Arrival of the Bee Box by Sylvia Plath Essay

Plath’s arrival of the Bee Box is a poem which depicts a box containing bees. In regards to this theme, it is not the only poem that Plath has approached bees as she wrote The Beekeeper’s Daughter. Additionally this poem can also be seen as a classical allusion to Pandora’s box as it concerns a feared object, which may cause destruction if opened. At first this box is looked upon with distrust, and possibly fear, as there is a lack of control of the contents of this box. However the speaker gradually rears itself to gain control or at least power in regards to the box and feels more confident about approaching it. Initially there is a sense of uncertainty about the nature of the box. It is first said to be a â€Å"clean wood box/square as a chair and almost too heavy to lift† (1-2). This is a clear and objective description of the box however a contradicting depiction of the box follows: it is said to be the â€Å"coffin of a midget/or a square baby† (3-4). These are images of distortion with references to death, which can leave a somewhat disturbing image of the box. This misshape is also found on the final line of the introductory stanza as Plath describes it as having â€Å"not such a din in it† (5), yet in the midst of claiming silence Plath introduces an assonance(â€Å"in†) giving the sentence an acoustic trait. This sense of uncertainty is quickly replaced by fear as Plath now becomes concerned with the box’s basic attributes, such as it being â€Å"locked† and â€Å"dangerous† (6). As such it allows her to introduce the theme of control; the speaker has indeed â€Å"ordered this† (1) box yet the box, once delivered, is considered unapproachable and to be a burden (â€Å"I have to live with it overnight† -7). As such the lack of control becomes clear and it may even be said that it is the box that has started taking ownership of the speaker. And this ownership is in the form of fascination, the speaker cannot stop from exploring the box (â€Å"There are no windows, so I can’t see what is in there† -9) despite the reasons not to do so. Overwhelmed by fascination, the speaker â€Å"puts her eye to the grid†(11). This reveals a box with reminiscent themes of African slavery. For example the speaker has â€Å"the swarmy feeling of African hands† (13). In addition to this there are references to slave trade (â€Å"shrunk for export†-14) and the theme of dislike of captivity is conveyed by placing the consonance of an â€Å"ll† sound in the last line: â€Å"black on black, angrily clambering†. This resonates the bees (and the slaves) want to escape their prison. Later on we also find this same assonance associated to unpleasant noise (â€Å"It is the noise that appalls me most of all,/The unintelligible syllables.†17-18). Also the use of assonance (â€Å"dark, dark†-12; â€Å"black on black†-15) achieves a similar effect and sustains this unease. The reference of slavery may be related to the Civil Rights movement in America in the 1960’s and it would be Plath’s way of conveying the cries for equality. Most important however are the threatening nature of these complaints which draw back into the theme of control and underline that the speaker still does not feel safe in regards to the box and its contents, especially as the content is alive and fervent. The speaker then ponders as to how to let the bees escape (16). However such a choice is not made as the threat of the bees build up. Firstly a buzzing sibilance,†It is the noise that appals me most of all† (17), echoes the presence of the bees but it also provokes confusion, destabilizing the speaker who becomes confused in regards to what the bees are trying to communicate with him (â€Å"The unintelligible syllables†-18). This lack of understanding can be understood as the bees are now even more threatening, they are now a â€Å"Roman mob† (19), a symbol of rebellion. In spite of the individual bee being harmless, it is the bee’s nature as a swarm that impresses the speaker: â€Å"Small, taken one by one, but my god, together!†(20). The next stanza provides the first hints that the speaker is finally in control of the situation. Firstly, the speaker â€Å"lay[s his] ear to furious Latin† conveying the need to understand the bees, something not previously achieved. But to be properly able to understand them, the speaker discards all the Roman associations, which could be a symbol of power over the speaker. This is done by declaring â€Å"I am not a Caesar† (22). However this statement is ambiguous in the sense that it contains a paradox as the speaker both mentions power, when the need for power is obvious, and yet denies wanting or having it. Regardless of this, the speaker does finally gain power over the bees. Such is achieved by the speaker announcing that â€Å"I have simply ordered a box of maniacs.†(23). Not only does the speaker finally settle as to what the box is (having previously been uncertain about it), but the concept of power grasp resonates by the use of â€Å"simply†, allowing to set aside any previous problems about this box and imposing the speakers interpretation on it. This leads to multiple statements about what the speaker can do with this newly realized power such as: â€Å"They can be sent back./They can die†(24-25). This leads to the culmination of this stanza with triumphant, yet dispassionate, assertion â€Å"I am the owner† (25). This statement chimes throughout this stanza due to the anaphora of â€Å"I† serving as a reminder of who is now in charge. Additionally the short and concise sentences present throughout this stanza act as orders, another way of displaying authority. This newly gained authority is enjoyed as the speaker now settles and starts musing about the bees:†I wonder how hungry they are† (26). Again we find an anaphora, but this time it is â€Å"I wonder† (26-27), which is one of the first clear clues for choice as they introduce hypothetical statements which rely on will to be realised. Following this Plath makes another of her classical allusions, this one being the Greek myth of Daphne. This allusion is done to represent the extent to which the speaker, relishing the newly unveiled power, is now dreaming about what could be achieved with the bees, as now an extra touch of magical realism is added to the poem. In this trail of thoughts, the speaker refers to the ability to transform into a blond tree, the colour of honey, so as to appease the bees. The speaker also hopes to be ignored by the bees, dressed in a â€Å"moon suit and a funeral veil† (32). In this statement we can interpret the moon suit to be the usual beekeeper’s suit, but more importantly the moon suit gives an imposing, and possibly bizarre, image of the speaker. Additionally we find again a reference to death sustaining the dark aspect of the poem. The specific reference to a funeral may imply that the speaker is now mourning over the chase for power with the bees. Irrespective of this, the speaker ceases day-dreaming and instead rationalizes that â€Å"I am no source of honey/So why should they turn on me?† (33-34). This provides a justification for setting the bees free without the fear of being attacked. In doing so the reader claims to be â€Å"sweet God†(35), which links back to the references of â€Å"I am not a Caesar†(22). Indeed both these statements refer to power, but both also display a nuance in regards to the kin d of power that should be gained; there is an attempt at the distinction between a tyrant and the image of a kind and respected leader, â€Å"The box is only temporary† (36). Such ends the poem. One of its first roles is to create a couplet with the â€Å"free â€Å"of the previous line. However this conclusive line also serves as a way of declaring that perhaps choice is finally in the speaker’s hands. However the statement does not give the speaker the choice not to open up the box, which is after all what the bees and later on the speaker want. As such Plath ends the poem ambiguously by not being clear as to whether or not there has been a definite success. Throughout this poem, Plath has dealt with the struggle for control with the bees. At first she panics but then manages to calm down and make a rational decision about what should be done. Panics and confusion are often caused by the bee’s buzzing which may allow us to suggest that she uses bees as a metaphor for scary thoughts, a kind of paranoia. Indeed the buzzing sound that reverbs would be an easy way to drive someone mad and thus paranoia is a good candidate for this metaphor. In fact, the bees having been ordered by the speaker, presumably Plath, we can say that Plath is dealing with a personal dilemma. This would be reminiscent of Plath’s life by 1960, wherein she had multiple cases of trauma and was in a state of mental decline. It can then be concluded that Arrival of the Bee Box is indeed confessional poetry.

Corruption Is a Curse Essay

Corruption is a curse The act of taking some kind of advantage through an immoral way is corruption. It is one of the most serious social problems of Bangladesh. Because, corruption has become the policy of some people in our society. From the highest level of the public administration to the grass-root level, every level of the society has been polluted by corruption. The national development is hindered and the wheel of progress is caught up by corruption. It is a matter of shame for us that Transparency International by means of survey has recently ranked Bangladesh among the ten most corrupt countries of the world for five consecutive years. The spread of corruption is visible in every level of our society. Misappropriation of bank loans by the borrowers, illegal occupation of public property, misappropriation of relief goods such as tin, food, clothes, stealing of electricity, water and gas, income tax fraud, operating fake company and deceive the unemployed, smuggling, black marketing, share market fraud, employment of unqualified persons through bribery, leaking of public examination test papers for money, bribing the judge to influence the judgment, selling and buying of fake educational certificates, bribing the police for not arresting a criminal are some examples of corruption in our society. People are losing their faith 1 in moral values and righteousness. The common people are stricken with corruption in their every day life. Corruption has polluted our politics, economics, education, administration, the department of justice. Extortion of common people with political power has become very common incident. Corruption is the main obstacle to the development of Bangladesh. Corruption has faded the success earned through the toil of the mass people. Development of the country is hindered by immoral acts of political leaders and their indulgence to the corrupt party members. They are plundering the national assets. We all have our contribution to the creation of this prevailing situation which is now making us suffer. Dishonest persons came to power through our support and our vote. We failed to support and vote honest persons in the political process. 2

