Is Harry Potter evil? Essay

The answer to this most controversial book and movie series is a no. Harry Potter books were all about the fight between evil and good. It did a lot of wonders and spectacular creativity on ways of entertaining a child’s imagination by magic tricks and spells. Just like when we hire magicians and entertainers on kiddies birthday parties. Today’s technology after all is about yesterday’s magic like Merlin and science fiction semi horror stories of the Underworld. The fight for censorship deals with everything about the concept of witchcraft, violence, satanism and deception. Matrix prove to be violent also and deceptive of the real world. True to its word, the only perceived danger is fantasy. Kids are kids and they fantasize often. Observe how they conduct their games and play at home. One can see that they are all pure fantasies. Can we not give them the freedom to exercise what is appropriate to their age without banning books because of the claim of distorting fantasy from reality? Even mere comic books of super heroes and Xmen were created out of fantasy. Shall we ban them then because of scientific fantasy of Xmen mutation? (Bloom 1999). Parents of course have every right to participate in any group and in any legal way to promote the welfare and education of their kids. And yes, they can definitely take a fight to banning books in relation to this protection concept. Both schools and parents shall have a face-to-face discussion with the topic on hand. No one shall dictate the other. It shall all be based on reason and the practicality of the subject being fought upon. Taking on a kid’s story too seriously could be hazardous to society. Witches, wizards, sorcery, and spells have long been in the category of children’s literature. The use of magic potions and spells has long been engaged in the story of Alice in the Wonderland and Snow White. The only difference is that Harry Potter movies seem to be the rage at present costing us more to buying books and DVD’s for our kids. The creativity is just exemplary. The sounds and the way they do their magic are just fantastic. It is never a sin to admire creativity nor is it a sin to express appreciation. There was never a quantitative study of the effects of Harry Potter’s movies and books on children. There was never a quantitative measure of negative implications on behavior by those who admire the cultural phenomenon chronology of manipulation of evil and its consequence. Talking about voices and banning, then parents do promote the culture of criticizing exploring fantasies and curbing creativity in movie productions and children’s skills to emulate their feelings to good stories. After all, shaping of a child’s behavior is seen to stem from his family context and environment. That means more on dealing with people attitudes and witnessing to assessing what parents teach and not from entertainment and media except for the very delicate condition of being mentally impaired. Parental guidance is the primordial concern of culture development and values teaching. Kids do know they are just plain movies not to be taken seriously. References Bloom, J. (1999, October 22). Is Harry Potter evil? New York Times. p. Op-Ed.

Extending High School

I don’t think high school should be extended to five years. Many students can barely make it past the first couple years. If high school is extended, then there will be an increase in the number of student dropouts. There will be a decrease in the number of high school graduates. Many students don’t like school, so an additional year may just be too much. Eventually, they will decide to drop out. More conflict will arise for those students who do not get along well with others. Most students think of school as a chore and not a privilege.They are desperate to get out of school. Adding another year will only discourage them in continuing their education. They will begin to feel like school will get them nowhere because they have been there for so long. Educationally speaking, there is little academic reason to extend high school. Increasing the time will only decrease the difficulty of the courses and not prepare students for college classes. Most middle schools do a gre at job in keeping students that want to excel in their studies get a head start for high school.In most districts, students who excel academically, and need less time in high school, have opportunities to take college level classes before graduating. If a student did not do well in high school, and decides to go back and receive his/her diploma, he/she can take remedial classes at a community college. They can then get a better job or begin their college education. Socially speaking, the school would then be a mix of students between the ages of fourteen and nineteen years of age. Social issues will arise between the younger and the older students because of the age difference between the groups.High school performs an important social role in guiding students through their teenage years. At eighteen years of age, a person is already an adult and should be socialized with adults, such as other college students or fellow employees. In conclusion, high school should continue to be fou r years. This extension will only make high school dull and unbearable for many students. It does not matter how many years a student stays in high school. It is the quality of learning and the students’ own will to succeed.

Bartering system

Bartering system SHOULD ALL THE COUNTRIES HAVE ONE GLOBAL ECONOMY? As we all are well aware that before the money was minted, people followed â€Å"BARTERING SYSTEM†. Slowly, it evolved into the principles of buying and selling with money. As time passed, the world faced Imperialism, where the countries started conquering other countries as their colonies and made them as a source for raw materials. After World War II the Imperialismcame to an end, and a new era of economies emerged. These economies are Capitalism, Socialism and Mixed Economy, and altogether these economies are known as â€Å"GLOBAL ECONOMIES†. Today all the countries of the world are slowly opting to have a global economy. Even though, many countries oppose to adopt one global economy because of its negative impacts on the developing and third world nations, it is obvious that it has shown clear positive effects shifting the economic activities into profitable situations. Besides several criticising allegations agains t having one global economy, yet it still has its good effects in the areas such as all round development of the nation, Unity among nations and increasing political awareness among the countries. The main claim of many countries is that global economy leads to financial exploitation of a country. This criticism is mainly based on the premise that adopting a global economy can destroy the regional economy by means of financial exploitation and financial inequalities. On the contrary, the country which adopts global economy will benefit from equal development and equal distribution of wealth among the countries. Most of the economists of the world agree that having a global economy, the countries will be developed equally. According to a webpage article from economy watch, (nd) states that, â€Å"global economy can have the increasing opportunities of the economies in large scale and by opening up of the economy, the industrial sector will be benefited by achieving cheap labour, c apital and technology.† For example: if one country is self sufficient with the financial resources, then that country can help another developing country in attaining financial resources and free from financial debts and hence there is less scope for financial exploitation. It increases the employment opportunities in large scale and small scale industries. Global economy also helps in transferring sophisticated technology from the developed countries to the developing countries in the fields of agricultural sector to service sector. It also helps in having constant level in the balance of trade among all the countries, which also plays a vital role in increasing the national income and overall development as a whole. Another important claim is that global economy results in instability of unity among the people of the country. This negotiations are mainly depends on the facts on having global economy which exploits the individual economies in the form of inequality, social and cultural differences which result in wars. Yet, most of the countries accept to adopt global economy which will be benefited by equality, social and cultural dialogues. Most of the people agree the conclusion that by adopting the global economy, there will be less scope for wars and unity will be prevailed among the countries. A global economy would also help in promoting international cooperation and peace. If countries are dependent upon one another’s economic success then armed conflict would be less likely. According to businesspme, (nd) â€Å"Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear warheads and they are often in wars over land and territory such as the Kashmir issue. It is likely that these two countries will not use nuclear warheads for against each other. Otherwise it would be complete destruction and leads to the financial crisis†.It also helps in improving good relations and exchange of cultural activities and benefits of the country. It also helps in deve loping bilingual relations between the countries and unity among the people and nations in the form of equality, social and cultural diversity.

Mirrors by Lucy Grealy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mirrors by Lucy Grealy - Essay Example While she was 9 years, Grealy suffered jaw cancer therefore forcing a part of her right side jaw to be removed. She underwent 30 surgeries as a way of reconstructing her face and so in her story mirror, she talks about the perceptions and obsessions people have of beauty which demonstrates how the society at large is. She had the belief that if the surgeries would eventually fully reconstruct her face, she could be happy as she would be a normal person just like the rest of the world. In an article written by Michelle Wittle inside the mind of a writer she talks about Grealy’s article. Wittle talks positively about the manner in which Grealy’s article is talking about the challenges people go though in their day to day life as a result of their self image. She puts emphasis on the way people define the lives they live in terms of what they see in the mirror. Wittle is proud of the way Grealy at last is able to face her worst fears and looks in the mirror seeing positive things. â€Å"I am a big victim of this theory† (Wittle, 2010). Wittle can relate to Grealy’s story as she herself has let other people define her according to her looks; or how she should live her life just because they say so. She therefore does not condemn Grealy because of the fears she faced with her self image. She compares herself to Grealy by saying that she herself has learnt of how to soul-search herself and live her life instead of living the way others want to â€Å"Like Grealy, I am learning to look at myself on the inside† (Wittle 2010).

Final Organizational QI Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Final Organizational QI Plan - Essay Example The first and foremost step includes the measures which are taken in order to prevent known infections throughout the hospital. This job is carried out in a hospital by means of not only awareness programs but there is also a need for utmost cleanliness within a hospital. For this reason, hospitals should aptly adhere to the guidelines that are provided by their supervisory committees, for example, hospitals in America have to follow the guidelines of CDC in order to conduct research on different diseases and also to follow protocols in case a rare infectious disease breaks out (Health.vic.gov.au, 2013; CDC, 2013). The second thing that involves the plan is the monitoring of the infection, in case someone has it and to find proper ways to eliminate threats that promote the spread of such infections. For this reason a hospital has to be advanced and equipped with proper technology in order to prevent the infections from spreading, especially within the health care facility, in this ca se a hospital. What follows after it are different surveillance regimens where the hospital has to monitor the status of diseases in order to keep them from becoming an epidemic. Another part where hospitals need to focus upon is how they would collect different data about the disease and how to compile it in order to use it for the prevention of new cases from happening. Different tools are to be identified that the hospital needs in order to check the problems that have immediate effect and conduct studies to not only cure the diseases but also make efforts in coming up with a plan to completely eradicate them. It shouldn't always be about finding the cure because there are thousands of diseases with known cure but they still exist alive and kicking. It should be about finding the roots of the diseases; what areas it stems from and its effects, precautions and then devising a plan about nipping these diseases in the bud. This not only provides service to humanity by finding elimin ation methods for diseases but also improves the quality of service of a hospital where it strives to provide information to WHO about the methods that can prevent and eliminate infectious diseases around the globe. Introduction In order to devise a successful plan for the prevention and control of diseases within a hospital, we have to find out what is the core mission of a hospital and what it sees in itself to provide to the humanity as well as its own development. A hospital’s major mission is to provide health care to people who are sick and to also provide them with cures and treatments depending upon the disease they have while providing quality service for the patients. In order to achieve this mission, a hospital that is big in its stature and reputation, not only tries to cure people through doctors but also through research on different diseases and also providing medical training in the form of med school. A hospital also provides ER services which is one of its m ain department because you would never know what emergency might pop up. Apart from that, clinical duties are also a part of major services that hospital adheres to because it is its responsibility to treat even everyday sickness and diseases. Goals and Objectives Like any other profit seeking organization, a hospital has different goals and objectives that it

