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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Marketing strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing strategies - Essay Example This paper applies different marketing concepts and strategies to analyze Starbucks Cafà ©. Starbucks Cafà © is a world leading retailer in specialty coffee drinks with over 15,000 stores across 43 countries (Annual Report: Starbucks, 2007). Last year the company total global amounted to $10.31 billion (Yahoo, 2008). The company follows two major marketing philosophies which are the customer concept and the societal marketing concept. The application of the customer concept at Starbucks is achieved through the company vision of providing the best customer service in the industry. At Starbucks customer service is not just a business function it is integrated into the corporate culture. This company whose core business is selling quality coffee beverages has become a global icon of popular culture in the United States and worldwide. At Starbucks coffee is not just a drink, it is a complete experience. People go to Starbucks because it offers an eccentric comfortable atmosphere that is created by the company’s partners (employees). Starbucks offers a variety of the best tasting top quality coffees in the world. The clients are enticed to stay around the stores and hangout to enjoy some of the company’s other products and services such as coffee merchandise, fresh foods, consumer and entertainment products which include high speed wireless internet access (Starbucks). In 2006 Starbucks was ranked number ten in customer service in the world by BusinessWeek for their friendliness, knowledge and availability (Businessweek, 2007). Customer service is a strategy that is integrated in the entire supply chain. At Starbucks the customer service philosophy starts with the coffee farmers & makers and its suppliers of materials. Starbucks builds close relationships of mutual benefit with its suppliers to ensure the company obtains the possible price and on time delivery. The

Monday, October 28, 2019

The causality of hume and kant Essay Example for Free

The causality of hume and kant Essay Hume believed that mind is a collection of mental perceptions; therefore man cannot have free will. It was this particular pervasive skepticism which Hume has discussed in his book, â€Å"A Treatise of Human Nature†. Hume challenged Kant to investigate the explanation of causality, in the matter of the importance of cause and effect concept. In Hume’s perspective, human can see sequences of events but can never see the necessity that determinism requires. For him ideas are mere copies of impressions; and there is no possibility that human being can create any original ideas; unless they are derived from the senses. Hume felt that it is impossible to bring up impression that a person never felt or experienced before. Thus it is wrong for us to say that one event caused another event or that events are interrelated. The reason that human beings believe in cause and effect is due to the brought up which based on the conjunction of the events or reality. Through â€Å"Critique of Pure Reason†, Kant divined the understanding of knowledge into two; a priori and a posteriori. Knowledge can be independent from experience and all sense impressions (a priori), and can also need to have experience of impressions (a posteriori). Hume’s believed that habit makes human see causality and from constant conjunction of causes and effects, human beings learn to see it as a ‘necessary connection’. Kant agrees that causality is just ‘there’, but it is an a priori concept of understanding the knowledge. The concept of causality is accustomed, and experience derives from such pure concepts, and these concepts and intuitions shape human’s world yet tell nothing about things in them. The concept of causality cannot be performed in an empirical way. Kant declared the transcendental aesthetic is the first stage of mind’s experience. He stated that all sense experience is synthesized through the concepts of time and space. Space stands for itself and does not represent anything in it; however it is perceived in a subjective condition. Human subjectively perceive time as in the reality of time. Kant did not see space and time as world’s properties, but as a general concept given to the human mind. The next step of mind activity is the transcendental analytic, applies categories to the mind, which without the categories human would not be able to think at all. They are; quantity (unity, plurality, totality), quality (reality, negation, limitation), relation (substance and accidents, cause and effect, reciprocity between active and passive), modality (possible-impossible, existence-nonexistence, necessity-contingency). The transcendental dialectic comes last. He mentions that it is mind’s process in understanding matters that lie beyond human’s experiences such as God or super natural elements. The reason is that mind requires detailed information about an object which exists in sensory world; such information about non-material object puts mind at a limitation of understand only the physical world which it can only perceive. Kant mentions that God cannot be proved empirically. Instead faith or belief is necessary to keep the society running (the existence of good or bad, the life after death). For Hume the religion or belief were nothing more than superstitions. Reference: Barry Stroud, Hume. Routledge, 1977. Diane Morgan, Kant Trouble: The Obscurities of the Enlightened . Routledge , 2000.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Advantages of Communism Over Capitalism Essay -- Politics Politica

The Advantages of Communism Over Capitalism The purpose of this essay is to prove that Communism is a better form of economic organization, compared to capitalism. I will use the following examples of quality, employment, health care and society, to show why Communism is a better form of economic organization. First of all in a communist regime, people are all equal to each other no matter how educated that person is, in the eyes of the government. For example a Surgeon how is very well educated is equal in status with a peasant farmer because in communism their is no such thing as lower class, middle class and upper class. Eliminating economic boundaries which separate people, benefits the whole society because then we eliminate the have and have not, as a circumstance it eliminates crime. Secondly in a Communist economic system people are never unemployed because the government owns the means of production. Meaning the governments owns all the factories and stores because their is no private owner ship in a Communist system. This is good because the government can control and decide what is needed for the good of society and produce it. Another reason why Communism is good is because everyone in the country is provided with a job, house and food; no one is denied the essentials of life. One of the most fundamental human rights is access to adequate health care. In Communist countries the right of access to health care is very well practiced, because no one is denied health care. In a Communist country you could go to the Doctor for lets say a Flu shot or a complicated procedure such as a triple coronary bypass surgery and the government will pick up the tab, because in co... ...that Communism is really not that bad if it is administered right. When I started to compare and criticize capitalism compared to Communism I found out that Capitalism is really a harsh form economic organization in which the people of a same race or country are forced to compete at every thing they do. Not only that In a capitalism society many people how can't compete in a Capitalistic society are thrown aside and labeled as bums but society doesn't look to see what caused the problem and let these people spoil, because again in a capitalistic society "only the strong survive. Overall my views of Capitalism are true meaning that I do believe in Capitalism, but inside of me I feel that a little bit of Communism mixed with capitalism will make a perfect form of economic organization in which the whole of society benefits and moves forward. The Advantages of Communism Over Capitalism Essay -- Politics Politica The Advantages of Communism Over Capitalism The purpose of this essay is to prove that Communism is a better form of economic organization, compared to capitalism. I will use the following examples of quality, employment, health care and society, to show why Communism is a better form of economic organization. First of all in a communist regime, people are all equal to each other no matter how educated that person is, in the eyes of the government. For example a Surgeon how is very well educated is equal in status with a peasant farmer because in communism their is no such thing as lower class, middle class and upper class. Eliminating economic boundaries which separate people, benefits the whole society because then we eliminate the have and have not, as a circumstance it eliminates crime. Secondly in a Communist economic system people are never unemployed because the government owns the means of production. Meaning the governments owns all the factories and stores because their is no private owner ship in a Communist system. This is good because the government can control and decide what is needed for the good of society and produce it. Another reason why Communism is good is because everyone in the country is provided with a job, house and food; no one is denied the essentials of life. One of the most fundamental human rights is access to adequate health care. In Communist countries the right of access to health care is very well practiced, because no one is denied health care. In a Communist country you could go to the Doctor for lets say a Flu shot or a complicated procedure such as a triple coronary bypass surgery and the government will pick up the tab, because in co... ...that Communism is really not that bad if it is administered right. When I started to compare and criticize capitalism compared to Communism I found out that Capitalism is really a harsh form economic organization in which the people of a same race or country are forced to compete at every thing they do. Not only that In a capitalism society many people how can't compete in a Capitalistic society are thrown aside and labeled as bums but society doesn't look to see what caused the problem and let these people spoil, because again in a capitalistic society "only the strong survive. Overall my views of Capitalism are true meaning that I do believe in Capitalism, but inside of me I feel that a little bit of Communism mixed with capitalism will make a perfect form of economic organization in which the whole of society benefits and moves forward.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

F. Scott Fitzgerald comments on the lighthearted vivacity and the moral deterioration of the period. It possesses countless references to the contemporary period. The aimlessness and shallowness of the guests, the crazy extravagance of Gatsby's parties, and the indication of Gatsby's connection in the bootlegging business all represent the period and the American setting. But as a piece of social critique, The Great Gatsby also describes the defeat of the American dream, and that the American ideals differ with the actual social conditions that exist in society. For the American constitutions stands for the freedom, and equality among people, but the truth of the matter is that social discrimination still exists and the grouping among the classes can never be overcome. Myrtle's attempt to become a "member" of Tom's group is predestined to fail, because he is of the wealthier, more "sophisticated" class. Taking advantage of her animation, her lively nature, she tries to elude the rest of her class. She gets involved in an affair with Tom, and inherits his values, and his way of living. By doing so, she only demoralizes herself, and becomes corrupt like the rich are stereotyped to be. She belittles people from her own class, and loses all sense of honor that she once had. And for all her social desires, Myrtle never does find her place in Tom's "high brow" world of the rich. Fitzgerald portrays Myrtle's condition, obviously, as a minor reflection to Gatsby's more substantial struggle. While Myrtle's ambitions come from her social desires, Gatsby's are linked more to his idealism, his strong belief in life's opportunity. For sure, his desire is influenced by social considerations as well; Daisy, who is beautiful and rich, shows a lifestyle which is distant to Gatsby's and therefore is more attractive to him, because it is so far out of his reach. However, social status is not his premier reason for loving Daisy. It only leads him, and makes him subject to believe in life's great opportunity. Like Myrtle does, Gatsby fights to fit himself into another social group, the one of old money, but his attempt is more significant, because his whole faith in life is rested upon it. Therefore, his failure is much more frightful to him, as any larger dream's failure turns out to be. His whole objective, his confidence in life and himself is completely smashed when he fails to win Daisy's love. His death, when it arrives is nearly meaningless, for, with the defeat of his dream, Gatsby

