Legalizing the Use of Drugs

Many feel today we are losing the war on drugs. When a battle goes to the point where there is no winner, there needs to be a re-evaluation of how to solve the problem. In the case of the war against drugs, years of fighting have caused increased crime, overcrowding of prisons, and the wasted use of money and resources with no results. It is now time to look at alternative methods to solve the nation's drug problem. Although, legalization will increase use of the drug a majority of use will be by those who already use drugs not by new comers who might only try it once out of curiosity. Proof of this can be found in Holland when in 1970 the government legalized the use of marijuana for adults. The legalization of illicit drugs has proved that just because a drug is made legal it does not mean it will cause a rapid rise and abuse by society (Friedman). However, many supporters of continuing the prohibition of drugs believe that by legalizing drugs they will become more accessible and use will therefore increase. They base this argument on past experiments dealing with alcohol prohibition. After the end of prohibition with the 21st amendment, alcohol consumption doubled, while prohibition decreased use by 50 percent (Light). Another example can be found in Liverpool, England. After a recent legalization of drugs in a regulatory program that focuses on the medical benefits of drugs, most drug pushers there left town because there was no longer a market for them. This shows that legalization actually decreases use because of the increased emphasis on rehabilitation and the decrease of drug pushers. Such a dramatic decrease in drug dealers has not only resulted in crime reduction in England but there has also been a decrease of drug use. It is true, legalization will not eliminate the major cause of violent crime; however, most arguments, that say that drug legalization will not decrease crime, deal with the idea that most violent crimes occur as a result of alcohol use. If this is true, legalization will not effect crime that is alcohol related but it will decrease violent crime that is linked to drug dealing and use. The drugs themselves may not cause violent crime, but people involved in the distributing of illicit drugs commit the deadliest crime. By legalizing drugs the dealer would be eliminated and therefore crime would be reduced. Granted, the overall cost of drug use would not decrease; however, supporters of the continued war on drug and the further prohibition of these drugs say that legalization would cost more both socially and economically. They say that legalization would result in increased use and eventually will mean an increase in deaths with. Another result they say will be the decay of family values as a result of increased drug using mothers and children. Actually, the legalization of drugs will put money, which is used for law enforcement into the construction of better rehabilitation and education programs. Education is an essential element in this proposal because through education the problem will find a better than merely covering it up behind jail bars. Economically, for every dollar spent on drug treatment there is a $7 return due to decreased criminal activity. Through the regulation and supervision of the distribution of marijuana, there would be no increases in the number of drug-addicted newborns, nor will it induce the deterioration of society. Thus the overall cost of drug use would decrease and would bring new revenue for our nation. After looking at and knowing the pro and cons of marijuana legalization, I have decided that it is a valid and necessary solution to our country†s drug problem. By implementing such a program the American population can use its money and resources to combat the problem through rehabilitation and education instead of stalling the problem through the legal system. Legalization will decrease violent crime associated with drug dealers; it will decrease the number of users and will lower the wasteful cost, which is connected with the current system. Such legalization will not destroy our youth in any way, because the drugs will only be accessible to adults in the country. If we continue with our current system we will never solve the problem. Drug dealers and addicts will continue to crowd our prisons and plague our streets with violent crime with no hope for help and a better future.

Family Drama

Living with family is similar to living to living in the royal palace. There is always going to be guards watching over you’re every move, and certain standards you need to live up to. You will enjoy the luxury of an elegant house, clean laundry and slightly bigger budget, but it will slightly defer from the king and queen realm. It will affect every detail of your life, right down to the way you talk, the food you eat, how often your friends can visit and how much freedom you have. You will quickly discover that if your sovereign isn’t happy you’re not going to be happy either. I recently graduated from high Scholl, got a job, and started saving up some money for college. I decided to move in with my parents, and what I have learnt is that its good being around family, but it’s never a good idea to live in with family. I get no respect from my parents. They treat me as if I’m still in high school, or should I say elementary school. My mom talks to me any how she pleases, no matter where we are , or, who is around. Last month was my birthday, so I decided to invite a few friends over just to chill and have a good time. Hoping that my parents would leave so I could have the house for myself, they decided to hang around. It was so awkward for me. My dad he just came and sat in the living room watching the TV, even thou they have one in there room. My mom kept complaining about the type of music I was playing. After a while my mom started butting in people’s conversation and disrespecting my friends telling them how they aren’t good enough to hang with me and how much of a dirt bag they are. I was so embarrassed. She was so disrespectful, I don’t know if they don’t want me to have a social life or they just like being mean to me. As expected living under someone else’s roof can be quite a challenge, especially if they are close family. I am a single child so you can imagine how hard it if for me to have any privacy what so ever. I really felt cross the line the other day when my mom decided to open my mail. I ordered some condom and other such items online with my own money( of course, which goes without saying) my mother couldn’t stand that I had any mail coming in or anything that she didn’t know what it was, so what does she do, she opened it. Then she judgmentally confronted me about them. I shocked embarrassed and very angry about that violation of my privacy. I should not have been surprised, this kind of things are typical for my mother she just like to be all up in my business. The clothes I wear, the food I eat, the color of my room, where I go, how I got there and people I hang with, these are just a few things that your parents have control over when you’re a child, but as you grow older they still seems to want to maintain that control. It is difficult for them to adjust to that and thus causes a lot of conflict. My friends and I decided to dress up as sexy doctors and fire fighters for Halloween, just to change up from what we normally do each year. The biggest sin in the eyes of my parents to be sexy. We had a big argument, because I was determine to wear what I wanted to, not only because it was what we had plan, but also a way of proving to my parents that I’m grown and can do whatever I can. My dad decided that if I left the house looking like a â€Å"hooker† I’m not to set foot back in his house, I didn’t even think of the after effect of it all I just back my stuff. As a I was about to leave, he decided to grab my stuff, I was so mad I push him and he slap me in the face. We started fighting and my mom called the police. Luckily no one went to jail, but we were warned. I love my dad and I didn’t mean for things to get out of control like that. All that could have been avoided if I was living on my own. Relatively speaking, as a child growing up, I enjoy living with my parents, they were my best friends, but as a bird grows older they have to leave the nest. In order to have a good social life and worry free about what you do and how you to it, its better to

A History of Happiness

The concept of happiness is one that causes controversies, some says it doesn’t exist and others revere it. In this particular case one can read the facts of this phenomenon on the article A History of Happiness. In this article is recounted how the view of happiness has changed with time. Furthermore, it is compared one against the other. It is mentioned how linguistics shows the happiness as the human kind seeks being well and how this relates to our concept of it. â€Å"Every Indo-European language without exception going way back to ancient Greek, the word for happiness is associated with the word luck†.It is quite credible this assumption as the author gives examples. This leads one to appreciate the way the ancient viewed happiness. For them it was given not obtained, it â€Å"was what happened to us†. Also it was believed blindly that it was utterly out of human hands. Therefore, the Classical philosophy main aim was concentrated on happiness and some of t he most known ancient philosophers focused on it. Although, their view was that happiness could be earned. Moreover, it was thought that it was â€Å"an outcome of moral comportment† rather than an emotional state. So only a few would be able to achieve it.As an antithesis of the ancient view, the modern type of happiness was transformed as right. Thomas Jefferson declares it to be a â€Å"self-evident truth† while George Mason speaks of the chase and obtain of happiness as a â€Å"natural endowment†. In this manner, gives a democratic view of the concept. Which lead to an open abhorrent of any kind of oligarchy towards what it should be had by mankind. Then we have John Locke, an English philosopher, who said that human â€Å"shouldn’t assume that suffering is our natural lot†. Also, that one should maximize one’s pleasure on Earth. Hence we acquire the belief of feeling good above being good.There’s a darker side to everything and h appiness is not the exception. This new perspective make people believe that it can be acquired and â€Å"consumed† rather a well lived life. In this way it makes one think that it should be had all the time without any kind of effort. However science’s discoveries tell otherwise, they believe that some of the ancient views should be kept. This serves as a counter to the obsession the right of happiness has brought. People think if they’re not in happiness they are abnormal and it leads them to search for it in a non- materialistic happiness.Therefore it’s no wonder church’s are replete. The newly acquired knowledge serves me to further explain my standpoint about the phenomenon. People become slaves of an ideal which it utterly nuts and in the end human don’t evolve from emotional frame of mind and therefore doesn’t invite to critical thinking. I found this excerpt quite interesting, by that I mean it left me unsatisfied. It served i ts purpose, to leave unsatisfied and thirsty the reader. I admire his courage for actually speaking of the unspeakable, as it dares one to actually entails our beliefs and actually approach the whys of it.

