Elizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor Essay

Elizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor Tara McFadden Indiana University School of Social Work Abstract Beginning in the Elizabethan Era, unworthy poor was a label placed on able bodied people that appeared to choose to not work. They were often treated harshly and in extreme cases, put to death (Shelly, 2011). In today’s society such treatment would be unheard of. The act of even labeling this group of people or other groups is discouraged and even against the NASW’s The Code of Ethics (2008). When faced with the multi billion dollar price tag of welfare, we need to make a distinction of who is worthy or unworthy to receive government assistance. The question arises on how this can be done without impeding the rights of the†¦show more content†¦The main sources for this reflection paper have been; classroom lectures and skit, The Code of Ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2008), and the section of the Encyclopedia of Social Work on Social Policy History. The classroom experience that stood out for me was the privilege of being included in an audienc e participation skit presented by Professors Vernon and Glassburn Larimer It was based an actual town meeting in the Elizabethan period and included in it was how they dealt with their unworthy poor (2011). In addition to these educational experiences, I have my own personal experience of living off of the government for over two years along with my two children. Hindsight now leads me to label myself unworthy poor since I was able bodied, yet unwilling to work. Examine The audience participation skit allowed the class to have a unique learning experience on how a town dealt with managing its citizens including the unworthy poor. It appeared the town leaders kept the problems and solutions simple, if a person didn’t work and was able to, the person was punished. (R. Vernon, S. Glassburn Larimer, classroom skit, September 3, 2011). Curiosity leads me to question if the town officials took into account any other issues that may have interfered with a citizen’s desire to work such as various mental health concerns; depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. When I printed off The Code of Ethics (National Association of SocialShow MoreRelated Social Welfare Past and Present Essay1325 Words   |  6 Pagesof individuals within a society. This paper will explain the progression from the feudal system and church provisions for the poor before the Elizabethan Poor Law to the gradual assumption of the responsibility for the poor by the government. A responsibility assumed not out of humanity and concern for the poor, but as a process of standardizing the ways in which the poor were to be managed. The history of social welfare reflects differences in values as they relate to social responsibility in takingRead MoreEssay about Elizabethan Theater1308 Words   |  6 Pages Elizabethan Theater Drama changed literature and theater into what it is today. I. History of Elizabethan Theater a. forming of theater 1. medieval church 2. mystery and morality b. actors 1. rogues and thieves 2. acting guilds II. Influences and people a. commanding actors 1. Shakespeare 2. Burbage b. other 1. wars of the roses (other historical influences) 2. laws restricting theater III. The theaters a. prices 1. seating 2. stage b. the theater and the globe 1. locations and characteristicsRead MoreSocial Welfare : The United States978 Words   |  4 Pages English Poor Laws During 1601, England was experiencing a severe economic depression, with large scale unemployment and widespread famine. Queen Elizabeth created a set of laws designed to maintain order of the kingdom: the English Poor Laws. †¯These laws remained in force for more than 250 years (Social Welfare History Project, 2011). These laws basically distinguished three major categories of dependents: the vagrant, the involuntary unemployed, and the helpless. The laws also set forthRead More The Charity Organization Society2239 Words   |  9 PagesCharity Organizations didn’t grant relief themselves however they served as a resource to simplify the transaction of relief to relief applicants by: maintaining relief applicant requests, records of the aid given to them, and referring those worthy or unworthy to the proper agencies (Trattner, 1999). Their goal was to eradicate fraud and duplicity of services while also maintaining efficiency and treating poverty. The charity organizatio n movement intended to treat poverty by enacting â€Å"friendly visitors†Read MoreSocial Welfare Policy Of America1436 Words   |  6 Pagesthe workforce, reliance on poor houses and work houses, and less eligibility. These traditions will be defined and then connected to the influence they have had on the modern American social policy. Calvinism is the first social policy tradition that the British brought to America with them. The idea of Calvinism allowed the poor to be understood per their character. When working hard and prospering an individual was destined to be rich; however, if an individual was poor and suffering that was whatRead More Public Sector Agencies are Best Equiped to Fight Social Injustice2558 Words   |  11 Pages American social work was built on the founding Puritan ideals of hard work, diligence, and suffering to meet goals. After adopting the Elizabethan Poor Laws from England, the United States seemed to be on its way to a private social welfare system. The Elizabethan Poor Laws created the distinction between â€Å"worthy† and â€Å"unworthy† poor and sent those â€Å"unworthy† of help to privately owned and operated workhouses (or poorhouses). The community and the family took primary responsibility for any needsRead MoreHomelessness As Positively Affected by the McKinney Act1436 Words   |  6 Pagesever present problem of homelessness. Starting at the first widespread attempt by the government with the implementation of the Elizabethan Poor Law, which placed the plight of the poor into the realm of responsibilities of the community; and serves as the very basis for our notion today of what welfare should be. It set apart the worthy and those deemed the unworthy p oor, it established indoor relief for those who were seen to have caused their own misfortunes via almshouses or outdoor relief forRead MoreThe Theme Of Social Class And Order1928 Words   |  8 Pagesand reason the extreme schism of classes present in the book. The Time Traveller, which seems to be an extension of Wells’ persona, implies â€Å"the exclusive tendency of richer people [†¦] and the widening gulf between them and the rude violence of the poor† was a key factor in the splitting of the human species along class lines, a direct hit on capitalism (Wells 62). The Elois or the â€Å"Haves†, live aboveground the in comforts of their realm, while the Morlocks or the â€Å"Have-Nots† reside underground,Read MoreThe Church Played A Huge Part Of A Christian Duty2469 Words   |  10 Pagesbecause he lived without God and simply worked for money; and when he lost it all, his heart broke with it, and he died miserably’. It was while appre nticed to a pawnbroker in the poorest area of Nottingham that Booth saw first-hand the plight of the poor. It was this experience that spurred him to at the age of 36 to set up in London The Christian Mission, which in 1878 changed its name to The Salvation Army. Booth’s vision was to offer practical support to the impoverished and needy in cities andRead More The Seriousness of in Shakespeares Comedy of Errors Essay examples1916 Words   |  8 Pagesdismissed as a mere farce, unworthy of any serious attention. Yet, when the author is Shakespeare, even a farce is well worth a second look. Shakespeare himself may have takent his comedic work quite seriously, for audiences expected comedy of his day not only to entertain, but also to morally instruct. It is not surprising, therefore, that for one of his earliest comedies, Shakespeare found a model in the plays of Plautus and Terence, which were studied in all Elizabethan Grammar Schools, praised

