Action or Inaction and the Ethics of Choice Essay

One of Peter Singer’s four main principles of ethics is that we are just as responsible for our inactions as we are for our actions. This means that we as human beings have an ethical obligation to act if we witness something wrong happening. Even if we do not see it but we know it is going on, then once we possess that knowledge we have also incurred a moral duty to act. Without this obligation, we become a liability to the community because we are no longer taking responsibility for the well-being of others when it is in our power to do so. Examples of this are easily found in the modern media. The first example of such an understood and implicit responsibility would be in the case of Penn State and their football defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky. Jerry Sandusky committed horrible crimes, molesting and sexually assaulting numerous young boys who were looking to him to help them out of already bad situations at home via his charity, Second Mile. These were at risk youth. The head coach of Penn State’s football team, Joe Paterno, had been alerted to the crimes possibly being committed by his defensive coordinator but he had failed to act or contact law enforcement. The president of the university also was accused of knowing but taking no action. (1) In the eyes of the public, once the criminal trial began to get underway, the head coach and the president were both equally guilty for allowing such atrocities to go on under their noses. To the American people and the plaintiffs, simply saying, â€Å"It wasn’t me that hurt these boys.† was not enough to excuse their inaction. They had failed in their civic duty to protect the community and its children. To fail a society in this manner means you have become a hindrance and a liability to the people who once sustained you. It is no small question to wonder where the line is drawn between an obligation to action and the freedom to do nothing. Not only is it illegal to rob a bank, it is equally illegal to drive the getaway car. True, as a mere driver, you did not in fact steal money or hurt anyone. However, by your own inaction (you did not call the cops, you did not discourage the robbers), you have enabled harm to be brought to others. The consequences then are that had you acted, harm may have been avoided. Just as if you had held the gun yourself, your knowledge means that you acted to hurt someone else even if it was simply by not acting. Many cultures have shame and honor systems which detail explicitly the duties of a citizen to act and the restrictions on actions as well. American law makes very clear pronouncements about guilt by association, being an alibi, being an accomplice, and other specific things required by those who stood by. We as a people do not accept inaction as an excuse to avoid blame. Peter Singer’s specific principle denotes the ability to choose between action and inaction automatically confers upon the decider the weight of their choice. Once you are aware that you have a choice to make, you also should be aware that the choice rightly bears consequences. Surprisingly, many people find this unfair. They do not believe they hold any blame if they choose not to take action. If a woman is raped in a street in broad daylight with fifty witnesses, almost all the witnesses will feel that it was not their problem, not their responsibility to stop it or report it. When confronted later, they will squirm with shame, but as the well-known case of Kitty Genovese (2) proved, they do not honestly feel they did anything wrong. Therefore, the ethical idea of responsibility for both action and inaction is an idea that still needs advocates throughout the world. The social contract that exists between man and his government also extends to man and his fellow man. Works cited: 1.) Simon, M. (2012, November 7). Former Penn State president arraigned in Sandusky scandal – This Just In – CNN.com Blogs. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/07/former-penn-state-president-arraigned-in-sandusky-scandal 2.) Darley, L. (2010, August 19). Bystander Effect: The Case of Kitty Genovese. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from

“Higher Learning” Reaction Paper

The film â€Å"Higher Learning† portrays the many prejudices and race issues that existed in America around 1995, when the movie premiered. The movie takes place at Columbus University, which serves as a fictional university undergoing the transition of America being a more diverse, free nation. From the time when America began its struggle with race and culture boundaries, people of the United States have shown their true beliefs towards other people who may look differently than they do; and the movie â€Å"Higher Learning† is a good example of the type of prejudices. Before the movie even starts, the title of the movie already promotes a message that lies in the title, â€Å"Higher Learning. † The title may suggest that, not only are students attending a university to gain more knowledge needed for the career they choose to pursue, but rather, obtain greater knowledge about life and living freely amongst one another without having race or culture boundaries. Students that are entering college are about to embark on a journey that will prepare them for real life adulthood. The title â€Å"Higher Learning† implies that being enrolled in college is not only for your academic development but also your social evolution. At the current time in the movie, when there were many race and culture boundaries that created conflict between people of different backgrounds; students, especially minorities, were being tested for real life situations by entering college. The way Singleton implements group of students of the same background around campus symbolizes the cultural divide between many different ethnic groups. The racial-ethnic groups that were all the minorities on campus were always seen together and rarely separated. Throughout the movie, many groups of students from different ethnic backgrounds often experienced altercations with each other. Two of the main groups that clashed throughout the movie were the African American students; some of whom involved themselves in the Black Panther organization, and the white supremacist group who recruited Remy from the university. Throughout the film we notice the extreme change of two students, Malik and Remy. Malik who is a gifted track athlete, attending the school on a cholarship, is a African American freshman whose views of different race and cultures are mature, whereas his attitude towards himself being a black track star are immature. We do not see him stereotype other students in the very beginning of the movie; however, we do notice that other students who were not African American acted differently toward Malik and they showed fear an d also hatred towards him. One person who builds hatred toward Malik is Remy. Remy is a white freshman student who is enrolled in the university and is not involved in anything. Remy is placed with an African American roommate and in the beginning of the movie. Remy quickly develops hatred towards the perceived ignorance of his roommates and his friends. Remy then distances himself from his own room and falls into the arms of a group of white supremacist who would like to have him join the group. Shortly, Remy is brainwashed into the group’s ideology that the group of white males promotes. The group of white supremacist displays their ethnocentrism of white people. Malik and Remy are caught in altercations throughout the movie, in which Singleton uses to cause rising action towards a climax that ultimately causes the belief that students have to change. Also, Malik, being involved in these situations, develops some frustration towards the beliefs and acts of Remy and the white supremacist. I believe that Singleton uses these rising actions as a symbol of the way that our environment can influence us and can sway our thoughts on issues. For example, Remy is vulnerable when he becomes an outcast after been known for saying things out of the ordinary. However, he is approached by skinheads that mold him into their group beliefs and values. At first Remy is uncertain when he witnesses his new friends beating up people on Halloween but he is reassured by Scott, who is the noticeable leader of the group, that what they are doing is good and making society cleaner. From there on Remy grows into a skinhead himself that has determination to get rid of the minorities. Malik also undergoes a similar change, where he develops into an individual who shows hate towards white people. Malik also begins to stereotype and he exemplifies this when we notice him dodging his close friend who is his roommate and even tells him that they can’t be seen together. Singleton’s also portrays the different cultures that each group shares. As a group, members enjoy practicing their culture and enjoying the freedom that they have to follow through with their practices. For example, the African American students enjoy listening to their rap, hip-hop, and R & B, and when they play their music in front of people from a different background, more importantly, the white skinheads; they scold the African American students and seek to get rid of them. I believe that Singleton uses this act of other cultures displaying their values to symbolize that America is a free nation where everyone is free to their own beliefs and values; however, many prejudices exist and many people have trouble accepting a more diverse society. Over time, America has come a long way from when segregation of minorities was protested. Being a minority is more accepted in today’s society. Also, even in younger generations, I am beginning to notice that, now, we do not see the color of a persons skin at first. Stereotypes still exist, and it seems almost common nature for one to stereotype a person, but in today’s society, these concepts are more thought about and held back in respect for one another. As a college student, I do not walk around campus and see only groups that consist of only one type of race. When I see groups of people, many of them are more diverse than ever. You can still notice that many of the different races still cling together almost by instinct, however even sometimes these groups interact with each other and are more socially accepting of one another. The racial divide no longer seems to exist as much as it did from the movie. There still are some people out there that still practice ethnocentrism; however, in today’s society, these people are now mostly looked down upon and can be considered a minority group. The race and culture barriers that once caused so much devastating acts of violence and treatment against people of a different background no longer litter the streets of everyday activity. The few people that still have negative beliefs of people of a different race are now sunken into the background of society. Many of the negative words are now kept inside and are often kept unsaid. These words often remain unsaid mainly because in today’s society people who promote prejudices against different races are more than often looked down upon. In addition, certain words now have different meanings, some completely opposite of what they meant in 1995. The way people communicate with people of a different race has changed greatly. There may be preconceived stereotypes that people still carry with them due, mainly in part, to the environment one grew up in. However, people have learned to respect one another and issues with communicating with people of a different race have become more at ease, rather than being hostile. In some ways, however, there are some similarities that exist between the time frame of the movie, and present-day. People in today’s society still stereotype one another. The stereotypical thought is often the first thought that comes across our mind when we see a person of a different race. Over time, though, stereotypes have been slowly diminishing in society. Some other similarities are the groups of people. Although the way that students group with each other is not based so much on race anymore; larger organizations still exist in today’s society. One example of an organization is the Ku Klux Klan. Also known as the KKK, the Ku Klux Klan is a group that consists of only people from the white race. Their main purpose is to reinforce their belief that the white race is more superior to any other races. Other groups also exist in today’s society that practice the values that they believe. However, these groups are not so much outgoing anymore and the acts of violence that the groups committed in the past are rarely seen in present day. There were many points throughout the movie where a scene occurred that caused viewers the realize something. For example, in the scene where Malik is in a conversation with Fudge, Fudge explains to Malik that all the students of the same race only interact with each other and are rarely seen with students of a different race. After Malik is told this, at that point in the scene, Malik’s face turns stern and the music becomes more dramatic. I believe it is at that time where Malik realized the social barriers that existed on campus and also around the world. Another scene that came to be very important to me is when Remy is seen in the first step of him becoming part of the white supremacist group. In the scene Remy is seen studying outside on some stairs shortly after leaving his room due to his African American roommates playing loud music. At the time Remy is vulnerable and is in need of company. The leader of the skinheads happens to approach Remy in this time of need and Remy is convinced into following Scott, the leader of the skinheads. These two scenes in the movie are two of the few scenes that stand out the most to me. These scenes stand out the most to me from other ones because these are two points in the movie where the way the two students perceive people of a different race begin to be altered by their environment. I believe that Singleton incorporated these scenes and the way the two characters develop in order to symbolize the change in society by whom we may encounter in life and how that can impact our beliefs. Another scene that I believe is significant is at the beginning of the movie when Malik enters an elevator after a white student, Kristen, is standing in the elevator about to go up. During this brief scene in the elevator, after Malik get in the elevator, Kristen clinches her purse more tightly and her facial expression shows fear for Malik. This scene shows that at the time of the movie how people reacted towards one another. It is also a brief time where you can notice that Malik only shakes his head when he sees how people react towards him. I enjoyed the movie very much. The movie pointed out the harsh reality of the way society was in 1995, especially on a diverse college campus. The move portrayed many acts of violence that may have occurred in real life and it helps to raise our attention and realize how ignorant people acted toward each other. After watching the movie I hope that people who discriminate against other races and cultures can change the way they think. The movie made me feel grateful, as well, for the people who went through this hard time in America and got through it in a righteous manner. After watching the movie, I became more aware of what the current time era presented to people. And that was ignorance, violence, prejudices, and discrimination towards people who looked differently than that of one’s self. I have much respect for the people who had to go through so much trouble just because they were different. I also enjoyed the movie because Singleton incorporated scenes that may seem out of the ordinary is today’s society, but is what really happened during the days of America segregating. The movie â€Å"Higher Learning† is directly related to our Sociology course, in that the film’s main them is racism, and other sociological issues that existed in 1995. In our sociology class, we learn about the reasons why humans interact with each other in the way that they do. In the movie â€Å"Higher Learning† many issues arise such as racism and discrimination, as well as, prejudices and barriers. In our sociology course, we learn about these issues and other sociological concepts so that we understand the way society interacts.