Industrial Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Industrial - Research Paper Example This would be a very secure measure if in fact the key was not simply placed inside the top drawer of the desk. The key is not labeled, but anyone who found it could easily deduce that it would be to unlock the file cabinet. This is a breakdown of the original control measure for this workstation. The workstation also has displays of important phone numbers and contact information for staff members within our department. These are posted on the walls of the cubicle within the workstation and are easily used to reference who to contact and what phone numbers and email addresses to contact them at. The company logo is also placed on the monitor and CPU of the computer in the workstation to show ownership as well as institute a sense of pride for the company. Therefore, the logo in this circumstance is also considered to be a symbol for the company and the workstation. This logo is always made available on all documents and equipment; hence, the logo is also printed on a sticker which i s found on the top of the printer in the workstation. Overall, the workstation is equipped to perform the functions that are desired by the company and its supervisors. References Understanding internal controls. (2009). Retrieved from http:// www.ucop.edu/ctlacct/under-ic.pdf

Preventing Fraud, Waste, and abuse Simulation Essay

Preventing Fraud, Waste, and abuse Simulation - Essay Example The outcome of a simulation is difficult to determine especially in terms of benefits and the cost since most of the ocassio0ns that call for its applications are very challenging and may involve a long-term use. A range of motivating forces and execution machinery can be expected to push simulation forward, together with professional societies, legal responsibility insurers, medical care payers, and in due course the general public. The prospects of simulation in healthcare fully rely on the dedication and resourcefulness of the healthcare simulation community to see that enhanced patient well-being by means of this instrument becomes a reality. With the increased federal and state government expenditure on health care each year, the concerns of fraud and abuse also increase. A lot of money has been lost to fraud and abuse allegations with CMS estimating about 15 to 25 US dollars per year in Medicaid fraud and close to 1.1 US dollars were recovered in 2005 in false health care claims. It is with this in mind that all pharmacies have been called upon to safeguard any possible abuse, fraud, and waste. It is the obligation of any company to protect itself against fraud, abuse, and waste and try to eliminate it completely. Several companies have put in place some policies and procedures that are used to fight fraud, abuse, and waste. It’s the obligation of every employee of an organization to put a stop to fraud, abuse, and waste, failure to do so may result in the following; For individual involvement in either of the scandals, the repercussions include disciplinary actions that may even call for job termination. It is, therefore, necessary that everybody in the company is conversant with the knowledge of fraud which include how to identify fraud and abuse, prevention, and reporting of abuse and fraud.

Author Richard Wilbur Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Author Richard Wilbur Poem - Essay Example We need to appreciate too that the earlier quotation continues to note that the "beautiful things" "if they had not been in you would have had no being at all." and The charms of the material world are the work of God too, and this is what Wilbur explores in the poem. It amounts, as the critic Paul Cummin says, to "a civilized man quietly and honestly acknowledging the beauty of the world and of the human spirit" (Cummin, 39). The situation posed at the beginning of the poem is a bewildering mixture of the comic and the exalted. We are asked to imagine someone waking in the morning, and in the half-conscious state seeing the washing on the line as a flight of angels. The "pulley" which hoists the washing line also drags open the eyes of the sleeper, whose soul would prefer to remain in the unsullied world of dreams. This is the first example of Wilbur's subtle use of words both literally (the pulley on the washing line) and metaphorically (suggesting the effort involved in bringing the eyes to focus on the material world rather than the spiritual). ... Yet laughter is denied by the solemnity and serenity of the diction. The sleeper is "spirited from sleep", as if awakening is a metaphysical experience. The soul is "astounded", perhaps by the abruptness of things and the sudden confrontation with the heavenly. It stands outside the body for a moment, literally in ecstasy, "bodiless and simple", facing the awe-inspiring, and beginning to delight in its freedom from the merely physical. It is a moment of exaltation; the morning is "awash" with angels - a pun, surely, which again puzzles our responses. Nor is the comic/serious collision brought to a quick and safe end. The angels now appear dressed in "bed-sheets blouses smocks" as the washing flaps on the line. The surging motion makes it appear that "they are rising together in calm swells", ecstatic and miraculous movements, appropriate to celestial beings "of halcyon feeling", hinting at the miraculous bird of myth which could charm the winds and the waters. The motion looks as if they are expressing "the deep joy of their impersonal breathing", the joy of those who live in Elysium, whose personalities no longer plague them, and whose breathing reminds us of the origins of the word "spirit". The metaphorical/literal balance continues even further, as the "angels" who are "really" washing seem, as angels should, to be "flying in space", moving at "terrible speed" and being "omnipresent". Their miraculous ability to move at great speed and yet remain in the same place is like "white water". And finally the wind dies and they "swo on down", and the illusion (if that is what it was) is gone. "The soul shrinks", as it realizes that the physical cannot really be ignored or escaped. The critic Peter

Abraham Lincoln View of slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abraham Lincoln View of slavery - Essay Example Lincoln in his speech in Illinois termed slavery as unjust and morally wrong. He confessed both privately and in public that he hated slavery, even though he was quiet about it for a long time. Lincoln also believed that all people were against slavery, insisted and maintained a view against it. Besides, he never regretted his words either did he take them back because slavery was not right. He also came out clear giving his view that he was not an abolitionist. His problem was the current constitution that never factored in the term slavery all the clauses that gave protection to the institution. He alluded that there was a need to abolish slavery and consider slaves as equal members of the United States. Abraham argued that both the black and white were equal. Therefore, they were entitled to equal opportunities and benefit to improve their lives making slavery was unfair.Therefore, the debate on the issue of slavery was among one of the questions that triggered the civil war both in the Western and Northern states as they fought to protect the union. However, at the same time the South states struggled to gain its independence under its constitution. Conversely, the South agrarian protected their slaves to take care of their large plantations and help in other tasks that they required. During the civil war, more Africans worked in the south offering labor. They contributed significantly to the South economy because they worked and at the same time, they were sold to pay debts.

Cross National Perspectives on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross National Perspectives on Education - Essay Example to one thing; that since it determines our lives to great extents, then the quality of our lives is directly dependent on the quality of education we get exposed to. This study text will analyze education issues on a cross-national perspective by comparing education in the United Kingdom and Japan while focussing on dominant affecting factors such as the cultural, political, and educational contexts. There exist broad parities of issues critical in determining cross-national perspectives and international education. Internationalized education may refer to transcend of national borders by one in seeking for cross-border education, and again, it may refer to the preparation of scholars to be active contributors to the interconnected globe (Wiseman 2005, p.6). Either of these definitions is driven by different values such as international communities, globalisation, market economies, and the profile of finance to mention but a few. In a collective perspective, education is in most cases driven by internal affairs which remain the duty of authorities at institutional levels such as the government (OECD 2003, p.62). In a governmental context, this will be further determined by factors which construct the ability of the government’s influence which is solely its economic performance, thus its profile of finance. Governments understand that low quality education frustrates the strides of applying education as a boost for economic development and growth, and this would in the end lead to an underperforming state in this highly globalized instant of time (Eicher & Bailey 2002, p.32). Therefore in enhancing the goals of education, governments are one, redefining the traditional approaches of providing educational. These include financial increment and providing measurable educational behaviours, competencies, knowledge, and skills. In addition, and most importantly, depicting much interest in achieving education that can be weighed at international and cross-national

Biographyinterview of Lesbian or bisexual or queer woman, or Essay

Biographyinterview of Lesbian or bisexual or queer woman, or trasgender individual - Essay Example I have recently shifted to Holland for pursuing my postgraduate diploma in women empowerment at Mastricht University Holland. Aisha. Up to the age of 16 years I did not know much about my sexuality. My mother had told me only one story about my sexuality. When I was just a few months old my father wanted to have my circumcision. Aisha. Yes. But in Africa some families go for the female circumcisions also. They want to curb the sexual desire of girls by doing that. I don't clearly remember how was I saved from the circumcision. But I really hated that idea. Aisha. My mother put me in a female hostel during my late two years i.e. 1983-1984 in high school. I had to live with a single senior girl Sumaira who stated sharing bed with me. She took a lot care about me and I felt she fell in love with me. I became found of her in a few days. I remember after week or so we used to rush in the evening for bed and locked our room from inside. First time she unclothed herself before and took me in her arms. This was an unusual and fascinating experience for me. She kissed me and pampered me all over my body. I felt my self in havens. It took me only minutes to unclothe myself and did every thing for her, she asked me. I clearly remember my first experience with sex when I slept so deep that next morning I was very fresh and happy. Only a women knows, I believe, what a sex of a woman is. Then this thing became a regular habit till she left for another college and left me thirsty for a while. But within a month I came to know that there were a few o ther who used to enjoy this in groups, I joined them. X. Then what happened to you after high school Aisha. I joined the university and I always asked my self-different question on my sexuality. Why is homosexuality considered so bad in our society Why does our society reject it at the outset And why social stigmas attached with it X. How and what did you find the answers Aisha. I joined a counseling class in gender studies. Our teacher who was a Nigerian scholar was herself a divorcee and a staunch liberal feminist. She explained that the men dominate heterosexual society. Man is inherently cruel and macho. He always looks at the woman as a commodity and considers woman as an object of enjoyment. So the homosexual women live within themselves. They don't need man either. The social stigmas associated with lesbianism, are all man made. They need to defend their arena of enjoyment. Women need to be empowered at every level. Woman needs to be emancipated in society. X. Then why and how you decided to lesbianism as a choice for sex. Aisha. Linda, an elegant blond, blued eyed Dutch girl met with me at a seminar. We had some chat at sex issues. I don't know. Really I don't know. But she changed my life. I am sure, we too humans were seeking each other from havens. I fell in love with her. She romanticized this relation. This is all because of her. I did my master from Holland. I joined Oxfam. I am feminist. Today we live together. I am proud of her. She told me the real love in my life. X. What are

