Marketing Story

Bad reputation and feedback trot some experienced guest from other companies may affect In the capacity of registering of the potential guest strength: * Unique, unpopular, perspective type of tour especially In Vietnam Vietnam Is an agricultural country which is new and unfamiliar with the foreigners. This tour is unlike many other tours, It give the tourists some realistic views and have new Interesting experiences which they can have never been before about the local peoples life. New services, activities held up such as life by taking part in some agricultural activities, cooking traditional foods, visiting the carat village and doing charityÃ'›_ Tourists can also taste, enjoy and bring the products they made as souvenirs. Which are much more memorable and remarkable than normal gifts. Weakness: * New Corcoran, low reputation, small scale due to Limited capital As a new comer, the company hasn't got much reputation so It's not easy to attract many guests, The limited capital u rged the company to balance carefully expenditures.At first, the scale of the tour may not big, the Limited number of a group Is about 1 – 10 people to get experiences, fix the problems and complete the tour plan. * Place: far from central area The organic tour requires a quite large natural areas, which can provides the tourists to only the space for the activities but also the finest and most relaxing delusion_ The location is in the curbs of Hanoi, far from the urban area where has more modern facilities: hospital, shopping mall, recreation center†¦. The tour may takes much time to travel among tourist destinations. The distance between the place to the destination such as the nearby craft village may take more time to arrive. * Inquire investment on providing facilities: The tour Corcoran can be together with the host providing or upgrading the facility to the houses in order to bring to the guest he most convenient living condition. It's up to the contract between t wo sides: The host or the company pays for the expense. This can cost the company a lot.Upturning: plans and activities according to the region culture. Many places have some advantages to develop this type of tour is in the Red river delta, Mekong river delta, the central of Vietnam†¦ * Attract guests for new services, new programs in the tour: recording videos, playing games, volunteer activities, visiting craft villages and earning how to make the traditional product, trekking, biking, riding around to enjoy the scenes, having a tour around the city†¦ Threatens: * Facility condition This is one of the most required in the tour.Tourists want to be provided basic facilities to meet their basic needs, to entertain, to communicate,†¦ The cleanses, convenience, comparability, privacy,†¦ Are the standard elements. The provider/host have to make sure that the facility is always ready to serve the guest in the best condition. However, the company can't always control this thing, it depends on how he host work. * The host's attitude and action directly influence in the quality and guests' perception and satisfaction.Local people is a very important element in deciding the tour is success or not. They live, communicate with the tourists so they affect directly on the tour quality. If the host has a positive and enthusiastic attitude, try to show and help the guests, this could lead to a good result and make the guest satisfied. In contrast, if the guest is served with a bad attitude by the host, this can influence to the company's reputation, which is absolutely not goodÃ'› especially for a new company. Bad reputation and feedback from some experienced guests from other companies may affect in the capacity of registering of potential tourists. Nowadays, people often pay more attention and read reviews about the place/ service/product they are willing to spend money on. If there are companies which also operate this type of tour and haves some ne gative comments on it, this may lead to the consequence is that some others tourists don't want to use the service, and change the plan.

Edgar A. Poe

Informative Text/ EAP Essay Edgar Allen Poe was well known for his dark and mysterious writing, but what caused his abrupt death? How he died is very controversial, because there is little evidence to support any theory. Several people suggest that he died either of rabies, exposure, or alcohol abuse. Although Poe’s death remains in doubt, I believe that several factors led up to the writer falling ill.I have gathered from the biography excerpt renamed â€Å"Poe’s Final Days† by Kenneth Silverman, the article â€Å"Poe’s Death is Rewritten as Case of Rabies, Not Telltale Alcohol†, with the letter to the editor in response published in the New York Times, that Edgar Allen Poe died of symptoms of alcoholism, that escalated from stress. In the biography â€Å"Poe’s Final Days† by Kenneth Silverman, the author reveals accounts during the end of Edgar Allen Poe’s life that point towards the idea of alcoholism being the killer. Silver man traces back to before Poe fell ill, over his hospital stay, and during his rapid death.Over this time period, the writer faced great stress like parting from his wife. He set for Baltimore soon after, where he was found abusing alcohol. The author states â€Å"Poe seemed to Walker ‘rather the worse for wear’ and ‘in great distress. ’ Apparently flooded with drink, he may have also have been ill from exposure† (Silverman, 125). This suggests that Poe did not handle what he was going through in a healthy way. He was drinking to cope with his problems. The weather in Baltimore played a key role in Poe’s last few days as well.Silverman explains â€Å"Winds and soaking rains the day before had sent Baltimoreans prematurely hunting up overcoats and seeking charcoal fires for warmth† (Silverman, 125). This information shows that Poe’s already weak body from alcoholism was made even feebler due to the harsh conditions. His immune sys tem likely could not handle the stress, so it may have opened up his body to a sickness, or he may have just become delirious from not taking care of himself. His impaired judgment is noted within this excerpt, as he was seen wearing someone else’s clothes.Poe was reported delirious in several accounts, and he may have been too drunk to care about protecting himself during the storm. Silverman states, â€Å"According to Moran, one of his senior physicians diagnosed Poe’s condition as encephalitis, a brain inflammation, brought on by â€Å"exposure. † This explanation is consistent with the prematurely wintry weather at the time, with Snodgrass’s account of Poe’s partly clad condition, and with Elmira Shelton’s recollection that on leaving Richmond Poe already had a fever† (Silverman, 129).Kenneth Silverman is not entirely credible; he is only a secondary source that provides passages of primary sources. However, this is the most convi ncing article, because it explains why he made poor decisions and how they led up to him dying. The article â€Å"Poe’s Death is rewritten as Case of Rabies, Not Telltale Alcohol† from the New York Times, September 15, 1996, suggests that Poe did not die drunk and offers a new theory of rabies as the killer. This new study was developed during a medical conference and cardiologist Dr. Benitez believes Poe stopped drinking long before dying.It states, â€Å"In the brief period when he was calm and awake, Poe refused alcohol and could drink water only with great difficulty†¦Poe ‘had all the features of encephalitic rabies’ said Henry Wilde† (131). These ideas are supported with evidence, however they are unreliable sources. Henry Wilde and Dr. Benitez never treated Poe. Wilde has experience with rabies, but he never actually saw Poe’s symptoms. They are secondary sources and are not valid. They reviewed Poe’s case but never really t reated Poe, the article tells how the legend of Poe dying in a gutter drunk was likely made up by his doctor.The other information may also be untrustworthy that they provide about rabies. The article states, â€Å"There is no evidence that a rabid animal had bitten Poe† (131). This directly says that this theory cannot be entirely true. Poe could have been delirious and confused for several reasons, not specifically rabies. There are more accounts and reports of Poe being an alcoholic, than any sign of rabies. He may have refused alcohol a few times, but not before he was in the hospital. Mr. Jerome explains, â€Å"The writer was so sensitive to alcohol that a glass of wine would make him violently ill for days.Poe may have had problems as a younger man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (132) Mr. Jerome was a museum curator researching Poe, who earlier explained that most theories offered no proof. Jerome never directly met Poe and he is basing his theory off of accounts that may have been ske wed over time. I believe this article is not trustworthy, because the sources are not valid. The letter to the editor â€Å"If only Poe Had Succeeded When He Said Nevermore to Drink† by Burton Pollin from The New York Times, September 23, 1996, disputes Dr. Benitez’s previous theory on rabies killing Edgar Allen Poe.Pollin uncovers weaknesses in this theory and supports alcohol abuse as the main cause of death. Although Poe attempted to recover from alcoholism, he never succeeded. The theory for rabies has no proof to support that Poe died from it; all but Benitez believes the cause of death was alcohol. Pollin reveals, â€Å"Dr. Benitez admits the primary weakness of his theory- lack of evidence of a bite or scratch†¦rabies was well known as to causes and symptoms†¦ could affect an entire limb or side of the body. How could Moran and his staff ignore such symptoms in a patient? (Pollin, 134). No clues suggest the theory of rabies and relatives of Poe even d isagree with Dr. Benitez. Symptoms that significant are hard to ignore, so it is unlikely that rabies was the problem. Poe likely could not get away with such symptoms even if he wanted to. He was examined in the hospital, so if anything else were wrong with him it would have been reported. Another problem with this case is that most medical records and reports have been lost. Rabies cannot go unnoticed; Poe was not even around any animals that were infected.Pollin states, â€Å"Guiltless was the pet Caterina, who, uninfected and showed no sign of rabies, died of starvation when deserted by Clemm after Poe’s death† (Pollin, 134). Poe’s cat was innocent, and cannot be blamed for giving him rabies. Most accounts over Poe’s last few days were about him drunk or delirious. This is the most likely cause, because it is backed with the most evidence. Pollin states, â€Å"Poe was found outside a Baltimore saloon in an alcoholic stupor on October 3, 1849, and die d four days later. Dr. John J.Moran’s account of hid final days is given in a letter to Poe’s aunt and mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, a New York Herald article in 1875, and a book by Moran in 1885. Supplementary accounts of Poe’s alcoholic condition came from Joseph Walker†¦ Dr. Snodgrass, and editor well known to Poe; and two of Poe’s relatives. None of these confirm Dr. Bentitez’s statement that ‘Poe was not drunk’† (Pollin, 133). A great amount of evidence can support alcoholism as the true cause. Only one account suggests rabies. Alcohol was a big part of Poe’s past; it showed up through letters and was a constant obstacle for him.This article is slightly biased and comes across as persuasive in tone. It is a secondary source, but addresses many primary sources. The author is very opinionated and believed that Poe’s self-destructive behavior should not be concealed. This article is credible and I agree with it s argument. Edgar Allen Poe led a very mysterious life; even how he died is still in doubt. It is known that he was delirious, and had impaired judgment prior to staying in a hospital and suddenly dying. There are many disputed theories about how Poe specifically died.The biography excerpt â€Å"Poe’s Final Days† by Kenneth Silverman explains how weather and stress increased symptoms of alcoholism and caused Poe to die of poor decisions. He was too drunk to care, and faced stress that he could no longer handle. The New York Times article â€Å"Poe’s Death is rewritten as Case of Rabies, Not Telltale Alcohol† explains Dr. Benitez’s new theory developed during a medical conference suggesting Poe died of rabies. It reveals how he was said to avoid alcohol despite a drunk past and was wrongly accused of alcoholism.The letter to the editor response, â€Å"If Only Poe Had Succeeded When He Said Nevermore To Drink† by Burton Pollin argues the idea of Poe dying of rabies and supports the traditional theory of Poe dying from alcoholism. Pollin explains how much more evidence is present about Poe’s struggle with abusing alcohol, and no animals could have infected Poe. I believe that Edgar Allen Poe died of the stress from alcohol abuse and exposure. He made poor health decisions, and stopped caring about his well being. Poe’s death remains as dark and mysterious as his stories.

