d Only Known

On the off chance that I’d Only Known As the tune â€Å"Somewhere Over the Rainbow† resounded through my head, I strolled with my sibling one final time. The main thing was, he was in the coffin in front and my folks and I needed to follow sorrowfully behind. As I glanced around, I saw through tear-recolored eyes all the hundred of lives my sibling had contacted. He filled our days with bliss and chuckling and left behind such huge numbers of awesome stories and recollections that will be appreciated in my heart for eternity. At the youthful times of only 19 years of age, my sibling Todd Harris and his companion Ryan Stephenson, had their fantasies and yearnings disappear before them on a vacant expressway only a 30 minutes from their home. At 17 years old, my life changed perpetually as I saw life through various eyes. As I strolled down that walkway, recollections overwhelmed my brain on how this terrible day showed up. It was September twelfth and my sibling and I were simply sitting in his room discussing our arrangements for our end of the week. We were in every case entirely close, however after our folks got a separation, we turned out to be unimaginably close. He became my sibling, yet my closest companion. We did everything together. The issue was our concept of fun was not the most secure method of fun. Our way of life comprised of gatherings, medications, and liquor. We didn't see anything amiss with it. Everybody was doing it and we could deal with it, particularly my older sibling. So there we were, sitting at home making our ordinary arrangements to Mizzou. I typically would simply drive with him, however for reasons unknown I needed to drive my own vehicle. We chose to get together after the game. Be that as it may, by and by the plans changed. I was worn out and despite the fact that I realized he would pay for my beverages, I chose to simply return to my friend’s house. On the off chance that I’d just realized that would have been the latest night I would have seen my brother’s grinning face. In the event that I would have just realized that would have been the last time I would have had the option to fold my arms over him and state I... 'd Only Known Free Essays on If I'd Only Known On the off chance that I’d Only Known As the tune â€Å"Somewhere Over the Rainbow† reverberated through my head, I strolled with my sibling one final time. The main thing was, he was in the coffin in front and my folks and I needed to follow mournfully behind. As I glanced around, I saw through tear-recolored eyes all the hundred of lives my sibling had contacted. He filled our days with bliss and chuckling and left behind such a significant number of great stories and recollections that will be esteemed in my heart until the end of time. At the youthful periods of only 19 years of age, my sibling Todd Harris and his companion Ryan Stephenson, had their fantasies and desires disappear before them on an unfilled expressway only a 30 minutes from their home. At 17 years old, my life changed perpetually as I saw life through various eyes. As I strolled down that path, recollections overflowed my brain on how this terrible day showed up. It was September twelfth and my sibling and I were simply sitting in his room discussing our arrangements for our end of the week. We were in every case quite close, yet after our folks got a separation, we turned out to be amazingly close. He became my sibling, however my closest companion. We did everything together. The issue was our concept of fun was not the most secure method of fun. Our way of life comprised of gatherings, medications, and liquor. We didn't see anything amiss with it. Everybody was doing it and we could deal with it, particularly my elder sibling. So there we were, sitting at home making our ordinary arrangements to Mizzou. I regularly would simply drive with him, however for reasons unknown I needed to drive my own vehicle. We chose to get together after the game. In any case, indeed the plans changed. I was worn out and despite the fact that I realized he would pay for my beverages, I chose to simply return to my friend’s house. On the off chance that I’d just realized that would have been the latest night I would have seen my brother’s grinning face. On the off chance that I would have just realized that would have been the last time I would have had the option to fold my arms over him and state I...

Marketing and Strategy Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Advertising and Strategy Theory - Essay Example The presentation segment analyzes the way that the pace of disappointment for the presentation of new items in retail basic food item industry falls inside the 70 to 80 percent run. It at that point builds up a hypothetical model clarifying why this occurs. The hypothetical model at that point comes full circle in a lot of speculations that are additionally examined by the paper. The end some portion of the paper sums up the principle issues brought out by the paper and gives surmisings where suitable. It at that point affirms that in reality the pace of disappointment for the presentation of new items in retail staple industry falls is high. The pace of disappointment for the presentation of new items in retail staple industry is extremely high; it falls inside the 70 to 80 percent extend. Linton Matysiak and Wilkes is an item improvement and statistical surveying firm spend significant time in transient nourishments. The firm done an audit of 1935 new items presentations by top food organizations in the United States (Linton, Matysiak and Wilkes, 1997). This survey was planned for deciding national presentations, provincial breakdowns, line expansion mortality, new thing mortality and the general item mortality. It additionally wandered into deciding the proportion of line augmentations to new things. The firm inspected various issues, for example, the quantity of product offering expansions, the quantity of imaginative and new things and the areas where new items were presented. Then again, the audit found that the Top 20 staple retailers in the United States appreciate a 76 percent pace of accomplishment in the presentation of new items. Be that as it may, the last 20,000 food organizations in the US found to have somewhat under 12 percent pace of achievement for new items presented (Linton, Matysiak and Wilkes, 1997). The audit found various contrasts between the best 20 organizations and the last 20,000 organizations in new item presentations. An eminent one is the absence of key advertising with respect to the last 20,000 new item presentations. The exploration additionally watched absence of research among the last 20,000 food organizations in the US. Then again, the best twenty organizations were seen to extraordinarily grasp vital showcasing and research. Prior to any new item presentations, these organizations had assembled all the imperative data through research. Key promoting raised them significantly higher (Quinn, 1998). These two perspectives are what are accepted to be the enchantment behind the accomplishment of the main 20 organizations. New item acquaintances were found with cost a normal of $270 per item for each store (Linton, Matysiak and Wilkes, 1997). This is a significant total of cash thinking about that consistently a store may present around 5000 new items. It in this manner turns out to be extremely hard for the little players to contend successfully with the bigger and as of now settled players in the retail staple industry (Porter, 1980). Goods spend about $956,800 for each store, the greater part of which in the end come up short. Key advertising and statistical surveying can in this way go far in expanding the achievement rate for new item presentations. This can incredibly set aside cash for both retail locations and makers, since any effective new item presentation pays off over the long haul. The review additionally saw that large organizations practice vital promoting as a fundamental piece of their everyday business the executives. The firm utilized insights from the US Commerce

Save Money When You Buy Custom Term Papers For Your Childs School

Save Money When You Buy Custom Term Papers For Your Child's SchoolOne of the ways that you can save money when buying custom term papers for your child's school is to look for discount prices on the internet. There are so many companies on the web that sell online, this means you can be able to buy from them at a discount price and get exactly what you need and want.As a parent it is important to make sure that your child is doing well in school, but also to make sure that you are making an impact on their life in some way. Even if you can only make a small difference in their lives by spending a small amount of money, that is a huge sum of money for most parents to live off of.You could consider selling off all of your term papers. After all, the goal is not to waste money, but rather just be able to buy the papers that you want. You can always choose to buy paper stock that you don't really need, but having the papers that you do need can help give you an idea of where your child i s at in his or her studies.Of course you also have to consider the amount of money that you will save by buying cheap term papers. You can probably find out if a particular paper stock is going to be very popular when it comes to the grade. It is important to keep your options open because this way you will always be able to keep a great deal of money in your pocket, which you can use towards other things like vacations or a new outfit.There are several types of custom term papers to choose from. Your children will get an email or a letter every day as they sit at their desk. This paper slips usually contain a series of numbers and letters, but many times they contain a picture of their school mascot, their class schedule, their teachers, etc.The type of custom term papers that you choose to purchase depends upon how serious you want to be in helping your child learn. If you want to be in an informal setting where you want to provide some sort of support to your child, you can choos e paper with pictures. If you want to be more professional, then you should buy custom term papers with numbers and letters that are written in a way that allows a child to memorize the information.When choosing the type of custom term papers that you want to purchase, you should go online and see what is available to you. There are some companies that will offer some fantastic discounts on their various forms of paper, and many of these companies will also have some really great deals on bulk purchases.In addition to the savings that you may be able to find with these bulk discounts, the company that you purchase your papers from should offer their customers a 30 day money back guarantee so that you can be sure that you will be able to return the papers that you do not like for a full refund. After all, who wants to spend any money, especially online, if they are not going to be able to use the papers?

