metal cylinder instead of the paper. The final cylinder phonograph had 2 diaphragm and needle units. One would be for recording date and the other would be for playing it. For the machine to work, one would have to speak†¦show more content†¦This new machine was now called the graphophone. Bell and Tainter’s representatives approached Edison for the collaboration, Edison refused because at the time he had received success for creating the incandescent light bulb. From this success, he could now work on his cylinder phonograph. His new model was very close to Bell and Tainter’s modifications and it was reintroduced as the â€Å"The New Phonograph.† With that Edison formed the Edison Phonograph Company to manufacture the product that used wax cylinders made of ceresin, beeswax, and stearic wax. A businessman by the name Jesse Liponcott had taken control of all phonograph companies by becoming the only licensee of the American Graphophone Company and also by purchasing the Edison Phonograph Company in 1888. From here Liponcott started the North American Phonograph Company. He felt that phonographs would prove to be useful for business aspects like dictation. Yet in 1890, Liponcott grew ill and lost control of the North American Phonograph Company to Edison who was its creditor. Edison then declared bankruptcy for the North American Phonograph Company so he could buy back the rights to his invention. Though the bankruptcy agreement didn’t allow Edison to sell phonographs for a short period of time, Edison was ready to unveil a newly modified Spring Motor Phonograph. Then in 1896, Edison started the National Phonograph Company. This new company helped release and manufacture theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Phonograph And Its Future By Thomas Edison1115 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout time there has always been revolutionary inventions and ideas have been changed the way our lives have changed. In the text â€Å"The Phonograph and its Future† Thomas Edison used the possibilities of the phonograph and answered the typical questions like the durability of the phonograph to show how revolutionary his invention is for the world. On the other hand, he could have used the experience of how the phonograph. Because the North American Review was one o f the first Literary MagazineRead MoreWhat Did Edison Make The Changed And Impacted The World Today?1484 Words   |  6 Pages Thomas Edison Today people are using many conveniences that come from the inventors in 1880 s and 1890 s. And Thomas Edison is one of the famous inventor. So many of Edison s inventions are held in such a high regard that he is considered the greatest inventor of all time. The New York World, in 1901, called Edison Our Greatest Living American, The Foremost Creative and Constructive Mind of This Country, Our True National Genius. Edison was a successful manufacturer and business. What didRead MoreThe Effects Of Music On Music Throughout History1587 Words   |  7 Pagessociety. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph, changing the way modern music was listened to. The Phonograph allowed people to bring the music to them. While other inventors had produced devices they believed could record music, Edison s phonograph was the first to be able to regurgitate the recorded music. Edison believed that the phonograph would have a positive effect on business, culture, and education. Out of the invention of the phonograph, three distinct qualities were discovered ofRead MoreMusic And Electronics Aid One Another1389 Words   |  6 Pagessociety. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph, changing the way modern music was listened to. The Phonograph allowed people to bring the music to them. While other inventors had produced devices they believed could record music, Edison s phonograph was the first to be able to regurgitate the recorded music. Edison believed that the phonograph would have a positive effect on business, culture, and education. Out of the invention of the phonograph, three distinct qualities were discovered ofRead MoreSound Recording s Evolution : Does It Affect The Music Industry?1427 Words   |  6 Pagesargument, explaining what is good and bad about today’s music industry. I am going to talk about evolution of recorded sound, what is the very first factor that contributed to the changes of industry and mention eventual changes that appeared. *** Phonograph Middle 1800’s†¦ up in till then the only way to hear a song was to find some one playing music live. Music industry didn’t really exist and it was not common to make money from music. At least being hired by aristocracy to entertain them or beingRead MoreThomas Edison : The Greatest Inventor1516 Words   |  7 Pagesabout his very first unsuccessful invention which was a vote counter. Over the following course of years, following his first invention, Edison continued to invent or improve different inventions and with the Invention Solutions 2 money he received he set toward establishing the world’s earliest industrial-research lab for himself in Menlo Park, New Jersey. It was at this laboratory that he created one of his most original, and favourite inventions, the â€Å"Phonograph†, he was later on given the nameRead MoreMusic And Technology Aid A Another1570 Words   |  7 Pagessociety. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph, changing the way modern music was listened to. The Phonograph allowed people to bring the music to them. While other inventors had produced devices they believed could record music, Edison s phonograph was the first to be able to regurgitate the recorded music. Edison believed that the phonograph would have a positive effect on business, culture, and education. Out of the invention of the phonograph, three distinct qualities were discovered ofRead MoreMusic And Technology Aid A Another1415 Words   |  6 Pagessociety. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph, changing the way modern music was listened to. The Phonograph allowed people to bring the music to them. While other inventors had produced devices they believed could record music, Edison s phonograph was the first to be able to regurgitate the recorded music. Edison believed that the phonograph would have a positive effect on business, culture, and education. Out of the invention of the phonograph, three distinct qualities were discovered ofRead MoreThomas Edison1061 Words   |  5 Pagessome form of light containing a light bulb of some kind. Well, before Thomas Edison came along people used gas lamps, and fire to see. Thomas Edison was person who revolutionized the world with his amazing invention of the incandescent light bulb, and he also had other revolutionary inventions. Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio (Edison’s Light bulb). His parents were Samuel and Nancy Edison, and he was the last of seven children. As a child he had very little educationRead MoreDevelopments Of Recording Technology During The 20th Century995 Words   |  4 Pagesbe heard. These inventions gifted the public with new ways that music could be enjoyed more easily and more often. It also influenced composers to experiment with new genres and styles. One aspect that was provided to the public through inventions and developments in music technology was a major convenience. They no loner needed to leave the comfort of their home to spend money on a live performance. One particular invention that pushed this development was the radio. This invention was the first

