Challenges of Transforming a Traditional Brick-and-Mortar Store Essay

1.Reconcile the idea of selling aromatics over the Internet with a functional approach to marketing. Is the idea basically sound? Although a web-based selling aromatics strategy does not guarantee success, however there are many benefits on web-based sales. The benefits Celia can get from the web-based business if she launches the web site correctly are; †¢There is a potential to increase her revenue. †¢The ability to expand her business into global markets. †¢The ability to remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week without additional cost. †¢The ability to lower the cost of doing business †¢Can rate the customer satisfaction about her product will promote more business Celia is very knowledgeable on aromatics products therefore she can be successful by selling online. Many people do not live in a city where their favorite product being offered and they are willing to purchase it from on-line. Celia can take advantage of the growing internet market to launch her scent products. Celia needs to manage her web site properly and use the right strategies to promote her products. Celia needs to pick the correct tool to promote her product and make it available for the on-line customer. In order to be successful in web-based sales, Celia need consider the followings: †¢She need to understand her target customer †¢offer the customer what they want †¢Make sure the web site easy to navigate †¢Simple design of the web site – create user friendly website †¢ Make sure the web site is fast, simple checkout process †¢Assure customers that their online transactions are secure. †¢Keep the web site up to date †¢Hire a professional web designer to create and maintain the web site. 2.What should Celia do? Reference your recommendations to the text or presentation. †¢The first step Celia should take is, she need to select an all-in-one e-commerce internet service that includes; web page editor, shopping card software, design templates, payment processing. Using the all-in-one e-commerce internet service will allow Celia to launch an attractive online store which will promote more sales. †¢Celia should focus on a niche in the market. †¢Celia should market her products online by opening social networking accounts such as Facebook or Twitter. With the social network Celia can start blog about her products and the uniqueness of the products that she offering. She can also offer discounts to the readers who reads her blog or whoever connected with her. †¢ She can attract visitors by giving away â€Å"freebies† through the social network †¢Celia should promote her web site online and offline. One-way of promoting will be giving additional discount to people who orders from online. †¢The last step to develop an effective search engine to optimize her strategy, cheap or lower cost website cannot offer the extensive customer service. Therefore, Celia should consider getting a professional website designer who has referrals and creditability to perform the job that she requires. 3.Comment on Table 1 and the pattern of sales. MonthNumber of Online Transaction Total Monthly Dollars Sales Average Monthly Dollars Sales January2 $ 19.72 $ 9.86 February13 $ 598.69 $ 46.05 March4 $ 103.29 $ 25.82 April6 $ 208.86 $ 34.81 May20 $ 826.58 $ 41.33 June4 $ 98.57 $ 24.64 July2 $ 16.60 $ 8.30 August1 $ 7.29 $ 7.29 September4 $ 114.28 $ 28.57 October5 $ 106.54 $ 21.31 November10 $ 233.54 $ 23.35 December25 $ 1,026.89 $ 41.04 Average per month8 $ 280.07 $ 35.01 Yearly Total96 $ 3,360.85 n/a 1st 2nd 3rd The highest sale of the monthDecemberMayFebruary The lowest sale of the month August JulyJanuary The highest Average of the month February MayDecember The lowest Average of the month August JulyJanuary †¢The highest sales of the month is December oTotal revenue of $1,026.89 oTotal item sold 25 This indicates holiday season and customer are looking for gift items and therefore sales increased. †¢The Second highest sales of the month May oTotal revenue of $826.58 oTotal item sold 20 This indicates mother’s day and customer are looking for gift items and the target market is women. †¢The Third highest sales of the month February oTotal revenue of $598.69 oTotal item sold 13 This indicates Valentine’s Day and customer are looking for gift items and the target market could be women. †¢The highest average unit price of the month is February oThe average price for unit $46.05 This indicates price per perfume increased on the month of February may be it has to do with the Valentine’s Day. During that time people will pay any price to get quality item on the market. All these results show potential target market Celia should focus is ladies and during the holiday season, Valentine’s Day and the mother’s day.

No Child Left Behind and Special Ed Essay

This paper is written on the topic â€Å"No Child Left Behind† and how this law pertains to and how it affects special education. This act was passed n 2001 and is abbreviated as NCLB and at times pronounced as nickelbee. This law was proposed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and it is a US federal law. This legislation was base on blueprint and was represented by John Boehner, George Miller, Judd Gregg and Edward Kennedy after which it was signed by President Bush. (Abernathy, 2007). This law was basically aimed to bring improvement in the performance of the primary and the secondary schools in the United States. Moreover, this law also aimed to elevate the standards of the schools making sure that they are provides flexibility in choosing school for their children. It also focused on reading and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was also re-authorized. This Act was introduced during the 107th Congress, was passed by the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001and was actually signed into law by on January 8, 2002. The goal was basically to reform education and to set high standards and to ensure that these goals can be measured and improved. The Act further states that the basic skills must be enacted in the students and schools must receive federal funding. Standards of education are set by every state keeping in mind the control over the schools. Furthermore, this Act also states that the schools must also provide the details of the students such as their name, phone number and address to the military recruiters and institutions of higher education and this must be done unless the parents of that child do not ask the school not to provide any details. After this Act was passed, the measures of the act were fervently debated over its effectiveness. It has also been criticized and the criticism actually was that effective instruction and student learning could be reduced. However, in support of this Act, it is said that systematic testing provides data and so they schools that do not teach the basic skills in an effective manner can be highlighted after which improvement can be made based on the evaluations. This would improve the outcomes for the students and will also minimize the gap of achievement that persists between the students who are disadvantaged in any way. (Hess & Petrilli, 2006). At the time this law was implemented, the federal funding of education was increased by the Congress and the increase was from$42. 2 billion in 2001 to $54. 4 billion in 2007 while No Child Left Behind received a 40. 4% increase from $17. 4 billion in 2001 to $24. 4 billion. Later, the funding for reading quadrupled from $286 million in 2001 to $1. 2 billion. In 2008, a study was carried out by the Department of Education that showed the No Child Left behind Act on which around a billion dollars were invested actually proved to be ineffective. The special education programs were introduced in the United States and they were made compulsory in 1975. This was the time when the Congress passed an Act for the support of the disabled children. This ensures that every disabled student gets free and appropriate education and to apply least restrictions to such students. Moreover, to further enhance and make sure that this Act is being implemented, regular meetings are held between the professionals and the parents of the disable children to ensure that the specific needs of the children are being met and so that modification could be provided for the children who needed them. According to FAPE i. e. Free Appropriate Public Education, the disadvantaged children are to be provided free education at public expenses. They are also directed by the public and no charges are applied. It ensures that the individual needs of the child are met and free education is provided to them from preschool to secondary school education. The FAPE also prevents segregation that is done unnecessarily and to ensure that they have access to the maximum extent. Special education services and special equipment has to be given to the disabled children and a transition plan must be developed. This plan focuses on the future goals of the learner and to help him to live his life in future. Educators also believe that the disabled children should be taught together with the normal children because isolating these children would reduce their self esteem as well as their abilities. This is called mainstreaming i. e. the integration of the disabled and the normal children. However, they also have to have special classrooms and services and must also have a trained teacher. Moreover, the sessions that are held for the special children are called resource rooms that are equipped with all the required material. However, the disabled children can also join other children for other activities and there should be no restriction in it. (Pierangelo, 2004). Reference Abernathy, S. (2007). No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools. University of Michigan Press. Hess, F. M. & Petrilli,M. J. (2006). No Child Left Behind. Peter Lang Publishing. Pierangelo, R. (2004). The Special Educator’s Survival Guide. 2nd Edn. Jossey-Bass.

