Should undocumented students qualify for federal student financial aid Term Paper

Should undocumented students qualify for federal student financial aid - Term Paper Example These students face legal uncertainties and limitations in the United States lawful system. In this essay, I will examine whether the Undocumented students should be qualify for federal student financial aid. Undocumented students are not denied from applying or being admitted to colleges; however, unlike other students who are citizens of the United States they face federal financial limitation. First, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 Sec. 1623(a) states â€Å"a foreigner who is illegally existent in the United States is not authorized on the basis of dwelling within a state for postsecondary educational welfares†. Except a national or citizen of the United States is qualified for the benefit without the regards as to whether the national or citizen is such as resident. Therefore, with such a law it is clear that undocumented students cannot be given students loans. However, I think this clause is unfair because if the student are allowed to get secondary education I do not see the reason of denying them loans that would help them in advancing their careers. Additionally, about 73% of the Undocumented students are born in the United States m eaning that they acquire citizenship by birth but the federal government does not recognize this fact as they see their parents as illegal immigrants. The Fourteenth Amendment is Vague in relation to the equality clause that relates to education. The Constitution requires that every child in the United States be given equal education opportunity regardless of their race, religion, sex, ethnic background, whether poor or rich or whether the child is a citizen or non-citizen of the United States. Therefore, if the constitution allows students to study in the United States regardless of whether they are documented or undocumented then the students should also be provided with financial aid to help them pursue

Personal Case Study Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Case Study Reflection - Essay Example It decided, however, not to extend the same coverage to its local staff, providing them only with the standard life insurance. Despite precautions taken, a local rebel group captured three personnel, one American and two Filipinos. Without disclosing the facts, APC later announced the return of the American engineer; the two Filipinos, however, remained in captivity, and only subsequently were able to escape and return to their home base, unharmed but severely traumatized and weakened. This study intends to examine the decision-making process undertaken by APC wherein it was decided that only the expatriate engineers be given the higher insurance coverage, but that the local personnel be denied this policy. The issues that were considered in this process shall be discussed, followed by the process by which the issues were resolved and the decision arrived at. The outcome of the decision and its effects are thereafter assessed. A summary reflection follows, comparing the specifics of the decision-making process with academic theory, and a conclusion explains the propriety of the decision, or lack of it. A final generalisation concerning planning and decision-making under uncertainty is made in completion of the exercise. Issue and their causes There are a number of crucial issues considered in this situation: (1) Financial justification. Apparently, first and foremost issue considered, rightly or wrongly, is the need to pay higher premiums for personnel perceived to be of lower risk to the organisation. All employees are covered by the group life insurance coverage offered by the firm as a benefit. However, for those perceived in higher risk, they are given a more thorough coverage. The assumption was that foreigners are greater targets of kidnap-and-ransom (Risk Atlas, 2012) compared to the locals, because foreigners stand out in the crowd, perceived as rich, and are viewed with political clout, while locals blend in, are not particularly moneyed, and would not command the interest of the political authorities. As such, the added financial cost of higher insurance premiums is more justified for expatriates than for local personnel. (2) Morality of treating human resources above financial resources. The next apparent issue is that of treating people’s lives and safety as more important than whatever money the business may save from foregoing their protection. The morality of endangering human lives is put on the balance against enhancing profits by reducing spending, considering that APC placed the engineers in the same risky situation. This situation redounds to APC’s corporate social responsibility to ensure their employees’ health and safety (HSE, 2013). (3) Racial or ethnic discrimination – Closely related to the preceding issue is that of discrimination in providing personal protection based on differences in race. Differences in the first issue notwithstanding, the law provides equal protection to individu als regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, and so forth. The difference between this and the second issue above is that discrimination is based on the law on human rights rather than principles of morality or ethics. The decision-making process used The decision was undertaken by the regional operations manager for Asia and the Pacific (RMA). The RMA made the decision unilaterally and personally, based on a cost-benefit study he had

Economic impact of tourism in the Mauritian economy

Economic impact of tourism in the Mauritian economy 4.1 Introduction Tourism is a major pillar of the Mauritian economy. According to estimates for 2010, the tourism industry has contributed Rs 39,456 million to the Mauritian economy and has provided direct employment to 27,161 workers. The contribution of tourism to GDP at basic price stands at 7.4% in 2010. This fact is indicative of the importance of the tourism sector to the Mauritian economy. To evaluate the impact of tourism on economic growth in Mauritius, a log-linear model will be estimated. However, economic growth may not be influenced only by tourism, but there are also other macro economic factors which may have an effect on growth. As such, these factors will be taken into consideration in the model. The model consists of standard variables such as Investment (INV), Exports (EXP) and Inflation (CPI), as well as one variable (TRP) which will be used to quantify the impact of tourism, such as tourism receipts. Real GDP per capita is used as a reference variable in order to demonstrate the impact of tourism on economic growth. 4.2 Types of Data 4.2.1Primary Data Primary data is collected on source and is not been subjected to processing or any other manipulation. The most common methods to collect primary data consist of surveys, interviews and focus groups. As such, primary research entails the use of immediate data and is collected by the researcher particularly to meet up the research objective of the subsisting project. Making use of primary data implies that researchers are collecting information for the specific purposes of their study. As such, the questions the researchers ask are tailored to extract the data that will help them with their study. However, it is time consuming and costly to collect such data. 4.2.2 Secondary Data Secondary data consists of pre-existing information which is not gathered for the purpose of the current research. Secondary data is readily available and inexpensive to obtain. In addition, such data can be examined over a longer period of time. Secondary data includes information from the census, a companys financial position and safety records such as their injury rates, or other government statistical information such as the number of workers in different sectors. In secondary data, information relates to a past period and as such, it lacks aptness and has unsatisfactory value. The drawback is that often the reliability, accuracy and integrity of the data is uncertain. However, it is easier to collect such data and longitudinal study may be possible. 4.3 Model Specification A simple log-linear Cobb-Douglass production function is used to measure the impact of tourism on economic growth in Mauritius. The equation is as follows: GDP = f (INV, TRP, CPI, EXP) Consider the following model, known as an exponential regression model: GDPt = ÃŽ ²0 INVt ÃŽ ²1 TRPt ÃŽ ²2 CPIt ÃŽ ²3 EXPt ÃŽ ²4 e ÃŽ µt (4.2.1) which may be expressed alternatively as lnGDPt = lnÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1lnINVt + ÃŽ ²2lnTRPt + ÃŽ ²3lnCPIt + ÃŽ ²4lnEXPt + ÃŽ µt (4.2.2) where ln is the natural log (i.e log to the base e, and where e = 2.7183) Equation 4.2.2 can be written as: lnGDPt = C + ÃŽ ²1lnINVt + ÃŽ ²2lnTRPt + ÃŽ ²3lnCPIt + ÃŽ ²4lnEXPt + ÃŽ µt (4.2.3) where C = lnÃŽ ²0 Therefore, the transformed model is: ln GDPt = C + ÃŽ ²1 ln INVt + ÃŽ ²2 ln TRPt + ÃŽ ²3 ln CPIt + ÃŽ ²4 ln EXPt + ÃŽ µt Where ln GDP: Log of real gross domestic product per capita ln INV : Log of investment ln TRP : Log of tourism receipts per capita ln CPI : Log of consumer price index used as a proxy for inflation ln EXP : Log of exports C : Constant term ÃŽ µt : White noise disturbance term In the above log-linear model, the dependent variable, GDP, is expressed as a linear function of four other independent variables, also known as the explanatory variables, namely INV, TRP, CPI and EXP. It is often assumed for such log-linear model that the causal relationships which may exist, flow only in one direction, namely from the explanatory variables to the dependent variable. The parameters of the model can be estimated by using the Ordinary Least Square method, if the assumptions of the classical linear regression model are fulfilled. As such, GDPt* = C + ÃŽ ²1 INVt* + ÃŽ ²2 TRPt* + ÃŽ ²3 CPIt* + ÃŽ ²4 EXPt* + ÃŽ µt where GDPt* = ln GDPt, INVt* = ln INVt, TRPt* = ln TRPt, CPIt* = ln CPIt, EXPt* = ln EXPt The coefficient of each of the four explanatory variables measures the partial elasticity of the dependent variable GDP with respect to that variable. As such, each of the partial regression coefficient ÃŽ ²1, ÃŽ ²2, ÃŽ ²3 and ÃŽ ²4 are the partial elasticities of GDP with respect to variables INV, TRP, CPI and EXP respectively. 4.4 Explanation of Variables 4.4.1Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Gross Domestic Product is used to assess the market value of all final goods and services produced during a given period of time within an economy. It also measures the total income of an economy and as such, it is often correlated with standard of living. GDP is used as a reference variable in order to assess the impact of tourism on economic growth in Mauritius. GDP is an important factor used to analyse the development of the tourism sector. As such, in case the tourism sector brings huge foreign earnings, there will be an increase in GDP, suggesting that the economy is flourishing. The GDP figures that are used for the regression have been adjusted for inflation using the GDP deflator. 4.4.2 Investment (INV) Investment, which is a major component of the gross domestic product of an economy, refers to the acquisition of new capital goods. A positive change in investment may lead to a positive change in income and output of an economy in the short run. Higher level of investment may contribute to aggregate demand while higher level of income may indirectly impact on consumer demand. Investment, which is an injection in the circular flow of income, is a useful tool to analyse the impact of tourism on the economy of Mauritius. Investment is expected to have the same impact on economic growth as propounded by empirical literature, such as Sargent and James (1997) who found a positive impact of physical capital and investment on growth in Canada over the period from 1947 to 1995. 4.4.3 Tourism Receipts (TRP) Tourism receipt is a major indicator of the contribution of the tourism sector to the local economy. Tourism receipt represents an inflow of foreign currency in the economy. Such receipts account for a major contribution to the gross domestic product of the Mauritian economy. As such, an increase in tourism earning is expected to have a positive impact on GDP. Most governments in developing countries encourage international tourism because such tourists bring capital to the country. Earnings of currencies permit governments to finance, at least in part, their development efforts. Tourism receipt is expected to impact positively on economic growth as postulated by Balaguer and Cantavella-Jorda (2002) or Dritsakis (2004) who claimed that economic growth and tourism are interrelated and established tourism as a driver of economic growth. 4.4.4 Inflation (CPI) Inflation is defined in economics as a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. As such, it is a sustained increase in the price level and it may be the consequence either of constant falls in aggregate supply or recurring increases in aggregate demand. As a result, inflation erodes the purchasing power of money, that is, there is a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy. An important measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, which can be calculated by taking the annualised percentage change in a general price index over time. This is referred to as the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In Mauritius, the Consumer Price Index is measured by computing the average change over time in the cost of a fixed basket of consumer goods and services. It represents changes over time in the general level of prices of goods and services acquired by Mauritian consumers. Inflation is then calculated by comparing the average level of prices during a 12-month period with the average level during the preceding 12-month period. One of the most fundamental objectives of macroeconomic policies of many countries, whether industrialised or developing, is to sustain high economic growth together with low inflation. Inflation can bring about uncertainty about the future profitability of investment projects particularly when high inflation is also linked with increased price variability. This would in turn generate more conservative investment strategies, which would ultimately result in lower levels of investment and economic growth. Inflation is expected to have a negative effect on growth as claimed by Barro (1995) who explored the inflation-economic growth relationship using a large sample covering more than 100 countries from 1960 to 1990. 4.4.5 Exports (EXP) Export entails the sale of goods and services produced in one country to other countries. There are two types of exporting: direct and indirect. For national accounts statistics, exports consist of transactions in goods and services from residents to non-residents. As such, an export of a good represents a change of ownership from a resident to a non-resident; this does not necessarily imply that the good in question physically crosses the frontier; while an export of services consists of all services rendered by residents to non-residents. The relationship between export growth, foreign direct investment and economic growth in both developed and developing countries is a question that continues to be of considerable interest. Cross-country trade and capital flows and interpreting the significance of these activities towards economic growth lie at the heart of the debate on economic development policy since the early literature on export and economic growth. Export is expected to impact positively on growth as postulated by Feder (1982), who mentioned that exports contribute to economic growth in a variety of ways: economies of scale and incentives for technological improvement. Thus, marginal factor productivities are expected to be higher in export industries than in non-export industries. 4.5 Data Sources For the purpose of this study, time series data has been used. A time series is an ordered chain of values of a variable at equally spaced time intervals. Time series analysis is used for economic and sales forecasting, budgetary analysis, inventory studies or stock market analysis. It encompasses techniques to investigate data in order to extract meaningful statistics and other characteristics of the data. A time series model indicates that observations close together in time will be more closely correlated than observations further apart. As such, time series models use the natural one-way ordering of time so that values for a given period can be expressed as deriving in some way from past values. Data has been collected for the period 1976 to 2009. Figures for the explanatory variables namely investment and exports and that for the dependent variable real gross domestic product were obtained from the Central Statistical Office. Data for inflation and tourism receipts was obtained from annual reports of the Bank of Mauritius. 4.6 Software The analysis of data will be done using the Microfit 4.0 software. Before carrying out the regression, the stationarity of the variable should be tested in order to avoid spurious results and invalidity of the model. The ARDL model will be evaluated. Furthermore, a co-integration test shall be performed to determine if an Error Correction Model (ECM) must be used.

