Professional Athletes’ Salaries

In today's society, the American people can't get enough of their favorite teams and athletes. Entire cities are infatuated with these teams and as a result, people spend much of their time and money watching and rooting, hoping for a victory. There is nothing wrong with enjoying and marveling at the talent of these professional athletes, but what happens with all these resources that go into the sports? They go straight to the players. Although our society idolizes and cheers on our favorite athletes, they are significantly overpaid. The amount of money some of the best athletes make in a year is astonishing.Professional baseball player, Alex Rodriguez, will have made 33 million dollars this year, just based on his salary, not including endorsements (Freedman). Tiger Woods made almost 23 million dollars in his winnings from various golf tournaments in 2009, and add on another 105 million from his endorsements and you get the highest paid athlete in the world (Freeman). Endorsements are another subject entirely, but it makes you understand how important it is for companies to have their logo on someone's hat, or have a big star in their commercial.Keep in mind not all athletes are paid in millions, we are talking about some of the best in the most popular sports. That being said, the average MLB player's contract will be around three million dollars, and the minimum being 400 thousand dollars (MLBPA). This means a player sitting on the bench the entire season will make nearly ten times what the average teacher will make. The reason all of these players get paid so much is because all professional sports leagues are essentially a business. And with all these countless numbers of sport fans (myself included), business is booming.It is important to understand how the business works when you need to fix a problem. The Managers and Owners want their team to do well to bring in the fans, which in turn brings in the money. If a team is doing well they will make expone ntially more money because of the sellout crowds and the jersey's flying off the shelves. The best way to improve your team is to get the best players, and that is done by paying for them. When a player is a free agent (does not have a contract to a specific team), teams will essentially bid and negotiate, and in most cases the highest paying team will get that player.This is why teams like the Yankees have so many of the best players, because of their humungous fan base, they have a seemingly unlimited amount of cash to bring in the best players. So all this money is coming in from tickets and clothing and other sources of income and it has to go somewhere, right? Many people think athletes are rightfully paid all the money they have earned. Some argue that football players have short careers and many health problems after they are retired, so they will then need money for their injuries.With the average NFL player making 310 Thousand dollars in a year (NFL Player†¦ ), and the y play 10 years for example, they should be okay financially. Some young athletes will receive their first big check and go blow it all immediately. This is why some players are broke years after their career, and try to use it to justify their pay check, and make it seem as if they aren't paid that much at all. In reality it is their poor money managing skills; they still make a ridiculously larger amount of money in their career than any normal person will make in their lifetime.Another argument is that not all athletes are paid so highly. This is true, a professional volleyball player, or even a minor league baseball player, will probably not make as much as a A-Rod or Tiger, but they are making a living by having fun playing a sport. What more could you ask for? When you take a look at an athlete's salary and compare it to a teacher, fireman, or even a doctor, it doesn't even come close. There are so many other occupations that are paid much less than a pro athlete, but contribu te much more to our community.Teachers are having to have more and more students in their classes and many of them are having to find a new career because of the pay. A good teacher can change the lives of some students and provide so much knowledge, but it is hard to aspire to be a teacher rather than an athlete when you compare the two's salary. Think of all the money we could put into education, health, the environment, just to name a few. Just being able to live by playing a sport is something players shouldn't take for granted.It is the very fans of the sports who are responsible for such high salaries (Callahan). The main way to lower professional athletes' salaries would be for people to stop paying so much for tickets, jerseys, and sports packages on television. Frankly, that will not be happening anytime soon with the current way we worship these people. What needs to happen is the big professional sports leagues (NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL), need to recognize what is going on. The y need to see how our economy is hurt and how our society needs the financial support.Ticket prices need to be slashed. Jersey prices need to be slashed. The best athletes can still be rewarded and paid a few hundred thousand, not millions and millions. They can still make great money from endorsements. And those extra funds need to be given back to the cities that have given so much to the sports franchises. The people need them to rebuild our educational and health systems, and our overall economy. Players can still have a great standard of living, but it is just wasted money if they are sitting among America's richest.Many of these arguments can also be said for corporate CEO's and that needs to change. These people are at the top of the food chain while everyone below them is hurting. The sports leagues are blinded by greed and stardom; not only is it the athletes being paid so much, but the team owners as well. It is okay to look at these pro's as a personal hero, but we need t o step back and cut down on how much we idolize them if we want to see improvement. In the end, it is all a business and it is their job to step up and make a change to better our society.

Important Quotes Frankenstein

Important quotes from Frankenstein â€Å"†¦ an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. † – RW, P. 7 â€Å"I shall certainly find no friend on the wide ocean,† – RW, P. 11 â€Å"We accordingly brought him back to the deck, and restored him to animation† – RW on VF, P. 14 â€Å"†¦ playful as a summer insect†¦ lively as a bird†¦ the most fragile creature† – VF on E, P. 20 â€Å", the first misfortune of my life occurred – an omen, as it were, of my future misery† – VF, P. 25 â€Å"Thus ended a day memorable to me; it decided my future destiny† – VF on inevitable fate, P. 30 â€Å"†¦ y father had taken the greatest precautions that my mind should be impressed with no supernatural horrors. † – VF on actually having a caring father, also, Gothicism, P. 31 â€Å", I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter† à ¢â‚¬â€œ VF, P. 32 â€Å"†¦ a dreary night†¦ with an anxiety that almost amounted to agony† – VF and the day of creation, his mental state and pathetic fallacy, P. 35 â€Å"†¦ my candle was nearly burnt out† – VF, a metaphor for his sanity, P. 35 â€Å"†¦ he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks† – VF on the monster as a newborn baby, P. 6 â€Å"†¦ one hand was stretched out† – VF on the monster as Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, P. 36 â€Å"†¦ but I escaped, and rushed down stairs† – VF abandons his baby, his duty, P. 36 â€Å"Oh, save me! save me! † – VF as a damsel in distress, HC is the saviour, save-haven, P. 39 â€Å"†¦ the season contributed greatly to my convalescence† – VF as a Romantic, nature restores health P. 39 â€Å"During the whole of this wretched mockery of justice, I suffered living torture. â₠¬  – VF, the beginning of injustice; brought on simply by himself, P. 54 â€Å"Could the daemon†¦ lso in his hellish sport have betrayed the innocent to death and ignominy. † – VF. It was VF who betrayed the innocent, so surely then he is the daemon? P. 56 â€Å"Justine died; she rested; and I was alive. † – VF; is death better than life at this point? P. 61 â€Å"†¦ deep, dark, death-like solitude† – VF, P. 61 â€Å"I had been the author of unalterable evils† – VF and his inevitable fate, his realised sense of guilt and fault, P. 62 â€Å"The rain depressed me† – VF, pure and simple pathetic fallacy, P. 65 â€Å"†¦ the view of the tremendous and ever-moving glacier†¦ t had then filled me with a sublime ecstasy† – VF on the sublime nature of his setting, P. 66 LINK: â€Å"Infinity has a tendency to fill the mind with that sort of delightful horror† – Edmund B urke, On the Sublime and Beautiful â€Å"†¦ the vast river of ice†¦ their icy and glittering peaks† – VF, a continuation of the sublime, and a reference to Rime, P. 67 LINK: â€Å"The ice was here, the ice was there / The ice was all around† – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner â€Å"All men hate the wretched† – M, proving himself different to humans, P. 7 â€Å"†¦ you, my creator† – M, master/slave distinction, father/son distinction, self-awareness, P. 68 â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel† – M is comparing himself to the devil. Whereas he should have been a perfect being, he became an archetypal fallen angel, like Lucifer for example, P. 68 LINK: â€Å"Awake, arise or be for ever fall’n. † – John Milton, Paradise Lost â€Å"†¦ thy creature, who implores thy goodness and compassion. † – M only needed his creator, his father, to care for him. He was of a good nature, until rejection. P. 8 â€Å"; my soul glowed with love and humanity† – M, until he realised he was not human, P. 68 â€Å"Oh, praise the eternal justice of man! † – M. This brilliantly ironic; the monster has learnt sarcasm, and is using it to condemn VF for wanting to murder him, despite VF accusing the monster of murder. In doing so, the monster mocks the injustice of Justine’s trial, as well as William’s death, P. 69 â€Å"Cursed be the day†¦ in which you first saw light! † – VF. Unlike convention, the symbolism of light here is negative, P. 69 â€Å"I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. – M has no parent, he learns through trial and error, P. 71 â€Å"†¦ miserable, from the inclemency of the season, and still more from the barbarity of man. † – M, as an unnatural being, has at this point neither nature nor mankind. He is a reject, P. 73 â€Å"It was indeed a paradise, compared to the bleak forest, my former residence† – M, his hovel is a paradise from which he is soon banished, after he gives in to curiosity and tries the ‘forbidden fruit’; talking to humankind, P. 75 â€Å"†¦ when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained† – M learns guilt, is of a good nature, P. 7 â€Å"I went into the woods, and collected my own food and fuel for the cottage. † – M becomes a parent to the De Lacy family, and furthermore becomes a peasant, P. 79 â€Å"The lady was dressed in a dark suit, and covered with a thick black veil† – M describes Safie as dressing in a Gothic manner, P. 80 â€Å"†¦ her eyes were dark, but gentle† – M, provides alternate view to idea of black symbolising darkness or Gothicism, P. 81 â€Å"And what was I? † – M has no cl ass, has no role in society, P. 83 â€Å"Of what a strange nature is knowledge! – M realises that maybe all that he has learnt is not for the better, P. 83 â€Å"The injustice of his sentence was very flagrant† – M again experiences injustice, grows evermore corrupt, P. 85 â€Å"I can hardly describe to you the effect of these books† – M acquires life-changing books, P. 89 â€Å"†¦ the picture of an omnipotent God warring with his creatures† – M, familiar? M vs. VF, P. 90 â€Å"Like Adam, I was created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence, but†¦ he had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous†¦ I was wretched, helpless and alone. – M links himself to Adam, realises he is not a perfect creature, or a human. He acknowledges his alienation, his loneliness, P. 90 LINK: â€Å"Adam, the goodliest man of men since born his sons† – John Milton, Para dise Lost â€Å"Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition† – M is the fallen angel, P. 90 â€Å"†¦ the hearts of men†¦ are full of brotherly love and charity† – De Lacy, but maybe M isn’t a human brother, he is different, P. 93 â€Å"I am blind, and cannot judge of your countenance, but there is something in your words which persuades me that you are sincere. † – De Lacy.M speaks eloquently, is compassionate (at this point) and cares for the De Lacy family, but on the outside is a monster, P. 94 â€Å"No: from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species† – M is rejected by De Lacy family, P. 95 â€Å"This was then the reward of my benevolence! † – M saves a woman from drowning, and is shot in doing so. Again, it is his appearance, not his intention, that is seen by mankind, P. 99 â€Å"You, my creator, would tear me to pieces† – M, but actually , VF tears the female M to pieces, P. 102 â€Å"Oh! my creator, make me happy† – M, this is the simplest demand to his father/creator, P. 02 â€Å"I do not destroy the lamb and the kid, to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment† – M; eco-criticism? P. 103 â€Å"; the sun will shine on us as on man, and will ripen our food. † – M. Both Romantic (nature supplying food) and Marxist (all men are equal)? P. 103 â€Å"†¦ with this deadly weight yet hanging around my neck† – VF acknowledges his guilt, but it still exists. Also, has he replaced religion with his actions, and replaced God with himself? P. 108 LINK: â€Å"Instead of the cross, the Albatross / About my neck was hung. – Samuel Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner. â€Å"But in Clerval I saw the image of my former self† – VF. Could it be that Clerval is the innocent, ambitious and excitable VF, and the monster is t he corrupt and miserable VF? P. 113 â€Å", the sight of what is beautiful in nature†¦ could always interest my heart. † – VF was (he is recollecting his childhood, here) a Romantic. Now, he has gone against nature and created something unnatural, P. 114 â€Å"Had I a right†¦ to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations? † – VF suddenly gains a conscience. Was M simply a ‘test-run’?He has learnt his lesson, and he shall now tear up the female M, P. 119 â€Å"Have my murderous machinations deprives you also, my dearest Henry, of life? † – VF, I think we now know who the murderer is, P. 127 â€Å"The peasants were shut up in their hovels† – VF, so was M a peasant? P. 148 â€Å"You have read this strange and terrific story†¦ do you not feel your blood congealed with horror, like that which even now curdles mine? † – RW; so was the story Gothic? P. 151 LINK: â€Å"†¦ one to make the reader dread to look around, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart. – Mary Shelley, on what Frankenstein was intended to be. â€Å"in his murder my crimes are consummated;† – M, upon seeing VF dead, believes justice has been done. He who abandoned him has suffered. P. 158 â€Å"I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion† – M did actually develop fully, though. He was, however, an aborted experiment, P. 160 â€Å"He was soon borne away by the waves, and lost in darkness and distance. † RW, not only is M lost in darkness, but so is the reader. What happens next? Does M really stay by his word? What comes of RW? P. 161

