Similarities And Differences Of Buddha And Christ

Religion is somewhat important to a lot of people around the world. It helps us guide in our everyday life. To follow the beliefs and traditions brings faith to whatever religion we are into. In our era today, we come up with a lot of religions and two of the major religions are Buddhism and Christianity. Buddha specifically said not to believe to the things that is passed on and that we’re just written down etc. on face value. He did not urge us to put faith just in texts, or enough faith in their value to trawl through them-quite the opposite.What we’ve known is that, all Buddhist school agrees that one’s salvations from suffering are in one’s own hands. Siddharta Gautama was born into a royal family in the sixth century B. C. His experiences when he was a young adult with the outside world sent him to look out a greater understanding of life and spiritual understanding. Siddhartha achieved the powerful enlightenment through seeking guidance. He was know n as the Buddha from that point which means â€Å"the Enlightened One†.From then on and for the rest of his life, Buddha traveled from great distances to teach people about the one path of salvation. His pupils continued to extend his teachings after Buddha’s death. Hinduism, the most widespread religion in India, had become tightly controlled when Buddhism developed. And today, Buddha’s teachings still followed by a lot of people throughout the world. â€Å"Christ† as the identification, Jesus is not accepted within Judaism.Christians are called â€Å"Nazarenes† in Talmudic Hebrew because in the New Testament, Jesus is described in as being from the city of Nazareth. Being a â€Å"Christian,† one has to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, some believe that an individual must attend a mass and go to church and participate in baptism. Death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is necessary to others, instead of a belief and acceptance in their life. â€Å"Nicene Creed† is the ancient text, which some theologians consider a Christian who accepts this.This is accepted by the Orthodox, Anglicans, Catholics, Lutherans and the rest of the mainline Protestant Churches. In spite of important differences of interpretation and opinion, Christians share a set of beliefs that they hold as essential to their faith. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is considered and said to be the cornerstone of their faith among all Christians and the most important event in human history. Within the body of Christian beliefs, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the two most core events on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend.Christians commemorated these essential doctrines of the Christian faith during Good Friday and Easter Sunday, particularly during liturgical time of Holy Week. One wrote, â€Å"If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in god is useless. † Christians believe th at one can be saved from sin and have eternal death through faith in Jesus. The Gospel of John said that He â€Å"takes away the sins of the world†. One’s reception of salvation is related to justification. Generally, Christian churches accept and teach the New Testament account of the resurrection of Jesus.A lot of people believe that Christ may have been inspired by Buddhism, and that the texts of the Nag Hammadi and Gospel of Thomas influence this. Apparently, It has also been asserted that the story of the birth of the Buddha was well known in the West, and it was influenced the story of the birth of Jesus. The two major religions which are Buddhism and Christianity are compared and emphasized their differences by a lot of scholars, perceived similarities in the teachings in the spiritual intent and practices.It is said to be that it may be the result of a direct or indirect influence of Buddhism on early Christianity, or arising from separate but similar developme nts, or remain divided whether the religious parallels are coincidental. Jesus is not mentioned in any Buddhist text and so, Buddhist views of Jesus differ. â€Å"That there are startling coincidences between Buddhism and Christianity that cannot be denied, and it must likewise be admitted that Buddhism existed at least 400 years before Christianity.I go even further, and should extremely grateful if anybody would point out to me those historical channels through which Buddhism had influenced early Christianity. † Buddha the new born prince is adored and predicted by seer Asita and is celebrated his birth. Jesus the new born prince is adored and predicted by seers â€Å"from the east† who celebrated his birth. Buddhist Trinity (Tiratna) and Baptism: â€Å"I take refuge, Lord, in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. † â€Å"Enough, I say, with this external bath. I am satisfied with this internal bath: confidence in the Blessed One. â€Å"Jesus Trinity and B aptism is written as follows: â€Å"baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit†. Lastly, if there are any similarities and differences on people, the faith and respect to each other’s religions is still one of the most important things that should always be present to anyone whether in a Catholic teaching, in Buddhism, or any form of religion. R E F E R E N C E S Woodhead, L. An Introduction to Christianity. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Lopez, D. S. Jr. (2001) The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to its History & Teachings. New york: Hyper Collins Publishers Inc

Implementing a Flexible Work Schedule

Flexible work schedules provide employees options regarding their working schedules for standard work week (Monday-Friday). These options include working from home (on occasion) to working a compacted amount of hours within the work week, limiting the amount of days in which the employee has to come into the office. Flexible work schedules are usually implemented with the intention of allowing employers the opportunity to have a well-balanced lifestyle between home and work. The primary or most popular work option chosen is flex-time (Russell H. O'Connell, 2009). Flex-time allows employees to negotiate there hours within the limits of management. Another option is a compressed work week which means that you have worked your 40 hours in less than the standard 5 days. An option that is becoming popular for industries that are technology focused if call job-sharing. Job-sharing allows employees to divide the work load between two employees, which gives each employee the flexibility of working virtually or from different parts of the country (Russell H. O'Connell, 2009). And then there is telecommuting, means that employees can complete their work time obligations from the leisure of their homes or a preferred location. The following Chart provides is a brief description of the flexible work options: A work schedule that condenses one or more standard workweeks into fewer, longer days. A work schedule with variable starting and ending times, within limits set by one's supervisor/manager. Employees still work the same number of scheduled hours as they would under a traditional arrangement. An arrangement in which two or more part-time (or occasional) employees share the responsibilities of one full-time job at a pro-rated salary. A work schedule that is less than full-time but is at least half of the regularly scheduled full time workweek. A block of time off while retaining one's job. These leaves may be paid or unpaid. A work arrangement in which employees regularly work at home or at an alternative work-site during part or all of a work schedule One assumption that is made by many employers is that allowing or implementing a flexible work schedule allows to retain your employees and maintain a more consistent work force (Pruchno, 2000). According to some, implementing and executing a flexible work schedule can reduce employee turnover, and save companies money in the long run on expenses associated with replacing valuable employees. Pruchno states that the cost associated with employee turnover can add up to 130% of the departing employee's salary (Pruchno, 2000). So for many, implementing flexible work schedules can be seen as a cost saving strategy. Another benefit for implementing a flexible work schedule can be measured by having a more relaxed, engaged, committed and productive employee (Families, 2012). Suzan Lewis wrote in her on implementing a flexible work schedule that, â€Å"both flex-time and compressed workweeks had positive effects on productivity/or self-rated performance, job satisfaction, and satisfaction with work schedules but that absenteeism was affected by ex-time only. â€Å"(Lewis, 2003). It later goes on to suggest that absenteeism had a relationship with the flexibility of the arrangement, where for example the different effects on absenteeism are because compressed work weeks are less flexible and therefore do not allow employees to, for example, make up time lost through illness or other reasons, as flex-time does, which results theoretically in a higher level of absenteeism (Lewis, 2003). The intended impacts and benefits for implementing a flexible work schedule is to balance work and lifestyle issues while increasing job productivity, commitment and employee satisfaction. One study concluded that employees operating under a flexible work scheduled usually demonstrate improved work and lifestyle balances immediately (Russell H. O'Connell, 2009). In fact the study states that â€Å"employees operating under flex-time work schedules displayed a more improved level of work and life balances than their counterparts utilizing traditional fixed-hour schedules. (Russell H. O'Connell, 2009). Now, although the impacts of a flexible work schedules may appear to have primarily positive results, an incorrect execution of this program can cause problems. Overall productivity, depending on the industry, could potentially drop if the wrong program is implemented. Issues related to fairness, can also come into place if the program is not implemented and executed accurately. Most employers and employees agree that the proper implementation of a flexible work schedule can help to maintain a work-life balance and can increase job satisfaction and productivity. However, the potential problems to implementing such a program are usually seen when too many options are made available or when the wrong option is made available without proper research and planning. Companies should know and have a clear understanding of the impacts of each flexible work option. Along with this knowledge, companies should understand the impacts of specific flexible work options on their operations. Flex-time and telecommuting may not work as well in a manufacturing environment as oppose to an office setting. And Job-sharing may not work well for an engineering company, as it works for an IT help desk company. So, companies will need to make sure that they have engaged themselves in a comprehensive planning process to determine the right fit. So, the success of implementing and executing flexible work schedule ideally hinges on the actual option that is implemented. Which means that the success is determined by the type of industry that it is implanted in (office work, operation, manufacturing, etc.); the working environment or culture; and the carefully instituted flexibility of the work option itself? Also, as was highlighted earlier, the degree of flexibility is relatively important as well as it relates to how effective the flexible option can be. An option that is too flexible can yield minimal results in the intended goal of cost savings and employee work and lifestyle improvements. However, an option that that may be considered to be not flexible enough may risks not to be seen by employees as being beneficial and may not yield to intended cost savings. In saying this, to maximize effectiveness in this respect, a medium needs to be found where the arrangement is flexible yet not to an extent that hinders the intended goals and outcomes. The following outline provides some practical steps for planning, implementing and assessing a flexible work schedule (Families, 2012): What impact will flexible time or work location arrangements have on your service to clients? What are the benefits for employees and the organization? What are the potential problems? Can you deal with them? What time, effort and money it will take to make flexible arrangements successful? Is training required to be sure managers and co-workers have the knowledge and skills Ask employees, possibly in a survey, what they want Consult widely – with other organizations, clients, board members, volunteers, staff Review options, consider strengths and weaknesses of these options Develop written policies and procedures for implementation and monitoring Communicate to board, clients, staff, volunteers, public Run a pilot for a trial period and evaluate it Have staff report back on the pilot to provide their feedback Amend and/or extend the program if necessary After the pilot has run, make any modifications or changes to the program Inform staff of new processes and procedures Continue to evaluate the program on a regular basis Solicit feedback from participants, make changes and adapt plan as required This outline provides some basic steps for getting started, putting/implementing an effective plan of action, and evaluating the plan for improvements and adjustments. It also touches on some required elements that will help the company to yield the intended goals and to obtain buy-in from employees and staff. Implementing a flexible work schedule can be very costly and time consuming in the beginning; however, putting together a realistic and comprehensive plan will go a long ways toward assuring effectiveness. Specifically, the best way to ensure an effective implantation and execution of a flexible work schedule is to make sure that the applied flexible work option suits the specific industry. For example, flex-time can be a relatively ineffective arrangement unless it is chosen for the right job. Allowing a school teacher a day off once a week is probably not a good idea if his/her class schedules require that they be in attendance from Monday-Friday. Whereas a data-analyst who works for a software company, could potentially work 10 hours a day for four days a week and can be just as or even more effective than if he/she work eight hours a day five days a week. So, for companies to truly maximize effectiveness in the implementation of a flexible work schedule, the right flexible work option needs to be applied. In conclusion the some of the benefits of implementing flexible work schedule are cost saving, low employee absenteeism, increased employee productivity and work performance. However, these benefits are only yielded if the company implements and executes the right flexible work option. In this report, detailed steps and recommendations have been provided for how companies can successfully implement a flexible work Schedule. To ensure that the intended goals are achieved it is important that companies make sure that they have identified and implemented the right flexible work option(s). They must also make sure that the implementation process is inclusive whereas employees and executive staff members are included, trained and provided an opportunity to provide input in the implementation process. Finally, implementing a flexible work schedule, if done correctly, can do wonders for employee morale and commitment.