Plato’s Concept of Justice

Aside from â€Å"reason,† the concept of justice is a common topic in every dialogue of Plato like in â€Å"Parmenides† and â€Å"Timaeus†. However, it is in â€Å"The Republic† that the concept of justice is intensively argued, scrutinized, and differentiated. Specifically, the dialogue on the essence of justice in â€Å"The Republic† is largely brought up by the challenging inquiries of Glaucon and Adeimantus. Glaucon, spoken as devil’s advocate, classified justice similarly to the goods chosen, not for the goods themselves, but for the other things that they may bring. Glaucon argued that people do not want anyone to obstruct their unceasing desire for everything and only act in such a way that they avoid unjust treatment. As an analogy, he used the story of Gyges' ring, the ring that gives magical invisibility to its bearer. Anyone who becomes a possessor of that ring can hardly resist the temptation of becoming like a god among others. He or she, unrestrained by justice, will use the ring to satisfy his desires for everything. On the contrary, Socrates pointed out that justice, both in itself and what it brings is good while injustice, even unnoticed, is injurious. Thus, to confute the impressive challenge of Glaucon, Socrates it is imperative to understand the essence of justice before one can really know whether justice is good in itself or it is good due to the things which come from it. However, to expound the Plato's concept of justice, the different gaps in his arguments are needed to be filled with the missing premises. Historical Background In the ancient time, Greeks conceive justice through the poets' ideas like those of Hesiod. Hesiod described justice by conforming to certain set of acts; to avoid Zeus' punishment and achieve his rewards, man must act in accordance with Zeus' will. However, this concept of reward and punishment has lost its credibility during the late period of the fifth century. As people came to observe that most unjust men flourish as good citizens continue to suffer hardships and trials, they denounced the pre-conceived notion that rewards are given to the good doer while punishments are inflicted to the unjust. Consequently, as democracy in the Athenian society evolves, few Athens can hardly see to give importance on the afterlife and the questions on the essence of justice became a great controversy. This controversy was exacerbated by the Sophists who act as hired tutors for wealthy students. Sophists denied the existence of the standards or objective truth concerning right and wrong. They rather treated morality and law as the bases of truth. For instance, Antiphon publicly declared that one must choose to be unjust for it is an advantage. Hence, Plato decided to defend justice against the Sophistic challenge. The Argumentation Thrasymachus claimed that justice is merely an advantage of the stronger citizens. In Book I, he argued that the societal norms and mores are merely conventions which serve as constraints for those who abide with them while others who ignore them are benefited. Whereas the unjust people gain power, become strong and rulers in the society, the weak conform to the justice which places them in a disadvantaged position. Thrasymachus then believed that the justice's norms and mores are merely conventions promulgated by the strong, powerful people and the rulers to protect their own interest and keep the weak into the state of oppression. On the other hand, the second book presented Thrasymachus' challenges not only to the standards of right and wrong but also on the Socrates' method of searching for the truth, the method of elenchus. The Socrates' method of finding the truth commences by building up ideas from the people's beliefs. Thus, if Thrasymachus is impeccable with his notions, truth about justice is merely imposed by rulers. This gave a great task to Socrates to assert that justice is both good and desirable and it is more than conventions; rather, it is connected to the standards of morality and it is our advantage to adhere with it. In the progression of the argumentation in Plato's â€Å"The Republic,† justice was discussed and described in different ways. Some of these ideas were rejected for they inaccurately described justice. Hence, in the end, the argumentation does not only lead to what justice is but also defined what it is not. By analogy, the conception of justice was compared to the political structure of the city and the components of an individual. â€Å"Justice emerges from the relation of these parts in both the city and the individual. † Although justice, in form, is not identical to the structure of the city or the form of the soul, the manner of the various parts of the soul or city must function imply the harmony that the justice could bring. Justice in the city and the individual’s soul is the relating and functioning of parts in a systemic way to produce a graceful harmonious result. † In its comparison with the city, â€Å"justice is everyone doing one's part into the best of what he or she can and not meddling in others business†. On the other hand, justice results when the three compone nts of the soul function in a graceful manner. Thus, as the individual parts of the soul and the city work properly, the resulting harmony is excellence in their function. This resulting excellence then is justice. In the case that one of their integral parts does not function well, the entity or individual suffers resulting to the lack of justice. Justice then for the individual is internal as he or she tries to align it from the soul with his or her body's external actions which in turn directly affected by the external world; hence, a just person will not commit unjust actions. In such way, the internal justice of the person is directly affected by the external world. Moreover, Book I presented the conception of justice as an internal virtue and external quality with more complexities and implications. The discussions of such can be directly seen from the propositions of Thrasymacus, Cephalus and Polemarcus which scrutinized by Socrates. Cephalus perceived justice as telling the truth and paying one's debts while Polemarchus proposed that â€Å"justice is giving each what is owed to them. † Socrates told is not always true as perceived by Cephalus for it could create disastrous results like in returning weapon to a mentally-defective person who could harm others and even herself or himself. Even the conception of Polemarchus is defective for it signifies the intention to help friends and to do harm to enemy. Socrates argued that a just person must not do anything harm to anyone for he or she must do good things and doing harm to anyone is not good. Nevertheless, Thrasymachus conceived justice as â€Å"the advantage of the stronger and obeying the rulers,† which was contradicted by Socrates due to its insufficiency. Thrasymachus' notion can also be stated as â€Å"advantage of the stronger,† which requires a deeper interpretation. In this way, Thrasymachus suggested that justice can only be fully understood by a person in power. So as to become powerful and ruler, that person must possess knowledge in producing justice and ruling for his or her favor. If the ruler has knowledge and knowledge is good, this goodness will lead everyone to happiness while happiness is ultimately justice. Looking gain at the proposition of Thrasymachus, he pointed out two essential things between the ruler and the ruled. First, the ruling group or person who will create laws is stronger and advantageous. Then, these laws inflict punishments to the ruled group which place them in a disadvantageous position. Thus, justice is compliance with the laws made by the rulers. As such, in the ideal world of Thrasymachus, the rulers pass laws for their favor and entirely for their own benefits. On the other hand, the ruled group is mandated to obey the laws in order to avoid punishments and to achieve the collective good. By implementing this, the ruler helps the ruled group to attain internal personal justice as well as to help the city in pursuing justice for â€Å"the individual justice echoes out to effect the city as a whole. † Therefore, compliance with the laws is also justice. The â€Å"good† for Thracymachus is doing what perceived to be good. Eve though there is no standard good, one must do things which bring profits and benefits to self. On the other hand, the powerful can act the way they want for the laws are made for their own favor. Meanwhile, the soul's function is living. Everything that functions has excellence and justice is the excellence of the soul. As well, the achievement of justice will eventually lead to the well-living and the happiness of a person. As justice leads to happiness and â€Å"just† person is also a happy one, the person has happiness if he or she has the sense on justice and the person is only â€Å"just† when he or she has happiness. Therefore, Thrasymachus believed that happiness is the end goal. Furthermore, Thrasymachus added that justice is only advantageous for the stronger and it is better to be unjust than just. Since getting more things bring happiness, it is better to get more in life. He suggested that if it is possible to act without the consequences of one's actions, anybody would transgress the set obligations and legal standards. Since laws are merely created to benefit the stronger, anybody may probably choose to act in a way which benefits him or her. In this manner, the person acts unjustly if in this way he or she will be benefited. By living then in unjust manner the person will be benefited and eventually will attain happiness. These propositions of Tharsymachus were largely shaped by his position as a sophist with no morality standards or objective truth belief. Man is capable of pretending just externally but internally unjust. For Thrasymachus, this ability is an advantage because the person can obtain the external reward of pretending as just while simultaneously avoiding the consequences of being unjust internally. In addition, the unjust man can take the advantage of the â€Å"just† man in a similar fashion. Thrasymachus set the example of a man who is a good tax payer and a law-abiding citizen as compared to the unjust tax evader who violated the law due to the belief that laws are not beneficial to him or her. For Thrasymachus, this situation necessitates a special skill or craft which can be perfected through practice. That is, an individual can possibly perfect the skills of being unjust while simultaneously pretending as a just person. Originally, it was Polemarchus who assumed that justice is a craft or skill which was debunked by Socrates but in the same argument Thrasymachus has fallen. Hence, by using the same analogy as with Polemarchus, Socrates was able to refute the proposition of Thrasymachus. Finally, at the end of Book I, Thrasymachus agreed with Socrates that a just man attains happiness while the unjust man falls into the trap of misery. As Thrasymachus retracted his previous propositions, Socrates further explained that the unjust man is unwise and ignorant. A wise man seeks the trail of other wise men that existed and made a path of wisdom; knowledge and wisdom must be achieved by a man to become just. Furthermore, Thrasymachus ideas of justice contradicted the Socrates’ a band of thieves’ analogy. As injustice brings hatred, each member of the band of thieves will come to a moot point where they could hardly trust one another which eventually lead to misunderstanding and separation. If injustice results to such worst ending, we may say then that only justice can preserve love and unity among individuals. Thus, justice is again associated with the â€Å"good† while the injustice is to unbeneficial which denounced the notion of Thrasymachus that injustice is beneficial than justice. Therefore, Thrasymachus ultimately believed that the soul directs the person’s life. This means that an individual with a good soul lives a good and beneficial life while an individual with a bad soul has a miserable life. In connection to this, Socrates firmly stated that a just man has a better life than the unjust for â€Å"justice is the peculiar excellence or virtue of the soul. † Plato’s â€Å"The Republic† presented a systematic analogy of the soul and the city. Plato proved that the human soul has various parts that work harmoniously. On the other hand, the city has different structures that work for the common good in order to attain peace and order and to avoid civil war. Whereas the social structures of the city must collectively work for the common good, the components of the soul must maintain harmonious relationships for the achievement of a collective functional excellence. As the soul functions justly, it is working with excellence which is the utmost functional goal of the soul itself. The Nature of Actions As discussed above, man’s action is a basis of justice. Man acts in way to attain happiness and to avoid pain. As such, Plato believed that the supreme good is the ultimate goal of every human endeavor. What then is the â€Å"good† for a man that can be possibly attained through his endeavors? It is happiness but relatively defined; vulgar men associated it with pleasure while people with refined character ascribed it to honor. While these things are pursued to achieve happiness in one’s self, but â€Å"good† should be pursued not only for happiness but for the â€Å"good† itself—as an end. The â€Å"good† brings happiness and is associated with function or activity. For instance, if you are a behest pianist then, you are good in playing piano for you are functioning well. The well-performance of your function creates happiness not only for yourself but also for the others, thus, giving you a unique identity. In the same line of reasoning, soul is an aspect of humans that differentiated them from the rest of the animals. Thus, man’s function concerns the soul. The rational component of the soul controls man’s impulses, thus, makes him virtuous. Therefore, â€Å"human good turns out to be an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue, and if there are more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete. † Meanwhile, the nature of man’s actions was classified as voluntary, nonvoluntary and involuntary. Involuntary actions are done against one’s disposition; voluntary actions are in accordance with the disposition; and nonvoluntary actions are accidentally done due to ignorance. Since virtue governs one’s disposition to act in accordance with the â€Å"good,† the primary basis then of a virtuous action is the goodness of choice. For an action is always a product of premeditated choice of an individual for the attainment of one’s purpose, it is therefore voluntary. This also satisfies the conditions that Plato believed are necessary for virtue: knowledge, volition, and doing. On the other hand, if an individual was forced for a certain action, although seem involuntary, he is still responsible for that action for he has a choice for not doing. Meanwhile doing things because of ignorance is involuntary if at the end, one recognizes ignorance while failure to do so, makes it nonvoluntary. For instance, if a drunkard is addicted to liquor due to inability to discern virtuous things, the person then is guilty of ignorance and the action is nonvoluntary. If at some point of time, the person realized his ignorance, the action then becomes involuntary. With these, only ignorance can excuse an action to be called a vice but has limitation. If after realizing virtuous things, the person has continued to be a drunkard, then the action is voluntary and he is therefore vicious. It is common sense to us, for example, that insufficient food and water taken into the body results to poor nutrition while a balanced diet ensures good health. â€Å"So too is it, then, in the case of temperance and courage and other virtues. † Avoidance of fears leads to timidity while extreme braveness endangers one’s life; absolute abstinence creates insensibility while hedonism shapes one’s indulgence. Since wrong doings are committed due to pleasure and noble character is avoided due to pain, pleasures and pain then are subjects of every virtue. Just and temperate actions are done by a man who has the sense of justice and temperance. â€Å"But if the acts that are in accordance with the virtues have themselves a certain character it does not follow that they are done justly or temperately. † Several conditions are necessary for the conduct of every virtuous action: knowledge of virtues; disposition for virtuous actions; and power to do virtuous actions. Hence, knowledge on virtues is not enough to become virtuous; rather, the disposition to put virtues into actions is a must. Limitations of Human Judgment Through the hierarchy of things here in the world, we perceive that several creatures are much better, thus, higher than the others: creatures that are alive are better than inanimate objects; living organisms that have senses are much better than plants; and humans that are alive have senses, and have the gift of reason are much perfect to the rest of the creations. However, even if we are the highest form of living organisms, we are not capable of an absolute understanding of reality. For we judge reality based the way we perceive things, beauty, truth or evil. In order to perceive, we make use of definite criteria that if are correct, entails the veracity of our judgment. Can we absolutely perceive the truth? In judging, we are guided by the truth but we do not judge the truth. The truth therefore is higher than us. Nonetheless, in perceiving the truth, we must grasp with something that does not change (solid basis). For if our basis changes, the left over is just a part of the truth. This is also true in perceiving the real essence of justice. In trying to explain free choices through other things may limit the rationale for the true justice. For different things may require different explanations. Hence, in trying to conceive for the real sense of justice, this may lead us to a perilous situation that is substituting vagueness to its real essence.