Review of The augmented CAPM Literature Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Of The augmented CAPM - Literature review Example was criticized by various authors and a new augmented CAPM was devised in order to take systematic risk into account while investing in stock market and completely ignore the unsystematic risk. This augmented CAPM is accurate for applying in the Hong Kong market and thus, its validity is checked through this literature (Hearn, n. d.). Asset pricing models are defined as frameworks that are devised for identifying and measuring risk. The models also identify the rewards that are attached with risk bearing. The theories attached to the models helps in realizing reasons for expected returns on the government bonds to be less than that on the stocks. It also assists in developing idea behind two stocks with different expected returns. The change in expected returns over time is also explained through this model (Hearn, n. d.; Huang, Yang and Hu, 2000). The basic premises of asset pricing model are that the investor’s desires for higher expected returns. The investors do not like to take risk and hold diversified portfolios so that the risk is distributed in different sectors. The models also specify fair rate of return for particular asset. The information regarding rate of return is very crucial for taking any investment decision for corporations who evaluate projects and the formation of portfolios for inves tors. The theories related to models helps in characterizing the risk of a project or acquisition and also examine the discount rate associated with the risk. The asset pricing model was first developed by Sharpe (1964) and Lintner (1965). However, there had been lot of advancement in asset pricing for the past 35 years. The progress was important for understanding the issues encountered while implementing asset pricing models in any emerging market. So, this model should be followed and also modified over time, while investment situation changes due to several challenges. The first asset pricing theory is known as Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) developed

The part of the film Essay Example for Free

The part of the film Essay In the opening scene of the film there is an important camera shot going on, a point of view shot of a creature flying over the water, which eventually leads into a and if you listen very carefully you can hear a drum beat that could relate to a heart beat, this could make the audience become jumpy or scared because it could make them feel as if they were there. That camera shot is effective because it begins to involve the audience. The camera shot continues over the water and up until you have a point of view of Santa Carla and the rides, because it is night time have is a slight horror element because most villains and monsters get their prey at night. Straight after that we go into a close up of David and his gang and the people he fights with on the carousal, this is when we get our first glance of who David is and makes the audience ask questions like, Is that the vampire? When David attacks the man on the carousel we get to see what he is going to be like throughout the film. In the camera shot after this we can hear flapping and laughing of the creatures suggesting that it is a vampire of some sort. This part of the film, this would make the audience jumpy because it goes from a close up on the guard to show his fear and a point of view shot from the creature to show its getting closer. When the creatures finally get the guard we see the door been ripped off and screaming of the guard, the cameras very cleverly disguise is to the audience can not see what is been ripped apart. This would build tension because the audience would want to known what is happening and what the monster is meaning they will have to wait until further in the film. The camera shots that are filmed in the day part of the scene also bring the horror element to the film. At the very start of the day scene it is a similar camera shot to the start of the night scene, due to it looking like a point of view shot over the water, yet again. When entering into Santa Carla on the back of the welcome sign it says Welcome to the murder capital of the world in a red paint. This is a moment of iconography because the colour red is the same colour as blood and gore. At this time the Mother says I know what we have been through over the last couple of years. This is ironic because of what has happened so far suggests that this will not be much different from what they have had before. All the characters in the car are completely oblivious about it and do not know what will happen and what is happening. During the next scene we get a camera shot of a close up, on the people of Santa Carla with inter cut ups of missing posters suggesting that Santa Carla is a weird place going with that and the weird people. This shows quickly that Santa Carla is a weird place and has some strange problems. That part of the film links to the song that is going on at this point, People are strange, the part of the film fits in with the song because the people of Santa Carla are actually acting very strange.

Women and Politics Essay Example for Free

Women and Politics Essay There is no doubt that over the years, men have been dominating politics of most countries in the world. But it doesn’t mean they did splendid job in what they are suppose to do? Politics has never been an easy place for any man who supposedly can’t even handle political landscape at home. Family of course. Today, most countries in the world face problems of democracy, justice, equality, social problems arising from bad governance of those in corridor of power who are mostly men. Having failed to provide good governance, when come to think of it, there is nothing wrong if women who are noted to be caring, concern, and responsible are given more chances in government for possible change in the ‘status quo. Should a woman involve in politics have always been subject of controversy over the years. But among other political posts today few women are already presidents of countries and senators, assembly members, and councilors . Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (Argentina), Dilma Rousseff (Brazil) and Joyce Banda (Malawi)- presidents of representative countries have proven that woman can own a place on the top of political settings. Woman have been viewed weak and are less interested or less knowledgeable about politics than men. Perhaps this is why women feel removed from the current political process. If women see that politics remains a men-only club then they are far less likely to participate and to put themselves forward. If they see a women leader in the political settings, it encourages them to vote, to campaign and to engage in politics. Many women cannot participate in politics because they are held back by factors such as violence, poverty, lack of access to quality education and health care, the double burden of paid and unpaid work. And because of these obstacles, we are losing a lot of good women leaders and countries and people are suffering from their absence. This is why it is so important to actively promote women’s political participation, including through affirmative measures, as appropriatee. Women’s participation is fundamental to democracy and essential to the achievement of sustainable development and peace. To show that countries with women’s leadership in the corporate sector results in improved business performance. And we know that countries with more women in parliament tend to have more equitable laws and social programmes and budgets that benefit women and children and families. In 1911, women were allowed to vote in just two countries in the world. Today, a century later, that right is virtually universal. All over the world, the cries for democracy are being amplified through new technology. With mobile phones, thanks to companies like Nokia and others, and twitter and facebook, women are making their voices heard, and there can be no real democracy without women’s full and equal participation. In every country and in every region, women want their voices to be heard. Given the challenges that we face today, we need the best leaders we can find, and many of these leaders are women. Women bring their own insights and perspectives, and diversity improves decision-making. Women tend not to be so concerned by institutional arrangements and big numbers, and focus instead on particular issues and how they affect their families. But one thing politicians know for certain is that we can only win elections if we win the support of female voters. If we look at the policy changes in paid maternity leave and family-friendly working hours, the huge increases in spending on health care and education, and the minimum wage, we can see radical change benefiting women.