Barista vs Caffe Coffe Day Essay

MILAN – The following article is a summary extract from the dissertation projects of the MBA and BBA students of Skyline College. Skyline, situated in Delhi and Gurgaon (NCR) is a premier institute providing management education specialising in MBA and BBA degrees and specialist courses for travel and tourism as well as mass communication. For further information on the article content or on the institute please clickhttp://www.skylinecollege.com/ to visit the official college website. This dissertation was completed by Saroj Shahbaz Naiyar (2007 – 2009) on the topic Barista Vs Cafà © Coffee Day a Comparative Study. Summary The objective of the thesis is â€Å"To compare and study Barista & Cafà © Coffee Day, identify areas of excellence and areas needing improvement; and provide suggestions for such improvement†. The aim of this Thesis is to successfully compare two prominent service sector companies on a common platform, analyze their working and performance, and highlight what they are doing well, while providing suggestions and recommendations for improvement. Barista and Cafà © Coffee Day were chosen because of their identical pattern of functioning and growth. They are the only two major players in the national coffee cafà © industry, and their customers consider both as interchangeable brands. This is why it is important to study how these brands differentiate themselves from each other, and attempt to improve brand loyalty amongst their customers. For the purpose of this study, I prepared a questionnaire, to find out the relevant primary data pertaining to the functioning and working of both Barista and Cafà © Coffee Day. The data was collected based on information provided by: 1. The management of the organization. 2. Customers visiting Barista and Cafà © Coffee Day outlets. Besides the primary data collected with the help of the questionnaire, I have also collected the relevant secondary data from various sources like magazines, books and Internet and newspapers. Based on the relevant primary and secondary data, a comparative analysis has been done so as to find out the areas of excellence and areas of improvement of both organizations. The areas of excellence and improvement have been identified based on factual information, in light of which recommendations and suggestions have been provided for the overall improvement of the organizations in the future. This Thesis is conducted in Gurgaon, India; so the information is relative to this city. The main objectives could be: 1. To understand market performance of Barista & Cafà © Coffee Day. 2. To do a SWOT analysis. 3. To understand consumer perception. 4. To analyze there target consumer& marketing mix(7P’s). Conclusion: Areas of Excellence Both cafà ©s have certain areas where they have been consistently performing well. These are essentially the strengths of the brand, and Barista & Cafà © Coffee Day need to capitalize on these strengths to increase their market share and brand loyalty. The main areas of excellence, based on the Case Studies & Market Survey, have been identified as follows: Barista 1. Strong Brand Image: Barista has a strong and clear brand image. Their customers can easily identify and relate to the Barista brand. This helps increase and maintain brand loyalty. 2. Excellent Human Resource: According to the survey, Barista received an excellent rating for the service and behavior of their staff. This is a huge advantage, especially in a service organization. Barista must strive to keep this advantage. 3. Ambience & Dà ©cor: Another significant area of excellence is the kind of ambience and dà ©cor Barista cafà ©s have. Respondents to the survey, including whose who chose Cafà © Coffee Day as their choice of cafà © gave Barista a near perfect rating for their Ambience & Dà ©cor. 4. Strong base for expansion & growth: Barista have worked hard on heir brand image and human resources, and have a strong base for future expansion and growth- whether nationally or internationally. Cafà © Coffee Day 1. Highly rated Taste & Quality of products: Cafà © Coffee Day got a high rating in the market survey, for the Taste & Quality of their products. If they work on this aspect, there is huge potential for them to attract customers, just based on the taste and quality of products. This is also helped by the fact that they grow their own coffee beans, and this provides an important base for future expansion and growth. Cafà © Coffee Day even won the â€Å"Barista Coffee- Making Championship† for the Best Coffee. 2. Value for money proposition: Cafà © Coffee Day is projected as an â€Å"affordable† brand. This strategy has worked extremely well so far, and Cafà © Coffee Day got a high rating, both for their prices and for their value for money, in the market survey. 3. Strong youth orientation: The Cafà © Coffee Day brand is, and always has been, extremely youth- oriented. In a country where over 40% of the population is under the age of 20, there is huge potential for Cafà © Coffee Day to become one of the country’s largest youth brands. The untapped market share and potential for growth is enormous. Areas Needing Improvement Both Barista and Cafà © Coffee Day have under performed or not lived up to potential in certain areas. The areas are weaknesses, which need to be improved upon, as that both can eliminate any disadvantage that may have, and improve customer satisfaction. The mail areas needing improvement, based on the Case Studies & Market Survey, have been identified as follows: Barista 1. Average taste & quality of products: According to the market survey, other than their Dessert, Barista got only an average rating for the taste & quality of their products. Considering their strong brand image of being the coffee- lover’s traditional cafà ©, they have not performed up to expectations in this area. 2. Perceived as an expensive brand: Customer perceptions of Barista’s prices and value for money are quite negative. Even though the prices of Barista and Cafà © Coffee Day are almost identical, Barista is still perceived as the more expensive brand. 3. Inconvenient delivery process: On a smaller note, Barista’s self- service delivery process received almost unanimous complaints from respondents of the market survey. They found it inconvenient to go back to the counter just to receive their order. Cafà © Coffee Day 1. Weak brand image: The Cafà © Coffee Day brand, although clearly a youth- oriented brand, lacks the power and strength expected to maintain brand loyalty. The brand doesn’t project a clear image to customers about what Cafà © Coffee Day is all about. This could prove as a deterrent during future national and international expansion. 2. Inefficient human resources: According to the market survey, Cafà © Coffee Day’s staff received only an average rating for their behavior and service. Cafà © Coffee Day needs to work hard at this aspect, especially considering they are a service sector organization that is looking at large expansion. 3. Ambience & Dà ©cor: The Ambience & Dà ©cor of Cafà © Coffee Day outlets received a below- average rating from respondents of the market survey. A lot of respondents did not like the fact that Cafà © Coffee Day outlets and literature served as prime space for a lot of advertising and promotions. They felt as if the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s had been hijacked just for advertising. Recommendation & Suggestions Barista †¢ Barista has an extremely strong brand image, but they need to work hard on improving their customer perception of being and expensive brand. Barista and Cafà © Coffee Day have almost identical pricing, but Barista is still perceived as the more expensive brand. †¢ That’s why my first recommendation for Barista is, to carry out a promotion campaign to ensure that their target market is well aware of their current low prices. This would help change customer perception and turn Barista into an affordable brand. †¢ Another backlash of having such a strong traditional cafà © brand image is that customers have very high expectations of the taste & quality of products. Barista needs to work hard at this aspect, especially for coffee and eatables products. †¢ My second recommendation is for Barista to look at its coffee beans suppliers and coffee brewing process to ensure that it is the best it can be. †¢ This is especially important considering the international expansion Barista is undertaking. Barista should also look at the Taj, their national suppliers for eatables and desserts, and either improve the taste & quality of eatable, or look at another supplier- because as of now, they are not living up to expectations, and losing customers to Cafà © Coffee Day. †¢ On a smaller note: the Barista delivery process should change, so that a cafà © attendant delivers the coffee to the table. This may seem insignificant, but it can go a long way in improving customer satisfaction. Cafà © Coffee Day †¢ Cafà © Coffee Day has done extremely well so far to project itself as an affordable youth- oriented brand. But there are still certain areas where their brand needs to be much stronger. †¢ With regard to the physical evidence associated with the brand, Cafà © Coffee Day needs to do a lot of work if they hope to catch up with Barista. My first recommendation for Cafà © Coffee Day is to clean up the dà ©cor at every outlet, wherever unnecessary advertising is taking place. †¢ Although it might be an important source of revenue, long-term customer perception of the brand isn’t very positive. †¢ Cafà © Coffee Day would do better to provide promotional space for its partners with the use of clever collaborations, and not printed advertisements and posters everywhere. †¢ My second recommendation is that Cafà © Coffee Day looks at its current recruitment, selection and most importantly, its current training policies. †¢ Customers are not happy with the behavior and service of the staff, and Cafà © Coffee Day is lagging far behind Barista is this aspect. *The above article was extracted from dissertations in Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Strategy, Information Systems by the students from Skyline College. Skyline College is amongst the top MBA and BBA institutes in Delhi, Gurgaon (NCR). Introduction to ccd The First Cafà © Coffee Day logo a bright red cube with a green stroke above ‘e’ in ‘Cafà © Coffee Day’. The word ‘Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ was made to appear dominant to indicate Cafà © Coffee Day’s introduction of ‘Cafà © culture’ in India. The font used for ‘Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is called SLURRY – the font looks as though the letters have congealed or coagulated out of liquid. The current logo includes a dialogue box which highlights the connection between ‘coffee’ and ‘conversations.’ This logo also reflects their current tag line, â€Å"A lot can happen over coffee.† The logo of CCD has been changed recently, this has been done in line with the increased competition and also for the proper conveying of the message that Cafà © Coffee Day desires to tell to its customer. The famous Cafà © Coffee Day squared logo has got a fresh new avatar – a ‘Dialogue Box’ – with the words Cafà © Coffee Day written in a distinct, specially created font. The new trendy ‘dialogue’ logo symbolizes the essence of what a Cafà © Coffee Day cafà © is all really all about – a perfect place to ‘relax and dialogue.’ And as we all know, a lot does happen over coffee! Vertical integration The company is known for being vertically integrated to cut costs: from owning the plantations,[2] growing the coffee,[2] making the coffee machines[3] to making the furniture for the outlets.[2] The machines cost them [pic]1.2 lakh each, which they say is half the cost of an imported coffee machine.[3] The maintenance cost of CCD’s machines is also less than foreign machines.[3] Outlets The first CCD outlet was set up on July 11, 1996, at Brigade Road, Bangalore, Karnataka.[4] Following this, CCD crossed over 1000 cafà ©s throughout the nation by 2011. They currently have (as of August 2012) 1319 outlets spread across 28 states of India.[5] The number increases almost every week. A ‘meter’ on their official website (Cafecoffeeday.com) keeps continuous track of the number.