The Value and Necessity of Public Relations Essay -- Human Resources

Public Relations are the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc. Things we learned from Public Relations are provides a better understanding of the company, promotes brand image, and it is helps the company keep a good reputation. Public relations provides a better understanding of the company because it provides insight on what the company is up to and how things are running. Customers can always find out if the company is planning to launch a new product or thinking of innovations on already made products. Additionally, customers can find out about events revolving around a certain product. Therefore, the customer can attend the events that are supporting a charity or a product. Likewise, Public Relations promotes brand image by holding events and plastering the brand all over. There are certain events that are supported by one type of candy. Hershey partners with a ctivities and events that in return promote the product throughout the event. Lastly, Public Relations helps the company keep a good reputation. Hershey provides opportunities where customers can come and experience the product before purchasing it. For example, Public Relation has held events in different states to promote different brands. A big campaign that happened last summer was surrounded by S’mores. It was called Say S’mores and it was intended to encourage families to create S’more’ summertime memories. The campaigns consisted of contestants taking pictures of their favorite S’mores moments and posting them to Facebook. There would be three monthly winners and each would receive awards varying from roasting skewers set, picnic blanket and... ...re aware not only in the U.S. but in major countries. The confections industry can be taken to a whole new level because of spreading to different countries companies are than reaching other cultures. There is a whole new world outside of what we are used to. A product that nobody has thought of now could possibly become a top selling product in the future because of the influence given from another part of the world. Works Cited: http://www.pwrnewmedia.com/2011/hershey/smores/index.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reeses-sweetens-ncaa-march-madness-with-perfect-pick-promotion-and-annual-college-all-star-game-142095723.html http://www.alexgpr.com/2011/08/hersheys-pr/ (http://www.thehersheycompany.com/social-responsibility/csr-report.aspx (http://www.hersheystrackandfield.com/about.aspx) (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-public-relations.htm)

