Importance of Marketing Essay

Marketing helps guide businesses in making strategic decisions by identifying growth opportunities and developing creative ways to approach those opportunities. Through successful marketing, a business will conduct extensive research, strategize and plan, brand the product, conduct product development, train the sales force, establish points of purchase, use public relations, and follow-up with good customer service. Marketing is the activity of a business organization that identifies customers, markets, as well as market segments and develops products or services to meet the needs of the customers by offering value of a product or service in exchange for profits and revenues for the business. In brief, marketing informs, educates, and persuades and it is paramount to the achievement of business success2. INTRODUCTION 2.1. BackgroundMarketing can be described as advertising a product. Marketing occurs when a company is trying to persuade costumers to buy the product that they produce over another company’s product. Marketing includes intensive research so that the company can get an outlook at what is the current trend in the marketplace. The problem is that marketing in theory contains these following activities also known as the 4-Ps which are developing the product, pricing the product, promoting the product and deciding what people to sell the product. 2.2. Purpose of the reportThis report aims to give basics of marketing comcept that is the most vital fact in business life for success. This report will tell why marketing has become so important in business life. 2.3. Statement of the problemAn organization cannot be successful unless the organization is satisfying its customers’ needs. This is because a product cannot simply be produced and expected to be sold. Although the idea for most is to create a product or service that â€Å"sells itself,† the product or service must create some consumer satisfaction to be able to sell itself. In order for there to be consumer satisfaction, economic utility must be derived from the product or service3. METHODOLOGY Information has been gathered through research of websites, journals and books as well as own interpretation and ideas on how marketing is seen important in contributing to the profitability of any company. 4. FINDINGS4.1. What is marketing?Marketing is a very general term that has no specific definition to it. However, it is best described as â€Å"A social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). It is an understanding of how the company works with its consumers and how it generates in the society. Marketing is seen to be the process of ‘bringing in the businesses’. It is not seen to be an alternative, but a necessity (Forsyth, 2004). Many people consider marketing as a tactic. However it is more than just a tactic. Marketing is analysis. According to Allen Weiss (2002), marketing is the analysis of customers, competitors, and a company by incorporating the understanding of competitive analysis and company capabilities into a general understanding of what the existing segments are. 4.2. Impact of MarketingMarketing deals with identifying and meeting human and social needs. Marketing can be defined as the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. (Kotler, 2004) According to the American Marketing Association defines marketing as an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stake holders. (Kotler, 2004)According to the Marketing Principals book marketing can be defined as an organizational philosophy has been based on the marketing concept. This concept consists of three interrelated principles such as:†¢An organization’s basic purpose is to satisfy customer needs. †¢Satisfying customer needs requires integrated and coordinated efforts throughout the organization. †¢Organizations should focus on long-term success. Based on these definitions, explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. Marketing is important in an organization success. Marketing is a broad topic that covers a range of aspects, including advertising, public relations, sales, and promotions. Marketing is important because it creates the core for the company. Marketing helps provide a service for the customer. Making the customer happy is the goal of the company. If a company does not know what the client wants the company will not survive. The strategy in which the company uses is important to the company success. Marketing is the key for an organization to succeed. First, marketers create a need in the mind of consumers. If they do not have a need for the product, they won’t buy it. Then they have to come up with a product which will delight the consumers, and keep them coming back again and again. This is needed to build a long-term relationship with consumers. If marketing gets them to purchase the product once, this would be a good outcome, but marketing should work to make them into lifelong loyal customers. A company is coming out with a new produce which will revolutionize the building industry. It makes building homes effortless. Sales of the product are lower than predicted. Research has found that many people are unaware of the product. One has made an idea to have a campaign marketing the benefits of the new product. Customers began to realize that there was a great need for the product which was being advertised. So, the customers began to purchase the product. No awareness is equated to any sales. (Personal communication, November 04, 2007)An established brand of toothpaste is seeing its sale’s drop. No one can understand why. The product has been used for years; however, the company has done little advertising in the past few years because the product was so well established. Once a new ad campaign hit the waves, sales increased once more. Why? Well customers forget about products if they are not reminded. To maintain long-term customers, they need to be continues reminded of the product and they need to remember how much the product delights them, and how well the product performs. But re-establishing advertising, one must reinforce the communication link with customers. (Personal communication, November 04, 2007)A person is looking to buy a luxury car. They have the money, and one has the knowledge about the many competitors. What decision should the guy make? The guy ends up buying a car with the company that has the best customer relations. They buy it at the place where they are treated with respect and class, where they feel involved in every step of the journey, where they know they made the right decision. After they buy the car, their relationship with the company does not end there; the customer can join clubs, attend financial seminars, attend wine and cheese events. All things build customer relationships which are strong and make the consumer happy. And the next time the consumer is in the market for a new car, they won’t shop around – they will return to the same dealership. (Personal communication, November 04, 2007)Marketing is more than just a company trying to sell the product. Marketing involves a great deal of research. Marketing also includes developing the product, pricing the product, promoting the product and deciding what people to sell the product. One has to be able to understand marketing so that it can be used in real life situations. 4.3. Why Marketing is Importantâ€Å"Marketing management is accomplished by carrying out marketing research, planning, implementation, and control† (Kotler, 2004). Marketing plays a major role in every business. It is very important as it contributes to the profitability of the company itself. â€Å"Relationship marketing involves creating, maintaining and enhancing strong, value-laden relationship with customers and other stakeholders. â€Å"They must build strong economic and social ties by promising and consistently delivering high quality products, good service and fair prices,† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Furthermore, when both customers and producers are mutually beneficial from this relationship, profitable transactions will follow. Knowledge of marketing strategy and market research is crucial in order to excel in marketing. 4.3.1 Five key factors to an effective marketingForsyth (2004) stated five factors which summarizes the effectiveness of marketing. a)Customer oriented. Company needs to focus on the wants and demands of the consumers. Profits come only after the consumers are satisfied. b)Continuously deployed. Marketing must be ready all the time as the company operates. c)Effective coordination. Marketing must logically co-ordinate its activities with the involvement of other departments and senior management team. d)Creativeness. Creativeness is needed during competitive times. By adding creativeness, marketing will be stronger. e)Underpinning culture. What makes marketing possible is not only depended on the people in marketing, but also the contributions from professional staffs in other departments are indeed needed (Forsyth, 2004). 4.3.2 Market Researchâ€Å"Marketing Research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information–information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). â€Å"By 1957 †¦ as markets moved from seller to buyer, new ideas of ‘marketing were taking hold. Companies began to grasp the importance of understanding what the consumers really wanted; it could no longer be assumed to be the same as it always had,† (V alentine & Gordon, 2000)Marketing research is basically the function that connects the consumer, customer and public to the marketer through information. There are four steps of market research. The first step is defining the problem; this is the hardest step of market research. If an inexperience manager define the problem wrongly, the whole market research will be affected hence the information will be inappropriate. Once, the problem has defined, the manager should determine, the research objectives which may fall in the three categories such as exploratory, descriptive or casual research. The second step is designing the research which will consist of determining what information should be gathered and how data will be collected. In this case, the data can be primary data collection or secondary data collection. The third step is implementing the plan which usually can be done by the internal staff or external firm. After the plan has implemented, the raw data will be prepared in order to get the information. The last step is interpreting the data; the researches will need to present the overall information to the marketing manager to be carried out to the next marketing process. 4.3.3 Marketing EnvironmentIt is important to determine the environment that the company is working in. The marketing environment refers to the actors and forces outside the marketing management’s skills to cultivate as well as maintain successful transactions with targeted customers (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Certain environmental complications and issues can severely affect the profitability of the company. Environmental complications and issues include the breakdown of economy (local economy and international economy), inflation, boom, trend, customer’s dissatisfaction and others. The company should be able to adapt to such changes of the environment, or else the company’s profit will significantly decrease. This would affect the company’s growth as well as driving o ff loyal customers. 4.3.3.1 The micro-environmentIt could simply be defined as the forces nearest to the company, which affect the company’s capability of serving its customers. Certain types of micro-environments that the company needs to take notice of are, for example, other departments, major suppliers, marketing representatives, customers and competitors (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Most of these environments can be ‘controlled’ by the company itself. 4.3.3.2 The Macro-environmentâ€Å"The macro-environment consists of the larger societal forces that affect the whole micro-environment – demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural forces,† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Most of these cannot be ‘controlled’ by the company. 4.3.4 Marketing Segmenting, Targeting, Positioningâ€Å"Market segmentation is the act of grouping customers in markets with some heterogeneity into smaller, more similar or homogene ous segments† (Dibb and Simkin, 2001). There are four variables that the business can choose to segment their markets; geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. The business can choose to segment in one variable or a combination between two or three variables. However, in order to achieve an effective segmentation, the business should have the characteristic of measurability, accessibility, and substantiality and action ability. The next step, the business has to decide on which market segment they should target on, which classified of undifferentiated marketing, differentiated marketing or concentrated marketing. Once a business has decided which segments of the market it will enter, they must decide which ‘positions’ they want to occupy in those segments. Product position means â€Å"the way the product is defined by consumers on important attributes; the place product occupies in consumers’ minds relative to competing product† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). They can position their products according to specific product attributes, benefits, users’ occasions, certain classes of users, against a competitor, away from competitor and product classes. In brief, by dividing market into a group of consumers who have a similar needs and wants, the business can achieve consumers’ satisfaction easier rather than if they concentrate on broadly market. Hence, when the business can satisfy the consumers, the consumers will develop a brand loyalty. â€Å"Customers can’t fully give loyalty until they believe a company genuinely cares about them and cares about their needs† (Hein, 2004). Moreover, as brand loyalty has formed, the business will be able to receive a profit, which should be supported with accurate product positioning. 