Semiotic Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Semiotic Analysis Paper - Essay Example Thus by making use of print media, the recruiter is also attempting to make use of this power to enforce new thoughts and replace stereotypes. The depth of semiotics can be determined by the impact they have â€Å"at the point of consumption† (Eagleton, 1983), so we need to evaluate the explicit cues in light of the context in which they appear. When we look at the purpose of the message we can infer that the it was meant to be delivered to a mass audience at the same time, for this purpose print media or out-of-home media can be very effective (Machin, 2004). The message uses visuals as well as text to attract the attention of a large audience towards the noble profession of nursing. As we perform the semiotic analysis of the image, we infer that the visuals in the image are just the tip of the iceberg; this image delivers a great deal of implicit meaning. Since the advertisement is designed to attract younger audience towards the nursing profession, it effectively makes use of semiotic elements in a very aesthetically pleasing manner to deliver the message. According to Nava, young people today are very perceptual towards advertising, so aside from differentiating the marketing element of an advertisement, treat advertisements as aesthetically pleasing objects (1992, pp 15-21). Signifiers There are a number of signifiers present in this image. The first signifier here is a man wearing green scrubs with a stethoscope around his shoulder. The nurse appears to be a middle-aged man of African origin who has a confident smile on their face. The back ground is blurred so more emphasis can be made on this signifier. The second signifier is a group of four smaller images on the bottom-right side. The images show nurses performing very critical and life-saving duties in healthcare. The nurses in these images are also male. The third signifier is the headline on the top right corner that says â€Å"My nurse is a Hero, he saved my life†. The text is writte n in all-caps in a large font and is in white colour so that it stands out from the image in the back ground. It is also written within inverted commas which show that it is a statement by a person. The fourth signifier is the sub-heading which says â€Å"Are you man enough to save a life?† this text is in smaller font and appears at the bottom of the four smaller images. This text too is in white but not in all-caps. It also appears between inverted commas which show that it is a stated question for the audience of the advertisement. The fifth signifier is the logo of the recruiter which appears at the bottom right corner of the image. It is placed in a footer which is blue so that the logo stands out. The Sign The sign in this image is a little complex. To start with when one thinks of the term nurse, almost inevitably the image of a woman appears. On the contrary the term â€Å"nurse† is not gender-specific; a nurse could be a man. Another sign in this picture is th at although the man is wearing stethoscope around his shoulders and wearing scrubs, we infer from the heading that he is a nurse and not a doctor. Most people relate stethoscopes to doctors and it becomes confusing when nurses are not wearing uniforms to distinguish them. Signified Presently women outnumber men a great deal in the nursing profession. This has little to do with their capabilities or lifestyles and more to do with the stereotypes of the profession. The term â€Å"male nurses† is as inappropriate as â€Å"

CHAPTER 8 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CHAPTER 8 - Coursework Example When carrying out research, it is important to eliminate bias acts in the process. Using a method that freely involves any of the students will reduce biasness in the manner of selecting students for the survey. In probability sampling, there is a previous knowledge of the probability that a student participates in the survey (Maxfield and Earl, 223). The sample collected from the chosen respondents reflects the general feeling of the total population from which the samples originate. Probability sampling has advantages over other methods of survey. The first advantage is that it offers a better representation of the population than the other methods of survey. The manner of choosing the participants allows for proper representation of the people in the population. Through this, therefore, the method avoids biasness that could occur in choosing participants. The second advantage is that probability sampling gives an opportunity for the sampler to estimate the accuracy of the survey. Through drawing conclusions on probability theory, it is possible to estimate success or failure of the method accurately (Maxfield and Earl,

Critical Thinking on Controversial Topic Research Paper

Critical Thinking on Controversial Topic - Research Paper Example 16). The situations given above show that communication is not easy. It can be found anywhere especially leaders deal with such situations that will test their experience and temperament in solving the issue. Clear communication is the key through discipline and proper advancing of agendas, promoting learning and strengthening relationships (Jarkins, 1999, p. 73). In real world situation, conflict is approached head on to solve it. If the conflict is not solved, it may just prolong the agony and the problem would still be there. Some people may give certain advice on how to make difficult conversations easier. Ten ways can be done: opening the lines of communication, acknowledging the other person’s willingness to talk, setting a time limit, paraphrasing each other’s comments, working out a compromise, making a list of questions to be answered, accepting being wrong, respecting expert opinion, understanding the emotional factors, and reviewing the things learned (Goldsm ith, 2011). The paper will not go into the details of the ten ways in dealing with difficult conversations but will focus on critical thinking skills on controversial topics. Critical thinking helps people to become wise even though they may not be practicing philosophers. What matters most is the concept of giving up two senses: â€Å"sense of obviousness and sense of absurdity,† (Sen, 2010, p. 1). Critical thinking contributes to intelligence analysis and a formal meaning may develop the ground towards the understanding of its importance according to the definition of Richard Paul and Lina Elder: that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem -- in which the [solitary] thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them (Moore, 2007, p. 8). The definition clearly shows what critical thinking is. Basically it is a way or process of thinking about certain matter wherein the person or thinker does his best effort to improve his ability in learning and understanding the reason. In simpler words, each person gives meaning to a certain thing through mental maps or representation of the reality. Such an activity aides the person in proceeding to â€Å"revising, expanding, improving [†¦] mental map† and the understanding of the reality. In critical thinking, memory plays a key role (Leicester, 2010, p. 2). Since critical thinking is already defined, the next term is controversial topics. Controversial topics are issues that people have very strong yet various feelings and opinions and are subject to heated debates. Various opinions may come from social, political or religious beliefs. Controversial topics make people either positive or negative depending upon the created strong arguments for and against the subjects. Controversial topics are used in research assignments especially on reviews and looking at the pro s and cons (Questia, n.d.). in other words, controversial are things that have more than two ways of viewing the right answer while topics which are usually controversial are issues that cause heated debate due to more than one â€Å"correct† answer (Versfeld, 2005, p. 7). In Harvard Law School being the center for training the would-be law professionals, difficult conversations happen and are allowed. In the past, the school management of

Pricing strategy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Pricing strategy - Article Example the nearby neighborhood, while a bigger retail chain can focus on its promoting towards neighborhoods in a larger city , while disregarding clients in different landmasses. Geographic Segmentation is imperative and may be viewed as the first venture to worldwide advertising, emulated by demographic and psychographic division. The utilization of national guests is the institutional utilization of geographic division, despite the fact that geographic sections may be grouped by recognized land districts. Demographic division is isolating markets into diverse gatherings as indicated by their epoch, sexual, pay, ethnic group or religion of the commerce segment and the life cycle of the family. The U.S. Evaluation utilizes demographic division to archive and fragment the individuals living in the U.S. Lifestyle division, which is some of the time called psychographics. This is measured by considering the exercises, investment, and assessments (Aios) of clients. By recognizing and comprehension buyer lifestyle, organizations can create limited time blends and product offerings, which tailor to their needs. In Sales Territory Management, utilizing more than one paradigm to portray the associations accounts, for example, fragmenting deals accounts by government, business, client, and so on and record size/term, in exertion to expand time proficiency and deals volume. A standout amongst the most widely recognized pointers of high-hazard clients is a drop off in utilization of the organizations administration. For instance, in the Mastercard business this could be motioned through a clients decrease in using on his or her car Peer Reviewed: Fruit and Vegetable Pricing by Demographic Factors in the Birmingham, Alabama, Metropolitan Area, 2004-2005. 2014. Peer Reviewed: Fruit and Vegetable Pricing by Demographic Factors in the Birmingham, Alabama, Metropolitan Area, 2004-2005. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901576/. [Accessed 28

Economic growth and convergence in poor countries Dissertation

Economic growth and convergence in poor countries - Dissertation Example d stimulation of the sales by means of advertising, personal sales, public relations and various material incentives addressed to consumers, agents and sellers; provision of price conditions, that include planning of the systems and price levels for provided goods, defining technology of price, credit, discount usage; satisfaction of technical and social norms of the region where the products are sold, which means the duty to provide appropriate security of product consumption and environment protection, accordance to moral norms, appropriate level of consumer value of the product; managing economic growth activity as a system, i.e. planning, carrying out and control of economic growth program and individual duties of each participant of production process; evaluation of the risks and profits, efficiency of economic growth decisions. The given paper will provide the analysis of the problems, which developing countries face on the way to economic growth and will prove that in order to stimulate economy, it is necessary to provide innovations in the field of marketing and management. Research analysis and limitations The research process should cover a number of stages. First and foremost, the detailed review of literature is performed, to identify the gaps in research and develop a clearer picture of contemporary management practices in the developing countries. The development of the research question was followed by the analysis of the available literature and potential research objects. Researched countries made the whole research relevant, efficient, and justified. The choice of Ukraine as an example was followed by the development of the research instrument and its analysis. The most important research findings include: The prevailing majority of developing... During the process of market-oriented reformatting a new model of economic development was shaped in many developing countries. It is characterized by high degree of economical openness towards foreign commerce. Many developing countries face the following problems:†¢Ã‚  Limited domestic demand, caused by total pauperization of the population and large-scale humiliation of pre-reforming savings. It leads to narrowness of domestic market, which produces a small volume of solvent demand, regardless of relatively big population. Under such circumstances export becomes a significant factor of economic growth, which is abnormal for economical security of the state, and affects the perspectives of the state influence on the processes of world economy. Market narrowness does not produce appropriate stimulus for investment in the state from domestic and foreign investors.†¢Ã‚  Unfavorable nature of investment climate, caused by incompleteness of the market-addresses institutional r eforms, high level of interference of state institutions and officials into economical activity, high rates of corruption, incompleteness of market infrastructure. It produces the narrowness of domestic market and detracts the capital flows from the country.For example, the crisis of Ukrainian economy was caused by insufficiently considered monetary policy of the government and influence of the structures that are interested in creation of economy of non-payment. Government is planning to remove these structures.