Analysis Of The Book Family On Family - 1674 Words

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY 4MAT Book Review - Family to Family Submitted to Dr Jeff Ward, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of EVAN 525-B08 Contemporary Evangelism by Todd Bush July 3, 2016 Abstract The book Family to Family is a solid aide for the family that has lost association with itself. The very motivation behind the book as expressed by the writers is to discover God’s purpose for your family, develop a family mission statement, establish core values, make time for quality and quantity family time centered around God’s purposes, and equip you to lead your children to Christ and mentor them spiritually. As the writers Pipes and Lee walk the perusers through these ranges, they demonstrate to us generally accepted methods to raise families that are focused on Christ and how guardians can render their faith to their kids and alter the course of them leaving the congregation after reaching the age of eighteen. Family to Family starts with the life of the regular church going family that tries to do an excessive amount of day to day tasks and is not associated with each other through Christ. The writers give the peruser a week after week and day to day list of activities that this normal family has and indicates how this is the reason for their detachment with Christ. Pipes and Lee use information from the American Family Association to demonstrate that Only 34 percent of America’s families eat one meal togetherShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The 3 Questions For A Frantic Family By Patrick Lencioni1446 Words   |  6 Pagesmost important organization, your family. If we used these methods we could create many more memorable moments in our family lives. In the analysis going forward I will outline how to achieve this based on a book by author Patrick Lencioni. It will show the correlation with his thinking to the methods used by today’s leaders. Introduction This paper is to analyze the similarities identified in the book â€Å"The 3 Questions for a Frantic Family† to Andrew Dubrin’s book â€Å"Leadership, Research Findings,Read MoreScrutinizing Child Externalizing Behavioral Problems725 Words   |  3 PagesTitle Page No. Michael M.C; Petit, Gregory S.; Bates, John E.; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Lapp, Amie L. (2009). Family Adversity, Positive Peer Relationships and Childrens Externalizing Behavior: a Longitudinal Perspective on Risk and Resilience. Child Development, 73(4), 1220-1237. 2 Bruce, F; Holloway; Susan D.; and Xiaoyan, L.(1996). Family Selection of Child-Care Centers: The Influence of Household Support, Ethnicity, and Parental Practices, Child Development, 67(1996), 3320-3337. 2 HawkinsRead MoreThe Issue Of Black Slavery906 Words   |  4 Pagescaused a lot of things to happen in the United States of America (Koger 56). The desperate situations that the black slaves encountered have since been recorded by historians and writers. 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Cases such as domestic violence, child custody and visitation, termination of parental rights, c hild abuse and juveniles delinquency are depicted in the book, with person commentary from theRead MoreCold Blood1139 Words   |  5 PagesIn the non-fiction novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote (1965) gives his own narrative of the Holcomb tragedy in which a family of four living out on a secluded farm were slaughtered with a shotgun by the collaboration of two individuals for a seemingly few dollars. In this novel, Capote gives a thorough character description of the two murderers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, as he recreates their experience (much as he sees it as it would be from their eyes). He gives accounts preceding the eventRead MoreThe Family of a Different Feather: Toulmins Model Analysis642 Words   |  3 PagesThe Family of a Different Feather Toulmins Model Analysis VFlores July 6th, 2014 The Family of a Different Feather: Analysis The article â€Å"The Family of a Different Feather†, written by Sarah Yoest Pederson, touches deeply on the issue of same-gender parents and how to explain it to a curious, yet ignorant, child using a well written children’s book. Pederson proposes that children are mostly â€Å"egocentric†, unable to grasp the emotional simplicities between two parents of the same genderRead MoreThe Boy in the Striped Pajamas717 Words   |  3 Pages2.06B Text Analysis: â€Å"Unit 2 Journey to Identity† Text Analysis Title: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas.|Author: John Boyne|Publication Date: | I chose this book because (respond in at least 2 sentences): I chose this book because it has a deep story. 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The Organizational Strategy Of Human Resources - 1287 Words

Human Resource Manager Mary Carnahan HA 302 – Management of Human Resources February 26, 2016 Introduction This is a research paper about the organizational strategy on human resource activities such as health care recruitment and selection of employees, employee appraisal or employee compensation. What are the three laws that HR managers must keep in mind when performing these tasks? What is the impact that these laws have on how an HR manager performs his or her duties? At the end of this research paper I will share with you a story of a HR manager who was asked not to follow one of these laws and what happened as a result. What is a HR Manager? I’ve always thought of an HR manager to be the person who keeps†¦show more content†¦Cultivate younger generations: Sending representatives to talk to middle schools and high schools can plant the seed for the ways in which one can achieve a successful healthcare career. Internships and Returnships: A great way to gain public attention for your organization or to embrace the university system is to include either paid or unpaid (college-credit) internships at your organization. Teaching Hospitals: Through the idea of teaching, your hospital or healthcare firm can offer in-house job training to students with the cooperation or teamwork of local universities by offering college credits to employees who can complete certain tasks. Staffing Agencies: By partnering with a staffing agency that operates on a national level, you can be in constant communication with bodies of people who know of the best-in-class physicians and where they are located. (Ha nna 2014). Selection of employees: The HR manager has to make sure they interview and hire to right employees for any type of business, large or small. â€Å"The human resources department must choose which selection strategies it will adopt to screen candidates and find the best person for each job. The human resources director can choose from among standard selection strategies or combine elements of several to create one that works best for her individual business† (Redman, 2016). Employee appraisal: Of course within anShow MoreRelatedHuman Resource Management And Organizational Strategy752 Words   |  4 Pagesfavoring intelligence over experience in his employees. In modern society, human capital is the most dynamic resources for a company. How to attract excellent human resource and utilize their ability to reach organizational goal is something managers should think about. Strategic human resource management could explain the relationship between human resource manage ment and organizational strategy. The idea of strategic human resource (management) is a relatively new concept. It first introduced in earlyRead More Human Resources and Organizational Strategy Essay2379 Words   |  10 PagesHuman Resources and Organizational Strategy Introduction Organizational success or failure is dependent on a myriad of variables that can be challenging to measure and interpret. Success or failure can simply be luck and timing or an orchestrated and deliberate effort. As new technologies allow organizations the ability to rapidly measure and assess its internal and external environmental factors, more efficient strategies can be quickly implemented. The focus of this literature review is specificallyRead MoreThe Link Between Organizational Strategy And Human Resource Strategies2236 Words   |  9 PagesHR strategies, planning and objectives are intertwined. Discuss how this fact relates to recruitment, and the steps required to ensure a solid recruitment process is put in place. When contemplating the success of an organisation, it is typically correlated with the impression that maximum productivity is required to reflect higher levels of profit. This may be true in most cases and because of this, it is important to take into account some factors that may be a catalyst for success. Human ResourcesRead MoreIssues in Human Resource Strategies That Improve Organizational Performance2263 Words   |  10 Pagesproducts and processes; improving quality, productivity, and speed to market; and more importantly by improving their individual performance within the organization. In order to do this, a set of distinctive human resource strategies, defined as internally consistent bundles of human resource practices (Dyer Reeves, 1995), is clearly essential. Sparrow and Marchington (1998) suggested that HR practices are the most advanced, the most sophisticated, and the most efficient basis for organizing andRead MoreOrganizational Change Scenario Analysis On Human Re source Management Strategies1970 Words   |  8 PagesHRM CONSULTANCY REPORT FOR LANX TEXTILES UK, BY IKECHUKWU ONYEJEKWE 2016 SECTION 1: ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE SCENARIO ANALYSIS Unit 1: Human Resource Management Strategies Assumptions †¢ My scenario organization is Lanx, the UK-based textile production company. †¢ Let us assume the managers in Lanx have 1-year duration to resume in Delhi, India. †¢ The company would undertake the training on intercultural communication within the 12 months period. †¢ The 5 managers will go without their familiesRead MoreHuman Resource Management : A Competitive Advantage Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesIV. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE â€Å"It allows a firm to gain an edge over rivals when competing. 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For instance, Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba, his company is one of the biggest internet company in China, because he successfully assemble the resource of small company in a competitive environment. In addition, he put the customers and staff intoRead MoreThe Key to Hrm Is the Link Between Organizational Activities, Employees and Business Strategy. Culture Is Often Overlooked Within Understanding How Employees Behave.1032 Words   |  5 PagesThe Key to HRM is the link between organizational activities, employees and business st rategy. Culture is often overlooked within understanding how employees behave. Stone (2010, p. 4) defines human resource management (HRM) to have a focus on managing people within employer and employee relationship. There is a specific link between the productive use of people achieving the organization’s strategic business objectives of which involve a certain time frame and the satisfaction of individual

Mary Flannery OConnor One of the Best Short Story...