Strong Inventory analisys and MBTI Personal Statement

Strong Inventory analisys and MBTI - Personal Statement Example My MBTI test reveals that my MBTI type is INFJ. This personality type is the short form for Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging People who belong to this type are generated Introverted Intuition with Extraverted Feeling. According to Personality Page (2010), â€Å"As an INFJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via intuition†. This is to say that we look more to ourselves though we are not selfish. The reason we would look more to ourselves is because we are introverts and do not easily associate with people. Introverts are person who tends to focus on their own thoughts and feelings (EnglishTest.Net, 2011). Instead of making friend with almost everyone who comes their way, we would rather â€Å"direct their energy towards the inner world of thoughts and emotions† (Team Technology, 1995). For this reason, the INFJ personality type thinks and invents a lot. The possibility of dealing with external influence is judged by how we feel about them and how they suit our way of doing things. This is to say that we are not easily influenced. We will do things only because we feel it is right for us to do it. Personality Pages describes INFJs as people who â€Å"are gentle, caring, complex, highly intuitive, artistic and creative who live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities.† It is believed that only 1% of the world’s population has this personality meaning it is the most uncommon. Functional Preference Ordering According to personality page (2010), there are four functional preference ordering for the INFJ which are Dominant (Introverted Intuition), Auxiliary (Extraverted Feeling), Tertiary (Introverted Thinking) and Inferior (Extraverted Sensing). According to Butt (2010), â€Å"Introverted intuitive, INFJs enjoy a greater clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes†. The strength or advantage of this preference ordering lies in the fact that because the introve rted intuitive requires greater clarity of perception, they are deep thinkers and do not take decisions briskly. With the extraverted feeling, Butt holds the view that they â€Å"express a range of emotion and opinions of, for and about people and find themselves caught between the desire to express their wealth of feelings and moral conclusions about the actions and attitudes of others, and the awareness of the consequences of unbridled candor.† The strength in this ordering or preference is that such people are very selfless and put others first. This is seen in their habit of being caring, loving, empathetic and generous. The introverted thinking ordering also has to do with people â€Å"make decisions based on logic, so the introverted thinking function allows a person to categorize and analyze data† (My Personality Info, 2011). The final type which is extraverted sensing also carries a lot of strengths and advantages. Such a person believes in personal experience and cannot be persuaded easily to do something out of his wish. According to My Personality Info, extraverted sensing â€Å"is the ability to be keen to what is seen, smelled, touched, heard and tasted.† Relation of my MBTI to my Career Interests My career interest is in becoming an individual therapist and also to take up careers in teaching and taking to counseling and clergy work. I find this ambition so linked with my MBTI personality type. This is because as per my type, I am visionary, understand people and situation, highly principled, sensitive and compassionate, service-oriented, value authentic relationship and I dislike dealing with details unless they enhance or promote my vision† (Personality Page, 2010). These are traits that are shared in an individual therapist. This is because according to Therapists.Net, an individual therapists help others â€Å"to learn to be more confident in yourself, to make your voice heard through communication, to validate you r own emotions, to learn to love yourself, and to learn better ways of coping with anger, sadness and stress (and not rely on your

Imperial Oil internal and external analysis to develop a strategy for Research Paper

Imperial Oil internal and external analysis to develop a strategy for the company for the future in regards their issues - Research Paper Example The Canadian government has made various restrictions in the oil industry in an effort to save the environment and thus the company faces various challenges in terms of freedom. c. The international Energy Agency states that by the year 2015, the company will only have the ability to produce around 3.4% of the amount of energy required and thus increased pressure on the Canadian government. a. One of the economic factors affecting the company is the high amount of funds required for the extraction of oil. This sets back the company very much provided the difficult economic conditions experienced by the industry contemporarily. b. There is also the competitive market that has affected the industry. This is from the confusion that the government has had in an effort to understand which sector of the economy to allocate certain funds. Bargaining power of customers: There exists a high negative effect of this on the side of the customer. This is from the fact that majority of the industry is a monopoly and thus only the people with a lot of money have the ability to sustain themselves and their requirements. Imperial oil as stated earlier is one of the most successful oil companies in Canada. Despite its highly placed position in the market, the company still faces a lot of competition from other companies. Royal Dutch Shell is one of the leading competitors for the company. The company with its headquarters at Hague has made numerous strides to maintain its position among the world leading companies in the sector. The other major group in its circles is BP. This is one of the oldest companies in the industry, which has made numerous branches all over the world including Canada. The fact that it has had a lot of experience in the field has ensured that the employee’s equities are higher and consequently the output is higher. Imperial oil is the highest in success rates as compared to the other companies. This is from the fact

Companies Monitoring Employees Computer Usage Essay

Companies Monitoring Employees Computer Usage - Essay Example ncidences of employees misusing company time surfing the internet, action plans have been introduced in many organizations to help identify employees involved in such activities. For instance, some sniffers on computer usage can show all the key strokes a person has made on a company computer. This can act as the basis for firing employees found to have a habit of misusing company time surfing the internet. Other than reasons pertaining to productivity, there are also other reasons why organizations monitor and control internet usage. A good example includes legal liabilities that may arise due to misuse of technology (Anandarajan and Simmers 144). For instance, an employee may use the company internet to download and distribute pornographic materials. If such materials falls into the wrong hands, the company could be sued for casualness. Sending pornographic materials to colleagues in the workplace could also be considered sexual molestation and the company could also be liable if necessary steps are not taken to address the problem (Anandarajan and Simmers 144). In a nutshell, monitoring and controlling internet usage in the workplace increase productivity and minimizes the likelihood of paying for legal

Outline the distinctive properties of group decision-making and Essay

Outline the distinctive properties of group decision-making and negotiation. Compare and contrast the conditions under which the - Essay Example Group decision making brings in certain amount of analogical reasoning which gives managerial cognition a significant and purposeful direction. It emphasizes on facts like strategy making, such as pattern recognition, judgment and wisdom. These aspects are prominent among practitioners to develop strategies that are powerful. Group managerial decision lays emphasis on working in the best interests of the companies that bring about rationality in the managerial decision making. Group decision making helps in analogizing the way the philosophers and practitioners think. Conceptualizing and analogizing over a topic will help in developing a computational response which will also help in suggesting powerful analogies based on industry features and situations which affect the high level policies. These high level policies are highly interdependent to each other and deals with breadth of experience which is more beneficial than depth of experience. These dominant analytical and experimenta l approaches would help in antagonizing the situations, which are useful from the managerial perspective. It also requires the adopting of a qualitative approach and exploring situations which help in tackling difficult managerial situations. This theoretical framework will enable the development of different decision models that help in solving varied managerial problems and also developing methods for tracking the different managerial situations. This computational perspective helps the managers to create an environment which is verifiable and posing demands based on the cause effect relationships and cost benefit analysis. This model will also help in the development of a conceptual contribution which concerns discrepancies between managerial thinking and rationale decision model. The complexity of the environmental models increases with the environmental problems, which deal with the risk taking capacity of the organization. This perspective deals with the accuracy of perception s and suffers from various shortcomings, evidences and natural environments The group decision making consist of several steps which include the following: Problem identification: The fundamental step would be to identify the problem which would help in determining the future direction of the organizational unit. The issues would be recognized and would be aligned with the appropriateness of the mission statement and current strategies for achieving goals (University of Rhode Islands, 2013). Problem Diagnosis: When a specific problem emerges then it would be manifesting itself in some form or the other and hence it should be treated with appropriateness and suitable tools. The long range problems would be discussed and diagnosed with recurring solution (University of Rhode Islands, 2013). Solution Generation: All the solutions are evaluated and the best decision is selected with thoughtful consideration (University of Rhode Islands, 2013). Solving the Evaluation and Choice: Evaluati on meetings are held to improve the business process and also address the specific operational problems. Solution Generation: The best solution is generated after matching the needs and requirements with the criteria, cause effect and alternatives. The different types of decision is evaluated and the best decision is selected which can solve managerial problems. The commitment to decision is taken after much thoughtful consi

Assigment 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assigment 1 - Research Paper Example In such a way, it is the hope of this author that through a careful explanation of what the original understanding for how Congress was to operate, the reader can come to an informed understanding with respect to whether or not the current exhibition of duties and governance, as reflected by the current Congress, continues to affects the ideal and definition that the founding fathers originally specified. Naturally, the broader question that this seeks to answer is whether or not the current Congress is abiding by the rules and principles that it was intended to operate within; even more broadly, a discussion and analysis of whether or not this is taking place has a profound level of tangential understanding with relation to whether or not democracy within the American system of governance continues to be relevant or has like so many other forms of governance become corrupted over time. Rubric of Analysis -Discussion of Terms and Analysis of Key Issues and Measurements to be Applied However, before delving directly into a unit of analysis with regards to whether or not the current Congress continues to abide by the norms and precepts that the founding fathers put forward, it is necessary to define the rubric and key terms, as well as measurements, that this particular analysis will engage as a means of answering the question at hand. The first means whereby the potential differential between the Congress that the founding fathers defined and the Congress of today will be with respect to the historical growth and/or constriction of duties that the Congress was responsible for effecting. Secondly, although it may be tempting, the Congress itself is not a singular entity and must be analyzed via an approach that takes into account both unique and distinct roles and responsibilities of the Senate and the unique roles and responsibilities of the House of Representatives (Zharan 2). Within such a way, the analysis will also seek to determine whether or not a blurring of the lines between these two entities has occurred as a result of the similar nature of the business and governance styles that they must engage. Lastly, the analysis will seek to engage the reader with an understanding and interpretation of whether or not deviation from any of these roles and responsibilities that might be noted as a result of the analysis has effectively created a situation by which governance has been reduced or rendered ineffective. It is the final determinant, as measured on aggregate with the other two determinants that will yield the greatest level of inference with respect to whether or not the governmental structure, as it exists today, has so far deviated from the beliefs and precepts of the founding fathers that it is in fact no longer capable of achieving the goals for which it was intended or whether it continues to function, how be it by different manners, much to the same level and degree that it functions over 200 years ago. Congressional Analysis : It does not take much time at all to realize that one of the key claims that individuals oftentimes reference with regards to the diminished role and corrupted bowing use that Congress exhibits is with respect to the means by which the executive branch has effectively emasculated the Congress since the declaration of war for the Second World War