Comparative Legal System Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparative Legal System - Article Example During the early centuries, the judges and justices were responsible for adapting the Writ system to meet everyday needs, and the application of a mixture of common sense and precedent in order to create a body of internally consistent law. For example, the Law Merchant began in the Pie-Powder Courts (a corruption of the French "pieds-poudr's" or "dusty feet", meaning ad hoc marketplace courts). "As Parliament developed in strength, and subject to the doctrine of separation of powers, legislation gradually overtook judicial law making so that, today, judges are only able to innovate in certain very narrowly defined areas. Time before 1189 was defined in 1276 as being time immemorial." (English law English law. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_law) According to Mary Ann Glendon, "Reception of a legal system depends upon the fusion of the local culture with that of the settling nation ... Where a cultural assimilation has occurred, the English common law has shown remarkable capaci ty for adaptation." (Mary Ann Glendon et al 1999) During the British Empire, Britain exported its legal system to various countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, including the United States, and many aspects of the British legal system have persisted since the withdrawal of the British. English law before the Independence Wars still has an influence on the law in the United States, and English law provides the basis for some American policies and legal traditions. Many states that were formerly subject to English law (such as Australia) continue to recognise a link to English law - subject, of course, to statutory modification and judicial revision to match the law to local conditions - and decisions from the English law reports continue to be cited from time to time as persuasive authority in present day judicial opinions. For a few states, the British Privy Council remains the ultimate court of appeal (English_law http://www.smso.net/English_law)Similarly, because the UK remains a strong international trading nation, "international consistency of decision making is of vital importance, so the Admiralty is strongly influenced by Public International Law and the modern commercial treaties and conventions regulating shipping" (http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/English-law) As former colonists of Great Britain, the Founding Fathers of the United States tended to adopt much of the British legal system. The United States, Great Britain and Wales all have a law that is made by courts (common law) rather than laws handed down by a monarch or some other central governmental authority such as a legislature. The jury, a panel of ordinary citizens chosen to decide a case, is an integral part of our common-law system. Use of juries to decide cases, is a distinguishing feature of the American legal system. Few other countries in the world use juries as we do in the United States. Over the centuries, many people have believed that juries in most cases reach a fairer and more just result than would be obtained using a judge alone, as many

Slavery Was a Discriminative Vice That Affected the Blacks and Scots Research Paper

Slavery Was a Discriminative Vice That Affected the Blacks and Scots in England - Research Paper Example Even after the independence of the native countries, the slaves would still serve in the Britain industries. This is an evident trend across the majority of the western nations. The existence of these slaves brought subsequent generations that entailed racial and cultural diversity. This phenomenon has revealed trends of stereotypes and diversities amongst ethnic groups in society. Majority of the blacks still appear as slaves to the recent day3. Usherwood explores this trend in his article. He uses his legal expertise to advocate for the complete abolition of slavery in western nations. Slavery is a historical phenomenon that manifests intense persistence in modern society. Slave trade and immigration from Africa was an antique event4. However, its ramifications are still evident in the modern day. The trends of slavery have survived antiquity and infiltrated to the current society. This is due to the political perspective of slavery. Most nations viewed slavery as a positive featur e in society5. Therefore, policies would be implemented for the existence and advocacy of slavery. This would occur in the western governments due to their power over the colonial subjects. It would also occur in these nations due to the cheap labor6. These were major factors that posed a major difficulty in the abolishment of slavery. Therefore, slavery trends are still existent after the historical events of immigration and the slave trade. The initiation of the slavery abolition was evident in a court of law. Lord Chief Justice ordered for a release of slaves in England7. This would be a challenging process, but the legal system still pursued it. In this time, the legal system ordered all the slave owners to set them free and settle their compensations in harmony. This court order was not a congruent move with the majority of the slave masters in society.

Voyage Calculation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Voyage Calculation - Research Paper Example The distances and the loads of each port have been used from internet sources. Where required the original sources have been given credit and logical formulae have been applied to arrive at the respective calculations. Tasks I. Maximum Coal Capacity 1. Maximum quantity of Iron ore that can be carried from Gladstone to Karachi. 2. Maximum quantity of Iron ore that can be carried from Newstone to Karachi. 3. Maximum quantity of Iron ore that can be carried from Hampton Roads to Karachi. II. Cost per Tonnage The cost per tonne of cargo for a round voyage from Port Gladstone to Karachi is USD 23.58 per tonnes of cargo. The cost per tonne of cargo for a round voyage from Port Newcastle to Karachi is USD 23.58 per tonnes of cargo. The cost per tonne of cargo for a round voyage from Hampton Roads to Karachi is USD 23.58 per tonnes of cargo. The cost per tonne of cargo for a round voyage from Port Roberts Bank to Karachi is USD 23.58 per tonnes of cargo. Additional notes: Allow two days for leeway per voyage for the whole trip. Allow 1 day for transiting the Suez canal. Allow half a day for bunkering in Gibraltar and in Suez. Gibraltar Bunker prices (Petromedia Ltd, 2009). Distances are obtained from Reed's Marine Distance Tables (Caney & Reynolds, 2000). Suez Canal transit cost (Leth agencies, 2009). III - Number of Shipments and ship speed a. Gladstone to Karachi There will be 3 shipments needed to transport coal from Gladstone to Karachi. The vessel will not be fully loaded on its last voyage. b. Newcastle to Karachi There will be 5 shipments needed to transport coal from Newcastle to Karachi. The vessel will not be fully loaded on its last voyage. c. Hampton Roads to Karachi There will be 5 shipments...The report will be covering the following aspects: It is necessary to understand that the contents of the report are based on a values that have been gathered from secondary research over the internet. The distances and the loads of each port have been used from internet sources. Where required the original sources have been given credit and logical formulae have been applied to arrive at the respective calculations. It is very much possible that there will be pre-monsoon and summer rains that can affect the course and speed of the vessels. Thus, allowance in the costs has to be made for such stoppages and slowdowns.

Two Bildungsromans in One Story Essay Example for Free

Two Bildungsromans in One Story Essay In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch become more cultured and mature young-adults by experiencing different events. Scout became more lady-like when she observed and helped Calpurnia at her Aunt Alexandra’s brunch. Jem learned from Atticus and Miss Maudie that you should not take pride in your talents. Jem and Scout Finch became more adult-like and mature young people by experiencing different events. It begins with Scout sitting in on her Aunt Alexandra’s missionary brunch. Scout Finch became more lady-like when she observed and helped out at her Aunt Alexandra’s brunch. Scout saw that Calpurnia was doing everything, so she asked if Cal needed any help. ‘â€Å"Can I help you Cal?’ I asked, wishing to be of some service.† (Lee 306). Even when Miss Stephanie Crawford asked Scout if she wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up, Scout stopped and thought for herself, rather than to please others. ‘â€Å"Don’t you want to be a lawyer?† Miss Maudie’s hand touched mine and I answered mildly enough, ‘Nome, just a lady.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lee 308) Scout learned in this chapter how to be a lady, just as Jem over the course of chapters, learned how to be a gentleman. Jem learned from Atticus and Miss Maudie that a gentleman never takes pride in his talents. When Jem saw his father shoot a wandering mad dog dead-on, he realized something very important; a gentleman should never take pride in his talents. â€Å"Jem became vaguely articulate: ‘D you see him, Scout? D’ you see him just standin’ there?’n’ all of a sudden he just relaxed all over, an’ it looked like that gun was a part of him†¦an’ he did it so quick, like†¦I hafta aim for ten minutes ‘fore I can hit somethin’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lee 129). Miss Maudie had to explain to Jem why his father never told him about his talent in hunting. ‘â€Å"People in their right minds never take pride in their talents,’ said Miss Maudie.† (Lee 130). Both Jem and Scout Finch had small, different realizations throughout the book. Both Jem and Scout Finch learned to become adults in their own different ways. With Scout, she figured out that if you want there to be change in the world, you can’t sit around and do nothing, you have to go out and get it, wherever you can. â€Å"‘Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad, an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home-†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lee 331). For Jem, growing up is more about facing the world for it is, and not what he wished it would be. â€Å"Atticus said that Jem was trying hard to forget something, but what he was really doing was storing it away for a while, until enough time passed. Then he would be able to think about it and sort things out.† (Lee 331). In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch became more informed, and mature young-adults by watching the examples set by their family, and the people who love them. Scout learned from Calpurnia that if you can help someone, then you should. Jem learned from Miss Maudie that people in their right minds never take pride in their talents. Even though they learn it by going through different events, they both come to the conclusion that to change the world, you must first change what is around you. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1960. Print.

