My Culture and Background

I was born and raised in Southeast Asia, Philippines. It consists of 7,107 islands and each one of them has each own dialect and tribes that lives in rural part of the area. My mom is a Spanish Filipino and my dad is a Chinese. I embraced two cultures with no problems. Both cultures molded me strongly with values, ethics, religion and economics. It plays a vital role of who I am now. Let me begin by telling you that in my country, the Spanish colony conquered the Philippines in 1621. Magellan named the archipelago in the honor of King Phillip of Portugal at that time. My great –great grandfathers were baptized as a Catholics and was given Spanish names by them. Until now, this still exist. We adapted their dialect and even have Spanish alphabets too. I and my siblings grew up in a very strict Catholic way and Dad would approved of it even though he is not a Catholic but a Buddist. Very conflicting, right? At early age, we were trained through various tasks. I learned how to slaughter a chicken at the age of 9. Then, I and my siblings lived in dormitory where our school has one at that time. From preschool until my high school yrs, that’s where I considered my second home. I studied in Chinese school and all of us were taught in a communist way. Example is we are not allowed to wear jewelries and the only thing that was allowed at that time is a watch. Then the hair shouldn’t be longer than the collar of the white blouse uniform. The allowance was given by the matron . Then our time was being scheduled every day. It was hard because we were trained like soldiers. It was a very rigid training for us. I was trained not to be late on any appointment. I was used to it until now. I and my siblings studied in a Chinese school. From Pre-K to high school. It is to educate us about Chinese language so that when we go to visit our Chinese relatives, we know how to communicate and understand. (If you don’t know the Chinese dialect, you will feel outcast from the family). For the most part, Chinese and Filipino customs are similar to each other. Regarding the family values, it is a very strict custom that we should always take care of our elders. Also, we are not allowed to talk back to them and if you say something when they are talking to you or reprimanding you, this is showing to them that you are disrespecting them. Also, we don’t have divorce in our country. Marriage is sacred there. We still have a courtship, engagement and a dowry. This goes for a bride’s price. I am a cultural diversity. It came a big surprise for me too when I came here in United States. I thought there is only one or two cultures mixed together but I was wrong. The culture here is totally very much different or opposite rather than what I grew up with. It was a culture shock for me. People here don’t hold or guard their tongue when they talk to you, rude by any means or praising you. They don’t care about how you feel. They also have racial discrimination. This is totally a big conflict to what I am. For me, I was taught not to say any bad or disrespectful or even words that will hurt somebody’s feeling. Then, how people handle their relationship here, it’s like nobody cares to save the marriage anymore. Couples fight in terms of money, child custody and infidelity. We worked hard to keep our marriage intact for the sake of our family and kids. The vows for us is sacred. Our families don’t like broken marriage, it is shameful to the family if there is one. And the most important of all, kids or younger generation don’t know how to respect the elders anymore. They would call you with your first name even if you are related to them. It’s like both of you are of the same age. These are all very disturbing for me. But somehow, I adjusted and respect it somehow. Accepting the way things or circumstances and blending with other culture and learning from it is a good way to learn more. But I won’t depart from what I was taught and I am happy and contented the way I am.

