How Different Types of Transition Can Effect a Child Development

Explain how different types of transition can affect children and young people’s development Transitions are changes that take place in our life, changes which can occur over a short or long period of time, can be physical, emotional, personal or psychological, and can be predictable or unpredictable. Life is full of changes and every child and young person will go through many transitions. Some of them may have a positive effect (such as an increased level of motivation or improved self–esteem); others may have the opposite effect.The experiences of a child or young person when dealing with transitions will affect, positively or negatively, his development, and can have an important role in learning the skills to cope with other changes later in life. Some transitions (such as starting school, moving through curriculum stages or puberty) are predictable. Children should be prepared in advance, and have the opportunity to talk and ask questions about these changes. In t his way any negative impacts can be minimised, and the transition should be less stressful for the child or young person.This approach can be applied to any predictable transition, whether educational, physical or physiological, and the approach can be beneficial even for such small changes as moving from one activity to another in the classroom. For some transitions, the child or young person cannot be prepared in advance, and there will be no opportunity to discuss the change before it happens. Changes such as bereavement, family break-up or serious illness are generally unpredictable.Because these changes are not anticipated, they can cause distress and feelings of lack of control in the child or young person. This can affect emotional and behavioural development, in turn leading to possible impacts on physiological and intellectual development. Family break-up is an example of a transition which may involve other significant changes in a child or young person‘s life. The c hild or young person’s life seems to have turned upside down, causing confusion and uncertainty.The child or young person can experience powerful emotions of anger, sadness, fear and insecurity. For many children, their emotional distress may cause changes in behaviour. Some children or young people will not be able to show their feelings or to talk with others about what they are going through; they may isolate themselves, becoming quiet and withdrawn. In others, the reaction may be the opposite; they may become verbally or even physically aggressive or just generally less cooperative – slamming doors, staying out late or getting into trouble.A good relationship between the child or young person and his practitioners can have a positive effect on their emotions. The practitioners must learn to recognise signs of transition anxiety, including body language, changes of behaviour, or changes in their work. Sometimes a child or young person may find it easier to express t heir feelings and thoughts through art work, stories or poems, than to articulate such complex emotions verbally. Starting primary school is a predictable, intellectual transition, which can be emotionally upsetting for some children.They may experience anxiety and stress when they first attend the new setting or meet a new teacher. There are a lot of changes involved – it will often be their first experience of being separated from their parents for any length of time; their routine changes with the hours at school and the longer periods of concentration required; they need to make new friends, undertake new activities and adhere to new rules. They can start showing anxiety and sadness at moving school which will affect their behaviour, and may result in regression and clinginess. ?

The Oddysey Land of the Dead

Oddyseus started to seak to the spirits of the promising to sacrifice his best cow before she had her calve. Then he promised to sacrifice a black lamb whick was the finest in his heard. After promising to sacrifice the animals he did it. The spirits started to gather at the edge of Erebus, the place where the dead reside. The spirits included those of the young and the old; male and female. There were also many warriors who were still in possesion of their armor and weaponry. The spirits started to try to escape from the pit of Erebus. Oddyseus told his men to skin the animal that they had killed and make them into offering for Hades and Persephone, the god and godess of the dead who reside in the underworld. He sat waiting with his sword out to defend himself from the from the spirits until he noticed te presence of Tieresias, a blind prophet from Thebes, who came forward and spoke to Oddyseus. Tieresias asked him why he was in the land of the dead and to put down his sword. Then the prophet said that he wanted to taste the blood of the sacrifice he had made. Oddyseus stepped aside and sheathed his sword and the prophet bent down to drink. Tiereseus then tells him that anguish and hardship lie ahead and that poseidon is the one that will cause it because Oddyseus blinded his son Polyphemos the cyclops. He then says that Oddyseus will pass through a narrow straight that will take him home, and that Oddyseus will reach Thrinakia, the land of Helio's grazing cattle, where the sun god sees and hears everything. He says to avoid the cattle of the sun god and to stick with trying to get home, but if you butcher the cattle there will be destruction of ship and crew and only you will survive. Tiereseus then says that he will reach home on an unfamiliar ship only to find that men are in you home eating your food and trying to marry your wife. He then says that Oddyseus will kill these men either by stealth or open combat. He then tells Oddyseus that he will travel by land and sea to a landlocked place. The spot will be plain to you he says and the people will ask what kind of wheat sowing device you have. He tell Oddyseus that he will then jam the device, his oar, into the ground. Oddyseus is then told to make a sacrific to poseidon in the form of a ram, bull, buck boar. He tells Oddyseus to then go home and kill 100 pure cattle in the name of poseidon and all the gods. The final thing that Oddyseus is toldis that he will receive an easy death at sea will come to him when he is old, and then the prophet says that all that he has just said will be true as his journey home takes place.

A policy of imperialism in America

A policy of imperialism in America From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, Americans pursued a policy of imperialism that became referenced as Social Darwinism. This Imperialist Age left a positive impact on America through the military and economic worlds. Leading the nations, the United States felt that colonies were crucial to military power. Militarism and imperialism were both connected. They were connected because imperialism meant the stronger taking control of the weaker and having a strong military is what America wanted to have to be the more powerful nation and take control. Europeans have been taking control for years and America didn’t want to be next Imperialism made the military row stronger for its country. In the 19th century, military power was a form of imperial strength. A nation needed a strong military to protect its interests and support its policies. â€Å"Seeing that other nations were establishing a global military presence, American leaders advised that the United States build up its own military strength†(Holt 549) Strong armies and navies were needed to take care of the United States, to protect trade among other countries, and stay strong against threats and rivals. Admiral Alfred T. Mahan of the U.S. Navy urged the government officials to strengthen and put time/money into the American naval power. â€Å"As a result of the urging of Mahan and others, the United States built nine steel-hulled cruisers between 1883 and 1890†(Holt 549). This was done in order to compete with other nations. Governments and leaders who have not been able to maintain their armies and navies are considered less than or weaker than other countries. Americans military strengthened and overcame many obstacles for it to be one of the armies of the leading nations.This wasn’t the only positive effect but also. In the late 19th century, advances in technology enabled American farms and factories to produce more than the average amount of American citizens could consume. The United States needed more material for the factories and new, different markets for its goods. â€Å"Imperialists viewed foreign trade as the solution to American overproduction and the related problems of unemployment and economic depression†(Holt 549). The motive for nineteenth-century European imperialism is that imperialism would benefit the economies of the colonial powers. Some Americans formed the idea that Social Darwinism came into play. â€Å"A belief that free-market competition would lead to the survival of the fittest†(Holt 550). America was growing and reaching to the top of the economy list of the world and many believed that the United States had the responsibility to help the inferior peoples. Because the American economy advanced and produce more goods, the country became richer than ever and helped make the economy boom. Overall imperialism really had a major factor when having the United States military grow stronger as it pushed the country to protect its interests and support its policies. But also help the economy rise, advance in technology, and produce more goods.

Observation Journal#3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Observation Journal#3 - Essay Example Avery approached a structure meant for them to play inside and climb, that was in the playground and tried to climb in it with difficulties. ‘Teacher! Teacher! he shouted looking at the teacher who was with other children inside the structure. The teacher then pulled Avery up and finally he was in the structure. Avery started jumping on the play structure as he falls down. He was jumping as he is shouting and laughing at the same time. I have observed that Avery does not take much time on a particular place for long, but he keeps running up and down touching one thing and another within a short time. Avery saw another child leave the play structure and go to the slide that was just beside the structure. Avery then went out of the play structure and ran very fast towards the slide. He suddenly stopped near the climbing staircases of the slide. He was keenly looking at the staircases and other children as they climbed one by one to the slide. He then stepped on the first staircas e with his right foot. Seeing that it was stable, Avery began climbing up the slide faster as there was another child coming after him. When Avery reached the top, and now it was time for him to slide down, he got afraid and refused to slide down. He blocked the way for the other children who were enjoying themselves in the slide. Avery then moved on one side of the slide, paving way for the other children to pass and slide themselves down. Avery sat up there looking at his fellow children slide with a lot if ease. He was cheering them up one by one as they were going down the slide. Avery suddenly lost the grip of the walls of the slide as he was clapping his hands to cheer the other children. Avery began sliding down unknowingly. ‘Huuuu! Huuuuu! he shouted as he was going down the slide. When he was down the slide, Avery began running away from the slide area, towards his teacher. ‘Teacher, poop, Avery told his teacher. ‘Ooh, you want to poop? ‘Yes,

International Tourism Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

International Tourism Marketing - Essay Example This number represented a growth of 6.6 percent when compared to that of 2009. Receipts for international tourism grew by $919 billion in 2010, a number that corresponded to a rise in real terms of 4.7 percent (Corigliano and Baggio, 2004:301). Many countries around the world used to depend solely on other means of generating income. Introduction However, as time went by and economic analysts realized what tourism and its related businesses could do for a country’s growth, they initiated measures that aimed at encouraging intensive investment in tourism. In contrast to those other economic activities, tourism bases on competitive advantages and has the potent ability of creating additional income, growth, and job opportunities for many decades to come (Au, 2010:4). Estimates depict that international tourist arrivals will be more than 1.6 billion in 2020. International tourism suffered a setback due to the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11 that pushed the US ec onomy and indeed many others into recession. The September 11 terrorism attacks led to erosion of consumer confidence in travel (Akehurst, 2009:52). This traumatic blow delivered directly to the US tourism and leisure travel as well as domestic travel had no comparison even to the Kosovo or the Gulf War. As a result, the US economy took longer than projected as opposed to Germany and Britain (Fayal and Garrard, 2005:47). Given the tremendous results of international tourism as well as the possible challenges affecting its growth, this paper will seek to analyze the significance of social media in international tourism marketing. As of today, the behavior of consumers in tourism is different due to the hyperactive competition, digitization of the world economy, and the effects of globalization. This trend is becoming a multidimensional concept whereby people view it as an outcome of a dynamic system based on relations between the processes involved in motivation, attitude, effective manifestation, information, and perception (Corigliano and Baggio, 2004:302). With this respect, to research certain dimensions those are congruent to consumer behavior in international tourism in order to determine the consumption and purchasing pattern of the respective customers is essential. This helps in tailoring and catering for the customers’ needs and wants, which in turn translates to return or repeat business (Akehurst, 2009:53). As this essay depends highly on international tourism market and the diversity ascribing to this market, this sector requires bidders to put much focus niche marketing. Simultaneously, market segmentation becomes a subject with an attractive strategy, viability, and high as well as potential rates of profitability in this framework. The role of marketing research in international tourism market segmentation With the main objective of every company being to satisfy their customers, companies with a strong orientation pay special attention t o the behavior of consumers whereby they capitalize on the information that they obtain with the view of attracting new customers and retaining the existing ones (Corigliano and Baggio, 2004:303). In this context, it is agreeable that the complexity of international tourism marketing puts more emphasis on the importance for market segmentatio