One of the best short story writers of her day, Mary Flannery O’Connor was a brilliant writer, and still is, highly acclaimed. Her unique style of writing has a large part in her continued popularity. Ann Garbett states,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦O’Connor combined religious themes from her Roman Catholic vision with a comically realist character from the rural Protestant south to create a fiction that is simultaneously serious and comic† (1910). Mary O’Connor Flannery was an extremely talented young author who experienced hardships throughout her short life’ However, she used these experiences, her Roman Catholic faith, and the writings of William Faulkner and Nathanael West to develop highly praised short stories and novels such as â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Lowell also introduced O’Connor to the two people who would grow to become her closest friends, Robert and Sally Fitzgerald. She had much in common with the Fitzgeralds; Robert Fitzgerald was a poet and both he and his wife were Catholic. O’Connor actually lived with them in Ridgefield, Connecticut until she was diagnosed with disseminated lupus – the same disease that killed her father. By this time, the disease was treatable but not curable. She decided to move back to Milledgeville to live with her mother on their five hundred and fifty acre dairy farm under strict medical supervision. Throughout this difficult time, O’Connor continued to write and inspire young people to do the same. When asked to speak at a college or event, O’Connor always readily agreed. â€Å"She took advantage of these opportunities not only to give perceptive talks on the nature of fiction, but to clarify her own position as a writer â€Å"with Christian concerns†Ã¢â‚¬  (Encyclopedia of World Biography). In 1952, O’Connor’s first novel Wise Blood was published. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† and The Violent Bear it Away, soon followed. O’Connor received many awards for her writing such as honorary degrees at St. Mary’s College and Smith College, three O. Henry awards, the Kenyon Review Fellowship in Fiction and many more. There were many things in her life that influenced the styles of not just these stories but her other books as well. One of the most common inShow MoreRelatedFlannery O Connor Is Considered One Of The Most Successful Writer979 Words   |  4 PagesMary Flannery O’Connor is considered one of the most successful short story writers in history. She composed her works during a period of prosperity and economic boom following World War II. Although the economy was thriving, the 1950’s were a period of struggle for women’s rights, as well as other minorities. (Digital History) Based on her success, one could conclude O’Connor exceeded all barriers against women during the fifties. Flannery O’Connor’s life experiences based on her faith, her novelsRead MoreThe 1950’s: The Meaning Behind the Decade Essay1835 Words   |  8 Pagesindividual. The true meaning of this movement was vague, but followers believed that society was trying to contr ol their every action. Many authors and philosophers of this decade wrote on the subject of existentialism, including Flannery O’Connor. Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"Good Country People,† was published in 1955 and demonstrates the 1950’s view of existentialism through the use of symbolism and irony. Sports reached a new height in the fabulous fifties, both professionally and recreationallyRead More A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Mary Flannery O’Connor Essay1515 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Flannery O’Connor, the writer of many short stories known for their cruel endings and religious themes, wrote â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† in 1955. â€Å"Her works combine flat realism with grotesque situations; violence occurs without apparent reason or preparation.† (Roberts 429). â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† is about a southern family’s trip to Florida which takes a dramatic turn. This story was written in O’Connor’s first collection of short stories. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find†Read MoreFamily, By Flannery O Connor1803 Words   |  8 PagesIn every home, there is a different definition of family and how family should treat each other. Two short stories were read by an author named Flannery O’Connor. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†. It was about a dysfunctional family who encounters a criminal named â€Å"The Misfit†. The grandmother which is the main character is ver y judgmental towards others and sometimes her own family at times. This story starts off with a disagreement on where to go for a family trip, but they decide on going to Florida

Chronicle of a Death Foretold Essay Example For Students

Chronicle of a Death Foretold Essay Hopper 4 story because Alba is a symbol of new hope and joy amongst the Trueba and del Valle family, even more so for Esteban Trueba. For Estebean Trueba, Alba is truly dawn; for as the sun rises from darkness, Esteban Truebas love and admiration for Alba arises from bitter emotions towards all else. Likewise, Rosa is another symbolic name. Rosa is from Spanish origins meaning Rose, a flower that has symbolized beauty in almost all cultures and generations. Rosa in The House of the Spirits is the most beautiful girl that anyone has ever seen. Though rose flowers are admired for their beauty just as Rosa is, they have thorns that can damage the skin; Rosa in The House of the Spirits has her own thorns that eventually damage others. For she dies young and leaves Esteban Trueba heartbroken, and also the events of her autopsy leave Clara traumatized for many years. Because Chronicle of a Death Foretold uses ordinary names, it adds another asset to the already confusing plot, that of more confusion. Names such as Santiago Nasaar, Angela Vicario, etc. are non-symbolic and are a conflicting addition to the badly ordered chain of events that surround the death of Santiago Nasaar as well as magical realism used throughout the book. The House of the Spirits opposes this style of writing by adding names that are symbolic of that characters role in the story and thus the plot of the novel. Names such as Clara, Rosa and Alba foreshadow their roles in the story. The Significance of Names in the Plots of Chronicle of a Death Foretold and The House of the Spirits Zephaniah Hopper IB World Literature 26 May 2009. Works Cited 1. Allende, Isabel. House of the spirits. New York: Bantam, 1986 2. Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. New York: Vintage, 2003.

The aging population of Japan Essay Example

The aging population of Japan Paper Japan is the oldest Nation in the world. The percentage of the population above 65 years is 19. 7%, which is 25. 2 million Japanese. This is higher than most of the other aging countries such as Italy 19. 6%, Germany 18. 6%, and France 16. 3%. This percentage has increased drastically since 1950 when it was 4. 9% and it is expected to reach 36. 5% by 2050. This obviously have a huge impact on the over all dependency ratio. 1 The average life expectancy in Japan is 81. 6 (77. 9 for males and for 85. 1 for females). In 2002 Japan was recorded to have the highest life expectancy compared to other developed countries such as USA, 77. 1 and Switzerland 79. 1. Japan, a country which had a life expectancy below most developed countries in the 1950, 63. 9, (partly due to World War II) has made advances in medical technology and improvements in sanitation. The increase in recent years is also due the fact that there havent been any major outbreaks of flu or other infectious diseases. Japans life expectancy is expected to increase to 88. 1 by the year 2050. Japan is becoming older and is losing its youth. The percentage of children aged 0-14 will be 14% of the entire population in 2005. This figure is slowly is slowly decreasing and has been for 50 years (1950s percentage was 35. 4%). This is because of the reduced fertility; people are too busy and decide to have children late. Japanese people work 1966 hours a year that is about 300 more hours of work than the Germans, who work on average 1590 hours per year. 2 More and more women are receiving higher education, 48% of the women continue on to higher education whereas only 42% of the men go on to higher education. Women who get a job and go on to higher wages dont want to get married and because if they dont get married they gather seniority therefore getting more pay. We will write a custom essay sample on The aging population of Japan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The aging population of Japan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The aging population of Japan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer (The starting pay for men and women is about the same) 3 In the 1950s Japan had a population pyramid similar to the developing countries of today which is called expansive. Its population then was 83. 2 million. It had a large base to the mini baby boom between 1947 and 1949. Although there was a significantly large fall in each of the upward age groups due to high death rates and short life expectancy. The shortfall in the age group 30-39 was due to the casualties of World War II. Japans population pyramid started to look more like a developed country in the years to come; the base became smaller and the life expectancy rose rapidly. Japans population pyramid of 2000, is similar to most developing countries although it might soon plunge into the next stage very soon. Sweden which has reached a stage further than most developed countries has fertility as low as Japan. Sweden which once had one of the highest fertility rates is now falling rapidly. Its population in 2000 was 126. 9 million (more accurate population pyramid for 2000 at end of the essay). The population of Japan has not started to decline yet although it is bound to happen very soon. The population grew just 0. 17% in 2002. If the growth rate continues to shrink at its current pace the population will reach its peak by the year 2007. Also by 2007 the percentage of people aging above 65 will reach 20%, it will be the first country to do so. This is Japans population pyramid prediction for 2050. Its population will have started to decline considerably. More than one third of the population will be above 65 whereas only 13% of the population will be below 15 years. By then Japan would have gone through several problems due to its aging community. Demographers have predicted that 36. 5% of the population will be 65+. This is a national average; some regions in Japan will have a low aging population whereas others will have a high aging population. It has also been projected that by 2025 there will be communities where 80%+ of the population is 65 and over. This is also reflected in the median age of Japans population is relatively high compared to other countries, 42. 8. This obviously has an affect on the dependency ratio. Right now the elderly dependency ration alone (child dependency ratio is with children under 15) is about 30%. That would mean three working age people would have to support one elder. This is projected to increase rapidly in the coming years. In 2050 demographers expect the dependency ratio to be three people from the working population to support two elderly people. Tax revenues will cause problems for the working population, which therefore create problems for the government because of its huge deficit. .. There are several ways the government could control the aging population, although this would cost a lot. I think that the government should provide incentives for large families, two or more children so that the population should increase slowly and therefore increasing the youth population, raising fertility. This although take a long time, and couples would have to have time to take for the children and the hours of work would have to be reduced. The Government have been trying to reduce number of hours worked a year so that people that have more time to spend with their children. Another idea to increase the young population and have people have more children would be to import people from developing countries (probably skilled so that they would be able to level up to Japanese standards or they might just have people to do civil work). This would probably have an affect on the population, the people coming from outside would have larger families, even though the work load is hard because they believe that they should have a lot of children, therefore increasing the under 15 population. There is also the negative fact that the young generations might start bring dominantly foreigners. It the population is aging and it is hard to cope with, then they might as well move, export the aging people out, which has been happening recently. This would reduce the tax revenues on old people, and make the population younger. This of course not easy to do due to the cost needed to move the old people and etc. Increasing retirement age will not in theory affect the aging population; it would just reduce taxes for elder. Although this might have a physiological affect on the population and they might think of having children. The population might appreciate working for an extra 10 years or more, and hence it is not easy to pass such a law. People might be getting married, or living together and be sexually active but children are not being born because of contraceptives and abortion. Abortion should be made illegal, making people have children if they are pregnant. This might not have a great affect on the population, but it might stabilize the under 15 population or might even slowly increase. The problem is that if Japan continues like this and doesnt have more children and the percentage of people over 65 increases at a steady speed, the dependency ratio is going to be a one point is very close to one to one. This mean that the government will not be able to raise tax revenues to make the working population support the elders, but instead the population above 65 will have to support themselves, get their own medications. This means that the current working population will have to start saving up money because the government wont be able to pay for them. Thus the working population wont be able to spend money on children and remain childless, decreasing the population. (Didnt use this graph because you couldnt see the labels on a small scale). Country Year Child-dependency ratio Elderly-dependency ratioTotal dependency ratio Median age (years) Â  http://esa. un. org/unpp/index. asp? panel=2 (2005) 2 http://www. mofa. go. jp/j_info/japan/socsec/ogawa. html 3 http://www. mofa. go. jp/j_info/japan/socsec/ogawa. html Pictures- http://www. hino. meisei-u. ac. jp/econ/fnet/indexi. html.