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Article Critique - Essay Example Similarly, signs like nervousness and agony lower life quality. The study mainly targets women from stage zero to stage three of breast cancer. Related literature evidence demonstrates that psychoeducational help and combinatory therapies for women living with breast cancer condition, such as self- management skills development to handle the condition better, are not well provided globally. Therefore, one crucial strategy to aid women living with breast cancer is through mindfulness cultivation. Mindfulness, which includes creating attention and creating awareness every time in a nonjudgmental manner) is an effective way, (Hoffman, Ersser, Hopkinson, Nicholls, Harrington & Thomas, 2012). Similarly, studies shows that mindfulness-based program of reducing stress benefits have been investigated in pro-longed health conditions such as severe pain, nervousness, prolonged stress and psychological signs as well as in mood patients with overall cancer conditions and insomnia. Although the m ethodological approach targeted all researches either because of challenges like small size of the sample, no randomization or analysis for treatment intention or treatment hindered by poor reporting was reported. Body analysis The article hypothesis is that mindfulness-based strategy of reducing stress is more effective than other hospital therapies such as chemotherapy, surgery and other hospital interventions. ... Study sample of the research was obtained by recruiting patients for more than fifteen months from the Haven. Eligibility assessment was done through inclusion criteria for instance, patients diagnosed with stage zero to stage three of breast cancer, between the age of 18 years and 80 years who knew of their diagnosis of cancer. The study was done on women who were capable of completing the questionnaires and in the second year of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiography completion. The study excluded women diagnosed with breast cancer stage four, men, patients who could not speak or understand English, could not sign informed consent because of psychosis, mental problem, addicted to drugs, misused substances, and had thoughts of committing suicide. After patients signed informed consent, some were subjected to mindfulness-based programs of reducing stress and others received wait-listed control. Randomized assignment was conducted in 229 women by the organizational operations director through an externally randomization program generated through the computer in groups of four to ensure concealment of allocation as no physician could direct respondents allocation. The researcher doing the research and introducing the mindfulness-based program of stress reduction could not be restricted to participant’s either allocation to control or treatment sample. Questionnaires and patient interviews , as well as mood states profiles, breast cancer therapy functional assessment, cancer therapy symptoms of endocrine functional assessment and WHO five item questionnaire of well-being assessing mood, life quality at zero, eight and twelve weeks were used. These equipment’s produced varied results that were later analyzed and generalized to fit the sample size. The

Aspects to the Priestly Cosmology of the Letter to the Hebrews Essay

Aspects to the Priestly Cosmology of the Letter to the Hebrews - Essay Example There are several chapters in the book of Hebrews that are primarily devoted to the early Christians’ view of cosmos. One of the aspects of priestly cosmology in the book of Hebrews is found in the author’s description of Melchizedek priesthood which the author largely considered to be raised by eternal life and is superior to Aaron’s priesthood (Heb.7.11-19). As the Melchizedek, Jesus was believed to have the power to rescue his people from the power of evil. The role of Jesus Christ is, therefore, to restore the true temple (Barker, 2004, p. 11). Another possible aspect of priestly cosmology in the epistle is the imagery of the temple. Throughout the book, there are a number of instances where various practices in the temple such as the offering of sacrifice are described. Incarnation and resurrection are also presented as some of the ways through which human beings can become divine and move to the eternal world which is believed to be the true temple. Scholar s agree that the aspects of cosmology depicted in the book of Hebrews fit well in the world of the first century. For example some of the elements of cosmology contained in the Epistle include the description of the metaphysical dualism between the natural world and the highest heaven. Scholer (1991, p.17) also concurs that the Epistle was generally meant to exalt Jesus Christ as the high priest and son of God. The contemporary view of cosmos is, however, based on the today’s astronomical understanding of the universe, rather than the on the aspects of priestly cosmology found in the Letter to the Hebrews. This paper discusses the various aspects of priestly cosmology in the Epistle of Hebrews, its comparison to the contemporary world view of cosmos and the potential insights which can be used in teaching Christianity faith. Comparison between priestly cosmology and the contemporary view of cosmos Cosmology is generally concerned with the origin, organization, structure, as w ell as the beauty of natural laws that ensure order in the universe. The contemporary view of cosmos is based on the today’s astronomical understanding of the universe, rather than the on the aspects of priestly cosmology found in the Letter to the Hebrews. As opposed to the first biblical view that the earth and heaven are the center of the universe, several discoveries have proven that the sun is the center of the solar system and the vast cosmos. On the other hand, the theological view of cosmos depicted in the Epistle of Hebrews is based on the belief that God is the maker of the universe and Jesus is seen and his true manifestation (Hughes, 1997, p.45). Jesus Christ is seen as the perfect son of God and is the source of salvation to humanity. The book also highlights the first century’s understanding of cosmos with regard to God controls the universe. Throughout the letter to Hebrews, Jesus is depicted as high priest, son of God; everything brings out the aspects of the beginning of the universe that is from creation to the eternal end (Bruce, 1990, p.79). Irrespective of the views attributed by individuals in the modern world, it remains clear that there is a spiritual being that ensures order in the universe and to whom we all attribute our origin from. Science alone has failed to explain this and in the context of spiritual wellbeing, this is God whom Christians put their faith

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 4 - SLP Essay

MPH503 - Infertility and Public Health Module 4 - SLP - Essay Example he objective to educate them about the common emotional and physical health issues faced by infertile couples and role of a caregiver in this situation. Below explains the method of assessment of the impact of the above workshop. The participants are given a question paper with 10 questions (combination of both multiple choice and open ended questions) to answer immediately before starting the programme. The questionnaire is consisted of the questions which help to identify the pre-exposure knowledge and the typical practice of the participants related to emotional and physical health issues of infertile individuals. The same questionnaire will be given to the same participants at the end of the workshop. Questions are given marks according to a scale and mean total scores of pre and post exposure questions will be statistically compared to find out possible significant improvement. Statistical significance indicates the efficiency of the workshop. This assessment helps to find out whether the things learned at the workshop effectively practiced by the participants at the institution and whether they really help to beneficiaries to overcome their problems. A random sample of 20 infertile individuals treated at the institution are selected. They are interviewed face to face to find answers to pre prepared questions. This will be done within a week before the workshop. The questions are carefully prepared to understand the current physical and psychological support received by the infertile individuals by primary caregivers and the effectiveness. Between one to two weeks after the workshop a random sample of 20 infertile individuals (not the same individuals selected for the first sample) is selected and face to face interview is scheduled to cover the answers to same questions about practice of the primary health care

Part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Part 1 - Essay Example Thus, from that sample, the analysis of the sample speaks volume of the entire population where the sample came from. Thus, the difference between these two categories is their functions; descriptive statistics is concerned with the spread and centrality of data whereas inferential statistics is concerned with generalizability of the data set. As much as the two categories use similar aspects such as mean, standard deviation, the focus of the two are extremely different. Inferential statistics always start with a sample and end up inferring the entire population using similar calculations as that of descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics is only useful in cases whereby one do not wish to extend the statistics results to a larger group or population whereas inferential statistics is used when one wishes to make predictions and inferences on a particular population through the observations from the sample. Thus, the two categories can be used together is cases where a data set has to be fully described and inferences or rather predictions from the available observations made. Thus, degrees of freedom are crucial in statistics due to the following reason: It is deemed to be a measure of how certain the sample is a representative of the whole population. Therefore, when the degrees of freedom are more, the level of certainty in the accuracy of population sampling is high. In addition, when it comes to fitting models to a given data, degrees of freedom are considered independent parameters. Thus, an accurate model is described by more independent parameters which are as a result of more degrees of freedom. 3. Explain what a post hoc test is and why they are important. Provide an example of when you might use a conservative, a moderate, and a very liberal post hoc test. Differentiate between the post hoc tests used in ONEWAY ANOVA and Multiple-Factor ANOVA A post hoc test

Alternatives to Incarceration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alternatives to Incarceration - Assignment Example Historically, this has not always been true following some inmates serving time for their third or even fourth time. This shows that the system on itself is not very efficient because any form of punishment should be aimed at punishing and also rectifying the offender. In addition, the idea of serving time in prison has been the norm to most criminals who have previously served time. Some of the incarcerations act as reunions of the offenders with their friends and acquaintances already in there. Adding to the reasons is the increase rate of corruption which make it possible for ‘well of’ individuals serving time in prison make deals with the prison guards enabling them still to run their business and gangs while still in confinement. This, therefore, shows the level of inefficient in the incarceration system. Herivel & Wright (2009) clearly show the level of corruption in the criminal system and who profits from mass incarceration. Economically, the cost of constructing and running these confinement facilities is usually very high. According to Petteruti et al. (2009), the average cost of maintaining an inmate held in state-funded, post-adjudication and residential facilities is $240.99 per day. This translates to huge sums of tax-payers’ money that could be used elsewhere if cheaper and effective forms of punishments were used instead. Furthermore, this act of imprisonment directly results to societal poverty. For instance, the detachment of supposed income earners or bread winners from their family also creates an economic challenge. Those left by the convict must adjust and learn to live without the convict’s contributions. This can lead to increased crime rate as those left behind try to satisfy their basic needs. Besides, the conviction of individuals lowers their chances of resuming their current jobs or even getting any jobs at all leads to a cycle of poverty in the

Electronic commecial law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Electronic commecial law - Essay Example Emphasis has been given on the illegal content of websites – mostly due to the expansion of the phenomenon. In fact, it has been proved, that many organizations, which virtual world services,1 have been unable to prevent the publication of such information through the Internet – referring to the involvement of these organizations in the hosting or the transmission of such information.2 In practice, the above organizations cannot be held responsible for the illegal content that they host or they transmit; the key term for the use of the above benefit is that these organizations are characterized as Internet Service Providers (ISPs).3 In case that these organizations do not meet the above requirement, they cannot ask for the exception from liability for the content they host or they transfer.4 The above issue is explored in this paper; emphasis is given on the European law establishing the protection of ISPs from liability for the information they host or they transmit; r eference is also made to the UK and the USA case law that has been developed in the specific field. The Directive 2000/31/EC is set under examination and evaluation; it is concluded that the existing European law regulating the protection of ISPs from the liability for the content they host or they transmit need to be further improved; the potentials for broad interpretation of its rules has been found to be partially negative for the resolution of disputes arising in regard to the study’s main issue. 2. European Law on the protection of Internet Service Providers from liability for content they transport or host – European, UK and US case law The issue of responsibility of ISPs for the information they host/ transmit has been resulted because of the expansion of Internet – both in terms of commerce, i.e. of the use of Internet for the development of commercial transaction and in terms of the characteristics of the users, i.e. of the use of Internet by people of all ages, even by children. Under these terms, the introduction of legislation referring to the creation and management of this content was quite necessary. At this point, the criteria on which the characterization of content as illegal would be based needed to be set; in accordance with Kleinschmidt (2010) the content published in the Internet is usually considered as illegal when it has one of the following forms: ‘pornography without age verification, child pornography, hate speech, or extreme violence’5. At this point, it should be made clear that the participation of an ISP in the publication of illegal content can set the ISP under the risk of two different forms of liability: a) liability for the damages caused to one or more of its users – because of the illegal content, b) liability for the damaged caused to a third party – being offended from the illegal content in the publication of which in the Internet the specific ISP has taken part – either by hosting or transmitting the content involved.6 Under normal conditions, ISPs would be held liable for the following reasons: a) for hosting or transmitting illegal content, b) for breaching the copyright laws in regard to the products of art (speech, song, painting and so on); the activity of the second category would be related with that of the first category since the material acquired by violating the copyright laws can be considered as ill