Lack of parental involvement in the childrens education Essay

Lack of parental involvement in the childrens education - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the Reading Edge program, there are professional development opportunities that are offered by the SFA staff. These opportunities include a training period where the teacher can learn additional skills that will help them to embed this program into their lesson plans and will effectively help the teachers to utilizes this program properly. The first thing that this training focuses on is the instructional strategies for including elements to lesson plans that will develop the student’s â€Å"word recognition, fluency, and comprehension skillsâ€Å". Secondly, the teachers will learn how to integrate routines and practice into these lesson plans, which will help these students to succeed, since â€Å"classroom management methods based on cooperative learning have both immediate and lasting impact on students’ behavior and achievement†. The teachers will also learn new evaluation techniques and will learn how to adjust their lesson plans if they are not achieving the desired results. These new lesson plans will include high amounts of repetition, which is what the students need at this level of their education. There will also be special support available for school administrators, which will be the most important part of this process, as it is up to the administrators to ensure that the program is being used properly by the staff. There will also be ongoing in-class support from the SFA staff, which will help the teacher along considerably.

COUNTER CULTURE, COUNTER MEMORY AND PARTICIPATION Essay

COUNTER CULTURE, COUNTER MEMORY AND PARTICIPATION - Essay Example At some point in the 1970s, global economic depression destroyed the illusion of post-World-War-II prosperity and the idea of a ‘post-scarcity society’ (Kellner 1995, 3) was substituted by discourses demanding rationalising expectations, restrictions to growth, and the inevitability of economic and state reform (Kellner 1995); such reform occurred in most regions of the capitalist world throughout the 1980s under the command of conventional regimes which curtail social welfare agendas, while strengthening the military sector and adding to national deficits, with enormous debts that remain unpaid (Jameson 1991). The past decades have also witnessed the downfall of Soviet communism and the culmination of the Cold War (Sebestyen 2009). Communist and capitalist countries, after World War II, begin vying for political, economic, and cultural supremacy. Forces in both leagues provoked hot and cold armed conflicts, leading to intense militarisation and overt and covert hostilities between replacements of the superpowers (Katz 2000). Outrageous military organisations on both blocs and weapons of mass destruction generated an edgy, fearful age, where fanatic and suspicious bureaucrats could pressure citizens into recognising social policies that mostly benefited and profited the powerful and greedy, while delaying major social reform and the construction of a more fair and reasonable social order (Sebestyen 2009). Innovative technologies have also appeared in the recent decades which have altered the orders of everyday life and impressively reorganised work and leisure (Klein 2001). These new globalised infrastructures and networks also offer effective types of social control through more effective, ingeniously hidden strategies of propaganda and manipulation (Klein 2001). Definitely, their very presence might weaken political forces and keep individuals securely installed within

Processes and Evaluation in Employment Relations Essay

Processes and Evaluation in Employment Relations - Essay Example A study of the Australian workplace scenario shows that strategic HRM are often faced with issues when trying to affect cultural changes as lack employee focus, leading to increased work related insecurities and a persistently decreasing job satisfaction (Leah, 1999). Culture, which fundamentally relates to the meaning an individual deciphers about the world around him and an understanding of the tools with which he must deal with this world, the primary objective of cultural changes within a workplace is associated with conscious and active processes aimed at developing capabilities that enable individuals to find new methods of working. It makes way for new processes, beliefs, thoughts, and measures that help to bring about organizational success. Owing to current large-scale globalisation, business strategies have become more intricate, making it necessary that workplace culture within an organisation becomes more complex in order to implement various modifications. This paper wil l study the role of HRM as regards affecting cultural changes within an organisation and will derive that implementing cultural changes is a complex and difficult process, and HR management has a limited role in affecting these changes. Human resource management can be defined collectively as comprising of â€Å"all concepts, strategies, policies and practices which organizations use to manage and develop the people who work for them† (Rudman, 2002, 3). The current function of HR is to manage long-term goals, and to take a wider and more balanced approach, instead of convening only on internal issues pertaining to human resource management. Modern HR managers emphasise more on future-based goals, long-term strategies, value adding leadership roles with focus on global integration, primarily in terms of economic and socio-cultural integration (Adler and Gundersen, 2008, pp.7-9). Fig 1: Human resource activities of a modern business firm (International HRM and organizational be havior learning guide, 2010). Ulrich (1996) delineated HRM roles and divided them into four categories based on their functions. These are Change Agent, Strategic Business Partner, Administration, and Employee Champions (Ulrich, 1996, pp. 19-20). Besides these, HR managers must be knowledgeable about the socio-cultural effects of globalization and be technologically oriented. In context of HR functions as a change agent and a strategic business partner, which encompass bringing in strategic cultural changes within an organization, these are associated with guiding and assisting in creating an overall business strategy and framing of HR plans and activities, keeping in mind the current globalization. If human resource strategies are incorrectly planned and implemented, an organization is likely to face failure within the global market that is highly competitive in nature (Belcourt and McBey, 2010). Here, the human resource managers help to formulate overall business strategies and se t goals for a firm, while bringing in suitable workplace cultural changes within an organization that would assist in achieving success in overall business outcome. The word ‘organisational culture,’ which became popular during the 1980s, is often considered

Contract law research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Contract law - Research Paper Example As earlier mentioned, a contract refers to a relationship of exchange that is either written or oral agreement between persons. This relationship contains one or more promises, which are legally enforceable. Several crucial elements are reflected by this definition of a contract. They include the following: the first element of an indenture is that, it is an agreement that is either written or oral between a minimum of two persons. This element implies that one cannot make a contract with oneself. The relationship in a contract is consensual and voluntary, meaning that no one is coerced to sign a contract. Even, though, the minimum number of people required in signing a contract is two, the transaction can involve a limitless number of parties. The parties create a contract with intent and free will to be bound, and they reach an agreement concerning vital provisions of the relationship. A contractual obligation is distinguished from other legal duties by the agreement element. The s econd element is that a contract is a relationship of exchange that is based on the principle of offer and acceptance. This element emphasizes that the parties who enter in to a contract are bound together by the by a commodity that they are exchanging. Minimum interaction is involved in a number of contractual relationships (Blum, 2007). For instance, if an individual enters into a contract to have his hair cut, the barber will perform a quick activity of trimming his hair and the individual will honor his obligation by paying for the services. These two activities will mark the end of the contractual relationship. On the contrary, contractual relationships like supply contracts or leases could last for several years, and the parties involved engaging into constant dealings that are controlled by the provisions stated in the agreement. A contract relationship has an essential purpose which is exchange. Society and the economy require the trade of intangible rights, services and pro perty. These exchanges are regulated and facilitated by a contract as part of its chief role. Therefore, a contract carries with it the principle of reciprocity, in which one must part with something to get something back. The third essential element is that a contract should have a minimum of one promise, which is made with a hope of being honored in a later date as per the agreements. A contract is not constituted in the instantaneous exchanges, even though they involve a trade and are consensual (Blum, 2007). A promise, therefore, goes beyond the agreement instance as a future commitment. If both parties honor their side of the commitment at the expiry of the agreed duration, then there will be no need of involving the law in contracts. Contract law comes in incase of breach of contractual agreement by either of the parties. Last but not least, a contract has an