SMART Goal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SMART Goal - Assignment Example In working out the core competency, some critical aspects must be considered. The aspect to be put on considerations is the skill, knowledge and attributes (KSA) that is related with this competency. The only KSA that is related with core competencies is using evidence to guide nursing practice. In unison, the core competence and the KSA will be used to form a leadership development smart goal. I will research on benefits of using evidence-based practice on employees who commit errors while doing nursing procedures in hospital, after I seek approval from the hospital manager. Review nursing procedure manual and guidelines, and convene a meeting with organizers of continuous medical education. Review scholarly articles and credible databases to obtain information on how using evidence to guide your practice can benefit the employees by November 24, 2014 (MacLeod, 2012). As policy dictates for any other institution, one has to seek approval before any investigative or research is done. This is usually done to safe guide the interest of others who might be implicated on the research if the motive of the research is bad. To avoid researches that might wrongfully implicated on any research the motive must be assessed. On approval one need to display the proposal of the research and what he or she is seeking to achieve. With this very reason, I had to seek for the approval from the hospital manager in order to get the consent and a go ahead letter to pursue my research on the benefit of evidenced practice in the hospital set up on the employees that commit many errors for the absence of using evidence to guide their practice. This should come first on the action plan. Next on the action plan was to review the procedure manuals and the guidelines being used in the practice. The intention is to identify the most current position of the employees with regard of material being used to practice in the hospital. This one of the problem

Internal Controls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Internal Controls - Essay Example Lack of attention to the internal controls creates a business environment ripe for fraud, carelessness, and mismanagement and underutilization of business resources.An individual, staff member or external parties commit fraud. Fraud will occur when the internal controls set aside do not adequately fit the purpose to an extent that the fraudsters believe that suspecting them is impossible (Arwinge, 2013). Therefore, improper internal controls create an environment for a fraud that consequently leads to loss of business resources. The business may eventually become insolvent. Moreover, lack of proper business internal controls leads to bad decisions for the business (Leitch, 2012). Wrong decisions on financial matters of the business may eventually lead to the business becoming insolvent or bankrupt.Lastly, lack of proper internal controls leads to improper and inefficient allocation of resources. As a result, the managers spend a lot of time fixing the problems that could be avoided w ith proper internal controls (Arwinge, 2013). Consequently, a reduction in business output occurs compelling the company to shut its operations.Improper internal controls eventually lead to business closure. The management and staff should take it their responsibility to ensure that the internal controls in place are operational (Sebastian, 2011). The staff should report to the management staff any breach internal controls. The management should first establish a proper vertical communication to ensure that the employees report such incidences.

Should overweight passengers be charged for two seats when flying Essay

Should overweight passengers be charged for two seats when flying - Essay Example This is already happening in the United States. The argument is raised since this is discrimination against passengers with obesity. To be charged by the kilo is quite embarrassing for somebody with twenty kilograms above the limit. If an individual is 20kg above the limit and is a regular flyer, they will actually suffer both emotionally and financially. Having to meet the fat tax expenses will be rather embarrassing (Sullivan 6). The majority of obesity and health organizations are supporting this suggestion claiming that it is only fair since the airline will need to carry extra weight. A number of airlines as an alternative make passengers who can not fit into one seat pay for two seats, for twice the cost of the journey (Appleton). Those who require extra seatbelt extension will have to buy a new an update or purchase an extra seat. America has for a long time taxed and charged to discourage some manners. Taxes in cigarettes are increasing, taxes in liquor are rising in various states, seatbelts are now mandatory by law and some particular areas are currently charging obese workers more for health insurance. For better or worse, the tendency to transform behavior through economics is upon us. As medical expenses rises the debate over charging for obesity is indeed only going to grow. Airlines are too increasingly subject to customer grievances and even losing court cases over travelers being injured by fellow obese passengers. Using two seats uses twice the fuel. This actually sounds nice even though this may not be true. The space which a passenger takes does not affect the amount of fuel used but the weight may affect (Appleton). It sounds good even if it is not actually true. The space you take does not impact on fuel, the weight does. The question arises as to whether a weight lifter weighing more and has more mass of muscles must also be charged more. This could be just a technique used by the airlines to get more money from the passengers. There are writings seen in one of the American airlines. It said something to the effect that if you can not fit into the seat, you will have to pay for a second seat and that if the seats are not fully occupied; you will only pay a child's fare on the second seat (Kate) There are some necessities regarding the seat being a window seat or something of that sort. The airlines prerequisite is that if an individual can not fit in the seat without hanging over the arm rest then he will be charged twice and it sounded like a fair rule. The airline companies should come up with a practical means of determining who is overweight and who is not. It is even better to argue that an individual is overweight due to medical reasons other than the notion that one is lazy and overweight. The airlines must not be forced to give an individual a free extra seat since he or she can not fit in one. The person has to pay for his or her seat, likewise to overweight individuals. That is prejudice and another effort by the airlines to make more money. The airline seats are actually too small period. Tall individuals, overweight individuals and skinny individuals are all not comfortable in a flight. The airlines in their effort once more to make more money squeezed in as many seats as possible at the expense of comfort of passengers. People complain that they don not want to sit next to an overweight passenger as a trick to get bumped

Creativity and Innovation at Gunstones Bakery Essay

Creativity and Innovation at Gunstones Bakery - Essay Example Creativity is defined by Steve Jobs as â€Å"Creativity is just connecting things† (Wolf, 2011). But the question is: Is creativity so simple to be defined as â€Å"connecting things† that has been defined by the greatest innovator of the time, Steve Jobs, or there is any complex method behind the innovation and creativity. The incidental perception of creativity is also questioned for not being intentional. The assignment elaborates the concept of innovation and creativity to the groups and individuals in Gunstones and what does these exactly means in terms of Gunstones competitive abilities to develop and expand. The assignment’s standpoint will be from a worker’s view who is currently working in Gunstones bakery and who happens to be my brother Jabaar Khan. As I lack in work experience I could not fulfil the criteria to complete the assessment and thus I took help of my brother as the source of my assignment. The advantage of using my brother’s e xperience has helped in preparing a bias free assignment (Adair, 2007). Thus the third party perception on my brother’s experience and his organisation will permit me to inspect into the detailed picture of the organisation and how the worker and the organisation work hand in hand with prejudice (Arnold, 1956). My brother works in the Gunstones Bakery factory which supplies packed food for Marks & Spencer’s. His experience over there and the background of the company (See Appendix 1) can be recorded by ‘The Cultural Web’ (Johnson and Scholes, 1999) representing the factory’s routine process which is known as the ‘taken-for-granted assumptions’ (Johnson and Scholes, 1999). Before proceeding towards the assessment, creativity and innovation should be defined. But it can be seen that all the definitions of creativity has two aspects which are either process oriented (Dewett, 2004) or outcome oriented (Amabile, 1996). Creativity is defined as the production of novel and resourceful ideas in any of the domain. Amabile has said that a creative idea or a product is something that is not done before but it fulfils the desired purpose. Amabile has also defined innovation as the â€Å"successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization† and these definition has been accepted by Cook who has found the linkage between the two as the ideas (creativity) must be proficient enough (Cook, 1998) to be converted into successful actions (innovation). OPPORTUNITIES AND INHIBITORS OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION ALSO THEIR IMPACT ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCES COMPONENTIAL MODEL The ‘Componential Model’ which is given in Figure 1 consists of the 3 major influential factors of the opportunity that is important for creativity. The factors are expertise, creative thinking and the intrinsic task motivation which are in built in teams and individual. Figure 1: Componential Model Source: (Amabile, 1996) EXPEPT ISE OPPORTUNITY ‘Expertise factor’ consists of foundation of factual knowledge, proficiencies

My Major Accomplishments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Major Accomplishments - Essay Example Learning Chinese in three months and leading a successful exchange program delegation for my previous company where I presented our company’s portfolio in the Chinese. The funds for the trip were from fundraising event that I organized. I am always ready to take responsibility, and I feel that the medium size nature of this firm will provide me with the opportunity hastily. The medium size of the firm provides the chance for the build-up of proper working relationships necessary for promoting the firm’s effectiveness and employee satisfaction. I would expect to have advanced my role in the management level, managing one of the company’s international branches. This is because I hope my skills will elevate the organization into international status. My posting will bring in originality that will ensure boosting of the competitive advantage in the market for the organization’s products and services beyond the status my previous organization is now  enjoying.

Advertising and marketing communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advertising and marketing communications - Essay Example Marketing communications is traditionally thought of as organizations' efforts to promote the services or products they offer to external clients and customers. The goals of internal marketing are similar to those of external marketing, to increase visibility and awareness of the services or product available, and increase sales or orders. By increasing knowledge and awareness of the services that a department offers, the department can help to ensure that opportunities are not missed out on due to a lack of awareness in other parts of the business. In this paper, we would be discussing on the theories of Advertising and Marketing Communications and creating an advertisement for M.Sc Crop Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship.Marketers have a variety of promotional tools at their disposal. To make effective use of them, a company' personal selling, advertising, and other promotional activities should form a coordinated promotional program within its total marketing plan. However, these activities are fragmented in many firms, with potentially damaging consequences. For example, advertising directors and sales-force managers may come into conflict over resources, or the sales force may not be adequately informed about the details of a particular sales promotion effort. This wouldn't happen if the elements comprising promotion were part of an integrated marketing communication (IMC) effort, a strategic business process used to plan, develop, execute, and evaluate coordinated communication with an organization's public. IMC begins with a strategic planning effort designed to coordinate promotion with product planning, pricing, and distribution, the other marketing-mix elements. Promotion is influenced, for instance, by how distinctive a product is and whether its planned price is above or below the competition. A manufacturer or middleman must also consider its promotional links with other firms in the distribution channel. On the other hand, Communication is not a one way flow of information. Talking at or to someone does not imply successful communication. This only occurs when the receiver actually receives the message that the sender intended to send. Message rejection, misinterpretation and misunderstanding are the opposite of effective communication. To address the various communication models, no simple diagram can reflect all the nuances and complexities of the communication process. There are many models of communication including single step model, two-step model, mass communication, multi-step model, Web communication and adoption model. In this paper, we would be creating an advertisement for M.Sc crop biotechnology and entrepreneurship using one of the communication models. We would be using the "Mass Communication Model" to advertise M.Sc crop biotechnology and entrepreneurship. A single-step communications model There are three fundamental elements in communication, the sender (or source), the message and the receiver. This basic model assumes that the sender is active, the receiver is inactive or passive and the message is comprehended properly. In reality this is rarely the case. An understanding of the target receiver or audience helps to identify what is important to the audience and how symbols, signs and language are interpreted. The message is 'dressed up' or coded in an appropriate way, sent through a media channel and, if it gets through all the other noise, finally decoded by the receiver. Guinness advertisements basically ask their target audience to drink Guinness, but