Equity, or perceived fairness, of compensation from the perspective of Essay

Equity, or perceived fairness, of compensation from the perspective of the employee - Essay Example Equity or fairness, from the employee’s perspective is best explained with the equity theory. Equity theory suggest that in the quest for fairness and justice, employees quantify their inputs and outputs and judge fairness or otherwise, by comparing these to that of a referent other (Werner and Mero, 1999 p.1291). According to Werner and Mero (1999), employee inputs include quality of job performance, length of service, education, experience, amount of responsibility and pressure, productivity on the job, effort expended on the job and organizational citizenship behavior. While outputs subsumes pay and benefits, promotions, status and intrinsic rewards (p.1291). Compensation can be defined as including pay and benefits, with particular emphasis on pay i.e. wages/salary, bonuses, stock options, incentives, etc. Fairness, on the other hand, is an objective evaluation of competencies, performance and compensation (CAPS, 2003). Fairness or the perception of fairness plays a crucial role in understanding employee behaviors/morale in any organizational settings (Charness and Haruvy, 2000 p.655); employees that perceive that they are being under or over compensated tend to experience feelings of anger or guilt and therefore act in a way to correct the situation or achieve fairness either by altering inputs or outputs, using a different referent for comparison or creating psychological justifications (Werner and Mero, 1999 p.1292). In this regard, employee perception of fairness is bound to have a profound effect on productivity, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. For example, underpayment and other perceived inequities have been related to lower satisfaction, lower productivity, illegal behavior, lower production quality, and increased turnover. Therefore, as concluded by Bass (1995), understanding factors that shape employee perception of fairness will greatly help in building employee trust and improve productivity (Bass 1995

Roots of the post Second World War environmental movements Essay

Roots of the post Second World War environmental movements - Essay Example The Second World War was described as a ‘watershed’ that developed into environmental activism that spawned quickly during the 1960s.The Second World War was a time of difficulty for many people around the world,it was also realized that the world was a small space that needed to be protected from the constant destruction by man towards the environment. After the war, the 50s was a fast-paced moving world littered with images of the perfect life, the perfect housewife in advertisements. These images were to accommodate a growing push towards a more materialistic life as more and more inventions were being made and used. Among a lot of the products available during the 1950s were items that were actually hazardous to the environment like the hairspray from the musical ‘Hairspray’ for example that encouraged the use of hairspray in modern hairstyles as well as the release of dangerous chemicals such as CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon) and vinyl chloride which was a known carcinogen. It was also during the 1950s and the 1960s as more and more industrial accidents occurred that affected the environment that caused a revived concern about how we treated our ecology. The modern livelihood of man was farfetched from the roots that they have begun as hunters and gatherers who are more ecologically aware and attentive to the adverse effects of man and their exploitation and manipulation of their environment (Sahlins 1971) but as industrialization began to boom even more quickly the way man lived prior to the Second World War was a far cry from contemporary man. ... garments and transient objects. Aside from the growth of industrialization man continued to try and change their environment to bend to their own will. For example, if during Victorian times a garden was simply a garden and ways to control pesticides from invading gardens were by utilizing simple home remedies such as using vinegar. With the growth of industrialization and as many more people became wealthy enough to own a garden albeit with lesser time due to work quicker pesticides were used as a solution to pest problems in home gardens and in industrial farms. In 1960, a naturalist by the name of Rachel Carson began to publish a series of writings that were concerned with the adverse effects of the use of chemicals in the control of natural environments (Nash 1990:192-194). For example, she argued that the use of DDT which was only to get rid of weeds and pesticides affected the surroundings of the weeds themselves therefore also pointlessly poisoning the earth for no apparent reason in gardens except to make them look good and for industrial farms the ability of evolution would only create and cause even more stronger pesticides who will be resistant to the effects of the DDT and therefore needing even stronger more dangerous chemicals. Although cries such as Carson on the effects of chemicals were heard but not fully heeded it was also a backlash against government policies which tended to support industrial growth rather than protect the environment for the 'benefit' of the people. The politics of pollution during the 50s and 60s was a climate that favoured a 'little bit' of pollution and some money to be made over the unalterable effects on the earth's nature. For example, in the 1950s to the early 1960s the United

Wage Rate Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wage Rate Analysis - Case Study Example Factory overheads can be defined as related expenditure that the company might have to incur when it undertake the above mentioned engineering contract. Examples of factory overhead would be depreciation of the machinery and equipment, rent of the space in which the facilities of the company is housed, utilities expenses such as electricity consumption expense pertaining to the operation of machinery etc. Now these factories overhead can further be divided into two classes same as the wage rate, which are fixed overhead and variable overhead. From the aforementioned list, the variable overhead expense would be the electricity consumption which is specifically dependent upon the running time of the machine. Electricity overhead expenditure would be greater if the machinery is utilized for a longer duration in the contract and vice versa. In addition, other variable overhead expenditure such as depreciation and rent are fixed expenditure in nature. This can be explained by considering the fact that whether the company accepts the contract or not depreciation would be recorded in the books of the company on account of normal wear and tear of the machinery. Similarly, whether the company utilized its resources on the contract it has to pay the rent of the site in which the facilities are houses. The expenditure of this sort is fixed in the short term and is not dependent upon the outcome of activity. Thus while quoting the price to the government; the contractor must carefully consider the above mentioned aspects into consideration and then quote a relevant per hour price. The contract price calculation per hour must include all relevant variable factory overhead. It must be ensured that only those variable overheads which are directly related to the project and is dependent on the outcome of the project, such overheads which are variable and not related to the outcome of the project must not be included in the project. Fixed factory overheads must not be included in the per hour contract price as they will be expended whether the contract was accepted or not. 2. For further clarity, the wage rate should be broken down into fixed and variable parts. The fixed part of any cost is that which is not dependent upon the level of output and does not change even if the output increases or decreases. The variable part of any cost is entirely dependent upon the level of output. Exercise 2 Category Wage Rate Percentage of Contractual Effort Total Hour Spent Total Wage Expense Scientist 25 10% 800 20,000 Senior Engineer 23 15% 1,200 27,600 Engineer Assistant 14 5% 400 5,600 Trainee 7 70% 5,600 39,200 Total 8,000 92,400 Per Hour Wage 11.55 The use of weighted average wage rate is quite appropriate in the circumstances. The contract comprises of various category of engineering experts ranging from the scientist to the trainee. Each category of the engineering expert charges a different wage per hour as compared to the other based on their experience. The scientist, being the most knowledgeable and experienced charges $25 per hour whereas the trainee charges a mere $7 which shows the range of wage rate per hour. On the other hand, if we analyze the time spent on the contract