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Palmolive Case Analysis

PMPC BA 115 A Case Title: Palmolive Naturals shampoo: Connecting with the Consumers Point of View: Ms. Gigi Alvarez Senior Product Manager of Palmolive Shampoo The Problem: Ms. Gigi Alvarez, senior product manager of Palmolive Shampoo, need to prepare marketing plan for Palmolive Shampoo in five days to be presented to the Marketing Review. Objective: To prepare a marketing plan for Palmolive Shampoo in five days to be presented to the Marketing Review. Areas of Consideration: 1. )Company Background The present company, Colgate-Palmolive, is an $8. billion consumer products company that serves people around the world with well-known brands that make consumers’ lives healthier and more enjoyable. Truly global in scope, its sales come from its international operations. The company focuses on five core businesses: Oral Care, Personal Care, Household Surface Care, Fabric Care, and Pet Nutrition. Now, it has become a leading marketer if not a leader in most product categories it co mpetes in. The parent company has research and development (R&D) operations in Piscataway, New Jersey, but it also established a regional R&D base in the Philippines. . )The Shampoo industry In 1996, there were three major shampoo manufacturers in the Philippines. The category leader was Procter and Gamble with five shampoo brands (Pantene, Rejoice, Head & Shoulders, Ivory, and Vidal Sasson), Unilever (Sunsilk, Lux, and Organics), and Colgate-Palmolive (Palmolive Naturals, Palmolive Optima, and Gard). The three manufacturers control about 91 percent of the shampoo market. More than one hundred other shampoo brands compete for the remaining nine percent. The shampoo industry was long dominated by Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever.Colgate-Palmolive was very strong during the 1960’s-1970 while Unilever took over the leadership briefly during the late 1970’s. Procter and Gamble entered the shampoo market by introducing Prell, quit the market and then re-entered the market thr ough Rejoice in the late 1980’s. Palmolive was still the brand leader nationwide because of good distribution and popular pricing. However, in Metro Manila, Procter’s Pantene was number one in some studies. Procter with five shampoo brands became the shampoo category market leader in 1995. 3. )Marketing Mix ElementsIn 1996, there were five variants of Palmolive Naturals Shampoo each catering to a specific hair type. Palmolive Naturals utilized a translucent plastic bottle with a label and full fliptop cap. Each had unique label and closure cover. Palmolive Naturals is the mass market shampoo of Colgate-Palmolive and was positioned as a shampoo made from natural ingredients that are hiyang (roughly translated, compatible). In 1990, Palmolive Optima 2-in-1 shampoo plus conditioners was launched with a hair scientist demonstrating the conditioning benefits of the shampoo to hair. Colgate-Palmolive also had a strong antidandruff shampoo brand in Gard.Product life cycles fo r shampoo brands are becoming shorter and â€Å"news† about a brand must be had at least every two years. Just recently, Procter and Gamble started importing shampoos from its subsidiary in Thailand. Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever continued to manufacture shampoo in the Philippines. Colgate-Palmolive had a good distribution system that matched the capabilities of its two competitors. Its relationship with its wholesalers and big retailers was quite strong. Allowances and trade support were adequate and competitive. Wholesalers and big retailers then supply the smaller account, mostly sari-sari (provision) storeowners.To win the shampoo war the brand must have extensive coverage. To make a brand ubiquitous it must be carried by the sari-sari stores. However, company support for the small sari-sari- stores was weak and some regions in Visayas and Mindanao have poor coverage. Palmolive Naturals was priced 5 to 10 percent lower than Palmolive Otima and other brands of Procter and Unilever. The market can be divided into three pricing segments, namely: economy pricing, medium pricing, premium pricing. When Palmolive Naturals was launched, Lea Salonga was its image model and celebrity endorser. The first of the series of commercials was aired in December 1989.It was shot in London and it was one of Lea’s first television commercial appearances in the Philippines. The campaign highlighted Palmolive Shampoo as being specially formulated for Asia long, black hair and it was called the â€Å"Palmolive shampoo with Conditioner: Special Care for Asian Hair† campaign. Palmolive aired several commercials with Lea Salonga. The campaign was aired on television and radio, and printed in newspapers. These were supplemented by campus tours where Palmolive promo girls distributed free Palmolive shampoo and soap, and flyers and catalogues featuring Lea Salonga.Palmolive was not to be left behind in the hair salons. They obtained the services of hairdresser, Ri cky Reyes, as an endorser and also sponsored his â€Å"Beauty School Plus† educational television show. He was also featured in commercials cum public relations in caring for the Asian hair and the â€Å"Palmolive Hair Crime News† campaign. Alternative Courses of Action: †¢The first alternative is to make a marketing plan based on the Price Strategies of Palmolive Shampoo. Advantages: Taking pricing decision is one of the critical factors of business for Palmolive Shampoo.To take the pricing decision a proper research needs to be carried out such as on the product availability, competitor's pricing strategy, customer's perceived pricing, customer’s willingness to pay the price of the product, demand factor etc. The pricing decision influences the demand of the product in the market, the pricing strategy of the competitors, the profitability of the company and the most important is the customer decision on purchasing the product such as which brand product t o buy and which not, which will give the major satisfaction to the customer by rendering the higher value at the lesser price then the competitors.Palmolive Shampoo may indulge in skimming strategy, which allows the company to often start with a high price for their unique products. . For customers, who buy the product first, it is a status symbol & these customers are willing to pay a very high price. So the company can â€Å"skim† the market. Later, the company has to make a price reduction to get more customers. With this price reduction, Palmolive Shampoo can give different discounts to their customers. A customer who orders a large quantity on an item may receive a quantity discount.A distributor who gives marketing information to the company or takes on other tasks of the company, for example, the transport, may receive a trade discount. The company can give a patronage discount for a customer who buys at this company for a long time or it offers a bonus if the customer buy a large amount during one year. Customers who pay cash may be given a cash discount. And the company can also give an employee discount for its own employees. Part of the price policy of Palmolive Shampoo is to decide who receives a discount.This makes it difficult for customers to compare prices of different companies. If Palmolive Shampoo wants to penetrate a market, it starts with a low price. With this penetration strategy, Palmolive Shampoo wants to win a lot of customers and it often wants to beat the competitors with the low price. This is called a low-price strategy. Later Palmolive Shampoo tries to raise the prices to make more profit. After penetrating the market, Palmolive Shampoo, capturing strategy comes in; if a company offers products which are linked in some way it can use different prices strategies for the different products.Disadvantages: The primary disadvantage to the company that engages in competition based pricing is that they are not pricing based on th e value delivered to customers or–less optimally–on the basis of their costs. Thus, they are unable to effective manage revenue to a target, creating a chaotic income stream, with all the disruptions in management and customer experience that may entail. Additionally, competition based pricing is an efficient way to drive profit out of the entire industry.Once a single company responds to a competitor with a price change, it is very difficult for other companies not to respond with price changes of their own. Almost always, those price changes are discounts, and become a race to the bottom. Another disadvantage is that Palmolive Shampoo would have fixed cost. The concept of fixed costs means that these costs never change. Rent and salaries are fixed costs. If the company produces and sells a thousand more products one month and sells fewer the next months, the fixed costs don't change.That means if costs is the main factor in pricing, then the pricing should fluctuate from month to month. Raw materials and sales commission are variable costs or costs that change from period to period. Consumers can be sceptical of pricing fluctuations and it erodes brand trust. If costs of production decrease, cost plus pricing suggests that pricing should decrease. Then, you Palmolive Shampoo would lose on profits, this would mean that Palmolive Shampoo is not efficient in their pricing. It works the opposite if production costs increase. Cost plus pricing doesn't inspire efficiency.As long as customers are paying production costs you don't have any incentive to lower costs or find faster, cheaper and more effective ways of producing products. It's easy for a company to become complacent. Meanwhile, competitors are taking steps to produce a better product faster, which allows them to steal market share. †¢The second alternative is to make a marketing plan based on the Distribution (Place) Strategies of Palmolive Shampoo. Advantages: If selling directly from the manufacturer to the consumer was always the most efficient methodology for doing business, the need for channels of distribution would be obviated.Intermediaries, however, provide several benefits to both Palmolive Shampoo and consumers: improved efficiency, a better assortment of products, routinization of transactions, and easier searching for goods as well as customers. Intermediaries provide a second benefit by bridging the gap between the assortment of goods and services generated by Palmolive Shampoo and those in demand from consumers. Palmolive Shampoo typically produce large quantities of a few similar products, while consumers want small quantities of many different products.In order to smooth the flow of goods and services, intermediaries perform such functions as sorting, accumulation, allocation, and creating assortments. In sorting, intermediaries take a supply of different items and sort them into similar groupings, as exemplified by graded agricultural products. Accumulation means that intermediaries bring together items from a number of different sources to create a larger supply for their customers. Intermediaries allocate products by breaking down a homogeneous supply into smaller units for resale.A third benefit provided by intermediaries is that they help reduce the cost of distribution by making transactions routine. Exchange relationships can be standardized in terms of lot size, frequency of delivery and payment, and communications. Seller and buyer no longer have to bargain over every transaction. As transactions become more routine, the costs associated with those transactions are reduced. With these advantages, this could strengthen the distribution strategy of Palmolive Shampoo. And it would greatly improve the company’s poor market in the Visayas and Mondanao region.Disadvantages: The main disadvantage of direct distribution is that Palmolive Shampoo typically lack retailing expertise, this greatly contribute to the poor coverage of the company in Visayas and Mindanao areas. The Company with a good product to offer the market may not be good at marketing it. By using other distribution channels to distribute their product, they are able to make use of the expertise of dedicated retailers and wholesalers. Not only that, the time that a manufacturer spends in retailing activities is time that might be better spent on production-related activities.Another downside is the cost factor. Costs associated with selling directly to the consumers are high compared with using intermediaries for the same level of sales. This includes costs of hiring and training salespeople, travel and transportation, telephone and postage costs. In addition, the overheads of opening and maintaining retail outlets and hiring work force to look after such operations are high. With cost come to hand, time would be another factor. With Palmolive Shampoo researching on new customers and visiting them to sell the products consumes m uch time.The salespeople spend most of their time haggling with customers over the price. Additionally, time is also spent following up on the existing customers to ensure repeated buying in future. Palmolive shampoo will most likely focus on the sales volume rather than targeting customer needs and their satisfaction. Additionally, the salespeople are driven by the need to earn large bonuses at the expense of customer satisfaction. Customer loyalty and poor brand image will result leading to declining sales in the long run. †¢The third alternative is to make a marketing plan based on the Promotions Strategies of Palmolive Shampoo.Advantages: Promotion is a form of corporate communication that uses various methods to reach a targeted audience with a certain message in order to achieve specific organizational objectives. Nearly all organizations, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, in all types of industries, must engage in some form of promotion In the context of the marketin g mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response.Marketing communication decisions include: Promotional strategy (push, pull, etc. ), Advertising, Personal selling & sales force, Sales promotions, Public relations & publicity, Marketing communications budget. New customers might learn to love Palmolive Shampoo’s product and become long-term clients. Such efforts may range from multinational firms spending large sums on securing high-profile celebrities to serve as corporate spokespersons; the benefit of using celebrities to endorse your brand is you can capitalize on the goodwill they elicit from the public.Palmolive Shampoo having Lea Salonga promote their Shampoo products, Ricky Reyes also an endorser to the company; there is no question why consumers’ purchases of Palmolive Shampoo went up. Disadvantages: An obvious disadvan tage to a promotional strategy is its potential for failure. Worse, the long-term benefits of Palmolive Shampoo might not offset the costs of the promotion. Careful research and expert advice from a marketing consultant can help maximize Palmolive Shampoo’s chances for success, but nothing’s guaranteed.The longer a sales promotion lasts, the more likely Palmolive Shampoo will decrease the perceived value of their product. For example, if a restaurant offers a steep discount for children’s shampoo to attract families, parents might balk at paying more after they get used to the low prices. Palmolive Shampoo should keep promotions short to prevent long-term damage to their overall pricing strategy. If Palmolive Shampoo promotions occur in a predictable pattern, potential customers might wait for a sale rather than buy the product or service at full price.For example, if a retail clothing store offers a sizable discount on most holidays, sales will be low between h olidays, and relatively few customers will ever pay full price. Another, consumer might abandon as soon as the promotion is over and continue to hunt for bargains. Converting bargain hunters to permanent customers depends on developing brand loyalty. For example, if your excellent customer service or high-quality products impress them, they are more likely to stay with you after prices return to normal levels. The fourth alternative is to make a marketing plan based on the Product Strategies of Palmolive Shampoo. Advantages: Product strategy marketing deals with the tools, technology and methodologies a business uses to distinguish its products. With sound marketing, Palmolive shampoo may receive more attention for its efforts to woo customers and make its Shampoo products more desirable. With Palmolive Shampoo consistently comes up with sound product outlines and adeptly markets its merchandise is the darling of investors and securities exchange players.Effective product strategy m arketing enables Palmolive Shampoo to estimate potential cost and performance attributes for their products, as well as determine which attributes could spur profitability down the road. The goal for Palmolive Shampoo is to find out features that customers like and how much it will cost to add them to products, while keeping in mind profitability goals top leadership has set. This concept helps a business chart a product strategy compatible with other parts of its marketing plan — meaning Palmolive Shampoo must make sure it designs goods it effectively can sell, promote and distribute.Disadvantages: One of the disadvantages that Palmolive Shampoo would encounter is the higher cost of products. Related to the increased staff requirements are higher costs commonly associated with a product specialization strategy. Not only are there usually increased labour costs, but costs to customize products and research particular needs of each given customer market are expensive as well. Salespeople that sell to multiple markets also typically have to travel farther, which increases time spent travelling and costs associated with making sales.These higher costs mean the companies must generate more sales and charge higher prices to net profit When Palmolive Shampoo uses a product specialization strategy, it is inherent for branding that the development and marketing of the product remains consistent across all customer markets. If the company fails to deliver an effective product solution to a particular market segment, the negative damage to the brand's image can have effects across all of the company's customer markets.Thus, Palmolive Shampoo needs to maintain a consistent standard of quality and durability to maintain brand image. Another challenge of a product specialization approach is that Palmolive Shampoo can be too focused on product research and development and fail to react promptly to changes in customer demand and interest. With more customer-centric ap proaches to targeting customers, Palmolive Shampoo is more likely to keep up with changes within the marketplace to know how to evolve products and market them in a way that satisfies marketplace expectations.Recommendation/Conclusion: I recommend the second alternative, which is to make a marketing plan based on the Distribution (Place) Strategies of Palmolive Shampoo. With the use of intermediaries to distribute the products, Palmolive Shampoo would increase its lead in the market over its competitors. This would help the company gain new market and new consumers. This also aids the search processes of both buyers and sellers. Palmolive Shampoo is searching to determine their customers' needs, while customers are searching for certain products and services.A degree of uncertainty in both search processes can be reduced by using channels of distribution. In addition, Palmolive Shampoo can make some of their commonly used products more widely available by placing them in many differ ent retail outlets, so that consumers are more likely to find them at the right time. Intermediaries, however, provide several benefits to both Palmolive Shampoo and consumers: improved efficiency, a better assortment of products, routinization of transactions, and easier searching for goods as well as customers.Intermediaries provide a second benefit by bridging the gap between the assortment of goods and services generated by Palmolive Shampoo and those in demand from consumers. A third benefit provided by intermediaries is that they help reduce the cost of distribution by making transactions routine. Exhibit 1: Visayas Distribution Plan – Cebu is the main distributor. Distributing to neighbouring cities and provinces in Visayas. : Exhibit2: Mindanao Distribution Plan – Davao city is the main distributor. Distributing to neighbouring cities and provinces in Mindanao.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Invention of the Gas Mask essays

