Thursday, October 31, 2019

Law studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law studies - Essay Example This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The House of Commons pertains to the section of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which is also comprised of the Sovereign and the House of Lords. In this light, it could be noted that the Parliament Acts have been used to enact legislation which ultimately opposes the wishes of the Lords on simply 7 occasions since 1911, an example of which is the enactment of the Parliament Act 1949. However there are still doubts put forward regarding the validity of the 1949 Act, and the members of the Countryside Alliance took a case to court to challenge the validity of the Hunting Act 2004 (Parliamentary Standard Note on the Parliament Acts, 2004). In October 2005, the House of Lords sacked an appeal by the Countryside Alliance, with a strangely large panel of nine law lord’s maintaing that the 1949 Act was valid. A previous Parliament Act, the Parliament Act 1660, was repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1969. The long title of the Parliament Act 1911 is (The Guardian, 2003): The long title (properly, the title) is one of the parts, together with the short title, and the operative provisions (sections and Schedules), which comprise an Act of Parliament or Bill in the United Kingdom and certain other Commonwealth Realms. ... The Act serves as a response to the conflict involving the Liberal government and the House of Lords, concluding in the so-called "Peoples Budget" of the Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George during the year1909, which put forward the initiation of a land tax which was rooted to the ideas of the American tax reformer Henry George. This would have had a key influence on large landowners as well as the Conservative opposition, which is generally comprised of large landowners, if it had a large majority in the Lords. In addition they

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Shanghai from Colonial to Postcolonial Research Paper

Shanghai from Colonial to Postcolonial - Research Paper Example Further, the Americans, French, Germans, British and Russia came in to set their distinctive Western Style banks, mansions and trading houses leaving behind the long-lasting architectural legacy. The Japanese conquered China with an intension of capturing Shanghai in 1937. Further, the Jews again came in Shanghai to flee persecution that later made them to be forced to ghettoes by the Japanese in 1941 (Pott Web). Later in 1943, the Chinese and the Japanese surrounded all the foreigners in Shanghai and matched them off to various prison campgrounds. In connection to this, the Britain and the U.S.A were forced to sign the treaty to return the various settlements to Shanghai but under the Chinese rule. In 1949, the Communists came to Shanghai to rule. During these periods, the city remained a major industrial Centre boosting the population. Industrialization increased and several high buildings were constructed that further raised the population of Shanghai making the city to grow rich (Pott Web). In 1983, the Shanghai Museum was found and Oriental Pearl Tower was put up then followed by the Mao Tower in 1999. The People Liberation Army under the new People Republic of China to ok control of Shanghai that led to most foreigners to move their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong due to the Communist victory. The lower stretches of River Yangtze that’s runs through the city of Shanghai deposits lots of mud to its bay creating beautiful alluvial plain features. The River flow of the Yangtze, tides and wind has equally contributed to the formation of the alluvial plain including the present Yangtze River Delta (Pott Web). Shanghai delta on the East tip covers an approximate area of 6, 340.5 square kilometers that contributes to 2, 448.1 square miles. The Shanghai city lies on the altitude of three to five meters that is relatively made up of soft and loose soil. The city is made up of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Factors Influencing Toyota

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Factors Influencing Toyota The company that has been chosen for the purpose of this assignment is the Toyota Corporation and the product that would be highlighted during this paper is going to be the Toyota Camry 2007 model. It is necessary to differentiate the difference between what are microeconomic factors and what are macroeconomic factors, the micro level economic factors are something that the company can exercise some level of control and can influence this environment to a certain degree but macroeconomic factors are such in nature that the company is unable to influence them by any means what so ever. On the literally terms, micro means small level and macro means on a larger scale. (Wessels, 2000). There are many factors that affect any company both on the micro as well as the macroeconomic level and it is of essence that companies realize these factors and potential factors so that they can survive in the long term, these factors are divided into two parts one is the consumers and the other is the company itself. (Samuelson, 2001). The microeconomic factors that affect a company or a product are Price: price is one of the single most if not the most important factor to be considered by the company in terms of microeconomic factors that affect the company. Price of a good determines the market share, what target market the product is trying to tap in to and how much of the good is going to be demanded and how much of it is going to be supplied by the company. (Samuelson, 2001). The price of a good determines if the consumers think that the product is worth buying or even worth contemplating upon, if prices are irrational for example a pie for $250 then the demand is almost certainly going to be negligible if not non-existent for this kind of product. The price is and can be influenced by the company by managing its supply effectively. Another important consideration that needs to be taken care of is the competitive prices in the economy for example if Honda Accord is priced between $18000-$20000 then the Toyota Camry needs to be priced in the similar range because they are ve ry close competitors in the US market, if Honda Accord prices its product lower than the Toyota Camry then it is almost certainly going to be able to get a larger pie of the target market given that all other things are kept constant or ceteris paribus rule applies. Opportunity Cost: The consideration of opportunity cost is extremely important when one talks about microeconomic factors, if Toyota Camry increases its prices then people would have to give up more money in order to purchase the same good i.e. their opportunity costs goes higher. (Wessels, 2000). This is where the concept of value for ones money steps in, if Camry is charging its customers $18000 then its value or its perceived value should be worth $18000 to the customer or else the customer would spend the $18000 where he or she deems that they would be much better spent. This is where the concept of studying the consumer comes in. (Lipsey, 2002). The concepts of price elasticity comes in here as well, if a small positive change in the price of Camry decreases the units demanded for Camry then Camry is highly price elastic but if the change in price only results in a small change in the units demanded then it is inelastic and it can afford to increase its prices. (Samuelson, 2001) . Cross elasticity is where Honda Accord decreases its prices and it affects the sales of the Toyota Camry, in this case it would be highly cross elastic but if no change or only a very minute change occurs then it is not cross elastic. Consumer Behavior: Consumers are people that eventually make or break a company, this is why they need to be studied and understood because they are a very potent force as far as the business is concerned. (Samuelson, 2001). Camry should understand what the consumers are looking for when they are making a decision to buy a car, is it safety? Is it durability? Is the fuel efficiency? Or is it all of the things mentioned before? When these questions have been answered and Camry has decided what market segment it is going to be in then it needs to position itself accordingly. Once this has been taken care of the company would then need to communicate what it stands for to the consumer (Glass, 2010) so that the consumer understands what the company is offering and matches the benefits that are being offered to the prices that are being demanded and make the decision whether to buy or not. (Lipsey, 2002). Another consideration that is extremely important for Toyota is that the costs of the cars that it is manufacturing should be at the lowest levels possible so that it gets the highest possible profits from each unit that is sold. How can the costs be controlled? There are a variety of factors into consideration when costs are involved, first of all Toyota should build strategic partnerships with all its vendors so that they are on board with the company strategy and are aware of what the company is trying to achieve. (Glass, 2010). Secondly it should increase the plant efficiency and also have a look at its processes and implement cost cutting measures where ever it can but most importantly the workers have to be trained to be efficient so that they are on board with the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s policies as well. (Samuelson, 2001). If the costs are too high for Toyota then certainly so would be the prices of Camry and hence this would render the product unsuccessful because competi tive brand would be able to capture a larger market share and may also be able to drive Camry out of business. Competition as highlighted above always has bearings on the company and its decisions and hence in a microeconomic environment the company has to keep a tab on the competition as well and analyze what they are doing and be able to predict what their next move is going to be and try to be one step ahead of the competition at all times (Glass, 2010), although the company cannot influence its competition directly but it can take measures that can affect the competition in a positive as well as a negative fashion. (Donburch, 1988). For example if Honda announces that it would launch a an Accord in 2012 that would be extremely fuel efficient but at the same time it would be able to break the sound barrier, then Toyota has to come up with a product that is equivalent to that Accord if not better. The second part of this paper deals with factors at the macroeconomic level, these factors are beyond the control of any of the firms and these are in a way given or handed down by the state of the economy and are largely dependent on the government policies and the economic structure that is prevalent in the environment that the company is operating in, for example Toyota Corporation in the US would not be able to determine the exchange rate of the dollar because that is more dependent on the US governments policies and the decisions that are taken within the economic environment by that government. (Wessels, 2000). Interest rates: Interest rates in an economy determine whether people are going to save more or spend more, when the interest rates are high people would prefer to save rather than spend but if the interest rates are low in the economy then people would prefer to spend their money rather than save it. (Donburch, 1988). The exact inverse is true when it comes to borrowing from banks or other financial institutions, people tend to take loans when the interest rates are lower and would prefer not to loan out money when interest rates are higher. (Donburch, 1988). How is Toyota affected by the interest rates prevalent within in the economy? If Toyota is to set up a new plant it is definitely going to need a loan to set up the plant, when would Toyota prefer to take the loan? When the interest rates are on the lower side and hence this macroeconomic factor affects the strategy of the company. (Wessels, 2000). Taxes: Toyota would prefer to set up a plant where the corporate taxes are on the lower side so that it enables the company to earn higher profits for its stakeholders, however the taxes or the tax regime is developed by the government and Toyota has no say in it. Employment: Employment or the ability of the workforce to fulfill the requirements of the Toyota Corporation is another important element. Toyota cannot train the whole workforce or it cannot provide for itself employees all by itself, the government has to provide for the people basic education and training (Donburch, 1988) so there is enough work-force available to work for the Toyota Corporation. Business cycles or cyclical trends of the economy also have a bearing on the Toyota Corporation for example economy can experience growth and it can also experience stagnation and this would directly affect the sales of the Toyota Camry but this is something that the company has no control over and is not able to influence it. (Lipsey, 2002). Inflation is another important element when talking about macroeconomic factors, inflation is the general increase in the price levels within an economy (Donburch, 1988) and if prices increase then the costs for Toyota also would increase and some of these costs or in some cases all of it would be transferred on to the customers of the company. Conclusion In conclusion, both macro and micro levels have an important bearing on the company but at the micro level the company should influence the factors in its favor and at the macro level the company should be able to predict the future trends and be adaptive. (Lipsey, 2002).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Myth and Romance in Star Wars :: Star Wars Film Movie Movies Essays