4.3.5 Marketing MixMarketing mix is a set of â€Å"controllable marketing variables that the company combines to produce the feedback it wants in the targeted market† (Kotler, Brown, Adam a nd Armstrong, 2004). Marketing mix consists of 4Ps – Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Product is defined as â€Å"anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004).In order to produce a product, a business has to concern about the level of product; core, actual and augmented product. The core product is â€Å"the problem solving services or core benefits that the consumers are really buying when they obtained the product† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Actual product is â€Å"product’s part, styling, features, brand name, packaging a d other attributes that combine to deliver core product benefits† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). Whereas the augmented product is â€Å"additional consumer services and benefits build around the core and actual products† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). The second element of marketin g mix is price. Price is â€Å"the amount of money charged for a product or the sum of value consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using a product† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). There two factors that the business should apply before set up the price; internal and external factors. Then, they can choose which type of pricing that suit the product; cost-plus, value-based, competitive or relationship-based pricing. The third element is Place, which is defined as â€Å"making products available in the right quantities and locations when customers want them† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). It includes physical distributions, inventory, location, transport, and channels. Intermediaries (marketing channel) are the one which distribute the product from the producer to consumer. The last element is Promotion. It simply means the transmitting merits of the products and persuading target consumers to buy them. At the start of the products lifecycle, promotion is necessary so that potential customers know of the existence of the product. Once the product grows, promotion must become more persuasive and encourage consumers to make a purchase. 4.3.6 ImplementationMarketing implementing is to translate the plans into actions. For the successful marketing implementation, â€Å"company has to blend these elements: action programs, organization structure, decision and reward system, human resources and company culture – into a cohesive program that supports its strategies† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). 4.3.7 ControllingMarketing control referred as â€Å"the process of measuring and evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans, and taking corrective action to ensure that marketing objectives are attained† (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2004). The manager should control the marketing implementation by setting a goal , measure and evaluate the performance and also correcting the error of implementation. 4.4. Marketing and BrandingProduct is the core of marketing, which including tangible goods like food or drinks or intangible services, as it is the major way to embody customers requirements; and, branding is directly associated with it. In fact, branding is all about decisio ns of products, like brand names or trademarks. Stork (2007) asserted that a brand is a unique business identity which represents the personality, quality or origin of products. And, such a product which added value by branding would appear in every activity of marketing, namely, branding is actually react on the whole marketing system directly and indirectly. In addition, Stork (2007) also argued that branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable perceptions in the minds of consumers. This is significant, as it accords with the objective of marketing, and it is the first step to attract customers. By contrast with those basic branding factors, brand loyalty is more complicated but significant. Attracting customers is not enough, organizations demand loyalty of customers to brands to make them competitive among others. Therefore, based on the analysis of theories above, branding and brand loyalty is vital to successful marketing, but there are still many other factors could affect their importance within the dynamic environment, like the different industry will have different types of marketing and branding. Subsequently, the further and deeper investigation will be conducted with examples of Virgin Atlantic Airway, which is a super brand in airline industry. Virtually, Design Council of UK (2007) defined that the airline industry is difficult to operate. Fixed costs are high, demand can fluctuate quite dramatically and shortages of key airport infrastructure all make it difficult for airlines to operate profitably. Relatively, the marketing for airline industry is not easy as well; the promotion or pricing would be totally different to other industries like food or drink, because its products are distinctive. However, Virgin Atlantic is doing quite well in general, it is famous on its branding and its services and it did won many rewards on that, like it came out on top in a consumer survey of travel brands in 2006. (Business Source Premier, 2006) As discussed before, a brand is a unique business identity, and a well managed one would be the asset of an organization, and the marketing and financial value associated with its strength in a market is so-called brand equity. (Dibb et al, 2001) According to Dibb et al (2001), there are four main elements underlie the brand equity, which are brand name awareness, brand loyalty, perceived brand quality and brand associations. It is good for customers to know the brand names of products which they do or do not like, thereby, they can recognize and purchase products that satisfy their needs simply. Otherwise, the product selection would be complicated or even wrongly selection. At the same time, it is clear that brand name awareness is the very first step for sellers, which would cause familiarity; and a unique brand name or logo may reinforce the familiarity to be memorable, which will strongly remain custom ers to come again. Due to that, organizations should promote their brand names or logos as much as possible within this stage, to gain awareness of their brands from customers. For example, one of marketing techniques of Virgin Atlantic is to advertising activity in the UK includes TV, press, magazines, outdoor posters and taxi sides, all featuring their distinctive logo. Advertising is used to encourage people to try the airline, to raise awareness of new product developments and new routes. (Virgin Atlantic, 2007)The perceived brand quality means certain perception of customers over the brand quality. This sort of perception mainly depends on consumers’ using experiences or the way organizations branded. Well marketed brands would become the indicators of quality or choice making for consumers as they have less or no ideas about the quality of certain goods in some case. As branded of its services, Virgin Atlantic is giving their customers what they want, by offering limousine services, full m eal catering, multi-class services, and entertainment consoles on every seat-back. (Stealing Share, 2006) Thus, the perceived brand quality of Virgin aircrafts is quite high; customers probably would consider it firstly or secondly while they are choosing an airline that is good at customer services. Thirdly, the brand would be more attractive and memorable if it associated with certain lifestyle or other characteristics. Virgin is one of the best choices for illustrating this point. As one of extended brands of Virgin Group, Virgin Atlantic is absolutely under the organizational culture as well, which characterized by Richard Branson, the founder of the company. Virgin’s brand values are really Branson style, which are innovative, competitive challenging, fun and so on and this also embodies in Virgin Atlantic. For instance, Virgin’s design teams always working on challenging new technologies or services, like the design of its upper class suite. (Design Council, 2007) Or, the entertainment consoles on every seat-back shows their focus on providing fun to customers. Like other three elements discussed above, brand loyalty is also valued to brand equity thanks to its function. Dibb et al (2001) defined that brand loyalty is a strongly motivated and long standing decision to purchase a particular product or service. Once customers loyal to one specific product, the market share of that product for the company would be relatively stable, allowing the company to use its resources more effectively or obtain premium prices. In line with what discussed before, organizations could be competitive with a relative stable market share among their competitors through brand loyalty, and meanwhile companies can diminish certain costs like the cost of attracting new customers. Moreover, brand loyalty has three degrees that are recognition, preference and insistence. The recognition is just alike as awareness of brand name; customers realize that brand is an alternative to purchase. Brand preference is stronger than recognition, as customers is showing certainly prefers on one brand over others, but they would accept substitutes wh ile the brand is not available. The last degree is the strongest one as consumers would insistent on the particular brand and will accept no substitutes. (Dibb et al, 2001) Though, it is less to happen due to various reasons, like in the airline industry, it is difficult for customers to insistent on one brand thanks to limitation of airline routes and destinations. 5. CONCLUSION Marketing is a unique and vast area of business. All the success of a business depends on a successful marketing campaign. There is also much more to marketing than what is discussed here. One fundamental of any marketing program is that it work toward meeting the wants and needs of customers in the target area. Trying to force feed a product or service to an unwanting public is seldom successful and is very expensive. Which is why it is very important to research and develop all new marketing ideas so that they fit the product being offered. Do you sell ice cold lemonade on a freezing winter day? A better suggestion would be hot chocolate. However, innovation and new marketing techniques can be offered where you can do both at their respective seasons. Its all about marketing. The challenges and obstacles involved with corporate longevity are faced and championed through marketing and its strategies. Important aspects of marketing are the acquisition of new clients, branding, and influencing behaviors that encourage sales. Each of these categories promotes business expansion and prosperity. Each organization has their own recipe for marketing and succes. 6. REFERENCESD ibb, Simkin, Pride, Ferrell (2001), Marketing—Concepts and Strategies, Houghton Mifflin CompanyEleven lessons: Managing design in eleven global brands (Virgin Atlantic), (2007), In: Design Council [online]. Available from: http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/managingdesign/Design-at-Virgin-Atlantic-Airways/Virgin-Atlantic-case-study-designing-the-upper-class-suite/Marcia Yudkin, Head Stork (2005-2007), the Benefits of Branding, In: Name At Last [online]. Available from: http://www.namedatlast.com/branding3.htmStealing Share (10/10/2006), Global Branding: Virgin Atlantic gets it Right, In: Stealing Share—Beyond Theory [online]. Available from: http://www.stealingshare.com/content/1160504877375.htmVirgin Atlantic (2007), Student Information Pack—Marketing, In: Virgin Atlantic Website [online]. Available from: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp#marketingVirgin tops loyalty league (2006), Travel Weekly: The Choice of Travel Professionals (00494577), 00494577, 2006, Issue 1806 [online], In: Business Source Primer [online]. Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com.chain.kent.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=102&sid=a0e44807-1ff0-44bf-bf32-80e054ac90da%40sessionmgr104Forsyth, P (2004) ‘Marketing is a must’, IEE Engineering ManagementKotler, P., Adam, S., Armstrong, G.,