Black Supremacy Essay Example for Free

Black Supremacy Essay Throughout history, white anglo-saxons have been notorious for mistreating all races other than its own. Malcolm X felt the white man had been actually nothing but a piratical opportunist who used Faustian machinations to make his own Christianity his initial wedge in criminal conquests(563). The earth is burdened by the white man! That is the true meaning of what Malcolm X is stating; the words Faustian machinations, meaning evil plotting, implies the whole white population is out for the blood of other races. Many members of the black race are adopting the idea of Afrocentricity; some call it black pride, I call it black supremacy. Afrocentricists are supporting their ideas with religion and the need for liberation. The liberation of the black man is needed! Molefi Asante describes the Afrocentric awareness [as] the total commitment to African liberation anywhere any everywhere by a consistent determined effort to repair any psychic, economic, physical, or cultural damage done to Africans(50). Liberation from what the white race? Molefis statement is completely ludicrous; the first copy of his book with this statement was printed in 1988, in my opinion blacks were fairly liberated in 1988. Now the second part of his statement, repair what damage? Any psychic damage which has been thrust upon the black race has not occurred for quite some time: slavery not in my lifetime nor separate bathrooms were in my lifetime. And I am not about to feel sorry about what happened before my time. Economic damage is not the white mans fault either. In this day anyone can do whatever he/she likes. The truth to the economic matter is that many of the oppressed races feel they now deserve a free ride. Absolutely no physical damage has occurred in my lifetime. As for as cultural damage, cultures evolve, they do not get damaged. Clearly all liberation of the black man has already occurred, therefore, there is know further need for reimbursement. The white race is evil! Further, the Afrocentric cause attempts to use religion to denounce the white race as heathens; according the Yakub myth, the colour black is the primal colour; other colours, consequently, are merely shades of black, except for white, which is the absence of black, hence the absence of perfection(Davies 151). The statement declares the white race to be inferior; why should any one race be inferior? Oh yeah, its to get back at the white race for all the years of hardship. The black race was called infidels for many years, and the black supremists just believe what goes around comes around. However, the truth to the matter is that all races are equally imperfect as the next statement will show. The Afrocentric religion goes on to state how the white race was formed, apparently, a black scientist named Yakub rebelled against Allah by producing a new creature with an excess of bad(white) genes These evil creatures were alloted six thousand years of rule (i. e. , until almost the present day), after which the oppressed blacks will be liberated from their bondage(Davies 51). Note the use of words in this passage: new creature, bad(white) genes, evil creature, and once again the reoccurring oppressed blacks will be liberated. All the words directs ones attention to the idea that the white race is nothing more than devils roaming the earth in search of its next prey. The black supremists are making the same arguments that the early whites made and are being reprimanded for. It seems this is a bit of a contradiction. Down with the white race! Feelings towards the white race are made apparent when Elijah [Muhammad] felt that evil was inherent in the white race, and preached that the whites could not help themselves, Molifi Asante adds we know now, of course, that the condition of evil in whites is not inherent, but inherited through history and environment(15). The quote is quite harsh; directly saying that the white race is evil no, not acting evil, is evil and will continue to stay this way. These words imply the need for eradication because evil is just the devil spelled without a d. One must stand against the devil before anything drastic occurs beyond what has already happened, for instance; an outburst of homosexuality among black men, fed by the prison breeding system, threatens to distort the relationship between friends these gays live in the make-believe world of white gays(Asante 57). The white race has already begun to corrupt the black race, according to black supremists, with the introduction of homosexuality, which is clearly a bad white habit. The word, threatens, leads one to the idea of defense against these evil, plotting, gay, devils. Paraphrasing what was earlier said, the white race will cease to rule after six thousand years of rule, setting all blacks free from the oppression of the devils(Davies 51). That time is now and the black supremists want another holocaust, with the white race suffering. The black supremists feel it is their turn to rule. Violence is the only way to stop the white race! During a speech Malcolm X declared, Twenty million ex-slaves must be permanently separated from our former slavemaster and placed on some land we can call our own. Then we can create our own jobs. Control our own economy. Solve our own problems instead of waiting on the American white man to solve our problems for us(Perry 68-69). Clearly, in 1963, Malcolm X feels full segregation is in the best interest of the black race. The quote appears fairly peaceful, however, two years later, Malcolm X changes his mind about peaceful action: Were for peace. But the people that were up against are for violence. You cant be peaceful youre dealing with them(Perry 159). A non-peaceful approach to further the black cause is being proposed by Malcolm Little (his more appropriate birth name, seeing how a little man resorts to violence). Eldridge Cleaver, leader of the Black Panthers, too felt violence is the best approach; I became a rapist It delighted me that I was defying and trampling upon the white mans law, that I was defiling his women I was getting revenge(14). This about says it, he was putting a notch in the head board, winning one for the boys. Eldridge Cleaver has, in my opinion, ignorant, uncivilized revolutionary ideas. He only wants revenge for the fact he was in jail. Cleaver reveals that Rather than owing and paying a debt to society, Negro prisoners feel that they are being abused, that their imprisonment is simply another form of the oppression which they have know all their lives(58). The Black Supremists want revenge. Black supremists want nothing less than for the black race to rule the world. They shall use ideas of religion to back up their claims upon the world and call it the liberation of their people. But the truth of the matter is the tides are turning. How can it be called liberation? The white race had these ideas 100s of years ago and the black supremists called it evil. Now they have the same evil ideas and are calling it liberation. No, the human race will never learn from history; we will just repeat it. The main question is will their ever be racial harmony in the world? I just dont know. We shall have our manhood. We shall have it or the earth will be leveled by our attempts to gain it. Eldridge Cleaver Works Cited Asante, Molefi. Afrocentricity. Trenton: Africa WP, 1992. Cleaver, Eldridge. Soul on Ice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968. Davies, Alan. Infected Christianity: A Study of Modern Racism. Montreal: Mcgill-Queens UP, 1988. Perry, Bruce, ed. Malcolm X: The Last Speeches. New York: Pathfinder, 1989. X, Malcolm. Learning to Read. rpt. in Rereading America. ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford Books, 1992.

Stakeholders In The Tourism Industry

Stakeholders In The Tourism Industry It always cross mind of stakeholders in the tourism industry of why people buy package trips to be on holiday or business trip they take, why visitors choose one particular destination instead of another. For the stakeholders, it is a challenge to learn and understand pre-requisite factors visitors take into consideration in choosing a destination. Holloway (1998) said that relatively little is known about tourist motivation and although numerous statistics are gathered which reveal a great deal about who goes where, the reasons for these choices are little understood. These literature reviews highlights the different theories of stakeholders and the use of Network Analysis (NA) to study the link between different destination stakeholders. Stakeholder theory is a management theory which argues that the interests of all stakeholders are of intrinsic value (Donaldson and Preston, 1995).Literatures also enlightens the different theories of motivation combine with the different authors motivational factors to explain why people travel. The pull and push motivation factors are the theories that are the most acceptable (Yoon Uysal 2005; you et al., 2000). The concept behind this theory is that people travel because they are pushed and pulled to travel by certain forces (Uysal Jurowski,1994). Uysal Jurowski, 1994 stated the push factor are socio-psychological needs related to intrinsic motivators while pull factors relates to the attractiveness and specific features of the destinations. ). LINK BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS AND NETWORK A tourism destination may be considered as a cluster of interrelated stakeholders embedded in a social network (Scott at al., 2008a).Such a network of stakeholders interacts, jointly meeting visitor needs and producing the experience that the travellers consume. A stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objectives according to Freeman, (1984, p.46). Palmer, 1996; Tyler and Dinan 2001; Pforr, 2002; developed networks as an important conduit for managing public-private relationships and understanding structures of tourism governance. Interaction of stakeholders is multifaceted. Governance is a concept used to direct the stakeholders. It refers to relationships between multiple stakeholders and how they interact with one another. It involves how stakeholders determine implement and evaluate the rules for their interaction (Beritelli et al., 2007). The Network Analysis is an applicable method used to study the link between tourism destination stakeholders while differentiating between the public and private sector. An individual firms performance depends on the behavior of others that it is directly and indirectly connected to according to Freeman (1984). The NA studies the links between tourism destination stakeholders, while distinguishing between private and public sectors.NA show in preferential order with which stakeholder they want to be in touch first. TOURISM MOTIVATION The question that is still asks by many authors and stakeholders are the factors that encourage tourism to travel, that is, motivation. Motivation refers to hat directs the behavior of the individual towards goals. It is defined as the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction( Kreithner,1995). According to S.P.Robbins (1997), motivation is the process by which activities are started directed and sustained to fulfill both physical and psychological needs. Whenever an individual try to satisfy a need it is classified as motivation, need is an objective interest. Robbins (1997) explained the motivation process as follows. C:UsersNathaliePictures3-8cb9d53c1c.jpg (Source: S.P. Robbins (1997), Organization Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, 7th Ed. The diagram demonstrates the willingness for individual to employ high levels of effort to reach organizational goals in order to satisfy some individual needs or self- individual needs. As shown above, unsatisfied need always lead an individual to be anxious. This state of mind is converted into tension making an individual to wish something. These wishes or drives provoke a search behavior. As from the search behavior, individual discover wants that if satisfied will lead to a reduction in tension. So, when an individual is on pressure, they alleviate this stress by making effort. The greater the stress the higher will be the effort made. This effort leads towards achieving goals set, leading to satisfaction of needs. According to the understanding of Luthan (1995), this process lies in the meaning of and relationship between needs, drives and incentives. The following section deal with the different factors stating why visitors want to visit a destination and why they choose one particular destination instead of another. To better understand the, the concepts of push and pull factors are developed. THE PUSH FACTOR A TRAVEL MOTIVATOR Travel motivations is one of the useful approaches in understanding travel needs and tourists behaviours (Crompton, 1979; Yoon Uysal, 2005).After the study done by Jang and Wu(2006), they stated that there are significant differences among travellers from different countries in terms of the level of importance attached to the push and pull factors. Starting with the push factor,it described how people are pushed to make a travel decision by internal forces (example,to have holiday, to rest or relaxà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) according to Uysal Hagan. Push factors are socio-psychological needs, which are related to intrinsic motivators. The Maslows (1943) hierarchy of needs is the most influential model used and its application to tourism research. All human needs can be arranged in a hierarchy of five categories according to Maslow (1970) as shown in the figure below. C:UsersNathaliePictures450px-Maslows_Hierarchy_of_Needs_svg.png According to Maslow, the human need follow these steps in an ascending manner. The most basic need is the physiological one which satisfied the basic needs of individual. Once the basic need is fulfilled, human upgrade their needs and look forward for the next level to be satisfied. However, there are cases where individuals want to satisfy a higher level though the lower level is not accomplished. Pearce (1982) suggests that travel motivation has the properties of an approach-avoidance paradigm. He developed the Travel Career Ladder (TCL) in accordance with the Maslows hierarchy of needs as a conceptual framework. The aim of the TCL is to show how peoples needs change as experience increase. Pearce classified the TCL into five steps starting with the lowest; Relaxation Stimulation Relationship Self-esteem and development Fulfillment TLC proposes that people progress upwards through motivational levels with accumulated travel experiences (Lee and Pearce, 2002). The TLC demonstrates how individual start their travel career at a low level, that is, Relaxation. As individuals become more experienced travelers, they advance for higher goals until they reach high level of fulfillment. E:070360103001.png It is recognized that the push factors contribute in the study of tourism behavior and understand a wide variety of needs that can be influential motivator to tourist behavior. Cohen (1972, 1979a, 1979b) contended that what tourists want is not merely to satisfy their psychological needs but authenticity of the destination. So, the other factor which could motivate people to travel must be taken into consideration. The following section will focus on the external motivator. THE PULL FACTOR The pull factor focus on another aspect of tourism behavior. Pull factors are external and related to the attractiveness and specific features of the destination (Uysal Jurowski, 1994). They are the general features of tourism regions that people recognize as touristically agreeable and attractive, such as culture, traditions and heritage, nature, amusement among others (Peters, 1969).After the study on travel motivators of Yuan Mc Donald, Jang Wu (2006), Mohammad Mat Som (2010), Jang Wu (2006) asserted that common pull factors found in most studies were natural and historical environments, safety, cost, ease of access, and facilities. A destinations attractiveness pulled individuals in their travel decision. Dann (1981) asserted that it is comprehensible that researchers focus attention on the pull factors of tourist behavior, since they symbolize the specific attractions of the destination, which tempt once the decision has been made. Dann(1981) also claimed that the pull factors of the resort such as sunshine, relaxed tempo and friendly natives , both respond to and strengthen push factor motivation. DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TH E PUSH AND PULL FACTOR Peoples motivation to travel has been discussed on a multidisciplinary basis since the aftermath of the Second WorldWar, when mass tourism began to thrive. It is not only a matter of explaining, from a psychological perspective, why some people travel and others do not (Crompton, 1979; Dann, 1977; Plog, 1974). Plogs (1974) With travel personality, P. L. Pearces With (1988) travel career ladder (TCL),and Cohens With (1972) concept of strangeness-familiarity, try to show the possible factors that drives people to travel. Plog use the travel personality to model to study why do some people do no travel. He based himself on psychological impetus. Push-Pull framework a motivational paradigm Moreover, Plog (2001) use the Travel Personality model to study why some people do not travel. Plog (1974) concluded that nontravelers are indeed nonadventuresome and proposed the notion of travel personality in this sense; dependable, near dependable, mid-centric, near venturer, and venturer types. In his model, emphasis is laid on psychological impetus. Cohen (1972, 1979a, 1979b, 1984), from a sociological perspective, set his model in a broader social context, arguing that tourism is essentially a social phenomenon. Tourists therefore should be analyzed by underscoring their relationships with both business establishments such as tour operators and the destination (Cohen, 1972). Highlighting social relationships in the tourism system remains the most remarkable distinction of Cohens (1972) model, which is represented by the concept of strangeness-familiarity. This concept is constructed by breaking down Boorstins (1964) holistic image of the tourist into more specific and empirically identifiable types,namely, the organized mass tourist, individual mass tourist, explorer, and 122 Yong Chen, Barry Mak, and Bob McKercher drifter (Cohen, 1972). As Plog, Pearce and Cohen focus in the same field of study, they all use their model to represents an integrated motivation framework. The aim behind is to show the possible linkages among the three models. Diagrams + Explanations (It is taken for granted in this framework that the destination represents the pull factors of tourist motivation, whereas characteristics of individual tourists represent the push factors (Crompton, 1979). However, at a destination such as in a city with a complex of economic, cultural, and historical attractions and heritages, tourist behavior may demonstrate a pattern other than those indicated by, for example, the distance decaying effect from the origin to the destination.)