Dhl Logistics Essay Example

Dhl Logistics Essay Example Dhl Logistics Essay Dhl Logistics Essay DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt Historical development of logistics The great logistics success story Logistics has been playing a fundamental role in global development for almost 5,000 years now. Since the construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt, logistics has made remarkable strides. Time and again, brilliant logistics solutions have formed the basis for the transition to a new historical and economic era. Examples of this fundamental progress include the invention of the sea-cargo container and the creation of novel service systems during the 20th century. Both are integral parts of globalization today. Around 2700 B. C. : Material handling technology in pyramid construction. Blocks of stone weighing several tons were transported and assembled at the construction site. To build the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is 146 meters high and weighs 6 million tons, the Egyptians needed sophisticated material transport equipment capable of moving the massive building blocks and putting them into place. Even today, we still cannot fully explain how this level of precision was achieved using the hoisting equipment and means of transport available around 2700 B. C [1]. 1/7 DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt Around 300 B. C. : Revolutionary Greek rowing vessels – the new foundation of intercontinental trade. The revolutionary invention of rowing vessels created the basis for rapid travel across the high seas. This invention formed the foundation for the creation of enormous logistics supply systems required by mobile army camps. Using these logistics capacities, Alexander the Great undertook campaigns with his troops, their families and their weapons of war that extended all the way to India [1]. Around A. D. 700: Procurement logistics in the construction of the Mezquita Mosque – pillars came to Spain from all parts of the Islamic empire. Construction of the famous Mezquita Mosque in Cordoba, Spain, began in 756 under the Caliph of Cordoba in the Umayyad dynasty. It is considered to be the largest mosque in Europe. Extraordinary procurement logistics was required to transport the pillars of the mosque from all parts of the Islamic empire [1]. 2/7 DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt Around 1200: The international network known as the Hanseatic League – cooperation for transport bundling and international sea transport. In 1188, the city of Hamburg, Germany, was founded as a base on the North Sea for the Hanseatic League to make travel on the sea more secure and to represent business interests abroad. Up to 200,000 fur pelts were transported by a single Hanseatic cog ship. Hanseatic trade extended from the Black Sea to Reval. From a modern-day vantage point, the league’s cross-border trade bears strong similarities to the European Union [1]. Around 1500: Progressive postal service in Europe – the first time-definite mail shipping service. Under an agreement with Philipp of Burgundy, Franz von Taxis organized the first postal service with strictly defined transit times. Letters were delivered to places such as Paris, Ghent, Spain and the imperial court of Vienna. In view of the infrastructure of the times and the political fragmentation created by the array of small principalities, the mail reached its destination with very little delay [1]. 3/7 DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt Around 1800: Discovery of new road conveyances and the railroad – expansion of logistics tasks through new technologies and means of transport. The practical use of the steam engine, the invention of vehicles, railroads and ships as well as the discovery of crude oil ushered in a new economic era that generated new missions, tools and opportunities for logistics [1]. Around 1940: Military logistics during the world wars – transfer of military logistics concepts to the business world. During World War I, military logistics was the vital link in the network that supplied troops with rations, weapons and equipment. With the onset of World War II, logistics was further refined. As a result, logistics gained an important place in the business world as well. 4/7 DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt 1956: Invention of the sea container – structural evolution of world trade and the boom of international flows of goods. The invention of the sea container by the American Malcom P. McLean changed production conditions for nearly all industries around the world and, as a result, altered people’s consumption habits. Even today, the sea container continues to ensure that harbors gain major contracts, new countries and regions experience commercial booms, markets arise and products from all parts of the world can be bought and sold at reasonable prices. In this way, the container has significantly contributed to globalization. Around 1970 – 1980: Kanban and just-in-time – logistics concepts with a special emphasis on procurement. The Kanban and just-in-time (JIT) concepts were developed and introduced at Japan’s Toyota Motor Co. by Taiichi Ohno – with the objective of effectively linking logistics to other operational functions. Special emphasis was placed on procurement. 5/7 DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt Around 1990: QR and ECR technologies – logistics concepts with a special emphasis on distribution. The quick response and efficient consumer response (ECR) technologies were developed during the 1990s and applied by many retail and wholesale companies. These technologies had a major impact on logistics. As a result of this technology, distribution centers are tasked with moving goods instead of storing them. This allows companies to accelerate reaction times to market developments and to set up efficient goods-supply systems. Today: Supply chain management – a look at the entire logistics chain from the vendor’s supplier to the end customer. Supply chain management is a term that has grown enormously in use and significance since the late 1980s. Today, supply chain management is viewed as a holistic consideration of key business processes that extend from the vendor’s supplier to the end user. Accordingly, supply chain management is an extremely interactive, complex system requiring simultaneous monitoring of many conflicting objectives. 6/7 DHL Logbook in cooperation with Technical University Darmstadt Today: Advancing globalization – efficient logistics as a competitive edge in the era of globalization. Global competition began to arise and spread in the 1970s and accelerated in the 1990s. Globalization is still moving forward today. Efficient logistics creates a crucial competitive edge for companies that are expanding in global markets. Successful logistics efforts in international supply chains can fuel the development of global markets. From pyramid construction to the supply chain Recommended reading Logistik Stories | Gopfert / Froschmayer 2005 Strategic Logistics Management | Stock / Lambert 2001 References [1] Episoden des Logistik-Managements in Antike und Mittelalter | Dulfer 2005. In: Logistik Stories | Gopfert / Froschmayer (Hrsg. ) Related articles Trends in the economy as drivers of logistics development URL dhldiscoverlogistics. com/cms/en/course/origin/historical_development. jsp 7/7

