Business System Integration and Consultancy

â€Å"Abstract Customer relationship direction ( CRM ) is a combination of people, procedures and engineering that seeks to understand a company ‘s customers.†The faculty â€Å"Business System Integration and Consultancy† was one I had been looking frontward to of all time since I decided to fall in the class. The chance of holding existent clip experience of being a adviser and transporting out a undertaking was truly appealing. Over the class of the faculty, the assorted facets of consultancy and undertaking execution were introduced under the umbrella of a consultancy undertaking. My essay covers the assorted phases that I went through as a portion of my group, the alterations I would do if I were to travel through the procedure once more and the accomplishments I gained by undergoing the faculty. The essay is loosely divided into two subdivisions. The first subdivision covers the procedure of system integrating I would follow. This covers the phases like Request for Information and Request for Proposal which covers the execution scheme. The 2nd subdivision high spots the personal acquisition.THE PROCESS OF SYSTEM INTEGRATIONThe faculty took us through assorted phases of system integrating get downing from the client seting up petition for information. If the procedure was to be repeated, there is a series of alterations and betterments that could be incorporated into the same. These have been detailed below.The Request for Information ( RFI )S Daellenbach and Sally J Davenport suggest that organisations enter into confederation based on properties of organisation and its representatives instead than the property of the future confederation relationship ( Establishing Trust during the Formation of Technology Alliances ‘ , Journal of Technology Transfer, 29 ( 2 ) , 2004:1 87 ) . The RFI phase is the platform to demo the clients the credibleness and eligibility of the company in taking up the undertaking ( mention of where you got the info from ) . It is of import to affect the client ; demo them that you have the capableness and besides set up trust. For this it is indispensable to demo partnership by seting the logo of Aluxtel and ICG together. The presentation would cover the accomplishments, the strengths, the services offered and relevant experience of ICG in the country of client demand. It would besides showcase the of import old and current partnerships of the company ; for this I would utilize Son of the spouse companies. The presentation should non give so much information that the client misses the indispensable points. ICG ab initio had 19 slides which were cut down to 14 during the RFI phase. Another facet I would make otherwise, was sing an question by the client about employee turnover ratio. ICG had divulged that information to Aluxtel but I subsequently found out that such inside informations are seldom let out by a company and about ne'er during RFI phase. Meeting with the client is besides a really important facet. Survey by Katz and Kahn suggest that appraisal of trust is likely to be based ab initio on the interpersonal interactions ( 1978 ) . It is hence of import to subscribe the â€Å"psychological contracts† with the client.The Request for Proposal ( RFP )This phase required us to showcase the program to turn to the client ‘s demand. The important facet to this was to pull out the right information from the client through the series of meetings we had. The process adopted consisted of three stairss – analysing the organisation & A ; understanding demands, explicating execution scheme and measuring the undertaking execution.Procedure and TechnologyMeasure 1: Analyzing organisation & A ; Understanding RequirementsThe key to acquiring information from the clients as pointed by the facult y leaders is to inquire an unfastened ended inquiry which leaves the client to speak more than you. The effectual direction of information has a important function to play in CRM. Information is critical for merchandise tailoring, service invention, amalgamate positions of clients, and ciphering client life-time value ( Peppard, 2000 ) . The initial negotiations were non really fruitful, due to inexperience and nervousnesss. The attendant meetings yielded more information ; the last meeting had been more focussed in footings of the inquiries and yielded specific concerns of the client sing cost decrease and organisational restructuring. This helped ICG modify the program to run into the client ‘s specific involvements. The information was used to transport out analysis utilizing techniques like SWOT analysis, stakeholder analysis and plague analysis. I would follow this as it greatly helped in analysing the consequence of the undertaking on assorted facets of the organisation. Measure 2: Execution SchemeThe scheme should provide to three chief facets viz. people, procedure and engineering. The thought is that a new procedure is to be designed by integrating engineering to give the company the competitory advantage. The focal point nevertheless needs to be on the demands of the company and non engineering. Technology should ever be the facilitator. This fact is confirmed by Rigby and Ledingham who say that directors should non be distracted by the CRM package but should concentrate on what demands it should provide to ( 2004 ) . I steadfastly adhere to this school of idea and believe that doing engineering the chief drive force behind determinations can do concerns to lose focal point on their nucleus competences, unless the nucleus competence is engineering itself. The chief facet to be considered in the instance of Aluxtel is the presence of silo systems. Migrating the information into a individual database would greatly cut down call clip and better client satisfaction. However this should non impact the normal concern operations. Bearing these factors in head a information migration program has to be devised. The information migration would besides function as an chance to transport out informations cleansing. In 2001, Gartner analysts Scott Nelson and Jennifer Kirkby reported that disregarding informations quality is the figure one ground for CRM undertaking failures ( Power, 2009:40 ) . The information of Aluxtel could be largely cleansed by automatic methods but required manual cleaning every bit good. The challenge with manual cleaning is the clip it consumes and the human resource required from an already overladen Aluxtel staff. From the interactions with the faculty leaders, it was concluded that cent per centum clean information is a rareness. Therefore I believe that automatic cleaning would do as an immediate demand. The information from silo systems could be integrated into a separate individual database and it can undergo the manual cleaning. This method has its pros and cons. Since the undertaking will be implemented in a phased mode, the above scheme would intend keeping bequest and new database till the undertaking goes unrecorded in all the offices. However it besides provides a autumn back mechanism to the bequest database in instance of any issue. The new system can take a few months to settle, where the staff and the clients become familiar with the system. The Information and Technology ( IT ) staff on which the burden is lesser than sales/marketing staff can transport out the manual cleaning. [ Refer appendix for informations migration diagram ] The client today takes certain services for granted, chief being an online service. It enormously adds to the convenience factor of the client. Bearing this in head, a web portal is a necessity. Peppers and Rogers depict how web sites help in retaining clients by offering services in traditionally impossible ways [ 2000 ] . The presence of a amalgamate database would intend that investing required for this would be minimum. Besides, presenting an IVR system with an machine-controlled confirmation service would greatly cut down call clip and the incommodiousness caused to clients by perennial confirmation questions. The following facet of the scheme is to look at cost decrease and organisational restructuring. For a apparatus that involves client naming in for questions, it is instead unneeded to hold four different offices for call centres. Integrating them would greatly cut down disposal and care costs. I would lodge to the recommendation made to unify Milton Keynes office with Birmingham office. There have been instances of companies Virgin, Bata etc switching central offices without impacting their concern. The cost decrease it would convey greatly justifies this move. An facet I would wish to convey about if I do this undertaking once more is affecting clients in make up one's minding other alterations to be brought about since CRM is a client centric undertaking. Random calls could be made to the clients asking about the alterations they would wish to see in the procedure. Optimizing client relationships requires a complete apprehension of all clients ; profitable every bit good as non-profitable, and so to form concern procedures to handle clients separately based on their demands and their values ( Renner, 2000 ) . This reinforces the advantages to be gained by utilizing the client profiling. One point that was missed out, as pointed out by Mr. Gary was the hazard analysis. Possible hazards such as undertaking failure, unequal return on investing, unplanned undertaking budget alterations, unhappy clients, loss of employee assurance, and recreation of cardinal direction clip and resources must be good thought out ( Schweigert, 2000 ) . Identifying the hazards involved and accordingly mapping the ways to extenuate these hazards would be a great confidence to the client and will besides guarantee better opportunities of forestalling a undertaking failure.Measure 3: Appraisal and ControlArgyris and Schon describe the spread between ‘intent ‘ and realisation as the major challenge in strategic direction theory ( 1996 ) . It is of import that the undertaking is invariably reviewed and assessed to do certain its on the right class and it adheres to the program set out. The steps taken by ICG were really good in run intoing this demand. A steering commission and a fol low up commission would guarantee that undertaking stuck to its program. The undertaking had a stage â€Å"controlling† every bit good for the intent.PeoplesExecution of endeavor engineering, such as CRM and ERP, requires alterations to organisational civilization ( Al-Mashari & A ; Zairi, 2000 ) . It is hence of import to fix the people involved for the alteration and do certain they are motivated to encompass the alteration. Most jobs in CRM execution are non proficient. [ Schwartz et Al, 2002 ] identifies organisational alteration as a major challenge for CRM executions. Analyzing the execution scheme, it is clear that the alteration is huge and there is a really valid demand to look into the people aspect. The first thing to make would be to affect the senior direction in the procedure of fixing the staff for the alteration. Cap Gemini and IDC found that top direction and selling and gross revenues direction are by and large the instigators of a corporate CRM undertaking ( 1999 ) . Besides developing Sessionss will be conducted to do them recognize the benefits of the new system and to besides guarantee their credence. Their feedbacks at assorted phases can guarantee that the undertaking is on path and these stairss would besides guarantee their ownership in the undertaking. A major issue to be considered is the resettlement of people in Milton Keynes to Birmingham and besides from the different call centres to the integrated call Centre. There is likely to be opposition in this respect. This issue was non discussed decently in ICG ‘s proposal. I believe that a little hiking in wage is justified to actuate people for the alteration. This would n't be a load on the company sing the effectual outgo cut. Besides a publicity would be a large psychological motive for the staff even if the salary rise associated with the publicity is minimum.Personal LearningThe faculty helped in understanding the constructs of consultancy and how to be professional in the work that you do. It familiarized me with the assorted phases involved in a undertaking and how to undertake each of them. It is most of import to hold a holistic position sing all possible facets. Initially, the focal point had merely been on planing a CRM system. But as the class progressed, I learne d to look at the chances for organisational restructuring and investigation for ways to transfuse process optimisation and cost decrease. The experience of working with clip restraints in a really competitory environment has made me confident to take on the universe of confer withing. As for the soft accomplishments, I was a portion of all the meetings with the client and besides handled the RFI presentation and the concluding presentation. It made me confident to talk in forepart of honored persons. The meetings helped me understand the elusive niceties of constructing a resonance by conversation and gestures. I was besides introduced to the art of inquiring the right sort of inquiries to pull out inside informations from the client. The procedure of working in a group besides was a really fulfilling experience. The work was by and large divided among the members and each member came prepared with the subject. This was followed by treatments and encephalon storming about the assorted subjects. This ensured proper analysis of all the subjects and deep apprehension about the same. It besides made certain that everyone in the group was cognizant of all the facets of our proposal. This was highlighted by the fact that during the reappraisal session by the panel after our concluding presentation, all the members answered to the questions.BibliographyAl-Mashari, M. and Zairi, M. ( 2000 ) , â€Å" The effectual application of SAP R/3: a proposed theoretical account of best pattern † , Logistics Information Management, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 156-66. Argyris, C and Schon, D ( 1996 ) Organizational larning II: Theory, Method and Practise. Chen, J.I & A ; Popvich.K, 2003. â€Å"Understanding client relationship direction ( CRM ) : Peoples, procedure and technology† in Business Process Management Journal. Vol 9 Daellenbach, S. & A ; Davenport, J. 2004. â€Å"Establishing trust during the formation of engineering alliances† in Journal of Technology Transfer, Vol: 29 ( 2 ) Finnigan D.J & A ; Willcocks, L.P, ( 2007 ) , Implementing CRM: From engineering to Knowledge Peppard, J. ( 2000 ) , â€Å" Customer relationship direction ( CRM ) in fiscal services † , European Management diary, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 312-27. Peppers, D. and Rogers, four ( 2000 ) , â€Å" Successful Web sites † , DMReview.Com, 4 February. Power.D, 2009. â€Å"Data Quality and MDM ; A information quality mentality additions MDM plan success† in Information Management. Vol 19 ( 2 ) . Renner, D. ( 2000 ) , â€Å" Customer relationship direction: a new arm in your competitory armory † , Siebel Magazine, Vol. 1 No. 2. Rigby, D.K. and Ledingham, D ( 2004 ) CRM done right. Harvard Business Review, 82 ( 11 ) , 118-129 Shwartz, M. , Schliebs, O. and Wyssusek, B. ( 2002 ) Concentrating the Customer: A Critical Approach towards Design and Use of Data Warehousing in Corporate CRM. DMDW Workshop at CAISE, Toronto. Schweigert, D. ( 2000 ) , â€Å" Balancing idealistic V realistic procedures † , in Proceedings of DCI Customer Relationship Management Conference, Boston, MA, 27-29 June