The Ue of Diet pills among adolescent girls Essay -- essays research p

The Use of Diet Pills among Adolescent Girls Dieting is a common occurrence in our country, but dieting is most common among adolescent girls. Since millions of Americans try to lose weight every year, many of them turn to weight-loss pills for help (MFMER 2004). Dieting may place the risk of using unhealthy weight control behaviors such as diet pills (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). A study by the CDC showed that 10.9 percent of adolescent girls use diet pills as their weight-loss strategy (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The study showed that 10.9 percent of adolescent girls use diet pills as their weight-loss strategy (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The quest for weight loss and the use of this weight-loss strategy is thought to be an unhealthy weight behavior that is led from the consumer world (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The appeal of losing weight quickly is often too hard to pass up (MFMER 2004). During early adolescence, the onset of body dissatisfaction, dieting, and other problem weight loss behavior occurs (Garry, Morrissey, and Whetstone 2002). In a weight-centered approach to health, thinness is viewed as a crucial goal for optimum health, and thus one to be strived by all, including starting at an early age (Cogan 1999). As much as 40 percent to 70 percent of the US population is trying to lose weight at any given time, with young women being the most likely to be struggling with their weight (Cogan 1999). According to the Center for disease control, 59.4 percent of adolescent girls report trying to lose weight in the past 30 days (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). Studies of middle school students have reported that between 30 percent and 55 percent have dieted at some time (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). Also a recent review in 2004 indicated that 41 to 66 percent of teenage girls have attempted the use of a weight loss strategy to achieve their goal (Dieting 2004). About one third of normal dieter’s progress to other problem dieting behaviors using tactics such as diet pills (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, Story, & Perry 2004). The use of diet pills to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight was reported by 7.1 percent of students in a study conducted 5,770 students (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztaine... ...and their weight, helping them find healthy alternatives to weight loss and providing them with nutritional guidance can be achieved to avoid diet pill use. References: Cogan, Jeanine (1999). Dieting, Weight, and Health: Reconceptualizing Research and Policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journal of Social Issues, 55(2), pp187-205. Dieting in Adolescence. Pediatrics and Child Health, 9 (7), p487 – 491. Eisenberg, M. Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., and C. Perry (2004). The Role of Social Norms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and Friends’ influences on Unhealthy Weight-control Behaviors among Adolescent Girls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Social Science and Medicine, 60(6), p1165-1173. Garry, J., Morrissey, S., and L.Whetstone (2002). Substance Use and Weight Loss Tactics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  among Middle School Youth. International Journal of Eating Disorders. MFMER:Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (2004). Over-the-Counter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  weight-loss Products. MMFER. National Institute of Health (2004). Physical Activity and Weight Control. National Institute of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health.

Marijuana Should NOT Be Legal in America Essay -- Legalization of Marij

All Americans have their ideas on legalizing marijuana, yet they need to make sure they have done substantial research using past experiences the American people have already experienced from using this drug; also they need to take a good look into what the actual outcomes are of smoking marijuana, before making a final decision on whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical purposes or any other reason. Americans will look at health and social issues as well as review money matters concerning legalizing marijuana and realize it is not right for the United States . First, Americans should know what marijuana actually is before they would even consider legalizing it. Marijuana, also known as pot, is a dried out weed that mixes the leaves, stems and even the flower of the cannabis, or the hemp plant and taken into the human body. It can be taken in by either smoking it or it taking it in with food. The main ingredient in marijuana is THC, which is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (National Institute on Drug Abuse). THC is the most psychoactive compound found in marijuana (Taylor). â€Å"Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug† (Wilbur, J). The ingredients in this plant is very dangerous and unhealthy for the human body. Now that Americans know what marijuana is, and some of the ingredients in it, they should consider the negative effect that marijuana has in the health of the human body and how it affects the social aspects of the American people. First, look at some health issues associated with marijuana. Smoking marijuana can lead to withdrawal from the drug, some of those withdrawals included increased sleepiness, and the â€Å"munchies† ( Taylor). After smoking marijuana the heart ... ...6 Oct. 2010 GroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&document Id=GALE%7CEJ3010018224&mode=view&userGroupName=lincclin_lcc&jsid=177301e50 514b9b1a3e3a10b17219900>. Margolis, Robert, ed. "Legalizing Marijuana Would Harm Teens." Legalizing Drugs (2006). Linccweb. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 ailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?di>. "NIDA Info Facts: Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2010 . Taylor, Robert B. Taylor's Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges. [New York]: Springer Science+Business Media, 2005. 124-25. Print. Wilbur, J. "Pg 850." Family Practice Examination and Board Review. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005. Print .

Hip Hip Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Introduction Hip hop as a ding an sich is marked by some confusion. Consider the name; is it "hip hop," "hip-hop" or "hiphop"? You will see all three used in titles in this bibliography. Hip hop is, at the same time, a cultural phenomenon that developed in the late 70's in the projects in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and a musical style from that phenomenon. Nevertheless, hip hop has become a pervasive element of popular culture, as witnessed by this bibliography. There are hip hop exercise videos, children's books as well as books, magazines, magazine articles and theses about it. Before we get to the bibliography, a brief hip hop history is in order. Hip hop began in the mid- to late 70's, but its roots are much older (indeed, hip hop's use of music from other genres is reflected in Renaissance parody masses). According to one source, the roots of this phenomenon are in Jamaica in the 40's. By the 60's, it was common to find "sounds", or a truck fitted with sound equipment parked at a street corner, playing American rhythm & blues records for the people in the neighborhood. Some of these DJs included Coxson Dodd, Prince Buster, and Duke Reid. By the 1970's this phenomenon was to be found in the US, particularly in the Farragut Projects in Brooklyn, NY. Some of these early DJs were Maboya, Plummer and Kool DJ D, who played mostly disco music. Another of these early figures, Kool Herc, emigrated to the States from Jamaica and settled in the Bronx with his sound system he called "the Herculords." In contrast to some of the other figures, Kool Herc focused on rhythm & blues and funk records. Another of Kool Herc's innovations was to play only the "break," or the musical material between the verses of a song, repeating that break again and again. He did this using two turntables mounted with the same record. This came to be called "break-beat deejaying." People began to perform "strange, acrobatic twisting dance routines" to these episodes that came to be called "break dances."2 Kool Herc eventually hired someone to "MC" these parties. This person would talk to the crowd between the songs to keep the party going. This was the beginning of "rapping." DJ Hollywood, one of the early MC's at Kool Herc's parties would use rhyming verses in his rap... ..., ed. Drumvoices. University of Illinois, Edwardsville, Illinois, 2004. Contains "The Hip Hop Nation as a Site of African American Cultural and Historical Memory" by James Spady. Roberts, John W. From hucklebuck to hip-hop: social dance in the African-American community in Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Pa.: Odunde, 1995. Sansevere, John R. Post-bop hip-hop: a tribe called Quest. [Racine, Wis.]: Western Pub. Co., 1993. Sexton, Adam., ed. Rap on rap: straight-up talk on hip-hop culture. New York: Delta, 1995. Shabazz, Julian L. D. The United States of America vs. hip-hop. Hampton, VA: United Bros. Pub. Co., 1992. Shaw, Arnold. Black popular music in America : from the spirituals, minstrels, and ragtime to soul, disco, and hip-hop. New York: London: Schirmer Books; Collier Macmillan, 1986. Shomari, Hashim A. From the underground : hip hop culture as an agent of social change. Fanwood, NJ: X-Factor Publications, 1995. Smash, Nick. Hip hop 86-89. Woodford Green, Essex, England: International Music Publications, 1990. Illustrated. Spady, James G., and Joseph D. Eure. Nation conscious rap. AfroAmericanization of knowledge series; 3. New York: PC International Press, 1991.