Romeo Juliet Free Essays

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was believed to be written and performed in 1954 or 1955, the Elizabethan era. The play was about two young â€Å"star-cross’d lovers† that live in Verona, whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. Both families are known to one another by their surnames, Montague’s Capulet’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo Juliet or any similar topic only for you Order Now Romeo is the son of the Lord Montague, he is the patriarch of the house of Montague and Juliet is the daughter of Lord Capulet, he is the patriarch of the house of Capulet. The two teenagers meet at the Capulet’s party, where Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio was not meant to be. Romeo first caught glimpse of Juliet when he noticed the fish tank in the men’s toilets and whilst looking at the fish, Juliet appeared on the other side of the tank, a few moments after they seen each other, they shared a kiss in the elevator until Juliet’s nurse pulled her away and then told her that Romeo was a Montague. After the party, Romeo jumps out of Mercutio’s car to climb up a vine to Juliet’s balcony, this is known as the famous balcony scene and also the part in the tale where Romeo asks Juliet to marry him the day after they met, Juliet happily agrees. The next day Romeo visits the Friar, who does marry them with the help of Juliet’s nurse. That following evening Romeo comes to cross paths with Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, who is also a Capulet. Mercutio retaliates to Tybalt’s insults but Tybalt has no interest in Mercutio, he wants Romeo. When Romeo turns down a brawl, Tybalt becomes angry, he wants to inflict pain on Romeo but then things erupt into disaster when Romeo tells Tybalt that he and Juliet are now married and that he wants to call a truce and Tybalt turns physically brutal, beating on Romeo. Mercutio then steps in to help Romeo and fights Tybalt, then when Mercutio is getting the best of the fight, Romeo stops Mercutio from seriously hurting Tybalt but whilst they both rest, Tybalt picks up a piece of broken glass, aiming to stab Romeo but Mercutio throws him out of the way and Mercutio is stabbed. Mercutio’s last words was to curse both houses, the Montague’ and Capulet’s. After seeing his bestfriend die to save his own life, Romeo takes revenge and shoots Tybalt dead in the fountain, in the streets of Verona. Romeo becomes banished from Verona and leaves. Juliet then fakes her own death so that she can write a letter for her and Romeo to runaway together but Romeo doesn’t receive the letter that tells him about her drinking a potion that knocks her out for 42 hours. He believes that Juliet is actually deceased, so he takes his own life by drinking poison that kills and whilst the poison was taking effect, Juliet awoke and picked up Romeos gun and shot herself in the head. Romeo and Juliet can be considered a tragedy because the protagonists – the young lovers – are faced with a momentous obstacle that results in a horrible and fatal conclusion. This is the structure of all Shakespeare’s tragedies. In the dictionary tragedy is defined as a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction. My theory of tragedy is when there is a happy moment between people but is short lived because of death or a severe accident. I do think that Romeo and Juliet is in some way a divine tragedy because when they both die they are reunited in heaven. There are many themes in the play, one of the themes is hate. Hatred plays an important role in Romeo and Juliet, the hatred between the Montague’s and Capulet’s ends up killing their only two children, and what was this hate for? Nothing. It was just an ancient feud that no one bothered ending and If the two families had just stopped feuding earlier, the lives of the two lovers could have been saved. Hatred never leads up to anything good. Shakespeare tells us that it is senseless in fighting with someone just for the sake of fighting, this is an everlasting lesson. Although you see lots of violence, the main theme is love. You first see the role of love, when Romeo reminisces about his love interest Rosaline and then the second sighting is when Romeo first meets Juliet at the party and then when he serenades her in the Capulet’s swimming pool and on her balcony, and from then on you witness a lots of love scenes and even a few intimate scenes. Act 3 scene 1 is the climax of the whole play, Mercutio and Tybalt both die and this adds to the families ongoing feud, the role of hatred really shines in this scene because you see how vindictive and manipulative it can be with a human mind. Also love is shown during this scene because you see Mercutio risk his own life for his best friend (Romeo) and also you see Romeo taking Tybalt’s life to avenge the murder of Mercutio, Romeo didn’t want his best friend to die in vain. From this scene, you can tell that the worst isn’t over just yet and that the tragedy has just begun. Background on Italy: Verona: Verona is located in northern Italy near the border, somewhat east of Venice. During the fourteenth century, Verona was a thriving trade city that was extremely successful, but violence was not uncommon. The reasons for that violence are cited below: The Roman Empire maintained control of Italy through 400 AD, when it split into two distinct halves. The governmental faction established its capital in Constantinople and regarded the emperor as its supreme authority. The spiritual faction (often called ‘Christendom’), centered in Rome and was ruled by the pope. By the fourteenth century, the division between supporters of the emperor and supporters of the pope was firmly established. As in other Italian city-states, a fierce rivalry existed in Verona between the two sides. They fought deadly battles over the most petty of differences: blood was spilled over such trivial issues as the proper method of eating garlic and the viability of wearing a feather on the left rather than the right side of the cap. Astrology: Astrology was an integral part of Italian society and culture. Virtually every noble family in Italy had horoscopes drawn for their children upon birth, and most government leaders employed courtly astrologers to advise them on important issues of state. Many people believed that the conjunction of certain planets gave rise to different religions, and most believed that the stars dictated the outcome of wars. Throughout Romeo and Juliet, references are made to supernatural forces at work, and suggestions are continually put forward that Fate is inextricably linked to the stars. † Shakespeare was clearly aware of Italian custom in regard to astrology. The power of the stars in determining the Fate of the characters can be found numerous times in the play. Bubonic Plague: The plague decimated Europe in 1348 killing approximately one-third of the population. Famine and epidemics ensued. Overcrowding in city-states like Venice and Verona led to â€Å"fierce competition for few natural resources, further igniting the turmoil that already raged because of political and religious differences. † These conflicts are evident in Romeo and Juliet. Boethius, Tragedy, God and Fortune: In sixth century Rome, a statesman named Boethius wrote The Consolation of Philosophy; a work which attempted to explain why tragedy is a part of life. He proposed that life is governed by both God and Fortune, with Fortune serving as a sort of agent carrying out God’s master plan for the universe. He further asserted that good and bad Fortune occur randomly. This explanation allowed the later readers, during the Dark Ages and the Renaissance, to explain the misfortune they experienced because of the plague and violent conflicts. Boethius’s concepts of God, Fate, and Fortune†¦even went so far as to claim that misfortune was a greater teacher than good fortune. † Romeo and Juliet clearly â€Å"reflects fourteenth-century notions of God and Fortune as figures that work to control the fate of human beings. Background on Elizabethan England: Queen Elizabeth I: Elizabeth was the third Tudor monarch and ruled England at the height of its prosperity and affluence. In 1588 the Spanish Armada was soundly defeated during an invasion attempt. This caused England’s national pride to grow, and Elizabeth was quite popular as a result. Elizabeth was greatly touted for her â€Å"political shrewdness† and many English households were built in an â€Å"E† shape to honor her. Shakespeare also wished to please the Queen. He often wrote, in the hope that the Queen, who was a patron of the theater and arts, would enjoy his work. However, many wished to dethrone the â€Å"Virgin Queen† because she would not wed. In addition, Elizabeth was a Protestant and was constantly challenged by the Catholic Stuarts and the Puritan reformers; however, she managed to hold the throne until her death. The Danverses and the Longs: Another well-known feud of Shakespeare’s time involved the Danvers and Long families of England. Some scholars have speculated that this rivalry might have been yet another source of inspiration† for Romeo and Juliet. The feud allegedly began when â€Å"Charles and Henry Danvers killed their neighbor Henry Long. † The incident was well known throughout the country and could have been an influence on Shakespeare’s writing. How to cite Romeo Juliet, Essay examples Romeo Juliet Free Essays The Nurse and Friar Lawrence are admirable characters because they are respectively stronger parental figures to Romeo and Juliet than their actual parents. This seems to be evident because Romeo and Juliet’s parents are nasty to them, so actually pretty much anybody would be considered stronger parental figures. This is also true because both Romeo and Juliet are comfortable talking to The Nurse and Friar Lawrence about anything and they care for Romeo and Juliet as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo Juliet or any similar topic only for you Order Now And finally, this is accurate because Romeo and Juliet are able to share their secrets with The Nurse and Friar Lawrence; in particular their secret marriage. Thus, the Nurse and Friar Lawrence are stronger parental figures to Romeo and Juliet than their actual parents. Romeo and Juliet do not share a close relationship with their parents, nor do their parents know them very well. At the beginning of the play, when Romeo is moping over Rosaline, his father is worried about him but he actually does nothing about it. Juliet’s parents are nasty to her, especially her father, who is particularly horrible when she says she wants to marry for love. He tells her that he has lined up a suitable husband, meaning a wealthy one, and that is that. If she doesn’t marry Paris she will be thrown out of the house, to fend for herself. What a father does not know is that his only daughter, who he is supposed to be so concerned about, is already married to the son of his enemy, Montague. He really doesn’t communicate with his Juliet at all. Obviously she has not spoken to him about it. She cannot even share her secret about the most important moment in her life with her mother. Meanwhile, The Nurse and Friar Lawrence continue to remain strong parental figures to Romeo and Juliet. The only person who truly knows Juliet is The Nurse, who helps to arrange everything, the way a mother should. Juliet’s nurse has been with her since birth and brought her up like her own daughter. The Nurse is more of a mother figure to Juliet than her actual mother. Even though she is a servant in the Capulet household, she does love Juliet. â€Å"Thou wast the prettiest babe that e’er I nursed. And I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish. † (A1,s3,61-63). This passage also shows that The Nurse breast fed Juliet. This was because The Nurse had just lost her child, so she took care of Juliet as the child that she never had. Likewise, Friar Lawrence is the only person that truly knows Romeo. He depends on the Friar for fatherly advice. In this way the Friar is a father figure to Romeo. â€Å"That’s my good son; but where hast thou been then? † (A2,s3,48-49). This passage shows that Friar Lawrence cares for Romeo enough to ask where he was been. Friar Lawrence also came up with a plan to bring Romeo and Juliet together in Mantua, away from Verona. This was because Friar knew Romeo well enough to know that we couldn’t live without Juliet. Very few people were informed about Romeo and Juliet’s marriage. This was because word travelled very quickly in Verona, and they knew that their families would not have approved of each other because they were marrying someone who came from the family which they had despised due to countless years of feud. As a result, neither Romeo nor Juliet’s parents were informed about this marriage of theirs. Still, both The Nurse and Friar Lawrence were trusted enough by Romeo and Juliet and were both informed about their secret. The Nurse and Friar Lawrence continued to prove their trust and loyalty to Romeo and Juliet after Romeo had been banished from Verona. Friar Lawrence also came up with a plan to bring Romeo and Juliet together in Mantua, away from Verona. The Nurse and Friar Lawrence are great parental figures because they know and understand Romeo and Juliet better and they don’t protest Romeo and Juliet’s love. In essence, The Nurse and Friar Lawrence are stronger parental figures to Romeo and Juliet than their actual parents. How to cite Romeo Juliet, Papers

Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses

Question: Discuss about the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses. Answer: Introducion: The ethical dilemma posed by a patient offering a cash gift or tip can be an embarrassing situation for a nursing professional. Most codes of ethics do not favour the acceptance of such gifts or tips because it could cause limitations. (Zahedi, et al., 2013). Viewed from the patient's perspective, it could be their way of expressing gratitude, appreciation and respect. But from the nurse's perspective the act of accepting gifts does not appear reasonable or acceptable. But there is always the consideration that people from Asian cultures might feel offended if a gift is refused. It may be necessary to at times make a judgement on case to case basis. There might be times when the care receiver is a child and may not understand professional or ethical intricacies of refusing a gift. At such times it is important for the nurse to keep the goal of care giving and not hurting the patient emotionally and accept a small gift, albeit unwillingly. In case of cash gifts though, the acceptance will break rules of ethics. As mentioned in the case, accepting a cash gift of $300 is definitely not ethical. As a nursing student it can be quite a challenge to remember the names of 'nursing theorists' and the nursing theories that they proposed. Some of the theorists and the theories that they gave are: Dorothea E. Orem Self-care Theory Virginia Henderson Need Theory Hildegard Peplau Interpersonal Theory Madeleine Leininger Transcultural Nursing It is on these and other theories given by the leading nurses that nursing education is based. Most of what we learn and will practice in future is based on the ideas of the theorists. The work ethics that will guide us through the job of care-taking, our behaviour and treatment of the patients in our care is based on the guidelines and theories propounded by some great professionals in the field of nursing. Their experiences while at work are now the lighthouses of knowledge that form the guiding principles and around those we shall build our professional careers (Olin, 2011). An enrolled nurse assists a registered nurse. Among the various roles played by an enrolled nurse are: Assessment of patient and communicating with the RN regarding patient health To monitor the impact of nursing care Evaluation of patient's health Supporting and comforting the patient Assisting the patient with daily activities A registered nurse has a Bachelor degree while an EN has a diploma in nursing. An RN has more responsibility than an EN. An RN may perform the role of an administrator, may provide services to patients that are more complex in nature and may have received training in specialised care or in carrying out research activity. The roles of an RN and EN are similar because both perform the role of care giving. Both are trained in aspects of nursing that involve administration of medication to the patients, assisting patients, communicating with and receiving instructions from doctors, documenting the patients vital parameters, and in giving first aid during emergencies ("Categories of Nurses in Australia," n.d.). Health for all citizens of Australia is a priority for the government. The website https://www.health.gov.au/ is treasure trove of information about all health disorders. People can visit the website and obtain details about any disorder that afflicts them. Remote areas in Australia are difficult to reach and have populations that are older and more prone to diseases and injury. The medical specialist outreach program has been specifically designed for people living in difficult to reach areas. The National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program facilitates better access to health service to people in remote areas by providing funds. Further information can be accessed at nrrhip@health.gov.au or from 1800 780 939. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia offers a 24 hour emergency service and can be accessed at www.flyingdoctor.org.au or contacted on 02 8259 8100. The Rural Women's GP Service provides female general practitioners to travel to communities that find it difficult to access medical care. They can be reached at 02 8259 8100.Nurses practise in an environment that is demanding and requires high degree of professionalism. The regulatory bodies and legislations provide the framework for practice. Professional nursing bodies deal with several issues related to the profession. Also required are bodies that bring improvements to the conditions of employment and maintenance, these are dealt with by the professional bodies. While nursing colleges are governed through professional bodies, providing workplace representation, bargaining for salaries and seeking good conditions of employment are looked after by industrial bodies. ANMC The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) is a professional body that provides a coordinating role at the national level and deals with regulatory issues that affect Australian nurses. The council has members from each state and territory and the public is represented by two members. Competency standards for nursing, giving accreditation to courses that teach nursing and a framework that sets rules for issues related to ethics, discipline and professional issues are laid down ("Standards and criteria", 2009). ACHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) supports the 14 health professions and regulates them under a single nationally consistent law ("Who We Are").The Joanne Briggs Institute (JBI) is an international not-for-profit institution. At the institute research is carried out under the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide. It is professional body that is engaged in promoting effective healthcare practice through collaboration with 70 other organisations across the world (Institute, 2011). Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) is another not-for-profit organisation. Members in its council are drawn from health bodies, consumers and the government. The council plays a role as a provider of health care assessment. It involves the various stakeholders from the government, the healthcare industry and consumers and updates health standards. It is a professional body.The Queensland Nursing Union is an industrial body that represents and protects the democratic, social, political and professional interests of its members. It advocates for nurses, midwives and the patients in their care. References Standards and criteria for the Accreditation of Nursing and Midwifery Courses Leading to Registration, Enrolment, Endorsement and Authorisation in Australia- with Evidence Guide (2009, February). Retrieved from https://www.anmac.org.au. Categories of Nurses in Australia (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nurseinaustralia.com. Institute, J. B. (2011). The Joanna Briggs Institute Best Practice Information Sheet: music as an intervention in hospitals. Nursing and Health Sciences, 13(1), 99-102. Olin, J. (2011, September 12). 7-nursing-theories-to-practice-by/. Retrieved from https://www.rncentral.com: https://www.rncentral.com/blog/2011/7-nursing-theories-to-practice-by/ Ryan, D. (2009, February). Enrolled Nurse.pdf. Retrieved from https://www.anmac.org.au. Who We Are (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ahpra.gov.au. Zahedi, F., Sanjari, M., Aala, M., Peymani, M., Aramesh, K., Parsapour, A., . Dastgerdi, M. (2013). The Code of Ethics for Nurses. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 42(1), 18.