Compare & Contrast Russian Serfdom Essay

In the dark ages of 1450 to 1750, a devastating time period, Russian slavery & Caribbean slavery became popular. Although Russian serfdom & Caribbean slavery are similar in regard to how they were punished, the laborious work, & the little rights they received. They’re different in regard to their location, ways in which they’re owned & their payment for work. To start, the three similarities between Russian serfdom & Caribbean slavery are: the ways the slaves were punished, the laborious work, & the little rights they received. Both Russian slaves & Caribbean slaves were punished the same way, corporal punishment. Slaves in both regions were whipped & beaten. Rougher means of punishment was also implemented, such as starvation, sexual abuse, & hanging. Slaves would face this punishment when acting out, such as trying to flee, or back talking the master or landowner. Sometimes, the slave was punished for small things such as: not eating or answering questions fast enough. The laborious work was similar as well, both types of slaves worked long hours in fields or in factories. Typically 18 hours of work or from sun rise to sun set. Both Caribbean slaves & Russian slaves were free farmers. They planted, grew, & harvested all different things, typically cotton & sugar. These slaves had little to no rights. As mentioned above, they were constantly beaten, not respected, & had no freedom whatsoever. They often went days at a time not eating then had to work hard in the fields, but when they’d try to take a break, they would be whipped. Three differences between Russian serfdom & Caribbean slavery are: their location, ways in which they were owned, & their payment for work. Russian slaves hailed from Europe, particularly Russia while Caribbean slaves hailed from islands between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, particularly the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, & Cuba. While both produced similar products, they were in totally different regions of the world. They ways in which Russian & Caribbean slaves were different in the sense that Russian slavery was like Russian serfdom. Russian serfdom is based on land, & whoever bought the plot was the slave’s master while Caribbean slavery was being owned by a master, who chooses & buys the  slave. Another difference in Russian slavery & Caribbean slavery is the payment the slaves were awarded with for their work. Russian slaves were granted the protection from invaders, due to the master owning the land. Typically masters were either rich, royal or both, granting them the ability to have people guard their land. While Caribbean slaves were rewarded pretty much nothing other than being able to have one third of whatever crop they grew & harvested. They were not paid nor granted protection. Based on analysis, Russian & Caribbean slavery are similar & different due to what needed to be produced. Their differences are due to the way they were owned & amount of protection. Caribbean slaves produced sugar as did Russian slaves, but Caribbean sugar seemed to be more popular & was often exported because of the region of the Caribbean. Rich fertile soil & good growing conditions needed to have workers that were chosen for the hard work, while Russian slaves producing a little bit of everything needed versatile workers that could do a little bit of everything. This leads to protection, everyone in the Caribbean was trying to produce sugar, and the masters didn’t feel the need to have protection of the slaves, because all of the other slaves owned by other masters were busy doing the same thing. Meanwhile in Russia, the master of the land felt the need to protect their versatile workers & their crops. The reason for the similarity in the products they produce was oddly region. The fact that both Russia & the Caribbean slaves were able to produce the same products was due to the fact that both regions had very fertile soil, & good weather conditions during certain times of the year.

Economic Efficiency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic Efficiency - Essay Example Using another angle, this paper also takes a look at research done within industrial organisations and related issues of economic efficiency, profits and lower costs, as also biotechnological changes, genetic resources and legal issues within economics and industrial settings. The focus however is on economic efficiency and resources that would be suitable within industrial organisations. This discussion would focus on an analysis of property rights, genetic resources and biotechnological changes considering the paper by Roger Sedjo (1992). In the paper Sedjo argues that genetic constitution of plants and animals would provide important information on development of natural products such as drugs and pharmaceuticals as well as the applications of biotechnology. The potential of genetic resources as repositories of genetic information has been immense. Many anticancer drugs have been developed from plants found in tropical forests and there is a lot of potential for such drugs. The st udy by Sedjo deals with wild genetic resources and their uses as well as biotechnological change, with genetic resources having elements of private and public goods. The protection and distribution of genetic resources is a major issue and closely associated with issues of property rights and public good. ... The property rights issues and the economics with regard to effective maintenance of wild and natural genetic resources could also be studied. Sedjo points out to the importance of social values in halting a process of extinction of genetic resources through habitat destruction and deforestation. Useful attributes are changed through biotechnological innovation in certain cases and certain developing countries have faced criticism for not appreciating the values of forests and biological diversity and for not protecting the forests and the environment. Genetic resources are considered both private and public and even considered as a store of knowledge. Genetic resources are however best analysed with R&D problems and variations. The economic efficiency of resources could be examined in terms of consumption as more one person consumes, the less resources are available to other people for consumption but this would be applicable to phenotypes of private goods. In case of genotypes or public goods, one person's consumption may not affect the amount available to others. However both genotypes or phenotypes can give consumption access to some individuals and exclude others. This according to Sedjo is applicable to property rights in case of improved varieties of plants and animals. So, how a sustainable environment and economic efficiency could be derived from wild plants and animals or genetic resources is understood in terms of three types of uses of wild plants and animals as such plants or animals could be consumed directly or can be a source of organic compounds. They can be used for the production of natural or herbal drugs. These plants and animals and their compounds could be used for the synthesis of chemicals and compounds