Comparison & Contrast between activities involved in Strategy Assignment

Comparison & Contrast between activities involved in Strategy Formulation versus Strategy implementation - Assignment Example Strategy formulation and implementation are two important aspects, which are interrelated. Strategy formulation and implementation are important facets of strategic management in a corporate for long-range performance. Strategy management comprises of three phases namely, diagnosis, formulation, and implementation (Hill and Jones 2012:20-21). Strategy formulation entails development of long-range plans for effective management of environmental opportunities and threats. This is in the light of corporate strengths and weaknesses. Hill and Jones (2012:20) state that formulation encompasses defining corporate mission, objectives, setting policy guidelines, and developing sound strategies. Formulators of strategy attach some estimate or risk to discernible alternatives. They appraise corporate strength and drawbacks with the resources, which are available. Formulation gives a clear set of recommendations in order for the corporate to accomplish its mission successfully (Hill and Jones 2012:20). Formulation of corporate strategy entails creating sustainable competitive advantages. This happens through giving prudent and practical solution to problems that may affect the corporate. Strategy implementation encompasses putting strategies, which corporate formulates into practice. This entails designing and management of systems in order to achieve best integration of people, processes, structures, and resources in order to attain organizational set goals. This is the step in which corporate converts its strategy into operationally effective action. Formulated strategy gains commitment of resources of organization or corporate. Strategy implementation aims at bringing sound ideas into practice. For implementation of corporate strategy to be effective, strategic managers in organization should support the chosen plan. Second, the strategic supervisors should allocate sufficient resources. Third, the formulated strategy

Principles of Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principles of Learning - Essay Example The first being is behavior which is the action of an individual usually in reaction to some stimuli of the environment. Then there is another concept of conditioning which to state an example, I will take a negative aspect of my own life and then use the knowledge and steps of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to design a series of steps to bring about a change of behavior in myself. The negative behavior that I chose for this purpose is the habit of procrastinating. I tend to procrastinate in case of assignments, home chores, payment of bills, almost every activity and tend to do the work on the last day or last minute only (Chance 2006). This sometimes gets me into trouble when I am not able to finish my work or sometimes when I cannot do the work up to the best of my ability. This is a type of voluntary behavior because I conduct it with my own free will. The first step towards solving any problem is to recognize and understand the problem itself. So the first step that I will undertake is to measure the problem. Repeatability is how often a behavior occurs and is the frequency of occurrence increasing. My habit of procrastinating has increased over a period of time with the increased number of activities I have to conduct. Then comes temporal extent which is for how long does the behavior last? In my case this will extend as long as I can carry on without getting into trouble. These measures are enough to indicate that my problem is very serious and requires immediate action. Now there is the element of the functional behavior assessment which in very simple words is described as a hypothesis between an occurrence of an external factor and a behavioral response. Function is basically the benefit derived from conducting the behavior or what an individual gains from doing what he does. This is a very important aspect because it indicates the source of the

Ban on Smoking in Public Places Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ban on Smoking in Public Places - Essay Example If we know these products are bad for us why they are not regulated? They can lead to numerous types of cancers and eventually cause death. The dilemma of tobacco is mainly focused on minority groups, such as women and African Americans. Support and leadership is needed to shift the focus off of these groups. However, even though there have been actions to prevent people from smoking in public places, the people have learned to segregate themselves somewhere else. The government is not responding enough to the problems that need addressing relating to tobacco. The government and its citizens know the issues being raised with tobacco products, but they choose to ignore. Effects of Smoking A study carried out by Radzeviciene and Ostrauskas gives an overview about the relation of smoking and type II diabetes. It gives significant evidence that smoking is directly related to the disease. Similarly other studies also show that smoking has a profound effect on the incidence of diabetes pre vailing in this world. A research done by Wannamethee et al shows that cigarette smoking is directly related to diabetes even if the confounders are adjusted. On the other hand the author in the article also gives forward the fact that the exact underlying cause or relation of smoking with diabetes has yet not been confirmed. However he suggests that the nicotine in cigarette smoking is the main cause which causes insulin resistance and thus leads to diabetes mellitus in individuals. The author asserts that nicotine has a direct effect on the sympathetic nervous system because of which the heart rates, serum cholesterol is increased. Moreover glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity is impaired in the body by smoking. Eliasson et al in his research tells that smoking initially show the symptom of insulin resistance. And after some time the endothelial function is also impaired. Other toxic substances in cigarette smoke can also harm the individual's normal physiological state of bo dy and thus increase the stress on the body. This stress is a cause of diabetes mellitus in individuals (Radzeviciene & Ostrauskas 2009). Arguments for and against ban on smoking With the development in the world, the human mind has broadened its perspectives. The spread of knowledge has enabled a person to know how human beings have evolved as well as to understand their position and rights in the society. Gone are the times when people used to be suppressed by their powerful counterparts. With this evolution the recognition of the self and civil liberties have been understood. People have reached to levels where they believe that they possess complete control of their lives to an extent that they advocate euthanasia with an argument that they have the right to choose death over pain. In such a period the development of laws to ban personal activities can prove to be very offensive. This is the case with the proposal of ban on smoking in public places. The state has the right to cr eate laws for the betterment of its people but when these laws intrude the personal issues of a person, it can be a reason for argument. The state is chosen by the people to take care of their needs but by imposing bans in private issues, the state is actually interfering with matters that are beyond its scope of work and the opponents of this ban have very convincing thoughts regarding this issue. The prohibition of smoking in public

Management of human resource Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management of human resource - Assignment Example This will result to errors in assessment. The last factor could be the changing job circumstances that may shift the goal post that were being used in the assessment (Hosie, 2006). Proper communication of the results and findings is a way that an individual can apply to bride the gap between the expectation and the actual outcome (Hosie, 2006). Another way that can be applied to cover this difference is through problem solving, which will eliminate all forms of errors, and wastages in the operations. Errors contribute to a decrease in performance, and therefore, avoiding them would be worthwhile. A person who is being rated can also work on interpersonal relationships that will foster teamwork and cooperation among the fellow workers (Chingos, 2002). The person assessing the rating should reconcile the difference by promoting the leadership spirit among the workers (Chingos, 2002). This will encourage continuous self-evaluation in the as an employee performs the tasks that are assigned to them, and enjoy more job satisfaction. The person should also acquire a better understanding of the multisource method to avoid ant y possible mistakes. The method that he chooses to use should be relevant to the nature of the business operations (Chingos,

Occular Visit in Barangay San Miguel Essay Example for Free

Occular Visit in Barangay San Miguel Essay I noticed that there are plenty of different shops in the area. It is a good aspect having plenty of shops because that means that the people will never run out of choices just in case they need to buy their needs. There are plenty of shops, that is why I noticed plenty of people too. Another positive aspect about the barangay is that I noticed plenty of uniformed men and women roaming the area. They are obviously the† kagawads† or â€Å"tanods† in the barangay. They are doing their job in monitoring the people’s business so that they can respond to their needs. We later went inside the Barangay Hall. I felt secure inside the place because I noticed the guards taking a good lookout of the area. But when we went inside, the barangay captain was unfortunately not there. So the other officials were the ones who took care of our agenda with them. The first thing that I did not like about the barangay is the litter scattered around the streets. I also did not like the environment because there are plenty of suspicious looking individuals around that made me feel uncomfortable. After our agenda with the barangay officials, we learned that we could use the basketball court beside the barangay hall for our desired community service. We went to the court to take a look at it. I noticed plenty of children playing. So I thought that we should make a get together party for the children in the area. For me, it is a good idea because the children will get to make friends with their fellow youth in the area. Maybe because of the get together activity, they will get united as they grow up to be adults. And of course, when they grow close with each other, their children will also get close. I would liketo see a united community of friends, that is why I propose that kind of activity for the children.