Myth and Romance in Star Wars Pure science fiction is rarely written. Science fiction is often blended with elements of other genres from horror to fairy tales. The movie Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is one example of this. It contains a combination of science fiction with mythical and romantic elements. Contributing to this combination are the main characters Luke, Leia, Han, and Obi-wan, the movie’s setting in a galaxy far, far away, and Luke’s great quest. Luke Skywalker is a mythical character. Luke is orphaned as a child and is taken in by his aunt and uncle. He is hidden away from his father and his father’s cohorts to protect him from the dark side. Luke is only one of many mythical heroes that are reared by someone other than his own parents. Oedipus, a Greek mythological hero, was hidden in another kingdom and raised by the king and queen there to protect him from his parents. Luke is portrayed as a savior that will bring balance to the Force and will help the Rebellion beat the evil Galactic Empire. He is completely pure and sinless because he is so naà ¯ve about the ways of the galaxy. Luke strives to save the souls of those around him.[1] For example, his friend Han Solo is a greedy man that looks out only for himself. Only by offering a reward does Luke convince Han to do the right thing and help him save Princess Leia. At the end of the movie, however, Luke causes Han to experience a change of heart. Han willingly puts his life on the line to protect Luke and destroy the Death Star, without looking for some reward. This is similar to the stories told in Scripture about Jesus. He attempted to teach the others around him to lead a good life in service to others. Myths generally involve some religious aspect. Myths always tell the story of some god or goddess that walks among the mortals to teach them a lesson, as Jesus and Luke do. Resembling other mythical heroes, Luke is gifted with divine powers. Luke is able to use these powers, called the Force, to influence the actions and thoughts of others and to manipulate his surroundings. This makes him better than the average man because he can use these powers to his advantage against any enemy. These powers make him impossible to beat unless one also has the same powers.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Serving in the Army

She alas about what drives young men and women, to fight in a country on the other side of the world instead of being out partying with their friends. For her own son she thinks the motivation is to be found in the family, and his wish that his younger siblings shall grow up in a more peaceful world. Plain means that, because America is build on the idea that all human beings have a God-given right to be free the American soldiers work for â€Å"a cause bigger than themselves†, when they sacrifice for the military. Therefore she thinks that everybody should support the soldiers, as they work hard to defend the idea of America itself.Tim Sailor, who is the father to former deployed Army Sergeant Ryan Sailor, used to agree with the point of views of Plain and thought that fighting for your country was a patriotic thing to do. But as he expresses in text 2, his opinion has changed drastically after his son has returned from Iraq. Ryan Sailor has suffered from all kind of disorder s after his deployment in Iraq, both physical and mental. He has been diagnosed with P T SD and traumatic brain injury. He has been treated for his EST. in an intensive 65-day group program with other veterans.But although he has now begun to recover, his parents, who encouraged him to join the army in the first place, regret that they ever allowed him to sign up. They do not think that the patriotic aspect in any way makes up for all the problems afterwards. Text 3 is about Nathaniel Pick, who is the author of a book about his time as a Marine Officer. Pick has a very different opinion about what deployment in the army can do for you, than the Sailor family. Pick sees it as a highly positive experience. He joined the army to get adventure and learn about manhood.He thinks being that being a soldier has helped him to understand what words like Serving in the Army – Engel's still duty, honor and love means. In the army he discovered a brotherhood, which means a lot to him, bec ause you it is a very special friendship which is build between men who goes through training and combats together. 2. To engage the reader Sarah Plain describes herself like any other American woman, when she talks about sending her son to war but she also presents herself as the vice-presidential running mate for John McCain, which is use of the appeal form ethos.By focusing on these two aspects she seems like a person with authority but also as a person who it is possibly to relate to. Plain rise to wake a patriotic feeling for America by talking about how America isn't just another country but an exceptional country. † She continues by describing how it is the whole idea of America the deployed are defending. She is very passionate about that everybody should be supporting the soldiers as they live in hellish conditions and she also wakes sympathy for the soldiers by talking about how they have to be away from their families and risk their lives for their country.When talk ing about how her own son, and many other young men and women, join the army to have a chance to do, what they can to make the oral a better place to grow up for their smaller family members instead of being off partying on spring break or working their way up a hedgehopped career ladder she leaves no doubt that that these young people should get all the support they can from the American people and since they are willing make these sacrifices they most feel there is â€Å"a cause bigger than themselves† which they are fighting for.Plain also uses a reference to the old president Ronald Reagan. As he is a much respected former president the use of one of his famous quotations: â€Å"You all knew that some things are worth dying for. , can also help to wake the patriots in the readers and make them more engaged in the cause. 3. There are just as many different reasons to join the army as there are soldiers.Some Of them get their motivation from the simple wish to get an adven ture that can be found nowhere else and learn about manhood as Nathaniel Pick in text 3. He wanted a break from college and joined the army 2 where he found a special brotherhood and protecting his brothers was as big a motivation for him in the combats as fighting for his country was. Others join the army to make money and some are drover by family traditions.Others again have more patriotic reasons to fight for their country, such as the hope of being able to help create a better world and being able to spread the freedom, which is so important to Americans, to other parts of the world, where there is people who have never experienced peace, democracy, freedom Of religion and all the other things We take as a matter Of course. I think that being able to help making a difference for people in a country ravaged by war must be the biggest motivation for many. It must be an amazing feeling to see that what you do actually helps creating peace in the world. Serving in the Army She alas about what drives young men and women, to fight in a country on the other side of the world instead of being out partying with their friends. For her own son she thinks the motivation is to be found in the family, and his wish that his younger siblings shall grow up in a more peaceful world. Plain means that, because America is build on the idea that all human beings have a God-given right to be free the American soldiers work for â€Å"a cause bigger than themselves†, when they sacrifice for the military. Therefore she thinks that everybody should support the soldiers, as they work hard to defend the idea of America itself.Tim Sailor, who is the father to former deployed Army Sergeant Ryan Sailor, used to agree with the point of views of Plain and thought that fighting for your country was a patriotic thing to do. But as he expresses in text 2, his opinion has changed drastically after his son has returned from Iraq. Ryan Sailor has suffered from all kind of disorder s after his deployment in Iraq, both physical and mental. He has been diagnosed with P T SD and traumatic brain injury. He has been treated for his EST. in an intensive 65-day group program with other veterans.But although he has now begun to recover, his parents, who encouraged him to join the army in the first place, regret that they ever allowed him to sign up. They do not think that the patriotic aspect in any way makes up for all the problems afterwards. Text 3 is about Nathaniel Pick, who is the author of a book about his time as a Marine Officer. Pick has a very different opinion about what deployment in the army can do for you, than the Sailor family. Pick sees it as a highly positive experience. He joined the army to get adventure and learn about manhood.He thinks being that being a soldier has helped him to understand what words like Serving in the Army – Engel's still duty, honor and love means. In the army he discovered a brotherhood, which means a lot to him, bec ause you it is a very special friendship which is build between men who goes through training and combats together. 2. To engage the reader Sarah Plain describes herself like any other American woman, when she talks about sending her son to war but she also presents herself as the vice-presidential running mate for John McCain, which is use of the appeal form ethos.By focusing on these two aspects she seems like a person with authority but also as a person who it is possibly to relate to. Plain rise to wake a patriotic feeling for America by talking about how America isn't just another country but an exceptional country. † She continues by describing how it is the whole idea of America the deployed are defending. She is very passionate about that everybody should be supporting the soldiers as they live in hellish conditions and she also wakes sympathy for the soldiers by talking about how they have to be away from their families and risk their lives for their country.When talk ing about how her own son, and many other young men and women, join the army to have a chance to do, what they can to make the oral a better place to grow up for their smaller family members instead of being off partying on spring break or working their way up a hedgehopped career ladder she leaves no doubt that that these young people should get all the support they can from the American people and since they are willing make these sacrifices they most feel there is â€Å"a cause bigger than themselves† which they are fighting for.Plain also uses a reference to the old president Ronald Reagan. As he is a much respected former president the use of one of his famous quotations: â€Å"You all knew that some things are worth dying for. , can also help to wake the patriots in the readers and make them more engaged in the cause. 3. There are just as many different reasons to join the army as there are soldiers.Some Of them get their motivation from the simple wish to get an adven ture that can be found nowhere else and learn about manhood as Nathaniel Pick in text 3. He wanted a break from college and joined the army 2 where he found a special brotherhood and protecting his brothers was as big a motivation for him in the combats as fighting for his country was. Others join the army to make money and some are drover by family traditions.Others again have more patriotic reasons to fight for their country, such as the hope of being able to help create a better world and being able to spread the freedom, which is so important to Americans, to other parts of the world, where there is people who have never experienced peace, democracy, freedom Of religion and all the other things We take as a matter Of course. I think that being able to help making a difference for people in a country ravaged by war must be the biggest motivation for many. It must be an amazing feeling to see that what you do actually helps creating peace in the world.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Earthquake in Japan Essay

