How did september 11 change the life of socities Research Paper

How did september 11 change the life of socities - Research Paper Example There have been several changes within the American society ever since the attacks which has literally affected the lives of many people. Civil liberties have been subject to changes and in order to protect the country from further attacks several policies and security measures at airports and other important places have been stepped up which has posed serious restrictions to civil liberties. This has resulted in a changed psychology among the American people about their country, politics, world society and their security (Kelly; Schmidt; 9-11 Social Consequences). Considering the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks such restrictions and societal changes are not surprising as the country is in a dire need to safeguard both its people and resources. No country can afford to lose manpower and property to terrorism and given the potential strength of America, it has been able to overcome the destruction mainly owing to its people who remain unified in their fight against terrorism following t he attacks. The American society has indeed become vulnerable to attacks by terrorists mainly owing to its open frontiers, greater allowance to civil liberties, lack of any discrimination towards people, a free market and the rights enjoyed by the people to live a free life on their own terms. All of these were against the moral beliefs of the terrorists and which led them to attack the country and show the American people that their nation was indeed vulnerable and that its security could also be under constant threat. However, while the attacks were made with the intention of creating animosity among the diverse American population, it did, in fact create a more unified America. This has become a reality despite the series of civil restrictions and stricter policies that have been imposed on innocent Americans. This can be mainly attributed to the changes that occurred with the country during the 20th century which made the country more tolerable. This is the same country which ha d banned the teaching of German language after the First World War and the imprisonment of Germans, Japanese and Italians following the Second World War. Over the years the American people have developed the culture of â€Å"not judging the others†. This attitude has allowed people to rationalize the actions of others though there were some incidents targeting Muslims immediately after the attacks. However, these incidents were relatively small in number; even though they are deplorable. In addition the attacks also lead to a social cohesion among the people as those who survived the attacks showed a great willingness to help the wounded and the deceased (9-11 Social Consequences). This indeed has been a positive outcome of the attacks as aid from all around the world poured in and many thousands of people volunteered to secure people from the debris. However, this volunteering has been mainly from children belonging to the upper-middle class background as they have begun to show greater interest in public life, civic engagement, politics and society. However, the same has not been found with children belonging to the working class sector as they know that despite all their efforts they would ultimately land up in some firm working round the clock. Hence the post 9/11 attacks did witness a gap in the social class and many experts see this gap as that between the rich and the poor

Investigating Special Education Essay Example for Free

Investigating Special Education Essay The DSP is committed to making sure all students with disabilities have equal education. The DSP offers a variety of services for disabled children. They have a Disability Specialist that identifies the disabled student’s personal needs. 2. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) http://ncwd-youth. info Is a source for information about work and youth’s with disabilities. They are experts in employment, education, disabilities and the development of workforce and family issues. 3. OSERS-Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services www. 2ed. gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index. htm This is a main federal agency that supports training, applied research and development to improve the lives of people with disabilities. They are known for generating new knowledge and promoting and improving the disabled person’s ability to perform normal everyday task of their choice in a community setting. 4. Team (START) Special Needs Technology Assessment Resource Support Nsnet. org/start/learning. pdf There is a lot of technology available today where students can learn to cope with their learning disabilities to use technology, programming team, the teacher should understand the nature of the different learning by diagnosis and assessments. This only works if the technology matches the student’s needs. (Annapolis Valley Regional School Board 1996) 5. The National Education Association (NEA) www. nea. org/specialed The National Education Association supports a free, appropriate public education for all students with disabilities in a least restrictive environment, which is determined by maximum teacher and parent/guardian involvement. There must also be a full continuum of placement options, services, and delivery models available to students with disabilities. (National Education Association, 2002-2013). 6. Special Needs Center www. friendshipcircle. org/ This is a nonprofit organization that put teens and special needs people together to help them form a bond of friendship and they participate in many different weekly and seasonal programs. There are 25 weekly and seasonal programs. 7. Special Education Support Services (SESS) www. projectgenesis. us/. SESS is approved by the Connecticut Department of Education Transition Program for students with intellectual disabilities. The program includes job explorations, daily living skills assessment instruction, accessing community resources, social interactions and application of functional academics like budgeting the community and vocational assessments most students receive support in behavioral or social areas that have hindered them from growing and learning in the past (Justin Fox, Mentor) 8. National Center for Learning Disabilities www. ncld. org Your child has the right to a free and appropriate public school education. Getting involved in his or her education is among the most important things you can do as your childs advocate. As youll see below, you have a right to be a part of every decision regarding your childs education, including the process of finding out if your child needs special services. You know your child best, and your input should be considered at every opportunity. (NCLD Editorial Team) 9. Michigan Law Center www. lawfirmdetroitmichigan. com/ They are dedicated to providing effective comprehensive plans for families with children with special needs. They handle medical issues, financial issues, and social issues. They also help families find the resources they need. 10. The M. O. R. G. A. N Project www. themorganproject. org/ The M. O. R. G. A. N Project is a community based organization of volunteers who promotes awareness and facilitates support for parents with special needs children. They also enhance the Quality of Life for these families (Robert and Kristen Malfara, 2013) 11. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry www. aacap. org/ They state that children with special needs are entitled to receive additional services or accommodations throughout their years in public schools. Every child deserves a free appropriate education in a least restrictive environment available. Three Federal Laws apply especially to special needs children. 12. SOS Children’s Village, their motto is a loving home for every child. www. sos-usa. org/ As the most universally ratified human rights instrument, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, spells out those basic human rights that all children everywhere are entitled to. Its underlying values, or guiding principles, serve as a constant reference for the interpretation and implementation of childrens rights. (SOS) 13. Stand-Up (Stand University for Parents) stand. org/national/action/stand-up This is a research based family engagement course for parents with children in elementary school. They focus on actionable steps for parents to learn how to get involved in their child’s education and they make sure the child is ready for college if they choose to go. 14. Special Education News www. specialednews. com/ This site says that remedial instruction is aimed at improving an ability or skill in each student with special needs. They use many different techniques, for example, repeating information, more practice session, explain several times and devoting time o work on the student’s skills. The teacher leads them through the process. 15. Mission Valley Special Education Local Plan (SELPA) www. fremont. k. 12ca. us/Page/302 The Mission Valley Community Advisory Committee (CAC) brings together parents and professionals to promote the education of children with special needs. The CAC sponsors events to support awareness of parent’s rights, services available within the Tri-City community, and increase disability awareness. (Judith Cameron, Director, Special Services Mission Valley, SELPA) References: Disabled Students Program dsp. berkeley. edu/ National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) http://ncwd-youth. info OSERS-Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services www. 2ed. gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index. htm Team (START) Special Needs Technology Assessment Resource Support Nsnet. org/start/learning. pdf National Education Association (NEA) www. nea. org/specialed Special Needs Center www. friendshipcircle. org/ Special Education Support Services (SESS). www. projectgenesis. us/ National Center for Learning Disabilities www. ncld. org Michigan Law Center www. lawfirmdetroitmichigan. com/ The M. O. R. G. A. N Project www. themorganproject. org/ American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry www. aacap. org/ SOS Children’s Village, their motto is a loving home for every child. www. sos-usa. org/ Stand-Up (Stand University for Parents) stand. org/national/action/stand-up Special Education News www. specialednews. com/ Mission Valley Special Education Local Plan (SELPA) www. fremont. k. 12ca. us/Page/302.

