Thursday, October 31, 2019

Summer Trip in Florida Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summer Trip in Florida - Essay Example The main reason being, the state is usually less crowded. One may choose to go by airplane or by road which-though less fast- it would be more exciting. There are several options of enjoying oneself while on a summer vacation in Florida. To start with, one may plan to do water based activities such as kayaking down a river or even around the barrier islands, swimming with Dolphins, Sea Turtles as well as swimming with Manatees. In addition to these, one would get an opportunity do fishing either in the deep sea or top bass fishing. Diving is also found in Florida especially in Miami Beach's Underwater Wrecks among other renowned beaches. One may also get a chance to do canoeing in Florida especially in places like Florida Marinas, Dockside Dining where one would ride a canoe across Econlockhatchee River. There are also very luxury cruises found in Florida and still spice up ones trip. There are varieties of cruises that range from casino, dinner and themed cruises. Secondly, one may also have an option of seeing some wildlife and watching birds of the air as they sing their melodious songs. Despite the fact that there are not so many birds in the summer season, one may watch out for them with their infantile plumage only viewable during the summer seasons.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Conflict Resolution in Health Care Setting Essay

Conflict Resolution in Health Care Setting - Essay Example Conflict resolution in the health setting requires the presence of intricate and complex competencies. Appropriate and relevant strategies help to reduce or mitigate problems in the health care setting. This research paper will study the scenario of a patient suffering from acute kidney failure. The patient has refused to be treated with dialysis which can improve quality of life. The scope of the paper will be concerned about implementing appropriate, ethical, and realistic conflict resolution methods. This paper will seek to use diverse research resources in order to deduce accurate and reliable results. Scott is a sixty year old patient who has been diagnosed with acute kidney failure. Health care physicians have recommended dialysis in order to produce superior outcomes. Dialysis will also improve the quality of life for Scott. However the patient is depressed and frustrated that the treatment is futile. He is no longer concerned about treating and managing acute kidney failure. He has beliefs that in any event his life will end irrespective of treatment or disease management. Health care physicians are insisting on provision of accurate and appropriate care for the patient. Scott retired from a position as a bank manager when he was fifty six years old. His retirement years were marked by considerable psychological problems. Physical health for the patient was generally appropriate. However financial and economic problems have also taken a toll on the patient. The patient also lives alone as he has separated from his wife. His relations with siblings and children are also estranged. At the age of fifty eight, the patient was diagnosed with minor kidney problems. Health care professionals assessed and evaluated the patient requirements. Initially the patient was diagnosed with minor renal problems. Diuretics were recommended to the patient (Romeu, 1996). However with the passage of time, the health care professionals detected that metabolic acidosis had significantly increased. A recommendation for dialysis was initiated for the patient. Electrolyte abnormality was also recognized in the patient's body. Pericarditis was also found to be prevalent and rampant inside the patient (Romeu, 1996). Psychological, financial, and physical problems seem to have created frustration, anxiety, and depression in the patient. He has refused to take up medical treatment which can efficiently and effectively improve quality of life. Conflict Context The conflict has arisen in the wake of numerous problems faced by the patient.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Central Nervous System: Structure and Functions