On March 11, 2011, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded hit Japan’s eastern coast. It killed hundreds of people as it made its way through the streets and fields, sweeping away boats, cars and homes. Its magnitude was 8.9, releasing a 23-foot tsunami and then provoking more than 50 aftershocks for hours. This horrific event resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and devastated entire towns. The amount of damage caused by the earthquake and resulting tsunami was excessive, with most of the damage being caused by the tsunami. Thousands of families were left without electricity. Many nuclear and conventional power plants went offline after the earthquake. Cell phones and landline services suffered major disruptions so many people weren’t able to communicate with their relatives across the country. Japan’s transportation was also affected. Expressways were damaged; cars and trucks were swept away by the tsunami and railway services cancelled. The earthquake was caused by an uplift of the sea floor, where the Pacific tectonic plate slides beneath the plate Japan sits on. This motion pulls the upper plate down until the stress builds up enough to cause a seismic event. Tons of miles of crust ruptured along the area where the tectonic plates meet. Since the earthquake occurred at a very shallow depth, much of its energy was released at the seafloor, therefore causing the tsunami that devastated Japan and causing chaos among the Japanese community. Even though Japan was said to be â€Å"prepared† for a natural disaster such as a tsunami by building protective walls, the large size of the water surge was completely unexpected. The tsunami walls were built based on much smaller tsunami heights recorded in the past. To the surprise of the Japanese people, the tsunami simply washed over the top of the seawalls, collapsing some in the process. The tsunami also caused a number of nuclear accidents. Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions due cooling system failure. The tsunami waves overtopped seawalls and destroyed diesel backup power systems, leading to severe problems such as large explosions and radioactive leakage. It has been almost a year since the devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami destroyed coastal communities in northern Japan killing more than 15,000 people. What struck me the most about this tragedy is the reaction of the Japanese community and picturing what it would have been like to be present at that moment. I can simply imagine the terror in people’s faces trying to survive and doing everything they could to save their families and themselves. Even though thousands of people died, those who lived through this horrible experience can count with our total support and help from those who could not do anything at the moment and simply watched as Mother Nature, once again, did its job.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Japan Entering World War II

Japan Entering World War II World War II conflict that consisted of most the globe and was the most costly and intense war in human history.The conflict had started on September 1st, 1939 with the German invasion of Poland with the pacific war presumed to have started on 7th July 1937 with the Japanese attacking china and lasted until the summer of 1945. Due to the overwhelming number of nations involved and the extraordinary number of theatres a great number of people considered World War II to be the only true world war.Japan entered the war in December 1941 and swiftly achieved a series of victories. Their advance had been dramatic down the coast of the Pacific islands. Landing in the Philippines on the 10th December 1941 and reaching Lae salamaua in New Guinea on 8th March 1942. With Bataan surrening on 9th April 1942 and then Corregidor a month later. The US Navy, supported by ships of the RAN, halted a Japanese convoy headed of Port Moresby during the battle of the Coral Sea on May 5th - 8th.Ela BeachDece mber 7th 1941, a surprise air raid was carried out on Pearl Harbor, by Japanese warplanes commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. This attack resulted in huge loses to the US naval base.The following day, the US declared war on Japan. Around the same time the US air base was also attacked.In March of 1942, after the Japanese defeated the Netherlands East Indies, their southward advance began to lose strength, easing the Australians fears of an invasion. The US took responsibility for the country's defence and provided reinforcements and equipment which brought further relief to the Aussie's. The threat of the invasion lessened as Allies won a series of decisive battles.Allied navies in the battle of the Coral Sea stopped...

Monday, October 21, 2019

These 7 Good Life Quotes Teach You How to Enjoy Life

These 7 Good Life Quotes Teach You How to Enjoy Life We like what  Albert Einstein  had to say about life: There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. If you think about it, you are blessed to be born on this beautiful blue planet as a human being. According to the author of Tao of Dating Ali Benazir, the probability of your existence is 1 in 102,685,000 Isnt that an incredible miracle? You are in this world for a purpose. You have the ability to make this life good. Here are 7 unbeatable ways to make life good. 1: Forgive and Move On This may not be as hard as it sounds. If you think about it, forgiveness is all about finding happiness for yourself. Instead of focusing on the whys and the how-could-shes give others the benefit of doubt. Let go of dark thoughts, and give yourself a chance to heal. Move on to a better life, without carrying the baggage of anger, hatred or jealousy. 2:Learn to Love Unconditionally We all give love to receive love. How about just giving love, without expecting any in return? Love, when it takes a selfish turn becomes possessive, greedy, and obstinate. When you love unconditionally, you go with the belief that you did not expect to be loved in return. For instance, your pet loves you  unconditionally. A mother loves her child unconditionally. If you can master the art of loving unconditionally, you can never get hurt. 3:Give up Bad Habits Easier said than done. But think of how good your life can be if you could drop your bad habits. Some bad habits such as smoking, excessive drinking, or doing drugs are harmful to your health. Other bad habits such as lying, cheating, or speaking ill of others can make you a social menace. Have your friends and loved ones help you to give up your bad habits. 4:Be Proud of Who You Are You are what you think you are. So wouldnt it be wonderful if you could also be proud of who you are? Dont underestimate or devalue yourself. Sometimes, people may treat you unfairly or fail to notice your contribution to work. It is their loss that they have failed to understand you. Be proud of what you do and who you are. Life is good, no matter where you come from.   5:Be Less Judgmental Dont point fingers at others. Being judgmental is also another way of being prejudiced. All kinds of discrimination including racism, sexism, and gender bias stem from being judgmental. Give up your prejudices about others, and be more accepting of others. As it is said in the Bible: Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 6:Fight Your Fears Fears are your weaknesses. Overcoming fears take a lot of tenacity. But once you conquer your fears, you can conquer the world. Let go of your comfort zone and explore beyond your realm of joy. Push yourself to accomplish new highs by letting go of your fears. Talk to yourself and control your mind. Life is beautiful at the other end of the dark tunnel. 7:Keep Learning and Growing To stop growing is as good as dead. Dont stop learning. Share your knowledge, wisdom, and insights with others. Learn from everybodys views. Accept knowledge without prejudice or arrogance. Keep improving your skills, and build a wealth of knowledge within you. Here are 7 beautiful quotes that remind you that life is good. Read these quotes about good life and adopt them as your daily mantra. Share these quotes with others and give inspiration to your family. Harold WilkinsThe world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. Ralph Waldo EmersonThere are no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the imagination. Carl RogersThe good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.   John AdamsThere are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live. William BarclayThere are two great days in a persons life - the day we are born and the day we discover why. French ProverbThere is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience. Annie Dillard, The Writing LifeThere is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Study Of How TPRS Can Be Used To Learn Another Language