The Lady or the Tiger free essay sample

The Lady or the Tiger The Lady or the Tiger proposes one question: Which? Author Frank Stockton writes about a barbaric game Invented by the King. If any man In the kingdom rubs the King the wrong way, he gets put Into a stadium In front of two doors. Behind one Is a tiger, the other a lady. If the man picks a door and a lady comes out, he gets to marry her. But if a tiger comes out of the door, he dies a violent death.Hundreds of people look on with pleasure as he picks death or life. In this certain story, a peasant and the Princess fall in love and the King is not pleased. Right away the peasant is thrown into the stadium and with one last desperate hope for life, he looks to the Princess. Seated next to the King, she makes a slight movement with her right hand. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lady or the Tiger or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Now comes the question. Which came out of the door?You can tell that the Princess is a very Jealous person. She knew the young maiden behind the door, and had often seen her staring at the peasant with looks of admiration. It also says, in the story own words, that the Princess, With all the Intensity of the savage blood transmitted o her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door. And we know that she dreamed about what it would be like if the peasant opened the door and out came the maiden. How in her grievous reveries had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his start of rapturous delight as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet that woman. If her hatred for this woman and for the idea of them together was this great, why would she not lead the peasant to the tiger?

Free Essays on Could Parkinsons Have A Cure

Could there be a Cure for Parkinson’s The article by Nicholas Wade, â€Å"Promising Results Are Seen in Small Parkinson’s Trial†, has a very good explanation on a new experiment tried on five patients to attempt to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a disease that kills neurons that produce dopamine, a nerve-to-nerve messenger. This disease results in bad control of muscles and movements, tremors, spells of rigidity, and even loss of smell and/or taste. For many years doctors have been trying to develop a substance that would counter act the depletion of dopamine in the brain. One of the supplements they came up with was L-dopa, which works very well but with time its effectiveness decreases. Physicians have tried implanting dopamine-making cells taken from fetuses, but this experiment produced negative results. Then doctors found that it was a hormone that would promote the making of these cells. In past trials thus hormone was injected into the fluid filled in the center of the brain, but this trial resulted in no positive results because the hormone was too large to migrate to where it needed to go in the brain. From this experience Dr. Gill and Dr. Svendsen decided that GDNF should be placed in the part of the patients brain with the largest deficiency in dopamine. This experiment involves the implantation of small battery operated pumps in the patient’s abdomen. The pump would deliver a â€Å"steady trickle of GDNF† that would run through an extremely thin through the body into the putamen. This experiment gave very positive results, with a general improvement in the health of the five patients that were treated in this trial. This was a very well written article; everything was very well explained, simple and easy to read. This article is very important because there are many people that are affected by this disease. One person that is well known with Parkinson’s is... Free Essays on Could Parkinsons Have A Cure Free Essays on Could Parkinsons Have A Cure Could there be a Cure for Parkinson’s The article by Nicholas Wade, â€Å"Promising Results Are Seen in Small Parkinson’s Trial†, has a very good explanation on a new experiment tried on five patients to attempt to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a disease that kills neurons that produce dopamine, a nerve-to-nerve messenger. This disease results in bad control of muscles and movements, tremors, spells of rigidity, and even loss of smell and/or taste. For many years doctors have been trying to develop a substance that would counter act the depletion of dopamine in the brain. One of the supplements they came up with was L-dopa, which works very well but with time its effectiveness decreases. Physicians have tried implanting dopamine-making cells taken from fetuses, but this experiment produced negative results. Then doctors found that it was a hormone that would promote the making of these cells. In past trials thus hormone was injected into the fluid filled in the center of the brain, but this trial resulted in no positive results because the hormone was too large to migrate to where it needed to go in the brain. From this experience Dr. Gill and Dr. Svendsen decided that GDNF should be placed in the part of the patients brain with the largest deficiency in dopamine. This experiment involves the implantation of small battery operated pumps in the patient’s abdomen. The pump would deliver a â€Å"steady trickle of GDNF† that would run through an extremely thin through the body into the putamen. This experiment gave very positive results, with a general improvement in the health of the five patients that were treated in this trial. This was a very well written article; everything was very well explained, simple and easy to read. This article is very important because there are many people that are affected by this disease. One person that is well known with Parkinson’s is...

English Words Borrowed From the Chinese Language

English Words Borrowed From the Chinese Language Words taken completely or in part from another language are known as loanwords. In the English language, there are many loanwords that have been borrowed from Chinese languages and dialects. A loanword is not the same as calque, which is an expression from one language that has been introduced into another language as a direct translation. Many English-language calques also have origins in Chinese. Loanwords and calques are useful to linguists in examining when and how one culture processed its interaction with another. 10 English Words That Are Borrowed From Chinese 1. Coolie: While some claim that this term has its origins in Hindi, it’s been argued that it could also have origins in the Chinese term for hard work or è‹ ¦Ã¥Å â€º (kÇ” là ¬) which is literally translated as â€Å"bitter labor.† 2. Gung Ho: The term has its origins in the Chinese word Ã¥ · ¥Ã¥ Ë† (gÃ… ng hà ©) that can either mean to work together  or as an adjective to describe someone that is overly excited or too enthusiastic. The term gong he is a shortened word for industrial cooperatives which were created in China in the 1930s. During that time U.S. Marines adopted the term to mean someone with a can-do attitude. 3. Kowtow: From the Chinese Ã¥  ©Ã¥ ¤ ´ (kà ²u tà ³u) describing the ancient practice performed when anyone greeted a superior – such as an elder, leader, or emperor. The person had to kneel and bow down to the superior, making sure that their foreheads hit the ground. â€Å"Kou tou† is literally translated as â€Å"knock your head.† 4. Tycoon: The origins of this word comes from the Japanese term taikun, which was what foreigners called the shogun of Japan. A shogun was known to be someone who took over the throne and is not related to the emperor. Thus the meaning is typically used for someone who obtained power through might or hard work, rather than inheriting it. In Chinese, the Japanese term â€Å"​taikun† is Ã¥ ¤ §Ã§Å½â€¹ (d wng) which means â€Å"big prince.† There are other words in Chinese that also describe a tycoon including è ´ ¢Ã©Ëœâ‚¬ (ci f) and Ã¥ · ¨Ã¥ ¤ ´ (jà ¹ tà ³u). 5. Yen: This term comes from the Chinese word æ„ ¿ (yun) which means a hope, desire, or wish. Someone who has a strong urge for oily fast food can be said to have a yen for pizza. 6. Ketchup: The origins of this word are debated. But many believe that its origins are from either the Fujianese dialect for the fish sauce é ® ­Ã¦ ±  (guÄ « zhÄ « ) or the Chinese word for eggplant sauce èÅ'„æ ±  (qià © zhÄ «). 7. Chop Chop: This term is said to originate from the Cantonese dialect for the word Ã¥ ¿ «Ã¥ ¿ « (kui kui) which is said to urge someone to hurry up. Kuai means hurry in Chinese. â€Å"Chop Chop† appeared in English-language newspapers printed in China by foreign settlers as early as the 1800s. 8. Typhoon: This is probably the most direct loanword. In Chinese, a hurricane or typhoon is called Ã¥  °Ã© £Å½ (ti fÄ“ng). 9. Chow:  While chow is a breed of dog, it should be clarified that the term did not come to mean food because the Chinese hold the stereotype of being dog-eaters. More likely, chow as a term for food comes from the word è Å" (ci) which can mean food, a dish (to eat), or vegetables. 10. Koan: Originating in Zen Buddhism, a koan is a riddle without a solution, which is supposed to highlight the inadequacy of logic reasoning. A common one is â€Å"What is the sound of one hand clapping.† (If you were Bart Simpson, you would just fold one hand until you made a clapping noise.) Koan comes from the Japanese which comes from the Chinese for å… ¬Ã¦ ¡Ë† (gÃ… ng n). Literally translated it means common case.