Marketing Strategy Business Environment

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Strategyfor Business Environment. Answer: Introduction The concept of strategic marketing can be described as the way in which a company or organization differentiate itself from the competition in order to have a bigger market share for its product or service. With the ever dynamic consumer behavior, companies have had to devices ways to keep them competitive and remain in business. To do this companies use various theories to develop their marketing strategies depending on the nature of business environment both current and future, company capabilities among other factors. However, it is imperative to note that, there is no one such marketing theory that will fit all the products or services when coming up or developing a marketing strategy for any particular product or services. One of the marketing theories is segmentation. The theory postulates that different market sectors have different taste and behavior. Based on this theory, a marketing strategy should present the company product or services to the market segment which wants i t and are able to purchase. This way the product is presented to the right target group as opposed to focusing on every edge of the market. (Coomber, 2007) Marketing mix theory on the other hand postulates that, a marketing strategy should consider what it calls 4 p. These are Product, Price, promotion and placement. The product takes into account the features including the competition of the product, Price is a variant used to manage or control demand, drive market share and determine the margin of the profit. Promotion on the other hand seeks to determine which media avenues to engage in order to meet the right consumers of the product and make them aware of the discounts, product slogans, logos among other features of the product. The final P stands for placement of the product, which seeks answer where and how the potential customers of the product can access it. As an example, younger generation of the consumers have a tendency of surfing online for products and paying for them through established online channels such as credit or credit cards platforms. The product will then be delivered at their door step or designated location. In contrast, other consumers like to physically examine the product with the salesperson before making the purchase. (Doole, 2016) In, General, different decision-makers will draw on different types of marketing theories to coming up with marketing strategies that best suit their products according to their understanding of all the aspects of the product and the market. Corporate Appraisal General Theory Corporate appraisal refers to measuring the ability of the company to respond to the dynamic external environment. It indicate how prepared is the company to tackle and cope with new surroundings that may affect its business. This preparedness measure takes into account a number of aspects or scope to effectively put a measure on the level of readiness of any one particular company. The tool takes into consideration the top management of the company under consideration in terms of analysis of the roles played currently as well in the previous companies. The appraisal also focuses on the marketing which entails the basic facts about the company products i.e. market share and forecast. It further touches on the production of the company in terms of ability of the workforce to work new processes and machines as well as flexibility of the machines. (Ferrell, 2016) Financial aspects of the company also form part of the corporate appraisal in that the nature of its financial standing and the cost of capital are among factors that are considered in this aspect of the corporate appraisal. A companys research and development further constitutes aspects that are considered when drawing a corporate appraisal. On this front, the reputation of the company in research and development and percentage of the company sales and profits attributable to research and development will be surveyed and determined. The corporate social responsibility is another aspect which can be considered when drawing up corporate appraisal. Under this part, the appraisal will look into the corporate expectation and the nature of shareholding. These considerations can be varied accordingly depending on the type of the company and the complexity of the market. Generally strategic abilities of an organization on all the aspects of business will form the facets with which the organization can use to maneuver around the dynamism of the market. These facets should be developed by company on all its fronts such and not limited to, human resource, financial status, Engineering and production, marketing and raw materials among other fronts. These facets individually play important roles that would collectively allow the company to have a better response to the changing nature of business environment. Zara Company Zara clothing company is one of the largest fashion companies in the world based in Arteixo, Galicia, Spain. The company is owned by Inditex group, one of the worlds largest apparel retailers and is the groups flagship brand. Zara Company emerged position 53 on the Forbes lists of the most valuable brands at $ 10.7 billion as of May 2016. (Lopez, Fan, 2009) On corporate appraisal front, one of the strongest capabilities of Zara Company is its ability to develop a new brand and have it in its stores within two weeks while it takes other retailers six months to have new brand available to customers in their stores and other supply chain. Fashion being a fast paced industry, especially on ladies wears; Zara Company would have an upper hand in responding to the change in consumer taste in the market compared to other companies or competition. The company also has more than 2,100 stores worldwide, thus making its supply chain effective and strong enough to reach many of its consumers wit hin short period of time. This also provide it with adequate cover should one of its market perform poorly then the other markets can boost the sales and the company would still be in sound financial status. Zara Company is also known for adoption of technological advancement in its production and sales processes. The company has a digital mirror that allows customers or clients to fit and try on cloths without actually wearing them or taking them off the shelf. (Lopez, Fan, 2009) Competitors Zara Company has major competitors in the field of fashion such as Uniqlo and Hennes Mauritz or HM. The two companies have extensive retail networks with over 1,000 stores each and employ different type of business models strategies and management of the their distribution of products. HM is the oldest of the trio has a number of top selling brands such as Cheap Monday Monki and COS. It also has most physical cloth stores across the world with over 3,800 stores as at January 2016. Uniqlo on the other hand had over 1,450 stores across the world in the same period of time while Zara Company stood at over 1,900 stores. The United States of America fashion market has attracted the three companies with HM being the most successful by the end of 2015 with over 400 stores across the US fashion market. Under the same period Uniqlo attained 42 stores while Zara Company stood at 55 stores in US. (Lopez, Fan, 2009) Uniqlo has majorly based its share of market in the country of origin, Japan, with over 700 stores. The companys distribution strategy and development of new brands is quite different from that of Zara Company, with the Japanese fashion retailer preferring to base brand development and distribution ob demand rather than developing the product and availing it to the market through marketing and other selling techniques. Uniqlo strategy is responding to Japanese fashion trends and designing many of its brands following the minimalistic style, a style popular in Japan but not other parts of the world. This could be reason as to why most of the Uniqlo brands experienced low uptake in Western distribution channels such as in the US. In terms of branding, HM appeal to the wider market by developing brands that have unique styles for each category of consumers. For example, Collection of Styles sales different brands of cloths at higher average prices compared to Monki. The brands higher in prices mostly target European markets and while Monki brands at averagely half price that of Collection of Styles tend to appeal more to the youthful consumers. Customers Market Strategies Zara Company does not focus more on advertisements and marketing. Instead the funds that it would have been channeled towards marketing are used to open more stores strengthening its supply chain and distribution channels. This could explain the rapid increase in the number of Zara stores across the world within short period of time. The strategy has worked for the company because its name is already out there and people would recognize its branded stores easily. The Company also seeks to cut the image of a high-end retailer but with affordable prices. With this factor many customers would prefer Zara brands which have high standing within the market but are affordable to a large number of consumers. (Wendell, 2011) Environmental Impacts (PESTLE) Political Economical Social Zara company being a multinational company must keep track of all the political decisions that affect their business in countries in which they operate. The more politically stable a country is the more it is favorable location to expand or establish business. The company has been able to target political stable countries for market expansion such as USA. (Peter, Olson, 2010) Zara management must be aware of all dynamism in economics such as inflation rates, exchange rates, and affordability of their products in the market and profit margins as well as other economic conditions. The company has been able to maximize on the European market where majority of the consumers have strong purchasing power. (Peter, Olson, 2010) The Zara company management should be aware of the spending habits of the consumers and trends in the fashion industry which ultimately affects the sales of the company. The company should also be aware of the demographic changes in the market in which they operate so as to aid it in future decision making plans. The diversity of cultures around the world should also be a matter to be considered as this affect the consumer behavior in such jurisdictions. (Peter, Olson, 2010) Technological Legal Environmental New technology always brings with it more efficient way of doing things which leads to better profitability. Zara company should ensure it always consider installing new technology in production and all other fronts for better efficiency and quality control. The company has however leveraged on zara.com to build online clients and make more sales. Also through social media such as Twitter and Instagram, the company has been able to reach millions of potential clients world wide. (Peter, Olson, 2010) It is imperative that Zara maintains correct legal standing in all the jurisdictions where it operates. This will ensure that the Zara retains a good name for its brand and perhaps improve on sales. (Peter, Olson, 2010) With the current agitation for clean environment Zara should ensure that it remains in the forefront in ensuring all its processes are environmentally friendly. The store policy should strict on waste products and its disposals. (Peter, Olson, 2010) Recommendation Zara Company should consider focusing on marketing because it takes more time for word of mouth to spread to the unreached population. If the company is planning to expand to a certain locality then a fraction of the budged used to set up the new store can be used to market or promote the store within the local area. This makes the store get known a lot quicker that it would if would decide to rely on the word of mouth and the actual visits by the prospective clients. References Coomber, S. (2007). Branding. Chichester: Capstone. Doole, I. (2016). International Marketing Strategy. Cengage Learning. Ferrell, O. (2016). Marketing strategy. [S.l.]: Cengage Learning. Fifield, P. (2016). Marketing strategy. [Place of publication not identified]: Routledge. Hooley, G., Piercy, N., Nicoulaud, B., Rudd, J. Marketing strategy competitive positioning. Lopez, C., Fan, Y. (2009). Internationalisation of the Spanish fashion brand Zara. Journal Of Fashion Marketing And Management: An International Journal, 13(2), 279-296. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13612020910957770 Peter, J., Olson, J. (2010). Consumer behavior marketing strategy. New York: McGraw- Hill Irwin. Wendell, M. (2011). Branding. BelleBooks.

The Canadian Government Essays - , Term Papers

The Canadian Government Part I. GOVERNMENT AND LAW The Governor General represents the monarch in Canada. He/she is appointed by the monarch on advice of the Canadian Government. Governors General open Parliment and read the speech from the throne which outlines the governments plans. They also give royal assent to bills, appoint important officials, greet foreign leaders, and give out awards and medals. The role of the Governor General is formal and symbolic. The current Govener General is Ray Hnatyshyn. The Last one was Jeanne Sauve. The Senate is, in essence, an independant House of Commons. It appoints its own Speaker and runs its own affairs. The Prime Minister (I'll call him the PM) chooses new members for the senate whenever a vacancy occurs. The Senate acts as a check on the power of the House of Commons by rejecting bills. The Senate may also introduce bills itself, pass them, and send 'em to the House of Commons. Elections for the House of Commons occur every five years, unless the PM wants one sooner. Elected members of the House of Commons (MPs) each represent a Constituency. How many members in the commons depends on how many people in Canada. MPs must be over 18, and not disqualified by law. The House only has to meet once a year, but usually there's so much to do they have to put in many months of work. Any MP can try to introduce a bill, but the Cabinet usually controls the number of bills introduced. Most bills come from the Cabinet, but the ideas can come from things like: A senator, public servant, the media, party platform etc. The PM chooses The Cabinet from fellow party members who have been elected to the House of Commons. When choosing Cabinet members, the PM must choose representatives of all regions and cultural groups of Canada who together, represent and understand all of Canada. A Cabinet member is usually made head of, and responsible for a department of government. For example, the Minister of Finance prepares the federal budget and assumes a big role in managing our economy. The Cabinet members meet together under the leadership the of the PM to discuss the important decisions that the government must make concearning proposed laws or bills. Each Cabinet member is expected to accept decisions made by the Cabinet on the whole. The Cabinet must always appear unified and capable to Parliment and to the country. How A Bill Becomes A Law: -Cabinet Minister has idea for a bill -Idea explained to Cabinet -Cabinet approves idea -Lawyers Draft bill -Cabinet committee examines bill -Cabinet and caucus approve bill -Bill introduced to House of Commons or Senate (first reading) -Second reading -House debates and votes on principle of bill -Parliamentary committee examines bill -House amends bill -Third reading, debate and vote -Bill passes House -Senate (or House of Commons if introduced in Senate) examines, debates, amends bill -Bill passes Senate -Govener general gives royal assent, Bill is now Law. Criminal Law deals with the punishment of people who commit crimes against the public such as murder, arson, and theft. These are considered to be crimes against society. The rules for this are set down in the Criminal Code of Canada. The federal government is responsible for bringing criminal offenders to trial. Civil Law deals with the protection of private rights. It is concearned with disputes between individuals or groups. In civil cases, it is up to the injured party to take the case to court. For an exmaple of a civil case, let's say that a friend of yours pulls out a gun and shoots a hole through your wall, but doesn't want to pay for it. It would be up to you to sue your friend for the cost of the wall in a civil court. Supreme Court of Canada Supreme (or Superior) Court of The Province Trials Division Appeals Division District (or County) Courts Provincial (Magistrate's) Court Family Court Youth Court Indictable Offences Summary Conviction Offences Classification Hearing Alleged Offence Rights Guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of rights and Freedoms Fundamental freedoms: Worship as you like, believe what you want, express your opinions, associate with whomever you like, and gather together peacefully. Democratic rights: Vote in elections, run as a candidate in elections, elect a new government at least every five years. (except, possibly in times of war.) Mobility rights: Enter or remain in or leave Canada, live and work wherever you wish within Canada. Equality rights: Live and work and be protected by the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, arge, or

Management Strategic Example

Management Strategic Example Management Strategic – Coursework Example Investigate the possible vision and mission ments of the company. A possible mission ment of the company is â€Å"to maximise shareholder valueby manufacturing and distributing automobiles that cater to a variety of consumer needs and wants globally with the option of providing financing to both distributors and consumers.† A possible vision statement is â€Å"to be a consistently profitable automaker that assures customers of best-in-class but affordable vehicles.†Analyse if the mission and vision are good and aligned to its goals and objectives. The mission statement is good because it focuses on what Ford aims to achieve through its day-to-day activities, that is to give maximal returns to its owners by performing its core business of making and selling vehicles to different consumer segments globally. The vision statement is also good because it shows the company’s aspirations for the future: to give its customers the best vehicles as per the standards at tha t moment in time and to remain profitable while doing so. If you are the CEO of the company, develop your own version of a better vision and mission, by incorporating the theories you learn in class. Vision: To consistently be a profitable company that guarantees world class products and services. Mission: To manufacture, distribute and sell a broad-category of energy-efficient vehicles, with the option of providing financing to our customers, while ensuring that we consistently deliver maximal value to our stakeholders. Discuss the current strategies of the company highlighted in the article.Ford is pursuing three-pronged strategy: entry into the alternative-fuel vehicle (AFV) market, market penetration in the small and medium-sized car segment and divestment. Increased participation in the AFV market is vital because it allows Ford to: fulfil the increasing consumer and federal government demand for green energy and environmental sustainability, and to develop new competencies tha t could be leveraged to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. With consumers at its key markets going through an economic squeeze the small and medium-sized car segment has become one of the biggest segment of the auto market (Badal, 2011). For this reason it is only prudent that Ford leverages its brand strength to gain market share in this growing market segment. Finally, Ford is in financial trouble and divesting from businesses where it sees little potential for future growth will not only help improve its books but also enable it restructure its business.ReferencesBadal, A. (2011). Ford Motor Company - 2009. Strategic Management: Concept and Cases (13th ed., pp. 95–102). Harlow: Pearson Education.

