Effects of Alcohol on the Family Essay

Alcohol Dependence, also known as alcoholism, is a very widespread disabling addictive disorder, affecting 4% of Canadians. Alcoholism may start innocuously, due to the acceptability of social drinking, but over time, can lead to serious health problems, including brain, kidney and liver damage. Although alcoholics seem to be doing the most damage to themselves, they are hurting their families even more. Lesser-known, but just as serious victims of alcohol abuse are the alcoholics’ children. The negative effects start in the womb, where drinking during pregnancy often causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and other defects. After the baby is born, the risks continue, as the children in alcoholic families tend to lack a stable family environment and have a fairly high rate of abuse. These factors, as well as genetic predisposition, are strong precedents to the child developing alcohol abuse problems themselves. These children also tend to show more symptoms of anxiety and depression, and have lower self esteem than children from nonalcoholic families. These factors may also contribute to the likelihood of the child becoming an alcoholic. When a few drinks has turned into a few too many, a few too many times, some may start to suspect alcoholism. This is often how alcohol abuse starts, with acceptable social drinking increasing to the point where the drinker can no longer control their desire and compulsion to drink. Drinking too much alcohol over a long period changes the chemical balance in the brain linked to pleasure, causing the body to crave alcohol. Symptoms of alcoholism are frequent intoxication; drinking and continuing to drink alcohol in appropriate places and times; and often, denial of the problem. Due to the legality and availability of alcohol, it can be very difficult to quit or help another quit drinking, which can result in long-term alcohol abuse. When one has been abusing alcohol for long periods of time, it can cause a number of mental and physical problems, including, but not limited to liver damage, kidney damage, heart disease, alcoholic dementia, brain damage, and a myriad of psychological problems. Alcoholism also comes with a variety of comorbid disorders, most commonly major depressive disorder, and anxiety related disorders (Petrakis, 86). The order of the co-occurrence is not always clear; whether these disorders resulted from the alcoholism, or whether the alcoholism was triggered by the disorders varies accordingly, but regardless, the alcoholic has a much better chance of recovery if both problems are treated together. (Medline Plus) Drinking alcohol during pregnancy has been found to increase health risks to the fetus, especially after the first trimester. Any amount of alcohol may harm a developing baby, no ‘safe amount’ has yet been established; however the more alcohol consumed by an expectant mother, the higher the risks are of the baby developing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS. FAS is a series of mental and physical defects that can develop in a fetus during pregnancy if the mother has been drinking. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence states that approximately 5000 babies are born each year with severe FAS, and another 35000 are born with milder symptoms. If an alcoholic woman’s first child has FAS, the risk of her second child having FAS as well is a daunting 70%. The range of birth defects caused by FAS can be minor to major, and are nearly always long term. The infant will be born underweight and with an alcohol dependency. A detox period will follow birth, sometimes lasting for up to several months. These babies tend to have brain and skull deformities, and can have very distinctive facial features, such as small eye openings, thin upper lips, and long, flat faces. (Dozois, and Firestone 249-262) (Davis, and Frost 100-101) As the baby grows, learning problems that will keep the child from progressing normally may become apparent. FAS can cause damage to the central nervous system, which may result in severe learning disabilities. Due to this, the child may have problems learning to walk, being able to sleep, and focusing on motor skills; and have speech problems, hearing impairment, and decreased memory recall. They may have low self-esteem, be hyperactive, and be easily angered or frustrated. Mild or severe retardation, emotional issues, the inability to bond and communicate with other children their age are common traits for a child who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It often results in lower and overall academic performance (compared to non-FAS children), and difficulties in reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics. (Dozois, and Firestone 254) Another side effect of alcoholism in the family is the lack of a stable family environment. Alcohol has been known to negatively affect marital relationships, breaking up families, be the cause of suicide, result in unemployment and poverty, and cause or exacerbate child abuse. Over 3 times as many people report to have been previously married to an alcoholic, compared to those currently married to an alcoholic, demonstrating that relationships involving alcohol abuse are less likely to last than sober relationships. Often, if one parent is an alcoholic and the other is not, the sober partner feels that the drinking takes precedence over them and their family. This strongly affects couples with children, as they may effectively lose either parent, or end up being shuttled between them. Worse than losing a parent to divorce is the reality of losing a parent to suicide. The relationship between alcoholism and suicide is very clear, and has been well-documented. Alcohol is a depressant, and can bring on episodes of major depressive disorder. Alcohol abuse is often either self-medication for depression, or the cause of alcoholic depression. Often, alcoholic depression is a combination of the two, a vicious cycle of triggering and self-medicating that worsens one’s emotional state. This despair, combined with possible unemployment; marital, family, and financial problems; and declining health due to drinking, results in more drinking to ‘drink away’ the issues, which can push one over the edge and cause them to take their own life. (Alcoholic. ca) Even if both parents are alive and present in a child’s life, they may not always be the responsible adults and parents they are expected to be. Many severely alcoholic parents are not able to attend to and fulfill their child’s physical and emotional needs, and some may even require the child to prematurely assume the role of the parent and take care of the adult. They may be emotionally and financially supported by their children in cases where their alcoholism is too severe for them to be self-reliant and hold a steady job. If there are younger siblings, the responsibilities of parenting may fall to the oldest child, sometimes in their entirety. This role reversal is unfortunate, but all too common in families where the main caregiver is affected by substance abuse and alcoholism. This also results in the children lacking proper role models to learn from, and as teenagers, are more likely to do poorly in school, or drop out entirely and not pursue post-secondary education. Children of alcoholics have higher rates of truancy, arrest, depression, and addiction than their peers, and are usually more aggressive, obsessive, impulsive, and have lower self-esteem. (Parsons) Child abuse adds to the instability of the life of a child with alcoholic parents. While child abuse, unlike FAS, can also occur in families without alcoholic parents, 4/5 of reported cases involved substance abuse, commonly including alcohol. Alcoholism is also more prevalent among child-abusing parents than those who do not abuse their children, and is more commonly associated with child abuse than any other disorder. The abuse is not limited to physical abuse; it comes in many forms, including sexual, verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect. There are many reasons and theories behind the facts, all are true to a certain degree in most situations. Some say that alcoholics are generally more violent and prone to aggression, which makes their children a convenient target. The alcohol might be making them aggressive, or they may aggressive by nature, which is exacerbated by the alcohol. Also, since alcohol and child abuse are connected, many alcoholics were abused as children themselves, and as a result, are more likely to abuse their own children. This abuse puts their children at a greater risk of alcoholism, as well as abusing their future children, perpetuating the cycle. Emotional abuse and neglect commonly occur when the inebriated parent cannot correctly assess their own priorities, emotionally (or physically) abandons their child, or does not treat them as a parent should. Regardless of the reason, child abuse results in the children doing poorly in school, having self-esteem issues, anti-social behaviour, having feelings of guilt and shame, and suffering from depression. Abused children are also much more likely to grow up to abuse their own children, and to have substance abuse issues of their own. (Widom and Hiller-Sturmhofel 52-57) Despite the obvious hope that a child with alcoholic parents will learn from their mistakes and grow up to be an addiction-free adult, the opposite is usually true. The children of alcoholics are far more likely to become a product of their environment and develop substance abuse problems, likely including, but not limited to, alcoholism. Without proper role models and examples to base themselves off of, these children tend to fall into their parents’ habits and imitate their actions. Alcoholic parents are also more likely to have raised their children in an environment where alcohol abuse was more common or more accepted than non-alcoholic parents, where they may have been influenced by their peers. Along with alcohol dependency, these children are at a much higher risk of developing other substance abuses issues and addictions, most commonly to benzodiazepines. They are also likely to suffer from symptoms of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and obsessive behaviours. Those who manage to stay sober tend to exhibit these characteristics as well. Some children of alcoholics may fall victim to the same traps as their parents, while others excel, possibly due to a desire to do better in life than their parents. (Brooke, et al 1980-1981) Alcoholism is a very tough habit to break, however anyone who desires to try has a multitude of options. There are certain medications in use that may be prescribed as part of treatment, but these usually accompany group therapy or psychotherapy, which is usually found to be the most effective. Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is the most common program, due to its availability, anonymity, efficacy, and affordability. It is a free international program based on the mutual support of its members, where alcoholics learn to take responsibility for their actions, and support others through their journeys. It is based on the ‘12 Steps’, which are a set of principles and beliefs that focus on admitting to mistakes and addictions, recognizing a higher power, making amends, taking responsibility, and helping others through their addictions. AA famously schools its members that alcoholism is a disease, and that it is not something that they can control. However despite all the available support, unless those who suffer from Alcohol Dependence genuinely have a wish to get better, and are willing to put the in the time and effort required, their problems often do result in lasting effects, both for themselves and others. (Alcoholic.ca) (Alcoholics Anonymous). References Alcoholics Anonymous. â€Å"Alcoholics Anonymous: This is AA. † Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc. , 2010. Web. 28 Nov 2010. . Alcoholics Anonymous. â€Å"Alcoholics Anonymous: Is There an Alcoholic in Your Life?. † Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc. , 2010. Web. 28 Nov 2010. . Medline Plus. â€Å"Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. † Medline Plus. National Library of Medicine, 15 Nov 2010. Web. 26 Nov 2010. . Parsons, Tetyana. â€Å"Alcoholism and Its Effect on the Family. † AllPsych Online. AllPsych and Heffner Media Group Inc. , 14 Dec 2003. Web. 28 Nov 2010. . Widom, Cathy Spatz, and Susanne Hiller-Sturmhofel. â€Å"Alcohol Abuse as a Risk Factor for and Consequence of Child Abuse. † Alcohol research & health: the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 25. 1 (2001): 52-57. Print. Alcoholic. ca. â€Å"Alcoholism and Suicide. † Alcoholic and Alcohol Treatment in Canada. Alcoholic. ca, 2009. Web. 29 Nov 2010. . Alcoholic. ca. â€Å"Alcoholic and Alcohol Treatment. † Alcoholic and Alcohol Treatment in Canada. Alcoholic. ca, 2009. Web. 29 Nov 2010. . Dozois, David, and Philip Firestone. Abnormal Psychology. 4th Ed. , Perspectives. Toronto, Canada: Pearson Education Canada, 2010. 254. Print. Brooke, S, et al. â€Å"Familial Loading for Alcoholism and Offspring Behavior: Mediating and Moderating Influences. † Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 34. 11 (2010): 1980-1981. Web. 28 Nov 2010. . Petrakis, Ismene L, et al. â€Å"Comorbidity of Alcoholism and Psychiatric Disorders: An Overview. † Alcohol research & health: the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 26. 2 (2002): 81-89. Print. Davis, Janet Haggerty, and Wendy Autumn Frost. â€Å"Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Challenge for the Community Health Nurse. † Journal of Community Health Nursing. 1. 2 (1984): 100-101. Print.