Dota Thesis Essay

Here in the Philippines, we believe in the saying of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal that â€Å"Youth is the hope of our Mother land†. In their hand lies the future generation to follow. But as we see from the situation nowadays, what we are expecting from the youth is the contrary if the saying. Teenagers are prone to pregnancy. Almost every year there is a rapid increase on the number of pregnant youths. One of the major causes of this problem is that most of the youths nowadays grew up in broken homes. Parents either the father or mother of the youths chose to leave their children behind because of the fact that they cannot handle anymore their obligation as parents. In relation to this problem, our government is now working on the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Law) as one of the most effective solution not only to teenage pregnancy but also to the increasing population of our country. The literature review was conducted to identify risk factors associated with teenage pregnancy and parenthood, including patterns of teenage sexual behaviour, as well as current knowledge about effective strategies in teenage pregnancy prevention. The impact of teenage parenthood on parents and children and ways of supporting pregnant and parenting young women was also explored. The review relied predominantly on Australian literature in order to reflect local issues and perspectives. However, the need to consider more recent or extensive research in some areas required the use of overseas literature, mainly from the US and the UK.Teenage pregnancies in the Philippines surged by 70 percent over one decade, a ranking official of the United Nation Population Fund Agency (UNFPA). Ugochi Daniels, UNFPA country representative, said the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the country is an area of concern that the agency is giving serious attention to, exposing as it does adolescent girls (10 to 19 years old) to high risk. Government statistics on female adolescent pregnancies indicate that the total number of annual births changed little over the preceding 10 years, but the number of teenage pregnancies rose 70 percent, from 114,205 in 1999 to 195,662 in 2009. Based on data compiled from birth certificates, of the 1.75 million live births in 2009, the latest review year, over 11 percent involved teenage mothers. Teenage pregnancy is widespread in the Philippines, especially amongst the poor. It is astory that may not be too pleasant, but one that is repeated all too often.Teen pregnancy is anobvious rising issue in our society. During the 21 st century, the statistics about this issue continues to rise even though there are a lot of disadvantages that young mothers and fathers can obviously get in the said issue. Fox (2008) defined teenage pregnancy as: Teenage pregnancy is one of the most important and alarming issues in today’s world. A teenage pregnancy, also referred to as teen pregnancy, comes to be when a girl attains motherhood before she becomes a major or adult, as laid down by the law of the land Some 16.5 million Filipinos belong to the 15-24 year old age group. We are forced with a glaring truth that at a very young age, a lot of young people today have children of their own. 30% of all births belong to this age group; and by the age of 20, 25% of the youth are already mot hers. This shocking truth about teenage pregnancy in the Philippines should wake the government and parents themselves to take action (Flores, 2008). According to the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (Uppi) and the Demographic Research and Development Foundation, twenty six(26%) of our Filipino youth nationwide from ages 15 to 25 admitted to having a premarital sex experience. What ¶s worse is that 38 percent of our youth are already in alive-in arrangement. Another is the 1998 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)reveals that 3.6 million of our teenagers (that’s a whopping 5.2 percent of our population!) got pregnant. In 92 percent of these teens, the pregnancy was unplanned, and the majority, 78 percent, did not even use contraceptives the first time they had sex(Singsong, 2008).Most teenagers don’t plan to get pregnant, but many do. Teen pregnancies carry extra health risks to the mother and the baby. Risks for the baby include premature birth and a low birth weight. To control this, we must help each other by following the suggested solutions. I. Cause Causes of teenage pregnancy are occurring due to following reasons according to Fox (2008): Consequence of raging hormones. Most teenagers experience sudden and hitherto unknown emotions and feelings during their early puberty. All this, coupled with a sudden sense of new-found freedom and sexuality, results in many of them giving vent to their feelings through sexual expressions and experiences. Of course, most countries stress on sex education in schools, but yet, some teenagers involve themselves in unsafe sex, which could lead to unwanted pregnancies. Peer pressure. A lot of teenagers indulge in early sexual behaviour due to peer pressure. This is due to the fact that they feel the great need to be ‘hip’ and ‘accepted’ by their circle of friends. The only way they could probably achieve that would be by having a boyfriend or girlfriend or at least by dating and indulging in sexual acts often. Contraceptive Failure. Though there are many types and brands of contraceptives and emergency birth control pills easily available in the market, these are never a guarantee for complete safety. Only Mother Nature knows when she might want to get into action, so no form of birth control is going to be completely foolproof! (Fox, July 18, 2008).Other causes of teenage pregnancy are: 1. Lack of Parental Guidance. Most people evade their children from talking about sex. In some cases, they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in any informative discussion about sex. In some cases, teenage mothers are not well educated about sex before getting pregnant and thus this leads to lack of communication between the parents and the children. 2. Inadequate Knowledge about Safe Sex. Most adolescents are unaware of safe sex. They probably have no access to the traditional methods of preventing pregnancy. And the main reason behind is that they are either too embarrassed or fear to seek information about it. It was found that more than 80% of teenage pregnancies are unintended. 3. Exploitation by Older Men. This is another major factor that contributes to pregnancyamong the teenagers. Those girls who date older men are more likely to become pregnant before they attain womanhood. Rape, sexual exploitations etc. also takes place th at leadsto unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls. 4. Socio Economic Factors. Teenage girls who belong to the poor families are more likelyto become pregnant. Researchers have found that even in the developed countries teenage pregnancy occurs most commonly among the deprived sections. 5. Glamorization of Pregnancy. The movie industry and the media contribute to teenage pregnancy by glamorizing teen pregnancy in news stories and movies. Movies that depict teen pregnancy as something to be desired encourage teens to engage in reckless sexual activity, according to ABC’s â€Å"Good Morning America.† During adolescence, teens become more focused on their appearance and how their peers perceive them. They want to be seen as part of the group, so if teen pregnancy is viewed as acceptable in their school or amongst their friends, they may seek to become pregnant as a way to gain social acceptance. 6. Teenage Drinking. Teen drinking can cause an unexpected pregnancy, according to the website Love to Know. Many teens experiment with drugs and alcohol. Drinking lowers a teen’s ability to control her impulses, contributing to 75 percent of pregnancies that occur between the ages 14 and 21. Approximately 91 percent of pregnant teens reported that although they were drinking at the time, they did not originally plan to have sex when they conceived. 7. Sexual Abuse or Rape. Teens can become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse or rape. The Guttmacher Institute states that between 43 and 62 percent of teens acknowledge that they were impregnated by an adult male, and two-thirds report that their babies’ fathers are as old as 27. Approximately 5 percent of all teen births are the result of a rape. 8. Inconsistent use of birth control Even though the use of contraceptives has increased among teenagers, its use remains spotty. Teens may use birth control to help prevent teen pregnancy, but most do not use contraceptives consistently. Erratic contraceptive use, however, is better than none. A sexually active teen that does not use any birth control has a 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year. Some of the reasons that birth control is not used include the following: uneducated about birth control, uncomfortable using birth control methods and unable to access reliable birth control. 9. Abstinence-only sex education. Despite recent government efforts to fund abstinence-only sex education, the vast majority of teenage boys and girls (62 percent and 70 percent) have initiated vaginal sex by the age of 18. Because of their nature, abstinence-only programs leave out educational information on birth control. These programs have never been shown to actually reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy. However, they are the programs that receive the most funding from the government. There are state governments that forbid any sort of teen sex education in schools at all. This means that teens that experiment may not have information on birth control and are more likely to engage in activity that results in teen pregnancy. 