Art and architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art and architecture - Essay Example This feature of art came with the civilization of humans, and it was dominant among the Middle Eastern Cultures, which included Egypt and Assyria. Actually, they were a development of pictorial images where the aspect of three dimensions was captured in the end products. In America, the art was introduced by the Italian sculptors. Below is a relief sculpture of the famous Mohammed and historical law-givers. This bas type figure is found in the Supreme Court building. The building is based in Washington, DC. Corinthian column Corinthian columns represent some of the oldest Greek architecture. It dates back to the fifth century BC. They came into existence through the inventions of Callimachus, who was a sculptor and architect then in Greece. It is named after Corinth, which is a city in Greece. It is amazing that despite this technology having originated in Greece, it is more advanced and widely used in other parts of the world like Rome, Italy and America than it is used in Greece. A dditionally, among all the orders which had been developed by then, it remains to be the most ornate to date. Basically, it is just a column style which depicts classical orders for architecture, and it has its top decorated with very lavish ornaments as seen from the picture below. The tops have a finishing, which makes them look as flowers and acanthus leaves, and the shaft is grooved but not necessarily always. The ornaments flare outwards. This is the Corinthian column found at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Similar style is found at the Supreme Court building. The finishing styles may vary. Dome In its simplest form, a dome can be described as an architectural hemisphere which in most cases forms the roofs of buildings. It is hollow inside and mostly has a polygonal base which holds it strong. Dome structures are very strong, and since times immemorial, they have been used to depict efficiency and strength of architectural designs and structures. Many years ago in t he Middle East, domes were common in modest buildings or tombs of eminent persons houses, but the architecture was accentuated by the Roman Architecture Revolution in temple architecture. Domes technology was further advanced by spread of Christianity. The Muslim influence through the conquest of Greek-Roman Syria also adopted the technology in almost all their structures. The name â€Å"dome† credits the shape of the structure, which is a round-vault. Today, this technology still continues, and in America it was influenced by the ideologies of the Renaissance period. The US Capitol build has a dome on its roof, and it is used to signify the strength of democracy, which the US advocates, and efficiency in the building of the structure. Below is the picture of the Dome of the US Capital. Engaged column This is a very expensive architecture technology. Basically, it is a column that is partially attached to the wall. It can be said to be a â€Å"hemisphere column,† but t he projections vary between a third and a quarter of its diameter. This configuration earns its name, â€Å"the engaged column,† from the aspect of it being engaged to the wall. All over the world, the technology has been used most in cella walls. It is very common in the Roman architecture, mainly being used for ornamental purposes in the architecture. Historically, they were observed in the fifth

Lifes Dream to Be a Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lifes Dream to Be a Teacher - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that deciding to become a teacher was difficult and an inspirational move, but much insight was gained into one’s personality as a result. Perhaps now-President Barack Obama said it best.   In today’s society,   â€Å"...what's troubling is†¦our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our seeming inability to build a working consensus to tackle any big problem.†Ã‚   Deciding to become a teacher, for many reasons, was definitely a struggle.   Many times, this author pondered the significance of the impact that could be had on children's lives-all because a career in teaching would be the ultimate choice. Deciding to become a teacher was a personal inspiration-not only to this author but to this author's family, friends, and co-workers. Many people derived happiness from knowing this. Some of the most important people in my life have been teachers who inspired me. Deciding to become a teacher gave this author insig ht into one's personality. This author's life was about more than the act of teaching. This was the job of a lifetime which would require this author to work at a depth scarcely imaginable-which was a welcome challenge.

