Travelocity SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Travelocity SWOT Analysis - Essay Example We market these net rate offerings to travelers at a price that includes service fees that we retain, plus an amount sufficient to pay the travel supplier for its charge for providing the travel accommodations, along with any applicable occupancy and other local taxes on that charge. For this type of business model, we require pre-payment by the traveler at the time of booking. High customer acquisition costs, as the marketing and promotional costs are quite high to deal with and it is challenging to upgrade the features of online portal quite often. A new feature from competitor keep Travelocity on toes as it may deviate Travelocity's customers. Customers may reduce transactions through our distribution channels, which could reduce Travelocity revenues: business segments have objectives that lead to conflicts with customers of other business segments related to parent company "Sabre". For example, Travelocity and Travelocity Business operations compete with travel-agency subscribers of Sabre Travel Network. That competition could cause current or potential travel agency subscribers to elect to use competing GDS providers, websites or other channels of travel distribution, which could reduce our transaction fee revenue and materially adversely affect our business. Opportunities: Sustainable global corporate customers' growth creates an opportunity to provide right customer experience and extend the corporate associations for a long period of time. As travel industry is extremely competitive, companies have to target to retain their most valuable clients. Along with retaining clients it has to look out for new clients & markets for considerable growth opportunity. Opportunities to explore the new markets as the internet penetration in developing countries is on raise and E-Commerce is evolving tool for travel purchase. Countries like India where internet penetration is picking up at rapid pace have to be explored with aggressive marketing and promotional strategies. Opportunities exist for online booking for rail and road travel across the globe as it is the basic mode of the common man's travel. Threats: Economic downturns, rising fuel costs and the financial instability of travel suppliers in recent times have bought the confidence levels of travel markets to an all time low. Political instability, acts of terrorism, hostilities and war have created a negative perception on the travelers mind