Siddhartha Dualism vs Monoism

Western thought also states that e must live moral and just lives, free of sin. If I had to decide which philosophy is more forgiving and nurturing towards people, I would have to say that the Eastern realm of thought is less biased than the Western thought. Although I do not believe in a certain faith or god, Eastern thought appeals to me greater as opposed to the biased Western thought. The divine nature of the Eastern faith is more lenient and clear on underlying their concept and principles of a moral life. Western philosophy, as stated before is more biased towards its own beliefs.Western thought states that in order to reach salvation, you must follow the bible and live by Its guidelines and that you only get one chance at redemption and that everything else Is evil and a sure way to damnation. Eastern thought Is more lenient towards achieving the ultimate goal. Monism states that you don't have to be a monk or a spiritual man to achieve salvation but you can learn to achieve s alvation introspectively through your own way. Where as Dualism weighs people on sin, Monism weighs people based on Karma. Karma is the basic concept that every action will have an equal reaction in the future.Dualism states that we are all Judged by our Karma. Monism is clearer on the cycle of life and says that our Karma will determine what we will be reincarnated as. Western thought however states that we are weighed by our bad actions and that we only get one more chance at redemption or we do not reach salvation at all. To sum It up, monism has a very forgiving policy on redemption. In Western faith, It Is said that after one has parted from the physical world, he or he shall be Judged by the ultimate Judger to see If he or she Is worthy of salvation.In Eastern faith, once one has parted into the spirit world and has reached enlightenment, he or she shall live in everlasting bliss and get answers to all his or he questions. In all honesty, I think the afterlife is an illusion a nd that once we part from this world, it's over. The afterlife seems to be a little farfetched and too vague for it to be true. And even if there are spirits resembling about, we never seem to see them come alive. Eastern thought however seems a little more reasonable and self- explanatory rather than the west's notion of the afterlife.There are many deferent faiths in this world that millions believe in. Religion is a very powerful, very influential force in the world. There are many different view, different morals and different guidelines. One thing they all have in common Is the goal to reach salvation In an unknown afterlife. There are many evils that come from religion but good can also come from It as well. No belief Is true, there Is no one proper way how to live one's life. Society may set the laws and regulations that

E-Marketing Strategy

E-marketing is an effective tool to establish and strength the corporate brand image. The brand relation can be strengthened by online presence (through website and services) with an aim to retain the customers and eliminate the price factor. More and more people are using net which is creating great potential for online business. A brand expressed the hopes and expectations of customers. The online presence of an established brand also requires such criterions where customers expect some thing different than every day website. For an well known brand, it is not just dumping information online, but establishing communication, telling the visitors clearly; what is company about and what it stand for? Pepsi is successful in conveying that image. Its website www. pepsi. com is filled with many innovative features to capture the attention of visitors. The E-marketing strategy is based on the similar principals as traditional marketing 4P’s (Product, Price, Promotion and Position); however online marketing needs some additional P’s (People, Process, and Proof). E-marketing is the extended form of traditional marketing requiring the synthesis of the following factors; Personalization, Privacy and Security, Customer Service, Site, Sales Promotion. These functions allow managers to further their businesses online. (a) Personalization The basic concept behind the personalization is to understand a certain customer and establish relation. Thus the vital issue is to gather information about customer and then develop personalized products and services. For example Amazon asks the customers to make an account; where customer provides information about themselves. Based on this customer information, every time a customer logs in, products related to customer interests automatically pops up. This strategy works two ways; it allows the marketers to target individuals on personal level; and on the other hand it allows individual customers to go no further, but find product right in front of their eyes. (b) Privacy and Security Privacy is related to personalization. When businesses gathers information and store this customer information; the crucial issue is to make it safe. A major task of e-marketing strategy is to develop policy or guide lines for gathering information and keep this information private and confidential. Another crucial issue is security. Any transaction performed on the websites becomes the responsibly of the business and to ensure that no outsider is able to access the information. Thus a wise marketer will convey clear and convincing the customers that their provided data is safe hands. (c) Customer Service Like any traditional business, customer service is an essential part of e-business. Good customer service is a key to gain loyalty form the customers. Compared to traditional service online shoppers can come from anywhere in the world with different time zones; providing 24/7 customer service in crucial. One example is precisionreservation. com which provides online (hotel) booking to travelers. The booking is done automatically, while the copy of booking is sent via email. In case of any question, live support is available 24/7 through online customer service. Such excellent strategy allows the customers service to reach customers in real-time. d) Site E-marketing interaction takes place online on digital location which is called site. This location /site have to be available 24/7 and should have the infrastructure to support the number of visitors it receives each day. For any online business, the name should be very clear and should not be confused with any other name. The site should not have any resemblance to any other brand or any other business which makes t he customers confused. Any such resemblance is considered unethical practice and has severe consequences. Another issue is scalability; Amazon receives million of visitors with hundreds of orders each day. Amazon is able to meet the growing number of customers orders as its website has the vital infrastructure for its growing number of customers. (e) Promotions In any effective marketing campaigns, sales promotions are crucial. While developing an e-marketing strategy it is essential to develop online sales promotions targeted at shoppers. The target of any promotion is not long term sales, but achieving immediate goals (in term of volumes). Other than traditional methods; such as discount marketing manger needs to understand the latest technology well enough to exploit it. For example; doing promotions through RSS, which instead of news letter provides almost live data on day- to- day basis. It is very easy for online shoppers to compare the price before they make purchase; which makes it inevitable to check the competitors prices and promotions before starting any campaign. Conclusion For companies who already have established brands need to reach to the online consumers through consistent advertising to enhance their corporate image. One easy way is use the search engines; such as Yahoo and Google who offer relevant add with the queries surfers are seeking. This strategy helps in reaching old and new customers more effectively rather than waiting for customers. E-marketing needs new dimension to be considered compared with traditional marketing, even though e-marketing is evolved from traditional marketing. However such concepts revolve around the principal where customer and business can reach each other in a meaningful way.

Reflection paper On Buddhism Essay

Buddhists past and present have looked to the incidents in Buddha’s life for inspiration. Pick any three major episodes in the Buddha’s life and discuss what lessons they impart to a typical Buddhist householder. 1. His first time realizing leaving his house and seeing normal people in the outside world. I think that this incident in Buddha’s life taught typical Buddhist householder that they can’t ignore the outside world. He taught them that even though your life might be going great that as soon as you step outside your door there is still going to be pain and suffering and death all around. I think it’s a lesson to makes them realize that all the suffering and death a pain are normal things in life and that they need to get used to it and even become okay with the thought of these things being are a normal part of life. Personally I think that this is a very good way to think because it opens people’s eyes and since they are able to see these things they can make changes to them. If you do not know that there is pain outside your door there is no way of stopping this pain and suffering from happening but if you are completely aware of the pain and suffering you have the ability and chance to take the pain and suffering away with actions which in this religion will give you good karma and lead you eventually to enlightenment. 2. The five men who Siddhartha met up with on his quest and who laugh at him when he thought that there ways were too extreme. The Buddha left the five men because he did not want to starve himself to death and thought that it was too dangerous and that it did not produce enough results for what he was looking for. Buddha also realized that a mix of this extreme life of giving everything up and a mix of the luxurious life that he had before would be the perfect match to reach enlightenment. This part of Buddha’s life is my favorite. I feel like it teaches the householders that you need balance in your life and that moderation if a great trait to have in your life. It teaches the householders that they should not only live life for the pleasures in it like food, women, and riches. Also they should not live their life completely for the religious aspect and they should not renounce everything they own and give up all pleasures in life. I think that this is a great thing to teach people because if you have moderation in your  life you can do more things and enjoy/master more things in life. 3. The temptation from Mara and his hordes. The story of a god or deity that tempts the hero in the story is common in religions for examples Satan temps Jesus while he is in the desert for 40 days in the Christian religion. I think that this story is meant to teach the householders that there will always be temptations in life and that if you do not give in to these temptations you will prosper and good things will happen to you. In Buddha’s case after he rejected the temptations he reached enlightenment. Therefore the goal that typical Buddhist householders have is to resist all bad temptations and reach enlightenment.