Analysing The Use Of Electroconvulsive Therapy In Prisons Psychology Essay

Analysing The Use Of Electroconvulsive Therapy In Prisons Psychology Essay An inmate with depression may provide many difficulties into the penal system. Among other things depression may make an inmate more prone to violent as well as suicidal tendencies. In cases such as this it is important for an inmate to receive swift treatment as, in this state, they are a hazard to themselves as well as others. Electroconvulsive therapy is a treatment method that has been used to effectively treat individuals with severe depression for many years. It has been found to treat the illness faster and more effectively than many other depression treatment options. This manuscript briefly discusses depression within the penal system as well as goes into detail about electroconvulsive therapy and how it is effectively employed to assist those suffering from severe depression. An inmate within the penal system suffering from a mental illness presents unique challenges to the staff as well as fellow inmates within these facilities. Statistics indicate that inmates suffering from a mental illness are more prone to disciplinary problems within the correctional system and are also more prone to recidivism after release (James Glaze, 2006). One may surmise that, as the severity of the illness increases, the identified risks increase accordingly. This makes it extremely important for the staff of the facility to treat the illness in the quickest and most effective way possible. The standard first-line treatment for most mental disorders involves pharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatments or a combination of both (Potter, Rudorfer, Manji, 1991). In some cases pharmacological and psychotherapeutic methods take too much time or the inmate may not be able to tolerate the medications. In cases such as this, there are other methods which may be utilized in orde r to treat the inmates mental illness. This manuscript will focus upon the mental illness of depression while briefly discussing the effects it introduces into the penal system. It will also identify and discuss the method of electroconvulsive therapy and how it may be a prudent method for treating severe cases of depression within inmate populations. Due to time constraints the issue of informed consent in permitting treatment is not discussed. Literature Review In order to compose a manuscript upon the subject of depression and electroconvulsive therapy, a solid definition was needed. Definitions were provided through the use of the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary for electroconvulsive therapy (Electroshock Therapy, 2010) and from WordWeb for depression (Depression, 2010). Additionally, the DSM-IV provided the symptoms which accompany a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) while the United Kingdom Advocacy Network (1995) provided a list of mental illnesses which ECT has been used to treat. James and Glaze (2006), through the Bureau of Justice Statistics, also provided statistics upon the mental illnesses and symptoms which are found within the penal system of the United States. It is upon this information that the manuscripts conclusions are partly based. The history of electroconvulsive therapy is discussed within the manuscript. Finger (2006) discussed how experiments upon the effects of electricity upon the brain can be traced back to Benjamin Franklin. Electroconvulsive therapy did not take its current form until 1938 when Cerletti and Bini started using electricity to treat those with mental illness (Endler, 1988). Weiner and Krystal (1994) discuss how the mainstream use of ECT declined greatly after the discovery of psychotherapeutic drugs in the 1950s and 1960s. Even though this is the case, Scott (2005) discusses how ECT is still the primary course of treatment for cases of severe depression. ECT has been proven to be an effective means through which depression is treated. Janicak, Davis, Gibbons, Ericksen, Chang, and Gallagher (1985) as well as Rudorfer, Henry, and Sackheim (1997) found that ECT performed better in controlled studies than any other form of treatment for depression. Other studies have shown that ECT also outperforms antidepressants in average effectiveness (Abrams, 1997) as well as the speed of its effects (Rudorfer, Henry, Sackheim, 1997). While the administration of ECT is an effective treatment of depression, it is not curative. Sackheim, Haskett, Mulsant, Thase, Mann, Pettinati, Greenberg, Crowe, Cooper, and Prudic (2001) found the relapse rate of ECT patients to be around 90% within the first six months after treatment. The chance of relapse can be lowered by either a continuation of treatment through the use of mood stabilizers and antidepressants (Sackeim, 1994) or through maintenance ECT treatments for approximately four to six weeks after the initial sessions (Rasmussen, 2003). Gagne, Furman, Carpenter, and Price (2000) found that the best results were produced through a combination of psychotherapeutic drugs and maintenance ECT sessions. Due to the controversial nature of ECT, the process of administration is briefly discussed within the manuscript. This was provided jointly by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (1995) as well as the Salford Community Health Council (1998). In this way, the facts about ECT may be better understood and controversial feelings about the treatment may be alleviated. As with any treatment, ECT produces certain side effects within the patients who choose to undergo this form of treatment. One such side effect includes memory and cognitive impairment. Scott (2005) discusses how this is a common side effect that is associated with ECT sessions. While this may be the case, Lisanby, Maddox, Prudic, Devanand, and Sackeim (2000) found that the memories that are lost are more likely to be of an impersonal nature rather than personal. It has been reported by Calev (1994) and Weiner (2000) that patients suffering from cognitive and memory losses improve substantially once the treatments are completed with few patients complaining of residual effects. Discussion Severe Depression in Inmate Populations Depression, as defined by WordNet, is a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity (Depression, 2010). A survey conducted in 2006 by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on mental health problems of inmates within the penal system provides insight into the possible impact that depression may have upon those within the penal system. The survey found that within the 12 months prior to the conduction of the survey 23.9% within state prisons, 16.2% within federal prisons, and 30.4% within local prisons had experienced five or more symptoms indicative of major depressive disorder (James Glaze, 2006). Symptoms that are included within a diagnosis of major depressive disorder include thoughts of revenge, persistent anger or irritability, or whether the individual has ever attempted suicide among other symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Symptoms such as these may cause an inmate to act out violently against fellow inmates or staff as well as forcing staff to place the inmate under a suicide watch. This requires the institution to spend precious resources which may be better utilized elsewhere within the compound. In cases such as this, it would be helpful for the institution to have a treatment option at their disposal which could treat the inmates suffering from these symptoms swiftly with few side effects allowing them to integrate into the penal system with as few difficulties as possible. Electroconvulsive Therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is defined by Merriam-Webster Online as the treatment of mental disorder and especially depression by the application of electric current to the head of a usually anesthetized patient that induces unconsciousness and convulsive seizures in the brain (Electroshock Therapy, 2010). Early experimentation on the effects of electricity upon brain function may be traced back to Benjamin Franklin (Finger, 2006). ECT, as it is recognized today, was first used to treat mentally ill patients in 1938 by Cerletti and Bini (Endler, 1988) at which point it became a mainstream treatment. In the 1950s and the 1960s, psychotherapeutic drugs were discovered (Weiner Krystal, 1994) replacing ECT as the premiere treatment for certain forms of mental illness though its use continues to this day. ECT has been utilized to treat a large array of conditions including (United Kingdom Advocacy Network, 1995): Various neuropsychiatric conditions Mania Schizophrenia Post-natal depression Anxiety Hypomania Post-traumatic stress disorder Puerperal psychosis Currently, the only condition that ECT is the primary form of treatment for is that of severe depression (Scott, 2005). This is due to the fact of the severe symptoms caused by severe cases of depression such as extreme suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, and refusal to eat. As is evidenced above, ECT has been proven time and time again through research and practice to be an effective means to treat several different psychological disorders. In fact, there have not been any controlled studies conducted where any other treatment has outperformed the effectiveness of ECT in the treatment of depression (Janicak, Davis, Gibbons, Ericksen, Chang, Gallagher, 1985; Rudorfer, Henry, Sackheim, 1997). It has been calculated that the average response rate of patients with major depression to ECT treatment is 70% to 90% compared to the response rate of antidepressant medications which are most commonly the primary treatment prescribed for depressive disorders which is 60% to 70% (Abrams, 1997). There has even been evidence presented showing that ECT produces the desired effects faster than that of antidepressants (Rudorfer, Henry, Sackheim, 1997). While the facts discussed above provide a strong argument for the use of ECT as a primary treatment for individuals suffering from severe depression, just as with antidepressants, it is not a curative treatment. Relapse in patients that have undergone ECT sessions have been found to be around 90% within six months after treatment (Sackheim, Haskett, Mulsant, Thase, Mann, Pettinati, Greenberg, Crowe, Cooper, Prudic, 2001). Therefore, in order to maintain the benefits of ECT sessions, it is necessary for a patient to receive future treatments within in the form of antidepressants and/or mood stabilizer medications (Sackeim, 1994) or weekly maintenance ECT sessions for approximately four to six weeks (Rasmussen, 2003). Gagne, Furman, Carpenter, and Price (2000) found that patients that received a continuation of a combination of the two treatment options were less likely to suffer from a relapse than those patients who received only antidepressant treatment. Therefore, if the patient i s administered the proper treatment options after the cessation of regular ECT sessions the patient should continue to reap the benefits that were provided during the initial sessions. Administration As one may presume, ECT is a precise treatment method which, if administered improperly, may inflict more damage to an individual rather than aiding in their recovery. Researchers continuously review data as well as run tests on the many different aspects of ECT and how each one affects the outcome of an individuals ECT session. This section briefly summarizes the procedure that is followed when administering ECT to an individual. During the administration of ECT the first thing that happens is an anesthesiologist administers a general anesthetic as well as a muscle relaxer. This causes the patient to fall asleep as well as causes all of the patients muscles to relax preventing the muscles from convulsing during the administration of the electrical shocks. As the anesthetic is administered the patient is also given oxygen which continues for the duration of the session. After the induction of sleep, a small electric current is passed through the brain of the patient through two small pads that are placed in specific regions on either both sides or the same side of the scalp causing mild convulsions within the brain. Once the procedure is over it may be necessary for the patient to undergo more sessions of ECT in order to receive the most positive effect possible from the treatments (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995; Salford Community Health Council 1998). Side Effects As with any form of treatment through which something is being administered to an individuals body, ECT does produce certain side effects. The side effects most concerning to individuals during the decision of whether or not to partake in ECT are that of memory and cognitive impairment. Individuals upon which ECT has been administered have been found to suffer from amnesia in respect to events that happen both before and after an ECT session (Scott, 2005). While this may be the case, research has shown that the event memories that are lost are more likely to be of an impersonal rather than personal nature (Lisanby, Maddox, Prudic, Devanand, Sackeim, 2000). However, it has been reported that after the completion of a course of ECT, the patients memory losses improve substantially with a few patients reporting residual difficulties (Calev, 1994; Weiner, 2000). Conclusion Severe depression may introduce many different problems into an inmate population such as violent as well as suicidal tendencies. These are two propensities which a prison staff tries to suppress as quickly as possible. It has been found that sometimes, in severe cases of depression resulting in strong suicidal urges, psychotherapeutic drugs may not take effect quickly enough. In cases such as this, ECT may be the wisest treatment option available. Studies have found that ECT treats severe depression faster and more effectively than standard drug treatments which, in cases of violent and suicidal tendencies within the inmate population, is of the utmost importance. Once the initial ECT sessions have been completed, it should not be difficult for an inmate to receive continued treatments, both psychotherapeutic as well as ECT, to maintain the same positive effects that were produced by the initial treatments due to their incarcerated state. In this way, the inmate who suffered from th e severe depression may be reincorporated into the prison population without posing a risk to themselves or others due to mental illness.