Strategies Undertaken By Coca Cola Marketing Essay

Strategies Undertaken By Coca Cola Marketing Essay This report involves a brief description of strategic and comparative advantage. It also involves different kinds of strategies under taken by Coca Cola Company that have led it to be one of worlds market leaders compared to other multi-national companies. The strategic and comparative bases of advantage discussed based. The item that shall be looked is coca cola marketing strategy that has been developed for years and based on situations. The marketing strategy shall involve advertising, market segmentation, Equity investment and Branding. Though these strategies seem to be common in other companies either local or international, Coca-Cola Company implements them in a special way. Consumer market fit: There is a third fit relationship that occurs, fit between consumer and market. This involves the needs and behaviors of consumers under certain market conditions such as specific price points. This relationship between consumer drives and market forces often has direct effect on brand choice. For example a brand might be considered as a good choice to fulfill a particular need or behavior at a particular price that the consumer is prepared to pay, while another brand might not be considered as a good choice for specific combination of need, behavior and price point. The company sets strategies so that it can outperform rivals and it can only do that by establishing a difference in delivering great value to customers or by creating comparable values at a lower cost or do both. Delivering greater value allows a company to charge a high average unit prices and efficiency results into lower average unit costs. All differences between companies in cost or price is derived from hundreds sets of activities required to create, produce, sell and deliver their products or services such as calling on customers, assembling final products and training employees (Porter, 1996) Comparative basis of advantage Deardorff, A. (2003, p. 6) defined Comparative Advantage as the relative cheapness of a good or service in a country that enables that country to export it. More precisely, a country has a comparative advantage in the good whose price in the absence of trade (autarky), relative to other goods in the same country, is lower than the relative price of that same good on world markets. Ricardian Model states that countries have comparative advantage in goods whose labor cost, relative to other goods in the same country, is lower than the relative labor cost of that good abroad. Therefore countries are said to have comparative advantage in a good if its labor requirements are relative to the labor requirement abroad. Ricardian model outlines two theoretical implications of Comparative Advantage and these are: firstly if countries are permitted to trade freely then they are undistorted markets and competitive, they will export the good or goods in which they have comparative advantage and import those in which they have comparative disadvantage, secondly under the same conditions, all countries will gain from trade, in the sense that those individuals who gain from trade within each country will gain enough that they could potentially fully compensate those individuals who lose, within the same country, and still remain better off than in autarky(Deardolff,2003). Business overview Coca-Cola is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of concentrated syrup which is used for the production of non-alcoholic beverages. The company has a span of operations covering over 200 countries since its inception in 1886. It has an annual net income of 6.8 billion and employs the services of around 92,400 associates throughout its operations worldwide (Coca-Cola annual report, 2009). Advertising Advertising can be defined as as any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services through mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor (Kotler et al, 2008 p.737). Advertising is a practical way of informing and persuasion as well as a means of stimulating response from a target audience. The response could be perceptual where the consumer develops, believes or views about the product or it could be behavioural where the consumer purchases the product or increases his purchases of the product in question (Kotler et al, 2008). Advertising is a process which gives information to the public about the product. It is persuasive, controlled, and identifiable as well as influences the target audience. The basic objective of advertising is to increase sales volume and profit. We shall look at several types of advertising which runs hand in hand with the advertising objectives. Informative advertising appears at the early stages of a particular product and is meant to develop the primary demand of the customers. Persuasive advertising is applicable at the competitive stage where a selective demand is built for a particular category of product (Kummer and Mittar, 2008). Comparison advertising is used to establish the superiority of a particular brand through the use of evaluation with one or more other brands in the product line. Reminder advertising is used to refresh the memory of the consumer regarding messages, ideas etc of a particular product. Reinforcement advertising is used to assure the current buyers that they made the right choice regarding their decision to buy the product. The advertising objective should not be arbitrary but should be developed after a thorough evaluation of the current market situation (Kummer and Mittar, 2008). Coca Cola advertising Advertising is a major element of the promotion mix. Personal selling, sales promotion, publicity and advertising are the four elements of the promotion mix. Advertising has been thought of as the best method of promotion because it stimulates sales, creates demand and reaches customer quickly and effectively (Kummer and Mittar, 2008). Coca-Cola has over the years consolidated its leadership position as the worlds most famous and largest beverage company with huge investments in advertising targeted at its existing and potential consumers worldwide. Coca-Cola works in partnership with leading advertising agencies and market research institutes the world over to develop effective advertising campaigns that conforms to current trends in information technology like the use of internet based mediums like face book and twitter to connect with technology loving target audience (Coca-Cola annual report, 2009). The successful advertising strategies used by Coca-Cola over the years in their operations shall be analysed.( Wieden and Kennedy,1996 ) an advertising agency that worked in partnership with Coca-Cola for the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta Georgia came up with four main advertising strategies designed for Coca-Cola for the summer games namely: a home based strategy, a fan based strategy, a global growth strategy and the Olympic torch relay. The home based strategy used by coke was primarily as a result of the fact that Atlanta is the main headquarters of Coca-Cola and so people in Atlanta would readily identify with the brand since they are well familiar with it. Coca-Cola launched several advertisements for the games which include installing 70 new billboards, several street-pole banners and signs in 9 Marta stations (the citys public transportation system). Coca-Cola created a theme park known as the Coca-Cola Olympic city with countless different coke advertisements including a 165 feet coke bottle in the canter of the park (Wieden and Kennedy, 1996). The companys signature colour red was the main colour seen throughout the Coca-Cola Olympic city. Coca-Cola deviated from the traditional practice of using athletes for advertising for the games to focus instead on a fan-based strategy where commercials, print advertisements and posters where used to demonstrate the difference made to the outcome of the games by the enthusiasm of the fans. Coca-Cola used the games as a global growth strategy used to target the worldwide audience tuned in for the games. Coca-Cola also used one of the most efficient strategies for gaining exposure in advertising history which is the sponsoring of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic torch relay (Wieden and Kennedy, 1996). The impact of Coca-colas advertisements during the Olympics was so immense that people dubbed the event the Coca-Cola Olympics. The event served as a means for the company to effectively advertise its brand to a worldwide audience. In 2003, Coca-Cola used the marketing platform tagged real to enhance the image of the brand through the use of television advertisements. This particular advertising strategy was specifically targeted for the teenagers and young adults with resounding success. In the same year, the tropical sprite remix television advertisements which was intended to increase and reconnect the sprite trademark was also targeted at the young, urban consumer base (Coca-Cola annual report, 2003). In 2006, the make every drop count advertising in the United States was purposely designed to create awareness among consumers on the health benefits of Coca-colas beverage portfolio in a response to growing concerns by consumers regardless of age on health concerns like calorie intake and obesity. The coke side of life campaign which was the first ever integrated marketing campaign for trademark Coca-Cola was intended to signify the unifying role of Coca-Cola in daily life and has performed better than previous Coca-Cola advertisements and was launched in almost 100 markets in 2006 with great success. The happiness factory television commercial is part of this global campaign (Coca-Cola annual report, 2006). In 2009, Coca-Cola commenced the design for advertisement strategies to be used for the 2010 Fifa world cup campaign which included colourful television advertisements for the soccer fiesta in South Africa in 2010 as a means of uniting Coca-colas exuberance with the worldwide love of soccer thereby utilizing the soccer fiesta as a veritable means of connecting with consumers worldwide who have immense passion for the love of football (Coca-Cola annual report, 2009). Coca-Cola develops its advertising campaigns based on a communications strategy that uses means to end research to gain greater insight of current and potential customers and other factors like product attributes, keeping specific marketing goals in mind, taking into account competitive advertising and positioning as well gaining attention and interest by connecting with real needs(Reynolds and Olsen,2008) Market segmentation Market segmentation has been described as essential to marketing(Sheth 1967).Market segmentation implies the division of large heterogeneous markets into smaller segments that can be reached more efficiently and effectively with products and services that match their unique needs(Kotler et al, 2008 .p.410) There is no single way to segment a market. A marketer apparently has to try different segmentation variables alone or in combination in order to come up with how best to view the market. Markets could be segmented into either business markets or consumer markets. Consumer markets entail those markets that deal on products and services that are used directly by the consumers whereas business markets have to do with transfer of products and services from one point to the other. Market segmentation could be based on the following major variables: demographic, psychographic, behavioural, geographic etc. Demographic segmentation entails segmenting the market based on age, gender, income and education. Psychographic segmentation is based on personality, lifestyle and motives of the population involved. Geographic entails segmenting the market on the basis of regions, city or country. Behavioural involves segmenting the market on benefits sought, product usage, price sensibility or situations (Kotler et al, 2008). Coca cola market segmentation Coca Cola Company has been conquering markets worldwide overtime, through its network of Bottlers, distributers and whole sellers, and later joint ventures. The market network has grown to include most of the world territories and this market has been divided into market segments. Coca-Cola the worlds most famous and leading beverage company has been shown in their operations to vary the sweetness level of their product, its size as well as effervescence on local conditions and preferences which implies that the company employs the use of behavioural and geographical variables in their market segmentation strategies the world over (Hart et al,2008). Coca-Cola Company has operating segments on continental basis involving Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and the pacific areas. This strategy is clearly a geographical approach in terms of market segmentation by Coca-Cola which is influenced by the fact that these different geographical areas will have diverse preferences and wants (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). Coca-Cola market segmentation strategies regarding diverse consumers base starts with a process of understanding consumer trends within the multicultural marketplace and then developing depth and breath communications which is based on that knowledge. The Coca-Cola Company has a diversity business development team which serves the purpose of providing diverse consumers with the right beverage portfolio. In 2009, the diversity business development team worked closely with the multicultural marketing team to develop marketing strategies as well as integrating multicultural elements into general market programmes for greater reach (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). The diversity business development team during this period also identified significant opportunities in emerging markets including Asian and disabled consumers. The Asian consumers were subsequently integrated into the existing framework of communications. Coca- colas multicultural consumer marketing team develops and carries out relevant marketing plans targeted at multicultural consumers while working closely with brand and customer teams as well as the bottling system. Coca-Cola North America had their multicultural consumer marketing team refocused on African-American marketing as well as expanded its reach to Hispanic consumers (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). The company is now in the process of implementing a long term strategy targeted at consumer markets on the basis of ethnicity in the United States. Coca-Cola in North Americas operating segment reported in 2009 positive results in its works with its bottling partners to create price and package strategies that will ultimately strengthen their financial results, provide value for customers and provide consumers with choices that meet their needs. This strategy is apparently based on behavioural variables which puts price and preferences of the consumers into consideration Coca-Cola Company introduced the coke zero brand in response to consumer health concerns regarding excess calorie intake (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). The product did well in the market and in 2009, the company made sales on the product on an excess of 600 million cases globally. Currently there are over 800 low and no- calorie beverages in the Coca-Cola portfolio (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). In 2008, the company and foundation spent around 9million dollars to support active, healthy lifestyle programmes. These strategies by Coca-Cola are geared towards effective market segmentation of the target population on behavioural and psychographic basis putting into account the health choices and lifestyle of the consumers. In order for Coca-Cola to meet the diverse and ever changing beverage needs of its consumers worldwide, the company has intensified efforts to add more value for customers in its portfolio of beverages ranging from added benefits of vitamins and minerals to calorie reductions, new ingredients, sweeteners and taste depending on the preferences and wants of the consumers concerned (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). Coca-Cola also has another segmentation strategy which entails different strategies for developing and developed markets. The companys main strategy for the developed markets like the United States is to maximize value and profit which can be achieved by delivering more value to consumers so that they will continue their patronage of the companys products at a premium price. In this regard, Coca-Cola are growing the core beverages-trademark namely: coke, sprite, fanta, powerade and improving their benefits and value to the customers through adding vitamins and nutrients to reduced or no calorie options(Coca-Cola annual report 2009). In developing markets Coca-Cola devised a strategy of making the products affordable to the consumers; in Brazil the company offers consumers 26 package options for brand Coca-Cola at different brand points to meet the needs of an economically diverse consumer base (Coca-Cola annual report 2009). In 1963, the product tab was launched and was specifically targeted at the female consumers but subsequently the company in order to broaden its customer base by appealing to the men folk as well as the entire family had to introduce diet coke to achieve the above mentioned objectives. In 1983, Coca-Cola introduced the caffeine- free versions of Coca-Cola, diet coke and tab which were specifically targeted at health conscious consumers. Coca-Cola also introduced the minute maid soda which was positioned to attract a market segment that prefers fruit juice as well as health and nutrition conscious consumers (Mochmen and Maze,1998). The Coca-Cola Company today through its market segmentation strategies offers a diverse portfolio of products to identified market segments based on different consumer preferences for flavours, calories and caffeine content effectively which continues to add to their success story globally (Lamb et al, 2008). Equity investment Coca Cola Company has over time been making equity investment in selected bottling companies with the intention of maximising companys strength and efficiency in its systems, production, distribution, and marketing capabilities around the world. The level of investment generally depends on the bottlers capital structure and its available resources at the time of investment. Coca cola Company in some instances finds it necessary to acquire a controlling interest. Such controlling interest allows coca cola Company to compensate for limited local resources and enables it to focus on bottlers sales and marketing programs. Equity investment also assists in the development of bottlers business and information systems and the establishment of appropriate capital structures. One of examples of coca cola equity investment is that of Coca Cola Enterprise Inc. (C.C.E) In 2009, Coca Cola Companys ownership in Coca Cola Enterprise Inc.-bottling company, was 34%. Coca cola Enterprise Inc. is the worlds bottler company of trade mark beverages. The sales of concentrates, syrups, mineral waters, juices, sweeteners and finished products by coca cola Company to C.C.E were approximately 6.6 billion by the year end 2009. The Coca Cola Enterprise Inc. estimates its market beverage products to retailers which include a portion of 46 states of USA, Columbia district of USA, Virgin Islands, Caribbean islands, Canada, Great Britain, Continental France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and Monaco. Therefore Coca Companys investment strategy in CCE was to take advantage of this vast market for it to sell concentrates, syrups and different coca cola product brands through C.C.E (Coca cola annual report,2009). Branding Coca cola has many kinds brands sold worldwide. In developing a company brand, coca cola conducts product and packaging research to establish brand positioning, develop precise consumer communication and solicit consumer feedback. The Coca-Cola brand development strategy emphasizes on price, preference, and persuasive penetration (Annual report, 2009) The Coca Cola Company main brand products are Coca cola classic, diet coke and coca cola zero whereas the main branding strategies at Coca Cola Company include but not limited to Joint brand strategy, brand diversification strategy, personal branding strategy, and packaging/redesigning strategy (Annual report, 2009) Joint brand strategy involves a situation in which two different brands are linked to form joint promotion, as a consequence one product may sell the other examples in early 1990s Bacardirum and Coke cola brand were jointly marketed together. Coca cola, the common known brand was used to market Barcadirum, the new product on the market. The benefits of this strategy is that if the first brand name gives a certain quality signal, then the second brand quality signal is believed to be as powerful as the first one, hence attracting more buyers. (Akshadf and Ruekert, 1994) Brand portfolio/diversification strategy: Coca Cola Company continues to diversify its portfolio and growing sales with new and acquired brands. The some of the diversified brands are vitamin-enhanced water energy brand, and its star water brand Glaceau. The powerade and Nestiea iced tea brand products, a joint venture of Coca Cola Company with Nestle. The importance of this strategy is that multiple brands allow the company to offset cokes gradual decline with newer, more appropriate brands while removing future potential rivals through acquisition. The strategy also allows coca cola to maintain relatively large market share irrespective of how market changes (VanAnken and Derick Daye, 2007) Personal branding strategy refers to a set of human characteristics as associated with a brand. Users view it as a key way to differentiate a brand in a product category as a central driver of consumer preference and usage that can be used to market a brand across cultures. In coca cola company personal traits associated with coca cola are Cooling, all-American, and real. These three personal traits differentiate coca cola from its competitors. Besides these traits, Coca Cola Company uses slogans, graphic designs, color schemes and trademarks. As a result of personal branding, different categories of people from different denomination find themselves attracted to the brand hence increasing its demand (Aaker, 1997). Packaging/redesigning strategy: Coca Cola Company keeps on redesigning its packaging and visual identity systems. One of examples is its newly identity visual system for its flagship brand introduced in 2008 and contour aluminum bottle initially commercialized in 2005. The nonalcoholic beverage in this new aluminum bottle attracted many buyers especially in 2005 Olympic Games in Beijing-China. (Butler, 2009) Packaging redesigning also continues making coca cola brand a new product in the face of consumers. The most crucial comparative advantage is that the company has over time built a network bottling partners, wholesalers and distributers spread over in many parts of world. These act as marketing agents of coca cola company products worldwide. Bottling partners pray two major roles, Firstly they act as consumers of the concentrates and syrup which they use in manufacture of coca cola products and later sell these products locally or in foreign market, secondary they act as marketer of company brands. (Annual report,2009) The Coca Cola Company has a unique network of bottling partners, distributers, wholesalers and joint ventures spread all over the world which act as channels through which the company promotes and markets its brands. Coca Cola as a result of operating in partnership or in cooperation with foreign companies, it enjoys economies of scale such as cheap labor, land and transport costs. Transport costs are reduced due to the fact its brands are brought closer to customers through a network of bottling partners, wholesalers and distributers. The coca cola companys leading brands with high level of acceptance, a worldwide network of bottlers and distributers of companys products, sophisticated marketing capabilities and talented group of dedicated associates are unique companys achievements overtime compared to other multi-national organizations. (3970 Words)