The Language of Mistrust and Fear

From the beginning, Bram Stoker makes it clear that Count Dracula should be viewed as The Other, a psychological distinction that has been used to describe the way people view the world in â€Å"them† and â€Å"us†. Stoker uses the concept of The Other to show how different Dracula is from the English and to create an underlying tension between the remaining characters and the vampire. He also uses the psychological distinction as a means of preventing the characters from determining the nature of the vampire earlier as they are aware that they have societal differences from the count.The characters choose to overlook many of the first warnings of the oddness of the Count because they were afraid they were acting out of a misunderstanding about the cultural differences. Stoker manages to establish Count Dracula as the other easily within the first chapter of the novel. In the first chapter, the impressions we have of Count Dracula all come from Jonathan Harker’s journal and Stoker establishes early on that Harker is uncomfortable with his surroundings.â€Å"The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the East; the most western of splendid bridges over the Danube, which is here of noble width and depth, took us among the traditions of Turkish rule† (Stoker, Chapter 1). Even in his writing, Stoker decides to play up the strangeness of the land with the strange spelling of Budapest as Buda-Pesth. He establishes immediately that Harker is leaving the civilized world and going to a completely different land.He uses the lure and the mystique of â€Å"the East† to establish the difference all within the first paragraph of the book that Count Dracula is different from everyone else. As Harker travels inland, we learn that the count is from the edge of Hungary near the Carpathian Mountains, â€Å"one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe. † (Chapter 1) This is another attempt by the author to establish that Dracula is weird, and unlike the other characters. By claiming that he is from a wild and unknown region, Stoker is relying on the themes of Romanticism to imply that he is potentially evil and dangerous.And just a few paragraphs later he tells us that â€Å"I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting. † (Chapter 1). These lines establish clearly that Harker believes the people of Hungary to be less educated and different from the people of England. Furthermore, by establishing that he has heard they are a superstitious folk, he can justify their odd behavior to himself and not question the decisions that he is making (going alone to the Count’s castle despite their warnings).Throughout the novel, Stoker relies on the concept of the other to isolate his main characters from the world around them an d never is this as evident as in Harker’s initial journey to meet the count. All along the way, Harker is the tourist, intrigued and yet critical of local population. â€Å"The women looked pretty, except when you got near them, but they were very clumsy about the waist. † (Chapter 1) He describes the traditional dress and the more rotund nature of the populace as â€Å"clumsy about the waist† emphasizing the fashion of the time in Britain to be very thin with corsets cinching the waist in even farther.And, to the men, he is even less generous. The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nails. They wore high boots, with their trousers tucked into them, and had long black hair and heavy black moustaches. They are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessin g. On the stage they would be set down at once as some old Oriental band of brigands.They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion. To the average reader at the time of this writing, Stoker’s words about the people of Europe would have been strange and more than a bit fearsome, driven by the fear of the unknown. The author, realizing this, includes that very observation in Harker’s journal, when he hastens to explain that despite the many odd things in his journal, he had not overindulged in either food or drink, going so far as to list what he has eaten.There too, Stoker attempts to make the reader revile the locals with a comparison of their dinner to the â€Å"simple style of the London cat's meat! † (Chapter 1). Having established the physical differences between the inhabitants of Eastern Europe and those in London and draw attention to their different manner of dress and food, Stoker is ready to cut the last tie w hich might bind the two groups together: religion. On the eve of Harker’s approach to Dracula’s castle, the innkeeper’s wife attempts to prevent him from going.She relays the fear that something untoward will happen to him at the Castle and begs him to take her crucifix. I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind. She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck and said, â€Å"For your mother's sake,† and went out of the room. I am writing up this part of the diary whilst I am waiting for the coach, which is, of course, late; and the crucifix is still round my neck.(Chapter 1) In this short passage, Stoker firmly establishes that the Hungarians are not like the English, establishing them firmly as The Other, but he also manages to establish the ir humanity. When the woman asks him to take the crucifix, â€Å"For your mother’s sake†, Stoker overcomes the barrier between them, pointing to a common bond among all humans, the love of a mother for her child. This is done for two reasons: first, to illustrate to the reader that the oddities of the count are in fact unnatural and second, to begin to create a mood, to explain the beginnings of the fear that Harker feels as he approaches the castle.The reader is meant to feel that Harker’s observations about his trepidation as he approaches the castle at midnight are justified, that he is not merely some frightened little boy who starts at the darkness. This concept that the fear might be justified is building all along Harker’s journey to the castle and might have built more if he had understood the languages his fellow passengers spoke, Stoker writes, again playing to the classical definition of the other as someone outside our normal understanding, se parated by culture, religion and sometimes, by language.Then, in a subtle criticism of the Carpathians, another form of creating distance between groups, Harker observes that the roads and rough and that the driver seemed to â€Å"fly over it with a feverish haste. † (Chapter 1) This observation is meant to again set the people apart from the English who, it is implied, would never think of driving at such a pace and would have most certainly kept the road in better repair. â€Å"I was told that this road is in summertime excellent, but that it had not yet been put in order after the winter snows.In this respect it is different from the general run of roads in the Carpathians, for it is an old tradition that they are not to be kept in too good order. Of old the Hospadars would not repair them, lest the Turk should think that they were preparing to bring in foreign troops, and so hasten the war which was always really at loading point. † (Chapter 1). Even in his discuss ion of the fear of the Turks, Stoker is driving a wedge between the English and the Hungarians, as the British never feared invasion from aggressive neighbors thanks to the fact that they were on an island.This is just another means of driving a stake between the two cultures. For the normally reserved British, the thought of strangers giving Harker gifts along the way also helps to establish the difference between the cultures. â€Å"One by one several of the passengers offered me gifts, which they pressed upon me with an earnestness which would take no denial. These were certainly of an odd and varied kind, but each was given in simple good faith, with a kindly word, and a blessing, and that same strange mixture of fear-meaning movements which I had seen outside the hotel at Bistritz– the sign of the cross and the guard against the evil eye.† (Chapter 1). This passage actually plays on English attitudes in two matters: First, it would have been unconscionable to give a random gift to a stranger and make him feel that he must accept it. Second, the fact that they were actively demonstrating their religion and superstition was an act the British of the time would have found completely unacceptable. The British largely believed that church, the Church of England, was something you did when you went to services and not something to be practiced at any other time.Furthermore, the concept that you would let someone catch you making a hex sign of any sort was simply unbelievable. The British would simply be too polite to have anything in common with these heathens, further establishing them as The Other. In the end, Stoker’s work is masterful at clearly establishing the differences between class lines and cultures and creating The Other on numerous different levels. He establishes that Mina and Jonathan are the others when compared to Lucy and her well-to-go friends, both of them having been raised with next to nothing.He establishes Renfield a s the other via his madness and his actions during his fall to Dracula’s control and even Lucy is somewhat established in this manner, being the least learned and scientific of the group. Stoker made each of the characters unique and bound them to one another, but also invested in making clear divides between them to create an additional tension and confusion in the book that is just complicated by the arrival of Count Dracula. Upon the count’s arrival in London, he is regarded as exotic and interesting, a facet as completely a portion of The Other as the fear and trepidation.Often we are fascinated by those things that are different from us and we desire to see them, to learn more about them and even to imitate them while still holding them at a distance, knowing that they are not like we are. The fact that Stoker felt it necessary to establish this extreme difference when Dracula could easily have become the other certainly by virtue of being a creature of the night implies that Stoker was perhaps attempting to force the scholars that would read his novel to recognize a certain xenophobia within their culture.His depiction of the Eastern Europeans as highly different, almost medieval compare to the bustling and modern London can hardly be considered accidental. Stoker clearly had some thoughts about the way that the British observed the world around them and made Harker the extreme viewpoint of that British charm. Harker had to be an extreme, the most British of British subjects in his observations for stoker to force his audience to see how absurd such characterizations could be. Works Cited Stoker, Bram. â€Å"Dracula† Accessed at http://www. literature. org/authors/stoker-bram/dracula/chapter-01. html, December 9, 2007.

Is Price the Only Factor That Determines a Buyer’s Decision Essay

When consuming products and services, customers pay attention to several factors to make sure that they have made a sensible decision. Perhaps, the very first thing to be taken into account, under some circumstances, is price. However, it should not always be the sole consideration for purchasing decisions. From my point of view, apart from price, there are other determinants that can have a strong impact on a buyer’s decision, namely quality, buyer psychology and commitments that a firm offers its customers. To begin with, it can be said for sure that for most wise consumers, the quality of products or services is remembered long whereas the price is soon forgotten. When people make up their mind to consume something, they definitely want it to be worthy of their money. To be more specific, they are willing to have their ideal products although their prices can, sometimes, be very costly simply because of their durability. Long-lasting products are preferable, especially for careful consumers who are always in pursuit of the stability of the products. From another context, in terms of buyer psychology, many customers are not afraid of high cost to own certain products since not only do the products serve their needs, but they also help them to express their fashion-consciousness and status. For example, fashionable clothes enjoy increasing demand from celebrities every year though the producers set high prices. In addition, pricing low does not always work, even it can be counter-productive because consumers may assume that the products are below normal standards or the firm is going bankruptcy, which may lead to the damage of the company’s image and prestige. Last but not least, commitments to customers that a producer makes are also of great importance. These commitments usually come along with guarantees or after-sales services. Customers may pay higher amount of money for the products, however, in exchange, they are certain that they can have substitutes or indemnities when problems associated with the products happen. In other word, regardless of high prices, consumers are satisfied because they are offered certainty. In these cases, prices are also not the matter. In general, price is a significant factor that affects buyer decisions, but it is not the only determinants. Wise customers always seek for perfection from the products or services; hence, price should only be one of the aspects to be considered.

Bullovh Hall essays

Bullovh Hall essays Seeing the Bulloch hall for first time, more than a historic building I felt it as something bright and pure and radiating. Just a glance at it turns our memories to about two hundred year back when the only way to escape cold winter was a warm fireplace and transportation was hand?oared boats and wagons. This same hall was the girlhood home of Mitte Bulloch, mother of the 26th president Theodore Roosevelt and grandmother of First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Major James Stephen Bulloch, one of Roswell's first settlers and the grandson of Governor of Archibald Bulloch built the Bulloch hall in 1840. More than calling it a hall it should be called the Bulloch home, because it shows all the characters of a comfortable home. The entrance of this hall draws our attention to the long hallway lying across the house connecting all rooms and stairs. The first room from the hallway is the parlor which has an old, royal piano and a huge fireplace (the house altogether has 11 fireplaces). There are big huge windows in the parlor that lets the sunrays come through. The next was the dinning room, which was decorated by silverware from that period. The most wonderful thing that we see throughout this house is its furniture. The dinning table is a big one with a formal dinner set laid out there. A warming room right adjacent to the dinning room is the last room on the right of the hallway. On the left side of the hallway is the nursery room, which has a rocking chair and a riding pony from that time. On the other side of the master bedroom is the library, which is facing the grassy pastures before the house giving the reader a sense of relief and a good environment to read. The hallway then takes us upstairs to the family bedroom. Mitte's room is next to the family bedroom with lot of her personal items still preserved. There is a small sewing room whose floor is more inlaid compared to other rooms on that floor, probably to keep child...

The Muralist Painters of Mexico essays

The Muralist Painters of Mexico essays Mural painting is one of the oldest and most important forms of artistic, political and social expression. Mexican muralists, Diego Rivera, Jos Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros revived this form of painting in Mexico. Their murals were based on the political and social conditions of the times. During the beginning of the 20th century, Mexico went through a political and social revolution and the government began to commission a number of huge frescos to celebrate its achievements. The muralist movement would not only have great effect on their own country but the rest of the world as well. The first modern artists from a Hispanic country in the Western Hemisphere whose art attracted worldwide attention were these painters known as Mexican muralists. The best known of the Mexican muralists, Diego Rivera filled the walls of public buildings in Mexico and the United States with enormous murals praising social revolution. David Alfaro Siqueiros was another of the great Mexican muralists, and also very active with the political revolutions of his country. Jos Clemente Orozco was the third famous muralist and is thought to be more crude and cynical than Rivera and his pictorial language may be less sophisticated, but he is more direct in pointing out social injustices. During the first two decades of the 20th century, Spanish modernists introduced Latin American painters to impressionism, postimpressionism, symbolism and art nouveau. Mexican painter Saturnino Herran used symbolism in his mural project, Our Gods, (1904-18) which nobly posed native Mexicans as powerful symbols of Mexican identify. His mural served as a model for many large-scale murals that were commissioned in the 1920s. The Mexican Revolution (1910-20) also found a voice in the public mural. Diego Rivera as well as others defined this moment in Mexican history. He was influenced by European modernism, studying in Spain and Paris and working ...