A Model Of Consumer Behavior Online

A Model Of Consumer Behavior Online Del Monte operates in a very competitive global food industry. In addition to manufacturing canned fruits and vegetables for human consumption, Del Monte produces pet food such as Gravy Train, 9 Lives, and Meow Mix. Therefore, using market research the company constantly looks for innovative ways to increase its competitive edge. The company also decided to implement social media. Once Del Monte made the decision to deploy social media projects, the company had to decide how best to use social media research to support its diverse product line-in this case dog food. The Solution The basic idea was first to connect and collaborate with dog lovers via social networks. Since the corporate IT department was not equipped to deal with social network research, Del Monte hired Market Tools Inc., a market research firm. With the help of Market Tools Inc., Del Monte began offering an online platform for customers to chat and comment on blog entries about different Del Monte products. Using their propriety software, Market Tools monitors millions of relevant blogs in the blogsphere as well as forums in social networks, in order to identify key ideas and issues that consumers are interested in, analyze them, and then predict consumer behavior trends. To analyze the collected data, Del Monte teamed up with Umbria (a division of J. D. Power and Associates), a pioneer in drawing market intelligence from the online community. Umbria assisted in further analysis of and in profiling the collected information. Such analysis is usually done by using computerized tools such as monitoring consumer interactions, analyzing consumers sentiments, and using social analytics methods (e.g., see Hedin, et al. 2011 and Jayanti 2010). By utilizing social media, Del Monte can conduct market research much more efficiently. The conventional approach was to use questionnaires or focus groups that were expensive and difficult to fill with qualified participants. Using social media, Del Monte can gather much of the same or more qualitative data faster and at a lower price. All that is required now is to monitor customer conversations, collect the data, and analyze the vast amount of information. The software also facilitates subgroup creation, idea generation, and panel creation. The results of the analysis help Del Monte understand its customers and consequently plan its marketing activities, communication strategies, and customer service applications. The results also help evaluate the success of marketing campaigns, how well the business processes accomplished the goals, and better justify proposed new activities. The Experiment Del Monte used the above application first to help improve its dog treat, Snausages Breakfast Bites. For guidance, Del Monte relied on its dog lovers social community. By monitoring customer blogs and by posting questions to customers to stimulate discussions, Del Monte used text analysis methods to investigate the relationship between dogs and their owners. Del Monte concluded that owners of small dogs would be the major purchasers of Snausages Breakfast Bites. The company also found differences due to the age of owners, and discovered other people-dogs relationships. Next, a small sample of the improved dog food was produced and tested in the physical market. As a result of both social media and physical research, the product design decisions were revised. Also, marketing promotions were modified. The product sells better because the dogs love it. Finally, the new approach solidified the community of dog lovers who are happy that their opinions are considered. The Results Product cycle time was reduced by more than 50 percent to only 6 months, and Del Monte was able to develop a better marketing communication strategy. Furthermore, the analysis helped the company better understand customers and their purchasing activities as well as predicting market trends and identifying and anticipating opportunities. Note: Similar research on cat food was conducted in 2012 in an online survey, by Kelton Research, using e-mail invitation and an online survey. For details see Meow Mix (2012). Sources: Compiled from Steel (2008), Greengard (2008), Hedin et al. (2011), Jayanti (2010), Meow Mix (2012), Wikivest (2012), and Market Tools (2008). What we can learnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The opening case illustrates that market research can be useful in a competitive market by providing insights for better product development and marketing strategy. In this case, the company collected data online from its socially-oriented customers. Market Tools Inc. monitored conversations (over 50 millions of them) on blogs and discussion rooms to find the voice of the customers. The collected data were then analyzed. The results of the analysis helped Del Monte improve its dog food and devise new marketing strategies. Market research, as seen in the case, is related to consumer behavior, purchasing decision making, behavioral marketing, and advertising strategies; all these topics are addressed in this chapter. 9.1 Learning About Consumer Behavior Online Companies are operating in an increasingly competitive environment. Therefore, they please customers and influence them to buy their goods and services. Finding and retaining customers are major critical success factors for most businesses, both offline and online. One of the key elements in building effective customer relationships is an understanding of consumer shopping behavior online. A Model of Consumer Behavior Online For decades, market researchers have tried to understand consumer shopping behavior, and have summarized their findings in various models. The purpose of a consumer behavior model is to help vendors understand how a consumer makes a purchasing decision. If a firm understands the decision process, it may be able to better influence the buyers decision, for example, through advertising or special promotions. Before examining the consumer behavior models variables, lets describe who the EC consumers are. Online consumers can be divided into two types: individual consumers (who get much of the media attention) and organizational buyers, who do most of the actual shopping in cyberspace in terms of dollar volume of sales. Organizational buyers include governments, private corporations, resellers, and nonprofit organizations. Purchases by organizational buyers are generally used to add value to materials or products. Also, organizational buyers may purchase products for resale without any further modifications. We discuss organizational purchasing in detail in Chapter 5 (e-procurement) and will focus on individual consumers in this chapter. The purpose of a consumer behavior model (for individuals) is to show factors that affect consumer behavior. Exhibit 9.1 shows the basic elements of a consumer behavior model. The model is composed of two major parts: influential factors and the consumer decision process. [Insert Exhibit 9.1 here] Æ’ËÅ" Influential factors. Five dimensions are considered to affect consumer behavior. They are consumer characteristics, environmental characteristics, merchant and intermediary characteristics (which are at the top of the exhibit and are considered uncontrollable from the sellers point of view), product/service characteristics (which include market stimuli), and EC systems. The last two are mostly controlled by the sellers. Exhibit 9.1 illustrates the major variables in each influential dimension. A more detailed description is provided in Online File W9.1. Æ’ËÅ" The attitude-behavior decision process. The consumer decision process usually starts with a positive attitude and ends with the buyers decision to purchase and/or repurchase. A favorable attitude would lead to a stronger buying intention, which in turn would result in the actual buying behavior. Previous research has shown that the linkages among the previously mentioned three constructs are quite strong. For example, Ranganathan and Jha (2007) found that past online shopping experiences have the strongest associations with online purchase intention, followed by customer concerns, website quality, and computer self-efficacy. Therefore, developing a positive consumer attitude plays a central role in the final purchase decision. The Major Influential Factors These factors fall into the following categories: Personal characteristics. Personal characteristics, which are shown in the top-left portion of Exhibit 9.1, refer to demographic factors, individual preferences, and behavioral characteristics. Several websites provide information on customer buying habits online (e.g., emarketer.com, clickz.com, and comscore.com). The major demographics that such sites track are gender, age, marital status, educational level, ethnicity, occupation, and household income, which can be correlated with Internet usage and EC data. Males and females have been found to perceive information differently depending on their levels of purchase confidence and internal knowledge (Barber et al. 2009). A recent survey by Crespo and Bosque (2010) shows that shopping experience has a significant effect on consumer attitude and intention to purchase online. Psychological variables such as personality and lifestyle characteristics are also studied by marketers. These variables are briefly mentioned in several places throughout the text. The reader who is interested in the impact of lifestyle differences on online shopping may see Wang et al. (2006). Product/service factors. The second group of factors is related to the product/service itself. Whether a consumer decides to buy is affected by the nature of the product/service in the transaction. These may include the price, quality, design, brand, and other related attributes of the product. Merchant and intermediary factors. Online transactions may also be affected by the merchant that provides the product/service. This group of factors includes merchant reputation, size of transaction, trust in the merchant, and so on. For example, people feel more secure when they purchase from Amazon.com (due to its reputation) than from a no-name seller. Other factors such as marketing strategy and advertising can also play a major role. EC systems. The EC platform for online transactions (e.g., security protection, payment mechanism, and so forth) offered by the merchant may also have effects. EC design factors can be divided into motivational and hygiene factors. Motivational factors were found to be more important than hygiene factors in attracting online customers (Liang and Lai 2002). Perceived usability is highly related to user preference for commercial websites (Lee and Koubek 2010). Motivational factors. Motivational factors are the functions available on the website to provide direct support in the transactional process (e.g., search engine, shopping carts, multiple payment methods). Hygiene factors. Hygiene factors are functions available on the website whose main purpose is to prevent possible trouble in the process (e.g., security and product status tracking). Environmental factors. The environment in which a transaction occurs may affect a consumers purchase decision. As shown in Exhibit 8.1, environmental variables can be grouped into the following categories: Social variables. People are influenced by family members, friends, coworkers, and whats in fashion this year. Therefore, social variables (such as customer endorsement, word-of-mouth) play an important role in EC. Of special importance in EC are Internet communities (see Chapter 7) and discussion groups, in which people communicate via chat rooms, electronic bulletin boards, twitting, and newsgroups. These topics are discussed in various places in the text. Cultural/community variables. It makes a big difference in what people buy if a consumer lives near Silicon Valley in California or in the mountains in Nepal. Chinese shoppers may differ from French shoppers, and rural shoppers may differ from urban ones. Other environmental variables. These include aspects such as available information, government regulations, legal constraints, and situational factors. [Comp: please shade the bullet list] Section 9.1 Ã… ¸ Review Questions 1. Describe the major components and structure of the consumer online purchasing behavior model. 2. List some major personal characteristics that influence consumer behavior. 3. List the major environmental variables of the purchasing environment. 4. List and describe five major merchant-related variables. 5. Describe the relationships among attitude, intention, and actual behavior in the behavior process model. 9.2 The Consumer Purchasing Decision-Making Process Consumer behavior is a major element in the process of consumers decisions to purchase or repurchase. A Generic Purchasing-Decision Model From the consumers perspective, a general purchasing-decision model consists of five major phases (Hawkins and Mothersbaugh 2010). In each phase, we can distinguish several activities and, in some, one or more decisions. The five phases are (1) need identification, (2) information search, (3) evaluation of alternatives, (4) purchase and delivery, and (5) postpurchase activities. Although these phases offer a general guide to the consumer decision-making process, one should not assume that every consumers decision-making process will necessarily proceed in this order. In fact, some consumers may proceed to a specific phase and then revert to a previous phase, or they may skip a phase altogether. The phases are discussed in more details next. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Need identification. The first phase occurs when a consumer is faced with an imbalance between the actual and the desired states of a need. A marketers goal is to get the consumer to recognize such imbalance and then convince the consumer that the product or service the seller offers will fill this gap. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Information search. After identifying the need, the consumer searches for information on the various alternatives available to satisfy the need. Here, we differentiate between two decisions: what product to buy (product brokering) and from whom to buy it (merchant brokering). These two decisions can be separate or combined. In the consumers search for information, catalogs, advertising, promotions, and reference groups could influence decision making. During this phase, online product search and comparison engines, see examples at shopping.com, buyersindex.com, and mysimon.com, can be very helpful. (See decision aids in Chapter 3.) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Evaluation of Alternatives. The consumers information search will eventually generate a smaller set of preferred alternatives. From this set, the would-be buyer will further evaluate the alternatives and, if possible, negotiate terms. In this phase, a consumer will use the collected information to develop a set of criteria. These criteria will help the consumer evaluate and compare alternatives. For online consumers, the activities may include evaluation of product prices and features. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Purchase and delivery. After evaluating the alternatives, the consumer will make the purchasing decision, arrange payment and delivery, purchase warranties, and so on. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Postpurchase activities. The final phase is a postpurchase phase, which consists of customer service and evaluation of the usefulness of the product. Customer services and consumer satisfaction will result in positive experience and word-of-mouth (e.g., This product is really great! or We really received good service when we had problems.). If the customer is satisfied with the product and services, loyalty will increase and repeat purchases will occur afterward. [Comp: please shade the bullet list] Several other purchasing-decision models have been proposed. A classic (1925) model for describing consumer message processing is the Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) model at Wikipedia (see AIDA at Wikipedia). It argues that consumer processing of an advertising message (part of the information search phase) includes the following four stages: 1. A-Attention (Awareness). The first step is to get the customers attention. 2. I-Interest. By demonstrating features, advantages, and benefits, the customer becomes interested in the product. 3. D-Desire. Convice the customers that they want the product or service and that it will suit their needs. 4. A-Action. Finally, the consumer will take action toward purchasing. Now, some researchers also add another letter to form AIDA(S), where: 5. S-Satisfaction. Customer satisfaction will generate higher loyalty and lead to repurchase after using a product/service. (Loyalty, satisfaction, and trust are discussed in Online File W9.2.) A recent version of AIDA is the AISAS model proposed by the Dentsu Group that is tailored to online behavior. The model replaces decision with search and adds share to show the increased word-of-mouth effect on the Internet. It indicates that consumers go through a process of Attention-Interest-Search-Action-Share in their online decision process. This model is particularly suitable for social commerce. Customer Decision Support in Web Purchasing The preceding generic purchasing-decision model was widely used in research on consumer-based EC. In the Web-based environment, decision support is available in each phase. The framework that is illustrated in Online File W9.3 shows that each of the phases of the purchasing model, which were described earlier, can be supported by both a consumer decision support system (CDSS) that facilitates the process and Internet and Web-aiding facilities. The CDSS facilities support the specific decisions in the process. Generic EC technologies and analytics provide the necessary mechanisms as well as enhanced communication and collaboration tools. Specific implementation of this framework and explanations of some of the terms are provided throughout this chapter and the entire text. The planner of B2C marketing needs to consider the Web purchasing models in order to better influence the customers decision-making process (e.g., by effective one-to-one advertising and marketing). [Insert Exhibit 9.2 here] Online File W9.1 shows a model for a website that supports buyer searching and decision making. This model revises the generic model by describing a purchasing framework. The model is divided into three parts. The first includes three stages of buyer behavior (see top of exhibit): identify and manage buying criteria, search for products and merchants, and compare alternatives. Below these activities are boxes with decision support options that support the three top boxes (such as product representation).. The second part of the model (on the right) has a box that includes price, financial terms, shipping and warranty negotiations. These become relevant when alternatives are compared. The third part at the bottom of the exhibit, major concerns are cited. Players in the Consumer Decision Process Several different people may play roles in various phases of the consumer decision process. The following are five major roles: 1. Initiator. The person who first suggests or thinks of the idea of buying a particular product or service. 2. Influencer. A person whose advice or view carries some weight in making a final purchasing decision. 3. Decider. The person who ultimately makes a buying decision or any part of it-whether to buy, what to buy, how to buy, or where to buy. 4. Buyer. The person who makes an actual purchase. 5. User. The person who consumes or uses a product or service. [Comp: please shade the number list] A single person may play all the roles if the product or service is for personal use. In this case, the marketer needs to understand and target such individuals. In many situations, however, different people may play different roles. For example, a newly graduated engineer proposed to buy a car for his mother, which was followed by suggestions from his father and friends. Finally, he followed his fathers suggestion to buy the car. When more than one individual comes into play, it becomes more difficult to properly target advertising and marketing. Different marketing efforts may be designed to target people who are playing different roles. Section 9.2 Ã… ¸ Review Questions 1. List the five phases of the generic purchasing-decision model. 2. Use an example to explain the five phases in the generic purchasing-decision model. 3. Describe the supporting functions available in Web-based purchasing. 4. Describe AIDA and AISAS models and analyze their differences in illustrating an online purchasing behavior. 5. Describe the major players in a purchasing decision. 9.3 LOYALTY, SATISFACTION, AND TRUST IN E-COMMERCE Good online marketing activity can generate positive effects, which are generally observed as trust, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Loyalty is the goal of marketing, while trust and customer satisfaction are factors that may affect customer loyalty. CUSTOMER LOYALTY One of the major objectives of marketing is to increase customer loyalty (recall the Netflix case). Customer loyalty refers to a deep commitment to repurchase or repatronize a preferred product/service continually in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand-set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts that have the potential to cause switching behavior. Customer acquisition and retention is a critical success factor in e-tailing. The expense of acquiring a new customer can be more than $100; even for Amazon.com, which has a huge reach, it is more than $15. In contrast, the cost of maintaining an existing customer at Amazon.com is $2 to $4. Attracting and retaining loyal customers remains the most important issue for any selling company, including e-tailers. Increased customer loyalty can result in cost savings to a company in various ways: lower marketing and advertising costs, lower transaction costs, lower customer turnover expenses, lower failure costs such as warranty claims, and so on. Customer loyalty also strengthens a companys market position because loyal customers are kept away from the competition. In addition, customer loyalty can lead to high resistance to competitors, a decrease in price sensitivity, and an increase in favorable word of mouth. Loyalty programs were introduced more than 100 years ago and are widely used among airlines, retailers, hotel chains, banks, casinos, car rentals, restaurants, and credit card companies. But now, loyalty programs have been computerized and expanded to all kinds of businesses. For example, Octopus Hong Kong (octopuscards.com), a stored-value card operator, launched a reward program for consumers aimed at increasing card usage across Hong Kong. Reward points are gained by purchasing at a number of leading merchants across the territory, including Wellcome, Watsons, UA Cinemas, and McDonalds. Each Octopus card can store up to 1,000 rewards points, which can be redeemed on the next purchase. FANCL, see the company atfancl.com, a Japanese cosmetics and health-care company, offers the FANCL point program where consumers earn FANCL points that are saved for gift redemption. However, the introduction of Internet technologies and social networking has the potential to undermine brands and discourage customer loyalty. The customers ability to shop, compare, get quick advice from friends, and switch to different vendors becomes easier, faster, and less expensive, given the aid of search engines and other technologies. Furthermore, customers are less loyal to the brand because of the lower switching costs for them to take advantage of special online offers and promotions, as well as to try new things. It is interesting to note that companies have found that loyal customers end up buying more when they have an optional website from which to shop. For example, W.W. Grainger, a large industrial-supply company, found that loyal B2B customers increased their purchases substantially when they began using Graingers website (grainger.com). (See Chapter 4 for more information.) Also, loyal customers may refer other customers to a site, especially with word of mouth in social networks. Therefore, it is important for EC companies to increase customer loyalty. The Web offers ample opportunities to do so. E-Loyalty E-loyalty refers to a customers loyalty to an e-tailer or a manufacturer that sells directly online, or to loyalty programs delivered online or supported electronically. Companies can foster e-loyalty by learning about their customers needs, interacting with customers, and providing superb customer service. Another source of information is colloquy.com, which concentrates on loyalty marketing. In an online environment, merchant ratings can be the source of interpersonal communication and are obtained from other consumers, not just friends and family. It is interesting to note that positive customer reviews have considerable impact on repurchase intention. It is not the total number of reviews that influences customer repurchase intention, but the percentage of positive reviews. This increases e-loyalty. (For reviews and recommendations in social networks, see Chapter 7.) Also, online ratings and word of mouth may undermine the effects of competitors low prices. For example, Amazon.com has higher prices than Half.com, but Amazon.com is still preferred by many customers. The difference is that Amazon.com has customer reviews and other personalization services, and Half.com does not. Many factors may affect customer loyalty and e-loyalty. A typical model is to check the relationship quality between retailers and their customers, which often is composed of trust, satisfaction, and commitment. Satisfaction and trust are particularly important because they will lead to commitment. For example, a recent study by Cyr (2008) found that e-loyalty is affected by trust and satisfaction across different cultures. Hence, we shall further discuss these two factors. SATISFACTION IN EC Satisfaction is one of the most important success measures in the B2C online environment. Customer satisfaction is associated with several key outcomes (e.g., repeat purchase, positive word of mouth, and so on) and it can lead to higher customer loyalty. A survey indicates that 80 percent of highly satisfied online consumers would shop again within two months, and 90 percent would recommend Internet retailers to others. However, 87 percent of dissatisfied consumers would permanently leave their Internet retailers without any complaints (Cheung and Lee 2005). Satisfaction has received considerable attention in studies of consumer-based EC. For example, ForeSee Results, an online customer satisfaction measurement company, developed the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) (theasci.org) for measuring customer satisfaction with EC. The Customer Respect Group (customerrespect.com) also provides an index to measure customers online experiences. The Customer Respect Index (CRI) includes the following components: simplicity, responsiveness, transparency, principles, attitude, and privacy. Researchers have proposed several models to explain the formation of satisfaction with online shopping. For example, Cheung and Lee (2005) proposed a framework for consumer satisfaction with Internet shopping by correlating the end-user satisfaction perspective with the service quality viewpoint. The framework is shown in Exhibit 9.3. The ability to predict consumer satisfaction can be useful in designing websites as well as advertising and marketing strategies. However, website designers should also pay attention to the nature of website features including navigational, visual, and information design (Cyr 2008). Different features have different impacts on customer (dis)satisfaction. If certain website features, such as reliability of content, loading speed, and usefulness fail to perform properly, customer satisfaction will drop dramatically. In contrast, if features such as those make the usage enjoyable, entertaining, and useful, they could result in a significant jump in customer satisfaction. [Insert Exhibit 9.3 here] Factors that Affect Consumer Satisfaction with Internet Shopping TRUST IN EC Trust is the psychological status of depending on another person or organization to achieve a planned goal. When people trust each other, they have confidence that their transaction partners will keep their promises. However, both parties in a transaction assume some risk. In the electronic marketplace, sellers and buyers do not meet face to face. The buyer can see a picture of the product but not the product itself. Promises of quality and delivery time can be easily made-but will they be kept? To deal with these issues, EC vendors need to establish high levels of trust with current and potential customers. Trust is particularly important in global EC transactions due to the difficulty of taking legal action in cases of a dispute or fraud and the potential for conflicts caused by differences in culture and business environments. In addition to sellers and buyers trusting each other, both must have trust in the EC computing environment and in the EC infrastructure. For example, if people do not trust the security of the EC infrastructure, they will not feel comfortable about using credit cards to make EC purchases. EC Trust Models Trust in e-commerce is often called online trust. Several models have been put forth to explain the factors that may affect online trust. For example, Lee and Turban (2001) examined the various aspects of EC trust and developed the model shown in Online File W9.2. According to this model, the level of trust is determined by numerous variables (factors) shown on the left side and in the middle of the exhibit. The exhibit illustrates the complexity of trust relationships, especially in B2C EC. [Enter Exhibit 9.4 here] EC Trust Model A newer model expands previous ones to include internal and external factors. Internal factors are directly related to online services provided by the vendor, and external factors are those that have indirect relationships (Salo and Karjaluoto 2007). How to Increase Trust in EC Consumer trust is fundamental to successful online retailing; it is considered the currency of the Internet. The following are representative strategies for building consumer trust in EC. Improve Your Website. The most important factor that affects online trust is the quality of the website. Cyr (2008) found that the navigational, visual, and information design of a website affect consumer trust. Gregg and Walczak (2010) reported a positive relationship between website quality and trust. Higher perceived website quality induces higher trust and price premium based on a survey of 701 eBay users. Therefore, how to design the EC website that delivers high-quality information and navigational experience