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics - Essay Example It can also be the number of households which are unable to afford basic goods and services. Relative poverty is another dimension used to define poverty. It measures the extent to which the financial resources of households fall below an average income threshold (Measuring poverty. 2010). In other words absolute poverty can be defined as poverty where people cannot afford basic things that is necessary for living due to fall in income below the prescribed level. Whereas when income falls below the standard limit or average level by a certain amount, the situation is called as relative poverty (Relative and Absolute poverty. 2010). The living standards as well as real incomes of individuals and households have grown substantially due to increased employment chances and sustained economic growth in recent years. However the income that is distributed among the population is totally uneven. This is the reason for both absolute and relative poverty. Even though the British society has b ecome a developed one, recently studies have forecast that Britain has become a more unequal society since the last twenty five years. Inequality started its development from the rule of the labour government in 2001. There are many reasons for absolute and relative poverty in Britain. ... It depends on how you can confront them. This is not the case for absolute poverty where the main cause is purely economical. In western society, absolute poverty is not prevailing but there is relative poverty especially among the working class (Measuring poverty. 2010). Answer:2 Introduction: Reduction in inequality and poverty as well as promoting equity is considered as important macro economic objectives. In UK the widening gap between the rich and the poor has highlighted the importance of understanding the causes of relative and absolute poverty. It has also prompted to construct adequate policies for reducing the poverty and narrowing the income gap (Numbers in low income. 2009). One of the best ways to reduce the gap between the rich and poor thereby reducing the effect off poverty is to redistribute the wealth to the needy. For this purpose the government can use the tax and benefits system whereby they can intervene to promote equity as well as reduce inequality and relati ve poverty. This can be done through the tax and benefits system in which a progressive tax and benefits system is implemented that takes more tax on higher levels of income and redistributes it as welfare benefits to those who are in lower income groups. The original income can be adjusted in different ways so that it increases or decreases the post tax income. One among the benefits that can be provided to the poor is the cash benefits system. This is designed to help those who have zero income. This includes contributory as well as non contributory benefits. Contributory benefits include pensions, job seekers allowance, contributions of employers to national insurance fund and non contributory benefits include housing benefit, income supports, carers’ benefits as

See the order instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

See the order instructions - Essay Example The overall gothic theme as presented in the movie is about a women Emily who receives a great deal of fortune as her father dies. Emily did not have the right to select the husband for herself because she was wealthy and needed to marry someone who is worth it. As a result, she murders the man she loved and ultimately presents a gothic element (Danticat). Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates is binded by the suspence through myster as a gothic element. This is prevalent throughout the story leaving the readers as astonished. Finally, New York Day Woman? by Edwidge Danticat is amazingly written gothic story which is not just limited to suspense and mystery but it includes horrific species through realism as a pattern (Danticat). The common factors among all these three chosen texts for the paper were the degree of intensity of mystery, suspense and growth of the character as a complex one. The elements have rather been chosen to help the readers to enjoy the gothic genre of

Outsourcing Plan Essay Example for Free

Outsourcing Plan Essay 1. Outsourcing has become a way to increase an organization’s flexibility to meet rapidly changing market conditions, focus on core competencies and develop competitive advantage. As a result, the need for SM has intensified and positioned Supply Managers as agents of strategic change critical to supply chain success. A. True 2. Outsourcing decreases an organization’s flexibility to meet rapidly changing market conditions, but it can usually reduce total costs in the long-term B. False 3. Early supply management involvement is an approach in supply management to bring the expertise and collaborative synergy of suppliers into the design process. A. True 4. The strategic sourcing plan should be developed in a collaborative environment that includes all relevant functional area representatives and supply chain members. A. True 5. Foreign governments never impose countertrade requirements. B. False 6. Statutory rates are full rates for tariffs. A. True 7. Which of the following is not a strategic issue in making the outsourcing decision? A. The issue of short-term vulnerabilities. 8. Which of the following is a consideration that favors buying a product? B. Multiple source policy 9. Which of the following is not one of the conditions demanding negotiation? C. Market must consist of adequate number of sellers.