Political Philosophy and Machiavelli Essay

Nicolo Machiavelli is a well known philosopher of the Italian Renaissance from the sixteenth century. The return of the Medici family in Florence in 1512 forced Machiavelli out of office, and he wrote The Prince after retiring from the public. The Prince is one of his most famous works, it describes the means by which a new leader may gain and maintain power. His ideas can be applied to new rulers ranging from a new principal to a new president of a new country. While discussing his ideas for new rulers, Machiavelli says â€Å"Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? † (Machiavelli 98). If a ruler is not able to do both, it is better to be loved than feared. Machiavelli answers his own question through his ideas of what makes a successful ruler. He argues that a prince is much safer being feared than loved. Machiavelli says â€Å"†¦ for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails. † (Machiavelli 99). He says that being loved creates opportunity for being taken advantage of and being feared doesn’t fail. Bringing fear to his people with cruelty would make them united and loyal. Most people who are fearful of any authority fear punishment, so they are more inclined to not cross the line of disrespect. Without a doubt, being loved is more desired from the people and has a greater value compared to being feared, even though the perks of being feared can make a leader successful. Since it’s better to be loved than feared, there are three important characteristics to have to ensure that the new people you’re ruling love you; these characteristics are being honest, having respect, and being protective. Honesty is an important characteristic to have because the body of people you’re ruling and the way they act is a reflection of yourself. If you make honest and good behavior a key value, your people will do the same. If you don’t make honest and good behavior a key value, your people won’t trust that you are always doing the right thing and telling the truth. Machiavelli says, â€Å"Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are. † (Machiavelli 106). His quote shouldn’t be true if you’re an honest and truthful leader. Machiavelli says in his quote that a leader does not show his complete self to everyone, that he displays an act of goodness to his people and only reveals what he really is to those who ask for it. Being an honest leader inside and out will only help gain your people’s trust and true love. This quote also ties into the one that reads â€Å"†¦ it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. † (Machiavelli 250). Machiavelli says that a leader must put on a false face to his people and pretend to have qualities that he does not actually have. It’s not acceptable to hide yourself from your people because if you say you’re going to protect them no matter what and you back out when something bad happens, your people will be disappointed and won’t have trust in you. A successful leader who wishes to be loved should be honest to his people for who he really is because it will give him respect. You can’t gain respect without giving respect. Respect is one of the most important characteristics to have when being a leader because people always want to be in an environment where they feel valued. A leader isn’t going to be successful if their people aren’t happy and feel as if they aren’t important. If a leader is genuine with respect, his people will be more willing to give back respect and do as he says. Though, the truth is that it is important to give respect whether they feel the leader deserves it or not. As Machiavelli says, â€Å"A prince is also respected when he is either a true friend or a downright enemy. † (Machiavelli 250). It doesn’t matter the relation you have with your leader, whether they’re a true friend or a downright enemy, you’re going to respect them just because they’re your leader. Your people may not like what you do, but you will be respected. It’s obvious that being respected out of actual love is the better than being being respected out of fear, and that good respect should lead to good confidence within the leader. The feeling of being protected is desired from a lot of people. If you’re a new principal, your students and staff want locks on doors and an officer nearby. If you’re the new president of a country, your nation wants to know that they have a reliable and strong army fighting for and protecting the country. A successful leader should always be ready for whatever situations may come. Machiavelli says, â€Å"He who does otherwise, either from timidity or evil advice, is always compelled to keep the knife in his hand. † (Machiavelli 61). A leader should always be ready for quick action if some situation should arise. Your people will love and admire you if they know you’re protecting them and is always cautious for quick problems. It takes great courage and confidence to take full responsibility for your people’s safety and well being. Being honest, having respect, and being protective are characteristics of being a successful but loved leader that have applied to people from before Machiavelli’s time all the way up to present day. It’s easy to spot feared leaders such as Hitler apart from loved leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Being loved not feared is better to be if you cannot be both because the people you’re leading actually like you for who you are and are willing to do what you say, they aren’t scared into doing it. Martin Luther King Jr. led his people with the same respect they gave him, he was honest and true with his feelings, and he went above and beyond to change the world’s way of how they treated colored people to protect them from getting hurt and discriminated any longer. His people loved and admired him for who he really was, he didn’t hide anything. Martin Luther King Jr. was a successful leader because he was loved and possessed honesty, respect and protectiveness.

Teaching Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teaching Plan - Essay Example On the other hand, bacterial infection is indicated by a purulent discharge (Gigliotti 354). Allergic conjunctivitis in late childhood and adolescence is considered a symptom of eczema, asthma or rhinitis. Treatment of conjunctivitis starts with identification of the root cause of the infection to ensure that effective medication is administered. In addition , treatment of infants depends on the time the child develops the infection. For instance, if the infection develops within the first 24 hours it is considered to have been caused by chemical reaction with the drugs that were used (Gigliotti 356). Teaching goal The long term goal is to develop awareness among parents to be bale to identify the symptoms early enough and seek medical attention to prevent the negative effects of conjunctivitis. The goal will be achieved by: Seeking medical attention To relieve symptoms and ensure treatment of the infection Ensure that the infant is not at risk of more serious infections Preventing s pread of the disease to other people Preventing the complications associated with conjunctivitis Home remedies Compress the eyelids with cool or warm water for 15 minutes Maintain body hygiene through washing hands and avoiding the sharing face cloths and towels Pharmacological interventions Ensure that drugs are administered effectively depending on the age of the child Advise the parents not to use steroid eye drops because they may cause permanent damage of the infant Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated through topical antibiotic ointment Viral conjunctivitis symptoms can be relieved through saline washes Allergic irritating symptoms can be relieved through saline washes and cool compresses If the symptoms are persistent and severe, oral antihistamines can be administered to the infant Population demography A study to compare the prevalence of conjunctivitis between Asian and White patients was carried out from pediatric records from a health center in the city of Bradford. The p atients chosen for the study had symptoms of chronic conjunctivitis to eliminate the possibility of inclusion of patients suffering from allergic irritations. The study considered medical records of 43 patients, 11 Whites and 24 Asians under the age of four years. The study indicated that conjunctivitis affected 59 of every 100, 000 Asians and 12 of every 100,000 Whites. Although the prevalence in sex in both groups was small, male children were two times more likely to be infected. Two Asian children lost their sight upon developing chronic conjunctivitis. According to Spraul and Lang (23), conjunctivitis is more prevalent in the Asian population as compared to the Whites probably because of environmental and genetic factors. The blindness threat indicates that Asians are more likely to require steroid topical treatment as compared to their white counterparts. Primary care setting Anticipated client outcomes 1. Parents should seek advice on the condition upon noticing conjunctiviti s symptoms on their infants 2. Upon the diagnosis, parents should be aware of the period of treatment and expected changes in the course of treatment 3. Caregivers should adhere to physician's advice on dosage and frequency to ensure medication effectiveness 4. Caregivers should maintain hygiene to avoid contamination of medication tubes and bottles 5. There should be no sharing of eye ointments and medications 6. Measures should be put