English Composition Essay Example for Free

English Composition Essay I am writing my research paper on the topic of mandatory minimum jail sentences. Why do we have mandatory minimum sentences for certain criminal offenses that cause individuals to do extended prison terms when their offenses are totally different from someone who commits a similar offense but do the same amount of time? My work in law enforcement leads me to believe that people should not be sentenced to mandatory sentences. I’ve seen a number young men incarcerated for minor crimes who received mandatory sentences that appeared to be very harsh in comparison to the offense they were convicted of. This argument should be of interest to those who have the power to change the law, opposers of the law, and those in favor of mandatory sentences who feel they are equitable. I will argue that the laws governing mandatory minimum sentences should be amended. I believe the length of a sentence, should depend upon the severity of the offense committed. For example, someone apprehended with a small bag of marijuana for personal usage should not be required to complete the same sentence as someone with pounds of marijuana that was planned to be widely distributed. To be sure justice is served, which is the goal of the court system, criminal sentences should be decided on an individual basis with due consideration to guidelines given by the law. It should also be argued that the first purpose of the court should be to rehabilitate. This can only be done by personal consideration of each case and punishment. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on this provocative issue.

Milgram Obedience Review Essay Example for Free

Milgram Obedience Review Essay Obedience is as basic an element in the structure of social life as one can point to. Some system of authority is a requirement of all communal living, and it is only the person dwelling in isolation who is not forced to respond, with defiance or submission, to the commands of others. For many people, obedience is a deeply ingrained behavior tendency, indeed a potent impulse overriding training in ethics, sympathy, and moral conduct. The dilemma inherent in submission to authority is ancient, as old as the story of Abraham, and the question of whether one should obey when commands conflict with conscience has been argued by Plato, dramatized in Antigone, and treated to philosophic analysis in almost every historical epoch. Conservative philosophers argue that the very fabric of society is threatened by disobedience, while humanists stress the primacy of the individual conscience. The legal and philosophic aspects of obedience are of enormous import, but they say very little about how most people behave in concrete situations. I set up a simple experiment at Yale University to test how much pain an ordinary citizen would inflict on another person simply because he was ordered to by an experimental scientist. Stark authority was pitted against the subjects strongest moral imperatives against hurting others, and, with the subjects ears ringing with the screams of the victims, authority won more often than not. The extreme willingness of adults to go to almost any lengths on the command of an authority constitutes the chief finding of the study and the fact most urgently demanding explanation. This is from perils of obedience by Stanley milgram. I enjoyed this article.

How has Technology Contributed to Globalisation?

How has Technology Contributed to Globalisation? Explain How Changes In Technology Have Contributed Towards Globalization Of Markets And Of Production? Technology has dramatically changed peoples way of life all over the world and the world today has become a true manifestation of a global village. Not only the frequency of international travelling increased manifold but the possibilities of cross-border trading of goods and services have also increased exponentially. These impacts are collectively known as globalization. (Hill, 2009) defines globalisation as a process which enables individuals, organisations and governments from different natins to come across each other and interact in an intergative manner. The end result of such intergation would be an intergated globalised market system which can act as a melting pot of indivual economies of different nations. There are two ways in which globalisation can be envisaged, i.e. with the production perspective and thebmarket perspective. (Hill, 2009) defines the markets globalisation as melting down and convergence of individually independent market places into an amalgamated market place. Sharing of the sources of production from different geographical locations for levaraging the quality and cost of the goods and services produces is the idea behind the products globalisation. (Hill, 2009) Many institutions have been formulated to help manage, regulate and police the phenomena of globalization and to promote the establishment of transnational treaties for global trade. A few are as following:: The World Trade Organization (WTO) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) The World Bank The United Nations (UN) These institutions act on an international level to regulate and tackle any problems that the different countries, companies and individual may face when undergoing globalization e.g. The IMF provides monetary services and acts as a last resort for the members in financial distress (Gitman, 2008) Now the question is how instead of what. How does globalization happen? What drives globalization? There are many drivers or rather changes that result in globalization. Generally, there are two macro drivers of globalization. These are the declining trade and investment barriers between countries and changes in technology Organisations across the world now face lower level of obstacles to investing and trading in foreign lands. This flexibility allows the firms to choose global locations where they have to spend minimum on production costs and reap maximum benefits in return by strategically locating their production site, and service and product outlet locations. Design can thus be created in one global location, production at a second global site and the niche market can be a totally far off market at the other end of the world. Globalisation of production thus exploits cheap labour in the third world markets and rich buyers in the first world markets. (Arribas, 2009) The technological changes are not just limited to the automation of the production line but it also includes the advancement in infrastructure and connectivity. The most important innovation has been the microprocessors. The developments in communication technologies like wireless, optic fibre, satellite communications and the rapid growth of the internet have brought the global business to a previously unimagined level. Improvements have also occurred in the field of transportation technology resulting in the development of commercial jet aircraft, which has reduced the time for transit. Globalization is not only resulting from declining trade barriers or changes in technology but upon scrutinizing two other factors come into play. These are Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and increasing international trade. Globalization is not a straight line event rather it has been maturing from many decades and the implications of this phenomenon are being strongly felt now. This has been going on since the 1960s. In the 1960s the US dominated the globes economy and the international trade picture and it also led the front when it came to FDI, similarly the US multinationals ranked high in international business (Hill, 2009). This has all changed due to globalization and other countries, firms and individuals have risen to compete in the global market place. Much has changed in the demographics of the world when looking at world GDP and trade. China did not have a share in the worlds output in 1963, now has 11.5 % of the GDP in 2007 and 7.2% of the worlds export in 2006. This shows the tremendous effect of globalization in the current world marketplace. China in 2008 was listed as the 3rd largest Economy based on Nominal GDP. The share of world output generated by third-world countries has steadily increased since the 1960s. There also has been a persistent growth in cross-border flow of FDI and it does not come as a surprise that China has been the largest receiver of FDI (Hill, 2009). There are many facets to globalization and on a closer look there is the multinational enterprise. A multinational enterprise (MNE) is a type of business which has operations in two or more countries. A multinational enterprise can also be referred to as an International Corporation. MNEs have powerful influence over local as well as the global economies and play an important role in international relations and globalization. In the past the western market was closed for many economies but that trend has changed and many markets have opened up for the western market to invest in. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe has created a host opportunities for export and investment. The biggest opportunity emerged in China due to economic developed even with the continuing communist control. Also the change in democracy and the free market reforms in Latin America have also given a possibility for investment from foreign investors. Going over all what globalization has to offer, a question comes to ones mind that a shift towards a global marketplace a good thing? There many views on this particular question. Many experts believe that globalization is helping prosperity by providing more jobs, lower prices of labor, materials, land and thus resulting in more profitability. Whereas other experts suggest that globalization is not beneficial as managers who are managing transnational and multinational organizations have to take into account a lot more factors as compared to stereotypical administrators (Hill, 2009). Managing an international business differs from a typical business in four notable areas: Differences in countries require companies to employ different practices in different countries. Administrators face greater and complex range of problems. Companies have to follow the different limits imposed by different governments in countries and have to work within those limits. International business requires converting funds and is very susceptible to fluctuations in the exchange rate. To overcome these insights about managing international organizations managers have to use un-structured solutions and practices that may require additional resources in terms of labor, capital and land. This brings us to our next thought, why so many experts against what globalization have to offer. (Artis, 2009) Globalization has occasionally been regarded as a solution to problems like underdevelopment, malnutrition and violation of human rights, and important human rights institutions have been set up and incorporated into the global human rights regime. Governments are finding it increasingly difficult to violate their citizens human rights without attracting the attention of the media and international organizations as a result of developed telecommunications and global interdependence. Indeed, overall human rights practices have improved worldwide during the last decade or so. However, this improvement has neither been universal nor linear. (Bardhan, 2006) The contemporary world order owes its existence to a large degree to the information power unleashed as a result of the free flow of ideas and communications across geographical boundaries without any restriction or obstacles with help of the latest communication technologies. While globalisation has made it possible for the human rights bodies to react on human rights abuses in the remote societies of the world, the same globalisation has in fact also exposed the autonomous societies to human rights abuses at hands of the more powerful actors in the global scenario. What might be a collateral damage for a powerful actor in the emerging world order might be a human rights abuse involving victimisation of defenceless children and females for the recipient. Thus with respect to human rights, globalisation is a double edged weapon and it can work in both ways. Not only do the weaker players in this world order risk the wrath of raw power of the more powerful actors but the multinational s and conglomerates tend to act as mighty powers in their own right. The citizens of the weaker nations are left at the mercy of powerful yet unelected global giants like IMF, the World Bank , peacekeeping forces and first world NGOs who increasingly control the lives and fates of the denizens of the weaker nations of the world. Weve talked about what globalization is, what the key component drivers of globalization are, how it affects the production process. In doing so weve talked about the MNCs (MNEs) and also how the demographics have changed since globalization started. This also has provided us with a picture of how managers who are working for transnational organization take into account different factors for their, planning, organizing and leading decisions. Advancement in technology did not globalize the production and marketplace but it has increased the momentum of globalization manifolds. Although globalization is widely considered as a positive phenomenon but as always everything has its virtues and vices. It all depends on the perspective one employs to look at globalization References Anon., 2010. International Labor Organization. [Online] Available at: http://www.ilo.org/ [Accessed 27 February 2010]. Christos Pitelis, R.S., 2000. The nature of the transnational firm. Routledge. contributors, W., 2010. Multinational corporation. [Online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Multinational_corporationoldid=345942736 [Accessed 27 February 2010]. Dunning, J.H., 1998. Location And The Multinational Enterprise: A Neglected Factor?. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES , 29(1), pp.45-66. Hill, C., 2009. International Business. Levitt, T., 1984. The globalization of Markets. THE McKINSEY QUARTERLY. Luo, Y. Tung, R.L., 2007. International expansion of emerging market enterprises: A springboard perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, pp.38, 481-498. Sullivan, D., 1994. Measuring the Degree of Internationalization of A Firm. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES , 25(2), pp.325-42.