A Reflection on Chapter Six of Second Language Learning Theories

A Reflection on Chapter Six of Second Language Learning Theories Chapter six focuses on the recent development of knowledge pertaining to the relationship between L2 development and native speakers. We are reminded of terms, such as: Input Hypothesis, recasts, prompts, and Output Hypothesis which help us formulate and identify aspects of L2 language development. The evaluation section of chapter six is split into several sections. The scope of interactionist research is often founded on Evelyn Hatch as early inspiration. Hatch said, â€Å"one learns how to do conversation, one learns how to interact verbally, and out of the interaction syntactic structures are developed,† (2013, p.184). I found the interaction approach with the nature of language and with the nature of learning most interesting in this chapter. The interaction approach with the nature of language is stemmed from the Input Hypothesis and the early version of the Interaction Hypothesis. This part of the approach views oral interaction as a necessary part of a sequence for second language development. Included in the oral interaction is opportunities for clarification and recasts. It is so important to remember the nature of language in this approach into our classrooms, so that we can see The interaction approach with the nature of learning is stemmed from similar roots as the nature of language with Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, but this one assumes the presence of a distinctive language acquisition device. This emphasizes learners’ attention and L2 processing capacity. Knowing a learner’s capacity will help us individualize our teaching strategies and help each learner feel like they can be successful in the classroom. The nature of learning also emphasizes the necessity of feedback on the learner. Feedback should be clear and concise for optimal effect (p.186). In conclusion, understanding the interactionist research will help us become better teachers and help us understand where our English language learners are from. We need to keep in mind each learner’s capacity to learn at a time, and we need to remember how oral interaction and feedback advances learning to help each of our student’s L2 development.

The differences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The differences - Assignment Example There is an increase of feminist movements who are ready to speak on behalf of the oppressed through civic education and constituency awareness (Serano 20). This is being manifested as a women revolution in the realization of one’s identity. How are you going to ensure the movements succeed in their aspirations? According to Sheryl Sandberg in Why we have too few women leaders, there is an imperative need for women to balance their professions and family life without allowing any compromise (Serano 34). Therefore, in your capacity as president, what will you do to help women find an effective balance to help them in advancement? In the Combahee River Collective, Black feminists make recollections of their persistent struggle since 1974 in the definition and clarification of the country’s politics (Serano 39). They also recollect their creation of coalitions and promotion progressive movements and organizations. What is your presidency planning to do advance such earlier efforts? Since the 1880s till the present, different women have attempted their chances at the presidency both in America and other nations to change their nations (Serano 45). They include Blanca Rojas Echaverry of Nicaragua, Dr. Heide Schmidt, Austria and Hillary Clinton among others. How will you ensure women have better chances of clinching top leadership positions to bring change? Various studies reveal that men have better negotiation skills than women. In the view of Sheryl Sandberg in Why we have too few women leaders, this is has been caused by a culture that demeans women and makes them look inferior in fighting for equal opportunities in the workforce (Serano 13). What is your presidency planning to do to mitigate on this worrying trend? There is also the problem with a majority of women of color in Women and Family that lack skills, experience and education that prevents them from attaining excellence in several

Short Assignment Introduction to Classification Essay

Short Assignment Introduction to Classification - Essay Example These may be outdoor or indoor games. Each of these games has its own value and hold special importance in the child’s upbringing. As outdoor games are more physical involving running, cycling etc and make children strong and tough. Indoor games assist in their mental growth. These may involve playing characters, doing art related stuff or various other rational games. Later on these might be taken up as a profession and one can become a sports figure. Playing games had been a very vital part of my childhood, teaching me lessons that would stick to me to a very long time and adding sportsmanship like qualities to my character. Games can prove to be the best education teaching us the art of living and the battle of life is won by putting in all your strengths and projecting the image of a true sportsman in all situations. The cuts and bruises I got while playing had only made me strong. And not to forget the fun side of games, playing all day long especially on a weekend seemed like the perfect recreation. There are many games which I have grown up playing. The physical outdoor games played were either in groups or as individuals. Group games included Hide and seek, Freeze tag, basketball, Treasure hunt, Make believe, Chalk house, kick ball, Scavenger hunt, Badminton, Tag and chase, Red light green light and Police thief etc. Whereas individual games included jump roping, hopscotch, marbles, cycling, running and swinging etc. These games were high on the physical activity level and hence made us active, enthusiastic and vibrant so much that from the scorching sun to the chilly winds, heavy rains or teeth chattering snow nothing could made us sit inside. The longest of the days would pass like the snap of fingers playing in the yard sometimes alone or sometimes with friends. However there were times when we were made to sit inside the house be it because of a storm or bad weather. We still managed to keep ourselves engaged by playing indoor games; they mig ht not be as physical as the other games nevertheless were source of entertainment for us. Indoor games had quite versatility and included mainly board games, circle, card, creative and electronic games. Snake and ladder, scrabble, jigsaw puzzle, Lego, monopoly, MAD were some board games I used to play. These mind games sharpened our mind, and games like scrabble helped in building our vocabulary. Circle games were played while sitting or standing in form of a big circle and games like Chinese whisper, catch-catch, spin the bottle, change places, sit on lap, keep a straight face, caught in a circle, statue-statue , musical chairs, four corners and Silly has lost his hat were played. Games like these improved our body and mind coordination skills. Card games were more mental and involved making quick and accurate decisions. Solitaire, black jack, Uno, snap, skit cat, slap jack were some of the games we played. There were some creative exercises we used to do, widening our perspective s and enhancing our imagination. These drills involved painting and many arts and crafts related work, some done in school and a few at home. Electronic games were in form of Atari games and computer games. As the technology in the 80’s was not as advanced as it is now hence the video games were much simpler and limited in variety. But we still enjoyed playing them. Whether playing it against a friend or the computer, these games provoked the sense of competition in us. Mario, Prince of Persia, Mortal kombat, Dave, simple car or bike

Why Television Shows Should Not Be Allowed to Use Obscene Language Essay

Why Television Shows Should Not Be Allowed to Use Obscene Language - Essay Example The family may be comprised of a father; mother and two children aged 8 and 11 years respectively. The television program will not be enjoyable at all to watch since the mother and the father will be feeling uncomfortable when some words are spoken. At times, the child might even ask their parents about the meaning of some words that are really embarrassing even to mention. The parents end up being tongue tied since they do not how to explain it since the word are really embarrassing. On the other hand, the use of obscene language in our television shows usually contribute to deviant behaviors in people both the adults and children. The children are the ones that are affected more by the obscene language since they tend to speak some of the words that were used in the show to their peers. When such a situation comes, it becomes very hard to control the behavior of such children since they are imitating what grown up are seeing in television programs. Even if their parent would like to correct their children’s behavior by telling them not to use such words, they would not listen as they would argue that if these words are used in television by even grown-ups, why should we not use it. This becomes the point of discussion between the children and their parent in the course of correcting children behaviors.

Creativity and mentall illness, is there a link Essay

Creativity and mentall illness, is there a link - Essay Example Creativity is defined in many ways by many people. Some people believe that it is the intellectual giftedness. Some others believe that though intelligence is required for creativity, it is not sufficient enough. Independence, fluency and flexibility were cited as the characteristics of creativity. (Waddell) All the intelligent people need not be creative, but all creative people are intelligent. Intelligence is only a part of creativity and in order to become a creative person one should have other qualities like great imaginative power. In fact personality may not have much importance in the life of a creative person. We have lots of examples in which genius persons who adopted crazy life styles. Creativity is the capacity to originate scientiï ¬ c discoveries, artistic works, technical inventions, or engage in political leadership, in a manner that achieves what is conventionally termed eminence (Dutton) Hard work is required for every creative work and hence the mental health has an important role in the making of a creative person. Mental health on the other hand is measured in terms of the social behavior of the person. Any unaccepted social behavior may be considered as the indications of some kind of mental problems. In a study conducted in out of the 291 assessed biographies of eminent males in music, art, writing, science, and political leadership, high rates of psychiatric disorders like depression and alcoholism in writers and artists were found. (Waddell) Kamala Das (Madhavikutty), one of the greatest creative writers from Kerala, India has been passed away recently and her life history is one of the best examples for our topic of â€Å"relation between mental health and creativity†. This writer was one of the all time great romantic writers not only in Malayalam but in English as well. Many of her literature works were translated to English and Arabic like many other languages. At