A Study Of How TPRS Can Be Used To Learn Another Language Using TPRS in Acquisition of Foreign Language TPR Storytelling (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) is a method of teaching foreign languages through reading and telling of stories in a classroom setting. The method was invented by a Spanish teacher by the name Blaine Ray, in Bakersfield, California, in 1990. The method of teaching foreign languages is for students who show disinterest in the exciting process of learning a language from a textbook. TPRS is a method that is more or less the same as the procedure involved when learning the first language. Students learn their second language the in the same manner babies learn their first language. By listening to the second language from a story teller, students acquire vocabularies that are helpful in leaning the second language. (Mason, 2005) TPRS is the most effective way of acquiring a second language since its invention in the 1960s. According to the method, changing from commands to the third person singular allows teachers to tell stories and that makes the procedure a long-term memory technique. One of the effective physical elements that have been so powerful in the classical TPRS is asking students to participate in acting out the parts of the characters in the stories. TPRS combines several physical response methods and language acquisition strategies, thus allowing effective teaching of grammar, reading and writing along with vocabulary. (Enciso, 2011) TPR storytelling is not complete without emphasis on reading. The whole procedure begins with an introduction of vocabulary and the complex structures that is then followed by reading. The acquisition method of foreign languages heavily relies on some hypotheses that are recommended in the reading program. The input hypothesis, acquisition hypothesis, the natural order hypothesis and the monitor hypothesis form the basis of TPR storytelling. In the method, a free voluntary reading program is recommended. Learners are encouraged not to entirely depend on the storytellers. Students ought to access books and a quiet, comfortable place to read. Additionally, the second language acquisition method involves reading to students, just as small children are read to while learning their first language for the first time. The most significant element of the TPRS program is the awareness that the focus is on students and not on books or even the story. Maintaining a good relationship with students is regarded as the foundation of a TPRS program. The pace of giving instructions to students should be entirely based upon the assessment by the teacher of how strongly students have internalized the foreign language. Other important elements in the TPRS program are the quality and quantity of the unconditional love, positive feedback, and the appreciation provided by students to their teacher. (Mhathà ºn 2008) Abstract This literature review evaluates the effectiveness of Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS) compared to other approaches for acquiring and retaining new vocabulary in a foreign language. The subjects in the review are adult learners with limited literacy and the teachers who use storytelling in teaching foreign languages in the classroom setting. Different scholarly articles are evaluated and reviewed to show the effect of TPRS and grammar translation approaches on the student vocabulary. The articles in this literature review are also a research on the assessment of students’ ability to acquire and retain foreign languages as compare to small children learning their first language. In the review, additional research is needed on how to work effectively with adult students who need to learn foreign languages under challenging circumstances. The students have complicated lives and are struggling to survive in addition to studying on how to improve their language ability. Background information In applying the powerful concept of TPRS in classroom, here is what we know: Studies with Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Russian demonstrate that TPR is brain compatible. It means that the method may imply short and long-term retention that is striking and statistically significant across studies. Retention with TPR is comparable to riding a bicycle. Upon elapsing of years since the years have elapsed, proficiency returns after a few warm up trials. There is no age barrier in using the TPRS method of acquiring and retaining a foreign language. The method seems to work effectively for both children and adults. The only issue is that when the language training starts after puberty, the probability is almost certain that one will have at least some accent in speaking the second language, no matter how long one lives in a foreign country. It is factual that TPR works for most languages including the sign language of the deaf and the language of mathematics. In the U.S.A math education is even more challenging than foreign languages. It is evident that math education is challenging since more time is spent on remedial mathematics than all other forms of math education combined. Traditional programs and foreign languages both share a common flaw; they play to half the brain and usually, it is the wrong half. Studies show that even the adults play the game of learning another language on a level playing field. There is a widely-held belief that children have a linguistic advantage over the adults but studies contradict the opinion. Studies with the Spanish, Russian, and Japanese have it that adults consistently outperform children in acquiring skills of speaking and writing a new language. The only exception is noted when it comes to pronunciation. In a TPR class, it is the students who do the performance while the teacher is the director of the play. It is the same way that children acquire another language so quickly while living in a foreign nation. They are silent but respond to the directions from caretakers and other children hence they learn quickly. Studies at the University of Texas and other institutions indicate that the dropout rate of second language students in a traditional program can be as high as 95 percent. The studies also have it that the stunning attrition can be reversed when TPRS is a central feature of the language program. TPRS builds confidence in students hence enabling the students to experience quick understanding of a foreign language. Most importantly, TPRS is aptitude free. When TPR is applied by a skilled and talented teacher, academic aptitude becomes a negligible factor. Most people get surprised when disadvantaged children who experience difficulty in class at the traditional school enjoy success in a TPR class. The students can then feel the exhilaration of being competitive with the all â€Å"A† students. TPRS is therefore an important method of helping students acquire a foreign language since it facilitates instant understanding of the target language, regardless of the academic aptitude. It also enhances stress-free, high speed long-term retention amongst the students. Thesis Many students experience difficulty in remembering vocabulary and grammatical rules well for future retrieval. Despite teachers’ efforts to make the students remember the vocabulary and grammar, the students have not often been very successful at that. Due to the challenge of students failing to remember vocabulary and grammar, some strategies have been used over time to help solve the problem. For instance, in English classes, teachers sometimes used world maps to increase the students’ vocabulary. These efforts have not been successful in working towards better understanding of vocabulary amongst the students. Over time, learning institutions have gravitated towards the role of stories in teaching and learning foreign languages. There are many benefits that stories come with when imparting instruction and learning. For example, stories facilitate the acquisition and retention of vocabulary. (Mason, 2005) The use of stories is important in enabling teachers to explain relevant vocabulary over a short period of time. This essay reviews the importance of communication skills among immigrants who are normally employed in low-skilled jobs that do not require high levels of communication. The most effective method of acquiring a foreign language is also discussed. The use of TPRS as a method of gaining and retaining vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language is elaborated in this paper. It is very crucial to teach a foreign language to adults who entirely depend on the language for their economic gains. Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS) works well with students who apparently do not have a strong academic background. This paper shows how possible it is for students who lack good academic background to compete competently in a TPR class with students who have experienced a proper academic background. (Enciso, 2011) The study in this paper shows the effectiveness of TPRS in acquiring and retaining new vocabulary. Annotated Bibliography Using TPRS in Acquisition of Foreign Language Mason, B. (2005). Vocabulary acquisition through storytelling. TexTESOL III Newsletter, 3-5. In this article, Mason states that vocabulary acquisition is possible from listening to stories but at the same time, listening to stories in an insufficient and an inefficient source of vocabulary. Mason informs us further that listening to stories require direct instruction as well. In the article, a study carried out by Beniko Mason attempts to confirm that listening to stories leads to the acquisition of vocabulary and also determines the efficiency of the vocabulary acquisition. In the study, two experiments are carried out; the first experiment being story-telling versus list-learning. In the first experiment that had sixty participants, all the students took part in both treatments. The storytelling treatment involved a pretest on thirty words. The participant then listened to a story of thirty words. While the teacher told the story, the students pointed at the word they thought were used in the story. In the first treatment the participants retook the vocabulary test but presented in a different order. The second treatment involved the students being urged to work together Experiment two was storytelling plus skill-building versus story-telling alone. In the experiment, the subjects were first year female Japanese female students at a junior college in Osaka. The students were not much exposed aural input in English. For the first group, the 20 target words were written on the board, the participants took a translation test, and the students listened to the story and then took a post-test on the same list of words. The other group involved the use of oral questions that used the target words. The participants also took a translation test and read the written version of the story. The story only group took the translation test twice, but the story-plus group did the whole procedure three times. Weeks later, the groups were given an unexpected follow-up test. Mason notes down his results for the study and presents the mean scores for the two groups as similar. He uses a descriptive statistics on vocabulary test where the final gain for the two groups as a result of the vocabulary test is noted. Another table showing the efficiency of both the two groups is also drawn by Mason. There was no difference in the story method and the list-learning method used in the first study. In the second story, there was also no difference in the in the efficiency in vocabulary learning between the two activities carried out. Mason indicates that the findings are consistent with the results of previous studies, an indication that listening to stories results in vocabulary development. Mason also compares the results with the comprehension hypothesis which states that language development is the result of the comprehension of messages. The goal of the study was on vocabulary development. Mason notes that the whole idea of storytelling as an effective way acquiring a foreign language is encouragement. The author of this article thus proves that stories are far more pleasant and effective than the traditional instruction. He further explains that students can gain other aspects of language from stories, as well as knowledge. In addition, Mason argues that storytelling and list ening to foreign language results leads to the acquisition of vocabularies, and endeavors to demonstrate to determine the importance of the acquisition to the learners. Almost the same research has been done before and Mason’s work is just a confirmation of the previous findings. In a nutshell there is consistency in his research. In particular the finding look to be consistent with Comprehension Hypothesis that argues that of student learning a new language comes from comprehension messages. The article is a good reader for beginners in learning second language. Mà ¡ire Mhic Mhathà ºn.(2008). Supporting Childrens Participation in Second-Language Stories in an Irish-Language Preschool. Early Years: An International Research Journal, 28(3), 299-309 This paper is a consideration of how children learning a second language were supported as active participants during the storytelling sessions in an Irish-language immersion preschool in Dublin. Mhathà ºn note that early educators view children as active participants in their own learning. The author of this article also considers how children learning a second language were supported as active participants during storytelling sessions in Dublin. We are informed that stories were chosen as the focus of enquiry since they are regarded as productive language enriching activities. In the article, a case study method of enquiry was adopted for the research project, focusing on three and four year old children in Dublin. This paper therefore proves that active participation enhances the learning of a second language among the children. The writer of the article kept the detailed observation notes of the story sessions and that allowed recording of a further thirty minutes time of interaction between the practitioners and children. In the study, there were also incidental talk and less formal interaction during the lunch-break. The cognitive and the social aspects of the language learning process are recognized in the paper since the resulting transcripts were analyzed from an interaction perspective. The analyses of such aspects of learning a foreign language are of use when determining the significance of input, the language addressed to the learner, and the modifications made by competent speakers. In the article, the practitioners provided support for the children who were learning the second language through the method of storytelling, development of language, development of a narrative and the method of organization of storytelling sessions. The methods used to support children learning their second language provide opportunities for children’s second language learning as well as facilitating children’s participation and initiatives. The methods of collecting data and their significance are outlined in the article as the views of the staff and the parents regarding the various support methods were required. The writer of the article has shown his statistical knowledge by outlining the methods which includes; use of interviews and administering of questionnaires. The formal staff interviews were significant in obtaining first hand information regarding the performance of children at the learning places. Parents too were advantaged to speak out their ideas on the performance of their children. Direct formal interviews used by the writer also provided the parents with the opportunity to give out their views on how the acquisition of the second language could be enhanced for better results. The parent questionnaire administered to parents was a way of making sure that they monitor the progress of their children when they are at home. The writer has utilized this method of obtaining data to have an idea on the level of ownership of Irish books by parents at home. Research in the study shows that the number of information books was not pleasing implying how books are not effective in acquiring a foreign language. The two methods of collecting data are utilized by the writer of the article to prove how acquiring a foreign language through storytelling is effective. The two methods of collecting data represented the efficiency of the learning methods used in the study. The information in the study illustrates the dilemmas that the immersion practitioners face in the early childhood settings. We get informed of how the children’s interests and initiatives can be facilitated when they are at the beginning stages of second language acquisition, and when an adult is the main source of input. The study carried out also enables us to get deeper understanding of the process of second language acquisition as well as the early childhood pedagogy. This article also shows how the learning of a second language by the children was appreciated. There were observations and Audio†recordings made during the story sessions for a period of six months. The staffs were also questioned and parents filled the questionnaires. The study conducted indicated that the practitioners gave the children support. Difficult decisions had to be made concerning the breadth and type of learning experiences offered when concentrating on the primarily second†language learning.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Organization's financial statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organization's financial statements - Essay Example In this way, the success of financial analysis process is depended on the use of accurate information, as incorporated in financial statements of each organization. Due to its role in the development of effective organizational decisions, the financial analysis has been extensively explored in the literature. Emphasis has been given to the different missions that financial analysis can achieve, as a decision making tool. It seems that the need for eliminating risks in regard to investment decisions has been the key reason for the expansion of financial analysis process (Lee et al. 2009, p.2). Indeed, it has been proved that financial analysis is an excellent tool for checking whether the existent capital of a firm is adequate for responding to the needs of a particular investment, either in the short or the long term (Lee et al. 2009, p.2). From a similar point of view Norman has argued that financial analysis is quite important for minimizing risks related to the potential participa tion of a firm in a stock exchange market (Norman 2011). Maitah et al. (2012) refer to the use of financial statement analysis in banks as a tool for identifying effective ‘investment and lending decisions’ (Maitah 2012, p.107). ... ? Financial statements most important in financial analysis (Zager & Zager 2006, p.36) Through the financial statement of each organization figures showing the performance of the organization to specific sectors can be retrieved. For example, reference could be made to Liabilities and Shareholders’ equity, as elements of a firm’s balance sheet, one of the most important financial statements of modern firms (Belkaoui 1998, p.2). The financial analysis process can help managers to check the relationship between their firms’ different financial statements; in this way, the actual financial performance of the firm can be identified. The tool used for achieving this target is the financial ration analysis. The above analysis is developed using financial ratios, i.e. figures showing ‘the expression of the relation between two financial statement accounts’ (Drake & Fabozzi 2012, p.102). The analysis of these ratios helps to understand the performance of a f irm in regard to the sectors reflected in these ratios. The most common financial ratios are presented in Figure 2 below. Figure 2 – Most common financial ratios (Zager & Zager 2006, p.38) At this point, the following fact should be highlighted: Financial ratios reflect different aspects of organizational performance. Other ratios refer to the security of the business, as of its financial strength, while others show the financial efficiency of the organization (Zuger & Zuger 2006). This fact is made clear through the graph in Figure 3. Figure 3 – Financial rations as part of the financial analysis process (Zager & Zager 2006, p.39) According to the issues discussed above, financial analysis is necessary for securing the success of organizational decisions. The close relationship between financial analysis and