Economy Society And Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

Economy Society And Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay Carter (2001) Sustainable development is an indefinite concept with a meaning that is complex and challenged. Dresner (2002:63) has argued that sustainability is like other essential political ideas, such as liberty and justice, which are contestable concepts. However, people may not agree on the exact meaning, does not mean that there is no meaning at all. European Commission (EC) (2009:7) Sustainable development is a fundamental and all-embracing objective that aims to; continuously improve the quality of life and well-being for present and future generations, by linking environmental, economic and social-political sustainability. Dunlap and Van Liere (1978) developed the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale that is widely used to calculate peoples changing world beliefs from a human dominant view (Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) Technocentric) to an ecological one NEP (Ecocentric). Turner et al., 1996 have taken the technocentric, ecocentric viewpoints and have separated them int o a broader division between technocentric and ecocentric approaches. Contested concept There are many concepts but the most widely used definition, taken from the World Commission on Environmental and Development (WCED 1987 chapter 2) is that sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This definition sets out the two key concepts of needs and limitations. The concept of needs should give an overriding priority to the needs of the worlds poor, both North and South. The concept of limitations is the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environments ability to meet present and future needs. Mainstream sustainable development (Barrows, 1999) typically supports some economic growth (within limits), the appliance of science, technology, environmental knowledge and effective conservation to world development. While still maintaining basic human needs for all, maintaining ecological integrity and showing concern for in tergenerational, intergroup and interspecies equity. Policy context Most analysts agree that sustainable development emerged from the environmental movement of the 1950s and 1960s. This movement was concerned about human activity having severe and negative impacts on the planet, and that patterns of growth and development would be unsustainable if they continued unchecked. As (John Stuart mill 1806 to 1873) said economic growth could only be temporary in a world of scarce natural resources in which population constantly pressed for land and food reserves. To understand how sustainable development came into public policy and to the forefront, it is important to be aware of the political context in which it operated. In 1972 at Stockholm conference there had been a growing awareness of environmental problems associated with new global worries about climate change, ozone depletion and biodiversity loss. Sustainable development was given a broader meaning in Our Common Future which was published by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1987), and is commonly referred to as the Brundtland Report. The direct result of the Brundtland Report was in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro that is often called the Earth Summit. This meeting was to highlight global concerns about the environment and economic development and help find ways to stop the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet. The UN General Assembly dedicated its 19th Special Session (UNGASS-19) in June 1997 to design a Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 (United Nations, 2012). In 2002 Johannesburg a follow-up conference was, assembled to renew the global commitment of the Rio Declaration. This World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) agreed on the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) to proceed with the implementation of sustainable development. The UN General Assembly agreed to adopt a Resolution on 24th December 2009 to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro 2012. Measures of ecological beliefs Dunlap and Van Liere (1978) developed the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale, which is one of the most accepted measures of ecological beliefs and attitudes for evaluating peoples environmental attitudes. This scale is a widely used to calculate peoples changing world views from a human dominant view i.e. Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) to an ecological one i.e. NEP, where humans are part of nature. The DSP, positing is towards endless development, growth of the markets, acquiring personal wealth and these attitudes can contribute to environmental degradation. The DSP is then incompatible with the NEP because it highlights the destruction of ecosystems caused by progressive industrial production. The NEP has a very strong extrinsic value that is sceptical about human ability to understand the natural worlds sufficiently well to prevent doing serious damage to the environment if growth goes on. Dominant social paradigm The dominant social paradigm (DSP) is more prominent in Western industrial civilization. With the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century and the emergence of liberal social theory came the origins of the technocentric which believed that man has power over nature (Daly and Cobb, 1994). A technocentric view that nature (Gladwin et al., 1995) is both infinite supplies of physical resources i.e. raw materials, energy, soil, air and water which is, used for the benefit of humanity. The more industrialised a country is or more a developing country try to mimic Western industrial cultures the more that countrys receiving environment declines due to pollution and ecological degradation (Roome, 1998). The DSP has weak sustainability elements and its relation to growth, consumption behaviours measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP); have strong intrinsic relation to human centred ethics and self-egotistical enhancements. Even though DSP is neoclassical, the economist Adam Smith 1723 to 17 90 warned against monopolies and mercantilism. His theory was that markets are motivated towards the public good by an invisible hand which has made him a venerated figure among free market doctrinaires. New environmental paradigm (Milbrath, 1996 cited by Douthwaite, 2000) The New Paradigm (NEP), on the other hand, says that growth must never continue past the point at which it begins to endanger long-term sustainability. NEP individuals are more environmentally concerned and have ecocentric perspectives which tend to acknowledge the presence of environmental limits, strong in sustainability with nature centred ethics that believe it is rarely if ever justifiable to damage ecosystems in the pursuit of self-enhancement (Hunter and Rinner, 2004). In addition, NEP looks at post consumerism and the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) that has a strong ecocentric economic value. Nature in the NEP is viewed upon as having limited resource that is delicately balanced and subject to detrimental human intrusion. Thomas Robert Malthus said that man, sooner or later, universally, will run up against himself; that the population of mankind will eventually outstrip mans ability to supply himself with the necessities of life. Devastation can happen at low population levels but it is reasonable to say that up to a point population increase becomes a socio-economic problem only if food production technology fails to keep up (Barrows, 1999). Technocentric and ecocentric philosophy (Turner et al., 1996 cited by DAlisa 2007) divided sustainability, into technocentric and ecocentric. This viewpoint allows a broader division between technocentric approach and ecocentric approach (Figure 1). After sub, categorising the technocentric approach, ethics and level of sustainability there became abundance technocentric and technocentric accommodating. The definition of abundance technocentric, technocentric-accommodating philosophies, ethics and values is they rely on the advanced growth of technologies to help develop substitutes for the shortage of natural resource and pollution problems. Ecocentric was sub, categorised into communitarian ecocentric and radical ecocentric. Both of these ecocentric philosophies try to find an acceptable equilibrium between human social systems and the ecosystem. Figure Turner, Pearce and Bateman, 1996 cited in DAlisa 2007 shows a broader division between technocentric approach and ecocentric approach. Personal philosophy Personal ethics and values I personally believe I am an accommodating-technocentric. An accommodating-technocentric believes it is necessary to consider and also place a monetary value on the environment (DAlisa, 2007). An accommodating-technocentric approach recognizes that we must protect the environment, which is important to support all life and future economic growth. Eco-efficiency is the key word for this 21st century, which is possible through the support of green technologies (DAlisa, 2007). While growing up with my grandparents they taught me how to hunt animals, fish and grow food on the limited land we owned. Little did I know this was the beginning of what is termed permaculture. I have worked in engineering, electrical multinational companies in Ireland and abroad for 23 years, which have used Best Available Techniques (BAT). The companies I have worked for have used innovative technology to help other companies reduce their emissions to the environment but also to use resources more efficiently. After losing my job I returned to education and presently studying Environmental and Natural Resource Management which provides a comprehensive knowledge of the science and management of the environment through modules like Sustainable development, sustainable energy, environmental issues like climate change, air and water pollution and the conservation of nature through planning. Accommodating technocentric exhibit extrinsic ethical logic caring for others whose motives are intergenerational and intergenerational equity (i.e. contemporary poor and future people); instrumental value in nature (Turner et al., 1993). Personal definition of sustainable development Sustainable development (figure 2 as cited by Huckle, 2006)) shows a connection between economic, social and environmental pillars in this modern technological society. Because sustainable development model contains a personal meaning to every individual there are many definitions of the concept. Tolba (1987) Sustainability is when you leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need, try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do. Accommodating technocentric (Turner et al., 1993) are weak in sustainability. However, I may not be an extreme technocentric or ecocentric I personally believe that by being mid way I can recognise, make conscious logical decisions between economic, social and environmental issues. As a father of two young children, I want them to grow up in a clean environment where they have access to clean water and air. As humans we are unique because we have the ability, potential and opportunities to respond to threats natural or a nthropogenic- perhaps to avoid or mitigate them i.e. through technology (Barrows, 1999). NaiveSD Figure the conventional view of sustainable development is about balancing economic growth, social and environmental goals. Personal philosophy of sustainable development While studying for a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Environmental and Natural Resource Management I have become aware of limits to growth, finite resources and pollution of our environment. Through education, I have gained knowledge and techniques to understand that government policies and social structures have put pressure on our environment. Education has made me more aware that this current DSP is un-sustainable and needs to scale back to become sustainable. While tools such as sustainability indicators and the ecological footprint by (Wackernagel Rees, 1996) has encouraged me to take appropriate decisions to change my behaviour on certain issues like retrofitting my home through insulation and completely moving away from a finite resource i.e. oil, to a more sustainable logwood gasification heating system. As an accommodating-technocentric, I have to agree with the principle of (Daly, 1990), Limit the scale (or economic throughput) within the Earths current capacity. Ensure that technological advancement increases efficiency rather than increasing output. Renewable sources should, not be harvested at rates that exceed regeneration rates (sustained yield). Waste emissions should not exceed the absorbing capacity of the receiving environment. Non-renewable resources must, never be exploited faster than the rate of creation of renewable substitutes. Conclusion If sustainable development continues to represent all (often mutually exclusive) things to all people, then it cannot possibly carry the intellectual weight required of it at this crucial turning point in human history (Porritt, 2006). Sustainable development should not be an indefinite concept but pushed to the forefront, of all nations to educate the youth of today, as they will be the adults of tomorrow and show them that the current neoclassical, DSP is un-sustainable. Accommodating technocentric believes in conservation, managing of natural resources and they believe in the green economy, green markets guided by economic instruments (Els) (e.g. Pollution charges etc.) (Turner et al., 1993). As an accommodating technocentric, it is possible to manage natural resources through advancement in green technology. If economic growth could be, modify through (adjusted Green accounting to measure GNP) (Turner et al., 1993). Green GNP calculates the loss of biodiversity and the effects of climate change in monetary terms. By using modern efficient technology and managing renewable resources, it will be possible to consume and generate profit while allowing it to generate back (sustained yields). Yes there is finite resources such as oil and coal but it possible to develop new technologies to substitute these i.e. Cynar PLC located in Portlaoise, Co Laois, Ireland, turns End of Life Plastic into Diesel (ELPD). Due to science and technology, they have turned a previous environmental landfill waste issue into a valuable asset.

Observation Assignment at a Park Essay -- Descriptive Park Essays Pape

Observation Assignment at a Park Hayden Park was an interesting place for a Freeze-Frame assignment. For those who have not heard of a Freeze-Frame, it is simply sitting in one spot for 15 to 20 minutes observing ones surroundings. So to continue, at first glance, Hayden Park is a typical Valley of the Sun type park. Most of these typical parks have grass, picnic tables, some trees, and usually some sort of sports availability such as a basketball court or soccer field, or both. In addition, the parks also have pleasant surroundings. But Hayden Park is located in South Phoenix, so automatically the typical standard for parks is altered. The surroundings around Hayden Park are far from what most people would consider to be pleasant. From the picnic table where I conducted my Freeze-Frame in Hayden Park I could see a junk yard with hundreds of old cars, a cement plant with loud trucks driving around the noisy machines, and a used car lot with a lot of obnoxious advertising, most of which is in Spanish. There was also a fenced in trailer park and some miscellaneous ...