10. Psychological factors. The immature and irresponsible behaviour arising duet complex teenage psychology is another important cause of teenage pregnancies. Teenagers often go through a number of emotions because of their own transition from childhood and peer pressure. The causes above are also similar to the causes here in the Philippines. II. Solution a) Existing Solutions – since abortion is immoral and legally wrong here in the Philippines, they consider adoption for the baby or acceptance for the parents. If not yet born, then they suggest that the baby not be killed. Currently, the government proposes sex education but it is still debated whether it would be taught or not. One way to prevent pregnancy is by practicing safe sex. In addition to it, birth control tools such as condoms, pills, intra-uterine devices or supremacies can regulate the fertility of a woman’s eggs. Even though it decreases the chances of not being pregnant, still it is not 100%sure and effective to avoid pregnancy. Some are even desperate that they will come to a point that they have to abort their babies without knowing the effects it may cause to the mother and it will kill the conscience of who will ever do this abortion thing. With the help of Science, Medicine has developed a new pill contraceptive namedRU486, the morning after solution to a sex encounter. Teenagers nowadays are sexually active without their parents knowing their sexual activities. Often times, media promotes sexuality to the young which may cause them to be mislead with wrong information about sex and they might be misguided, that’s why parents play an important role to the lives of their children. For all we know, sex is for those couples who already undergo to the Sacrament of Marriage, because doing sex needs a lot of sense of maturity not only physical but mental and spiritual basis. Once a pregnancy occurs from premarital sex, the couple is bound to live together for the rest of their lives with or without marriage because they have now the obligation to raise the child. The best way to avoid teen pregnancy is by avoiding or abstaining from sex before marriage. One thing is for sure, abstain from sex will keep you 100% safe from diseases, undesired relationship, and of course teenage PREGNANCY (Life Challenges -AllAboutLifeChallenges.org, 2011). Other possible Solutions are: 1. Abstinence from sex until you are old enough to do so. 2. Usage of contraceptives and other forms of birth controls. 3. Sex Education. 4. Affection and Guidance of parents. 5. Counselling. 6. Discouraging early dating What Ever the solutions may be, we must all keep in mind that we must be pro-life. b) How it is done in other countries. Existing solutions do not only exist on the Philippines but also on other parts of the world. For Example, abortion in the United States has been legal in every state since the United States Supreme Court decision in Roe V. Wade, on January 22, 1973. Prior to â€Å"Roe†, there were exceptions to the abortion ban in at least 10 states; â€Å"Roe† established that a woman has a right to self-determination (often referred to as a â€Å"right to privacy†) covering the decision whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term, but that this right must be balanced against a state’s interest in preserving fetal life (Wikipedia, 2011). In Egypt, they teach knowledge about male and female reproductive systems, sexual organs, contraception and STDs in public schools at the second and third years of the middle-preparatory phrase (when students are aged 12-14)(Wikipedia, 2011). In France, They promote sex education and it has been part of school curricular since 1973. Schools are expected to provide 30 to 40 hours of sex education, and pass out condoms, to students in grades eight and nine (Wikipedia, 2011). In Britain, which has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe ,sex education is a heated issue in government and media reports In Sweden, sex education has been a mandatory part of school education since 1956. The subject is usually started between ages 7 and 10, and continues up through the grades, incorporated into different subjects such as biology and history In some countries, such as America, Falcon punch is done by the teens. The Falcon Punch is most often used to end the untimely pregnancy of a loved one in a humane manner, especially if the loved one happens to be under the age of sixteen. (EncyclopediaDramatica,2011). Active euthanasia, commonly referred simply as euthanasia, is only legal in the Netherlands and Belgium. (Wiki Answers, 2011) Euthanasia is the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit, and over the years it has been one of the favourite tools of those who think society is better off when we take active steps to kill the poor, the disabled, the elderly, or the  ³unwanted ´. Today the debate over euthanasia most commonly revolves around the issue of physician-assisted suicide. There are many forms of euthanasia but the assisted suicide is its most common from. This method has also been done to prevent teenage pregnancy. (Wikipedia,2011) There are many possible solutions that can be done, some countries perform different methods that are immoral for Filipinos. One example is abortion. But amidst all this, we must learn to give importance to life because it is God’s wonderful gift to all of us STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: This study answers the following questions: 1. What is your reaction on teen pregnancy? 2. Do you know anything about RH Law? 3. Did you ever think of aborting a baby? 4. Do you still continue to pursue your education? 5. Do you know of anywhere in your local area where free condoms are available to younger couples? 6. What is the best solution or prevention on Early Pregnancy? 7. How the other country preventing early pregnancy. Locale of the Study The Study was done in STI College Laguna, The IT students give an survey about their reaction about Early Pregnancy and what they say about passing the RH Law. Importance: The fact is that the RH Bill is now a law of the Republic, and the President, barring judicial intervention, has the obligation of seeing to its effective, just and balanced implementation. Indeed, it would be tragic if, after all the acrimony, we end up with a law that is not implemented like many good legislation in this country. According to Dean Tony La Vina, in her view, the protracted debate, even if it was too long (lasting 13 years), actually improved the bill and, thanks in part to the opponents of the bill, we have a much more balanced and a better law than originally proposed. Among others, it is clear that abortifacient methods are prohibited (although the definition of abortion as preventing implantation of a fertilized ovum is controversial), freedom of conscience is respected, and there is neither a mandate to reduce our population nor a preference for smaller families. Below is a summary of what I believe are the most important provisions under the RH Law: * It affirms in a balanced way various state policies related to the right of health, including reproductive health, the rights of women, couples and families, and the protection of the life of the mother and the unborn. The law provides for spousal and parental consent in specific instances although safeguards to protect the individual rights of mothers or those availing of a service or procedure are also included. * In my view, the RH Law’s most important provision is the guarantee by the State to provide â€Å"universal access to medically-safe, non-abortifacient, effective, legal, affordable, and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies which do not prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and relevant information and education thereon according to the priority needs of women, children and other underprivileged sectors.† * In implementing the above policy, the State shall promote and provide information and access, without bias, to all methods of family planning, including effective natural and modern methods which have been proven medically safe, legal, non-abortifacient, and effective in acco rdance with scientific and evidence-based medical research standards. If this â€Å"no bias† principle is actually implemented, it will go a long way in reducing acrimony in the law’s implementation. * The RH law also provides that the State shall also provide funding support to promote modern natural methods of family planning, especially the Billings Ovulation Method, consistent with the needs of acceptors and their religious convictions. * The RH Law does not set demographic or population targets, and in fact, states that the mitigation, promotion and/or stabilization of the population growth rate is incidental to the advancement of reproductive health. Further, each family has the right to determine its ideal family size: although the State is mandated to equip each parent with the necessary information on all aspects of family life, including reproductive health and responsible parenthood, in order to make that determination. * Religious freedom is actually respected in the RH Law. Hospitals owned and operated by a religious group do not have to provide services contrary to its beliefs although these hospitals shall immediately refer the person seeking such care and services to another health facility, which is conveniently accessible. The conscientious objection of a health care service provider based on his/her ethical or religious beliefs are also respected, accompanied by an obligation for referral. These exceptions do not, however, apply in emergency cases. * The RH Law provides that no person shall be denied information and access to family planning services, whether natural or artificial. Minors however will not be allowed access to modern methods of family planning without written consent from their parents or guardian/s except when the minor is already a parent or has had a miscarriage. * Finally, age- and development-appropriate reproductive health education to adolescents (10-19 years) is mandated for public schools, which program shall be based on consultations with parents-teachers-community associations, school officials and other interest groups. Private schools may adopt the program at their own option, but consistent with religious freedom, are not obliged to do so. Scope and Limitations: This investigation is conducted to determine the rate of STI students that is reacted on Early or Teen Pregnancy. This way, we could determine the status and profile of the teenager Reaction in teenage pregnancy. The aspects looked into were the quantitative information of number of STI IT students Reaction in teenage pregnancy and the data behind this. This investigation focuses on number of IT students Reacted in teenage pregnancy in STI College Laguna portrayed by our group as respondents during February 2013. Definitions of Terms Teenage pregnancy – refers to any pregnancy on women that took place between the ages 13 – 19 years old. Teen aged Students – refers to students that ages a number that end in â€Å"teen† as the last syllable such as13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. Rate – refers to a quantity from a recent quantity STIS – refers to Sexually Transmitted Infections STDS – refers to Transmitted Diseases Sex – the sum of the structural, functional, and behavioural characteristics of organisms that are involved in reproduction marked by the union of gametes and that distinguish males and females RH – Reproductive Health Contraceptives – A device or drug serving to prevent pregnancy. Reference: http://www.dcsi.sa.gov.au/pub/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/51595306/Teenage-Pregnancies-in-the-Philippines-2, http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/18972-reconciliation-post-rh-law