Sustainable Transport Policy

1. Developing Countries and Transportation Transportation in developing countries is considered to be a significant influence on major global issues, many of which are associated with the state of the environment and of human life. According to Gwilliam (2003), developing countries â€Å"are taken to be those that qualify as borrowing members of the World Bank, including the transitional economies†, but the developed countries â€Å"are taken to be the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, excluding Mexico†. Cities within developing countries are different in their economic, political and demographic aspects. However, economic improvement can lead to growth in the road and transport infrastructure but vehicle ownership slows this rate (Gwilliam, 2003). The existing city structure and political history means that most of these cities are unable to provide efficient mass transports services due to â€Å"scatter pockets† (Gwilliam, 2003). The quickly increasing popul ation is related with a below average proportion of the land that is allocated for transport. Whilst other sectors, such as education and sanitation, improve with economic progress, transportation problems can be seen to worsen with economic development (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). It can be difficult to examine common urban transportation issues in developing countries due to the contribution of interlinked trends in its operations. For instance, one of the important trends is population growth; the population density rate in urban areas was almost 45% in 1995 and it is expected to increase to 60% by 2025; developing countries have a massive share of this rate of about 90% (Road Management & Engineering Journal, 1998). Furthermore, any increase in the population leads to an increase in transport problems, such as car ownership – which has risen in developing countries in recent years along with an increase in the number of personally owned cars; this also relates to economic growth (Gakenheimer, 1999). The number of vehicles with two or three wheels is also rising, especially in Asia (Gwilliam, 2003). These vehicles are characterized by easy mobility and affordability, but they are also a primary source of pollution (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). The absence of suitable public transportation to match the population growth is another issue. This failure to develop these services is associated to its contrast with capital costs. Hence, another phenomenon emerges which is a city’s sporadic growth without following a regular pattern. It makes it difficult for people to gain use from mass transportation and means that the city needs additional provisions for public transport and to improve the access to transport. However, these transportation trends are influenced strongly by environmental and social standards which are completely linked to life quality and production. These involve â€Å"congestion, energy consumption, air pollution, and traffic crashes† (Road Management & Engineering Journal, 1998). 2. Transport problems The fundamental social and economic actions are people’s mobility and commodities. For this purpose, cars and trucks are the most common and important means of transportation used worldwide and their numbers have grown massively in developing countries; especially in cities where conventional transport is incompatible with the city structure development and road infrastructure. Consequently, the system is exposed to a number of problems (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). According to Gwilliam (2003), the problems of transport systems in developing countries are traffic congestion, environmental issues, safety and poverty. 2.1. Congestion This phenomenon is common in developing countries, especially in megacities. The rate of urban growth and increasing car ownership has produced excessive congestion in developing countries. Few cities reach the rate of car use and congestion as those in developed countries, according to the per capita income (Kutzbach, 2009). As Gwilliam (2003) states, congestion makes a reduction in the average travel speed in the daytime in the city centre. For instance, in Bangkok, Manila, Mexico and Shanghai it dropped to 10km/hr or less, and 15km/hr or less in Kuala Lumpur and Sau Paulo. These resulted in increased travel time and a decrease in accessibility. In Rio de Janeiro and Bogota the average travel in one-way roads is 107 and 90 minutes respectively (Gakenheimer, 1999). Notwithstanding this, the number of cars in the majority of developing countries did not exceed 100 cars per 1000 persons, while in developed countries this has overtaken 400 cars per 1000 persons (Kutzbach, 2009). Car ow nership growth in non-OECD countries is conceivable to be faster than population growth; it reaches 15-20% (Gwilliam, 2003). According to Abuhamoud et al. (2011) there is a complex relationship between urban growth and transport services. Currently about 50% of the population live in cities and this is raising increasingly, and developing countries share approximately 95% of this growth (Candiracci, 2009). It has also to be shown that as the city grows, the distance from home to the worksite is increasing with a lack of appropriate transport and road facilities (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). As a result, car ownership and congestion is inevitable. In this context, Africa makes up about 14% of the planet’s population, equivalent to about one billion people; in 2007 the urban population rate was 38.7% with the change of 2% per year from 2005 to 2010, and the increase of vehicles during these 5 years was observed. Urbanization could be observed at a higher level in North Africa, which was more than 80% and in Libya, South Africa and Botswana more than 55% but the countries still faced a lack of road facilit ies and poor vehicle quality (Abuhamoud, ibid). This type of urbanization can also be noticed in Asia. For example, China is exposed to a rapid urban growth which is currently about 43% and is associated with the country’s rapid economic growth. It is expected that this figure will increase to 70% in 2050. This is due to people’s immigration into urban areas which will affect the economy because the city energy consumption will be higher than rural areas. This will also be another factor contributing to the overall city congestion (Cheng and Hu, 2009). As Dargay at el., (2007) presents, the overall vehicle stock was 0.8 billion in 2002, but this is expected to increase to about 2 billion in 2030, of which 56% of vehicles will be owned by developing countries; this was 24% in 2002. Consequently, vehicle ownership growth may cause excessive congestion which can lead to side effects on the transportation system. Much more can be done to combat congestion, such as: encouraging markets to be more active in supplying goods in active areas; improving transport quality between cities; stopping transport subsidies in cities; improving road management and structure by devoting a sufficient land for roads; improving traffic management and improving planning institutions (Gwilliam, 2003). According to Kutzbach (2009), reducing costs and the wait period in bus stations by rising bus frequency can cause an increase in bus users, and then mass transit would be improved and congestion will decrease. Also, improving rail transport could offer a further option (Gakenheimer, 1999). 2.2. Environment problems Transport and movement have a direct impact on the environment of cities in developing countries. As a result, it impacts on human health. According to studies conducted in Bangkok, Cairo, Mexico City, Quito and Santiago, small matter particles are common and when their volume is less than 2.5 microns of lead this can inflict serious damages to the public health. In addition to this, the level of NO2 is still lower then WHO guidelines outline and there is also a high level of SO2 that is coming from increased coal use. This can damage the ozone which can be considered another threat to people’s health, especially in Mexico City and Santiago (Gwilliam, 2003). According to Transport Policy Advisory services (2010), transport growth and congestion leads to an increasing in the consumption of oil which means an increase in CO2 emissions which directly causes environmental pollution. As Candiracci (2009) states, pollution can cause the of death of people worldwide; for instance, about 6500 people in Mexico and 170000 to 280000 a year in China are facing life threatening situations because of these conditions. Furthermore, urban transportation is the main cause of increasing noise which is another type of pollution. Transport contributes about 25% of overall energy using and is continually increasing. The CO2 emissions from 1990 to 2004 have grown by almost 36.5% and it is expected to increase to approximately 140% in 2050 with the greatest increase coming from developing nations (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). CO2 emission from vehicles did not exceed 6% in tons; however, it impacts 32% of people. Urban transport is the main sourc e for 80-90% of lead spreads in these cities (Gwilliam, 2003). Additionally, there are a large number of motorcycles with 2 to 3 wheels which provides a wide range of transportation needs in Africa. For example, in Togo these vehicles provide 80% of transportation requirements, but also pollute the environment (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). It is also common in most Asian cities where it makes up about 75% of the fleet in Hanoi (Gwilliam, 2003). Generally, the poor environment condition is an outcome of the high levels of congestion in developing countries. The structure of today’s transport seems unsatisfactory in the sustainability point of view, this is mainly by the reason of its disadvantages to the environment and to humanity’s health (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). The environment can be improved by working to improve the quality of vehicles, implementing the honest â€Å"inspection and maintenance (I/M) programme†, using new motorcycle technology, improving system management and non-motorized modes, and running the â€Å"own-price elasticity for gasoline consumption† (Gwilliam, 2003). 2.3. Safety Safety is also another problem of transport systems in developing countries that is directly related to transport crashes and criminal accidents which occur on roads or its surrounding. The amount of people who are fatally injured due to road transport accidents is almost one million people annually, while 85% of this figure is in developing countries and 50% in urban areas. However, pedestrians and cyclists are exposed to safety issues much more than cars and those who ride on mass transport such a buses and trains. Accidents can remain a side effect on the victim’s psychological state and can affect the rate of travel and journeys made (Gwilliam, 2003). The bad quality of roads and vehicles in developing countries are the main reasons for safety problems, environment pollution, and congestion. For instance, the roads in the majority of cities in Africa are congested with motorcycles, which is the vehicle that is involved in the most accidents. This is primarily because a dri ver license for a motorcycle is not mandatory in this country (Abuhamoud et al., 2011). Public safety is also influenced by other aspects of road transport, such as air pollution, which is directly related to human health. Another impact on safety is insufficient pedestrian space which should be as far as the road space. This has been applied in most cities in China. The deficiency of bicycle paths in developing countries also decreases road safety (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). However, transport safety and security can be improved by considering a number of interactive approaches. Studies indicate that most traffic accidents in developing countries occur in the mid-link of roads and at junctions (Gwilliam, 2003). Therefore, road safety can be enhanced through improving road quality and developing road space that is suitable enough for all road users. 2.4. Poverty The distributional impacts of transport developments which have declined to an unusual degree are another significant issue faced in developing countries. Poor people live in areas that have a lack of transportation facilities. Poor people depend on walking although and public transport services are not as required, therefore, walking or non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles are the main modes of transportation (Gwilliam, 2003). Poorer people tend to make fewer trips poor, take longer on their journeys and have worse safety. Studies have shown that in poorer areas there are 20 to 30% fewer journeys. These journeys take longer due to the lack of roads and transport for pedestrians at all times. The poor people in Rio de Janeiro spend on average more than 3 hours commuting to reach the worksite (Transport Policy Advisory services, 2010). Better safety for poorer people can be achieved through the introduction of a number of actions such as the provision of better quality transport which can increase the opportunity for poor people to access jobs, also improving the non-motorised and pedestrians’ path surface and pavement design could help safety issues. Subsidizing the public transport sector to raise attention to public passengers and their available means of transport would also help benefit poor people, as would the construction of non-motorised transport network in cities (Gwilliam, 2003). 3. Transport and life As the Transport Policy Advisory services (2010) states, the concept of urban transport problems appears to be important because it is directly linked to the sensitive and essential spheres of life, such as the environment, society and economy. The transport can impact the environment through pollution emissions, especially in urban areas. Thus, it affects biodiversity. Transport impacts social life because it is strictly associated with accessibility levels, clean air, noise effect, and traffic accidents. However, there is also a strong relationship between transport and the economy in which it impacts on goods and people’s mobility. Accordingly, in implementing any program for the purpose of transport sustainability it should be taken into account what necessitates the satisfaction of all these elements. 4. Transportation and the Future 4.1 Climate Change The transport sector is defined as a rapid growth source of greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the monumental increase of motorization and car ownerships has influenced economic growth which leads to the occurrence of a big change in greenhouse gas emissions, where this increase then causes global warming and climate change (Wright and Fulton, 2005). Climate change may be seen as a considerable problem which faces transportation currently and also in the future (Chapman, 2007). However, while there are modes of public and non-motorized transport in developing cities, the poor quality of public transport and the inadequate service for non-motorized and pedestrians encourages people’s tendency to use private cars (Gwilliam, 2003). This then causes an increase in greenhouse gas emissions which represent a main reason of climate change occurrence. According to Wright and Fulton (2005), the greenhouse emissions from the transport sector globally is estimated to be about 24% , which grows 2.1% annually, and grows 3.5% in developing countries. It is expected to increase by about 30% by 2030. Therefore, the impacts may include dramatic weather changes, increasing sea-levels, floods and health risks in the long-term. Therefore developing countries should work to sustain the current public and non-motorised transport to develop future sustainable transport. As the Road Management & Engineering Journal (1998) states, to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the future by 2050, the CO2 emissions needs to be cut by 50% globally. This goal can be achieved through â€Å"improving fuel technology† and finding a â€Å"mode-shifting solution† (Wright and Fulton, 2005). 4.2. Peak Oil Peak oil is another issue worth mentioning. It is strongly related to transportation in terms of fuel consumption. In 2003 the rate of demand of oil increased by 3% which is equivalent to about 101 million barrels annually (Aleklett, 2007). The decline in production of oil in the three greatest exporters – Saudi Arabia, Russia and Norway – is estimated to be 4 to 6 million barrels per day by 2030, and the implications of an enormous oil shortage will appear in the transportation sector by the same year (Aleklett, 2007). Human health is influenced by these changes in economic and social aspects, more than which results from policy interferences. However, the peak oil impacts on the economy in terms of increasing the demand and price of oil, also impacts on increasing transport prices and the freight of food, goods and medicine. Therefore, it can create a health crisis even if half of the spare oil has been spent. In contrast to this, there are positive impacts such as the reduction of congestion and pollution emissions which can reduce climate change (Hanlon and McCartney, 2008). Conclusion: It is felt that transportation problems vary from other problems plaguing the developing countries due to it is worsening with economic development. Vehicle ownership growth may cause excessive congestion which leads to side effects on the transportation system wholly. The congestion can be reduced through improving the road quality and public transport, thereby increasing safety and decreasing environment pollution. The environment can be improved by improving vehicle quality, implementing the inspection and maintenance system (I/M), using new motorcycle technology, non-motorized modes, and running the own-price elasticity for gasoline. It is recommended that implementing any program for the purpose of transport sustainability should take into consideration the elements affecting the environment, society and the economy. It is recommended that developing countries should work to keep the current public and non-motorised transport running, in order to developing future sustainable tr ansport and to protect the climate and the energy. References Abuhamoud, M. A. A., Rahmat, R. A. O. K., & Ismail, A. (2011). Transportation and its concerns in Africa: A review. The Social Sciences 6(1), pp. 51-63. [online] http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/medwelljournals/sscience/2011/51-63.pdf [accessed October 22th 2013]. Aleklett, K. (2007). Peak oil and the evolving strategies of oil importing and exporting countries (No. 2007-17). Discussion paper. [online] http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/DiscussionPapers/DiscussionPaper17.pdf [accessed October 26th 2013]. Candiracci, S. (2009). Climate change, urbanization and sustainable urban transport in developing country cities. Energy & transport Policies Section. [online] http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/7997_10872_Sara%20Candiracci.pdf [accessed October 24th 2013]. Chapman, L. (2007). Transport and climate change: a review. Journal of transport geography, 15(5), pp. 354-367. [online] http://www.boku.ac.at/fileadmin/_/nachhaltigkeit/Klimafreundliche_Arbeitsmobilit%C3%A4t/Chapman_2007_Transport_and_climate_change_a_review.pdf [accessed October 26th 2013]. Cheng, H., & Hu, Y. (2010). Planning for sustainability in China’s urban development: Status and challenges for Dongtan eco-city project. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 12(1), pp. 119-126. [online] http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2010/em/b911473d/unauth#!divAbstract [accessed October 25th 2013]. Dargay, J., Gately, D., & Sommer, M. (2007). Vehicle ownership and income growth, worldwide: 1960-2030. The Energy Journal. pp. 143-170. [online] http://www.xesc.cat/Et2050_Library/attachments/Imp_Vehicles_per_capita_2030.pdf [accessed October 25th 2013]. Gakenheimer, R. (1999). Urban mobility in the developing world. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 33(7), 671-689. [online] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856499000051 [accessed October 22th 2013]. Gwilliam, K. (2003). Urban transport in developing countries. [online] Transport Reviews, 23(2), 197-216. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441640309893#.Umwm7XCb55g [accessed October 20th 2013]. Kutzbach, M. J. (2009). Motorization in developing countries: Causes, consequences, and effectiveness of policy options. Journal of Urban Economics, 65(2), pp. 154-166. [online] https://webfiles.uci.edu/kutzbach/www/Kutzbach_Motorization_2008.pdf [accessed October 23th 2013]. TranSafety, (1998). Strategies for Solving Urban Transportation Problems in Developing Countries. Road Management & Engineering Journal. [online] 1-800-777-2338 http://www.usroads.com/index.html [accessed October 22th 2013]. Transport Policy Advisory Services, (2010). Callenges of urban transport in developing countries- a summary. [online] http://www.sutp.org/ins-pol-supporting-docs?download=391:challenges-of-urban-transport-in-developing-countries-a-summary [accessed October 20th 2013]. Wright, L., & Fulton, L. (2005). Climate change mitigation and transport in developing nations. Transport Reviews, 25(6), pp. 691-717. [online] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/messages/downloadsexceeded.html [accessed October 26th 2013]. Wright, L., & Fulton, L. (2005). Climate change mitigation and transport in developing nations. Transport Reviews, 25(6), pp. 691-717. [online] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/messages/downloadsexceeded.html [accessed October 26th 2013].