Assessment and assessment techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assessment and assessment techniques - Essay Example The difference between both of the variables permits progress in teaching interactions. Students who attend their Montessori school sessions are more critical to identify and improve. Class room assessment is a tangled task which is to be performed by the teachers however it is very much useful as it provides numerous instrumental techniques to get the students’ performance improved in varied senses. It is more critical because of admitted correlation amidst learning and assessment. It is as closer as lessons and examination. To have better results in final examination and learning objectives, students are intended to get passed through simulations so that they can be able to perform accordingly. Plan for day to day formative assessment for infant school children has been devised here. It is being justified as per contemporary practices as well based on children psychology. Planning for a formative strategic plan for infant school (or Montessori) children is very critical and difficult. It is because children in this age are unaware of communicating their views properly. On the other hand, children psychologists refer it as a simplest phase of human development because children of three to five years are in continuous learning phase. They are completely dependent upon their parents and teacher for every aspect of study and life. They are easy to mould and adjust in any milieu. However teachers find it difficult to conduct assessment sessions with them in order to take verbal feedback from them because feedback cannot be taken in direct manner. They are required to design assessment surveys and questionnaires which further elaborate the actual scenario of what they have learnt so far. Following steps are devised to outline a plan comprising day to day formative assessment strategies for infant school children. 1. Questioning Questions are asked from children in order to get their beginning points and related to performance indicators. Applicable questions are asked in chronological order from lower to higher degree of their understanding. The questions are designed according to their capabilities in simpler mode of communication. The nature of questions differ in comparative manner for all ages of children. 2. Observations After questioning, it comes the turn of observations. It provides cohesive linkers to connect and find the relationship between answered given in response to certain questions. Teacher is directed to watch the activities of children in order to observe to what extent they are implementing their learning. It is also helpful for moral training for children which was intended to make a part of syllabus. 3. Discussion It is disguised way to observe the activities and mindset of children through two way interactive discussion sessions. It is very important because it gives a chance to clearly discuss the problems which are to be addressed. In the milieu of Montessori children’s education, teachers are required t o synthesize interactions among students and themselves. 4. Reviewing understanding After discussion sessions, it is advised to engage the children in such activities which can elucidate their academic understanding of what they have learnt earlier in class rooms. It basically implies to practical approach of theory taught to the pupil. It may include planned or unplanned recall events which can give a feedback to teacher regarding what was planned for class room learning. In such recall tests, a teacher may

Bach bazi in Afghanistan Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bach bazi in Afghanistan - Movie Review Example Without any prior history of the man, the family to the young boy accepts him to go (Bacha Bazi). It is believed that the tradition started long time from Pakistani when the Afghanistan had been invaded by the superpower then, Russia. Because of boredom, the tradition for men dancing for men began (Bacha Bazi). In continuing with the documentary, it is evident that those who indulge in Bacha Bazi are young and old rich and powerful men. Some of these men live a double life and may have wives and children to hide their other side (Bacha Bazi). Furthermore, it is evident that Bacha Bazi involves a boys party, a place where these young recruited boys would go and dance for the rich. After the event, it was upon the rich to decide what they did to the young men (Bacha Bazi). Most of the time, they would end up sodomizing them. The young men would be lured into the business due to financial gain and promises of happy life just like the rich, only to discover later that they were to pleasure them to get the money. It is a very sad scene when underage boys between 10 to 18 years get recruited for this business. Basically, a person is always sent to the villages in search of beautiful boys from the families who are in need of the money (Bacha Bazi). The boys are then taken and go to live with one of the organizers of Bacha Bazi. In the company of the Bacha Bazi organizers, the boys are expected to know how to dance and sing within their first year of recruitment. They would learn this arts from previous boys who had been recruited and had been in the business for some time (Bacha Bazi). The boys would be provided everything in the courtyard of the rich, but in return, are expected to be ready to pleasure rich men during parties. As the documentary continues, it is evident what really conspires in search parties as one of the Bacha Bazi men reveals what had happened in another party (Bacha Bazi).

Ancient democracy to present democracy Essay Example for Free

Ancient democracy to present democracy Essay The word democracy is derived from two Greek words, demos, which means people, and kratos, which means rule. Today the word has come to mean exactly that, ruled by the people. Many ancient political Greek philosophers would use the phrase the governors are to be governed which we can relate to today. Even though the Greeks notion of democracy is dramatically different from our current democracy, it has been one of the most influential philosophies that have shaped the political thought of the United States. Ironically the term democracy is the most used term to describe the American government even though it has little meaning in our government today. The Athenian government was the first democracy known to the world. Athens had a government where all of the citizens took part in the decision making. Thus, everyone who qualified as a citizen could participate and did not have to be an elected representative. For one to be considered a citizen they first had to be born in Athens and had to be free. Next, once turned eighteen years of age he had to have at least two years of military training then serve in the navy or army. After he has served he could then vote. After the age of thirty he could be considered for council. The women of Athens were also considered to be citizen however they did not posses any political power. The Athenian democracy had three main branches which were the assembly, the council, and the jurymen. The assembly had the reasonability of making the policies for Athens. The assembly could be considered the legislative branch and it was made of eligible Athenian citizens. The council enforced administrative matters and the policies. They were also in control of the military and finances. The council was made of five hundred citizens and could be considered the executive branch. The jury men had the important yet tedious job of resolving disputes of the people. There were six thousand jurymen to manage this job in the courts. The Greeks of Athens had no single head of the government and no political parties. The United States has some similarities with Athenian democracy but very few. There are three branches, the legislative, executive, and the judicial which  are similar to the three branches of Athenss government. The legislative branch is made of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They are in charge of making the laws of the states. The House of Representatives consists of a representative from each state. There is one representative from each district in the state. The district in each state depends on the population of the state. There are four hundred and thirty five members of the House. Each of them only serve for two years and then have to run for re-election. The Senate consists of one hundred members. Each state has two representatives in the Senate. The Senate has three times the amount of service time than the House. The Executive branch is the president and his cabinet. The president gets to appoint his cabinet which consists of several positions, the Secretary of State, Attorney General, National Security Advisor, and more. The judicial branch has nine justices as apposed to six thousand, one that serve as the Chief Justice. Once they are appointed by the president they serve for the rest of their lives. As you can see, the American democracy doesnt quite fit the Greeks definition of democracy. They have appointed officials that can dictate how the people live. The Greek democracy actually consisted of citizens that could participate in political issues without being elected or appointed.