Invention of the Gas Mask essays THE GAS MASK Garrett Augustus Morgan was a practical man who wanted to improve the lives of the American people. He was an extraordinary businessman as well as an inventor who created things that made the lives of many people safer and more convenient. Garrett Morgan was born on March 4th, Paris, Kentucky in 1877, and died in 1963. His invention of the Gas Mask was used by American soldiers during World War I (1914-18) and by fire departments around the country. The value of Garrett Morgan's "gas inhalator" was first acknowledged during a successful rescue operation of several men trapped by a tunnel explosion in the Cleveland waterworks some 200 feet below the surface of Lake Erie. During the emergency, Morgan, his brother, and two other volunteers-all wearing inhalators-were the only men able to descend into the smoky, gas-filled tunnel, and save several workers from asphyxiation. Orders for the Morgan inhalator soon began to pour into Cleveland from fire companies all over the nation but, as soon as Morgan's racial identity became known, may of them were canceled. In the south, it was necessary for Morgan to utilize the services of a white man to demonstrate his invention. During World War I the Morgan inhalator was transformed into a gas mask used by combat troops. In 1912, Morgan received a patent on a Safety Hood and Smoke Protector. Two years later, a refined model of this early gas mask won a gold medal at the International Exposition of Sanitation and Safety, and another gold medal from the International Association of Fire Chiefs. In my opinion, I feel that the invention of the gas mask was very useful, and it saved many lives. I do, however feel that it was wrong for people to disregard his inventions because he was black. ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

30 Words for Small Amounts

30 Words for Small Amounts 30 Words for Small Amounts 30 Words for Small Amounts By Mark Nichol Words that refer to small amounts or objects are frequently associated with specific idioms or a certain connotation. Here are many of those words included in sample phrasings that suggest the sense in which they are often used. 1. Bit: â€Å"a bit of a problem† 2. Crumb: â€Å"a crumb of self-respect† 3. Dab: â€Å"a dab of whipped cream† 4. Dash: â€Å"a dash of pepper† 5. Fleck: â€Å"a fleck of dirt† 6. Glimmer: â€Å"a glimmer of hope† 7. Hint: â€Å"a hint of cinnamon† 8. Iota: â€Å"an iota of sense† 9. Jot: â€Å"a jot of truth† 10. Lick: â€Å"a lick of sense† 11. Modicum: â€Å"a modicum of talent† 12. Morsel: â€Å"a morsel of cheese† 13. Nugget: â€Å"a nugget of wisdom† 14. Pinch: â€Å"a pinch of salt† 15. Scrap: â€Å"a scrap of food† 16. Scruple: â€Å"a scruple of suspicion† 17. Shadow: â€Å"a shadow of a doubt† 18. Shred: â€Å"a shred of evidence† 19. Sliver: â€Å"a sliver of sunlight† 20. Smatter(ing): â€Å"a smattering of laughter† 21. Smidgen (or smidge): â€Å"a smidgen of salt† 22. Snippet: â€Å"a snippet of the conversation† 23. Spot: â€Å"a spot of rain† 24. Sprinkling: â€Å"a sprinkling of action† 25. Strain: â€Å"a strain of weakness† 26. Streak: â€Å"a streak of cruelty† 27. Tidbit: â€Å"a tidbit of information† 28. Touch: â€Å"a touch of humor† 29. Trace: â€Å"a trace of incense† 30. Whisper: â€Å"a whisper of autumn† Some synonyms are seen only in negative connotations, such as â€Å"not worth a continental† (referring to the nearly worthless currency of the fledgling US government during the Revolutionary War) or â€Å"not worth peanuts.† Similar expressions include â€Å"I don’t care a whit† or â€Å"I don’t give a rap† (or â€Å"fig† or â€Å"hoot† or any of several other words) or â€Å"diddly-squat† or â€Å"I don’t know bupkes.† (Each of the latter two usages has several variant spellings.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Five Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Holophrases in Language Acquisition

Holophrases in Language Acquisition A holophrase is a single word (such as OK) that is used to express a complete, meaningful thought. In studies of  language acquisition, the term holophrase refers more specifically to  an utterance produced by a child in which a single word expresses the type of meaning typically conveyed in adult speech by an entire sentence. Adjective: holophrastic. Rowe and Levine note that some holophrases are utterances that are more than one word, but are perceived by children as one word: I love you, thank you, Jingle Bells, there it is (A Concise Introduction to Linguistics, 2015). Holophrases in Language Acquisition [A]round six months children begin babbling and eventually imitating the linguistic sounds they hear in the immediate environment. . . . By the end of the first year, the first true words emerge (mama, dada, etc.). In the 1960s, the psycholinguist Martin Braine (1963, 1971) noticed that these single words gradually embodied the communicative functions of entire phrases: e.g. the childs word dada could mean Where is daddy? I want daddy, etc. according to situation. He called them holophrastic, or one-word, utterances. In situations of normal upbringing, holophrases reveal that a vast amount of neuro-physiological and conceptual development has taken place in the child by the end of the first year of life. During the holophrastic stage, in fact, children can name objects, express actions or the desire to carry out actions, and transmit emotional states rather effectively. (M. Danesi, Second Language Teaching. Springer, 2003) Many of childrens early  holophrases are  relatively idiosyncratic and their uses can change and evolve over time in a somewhat unstable manner. . . . In addition, however, some of childrens holophrases are a bit more conventional and stable. . . . In English, most beginning language learners acquire a number of so-called relational words such as more, gone, up, down, on, and off, presumably because adults use these words in salient ways to talk about salient events (Bloom, Tinker, and Margulis, 1993; McCune, 1992). Many of these words are verb particles in adult English, so the child at some point must learn to talk about the same events with phrasal verbs such as pick up, get down, put on, and take off. (Michael Tomasello,  Constructing a Language: A Usage-Based Theory of Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press, 2003) Problems and Qualifications The problem of the holophrase [is] that we have no clear evidence that the child intends more than he can express at the one-word stage. (J. De Villiers and P. De Villiers, Language Acquisition. Harvard University Press, 1979)The single word in conjunction with the gestures and facial expressions is the equivalent of the whole sentence. By this account, the single word is not a holophrase, but one element in a complex of communications that includes nonverbal actions. (M. Cole et al., The Development of Children. Macmillan, 2004) Holophrases in Adult Language Holophrases are  of course a significant factor in modern adult language, for example, in idioms. But by and large, these have historical compositional origins (including by and large). In any specific example, words came first, then the composition, then the holophrase . . .. (Jerry R. Hobbs, The Origin and Evolution of Language: A Plausible Strong-AI Account.)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Steve Jobs as one of the most influential business leaders of our time Term Paper

