Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example While on the other hand, same words even refer to the atrocities experienced by African American while they stood up for their rights. The most disturbing picture that comes to our minds when we talk of civil rights is the mass murder of black school girls who were killed while they were participating in Sunday school and a bomb struck the 16th street Baptist Church. Such images marks the movements made by the blacks to gain their rights and the aggressive response of the whites (Mertz, 2010). Through the Civil Rights Movement is said to have initiated during the 1950s, but its origins date back to the era when first Africans migrated to US. The base of the entire Civil Rights Movement was laid down by the fight for rights conducted by the early slaved African Americans. Body History During 1619, first ever slaves were transacted to America and the slavery of the blacks continued until Civil War broke out and the 13th Amendment was passed. Even after blacks gained their freedom, they were still not educated and had little or no ownership of property and were subjected to unequal treatment especially in the Southern region where the majority of the slave used to live. To solve the scenario and to help blacks adjust with the whites, several reforms were made during the 10 years period of 1865 and 1875, this ten year period was recognized as the Reconstruction era (McGuire, 2011). One of the major measures taken the government was the 14th and the 15th Amendment which provided the African Americans with the right to vote and to be considered as equal citizens of US. Drastic moves were made, but these moves and their effect existed for a very short period of time. The white population in the South made every move to ensure that blacks do not enjoy the newly rights given to them by the government. Blacks were subjected to harassing behavior, those who harassed them includes the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). The KKK inflicted pain due to which the blacks were not able to exerc ise their newly awarded rights. The rights assigned to the blacks were already being violated and during this period, all the efforts of the blacks to gain their rights experienced a huge setback due to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson case. The ruling stated that if the facilities provided to both the races are equal in nature, then the blacks and whites can divided legally (Anderson, 1986). The problem was that the black population never enjoyed equal rights and the decision of the court provided the whites with the power of being an obstacle in letting the blacks enjoy their basic rights. The power of the whites led to the creation of Jim Crow laws, according to these laws different public properties were created for the blacks and whites, these properties include: public schools, parks, restaurants and vehicles. Due to these laws and the division of public property, black Americans stood against the strategies of the government that were unequ al and unjust in nature. A very prominent figure who stood up against these acts of discrimination was W.E.B Du Bois. This figure urged the black Americans to stand up for their rights and this followed the creation of NAACP

The genetic basis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) Essay

The genetic basis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency - Essay Example 008, pp.64, define G6PD deficiency as â€Å"an X-linked, hereditary genetic defect due to mutations in the G6PD gene, which cause functional variants with many biochemical and clinical phenotypes†. Most of the mutations are single base changes that result in amino acid substitutions. G6PD deficiency presents itself clinically in the form of acute haemolytic anaemia (Capellini & Fiorelli, 2008). The gene responsible for the production of the enzyme G6PD is the G6PD gene G6PD is the catalyst responsible for oxidising glucose-6-phosphate to 6-phosphogluconate, while at the same time it is also responsible for the reduction of the oxidised form of nicotanamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This function of G6PD in the production of NADPH is important, as it is NADPH that plays a role as a cofactor in many biosynthetic reactions and maintaining glutathione in its reduced form (Carter & Gross, 2008). Reduced glutathione functions as a scavenger within cells, removing the dangerous oxidative metabolites in the cells. In addition with assistance from the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, it neutralizes hydrogen peroxide, which is harmful to the cell, by converting it to water. G6PD and its role in the production of NAPDH is important to red blood cells, as NAPDH is the sole contributor of protection to the red blood cells against oxidative stresses, The importance of G6PD to the red blood cells lies in it being the sole source of NAPDH and the protection NAPDH offers the red blood cells (Carter & Gross, 2008). The G6PD gene that is responsible for the enzyme Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase is found on the terminal region of the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq28), at a distance of less than 2 centi-Morgan centrometric to the Factor VIII gene. G6PD deficiency is a genetic condition, wherein the molecular grounds for the disease stems from mutations in the G6PD locus at Xq28. The length of the gene is 18

What It Means To Be Canadian