Child Development Essay Example for Free

Child Development Essay The difference Between the Sequence and Rate of Development Children’s development generally follows a predictable sequence of stages known as milestones. However, occasionally a child may skip a stage or go through a stage very quickly e. g. a child may miss out crawling and move straight from sitting to walking. An example of a sequence is the physical development of a baby where movement begins with their head and then downwards and from the centre of their body outwards. The time of a child’s development milestone isn’t as consistent as the sequence because children’s stages of development happen over different rates rather than particular ages. An example of this is that children don’t begin walking all at the same time. Some children are learning to walk before their first birthdays whereas others may learn to walk many months later. However, it is important to understand that although a child may be developing slower in certain aspects of development, they maybe excelling in others and that all children are generally following the same sequence. 2. 1 Personal Factors Affecting Children’s Development Early childhood development can be affected by a number of factors. A child’s health plays a crucial role in their development and can be determined by factors including the genetics they inherit from their families, malnutrition from a poor diet and poor conditions in their environment. Unhealthy children may find they are less equipped to tackle problems in comparison to healthy children. They may also be restricted in participating in activities which can have a detrimental effect on building relationships with others, access to creating an understanding of their environment and their progression in motor development. Disability can have a profound effect on a child’s development. The three core areas of disability are physical disability, learning disability and sensory impairment. Normal development involves children to be able to interact with their environment, and to understand their findings. Children with physical disabilities will often be restricted in their ability to effectively interact with their environment which can then have a detrimental effect on their ability to develop cognitively and emotionally. The limitation of exploring their environment can also impact on their motor skills due to lack of mobility. Furthermore, children who spend time away in hospital may have limited opportunities to develop age appropriate social skills, language skills and speech. Learning disabilities can affect children’s ability to grasp, process and analyse information. Disabled children often show an uneven pattern of development e. g. language development and physical development which can have some effect on their ability to interact with others. Inadequate interaction with others may have a negative influence on a child’s personal skills, their self esteem and often causes a reluctance to face problems. Children with sensory problems such as visual or hearing impairments may experience difficulties including mobility, language development and communication skills. Visually impaired children often suffer with mobility issues hindering their physical development which reduces their ability to explore their surroundings. It also interferes with engaging in imaginative play limiting the child’s ability to develop imitative skills. Hearing impaired children commonly lack language and communication skills as they have a reduced opportunity to take advantage of the critical early period of language development by hearing people’s voices. The lack of communication skills can impact on the child’s ability to engage with other children. 2. 2 External Factors Affecting Children’s Development Poverty can create a lasting disadvantage in children’s development. The areas of poverty to take into account are housing, diet, education and leisure activities. Children who are underprivileged in these areas are more likely to face challenges with their social and emotional development leading to behavioural problems. This can leave them at risk of developing negative relationships affecting social skills, academic skills and self esteem. Poverty can also influence a child’s health where poor housing and diet and a lack of leisure opportunities often lead to obesity, malnutrition and a likelihood of becoming ill. This can affect a child’s ability to join in activities with other children hindering many areas of development. The family environment can have a profound effect on a child’s development in both a positive or negative nature. Children living in a positive family environment often develop good social interaction with others as a result of positive relations with family members. Therefore this may impact on a child’s development in learning areas such as personal, social and emotional skills and communication, language and literacy skills. Similarly to poverty factors, family factors can also influence a child’s academic pathway. A child with underdeveloped social skills may express themselves with inappropriate behaviour, a lack of interest to learn and an inability to create positive relationships thus reducing the chance to progress and succeed in a predominantly social environment as is education. Personal choices are another major influence regarding normal development. As children grow, they develop a greater independence and are presented with more choices to which can impact on many areas of development. A prominent area of development in which a child’s personal choices impacts on is their relationship with food and physical activity. In recent times and partly influenced by the media, children’s eating habits have become increasingly unhealthy and in addition, children’s physical activity has declined. This has resulted in many children becoming overweight or obese and even diabetes. The consequences of this is likely to impact on physical development as children who are suffering from the above are more likely to be restricted in participating in all areas of physical activity in contrast to their peers who have a healthy lifestyle. The development of a child may also be impacted upon if they are in care of the local authority. An unstable living environment may affect children in many negative ways as often the child may move to various care settings on a regular basis. With this in mind, a child may develop issues with regards to their emotions. A lack of confidence and self-esteem may arise resulting in anti-social behaviour thus impacting on social skills. Academic ability may also be diminished through the inability to socialize effectively as well as many other areas of development in which social skills are essential. Education is an important area of a child’s development as it determines children’s academic ability through their education pathway. In particular, this influential area impacts on a child’s cognitive development in which they gain skills in reasoning, understanding and the ability to solve problems. Education is not only acquired through schooling, it is also gained in the family environment via social activity and family life in general. Educating through schooling can develop a child’s confidence in their ability, encourages positive social behaviour and helps children to understand the norms and values which are appropriate in society. 2. 3 How Theories of Development and Frameworks to Support Development Influence Current Practice. There are many theories which were created in order to understand children’s development. These theories are very important as they often have and influence on current practice. Piaget’s psychological theory of development was of the role of maturation, that by growing older a child would have increased capacity to understand new and differing concepts. This though was not a smooth learning curve but one which was transitional. These stages occurred at specific age ranges; 18 months, 7 years and 11 or 12 years. This appears to have impacted the school curriculum as a basis of when children are capable of understanding new concepts and ideas. The way in which a child adapts to these new changes or differences to their perceptions of the world is through assimilation and accommodation which work in unison. Assimilation refers to the inclusion of new concepts into existing schemas whilst accommodation refers to the challenges to the existing schema and accommodating ones thought processes around the differences. Only at the specific stages of maturation will a child be able to assimilate and accommodate for these new concepts. This approach can be perceived as rigid as although a child may not learn in a smooth learning curve, they may progress at different rates at a lesser staggered approach. Vygotsky’s theory of development differs to that of Piaget in that development was ‘proximal’. The ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD) promotes the notion that children develop through their engagement with adults and activities alongside their peers rather than through teaching or by working through concepts and challenges alone. It was the development of language and articulation of ideas that would govern a child’s development and may be seen as an enabling approach that will allow a child to solve challenges and develop in a way that they will as a final result be able to perform the task alone. This approach has proved to be influential with regards to early years education particularly in the frameworks of England and Scotland in that there is an emphasis placed on building positive relationships with adults and other children in the setting. Furthermore, children are encouraged to work together during activities thus promoting teamwork in order to conquer challenges and in addition play an active role in their learning. Skinner, who adopted a behaviourist approach to learning developed the theory of operant conditioning. This theory suggests that a child’s behaves and learns via creating an understanding based on consequences and reinforcements. These reinforcements are divided into three sub-groups described as positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers and punishers. Positive reinforcers are a form of reward in response to being presented with a desired outcome for example, if a child has created a nice piece of work they may be given praise or a sticker as a reward. This then reinforces an understanding that they have done something good to which they will aim to continually reproduce. Negative reinforcers also produce repetition in behaviour in that they are used to stop something from happening for example, a child may try to avoid one of their peers due to the fear of having their favourite toy being taken away from the understanding of previous experiences. In contrast to the above, punishers are believed to weaken the repetition of behaviour such as if a child hurts a member of their peers they may be put in a reflective corner to recognise their inappropriate behaviour and if this process is repeated, the child will understand and aim to avoid this consequence. This theory links in with practice today in that children are often rewarded with positive reinforcements when behaving appropriately for example sharing during activities, comforting a peer who is unhappy or following a task with good results. Furthermore, punishers are also used in todays practice when a child is behaving inappropriately in which tactics such as the reflective corner as well as a telling off are effective in breaking the repetition. 3. 1 How to Monitor Children’s Development using Different Methods. A child’s development is monitored in a number of ways which includes observations, parent – practitioner meetings and standard measurements. Observations can be carried out in a variety ways and provide valuable information in terms of a child’s development. Narrative observations involve watching a child or children during an activity and making notes to what has been seen including all areas of behaviour. In this form of observation it is important that the practitioner who is observing remains unnoticed in order to avoid a change in behaviour of the child or children. Time sampling observations involve making a record at regular intervals of what a child is doing which focuses on a specific behaviour for that particular time. An example of this maybe during outdoor play time in which a child’s social interaction could be observed. Event sampling observations involve focusing on particular events in order to build up a pattern of children’s behaviour over a period of days or weeks. In this form of observation, the events leading to behaviour, during behaviour and after behaviour are recorded in detail. Standard measurements may also be used to monitor a child’s development. This method of assessment is employed by various professionals in order to assess development in areas such auditory, health and education. Standard measurements in contrast to having an overall objective, focus on a child’s development in relation to the overall population and furthermore, is used to determine whether a child has a particular deficiency in an area of development. This form of monitoring children is of particular use when monitoring disability or suspected disability in a child as it places all emphasis on one child whilst using a range of assessment methods to determine any apparent problems. 3. 2 Reasons Why Children’s Development May Not Follow the Expected Pattern. There are a number of reasons in which a child’s development is not following the expected pattern. Disability may affect a child’s development in a range of areas which include physical development, personal development and social development. In some cases disability can restrict a child from participating in normal physical activity, for example some settings may not be wheel chair friend in areas such as outdoors. This in turn may prevent a child from being involved in the same activities as other children thus impacting on their physical development. With this in mind, outdoor play is important whilst developing effective social skills. Children often use a range of communication skills whilst exploring and discovering therefore deprivation of social interaction may have a harmful impact on a child’s personal and social development. Children with emotional problems are also at risk of not developing along the expected pattern. A child lacking in confidence and self-esteem can often become reclusive and struggle with communication in particular during situations where it is loud and fast paced such as in a nursery environment. Children who tend to hide away from the action are inevitably missing out in areas of learning and development and is unfortunately often carried through to later life. Environmental factors are another area to consider in relation to an expected pattern of development. The home environment can have a profound affect in many areas. A negative home life may often determine a child’s ability to socialise effectively thus affecting numerous other areas. Due to a lack of social skills, a negative impact may be made on a child in education and as a consequence their academic achievement may be at risk. In addition, cultural difference may also play a part as there are a variety of ways in which different cultures nurture their children. Some cultures, for example in western society encourage freedom and independence. This in turn gives children the opportunity to discover new things and develop and understanding of the world. Children with learning difficulties often follow an uneven pattern of development. Tasks and activities are often more of a challenge for children with learning difficulties in which failure is not uncommon in academic situations and as a result can lead to frustration and issues regarding self-esteem. In some cases with these personal issues, a breakdown of communication can emerge resulting in a negative impact on areas of learning and development which rely on effective communication skills. How Disability may Affect Development. Disability can have a substantial influence on a child’s development. Disability covers three areas in which normal development is more of a challenge in contrast to children who are not disabled. These areas include physical disability, learning disability and sensory impairment, all of which may hinder development. Due to the interdependence of learning areas in order to maintain normal development, disabled children as a consequence are more unlikely to develop at the same rate as other children. For example, a child with a physical disability such as being wheel chair bound may find it a challenge whilst exploring the environment. This could have a knock on effect in learning areas such as social interaction, communication and knowledge and understanding. This then in turn may be detrimental in terms of developing positive relationships with their peers which can often lead to social rejection or bullying. As a consequence of this, a child may develop personal and emotional issues manifesting itself in reduced self-esteem and confidence resulting in reclusion. How Different Interventions can Promote Positive Outcomes for Children where Development is not Following the Expected Pattern. If a child has been recognised as not following the expected pattern of development, interventions are made in order to establish where the problem lies and the best way to tackle it. External practitioners known as agencies may then become involved and assess the child whilst providing support and expert advice to the family and the nursery or educational setting. These agencies may include paediatricians who are responsible for monitoring progress and make referrals to additional healthcare, health visitors who offer advice and support to families and physiotherapists who are responsible for working with the physical problems of disabled children and young people and suggest exercises. Speech and language therapists provide support to disabled children who have problems with their speech and language. They also offer advice on communication to the parents whether it is verbal or non-verbal for example using sign language. Other areas of intervention include the role of the Educational Psychologist who assesses the way in which a child learns and identifies issues with a child’s learning. They can then identify how to benefit a child’s learning by creating Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and are responsible for managing the child’s statutory assessment and the issue of a statement of needs if required. In nursery and school settings special educational needs coordinators (SENCO) can become involved in the coordination of activities and the provision of support to meet the specialised needs of disabled children. In many cases multi agency and partnership working is adopted as it provides integrated support for children who are not following the expected pattern and their families. Supporting children with additional needs and their families with a range of agencies working collectively provides more effective care for the child due to the sharing of information and agreement as to how to implement plans. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supports this practice as a way of contributing to a child’s development as this information shared may aid any further assessments. The Importance of Early Identification of Speech, Language and Communication Delays and Disorders and the Potential Risks of Late Recognition. It is extremely important to identify delays in speech, language and communication as soon as possible. Early identification of speech and language delay is critical to a child’s development as it is interconnected and is a key area with regards to many other areas of learning and development and furthermore, it is essential whilst developing the ability to communicate. With the inability to use effective language, a child’s cognitive ability may become weakened as both these areas are strongly linked to each other. Language delay can influence a child’s ability to understand concepts and develop intelligence amongst other areas of cognitive development. Communication and speech delays are also important to identify as they determine a child’s ability whilst interacting with others. In addition they can affect a child’s emotions, in some cases resulting in anti-social behaviour, thus impacting on areas such as education. However, through early identification and intervention, the impact of speech, language and communication delays may be significantly reduced thus creating a more positive future for children. 4. 2 How Multi-Agency Teams Work Together to Support Speech, Language and Communication. Multi-agency and partnership working plays a key role with regards to a child’s speech, language and communication development. When it has been recognised either by a parent/carer or whilst in the nursery setting that a child is showing signs of difficulty in these areas, the child would then need to be assessed by either a health visitor or general practitioner. This would then enable a greater understanding of where the problem may lie and furthermore exclude a number of other possibilities. Once a diagnosis has been found, the child may then been referred to a variety of agencies in order for further assessment and to create a plan to tackle the problem areas. These agencies may include speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and specialist teachers who provide support for children who have sensory impairments, learning difficulties or communication difficulties. These agencies will often work together in collaboration discussing and sharing information which in turn enables the child to make maximum progress. Furthermore, the agencies will work together to develop strategies, provide knowledge and in some cases provide resources to parents/carers and the nursery setting. 4. 3 How Play and Activities are Used to Support the Development of Speech, Language and Communication. Effective play and activities are beneficial in order to support a child’s speech, language and communication development. The nature of play and participating in activities generally involve a great deal of social interaction with others. Therefore by providing play situations and activities that support these learning areas, children’s development will be enhanced. Toy animals are an effective play resource. They engage children into the natural world and encourage them to imitate movements and sounds which in turn enhance a child’s speech development. Nursery rhymes and singing encourage the development of language. Children who are exposed to these activities have a greater ability to listen and understand words and actions. Nursery rhymes also enhance a child’s ability in reading as a result of the development of language. Reading books with children can enhance their communication skills. Stories can generate interest where children become inquisitive. Children often ask questions and discuss ideas which can enhance their ability to communicate with each other. In addition to the above, a child’s speech and language may be developed by role modelling in which they will learn to use new sounds and words by listening and engaging in general conversation. With this in mind and from own practice I feel it is important to provide appropriate speech for a child to be exposed to, using clear and slow language whilst altering vocal pitch in order to convey grammatical information. Furthermore, I feel if a child has attempted to say a word with ineffective results, it is important to praise the child for their effort in order for them to continue trying. 5. 1 How Different Types of Transitions can Affect Children’s Development. Transitions are a significant stage in a child’s life and can affect them in a range of ways and in a number of areas of development. They are an nevitable part of growing up, however it is important to recognise and understand the signs and the impact of transitions on children’s development. A change in the family structure of a child in terms of an additional sibling may have an impact. The child may feel their relationship with their parents is threatened by the arrival of a new baby and they may feel they are getting unequal amounts of attention. The child’s personal and social development may be harmed during this transition. With this in mind the child may develop issues with self-esteem as a result of receiving less attention than previously. The child may also develop anger issues from seeing the frequent attention and care being provided to the new baby which could then in turn manifest itself in sibling rivalry. The position of beginning nursery or school is another major transition for a child which may impact on their development. A new and unfamiliar environment may be a daunting experience for many children. Children who are less outgoing in comparison to their peers may try to avoid interacting with others and avoid social activities. This could then result in the child becoming a recluse resulting in missed opportunities to play, learn and develop. A child’s admission into an institution such as hospital due to ill health is also a significant transition which could impact on their development. Social interaction may be diminished in particular of children who stay for long periods in hospital. Through this lack of socialising, children may become underdeveloped in others areas including their knowledge and understanding through missed opportunities to explore the environment with their peers developing new ideas and perspectives. Moving to a new house or location is another transition which can impact on children’s development. This can be a traumatic time and in particular of a child entering the care of the local authority. Often in this situation a child has moved around a number of locations thus creating a sense of instability resulting in personal issues. These issues are often expressed in the form of anger, isolation and anxiety which in turn can hinder normal development. Furthermore, many children in this situation come from broken families which in some cases involved abuse and neglect. With this in mind when involved in a situation of this type, it is important to build trust whilst working with the child in order to prevent a further negative impact on their development. 5. 2 The Effect on Children of Having Positive Relationships During Periods of Transition. Transitions are a significant and potentially harmful experience in children’s lives, therefore it is important to provide a positive and supportive network around children in order to make transitions an easier and more comfortable process. A child who is undergoing a process of transition whilst receiving positive support and encouragement is more likely to accept changes in their lives and develop a greater confidence in the transition process. A strong relationship with someone such as a key person in an educational setting can benefit a child’s transition. A child beginning nursery will be presented with an unfamiliar environment in which a key worker’s job is to develop a close relationship with the child and provide support allowing the transition to run more smoothly. In some cases a key worker may change settings or may be away for a long period of time such as maternity leave. In these situations a child may react negatively to the loss of familiarity which subsequently may impact on their development. Therefore it is important to provide additional support to the child via attention; reassurance and encouragement in order to alleviate further negative affects whilst a close relationship with a new key worker is being formed. Children encounter transitions with an array of experiences in which some may be positive and some negative. Children generally will always be worried. Confronted with unexpected transitions, like divorce or death, a child may feel excluded or to blame or angry. An understanding of their experience and the possibilities of what is going through their heads and giving a thoughtful and sympathetic response will often help bring them through the transition and in turn lead to a more confident and rounded child.