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History - Assignment Example Nietzsche, a German scholar, and cultural critic, argued that civilization and its consequences is the price people have to pay to control the ego and its wants. Natural rights were undermined as European countries colonized African states. Colonizers subjected colonial natives to unfair manipulation and oppression. The perception held by the social class at this time was described as materialistic. The opinion advocated for accumulation and maintenance of wealth at the expense of other people. Artists from various fields took to different methods of expressing their feelings. Modern movement artists as if Strindberg expressed sexuality family and class conflict in an effort to point out the state of society1. Spengler compared culture to an organism, in a context, that culture is something that is, grows and then dies. Spengler viewed culture as a development born out of creativity. He defined civilization as the result of a culture. As in, the product after a culture has been created. According to Spengler civilization, is the tangible culture. Civilization is a culture that has been transformed to be physical. The Faustian or western culture was born in Western Europe during the 10th century. The western culture became a civilization in the 20th century when it was present in most parts of the world. Religion helps a culture seek identification and exhibits the different stages in the development of a culture2. Totalitarian states are governments whose primary objective is to control the people it governs entirely. Totalitarianism requires people to comply with the government’s policies without any opposition. Totalitarian states are termed as dictatorships. The following are the authoritarian policies of Adolf Hitler in Germany. Â · Hitler devolved his party to smaller units scattered all over the country. He led with charisma and devotion to convince people that he only had good intentions. Before acquiring

Choosing the Best Tax Entity for a Small Business Essay

Choosing the Best Tax Entity for a Small Business - Essay Example For this reason, the article recommends this type of entity to first time business owners. On the negative side, however, sole proprietorships face "unlimited personal liability" and "15.3% self-employment tax on all earnings up to $80,400." If the business is legally risky, the personal liability issue is a major obstacle. A general partnership, on the other hand, is characterized by Anthony as "a good way to participate in a venture with other individuals without having to deal with payroll issues." The partners also have great freedom in the distribution of profits amongst themselves as long as a consensus is reached. Nevertheless, this entity shares the problem of self-employment tax with sole proprietorships, and all partners can be held liable for the actions of the others. The central benefit of an S corporation is that there is "no Social Security or Medicare taxes on profits or dividends from the corporation to shareholders." However, the business owners' benefits are not deductible. In a C corporation, on the other hand, all health insurance is deductible, and there is access to a lower tax rate for profits kept in the corporation.

Race & ethnicity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race & ethnicity - Term Paper Example Take for instance, the African Americans, badge of identity is their black skin color. However, this characteristic does not fully identify members of a particular race because of the notion of inter-marriage. For instance, there is a high rate of inter-marriages amongst members of different races such as blacks, and whites, and this interferes with their genetic characteristics. On this basis therefore, race is a societal issue, and can compose of people who have a share dialect, and experience. In America for instance, race explains why people of African descent were forced to work as slaves, deny them some of their rights and basic freedom (Flax, 51). The federal government for instance, enacted some legislation to deny African American some benefits that citizens of the Union had. Take an example of the naturalization act, which came into existence in 1790. The aim of this law was to deny people of African descent the citizenship status of America. Other racial laws include, the national origins act of 1924, and the Chinese exclusion act of 1882 (Flax, 32). The national origins act was meant to regulate the number of immigrant coming into the United States of America. The target of the law was the Jews, the Eastern and Western Europeans, the Indians and Asians. On this basis therefore, we can argue that other racial groups were also a target of the American government, and people. Despite these aspects, African Americans are the people who suffered most under the policies of the Federal government. This is due to slavery and other discriminative tendencies from the white people and the government. Racism still continues to dominate the American social life and Bell Hook agrees with this notion. Hook (23) observes that racialism is even on the minds of the educated white people. She denotes that in a cultural conference she attended, there were arrangements denoting the supremacy of the white men (Hook, 33). This was depicted on the people who were invited t o talk in the conference; and the different manner in which the organizers of the meeting handled white and black speakers. This was a clear indication of people who came from a white race, looking down upon people of different races, and this attitude instilled fear in her. Therefore, this paper analyzes how African Americans suffered from racialism in United States of America. It starts by analyzing the impact of slavery upon African-Americans, the human rights movement that advocated for an equal opportunity, and the various laws that the Federal government enacted to solve the problem of racialism in United States of America. The conclusion of this paper is a summary of the major points found in it. African American Experiences with Racialism: African Americans began their stay in United States of America as slaves for purposes of supporting an economic system that did not benefit them in whatever circumstances. This is because they did not enjoy the benefits of a naturalized ci tizen. The naturalization act of 1790 prevented anybody who was not a white person from gaining citizenship, by naturalization. Due to their status as slaves, African Americans could not vote, could not hold any political or administrative office, could not serve on a jury, or could not own any property. Slaves were not allowed to speak before their master, or before a congregation of white people. Bell Hooks denotes, in one of her

Current event paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Current event paper - Essay Example As such, this paper seeks to analyse an article entitled ‘Breeding for improved product quality’ , 22 March, 2013 in a bid to establish its relationship with the above mentioned concept of product quality in real live business terms. A close analysis of the above mentioned article shows that a new multidisciplinary research project involving Teagasc, UCC, UCD and ICBF has underscored to breed for improved product quality in dairy, beef and sheep in Ireland. This comes in the wake of the fact that beef and dairy product are consumed by millions of people in this country hence the aspect of consumer safety and quality should be given the priority it deserves. As such BreedQuality has been awarded a project to ensure that they use state-of-the-art technology to carry out research that is meant to ensure that quality beef and dairy products are offered in the market. The aim of this project is to ensure that the consumers get quality products that do not compromise their health and safety. Research ought to be conducted in order to establish the needs and interests of the customers so as to be in a position to offer quality goods. From the above information, it can be seen that in any business environment, the concept of quality should be given the priority it deserves. This is meant to ensure that the customers get the values from their money. This concept of product quality has been aptly illustrated by the above mentioned news article which shows that the aspect of quality is very important in the beef industry. As shown in the article, research is carried out to enhance improved quality of the products offered by the companies involved in the beef and dairy industries. An organization that is interested in achieving its profit oriented goals should make sure that it maintains

Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Health policy - Essay Example With the ultimate ruling set for June, the insurance firms must be ready to alter their plans for the coming year. The court lays its focus on federal issues that may help in lowering the insurance costs, with close linkage on the federal taxation system. However, the plaintiff is quick to put it that the law fails to authorize the insurance systems in states offering online insurance packages. Ruling against the subsidies could see over seven million citizens lose the insurance financial aid from the government. Exclusion of the tax credits is likely to lead to detrimental effects on the insurance departments, and an ultimate collapse. For a myriad of people, dropping the coverage they may not afford to pay is the ultimate solution. A few consumers may persist with the payments, since they value their health. The passing of the law will have great repercussions to every American citizens, especially those whose reliance is on government financed insurance. I concur totally with the author of the article. First, she drives her points home so well- making it clear that the passing of the law will lead to a hike in the prices of the insurance packages. He cites several reasons, such as credit removal and its implications. Essentially, an uninsured population is a direct translation to death. His ideologies are real and applicable. I would prefer the court to make a ruling against the Act, as it will diminish the significance of Obama Care. Anna Mathews, Insurers biggest fear: a health-law death spiral, Retrieved from