Ethical Complications of Genetic Engineering and Eugenics Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genetic engineering is currently the fastest growing and perhaps most controversial field of science. Genetic engineering is decoding and manipulating DNA to use for scientific and medical purposes. "The discovery that human cells can be grown in a petri dish has opened up breathtaking possibilities for curing disease - and a morass of ethical complications" (Allen 9). Genetic engineering has already started to be most helpful in the field of medicine. The map of the human genome offers many cures and potentially successful medical procedures. By creating artificial chromosomes, scientists may be able to replace diseased inherited traits with functional ones. Determining the genetic make up of viruses such as the HIV virus that causes AIDS, may provide a way to combat it. Scientists can find ways to fight Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and leukemia, among others. By cultivating cells, scientists can grow human organs and tissue for people who are in need, such as diabetics requiring a pancreas to produce insulin. With genetic engineering, scientists can breed animals and create vast fields of rice. With similar techniques, scientists can, and will eventually, clone a human being. This idea frightens most people. The problem is: where is the line between what is beneficial to humans and what could potentially be harmful? Although genetic engineering is currently expanding rapidly, this area of study has been around for a very long time. Humans, by instinct, are always striving to better themselves and to greater develop both computer and bio- technology. Even though scientists do not know   how to program DNA yet, society has already seen glimpses of the results of modifying evolution and natural human development. ... ...able and practical course of action.   Works Cited Allen, Arthur. "Brave New Frontier: Medical Research and the Debate Over What Is Life." The Washington Post Magazine 15 Oct. 2000: 8-13, 27-32.   Caplan, Arthur L. "What is immoral about eugenics?" November 1999. http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/319/7220/1284 Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998. Proctor, Robert. "Nazi Medicine and Public Health Policy," Dimensions. Vol. 10, no. 2 (1996). Public Lectures - Life in the Universe. Stephen Hawking. Weiss, Rick. "Test-Tube Baby Born to Save Ill Sister." Washington Post 3 Oct. 2000, final ed.: A1+. Will There Ever Be Another You? Spec. issue of Time Magazine (10 Mar. 2000): 60-76. Wunder, Michael. The Grafeneck Declaration on Bioethics. June 1996. http://www.home.bn-ulm.de/~fuente/bioethik/grafecke.htm

Bilingual Education Essay -- Language

Bilingual education, as an educational program, was initially promoted by educators in the seventies (Hunger of Memory 26) and since then has been a topic of many debates in America. Some argue that bilingual education only serves as a detriment to American culture. Others argue that bilingual education is beneficial to those who come to live in America and want to become a part of the culture, but lack proficiency in the English language. Two authors, who have each taken opposite sides of the debate on bilingual education in America, are: Richard Rodriguez and Ariel Dorfman. Richard Rodriguez believes that bilingual education creates a feeling of separateness between foreign language speakers and American society; therefore, delaying the formation of a public identity. In contrast, Ariel Dorfman argues that bilingualism in America will be a bridge to better understanding other cultures. I assume the position of being neither, against or entirely in favor of bilingual education. I am in favor of bilingual education because it can be an effective segue to learning the English language and I believe it is very important to remain connected with our family’s language and culture. However, I also recognize the negative feeling of separateness from the larger public that bilingual education can have on foreign language speaking families, which hinders my ability to fully embrace bilingual education. Ariel Dorfman is an Argentinian author who struggled throughout his life to find a balance between the Spanish and English languages. As a result of Dorfman’s â€Å"bilingual journey† (Heading South 25), he argues that bilingual education is beneficial to American society. Dorfman believes that bilingualism will serve as a channel to better un... ... 1998. Print Garcia, Maria E., Ofelia Skutnabb-Kangas, Tove Torres-Guzman. Imagining Multilingual Schools: Language in Education and Globalization. Clevdon, GBR: Multilingual Matters Limited, 2006. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. Hadi-Tabassum, Samina. Language, Space and Power : A Critical Look at Bilingual Education. Clevdon, GBR: Multilingual Matters Limited, 2006. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. Rodriguez, Richard. â€Å"Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood.† Conversations: Reading for Writing. Ed.Gack Selzer. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2003. 153-166. Print. ---. Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. New York: Bantam Dell, 1983. Print Salomone, Rosemary C. True American : Language, Identity, and the Education of Immigrant Children. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.