Antigones Right Problems :: essays research papers

Antigone Right Problems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antigone is a play written by Sophocles but reinterpreted by Paul Roche. Many of the Greek plays have a tragic theme that leads a character with a high position to a downfall. In Antigone, the main character Antigone has to save and stand up for her family’s honor. Antigone is not the character that has a tragic downfall. The evil King Creon’s downfall is the loss his son and wife. Antigone as the main character, tries to influence her sister Ismene to join her in her shenanigans. Antigone’s problem with King Creon is that he rejects burying Polyneices because he kills his brother and his brother, Eteocles, kills him. The civil was between two groups within Thebes lead up to the death of the two brothers. Polyneices is considered to be in the rebel group by King Creon. Therefore, Polyneices is not buried because King Creon believes that an enemy should not have a burial and his family should not to mourn for him. Antigone goes against King Creon& #8217;s wishes, and buries and mourns for her brother. Antigone proves to Creon that he is wrong about an enemy not being buried because the gods say that all people deserve a proper burial whether they are friends or enemies. Antigone’s characteristics have an affect on her actions toward Creon and his decisions. There are many characteristics but there are only three that stick out. The three characteristics are determination, honor, and her insisting to take the complete consequence like a regular person caused Antigone’s ironic tragedy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antigone has a characteristic that I mentioned before that she shows entirely through the play. In the beginning, Antigone talks with her sister, Ismene. Antigone talks to her sister about what Creon’s belief in not burying his enemies like Polyneices. During the talk, Antigone insists that Ismene should help her bury their brother Polyneices. Antigone says,'; You could. Are you willing to share danger and suffering and…'; Ismene says,'; Danger? What are you scheming at?'; Antigone says,';…. Take this hand of mine to bury the dead.'; Antigone goes on and says,'; He is my brother still, and yours; through you would have it otherwise, but I shall not abandon him.'; This is a powerful moment between the two sisters shows the determination that most women of that time did not have. Through the first entire conversation between Antigone and Ismene, Antigone shows that she will not give up her idea of burying her brother.

How Does Culture Affect Meaning and Communication Essay

Nowadays we live in what is considered a â€Å"global village†, over time we have collectively worked towards this end. The need and desire to create a closer global community is not only seen as a technological advantage but an economic benefit. The world as we know it gets smaller every day, thanks to a new generation of social media applications such as facebook or twitter, which links vast communities together; communities and cultures are no longer cut off or remote. Take facebook for example, it has over 1 billion users, if it were a country it would be the third largest by population. (www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2013/012313.htm) Whether you live and work in remote Antarctica or bustling Hong Kong, technology and the studies of inter-culture communication ensures that people, governments and organizations can work effectively together in a harmonious and beneficial way. Naturally, this is an ideal situation, but as experience tells us, nothing is ever as simple. This essay explores how cultural differences effect meaning and communication. In doing so it will look at the definition of culture, what it is, and how it affects meaning. Furthermore, it will look at the acclaimed Dutch researcher, Geert Hofstede’s four dimensions of corporate culture as a framework to define and categorize cultural differences. Finally, it will raise potential problems raised in the field of inter-cultural communications and provide suggestions to overcome them. What is culture? Currently there are over â€Å"7 billion human inhabitants living on this planet. Each of these earth dwellers comes from a specific culture. (geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm) As the world becomes smaller, not physically, but by the use of new media and technology, as they traverse earth looking for new or better opportunities, so must they face the modern conundrum of understanding firstly, what is culture, and secondly, how the differences between cultures effect meaning and communications. Without an understanding of different cultures, the potential for misunderstanding is high, with the ever-present possibility of a breakdown in relationships and opportunities. (Dostine, 2008, pg 58) text book suggests that all humans can be broadly defined by our culture. In essence, we are all born into a culture that over time has been passed down from previous generations, bestowing a rich history, significant culture defining traits such as its religion, its values and ethics, its ceremonies, rites and rituals, languages, customs, laws and business practices. Moreover, verbal and non-verbal communications practices that differ from one culture to the next. Therefore, suffice to say that the more we know about each other’s cultures the more effective our communication and co-habitation of the planet will be. How does cultural effect meaning? At the best of times, communication between individuals can be somewhat challenging. Add to that mix, communicating with people from another cultures and suddenly, the propensity for misunderstanding and in some cases offence can very easily take place as a result of the differences between the cultural backgrounds, understanding and meaning between the sender and receiver can be in stark contrast. This can be due to the increase in variables in the communication mix, therefore making global interaction more complex. Furthermore, people’s perception or way of thinking, hearing or seeing can vary quite extensively from one culture to the next. It could be strongly argued that it would be highly advantageous for both parties to be aware of the differences and therefore the potential for problems that arise from inter-cultural communication. Nowadays, many multi-national organizations, governments and educators have training and education programs in place. They see the importance in creating a clear, concise and respectful flow of communications between cultures. An example of this could be the department of foreign affairs and trade (DFAT) in Canberra. One of its main functions is to liaise internally and externally to better position itself to and for greater opportunity. It would be highly likely that the department has educated its employees in the science of how to deal effectively with other cultures (governments, organizations, businesses). One of DFATs main objectives is to â€Å"work with other government agencies to ensure that Australia’s pursuit of its global, regional and bilateral interests is coordinated effectively†. (dfat.gov.au/dept/what-we-do.html) In the field of organizational cultural studies, a Dutch researcher known as Geert Hofstede went on to publish his highly regarded findings. These findings have become a highly influential and acceptable way in which modern organizations can asses the difference between national culture and organizational culture. Hostede, seen as a pioneer in area of corporate culture, created a framework in which to asses national cultural groups and how they may affect or influence behaviors within an organization. Hofstede’s research in the 1980s, included the survey and analysis of hundreds of thousands of employees across fifty countries, to further increase the validity of his findings he followed up several years later by re-surveying these workers. In his work Hofstede asserted that the values that differentiated counties from each other fell into four dissimilar categories or clusters. Through the process of his study in corporate culture, Hofstede’s created a framework whereby he classified culture into four different dimensions. These dimensions looked at four anthropological problem areas that societies tend to handle differently to one another. Such as, ways in which they cope with inequality, uncertainty, the relationship between the individual and their primary group and implication of the persons sex. Born from this was Hofsted’s four dimensions of national culture. They become knows as Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism versus Collectivism, and Masculinity versus Femininity. (www.geerthofstede.nl/dimensions-of-national-cultures) In discussing the Four Dimensions of Culture, Hofstede claims that: Power Distance Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a society’s level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Power and inequality, of course, are extremely fundamental facts of any society and anybody with some international experience will be aware that â€Å"all societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others†. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance deals with a society’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth: â€Å"there can only be one Truth and we have it†. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. The opposite type, uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. People within these cultures are more phleg matic and contemplative, and not expected by their environment to express emotions. Individualism Individualism on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. On the individualist side, we find societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after her/himself and her/his immediate family. On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) that continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. The word collectivism in this sense has no political meaning: it refers to the group, not to the state. Again, the issue addressed by this dimension is an extremely fundamental one, regarding all societies in the world. Masculinity Masculinity versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of emotional roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. The IBM studies revealed that (a) women’s values differ less among societies than men’s values; (b) men’s values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from women’s values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to women’s values on the other. The assertive pole has been called masculine and the modest, caring pole feminine. The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring values as the men; in the masculine countries they are more assertive and more competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries show a gap between men’s values and women’s values. (www.geerthofstede.nl/dimensions-of-national-cultures) Whilst Hofsted’s four dimensions are highly regarded, further research has highlighted other areas that effect intercultural communication and understanding. These include context, language and non-verbal communications. Firstly, it is almost impossible to investigate research into the cross-cultural issues without making mention of Edward Hall’s research in the area; he asserted that cultures are defined by context. (Hansen & Lee, pg,30) A person’s behavior can be affected by its cultural context. (Dostine, 2008) From here, he broke context down into low context cultures; these prefer direct verbal interaction with minimal regard to context. Examples include Australia, USA, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavian cultures.