Summary of 30 Seconds to Mars.

Noah Martin 1/6/13 Period 4 Last night I read, A Biography of 30 Seconds to Mars, pages 271 to 300 30 Seconds to Mars was formed in 1998 by the brothers Jared Leto and Shannon Leto. The banned started as a family project by Jared and Shannon respectively. Matt Wachter joined the band later as their bassist and keyboard player. Kevin Blake and Solon Bixer was there guitarist, but left because they couldn’t tour. They were later replaced by Tomo Milicevic. Jared and Shannon were by themselves in the band 1998 to 2001, and then they added Solon Bixer and Matt Wachter. Solon left the band in 2003, which was then replaced by Tomo. More Summary of Devil at My HeelsMatt left the band in 2007, replaced by no one but Jared took over using the synthesizers and bass. Tim Kelleher and Braxton Olita are 30 Seconds to Mars current touring members, starting with the This is War tour. Matt McJunkins and Kevin Drake are two of the former tour members. Kevin did rhythm guitar in the tour for 30 Seconds to Mars self-titled album, and Matt M. was bass guitar and backing vocals in 2011, for This is War. When Jared was interviewed for why he named the band he said, â€Å"For us, the name 30 Seconds To Mars has little to do with space, the universe or anything like that.It is a name that works on several different levels. Most importantly, it is a good representation of our sound. It's a phrase that is lyrical, suggestive, cinematic, and filled with immediacy. It has some sense of otherness to it. The concept of space is so overwhelming and all-encompassing I doubt there is a song written that doesn't fall within it. † W hen Shannon was interviewed he said, â€Å"It represents a lot of things. This professor had a thesis. It was talking about where technology was going; the evolution of man and how that plays a role. Also you can read this summary –  Protecting Freedom of Expression on the CampusA sub-category was 30 Seconds to Mars. It was like the exponential growth of humans. We are literally 30 seconds away from Mars. Everything is right here and right now; everything is just so crazy and fast. † There is also a quote made by former member Matt Wachter claimed by Virgin Records, but it has not been verified. As a side note, Jared Leto is a Hollywood actor, he prefers not to use the fact that he is an actor as a way to get publicity for his band, and he refuses to play at venues that have used his name to promote his band.

TOK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TOK - Essay Example In other words, the relativist argues that there is no objective or unbiased way of distinguishing between these different sets of norms. Therefore, the relativist’s central argument is that an assertion’s position as true or false is relative to the criteria applied in assessing this assertion. The principle of relativism is often attributed to Protagoras, who argues that â€Å"any given thing is to me such as it appears to me, and is to you such as it appears to you† (Siegel 1998, 35). Protagorean relativism is described by Plato’s Socrates as basing on the assumption that â€Å"what seems true to anyone is true for him to whom it seems so† (Siegel 1998, 35). This assumption is a kind of relativism because for the Protagorean there is no norm greater than the person, with his/her own particular position in place, time, culture, context, and so on—with mention of which assertions of truth, and thus knowledge, can be evaluated. Critics of relativism have presented numerous arguments against the principle; without a doubt the most essential is the argument that relativism is self-contradictory or self-referentially incoherent, which is a logical fallacy where in â€Å"some claims is made which, upon being applied to itself, refutes itself† (Dancy, Sosa, & Steup 2010, 677). There are different accounts of the incoherence argument. The strongest is that relativism disqualifies the chance of establishing the truth, or, the epistemic value of questionable assumptions and arguments, including itself, because as stated by relativism no assumption or argument can fail any evaluation of epistemic sufficiency or be deemed false or unfounded (Eaton 1925). For instance, Protagorean relativism: the argument â€Å"what seems true [or justified] to anyone is true [or justified] for him to whom it seems so† (Siegel 1998, 35) implies that no genuine assertion can fail to be true or be reasonably evaluated to be false.

Reasons and Ideas of Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reasons and Ideas of Democracy - Essay Example Democracy in the modern age is best known by the notion, of a people’s governance style. Usually, a government stands at the epitome of authority and is most likely able to govern its people in accordance with its interests, whether good or bad, preferable or not. Democracy, in the ancient times, was first realized among the Greeks in the early century. The word democracy, in Greek, is a two-word meaning â€Å"the people† and â€Å"to rule†, thus can be seen as a rule governed by the people. At the time, the Greek were closer to their people and better at communication than any other country in the world. The monarchical system was viewed as probably the worst to use in governance. In their governance, everybody was involved in making decisions that affected the country. This made them the most civilized nation then. Greek at the time had not embodied democracy maximally as women were still serving as slaves. Fifty years later, this was no longer the case since women slavery was slowly diminishing, thus embracing full democracy. This idea of democracy was later adapted by several countries but hugely by the Romans. Their government was divided into two branches and issues were voted on in order to make sure that democracy was maintained. In the eighteenth century, several ideas had become prevalent. This was especially enhanced by Christianity that teaches that everyone is equal before the eyes of God. This idea of equality became deeply ingrained by the people, and hence a crucial way of determining how decisions were to be handled in government. Some people may view democracy as the best form of governance while others may see it as the worst form of governance. Freedom has been seen as an essential point of governance especially that Democracy is consisted of it. This makes it the best form to use in governance. Democratic nations have people with freer options as compared to those that use autocracy. These rights include voting for the system of power and determining decisions that impact the country. Other include, working as the opposition in criticizing the government and freedom of speech and expression. The representative democracy started when colonialists wanted a fairer system of taxation, thus including representation of people to be able to have a say in the governance of the country. America may not have followed in the Athenian form of democracy but the representative seemed to work really fine, especially in recognizing people’s rights. While in Cairo, president Obama expressed the different forms of democracy within the United States and showed how they may be embraced by other nations in embracing peace. He showed how ideology was recognized for making democracy more effective as a system of governance. The White House, (2009), in the speech that president Obama delivered in Cairo, the president explains how democracy has helped eliminate religious wars and instill peace within his country. He states that the United States, being amongst the most

Microbiology-microorganism identification Assignment

Microbiology-microorganism identification - Assignment Example From the diagnostic table, only four bacterial species are expected to test positive using Gram stain, namely Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The Gram stain test thus allows the analyst to reduce the number of possible bacterial species that need to be ruled out during the identification assay. Another characteristic that facilitates our species identification was associated with the positive results obtained from the methyl red (MR) test. The observation of a bright red color was instrumental in narrowing down our candidates species to two bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus or Enterococcus faecalis. The generation of negative results from the Gelatin Hydrolysis, Voges-Proskauer (VP) and Nitrate Production tests also assisted in the identification of bacterial species. No, not all the observed characteristics agreed with those indicated in Bergey’s Manual. The cell arrangement of our organism was observed to be in single pairs or short chains, while the manual described that the bacteria were generally found in clusters. In addition, a positive result was observed in the citrate utilization test, when the manual indicated that our bacterial species generally results in a positive reaction. Unfortunately, the catalase and oxidase tests were not performed due to lack of time. The microbiological assay involves the reaction of the catalase enzyme, as it disrupts hydrogen peroxide, resulting in the production of water, as well as oxygen. Catalase is considered as a very common protein enzyme that is present in almost of organisms and is regarded by microbiologists as a very useful enzyme that helps in the identification of specific bacterial species (Maehly and Chance, 1954). It is also possible to identify the bacterial species through its requirement for oxygen. It should be understood that both oxidation and

What Is Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi's Relevance On Foreign Policies In Dissertation

What Is Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi's Relevance On Foreign Policies In Modern Day India - Dissertation Example However, his exploits are not just restricted to bringing freedom to his motherland but has also extended to the basic philosophy that an average individual leads his or her life with. Thus, there is hardly any doubt about the fact that Gandhi ji’s beliefs and philosophy also underlies the foreign policies of the nation to a great extent. However, policies do change over the years, and even if we consider Gandhi’s towering personality as well as influence at the time of the independence of India, it can hardly be said without taking a relook at the contemporary scenario whether the legacy of consulting Gandhian policies for embarking upon any policy of substantial importance for India stills holds value or not. If the existing foreign policy of India were to be evaluated in the light of Gandhiji’s outlook or for that philosophy, then an obvious approach would be to start with the freedom struggle of India, a time that was overtly dominated by the strategies formu lated by Gandhiji as well as his thousands of ardent followers.Bandyopadhyaya notes that the Gandhian ideals were more of a set of policies that governed the strategies of freedom struggle movement of the Indian National Congress, the biggest political organization spearheading the freedom movement in India. The author further reports that this typically successful strategy has been utilized by the government of independent India under its ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’ in the pretext of â€Å"peaceful settlement of international disputes†. This is significant to our understanding of how important Gandhi ji and his preaching have been for the formulation of what India presently is. In terms of the relevance of Gandhi ji in today’s political context, we must acknowledge the fact that some of the most crucial policies pertaining to the domain of foreign relations have been deeply influenced by the legacy that the Mahatma has left behind. In the light of what he professed, preached as well as practiced it is on us to give due recognition to the enormity of his foresight, the magnitude of his philosophy as well as the vastness of his acute perception of the scheme of things in the political arena. Thousands of books, articles, research papers have been published on this â€Å"great soul† (Adams, 2010; Wolpert, 2001) and a formidable bulk of literature has been published on various topics related to Gandhi ji and of course not without reason. Among the salient tenets of Gandhian philosophy, one of the foremost pillars was his affinity for as well as staunch belief in the practice of non violence. As various authors quote Godse in his book, who calls Gandhi ji a â€Å"violent pacifist†, though whether the Mahatma actually brought â€Å"untold calamities to the nation† is seriously questionable (Elst, 2001; Nussbaum, 2007; Karawan, 2008; Godse & Godse, 1989). Obviously Godse accuses Gandhi ji of being responsibl e for many a debacle that has shaken India by its roots at the time of independence and thus the term â€Å"violent pacifist† is basically used in the pejorative. Now we may also take a relook at what the term may mean apart from the pejorative connotations that Godse attached to it and therefore we may indulge in deconstructing the meaning of the term in the light of Gandhi ji’s contribution to the freedom struggle as well as his philosophy being tantamount to become instrumental in shaping the future of the nation not in within the country but also externally as well. Coming back to the moot point of that of Gandhi ji’s relevance in modern day India’s foreign policies, we should obviously start from the very beginning and trace the