IKEAs Entry Into South America

IKEAs Entry Into South America Executive Summary Ikea seeks to continue expanding its retail presence around the world through worldwide franchising of the Ikea concept. We propose an immediate expansion of Ikea into South America, specifically a storefront in Brazil. Using a balanced scorecard approach we address the primary issues in such an expansion. We also believe Brazil is a logical candidate for longer term expansion on the manufacturing (sourcing) side of Ikea and provide supporting analysis for such expansion. Although we have limited access to actual Financials, we believe the initial investment required to be about $20 million. Sales estimates exceed $70million per year. Since costs should also be typical of other sites around the world, expected earnings after tax are 8% of sales. In addition to the need for access to capital, a well-located site for retail activity must be secured. This site would be at the edge of Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo near highway access. Marketing Strategy: All marketing is based on the IKEA business idea: We shall offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, at prices so low, that the majority of people can afford to buy them Although Brazilian customers are used to negotiating on price, we feel a fixed price retail store will do well since the prices are low, and the shopping experience is primarily self-service. Most of the over 6000 products will continue to be produced in Asia and Europe. All products will continue to come through Ikeas distribution channel. Since the majority of furniture comes in a flat package, the distribution method has been proven to be cost effective. The possible need for regional distribution center is a risk factor that would increase investment required. The regulatory environment in Brazil allows foreign investment and the repatriation of profits. With respect to people, Ikea has a strong culture. Ikea is a value driven company that values hard work. About 400 Employees will be hired for the first Ikea Brazil store. Training is available through Ikea University, which is uses traveling instructors and on line training materials. Overall Brazil looks like an attractive entry point into the South American furniture market. Background Founded in the late 1940s by Ingvar Kamprad created the concept of IKEA, a furniture company that provided quality fashionable furniture at prices everyone can afford. Although its business model at the time was much different then the mega stores today, this fundamental approach to furniture has remained the same. Despite its very risk-adverse nature, IKEA became the first furniture company to expand internationally. High bulk to value, high transportation costs, and susceptibility to damage are all issues IKEA was able to overcome with its innovative approach of selling furniture collapsed flat boxes. This approach not only lowered its shipping and inventory costs, but also creatively transferred the labor-intensive assembly costs to the customer. IKEAs innovate approach to adding the consumer to the value chain in effort to keep prices low and quality high has won it very loyal fans everywhere it has reached. Packed to the brim, its stores attract customers from great distances who load up their cars to furnish entire rooms or homes in a single trip. Constantly introducing new innovative new products, its model rooms in its stores and catalogs have provided a creative way introduce its new products to complement its existing product line. The model rooms and catalogs teach the customers how to piece together an entire room from the furniture to the dà ©cor with all IKEA products. Fashionable and trendy it encourages customers to live the IKEA life. Financials Background: Ikea is a privately owned company with an extraordinarily opaque organization. Financial statements are not publicly available. The Ikea Group is ultimately owned by the Stitching Ingka Foundation, a charitable trust based in the Netherlands. The Ikea Group manufactures and sells products. Franchise stores are a part of the IKEA group, as shown in figure 1. However, Inter Ikea Systems, a separate company, owns Ikeas intellectual property. Franchises: Inter IKEA Systems B.V. constantly seeks market expansion, and grants new franchises to markets/territories according to a detailed expansion plan (Company Web Site). Ikea has identified location as a primary success factor, since store sales volume is so dependent on location. Franchises are granted only to organizations and/or individuals that can secure a strong market position and market penetration in the given territory [and have] the financial strength and potential as well as have identified well located sites for the retail activity. Investment required: Based on recent examples, such as the Ikea store opened in Israel in 2003, typical investment is ~ $15M with a leased store. It is estimated that another $5M would be required for the building and infrastructure improvements. It is also estimated that a new distribution center may be required for the region. If this is required, it is likely multiple stores will be needed to justify such an investment. Revenue: With 190 stores, sales top 12.2B Euro. This means on average each store generates 67M euro ($78M/store). To validate this assumption, it should be noted that Germany accounts for 1/5th of turnover with a proportionate 33 stores. Costs: The Ikea store concept requires relatively little human resources, so costs are a function of other overhead such as lease, warehousing, utilities, taxes and advertising. It can be noted that manufacturing is primarily Poland and Asia, as Ikea grows in size, it should consider Brazil as third major manufacturing center for local and worldwide use. Earnings: After tax earnings for the IKEA group were shared in the 1997 book, The History of Ikea. Figures in the book show Ikea posted a profit of $905 million or 8% of sales. Other sources have estimated after tax profits as high as 18%. This indicates the stores are equally profitable, but must be verified before moving forward. Profits and royalties can be repatriated from Brazil. While not all of IKEA stores were profitable, most were. In order to go forward with this project we would want to verify the success factors and make sure our pro-forma financial statements were similar to other successful stores. Planned Store information Size 24,000 to 32,000 square meters Products 6,000 to 10,000 Room Settings 45 to 50 Parking Spaces 800 to 2000 Customer Loading Spaces 20 to 50 Cash Lanes 16 to 30 Restaurant Seating 400 to 700 Co-Workers 380 to 500 Land 24 to 30 Acres Production Brazil has abundance of high quality wood and low labor prices. This is an important reason for IKEA-Brazil to produce the furniture in Brazil and distribute locally. Brazilian taste for furniture indicates that they appreciate wider moldings that the standard American moldings. This along with a few more customizations might be essential to market IKEA products in the Brazilian market. In the late 90s there has been an increase in quantity (+2.5%) and a simultaneous increase in exports (+11%), which show the increasing competitiveness of the Brazilian industry on international markets. Factors at the root of this process are most certainly the use of ever more advanced technology acquired thanks to huge investments in capital goods (in 1996 US$ 220 million was invested in machinery, mainly from Italy, Germany and the United States) which has increased the productive capacity of sector companies, and the effects of the process of opening up to international trade which intensify the significant comparative advantages of Brazil compared to other exporting countries: excellent quality raw materials at low costs and flexible labor. Delivery Latin Americas most important trade show happens at Brazil and this is the most sought after trade show. Brazil stands as the main sourcing country for furniture for the whole of Latin America. Brazil is the largest country in South America and shares its border with a lot of countries. Since the South-east of Brazil is the economic center of Brazil, cities Rio de Janeiro and Sà £o Paulo are favorable places to establish IKEA stores. Land transportation is becoming more effective in that about 85% of Brazils people and products are transported by road. Brazilian highways are of modern design and link all the state capitals by paved roads. Problems still arise in the rural and remote areas as water floods the roads making them impassable for days. Sometimes road construction after the floods is delayed inhibiting travel even more. IKEA-Brazil can offer high quality products at low prices with the efficient methods of distribution and close relationships with manufacturers. This will ensure that even during problematic situations like flooding, the majority of the sales are not affected due to transportation issues. The same principle used everywhere else where the need for distribution is cut out by offering flat-packaged items that are warehoused in the stores and picked up by the customers on site, will be the key. The customer is spared shipping, storage and assembly costs resulting in dramatically lower product prices. Issues with the labor workforce Labor is cheap in Brazil compared to Europe and America. But with this cheap workforce and swinging economy of the country comes a multitude of issues that are worth investigating. Half of the labor force in Brazil is employed in the informal sector. Even though the government employs minimum wage, this is hardly followed and the wages are compensated often with respect to the fluctuations in the economy. In Brazil, 50 percent of the workforce is outside formal collective bargaining structures. Thus the labor laws in Brazil might make it expensive to employ workforce. Quality Goals International companies are already sourcing out of Brazil for the past many years. Crossmart Brazil has nearly three decades of experience sourcing product for European catalogs out of 40 Brazilian plants. Crossmart relies on seven inspectors who constantly visit plants to check moisture content, finishes and overall quality. It is estimated that the company currently does $20 million a year in French mail orders alone. In the southeastern production centers of Brazil, we find products with a good qualitative level thanks to the use of modern production processes and suitable machinery. The effects of technological innovation and design created by some important trade fairs in these regions are also worth mentioning. With this kind of a history, the IKEA plant in Brazil should be able to achieve the quality standards that they have been able to measure up to internationally. Their products are not over-engineered to give a greater finish than the customer requires. Nevertheless quality is taken very seriously and the whole supply chain participates. The Ikea definition of quality is that the product must first be available in the store and secondly it must match up to the customers expectations: it must be complete, free from defects and easy to assemble. Returns to stores are analyzed and each product is carefully monitored. Legal and Regulatory It is important to note that Brazil is very friendly to foreign investors – domestic investors and foreign investors are treated equally. The largest restriction is that you must obtain a permanent visa in order to invest in Brazil as a foreigner – however, earnings may be repatriated after waiting for foreign currency to become available. The Ministry of Labor must approve this visa application. The minimum investment required is $200,000 (US) or the equivalent. The National Immigration Council can make exceptions if the new venture will create at least ten new jobs, or is of social interest. Once the visa is granted it will be valid for two years. At the conclusion of the initial two-year period the Ministry of Labor will perform an evaluation of the business to determine the feasibility of the venture before granting a definite extension. Internal Standards Foreign investors are encouraged to initiate discussions with state development agencies within the country. These agencies are available for government incentive programs. In addition to contacting local agencies it is important to note that a wide range of credit and financing options are available to investors through both foreign and domestic banks operating in Brazil. Finally, foreign investors are expected to import the funds for all major fixed capital requirements. Cultural and Environmental Conditions Personal contact is more important in business than other forms of communications (i.e. telephone or mail). This is largely because the working relationships in Brazil are built on trust. The most common form of doing business in Brazil is through incorporated subsidiaries; branches are very difficult to operate. Joint ventures do not require a local Brazilian partner, however, it is still encouraged. It is essential to establish a network of connections with the public sector in Brazil. The culture in Brazil relies heavily on favors and ‘who you know. These connections are important, but it is important to remember that these connections can, and will, change. Lastly, be prepared to negotiate on prices! Do not expect sales to occur quickly, and keep your best price till last. People IKEA has a company philosophy to create a better life for its customers, as well as its co-workers. This has significantly influenced the companys workplace environment. IKEA received the Family Champion award and is recognized as a great place to work here in America. IKEA empowers their coworkers and respects their personal lives. This has had a tremendous influence on job productivity, growth and development, which ultimately benefits the customer. The IKEA workplace includes many benefits and family friendly initiatives to support co-workers needs. In 2002, IKEA saw a 26% decrease in sales staff turnover. In addition, women represent more than 48% in management positions and are 47% of the companys top earners. This provides a proper fit for both IKEA and the Brazilian workforce. Brazil is a nation in which the richest 20 percent of the people receive 64 percent of the national income. It is a nation in which 40 percent of the people live on the equivalent of $2 US a day and over 20 percent live on the equivalent of $1 US a day. In May 2003 unemployment was up to 12.8%-it highest level in 14 months. For those that did work, the average wages in May 2003 fell to $290 US, 15% lower than a year earlier. However, the Brazilian workforce is renewing. The job market is very attractive to the ages of 25 to 39 years old. Brazilian women are making up a larger portion of the workforce. In 1970, only 18.5 percent of Brazilian women worked outside the home. This has since rose to 51 percent of the Brazilian workforce. The number of High School graduates has also risen from 35 percent in 1994 to 43 percent currently. A.T. Kearneys 2004 Top 12 Ranking for Offshore Location attractiveness includes Brazil: India China Malaysia Czech Republic Singapore Philippines Brazil Canada Chile Poland Hungary New Zealand The A.T. Kearney Offshore Location Attractiveness Index analyzed the top 25 off-shoring destinations against 39 measurements in three major categories: cost, people skills and availability, and business environment. The study team assigned weights reflecting the drivers of off-shoring decisions based on A.T. Kearney research and engagement experience. Because cost advantages have been the primary impetus behind off shoring, financial factors constitute 40 percent of the total index weight. People skills and availability and business environment each received a 30 percent weighting. Cost advantages and a large workforce Brazils strong points. IKEA has responded to national needs and cultural sensitivity issues. This has been a challenge for IKEA, but IKEA is meeting these challenges by finding a balance between country level autonomy and centralized intervention. To maintain service, quality and logistic standards, franchisees are audited for performance. The headquarters provides extensive training and operational support to the workers of all kind. The new organization has become flatter and is delegating more responsibility to subsidiaries. In addition, IKEA is committed to social policies to both employees and customers. IWAY provisions include health and safety standards, employee conditions such as access to rest areas and toilets, working hours and a minimum wage. IWAY is enforced worldwide but the criterion varies according to local culture and employment legislation. This is an additional benefit for the Brazilian workforce, where there has been some disparity in working conditions for minorities and women. IKEA has developed a mentoring program for learning and personal development of both the mentee and mentor with the expectation that by helping people to be partners they will become better employees. The evolution for the program is for IKEAs mentees to become IKEAs future mentors and Partners for Growth to become self-sustaining and seamless with the culture. IKEAs program is innovative, not only because it is grounded in the values of IKEAs culture, but also because it focuses on personal learning and development. It will help to secure its future as they expand, by creating a diverse group of leaders. Partners for Growth is now entering its second phase and is creating a culture where mentoring is available to all managers at IKEA. IKEA has launched Partners for Growth throughout the organization. Partners for Growth facilitates individual learning, promotes personal and professional growth and development, and has four strategic goals: Develop Leaders from top to bottom Support career development across the board Develop and support diversity through IKEA organization Strengthen IKEA culture References: Welcome to the Smart State, Queensland Australia http://www.sd.qld.gov.au Welcome to the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce http://www.brazilchamber.org Foreign Investments in Brazil http://www.cni.org.br/produtos/com_ext/src/doing05.pdf Isreal Investment News, Third Quarter 2001 http://www.moit.gov.il/root/Hidden/ipc/InvestNews17.htm The Diamondback Online, June 26, 2003 http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/06/26/news6.html Human Environment and Design, International Retailing http://www.hed.msu.edu/internationalretailing/company/IKEA/ Improving Supply Chain Management in the UK Furniture Industry, Case Study – Ikea Trading Area Poland http://www.pyetait.com/furniture-supplychain/docs/Case-Study-IKEA.doc Ikeas our vision http://www.ikea.com/content/about/vision/ Burt, Tim (1998). Ikea rated among Swedens top three businesses, Financial Times (London), Front Page- Companies Markets, pp. 23. The miracle of Amulet, Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1240462,00.html Brazil and Its History http://mdmd.essortment.com/brazilhistory_rmfq.htm Furniture Today, Brazil showing Good growth, March 22, 2004 http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/CA419023.html?display=Special+Report â€Å"Mentoring Relationships: Using Partner Preparation tools.† Mentor, Vol. 6, No 4.