Education Philosophy Statement :: Teaching School Reflective Writing Essays

Education Philosophy Statement Webster’s dictionary defines the word educate as to develop and cultivate mentally or morally; train; instruct; teach. I would like to be someone who educates because educators, or teachers, help people and have an influence over people. A teacher is someone who gets respect and is looked up to by others. I want to be a teacher because I want to be able to help people and make an impact on someone’s life. When I become a teacher, I want to have a neat and orderly classroom. I want the children in my class to be comfortable and in the best environment for learning. When I seat the children, I want them to be sitting facing my desk and the chalkboard so that it will be easier for them to pay attention and it will be easier for them to see what I am doing. I want to switch the student’s seating arrangement every few weeks so that the children will be exposed to all the other children in the classroom at one point. Hopefully, by switching the seats around often, it will discourage discrimination and let the children make new friends. The bulletin boards in my classroom will be bright and cheery colors so that the room will seem friendly and happy. On my bulletin boards I would like to have a calendar that shows each child’s birthday for that month. As for the materials that will be in my classroom, I would like each child to have a clear plastic box wi th their name on it. These boxes will contain materials that the child may need such as scissors, crayons, markers, etc. These boxes will be placed on a shelf where the children will be able to reach them with permission. As for the projects that will take place in my classroom, they will be age appropriate. For example if I had older children, such as fourth graders, I might have a hamster cage in the classroom. Each weekend I would send the hamster, cage, and food home with the student, granted I had permission from the parents, so they could care for the hamster and learn to have responsibility. Education Philosophy Statement :: Teaching School Reflective Writing Essays Education Philosophy Statement Webster’s dictionary defines the word educate as to develop and cultivate mentally or morally; train; instruct; teach. I would like to be someone who educates because educators, or teachers, help people and have an influence over people. A teacher is someone who gets respect and is looked up to by others. I want to be a teacher because I want to be able to help people and make an impact on someone’s life. When I become a teacher, I want to have a neat and orderly classroom. I want the children in my class to be comfortable and in the best environment for learning. When I seat the children, I want them to be sitting facing my desk and the chalkboard so that it will be easier for them to pay attention and it will be easier for them to see what I am doing. I want to switch the student’s seating arrangement every few weeks so that the children will be exposed to all the other children in the classroom at one point. Hopefully, by switching the seats around often, it will discourage discrimination and let the children make new friends. The bulletin boards in my classroom will be bright and cheery colors so that the room will seem friendly and happy. On my bulletin boards I would like to have a calendar that shows each child’s birthday for that month. As for the materials that will be in my classroom, I would like each child to have a clear plastic box wi th their name on it. These boxes will contain materials that the child may need such as scissors, crayons, markers, etc. These boxes will be placed on a shelf where the children will be able to reach them with permission. As for the projects that will take place in my classroom, they will be age appropriate. For example if I had older children, such as fourth graders, I might have a hamster cage in the classroom. Each weekend I would send the hamster, cage, and food home with the student, granted I had permission from the parents, so they could care for the hamster and learn to have responsibility.

Richard Gatling - The Gatling Gun :: essays research papers

Richard Jordan Gatling was born in January 1818 in Winton North Carolina, and died at the age of 85 in 1903. Gatling's career as an inventor began when he assisted his father in the construction of machines for sowing cottonseeds, and also for thinning cotton plants. He spent a lot of time in the fields with his father who helped him build some of his inventions. Richard Jordan Gatling was a medical doctor with numerous patents for his farm equipment inventions. To his credit he came up with the famous 1862-model Revolving Battery Gun, that is now referred to as the Gatling gun. The 1862-model was one of the first reliable Revolving guns, but still had a few problems that needed to be fixed. Richard was not the first to manufacture a multi-fire weapon, but his was the first multi-fire gun used in war because of its fast, rapid fire, and ease to use. Major General Ben F. Butler purchased 12, 1862-model gatling guns for $1000 each and used them successfully at the battle of Petersburg in 1863. In 1865 Gatling's improved model, the 1865-gun was tested by the Ordnance Department. One of the changes between the improved Gatling gun and the old one, was that the new weapon used rim fire copper-cased cartridges instead of the steel-chambered paper kind. Though this model did not see service, it was adopted officially in 1866. The military was so pleased with the performance of the Gatling gun that it has been used in every battle since it was invented to this day and has been continuously upgraded and improved. Having received government approval, Gatling began to sell his guns throughout the world. This was a big mark in Richards’s future, he had gone from working in the fields to developing a gun that is used throughout the military of the world. The gun was a hand-crank-operated weapon with six barrels revolving around a central shaft. Having a gun that revolves was very difficult because the barrels would not always line up correctly when being fired. The original gun was actually designed to fire the standard military issue paper cartridge of the day, .58 caliber. A .58 caliber bullet has a diameter of an inch and is capable of damaging anything it hits. The paper cartridge was placed inside a steel or brass chamber with a percussion nipple on the back end just like the muzzle loading rifles and pistols of there time.

Economics; question and answer Essay

Introduction Question 1 War unrest in Middle East has negatively impacted on the price and quantity of oil in the market. The expectation of war from Syria and Iraq to spread to Middle East countries cause fear of possible shortages of supply as people may possibly do without oil. As a result people will buy more to store in preparation for future shortages. As the demand increases, price of oil goes up as people anticipate war unrest in the near future. When eventually the war sets in oil production is disrupted but people do not demand more since they had enough to cushion the scarcity (Kemp, 2013). In the graph illustration below, assuming the market was initially at the equilibrium. Since scarcity is expected in future people will by more (high demand) to spare for future. As the demand increase from 150 units to 350 units, the price also increases accordingly from $0.25 to $ 0.35. Graphical illustration    Question 2 Car and petro are complimentary good that are consumed together. Taxation on one of the complimentary products greatly influences the price of the other good. The increase in price of one good causes a corresponding decrease in the price of the other good and vice versa. For instance, taxing petrol increase its price, leading to high demand for high fuel efficient cars. Increase in demand for high fuel efficient cars results to increased price and vice versa. On the other hand increase in price for petrol leads to decrease in demand for low fuel efficient cars thus leading to their low price (Dwivedi, 2012). Many thus will buy high fuel efficient cars. Graphical illustration. Question 3 The fact that suppliers cannot sell live chicken directly to consumers coupled with the fear of mass death due to anticipated chicken flu results to high supply in the market. When supply increases beyond demand the price falls down. In addition since the health official are the only buyers a monopolistic competition comes into play since the price for chicken is not control by the market forces of demand and supply (Taylor,   &   Weerapana, 2012). The equilibrium the will shift to the right.    Graphical illustration    Question 4 Price elasticity of demand is the measure of responsive of the quantity demanded of a product to price change with other factors held ( Dwivedi, 2012). Price Elasticity of Demand (PEoD) = percentage change in quantity demanded (%ΔQ) à ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   percentage change in price (%ΔP) %ΔQ = 35 -50 / 50 Ãâ€"100 = -30% %ΔP = 8 -6 / 6 Ãâ€"100 = 33.33% Therefore, PEoD = -30 %/ 33.33% = -0.900 As economists we are not interested with the negative sign of our price elasticity of demand and therefore we take the absolute value. Therefore, the price elasticity of demand when price increases from $6 to $ 8 is 0.9. Interpretation. For the above case the demand for the good is price inelastic. This means that the demand for the product does not respond highly ton price changes. As evident in the computation, an increase of price by 33.3 % of the price results to a corresponding decrease of quantity demanded by 30%. The demand thus is not very sensitive to price changes. Question 5(a) Externality is an effect or a cost of the consumer behavior that may not be borne by the consumer but by the society. This mean s that the effects are caused by the consumer but the society bears the consequences. Tobacco smoking is among the activities that cause externalities. For instance narcotic in tobacco is believed to cause lung cancer to smokers. However the external cost of providing medical care to smokers is borne by non-smokers, by smokers and the government. Additionally environmental pollution due to smoking is borne by the family members of the smoker’s friends and even non-smokers strangers. Moreover, smoking has environmental externalities that involve deforestation to create room for tobacco growing.   Agrochemical used in tobacco production also adds to environmental pollution and degradation. Cigarette wastes are common in all cities, sidewalks and around homes. Although majority of these wastes are biodegradable, the filter and plastic wrappers and remain in the environment for long and the consequences of such pollution are felt by the larger society. Question 5(b) The Australian government in its attempt to control and minimize the external costs resulting from tobacco imposes high tax on tobacco. High taxation on tobacco increases the cost and as a result the demand for tobacco decreases. The tax imposed is transferred by producers to the consumers (smokers). When this happens, the demand curve will shift from right to left as indicated in the graph. Question 6 When entry barriers are eliminated in the market huge number of firms enters the industry resulting to excessive supply of commodities. In a market where entry barriers are limited the price of commodities is determined by the market forces since no firm has control over the market. Excessive supply that is created results to low prices of goods and services offered. In response the price the price goes down due to competition from other firm. As a result, the profit that firms were making initially decreases due. Graphical illustration Question 7 Oligopolistic market structures is a type of market where by small number of larger firms control the market jointly. The firms trade in almost similar goods. Oligopolistic firms do not engage in price competetion (Vives, 2001). Basing our argument on the game theory; where the actions one firm depend on those of other firms, it is evident that when for instance one firm lowers its price compared to other firms, customers will be attracted by the lower prices resulting to other firms making economical loss in their operation. In response to this the other will lower their price slighted below the initial firm eventually attracting the customers. The other firms in the market will make loss and eventually respond by making their prices much lower compared to other firms. This process continues until the firms sell at economically a low price that is illustrated by kinked curves (Vives, 2001).There to remain competitive and make profit do not engage in price competition.    Alternatives to price completion Oligopolistic firms compete by using alternative modes such as advertisement, product differentiation and barrier to entry in the market. Oligopolistic firms undertake a vigorous advertisement of their products both in national and international levels. Advertisement is made to make potential customers aware of the existence of the product in the market and the good qualities associated with such good and services (Taylor & Weerapana, 2012). Advertisement is carried out through mass media and product promotion. In addition oligopolistic firms constantly differentiate their products in terms of quality and always struggle to come up with new products design that outshine those of competitors. In the recent era, product differentiation has been enhanced by ever-growing technology and innovation. Since oligopolistic firms compete in almost similar goods and services coming up with new products with good qualities gives a firm advantage over its market rivals. For instance, phones manufacturing firms have constantly developed phone with new applications to remain competitive. Furthermore, the firms create market entry barriers to new firms, a strategy that ensures that the existing share of market. The common market barriers include the patent rights, important government franchises and the existing economies of scale. These are the barriers that ensure the market is not flooded by many firms, which in the end may reduce the existing firms’ share of the market control. References Dwivedi, D. N. (2012). Microeconomics. New Delhi, India: Pearson Education/Dorling   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kindersley. Kemp, G. (2013). War with Iran: Political, military, and economic consequences. Lanham,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Taylor, J. B., & Weerapana, A. (2012). Principles of microeconomics. Mason, OH: South-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Western Cengage Learning Vives, X. (2001). Oligopoly pricing: Old ideas and new tools. Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.: MIT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press