UK Honours System Analysis

UK Honours System Analysis Title: Discuss the purpose of the honours system and the method by which recipients of honours are selected. What improvements, if any, do you think are necessary or desirable in the law and workings of the honour system? Introduction This is a highly topical subject, indeed it is one that is the focus of political machination and intense media scrutiny and speculation at the point of writing this paper. The recent furore is discussed below, after an examination of the purpose and modus operandi of the honours system, and some considered suggestions for reform. The UK Honours System The United Kingdom honours system is a time-honoured mechanism which provides for the public recognition of exceptional achievement, endeavour and service to the country.[1] The system rewards conspicuous contributions to the community, pre-eminence within a field of activity and distinguished or innovative work in all areas of UK society. Honours are usually awarded twice a year in the United Kingdom; one honours list is published on The Queen’s Birthday in June and another is published at New Year. Honours Committees meet before the decision as to the constitution of each list is taken to advise the Cabinet Secretary on candidates to put forward. The public have been permitted to make nominations for honours since 1993 and these are put forward for consideration by the Honours Committees. Such nominations require a minimum of two supporting letters and evidence to justify the proposal. The Cabinet Office suggests that certain criteria should be applied in evaluating the merits of a nomination.[2] The nominee should have: made a significant contribution to their community or field of endeavour; distinguished British life and enhanced its reputation; improved the lot of those less able to help themselves; exhibited vision and moral courage and vision in making difficult choices and hard applications.[3] There are nine committees in total, covering different fields of achievement. Committees are appointed to advise on the following areas: State; Education; Health; Community; Voluntary and Local Service; Science and Technology; Economy; Sport; Arts and Media. These committees make recommendations to the Prime Minister who thereafter puts forward a list of recommendations to the Queen, who ultimately decides on the final list. As Bradley and Ewing describe in Constitutional and Administrative Law,[4] the Queen is â€Å"the sole fountain of honour†, and she awards all peerages, but her prerogative is â€Å"only exercised on the advice of her ministers†. The Cabinet Office Ceremonial Secretariat[5] is responsible for the overall management of the honours system[6]. The Ceremonial Branch of the Cabinet Office was established in 1937 and takes responsibility for honours policy work across government. It was renamed the Ceremonial Secretariat in 2001. The Secretariat prepares the Prime Minister’s half-yearly Honours Lists and consults on all honours matters with the Head of the Home Civil Service. The Secretariat also coordinates policy on the award of decorations and medals and advises the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as required. Moreover the Secretariat deals with the administration of honours nominations made by members of the public and assesses individual cases leading to civilian gallantry awards.[7] Reform of the Honours System? In 2005 the Government published the paper Reform of the Honours System[8] which contained its responses to â€Å"A Matter of Honour Reforming the Honours System†[9], a report by the Public Administration Select Committee and â€Å"Review of the Honours system: report to the Secretary of the Cabinet† by Sir Hayden Phillips.[10] Overall the Government indicated its for support for the honours system, but it recognised concerns voiced in the two reports cited above and undertook to review the current system to ensure its fairness and make proposals to render it more accessible to the public as a whole. A selection of the proposals considered are discussed below.[11] In its response, the Government resisted recommendations to abolish such ancient honours as the Orders of Bath and of St Michael and St George, but accepted the point that honours should not be conferred merely because the recipient holds a particular post or office.[12] It is submitted that it is essential that honours are only ever awarded on merit, for exceptional service over and above that which could be expected, if the system is to retain public support and longevity and therefore this decision is supported by this commentator. Hayden Philips also recommended that the proportion of honours that go to the so-called state sector (including the Diplomatic Service, the Home Civil Service and the Armed Forces) should be reduced. The Government has prevaricated over this proposal but it is submitted that it is a meritorious suggestion. It is necessary to ground the honours system firmly in the public interest and context if it is to receive continued public acceptance and credibility. The Australian system of honours was (ironically perhaps) suggested as a model for reform of the UK system, and while not embracing that proposal wholeheartedly the Government indicated that it would be pursing the Philip’s recommendation to increase diversity and regional participation in the honours selection process along similar lines to those in operation in Australia. Again it is argued that this is a wise move. As stated above it is necessary to root the honours system deep within the greater community to preserve support and recognition for it and to defeat criticisms that it functions under a metropolitan bias. It is also proposed that the Honours Selection Committees be replaced by a new Honours Commission, and that this body should take over responsibility from ministers for making nominations to the Queen. However, the Government did not accept this proposal in its 2005 response, preferring instead to pledge to reduce the civil service participation in selection committees, guarantee non-civil service chairs of those committees and increase participation and transparency into the existing system by other administrative means. It is submitted that while the Government’s proposals represent an improvement on the status quo, they fail to grasp the nettle and fully address the frailties and complexities of the existing process. The establishment of a new Honours Commission to assume all duties in this regard would, it is asserted have been the best way forward for the UK honours system. A Personal Aside There is clearly much to commend in a system based wholly on rewarding distinguished public service and significant contributions to society if the smack of patronage, bias and imperialism can be removed from its operation. It is true that many second generation commonwealth citizens have sought to reject honours because of the perception that the honours system is an imperialist tool and efforts must be made to restore faith in the system and position it in the minds of the public as a method of recognising only achievement and endeavour. It has also been argued that the honours system facilitates business by recognising Captains of UK industry and rewarding their efforts, but that said the profit and power motives alone seem to inspire businessmen elsewhere in the world to succeed and prosper without the carrot of an honour dangling before them. In summation, it is submitted that greater transparency, accessibility and democracy should be introduced into the system for selecting candidates for honours, and that the criteria for nomination should reflect only contributions that further the public good in some material way. Given that the awards are made in recognition of service to the community it is also deemed appropriate that the community itself is better represented on the nomination panels. Moreover, it is also considered prudent to expedite and simplify the process for removing honours in the event of subsequent behaviour incompatible with the title bestowed, such as a criminal conviction. â€Å"Cash for Coronets† March 2006 The Labour Government is, at the time of writing, embroiled in a high profile row concerning the perception that those making substantial cash donations and or â€Å"loans† to Labour Party funds have been put forward by the Prime Minister for public honours.[13] The Prime Minister has been stung by the accusations of impropriety and bias and has ordered immediate changes to prevent such a state of affairs arising in future, including making loans to political parties publicly declarable. In the meantime, three complaints have been made under the 1925 Honours Prevention of Abuses Act and these are currently being investigated by Scotland Yard.[14] It is submitted that it is completely unacceptable for honours to be effectively bought by political donations rather than earned by good endeavours.[15] However, politics is an expensive business, in particular the funding of General Election Campaigns, and it has been suggested that the only way to guarantee that politics is not influenced and that honours are not bought and sold in this way is to provide for the public funding of political parties via general taxation. It is unlikely that this solution will prove popular with the general public, given the general animosity and suspicion that attaches to politicians, and may even result in the funding of parties that the majority of the public find disagreeable, such as the National Front. However, it is argued that no price can be put on political independence and the integrity of the honours system, if it is to survive the current wave of social reform and modernisation, is also important. Therefore, it is argued that a mechanism for the public funding of political parties on a prudent, measured and transparent scale must be established at the earliest opportunity and certainly in advance of the next General Election. THE END WORD COUNT: 1539 (answer length only excluding footnotes and bibliography) BIBLIOGRAPHY John Walker, The Queen has been Pleased: the British Honours System at Work (1986), Secker and Warburg. The UK Honours System: http://www.honours.gov.uk/index.asp Reform of the Honours System, Cabinet Office CM 6479 (2005) Bradley and Ewing’s Constitutional and Administrative Law, 12th Edition, (1997). Review of the Honours System, Report to the Secretary of the Cabinet, Sir Hayden Phillips, House of Commons Papers Session 2004-05 â€Å"A Matter of Honour† – Reforming the Honours System (HC 212-I) (Session 2003-4), Report by the Public Administration Select Committee Clarke Accused in  £14m Loans Row, 22 March 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4831528.stm Cash for Peerages Row, 20 March 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4812822.stm 1 Footnotes [1] See for an insightful general overview: John Walker, The Queen has been Pleased: the British Honours System at Work (1986), Secker and Warburg. [2] See: http://www.honours.gov.uk/nominate/. [3] Stated at http://www.honours.gov.uk/nominate/. [4] 12th Edition, 1997, p 277. [5] See for website: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ceremonial/. [6] See for website: http://www.honours.gov.uk/index.asp. [7] The Secretariat also makes recommendations for the Imperial Service Medal. [8] Reform of the Honours System, Cabinet Office CM 6479 (2005). [9] â€Å"A Matter of Honour† – Reforming the Honours System (HC 212-I) (Session 2003-4), Report by the Public Administration Select Committee. [10] Review of the Honours System, Report to the Secretary of the Cabinet, Sir Hayden Phillips, House of Commons Papers Session 2004-05. [11] With a view to adherence to the word limit it is not possible to offer exhaustive coverage of the issues. [12] This principle was first endorsed by Prime Minister John Major in 1993 after a review of the honours system: Reform of the Honours System, Cabinet Office CM 6479 (2005). [13] Clarke Accused in  £14m Loans Row, 22 March 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4831528.stm [14] It is submitted that it is doubtful that anything of substance will come from this investigation. [15] Cash for Peerages Row, 20 March 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4812822.stm.

Canticle For Leibowitz: Walter Miller :: essays research papers

Canticle For Leibowitz: Walter Miller   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walter Miller, in the novel A Canticle For Leibowitz, mocks the way we are as humans, particularly in those ways that lead to regressive thinking. The novel pokes fun at the attention to impractical details, such as to the spent copying the Leibowitz blueprints. Miller also mocks humans by describing the inordinate amount of attention and energy given to a spiritual being such as Leibowitz, as today's society worships God. Finally, the most absurd way Miller mocks today's society occurs when he describes how they do not give something very important the considered attention that it deserves. These are three examples how Walter Miller mocks and shows today's society their faults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Miller mocks the way we are as humans when Francis gives too much attention to impractical details to the Leibowitz blueprints. Brother Francis spends many years copying the blueprints of the circuit design. Francis copies the design so carefully he mistakenly believes the color of the paper is important to the design of the circuit. Francis is set on mindlessly copying the blueprint he does not realize what the circuit design is for, and what is does. Brother Francis thinks regressively. The monks copy out the blueprints, and then do nothing with them. As a society we do the same thing today. In school students copy notes off the blackboard blindly, they do not know what they are copying. Therefore, they do not understand the content.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only does Miller also poke fun at impractical details, Miller also pokes fun at the way today's society revolves is the importance of a spiritual being such as Leibowitz. Today's society is strongly set on the existence of God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today's society is mocked due to the importance of a spiritual being, like Leibowitz. The monks do not really know who Leibowitz is. All of the information about Leibowitz are only rumors. No concrete evidence surfaced to prove that Leibowitz exists. It is the same in today's society with the belief of God. No proof that God physically exists is evident today. Most people still believe in God spiritually on the other hand. In comparison to the book's society, Leibowitz is their God. When Brother Francis accidently stumbles upon possible genuine evidence of the existence of Leibowitz, they ignore it. The Monks concentrate on the most illogical things. The only thing that they believe is important is a mysterious pilgrim spotted in the desert. The Monks believe that the pilgrim is Leibowitz himself. The Monks are looking past concrete evidence wondering if it is Leibowitz who is seen desert. It seems Canticle For Leibowitz: Walter Miller :: essays research papers Canticle For Leibowitz: Walter Miller   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walter Miller, in the novel A Canticle For Leibowitz, mocks the way we are as humans, particularly in those ways that lead to regressive thinking. The novel pokes fun at the attention to impractical details, such as to the spent copying the Leibowitz blueprints. Miller also mocks humans by describing the inordinate amount of attention and energy given to a spiritual being such as Leibowitz, as today's society worships God. Finally, the most absurd way Miller mocks today's society occurs when he describes how they do not give something very important the considered attention that it deserves. These are three examples how Walter Miller mocks and shows today's society their faults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Miller mocks the way we are as humans when Francis gives too much attention to impractical details to the Leibowitz blueprints. Brother Francis spends many years copying the blueprints of the circuit design. Francis copies the design so carefully he mistakenly believes the color of the paper is important to the design of the circuit. Francis is set on mindlessly copying the blueprint he does not realize what the circuit design is for, and what is does. Brother Francis thinks regressively. The monks copy out the blueprints, and then do nothing with them. As a society we do the same thing today. In school students copy notes off the blackboard blindly, they do not know what they are copying. Therefore, they do not understand the content.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only does Miller also poke fun at impractical details, Miller also pokes fun at the way today's society revolves is the importance of a spiritual being such as Leibowitz. Today's society is strongly set on the existence of God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today's society is mocked due to the importance of a spiritual being, like Leibowitz. The monks do not really know who Leibowitz is. All of the information about Leibowitz are only rumors. No concrete evidence surfaced to prove that Leibowitz exists. It is the same in today's society with the belief of God. No proof that God physically exists is evident today. Most people still believe in God spiritually on the other hand. In comparison to the book's society, Leibowitz is their God. When Brother Francis accidently stumbles upon possible genuine evidence of the existence of Leibowitz, they ignore it. The Monks concentrate on the most illogical things. The only thing that they believe is important is a mysterious pilgrim spotted in the desert. The Monks believe that the pilgrim is Leibowitz himself. The Monks are looking past concrete evidence wondering if it is Leibowitz who is seen desert. It seems

Chronichles of a madman :: essays research papers

Chronicles of a Madman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Published by New American Library Character Physical Traits Johnny- Tall, skinny, short black hair, dark venomous eyes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Johnny was a tall slender type person who hated the way he looked.† â€Å"He stared down with dark eyes that seemed to go on as an abyss of space.† Squee- A small child with short black hair and blue eyes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Squee was Johnny’s friend, even if he didn’t want to be, it was strange Of Johnny to befriend a child.† â€Å"Squee is very short and portly with short black hair and blue eyes that were like giant sapphires.† Jakki- Tall, slender, long black hair with white streaks down the front sides.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Jakki was a tall skinny Goth type girl with long black hair typically with white stripes down the front sides.† Character Personality Traits Johnny- Johnny is a crazy killer who will stop at nothing to annihilate the world’s population. Johnny is extremely cold hearted person who gruesomely murders any one who makes him mad. This is shown when he rips someone’s spine out of there body simply because the person sneezed on him. Squee- Squee is very scared and can never grip reality, growing up with the terrible parents that he has. He can never be happy, the only person he has been friends with is Johnny and he is frightened to death of him. Inside Squee is truly a great person, this is shown when he helps a dieing dog heal and stay alive, Squee spent weeks helping the poor dog. Jakki- Jakki is a strong, intelligent, brave person. She has been on the run from Johnny for almost two years. She has shown that she can overcome the hardest of times when she was right in the grip of Johnny’s wrath she was the only one to survive in a three mile radius. Setting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story takes place in a post apocalyptic future world, Johnny chases Jakki all around the world, but the book never really names the specific places. The whole world is in ruins due to Johnny’s wrath. Plot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first main event was that Johnny had met Squee. Johnny helped Squee understand that his parents are not the ones turning him into an evil person. Johnny helped Squee become a much better person   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another main event was when Johnny was chasing after Jakki, Being the only person he has never been able to kill has been quite vexing to Johnny. This event has been very exciting.