Global Population Growth Creates Environmental Problems

Global Population Growth Creates Environmental Problems Environmentalists don’t dispute that many if not all of the environmental problems - from climate change to species loss to overzealous resource extraction - are either caused or exacerbated by population growth. â€Å"Trends such as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and climate are closely related to the fact that human population expanded from mere millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today,† says Robert Engelman of Population Action International. Although the global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, the number of people living on Earth - and sharing finite resources like water and food - has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over seven and a half billion today, and human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. With more people coming, how is this going to affect the environment further? Population Growth Causes Multiple Environmental Problems According to Population Connection, population growth since 1950 is behind the clearing of 80 percent of rainforests, the loss of tens of thousands of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of some 400 percent, and the development or commercialization of as much as half of the Earth’s surface land. The group fears that in the coming decades half of the world’s population will be exposed to water-stress or â€Å"water-scarce† conditions, which are expected to â€Å"intensify difficulties in meeting...consumption levels, and wreak devastating effects on our delicately balanced ecosystems.† In less developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as cultural traditions that encourage women to stay home and have babies, lead to rapid population growth. The result is ever increasing numbers of poor people across Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere who suffer from malnourishment, lack of clean water, overcrowding, inadequate shelter, and AIDS and other diseases. And while population numbers in most developed nations are leveling off or diminishing today, high levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. Americans, for instance, who represent only four percent of world population, consume 25 percent of all resources. Industrialized countries also contribute far more to climate change, ozone depletion, and overfishing than developing countries. And as more and more residents of developing countries get access to Western media, or immigrate to the United States, they want to emulate the consumption-heavy lifestyles they see on their televisions and read about on the Internet. How Changing U.S. Policy Could Offset Environmental Harm Worldwide Given the overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would like to see a change in U.S. policy on global family planning. In 2001, President George W. Bush instituted what some call the â€Å"global gag rule,† whereby foreign organizations that provide or endorse abortions were denied U.S. funding support. Environmentalists considered that stance to be shortsighted because support for family planning is the most effective way to check population growth and relieve pressure on the planet’s environment, and as a result, the global gag rule was rescinded in 2009 by President Obama but put back in place by Donald Trump in 2017. If only the United States would lead by example by cutting down on consuming, reducing deforestation practices, and relying more on renewable resources in our policies and practices, perhaps the rest of the world would follow suit - or, in some cases, lead the way and the U.S. follow - to ensure a better future for the planet.

George H.W. Bush Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

George H.W. Bush Presidency - Essay Example ("Like") On the other hand, President Bush had his own shares of defeat. In the 1980 Republican presidential nominations, he was unsuccessful in winning the bid. But in 1981, he served as the country's vice president for eight years under the Reagan administration. And it was only in 1988 when he had finally won the Republican nomination for President, for which he took Dan Quayle as his running mate during the election. ("Bush") Unlike his predecessor, Bush arrived at the presidency with considerable knowledge about the ways of Washington and experience with leading a staff closely similar to the president's own. (Relyea, 1997) On the other hand, there have been several criticisms regarding his governance when people had thought he learned from his predecessors. The book written by Hess clearly shows the abilities of the presidents who assumes the office and their unique personalities towards their responsibilities. Presidents are assumed to have very little knowledge and understanding, as well as very limited skills in running a government. The actual responsibilities of the office are but unclear to them on the onset of the term. However, these abilities, skills and understanding of the responsibilities are often learned in the long run yet they could not escape the part where they will have to undergo a transition of imitation of the previous presidents. Their transition stage is crucial such that this is where the presidents will have to develop their own skills according to their traits and priorities which are vital in the development, performance, and course of the administration. (Borrelli, 2003) In congruence to this statement, Farrar-Myers at the same time notes that "Presidents often are tied to the legacy of the office holders who came before them. Sometimes a president assumes the office upon the death of his predecessor and, therefore, is expected at the start of his presidency to follow the predecessor's agenda until he is able to establish his own course." (Farrar-Myers, 2001) History could not deny this fact such that there had been several vice-presidents who had continued the agenda of their predecessors when they died or take their turns as president. Some of these are John Tyler; Chester Arthur; Harry Truman; and Lyndon Johnson, for example. (Farrar-Myers, 2001) There are also times though wherein presidents purposefully follow the agenda of their predecessors. They come to base their presidency according to an assumption that they will have to continue the same policy since the president before them at the same time followed the policies that the previous president has had before them. It is a choice that some of the presidents like James Madison following Jefferson; Martin Van Buren and James Polk as Jacksonian Democrats; William Taft's campaign (if not actual presidency) to follow in Theodore Roosevelt's progressivism; and, most recently, George Bush's election to carry on the Reagan Revolution. (Farrar-Myers, 2001) Based from Hess's suggestion, it could be derived that President Bush could have at one point imitated the administrative styles of his predecessors before he had gained his own unique style in running his

How does advertising affect society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How does advertising affect society - Essay Example The advertisers resort to the intricacies of psychology and affiliate to the nuances of audio-visual technology to influence and impact the human consciousness and thereby the human decision making capacity (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). Whether it is the real world or the virtual world, the domain of the world of advertising is vast and pervasive. Though advertising tends to influence and affect the human decision making capacity in a variety of ways, yet, one essential negative impact of advertising is that it wraps and distorts the human capacity to make informed decisions in ways that augment dissatisfaction and make human life quiet superficial and disconnected with a sense of personal conviction. One essential attribute of a sound human personality is that it endows a person with the capacity to decide as to what one really needs to lead a satisfied and contented life. Almost everyone is tentatively aware of the fact that quintessentially speaking, human needs tend to be few a nd narrow and given a choice, most of the humans do have the capacity to allocate their monetary resources in a manner that leaves them content and satisfied (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). Yet, in the contemporary world marred by advertising, this premise seems to be more of a cherished ideal rather than being a simple fact of life. Going by the fact that in the modern civilization, the human mind is constantly bombarded by advertisements, it is but natural that influenced by these, many people tend to develop a distorted sense of life (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). ... n, what are the things that they simply cannot do without and how they ought to lead their life, everything is to a great extent determined by the media and the advertisements that they get daily exposed to? Advertising makes people buy things that they do not really need and that they simply do not afford, leaving them emotionally and financially famished (Hood, 2009, p. 92). Advertising makes people lose contact with their true self and ushers in an artificiality and wastefulness into their lives. Many people, most of them affiliated to the world of sales and marketing do say that advertising tends to be informative and it helps the individuals and groups engage in informed decision making and thereby enhance human satisfaction (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). However, things are not as simple as that. Advertising not only tends inform people about the new products and services, but many advertisers do proceed a step ahead to create in people a false sense of need and try to convinc e them that buying a particular commodity or a service will add to their sense of happiness (Moton & Dumler, 2009, p. 538). Many people do get carried away with the distorted reasoning imbued in the advertisements and do end up thinking that spending money on unwanted material possessions will make them happy (Hood, 2009, p. 40). There is no dearth of people who go out of the way to model their personal and family life in consonance with the ideals being projected by the advertisements (Sutherland, 2008). It is fact that could readily be verified that many popular human aspirations like buying a big house even if one simply do not need it, buying a big car, dressing up in a particular way, purchasing specific food products and items, aspiring to gain a specific type of look and physique,