Analyze a Foreign Song Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze a Foreign Song - Essay Example (â€Å"Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna – Part 8†). â€Å"Mitwa† is a typical instance of popular Bollywood film music in contemporary times. It has a catchy, lighthearted tune, fuses Western and Indian styles of music and even has a few lines of English lyrics. E.g.: â€Å"Love will find a way† is part of the refrain verse. The time signature is a simple 4/4. There are three main singers: Shafqat Amanat Ali, Shankar Mahadevan and Carolisa. The texture is therefore a polyphonic one. The leading voice is a tenor. The orchestra and chorus are present throughout the song and contribute significantly to the song. The orchestra comprises instruments of both the Indian classical music tradition as well as the Western music tradition. For instance, the Indian Tabla and the electric guitar are both discernible in the refrain (ref. 1:47 of the song). The form of the song, like most mainstream Bollywood music, is strophic. The tune of the first stanza is repeated for later sta nzas; there is a common refrain as well. The device of counterpoint is also used at times, notably around 2:15 when the singer sings a taan, or a rapid progression of melodic notes. â€Å"Mitwa† is different from the typical Western popular song in several ways. The instruments it puts to use, like the Tabla and the Indian keyboard Harmonium, are not heard in mainstream pop music in America. If one were to compare it with something like Eminem’s â€Å"Lose Yourself†, the difference emerges right away. â€Å"Lose Yourself† is entirely a rap song with words that are spoken rather than sung to a repetitive percussion. Melody and harmony are not integral parts of a rap song. In â€Å"Mitwa† however, the orchestral music and melody of the songs are crucial to the song. â€Å"Mitwa† also has musical interludes and refrains that are very different from the refrain in â€Å"Lose Yourself† which is primarily rap. Bob Dylan’s â€Å"The Times They Are A-Changin’† belongs firmly to the traditions of Folk and Country & Western music. Comparing it with â€Å"Mitwa† also reveals differences. Dylan’s song relies primarily on the content of his lyrics to carry it through. The song itself is sung simply with a minimalist acoustic guitar accompaniment. This is in stark contrast with â€Å"Mitwa† which uses an extravagant orchestra throughout. â€Å"Mitwa† can be contrasted against a Bluesy track like Cream’s â€Å"Crossroads† too. â€Å"Crossroads† has an eight-note riff in its rhythm section whereas â€Å"Mitwa† has a refrain that is dominated by the percussive sounds of the Tabla and the Interlude music. This song has several eclectic features. The uses of an orchestra ensemble, the fusion of Western and Indian music and the use of English words in the lyrics are all its defining features. In this it is similar to the Western tradition of the musical an d call-and-response urban gospel music. In both these styles there is the presence of a chorus, usually there is also an orchestra ensemble. The polyphonic texture and importance of melody are also common features. â€Å"Mitwa† can be compared to a song like â€Å"I Will Follow Him† from the Sister Act soundtrack which has a similar buildup. It starts out with just the vocals; then there is the introduction of the percussion and accompanying instruments and finally the climax with the entire chorus and orchestra. I liked the song because of its lilting tune that slowly builds up into a catchier beat. I

Discuss and assess the potential for multiplied penalties for Assignment

Discuss and assess the potential for multiplied penalties for egregious violations. Your response should be approximately 200-300 words and include a reference citation for your sources - Assignment Example Some companies are crying foul because according to them it was practically issuing multiple citations and penalties for the same violation (MacArthur, 1995). Furthermore, since the OSHA provision is for prevention of the same hazards from occurring again, it is improper to multiply the penalties by the number of employees harmed by a violation. There is no need to multiply the penalty because the same hazard can be remedied with the â€Å"identical abatement method† (MacArthur, 1995). If OSHA is allowed to execute these multiplied penalties, they might go overboard and start issuing penalties on a per day or per hour basis on every violation made. This is definitely unreasonable and unacceptable to employers. OSHA should view the matter in the proper perspective focusing on the fact that if the hazard can be corrected just once, then there is no need for multiplied penalties. However, if different hazards represent different violations, then the penalties should be multiplied because it cannot be corrected by a single action. MacArthur, M. (1995, December 1). Commision clarifies OSHAs "egregious violations" policy. Retrieved June 27, 2012, from pffc-online.com: http://pffc-online.com/ar/2049-paper-commission-clarifies-oshas Stanley, J. (2010, September). OSHA issuing more egregious violations, but they may not hold up. Retrieved June 27, 2012, from fdrsafety.com:

The advantages of living in the East Bay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The advantages of living in the East Bay - Essay Example ban areas becomes a great competitor for big city life with its constant noise, high level of pollution and fuss, as it is able to meet numerous demands of men seeking calm life free from numerous threats for physical and mental health. In this respect, the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area represents a vivid example of suburbs’ popularity among Americans due to the numerous advantages of living in its territory. For the beginning it must be mentioned that the East Bay is distinguished by its coastal living with every possible benefits of such an area. One way or another, the impact of a close proximity of the Pacific Ocean can be felt in all its contrasts being non-covered by muggy air of San Francisco. So, the residents of the bay area have a great opportunity to enjoy Mediterranean climate. Unpolluted air being mixed with favorable effect of the climate on humans’ health attribute to the general attractiveness of the region for families with children of any age. Adding to more or less safe conditions of county life, the quenching Mediterranean climate with its comfortable air temperature appears to be an extremely helpful for upbringing of healthy kids. Altogether, the East Bay climate alongside with remoteness from city pollutants turns to be a charming factor and one of the main advantages of the place. Comfortable houses of modern building design as well as diversity in their choice from ordinary, almost classical ones to penthouses with totally private area for spending vacations and leisure time in personal huge pools, roof-top patios and other facilities for outdoor activities. Anyway, the East Bay is a much more open space, so the life there is certainly more comfortable for a family and an individual than in urban areas. Furthermore, there are accompanying benefits of living not in a large city, namely: absence of problems with parking, neighbors’ placement at a sufficient distance, an opportunity to enjoy nature and communication with it in

Developmental time Essay Example for Free

Developmental time Essay The time taken in the development of Automated office systems support varies with the approach employed. Other factors inherent of an organization also play an important part in the determination of the total time the organization will take in coming up with a new system (Tapscott, 1998). The developmental time can be viewed in two contexts; the time taken in building an Automated office systems support and the time taken in buying an off-shelf Automated office systems support. The time taken in building a new Automated office systems support is generally larger than that taken in buying (Tapscott, 1998). Moreover, the factors that are influential on the overall time taken in building are more compared to those in buying. The total time taken in building is influenced by internal and external factors which include; the availability of resources, the organization and coordination of all those involved in the implementation of the project. The level and the availability of the required expertise within the organizations working environment is a consideration. The availability of the required software and hardware components necessary in coming up with Automated office systems support is fundamental. The software and the hardware components must be as per the required functionality set by the organization needs. Change in government policies and market trends may greatly affect the availability of the required components and thus have an effect n the developmental time (Tapscott, 1998). In addition the needs of the users often change with time and this may require the modification of components that are already in place which lead to delay. The time taken in buying a new system is highly dependent on external factors that are not within the control of the organization (Tapscott, 1998). In most cases organizations lose time in this stage for reasons that are not within their reach or control. Buying as a process requires a well established resource base and a good legal framework to fully engage the system as a whole (Kenyon, 2001). The market conditions are influential on the speed of purchase and thus very important in the determination of the total developmental time. The actual location of an organization is also important in evaluating the total buying time. An organization in an urban setting find it easy to buy software and hardware components as the availability and cost associated with their purchase is small compared to those in a rural setting. Personnel This is also one of the most overlooked factors (Kenyon, 2001). In consideration of the personnel, decision on whether to buy or build an Automated office systems support requires company wide consultation (Kenyon, 2001). As organizations analyses their resources they must determine what they have and the needed personnel required for the implementation of the Automated office systems support. The organization should determine the number of available technical staff available for the support. If organizations lack or anticipate a lack of personnel, they must decide on when and where the required staff will be obtained from, which may involve the determination of the cost of the support (Kenyon, 2001). Money Money is an important consideration in strategic development as it affects the nature of the budget. A limited or unlimited budget has a great bearing on the choice of whether to buy or build an Automated office systems support (Katzan, 2002). In consideration of the budget both individuals and organizations must consider the short and long term benefits that will be accrued by the implementation of either methods. This may also involve the analysis of the effects of the non-implementation of the alternative. The importance of money is such that without it the project is non-existent (Levy, 2001). Therefore, organization are required to accurately estimate their resource requirements before a decision on whether to buy or build an Automated office systems support is made. The cost involved in both cases have to be estimated and any other factors that may affect the estimated cost determined. Moreover, since all factors can never be determined accurately, including a contingency or escape plan in the formulation of the original policy will ensure that the organization is well prepared for any eventuality (Kenyon, 2001). The effect of money on the total time taken also depends on the government policies, market and industry condition that can affect the availability of resources especially money (Carter, 1999). Expected change in areas that currently affect the availability of funds largely determines the feasibility of the project in future. The availability of additional funding and all the factors that affect it, which may include legal and political issues all play important roles.

Descriptive Paragraph Essay Example for Free

Descriptive Paragraph Essay One of the things that I treasure in summertime is my weekends. I start my day early, getting ready to ride in my boyfriend’s car, to pick up the boat from a friend. The boat is a camouflaged, flat bottom, twelve feet long; spray painted on one side is the name for the boat â€Å"Esox Lucius†. We get to the creek and Jake dismounts the boat, I help by bringing the fishing poles, tackle boxes and my bag down to the bank. The familiar creek where we go is not too wide, covered on both sides by green pasture hills. We drift around curves with the moderate sway of the water. The day is clear blue sky with bright rays of light coming from the sun, and refreshing soft breeze enveloping our skin. Not far from here, you can hear the mooing from a group of robust, spotted cattle nibbling the grass. There are farmers getting tractors ready for work in the fields. I am sitting in the front of the boat reading a book, while Jake is casting away his bait ready to catch another fish. He is standing at the back of the boat for a wide open cast. Yet his back is straight and at ease, because he is doing one of his favorite hobbies, facing me. His arms sway smoothly with every cast far away from the boat, enjoying the dynamic between the bait and the fish. In addition the water is so clear, which makes it simple to spot the fish leaping for the bait. After a while I put down the book, and decide to fish as well. The fishing pole is an Ugly Stik model, six and a half feet long, equipped with a cork handle. My bait is a half ounce swim jig head; about five inches long, camouflaged green, purple and orange skirt, with a black and white swimbait tail. With my distant cast, combined with a slow reeling, I eagerly anticipate a fish to make the mistake to fall for my trap.