Identifying Three Sources of Professional Values

Identifying three sources of professional values and ethics â€Å"Gold existed before barter, money, and systems of economics were invented to use gold. Animals existed before Zoology was invented to study animals. Ethics and morals existed before religions and philosophies were invented to use to study ethics and morals. No religion nor philosophy invented ethics, nor can any religion or philosophy lay claim of being the source or measure of ethics. † (Gowdy, 2008). The sources of professional values and ethics when researched are open to many interpretations.Early philosophers debated whether values and ethics were internal or were they an individual will; or could it be social to justify a moral norm? (Chambliss, 1996). One source of professional values and ethics is the self, or individual. When an individual is born, they began to adopt ethics and values, whether they are good or bad. An article in the Business Ethics Quarterly by Bill Shaw sums up the individual as a sou rce of ethics by stating, â€Å"The acquisition of an ethic is not an optional thing. It is, instead, a way of life.One cannot not have an ethic any more than one cannot not have a personality. An ethic simply â€Å"comes with the territory,† and as one matures that ethic is capable of undergoing change, perhaps even radical change. † (Shaw, 1997) The organization is a source of the professional values and ethics; it is where individuals within a business environment focus on group conduct. The organization has the code of ethics; these codes are a set of rules that guide individuals in decision-making and behavior. (U. S. Legal Forms Inc, 2010).There are normally three types of codes; an aspirational code is a statement of ideals to which professionals should strive. The educational code seeks to buttress understanding of its provisions with extensive commentary and interpretation. The regulatory code includes a set of detailed rules to govern professional conduct and to serve as a basis for adjudicating grievances. (Frankel, 1989) Our societies are the source that examines the pattern of cultural, political, and economic forces that drive individuals and firms.This particular source has many levels, there is not one particular right, or wrong there are many shades of gray here. That is why we have courts with juries who listen to each individual story and makes the best decision based on the evidence provided. (Becker, 2001).References Becker, L. C. (2001). In Encyclopedia of Ethics. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from Business Ethics: http://www. credoreference. com/entry/routethics/business_ethics Chambliss, J. (1996). In Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from Ethics and Morality: http://www. redoreference. com/entry/routpe/ethics_and_morality Frankel, M. S. (1989). Professional Codes: Why, How, and with What Impact? Journal of Business Ethics , 110-111. Gowdy, L. N. (2008). Defination of Ethics, Morals, Virtu e and Quality. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from Angelfire. com: www. angelfire. com/home/sesquiq/2007sesethics. html Shaw, B. (1997). Sources of Virtue: The Market and the Community. Business Ethics Quarterly, 6. U. S. Legal Forms Inc. (2010). USLegal. Retrieved October 24, 2010, from USLegal. com: http://definitions. uslegal. com/c/code-of-ethics/

Foundation of Leadership Essay

How do leaders of today become what they are now? What experiences did they gone through in stabilizing their foundations of good and ideal leadership? There are just too many aspects in life that will mold you to become an efficient leader. Every experience, person you will meet, and their ideals will contribute to create a leader out of you. 1. Create a diagram that demonstrates the interplay of your life. Include the aspects that you think are important. The diagram shows how an individual gain his skills and knowledge through social interaction. Personal experiences teach an individual what to do and what he will become in the future. The relationship and interaction with the people around you mold and stabilize your character. The work and experience that you have or have been engaged in will create the kind of leader you are or can be after surpassing circumstances and pressures. Your goals and desires will determine how far you can go. 2. What principles surfaced to you from your readings of â€Å"Synchronicity†? To what extent have you practiced any or all of the disciplines in the context of your personal life? Synchronicity, a book written by Joseph Jaworski, also discussed about important insights in leadership. He presented the value of servant leadership; wherein in an organization an individual is after the group instead of one’s self interest. Servant leaders should know how to listen, empathize, be aware, heal himself and the members, conceptualize, foresee, persuade, commit, and build his community. Servant leaders should also know how to keep the harmonious relationship among members. From my own experience, I have proven that servant leadership works. A leader who values the group members and their opinion has too far to go in leading. Listening, empathy and awareness are very important. Moreover, respect is also being gained in return. You can also expand and develop ideas through brainstorming. Jaworski also discussed the importance of advance planning and conceptualizing. You will be able to estimate and assume future events and circumstances, enabling you to know what to do or avoid in the future. Learning from the past is also important, past experiences can be one’s pattern in decision-making. Leadership skills can be developed and improved through one’s knowledge and experiences. Different styles can be used depending on the situation for a more efficient results, only proper decision-making should be done wisely. To be knowledgeable and ideal leader, explore the world and learn more things in life. Be responsible. 3. Locate one or more websites and journals that explore leadership traits and styles, and discuss management and leadership. A group of researchers led by Kurt Lewin, conducted an experiment in order to study and identify specific types of leadership. In result, the group established three major types: the authoritarian leadership (autocratic), Participative (democratic), and delegative (laissez-faire). (Kendra Van Wagner) In authoritarian leadership, clear expectations of all the details is provided such as what, when, and where something should be done. Leaders decide independently with a little contribution from the rest of the group, or even nothing at all. In this type of leadership, less creativity in decision-making is being formed by the group. However, it is applicable in situations wherein there is minimal time for group discussion or when the leader is the most knowledgable and reliable member of the group. (Kendra Van Wagner) Participative leadership allows everyone to take part in the discussion and decision-making processes and is guided by the leader. The output of the work lead by democratic leaders is more creative. Members are being more motivated and creative as the leader encourage them to participate, but preserve the final decision to him. (Kendra Van Wagner) Members under delegative leadership work independently with a little or no guidance at all from the leader and leave decision-making to the rest of the group. On the other hand, this style can be useful for members that are highly competent in an area of proficiency, but frequently results into weakly defined roles and lack of enthusiasm. (Kendra Van Wagner) Leadership goes hand in hand with management. Though the two are inseparable terms, it is important to know the distinction between them. Leadership deals with the concept and rationale while management is into the logistic details such as who, when and when. Leaders direct the organizarion while managers handle the process towards a certain goal. Leaders motivate others to go beyond their limit and explore whereas managers make others do what they need to do. Managers are focused on present circumstances; leaders conentrate on conceptualizing and foreseeing. Leaders plan; managers make things done. They have different jobs and responsibillities, yet the two are directly linked to each other. How can you plan for the future and lead if you don’t know how to manage and work things out? (Webb) Works Cited Jaworski, Joseph. Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership . Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1st ed edition , March 1996. Kendra Van Wagner. â€Å"Leadership Theories. † 2007. About. com. 26 September 2007 . Webb, Bert. My Two Cents: Leadership vs. Management. 26 September 2007 .

Educational management and lifelong learning Essay

The models of theory which have been introduced into the educational sector are many, and while they have distinct names and functions, several have the tendency of overlapping with others. Six major models are presented here, in the orders of formal, collegial, political, subjective, ambiguity and cultural (Bush, 2003). These models complex constructs that are characterized and grouped into these clusters based on their relationships to different factors within the institution in which they are identified. Classification of these models is based on their agreement in such areas as the goals of the organization, their relationship to the dynamic of structure, as well as their orientation regarding an institution’s interaction with its environment (2003). Adult or lifelong learners are proliferating within today’s educational system and the posture of an institution’s management has the capacity to influence the experience of these types of students. Lifelong learners have needs and concerns that diverge from that of traditional students and the ability of teachers, administrators and principals (or deans) to cater to these non-traditional needs depends not only on their willingness to do so, but also on the type of managerial model that is present within the educational institution. The following paper discusses the principles of each of these managerial theories of education and relates each to the experience of the lifelong learner. Formal Models The formal models of theories of educational leadership and management emphasize the elements of educational institutions that might be considered official or structural (Bush, 2003). These models are based on the hierarchical envisioning of organizations and on the idea that the objectives pursued and achieved by managers are done using rational means. The form or structure of the organizations endows the organizational or departmental heads with their authority based on the positions to which they have been assigned. The formal model comprises five basic models, all of which to some degree contain the following seven features. The first feature is the tendency toward a systemic view of organizations, with each element of the system possessing an identifiable and demonstrable link with the other. Within an educational organization, this is represented by the different departments and elements (professors, secretaries, teachers and students) that make up these departments. The prominence of a given structure within the organization is another feature that defines such formal models. The flow of this structure is usually identifiable through organized patterns, and the usual pattern within educational organizations—that of hierarchy—defines the third feature. This hierarchy of the different departments as well as the order of authority possessed by the members within each defines this structure. Teachers are, for example, subordinate to heads of department, who are in turn subordinate to principals, and so forth (Bush, 2003). The formal models also render schools as organizations that seek out goals, and these official objectives are usually adopted by those who subscribe to the organization (Beare, Caldwell, & Millikan, 1989). The rationality of the processes that define managerial decisions within schools is also a feature adopted by the models within the locus of formal theories. Such decisions often involve the consideration of all alternatives before selecting the most feasible and profitable. Within these formal models, the authority granted to leaders and managers is considered to derive from the positions they hold. Therefore, their authority is only tenable as long as they remain within their position. Finally, formal models emphasize the role of the body that sponsors the organization (sponsoring body). This necessitates that the educational institution be accountable to this sponsoring body, which usually takes the form of governments. Formal Models and the Lifelong Learner Within the arena of lifelong learning, the normative and prescriptive nature of these theories possesses strengths and weaknesses. While the systemic and hierarchical nature of the models allow for adult learners to understand and follow the chain of command, the fact that students are often placed at the bottom of this chain proves problematic for the adult learner. A more collaborative and egalitarian setting would be more appropriate for an adult learner, as he or she is likely to possess authority in other areas of life and would be uncomfortable merely being submissive within this educational setting. Furthermore, since adult learners are more apt to take responsibility for their learning, their inclusion in the decision-making processes would be curtailed in a very rigidly structured model of education. The problems identified with the formal model address some of the issues that involve lifelong learners (Bush, 2003). The power distribution and structure denies the important role of the individual in making and influencing decisions. Adult learners are often consulted about programs that they are interested in pursuing, and often chart their own paths in the achievement of goals. Therefore, the goal-oriented nature of the formal model, while technically substantiated where lifelong learners are concerned, gives little acknowledgement to the relative autonomy of this type of student in formulating and achieving these goals. Much of the lifelong learning and continuing studies which takes place within this age does so via the internet. Within such an educational environment, the systemic and hierarchical nature of educational management is vastly altered. Classes are no longer taught by teachers in a teacher-student hierarchy. Rather, students involved in teaching themselves via materials merely uploaded by â€Å"teachers† or professors. Therefore, the idea that the power available within this organization resides at the top of the pyramid again is faulted. Also, the structure of the organization does appear to change into a more egalitarian one in order to accommodate the more responsible adult learner.