The Central Nervous System: Structure and Functions Hayley Sterling The structure of: The Central Nervous System The brain and spinal cord make up the Central Nervous System (CNS). The term central is used because it assimilates information from the whole body and coordinates activities across the entire organism. The brain is enclosed in and protected by the skull (cranial cavity). From the back of the brain, the spinal cord flows down, passing through the spinal canal and stopping down in the lumbar region. The brain and the spinal cord are protected by a triple layered membrane, this is known as the meninges. Sensory, connector and motor neurones. Like all living organisms, humans can respond to their environment. There are two control systems that work together to accomplish this the nervous system and the hormonal (endocrine) system. Breathing, production of digestive enzymes, memory and intelligence are examples of things controlled by the human nervous system. The nervous system is composed of nerve cells, known as neurones.       The details of each of the neurones can be seen in the images above. Each neurone has similarities and differences when it comes to length of fibres, location and their function. The Sensory neurone has long dendrites and short axons, is located within the cell body (dendrites outside of the cell body) and the cell body is located within the dorsal root ganglion. The function of the sensory neurone is to conduct impulse to the spinal cord. The interneuron has short dendrites and has either a short or long axon. It is located entirely within the spinal cord (central nervous system). Its function is to interconnect the sensory neuron with the motor neuron. The motor neuron has short dendrites and long axons. The dendrites and cell body are located within the spinal cord, whereas the axon is outside of the spinal cord. Its function is to conduct an impulse to the effector (gland or muscle). Axons and Dendrites the opposites of each other. Axons take information away from the cell body and Dendrites bring information to it. Axons have a smooth surface, Dendrites have a rough one. Only usually 1 Axon per cell, multiple Dendrites per cell. Axons have no Ribosomes, and Dendrites do. Axons can have Myelin insulation, Dendrites do not. Axons branch far away from the cell body, Dendrite branch closely to the cell. How nerve impulses are transmitted The ultimate function of nerve cells (neurones) is to transmit signal from sense organs, such as the eyes and skin, to the central nervous system then from the CNS to the effector organs. Neurones are made up from a cell body, from here small projections protrude, these are called dendrites. There is one lengthened dendrite called an axon, the axon is usually protected in an electro-insulating compound known as myelin this will speed up the signals. The end of the axon, spreads into may branches, this means that the signals can be delivered to multiple target cells at once. This can be seen in the image below: An electrical current carries the neuron, which then transmits the signal. The role of chemical transmitters in enabling impulses to cross synapses Chemical Synapse. A fluid filled space known as a synaptic cleft separates two membranes. These are referred to as pre and post synaptic membranes. The above image shows the pre and post synaptic membranes. An electrical impulse comes from the axon of the pre-synaptic membrane. This in turn causes the nerve-ending of the neuron to release chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The chemicals proceed to diffuse in the synaptic cleft, before binding with receptor molecules on the next neuron.   They receptor molecules of this neuron will only bind with the specific chemicals given from the first neuron. This will then stimulate the next neuron to replicate the process. Voluntary and reflex actions Voluntary actions require a message from the brain, before being able to carry it out. For this reason, they are slower than a reflex action. Most actions carried out by our body are voluntary actions, for example choosing to walk in a certain direct to avoid danger or obstacles. Reflex actions are in-voluntary and do not require thought in order to be processed. Reflex actions occur in response to a stimulus, for example when touching a hot surface, we automatically react by removing contact from the surface, before our brain actually recognises that the surface is hot. The role of the autonomic nervous system The inside of the body is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Information is transported about the inside of the body to the central nervous system. It also controls internal organs such as our heart, stomach and liver etc. Homeostasis is where the bodys internal environment is maintained safely. This is done through balancing levels of temperature, oxygen in the blood, blood sugar and salt concentration. The autonomic nervous system is instrumental in ensuring homeostasis occurs in the body. Another vital role of the autonomic nervous system is displaying physical signs of our emotional expressions. An example of this is when were emotionally excited our heart rate may increase, blood pressure may rise, and our mouth may become dry. The autonomic nervous system has 2 divisions. The emergency system formally known as the Sympathetic division and the housekeeping division known as the parasympathetic division. The parasympathetic divisions action is usually always the opposite of the Sympathetic division. The sympathetic division prepares our body to give out energy in order to protect itself from the effects of injury. The parasympathetic division will complete actions such as reducing heart rate and reduce blood pressure where necessary. Effects on transmission of nerve impulses from caffeine Caffeine is known as a stimulant, caffeine can be found in coffee, cola, energy drinks, cannabis and amphetamines. Caffeine/stimulants increases the rate of transmissions of signals from one cell to another. This will increase our alertness, as well as our breathing and heart rate. Lon term affects include us producing highs but these can also be followed by extreme lows. Extreme lows can progress further and lead to depression. References Aviva.co.uk. (2017). Medical Encyclopedia Function: Voluntary and Involuntary Responses Aviva. [online] Available at: http://www.aviva.co.uk/health-insurance/home-of-health/medical-centre/medical-encyclopedia/entry/function-voluntary-and-involuntary-responses/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC GCSE Bitesize: How synapses work Higher. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_pre_2011/brain_mind/informationrev2.shtml [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC GCSE Bitesize: Stimulants, sedatives and painkillers. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/health/drugsandhealthrev4.shtml [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Biologymad.com. (2017). Nervous System Intro. [online] Available at: http://www.biologymad.com/nervoussystem/nervoussystemintro.htm [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Boundless. (2017). Synaptic Transmission. [online] Available at: https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/the-nervous-system-35/how-neurons-communicate-200/synaptic-transmission-763-11996/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Indiana.edu. (2017). AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. [online] Available at: http://www.indiana.edu/~p1013447/dictionary/ans.htm [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Newman, T. (2017). Central Nervous System: Structure, Functions and Diseases. [online] Medical News Today. Available at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307076.php [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Science.education.nih.gov. (2017). The Brain-Lesson 3-Drugs Change the Way Neurons Communicate (Page 1 of 2). [online] Available at: https://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih2/addiction/guide/lesson3-1.html [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Steane, R. (2017). Voluntary and reflex actions. [online] Biotopics.co.uk. Available at: http://www.biotopics.co.uk/newgcse/voluntaryReflex.html [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. The Student Room. (2017). Revision:Nerve impulse transmission The Student Room. [online] Available at: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Revision:Nerve_impulse_transmission [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Marketing Strategies of Asda: An Analysis Marketing Strategies of Asda: An Analysis Introduction: Marketing Strategy defines objectives and describes the methods youre going to make happy customers in your target markets. It does not have to be written down but it is easier to communicate to outsiders if there is a plan, strategy. What is a Marketing strategy? The broad approach the company intends to implement in the long term to achieve its objectives. A medium to long term plan for achieving a firms marketing objectives. The means or game plan by which marketing objectives will be achieved. Concerns markets, positioning, direction of development and competitive advantage. A plan for future marketing activity. What should have to be in marketing strategies? Marketing strategy should be: Be part of the all strategies of the company. Be a clear understanding of the markets to implies the strategy. Market should be analysis first. Be based on the companys strengths. Checked the opportunities by strengths. Analysis the companys weaknesses. Act in response to threats. Be incorporated and logical. Be carefully checked out the all strategies. MOST: Components of the Strategies Mission Objectives Strategy (overall plans) Tactics short term responses to opportunities or threats Effectives on strategies: Business objectives The firms resources The firms strengths Market conditions Opportunities in the market Competition and market structure Stages in the development of marketing strategy: Objectives should have to be clear. Marketing audit should be done before implemented. Arrange the SWOT analysis Define marketing objectives Develop marketing strategies Implement marketing plans Review and realize the outcomes Prepare the next plan RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Objectives of research: I will have set objectives for my research, to outline what it is that I want to gain from my research. These objectives should be closely related to the statement of the problem. Marketing is a key area of the business to help it to develop and grow (Marketing is therefore a tool for any business). The purpose and objectives of my research is to find out why companies spend a significant on their marketing strategy and what strategies they adopt to compete with their competitors. There are two types of research objectives: General Objectives: A General Objective is a brief outline of what the researcher expects to achieve by carrying out his research For example: How the GREEN is helping to the ASDA business? How and Why ASDA spending more on their marketing? why the grocery retailers are giving the preference to get their CASH CARRY from ASDA stores? Why the ASDA has only BIG STORES? How the GEORGE is getting more clothing customers on their prices? How ASDA getting more customers from GEORGE? How ASDA marketing for GEORGE? Specific Objectives: A specific objective is where it is possible to breakdown the general objectives into smaller, logically connected parts. How ASDA can seek more business from its existing customers by aiming to grow its market share with the products that it already in its portfolio. How ASDA can seek expansion by taking its traditional product range into new markets. How ASDA can persuade existing customers that they should buy different products or services a sort of product line extension. How ASDA marketing researchers could explore the needs of customers for the products that are contemplated for the extended collection. Opportunity Meeting Objective: How can ASDA improve their existing and more offers to customers by their (the product/service, the delivery, the guarantees, the service support etc)? How can ASDA segment the market so that they can better satisfy their all customers needs? What are the best routes to ASDA marketing because they already got and knows the marketing routes? How can ASDA convince people to buy their products when they are being tempted in other directions? How can ASDA increase their sales by marketing in other territories? What changes for the packaging of the product ASDA will do to sell them? LITERATURE REVIEW The marketing mix: Marketing strategies generally fall in to following four controllable categories. Product Price Place Promotion The four Ps are the parameters that the marketing manager can control, subject to the internal and external constraints of marketing environment. The goal is to make decisions that centre the four Ps on the customers in the target market in order to create perceived value and generate a positive response. Product Contribution: The term product refers to tangible, physical products as well as services. Here are some examples of the product and how to contribute them in the marketing strategy. Brand name Functionality Styling Quality Safety Packaging Repairs and support Warranty Accessories and services Price Contribution: Some specification in price contributions is Pricing strategy (skim, penetration, etc.) Suggested retail price Volume discounts and wholesale pricing Cash and early payment discount Seasonal pricing Bundling Price flexibility Price discrimination Place Contribution: Place is about getting the products to the customers e.g. Distribution channels Market coverage (inclusive, selective, or exclusive distribution) Inventory management Warehousing Place centres Order processing Transportation Reverse logistics Promotion contribution: In the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing strategies that is the strategy of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Promotional strategy (push, pull. etc) Advertising Personal selling sales force Sales promotions Public relations publicity Marketing strategies budget Every marketing strategy whenever it going to makes it will be implemented by the marketing mix and that strategy will be analysed first to fit in the marketing mix. Product Life Cycle Introduction Stage At the Introduction (or development) step market size and growth is slight. It is possible that extensive research and improvement costs have been incurred to get the product to this stage. In addition, marketing costs may be more in order to test the market, experience launch promotion and set up distribution channels. It is quite unexpected that companies will make profits on products at the Introduction Stage. Because that time company will just invest on their product that should not be the time for enough profit. Growth Stage The Growth Stage is characterized by rapid growth in sales and profits. Profits arise due to an increase in output (economies of scale) and possibly better prices. At this stage, it is cheaper for businesses to invest in increasing their market share as well as enjoying the overall growth of the market Maturity Stage The Maturity Stage is, perhaps, the most common and peek of product stage for all markets. It is in this stage that competition is most intense as companies fight to maintain their market share. Here, both marketing and finance become key activities. Marketing spend has to be monitored carefully, since any significant moves are likely to be copied by competitors. The Maturity Stage is the time when most profit is earned by the market as a whole. Any expenditure is to be restricted. Decline Stage In the Decline Stage, the market is shrinking, reducing the overall amount of profit that can be shared amongst the lasting competitors. At this stage, great care has to be taken to manage the product carefully. It may be possible to take out some production cost, to transfer production to a cheaper facility, sell the product into other, cheaper markets. SWOT ANALYSIS before Marketing: SWOT analysis is an important tool for auditing the overall marketing strategic position of a business and its environment. Because businesses dont want to waste their money and resources on the fake planning for their business. SWOT is the internal and external view of the company what theyve got, what they have to do to survive in the markets, what they can do, what they are loosing. Once key strategic issues have been identified, they feed into business objectives, particularly marketing objectives. SWOT analysis is very popular tool in business for marketing strategies because it is quick and easy way to analyze the company. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. For example, strength could be your specialist in marketing capability. A weakness could be the required for the new marker for new products which helps you to get the big market share. Opportunities and threats are external factors. For example, an opportunity could be a developing distribution channel, marketing for the products such as the Internet, or changing consumer lifestyles that Will be easy to by the things online and that would be the extra sale of the company and potentially increase demand for a companys products. A threat could be a new competitor in an important existing market or a technological change that makes existing products potentially obsolete ANSOFF MATRIX: The output from the ANSOFF product/market MATRIX is a series of suggested growth marketing strategies that set the direction for the business strategy. From the ANSOFF matrix I am getting two growth strategies which will help us for our marketing analysis to do the marketing because we are not going to launch new products this analysis is the clear eye for the company where they have to go and what they have to do (tutor2u,2010 online) Market Penetration Market penetration is the name given to a growth strategy where the business focuses and going to more marketing on selling existing products into existing markets. Market penetration seeks to achieve four main objectives: Maintain or increase the market share of current products this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling Secure dominance of growth markets Restructure a mature market by driving out competitors; this would require a much more aggressive promotional campaign, supported by a pricing strategy designed to make the market unattractive for competitors Increase usage by existing customers for example by introducing loyalty schemes A market penetration marketing strategy is very much about business as usual. The business is focusing on markets and products it knows well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on customer needs. It is unlikely, therefore, that this strategy will require much investment in new market research. Market development Market development is the name given to a growth strategy where the business seeks to sell its existing products into new markets. There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: New geographical markets; for example exporting the product to a new country New product dimensions or packaging New distribution channels Different pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segments These are the tools to analysis the strategies before to get start the marketing, with out the strategies analysis it is like we are traveling on the road with closed eyes. After this checklist, you will find out the path which path you can adopt and where from you can get start. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Secondary data: The possibility of reanalyzing data that have already been collected for some other purpose it is called secondary data. Secondary data include both raw data and published summaries. Secondary data will probably provide the main source to answer your research question and to address your objectives. This data should be already analysis and recommended for the publish. So the secondary data will help to make your primary data to make your research meaningful and achieved. Primary data: Primary data is the data which is collected by the researcher directly from his own observations and experiences. For example, if the researcher conducts a survey for the collected of data then it is known as primary data. Primary data are those data which are collected for the first time, taking a sample, representing a population. It is not a published data, it is problem specific data collected by the researcher, first time. Methods or Ways of primary data collection: There are some methods to collect the primary data which is most important data in the research because the researcher only the one who is going to know what he/she will found against of their objectives. The primary data is just like new innovation or uncompelled information which should be helpful to meet your objectives. Now we are going to discuss the methods. Questionnaires Interviews Focus group interviews Observation Case-studies Diaries Critical incidents Portfolios. Questionnaires: Questionnaires are a popular means of collecting data, but are difficult to design and often require many rewrites before an acceptable questionnaire is produced. In the questionnaires method there are some more types of the questionnaire that would be helpful to understand the researchers objectives. Interviews: Interviewing is a technique that is primarily used to gain an understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations for peoples attitudes, preferences or behavior. Interviews can be undertaken on a personal one-to-one basis or in a group. They can be conducted at work, at home, in the street or in a shopping centre, or some other agreed location. (Sounders, 2010) This is the 2nd method to get the information and data from your interviewee and researcher can find the perfect and exact information about their research. There are different types of the interviews which can be conduct. Semi- Structured Interviews: In this type of the interview the researcher will have a list of themes and questions to be covers, although these may vary from interview to interview. The order of questions may also be varied depending on the flow of the conversation. On the other hand, additional questions may be required to explore your research question and objectives given the nature of events within particular organizations. The nature of the questions and the ensuring discussion mean that data will be recorded by note taking.(Sounders,2010) Unstructured or In-Depth Interviews: We can use these to explore in depth general areas in which I am interested. There is no predetermined list of questions to work through in this situation, although you need to have a clear idea about the aspect or aspect that you want to explore. The interviewee is given the opportunity to talk freely about events, behavior and beliefs in relation to the topic area. (Sounders, 2010) Focus group interviews: A focus group is an interview conducted by a trained moderator in a non-structured and natural manner with a small group of respondents. The moderator leads the discussion. The main purpose of focus groups is to gain insights by listening to a group of people from the appropriate target market talk about specific issues of interest. Observation: Observation is a somewhat neglected aspect of research. Observation is adding considerably to the richness of your research data. it can even be fun. If my research questions and objectives are concerned with what people do, an obvious way in which to discover this is to watch them do it. Types of Observation: Participant observation Structured observation Participant observation is qualitative and derives from the work of social anthropology early in the twentieth century. Its emphasis is on discovering the meaning that people attach to their action. This is where the researcher attempts to participate in the lives and activities of subjects and thus becomes a member of their group, organization or community. Structures observation is quantitative and is more concerned with the frequency of those actions. DATA ANALYSIS Analyzing qualitative data: Qualitative e data consist of words and observation, not numbers. As with all data, analysis and interpretation are required to bring order and understanding. This requires creativity, discipline and a systematic approach. These are no single or best way. The process will depend on: The questions you want to answer, The need of those who will use the information , and Your resources Narrative data: Test or narrative data come in many forms and from a variety of sources. You might have brief responses to open-ended question on a survey, the transcript from an interview, or the text of a published report. Your data may come from many people, a few individuals, or a single case. Any of the following may produce narrative data that require analysis Open-ended questions and written comments on questionnaires may generate single word Individual interviews can produce data in the form of notes. Discussion group or focus group interview often involve full transcripts and notes from observer. Observation might be recorded in your field notes as a result of watching and listening. Documents, reports and news articles or any published written material may serve as evaluation data. The analysis process: When we got the data what do i do? The steps are describing which will explain the narrative data analysis and interpretation. Get to know the data: The qualitative analysis, this mean i have to read and re-read the test. If i got any idea i have to write it down may be useful later. When we got the data it dose not mean those are the quality data. Sometimes information provides does not add meaning or value and may be collected in a biased way. Focus the analysis: Review the purpose of the evaluation and what you want to find out. Identify a few key questions that you want your analysis to answers. Write these down and these will help me decide how to begin. These questions may change as you work with the data, will help me get started Categorize information: Some people refer to categorizing information as coding the data or indexing the data. However, categorizing does not involve assigning numerical codes as you do in quantitative analysis where you label exclusive variables with preset codes or values. Identify patterns and connections within and between categories: As you organize the data into categorize either by any way we will begin to see patterns and connections both within and between the categories. Assessing the relative importance of different themes or highlighting subtle variations may be important to your analysis. Interpretation bringing it all together: Interpreting the data attaching meaning and significance to the analysis. A good place to start is to develop a list of key points or important finding you discovered as a result of categorizing and sorting your data. For the researcher this is the main caring point where they have to analyse the data what they collected because they are going to publish a report or making the dissertation they need the solid and realistic data from their primary and secondary data collection. Collecting the data and analyse for the right and authentic data. They have to go through the entire analysis step for their qualitative data. Analysing quantitative data Statistic analysis could be involved to analyse the quantitative data. There are some common mathematical techniques that can be make the evaluation data to more understandable, this called the descriptive statistic because they help to describe the raw data. And these methods includes. Numerical counting. Percentages. Measures of central tendency. Measures of variability. There are some steps which are using in analysis of quantitative data. State your research questions in a clear, precise way.   If your main question(s) imply other questions, state these as sub-questions. Determine what kinds of comparisons you need to make in order to answer your questions. What variables do you need to measure? Are you interested in differences between groups?   Correlations between variables?    This step will often help to clarify the research question! Decide how to assess each variable, and verify what kind of variable it is. This will help you decide what kind of comparisons you will want to make. Set up blank tables. Devise a research method and gather your data. Summarize your data in such a way that you can fill in the blanks in your tables. (Analyze your data.) Interpret your data:   What is the answer to each of your questions?   What kind of argument will you make? Make your argument. In my research there is not too much data which I have to analyze to quantitatively, because I am writing the report about the marketing strategies, I am not doing the financial analysis or making the report of the ASDA finance report. Where ever I need it I will be analyze it then I will use that. Research presentation Presenting the research: The last step in market research is the presentation of a formal plan. At this stage, the marketing researcher should summarize the plan in a written proposal to management. A written proposal is especially important when the research project will be large and complex or when an outside concerned concern it out. The proposal should cover the company problems addressed and the research objectives, the information to be obtained, the sources of secondary information or methods for collecting primary data, and the ways the results will help for company decision making for the implementation. A written research plan or proposal makes sure that the marketing manager and researchers have consider all the important aspect of the research and that they agree on why and how the research will be done. Recommendation: The best way to find out the ways or methods to collect the perfection in primary data. Because I am searching some thing better, perfect and solid for my research topic and the primary data is first time collected from the researcher. And I have to find out the best tools for the marketing which is affected for the company for best marketing. If we follow the all primary data collection method we can get the knowledgeable and soled data for our research. I describe the objectives of the ASDA stores which I have to search out will be credible for my research. And the analysis of the data is very important because we can get the data from every where and any kind of the data. But to get the realized and perfect we have to analysis first and apply all the methods. Conclusion: For my research I will be looking into the strategy that ASDA, one of Britains leading supermarkets has adopted. Writing clear objectives is the most important step in designing qualitative marketing research. I am very intrigued as to how customers are being drawn in to the Asda brand and why it has been known for some of the most memorable advertising campaigns. After carrying out this research I will have an extensive knowledge about marketing strategies, and how they work. I will be gathering together data (which need to be collected) and then I will analyze it. This will allow me to implement the data and answer my objectives.