Steve Jobs as one of the most influential business leaders of our time - Term Paper Example Sadly for Steve, he never knew the love of his parents who later on decided to get married and then have another child, a daughter they named Mona. The unwanted baby was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs who by profession were an accountant and coast guard veteran respectively. They lived in the Mountain View area of Silicone Valley where as a boy, Steve was influenced by his fathers affinity for all things electronic. He would spend many a day and hours learning how to take electronic things apart and put them back together from his father. It was this activity that kick-started Steve's lifelong love affair with all things electronic and technical. Always a man ahead of his time, a young Steven had problems adjusting to regular academic life. He was known as a prankster at school who needed to be coaxed into completing his tasks. Though unfocused and unwilling to sit down and be taught, the principal of his school and his teachers agreed that his boredom and restlessness came from the fact that his intellectual ability was not challenged at his current academic level. The boy tested with a high school learning curve as early as the 4th grade but his parents refused to let the school accelerate him to the proper academic level as dictated by his intellectual quotient exams. By 1971, Steve found himself enrolled at Homestead High School where he would go on to meet Apple co-founder and future business partner Steve Wozniak. Wozniak was, at the time, attending the University of Michigan. Both men had an affinity for computers and other common interests, including an independent mind attitude about how things should be done in the world. It was also this close affinity that would lead to their parting of their business ways later on in their lives. (â€Å"Steve Jobs†) Although Steve enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, his lack of direction in life led hi to drop out after only 6 months. He would then spend 18 months in creative classes where he would develop a keen interest in calligraphy, which became one of the most notable aspects of Apple Computers later on. In 1974, Steve tried his hand at working for a computer software company and found himself employed at Atari. But even this exposure to the business side of computers left Steve aimless. He spent a period of time trying to find spiritual fulfillment in India along with his use of psychedelic drugs. This was the time when the aimless boy began to find himself and develop into an innovative thinker, far ahead of his time. By 1976 he had convinced Wozniack to team up with him so they could establish Apple Computers with its head office located in his parent's garage. Steve Job's vision at this time was to create a personal computer far different from the mainframes that offices were using this era. His was going to be small enough to fit in a corner in the home and be easy enough for even a child to use. With Wozniack's help, the two men created the first personal computer for home use. Their first Apple computer was sold for $666.66 each. It was from that sale that the home office began to grow to eventually become the juggernaut computer software and hardware leader that it has now become. But the Apple computer as Steve Wozniack had put it together was far from perfect. Jobs knew that there was room for improvement. He just could not put his finger on what that improvement needed to be.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Apple commercial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple commercial - Essay Example Many people believe that this ad did succeed in causing enough damages to Microsoft and also to cement the supremacy of Apple over Microsoft. The competition between Apple and Microsoft was often labeled as the competition between charismatic leaders of these companies; Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates. So, the advertisement, "Im a Mac, Im a PC" was also accepted by the public as a comparison between the abilities of Steve and Gates. It should be noted that in 80’s and 90’s Microsoft caused enough damages to Apple’s growth prospects because of the introduction of their Window based operating system. In fact Apple was on the verge of total destruction during this period. However, the capabilities of Steve helped Apple to think differently and also to regain their lost supremacy in the market. Steven introduced many innovative products such as iMac, iPhone, iPod, iPad etc during the beginning of 2000 with the help of some thought provoking ads. "Im a Mac, Im a PC", was one such ad formulated for Apple computers or iMac. The commercial "Im a Mac, Im a PC", was directed by Phil Morrison. Justin Long and John Hodgman were acted as a Mac and a PC, respectively in this commercial. In the beginning of these ads, Long introduces himself as a Mac and Hodgman introduces himself as a PC. Then each of them started to say something about their capabilities. It should be noted that in all these ads, Long dressed casually with jeans and t-shirts whereas Hodgman dressed formally with pants, coats, ties etc. Apple wanted to spread the message that Microsoft is not as cool as Apple. In other words PC is designed for high level executives whereas Mac is designed for ordinary people ("Im a Mac, Im a PC"). The actor who represents PC in this ad appears to be fatty than the actor who represent Mac. Apple deliberately did so in order to spread the message that Mac is stronger than PC. It should

A Rhetorical Analysis of the Public Argument Essay

A Rhetorical Analysis of the Public Argument - Essay Example Public argument is a discussion which is for or against something. In most cases it is aimed at changing how the public views something. It therefore needs a speaker who passes a message and an audience which receives the message and acts on it appropriately. This essay will bring out a typical a rhetorical analysis of the public argument. The essay will base its discussion on the video â€Å"engl08† by Na Du, who tries to educate the general public on the effects of disposing plastic material in the oceans. The essay also illustrates how to deeply analyses how pathos is used in a persuasive public speaking. The pollution of oceans by plastic has remained an issue that has lacked a solution for centuries. Conservation of oceans just like any other environment has been ignored for long. They have left to pollutants and it seems like there are not environmentalists to protect them from pollution. The pathos concept is mostly used in this video. Pathos is the emotional factor that touches people in either good or bad way. The pathos appeal in this video is the most prevalent and to a greater extent, it stimulates emotions from the audience (Johnstone and Eisenhart 76). The video does a great when it comes to bringing out the emotions of the audience as it makes the audience feels really connected in one way or another. Na Du, in her video, she tries to catch the attention of the audience as well as convincing it to refrain from polluting oceans because the consequences are not good. The video starts off by grabbing the attention of the audience. Na Du’s video grabs the attention of the audience by using â€Å"Save creature! Reduce the production of plastic† as an opening line of her video. In this case, she typically uses pathos. The reason why the audience would get emotional on watching this part is self-explanatory in that she makes

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Personal financial planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal financial planning - Essay Example However where this healthcare system differs is that the insurance would not be run for profit and healthcare is provided to all people. Beveridge: This system of healthcare owes its namesake to William Beveridge who helped spearhead reforms in Great Britain’s National Health Service. Ultimately funding was to be drawn from taxpayers so the healthcare system becomes a government run institution (Like the fire departments, police forces, schools etc.) Many doctors and hospitals would be run and paid for by the government, and there would be private doctors & specialists who would receive payments from the government. Some hospitals (Such as veterans hospitals) may be run like this in the U.S. but overall this does not closely resemble the overall American system. Medicare: This loosely resembles the Canadian model which is sort of a hybrid of both the Bismarck and Beveridge systems. There exists both a private sector provider (Bismarck) but funding also comes from the governmen t which draws its funding from the tax base (Beveridge). So in essence there is no real incentive to deny claims insofar as there is no incentive to generate a profit.

Analytical report of GUCCI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analytical report of GUCCI - Essay Example Analytical report of GUCCI The company also offers products such as sportswear and purses. This company has distribution points and retail stores in all parts of the globe. It also has wholesale points where it sells its products. These include the departmental stores, duty-free boutiques, directly owned stores and franchise stores. Since its establishment, the company has continuously expanded to other markets in the world. It started with its first store in Florence and later to New York, and at present, the company has over 250 directly owned stores and 40 franchised stores. Notably, during its Gucci progress, the company acquired numerous companies. The acquired companies include Bottega Veneta, Sergio Rossi, and Yves Saint Laurent Gauche. Gucci is typified as of traditional craftsmanship; high fashion and Italian style and offers beautifully crafted voluptuous items with an intensive modern sensibility. Since the establishment of the company in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, the brand name has been the preferred c hoice of brand among astute men and women. Gucci typifies the outstanding goods made in Italy with their matchless and unique amalgamation of high craftsmanship, modern glamour and luxury. This company is committed to superiority and distinction and has dedicated employees who have enhanced the company’s legacy with a rigorous offering of analytically celebrated fashion collections and other lifestyle goods. Each of Gucci’s items is accompanied by a century’s worth of craftsmanship quality and exceptional design. Gucci has been in operation for 90 years now and prepares itself for 90 more years ahead. The company is dedicated to its function in the society, from philanthropy to sustainability. The company has progressively been involved in activities that seek to reduce its environmental effects and has been engaged in activities that promote women’s rights (Gucci, 2013). Gucci has encountered myriad transitions since its establishment as a luggage compan y. It primarily sold voluptuous leather items, and within a few years the company had become renowned among the international astute clientele. Gucci’s primary goal since this period has been to become the group leader in the opulence products market at a world-wide level and maintain the position. The company’s global presence was developed when the company first established a store in New York, United states in 1950’s. This made the company’s items attract the attention of many celebrities in the nation such as Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. Notably, the company even went to the extent of naming one of its products, a bag, as â€Å"Jackie O† (Zargani & Luisa, 2006). Gucci’s goals also include coordinating a standard and global planning process, diminish global complexity from the diverse regions, and enhance system accuracy and lessen business risks. Gucci also aims to double its customer base from 500 million to almost on e billion by 2020. The organization has been targeting emergent markets and is on the pathway. It has done exceptionally well in India and China, where it has intensified its penetration through premium and mass brands. Additionally, Gucci upholds a sustainable development program that engrosses numerous environmentally accountable approaches and the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Personal financial planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal financial planning - Essay Example However where this healthcare system differs is that the insurance would not be run for profit and healthcare is provided to all people. Beveridge: This system of healthcare owes its namesake to William Beveridge who helped spearhead reforms in Great Britain’s National Health Service. Ultimately funding was to be drawn from taxpayers so the healthcare system becomes a government run institution (Like the fire departments, police forces, schools etc.) Many doctors and hospitals would be run and paid for by the government, and there would be private doctors & specialists who would receive payments from the government. Some hospitals (Such as veterans hospitals) may be run like this in the U.S. but overall this does not closely resemble the overall American system. Medicare: This loosely resembles the Canadian model which is sort of a hybrid of both the Bismarck and Beveridge systems. There exists both a private sector provider (Bismarck) but funding also comes from the governmen t which draws its funding from the tax base (Beveridge). So in essence there is no real incentive to deny claims insofar as there is no incentive to generate a profit.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

COOP WORK TERM ANALYSIS REPORT Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

COOP WORK ANALYSIS REPORT - Term Paper Example ll description of how I managed to accomplish my objectives, what I learned, challenges and how to socially interact with people in a working environment. BTO Inc is a newly formed company. The company comprises six individuals. They include three web developers, one web designer, one server administrator and the manager. The company provides services which allow lawyers to get clients from other lawyers and also enable lawyers to expand their social career network. The company aims at expanding and growing their legal referral network. As one of the major step towards achieving this, BTO Inc is on the process of releasing its website in order for its clients to interact more with the company and also help in improving its service delivery. The website also will assist BTO Inc in marketing it brand and getting out to the outer world in order to get more client and a establish a larger market share. My work in BTO Inc. majorly involved being part of the team which embarked in establishing a web-based platform to serve lawyers. BTO has more than 40 lawyers who are already signed to use its services. The company is co-owned by two UT students. BTO Inc is based in a small office located in downtown area. The company does not have any other departments. The web-based platform would enable registered members to search in the job log to look for available job opportunities posted by other lawyers. The web-based platform can also enable them to view the daily news related to the law. I was involved in providing and updating event information related to law in the web-based platform. I was also involved in developing user-friendly searching system to target registered lawyers. Working with BTO Inc. was to help in better understanding of what really goes on in the real-world especially in the information technology and software development market. Having that in mind, I formulated the following objectives which were to guide me in accomplishing what I wanted to achieve