Nordstrom Essay

The economic crisis that started in 2007 affected the business of upscale department stores countrywide. Upscale department stores understand that the items they sell are considered discretionary items, so when there is an economic downturn, they are one of the first industries to be hit. When looking over the Nordstrom Annual Reports from the last few years, there are two things evident: this company has a lasting strategy and they work hard to continuously evolve this strategy. Their strategy includes constantly evaluating risks in the market such as economic conditions, competitive market forces, availability of merchandise, and growth. With an incredible sense to stay ahead of the trends, minimize turnover time, and serve their customers with an uncanny ability, they have easily become one of the top department stores in the country. Nordstrom’s core strength revolves around their customer-first attitude, customer loyalty and their aptitude for merchandising. Going forward we want to be more than just customer focused. Instead, we’re working to become a truly customer-driven organization. †[1] One way Nordstrom is working to become more customer-driven is by building upon their multi-channel system. This multi-channel network, known as Nordstrom Direct, is made up of their online site, and catalog. Over the past three years, Nordstrom has made great strides to ensure that they are fulfilling the needs and desires of all customers. â€Å"We believe online and ecommerce represent our next big opportunities. Within two years more customers will access the Internet via their phone than their computers. We’re responding†[2] All of the effort put into the improvement of the system is showing clear results in the financials. The economic recession was felt all over the U. S. including Nordstrom, however they were able to experience an 8. 4% increase in Nordstrom Direct sales during the 2008 fiscal year. [3] Along with improving Nordstrom Direct, an immense amount of effort is being devoted to both the full-line stores and the Nordstrom Rack. Not only has the number of stores expanded over the last few years with a growth of sixteen new stores in 2009 and twenty in 2010, they are capitalizing on their merchandising. Nordstrom takes immense pride in their buyers and the work that these buyers have done over the last few years at the core of the company. They ensure that they are maximizing merchandise flexibility to maintain trends and to evolve with the customers and their ever-changing wants. Merchandise is now as current as it’s ever been, and there is a steady, fresh flow of fashion in and out of the store with a quick turnover system that has been set in place. Customer loyalty is one of the top ways Nordstrom keeps their customers coming back. The relationship with a Nordstrom employee and the customer is a two-way street. The company makes their priorities known and their customers are loyal to them because of it, responding in a very positive way to the services provided. Employees pride themselves on their relationships with customers and ability to provide them with an enjoyable shopping experience. Nordstrom was fortunate to maintain themselves as a company through the 2008 crisis, with a maximum decline of 12. % in sales and a quick rebound. By 2010 they had increased in-store sales by 8. 1% and set a record-breaking sales number at $9. 31 billion. The right strategy and actions performed in the right circumstances will produce growth, and this is what Nordstrom continues to experience with their customer service strategies. â€Å"We plan to keep a steady focus on our customers. We follow, first and foremost, a customer strategy at Nordstrom — not a price, brand, technology or any other corporate strategy. †

DM Bicycle Company

As the HR director of DMBC I have witnessed first hand the change in Mr. Duncan’s responsibilities to the company. He has become deeply afflicted by the diagnosis of Batten disease to his nine year old daughter Nicole. Wanting to begin a new CSR program aimed at combating Batten disease Mr. Duncan has gone out on his own accord to use the windfall created by the FY11 projections to help fund this endeavor of his. Though I’m empathetic and personally feel for what he and his family are going through, Mr. Duncan still has a responsibility to the employees and shareholders of DMBC. By combining his role as CEO with his role as a father it is clear he has gotten off track and has overstepped his responsibility as the face of the company. My concerns with what is happening at DMBC has to do not just with the proposed CSR program for Mr. Duncan and it’s effects towards the company, but also with the duties of the senior leadership and the current culture amongst them. If he goes through with funding a new CSR program in order to help his daughter Nicole, Mr. Duncan will be doing more than just taking away bonuses from our well deserved employees. He will be changing the core principles and key practices of DMBC. When I approached Jim Miniter in order to get some resolution about the situation he told me several things that created a feeling of unease. As we talked in his office he said â€Å"We’re going to have to present this change (new CSR program for Batten disease) in the annual report and at the shareholder meeting—but I guess Gino can finesse those things,† and when I asked him if he would talk to Mr. Duncan he responded with â€Å"I can’t. It would be like betraying a brother. This rationalization by Mr. Miniter and his loyalty to Mr. Duncan has skewed his primary duty as the CFO of DMBC. I believe as the CEO, Mr. Duncan is an agent to the individuals who own the corporation and its employees not the other way around. By letting him fund this project without debate, he has created an environment where employees are afraid to speak up about his direction. He wants to change the current CSR program of Ride for Life towards a cause that personally benefits his interests which is ethically unsound. Senior leadership has been passive in letting Mr. Duncan force his future CSR program for fear of disloyalty and reprisal. While talking to other employees they’re also afraid. They’re afraid of possible effects on promotions and evaluations if they do not follow suit or participate in helping Mr. Duncan use the projected windfall for his daughters fight against Batten disease. I make these following recommendations in order to thwart off any negative effects Mr. Duncan’s professional choices could have against DMBC. Create an indoctrination program for all new employees and a refresher training course for all current employees to establish the company’s code of ethics and values. By doing this, we’ll have employees who are responsible into ensuring that leaders are consistent in their commitment to proper ethical behavior. Rather than put the Ride for Life program on hold we need to expand on it by creating a program that raises the issue of Batten disease. Raising awareness for Batten disease doesn’t have to be just monetary. The Ride for Life program has been so successful—both in raising employee morale and in creating positive public relations that Dottie Thompson had been working for nearly a year to take the program national. Though Mr. Duncan is the CEO, he should lead the Ride for Life/Fight Batten Disease CSR program so it allows him to focus on his cause and spend more time with his family. By having him focus directly on what has been side-tracking him from his professional duties for the last several months he will have a greater impact with everyone who is connected to DMBC. It also allows him to expand awareness of DMBC CSR programs from Greensboro to Rochester, New York that will benefit the company. Lastly, employees should be allowed to dictate where their bonuses and participation goes without fear of retaliation from corporate. I can assure you by allowing them to decide where their bonuses and volunteer work go they will end up supporting Mr. Duncan and his cause even more than despising him. I understand my position as the HR Director at DMBC, but it is also my duty regardless of title to uphold my values, integrity, and my overall responsibility to the employees and shareholders.

Simple Stimulus Learning

a. Explain the concept of habituation. The American Heritage Dictionary defines habituation in terms of psychology is the decline of a conditioned response following repeated exposure to the conditioned stimulus. That is an action done over and over in response to a specific situation. One way we learn is by repetition of a specific response across a number of situations (Carducci, 2002). The more we do something the more we have learned it. Then when exposed to the stimulus (an agent, action, or condition that elicits or accelerates a response), regardless of situation, then we perform the behavior. Habituation takes place in small children when trying to teach a new concept or in adults with amnesia when needing to learn a lost skill. Schools use habituation for spelling test and new math concepts. On Mondays students are given the list of spelling words, then each day the write out the words [five times each], find the definitions of each word, write the words in sentences, and then tested on the spelling of each word on Friday. A person suffering from amnesia that lost the knowledge of driving can regain the skill through habituation. b. Analyze the factors that affect perceptual learning. As with most learning, positive reinforcement or rewards have played a factor in how quickly and adequate we learn. Perceptual learning occurs when there is repeated exposure to a specific stimulus followed by a reward, in the form of praise, monetary, or good feelings. It has been proposed that perceptual learning may occur through a reinforcement process, in which consistently pairing stimuli with reward is sufficient for learning (Franko, 2010). In the spelling test example above the positive reinforcement in learning the spelling words is the grade received on the spelling test. Another important factor to perceptual learning is that the stimulus is recognizable and the reinforcement is desirable. In the amnesia case above the person knew how to drive at one time, and currently has a driver’s license (their reinforcement). They would be more inclined to want to learn to drive again to regain independence and also to utilize the already have license. c. Examine the effects of stimulus exposure. If used correctly stimuli have the intended effect of response and learning. The same stimuli will not work the same on everyone, and will not always produce the same response. A good stimulus done correctly will have a positive effect with the desired response (Mundy, 2009). Just as a bad stimuli done incorrectly will have a negative effect with either no response or the opposite desired response (Mundy, 2009). A stimuli that is exposed to too quickly will result in false memory; person replaces what they think they saw (the lost exposure) with an image from memory and report that as what they saw. Schedule of exposure to similar stimuli contributes to the degree of perceptual learning over and above the amount of exposure in a variety of species and stimuli (Mundy, 2009).