Causes And Effects Of The Current Economic Crisis Economics Essay

Causes And Effects Of The Current Economic Crisis Economics Essay Overall economy is bullish; it is not only the stock exchanges that tell  riches to rags  stories but even  small businesses. It all adds to the national exchequer. An economist is likely to give a detailed, comprehensive definition of  recession. But for the layman who has been affected knows it only one way-when he loses his job and has no money to pay his  credit and loans.  Recession  is when the consumer faces foreclosure and the banker comes knocking for his pound (or dollar) of flesh. Many companies and whole countries go bankrupt for want of liquid funds and cash flow for even daily requirements.   If you look at it from the point of view of a businessman,  recession  is a transitory phase. The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the  National Bureau of Economic Research  has another definition. It profiles the businesses that have peaked with their activity in one season and it falls naturally in the next season. It regains its original position with new products or sales and continues to expand. This revival makes the  recession  a mild phase that large companies tolerate. As the fiscal position rises, there is no reason to worry.  Recession  can last up to a year. When it happens year after year then it is serious.   Are we facing a  recession  or not? Yes, for the simple reason that not only our neighbors but our friends are unemployed. There is less of business talk and more billing worries. Transitory recessions are good for the economy, as it tends to stabilize the prices. It allows run away bullish companies to slow down and take stock. There is a saying, when its tough the tough get going. The weaker companies will not survive the brief  recession  also. Stronger companies will pull through its resources. So when is it time to worry? When you are facing a foreclosure, when the chips are down and out and creditors file cases for recovery.   Firms face closures when they go through  recession  and are not able to recover from losses. If, at this time, they are not able to sustain their prices and stocks then there is more trouble. Even when the  recession  period gets over, they will not be able to do well. If a business survives a  recession  period they should be able to survive a depression. But how many  recession  proof businesses are there? Who will eventually survive the  recession?   1. Those that have been able to save their funds.   2. Those who have not invested in fly-by-night companies.   3. Those who remain clam till the storm passes.   4. Those that take stock immediately and decide to reinvest in a  recession  proof business. GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS The world is seemingly inching towards recession .Companies are going bankrupt, stock market are nose diving and more employees are being laid off while companies struggle to cut cost. Looking theng back, it seems not so long ago when economies across the globe, especially india , were going through a boom . What went wrong ,then? Here,s a quick round up of the major events that bought the current economic downturn. 2001-2005: Housing prices shoot up in the US. Bank start lending aggressively, leading to the creation of sub primary Industry. Subprime lending refers to lending at slightly higher interest rates to borrowers,who under normal circumstances would not have been eligible for the loan .Such borrowers are consider to have a less -than-ideal credit as they may have defaulted in the past or are employed or without any regular income. Banks usually, refrained from lending to such people owing to the higher default risk. However, with the rise in property prices, banks started lending to such borrowers as these loans were mortgaged against property .In case of default, the banks could recover the money by selling off the mortgaged property. 2005: The prospering housing market comes to a standstill in many parts of the US. 2006: As the prices even out, homes sales drop. February 2007: Sub -prime bubble in the US burst-more than 25 sub prime lenders either go bankrupt, incur heavy losses or are up for the sale Banks files to take into account the possibly of a fall in property prices while undertaking sub prime lending . With the hike in interest rates by the Federal bank , the sub-prime borrowers began defaulting . This prompting banks to sell off the mortgaged properties. As more banks joined this trend of selling mortgaged properties , prices of property dropped down in the U.S. August 2007 : A no of leading mortgage lenders in the us go bankrupt : March 2008 : bear Sterns crumbles September 2008 : Lehman Brothers file for bankruptcy while Merrill Lynch is sold off to Bank of America Financial markets in the us developed a new product between 2001 nd 2006 . This product was in form of a bond securitized against mortgages . Financial institutions like bear sterns, Lehman brothers and Merrill lynch lent money to mortgage banks against the mortgages, on condition that these mortgage banks would repay the money as soon as they recovered their mortgages . These lenders ,in turn sold the retail bonds to individual investors . However, as mortgages could not be honoured , banks were unable to pay the back this money to financial institutions, who in turn could not pay repay individual investors. In the entire process, Institutions like Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers Merrill lynch and AIG got a serve blow. LEHMAN BROTHERS Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850 by two cotton brokers in Montgomery, Ala. The firm moved to New York City after the Civil War and grew into one of Wall Streets investment giants. On Sept. 14, 2008, the investment bank announced that it would file for liquidation after huge losses in the mortgage market and a loss of investor confidence crippled it and it was unable to find a buyer. Lehmans slow collapse began as the mortgage market crisis unfolded in the summer of 2007, when its stock began a steady fall from a peak of $82 a share. The fears were based on the fact that the firm was a major player in the market for subprime and prime mortgages, and that as the smallest of the major Wall Street firms, it faced a larger risk that large losses could be fatal. As the crisis deepened in 2007 and early 2008, the storied investment bank defied expectations more than once, just it had many times before, as in 1998, when it seemed to teeter after a worldwide currency crisis, only to rebound strongly. Lehman managed to avoid the fate of Bear Stearns, the other of Wall Streets small fry, which was bought by JP Morgan Chase at a bargain basement price under the threat of bankruptcy in March 2008. But by summer of 2008 the rollercoaster ride started to have more downs than ups. A series of write-offs was accompanied by new offerings to seek capital to bolster its finances. Lehman also fought a running battle with short sellers. The company accused them of spreading rumors to drive down the stocks price; Lehmans critics responded by questioning whether the firm had come clean about the true size of its losses. As time passed and losses mounted, an increasing number of investors sided with the critics. On June 9, 2008, Lehman announced a second-quarter loss of $2.8 billion, far higher than analysts had expected. The company said it would seek to raise $6 billion in fresh capital from investors. But those efforts faltered, and the situation grew more dire after the government on Sept. 8 announced a takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Lehmans stock plunged as the markets wondered whether the move to save those mortgage giants made it less likely that Lehman might be bailed out. On Sept. 10, the investment bank said that it would spin off a majority of its remaining commercial real estate holdings into a new public company. And it confirmed plans to sell a majority of its investment management division in a move expected to generate $3 billion. It also announced an expected loss of $3.9 billion, or $5.92 a share, in the third quarter after $5.6 billion in write-downs. By the weekend of Sept. 13-14, it was clear that it was do or die for Lehman. The Treasury had made clear that no bailout would be forthcoming. Federal officials encouraged other institutions to buy Lehman, but by the end of the weekend the two main suitors, Barclays and Bank of America, had both said no. Lehman filed for bankruptcy Sept. 15. One day later, Barclays said it would buy Lehmans United States capital markets division for $1.75 billion, a bargain price. Nomura Holdings of Japan agreed to buy many of Lehmans assets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Lehman also said it would sell much of its money management business, including its prized Neuberger Berman asset management unit, to Bain Capital and Hellman Friedman for $2.15 billion. Lehmans demise set off tremors throughout the financial system. The uncertainty surrounding its transactions with banks and hedge funds exacerbated a crisis of confidence. That contributed to credit markets freezing, forcing governments around the globe to take steps to try to calm panicked markets. On Oct. 5, Richard S. Fuld Jr., Lehmans chief executive, testified before a Congressional panel that while he took full responsibility for the debacle, he believed all his decisions were both prudent and and appropriate given the information at the time. EFFECT ON THE INDIAN ECONOMY Impact of global recession on India America is the most effected country due to global recession, which comes as a bad news for India. India have most outsourcing deals from the US. Even our exports to US have increased over the years. Exports for January declined by 22 per cent. RECESSIONS ARE the result of reduction in the demand of products in the global market. Recession can also be associated with falling prices known as deflation due to lack of demand of products. Again, it could be the result of inflation or a combination of increasing prices and stagnant economic growth in the west. Recession in the West, specially the United States, is a very bad news for our country. Our companies in India have most outsourcing deals from the US. Even our exports to US have increased over the years. Exports for January have declined by 22 per cent. There is a decline in the employment market due to the recession in the West. There has been a significant drop in the new hiring which is a cause of great concern for us. Some companies have laid off their employees and there have been cut in promotions, compensation and perks of the employees. Companies in the private sector and government sector are hesitant to take up new projects. And they are working on existing projects only. Projections indicate that up to one crore persons could lose their jobs in the correct fiscal ending March. The one crore figure has been compiled by Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), which says that it has carried out an intensive survey. The textile, garment and handicraft industry are worse effected. Together, they are going to lose four million jobs by April 2009, according to the FIEO survey. There has also been a decline in the tourist inflow lately. The real estate has also a problem of tight liquidity situations, where the developers are finding it hard to raise finances. IT industries, financial sectors, real estate owners, car industry, investment banking and other industries as well are confronting heavy loss due to the fall down of global economy. Federation of Indian chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) found that faced with the global recession, inventories industries like garment, gems, textiles, chemicals and jewellery had cut production by 10 per cent to 50 per cent IMPACT ON DIFFERENT SECTORS 1. Impact on stock market The immediate impact of the US financial crisis has been felt when Indias stock market started falling. On 10 October, Rs. 250,000 crores was wiped out on a single day bourses of the Indias share market. The Sensex lost 1000 points on that day before regaining 200 points, an intraday loss of 200 points. This huge withdrawal from the Indias stock market was mainly by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), and participatory-notes. 2. Impact on Indias trade The trade deficit is reaching at alarming proportions. Because of workers remittances, NRI deposits, FII investment and so on, the current deficit is at around $10 billion. But if the remittances dry up and FII takes flight, then we may head for another 1991 crisis like situation, if our foreign exchange reserves depletes and trade deficit keeps increasing at the present rate. Further, the foreign exchange reserves of the country has depleted by around $57 billion to $253 billion for the week ended October 31.(Sivaraman, 2008) 3.Impact on Indias export With the US and several European countries slipping under the full blown recession, Indian exports have run into difficult times, since October. Manufacturing sectors like leather, textile, gems and jewellery have been hit hard because of the slump in the demand in the US and Europe. Further India enjoys trade surplus with USA and about 15 per cent of its total export in 2006-07 was directed toward USA. Indian exports fell by 9.9 per cent in November 2008, when the impact of declining consumer demand in the US and other major global market, with negative growth for the second month, running and widening monthly trade deficit over $10 billions. Official statistics released on the first day of the New Year, showed that exports had dropped to $1.5 billion in November this fiscal year, (Sivaraman, 2008) from $12.7 billion a year ago, while imports grew by $6.1billion to $21.5 billion. 4.Impact on Indias handloom sector, jewelry export and tourism Again reduction in demand in the OECD countries affected the Indian gems and jewellery industry, handloom and tourism sectors. Around 50,000 artisans employed in jewellery industry have lost their jobs as a result of the global economic meltdown. Further, the crisis had affected the Rs. 3000 crores handloom industry and volume of handloom exports dropped by 4.6 per cent in 2007-08, creating widespread unemployment in this sector (Chandran, 2008). With the global economy still experiencing the meltdown, Indian tourism sector is badly affected as the number of tourist flowing from Europe and USA has decreased sharply. 5.Exchange rate depreciation With the outflow of FIIs, Indias rupee depreciated approximately by 20 per cent against US dollar and stood at Rs. 49 per dollar at some point, creating panic among the importers. 6.IT-BPO sector The overall Indian IT-BPO revenue aggregate is expected to grow by over 33 per cent and reach $64 billion by the end of current fiscal year (FY200). Over the same period, direct employment to reach nearly 2 million, an increase of about 375000 professionals over the previous year. IT sectors derives about 75 per cent of their revenues from US and IT-ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) contributes about 5.5 per cent towards Indias total export. So the meltdown in the US will definitely impact IT sector. Further, if Fortune 500 hundred companies slash their IT budgets, Indian firms could adversely be affected. 7.FII and FDI The contagious financial meltdown eroded a large chunk of money from the Indian stock market, which will definitely impact the Indian corporate sector. However, the money eroded will hardly influence the performance real sector in India. Due to global recession, FIIs made withdrawal of $5.5 billion, whereas the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) doubled from $7.5biilion in 2007-08 to $19.3 billion in 2008 (April-September). Conclusion From the above argument it can be noted down that the Financial or Subprime Crisis was the shear consequences of greed and to make too much profit on the part of Wall Street Firms and Investment Banks. This crisis also shows the failure of capitalist market economy. Though the Indian economy would be able to withstand the crisis without any major difficulty, but the crisis is still causing mayhem all over the world.