The Affect of Child Labor on the World Essay -- Essays Papers

The Affect of Child Labor on the World Introduction Child labor is a very hot topic in today’s world. The problems associated with child labor have always been a part of life but thanks to Globalization, everyone is now more aware of the child labor issues that exist. Whether an individual is in favor or against child labor the fact is that child labor affects everyone, because child labor affects the global economy. Children who work play a big role in the economy because they produce goods and are paid wages just like adults; they are an active participant of the work force. Child Labor Issues It is estimated that more than 200 million children across the globe between the ages of 5-17 work instead of going to school. And of these, 171 million work in hazardous conditions. Even though child labor was widespread during the eighteenth century it was not until the industrial revolution that society began to realize the seriousness of abuses on children that worked. In the past children generally worked alongside their families to help the family survive, but those conditions were not as severe as when children began working more than ten-hour days in factories and in adverse conditions like those seen during the industrial revolution. There are many other factors that cause child labor such as poverty, social values and cultural circumstances but they tend to be complex to understand. It can be said that child labor is more widely seen in developing and third world countries than that of developed. This is due in part to the poverty that the majority of these people liv e in, and then children are forced to work to help support the family. Asia has the highest number of children below the age of 15 that work wi... ...y with child labor. Conclusion Forturnatly, many organizations and individuals feel very strongly about protecting children and are trying to develop solutions to many of the problems associated with child labor and also to help protect the rights of children in the work place and in general. The International Labor Organization is an agency that is trying to develop a strategy to help prevent children form loosing their childhood and education by being forced to work. Other agencies such as UNICEF are protection agencies that advocate the protection of children’s rights. References Basu, Kaushik. Sep, 1999. Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 37 No.3. American Economic Association. Children’s Rights. Oct. 2004 www.hrw.org/children/labor.htm Children in the Global Economy. Oct. 2004 www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/globableconomy/children.cfm

The Power of Ping-Pong Balls :: essays research papers

The Power of Ping-Pong Balls Being assigned an I-Search paper, I was to acquire a question that was appealing to me, and that I did. It all started after mindless searches via the internet and some procrastination, to which I found myself to be in front of the television. While I knew I should be looking for a suitable question, I still sat there watching on. I happened to be flipping through the channels when a commercial for the Mythbusters brought about the question if one can raise a sunken vessel with ping-pong balls, to which I thought, â€Å"Why would anyone want to use ping-pong balls to raise a- hey, that could be my question!† It was so hilariously stupid that it caught my attention, so I used it. I started my search by contacting my grandfather, John Walker, whom has been a boating enthusiast for his entire life. I asked him if he thought it was possible to raise a boat with ping-pong balls, to which he replied, â€Å"Why in the [world] would you want to use ping-pong balls?† He went on to tell me that he had heard a myth saying that a man raised his unfortunate ship using ping-pong balls, made from a factory he worked at. He also told me that to do so, one would have to use a ton of ping-pong balls and that all of the openings would have to be sealed to prevent any balls from escaping. It seemed possible, but I still didn’t have a definitive answer to my question, so I kept on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After my not-so-definitive interview with my grandfather I used msn.com to search the internet for anything related to the question I had chosen. Doing so lead me to a site which told of a Danish engineer, Karl Kroyer, that had tried to patent such and idea but was denied by the German Patent Office because of an American comic strip which described his idea of using ping-pong balls to raise a ship. This really didn’t answer my question but it did give an idea to where the myth came from. So I went to aj.com where I found a site for The International Starch Institute in Denmark, where it told of Karl Kroyer but not what the first site I visited told of. The site for I.S.I. says that Karl Kroyer was enlisted to raise a two-thousand gross-ton freighter of the Persian Gulf floor and he decided to use a method described in a Donald Duck comic strip.