Drink in Trend: Thailand Essay

Ready to drink tea ?In the past 1 to 2 years, ready to drink tea market seem declining. But in the first half of 2008, ready to drink tea market grew 16% in market value and 13% in quantity while the entire beverage market grew 5% only. This is the result of intensive marketing activities in the market. ?Consumers perceive that green tea is for health and wellness whereas black tea is for refreshment Source: Pepsi Co Trading Co. , Ltd Source: Oishi Source: T. C. Pharmaceutical. Total market value: Bt. 3,600 million Lipton? Lipton is the market leader of black tea segment (with 80% market share0 ? In the first half of 2008, Lipton ready to drink tea grew 30%. ?Lipton launched Lipton 9 to create an image of Lipton as the expert in tea products. 3-4 years ago, Lipton Wave green tea was not succeed and withdrew from the market. ?The selling point of Lipton 9 is new green tea product with 9 kinds of herbs. Asian believe these herbs are good for health. ?Thailand is the first market that for Lipton 9 ?Target group: female aged 20-39 years / with health and beauty conscious. ?A Bt20 million marketing budget has injected to build awareness of the new product with product trial road shows for 900,000 consumers, advertising through major media channels and photo contests on www. lipton9. com. ?Sermsuk expects Lipton 9 to carve out 4-5% of the green tea market this year ? Product price of Lipton 9: can Bt. 14 and PET bottle Bt. 18 ? Key person: Mr. Isaress Sundravorakul, marketing manager of Serm Suk Ms. Ratchada, non carbonated drink director, Pepsi Co Oishi. ?In order to tap the functional drink trend, Oishi launched green tea product with chlorophyll – substance in green plant which helps to improve body’s blood circulation and increase oxygen level. ?Marketing budget for launching Oishi green tea – chlorophyll: Bt. 10 m ? Key person: Tan Paskornnatee, managing director Puriku ?Puriku’s mixed berry flavor not only creates a big success for the brand but also a new trend and category for ready to drink tea market: tea + fruit juice. Even Oishi, the market leader, has to follow and launched Oishi green tea mixed berry flavored at the same size 350 ml. ?Puriku fruit white tea is positioned as refreshment drink for teenagers aged 12-17 years instead of functional drink for adult. It is because functional tea drink consumed time to educate consumer; and adult with health conscious prefers drinking water and fruit juice. Moreover, teenagers love the sweet and sour taste of fruit tea. ?Other than sell in 500 ml bottle and priced Bt. 20 as other brands, Puriku put its fruit white tea in smaller bottle 350 ml and sells Bt. 12 a bottle. It gets a well response from teenagers whom live in other provinces and has limited pocket money. ?Strengthen the brand image by adapting famous duo boy band â€Å"Golf , Mike† as presenter ? Puriku will launch new flavor every year. Currently Puriku has 4 flavors. ?Key person: Suwandee Chaivaroot, marketing manager Zenya ?Zenya has released two functional green tea products: 1. Zenya light plus fiber (same taste as original flavor but amount of calories reduced by 50%) and 2. Zenya C 100 plus (added 100 mg of vitamin c) Functional Drink ?Even functional drink’s market value grow double every year but it is still not very popular in Thailand market because: oThais do not accept the product yet. It has to take longer time to educate the consumer. For examples, I Firm from Unif and Alive from Coca Cola, which entered the market too early, has been withdrawn already. oStrong advertising restriction. Even the product has got Thailand’s FDA approval; it cannot advertise all its benefit to consumer. ?Now only B-ing of Singha Corporation is still active in this market. It has just launched the 4th formula â€Å"B-ing Relax† into the market in May 2008. o4 formulas: 1. B-ing Fine (provide vitamins for immune system) ; 2. B-ing Boost (provide amino for burning fat and energy); 3. B-ing Comfort (provide fiber for digestive system); and 4. B-ing Relax (for reduce stress) oUnlike other brands which have only one formula with different flavors, B-ing has up to four formulas. This strategy helps to build confidence to consumer and can fulfill needs of different target group. Market Value of Functional Drink YearMillion Baht 2006500 20071,000 20082,000 Beauty Drink ?A category of functional drink which is blooming ? Collagen is the most popular ingredient in this category ? Sappe ?Market leader and the first brand of functional drink that use beauty as a selling point ? Launched in December 2006 by Saap Anan? Distribution channel: in first 5 months, it was distributed in 7- eleven only. ?Target group: female 20-45 years ?Keys of success: oAdvertorial in TVC program and P. O. P. (no above the line activity) oBeauti Drink’s formula: fruit juice + beauty ingredients in 365 ml bottle. It can be drink more often than milk and 100% fruit juice because it contains only 12% fruit juice. So other than beauty purpose, Sappe can fulfill the thirsty purpose as well. ?Product: oBeauti Drink Collagen 1000 mg oBeauti Drink Co Q10 oBeauti Shot Collagen 3000 mg + Fiber 2500 mg oBeauti Shot Co Q10 + Grape seed extract Meiji Beauti ?Launched in 2007 by CP-Meiji. ?Product strategy: beauty yogurt ?In order to compete with Dutch Mill which gains 90% market share of yogurt market, CP-Meiji build a new segment. Beauty yogurt is differentiated from fruit yogurt of Dutch Mill. ?Marketing budget: 50 million baht ?Marketing activity: above the line and below the line activities (movie preview and sampling). ?After conducted a consumer research, CP-Meiji found that the brand image of CP-Meiji is not young. So the packaging has been redesigned. ?Product: oBeauti Detoey – with honey and lemon for detoxify oBeauti Bright – with collagen for good skin oBeauti Miracle – with apple cider and honey for well being ? Key person: oDr. Kinggard Pattarathamas, assistant to marketing director oPaisan Chonbanyatcharoen, managing director CP-Meiji’s shares in different markets Market Total Market Value Share of CP-Meiji Pasteurized milk 3,500 million baht 51% Drinking yogurt1,500 million baht7-8% Yogurt (in cup)2,500 million baht10% Healthy Drink ?In the past, the target audience for healthy drink is sportsman aged around 20 years and 40-50 years. Nowadays, health conscious trend is expanding the consumer base. People whom do not play sports also drink healthy drink ? Market value: 1,000 – 2,000 million Baht. (estimated by Sahaphattanapiboon) i-Healti ?Launched in May 2007 by Sahaphattanapiboon ?Product strategy: added Co Q10 (substance which is important for good health and skin) ? Marketing budget: 70 Bt. ?Major distribution channel: 7-eleven and member system ?Packaging: oFirstly there was a lady image on the label to avoid Thai FDA restriction on healthy drink. But later on the lady image has been removed in order to capture male consumers. oRed color is selected because it is a powerful color ?Keys of success oUsed skin doctor as presenter at the beginning and now use Miss Thailand oBoth above and below the line activities (ie.road show) oSmall bottle: 100 ml / bottle. Less quantity makes consumers perceive that it is effective and 100 ml can be drink for refreshment as well. oAffordable price: Bt. 25 / bottle. Consumer can drink everyday. ? Product: oi-Healti Q10 oi-Healti Q10 Lite (actually it is a sugar free formula but Thai FDA did not permit to put â€Å"sugar free† on label so i-Healti Q10 Lite put â€Å"Low Calorie† instead. ) ? Key person: Pennapa Tanasarasin, director Peptein ?Launched in Jan 2008 by Osotspa ?Product strategy: added soy peptide (substance for good brain performance) ? Imported soy peptide from Japan? Marketing budget: 400 million baht ?Sales target 2008: 300 million baht ?Osotspa had set up a new unit called â€Å"marketing department for health and functional beverage†. Each year it plans to launch one new product. ?Major distribution channel: 7-eleven ?Product: oPeptein 4000 oLaunched in Jan 2008 oSell at Bt. 38 / bottle (100 ml) oTarget group: teenager, young adult, and first jobber oPeptein 8000 oLaunched in Feb 2008 oSell at Bt. 68 / bottle (150 ml) oTarget group: adult aged 40 years old up oKey person: Prathan Chaiprasit, senior deputy director Brane Fit ?Launched by Ajinomoto. ?Product strategy: positioning as brain food (Brane Fit) and skin food (Skinn Fit) ? Healthy food and drink will be a new business unit of Ajinomoto. And it will launch at least one product a year. ?The strength of Ajinomoto is the know-how in healthy drink from mother company in Japan ? Major marketing activity: sampling ?Target group: student and worker ?Product: oBrane Fit oSkinn Fit ?Key person: Pichit Kusamit, managing director Trend # 1: Sugar-free ?Sugar-free soft drink category is blooming while the overall soft drink market does not grow in the first half of 2008. Consumers become more health conscious and the taste has been improved to be similar to classic formula. Source: Coca Cola Thailand ?Coca-Cola (Thailand) Co has spent 50 million baht for its Genzero campaign, aiming at strengthening its leadership in the sugar-free carbonated beverage segment. The campaign was designed to strengthen the success of Coca-Cola Zero by appealing to the emerging trend among teenagers and young adults to break free from stereotypes. Coke Zero was launched in May 2007 and now has a 43% share in Thailand’s sugar-free carbonated beverage segment, estimated to be worth two billion baht.? Key person: Chuenhathai Vuntanadit, regional marketing director (Coca Cola) Trend # 2: Sesame Soy milk market share by brands Vitamilk50% Lactasoy35% DNA 12% Others 3% Source: Vitamilk ?The intensive marketing activities of hi-calcium milk Anlene and Calcimex in the past few years has created a bone health conscious among Thai consumers. Soy milk companies catch the trend by adding black sesame, which is rich with calcium, into their products. And this soy milk’s category is now in full blossom. DNA ?DNA soy milk was introduced into the market 4-5 years ago by Dutch Mill. ?In order to compete with other two major players in the market: Vitamilk and Lactasoy, DNA is positioning as â€Å"hi-calcium soy milk† with black sesame. Now DNA is the market leader of this segment. V-Soy ?Vitamilk launched V-Soy in 2006 ?Positioned as hi-calcium soy milk and targeted at male consumer. ?Three flavor: double black sesame, white sesame, and no sugar Vitamilk ?Sales of Vitamilk original formula dropped in the first half of this year. It is because 1) glass bottle was short of supply; 2) retail price of Vitamilk UHT 250 ml increased 2 baht to Bt. 12 but rival, Lactasoy, remained price at Bt. 10 and added quantity to 300 ml. Vitamilk flights back with Vitamilk to Go in Black 300 ml (glass bottle) and 330 ml (UHT). The 330 ml pack sells at Bt. 10 / box until end of this year. ?Key person: Chanid Suwanprim, marketing manager of Greenspot Foremost Hi-5 ?Foremost launched the cereal flavor soy milk in end of 2005. ?Unlike other products on the market, Foremost Hi-5 contains black sesame, brown rice, barely and wheat germ. Anlene ?Anlene also launched soy milk with black sesame. ?Key person: Lalana Boonngamsri, marketing manager of Fonterra Brands (a subsidiary of Fonterra, the world leader in milk and dairy products and the world’s largest milk exporter. Fonterra is headquartered in New Zealand and operates a network of consumer dairy businesses in 40 countries worldwide. ) Trend # 3: Smaller size Recently several brands of beverage introduced small pack into the market with different reasons: Refresh drink ?Decrease in purchasing power. Small pack is cheaper. ?Able to finish the whole bottle in one time ?Can drink several kinds of beverage Samples: oPuriku green tea – 350 ml oOishi green tea – 350 ml oZeny green tea – paper box oSplash (orange juice of Coca Cola) – 180 ml (sells Bt. 10 a bottle / target: kids) oTropicana (orange juice of Pepsi Co) – 250 ml in glass bottle (sells Bt.10 a bottle) oCoke – mini can (sells at Bt. 10) oRed Bull Cola – 325 ml (sells at Bt. 10). Functional drink ?Consumer perceive that small bottle is more effective than the big one. Samples: oBeauti Shot – 50 ml oi-Healti Q10 – 100 ml oSt. Anna – 100 ml oPeptein 4000 – 100 ml and Peptein 8000 – 150 ml oBrane Fit 100 ml Hi calcium milk ?Anlene launched the concentrate formula, which contains 4 times the calcium of regular milk in 110 ml UHT box. ?Target consumer whom get calcium tablet. ?It is very successful. Anlene’s market share jumped from 17% to 38%with in 6 months. The total market values of hi calcium milk is 1,000 million baht. Samples: oBeauti Shot – 50 ml Others Fruit Fit For Fun orange juice: ?15% orange juice drink launched by TC Pharmaceutical for economical and super economical markets. ?Unlike 100% fruit juice which sell in modern trade channels only, Fruit Fit For Fun is applying the same distribution network of Red Bull, Sponsor, and Puriku. ?Ranked no. 3 in 7-eleven after Splash and Tropicana but its share in traditional channel is still far away from DeeDo, the market leader. DeeDo sells at Bt. 10 a bottle (500ml) while Fruit Fit For Fun sells at Bt. 13 a bottle.