Satire speech

Can get a show of hands for anyone who honestly enjoys changes within the BBS community? Now, I'm not talking about the change from calling the garden cafe the hub, or the change of calling signature assessments, evaluation. No, I'm talking about big change, the kind of change that has you waiting at the edge of your seat, with your palms sweating, gripping onto the chairs handles like your life depends on it. Are you ready? I'm talking about the change that happened last year, that left many emotionally wounded and causes so many arguments, the change of switching the graduating class' blazer to the white blazers.It might not seem like much, but allow me to elaborate. The problem I'm here to address to you today is not just one strictly about change, but also about the graduating class. Not just about the graduating class this year, but also the many graduates that are yet to come. I believe I speak for a fair amount Of students when I say that it's almost sickening how often the gr aduating class is given all the attention and the credit, despite what the faculty seems to believe. They enjoy giving every important opportunity to the graduating class, while blocking out most of the other grades.The BBS community tries to differentiate them so much more from all other grades that it has become irritating. They've even come to the point of changing their uniform in order to distinguish their importance. According to the American School Board Journal, uniform is meant to â€Å"improve a school's environment by reducing competition, improving student self-esteem, and improving academic achievement. † But ask yourselves, can o really focus on how you can change your 4 to a 4+ in pre-Ap advanced functions, when Holier uniform isn't as cool as the grads?Now, I'm not saying that grade ;level isn't a big year because if I did, would have a trail of prom queen in seven-inch heels running after me. The message I'm striving to convey is strictly questioning whether it's fair or not the amount of praise they receive? But then ask myself, when is anything ever fair, and that's when came up with my solution. Change is inevitable; attempting to stop it is like raying to get in the way of the squirrel from ice age that's chasing after the nut, it's impossible.We all know that even after varies meetings and discussions, where the faculty pretends that they truly take your strong opinions into consideration; it's still their way or no way. You can't deny the fact that they hold those meetings to create an illusion that we actually have a say into what happens to our graduating year. So, I stand here and ask you, how exactly do we fix this problem, actually don't answer that since I already know the perfect answer. Instead of getting rid of the blazers or the school's obsession with the grads, why don't we embrace change?We are always taught to make the best of the situation so here is what propose: we completely change the uniform of the graduating y ear. Don't get worried yet; I know what you're all thinking, but what about the sailor suit collar? Of course that's going to remain a part of the new and improved grads only uniform because we all know how much BBS loves to respect tradition. After all, we still have the head girl position when all other aspects of the leader positions eave changed for the upcoming year.The new excessive uniform is modern, stylish, and affordable, but also very helpful towards the student's wearing it. Allow me to elaborate on this beautiful design that will brighten up your day. It's what I would describe as the future space wear. To simply describe it, it's a dress unlike the sailor suit top and the skirt. The dress will be long sleeve and ends appropriately three inches above your knee. Since it's a dress, girls cannot roll their skirts up, you're welcome male and female teachers of the school.The color the dress will be in shiny metallic silver, in order to outshine the other lower grade studen ts. Students walking past them in the hall won't be able to complain about the grads when they're be temporarily blinded by the reflection of the light off the dress. The most important part of the dress is going to be the red and blue embroidery all along the dress. After reading a recent article from The New York Times, it is said that, â€Å"the color red can make people's work more accurate, but blue can make them more creative.Researchers at the University of British Columbia conducted tests with 600 participants to see how cognitive performance varies when people see red or blue. Red groups did better on tests of recall and attention to detail, like remembering words or checking spelling and punctuation. Blue groups did better on tests requiring invention and imagination. † So clearly, the new uniform is going to help differentiate the grads more from other grades. In the end, change will happen; it might be for the better or the worse but who truly knows until you try? BBS is an ever changing, ever moving community that advances every day from new technology and creative action plans, but we must learn to put our best assets on display to frighten our rival schools. So, lets learn to accept the new change and let be honest, seeing walking space ships would be really cool.

T essays

Holy Sonnet 7 - A historical/T essays As if Thou hadst sealed my pardon with Thy blood ends a poem written by a man torn between an obsession with death and a true understanding of the afterlife. Caught up in mans oldest paradox, John Donne creatively expresses his reverence for God through poetry in his Holy Sonnet 7: At the Round Earths Imagined Corners (Donne). Being raised a devout Pentecostal, I clearly recognize that by bringing together events predicted in the book of Revelations and the power of prayer, Donne evokes in his reader the need to repent for their souls sake. The purpose of this paper is to do a topical/historical analysis of John Donnes Holy Sonnet 7: At the Round Earths Imagined Corners. Holy Sonnet 7 was written in London, England sometime in the late 1590s to early 1600s, the exact date it was penned remains a mystery. Its publication, dated 1633, reveals it posthumously, so information regarding Donnes works can only be found in records which vary and even contrast at times. On its way to becoming the biggest city in Europe, Londons population was booming. During this period, the city was the center of a tremendous expansion in trade, colonization, and finance. London was also the center of the English cultural Renaissance, particularly in literature, with major figures such as Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare (London, VII, C). With the turmoil that surrounded the secular sect, many artists were continuously changing the very face of civilization. The famous English Renaissance took place between 1580 and 1660 (English Lit., IV, B). As society increased in size and prosperity, the populations became more diverse with different social classes that varied in background and power (Renaissance, IV, B). The Roman Catholic Church was rapidly declining spurring the growth of many humanists who hoped to ...

Stephen Gladney assignment1 Essays

Stephen Gladney assignment1 Essays Stephen Gladney assignment1 Essays Stephen Gladney March 17, 2015 Unit 1 Assignment: Integrated Circuit Technology 2) Processor Transistor count Date of introduction Manufacturer Intel 4004 2,300 1971 Intel Intel 8008 3,500 1972 Intel Intel 8080 4,500 1974 Intel Intel 8085 6,500 1976 Intel Intel 8086 29,000 1978 Intel Intel 8088 29,000 1979 Intel Intel 80286 134,000 1982 Intel Intel 80186 55,000 1982 Intel Intel 80386 275,000 1985 Intel Intel i960 250,000 1988 Intel Intel 80486 1,180,235 1989 Intel Pentium 3,100,000 1993 Intel Pentium Pro 5,500,000 1995 Intel Pentium II Klamath 7,500,000 1997 Intel Pentium II Deschutes 7,500,000 1998 Intel Pentium III Katmai 9,500,000 1999 Intel Pentium II Mobile Dixon 27,400,000 1999 Intel Pentium III Coppermine 21,000,000 2000 Intel Pentium 4 Willamette 42,000,000 2000 Intel Pentium III Tualatin 45,000,000 2001 Intel Pentium 4 Northwood 55,000,000 2002 Intel Itanium 2 McKinley 220,000,000 2002 Intel Itanium 2 Madison 6M 410,000,000 2003 Intel Pentium 4 Prescott 112,000,000 2004 Intel Itanium 2 with 9 MB cache 592,000,000 2004 Intel Pentium 4 Prescott-2M 169,000,000 2005 Intel Pentium 4 Cedar Mill 184,000,000 2006 Intel Dual-core Itanium 2 1,700,000,000 2006 Intel Core 2 Duo Conroe 291,000,000 2006 Intel Core 2 Duo Wolfdale 411,000,000 2007 Intel Core 2 Duo Allendale 169,000,000 2007 Intel Six-core Xeon 7400 1,900,000,000 2008 Intel Core i7 (Quad) 731,000,000 2008 Intel Core 2 Duo Wolfdale3M 230,000,000 2008 Intel Atom 47,000,000 2008 Intel Six-core Core i7 (Gulftown) 1,170,000,000 2010 Intel Stephen Gladney March 17, 2015 Unit 1 Assignment: Integrated Circuit Technology Quad-core Itanium Tukwila 2,000,000,000 2010 Intel 8-core Xeon Nehalem-EX 2,300,000,000 2010 Intel Six-core Core i7/8-core Xeon E5 2,270,000,000 2011 Intel Quad-core + GPU Core i7 1,160,000,000 2011 Intel 10-core Xeon Westmere-EX 2,600,000,000 2011 Intel Quad-core + GPU Core i7 1,400,000,000