Product Management & Information Systems - Module 2 Assignment

Product Management & Information Systems - Module 2 - Assignment Example Internet shopping has been popular because many consumers have internet-enabled phones through which they download apps such as the eBay mobile app (Maceli, 2011). NPD (New Product Develeopment) involves creation of unique products, modification of product as well as the development of new brands through firms’ research and development. Before developing digital products, the manufacturer has to analyse the prevailing audience and trends because understanding the digital footprint helps comprehend information regarding typical usage, acceptance of digital innovation, expertise in technology use as well as other audience habits. Moreover, the manufacturer has to carryout research on the prevailing competition and opportunity because a lack of thorough market research would not warrant development of new product or service. New product development is often difficult since the necessary information resides in customers while the solution lies in the manufacturer and linking the t wo can be costly and lengthy. However, the development of customer knowledge and channels like the internet enable customers to engage with manufacturers’ new product development processes actively because digital products are leveraged through websites, tablets, smart phones and other mobile devices (Strader, 2011). Figure 1. New product development model New product development can be grouped into various perspectives that include rational planning, communication web and disciplined problem-solving. The rational plan emphasises the role of careful planning in order to have an attractive market as well as a successful execution of the plan based on strong from the support management. Communication web in NPD focuses on independent communication among project team members as well as with outsiders, which stimulates performance of development. NPD processes can be categorised in various stages that include idea generation, product development and testing as well as product lau nch and profit management. Improved NPD process decreases the market risks because it builds on the needs of the customer and focuses on market performance of the product. The rate of technological changes in the past few years necessitates new methods of bringing successful products to the market place. Information technology improves NPD flexibility because NPD requires partnership between members of new product both within and beyond the firm. The use of apps by consumers presents opportunities to both the users and developers because consumers are exposed to more information and use of apps offer an opportunity to developers to create increased array of potential apps for consumers. Moreover, as consumers use apps, the developers can view feedback regarding the apps, which enable the developers to publish updates or even design new products (Maceli, 2011). Currently, the development of applications is different compared to the traditional company development because anyone can p lace the application within an app marketplace. Once apps are in the application store the applications can be sold to consumers or the applications made free but sell advertisements that appear in the app, one of the popular free apps is â€Å"Angry Birds† (Maceli, 2011; Cerf, 2011). In the prevailing competitive world, companies no longer rely on price or even delivery to

Greek and hellenistic religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greek and hellenistic religion - Essay Example The introduction of Egyptian deities which included Isis, Serapis, Atargatis and of Hadad afforded new channel for the Greeks who were trying to find contentment and self-actualization in both their current life and life after death. During the Hellenistic period, worships were no longer solely given to deities but also to Hellenistic rulers. Semi-divine rulers who regarded themselves as god-kings inspired pharaonic tradition, thereby, holding them worthy of the peoples exaltation. While Hellenistic religion adapted the idea of offering worship to rulers, rulers had never become gods. The mixture of cultures and religion between Greece and other countries had stimulated the expansive practices of magic, which is still being practiced up to this present time. In the Hellenistic era, Greeks developed a rather spiritual and religious connection to certain magical forms like oracles, prophecies, charms, and trinkets to put off bad luck and other troubles, and to cast incantations. Furthermore, the belief that the future of human life can be determined by the sun, moon, and stars likewise cropped up; hence, the concept of astrology. Perhaps, it was due to the syncretic approach of the Greeks towards religion during the Hellenistic era that ushered in the creation of Hellenistic thinking: Stoicism and Epicureanism. Crucial to the changes in the Hellenistic religion was the introduction of the Olympian gods and goddesses. In fact, the term Olympian Pantheon is therefore called because these deities are believed to have resided on top of Mount Olympus. This had also stirred the foundation of Olympic Games in order to give honor to the deities athleticism. Every deity was venerated with temples, shrines, and sculptures which, while each god is revered with his or her own temple, likewise honor other deities. Fiestas and rites were carried out in different Greek cities that venerate their own patron god. For example, festivals and other forms of celebrations

Andy Warhol's Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Andy Warhol's Life - Essay Example The essay "Andy Warhol's Life" focuses on the life of the important figure in the pop art, Andy Warhol. He was growing up during the Great Depression in the metropolitan environs of a smoky industrialized city and at a very early age he showed a magnificent talent for sketching the city’s sceneries. Due to an infection when he was 6 he was confined to bed; Andy’s mother and brothers would keep him company for hours while he drew, traced and printed. After this, he grew up loving art, which is said to be the only hobby he had in his childhood. When he turned about nine years old, his father bought him his first camera. Andy took pleasure in taking pictures, so much so that he even developed them on his own in his basement. His father died in 1942, the very same year that he got into Schenley High School. Andy would go on to become the first in his family to go past high school. He nearly failed during first year, but a compassionate professor gave him with one more chanc e by making him to sign up for a summer class. During this summer, he helped his eldest brother, Paul, sell fruit and vegetables from a van. Andy used every opportunity that arose to do quick on-the-spot portraits of the consumers. The drawings not only helped get him readmitted but also they made him get a small scholarship until when he graduated at the tender age of sixteen in 1945, he had become position 5. His father was a bright man who had recognized his son’s talent and had saved enough money for his college education. Andy went to Carnegie Institute of Technology from 1945 to 1949 where he attained a degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Pictorial Design. He had a goal of becoming a business illustrator. When he wasn’t in class, he was working in the exhibition section at Horne’s department store creating window displays. It was while he worked there that he was initiated into the world of fashion, which would be the primary influence of his inter est in becoming an commercial illustrator. Carnegie institute fostered his enthusiastic sense of drawing, designing and honed his ability to create visually. Almost immediately after graduating, Andy moved to the city of New York to start his profession as a commercial artist. His work made it to Glamour magazine in September of 1949 and after this Andy became one of the most flourishing illustrators of the next decade. These fetes enabled him become rich and win many awards. He had an exceptional, capricious style of sketching that contradicted its everyday sources: traced pictures and imagery. At times Andy engaged the delightfully unusual calligraphy of his mother, who was always recognized in his credits as -Andy Warhol’s Mother-. She had left Pittsburgh sometime in 1952 to live with her son she stayed there for almost twenty years before dying in Pittsburgh in 1972. Andy pleased himself for his work by going on an around-the-world holiday with his buddy Charles from June to August of 1956. They visited Hawaii many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Serendipity 3, a stylish eatery and ice cream shop in Manhattan is East Side, was one place where Andy sometimes displayed his work. He frequently held social gatherings there where his friends could spoil themselves and their wives on the restaurant’s signature beverage called â€Å"frozen hot chocolate† and all this time helping Andy hand-paint his self-published artists’ books. In April 1961 Andy had his first chance to show his latest art. He

Advocacy in In Contempry America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advocacy in In Contempry America - Essay Example On July 27, 2007, Donald Rumsfeld is alleged to have written a memo to Condoleezza Rice concerning the situation in Iraq. The memo reveals that Condoleezza and Rumsfeld had discussed Iraq on numerous occasions (Doc4utv, 2014). The memo in ‘The Unknown Known’ also reveals that the initial goal of Rumsfeld was to weaken Saddam Hussein. The allegation, according to ‘The Unknown Known,’ is that Saddam was in possession of nuclear weapons that threatened global security. Back to ‘The Standard Operating Procedure,’ Morris seems to bring a connection between the two films by connecting Rumsfeld with the planning and execution of the Iraqi war. The visit of Rumsfeld to the prison in Iraq, where US soldiers resided, shows that Rumsfeld was trying to collect intelligence about the state of Iraq and how to weaken the influence of Saddam Hussein (Solplatform.org, 2014). This further indicates the relationship between Rumsfeld’s snowflakes and the photographs from Abu Ghraib. The prison visited by Rumsfeld in Iraq, as is indicated in ‘The Standard Operating Procedure,’ was to be used for the detention of suspected terrorists and any other parties that seemed to threaten the strategy of the US forces. Morris demonstrates a list of hundreds of memos written by Rumsfeld about Iraq. This is a  depiction of the interest that the secretary of defense had for Iraq and his revulsion for Saddam Hussein. In ‘the Standard Operating Procedure,’ Morris demonstrates that the invasion of Iraq by the US and the torture of the suspected Iraqi terrorists started immediately after the departure of Rumsfeld from the country. This demonstrates the connection that the secretary of defense had with the Iraqi war. It also confirms the subject of his memos in ‘The Unknown Known,’ where his main intention was to attack Iraq and bring down the authority of Saddam Hussein. This also emphasizes

The book of Luke and Acts Essay Example for Free

The book of Luke and Acts Essay The book of Luke and Acts are of the same author. It is addressed to Theophilus. On the introduction of the book of Luke, Luke wrote: Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:3-4). With that verse it is clear that Luke did investigated the accounts of Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we try to study the Bible from Matthew to John, all of the accounts are similar. They only differ in the details of the accounts. Luke is not the direct disciple (not one of the 12 disciples) of Jesus Christ but he was able to reconcile what he wrote with the books of John, Matthew and Mark. With the same accounts found in Matthew, Mark, and John, we can conclude that he understands Jesus’ purpose here on earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the book of Acts, Luke elaborates the things that make a Christian. He mentioned even how a Christian should act. He even wrote some of the accounts of the believers after Jesus ascended to heaven. In his books he never mentioned about how he understands the death of Jesus, but on his writings we can say that he fully understand the death of Jesus; that is to redeem us from our sins.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, it is the faith that convicts him to tell the people that Jesus is innocent of a sin deserving to death. As we can see on the accounts of Jesus on the book of Luke, Jesus did not commit things that deserve death but rather it is because of the fear of the Pharisees that the attention of the people will be diverted to Jesus. They are afraid that their positions will not be honored by the people. It is for that reason that Luke really is convicted to tell the world not only the innocence of Jesus Christ but the truth and the love that Jesus offer on the cross to save His people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, faith is the motivation of Luke in telling such thing to people. We can even attest that when we have faith on a certain thing we can do even the impossible things just to pursue or stand on the faith that we have. Work cited: The Holy Bible (1988). The New International Version. Broadman Holman Publishers: Nashville