Friday, October 25, 2019

An Argument Against Gun Control Essay -- Firearms Brady Bill

The Gun Control issue has sparked major controversy in America today. People who support gun control feel that guns are the reason for the soaring crime rate in our country. I disagree with the supporters of gun control. I feel that because of the black market, violent criminals being released from prison early, and the need to ensure personal safety, stricter gun control will have very little impact on violent crime in America. I believe that gun control works in theory, but not in real life. Sure, there are many violent crimes where guns are used, but most of these guns are obtained illegally, because the gun control laws enforced are not enough. With the growing gun-related crime rate in the United States today, many bills have been proposed to control guns. The most popular of these bans is The Brady Bill. The bill focuses on semi-automatic handguns. People wishing to buy a handgun will have to answer a federal questionnaire. The person’s background will be checked thoroughly for criminal records or records of past mental illness. The process should only take five days. This five day waiting period, or the â€Å"cooling off† period, is supposed to allow a person’s temper to cool down. The Brady Bill claims that people act on impulse. A person’s temper can interfere with his/her ability to think clearly; he/she is angry, so a gun is bought to get revenge. I have no problem with the Brady Bill, because it has stopped crime, but not enough. A bill was passed by former U.S. President George Bush which banned the production of nine types of assault weapons and the importation of forty-three types of assault weapons. Bush felt that assault weapons were responsible for majority of the violent crimes committed in the United States. Field & Stream writer, David E. Petzal agreed with Bush stating that, â€Å"Assault weapons are designed to put out a high volume of fire with a high degree of controllability. The only purpose these firearms have is to kill people† (27). Gun related crime is still very common. In the past, over 20,000 gun control bills have been passed through Congress, and crime is still running rampant through America’s streets. The National Firearms Act of 1934 was the first federal gun law to be passed. This act imposed a two hundred-dollar excise tax on the sale of fully automatic weapons. The Gun Control Act of 1968 made it a requirement for all... ... they are still getting them. As you can see, there is no way this controversy will be easily solved. There in no solution that will make both sides happy. Congress could pass gun control laws banning semi automatic handguns, and restricting other guns, but gun owners, including collectors would be unhappy. If Congress doesn’t pass gun control laws, the paranoid citizens of America would be unhappy. Taking the black market, self-defense, and collectors into consideration, the United States should not use gun control laws to try to reduce crime. Works Cited Bender, David L. Gun Control. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1992. Brister, Bob. â€Å"SHOT Therapy.† Field & Stream, May 1994, 82-84. Dolan, Edward F., Jr. Gun Control. New York: Franklin Watts, 1982. Hinds, Micheal deCourcy. â€Å"A Gun Dealer’s Story.† New York Times 6 June 1994: 13(A). Petzal, David E. â€Å"Reveille.† Field & Stream June 1994: 26-27 Simon, Jonathan. â€Å"The NRA Under Fire.† Public Citizen, July/August 1989: 9. Witken, Gordon. â€Å"A Suprising Ban on Assault Weapons.† U.S. News & World Report 16 May 1994: 31. Wright, James D. Taking Sides. Guilford Connecticut: The Dushkin Publishing