For music consumers, the shift to the computer-file medium

For music consumers, the shift to the computer-file medium happened years ago. This is particularly true with demographics that have essentially come of age through the evolution of the personal computer, the internet and ecommerce.   Over the course of the early 21st century, â€Å"online buying was most popular among 25-34 year olds and least attractive to the 65+ seniors.† (Vargas, 1)   This same demographic is composed of individuals who, over more than half a decade of unrestrained music downloading access, have come to expect a number of opportunities.Specifically, there is an immediacy to this access that transcends traditional music buying methods, with the click-and-download process bypassing the need to go to a store or wait for an online-ordered item to arrive in the mail.   Songs instantly appear on the consumer’s hard-drive and may subsequently be listened to and burnt to a Compact Disc.   With literally infinite peer-to-peer communities emerging co nstantly to improve the organization, presentation and reliability of such acquisition methods, users still have countless ways to find music for free.Students   at the University of Maryland reflect this exact pattern, and have thus become part of a pattern which runs afoul of music industry needs and legal perceptions.   The proposal here will seek to resolve the impasse by researching the prospects for a partnership with legal music downloading services which will allow students to continue to download for free but under more lawful terms.2. Introduction and BackgroundThe University of Maryland, like all major universities and campuses across America, is faced with an interested and difficult challenge with regard to the issue of illegal music downloading.   It is a well-recognized fact that many students use the high-speed internet provided by the campus itself in order to use peer-to-peer trading programs that allow for the free downloading of pirating music, movies and o ther unauthorized digital items which are characterized as intellectual property.The opportunity for students to engage in this activity represents a distinct conflict of interest for the university, which does not permit the use of its channels for the piracy of music, but which also supports the entitlement of individuals to use the computer technology at their disposal with relative freedom within the limitations of the law.   This proposal will call for a research investigation which effectively determines the best way for the university to improve the legal adherence of its students while simultaneously preserving the student body’s ability to use downloading services according to their desires.The background history of this problem concerns the expansion of technological opportunities and a relative inability of music companies and campuses alike to remain abreast of resulting expectations amongst average music consumers such as those spotting college campuses.  Eve n prior to the complicating arrival of internet technologies, the issue of preserving intellectual property has long been a morass of legal and philosophical entanglements for both the originators and the consumers of said property.On the college campus and in the music industry, this issue takes particular precedence as we struggle today to find balanced ways to compensate artists, entertainers and the portals through which they are delivered to us while simultaneously serving our appetites as consumers who are not being treated well by music gatekeepers.   Bootlegging, a term used throughout history to describe all manner of counterfeiting and marketing of ill-gotten or illegal contraband, today almost automatically conjures up thoughts of the internet.This new frontier for the exchange of intellectual properties has evolved into an abyss of piracy forums and file-sharing operations, as online discussion forums, weblogs and business reports on the subject, culled from the intern et, will reveal in the resulting research project.   As we seek to devise an appropriate mode for study, we can note that there is a very clear sociological divide on how parties involved perceive the implications of this music downloading frontier.For music retailers, who to this juncture have offered hard-copy packages of music at ever-growing industry controlled rates and in the medium defined by current industry standards, the sudden transition to a setting where this content could be acquired for free and at a bypass of conventional media and gate-keeping channels was a shocking one for which most were wholly unprepared.   On the opposite end of the spectrum, the independent ability for users to develop digital exchange technology and to compile digitally stored data such as that available on purchased compact discs represented a new and desirable means of obtaining music.In part a direct product of the evolution of information technologies and in part a natural response to a music industry where output was increasingly over-priced and diminishing in artistic quality, consumers have begun not only to expect but to actively claim a new means to acquiring music.   The new digital medium, which compresses songs into computer files called MP3s, has become the commonly accepted medium for music possession amongst consumers.   In contrast, the industry is struggling only now to catch up.   The proposal here will seek to devise a university approach that inherently acknowledges this gap, and attempts to play a mediating role in bringing only presently emerging paid file-sharing programs into contact with student populations.Key terms which will be considered in the proposal are those of ‘file-sharing,’ ‘intellectual property,’ and ‘online piracy.’3. Proposed Program or Plan of WorkIn the current online file-sharing context, everyday university students have essentially become bootleggers, according to legal resear ch and assertion by both the music industry and the United States Congress.   These are sources which appear to favor the music industry institutions, but in actuality, take a narrow perspective that is damaging to compromise for all parties.   The program proposed here will be informed by a desire to overcome this hindrance to cooperation through a carefully constructed mediation whereby the university determines the best possible way to initiate an ability for students to continue to download music for free without sacrificing a relationship to industry and law.Namely, this process of information gathering and research examination will require a consultation with the music industry in particular.  Ã‚   The music trade, represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has insisted that downloading communities are costing the industry millions of dollars in declining sales.   Since the inception of the Napster online music swapping forum in popular culture , there is a broad awareness and exploitation of new and limitless internet resources for the acquisition of free music, with millions of American students logging on everyday to take part in the newly proliferated field of bootlegging.If one is to take the music industry as a case study of the changing nature of commerce with the integration of internet technology, there may be evidence to suggest that the retail approaches traditionally taken by many industries may be subject to extinction.   This is a fact that informs the focus of the study on the best way to court involvement of many music industry players to participate in campus programs designed to streamline downloading opportunities for students.Data gathering will be conducted through a close consultation with such pay sites as Rhapsody and iTunes, which offer users the opportunity to pay either subscription fees or monthly charges.   The University will investigate the potential for partnership with such services, ma king one or multiple downloading sites accessible to students as a part of the university enrollment package.The research process will therefore be structured around a correlation between the apparent downloading practices of students, which can be considered by way of a thorough literature review on current university piracy patterns, and the various terms upon which music industry players are willing to participate in programs which increase user access across university settings.   One expected challenge in this research process is the likelihood that gatekeeper based file downloading programs will not offer a sufficient alternative to many students who already enjoy the benefits of peer to peer trading.   This is an issue which inclines us to enter the proposal with an intent to evaluate and promote the distinct benefits of legal downloading where both options are available to individuals at no cost.4. Qualifications and ExperienceThe process of developing this experimental research process will primarily be based upon the dispatching of university personnel to effectively navigate the marketing aspects which are likely to take a center stage in the resolution of mutually beneficial programs for industry players and students.   Likewise, one who is familiar with the subject of student behaviors in this context will be dispatched to conduct the literature reviewer on habituation.5. BudgetThe cost of the process will be relatively modest, with major resources being limited to those required to conduct research on present behaviors.   It is the proposed ambition here that partnership with many of these services will be directly based upon the presence of agreed-upon sponsorship arrangements in which students are granted unfettered access to programs in exchange for the university’s promotion of service brand names.   Thus, the cost should be no greater than an estimated $10,000 required for the time and personnel used to conduct basic researc h.6. AppendicesThe task schedule will be centered on the start of a new fall semester, with the summer months employed to gain the partnerships needed to implement a trial program for incoming students.Bibliography:Borland, John.   (April 9, 2003).   Music Industry:   Piracy is choking sales.   CNET News. Online at .Garrity, Brian.   (2004).   MP3 Blog sites cause concern.   Billboard Magazine.  McClintock, Pamela.   (March 14, 2004)   Copyright Piracy Draws Anti-Terror Scrutiny.   Washington Variety.Timms, Dominic.   (July 9, 2004).   Online piracy dogs movie industry.   The Guardian.Vargas, Melody.   (2005).   Cyberspace Vs. Parking Mall Space.   About the Retail   Industry.   Online at   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   .

Health Promotion in Nursing Practice Essay

Health promotion has become a key part of healthcare in today’s health industry. Promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviors and prevention of disease has shifted to a forefront position in the arena of healthcare. Health promotion is defined by the World Health Organization as â€Å"the process which enables people to improve control over the determinants of health and as a result to improve their own health.†(Jadelhack, 2012, p. 65) Promoting wellness and developing strategies to obtain this including confrontation of obstacles and barriers to wellness has become mainstream in nursing practice. Nurses now incorporate areas of education, practice, methodology, and research which has set them at the cutting edge in health promotion. Studies have shown that health promotion is highly cost-effective and as health costs rise, targeting diseases that are preventable such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, COPD, and communicable diseases such as Hepatitis and HIV can greatly diminish healthcare costs. Promoting prevention rather than just curing disease after it occurs will reduce healthcare costs exponentially. In the past, nurses provided patient education arranged at teaching patients how to manage current illness, the focus was on the present. In today’s nursing the focus is now on maintaining optimum health and behaviors that promote healthy lifestyles in effect heading off disease before it occurs. The spotlight is now on future health and management of wellness and on remaining healthy. In order to do this, nurses must possess a strong understanding of the disease process and interventions that can be made in order to guide the patient and communities. They also must be well educated and knowledgeable in evidence-based practice and methods to coach and teach patients as well as  family members. Nurses play a key role in guiding decisions in health by individuals, families and communities. They must understand theories, models and practices and be equipped to implem ent interventions as well as evaluate effectiveness and redesign the approach to meet the desired outcome. As people become more aware of the benefits of good health and aware of their own health, community wellness is likely to improve. In order to facilitate and implement these changes, information delivery must be adequate and appropriate. Nurses must be educated in the delivery of health education and equipped to head off barriers to learning before they happen. Understanding cultural diversity and learning models promote better education of patients and communities. Advocating for healthy behaviors and lifestyles must be implemented and promoted at every contact with the patient. This is already seen in action by incentives for smoking cessation and weight loss by organizations and insurance companies. The public must be given the appropriate tools to enable them to make the changes necessary to promote wellness goals. In addition, optimizing opportunities during patient contact must be made. Every contact is an opportunity to advance healthy behaviors and to education patients and f amilies. Clinic visits alone should not be the only interaction nurses utilize to address health promotion. Dressing changes, injections, home health visits, and telephone contact are all optimal times to promote healthy behavior and educate patients. The platform for teaching comes in many settings for nurses and must be utilized to the highest extent possible. Health promotion comes in three formats, primary, secondary, and tertiary. The first level of health care, or primary prevention is provisioned to promote health and prevention of disease. The second level or secondary prevention is aimed at early identification of disease. Targeting high risk individuals in which the disease process has not yet manifested itself in order to promote measures that minimize the effects of disease. The third level of health care is known as tertiary prevention. This level of care involves care of disease that is already established. It works to restore the best level of function and disease management. It also promotes diminishing any further advancement of the disease process. The main difference bet ween the three levels of care is primarily the extent of disease and the level of affliction faced by the patient. Primary level of care deals mainly with  healthy individuals who have not yet displayed evidence of disease. This level deals with lessening the propensity for disease through methods such as vitamins, immunizations, weight control, smoking cessation and other healthy lifestyle behaviors. The secondary level addresses care geared towards maintaining the level of health the patient is currently at and preventing advancement of disease. An example of this would be a patient who has a family history of hypertension whose blood pressure readings are increasingly elevated. Health promotion would be designed to avoid onset of the disease as well as health lifestyle changes to limit the already present risk. In tertiary prevention, care involves addressing health conditions and disease that have already manifested. The goal of this level is to return the patient to an optimal level of functioning and preventing further progression of the disease. Support of the patient’s current health status and educating them to prevent complications as a result of the disease. This is demonstrated as educating a Hepatitis C patient on the importance of discontinuing alcohol consumption and safe sex practices to prevent transmission and coinfections. The nursing role extends well beyond primary care and basic skills. Health promotion is a progressive way nurses can assist patients, providers and communities in implementing and advocating for wellness and prevention of disease. References Baker, D. (2007). Media Review: Health Promotion in Nursing Practice. Retrieved from http://www.acme-articles.com/article/Healthcare_Systems/Health_Promotion_In_Nursing_Practice/87821 Jadelhack, R. (2012). Health Promotion in Nursing and Cost-Effectiveness. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 19(2), 65-68. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/eds/detail?vid=3&sid=ac36e1ac-7283-45be-9086 d4f5b296ea41@sessionmgr4001&hid=4205&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ==#db=ccm&AN=2011602897 Lopes M., de Fatima Antero Sousa Machado, M., Barroso, L., Macà ªdo, E., Costa, R., & de Sousa Furtado, L. (2013). Health Promotion in the Perception of the Strategy of Family Health Nursing Professionals. 14(1), 60-70. Retrieved from