Things Fall Apart Essay examples -- essays research papers

Things Fall Apart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart is a narrative story that follows the life of an African man called Okonkwo. The setting of the book is in eastern Nigeria, on the eve of British colonialism in Africa. The novel illustrates Okonkwo?s struggles, triumphs, and his eventual downfall, all of which basically coincide with the Igbo?s society?s struggle with the Christian religion and British government. In this essay I will give a biographical account of Okonwo, which will serve to help understand that social, political, and economic institutions of the Igbos.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of the novel Okonkwo was a fairly wealthy and well-respected member of the Igbo society, but it had not always been that way for him. Okonkwo?s father, Unoka, had been a lazy man who would rather play his flute than take care of his crops. Unoka was said to be a charming man, and was able to borrow large amounts of money from his friends, but was never able to pay it back. As a result, Okonkwo has grown up very poor and ashamed of his lazy father. At one point in the book, Okonkwo remembers hearing one of his playmates calling his father an ?agbala,? which was the word for woman, but all described a man who had taken not titles (13). Okonkwo never forgets this, and actually develops a deep-seated fear that people will think that he is weak like his father. As I mentioned, Okonkwo became very well known, and his wealth and prestige rested solely on his own personal achievements. Okonkwo had received no inheritance from his poor father, no land and no money. As a young man, Okonkwo had been very successful wrestler, and as he grew older he became a well-known warrior. He was said to have brought home five human heads, which was a great achievement even for men who were much older that he was. At the beginning of the story, Okonkwo had obtained two titles, and had the respect of every man from all nine villages of Umuofia. Symbols of his wealth and prestige were his family and his compound. As I mentioned earlier, Okonwo had received no inheritance, and at the time of this story Okonkwo is still fairly young, and the fact that he had three wives, several children, and a very productive piece of land showed that Okonkwo was a very diligent worker. ?Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially... ... a meeting, Okonkwo, knowing that his clansmen would do nothing to drive the white men away form their villages, killed a messenger. He then went home and committed suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Okonkwo is often described as being similar to characters in Greek tragedies. Okonkwo knew that the end of his clan was coming, and that they would do nothing to prevent it from happening. He took his life out of desperation. He had struggled his whole life to become a respected member of his community, and suddenly his world is turned upside down and changed forever because of an accident. Okonkwo sees that he is fighting a losing battle, so he quits. Suicide was one of the biggest offenses that could be committed against the earth, and Okonkwo?s own clansmen could not bury him. Okonkwo?s death symbolizes the end of patriarchy in Umuofia. The last page of the book is from the point of view of the white Commissioner, who notes that he wants to include a paragraph on Okonkwo?s life in his book entitled The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of Lower Niger. Okonkwo?s struggles, triumphs and defeats are all reduced to a paragraph, much like his culture and society will be reduced.

Raymond case

Does this vary between regional broker/dealers and warehouses? Why? Why do some pay front money and others don't? Why Isn't front money paid to Independent contractors? NAS. The guidance of an investment professional is essential to successful financial planning. Financial advisors play a vital role in helping individual investors reach their financial goals. Advisors can help the clients make informed decisions by understanding the client's goals, recommend solutions and make sure that the client's portfolio stays on track.Yes, it varies between regional brokers/dealers and roughhouses. Financial Advisors In Warehouses offered Investment advice and charged commissions on a trade of between 1% and 2. 5%, depending on products sold. They have access to wide variety of products to deal with as they are a part of a warehouse. Financial Advisors in regional broker/dealers offered little in the way of advice and charged significantly lower commissions. The products and the assets that th ey manage is relatively low. Firms that recruit from other competitor firms pay front money to attract Flanagan advisors to work for their firms.In some cases, even inexperienced but potential candidates too are given front money to lure them to their firm. However, certain firms like Merrill Lynch prefer to hire fresh new financial advisors and train them rather than pay front money which costs a lot. Independent contractors are not paid any front money as they are given mostly an independent charge on the assets they manage and the products they buy and sell. Indeed it is like running their own business under a bigger umbrella and one does not get paid front money to run his own business. . How does RUG make sure the â€Å"right† FAST end up in RAJA vs.. ROSS? Which FAST would be the right targets for Quasi? How would you make sure that they select the Quasi option? Who would not be right for Quasi? How would you make sure they don't select Quasi? NAS. RUG made sure that th e right Fast end up In RAJA from Its recruitment process which focuses on different pool of candidates when compared with ROSS. RAJA recruitment process happens completely In a decentralized way with branch managers taking the responsibility for filling the positions.RAJA typically hires senior hires from a rigorous who wish to have more control in terms of products and services they offer to clients which was not possible in their career stint with warehouses. Here the focus would be on hiring FAST from Warehouses as they are used to the rules and regulations, sales culture. Also there is a financial penalty established If a FAA wish to leave RAJA for ROSS. ROSS recruitment process follows a different approach. They advertise in trade magazines and also take referrals from existing ROSS Fast about the brokers at other firms and follow up on these leads for recruiting.ROSS look for FAST ho are self-driven. Apart from the technical analysis job, they look for people who have an incli nation towards entrepreneurship. They will have the option to make strategies, decide on staff, hiring, etc. It is more like an individual business. The FAST of ROSS can be given an option to select the Quasi option without any restrictions as the probability of them Joining is less and also if someone from ROSS is keen on Joining Quasi they should be welcome as ROSS is a riskier business and should be handled by people with self-belief.The Fast from RAJA can be allowed to elect the Quasi option with some limitations as it is not advisable to disturb the present system which is in place and also as we have a large potential recruits to lure with this scheme from the whorehouses who neither wishes to become an independent broker/dealer nor like to stick to their current Job profile. The portion of candidates from whorehouses forms the apt targets for Quasi. We can make sure that the above targeted candidates Join the Quasi option by giving them all the benefits that a full time emplo yee gets and if required providing front money without heeling out too much money.The top producers of RAJA and RAJA are not right for Quasi as it affects these branches. We can make sure that they don't select Quasi only by interacting and get to know first about what they think of such a scheme. If some of the top producers show interest then they can be counseled and can remind them of their contributions in their current role and how they are chosen as top producers in the domain. We can transparently let them know of what the firm is planning for the top producers and what is in store for their career in the current vertical.

How an HR Practitioner ensures the services they provide are timely and effective Essay

Prioritising Conflicting Needs The needs of customers may sometimes be conflicting (for example, managers want production results and longer working hours whereas employees want more time off and focus on work/life balance). HR would ascertain which demands were the most urgent and important, taking into account the ease and speed of dealing with each issue whilst maintaining focus on the overall needs of the organisation. It is important to keep all customers informed of what HR can provide in the way of services and set realistic expectations. HR needs to be flexible, easy to contact and able to respond swiftly and effectively. However on occasions where the customer’s need cannot be dealt with promptly, a full explanation must be given along with estimated timescales for resolution. Effective Service Delivery Delivering Service On Time By prioritising needs, HR can ensure that issues are handled according to urgency. For example, taking into account the effect of each request on the business and considering: Maintaining the wellbeing of employees Organisational mission, policies and values Meeting performance demands Current legislation Satisfying the demands of internal stakeholders (employees, board members, and management) and external stakeholders (trade unions, shareholders, partners, job applicants). HR good practice would involve developing a case record that could be reviewed to check progress, looking at areas of responsibility and delegation of tasks to ensure needs are dealt with punctually. Plans would be reviewed and updated at regular intervals to check progress and consider any changes in the situation. Delivering Service on Budget At all times HR must consider the financial implications of delivering service by liaising with finance/accounts departments and ensuring service is provided within budget limitations. It is also important to have a clear record of all resources available to the organisation to protect against unnecessary spending. For example, consider using in-house services as more cost effective than buying services in from outside the organisation. Dealing with Difficult Customers Dealing with difficult customers can have a range of implications to staff and the organisation. HR needs to consider: Where difficult customer behaviour may arise and where it would be considered a risk Suitable support for staff and managers handling difficult customers in line with company procedures, such as case conferences or guidance. Consider the needs of external customers including unions and contractors. The most frequently reported difficult customer behaviours are: Verbal Abuse – swearing, arguing, offensive remarks. Hostile Behaviour – body language, threatening gestures. Physical Abuse – that may result in injury Ideas for dealing with difficult customers may include: Keep concise records and ensure these are discussed openly with the customer. This ensures they are aware that their behaviour will be on file and they cannot deny their actions in the future. Adjust to their character; communicate in a way that fits their personality to make them feel more comfortable and avoid confrontation. Always follow correct organizational procedure. Customers will be less likely to dispute actions taken in line with guidance/ law. Ask questions, listen carefully, show an interest in the individual, use non-threatening body language and maintain eye contact. Keep level head and do not respond to their negative emotions or abuse. Never make promises! Handling and Resolving Complaints HR will handle complaints on a formal or informal basis. Each situation must be dealt with promptly as it arises and be handled in a fair and consistent manner. Regular interventions or an open door policy can encourage employees to talk about problems before they escalate. HR should clearly communicate the policy for raising a grievance (eg informal complaints, written complaints, how complaints may be escalated and estimated timescales). Explain that the organisation values it’s customers and wishes to resolve any problems that may arise. Ensure customers feel assured that their issues will be taken seriously and dealt with confidentially and encourage customers to feedback any issues before they intensify. Methods of Communication Effective communication between all stakeholders is vital to ensure all interested parties are informed and involved in the decision making process. The method of communication used depends on the customers needs, the type of information and how much information they need, and how the customer is likely to react to the information also. (Bad news is best conveyed in  person rather than in writing to allow questions and discussion to take place). Three Different Communication Methods Method of Communication Advantages Disadvantages Email Fast and convenient Can be sent at any time of day/night Cheap Can be sent to individuals or groups Attach files & share information Can be encrypted to send confidential information Confirmation of delivery/reading can be set up Conversation/information is recorded in writing Recipient has time to respond Relies on recipient having access to email account Not suitable for group discussions Less personal & may lead to misunderstanding May have long wait before getting a reply Computer viruses Telephone Easily accessible to most people everywhere (mobile) Conversation can be private, or conference call Ideal if a fast response is required Messages can be left on answerphone Person may be engaged/ have no signal, so unable to take call Mobile/Overseas calls can be expensive It is not easy to record the conversation Spoken information only, cannot share images, documents etc Cannot interpret body language Face to Face Immediate feedback Can read body language or facial expressions Can share documents/images and discuss Builds stronger relationships Good for delicate situations Logistics-may prove difficult/expensive to get participants together in one place No record unless note-taker present, so conversation not accountable Discussions may become heated Reference http://www.teach-ict.com/gcse_new/communication/comm_methods/miniweb/pg3.htm http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/hmrc/getting-the-message-across-the-importance-of-good-communications http://davidlivermore.hubpages.com/hub/Difficult-Employees