Gradient Functions :: Papers

Gradient Functions In the following coursework, will investigate the gradient functions using the formula y=ax^n, where a is a constant and n is a number. a n Y=ax^n 1 1 x 2 1 2x 3 1 3x 4 1 4x 5 1 5x a n Y=ax^n 1 2 x 2 2 4x 3 2 6x 4 2 8x 5 2 10x a n Y=ax^n 1 3 3x^2 2 3 6x^2 3 3 9x^2 4 3 12x^2 5 3 15x^2 a n Y=ax^n 1 4 4x^3 2 4 8x^3 3 4 12x^3 4 4 16x^3 5 4 20x^3 I will plot the graphs of the functions above and I will find their gradient using the formula gradient=increase in y-axis /increase in x-axis. Straight line graphs Straight line graphs are graphs with the equation y=mx+c or y=ax^1,where is stand for the gradient and c is the y- intercept. Gradient calculations 1. y=x graph Gradient of A= increase in y -axis/increase in x-axis = 2/2 =1 Gradient of B= increase in y-axis/increase in x-axis = 2/2 =1 2. y=2x graph Gradient of D= increase in y-axis/increase in x-axis = 4/2 =2 Gradient of E= increase in y-axis/increase in x-axis = 4/2 =2 Gradient of F= increase in y-axis/increase in x-axis

Disaster Management :: Disaster Preparedness,

The increase in unpredictable natural disasters events for a decade has led to put the disaster preparedness as a central issue in disaster management. Disaster preparedness reduces the risk of loss lives and injuries and increases a capacity for coping when hazard occurs. Considering the value of the preparatory behavior, governments, local, national and international institutions and non-government organizations made some efforts in promoting disaster preparedness. However, although a number of resources have been expended in an effort to promote behavioural preparedness, a common finding in research on natural disaster is that people fail to take preparation for such disaster events (Paton, 2005; Shaw 2004; Spittal, et.al, 2005; Tierney, 1993; Kenny, 2009; Kapucu, 2008; Coppola and Maloney, 2009). For example, the fact that nearly 91% of Americans live in a moderate to high risk of natural disasters, only 16% take a preparation for natural disaster (Ripley, 2006). This lack of preparation takes place in different places and involves different hazards. In the case of hurricane, only half of all respondents living in Central Florida have hurricane evacuation plan in place (Kapucu, 2008). Another finding revealed that only 8 percent of all respondent have prepared a disaster supplies kit in home. Kenny (2009) found that most residents in South Florida, hurricane-prone area, failed to take preparatory measures such as securing bottled water and food when storms strike. In another place and a different hazard, the result of study demonstrated the same finding. Paton and Prior (2008) studied bushfire preparation in Tasmania show that most respondents had undertaken some form of protective behavior only minimal and limited. They started to prepare after they were warned by disaster emergency services. According to Nakagawa (2009) people are reluctant to take action by spending money and time because they perceived some disasters have low probability. Earthquake, for instance, due to difficult to predict, in many cases people tend to neglect preparing earthquake risk. In a survey in 1974, Kenny (2009) concluded that only 12 percent respondents in California households have taken action measure preventing earthquakes. However, Nakagawa (2009) also noted that although people living in frequently natural disaster such as floods and typhoons, they do not take a proper action. For example, only 10% people had evacuated to safer locations when the Tokage typhoon hit Japan, in Toyooka city. Some argued that level of preparedness is most likely affected by direct experience of the disaster (Tierney, 1993).

Discuss Eliot’s treatment of the theme of the modern city in Essay exam

Discuss Eliot’s treatment of the theme of the modern city in Preludes. Also refer to The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock if you wish. In both ‘Preludes’ and ‘The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, the modern city is one of the main themes. Eliot’s fascination with the modern city could stem from the fact that he was an American, and so when he moved to England in 1915, the modern city was a part of England of which he was in awe. Eliot was also influenced by the French poet, Charles Baudelaire who explored the poetic possibilities of â€Å"the more sordid aspects of the modern metropolis.† I believe that this is what Eliot is doing in Preludes; I believe he is exploring the poetic possibilities of the city. In ‘Preludes’, Eliot begins the poem with â€Å"The winter evening settles down / With smell of steaks in passageways / Six o’clock.† Here, Eliot has personified the weather and made wide use of sibilance. By using sibilance, he makes the â€Å"passageways† seem eerie and mysterious. Eliot then continues with â€Å"The burnt-out ends of smoky days / And now a gusty shower wraps.† These two lines suggest endings, as life is firstly compared to a cigarette, where it burns away to nothing and then the line â€Å"And now a gusty shower wraps† makes use of pathetic fallacy, as the turbulent day in the city is over, just like the â€Å"gusty shower† has finished. The last two lines of the stanza create the impression of a city atmosphere which is dingy and dark; â€Å"And at the corner of the street / A lonely cab horse steams and stamps.† The cab horse could mirror people in the city, as many of them are lonely, and â€Å"at the corner of the street† suggests isolation and dinginess mixed with a familiar city image. In the second stanza, El... ... mirroring the harsh world which the city is. â€Å"The worlds revolve†¦Ã¢â‚¬  suggests that in cities people are living in their own different worlds, behind â€Å"masquerades†, which is a theme also present in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ with the line â€Å"To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.† In ‘Preludes’ and ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, Eliot illuminates the modern city in a very harsh light. Eliot seems to focus on the negative points of the city such as its darkness, loneliness and how threatening it can be. This could be due to the fact that Eliot was writing about these city themes after Darwinism, and just before World War One, when the city and civilisation were seen as the things which would eventually destroy man. Eliot discusses the theme of the modern city truthfully and writes about it in the stark way in which he views it.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus and Anna-Lou “Annie” Leibovitz Essay

Thomas Wedgwood was the first man to think of and develop a method to copy visible images chemically to permanent media and Joseph Nià ©pce was one of the inventors of photography, he developed the heliography, a technique used to produce the world’s first known photograph in 1825. Among Niece’s other inventions was the Pyrà ©olophore, the world’s first ‘internal combustion engine’, which he conceived, created, and developed with his older brother Claude. This is how photography came about and how it is today. In this essay I’ll be taking about Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus and Annie Leibovitz and how they became photographers, also the similarities and differences between the three most famous 20th century photographers. Henri Cartier-Bresson born 22 August 1908, in Chanteloup, France and died 3 August 2004, in Montjusine, France. Cartier-Bresson was a pioneer in photojournalism and wandered the world with his camera, becoming totally engrossed in his current environment. As he was one of the major photographers in the 20th century, he covered all sorts of things from the Spanish Civil War to the French uprisings in 1968. Cartier-Bresson was known for being a French photographer whose humane, spontaneous photographs helped establish photojournalism as an art form. Cartier-Bresson’s photographs are portraits of people and what was going on in the world. These are some quotes of his about photography: â€Å"In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little, human detail can become a Leitmotiv.† â€Å"Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation.† â€Å"To take photographs means to recognize – simultaneously and within a fraction of a second – both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.† â€Å"The photograph itself doesn’t interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality.† Diane Arbus born 14 March 1923, in New York City, USA and died 26 July 1971, in Greenwich Village, New York City, USA. Arbus learn photography from her husband (married 1941 then divorced 1969 and had 2 kids) Allan Arbus. She was one of the most unique photographers in the 20th century and she was known for her unnatural portraits and offbeat subjects. At a young age she had artistic talent and in high school she was interested in creating paintings and drawings. Arbus’ photographs are the same as Henri Cartier-Bresson, portraits of people and what was going on in the world. These are some interesting quotes of hers: â€Å"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.† â€Å"I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.† â€Å"The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.† â€Å"There are an awful lot of people in the world and it’s going to be terribly hard to photograph all of them†¦ It was my teacher Lisette Model who finally made it clear to me that the more specific you are, the more general it will be.† Anna-Lou â€Å"Annie† Leibovitz born 2 October 1949, in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. Leibovitz is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Around her teens, Leibovitz became interested in various artistic endeavors, and began to write and play music. Leibovitz was training at San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting. For several years, she continued to develop her photography skills while working various jobs. Leibovitz’s photographs are remakes of Disney movies and are very unique. These are some of her quotes that are about anything and everything: â€Å"I admired the work of photographers like Beaton, Penn, and Avedon as much as I respected the grittier photographers such as Robert Frank. But in the same way that I had to find my own way of reportage, I had to find my own form of glamour.† â€Å"Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself.† â€Å"I’m more interested in being good than being famous.† â€Å"I sometimes find the surface interesting. To say that the mark of a good portrait is whether you get them or get the soul – I don’t think this is possible all of the time.† Both Henri Cartier-Bresson and Diane Arbus took photographs of people and everyday life showing what was going on in the world, they both also toke photographs of street photography. While Annie Leibovitz was and still is taking portraits of people in a very wild, crazy and unique way as she photographs her very own remakes of Disney movies. Henri Cartier-Bresson would go around the world doing street photography and that’s why in all his photographs there are different emotions and his not just trying to get the same thing all the time because every second something changes in an instant. All of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photographs (also Diane Arbus and Annie Leibovitz photographs) were in black and white as they didn’t even have photographs in colour yet and they look so much better in black and white any way, as shown in this portrait of Marilyn Monroe (photograph after the conclusion) in Reno, Nevada, USA in the year of 1961, (17  ½ x 11  ¾ in.) this is such a beautiful photograph of Marilyn as she was an extremely pretty woman. Cartier-Bresson’s photography are intended for ages from 10 years of age and over. Diane Arbus was known for her unnatural portraits and offbeat subjects. She often shot with a Rolleiflex medium format twin-lens reflex that provided a square aspect ratio and a waist-level viewfinder (both the Rolleiflex med format twin-lens reflex and the waist-level viewfinder are a type of camera). Arbus can connect with her subjects in ways that did not involve the standard eye-level viewfinder. In some of Arbus photographs where there are two people, those two people are wearing almost the same thing even if they are of different gender, one of those photographs is the Identical Twins taken in 1967 in Roselle, New Jersey, USA. The two young girls were twin sisters, Cathleen and Colleen Wade, they were both in matching outfits and look very cute (photograph after the conclusion). Arbus’ photography are intended for ages from 10-14 and over as there are some nudity in some of the photographs. Annie Leibovitz is an outstanding and wonderful photographer as her Disney photographs are really cool and amazing plus to use celebrities instead of models is going to make those photographs more likeable, even though most people love Disney as they all grew up with Disney movies and stories. One of my favorite Disney movies of all time would have to be Beauty and the Beast because the Beauty’s name was Belle and it was close to my name plus the Beast kinda looked like a big cat and I love cats so the photograph that I’m going to do for Annie Leibovitz is the Beauty and the Beast with Drew Barrymore as Belle and a real lion for the Beast. This photograph was taken in 2005 and featured in Vogue magazine with the rest of the other Disney photographs. Leibovitz’s photograph is the best one of as it reminds me of my childhood and how I used to watch Beauty and the Beast all the time and still do to this very day (photograph after the conclusion). Leibovitz’s photography is intended from ages 5 and over especially the Disney Dream Portrait series. In conclusion, Henri Cartier-Bresson would travel around the world doing street photography and taking portraits of famous people/celebrities. Cartier-Bresson was a pioneer in photojournalism and wandered the world with his camera, becoming totally engrossed in his current environment. Cartier-Bresson was known for being a French photographer whose humane, spontaneous photographs helped establish photojournalism as an art form. Diane Arbus liked to photograph unnatural and offbeat subjects and if there were two people they were wearing almost the same thing. Arbus learn photography from her husband, Allan Arbus. At a young age she had artistic talent and in high school she was interested in creating paintings and drawings. Last but not least Annie Leibovitz took photographs of Disney movies and made them come to life instead of being a cartoon or animation and has a very unique and fun way to make photography more and more interesting for younger people. Around her teens, Leibovitz became interested in various artistic endeavors, and began to write and play music. Leibovitz was training at San Francisco Art Institute, where she studied painting. In all my new favorite photographer is Annie Leibovitz as she made my favorite Disney movie come to life and helped me think of a new way to express myself while taking a photograph. Henri Cartier-Bresson portrait of Marilyn Monroe: Diane Arbus portrait of Identical Twins: Annie Leibovitz portrait of Disney Dream Portrait Series – Beauty and the Beast: Bibliography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nic%C3%A9phore_Ni%C3%A9pce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wedgwood_(photographer) http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henri_cartierbresson.html http://www.biography.com/people/henri-cartier-bresson-9240139 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/diane_arbus.html http://www.biography.com/people/diane-arbus-9187461 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Leibovitz http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/annie_leibovitz.html http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/henri-cartier-bresson-marilyn-monroe-in-reno-1961-4656889-details.aspx?intObjectID=4656889 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identical_Twins,_Roselle,_New_Jersey,_1967 http://www.elitismstyle.com/blogazine/archives/23666 http://enchantedsereityperiodfilms.blogsport.com.au/2009/11/drew-barrymore-beauty-and-beast.html http://www.photoquotes.com/showquotes.aspx?id=90