Above and below the line promotion

Above and below the line promotion 1 Introduction In terms of the general perception of all of the marketing mix elements that a firm may employ, it is perhaps promotion that is the most prominent P in the 4 Ps. In fact to many people promotion is marketing. Promotion is a part of a firms overall effort to communicate with consumers and others about its product or service offering. Both the company and the consumer have needs which they aim to fulfill; the profit making company wishes to improve or maintain profits and market share, and gain a better reputation than its competitors, and the consumer aims to reach his or her personal goals. The total product offering allows each party to move towards these goals, offering a bundle of satisfactions which fulfill needs in an instrumental and a psychological sense. The phrase Marketing Communications is generally preferred to the term promotion, this term being reserved for a branch of communications called below-the-line sales promotion. 2 Promotion or Marketing Communication? In a sense all marketing communication activity is a form of promotion, that is in one way or another is attempting to promote the interest of the brand, product range and/or company. What differentiates above the line activity from below the line activity is a somewhat arbitrary division. There is no universally accepted definition of either. Below the line activity is loosely classed as non-media advertising. Basically if an advertisement is submitted to a publication and a commission is paid to the advertising agency to feature the piece then this is deemed to be above the line communication. If no commission has been paid, for example in the case of a public relations press release, a trade exhibition or a sponsored sports event, this is referred to as below the line activity. This distinction is accepted by most and is the distinction adopted here. 3 Real and implied product attributes The role of marketing communications is to communicate the benefits of the product, service or firm to potential consumers and indeed the same process is undertaken in not for profit situations like political parties. The benefits marketing communicators try to convey can be real although many of attributes are implied through association or suggestion. This has been described as a total bundle of attributes that the consumer perceives in a holistic manner. In other words, consumers see the product or service offering as a unified whole, rather than a bundle of separate component parts such as its price, packaging, shape and so on. In this way, marketing communications conveys the meaning of the companys total product offering, helping consumers attain their goals and moving the company closer to its own goals. Many products, particularly in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) category, are very similar to other products in their class. For example margarines are basically similar no matter what brand is selected, and the same goes for many fmcg products. In times of shortage, such as during the war years, goods were treated as homogenous commodities, and basically soap was soap! In less developed countries the same is true today. From the study of buyer behaviour it was noted that Maslow described the different needs of human beings as being hierarchical in nature. At the bottom of the pyramid physiological needs such as hunger and thirst are of primary concern to the individual, almost to the exclusion in fact of anything else. Marketers can make use of this phenomenon and this can be witnessed in advertising soft drinks such as Coca Cola or fast food such as Burger King, McDonalds or KFC. Only when these basic, but important, physiological needs are satisfied will the individual turn his or her attention to the next category of need in the hierarchy. Their next need is safety and that of their family. In modern society these needs are reflected in goods and services such as burglar alarms, car locks and alarms, double glazing, external lighting, insurance, saving schemes etc. Marketers use the motive of fear in order to market such products. Thereafter loftier concerns assume more importance. People need to feel part of a group, appreciated by others and have the opportunity to both give and receive love. Fashion items like perfume, supporting the same pop group or sports team are all examples of how marketing uses social needs to sell products and services. Esteem needs can be translated into products and services through high status marquee cars, designer clothes or expensive holidays. Finally we reach the higher order need of self-actualisation. Only in very wealthy countries is it possible to have large sections in this category. The best example here is probably in California, especially in cities such as San Francisco where people can indulge in a variety of alternative life styles. Books by self help gurus, health supplements exercise videos are examples of products aimed at this motive. 4 The marketing communications mix Promotion describes the communications activities of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and publicity/public relations. Advertising is a non-personal form of mass communication, paid for by an identified sponsor. Personal selling involves a seller attempting to persuade a potential buyer to make a purchase. Sales promotion encompasses short-term activities such as giving coupons, free samples, etc. that encourage quick action by buyers. The company has control over these three variables, but has little control over the fourth variable, publicity/public relations. This is another non-personal communication method that reaches a large number of people, but it is not paid for by the company and is usually in the form of news or editorial comment regarding a companys product or service. Companies can gain some control over the publicity it receives by the release of news items. Put together, these promotional activities make up the promotional or communications mix with varying emphasis on each element according to the type of product or service, characteristics of consumers and company resources. Company size, competitive strengths and weaknesses and style of management all influence the promotional mix. Other communications elements with which promotion must be coordinated are the product itself, price and distribution channels used. Product communication, including brand name, design of packaging and trade-marks are all product cues which convey a message about the total product offering. Price can communicate different things under varying circumstances, for instance conveying prestige appeal for those buyers who perceive that a high price is equal to quality and prestige. The place in which the products are to be found also has notable communications value. Retail stores have personalities that consumers associate with the products they sell. Products receive a halo effect from the outlets in which they can be found and two stores selling similar products can project entirely different product images. For example, a perfume sold through an upmarket store will have a much higher quality image than one sold through supermarkets. 5 The Marketing Communications Process Effective communication means effective marketing. Buyers perceptions of market offerings are influenced by the amount and type of information they receive as well as their reaction to that information. There must be a good flow of information between seller and buyer to assist decision-making that precedes a purchase. An effective marketing communications system also allows feedback from the consumer to the seller. Some people have a psychological predisposition to buy products and services that are new to the market. This predisposition can be modeled with the use of a normal distribution. Certain people derive a great deal of pleasure from acquiring new products and being first in the market. Such people have a low level of perceived risk and in fact they positively like the risk and excitement associated with the purchase of new, innovative products. These people are referred to as innovators and, according to Everett Rogers account for about 2.5 % of the population. The next group of people displaying a tendency to buy new products are known as early adopters and account for approximately 13.5 % of the market. These are still highly adventurous purchasers and the possession of innovative new products gives them a high present value. They still have a low level of perceived risk but are slightly more risk adverse than the innovator category. The next two groups, Early Majority and Late Major ity account for the bulk of the potential market, 64% in all. Most people fall in to one of these categories. Finally the Laggards are people who are not really infested in new product development and tend to purchase products only when their old product is worn out and stops working. This theme is returned to later under product issues. A key question for the marketing communicator is: Are the innovators and early adopters also opinion leaders? The majority of potential customers are too risk adverse or too disinterested to be first in the market for an innovation. They are largely unaffected by the media communication about the innovation. Instead, they are influenced by people that they know who they regard as opinion leaders. Although some individuals my be innovators for many products and services, it is more likely that they will be classified as such for a limited range of products. For example a computer enthusiast may be regarded as a innovator for new computer products. Similarly, someone who is interested in photography may be regarded as opinion leaders in relation to this product but not others. A new brand of toothpaste containing baking soda is not really that new to people; after all, it is still just toothpaste. A vacuum cleaner for your garden is on the other hand quite a radical innovation. These products have recently come on to the market although most people, even keen gardeners seem a little unsure as to whether they should buy one or not. If these products are good, then the message will soon circulate by word of mouth and soon most households will own one, just as most own a lawn mower or a lawn edger and indeed these latter products were considered to be a radical innovation only a few years ago. 6 Marketing related messages. Marketing communications can be defined as the process of: presenting an integrated set of stimuli to a market target with the aim of raising a desired set of responses within that market target; setting up channels to receive, interpret and act on messages from the market to modify present company messages and identify new communications opportunities. As both a sender and a receiver of market-related messages, a company can influence customers to buy its brands in order to make profit. At the same time it can stay in touch with its market so that it can adjust to changing market conditions and take advantage of new communications opportunities. 6.1 The source of the message Receivers of a message are often greatly influenced by the nature of its source. If an audience perceives a communicator as credible, then they will be more likely to accept his or her views. If, on the other hand, the audience believes that the communicator has underlying motives, particularly ones of personal gain, then he or she will be less persuasive than someone the audience perceives as being objective. Some advertisers use candid television interviews with homemakers in order to enhance their credibility and eliminate intent to persuade, sometimes asking consumers to explain why they buy a particular brand or asking them to trade their chosen brand for another. Another method used by companies to increase credibility is to have the product endorsed by an expert with appropriate education and knowledge on a given subject. This source will be more successful in changing audience opinions. Specialized sources of information are often perceived as expert sources, and are successful due to the fact that messages are aimed at selected audiences, for example the use of sports professionals as promoters for brands. The credibility of a source is also a function of its perceived status or prestige. The higher the perceived status of a source, the more persuasive it will be. If a receiver likes a source, it will be more persuasive. It is clear that age, sex, dress, mannerisms, accent and voice inflection all affect source credibility and subtly influence the way an audience judges a communicator and his/her message. A source high in credibility can change the opinion of receivers, but available evidence suggests that this influence disperses in a short time after the message is received. It has also been observed that where an audience initially receives a message from a low-credibility source, their opinion change increases over time in the direction promoted by the source. This is referred to as the sleeper effect. Another aspect of this is that when a high-credibility source is reinstated, for example by a repeat advertisement, it has been found that audience agreement with the source is higher after a period of time than if the source had not been reinstated. For a low-credibility source, reinstatement results in less agreement with the source than with no reinstatement, and it is said that under these circumstances reinstatement negates the sleeper effect. 7 Media Advertising Media advertising communicates information to a large number of recipients, paid for by a sponsor. It has three main aims: To impart information To develop attitudes To induce action beneficial to the advertiser (generally the purchase of a product or service). An advertisement for washing powder is paid for by the manufacturer to achieve greater sales; a party political broadcast aims to increase votes. It must be remembered that advertising is only one element of the communications mix, but it does perform certain parts of the communicating task faster and with greater economy and volume than other means. How large a part advertising plays depends on the nature of the product and its frequency of purchase. It contributes the greatest part when: Buyer awareness of the product is low Industry sales are rising rather than remaining stable or declining The product has features which are not obvious to the buyer The opportunities for product differentiation are strong Discretionary incomes are high A new product or new service idea is being introduced. 8 Advertising models These have been drawn from several sources, particularly psychology, and from advertising practitioners in order to explain how advertising works. 8.1 The stimulus/response formula This was used at first, later models taking into consideration the environment in which the decision to buy is made. Daniel Starch said in 1925 for an advertisement to be successful it must be seen, must be read, must be believed, must be remembered and must be acted upon. This model assumed that the advertisement is the main influence on the state of mind of the consumer in respect of the product and makes no allowance for combined or multiple effects of advertisements. 