Olympic Marketing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Olympic Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example It offers new products and services on the customers using new techniques and communication media. Marketing business is big and always growing. The political policies that support businesses sponsor in Beijing Olympic games in china are supposed not interfere with the games. Politics, business are supposed to compliment each other but not to impede each other. However, the 2008 September Olympic Games is bound to elicit a lot of pressure and controversies on the political arena regarding the Chinese human rights records and political system. (Plummer, 2008) According to human rights watch, it has argued Olympic sponsors to tackle human rights abuses which are currently taking place in Beijing Games, through targeting what can be achieved. The steps that Human Rights are proposing are in deed in line with the sponsors 's support and also with the Olympic Charter as well as with corporate social responsibility of companies which to sponsor the Olympics. In addition to that, Microsoft and NBC companies which are also included in sponsoring the Olympic Games are also supposed to follow the policies of sponsoring the games which as it has been stated is to avoid political interference but campaigning for achievable human rights. Major global sporting events such as Olympic Games present companies with opportune moment for companies to exploit and market their products. And the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is not different. This Olympic Games has offered a number of companies' opportunities to market their products. Among these companies is the Levono Company which is a top hi-technology company in China. The company is involved in manufacturing different technological products and it has a sponsorship deal with the IOC to equip Olympic venues with its equipments. (Quelch, 2008) Getting a marketing deal or sponsorship at the Olympic Games is normally a dream come true for any marketer. However, given the extensive protest seen global against the Chinese government, companies are bound to be faced with different and new challenges brought about in Beijing, top on these challenges include: 1. Political demands put at the Chinese administration will create challenge for companies sponsoring the Olympic Games which do not wish to be linked with the political controversy. 2. Considering that Chinese market is the biggest globally, it becomes apparent that no company will probably boycott the games. 3. A number of companies will take a dual marketing method where they will invoke China specific marketing campaigns within the country and invoke less China specific message outside the country. 4. The usually high advertising boost associated with Olympics advertisements may be low as companies reduced their marketing in Olympic-associated brands. The IOC has continued to argue companies and other stakeholders that the Olympic Games and aspirations as well as attainments of all athletes should not involve politics. Though it seems that the Chinese administration intends to use the games to improve its political image, the IOC do not want a repeat of what happened in Moscow when a number of companies and athletes boycotting Olympics. (Quelch, 2008) More so, all companies which are involved in the Olympic Games

Western History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western History - Essay Example In this switch, there was a great deal of social upheaval as people living in these changing times began to question the status quo. Social class structures were beginning to break down as common men were able to make fortunes in industry and landowners found it more and more difficult to keep the idyllic life they’d constructed alive. Women gained greater freedoms as more job opportunities came their way. Although these weren’t the equal rights position of today, women were at least given an option when it was necessary for her to earn a living wage. The great migration from the country to the city was an expression of a people ready for a chance to better their futures, an expression of hope for a greater tomorrow for their children. This period is also characterized by widespread colonization in numerous directions. Englishmen were still relocating to America seeking their fortunes, but also had the option of retaining their English citizenship by going into Africa, India or even Australia. For many, it proved to be just so, for many others, it proved to be their destruction, for men and women. The biggest benefits the Industrial Revolution introduced to society were also the biggest setbacks. Stories existing out of the middle ages are full of epic battles, travels through sparsely populated country, images of vast forests and romantic tales of knights and ladies. This is contrasted sharply against the images of Victorian Industrialization with its smokestacks, grimy streets and poisonous air. Machines began taking on more importance than people as the massive in-pouring of country citizens all seeking their fortunes provided ample replacements for those who could not keep up. Societal norms were breaking down as accountability began declining. This was because younger sons and daughters, as well as those with more disreputable reputations, found a means of escaping their sometimes

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Muslim Religion- Analyzing Their Beliefs- as they relate to Health Essay

Muslim Religion- Analyzing Their Beliefs- as they relate to Health Care - Essay Example However, large communities are also located throughout Europe – the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, China and Russia (BBC News, 2005). About 50 countries are said to consist of Muslim-majority population. Of them 62% live in Asia – namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia. (BBC News, 2005). Only 20% of Muslims live in the Arab countries and the Middle East. From the non-Arab countries the largest Muslim-majority countries are Turkey and Egypt (BBC News, 2005). Green (2009) reports that approximately 87% - 90% of the Muslims are Sunni and the vast majority of the rest 10% - 13% are Shi’a. 2.) Describe the religious beliefs of the group as they relate to health related issues such as birth, death, illness, health, treatment, etc.. Also describe any religious rituals associated with health or illness practiced by the group. For Muslims the most important aspect of their religious observation includes cleanliness. On the seventh day after the baby was born the head has been shaved. This ritual indicates that the child now is a servant of Allah (Islam, 2010). Other important fact concerning the healthcare of the Muslims is related to their daily diet. They are forbidden to consume pork or alcohol. In Muslim dietary there is a certain proportion that has to be observed one-third should be food, one-third water and one-third air. However, not many Muslims stick to this balance (Bilal, n.d.). Crane (2010) comments extensively the healthcare traditions in Muslims, though, she points out that there are many who do not leave in a Muslim majority country. According to Crane (2010) Muslims believe that there is a cure for every illness and besides general medicine they apply other alternative medications. Also blood transfusion and organ transplantation are acceptable, although this contradicts with the statement that there is a tradition of respect for the body

Assignment. Product deelopment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

. Product deelopment - Assignment Example The companies are retailers in freshly brewed coffee and are using status/prestige pricing, market penetration pricing, and market pricing strategy. They include Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts respectively1. Status/prestige involves setting prices higher than the competition in order to create a perception of an added advantage of the product that creates a reputational quality and distinction. Market penetration pricing involves offering a product/service at a lower price to attract customers from those offering the same product at a higher price. On the other hand, market strategies considers various things before setting the price, but mainly evaluating prices of similar products in the market. It can set prices higher than the competition if it deems it has more features or less if the features are less. Starbucks has been a master of employing value-based pricing to maximize profits. It does this by using research and customer analysis to formulate targeted price increases that capture the greatest amount consumers can will to pay without driving them off. The company does profit maximization by determining the price and product output level that generates most profit2. As has been implied through market penetration strategy, McDonald’s is after the mass market by offering lowest, on average, prices compared to the other two. This strategy is intended to create traffic large enough to cover all cost incurred, including selling cheaply per latte. Lastly, Dunkin’ Donuts prices its products in comparison to the two (market strategy) by offering similar-featured coffee to that of Starbucks and better than McDonald’s3. By using this strategy, its hopes to undercut and win Starbucks’ customers for the same features and offer better features to McDonald’ s customers, hence enough margin. The three coffee shops have different minimum order quantity (MOQ) that will enable each to make reach their marginal

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

History of Drug-Prohibition Laws in the USA Essay

History of Drug-Prohibition Laws in the USA - Essay Example Initially, this measure was a colossal victory. However, it eventually turned out to be a complete failure as its negative effects started to show up over the years. Finally, 21st Amendment was made to remove the prohibition. History of Drug-Prohibition Laws in the USA Drugs and alcohol have been prohibited at different points in time in the history of the USA. Availability of alcohol was first limited in the USA in Massachusetts during the 1830’s. During those years, Indians were forbidden the purchase of alcohol in the USA. 13 states of the USA enforced laws prohibiting alcohol from 1851 to 1855. Tea Importation Act of 1897 was the first law of consumer protection. There occurred a revolutionary change in the history of drug prohibition laws with the start of the 20th century. Till then, there were no Federal laws to control the distribution of drugs in the USA. People had easy access to drugs and alcohol. Food and Drug Act of 1906, Hague Conventions of 1912, and the Harriso n Tax Act of 1914 were important measures taken in the start of the 20th century to regulate the supply of drugs in the USA. The Volstead Act or 18th Amendment was ratified in the 1920’s. It was particularly implemented on 16 January 1921. implemented on 16 January 1921.   Concluding, the 18th Amendment enacted in 1921 that prohibited the supply of alcoholic beverages in the USA survived only till 1933. In these 13 years, the public opinion evolved from supporting the prohibition to criticizing the legislation of morals. An in-depth analysis of the consequences of prohibition suggests that the 18th Amendment was a complete failure.