Ethical Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Argument - Essay Example John has taken Networking and Artificial Intelligence as his Major specialization subject. Since the subject was tough, only 15 students (including John) took it as there Major Specialization Subject. There was enough competition among these students and there performance was up to par. There were four permanent Faculties and three Visiting Faculties, who were highly qualified; well experienced in there field and dedicated & hard working. It was the Final Examination of the first semester and John has worked really hard to get good marks in the exam. One night when he was playing with codes of networking, a few batch mates came and asked "to co-operate". He was in the dilemma whether to co-operate with his friends or not. That night, his batch mates made a plan which according to him was "highly unethical". The plan was to misuse The Relative Grading System by mutual understanding and co-operation. The batch mates tried to exploit the weakness of the system from the terms of the marks obtained by the topper. Clearly if the topper obtains only 30% of the absolute marks in an examination, which is to be checked using the relative grading system, then even a student who has just managed to obtain 24% absolute marks, will effectively, secure a total of 80% relative marks (Grade A) and will pass with flying colors, who in real circumstances should not be allowed to attend the second semester. They were trying to convince him into executing the same plan and finally attempt only three questions out of the bunch of ten., as everyone will do this and will get 'A' grade. John did not get convince because it was not an ethical act and there came 'Ethical Arguments'. He told his mates to give a real fight in the examination and not this 'fake co-operation' because somewhere in the long run they have to pay for this unethical act. He said that every game has certain rules which can be manipulated to act in one's favor but one who is a hard worker will never try to manipulate and will come out as a winner with his hard work and efficiency, even after following these rules. He argued the basic purpose of introducing a relative grading system is to dilute the significance of the toughness of the paper and the marks to be primarily a function of the individual's strength in a competitive environment His batch mates stood firm in their decision and did not give heed to his ideas. It was the Final Examination and question papers were distributed. John was forced to attempt only three questions out of those ten just for the sake of friendship and cooperation. He was feeling very bad. He recited his favorite lines during the examination: "When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." -Abraham Lincoln But he was helpless and bounded; he was not feeling good. Result day, although everyone passed with flying colors but one man lost his job. The teacher, who was blamed that he was not

Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of income to Research Paper

Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of income to many countries but its disadvantages should not be overlooked - Research Paper Example Imported influence facilitates adoption of imported systems that deny the local promotion of local contents, for instance local music. Tourism is associated with shifts in population hence creating imported character behaviors. Tourism is sought to be a cause of immoral behavior and crime (Morgan, 2013). Tourism create deep influences in many ways, for example, the manner in which people dress is in many occasions influenced by the way tourists dress. The traditional or national manners in which people used to dress is slowly fading away to the tourism manners of dressing. Tourism also influences the spoken languages in many places (Morgan, 2013). Certain vocabularies of a nation end up being corroded by the influences introduced by tourists in different parts. The tourists create dents in the manner in which people address each other or speak to each other. They create different versions of words that are adopted in the communities. The adoption of heavy words that are insulting and abusive or disrespectful are adopted in the normal speeches of people making them part of the today culture (Morgan, 2013). Tourists are attributed for causing environmental damage especially in terms of wild fires in forests. The same tourists are responsible for the destruction of certain facilities such as the sand dunes in desert attractions. Tourism has also brought environmental pollution causing contamination of the environment. Tourism also undermines different cultures in different ways. One of the ways is commercializing culture which increases the level of litter, graffiti and vandalism. Tourism also comes with noise pollution and disrespect of local culture (Morgan,

Ethical Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Argument - Essay Example John has taken Networking and Artificial Intelligence as his Major specialization subject. Since the subject was tough, only 15 students (including John) took it as there Major Specialization Subject. There was enough competition among these students and there performance was up to par. There were four permanent Faculties and three Visiting Faculties, who were highly qualified; well experienced in there field and dedicated & hard working. It was the Final Examination of the first semester and John has worked really hard to get good marks in the exam. One night when he was playing with codes of networking, a few batch mates came and asked "to co-operate". He was in the dilemma whether to co-operate with his friends or not. That night, his batch mates made a plan which according to him was "highly unethical". The plan was to misuse The Relative Grading System by mutual understanding and co-operation. The batch mates tried to exploit the weakness of the system from the terms of the marks obtained by the topper. Clearly if the topper obtains only 30% of the absolute marks in an examination, which is to be checked using the relative grading system, then even a student who has just managed to obtain 24% absolute marks, will effectively, secure a total of 80% relative marks (Grade A) and will pass with flying colors, who in real circumstances should not be allowed to attend the second semester. They were trying to convince him into executing the same plan and finally attempt only three questions out of the bunch of ten., as everyone will do this and will get 'A' grade. John did not get convince because it was not an ethical act and there came 'Ethical Arguments'. He told his mates to give a real fight in the examination and not this 'fake co-operation' because somewhere in the long run they have to pay for this unethical act. He said that every game has certain rules which can be manipulated to act in one's favor but one who is a hard worker will never try to manipulate and will come out as a winner with his hard work and efficiency, even after following these rules. He argued the basic purpose of introducing a relative grading system is to dilute the significance of the toughness of the paper and the marks to be primarily a function of the individual's strength in a competitive environment His batch mates stood firm in their decision and did not give heed to his ideas. It was the Final Examination and question papers were distributed. John was forced to attempt only three questions out of those ten just for the sake of friendship and cooperation. He was feeling very bad. He recited his favorite lines during the examination: "When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." -Abraham Lincoln But he was helpless and bounded; he was not feeling good. Result day, although everyone passed with flying colors but one man lost his job. The teacher, who was blamed that he was not

Factors For and Against Essay Example for Free

Factors For and Against Essay Reasons for legalization (ranked from strongest to weakest) 1. Medical benefits for terminal illnesses such as cancer. 2. Police and court resources would be freed to pursue more serious crimes. 3. The FDA could regulate the quality and safety of the drug. 4. This drug has fewer side effects that most currently legal narcotics. 5. Legalization would lower prices, thereby reducing crimes such as theft. 6. If taxed sales of this drug would help lift the U.S. economy by billions of dollars a year. Reasons against legalization (ranked from strongest to weakest) 1. Issues such as driving under the influence may increase. 2. Legalizing this drug might increase the number of juvenile users. 3. This drug may be a gateway drug to more dangerous drugs such as heroin or cocaine 4. There would be an increase in lung damage and the damage to non-users through second hand smoke. 5. Legalization of this drug could lead to legalization of â€Å"harder† drugs 6. Some consider this drug morally wrong. I have seen the effects this drug has on a terminally ill patient. My late husband, who was just 39 years old when he died of colon cancer, used Marijuana on just a couple of occasions and the difference before and after its use were abundantly clear. Tom was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 36, and only given 15 months to live, because of his military and ethical background he swore he would never use Marijuana unless it was legalized. As his illness got worse his thinking changed, he just wanted to feel better, and the narcotics he was prescribed by his oncologist made him weak, tired, decreased his appetite and caused nausea. He hated being on these narcotics as he didn’t feel he could enjoy the little life he had left, he could barely get out of bed let alone play with his children. During the second year of his illness we went camping with some friends, to a little cabin 2 hours off the paved road. Tom could scarcely sit up in front of the campfire, but tried his best to enjoy possibly the last camping trip of his life. After the children were asleep one of our friends began to smoke marijuana and asked if we wanted any, I declined but Tom wanted to try it, just to see how it would make him feel. Within five minutes of smoking marijuana Tom was up walking around, he ate, laughed and even began helping cut wood and attend to the fire. The difference was noticeable to us all, it was amazing. First thing in the morning he smoked some more marijuana, and was able to play with his children, go for a mile long walk and eat some more. Upon returning home Tom stated that while he would like to use the drug again, but he couldn’t bring himself to break the law, and therefore did not try the drug again. During Tom’s illness those two short days in the mountains were some of his best. The marijuana took away his nausea and pain, his appetite was increased and his pain was nowhere near the same high levels he experienced without the drug. Because I have seen the benefits of this drug in person, I have placed this as my strongest argument for the legalization of this drug. It was very difficult for me to rank the arguments for the legalization of marijuana, because I found them all to be quite beneficial, yet I had to place the fiscal benefit towards the bottom of the list. My reasoning for this is because if this drug were moved from a schedule I drug to a schedule II drug, and was only legal if prescribed, the prescription would not be taxed thereby eliminating this argument for the legalization. My strongest reason against the legalization of marijuana is the possible dangers of driving while under the influence of this drug. This is a big issue with most any drug, most notably alcohol, but this danger is not only posed to the user but those around the user as well. While many people are stopped and arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana, it would seem logical that this would only increase with legalization, much like alcohol. My weakest argument against legalization is that it is considered morally wrong by some people. The reason I placed this last is because not all people would consider this morally wrong. There are many things that people consider morally wrong, yet they are legal. For example the Mormon religion believes that alcohol, tea, coffee and caffeinated drinks are morally wrong, yet these are not made illegal. This argument seems to be the loosest of all the arguments, and therefore was placed at the bottom of the list.

Are Automotive Manufacturers more Socially Responsible?