GUN CONTROL LAWS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

GUN CONTROL LAWS - Research Paper Example Evolution of gun control laws in the United States Although gun battles and issues related to it are getting higher in various parts of America, gun control in general is encouraged by a few Americans. They support handgun control in particular. The gun laws in United States are mentioned in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The gun control in the United States may be Federal, State or even local gun control. Congress in 1934 commenced the first major gun control in 1934 which emphasized on the regulation of the firearms like machine guns. This was followed by a new federal law in 1938 which imposed license on the gun sellers. This also put restriction on aggressive individuals from purchasing guns. An additional ‘Gun Control Act’ passed in 1968 stressed on the regulation of imported guns and expanded the regulations passed in the previous law. An obligatory penalty for the utilization of gun was established by the federal legislation in 1986 follow ed by prohibiting the manufacturing and importation of semi-automatic assault weapons. The gun control law passed by congress in 1994 has proved out to be the most prominent attempt at the national gun control. Ban on certain assault weapons also accompanied the 1aw passed in 1994 which expire in 2004. Along with the federal gun control, state and local legislation play their role in gun control. Leaving a loaded weapon with easy access of a minor has been regarded as a crime by the legislation passed by the state. As part of gun control, some states forbid concealed weapons while some others highlight on putting forward the requirement former to the obtaining of license to bear the concealed weapons. â€Å"States also regulate private sales to minors and all secondary market sales.† (Gun control policy issues, n.d.). California imposed ban on certain automatic weapons in 1989 followed by its extension by some other states. Most of the states have ‘preemption’ la ws forbidding the gun control ordinances from local authorities. Few states use additional state data for background study before the issue of handgun authority (Gun control policy issues). Multiple responses to regulations Gun control laws in the United States are believed to have brought significant reduction in the access of guns by immoral and illegal individuals. There exist controversies in the implementation efficiency of the federal laws. Some advocates claim that federal laws have indeed proved to be a milestone in the gun control efforts. They assert that state laws cannot be as effective as federal laws in restricting the states with few state laws from being the sources of guns for the immoral flow of guns to the restrictive states. The proponents of the federal laws have suggested for slight variations in the federal law components which would add to the effectiveness of laws and ensure the public safety. At the same time, there is equal denial on this claim from the op ponents. â€Å"They argue that controls often create burdens for law-abiding citizens and infringe upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendment† (Gun Control). The opponents show little satisfaction on the

Women in the workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Women in the workforce - Essay Example Traditionally, some careers are male dominated such as engineering and fire fighting while others such as nursing are female dominated. These assigned on the basis that women show empathy while men are physically stronger. However, there has been a change in legislation and women allowed the careers of their choice. Despite this, women still prefer not to indulge in to some of the male dominions such as fire fighting. Only about 2.5% of all fire fighters are women (Kershaw, par3). However, when supported, they fare as well as their male counterparts. In the case of female involvement in engineering, it has for along time been assumed that they are less involved in engineering because they are poor performers in mathematics. However, a recent study shows that this is not the case. Women are less likely to pursue engineering even if they perform well in mathematics (Angier et al, par15). Dr Summers proposed that this is down women considering the profession as too abstract and dull (he gives an example of buying trucks to his daughter but she treats them like teddy bears) (Angier et al, par33). However, this view rejected on the basis that men treat their cars as if the cars are human (equivalent to the teddy bear treatment of the trucks) (Angier et al, par34). In the present day, there are strict labor regulations that provide for equivalent pay for men and women provided they have the same job description (Farrell, 20). Such legislature is in place for women empowerment and reduction of exploitation and stereotypes against them. However, some employers feel that men and women have a different work out put and go as far as barring their promotion or giving them an inferior wage. Morgan Stanley recently had to pay settlement rather than face a jury trial when faced with a charge of sex discrimination (Mc Geehan, par 1). This is just a high profile case and there are many such cases all

Critical Thinking Argument Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking Argument Paper - Assignment Example Age has never been an indicator of a person’s ability to produce results. While at the workplace, employees should be assessed basing on their capability to produce results but not on their age. There is no logic in an argument suggesting that, if the elderly are employed, the younger generation would lack the opportunity to work in organizations. In fact such a view is an argument in fallacy. Workplace principles demand that each and every employee should be treated fairly at his/her place of work. The elderly employees at the workplace have the right to employment just like the young. The principles of nondiscrimination at the place of work, therefore, form basic components of the human rights. Such rights should only be ignored if there is proof that continued employment of a particular person results in no significant benefit for the organization he/she works for. In order to fulfill the provisions in the principles that govern workplace discipline, an aged person may be replaced by a younger person only when the aged lacks the manual strength or concentration to effectively perform his/her roles. Discriminatory practices at the workplace affect the economy negatively regardless of the specific gains that may be realized by an organization that engages in such discrimination. Discrimination may result in relevant skills being disposed off. Such disposal may result in losing skills that would have contributed uniquely to the success of the organization. Some aged workers may have a great experience in the running of matters at the workplace which may not be the case with the young employees. In such situations age discrimination may result in organizations incurring economic losses. This in turn results in jobs being matched to workers in an inefficient manner and thus wastage of talents. The participation of the elderly in activities at the workplace results in correct matching of jobs with workers

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example In order to ensure that the production process is strategically aligned to the supply chain, it must be aligned to market demand. For this reason, organizations undertake the process of production planning and scheduling which involves optimizing the output level. This is the output level that takes into account sales and production capacities of the company. Production planning and scheduling enables the management to organize the production facilities in such a manner that they are able to capitalize upon customer wants and market demand to the highest possible extent (Grimson and Pyke 325). Because customer wants change and market demand fluctuates, production has to be flexible. For this reason production planning and scheduling is a key success factor when it comes to building and maintaining a competitive supply chain. As mentioned before, production involves a transformation process from raw materials to finished goods. Production involves managing this transformation in such a manner that production capacities are capitalized upon to the best extent possible taking into account market demand. For this reason, production planning and scheduling are related to strategic decisions. ... Therefore the management has to invest in production equipment that not only incorporates the latest technology, but can also produce goods according to total quality management. Production planning and scheduling enables the management to meet the objective of maintaining state-of-the-art production facilities which can meet market expectations. Production ensures product availability according to forecasted sales. When the customer order is received, the production process must start immediately. Production planning ensures that the required production capabilities are maintained in the long term. Production scheduling ensures that the optimum volume of output is available in order to maximize the profitability of the company. Supply Supply can be defined as the process of defining the balance between capacity and quality. When considering supply, the management must assess whether the production facilities are able to maintain product quality that maximizes company profitability. As mentioned before, the production process must occur according to market demand. This ensures product availability. However this incorporates quality as well. This is taken into account in supply considerations. In this case, the management considers whether the company’s production facilities can meet the quality requirements economically. If it takes too much investment to ensure quality, then this drives up the cost of supply and therefore profitability is reduced. So considering supply forces the management to take into account the production capacity for ensuring product availability at the lowest possible cost. As mentioned before, production is the transformation from raw

Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies Personal Statement - 1

Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies - Personal Statement Example I worked as teaching assistant from the middle of 2008 until King Saud University awarded me scholarship to pursue higher education through my master degree in the U.S. with a bachelor degree in Business Administrative in Quantitative Methods as a theoretical background. As I was reviewing the University of South Florida’s (USF) program for the Master of Science Degree in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies (MS EAT), I was impressed with the profile of consolidating â€Å"Entrepreneurship education and training into a single interdisciplinary program† (MS EAT, par. 2). My academic background has provided the impetus for a strong drive to learn entrepreneurial and leadership skills that would be enhanced through your course modules focusing on new venture formation, product development and the design and application of strategies to global organizations. I am keen on honing my analytical, decision-making, interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, among others. The multidisciplinary approach offered by USF would provide the essential theoretical orientation to entrepreneurship, as well as relevant applications required in contemporary global organizations. It has been my profound desire to apply what I would learn in Saudi Arabia as an instrumental promoter of new enterprises and a proactive collaborator of entrepreneurial skills that would spur economic development and professionalism in this field of endeavor. It has always been a passion to delve into personal and professional growth, not only for one’s benefit, but more so to the organization and community where I would be an instrumental part of, and to the country that I envision to give honor as honor is

Failed Initiative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Failed Initiative - Essay Example f 2011- 2012 this would make up for the previous cutbacks in the state funding.The California budget was also predicted to be stronger in the year 2011-2012 hence would also begin for the $9.3 supplementary payments. If voters agreed to Proposition 1B, it would go to implementation if also Proposition 1A was in turn passed. Proposition 1A in turn would have permitted an additional room for tax increases obligatory as component of the fiscal year 2009 -2010 budget agreement this would result in a tax increase to $16 billion. The goal of Proposition 1B was to increase funding to the state schools and community colleges and would also supplement education in California State. The $9.3 billion supplementary fund was to act as replacement for any payments that the state would be required to meet under the current laws. Proposition 1B arose due the dispute in the late 2008 between Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration and public school system concerns in references to various interpretations of Proposition 98. In 1998, voters approved Proposition 98 which was an amendment to the California constitution. It required that the state provide a minimum level of funding for k-12 schools and community colleges. However, the ‘’minimum guarantee’’ came into an issue in recent years which lead to dispute the amount of money the state owed the education sectors. Proposition 98 also provided a raise yearly in education in California budget. It was also called the classroom instructional improvement and accountability act. It required that education made up to 39 % of the state budget. To be implemented in years of strong economic growth, the educational spending should equal that of yesteryears and an additional per capital growth and student enrollment change. To be implemented in years of weak economic growth yester years spending plus change in growth for enrollment and increase of 0.5% in the state shared financial support. Proposition 98 could only be

Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Annotated Bibliography Example This post is about core training. In exercising, core means the part of one’s body which includes the pelvis, hips, spine and rib cage. The 29 muscles found in the core region are divided into two categories: stabilization and movement. The article shares that the core region is important because the efficient performance of our daily activities depends on the muscles found in this area. Compared to the other sources, this article is more concise and easier to understand. It provides important information. I think this article is useful and the writer is credible because the site is affiliated with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Sharecare and the writers are certified trainers. The book contains a lot of information about nutritious foods around the world. The items are grouped into categories such as vegetables and salads, fruits, grains, beans and legumes, etc. There is also a frequently asked questions page, recipes and nutritional information about the 100 food items. I think this book is very helpful. It same with the other sources I found because it talks about healthy foods for the body. The information is easy to understand. I think the author is credible because he is the founder of Health Valley Foods. Raisanen, Ulla. â€Å"What health professionals should know about eating disorders.† The Guardian- Healthcare Professionals Network. Guardian News and Media Limited. 12 February 2013. Web. 11 February 2013. The article is about people with eating disorders and how medical professionals should relate to these patients. The author says medical professionals should know that anyone can have an eating disorder and first contact is important. Also, early intervention is the key and emotions and behaviors influence the condition. The health professional should also focus on the person and respect the individual, taking time to find out about the condition from the person

Leadership and Management Paper Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Management Paper Essay Ursula M. Burns is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Xerox. She has held this position for the last five years. She started out as a summer intern in 1980, and signed on in 1981. From then until she became CEO she has led several business teams and positions within Xerox, all along growing within the company. According to Fortune, she is the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. In addition to the Xerox board, she is a board director of the American Express Corporation and Exxon Mobil Corporation. Burns also provides leadership counsel to community, educational and non-profit organizations including FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), National Academy Foundation, MIT, and the U.S. Olympic Committee, among others. She is a founding board director of Change the Equation, and President Barack Obama appointed Burns vice chair of the President’s Export Council (Xerox: Ursula Burns, CEO, 2014). Leadership and Management Holding a management title does not necessarily equate to holding leadership skills. Leadership is defined in many ways, and depending on who you ask can simply be â€Å"coordinating the work of others†. However that is taking a very limited view on leadership. Leadership is a combination of rationale, inspiration, science, and art. It is said, â€Å"Leaders are thought to do the right thing, while managers do things right† (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2009). Not all leaders are managers, look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is argumentatively the most important Civil Rights leader, however many would not look to him as a manager. According to Forbes, Ursula has made Xerox a profitable and viable company, this past year, Burns helped Xerox generate adjusted earnings per share of $1.09, up from $1.02 in 2012, and  post $21.4 billion in full-year revenue (Forbes, 2014). Her skills as a manager aided in building Xerox to the power-house they are today. Burns is responsible for the largest acquisition in Xerox history, and has allowed them to invest in business services, which is a $600 billion industry. Making these decisions requires hard decisions, including outsourcing, closing offices that are not performing well, and adopting a work from home culture. Because of this Burns has found herself on the 2014 Worst CEO list put together by 24/7 Wall Street and Glassdoor. Burns received a positive review from fewer that the 140,000 employees Xerox gained in the business services acquisition. Only 30% approved of her performance (Brown, 2014). Also something that does not help Burns gain leadership approval is the fact that she was paid on average $13 million dollars for 2010 – 2012, while over 500 people were laid off. While Burns has made moves in hopes of ensuring the stability of Xerox there are some that are calling for her to be fired. Burns’ recent letter to shareholders showed just how badly the transaction had go ne. Over the course of 2010 to 2013, revenue, net income and operating margins are flat to down. In particular, revenue fell 1% to $21.4 billion in 2013. In the fourth quarter, revenue dropped 3% to $5.7 billion. Net income was down 1% to $1.2 billion last year. In the fourth quarter, the drop was 4% to $311 million (McIntyre, 2014). When measuring success of a leader, there are many ways to do that and depending on which way is chosen could render different results. Using unit performance indices, Burns appears to be very successful as a leader. Unit performance indices can be used to examine what impact leaders have on the â€Å"bottom lines† of their organizations. Since she has taken over as CEO, Xerox shares have gone up 50% and the S P is higher by nearly 100% (Brown, 2014). Based on this information and her average salary the board must be happy with how she is performing. However, another way to measure success is by subordinates ratings of effectiveness. Subordinates may be relatively satisfied or dissatisfied, may be motivated or unmotivated, may feel relatively committed or uncommitted to the organization, or may believe their leader is relatively effective or ineffective. Because Burns has found herself on the worst CEO’s list of 2014 it can be said that she has been unsuccessful as a leader (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2009). Conclusion Overall it is important to remember that there are many dynamics to measuring leadership and management. Leadership and management can have many different meanings. Burns is a prime example of this. I believe she is an effective manager, because businesses are in the business of making money and her shareholders are happy. She also sits on the board of several inspirational companies like FIRST and Change the Equation, which could have many people looking at her leadership abilities. However, when it comes to Xerox her primary focus is making the shareholders happy, when could indicate she is not being a true leader in a way that motivates, inspires, encourages, or simply speaks to their employees. Refrences Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C., e Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hills. Xerox: Ursula Burns, CEO. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.xerox.com/about-xerox/executive-leadership/ceo/enus.html McIntyre, D.A. (2014). Time for Xerox Board to Fire CEO Burns. Retrieved from http://247wallst.com/investing/2014/03/20/time-for-xerox-board-to-fire-ceo-burns/ Brown, A. (2014). Xeroxs Ursula Burns Named One of Worst CEOs in Corporate America. Retrieved from http://madamenoire.com/418058/xeroxs-ursula-burns-named-one-worst-ceos-corporate-america/ Forbes: #22 Ursula Burns. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/profile/ursula-burns/