The concept of Strategic Planing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The concept of Strategic Planing - Essay Example As explained by Creswell & Clark (2007), research is conducted to gain the missing information and knowledge that is needed to solve a problem. There are various techniques available to conduct researches. This report aims at understanding in detail one of the methods – Qualitative research. Before moving into the meaning of qualitative research, it is important to cite the available methods. These methods include qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods (Jobber, 2004). David Jobber (2004) highlights in his book the need for market research. Jobber has highlighted the importance of market research and has also emphasizes on how the research provides for accurate and correct results. Jobber (2004) also discusses that the results will help gain the view point of both the company as well as the customers. The information gained from these researches allows the companies to incorporate the suggestions and feedback into the daily processes and thereby improve the overall business making them more successful. A research design strategy is one which includes collection, measuring and analysis of data. â€Å"Quantitative versus qualitative research methods—two approaches to organization studies† (Lee, 1992). The quantitative research method is a conventional method to study organizations and is considered objective. Qualitative research has been noted to be subjective and descriptive, â€Å"its legitimacy often needs to be proven in organization studies† (p. 87). It is apparent that qualitative research methods differ from quantitative research methods. Cooper and Schindler (2008) defined qualitative research as an collection of interpretive practices that describe, decode and translate the meaning of naturally occurring phenomena in the social world. This means that qualitative research is subjective and deals with words. In contrast, quantitative research has a cause and effect association and deals

Does flexibility in location and time affect behavior towards work Research Paper

Does flexibility in location and time affect behavior towards work - Research Paper Example The researcher clearly identifies the research problem before working on the research. He clearly states the problem and links the problem to the current way of doing things. In the title, â€Å"New ways of working: does flexibility in time and location of work change work behavior and affect business outcomes?† the researcher has here clearly indicated, using this title, that he intends to identify, if any, how flexibility in time and location of work changes the work behavior and affect business outcomes. Further, in the abstract, the researcher explains what he means by business outcomes, where he identifies business outcomes to be the productivity of a business. It is important to note that his identification of what business outcomes means breaks would be ambiguity in the statement and makes it easier for the reader to follow on the purpose of the research. Therefore, the question that lingers is whether it is easy to determine what the researcher intends research? Yes it is. The researcher intends to find out how the â€Å"New Ways of Working† which bring about the flexibility in the time and location of work affects the productivity of a business and the impacts it has on the work behavior. (Strauss, Kochan, & Ichnowiski, 2000) Literature Review The author has not literature review section, which in my view weakens the credibility of the research. Having literature review works to give legitimacy to what one is studying and connects it to previously done works. Such a connection would enable readers of the research document to figure out what previous researchers have suggested in their findings regarding a similar topic or a related one. With nothing to compare the research with or to derive scientific knowledge from this puts dents on the findings of this research because of the lack of a benchmark. That having been said, the researcher tried to use others findings in his references and in text citations e.g. â€Å"The Telework Trendlines 2009 [7] reported that the number of U.S. employees who worked remotely at least one day per month increased 39% in two years from approximately 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in 2008.† Though this is worth mentioning, it cannot be used to replace the literature review sectio n (Merle, Schelvis, Groenesteijn, & Vink, 2012). Objective and hypothesis When it comes to the identification of the objectives and the hypotheses of the research, the researcher did a good job since it is very clear from the beginning what the research intends to achieve. The research question is â€Å"does flexibility in time and location of work change work behavior and affect business outcomes?† which is clear in the tile of the research and severally repeated throughout the research document. The hypothesis of the research has not been clearly stated though was indirectly alluded. â€Å"Expectations of these measures are often high, such as a reduction in operating costs and an increase of productivity.† Here the researcher is trying to give the general expectations of the research though he is not clearly stating what the hypothesis is. Ordinarily, the researcher would be expected to identify the research hypothesis

Why Should You Work Hard Essay Example for Free

Why Should You Work Hard Essay Have you ever been jealous of someone who is more successful than you? Have you ever think about why could this happen? It is common that employees complain about their work situation, their picky boss, and their outstanding colleagues. In every area, there are several outstanding geniuses. They stay there, and it seems like they can never be surpassed. They are like myths. Have you ever considered why there has always been someone who seems like relax but better than you and stands there forever. However, grumble does not help. Working harder than expectation is necessary for winning respect from others, making individuals valuable, and making an effort to build a stronger country. Losers never know the difference between them and individuals who are successful. Many of these persons hold the opinion that it is unnecessary to work very hard because when lucky arrives, they will success. Some of them keep purchasing for lottery, and they have the mentality of not doing anything but becoming millionaires (Brhel, n. d). However, do they really happy? Landau (2011), a journalist of CNN, said that the lucky do become happier after they winning a numerous prize, but level off soon. Others think that they born with unlucky. One of my classmates complained about the condition of him a week ago. He said that quizzes were too much, he did not have a good foundation of English, and other students were so smart. However, he ignores the point that he does not pay enough attention in class, and it reflected on that he asks me about the assignments after class everyday. Obviously, he did not focus on what instructor said. This attitude might cause failure in his study, even might bring negative influence to his career. Some of citizens criticize a number of celebrities who born with honor intensely. Anyone who comes from a famous family or a famous person gets a head start without making any effort. For instance, the children who were adopted by the movie star Angelina Jolie receive more attention from the public than normal citizens do. Later on we may learn there is nothing unusual about the children, but they are watched from the entire world because of their connections. That is true, and this situation can never be ignored. However, the majority are still ordinary citizens who have to work hard. Thus, one who holds those inappropriate ideas should be denied. Some might suggest that we are required to work hard; as a result, we can be successful employees in different areas in the future. That is true, it is necessary that we work hard and obtain a good payment. However, it is not sufficient just work hard. If you just work hard, you might meet the requirement of teachers or bosses and your classmates or your colleagues might admire you because you are a good person, but you are still for from successful. The reason is that you are in a limited environment where your colleagues are so normal. If you only compare with them, the result will be good, which you meet the requirements and surpass other colleagues. However, no one is going to remember you in the history because you did not bring any change for this company, and you did not do several contributions to this company. At last, you are same as everyone other ordinary employees, or you are one of them. Thus, one who wants to become an outstanding person might want work harder to fight for a better reputation. Therefore, you might think about what to motivate you to become a successful person. It is so significant to win other’s respect in one’s life. One cannot leave without esteem. Further more, work harder is necessary for you to promote yourself. By work harder, you can dig your potential talent and improve your ability of working and dealing with problems. By working hard, you can make contribution to the country. In Obama’s impressive speech, he mentioned that many devices and inventories are created and a great number of literature masterpieces were written in the past. What can we do to devote to the country? That is, work harder than others, make a high goal, and reach it. In conclusion, I would like to suggest that everyone not easily to satisfy with the situation, instead, work harder to meet your goal in your mind and gain respect from others and make an effort for the development of the country. Complaining, being arrogant, being shortsighted are enemies of becoming an outstanding person. Working hard might seems like hard to achieve, but if you keep pushing yourself, miracle might arrive.

Is Knowledge Worth Seeking :: essays research papers

Socrates argued that actively seeking out knowledge leads to the ability of man to moderate his behavior accordingly. If one examines a situation thoughtfully, and from several angles, the most logical course of action will present itself. By exercising this method of reasoning a person becomes wise. Socrates would call this the ability to govern the qualities of your soul properly and it is undoubtedly what he sought. The process brings out the virtuous qualities in man and allows him to make decisions based on truth, which leads ultimately to good. Discipline of the mind can only benefit its owner; and thus knowledge is worth seeking. Socrates defines knowledge as absolute truth. He believes that everything in the universe is innately connected; if one thing is known then potentially everything can be derived from that one truth. The fundamental ideas that Socrates seeks to uncover are called forms. This concept is illustrated when Socrates questions Meno on what virtue is. Meno answer with several examples of what is virtuous. This of course is not what Socrates is asking; he is asking Meno what all virtuous acts share in common. For Socrates this relationship between all virtuous acts is what virtue fundamentally is. A person can see virtuous acts but cannot see virtue. Because of this, the idea of virtue must exist somewhere independent of the perceivable world. This is true with all forms or ideas of perfection: they are something that cannot be known by human sense but reasoned out by individual human thought. One cannot, however, mistake knowledge for right opinion. Socrates makes distinctions between right opinion and knowledge. Opinions are not something that one can seek because they are beliefs held on shaky ground. â€Å"True opinions are a fine thing and do all sorts of good so long as they stay in their place, but they will not stay long. They run away from a man’s mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (97-98, Meno) Knowledge is unmistakable truth that cannot be changed in an argument: it holds true in all situations in all time. In matters pertaining to everlasting truths, one can argue that such truths are relative only to man in his finite reflective state. If these absolute ideas are true for all of time, did they exist before man did? If so, who was it that thought of them? Since one must contemplate these absolute truths (and the origin of anything contemplated is in the human mind), they are thus absolute only to humans. Is Knowledge Worth Seeking :: essays research papers Socrates argued that actively seeking out knowledge leads to the ability of man to moderate his behavior accordingly. If one examines a situation thoughtfully, and from several angles, the most logical course of action will present itself. By exercising this method of reasoning a person becomes wise. Socrates would call this the ability to govern the qualities of your soul properly and it is undoubtedly what he sought. The process brings out the virtuous qualities in man and allows him to make decisions based on truth, which leads ultimately to good. Discipline of the mind can only benefit its owner; and thus knowledge is worth seeking. Socrates defines knowledge as absolute truth. He believes that everything in the universe is innately connected; if one thing is known then potentially everything can be derived from that one truth. The fundamental ideas that Socrates seeks to uncover are called forms. This concept is illustrated when Socrates questions Meno on what virtue is. Meno answer with several examples of what is virtuous. This of course is not what Socrates is asking; he is asking Meno what all virtuous acts share in common. For Socrates this relationship between all virtuous acts is what virtue fundamentally is. A person can see virtuous acts but cannot see virtue. Because of this, the idea of virtue must exist somewhere independent of the perceivable world. This is true with all forms or ideas of perfection: they are something that cannot be known by human sense but reasoned out by individual human thought. One cannot, however, mistake knowledge for right opinion. Socrates makes distinctions between right opinion and knowledge. Opinions are not something that one can seek because they are beliefs held on shaky ground. â€Å"True opinions are a fine thing and do all sorts of good so long as they stay in their place, but they will not stay long. They run away from a man’s mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (97-98, Meno) Knowledge is unmistakable truth that cannot be changed in an argument: it holds true in all situations in all time. In matters pertaining to everlasting truths, one can argue that such truths are relative only to man in his finite reflective state. If these absolute ideas are true for all of time, did they exist before man did? If so, who was it that thought of them? Since one must contemplate these absolute truths (and the origin of anything contemplated is in the human mind), they are thus absolute only to humans.

Mao is a Rotten Egg

I enjoyed reading Chairman Mao is a Rotten Egg because it shows the relationship between parents and children and parents and the government under Mao Tse-tung. The mother in the story was very concerned with what she thought her child said because it had potential to jeopardize her relationship or right standing with the government. If her child, Ching-Ching, was a counterrevolutionary, there was a possibility that he would have been killed or at the least had his statement on record for the rest of his life.You can also see how other parents reacted to what they thought their children said. For example, Tung-Tung was in trouble later on in the story because his father thought that he had said something against Chairman Mao. The story also lets us know what Tung-Tung rarely cried, so for his father to become very angry about his statement more than if he had lied or done something else he knew he wasn’t supposed to do, their regard for Chairman Mao must be incredibly high.Che n Jo-hsi, according to the Time article, wrote about situations that could have happened in China during that time period. I think it is important because while there was no literature produced out of China under Tse-tung, those who read these stories and who live in China can relate to these situations. However, I think it would be difficult for me to live in a place where I have to be a little more loyal to my government than to my own family.