Notes on Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Notes on Nursing - Essay Example Notes on Nursing Each of these experiences had an impact on me, although in different ways. I had only made my way through a few pages of â€Å"Notes on Nursing† when I came across a select few pages of Florence Nightingale’s words that changed the way I thought. Nightingale mentions the five essential steps to securing the health of houses as pure air, pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness, and sufficient lighting. After that, I felt embarrassed at the fact that I had previously always kept my house closed up due to some of my seasonal allergies. Also, I never opened the blinds to let light in or opened the windows to let fresh air into the house. In the section titled â€Å"Ventilation and Warming,† Florence Nightingale stated: â€Å"Even in health, people cannot repeatedly breathe in air with impunity, on account of it becoming charged with unwholesome matter from the lungs and skin. In disease, where everything given off from the body is highly noxious and dangerous, n ot only must there be plenty of ventilation to carry off the effluvia, but everything that the patient passes must be instantly removed because it may be more noxious than even the emanations from the sick†. In response to this new information, my blinds and windows are now opened every day for the benefit of my three year old daughter’s health and also my own. Nightingale continues on by mentioning how nurses leave full urinals and full emesis basins at the bedsides of their patients. She comments that this habit is unhealthy and may have a long term detrimental effect on patients who are exposed to this on a regular basis. These thoughts caused me to reflect on myself as a nurse. As often happens, I tend to get so caught up in the internal business of the emergency department that I forget the little things that could make patients unhealthy. I now make sure that I always empty urinals immediately, no matter how busy I am. If I cannot take the time to perform these si mple tasks, then I could no longer be considered as a responsible nurse. In reflecting on this, I was somewhat embarrassed by the neglect that I was displaying towards people in my own household and also my patients at the hospital. Working in the emergency department is quite tough, as I find myself feeling glum on a daily basis. There is always commotion going on, with patients coming in and going out amidst all of the noise. I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of patients and also the level of responsibility that I have as a charge nurse, triage nurse, preceptor, and mentor. I often wonder how I came to be in the position that I am currently in. Am I really up to the task or am I just an imposter who does not really know what to do at all? Reading â€Å"Notes on Nursing† and realizing the simple things that I was neglecting to do for my patients as registered nurse helped me to answer this question. After I felt like I was unsure of my abilities as a nurse, Patric ia Benner’s â€Å"From Novice to Expert† restored my confidence to what it was when I first entered the nursing profession. I was able to recognize the strides that I have made over the last five and a half years and realized that I am, in fact, a proficient nurse and am extremely capable of accomplishing even more in my role as a registered nurse in my emergency department. â€Å"Proficient and expert nurses develop clusters of paradigm cases around different patient care issues so that they approach a patient core situation

Compare and Contrast Antigone and Creon from the play 'Antigone' by Essay

Compare and Contrast Antigone and Creon from the play 'Antigone' by Jean Anouilh - Essay Example Thus Antigone is mainly a play about the perennial human conflict between the thirst for expression and the wrath of the state for defying submission. Although the story of Antigone is part of the Oedipus legend on the curse on the house of Labdacus, like all true literature it transforms itself into our own story, our own curse. The character of Antigone reminds one of Emerson's famous dictum: Trust thyself. Every heart vibrates to that iron spring. Or, more appropriately: To be great is to be misunderstood. She is a sensible, resolute character. Her resolve is her strongest muscle. The decision to bury her brother is not born out of contemplation or debate, but out of sheer self-knowledge that the burial shall be done come what may. The entire play revolves around this fatal decision and how each of the characters respond to it also reveals their own philosophy of life. Antigone's iron will is contrasted with the submissive nature of Ismene, her sister. While Ismene is all obedience to the state and wants to lead a normal life, Antigone is always doubtful of dreadful normalcy. She admires her sister both for her complacency and compliance. She is even jealous of her womanly features that make Ismene fell men. May be it is the combination of fragility and resilience that defines Antigone as a woman of all t imes. Audiences have likened her to Joan of Arc, as another figure of French Resistance. She, like Joan, is alone in her fight against state power. The mix of politics, relationships, morality and religion brings a sense of poignant pathos to her mission. The character of Antigone comes out best in her confrontation with King Creon. This is not a battle of a subject with its ruler. It is a battle of wits between the resourcefulness of a woman and the mediocrity of the state. Creon advises her to be obedient because she too happens to be the daughter of a king. He persuades her to marry, have children and lead a good life. Creon uses several strategies to dissuade Antigone from disobedience. Antigone's arguments born on the premise that she was conceived to love and not to hate disarms the king. Her act of defiance - the burial of her brother who has been declared the enemy of the state - invites punishment of live entombment. She accepts penalty with the same smile that she had when she buried her brother. When her lover too joins her in the tomb she is neither hopeful nor ecstatic. Antigone is the very opposite of the melodramatic heroine. Her death and its aftermath teach us more than any history of proper conduct. King Creon is Antigone's uncle. His main concern is the rule of the state. He does not understand the power of intellectual resistance. There are several instances in the play when he confesses the drudgery of administration and laments how heavily the throne sits on him. There are also streaks of compassion in the king. His pleadings with Antigone and the instinctual shock on hearing the death of his son and the queen are all proofs of the human traits lying dormant in the poor ruler. But the tragedy is that Creon considers his kingship above all and

Culture, orruption and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture, orruption and Development - Essay Example Culture can be judged by means of religion, lifestyle, literature, music, foods, arts, and architecture, language, fashions, behaviors, rituals, and symbols employed by individuals of a society (Tyler 1974). The culture is shifted from generation to the other generation and keeps on changing (Kroeber and Kluckhohn 1952). The topic, which interests me the most, is the association of culture to the development of society and individuals of a society. Culture is an important part of our lives, which is responsible for shaping our personalities (Dabaghian 1970). It enables us to develop into the individuals as we are. People from different cultures are different because of the different social values that are there because of culture (Tyler 1974). With the help of culture, the development in a society can be judged. With the passage of time, the culture of a society goes through various transactions that are the outcome of change in cultural values because of many reasons (Dabaghian 1970). The reasons that can bring in a change in a culture are an invasion of a country, the impact of global linkage, colonialism and many others (Dabaghian 1970). The change is not necessarily good. The change brought by the intrusion of another culture keeps the ability to annihilate the cultural values of a particular culture or one culture can be amalgamated in another culture and can come out in form of a new culture (Agbaje 1996). While helping a nation in order to develop in terms of technology and advancement, it must be assured that the cultural values of a society are not corrupted because of the technologies (Agbaje 1996). The culture should be retained as such in order to be different or unique.  

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Research paper - Essay Example Therefore, this could not have come at the right time. Jack caught the shoplifter and asked her to accompany him to the security area for the necessary interrogations. Interestingly, as Jack escorted the female shoplifter to the security area, her male counterpart yelled and swore that the women did not deserve such treatment. On their way to the security office, Jack instructed the man who was in the company of the shoplifter to remain outside the security office as his presence in the interrogations was of secondary importance. Oblivious of the implications, the partner forced himself into the security room while at the same time yelling, swearing, and pointing accusing fingers at Jack’s face. He also referred to Jack as a â€Å"Nigga† meaning a black man. In a reactionary mood, Jack responded to the situation by hitting the customer in his stomach. This commotion forced Chris to alert the police, and both customers were apprehended. However, pursuant to the Grocery policies, employee code of conduct prohibits aggression and violence within the premises. Moreover, the policy forbids fights and any forms of physical confrontations at the workplace. Taking these policy provisions into consideration, Jack had gone through an elaborate training exposing him to get a proper grip of the company policy on workplace violence. This comprehensive training given to Jack offers the impression that he was liable to any action that violates the company policy provisions. In light of this stance, Jack was fired due to abuse of the nonviolence policy. Furthermore, he had a moral obligation to shape the errant customer in the spirit of the company policy stipulations. Apart from the dismissal, Jack was sued for the unfair portrayal of his nationality. This paper is an expository analysis of three case laws including; Ali vs. Roggers, Zeinali vs. Raytheon Co., and Rashidan vs. Geissberger . According to the

Danger Of Smoking For The Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Danger Of Smoking For The Society - Essay Example The tobacco products are sources of taxes, and thus the government should not ban smoking. Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of abolition is an important exercise. Smoking affects the health of the smokers and non-smokers. Banning of the cigarette sale and smoking is important to reduce the healthcare cost and financial burden of smokers, as well as, promote a healthier nation that can work productively. Smoking affects the health of the smokers and non-smokers. The World Health Organization report attributes many deaths to smoking (Ash 3). The projections of the World Health Organization indicate that people who succumb to death from the smoking might reach ten million in 2020 (Ash 3-5). Notably, smoking in public affects the health of people and does not discriminate against the age. The children raised by the families, which smoke, have high chances of developing health complications. For instance, such children exhibit health complications such as cardiovascular and neurobiological problems. According to Ash, a study focusing on pediatrics indicated that passive smoking affects the children, and the youngsters have higher chances of suffering from chronic diseases including sickle cell anemia (2-5). In this respect, it is important to ban the sale of cigarettes in order to promote a nation that has healthier children. Smoking increases the chances of contracting medical conditions such as asthma, which consequently retards the mental growth in children. Ash reports about a study in the United States that linked the children’s exposure to the smoke from the cigarette to ill health and poor reasoning capabilities (4). The indication is that the children brought up in an environment that promotes smoking have a high possibility of exhibiting the asthmatic symptoms such as wheezing and pains in the chest.