Psychology and Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Perspectives Essay Human beings are given the unique capacity to view things not just the way they are but also on the pre-programmed processes we use in describing a situation. These perspectives can come from many different external influences and by internal factors involving our personal and historical development. On these reason we can employ psychology to study why and how we view things and how these factors influence our perspectives. There are many psychological perspectives presented in the field to distinguish our differences from other people. However, though we have been guided by these explanations on how we react mentally and physically over a situation, these perspectives, though they are limited, complement each other to form a unified explanation on our views. Their questions present different answers which can describe the paradigms of human existence and process, based on the different aspects of their functions and influences. This paper will discuss several psychological perspectives and their relationship to our daily routine of looking at things differently from others. View point and summaries of related topics will be discussed applied with the neuroscience, evolutionary, psychodynamic, behavioral, behavior genetics and cognitive perspectives. These perspectives are best to explain the differences people have on viewing a situation. Neuroscience Perspective First, the neuroscience perspective looks at the internal viewing functions of a person. This involves the processes of the brain in conceiving a situation and the underlying influences that affect a persons behavior. It describes how the body and mind control our emotions, memories, and sensory processes to react on a given situation. In The Girl with a Boys Brain by Carlin Flora, neuroscience perspective is used in determining a persons tendencies and irregularities by identifying brain processes and disorders.   Kiriana Cowansage has had obsessions and successes in many areas of her life. However, though her brain is above the average intellectual norm, she often gets lost in her own neighborhood. She is then diagnosed to have Aspergers Syndrome, a mental disorder highly functional in the autism family. This condition is found usually on boys due to their innate tendency to systematize. Kiriana is said to be weak in relating with other people and in situations she is in. Often times she gets confused by unfamiliar events and get lost helplessly in it due to her faulty sensory processing systems. Kirianas behaviors are apparently affected by her condition and needs attention on how inner processes to solve her problem. This inner view to explain a persons behavior and practices is described in neuroscience perspectives. Evolutionary perspective Evolutionary perspective relates our ancestral environment to be affective of our behaviors at present. The historical development of people and their retained and their passed characteristics are considered to be factors that affect their emotions and tendencies. Evolutionary psychology taps on the affective structures of human ancestral environments on the establishment of emotions, personalities, cognitive processes, and mental disorders (Nesse, p6). In a Psyched for Success article publsihed in October 2003, evolutionary perspective is used in describing the causes and implications of depression. There they raised the question of whether depression is simply a disorder or a sign of emotional fatigue. The article states that, in centuries past, aspects of human life have been internalized and passed through generations to our present life. These aspects of the past are still being used but are insufficient or inappropriate because of our more complicated present. Depression is said to signal this mismatch between our old ways and our new situations (2003). Since life today are relatively harder, people cannot cope completely with new and unfamiliar events presented to them thus causes stress and signals a people to step back and reassess the situation and their reaction. Psychodynamic perspective Psychodynamic perspective asserts that inner conflicts of the past affect a persons behaviors and emotions at the present. It is based primarily on Freuds concept of the unconscious where all repressed feelings are stored and affect our views unnoticeably. People who have abusive and violent experiences in the past are more likely to have repressed emotions stored in their unconcious and these defines who they are in the present. The article In the Name of Love describes adult relationships to be greatly affected by peoples relationships during childhood. Johnson and Maranos report relates the attachment theory of infancy, the characteristic of a child to rely and depend on an immediate relative, a mother usually. This attachment is then carried as children grow old and establish their own relationships with other people (Johnson and Marano, 1994). Partners rely on each others affection and availability. When people are in fear or anxiety, they will certainly ask for support from their partners. Children and adult relationships are underlined by the common need of a person for attachment and security. Behavioral perspective Most of the time there are environmental stimuli that automatically or force us to make a reaction. Behavioral perspective describes this immediate factors as affective to ones behavior. Psychotherapy utilizes this perspective to describe a persons behavior through various stimulus and on many occasions it is used to erase or establish a behavior in a person. In an article by Tim Bower and Robert Epstein, behavioral perspective can detect psychological disorders on patients and consequently affect a therapists own personality. Due to the reinforced and repeated exposure to the cases and situations of patients they treat, therapist have a tendency to absorb behaviors and manifest it in their own lives. In a certain instance, psychologists who experienced having a patient suicide felt guilt and self-incrimination which could lead to other unprofessional behaviors. Also, the distress caused by their patients faulty disclosures have affected their lives with their own families the same with how their family relationships affect their professional responsibilities. Also, mental health workers are at greater risk of substance abuse due to their treatment of patients with the same behavior (Epstain and Bower, 1997). Genetic behavior perspective The genetic behavior perspective relates to the innate causes of behaviors. The hereditary influences that people often are affected in their responses to stimuli are regarded with much research and attention to prove. The concept of being born and not made can be found on this perspective as what the article Bruce Avolio explained. In Are Leaders Born or Made?, he stated that genetic codes also contain behavioral preferences and tools for people be what they are â€Å"meant† to be. Leaders are equipped with high energy, desire to affect others, determination and intelligence. Scientist have spent time and effort in proving that these qualities are innate and   are gifts to chosen individuals tasked become leaders. However, these characteristics are later found with the possibility of being learned and instilled to us by our parents at the early stages of life (Avolio, 1999). Also, in the article, My Genes Made Me Do It, Peele and DeGrandpre genetic codes programmed with certain behaviors are being used as excuse for tolerating certain actions (Peele and DeGrandpre , 1995). Often times, people are fooled with wrong theories on genetic behaviors and on this note researchers are focused on specific areas of life which can really be passed genetically. Also, if our personality is already determined during the early stages of conceiving, people tend to withdraw efforts on changing their behaviors. This perception is considered to have monumental consequences on how we view ourselves and on personal development. These psychological perspectives – neuroscience, evolutionary, genetic behavior, behavioral, and psychodynamic – are established to have various views on how human beings behave and relate to others. Though these perspectives raises differing questions and answers, they all relate a persons process and structure for behavior. The study on these perspectives not only open various doors for psychological exploration but also give different means on how to describe personalities and offer treatments on the disorders which haunt people over the course of their life by identifying the internal and external etiologies of their abnormalities. Also, these only prove that wherever human perspectives are present, psychological approaches can be utilized to determine the wide range of causes and influences of these views.