Quotes from Idi Amin Dada, A President of Uganda

Quotes from Idi Amin Dada, A President of Uganda Idi Amin was the president of Uganda between 25 Jan 1971 to 13 April 1979, and he is widely considered one of the most brutal leaders in the history of the world. He is estimated to have tortured, killed, or imprisoned somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 of his opponents. According to a  Sunday Times of 27 July 2003 entitled A Clown Drenched in Brutality, Amin gave himself several titles throughout his reign, including His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji, Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular. The Idi Amin quotes listed below were taken from books, newspapers, and magazines reporting on his speeches, interviews, and telegrams to other state officials. 1971–1974 I am not a politician but a professional soldier. I am, therefore, a man of few words and I have been brief through my professional career.Idi Amin, president of Uganda, from his first speech to the Ugandan nation in January 1971. Germany is the place where when Hitler was the prime minister and supreme commander, he burned over six million Jews. This is because Hitler and all German people knew that Israelis are not people who are working in the interest of the world and that is why they burned the Israelis alive with gas in the soil of Germany.Idi Amin, president of Uganda, part of a telegram sent to Kurt Waldheim, UN Secretary-General, and Golda Meir, Israeli premier, on 12 Sept 1972. I am the hero of Africa.Idi Amin, president of Uganda, as quoted in Newsweek 12 March 1973. While wishing you a speedy recovery from the Watergate affair, may I, Excellency, assure you of my highest respect and regard.President Idi Amin of Uganda, message to U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, on July 4, 1973, as reported in The New York Times, 6 July 1973. 1975–1979 Sometimes people mistake the way I talk for what I am thinking. I never had any formal education- not even nursery school certificate. But, sometimes I know more than Ph.D.s because as a military man I know how to act, I am a man of action.Idi Amin as quoted in Thomas and Margaret Meladys Idi Amin Dada: Hitler in Africa, Kansas City, 1977. I do not want to be controlled by any superpower. I myself consider myself the most powerful figure in the world, and that is why I do not let any superpower control me.Idi Amin, president of Uganda, as quoted in Thomas and Margaret Meladys Idi Amin Dada: Hitler in Africa, Kansas City, 1977. Like the Prophet Mohammed, who sacrificed his life and his property for the good of Islam, I am ready to die for my country.From Radio Uganda and attributed to Idi Amin in 1979, as reported in Amin, Living by the Gun, Under the Gun,   The New York Times, 25 March 1979.

Review of a cotemporary film feat. black people or a prominent Black Essay - 1

Review of a cotemporary film feat. black people or a prominent Black performer - Essay Example Coming from a family who holds great pride in being black and prominent, Kenya is picky with her men and very much single. At the start of the movie, being â€Å"all that† yet single is starting to get to her. She finally agrees after much persuasion from her friends to go out on her very first blind date, and as if this were not uncomfortable enough, she enters Starbucks to find her date good-looking—and very much white. She goes jittery all of sudden doing small talk to strangers of the same skin color. Is it guilt? Is it fear of public judgment? Whatever it is, it is significantly beyond surprise. She dumps her Caucasian blind date, Brian Kelly (Simon Baker), in record time. But as fate would have it, they meet again at a common friend’s engagement party and he ends up being her landscape architect. The movie shows Kenya as highly professional, impeccably organized, admirably devoted to work. In other words, she is horribly uptight. Brian is unlike Kenya as much in personality as in color. He is accomplished but rugged, direct but sweet, dependable but spontaneous. After some Saturdays and despite much resistance, they fall in love and it seems although he has exactly what she needed—warmth and spontaneity. She takes out the weave that straightens her hair, and wears her natural curls. Soon her garden comes to life, and so does the rest of her house. Kenya repaints her house essentially getting rid of more than just the original â€Å"safe† color beige. She gets rid of her stops, and in the words of her brother (Donald Faison), she starts â€Å"dating white men.† Although much of Kenya has changed, some of the deeply-rooted sensibilities remain. Happy as she is, dating out of her race makes her publicly uncomfortably, and the rest of her friends and family are not making it any easier. The movie shows Brian to be more nonchalant about the situation or perhaps more patient

Starting a Car Wash in Nigeria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Starting a Car Wash in Nigeria - Essay Example â€Å"Car ownership shot up in the oil-boom of Nigeria’s middle-income group from the mid-seventies. In the midst of a buoyant oil economy, the eighties saw the resurgence in the use of seconds. Today, there are more cars than parking space available. The growth of automobiles is so conspicuous that any business related to this industry is high on every businessman’s agenda.† (O’seun Ogunseitan, Wednesday is an odd day in Lagos, www.newint.org) .2.0  Locationâ€Å"Jigawa State, with its capital at Dutse, is seen as a potential business centre for car wash. The state offers a very conducive environment for potential investors. The local administration has, with the view to encourage investment put for ward a package of incentives to investors, including free supply of infrastructure, preferential approval of certificates of occupancy in industrial layouts, tax relief and other incentives (Jigawa State, 1998)† (Investment Opportunities, OnlineNigeri a, www.onlinenigeria.com). 3.0  Scope   Factors that determine the success of any business, marketing and selling, keeping costs under control, hiring quality employees, and location need to be considered. Dutse is an ideal destination for car wash business (see ‘Location’). Break-even would be at the end of three and half years or 42 months.(Jigawa State, 1998)... 4. Add benefits that will attract more customers, such as free service check, or bonus points on every car wash, home delivery and pickup, complimentary tickets, and so on. The following Profit and Loss Statement is based on the following: (Note: The figures projected are assumed and not to be recorded). Number of working days is 25 a month. 1. Wash only is calculated at the rate of $6.00 for 25 cars a day. 2. Wash and Vacuum is at the rate of $8.00 for 20 cars a day. 3. Merchandise Sales consists of greens, and refreshments. 4. Sponges calculated at $0.75 each at 20 a day. 5. Detergent at $1.50 a bottle numbering 10 a day. 6. Window cleaner at $1.00 at 10 a day. 7. Paper rolls at $0.50 for an 80-roll sheet at 20 a day. 8. Salaries calculated at $3.00 an hour for 6 workers a day. 9. Rent at $1000.00 a month. 10. Telephone and electricity is calculated at $100.00 a month. (Coutesy: Miller, wside.k12.il.us).5 Profit & Loss Statement: August 2003 through July 2006 Aug- Jul 04 Sep- Jul 05 TOTAL Income/Expense Income Wash Only 45,000.00 90,000.00 135,000.00 Wash & Vacuum 48,000.00 72,000.00 120,000.00 Merchandise Sales 20,000.00 20,000.00 40,000.00 Revenue Miscellaneous Income (Tax Relief) 5,000.00 5,000.00 2,000.00 Total Revenue 1,000.00 1,000.00 2,000.00 Total Income 118,000.00 187,000.00 305,000.00 Expense Sponges 4,500.00 10,000.00 14,500.00 Detergent (24-ounce bottle) 4,500.00 10,000.00 14,500.00 Window cleaner (32-ounce) 3,000.00 10,000.00 13,000.00 Paper-roll towels (80-sheet roll) 6,000.00 6,000.00 12,000.00 Poster

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 5

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example rocuring cheaper resources can enable a company to keep product costs low, thereby helping either in generating higher profit margins, or lowering selling prices and increase the company’s competitive edge in the market (Lister, 2014; Caplan, 2014). Some of the types of product costing methods are: Standard costing is the conventional method of costing used by most of the companies today. In this method, a company computes the product cost by forecasting the prospective expenditures that the company is going to incur based on expenditures in the previous fiscal; and derives the final price of its products after forecasting future demand of its products. In short, it is a retrospective process that tries to create benchmarks for future costs of production based on its past costs of production. There are 3 components of standard costing: cost of raw materials, cost of labour and overhead expenditures. These three costs are combined and using the targeted value of production, the company determines the cost of each unit of the product. Standard cost can be defined as the budgeted cost of a unit of output The prime benefit of standard costing method is the simplicity of this method. It helps in setting a target cost of production by benchmarking the costs of each factor of production. Creating cost benchmarks using this process is beneficial to the overall cost budgeting of the company. Also, it enables a company to create target revenue levels that it should derive from the sale of each unit of its products. However, standard costing method does not provide the platform for a company to analyse the individual cost factors in details. Also, actual costs incurred by a company for producing its goods during a particular fiscal year may be significantly more than the standard costs of production estimated, due to various real-time factors such as inflation, availability of raw materials and price increments by suppliers. Due to this, the standard costing method is

Orders and Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Orders and Power - Essay Example Modernism was majorly shaped by the rapid growth of human settlements in form of cities resulting from the development of societies in a modern industrial aspect. The horrors associated with the World War I were also key factors in the shaping of modernism. Modernism was a freedom as the artists sought to express their beliefs of what the society should really relate and work. The movements had salient characteristics of self-consciousness. This led to experiments that approaches and forms used to draw attention to the materials used in producing the piece of work. They also incited the focus on attention of the processes that resulted in the various art works. The movements were not rebellious in nature, as they did not seek to completely abandon the societal traditions and replace them with new ones. The artists sought to incite the societies to make changes to the obsolete culture of the past through paradigmatic like the injunction â€Å"Make it new!† Avant-garde The freed om of the modernism period was expressed through the artists adopting an avant-garde meaning in the artistic works. This approach saw the pushing of the accepted status quo and norms beyond the accepted boundaries using cultural realms as the primary drivers (Weiten 2011: 143). This notion was the hallmark of modernism with many artists aligning themselves with the notion that traced a history from the pre-modernism era of Dada through the modernism period to the era of postmodern artists like language poets in the late 20th century. The primary concept that constitutes the avant-garde is having writers, composers, and generally artists whose pieces of art oppose the cultural values of the mainstream society often with a trenchant edge of social or political form. One such artist is Georges Seurat, a Frenchman born in Paris on December 2, 1859 (Gardner and Kleiner 2013: 812). A Sunday afternoon on the island of la Grande Jatte Seurat was a shy reclusive member of an avant-garde beli eving group who died a sudden death from meningitis at the age of 31 after making major impacts on the modernism movements through production of various great artistic works. His inspiration came from the desire to negate from Impressionism’s preoccupation of the fleeting moment with the rendering of the essentials and unchanging parts of life instead. Impressionism is an art movement with Paris as the origin. The art have characteristics of relatively small and thin brush strokes that are visible (Gardner and Kleiner 2013: 812). The art emphasizes on depictions of light that are accurate in its changing qualities and are usually based on open compositions of ordinary subject matters. The arts included movement as crucial in the elements of the perceptions and experiences of the human being in unusual angles. However, many of his approaches borrowed from the ideas of impressionists. This included a love for matters of the modern subject and urban leisure scenes and attempts t o capture all colors interacting to produce the appearance of an object instead of just depicting the apparent color of the object being depicted (Hagen and Hagen 2003:456). His fascination was in a range of scientific ideas