Speech word to word Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Speech word to word - Article Example They have built on setbacks and successes to materially better their position. Before the alliance was implemented, travelers were forced to change airlines and airplanes severally, recheck luggage, and keep track of multiple tickets to get to their final destination. After the alliance, a flight from Cairo to Des Moines is as simple as 1 ticket, a single luggage check-in, and an easy connection through Northwest/KLM hubs. WHY: To improve seating capacity and increase revenue. The deregulation of transatlantic flights during the 1990s resulted in increased air traffic, but with reduced prices for tickets, and this meant a decrease in revenue for airlines. The strategic alliance between Northwest Airlines and KLM signified a strategic sharing of routes as well as a joint operation of flights. This resulted in better use of seating capacity and revenue growth. Through this framework and model, Northwest and KLM have been able to demonstrate true commitment to sharing and advancing management practices in their particular relationship. This has led to concrete business results through alliance innovation and

Teacher pay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teacher pay - Essay Example The thesis statement of this essay is that teachers should be paid more in order to improve their teaching craft, methods and techniques, which translates to improved student performance. Discussion This essay explores the effect of an increase in incentive for teachers in relation to their performance in terms of teaching methods, differentiated and individual instruction, teaching morale etc. In addition to this, the essay focuses on the alternatives that are available to boost teachers’ performance standards, most notably merit pay and its effects on teaching efficiency. The essay also discusses the implications of merit pay, both ethically and professionally, citing different opinions of whether merit pay is professional or not. Different citations guide the thesis of this essay on finding the best solution to the problem statement of this essay, which is whether teachers should or should not have an increase in pay. In a Times Magazine article titled â€Å"How to Make Gr eat Teachers,† Claudia Wallis notes that, the most important aspect of boosting student performance is neither the amount of materials they are exposed to, nor the amount of money invested in classrooms and the students, but rather, the investment made to improve the welfare of the teachers. Claudia supposes that a merit pay system should be implemented in schools to motivate teachers. To most people, this is ethical and justifiable. It makes sense that people should be paid based on their performance and excellence. Other schools of thought have suggested that teachers should be paid based on the performance of the students. This example shows that Wallis’ believes that teachers should be paid more, and that this increase should be on the basis of efficiency and results. In another article, ‘How To Make Great Teachers’, David West, Caitlin Abruzzi and James Raynor, seem to disagree with Wallis; according to them, the idea of merit pay may seem justified an d a motivation to educators, but there exists the problem of whether the ethical way is the professional way. Teachers should not want to better their teaching methods, skills, efforts and craft because of the promise of an increased pay; they should do so because their work is to help students improve and better their knowledge. West, Abruzzi and Raynor seek to inform that although the merit pay might seem like a better move, the assessment rubric for assessing teachers would be biased. Victor Lavy opposes West, Abbruzi and Raynor, and supports Wallis’ idea of merit pay. According to Lavy’s â€Å"Paying for performance: the effect of teachers' financial incentives on students' scholastic outcomes†, Lavy states that the lack of performance based pay leads to mediocrity in many academic institutions. Lavy draws his argument from an incentive experiment performed to determine the effect of increased pay on teachers’ performance. In this program, Hebrew, Eng lish and Math teachers were awarded cash bonuses, on the basis of improved class performance in exams (Lavy 6). The study was based on comparison groups and it employed three strategies; a regression discontinuity method, a natural experiment whose concept derives from measurement of error in the assignment variable, and a propensity score matching. The results were consistent in all three methods, showing that paying incentives to teachers based on merit improved the students’

The Angry American by Toby Keith Essay Example for Free

The Angry American by Toby Keith Essay Tragedy is one of the most influential inspirations for art, including songwriting. In recent times, many artists responded to their feelings toward the destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001, with an abundance of artwork, poetry, and songs. One of the songs, Toby Keiths The Angry American, may conceivably be portrayed as a summation of the artists patriotic values in a reaction to the event. Although in initial observation it may seem as though the song attempts to also inspire patriotism in its audience, it does quite the contrary, inspiring revenge against acts that hurt or threaten the USA, namely September 11th. Patriotism is defined as positive acts of nationalistic feeling: Keith suggests, however, that vengeance or at least violence defines nationalistic feeling. Before performing this piece, Toby Keith gave a speech about his reasons for creating the song. Although Keith states in his speech that he wrote the song following September 11th, as if for the victims of that tragedy, he in fact wrote it not as an emotional reaction toward the victims, but for his own personal feelings, including those of his father and his sacrifices in the line of duty. In dedicating the song to his father, Keith furthers the idea that the song was written for personal reasons and not just as a response for the victims of September 11th. Although Keith may be conceivably trying to express the idea of the USA prevailing over any evil, he conveys this idea in a violent, vengeful way. He clearly suggests the idea of America as being a country that any enemy will be sorry that they messed with, basically saying that if you harm the USA, theyll put a boot in your ass, its the American way. By stating this about the USA, Keith suggests that Americans will violently take revenge against any threat made upon them, and to such a great degree that it will cause the enemy to never be able to threaten the USA again. Keith characterizes the USA almost as if it was the school bully, who no one can take the top spot from, or hurt without being hurt in return. This dominating ideology of the USA, which Keith seems to use to try to boost the morale of the songs listeners, in fact weakens the song by suggesting violent acts as an acceptable means to substantiate any feelings of anger or hatred toward past events harmful to the US. The roots of hatred sprout from many different feelings: fear, ignorance, competing beliefs, sadness, frustration, helplessness. Through the use of certain terms in both his speech and song, Keith portrays this hatred, in many forms. Keith presents feelings of helplessness when he expresses the idea of the US in a cage. The use of the term cage may be due to the fact that Keith feels frustrated and vulnerable from the attacks on September 11th, in that the perpetrators of the attacks are either already dead or too difficult to find, and if revenge were to be taken, it would not bring the victims back, or make the pain and grief of the attacks any easier to bear. Therefore one might say that Keiths patriotic ideals are caged, as he feels that someone has stricken his country and all he believes in, and there is not a way to avenge this entrapment. Keith expresses further feelings of frustration in his ignorance as to who his enemies actually are. As he states in his song, a mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back, Keith conveys the USAs ignorance as to who really gave it its big black eye, and his hatred for not being able to determine who his enemies are and who to retaliate against, or more specifically, which ass to put his boot in first. These feelings of uncertainty can be seen in Keiths mentioning of his father in both the speech and song. He states that his father lost his eye in a training combat mission while serving his country, and it can be inferred from this mentioning in the speech, the song, and his dedication of the song to his father, that Keith feels angry that he does not know specifically how his father lost his eye, who (if anyone) caused him to lose it, or why no one could help him. As stated previously, feelings of sadness, ignorance, and helplessness can lead to hatred, and those feelings, mixed with those surfaced after September 11th, could plausibly have lead Keith to express the need for violent vengeance to be taken towards those responsible for that hatred. Keiths sense of vulnerability is also seen in the rhyme scheme of the song. His haphazard rhyme scheme suggests Keiths feelings of confusion, not knowing where to turn, who to go to, who to avenge. Keiths use of patriotic and familial terms, such as Statue of Liberty, Mother Freedom, mother, brother, sister, are emphasized in order to convey the idea of America as a giant family, all striving to protect their country and its history. Keiths word choice helps to further illustrate the idea of the need for Americans to stand together to seek out and avenge their enemies, namely those of the September 11th attacks. Throughout The Angry American, Toby Keith uses many techniques to stress the need for revenge to be taken for the pains our country has had to endure from attacks by enemies, specifically those enemies of September 11th. Keith is emphatic that America will prevail over any evil, and that the attacks on September 11th give Americans a chance to fight for their country, and stand on what our fathers and forefathers did for us, and make sure we dont let em down.