Normalization Employeers Productivity Essay

There are several reasons why employers should be careful not to overwork their employers. At the top of that list is securing long term sustainability. Long term sustainability involves mapping out feasible productivity plans that balance workforce output and employee maintenance costs. This means that employers must factor in several other variables aside from net profitability when determining the ideal number of hours that their employees should work. Where having company policies that encourage overtime and consequentially overwork does tend to boost individual employee productivity in the short term, Gunner (2000) showed that the increase was only part of a reverse parabolic trend, where a typical employee would work excessively reaching a productivity peak and then burn out and lose productivity within the next few months. This means that the overall productivity of a particular employee would ultimately be the same or even lower than if the company did not encourage overworking. This is also undesirable because companies also do not generally prefer a very high employee turnover which cripples production continuity and creates a negative image of the company as a temporary stepping stone to greener pastures. The despotic method of overworking employees to get the maximum profitability is not feasible in current corporate climate where it is equally difficult to find good employers as it is to find good employees. Companies should be interested in keeping good employees and this means keeping these employees satisfied with their work and their work atmosphere. Overworking is one of the major causes of stress which in turn is one of the primary causes of employment dissatisfaction (Edwards, 2003). In conclusion, companies should maintain the balance between employee productivity and satisfaction by keeping them from getting overworked. This benefits the company with normalized productivity, prevents workforce burnout, and improves employer profile. Â   References: Edwards, A. (2003). Stress: Causes, Symptoms, Complications. Kennedy & Kennedy. Gunner, J. (2000). Employee Productivity Trends in Southern States Based Corporations. Harvard Press.

Deceptive Advertising Essay

Advertising is considered one of the most important tools of marketing for attracting customers towards the company and increasing the sale of its products and services. Advertising is done in a number of ways, the most effective being the television and print media. Though the main purpose of advertising is to attract customers and increase the profits of a company through increased sales, it has often been regarded as false and misleading. In today’s world a majority of customers are being wary of advertisements since it contains information which is actually false and misleading. Advertisements often promise certain benefits which the products or services when purchased fail to provide to their customers. Such types of advertisements are increasing on a gradual basis and today every ad is being suspected on this ground. These types of advertisements fall under the category of ‘Deceptive Advertisement’. These sort of advertisements make false claims or misleading statements and give their viewers a false impression which instigates them to try the product. People who most frequently use deceptive advertising are retailers and shopkeepers when they advertise for low-price products available in their shop just to get the customers in the shop but fail to produce them when asked for. There are many forms of advertisement which fall under the category of being deceptive. These include false promises, unsubstantiated claims, incomplete descriptions, false testimonials, partial disclosure or visual distortion of products. Deceptive advertisement includes all those ads which induce a person to make a purchase on the basis of false claims and promises about the price and quality of competitive products. The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for enacting laws against unfair and misleading advertisements and punishing the companies involved in the offense (Yeshin, 2005). Deceptive advertisement is not a new concept, instead it was practiced since the beginning of time and the trend is increasing in the business society with the passing time. This has led advertisement to become an ethics issue since it is sometimes being done unintentionally whereas most of the times the intention is to fool the customer in making the purchase through attractive and misleading advertisements. The customers are made to believe that they are getting some great benefits from the product however; this is not so the case after the purchase has been made. Deceptive advertisement is used for targeting customers of all age groups through intelligent marketing tricks and tactics therefore, people need to be aware. Retailers, airlines, weight loss programs, mobile phone warranties are some of the few companies who use this tactic for gaining sales. Such advertisements are illegal and unlawful in the eyes of law and legal action is taken against such companies even if the ad actually fooled the people or not. The overall impression counts in front of law which if false will create legal problems for the company besides its technical truthfulness (Davis, 1994). Consumers are faced daily with countless ads instigating them to try the product due to which they are unable to differentiate between true and false advertisements. People ponder why companies need to make use of false and misleading tactics to attract the customers since truth can also get them enough customers to make high profits. Often companies produce products which have a very low quality and are not competitive so they won’t demand high prices. For making their product sale in the market as a competitive one, they mark down its price and use eye-catching advertisements which mislead the consumers in making the purchase. This doesn’t mean that every other new company or others existing in the market adopt this strategy. Some of the advertisements are based on true and honest information while some others deceive the customers with false information. Educated customers can often see through such false claims but most of them fail to do so and end up wasting their money on deceptive products and services. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the ad must not always entail a purchase for it to be counted as deceptive; just the presence of misleading information or a false claim can demand an action against the company. The commission has taken action and filed lawsuit against many businesses and companies who have been accused for being a part of deceptive advertising. The consumers on watching such ads or after making the purchase can file a complaint against the company and sue them for damages. The FTC is doing along on its behalf for stopping the fraudulent activity by enacting various laws against deceptive advertising (Stern, 2000). The theory states that there are different models of advertising. There are three types of deceptive advertising that are done mostly (Hameroff, 1988). These are: †¢ Fraudulent Advertising which is also termed as ‘outright lie’ where the ad states a lie clearly about the product which is disclosed when the customer makes the purchase and does not finds the benefit promised. †¢ False advertising includes ‘a claim-fact discrepancy’ where all the conditions for receiving a promotion or a prize are not disclosed beforehand. †¢ Misleading advertising also called ‘claim-belief interaction’ where an ad can make people believe about a claim which is not want the product provides. Deceptive advertising mostly consists of three commonly found elements or in other words the representation, omission or practice of deceptive advertisements will be examined from three sides. Firstly, the representation, omission or practice that will likely mislead the consumer such as giving misleading price claims or misrepresenting a product or services orally or in written. One of the most common forms of deceptive advertising is oral misrepresentation and must taken great care of. The Better Business Bureau once stated that an advertisement can be misleading when seen complete though every single sentence treated separately might be true. Secondly, the representation, omission or practice is examined from the eyes of a reasonable consumer or a particular target group like the youth or elderly. This means that the misrepresentation, omission or practice in the advertisement has been introduced in order to attract a particular group of customers. For example, the weight loss programs target the fat people through false and misleading claims of reducing weight in 15 days etc. Thirdly, the representation, omission or practice must be analyzed from the perspective of being a material one. This means that the misrepresentation is a material one if it influences the consumer decision of buying the product or not. The consumer must have decided for something different if he would have not come across the deceptive advertisement (Richards, 1990). Furthermore, internet also falls under the category of deceptive advertisement since most of the websites often collect the personal information of the user without his or her consent. Deception through internet is mostly related to the privacy issues. Some examples of companies who have been cited for deceptive advertising include United Weight Control, Nutri-System, Inc. , The Diet Center, Physician Weight Loss Clinic, Weight Watchers International, Inc. , and Jenny Craig. Action was taken against these companies and they were made to modify their advertising and marketing practices. Not only are these companies held liable for deceptive advertising but also the advertising agencies who participated in designing the advertisement. All others who participated in the creation of deceptive ad are held liable by the law especially the advertising agencies that knew about the deceptive element in the ad but failed to substantiate the claims. Sometimes the producers are also held liable since they know about the true traits of a product and by not raising a voice against the ad means that they are backing the claim. The liable companies are subject to penalties by the law which may be stopping the ad immediately, paying for damages to the customers, correcting the ad or even requiring the company to leave the industry or banning it for a certain time period in extreme cases of deception. Besides Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and National Advertising Review Council has been also given the responsibility of monitoring the truth in advertisements. Moreover, competitors can be the greatest and most important source for detecting deceptive advertisements in their industry since they serve as watchdogs on their competitors marketing practices. The competitors can sue the company involved in the deceptive advertisement in order to gain market advantages. The customers too can file a complaint against the deceptive ads with the above mentioned organizations who will investigate the accusation (Garza, 2000). A question that comes to our mind is that is there anything which helps in identifying boundary between truth and deception in advertisements. When we see a number of advertisements daily flashing in front of our eyes, it is very difficult for us to pierce through the flash and identify the element of deception in them. This influences us to buy the product and to ultimately find that the benefit promised is not attained or that we have paid much more than what we got. However, if advertisements are watched carefully then consumers can keep an eye out for deception constantly. One should know of the many ways in which advertisers can trick the customers in buying the product they want us to buy. Advertisers usually incorporate into their ads the feelings, reactions and responses of customers which they obtained through tests and surveys in creating advertisements. They use these to trick the customers by including in their advertisements those claims which consumers want the most. There are several things which customers can look for while identifying a boundary between truth and deception in advertisements (Stern, 2000).