Pg 194 Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pg 194 Case - Assignment Example The band remained true to their calling in offering the best to the public as far as advertising is taken into consideration. In this they remain constant to their intended purpose (Sandra, 2008). From the case in question it’s evident that Black Eyed Peas band had moved forward in their work ‘without missing a beat’ as this chapter reckons. Source credibility is another dimension to look at since many sponsors have the trust that this band will always deliver the very best together with the message they relay in the market .This therefore builds on the persuasiveness of the information to the benefit of the company that own the product seeking endorsement. Consumers will therefore agree with any message that is passed to them as the gospel truth following the credibility of the band. Source attractiveness, on another hand, makes the recipient of the advertising message to identify and gain confidence with the band (Miles, 2011). The source of the message is duly identified by the intended receiver who synthesizes the same to come up with the ultimate decision to purchase a good or a service. Potential buyers tend to feel happy about the advert such that they are even persuaded to try the product on offer. Everyone seems elated to be associated with this band thus any brand that they endorse is likely to find its way into the basket of consumers due to high level of persuasiveness exhibited. The Black Eyed Peas band is best suited to endorse electronic brands and automobiles like Apple, television sets and vehicles. This is so because of the high expertise levels bestowed in them. For example the band had successfully endorsed Samsung’s 3D televisions in Times Square. They can therefore develop ads that suit to endorse an electronic product. On one hand, rock bands can generally be suited to endorse consumer goods like drinks and food. With this therefore they can successfully endorse a brand into the

Orders and Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Orders and Power - Essay Example Modernism was majorly shaped by the rapid growth of human settlements in form of cities resulting from the development of societies in a modern industrial aspect. The horrors associated with the World War I were also key factors in the shaping of modernism. Modernism was a freedom as the artists sought to express their beliefs of what the society should really relate and work. The movements had salient characteristics of self-consciousness. This led to experiments that approaches and forms used to draw attention to the materials used in producing the piece of work. They also incited the focus on attention of the processes that resulted in the various art works. The movements were not rebellious in nature, as they did not seek to completely abandon the societal traditions and replace them with new ones. The artists sought to incite the societies to make changes to the obsolete culture of the past through paradigmatic like the injunction â€Å"Make it new!† Avant-garde The freed om of the modernism period was expressed through the artists adopting an avant-garde meaning in the artistic works. This approach saw the pushing of the accepted status quo and norms beyond the accepted boundaries using cultural realms as the primary drivers (Weiten 2011: 143). This notion was the hallmark of modernism with many artists aligning themselves with the notion that traced a history from the pre-modernism era of Dada through the modernism period to the era of postmodern artists like language poets in the late 20th century. The primary concept that constitutes the avant-garde is having writers, composers, and generally artists whose pieces of art oppose the cultural values of the mainstream society often with a trenchant edge of social or political form. One such artist is Georges Seurat, a Frenchman born in Paris on December 2, 1859 (Gardner and Kleiner 2013: 812). A Sunday afternoon on the island of la Grande Jatte Seurat was a shy reclusive member of an avant-garde beli eving group who died a sudden death from meningitis at the age of 31 after making major impacts on the modernism movements through production of various great artistic works. His inspiration came from the desire to negate from Impressionism’s preoccupation of the fleeting moment with the rendering of the essentials and unchanging parts of life instead. Impressionism is an art movement with Paris as the origin. The art have characteristics of relatively small and thin brush strokes that are visible (Gardner and Kleiner 2013: 812). The art emphasizes on depictions of light that are accurate in its changing qualities and are usually based on open compositions of ordinary subject matters. The arts included movement as crucial in the elements of the perceptions and experiences of the human being in unusual angles. However, many of his approaches borrowed from the ideas of impressionists. This included a love for matters of the modern subject and urban leisure scenes and attempts t o capture all colors interacting to produce the appearance of an object instead of just depicting the apparent color of the object being depicted (Hagen and Hagen 2003:456). His fascination was in a range of scientific ideas

Psychoanalys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychoanalys - Essay Example Hypocrisy is the false claim to virtue. It always refers to consciously intended deception by a person in a position of trust. Making use of literary examples, the investigation starts with the delineation of three readily apparent preconditions for falling prey to hypocrisy. Idealization of the hypocrite is seen as a defense against a dread of uncertainty on the part of the person who succumbs to hypocrisy. The addition of a third precondition, the force of powerful desire, completes the introduction. A selective review of historical and philosophical studies of hypocrisy over the past twenty-five hundred years situates the problem of the susceptibility to hypocrisy. Must idealization lead to credulity I do not think so. Belief, even strong belief, need not be credulous, and idealization, though it always involves some substitution of wish for judgment, is not always used as a defense. But when idealization and belief are fueled by anxiety, independent judgment, fragile under the best of circumstances, may fail. So idealization as defense against the dread of uncertainty may be expected to create the credulity that is one precondition for successful hypocrisy. But unrelenting credulity may come about also from great desire, especially in those inclined to magical thinking and other immaturities of consideration by playwrights and philosophers, a

Define The Concept Of Culture Essay Example for Free

Define The Concept Of Culture Essay ‘Culture’ is the ways in which a society lives. A culture may share the same religions, beliefs, values, class or status, a culture can dress in a certain way and act in a way that follows the norms of how their society carries out life and what they deem as acceptable, culture can shared by a large group of people or a smaller group within society. For example there are ‘subcultures’, a subculture is a small group which have different way of life opposed to the majority of society; they may dress, talk and act in a different way. An example of subculture is a religious group, being a part of a religion may mean that people that are part of it dress differently, and have different values and ideas on life and live in a different way to the majority in society. Another example of a culture is ‘popular culture’ this is a culture that involves a large majority, and is highly influenced by the media, for example football is a sport that is frequently covered by the media by television, radio, news etc. And is a popular sport with a large following; other examples of pop culture are: pop music, bingo and mainstream fashion. Pop culture has a variety of people from different backgrounds being part of the same thing called a common culture which is shared by the masses. ‘High culture’ is another example of a culture that is shared with people and their families from a ‘higher class’. People that are part of the high culture are wealthy and have an ascribed status or come from a family with an ascribed status, meaning that they or the head of the family worked towards their success/wealth. They take part in activities associated with upper class such as: polo, lacrosse, hunting, and watching arts such as operas, ballets, orchestras. High culture attempts not allow people who are not from the same class or have the same status as them to join in with their clubs and activities this is called ‘social closure’ but this is difficult as more people can achieve super rich lifestyles, buying their way into high culture that may of came from a low class background. Pop culture is known as ‘low culture’ as people from ‘high culture’ are meant to be higher compared to them in class and status, th erefore people from low culture would not be wanted in high culture activities.