Marks & Spencer SWOT and PEST Essay

Marks and Spencer is the British multinational retail company that specializes on producing clothing and high-quality food. Being the dominant force on the UK market Marks and Spencer owns 600 stores in the home country and over 225 stores worldwide. Bird (1986) claims Marks and Spencer to be the most powerful image of Great Britain; the company currently being the most profitable UK organization also is one of the most innovative in the world. Two main features of the Marks and Spencer are centralization and simplicity. The firm tends to use centralized organizational structure and tries to keep everything simple avoiding the complexity in any aspect of systematic applications (Howells, 1981). Strengths: Marks and Spencer has been known for its highest standards of fair-trading, which include acquiring strong contacts with current suppliers, producing and proposing high-quality food, being friendly to the staff and having a flexible exchange policy for existing customers (Grayson, 2011). Having a stable and positive reputation is inevitable for the big worldwide brands. The company being initially only focused on producing garments lately diversified its market to the other sectors, such as food, electronics and furniture (Hamil, Crosbie, 1990). Diversification guaranteed bigger amount of customers for the company and expanded its growth. The company tends to locate its stores in the high streets which leads to obtaining large amount of customers every day and therefore larger profit. (Bird, Witherwick, 1986). Furthermore, Marks and Spencer does not rent the premises, it owns stores eliminating the possible rental costs. Marks and Spencer is an international retailer which owns more than thousand shops approximately in forty countries, covering market of such a big size is beneficial for the company’s income (Salmon, Tordjman, 1989). According to Doyle (1982), Marks and Spencer is the Britain’s strongest and most successful brand that makes company well known around the world and differentiates it from competitors making it unique. Weaknesses: Marks and Spencer due to diversification and operating in more than one market (garments, food, furniture) is not concentrated on any particular segment, unlike its main competitors such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s which  retail only food (Lewis, Thomas, 1990). The lack of the focus and concentration may lead to the reduced innovations and scarcity of the expertise in one particular market area. When Marks and Spencer tried to expand their market adding the clothing line for younger people, it experienced loss and failure, as it wasn’t able to follow latest fashion trends to satisfy younger audience and kept a reputation of the retailing brand mainly for elder women (Fletcher, 2007). According to Alon (2000), Marks and Spencer experienced lack of inventory control which led to the underperforming other major British companies by 25% in 1998. The average price comparison made by Telegraph in 2008 has shown that the prices on the Marks and Spencer’s food exceed thos e in Asda by 3.6%. The company is considered high-priced and looses large amount of customers from middle and lower class, who prefer daily shopping in other big retail chains like Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, where prices are much cheaper and more reasonable (Avery, 2011). Political factors: Each company which desires to maximize its profit should develop within the governmental policies. Marks and Spencer is not an exception, as the company believes that engagement with the government is beneficial for the organization’s income. According to Marks and Spencer’s official website, company tends to communicate with the political audiences either directly or through the trade memberships. After the â€Å"green† governmental policy in 2008, Marks and Spencer introduced the 5p charge for the plastic bags across its stores (Vaughan, 2011). Marks and Spencer is located in the UK, which has stable political background and tax policies (McGrattan, 2005). However, in 2005 the company experienced losses in the EU area and appealed to the court for the opportunity to deduct international losses from its UK tax bill (European Commission Legal Services, 2005). After European Court of Justice announced that Marks and Spencer and other UK companies have the right to counterpoise British tax bill, Marks and Spencer has won this case receiving 30 million tax relief (BBC, 2005). Economic factors: The majority of international companies are considering the USA a perfect area of franchising due to the big population and large size of the market. Marks and Spencer was among the first British retailers who considered  expanding its business to the North America (Alexander, 1995). However, the September 11 attacks have caused economic crisis and change in the purchasing behavior of American citizens which led to the extreme losses experienced by Marks and Spencer throughout the following year imposing the company to close the non-core branch in North America (BBC, 2002). Due to the financial crisis taking place in 2007-2008 (Barrel, 2008) and later severe crisis in Eurozone, the sales of Marks and Spencer has significantly decreased, as the salaries of the middle-class didn’t math the high-priced food and garments offered by the retailer (Rayner, 2008). Social factors: According to Marks and Spencer’s official website, company is focused on applying ethical trading, producing nontoxic food and employing responsible use of an energy, as the company believes that adapting CSR is vital for the development of business. Company is especially focused on the animal welfare, being the first UK retailer to sell only free-range eggs in its stores (Jones, 2005) and along with several other British retailers promotes food without additives (Jones, 2007). However, several years ago Marks and Spencer was accused in using the child labour in Morocco which might have damaged the company’s reputation (Frankental, 2001). According to Moore (1995) and Campbell (2010) Marks and Spencer over the past years has increased the amount of advertisement using different types of commercials. Nevertheless, the company was not been able to satisfy customers’ needs, while producing their clothing line for young people which led to the losses of profit (Jobbe r, 1999). Technological factors: According to Butler (2013), Marks and Spencer is the only big British food retailer that does not have an online shopping service, while other companies like Sainsbury’s and Morrison are making millions of pounds through the web. The company for the long time is using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology that helped to achieve more efficient supply chain system. After the success with Marks and Spencer other British supermarkets implemented this technology in order to reduce costs and improve customer service (Jones, 2005). In 2012 Marks and Spencer announced  the new marketing plan that included the wi-fi connection throughout its stores, planning that the customers would be able to see the full stock of products on their devises which would simplify searching for the preferable item (Raddick, 2012). Conclusion: Marks and Spencer is the powerful international retailer that can maximize its future profit taking into consideration further opportunities and threats of substitutes. Marks and Spencer should consider adding online shopping for its food products, as the other British food retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury’s already have this feature that gives a big percentage of companies’ income. Another way for developing company may be expanding to the Asian market which can guarantee huge profit due to the big size of population. One of the main threats caused by economic crisis both in USA and European Union is the loss of bargaining power of customers. People find it hard to afford the high prices offered by Marks and Spencer and therefore try to search for a cheaper alternative. Retailer in future should adapt to the social changes when producing their clothing line for younger people in order to satisfy this audience.

The alchemist and the odyssey essays

The alchemist and the odyssey essays In the Odyssey and The Alchemist there are many dangers and challenges that the two heroes must brave. The Odyssey is about a man named Odysseus who fought in the Trojan war for ten years. After the war was over Odysseus years tries to find his way home to Ithaca but it takes him ten years to do so, because the gods dont exactly like him. In the Alchemist there is a young man named Santiago who has a dream about treasure. He eventually pursues his dream and in the end finds out that there really is no treasure. The books are about someone finding their place in the world or finding their way home. A reason is that in both books they are trying to find their way home. Another is that at the end of their journeys they both have someone their waiting for them. Also both the characters in both the stories both have and end destinations. At the end of the Alchemist, Santiago finds out that the treasure was the journey itself. In the Odyssey the whole book is about Odysseus trying to find his way home to his family and to his island. Though there are many obstacles that they both must overcome. One obstacle that Santiago over came was that soon after Santiago landed in Africa he met a thief who stole all his money but Santiago managed to get by, by working for a crystal merchant. Also in the Odyssey Odysseus was faced with many challenges by the gods that in the end he managed to overcome. Once Odysseus was going to sail by the island of the sirens, so he stuffed his soldiers ears with bees wax and had them tie him to a sail on his ship. At the end of both of their journeys there is someone waiting for them. In the Alchemist at the end of Santiagos journey there is a man there who makes him realize that the journey was the treasure. He makes Santiago realize this by telling him that he had a dream about a treasure being buried under a tree in a church where shepherds sleep. In the Odyssey waiting for Odysseus ...