Assignment. Product deelopment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

. Product deelopment - Assignment Example The companies are retailers in freshly brewed coffee and are using status/prestige pricing, market penetration pricing, and market pricing strategy. They include Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts respectively1. Status/prestige involves setting prices higher than the competition in order to create a perception of an added advantage of the product that creates a reputational quality and distinction. Market penetration pricing involves offering a product/service at a lower price to attract customers from those offering the same product at a higher price. On the other hand, market strategies considers various things before setting the price, but mainly evaluating prices of similar products in the market. It can set prices higher than the competition if it deems it has more features or less if the features are less. Starbucks has been a master of employing value-based pricing to maximize profits. It does this by using research and customer analysis to formulate targeted price increases that capture the greatest amount consumers can will to pay without driving them off. The company does profit maximization by determining the price and product output level that generates most profit2. As has been implied through market penetration strategy, McDonald’s is after the mass market by offering lowest, on average, prices compared to the other two. This strategy is intended to create traffic large enough to cover all cost incurred, including selling cheaply per latte. Lastly, Dunkin’ Donuts prices its products in comparison to the two (market strategy) by offering similar-featured coffee to that of Starbucks and better than McDonald’s3. By using this strategy, its hopes to undercut and win Starbucks’ customers for the same features and offer better features to McDonald’ s customers, hence enough margin. The three coffee shops have different minimum order quantity (MOQ) that will enable each to make reach their marginal

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Instructional design Essay Example for Free

Instructional design Essay 1 â€Å"Well begun is half done†. So goes a saying. Action plans are like roadmaps for a meaningful journey toward a specific destination. Hence they are essential in any developmental work, including education and training. ADDIE is one of the most widely used action plan models used by instructional designers. It is an acronym for five terms â€Å"Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation† that constitute the five phases of the process. Analysis, the first phase, is a process of studying something by taking into account the characteristics of individual parts and their inter-relationship. The instructional designer curriculum content developers and teachers evaluate the cognitive â€Å"entry† behavior (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that his students possess before they are introduced to the prospective module, for instance a set of virtual laboratory experiments for use in a Grade 12 physics classroom. The team seeks answers to questions like â€Å"Are all students familiar with the theoretical concepts? †, â€Å"How much do they differ individually? † etc. It also considers the cognitive behavior that is expected from the learners at the end of the module (â€Å"What knowledge, skills and attitudes are they expected to have acquired after being taught in the virtual laboratory module? †) and the logistic aspects (â€Å"How best should the module be delivered? † â€Å"What is the time factor involved? †). The team considers all the pedagogic and logistic aspects of the issue in order to get a complete picture of any discrepancies between the â€Å"current† and â€Å"desired† levels of resources and processes used in the system. In effect, this is the phase in which measurable instructional aims and objectives are stated. In the design phase, the instructional designer and the design team develop a sequence of strategies that are most appropriate to realize the stated aims and objectives. Here the ID team creates comprehensive storyboards (Number and sequence of animations and interactivities, GUI, Voice over etc), uses wide range of strategies such as brainstorming, concept mapping, group discussions to collect information and implement Critical Path Networking etc.to monitor time and resources management. This phase answers â€Å"Why? †, â€Å"What? † and â€Å"How†? of the whole process. In the development phase, the ID works with the development team (consisting of content developers, animators and action script writers) to develop the virtual laboratory experiments as a pilot product, ready to be tested. This phase is usually more complex than the previous ones, as there is a higher probability of bottlenecks, such as lack of proper communication, unrealistic expectations, lack of convergence and inappropriate multimedia system configurations. This phase is mainly concerned with authoring and production and hence the most crucial. In the implementation phase, in practice the last phase of the model, the instructional designer and the team decide on the logistical aspects of implementation and the strategies for training the teachers, multimedia coordinators and learners. The team ensures that the process is smooth. The phase also includes delivery of the prototype. The most important phase in the model is â€Å"Evaluation† and it is carried out from beginning to end of the ADDIE process. Both types of evaluation, viz. formative and summative, are used in the process. The former is used to trouble shoot problems and apply alternative strategies when needed. The latter is used to assess the learner outcomes by providing evaluation tools such as criterion-based tests to the end users (learners). The feedback from them helps in bringing about modifications in the product, until all the stated aims and objectives are met. Thus ADDIE model serves as a wonderful canvas on which the concerned professionals can work on so that the instructional aims and objectives are realized in a smooth, efficient and effective manner. Thus, â€Å"Well begun, promptly followed by ADDIE, is almost perfectly done†. References Carliner Saul (2002) , DESIGNING E-Learning, American Society for Training and Development. http://alpha. nsula. edu/~gillan/08id. htm http://www. itrc. wvu. edu/coursedev/preproduction/addie. html.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Impact of Prejudice and Discrimination in Canadian Society

Impact of Prejudice and Discrimination in Canadian Society Arjun Pasricha Introduction Words like prejudice and discrimination have become common terms and they are referred often in our daily life, such as media, books, news, casual conversations, and political discussions. Prejudice and discrimination have been in focus since 1960s and these issues have been researched extensively since the last few decades. This surge of interest to understand the impact of prejudice and discrimination in Canadian society has defined the purpose for this report and the report attempts to explore and examine a complete picture of prejudice and discrimination in the contemporary Canadian society. The report is built on sociological, anthropological and psychological perspectives and aims to examine prejudice and discrimination issues that emerge in Canadian social situations because of social interactions (Eriksen, 2010). The conceptualization of prejudice and discrimination, two forms of social bias have evolved over a period of time and are acknowledged as one of the greatest societal challenges because of their dreadful negative effects on the Canadian society. Presently, there is a universal consensus among all that prejudice and discrimination are one of the serious social issues in Canada and they typically appear together, prejudice is considered as the thought, while discrimination is the action (Dovidio, 2010). According to Driedger and Palmer (2011) prejudice and discrimination is always seen to intersect each other and manifests in many forms. For example, people may have prejudices against some groups and end up engaging in a discriminating manner with them. For instance, social pressures may subject prejudices against women and marginalized population and discriminate them in employment, education, or social services (Chin, 2009). Prejudice is defined as a construction of negative preconc eived beliefs, notions, feelings, attitudes, and opinions about a group of people or individuals, that may be felt or expressed, usually because of ethnicity, religion or race (Chin, 2009). On the other hand discrimination is defined as discouraging or negative treatment towards others because of their sex, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and age (Dawson, 2013). The discrimination construct not only involves biased treatment , but also unacceptable and inequitable behaviour towards some individuals or some group members, that are excluded from society because of prejudice (Dovidio, 2010). Ageism and Society Ageism is considered as one of the most prevalent prejudices in the society and can be defined as the denial of basic human rights to elderly population (Gutman Spencer, 2010). Sociologists are of the view that people have stereotype prejudice view of older population in the society because of their age, which leads to discrimination. Often aging population experience prejudice in their workplace and typically society holds negative stereotypes for aging population. They commonly presume that old adults are senile, sad, lonely, incompetent, have poor physical or mental health, have conservative thinking, and rigid ideas or opinions. Employment discrimination against old age manifests in different ways, old adults who worked for the company in their younger years are pushed out as they grow older, on the other hand, companies may refrain from hiring old adults, and aging population are unable to get similar employment opportunities as younger population (Gunderson, 2003). Moreover, younger population have negative stereotype thinking that aging population have massive medical expenses and they are a drain on the Canadian system. (Edwards, 2002). Therefore, these negative stereotypes and discriminations can have detrimental effects on aging population. They feel they are being unreasonably blamed for being a burden on health care systems, the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security. Therefore, these negative impressions of society foster discrimination against aging population (Mei, et all, 2013). It is time for all of us as individuals to increase our awareness and question our negative stereotype thinking, relook at our assumption about aging and older population. We need to take extra care to reach out to them with an open mind and treat them as valued and important contributors of our Canadian society. Employers too need to value them and make efforts to understand diverse needs of aging population. Moreover, Canadian government has a continued focus on expanding their age inclusive policies that facilitate aging population to have a choice to lead their life to the fullest. Thus, there is a great need for our society as a whole to address the societal issue of ageism. Although, change may not happen overnight, but we all can take the responsibility to collectively build an age-inclusive society. Social Anthropology Perspective on History of Immigrants Immigration to Canada led to an increase in population of diverse cultures. Immigrants were from varied economic and ethnic backgrounds. However, this led to rise in disagreements regarding aspects such as economic benefits or employment for immigrants. This report focuses on social anthropological point of view to describe impact of prejudice and discrimination on immigrants on basis of their ethnicity and culture. Historically, early Canadian immigration policies were largely discriminative Prejudice and discrimination emerged in 17th and 18th centuries in Canada between Aboriginals, and French and European colonizers. Europeans and French viewed those Aboriginals as uncivilized and uncouth. In the 19th century Canada opened its immigration policy and a number of immigrants from other origins were seen. However, Canadians shared prejudices concerning the capabilities of the immigrant groups. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whites considered themselves superior in front of nonwhite groups and nonwhites faced a great deal of social prejudice (Driedger Palmer, 2011). In the late 1800 and early 1900, Asian immigrants faced anti-Asian sentiments in British Columbia. They were considered inferior and were discriminated because of their willingness to work for lower wages than whites. Moreover, discriminatory social practices in British Columbia made Asians refrain from voting, practicing law, or careers with civil service. Numerous attempts were made by anti-Asians to prohibit Asians from studying in public schools (Driedger Palmer, 2011). Black Canadians also were subjected to extensive patterns of discrimination in the late 1900 and early 2000s in Nova Scotia and Ontario. They were forced to study in segregated schools, faced discrimination in housing, employment and use of public services. Moreover, on various occasions they were refused to be served in hotels or restaurants. Additionally, whites expressed prejudice toward Black Canadians and saw them as backward, ill-mannered, unaware, dishonest, violent, and law breakers (Driedger Palmer, 2011). After the Second World War, in response for human concern, Canada signed the United Nations charter on Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the year 1948 and The Canadian Bill of Rights was adopted in the 1960. This brought in new tolerance policies and helped to weaken the rigid relationships of prejudice and discrimination. The shift resulted in introduction of more unbiased immigration laws and by the 1970s globalization helped in greater inflow of multicultural immigrants (Driedger Palmer, 2011). Thus immigration policies and regulations have changed, mostly to eradicate overt discrimination on the basis of immigrants’ race or culture. Today Canadians are proud of being a tolerant society, where people of all different racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds live together harmoniously (Dion, 2002). An Ethnic Diversity Survey conducted in 2003 examined the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of Canadians and concluded that 93 per cent of population had never, or rarely, encountered discrimination or prejudice because of their ethnicity or cultural attributes. Nevertheless, some new immigrants did sometimes feel discriminated in personal, economic, social, or political situations (Driedger Palmer, 2011). References Chin, J. L. (2009). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination: A revised and condensed edition. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Dawson, C. (2013). Prejudice: Reed Business Information Ltd. Dovidio, J. F. (2010). The Sage handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. London: SAGE. Driedger, L. , Palmer, H. (2011). Prejudice and Discrimination. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 12, 2014, from http://www. thecanadianencyclopedia. ca/en/article/prejudice-and-discrimination/ Edwards, A. (2002). Its about time: A new campaign by the ontario human rights commission aims to advance rights for older citizens. Marketing Magazine, 107 (32), 12. Eriksen, T. H. (2010). Ethnicity and nationalism: Anthropological perspectives. New York; London: Pluto Press. Gunderson, M. (2003). Age discrimination in employment in canada. Contemporary Economic Policy, 21 (3), 318-328. doi: 10. 1093/cep/byg013 Gutman, G. , Spencer, C. (2010). Aging, ageism and abuse: Moving from awareness to action. San Diego: Academic Press. Mei, Z. , Fast, J. , Eales, J. (2013). Gifts of a Lifetime: The Contributions of Older Canadians. Retrieved on July 13, 2014, from http://www. rapp. ualberta. ca/~/media/rapp/Home/Documents/Gifts_of_a_Lifetime_2013Sep23. pdf Novak, M. W. , Campbell, L. D. (1993). Aging and society: A Canadian perspective. Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Canada. Retrieved on July 12, 2014 from http://www. nelsonbrain. com/content/novak0043x_017650043x_02. 01_chapter01. pdf Lozen, J. C. Barratt, J. (2012). Revera report on ageism. Revera Inc. in partner-ship with Leger Marketing. Annotated Bibliography Chin, J. L. (2009). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination: A revised and condensed edition. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Dawson, C. (2013). Prejudice: Reed Business Information Ltd. Dovidio, J. F. (2010). The Sage handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. London: SAGE. Edwards, A. (2002). Its about time: A new campaign by the ontario human rights commission aims to advance rights for older citizens. Marketing Magazine, 107 (32), 12. Eriksen, T. H. (2010). Ethnicity and nationalism: Anthropological perspectives. New York; London: Pluto Press. Gunderson, M. (2003). Age discrimination in employment in canada. Contemporary Economic Policy, 21 (3), 318-328. doi: 10. 1093/cep/byg013 Gutman, G. , Spencer, C. (2010). Aging, ageism and abuse: Moving from awareness to action. San Diego: Academic Press.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Socio-Economic Link Between Town and Country Essay example -- Karl