Mindful Eating Essay

Mindful Eating can be understood as eating with full awareness about what you are eating, where and what is going on around you while eating. Today, in this busy life of ours, we are unable to have mindful eating, and rather we do mindless eating, i.e. simply eating, without paying much attention to food and the happenings nearby. Mindful eating is all about paying attention to our food and cherish the moment. According to mindful eating, we shall notice our food, its colour, its flavour, its aroma and enjoy our food to the maximum. Multi-tasking while eating, that is watching T.V, reading newspaper, talking etc. leads to mindless eating and thus leads to overeating. In order to practice mindful eating, some of the following points are to be taken into consideration- * Notice your Food, i.e notice its aroma, its texture, its flavour. * Avoid Multi-tasking while eating. * Take small bites and chew your food properly. (32-times) * Eat only half of your stomach. Don’t eat for a stomach full! * Eat only when you are hungry, don’t wait to exaggerate your hunger! * Have Good and heavy Brunch and a light dinner. * Don’t drink water immediately after having food, wait for at least 20 mins. * Always eat in groups, but avoid talking while having food. * Cherish your Food. Mindful living helps you in cherishing every moment of your life and stay happy. Mindful eating is the first step one can take towards mindful living.

Integrated and multi-agency working Essay

1.1 Explain the importance of multi-agency working and integrated working. Multi-agency working allows practitioners from different sectors and professions to work together to support children, young people and families. It makes sure that the child has the best support it can have. It has amazing benefits for the child and early identification and intervention allows that child to have tailor made support, thus allowing the child to reach his/her full potential either in their learning or development. It is important that young children and their families have support as a holistic approach which is part of the government framework. For example.ECM Every Child Matters, the five outcomes of ECM is that we should be working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for the children. The five aims are as follows. 1. be healthy. 2. Stay safe 3 Enjoy and achieve 4Make a Positive contribution 5Achieve economic well-being. A very effect part of multi agency working is inclusion and so they will encourage the child to be a part of whole class learning and will plan and adapt lessons accordingly. So the individual agencies provide different areas of expertise and the child will have the benefit of the holistic approach. 1.2. Analyse how integrated working practices and multi-agency working in partnership deliver better outcomes for children and young people. There are many outcomes for children that will be positive if the professionals working with the children and their families can share and agree upon the way they might assess, plan and implement for the child. Both the children and their parents can be involved in any plans to ensure that a child can achieve their potential both educationally and developmental. It is far more beneficial for the child to have a group of people who are skilled in different areas working with them and their families rather than to have help in only one area. It is equally important that all professionals involved share information on progress because failure to do so may lead to that child not receiving the best advice or help possible., they also need to meet up on a regular basis with the parents, teachers or any adult that are working on a daily basis with that child to have current idea on their progress. It is also important that if they are working with a child who is culturally different to gain as much information and understanding of their culture and communities. Although sometimes the school cannot support all issues surrounding the child such as housing they can provide an important point of contact and organise other professional help thus giving the child a very good start in life. 1.3. Describe the functions of external agencies with whom your work setting or service interacts. In our setting we have several different agencies that come into the school to give extra support to children. Speech and language therapists come in to initially assess the child, they will then either give us a set programme to follow to enable us to work on a 1-1 basis or with a small group of children, and the programme can include things like listening to / following instructions, pronunciation of certain letters /words. The same programme will be sent home to parents and they will be encouraged to follow it to enable the child to have as much help as possible. The Childs GP may have made the referral to the speech and language therapist if they thought that the child had difficulty in communicating effectively. Social workers will work with the child’s family to help them improve many things such as housing issues, poverty or any health needs of if there has been a bereavement that the parents or child are having difficulty coming to terms with. Educational psychologists will work with a child who has specific learning needs or psychological needs; they are usually brought in by the setting and will usually work with the child in the setting. TAC (team around the child) This is 2 or more professionals from different areas who come in to support the child and their families, this is done by offering parenting classes and helping the parent cope with day to day situations that they find stressful, for example this could be arranging childcare or advising on budgeting. School nurse comes in to weigh child, do hearing, dental and sight tests and will inform parent of any specific problems which may arise once these tests are completed. 1.4 Explain common barriers to integrated working and multi-agency working and how these can be overcome. Some professionals use their own abbreviated language when talking about their areas of expertise which is only recognised by their profession and so other professionals from different fields may not understand what is being said or meant. Other professional people may be used to working on their own so may find it difficult to share knowledge or accept advice given to them on how to deal with a situation. Different professions may have a different way of dealing with risks and may have different views and priorities on how to deal with children; they may feel threatened or upset when they are asked to find new ways of working. In order to work together successfully it is important that each profession is respected and made aware that their knowledge is seen as a valuable contribution to the multi-agency working†¦ it is also important for the individual professions to open t heir minds and consider a different approach and to communicate with each other and remember that every profession is working towards the benefit of the child. The key to a multi-agency running smoothly is to have a lead professional who will act as a point of contact for the child and their families and who will then take responsibility for the other agencies involved and communicate between all of the professionals thus hopefully preventing any barriers. 1.5 Explain how and why referrals are made between agencies. If the class teacher has any concerns about a Childs development or progress and think that that child may have an underlying problem that is stopping them from reaching their full potential such as a hearing, speech or any SEN (Special Educational Needs) then they inform the SENCO (Special Educational Co- Coordinator), they will come and observe the child and then if they think along the same lines then they will decide on which professional to make a referral to. The parent can also ask to be referred to a professional agency if they think their child is having specific difficulties. The professional then comes in and do their observations and will decide whether that child will need to be involved with several different agencies or with one specific one, such as speech and language. The parents will always be informed and will be involved in any referral process. It is essential that the Childs needs are identified and assessed quickly so that the proper provision can be put in place as soon as possible and the child can participate and be included in mainstream school and reach their full potential. 1.6 Explain the assessment frameworks that are used in own UK Home Nation. As a way of providing early intervention for a child before their situation reaches crisis point the Children’s Act (2004) and Every Child matters (DFES 2003) outlined a Common Assessment framework (CAF). It is a shared assessment and planning framework. This consists of a form which is filled in by the school (At my setting this is usually completed by the child protection officer) and the parent and can. take between 1 and 1.30 hours to complete. It can include concerns about Childs health and safety within the family, learning and developmental needs, any concerns about poverty within the family or behavioural issues. Once completed the form is sent to the CAF admin who will decide which professionals need to be involved, this could be a single agency such as a support worker who will work closely with the family or a multi-agency (TAC team around the child). By intervening early hopefully this will stop the child being referred to social services and being taken away from their families. 3.3a Analyse the potential tension between maintaining confidentiality with the need to disclose information. Where abuse of a child or young person is suspected. If a child/young person confides in us and discloses information where I suspect they maybe being abused I cannot promise to keep it a secret because I will have to disclose the information given in order to protect them. I would tell them that I have to inform others and that they will not be in trouble, as a main feature of sexual abuse is that the abuser asks the child to keep this a secret and tell them that they will be in trouble if they say something. I would write down exactly what the child said and date and sign the form and discuss the issue with the child protection officer. Potential tension could occur between myself and that child as they may think that I have let them down and abused their trust and may be reluctant to reveal any more, also if the abuser is a family member then once they have been informed of the disclosure they may be angry and could come to the school and threaten me or my family members, they may also remove the child from the setting and that child would be terrified and feel that everything is their fault. The suspected abuser could also make allegations against me saying that I am making up the whole story in order to protect themselves and until the abuse is proven they may try to instigate a group of parents to be little me every day which would cause a very stressful and intimidating situation. For an older child they may decide to withhold some of the information and so I would make it clear to them that they have different options such as the NSPCC, Child line, if they felt they could not talk to me. 3.3b when it is suspected that a crime has been/ may be committed. Firstly it is important to define what the crime is and how serious the crime is, as crime can cover a wide range of things from things like DVD Piracy right through to murder. If I felt the crime would not harm the child or others such as the DVD piracy then I would keep the disclosure confidential because it is important that the trust between child, parent and school be maintained in order for the families to share other information with us. If a child is being hurt or their parents are involved in more serious crime such as abuse, violence, drug trafficking or burglary then it would be obvious that you have to break confidentiality to ensure that the child that you are looking after is not in any significant harm and is safe and protected, and although my reporting the crime to others and the police would cause considerable tension within the family which may even result in a prison sentence and there may be significant repercussions made to me, my duty of care is to that child and I have to protect them at all times. If it were an older child and they were committing serious crimes themselves then I would inform them that I would have to involve the police and break confidentiality , this would cause considerable tension between the child/ young person and myself as they would inevitably get into serious trouble and they may want to hurt me or my family, they may even find out where I live and burgle my house . If the child was taking or selling illegal substances then I would try to find out why they were doing so and then try to persuade them to seek advice from a drug counsellor or their GP, hopefully my early intervention may cause them to realise that what they are doing is wrong and they may see the error in their ways and change their approach to life and breaking confidentiality would be the right thing to do in order to support the young person in getting the best help available.