Marketing Strategies Analysis Of Vodafone Marketing Essay

Marketing Strategies Analysis Of Vodafone Marketing Essay This report explores environmental evaluation and marketing strategies analysis of Vodafone. Referring to situational analysis, the SWOT analysis shows several important insights, such as fierce competition, high penetration rate, low differentiation and innovation. After defining two marketing goals, this study discusses marketing strategies of Vodafone from the perspective of marketing mix. Furthermore, there are two significant recommendations for Vodafone including social media and relationship marketing. Table of Content 1.0 Introduction This study will explain environmental evaluation and marketing strategies analysis of Vodafone. Firstly, this study will provide the situational analysis from the implementation of the SWOT analysis. Furthermore, segmentation targeting and positioning facilitates Vodafone to understand different needs of target markets. Secondly, the marketing objectives and goals will be defined and explained. Then, this study will introduce marketing mix to discuss marketing strategies. Finally, the recommendations will be given. 2.0 Situational Analysis This chapter will propose the situational analysis to evaluate the environment of Vodafone. The SWOT analysis including strengths and weaknesses of organisational environment and opportunities and threats of external environment aims to provide the comprehensive understandings of internal and external organisational environment. In the following, this chapter will employ the SWOT analysis to analyse and evaluate the internal and external environment of Vodafone. 2.1 Strengths There are several aspects of Vodafone strengths including brand recognition, emerging markets, solid foundation in major countries, strategic alliances and new service development. For instance, along with the economic recession severely influences the prospect of developed countries, such as European countries, UK, and North America, emerging markets increasingly contribute to the sustainable development of Vodafone. In terms of Table 1, during the period between 2009 and 2011, the annual growth of service revenue in emerging markets is more than 6%. However, there is comparatively slow growth of service revenue in Europe. Most telecom and internet service providers, like Vodafone, increasingly recognised that the exploitation and development of the global market, particularly emerging markets, considerably influence the sustainable development of telecommunications service providing companies partly because of the market saturation of domestic countries. Table 1: Key Revenue Performance Indicators 2009 2010 2011 Service revenue growth (0.3)% (1.6)% 2.1% Data revenue growth 25.9% 19.3% 26.4% Emerging markets service revenue growth 6.4% 7.9% 11.8% Europe enterprise service revenue growth (4.8)% 0.5% Fixed line revenue growth 2.1% 7.9% 5.2% Notes: (*) means that organic growth which presents performance on a comparable basis. Source: Vodafone (2011a, p.13) Furthermore, Vodafone has competitive abilities to develop new telecom service, such as 3G and data service. As Table 1 shown, compared with traditional service revenue growth, the data revenue growth is higher than traditional service revenue. Beside the higher growth of emerging markets and data revenue, the strong brand recognition and strategic alliances of Vodafone contributes to the sustainable development of Vodafone. 2.2 Weaknesses Several aspects of weaknesses, including uncertainty of revenue growth in data service and Euro market, gradually influence the development of Vodafone. For instance, there is a distinctive pattern of telecom service in emerging markets and developed countries. According to Figure 1, this figure implies that there are two significant results on mobile subscribers and penetration rates across regions. Firstly, the developing countries, especially rest of Asia, have over 800 million mobile subscribers, which is considered as the most potential mobile service consumption market. Secondly, compared with developed countries, rest of Asia and world has comparatively low mobile penetration. Hence, Vodafone, known as a pioneer of the global telecommunication service market exploitation and development, concerns its global market exploration. Figure 1: Total Mobile Subscribers and Penetration Rates by Region as of Mid-2007 Source: UMTS Forum (2008, p.6) 2.3 Opportunities Referring to Opportunities of Vodafone, the growth of emerging market and data service and telecom solution for corporates are described as two important opportunities. Firstly, as the previous analysed, the higher degree of mobile penetration in mature markets. Nevertheless, there is a growing space for Vodafone in emerging markets. Hence, emerging markets and relevant areas may gradually benefit the long-term development of Vodafone, since there are more opportunities. Secondly, Vodafone has its own business department for serving corporate client. Compared with consumer market, corporate client has their unique needs on communication and data service. For Vodafone, it not only is an opportunity, but also is considered as a challenge. 2.4 Threats There are several obvious threats facing Vodafone, such as high penetration rate in mature market, and powerful competitors. Firstly, as Figure 1 shown, compared with developing countries, mature markets, such as Europe and North America, have comparatively high penetration rate. In other words, the marketing environment in mature markets is more fierce competition than emerging markets. Secondly, in the UK mobile service market, there are three considerable competitors facing Vodafone, including Everything Everywhere (Orange and T-Mobile), O2 and Three. Everything Everywhere has more than 27.6 million subscribers (Everything Everywhere, 2011), which is separately more than each competitors. This competitor not only has the dominated position in the UK mobile service market, but also has the remarkable performance on international cooperation to explore global market. For example, it cooperating with Everything Everywhere in the UK market serves the Chinese tourists and residents dur ing the tourism period (Everything Everywhere, 2012). The following competitor is O2 that has over 22.2 million subscribers. For O2, it has the remarkable abilities to formulate and implement its well-defined marketing strategies. For instance, it provides the free Wi-Fi service suitable for consumers in McDonalds store (O2, 2012). These competitors exert their powerful influence on the competitive situation of Vodafone. 3.0 Differential Advantage/Competitive Edge This chapter will discuss the differential advantage/competitive edge of Vodafone, including solid foundation of innovation, innovative abilities for improve corporate client performance, and support of strategic alliances and cooperation. Firstly, Vodafone has its solid foundation in the telecom industry. In terms of the amount of the subscribers experiencing the telecommunication service, Vodafone is the second largest mobile telecommunications firm. Currently, Vodafone operates its telecommunications service in over 30 countries, such as UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, and Ireland, and, cooperating with domestic partners to provide telecommunication services in more than 40 countries, including Denmark, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, Finland and Ukraine (Vodafone, 2012a). In terms of Vodafone (2012c), the vision is to be the worlds mobile communication leader-enriching customers lives, helping individuals, businesses and communities be more connected in a mobile world. Secondly, in the corporate client market, Vodafone has its competitive advantages. For instance, Vodafone innovatively provides the TomTom with traffic data service and machine to machine communication solution (Vodafone, 2010). It not only makes traditional telecom service applied to business communication solutions, but also expands its market from consumer market to business client. Thirdly, the strong strategic alliances and cooperation of Vodafone facilitate Vodafone explore international market. For example, in 2011, Vodafone and Conexus created the relationship of strategic alliance for expanding the Asian market (Vodafone, 2011f). In fact, since strategic alliance has considerable abilities to understand local consumer behaviours, business environment and government regulation, these abilities helps Vodafone to effectively formulate and implement marketing strategies in foreign markets. 4.0 Segmentation Targeting Positioning Market segmentation is described as a market with the similar needs and behaviour of consumers. It is considered as a process of an organisation recognising its competitive advantages for serving market segmentation. After implementing strategy of market segmentation, Kotler Keller (2006) argued that target market is based on the understanding of specific needs, qualities and behaviours of market segmentation. In another hand, the determination of market segmentation may specific target market not available to competitors. The targeting and positioning is dedicated to understand what target market wants and how to provide suitable service satisfying their needs. Currently, Vodafone has two major target market including consumer market and corporate market. Referring to consumer market, for instance, young generation consumers, such as university and college students, are more concerned with mobile data service including mobile chat, quizzes, phone games, ticket purchase and others. For this specific target market, Vodafone may provide more discount for young generation consumers to make them become loyal consumers, which consequently benefits the long-term development of Vodafone. For corporate market, Vodafone incline to provide the customised service for specific corporate client, since different corporate clients have their specific needs. 4.0 Marketing Objectives and Goals The marketing objectives and goals contain two detailed orientations including marketing sales performance and marketing communication. Firstly, referring to marketing sales performance, there are several detailed predictors for Vodafone to determine the marketing sales performance in the following five years. In the next five years, the service revenue growth in emerging market should be kept at 20%, and in mature markets at 2%. Furthermore, new services, such as 3G and data service, should experience a considerable development, which should annually increase by 3%. Referring to cost of marketing activities, Vodafone should make more efforts to improve the performance of marketing activities. Secondly, marketing communication not only involves corporate communication and marketing communications, but also concerns branding and the improvement of brand image in the mind of consumers (Pelsmacker, Geuens Bergh, 2010). Hence, evaluating the performance of integrated marketing communication is considered as another important marketing goal for Vodafone. For instance, it may hire professional service consultants to assess the performance of Vodafones IMC from various perspectives, such as consumers attention rate, and frequencies of advertising. Moreover, the feedback from consumers and partners will be used for improve the future performance of IMC. 5.0 Marketing Strategies and Programmes The analysis and evaluation on marketing strategies of Vodafone from the perspective of marketing mix. In terms of Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders Wong (2001), marketing mix is described as an effective marketing analytic tool for determining and marketing products. Therefore, this section will use marketing mix to analyse and evaluate the marketing strategies of Vodafone. 5.1 Product Today, Vodafone has three major business categories including business solutions, personal solutions and branded phones devices (Vodafone, 2012b). The service for business solutions contains integrated communications, mobile solutions, productivity services, voice and messaging, roaming for your business and machine to machine solutions, which aims to provide the efficient communication environment for business and corporate clients. In regard to personal solutions, Vodafone desires to facilitate individual consumers communicate with family and friends through several channels, such as mobile, email, chat, and internet. Furthermore, Vodafone offers the retailing service of branded phones devices. Since there is an extremely similar mobile service among different telecom companies, Vodafone should concern more services beyond communication, such as apps downloads for individual consumers to experience the benefits and funs from smartphone. For corporate client, the technical suppor t and customised service may contribute to successfully attract and maintain corporate client. 5.2 Price From the traditional view, since there is a few telecommunications service providers in a country, this liberalised market particularly facilitates these providers become oligopolies (Cambini Valletti, 2003). These oligopolies have the competitive influence in the pricing decision in comparison with consumers. Along with the application of the internet-based technologies offers more choices for consumers, such as internet chat, consumers increasingly shape their own influence in this market. Nevertheless, Vodafone and its competitors provide the similar service package and prices for consumers. For Vodafone, there are two important price plans containing pay monthly and pay as you go. The plan of pay monthly includes several dimensions for consumer to choose their proper plan, such as plan type, contract length, plan type and monthly cost (Vodafone, 2012d). Hence, the mobile service providers play a critical role in the game of pricing. 5.3 Promotion Promotion, known as integrated marketing communications, plays an important role in the creation and delivery of the persuasive information for consumers and the establishment and enhancement of the interactive relationship between Vodafone and its customers. There are several strategies of integrated marketing communications developed by Vodafone, such as social media, advertising and internet-based platform. Vodafone, like most firms concerning their brand image and their interactive relationship with consumers, focuses on the application of social media. For example, Vodafone adopts Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo to implement the interactive communication with target consumers. Furthermore, Vodafone establishes the internet-based platform to improve the engagement of consumers in mobile service and communications. For instance, several forums, including Apple forum, BlackBerry forum, HTC forum and others (Vodafone, 2012e), make each specific target market engage in these forums to e xchange feedback and experience on these products and relevant services. 5.4 Place Place is described as the distribution networking facilitating Vodafone effectively deliver services and products for consumers. In fact, the effective distribution networking can help firms to shape their competitive advantages. Currently, there are two major distribution channels developed by Vodafone, including online store and real store. Firstly, Vodafone launched the online store to offer several aspects of mobile products and services, such as mobile phones, accessories, apps downloads and mobile services. The online store can save consumers time and money. Secondly, Vodafone, like O2 and Everything Everywhere, operates real stores to improve customer experience. 6.0 Recommendations This chapter will propose two recommendations for Vodafone to achieve its sustainable development in the long run, including social media, and customer relationship and relationship marketing. The first recommendation on the application of social media concerns the implementation of integrated marketing communications. The second recommendation on relationship marketing contains four aspects to implement relationship marketing, such as service quality, price perception, brand image and value offers. In the following, this chapter will described relevant theories on social media and integrated marketing communications and relationship marketing and propose several detailed practices for Vodafone. 6.1 Social Media Vodafone adopted social media including Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo to enhance the interactive communication with target consumers. From the theoretical perspective, social media is defined as activities, practices, and behaviours among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media (Safko Brake, 2009, p. 6). Furthermore, these two researchers recognised that companies should integrate social media into their process of formulating and implementing marketing strategies. For consumers, social media plays a critical role in personal communication. Individuals enable to create and send their own understandings on Vodafone products and service, including good and bad feedback. However, compared with the traditional communications channels, such as advertising, sponsorship and public relations, Vodafone cannot control the contagion of user-generated information on the negative evaluation on Vodafone mobile services. Hence, it is difficult for Vodafone to manage social media. However, social media provides one of the most important measures, such as word of mouth. From the consumer perspective, the user-generated word of mouth may be more reliable and trusted in comparison with the Vodafone-generated information. For instance, Hanna (2008) stressed that more and more concerns review the online feedback on products or service experience from other consumers, which may exert its influence on their purchasing decision making. Based on the internet platform, individual consumers can share their experience and communicate with each other to become an influential opinion group. Vodafone should concern the development of these similar groups and engage in these groups to obtain their experience and information on products or service. The feedback and experience from consumers can help Vodafone to develop more effective marketing strategies. For the implication of social media for Vodafone, Vodafone should play an active role in the communication with target market under the circumstance of social media. For instance, Vodafone not only uses Twitter to send the information on products and services, but also employs YouTube to deliver the video on the practices of corporate social responsibility, such as social work for local communities. In particular, Vodafone should concern the contagion of the negative information and feedback and effective respond to these feedbacks. Furthermore, the resolution of the negative feedback not only may adjusts the negative attitude of consumers toward Vodafone and its mobile services, but also may recover consumer confidence and contribute to customer loyalty. 6.2 Customer Relationship and Relationship Marketing In terms of Tseng (2007), relationship marketing is described as the contemporary mainstream of marketing thoughts concerned with the establishment and maintenance of the strong relationship between firms and consumers. In this essence, the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies should be based on the comprehensive understanding on the changing needs of consumers. Compared with the traditional marketing thoughts, relationship marketing is more concerned with the long-term customer relationship, which consequently benefits both consumers and firms in the long run. Therefore, Vodafone should concern the building and maintenance of the strong relationship with consumers. In this section, there are several tactics contributing to the implementation of relationship marketing, such as service quality, price perception, value offered (Bansel, Taylor James, 2005) and brand image (Peng Wang, 2006). In the following, this section will explain the application of these four tac tics for Vodafone. Firstly, service quality distinctive from the quality of physical products contains several characteristics, such as intangible and produced and consumed simultaneously (Gronroos, 2000). Since service quality can be perceived by each consumer, each consumer may have different perception on the similar service quality. Hence, the trusted relationship between the frontline service employees and consumers plays a critical role in the enhancement of the perceived service quality. If consumer can perceive the superior service quality through the communication with the frontline service employees, the satisfied consumers can become the loyal consumers dedicated to the long-term mutual relationship with firms. Hence, Vodafone should concern the improvement and development of the frontline service employees to enhance the perceived service quality. Furthermore, there are various measures to improve the perceived service quality, such as service design and development and improvement of store environment. Secondly, price perception is more sensitive for consumers, since it considerably affects the final decision on purchasing behaviours. If consumers perceive the price beyond their expected, the higher price perception may exert its negative influence on their purchasing decision (Peng Wang, 2006). In terms of Cheng et al. (2008), there are two important dimensions determining the price perception, including reasonableness of price and comparison from competitors. For Vodafone, it should improve service quality to make consumers perceive the reasonableness of this price, but also concerns the fluctuation of prices developed by the competitors. Based on the fluctuation of prices developed by the competitors, Vodafone should evaluate the competitive situation and service of the competitors and make the reasonable decision to cope with the potential price war. Thirdly, referring to brand, Gronroos (2000) described brand as not first built and then perceived by the customers. Instead, every step in the branding process, every brand massages, is separately perceived by customers and together add up to a brand image, which is formed in customers minds (p.287). Hence, the building of brand image not only aims to marketing physical products and services through the predicted role of brand image, but also is involved in the sustainable development of a firm. For Vodafone, it is necessary for Vodafone to build and enhance the brand image of Vodafone. There are several detailed measures for Vodafone, including marketing communications and corporate social responsibility. The marketing communications measures contain advertising, sponsorship, and social media to enhance the brand image in the mind of consumers. In particular, the implementation of corporate social responsibility will significantly contribute to the building and enhancement of brand image of Vodafone, since most consumers believe that the practices and behaviours of corporate social responsibility can influence brand image in their mind and purchasing decision. Fourthly, value offers is that consumers will evaluate the value and cost of products and services. If consumers believe that they obtain value beyond the cost of products and services, they incline to purchase this product or service and produce customer satisfaction. According to Ravald Gronroos (1996), service providers should create and deliver the superior value for consumers through the enhancement of value offers, which consequently contributes to the improvement of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. For Vodafone, it should concern the creation and delivery of value offers. 7.0 Conclusion This report discusses three major issues of Vodafone including environmental evaluation, marketing strategies and recommendations. Referring to the SWOT analysis, there are several important insights, such as fierce competition, high penetration rate, low differentiation and innovation. After defining marketing objectives, marketing mix will be used for explaining marketing strategies of Vodafone.

Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond :: Speare Witch Blackbird Pond Essays

Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond shows the maturation process of a young girl from Barbados. Kit’s life in Barbados is shattered when her grandfather dies. As a result of his death, Kit is forced to leave the island and her carefree lifestyle. She travels to Connecticut to find her only living relatives. Once she reaches Connecticut her persona evolves from an island girl, to hard worker, and finally to wife. Kit is a young island girl who is running away from her problems. She is escaping from the only home she has ever known and leaving behind her soon to be lover, Nat in order to get away from a man she does not wish to marry. Kit tells Mercy that she does not want to marry him because he is much older then she is, â€Å"He was fifty years old, and he had pudgy red fingers with too many rings on them. You see Mercy why I couldn’t write† (pg 47). She makes up her mind and runs to a family whom she has never met, without even writing to them. Once she reaches Connecticut, Kit is disappointed at the first sight of land, â€Å"The bleak line of shore surrounding the gray harbor was a disheartening contrast to the shimmering green and white that fringed the turquoise bay of Barbados which was her home.† (Pg 7) Once she reaches her aunt and uncle’s house it is a huge culture shock for her. In Connecticut everyone does his or her part and helps with the housework, where as in Barbados, there are people who do that for you. Kit must learn how to be of some use to the family. â€Å"By the end of the day the word useful had taken an alarming meaning.† (Pg 42) She also has to attend Puritan meetings regularly, something that she never had to do before. â€Å"The puritan service seems to her as plain and unlovely as the bare board walls of the meeting house† (pg 52). While at meeting she is called upon by a wealthy young man, William Ashby; once again in an attempt to fit in, she agrees to have him visit her in her uncle’s house. Although she is not interested in him, she continues seeing him because she knows that if they are married she will not have to do any chores at all.

john kerry :: essays research papers

John Forbes Kerry is the candidate I would chose in the up in coming election. Some of the issues that would decide my vote are environment, the economy, homeland security, social issues, and Iraq. I would also vote for John Kerry because he has done good things for Massachusetts and I know he will do good things for this country. My last reason for voting for John Kerry is because he will bring our troops home safely. On November 2, 2004 I would vote for John Kerry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Forbes Kerry was born in Colorado on December 11, 1943 at Fitzsimons Army Hospital. John Kerry graduated from Yale University. He joined the Navy and became an officer during Vietnam. He was awarded both silver and bronze stars and 3 purple hearts for his heroic efforts. John Kerry went to law school at Boston College. He was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1982. After he was elected senator of Massachusetts in 1984 followed by three more terms. John Kerry seems to be a perfect candidate for president. John Kerry supports the war in Iraq. John Kerry believes in having our allies join in with us. John Kerry says if elected he will boost international effort to secure peace. He also sates that he wants to improve social, economic, and political conditions in the Middle East. John Kerry believes he can restore International Policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Kerry also believes in social issues. He supports a women’s right to an abortion. John Kerry opposes the death penalty. John Kerry will also appoint judges committed to law in the Supreme Court. Last, John Kerry will full fund the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† law. John Kerry really knows the views of the people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Kerry wants to make a better environment. John Kerry opposes oil exploration in the Artic refuge. John Kerry will push new gas requirements, hybrid cars, and the use of hydrogen fuel. John Kerry will set goals, incentives to reproduce dependence on fossil fuels. Finally, John Kerry promotes clean, renewable fuel sources. John Kerry is well concerned about the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Kerry also believes in a better Homeland. John Kerry is against labeling U.S. citizens as â€Å"enemy combatants.† John Kerry also wants to the speed up immigration process. Last, John Kerry wants to reform domestic intelligence. John Kerry will make this country a better place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Kerry says he will stop raising taxes.

Bleikasten’s Literary Analysis of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury Ess

Bleikasten’s Literary Analysis of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury By focusing on the figure of Caddy, Bleikasten’s essay works to understand the ambiguous nature of modern literature, Faulkner’s personal interest in Caddy, and the role she plays as a fictional character in relation to both her fictional brothers and her actual readers. To Bleikasten, Caddy seems to function on multiple levels: as a desired creation; as a fulfillment of what was lacking in Faulkner’s life; and/or as a thematic, dichotomous absence/presence. The first section of the essay, â€Å"The Most Splendid Failure,† examines The Sound and the Fury as a(n) (ironic) modern recognition of the novel as a failed art form – if not language as a failed communicator. Bleikasten recognizes the novel as a reversal of reading, a realization of experience, adventure, and life. Because Faulkner was (apparently) not writing for the public, The Sound and the Fury acted as an â€Å"intranarcissistic† object, a â€Å"self-gratification,† which honestly makes me imagine the novel as a form of grandiose masturbation. And Bleikasten would have to admit that I am not too far off. He writes, â€Å" †¦ the aesthetic is made one with the erotic† (415). But then the essay takes an odd turn. This self-gratifying fulfillment becomes a replacement of either a missing sister or a dead daughter (the latter of which I don’t understand because Faulkner’s daughter did not die - was she perhaps very sick as an infant?) It seems that Bleikasten is now associating the erotic with the familial - not that incest is an inappropriate topic of conversation. However, Bleikasten does not acknowledge this connection and I cannot understand how Faulkner was implying an incestuous desire in his somewhat romanticized... ...age of the novel (neglecting to mention the same one at the end) that confuses and upsets Benjy: â€Å"caddie† versus â€Å"Caddy,† calling on the ambiguities and failing qualities of language, and seeming to draw his essay into a neat circular argument. But he then continues in a somewhat random discussion of Caddy as simultaneously nowhere and everywhere and as a symbol of/for water. He briefly looks at the role of memory in response to a disappeared, yet obsessed-upon figure, although the purpose of this discussion eludes me. Bleikasten ends by accepting Caddy’s elusiveness as necessary given her role in a modern novel and as a woman who cannot be grasped both by male characters and a male author – but what about us female readers? Can we grasp her by reading into Faulkner’s language, or has his failed storytelling blocked her off from any potential female understanding?