Mix Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Mix Marketing Plan Essay The mix marketing plan below is for the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander compact all wheel drive (AWD) priced under $40,000. This market plan below describes the target market and objectives that are necessary to capture the target market. Furthermore, the plan offers recommendations and some of them methods necessary to promote the Mistubishi Outlander and create awareness of its release on to the market in 2009. Also in the mix market plan is situational analysis that is broken down into four parts. The first part is the current product which describes the brand and core product which in this case is the Mistubishi Outlander. The second part discusses the factors that will affect the price of the Outlander such as competition and demand. The third aspect talks about the current distribution and method in which to distribute the Outlander. This part also talks about the intensity of distribution and the intermediaries used to distribute the Outlander and the factors that influence the distribution such as storage and transport of the Outlanders from point of manufacture to the point of sale. The fourth situational analysis aspect is the promotional theme and the elements integrated in the promotion mix. The theme is that of cross between an all wheel drive and a sports utility vehicles that is both excellent as urban cruiser as well as an off road medium sized vehicle. The recommended target market for the Outlander is mainly the medium sized family that enjoys occasional family trips out of urban localities. The age group of the consumer interested in purchasing the Mistubishi outlander will range between 25 to the 50 years of age. This demographic will most likely reside in the upper middle class suburbs of Perth. The main aim of this mix marketing plan is to make consumers familiarise themselves with the Outlander, promote the outlander to all intermediaries through workshops and seminars. Increase volume of promotional content of the Outlander through media channels such as online advertising, email promotions, radio and television advertisements. The customers are made of the Mistubishi Diamond Advantage. Situational Analysis Current Product: The Mistubishi outlander is a cross over all wheel drive (AWD) from the product line of the Mitsubishi Motor Company. The Outlander is a shopping type of consumer product that is in its Introduction stage. It is a compact AWD that can be driven in urban areas as well as off road. However, the Outlander does not have Electronic Stability control system (ESP) but does come with an expandable row making it a seven seater and a bisected rear door for easy accesses to the rear cabin space. The ESP can always be added on to the future cars by adopting the system that is used in other Mitsubishi models. Current Pricing: The current influences on the price of the Outlander include demand, competition and other external factors such as economic situation and good value pricing (Kotler et al.2007, 350). The Mistubishi Outlander is in the monopolistic market as they are many sellers offering alternatives (Pierre and Toulemonde 2009, 1347) .AWDs such as the Toyota Rav Four and Nissan Extrail. The pricing objective of the Outlander is based on the price of competitor’s model of SUVs and the mix of models of the Outlander offered by Mistubishi under $40000. Current Distribution: The outlander is distributed indirectly from the factory through intermediaries such as the dealerships. Intermediaries provide a link between the manufacturer and consumer (Ansari, Mela and Neslin 2008, 60).The dealers include organisations that specialise in Mistubishi vehicle sales and services. Distribution of the outlander is selective for easier negotiations and one tone customer interaction. Some of the factors that may affect distribution include transport and Storage of the Mistubishi outlanders from the point of manufacture to the point of sale. Current Promotion: The main objective is to get the consumers familiarise themselves with the new Mitsubishi Outlander. The theme is that of a sports utility vehicles that is both excellent as urban cruiser as well as an off road medium sized vehicle. Advertising, direct Marketing sales promotions are some of the methods used to show to the customer the sporting side as well as its ability to use as urban vehicle through events such as the Dakar Rally. Recommended Target Market The recommended target market for the Outlander is mainly the medium sized family that enjoys occasional family trips out of urban localities. The age group of the consumer interested in purchasing the Mistubishi outlander will range between 25 to the 50 years of age. The consumer will most likely come from middle class urban setting and enjoys showing off the off-road capabilities of their car while being a comfortable and stylish car to drive around town. This target market has the most potential because the outlander is an urban sports vehicle that has an extra row of seats to accommodate a total of 7 passengers as compared to its rivals on the market within the same price range. The outlander also comes with a lot more standard features as compared to its rivals on the market. Some off the unique features include interchangeable all wheel drive that can be selected at any driving speed. The outlander also has a compact third row seat that does not compromise boot space and is still accommodate two extra passengers. Recommended Marketing Objective:’ In order to keep the Mitsubishi Outlander ahead of the other brand of cross over AWDs on the market, some short term marketing strategies will have to be put in place. These include : Making the consumers familiarise themselves with the Outlander, promote the outlander to all intermediaries through workshops and seminars. Increase volume of promotional content of the Outlander through media channels such as online advertising, email promotions, radio and television advertisements. Another approach would be to promote the Outlander through competitions, sponsorships of sporting activities and discounted sales to the first few customers. Boost the appeal of the outlander by offering membership to outlander car club through the Mitsubishi Diamond Advantage as part of a package deal for the purchase of an Outlander which is a 10 year 160 000 km drive train warranty and the 5 year unlimited 130 000 km warrant plus roadside assistance. Product recommendations Since the product at hand is a motor vehicle, the product packaging will not be required however all other aspects of the product such as branding extensions will be taken into consideration. The product at focus is the Outlander which comes from the product mix of Mitsubishi motor company; it only has one product lines with a narrow width. Therefore, only the depth of the product mix can be explored to give the consumer a variety to pick from the range of Outlanders available. The Mitsubishi Outlander is offered in three models namely the LS, XLS and the optional XLS Luxury pack. The Three models offered come with different options and at a varied price range depending on the added extras. However, the base model still has a starting base price of $31,990 that is fixed depending on whether the customer chooses to add extras to the vehicle. The base model of the outlander is the Ls which comes with 2.4 litre 4 cylinder MIVEC engine, driver and passenger side airbags. The LS models also comes with All Wheel Control 4WD (AWC), air condition, cruise control, Keyless entry, power windows, a steering wheel with audio controls, Stability and traction control. The XLS model has added on features that the LS does not have such as: Continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), INVECS Smart Logic and 6 steps Sports Mode, Paddle gear shifts, Smart Key, Bluetooth voice activated phone connectivity, chrome grill surround, 18† alloy Wheels, Reverse parking sensors, Adaptive Front Lighting system, High intensity Discharge Head Lamps (HID), Fog Lamps and Privacy Glass. The third model of the outlanders is the optional XLS Luxury pack. This model has additional feature to the XLS model. These key features include 18† 7 spoke wheels, chrome exterior highlights, electric sunroof, Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with 9 speakers, Rear entertainment system, Mitsubishi Multi Communication system (MMCS) including satellite navigation and reverse camera, automatic dusk sensing head lamps, automatic rain sensing wipers, leather seats facings, power driver seat and heated front seat. Pricing recommendations The pricing recommendations for the Mitsubishi Outlander will include the product line price, product bundle pricing and optional –product pricing. The product line price in this situation is considered because the product line width is narrow and limited to the Outlander models namely the LS, XLS and The Optional XLS model. Therefore, the pricing of the models will also be affected by what model is being sold through the intermediaries to the consumer. The purpose is to insure profit maximisation of the base model LS by mass distribution to the companies and leasing companies. With the LS having least of the features, making it the level entry model of the Outlander models. The second thing that is considered when it comes to product line pricing is the optional product line pricing. This will help increase the Mitsubishi profits from the sale optional accessories that can be added to the features of the Outlander’s base model the LS. Some of the features intended for the target market include, 18† alloy wheels, reverse parking sensors, High intensity Discharge Head Lamps (HID), Fog Lamps and Privacy Glass, electric sunroof, chrome exterior highlights, Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with 9 speakers and rear entertainment system. The perceived value of the extras is reasonable priced as all extras added on to the Outlander models come with a 5 year 130000 km warranty. The last recommendation for product line price is product bundle pricing, where the Outlander models are sold as bundles. This can be achieved when either selling the Outlanders with just the basic features at a much lower price as compared to the base models. The target market is leasing companies, private and government organisations in bulk. Furthermore, pricing adjustments can be made to increase sales such as discounts on bulk buys and end of financial year sales and further discounts for early or cash payments. The Outlander is not new to the car market, therefore the new product pricing strategy that is recommended is the market –penetrating pricing strategy to attract a large number of buyers and share market as it’s a medium quality and medium price product. Distribution recommendations The recommend method of distribution channel is using indirect channel through intermediaries such as agents, retailers and wholesalers. The intermediaries act as the third party link between the Mitsubishi and the consumers. The involvement of intermediaries allows the Mitsubishi to reach geographical dispersed groups and avoid direct investment. The Mitsubishi car company does not have to have a direct involvement with credit facilities or have local knowledge of customers. Furthermore, Mitsubishi can earn a greater return by investing in their main business rather than in direct marketing. The intermediary can deal directly with the customers at a more efficient and effective level often provide a supplier or manufacturer more returns than the manufacture can achieve on their own. This due to the amounts of contacts they have in the industry, experience, specialisation and scale of operation. Therefore, the channel of distribution is the retailer channel. That is from the manufacturer to the retailer then the consumer. The retailers sell the Outlander directly to the customers by so doing making the level of distribution intensity selective. This enables Mitsubishi deal directly with a few selected dealers that sale and provided services of goods manufactured by the Mitsubishi motor company. Channel conflict is minimised by dealing directly with intermediaries who are responsible for delivery and sale of the Outlanders. By doing so the conflict most likely to arise is between the Mitsubishi and the exclusive distributors. Promotion recommendations Before any promotional recommendations can be made in terms of promotions for the Mitsubishi Outlander, a number of things have to be considered. The major decision that has to be made includes objective setting, advertisement budget, advertising strategy and evaluation. When it comes to setting the budget, the product life cycle (PLC) has to be taken into consideration. From the introduction of the new Outlander where light advertising and pre introduction publicity to heavy advertising and awareness. This is the growth stage where brand loyalty and personal selling are greatly enforced. The maturity stage involves the decrease in sales promotion personal selling and the decline stage is where advertisements and promotions reduce with limited sales. These stages will determine the over head for the budget. The other promotional recommendation is the public relations mix and media selection through which to do the advertising. The media strategy includes selecting the media format. For example the newspaper has mass audience following and is good for targeting a specific audience via quick distribution. Magazines are mainly for segmented audience however, the information is intensive and highly visual. Television combines both sight and sound however most ads are ignored and only good when trying to build brand awareness and if there are adequate financial resources for the advertisement. However, radio has immediate delivery and good for stimulate impulse purchasing, cheap to advertise but does not have a visual impact. Last, there is outdoor advertising at the car dealership on the lawns where there is great traffic flow. Sales promotion is also another way to attract new customers to the Mistubishi Outlander. This also helps retain loyal Outlander customers and also regain past purchasers who have no longer purchase Mistubishi Outlander. This can be achieved through cash – back offers, competitions, premium offers offering more test drives of the Outlander models. Promotions can also be done through personal selling and interpersonal communication with target consumer groups. This involves two way communications between sales people and individual customers. The sales people are the link between the Mistubishi motor company and the customers and vice-versa. Another method that can be used is direct communication using electronic network tools and technologies via the internet. Telemarketing, telesales other forms of direct marketing that can be used to promote the sale of the Outlander. Other unconventional methods of promotions that can be used are: viral marketing by passing on information to others creating exponential growth in the messages response. Viral communications incurs very little expenses however there is limited control over receipt of the messages. The forms of passing information and advertising that are becoming popular blogs. Blogging is one method of creating hype for a product with no costs and also be able to facilitate communication between organisations and their stakeholders. Endorsements by celebrities via paid verbal testimonials or physical association with a brand. The upside is that advertising air time is practically free and the public is often not informed whether the celebrity is renumerated by the company. Conclusion. The above mix marketing plan is designed for the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander all wheel drive AWDs. The mix market plan describes the target audience and recommends ways in which to capture the intended market. The plan has further recommendation on how to create awareness for the 2009 Outlander and methods of price, distribution and promotion. The mix market plan also has situational analysis that breaks down the recommended mix marketing strategy into four aspects that current product, current pricing, current distribution and the current promotion. The mix market plan also explains the chosen theme that is a cross between an all wheel drive and sports utility vehicle that is also excellent as an urban cruiser. Furthermore, there is emphasis on the outlander’s unique features for vehicles whose base price is under $40,000.