Environmental and Consumer Influences Analysis

Environmental and Consumer Influences Analysis Introduction When purchasing an item, there are a number of factors that influence the final decision of the buyer. Whether it is a good or a service, there is a process that drives an individual to go for an item and forego the other. He or she takes an evaluation of the product in regard to the market potential before buying, during the action of buying, and even after the final transaction has been made, that is after buying. In other words, it is worth noting that that this is a cognitive process that leads to a specific action among many alternatives. When identifying the decision making process, one notes that consumer behavior becomes the area of concern, in that selecting an item will have impact after transaction has been made, (Connell, 2008). In this essay, I am going to identify and broaden the explanation concerning how psychological, social and some external factors affect the consumer’s decision of purchasing an item such as a communication gadget. Psychological factors These are factors that affect an individual’s mind before making the final decision of purchasing a communication gadget. They constitute of consumers thought, feelings, reasoning, likes and dislike of that product. Attitude, perception and personality are some of the psychological factor that influence the decision making process. On this note, I am going to have a brief explanation how these three factors influence the consumer behavior. Attitude According to Hogg, (2005), attitude refers to individual’s opinions or feelings within the context of marketing, usually expressed through behavior. These components are highly interdependent and will be among the final determinants of the overall forces that will influence buying. In a brief note, an individual may have a certain belief concerning the originality of a product. In this case, he or she is going to be selective basing argument on producers that is the country of origin. A consumer may argue that communication gadgets from a given country are known to be the best in the world, hence rejecting those from competing nations. Perception Perception is the unique way about how an individual understand or view something. Psychology bases arguments to the stimuli being exposed to an individual’s mind. A number of factors affect how one perceives products. Exposure, interpretation, subliminal stimuli and certain laws such as Weber’s law are used to give a psychological explanation of perception. Connell, (2008) says that the number of times an individual gets exposed to a given product will influence his or her purchasing decision. In this case, exposure links to final interpretation making an individual to prefer a mobile phone from a particular company to that of a competing company. This is due to personal views in terms of shape, color and size. Weber’s law supports perception involvement in decision making process with the argument that, even though there may be a little change between the current and the original product, an individual may not experience these changes. He or she will therefore insist purchasing one similar to the one originally exposed to. Closely linked to perception, there is personality, which I have independently explained below. Personality-Every individual has that uniqueness, which makes him or her to behave in a particular way especially in social situations. For instance, if a person is willing to purchase a mobile phone, he or she is going to choose one reflecting his current status in terms of prestige or economic status. Personality is dynamic and involves a pattern of thoughts including feelings and social adjustments that will exhibit consistently hence influencing overall expectation which in turn link to attitude, values and self-perception, (Connell, 2008). Social factors In the decision making process, social factors also has an influence. Among these factors are those fact and experiences influencing or controlling an individual’s lifestyle and personality. They are the factors that affect and direct an individual’s lifestyle dictated by societal expectations. Some of these factors are family, social class and reference groups one has identified him or herself with and the reference groups. Family- This is the basic unit of companionship through birth, marriage or co-residence. A family may influence an individual’s decision of purchasing a product in a very convincing manner. Psychologists such as Karl Marx and Engel has put forward theories to explain the how families may change their structure and effects of such changes. According to their theories, an individual is always tied to decision making process on the basis of this basic unit of identification. For instance, if one is willing to purchase a new mobile phone, the number of people in the family who will be able to use it will influence the final decision. It may sound awkward incase an individual purchase an item and he becomes the only person who can use it with minimal coach maybe due to his or her education status. Social class- Apart from the family, there is that social group or status one is identified with. For instance, an individual may have identified him or herself with a high class group, (Hogg, 2005). This will in turn limit his or her decisions in purchasing items since it must fit with the group requirement. In this case, one will be forced to purchase an expensive phone which might be the latest to be introduced in the market so as to reveal a rich status. On the other hand, an individual from the lower class will prefer a simple communication gadget that will be cheap and will successfully service his or her communication. Reference groups In addition, the kind of daily interactions an individual makes will also determine the type of mobile phone to purchase. There exist different types of groups that a person may interact with on daily basis and in the long run be the ultimate determiners of the model, type, price and even the performance of the item. In this case, one will try to associate him or herself with the group by purchasing a phone similar to majority of the peer. External factors Other than the internal factors, (Connell, 2008), there are other influences that can have an impact on the final decision concerning the purchasing of a mobile phone. They include technology, culture and political influences. Technology It refers to knowledge involved in making and modification of tools for effective usage. Technology may hinder, promote or limit an individual’s desire and ability to purchase an item, in this case a mobile phone. This is because the preference of the buyer may not be available in the market. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, an individual may purchase an item at certain moments so as to gain prestige or self-actualization. This therefore means if one wants the latest model of mobile phone, technology will limit what to purchase due to availability. For instance, a certain model may not be available making an individual to purchase the best offered in the locality though it may not be identified as the best model of his or her wish. Culture-This is a set of beliefs, ideas and ways in which individuals in a particular group or organization behave. The above sets of conditions are the ultimate determinants of how a person will behave in a society. In the case of decision making process, there are situations whereby what one can purchase is limited to the likes and dislikes of the society. For instance, a person might be willing to purchase a mobile phone with a different country of originality yet their country produces phones and in turn limits import of other models. This will limit such a decision and in the long run, one will be required to promote the society one lives in. Political influence It is from politics where laws are amended and implemented. Political stability may promote or limits someone’s ability to move and acquire items of his or her wish. However, a given country may inhibit or promote entry of certain products hence influence an individual’s chance to purchase a product such as mobile phones. Conclusion Ranging from consumer’s own influences, it is now evident that the environment may also influence the ultimate decision of an individual to purchase a product. However, there is more other factor not explained in my essay. These include business ethics, brands, packaging, legal factors and ecological factors among others. References Hogg, M. K. (2005). Consumer behavior I: research and influences. London: SAGE Publications. Connell, K. Y. (2008). Ecological Consumer Decision Making: Nature, Process, and Barriers in Apparel Acquisition. ProQuest.

Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing

Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing Marketing has played a central role in business success for decades and is ultimately concerned with the creation and retention of customers who through the purchasing of products generate profits for companies. It has been suggested that the cost of attracting new customers is much higher than maintaining existing ones and thus firms seek to build up efficient and effective retention systems for customers using a marketing mix. While the below-the-line promotional model has established itself as a major component of marketing mixes due to the rapid development of new technologies and globalisation another marketing form, viral marketing, has gained broad attention, (Lanman, 2003). The reason for this attention is that companies have demonstrated their success with minimum marketing budgets in generating millions of profits in using this tool. The International Direct Marketing Network measured the use of different marketing techniques and it found that 84% of firms used some form of below the line marketing (North, 1995). In this way the response of distribution of products and information can be measured immediately. However both organisations and individuals have been subject to an unprecedented rate of change in the way they pursue and are involved in business and commercial opportunities in the 21st century making the case for an expanded role for viral marketing ever more compelling, (Kalakota, 1999). These characteristics include the internationalisation and globalisation of business and the resultant intense competition from these trends which has created new dynamics within marketing structures for all companies, (Chesher Kaura, 1999). One of the most important needs for businesses currently is the need to satisfy increasingly demanding customers who expect immediate responses to their requests both for goods and information. The role of viral marketing in meeting such a need has continued to increase with the expansion of use and users of the Internet. Graham (1999) argues that viral marketing refers to strategies that are absorbed by the people that interact with the messages and then pass them on. Therefore the term viral marketing is often linked with the Internet because it provides a wide range of free channels such as email, website and chatting rooms in which to deliver initial messages. Additionally marketing is not solely about material things but deals with brands, experiences and acts of communication which can be defined as branded, (Moore, 2003). The choice of appropriate marketing model then to a large extent is associated with clear understanding of consumers on the part of organisations. Yet consumer behaviour is complex thus each marketing model has its own advantages and disadvantages in influencing these behaviours. As a result an effective marketing mix should meet key customer requirements in order for the company to succeed in the marketplace and at the same time the usage of any marketing mix strategy will be constrained by the corporate resources and business structures which can be deployed to generate opportunities. Therefore this paper will critically compare viral with below the line marketing models and aim to assess the importance of matching marketing strategies with business structure and characteristics of product through an analysis of Forever Livings usage of viral marketing. Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing An important perspective in marketing philosophy is the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness, (Anonymous, 1989). Thus a comparative analysis of below-the-line marketing models and viral marketing ones can be conducted using these twin elements as frameworks. The essential difference between efficiency and effectiveness is that the former is concerned primarily with cost and the latter is customer focused in terms of retention and generation capacities. This framework also corresponds with an understanding based on the core feature of marketing which is to satisfy customer needs in a profitable way by matching services or products with preferences. While above and below-the-line promotion has established itself as a major technique in communicating with customers new challenges facing marketing managers have led to the development of new marketing techniques. Generally speaking above-the-line refers to the usage of all the main advertising media such as TV campaigns and magazine advertisements whereas below-the-line activities are more focused on translating attitudes into sales such as with in store advertisements. Here also public relations become a vital part in the communication process, (Wilmshurst, 1994).However Tauber (1974) argues that a customer orientated marketing strategy easily discourages innovation within organisations such as with the RD process. This is because companies prefer following customers tastes rather than creating new demands avoiding then any risks associated with novel and innovative product development. This can be seen as a negative influence on growth for the whole industry in the long term. Thus viral marketing is argued to be an innovation in marketing which has emerged since 1996 utilising email at first as a global marketing network, (Jurvetson, 2000). The concept of viral marketing is one which is based on word of mouth and its first uses were conceptualised in terms of it being web-based word of mouth marketing. Accompanying further technological development and globalisation viral marketing as such seeks to take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode single messages to thousands at low cost as well as other complex marketing goals at the mature stage. Viral marketing is a method which allows small businesses to grow quickly through the spreading of their marketing message like virus and avoid consequently major entry barriers to the market and exclusionary techniques of competitors, (Jurvetson, 2000). However because of the nature of the Internet Dibb, Simkin and Vancini (1996) point out that all forms of word of mouth to a large extent depend on intangible assets such as brand image, trust and public relations in order to be successful. In this sense a successful viral marketing strategy needs to take advantage of other resources to build up brand image and relationships with customers. In summation different marketing mixes rely on different characteristics of products and industries, organisational competition as well as internal resources including material resources, intangible assets and human resources. Therefore understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each model is vital in helping marketers, whatever their field of business, carry out effective marketing practices. Business Structure An effective implementation of a marketing strategy relies on getting organised for the work and the route a company chooses depends on a variety of factors. However the first step for any type of company is understanding consumer behaviour. This understanding allows a company to position their products or service effectively in relation to the preferences of its target customers. However any customers purchasing decision process is a complex one thus it is useful to bear in mind some key influences on these decisions. First of all the development of technology particularly the Internet has changed both buyers and companies behaviour in various ways. For example research has indicated that the scale of the e-commerce market will reach $7.3 trillion in 2004, from $145 billion in 1999 reflecting its growing importance as means of doing business, (Suh Han, 2003). As a result it is vital that companies exploit the Internet along with other marketing tools such as direct marketing or in store sales to achieve promotional goals while viral in order to create new opportunities for growth in the future. In addition to advertising below-the-line practices play an increasingly important role in communicating and building close relationships with customers. For example Smith and Taylor (2004) argue that each element of the marketing mix communicates so that some major advertising campaigns need to be supported by public relations activities and also at the same time be supported for example by launch leaflets. Combining these elements maximizes the effect of promotions and advertising campaigns for companies. Kitchen Proctor (1991) claim that public relations is a growth area for companies because it is an effective way to generate positive word of mouth for a companys products. A further consideration to take into account when firms make strategic decisions about marketing techniques is the cultural and social effects on consumer behaviour. Web based delivery though can be said to circumvent some of these problems by allowing for easy tailoring to specific contexts due to the absence of any necessity for physical places to conduct marketing operations. Marketing researchers encourage the use of an integrated marketing mix as it is believed to be able to create competitive advantages and boost sales and profits whilst saving time, money and avoids some of the stresses involved in implementing marketing plans, (Harrison, 1995; Smith Taylor, 2004). From this perspective both below-the-line and viral marketing models should utilise different communication tools in relation to customers and developing productive relationships with them. For this reason there are key benefits of an integrated marketing approach yet there are also obstacles due to limited resources in terms of financial, time and personnel factors. In this case inefficiency might occur due to internal competition or unbalanced rationing of resources addressed due to over emphasis on one marketing tool. It can be strongly argued that a web-based viral marketing approach could balance conflicts among different departments as well as with suppliers simply because it seeks t o take advantage of others resources in assisting with the delivery of the companys marketing message, (Wilson, 1999). In considering these two approaches to marketing this work utilises a 4P framework as an analytical guide to their respective strengths and weaknesses. Product It is obvious that no matter what kind of marketing model companies choose the ultimate goal is to sell a product (service) to customers at a competitive price. However the product purchasing decision involves choices regarding brand names, guarantees, packaging and services which accompany the product. Reports suggest that expenditure on below the line marketing in Europe has grown rapidly in recent years due to intense competition, (European Marketing Pocket Book, 2000). Hence one of the most important goals for advertising campaigns is effective positioning of products. Ogilvys (1983) adage is for a business to never sell to a stranger which means it is important to understand the target audience and their purchasing behaviour and also build long term relationships with them. Companies therefore choose different tools in order to segment customers and then position their products in order to sell the right thing to the right people. Below the line marketing strategies often exploit sales people to communicate with customers face to face. This allows an organisation to gain information about customers deeper feelings about products rather than the more impersonal information gathered by web-based questionnaires. Also when companies adopt a viral marketing strategy customers are not able to touch the product or in other words they see tangible assets only portrayed on web pages. This means then that trust plays a major role in delivering the product message to consumers. This is why viral marketing firms use a strategy of giving away free product samples to customers. This is in order to build up trust in the company and brand and then utilise these customers through word of mouth to spread the product message further. Holt (2004) highlights trust as the essential lubricant of web-based business operating successfully with quality products being a critical factor for success in building up trust. Price Price is always used by buyers as an indicator of quality in that higher price tends to send a different message compared to lower pricing. The difficulty for companies is however is hitting the sweet spot in terms of price and quality. Therefore high price product firms prefer adopting differentiation strategies in order to maintain competitive advantages. A typical feature of below-the-line promotions though is an element of price war and price cutting in order to initially entice customers. This has the effect of increasing direct costs to the business and reduces the gross profit accordingly so that sales people have to work harder to earn the same amount as before the price cut. In contrast to below-the-line promotions companies with viral marketing models benefit from the lower cost of not having physical stores, sales people and/or expensive advertising campaigns on TV, radio or magazine and other expensive media forms. As a result viral marketing firms often offer extra disco unts to attract customers and it is suggested that one of the most important reasons for people purchasing online are the lower prices compared to traditional retail stores, (Reedy Schullo, 2004). Reedy and Schullo (2004) also argue as a result that it is vital electronic resources be integrated into marketing mix by both traditional offline as well as online retailers. However an important point worth highlighting is that of strategic versus tactical pricing. Strategic pricing refers to long term pricing which depends on how the company intends to position itself in relation to customers. An example of below-the-line marketing are the practices of the supermarket Tesco which has built a reputation for low prices or the lowest pricing in the town in which it operates. In this case its pricing strategy seeks to generate a competitive advantage while Marks Spenser in contrast utilises an image of better quality food at a higher pricing level in order to differentiate itself and thus avoid a price war with Tescos. Additionally although viral marketing models benefit from lower costs and be able to offer more competitive pricing products like health-related tablets firms tend to not be able to exploit a strong brand name for quality and effectiveness. Rather it is the low pricing which initially attracts customers. Therefore the importance of word of m outh is much more pronounced for the continued success of viral based marketing firms. Promotion As mentioned before researchers and economists have argue that the cost of attracting a new customer is five times that of maintaining an existing one, (Jobber, 2001). Companies attempt then to keep customers satisfaction level high and encourage them to purchase more products through the creation of brand loyalty. Below the line marketing forms by using direct promotion and a human sales force to build a close relationship with customers can be said to do this more efficiently. Examples can be seen from fashion brands like YSL and Christian Dior which deliver their brand images using highly trained and skilled personnel creating strong connections in the minds of customers between brand image and products and form a foundation for brand loyalty. However the cost of sales people as well as training investment is a balancing factor while viral marketing on the other hand is able to take advantage of free internet sources by using tools like email or low cost advertising presences such as banner ads on websites. It is also interesting to note that below the line marketing can be viewed as pushing information to consumers whether it takes the form of communication from sales assistants or leaflets in magazines and so on. In doing so companies attempt to communicate with customers by explaining and giving detailed product or service information to them. In contrast viral marketing can be seen as an information pulling tool which seeks to spread awareness of the product through popularisation. However marketing emails need to provide greater value for readers such as through being more entertaining, engaging or compelling in order that viral marketing message be more effectively taken up by readers, (Reed, 2005). A common inducement often used by companies is to pay those readers who pass on the message to others or can prove products bought have been done so on their recommendations. This can be problematic though due to fraud or other criminal activities. Related to this is the problem of sec urity features emerging in the use of the Internet whereby viral mail is treated as virus mail or junk mail (or spam) and thus the marketing message may be blocked from reaching its intended audience through the workings of such things as email filters. Distribution Brownlie and Saren (1992) argue that the concept of marketing has assumed many of the features of an ideology of faith which dominates the decisions of many organisations. In other words they believe companies must not only take into account giving customers what they need but also focus on the integration of these demands into other core business functions. This entails then the balancing of the satisfaction of consumers with the performance of other company requirements. Therefore it is particularly important for companies which adopt below-the-line strategies to choose an effective distribution channel which satisfies customers demands efficiently as well as other business participants such as suppliers and retailers. Likewise it is important for suppliers to have a physical in-store presence while manufacturers must show more interest in the basics of selling and displaying in store. In this case a well trained and motivated sales team plays a critical role in improving a company s in-store performance. However the costs associated with physical stores are high as well as the cost of training employees. The usage of internet based viral marketing models are able then arguably to better integrate resources at lower cost and concomitantly allows the building of stronger trading relationship between each partner within the business network. For example viral companies conduct strategies such as allowing each customer who makes a purchase to also act as a wholesaler for the company and in doing so encourage them to use their own network of contacts to sell more products for the company and at the same time profit from their selling. Therefore it is obvious that successful viral marketing companies are those which can successfully exploit customers networks and exploit word of mouth to spread rapidly rather than make use of expensive advertising campaigns or below-the-line promotions. Smith and Taylor (2004) though point out that the place of purchase also communicates within a marketing mix which means an item purchased in Selfridges has a differently perceived value to an item purchased online. In this sense strategic branding seems particularly important for companies who rely on in-store marketing. Adding value to physical places could be used as part of a branding strategy in maintaining competitive advantage over low cost viral marketing stores. Forever Living Reports indicate that viral marketing techniques are growing in popularity in their use among corporations in the US ranging from small businesses to multinational companies, (Bulkeley, 2002). Forever Living Product co. can be viewed as a successful example of the usage of viral marketing strategies which have contributed to its now multinational business network. According to Wilson (2000) successful viral marketing strategies refers to those which are able to take advantage of rapid multiplication in delivering the product or service message to as wide an audience as possible. In other words viral marketing is closely linked with the term and process of word-of-mouth marketing. In particular these methods have sought to take advantage of the rapid increase in internet usage and as a result web-based forms have become the most important resource for viral marketing techniques. For example Forever Living Product has promoted itself as an international firm which seeks to exploit natu ral sources in producing products contributing to peoples health. The company delivers its product information through the use of a website and seeks to recruit existing customers as wholesalers for its products as well as utilising them to deliver the marketing message. These inducements psychologically are an effective means of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Linked to this meeting peoples emerging demand for a better quality of life in terms of high health levels is a key factor for the success of Forever Living products. As such along with financial inducements the provision of information supporting the marketing message is a key ingredient for the companys marketing strategy. For this reason the Forever Living website is designed to provide customers with clear information about its products and services as well as information on how customers can join its business model. According to Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard (2002) people spend a considerable amount of time in searching for information before they decide to purchase high price goods or luxury products. A web-based marketing model enables consumers who are interested in the products and services go to visit websites and acquire information in a convenient and flexible manner. However these advantages are countered by the tendency for viral marketing websites to provide too much information. Reed (2005) argues that efficiency in communicating a marketing message might decrease because of excessive information. Principles of web design then become important considerations to both enhance accessibility and decrease the dangers of information overload. Marketing mix In modern marketing literature the concept of marketing is often expressed as the achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than competitors are able to, (Jobber, 2001). Viral marketing can describe any strategy that encourages customers to pass on a marketing message to others which creates opportunities for potential corporate growth, (Wilson, 2000). Viral marketing consequently as a form of marketing strategy is predicated and based on successfully understanding consumers in terms of what will satisfy them in product and service provision. However as has been mentioned consumer behaviour is both a complex and a dynamic process and therefore understanding this behaviour requires considerable amounts of information. The Internet is widely used as an effective tool in capturing a huge amount of digital data related to consumer behaviour and viral based marketing forms are in a good position to successfully make use of this data and also contri bute means of gathering it. However such information is largely generalised and unspecific given the amount of traffic which the Internet sees in terms of purchasing decisions. Thus Jackson (2000) contends that viral marketing works best only when the key consumer interaction has relatively broad appeal to the target market. Forever Living Product successfully entices people arguably through the opportunity to start their own business and offering the possibility of higher income levels. It is a message therefore with near universal appeal for people. It is also a message which allows for personal emotional investment to be made in products, in that customers will be positive about a product as their interest in selling it is related to their own financial gain. However a key factor for continued success is maintaining the quality of the products as studies indicate that negative word-of-mouth images spread twice as fast as positive images, (Haywood, 1991). In the case of Forever Livings aloe range of products the high quality is based on its International Aloe Science Council Seal of Approval for consistency and purity. Such external confirmations of quali ty add to and enhance the companys internal messages dealing with the quality of its products. Additionally the clear return and guarantee policies offered by Forever Living also contribute to its success since recourse is given to customers should products or the process of purchasing products not meet their expectations. These are considered to be the most important factors affecting customer behaviour in buying online as they enhance significantly customer trust in the product and organisation, (Reedy Schullo, 2004). Managers with communications responsibility must try to deal with complaints as well relate satisfaction dynamically considering the ease of spreading and access to information online. Haywood (1991) believes that people- talking is the best form to communicate but Blythe (2000) argues that the website of a company is principal initial source for the content of such communication. Therefore Forever Living Products website is designed to provide full information about the products as well as the business plan for those who want to get involved. In doing so the firm avoids considerable expense on physical stores and layout, personnel and the possibility of inefficient explanation and communication by sales person dealing with products. Providing contact points for additional customer questions also enhances the effectiveness for this model. Yet a weakness is that if initially the website is not successful in attracting customers it is unlikely they will return. In this sense the persuasive capabilities of below-the-line models with their human elements is missed. Forever Living is a multinational company which runs business in over 105 countries as the words largest grower, manufacturer and distributor of aloe vera, (Forever Living Product, 2005). It is fair to say that during the internationalisation process the Internet has been vital in spreading the business rapidly and easily compared to the opening of physical stores. It has also allowed the offering of an interactive tool tailored for communicating with global consumers in their respective national contexts. Traditionally communication media follow a passive one-to-many model where a firm reaches many current and potential customers through marketing efforts however feedback from customers in such models is limited, (Hoffman Novak, 1996). Forever Living operates a model of distributed computing that facilitates an interactive many-to-many communication tool and model. For example the website is designed to help customers build a solid stable business through professional training meet ings and regular recognition of their efforts. The running of the business online minimises the physical investment necessary and need for large product inventories but requires a motivated and efficient distribution channel. A significant advantage of this model is that full inventory and product control is integrated into supply and distribution as all of these elements from production to sale are realised within the website. This allows for large cost savings and creates a feeling of security for customers and wholesale sellers in the operations of the company. As discussed in the preceding section companies using below and above the line marketing tools view human resource as an important factor in the completion of these forms of marketing strategies successfully. In a positive sense they are able to exploit a skilled workforce in achieving promotional goals but negatively failure might arise from unenthusiastic sales personnel or negative sales manner in the conduct of the promotion. By using a website instead of a sales person along with already satisfied customers Forever Living minimises the risks of negative information provision and capitalises on cheap and effective positive information provision, (Wilson, 2000; Diorio, 2001). In addition to online ordering Forever Living also makes use of more traditional phone call services for those who are not able to access internet increasing its coverage. The online model also allows Forever Living circumvent the considerable entry barriers to participating in the health care market. These b arriers include large investment in physical assets as well as the brand loyalty for other manufacturers or certain retailers concretely established as a result of other marketing strategies. The creative use of the website as both a marketing tool and an intangible shopping space creates competitive advantages for the firm. Although the price of Forever Living products means they are not cheap due to general features of luxury health care goods and compared to pricings and costs associated with other luxury health care products Forever Living is able to compete on very effective grounds with other retailers. Viral branding strategy Over the last few years companies have increasingly moved to incorporate the World Wide Web into their overall marketing strategies. Viral marketing strategy in itself has changed the way to do the business and communicate online by taking advantage of the specific contextual advantages offered by the Internet. However along with internet based marketing the emerging challenge for viral marketing companies is to build up strong brand name in order to compete with below-the-line firms as well as other web-based and offline companies, (Jobber, 2001). The first associations that enter into customers consciousness in relation to a brand name are always those associated with products or product categories, (Franzen and Bouwman, 2001). Thus with Forever Living Product they have sought to link the brand name with superior ranges of aloe vera based products. The corporate research centre creates a professional image of the company matching with images of traditional high-tech pharmaceutical industries but meshes this with an appeal to naturalism and back to nature images associated with its products. The key message then contains both security over the high qualities maintained in the products manufacture but also the manner in which it is a natural product taking advantage of green sentiments among customers. Diorio (2001) argues that one of the obstacles to viral marketing is the difficulty in identifying triggers that can motivate customers to pass along the business message. Beaven and Scotti (1990) claim that consumers develop internal scripts related to their service transactions which they recall for future purchases of that service. Hence a satisfied personalised experience is a key driver in the repeat purchase of products. The tool used by Forever Living Product in this respect is the motivation from self-owned businesses joining satisfied product use with opportunities for personal financial reward. However its branding strategy also contributes to the success of its differentiation from other companies competing in the same market. Web-based branding strategy is able to reach a large amount of customers but the difficulty remains in establishing trust which is the main basis for long term customer relationships using this model. Also there are ethical issues related to viral ma rketing such as those arising from security of investment and personal privacy in providing information online especially financial information. Trust then for Forever Living is not only related to product quality and satisfaction but about providing a completely secure package for customers upon which trusting relationships can be built. Benefits of a website as an integrated marketing tool From an analysis of Forever Living which prefers the use of a website as the core technique and means of achieving marketing goals it is fair to say that the effective design of web sites contributes to whether it will be a success or not to a large extent. First of all the website is able to provide full information