Managing Children’s Behaviour

When children go to preschool, they have to sit still, listen to the teacher and their classmates, understand and obey rules, and get along with others. Many of these children were unprepared to meet these new expectation when they first arrive at a preschool. These are some of the reasons for behavioural issues in preschool. Teachers who encounter these children may not have received much training in classroom management and may not know how to help them change their behaviour. Therefore, the teacher may respond with frustration and anger, inadvertently creating more problems. The teachers may in turn feel stressed and unsupported. Disruptive behaviours like hitting, complaining and disobeying will be discussed in details. Hitting Children may hit others or themselves for a variety of reasons in order to gain attention. Children get angry easily as they have a lack of self-control. Younger children in particular may sometimes have trouble communicating. This is because they may not know the words to describe how they feel or what they want, therefore they act out their feeling s or needs. Analysis of child management approach and benefits and challenges of such approach will also be discussed further. An eclectic approach is a combination of strategies and not a one size fits all approach. It has active involvement and can select the most appropriate strategy for a specific child at a specific time. Different discipline encounters will need different strategies. An eclectic approach also uses the decision-making model of child guidance. It identifies the problem and problem ownership.

Computer Industry Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Industry - Term Paper Example The industry has some gaps in the customer services delivery. One of the problems is due to the improvements carried out on new versions of software. Organizations are incurring costs due to the need to keep on retraining their workers to adapt to change. The developers do not take into consideration this factor and often will get complaints from the users. A case scenario is in the operating system scenario where most machines that were using windows XP are not compatible with windows seven which is the most current operating system. The software industry has also been viewed by the customers as one of the industry that increases costs incurred by companies. This has been brought about by the gap that exists between the available developers and the demand of software. The return policy varies from country to country according to the legal framework of the country. Due to the nature of the industry software can only be returned under some conditions. For instance, the software seal s hould not be tampered so that a product can be accepted back. After returning the product the customer will be refunded with amount of money used in purchasing the software. The customer must return the software to the country of purchase for this to apply. One of the things that I could implement is developing software that can allow backward compatibility of software. This will allow new software produced to be compatible with the legacy systems reducing the cost of acquiring new software on the client. Another solution would be to encourage development of software that takes environmental and working condition of customer into consideration. Software companies should know that the client wishes to enhance productivity of the employees and not completely replace them. This will eliminate the culture that has been there that software is supposed to replace or reduce workforce within the organization. The most important resources within the organization are the employees (Laurie, 20 04). The software industry major players have often denied their employees the ownership of their innovations. Companies own the copyrights of the software created by their employees. To eliminate this problem there is need to make sure that developers also form part of ownership of the software they make. Additionally, employees could be allowed to own shares within the company. This will make them feel being part of the company and will work toward improving the image of the company all the time. The company should also formulate a reward system to boost the morale and motivation. This will be used in recognizing those developers who have produced the most successful products for a certain period of time. Employee’s empowerment can be enhanced by retraining them on the most recent mode of software development. This will ensure that employees will always offer quality products to the clients which will improve the image of the company. Providing developers with the recent to ols of development can ensure that they are on the fast track and up to speed with the current technologies. The developers need to have a development environment which will ensure quick delivery while ensuring quality of the product. Customer service program Handling of complaints from customer will be carried with a lot of care and diligence. This will be done with the aim of achieving customer satisfaction. A call centre will be established which will be required to receive customers calls 24

The Effectiveness of Diversity Management Essay

The Effectiveness of Diversity Management - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that the objectives of diversity management in the workplace relate to the creation of a positive work environment that contributes in the mutual growth of the organization and the members involved. Similarly the objectives of organizational diversity also reflect on effectively collaborating the differences and likelihood of the perceptions of the different people to help achieve the organizational goals and business objectives. It thus works as a method aiming to synchronize the knowledge, experiences, expectations and the understanding of the different organizational members to arrive at a common solution that has a larger potential than business solutions generated on an individual level. This paper highlights that the effectiveness of the diversity management in the workplace stems out from the fact that it contributes in promoting the growth and development at the individual level thereby helping the people to think and act in a creative and innovative fashion in the organization. Management of a diverse workforce in an organization also contributes in promoting the growth of teamwork such that it helps in the sharing of knowledge, experiences and thoughts between the different team members thereby enhancing their skills, expertise, motivation and confidence levels in meeting organizational objectives. Diversity management in the workplace is generated through the generation of training to the employees based on different languages.

Management Information Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management Information Systems - Assignment Example Evidently, these activities will assist the organization to improve its productivity automatically and hence to optimize communication across all layers of the organization and between the organization and the supplier. To illustrate, each football kit sold in a retail outlet is communicated to the supplier automatically and the supplier in turn will send more football kits to the retailer to address the shortage of items sold. Electronic data interchange is the most applied form of inter-organizational system and it facilitates instantaneous information transfer from computer to computer. An effective IOS can benefit an organization in several ways. First, it greatly aids the organization to reduce overall risk level in the organization, and to take advantages of economies of scale. Second, an IOS helps the organization to utilize the exchange of technologies and to increase competitiveness to a great extent. Finally, this system is beneficial for organizations to eliminate investme nt barriers and enhance global communication. There are some potential challenges to inter-organizational systems. ... Since there are no effective assessment methods and benefits measurement processes, system managers find it difficult to convince the top management about the feasibility of financing an inter-organizational system. Due to this weakness, managers cannot evaluate employee performance in connection with the IOS operations. In short, it is difficult to identify how an IOS influences the supply chain efficiency and the overall organizational performance. If the employees are not familiar with the inter-organizational system, it can be a challenging task for the system managers to ensure proper flow of information within the organization. Lack of funding is another challenge unique to IOS. As mentioned already, the top management often hesitates to fund IOS needs because most of the IOS benefits are intangible and the top management officials cannot be easily convinced about the potentiality of those intangible benefits. Finally, fast changing technologies, particularly information techno logy raise potential threats to the efficacy and affordability of the inter-organizational system. 2. Digital Economy Digital economy can be simply stated as an economy which is based on technologies. Digital economy is interchangeably referred to as internet economy, web economy, or new economy. With the emergence of new business practices and technologies, the concept of digital economy is being greatly intertwined with the traditional economy but a clear delineation is very difficult. The term digital economy was coined by Don Tapscott in his book titled ‘The digital economy: Promise and peril in the age of networked intelligence’. According to the Australian

Assignment #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment #4 - Essay Example M butterfly’s criticisms range from arguments or debates over illustration of sexualities and ethnicity, orientalism politics, theatre and performance theories, and lastly the masquerade concept. As such, this essay will explore and analyze the production of M. Butterfly and how it represents Asia through the story, scenic design, costume design, movement, sound, and lights. Three synchronized actors perform a splendid kabuki style dance during the opening scene of the play m butterfly. Their enticing precise movements are elaborately done. Also, their Asian themed masks, makeup and robes are all evident. Just as Asians are stereotyped to be feminine, the actors have a delicate characteristic in their movements. The western nations have a long standing stereotype that depicts Asians as exhibiting a feminine personality unlike their western counterparts who are seen as being more masculine. Additionally, the play depicts the notion of the submissive Asian woman. M Butterfly presents a fictionalized story of a French diplomat who was in a relationship with an Asian, specifically Chinese singer for more than twenty years without actually knowing that his beautiful obedient and submissive lover was actually a male. Gallimard views himself as being clumsy when it comes to love. However, he considers himself to be blessed since he has a devoted beautiful and exotic woman (Liling Song). Hwang employs the term oriental in the play to refer to how the Asians are deemed to be exotic by the west. Unknown to him, Liling is a Chinese spy whose intent was to manipulate Gallimard by extracting information from him concerning the Vietnam War. Hwang in an interview quipped that he was basically interested in the different ways he would create and showcase total theatre. He insisted that he preferred theatre which uses different mediums at his disposal to create keep the audience glued to the play (Hwang et al, 1989). To do this, he incorporated