8.2 The DAGMAR philosophy Colleys DAGMAR model in 1961 (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results) allows for the cumulative impact of advertisements and also maps out the states of mind consumers pass through: From unawareness to awareness; to comprehension; to conviction; to action. This is described as the marketing communications spectrum. Advertising, along with promotion, personal selling, publicity, price, packaging and distribution, move the consumer through the various levels of the spectrum as follows: Unawareness/awareness The advertisement tries to make potential customers aware of the products existence. Comprehension The customer recognizes the brand name and trademark and also knows what the product is and what it does; knowledge gained from the advertisement or from an information search prompted by it. Conviction The customer has a firm attitude, preferring a particular brand over all others. Preferences may have an emotional rather than rational basis. Action Some move is made towards purchase, thus the advertisement has been acted upon. This illustrates the concept that the purpose of advertising is to cause a change of mind leading toward purchase, but it is rare for a single advertisement to have the power to move a prospect from complete unawareness to action. Effectiveness is judged by how far an advertisement moves people along the spectrum. 8.3 The Lavidge and Steiner model This consists of a hierarchical sequence of events on six levels: Awareness Knowledge Liking Preference Conviction Purchase These steps divide behaviour into three dimensions: cognitive (the first two), affective (the second two) and motivational (the third two). Although this differs from the DAGMAR model in the number and nature of stages, there is agreement that purchase is the result of the persuasion elements, making the assumption between changes in knowledge and attitude towards a product and changes in buying behaviour there is a predictable outcome. Dissonance theory, however, illustrates a two-way relationship, with behaviour influencing attitudes as well as attitudes influencing behaviour. After making a decision to purchase, the prospect will be involved in cognitive dissonance and will actively seek information to reinforce the decision, focusing on attractive features and filtering out unfavourable data. The major implication of this is that advertising for existing brands in the repeat purchase market should be aimed at existing users to reassure them in the continuation of the buying habit at the expense of the competition. 8.4 The Unique Selling Proposition This was developed by Rosser Reeves (1961) who reported the principles his agency had adopted for 30 years. This states that the consumer remembers one key element of an advertisement a strong claim or concept. This proposition must be one that the competition does not offer, which will be recalled by the consumer and will result in purchase at the appropriate time. 8.5 The brand-image school This was led by advertising practitioner David Ogilvy who focused on non-verbal methods of communication to invest a brand with agreeable connotations aside from its actual properties in use, such as prestige and quality. It must be remembered that an advertisement is the channel through which the sponsor communicates their message. The encoded message reaches recipients, through advertising or salespeople, who then decode and absorb it either fully or partly. The quality of the transmission can be distorted by noise occurring because the receiver does not interpret the message in the way the source intended (due perhaps to differences in cultural backgrounds of the two parties). It may however be because of cognitive dissonance which occurs when peoples receipt of the message does not agree with what they previously believed. Dissonance may cause a number of different reactions by the receiver: Rejecting the message Ignoring the message Altering the previous opinion Searching for justifications The first two reactions are of course negative, and from this feedback the source may change the message or stop communicating altogether with a particular receiver who is not receptive to the sources ideas. It can, therefore, be seen that advertising does not always convert people into users of a particular product. It can, however, have a positive effect in preventing loss of users, and increasing their loyalty. 8.6 Advertising by objectives Advertising situations are so varied and unique that it is not possible to generalize about how advertising works. Any potential advertiser should therefore adopt an advertising-by-objectives approach that will make clear what they are trying to achieve, how they will achieve it and how they are going to measure its effects. Few companies give any detailed scientific thought to exactly what they are trying to achieve through advertising. Clear objectives are needed to aid operational decisions, which include: The amount to be spent on a particular campaign The content and presentation of the advertisement The most appropriate media The frequency of display of advertisements or campaigns Any special geographical weighting of effort The best methods of evaluating the effects of the advertising. Corkindale and Kennedy (1976) found that systematically setting and evaluating objectives provided the following benefits. Marketing management has to consider and define in advance what each element in the programme is expected to accomplish. An information system can be set up to monitor ongoing performance, with the nature of information required clearly defined. Marketing management will learn about the system it is operating from accumulated experience of success (and failure) and can use this knowledge to improve future performance. Majaros (1970) major study on objective setting revealed that most managers saw increasing sales or market share as their main advertising objective. In fact, this is a total marketing objective and it is unreasonable to expect to achieve this objective through advertising alone (unless it was the only element of the marketing mix used, as in direct mail and mail order businesses). Majaros study also revealed that methods of evaluation used by most companies were not relevant, and that clear, precise advertising objectives, known to all involved, would rectify this situation. The following advantages of the advertising-by-objectives approach became clear. It helps to integrate the advertising effort with other ingredients of the marketing mix, thus setting a consistent and logical marketing plan. It facilitates the task of the advertising agency in preparing and evaluating creative work and recommending the most suitable media. It assists in determining advertising budgets. It enables marketing executives and top management to appraise the advertising plan realistically. It permits meaningful measurement of advertising results. When setting objectives, all personnel in a company who have an interest in, and influence on, advertising decisions have different ideas of the purpose of advertising. The Chairman may be concerned with corporate image, whilst the Advertising Manager may see it as an investment direct toward building a brand image and increasing market share. Marketing objectives have to be separated from advertising objectives. Overall marketing objectives should be defined, and the next step is to determine the contribution that advertising can efficiently make to each of these. An advertising objective is one that advertising alone is expected to achieve. Advertising objectives should be set with the following points in mind. They should fit in with broader corporate objectives. They should be realistic, taking into account internal resources and external opportunities, threats and constraints. They should be universally known within the company, so that everyone can relate them to his or her own work and to the broader corporate objectives. They need to be flexible, since all business decisions have to be made in conditions of partial ignorance. They should be reviewed and adapted from time to time to take account of changing conditions. Setting advertising objectives should not be undertaken until all relevant information on the product, the market and the consumer is available. Consumer behaviour and motivation must be thoroughly assessed, particularly that of the companys target group of customers. The statement of an advertising objective should then make clear what basic message is intended to be delivered, to what audience, with what intended effects and the specific criteria to be used to measure success. Corkindale and Kennedy used five key words to summarize the elements of setting advertising objectives: WHAT What role is advertising expected to fulfill in the total marketing effort? WHY Why is it believed that advertising can achieve this role? (What evidence is there and what assumptions are necessary?) WHO Who should be involved in setting objectives; who should be responsible for agreeing the objectives, coordinating their implementation and subsequent evaluation? Who is the intended audience? HOW How are the advertising objectives to be put into practice? WHEN When are various parts of the programme to be implemented? When can response be expected to each stage of the programme? 9 Below-the-line promotion. The terms below-the-line promotion or communications, refers to forms of non-media communication, even non-media advertising. Examples of non-media promotions are exhibitions, sponsorship activities, public relations and sales promotions such as competitions, banded packs and price promotions. Below-the-line promotions are becoming increasingly important within the communications mix of many companies, not only those involved in fmcg products, but also for industrial goods. For example dealer incentives, exhibitions and sponsorship activities are all growing in popularity. All forms of non-media communications are a form of promotion if we use the word in the broadest sense. Specific forms of below-the-line sales promotion are discussed below. 9.1 Below the line sales promotion Below the line sales promotions are short term incentives, largely aimed at consumers, but also aimed at the trade e.g. wholesalers, retailers, distributors, etc., along with company employees, usually the sales force. Over the past 20 years or so there has been greater pressure on marketing budgets and a greater demand on marketing management to achieve marketing communications objectives more efficiently. Hence marketers have been searching for a more cost-effective way to communicate with their target markets than conventional media advertising. A move to below the line promotion is one result of this. A definition of below-the-line sales promotion is given by Hugh Davidson: An immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed in cash or in kind, and having only a short term or temporary duration. This definition highlights one important characteristic of below-the-line sales promotion that is its short term nature. Most conventional above the line advertising campaigns are medium to long term in nature. Below the line sales promotions tend to be short term in nature. Rarely does a sales promotion last for more than six months, and the majority last for much shorter periods. All promotions are variations of one basic type or another, but since the sales promotion is dynamic by nature new types will be developed in the future. The sphere of sales promotions generally include the following: Display materials (stands, header boards, shelf strips, wobblers) Packaging (coupons, premium offers, pack flashes) Merchandising (demonstrations, auxiliary sales forces, display arrangements) Direct mail (coupons, competitions, premiums) Exhibitions Industrial promotions also include the above elements, but with modifications to make them closer in type to those used by manufacturers of consumer goods for their retailers; designed to gain orders over long periods. 9.2 Sales promotion planning A full plan is needed to ensure that each stage of a promotion is reached: Analyse the problem task Define objectives Consider and/or set the budget Examine the types of promotion likely to be of use Define the support activities (e.g. advertising, incentives, auxiliaries) Testing (e.g. a limited store or panel test) Decide measurements required Plan timetable Present details to sales force, retailers, etc. Implement the promotion Evaluate the result 9.3 Advantages and disadvantages of sales promotions Advantages Easily measured response Quick achievement of objectives Flexible application Can be extremely cheap Direct support of sales force Disadvantages Price-discounting can cheapen brand image Short-term advantages only Can cause stress with retailers Difficulty in communicating brand message 9.4 The importance of sales promotion It is often difficult to know which marketing expenditures can be attributed to sales promotion. For example price reduction can cause confusion 10% off a packet of biscuits is a sales promotion, but what about price discounting by manufacturers? 10 Telephone marketing Telemarketing can be defined as any measurable activity that creates and exploits a direct relationship between supplier and customer by the interactive use of the telephone. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company define it as the marketing of telecommunications technology and direct marketing techniques. Telephone marketing can take the forms of in-coming call and out-going call. In-coming call telephone marketing usually makes use of special numbers, which enables the caller to call free-phone or at local call rates. Such campaigns are usually used in conjunction with other marketing communications tools. 11 Direct mail and direct marketing Direct mailing is the use of the postal service to distribute promotional material directly to a particular person, household or firm. It is often confused with the following related activities, which all fall under the general heading of direct marketing. Direct advertising One of the oldest methods of reaching the consumer, with printed matter being sent directly to the prospect by the advertiser, often by mail, but sometimes by through the letter box personal delivery, handing out to passers-by or left under the screen wiper of a car. Mail order Mail order advertising aims to persuade recipients to purchase a product or service by post, with deliveries being made through the mail or other carrier or through a local agent. Thus it is a special form of direct mail, seeking to complete the sale entirely by mail and being a complete plan in itself. Mail order is a type of direct mail, but not all direct mail is mail order. Direct response advertising This is a strategy of using specially designed advertisements, usually in magazines or newspapers, to invoke a direct response, such as the coupon-response press ad, which the reader uses to order the advertised product or request further information. Other variants offer money-off coupons and incentives to visit the retail outlet. The usage and acceptance of direct mail