The Man of the House Essay Example for Free

The Man of the House Essay The Man of the House The book Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt is about a young man that retells his childhood, when he and his family move from America to Ireland. Throughout the book the three main characters are Angela Mc Court (Frank’s mother), Malachy Mc Court (Frank’s father), and himself. All three of the characters play a very important role in the book, and they also affect each other. The most complex character of the book is Frank. Frank is not only the protagonist of this book, but he is also able to express all of his feelings in all the situations he goes through, throughout this book. Frank is the most variegated character in this book. He is the one that has to deal with not only his problems but everyone else’s. As the book continues the protagonist, Frank is growing up to be a man by himself (324). Usually boys have fathers that help them grow up into mature men, but Frank never was able to have that. His father was out drinking, not worrying what was going to happen with his family, and being irresponsible and selfish, which is what happens to a person when they have an addiction. When his father abandons the family, the weight is then put on Frank to take care of his siblings and mother. He is then put in the spot of â€Å"the man of the house†. Frank doesn’t mind getting a job at all, in fact he rather get a job then get an education (261). He likes the idea of working because when you work you see the result right away, which is money, but when getting an education your reward is more long term than short term. He sees this as a responsibility, but he also looks forward to being a man, and bringing home the wages his father was never able to do (265). Frank goes through this struggle throughout the book, becoming a man without his father, but he also has a hard time with his religion. Frankie, at this point, goes back and forth with Catholicism. His whole family is catholic and he believes in God, but there has been so many times where the Catholic Church has shut the doors on him. All of the experiences that Frank has had with the church do not make him think of his Irish religion as a positive thing. Frank mentions that when he is out being the messenger boy the poor people of Limerick are the ones who will tip him exceptionally well, the wealthy people on the other hand, the nuns, and the priests do not tip at all (315). Mentioned  throughout the book are the sins that Frank makes, all of the sins he makes guilt him, and they just get worse as the time goes on. Frank, as any other protagonist, goes through a long journey that makes him the man that he grows into by the end of the book. He goes through many obstacles, which is why I think he is the most complex character. Frankie makes the most progress, he has a goal that he makes early in the book, and that is to go back to America, which he later on succeeds at doing. He keeps determination that comes from within, but from also people around him that believe in him and what he is capable of doing.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Isolationism in Metamorphosis

Isolationism in Metamorphosis Isolationism in Metamorphosis and Notes from Underground World Literature: Paper 2 The common theme in both Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is isolationism. Both of these literary works contain different examples of isolationism in order to convey the same concept. Seclusion exists in both novels, resulting in the direct flaw of each of the main characters. The difference that Kafka and Dostoyevsky present in their use of isolationism in Metamorphosis and Notes from Underground is how each character is secluded. Kafka writes about the progressive solitude of one character being forced into isolation by others. On the other hand, Dostoyevskys entire novel is about the Underground Man, who lives all by his lonesome and is forced to look back on his youthful experiences. These frequent occurrences have lead to the Underground Mans solitude. However, in both novels, the end results of the main characters in Metamorphosis and Notes from Underground are similar because both individuals actions lead to their own demise. At the beginning of novel, Metamorphosis, Kafka introduces the main character, Gregor Samsa. After waking up to find himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect, Gregor can only think of the repercussions he will suffer for being late to his job. Gregor works as a traveling sales clerk (Kafka 1). He would have quit a long time ago, but Gregor knows that his family depends on him for the money he makes and, ultimately, their own existence. Without his salary, the Samsa family will not survive. After making futile attempts to put on his clothes and above all eat breakfast (Kafka 7), Gregors boss comes to check on his employee. Reluctantly, Gregor reveals his true identity as an insect. Gregors father forces him to go to his room, more specifically, isolationism, which had merely the fixed idea of driving Gregor back into his room as quickly as possible (Kafka 31). Due to the size and proportion of Gregors new physical appearance, the progression into solitude inflicted a mass ive amount of pain on Gregor. On the other hand, the first part of Notes from Underground, the Underground Man, also the narrator, describes the setting of the novel and defines his own existence. The Underground, the first words the Underground Man describes about himself are, I am a sick man . . . I am an angry man. I am an unattractive man (Dostoyevsky 15). These words tell the reader the ways in which society, from the Underground Mans youth, has destroyed him as an individual. Also, it makes the reader aware of his low self-esteem. The Underground Man, somehow, utilizes his own sorrow to make himself feel better. He believes that his own self-loathing and unkindness have crippled and corrupted his attitude as well as the people around him. Yet, it is apparent that the Underground Man takes will not take the initiative to change. Due to the impact of societal woes, the Underground Man takes comfort in his own pains, like toothaches or liver ailments. The ability for him to control the aching from his illness is a way for the Underground Man to hide from the actual pain from society. He is not proud of the man he has become over the years and scorns himself for his many wrong doings. One thing that is important for the Underground Man to obliterate is his negative approach to life, in order to thrive. However, the journey that he takes to seek optimism disappears because the Underground Man becomes too lethargic and lazy. As isolation approaches in Metamorphosis, Gregor becomes more and more like an insect. His change from human to bug also becomes evident in his choice of food. The meals he once liked are now distasteful and unappealing to him, although milk had been his favorite drink and that was certainly why his sister had set it there for him, indeed it was almost with repulsion that he turned away from the basin and crawled back to the middle of the room (Kafka 32). Because Gregor knows he will no longer be accepted by his family as an insect, he gives up and secludes himself in his room. Throughout the book, there is a part of Gregor that continues to fight for his own freedom because he still wants to seek equality. He has the desire to break away from his solitary state, but no way of caring out his escape. The one thing that continues to fuel Gregor is the music from Gretes, his sisters, violin. Grete does not want her family to neglect Gregor because he has turned into an insect. She belie ves that no matter the shape of his physical features, Gregor will always be her brother. It seems as though Grete does not want to acknowledge or be convinced that her brother is a bug and will never be the same person. However, it is inevitable that Grete will soon abandon her brother. Their separation continues to become progressively more apparent. Gregor continuously is left alone in his room, all by his lonesome. By the end of the novel, Gregor becomes invisible to his own family. One reason Gregor dies is because of the realization that he is nothing more than an insect without a family or a purpose. Once again, he is left in his isolated room to die, alone. In the second part of Notes from Underground, Apropos of the Wet Snow, the Underground Man comes across numerous prostitutes, many soldiers, and a few past schoolmates. However, the Underground Man intentionally alienates himself from these people by not acknowledging their existence. He makes himself appear to be incapable of interacting with these uneducated low lives. It is as if he does not want to make an effort to communicate because he fears his own humiliation. So, instead, he treats them with disgust and fear for his own life. Liza is the whore and the vehicle for Dostoyevskys message of the power of selfless love. She comes to the Underground Mans apartment one night to speak to the Underground Man. Instead of treating Liza with the love she deserves, he continues to insult her, repeatedly. These social acquaintances cause the Underground Man much remorse and regret. And, once Liza leaves his apartment, the Underground Man is left, again, in solitude. Examples of seclusion are used constantly by both Franz Kafka and Fyodor Dostoyevsky to convey the idea of isolationism. In these two novels, the solitary state of both characters leads to their downfall. In both of these examples, isolation leads to the demise of the main characters, Gregor Samsa and the Underground Man, even though the motives and basiss were different. Gregor crawls his own life away because of the pain of being secluded by his own family members. On the contrary, the Underground Man never truly lives his life because of the distain he has for himself and society. The Underground Man hides his personality and beliefs because he fears societys judgment and ridicule. The isolation that both characters endure leads to their own destruction. Works Cited Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground and The Double. New York: Penguin Books, 1972. Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2003.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - The Battle Between Dr. Jekyll

The Battle Between Jekyll and Hyde      Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout Western literature, writers have created characters who act as perfect foils to each other with dramatically observable differences. Each pairing has a stronger and weaker in the combination, and usually one outlives the other. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the pairing exists in one body, and yet the struggle is heightened because both aspects of the identity are equal in strength. Ultimately, Stevenson emphasizes it is Jekyll who holds the power of life or death over Hyde. Hyde's "love of life is wonderful," but Hyde is also aware of Jekyll's "power to cut him off by suicide (Stevenson 101)." It is the awareness of each for the other which confirms that neither can exist alone.    According to Albert Camus in his essay "The Myth of Sisyphus," "the sight of human pride is unequaled (Bowie 47)." It is Jekyll's pride in his secret existence of sensuality and "love of life" which postpones the self-destructive tendency. However, as soon as Hyde begins to appear without Jekyll's physical act of drinking the elixir, Jekyll can no longer allow the "brute that slept within" to emerge on his own (Stevenson 102." Both Jekyll and Hyde are ultimately aware of each other, and interact through necessity. To each, the other's freedom must be checked in order to stay "alive," and yet Jekyll finally spies freedom, but only through suicide. In the end, it is Hyde who triumphs, as it is in his guise that the body is discovered.    Hyde is Jekyll without restraint, and the man Jekyll wants to be in the light of day. Jekyll's close friend and attorney Utterson regards Hyde with "disgust, loathing and fear," and yet cannot put a name on the precise reason for the... ...tor (Mighall 190)."    Works Cited Camus, Albert. "The Myth of Sisyphus." Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. Ed. G. Lee Bowie, Meredith W. Michaels and Robert C. Solomon. 4th ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2000. 45-49. Charyn, Jerome. "Who Is Hyde?" Afterword: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Bantam Books. Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1981. 105-114. Hume, David. "Of Personal Identity." Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. Ed. G. Lee Bowie, Meredith W. Michaels and Robert C. Solomon. 4th ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2000. 348-352 Mighall, Dr. Robert. A Geography of Victorian Gothic Fiction: Mapping History's Nightmares. Oxford University Press, 1999. 166-209. Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Bantam Books. Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1981.   