China’s Accession to the World Trade Organization Essay -- Essays Pape

China’s Accession to the World Trade Organization After almost 15 years of negotiations, China successfully entered the World Trade Organization on December 11, 2001. In less than three years since its accession, while China’s progress has been somewhat behind schedule, the country has made very significant changes that have helped transition it to a market economy and open the country to the multilateral trading system. Following the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The WTO is an international organization that watches over trade relationships between nations dealing with goods, services, intellectual property and investments. The main function of the WTO is â€Å"to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible† (â€Å"The World Trade Organization†). The WTO helps international cooperation by providing countries with a fair forum for resolving disputes over trade issues. Member countries bring their trade disputes to the WTO rather than acting unilaterally. The organization also strives to lower the cost of living and boost economic growth by reducing protectionism and promoting freer trade. Member countries enjoy the security the trading rules provide, but they are required to commit to opening their markets and abiding by the commitments they agreed to. The process of joining the World Trade Organization is very complicated. The country applying for membership must first describe all characteristics of its economic and trade policies. The prospective member will then begin parallel bilateral talks with member countries to n... ...eb. 2002. China & the WTO. 26 Nov. 2004. . â€Å"The World Trade Organization†¦..† April 2003. World Trade Organization. 7 Oct. 2004. . Walton, Julie. â€Å"WTO: China Enters Year Three.† The China Business Review. 24 Sept. 2004. The U.S.-China Business Council. 30 Sept. 2004. . â€Å"WTO Ministerial Conference approves China’s accession.† WTO News: 2001 Press Releases. April 2003. World Trade Organization. 30 Sept. 2004. . â€Å"WTO successfully concludes negotiations on China’s entry.† WTO News: 2001 Press Releases. April 2003. World Trade Organization. 30 Sept. 2004. .

Humanities: Arts Essay

With the advent of the computer age, advanced science and technology have overwhelmed many aspects of our lives, and even our possibilities of survival are affected. The humanities can provide enjoyment and stimulation, especially when we try to understand what it covers. The Meaning, Importance, and Scope of humanities The word humanities come from the Latin humanus, which means human, cultured, and refined. To be human is to have or show qualities like rationality, kindness, and tenderness. Humanities refers to the arts – the visual arts such as architecture; painting and sculpture; music; dance; the theater or drama; and literature. They are branches of learning concerned with human thought, feelings, and relations. The importance of the human being and his/her feelings and how these are expressed have always been the concern of the humanities. Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the oldest and most important means of expression developed by man. Wherever people have lived together, art has sprung up among them as a language charge with feeling and significance. The desire to create this language appears to be universal. As a cultural force, it is pervasive and potent. Art, like love it is not easy to define. It concerns itself with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means of sensuous medium – color, sound, bronze, marble, words, and film. This medium is fashioned into a symbolic language marked by beauty of design and coherence of form. It appeals to our mind, arouses our emotions, kindles our imagination, and enchants our senses. (Machils, 1963). In every age or country, there is always art. Wherever we go, wherever it is a city or a province, here or abroad, we surely have to pass buildings of various sorts – houses, schools, churches, stores, etc. The art that we perceive through our eyes is called the visual art and architecture is one part of it. A visual art involve not only painting and sculpture but includes such things as clothes, household appliances, and the furnishings of our homes, schools, churches, and other buildings. Through the ideas selected by painters and sculptors and the forms they create, they express the ideals, the hopes, and the fears of the times in which they live. The aesthetic aspects of any work – a painting, song, story, dance, or play – are what make it art. Aesthetic refers to the forms and psychological effects of arts. Another form of the more important arts is music. This is the art of combining and regulating sounds of varying pitch to produce compositions, expressing various ideas and emotions. Its primary function is to entertain. Music is one of the great arts of our civilization, along with literature, painting sculpture, architecture, and dance. Like the other arts, music deals with emotions. It’s being a â€Å"pure art† enables it to convey emotions with great intensity and can affect people directly. Great music specially radiates infectious joy. Many who are receptive to great music find it exhilarating. If we tune into a musical program on the radio, or sing a song with others, we are having contact with music. The song we sing may be a tune which is popular now but may possibly be forgotten later. It may be a selection which has been sung or played for several decades. Dance is another form of art that is common to many even during the earliest time. It is the most direct of the arts for it makes use of the human body as its medium. It springs from our love for expressive gestures, release of tension through rhythmic movement. Dance heightens the pleasure of being, and at the same time mirrors the life of society. The dance of the older times is different from that of the present time; the dance of the barrio folks is different from the dances in the city. Primitives and non-primitives dance. The Ifugaos dance to celebrate the victory of the warriors after fight with their enemies. Likewise, the Bagobos dance to show gratitude to the spirits â€Å"for success in war or domestic affair.† The Indians dance to give thanks for a harvest; the Mexicans dance to celebrate a religious festival; teenagers dance at parties; both young and old go to disco bars and children everywhere dance because it is pleasure to express happiness to bodily movements. In its expressive aspects, dance is uniquely able to intensify moods and emotions and to deepen and dignify the feelings of us all (Compton’s Encyclopedia, 1974). The area of the theater of drama is another important art. Dramatic activities are usually part of every school and community program. Classes dramatize the events they are studying; clubs or organizations and institutions stage plays. The play may be a comedy, tragedy, mystery, musical or melodrama. Essentially, the stage is a place for re-enacting the joys and problems of life, a place where the playwright strips life of nonessentials and deals with basic and important issues. The spectators get involved in these situations and thus gain greater insight into human motives and passions. The motion picture is a popular addition to the various forms of the theater. Through it, a great number of people are able to see dramatic performances every day. The radio makes available drama for the auditory sense of imagination. The television, too, brings the art of drama to many people. Theatrical productions, including motion pictures, and television, combine art forms. The play itself is a form of literature. Scenery and costumes provide the visual arts, and music may serve as a background to set the mood or to serve as part of the plot. The opera is a drama set to music. Thus, it is a form of the theater. In many musical shows, dancers are also important performers. The theater therefore, combines several of the arts. It is also necessary that we distinguish between art and nature for they are fundamentally different. We may be impressed by the majestic of the perfect cone of Mayon Volcano, the awesome beauty of Pagsanjan Falls or the sunset at Manila Bay and thus, react to the wonders of nature. No matter how close art is to nature, however, art always shows that it is man-made. It is an interpretation of the nature and of life. What the Arts have in common We have identified five areas of art: the visual arts, music, dance, literature and drama. But there is one thing that is common to them all. What relates a painting to a song, a play to a dance? The most basic relationship is that the arts are concerned with emotions, with our feelings about things. When a person sees a picture he thinks it is beautiful, or when she watches a play or dance performance, she thinks it is exciting, she feels that it is lovely or stirring. Her reaction is primarily emotional. People experience excitement, pleasure, anger, and all the other emotional states in a way which is very different from their intellectual responses. Emotions are part of our basic nature. An Artist An artist is a person who exhibits exceptional skills in design, drawing, painting, etc. or one who works in one of the performing arts, like an actor or a musician. Unlike other people, an artist is more sensitive and more creative. He possesses to an unusual degree the knack for stone, notes, or any of the other materials used by artists. He, thus, learns to project his creative impulse through the symbols of his art – a picture, a poem, or a piece of music according to his present inspiration and his training. His process of creation, however, differs from that of an amateur or beginner only in degree. There are two kinds of artists – creators and performers. A composer writes a song to be sung by talented singers. A dramatist or playwright writes a play to be staged by a company actor. A choreographer composes a ballet or dance sequence which will be performed by a troupe of dancers. Music, theater, and dance are performing arts. Besides the creator, they require other artist who recreates what has been composed. Thus, performers are important. Two great actors may play the same role in Florante at Laura yet give it vastly different interpretations; two dancers may dance the same ballet but render it quite differently. Thus, in performing arts, the ideas and the interpretations of the performer are added to the original ideas of the creator. This dual contribution gives added richness and meaning to these fields of the arts. It makes them different from painting, for example, in the way by which the creative artists communicate directly with the observer. The work of the creative artist Creativity is an artist’s trait developed in the course of her life to solve problems or express her feelings. Her continuing reaction to emerging conditions of nature and social life gives birth to new ideas and new methods. These in turn, she uses to overcome difficulties which in the process of confrontation with reality give the solution to a vision, create art, or activate social transformation. The process of creation. Experts on the subject are one in their view that there are three major phases in the process of creation. First, the artist must have an idea; second, he must have a material to work on; and third, he must give form to his idea. The idea. Artist is highly sensitive persons especially aware of the things that surround them. They notice the sounds, colors, and movements of people and things. Art expression is based on the so-called higher senses of sight and sound, with the other senses playing more or less indirect roles. A particular experience may impress an artist so much that he decides to use it as the basis for a picture, a poem, a play or a dance. Depending on his cultural background, a painter may be attracted by anything. He paints a picture from a scene where most people do not think beauty existed. A novelist may write about the life and misfortunes of a woman whose husband, after failing to find a job, decides to go abroad and becomes unfaithful after a few years. The novelist would show us that the great social and economic problems of our times are essentially human problems and he would make us aware of the effects of advances in science and technology on human beings. A composer may write a musical fantasy in which the world of mystery and imagination explored. A dancer may do a dance on the pleasures and discomforts of growing up. As a basis for his dance movements, he might use the idealism of adolescence, the developing charm of boys and girls, their sensitivity, their awkwardness, and occasional loneliness. A study of arts is the study of humankind, for through the arts we can discover our major interests, feelings, and problems through the ages. Playwrights and novelists have always been concerned with the frailties of human being, with his hopes and fears, his courage and cowardice, his charity, and greed. Poets, with their artistry of statement, have given nobility and intensity to our human experiences. Through dance, the events of life are given symbolic and ceremonial form. The material and Process. The second phase of creation in art concerns the material which the artist uses to give form to his idea. A painter uses pigments; a sculptor uses stone, metal or wood; an architect, various building materials. An author uses words; a composer, musical sounds which are set down as notes. A choreographer uses people and their movements as the materials for his creations. The sculpture is something we can see or take in at a glance in it’s entirely, and so sculpture is an art of space. The hymn we hear takes a number of minutes to be sung or the entire composition to be played and so music is an art of time. Organization and Form. The third phase in creating is organizing the idea and giving it form in the selected materials. Popular song writers use the conventional 32-measure length. Poetry has a number of well-defined forms which are often used: the sonnet, the quatrain, the Spenserian stanza. Operas and plays are always divided into a number of acts. In several of the time arts, the works generally have a three-part structure: an introductory section which â€Å"sets the stage† for what follows; a middle section which develops the plot, the melody or the story; and a concluding section which is the final working out of the forces and ideas which the artist has set in motion. Style is a term which refers to the development of forms in art that are related to particular historical periods. Forms in the space arts are often symmetrically balanced in their design; that is, the two sides of the object are identical. Time has shown since that the severe criticisms were unjustified; and we often wonder how people of the past could have disliked some of the works of art we now admire. It is the responsibility of each one of us to be open-minded. The understanding of the great art of all periods is a key to the understanding of the human being. There is a need to associate with great people or artists through their work in order to enrich and ennoble our own lives.