The Freudian Model in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkne

The Freudian Model in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚         In my essay I intend to prove Joseph Conrad's use of the Freudian model of the human mind, as portrayed in his characterization of Marlowe, Kurtz, and the "wilderness". Further, using that model I will explicate Conrad's ambiguous tone in Heart of Darkness. First, I must define each figure in Conrad's novel with its appropriate Freudian psyche. These psyche are defined in an essay by Ross C. Murfin's essay, "Psychoanalytic Criticism in The Awakening": "the human mind is essentially dual in nature. He called the predominately passional, irrational, unknown, and unconscious part of the psyche the id, or "it". The ego, or "I", was his term for the predominantly rational, logical, orderly, conscious part. Another aspect of the psyche, which he called the superego, is really a projection of the ego. The superego almost seems to be outside of the self, making moral judgements, telling us to make sacrifices for good causes even though self-sacrifice may not be quite logical or rational."(Murfin 219) We see the characteristics of Freud's "id" in the descriptions of Kurtz's savage actions as well as Marlowe's analysis as to why he acted this way: "I want you to clearly understand that there was nothing exactly profitable in these heads being there. They only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him-some small matter which when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence. Whether he knew of this deficiency himself I can't say. I think the knowledge came to him at last-only at the very last. But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terr... ...y the memory of gratified and monstrous passions." (Conrad 132) It is the connection between Kurtz, Marlowe and their inability to figure out the "wilderness" that we are left with Kurtz's chilling last words: "The horror. The horror." This quote is significant because of it ambiguity. Conrad keeps the readers curiosity by having us searching for "meaning" in what the heart of darkness is. The feeling of eerie confusion we get from Kurtz and Marlowe's fear and bewilderment of the wilderness is symbolic of the human mind's inability to realize the unconscious. Conrad uses the "wilderness" as Marlowe's symbol of the unconscious. Works Cited Murfin, Ross C.. "Feminist Criticism and The Awakening." in Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. Boston: Bedford Books, 1993. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Signet Classic, 1997.   

War Driving :: essays research papers

 ¡Ã‚ §War driving to Disney World ¡Ã‚ ¨ Summer of 2004 War driving involves roaming around a neighborhood looking for the increasingly numerous  ¡Ã‚ §hot spots ¡Ã‚ ¨ where high-speed Internet ¡Ã‚ ¦s access is free. What I found interesting was that the hacks were pretty basic and that most of the information on how to break into default systems, how to look for Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) being enabled and other wireless steps could be found in a Google search. My brother Carlos a  ¡Ã‚ §full time computer geek ¡Ã‚ ¨ and I had decided at the beginning of the summer that we were taking the family to Disney but I wasn ¡Ã‚ ¦t going to take any downtime or a vacation per se. Instead, I would validate through  ¡Ã‚ §war driving around an area with a laptop computer and an 802.11 network card to identify the presence of wireless networks. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Let me preface, my brother ¡Ã‚ ¦s experience with wireless networks. He embraces new technologies and tries to understand how to make the workplace safe with security controls. My little brother has actually taught me every thing I know about IT. Packing my car with the necessary gear and my brothers Dell Inspiron laptop, a newly purchased Orinoco wireless network card, lots of CDs and my wireless 2-GHz antenna we started the trip to Disney. We got on the turnpike and I was hoping for some peace and quiet from our kids but I should have known better, ¡Ã‚ ¨ kids will be kids. ¡Ã‚ ¨ While on this mission, it was critical for us to identify if the following could be picked up from the war drive. Think about it. You ¡Ã‚ ¦re surfing the Net at home or in the office, and someone just hops onto your network connection. With information about whether or not WEP is disabled and SSID default settings, an unauthorized user could access your documents, financials or other sensitive information. The WEP encryption method was designed to provide wireless networks with the same security available in wired networks; however, there are some challenges with this standard .The presence of the service set identifier (SSID), the name assigned to a wireless network. Usually, the SSID comes by default using the vendor ¡Ã‚ ¦s name and should be changed to something nondescript .With these two pieces of information, an unauthorized user could be able to acquire access to a wireless network. Upon our first rest stop we exited near little town that was almost unpopulated .We knew that most likely nothing was going to pop- up on the screen not even a those annoying advertising pop- ups .

The Birds :: essays research papers fc

Satire defined is 'A composition in verse or prose holding up a vice or folly to ridicule or lampooning individuals… The use of ridicule, irony, sarcasm, etc, in speech or writing for the ostensible purpose of exposing and discourage vice or folly'; (Johnston, 5). In other words, satire is the use of humor to expose moral behavior of man. In the Aristophanes' play The Birds, satire is used to mock the common Greek's dream of ruling the gods that they worship. It mocks the power that they seek to become the supreme ruler of the world. To understand Aristophanes use of satire, one must first understand the role satire plays in sending out its message.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the basis of satire is a sense of moral outrage. This outrage is wrong and needs to be exposed. The goal of a satire is to correct this misconduct of man in a humorous way that makes the audience relate to the problem and try to correct it. Satire 'seeks to use laughter, not just to remind us of our common often ridiculous humanity, but rather to expose those moral excesses, those correctable sorts of behavior which transgress what the writer sees as the limits of acceptable moral behavior'; (Johnston, 5). In exposing these foibles, one could discover not to behave in such a manner by realizing his or her mistakes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When setting up a satire, one must do so in a few steps. The first step is setting up a target which will symbolize the conduct that the satirist wishes to attack. In The Birds, the target is the average Athenian citizen, seeking power Pisthetaerus or in Greek translation, 'companion persuader'; (Luce, 300). Pisthetaerus is upset with his current living conditions and sets out to seek a new place, far better than his existing residence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adding exaggeration and distortion to the target, the satirist then emphasizes the characteristic he wishes to attack. 'The target must be close enough to the real thing for us to recognize what is going on, but sufficiently distorted to be funny, an exaggeration, often a grotesque departure from normality'; (Johnston, 17). After deciding to create a city strategically located between heaven and earth, so the birds can rule god and man, Pisthetaerus eats a magical root that has the powers to give birth to wings. Although it is evident that humans growing wings is not imaginably possible, the birth of wings does give birth to the power that Pisthetaerus craves more of.