The Strengths and Weakness of Affirmative Action

The Strengths and Weakness of Affirmative Action Affirmative action was formed more than fifty years ago during the Civil Rights movement with the goal of everyone having the same chances in life. A lot has changed since then. So why are we still trying to make up for past sins? Are the people who are benefiting from affirmative action today the ones who were harmed and discriminated against in the past? No. The race card should not be used in an academic environment and diversity should not put a more qualified applicant on the side lines. Academics should be the determining factor for college admissions not race. According to Kristina Crawley and Tony Magart, Affirmative action is a program built on racial discrimination, all the while claiming to fight it. In order for a student to achieve advancement other students are unjustly discriminated against or punished. Colleges should be looking at the accomplishments of the students, not what ethnicity they were born. Colleges even post the percentages of each minority attending their schools on their websites. Is this supposed to sway students to attend specific colleges based on who their fellow classmates are to be? Does this guarantee diversity? Shouldnt students be looking at what the college can offer them to help them succeed in life? They have their whole lives ahead of them. The primary problem with affirmative action in colleges is it has failed to bring about a major goal to ease racial tension and lessen the color consciousness of college students. The actual results have had the opposite effect. According to Mr. Roberts, Affirmative action poses a conflict between two cherished American principles: the belief that all Americans deserve equal opportunities and the idea that hard work and merit, not race or religion or gender or birthright, should determine who prospers and who does not. How are students suppose to see each other as equals if they are not considered equals when applying to college? The message minorities are receiving according to Mr. Steele, Society now tells them that if they will only designate themselves as black on their college applications, they will probably do better in the college lottery than if they conceal this fact. The tensions continue to exist because the white student sees the minority student as undeserving and the m inority student sees the white student as racist and part of a group that works against furthering the minoritys ability to obtain a college education. Affirmative action creates reverse discrimination which is defined as Discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, especially when resulting from policies established to correct discrimination against members of a minority or disadvantaged group. This is the case when colleges are allowed to consider race when accepting college applications. Arent colleges actually practicing what the country is trying to eliminate; discrimination? Colleges dont see themselves discriminating against other students. They call it diversification. There are many ways colleges can diversify without using race to achieve those goals. There are minorities who have qualifications to attend college without affirmative action. Not all minorities are in low income areas which have less than desired school systems. What about those students who break free from the Ghetto? There are many success stories from minorities who have risen above poverty and became very successful. We want students who will succeed in college and have something to contribute to our education, not a free pass. Advocates of affirmative action believe that for better learning classes must have a diverse student environment. This logic is flawed. According to Mr. McElroy, Racial diversity does not necessarily lead to diversity of opinion. Students with different interests and talents make a campus life vibrant and ensure that a variety of activities are pursued. Race is a purely external characteristic and has no effect on what a person brings to a community. To suggest that skin color determines ones attitude or what they might bring to the table is racism in itself. Why does skin color dictate ideas or activities a person may pursue? Diversity is not determined by skin color. Society has been unfair to minorities in the past. Yes, our ancestors did profit from using slave labor. Affirmative action does not make up for wrong doings. According to Mr. Steele, It is impossible to repay blacks living today for the historic suffering of the race, demonstrating the absurdity of trying to make up for what our ancestors did. Society is discriminating against a new group now in order to compensate for the discrimination of one group in the past. What has been accomplished when discrimination has yet to be conquered? Why does the need for diversity have to keep discrimination alive? At Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, despite the ban on affirmative action, the new admissions policy still has the ability to see color. Instead of checking a race box officials look at the students address. They are able to see if the student lives on an Indian reservation or in the heart of Detroit where the population is concentrated mainly with African Americans. What has changed? They still see color knowing who resides in these populace areas. It does not matter that the people voted for a ban on using race in the admission process. The colleges are finding new ways to continue to act in the old ways of admitting college students for the sake of diversity. According to Mr. Connerly, If black and Hispanic students are rare at selective universities, the solution is better academic preparation, not special treatment in admissions. Every individual should have the same opportunity to compete. The problem is not about the minority students who are excelling but about the minority students who are statistically failing in the public school system. Statistics show that blacks who were given preferential treatment failed at elite colleges at a much higher rate than other races and affirmative action gave those unprepared students admission to those colleges. When a college uses race in the admissions process and then the students later fail is a real disservice to those students. The color of a students skin should not be the deciding factor. Society is creating new problems for minority students all the while trying to bring diversity to their colleges. A popular belief about why minority applicants are less qualified to attend college is they have not been provided the same opportunities generally provided to white students. This is true. The system in this country does not give minority groups equal access to economic and educational resources. This does not mean that minorities should slide into college without the foundation to succeed. If they are unprepared they are more likely to fail. It would be more sensible to find the source of the problem. School funding should be changed. There should be a system where low income schools get the funding they need to rise above the issues they face every day. Better teachers need to be attracted to these areas to try and make a difference. Yes this is a large order and will take time. No one said solving discrimination would be an overnight process. Armstrong Williams, a black syndicated columnist stated, There is a very real danger that we are merely reinforcing the idea that minorities are first and foremost victims. Because of this victim status, the logic goes, they are owed special treatment. But that isnt progress, its inertia. By putting minorities into the role of victims, we are not helping them to advance, we are holding them in place. Affirmative action places students in situations where their efforts are not measured but the color of their skin is. What does this teach them? How does this give students confidence and control of their actions? Is it more important to bring minority students in the classroom no matter how prepared they are for the sake of diversity? If you believe in affirmative action you believe some people didnt get a fair shake in life and need help. Whats wrong with helping the little guy, the one who hasnt gotten a break in life? Many students live in poor segregated communities and the only hope they have to leave is to better themselves at colleges or universities outside their neighborhoods. These students are able to get to the front of the admissions list just by their heritage. This doesnt mean they arent hardworking students and are just as capable as their white counterpart. Affirmative action levels the playing field for them, but is this really fair? According to Peter Schmidt, Proponents of race-conscious admissions policies have yet to produce a study of their educational benefits without some limitation or flaw. Many focus only on benefits to minority students. Others define benefits in nakedly ideological terms, declaring the policies successful if they seem correlated with the adoption of liberal views. A large share relies on survey data that substitute subjective opinions for an objective measurement of learning. Advocates of affirmative action argue that it is unfair to demand more of the research. They feel no education policy has irrefutable proof of its effectiveness. There are other alternatives to achieve diversity without using affirmative action. In Florida, the public university system uses the method which admits the top twenty percent of each graduating class. Texas uses a similar program and admits the top ten percentage of each of their graduation classes. Colleges and universities must look further at both students and teachers if they want diversity. Checking off a race box on an application does not necessarily bring more diversity to the classroom. Using college entrance essays will tell the admissions official more than looking at his or her race. A student who has had extensive travels because one of his or her parents is in the military will bring more diversity to a classroom than the black student who has grown up in the suburbs. Teachers also can bring a wide range of diversity with more than their race. Even white teachers can have fascinating backgrounds that can contribute to their teaching styles. Maybe the teacher was in the Peace Corp for a period of time or was raised in another country. How do we know what a teacher can bring to the college by looking at race? There are many good and bad teachers in the educational system. The most important factor would be to find more qualified teachers to give the students a good e ducation and not put the emphasis on diversity. Affirmative action has made the admission system look too closely at race. Instead they should be looking at all the other characteristics about a person and their achievements. The color of ones skin should not define a student. If two students are raised in the same neighborhood and one is black and one is white how much diversity will the black student bring to campus? Both students grew up in the same environment but the only difference is the black student can check the race box. Race is an external characteristic and should not be used to push one student above the other in the admissions process. Affirmative action does not guarantee diversity. Nor does racial diversity automatically lead to diversity of opinion. Campus life is made up of students with different interests, talents and goals. Affirmative action does not bring diversity to colleges it brings discrimination. Students should be judged on grades, test scores, entrance essays and other achievements. Race should not become a factor because it is outside a students control. Works Consulted Marie, Gryphon. The Affirmative Action Myth. Fox News. July 14, 2004. http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,125729,00.html. Alexandra, Aggor. Affirmative Action Does More Harm Than Good. Daily Skiff. October 8, 2009. http://media.www.tcudailyskiff.com/media/storage/paper792/news/2009/10/08/Opinion/Affirmative.Action.Does.More.Harm.Than.Good-3796293.shtml. Lynne, Varner. This Affirmative-Action baby. The Seattle Times. January 21, 2009. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21slug=lynne21. Independent student. Editorial: Debating Affirmative Action. The Daily Free Press. April 5, 2007. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21HYPERLINK http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030121slug=lynne21slug=lynne21. Kristina Crawley and Tony Magart. Bulletin Debates Affirmative Action Cons. February 7, 2003. http://media.www.gonzagabulletin.com/media/storage/paper375/news/2003/02/07/Opinion/Bulletin.Debates.Affirmative.Action.Cons.part.2.Of.4-363725.shtml. Marie, Gryphon. The Affirmative Action Myth. Policy Analysis no. 540. April 13, 2005. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3722. Hugh, Price. Fortifying the Case of Diversity and Affirmative Action. https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/hschein/www/readings/Pascarella-myths.html. Peter, Schmidt. Americas Universities Are Living a Diversity Lie. The Wall Street Journal. June 28, 2008. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121460672212612067.html. Ilan, Wurman. Social Science and The Failure of Affirmative Action. December 13, 2006. http://media.www.claremontindependent.com/media/storage/paper1031/news/2006/12/13/Opinion/Social.Science.And.The.Failure.Of.Affirmative.Action-2598560.shtml.