Online Marketing Challenge

Online Marketing Challenge Executive Summary The analysis of online marketing challenge is aimed at improving the performance of a hotel in the competitive Australian industry. In this case, the Managing director of the hotel needs to understand means of optimizing the internet marketing to improve the performance of the hotel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Online Marketing Challenge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The challenge of online marketing necessitates the use of online resources and approaches to increase the number of audience to the hotel’s site. As a result, it would increase the number of sales as well as the company generating revenue through some online activities. Introduction Online marketing refers to the advertising and promotion products and services through the Web or e-mail in order to increase the sales or information about the content. Most organizations conduct online marketing using e-commerce models that a re designed to reach their targeted clients. The common internet approaches adopted include web advertising, email marketing, and social media promotion. Due to competition, organizations attempt to create appealing and captivating sites, which offer the best adverts for their products. This is attributed to the placement of organizations to a common platform in the internet irrespective of the sizes. In addition, the utilization of online marketing enables an organization to market its products to a wider customer base at cheaper rates (Demiray 2011, p.48). Although there are many benefits associated with online marketing, there are critical issues that organizations should consider before exploring the marketing strategy. Internet marketing Primarily, the hotel has to identify its targeted consumers before launching online marketing. Such an understanding is vital based on the products or services that one intends to offer. Various factors such as gender, age, educational level, d isposable income, and occupation of clients influence the nature of marketing to be designed. When such issues have been addressed, it is crucial to identify the appropriate sites and sections where the adverts should be placed. In most cases, the expenditure cost and objectives of the hotel influence the choice.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the common issues to be considered include volume of traffic, quality of existing ads, page ranking of the sites and presence of rivals (Janal 2011, p.96). Consequently, the hotel would be forced to design its adverts appropriately using the appropriate keywords. Once the hotel has identified the best sites and nature of advertising to conduct, it is critical to determine the type of internet marketing to adopt. The common types of internet marketing include Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SOE), and Search Engine Results Page (SERP). SEM refers to the means of improving the traffic to the web based on the ads of the products. This method aims at addressing the needs of customers as well as provision of information on how to acquire the products. SEO involves the use of appropriate words that optimize the ranking of web pages in search engines. In this case, it improves the chances of internet users visiting the site due to its ranking. SERP entails the appearance of the web pages when a search engine query is inserted. This implies that when the appropriate keywords are used the site will appear in frequently compared to the other pages (Johnson 2010, p.3). These issues will assist the hotel in developing ads that would suit the needs of the people as well as choice of sites that have high traffic. Core areas of online marketing Online marketing demands the understanding of the core issues such as keyword analysis, content marketing, email marketing, search marketing , and affiliate marketing. Keyword analysis is the use of appropriate keywords that internet users utilize in most cases while using search engines. This implies that the hotel should search for popular words in order to attract traffic and convert it to sales. Content marketing involves the organization of appealing information to captivate the attention of audience. The content is vital in providing useful information to the audience, which attracts them to revisit and assess other available services. E-mail marketing is the use of messages to communicate with customers when they provide their emails to the hotel (Labbà © 2011, p.26). In essence, the hotel should maintain emails of its clients in the database for consistent communication with clients on the new updates and products that it offers. Search marketing involves the marketing of products through opportunities that exist in the search engines. Affiliate marketing is the use of other sites to advertise the products in or der to market the services of the hotel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Online Marketing Challenge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Following the understanding of the appropriate method to adopt in online marketing, the hotel should decide on the means of increasing the number of audience visiting the site. In this regard, the hotel ought to utilize the AIDA concepts to enhance the information that users can access from the site. AIDA involves the creation of content that attracts attention, interest, desire, and action. For this reason, the audience would be able to undertake some initiatives of conducting sales or acquiring products from the site. On the other hand, the hotel should be able to analyze the traffic capacity of its site and improve on the performance of the site (Levinson Rubin 2010, p.122). Consequently, the site would be able to attract the users as the hotel utilizes other means of advertising s uch as banner ads, pop ups and links from other sites. Online marketing resources The use of online marketing necessitates the hotel to use vital online resources. The main online resources include aMember, Digg, Feedburner, Flickr, Google Adsense, Google Adwords among others. aMember is a plugin that enables sites to integrate PHP for users to undertake online payments through provision of authorization and privacy of the website. In most cases, users have to subscribe with the site to enjoy the services. Digg is a resource that offers the hotel with a chance to provide their news to the community. In essence, it enables the hotel’s sites to post its articles in the internet with the most recent articles appearing at the top of the list. This enables the users to access further information in the hotel’s site through the links offered. Feedburner offers free statistics for the number of visitors in a site as well as a chance to subscribe for free emails and articles. Flickr is a resource that enables the hotel to upload and share photos, which improves the presentation of information to the audience (Sheehan 2010, p.146). Google AdSense is a resource that enables web publishers to advertise and market their products. Google offers the publishers payments for posting ads in the sites. For this reason, the hotel can earn some revenue through publishing ads in its sites. On the other hand, Google AdWords provided advertisers a chance to offer their products through provision of their ads with distinct keywords.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The advertisers usually pay when their ads are clicked, and for this reason, it creates an opportunity for the hotel to increase its profits by offering such services. These vital resources should be incorporated while the means of payment such as PayPal and Moneybookers are integrated in the sites. As a result, the hotel would make money through the services it offers in its site as well as sales made through acquisition of its services or products (Scott 2007, p.104). Conclusion Online marketing is a vital concept that entails multiple variables to exhaust and achieve the desired needs of the hotel. Based on this situation, the hotel should adequately prepare resources to invest in the program to realize the full potential. Moreover, the hotel should understand the nature of risks attributable to the hotel such as privacy and security of the site. Such issues offer consumers power to interact with services offered in the site. Furthermore, it ensures that the consumers are sensiti zed on the activities that are involved in the enhancement of service delivery within the hotel. Recommendations Blogging forms a crucial component of internet marketing since the hotel can present its information or issues in a casual manner. In this regard, the products of the hotel can be covered in depth with respect to the interests of the consumers. Furthermore, the hotel has the ability to assess the response of the consumers since they can present their comments (Sudhaman 2004, p.2). For this reason, interactivity between the hotel and its consumers is enhanced leading to effective way of understanding customers’ behaviors and preference. This issue leads to the presentation of products or services that suit the needs of the clients. Meanwhile, the hotel should adopt internet services such as auto-respondent, call to action and cannibalization. Auto-respondent services enable the hotel to respond instantly to the needs of clients as a cycle of activity of the site. Th e call-to-action is a technique that would allow consumers to take an appropriate action based on the nature of the site, which increases the level of sales (Loda 2011, p.33). At the same time, cannibalization would allow the hotel to utilize the sites of other companies to source for clients or customers. As a result, the number of customers visiting the site would increase leading to the expansion of client base, which improves the profitability of the hotel. The use of social sites for marketing also plays a crucial role in internet marketing. The growth and expansion of technology has enabled many people to interact and share through social sites. Some of the common sites that have contributed to creation of partnership, friendship, and associates include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Hi5 among others (Scott 2007, p.85). In this case, the hotel should exploit these avenues to access customers and create a good rapport with them to enhance sales. In most cases, the social sites al low users to create pages that market their products as well as connection with vital human resource for the growth of the hotel. Essentially, the hotel could adopt the social sites to create awareness of their site amongst the social site users, which improves the traffic to their site due to ability to offer their link in the social sites. When internet users visit the website of the hotel, it is possible to offer them a chance to present their views and remarks. Most of the common types of user-generated content that users can offer include product reviews, comments of the websites and forum entries. The User-Generated Content enables the hotel to increase interaction with the audience as well as market effectively their products. At the same time, the hotel has the ability to review the content of the site to create appealing image of the hotel through use of SEO. The use of User-Generated content can be integrated with blogs, photos and video, which improves the quality of info rmation received by the audience. Some of the main hotels that have exploited the User-Generated Content include TripAdvisor, Goodreads, Allrecipes and Craiglist. Following these crucial services of the site, the hotel can improve the nature of its services or products being offered in the market (Grossnickle Raskin 2010, p.145). References Demiray, U. 2011. Marketing online education programs frameworks for promotion and communication. Information Science Reference, Hershey PA. Grossnickle, J., Raskin, O. 2010. Handbook of online marketing research. McGraw-Hill, New York. Janal, D. S. 2011. Online marketing handbook: how to promote, advertise, and sell your products and services on the Internet. J. Wiley, New York. Johnson, T. 2010. Australian Tourism Minister Lawlor Says New Tourism Queensland Online Marketing Guide to Help Queensland Tourism Operators, Washington, D.C., Malaysia, Washington, D.C. Labbà ©, M. 2011, A natural partnership: Tourism Online Marketing, International Trade Forum, , no. 2, pp. 26-27. Levinson, J. C., Rubin, C. 2010. Guerrilla marketing online: the entrepreneurs guide to earning profits on the Internet. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Loda, M.D. 2011, Comparing Web Sites: An Experiment In Online Tourism Marketing, International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 2, no. 22, pp. n/a. Scott, D. M. 2007. The new rules of marketing and PR: how to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing, online media to reach buyers directly. John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, N.J.. Sheehan, B. 2010. Online marketing. McGraw Hills, New York. Sudhaman, A. 2004, Tourism Australia lifts online marketing plan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Hong Kong.

Symbolism in Siddhartha essays

Symbolism in Siddhartha essays Symbols can often be used to connect a character or event to real life occurrences. Herman Hesse creates these connections in his novel Siddhartha. Frequently he uses characters as symbols to make readers look deeper into the meaning of the book. The main character in the book, Siddhartha, meets many people who have symbolic purposes and are important to his progression. One of his friends and teachers, Vasudeva, and the river that he and Siddhartha live both have this symbolic importance, which express deeper meaning of the story. Vasudeva resembles Buddha, an omniscient and caring being who guides Siddhartha and becomes a teacher for him. For example, Vasudeva teaches Siddhartha to learn from the river that it is good to strive downwards, to sink, to seek the depths. Vasudeva has so much knowledge, which he passes to Siddhartha and advises him with his wisdom. He knows the path to enlightenment and peacefulness and is willing to share that with Siddhartha. In addition, like a caring god, Vasudeva gives as much advice as he can to Siddhartha about his son but lets Siddhartha make his own decisions. Displaying resemblance to Buddha, giving people their own free will, he gives this gift to Siddhartha. Vasudeva knows the answers and solutions to Siddharthas problems but knows that he must learn through his own experience. Furthermore, Vasudeva listened with great attention; he heard all about [Siddharthas] origin and childhood, about his studies, his seekings, his pleasures and needs. Vasudeva is interested in what Siddhartha has to say so that he may help him with his dilemmas. He already knows what Siddhartha must do and knows how he can help. Vasudeva shares many characteristics with Buddha and is meant to exhibit the peacefulness of God. The river symbolizes the flow of life and the unity of the past present and future. For example, Siddhartha reviewed ...