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Process in an Ideal Weight

The topic of weight is very prevalent among people in today's society. Everywhere we look we find people of all sorts of different weights and appearances. Tall, small, thin, wide, fat and skinny are just a variety of the words we use to describe people. Almost no one is completely happy with their weight. We are constantly looking for ways to better ourselves and improve our physical appearance. It is this paper's purpose to provide information in helping a person feel comfortable with their weight and aid in determining an ideal body weight for you. Topics also include: society's view on weight, the dangers of various weight-related disorders and diseases, and methods of achieving a recommended healthy weight. The goal is that once you have the proper information you will be able to achieve this ideal weight safely and on your own, giving you an ultimate sense of satisfaction. The question that is constantly being asked is just what is the ideal healthy weight? The ideal body weight is different for every individual as healthy ideal weight depends on a person's sex, race, and genetics. To quickly simplify and determine an individual's ideal weight we use a simple chart called the Body Mass Index or BMI for short. This chart determines how much a person should weigh. People can calculate their BMI by dividing their weight in pounds by their height in inches squared and multiplying the resulting number by 704. 5 (Woods 98). A person who weighs 164 pounds and is 68 inches would do the following calculation: 164/4624 x 704. 5 = 25 BMI. A BMI between 18. 5-24. 9 is normal and is called the safe zone (Woods 98). The people in this recommended safe zone are considered to be in the best health. A BMI less than 18. 5 usually means that a person is underweight (Woods 98). Studies indicate that the underweight have an increased risk of death compared to those of normal weight. A BMI of over 30 means obesity, and obese people take a lot of health risks (Woods 98). People with obesity have an increased risk of: high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, the most common form of diabetes, gallbladder disease, arthritis, respiratory problems, and certain types of cancer. As long as you fall into or close to the recommended safe zone you should feel comfortable and happy with your weight the way it is. This paper will now discuss the dangers that society's infatuation with weight can have on a person. It will also provide methods on how a person can change to find a comfortable and healthy weight. Eating disorders are a common and very realistic part of our society. They are seen as the most dangerous health related risks involving weight. Dieting, binge-eating and food obsessions are prevalent among all weight groups. Many people strive to be lighter than their natural weights and exercise excessively and eat sparingly to attain an often-unrealistic weight goal. Societal pressures share blame for producing eating disorders. Some victims of eating disorders feel that others are pressuring them to be thin, making them feel guilty about what they eat (Washington 99). They become isolated from family and friends and turn to food as a release and source of comfort (Washington 99). People with eating disorders excessively exercise and are known to induce vomiting after eating or drinking (Washington 99). Eating disorders target many people in society. The main target group is females, especially in the traditionally masculine cultures. Society places a great deal of emphasis on the physical appearance of a person's body and this alone is enough to drive someone into an eating disorder. An example is the supermodel with the skin and bones look whom you see on television. With this in mind many women might look at their weight and find themselves socially unacceptable. The result can be an eating disorder. Another target group is athletes. For example, in the sport of gymnastics there is pressure on the female athlete to maintain a low weight and petite slim figure. Since gymnastics is judged on how an athlete looks in competition many gymnasts develop an eating disorder as a result of the importance of body image to the sport. Another example of the occurrence of eating disorders is in boxing and wrestling. Sometimes there is pressure on the athlete to have a rapid weight loss in order to compete in a lower weight class where he or she might have a better chance of winning. There are two main eating disorders that effect many people in society. They are anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is a deliberate and obsessive starvation in the pursuit of thinness. It is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese, or the disturbance in the way one's bodyweight size and shape is perceived by another individual (Clark 96). Bulimia is described as recurrent episodes of binge eating and a lack of control over one's eating behaviour resulting in purging (Clark 96). Purging can be achieved by using laxatives and/or vomiting. Many of the symptoms of eating disorders are similar; however, each disorder is somewhat different. If someone is anorexic, symptoms might be: an extremely thin person, isolation, loneliness, obsessive preoccupation with food as regards: obtaining it, cooking, and eating, and compulsive exercise (Washington 99). If someone is bulimic, you might expect to see: the use of food as a comforter, laxative abuse, mood swings, constant concern about body image and weight, quick trips to the bathroom after meals, excessive exercise, some isolation, and low self-esteem (Washington 99). Both forms of eating disorders are dangerous to your health and can cause major problems, both now and in the future. Some immediate physical problems include constantly feeling cold, bloodshot eyes with dark circles, finger calluses, dizziness, weakness, moodiness, insomnia, swollen glands, sore throat, or dry skin (Washington 99). Some of the long-term effects include gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, malnutrition, heart attack, permanent damage to internal organs, kidney failure, and death (Washington 99). Family and friends of people affected should be aware of the symptoms and risks associated with disordered eating patterns. It is imperative to avoid becoming a victim to an eating disorder. You will only end up hurting yourself and loved ones around you. Now that the dangers of weight have been discussed an effective method of weight gain and loss will be presented. This information will help you reach a desired ideal weight so you can be happy and take pride in yourself. The topic of weight management is prevalent in today's society and is discussed from two different perspectives. People might think that they are too small or weak and in this case they will want to put on more weight. On the other hand, others might think that they are too big. In this case they will try to reduce their weight. Requirements of caloric intake differ for everyone. These requirements are determined by age, sex, weight and activity level. The simple definition of weight is the balance between caloric intake and caloric expenditure (Berning 96). Your body weight will change when there is a difference between calories taken in and calories burned up. Taking this into account, for the average person to lose weight the caloric intake must be less than caloric expenditure. Put simply, to lose weight you must eat less, exercise more, or a combination of both. For the average person to lose one pound they would have to run about 35 miles or eat 3,500 fewer calories (Berning 96). This is impossible to do in one day. To put this into perspective the following formula is given: 3,500 calories 7 days per week = 500 calories per day. It can than be said that eating 500 calories less per day will result in a weight loss of one pound per week. The same can be said by combining 250 calories less per day and burning 250 calories in exercise. Weight loss is most successful when diet and exercise are combined. The safe weight loss recommendation for the average person is no more than 1-2 pounds per week (Berning 96). By using this method of losing weight a person will decrease their chance of health problems and achieve their ideal weight. This method of weight loss will leave you with a sense of satisfaction and pride in reaching your ideal weight. The same basic theory applies for weight gain. In order to gain weight you need to consume more calories than you expend (Berning 96). Family history plays a major role in the development of a body. For example, people from thin families are less likely to transform their bodies into bulky muscular ones. A person can increase his chance of gaining weight with improved nutrition and appropriate weight training. Muscle is gained through intense training and the consumption of additional calories. For each pound gained as muscle you would need to consume 500-1000 additional calories each day (Berning 96). The key to weight gain is consistency and with a little hard work the average person should be able to get to his/her desired ideal weight. By combining a high calorie diet and a rigid exercise program you will find that your body will produce weight in the form of muscle, making you healthy and giving you your desired physical body image. We all must act together and make it our priority to help change society's perception of body images. This can protect everyone by making others feel comfortable with their weight and prevent them from developing eating disorders. Education is essential. By studying our ideal weight in the BMI chart and keeping an eye on the amount of calories in our diet we can stay healthy and feel good about ourselves. This process is aided through complete reinforcement and support from our family and friends. It doesn't stop there as we all must refrain from prejudicial treatment of fat or thin people and see beyond their weight. It is only then that we can feel comfortable with our weight and develop satisfaction in knowing that we have obtained an ideal healthy lifestyle for ourselves.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Violence in TV and society

How the nature and frequency of violence in television programs and movies effects socializing and being socialized. â€Å"Sociology offers a perspective, a view of the world. The sociological perspective opens a window onto unfamiliar worlds†and offers a fresh look at familiar ones (Henslin3). † With socialization being such a huge part of our daily lives, it is important that we get the right socialization. Today much of our youth's socialization skills are being obtained from mass media sources, and in particular social networking and television.A single glance at a children's television show gives you only a slight limpse of the violence portrayed in todays children TV shows. As Americans we are exposed to violence on a daily basis. Just turning on the TV we are bombarded with news of violent acts, and violent TV shows or movies. This has changed violence into a symbol of despair, and a solution to most situations. Thus changing our perspective of symbolic interactio nism, and its relationship to becoming socialized negatively. The symbolism of violence has been altered, desensitizing us to violent acts.Dave Grossman argues that this is something that has long been used in the ilitary to train soldiers to perform their duty, however these same techniques have been used unintentionally on the general population which more drastic effects. Because this desensitization is taking place during childhood rather then in late teens and early twenties, the social constraints that are normally emplace to prevent people from acting out such as norms and sanctions have not been instilled the same way they would be in a 18 or 19 year old. The results have been a drastic increase in violence.Television is by far the medium of mass media socialization. Children watch an average of 3 to 4 hours of television a day (AACAP). It has a huge effect on young children. Children are watching people interact, but are not actually interacting. Time that should be spent o utside interacting with other children has been replaced with televisions, which dramatically reduces children's social sills. Television satisfies social needs to some extent but does not give real life social skills that can be used. Along with decreased social skills, children are becoming socialized the wrong way.The majority of children perceive things on television as real. â€Å"When young children see somebody shot, stabbed, raped, brutalized, degraded, r murdered on TV, to them it is as though it were actually happening. To have a child of three, four, or five watch a â€Å"splatter† movie, learning to relate to a character for the first 90 minutes and then in the last 30 minutes watch helplessly as that new friend is hunted and brutally murdered is the moral and psychological equivalent of introducing your child to a friend, letting her play with that friend, and then butchering that friend in front of your child's eyes.And this happens to our children hundreds upo n hundreds of times. † (Grossman) Is this the way we really want our kids to become socialized? To answer this question we must dig deeper, and discover what it really means to become socialized. As stated by our book, â€Å"Socialization makes us human† When we are born, we do not know what it means to be human. We do not nave any ideas. We do not know now to speak, or now to act . We must learn now to do all these things, and only then, do we develop a self.With socialization being such a huge part of becoming† human† it is essential to get the right kind of socialization, which includes Symbolic interactionism. (Henslin) The symbolic interactionism perspective of sociology views society as a product of everyday social nteractions of individuals. Symbolic interactionists also study how people use symbols to create meaning. In studying violence, these theorists look at how people in everyday situations define violence, which differs between cultures and set tings. (Spark notes) In the US particularly violence has become part of the norm.Most children start out watching kid friendly and educational programs, and around the ages of three or four start watching shows like Tom and Jerry and Loony toons. Although these shows are somewhat kid friendly they still portray violence as acceptable. Violence is portrayed to be comedic. Thus desensitizing kids to violence in an indirect way. As children grow older, parental controls grow loser, allowing children to watch more violent, and adult rated TV shows, and movies. The exposure to violence at such a young age alters values, and norms.Children begin to perceive violence as normal, and as a solution to everything. Children's shows like Ben10, Looney Toons, and Power rangers portray † the good guys† trying to save the word, by taking drastic and most likely violent measures. The â€Å"cool† factor of these shows is actually kids becoming more and more desensitized to violence . Although these shows have not been proven to turn a normal child into a deviant. â€Å"Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may become â€Å"immune† or numb to the horror of violence.They may gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems, or imitate the violence they observe on television; and identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers (Grossman). † Keeping in mind that Socialization is the core of our existence and ability to interact with others, we can gather that excessive violence on TV shows, has huge negative impact on children's socialization skills, and most importantly that it affects the symbolic interactionism that takes place in all stages of socialization.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch - Book Review