Integrated Marketing Communications and Social media

Integrated Marketing Communications and Social media The research focuses on two important areas, Integrated Marketing Communications and Social media. However, before reviewing them, it is vital to understand the concepts behind Media and Marketing Communication in general. This would lay a foundation for understanding both the areas covered in the research. Then the real issues: Integrated Marketing Communications and Social media will be covered. 2.1.1 Media According to Harper (2001), the term media in communication can be defined as: The storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data. It is often referred to as synonymous with mass media or news media, but may refer to a single medium used to communicate any data for any purpose. Thus, any information transmission channels or tools used for delivering marketing messages to the audience can be referred to as media. Media is synonymously used with mass media or mass communication, which Dijk (2006) depicts as a type of communication using media to distribute sound, text, and images among an audience. Mass media is an old terminology, but starting from a single medium that is print in 1500s it has grown to incorporate vast types of mediums. Caspi (1993, cited in Wilzig Avagdor, 2004) provides a four stage model of media development: 1) Inauguration where the new medium is given much public attention; 2) Institutionalization where there is widespread public adoption and routinization of the new medium; 3) Defensiveness where the power is threatened by a new medium; and 4) Adaptation the fine line differentiating between old and new medium. Since the inception of first mass media, each new media has gone through these stages and has developed its place in the media environment. With every new emerging media, the previous mediums had to co-exist with the new one at the end. In his research on mass media, Ahonen (2008) specifies a 7th mass media which is mobile. This idea was proposed in 2006. Various media content like music, videogames, tv, news, social networking, internet services and above all advertising is migrating to mobile which is making it a dominant mass media. While discussing the previous mass mediums, Ahonen regards the initial five mass mediums as unidirectional and states that it was only after internet arrived that it acted as inherent threat to all previous mass mediums. This was because internet had certain features that its predecessors did not have like interactivity, search capability, and social networking (discussed in detail later in report) and it could offer all that its predecessors offered. Therefore, cannibalization started occurring with internet. Similarly with the advent of mobile, this medium too can offer what its six predecessors could offer: one can read news, magazines, listen to radio and podcasts, watch TV, movies, play video games and above all consume all content available on internet. To a greater extent it supercedes the interactivity of the web with email and instant messaging (IM). Therefore, mobile would inherently threaten the internet. The idea of mobile being the 7th mass media is supported by Moore (2007), where he states that the historic technology revolution is setting grounds for mobile as a mass media which supports greater reach. Unlike other mass mediums, which are losing their audiences and revenues, mobile like internet is interactive; enabling it to fully capitalize on social networking and digital communities. According to Moore, mobile is the only mass media that is carried by the owner at all times and therefore 100% accuracy is possible in measuring the audience. Therefore the above researches claim that the mass media of 2000s is mobile and as with every new media that erupts, it has the power to cannibalize but not replace the previous ones. 2.1.2 Marketing Communication Engel et. al., (1994 cited in Koekemoer Bird, 2004) defines marketing communication as: the collective activities, materials and media used by a marketer to inform or remind prospective customers about a particular product offering, and to attempt to persuade them to purchase or use it. Marketing communication is the use of the media to target customers and interact with them and the basic aim of this interaction is to deliver brand and marketing messages by the use of the most effective medium. There are various marketing communication tools available to a marketer. These include: selling, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, sponsorship, exhibitions, packaging, point of sale and merchandising, word of mouth, e-marketing and corporate identity (Smith Taylor, 2004). The marketers may use different blends of these communication mix elements depending on the strategy they want to use, but the most effective communication happens when all the tools are used appropriately and synergistically (Koekemoer Bird, 2004). Moreover, it is important to note that marketing communication has over the years changed from being unidirectional to two-way, with the consumers being more demanding and conscious of choices (Koekomoer Bird, 2004). Therefore, it can be inferred that media is the channel and marketing communication is the use of these channels to direct marketing messages efficiently to target customers. The next sections would build on to these concepts and explain the two major areas of interest, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Social Media. 2.2 Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Social media is one of the many mediums that are used as IMC tools/components in designing any marketing mix. This section aims to describe the concept of IMC, its emergence and the changing trends in IMC composition (or the communication mix). 2.2.1. Defining IMC As per Kerr Patti (2002) Kerr et. al., (2008), IMC has been one of the most controversial areas of marketing education during the past decade. While many definitions of IMC have been put forth, agreement on the disciplines constructs remains unresolved. This is because IMC is a concept that still lacks rigorous theory according to IMC authors Cornelissen Lock (Kerr, et. al., 2008). One of the much agreed definitions of IMC and the one to be used/ assumed for this research would include that given by one of the first advocates of IMC concept, Don Schultz (2004, cited in Kerr, et. al., 2008): IMC is a strategic business process used to plan, develop, execute and evaluate coordinated, measurable, persuasive brand communication programmes over time with consumers, customers, prospects, and other targeted, relevant external and internal audiences. The key difference in this definition of IMC from that of simple Marketing Communication is highlighted by use of three words: i) strategic, ii) evaluate and iii) measurable. In essence, IMC enforces use of marketing communication mix in such a way that it is strategically designed to achieve certain objectives and is also measurable to enforce accountability over marketers. These elements are also stressed on by various IMC authors (Schultz, 1996; Duncan Caywood, 1996, cited in Kerr et. al., 2008), who believe that although concept of IMC is not new, but the fact that previously marketing communication was not coordinated strategically and strategy is now deemed critical, gives this concept a new look. Another definition of IMC given by a well known author on IMC literature, Kliatchko (2005, cited in Kerr, et. al., 2008) reflects the same concept. As per the author: IMC is the concept and process of strategically managing audience-focused, channel-centered and results-driven brand communication programmes over time. This definition is a bit more specific and along with strategy and accountability it emphasis specifically on communication being channel-centered and audience-focused. The common point, however, in almost every definition of IMC is the fact that it enforces accountability over marketers and hence more and more marketers feel the need of using mediums that offer better measures of performance. Also different modes of communication are now used strategically to compliment each other. Managing and coordinating the integration of companys communication across different media and channels is an important aspect of IMC. IMC does involve a process/plan aimed at providing cons istency and impact through integration of communication via different mediums (Larich Lynagh, 2009). Moreover, Kitchen and Schultz (1997, cited in Kitchen, 1999 p. 63) believe that integrated marketing communications has significant value for the organization, specifically in lowering costs and having greater control over the marketing communications program. This is supported by Duncan and Everett (1993, cited in Kitchen, 1999 p. 63) who extend the benefits to include gaining competitive advantage through IMC. It can be generalized that the idea of IMC used in above theories/definitions revolve around a 360 degree marketing communication programs for any of the brand that is strategically designed to achieve desired objectives. Hence, it would be fair to say that IMC includes all kind of communication programs that targeted for the same objective, regardless of the medium used, be it TV, Print, Radio, Street Marketing, Social Marketing, Internet Marketing, PR, Green Marketing, or any other thing. 2.2.2. Emergence of IMC and transformation by Marketing Agencies The world-renowned management guru Peter Drucker (1955, cited in Smith Taylor, 2004) believed that any business has only two basic functions: marketing and innovation. Even though it was said more than half a century ago, but it still applies in todays world; that all marketers should be mindful of the need to measure the effectiveness of all marketing activities. The world of marketing communication has moved from big budgets and little accountability to a more demanding marketing environment where every action has to be justified with proper quantification of benefits of the actions. Earlier, the various tools of marketing communication were regarded as separate functions and were handled by experts in the relevant area. This resulted in overall marketing communications being uncoordinated and inconsistent (Koekomore Bird, 2004). This was then solved with the move towards IMC in 1980s which emphasized coordination of all tools of marketing communication (Belch Belch, 2004). Before the emergence of IMC concept, marketing communications were a lot concentrated on very few mediums of communication but then it was evolution of media management structures in agencies that brought forward the segregation of media agency experience into a) Traditional Media b) New Media. Traditional media includes mediums like television, radio, magazine, newspaper, and other options that agencies had expertise on prior the media revolution in 1980s and 1990s. On the other hand, new media comprised of other mediums like interactive, buzz street marketing, direct response, electronic, and other areas that were adopted by agencies during 1980s and 1990s to make the communication a lot more competitive (Sasser, et. al., 2007). Many companies are now realizing that effectively communicating with customers and other stakeholders involves more than traditional marketing communication tools. Marketers as well as advertising agencies are using the IMC approach and have adopted a complete marketing communication solution, which includes use of both traditional and new media. This is because with the emergence of more technological formats, the audience is being less responsive to traditional methods and the traditional formats too have become fragmented and have started targe ting specific audience (Belch Belch, 2004). Lately one of the greatest influences of this change on media has been that of Information technology. This idea is supported by Kitchen (1999) who believes that it is only with more reliance on electronic technology that concepts like interaction and integration in marketing communication has become more main stream. This transformation over the years has been described by classification of marketplaces in three categories by Schultz (1998), who is a well known author on the area of IMC. According to him these categories are: a) Historical Marketplace, b) Current Marketplace; c) 21st Century Marketplace. In Historical Marketplace marketing organization mostly had information technology, in sense of having IT departments within the organizations. In the Current Marketplace (also the second marketplace), the Channel actually became a dominant force. This was because information technology, in the form of point-of-sale systems, scanners, retail data gathering resources and the like, had given the Channel more and greater information about the consumer and the marketplace than it was available to the Marketer. The third marketplace (the 21st Century Marketplace), are those of some organizations today, but mostly it is the marketplace of the future. It is, however, the 21st Century Marketplace that is expected to bring about the greatest changes. The first two marketplaces were focused on outbound communication systems, such is, not the case with 21st Century marketplace. The communication here would be interactive. These communications would not be controlled by marketer or communication agency but by the customer. Schultz (1996, cited in Kitchen, 1999 p. 63) warned that communication technology and wider technological evolution would continue to drive integrated marketing communication and the old models of communication like homogeneity must be rethought. Its worth noticing that almost all of the new media introduced after 1980s has been digital, e.g. Internet, Mobile, Podcasts etc. This is one good reason why New Media is often used interchangeably with Digital Media in theories. New Media is associated with characteristics like interactivity and electronic (Manovich, 2002 cited in Wardrip-Fruin Montfont, 2002) which actually imply digital technology. To sum up, it can be argued that change in media management structures and move towards 360 degree integrated communication is a result of more strategic and measurable approach by companies which is nothing but the adoption of IMC. Also the advent of new media has increased the challenge for marketers, giving them more options with limited budgets and yet enforcing accountability. But have these additional options made an impact or have changed the trends in overall composition of marketing communication? The next section attempts to explore the same. 2.2.3 IMC composition Changing trends Media has undergone an extensive phase of development in the last ten years. Marketers were previously focusing on promoting their product/service through traditional mediums like TV, Radio, Newspapers, however, now the future of marketers appears to be digital as technology has become an important part of daily lives (Pall McGrath, 2009). Concepts like convergence have come in to bring more versatility in the communication mediums being used. As per Jenkins (2006) who is a renowned author on the topic of media convergence, the term convergence is defined as: Convergence represents a paradigm shift a move from medium-specific content toward content that flows across multiple media channels, toward the increased interdependence of communications systems, toward multiple ways of accessing media content, and toward ever more complex relations between top-down corporate media and bottom-up participatory culture. The concept certainly talks about making the communication mix interdependent bringing in more integration and moving towards having multiple ways of accessing media, i.e. bringing in more versatility in the marketing mix by using a mix of traditional and new media. Moreover, it refers to the behavior of media audience as being migratory, i.e. shifting to the media that can provide them their desired experience. In such an environment, consumers are actively involved in seeking new information and make connections among dispersed media content. Convergence has played its parts in shifting the trends. In the 1990s the digital media revolution paradigm suggested that new media would push aside traditional media and that internet would displace television, and by convergence it was meant that old media would be absorbed fully in emerging new media. However, the convergence paradigm proposes that old and new media would interact in ever more complex ways. New media has paved way for convergence as it has broken barriers that were separating different mediums. Since the beginning, each old medium is forced to co-exist with the emerging media. The concept of convergence indicates that the old media is not being displaced, rather their functions and status are being changed with new media options (Jenkins, 2006). Media convergence is more than simply a technological shift altering the relationship between existing technologies, industries, markets and audiences. The cell phone being a telecommunication device; also allows its users to play games, download information from the internet and receive and send photographs or text messages. These functions can be performed through other media appliances too. For instance; one can listen to The Dixie Chicks through a DVD player, car radio, walkman, computer MP3 files, a web radio station or a music cable channel (Jenkins, 2004). Convergence has brought dramatic changes in the media ownership and has increased media concentration. One such example is when News Corp, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch made its first internet purchase and bought MySpace in 2005 (BBC News, 2005). This was because it had realized that significant amount of advertising dollars were being moved from traditional to internet. Yahoo bought social networking sites Flickr, Upcoming.org and del.icio.us to enable content sharing with friends and family (PWC, 2006). Similarly, Walt Disney has become a multimedia giant since last two decades and has acquired various different media companies. It now has several film studios, printing companies, magazines, radio stations, television networks, publishing companies, and cable TV networks. This is one of the classic examples of convergence by a media company (Folkerts Stephen, 2006). Focus of marketers towards concepts like convergence and IMC have already made an impact on consumption of traditional media. More worrisome for traditional operators, however, it is the fact that an entirely new media sector has emerged over the past decade with countless new players who are both unregulated and well-funded (Therier Eskelsen, 2008). Hence, some media agencies have witnessed a trend whereby new media is becoming regular part of communication mix. According to Nielsen Wire (2009), one of the top media trends for 2010 would be that companies would have to make optimization of media convergence their top priority. Therefore, it is vital that media companies become a part of this new paradigm shift where converging old mediums with new would be required for greater returns on their investment. 2.2.4. Factors that influence IMC composition There is certainly a change in the trend of IMC composition. This section tries to explore what are some of the possible factors that may influence the composition of IMC. Study by Sonia Livingstone and Moira Bovill (1999), answers the potential reasons for evolution of digital media over the years and these factors certainly impact the composition of marketing mix too. These include: Parental fear for outdoor activities: The parents and children often explicitly link restrictions on the childs access to the world outside to increase media use within the home. A lot of parents dont want their children to go out much and then this time is spent watching TV or surfing over the internet. Income lifestyle: The usage of media is directly linked to the income level of household and their lifestyle. Working women are likely to have children who will be media-rich users. Children in reconstituted families are particularly likely to have screen entertainment media (TVlinked games machines, gameboys, PCs and television sets) that are not to be found elsewhere in the house. Children from one-parent families are more likely to have less expensive items such as books, walkmans and radios. The rise of bedroom culture: This trend evolved in the early 1980s from the European countries, significantly booming the media-rich users, where children were given access to their private TVs, computers and other media. Absence of leisure activities boredom: People that do not have a lot of social activities, engage themselves with media. Also loners are more likely than all other groups to turn to television, videos and interactive media when they are in need of excitement. Appeal of enhanced experience: The technology is becoming more interactive with each passing year. Interactivity incorporates several dimensions which characterize the changing modes of involvement with media: the exchange of roles involved in a two-way interaction; the degree of user control and management of content and timing of the interaction; thus enhancing the experience. The factors described above focus on youth by and large and this is due to the fact that technology adoption has proven to start from youngsters, because they tend to be accustomed to the new trends and are the early adopters. 2.3 Social Media

Analysis of Norman Rockwell’s Painting The Catch Essay -- Norman Rockw

What does one need to be happy? Is it a nice car? Maybe it's a new pair of shoes? What about success? What defines success and what does one need to be successful? The truth is, it depends on one's definition. Success can be defined in different ways. Success could be defined as being financially stable, or it could be something as simple as feeling accomplished with achieved goals. Norman Rockwell’s painting â€Å"The Catch† offers refreshing ideas on what it means to be happy and what one needs to be successful. At first glance, Rockwell’s painting illustrates a successful day of fishing for three young friends, all of whom have their catch for the day strung in one hand and their fishing gear in the other. Out of the three boys in the picture, there is a well-dressed boy in the center, and two boys standing on either side of him. The two boys standing on either side are dressed in rags, and are only using measly twigs for fishing poles. The boy who is positioned in the center of the frame is well-dressed and fitted in elegant clothing, but stands with his shoulders shrugged and with a sullen look on his face. Surprisingly, the two boys in tattered clothes appear ecstatic with bubbly expressions painted ear to ear. The details of the boys’ emotions in Rockwell’s painting raise questions about the relationship between money and happiness. Theories regarding the ties between money and happiness have been thought about for centuries. Shakespeare expressed his theory on the matter when he wrote â€Å"Poor and content is rich, and rich enough† (Shakespeare, 3.3.177). Shakespeare’s words can be translated to the idea that even if a person does not have a lot of money, if that person is content, they are rich enough by means other than mon... ...to be happy and what it means to be successful. Being happy is not the same as being rich, and money is not a necessity for being happy or successful. Money can be facilitative in accomplishing tasks, but money cannot buy success. Works Cited Mihaly Csikszentmihaly. â€Å"Flow, the Secret to Happiness.† TED. February 2004. Guest lecture. Rand, Ayn. Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. Web. 11 June 2015. http://www.aynrand.org/ Rockwell, Norman. The Catch. 1919. Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge. Norman Rockwell Museum. Oil on canvas. November 12, 2013. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice. Ed. Tucker Brooke and Lawrence Mason. New Haven: Yale UP, 1947. Print. Venzia, Mike. Norman Rockwell. Danbury: Grolier, 2000. Print. Wattles, Wallace D. The Science of Getting Rich. Blacksburg: Thrifty Books, 2009. Print.