Personalisation in Health and Social Care Essay

Autism affects around 1 in 100 people, it affects how they communicate and how they see the world around them. The condition affects people in different ways some may live a fairly independent life, others may have accompany learning disabilities and need more specialist care. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability and affects how they see the world around them. People with Autism have said that the world around them can feel like a mass of people, places and events, which they struggle to make sense of. They also find it hard relating to people, understanding them and taking part in everyday family life and social events. People with Autism have difficulties with the following; social communication, social interaction and social imagination, these are known as the ‘triad of impairments’. The difficulties these cause in people’s lives include finding it difficult to form friendships, understanding and interoperating people’s feelings and actions, understanding danger, coping with changes and new or unfamiliar situations. The main problems with communication that people with autism have, are taking what people say literally, understanding jokes and sarcasm and people’s body language and facial expressions, it is important to speak in a clear and consistent way to enable people with Autism time to process what has been said. The characteristics of people with Autism may vary, but the main ones consist of love of routine, if their routines are changed or disrupted it can cause upset and agitation although if they are given enough time and explanation it may be more comfortable for them. Sensory sensitivity, this can occur in one or more of the senses, it can be hypersensitivity or hypo-sensitivity. Special interests, this can be intense interests from an early age and can be anything from art, music, maths or computers. Learning disability, this can affect all areas of a person’s life which involves learning for example; how people learn at school to learning daily living skills. An early diagnosis by a health professional will make a difference because with the right help and support a person with Autism will make good progress. ASPERGER SYNDROME Asperger syndrome is a form of Autism and has all of the characteristics and difficulties as Autism although is not accompanied with a learning disability, but may have specific learning difficulties. These may include dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD or epilepsy. People with Asperger syndrome have a big love of routine, they may have rules and ritiuals which they must live by to make sense of their world. Children may line things up, collect and organise things and can be very repetitive. Their special interests can be very intense and sometimes obsessive, they have a big focus on learning and with the correct help and support can do well with studying in their chosen interest. Unlike Autism, Asperger syndrome is harder to diagnose due to the wide variety of symptoms and may not be recognised until adulthood. Some people find the diagnoses unhelpful as it is an unwanted label although for others it is helpful to be able to seek help and support to manage needs and behaviours. Asberger synd rome is quite often known as the ‘hidden disability and there is no cure.

Main Strengths of Mill’s Utilitarianism

A) Explain the main strengths of Mills Utilitarianism? With rule utilitarianism you first have to agree to the general rule then after you apply it to specific cases. Some people see Mill as a rule utilitarian, which means that you act in accordance with those rules which, if generally followed, would provide the greatest general balance of pleasure over pain.This rule is also in line with how society works in the way that most people would prefer to cause pleasure rather than pain. Mill separates pleasure into higher and lower as that he thinks some pleasure like higher is more for the soul and are long term and will benefit you as a person and the lower pleasures which are more material and offer short term pleasure but not the sort that lasts.He use the saying ‘Better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfies; Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied‘ to show the differences between the two pleasures as that you can be a human dissatisfied which is better than being a pig who is satisfied as that you are may not be happy or content but you are doing good which is better than someone who is happy and content but doing bad. There are two types of rule utilitarian.There is the strong rule utilitarian and there is the weak rule utilitarian and they can be identified by the strong utilitarian’s principles should never be broken and the weak rule utilitarian’s principles has a bit of give in the way you can apply it to a particular situation over the general rule. The strong form of the theory maintains that rules established through the application of utilitarian principle should never be broken. This means that there is no give in the rules and if you break the rules than you are going against the rule utilitarian act.The weak version allows for the possibility that those same utilitarian principles can take precedence in a particular situation over a general rule. However, the rule would still form part of the decision making process. The rules should be formulated first, based on the utilitarianism principles. The individual can then judge whether specific acts are acceptable. So the rule utilitarian is more like a guide line and you as a person can choice whether you want to follow each certain act or not. It is a simple and common sense philosophy which people in the twenty first century feel able to apply.This is a big strength as that Mill lived almost two hundred years ago and you can still apply it today and use it to live your life even though nearly everything has changed. It is also fair and suits democratic society as that if everyone is living in society and abiding by the same rule it makes it easier for society to determine what is right and wrong but it is also fair as that first you agree to the general rule then you apply it to specific case so each individual is different and you can bend the rule is you can but only in specific cases.One of the biggest strength is that it is a universa l rule, accessible whatever culture, religion and society so that it can be applied to everyone and everyone knows where they stand with it, because it is universal you can be more comfortable when communicating with people of religions you will feel more secure. B) Utilitarian’s can lead to wrong decisions. Discuss? Utilitarian often means basic, practical and plain. Some people would regard a plain, simple action or thing to be ‘good’, and complicated, sophisticated approaches to be ‘wrong’.An action which is judge useful and purposeful is known as a ‘good action’. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) is one of the most recent utilitarian’s to add his input onto how we live in society. He came to argue for a principle of utility, his means that an action should be judged good or bad by looking at its outcome and if an action produces benefits, advantages, pleasure, good or happiness it is ‘good’. Bentham defined society as a ‘’collection of individuals’’. A decision, followed by an action governed by that decision, is judge to be good by its having brought about a maximum amount of pleasure should out among the greatest number of people’. Bentham came up with the theory of the Hedonic Calculus and it is a system by which pleasure can be quantified. The hedonic calculus is split into six sections and each section is like a question and from the answers of each question at the end you can come to a conclusion which can measure the amount of pleasure a thing can give.Intensity, Duration, Purity, Certainty, Propinquity and Extent are the six sections in which you put a problem in too and at the end you get an answer of which the most pleasure will go to and if it is a higher or lower pleasure. There are difficulties’ with Bentham’s theory like the Hedonic Calculus as it makes a quantative judgement of pleasure as can one action produce the same amount of pleas ure as another and can differing pleasures be measured using units of measurements. It also relies on pleasure as a universal as pleasure for his reatest number assumes that everyone will find the same things pleasurable and we know that each person has there own stuff they like and dislike as we are individuals. So one persons pleasure like classical music is someone else pain like a rockstar. ‘The only good is pleasure and the evil is pain’. This statement is false as that you cannot judge good on one specific action and you can’t judge evil on one action either peoples perception on good and evil changes as no one person is the same a the next.So having a tattoo can give someone pleasure as that they are getting something they like inked onto their skin forever and they will get great pleasure from it but to another person that could be the worst thing ever as it hurts and cause you pain for a time. On the other hand studying for you’re A levels can be hard and temporarily painful at the time but eventual cause pleasure on results day when you get good grades. This is also higher and lower pleasure which are measure on the whole not as an individual.

At Risk Students- Students at risk of school failure with an emphasis Research Paper

At Risk Students- Students at risk of school failure with an emphasis on students placed in foster care - Research Paper Example Such problems necessitate the removal of a child from their home for the purposes of their emotional and physical safety. At any given time, approximately 10,000 children are under foster care, 35% being in the care of their relatives. . How students in foster care become at risk students There are many factors that contribute to students placed in foster care becoming at risk students. These include the frequent school moves which result to disruption of their educational progress. This is mainly because such children are normally forced to leave their communities and schools on entering into foster care due to limited residential resources within the present district of the child. Such transfers force these children to join other students in their new schools despite the disparity in syllabus coverage between the two schools. According to Riley (1986), the impact of school transfers is great because most of such transfers take place mid of the school year and the mobility rates are higher for those entering into foster care for the first time. By the time some of these students go through the curriculum, they could have change schools up to five times. According to a 1996 study done in Chicago Public Schools, students who had changed schools for about four or more times had lost about a year of educational growth by their 6th year. If such student’s do not receive enough attention to orient them to the new school and remedial services to catch up with the rest, they end up lagging behind the rest all the academic years (Pecora et al, 2003). Some of the students under foster care attend to medical appointments or court cases. Such activities usually take the student out of school and could even result to emotional upheaval (Pecora et al, 2003). This means that the student will always have class work or content gaps due to frequent unavoidable absenteeism. This makes these students become at risk students because they may never cope successfully with the rest of the class leading to a general low performance. This causes the student to loose self-confidence leading to a continuation of the trend. Green (1986) notes that students placed under foster care have higher rates of inappropriate behavior like truancy, drug addiction or impulsive behavior. This could be due to lack of proper and continuous monitoring because social workers and care givers may change several times during the stay of a child in foster care. This makes their margin of suspended and/or expelled students wider compared to that of students who are not out of home. A combination of such suspensions and/or expulsions, and inappropriate behavior results to high school failure and drop out rates among them students placed under foster care. Help and support to at risk students At risk students need a lot of help and support from parents, teachers and counselors in order to enhance their educational levels and achievements. As noted earlier, these students experience more failure than the rest of the class and hence they fall behind their peers. This causes them to have low self-esteem which negatively affects their attitude towards education and to underestimate their potentialities. Beveridge (2010) states that the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), supports educational reforms that are standards-based. This is based on a belief that establishment of goals and setting of high standards can improve the educational outcomes