A Study Of Russias Political Ideologies And Vladimir Putins Administration

A Study Of Russia's Political Ideologies And Vladimir Putin's Administration The symbiotic relationship between politics and the economy benefits society as a whole, and this carefully constructed, mutually beneficial connection can easily turn sour should one side negatively impact the other. To further expand upon this claim, it is hardly a revolutionary idea to say that economic theories have changed depending on who has political control, and individual politicians can usurp power depending on the state of the economy. A further fragmented political state evolves when regional government carries most of a national economic burden. This give and take association is exemplified in Russia following Putin’s return to power combined with the Russian financial collapse during the latter portion of 2014. The political ideologies of Russia under Putin aggravated pre-existing financial instabilities within regional economies, and the sharp decline of the price of oil as well as international economic sanctions imposed on Russia that led to the collapse of t he Russian ruble. As the name Vladimir Putin echoes in every corner of the world, the leader of the world’s largest nation is known for being quite a controversial figure. Putin maintains a pseudo democracy that could be labeled as potentially more dangerous than the pure autocracy Russians suffered for decades. Even for centuries, Russia has experienced a tumultuous political climate; specifically, â€Å"Nearly two decades after the fall of communism, Russia is not a democracy. But neither is it an absolute autocracy in the mold of, say, Cuba or North Korea. That is to say, Russia pretends to be democratic† (Shevtsova). Pretending to be democratic, however, comes from years of chaos and uncertainty. With help from Western governments, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, Russia underwent the largest and fastest privatization in history in order to establish a fully nationalized Soviet economy. But, seven years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia suffered the 1998 financial crisis, and at the time, it’s regional governments shouldered most of Russia’s economic burden. During the course of those seven years, Russia entered a deep depression, thus the 1998 financial crisis worsened an already dire situation. Boris Yeltsin weathered Russia through their economic troubles to the best of his ability, and the economy only really recovered once demand for oil rose. However, hours before the first day of the year 2000, Yeltsin announced his resignation, leaving the government in the hands of Vladimir Putin, a former KGB official and the head of the FSB. Putin’s action during both his previous and current terms in office reflect the scarily obvious link between the political climate within a country and its economic state. For Putin in his first term, he rebuilt an impoverished Russia with the help of the Russian oligarchs, or the wealthy businessmen who were former Soviet Union officials. Putin’s association with former So viet Union officials came with little to no surprise for anyone when he described the collapse of the Soviet Union as, â€Å" the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the Twentieth Century,† (BBC). His hopeful Soviet Union ideals continue to drive Russia into a divided political state, and further antagonizes existing economic troubles. Given its vast size, Russia reaps an abundant amount of natural resources, which they use for economic purposes. Similar to the 1998 financial crisis, the root of the 2014 economic struggles revolve around oil prices, the principal resource of their economy. Or in other words, â€Å"Russia gets around half of its budget revenue from taxes on oil and natural gas, and as long as the price of oil is plummeting, its economy is likely to continue sinking.† (McLaughlin). The collapse of the ruble in 2014 was not directly linked to just oil though. Russia’s economy was also deeply affected by an unbalanced pension system, inflation, and severe US and European sanctions. Other than oil, the most noteworthy cause for this period of economic instability would be the international sanctions made against Russia during the Ukrainian crisis. Addressing the Crimean crisis and the shortly followed annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, several governments and international org anizations, led by the United States and European Union, imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and businesses. On October 3, 2014, Joe Biden even commented, â€Å"We don’t want Russia to collapse. We want Russia to succeed. But Putin has to make a choice. These asymmetrical advances on another country cannot be tolerated. The international system will collapse if they are.† (Biden). Russia continues to push the boundaries of the political spectrum, despite already suffering from issues such as inflation. Inflation has a direct connection to issues such as unemployment, which in turn affects political policies. Russia’s annual inflation for 2014 was 11.4%, the highest level of inflation since 2008, and combining that very high percentage with the falling ruble, consumer prices, especially food, began to skyrocket. The various factors causing economic instabilities beginning in 2014, which can still be seen today, have had definite political effects. In 2012, Putin reclaimed presidential power, but the international community called into question the logistics of his election. Specifically, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observed blatant fraud, â€Å"including the brazen stuffing of ballot boxes.† (Schwirtz). The legality of this election spurred protests throughout the streets of Russia with people asking for Russia without Putin, but Putin quickly squashed any opposition against him through means of violence, intimidation, and coercion. His reassertion into power laid a shaky political foundation that was aggravated by the collapse of the Russian ruble in 2014. For Russia, their primary political concern in 2014 occurred when Russia seized Crimea, exponentially affecting tensions between the East and the West, and in the latter portion of 2014, the ruble began to devalue. In 2015, Russia launches military support for their ally President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and â€Å"oil and gas accounted for 43 percent of the government’s revenue. The World Bank predicted the poverty [in Russia] rate will reach 14.2 percent in 2016,† (Lee). Now, currently in 2017, the United States has launched an investigation into Russia’s role with the Trump administration. The correlation between the economic state of Russia and political climate within this vast state is that both sides need each other to be successful. However, a declining economic state led to a more tense political atmosphere, because the ruble was suffering due to rising U.S. interest rates as well as economic sanctions. But, the ruble drastically dropped because of a series of controversial political decisions by the Putin and other Russian leaders. Since the national government is slowly unraveling, the regional governments throughout Russia are capitalizing on their lack of assertiveness. With its immense size, the regions of Russia vastly differ. For most people, they do not see that: â€Å"the difference across Russian regions, although they may not be enormous by EU standards, are nonetheless striking: from highly urbanized to predominantly agrarian, from Mediterranean climatic conditions to extremely cold, from rich to natural resources to poor in natural resources, from gateway or commercial hub regions to regions facing high transport costs,† (Dimitros). Under the Russian constitution, the regional and local government received numerous powers such as imposing regional taxes, and they fully exercised their enumerated powers to alleviate their economic burdens. Russia currently has nine established districts which include Central, Far East, Northwest, Siberia, Southern, Urals, Volga, and Northern Caucasus. The ninth district was established in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. In comparison to the federal government, these nine districts lack adequate tax revenue to pay their teachers, police officers, or other public officials, and they are overburdened by pensions. Although these regions face similar economic burdens: â€Å"The resource-rich areas, the financial capitals and the maritime regions would benefit from the liberalization of the economy and from free trade. These regions, relying on the export of mineral resources, on geographic location, or on financial capital, are more inclined to back the more liberal foreign trade oriented policy,† (Dimitros). As the resource-rich regions of Russia lean towards more liberal policies, the traditional industrial areas suffer from an inability to make structural adjustments. Whereas, the less industrialized regions are more likely to endorse domestic trade rather than international. The simple difference of regional economies can not be emphasized enough in Russia, because it exposes fragmented political ideologies. During their long term structural economic decline, Moscow has slowly started to crumble and in turn Putin is losing control of his country. In other words, the domestic problems that the Kremlin is facing threatens the centralized authority that Putin has worked so hard to build. Last year, â€Å"even the Russian Ministry of Economic Development admitted that [acceptable] living standards are unlikely until 2035,† (Jarmas). Thus given that the overall conditions of Russia’s federal government are declining rapidly, many regional governments are trying to maintain their minimal portions of the federal budget. The regional economies within Russia are preemptively preparing to ford their people through yet another tragic financial collapse, although they thought they would receive assistance from Putin. In 2012, for this third term Putin ran on the platform that he would increase wages in the public sector, but now in 2017, Putin is yet to make good on his promises. The f ederal budget has provided little funding for regional governments, who ultimately would be responsible for the higher wages. Putin has entrapped regional governments within a vicious cycle, where they are mandated to provide costly welfare programs by the central government which provides little to none federal funding. However, the Kremlin requires that regional governments carry most of their economic burden so they can focus on larger political conflicts. The relationship between politics and the economy highlights the effect of political ideologies on both regional and national economies. Political ideologies can alter depending on the economic state of a country, and that economic state can be drastically affected by a country’s political regime. The ramifications of Russia’s financial collapse that began in 2014 are seen today, and protest over unpaid wages continue to rise across Russia. With the 2018 World Cup around the corner for Russia, protesters have begun to link Kremlin’s megaprojects, such as a new soccer stadium, to worsening economic conditions in various regions throughout Russia. Russia has also been in numerous headlines, for their ties to the Trump administration, and their continual involvement in American politics mounts growing international concerns. Russia’s eagerness to venture into foreign affairs reflects a nation desperate for a new form of economic stability, a concept that may elude them for years to come and will continue to do so until many of the nation’s systemic issues are resolved.

Taxation System in the New York Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taxation System in the New York - Assignment Example Since his daughter furnished the apartment using his property, he would have to pay all the property taxes for the furniture. In 2009, the taxpayer also visited his regular doctor and traveled by taxi to and from JFK airport. The hotel expenses would also add to the amount of money he would have had to pay as taxation. In 2010, the taxpayer was in New York for an additional 47 days but returned home in September that year. For the time up to September, his salary would be subject to taxation in New York as a person working abroad. When he came back home, he would go back to being taxed as a local resident since he was no longer working abroad. He would also continue being on his daughter’s apartment lease as the guarantor and therefore pay all the subsequent taxes related to the lease. The taxpayer’s taxable income would be $150,000 from the sale of stock of a California corporation which only held New York real property + $4,000 in NY State lottery winnings + $50,000 distribution from his pension plan + $1000 interest income from his savings account from ING + $100,000 in gains from the sale of a painting located in Connecticut but sold while temporarily at a museum located in New York. The cost of the painting was $20,000. To make a total of $305,000 The amount of the taxpayer’s income that would be subject to New York taxation would be around 100/365 x 100,000. The time he spent working in the company’s out-of-state field offices would not be liable to taxation in New York. The allocation formula would be simply dividing the number of days spent in New York with a total number of days in a year and multiply with his total wages from the company for a year. There are around 155 days that the taxpayer cannot account for in terms of where he was working. Since there is no way of determining this, there would be no taxes calculated for these days.  

Competitive Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competitive Intelligence - Essay Example The evolutions of new challenges like technological advancements and out sourcing have posed new challenges for the business operations. Understanding these challenges and acting according to the implications required an acute sense of understanding the situations and the analyzing to the best. The competitor analysis has diversified into more specific issues of planning, collection of more influential data, analysis and communication, which were undeniable influencers of success. The research is conducted by taking individual tasks and integrating it to the organizational concerns making the analysis more robust and to derive more refined facts. The country analysis gives a broad idea about the investment atmosphere prevailing in the country under consideration. The current position of the industrial sector under consideration, the amount of market capitalization existing in the country for the sector, the number of existing players competing and their presence in the market., the government approach for the development of the sector, the entry norms for the investors, the resources availability, the supportive industry presence for companies like the smaller parts manufacturers for automobile industries etc, The volume of the business to be explored, the number of years for turnaround to gain the considerable market reach, and the socio-economic factors of the country that may influence the business potential. The above factors may differ from one country to the other. For example a Canadian company is planning to enter new market in Ontario. The company has to know the feasibility of the business in the Ontario. The compa ny has taken help of a consulting company to know the market environment in the region. The consulting company has given details of components related to the competitors, recent trends fallowed by the competitors, the financial status. Comparison between New Zealand & Canada: New Zealand, competitor intelligence is a pioneering issue under consideration that has been given preference only after 90's (Craig S. Fleisher, 2004). The business elite group is not known of using the competitor intelligence tools as much. The study perceived by Procter revealed some interesting facts that the business environment was more inclined towards domestic markets rather than concentrating on the growing need to globalize (Craig S. Fleisher, 2004, P 43). The New Zealand business sectors are optimistic that competitor intelligence has more important role to play in the due of time. The New Zealand business sectors sensed the constraints they need to overcome to sustain in their respective business but they are yet to open to the implementation of competitor intelligence strategies to raise their business levels to globally acceptable level. The business sectors are not ready to face the realities like the constraints they need to know about their external environment they are into. To address these new business requirements the business entities need more resources like internet, product patent information etc (Patents and competitive intelligence). The modes of business education were only

Management of Human Resources Class Discussion wk2 Assignment

Management of Human Resources Class Discussion wk2 - Assignment Example The engaging of the Human Resource to the external environment is more challenging as they have to cover more area than the usual internal environment capacity that they are familiar with. Meeting external responsibilities means more time, more resources, and more responsibilities as it is an expansive area that requires more attention to be able to handle the environment more efficiently. These will ensure a smooth transition and cooperation in making the relevant adjustment to the organizational structure response to external issues (Mabey, 2012).Taking the first step to deal with the issues is better than waiting the problem to catch up with the organization. Engaging in the external issues gives an insight and understanding of the environment the organization is existing in and how to prepare for the impacts that will cause either positive or negative. The economic globalization and political landscape has completely transformed the shape of the current Human Resource management. The competition is high, and one wrong move can destroy the whole organization (Noe, 2006). The Human Resource has to be keen on political matters because they are very sensitive and might affect the entire organization either negatively or positively The Human Resource has to engage a Rights Dispute for employees who are hired in unfair labor conditions.The Human Resource has to file a complaint with the relevant authority that will protect him from whistleblowers.The Human Resource has to exercise their legal rights as an employee by contacting OSHA immediately because the complaint must be filed within the legal time limits.These are to ensure that the company follows the stipulated laws that are laid down for favorable conditions of the workers (Gilbert,