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch - Book Review Summary of Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, a Valentines Day picture book by Eileen Spinelli, wonderfully illustrates the power of love and friendship. It would make an excellent gift for a young child. The illustrations are by Paul Yalowitz whose whimsical, textured artwork adds greatly to the story of a lonely man whose life is changed by an anonymous gift, a change in attitude and the kindness of others. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is a book I recommend for parents to read aloud and talk about with their kids, ages 4-8. Mr. Hatch and His Lonely Life The main character in the picture book is a very lonely man, Mr. Hatch. The story begins with a description of Mr. Hatchs lonely daily life. He lives alone, barely knows or talks to anyone, works all day in a shoelace factory, buys a fresh turkey wing for supper each day, eats, takes a shower, and goes to bed. In his neighborhood and at work people say the same thing about Mr. Hatch, He keeps to himself. Mr. Hatchs loneliness is illustrated with drab colors and by the way in which the artist depicts him: shoulders slumped, head down, manner subdued. A Big Change for Mr. Hatch All of this changes when the postman brings Mr. Hatch a huge, heart-shaped box of chocolates along with a card that says somebody loves you. Mr. Hatch is so happy he does a little dance. Because he thinks he might meet his secret admirer, Mr. Hatch puts on a colorful tie and some old aftershave. He takes the box of chocolates to work to share. He even talks to Mr. Smith at his newspaper stand, notices he looks sick and offers to watch the newsstand while Mr. Smith goes to the doctors office. Mr. Hatch continues to talk to others, to help those in need, and to share with his neighbors. In fact, Mr. Hatch bakes brownies and holds an impromptu picnic for his neighbors at which he plays his old harmonica for them. His neighbors enjoy being with Mr. Hatch and like him very much. The more Mr. Hatch is friendly and kind to his neighbors, the more they reciprocate. When the postman tells Mr. Hatch that the candy had been delivered to his house by mistake and that he doesnt have a secret admirer, Mr. Hatch becomes withdrawn again. The postman tells the neighbors what has happened. The neighbors get together and throw a big surprise party for Mr. Hatch, complete with candy, a new harmonica, and a big sign that said, Everybody loves Mr. Hatch. My Recommendation This is a charming book with a powerful message. The importance of love and kindness comes through loud and clear. Even very young children will understand how good it is to feel loved and how important it is to help others feel loved. While this is an excellent Valentines Day book, the story is one that children will enjoy year-round.(Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1996, Paperback. ISBN: 9780689718724) Other Good Books for Valentines Day One of the childrens books I particularly recommend is the special pop-up gift edition of Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, with Anita Jerams delightful illustrations and Corina Fletchers well-designed paper engineering. Youll find more books on my annotated list of the Top Childrens Books for Valentines Day, which includes picture books, such as, Queen of Hearts Love, Splat and t, plus the beginning readers Too Many Valentines and Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Dsylexia essays

Dsylexia essays James Russell Lowell stated, Education is an ornament in prosperity, and a refuge in adversity. (Hurtford, 55)Lowell indicates that education is where there is success, and a safe haven where this is hardship. Educators once thought that dyslexic children could not succeed or have an education that would lead them to prosperity. The educators began to seek ways to help the situation. Now-a-day, teaching methods and appliances have dramatically improved life for dyslexic children. Over time there have been many different types of meanings for dyslexia. Dr. Samuel Torrey Orton defined dyslexia as a cross lateralization of the brain. (Davis 8) This meant that the left side of the brain was doing what the right side of the brain was supposed to do, and the right side doing the job of the left side. Today this is not the proper definition of dyslexia. Researchers have concluded that dyslexia is a lack of coordination between sight and sound. It is a generalized disturbance of language function that interferes with the acquisition of reading skills. (Baumer 35) Dyslexic children take in information at a slower pace because they have difficulties processing the information. This well known disability takes place in the angular gyrus (AG), located towards the back of the brain. The AG translates words and letters encountered in day-to-day life into language. Recent studies in reading and language have shown that dyslexic children have less activity in the AG than those without the disability. Researchers suspect that this part of the brain does not function correctly in dyslexic children. (Dyslexia the Gift) Dyslexic children suffer most in their school environment. Many of these young disabled children loathe going to school because of the difficulty it takes for them to learn, and the disrespect other children show them. Being aware of their disability, they tend to seclude themselves and not as...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Brief History Of E Commerce Information Technology Essay

A Brief History Of E Commerce Information Technology Essay Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is the term used for any type of business or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of products, services and information over electronic systems such as the internet and other computer networks. The trader and customer are not face to face at any point during these transactions, the business being conducted remotely, regardless of location. E-commerce covers a range of different types of businesses, from consumer based retail sites, through auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web. Although most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in one way or another, a large percentage of e-commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items, such as access to certain information on a website, purchasin g software or other on-line services. E-business is a superset of e-commerce   [ 1 ]   . Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions. E-commerce can be mainly divided into Business-to-Business electronic commerce (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer electronic commerce (B2C). B2B implies that both sellers (suppliers) and buyers are business corporations, while B2C implies that buyers are individual consumers. Business-to-business e-commerce is significantly different from business-to-consumer e-commerce. While B2C merchants sell on a first-come, first-served basis, most B2B commerce is done through negotiated contracts that allow the seller to anticipate and plan for how much the buyer will purchase. In some cases B2B is not so much a matter of generating revenue as it is a matter of making connections with business partners. 1.1.1 . B2B e-commerce B2B e-commerce requires the technological sharing of information among supplies, retailers, distributors, and other interested parties to create electronic relationships. B2B e-commerce does not just comprise the transaction via the Internet, but also the exchange of information before and the service after a transaction. From the purchasing company’s point of view, B2B e-commerce is a medium for facilitating procurement management by reducing the purchase price and the cycle time.   [ 2 ]    The key players usually include selling and buying companies, deliverers, and often some type of electronic intermediaries, or third-party service providers. These associations can take many forms, yet most fall into three models. These models are classified depending on who controls the marketplace: the supplier, the buyer or the intermediary: (a) In a Supplier-Oriented Marketplace: many buyers face few suppliers. (b) In a Buyer-Orientated Marketplace: few buyers fa ce many suppliers. (c) In an Intermediary-Oriented Marketplace: many buyers face many suppliers. A) Supplier-Oriented Marketplace Supplier-Oriented Marketplaces offer a group of customers a wide spectrum of products and services and also support them in their own business. The markets can involve proprietary auctions, bid systems, and exchanges. By using Supplier-Oriented Marketplaces, suppliers are offered new types of market channels in marketing and distribution. Products can be sold directly to the customer without using intermediaries. Most manufacture-driven electronic stores use this form of market place. Successful examples of this business model are e.g. Dell and Cisco.   [ 3 ]   Both Dell and Cisco sold and sell their products via the Internet. However, not only Dell and Cisco use the Supplier-Oriented Marketplace, there are thousands of other companies using this model. Cisco’s main business is providing electronic support using the Internet. The main applicati ons are software downloads, defect tracking and technical advice. Cisco’s business model also includes customer service and finding order status, as well as selling routers, switches and other network interconnect devices.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Researching Academic and Examination Stress in Secondary School Essay

Researching Academic and Examination Stress in Secondary School Students - Essay Example Literature Review Across the globe, it has been noted that American students are among the most tested, taking over hundred million standardized tests year in year out (Mayer 2008, p.21). Presently, test score are more significant for secondary students since they have the perception that their future is significantly dependent on performing well on high-stakes standardised tests such as tests for admission in colleges the likes of ACT or SAT, state sponsored proficiency tests and advanced placement exams. Although testing is undeniably an expedient tool for making decisions as regards to stimulating a student from one grade to the other, teacher accountability and college admissions, it over and over again puts tremendous pressure on high school students. According to various research studies, it has been evidenced that examinations (testing) has the potential of producing anxiety among high school students. Moreover, these studies have linked testing with doing a great deal in lowe ring students’ self-esteem as well as increasing their fear of failure (Hardy 2003, p.1). Over the past few years, the number of students enrolling for advanced placement course has been on the increase, with students being subjected to high-stakes tests on completing the course. A great percentage of these students feel pressured by their teachers, parents as well as the learning institutions to such higher level advanced placement courses since they are in possession of their college applications (Rothman 1995, p.15). Additionally, students in some cases tae many advanced placement courses so as to assist them feel better about themselves following their enrolment to... This esaay stresses that American students are among the most tested, taking over hundred million standardized tests year in year out. Presently, test score are more significant for secondary students since they have the perception that their future is significantly dependent on performing well on high-stakes standardised tests such as tests for admission in colleges the likes of ACT or SAT, state sponsored proficiency tests and advanced placement exams. Although testing is undeniably an expedient tool for making decisions as regards to stimulating a student from one grade to the other, teacher accountability and college admissions, it over and over again puts tremendous pressure on high school students. This discussion declares that the phrase high-stakes tests used in earlier paragraphs has to been used in the definition of tests which have consequences to students, schools, teachers and even school systems. For instance, students may be deprived of enrolment in certain courses in the event that their scores miss the mark of meeting established gates. Additionally, these students may end up being retained at a grade level until that time they will meet a certain score. In some cases, they may also be prevented from graduating. High school junior and/or senior students ordinarily have a feeling that they ought to meet demanding college admission test score requirements for them to be accepted in majority of the colleges. As thus, attaching the aforementioned high-stakes scores more often than not intensifies the anxiety associated with standardized tests.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 11