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - Essay Example He conducted a number of experiments in an attempt to develop various successful transplantation processes between his subjects and organs from animal. Brinkley was considered one the most persuasive and manipulative individuals in the united states during this period and he used his wit and strategies to succeed in various advertising activities and political endeavors. His ability to gather and appropriately use large amounts of data presented with a number of opportunities and this contributed towards his personal growth in the different activities he was engaged in (Kennedy, 2010). This section of the paper will analyze the various advertising strategies that Brinkley used and how these strategies enabled him to develop into a great business and political personality in the country. As a medical doctor, Brinkley opened a major clinic in Milford to enable him serve the locals who were suffering from male impotency. In this clinic, Brinkley xenotransplanted goat testicles into his patients as a means of curing importance, a practice that was viewed as rogue and out of line according to medical practice guidelines. However, Brinkley was loved and cherished by the locals who frequented his clinics in different parts of Kansas City. As a way of winning over the hearts of the locals, Brinkley adopted to employ a large number of the local residents into his clinics and accord them hefty wages. As a means of caring for his patients after the transplantation and prior to the exercise, Brinkley would personally call his patients and provide assistance from the phone call to enable them recover well. This practice made him more popular especially during the 1918 flu pandemic that affected the Arkansas locals and cost widespread deaths and devastations. At a time when advertising using the public airwaves was minimal and partly restricted, Brinkley decided to construct his own radio station, a means that he used to advertise his products. The idea of using radio airwav es as a means of advertising arose when he visited KHJ radio station in Los Angeles during one of his business and data collection trips. The decision to build a radio station presented Brinkley with a self-controlled media that enabled him to reach a large number of his target clients. He also possessed the ability and power to influence the thinking of people, an act he perfected by using his radio station to act as an opinion shaper in the country (Kennedy, 2010). The radio station created a number advertising opportunities and this allowed his business to grow and extend beyond the boundaries of Milford. The radio also provided a number of opportunities to the different businesses within the state, who would advertise their products at much cheaper prices as compared to other available means. This endeared Brinkley to the people of Milford and other parts of Arkansas and propelled his political ambitions and career. Though he lost two attempts to be the governor, Brinkley was a serious contender, coming second in the two successive elections. Despite the controversy that surrounded his professional and academic credentials, Brinkley was supported by over 30% of the voters in the two successive attempts he made (Lee, 2002). Legislative actions on media freedom The enshrinement of the first amendment into the united states constitution broaden the media space in the country and resulted into the expansion of media freedom and space. This amendment resulted into subsequent barring of the government from interfering with the processes of printing and circulating of media information and opinions in the country. The enshrinement of this amendment into the United States constitution presented the opportunity for the enactment and passage of more laws

Family-based Care or Nursing Home Care in the Face of Dementia Essay

Family-based Care or Nursing Home Care in the Face of Dementia - Essay Example Dementia is a collective term used to refer to a range of diseases that involve the deterioration of cognitive function over time. For those suffering dementia, their quality of life can substantially decrease, and they quickly become dependent on others to help them with even their most basic needs. The prevalence of dementia increases dramatically with age, as a consequence the number of people suffering from dementia at a given time is likely to rise as our population in general ages. As a consequence of this, the government is increasingly interested in determining what method of care is of lower cost. In general, it is often assumed that it is cheaper to care for an individual through family-based care as opposed to caring through nursing facilities. However, this does not take into account costs that are incurred by family members in terms of finances or time. This is an important factor, as dementia patients frequently require full-time care, thus when dementia patients are being cared for through family-based care it is likely that at least one member of the family has reduced hours at work compared to under normal circumstances. When labor and costs are taken into account, studies have shown that for patients with severe levels of dependence it was more economically viable for them to be cared for through nursing home care than through family-based care. Thus, despite the financial costs of nursing home care, it is still equal in cost, or cheaper than family-based care. The financial cost is not the only consideration in regards to deciding the best type of care for those suffering dementia. Dementia is progressive and destroys mental function. When it is a family member or loved one that this is occurring to, the process can be very painful to watch and can cause feelings of helplessness and mental trauma. There are many reports of caregivers of dementia  patients suffering from severe depression as a consequence of watching the progression of the disease (Eisdorfer et al. 2003). As a consequence caring for an individual with dementia exerts significant mental pressure on those responsible.

Strategic Management and Leadership (2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Management and Leadership (2) - Essay Example The company also has a wide portfolio of brands which are primarily designed for the EU markets like Saab, Opel and Vauxhall. GM also sold its US brands like Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and Hummer in these markets. The shrinking consumer market as well as tougher credit situations worsened the situations for GM, and it had to seek the US government’s aid for bailout. As a part of the emergency aid, GM had agreed to a string of efficiency measures, which included selling off loss making units like its Europe division and closing down some other brands. GM initiated the sell off process of GM Europe, but backed out later as Opel, its marquee European car brand, is a critical component of its global development strategy (Vlasic, 2009). GM was heavily influenced by political factors both in the US and also in Europe. As it filed for bankruptcy protection in US and for government aid, it had to succumb to government pressure and accept a string of harsh measures that resulted in a major worldwide restructuring of its operations. In case of its European unit, it faced stiff opposition when it tried to close it manufacturing facilities in Germany and UK. Going forward, GM had to take into account political factors when it shortlisted possible suitors for the European unit. The world recession brought GM to its knees to the extent that it had to file for bankruptcy protection in US courts on June 1, 2009. In the year ending 2008, GM absorbed a 21% decrease in sales in its strongest market, North America and a relatively modest decrease of about 6.5% in the European market. However, these shrinks were partially offset by the growing markets of South America and Asia. The recession had a cyclical and vicious effect on GM’s US sales. With decreased availability of credit, there was a reduced off take of vehicles from dealers. In addition, increasing job losses due to recession meant lesser number potential

Strategic Marketing Management Planning and Control Assignment

Strategic Marketing Management Planning and Control - Assignment Example For this, the Asian Star Corporation has to make a strategic marketing plan at the corporate level. Strategic planning refers to the process of maintaining and developing a strategic fit between the capabilities and goals of an organization and its varying opportunities in the market. The Asian Star Corporation should find the game plan for its growth and survival in the long run provided with its specific objectives, opportunities, resources, and situation. This should be the focus of its strategic planning. The stages for rest of the planning in the firm are set by the strategic planning. The annual plans, strategic and long-range plans are usually prepared by the companies. The long-range and annual plans deal with the current businesses of the company and the way to keep its continual operation whereas the strategic plan constitutes an adaptation of firm to take benefit of opportunities in its rapidly changing environment (Aaker, 2001). The Asian Star Corporation at its corporate level should start the process of its strategic planning by defining its overall mission and purpo se. The mission should then be turned into detailed supporting objectives guiding the whole company. Next, it should be decided that what portfolio of products and businesses is best for the company. Each product and business, in turn, should develop detailed marketing and other departmental plans to support the companywide plan (Drummond, Ensor and Ashford, 2001, pp.4-5). A mission statement is a statement of purpose of organization stating what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment. So the Asian Star Corporation should develop its formal mission statement stating details like what is its current business and what should be its future business, who is its customer and what do consumers value. A clear and well-defined mission statement can give better financial and organizational performance to Asian Star Corporation.

History of American Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of American Literature - Essay Example In particular, Heman Cortes wrote the first letter of the American literature in the year 1519 to the Spanish Crown, followed by many letters written for similar purposes (WSU, 2009). In late 1500s, Thomas Harriot wrote a significant piece of literature, ‘A Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia’ that brought the American literature in the 16th century. In the year 1616, Captain John Smith wrote, ‘A Description of New England’, and he became the founder writer of the American literature as he later wrote some other pieces of work as well. Besides John Smith, some of the other authors of the earliest 16th century were John Cotton, Thomas Morton, and Roger Williams. It is an observation that all the works of this period related primarily to the Colonial arrangements of the British forces, as well as to the discovery of different regions of present-day USA (WSU, 2009). Besides prose, Anne Bradstreet was one of the earliest poets of the American literature that wrote ‘the Tenth Muse’ during this period. In the year 1661, John Eliot was the first person to carry out the work of Bible translation in the American literature. In 1662, ‘the Day of Doom’ became one of the best-selling poems written by Michael Wigglesworth that became the inspiration for many poets ahead. In 1666, John Eliot carried out another work, ‘the Indian Grammar’, and from then, theme of the American literature shifted from only Colonial to broad perspective, as some writers began to write on history, biography, sovereignty, God, fiction, etc. Interestingly, a number of authors in mid-1600s, as well as in late 1600s emphasized on the works regarding witchcraft, and in 1693, Cotton Mather wrote, ‘Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits’ on the similar theme (WSU, 2009). In the beginning of the 18th century, Judge Samuel Sewall began a new theme of anti-slavery that later became a revolutionary notion in the American literature, as he wrote, ‘The

The Internet and International Communication Essay

The Internet and International Communication - Essay Example Digital divide is also a barrier, in which internet inaccessibility poses a problem in convergence. Network convergence works on the basis of information flow for the purpose of decreasing the variance among the views and beliefs of the participants involved. Among a nation, these participants are the nation-states or ethnic groups. â€Å"†¦variance between groups or national cultures would become smaller over time as a result of international communication† (Barnett & Kincaid, as cited in author_last_name, p.159). When information flow is efficient and repetitive, network convergence will be able to unite the participants, and as a result, all the participants will achieve the same national identity due to decreased or even diminished variance among them. Yes, I believe so because universal culture will promote a universal set of accepted beliefs, values and standards. This will lead to lower variance and difference of opinions and perspectives among people of all nations. People will start accepting each other, and no one will consider the other persona as an