Richard Leakey :: essays research papers fc

Introduction to Anthropology Linda Samland Homo habilis, Richard Erskine Leakey, was born December 19, 1944 in Nairobi, Kenya. His parents were the esteemed anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey. Leakey decided at an early age that he wanted nothing to do with paleoanthropology and dropped out of high school. Over the next few years Leakey trapped wild animals, supplied skeletons to institutions, started a safari business and taught himself to fly. In 1964, he led an expedition to a fossil site he had seen from the air and discovered that he enjoyed looking for fossils. He also discovered that although he technically led the expedition all the fame went to the scientists who studied the specimens. In 1965 Leakey went to England to study for a degree. Richard successfully schooled himself by completing a two-year secondary education program in six months. In 1966, Leakey married Margaret Cropper an archeologist who had worked with the Leakey family (World Book). After working on a French/ Kenyan/ American joint expedition in Ethiopia, Leakey realized that his lack of scientific qualifications hindered his progress. Leakey asked the National Geographic Society for funds to run his own excavation at Lake Turkana in Kenya. From 1967-1977, Leakey and his co-workers dug up approximately 400 fossils that accounted for 230 individuals. Leakey's most important discovery was an almost complete skull found in 1977, which Richard believed to be a new species called Homo habilis. Richard Leakey’s accomplishments are discovering the crania of Australopithecus boisei in 1969 with archeologist Glynn Isaac on the East shores of Lake Turkana. He also discovered a Homo habilis skull in 1972 and a Homo erectus skull in 1975(Human Evolution). In 1969, Leakey was diagnosed, with terminal kidney disease, with a prognosis of less than ten years to live. Leakey received a kidney transplant from his younger brother Philip. That same year Leakey and his wife divorced. In 1970, he married Meave Epps a zoologist who specializes in primates. They have two daughters Louise born in 1972 and Samira born in 1974(Encyclopedia Americana). Leakey was appointed, administrative director in 1968 of the National Museum of Kenya and was promoted to director in 1974. Fossil hunting expeditions continued, but on a much smaller scale as Leakey devoted more of his time to running the museum. In 1984, Leakey and his team found the most impressive fossil of his career. It was the nearly complete skeleton of a Homo erectus boy (Origins).

Insider Dealing in Hong Kong Essay

Although insider dealing has been a criminal offence under section 291 of Chapter 571, Securities and Futures Ordinance (SFO) in Hong Kong since 2003, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) was initially slow to prosecute offenders, commencing its first criminal insider dealing prosecution only in January 2008. Factors to be considered to commence criminal proceedings In deciding whether to commence criminal proceedings against an alleged insider dealer, the SFC will have regard to the guidelines in the prosecution policy of the Department of Justice, which require two basic factors to be considered: 1. Sufficiency of evidence The burden of proof is greater in criminal proceedings and the SFC will generally only recommend criminal proceedings where there is admissible, substantial and reliable evidence that an offence has been committed and there is a reasonable prospect of a conviction. Where there is a lack of sufficient evidence to meet the criminal burden of proof, the SFC is likely to initiate civil proceedings. 2. Public interest Whether, taking into account the circumstances of a particular case, it is in the public interest to bring a prosecution before the courts. First Criminal Case of Insider Dealing in Hong Kong In the case of HKSAR v Ma Hon-yeung (DCCC 229-240/2008) which involved Ma Hon-yeung, former Vice President of BNP Paribas Peregrine Capital Ltd, now known as BNP Paribas Capital (Asia Pacific) Ltd (BNP Paribas), an investment bank. The case is related to trading in the shares of Egana Jewellery & Pearls Ltd (â€Å"Egana†), a listed company in Hong Kong prior to an announcement made to the market on 11 Jul 2006 aboutprivatization of the company. Ma Hon-yeung learned of a proposed privatization of Egana and tipped off his girlfriend, Ivy Lo Yuk-wah and three other family members, Sammy Ma Hon-kit, Cordelia Tso Kin-wah and Ronald Ma Chun-ho, within days of becoming privy to the proposed deal. All of them bought shares in Egana before the company announced a privatization plan and made a profit as a result. Between 1 June 2006 and 6 July 2006, trading in Egana’s shares ranged between HK$1.35 and HK$1.61 with average daily turnover of 636,630 shares. Trading in the shares of Egana and EganaGoldpfeil were suspended on 7 July 2006 pending an announcement. On 11 July 2006, Egana and EganaGoldpfeil made a joint announcement about a proposed privatization of Egana. The proposal offered shareholders a choice of receiving HK$1.80 per share or one share of EganaGoldpfeil for every 1.5 Egana shares or a combination of both. Following the announcement on 11 July 2006 the share price closed at HK$1.84 with substantially increased turnover of 25 million shares. The privatization proposal was approved by shareholders and by the court and became effective on 23 October 2006. Egana was delisted on the following day. Ma acted as a financial consultant for Egana during the privatization move, which he knew was confidential, price sensitive information. Ma had counselled or procured Ivy and Sammy to trade in Egana shares. He was convicted of insider dealing contrary to section 291(1)(b). Ivy, bought 1.51 million shares in Egana between June 20 and July 6, 2006. She was convicted of insider dealing contrary to section 291(5)(a). Ma transferred a total HK$1.7 million into Ivy’s account before the privatization announcement. She later sold the shares and transferred the money back to Ma’s account. Sammy , Cordelia and Ronald bought Egana shares separately from July 6. Sammy, Ronald and Cordelia traded in Egana shares having information through Ma’s connection to Egana about the proposed privatisation. Owing to their close family relationship between Ma andhis three family members, who received and made profit by utilizing such information, all of them were convicted of insider dealing contrary to section 291(5)(a) and (8) of SFO. Ma and Ivy were given custodial sentences of 26 months and 12months respectively. Ma’s three family members were ordered to serve 200 hours of community service. Fines were also imposed in amounts equivalent to the profits they had made while dealing in Egana shares ahead of the privatization which are HK$230,000, HK$210,000, HK$330,000, HK$110,000 and HK$17,000 respectively. The Court also ordered them to pay the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) investigation costs totaling HK$322,742. This is the first time any person has been sentenced to jail for insider dealing in Hong Kong. The family members avoided custodial sentences because they were merely opportunistic investors making use of the relevant information divulged by the vice-president. There was no evidence that they assisted him in carrying out his plot for personal gain by using insider information. The conduct of the girlfriend, on the other hand, warranted a custodial sentence as she was the person executing the plot on behalf of the vice-president. She was fully aware of his position of trust in the financial institution and had used her trading account to perpetrate the plot. As such, the court viewed her involvement in the misconduct as being much more serious than that of an opportunistic investor; community service could not adequately reflect her culpability. However, we continue to see obvious and flagrant breaches of the insider dealing laws, such as insiders and/or their families’ members will exploited the confidential information they obtained to make a gain on disposal of shares. One of the reasons may be that the punishment for insider dealing in Hong Kong is mild for the offenders.

Albion College Admissions ACT Scores, Financial Aid...

Albion College accepted 72 percent of students in 2016, and most hard-working students have a good chance of being admitted. Matriculated students tend to have grades and standardized test scores that are average or better. In addition to looking at an applicants GPA, test scores (either from the SAT or ACT), and academic curriculum, the school looks at extracurricular activities, an applicants writing abilities, and letters of recommendation. Admissions Data (2016): Albion College Acceptance Rate: 72 percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Albion AdmissionsTest Scores -- 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 430 / 590SAT Math: 450 / 620What these SAT numbers meanCompare top Michigan colleges SAT scoresACT Composite: 20 / 26ACT English: 20 / 26ACT Math: 19 / 26What these ACT numbers meanCompare top Michigan colleges ACT scores Albion College Description: Albion College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Albion, a small city in south-central Michigan. The college was founded in 1835 and has ties to the United Methodist Church. The schools strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  Honor Society. Academics at Albion are supported by a 12  to 1 student / faculty ratio. On the student life front, Albion students keep themselves busy -- the college has over 100 student organizations, six fraternities and six sororities. In athletics, Albion competes in the NCAA Division III Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 1,418  (all undergraduate)Gender Breakdown: 48  percent male / 52 percent female98  percent full-time Costs (2016 - 17): Tuition and Fees: $41,040Books: $700 (why so much?)Room and Board: $11,610Other Expenses: $800Total Cost: $54,150 Albion College Financial Aid (2015  - 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 100 percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 100 percentLoans: 67 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $31,224Loans: $7,414 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Economics, English, History, Political Science, Psychology Retention and Graduation Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 71 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 61 percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 71 percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Swimming, Football, Soccer, Track and Field, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Lacrosse, Baseball, TennisWomens Sports:  Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Track and Field, Lacrosse, Basketball, Swimming Data Source: The National Center for Educational Statistics and the Albion Website Albion and the Common Application Albion College uses the Common Application. These articles can help guide you: Common Application essay tips and samplesShort answer tips and samplesSupplemental essay tips and samples