Sue and Arabella in Thomas Hardys Jude the Obscure Essay -- Thomas Ha

Sue and Arabella in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy's diary contains an entry that explains how he will show the world something it needs to be shown in a story about a poor, struggling young man who has to deal with ultimate failure (Howe 132). This brief description of a story has turned into Hardy's phenomenal Jude the Obscure. Jude is emotionally torn between the two main women in the novel, Sue and Arabella, because each woman can only partially satisfy his urges. The stark difference in emotion, conversation, and sexual appetite make Sue and Arabella polar opposites in Hardy's Jude the Obscure. Jude is ripped between the pure sexuality of Arabella and the pure intellect of Sue (Draper 252). Ronald P. Draper writes that Jude is sexually more comfortable with Arabella so, in this sense, she is Jude?s true partner (252). ?Arabella represents the classical entrapment by sex: the entrapment of an ?innocent? sensual man by a hard, needy, shackling woman? (Hardwick 69). Bernard D. N. Grebanier goes even farther, saying that Arabella with stop at nothing to get Jude (713). Sue is a complicated mesh of sexual aversion and the power of female intellect (Hardwick 68). As Elizabeth Hardwick puts it, Sue ?thinks and that is her mystery? (67). Sue has radical ideas, especially for a woman, and it is commonplace for her to question society and it?s problems (Hardwick 68). Sue, to Jude?s dismay, also dismisses much of religion (Hardwick 68). The sacred act of marriage is questioned in Jude the Obscure (Saldivar 192). Marriage is seen as an institution open to criticism that is violated by need, chance, and the choices made by the characters (Hardwick 68). For Sue, violations in wholeness and freedom are agoni... ... K. Hall & Company, 1990. 243-254. Grebanier, Bernard D. N. The Essentials of English Literature. Volume Two. New York: Barron?s Educational Series, Incorporated, 1948. Hardwick, Elizabeth. ?Sue and Arabella.? The Genius of Thomas Hardy. Margaret Drabble. New York: George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Limited, 1976. 67-73. Hardy, Thomas. Jude the Obscure. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. Howe, Irving. Masters of World Literature: Thomas Hardy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1967. Saldivar, Ramon. ?Jude the Obscure: Redaing and the Spirit of the Law.? Modern Critical Views: Thomas Hardy.Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 191-205. Weinstein, Philip M. The Spirit Unappeased and Peregrine?: Jude the Obscure.? Critical Essays on Thomas Hardy: The Novels. Dale Kramer. New York: G. K. Hall & Company, 1990. 228-243. Sue and Arabella in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure Essay -- Thomas Ha Sue and Arabella in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy's diary contains an entry that explains how he will show the world something it needs to be shown in a story about a poor, struggling young man who has to deal with ultimate failure (Howe 132). This brief description of a story has turned into Hardy's phenomenal Jude the Obscure. Jude is emotionally torn between the two main women in the novel, Sue and Arabella, because each woman can only partially satisfy his urges. The stark difference in emotion, conversation, and sexual appetite make Sue and Arabella polar opposites in Hardy's Jude the Obscure. Jude is ripped between the pure sexuality of Arabella and the pure intellect of Sue (Draper 252). Ronald P. Draper writes that Jude is sexually more comfortable with Arabella so, in this sense, she is Jude?s true partner (252). ?Arabella represents the classical entrapment by sex: the entrapment of an ?innocent? sensual man by a hard, needy, shackling woman? (Hardwick 69). Bernard D. N. Grebanier goes even farther, saying that Arabella with stop at nothing to get Jude (713). Sue is a complicated mesh of sexual aversion and the power of female intellect (Hardwick 68). As Elizabeth Hardwick puts it, Sue ?thinks and that is her mystery? (67). Sue has radical ideas, especially for a woman, and it is commonplace for her to question society and it?s problems (Hardwick 68). Sue, to Jude?s dismay, also dismisses much of religion (Hardwick 68). The sacred act of marriage is questioned in Jude the Obscure (Saldivar 192). Marriage is seen as an institution open to criticism that is violated by need, chance, and the choices made by the characters (Hardwick 68). For Sue, violations in wholeness and freedom are agoni... ... K. Hall & Company, 1990. 243-254. Grebanier, Bernard D. N. The Essentials of English Literature. Volume Two. New York: Barron?s Educational Series, Incorporated, 1948. Hardwick, Elizabeth. ?Sue and Arabella.? The Genius of Thomas Hardy. Margaret Drabble. New York: George Weidenfeld and Nicolson Limited, 1976. 67-73. Hardy, Thomas. Jude the Obscure. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. Howe, Irving. Masters of World Literature: Thomas Hardy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1967. Saldivar, Ramon. ?Jude the Obscure: Redaing and the Spirit of the Law.? Modern Critical Views: Thomas Hardy.Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 191-205. Weinstein, Philip M. The Spirit Unappeased and Peregrine?: Jude the Obscure.? Critical Essays on Thomas Hardy: The Novels. Dale Kramer. New York: G. K. Hall & Company, 1990. 228-243.

retail image study :: essays research papers

SUMMARY OF RETAIL CONCEPT AND BRAND PERSONALITY In a contemporary market place, retail branding is considered paramount in the retailing industry to influence customer perceptions and drive store choice and loyalty. Ailawadi (2004). Digital Marketing Group (2004) defines effective branding as the proprietary visual, emotional, rational, and cultural image associated with a company or a product. The purpose of having people remember the brand name and have positive associations with that brand is to make their product selection easier and enhance the value and satisfaction they get from the product. The first store examined, being Worldwide Appliances at Glendale, would be categorized as a â€Å"premium home electrical and appliance store.† The store has a wide offering from luxury high end audio visual equipment to common need based items such as kettles, irons and ovens. Worldwide Appliances branding consists of a long running slogan â€Å"Where the worlds best brands, compete for your prices!† This statement asserts the organizations desire to be considered as a provider of high quality products, whilst still remaining price competitive. This branding diversification allows Worldwide to compete for multiple niche markets. Levy and Weitz (2004) classify the retail concept as â€Å"a management orientation which is aimed towards determining the needs of the retailer’s target market and directing the firm to satisfying those needs† When considering the retail concept that Worldwide Appliances have adopted, it has created a mixed or unique concept that has been well absorbed by consumers. Through the combination of high end products and the exploitation economies of scale utilized through its large size, it can offer warehouse style prices on its upper range of electrical products. This creates an immediate competitive advantage over smaller electrical stores. A holistic brand image integrates entities such as values, colours, name, symbols, words and slogans (Chernatony: 2000) Worldwide can not be completely classified with a singular holistic brand image, in fact their strength lies in their ability to be related with two contrasting images. One of simplicity, discount prices and availability when common place electrical products are considered such as small electrical goods; and that of a high quality, knowledgeable, want –based supplier when products such as home theatres and imported boutique brands are considered (eg. Audioloop) KEY DRIVERS OF RETAIL IMAGE The second examined store was The Good Guys at Kotara. This store, through its branding, does an excellent job of defining itself to its potential consumers. The recent addition of

What Is Time?