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay Example for Free

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay ? To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation. A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women. (2018, Nov 12).

Scenario Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Scenario Analysis - Essay Example main point that he intends to bring out with these laws is that even though a person reacts to situations using his conscience, that person might do better if he has certain principals within which he abides by. As a policeman at a friend’s party I observe a group of people who are friends to my friend snorting cocaine, it is a legal obligation to arrest the people and take them into custody, but this is an old friend and I would not like to spoil our relationship The moral problem in this scenario is the usage of cocaine. This illegal and highly addictive drug has a tendency to affect the judgment of those who use it. It is wrong to use cocaine. The law does not allow the usage of this drug because of its adverse effects on users. There is a dilemma that comes out as a result on whether to act on conscience or by principles, which in this case are the regulations of the government. According to the government, I am supposed to arrest the people who are using the drug. If I were to react on my conscience, I would explain to them the situation in which they are putting me in. I would advise them not to do that again and join a rehabilitation facility. I would warn them that if this happens again, they would leave me no choice but to arrest them. According to Fuller, I would react on the instinct that tells me to defend my position as a police officer, according to his rules stated above there are rules that states a should take them in. If I d id not honor that rule, I would be failing the police department. Therefore, the main stand here would be to arrest the friends of my old friend and take them in. it might not be the morally right decision, but according to the rules, it is the right thing to do. I am in a situation where a friend has offered me a gift basket with some money. I am a community officer and people may take this as a bribe, I can chose to either refuse the token or take it. There is no rule deterring me from taking a gift from a friend. After

Db5 diversity in the workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db5 diversity in the workplace - Research Paper Example It is also mean to increase the number of women in the employment sector. In my opinion, I believe affirmative action had fair intensions. This is because the programs were designed so as to provide individuals who are qualified with a fair and equal access to recruitment and opportunities. This is because the polices states that the people responsible in hiring and recruiting people should give fair and equal chances of evaluation regardless of the candidates gender, race or ethnic background. This makes sure that all people get opportunities equally (Tucker, 2000). It also increases social and economic diversity in the American educational system and workplace. Currently, the affirmative action has created a stronger educational and workplace diversity. This is because students of all races have been equally admitted into academic institutions. It has also made sure that women have increased in number in jobs that predominantly were occupied by males (Sadler, 1996). The program has ensured a rich diversity in colleges. There have been greater gains in the enrollment and graduations for women and people of colored skin at higher education institutions. Generally, I believe the affirmative action has had positive effects to the

Sometime in the future oil will become more expensive. investigate the Essay - 1

Sometime in the future oil will become more expensive. investigate the effects of this on the market for oil and the market for oil and the market for other fuels - Essay Example Hubbert (1956) had predicted that the production of oil in America followed a bell shaped graph trend. He stipulated that the peak of oil production was to be attained in 1970 after which production will assume a downward trend. His prediction reigned despite sharp criticisms. He then predicted a global peak to be witnessed in the year 2000. Michael Lynch fronted that the production of oil must be closely tied to oil prices. He argued that Hubbert committed a mistake in assuming that geology is the motivating factor to the discovery, production and depletion of oil. He advocated for supply and demand as the key determinants in the oil industry. "To an economist, the drop in exploration reflects optimal behavior: they do not waste money exploring for something they will not use for decades.† he added. Factors that influence the price of oil. Economic growth is one of the key factors that affect oil prices. A steadfast economic growth will result in an increase in the demand for oil and its byproducts. It thus exhibits a direct relationship with the price of oil. Even as countries seek to experience a rapid economic growth, they need to focus on other sources of energy so that their increased demand for energy can be met adequately. Another factor according to Watson (1987) that affects the price of oil is the seasonal changes. It has been observed that during winter oil prices increases rapidly in Europe and the U.S.A due to the increased demand. Before the beginning of winter, consumers tend to buy excess of oil and its products due to fear of possible. However during

In this course you have been exposed to many current trends in Term Paper

In this course you have been exposed to many current trends in Business Intelligence. Two important emerging trends are the u - Term Paper Example Moreover, there are technologies such as reality mining which are also emerging in the business world. Reality mining is mainly used to analyze the collected machine-sensed environmental data with regard to social behavior of human beings (Doody & Shields, n.d., pp. 1-31). The paper intends to present an elaborative explanation of a few of the current technological trends being used in the business. Furthermore, the paper would also depict the various impacts of RFID technology and reality mining on the present day organizations. The paper would also discuss the merits as well as the demerits of the aforesaid technologies in business. Discussion Technologies have a very crucial role to play in the present altering business environment. There has been a continuous emergence of new technologies in the business world. A few of them such as RFID technology and reality mining would be explained in details below: Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) i s one of the most important tools or technologies for business entities. This technology is quite effective and is capable of replacing the present modern day technology such as bar code. The technology offers strategic benefits to the business as it can track the record in case of supply chain activities more competently and effectively. This technology also provides real-time-in-transit visibility (ITV) and can also observe the general enterprise assets in the business (Sweeney II, 2010). A few of the present day examples of RFID is recognized in supply chain to create pallet tracking application which is used in companies such as Wal-Mart and its suppliers. The access control system such as keyless entry is also a RFID technology. Apart from this, applications like point-of-sale, automatic tool collection system, and animal tracking devices among others also use this technology (Hunt, Puglia & Puglia, 2007). Impacts of RFID on an Organization (Pros and Cons) The impact of RFID fo r the organization is based on how it is being handled by the organization. The ability of the technology to ensure services such as real-time and serialized data could prove to be quite essential to the organization. The best way to know the impact of the RFID on the organization is by assessing the area of the business where this technology is employed. The overall impact of RFID to the business can be assessed with the assistance of three distinct work flows. They are business processes, physical infrastructure as well as system and information. Proper execution of these three aspects alone would depict the major impacts of the technology in the organization (Sweeney II, 2010). On the other hand, the technology also has certain demerits that are quite vital to be analyzed. It has been observed that the technology of RFID reader at times faces difficulties to read the information if the tags are installed in liquids as well as in metal products. The problem occurs because liquid a nd metal surfaces replicate the radio waves, which makes the tags unreadable. Again, certain interventions can be observed in the proper use this technology if devices for example forklifts as well as walkies-talkies are in the surrounding area of the distribution centers (Shah & Murtaza, n.d. pp. 1-9). Effective Use of RFID Technology in Business By Harnessing the Benefits and Avoiding the Pitfalls The use of RFID technology in

Right to Vote 15th Amendment Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Right to Vote 15th Amendment - Research Proposal Example And that principle is the individual’s freedom from obligation and coercion by a governing body. It was from such a principle that America derived a system of capitalism which ensured each citizen could achieve—by his own hands—the so-called â€Å"American Dream†. Nevertheless, America has not always lived up to this standard; at times in history, it has seen the political philosophy of Jefferson’s magnum opus assaulted and tarnished with hypocrisy. The assault on individual rights—and the natural equality of man—took the form of rampant racism in Jim Crow laws for nearly a full century. But it was the Fifteenth Amendment which helped restore some loyalty to the principle of individual rights. Indeed, the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution secures a legal framework that is ultimately most consistent with the principles upon which the United States declared itself a free and sovereign nation. What, in detail, was the philosophical imperative for the Fifteenth Amendment? Such a question will receive its due attention later on; now, however, it would be useful to critically examine the history of the Amendment, and its practical necessity in the context of the political climate of its time. To examine its history, we must try to immerse ourselves in the type of culture which made it indispensable: a climate of racism and political instability. Indeed for much of the 19th century, the historiography for the period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) in America was dominated by a traditional interpretation which held that the Radical Republicans enforced black supremacy in the defeated Rebel states, and that the Reconstruction period was an orgy of corruption instituted by carpetbaggers, scalawags, and freedmen. Nevertheless, by the end of the middle 20th century, this interpretation had been almost completely toppled: instead, the freedmen were

Post-Implementation Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Post-Implementation Issues - Essay Example CAVIES would streamline and integrate the veterinary practice details of all the ten branches so clients’ needs could be addressed by any of the branch, in the case of emergencies. VOLES on the other hand, would facilitate check on the inventory of the veterinary products in the various branches and would ensure maintenance of adequate supply by ordering products which are in short supply. It would also keep track of the controlled drugs with details like their usage by the people and for the people etc. Implementation plan would not comprise of details and integration of modules like financial statement or any other management information, though efforts to link the CAVIES and VOLES to MICE system would be facilitated. Phase III parallel running of two system where client’s appointment for their pets and record maintenance of CAVIES and Sale order module of VOLE system would be taken up. Tentative timeframe would be 2 months. Direct changeover to new system is not advisable mainly because of following reasons: new system needs to be tested for inconsistencies and reconciliation of converted data; the end users i.e the staff and veterinary surgeons and nurses need time to become proficient in the use of new system 2.3. Data migration This step would primarily involve steps as: identification of data from the existing paper records and existing information system; codification of data which would be carried out by the people of HCL in the presence of CVGL staff; and data entry and conversion of data from the existing information system in the main server at the headquarters. Entry of data can either be carried out by the ISS staff or given to outside agency on contract. 2.4. Training Initially 1 week training of trainers, taken from existing staff of ISS and other departments, would be carried out in the following areas

Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizational Ethics - Essay Example In most cases in an organization, unethical behavior is normally as a result of the subordinates actions. In order to foster a decision making and ethical climate in an organization, it is important for the concerned manager to create and give enough freedom to the workers. As a result, the workers are likely to exhibit more loyalty to the organization and this makes them less prone to unethical behavior such as theft. The results of a study carried out by Graham indicate that employees are more likely to be attracted to and more committed to ethical organizations. As a manager in an organization, I would devote valuable employee time into training on ethical reasoning and ethical behavior; I would insist that ethical conduct should be exhibited even in the midst of aggressive competition. This would play a critical role in creation of a positive reputation in the organization. It would also enhance ethical climate as well as improving the decision making process. Unethical behaviors are very prominent in business settings and they include a wide variety of different activities. Myer (123), states that there are limitless reasons as to why many people and organizations exhibit unethical behavior. However, the most prominent ones relate to ones personality and the ethical frame work an individual holds. This is due to the fact that the frame work may conflict with the ethical frame work that the organization holds. In reference to the outlined and recent scandals, any individual is likely to fall into them. Therefore, this does not exempt me as a person, mainly due to the fact that I also hold unto some ethical frame work which would conflict with what others and the organization hold. It is therefore wise to devise ways in which to manage the potential ethical pitfalls in any organization, business, and company. To start with, individuals in prominent positions in an organization should encourage ethical consciousness in a concerned and supportive manner. Secondly, a clear policy in writing should be allocated to all individuals involved; they should carefully read and sign against it to indicate that they have clearly understood the terms and conditions and that they are ready to abide by the requirements. This would play a critical role in promotion of ethical behavior. In most instances, the personal ethics of leaders either positively or negatively impact the ethical behavior of an organization. They therefore play a big role in determining the kind of ethical behavior that is portrayed in an organization. In relation to the leaders, my ethical frame work may either positively or negatively influence my organization. Myer, Craig. Contemporary Business. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. Week 4 # 4 The framework for ethical decision making process includes 10 stages which have been grouped into 5 steps (Greg 65). It provides a well defined direction in which one is expected to follow in order to achieve the best results during decision making process and formulation of ethical behavior. The first step involves recognition of an ethical issue in which the facts are collected. Evaluation of alternative actions follows up whereby a decision and a test are made. Lastly, one is expected to