Apple Price Cut Essay Example for Free

Apple Price Cut Essay To what extent the iPhone pricing strategy is similar to the iPod pricing strategy? How do you explain that the iPod price cut did not lead to such a level of customers’ protest? Answer: Both iPhone and iPod have experienced a large amount of price cut in their product lifecycle. In this document, we can find that iPod was launched in October 2001. Tough relatively high priced for an MP3 player, it was hugely demanded and remains popular till date though there was a price slash in 2005. Similar to the price cut of the iPod, two months after the launch of the iPhone, Apple lowered the price by 200 USD. However, regarding the price strategy, a big difference between two products is the timing of price cut. iPod adjusted its price after experiencing a 4-year success from its launch in 2001, whereas iPhone drop in price in only 2 month, which is the main explanation of why the iPod price cut did not lead to such a serious level of customers’ protest. Although both price adjustments were designed for the aim to further expand in the mass market and improve the sales, we can find that the main reason for price cut of iPod is to sell more products in its declining period of product lifecycle. By contrast, the objective of price cut of iPhone is to rapidly monopoly the smart phone market in its growing period of product lifecycle, which resulted a part of Apple fans’ profits since they bought the product in a high price. 2. â€Å"Market analysts pointed out that Apple had created a strong brand and customer loyalty which it capitalized on by adopting a skimming strategy in pricing. They also felt that customers accept its highly priced products with equanimity. To go a step further, they consciously expect it to be so. What does this tell you about the value of iPhone own-price elasticity, cross-price elasticity and income elasticity? Answer: The practice of ‘price skimming’ involves charging a relatively high price for a short time where a new, innovative, or much-improved product is launched onto a market. Obviously, due to the reason that Apple had created a strong brand image by its innovation of technology and creativity of design, and loyalty of customers, particularly those Apple crazy fans, the price skimming strategy was able to work extremely well when iPhone was launched onto the market. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone entered the highly volatile cell phone market combining telephony, MP3, Web surfing and video watching, which completely revolutionized the tech-savvy market and was most awaited by both the technology enthusiasts and mainstream media. Therefore, the success of this strategy was largely dependent on those first adopters’ inelasticity of demand for the product either by the market as a whole. However, in the cell phone industry, where the product lifecycle is relatively short and the market is highly competitive. Before some other competing products or substitutes emerging on the market, iPhone could enjoy its high price and benefit from its â€Å"monopoly profits† in a short term where demand is relatively inelastic. Whereas in the cell phone industry, the demand from mass market is price elastic, which is the main reason that Apple needs to drop its price to increase its sales according to its mass-market strategy. In terms of cross-price elasticity, we can think about this question from two aspects: complements and substitutes. Firstly, due the reason that the demand of iPhone is price elastic in mass market, price of iPhone decrease, quantity demanded of components increases, which leads Apple to get a lower price of components from its supplier and further guarantee its gross margin of iPhone. In addition, the increase of sales also means the increase number of customer buying and renting apps from Apple’s online store. Secondly, considering substitutes, price of iPhone decrease, and quantity of competing products demanded decrease. Since the demand is price elastic, the lower production cost and increase revenue from Apple softer ware are able to recuperate the loss from cost cut. We can make the conclusion that regarding to the income elasticity, a decrease of price of iPhone has a positive impact on its total revenue. 3. Based on the information provided in the case would you say that the market for smartphone is closer to monopoly or to monopolistic competition? Justify. Answer: Yes, base on the information provided in the case, I regard the smartphone industry as a monopolistic competition. Monopolistic competition  is a form of imperfect competition  where many competing producers sell products that are  differentiated  from one another. Smartphone industry has following characteristics: * There are several producers like Apple, Blackberry, Nokia, Motorola etc. , and many consumers in the market, but no company can total control over the market price. * Consumers perceive that there are non-price differences among the competitors products. * There are few barriers to entry and exit. Producers have a degree of control over price. 4. Is the price cut decided by Apple two months after iPhone initial launch consistent with the smartphone market structure described above? Answer: Yes, the performance of iPhone is consistent with the smartphone market structure. Firstly, the MC firms sell products that have real or perceived non-price differences. However, the differences are not so great as to eliminate other goods as substitutes. Technically, the cross price el asticity of demand between goods in such a market is positive. In this case, iPhone perform the same basic functions but have differences in qualities such as design, style, reputation and appearance. Secondly, independent decision-making is another characteristic of monopolistic competition. The firm gives no consideration to what effect its decision may have on competitors. In other words each firm feels free to set prices as if it were a monopoly. Lastly, Apple has some degree of market power. Market power means that the firm has control over the terms and conditions of exchange. An MC firm can raise it prices without losing all its customers. The firm can also lower prices without triggering a potentially ruinous price war with competitors, which is the reason why iPhone was able to largely cut its price in two months. 5. Knowing the price cut affected negatively Apple reputation, do you believe Apple adopted an opportunistic pricing strategy initially selling the iPhone at a high price to take advantage of holiday season high spending habits and then dropping the price to stimulate market growth? Is this consistent with Apple pricing strategy in its other product lines like computers and iPod? Answer: I don’t entirely believe that iPhone lunched at a high price was due to it attempted to take the advantage of â€Å"holiday season high spending habits†. From my point of view, there are two main reasons why iPhone priced high at the beginning: Firstly, the core consumer groups of iPhone are enthusiastic fans of high-tech gadgets; and some of them are loyalty customers of Apple. These parts of people are not sensitive for iPhone’s price. What attract them are its quality, design and innovation. The first adopters’ inelasticity of demand is a good opportunity for using the price skimming strategy. Secondly, high price strategy is an effective method to build a high-end brand image. It’s much easier that a high brand image product cuts its price for promotion than a low brand image one raises it. For the tech-savvy market, the product lifecycle is short. We can often find on the market that a product of Apple or other brands cuts its price when it has been launched for a period of time. But iPhone dropped its price only 2 months after it had been introduced onto the market. This strategy is quite different from other products of Apple. For instance, iPod depreciated 2 years after it came into the market. Seeing the price of iPhone must be in line with iPod Touch, this strategy is â€Å"special† for Apple, comparing with other products. 6. â€Å"According to Apple executives the move had been planned long ago and felt that the pricing strategy was conceived in part to keep the iPhone’s pricing in line with its new iPod touch. † Explain to what extent a high-priced iPhone could be an obstacle to the success of the new iPod Touch. Based on what you know about Apple late development do you find that explanation convincing? Answer: In terms of the features of these two types of products, iPod Touch is like a simplified version of iPhone, without the function of a â€Å"phone†. This determines that the prices of these two types of products must be â€Å"in a line†, which means, for a reasonable consideration, the price of iPod Touch must be lower than iPhone but not too far away. If iPhone had not cut its price, iPod Touch must have had been priced at a higher level than the realistic one. We assume that, if iPhone 4 GB continued being sold at 499USD, iPod Touch may be sold at 400 or 450USD. As an mp3 player, it would be much more expensive than its competing brands. On the contrary, if iPhone had kept a high price level but iPod Touch had been set at a low one, the customers would have had been confused for â€Å"why a simplified version of iPhone is so much ‘cheaper’ than iPhone? † That would have had a negative impacts on the sales of both iPhone and iPod Touch, even would have had impaired Apple’s brand image. Combining with what I know about the late development of these two types of products, I found although the price cutting had a temporary harm on customer’s trust, iPhone and iPod Touch both performed well on the market. It proved the importance of keeping the price of iPhone and iPod Touch in a line. 7. â€Å"But the sharp price cut suggested that even Apple, which has long lived in a pricing bubble insulated from other personal computer makers, is not immune from the brutal pressures of the cellular phone business. † Does this statement mean that the personal computers market is different from the cellular phone business in other words, the cellular phone market is more competitive than the personal computer market? Why? Do you share this view? Justify. Answer: From this statement, I can’t make the conclusion that the cell phone market is more competitive than the personal computer market. Apple is one of the earliest personal computer manufacturers in the world. Its personal computer products are behalf of the most advanced PC technology of the world. Especially its graphics processing technology and operating system have high reputation. Thus, Apple’s PC products long lived in a pricing bubble insulated from other personal computer makers. That means Apple has definitely strong market power on PC market. Its high price doesn’t mean there is less competition. Furthermore, the technical innovation, appearance design, and function combination of cell phone products are updating so fast. So the lifecycle of a handset product is shorter than a computer. The price cutting often occurs when a mobile phone has come onto market for a period of time. The objective usually is for making price room for a new generation of product, which isn’t caused by competing activities. In conclusion, I don’t share this view. 8. â€Å"Keeping in mind Apple’s range of high priced products which gives it an â€Å"aura† of exclusivity, was Jobs decision to reduce the price a right one? With a 50% gross margin, Apple is setting itself up for aggressive price declines going forward†. Do you believe that Apple move is a sign that it is ready to enter a price war? Would this mean that Apple is leaving the niche market position it held for decades to go after mass market? What would be the pros and cons of that strategy? Do you believe it? Answer: The characteristics of Apple’s products are novel design, fashionable appearance and the combination of music, game, music, web surfing and other functions. It determines the positioning of iPhone must be high, and the main target consumer group is high income, music ; digital amateurs. This segment of consumer has low sensitive for price. Pure price war will not yield more market shares for iPhone. So, the price cutting strategy doesn’t mean Apple is ready for the price war. The product’s features determine Apple’s niche market strategy. But a cell phone product innovates relatively faster than other cargos. When a product successfully attracted some first adopters, how to sell them to more followers should be the core problem. Cutting the price and going in to the mass market is a universal method. Apple also adopted this strategy on iPhone. Pros of going to mass market: * iPhone can attract more followers. Some of them are sensitive to the price, their demands are elastic. Before the price cutting and entry of the mass market, some of the non-owners didn’t buy it just because of the high price. * iPhone can expand its market share quicker, and establish the competitive barriers. Its market power will be stronger. * The expanded customers would have had bought more online products, which would have had a big growth of income. By this strategy, iPhone can consolidate their customer-friendly brand image, and increase the loyalty of the customers. * The cooperation with AT;T can get a synergy between these two brands, and can receive a sum of bonus revenue from the carrier. Cons of going to mass market: * It made the brand image be lower than before. * Decreased the gross margin of iPhone. * Hurt some die-hards’ loyalty. * Increased the degree of monopoly, made the competition imperfect, and harmed the balance of the benign competition with its rivals. But a cellular phone product such as iPhone goes into the mass market is usually a temporary strategy when the product comes into the mature or declining period in its lifecycle, or when the company wants to make some price room for a new product. Apple cut iPhone’s price was just for keeping the iPhone’s price being in a line with iPod Touch’s. It didn’t mean Apple changed its main branding strategy to go into the mass market. For that time, I assume that it was a reasonable strategy for Apple to cut iPhone’s price.