Saturday, October 12, 2019

True Happiness in The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut and Hans Weingar

True Happiness in The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut and Hans Weingartner's The Eduakators A large parcel of the population has as their ultimate goal in life achieving well-being. Unfortunately many try to achieve it through the wrong means. For instance, in The Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut, Malachi Constant thinks he is truly happy, but what he really does is fulfill his hedonism, satisfy his shallow needs, without truly searching for a higher form of well-being. Not only does a life focused on hedonic satisfaction not achieve true happiness, it also leads, along with the urge to accumulate, egocentrism, and greed, to an unethical life. The Sirens of Titans depicts this kind of life, which is also represented throughout The Edukators, directed by Hans Weingartner. Both Malachi Constant and Hardenberg believe that money is the solution to all of their problems while ignoring the problems their own lifestyle is causing to other people and society as a whole. Happiness, our own and other people’s, is achieved by focusing our lives in the right things. Even though hedonic satisfaction is necessary for living a happy life, focusing only on hedonic pleasure will have the opposite effect. If you focus on money and the things it can buy as the source for your well-being, you are excluding a series of factors that are necessary to achieve a true state of well-being. The following passage from the article â€Å"On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being† clearly details that: Drawing from the eudaimonic view and from SDT, Kasser & Ryan (1993, 1996) related money and materialism to well-being. They predicted that people who place a strong value on wealth... ...se’s life. The only way humanity can achieve true well-being is if abdicates its urge to accumulate and refocus its mostly hedonic ways to a more eudaimonic way of life. Works Cited The Edukators. Dir. Hans Weingartner. IFC Films, 2004. Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1979. Nenno, Nancy P. â€Å"Postcards from the Edge.† Light Motives: German Popular Film in Perspective. Eds. Halle, Randall and McCarthy, Margaret. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2003. 61-84. Reed, Peter J. "Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." Dictionary of Literary Biography. ed. 1978. Ryan, Richard M., and Edward L. Deci. "On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudamonic Well-Being." Annual Review of Psychology 52 (2001): 141-166. Vonnegut, Kurt. The Sirens of Titan. New York: Dell Publishing, 1998.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Critical Analysis of Robert Frost

Benjamin Swan Prof. Bittenbender ENG208W: Studies in Poetry 04/14/13 Frost’s Metaphoric use of the Natural World in Poetry Born in San Francisco in the spring of 1874, Robert Frost is considered to be amongst, if not solely, the greatest poets in American history. Around age eleven, Frost moved to New England where the majority of his poetic inspiration is presumably drawn from. Although he never managed to obtain a collegiate degree, he did attend both Dartmouth and Harvard, two of the countries most prestigious universities.Publishing his first poem entitled â€Å"My Butterfly† in 1894, Frost began his career as a poet just as the modernist literature movement of the early twentieth century was gaining traction in the United States. Although Frost did not break from poetic convention as radically as some of his peers in the modernist movement, he is nevertheless considered a modernist poet in part due to the use of the New England vernacular that is present in the maj ority of his poetry.Another influence on Frost’s work as a poet comes from New England as well; this is the influence of growing up in New England’s natural landscape and the life he led on a farm there. Frost’s love for the natural and tendency towards including it in his writing is possibly the most distinguishable constant in his work. The following quote best describes this constant in his work, â€Å"As Frost portrays him, man might be alone in an ultimately indifferent universe, but he may nevertheless look to the natural world for metaphors of his own condition. † (The Poetry Foundation).The purpose of this paper will be to explore the some of the pieces in which Frost’s use of nature as a metaphor or simile for the human condition, as well as identifying the theme that the human race is alone in the vast universe where it occurs. Perhaps the best example of this recurring theme and Frosts use of nature as a metaphor can be found in his poem â€Å"Nothing Gold Can Stay. † In this piece, nature’s change from spring to summer is a metaphor for the loss of innocence in the world. Frost points to the fact that the world started out innocent when he opens by saying â€Å"Nature’s first green is gold† (Line 1).He glorifies our innocence by comparing it to the beauty of tree with golden buds just before they bloom. This observation and metaphor is true to the human condition as well, as we are born innocent. He continues on to describe how this doesn’t last for very long though when he says, â€Å"Then leaf subsides to leaf† (5). He then makes an allusion to the Bible about this loss of innocence in the following line, â€Å"So Eden sank to grief,† (6). As for the recurring theme, at the end of the poem man is left alone in the universe, stripped of innocence and disconnected from God.Another prime example of the recurring theme and frosts use of nature to illustrate his point can be found in his poem entitled â€Å"Desert Places. † In this poem the theme is clearly the loneliness and isolation felt by Frost. He uses nightfall during winter in the woods as a metaphor for loneliness. His description and figurative language paint a picture of the most lonely and isolated place imaginable, a wintry desert place. From here he lets the reader know that this place will only get more lonely before when he says â€Å"Will be more lonely ere it will be less† (10).After painting this picture of the most lonely place the reader can imagine, Frost concludes by saying that â€Å"I have it in me so much nearer home To scare myself with my own desert places. † (15, 16). This is where the recurring theme fits in; Frost internally is more concerned about his human condition where he finds himself alone in a vast universe that is indifferent to his existence. The entire poem sets up the delivery of these last two lines so that the reader can understand the significance of this theme to his life.The next poem examined is entitled â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † Although Frost does use nature as a metaphor for the human condition in this poem, it’s theme is in stark contrast to the one found in â€Å"Desert Places. † In this poem, the woods in winter are a metaphor for isolation and solitude rather than loneliness. This could be for a couple of different reasons; perhaps it is the fact the speaker has the companionship of his horse. Either way, the poem begins in the woods as the speaker thinks back to civilization and the man whose property he is on. He notes that it is an nusual place to stop in the middle of the night since it serves no practical purpose and that his â€Å"horse must think it queer† (5). From here the speaker makes the observation that â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,† and takes a brief moment to enjoy the beauty, isolation, and solitude they offer befor e carrying on about his business (13). In contrast to the theme in â€Å"Desert Places† Frost appears to have found peace with the human condition in being alone in the woods that represent the vast and indifferent universe. Another poem that contains just one of the two constants being examined is entitled â€Å"Birches. In this poem Frost observes birch tree’s that have been permanently bent from the weight of winter snow and ice, this observation makes him nostalgic for the days he used to swing from the branches of these trees as a boy. He recalls being playing as carefree boy and the birch trees become a metaphor for his childhood innocence that he longs to have back. Near the end of the poem Frost writes, â€Å"It’s when I’m weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood† (44, 45) that he feels the most nostalgic for his carefree childhood.This statement makes the â€Å"pathless wood† a metaphor for the trials of a dulthood that are like cobwebs and twigs that poke you in the eye in untamed woods (45). He longs to escape the reality of trials and this can be seen in the line stating â€Å"I’d like to get away from earth awhile† (48). Although the recurring theme of the being alone in the vast universe does not present itself in this poem, the constant of nature as a metaphor can be found again in this piece.The final poem that this paper will examine Frosts use of nature as a metaphor and the recurring theme of the human condition is entitled â€Å"Out Out—. † In this poem Frost takes the reader to a logging community where the days work is coming to end. In this setting, nature is a metaphor for both the livelihood and mortality of a young man/older boy working with a chainsaw at a logging camp to make firewood. Frost paints the picture of beautiful landscape off of which the subject is making a living, but when he is distracted from his work he accidentally cuts h and nearly clean off.Even with the doctor’s best effort to try to save the boys life, the boy passes away during the operation. It is here that the recurring theme reveals itself when Frost writes, â€Å"No more to build on there. And they, since they Were not the one dead turned to their affairs† (33, 34). In this poem the bystanders represent the indifferent universe, they continue on with their lives, as the boy dies alone. In conclusion, the influence of the New England landscape has clearly played a huge role in Robert Frost’s life’s work as a poet.One is hard pressed to find a poem of his that does not contain some kind of metaphor inspired by the natural world surrounding him. Although the great poet does explore the recurring theme of the human condition where man is alone in the vast and indifferent universe, this theme is not nearly as constant as his metaphoric use of natural world. Frost was able to make a name for himself through this poetic style and will remain as one of the greatest American poets there ever was and will be. References â€Å"Robert Frost. †Ã‚  The Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation, n. d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Why Did the South Lose the Civil War

Why did the South Lose the Civil War? Beginning as a battle of army versus army, the war became a conflict of society against society. In this kind of war, the ability to mobilize economic resources, the effectiveness of political leadership, and a society’s willingness to keep up the fight despite setbacks, are as crucial to the outcome as success or failure on the battlefields. Unfortunately for the Southern planters, by the spring of 1865, the South was exhausted, and on April 9, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the war.Economically, the war was a benefit for the North and a disaster for the South. The North began the war with several advantages. The North held a distinct lead in nearly every resource needed for warfare. Not only was the population deficit of the South compared to the North, roughly around 13 million, but the statistics for factories, goods produced, railroad tracks, textiles, and firearms all succeeded the south by mor e than half. As a result, the union army became the best-supplied and fed army while southern armies suffered shortages of food, and clothing.Shortly after the start of the war, Lincoln would further suffocate the south economically by implementing the Anaconda Plan, a naval blockade. Industrially the South couldn't keep up in output but also and in manpower. By the end of the war, the South had, more or less, plenty of weaponry still, but it just didn't have enough men to use the guns. Let alone enough men to defend the perimeter around the confederacy to protect its territory.Another key aspect that the North held over the South was the determination of Abraham Lincoln to win, and the incredible staying power of the people of the North, who stuck by Lincoln and stuck by the war in spite of the first two years of almost unrelenting defeat. A problem of the South was that it lacked the moral center that the North had in this conflict, the idea of Union, was important. One of the Sou th’s objectives’s for creating their own government, was to give states more power than the central government. This was ironic, because a strong central government was what the South needed, but what Abraham Lincoln had in the North.Abraham Lincoln also offered a better explanation to his own people of what they were fighting for. He displayed this leadership through his progressive steps towards emancipation, one early example being the contrabands of war. The army and congress determined that they would not return escaped slaves who went to Union lines and classified them as contraband. They used many as laborers to support Union efforts and soon began to pay them wages. This would seem exceedingly important as the war turned into one against slavery.Despite the lack of economic and political power, the South was also at a loss of collective will. Certainly the course of the war, the military events, had a lot to do with the loss of will. The Southerners hoped that they would win spectacular victories on Northern soil, and that they would be able to exhaust the will of the Northern people, and they failed to do so. The battle of Gettysburg with the largest number of casualties is often described as the war’s turning point. The Union defeated attacks lead by Confederate General Robert E. Lee, ending Lee's invasion of the North.With regard to military turning points, the outcome of the war also became inevitable in November 1864 with the reelection of Lincoln and the utter determination to see the things through, and the finding of leader U. S. Grant, the man to provide the leadership that the North needed. As long as Lincoln was determined to prosecute the war and as long as the North was behind him, inevitably superior manpower and resources would win it out. With more men, more money, more industrial power, and a strong unity for the will to win, the Northern Union crushed the Southern planter aristocracy and it never regained its poli tical power again.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Implementation of Enterprise Architecture Research Paper