Funeral Cosmetic Surgery

Cynthia Grosse,Kunkel English 11 Beauty is your funeral Cosmetic surgery is defined as, â€Å"surgery performed to improve the appearance, rather than for medical reasons† (Collins English Dictionary). Cosmetic surgery is a dangerous procedure because some people acquire lifelong scars not only that, death could be in the equation. On the other hand, many women get cosmetic surgery due to physical deformation or certain birth defects in efforts to cover up their embarrassing scars.Even though some cosmetic surgery can be beneficial, the fact that death could be involved, is it worth it? Cosmetic surgery should be illegal because the number of death and deformation in the person’s character are too great to risk any possible enhancements. We should not be allowed to get plastic surgery, implants, and liposuction because these things cause a person to become sick and then eventually die. Therefore we should warn the person about the harm of cosmetic surgery is. According to Dr.Darshan Shah, a Mayo Clinic-trained board certified surgeon, â€Å"Cosmetic Surgery itself actually carries very minimal risk if you put yourself in the hands of a qualified, certified cosmetic surgery specialist – someone who has trained and devoted [his or his] career to the misrepresentation and inexperience of certain surgeons†. (California Health and Beauty) This article is saying that people are dying because there not looking up facts and information about the surgeon, but how much is of this idea is true?I believe no matter who performs the surgery; it’s always dangerous and has many life threatening consequences. Whether or not the surgeon is ‘’good’’ or ‘’bad’’ the procedures should not be done and are unethical. First of all, cosmetic surgery costs a great deal of money. Breast augmentations are 3,797$, Tummy Tucks are,332$, Butt Lifts are $7,904, Collagen Injections are $673 and Eyelid surge ry is $2,912, To me no amount of money is worth risking your life for. Not only that, I believe that people are beautiful the way they are, and that they don’t need surgery to boost their self esteem.Individuals seek to conform to the social norm, and it’s apparent that they will go to any cost to make that happen. When comes to unethical issues such as transgender cosmetic surgery, no it should not be allowed. In Fact, when they get these procedures they can die from anesthesia. In conclusion, when come to cosmetic surgery its dangerous overall even though you’re getting medical reasons or even though you get Butt Lift or Tummy Tuck or Collagen injection , Overall cosmetic surgery is a dangerous ,harmful procedure that should be banned.

Slavery In The Usa Essays - Bleeding Kansas, Free Essays

Slavery In The Usa Essays - Bleeding Kansas, Free Essays Slavery In The Usa Douglas hoped that northerners opposing his bill would quiet down after the bill was settled, but they became more furious Antislavery critics wanted to prevent slavery from gaining a foothold in Kansas Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company was found to help emigrants to settle down in Kansas hundreds of settlers moved to Kansas Alarmed proslavery groups also started to go to Kansas When a territorial legislature was elected in March 1855 over 6000 votes were counted 5000 of these votes were illegal because most Missourians who voted were not residents large number of men who had been elected were proslavery a law was quickly passed authorizing slavery in Kansas! even death penalty was passed for people helping slaves to escape Kansans refused to accept the new legislature and set up an own government at the town of Topeka fighting between these two governments broke out weapons from the East were sent to Kansans Tension between these two parties started to explode when in November 1855 a Kansan were killed by a proslavery man On May 21st, Sheriff Jones, a proslavery, and a proslavery army marched into Lawrence and destroyed two printing presses and burned down several buildings A few days later John Brown and seven other men, took revenge and massacred five people (they split open their skulls and cut off some of their hands) As a result civil war in Kansas broke out

How To Make A Telemarketing Complaint

How To Make A Telemarketing Complaint    The Federal Communication Commission has released specific steps consumers should take if they have put their phone numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry and are called by telemarketers on or after October 1, 2003. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) share responsibility for enforcing the National Do-Not-Call list.   If You are Called by Telemarketers, You Can Do the Following If you have registered your telephone number on the National Do-Not-Call list, tell the telemarketer that you are on the list. Make a note of the time and date of the call, and the identity of the telemarketer for your records. You will need this information if you elect to file a complaint; OR If you are not registered on the National Do-Not-Call list, you can still instruct the telemarketer to place you on its company-specific do-not-call list if you do not want to receive further calls from that company. For your own reference, make a note of the date and time you asked to be put on the company-specific list. Having this information may be helpful if you get called again by the same company and wish to file a complaint with the FCC; OR Explore whether your state has its own do-not-call list. Contact your State Attorney General or State office that administers the list for more information. Filing a Complaint The FCC and the FTC will both accept complaints and share information, so consumers may file complaints with either agency. In addition to complaints alleging violations of the do-not-call list, you may also file a complaint against a telemarketer who is calling for a commercial purpose (e.g., not charitable organizations). The telemarketer calls before 8 AM or after 9 PM; OR The telemarketer leaves a message, but fails to leave a phone number that you can call to sign up for their company specific do-not-call list; OR You receive a telemarketing call from an organization whom you have previously requested not call you; OR The telemarketing firm fails to identify itself; OR You receive a pre-recorded commercial message or robocall from someone with whom you do not have an established business relationship and to whom you havent given permission to call you. (Most pre-recorded commercial messages are unlawful, even if no do-not-call request has been made). How to File a Complaint For consumers who registered their numbers before September 1, 2003, those registrations have taken effect, and consumers may file a complaint at any time if they receive telemarketing calls. For those consumers who registered their telephone numbers after August 31, 2003, the registration takes 90 days to become effective, so those consumers can complain about calls that they receive three months or more after their registration. Complaints should be filed online on the FCCs Telemarketing Complaints web page. Your Complaint Should Include name, address, and telephone number where you can be reached during the business day; the telephone number involved with the complaint; and as much specific information as possible, including the identity of the telemarketer or company contacting you, the date on which you put your number on the national Do-Not-Call registry or made a company-specific do-not-call request, and the date(s) of any subsequent telemarketing call(s) from that telemarketer or company. If mailing a complaint, send it to: Federal Communications Commission Consumer Governmental Affairs Bureau Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division 445 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20554 Consumer Private Right of Action In addition to filing a complaint with the FCC or FTC, consumers may explore the possibility of filing an action in a state court. Preventing Unwanted Calls In the First Place Filing a complaint after the fact can help, there are steps consumers can take to at least reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing phone calls they receive. According to the FTC, adding a phone number to the more than 217 million numbers already on the Do Not Call Registry should stop â€Å"most† unwanted sales calls. The Telemarketing Sales Law allows political calls, calls from charitable organizations, informational calls, calls about debts owed, and phone surveys or polls, as well as calls from companies consumer  has done business with in the past or given permission to call them. What about â€Å"robocalls† - automated recorded messages pitching a product or service? The  FTC warns that most of them are scams. Consumers who get robocalls should never press phone buttons to â€Å"request to speak to someone or be taken off the call list.† Not only will they not get to speak to someone, they will just end up getting more unwanted calls. Instead, consumers should simply hang up and report details of the call to the Federal Trade Commission online or call the  FTC at 1-888-382-1222.