Are Automotive Manufacturers more Socially Responsible? To what extent are car manufacturing firms operating in a more socially responsible manner when designing environmentally friendly cars? Abstract Social responsibility is one of the key differentiators between modern corporations, and is seen by many analysts as an antidote to the past few years trend towards the demonisation of corporate institutions. The recent economic crisis, in particular, has led many observers to argue that corporations that fail to address issues of social responsibility will struggle to survive. However, other observers question whether this phenomenon is anything more than a superficial consumer trend, and whether the world economy in general can seriously contemplate a corporate system in which the profit motive is subservient to the need for corporate social responsibility. This dissertation examines social responsibility in terms of the car manufacturing industry, and looks in particular at the question of whether or not the move towards environmentally friendly cars is anything more than a passing phase in an industry that is extremely sensitive to public opinion. Ultimately, the aim of the disse rtation is to determine whether or not corporate social responsibility within the car manufacturing industry is a genuine change, or whether it is simply a superficial response to a passing public trend. Introduction The concept of corporate social responsibility has been one of the dominant themes of the past decade, with consumer recognition of a corporations social responsibility being increasingly seen as a lucrative phenomenon. In the west, in particular, increasing levels of affluence have led to a trend that has seen more customers show willingness to pay more for products that are designed according to theories of social responsibility., and this shift has been nowhere more apparent than in the automobile manufacturing industry. This trend has inter-cut with a recognition (in some quarters) of the need to ensure a more environmentally-friendly approach to industrial production and consumption, and a number of corporations have secured dramatically enhanced public images through a focus on affordable but socially responsible products. However, critics argue that since the primary aim of these corporations is to increase their profits, the appearance of social responsibility has been more o f a cosmetic change than a substantial alteration of core business practices; many critics believe that corporations have, in most cases, merely become better at packaging their products as a more socially responsible, environmentally friendly alternative. Despite the recent financial crisis, the automobile manufacturing industry remains a bellwether for the global economy, and any genuine global industrial changes regarding social responsibility will likely be evident in the automobile industry at an early stage. This dissertation will examine the behaviour of car manufacturing firms and will ask whether they have genuinely become more socially responsible when designing environmentally friendly cars, or whether this is merely a superficial smokescreen designed to generate improved public exposure without leading to genuine changes in design and production philosophies. In particular, the difference between the industrys approach before and after the onset of the recent economic crisis will be examined, and these differences will be used to determine whether or not the move towards social responsibility represented a genuine change to production systems or was merely an attempt to capture the early twenty-first century zeitgeist. Furthermore, the dissertation will examine the extent to which social responsibility and environmental awareness have affected not only above-the-line (i.e. visible to the public) areas of the industry, but also below-the-line (i.e. internal corporate) systems; the d issertation will argue that firms can only be said to have adopted a greater level of social responsibility if their attempts to tackle this issue extend to below-the-line activities. The dissertation will use a series of core examples in order to determine both the hyperbole (i.e. the claims made to the public) and the core below-the-line changes that may, or in some cases may not, reflect the car manufacturing industrys more socially responsible, environmentally friendly approach to business and production. Literature Review Corporate Social Responsibility Social responsibility has been one of the key growth areas in recent years. Crane et al. (2007) define social responsibility, in the corporate context, as a companys ability to put aside the profit motive in order to perform tasks that have a beneficial effect not on the company itself in terms of capital but in terms of an entirely separate social group (Crane et al., 2007, p. 6). In this context, social responsibility can be seen as something that companies are expected to do unbidden, in much the same way as many people choose to donate their time and volunteer to help charities. In some ways, therefore, social responsibility can be seen as an attempt to anthropomorphise corporations by rendering them indebted to a cultural belief that they should act in a more ethical and moral manner. This is in some ways a cultural corrective to the idea of corporations as solely capitalistic, profit-orientated organisations. May et al. (2007) suggest that corporate social responsibility is a popular construct that seeks to imbue corporations with humanistic traits regardless of whether those traits are present or not (May et al., 2007, p. 118). In order for public recognition of these traits to be tangible, there must be a relative relationship between different corporations, so some must be seen to be exercising a great deal of social responsibility, while other must be seen to be doing very little. This is, in effect, the classic polar relationship between good and bad, and it allows consumers to associate themselves with positive, socially responsible companies purely by making certain purchasing decisions. Both sides therefore have a vested interest in social responsibility: consumers feel good if they reward socially responsible companies with their custom, and can use such purchases as a form of status symbol; corporations, meanwhile, can try to generate a larger, more loyal customer base. While some critics argue that social responsibility is a trend that will wax and wane according to various social and economic factors (May et al., 2007, p. 119), others believe that the emergence of social responsibility as a major business factor in the past decade is in fact a permanent change. Crane et al. note that growing awareness of environmental issues has led many people to recognise the importance of social responsibility (Crane et al., 2007, p. 10), and although the recent economic crisis may have led many to hold back on the spending that they would otherwise have directed towards socially responsible corporations, there still appears to be a broad consensus that social responsibility is one of the most important factors in modern business. Consequently, many companies have sought to strengthen their social policy credentials. Environmental Policy One of the key elements of social responsibility is the environment. For more than twenty years, there have been warnings about the effects of global warming. Many corporations choose to exhibit their social responsibility through one of a number of environmentally friendly policies: Reducing the environmental cost of production distribution. Reducing the environmental cost of consumption. Reducing the environmental cost of disposal. Using more environmentally-friendly materials. Reducing packaging and other superfluous elements of a product. Instigating specific environmentally-friendly technological elements. Funding research and education programs. Carbon and pollution off-setting. All of these options and more are regularly employed by companies that want to emphasise their environmental credentials. Large companies tend to focus on methods that require little more effort than throwing money at the problem, e.g. by funding research or off-setting their carbon emissions. However, some other companies are far more inventive, and genuinely try to reduce their environmental impact. Social Responsibility Aside from the environmental factors noted above, companies have found a number of ways of demonstrating their corporate social responsibility: Funding education programs. Providing services, e.g. transportation for school and disabled groups. Promoting volunteerism among their own workers. Donating money to charities. Working to eliminate abuse in the chain of production. The globalised corporate environment makes it more difficult than ever for companies to hide practices that might be unpopular in their domestic markets. For example, if a company seeks to use cheap labour in third world countries, it can make a short-term impact but will usually be exposed eventually. In other words, companies find it increasingly difficult to hide any non-socially responsible behaviour. The Car Manufacturing Industry The vast majority of manufacturers are global in terms of production facilities. The leading US and Japanese manufacturers, for example, tend to have dozens of factories, with at the top five companies all having at least one factory in each of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. As such, the industry can be said to be truly global in terms of both customer reach and production. Furthermore, companies often experience great success in non-domestic markets, e.g. Japans Toyota also sells many cars in the US, and Germanys BMW is extremely popular in the UK; the only major exceptions to this rule are two of the three big US companies, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler, both of which have been criticised for their focus on the US market. The Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Car Manufacturing Industry All the worlds car manufacturers have in recent years suffered from the global economic downturn. In the US, the big three manufacturers Ford, Chrysler and General Motors (GM) have all come close to bankruptcy, and GM has been forced to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Around the world, companies have suffered similar problems, although in most cases not to the extent of the major US companies. In Japan, both Honda and Toyota have suffered heavy losses and have been forced to reconsolidate their core business areas. As a result, the automobile industry has been undergoing a period of immense uncertainty, and this has led many consumers to believe that they can no longer rely on the continued presence of the big names. Apart from the well-publicised problems for the big three US companies GM, Ford and Chrysler, almost every other major car manufacturer around the world has suffered a slump in profits in the past two years, and many have incurred legacy debts during this period that will impact upon their performance for decades to come. Toyota reported a massive $1.7bn loss (Fackler, 2008) and, like most other manufacturers, was forced to re-focus activities on core revenue streams. As one of the key figures in the green car revolution, Toyota had been investing heavily in environmentally-friendly cars, and had been happy to make such investments since it believe there would be massive financial benefits in the long run. However, the financial crisis crippled Toyotas ability to consider the long term implications of its current activities, and forced the company to focus on its core business. As Satoshi Hino notes, Toyota has long been one of the more adventurous companies when it comes to placing substantial industrial bets on future changes in the automobile market, but these have always been backed by strong performances in the companys core activities (Hino, 2005, p. 41). The companys move into electric and hybrid cars seen by many as a key element in the push towards greener automobiles has largely been financed by success in core diesel machines, with the pay-off for this front-end investment expected to arrive between 2010 and 2015. However, with the core business model threatened by double-digit year-on-year sales drops, Toyota was forced in 2009 to consolidate its activities and re-focus on the most profitable elements of its production line. This decision by the company served as dramatic proof that while there was clearly a high degree of confidence in terms of the potential for socially responsible cars to provide a significant pay-off in the medium to long term, this confidence was not strong enough to allow the company to rely on such vehicles during a time of economic crisis. Clearly, therefore, market forces are not yet dictating the need for social responsibility in sufficient numbers, or with sufficient support via purchasing decisions . Research Methodology Research Approach The research will take