Director Network Influence on Stock Price Cash Risks

Director Network Influence on Stock Price Cash Risks Introduction A sprouting issue in corporate governance and the business world is the concept of executive network. Recent accounting and finance literature use social network theory to explain various corporate behaviors and practices steaming from information, resources exchange and relationship building. The correlation between executive network and earnings management (Omer et al, 2016; Chui, et al 2012), director network and tax management (Brown Drake, 2013), and director network and corporate investment decisions (Singh Schonlau, 2009), among other corporate practices have been capaciously researched but stock price crash risk has been overlooked in the area of social networks. Firms have congruent behavior patterns as a result of the information exchange among them. The observed herding behavior of firms can be explained by social network theory which predicts firms to imitate others especially those perceived to possess superior information (Lieberman Asaba, 2006). Corporate executives have incentives to manipulate the financial performance by withholding bad news (with the believe that such bad news can be over turned in the future) and accelerating the disclosure of good news (as this signifies competency). As directors imitate each other, such behavior can easily diffuse among them. The effect of director networks on firms performance disclosures is multifaced. Prior director network literature document that through information exchange, directors learn from their peers on how to better perform their monitoring and advising roles to maximize shareholder value (Chuluun et al., 2014; Larcker et al., 2013). Directors can enhance their monitoring expertis e by linking up with other directors who are more experienced and connected to other experienced directors. Through the positive learning hypothesis, directors become better monitors of managers of their firms. My conjecture here is that directors can improve their individual expertise and efficiency by obtaining more quality information from other directors. As a two-edged sword, director networks can also be a vehicle for the diffusion of bad corporate practices. Social interactions can act as dais through which information about undesirable corporate practices are exchanged. According to Davis (1991), the diffusion of poison pills adopted among US firms in the late 1980s were engineered through the network directors built. Also, options expending and backdating were documented to relate to networked firms (Reppenhagen 2010, Bizjak et al., 2009). The propensity to replicate bad act when those engaged in the act go scot-free after a long time (Marvin Shigeru, 2006). By the negative learning hypothesis, directors carry information about such bad corporate practices to their firms. This can mitigate against the monitory role of directors hence adversely affect their performance. I assume that directors take the final responsibility for various corporate practices including financial report transparency and disclosures. This proposed study seeks to employ social network and business imitation theory to examine stock price crash, which usually result from hoarding bad news from the stock market. Prior literature argue that managers hoard bad news either to achieve personal goals such as higher compensation, job security and empire building or presumptuously to maximize long-term shareholders value (Ball, 2009; Kothari et al., 2009; Graham et al, 2005). Whatever the goal, whether to achieve personal agenda or to promote shareholder value, bad news hoarded and accumulated for long result in stock price crash. (Hutton et al.,2009; Jin and Myers, 2006). Several papers, summarized below, have explored the connection between crash risk and various firm level characteristics. However, studies that directly investigate stock price risk through executive personal characteristics have concentrated mostly on managers personal attributes such as CEO over confidence but the social structure within which the phenomenon is practiced has largely been ignored. My proposed study seek to examine the empirical link between the relationships directors build and the distribution of stock returns. My study will contribute to the literature in several ways. First, to my knowledge, this will be the first study to examine the relation between director network and stock crash risk. By focusing on a unique perspective, this study will provide new evidence concerning the economic consequences of social imitations. In particular, the findings will identify significant benefits that social interactions bring to firms and their shareholders. Xing, Zhang, and Zhao (2010) and Yan (2011) suggest that extreme outcomes in the equity market are of extreme concerns to shareholders and will require interpretations. Thus, the empirical evidence will be useful for understanding the role that director network plays in influencing both corporate behavior and investor welfare. Second, this will extend the literature on corporate governance by showing the relation between social connectivity and stock price crash risk relative to the strength of corporate governance mechanisms in place in a firm. Th is will provide more explanation on the conventional governance mechanisms in monitoring the flow of corporate information to the equity market. Third, this study will add to the research on bad news hoarding theory of stock price crash risk. In particular, the implication of social interactions for future crash risk will provide valuable insights into the behavioral-sociological nature of managerial manipulation of information. Recent studies on crash risk suggest that managerial bad news hoarding activities can be explain via religion (Jeffrey L. Callen and Xiaohua Fang, 2015), corporate social responsibility (Yongtae Kim, 2014), CEOs over confidence (Jeong-Bon Kim, 2014), CFOs equity incentives (Jeong-Bon Kim, 2011) accounting conservatism (Kim et al, 2010), tax avoidance (Kim et al, 2010), and corporate financial opacity (Hutton et al, 2009). However, it is not clear what role executive social connections and/or social norms play in influencing the behavior to conceal bad news. My study will help to fill this gap in the literature by providing evidence on the relation between director network and crash risk and the consequential role that social connections play on managerial bad news hoarding activities. Last, but not the least, this study will provide investors with priceless information on how the social business environment affects firm behavior, which may help them to predict and eschew future stock price crash in their portfolio investment decisions. Research objective The objective of this study is to find out how stock price crash is influence by the social set up directors build. Specific research questions are; Can stock price crash risk be explained through director network? Does the level of stock price crash risk increase with the degree of executive connectedness? How much dissidence of stock price crash is attributable to director network? Research design The variables for this study-director connectedness and stock price crash risk will be independently estimated using Riskmetrics, CRSP and COMPUSTAT data. The Riskmetrics will be used in computing the measures of directors network. Data on the stock return for the calculating crash risk will be obtained from CRSP while compustat will provide the relevant company financials for my research. My sample size will cover the period of 1990-2014. The result of the first stage estimation will be put into a cross-sectional regression model for further estimation of the relationship between firm networks and stock price crash risk. I will use UCINET/PAJEK to estimate various dimensions of director networks (Omer et al., 2014). Crash risk will be estimated using (Chen et al .2001), Jin and Myers (2006) and Hutton et al (2009) models which provides three measures of crash risk including i) the negative coefficient of skewness of firms specific daily returns, ii) the down-to-up volatility of firm -specific daily returns, and iii) the difference between the number of days with negative extreme firm-specific daily returns and the number of days with positive extreme firm-specific daily returns. The primary model for the regression will be; CrashRiskj =ÃŽÂ ±+ÃŽÂ ²1 DirectorNetworkj + ÃŽÂ ²2Controlvariables + ÃŽÂ µi Where CrashRiskj and DirectorNetworkj refer to the various measurements of crash risks and director networks of firm J respectively. Literature review Former Chairman of the Board of General Motors John G. Smale wrote in 1995: The board is responsible for the successful perpetuation of the corporation. That responsibility cannot be relegated to management. A board of directors is expected to play a key role in corporate governance. The board has responsibility for: CEO selection and succession; providing feedback to management on the organizations strategy; compensating senior executives; monitoring financial health, performance and risk; and ensuring accountability of the organization to its investors and authorities. The board thus play important role in corporate governance hence the need to study the board in broader perspective including their social networks. This is because through network, knowledge, ideas and corporate practices whether good or bad are shared between companies. Director network thus serves vehicle for the spread of behavior between related firms. (Asch 1951; Milgram 1963, Hirshleifer and Teoh (2003, 2009) Director networks Social network theory suggests that individuals behavior is the product of their social interactions and this connection extends to corporate behavior (Jackson, 2008; Newman, 2010). Individuals and their links form a network across which they share ideas and resources, which influences their decision. Under opacity, observe behaviors of others, can provide useful insights (Marvin Shigeru, 2006). Social networks serve as channel for the transmission of information about corporate practices climaxing into herding behavior (Bikhchandani, Hirshleifer, Welch, 1998; Hirshleifer Hong Teoh, 2003). The link can either be direct such as shared directorates, trade partnership or indirect such as friend of friend of friend. Newman (2010) provides evidence on the relevance on the indirect link in the information sharing process. A director with many connections become an information hub making him very powerful in the chain of network. This is described as centrality in the n etwork literature (Jackson, 2008). A direct link to an information hub increases access to more complete information. Also, connection to a direct link to the information hub can acquire some information, though the closer the better. This had led to four measurements of director network namely degree, eigenvector, betweenness and closeness centralities. Degree centrality is the absolute measure of individual social connections and boast of more information. The indirect connection where ideas exchange is from several other links is known as eigenvector centrality. Betweenness centrality relates to information control within the web. In a network, an individual positioned between two others serving as the medium of information exchange between them is viewed as one controlling information flow. The last dimension of network which relates to the proximity to information access to enhance optimization is the closeness centrality. Closeness centrality measures how quick information fr om other members of a network gets to an individual. The closer an individual is to a source of information, the more efficient and easier it is to access information (Jackson, 2008; Newman, 2010). The kind of information received will be parallel to the actions of the individual. I therefore, hypothesize that, firms within the same network will have homogeneous behavior. Director networks and stock price crash risk Financial reports provide information about a firms economic performance. Accounting numbers are crucial for economic decisions of a firms stakeholders but their relevance can only be harness when provided at the right time. Corporate executives naturally exhibit some resistance in disclosing bad performances of their firms and this behavior catalyst to stock price crashes (Hutton et al., 2009; Jin and Myers, 2006). Managers have been reported to have hoard information to opportunistically influence contractual outcomes (Cheng, Man, Yi, 2013, Healy Wahlen, 1999; Verrecchia, 1983). Extant literature documents the motives for information hoarding such as personal gain and career concern. (Kothari et al. 2009). In addition, Ball (2001, 2009) argues that nonfinancial motives, such as empire building and maintaining the esteem of ones peers, also provide powerful incentives for managers to conceal bad performance. Empirically, Kothari et al. (2009) find evidence consistent with the tendency of managers to hoard bad news. The managerial tendency to withhold bad news leads to bad news being stockpiled within the firm. However, there is a certain point at which it becomes too costly or impossible for managers to withhold the bad news (Kothari et al., 2009). When such a tipping point arrives, all the hitherto hidden bad news will come out at once, resulting in a large negative price adjustment, that is, a crash (Hutton et al., 2009; Jin and Myers, 2006). Moreover, Bleck and Liu (2007) argue that the withholding of bad news prevents investors from discerning bad projects from good ones and, therefore, from liquidating bad projects promptly. Thus, bad projects are kept alive and the resulting negative cash flows eventually materialize, triggering asset price crashes. Employing country- and firm-level designs, respectively, Jin and Myers (2006) and Hutton et al. (2009) provide empirical evidence consistent with the above mecha nisms of stock price crashes. Several papers support the linkage of director network to various corporate behaviors such as expending stock option, (Reppenhagen 2010), private equity incentives (Stuart and Yim 2010) stock option backdating (Bizjak et al. 2009) and poison-pill adoption (Davis 1991). Others include director network and mutual fund performance (Cohen, Frazzini, and Malloy, 2008; Kuhnen, 2008), venture capital investments (Hochberg, Ljungqvist, and Lu, 2007), executive compensation (Barnea and Guedj, 2009), and firm governance (Fracassi and Tate, 2008; Hwang and Kim, 2008). They provide empirical evidence on the transfer of behavior between related firms. Building on the literature on social network and the literature on crash risk, I propose that director network can affect firm-level stock price crash risk. Since director network can pass good or bad business practices, it can mitigate or contribute to crash risk, however, the quantum ultimately is an empirical question. The empirical analysis will shed light on this important issue. References Ashbaugh, Hollis, Joachim Gassen, and Ryan Lafond, 2005, Does Stock Price Synchronicity Reflect Information or Noise? The International Evidence, mimeo Barnea, A., Guedj, I., 2009. Director networks. Unpublished working paper. University of Texas, Austin. Brown, J. L., Drake, K. D. (2013). Network ties among low-tax firms. The Accounting Review Chen, J., Hong, H., Stein, J., 2001. Forecasting crashes: Trading volume, past returns, and conditional skewness in stock prices. Journal of Financial Economics Chiu, P.-C., Teoh, S. H., Tian, F. (2012). Board interlocks and earnings management contagion. The Accounting Review Hutton, A.P., Marcus, A.J., Tehranian, H., 2009. Opaque financial reports, R2, and crash risk. Journal of Financial Economics Kim, J.B., Li, Y., Zhang, L., 2011b. CFO vs. CEO: equity incentives and crashes. Journal of Financial Economics Kim, J.B., Zhang, L., 2013. Accounting conservatism and stock price crash risk: firmlevel evidence. Contemporary Accounting Research, forthcoming Kim, J.B., Li, Y., Zhang, L., 2011a. Corporate tax avoidance and stock price crash risk: firm-level analysis. Journal of Financial Economics Kim J-B, Li Y, Zhang L. 2011b. Corporate tax avoidance and stock price crash risk: Firm-level analysis. Journal of Financial Economics Kothari SP, Shu S, Wysocki PD. 2009. Do Managers Withhold Bad News? Journal of Accounting Research Lieberman, M. B., Asaba, S. (2006). Why Do Firms Imitate Each Other? The Academy of Management Review Malmendier U, Tate G. 2005. CEO Overconfidence and Corporate Investment. The Journal of Finance Newman, M. (2010). Networks: an introduction: Oxford University Press Omer, T. C., Shelley, M. K., Tice, F. M. (2014). Do director networks matter for financial reporting quality? Evidence from restatements. Singh, P. V., Schonlau, R. J. (2009). Board Networks and Merger Performance.