Marketing strategy Essay Example for Free

Marketing strategy Essay Nike Inc. founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight is global leader in sportswear and footwear industry. With Nike occupying around 45% of global market share in footwear and apparels and moving further ahead, much of the organisational success can be credited to its marketing strategy that have helped the organisation achieve revenue worth billions every fiscal year ($18 billion being in 2008). Nike Inc. UK has a major market in the UK for fitness trainers and shoes provided for health and fitness purpose benefits to the consumers. Nike understands the importance of market analysis and marketing strategy based upon those analytical processes. Considerable amount of research and analysis have been carried on in understanding consumer needs, UK’s environment and potential opportunities. This report consists of situational analysis SWOT of Nike in UK and also presents situational analysis suggestion of ways in which competitive edge can be gained against its rivals with segmentation, targeting and positioning of the products. The importance of marketing objectives has also been highlighted in the report and thus provides Nike with a glimpse of marketing environment in UK and the expectations with role of marketing mix (4P’s). Introduction Nike has predominantly been successful in shoe manufacturing and distribution among the shoe manufacturers with its superior quality, high tech, ultramodern shoes that meet on going demand of the market and its trends. From professional athletics to most common need for fitness trainers, Nike has got fitness shoes and trainers in all shape, sizes and colours. Some of the most famous Nike trainers and fitness shoes are Nike + (spelled as plus), Air Jordan, Nike Shox, Nike Lunar glide, Nike Air Zoom, Nike 360 and many more. Nike is the sole distributor of Nike trade mark represented on each of these and many of its fitness trainers sold globally. High quality material, design and cut and technological enhancement of the shoes as per requirement of various activities thus make Nike the best choice for fitness trainers and shoes. Marketing Analysis and strategic evaluation of a company is an important component of any organisational success. Without well-structured marketing strategies and road maps to planning and achieving them, no organisation can be at the point where they want to be. Nike in UK covers a fair amount of market share and revenue for the organisation. The huge market diversity, brand awareness in market and consumer base loyal to high quality products therefore help to its cause. On the other hand, UK market is generally health conscious and trendy. Trainers and fitness shoes are therefore in much demand over last few years within the country itself. Marketing Audit (Nike Inc. UK) Nike Inc. UK follows management strategies that combine with six of the most important external factors that can have an impact on the organisation. PESTLE is a situational analysis tool that can be used by firms to determine their position against possible external influences such as politics, economy, society, technology, environment and law. Nike and its positional stand against background of UK market can therefore be analysed in the following way: Political Factors Nike Inc. has a considerably stable political environment and an economy welfare provided by the state. Considerable amount of legal requirements were accomplished by Nike during its entry in the UK as an organisation completing all political alignments. Considerable amount of fitness shoes and trainers are imported in UK which is sold all over. However, Nike might have to face challenges if government drafts policy or quotas on Nike shoes that can be imported from its production sites such as Asia-Pacific. Economic Factors UK economy has been unstable in recent years. The double dip recession few years back, inflation rate fluctuating abnormally, growing living costs, income tax rate increments and other economic factors directly or indirectly affected Nike’s performance in the UK with comparatively weak sales figure. Economic balance, employment rate and PDI all must be stable and firm enough in the economy to help a business sustain. Nike therefore needs strategic move that can guarantee its sustainability in such circumstances. Social Factors UK market comprises of people from multiple culture, religion and ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, Nike needs to understand the social system and practice of all these people whenever approaching them. Sales and marketing of the fitness shoes should be therefore based upon social acceptance of methods, people’s lifestyle and their way of thinking. For instance, consumers in UK who purchase fitness trainers are pretty health conscious and the numbers are growing as well. Hence, Nike needs to provide more health benefitting shoes and apparel. Similarly, social responsibility image of Nike has to be significantly boosted with accusations of running sweatshops in Nike factories in Asia which it has tried to improve with facilities, factory improvements and commitment towards further improvement. Technological Factors Technological factors are an important aspect that needs to be considered by Nike Inc. UK . Technological advancements in fitness shoes need to be updated and research and development of such apparels have to be advanced. With fitness shoes that are designed such for injury prevention, sole strengthening, speed sports, less sweating and many other features the advancement has been unimaginable. UK customers are updated and spend good time researching on features and quality of the product they want. Nike therefore has to be technologically capable of providing customer satisfaction. Environmental Factors Nike needs total understanding of UK market as consumers are concerned about how products they purchase can make an impact upon environment. Production materials, process and sites can be harmful to environment in many ways. This can be a grave concern for environmental activists and hence persuade consumer thoughts. Nike has to be able to inform the consumers in UK with their continuous efforts in making Nike shoe production environment friendly and use of raw materials and the production process least harmful to nature. Legal factors Nike has to oblige with all the legal regulations and in relevance with companies operating in the UK. They must consider their business privileges as well as legal responsibility in concern with marketing, promotion and sales in the Kingdom. Some of the legal acts that they need to consider are regarding press, trade acts, acts on sales and supply of goods, adverts and campaigning, television adverts, environmental acts and so on. Without its compliance of local laws and acts Nike would suffer a huge blow in gaining consumer trust as they cannot operate with efficiency. SWOT ANALYSIS FOR NIKE FITNESS SHOES Strength: Nike is a global leader in shoe manufacturing and has been in market for very long time. There is a considerable amount of customer trust and loyalty based upon the very fact that Nike has been able to provide highest quality fitness shoes with modern techniques and design over years. The research and development investment in Nike is huge. The very reason has pioneered Nike in producing ultra-modern technology in fitness shoes. Shoes with air compressed soles for low pressure on soles, ankle protecting designs, speed boosting trainers etc. have all been Nike’s brilliant ideas in meeting with modern demands of consumers. Beside innovations, Nike also provides consumers with choice of designing their own shoes in the UK. Nike has a global presence and their revenues are worth billions . Distribution channels for Nike are well established and it has diverse range of products to cater the consumers with. Weakness: Nike Inc. UK has had to compete fiercely against several of its competitors in recent years with economic downfall regarding price of the product. Several of Nike’s fitness trainers are comparatively expensive than other brands. With buyers focusing their mind on cost efficient purchase, Nike prices are a thought for many. On the other hand, Nike’s sweatshop factories in Asia which are not owned by Nike themselves but subcontracted had tarnished Nike image among many people. Nike has considerably put much effort in improving the working condition and lives of its workers thereby. Opportunity: UK market has lots of potential opportunities for the Nike. With numerous amounts of health conscious people and growing sport enthusiastic generation of youngsters, Nike has the opportunity to grab market by launching shoes and trainers as per the consumer needs. Use of internet is wide and common in the UK and e-commerce has been developing in a tremendous pace. Nike can use this opportunity to promote, inform and cater its consumers with its fitness trainers. Threats: Nike has been competing fiercely with rival companies such as Adidas, Puma, Asics, Umbro and others for fitness shoe production and distribution in UK market. Besides, challenges from competitors, forged Nike footwear relatively cheap and of low quality are circulated by counterfeiters in market which has hampered Nikes reputation and brand. On the other hand growing economic uncertainty, government cuts and rising inflation have been challenging Nike sales. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Competitive advantage can be defined as strategic advantage a company holds against the competitors in the industry. It can be marked as the positional state of company when it is able to create a benchmark in terms of profit in the industry. Nike has the competitive advantage over its rivals through wider market coverage, higher gross revenue and customer loyalty as well. Nike fitness trainers with their high quality design and attributes have been able to outperform other shoe makers. Nike therefore wants to hold this competitive advantage over its rival sustainably. Competitive advantage can be achieved either by, Cost advantage techniques when production is made in massive quantity and products sold in relatively cheaper price or differentiation techniques of producing unique featured products against competitors and providing relative value to the good priced. In 2003, Svend Hollenson provided seven key factors that provide organisations with competitive advantage. Nike with all these consideration and seven key factors can boost its performance therefore in market. The seven factors are: Economy of scale: Economies of scale refers to the term when production cost of a company is relatively lower than its sales revenue and earnings made are from massive sales. These companies produce goods on regular basis and avoid shortage in the market. Economy of scope: Economies of scope relates to the idea that cost of production can be further reduced by other organisational means such as joint administrative firms for different products, similar storage for different goods and cost effective methodologies used in production to distribution. Strategic thinking: The core competence of any business to succeed in modern business world is strategic thinking. With enormous amount of competition and impediments that can affect the business, Nike should be able to analyse its internal and external environment, assess operational lapses so as they can provide effective strategy to eradicate arrears and achieve their objectives. Use of local market: Global companies such as Nike have ample opportunity to provide their range of products to local market in the UK. With well informed and health conscious consumers growing on daily basis, Nike can exploit the opportunity to provide its trainers in all parts of the country. Nike’s product range and standards are well accepted and with more quality products coming in it can boost with learning of local market and advantages it can take from. Ability to provide global services: Nike has been able to provide its product and service throughout the globe. With communication, transportation and various technological developments that have made international trade reliable, company such as Nike have been able to market and cater their business worldwide. Use if information technology in global service is an essential tool which has been used by Nike to deliver its goods and services. Competitive advantage (Company specific): Every organisation should have a distinct and unique feature which provides a competitive edge over its rival companies. Nike has been providing high quality footwear from their founding days. Superior technology, design and features of Nike footwear are second to none. This very reason has made Nike achieve higher market share globally than its competitors by building excellent customer relationship. Human resource (competitive advantage): Nike and its success can be credited on high level to the employees of Nike who with their commitment, skills and attitude have made tremendous development and market coverage for them. Human workforce is an essential element of any business where firm should be able to provide the employees with business specific skills. This helps organisation achieve most out of the available workforce. SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING (STP) The marketing strategy of a company starts from mission and vision statement to selection of market and then positioning of the plans and objectives of the product in the market. Philip Kotler (1994) provided segmentation, targeting and positioning as the essence of strategic management for any organisation. Here, in terms of Nike Inc. UK, we can suggest following steps to be followed for strategic move: Segmentation: Research on existing market, types of customers and distribution of similar market should be carried out. Targeting: A target market (generally mass and more productive) which has to be served has to be analysed. Positioning: The plans are carried out to be performed in the target market and all the activities positioned. Nike Inc. UK should be able to research and develop the segments within UK market where consumers with similar characteristics can be served. The three approaches of market segmentation such as differentiated, undifferentiated and concentrated can be used to determine segments and plan accordingly by Nike. Nike can distinguish its market with several features and variables which determine the general concept about products that Nike offer, fitness shoes in this case. Socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, occupation, income and family etc. can be considered. It may also be based on geographic information such as area, area density, household and neighbourhood, market size and more. Behavioural data can be assessed to determine customer loyalty, buying trends, user choice and others. Psychographic studies would help Nike understand consumer lifestyle, fashion choices and many more. Nike and its segment targeting approach in the UK Socio demography: Nike Inc. UK provides fitness shoe and trainers in wide range and designs to offer different kind of customers. Trainers and shoes come in all shape, size, specification and quality. Trainers in multiple ranges for men, women and kids are available in the UK market. Sizes are marked effectively for fit in purpose and available readily in all the sales stores. Fitness trainers for men range from ? 38 least for Nike Zoom to ? 120 highest for Nike Trainer 1. Women have wide range of choice as well from Nike Air Cardio designs costing mere ? 28 to ? 140 for Nike Air Max+ 2011 id. Kid products range from ? 18 to ? 100. Geography: Nike has made its presence felt in all the major towns and cities in the UK. The points those are most likely to be consumer targeted have been covered as market by Nike. However, reaching the country sides would be a challenge and point of thought if Nike wants to expand its business all over the nation. Nike provides point of sale services in London, Birmingham city, Glasgow, Manchester city, Edinburgh and many other cities. However, internet usage is the only medium for other geographic parts to purchase Nike trainers. Customer Behaviour: It can be important for Nike to realise the importance of customer behaviour in UK. To learn more about consumer preferences and expectation, it is important to communicate with them and share their experiences. Customer loyalty can be earned by providing customers with benefits and services such as after sales, exchange facilities, warranty and making them feel cared for. Nike has to develop such credentials to learn more about customer status and capacity. Consumer psychograph: Nike has so far been successful in providing trainers and fitness shoes to varying demands of consumers that are available in the UK. Prices of the trainers range from ? 28 to ? 140 which shows that Nike has its focus on all sets of customer status. Some exclusive products are also sold in the market that focuses on trendy, fashionable and youthful nature of trainers and fitness shoes for the consumers. POSITIONING OF MARKET Nike Inc. has been very successful in positioning itself as a global leader in athletic footwear market. Even in UK, Nike has been really successful in covering huge market, enormous amount of consumer trust and therefore considerable amount of revenue for the company itself. Technological advancement, high quality materials, innovation and design in Nike footwear are what even the competitors try to imitate. Even though several European brands provide Nike with stiff competition in the UK, Nike has been efficacious in fending off challenges and come up with even better trainers and footwear as per the demand of demanding health conscious population. With a very competitive pricing strategy that is in concern with market expectations, Nike provides footwear of different sizes, design and price for different market segments. Nike has invested considerable amount of time and money on research of UK market since years which has made it one of the most trusted and loved brand in the UK. Such strong position and market share therefore is a positive sign for Nike in days to come. NIKE AND ITS MARKETING OBJECTIVES AND GOALS IN THE UK Nike has been established as a reputed business enterprise in the UK for years now. Their capability and product effectiveness are reflected in choice of people in using Nike fitness trainers before any available option. SMART based goals and objectives which relate to features of objective setting such as specification, measurement, attainment, realisation and time are necessary for Nike to implement in their strategies. Here, we analyse how Nike’s objectives can be related to the SMART approach. SPECIFIC: Nike is the leading women fitness provider in UK with revenue grossing worth 200 million dollars in 2010. Nike Inc. wants to double the gross amount by the fiscal year of 2014. MEASURABLE: Nike targets revenue of $27 billion by the end of 2015 as well as cumulative cash flow increment to $12 billion. ACHIEVABLE: Nike wants to provide UK consumers with 100% cotton used fitness trainers based upon consumer survey in coming years. Nike Inc. has plans to endorse its own athletics footwear during the 2012 summer Olympics in London by sponsoring all the American athletes participating in the games. REALISTIC: Nike Inc. UK wants to increase its market coverage in the UK which is 18% now to 25% within 2013 as Nike footwear have had tremendously appreciated response and promotional endorsements are to be boosted during Olympic games. TIME BOUND: All afore mentioned plans and objectives of Nike Inc. UK are to be completed in certain time allocated for each objective completion. MARKETING STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS OF NIKE INC. UK Nike Inc. UK would have to define its objectives and the process of determining the achievement of those goals. Out of various strategic plans available, Nike Inc. UK can use growth strategies using both product and market. Figure source: http://highn. me/ansoffs-matrix-planning-for-growth/ Nike Inc. UK can develop its strategies by using various methods of strategic moves such as Market Penetration: by providing competitive prices against others, promotional campaigns, enhancing customer support and care etc. Market Development: by getting into newer geographic area, building newer distribution channels, creating new product dimension, creating new market segment etc. Product Development: by producing exclusive products, creating a new trend, using technological advancements in product, diversifying product ranges etc. Diversification: by producing new merchandises than usual for instance sweat free socks for Nike trainers, or other products to match Nike footwear and apparels such as caps, jogging scarfs etc. THE MARKETING MIX (4P’S) FOR NIKE INC. UK Nike Inc. UK and their marketing strategies may be subject to changes from external forces of environment such as politics, economy, society, technology, environment and law. The company however has no control on these factors and have to make adjustments on several occasions. The 4 p’s are variables that the organisation can control within its own marketing strategy and is generally known as 4 p’s of marketing mix. Here, we analyse Nike Inc. and its marketing mix. Product: Nike should be able to provide product variety to the consumers in UK. With people interested in different sports, Nike can make an impact on market here. The quality and features of the new trainers have to be of highest quality, design and durability. Latest trends and technology used in performance enhancement, accident prevention and safety of athletes should be made available in Nike trainers. Sizes and shapes have to come out in all different ways and the products need to be attractively packaged as well. Price: Nike needs to focus on all kinds of customer and research on the customer behaviour or purchasing pattern in the UK. Though Nike already provides trainers from as cheap as ? 28 to ? 140 and more, the prices need to be justified. List of the prices and their features marked with products can be helpful. Price discounts on times can be helpful for boosting business. Place: Nike should focus on locations where footwear can be retailed, distributed or sold more efficiently. Study of market is necessary to determine where Nike can make best out of its sales. Placement in this case may be stores around sport clubs, distribution to other sellers and others. Information technology has covered almost the whole part of UK which can be utilised by Nike to exploit the market and attract the customers. Promotion: Nike Inc. has used several of global athletes as brand ambassadors for the company. Their very link with the company and attachment has provided lime light to the Nike trainers as well. The company can advertise its trainers through media; create sales promotion from time to time and even sponsor future sport events to promote their products as well. Conclusion/Recommendation: Marketing Strategy is an important aspect in achieving the organisational goals and objectives. Only with considerable investment in analysing Nike Inc. ’s strength, weakness, opportunity and threats can the organisation implement marketing strategies. Nike enjoys good market presence and customer loyalty in the kingdom and thus can improve further. From the report, we can recommend some of the following aspects for Nike; The emerging youth culture and trend is an opportunity for Nike to market its products. More technological use in trainers, design can be improved so as to promote fitness trainers. Health benefits associated with fitness Nike trainers should be made aware to the consumers. Use of information technology can be great way to market coverage for Nike trainers and their distribution.