Cell Phones are a Necessity of Life Essay

Cell phones are not an advanced gadget on the scene. It was developed in 1947 in the form of a car mobile phone. The hypothesis of cellular phone was produced by Bell Laboratories with the permission of FCC (Federal Communication Commission), and had everything to do with broadcasting and sending a radio or television message out over the airwaves. There was a scientist who gave a advanced shape to the same accessory. Dr Martin Cooper, a former general manager in Motorola, made the basic call on a portable cell phone in nineteen seventy-three. The premier ever cell phone was very ample and bulky. It resembled a radio frequency accessory. The weight of Motorola’s introductory cell phone was 2 pounds. Presently, the structure of cell phones has evolved to match the style and comfort of the user. It is uncomplicated to tailor cell phones by choosing its features and functions for one’s comfort. There are phone covers that change the face and design of the contraption. Various accessories are available such as car chargers, belt clips, phone covers, data cables and etc. Cell phones emerged as a apparatus of luxury, but presently it plays a much bigger and considerable role. One can gather wireless Internet service through your cell phone, with web and email capability. A cell phone with a mini web browser can relief retrieve web emails and chat while you are on the move. A extraordinary kind of browser is used for surfing the net on a small cell phone screen. If internet use is a must, make sure that when buying a cell phone you make the choice for graphic browser capability instead of a text-based browser. In addition, if you think you will browse the wireless Internet often, you may desire to consider buying a cell phone with a larger than average display size. There are International websites that allow sending mails, without having a computer. All you need is a basic GPRS enabled mobile phone and you can access your mail on your cell phone anytime and anywhere. It seems that cell phones have become a bed-side essential for us today. It is no longer a device of entertainment. From local weather forecast in the morning to your  loved ones valuable night messages, it keeps you connected all the time. With cell phones becoming a gadget with all the modern technology, its theft is growing across the world. In a survey in the UK, a cell phone is stolen every three minutes. In the United States, the statistics are very analogous. By keeping a note on the IMES identification that each phone has, you can trace a phone. This is quite the tedious process. The IMES code is individual to each cell phone and when you lose your phone, you can refer the code to your network provider as well as handset provider and trace back the cell phone, or at least block the applications in the phone. The person who stole the cell phone can’t use it after the IMES code is blocked. Cell phones have become a very popular consumer electronic product. With the availability of internet connection, cell phone as broaden even deeper its options of uses. You must also note that GPS capability is a life saver for tracking cell phone users who are in emergency situations. Cell phone usage has become a necessity of life. People cannot live without their cell phone. What was once considered a luxury item in the early days, cell phones are a must have item at every waking moment.