What It Means To Be Canadian To no ones surprise, being a Canadian means different things to different people and it is quite commonplace for many Canadians to have multiple identities and even multiple allegiances. Predictably, it is not always clear how these multiple identities can fit into Canadian society and fault lines inevitably arise between those with different identities. The next several pages will look at the oldest fault-line of them all at least among Canadians of European extraction which is the fault line between English-speaking Canadians and French-speaking Canadians. It resonates with this writer because, frankly, so much of our constitutional and political history has been wrapped up with trying to resolve the grievances and insecurities of French Canadians. For those within and without this fault line, Canadian identity is complicated because those who fall outside it people who have arrived from Asia or the Caribbean or from various other parts of the world are subtly reminded, through official bilingualism and through the constant constitutional wrangling over whether or not Quebec is a distinct society, that perhaps they are not true or authentic Canadians in the way some other groups are. Further, for French Canadians, the battle has always been between identifying themselves as Canadians or identifying themselves as French-Canadians who deserve to stand apart from other Canadians. This paper will look at the French-English divide in Canada by providing a brief historical overview of the tensions that have long existed between the two sides; as should be plain, the divide has been with us since before Confederation and will surely be with us for some time still to come. The paper will then turn to look at the introduction of Bill 101 in 1977 and how that ushered in a new era of strained English-French relations. With that out of the way, the paper will subsequently observe how the fault line in general has complicated how people who associate with this group identity interact within Canadian society? In short, how have French Canadians (the minority group and the group most likely to be inflamed by linguistic considerations) interacted within Canada in light of the powerful divide that separates them and that exacerbates their hostilities towards one another? With special reference to French Canadians, what does it mean to them (or what has it meant to them rec ently) to be Canadian within the context of Canada? Last of all, the essay will explore what the future of the Canadian national identity might well be should tensions in this fault line increase or tensions in other fault lines increase. We can all imagine that simmering tensions will weaken the connective tissue that binds Canadians together and will create the prospect for the fragmentation of Canadian society unless common ground is found. The only saving grace for Canada with regards to this particular English-French divide is that demographic factors may end up resolving it by changing the composition of Quebec and of Canada so dramatically that the country no longer much cares about English-French hostilities. Historical context of the English-French divide The simple reality is that tensions between English and French have always been a part of the Canadian landscape. In the eighteenth century, the British and French bitterly wrestled for control of North America and, at the end of that century and in the early decades of the next one, there was a significant divide between the French Canadians of Lower Canada and the English elites of that province who deigned to pass measures from on high. Suffice it to say, the educated professional elite that dominated the legislative assembly of Lower Canada from the turn of the nineteenth century onwards reacted most negatively to the disproportionate power held by (and general unresponsiveness exhibited by) the English-dominated colonial executive (executive council) and by the British-appointed governor (Greer, 1993). The end result was the ill-fated and violent 1837 Rebellion in Lower Canada when French-Canadian nationalists finally exploded in armed outrage at the refusal of the British gover nment to seriously contemplate the democratization of the Legislative Council (Breakenridge Read, 2008). As most students of Canadian history are aware, the aforementioned rebellion led to the Durham Report of 1839 wherein John Lambton, the Earl of Durham, advocated the cultural assimilation of French Canadian Lower Canada into a larger union with Lower Canada that would be dominated by the English. In effect, the best way to resolve the sense of grievance percolating in the hearts of French Canadians was to simply assimilate them (Van Male, 1997). For Lord Durham, what was tearing at the entrails of Lower Canada was a profound ethnic and linguistic conflict that fundamentally involved two nations warring in the bosom of a single state (quoted in Greer, 1993, p.153). Ultimately, though tensions did lessen somewhat from their high water mark in the late 1830s, the old animosity never completely went away: at least one observer has written about this tragic element in our historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.this is a country of ingrown prejudicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.unthinking, irrational and mean (Lower Q uoted in Cameron, 1997, p.372). During the subsequent generations, the animus between French Canadians and English Canadians always lurked just beneath the surface and could burst into flame at any moment. In general, many of the most significant moments in Canadian history have either revolved around French-English rapprochement the original constitutional deliberations of the 1860s or have revolved around French-Canadian animosities spilling into the open: the Conscription Crises of Two World Wars; the Richard riots of the 