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) - Assignment Example This paper aims to identify major causes of CVD and key steps in CVD management from cohort study designs, as well as to develop leading questions on CVD mitigation for the local health department. Moreover, the paper will also present a rudimentary protocol for disseminating CVD information to local community leaders, while also making recommendations for prevention of CVD in the workplace. There are numerous causes and risk factors of CVD with some like age, ethnicity, and family history being non-modifiable, while others can be changed or treated, such as hypertension, tobacco exposure, physical inactivity, obesity, high cholesterol, harmful alcohol use, and unhealthy diets. Berry et al (2012) found that hypertension is a significant cause for CVD, especially stroke and heart attacks, while abnormal lipid levels in blood including low levels of HDL cholesterol, high levels of LDL, high triglyceride levels, and high total cholesterol also cause CVD, especially stroke and heart attack. In addition, Huxley and Woodward (2011) also find that the use of tobacco over a long time, whether by smoking or chewing it, increases an individual risk of developing CVD, especially where one began to smoke as a young person, is a woman, or smokes very heavily. It was also found that passive smoking causes CVD. Physical inactivity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are identified by Appleto n et al (2013) as major causes of CVD with the former increasing CVD risk by 50% by increasing risk of obesity and subsequent diabetes that, in turn, predisposes individuals to strokes and coronary heart diseases especially in pre-menopausal women. Finally, Van Dierren et al (2012) find that diets with high fat saturation increase CVD risk, while abuse of alcohol damages heart muscle and subsequent CVD and specific medicines like hormone replacement therapy and contraceptive pills

School Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

School Administration - Essay Example As a result, reluctance of potential administrators (Rayfield), and the turnover rate of administrators continue to rise (Senge et. al 88). Nevertheless, the slim chance to beam in and at success motivates site administrators to persevere through battles and wars waged on them by stakeholders to whom they offer their public service. Due to inexperience, aspiring administrators lack the skill to realistically anticipate and effectively cope with the pressing responsibilities often experienced in lead administration. Aspiring administrators should seek the help of others to cope as some of their ideal expectations are adjusted by realistic occurrences. According to Dr. Lorraine Monroe, leadership is the key determinant of a great school (12). Candidates for the leading position take great notice of the publicity that comes along with the leading position but slightly recognize the magnitude of responsibility. As the chief official of a designated school site, the administrator bears the responsibility of all that happens within the building. According to elementary principal Kimsherion Reid, "No matter what goes on in the building, it reflects on you" (Delisio). Thus, the site administrator has the challenge of making sure all aspects of the school exist peacefully and productively. Lorraine Monroe states: "The real leader is the servant of the people she leads" (126). Administrative candidates may not realize that an administrator does not occupy the throne of a dictator. Rather, he or she must learn from and oftentimes accommodate stakeholders, others who take part in the educational process. Stakeholders include parents, students, teachers, custodians, as well as other members of the community. A content group of stakeholders lessens administrators' worries. Thus, administrators and aspiring administrators alike must learn to find a comfortable medium that will appease most who are involved in issues that arise. One frequent issue school administrators encounter is adequately and effectively handling student discipline. In Loco Parentis grants educators the right to stand in place of parents while children are in the school's jurisdiction. As they temporarily stand in place of the parent, educators are liable for students' safety and "have the authority to direct the pupil and to punish for infractions, much as a parent would" (Reutter 763). Specifically designed to protect the best interest of all students, In Loco Parentis grants educators authority to exercise control. However, some inexperienced administrators are surprised to find that the granted authority is often challenged resulting in the necessity for additional accommodations. Differences in values and opinions often sabotage efforts to accommodate everyone in a satisfactorily manner. For example, administrators and parents may agree to work for the students' best interest. What happens, however, when the administrator and parent disagree on the consequence assigned for the child's misbehavior What is the solution when the parent contends that his or her child's behavior is not misbehavior at all In such a situation, how can the administrator appropriately serve and appease the student and parent while fulfilling his or her duty as one who maintains order in the school Administrators are expected to be diplomatic chief officials. With the responsibility of diffusing problems prior to their getting out of hand, administrators must balance and compromise without totally

Can Environmental Insurance Succeed Where Others Have Failed Essay

Can Environmental Insurance Succeed Where Others Have Failed - Essay Example The researcher states that there are many protective measures put in place by firms in order to reduce environmental pollution. It ranges from environmental policies, health policies as well as the safety risk policies. However, these protective measures may not be socially efficient. In such cases, these firms have to be liable to the negative externalities developed due to their actions. Such externalities include loss of well-being of people exposed to pollution or those individuals who are not willing to use unhygienic recourses. In such situations, environmental may levy a post-damage fine, directly proportional to the extent of the external damage violated. For smaller firms, this fine may exceed their limited assets, therefore, making the firm declare they are bankrupt and avoid paying the fine altogether. Environmental agencies, therefore, came up with a pre-damage risk management process. In this process, firms will pay smaller fines frequently for not implementing the oblig atory environmental practices. Examples of such management process include Project Safety Management (PSM) programs, Risk Management Program (RMP), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and also Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Since post damage fines are often limited by bankruptcy and, on the other hand, pre-damage process mandates are constrained by monitoring. And, therefore, the best alternative will be to buy the environmental insurance policy. The paper, therefore, researches on mandatory insurance for Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) in order to come up with answers if environmental insurance policy succeeds where the traditional policies failed. Pre-damage fines could have been the best alternative to address the issue of bankruptcy, but the implementation is constrained by regulatory agencies’ narrow monitoring capabilities. Environmental Protection Agency has limited auditors to do facility inspection in order to ascertain whether all firm s have effectively put into practice all the risk management practices.

Health and welfare Canada Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health and welfare Canada - Case Study Example This has culminated in a very serious problem in the Western countries, especially US and Canada, where the young population are highly vulnerable to drug and substance abuse, which is being taken as a shelter from teenage insecurity and depression. This paper is focused on addressing the problem of drug abuse by the young population of Canada and has as a result is focused on the process of identifying the particular target group that needs to be targeted for increasing the effectiveness of the social awareness campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the ill effects of substance abuse. Background The case talks about the Health Promotion Directorate of Health and Welfare Canada, an organization which is focused on the process of increasing the level of awareness among Canadians regarding various issues that may lead to the affecting of their health. Talking in more specific terms, it can be mentioned and discussed that the Health Promotion Directorate is more concerned about t he masses of Canada in regards to their consumption behavior, usage and abuse of alcohol and various other drugs, that significantly have a negative and detrimental effect on the mental and physical health of the individuals of Canada as well as humanity as a whole. It can be said that the Health Promotion Directorate, in an attempt to increase the level of awareness regarding the ill effects of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, which has a negative impact on human life focuses on the process of indulging in social marketing. The Health Promotion Directorate of Health and Welfare division of Canada strongly believes that through the process of going for value communication by engaging in social marketing they will be able to tackle the society problem and make the masses of Canada aware about the negative impacts of drugs and alcohol, on human health. In the recent past, the Health and Welfare Division of Canada, focused on the process of going for conducting an awareness campai gn which was aimed at raising awareness about the negative impacts of uncontrolled intake of alcohol and drugs, while taking into account the feedback and valuable inputs received through the process of conduction of an extensive research. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the campaign revealed that the program received a massive success from the young target population of Canada, towards whom the campaign was targeted. Having achieved a high success rate by proceeding with the process of social marketing along with a proper market analysis, the Program Promotion Division of Health and Welfare Canada has concentrated on the process of initiating a new study to identify potential new target markets as well as identifying the various values and lifestyle of each segment of individuals. Problem Statement It can be said that the Program Promotion Division of Health and Welfare Canada, is focused on the process of building and developing the level of success of the previously undert aken marketing campaign. In an attempt to develop and generate higher rate of success of the marketing

Painted Limestone Pair Statue of Ptahkhenwy and his Wife Essay Example for Free

Painted Limestone Pair Statue of Ptahkhenwy and his Wife Essay A serdab is a hidden chamber in an Egyptian tomb from which the deceased are believed to view the rituals of their cult. In 1906, a team led by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expeditions explored a tomb in Giza, Egypt and were thrilled to stumble upon a painted limestone statue of a couple in the serdab of the tomb. The finding of the statue from the tomb was the first of its kind, and it was received with much excitement by the trustees of the museum. An inscription at the base of the statue identifies the man as Ptahkhenwy, supervisor of palace trainers and his partner’s name is not legible. The couple is believed to have belonged to the Old Kingdom of Egypt, which flourished from 2465—2323 B. C. This statue of Ptahkhenwy and his wife was sculpted from limestone and was about 70. 14 cm tall. It was painted, and the paint was almost intact at the time of the find. This was quite unlike other Egyptian sculptures, which were often excavated with their colors lost. Though Ptahkhenwy wasn’t of royal descend, the artist who made this private sculpture had tried to add a royal touch to it. This is evident from the pose of Ptahkhenwy’s wife who, standing beside Ptahkhenwy, has an arm embracing her husband. This pose is similar to the sculpture of King Menkaure and his queen. The man poses with his left leg forward, a traditional pose of a male, and the woman has both her feet together. This is not a true portrait. It is evident from the fact that both their facial features are the same. The artist seems to have made them so to concede with their wish of being remembered in this beautiful form in posterity. The artist had retained a traditional touch to the sculpture. Ptahkhenwy is colored in red ochre. This is the traditional color for Egyptian men and it indicates the work that they do outside their homes leaving them sunburned. His wife is colored in yellow ochre. This indicates that she was mostly bound to the insides of her house. The negative space between the couple is painted gray. Both their garments are in white color. The wife wears a V-collared sheath dress that was the traditional costume of the women of those times. To add an aesthetic touch, the artist has made the dress cling to the body of the woman. It is so tight that it reveals every part of her body and, according to the Museum of Fine Arts, even â€Å"walking would have been impossible† in such a costume. However, it was not so in reality. Women wore much looser garments enabling them to carry on their chores. The man wears the customary wrap-around kilt that runs up to his knee. The artist has added bright jewelry to Ptahkhenwy and his wife. This was common of the Egyptians of the time. Both wear broad collars. Bright colors in the collars are indicative of semi-precious stones or glazed earthenware. The lady wears two anklets and a bracelet. The design and color are almost similar to actual jewelry found in other Egyptian tombs. Both wear black wigs—Ptahkhenwy’s has curls cut in rows and his wife’s is parted in the center and reaches her shoulder level.