Nowadays, nine tenth of the global population are residents of cities. This implies that urbanization reduced modern world to a state where the vast majority of population dwells in the urban areas. Nevertheless, peripheral regions constitute a substantial segment of a state`s socio-economic pattern. One of the most prominent philosophers of the nineteenth century, Karl Marx, in his extraordinary 1848 political treatise The Communist Manifesto, wrote, â€Å"The bourgeoisie has subjected the country to the rule of the towns. It has created enormous cities, has greatly increased the urban population as compared with the rural and has thus rescued a considerable part of the population from the idiocy of rural life. [†¦] it has made the country dependent on the towns† (366). In fact, Marx establishes the idea that bourgeoisie by exploiting proletarians of rural areas encourages an essential social and economic inequality between town and country. Contrariwise, Ad am Smith, one of the most influential economic thinkers of the eighteenth century, in his distinguished 1776 work Of the Natural Progress of Opulence, asserted, â€Å"The great commerce is that between town and country, which is obviously advantageous to both† (351). Inherently, Smith states the concept that country and town exist in a ‘mutual and reciprocal’ socio-economic causation and consent, in which both participants succeed in a relevant mode. To sum up, there is a significant discrepancy in Marx`s and Smith`s opinions. Specifically, Marx maintains that the country is obliged to submit to the absolute dominion of the town, or, by means of Smith`s formulation, ‘the gain of the town is the loss of the country,’ and oppositely Smith argues that there is country modifying... ...nt mode, whereas Marx suggests that in these circumstances the country acts as a defeated party. Particularly, Smith might agree that there is inequality in lifestyles between country and town, nevertheless this inequality is determined not by the town exploiting the country, but is created by the disproportional distribution of opulence between them. The other disagreement manifests in the idea that despite Marx suggests that urban lifestyle is more acceptable than rural, Smith asserts that rural lifestyle is ‘original’ and more preferable for the ordinary citizen. However, despite obvious dissensions between Marx`s and Smith`s argumentations, generally they converge to the ideological balance, since, both Marx and Smith agree that the nature of socio-economic relationships between town and country is fundamentally positive for the general population of the state.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Peer Pressure and Drinking Essay -- Peer Pressure Essays

When the majority of us imagine what our college years should consist of, we see fun, friends, and frequent parties. It’s only natural considering all the hype that music, movies, and popular television shows portray. Singer Asher Roth describes what one should typically experience throughout his infamous single â€Å"I Love College.† Apparently, we should just dance, get each other naked, drink, and smoke then â€Å"pass out at 3, wake up at 10, go out to eat then do it again.† ABC Family’s hit series, Greek, produced an episode where all the fraternities and sororities were forced to comply with an alcohol ban during the campus’ â€Å"Dry Weekend.† All these students could do was whine and complain about how boring their lives would be for the next 48 hours. It is important to keep in mind that your friends probably can’t see past the stereotype of what they’re conditioned to believe college is all about. They’re under the fabricated impression that there’s a status quo to maintain and the only way to uphold this expectation is through Flip Cup and Power Hour. When you don’t want to submerge y...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Analysis of Amazon.Com

Ans: From the traditional bricks and mortar industry, Amazon. com is the first company to evolve â€Å"book retailing† by going online on a large-scale. To date, Amazon. com provides an online retail store which constitutes of numerous products across a common platform. The company's retail website includes established web portals spanning across all leading economies as depicted in the case. In revolutionizing the e-commerce industry, Amazon. com is able to leverage information by making use of existing and new technology effectively in order to gain a competitive advantage. In attaining a competitive advantage, Porter's five competitive forces can be used to analyze Amazon. com. These forces include threat of new entrants within the market, bargaining power of suppliers, substitution of products and services, bargaining power of buyers and industry competition. The Internet has changed the nature of doing business, so has the competition that surrounds it. By supplying a wide range of products to the consumer, Amazon. com shares a market space with the likes of Wal-Mart and eBay. Rivalries amongst existing firms are strong as the industry is growing and the products that are being sold to the consumer are not so differentiated. Amazon's business strategy â€Å"to become the best place to buy, find and discover any product or services available online†, has allowed for further competition within online and offline retailers. An example of online retailers would be eBay and offline retailers being Exclusive Books. Since the industry is increasingly attractive, it gives way to new entrants in the market as the Internet facilitates in reducing barriers to entries. Offline competitors such Wal-Mart which traditionally followed the brick and mortar approach is using technology such as the Internet to increase buyer awareness, capture a wider market of customers to increase its revenue. As the numbers of offline competitors that adapt their business strategy towards becoming online competitors are increasing, they pose a threat to existing online businesses such as Amazon. com by broadening the consumer's choice of vendors. By broadening the consumer's choice of vendors, the Internet offers customers an opportunity to compare product prices in the industry across various mediums. These mediums range from high-street book shops, online web portals such as Kalahari. net and online book databases such as Google books. These factors play an important role as high bargaining power is given to the consumer allowing them to easily switch to a competitor within the industry based on price where there is minimal product differentiation. Amazon. com offers several services such as loyalty discounts thereby making consumer switching to a competitor difficult. There is minimal loyalty to a brand as consumers are provided with numerous options in the industry. In general, Amazon's supplier bargaining power is low because the products existing in this industry are sold by numerous online and offline firms. Products such as books, CD's, DVD's and electronics provide a lower supplier bargaining power, caused by an existence of many suppliers in the industry. Amazon's diversified product portfolio range allows them to gain greater control in terms of price, delivery schedule and quality. Bargaining power of suppliers within the retail industry is limited as market dynamics dictate power to the retailers such as Amazon. om who have built the necessary infrastructure and scale required for the online retail industry. Information based industries such as Amazon. com can easily sell products to consumers over the internet which bring upon threats of substitute products or services within the industry. Substitute products or services that are priced lower such as books, DVD's and reduced online delivery charges can be a threat to Amazon. com as the consumer will be drawn to a lower price. Amazon’s Value Chain: Primary Activities and Support Activities. Primary activities are those needed to produce a product or services for the end customers. These activities typically include: ?Inbound Logistics: receiving goods from suppliers, and storing and moving those good ?Operations: Manufacturing or assembling the product ?Outbound Logistics: Sending the goods to wholesalers, retailers or directly to the end customer ?Marketing and Sales: Marketing involves understanding customer needs, communicating those needs, and promoting the end products. ?Service: Involves after-sales support (e. g. handling, complaints, installation, training) Support activities help to facilitate or assist the primary activities of producing product. Examples include: ?Procurement: purchasing raw material and other items used in operations ?Human Resource Management: recruiting, hiring, firing, training, developing, compensating ?Technological Development: research and development, process aut omation, software, hardware, equipment, etc. , to support operations ?Infrastructure: May include accounting, legal, finance, planning, public affairs, government relations, quality assurance and general management.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Gen 105: Final Project: Student Survival Guide