Graduation Speech: Dont Forget Where You Came From -- Graduation Spee

Good afternoon, I would like to begin by thanking the staff for the privilege of speaking before you on this bittersweet day. It seems like this past year has been a jumble of excitement, reminiscence of the past and uncertainty for the future. After dreaming about graduating since we jumped off the bus on the first day of kindergarten, it's finally here. With the years of number two pencils, group projects and final bells behind us, we find ourselves on the threshold of our future. Yet, it's difficult not to timidly glance back at our past and wonder if we are prepared for what lies ahead. Are we ready to face that thing called reality which our parents and teachers have constantly warned us about? I was unsure if I would be prepared to face this world which exists beyond the doors of high school until a recent incident changed my mind. It forced me to put all of my accumulated knowledge from high school to the test in order to survive. I wish I could say this experience happened to me when I was a silly freshman; unfortunately it was only a few months ago. It began with a routine trip to the high school to pick up my brother from a basketball game one cold, January evening. I arrived to find the game was long over, although at the time I didn't know that he had already gotten a ride home. I went looking for him, taking a shortcut fr om the gym through the courtyard. As I stepped into the frigid air, the door quickly clicked shut behind me. I strode briskly across the courtyard to the double doors in the old commons, only to find they wouldn't budge. Remaining calm, I tried the doors next to them and the gym doors; they were also locked. My heart began to race as I tried every door and gate in that courtyard, only to find I wa... ...e world, but also the memories and lessons from each other. Every time we lent our shoulder for somebody to cry on, laughed even when the joke wasn't funny or cheered loudly whether our team was ahead or not, we were teaching each other important lessons. This type of knowledge is just as necessary as math, science and history to carry with you in the future. So, when you step onto your college campus, begin your first day of work or travel the world this fall, be confident in your abilities and intelligence. However, as you drive into your future, remember to check your rearview mirror every so often so you don't forget where you came from. Laugh aloud when you mess up or lock yourself in a dark courtyard, for these experiences will become the lessons and memories which you pack into the trunk of your car to strengthen you as you drive down the road of life.