Implementation of Enterprise Architecture - Research Paper Example In addition, business architecture acts as a foundation for the organization in aspects relating to missions and vision of the organization. Furthermore, business architecture allows the top-level management to make future decisions about the organization and allow them to communicate changes that follow those decisions across the organization. In order to achieve its purpose, the business architecture has significant aspects, which include information, processes, functionality, and organizational roles. According to Murer, Bonai & Furrer (2010), information involves the core details and systems, which provide store and process critical business information. All this information is arranged in a model that allows all this details to be implemented easily. Business functions are provided through the use of applications. The business functions are normally linked to the information model to be able to analyze any gaps or misalignments that may be present in the application. In addition , by linking the business functionality to the information architecture, a clear description of what information are used for particular purposes are known. The business process involves clear and flexible workflows that allow frequent process to be identified in multiple processes. Well-designed operational processes will allow efficient capturing and processing of data. To ensure that operation of processes is efficient, different roles are assigned to various organizational structures, which result to critical decisions being put in to action. Enterprise Application Architecture According to Murer, Bonai and Furrer (2010), use of various functionalities in application architecture forms an application landscape, which can be used to provide definite business purposes. In addition, for the application architecture to accomplish its purpose certain software parts need to be combined to sustain the business process. The software component will include data structures, programs, conf igurations and related documentation. The application landscape will have domains, which contain information related to the business. That is business functions and entities. A large application landscape may necessitate the use of several domains and sub-domains to allow efficient management. Murer et.al (2010) note that application domains should be chosen in such a way that applications in the same domain could be linked to one another than when in different domains. This endures that quality is not compromised. In addition, the choice of a domain model needs to be carefully selected taking into account the processes and products being incorporated into the domain. Furthermore, closely linked applications in the same domain will have a crucial influence on the use of the application landscape. The domain will assist in breaking down the data used in the application landscape in to minor easily manageable components. Modeling approach will entail preparation of a catalog of functi ons and data both on an appropriate level (Murer et.al, 2010). This will be followed by assigning each function and data to the suited sub domain. In addition, certain regulations will be used to assign data to the sub domains. These include cohesion, which is the measure of how the functionality and data are related, and how the components inside the sub domain work. Further, low coupling will ensure less dependency between the sub domains, whereas a

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Aberdour Rocky Shore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aberdour Rocky Shore - Essay Example The report will be aimed at addressing certain issues regarding the analysis of the information obtained through the collected data. Comparison between the Zonation Patterns of Site A and Site B Site A and Site B do not appear to have similar zonation patterns. For example, at a vertical height of 4.79 m above the water line at Site A, the % cover statistics for orange and grey lichens are 5 and 30 respectively. Above 4.82 m from the water line at Site B, the % cover statistics for orange and grey lichens are 5 and 5 respectively. Hence, the scope of symbiotic colony of fungi and algae is limited at Site B. Again, % cover of fucus vesiculosus in Site A at .83 m above the water line is 30 while that in Site B at the same height is 10. Site B, therefore, appears to be less habitable by the seaweed population. This can be suggestively explained by topological variations. Rock structures in Site B appear to be more rugged, hence there are greater tidal activities in the splash fringe lev el. This might have given rise to a washing mechanism that created different zonation patterns in Site B as compared with Site A. Differences between Exposed and Sheltered Shores In the exposed rocky shore, splash zones are large and there is maximum splashing from due to the waves. The area is dominated by organisms which can cling on tightly (for example, limpets and barnacles).

Monday, October 7, 2019

Gender Gap Between Male and Female Obstetrics and Gynecology Essay

Gender Gap Between Male and Female Obstetrics and Gynecology - Essay Example This gender gap is not only in Britain but in the United States as well and hence making the gender gap continue to increase (Higham and Philip 142). Male as well as female medical students all receive the same kind of training in medical colleges on gynecological and obstetrician training and are therefore competent. This, therefore, means that female patients should not be afraid to be examined by the male doctors because they may even have more experience and expertise than some of the female ob-gyns when it comes to diagnosis and even treatment (Tseng and Jon Mark 17). The lack of involvement or totally keeping male students out of this field of medicine shuts men out of women’s health issues including the issues on reproduction especially relating to contraceptive which should be a shared decision between men and women (Boulis and Jerry 154). There will also be a lack of gender equality which is being advocated for in society in all careers and also there will be a lack of future role models in the society. Higham, Jenny, and Philip, Steer. â€Å"Gender gap in undergraduate experience and performance in obstetrics and gynecology: analysis of clinical experience logs.†

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Pharm assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharm - Assignment Example This type of disorder results to hyperglycemia, a state where the body glucose level rises above normal. According to (Derrick, 2010) the past five years researches have been conducted on how to control hyperglycemia in T2DM. He argued, Pharmacotherapeutic agents that were previously used were proving to be inefficient e.g. Sulfonylurea. In the late 2009 a new pharmacotherapeutic agent, Bromocriptine mesylat was approved after a series of research to verify its efficiency. Example of drug that has Bromocriptine mesylat as active ingredient is Parlodel. Bromocriptine lowers the level of glucose concentration in the blood. Researchers had a thought the Pharmacotherapeutic agent uses a mechanism that resets the body’s circadian clock through enhancing dopaminergic. This agent’s dosage is unique from other T2DM dosages. For a start a T2DM patients are advised to take 0.8mg of the drug containing the agent with food once per day, taken along with food it will enhance bioavailability. The dosage should be taken during bedtime. The dose can be increased at a weekly interval. For instance, if a T2DM patient takes a dose of 0.8mg per day this week next he/she can increase it to 1.6mg per day. However, this can only be increased up to a limit of 4.8mg per day (â€Å"Bromocriptine mesylate†, 2009). Increasing the dose will increase the efficiency of the agent in controlling hyperglycemia. Precaution should be taken when using Pharmacotherapeutic agent. A T2DB patient, who is breastfeeding, should not use it because it suppresses lactation process. If you happen to experience uncontrolled high blood pressure, this agent is not advisable for you since this will make it to be inefficient. While using this agent you will experience some side-effects as a result of your body reacting to the introduction of a â€Å"foreign agent†. Some of the side-effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, vision, and chest

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Impact of trade unions on firm performance Essay

Impact of trade unions on firm performance - Essay Example They use this power to reach a compromise with the employers (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). In spite of the outcome, the members of unions must adhere to the solution at which the two parties arrive. The history of trade or labor unions dates back to 1860’s when workers created labor unions that included a vast range of workers (Currie, 2001). However, the unions did not accomplish any notable achievements and they ended up closing their doors. Over time, worker's  approach to trade unions has changed drastically, and they have accomplished commendable results for their members. They have banded a lot of employees from various industries so as to enhance their experience in the workplace (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). The key function of these unions is to push for improved working conditions and reasonable wages for their members. The leaders hold negotiations with employers regarding issues such as wage increments, better benefits and working hours and more vacation time among oth ers. The decision that the union arrives at is binding for all its members. The leaders also hold regular meetings to handle complains, concerns and recommendations, as well as vote on key decisions before negotiating with employers. In the case where a trade union does not reach a decision with an employer, it may result in a strike (Currie, 2001). A strike is a decision that all members must respect. Trade unions include employees from a given industry such as the agriculture industry, or a specific agency such as local or state government. Furthermore, there are some minimum requirements that unions require from their members in order to get official membership. Some unions require their new members to pay a registration fee while other requires them to have certification in order to join. The unions may include both blue color employees and professional. Different unions vary in terms of the features and qualifications since they operate in different industries and have diverse memberships. In addition to their role in enhancing the conditions of employees, the unions also take part in political activism. During the formulation of legislations especially laws that touch on the lives of workers directly, they send their representatives to influence the outcome. Although the key objective of these unions is to push for improved wages and working conditions in the workplace, this objective also includes political activism. This paper discusses how trade unions impact on performance, as well as outline how employees can best handle trade unions. Impact of trade unions on performance The key goal of the unions is to ensure that their members have the best working conditions, reasonable wages, are not mistreated by employers and get vacations as necessary (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). However, the impact of trade unions does not only influence these factors. They affect other areas such as performance of employees among others. This can be either in a positive or a negative manner. Trade unions can either result in increased performance or decreased performance depending on the outcome. Increased performance The impact of a trade union can have positive effects on a firm’s performance. Among the key roles of a human resource manager is to motivate employees to perform in a better way. HR managers can motivate employees in a number of ways. These are better wages and working