An investigation of neutralization reactions Essay -- GCSE Chemistry C

An investigation of neutralization reactions Aim Question : What is the effect of changing the concentration of an alkali, on the volume of acid needed to neutralise it, when acid is added to it? The plan is to use two acids (Hydrochloric & Sulphuric) and one alkali (Sodium Hydroxide). The reason I need to use two acids is; because the question applies to all acids and alkalis and to just use one of each would not enable me to come to a general conclusion. If there had been more time available, ideally I would have preferred to use two alkalis as well as two acids. Predictions First of all, here are the definitions for an acid and an alkali: An acid is a substance that forms hydrogen (H+) ions when placed in water. It can also be described as a proton donor as it provides H+ ions. An alkali is a soluble base and forms hydroxyl ions (OH-) when placed in water. It can be called a proton acceptor because it will accept hydrogen (H+) ions and form H2O. A Hydrochloric acid molecule (HCl) will release one H+ ion and one Cl- ion when placed in water. A Sodium Hydroxide molecule (NaOH) will release one Na+ ion and one OH- ion when placed in water. This means that one molecule of NaOH and one molecule of HCl will neutralise each other and produce H2O and a neutral salt called Sodium Chloride (NaCl). This means that to neutralise HCl and NaOH when they are at the same concentration, you need equal amounts of each. GRAPH On the other hand, a Sulphuric Acid molecule (H2SO4) will release two H+ ions and one SO4-- ions. This means that you need two molecules of NaOH to neutralise one molecule of H2SO4 and produce the neutral salt Sodium Sulphate (Na2SO4). This means ... ... in the following ways : * Instead of using Universal Indicator, I would use an indicator which only changed colour when the solution was Neutral rather than gradually changing as the pH became lower (e.g. Methyl Orange or Phenolphthalein). * To get the pH more accurate next time, a pH meter could be used. * To get it very accurate, the acids and alkalis supplied should be an exact amount (I am not sure whether the ones I used were exact). * To use very recently distilled water, because the water will become acidic if left for a long time. References Books Dunstan, S. 1968. Principles of Chemistry. Van Nostrand Reinhold  · Pages 187-88  · Pages 215- 253 McDuell, B. 1997. GCSE Chemistry Classbook. Letts  · Pages 171-72  · Pages 28-32  · Page 262 Computer programs Microsoft Excel Version 97 Microsoft Word 97 Paint Shop Pro 4

Venezuela- The Age of Exploration :: essays research papers

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Venezuela 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Located on the continent of South America 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25,017,387 (estimated as of July 2004) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Size- 912,050 sq km (land/water) 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  96% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 2% Other Religions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Venezuelans were tracked back to about 13,000 BC. The settlers of that time came from three different directions. Present day Guyana, present day Brazil, and present day Antilles were the three directions. At the time there are about 500,000 indigenous peoples living in Venezuela. There was much diversity in the different tribes that settled there during this time. Religion has always been dominated by the Catholic faith. Some Venezuelans of the time had been farmers, hunters, and fishermen. The name â€Å"Venezuela† was given and the literal translation is â€Å"Little Venice.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Venezuela was rich with grasslands and had six navigable rivers. There were many streams that also ran through the country. Mountainous areas also were abundant in the Venezuelan countryside. Venezuela has a very tropical climate. It is also rich in mineral resources. The country’s most important resource is petroleum. They are also known for their abundance of diamonds and gold which are found in the mountains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christopher Columbus first sighted the coast of Venezuela in 1498. In 1499 Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda followed that same coast to Lake Maracaibo. He was the one who named the region Venezuela because it reminded him of the buildings in Venice. The Spanish had started to settle in Venezuela in 1520. In 1528, Charles V of Spain gave the part of Venezuela that lied between Cape Vela and Maracapana to the Weslers, Bavarian bankers to whom he owed money to. The Weslers were to fill and develop the region as part of the arrangement with Charles V. They were also to set up establishments to live. Instead, their representatives enslaved the Native Americans of the area and so demoralized the European settlers that in 1546 the Spanish government revoked the grant and reassumed control. The first important settlement in Venezuela was that of Caracas which later the capital of this country became. It was settled in 1567.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The economy and its activities in the colonial period centered on agriculture, mainly tobacco and cacao. Some livestock were also traded amongst the people. Venezuela became the center of piracy and illegal smuggling, things both of which the English and the Dutch were the most notorious participants in. Venezuela at the time of colonization operated under a number of administrative jurisdictions.

Bulimia Nervosa and Antidepressant Drugs :: Causes of Bulimia, Eating Disorders

Bulimia Nervosa and Antidepressant Drugs WHAT IS BULIMIA NERVOSA? Bulimia nervosa afflicts mostly women (about 6% of adolescent girls, and 5% of college women). Most individuals with bulimia engage in compensatory activities such as vomiting, laxative abuse, strict dieting, and vigorous exercise (Alexander). PRIMARY SYMPTOMS OF BULIMIA The primary symptoms of bulimia are recurrent episodes of binge eating and compensatory measures to purge the calories. There is an excessive influence of the importance of the body and weight on one's self-evaluation (Negri). Symptoms of bulimia can be quite invisible because the bulimic can maintain normal weight. Occasionally, patterns of behavior may signal a problem: Do they restrict certain food? Do they eat in a ritualistic way? Are they overly concerned with diet? Do they weigh themselves every day? Do large quantities of food disappear from the refrigerator? Do they visit the bathroom soon after meals or frequently? (Negri). Some bulimics have a telltale scar on the first two knuckles of their hand from inducing vomiting. Some purge themselves up to several times a day. This can lead to serious medical consequences: dental cavities, electrolyte imbalances, disturbances in heart rhythm and dangerously low blood pressure (Negri). ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND THE TREATMENT OF BULIMIA Psychiatrist Linda Gochfield, who teaches brief psychotherapies to mental-health professionals, maintains that if people have a problem that responds to medication, that can be the briefest and most effective therapy of all (Davis). While bulimia often occurs with comorbid mood disturbances, the treatment benefit found for antidepressants in bulimia may not be merely alleviation of depressive symptoms; the increased serotonin levels also help reduce food intake. Looking at results of 14 studies of treatment of bulimia with antidepressants, it has been noted that administration to bulimics agents that increase the availability of serotonin virtually always produces better results than placebo, regardless of the presence or absence of depression (Alexander). There is now compelling evidence from double-blind, placebo-controlled studies that antidepressant medication is useful in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. What is less clear is which patients are most likely to benefit from antidepressant medications and how to best sequence the various therapeutic interventions available. The utility of antidepressant medications in bulimia nervosa has led to their evaluation in binge eating disorder. The limited information currently available suggests that antidepressant treatment may be associated with a reduction in binge frequency in obese patients with binge eating disorder, but does not lead to weight reduction.