The stock Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The stock - Case Study Example Nigel has to establish that the shop owner cannot rely on the exemption clause in the standard terms of the contract. An exemption clause in a contract purports to exclude liability of one of the parties to the contract, under certain circumstances. The Statute sets out that no contract term can exclude or limit liability in any way for negligently causing death or injury1. Furthermore, if there is other loss or damage, liability for negligence cannot be excluded or restricted if the term of notice is unreasonable. Finally, if a contract term or notice makes efforts to exclude or restrict liability for negligence, agreement to or awareness of this is not of itself to be taken as indicative of the voluntary acceptance of any risk2. Nigel was misled by the shop owner in respect of the usage of the rowing machine, in as much as the shop owner asked him to ignore the back pain that had afflicted Nigel after using the rowing machine. Hence, this incident can be classified under misrepresentation of facts, which renders the shop keeper liable for the injuries caused by the defective and unsuitable rowing machine. It is of paramount importance to determine whether the purchaser is a consumer or not. 'Consumer means any natural person who, in contracts covered by these Regulations, is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business or profession'3. This expressly limits the definition of a consumer to a natural person and not companies. Adhesion contracts or standard form contracts, which present little or no choice to the party who has not drawn up the document, can be used to impose an exclusion clause. As Downes has pointed out, "The imposition of such exemption clauses may be particularly harmful in consumer contracts, where the disequilibrium between the bargaining positions of the parties may be substantial."4 This constitutes the reason for the existence of statutory controls on exclusion clauses, like the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA) and the Unfair Terms of the Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 (UTCCR). The UCTA applies to the contract for the purchase of the rowing machine by virtue of section 1(3) which states that the Act applies to business liability which is defined as "liability for breach of obligations or duties arising from things done or to be done in the course of a business". The contract entered by Nigel is included by virtue of section 3 which covers consumer contracts and section 12 which states that a person deals as a consumer if he neither makes the contract in the course of a business nor holds himself out as doing so and the shop owner makes the contract in the course of business. Since, Nigel had purchased the Rowing machine for personal use at his residence the shop owner can not exclude liability for the breach of implied terms5. Reasonableness in respect of contract terms is clarified in section 11, which states that this tests if the clause is fair and reasonable "having regard to the circumstances which were, or ought reasonably to have been, known to or in the contemplation of the parties when the

AP - Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

AP - Art History - Essay Example At that time, numerous scientific explanations were being discovered to explain phenomenal and to achieve this, philosophers and scientist fancied a unity spirit of humanity approach. (Porter 212). This piece of art was created by Albrecht DÃ ¼rer who was a German and he lived between 1471 and 1528. He produced this work in 1504 to represent Adam and Eve. In the picture, it is seen that Eve is convincing Adam to take the fruit given to her earlier by the snake, a forbidden fruit. That was where the fall of man originated. It is also seen that they are in a forest setup, which may be in Germany. Albrecht DÃ ¼rer is German born and in this piece of art, he never intended to emphasis on the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. In the picture there are other symbolic representations, which exemplify humanity perspective toward nature. They include phlegmatic for ox, phlegm, choleric for cat, yellow bile, and sanguine for rabbit. Further, this shows that the environmental setup of the artist upholds a cordial coexistence with animals, which also implicate Italian Renaissance (Porter 218). Arte di Calimala is the patron behind this piece of art produced by Ghiberti that is thought to have been carved around 1401-2 using bronze. This sculpture was produced by the patron for a competition on a religious story. The patron won the competition and was given a contract to make the door for both the North and East entrances. In the sculpture, the patron had interest in creating an illusion space for his relief. The objective of the competition was to provide a communicating piece of art on the old for adoption for the north entrance know as paradise. (Porter

The health care in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The health care in China - Research Paper Example The Chinese health care sector have had much reforms in the recent decades, still the urban and rural people are least satisfied to the health care facilities of the country. This can be mainly directed towards the poor implementation and lack of funding by the Chinese Ministry of health to the health centers located widely in the country. The rural population of China is faced with many health adversities and is struggling hard to get access to quality medical care due to the ignorance of the Chinese Ministry of Health. Only a proper funding from the government, and allocating and distributing health care resources intelligently can consistently upgrade the health and wellbeing of all the population of china. Topic: The Health Care in China Introduction China is a country which has recently reached tremendous heights in economical, social and educational scenarios. It is the nation with largest population in the whole world, and is still continuing to develop in all fields at a stag gering rate. However, in recent times, health care has been a subject of great interest for Chinese government as the social standard of the people in the country improved dramatically... It is seen that the economic and social development of china has not led to much change in the substantial growth of the health care sector of the country. ... ding to (Blumenthal,2005,pg.1165-1170) â€Å"After Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communist Party took control of China in 1949, they created a health care system that was typical of 20th-century communist societies that are now largely extinct†. Since China is a nation with wide geographical dimension, extraordinary energy and unimaginable size, the health care demand and expectation is highly demanding in the nation. The Chinese government has given attention in improving health care system recently, but comparing to other sectors the health sector is lagging far behind. Health Care in China Generally speaking, the health care system of any country should be very comprehensive and elaborate as it directly is concerned with the quality of living of its citizens. Health care is as important as any other sector of a developing nation, and it can be said that it is vital to the growth of the economic and social areas of the nation. If one look at the Chinese health care indicators , it can be analyzed that development in the rural sector of the nation is very undermined and underdeveloped. Although, the growth in the health care system has been increasing in the past decade, the recent reviews show that there had been a noticeable stagnation in the development of health sector. It is been noticed that the health care expenditure of the country has increased lately but when compared to developed and developing nations it is still at a low rate. As per (IBM,2006)â€Å" China spent 5.8percent of its GDP on health care in 2002, as compared to8 percent by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)8 countries and 5 percent by other developing countries, such as South Africa (8.7 percent),Brazil (7.9 percent) and India (6.1 percent)†.It is unfortunate to know that,