Australian Airline (Qantas) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Airline (Qantas) - Essay Example Safety culture and excellence are the key components of the brand that could help in a smoother entry into other markets. Weakness Declining profits and the domestic passengers choosing to fly out of Australia on airlines other than Qantas has forced the airline to think of alternative routes. Significant differences in culture exist between the Asian countries and Australia, which could impact the marketing strategy. So far Qantas has been focusing on the western countries with similar cultures but entering the Asian countries would require alteration in the marketing approach, as the Asians are considered conservative (Articlebase, 2010). People skills would be necessary to compete in the Asian market. To expand in the Southeast, Qantas faces cultural challenges as Australia has low power distance while all Southeast Asian countries have high power distance (Hofstede, n.d.). Culture has a significant effect on problem-recognition, problem-solving and perception and cognition (Gilbe rt & Tsao, 2000). Such cultural differences can impact the satisfaction levels for the same product among global consumers. Opportunity The three most competitive travel markets in Southeast Asia include Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia (Chang & Cheng, 2005). In fact, the best performing airports in the ASEAN region are located in these three countries. Asia’s economic growth and the growing middle-class has helped fueled the growth of the airline industry. This segment continues to grow and provide expansion opportunities to the airlines. Asia is a highly dispersed continent and hence unlike UK and US, surface or rail transport across countries is not feasible. Air travel is the fastest mode of travel for business and leisure... This report approves that while Qantas enjoys its brand equity, it has been seeing profits fall over last several years. Expansion is the only solution and the target market should be the Southeast market, which it has ignored till recently. The opportunities in Southeast Asia are tremendous and Qantas should position itself as a full-service carrier and focus on product differentiation. It already operates a low-cost carrier, namely, Jetstar and hence should concentrate on FSC. Their image in Thailand was tarnished and hence they would need to project itself as a premium airline in all other Southeast Asian countries. Investments would have to be made in brand enhancement as well. Qantas intends using only narrow body aircrafts for the new carrier so that they do not have to fly to Europe. They also have decided to enter into partnership with Malaysian Airlines and they already have alignment with British Airways. This essay makes a conclusion that Qantas may have to apply flexible marketing strategies such as differential pricing, joint venture promotion campaign, multi-sales channel. Qantas has to use the hub as Singapore and focus on development new markets such as India and other nations, away from the Thailand, Hong Kong sectors. India is a promising destination and could also enhance the prospects of tourism for Australia. They could offer differential pricing and special offers for internet booking for developing new customers for added routes and even for their existing customers.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Economics - Essay Example This way corn serves a two-way purpose and that will definitely increase its demand. Corn and soybean are considered as substitutes and according to economic theory if demand for a product raises then the demand for its substitute will obviously decline. Following this principle the price of the soybean will decline. Again corn and soybean shares the same habitat for production, especially the prime raw material for any agricultural production the land. Now an increased demand for corn will also lead to a higher price for the same, since price and demand are directly correlated. A product that is offering higher price will definitely translate into higher profit for the producer and an immediate shift from production of soybean to that of corn. Higher percentage of land and effort will now be directed towards corn production than that of soybean (Pearce, 2006). The above discussion seems economically sound, however a careful investigation might reveal that this holds for short run. O nce the producer starts to devote more land and other raw materials to the production of corn, corn production will rise and production of soybean will fall. Hence in long run owing to higher supply of corn its price will come down and that of soybean will go up as it is scarce now. These points to the fact that in long run an eventual equilibrium will be reached where both will be produced at an optimum level for the economy. Last but not the least since, energy has an ever increasing demand, hence if corn can project itself as a viable source of alternative energy in long run that have enough potential to replace fossil fuels then the trend for substituting soybean production land and raw material in favor of the corn might show a sustained trend, with soybean production looking for an alternative way as itself is a nutritious and valuable food source along with a rich source for food oil. It is obvious that since there is high need of alternative form of energy and that especiall y of bio fuel; corn oil as an important source of bio fuel will enjoy this boom in demand and price for this product will go up. The magnitude of this rise in price is subject to much debate. First of all if demand for a product is matched by its supply then the rise in price is minimal or zero. However if this is not the scenario that is there is excess demand then the price will go up. Interestingly it is worth noting that in case of excess supply the price might also go down even courting a rise in demand for the concerned product. The excess supply often follows a rise in demand owing to the behavioural pattern of the producer who might over estimate the rise in demand and increase his supply of corn in tune of his expectations. Apart from this demand-supply interaction, many other factors do operate while determining the fate of the corn oil. If people are well aware of the potential that corn oil holds as a fuel and alternative source of energy that will definitely translate i nto higher demand. Again this has to be also undertaken into the realm of analysis that whether any other form of substitutes to corn oil does exist, that might be cheaper, easily available in plenty and better source of energy. As a viable source of alternative energy in the long run corn oil will face quite a competition with Jatropha and Pongamia pinnata (Bridgewater, Halford and Karp, 2010, p. 236) and that outcome will

Current issues in Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Current issues in Public Relations - Essay Example However, it is because of this reason that there has been concern and effort to control PR efforts utilizing these methods (Yoon 2005; International Public Relations Association (IPRA) 2007). Thus, there is a for continuous and developing research on the opportunities, limitations and concerns raised regarding SEO, RSS and social communication networks in contemporary PR practice. Major trend in information and telecommunication technologies have focused on personalizing systems for its users. According to Weber and her associates (2003) the market, pertaining to internet users, has decidedly been customer driven. SEO's are one of the obvious indications of the demand power of internet users. Queries are dependent on users' prerogative and SEO service providers model their products to suit the convenience of their users. In a similar manner, RSS feeds are based on demand or subscription based on user supplied parameters. In the case of social network communication, there are voluntary membership is often a requirements and considerable privacy clauses are implemented. On the other hand, traditional PR initiatives have been characterized to be general in structure and composition but specifically motivated (Fall 2004). One of the major considerations has always how to get a specific message to as many audiences without alienating third parties. In the case of these technologies, PR campaigns directed through these channels are considered to be more streamlined and efficient (IPRA 2007). Moreover, feedback channels allow for improving strategies and materials. However, this also creates vulnerabilities: there is greater risk of critique, increased technological requirements to monitor reactions and greater necessity to develop social, political and cultural sensitivity (Fall 2004). In a similar vein, Curtin and Gaither (2008) point out that there is a need to understand how these developments are changing PR audiences and communication channels. Considering the range and projected growth of these channels and internet communication in general, its significance is expected to continue to rise. One factor that has particularly supported this trend is the abundance of independent and open source technologies that have become the foundation of personal communication systems and content requirements. This has been apparent in the communication channels to be considered in this study as well. Relevance to the Marketing Mix and Strategies The need to understand the significance of new PR communication channels is at the core of marketing principles or concerns. One of the common realizations is that marketing fundamentals change significantly given that SEO, RSS and social networking operate digitally and often virtually. Considering the impact to the marketing mix, alone, there are significant competencies that have to become attuned to new perspectives (Pieczka 2002). One of the important realizations is that though the internet effectively eliminates traditional barriers to communication but also raised exposure, access and security threats. For the purpose of this study, the relevance of the topic to marketing professionals will be discussed based on how SEO, RSS and social networking. There is generally no variation in marketing materials developed for traditional and