Friday, October 4, 2019

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay Example for Free

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay Cyber-security demands are ever increasing in the field of Information Technology with the globalization of the internet. Disruptions due to cyber-attacks are affecting the economy, costing companies billions of dollars each year in lost revenue. To counter this problem corporations are spending more and more on infrastructure and investing to secure the cyber security vulnerabilities which range anywhere from software to hardware to networks and people that use them. Due to the complexity of information systems that interact with each other and their counter parts, the requirement to meet specific cyber security compliances have become a challenging issues for security professionals worldwide. To help with these issues, security professionals have created different standards and frameworks over the years for addressing this growing concern of vulnerabilities within enterprise systems and the critical information they hold (â€Å"Critical Security Controls,† n.d.). Before we get into the details let first examine what exactly is a security vulnerability. By definition a security vulnerability can be flaws in hardware, software, networks or the employees that use them which in turn can allow hackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information system (â€Å"Common Cybersecurity,† 2011). To thoroughly discuss this topic in more detail I will first discuss Confidentiality as it is one of the three main goals of IT Security. Confidentiality is as simple as it sounds, limiting access to resources for only those that need it. Confidentiality vulnerabilities occur when hackers try to exploits some weakness or flaw  within information system and view information that they are not normally allowed to. In this case the confidentiality of the documents have been compromised. The second goal of IT security which can also be affected if security vulnerabilities are present is Integrity. Integrity by definition can mean many different things for different topics but for the IT world it solely relates to the trustworthiness of a document or resource. This means that the document or file has been unhindered or changed and is still in its original form. This is very important because if data has been hindered or changed it can cause substantial damage to corporations due to the possible wrong decisions being made like investments or unintended publications or even trouble with the law if tax audits are not adding up properly which would all result in a net loss. The last goal of IT security which can be compromised if security vulnerabilities exist is Availability of the information system. Availability refers to the idea that a resource is accessible by those that need it, whenever they need it. In my personal opinion I believe availability is probably the most important out of the three security goals. I say this simply because there are many mission critical applications out there that need to be online 24/7 and any downturn can result in catastrophic results. One prime example of this is the air traffic control towers at LAX; they were having problems with the system a few months back due to the U-2 spy plane flying over their airspace. This caused major panic which grounded taxied planes that were ready to take off and forced the manual tracking of planes already in air (Ahlers, 2014). Throughout this the paper I intend to report on the many different types of cyber-security vulnerabilities available and their effects. I will also describe in detail the vulnerability I feel is the most important facing IT managers today, its impact on organizations and the solution. As I stated before there are many different types of security vulnerabilities out there which can affect the integrity, availability and confidentiality of a resource. So the question still remains what exactly are t hese types of vulnerabilities? Especially since they range from software, hardware, networks and the people that use them. Firstly I will discuss the software vulnerabilities, more specifically in terms of web applications. This is because more than half of the current  computer security threats and vulnerabilities today affect web applications and that number is ever increasing. (Fonseca, Seixas, Vieira, Madeira, 2014). When considering the programming language used to develop web applications you have PHP which is considered a weak language, on the other hand you have Java, C# and Visual Basic which are considered strong languages. It is important to note that the language used to develop the web applications is very important because although the different programming languages are similar overall, each one has different rules of how data is stored, retrieved, the execution methods, tables and so on. For example when I say how data is stored and retrieve, I am basically regarding to data types and data structures and how the programming language that is being used maps their values into type fields like strings for names, Int for numbers, or even Boolean for true and false statements. Overall though even if you are using a strong typed language like Java, it does not always guarantee itself free from defects because the language itself may not be the root cause of the vulnerability but possibly the implementation methods used or even insufficient testing (Fonseca, Seixas, Vieira, Madeira, 2014). Vulnerabilities in web applications invite XSS exploits and SQL injection which are the most common types. Below you can see in the image the evolution of reports caused by SQL injection and XSS exploits over the years. This next section we will discuss some more types of security vulnerabilities, more specifically vulnerabilities with regards to hardware. Many people assume that hardware vulnerabilities have the lowest security concern compared to other types of vulnerabilities like software, networks and people that use them simply because they can be stored up in secure environments. The truth is even hardware vulnerabilities can be easily susceptible to attacks. Hardware in general have a longer lifespan than software because simply with software you can upgrade it and install new patches/builds even after deployment. With hardware you once you purchase it, you are most likely going to keep it for a while. When it does become obsolete and ready to be disposed a lot of organizations make the simple mistake of not securely disposing the old hardware properly which in turn opens up the door for intruders. Old hardware have software programs installed on them and other things like IC transistors whi ch can help  hackers learn a lot more about the organization and help lead to future attacks (Bloom, Leontie, Narahari, Simha, 2012). The most recent example of hardware vulnerability which caused one of the biggest Cybersecurity breaches in history was most recently with Target. 40 million credit and debit cards with customer information was stolen simply because a malware was introduced to the point of sale system through a hardware encryption vulnerability (Russon, 2014). Although hardware vulnerabilities are not normally the root cause for majority of the exploits and breaches out there, it is always still good to follow best practices. Network vulnerabilities will be the next topic of discussion and my personal favorite. Vulnerabilities through network systems are very common especially with the all the resources available to hackers today. There are many open source software programs on the market which can help intruders learn critical information about an organization. Just to name a few of the most popular and commonly used ones include Nmap security scanner and Wireshark. Nmap security scanner was originally developed to be used for security and system administration purposes only, like mapping the network for vulnerabilities. Today it most commonly used for black hat hacking (Weston, 2013). Hackers use it to scan open unused ports and other vulnerabilities which in turn helps them gain unauthorized access to the network. Wireshark on the other hand is also similar to Nmap as it was originally developed for network analysis and troubleshooting. It allows administrators to view and capture all packet resources that passes through a particular interface. Over the years hackers have started using Wireshark to exploit unsecured networks and gain unauthorized access (Shaffer, 2009). Although scanning unused open ports and capturing packets are a great way for intruders to gain access to a network, the most popular method by far to breach a network is USB thumb devices. Most enterprise networks are very secure in the sense that they use a DMZ (De-militarized zone) and outside penetration becomes very difficult. In a de-militarized zone outside network traffic must go pass through two different firewalls to get to the intranet of the organization. The first firewall includes all the commonly used servers like FTP, SMTP and all other resources that can be accessible by the public. The second firewall has the actual intranet of the organization which includes all private resources (Rouse, 2007). Below is the diagram of a DMZ. So the question still remains, since most enterprise organizations use DMZ which in turn helps prevent port scanning or packet analyzing, why is USB thumb devices the most popular network vulnerability? (Markel, 2013) The answer is very simple â€Å"Social engineering†. We as human beings, through social conditioning do not stop and ask questions when were not familiar with someone, which in turn has become one of the major causes for the cybersecurity breaches that occur today. Just to give one example from my own personal experiences at work, each floor has an authentication swipe policy to gain entry. Every time I enter the office area, there are a few people with me and only one person in the group usually swipes his/her badge to open the door. This is a huge security vulnerability because anyone can just follow the group and gain access to the entire intranet of the organization. In my case in particular I work for United Airlines headquarters in Chicago at the Willis tower which is more than 100 stories high and the fact that the entire building is not ours alone, this becomes a huge security concern. While I have briefly explained the vulnerabilities in software, hardware, networks and the people that use them, the question still remains, what is the most important security vulnerability facing IT managers today?. This answer to this questions differs person to person, and one must take into consideration the actual vulnerability, its threat source and the outcomes. A person with a small home business might only be concerned with denial of service attacks, since they may not have enough cash flow to properly secure their network. On the other hand an enterprise organization with large cash flow might have a different prospective and probably does not concern itself with denial of service attacks but instead is focuses on making sure all the systems are upda te using windows server update services. In my personal opinion though, you might have guessed it but it’s definitely us human beings because we have the tendency to fall victims and contribute to the successful security breaches that occur in today’s society. Mateti in his essay â€Å"TCP/IP Suite† stated that vulnerabilities occur because of human error. A study by Symantec and the Ponemon institute showed that 64 percent of data breaches in 2012 were resulted due to human mistakes (Olavsrud, 2013). Larry Ponemon the founder of security research at Ponemon Institute and chairman stated that â€Å"Eight  years of research on data breach costs has shown employees behavior to be one of the most pressing issues facing organizations today†, up by twenty two percent since the first survey† (Olvasrud, 2013). A prime example of this is when I stated earlier about how anyone can just enter my office area without swiping their card, just by simply following the group. This is a form of human erro r when employees are too intimidated to ask questions and request authorization from someone they believe does not work for the organization. The intruder can just walk in the front door pretending to be a salesperson, repairman or even a white collar businessman and may look like someone legitimate but in fact they are not. This intruder now has direct access to the intranet and can install malicious malware on to the computers to disrupt daily operations or even steal sensitive data like confidential project information, release dates, trade secrets and many more. A very good example of this is the Stuxnet worm which infect the Iranian nuclear facilities and caused a lot of damage internally which in turn delayed Iran’s nuclear development. All of the security measures that were put in place by Iran’s cyber defense team were circumvented simply by just one employee because the worm was introduced through an infected USB drive. This simply shows how the direct access from unauthorized users due to employee negligence can cause such tremendous damage and that all the perimeter defense become completely useles s. Another prime example of human errors was the RSA breach in 2011 where cybercriminals thought instead of just sending millions of phishing emails to different random mailboxes, let’s send personalized emails to specific employees. The employees at RSA thinking since it’s a personalized message its â€Å"safe† and clicked on the links unknowingly which in turn caused the malware to be downloaded on to the network. To counter this problem firstly IT managers need to properly train employees and give them specific guidelines to follow. Symantec has issued a press releases with the guidelines on how to properly secure sensitive data which includes information on how to train employees for these types of intrusions. Human error is not just limited to intimation or foolishness, it also expands too many different areas because after all it is us humans who manage the cyberspace, grant physical access to the terminals and systems that are connected to the internetwork. We setup the protocols used for communication, set the security policies and procedures,  code backend server software, create passwords used to access sensitive information, maintain updates on computers and so on (â€Å"Security 2011, † 2011 ). The human element matters very much possibly more than the software, hardware or the network systems especially when it comes to properly securing an internetwork from data breaches. The impact on the organization always depends on what type of business it is and what it is engaged in. For example if an organization is very popular and has bigger presence in the online commerce (Amazon and New Egg) compared to one that does not use the internet quiet often will be more concerned with web based attacks and vulnerabilities. The impact though regardless of the type of organization will always be tremendous. Once a breach occurs not only are you spending on recovering from its effects but you are also spending on beefing up your current security measures by installing new devices, hiring new employees so the same occurrence does not occur again (Hobson, 2008) Sometimes at the end of the day some of the cost are not even recoverable like sensitive data, trade secrets, personnel information or even customer information. Another major cost and headache that occurs once an organization becomes a victim of cybercrime is lawsuits. Many customers who feel that the organization could not protect their confidentiality will sue the corporation for millions of dollars which in turn can cause major loss. IT managers can do many things to help prevent breaches due to human errors. The first thing they can do is properly train the employees as stated above on a periodical basis and use current guidelines like Symantec to properly secure their intranet from any type of intrusion. IT managers can also establish a safe harbor in the sense that they can force employees to periodically change their passwords and establish rules so the password must be certain characters long and must include other types of characters besides just the typical alphanumerical ones. Employee negligence also due to bad habits like sending sensitive data over an unsecured email and IT managers must ensure that they continually educate their employees. There are many different types of security vulnerabilities out there in today’s world that are affecting organizations. In my personal opinion I believe human error is the one vulnerability that affects IT managers the most simply because we as humans make mistakes. It is in our nature and no matter how hard we try we will always be susceptible to deception either through social engineering tactics or clicking dangerous  links because it â€Å"looks safe† or even being negligent by not reporting something unusual. Employees need to realize that their actions can bring terrible consequences for both them and the organization as a whole. References Fonseca, J., Seixas, N., Viera, M., Madeira, H. (2014). Analysis of Field Data on Web Security Vulnerabilities. IEEE Transaction on Dependable Secure Computing, 11(2), 89-100 doi:10.1109/TDSC.2013.37 Russon, M. (2014, June 10). Forget Software Vulnerabilities, Hardware Security Must Improve Before Its Too Late. 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Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/us/california-ground-stop-spy-plane-computer/ Most Important Cybersecurity Vulnerability Facing It Managers. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/computer-science/most-important-cybersecurity-vulnerability-facing-it-managers-computer-science-essay.php Security 2011: Attack Of The Human Errors Network Computing. (2011, December 22).Network Computing. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.networkcomputing.com/networking/security-2011-attack-of-the-human-errors/d/d-id/1233294? Hobson, D. (2008, August 8). The real cost of a security breach. SC Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.scmagazine.com/the-real-cost-of-a-security-breach/article/113717/ Direct, M. (2013, December 20). Human error is the root cause of most data