Comparison between hmv and itunes stores

Comparison between hmv and itunes stores Introduction: In the past 10 years the internet or e-technology has altered how the industries operate. More affected by the new technology is the music and video industry later the book industry with eBooks. Traditionally consumers have purchased music, video or a book from a store. If it is a music or a video it is bought on CD / DVD and but with the internet came new ways of getting digital content. Apple has launched ITunes for delivery of digital content directly to the consumer, with no physical presence. HMV is using a mixed strategy of maintain a physical store as well as having a website for selling the digital content but the delivery is through shipment of CD/ DVDs. They both operate under the same model B2C. But they have different ways of delivering the goods / services to customer. HMV HMV is the UK and Irelands leading specialist retailer of Music, DVD/Video, Computer Games and Related Products. The company operates around 200 stores in key shopping locations nationwide, equating to over 1million sq. ft. of trading space, as well as a successful online store at www.hmv.co.uk, operated by HMV Guernsey1. HMV sells content in physical from and operates in physical as well as virtual space. ITunes Store The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple Inc. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase; it was as of April 2008 the number-one music vendor in the United States. As of January 2009, the store has sold 6 billion songs, accounting for 70% of worldwide online digital music sales and making the service the largest legal music retailer. As of Sep 2009 the sales of ITunes are 8.5 billion songs, 1+ million HD movies and TV episodes, 2 billion apps with a combines revenue of $ 6.7 Billion 2 . ITunes sells digital content and has virtual presence only. SWOT Analysis: HMV Strengths: * Has both online and physical store presence. Customer can access any of the 2 ways to interact with HMV. * Can sell any item MUSIC/ DVD/ GAMES, no need for any arrangement with HMV. * Can deliver physical items like gaming consoles, posters/ cards etc. Weakness: * Cannot sell individual items in music albums or individual episodes in TV shows. * Not available all the time (except online, which requires shipping of product) Opportunity: The opportunity for stores lies in enhancing the customer experience at the stores. Threat: The physical stores are fast losing significance; the rivals like Zavvi, Woolworths have closed most of their physical stores. Becoming obsolete is the threat faced by the stores of HMV. Itunes: Strengths: * Suits the needs of the current generation. * Content is immediately available for consumption. * Available anytime and anywhere. * It is backed by one of the best companies in the tech world, Apple. Weakness: * Can sell only the products like music that it has been agreement with companies and is authorized to sell. * Cannot sell and deliver online physical items like posters/ cards etc. * Cannot sell items that are huge in size in terms of memory. Games DVDs are usually of a size of 4 Giga Bytes or more and are difficult to download online. * Not available in all the countries. Opportunity: The opportunities lie in expanding into other segments of digital content like eBooks. The Ibooks which is a past of iStore is planning to sell eBooks directly to the customer. Threat: The model of ITunes is easily replicable. The threat is from rivals like Amazon and HMV who want to sell digital music to sell directly to customers same way as ITunes does now. SLEPT Analysis Before creating any business strategy or while evaluating an existing strategy it is extremely important to scan the external environment. SLEPT analysis is an investigation of the Social, Legal, Economic, Political, and Technological influences on a business3. Social: The changing demography of the people will have an impact on the business. The social changes can be psychological, demographical etc. The psychological change that is witnessed is the need for making things happen fast. People do not want to wait for placing an order and waiting to receive it by post. Most of the music albums have one or two hot songs and todays consumers are not willing to pay for the entire album. They want to pay only for the songs they like. Legal: Since the advent of new technology the music industry has been losing its revenue. The illegal file sharing has eaten into the revenues of music companies. Music companies have been suing the file sharing sites like Napster and more recently the piratebay. Even the individuals are sued by the industry; Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has successfully sued a Minnesota woman for copy right infringement and illegal file sharing4. Legal battles resulted in buying of digital content by the consumers. The legal issues lead to the online stores like ITunes that sell music legally online. Legal structure is well in place to support the business of ITunes and HMV. Economical Economy and business cycles affect the business. We are in the middle of an economic recession. Customers will be counting every penny they spend. The most the costs associated with dealing a company the more the customers shy away from that company. HMV: The costs associated with purchasing content from HMV are far more compared to buying music from iTunes. Customer needs to visit a store, browse through a variety of catalogues before zeroing on the music / video to buy. This involves time and travel cost. ITunes: customer can access iTunes by sitting in their homes. Carry the music with them in an iPod. Buying a single song instead of buying an entire album is always cheaper. Political Political changes are related to the influence that government has upon the industry. The political changes usually do not affect much the entertainment industry. In rare cases the governments may feel that some music / video content may be decided to be inappropriate for their country or will hurt the sentiments of the people. They ban the particular content from distribution and delivery. Technological: If there is any singular factor that changed the dynamics of an music industry, it is technology. With the ubiquitous internet, people are able to share digital content freely, which includes music, videos etc. Technology also facilitated the illegal copying and distribution of music and video. Technology also deintermetized the content delivery. As the music is directly delivered to the consumers there is no need for the manufacturers or suppliers of CDs/ DVDs. Technology made it possible to carry the content with us in our IPods, Laptops, Phone etc. Digital content everywhere and on any device is the MANTRA of technology. Companies that fast adapt to this tsunami of technology changes survive while others perish. BCG MATRIX: Boston Consulting Group (BCG) MATRIX is developed by BRUCE HENDERSON of the BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP IN THE EARLY 1970s. According to this technique, businesses or products are classified as low or high performers depending upon their market growth rate and relative market share ITunes: Growth: The Itunes is the undisputed star in the BCG matrix . Between 2000 and 2009 the population using internet has become 1.7 billion from 360 million5. High internet users mean high growth potential for the itunes. Cashflows: Itunes revenues are steadily increasing every year. Strategy: The strategy to be adopted for stars is to hold or invest for growth. Apple is investing in ITunes store by adding app store, which sells games and applications for mobile and computers. With the launch of Ipad Apple is adding the fastest growing segment , eBooks to iTunes , calling it as iBook store as a part of Itunes. HMV: Growth: The growth of the HMV stores has been moderate and better. The increase in sales also partly due to the demise of its closest rivals like Zavvi , Woolworths6. Cashflows: The cash flows for the physical stores are steady but not exactly encouraging. The online stores sales are increasing, hmv.com grew by 16% and waterstones.com grew by a phenomenal 60%7. Strategy: The recommended strategy is to hold or add market share. The company is losing sales as well as sales in the physical stores domain but is growing in the online space. That is why HMV is launching its own delivery of music and other content through direct download from its own website. Shopping Experience: The shopping experience is diametrically different for both HMV and itunes HMV Customer has 2 ways of interacting with HMV. A physical store visit and through online at the website of HMV for purchasing content. its own web site, which operates a sales model of e business. Customer can walk into the HMV stores, touch and feel the products and buy them. This is required especially while buying products like cards and posters. They can seek assistance from the store assistants, whenever they need it. When a customer visits the website www.hmv.com he can buy CDs that are delivered to him by post. When a customer buys any product directly from the store he can use it immediately, but when ordered online using the stores, he needs to wait till he receives the product by post to start using the product. The payment methods are cash or card for physical store payments and only through cards for online payment. ITunes To be a part of ITunes customers need the following: 1. A computer 2. Access to Internet 3. Download iTunes software 4. Have credit / Debit card 5. Error free internet connection. Customers are connected virtually. Customers can search the item they are looking for in no time. Customers can buy the item and start using them immediately, no need to wait for any shipment to arrive. The payment method is only through cards and NO CASH payments. Pricing of goods: HMV: The pricing of goods is entirely dependent on the content (CD/ DVD) that customer is going to buy. Music is sold through albums and the price is fixed per album. The individual items in a Music album or individual episodes in a TV show are not available for purchase. ITunes: The items are sold as bundled products like albums or sold separately as individual items. For example a customer wanting to buy music has an option of buying the complete album or individual songs in the album. Return Procedures: HMV The return policy is dependent on the kind of product purchased. Unwanted, damaged and incorrect or faulty items can be returned to HMV and customer can get a refund or get a damaged item replaced. ITunes When shopping with the iTunes Store, all sales are final. The customer needs to decide what are the items he wishes to buy and add them to the shopping cart. As soon as he clicks the BUY button, the purchases are charged to his account. The money is taken from his debit or credit card account. Once the order is placed there is no way a customer can cancel the order or get a refund. It is the responsibility of the customer to check for compatibility of the items purchased. Type of technology for website: HMV: The technology used by the HMV is * A browser interface for content viewing, no need to for any software (like iTunes). Anyone can view the content with the help of popular browsers like IE, Firefox or Chrome. * Order acceptance via website. No user account needed for buying items from HMV.com * Handles acknowledgement of payment and shipment delivery details for the order ITunes: The technology used by ITunes is Apple proprietary. Items are not sold through a web browser interface like other ecommerce sites. Anyone wanting to access ITunes need to download the software from APPLE and all the actions are through the software. The ITunes comprises of: * An interface for viewing the music/ video catalogs * An order processing system via iTunes account and credit card/ debit card * A delivery system via download from iTunes. ITunes restricts the sale of digital content to those people who are not having iTunes software. HMV and ITunes and E-Business Ladder Technology has changed the way the business happens. E-business is any process that a business organization conducts over computer-mediated network channels. Business organizations include any for-profit, governmental, or non-profit entity. Examples of these processes are on-line purchasing, on-line sales, on-line logistics, customer support, employee training and recruiting, and vendor-managed inventory, production design and control 8. The e business ladder is the ladder that shows where the organization stands with respect to what is possible to achieve in terms of available technology. The ladder shows how effectively the organization is using the advantage of technology and has integrated with business strategy. We will see where HMV and ITunes stand with respect to e -business ladder model of Cisco e-Adoption Ladder (DTI, 2000) HMV needs to move up the ladder to compete with Itunes. HMV is making moves towards this. HMV is adding another business dimension to its website www.hmv.com. The new delivery channel is by means of downloads directly from the website of HMV. This is currently under construction and will be available soon9. Which means HMV is moving up the ladder from just taking orders online and processing them offline to accepting orders and delivering through internet. ITunes is at the top of the ladder. It has tie ups with all leading content providers (music production companies, TV studios, movie producers etc). The customers just need to visit iTunes store to buy any content. This is a seamless integration of suppliers and buyers by iTunes acting as a intermediary facilitating B2C transactions. Emerging Technologies in e-business The emerging technologies that can be used for e-business are * Cloud computing * Mobile computing. ITunes has already made inroads into mobile computing by offering iTunes in its iphone. But iTunes is available only for iPhones. HMV can use the other platforms for mobile computing like Android from Google, Windows Mobile from Microsoft for building applications to sell content on mobiles. Cloud computing is the area that both iTunes and HMV needs to explore. The current business model is delivering the content to the customer by means of download or physical delivery of CD/DVD. Apple restricts the number of machines that can play the content that is downloaded from iTunes. We cannot play the content on more than 5 machines and those machines need to be authorized using the users iTunes account. With cloud computing the content is not necessarily delivered but it can be accessed from anywhere when connected to internet. A customer who buys a music album or songs need not download it to his computer but can access from anywhere and from any computer or any device, say , mobile. Cloud computing is possible only when the connectivity is always established with internet, which is not impossible in near future. How can HMV and ITunes increase market share HMV 1. Showing growth in the existing websites which is possible by new offerings like making downloads available 2. Introducing new product range like selling e readers and new gaming hardware like DSI 3. Introducing loyalty cards. 4. Strong tie up and product sharing with group company Waterstones for selling books and eBooks. 5. Live ticketing , HMV wants to sell tickets for events of the artists along with albums. 6. Starting Pay to Play gaming centers as the new gaming fever catches up across all age groups for games like Call of Duty. ITunes 1. Make it accessible to more people, via browser interface. 2. Make eBooks available 3. Remove the restrictions on the usage of the content bought from iTunes. Conclusion There are valuable lessons to be learnt from the strategy and models adopted by HMV and ITunes. Companies need to be aware of the forces that affect their business including competitors, customers, technology, suppliers, and at times most importantly new entrants into the market. The ITunes has once again proved that, the how ever dominant is the firm in the market it is never safe. Companies must be aware of the technological circumstances that surround the business in order to be on the cutting edge of new developments in the market. New entrants must also be aware of the technology that can give them the advantage over firms that are already dominating the market. Disintermediation is one important way that firms can use technology to streamline production and increase profits. And most importantly, a firm must never become complacent; they must always be on the lookout for new markets in which to expand. References http://hmv.com/hmvweb/navigate.do?pPageID=1083 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes_Store http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theoryslept-analysis235.php http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/business/69220.html?wlc=1264844838 http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/company-news/rivals-demise-boosts-hmv-100114-0729-31157.aspx www.hmv.com www.census.gov/econ/estats/papers/digitalecon.pdf http://hmv.com/hmvweb/navigate.do?pPageID=1530