New Jersey’s Proposals to Cut Health Care Spending

In virtually every corner of the United States, State governments are grappling with the inevitable challenge of deriving a balanced budget given the outstanding deficits in revenues, a scenario largely precipitated by the financial crisis that has hit the nation. New Jersey is no exception. Indeed, state officials have increasingly found themselves faced with the reality of soliciting sufficient revenues to fund the topmost priority issues, unlike in previous budget allocations. In an attempt to draw a balanced and fair budget for the 2010 fiscal year, various proposals have been advanced.One of the efforts that can not escape notice is the idea of cutting funding for the state’ FamilyCare. The proposed strategy in realizing such an objective involves freezing the enrollment of parents between 150 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level and the implementation of co-payments for individuals in Medicaid and the AIDS Drug Distribution Program (ADDP) (NJ for Health Care, 200 9). Indeed, the budget dilemma facing the state is understandable, given the severe economic conditions.Whereas the idea of cutting monetary allocations on some items would suffice in minimizing the critical budget deficits that are essential in facilitating the advancement of the state’s yearly programs, adopting a rational approach based on critical evaluation reveals the utter need to reconsider the said proposals. In an economy where a significant majority is struggling to meet the high costs of living, the proposal to cut back FamilyCare enrollment of parents is evidently a grave issue that can be described as a matter of life and death.The fact that a healthy population is vital in the enhancement of economic prosperity is an indisputable reality that the state authorities embrace. In essence, the provision of Medicaid prescription drug benefits as well as the upgrading of Drug Distribution Programs for AIDS patients is essential in promoting health and wellness among N ew Jersey residents. Amidst the tough economic times, the advocacy of a sound healthcare policy is of critical significance. As such, the proposal to cut back funding on health-related programs like FamilyCare, Medicaid and ADDP should be inevitably reconsidered.The Significance of the Proposed Changes on Health Care The availability of quality and affordable health care services is necessary in the advancement of individual well-being. From a medical perspective, the client (patient) is the most important person. A general look at the proposed cuts and co-pays gives the indication that they will affect the ability of individuals to meet health care costs at a time when the cost of living has reached significantly high levels.In reality, the proposals will have a significant impact on health-seeking behavior, which constitutes a direct concern for the nursing and medical professions. The Impact of the Proposals from Positive and Negative Perspectives Generally speaking, the idea of coming up with a single healthcare policy that is not only budget-friendly, but which adequately addresses the health needs of the American population has remained elusive.At the national as well state level, financial analysts have year in year out grappled with the task of allocating funds to diverse priority issues. The idea of substituting certain financial allocations with others discerned to be of more socioeconomic consequence, often with mixed repercussions, has emerged as one of the most popular trends. Indeed, years of research and analysis has depicted the initiative of cutting health care spending on specific items as a double-edged sword. Positive ConsequencesOne of the healthcare policy issues that have been extensively studied is the effect of Medicaid drug co-payments. Examining the results reveals a significant degree of consistency in as far as the programs’ ability to minimize the overall healthcare expenditure is concerned. A longitudinal survey carried ou t in thirty eight states revealed that co-payments play an important role in barring individuals entitled to Medicaid benefits from filling prescriptions during a particular year, holding all other factors constant (Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee, 2007).The predominant argument advanced in support of such behavioral trends is that beneficiaries of government-sponsored healthcare programs are inherently motivated to excessively utilize healthcare services funded by the government, which include ADDP and Medicaid, when compared with those with private insurance (National Organization for Women, 2007). By extension therefore, implementing co-pays suffice in instilling an increased sense of responsibility on beneficiaries of such programs, thus minimizing the tendency to seek unnecessary medical care.In essence, the rationale behind the suggestion to implement co-pays is based on their underlying assumption that the move would discourage unnecessary consumption of the Medicaid and ADDP pro grams which have traditionally been sponsored by the New Jersey government. In the long-run, the move is expected to save the state from excessive expenditures, and the arising funds directed to other priority issues. Negative Consequences A closer evaluation depicts the proposed healthcare cutbacks as likely to precipitate numerous unintended consequences in the long-term.For instance, it would expose the residents of New Jersey to increased health risks and dangers. This is particularly so considering the vulnerable population groups such as the poorest of the poor, the physically and mentally challenged, and those suffering from terminal illnesses. According to preliminary projections, the Medicaid proposal will affect an estimated 418,000 of the most vulnerable individuals, while the ADDP one will affect about 7,500 individuals registered under the program (NJ for Health Care, 2009).Indeed, New Jersey’s FamilyCare program acts as the principal health insurance plan for lo w-income families within the state (Castro, 2007). Thus, the decision to close the insurance programs and implement co-payments will have far-reaching consequences on health-seeking behavior amongst these vulnerable groups. The most obvious result would be to deter patients from seeking healthcare at the appropriate times. This would serve to exacerbate their health conditions, and majority would definitely end up requiring specialized hospitalization and emergency attendance.For instance, baring individuals with HIV/AIDS from accessing the AIDS Drug Distribution Program and imposing co-pays implies that a significant majority from low-income households could fail to access the life sustaining drugs as well as the related services necessary for positive living. While the assumption that depicts co-pays as serving to reduce unnecessary expenditures for individuals entitled to state-sponsored medical programs like Medicaid and ADDP could hold under certain circumstances, there is also a strong counterargument that the opposite could be true.Denial of the existing health insurance program (FamilyCare) which is fairly affordable would precipitate avoidable scenarios such as healthcare emergencies as well as serious illnesses (National Organization for Women, 2007). On another front, raising co-payments encourages patients to avoid cost-effective healthcare, and instead, seek medical attendance when their health status has significantly deteriorated. Examining the previous results of implementing co-pays gives provides strong indications that they indeed cause disadvantaged and marginalized groups to forego healthcare services, even those often described as fundamentally essential.In the last financial year for instance, the state of Oregon eliminated co-pays for prescription drugs after it emerged that the state’s Medicaid program co-payments were precipitating significant shifts in treatment patterns (Mason, Leavitt, and Chaffee, 2007). According to an inv estigation carried out in the same year, Medicaid co-pays for low-income individuals not only failed to reduce health costs as envisioned in the initial plan, but also precipitated clients to prefer a waiver of the co-pay as opposed to seeking medical services. The overall result of such tendencies is to inevitably increase the associated healthcare bills.Thus by implementing the FamilyCare, Medicaid and AIDS Drugs Distribution programs, the state of New Jersey would end up incurring more costs. From a practical point of view, this increased burden would be transferred to the ordinary taxpayer who has to pay additional taxes so as to cater for the unplanned healthcare expenditures. According to an analytical survey conducted by the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey (HDANJ), the proposed cuts are indeed shortsighted, and will most likely have severe financial implications (NJ for Health Care, 2009).This is not only in reference to the direct costs incurred in curative care , but as well those initiatives deemed to alleviate disease causation and spread. A case in point is when we consider the possible costs of patients who contract infectious diseases like the HIV virus, simply because they lack concise awareness of how the infection is transmitted. Similarly, it would be necessary to embrace a relatively new approach in the institutionalization of mentally sick clients who fail to receive appropriate outpatient counseling (Castro, 2007).In practice, these and other cases would most likely make the state and county governments incur additional and unplanned healthcare costs. Why the Nursing Professional Body Should Oppose the Proposed Cuts and Co-pays Examining the available body of evidence provides sufficient proof that the proposals to freeze the enrollment of parents in FamilyCare and implementation co-payments for individuals in Medicaid and the AIDS Drug Distribution Program are not only unnecessary, but also poses unprecedented health risks and dangers to the residents of New Jersey.It is imperative that nursing professional organizations throughout the state join hands with the rest of the citizenry in ensuring that these proposals are not implemented, considering the pivotal nature of the nursing profession in advocating for sound healthcare policy and promoting individual wellbeing in society. Indeed, the nursing fraternity should fight these cuts by using whichever means possible to influence state authorities to safeguard the health for all residents through the restoration of funding for the State’s FamilyCare, Medicaid and AIDS Drug Distribution Programs.This could be achieved by heeding the recently derived initiative of making phone calls to the state headquarters so as to express dissatisfaction with the proposals. Rationale for the Decision The proposals to cut health care spending on programs like Medicaid and ADDP in the state should not have been advanced at such an inappropriate timing. Indeed, the c urrent financial crisis facing the nation as a whole has not spared New Jersey. Examining the unemployment rates reveals that they have attained record-high proportions.As more and more citizens are laid off thus losing individual and family healthcare insurance, the situation is becoming more and more desperate for many residents, particularly for low-income households. At a time when living costs have attained unprecedented levels, the move to cutback enrollment in the State’s FamilyCare for poor working adults as well as the initiative to implement co-payments for individuals who least can afford them could not be less untimely and misplaced.To further highlight why the proposed cuts and co-pays are unwarranted, it is worthwhile mentioning that New Jersey has indeed received unanticipated federal funding aimed at stimulating the state’s economic growth. Recently, for instance, the state received a windfall of an estimated two billion dollars (for Medicaid) and anoth er one hundred million dollars (for FamilyCare) in additional federal funding, both of which were unexpected (). Despite the fact that these funds were largely utilized to correct the deficits in the state budget, it would have been similarly important to use a certain percentage cushion the health cutbacks.Indeed, this was the actual intention of the Congress. By utilizing the additional funds in appropriate ways, New Jersey would have probably won itself even more federal funding to meet its priority issues. In a nutshell therefore, implementing the said proposals is certainly a misplaced option, considering that it would have been avoided had the sound allocation mechanisms been employed. According to recent projections, an estimated seventy thousand people would be removed from the FamilyCare program, the only major health insurance scheme for low-income households should the stated proposals go through (NJ for Health Care, 2009).Likewise, the proposed move to implement Medicaid co-payments will affect the majority of those it is intended for: the elderly, poor, and children. The increased premiums and co-pays for health care have the implication that these vulnerable groups will be unable to access and afford essential medical services. Indeed, thousands of children in New Jersey could end up losing coverage for essential health care services such as payments for hearing aids, eyeglasses, and speech therapy among other necessary therapies hardly affordable to low-income households.In addition, implementation of co-pays for patients registered in the ADDP means that the less disadvantaged may experience unprecedented challenges in accessing drugs, counseling services, and any other necessary therapies and therapies. Overall, the implementation of the proposed cuts and co-pays make it hard for New Jersey residents to access quality and affordable health care which has often been cited as a necessary prerequisite for economic growth and development. As evide nce from the Oregon case where similar cutbacks were implemented, the overall state expenditure on healthcare is likely to increase, rather than decrease.Though proposal to implement FamilyCare cuts and Medicaid programs co-payments may lead to reduced costs in the short-term, the unintended consequences such as the tendency by patients to seek medical services when their health condition has deteriorated will mean additional in the long-term. Rather than the envisaged intention of lowering costs, the implementation of the proposals will only serve to place extra pressure on the state coffers, which in turn will be redirected to ordinary taxpayers.As New Jersey’s Senator Joseph Vitale recently observed, not only will vulnerable families be affected, but the state economy will also be hurt (NJ for Health Care, 2009). According to state projections, investing a single dollar in FamilyCare generates about four dollars in business activity, which translates to a loss estimated at forty million dollars (The Star-Ledger Editorial Board, 2009). Evidently therefore, the implementation of the proposed cuts and co-pays will have vast, disastrous and multiple consequences on individual families and the state as a whole.Those arguing for the implementation of Medicaid and ADDP co-payments also seem to neglect the essentiality of good health. By making healthcare services less affordable particularly for low-income families, the proposed co-pays will push individuals to the edge where they will continuously face one inevitable dilemma: that of choosing between basic necessities like food and housing on the one hand, and heath care needs on the other. The overall result would be to discourage health-seeking behavior.By implication, the nursing and medical professional fraternities will be faced with the increased task of attending to patients in critical conditions, which puts unwarranted burdens on an already strained health care system. Conclusion Considering the t ough economic conditions that prevail in the state of New Jersey, it is imperative that the proposals to implement cuts for FamilyCare and co-pays for Medicaid and ADDP programs be reconsidered.Particularly for individual families earning low incomes, the implementation of such initiatives presents a situation where one is increasingly faced with the dilemma of choosing between heath care needs and other necessities of life. Considering that the harsh economic conditions may force the State’s residents to opt to satisfy the more pressing needs of food and rent at the expense of health care services, it is necessary to reexamine the proposals.In a nutshell, the New Jersey State authorities should focus on expanding health care insurance coverage for all residents irrespective of their socioeconomic status or race, rather than suggesting cuts and co-pays which will not only harm individual families, but the wellbeing of the state as a whole. References Castro, R. J. (2007). Tim e to Keep the FamilyCare Promise. New Jersey Policy Perspective. http://njcitizenaction. org/hcfallingshort. pdf Coalition for a Moral Budget. (2009). Press release: Medicaid and ADDP co-pays will harm the most vulnerable New Jerseyans call upon legislature to eliminate co-pays from budget.Mason, D. J. , Leavitt, J. K. , and Chaffee, M. W. (2007). Policy & politics in nursing and health care. (5th ed). Edinburgh : Elsevier Mosby. National Organization for Women. (2007). Tax cuts hurt the poor. Opposing Viewpoints: Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Apollo Library. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://find. galegroup. com/ovrc/infomark. do? &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010159287&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=apollo&version=1.0 NJ for Health Care (2009). Senator Vitale, Chair NJ Senate Health Committee stands with advocates to oppose cut backs to NJ FamilyCare, Medicaid and the Aids Drug Distribution Program. May 12, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://njcitizenaction. org/hcpress20090512a. html The Star-Ledger Editorial Board. (May 26, 2009). N. J. FamilyCare funding: An avoidable budget cut. The Star-Ledger. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://blog. nj. com/njv_editorial_page/2009/05/nj_familycare_funding_an_avoid. html