Evaluation of personl learning Essay

An evaluation of my personal learning plan along with comments on how I plan to update my subject specialist knowledge, generic knowledge of teaching and learning, using examples from my practice and discussing the part my mentor played in my development. Introduction The aim of this assignment is to show how my key learning points from my personal learning plan have been put into practice and to evaluate these, examples from my practice will also be used. I will explain how I plan to update not only my subject specialist knowledge but also my generic knowledge of teaching and learning. I plan to also explain and discuss the part my mentor has played in my development over the two years of cert Ed qualification. Having a personal learning plan is a great way of setting out your future objective, aims and goals. Having goals to head for gives you motivation and direction and also builds on confidence and self esteem. However it is a good idea to plan your own personal learning plan, when you plan your own programme, it is more likely to be relevant to your needs and be able to be applied, and be related to, your teaching. This, then, is more likely to give you motivation for your learning (Reece & Walker 2003 pg 400). I plan to review and update my own personal learning plan every six months. However my personal learning is also discussed in my supervisions at work which I have every three months, this enables me to discuss any knowledge I myself wish to update and also any training my manager feels I would benefit from. I feel this is good support to involve my personal learning plan within my supervision, it also shows management that I am committed and taking control of my own learning. My personal learning plan consists of three main areas these are. Subject specialist development This is the subject that I teach this includes my practical and theory work. Generic teaching development This is schemes of work and lesson plans how I use differentiation and assessment, along with assignments and research etc. Skills development This is my literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. My subject specialist area has a variety of subject sessions these are induction, food hygiene awareness, health and safety, individual service planning (ISP), swallowing disorders, manual handling, infection control and first aid I do continuous refreshers on all sessions within the organisation how ever I do also carry out independent reading and research of individual subjects to keep my self updated. Especially on change that relate to any regulations that have an impact on my training sessions. There have been two key personal learning development areas in my subject specialist area the first being ISP training. This training session has had a complete overhaul to how it is to be delivered which has involved a lot of changes to the ISP itself, example how these are set up and completed. For me to deliver this training to my learners I needed to attend a two day training session myself. The sessions involved theory and practical learning giving me the knowledge and the skills to enable me to deliver a practical session to my learners. Example when doing this session my learners will not be just listening and getting involved in group discussions they will be involved in an ongoing practical, At their best, practical’s are an enjoyable and active hands on experience. At their worst they are frustrating episodes where not even the teacher knows what is supposed to be happening (Petty 2004 pg 204). So any practical should be well planned. My learners will be put into pairs one will be the service user and the other the key worker. They will then be given a number of activities to follow. Using this method they will build and complete an ISP, learners are able to swap roles through out so each learner gets to play each role. I have delivered this training session this way on many occasions now and it is working well, learners are enjoying and putting into practice what they have learnt well, this is evident when looking at ISP, s that they have completed. My second key learning point in my subject specialist area is first aid training. I was unable to deliver this session as I did not have the knowledge and qualification to do this. I  attended a two day emergency first aid course down Lincoln through NUCO training, having attended this training I now have the confidence and subject knowledge to be able to deliver this to my learners. The training consisted of two presentations showing the teacher my understanding of the subject and showing I was able to present, I was also assessed on practical exercises through out the two days, example resuscitation procedure, choking procedure, and the procedure in the event of an emergency situation example car accident. This training was very challenging and intense however it has given me the skills to develop an effective training session for my learners. I have two sessions planned to deliver in July. Having being successful in this training I am also able to go and assess other first aid trainers. I plan to update my subject specialist knowledge continuously I will do this by attending refresher training sessions. I am also a member of the Institute for learning where you have to prove you have so many hours of continuous professional development. I also plan to use E-learning within the organisation for any relevant training sessions, along with my independent learning through reading and research on the internet. My generic knowledge of teaching and learning has developed well through out my two years on cert Ed, my skills in lesson planning have developed immensely and I put these into practice on a regular basis. My delivery methods have progressed and become a lot more interactive for my learners, by bringing in differentiation and inclusive learning example hand washing exercise I use a power point slide to show a picture of hands with bacteria on, we have a discussion on hands, show learners how to wash hands correctly, we then do a hands washing exercise covering visual, audio and kinaesthetic learning styles. My assignments now have structure and flow throughout, my spelling and punctuation has also improved, this has been managed through hard work and practice of proof reading which is a skill in its self, a skill that can always be developed further through practice and gathering information from books and the internet. I plan to update my generic knowledge of teaching and learning through independent learning by using the internet and reading books, also the E-learning that the organisation encourage us to use have some useful courses on punctuation, organisation skills, planning skills, assessing and evaluation etc which I  plan to look at using in the future. I am also attending mentoring training at the end of May which I feel will be beneficial to myself and my learners. My skills development have improved over my two years in cert end, in the first year of cert ed my personal learning plan identified my need to achieve level two in both English and maths. I have now achieved both qualifications and in particular benefited greatly from the English this has helped me with my assignments, writing letters, creating handouts for my training sessions and knowing and understanding where a sentence begins and ends along with why we have and need to use punctuation. I did have the basic knowledge of English language but did require further development and knowledge. By attending key skills level two has developed this knowledge which has enabled me to progress in this area of my personal learning. However I do believe I will benefit from further development in this area and plan to progress onto key skills level three English once I have completed my cert ed year two. My ict skills have improved this is through daily use of a laptop and also attending a two day training course through the organisation. The course consisted of two modules first module was an introduction to IT & file management, this module developed my personal learning in areas such as using windows XP, explain the use of options within my computer, being aware of the principals of using my documents, be able to create, change, delete and move files and folders and identify how and when to back data up. Module two outlook & internet/intranet this module has developed my personal learning in areas such as accessing E-learning and being aware of its potential, organising and accessing personal files and to become more familiar with the intranet within the organisation and how to use it effectively. I have also had a small session on the use of power point which has been beneficial to me as within my job role, as at times I am required to put a power point presentation together. I plan to update my ict skills by attending a further two modules which will be organised through the organisation hopefully in the coming year. I also believe everyday use will enhance my skills. I also plan to do a more intense session on power point in the near future. Through my two years of cert Ed I have had a mentor. Mentoring is a  relationship between mentor and mentee that encourages growth and development in a respectful and collegial environment (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000). The mentoring relationship may be an informal arrangement that happens naturally, or a formal relationship that is organised within the work organisation (Rose, 2005). My job role as training and development officer was a new post for me in 2007 and it was my manager who suggested that I enrol onto the cert Ed course rather than training and development NVQ4. She felt that I would gain more from this course and it would equip me with the knowledge and confidence to carry my duties out competently. As my manager is an experienced trainer herself it made sense for her to also be my mentor as she had faith in me from the very beginning of my training. A mentoring relationship tends to be long term that can be entered into at any stage of one’s career (Northcott , 2000). This statement has been true in my case. The relationship I have with my mentor is a good one she has been supportive through out especially when it has come to bringing in new ideas for training sessions in fact she has used some of the ideas herself. The process has always been a two way process. My mentor has not been their to tell me what to do, she has guided, encouraged, supported, provided information and most of all always listened, especially in moments when I have thought this whole thing is too much for me. Through out my observations my mentor has been encouraging and made feel at ease as she knew how nervous I was on these occasions, feed back from observations were always positive and any development points were always taken on board. My mentor has recognised some skills in me that I never realised I had along with helping me developing these skills. Example a year ago my mentor asked me if I would like to do a course that would enable me to deliver first aid training to my learners, so I would not need to sen d them out externally for this training. I explained to my mentor that I was not keen on doing this and felt that this was a course that qualified nurses should do. My mentor did not try to push or persuade me into doing this even though it would save the organisation money. I have just done this course last month and it was me who approached my manager/mentor, I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to delivering it to my learners. It is amazing what a year can do to some ones confidence and self esteem. If my manager/mentor had made me do this when she wanted me to do it I would not have developed in that area or  enjoyed it. My mentor has always allowed me to do things at my own pace and has a great understanding of how we as individuals learn at different levels and pace. I feel this is a good quality to have when being a mentor. Looking back it was a excellent suggestion from my manager/mentor for me to enrol onto the cert ed, over the two years I feel I have grown not only in confidence but in both the theory and the practical side of my teaching and learning. It has been a privilege to have had a mentor who has guided, supported, encouraged and listened through out the two year process. How ever it does not end there as she is also my manager she will be there for the future too. Conclusion For us to further ourselves I feel it is essential to have objectives, aims and goals. I feel if we do not things do not get done so our goals do not get met. We may have goals in our heads but if they are not planned they tend not to be achieved. For me a personal learning plan is the way forward we can then tick of the goals we have achieved and plan for new goals in the future. Looking back two years ago I would never have dreamt that I would have achieved what I have achieved today, I believe this has been achieved through good planning, good support and hard work by myself. Learning is an ongoing process and I look forward to many more years of teaching and learning. http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-is-mentoring.html retrieved 09/05/2009 Petty,G 2004, A practical guide teaching today, 3rd edn, Nelson Thornes, United Kingdom. Reece, I & Walker, S 2003, Teaching, Training and learning a practical guide, 5th edn, Business Education Publishers Limited, Great Briton. http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-is-mentoring.html retrieved 09/05/2009 Petty,G 2004, A practical guide teaching today, 3rd edn, Nelson Thornes, United Kingdom. Reece, I & Walker, S 2003, Teaching, Training and learning a practical guide, 5th edn, Business Education Publishers Limited, Great Briton.

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Journal - Assignment Example Bush: cowboy diplomacy, the Iraq war and America’s lowest standing on the international stage. In the coming weeks, Obama advisers plan to release a list of national security â€Å"surrogates† — high-profile Democrats like former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and Wesley K. Clark, a retired general — who will write newspaper op-ed articles, give speeches and take Mr. Romney to task every time he opens his mouth about foreign policy, Obama advisers said. The plan is to draw a contrast between Mr. Obama — who, his advisers say, kept his word on ending the Iraq war, going aggressively after Al Qaeda and restoring alliances around the world — and Mr. Romney, who will be portrayed as playing both sides of numerous issues. â€Å"He was for and against the removal of Qaddafi, for and against setting a timetable to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, for and against enforcing trade laws against China, and while he once said he would not move heaven and earth to get Osama bin Laden, he later claimed that any president would have authorized the mission to do so,† said Ben LaBolt, press secretary for the Obama campaign. The more aggressive posture is a break from the past, when Democrats on the national stage battled against the perception that the party was not as committed as Republicans were to a strong defense and an aggressive response to terrorism. Mr. Obama himself, during the 2008 campaign, drew criticism from both Republicans and his primary opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, for what they called his naà ¯vetà ©, particularly over his willingness to talk, without preconditions, to American foes like Iran. But Mr. Obama’s victory that year over Senator John McCain, a Vietnam War hero, was in part a result of an electorate weary from years of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, with a record that includes winding down the Iraq war and killing Bin Laden, coupled with the success of the military strikes in Libya and the removal

How Nike Fueled Exploitation of Workers Manufacturing its Products Assignment

How Nike Fueled Exploitation of Workers Manufacturing its Products - Assignment Example It is only after investigations that the truth is surfacing now. Nike is the world’s biggest outfit producer. Production includes expensive shoes and clothes especially for sportsmen. Nike employs half a million employees, as most of their production methods are labor intensive. This has provides many people with a source of income. Nike is competitively superior in the market, (McHale, Zompetti & Moffitt, 2007) in comparison with other clothing companies it is the biggest. A dream made in the university by a group of boys is now a company with billions after tax turnover. Nikes production takes place outside America in developing countries. The company boasts slogans and rigid labor laws that do not provide for child labor and exploitation. Despite this, Nike faced sweatshops allegations in the 1990s. After questioning workers in the developing countries, they gave answers that were not credible. While a large percentage said, they would work for Nike if given another chance; questions about threats in their workplaces arose. With supervisors, pressuring them to false information, information obtained was controversial with regard to complaints aired by workers before then. In the 1990s, workers in these countries for the first time talked of the ills of the Nike management. Women complained of sexual assault by superiors in these sweatshops. What angered many including labor activists were that Nike was the market leader. Other small companies would have taken after the company to increase their profits. Even worse was the fact that Nike would easily pay these workers as with the enormous profits, they made but they chose not. When these complaints surfaced years of activism followed (McHale, Zompetti & Moffitt, 2007). Children activists established then that even children below sixteen years gained employment in these companies. This was embarrassing for the company as before that, they boasted the first labor laws.  

Power Dynamics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power Dynamics - Term Paper Example Power in nursing is also related to oversight roles and the management of the daily running of nursing activities (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2003). A nurse manager can adopt a leadership or management technique that involves issuing incentives to employees performing exceptionally well in the activities. According to Daly, Speedy and Jackson (2003), this is referred to as reward power. In addition, the nursing manager can also cancel or do away with these additional incentives when the employees perform poorly in their duties. This is described as coercive power (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2003). A situation where good performance is rewarded and poor performance fined is an illustration of two types of power being used simultaneously. It is worth noting that gender has an influence in how power is used in nursing. According to McMurry (2011), nursing is considered a feminine vocation or line of work. However, there are some men who have in the past pursued nursing as a career contrary to this conventional viewpoint. In some health institutions, male nurses have not been allowed to participate in caring activities involving female patients. McMurry (2011) additionally posits that "In some facilities, policies actually barred men from certain jobs such as in birthing and womens surgery units, especially in private catholic hospitals" (p. 24). Subsequently, women working in vocations subjugated by men experienced similar prejudice and unfairness. Other factors that creates power imbalances in nursing include race or ethnicity, level of education, economic status, and also physical disabilities. All these factors contribute to prejudice and unfairness in the workplace. Discrimination affects the level of productivity and involvement of individuals in work related activities. Therefore, women are more likely to be rewarded in the nursing field as they are favored by the vocation as compared to men.