Reflection Diagram Of Gibbs Cycle

Reflection Diagram Of Gibbs Cycle From this whole course of PPD 2, Ive learnt and gained the skill by studying the entire learning model. The learning model that Im going to choose to write about is the Gibbs Learning Cycle. This is because Gibbs Learning Cycle is easy to understand, applicable on the study and effective on learning process. The Gibbs Learning Cycle is very popular among the learning model and it is good for reflection of study where it consists of six steps for the whole process. Model of reflection diagram of Gibbs Cycle(Queen Margaret University, 2011) This six steps or stages contain Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan. For the Description stage, it simply tells you to reflect and describe what youve learnt or what happened. In this step, you shouldnt make any conclusion or judgment as you need to understand the whole situation rather than simply draw a result. We can conclude as when a problem occurs, we should reflect or think back on what has happened. An example of it will be shown on the next line. When a new Professional Pitch task has been assigned, I will look carefully to the question in order to have a fully understanding in my mind for the task completion. When a new piece of note is given by the lecturer, I will have a rough scan just to have a basic overview on what is it all about? After that, when the lecturer is giving his/her lecture, I will listen carefully on what they talking about and write down the important notes and points. Besides that, I will ask them publically in the class or personally after the class if I have any question about that chapter. For the Feeling stage, a lot of feeling and thoughts were running inside my mind when the lecturer is giving their lecture, giving out task and having a discussion with us. When they are giving their lecture, I feel so curious about what they will teach and excited about the topic as Ive never been in touch with Personal and Professional Development 2. Other than the feeling of curious and excited, I will also afraid because I might not be able to follow the footsteps of the lecturer. Therefore, the complex feeling that I have it that time makes me concentrate more in the class and pay more attention on what the lecturer is teaching. While the lecturer is giving out task and assignments to us, I felt anxious as a lot of things need to be done and lastly we have to take our complete assignment for turnitin. At the same time Im happy as finally I can use the knowledge that Ive gained from the lecturer to do some work. The discussion part is an interesting part as all the students in th e class are participating for it and a lot of answer will pop up and I can learn from that. At the mean time, I will felt nervous as sometimes the question will be too hard and I might not be able to answer it if the lecturer points me to answer. The feeling changed after the event ends. The lecturer goes for a slow and smooth baby steps when they giving out lecture and it suits me very much as Im not a fast learner. Every single word that the lecturer said was memorable in my mind and I felt excited about that. The task given by the lecturer was finished by a week before the due date and my turnitin plagiarism rate was below 15%. This is the result that I aimed for and Im able to achieve that and it gives me confidence to do better. I felt happy and interesting after the discussion part as Ive learnt something new and I can even answer the hard question given by the lecturer. For the evaluation stage, Ive good and bad experiences throughout the course of PPD2. The positive thing is that I can communicate well with the lecturer whenever I need their help in the process of learning. This will not only help my communication skill but also courage and gaining of knowledge. This is because Im a person who doesnt have a strong courage to face stranger as Im afraid to talk with them. But as I know that the learning process requires student to communicate and talk with their lecturer when they faced problem. Thus, I made up my courage and the result of it didnt disappoint me. Besides that, I also have some bad experiences for the class of PPD2. Sometimes the lecture was too boring and it couldnt bring up my will to study. I considered it as a bad experiences because when I have no will to study, it wasted my time and effort and end up of learning nothing. The lecturer sometimes uses an old fashioned way to teach, that is read through the paper. Besides that, I ha ve some bad experiences in the class by my own behavior. Certain times, I might not concentrate when the class is boring therefore I will talk with my friends and end up wasting my own time and learned nothing. Eventually I know what I did is wrong and wasteful so Ive changed my behavior and get myself to back on track. In the analysis stage, I realized that I have a big interest on PPD2. This is because it helps me to build up the most important thing that is my personal skill, confidence, courage and learning skill. Every single thing that the lecturer teaches was so useful and there are a lot of things to be learned. I have found out that the learning model and the content of PPD2 are something fresh and things that are totally new to me. Thus, for a person that likes adventure, it suits me well. Everything and every chapter that the lecturer gives out attract my attention and I will always try my best to do it. For the conclusion stage, Ive learnt and gained lots of knowledge from my lecturer. Ive learnt how to do well in everything no matter by myself or with a team. Other than that, it also makes me understand more about the importance of personal skills and teamwork. Besides that, training and improvements are needed in order to make me concentrate more in specific time. This is because even if there are boring classes, I should not make any noise to disturb the rest of the class. Through this course, I know where my strength is and weakness and improvement will definitely takes it place. When the lecturer is giving out new chapter for the next classes, I will do my own revision on that chapter to give myself a rough idea on it. This will not only help my understanding but also speed up the process of learning in myself. For the action plan stage, I will absolutely do a lot better than current. Attitude will change as I know that my current attitude is not good enough for me to have a great success. I will work harder for my work and pay more concentration when its time for serious. Besides that, assignments and tasks that given by the lecturer will also are done earlier as the lecturer can have a check on it in order to increase the quality of my work. When the discussion part is going on, I will try to answer every single question. This is to make sure that I fully understand what the lecturer is talking about. Other than that, when I faced any problem or difficulties for my work, I will not only discuss with my lecturer but also my classmates. This will not only make me gained extra knowledge but it also improves my communication and social skills. I also found out that I must also learn how to approach people by making the first step. I must take initiative to deal with someone rather than hoping or dreaming for others to make their first step. Besides that, I also need to increase my ability to study more in order to have a good result for the final year. I hope to have a CGPA of 3.5 and above and I know to achieve this, lots of efforts are needed. To obtain this result, I will not only study hard for the school study material, but I will find my own research to have a deeper understanding and I will borrow some books or references from the library to have better understanding. The strength of Gibbs Reflective Cycle is to develop a questioning attitude and new perspectives, identify areas for change and improvement, respond effectively to new challenges, and generalize and apply what you have learned from one situation to other situation. (University of Reading, n.d.) The Gibbs Reflective Cycle makes me to have a manner of keeps on asking question for something that is new and unknown to me. Other than that, it also helps me to find out where is my strength and weakness in order to improve my skills. Besides that, it also makes me to be a good respondent. Every time a problem pops out, I managed to think carefully and analyze it to get the solution.

Aspects of Materiality: A Continuing Education Report Essay -- Account

Introduction The concept of materiality provides a topic for continuing educational discussion that many firms across the country find essential to the development of their audit staff. Measuring and using materiality to obtain desired results during an audit becomes the responsibility of the staff member of a CPA firm. Partners and managers of a firm typically allow the staff member to use his/her judgment when applying this concept during the fieldwork of an audit. The overall success of an audit relies at least in part on the materiality concept; therefore, staff members’ continuing education on the concept becomes important and necessary. This report will define the term materiality, determine how to measure materiality, and explain the importance of the concept to the field of auditing. Defining Materiality The utilization of the concept of materiality in auditing dates many years. Varying definitions of materiality during the preliminary stages of utilization prove that auditors recognized a need for this concept but did not have a standard for defining the term. The recognition by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) of the need for this concept prompted a decision to determine a universally recognized definition of materiality. In the book, Auditing Concepts for a Changing Environment, the FASB defines materiality as, â€Å"the magnitude of an omission or misstatement of accounting information that, in light of surrounding circumstances, makes it probable that the judgment of a reasonable person relying on the information would have been changed or influenced by the omission or misstatement† (Rittenberg and Schwieger 2001, 92). In essence, the concept helps auditors determine the financial information that... ...ff must understand the definition of the concept, determine the process for measuring materiality, and have a concrete understand of the importance of the concept when auditing a company’s financial statements. Works Cited Rittenberg, Larry E., and Bradley J. Schwieger. Auditing Concepts for a Changing Environment, 3rd ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2001. Sauer, Richard C., â€Å"The Erosion of the Materiality Standard in the Enforcement of the Federal Securities Laws.† Business Lawyer 62, no. 2 (February 2007): 317-357. Gordeeva, Mayya, â€Å"Materiality in Accounting.† Economics and Management 16, 2011: 41-47. Messier, William F., Jr., Nonna Martinov-Bennie and Aasmund Eilifsen. â€Å"A Review and Integration of Empirical Research on Materiality: Two Decades Later.† Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory 24, no. 2 (November 2005): 153-187.