Axia’s educational resources have been a great help to me throughout this course. The three educational resources covered in this course was, Downloading files for use on your machine or portable device, Navigating the University Library, and Identifying key information within articles. Being able to download reading materials onto cell phones, and MP3 players, improves the quality of the educational experience. Axia College provides other technological tools as well, such as: audio appendixes, digital stories, and tutorials. I myself prefer the audio appendixes and digital stories because when I am able to hear things I seem to be able to learn and remember it better. I’m also able to write better notes, and do better on my assignments without having to keep looking back and searching through the reading materials. The University Library has also helped me a great deal during the course. I prefer using it over going to a traditional library because all I have to do is log onto my student website, click on the library tab, then click on the University Library tab, next all I have to do is type in a keyword to the subject I am looking for. The University Library also has a link so you can send a message to a librarian too. So in my opinion the University Library is better than a traditional library because it has all the same things without you having to leave your house. This course also taught me how to identify key information within articles. Look for different fonts, like bold, italic, or underlined words. Also, words that are different colors. Upholding Academic Honesty was something that I will use during my whole college experience. Three educational resources covered in this course are Understanding Axia’s academic honesty policy, Understanding consequences of plagiarism, and Avoiding plagiarism. To find Axia’s academic honest policy, go to the materials tab, and then click on polices at the left side of your screen. It basically states that the students and instructors all agree to use their own work and not to plagiarize. The consequences of plagiarism are pretty simple, you could fail the assignment and the course, get suspended, or even expelled from the University. Some ways to avoid plagiarism are: *Crediting Authors and Sources, you should make notes of your source as you go. *Know the difference between a quotation and a paraphrase. *Use a citation for an acceptable paraphrase. *Understand that a paper that consists primarily of quoted material from other sources is not considered an original work. *Understand that lifting material off the Internet is plagiarism. *Solicit Feedback. *Citing Sources. (Effective Writing Communicating Your Message. ) Setting and Achieving Goals is actually something that I thought I knew everything about, and wouldn’t be able to learn anything else. I was wrong! The three educational resources that were covered in this course were, identifying long-and short-term educational and career goals, How to reach goals despite obstacles, and how an Axia degree relates to goals. I knew what long-term goals meant and what my long-term goals were; and I also knew what short-term goals meant, and what mine were. Identifying both my long and short-term educational and career goals was pretty easy. My long-term educational goal is to graduate from University Of Phoenix with my Associates Degree in Psychology. My long-term career goal is to use my degree to be a drug councilor. My short-term educational goals are to do all my assignments and participation on time and post them on time each week. Reaching my goals despite obstacles is what I need to work on. I need to prioritize my goals. Anticipate any problems that may accrue, and make a list of things to do if those problems to arise so it doesn’t mess with me meeting my goal. Such as, me not doing well in a class for a couple weeks; then for the remainder of that class I will work extra hard, and make sure to bring my grade up. Managing Time Wisely is a topic I’m very glad we covered in this course. The three educational resources are balancing time between courses at Axia, Juggling school, work, and family responsibilities, and Prioritizing and avoiding time-wasters. I’m a single mother of a two year old little girl, so it can get very hectic at my house. Every time I get on the computer to log onto my student website she will jump right in the middle of my computer and me. I usually have to wait until she is asleep before I can do any work. That means I am up most of the time at 3:00AM and 4:00AM and get up with my daughter at 7:00AM or 8:00AM. It’s very hard! There was an activity that we did, it was Appendix F : Time Management Log. The log had from 6:00AM to 9:30PM down the first column, the second was labeled â€Å"Activities†, and the third â€Å"Comments/observations. This assignment really helped me a lot to see what I was spending my time on, and to figure out how I could change that. Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention helped be able to read the materials faster, and understand it too. The two educational resources in this course was Using reading comprehension echniques for successful reading, and Using SQ3R and other study habits. Some reading comprehension techniques for successful reading are find somewhere to read that is quite and you won’t be distracted, make yourself concentrate on what your reading, look ahead in the reading to see what’s next, become emotionally involved with what your reading, and define your reading purpose. SQ3R really helped me with my reading as signments. Skim, Question, Read, Recite, Review. When I have to read something new I use SQ3R. It really helps me to remember and learn the material. Applying Personality and Learning Styles was a lesson I found very interesting. The three educational resources for this course was, Using your personality type for distance learning success, Developing your multiple intelligences, Relating to others who have different personality types and intelligences. My personality type was an organizer, and that helps me in distance learning because I keep everything for each class separate so it’s easier to find, I also keep an agenda with my assignments wrote down for each class, and two dry erase boards one for each class.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Aida Model Essay

Every day we’re bombarded with headlines like these that are designed to grab our attention. In a world full of advertising and information – delivered in all sorts of media from print to websites, billboards to radio, and TV to text messages – every message has to work extremely hard to get noticed. And it’s not just advertising messages that have to work hard; every report you write, presentation you deliver, or email you send is competing for your audience’s attention. As the world of advertising becomes more and more competitive, advertising becomes more and more sophisticated. Yet the basic principles behind advertising copy remain – that it must attract attention and persuade someone to take action. And this idea remains true simply because human nature doesn’t really change. Sure, we become increasingly discerning, but to persuade people to do something, you still need to grab their attention, interest them in how your product or service can help them, and then persuade them to take the action you want them to take, such as buying your product or visiting your website. The acronym AIDA is a handy tool for ensuring that your copy, or other writing, grabs attention. The acronym stands for: Attention (or Attract) Interest Desire Action. These are the four steps you need to take your audience through if you want them to buy your product or visit your website, or indeed to take on board the messages in your report. A slightly more sophisticated version of this is AIDCA/AIDEA, which includes an additional step of Conviction/Evidence between Desire and Action. People are so cynical about advertising messages that coherent evidence may be needed if anyone is going to act! How to Use the Tool: Use the AIDA approach when you write a piece of text that has the ultimate objective of getting others to take action. The elements of the acronym are as follows: 1. Attention/Attract In our media-filled world, you need to be quick and direct to grab people’s attention. Use powerful words, or a picture that will catch the reader’s eye and make them stop and read what you have to say next. With most office workers suffering from e-mail overload, action-seeking e-mails need subject lines that will encourage recipients to open them and read the contents. For example, to encourage people to attend a company training session on giving feedback, the email headline, â€Å"How effective is YOUR feedback?† is more likely to grab attention than the purely factual one of, â€Å"This week’s seminar on feedback†. 2. Interest This is one of the most challenging stages: You’ve got the attention of a chunk of your target audience, but can you engage with them enough so that they’ll want to spend their precious time understanding your message in more detail? Gaining the reader’s interest is a deeper process than grabbing their attention. They will give you a little more time to do it, but you must stay focused on their needs. This means helping them to pick out the messages that are relevant to them quickly. So use bullets and subheadings, and break up the text to make your points stand out. For more information on understanding your target audience’s interests and expectations, and the context of your message, read our article on the Rhetorical Triangle. 3. Desire The Interest and Desire parts of AIDA go hand-in-hand: As you’re building the reader’s interest, you also need to help them understand how what you’re offering can help them in a real way. The main way of doing this is by appealing to their personal needs and wants. So, rather than simply saying â€Å"Our lunchtime seminar will teach you feedback skills†, explain to the audience what’s in it for them: â€Å"Get what you need from other people, and save time and frustration, by learning how to give them good feedback.† Feature and Benefits (FAB) A good way of building the reader’s desire for your offering is to link features and benefits. Hopefully, the significant features of your offering have been designed to give a specific benefit to members of your target market. When it comes to the marketing copy, it’s important that you don’t forget those benefits at this stage. When you describe your offering, don’t just give the facts and features, and expect the audience to work out the benefits for themselves: Tell them the benefits clearly to create that interest and desire. Example: â€Å"This laptop case is made of aluminum,† describes a feature, and leaves the audience thinking â€Å"So what?† Persuade the audience by adding the benefits†.giving a stylish look, that’s kinder to your back and shoulders†. You may want to take this further by appealing to people’s deeper drives†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ giving effortless portability and a sleek appearance and that will be the envy of your friends and co-workers.† 4. Conviction As hardened consumers, we tend to be skeptical about marketing claims. It’s no longer enough simply to say that a book is a bestseller, for example, but readers will take notice if you state (accurately, of course!), that the book has been in the New York Times Bestseller List for 10 weeks, for example. So try to use hard data where it’s available. When you haven’t got the hard data, yet the product offering is sufficiently important, consider generating some data, for example, by commissioning a survey. 5. Action Finally, be very clear about what action you want your readers to take; for example, â€Å"Visit www.mindtools.com now for more information† rather than just leaving people to work out what to do for themselves. – See more at: file:///C:/Users/GOPAL%20RATHORE/Downloads/AIDA%20%20Attention-Interest-Desire-Action%20-%20Communication%20Skills%20Training%20From%20MindTools.com.htm#sthash.nCxC0EZx.dpuf