Sensorimotor Loss And Hemiplegia Health And Social Care Essay

Sensorimotor Loss And Hemiplegia Health And Social Care Essay Captain Scarlet and Captain Blue were working in the intelligence section of Cloud-base when there was a terrorist attack by the Mysterons. A bomb exploded causing the ceiling to collapse trapping both of them under the rubble. Captain Scarlet escaped with only minor injuries but Captain Blue was struck across the shoulders by masonry and piping, which pinned him down. It took several hours to dig him out and when he has pulled free he was unable to move his arms or legs. When he arrived at the Cloud-base hospital, he complained of his inability to move and of shooting/burning pains in both arms. Neurological examination revealed a left hemiplegia and right hemiparesis with a Babinski sign present bilaterally. Pain sensation was lost from the right shoulder downwards. Bladder, bowel and genital reflexes were also absent. X-rays of the cervico- thoracic region were taken and subsequently he underwent surgery to remove bone fragments and to stabilise the cervical spine. A month later, movement of the right arm and leg had improved. Two months after surgery, movement in the right hand had improved further but there was no voluntary movement on the left. Fasciculation of the left deltoid muscle was found together with spasticity of the left arm and leg, with clonus at the ankle. A Babinski sign remained on the left side. Joint position sense was present on both sides but pain sensation was absent on the medial right aspect of the upper right arm, right side of the thorax, abdomen and whole right lower limb. Despite reassurances from his Colonel that his condition will improve further, Captain Blue feels that he will never physically recover from his injuries. Organisation of spinal cord In its own definition of spinal cord, Oxford medical dictionary states: The portion of the central nervous system enclosed in the vertebral column, consisting of nerve cells and bundles of nerves connecting all parts of the body together(1). Spinal cord is divided into 2 regions: The white matter: It contains the axons of the neurons that make up the descending and ascending tracts responsible for the communication of the spinal cord with the brain. The white matter can be split into the dorsal, the ventral and the lateral funiculous as seen in Figure 1. The White matter contains the following four pathways that are essential for the scenario and that will be further discussed in the next objective. Each tract carries a specific modality (types of sensation) in the brain. The position of each tract in the white matter is seen in Figure 2. Dorsal column medial lemniscus tract (DCML): It is responsible for conscious proprioreception and discriminative touch. It is split into the gracile and the cuneate fasiculi which carry these modalities from the lower and upper limbs respectively. Spinothalamic tract(STT): It is responsible for the pain and temperature sensation. Spinocerebellar tract (SCT): It is responsible for the unconscious proprioception to the cerebellum which controls the co-ordination of movements. The above are ascending pathways i.e. they send information from the spinal cord to the brain. The following is a descending pathway: Corticospinal tract (CST): It is responsible for sending information to the spinal cord for controlling voluntary movements of the lower and upper limbs. Figure 1 Spinal cord transection (2) The Grey matter: It mainly consists of neural cell bodies and glial cells. Ten different layers of grey matter called laminae can be distinguished. it is further divided into 3 or 4 regions (depending on the level of the spinal cord) each containing several laminae as seen in Figure 2: Superficial dorsal horn: It consists of laminae I-II and receives information from nociceptors about pain and temperature from Ac and ÃŽÂ ´ sensory fibers. Deep dorsal horn: It consists of laminae III-VI which receive information for touch and conscious proprioreception from the low threshold mechanoreceptors form IÃŽÂ ² sensory fibers. Lateral horn: This can be found in the spinal levels T1-L2 and is responsible for the autonomic control as it contains cell bodies of autonomic preganglionic fibers. Ventral horn: It consists of laminae VII-IX and contains the cell bodies for ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons that innervate the muscles, as well as here the muscle afferents terminate. Figure 2 Organisation of spinal cord (3) Organisation of pathways in Spinal cord Each of the four pathways mentioned above will now be described: Dorsal Column Medial Lemnsicus pathway (4): Figure 4 DCML tract (3) The Information from the cuteneous mechanoreceptors travel through IÃŽÂ ² fibers in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and innervate the dorsal column nuclei. The Axons ascend ipsilaterally the spinal cord. They decussate in the medulla and ascend through medial lemniscuses to the ventroposterolateral nucleus of the thalamus. Then they travel through the internal capsule to the primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrous. Spinothalamic tract (5) Figure 5 STT tract (3) It conveys information such as pain and temperature from nociceptors through C and AÃŽÂ ´ fibers to the laminae I-II of the dorsal horn. The axons decussate in the grey commisure of the spinal cord one or two segments above the point of entry. 2ndary axons ascend in the lateral lemniscus of the spinal cord and innervate the ventroposterolateral nucleus of the thalamus. 3rd order axons travel through the internal capsule to primary somatosensory cortex in the postcentral gyrous. Spinocerebellar tract (6) Figure 6 STT tract (7) It conveys information for unconscious proprioception from the muscle mechanoreceptors and through IÃŽÂ ² fibers in the deep dorsal horn. The axons ascend in the dorsal columns and innervate the Clarkes columns. This pathway does not decussate. The axons enter the cerebellum through the inferior pudencle. Corticospinal tract (8) Figure 7 STT tract (3) It curries information from the primary motor cortex in the precentral gyrous to the ventral horns of the spinal cord and from there through ÃŽÂ ±- motor neurons to the muscles. The axons from the pre-central gyrous pass through the internal capsule and decussate at the spino-medullary junction to form the pyramidal tract. From there they descend in the lateral corticospinal tract to innervate ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons nuclei in the ventral horn. ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons travel in the body and innervate the muscles. Explain the symptoms Diagnosis Below are listed and explained the symptoms caused by the spinal injury giving a possible diagnosis at the end. The symptoms of Captain Blue are due to the damage of the spinal cord caused by the vertebrae bone fragments. Symptoms Explanation Initial inability to move and shooting pains in both arms These are due to the spinal shock (9). This causes temporarily loss of function of the whole spinal cord. As a result, there is a loss of ability of voluntary control to all body giving the impression of muscle flaccid paralysis. Also there is loss of sensation and in this case there is a shooting pain in both arms. The spinal shock usually starts to face off in one day and gradually the reflexes, the control of movement and the sensation in the undamaged part are gained back. Babinski sign bilaterally. Clonus in the ankle and spasticity of the left arm and leg The Babinski reflex is a polysynaptic reflex evoked when there is nocturnous stimuli on the sole of the foot. The normal Babinski reflex causes withdrawal of the foot with adduction and flexion of the toes. An abnormal Babinski sign is one that shows abduction and extension of the toes of the foot when the foot is withdrawn. In neonates it is normal to show an abnormal Babinski reflex as their corticospinal tract has not yet matured (10). Clonus is a series of contraction when the muscle is stretched. Spastisity is increased muscle tone. All the above are indicators of an upper motor neuron lesion and indicate a possible damage on the corticospinal tracts of the spinal cord. Fasciculations Fasciculations are spontaneous, involuntary muscle contractions that can be seen below the skin. These are due to spontaneous firing of damaged ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons. These are caused by the damage on the ventral horn where the ÃŽÂ ±-motor neurons synapse with the descending tracts. Left hemiplegia and right hemiparesis. After two months right hand movements are improved. Hemiplegia is the complete inability of the voluntary movement of the one side of the body whereas hemiparesis is the weakness in movement. As concluded above there is damage in the CST of the spinal cord. This causes ipsilateral loss of movement below the level of lesion. Left hemiplegia indicates that there is a lesion on the left side of the spinal cord as the CST decussates in the medulla. The right hemiparesis is due to the initial spinal shock. Pain sensation lost from the right shoulder downwards The loss of sensation indicates damage of the spinothalamic tract. The loss of sensation is on the right side as the lesion is on the left part of the spinal cord. This is due to the fact that STT decussates in the spinal cord. The level of loss of pain sensation is an indicator of the possible level of lesion. The shoulder region is innervated by the C5 level. Therefore, this is probably the level of injury. Bladder, bowel and genital reflexes were absent Bladder, bowel and genital reflexes are autonomic reflexes controlled by the brain. In the lateral horn of thoracolumbar and sacral levels, autonomic preganglionic fibers originate and innervate the organs. In more detail, parasympathetic activity in men is responsible for arousal whereas sympathetic activity is necessary for ejaculation and orgasm. Autonomic activity in bowel and bladders controls the muscles responsible for defecation and dieresis respectively. A lesion in the spinal cord can damage the pathway and result in incontinence of bladder and impotency for men. Joint position sense was present on both sides but pain sensation was absent on the medial right aspect of the right arm, right thorax, abdomen right lower limb. Information for joint position is ascending to the brain through the DCML tract. This means that this pathway is not damaged. On the other hand as explained above, pain sensation travels in the CTT which is damaged. In Figure 8, there is a body map showing the area affected as far as motor movement is concerned (solid brown area), and the area of impaired sensation. On the right, is the area of damage at the C5 level resulting in the symptoms on the left. Taking everything into concern, all the complications indicate a lesion on the left side on C5 level of the spinal cord due to injury from the bone fragments. The structures damaged are: DCML pathway and STT Part of the ventral horn Figure 8 Captains Blue Symptoms body map and lesion of spinal cord Spinal cord injuries Spinal cord injuries can occur due to trauma, infections, ischemia and other diseases. In this case the trauma was indirectly caused by bone due to vertebrae fracture. There are also direct traumas such as in stab wounds. Damage is firstly caused due to hemorrhaging and compression of the spinal cord. The secondary complications such as hypoxia and ischemia that occur over a longer period can also cause further damage. After the initial physical damage to the spinal cord, apoptosis of the glial cells and demyelination occur. Inflammatory cells infiltrate the spinal cord and contribute to the scaring and the inhibition of the axon growth. The injury may expand to other segments and cause grater complications (syringomyelia). Figure 9 shows a cervical spinal cord following an injury. Figure 9 Spinal cord after injury (11) Figure 10 ASIA categories for spinal cord injuries (12) Spinal cord injuries can be classified with ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) in Asia A, B, C, D categories. Figure 10, adapted from ASIA official website, shows the characteristics of each category. Treatment Prognosis The treatment for spinal cord injuries is very complex. However, even with the best treatment, regeneration of nerves and complete regaining of functions is unlikely. The treatment mainly concerns the reduction and minimization of the damage and fights the complications caused by the injury (13). The primary line of treatment is to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord and eliminate the cause of the damage. In this case Captain Blue undergoes surgery to remove the bone fragments. The second line of treatment involves the reduction of the inflammatory response responsible for further damage. The prescription of corticosteroids helps with the anti-inflammatory effects, the reduction of the glial scar formation and the CNS cell death. Furthermore, doctors must work against problems caused by the loss of movement such as urinary infection, wasting of muscles or formation of blood clots. As a result, exercises to improve bowel and bladder function and lifestyle tips to reduce the possibility of clot formation are given. Physiotherapy is the route to avoid muscle waste. Occupational therapy is needed for the patient to learn to live with his immobility. A range of non medical specialists such as dieticians, psychologists and social workers are also needed. The prognosis for CNS damage is very poor. Regeneration of the nerves in the CNS is difficult due to: Glial scar formation. Release of inhibitory substances that oppose axon growth and remyelination. However, new techniques such as electrical stimulation of the nerves with electrical devices can be used in the future to gain muscle function. Stem cells are also a promising future. Presently the most helpful and accessible way to overcome the disabilities caused by spinal cord injuries is the wheelchair with electronic devices that can be used for communication, movement and a variety of other daily jobs.