Capstone Project Essay Example for Free

Capstone Project Essay Apple has been known to be an inherently personal computer company. However, it is also well known that there is no better example of innovative strategic thinking and execution. Apple’s strategy has remained to creating and sustaining value for customers across the world. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 and the company never looked back since. However, it is also said that Apple lost the pc business because of ignoring the trends in pc industry. Apple’s business strategy is primarily based on innovation for creating differentiated products. It has built products that are cool to use as well as simple and intuitive. Its products are best known for the amazing experience they provide. However, Apple kept taking calculated risks and entered new markets boldly. It was visible in the release of innovative products like iPod, iPhone etc. Inherently it is a pc company and uses its competencies in developing hardware and software for developing effective, efficient and innovative products. In fact, its iPad, iPod, iPhone and Mac are all computers. (Harris, 2010) Apple’s success is mainly the result of innovative technology and design innovation. In this way we can see that Apple has enjoyed continued success in the market through innovation and matchless design. Apple’s vision is also based on continuous innovation which is visible in the products it makes. Its mission is also to be the leader in the digital revolution by making revolutionary products. We know that Apple is the market leader in terms of most innovative electronic products and the customers’ choice also. The business environment for Apple Company is highly competitive both domestically and globally. (Harris, 2010) However, its products qualify as global products and are preferred by customers all around the globe. In fact it is through innovation that the company has remained a global leader in terms of technology. Its iPhone took  the world by storm in 2007. Apple has strong capabilities in product design and engineering as well. In fact the smart phone boom was sparked by Apple through its release of iPhone in 2007. Initially, the market was shaped by the customers in US and other developed markets. However, the growth for smart phone market is now coming from the Asian and developing countries mainly. However, if anyone is challenging its position then it is Samsung which has emerged as a competitor for Apple. Till a few years ago, Samsung was just trying to catch up in the smart-phone market. Now, apart from being the world’s largest technology company by revenue, Samsung has set Apple on its back foot. It is now trying to overtake Apple. Samsung’s galaxy series became the customer’s preference soon after entering the market. In fact Samsung is considered to be the best when it comes to learning from its competitors. But they also remain customer centered at the same time. In fact Samsung keenly observes what its competitors are bringing to the market. It keeps a watch over the recent trends and does not take much time to release its own version of the innovation. (Nisen, 2013) Apple also has a huge cash pile, but when it comes to taking risks and putting the money behind it, Samsung appears to be far ahead of Apple. Apart from that Samsung also spends a larg er part of its revenue on research as compared to Apple. It spends 5.7% of its revenue on research as compared to Apple’s 2.4. Actually, Samsung is a diverse business that is made of chips, displays and a variety of other technology. Its main benefit to Samsung comes in the form of the ability to compete on price and offering features which others cannot. However, it is important to note that Samsung is more than just a smart-phone maker. It is a conglomerate, a manufacture as well as the world’s largest chip maker. These factors play in Samsung’s favor. Many of the components of the smart phones are made by Samsung itself which gives it a cost advantage. (Nisen, 2013) When we compare Samsung with Apple we can see that Apple relies on external partners, which sometimes also leads to difficulties and delays. Though Apple has a well-managed and futuristic supply chain, yet it does not have the cost advantage like Samsung. One important factor regarding Samsung is that it has provided many lower end options for the developing world. In case Samsung continues to bring game changing products to the market like its Galaxy series, it can move from a close second to being the market leader. Samsung’s advertising expenditure  is also quite high which has really paid it as well. Samsung has been successful domestically as well as globally. Its most products especially the galaxy series has taken the markets in the developing world by storm. (Nisen, 2013) Apple is considered to be the market leader in the computer software and hardware industry. The main reason behind its growth and success over years are the innovative products it has brought to the market. One of the most important strengths of Apple is its incredible brand loyalty. It has a very high number of brand loyal customers. These customers will even line up before Apple stores at night in freezing cold to be the first to lay their hands on a new released iPhone, iPad or Mac. Strong financial strength is also a major strength off Apple. Apart from these things Apple is also known for its strong brand reputation and strong advertising and marketing teams and its retail stores. We already know of Apple as the leading innovator in the mobile device technology. However, apart from the above mentioned strengths there are some weaknesses also. As analysts have mentioned without Steve Jobs in leadership, the pace of innovation at Apple has slowed down a bit. Recently it also faced problems from its main supplier and producer Foxconn which led to unwanted difficulties and delays. So, its reliance on external suppliers gets to be one of its primary weaknesses. Apart from that Apple operates in a highly competitive industry and the competition sometimes affects its margins also. Its profits are also affected due to similar but low priced offerings from its competitors. Another important weakness which generally goes in the favor of its competitors is that its products are generally high priced. This all has also led to a decline in the market share of the company. However, despite all the above mentioned weaknesses it can certainly not be denied that Apple is a customer focused, futuristic and innovative company and it is certainly due to its focus on design and innovation that the company has a vast array of opportunities ope n before it. Its main opportunity lies in the growth of smart-phone and tablet market. Increased demand for iPhones and iPad also brought new opportunities for Apple. With iPad mini the company has also set its foot in the small tablet market. Despite the innovations it has brought till now to the market, the company has still significant room left to innovate further. In fact its opportunities lie in continuous innovation. Release of the TV is also being  seen as a great opportunity for Apple to amaze its customers which it does like no one else. However, it is not easy to be and remain the market leader and it holds true regarding Apple also. Apart from that its reliance on external suppliers has also proved a threat for it. Competitors like Samsung have the cost advantage since they produce their parts themselves. This is a major threat for Apple which it cannot afford to neglect. The company is increasingly threatened by the price pressure from Samsung over key components. Samsung’s main strength lies in its diversified product portfolio. In fact the company has a really large product portfolio which includes mobile phones, tablets, TV, camera, pc, printers and many more items. In most of these product categories Samsung itself holds a significant market share. It is today the number two in terms of market share in the cell phone industry. Not just this Samsung was able to catch Nokia’s market share by superior innovation in smart phones. Apart from that Samsung has also remained ahead consistently in terms of design and innovation. A very important strength of Samsung is that it has been able to take advantage of the markets of growing economies. In fact it has been able to obtain a large market share in the growing economies because of its low end products. Another key strength of Samsung is that most of its products can easily be integrated with various software’s. It is not so with Apple and its devices are generally not compat ible with different operating systems. Apart from being known for its innovation and design, Samsung is well known for its relatively cheap products. Added to all this is Samsung’s global brand recognition. But apart from its strengths Samsung has some weaknesses also. Firstly, it is not as ahead in terms of software and hardware as Apple. It does not have either its specific operating system or software. It is a very important advantage for Apple and to become the number one in the industry Samsung would need to beat Apple. Apart from it, Samsung is focused on making too many products and its profit margins are also very low. Its competitors like Apple are the largest buyers for its electronic equipment’s also. Still there is a large pool of opportunities lying open before Samsung which is mainly due to increased demand for smart phones in the developing economies. Its galaxy series has been a great hit globally. Apart from that demand for quality products from Samsung has also risen greatly. The expansion of tablet market has also brought new  opportunities for Samsung and the company has also obtained large benefits from it. The main threat before Samsung is the fall in the prices of smart phones. Samsung faces increased threats from Apple because of its innovative technology and design also. Apple’s release of ITV is also being seen as a threat for Samsung. Technological change is happening rapidly and Samsung will also need to innovate consistently to remain at the position it is. Price wars as well as decreased margins also bring additional threats for Samsung. Generally companies have to adapt their business strategies and products to different cultures when they are trying to sell to various countries with different cultures. This is referred to as globalization. However, this thing does not become very important for companies like Apple which sell nothing but innovation. English is a global language and Apple’s designs are generally simple and easy to use. As such Apple does not face great difficulties trying to adapt to various cultures and its strategy roughly remains the same across cultures. As we can see that cultural differences do matter in business. Yet, Apple sells the same iPad in Tokyo as it does in Toronto. (Jacobs, 2010) Instead of competing on localization, Apples competes on the pace of innovation across cultures and countries. It is due to its pace of innovation that today it is a global brand. However, the case is different for Samsung, which is said to design globally but adapt locally for success. Every day it ships millions of products to customers around the world. Samsung believes that it is important t to understand the local culture to meet the local needs. It is necessary to understand the local culture to understand the customers’ preferences. One important example of its globalization strategy is its establishing of Lifestyle research labs in various countries including UK and India as well as Singapore and China. (Samsung, 2013) Apple has some distinct organizational competencies which differentiate it from others. Its competencies include its business model, corporate culture; focus on customer as well as control of the entire ecosystem. Why Apple is generally able to generate lots of buzz is because of its fastidious attention to design like its founder Steve Jobs. Most importantly it is the ability and practice of putting user experience first that keeps Apple ahead of others. Apple is known for being customer focused and it reflects in the success of its pr oducts. Apple is known for its design and ease of use. Its iPhone is  in fact a great example of the same. Apart from innovation and technology there is one other core competency that is the key driver behind Samsung’s success. Samsung believes in building an organizational culture of learning and development. Samsung has also established a work culture that promotes learning and development for its employees. The company has also established a Creative Development Research Institute System to provide its employees with the opportunity to pursue creative ideas. This initiative is aimed at encouraging the employees to develop creative ideas and be more entrepreneurial. Samsung has a highly diversified product portfolio and it is also in more places than Apple. But it sometimes also results in diverted focus. If possible Samsung should try to limit it so that it can focus on specifically important products. Apart from that Samsung would need to invest much more in innovation and desig n to pull customers off iPhones. It will also need to go beyond marketing and just bigger screens. Samsung has been concentrating on offering cheap products for the markets in developing countries. Yet it remains to do more on innovation as the technological market keeps changing rapidly. Samsung will need to specifically concentrate on design and better technological innovation. Apple has been winning due to its focus on innovation and design. However, it is not having a very significant advantage which is of producing the components for its iPhones. It is also relying on external suppliers and it leads to difficulties and delays. Apple should especially concentrate on its suppliers. In this backward integration can be highly helpful for Apple. In this way it will be able to have better control over its suppliers which will minimize delays and other difficulties. Apart from that it will also provide Apple with significant cost advantage. Apple has in fact used forward vertical integration to reach closer to its customers. It has opened Apple stores in multiple countries around the world. Apple is thinking of opening newer Apples stores in the markets it has tapped newly. In fact it does not just bring Apple closer to its customers but is also an example of effective corporate level strategy. The popularity and demand of Apple’s products is high. As a result Apple is trying to reach a larger number of customers through its own stores, since scalpers jack up the prices. However, the strategy that worked in the favor of Apple was that of diversification. Apple diversified itself from computers to consumer digital lifestyle and  entered the mobile phone market also. Since then it also brought a vast range of game changing products to the market which became highly successful. In case of Samsung the backward vertical integration strategy has worked. Many of the components that go into the smart-phones are made by Samsung itself and the company also gains significant cost advantage due to it. Apart from that this strategy also benefits it by allowing it higher flexibility in terms of what and when it produces. In fact Samsung’s business model is based to a great extent on this competency. The corporate governance structure of Apple is designed keeping in mind effective decision making as well as appropriate monitoring of compliance and performance. The board of directors at Apple oversees the CEO and the senior management. This monitoring is done in order to ensure ethical and operation of Apple Inc. In fact it is an efficient method to monitor that the top management is working ethically and properly. Apart from that this method also ensures that there are no frauds or manipulations as well as prevents any problem at the corporate level. Apart from that the board also conducts a self-evaluation to find if the board and its committees are working properly. The compensation committee does an annual review of the executive performance including the CEO. This review is also evaluated by the board to ensure the CEO is providing effective leadership to the company. The board of directors at Samsung is composed of seven members of which four are external directors. This ensures the independence and transparency of the board’s decisions. The board of directors also meets regularly to discuss management issues and other important things. The directors are not allowed to engage in business activities in the same industry without approval from the board. It has been done especially to minimize any risk of conflict of interest or unethical behavior. Samsung is a company considered to be over hierarchical and also to be dominated by its founding family. There has been significant criticism of its governance structure. Firstly, the company should stop its owner centered managing system since due to it the company cannot remain independent of its chairman. The rights of minority shareholders as well as economic justice get eroded in this system. Samsung will need to change this structure. (Kim, 2012) The company should follow a structure where th ere is more transparency related to ownership. Apart from that to improve its profitability and sustain its position, Samsung will need to invest more and  move further in terms of innovation. It will also need to move its focus from products to customers. In case of Apple, it will need to adopt its business strategy to obtain cost advantage like Samsung. One major drawback of Apple is that its products are very costly generally. In this regard Apple should go for backward integration to obtain significant cost advantage. Apart from that the company should continue to focus on innovation and design to remain competitive. Apple has been using forward vertical integration successfully but it also needs to use backward integration for further success and managing costs. Pressure from competitors like Samsung is rising and company will need to be focused on managing the price issue to beat the competition. The smart phone market is currently driven by two factors. These include large screens as well as cheap products. However, Apple currently provides none of these. Despite not being the most attractive segment cheap devices still drive the sales volume. A number of second tier Asian brands have also started eating into Apple’s market share. The fight between Apple and Samsung is going to be really hard. Apart from it both companies will also have to fight hard for their respective positions in the market against the emerging challengers. Apple’s target continues to remain the high end market. It has still held itself from releasing a low cost product since it may eat into its profitability. Currently, Apple and Samsung are the only vendors who have their market shares in double digits. Yet, their combined market share fell in 2013 which denotes that the road ahead is going to be tough. Still, the two are the most dominant players in the global smart phone market. In fact the decline was largely due to inability of Apple to grow according to the broader smart phone market. However, it is still the market leader. (Osawa Grundberg, 2014) But on the other side it cannot be denied that Samsung has been inching closer through its strategy of innovation and price competition. In fact if Samsung is able to manage its winning spree as it did in case of Galaxy smart phones, it will grow at faster pace than Apple. Apple would have to pay attention to certain other things also apart from differentiation through design and innovation to retain its leadership position. Still, taken together these companies seem to be dominating the smart phone market and will continue to for the coming years. References: Nisen, M. (2013). Samsung Has A Totally Different Strategy From Apple, And Its Working Great. In Business Insider. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.in/Samsung-Has-A-Totally-Different-Strategy-From-Apple And-Its-Working-Great/articleshow/21250813.cms Jacobs, E. (2010). Navigating cultural differences. In Financial Times. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3e2f464-937e-11df-bb9a 00144feab49a.html#axzz2w9RbDZqJ Samsung Designs Globally and Adapts Locally for Worldwide Success (2013). In Samsung. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=28148 Osawa, J., Grundberg, S. (2014). Apple’s Smartphone Market Share Drops as Samsung’s Edges Up. In Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 16, 2014, from http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/01/28/apples-smartphone-market-share-drops-as-samsungs-edges-up/ Harris, M. (2010). New Product Markets†¦create and dominate them Apple style! In Harconllc. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://harconllc.com/wordpress/wp- content/uploads/2013/04/DominateMarketsAppleStyle.pdf Kim, L. (2012). Samsung’s family battles over corporate governance, will it be a risk? In Quamnet. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.quamnet.com/newscolumnistcontent.action?articleId=2323716request_loc le=EN_US