two key approaches: a questionnaire will be used to conduct primary research into consumer awareness of the question of social responsibility in the car manufacturing industry, and two case studies will be used to determine how two of the worlds biggest manufacturers GM and Toyota deal with this issue. In order to assess the impact of the social responsibility policies of both GM and Toyota, the questionnaires will be designed to measure the impact of such policies (or the lack of them) and the degree to which they change public opinion and have the effect for which they were designed. These questionnaires will be vital in terms of bridging the gap between the theory and reality, and will expose the limitations inherent in this approach. In order to increase the likely response rate, and to comply with ethical considerations regarding privacy, the questionnaires were left anonymous and respondents were told that they could ignore any individual questions that they would prefer not to answer. The secondary research will focus on two case studies, one looking at the leading US car manufacturer (General Motors) and the other looking at the worlds leading car manufacturer, by sales (Toyota). These companies have been chosen for specific reasons. General Motors (GM) has had a difficult economic history over the past two decades, almost filing for bankruptcy in the 1990s before going on to enjoy considerable success with a series of non-environmentally friendly cars (SUVs) while professing to hold social responsibility as a key philosophical point, and then suffering a massive collapse that resulted in the company filing for the fourth largest bankruptcy in US history (see chapter 4). Toyota, meanwhile, has made a name for itself with a series of advanced hybrid cars, but has also suffered during the recent financial crisis (see chapter 5). In other words, GM is seen by many as one of the worlds least socially responsible manufacturers, and Toyota is seen by many as one of the worlds most socially responsible manufacturers. By comparing and contrasting their approaches and fortunes, it should be possible to develop a clear understanding of the extent to which major car manufacturers have been socially responsible in pursuing an environmentally friendly agenda. Research Questions The research is based on the following key questions: To what extent do car manufacturing companies act with a high degree of social responsibility when designing environmentally friendly cars? How important is consumer behaviour to car manufacturers interest in social responsibility? Do consumers drive companies behaviour, or vice versa? What different approaches to the subject of environmentally friendly, socially responsible cars have been taken by different companies? How has the recent economic crisis affected manufacturers interest in social responsibility? Is social responsibility progressing according to narrative trends? Is this a major change to business, or merely a passing trend? Research Limitations Any research project contains inherent limitations. If these limitations are ignored, they do not go away; rather, they linger and negatively impact the reliability of the overall project. Consequently, the best approach is to recognise these limitations from the start and to work to ensure that they are factored out of the equation as much as possible. As Saunders et al. note, its only by recognising the limitations of any research program that the problems that always affect any research project can be brought into the open, addressed and contextualised and, in some cases, turned into positives (Saunders et al., 2009, p. 51). The research limits of this project are as follows: Social responsibility is an inherently subjective matter. Something that is socially responsible in the view of one person may be socially irresponsible in the view of another. Many of the relevant subjects, such as global warming, are not universally recognised. Its therefore important to reflect the fact that there is ongoing debate. There is insufficient time and space to analyse the entire market. Therefore, key examples must be selected for the case studies. As noted in 3.1, the subjects for these case studies were chosen for very specific reasons. Questionnaires must be brief and simple to understand, yet they must also focus on the key points. Persuading respondents to fill in questionnaires can be difficult. All these limitations can be overcome, to various extents. The subjectivity inherent in the research subject is in fact relevant to the continuing social, cultural and political debates regarding the extent to which car companies should, and can, adopt socially responsible roles; some critics argue that this can only be achieved if consumers adopt socially responsible approaches to their purchasing patterns, which will inevitably force corporations to adapt to face this trend. Similarly, the continuing debate over global warming although settled in many peoples view continues to cause debate in many parts of the world. Finally, the limitations of time and space mean that the case study subjects must be analysed extremely closely, and the choices of company must be made carefully. Results Analysis Response 200 questionnaires were sent out. The expected response rate was 40-50%, as per the suggestion by Saunders et al. that any questionnaire-based research project that prompts between a third and a half of targets to respond can be said to have performed averagely (Saunders et al., 2009, p. 102). In the event, 81 questionnaires were returned, representing 40.5%, which is just within the expected range. This gives a statistically relevant sample group. Demographic Information Demographic details are important in research concerning attitudes to consumer activity and the environment, since both of these factors can impact upon an individuals view of these issues. Question 1 concerned the age of the respondents: How old are you? The majority of respondents were in their teens and twenties, with a total of three quarters being under 40. This makes the questionnaire more relevant in terms of analysing the attitudes of younger people. The second question concerned the occupation of the respondents. It was decided to provide broad categories rather than to request specific details. For one thing, this emphasised the confidentiality and privacy of the research, and for another it allowed for easy and effective categorisation of answers: What is your occupation? Around two thirds of the respondents were employed, self-employed or in part-time work, with the rest being students, retired or unemployed. Awareness of Social Responsibility among Car Manufacturers The next question asked respondents if they believed the car manufacturing industry, as a whole, to be socially responsible. A brief explanation was appended to this question, defining social responsibility as an awareness of their impact on society, including the environment, and their efforts to ensure that this impact has a positive rather than a negative effect: How responsible do you think car manufacturers are? An overwhelming majority (67.9%) considered car manufacturers to be either not very or not at all responsible. Breaking these results down according to age and occupation gave the following results: Appreciation of manufacturers social awareness, broken down by age range Clearly, levels of appreciation appear to be at least partly linked to age, with these levels peaking for individuals in their fifties. There are numerous possible reasons for this, including: Media exposure: different age groups are exposed to very different media forms and sources, each of which will likely carry very different stories concerning manufacturers levels of social awareness. Learned behaviour: older respondents will have spent longer living in a time when many of the relevant issues, particularly environmental impact, were not considered. Environmental awareness: some of the answers may be influenced by a lack of belief in the various arguments concerning the environment and, in particular, the car industrys contribution to global warming. Clearly, therefore, awareness of social responsibility is a dynamic factor that reflects a number of different viewpoints, and this factors is by no means viewed the same by different age groups. The clear correlation between age and awareness indicates that manufacturers must ensure that they operate multiple simultaneous social responsibility programs if they are to reach all these groups. However, the next question sought to determine whether or not it was strictly necessary for the manufacturers to try to appeal to everyone, and asked how important social responsibility is to purchasing decisions. First, in terms of the overall response, the result was as follows: How important is a manufacturers social responsibility for you when choosing what car to buy? Almost half (48.1%) claimed that social responsibility was either very or quite important, with just over half (51.9%) claiming that it was not very or not at all important. Given the relatively small sample group for this research project, the difference is small enough to be statistically irrelevant, and broadly indicates a 50-50 split in terms of opinion on this subject. However, looking at the results in terms of an age-related breakdown results in a very different set of results: Importance of social responsibility of manufacturers, by age The data shows a clear depreciation of the importance of social responsibility for older consumers, although there is evidence of an increase for consumers in their 50s and above. In order to determine a link between awareness of social responsibility in the industry and the importance of social responsibility in purchasing decisions, the results from figures 4 and 6 were then combined: Importance, and awareness, of social responsibility in the car manufacturing industry There is clearly an inverse relationship between awareness of social responsibility as a factor in the industry, and belief in the importance of social responsibility. For example, younger people are most likely to believe that social responsibility is an important factor when making purchasing decisions, but are the least appreciative of any efforts that have so far been made. To an extent, this can be seen to be a matter of perception, but theres also clearly a problem for the industry in terms of persuading parts of the consumer base that its intentions are genuine. In order to measure the degree to which various manufacturers have succeeded in their aim of seeming more socially responsible, respondents were next asked whether they thought the industry had become more socially responsible over the past decade: Do you think the car industry has become more socially responsible over the past decade, less socially responsible, or it has stayed mostly the same? The vast majority of respondents believe there has been no real change, strongly suggesting that either the message from the manufacturers has not got through to the public, or that there is a deep level of cynicism in terms of whether the public believe that the rhetoric has translated into genuine action. Finally, respondents were given a range of options and were asked to indicate which they believed were most important in terms of social responsibility. They were asked to tick two or three options, with the aim being to allow them to indicate the elements of corporate social responsibility that were deemed most important: Most important elements of social responsibility Clearly, the vast majority of consumers overwhelmingly equate social responsibility with environmental issues. The only other factor to come close to this in terms of relevance was making donations to charitable causes, which to an extent also involves the environment. Social responsibility is not purely about the environment, and encompasses a range of other activities that can improve society. However, for the consumers canvassed for this research project, environmental issues were by far the most important, and its therefore possible to argue that the environment has overtaken all other elements of social responsibility and has become the single most important issue. Although manufacturers could fight against this perception and attempt to focus attention on other factors, the best approach might be to accept that when it comes to social responsibility, most consumers overwhelmingly focus on the environment. Case Study 1: General Motors (US) Background General Motors (GM) is the largest US car manufacturer, and the second largest in the world (after Toyota) (Trott, 2009). The company relies heavily on four key brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Each of these brands has a distinctive presence in the US market, but critics have argued that GM has lacked focus on the non-US markets, leaving it particularly vulnerable to domestic turmoil and economic volatility. In 1994, GM came close