Essay Example Not especially the nature of brands and how consumers perceive them. With the combined efforts of the academe and the corporate world, the art of creating Brand Equity has been greatly helped, almost to the point of evolving a specific science for marketing success, or so it seems. This report will attempt to summarize the points articulated on the Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller’s definitive reference text â€Å"Marketing Management (13th edition)†, specifically on the chapter of Building Strong Brands. This discourse will venture into the basic elements of a brand from the perspective of the brand â€Å"owner or author†; the nature of the benefits which brands are supposed to provide; observations on how marketing outcomes are determined by the consumers perception of the brand (brand equity) and how they are arrived at; how a brand’s value can be assessed and quantified; an analysis of branding strategies through the cases provided in the text, and the role of different brands in an established brand â€Å"architecture† (brand portfolio) and how consumer responses can be similarly assessed so as to provide a measure of confidence that a brand can expect from its prospective patrons (consumer equity). We can do well to use the American Marketing Association’s definition of a brand as a jumping board for analyzing the concept of Brand Equity. AMA stipulates that brands consists of a â€Å"name, term, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.† (Kotler and Keller 276) Further, this system for identifying products (or services for that matter) maybe designed so as to represent a tangible, functional or rational attribute relating to a product’s performance or any intangible associations such as those that are implied symbolically

Teambuilding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Teambuilding - Essay Example Laroche (2001) said "... the dynamics of multicultural teams are fairly dissimilar and often considerably more complex than the dynamics of ethnically all the same teams, because team members may have rather dissimilar concepts of teamwork." (p. 22) Good infrastructure is key to the achievement of any team; "... sharp and spirited populace can from time to time lack basic message skills and (be) unable to work together in a co-operative way." (LeGales, 2003, p. 11) The dynamics of a team more often than not affect its interior goals, but can power how the team is apparent by others. (Isgar, Ranney, & Grinnel, 1994, p. 45). These mechanisms are the primary conversation of this document. There are a lot of definitions of variety, in general variety refers to the ways so as to populace in differ. Diversity in teams is additional challenging than the easy meaning since people in teams comprise different civilization, experience, values and thoughts styles. These differences are an benefit to a team since they bring miscellaneous perspectives that augment the quantity of skill and information to the team. The variety of this dissimilarity in addition may aid in the declaration of disagreement. Disadvantages of assortment in the workplace exist for more than a few causes. One reason is the educational dissimilarity that is concerned when you have a miscellaneous team. Another cause is the lack of message and contribution that exists when teams are varied. Cultural Difference Cultural dissimilarity can cause great work environments. Ones racial backdrop can have a fence on the way an person works and, the way they labor with others. Some culture consider that separation is the merely way to work. Ones culture can in a number of instances are of the same viewpoint and offer a improved opinion than a varied group of persons in the same state of affairs. Some cultures find that their own work principles are far from that of additional culture. The principles that have been instilled in various cultures can be dissimilar from miscellaneous civilization. Lack of Knowledge The lacks of information to converse with other cultures hold back the aptitude of a miscellaneous group. Poor group meeting that do not recognize others efforts, commentary, and inputs often consequence in lack of promise to a team project. Communication guides to be short of of incentive on a team scheme and bad results of output. People that are not capable to converse with others frequently lack the aptitude to enhance a teams scheme. Citizens are less dedicated to a team task when they have the lack of incentive and output. Often populace feels that time and contribution in to a scheme is worthless when it bears no quality in manufacture. Leadership Dynamics How assortment affects the dynamics of teams can be a multifaceted query. To date, investigate suggests that miscellaneous groups be inclined to be more original and carry out better on difficulty solving tasks than all the same groups, but they also come into sight to have lower heights of social addition and higher income than all the similar groups. (Elasass & Graves) 1994; Sessa, Jackson & Rapini, in press) Communication Communication is a extremely significant part of a team. Effective message

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example Leadership Development Challenges – an Analysis Among many challenges that HR faces, leadership development is one of the most crucial for developing organization’s capability to accomplish leadership tasks at different levels and meet company objectives. It will be most appropriate, at this juncture, to quote Peter Drucker before describing how HRM can play a pivotal role in solving the leadership development issue. â€Å"It (leadership) is not ‘making friends and influencing people’ – that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations" (Drucker, 1986 p.159). Drucker has succinctly described leadership requirements in the above sentences; however, it is crucial to explore why leadership development has become so important in the current times. In wake of globalization, the business environmen t has changed drastically. In the last decade or so, changes have happened so rapidly that future has become unpredictable. Challenges are so complicated that there are no straight solutions to the problems involved. The world has become increasingly seamless and resources move quickly across the globe. Even small changes lead to large effects in any organization. Solutions need to emerge from within as they cannot come from outside. That is where leadership development challenges of HRM are significant in the years to come.

Pardoning Death Row Prisoners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pardoning Death Row Prisoners - Essay Example She corroborated her claim by not only leading an exemplary life during her time in the prison, but also managed to garner much social and institutional support in favor of her pardon. The second example is of a gangster Stanley Williams who murdered 4 people in cold blood and received a death sentence. In the following years, Stanley not only became a peace activist and a prolific writer, but also claimed that the prison life had made him a good person. Again, Stanley managed to attract the sympathy and support of many prominent citizens and organizations. Yet, both Karla and Stanley were executed, irrespective of their proclaimed rehabilitation on death row. Law serves many purposes in the modern societies. In case of a heinous crime like homicide, the purpose of the law is not only to give justice to the murdered individuals and their family members and associates, but also to set an example before the society, so that people may desist from committing such crimes in the future (Bedau 52). If the state starts pardoning or commuting the death sentences of the criminals who claim to have changed or have become peaceful individuals owing to religious or other benign reasons, this will provide a loophole to most of the death row prisoners to claim pardon by citing similar excuses. ... Such instances will not only set a dangerous precedent, but will amount to reducing the law to a joke. The transformation or improvement of a murderer does not relieve one of the debt one owes to the victims in particular and the society in general. Second Possible Position It is a known fact that in most of the modern societies, their always exists a gap of a couple of years, before the passing of a death sentence to a person guilty of murder and the actual execution. The primary purpose of the law is to make society a safe place to live. Hence, it is perfectly justified to protect society from a dangerous murderer or a habitual criminal by sentencing one to death. Considering the prolonged gaps between the passing of the sentence and the execution, it is quiet possible that a murderer may become a better person owing to introspection and the salubrious influences that one may come across in the prison (Tabak 181). If this fact is further corroborated by a prisoner's good behavior on death row over a prolonged period and is recognized and supported by prominent citizens and organizations, the state can certainly pardon or commute the death sentence of such a prisoner. Once a prisoner has credibly become a peaceful citizen and has managed to attract th e support of the society, executing one simply serves no purpose, but amounts to unnecessary and legal violence (Baird 46). More Agreeable Position In the context of the case presentation under consideration, the first position stands to be more valid and agreeable. The first position takes a more broad based and pragmatic view of the institution of law. The perspective adopted by the first position

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Indicators of health paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Indicators of health paper - Coursework Example An analysis of certain indicators of health and evaluation of the determinants of health is done in this essay to ascertain the cause of poor health in the country. Indicators of health The indicators of health which can be compared and evaluated are death rate, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate. According to statistics of Haiti, in the year 2009, the death rate is 8.65 per 1000, infant mortality rate is 59.69 per 1000 live births and maternal mortality ratio, as determined in the year 2005 is 670 per 100,000 deliveries (Global Health Facts, 2010). In the United States, according to the 2009 statistics, the death rate is 8.38, the infant mortality rate is 6.25 per 1000 live births and the maternal mortality rate according to 2005 statistics was 11, per 100,000 deliveries (Global Health Facts, 2010). On comparing all the 3 indicators, it is evident that despite similar death rates in both the countries, the infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate are very hig h in Haiti when compared to the US. Determinants of health Key determinants of health in Haiti are poverty, illiteracy, environmental factors like calamities and political factors like violence. During its creation, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Critics argued the completeness of this definition and in 1986, in the Ottawa Charter for health Promotion, the WHO modified the definition of health and defined it as "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." Even this definition has not been accepted completely and thus several models of health have come up in an aim to provide complete definition of health. Health is determined by an interplay of several factors which are known as health determinants. The main determinants o f health are social factors, environmental factors, physical environment and; various behaviors and characteristics of the individual. While some of these determinants are in the control of the individual, many factors are beyond the scope of direct control of the individual. These factors contribute to health inequalities in a society. Some such factors include social status and income, education status, physical environment of the individual at home and work place, "social support networks", individual genetics, accessibility to various health services and gender (WHO, 2010). Higher the income, higher is the health status of an individual. Thus, poverty is a major contributor for health inequality. Individuals with lower education levels have poorer health status, lower levels of self esteem and decreased self confidence when compared to those with higher education status. Physical environment constitutes of clean and safe air, water, environment and food at home and workplace. Th ose who have better support form friends, family member and various community groups enjoy better health than those who do not have established social networks. Genetics often influences health -related behaviours like smoking, alcohol, coping skills and balanced intake of food and thus indirectly influences health of an individual (WHO, 2010). Public health researchers have identified social determinants as the main cause for health inequa