Comparing William Faulkners Short Stories, A Rose for Emily and Dry Se

Comparing William Faulkner's Short Stories, A Rose for Emily and Dry September Three key elements link William Faulkner's two short stories "A Rose for Emily" and "Dry September": sex, death, and women (King 203). Staging his two stories against a backdrop of stereotypical characters and a southern code of honor, Faulkner deliberately withholds important details, fragments chronological times, and fuses the past with the present to imply the character's act and motivation. The characters in Faulkner's southern society are drawn from three social levels: the aristocrats, the townspeople, and the Negroes (Volpe 15). In "A Rose for Emily," Faulkner describes Miss Emily Grierson in flowing, descriptive sentences. Once a "slender figure in white," the last descendent of a formerly affluent aristocratic family matures into a "small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head" (Faulkner, Literature 25-27). Despite her diminished financial status, Miss Emily exhibits her aristocratic demeanor by carrying her head high "as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson" (28). In an equally descriptive manner, Faulkner paints a written portrait of Miss Minnie Cooper in "Dry September." He portrays her as a spinster "of comfortable people - not the best in Jefferson, but good enough people" and "still on the slender side of ordinary looking, with a bright faintly haggard manner and dress (Faulkner, Reader 520). Cleanth Brooks sheds considerable insight on Faulkner's view of women. He notes that Faulkner's women are "the source and sustainer of virtue and also a prime source of evil. She can be ... ...uth. Works Cited Brooks, Cleanth. "William Faulkner: Visions of Good and Evil." Faulkner, New Perspectives. Ed. Richard H. Brodhead. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey : Prentice-Hall, 1983. ---. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House,1986. Faulkner, William. "Dry September." The Faulkner Reader. New York; Random House, 1954. ---. "A Rose for Emily." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. ---. Selected Letters of William Faulkner. Ed. Joseph Blotner. New York: Random House, 1977. Kazin, Alfred. Bright Book of Life. Boston: Little Brown Company, 1973. King, Richard H. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Reed, Joseph. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. Volpe, Edmond. A Reader's Guide to William Faulkner. New York: Octagon, 1974.

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay

Using the virtual organization of Kudler Fine Foods, evaluations will be made to determine market structure and competitiveness. Kudler Fine Foods current strategic plan for 2003, marketing overview, and market surveys will provide information to evaluate how Kudler competes in its market and where its strengths and weaknesses are located. Based on the evaluation of Kudler Fine Foods an applicable market structure will be determined and the structures effects on the organization and its long-term profitability. Recommendations will be made for Kudler Fine Foods while comparing real-world organizations. Kudler Fine Foods Located in the San Diego area, Kudler Fine Foods has three locations offering imported and domestic specialty foods. Founder, Kathy Kudler found the joy of gourmet cooking to be a business opportunity and opened the first store in 1998. The first year of business was profitable and paved way to the opening of two additional stores. Shopping the world for the finest of products allows Kudler Fine Foods to offer the finest of wines, foods, and related goods. It is Kudler Fine Food’s mission to provide these fine selections coupled with knowledgeable, experienced, and helpful staff to create a pleasing shopping experience (Virtual Organization Portal, 2007). Strategic Plan 2003 To provide Kudler Fine Foods mission while staying competitive, profitable, and delivering the goods known for, strategic plans are necessary. In 2003 a strategic plan was generated, within the plan traditional supermarkets were thought of as competition. Albertsons, Vons, and Ralphs advertised specialty foods similar to Kudler Fine Foods in the area of meat and produce. However, Kudler stays competitive by attracting specific customers cooking gourmet. While competitive stores offer similar food, they do not offer the same customer service, gourmet accessories, and foods Kudler offers. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s offer similar product but aim to gain customers focused on healthy lifestyles not the gourmet experience. Foreign food stores are not a large competitor, they to do not focus on the gourmet experience. While foreign food stores may have particular ingredients, they lack the competitive advantage of selection, service, expertise, or tools Kudler Fine Foods provides. According to 2003s strategic Plan Kudler Fine Foods customers are less price conscious than competitors (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007). There is no direct competition although there are competitors trying to gain Kudler’s customer base. The combination of services and goods Kudler Fine Foods offers sets it apart from competition. Kudler Fine Foods uses its differentiated goods, atmosphere, knowledgeable services, intimate customer loyalty, and expansion of goods and services to stay competitive within the market. Ultimately it is the gourmet experience that makes Kudler Fine Foods a competitive force in the market. Marketing Overview Experiencing significant growth, Kudler Fine Foods looks to increase the profitability and loyalty of consumers and expand services. Kudler is strategically increasing profitability and loyalty of its customers by increasing internal efficiency, enacting a frequent shopper program, and expanding the services offered. Using a frequent shopper program customer purchases shopping behaviors are tracked and refined so applicable products can be offered to valued customers. Frequent shoppers will be offered points for shopping to redeem rewards to maintain store loyalty. To expand services Kudler offers exclusive upscale events in the store and in the comfort of customers own homes, which increases word-of mouth marketing, customer loyalty, and social networking. In addition to expanding services and offering frequent shopper programs to increase revenue Kudler Fine Foods focuses on reducing costs by increasing efficiency. Using a large department store to benchmark, Kudler is engaging in developing employees through training programs and upgrading software systems. Costs are reduced by minimizing purchases while maintaining adequate amounts of stock. Using information retrieved form the frequent shopper program and the â€Å"dollar value and profit margin per transaction† orders are placed to best capture customers needs while tracking sales data for better forecasting, merchandise selection, and inventory management (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007, para.5). The store advertises the same sales and merchandise for the three stores and coordinates to maintain enough inventories within each store location to maintain a customer service level of 95% (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007). Like other retail stores customer satisfaction is a prime marketing tool but so is the ever changing gourmet items offered in the stores. New items are introduced regularly into the store; Kathy looks to competitors for pricing strategies and product comparison to market the new goods. While Kathy looks to competitors her customer differs from other markets in the area, they look for a gourmet experience. Market Surveys Kudler Fine Foods conducted market surveys in 2010 and 2011to collect data from consumers. The surveys help to identify opportunity, measure success, and identify strengths and weaknesses within the organization. The 2010 survey indicated that there was not a good selection of products present in the store. This was an area of weakness and an opportunity to improve; the 2011 survey showed an increase of satisfaction in the selection of products presented in the store. Once a weakness, the surveys measure success in the increase of product selection from 2010 to 2011. Surveys identify store hours, atmosphere, merchandise satisfaction, and knowledgeable service representatives as Kudler Fine Foods strengths. Weaknesses include merchandise displays and in 2010 selection and overall store satisfaction. The marketing surveys show improvements from 2010 to 2011 in both strengths and weaknesses indicated by customers (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2007). Kudler Fine Foods Market Structure Kudler Fine Foods is a monopolistic competition market structure. Within a monopolistic competition market structure there come both positives and negatives effects for Kudler Fine Foods. Positives While there are many similar organizations Kudler Fine Foods goods and services are differentiated. Kudler Fine Foods offers physical product differentiation in the service offered. For example, customers look to Kudler Fine Foods for a gourmet experience that cannot be found elsewhere. Kudler Fine Foods overall performance creates an experience. This experience is different from competitors accounted for in the strategic plan. Another positive of a monopolistic competition is that they are price makers, because Kudler Fine Foods offers differentiated products and services they are able to set their own prices. Kathy uses competitors as a price guideline but sets her own prices. In a monopolistic competition market large profits are possible in the short run. Negatives Kathy easily entered the market and so will other individuals because there are no barriers to entry in the monopolistic competition market. The fewer barriers to entry in a market the more competition arises. The low barriers to entry in this market mean one must have an opportunity to differentiate; Kudler Fine Foods has this opportunity by offering different goods and services from its competitors. To stay actively competitive Kudler Fine Foods must engage in advertising to let customers know the difference between Kudler Fine Foods and their competitors. Advertisement costs time and money and can be difficult to make advertisements stand out against competitors. Long-term profitability As mentioned above in the short run profits are possible but because there are no barriers to entry many firms are attracted to the market, which increases in the long-run. As new firms enter the market Kudler Fine Foods products and services will become more elastic shifting the demand curve to the left, prices will be driven down reducing profits. In the long run these reduced profits will continue until Kudler Fine Foods reaches long run equilibrium, economic profit is impossible in the long run. Recommendations A personal recommendation for Kudler Fine Foods is to stay in the short run to continue making the most profits. They can do this by furthering product differentiation. For example, Kudler Fine Foods can look to competitors to make sure they are not selling the same products and offering the same services. Kathy already frequently introduces new products and should continue to do this. Staying innovative will also be beneficial, introducing online sells may help keep Kudler Fine Foods in the short run longer. Real-world comparisons In the real-world there are many monopolistic markets like that of Kudler Fine Foods. Taylors Market is an example, like Kudler Fine Foods they offer gourmet options. Taylors Market finds its competitive edge by offering specialty items, including an onsite butcher. Both Kudler Fine Foods and Taylors Market are one of many firms in a monopolistic competition market structure. They stay competitive by offering differentiated goods and services. While both firms start out inelastic in the short run, in the long run they become more elastic. Below is an example of how Taylors Market and Kudler Fine Foods monopolistic competition market structure compares and differs from other market structures.