Ludwig Van Beethoven Essay -- essays research papers

Ludwig van Beethoven Beethoven's importance lies not only in his work, but also in his life (Tames, 4). Included in my report is proof that Beethoven was one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. In this proof is a brief description of his life. This will help you understand how he felt when he wrote his music. Also, there will be a description of all his symphonies. On December 16 or 17, 1770, (date uncertain) at 515 (now 20) Bonngasse Bonn, Germany Beethoven, like Mozart, was born into a small family (Comptons, 1). He took his first lessons on March 26, 1778, (Schmit, 10). In 1787, he went to Vienna to study with Mozart, but he went back to Bonn due to the nature of his mother's sickness (Schmit, 15). This would be the composers last visit to Bonn. After his mother's death on July 17, 1787, Beethoven went back to Vienna to study with Hayden in November of 1792, where he lived for 35 years (Tames, 14). He was unsatisfied with Hayden because he was preoccupied and commonly missed many mistakes made by Beethoven (Schmit, 17). Beethoven, then, went to Neffe who himself started composing at the age of 12. In the late 1700's, Beethoven began to suffer from early symptoms of deafness, and by 1802, Beethoven was convinced that the condition was not only permanent but was getting much worse. The cause of his deafness is still uncertain (Comptons, 1). He was determined to prove that deafness was not a handicap to him (Thompson, 25). Beethoven's deafness started to be noticeable, and by 1818 Beethoven was completely deaf (Schmit, 28). In the year of 1812, Beethoven fell in love with the "Eternally Beloved." Nobody knew her name except Beethoven, who did not mention it in any letter or to friends. Under his first patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, Beethoven wrote his first symphony. The first symphony was wrote in 1795, and was a set of three Trios. Beethoven believed that his income came from the successful sale of these works, but it actually came from Lichnowsky (Tames, 12). This symphony was reflective of the classical era. He did not publish this symphony until he was 31. In 1802, Beethoven wrote a second symphony. Beethoven named this symphony "Grande Sinfonie" while in Hiligenstadt wh... ...usic. Not only did he create a bridge between the 18th-century classical period and new beginnings of Romanticism, but he started a new era of music. Beethoven's last years were marked with illness. On March 24, 1827, Beethoven died in Vienna. A crowd of almost 30,000 people attended his funeral and burial at Vienna Central Cemetery (Schmit, 31). The bicentennial of his death was celebrated with performances and recordings of all the masters' works (Comptons, 2). At the funeral, Beethoven's friend wrote a moving address which stated: "We, the representatives of an entire nation, come to mourn the passing of the gracious mouth by which music spoke, the man who inherited and enriched the immortal fame of Handel and Bach, of Hayden and Mozart. He was an artist, and who shall stand beside him? Because he shut himself off from the world, they called him hostile and callous... He withdrew from his fellow-men after he had given them everything, and received nothing in return. But until his death, he preserved a father's heart for mankind. Thus he was, thus he died, thus he will live to the end of time!" (Thompson, 46).

Nature versus Nurture in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Nature versus Nurture in Macbeth One of the most commonly debated issues concerning morality is the concept of nature versus nurture. Which is more integral to one’s behavior: the inborn qualities or the influences of life on the individual? Mark Twain, in his essay entitled "What Is Man?" describes humankind this way: Man the machine--man the impersonal engine. Whatsoever a man is, is due to his MAKE, and to the INFLUENCES brought to bear upon it by his heredities, his habitat, his associations. He is moved, directed, COMMANDED, by EXTERIOR influences--SOLELY. (What Is Man?, Mark Twain, http://underthesun.cc/Classics/Twain/whatman/Whatisman.htm) There is some scientific basis for this claim. Studies have shown that both a person’s genetic structure and the circumstances to which he or she is subjected have bearing on how a person thinks, feels and acts. Considering this, the actions of the character Macbeth must be evaluated by his personal motivations and the external causes that may have led to them. It is established from the very beginning that Macbeth is ambitious. There can be no doubt about this. A certain level of courage accompanies his ambition as well. As a noble he is an active one, fighting against the rebel hordes and Norwegians in defense of his king, no doubt for the purpose of gaining notoriety and other rewards. This is further illustrated by his gracious acceptance of credit for his deeds. He is a political figure in the highest sense, and show ambition in this way. However, there is no sign of him altering his course of loyal nobleman until outside influences begin to intercede. The people with gr eatest impact on Macbeth are the witches, his wife and Lady, and King Duncan of Scotland. The witches introduce the idea, King Duncan gives personal motive, and Lady Macbeth helps along the way. The least influential party in all of this is King Duncan. The conflict between these two is purely circumstantial, but clear enough. Macbeth is, as stated, an ambitious man. The King represents the highest position of power that Macbeth can hope to achieve. The King is also a father figure, patronizing to his subjects and expectant of total servitude. When King Duncan thanks Macbeth for his heroic service in battle, Macbeth replies that "Your highness' part / Is to receive our duties; and our duties / Are to your throne and state children and servants" (1. Nature versus Nurture in Shakespeare's Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework Nature versus Nurture in Macbeth One of the most commonly debated issues concerning morality is the concept of nature versus nurture. Which is more integral to one’s behavior: the inborn qualities or the influences of life on the individual? Mark Twain, in his essay entitled "What Is Man?" describes humankind this way: Man the machine--man the impersonal engine. Whatsoever a man is, is due to his MAKE, and to the INFLUENCES brought to bear upon it by his heredities, his habitat, his associations. He is moved, directed, COMMANDED, by EXTERIOR influences--SOLELY. (What Is Man?, Mark Twain, http://underthesun.cc/Classics/Twain/whatman/Whatisman.htm) There is some scientific basis for this claim. Studies have shown that both a person’s genetic structure and the circumstances to which he or she is subjected have bearing on how a person thinks, feels and acts. Considering this, the actions of the character Macbeth must be evaluated by his personal motivations and the external causes that may have led to them. It is established from the very beginning that Macbeth is ambitious. There can be no doubt about this. A certain level of courage accompanies his ambition as well. As a noble he is an active one, fighting against the rebel hordes and Norwegians in defense of his king, no doubt for the purpose of gaining notoriety and other rewards. This is further illustrated by his gracious acceptance of credit for his deeds. He is a political figure in the highest sense, and show ambition in this way. However, there is no sign of him altering his course of loyal nobleman until outside influences begin to intercede. The people with gr eatest impact on Macbeth are the witches, his wife and Lady, and King Duncan of Scotland. The witches introduce the idea, King Duncan gives personal motive, and Lady Macbeth helps along the way. The least influential party in all of this is King Duncan. The conflict between these two is purely circumstantial, but clear enough. Macbeth is, as stated, an ambitious man. The King represents the highest position of power that Macbeth can hope to achieve. The King is also a father figure, patronizing to his subjects and expectant of total servitude. When King Duncan thanks Macbeth for his heroic service in battle, Macbeth replies that "Your highness' part / Is to receive our duties; and our duties / Are to your throne and state children and servants" (1.

Hero’s Journey- Ender’s Game Essay

Enders Game, written by Orson Scott Card is a â€Å"classic novel of one boy’s destiny among the stars†. The representation of Ender as the typical hero partaking on a hero’s journey is shown through the language devices and the characterisation of Ender. Card presents the conventions of a traditional hero, namely qualities of bravery and wisdom, leadership, responsibility and the tragic or traditional weakness. Card explores the idea of a traditional hero’s weakness, through the character of Ender, who undergoes a hero’s journey, which demands that individual weaknesses are overcome, which mirrors Enders. Enders weakness is considered as the fear of him transforming into his violent, heartless brother as suggested in the quote â€Å" I am just like Peter. Take my monitor away, and I am just like Peter†. This describes the distress and uneasiness Ender feels in situations where it seems he is transforming into a murderer like Peter. â€Å"I’m a murderer, even when I play. Peter would be proud of me†. Throughout Enders Game, Ender struggles through overcoming this weakness, which is a similar difficulty a typical hero goes through; this shows the strong link between Ender and a conventional hero. The sense of responsibility delegated to Ender by others around him displays the typical conventional hero. â€Å"I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one. Or at least as close as we’re going to get† Card uses word choice in order to convey the sense of urgency when saying â€Å"or at least as close as we’re going to get. â€Å"This sense of urgency creates the tension of Ender being the hero that they are relying on to save the world. Ender also being aware of this factor by saying â€Å"it’s what I was born for, isn’t it? If I don’t go, why am I alive? † The responsibility that Ender has no choice in accepting shows how essential and significant Ender is in the scheme of redeeming world peace among the buggers. Being depended on by others to accomplish something is the main reason why heroes must do their job; Ender like any other traditional heroes must carry out this role. Card displays the conventions of a hero, and explores the idea of heroes being an outcast, which is shown through Enders character. From the very beginning there is a connection between Ender and isolation shown through the quote â€Å"Too willing to submerge himself in someone else’s will†¦ So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time? † From the very beginning of Enders Game and throughout the novel Ender has been deliberately isolated for the in order for Ender to became the leader and hero that is needed in the book. This concept is also suggested through the quote â€Å"Isolate him enough that he remains creative- otherwise he’ll adopt the system here and we’ll lose him. At the same time, we need to make sure he keeps a strong ability to lead. † In Enders game Ender has been deliberately isolated just enough for him to show his creativity in finding new solutions to problems but not too isolated to insure his social skills are still intact in order to achieve success in creating him as a leader. These qualities are what Ender must attain to be a hero. The brave qualities that Card illustrates Enders character as, display the true nature of a hero. Ender, although at a young age shows great intelligence and bravery in the way he cleverly and skilfully thinks situations through. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them†¦. I destroy them. † This quote displays the creative and wise thoughts that enter Enders mind whilst solving a problem. â€Å"I have to win this now, and for all time, or I’ll fight it every day and it will get worse and worse. † This citation from Enders game represents the courageous characteristic that Ender displays in standing up for himself. Although the decision that hero’s chose may be risky it is the wisest option. The obstacles that Ender faces throughout his ‘hero’s journey’ reinforces his characterisation as a traditional hero. Card invokes this convention of the heroic genre by Ender displaying these identical qualities of a hero. Heroes are known for obtaining great intelligence or skill, which sets them apart from everyone making them valuable and unique. Ender in the world of mundane is described as a complex and advanced 6 years old. â€Å" He always knew the answer, even when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. † Also the quote â€Å" he was the one who figured out ow to send messages† shows the intelligence and cleverness of Ender breaking and altering the system. Enders intelligence is hinted in these quotes, which associate with a hero being extremely clever and more advanced than others. Card taking on the idea of Ender as the typical hero on his ‘heroes journey’ is shown in the obstacles and situation Ender faces where he shows the nature of a true hero. Orson Scott Card’s interpretation of Enders wise and brave characteristics, his sense of responsibility and his weakness is displayed throughout the novel which depicts the idea of Ender resembling a traditional hero.