Pardoning Death Row Prisoners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pardoning Death Row Prisoners - Essay Example She corroborated her claim by not only leading an exemplary life during her time in the prison, but also managed to garner much social and institutional support in favor of her pardon. The second example is of a gangster Stanley Williams who murdered 4 people in cold blood and received a death sentence. In the following years, Stanley not only became a peace activist and a prolific writer, but also claimed that the prison life had made him a good person. Again, Stanley managed to attract the sympathy and support of many prominent citizens and organizations. Yet, both Karla and Stanley were executed, irrespective of their proclaimed rehabilitation on death row. Law serves many purposes in the modern societies. In case of a heinous crime like homicide, the purpose of the law is not only to give justice to the murdered individuals and their family members and associates, but also to set an example before the society, so that people may desist from committing such crimes in the future (Bedau 52). If the state starts pardoning or commuting the death sentences of the criminals who claim to have changed or have become peaceful individuals owing to religious or other benign reasons, this will provide a loophole to most of the death row prisoners to claim pardon by citing similar excuses. ... Such instances will not only set a dangerous precedent, but will amount to reducing the law to a joke. The transformation or improvement of a murderer does not relieve one of the debt one owes to the victims in particular and the society in general. Second Possible Position It is a known fact that in most of the modern societies, their always exists a gap of a couple of years, before the passing of a death sentence to a person guilty of murder and the actual execution. The primary purpose of the law is to make society a safe place to live. Hence, it is perfectly justified to protect society from a dangerous murderer or a habitual criminal by sentencing one to death. Considering the prolonged gaps between the passing of the sentence and the execution, it is quiet possible that a murderer may become a better person owing to introspection and the salubrious influences that one may come across in the prison (Tabak 181). If this fact is further corroborated by a prisoner's good behavior on death row over a prolonged period and is recognized and supported by prominent citizens and organizations, the state can certainly pardon or commute the death sentence of such a prisoner. Once a prisoner has credibly become a peaceful citizen and has managed to attract th e support of the society, executing one simply serves no purpose, but amounts to unnecessary and legal violence (Baird 46). More Agreeable Position In the context of the case presentation under consideration, the first position stands to be more valid and agreeable. The first position takes a more broad based and pragmatic view of the institution of law. The perspective adopted by the first position

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

A Research Proposal on the Role of the Chief Executive Officer Essay Example for Free