Conference Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conference Report - Essay Example Clint Eastwood, Fellow Researcher, Atlantic Marine Ecology Research Group, presented an interesting speech on "Implications of Global Warming for Marine Ecology" followed by the Asst. Prof. of Department of Oceanography, Texas University, Mr. Tony Adams' presentation of "Cleaning the Oil Spills in the Atlantic". The Conference concluded with thanks from Mr. Tim McKenney. Evaluations of the Research Presentations were analyzed to determine the constituents of an effective and ineffective presentation, and, to review and refine their presentation techniques. A 'Presentation Assessment Form' was prepared (Table A), to evaluate each speaker, and distributed to the audience prior to the commencement of the conference. Evaluation was done on a scale of 1 - 6, 1 being the 'Poorest' and 6 being the 'Excellent', on two aspects of each of the five competencies viz. 1) Content: Planning and Organization. 2) Topic Selection. 3) Quality of Content. 4) Style of Presentation 5) Use of Visual Aids and Tools. The feedback was collated and analyzed to determine the number of positive and negative comments and common themes related to ineffective or poor presentations. A total of 138 assessment forms for each speaker were analyzed, of which 66% remarked positive feedback and 'A' grade for Mr. Eastwood's for the 'Quality of Content' in presentation, as against 29% posi tive feedback 'A' for Mr. Tony Adams, with 'Style of Presentation', being given the most frequent negative grading 'C'. The assessment scheme was evolved after a careful consideration of some important competencies. Since effective presentation is "to present information in ways that influence peoples' attitudes and behaviour" (Verderber, 1997:6), 'Quality of Content' and 'Style of Presentation', were marked as two prime competencies. The importance of 'Para-linguistics' (Hayton, 2005), the non-verbal communication like eye contact, directing voice to all parts of the room etc, cannot be overemphasized. The audience also participated in the presentation, through "feedback on assessed work" which was "perhaps the most commonly mentioned" (Ramsden, 1992; Biggs, 1999) review tool. Additionally, audience participation has also been envisaged in a 'Question and Answer Session'. It was also meant to develop constructive critiquing techniques, by providing the opportunity to the audience to 'identify and assess the style of speech, evaluate the content, judging the weak and strong points of delivery, and be capable of offering quality feedback to the speaker' (Hooper, 2005). Thus developed, after much deliberation and thought, it was hoped that this scheme will affect "the deep processing results in well-structured learning outcomes" (Biggs, 1979; Marton and Saljo, 1976; Trigwell and Prosser, 1991; Watkins, 1983). An example of a Good Presentation: In this conference, Mr. Clint Eastwood's

Social Networking Product Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Networking Product - Assignment Example However, there are some critics regarding child safety and social and cultural issues which require more attention and modification in the corporate policy. The aim of this section would be to help marketing managers at myspace.com to make their decisions based on marketing strategies and tactics. The main issues to have the Gap Analysis on are "Target Customers" and "Market Forecasts". MySpace is presently known as the world's sixth most popular English-language website and also the third popular website in the United States. Therefore it is needed to have a comparison between the first goals of MySpace comparing the current target customers. We need to know who uses MySpace now and who makes a benefit of it. Gap Analysis helps us to do this comparison and close the gaps using tactical approaches. MySpace influences the market too. People join this web site for free and they can get a personalized website for themselves trying to promote their products to millions of people whit out paying money to rent a domain or to pay a lot of cash to build a website. For example in music industry, "bands that have no money to invest in marketing can now expose their homemade sound to a pretty big demographic, the entire world. Bands can customize their site and update it with new music, tour dates, pictures, friends, and blogs about different topics." (Minor, 2007) There are also copyright issues caused by the users who place copyrighted content on the website and gain the access of the product to millions of people for free which needs Gap Analysis. Also the share of MySpace in the market can also be considered. Using market forecasts, we can have a review on future numbers, features and tendencies of the MySpace market and the influence on other markets. 2. Product Concept In Marketing Mix, "The major marketing management decisions can be classified in one of the following four categories: Product, Price, Place (distribution) and Promotion. The product is the physical product or service offered to the consumer. In the case of physical products, it also refers to any services or conveniences that are part of the offering. Product decisions include aspects such as function, appearance, packaging, service, warranty, etc."(QuickMBA, 2007) MySpace is a service which functions as social networking website, providing the opportunity for people to get closer to each other, form communities and share the information of their interest. "Pricing decisions should take into account profit margins and the probable pricing response of competitors. Pricing includes not only the list price, but also discounts, financing, and other options such as leasing." (QuickMBA, 2007) MySpace not only provides its services at no charge for consumers but it helps millions of people to promote their own product and services for free and helps them make a huge amount of money and this makes it very popular and growing. "Place (or placement) decisions are those associated with channels of distribution that serve as the

Human Resource Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Development - Essay Example This is the beginning of prosperity. The values dear to me is an achievement and independence. These qualities would allow me to stay focus on my pre-set career goals. I would do my best to come out successful regardless of the conditions of the workplace. I find two categories most helpful for my future success. These two are talent management and development and risk management and worker protection. Talent management and development would allow me to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the human resource. With this knowledge, it is easy to allocate each employee the duties with which he or she is most comfortable and passionate. Further, this would allow me to nurture the talents of each person without strain due to trial and error. In developing individual talents, the human resource will achieve its full potential, which in turn gets a direct reflection on the level of productivity. Concerning risk management and worker protection, I look at workers or employees as assets. As elaborated above, the human resource activity that nurtures talent and exploits its full potential makes the employees assets to the entity. With any operations, risks are imminent. Without proper risk management skills, the objectives of operations become elusive and difficult to achieve. It is worthy to know what alternatives to adopt at any given time, what to do when faced with rush decisions and how to manage crises. For worker protection, it is a skill necessary to shield workers from the eventualities of the workplace that are unfavorable. In This way, the workers tend to their duties wholeheartedly with the knowledge that, in the case of any eventuality, a fair decision will be forthcoming. The above skills, once instilled in human resource management, improved productivity of the workforce is easily achievable. In my opinion, the legacy involved determines career success. This insinuates that one is only successful if the values

Identify the main reasons behind the phenomenal success of Facebook Essay

Identify the main reasons behind the phenomenal success of Facebook. Evaluate whether the rapid growth of the last decade can be sustained - Essay Example The site has recorded tremendous growth since its inception, and this is owed to various factors as will be discussed in this paper. The success of Facebook mainly lies on the fact that the company has endeavored to improve the products it offers so that they meet the requirements of users (Walter, 2013). At first, the company did not dwell on making profits, but with the increased dependency of people on Facebook for various purposes it started making profits from advertising and selling data that was exchanged through the site. Facebook has developed to be one of the most popular sites since its inception in 2004 and continues to gather a following to the present day. Being the largest social media site, Facebook was started as a theory in 2003 by Zuckerberg, a Harvard student and was known as Facemash.com., at that time (Phillips, 2007). The site allowed Zuckerberg’s classmates to visit the site and compare how attractive people were, but was criticized and it did not become a success then. However, in 2004 mark launched the Facebook and within a day more than 1200 Harvard students had signed up and created a profile. In no time, word spread around, and the founders of the site saw it necessarily to open the site to other universities in the states. As at august 2005, the site was bought for 200,000$ and was now referred to as faceboo.com (Phillips, 2007). High schools in the United States were now allowed to create profiles and as at September the same year, it began to be known all over the world with the united kingdom universities being the first to know about the site after the united states. As word spread all over the world about the site, the network grew beyond being only used in schools but was now accessible to anybody who wanted to join and had an email address. The fact that the site was free to join made it easy for it to grow as more features were added to it to make user friendly. It made profits through

Coucelling for Divorce in Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coucelling for Divorce in Marriage - Essay Example e affords scripture, (b) the authority he or she affords religious leaders, and (c) the identification of the counsellor with the religious group of reference. All clients can tolerate only limited differences from their own important values. If value differences are too great, clients may terminate counselling intervention. Probably, the clients evaluation of the counsellor on these three religious value dimensions has more effect on choice of counsellor or continuation after an initial interview than it has on the long-term satisfaction of the client after the client has made a considerable investment of time and money in counselling intervention. The Christian approach to marriage counselling intervention that advocated by the counsellors is not merely hearing confession --nor is it preaching or studying the Bible. It is not spiritual direction, which involves guided reflection about Christian living--nor is it spiritual guidance, which involves advice and direct suggestion. It is marriage counselling intervention, as is secular marriage counselling intervention. As such, like any marriage counselling intervention, it involves the assumption that basic counselling skills will be employed consonant with the personality style of the counsellor and the needs of the client. Approach to marriage counselling assumes that counsellors may employ techniques that originated in the Christian traditions when they are consonant with the personality and beliefs of the counsellor and the needs of the client and when they are deemed to contribute to the goals of marital therapy. Generally, the counsellor will not initiate a challenge to the clients Christian beliefs unless such a challenge is otherwise clinically advisable (e.g., obsessive or intrusive thoughts, compulsive religious behaviour, psychotic thinking of religious content, and the like). In all cases, good clinical judgment is presumed--as in any theory. It is to be believed that people are created in the image of