Evaluating the Effects of Regulatory Agencies on the LIMS ( Laboratory Essay - 1

Evaluating the Effects of Regulatory Agencies on the LIMS ( Laboratory Information Management System ) - Essay Example ongoing mechanism to monitor, assess, and, when indicated, correct problems identified in the general laboratory systems requirements specified in all relevant Paragraphs within CMS Regulations Part 493 Subpart K that apply to the laboratory in question. This means that the LIMS implementation will need to provide a Quality Assessment (QA) module that provides functions, that must, when requested by the CMS and other U.S. Federal Medical Regulators, provide Verifiable Demonstrable Evidence (VDS) in the following areas. An ongoing review process that encompasses all facets of the laboratory’s technical and non-technical functions and all locations/sites where testing is performed. QA also extends to the laboratory’s interactions with responsibilities to patients, physicians, and other laboratories ordering tests, and the other non-laboratory areas or departments of the facility of which it is a part. When the laboratory discovers an error or identifies a potential problem, LIMS must allow strong remedial actions to be taken to correct the situation. This correction process must involve identification and resolution of the problem, and development of policies that will prevent recurrence. Policies for preventing problems that have been identified must be formally recorded as well as communicated to the laboratory personnel and other staff, clients, etc., as appropriate. The LIMS implementation should (that is to say, good practice, but not a legal requirement) provide a facility to monitor the type and number of complaints received by the laboratory such as, for example, a particular client continuously complaining about the laboratory’s failure to promptly respond to STAT test requests. The laboratory must possess and be able to demonstrate to CMS etc, inspectors A facility to review of the effectiveness of corrective actions taken to resolve problems, revision of policies

Educating Mobile Phone Users Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educating Mobile Phone Users - Research Proposal Example Thus, the purpose of this analysis is to indirectly educate mobile phone users about the environs of mobile phone advertising. As a mobile phone user myself, I firmly believe that by systematically evaluating mobile phone advertising using two particular commercials, I can make users aware of the elements of mobile phone advertising. The audience of this study is expected to be fully aware of how fascinating elements of advertising can affect their decision in purchasing mobile phones. Thus, this will help them to be conscious of the psychological effects of advertising exaggerations and be more careful in purchasing mobile phones based only on their advertisements. Therefore, as a tentative thesis statement, it is expected that mobile phone advertisements dwell more on the enthrallment of owning a trendy mobile phone than on the people’s need to meet their multi-faceted needs via their mobile phone. (5) As this study aims to educate mobile phone users to be more careful in basing their decisions to purchase phones on advertisements, an editorial approach to this study is the most appropriate genre for this analysis. Some elements of writing a review may be used, as this will help the researcher to specifically focus on the two advertisements. However, an editorial will make this study relevant to mobile phone users as it will link the reviews of two advertisements on the aspects to consider in indulging one’s self to believe in mobile phone advertisements. Although the study will not be a sheer criticism, it will consist of the researcher’s view on the importance of mobile phone advertising awareness in order to effectively decide in purchasing mobile phones.

Teaching Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teaching Project - Assignment Example In terms of the appropriate level since the objective of in teaching endotracheal tube nursing care is for the students to provide safe patient care in using endotracheal tubes, it would seem more appropriate that teaching would not only focus on theories but also on hands-on learning. Since the group is composed of students who will experience this material for the first time, a concise and practical way of presenting the material would prove to be easier to absorb. Practical in the sense that the material would be presented in terms of its importance in real-life practice of the nursing profession as far as this area of patient care is concerned. After having learned the theories relating to endotracheal tube nursing care, students should apply the information they have learned in class through situational exercises in the classroom, which would somehow assess how much they've learned and their ability to demonstrate this knowledge in real life situations. Based on the stated objective which is "Students will be able to perform endotracheal tube nursing care," such an objective if assessed using Bloom's taxonomy, the level of objectives that was set for teaching the students is more on performance. Although the content of the teaching plan includes "knowing" the purpose of the procedure, equipments needed, preparation, post procedure, outcome, and documentation, the bottom line is on whether or not the student would be able to perform the said procedure after all this intellectual input. Therefore, the objectives are in the level of psychomotor, as students would be evaluated if whether or not they would be able to perform endotracheal tube nursing care and consequently provide safe patient care. Teaching Method The teaching method that would best meet the group's need would be through equipment demonstration, lecture and the use of relevant CD-ROMS. These methods are seen to be essential in learning and understanding as well as applying knowledge into real life practice. Demonstrating the equipment used will not only give the students of what kind of equipments are involved, but they will also know what it is called, its function and how they would use it. The lecture provides theories and other important information on the matter as well as an opportunity for the students to equip themselves with the knowledge needed to be able to perform a particular task. The use of CD-ROMS would also help in reinforcing the information given during the lecture. It can also serve as a window of opportunity to illustrate and show students the picture behind the words they heard during the lecture. The method of teaching used can be categorized as direct teaching, because it is the teacher who mostly does all the work as will be manifested in equipment demonstration, lecture and CD-ROM. As such, direct teaching needs to be prepared and organized in advance and this includes teacher's having information about their students' prerequisites for the lesson. The advantages of this method of teaching are: there is a specific target for learning, students are given reasons on why the content is important and thus helps to clarify the lesson's objectives. It makes measuring of student's input relatively easy, it is a widely accepted and used

Report on article Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report on article - Case Study Example There are four basic management styles described in the management literature: Each of these styles has certain advantages and drawbacks, and there is no way to objectively compare their effectiveness: in some organizations directive democrats may be more successful than permissive democrats, in other organizations directive or permissive autocrats may exhibit high effectiveness, and visa versa. Effectiveness of the management style directly depends on the type of organization and nature of work performed. The style of permissive democrats seems to be the best solution for the Department of Justice filled with highly skilled professionals. The involvement in planning and decision making provides them with the sense of belongingness to work and they demonstrate more commitment in performing their duties. However, the style of permissive democrats has one essential limitation: active involvement of the subordinates in the process of decision making, coupled with lack of strict control often produces a deceptive impression that the manager adopts a laissez-faire attitude and simply does not perform his direct functions, namely controlling (Muczyk, 2004). Probably this confusion can be held responsible (at least partially) for the failure of Eileen to keep obey the rules. However, the fact that 8 other members of the team did not have similar problems with discipline suggests that Eileen's case is unique in this organizational setting. Therefore, as a new manager for strategic planning and design within the department of justice, my first step will be to closely analyze the system of relationships established and maintained by my predecessors within the team. The analysis will largely focus on defining the style of management keeping in mind that highly experienced, skilled and responsible employees do not require excessive supervision and control, unless in emergency cases. The next step will be to work individually with Eileen and her colleagues in order to find out the reasons for her misconduct. A series of individual interviews is likely to provide rich and very useful information necessary to find out whether Eileen is a victim of some subjective prejudice or stereotype or she does have some personal problems which prevent her from becoming a full member of the team. Probably, there is a person within the team that maintains negative view of Eileen and successfully promotes this view among other members of the team. At this point the manager should keep in mind that his position does not automatically make him a leader - the most influential persons within the team. The so-called 'workers of influence' theory is particularly important to understand the distinction between managers and leaders. The key

Informative Speech on Ebola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative Speech on Ebola - Essay Example However, the people who were seroconverted by the Ebola virus did not develop the Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The last known strain Ebola virus strain is the Ebola Cote d’Ivoire that was discovered in the year 1994 (Li and Chen, pg 8). It occurred when an ethnologist was performing a necropsy in Tai forest on a dead chimpanzee infected herself in the process. Ebola outbreak in 2014 is the largest ever in the history of Ebola. It became the first ever Ebola outbreak in West Africa countries and recorded as the world’s first epidemic ever. There are few cases reported in Nigerians Port Harcourt and Lagos. The cases in Nigeria have been associated with a man who had visited Liberia and died of Ebola days later in Lagos. However, the virus has not spread widely in Nigeria. In Senegal, one case of Ebola was reported from a man who had traveled from guinea (Center for Disease control and Prevention factsheets). As per September 18th, 2014, the number of cases counted had risen to 5347 with total deaths of 2630. Among the counted people, 3095 have been confirmed in the laboratory to have been infected by the Ebola virus. The deaths have been experienced across five countries in West Africa among the affect countries are Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Guinea (Gatherer, pg 5). So far the food and drugs association has not approved a safe vaccine for Ebola virus. Therefore, the prevention modalities are guided by the behavior of individuals when in the Ebola outbreak affected areas. To prevent spreading of the virus, a number of behavioral practices have to be integrated to the people visiting the outbreak areas. According to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reports, preventive measures involves careful hygiene without any contact with body fluids of infected people, avoid handling items used on the affected people’s body fluids,