Muscle movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Muscle movement - Essay Example ment to the muscles and many sets of muscles in the body work together in conjunction with each other in the form of various types of levers to bring about movement as a whole process. The typical skeletal muscle consists of three parts: It’s origin from a bone where it is attached to a large area, its main body of muscular tissue and the insertion at the other end which is in the form of a glistening white tendon. The body of the muscle is made up of hundreds of cylindrical fibers which usually run all the way from the origin to the insertion. These cylindrical fibers are composed of an array of myofibrils which are a specialized category of animal cells. Each muscle fiber develops from the fusion of many cells called myoblasts. Muscles contract by the action of Acetyl choline, a neurotransmitter secreted through the nerves which brings about a change in the action potential at the neuromuscular synapse leading to binding of actin and myosin molecules and bringing about contraction. Antagonistic Muscles: For every group of muscles that move a specific portion of the body, there is an opposite group of muscles which brings about the opposite movement. Such pairs of muscles are called antagonistic muscles. The main pairs of antagonistic muscles and their respective movements are explained below: 1. Biceps-Triceps: The upper end of the biceps or its origin is at the scapula and its other end or insertion is on the radius bone of the forearm. Contraction of biceps brings about flexion or rising of the forearm and is called a flexor muscle. The antagonistic triceps relaxes at this time. The triceps is located behind the upper arm and its origin is at the scapula as well as the Humerus bone in the upper arm and the point of insertion is at the Olecranon process of the ulna. Its contraction brings about straightening of the arm and hence it is known as an extensor muscle. 2. Anterior tibialis and gastrocnemius muscles: This pair is located in the lower leg. When a

Classroom Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Classroom Environment - Essay Example This supports the school philosophy where it states that â€Å"Creative Care Preschool provides a clean, safe and nurturing environment. It offers rich, age-appropriate learning materials/ experiences for children, carefully planed and prepared by teachers each day. Creative Care Preschool is a place where children free to explore, touch, experiment and ask many of their questions, supervised by adults in school so that they can discover the answers to these questions themselves.† (Creative Care Vision, Mission and Philosophy, 2010, p. 1) In general, the classroom environment should reflect the goals and expectations of the teacher. It will also dictate somehow to the children how they will behave (Brewer, 2001). Space allocation reflects the priorities of the curriculum. According to Boulton-Lewis & Catherwoods (1995), when the quality of the physical environment declined, teacher restriction and control increased, the teacher’s behavior became less friendly, the students became less interested and involved, classroom rules increased, and conflict among children increased. Likewise, Kepler (1995) observed that the learning environment influences, and directly contributes to, children’s behavior and levels of learning. It seems teachers at Creative Care Preschool are well aware of this, as they have structured the physical environment in such a way that children feel free to be themselves. The environment is one that is open and stimulating in order to encourage children to participate, explore, and learn. A stimulating environment provides the teacher with many opportunities to observe where a child’s interests lay as well as those areas the child may be tentative in (Danoff, Breitbart & Barr, 1977). The environment should also be flexible and spontaneous to accommodate children’s play that is essential in a preschool classroom, and is

Cellular respiration and fermentation Lab Report - 1

Cellular respiration and fermentation - Lab Report Example The key materials used are the following: 10 percent sucrose solution; 10 percent glucose solution; peas; distilled water; phenol red; yeast stock; wax pencil; water bath; hot plate; test tubes of various sizes; beaker; test tube corks and holders; test tube rack. The idea behind the test tubes of varying sizes is to create a respirometer using two sizes of test tubes, for the experiment involving the yeasts. A practice session involves filling the smaller tube, measuring 15 x 125 mm with water, placing that inside a 20x150 mm test tube, and inverting to the point where the air bubble in the smaller test tube is as small as can be made from the process. In the actual experiment, three different test tubes are filled with two thirds of either ten percent sucrose solution, ten percent glucose solution, or distilled water, and then topped off to the brim with yeast suspension. The inversion method practiced above is utilized to mix the solutions and form the respirometers. The respirometers are allowed to incubate for one hour, while placed in a water bath set at 37 degrees Celsius. The gas bubble heights are measured after the period of incubation. The idea is to be able to undertake a comparison of how the three sources of food in the test tub e compare with regard to their suitability as food for yeast. This is the first part of the experiment (Experiment 7 n.d., pp. 59-61). In part two of the experiment., 10 peas that were either soaked, not soaked, and soaked and boiled were placed in each of three different test tubes, fulled with water up to the two-thirds level, and covered with corks. After an hour and a half, two drops of phenol red were placed in each of the three test tubes containing the seeds, more when no color was visible or the color is too vague/thin. The results of the color observations were tabulated. (Experiment 7 n.d., pp. 59-61) The first part of the experiment measured the amount of respiration from the

Ways How Individuals And Communities Demonstrate Agency In Their Lives Essay

Ways How Individuals And Communities Demonstrate Agency In Their Lives - Essay Example It is vital to note that individual’s demonstration of the agency, later on, forms the building blocks of a community. This is because individuals are community agents since they express their thoughts on cultural matters to other people. Through the agency, people are able to carry out face-to-face conversations with people from other communities. This has an impact on either side of the communities since culture is a negotiated meaning (Gutman 5). Being a negotiated meaning, a cultural forum in which the culture is negotiated and re-negotiated is what makes and remakes the culture and the community. This, therefore, supports the earlier argument that through an agency, individuals are not passive recipients of community outcomes. Through the agency, individuals are able to engage in cultural construction (Gutman 6). Another demonstration of agency is seen in babies. According to studies, babies construct their own personal goals. Children create their own personal worlds for achieving their goals; this is what makes the difference between children and subsequently, adults. If they were to adapt to the conditions that they found in the community i.e. culture and ideologies, then all children in the community could be the same. This could also mean that the adults from the children could also be the same. Children, therefore, exploit the meaning they derive from the pre-existing culture to build their own understanding of the world that later on helps them or destroys them as adults.  