Brand Improvement Recommendations for Toyota

Brand Improvement Recommendations for Toyota Introduction The modern age of business can be defined as age of competition. The competition within an industry is gradually increasing with the expansion of business as many new players are entering into the market. There are several reasons behind this intensifying competition. Firstly, globalisation is one of the primary reasons for expansion of trade and business that lead to increase competition. Many business organisations have found greater opportunities in overseas market, and free trade policies and agreements between multiple countries facilitated their market expansion programs. The domestic markets have turned into global markets that heightened competition rivalry among existing domestic and new multinational enterprises. Since last two decades, the society has been experiencing a rapid technological improvement. The technological advancements have led to change the structure entire trade and business. The management tasks and operational process are now backed with technology like e-commerce and e-business. A better grip of technological advancement helps a business organisation to gain an upper hand position. Finally, enhancing economic condition of consumers and increasing their disposable income have strengthened their purchasing power. This has also changed their consumer buying behaviours and they have developed their specific brand preferences (Vashisht, 2005, p.68). In the modern and competitive business world, business organisations always try to position itself in market for avoiding unnecessary competitions. In this process they aim to achieve strong competitive advantages and core competencies that enable them to gain upper hand position in the market. There are multiple ways to achieve competitive advantages; however, brand development is the most preferred way for creating high business value. The increasing demands of brand development is due to two primary factors i.e. urge for acquiring higher market share and increasing concern towards consumer value. The modern management style and thought process of decision makers have transformed. The modern management concept more focuses on long term benefits by creative a sustainable businesses environment where stakeholders wealth and value creation is the first priority. When a company is able to meet these responsibilities towards stakeholders, society, community and environment, it is able t o create a high brand image in the market. Managements in modern organisation culture follow management theories and models which are very effective in achieving common organisational goal. In this respect, they concentrate on two-way communicational system within cross-functional teams and with its consumers. For example, the existing management system deliberately tries to implement integrated marketing communication that focuses on better marketing strategy for enhancing consumer values. These efforts made by the modern managements are very helpful in brand development and hence, they try to draft specific plans for branding strategies. This paper will attempt to deal with brand improvement strategies for Toyota Motor Corporation and primary aim of this paper is to offer a plausible set of recommendations based on findings of primary research and secondary research data analysis. At first, a brief description of Toyota Corporation will be offered to understand fundamentals of it. The second section will explain the research question and objective based on which the entire research methodology will be constructed to obtain viable and valid results. The third section will present theoretical background and models relating to marketing and branding. Marketing and branding are interrelated with each other and the later is an integral part of marketing. Multiple marketing theories and models are very helpful for brand development. Moreover, many scholars have developed brand specific theories and models which facilitate brand management tasks. The fourth section will include the research methodology, and research framewo rk will be framed as per the requirements of this research paper. Finally, based on data analyses and its findings, the entire project will be summarized and a set of credible recommendation will be developed. Chapter 1 A Company Overview: Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational automobile company and it is famous as Toyota in global market. The company is a Japan-based company and it is present in the most of the international markets. Sakichi Toyoda laid the foundations of automobile company and latter, in 1933, his son Kiichiro Toyoda opened an automobile department after conducting an extensive research on engines powered by gasoline. Automobile department was known as Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. One of the sister company of Toyota, called Hinode Motors (now known as Aichi Toyota) introduced its first A1 prototype cars and G1 truck during 1935. In 1937, Kiichiro Toyoda established Toyota Motor Company Ltd. and in 1938 he started producing SB trucks in its Honsha plant in 1938 (Toyota-a, 2011). Toyota brought a revolution in automobile industry of Japan during 1930s to 1950s by incorporating innovation and growth oriented business model. At present, Toyota is one of the leading and the largest automobile manufacturing in the world. It is also one of the pioneers in automobile innovation which is the companys core value. The technological expertise is prime competitive advantage that has helped the company to cater the global automobile market. Since the inception of Toyota, the company is committed to produce reliable and value added vehicles, Innovation is the major tool for the company and it also uses its technological expertise in meeting social and environmental responsibilities. In order to operate in the global market, the company has formed its seven specific guidelines and principles. These principles mainly include with business ethics, respects and honour for every country and its culture, and develop a growth oriented organisation with the business partners etc (Toyota-b, 2011). Presently, Toyotas global headquarter is at Toyota City, Aichi of Japan and its president and representative director is Akio Toyoda. As of March 31, 2010, the company owned nearly 397.05 billion yen of capital. It has a number of subsidiaries and affiliated companies over the world and currently, it has nearly 320,590 employees in its international business (Toyota-f, 2011). Currently, Toyota is trying to use its innovation for bringing development in the society and environment. The company has realized increasing negative impacts of industrialization and carbon emission from increasing number of vehicle. Therefore, the company is now focusing on eco-friendly cars like hybrid and electronic cars. Toyota has identified three major environmental issues relating to its vehicle manufacturing and hence, it has developed and incorporated necessary steps for making the things better for environment. Firstly, it attempts to enhance its transmission and engine efficiency by downsizing measures. Secondly, energy management is another major task for Toyota in this respect. Finally, for reducing overall vehicle load, it tries to lessen rolling resistance, air drag and vehicle mass (Toyota-c, 2011). Quality and safety are two major parameters for Toyota and hence, the company strive to bring constant development in its operational and management process. Toyotas production system â€Å"is steeped in the philosophy of the complete elimination of all waste imbuing all aspects of production in pursuit of the most efficient methods† (Toyota-d, 2011). The global operation of Toyota is primarily based on two concepts of modern management. â€Å"The first is called jidoka (which can be loosely translated as automation with a human touch) which means that when a problem occurs; the equipment stops immediately, preventing defective products from being produced† (Toyota-d, 2011). The second concept is the just-in-time process that helps it to maintain a smooth process of operation without maintaining high inventory. Table 1: Consolidated Vehicle production As Toyota has been able to capture significant share of market in these regions, its financial position has been quite strong. The following table and graph present key financial performance indicator and sales revenue by region. Table 2: Consolidated Performance As per the above figure and table, during 2009, Toyota faced loss due to the effect of global economic crisis. However, with the recovering economy, the company has been able to regain high profitability. From Japan and North American market, Toyota earns the highest revenue. Besides, from other markets like Europe and Asia, the company generates high revenue. Toyota was in the face of a grim crisis when one of its leading models of the Lexus and Prius brand was badly hit by a series of manufacturing defects in the US which led to loss of innocent lives. The company had to pay a major price for this defect as its public relations strategy was widely criticised. In addition to this the company had to face major lawsuits which led to payment of hefty fines by the company and large scale product recall that had a wide impact on the brand image of the organization. The discussions have pointed out the fundamental features and condition of Toyota that make it a successful company in the global automobile market. The efficient operations with technological expertise are the primary base of the company. In each market, it has developed trust and confidence among the target consumer group and hence, it has been able to capture higher market share. Research Question The research paper will be looking at the branding strategies which Toyota may adopt to augment its tarnished brand image. The discussion will be carried out with an analysis of earlier branding strategies of Toyota. Adding to it, some relevant branding strategies of other leading organisations will also be taken into account; so that, an appropriate branding framework can be developed for the company taking references from the company as well as its competitors. Chapter 2 Literature Review Branding â€Å"[Branding is] a 15-second elevator pitch that every employee in the organization can not only get and articulate, but can talk about their role in bringing that to life† -Davis, M. S. (Wiley, 2003, p.1). In todays competitive world of business, marketing and advertising have significant contribution to create ‘branding of any product or service or may be of a whole organisation. The significant portion of branding has experienced a dramatic shift in the last few decades. Both the traditional branding and the role of brands were subject to continual review and redefinition. According to Kotler, a brand can be defined as â€Å"the name associated with one or more items in the product line that is used to identify the source of character of the item† (Guzman, n.d., p.1). The American Marketing Association (AMA) has defined a brand as a name, sign, term, design symbol, design or a combination of them which are intended to categorize the products and services offered by one seller or group of sellers. The brands are also used to differentiate them from those of their competitors. Keller has expressed a different view. According to him, whenever an organisation introduces a new name, symbol or logo for a new product, he or she has created a brand. However, today those brands mean much more than that. According to these definitions, in simple term it would not be wrong to say that the brands act as identifiers. Earlier, brands and brand building processes would be thought as just another step towards the marketing or selling off products. Since a long time, brands were treated as a secondary step of the marketing process. According to Kotler, branding has become a significant issue in the product strategy. The brand communication strategy has its focus towards representation of the brand and the creation of the brand image. In the year 2000, Aaker and Joachimsthaler mentioned that as per the traditional branding model, the objective is to develop the brand image (Ali, 2007). The brand image is a strategy element driving the short term results of the product as well as the organisation. In the year 1997, Kapferer mentioned that the brand is an external sign whose responsibility is to disclose the hidden qualities of the product or service (Nijte, 2005, p.20). In todays competitive business environment, the challenge is to develop a string and distinctive image. The brand is expected to serve as the identifier of a product by displaying the distinguishing elements from the competition. Powerful brands develop meaningful metaphors in the consumers minds. The meaningful images are created through development of brand image and enhancement of reputation by differentiating and potentially having an affirmative influence on the consumers buying behaviour. The Keller Model has a considerable contribution in the branding theory. The model has identified the concept of customer based brand equity and the brand hierarchy. According to Keller, brand equity is the effect that the brand knowledge would have on the consumer response to the brand marketing, which would have the effect happening when the brand is known and the customers would possess favourable, strong and unique brand associations. This customer-based Brand Equity (CBBE) model has identified about four steps, representing the questions asked by the customers and displaying a branding ladder. In this model, each of the steps is dependent on the achievement of the earlier one. All these steps consist of six brand building blocks which would have a number of sub-dimensions. While building a strong brand, the objective is to reach at the apex of the pyramid where there would exist a harmonious relationship with the customers. At the very first stage, this model should represent a correct brand identity by answering the customers question ‘Who are you?. The aim is to develop an identification of the respective brand and display an association with the respective product class or the specific requirements. The initial stage involves of the brand building block ‘salience. The next step considers the question ‘What are you?. The question is answered through the establishment of brand meaning in their minds and associating the brand with certain properties. In this step, there are two brand building blocks: performance and imagery. The following step is ‘brand response, whereas the appropriate customer responses to the brand identification and meaning are brought out. This step is also achieved with two building blocks judgement and feelings and answers the question- What about you? The final step in the model is ‘brand relationships where the brand response is transformed to a passionate, active loyalty relationship between the customers and the brand. This stage addresses the customer question -What about you and me? The final brand building block is ‘resonance which is at the apex of the pyramid. â€Å"Kellers conceptual framework provides guidance in building, measuring and managing brand equity. While Keller claims that the model can be applied in a B2B context and a consumer environment, it does not appear to have been tested for industrial brands. The similarities and differences between business and consumer markets have long been debated with organisational buyers found to differ in many ways, suggesting that the application of such a model in a B2B setting will pose challenges† (Kuhn Alpert, n.d., p.3). Today, there has been a considerable shift in the brand management processes. Concerning with the brand management process, Aaker and Joachmisthaler have discussed the traditional branding model where the brand management team would be responsible for creating and coordinating with the brands management