Management and Organisational Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management and Organisational Learning - Essay Example Organisational leaders are designers, stewards and teachers and are responsible for building organisations where people continually expand their capabilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models (Senge 1990). Senge’s concept of learning organisation also described it as, â€Å"organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people continually learn how to learn together,† (cited in Robbins et al 2003). From the above definitions, it can be noted that there is a strong correlation between the ideas of the major proponents of this concept. Both of them talk about learning in an organisation with an aim of transforming that particular organisation in order to have positive growth. For instance, in this particular case, the different levels of Senge’s concept include the following, individual level which is characterised by mental models and personal mastery then group level which is followed by organisational level which is made up of systems thinking and shared vision. Senge argues that learning organisations are innovations based on gradual convergence of all five disciplines. Learning to learn is about creativity and innovation, which is about creating positive change rather than adapting to change. This structure bears testimony that learning in an organisation is seen as something that is carefully designed with the aim of achieving particular goals. According to this definition, learning is no longer restricted to individual experience but has become teamwork which requires new and innovative ways of learning and managing performance improvement. It can thus be seen that exchange of information is central to the process of learning organisation where it should be encouraged and nurtured for positive results in improving performance. In

Identify the main reasons behind the phenomenal success of Facebook Essay

Identify the main reasons behind the phenomenal success of Facebook. Evaluate whether the rapid growth of the last decade can be sustained - Essay Example The site has recorded tremendous growth since its inception, and this is owed to various factors as will be discussed in this paper. The success of Facebook mainly lies on the fact that the company has endeavored to improve the products it offers so that they meet the requirements of users (Walter, 2013). At first, the company did not dwell on making profits, but with the increased dependency of people on Facebook for various purposes it started making profits from advertising and selling data that was exchanged through the site. Facebook has developed to be one of the most popular sites since its inception in 2004 and continues to gather a following to the present day. Being the largest social media site, Facebook was started as a theory in 2003 by Zuckerberg, a Harvard student and was known as Facemash.com., at that time (Phillips, 2007). The site allowed Zuckerberg’s classmates to visit the site and compare how attractive people were, but was criticized and it did not become a success then. However, in 2004 mark launched the Facebook and within a day more than 1200 Harvard students had signed up and created a profile. In no time, word spread around, and the founders of the site saw it necessarily to open the site to other universities in the states. As at august 2005, the site was bought for 200,000$ and was now referred to as faceboo.com (Phillips, 2007). High schools in the United States were now allowed to create profiles and as at September the same year, it began to be known all over the world with the united kingdom universities being the first to know about the site after the united states. As word spread all over the world about the site, the network grew beyond being only used in schools but was now accessible to anybody who wanted to join and had an email address. The fact that the site was free to join made it easy for it to grow as more features were added to it to make user friendly. It made profits through

Management and Organisational Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management and Organisational Learning - Essay Example Organisational leaders are designers, stewards and teachers and are responsible for building organisations where people continually expand their capabilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models (Senge 1990). Senge’s concept of learning organisation also described it as, â€Å"organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people continually learn how to learn together,† (cited in Robbins et al 2003). From the above definitions, it can be noted that there is a strong correlation between the ideas of the major proponents of this concept. Both of them talk about learning in an organisation with an aim of transforming that particular organisation in order to have positive growth. For instance, in this particular case, the different levels of Senge’s concept include the following, individual level which is characterised by mental models and personal mastery then group level which is followed by organisational level which is made up of systems thinking and shared vision. Senge argues that learning organisations are innovations based on gradual convergence of all five disciplines. Learning to learn is about creativity and innovation, which is about creating positive change rather than adapting to change. This structure bears testimony that learning in an organisation is seen as something that is carefully designed with the aim of achieving particular goals. According to this definition, learning is no longer restricted to individual experience but has become teamwork which requires new and innovative ways of learning and managing performance improvement. It can thus be seen that exchange of information is central to the process of learning organisation where it should be encouraged and nurtured for positive results in improving performance. In

Migratory Behavior of Mallard Ducks Essay Example for Free

Migratory Behavior of Mallard Ducks Essay There are four fundamental decisions that most animals make when it comes to mechanisms of adaptation: where to live, how to gather food, how to avoid predators, and what tactics to use to reproduce (Alcock, 1993). Habitat preferences in animals require satisfying their needs (ignoring or actively avoiding others, nutritional needs to perform growth, development and reproduction) at the same time experiencing higher fitness than those unable to settle in the favored habitat. There were also several hypothesis presented which correlates habitat preference and fitness. The seasonal dispersion of some animals like ducks is a costly business in terms of energetic expenses and risk to exposure to predators. On the other hand, considering dispersal cost, animals that do not respond to dispersion pay the price of deterioration due to the inability to adapt to the prevailing ecological conditions. Considering the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis (Ralls et. al, 1979), on ducks in particular, Mallard ducks may have migrated then for the purpose of expanding their genetic pool by interbreeding with Anas rubipes a close relative of the Anas playrynhos. The costly dispersal of Mallards may have been to avoid inbreeding depression primary of which is to circumvent the expression of damaging recessive alleles resulting from the mating of two closely related mates of the same species. This further correlates with the mate competition hypothesis (Moore and Ali, 1984), which states that males tend to fight against one another for mates therefore looser find it more energy efficient to seek closely related species to which they may successfully mate. When mating season is over, male disperses to avoid their daughters when these female become sexually mature. Animals engage into energetically exhaustive activity trying to complete the course of their journey to attain its fundamental goals. As the animal arrives to its destination, the issue of territoriality always comes to mind whenever a new species is introduced into a new environment and every time the visitor interacts with the native. While other animals ignore or tolerate the presence of a new species in its territory, others are extraordinarily aggressive in defending their territory from intruders. Territoriality among animals contributes to reproductive successes or failure to the contrary which further leads to interspecific competition. If suitable breeding sites really are short of supply, then one should be able to find non-territorial, non-breeding, individuals in populations of territorial animals. If this is so, the niche similarity of the visitors to the native may introduce interspecific competition with the available supplies. Territoriality may also influence the reproductive success of these visitors as it was found by Dhondt and Schillemans (1983). Territorial animals may invade the nesting sites of migratory birds which may lead to decreased viability and clutch. The ability of birds to fly and survive various environmental conditions has led to their development over time. Seasonal migration of mallard ducks (Anas platyrynchos) has been one of the intriguing aspects of its behavior. This behavior has been influenced mainly by several factors such as foraging (Heitmeyer, 2006), competition (Mc Auley, et al. , 2004), reproductive behaviors (Hill, 1984) which also includes the preservation of nesting sites, and interbreeding (Brodsky, 1989) and seasonal weather conditions (Ridgill, et al. , 1990 in D. Hill, 1992, Whyte Bolen, 1984, Poiani Johnson, 1991). Statement of the Problem From previous articles, it has been reported that Mallard ducks are reoccupying old territories throughout the United States and Canada (Talent, et. al. , 1983). From this observation, it can be inferred that various ecological changes in both habitat and inhabitants may take place. Since mallard ducks in this regard are annual visitors in these habitats, the temporary habitation of previous and new territories may significantly affect native animal species. With the combined hypothesis that Mallard ducks migrate from previously occupied territories due to overlapping conditions which may occupy new territories due to insufficiency of the previous, the study will assess the behavioral patterns of Mallard ducks towards returning to previous foraging territories and establishing new foraging regions (migratory routes) outside of their original habitats, specifically the study will address four major areas of concern. 1. What behavior of the Anas playrynchos determines the suitability of a habitat to be considered sufficient which helps it decide to inhabit previous foraging territories and new regions outside of their original habitats? 2. What behavioral mechanism will the Anas platyrynchos exhibit upon visiting a previous foraging territory and new regions outside of their original habitats if a highly territorial organisms was encountered upon landing? 3. What general behavioral model applies during the interaction of two closely related species (Anas rubipes and Anas platyrynchos) occupying the same niche in terms of: a. Reproductive tactics b. Foraging preferences c. Territoriality 4. What chances that the introduction of less territorial animal may cause significant adaptive stress (competitive stress) to a more territorial species? Hypotheses It is hypothesized that there is no significant differences in the previously reported behavioral mechanisms in Anas platyrynchos that helps it determine to decide on its habitat preferences. Alternatively, Anas platyrynchos establishes new migratory routes due to impending factors such as avoidance of predators, seasonal weather conditions, reproductive tactics and foraging preferences. Else, Anas platyrynchos establishes new migratory route or return to previous foraging areas due to certain conditions such as habitat destruction, scarcity of supplies needed to reproduce, and extreme territoriality between natives and migrants. Experimental Design In order to test these hypotheses, the study will be divided into two phases: the in vivo phase and in vitro phase. At the in vitro phase, groups of experimental populations of Mallard ducks will be placed in a study area which will allow observation of significant behavioral patterns relevant to foraging, reproductive tactics/quality such as mate preference, clutch size, egg size and viability, and interspecific competition. Two species of closely related species of ducks the Anas rubipes (native, will be allowed to acclimatize until such time that they one or two reproductive cycles have been achieved) and Anas platyrynchos (introduced species, will be introduced only after the native have been acclimatized well) will be situated in the same habitat which will be observed for close interaction. Behavioral patterns on mate preferences and competitive exclusion will be observed by on-site observation using a hidden observation platform. Foraging preferences will be looked upon by collection and analysis of droppings from both species. Geographical invasion of feeding territories will be looked upon by assigning quadrat areas which will be initially determined by the territorial preferences of both species of ducks. Territoriality will be measured by the number of times the more aggressive native will disturb the nesting sites of the migrants and the instance that the migrant will be driven away from a specific foraging site. Specific effects of such behavior will be measured by performing initial and final biometry of the two species of ducks. Decrease in biometric qualities from both adult and eggs would mean the inability to adapt into such competitive behavior. Possible effects of migrant foraging on native non-avian species will also be observed by recording the feeding activity of non-avian species living along the vicinity which might directly contribute to the promotion or disruption of the food chain brought about by the introduction of a new consumer. To observe the habitat preference of ducks with is natural behavior in its intact natural behavior, the in vivo phase will be done. Radio satellite transceivers will be wing banded on representative Anas platyrynchos through catch and tag method (including the alpha male) that are about to engage into seasonal journey to trace their possible destinations and stop-over. The result will be compared to previous annual migration data (20 years in succession or more depending on the available information) to establish a pattern supporting the behavioral mechanism that the ducks employ in selecting a habitat which sooth their preference. On site visitation of previously reported migration destinations will be surveyed to confirm habitation of previously occupied regions. Ecological evaluation and mapping of visited areas (stop-over and final destination) will be done and compared with other visited areas for specific pattern. Thorough monitoring of migration paths via remote sensing will be followed to confirm if ever there is a change in the migratory route. Conclusions will be based on the assessment of significant differences between the previously reported data and the novel information. Summary All in all, birds may move to various locations for survival. If the prevailing conditions decrease fitness, migratory ducks may move to different locations to continue to find food, reproduce and avoid predation. When the conditions increase fitness, these ducks will then return to their natal site where they will breed and raise their young. It may be that physical conditions and forces that govern the earth’s magnetic poles, hormonal changes, changing weather patterns or other various factors contribute to the birds urge to migrate to their seasonal habitats. For the purpose of this paper, the most important factor to be considered are the consequences to native animals belonging in the same niche brought about by abrupt or gradual changes in migratory routes and the resulting occupation of new or old territories. In the evolutionary perspective, animals are able to adapt into their environment mainly by employing specific behavioral mechanisms that would enable them to perfectly cope. At the event that an animal fails to establish equilibrium with its environment, serious complications arise. The study will better establish significant behavioral patterns in Mallard ducks which enable to blend in and adapt in variable habitats. Such adaptive behavior may serve as a key towards preserving animal species that are in danger of extinction simply because the adaptive behavior is not appropriate for survival. References Cited Alcock, John. 1993. Animal Behavior: an evolutionary approach, 5th ed. Sinauer Associates, USA. 279-379. Dhondt A. A. , and J. Schillemans. 1983. Reproductive success of the great tit in relation to its territorial status. Animal Behavior 31:902-912. Heitmeyer, M. E. 2006. The Importance of Winter Floods to Mallards in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 70, No. 1. pp. 101-110. Hill, David. 1992. Cold Weather Movements of Waterfowls in Western Europe. The Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 61, No. 1. Feb. , pp. 238-239. Hill, D. A. 1984. Population Regulation in the Mallard (Anas platyrynchos). Journal of Animal Ecology. 53. pp. 191-202. Mc Auley, D. G. , et. al. 2004. Dynamic use of wetlands by black Mallards: Evidence Against Competitive Exclusion. Wildlife Society Bulletin. Vol. 32. , No. 2. pp. 465-473. Poiani, K. A. , Johnson, W. C. 1991. Global Warming and Prairie Wetlands. BioScience, Vol. 41, No. 9. Oct. pp. 611-618. Talent, L. G. , et. al. 1983. Survival of Mallard Broods in South-Central North Dakota. The Condor, Vol. 85, No. 1. Feb. , 1983, pp. 74-78. Whyte, R. J. , and Bolen, E. G. 1984. Impact of Winter Stress on Mallards Body Composition. The Condor, Vol. 86, No. 4. pp. 477-482. Moore, J. , and R. Ali. 1984. Are dispersal and inbreeding avoidance related? Animal behavior 32:94-112. Ralls, K. , et. al. 1979. Inbreeding and juvenile mortality in small populations of ungulates. Science 206: 1101-1103.