Students Rights :: essays research papers

Student's Rights by Q.T.M. McConnell Are you in the mood for some good reading? The other day I was in the Guidance Office looking for guidance when I saw an unassuming three page packet. Having nothing else to do, I picked one up and began reading. I learned that the name of this little manual is the Student's Rights and Responsibilities Bill. I thought to myself, "my, what a great place is La Follette, that I can simply walk into my guidance office and learn my rights as a student. But wait, why must I pursue this information on my own? Why isn't this information in my handy handbook issued to me at the beginning of the school year? I ought to read this!" So I read. Soon I realized why our School Board may not want students realizing what we are actually entitled to. Right away in the Preamble, it states "students have the responsibility to respect rights of all persons involved in the educational process and exercise the highest degree of self- discipline in observing and adhering to legitimate rules." The first thing I thought was "WOW! That sounds great! The School Board really trusts me as a free-thinking individual to respect people and be respected. I love this school!" But wait. Before we all stage an "I love Cheryl Wilhoyte" love-fest, let's take a look at what these "legitimate rules" are, particularly as they apply to freedom of speech, expression, and something they like to call "material disruption of the educational environment." The first item on the list is literature, specifically a student's right to post it. It reads "Students shall have the right to post any literature of a non-commercial nature without prior censorship or approval by the Administration or School Board in any designated posting area, provided, however, the designated representative shall be accorded the right to remove posted material s/he considers obscene, libelous or will cause material disruption to the educational environment." Let's stop and think a bit. I have the right to post whatever I want so long as my Administrators agree with it? Whose rights are we really talking about here? Well, I began to think and it occurred to me that maybe my Administrators and School Board representatives aren't so concerned that I express myself however I like. But, I can see their point; after all, I probably wouldn't want fifteen hundred students posting whatever they wanted to either. They might start to see the world outside these walls. I proceeded reading. The next civil liberties violation I came across is stated as such: "Students shall have the right to wear buttons.

West Side Story Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Characters/Roles. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Riff- He is the leader of the Jets. Founded it with Tony. A wild man that acts like a punk and dies in a fight. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bernado- Leader of the sharks, the Puerto Ricans, he is a young immigrant to America. He dies in a fight with Riff, but Tony kills him. He is integral in helping to spur the gang rivalry between the Sharks and the Jets. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maria- She falls in love with Tony, a rival jet. They become lovers and due to her Tony dies, and the gang wars end. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Officer Grubky- A policeman, he hates both gangs, but favors the Jets. He helps to split the fights up. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tony- He helped to found the jets with Riff. Decided to go strait, but gets pulled back in. Dies due to his love with Maria. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baby John- The youngest of the Jets, he is the â€Å"baby† of the gang, and tends to be the voice of reason because he is not totally emotionless. Plot Two gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, are in the middle of a turf war. However, two people, one from each side, fall in love. In a plot that is as Shakespearian as it gets, many of the characters die over pointless ends, all the time the love of Maria and Tony blossoms, but even Tony can’t escape the cruel fate, and is killed. Songs out of place I believe that all of the songs fit in the play. They are all able to capture the emotions that are expressed durin...

Economics †Short Answers Essay

Answer #1 One of the problems that concern me right now would be the continuous increase of prices of petroleum products in the market which greatly affected my budget. Moreover, the said hike of oil prices causes our economy to perform badly for the past quarters which indirectly affects the prices of major commodities in the market like sugar, coffee, rice etc based from what I have read from the news papers and magazines. In this regard, oil price hike imposes negative externalities on our welfare –consumers. But to some extent, oil price hike also bring benefits to our economy in a form of forcing our federal government to find ways of providing alternative sources of energy aside from crude oil like bio-fuel. If it not for the price hikes of petroleum products in the market for the past decades, authorities would make no effort to find other sources of energy especially one that would serve as substitute for crude oil. After a few more decades, prices of petroleum products will start to decline as a consequence of emerging alternative sources of energy like bio-fuel as what I have said a while ago. Answer #2 One of the best examples of monopolists that currently exist in the market would be Microsoft Company. Microsoft Company serves to be the sole provider of Windows – software being used by almost all of personal computers around the globe. In this regard, the absence of other provider of Windows other than Microsoft makes the latter a monopolist catering for a large pool of buyers. Moreover, since Microsoft is the sole provider of Windows which we are all using nowadays, there is a great possibility for Microsoft to charge higher prices due to the absence of substitute goods for Windows. Furthermore, monopolists, because of its large market influence, can easily prevent new players to enter the industry of Software production giving them enough room to enjoy sole player in the market. Answer #3 Based from the negative effects that monopolists imposes not only to consumers but also to other market players, the federal government made necessary laws that would restrict the action of monopolists in the market creating enough way to protect the welfare of the consumers and other market players. One of the said laws could be the Anti-Trust Law. Anti-Trust Law is a bulk of laws that forbid unfair market competitions and anti-competitive behaviour of monopolists through illegalizing some practices of the latter that believed to hurt either or both businesses and consumers (U. S. Department of Justice, 1996). As for the case of labor monopolization of giant unions, I think we could also consider them as a source of potential negative effects just like of Microsoft as well as the misallocation of economic resources. The main reason here would be that, having a giant union monopolizing laborers in the market, there is a tendency that they will have a higher bargaining power on private firms of various industries, such as salary increase, which imposes negative effects on the operation of the businesses. At the end of the day, it is the consumers who will suffer from the actions of giant unions since the tendency of the private firms is to pass what ever the added costs they will incur from the said increase of bargaining power of labor unions. Answer #4  Another type of market structure aside from monopoly would be oligopoly. Oligopoly is a type of market structure wherein there is a few sellers and many buyers in market. As compared to monopoly, there exist market competition in oligopoly which improves the quality and quantity of goods and services in the market and so with the consumer welfare. One possible example of oligopoly would be Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a retail stores and tagged as â€Å"the Giant Store† which leads the industry of retailing due to its large size relative to other retail stores in the industry. The only down turn here in oligopoly would be the possibility of collusion between those â€Å"few sellers† in the market in order for them to minimize competition and have control on the price level in the market. The said collusion of oligopolists is called cartel and this act in the market just like a monopoly. This is the reason why federal government is keeping an eye on oligopolists to prevent such scenario since cartel is no difference with monopoly. Answer #5 Yes, the local phone service market, which was dominated before by Bell, has a great possibility of reaching competitive market due to the forces of competition. With the existence of competition, the local phone service industry members would have to compete to one another in order to attract more customers in terms such as higher service quality and lower price. Those improvements in the service quality and lower price of local phone service would make the said industry competitive since consumer welfare will surely improve; and at the end of the day, societal welfare will start to improve along side with the local phone service industry itself. Answer #6  One of the ways for us to determine if the product differentiation of competitive firms us wasted or not would be to know if the consumers possess brand loyalty which is the main target of differentiating product from one another. Product differentiation serves as the â€Å"identity† of any firm belonging to the competitive market and that identity will stand as the â€Å"brand† for the private firm. Now, if consumers in the market do not have the sense of â€Å"brand loyalty†, then, there is a big possibility that the product differentiation of private firms will be deemed unsuccessful in penetrating its target consumers. Answer #7  OPEC has been successful in controlling the production of oil since it has a bargaining power superimpose on the government of various countries that supplies oil in the market. OPEC determines the market demand and supply existing in the world market and either they increase or decrease the oil supply depending on the season, economic stability of their member countries and volume of supply of oil-producing countries to the organization, moreover, there are times that OPEC regulated the supply of oil for precautionary reasons like during the times of war and during the times of potential shortage in the coming period. The only negative effect of OPEC’s intervention on our welfare, especially during the times when they cut the supply of oil in the world market, would be the high prices of petroleum products on our domestic market. Therefore, the reason why there is existing oil price hike in the market would be either OPEC cut the supply of oil in the world market which creates pressure for the prices of petroleum products to increase, or because of the economic and political instability of oil-producing countries which creates threats for oil supply shortage in the world market. At the end of the day, consumers will carry the burden of that economic and political instability of other country through the intermediation of OPEC in the world market for petroleum products. Answer #8 The reason behind the success of Wal-Mart for the past years lies on its market share and size which provide rooms for further lowering down the prices of their goods relative to their competitors. Because of the large market size and share of Wal-Mart, they have been able to have more bargaining power to their suppliers in a form of price discounts since once Wal-Mart buys products to their suppliers; millions of volumes of goods are at stake. This is the reason why suppliers would want to supply Wal-Mart due to large volume of order that they can get once they were able to close a deal with the management of the Giant. At the end of the day, those price discounts that Wal-Mart was able to receive from their suppliers will give them enough room to further set the prices of their products lower as compared to their competitors, thereby, attracting more customers which eventually lead to experiencing high company growth in terms of profitability and sales volume.