programs (Guzman, n.d.). In such a case, the brand manager was not at the top of the management hierarchy and his focus used to be the short term financial results of both the brands and products in the respective markets. The basic objective has been the coordination with the manufacturing and sales departments. The coordination is necessary in order to solve any problem associated with sales and market share. According to this strategy, the responsibility of the brand has solely been the concern of the marketing department. In general, majority of the companies thought that focusing on the latest advertising campaign would mean concentrating on the brand itself. The model is strateg ically significant and reactive rather than being creative and visionary. The brand has always been referred to as more like a series of tactics and never like any strategy. In 1997, Kapferer has mentioned that before the 1980s, a different approach was there towards the brands (Kapferer, 1997, p.23). Earlier, the organizations wished to purchase a producer of pasta and chocolate. After 1980, the consumers are looking for Buitoni and KitKat. Such an instance displays the fact that earlier, the consumers were not bothered about the brands; rather they were more focused on the required product. However, after 1980, the consumers are aware of the product names. Buitoni has established the brand name in pasta and KitKat has marked its position in the world of chocolate. This distinction is quite significant. In the first case, the organizations wish to purchase the production capacity and in the later years, they want to create a place in the consumers minds. In other words, the shift in the focus towards the brand would start as it was understood that the brands are more than plain identifiers. According to Kapferer, a brand serves eight functions: Identifi cation, Practicality, Guarantee, Optimization, Characterization, Continuity, Hedonistic and Ethical. Identification of the brand would enable the consumer to clearly see, make sense of the offer and to quickly identify the required after products (Kapferer, 1997, p.29). Practicality would enable the consumers to save on time and energy through identical purchasing and loyalty. Among the other function, optimization is significant one to make the customers sure of finding the same quality indifferent to the time and place of the product or service. The characterization in brand management reflects the confirmation of the product or service image, presented to others. There must be continuity in the brand which is supposed to bring in satisfaction through familiarity and intimacy with the brands, which were used or consumed by the customers since a long period. The brand is supposed to bring in satisfaction linked to the brand attractiveness; the brand is required to be hedonistic. Th e brand is also required to be ethical as satisfaction of the consumers must come through reasonable behavior of the products and those must be reflected in its relationship towards the society. Among these eight functions, the first two are quite mechanical and are concerned with the essence of the respective brands. The brands are expected â€Å"to function as recognized symbol to facilitate choice and to gain time† (Guzman, n.d., p.2). The next steps are meant for reducing the apparent risk and the final three steps are related with the pleasure side of any brand. The brand value emerges from its ability to attain an exclusive, positive and significant mark in the minds of a large customer base. As a consequence, the organizations must carry out branding and brand building to develop the brand value. He has perceived the brand value to be in monetary terms and accounted the same in the intangible assets. However, according to Doyle, brands fail to explore the value creatin g opportunities if the managers pursue strategies, not oriented to maximize the shareholders value (Guzman, n.d.). There are four factors which could be there in the consumers minds and which could be combined to establish the perceived value of any product or service brand. This would also determine the â€Å"brand awareness; the level of perceived quality compared to competitors; the level of confidence, of significance, of empathy, of liking; and the richness and attractiveness of the images conjured up by the brand† (Guzman, n.d.). According to the theory by Kapferer, adding brand image, perceived quality, evocations, familiarity to the brand awareness would create the brand assets which can also be thought as the brand added value perceived by the customers (Kapferer, 1997, p.123). Deducting both cost of branding and cost of invested capital from the same would be equal to the finance value of the brand or brand equity value. Brand Identity ‘Identity is very significant for any individual or for any entity to make others feel its presence. In case of marketing, it is very necessary to remain in the mind of target consumers and in the market. It is very important for any business organisation to create a unique identity in market and this identity is very crucial for generating sales revenue. The business organisations or companies can develop identity as per its corporate name, product or services. There are some examples of such identity. Xerox Corporation is a world renowned company that offers printers, copiers, scanners, projectors etc. The company was very successful for its photocopier machines. It used it corporate brand name for marketing the photocopier machines and now, the photocopier machines are now famous as ‘Xerox Machines. Another famous example of developing identity using product name is ‘Marlboro Cigarette. It is the worlds largest selling cigarette brand manufactured by Altria Group Philip Morris International. The companys corporate identity is not so popular but it is popular for its product identity i.e. Marlboro. However, the above examples have been explained to make understand the importance of identity for being successful in market and for being famous among the target consumers groups. Therefore, every company must try to build its unique identity though its corporate name, product or services. Each product or services and each company have its own unique identity and consumers perceptions for each identity are different from other competing product. For example, consumers perceive Mercedes as premium brand as it offers its premium cars to very niche market. On the other hand, Wal-Mart is perceived as low-cost brand as it offers ‘every day low price to its consumers (Talley, 2011). Both the companies (Mercedes and Wal-Mart) have developed their own typical identity as per their core marketing approaches. The above discussion has focused on importance and some example of identity. In marketing this identity is known as ‘brand identity. Different scholars and critics have presented their views regarding brand identity and how it is important for companies for their sustainability in a market. In this respect, Jean-Noà «l Kapferer has related the brand identity with globalisation. He has offered the definition of brand identity from the globalization perspectives. He believes that brand identity must help a company in globalising of its brand image. He has explained that â€Å"the brand must have as identity that will serve as medium for its globalisation, in both tangible and intangible terms† (Kapferer, 2008, p.488). Sometimes, brand identity and brand image is considered to be similar or identical but these two terms are very different from others. The brand image of company or of a product can be defined through the others perception i.e. consumers view; whereas, brand identity is a companys attempt to project itself before its target consumers (Wilson and Blumenthal, 2008, p.58). Therefore, it can be defined that brand image is an outcome of an attempt to develop brand identity among the consumers groups. Hence, building brand identity is very crucial step for buildings brand image. In the process of framing brand strategy, establishment of brand identity is the foremost task for a company as it offers a company purpose, aim, direction and proper significance to a brand. In order to explain a brand identity, Aaker has identified three prime components in a brand identity. The following diagram shows these three components. As per the above figure, three essentials of brand identity are core identity, brand essence and extended identity. The core identity refers to the â€Å"timeless center of the brand† that must consist of basic features of a company like its values, ethics, belief etc (Salver, 2009, p.41). Brand essence can be defined as soul of a companys brand that makes the core brand more comprehensible, accessible and valuable. The extended brand helps to add more value to the core brands identity. These three components are not basic integral part of a brand strategy but understanding of brand identity helps brand managers in recognising the prevailing brand position (Salver, 2009, p.41). Toyota has attempted to develop its brand identity for each of its brand product like Lexus, Prius, Innova, Corolla etc. The brand identity is basically determined by specific features of the product. For example, Toyota Prius has been able to develop its brand identity among the tech-savvy and environmentally conscious people and Lexus had gained its specific brand identity among the luxury car market. Lexus has been a premium brand for its target consumers as they perceive Lexus as high quality and value added vehicle. Toyota has successfully understood the core brand identifies and brand essence, and it has promoted its distinct brand products in accordance to target market (Toyota-h, 2011). Brand Building To establish the strong brands in a cheaper, better and faster way, the organisations require pursuing a different, effective and efficient approach altogether to the brand building. The cornerstone of the brand building is the fusion of future economics, organisational capabilities and customer insights. Brand building demands the organisations to focus more on the segments which would drive the organisation develop organisation propositions and deliver products according to the customers preferences (McKinsey Company, n.d., p.12). Brand Awareness In the above sections of literature review, the importance and explanation of brand image have been discussed. However, without proper understandings of brand identity and brand awareness, the brand image cannot be formed for target market. A company can build a higher brand image in the mind of consumers when it is able to successfully create its pre-determined brand identity through brand awareness programs. Therefore, the importance and understanding of brand awareness is significant in brand image building process. For building a strong brand, it is necessary to incorporate brand identity and brand awareness. The following model shows the importance and correlation between brand identity, brand awareness and brand image. The above model shows that in the process of brand building, brand identity and brand awareness are the two primary areas followed by brand image association, brand quality, brand loyalty and brand broadening. As per the above figure, brand loyalty is an outcome of brand image that is an effect of successful creation of brand identity and brand awareness. Brand loyalty provides a company a competitive advantage over its key competitors that helps it to counter and avoid unnecessary competition. Brand loyalty can be defined from the availability of brand loyal consumers. However, Knox and Walker has identified that there is significant difference between brand loyalty and repetitive purchasing (Ranchhod and Marandi, 2007, p.80). They explained that â€Å"this lack of clarity has led to a great deal of difficulty in interpreting many of the brand loyalty studies† (Ranchhod and Marandi, 2007, p.80). However, they also admitted that brand loyalty also includes the repetitive purchasing and word-of-mouth marketing from consumers end. Therefore in order to develop significant amount consumers, plausible brand awareness programs are inevitable for a company. Brand awareness defines the strength of a brand in a consumers mind, and a strong effect of brand awareness determines the longevity of brands image in target consumers mind. According to Keller, brand awareness includes performance of brand recall and brand recognition. Bran recall refers to consumers ability to regain a brand from their past experiences while making any buying decision. Brand recognition is consumers knowledge regarding a specific brand. The consumer should be able to recognise their brand when they are given wide ranges of choices. McLoughlin and Aaker have been able to understand major draw backs in implementing brand awareness programs for a company. They believe that, most of the companies consider brand awareness as a promotional mix and hence, they more focuses on promoting a product rather than brand development or brand awareness. Brand awareness is also very necessary for creating brand equity. McLoughlin and Aaker have designed a model showing brand aware ness and its important outcomes. As per the above figure, brand awareness is directly related to brand equity which includes brand related assets and liabilities. Successful implementation of brand awareness and better brand equity lead to develop higher brand loyalty and brand association of consumers. While discussing about the brand awareness, it is necessary to deal with the consumers buying behaviours. Brand awareness deals with consumers perception for an offered brand that helps them in recalling the past experiences while buying. The influences of brand awareness are very substantial in the process of making a buying decision. Gustafson and Chabot have provided five major steps for planning and implementing brand awareness. These five major steps are given below. Cleary identify and understand potential target consumers and market Develop a unique name, slogan, and logo for a company or for offer product brand Offer value added features and services along with offered branded product or services Effective promotional mix and advertising focusing on brand creation Develop proper public relation with consumers by following-up the post-sales period (Gustafson and Chabot, 2007) The above steps are very helpful in establishing a strong brand awareness programs to build brand image in the mind of target consumers. Recently, Toyota has faced a drastic brand crisis in its Swedish market due to quality issues. It caused to develop a negative brand image in the mind of target consumers. Moreover, in American market, the company faced a crisis, and mass media played very active role in spreading the ‘Toyota crisis news. However, due to previous effective brand awareness programs, certain group of loyal consumers were not influenced by that crisis news. This case provides an evidence for the importance of brand awareness creation in the mind of the target consumers. On the other hand, the prevailing management of Toyota was not able to cope up with that crisis situation. In such situation, management could have restructured its entire brand awareness program to maintain its corporate image (Feng, 2010). Brand Positioning Brand Positioning can best be described as the process of identifying the niche of the market for a certain brand. This can be assumed as one of the oldest marketing tricks as it was found as early as in 1969. During the start of marketing policies the organizations focused only on the benefits which took them away from competition in the market which may also form differentiation. When we talk about the term ‘positioning we need to realize what it actually means. It can be defined as making a place in the customers memory, providing them with reasons or characteristics of brands that would make them choose their brands instead of same brands in the industry from different