A Research Proposal on the Role of the Chief Executive Officer Essay Questions One of the major problems in business is the notion of whether companies should be concerned with other issues than profitability. Adam Smith in 1863 claimed that the process of achieving the overall good for the society is something that will happen inevitably happen because of his idea of the invisible hand of the market. However, more contemporary ideas assert otherwise as they believed that there are a number of conditions that would hinder the invisible hand to work effectively (Mohr and Webb, 2002). The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is deeply rooted on the commitment of organizations to continue their business in an ethical manner. It is in this respect that organizations are said to necessarily contribute to the overall economic development of ones country while at the same time improving the quality of life of not only its employees and its families but also the society where it belonged (Watts and Holme, 1999). One of the central concerns with regard to the necessity of the implementation of CSR by a particular organization is the impact of a particular company’s decisions and actions within the society together with their responsibility in the aforementioned. As such this means that when aligning certain organizational goals or projects, it would be better if organizations will evaluate first their actions and make sure that they are in accordance to the welfare of the greater good (Parsons, 1954). As such, the impact of an organizations decision within the society is very vital in CSR. It should be emphasized as well that an organizations duty should span more than the economic and legal aspects but also assume the good of the majority. Archie Carroll said that an organizations social responsibility is something that includes the interplay of four important factors. These are economic performance, adherence with the law, ethical responsibility, good corporate citizenship, and improving the societys quality of life (Carrol and Buchholtz, 2003). However despite companies claim for CSR implementation, a significant number of evidence tells that every year, there are numerous companies that are charged for violating environmental laws (Kassinis and Panayiotou, 2006, p. 68). Problems The success of a company’s CSR and the its effect on the company’s image has been viewed by a number of studies to be directly correlated on the role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (PR News, 2007). It has been said by Kassinis and Panayiotou (2006) that the role of the CEO is very vital since they are the ones who are primarily responsible for the boards decision-management functions and the even the extent of corporate wrongdoing. The interpretation of the CEO in terms of various environmental issues that could have affect their firms and its choice of environmental strategies have also a significant implication on the overall image and performance of a particular company. Studies such as those conducted by PR News Wire in 2008 claimed that to belong to Fortune’s Worlds Most Admired Companies, the CEOs role together with his or her capacity to create a strategy or hire specific experts who can effectively handle CSR concerns, such as hiring a competitive Chief Communications Officer (CCO,) is very vital. Companies which belong to Fortunes annual awards are often evaluated based on their reputation. According to PR News in 2007, it is often the case that CEOs are the ones who are held accountable in terms of the failure to protect the company image in whenever a crisis arises. The study of PR News revealed that in out of 950 global business executives in 11 countries, 68% of the results attributed unethical behavior to the CEO, and 60% cited environmental violations and product recalls to the CEO as well. The influence of the perceptions of various stakeholders, regulators, communities and employees has been viewed by Kassinis and Panayiotou (2006) as critical to the welfare of the firm as they are centrally involved in enforcing the laws and other policies that companies must adhere to. Figure 1: Relationship Between CSR and Stakeholders Source: Tokoro (2007) The figure above shows the direct relationship of stakeholders to CSR in terms of the restrictions that they impose, the resource deals that they pass and the overall value creation of the organization. Gap in Research Even if the claim on the role of CEOs in terms of dealing with issues of CSR and company reputation, other studies suggests that CSR strategies and policies are instead delegated to the shareholders (Kassinis and Panayiotou, 2006, p. 67). It is often the case that the demands of the shareholders are oftentimes in conflict with the interest of customers, suppliers, governments, unions, competitors, local communities, and the general public (Sims, 2003, p. 40). The table below shows an overview of perceptions of Table 1: Stakeholders View of Corporate Responsibility Stakeholders Nature of Stakeholder Claim Shareholders Participation in distribution of profits, additional stock offerings, assets on liquidation; vote of stock; inspection of company books; transfer of stock; election of board of directors; and such additional rights as have been established in the contract with the corporation. Employees Economic, social, and psychological satisfaction in the place of employment. Freedom from arbitrary and capricious behavior on the part of company officials. Share in fringe benefits, freedom to join union and participate in collective bargaining, individual freedom in offering up their services through an employment contract. Adequate working conditions. Customers Service provided with the product; technical data to use the product; suitable warranties; spare parts to support the product during use; RD leading to product improvement; facilitation of credit. Creditors Legal proportion of interest payments due and return of principal from the investment. Security of pledged assets; relative priority in event of liquidation. Management and owner prerogatives if certain conditions exist with the company (such as default of interest payments). Suppliers Continuing source of business; timely consummation of trade credit obligations; professional relationship in contracting for, purchasing, and receiving goods and services. Unions Recognition as the negotiating agent for employees. Opportunity to perpetuate the union as a participant in the business organization. Competitors Observation of the norms of competitive conduct established by society and the industry. Business statesmanship on the part of peers. Governments Taxes (income, property, and so on); adherence to the letter and intent of public policy dealing with the requirements of fair and free competition; discharge of legal obligations of businesspeople (and business organizations); adherence to antitrust laws. Local communities Place of productive and healthful environment in the community. Participation of company officials in community affairs, provision of regular employment, fair play, reasonable portion of purchases made in the local community, interest in and support of local government, support of cultural and charitable projects. The general public Participation in and contribution to society as a whole; creative communications between governmental and business units designed for reciprocal understanding; assumption of fair proportion of the burden of government and society. Fair price for products and advancement of the state-of-the-art technology that the product line involves. Source: Sims, 2003, p. 41 For instance, consumers expect that the company should be able to carry out their business in a responsible manner; on the other hand, stakeholders expect that their investments would be returned. In other instances, customers are looking forward a return on what they paid for, while suppliers look for dependable buyers. The government wanted companies to follow legislations, while unions seek benefits for their members. The competitors, expected companies to do their business in a fair manner and local communities wanted the aforementioned to be responsible citizens. Finally, the general public expects organizations to improve the over all quality of human life, while shareholders might view this proposition as utopian (Sims, 2003). The figure below shows the dynamics of stakeholder interactions. Figure 2: Value Creation Through Dialogue with Stakeholders Source: Tokoro (2007) As such, it is in this respect that it could be said that CEOs and a particular company’s responsiveness to the demands of CSR and eventually creating a strong image is something could not be the sole determining factor for a successful CSR. Instead, the question of whether CEOs are only implementing the demands of the company’s stakeholders, or the CEOs only attending to consumer, suppliers, government, community and general public demand should also be taken into close consideration. Deficiency As most researches often attribute the success or failure of a CSR strategy to the CEO, the role and influence of other stakeholders in the organization are not often viewed as significant variables worthy of consideration. Only most recent researches are significantly attributing stakeholder roles in terms of its relationship to CSR. Albeit, based from the researcher’s survey of various secondary data, there are hardly any robust literatures stating the influence of stakeholders to the CEO and eventually the latter’s decision on how to implement its CSR program. Purpose The study is vital in order to not only contribute to the existing studies on the role of CEOs and a successful CSR program; but also to further strengthen the claim on the relationship of CSR and a favorable company image. More importantly, subtle factors that might have influenced CEO decisions, strategies and policies such as those coming from company stakeholders will be taken into close consideration and in addition, will be taken as important variables for the research. Although studies on the direct relationship of company stakeholders and CSR and presented by various researches, the role of the stakeholders in terms of influencing the CEO in its CSR decisions are seldom taken into consideration. As such it is with this respect that the research seeks to significantly contribute to the scholarly studies devoted in order to analyze such dynamics. Research Questions Main Question For the purpose of this research, the study wanted to know: What is the role of the CEO in terms of promoting the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs of their organization and its relation to building a favorable image? Subquestions Specifically, the research wanted to know: 1. What is the relationship between a successful CSR program and the role of the CEO? 2. What is the relationship between a successful CSR program and a favorable brand image? 3. What is the role of the following in terms of influencing the CSR strategies of a particular organization: a. Shareholders b. Consumers c. Suppliers d. General Public 4. How did company shareholders, consumers, suppliers and the general public influence the strategy of the CEO in terms of implementing its CSR program? Methodology Research Tradition For the purpose of this research, the study will be employing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Â  It is often the case that quantitative research employs the method that is based on testing of theories. It uses measurement of numbers, and statistical analysis to perform its studies. The idea behind quantitative research is often to ascertain that a generalized theory or the prediction of a theory will be confirmed by the use of numbers. The aforementioned normally starts with a research question or a hypothesis in addition to other theories that are needed to be tested. The approach of quantitative research includes the use of formal and generally recognized instruments (O’brien 1998). In addition to this, the quantitative tradition of research focuses on conducting experiments with an underlying expectation that a consensus would be arrived at. This method usually aims to arrive at a predictable generalization, and a causal explanation. Quantitative research can create a controlled environment in order to attain inductive analysis. The goal of this research tradition is to establish a consensus by reducing data to numerical indications, hence finally identifying if certain generalizations are valid or invalid (O’brien 1998). In this research method it is very relevant that the researcher must maintain its independence from the research object; and consequently, the research outcome is expected to be not value affected (O’brien 1998). The quantitative methodology also tests cause and effect by using deductive logic. When done correctly a quantitative research should be able to predict, and explain the theory in question (O’brien 1998). On the other hand, the Qualitative research focuses primarily on words rather than numbers. The main research instrument for such a type of tradition is the process of involvement of the researcher to the people whom he or she studies (Dyamon and Holloway, 2002). In relation with this, the viewpoints of the participants are also taken into much account. The Qualitative research tradition focuses on small-scale studies wherein deep explorations are being conducted in order to provide a detailed and holistic description and explanation of a specific subject matter. Rather than focusing on a single or two isolated variables, the aforementioned takes into account interconnected activities, experiences, beliefs and values of people, hence adopting a multiple dimension for study. This tradition of research is also flexible in a sense that certain factors are being explored due to not necessarily adhering to a strict method of data gathering. It also captures certain processes wherein changes in sequence of events, behaviors and transformation among cultures are closely taken into consideration. More importantly, a qualitative research is normally carried out in venues that are within a respondents natural environment such as schools, offices, homes, etc. This allowed participants to be more at ease and be able to express their ideas freely (Dyamon and Holloway, 2002). Data Gathering The data gathering will consist of secondary and primary data collections. Ghauri, Gronhaug and Kristianslund (1995) emphasized the importance of secondary data collection most especially through desk or library research. Secondary data collection normally includes data that were collected by another researcher or writer. It is often the case that they are lifted from books of recent publications, journals, magazines, newspapers and even trusted websites such as those of private organizations, non-government organizations, government organizations and the likes. The review of related literature will provide a scholarly perspective on the subject matter and at the same time made the researcher aware of both previous and contemporary research on the subject matter. For the purpose of this research, the author will be using scholarly journals and articles, books and magazines specifically focusing on the oil and gas industry; and freight industry in the Middle East, most specifically Turkey. The scholarly literatures will be primarily taken from EBSCO Host, JSTOR and Questia Media America, an exclusive on-line library. For the primary data collection for quantitative data, the study will be conducting surveys among consumers, suppliers and general public using questions of ordinal measurement using Likert scales for General Electric. Surveys include the process of using questionnaires with the aim of making an estimation of the perceptions of the subjects of the study. Surveys are considered advantageous because it could be used to study a huge number of subjects (Ghauri, Gronhaug and Kristianslund, 1995). On the other hand, interviews will be conducted among selected GE shareholders regarding their perception on the role of the CEO and implementation of the company’s CSR. Data Gathering Methods and their Justification For the purpose of this research, the researcher will be using self-administered questionnaires. Self-administered questionnaires often times offer a higher response rate and are also relatively cost effective (Ghauri, Gronhaug and Kristianslund, 1995). Foremost of its advantage rests on the notion that the process of data gathering could be more personal and also the researcher will be able to clarify certain notions that could be unclear in the survey form. However, one distinct disadvantage of such a method is the difficulty of administrating the survey to multiple respondents all at the same time. In addition, the self-administered data gathering could be very time consuming as well. The research will also be conducting an interview in order to collect the qualitative data necessary for the research. Interviews are very relevant most specially in getting data that could be a rich source of information that surveys could not provide (Ghauri, Gronhaug and Kristianslund, 1995). For the purpose of interviewing, various stakeholders from General Electric Corporation will be asked with regard to their perceptions of how GE should be employing its CSR, and their perceptions on the role of the CEO in terms of effectively implementing its CSR and the company’s image. Questionnaire Design The questionnaire design for the survey will be made in a detailed, precise and logical construction of close-ended questions. In addition with this, the questions will also be made in accordance with the research question and the objectives of the research (Oppenheim, 1992). The questions will be formulated using an ordinal scale and will be close-ended in nature. Such is relevant so that respondents would only have to encircle or check the designated number of their corresponding responses (Oppenhein, 1992). In addition to this, close-ended questions are very easy to answer and could enable the researcher create a summated value that could be use for data analysis. The questions that will be used in the interview will be tailored in such a manner that would directly answer concerns that are in accordance of the objectives of the study. The questions for the shareholders will be specifically created in a manner where there will be an open flow of information and exchange of ideas. The details on how consumers, suppliers and general public wanted the company to act together with its policies and possible ethical practices will be included in the survey. In this respect, questions will be formulated with a closed-ended nature. Sampling For the purpose of this research, the researcher will conduct a survey based on simple random sampling (SRS) which will include randomly choosing participants coming from consumers, suppliers and general public. On the other hand, the research will be employing purposive sampling methods in terms of choosing the stakeholders of General Electric who can participate in the study. Target Population According to Ghauri, Gronhaug and Kristianslund (1995) research should cater to a target population that has all the necessary information for the research such as sampling elements, sampling units, and area of coverage. For the purpose of this study, the author is trying to identify the role of consumers, suppliers and the general public. As such, the study will be asking 120 respondents to participate in the survey of which will primarily come from consumers and suppliers of General Electric as well as the general public who are concerned with General Electric and its operations. Reliability and Validity The studys reliability and validity go hand in hand as patterns of measurement are both dependent on the aforementioned (Zikmund, 1994). Reliability primarily focuses on the internal consistency and the repeatability of the variables within the research. On the other hand, validity centers on the correctness and appropriateness of the question that one intends to measure (Ghauri, Gronhaug and Kristianslund, 1995). According to Chisnall (1997), validity is generally considered and established through the relationship of the instrument to the content, criterion or construct that it attempts to measure. A lack of validity can lead to incorrect conclusion. In order to make sure that the instrument that will be used are reliable and valid, the researcher will assure that such is patterned based on the objectives of the study, the secondary data and also on the feedback that was given based on the pilot study that will be conducted. Analysis of Data Data information gathered from the surveys and interviews and secondary data from the other studies found will be used for the analysis that would answer the research question. Charts and comparisons of data will be used as analysis tools. Statistics used will be based on the survey results from the questionnaire made by the researcher. Statistical Products and Service Solutions (SPSS) will also be used to determine the stand of the respondents regarding a particular question formulated in the survey (Griego and Morgan, 2000, p. 2). References Carroll A. and Buchholtz A.K., (2003). Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management, 5th ed. Mason, O.: South-Western. Chisnall P. M., (1997). Marketing Research, 5ed., Berkshire: McGraw-Hill. Woodruff H. (1995), Services Marketing. London: Pitman Publishing Daymon C. and Holloway I., (2002). Qualitative Research Methods in Public Relations and Marketing Communications. London: Routledge. Ghauri, P., Gronhaug, K. and Kristianslund, I., (1995). Research Methods In Business Studies: A Practical Guide. Great Britain: Prentice Hall. Griego O. and Morgan G. (2000). SPSS for Windows: An Introduction to Use and Interpretation in Research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Kassinis G. and Panayiotou, A. (2006). Perceptions Matter: CEO Perceptions and Firm Environmental Performance. The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, (23), p. 67. Mohr L.A. and Webb D. J., (2001). Do Consumers Expect Companies to Be Socially Responsible? the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Buying Behavior. Journal of Consumer Affairs. (35) (1). OBrien, Gerard J. (1998) The Role of Implementation in Connectionist Explanation, Psychology, (9) 6, p.3. Oppenhein, A. N, (1992). Questionnaire Design Interviewing and Attitude Measurement. London: Pinter. Parsons, Talcott (1954). Essays in Sociological Theory. Revised Edition. New York: Free Press. PR News Wire (2008). Corporate Communications Officers in Worlds Most Admired Companies Have Longer Tenures, Fewer Rivals and Report to the CEO; New Study Underscores Critical and Evolving Role of the CCO -; Forecasts CCOs Shifting Focus To Reputation, Social Responsibility and Social Media in 2008. Accessed in the PR News Wire Database. PR News (2007). Quick Study: CEOs Bear Responsibility; Customer Relations Is Dysfunctional; Social Media Invades. PR News. Potomac, (63), 9, p. 1 PR News. (2006). Changing Face Of CSR: New Trends Redefine Doing Well By Doing Good. PR News. Potomac, (62) 42, p. 1 Sims, R., (2003). Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: Why Giants Fall. Westport, CT: Praeger. Tokoro N (2007). Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A New Perspective on the Structure of Relationships. Asian Business Management, 6 (2), pp.143-162. Watts P. and Holme R. (1999). Meeting Changing Expectations: Corporate Social Responsibility Available: http://www.wbcsd.org/publications/csrpub.htm [accessed 5June 2008]. Zikmund, G. W. (1994). Exploring Marketing Research. Dryden.