Since the very beginning of the human history and up to the present times, the question of time has been a matter of the major philosophical and mathematical concern. Where scientists sought to establish the single and universal definition of time as applied to astronomical and geometrical linear concepts, philosophers tried to reconsider the relevance of time through the prism of its relativity, instability, and its relation to eternity. Given the continuous evasiveness of time and its never-stopping nature, it is difficult to deny that the concept of time comprises numerous features that are not always readily visible to researchers. Simultaneously, our growing dependence on time turns the latter into the critical component of our daily functioning. In reality, and taking into account numerous ideas about time, time is an intangible category which in our world is directly associated with the movement of space bodies around the earth, and which also exemplifies a relative measure of events. Really, the whole history of mankind is associated with the continuous search for the single and universal definition of time. For years and centuries hundreds of scientists, archeologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and religious adherents sought to create a clearer vision of time. In the light of its evasiveness, and given the intangible nature of time, it was more and more difficult for humans to come to a simple and common agreement with regard to the definition of time. Now, as we find ourselves more and more dependent on time, we also find it more and more difficult to determine, what it is that we see through the clocks, alarms, and calendars. It would be fair to say that â€Å"time is represented through change, such as the circular motion of the moon around the earth. The passing of time is indeed closely connected to the concept of space† (Science Daily), but is it enough to say that time is nothing more but the motion of celestial bodies around the earth? Certainly, the concept of time extends far beyond the boundaries of space consciousness, and while individuals try to determine what time is, a whole set of considerations and criteria needs to be taken into account. Historical and philosophic wisdom may help clarify the major time controversies. To begin with, it is in the dialogue between Plato and Timaeus that we first encounter the growing ancient interest toward time. â€Å"He thought of making a certain movable image of eternity, and, at once with ordering heaven, he made an eternal image going according to number, that which we have named Time† (Reichenbach 43). Here, the definition of time comprises both physical and metaphysical understanding of continuous motion, and also confirms the cosmological nature of time on our planet. For Plato, the concept of time is nothing else but a unique combination of eternity and change. This uniqueness is justified by the growing confidence that time, on the one hand, exemplifies stability and a measure of everything, and on the other hand, works as a never-stopping evasive machine. Nevertheless, it is with Plato that scientists and philosophers have gradually come to realize the importance and role of space bodies in designing the vision of time and its relativity. It is with Plato that we view space bodies as the major divisions of circular time. Space bodies link the concept of time to the concept of motion. Through the dialogue between Plato and Timaeus we see stars and other planets as indicators of intangible time; ultimately, it is space that is associated both with eternity and continuous motion. Does that mean that time is a purely philosophical concept and has nothing to do with specific mathematical sciences? In reality, scientists in general, and physicists in particular truly believe that they can scientifically justify and ground the concept of time. Although the scientific side of time is still unclear, it is obvious that researchers and scholars in science will further use their mathematical and mechanical knowledge to develop new time theories. Einstein is well-known for his works about relativity and time, but before Einstein, Galileo and Isaac Barrow also tried to produce a single definition of time. For Barrow, â€Å"time denotes not an actual existence but a certain capacity or possibility for a continuity of existence; just as space denotes a capacity for intervening length. Time does not imply motion, as far as its absolute and intrinsic nature is concerned; [†¦] time implies motion to be measurable; without motion we do not perceive the passage of Time† (Whitrow, Fraser & Soulsby 76). Barrow identifies Time with slow and steady motion, but he concludes that it is impossible to define Time without linking it to the steady and continuous motion of stars, the Moon, and the Sun (Whitrow, Fraser & Soulsby 76). As a result, the motion of celestial bodies can looks like the common thread between different definitions of time. Certainly, Barrow was not unique in his desire to link time to space shifts, but he was one of the first to recognize time as a mathematical concept. For Barrow as well as for his followers, Time was a linear mathematical function. It was associated with a circular line. Barrow viewed time as the concept independent of everything else, and as the concept that flew regardless of economic, social, and environmental changes. However, Barrow was not the only one trying to discuss time from scientific viewpoint. Numerous scientific theories have been developed to prove or deny the relevance of different time definitions. For example, Newton viewed time not as motion but as a universal instrument of measurement; according to his theory, time was not a relative but an absolute category (Brann 49). His ideas were later rejected by Leibniz, who was confident that Time was nothing else but a predetermined sequence of events; for Leibniz, events were the fundamental components of Time (Brann 56). In the variety of visions and ideas, none of them could become the basis for creating an objective theory of time. Time was always surrounded by a realm of myths and subjective opinions that lacked comprehensibility. It was not before Einstein that all previous assumptions have been reduced to nonsense, and it was not before Einstein that a completely new philosophy of Time has been developed. â€Å"It might appear possible to overcome all the difficulties attending the definition of ‘time’ by substituting the position of the small hand of my watch for ‘time’† (Brann 80; Seeman 104). Why watch? The truth is that it is virtually impossible to avoid subjectivity and relativity, when determining Time by watch. Also, it is impossible to guarantee synchronicity of all clocks and watches on the planet. The choice of the watch as the instrument of Time is not accidental, as far as it exemplifies the dramatic differences in perceptions, which individuals hold with regard to Time. Einstein’s beliefs about time are rooted in earlier theories, which linked time to the motion of bodies in space. Simultaneously, Einstein was the first to link Time to the speed of light and the notion of simultaneity. Where the movement of watch had to denote the process or the motion of space bodies, this very watch had to denote the simultaneity of things. In other words, through the prism of Time, each event had to be linked to each particular moment of Time, or to each particular position of the watch hands (Whitrow, Fraser & Soulsby 87). The use of the watch as the measure of time, however, was only possible for the events that took place in close proximity. Thus, linking the concept of time to the concept of watch was possible only for the events that took place at close proximity. In case of events that took place at different locations, the concept of the watch immediately lost its relevance. Does that mean that we cannot reconsider the concept of Time without tying it to the concept of the speed of light? Or does that mean that Einstein’s vision of Time is the most convenient and applicable of all Time theories? In reality, all time theories and assumptions are not without their fallacies. Time equally comprises rational and irrational features. From the rational perspective, time can be explained through the prism of space movements, or their sequence. Irrationally, time looks like a predetermined order of things, or their sequence that divides our lives into â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† and flows independently regardless of the major environmental or physical changes. In the light of numerous theories and assumptions with regard to time, it is impossible to limit the concept of time to rational or irrational considerations. Moreover, it is the balance of rational and irrational that may help create the single and the most relevant theory of time. Leibniz wrote that â€Å"Time is the order of existence of those things which are not simultaneous. Thus time is the universal order of changes when we do not take into consideration the particular kinds of change† (Seeman 77). Unfortunately, time is far from being universal but is still a measure of the order of changes, regardless of the nature of each particular change. From the differences and commonalities between philosophic and rational beliefs about Time, the latter comes out as the concept, which is closely tied to cosmology and the motion of celestial bodies around the earth, as well as the relative (and never absolute) measure of events and their sequences, with this relativity being integrally linked to the notion of light. Conclusion Over the course of the human history, dozens of philosophers and scientists sought to determine what Time is and what changes it produces on our vision of reality. Where philosophers held irrational beliefs about Time, scientists tried to link Time to mathematical concepts. Despite the differences, most of them viewed Time through the prism of cosmology and the motion of celestial bodies. Simultaneously, it was not before Einstein that Time ceased to be an absolute concept. As a result, through the major commonalities and differences in individual beliefs about Time, the latter stands out as a relative measure of events and their sequences, closely linked to the concept of cosmology and the motion of celestial bodies.