to bankruptcy following a $4.5bn loss, but cost-cutting measures and management changes ensured its survival. The company was one of the key instigators of the huge rise in sales for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in the 1990s, a trend that was highly lucrative for GM but which resulted in criticism from environmental campaigners. Between 1998 and 2001, GM and Ford vied for the top spot in the US market, primarily through massively increasing sales in the SUV market. However, the downturn which followed the September 11th 2001 attacks saw GM suff er particularly hard, even compared to Ford, with the latter at least having a strong European heartland on which to rely during difficult trading conditions in the US. Nevertheless, GM bounced back and by 2005 was recording strong sales figures and was eyeing major expansion into overseas markets. However, the recent economic crisis virtually crippled GM, as well as its two key domestic rivals, Ford and Chrysler. GM lost $38.7bn in the 2007 fiscal year (Wearden, 2009), and an almost 50% drop in sales. The following year, GM predicted that it would run out of money in mid-2009 without a substantial re-financing program, and called for government help. In November 2008, the company joined with Ford and Chrysler in formally requesting help from the US government in order to stave off bankruptcy. Even in the context of the financial crisis, this move was massive, since it represented the genuine possibility of the USs three major car companies going bust almost simultaneously. Although the US government, under outgoing president George W. Bush, was initially reluctant to provide money at a time when many other businesses also had legitimate claims for government help, in December 2008 a bridging loan was finally offered. Despite numerous attempts to cut costs and reorganise the co mpany over the next six months, in June 2009 GM filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. After Lehman Brothers, Worldcom and Washington Mutual, this was the fourth largest bankruptcy filing in US history. Eventually, on July 10th 2009, the US government helped to finance a new company, NGMCO Inc., that took on the majority of the old GM assets. The old GM changed its name to Motors Liquidation Company, and the new Vehicle Acquisition Holdings company changed its name to General Motors Company, thereby bringing GM back to life. The new version of GM is mostly owned by the US government, while the old GM Motors Liquidation Company continues to go through the process of the bankruptcy filing. Social Responsibility Both the old and the new GM have been involved in programs to emphasise their social responsibility. Since 1996, GM has financed the Safe Kids USA Buckle Up program, designed to encourage children to use seatbelts. The company has also contributed to a consortium that has donated over $1.2bn to fund education for engineering graduates, a scheme that has recently been extended worldwide. GM has also donated more than $200m in the past decade to charitable causes, and has supported both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates often simultaneously. The companys more recent philanthropic activities include a new global aid program (GM, 2009) and a number of smaller, local community projects designed to improve provisions mostly for children in areas surrounding the companys main factories. These projects have, for the most part, been maintained despite the continued financial uncertainty and the chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings that took place in mid-2009. GM has also launched a major program called I Am GM, designed to showcase the companys strong workplace diversity policies. The program involves placing adverts in newspapers and magazines, and on television, in which GM employees from different ethnic backgrounds talk about their pride in the company. As well as reinforcing the idea of GM as an equal opportunities, ethnically diverse employer, the campaign is designed to show how GM works towards engineering a higher degree of diversity in society. Linked to this program is the companys renewed focus on safety, which has seen not only improvements designed to help children in the event of an accident, but also high-profile campaigns to reinforce the companys vehicles in order to make them withstand bigger crashes. The Buckle Up program has been maintained, and GM has expanded this campaign since 2008 by taking the message to schools around the US. The company claims that corporate responsibility is about more than just words its an acknowledgement that our actions shape our reputation (GM, 2009). Environmentally-Friendly Technology During the 1990s, a number of scandals saw the company accused of poor environmental management, including an accusation that sediments have been stored in unsafe conditions. In 2006, GM was one of a number of manufacturers from around the world named in a suit brought by the State of California over the issue of pollution. The case was dismissed a year later, but the damage to GMs reputation had already been done. In 2008, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) ranked GM 18th on its list of the USs worst polluters, giving the company a toxic score of 73,248, set against the no. 1 polluter, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, which scored 285,661 (PERI, 2008). Meanwhile, in the same year, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) ranked GM 7th out of the worlds largest car manufacturers Managing Communications | Research Proposal Managing Communications | Research Proposal Taversha O’Connor Consulting Firm Business Profile Gilzene’s Consulting firm was founded in the year 1996 by Mr Desmond Gilzene who taught that the industry was lacking in a proper consulting firm. It is a Jamaican-based consulting organization specializing in business development, analysing existing and start-up businesses, creating solutions to problems, and helping small businesses to develop effective plans for meeting their goals. Our mission is to help people create innovative solutions and make informed choices to improve their lives. We motivate and encourage others to achieve their own personal and professional fulfilment. Our main aim is to cater to addressing our client’s issues in the most effective and efficient manner, we believe that our clients’ success is our success. Our consultants have proven experience in executing different projects in organization in the small business environment in Jamaica, some of such businesses includes; Denise Catering Services, Yanique’s House of Styles, Sherine’s Stocking depot, Jody’s Beauty Salon and many more. We offer our valued service for fifty four hours per week and operate from two branches in the rural and urban environment. Business profile Ramà ³n Fancy wear opens for business in the line of supplying the latest fashion in clothing and shoes. Our mission is to provide the most current and unique clothing from top designers around the world. Ramà ³n Fancy Wear is open for business from Monday to Saturday 9am-6pm. This store is located at 45 King Street Linstead where a total of twenty employees is employed in which five are cashiers; three are maintenance worker, eight sales representatives, two supervisors and two managers. Ramà ³n Fancy Wear provides the latest fashions in men, women and children clothing and footwear. However, with so many other similar businesses in the area it was noticed that the business sales profits are declining. Objectives This project seeks to: To understand how to assess information and knowledge To be able to create strategies to increase personal networking to widen the involvement in the decision-making process To develop communication processes and improve systems relating to information and knowledge Methodology Up on conducting this research, various methods will be used. These methods include; qualitative, quantitative, primary and secondary research methods. A quantitative research is explaining phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analysed using mathematical based methods (in particular statistics). With quantitative research it gives a degree of accuracy and more specific answer can be provided (Muijs, 2011). This method will be used when conducting the questionnaires for this research. This research will also take a qualitative approach. According to Hennink et al (2011), a qualitative research is an approach that allows you to examine people’s experiences in detail, by using a specific set of research methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups discussions, observation, content analysis, visual methods, and life histories or biographies. The main distinctive feature of a qualitative research is that the approach allows you to identify issues from the perspective of your study participants, and understand the meaning and interpretations that they give to behaviour, events or objects. The research will also operate from a secondary method as well. Secondary information consists of sources of data and other information collected by others and archived in some form. These sources include government reports, industry studies, archived data sets, and syndicated information services as well as the traditional books and journals found in libraries and the internet as well. Secondary information offers relatively quick and inexpensive answers to many questions and is almost always the point of departure for primary research. Literature Review Communication is the process of transferring information from a sender to a receiver with use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood by both the sender and receiver. It is a process that allows organisms to exchange information by several methods (what is communication, 2004). From a business perspective, effective communication an absolute must, because it commonly accounts for the difference between success and failure or profit or loss. It has become clear that effective business communication is critical to the successful operation to modern enterprise. Every business person needs to understand the fundamentals of effective communication; it is the most critical component of total quality management. It has been proven that poor communication reduces quality, weakens productivity and eventually leads to anger and a lack of trust among individuals within the organization (Sanchez, 2014). Knowledge has a strong effect on the organization. According to Denning 2009, knowledge is the ideas or understandings which an entity possesses that are used to take effective action to achieve the entity’s goals. Knowledge management is the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. Most often, generating value from such assets involves codifying what employees, partners and customers know, and sharing that information among employees, departments and even with other companies in an effort to devise best practices (Levinson, 2014). Improving information management practices is a key focus for many organizations, across both the public and private sectors. This is being driven by a range of factors, including a need to improve the efficiency of business processes, the demands of compliance regulations and the desire to deliver new services (Robertson, 2005). Problem solving and decision-making are important skills for business and life. Problem-solving often involves decision-making, and decision-making is essentially important for management and leadership. There are processes and techniques to improve decision making and the quality of decisions. Problem-solving and decision-making are closely linked, and each requires creativity in identifying and developing options, for which the brainstorming technique is particularly useful. Good decision-making requires a mixture of skills: creative development and identification of options, clarity of judgement firmness of decision, and effective implementation (problem –solving and decision-making, 2010). References what is communication. 2004.n/a. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.only-effective-communication-skills.com/what-is-communication.html. [Accessed 15 February 14]. nick sanchez. 2014.n/a. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.web.njit.edu/~lipuma/352comproc/comproc.htm. [Accessed 15 February 14]. steve denning. 2009.n/a. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.stevedenning.com/knowledgemanagement/what-is-knowledge.aspx. [Accessed 15 February 14]. meridith Levinson. 2014.n/a. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.m.cio.com/article/40343/knowledge_management_definition__and_solutions. [Accessed 15 February 14]. james robertson. 2005.n/a. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_effectiveim/index.html. [Accessed 15 February 14]. prolem-solving and decision-making. 2010.n/a. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.businessballs.com/problemsolving.html. [Accessed 15 February 14].