Marketing Plan for Dell Inc

1. Introduction Today computer industry has become one of the most attractive industries both in terms of growth and viability. It is also considered as one of those industries where it is so hard to survive for the companies in it. The prevalence of the likes of HP, Dell Inc. and IBM has resulted in the fierce competition in this industry. These abovementioned companies struggle to win more market share or to be the best player in the industry. These report analysis situation analysis, SWOT analysis of Dell Inc. long with the environmental factors which could be potential influence on its current and future business operations. . It also illustrates the company’s future objectives and also marketing strategies set to achieve those objectives and to ensure that the company is one of the industry leaders. 2. Background It was initially named as â€Å"PCs Limited†, and then converted into the Dell Company which was named after the Michael Dell, who founded the company in 1984, when he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin.That’s Michael Dell who came up first with the idea or belief that selling personal computer systems directly to customers enables them to better understand customers’ needs and helps them to offer the best solutions to meet those needs. It was in 1985 when M. Dell’s company first manufactured their initial computer which was sold for US $795. Dell’s â€Å"PCs Limited† company would assemble computer units based each individual’s needs, orders or selections. That would give customers pretty much affordable price and more convenience than having to assemble those components on their own.Despite the fact that it wasn’t the first company to apply this method, it was almost the first to accomplish it. Even in its first year of trading, the company managed to reach pretty much admirable sales, approximately amounted to $73 million. In 1988, the company was given the name of t he Dell, founder of the company. Following 2 years, they decided to phase out their direct selling method, and start using warehouse clubs or computer stores to sell their computers. Realizing that it didn’t bring any success, they got back to their more effective direct-to-consumer model.In 1996, the customers were offered another convenience, which is a website through which consumers could buy the company’s products virtually. In 2002, the company expanded through entering the other markets such as television, audio players and printers. Since 2003, the company has been operating under the name of Dell Inc. (Michael Dell, 2012) 3. Current situation and business performance Since its emergence in 1984, the company has not just struggled to survive in competitive computer market but also been able to dominate the market to some extent.Now it’s not just a company with $ 1000 capital as it used to be initially, but has turned into a huge multinational computer te chnology corporation which is currently producing top-quality lap-tops, netbooks, PCs, printers, scanners and other computer-related products. Dell Inc. has been growing remarkably in terms of both customerbase and acquisitions. Atpresent it employs approximately 105000 people around the world. The CAO of the company is Michael Dell, American businessman. Dell Company is famous mainly for its ability to apply direct-sales model and its â€Å"configure to order† approach.Specifically, it can configure individual PCs based on customer specifications or order. (Michael Dell, 2012) 4. Marketing Environmental Analysis of Dell Marketing environment refers to the outside factors that can be influence on the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful customer relationships with their target market. Those forces include competitors, demographics, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological and global ones. 4. 1Competitors Prevalence of tough competitors su ch as HP Company, IBM Corporation, and Apple Inc. have always struggled with Dell Inc. or capturing customers and securing more market share. (Michael Dell, 2012) Hewlett Packard Company leads in the industry based on its market share with 27. 3 %. The second place belongs to Dell Inc. with slightly lower percentage, 26. 3 %. The other competitors, IBM and Apple Inc. have 14. 9 % and 8. 5 % market shares respectively. (Lord, R. , 2005)They all offer massive capabilities and are financially fit. This can affect the Dell’s ability to operate its business successfully. 4. 2Demographics Dell Inc. ’s products are currently sold in every corner of the world. That is why; the company has diversity of customers.Its products are mainly tailored and offered to business professionals, doctors and others who might need multiple computers. The reason why the company put more emphasis on this segment is because 40% of its overall sales come from this segment. Dell Inc. ’s pro ducts have mostly been purchased by women for the last decade. This trend is soaring. Those women are mainly the owners of small businesses or work in management positions. 4. 3 Economic Economic factors are also considered as a crucial part of marketing environment that could influence on the level businesses or industry operates. Market and DemandSelling prices, economic situation, disposable household income, product advancements and availability of substitute products are considered as the determinants of demand. Statistics say that the demand for computer industry has been declining in the last 5 years by 3. 2% annually. (IBIS World 2010) However, this trend is estimated or predicted to shift into a positive side. According to the speculations, the global industry is forecasted to grow by 6. 2% annually at average. 4. 4 Political/ Legal Like any other industries, computer industry is also under the control of political and legal regulations.Those radio frequency emissions regul atory, the anti-trust regulatory, the import-export regulatory agencies are in charge of regulating each single activity in computer industry. 4. 5Sociocultural Societal trends are continuously shifting in this computer industry. Consumers have switched to laptops from desktop computers which were in high demand few years ago. Yet, the Emergence of I-pods and other computer type systems are going to bring about another societal trend in the industry. Another changing trend is that most businesses are shifting to green marketing which involves producing more environmentally conscious products.Computer industry has also not been exception to that change. To reinforce this statement, we can take Dell Inc. ’s recycle model. The company offers recycling old computers thereby contribute to environmental welfare. Another example would be HP’s new model of computers that would consume much lower energies than the rest of the typical computers. 4. 6Technological Admittedly, com puter industry experienced considerable developments. Constant innovations and changes on products are being made by the companies in the computer industry. It is unquestionably crucial for Dell Inc. o keep up with technological shifts so as to survive in the competitive industry. Wildly usage of e-commerce generating great loads of sales shows the importance of keeping track of technological innovations. 5. Target Audience In today’s world, businesses are facing numerous challenges because of the harsh competition caused by the development of globalization. Thus, it has become very tough task for companies to survive or to be the best player in their industries. At present businesses are required to be competent in all spheres of their operations.Targeting the right market segment has also become one of the key factors for any sort of business. Therefore most companies are putting a lot of stress on considering their target market. Dell Inc. is also one of those companies. I ts target market incorporates 4 segments. 1)Home and home offices 2)Small and medium businesses 3)Large businesses 4)Governmental and educational institutions, namely: †¢Home and home offices segment consists of individual customers who want to buy computers or other related peripherals for the use at home. These groups of customers are not price conscious.They mostly focus on the word of mouth when considering specific products. Approximately 10% of the Dell’s overall sales come from this segment. †¢Small and medium business Companies employing 1 to 3500 people are called medium or small businesses. Dell Inc. is not keen on serving these customer groups. Hence, only 10% of its overall sales are grossed from this segment. †¢Large businesses are companies employing more than 3500 people, are the main target customers Dell usually serves. Therefore, the company grabs almost 75% of its total sales from large businesses.Obviously, the company has already establishe d solid relationships with large companies. †¢Dell Inc. doesn’t put a lot of stress on serving governmental and educational institutions. Hence, only 5% of its overall sales come from this customer group. (Fawcett, S. B. , Paine-Andrews, A. , Francisco, V. , Richter, K. P. , Lewis, R. K. , Williams, E. L. , Harris, K. J. , Winter-Green, K. , in collaboration with Bradley, B. and Copple, J. (2001) 6. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the business 6. 1 Strengths The Dell Inc. is one of the most popular and strongest companies in the world.Its strengths over the competitors enable the company to maintain successful business operations. Some of those strengths will be stated below: -Dell Inc. is the largest PC maker throughout the world, which is why it has strong brand equity. In turn, the strong brand equity would serve the company as a good assistance to attract and capture new customers more easily. (Michael Dell, 2012) -One of the greatest strengths of the c ompany is that it owns expertise on applying direct to consumer model which has unquestionably been the key for the company’s current sustainable position in the computer industry. (Wolf, T. , 1990).The company achieves cost reduction through not including middlemen or retailers during the process of getting the products to the customers. Through this approach, the company manages to better understand customer needs, wants and to deliver superior customer value. Moreover, it enables the company to win the trust and loyalty from customers and to maintain long-term relationships with them. Another strength of the Dell Inc. is that it achieves cost reduction through maintaining sound relationship with its suppliers. This lowered cost will make it easier for the company to capture more customers, thereby increase its market share. Fawcett, S. B. , Paine-Andrews, A. , Francisco, V. , Richter, K. P. , Lewis, R. K. , Williams, E. L. , Harris, K. J. , Winter-Green, K. , in collaborat ion with Bradley, B. and Copple, J. , 2001) -Another great thing about the Dell Inc. is that it offers free repair and technical support. -It uses Internet as it applies direct model which gives customers convenience in terms of lower cost and saved time. This certainly does entail customer’s add-value which is incredibly important in retaining customers. Finally, Dell Inc. has been able to establish sound relationships with large companies could be potential buyers of its products.Statistics say that its 75% sales are geared form the large business organizations. 6. 2 Weaknesses As an each business has certain weak point, so does Dell Inc. One of them would be its dependency on its suppliers. Dell Inc. usuallybuys the components from large suppliers which constitute very few numbers all over the world. That makes it just impossible for Dell Inc. to switch its suppliers. (Berkowitz, W. R. , 1999). -Another weakness of the company would be the fact that it doesn’t usual ly set links with retailers or middlemen as it mainly uses direct to consumer model. Another weak point of the Dell Inc. s that it doesn’t usually put enough stress on serving college students as only 5% of its sales are grossed from this segment. The company needs to establish better relationships with educational institutions son as to increase its market share. (Michael Dell, 2012) The other weak point of the Dell Inc. is that it doesn’t enable its customers to physically touch or see the product they want to purchase. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) Customers can not just go to the retail store and come back home with a lap-top in a single trip.They are going have to have to wait for some days before their computers are customized to their needs. (Berkowitz, W. R. ,1999). 6. 3 Opportunities Dell Inc. is becoming one of the dominant companies in the industry with higher level of opportunities than its competitors do . Diversification strategy initiated by Michael Dell, CAO of Dell Inc. , has improved the company’s opportunities to make a growth in sales, to capture much more customers than it used to. The strategy was applied by adding different sorts of computer-related products into its range. Those would be printers, scanners and other products.Furthermore, demand for PCs is continuously increasing. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) This means that the company has pretty good chance of succeeding in the industry. It’s worthwhile to mention that internet has been playing the most crucial role in the Dell Inc. ’s current achievements in its business performance. Internet is crucial as it’s become an interface between the company and customers. It enables customers to make orders to the company virtually without having to go to the retail stores, wasting their time, effort and money. (Berkowitz, W. R. , 1999). . 4 Thre ats Porter’s five forces model illustrates possible threats for Dell Inc. According to Michael Dell, it has been very tough task for the computer companies to stay in a strong position for long. The development of wireless networks, the influence of internet has changed the competitive landscape of the industry. He says: â€Å"one of the biggest threats is the changing computing model. These forces might be influence on the company’s ability to serve its customers and gear profits. They are the following forces: -Threat of new entrants -Threat of substitute products or services -Threat of competitive rivalry Threats of new entrants The fact that computer industry has been yielding admirable returns is the key reason why new firms are attracted to it. The entrants tend to share the profits in the industry. This means that they are real threats for the companies within the industry. (Lord, R. ,2005)However extensive capital outlay required for entering into the computer industry prevents possible new entrants from even considering this industry. That’s why Dell Inc. doesn’t have to worry about the threats of new entrants. (Fawcett, S. B. , Claassen, L. , Thurman, T. , Whitney, H. , and Cheng, H. , 2003) †¢Threats of SubstitutionPrevalence of many substitute products can pose very big threat to any company. Dell Inc. has also to think about coping with substitute products’ possible effects on its business performance. Emergence of phones which can replace computers is currently one of the biggest threats for computer companies including Dell Inc. At present most people prefer to have IPhones or other sort of phones rather than carrying lap-tops. The fact that modernphones can perform virtually all computer functions makes customers want to have them even more. Specifically, at present most phones can be used for internet, e-mail, and social media.This is more likely to cause uncertainty in the future of the likes of Dell I nc. †¢Threats from Competitors Clearly competitors also pose big threats to the Dell Inc. HP, IBM Inc. are examples for those main competitors of the Dell Inc. They always fight to secure greater market share through cost reductions, economies of scale or strategic business partnership. This tough competition makes it even harder for the Dell Inc. to stay alive or to be the best player in the industry. (Lord, R. , 2005) The objectives: -To increase its market share by 25% within 1 year -To turn the company into the best player To increase the consumers’ awareness on the company’s brand (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). As any sort of company has specific objectives, Dell Inc. has also certain objectives set forth so as to maintain and build sustainable and viable business operations. One of the most primary objectives of the company is to achieve more market share in the following year. It is planning to attain 25% more market share than its current state. E ven though it is clear that the main objective of any company is to capture more market share, attaining this goal will come with challenges. (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994).The company has to offer much better quality products and services at relatively low cost than the competitors do. The company is also planning to be the best player in the computer industry. This objective is interrelated to the previous one. Specifically, gaining more market share than any other competitors enables the company to turn into the best player in the Industry. (Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). Increasing the consumers’ brand awareness is unquestionably the most crucial objective that must be achieved by any company, because without gaining high levels of brand awareness, the company cannot generate enough sales. Unterman, I. , & Davis, R. H. , 1994). In other words only higher level of brand awareness can entail greater market share which in turn can enable the company to be one of the leading players in the computer Industry. 7. Marketing strategy Any company regardless of its position in its industry should continually update its marketing strategies so as to maintain long-term successful business operations and to attain a competitive edge which is unquestionably crucial in today’s business world. Dell Inc. lso has to employ marketing strategies in order to enhance its competitiveness and maintain its long-term leadership in the computer industry. (IBIS World, 2010). Usually, marketing strategies are of assistance for companies which want to achieve their organizational goals such as reaching more market share and higher customers’ brand awareness. Dell Inc. ’s marketing strategy also helps it to achieve its objectives such as being the low cost leader of computer products and also differentiating its offerings. (Michael Dell, 2012) Dell Inc. employs different types of marketing strategies which will be mentioned further.Dell capita lizes on differentiation strategy. To be more specific, it differentiates its offerings to various market segments based on the needs and wants of those customer groups. For example, computers designed for large businesses may vary from those designed for home users or educational institutions. (Barry, B. W. , 1998) 8. Positioning strategy Dell Inc. has been able to position itself in the computer industry. Its position strategy is based on its competence to sell its products directly to customers rather than involving retailers or other intermediaries in this process.This position strategy can help the company to achieve the following things: -Building the most efficient bridge to the customers -Becoming low-cost leader -Develop build-to-order efficiencies Relationship management strategy Dell capitalizes on information technologies when utilizing its relationship marketing strategy. It uses both customer relationship management (CRM) and partner relationship management(PRM). These strategies help the company to better understand customer needs and wants and deliver offerings accordingly. It also helps the company to achieve cost reduction through maintaining good relationships with its suppliers.This in turn allows the Dell Inc. to capture more customers more easily. (Wolf, T. , 1990). 9. Conclusion To sum up, at present, the world is witnessing remarkable development and growth in the computer industry. Companies are doing their best to offer the best quality products at reasonably lower costs. This has made it very difficult task for them to stay alive in their harsh industry. They have to establish the right strategies to attain their goals, to capitalize on their opportunities and to cope with the threats. The report summarized the Dell Inc. ’s objectives and strategies which could help the company to attain its goals.