Aqualisa Quartz: Case Study

1. What is the Quartz value proposition to plumbers? What is Aqualisa Quartz value proposition to consumers? The value proposition of Aqualisa Quartz to plumbers is that it is easy to install; it is more profitable because they are able to do more installations. Because the installation process is less complicated, it takes less time to install (only half a day compared to 2 days previously). This gives plumbers the opportunity to install more units and capture some of the historical 6-month waiting list for plumbing jobs. Due to a less complex installation process, even apprentices are able to do installations, instead of only certified plumbers. The Aqualisa Quartz product also delivers excellent results, which gives the plumbers increased credibility with consumers for installing a superior product with less malfunctions. The value proposition of Aqualisa Quartz to consumers is that it had efficient and reliable water pressure and temperature. It is safe to use for kids and elderly people. It has a one touch control with a red light indicator which allowed consumers to know when the water reaches the desired temperature. Once the temperature is set, consumers only need to push the one touch control and wait for the light. It is much easier to install for the DIY sector of consumers since it does not require excavation of the wall to reach plumbing. The Aqualisa Quartz also has excellent design and aesthetics. The control box could now be placed in any space close to a water source and electrical outlet – even in out of sight locations. 2. Why is the Quartz shower not selling? Sales of the Quartz shower are significantly below expectations. There are a few contributing factors. Slow Adoption Processes. Most plumbers are wary of new technology and do not trust it, especially in light of previous electronic control failures. In addition, plumbers establish a comfort level with a particular brand and see changing their preferred product as an unnecessary cost. The uncertainty of its performance, which may result in having to do repair work, plus the time to learn a new product, is seen as a hindrance. They seem to adhere to the rule, â€Å"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. † Although there has not been much adoption with the product, plumbers also may pose a potential challenge with the structure of their fee chedule. If a labor cost of 40 to 80 pounds per hour was reduced by 75% because of the ease of installation, a plumber may have to schedule almost three times as many shower jobs to make up the potential loss in labor revenue or use the time to deliver other services. Sales Targeting and Cannibalization. With the sales force spending 90% of their time on existing accounts, there is inadequate focus on trade shops – which target plumbers. It also creates the threat of cannibalization of the other product lines. Typically, new products should be introduced to existing customers to either capture new revenue or replace aging products. Another approach is to introduce the products to new customers. In this case, the product poses direct competition and the sales team seems unsure of how to proceed when adding the Quartz to their typical sales process. The solution is for companies to refocus the sales team to target new customers or segment a portion of the sales force to specialize in a particular product line. Product Testing versus Market Research. The research and development team at Aqualisa seem to do a good job of obtaining feedback from the users and to determine what would make the best user experience. However, there does not appear to be any feedback gathered from its primary customer base on what problems they are facing, how this new product may solve them, and ultimately how it may benefit the plumbers. The approach assumes plumbers will catch on because it was simply a better shower. However, that is not the current situation. 3. Aqualisa spent three years and 5. 8 million developing the Quartz. Was the product worth the investment? Is Quartz a niche product or a mainstream product? The Quartz line product is worth the time and money that Aqualisa spent developing it. The company has been able to create an innovative, break-through product in an extremely mature industry. Given the current pricing model, Aqualisa can break even on its investment by selling slightly over 18,700 units (assuming a 50/50 split between the two models offered). There were 550,000 power shower class units sold in the United Kingdom in 2000, so selling just fewer than 20,000 of such a superior product should be an achievable goal. The Quartz is a mainstream product that appeals to anyone who can afford it. While the Quartz may have failed to post strong initial sales numbers there is clearly a demand in the United Kingdom (and probably the rest of Europe) for a product that fixes all of the problems associated with the old plumbing infrastructure that exists in this part of the world. When there is strong demand and only one supplier that adequately addresses all the consumer needs the only missing ingredient is a proper marketing campaign, which is clearly lacking. If Aqualisa can effectively convey the benefits of the Quartz units to both plumbers and consumers adequately there is no reason Quartz cannot fuel Aqualisa’s growth for the next several years. 4. Aqualisa currently has three brands: Aqualisa, Gainsborough, and ShowerMax. What is the rationale behind this multiple brand strategy? Does it make sense? The act of managing multiple brands is a thin tight rope walk that can help elevate a brand yet almost just as easily diminish it. Aqualisa has recognized distinct markets within the overall market of showers. An excellent example of multiple brands can be drawn from the brief anecdote at the beginning of the paper with the mentioning of the Marriott that Mr. Rawlinson was a guest of. Marriot has a multitude of brands within their brand. Consumers come in any and every form, from those who seek quality first and have the means to pay the price for the best to those who look at the price tag first and compromise on quality and everywhere in between. Marriott consists of the Courtyard, The Fairfield Inn, Marriott Resorts, and Residence Inn, just to name a few. The goal is to isolate the needs and demands of specific types of consumers and utilize each brand to specialize and cater to that type of consumer. They have broken down their branding into an architecture defining the brands categories as; iconic luxury, luxury, lifestyle, signature, modern essentials, extended stay and destination entertainment. More than just creating these branches they have focused on distinctly establishing a separate identity for each brand while still embodying the overall total brand’s mission. This is a difficult juggling act in multiple brand management, teetering to find the perfect balance between separation and unification. The extended stay category consists of those rooms including kitchens, and other amenities to cater more too long term guests for example. Any market is filled with a myriad of different consumers so to generalize them with one brand as a ‘one size fits all’ service would be foolish. Marriott has spent a great sum of advertising and marketing dollars and effort to research the market and gain insight into the demands of the consumer. This has also been accomplished by varying pricing points, among other factors, in order to break down the target market into multiple targets. This allows the brand to better serve each demographics specific needs more efficiently and effectively. Aqualisa recognizes the same trend within the shower market. As stated in the case study, the United Kingdom’s buyers tend to fall into three pricing segments: premium, standard, and value. Aqualisa has developed three brands respectively: Aquastyle, Gainsborough, and ShowerMax, to penetrate these markets. Not only are consumers concerned with price but also ease of use, installation and performance. These various factors translate to different types of end users. They consist of the DIY consumers, plumbers, developers and contractors, and the retail consumer. These varying users each need to be reached through distinctive means. Tradeshows are the best place to reach plumbers and developers while options like hardware stores and showrooms are best for DIY and retail consumers. In a market such as the shower market in the UK, there needs to be several strategies and methods of market penetration. In order to best cater to these different strategies, Aqualisa must customize and tailor fit a product line designed for each market segment. This example is a quintessential instance where multiple branding is the best option. Just making one brand in this case would most definitely pigeon-hole their operation and typecast them as just being a product for only one or two types of consumers. A singular brand would in turn ostracize the needs of other various types of demand within the market. The sheer fact that there are commercial and residential applications support the fact that multiple product brands are required. Promoting a universal message and ideal for your brands that encompasses all product lines and bridges their differences is imperative; Aqualisa has chosen a wise strategy in pursuing multiple brands. 5. What should Rawlinson do to generate sales momentum for the Quartz product? Should he change his marketing strategy to target consumers directly, target the DIY market, or target developers? Should he lower the price of the Quartz? Or should he do something different altogether? Although the Quartz is truly ground breaking and innovative in terms of function and design, many consumers and industry professionals alike are not fully aware of its features and benefits. Aqualisa should commit to an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign targeted towards the consumer and DIY markets respectively. Targeting consumers directly will increase brand recognition, provide product differentiation, and in turn allow customers to make informed decisions. Armed with information from customized advertising and marketing strategies, customers are in a unique position to reduce the leverage plumbers have traditionally had in selecting installation brands. The price point for the Quartz should not be lowered because it is a new revolutionary product with essentially no market competition. However, Aqualisa should develop methods to effectively mitigate the immediate and continuing impact of cannibalization as they strive to increase Quartz’s sales. Aqualisa could also benefit from developing a marketing scheme to target plumbers and or industry professionals. Plumbers are influencing 73% of all shower purchase decisions, so getting there buy-in is crucial. Additionally, the overall lifetime value of a single plumber could be well into the tens of thousands of euros (where as the lifetime value of a consumer is a few hundred). The organization acknowledges the challenges it faces with products boasting technological advancements due to industry skepticism. This reluctance has undoubtedly been responsible for the lack luster demand as evidenced by product availability within trade shops. As part of this strategy the company could offer a series of workshops, trade, or industry shows designed solely for plumbers to showcase the Quartz features, reliability, and installation ease. In regards to distribution, Aqualisa needs to do a better job of getting their products into the market. Aqualisa currently has only a 40% presence in trade shops and 25% in show rooms. In order to truly make a difference in sales, the product needs to be available in more outlets for purchasing. Distribution must be expanded. With the aforementioned strategies, an increased presence is needed in trade shops, show rooms, DIY chains and general consumer stores to increase brand awareness and recognition. A lower pricing structure would not be a good strategy for the long term because it will reduce profit margin. There is some room to lower the price of the Quartz to match the profit margins on the other Aqualisa products. Currently the Quartz line is close to a 32% profit margin, in comparison to the other Aqualisa products which range from 22% to 32%. The majority of products fall near 26%. However, lowering the price may be a viable option in the future after sales volumes have increased significantly. Listed below are specific strategies Aqualisa could adopt and implement to increase Quartz sales volumes. Strategies:

Datril Case Essay

My recommendation to Marvin Koslow is to follow the first approach of pricing Datril at par with Tylenol ($2.85 retail price, $1.69 trade cost), leveraging Bristol-Myers’ brand name, and positioning Datril as an analgesic with similar relief effects to the those of the already successful, aspirin-based Bufferin and Excedin, but more gentle on the stomach, and without the side effects of aspirin. By doing so, Datril will primarily target aspirin users, specifically those from Bufferin’s and Excedin’s current consumer base, who suffer from upset stomach. I explain my rationale below. According to the case, when Datril was introduced to test markets per the strategy I recommended, it failed to achieve the projected sales figures within the first month. Although I have no access to those sales projections, I could argue that the may have been overoptimistic. The reason is that Tylenol was well established (8% market share) in the analgesic market which has traditiona lly been dominated by aspirin-based products. Therefore, directly competing against Tylenol at the same price is unlikely to result in quick market share and monetary gains within a month. Koslow should have allowed more time, say a medium run of 6 months to match duration of the marketing expenses to be committed, before thinking about switching to the other strategy. In addition, it can also be argued that the early success of Datril in the test market with the lower selling price may not be representative of its true performance over the medium to long run. Before defending my recommendation in detail, I would like to highlight the most prominent risk of introducing Datril as a cheaper alternative to Tylenol: not accounting for the competitor’s repositioning or defensive marketing strategies. Those could include the following: o One of the quickest responses that McNeil Labs could come up with is to reduce the price to trade, and subsequently the selling price, of Tylenol to match that of Datril. Doing so could result is public accusations of false advertising, thereby reversing the quick gains that Datril could make, and potentially wasting the $6 million on inaccurate communication of information to the public, which could potentially result in insulted, angry and dissatisfied customers due the feeling that they have been deceived. Bristol-Myers will have to incur the cost of pulling all current advertisements, and an additional cost of having to launch another advertising campaign. o McNeil could also respond by changing its currently conservative advertising approach (i.e. focusing on physicians and trade) by aggressively advertising Tylenol to the public, exploiting the fact that its current advertising expenditure is less than $2 million a year and possibly even utilizing the power and expertise of the mother company, Johnson & Johnson. This could potentially solidify the sales and market share of Tylenol, making it an even tougher competition to Datril. Given Tylenol’s market share, the speed of executing either one of the above strategies, or both together, could heavily minimize Datril’s penetration of the market. Furthermore, per Exhibit A, Datril will need to sell 13.3 million bottles (at a trade cost of $1.05) or 60 million (at a trade cost of 70 cents) just to break-even. This is highly inefficient, in terms of both numbers contribution margin, compared to Tylenol. Moreover, given the actual quantities of Tylenol sold in 1974 (around 19.1 million bottles per Exhibit B), Datril’s achievement of break-even quantities seems even more doubtful, given the risks highlighted above. Quality cannot be a differentiation because both products are virtually identical as pain relievers; therefore the best strategy is to combine the well-established reputation of Bristol-Myers, the well-known effectiveness of Bufferin and Excedin, with the value or differentiation being the gentleness of the product on upset stomach. Furthermore, Bristol-Myers possesses a large consumer base for its aspirin-based products, a base that is larger than that of McNeil Labs’ Tylenol users. This is Bristol-Myers’ main competitive advantage; its own consumers who may suffer from the typical side effects of aspirin. Targeting those specific customers and communicating to them the value of eliminated side effects should be Datril’s positioning and differentiating strategy. Cannibalization from Bufferin and Excedin, should it happen, should not necessarily be viewed negatively, since my recommended selling price of $2.85 is double that of these aspirin products. Exhibit A – Break-Even Analysis for Tylenol and the different pricing scenarios for Datril (per bottle of 100 pills) Breakeven Analysis for Product Tylenol Approach 1 – Same price as Tylenol Approach 2a – Cheaper than Tylenol Approach 2b – Cheaper w/lowered trade cost $ $ $ $ Unit Cost (Variable Cost) 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 Trade Cost (Selling Price to Retailers) $ 1.69 $ 1.69 $ 1.05 $ 0.70 Fixed Cost (Advertising) 2,000,000 6,000,000 6,000,000 6,000,000 Break-Even Quantity [Fixed Cost/(Trade Cost-Unit Cost)] 1,834,862 5,504,587 13,333,333 60,000,000 Contribution Margin (Unit) 64% 64% 43% 14%

Motion in inferno

The entrance into the second circle of hell marks a descent, a motion downwards, and this type of action is significant both in this fifth canto and throughout the whole of Dante’s Inferno. The theme of motion is dominant in this episode through the use of the winds and rains. It also comes out in other subtler motions that intertwine with the shades and the sins that brought them to this their eternal home.The motions involved here are very frictional. They tell of coming and going, as well as of the conflict between the two. These motions depict a large amount of antagonism, yet they also tell of passivity and subjugation. They underline the posture of the persons involved as well as accentuate their roles in the epic. The motions evident in the poem also give insight into the nature of the hell being depicted. Much can be understood about the degree of the souls’ torment by the types of motion to which they are subjected.The motions of Minos make him out to be a wiel der, and this gives him an air of being in charge. He wields his tail, and with that authority. He â€Å"girdles† and â€Å"entwines† himself, and this motion is symbolic of the extent to which those sent to him will be bound and tormented in hell (Alighieri, 15). It is interesting that the degree of hell itself is depicted itself by a girdling, as each degree entwines a more horrifying one. This shows a unity of action between the motions of Minos and the nature of hell itself.The spirits â€Å"come there before him† (15) and their movement toward him takes place in a manner of subjection. They are at his mercy, just as they will be at the mercy of the events of the hell to which his motion will whisk them. One almost gets from it the idea of the spirits’ genuflection before an elevated Minos. He sends, and that idea depicts a motion away from himself; but it also demonstrates mastery, as the souls who go away from him do so at his bidding. Then, the mot ion with which he sends them is akin to the manner in which they are taken. They are whirled away to the place of their doom.Motions of coming and going occur regularly in this place of gale forces. The motion of the winds is demonstrated by a coming and going. The motion from one circle of hell to the next dooms that spirit to spend eternity in a much more horrifying place. What is more is that each frictional motion to and fro, each coming or going, often happens in fast succession one upon the other, so that it almost seems that they occur at once.The spirits are forced into this frenzied motion by the winds: â€Å"hither, thither, down, up it carries them† (15). This motion echoes their plight. They are forced to come to this place, though in the same instant that they must come, their will is to go. This oscillating motion is indicative of the fact that decision is not granted those who have been condemned to hell. Hell is a place that commands, and all who go there must heed its every whim. There is also nothing inherently rational about that place, or at least its orders are not bound to be so. The vacillation of the winds shows that caprices of punishment are to be expected. Yet all will be punishment.Ideas of combat and battles are expressed by the motion in the passage. Warfare and all that is connected with such an event is present in the episode’s movements. Looting and plundering are involved in these events. The place is described as moving â€Å"as the sea does in a tempest, if it be combated by opposing winds† (15). The winds arise again in this image, but this time their motion creates an atmosphere of battle. This place is one of fighting, where the event smites and molests the â€Å"spirits in its rapine† (15).The whole atmosphere is described as a restless hurricane that pummels the souls that come within its domain. It rushes and blasts them, so that its very motion is of a type that harms and invites (impossibl e) retaliation. The only record of the souls’ giving back damage is in their lamentation, which smites the speaker as he comes near them. Though it is a battle, it is one that is already won for hell. Its pounding motions perpetrate upon its prisoners a torment that grants them no repose.Another motion that depicts the nature of hell is its ability to impose its will upon the damned souls. This ties in with the ideas that have gone before: the souls are often being carried and led. The shades are borne along by strife (15), and their motion in the air forms that of a long line, as the captives are being led in the train of death and damnation. This subjugation to the will of the forces of darkness mirror the subjection these souls once had to their own evil lusts.They are described as having been â€Å"called by desire† (16); called, not just in the sense of a foreign summoning but in the necessity they feel to move toward the source of the calling. These souls find th emselves in hell because of influences upon their actions that have caused their motions toward things. It depicts a resignation to forces that cause actions that in turn lead to the peril of the damned, on whose part passivity (the lack of autonomous motion) is implied.This idea is extended in the stories of those whose love was the precipitant of their doom; it, in effect, was the catalyst of their motion toward hell. This love led them, and they in their passivity allowed themselves to be led. In fact, when the speaker addresses one of the souls described as being in motion â€Å"through the lurid air† (16), the same soul is described as â€Å"benign,† and this gives an idea of stillness and passivity that hints that the energy for its motion is generated by an outside source.Love is a slave-driver to all of them, continually making them move toward things they otherwise might not have chosen. Some even killed themselves for love, and this signifies a motion toward death that ushered their entrance into hell. Strangely, Achilles was somehow able to deviate slightly from this trend. He, after being ruled by love for so long, makes a motion toward self-government and fights with love. There is no evidence of his triumph, however, as he remains one of the captives of hell.In order to allow the lover Francesca to tell her story, the motions of the winds hush and the seas become quiet. A level of calm is depicted in the cessation of the motion of elements even beyond the dominion of hell. The city of the speaker’s birth rests its weight upon the seashore, and this motion effects the stillness of the waves. The river Po is seen as descending in order to have peace, so it too moves from motion to stillness. Prior to this, a quasi-invocation to the â€Å"King of the universe† (16) was given by the speaker for Francesca’s peace.Its effect is this stillness that would allow her to speak of happier times, and grant her at least a res pite, if not complete relief. This seems to point toward a purgatorial notion of hell, where the living can pray to God for the succour of the damned. It implies that the motions of hell that grant agony to the spirits can be shielded by a divine Hand, further implying that hell itself is driven by an even greater power than itself.It is evident that the images of motion in the fifth canto of Dante’s Inferno create a dynamic theme that moves the reader along from the entrance to the portal through to the other dimensions of hell. The motions are indicative of the authority of hell over the souls that are quartered there. Ideas of abasement are dominant in the souls’ lack of autonomy, in their compulsion to do the will of the forces that surround them.Their spirits are flung upon winds, just as in life their wills were navigated by their desires. Other motions tell of a hell as a battlefield of lost causes, as the spirits are doomed, regardless of any desire they might have to fight. The nature of hell is to subdue and to punish, and its motions are ministrants of power that deals out anguish.

Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Final Project - Research Paper Example By 1969, Wal-Mart had moved from a small business enterprise to an incorporated company Wal-Mart Stores Inc (Clemers, 1993). This paper will analyze Wal-Mart Stores and make recommendations to better align Human Resource practices to the vital business initiatives of the organization. First, I will examine Wal-Mart’s history and market position then describe and analyze the recent and targeted work procedures, as well as the respective skills, knowledge and abilities needed for Wal-Mart to achieve its objectives. I will also show the technology used by Wal-Mart to achieve work output in line with the company’s goals and provide a set of HRM recommendations suitable for Wal-Mart. The 1970s saw Wal-Mart emerge as one of the leading companies with a significant economic growth (Andersen & Narus, 1999). It acquired the Hutcheson Shoe Company and started a section of pharmaceuticals called Wal-Mart pharmacy. There was an increase in both the workforce and turnover. Wal-Mart rose to become a huge retail company with 276 stores, 21,000 employees and a turnover of over US$ 1.248 billion after a decade. The 1980s and the 1990s saw it rise from a huge national retail chain of stores into an international business. Within this period, Sam’s club was opened and a super center was launched becoming a conventional shop in several regions and countries worldwide (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). By this time, it had one thousand four hundred and two stores, one hundred and twenty three Sam’s clubs, and it sales were over US$ 26 billion. From humble beginnings, Walton’s brain child has become one of the organizations that have contributed immensely to the world (Weinswig & Tang, 2010). The retail shops, discount stores and super centers have had a great impact on shops and consumers in the world today. To date, the organization has a workforce of over 2.2 million (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). The company also gives its services to 176 million consume rs all over the world. Credit goes to Sam Walton and Wal-Mart for setting precedence to the world by upholding principles and running an immeasurable successful organization. In this paper’s analysis, I saw the need for the company to be more responsive to customers by improving their current and target work processes so as to ensure urgent and precise actions are taken in responding to their customers’ needs. The three key objectives they should focus on in order to achieve this are fulfilling specific customer requirements, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction and trying to adapt to the needs of business and market environments that change every day. Wal-Mart is capable of achieving these objectives while still maintaining and improving profitability and market share. This work processes can be met by linking workgroups and their processes in the internal customer and supplier chains. Once this is achieved, this linked functional work processes will become the major cross functional processes by which Wal-Mart’s externally focused business objectives will be met (Weinswig & Tang, 2010). These key cross functional business processes will be highly dependent on the way in which the management at Wal-Mart will structure their work processes (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). They can do it in two ways; through the delivery work processes, which refers to the customer facing processes, and the support work processes, which are those that are required to sustain the delivery functions.

Participant Observation Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Participant Observation Assignment - Essay Example The research questions formulated in this paper are mainly based on empirical observation, that is, information gained by means of watching, experiments or by performing some research study. This field work has been conducted on August 6, 2009 during 10.30 AM and 12.35 PM. The journey for observation assignment started from Hudson, NY station and ended at NY-Penn Station. The train selected for this observation assignment is Empire Service-Eastbound train (which is running Mondays thru Saturdays) whose number is 280. The source station of this train is Niagara Falls, NY, the departure time from this station is 3.45 AM and its arrival time in the destination station New York, NY-Penn Station is12.35 PM. Subways in New York are the fastest way to travel around the New York City. It is very difficult for the fresher to travel through New York subways. If one is not careful, then one would find it very difficult to reach the destination. If one does not know about the rules and regulations that need to be followed in the subways, then one would find it hard to travel through the subways. Here, it can be observed that some people are asking others about the direction, or the route one needs to take for reaching specific destinations. People in New York help others to sort out their problems in very friendly manner. Another important thing about people in New York is most of them are confused as to which direction they need to go to reach their destination. In the platforms, it is observable that all sorts of people are present such as teens, middle aged people, old aged people, families etc. Some people are looking on the map which is placed near the entrances; they are sorting out the ir doubts themselves without asking to anybody. By observing their facial expressions, it may be concluded that they are not so clear about whether they have gleaned what they needed to know. Time is 10.15 AM. The train to New York, NY-Penn Station will reach

Management Strategy Perspectives and Paradoxes Essay

Management Strategy Perspectives and Paradoxes - Essay Example In such environ, it is important for an organisation to find a 'differential aspect' of its product or service in order to survive the market competencies, otherwise the organisation will be driven out of the business ruthlessly. "Having a competitive advantage is like having a gun in knife fight". The paper explores this statement and illustrates the key factors through which a firm can attain this competitive gun while all the competitors remain fighting with their competitive knives. It goes for a gross understanding of the term 'competitive advantage', realising how it can be interpreted as 'a gun in the knife fight', plus analysing and examining a bunch of important issues underlying this concept. The focus of this paper remains to be the factors that need to be addressed by an organisation in its quest to dig out a competitive advantage to create and maintain its position in the market that is unbeatable for its competitors in a specific point in time. There happen to be several areas where a firm can manage to obtain a competitive advantage against its competitors. These areas are discussed in this paper with the help of the literature available on the given subject. "Having a competitive advantage is like having a gun in a knife fight". Consider a fight in which everybody has got a knife as weapon and using it in all ways to win the battle. During this fight, one of the fighters manages to acquire a gun. A gun in a knife fight implies having a weapon or an advantage through which any battle or competition could be won in way that nobody else could be able to claim victory for a long time. In the context of businesses, this statement entails having a competitive advantage or that aspect of an organisation, which can be utilised to fight the battle of competition and gain a superior weapon over other competitors. An exploration of this statement first of all lies in a profound understanding of the term competitive advantage and the necessary issues associated with it. The statement will be explored further in the paper after an illustration of what actually is meant by the term 'competitive advantage'. A competitive advantage is simply an aspect of the organisation that it possesses or offers to the customers. In order for an organisational aspect to constitute as a 'competitive advantage', it has to be unique in the market not adopted by any other current or potential firm in the market. This phenomenon can also be understood in the words of Barney (1991, p102) as, "a firm is said to have competitive advantage when it is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors". This value strategy can be in any form, as long as it is providing benefit to the customers and the organisation directly or indirectly. For instance, if a firm manages to produce its products at a lower cost than all other firms in the market, it is a direct benefit to the customer in the form of reduced prices and an indirect benefit to the organisation in the shape of enhanced sales. This can only become possible when the firm has identified uni que ways to lower the product costs, either unknown or inapplicable to other firms. Porter (1985, p3) illustrates the conception of competitive advantage as the ability of a firm to create value for its customers in a way that proposes more benefit