The Life of Jean-Paul Sartre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Life of Jean-Paul Sartre - Essay Example The years that followed marked the life of a man with great creativity, talent in writing, deep thinker and a man of strong political will and persuasion. All these characteristics coupled with his childhood experiences led to his astounding achievements through his plays, novels, books, essays and lectures. Sartre's childhood was filled with much bitterness and confusion. The first natural pain to deal with was having no father, after the first fifteen months of his life. Sartre was clearly hurt by the fact that he never had a chance to be acquainted with his father, and was never told anything significant about the relationship they had; whether his father had ever taken him "in his arms," or if he had even loved him (The Words 20). Sartre then grew up with his grandparents who were rather fond of him, or at least depicted that in their mannerisms (Experiential Influences, par. 5). However, he felt that it was just family "play-acting," and a "system" that "horrified" him. (The Words 84; 112; 222). Sartre also faced an identity crisis. Despite his family's claim of him being the "miracle child" and "wonder child," he saw himself as ugly. His peers had also given him that impression. He was short, small-built cross-eyed and awkward in stature. Added to this, his mother treated him like a girl, not allowing him to play the seemingly rough games that other males would play, and keeping his hair long. It was his belief that she had silently prayed for a girl (Experiential Experiences, par. 7). He also felt forced into a lifestyle of reading and writing, because that was what his grandfather Charles admired, having been a writer himself. It however became a pleasant escape for him from the unhappiness he experienced at home. In his autobiography The Words, he states that "By writing I was existing. I was escaping from the grown-ups." It also positively affected his intellectual development as he became familiar with famous authors of his time (qtd in Experiential Influences, par. 11). As if this was not enough for Sartre to deal with, he also suffered from ill health. He notes in his autobiography, The Words: Things would have been fine if my body and I had got on well together. But the fact is that we were an odd couple [] If he suffers bodily as a result of needs and sickness, his unjustifiable state justifies his existence. His right to live is based on hunger, on the constant danger of death. Breathing, digesting, defecating unconcernedly, I lived because I had begun to live. I was unaware of the violence and savage demands of that gorged companion, my body, which made itself known by a series of mild disturbances, much in demand among grown-ups [] I had almost died at birth (88). His father had actually been quite ill himself when he met Ann-Marie in 1904. At that time he was suffering from entercolitis, which he developed when he visited China. He however married her and soon after she became pregnant with his child, Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre feels that his father's illness had a major role to play in his own illness. He describes in The Words how his mother had stayed up many nights worrying and had stopped breastfeeding him very soon because "her milk dried" (16). He was thus sent away nearby to be nursed. He meanwhile was ailing from enteritis. His mother's re-marriage had a negative effect on him as well. He felt alienated and lonely. Moreover, he was unhappy about having had to

Determining the Perfect Position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Determining the Perfect Position - Essay Example Reference is made to leadership theories, as applied in social and business life internationally. Personal leadership approach is presented and evaluated in order to decide which would be the position in which I would perform more successfully, that is which would be my Perfect Position in the workplace. Different approaches have been developed in the literature for explaining the decisions of leaders. These approaches are based on different social or economic conditions. This means that the leadership style of each individual is unique; still, it seems that similarities in regard to the leadership styles of individuals cannot be avoided. The leadership style of people worldwide is evaluated using different criteria. According to Northouse (2009) the leadership style of an individual can be judged by referring to the level at which the particular individual ‘concerns for people or performs in regard to the production process’ (Northouse 2009, p.73). The above leadership approach is incorporated in the ‘Leadership Grid model’ (Northouse 2009, p.73) and includes five different leadership styles, such as ‘the authority-compliance and the team management’ (Northouse 2009, p.73). In the context of the Vroom-Jago Leadership model, there are five different leadership styles, depending on ‘the potentials of a leader’s subordinates to participate in key activities’ (Hellriegel and Slocum 2007, p.225). From a similar point of view, DuBrin (2008) emphasizes on the differentiation between the participative and the authoritarian leadership styles; the first allows subordi nates to participate in the decision making process while the second reflects the power of the leader to decide alone, i.e. without being influenced by the views of his subordinates (DuBrin 2008, p.348). On the other hand, Wright (2009) noted that leadership styles could be divided into six major categories: ‘visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting

Marketing Strategies for a Newly Opened Delicatessen Essay

Marketing Strategies for a Newly Opened Delicatessen - Essay Example Among them the following marketing strategies have received the attention of many analysts and researchers (Rosenbaum, 1998). Initially market dominance strategies acquired much greater recognition. These strategies are based on the understanding that any marketing strategy must have as its core objective the domination of the market. In other words the firm seeks either to lead, challenge, simply follow or develop a niche market (Treacy & Wiersema, 1997). According to market dominance strategies the typical behavior of the market dominating firm is to set prices (price leadership) or set a quantity (market leadership). Challengers do not have the same amount of market share or power. But nevertheless they are in a better position to challenge the market leader. Challengers usually have one or few advantages associated with such areas as technology, Research & Development (R&D) and so on (Cooper, 2001). On the other hand firms which do not have anything of the above capabilities would follow the market leader especially in price. Finally the firm which seeks to develop a niche market will do so without con centrating its resources much on wider strategic marketing initiatives. For a newcomer what matters first and foremost are the resource capabilities and an appropriate product placement strategy. For example The word â€Å"delicatessen† is a loanword in the English language borrowed from German. In German language it means delicacy or delicacies. However in English it has undergone a phenomenal shift in nuances. However this paper would take its secondary meaning which refers to a shop or a market where delicacies such as foie gras, caviar, truffle mushrooms, charcuterie, red wine, gourmet chocolate and so on are sold and eaten ( www.cba.ufl.edu) . An entrepreneur of a delicatessen has no much choice except to target a particular segment of consumers in the market. Even the choice of location is limited by the fact that many downtowners happen to visit

Urban School District--Baltimore City Schools in MD Essay

Urban School District--Baltimore City Schools in MD - Essay Example This is because it encourages teachers to take control of their professional careers and improve their effectiveness. This effectiveness is enabled since teachers can now determine the pace at which they earn. Apart from school based programs, the other main attraction to both the teachers and the students towards Baltimore City School is its location. Being located in an urban area within the city of Baltimore; a city with beautiful attractions nice people and culture, makes it so affordable and interesting thus desirable for individuals to live in. Challenges that might be expected in Baltimore City Public School Considering the fact that Baltimore City Public School is an urban school, poses a great threat towards the school. This is because there are so many challenges associated with urban district schools. Some of these challenges include; Shortage of teachers, government oversight, politicized school boards, School staff accountability among others, funding for infrastructure. Some of the consequences that might result to affect the urban schools negatively when these problems are not solved in time include the following: Poor learning infrastructure such as classrooms might expose the student to harsh environmental conditions thus affecting their health, performance of the students might also deteriorate as a result of fewer teachers. This will be possible because the teachers might not be able to effectively manage a huge number of students. Teachers are also subjected to low earnings whenever students perform poorly thus reducing their morale when handling large classes of students (Richards & Farrell 78). How to address the challenges associated with the extreme urban district Some individuals have argued that treatment is better than cure. As in this case many will tend to agree with them. This is because the result of these challenges can be anticipated thus need for better preparation on how to handle them. For these measures to be handled speedily and without favor, it will require full involvement of every party which is at risk of being affected by these challenges. This is important not only because it will facilitate the speed of the work, but also because it will ensure that every individual is self motivated in order to achieve these goals. As for this case, one might involve both the teachers, students, parents and even government officials since all these people might be affected either directly or indirectly. For instance, the issue of teacher shortage can be addressed by requesting unattached teachers from the surrounding community to volunteer. On the other hand able parents can also be requested to finance these volunteering teachers. The pay cut on teachers’ salaries on account of poor performance by students can be handled by, calling on the government to look at it in perspective of teacher student ratio. It can also be handled by encouraging group discussion among students thus enhancing learning among students; this method can ease the teachers’ job since it will be easier to handle the groups compared to students. In order to solve any problem concerning schools, the school boards are always the key factors in their respective schools. As for the case of Baltimore City Public school, all the stakeholders are then expected to elect transparent

Running the Government without Debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Running the Government without Debt - Essay Example However, what is equally disturbing is that the US government moved away from surplus budgets during the latter period and never even gave it a rethink. There has been a marked tendency to succumb to populist agendas and vested interests which marked the post-surplus era in the US economy. In most cases, ‘popular sentiment’ is but a facade for narrow political gains. This era has seen a marked increase in spending, not only for new ventures but also for cutting down unnecessary and wasteful expenditure. While running a government without debt is likened to running a company, we conveniently forget that a company does so out of a lack of choice. No company can afford or receive the luxury of unlimited credit and ultimately should plough its profits back into the system. Only in the rarest of rare cases can a company expect a bailout package. However, such measures are time bound and come at a price. Hence, a balanced or surplus deficit is the only way out for a sound fina ncial system. 1. Curtailing Big Spending The three areas that can directly impact federal spending are defense, social security, health care and interest on debt. Striking at these revenue guzzlers will eliminate the need for deficit budgets. As the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. Defense seems to be one area of spending where the only way is the way up. After the end of the cold war era, the need for maintaining massive armaments has become irrelevant. The US, with its relative isolation from Europe, Asia and Africa does not require increased spending in arms either in the long or short term. Intervention in foreign countries should be brought down to the barest minimum. Instead of unilateral incursions into certain nations, the US should focus on diplomatic initiatives as a measure to reform them. This would keep public anger at check by reducing losses and reverses suffered by the military abroad. The use of the armed forces should be restricted to peace keeping and for ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the intended target. The nation’s nuclear arsenal should be used only as a deterrent and not to encourage an arms race among states. Social Security is another area where reforms are called for. The ceiling on payroll tax should be removed so that income over the threshold limit can be brought under the tax net. Gradually raising this rate can cover the shortfall in this area over the course of time. With a graying population, one should take a serious note of the retirement age. This should be gradually and progressively raised to 75 to compensate for the additional expense incurred by maintaining the present retirement age. Likewise, we need to identify the extent of retirees who are affluent enough to either be taxed or have their benefits curtailed. Health Care is the third area which can do with cost cuts. As Cox (April 5, 2011) reports in CNBC, there is a need to shift the burden on Medicare and Medicaid spending from the pati ents, and thereby the state to the providers of health care i.e. hospitals. As in the case of social security, the age for eligibility to Medicare can also be increased from the present 65 to reduce costs. Debt Interest is the area that could seriously affect the debt levels over time. With more public debt owned by foreigners, interest payments leave the country rather than circulate within the nation if US citizens received the interest on debt. 2. Increasing the Revenue Directly increasing the revenue by