Coca Cola Drinks In A Time Of Economic Difficulty Business Essay

Coca Cola Drinks In A Time Of Economic Difficulty Business Essay Always Coca-Cola! This slogan was used in 2003 by the Coca-Cola Company, but years later it still resounds. Despite, the continuous changing of consumers needs, wants and lifestyles, economic down-turns and increasing competition in the marketplace, Coca-Cola has managed to always take first place as the worlds most valuable brand, since 2001. (Interbrand Best Global Brand Surveys, 2001-2010) This report is intended to explain and analyse why the sales of Trademark Coca-Cola drinks, namely Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Light/Diet Coke were all immune to the economic recession. The analysis will be within a consumer behaviour scope. Inevitably, the relationship of consumer behaviour to other disciplines will be seen. First, there will be a brief history on Coca-Cola and a review of its performance over the last 4 years. Subsequently, the Consumers Buying Decision Making Process in relation to Coca-Cola drinks will be discussed. Then, there will be an examination of how input factors from the Buying Decision-Making Process Model such as, the companys marketing mix and individual factors such as attitudes might have influenced consumers behaviour in the buying process and enabled Coca-Cola to be successful throughout the years, even during the recession. Additionally, the influence of reference groups would be discussed as it is purported to be another attribute to the brands success during the recession. It is worthy to note that, according to the National Bureau of Economics Research the recession started in December 2007 in the US. However, countries could have experienced a recession at different times (imf.org). Therefore, the study is based on 2007-2010 time period. 2.1 Coca-Colas History and Performance Review When carbonated water is added to a syrup made from Coca leaf extracts, Cola nut, sugar and citric acid, the refreshing Coca-Cola drink is produced. Its name was derived by combining its two main ingredients Coca and Cola. The Coca-Cola formula was concocted by a passionate physician and chemist named Dr. John Stith Pemberton in 1886. Dr. Pembertons goal was to invent the ultimate medicine and tasty drink all into one. (Business Heroes, 1998) Therefore, Coca-Cola was initially marketed as a valuable brain tonic and a cure for all nervous affections such as headaches, neuralgia, hysteria as well as a delicious, refreshing and invigorating beverage(curezone.com). Although, some ingredients have been added or removed to enhance the drink but not to change the taste too much, up to this day it is not certain if the Coca-Cola Company still includes Coca leaf extracts. The Coca-Cola drink was sold for 5 cents a glass and only an average of 9 glasses of Coca-Cola were sold daily in the 1880s. Many years later, the Coca-Cola Company produces gallons of syrup daily and nearly 1.6 billion times a day, people around the world enjoy one of our beverages (Coca-Cola Annual report, 2008). The concentrates and syrups that are manufactured are then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers in more than 200 countries. Coca-Cola has become a multi-million dollar profit-making company and has been able to continue that trend even during challenging economic times. Although according, Brian Morgan, Beverages Industry Analyst, global value sales had declined in the soft-drinks market (Euromonitor blog, 2010). Coca-Cola was affected insignificantly by the global decline and this was reflected in its financial reports. The Coca-Cola Companys consolidated Net Operating Income before Interest and Taxes (NIBIT) had increased from $7,252m in 2007 to $8, 446m in 2008. However, there was a 2.5% decline in (NIBIT) from 2008-2009. The impact of the decline was insignificant because of the companys well balanced portfolio, well-known brand and innovative strategies. Another indicator that the company was doing well during the recession was the steady increase in cash dividends payments. The cash dividend payments to shareholders in 2007, 2008, and 2009 were $1.36, $1.52, $1.64 respectively (Coca-Cola Annual Review, 2009). The sales of Trademark Coca-Cola, which includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke/ Coca-Cola light, are what fuel our business (Coca-Cola Annual report 2009, p.16). Trademark Coca-Cola has seen volume unit growth in 2009 for many of its markets around the world including Vietnam (27%), India (25%), Pakistan (18%) and Nigeria (11%) to name a few (Coca-Cola Annual report, 2009). Solid performance has been reported for Coca-Cola in its 2010 third quarter and year-to-date company report. As at the ending of October, Operating Net Revenues had increased by 5%. Moreover, the worldwide unit case volume had increased 5%. This volume growth was led by the brand Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola Year-to-Date report, 2010). Please see Appendix 1 2 for more indicators of the Coca-Cola Companys resilience to the 2007-2010 economic down-turn. 3.0 Discussion and Analysis 3.1 Routinised Response Behaviour Researchers have identified three main levels of consumer decision making. They are extensive problem solving, limited problem solving and routinised response behaviour levels (Schiffman et al 2007, p.526).Consumers would have engaged in a routinised response behaviour level with regards to Coca-Cola drinks. This is because the trademark brand has been in the beverage market for years and so consumers would have had experience with it and other brands. Also, consumers would have established a set of criteria well enough to evaluate the Coca-Cola brand against other brands (Schiffman et al, 2007). Additionally, due to the low-involvement of consumers in purchasing Coca-Cola drinks, consumers are able to make quick decisions and they would have then relied heavily on heuristics, its prices, packaging and their familiarity with the brand. This would then have led to people purchasing Coca-Cola out of habit and in some cases automatic purchases. Therefore, it can be argued that because of the difficulty in breaking their habitual purchases and the little thought that goes into buying Coca-Cola drinks, consumers continued to buy Coca-Cola during the recession which made Coca-Cola immune. 3.2 Effective Marketing Mix Another reason why Coca-Cola was resilient to the recession could have been because of the companys effective marketing mix. The Coca-Cola Company has been able to build its brand throughout the years by using the right blend of marketing mix for the Trademark Cola-Cola drinks. Coca-Colas marketing mix efforts will now be discussed. Product Some people argue that the taste of Coca-Cola makes it very popular and gives it a competitive advantage. Moreover, people have demonstrated their love for the taste in different ways. One well-known incident was when consumers rejected the new formula of Coca-Cola, the New Coke. The company was compelled to bring back the original taste of Coca-Cola (Fortune, 1985). Coca-Colas trademark is its product name Coca-Cola in a unique white script against a bright red background. This assists customers to easily identify the brand in groceries, shops and advertisements. The Coca-Cola drink is packaged in aluminium cans, glass and plastic bottles in a range of sizes; 2L, 1.25L, 500ml and 330ml. Although variations have been made to the shape of the glass and plastic bottles, The contour bottle remains the signature shape of Coca-Cola today and was chosen for its attractive appearance and original design (Coca-Cola Heritage Timeline, 1905-1918). Price Coca-Cola is priced slightly higher to the prices of non-popular cola brands such as store brands but the same to main competitor, Pepsi. For instance, in England the price for a 2L bottle of Coca-Cola and Pepsi is  £1.66 while a 2L ASDA store brand cola is  £0.47 (asda.com). During 2007-2010 the price of Coca-Cola was increased for some regions like North-America due to increase commodity costs for the bottlers and to other recessionary pressures. (Coca-Cola Company Annual Report, 2008 p.47) Promotions Advertising Coca-Cola makes large investments in promotions and advertising. Advertising costs for 2006, 2007 and 2008 has been $2.6b, $2.8b and $3.0b respectively (Coca-Cola annual report, 2008). In 2007 there were promotions in Europe for Rugby World-cup and for the Christmas holidays (Coca-Cola Annual Review, 2007). There were many point-of-sale promotions world-wide in 2008. Loyalty programs that enable customers to receive free rewards and prizes by collecting points became very popular in 2009. For instance, the North-American market has the my coke rewards and the European market has the coke zone websites particularly set up for these promotional programmes (Coca-Cola Annual Review, 2009). Coca-Colas creative, colourful, animated and high imagery advertisements become many peoples favourite. Indeed, some of Coca-Cola advertisements have won several awards such as the Golden Award of Montreux, 2007 (Gold Medal) and CLIO Awards, 2007 (Gold) Animation (adforum.com). Place/ Distribution Channels Coca-Cola uses an intensive distribution strategy. Customers can easily access Coca-Cola drinks at their convenience through groceries, shops, malls, vendor machines, universities, work offices, bars and restaurants. Coca-Cola works closely with all constituents of the supply chain to ensure that the distribution process is efficient and effective (coca-cola.com). Additionally, Coca-Cola has even been endorsed by many restaurants including Mc Donalds and other businesses, where a formal agreement is made between the two parties to only sell Coca-Cola drinks. With the Consumer Decision Making Model that was produced by Schiffman et al (2007) in mind, consider this example. When consumers who drink Coca-Cola became thirsty or were out of stock of Coca-Cola at home, a need was recognised which is the first stage of the Process component of the model. The consumers would have then entered the information search stage and would have first drawn on past experiences they had with Coca-Cola drinks before using external sources of information from the Input component of the model, such as the companys marketing communications and socio-cultural influences. Because of Coca-Colas effective marketing mix efforts in the past, the customer would have most likely had good memories and experiences with the drinks. Also, Coca-Colas marketing efforts during the time of the consumers decision making would have played a big role in influencing consumers decisions. As a result, when consumers entered the Output stage, their decision was to re-purchase Coca-C ola. Coca-Cola marketing mix was effective because of its strong impact on the consumers decision making process. Another reason why Coca-Colas marketing mix was effective because it catered for the individual factors of consumers and this made the marketing mix more influential on individual decision making processes of consumers. For instance, Coca-Colas loyalty reward promotions would have appealed to those customers who like to be rewarded for their commitment or the sales promotions for those who were always seeking bargains. The changing of shapes of the bottles and the creative and high imagery advertisements, especially the one ones with the polar bears drinking Coca-Cola, would have appealed to those emotional and impulsive consumers. Also, by getting many businesses to only sell Coca-Cola drinks would have trapped those consumers who do not normally purchase Coca-Cola. The fact that most people would have had less disposable income might have made these marketing tactics more influential on their actual Decision Making Process because peoples need for rewards and stimulation to buy Coc a-Cola and not switch to a cheaper brand would have been greater. 