Warehousing in Supply Chain

WAREHOUSING IN SUPPLY CHAIN Introduction Warehousing is one of the most important and critical logistic activities in industrial and service systems. A few production philosophies, e. g. just in time (JIT) and lean manufacturing, propose and support the so-called ‘‘zero stock’’ as basic and strategic pillar. Also manufacturing requirement planning (MRP), the well known and widely adopted ‘‘push-’’ based full? lment technique, theoretically guarantees no storage quantities when the ‘‘lot for lot’’ reorder policy is adopted.Nevertheless, these special production systems do not operate in absence of warehousing systems that support and smooth the discontinuity ? ow of materials, products and components, at the input and at the bottom of a generic production stage. Warehousing activities and storage systems are necessary! This is true in many industrial and not industrial sectors: from automotive to tile indust ry passing from food industry, health care production systems, service sectors (e. g. banks, universities, hospitals), etc.Obviously, warehousing is the core activity of logistic providers, usually specialized in distribution activities including storage and transportation issues. In special sectors, like the food industry and the health care supply chains, warehousing means storage systems in critical operating conditions, e. g. controlled temperature and/or humidity levels, by the management of fresh and perishable products. The storage systems signi? cantly affect the level of quality of products, the customer’s service level, and the global logistic cost.Just an example: the food industry. Warehousing and transportation issues signi? cantly affect the level of quality of foodstuffs at the consumer’s location, especially when production plants and ? nal points of demand (consumers’ locations) are far away and frequently located in different countries. The mis sion of warehousing is the same of the discipline ‘‘logistics’’: to effectively ship products in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity without any damages or alterations.Important keywords in warehousing and storage systems are: safety, quality, availability, cost saving, customer service level, traceability, picking, automation, ful? llment, travel time, etc. With increased globalization and offshore sourcing, global supply chain management is becoming an important issue for many businesses. Global supply chain management involves a company’s worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. This is the operational arena of warehouses in most complex production systems.THE ROLES OF WAREHOUSE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN Warehouse play vital roles in the supply chain. The warehouse is not only a facility where a company can store their products, but the warehouse offers inventory management, physical inventory counts and shipping functionality. The warehouse charges their clients for a certain rate for the goods stored, the volume of the warehouse used and the services the client wishes to use. The company using the warehouse does not have to employ warehouse staff, does not require any inventory software or warehouse equipment.The owner of the warehouse is responsible for the costs and passes this on to their clients based on the rate they are charged. The warehousing functionality today is much more than the traditional function of storage. The main function that warehousing serves today are hold raw material at or near the point of induction into a manufacturing or assembly process. The work-in-process warehouses hold partially completed assemblies and products at various points along an assembly or production line. Besides, the finished goods warehouse hold inventory used to balance and buffer the variation between production and schedules and demand.For this purpose, the w arehouse is usually located near the point of manufacture and is often characterized by the flow of full pallets in and full pallets out, assuming that product size and volume warrant pallet-sized loads. A warehouse serving only this function may have demands ranging from monthly to quarterly replenishment of stock to the next level of distribution. Edward Frazelle. (2001) claims that distribution warehouses and distribution centers accumulate and consolidate products from various points of manufacture within a single firm, or from several firms, for combined shipment to common customers.Such as warehouse may be located central to either the production locations or the customer base. Product movement may be typified by full pallets or cases or broken case quantities out. The facility is typically responding to regular weekly or monthly orders. Warehouse also receive, pick, and ship small orders for individual consumers. As a fulfillment warehouse and fulfillment centers. The local w arehouse, distributed in the field in order to shorten transportation distances to permit rapid response to customer demand. Frequently, single items are picked, and the same item may be shipped to the customer every day.The value –added service warehouse serve as the facility where key product customization activities are executed, including packaging, labeling, marking, pricing and returns processing. According to Edward Frazelle. (2001) the figure below illustrates warehouse performing these functions in a logistics network. Unfortunately, in many of today’s networks, a single item will pass in and out of warehouse serving each of these functions between the point of manufacturer and the customer. When feasible, two or more missions should be combined in the same warehousing operation, and handling steps in the chain should be minimized.Current changes in the availability and cost of transportation options make combining activities in a single location and link skip ping possible for many products. In particular, small high-value items with unpredictable demand are frequently shipped worldwide froma single source using overnight delivery services. Figure : the roles of a warehouse in logistics and supply chain management. Cliff Otto (2010) is of the opinion that Cross-docking as manufacturers seek ways to move products more efficiently and cost-effectively, many are ediscovering cross-docking—moving product directly from receiving to shipping with little or no inventory and minimal handling. The process is resurfacing as a way to take costs out of the supply chain, accelerate inventory velocity, and improve service levels. While historically used for durable goods, high turn rates and reduced handling make cross-docking an effective solution for everything from perishable products to high-value/high-security goods. The process helps get product to market quickly and economically while reducing the need for warehouse space and inventory c arry costs.In simple words, warehouses are used by manufacturers,  exporters, wholesalers, retailers,  transport businesses, customs (exporters, Importers), etc. They are usually large plain buildings, equipped with loading docks to load and unload consignment from trucks. Based upon the size of the goods and volume of operation they also often have cranes and forklifts for moving goods, which are usually placed on ISO standard pallets. Warehouse is a facility where the supply chain holds or stores goods, until they are needed by the customers. Warehouse can be owned by manufactures, wholesalers, retailers to store the goods.In my opinion, the role of warehousing and storage has changed drastically as customer and vendor compliance issues have come to surface and a greater emphasis has been placed on operations and customer satisfaction. There are more demands and expectations in today’s industry. The management of warehousing operations requires a unique combination of e ngineering, IT, human resources and supply chain skills. Motorsense offers an integrated warehouse solution that incorporates all the above to give a cost effective solution with the added benefit of stock reworking, returns management, sub-assembly and repackaging.REFERENCES 1. Manzini, Riccardo. (2012) Warehousing in the Global Supply Chain. Bologna: Springer 2. Martin Murray. Public Warehousing In The Supply Chain. About. com Guide 3. Edward Frazelle. (2001) World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling. McGraw-Hill Prof Med/Tech 4. Radhakrishnan. (2010) Logistics – Warehouse Management (Part I). 5. David K. Ecklund. (2010) Warehousing Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Supply Chain Process. Supply Chain Management Review 6. G Raghuram. Warehousing to Supply Chain Management -Complementary or Supplementary. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

Mockingbird: Racism and White Community Essay

Also victimized by racism and its repercussions, Helen Robinson, turkey cocks wife, suffered in the aftermath of her husbands visitation and death. Widowed, she must raise her children, maintain her home base and work to make a alert for herself. Because she is black, a wo man, and the wife of a man accused of raping a white woman, Helen has a very laborious time decision work. This is because of the racism in the white society of Maycomb. The only soul who will ask her is Mr. Link Deas, Toms author employer.He does not really make Helens services, solely fells bad close to what happened to Tom and he is one of the a couple of(prenominal) decent people in Maycomb where black people are concerned. He doesnt really need her, but he said he felt adept bad about the way things turned out. (TKAM, pg. 248-249). However, Helen does not escape the touch of racism. On her way to work one morning, bob Ewell follows Helen, crooning foul words at her, for no reason other than sh e was Toms wife and he was racist.Although he does not attack her, Helen is terrified of him. thoroughly scare, she telephoned Mr. Link at his store, which was not too far from his house (TKAM, pg. 256). Mr. Link Deas makes tag Ewell leave Helen alone, but she is still frightened of him. Her life has become very difficult due to the effects of racism. In a different way, Bob Ewell himself is destroyed by racism. The racism that sparked Tom Robinsons psychometric test leads Bob Ewell to harbour a musical score against Atticus and Judge Taylor, both of whom do him look foolish.He attempts, but fails to burglarise John Taylors house. Later on, he attacks Atticuss children to exact his penalise on Atticus. A grizzle innate(p) of racism, courage born of whiskey, and arrogant arrogance lead to his attack on Jem and Scout, but Arthur Radley comes to the childrens aid. In the struggle, Bob Ewell is killed. It was the grudge he held based on racist beliefs that cause his death. So me may yell it unlessice, some may not, but the badinage is undeniable.Of all the destructive powers humans possess, none ruin other lives and destroy our beneficence quite like racism does. This is proved in To Kill a mockingbird by the fates of Tom and Helen Robinson and their tormentor, Bob Ewell. It is inequitable that prejudices based on a persons skin colour should roleplay such havoc on their lives, and tho it was once commonplace. Although less evident at once than it once was, racism remains just as destructive and just as unnecessary.