Discussion about Eurodisney case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion about Eurodisney - Case Study Example The customs and day-to-day routine of Europe’s inhabitants proved to be different and unique compared to those experienced in America and China. Planning was, therefore, mostly based on assumptions made about observations recorded by researchers on European culture. For example, the team involved in the planning, was of the assumption that most Europeans do not take breakfast. They, therefore, made smaller dining areas for the serving of breakfast meals. The outcome of this was that thrice the predicted number of people showed up for breakfast. They also overestimated their annual growth expected figure. They forecast indicated a 1.5% annual growth rate (Warren, 2002). On the other hand, reasons for failure can be attributed to other factors and not on the failure of their project cost planning. For example, Europe began to suffer effects of high inflation. This automatically affected the whole project increasing the costs required to finance the entire project. The French government agreed to share the wealth that was soon to be generated from the project if it proved successful. French citizens, therefore, had to invest in the project by meeting some of the financial obligations. However, the high inflation rates affected most citizens’ ability to invest in the project. In addition, the production costs rocketed throughout the entire project (Warren, 2002). The case study is a clear and concise depiction of what happens in the real world. Most organizations prepare project cost plans when dealing with new projects. This is an extremely beneficial way in which the organizations can treat the new project as a separate entity. This helps to shield the organization from unforeseen risks, which can be, detrimental to the parent company. The entire plan relies on a system that will allow for the project to pay for all expenses incurred during its development (Warren, 2002). Project cost planning is common in businesses exposed to

Critical opinion on history of design Term Paper

Critical opinion on history of design - Term Paper Example Significantly, the design history also exists as a component of practice based courses with its teaching and study being as a result of the National Advisory Council of Britain and was launched in the 1960s under the art and design programs. Considerably, the council aimed at making art and design education a legitimate academic activity which necessitated the employment or ‘buying in’ of specialists from art history disciplines, leading to a particular style of delivery. Wood is among the core components of design (as a material) that most people including designers, appreciate and love; simply because it is an incredibly useful material that has minimal effect to the environment (Gustav 1). Over the years, wood has provided humans with shelter, warmth, tools and furniture and it has been a great inspiration that even the earliest man interacted with wood in this most basic ways and more. Typically, wood is embedded with many layers, all of which are symbolic in the aspects of its history in design, time and where it has been applied; for instance, wood keeps a record of its environment and each year brings new growth that marks its past or the rings of a tree can teach us about the environment and specific events in the trees life holding its history within and its living energy expresses it outward. Most of the craftsmen that use wood in design express energy that is added to the depth of the material; reflectively, furniture has been part of the human experience since the development of the non-nomadic cultures and there is historical evidence that it goes the Neolithic period (Gustav 1). This theory is an example of how design in general has been of great significance to the human era, not to forget that it does not in any negative way affect the environment. Furniture designed from wood is not only a product but is also considered to be a from of

Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley Research Proposal

Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley - Research Proposal Example In its extreme, racist form, eugenics intended to obliterate all human beings considered "unfit," saving only those who matched to a Nordic label. The eugenics theory hailed forced sterilization and isolation laws, in addition to marriage controls. In America, eugenics practitioners eventually forcefully sterilized some 60,000 Americans, barred the marriage of thousands, compulsorily isolated thousands in "colonies," and harassed countless numbers. Before World War II, nearly half of forced sterilizations were done in California, and even after the war, the state contributes for a major percentage of all such surgeries (Black). In the novel Brave New World, Huxley had indicted against modern science and eugenics. In the second chapter of "Brave New World Revisited", however, Huxley seems disappointed by eugenics being discarded, saying, "In the Brave New World of my fantasy, eugenics and dysgenics were practiced systematically. In this second half of the twentieth century we do nothing systematic about our breeding". Does that mean that Huxley now regrets what he said before, that, social eugenics controlling population systematically would have benefited humanity in the long run Would Huxley now prefer biologically better ova, fertilized by biologically better sperm, to produce better species of people aided by the best possible pre-birth care to be lastly decanted Probably to answer such criticism, Huxley soon says, in the haphazard and looseness of the natural order and the biological interference that is aimed at reducing diseases and so on, we not only over-populate our earth but we also confirm that those who do not receive good care and treatments become the greater numbers - people having biologically poorer attributes. This, according to Huxley, means that an almost unknowing repetition of the Bokanovsky Process as depicted in Brave New World where biologically substandard ova, fertilized by biologically poorer sperm, were put through and dealt before birth with alcohol and other protein-destroying toxics, to make ("decant") the creatures finally nearly subhuman. Thus, for Huxley, eugenics is a proposed as a form of pseudoscience that is focused on "improving" the human race. In this paper, I will discuss Huxley's views on eugenics, the origins of the theory as well as the current views on the same. Development of the study of eugenics Eugenics was proposed as a means to selective breeding and genetic engineering in order to make human beings fit to survive in the world of the fittest, or in what is known as social Darwinism. The definition of eugenics is itself a much controversial subject. While some scholars think altering the gene pool is what is eugenics, some argue even attempting to alter some behavioral traits is also eugenics. Modern day reprogenetics, preemptive abortions and designer babies or infanticide in some primitive societies may also termed as eugenics. Eugenics may be positive - by increasing the fertility rate of the stronger genetic qualities - or negative - by lowering the fertility rate of the weaker genetic qualities. Perhaps this was why abortion was illegal for the racially superior women in Nazi Germany. In the modern times, eugenics is practiced by