Scenario Solution

Scenario Solution Jennifer Hinkley HSM/220 November 20, 2011 Ruth Anne Ristow Axia College of University of Phoenix More and more students are dropping out of high school each year. The need to obtain the funds to open up programs that will make sure that these former students can gain the educational skills they need for their future careers. Having an education will ensure that careers is kept. The plan will take a lot of work, understanding, and communication from all parties. The students, educators, and the community are the main parties’ involved. There can be a plan formulated to find the means for these drop-outs to step up to the challenge and gain enough information and confidence to find a job and to hold down that job successfully. It will not be easy to design the format of these informational programs or to raise the funds to do it. We can, however, organize the program formats in several ways. We can divide the work into departments that will help employees the importance of focusing on their assigned work without being distracted by other aspects of the large project. The first step will be to assemble a team of personnel whom focuses their efforts on advertising. This step is crucial to make sure that the students who need help will hear the message implied. The next step in the program would be to get the students enrolled. It might be difficult to make sure that they believe that their efforts, and ours, but counselors will be there to show them that it is for a valuable purpose. In general, high school drop-outs have demonstrated that they are not that motivated to continue their education. Because of this, another team of personnel will be there to ensure that the returning students understand that a high school education and the associated skills are the best route to a respectable job. One disadvantage of this departmental approach is that the organization might lose track of an individual student who was brought into the program. In the event this happens, it might demoralize and de-motivate a student who thinks that they are being treated as if they are â€Å"special. † However, it may turn into an advantage as well. As the students meet many new people who want to help them, it will begin to boost their self-esteem and their sense of self-worth. The feeling of importance and the realization that many people actually care about their future helps tremendously as well. In the event any of the mentioned issues occur, there will be long-term mentors available to the students so that they do not get lost in the educational process. A group of personnel will also be designated for long-term mentorship of these students. The departments may be divided, but they are also a team that is all working towards the same goal. This is a sure way of increasing teamwork within the organization. With each employee working within their own department that they are specialized or certified in, then reporting back to the team, teamwork will grow throughout the organization. Teamwork is an asset for the foundation by itself, but each person can also build on what another has to say by contributing their own thoughts and experiences. Overall, everything will improve. This includes the students, the organization, and the future cooperate world. The matrix organizational form is also worth considering for the organization. In this organizational form, employees are divided into their skills. For example, within our program created for the drop-out students, some employees may be better at advertising and promoting. Some may be a â€Å"people-person† who are easy to talk to and get along well with other people. Then there are some employees that are good with numbers, math, and logistics. The group that is gifted with advertising and promoting would go into the community to contact and recruit drop-outs, so that they know about and can use our program. Advertising is important, because these drop-outs might not be motivated to do much educationally. Charismatic and excitable kinds of people are needed who can encourage the drop-outs along and motivate them when they falter. Our â€Å"people-persons† would be the employees who would mentor individual students. Finally, the personnel whom are talented with numbers and math would cope with the program budget, finances, supplies, and scheduling. Coming up with the excitement to recruit these students is not the only difficulty that is faced. The competition that is out there that offers available, low-skill jobs will give the drop-outs a sense that our services are not needed. This creates a problem for the organization especially with the jobs that do not require an education to be employed there. These jobs are in fast food, manual labor like landscaping, and domestic work. These companies usually do not require a high school education and they often prefer to hire unskilled, low-wage workers. To compete with these operations, the organization should pass out fliers or brochures near the companies, businesses, and neighborhoods that are employing these high school dropouts. Even a few posted fliers in local assistance offices may help. To make sure that these fliers are effective, the organization will have a design team from the marketing department. The design team will design, create, and print pamphlets, fliers, brochures, and other information about the organization. To compete with these low-educational, low-skill jobs, the main goal is to have a plan to make the students think about wanting more in their lives. They might want a more fulfilling job, a better ability to care for their family, or a better income in the future from a better-paying job. The community would have to supply some of the organization's financial needs. A good example is having a place to hold meetings. Meeting outdoors can be productive and fun so that idea does not need to be eliminated. Once a week, instead of paying for a meeting place, a community outreach program can be held at a local park. This provides space, seating, and opportunity. Drop-out students and even their families and friends could meet each other along with possible and current recruited students. This provides open communication about the program as well as an opportunity to answer any questions the public may have. This allows time to share information and just have a fun time outside while learning about the organization. Some community members might not be supportive of our program, as it would use city money to help drop-outs who, they will argue, should have just stayed in high school and gotten the same results for less money. They will ask questions like: Since the government guarantees free high school education for every student, why should we pay money for this new program when their education should have been free to these students in the first place? In counterpoint, an explanation will be given. This explanation is that local schools are losing government funds from the increasing drop-out rate, and in turn the drop-out rate continues to rise. The program does not encourage more students to drop out, but only help students who already have. It will revitalize the education system by driving home the point as to how important a continuing education is to a student and a citizen. For the program to reach its goals, all of the possible foundation employees will need incentives to do their best. So that all of the employees are working at their top level, incentives and reward systems will be created. The employee who is most successful at recruiting drop-outs into the program, for example, will be rewarded. The employees, rather than the manager, will determine who receives the rewards and what they should be. For example, a manager might decide to give an employee a personal reward of funds to take a few over achieving students to dinner. This only provides ample opportunity to continue to motivate and congratulate the students on their progress. There are many ways that upper management can reward employees for helping the foundation, but the best rewards are the ones that employees want. A survey of the employees to find out which rewards would motivate them the best might be a great way. When the organization has met the original goals of the program, the employees who have contributed the most will also be rewarded. This will motivate employees to strive to reach the foundation's goals. Making goals stimulates personal drive, and it will make foundation employees push themselves harder to achieve the most that they can for themselves and for the organization. The program and the goals in its entirety can be reached, but not without a proper budget. The accounting department along with the human resource department will get together every year to create a budget for the organization itself and the program in which they offer. A line item budget shows the total agency budget. It obtains the number in which the organization cannot go over. It is broken down to how much employees are paid as well as the cost of operating. Another budget needed for the organization to operate successfully is a budget for each person in the organization. This includes skills needed, time spent on training, and a reakdown of what can be spent on each student. With all of the time, energy, and good resources, the organization will reach its goals of helping high school dropouts to obtain their diplomas. This organization is for the good of mankind and what can be done to help others in need. This also creates a chance that returning students will encourage their offspring to continue in their education as well to help the number of overall dropouts to decrease. Line Item Budget Revenue $1,600,000 Expenses Personnel Executive director $100,000 Training supervisor $80,000 Trainers $500,000 Administrative coordinator $45,000 Administrative staff $75,000 Total salaries and wages $800,000 Employee-related benefit$200,000 Expenses @ 25% Operating expenses Rent $125,000 Overhead costs$100,000 Utilities $100,000 Office supplies $25,000 Equipment/lease $50,000 Transportation and travel $100,000 Outside consultants $100,000 Total operating expenses $600,000 Total agency budget $1,600,000 Budget for each person Local government workforce agency—functional and program budget 1 2 3 4 Basic skill Outreach Indirect Total rogram program cost and functional overhead budget Expenses Personnel Executive director $100,000 Training supervisor $80,000 Trainers $300,000 $200,000 Administrative $27,000 $18,000 coordinator Administrative staff $45,000 $30,000 Total salaries and $372,000 $248,000 $180,000 wages Employee-related $93,000 $62,000 $45,000 benefit expenses @ 25% Total personnel costs $465,000 $310,000 $225,000 Operating Expenses Rent $75,000 $50,000 Overhead costs $60,000 $40,000 Utilities $60,000 $40,000 Office supplies $15,000 $10,000 Equipment/lease $30,000 $20,000 Transportation and $60,000 $40,000 travel Outside consultants $60,000 $40,000 Total operating $360,000 $240,000 expenses Total agency budget $825,000 $550,000 $225,000 $1,600,000 Number of eligible 1,000 1,000 1,000 students Total budget need per $825 $550 $225 $1,600 eligible student References Ashford, E. 2011, November 11). Helping high school dropouts get on a college, career track. Retrieved 11 16, 2011, from Community College Times: http://www. communitycollegetimes. com/Pages/Campus-Issues/Community-colleges-play-a-key-role-in-dropout-recovery. aspx Haskins, D. B. (2010, Spring). The Future of Children. Retrieved 11 16, 2011, from http://futureofchildren. org: http://futureofchildren. org/futureofchildren/publications/docs/20_01_PolicyBrief. pdf Kettner, P. M. (2002). Achieving Excellence in the Management of Human Services Organizations. Allyn and Bacon.