Divorce and Its Impact on the Family

Introduction A significant and often heated debate has been in progress for years regarding the effect of divorce on the family, and more specifically, on children of different ages. On the one side, there are writers, theorists and scholars who argue that divorce does not affect the children over the long term and on the other side are those who argue that divorce has a negative effect on the children for all their lives. It is indeed impossible to make a clear and definitive conclusion based on the research studies that have been conducted over the years. Each investigator argues strongly for their own conclusions, providing statistical evidence to support those conclusions. Does divorce have a negative impact on children, regardless of age when the divorce occurs? Does divorce have more impact on specific age ranges of children? If divorce has a negative impact on children, then, how long does that impact last? Do adult children of divorced parents find it easier to blame all their failures and pitfalls on their parents' divorce instead of taking responsibility for their own actions through the years? These are the only some of the questions that underlie the problem: What impact does divorce have on the children. Very few definitions are needed regarding this investigation: †¢Children means the children of the parents who get divorced, regardless of age. Thus, â€Å"children† refers to adolescents as well as younger children. When a specific age range is meant, that will be clarified in the text. †¢Divorce means that the couple has gone through the legal process of divorce and are, thus, no longer legally married. †¢Absent father refers to those fathers who do not keep in contact with their children subsequent to a divorce. Also, the absent father does not contribute to the children's support. †¢Custodial parent refers to the parent who has legal primary custody of the children. First a brief overview of what marriage and divorce was throughout history, and what would happen to those children after the divorce was finalized Marriage and Divorce in History The roots of marriage can be traced back to time of the Romans and Greeks. For the Greeks and Romans marriage wasn’t really something of a choice. It was more of a family obligation and a way to help the family gain higher status. Marriage in Roman times was often not at all romantic. Rather, it was an agreement between families. Men would usually marry in their mid-twenties, while women married while they were still in their early teens. As they reached these ages, their parents would consult with friends to find suitable partners that could improve the family’s wealth or class. †(PBS) Women really didn’t have a choice in who they married, they were chosen by their fathers. And even for the men, love wasn’t taken into account because it was up to the parents who they married. The actual marriage in Roman times was very simple. The couple would just have to declare their desire to live with each other in front of both families. Divorce in this time was just as easy as marriage. â€Å"Just as marriage was only a declaration of intent to live together, divorce was just a declaration of a couple’s intent not to live together. All that the law required was that they declare their wish to divorce before seven witnesses. † (PBS) Divorce was a very common thing for the Romans. The only condition was the woman would get her dowry back, and she would move back in with her father. If the wife was divorced because of adultery only half of her dowry was given back. The laws did not mention anything about husbands as they could not be divorced because of an adulterous they have committed. It is assumed that children were left with the father as men were the law in Roman times. Not much is known on what happened to the children after a divorce, whether they are allowed to see their mother or not, if the mothers were allowed to keep the children, or if the child’s best interests were ever a factor for who got to keep them after the divorce. Marriage in African countries was relatively similar to the Greeks and Romans, but with a few changes. Marriage signified a union between two families. â€Å"The death of a husband did not terminate the union of families. Upon a husband’s death a relative would assume his role. † (Simon and Altstein) Marriage was more of a binding contract than anything else. The woman being married didn’t really matter in the long run either as if she died or was unable to bare children, a younger sister would take over her role as the wife â€Å"But the wife wasn’t fully excepted until she gave birth to her first child. (Simon and Altstein) The actual marriage didn’t really require that much, just consent from both parties and their guardians, as well as some form of payment from the husband’s family to the wife’s. This would most likely be cattle. There wasn’t really any ceremony like today; it was more of a series of rituals. Divorce was a simple thing for Africans. Grounds for divorce were; adultery, desertion, insanity for at least seven years, and being imprisoned for more than five years. The children would normally have been given to the father, but in more recent times the child would go with whichever parent was more able to take care of them. If a child was old enough to make up their own mind the court would consider who they wished to live with, but that didn’t always mean the child’s pick would be the one he/she would be given to. In the 1500’s after the Reformation, a change in how marriages and divorces were performed occurred. The peasants were allowed to marry whomever they choose, but the nobles still kept with the arranged marriages to keep their line pure and to improve their power, this would go for royalty as well. Marriage then became a public affair, and it was considered part of the earthly kingdom instead of the heavenly kingdom. This meant that vows would be made in public before the church consummated the marriage. Prior to this the Church was in charge of marriage and divorce but they lost that power with the coming of the Reformation. â€Å"Marital disputes would be tried before a civil court, not a Church court. The Church did not have legal authority over marriage. †(Simon and Altstein) Also laws that prohibited the marriage of clerics, monks, and nuns were also rejected. Divorces were allowed as long as there was just cause. Cause included impotence, sexual incompatibility, abuse and acts of incest. † (Simon and Altstein) The average length of a marriage was only fifteen years at the time, but this was caused more by death, than by divorce. In more recent times a decision was made by the courts of the United Kingdom that they will not longer decide which parent the child should custody of. The parents were to make the decision together and stick with it, only if they can not agree will the court make one, this decision can not be argued. In the United States of America, arriage is â€Å"the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife, and a spouse is a husband or wife of the opposite sex. † (Simon and Altstein) Only men and women are allowed to be married to each other, in some states though same-sex civil unions are allowed. The church is where the marriage is held but the state must approve the marriage for it to be final. The laws of marriage vary from state to state. In the United States of America divorce rates are very close or over fifty percent. Divorce varies on the state as well but some form is permitted by every state. Thirty-four states have adopted no-fault divorce in addition to traditional grounds for divorce. † (Simon and Altstein) As for the children, their wishes are considered by all but four states. The effects in which those children concur will be explained later. Literature Review The literature regarding the impact of di vorce on children is voluminous. It is also highly contradictory and heated in terms of debate. Anyone investigating this topic can find research studies to support their own opinions no matter what that opinion is. We begin by offering some data regarding divorce. In the United States, one out of every two marriages will end in divorce (Marano, 2000). Despite this devastating statistic, 90 percent of Americans will marry (Marano, 2000). Of those individuals who divorce their first spouse, 75 percent will remarry, even though their first marriage ended (Marano, 2000). Given that so many divorced individuals simply live with other persons or combine the homes with others without the sanction of legal marriage, the figure for â€Å"remarriages† escalates significantly when these people are included (Marano, 2000). Out of all second marriages, 60 percent end in divorce (Marano, 2000). It is not just in the U. S. that a large proportion of marriages fail. The BBC reported that one in seven marriages (16. 4 percent) end in divorce in the United Kingdom (2000). The divorce rate differs dramatically by location in the UK, for example, in Biggleswade, only 6 percent of marriages end in divorce but in Skelmersdale in Lancashire, 32. 4 percent of marriages end in divorce (BBC, 2000). The divorce rates have risen in most European countries, as well (Bjornberg, nd). The highest rates are found in Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and the United Kingdom (Bjornberg, nd). In the year 2000, there were 45,500 divorces, a new high (Victorian State Conference of Teams, 2001). Anyone who has kept up with public mass media also knows that the divorce rate in China has escalated to as much as 25 percent in recent years. It has become such an issue that the government began debating about a new law that would make adultery a crime and that would put further restrictions on divorce in that country. Most of the research regarding the impact of divorce on children has been conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom. Two of the primary and most discussed studies contradict each other, which has come to be known as the â€Å"Hetherington-Wallerstein debate–a battle of superstars† (Corliss, 2002, p. 40). Hetherington argues that â€Å"75% to 80% of children of divorce function well, with little long-term harm to their adult lives† and Wallerstein argues that â€Å"the damaging effects of divorce on children are cumulative, and the major impact comes in adulthood† (Corliss, 2002, p. 0). Wallerstein first published her findings in a book in 1971; this was then updated in another book entitled The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study in 2000 (Corliss, 2002). In the most recent book, Wallerstein concluded that divorce leads to depression, juvenile delinquency, poor grades, among other things and that the divorce affects people wel l into adulthood (Corliss, 2002). Hetherington published her findings in a co-authored book (with John Kelly) entitled For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered (Corliss, 2002). In this book, Hetherington and Kelly argue â€Å"that 75% to 80% of children of divorce are functioning well, with little long-term damage† (Corliss, 2002, p. 40). Hetherington and Kelly tracked nearly 1,400 families and more than 2,500 children, some for three decades and concluded: Within two years of their parents' divorce, the vast majority of children are beginning to function reasonably well again (Corliss, 2002, p. 40). 70 percent of divorced parents are living happier lives than they did before divorce (Corliss, 2002, p. 0). Some women and girls turned out to be more competent, able people than if they had stayed in unhappy family situations (Corliss, 2002, p. 40). In Hetherington's study, 25 percent of the children from divorced families had serious emotional, psychological or social problems (Corliss, 2002). This compares to 10 percent of children from families that remain intact (Corliss, 2002). Still, it is a much smaller proportion than many other studies, includi ng Wallerstein's. Cudina and Obradovic summarized a great deal of the research, most of which concludes that children from divorced families are â€Å"more aggressive and depressive†; â€Å"more prone to anxiety†; and â€Å"of a generally poorer adjustment than children living in intact families† (2001, p. 247). The instability of the marriage also affects boys and girls differently, for instance, â€Å"boys are more often found to be more vulnerable† and â€Å"more aggressive and displayed more behavioural problems than girls† (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001, p. 247). It should be pointed out, however, that the gender differences found have not been consistent. Another finding is that the reaction of children seem to differ according to age when the divorce occurs (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). For instance, the research suggests that â€Å"emotional response being more intense for children younger than 6, and for those in early adolescence at the time of parental divorce† (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001, p. 247). There is also a substantial amount of research that concludes that â€Å"prolonged parental marital distress could be even more damaging to the child's emotional and social development than parental divorce† (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001, p. 47). Fighting, conflict, violence all combine to make the child feel insecure and unstable as well as fearful (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). Mitigating factors that affect the impact of divorce on children have been identified as the availability of the noncustodial parent, the relationship between the parents after the divorce, the quality of the parent-child relationships with both par ents, and the degree of economic hardship and stress the child experiences after the divorce (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). Because the overwhelming majority of research has been conduced in English-speaking countries, Cudina and Obradovic studied the impact of divorce on children in Croatia, a society that is very different in many ways from the United States and other English-speaking nations (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). Croatia is smaller, has a relatively low GNP and in most ways can be considered a developing nation (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). The divorce rate in Croatia has increased over the last 30 years, rising from 13. 5 percent in 1962 to 17. percent in 1996 (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). The Croatian family reflects a myriad of both traditional and modern values (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). Nonetheless, there is still a stigma attached to divorced individuals in Croatia (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). Cudina and Obradovic found that Croatian children respond in much the same way as children in other countries – children of divorced parents are more emotionally unstable and more depress ive than children from intact families (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). The study did not support the premise that children suffer equally negative effects from living in a home where the parents are in conflict as do the children from divorced parents (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). They study also confirmed that the degree of impact is related to age – younger children showed more emotional distress than did older children (Cudina and Obradovic, 2001). Hyatt reported that the adjustment of the children is primarily dependent on the parents and how they behave after the divorce (1999). Hyatt was reporting a study conducted at Iowa State University and reported in the Journal of Marriage and the Family. Simons, who led the research investigation team, said that â€Å"Even though divorce more than doubles the risk for emotional and behavioral problems in both boys and girls, the good news is that the vast majority of children from divorced families do just fine. . . . What is essential for kids is that they be parented well. If mom and dad continue to persevere in their parenting, are warm and supportive, monitor the kids and are consistent in discipline, the risk for conduct problems is no greater than in two-parent families. This is a more optimistic scenario than is often assert† (Hyatt, 1999). This was also a longitudinal study that involves 600 families and is ongoing (Hyatt, 1999). Theoretical Foundations Attachment theory would seem to be the most appropriate theory to discuss in terms of the effects of divorce on children. Beginning in infancy, the child develops an attachment to the parent through interactions with the parent. According to Bowlby, an interruption or disruption of the attachment relationship can result in psychopathology (Garelli, 1997). Research indicates that the formation of attachments in infancy and childhood contribute to healthy adulthood (Galston, 1996; Fields, 1996). Research also indicates that when the attachment is disrupted, the child may well suffer both emotional and physical traumas affecting their ability to function today and in their future life (Galston, 1996; Fields, 1996). Divorce is an event that disrupts attachments. Attachment theory asserts that children do develop attachment feelings to people, places and objects. Research concludes that attachments are essential for good mental health. One study in Israel concluded that â€Å"Attachment between parent and child plays a crucial role in the healthy development of the child. Accordingly disturbances in parental bonding will be linked with the development of mental disorders later in life† (Canetti et al, 1997, p. 381). Note that the need for attachment is for all children. Divorce does not necessarily mean that the child's attachment to the noncustodial parent would be eliminated by the divorce. Discussion, Summary and Conclusions As can be seen from the few research studies presented, there is a heated debate and strong controversy regarding the effects of divorce on the family. There is equally strong evidence to support either side of the debate. That leaves the reader with a strong question as to how much divorce actually does affect the future development and adult life of the divorced family. There is no perfect study, which means that every study has its limitations. More studies suggest that children face significant effects when their parents divorce. It does seem, however, that the impact of a divorce on a child would be dependent upon the circumstances and the subsequent behaviors of the parents involved. More studies in recent years are pointing to this premise. If the parents both continue parenting and they parent well, a far smaller proportion of children will experience significant negative effects than what has been said in the past. If the parents continue their fighting and place the child in the middle of that fighting, then, common sense would tell us that the child will have any number of psychological and emotional problems as a result. It is important to note the studies that have compared children of divorced parents to children of parents who stayed married but whose relationship was so unstable. Certainly, living with verbal conflict and loud fighting between the parents has a devastating effect on the child. Living with parents where spousal abuse is prevalent would have tragic effects on the child, worse effects than would a divorce. Even the researchers who conclude that a small percentage of children experience serious problems after a divorce, clearly state that they are no promoting divorce and that children will develop more securely and more positively if the family is kept intact – except when violence and abuse is present. The conclusions, in other words, do not support divorce; they are simply saying the outlook for these children is not as bleak as has been publicized. There is another issue that one must also look at. These kinds of studies rely a great deal on interviews with the survivors of divorce. It is very convenient for many of these adults or older adolescents to blame all the problems in their lives on their parents' divorce. Scapegoating is very prevalent in today's society – people simply do not want to take responsibility for their own lives. The conclusion of this paper must be that: 1. Divorce will have an effect on children – to think otherwise is naive. 2. Children of divorced families do not automatically develop serious emotional and psychological problems. 3. The full effect of divorce on children will depend on how the parents behave after the divorce, the degree of attachment that was in existence prior to the divorce and the child's own mental state/stability at the time of the divorce. REFERENCES BBC. (2000, November 15). The capital of happy ever after. Retrieved April 05, 2007, BBC Web Site: http://news. bbc. co. uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1024000/1024963. stm Bjornberg, Dr. Ull. (nd). Children and their Families/Children and Society. 2002, Retrieved April 05, 2007, Council of EuropeConseil de l'Europe Web Site: http://eurochild. gla. ac. uk/Documents/CoE/Reports/estud/Estud_2. htm Canetti, Laura, Bachar, Eytan, Weisstub, Esti Galili, De-Nour, Atara Kaplan & Shalev, Arieh Y. (1997, Summer). Parental Bonding And Mental Health In Adolescence. Adolescence 32(126), 381 – 395. Corliss, Richard. (2002, January 28). Does Divorce Hurt Kids? Time 159(4), 40 Cudina, Mira & Obradovic, Josip. (2001, Spring). Child's Emotional Well-being and Parental Marriage Stability in Croatia. Journal of Comparative Family Studies 32(2), 247. Field, Tiffany. (1996, Annual). Attachment And Separation In Young Children. Annual Review of Psychology 47, 541-562. Galston, William A. (1996, June). Divorce American style. The Public Interest, 12 – 27. Garelli, Juan Carlos. (1997). Controversial Aspects Of Bowlby's Attachment Theory. Bowlby's Theory of Attachment. Retrieved April 03, 2007, Attachment Research Center at St. John's University Web Site: http://rdz. stjohns. edu/lists/bowlby-l/ Hyatt, Kay. (1999, November 19). Children's Adjustment to Divorce Largely in Hands of Parents. Retrieved April 03 2007, National Council on Family Relations Web Site: http://www. cfr. org/pdf/childr_1. pdf Marano, Hara Estroff. (2000, March). Divorced? Psychology Today 33(2), 56. Simon, R. J. , & Altstein, H. (2003). Marriage and Divorce (pp. 5-7, 29-34). New York: Lexington Books. Victorian State Conference of Teams. (2001, October). Looking forward in Confidence. A Married Couple's Movement: Conference Reports & Proceedings Web Site: http://www. tol-oceania. catholic. org. au/publications_vicconf. htm#Victorian%20State%20Conference Weddings, Marriage & Divorce. (n. d. ). Retrieved April 25, 2007, from http://www. pbs. org/empires/romans/empire/weddings. html