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay Example for Free

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? David Olu RETAIL MANAGEMENT Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? When people go shopping they want to encounter an enjoyable experience which will satisfy their needs so in recent years retailers have tried to take the shopping experience to another level in order to encourage consumers to build a relationship with the brand. The purpose of this essay will be to outline what is meant by the term â€Å"retail experience†. The main focus will be on a particular case study involving Apple in order to explain how the retailer goes on to enhance value. Retail experience can be seen as a process in which a retailer packages an experience together with products. (Berman B Evans J 2010) highlight that â€Å"A Retailers image depends heavily on its â€Å"atmosphere†. When looking at atmosphere it is the psychological feeling a customer gets when visiting the retailer.’’ It is noted that atmosphere can influence hedonic value this is an important aspect of the experience, because this is what plays a vital role in gaining a customer’s interest and it can help in leading the customer into the buying process. All of the major retailers will aim to provide a relaxing environment for their consumers because shopping is considered as fun and pleasurable (Jones, 1999). There are some key factors that contribute to this, first we look at music because it provides entertainment for shoppers Turley and Chebat (2002). Followed by lighting the appropriate use of it,  such as product spotlighting and dim ambient lighting, and thirdly the use of bright and vibrant colours. Swinyard (1993) reiterated this by pointing out that â€Å"Mood states are present in virtually every shopping encounter, and could have a significant effect on shopping behaviour†. And In Relation to this (Kemp and Kopp 2011) also put forward that Emotions shape our everyday existence, including our consumption and purchase behaviour. So this could mean that a consumer in a bad mood may tend to view shopping activities differently from one in a good mood. When a customer enters the store atmosphere they are not able to experience the music in seclusion or smell the scent without seeing the colours as well they do not walk on the floor-covering without feeling the ambient temperature. The typical customer experiences amounts of all these and other incentives as an on-going, collective experience. So it can be argued that most buying environments are purposefully designed to produce specific emotional effects in shoppers. Berman Evans J (2010) argued that â€Å"The presentation merchandise and the displays that bring shoppers into the store are very important in creating a retail image. So other factors which have to be considered when looking at retail experience is the layout of the shop itself because if the shop is nicely laid out it will encourage customers to spend more time in the shop than originally planned. So retailers have to consider the layout of the products and how they can appeal to customers and also clearly labelled displays if they have any in order to make the customers indentify what is on sell clearly. So it is always essential for a business to ensure that the shop is properly organised. A store exterior provides a powerful impact on a business’s image this should be planned effectively a store exterior consists of the total physical exterior of the store itself, with a storefront most retailers can present a traditional, trendy, upscale environment, in relation to retail experience customers who happen to pass a shop they usually judge a store by its exterior so this can be used to draw in customers with things like display windows showing products will be able to catch a customer’s attention  straight away most retailers make use of mannequins in order to grab people’s attention. Customers always want to feel valued and welcomed when they visit a shop so when they enter the shop they expect a good customer service from the members of staff this is crucially essential for an organisation to manage. Because not only will shoppers appreciate the store due to the products offered, or atmospherics’ but they will have more of a strong interest due to the kindness of the salesperson (Lombart and Jeandrain, 2003). If the members of staff are always available and helpful it will create a customer satisfaction and this can be considered as a key determining factor with benefits of repeat shopping and buying behaviour if managed effectively so with this it means that customers will always have a good experience, when they encounter polite and helpful members of staff and this will also create a positive image for the business. Promotion is another tool in which retailers will aim to provide satisfaction to their customers so in order for them to do this they implement special offers as a strategy to achieve this, if an organisation regularly provides promotion as part of its experience it will find that they will attract more customers. So for example retailers like Tesco or Asda regularly offer promotion and they go head to head on offers in order to gain draw in more people. Not only will offering promotions attract repeat custom it will also allow the organisation to generate profit. All different kind of Retailers will try to use different ways in order to bring that retail experience that their consumers desire so retailers who connect with customers through experiences which are personally relevant , memorable, interactive and also emotional are more likely to increase sales and brand loyalty and this is why experience stores such as Apple have emerged, reason being that they want customers to bond with the brand, at first hand , a â€Å"try before you buy† approach . Apple is one of the biggest leading technology companies in the world apple provides customers with an attractive and relaxed environment where they can  handle. â€Å"Apple has been developing its experience stores since 2001 and by the end of 2008 the company had opened some 250 increasingly sophisticated stores† (Jones, Comfort, 2010). Benghazi (2012) States that entertaining browsing experiences might help a browser to learn more about the offers and characteristics. Customers will be able to use knowledge in order to make a decision on whether they should purchase the product or not so in regards to this Apple provide their consumers with a live interaction of their products for example the Apple store in London’s regent street lets customers get involved in â€Å"Getting started workshops† this includes showing customers how to set up a new Mac, connecting to the internet and sending emails. This goes to show that Apple are trying to involve their customers with a firsthand experience of the brand and the products they offer, the experience goes beyond the store itself the company provides summer camps for children and youth workshops. Children aged 8-12 years get what is known as a â€Å"hands-on Mac experience, during a 3 hour workshop 8-13years olds can compose a song â€Å"in a garage band†, construct a photo album and create key note presentations. This illustrates on how Apple are trying to expand retail experience to their customers by going beyond the in store experience this will in return generate a positive outcome for Apple. Within regards to the designs of the stores, the interior represents three values, which are transparency, community and service. There is the open spacious interior containing the computers, IPods and IPhones which are neatly placed on tables this portrays transparency. Community is encouraged by the store through its theatre and its lounging areas and then the commitment into services is branded into customers minds as they are able to visit the genius bar, each store is looked at as a place where people can feel comfortable and are not intimidated by technology. Apple stores may be designed to sell but also at the same time they are designed to teach, customers who walk into an apple store just for a casual play of the products can find that the experience can quickly turn into some serious learning. When we look at a typical apple store it has three  spaces the first one is usually for play and for purchasing, and the other one is for learning a customer would typically come across these areas in that order. The shop is laid out in a simple manner enabling the customers to move around freely to admire the products within the store. Like any other store, apple stores consist of members of staff who wear a blue t-shirt with the apple logo in the middle making them easily recognisable to the public as the staff with a casual look. There always there to help customers with their knowledge on how to use the products. The members of staff always ensure to ask customers if they need help if the customer looks lost, this type of retail setting allows customers and members of staff to interact as the members of staff are always asked questions in regards to the products, and the questions that the customers ask the staff guide the learning and they reveal what has been learned and what else is there left to be learned. So in a sense Apple have able to take the relationship between the customers, staff members and the store to a different level of retailing and learning. The Apple store has built relevance into every section of the shop, the members of staff are aware that they have to start with the customer and with whatever knowledge the customer knows and then progress on from there. Despite the technology the apple store experience is more focused on forming a relationship with the products rather than just focusing on products. An Apples store experience generally provides a powerful image about the brand Apple is able to combine products together with service effectively in order to reward their customers with a unique experience in which customers are able to feel like learners who are able to develop valuable skills. The Apple store learning experience is greatly adapted and focused on the interests and the needs of the individual customer. Conclusion Retail experience is vital for all of the retailers to establish in order to looking at Apple they have successfully established an environment where customers would want to come back again and again so in conclusion Apple has shown that they value their customers by ensuring that their customers experience the products at first hand and by also taking that experience out  of the store by providing their customers with things like summer camps. It is vital that Apple continue to bring this experience to their customers because it will mean that they will generate repeat custom and also they will be able to attract new customers. Bibliography Books Berman, B. and Evans, J. (2010) Retail management a strategic approach. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson education Inc, p.508, 509,510,512. Internet Sonera, T. (2006). Apple case study. Available: www.buyukdemirci.com/Apple/Apple_case_.pdf. Last accessed 18th November 2012. Journals Ballantine, P. et al. (2010) Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 38 (8), p.1, 2. Burns, D. and Neisner, L. (2006) Customer satisfaction in a retail setting: The contribution of emotion. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 34 (1), p.50, 51. Jones, P. et al. (2010) Retail experience stores: experiencing the brand at first. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 28 (3), p.243. KEMP, E. and KOPP, S. (2011) Emotion in consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10: p.1. Kronrod, A. et al. (2012) Hedonic Consumption and compliance with assertive messages. Journal of Consumer Research, Inc., 39 (1), p.52. Nsairi, Z. (2012) Managing browsing experience in retail stores through. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 40 (9), p.678. Swinyard, W. (199300) The Effects of Mood, Involvement, and Quality of Store Experience on Shopping Intentions. Journal of consumer research, 20p .271. Washor, E. et al. (2009) At the Core of the Apple Store: Images of Next Generation Learning. The Phi Delta Kappan, 91 (2), p.61, 62, 63

Visual Aid that Illustrates a Problem Essay Example for Free

Visual Aid that Illustrates a Problem Essay Organizations these days are facing numerous problems related to recruitment, job assignment, fair performance evaluation, and encouraging diverse workforce within the workplace. Nevertheless there is another growing problem for the organizations that has significant impacts over the performance and as well as reputation of a company. It does not create a mouth-opening effect on us when we get to know any issue related to sexual harassment that is happening somewhere in the country, whether it is any organization, community, educational institution, or village. It is because there is no such country in the world that has totally eliminated this issue, even if they have, then other diversity issues such as, discrimination, hatred, and glass-ceiling occur. The paper would discuss a problem of sexual harassment, analyze the legal concerns, highlight the thoughts regarding the issue, and suggestions for overcoming the problem. Introduction to the Problem Sexual harassment is a term that is used to define any act of harassment where a person or employee ‘makes continued, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, to another employee, against his or her wishes’ (Heathfield, 2010). There is not any specific way of harassing the opposite gender in the workplace; in fact, there are variety of ways that can be used depending on the circumstances. People pass on jokes, non-verbal gestures, or other offensive comments on the physique, dresses, or way of walking or talking of the other party. Touching and making some bodily connection also comes under sexual harassment, where patting someone’s back, holding him or her from waste, and scratching is done. Moreover, requests to the other party are made to have date even that party has refused before. And finally, sending emails or texts that contain some lewd text or pictures and playing sexy music are also part of sexual harassment. Significance of the Problem Sexual harassment has increased to so much extent that now it is considered to be a common thing, which would not have any negative impact towards the organization or its performance. But in reality, it does have several legal concerns over the confidence and self-esteem of the harassed one, performance of the organization, violation of the ethical and moral principles, and also the corporate culture. Starting from the moral and ethical issues, one does not have any right to sexually harass anyone else in the workplace even if the other party does not entertain the offer or gets reluctant to it. It violates the ethical principles because one does not feel the sense of freedom where he or she is working, and since it is the workplace so protest or condemnation cannot be done openly. Second of all, it diverts the mind of both the harasser and harassee from their work since they continue to disturb and get disturbed from each other’s reactions. Therefore, the time is wasted and focus is not made on the everyday tasks, hence resulting in the decline in productivity of both parties. As far as the self-esteem and confidence of harassee is concerned, it gets hurt seriously because the harassee cannot openly raise voice in front of others to either protect him/her or complaint about the harasser. Moreover, there is a great chance of other people perceiving the harassing situation as the consensual relationship or flirting of both the parties, which might degrade one’s image. Not only this, once the rumors about sexual harassment being happening in an organization spread, it exacerbates company’s image and so many of the women or minorities would hesitate to join it in the future. This growing issue in the workplaces have tarnished the image of many organizations and as well as the countries where minorities are harassed either sexually or for some other purpose. Although this is a silent issue that has not been considered to deal at the upper level either by the companies or governments; nevertheless, employees are the only one who can help themselves and get out if this nuisance. Overcoming the Problem Sexual harassment can be prevented by the organizations if they develop and introduce certain stiff rules about the issue, which ensure that whoever is found to be harassing others would either be fired or suspended. Of course, the employer would not want this issue to prevail in the company so the harassee must complain secretly to the immediate boss or manager who could take the issue seriously in dealing with it. Also, harassee must have proper proofs and records of harassment been done by the harasser, so that he or she could take legal actions against the harasser and let him or her face the music (Heathfield, 2010). This would not be it; in fact the role of government and law-making bodies is very decisive here that can introduce certain laws especially for the workplaces where sexual harassment usually takes place. Once the rules are implemented, the issue would certainly take a rain check and minimize. Gantt Chart Conclusion Therefore, there are many diversity issues prevailing in the organizations, one of them is sexual harassment that involves the passing of certain remarks, words, jokes, or some physical contact with the other party. Its outcomes are quite gloomy where the performance level of employees goes down, image is tarnished and corporate and ethical principles are violated. The issue can be managed by taking action on-the-spot by the harassee and the employer, and also by implementing stiff rules and regulations. Moreover, encouraging diversity and providing autonomy to both minorities and women must be incorporate within the organizational culture over which every employee would have to act on. This issue is not the one that cannot be stopped and would always happen like others mentioned in the start of the paper, in fact proper measures along with stiff rules for implementation would definitely help the companies to nip this problem in the bud and eliminate all the concerns related to it. References Heathfield. S. M. (2010). Address an Employee Sexual Harassment Complaint. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. From http://humanresources. about. com/cs/workrelationships/ht/sexualharass. htm Heathfield. S. M. (2010). Sexual Harassment. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. From http://humanresources. about. com/od/glossarys/a/sexualharassdef. htm