3.3 Commitment to Attitudes It is believed that peoples high level of commitment to their favourable Attitudes towards Coca-Cola drinks was another reason that caused people to continue to purchase Coca-Cola drinks during the recession. Attitude is a persons learned predisposition, tendency to respond to an object in a consistently favourable or unfavourable way (Allport 1935, cited in Professor Jiang 2010 Lecture 5 slides). In relation to Coca-Cola drinks this means that, people were not born with the attitudes that they have towards Coca-Cola. Instead they learned about Coca-Cola from their direct experiences with the drinks, from other peoples opinions and from the companys marketing mix. They used these factors to develop an overall evaluation of Coca-Cola and in so doing formed favourable attitudes towards the drinks. Consequently, people were then motivated by their attitudes to purchase Coca-Cola drinks (Schiffman et al 2007, p.238). The psychologist, Daniel Katz, purported that attitudes exist because they serve a function for the person (Solomon et al 2010, p.275). The function could be a Utilitarian, Value-expressive, Ego-defensive or Knowledge function. For instance, people who like the taste of the Coca-Cola drinks and who derives pleasure from it would have an attitude that serves the Utilitarian function. Value-expressive attitudes would be seen in those people who drink Diet Coke because it may convey that they are dieting and watching their figure to others (social identity) or because they personally believe its the healthier choice of drink (personal values). Coca-Colas efforts to provide more factual and meaningful nutritional information on their packaging would form attitudes that serve the knowledge function in those people who need such information in selecting products. Attitudes change when it no longer gives satisfaction to its related need state (Katz, 1960 p.177). Coca-Colas marketing mix efforts has been consistently satisfying the needs of consumers and so consumers became committed to their attitudes towards Coca-Cola. For example, Coca-Colas total quality management systems ensure that every bottle on the production line tastes the same so that peoples Utilitarian function would always be satisfied. There have been misperceptions and rumours of Coca-Cola drinks including soft-drinks cause Kidney stones or Coca-Cola can be used as household cleaners. In order to provide clarity and consistency for individuals with knowledge function needs, Coca-Cola posted responses on its website to these rumours. Moreover, the company had spent $9m to promote active healthy lifestyle programs in 2008 (coca-cola.com). This also illustrates Coca-Cola satisfying the needs of consumers which would then lead to consumers becoming highly committed to their attitudes. According to Katz (1960) attitudes consist of affective or feelings and cognitive or belief components. Attitudes can be related to behaviour which makes it a third component. Another consequence of Coca-Colas efforts consistently satisfying consumers needs was that it strengthened the affective component of consumers attitudes and reinforced the beliefs they had towards Coca-Cola. The result was people holding onto to their favourable attitudes towards Coca-Cola which was then the driving force of their purchase behaviour. It is worthy to note that the results of many studies have shown a very low correlation between a persons reported attitude towards something and their actual behaviour towards it (Solomon et al 2010, p.290). Researchers found that events, circumstances or social pressure can interfere with a persons planned or expected behaviour. For instance, people may like Coca-Cola but do not buy it because of persuasive campaigns from health organisations that say soft-drinks are unhealthy (social pressure). Therefore, it can then be debated that although people may have had favourable attitudes towards Coca-Cola this may not have caused them to purchase Coca-Cola drinks during the recession or any time. It is believed that this happened because people were not strongly committed to their attitudes. It can then be argued that Coca-Colas marketing strategies have been encouraging people to remain highly committed to their attitudes towards Coca-Cola. Once consumers are very committed to their at titudes, it would become very difficult for external influences to change their beliefs or feelings for the product and by extension change their behaviour. 3.4 Reinforcement of loyalty through Reference Groups Coca-Cola has used the internet to create a virtual community where its fans from all over the world can meet other fans, chat about various topics and reminisce about Coca-Cola memories. Although Coca-Cola has an official website (coca-colaconverstaions.com) to facilitate this community, the website provides links to Twitter and Facebook so that fans can use those forums if they desired. Additionally, there is a Coca-Colas Collectors Club for people who are very nostalgic and who enjoy collecting Coca-Cola merchandise. The club has more than 5000 members from all over the world. Several conventions and meetings are held annually and monthly newsletters are published. There are also swap meets and other social events that enable members to share their interests with others (coca-cola.com). Researchers find that people within brand communities feel more positive about the product (Solomon et al, 2010 p.392) when they interact with other people who share similar interests in the same product and when they participate in social events held for them. Their brand loyalty is enhanced and the chance of them switching to competing brands that are as good or even better is very low. Moreover, these community members do not only become emotionally involved with the product, but genuinely concerned with the welfare of the company as well (Solomon et al, 2010, p.392). Coca-Cola has been the main sponsor of big events for many years such as NASCAR racing, Youth Olympics Games, FIFA World cup and Special Olympics (coca-cola.com). These different events bring together people who share common interests and these people make up sub-cultural groups within society. Attitudes, beliefs and certain behaviours would be adopted faster by these groups because of their cohesiveness and group members desire to share one identity. By Coca-Cola sponsoring the events for these groups often, Coca-Cola would have become accepted and liked by these groups. Coca-Cola would have relied on the social power of these groups to remind and reinforce the brand. As a result, members within these groups would have been motivated to purchase Coca-Cola as long as they were active members of these groups in order to fit in. Therefore, the presence of Coca-Colas brand communities both virtual and those that meet face-to-face had strengthened peoples brand loyalty and this enabled Coca-Cola to maintain a high retention of consumers during the recession. Also, the influence of sub-cultural groups could have contributed to Coca-Colas continued success during the recession. Conclusion/Recommendations Coca-Colas has maintained a strong brand image and financial performance for many years, even during the recession. The reasons for this success could have been because of consumers habitual purchase behaviour, successful execution of marketing strategies by the company, consumers commitment to their favourable attitudes towards Coca-Cola drinks and the presence of reference groups. These factors simultaneously impacted consumers actual decision making process which then caused them to continue to purchase Coca-Cola. It is becoming more difficult to predict consumer behaviour because sociological factors, circumstances and events interfere with consumers intended behaviour (Schiffman et al, 2007). Coca-Cola has built a secret research facility at its headquarters and this shows that the company is aware of the importance of understanding consumer behaviour. Were spending a lot of time trying to understand shopping and shopping psychology, says Joe Tripodi, Coca-Colas chief Marketing Officer (CNBC 2009). It is apparent that Coca-Cola has been able to build an extremely strong brand loyalty for its drinks. Therefore, the company should continue with its innovative strategies and continue its research into why and when people purchase their products. The company should also continue using their websites and peoples blogs to get feedback from consumers about beliefs and feelings towards the companys products and strategies. One caveat for the company is that it should never become arrogant and think that consumers will always have that strong brand loyalty for Coca-Cola. Appendix I SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA Year Ended December 31, (in millions except per share data) 2009 2008 2007 2006 SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS Net operating revenues $30,990 $31,944 $28,857 $24,088 Net income attributable to shareowners of The Coca-Cola Company $6,824 $5,807 $5,981 $5,080 PER SHARE DATA Basic net income $2.95 $2.51 $2.59 $2.16 Diluted net income $2.93 $2.49 $2.57 $2.16 Cash dividends $1.64 $1.52 $1.36 $1.24 BALANCE SHEET DATA Total assets $48,671 $40,519 $43,269 $29,963 Long-term debt $5,059 $2,781 $3,277 $1,314 Appendix II PERFORMANCE AT A GLANCE 2007 2008 2009 22.7 23.7 24.4 UNIT CASE VOLUME (in billions) 2007 2008 2009 $7,252 $8,446 $8,231 OPERATING INCOME BEFORE INTEREST TAXES (in millions) 2007 2008 2009 $7,150 $7,571 $8,186 OPERATING CASH FLOW (in millions)