West Indian Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

West Indian Literature - Essay Example Different authors have presented their own interpretations and preferences for what shape the Caribbean identity should take, but amongst the more prominent Caribbean authors there are those who want the improvement of the self for the uplift of the institutions and those who have a more historically oriented view. Both Derek Walcott and Wilson Harris have a desire for broader integration and fulfilment, but although Derek Walcott wants those from the Caribbean to boldly cease looking to their past in order to embrace the future, Wilson Harris appears to be somewhat fearful. This essay presents an examination of the debates about the Caribbean identity that are apparent in Caribbean literature and the evolution of Caribbean literary aesthetics by examining selected works of Derek Walcott and Wilson Harris. Caribbean literature has existed for centuries, but within the relatively recent past it has increased its worldwide acclaim and its mass of production. Both Derek Walcott and V. S. Naipaul were awarded the Nobel Prize in literature for their efforts which can be appreciated by anyone who has an interest in literature. Whereas Naipaul examines his Asian aspect of the Caribbean identity, Walcott presents a far more complex heritage and language in his poetry that presents the varied nuances of the Caribbean (Cudjoe, paragraph 23). Other writers have also made their contributions to the depiction of Caribbean aesthetics and culture by trying to define an identifiable cultural matrix within their works and some of the more prominent names that come to mind include Kamau Braithwaite, Erna Brodber, Wilson Harris and Olive Senior. Aesthetics refers to the branch of philosophy that deals with beauty and taste (Merriam-Webster, â€Å"aesthetics†). Thus, Caribbean aesthetics refers to that which is considered as being beautiful and worthy of distinction in the Caribbean region, especially

Problem in corrections Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Problem in corrections - Research Paper Example tainee are technically organized to determine essential needs on health, social, and other relevant aspects of development by which the person may learn to outgrow crime-prone attributes. In my opinion, diversion if properly administered would attain to the principal goal of leading the involved parties at fault towards psychological renewal or even emotional reorientation for their own sake and the society that is directly impacted by their reformed attitude. Such desired end as characterized by a gradual change of heart in the process truly signifies relief for the system of justice given the number of other major cases or concerns in need of serious attention. An investment to monitor prisoners upon temporary or permanent release, I suppose, would further ensure quality of transformation to normal behavior and sound well-being apart from any criminal tendencies. When this objective is consistently met, the judicial system would no doubt come to the intended relief of prison units from overcrowding. Loewenstein, James. â€Å"Overcrowding Remains a Problem at County Jail.† thedailyreview. Retrieved from http://thedailyreview.com/news/overcrowding-remains-a-problem-at-county-jail-1.1299342 on April 24,

Supply Chain Management and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Supply Chain Management and Technology - Essay Example Today with the down fall in economy and the increase in the costs the companies are planning to have a strong and an effective supply chain in their bottom line. The reason is that the implementation of a strong supply chain at the bottom will ensure that the cost is decreased along the production line and the management is effective. However these decreases in the costs and effective management will ensure that the efficiency of the firm gets increases and the profitability and the return on the investment increases. Implementation of Enterprise resource planning in an organization works best in conjunction with a supply chain management system. ERP systems involve a multitude of business activities, including customer service and production planning that are not a part of supply chains (de Burca, Fynes, & Marshall, 2005). The success of supply chain management system lies in the hands of the technology. It can be only successful with the implementation of web- based software and through proper communication. Before the internet the supply chain could not function appropriately the reason is that the collaboration with the other firms was less efficient. The process of feed backs, updates and other important business functions used to take a lot of time. The process of transferring knowledge was all done manually which took time. Collaboration with global partners used to be a challenge for the organizations. But with the introduction of internet and new communication technologies that include email, fax etc. the communication and knowledge and information transfer issue was completely resolved. One of the biggest advantages that the technology has offered to supply chain is the ease of collaboration no matter how distant the customer, the supplier or any other organization is. This helped in developing good relationships at both ends of the supply chain which includes the customers as well as the suppliers. The companies can now also remain updated with their competitors' activities. For example a supplier of consumer goods may be linked up through internet to one of the distributors. In this way whenever the inventory goes down the order will be placed automatically. in this way, the distributor never has to worry about running out of a product and disappointing customers and the supplier doesn't have to worry about maintaining a large inventory in expectation of demand. Systems have also been made to send out multiple requests at a single time. Collaborating this way makes better use of existing resources and paves the way for a larger profit margin on all sides of the eq uation (Chow, 2006). The Importance of Technology Technology today has made both outsourcing and off shoring much easier tasks than they were initially. In a very strong supply chain and a very elaborative business it is sometimes considered good to outsource certain business functions. This helps in saving upon a lot of costs at times. Technology today like internet and some systems have made the task of outsourcing much easier. For outsourcing a task

Kantian and Utilitarian Theories and the Nestle Moral Issue Term Paper

Kantian and Utilitarian Theories and the Nestle Moral Issue - Term Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Nestle is a corporation engaged in home products processing and marketing worldwide. In the mid-1860s, it developed an infant-food formula as a supplement and/or substitute to breastfeeding. It then claimed humanitarian achievement after the formula was used by relief organizations such as the Red Cross to feed starving infants in refugee camps. In third world countries, the Nestle product has also been used as an alternative to less nutritious local infant feeding substitutes. And today, Nestle is the third largest home food company in the world with gross sales of nearly US$39 billion a year. But the Nestle success story is marred by controversy as the company has been charged for gross violations of a World Health Organization Code that affected both first world and third world countries. The controversy first emerged when in 1970, during a UN-sponsored Bogota meeting on infant feeding, a Protein Advisory Group (PAG) expressed concern about a worldwide decline in breastfeeding. PAG also sought examination of undue marketing-and-advertising of infant formula, which may have been the cause of this decline. Taking the cue for a sensational story, media made follow-up reports on unfair, dishonest and deceptive advertising by Nestle (village visits by health care dressed representatives, free samples to new mothers, free or low-cost products, improper labels) allegedly designed for the adoption of bottle-feeding instead of breastfeeding by mothers. Outrage against Nestle came to a high point when a Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute attested that millions of infants suffered ailments or death due to bottle-feeding. The institute, however, did not clarify whether the cause was the infant formula or improper sterilization-and-storage of baby bottles and feed.

Retail Strategic Planning Essay Example for Free

Retail Strategic Planning Essay Organized retailing in home and building sector was expected to face stiff challenge from the existing small, independent, and powerful local retailers. Many international retailers like Home Depot, IKEA and Lowe were also eyeing the Indian market which was untapped by organized retailers. They provided all the product categories and services that were required to build a new home or for home improvement or renovation under one roof. Muebles belonging to Casa Moblaje group was a pioneer in this segment. Homepro was the first building mall, which offered a wide range of building materials, home improvements products, and furnishings. They provided information about land availability and selection, and housed offices of architects, designers and financiers. The Home Store and Zeba were in home furnishing segment; Gautier dealt in furniture; and Johnson Tiles was in the sanitary ware sector. Identify Strategic Alternatives Ansoff’s Matrix Muebles had captured a large market of the home building and construction business in Ahmedabad as well as the home improvement business of the surrounding cities and towns. The ideal strategy for Muebles would be to develop the market. The areas surrounding Ahmedabad like Baroda, Surat etc is highly industrialized and lot of construction takes place in these areas. Muebles can target these cities and can increase the size of the market to get larger sales. Retail Mix Variables Product The store stocked products under five major categories Kitchen accessories: Appliances, Crockery, Glassware, Ovens etc Furniture and furnishing: Sofa set, bed, linen etc Bathroom: Tiles, Sanitary ware, Fittings, Taps, and accessories Hardware visible: Door, Window, Safety equipment, Gardening Tools, Washing Machines Electrical equipments: Lights, Luminaries, Chandeliers, Switches, Fans, Generators etc They mainly stored branded products. The store policy was to use the number one brand or the aggressive second. If this was not possible the company entered in to contracts to with smaller players who provided with in store brands. The store stocked approximately 12000 SKUs and had 120 suppliers. As the store move upward in the retail wheel, it took the invisible and les involved products out of the shelf. The visible and high involvement products replaced the invisible. They also increased the share of storing impulse goods in the relevant home decoration and furnishing category. Price The pricing policy of the store varied across the product categories. Pricing was competitive and benchmarked against the traditional hardware and home building material stores in product categories which were usually available in traditional hardware stores . In the destination product categories, the store charged premium price. Store Layout The store was laid out in a grid format. It was functional in nature and was based on a do-it-yourself model. Thirty percent of the shop space was given to 12 partners (vendors) who complete freedom of operation. The store atmosphere was attractive. The format of the store aided the customer to find the right the product. Some products like kitchen fittings were merchandised in simulated conditions to give the customer a feel of the complete range of the store’s offering. Promotion In order to increase the levels of awareness, they were communicating by using a mix of me. dia for brand and tactical advertising. They used the Gujarati and English media to reach out to their target segments. They developed two communication packages, one for the lay consumers with low comprehension of Muebles’s value proposition, and another for the professionals (home builders) who had a relatively higher awareness of the concept. In order to increase the sales of the invisible products, Muebles decided to educate the home builder. The home builder package consisted of developing a critical mass of professionals by rewarding their purchase and then working towards giving them accreditation through a professional course so that they would buy all the materials from Muebles. The apartment package consisted of using direct mails and tie-ups with companies like Electrolux, Pergo, and ICI to give special deals to five different apartment owners. Muebles targeted the HR departments in various companies and offered special deals. The problem in this deal was the acquisition of database of apartment owners. Customer Service Muebles policy was to satisfy the customer. Managers were supposed to visit the shop floor 3 hours a day to understand shopper’s behavior and needs better. Each category had 4 personnel. The total floor level employees were around 20. The floor employees tracked the customer right from the entry to the store and observed them carefully from a distance. The motive was to help the customer in the selection without interfering. The staff was instructed to respect the privacy of the customers. Muebles provided a unique shopping experience to the customer. Consumers were provided a wide range and assured quality, competitive prices, and world class service. They provided value added services to the consumers like * Comprehensive design assistance by a panel of professionals and design consultants * Apartment Packages * Installation service and support * Info mediation through website * Home loan consultancy and loans * Certification programmes for electricians, masons, plumbers and carpenters * Educational programme on do-it-yourself techniques and procedures * Customer loyalty programmes