1950s; the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s and the federal governments attempts to head off Quebec nationalism; and the hotly-contested separatist referenda of 1980 and 1995. If one wants to understand the constitutional morass of the 1970s and 1980s (or 1990s) or if one wants to understand the original inspiration for Canadian multiculturalism (for more on how official multiculturalism under Trudeau was chiefly a response to Quebec nationalism, please see Tierney, 2007), then one must understand the fault line between English and French in Canada. Naturally, one of the greatest sources of tension of all was the battle on the part of French Canadians to protect the ir linguistic inheritance from the encroachment of the English majority. Discussion and analysis: how has the divide between English and French, and the formulation of Bill 101, impacted the interactions between the two groups within Canada? The 1977 Quebec language law was probably an inevitable consequence of the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s; protecting French culture from Les Anglais, after all, necessarily meant protecting the language from desecration and from conquest at the hands of English. Specifically, French-Canadian academics at the start of the 1970s wrote that the history of French Canada within the Canadian Confederation was very often a history of fighting to maintain the integrity of the French language. The passage of the Trudeau governments Official Language Law in 1970 saw French recognized as an official language in all federal affairs and constituted a victory of sorts, but the corresponding (and rather surprising) efforts of the Quebec government to pass Bill 63 a bill that would have granted the English language official status in Quebec was perceived as a direct threat to the primacy of the French language and viewed as setting the groundwork for the anglification of the population of Quebec ( Angers, 1970). Obviously, this raised the temperature in the room when it came to the ongoing debate about what measures should be taken to protect the French language in Quebec and expedited the arrival of Bill 101. The fault line between French Canada and English Canada has impacted or complicated how both groups (but particularly French Canadians) interact with Canada and with their Canadian identity in the sense that it has created a hyphenated group of Canadians who can be reliably expected to break down on the issues according to their linguistic background. The great conscription crises and the animus unleashed in the two referendum campaigns nearly a generation apart attest to how people on both sides (but especially French Canadians) have elected to define themselves by the language they speak than by the country of which they are a part. Bill 101, maybe more than any other single piece of legislation, reminded all Canadians of how the fault line between English and French was predicated upon concerns over language and, specifically, whose language would survive over time. Examining the act itself, Bill 101 was an act that mandated a number of things that could only have heightened the mistrust and paranoia of the English-speaking minority in Quebec at the same time as it surely disenchanted new arrivals from elsewhere in the world. Notably, Bill 101 decreed that French-only public signs were to be a feature of the province; French became the language of work in public institutions; and the autonomy of English schools in Quebec was sharply reduced (Levine, 1990). And, as most students are aware, and as our course notes remind us, Bill 101 also mandated that all students receive their schooling in French. The bill was a shot across the bow of English Quebec and divided Canadians dramatically along ethic and linguistic affiliation. To get to the heart of the matter, for French Canadians, Bill 101 was simply a re-conquest that merely asserted that French was the dominate language of la Belle Province; for English-speaking Quebeckers, however, the passage of Bill 101 was a clear repudiation of the English language as it stripped away the Charter status of the English language and also limited the rights and privileges of a linguistic group that, historically, had wielded most of the power in Quebec (Levine, 1990, p.119). Now, and maybe forever after, the centrality of language to ones conception of his or herself and his or her place in Canada could no longer be swept under the rug and the pretence that we were/are all loyal Canadians first was shattered. In general, Bill 101 has allowed the French language to retain somewhat of its lustre amongst visible minorities arriving in Quebec: recent data compiled by the Canadian Human Rights Commission indicates that, by a 2 to 1 margin, French is the first official language of visible minorities in the province (Canadian Human Rights Commission, 2007). Source: Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2007). Strategic Initiatives: section 6 Quebec. Retrieved August 5, 2010 from http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/proactive_initiatives/bvm_mvb/page6-en.asp Information such as that above indicates that any hopes of complete English conquest of Quebec will have to wait for a little while longer. In fact, a closer look at the data reveals that the number of Quebeckers who identify English as their Mother Tongue appears to be declining and has been for several years (Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 2007). Source: Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. (2007). Ethnolinguistic composition of the population. OCOL. Retrieved August 5, 2010 from http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/ar_ra_04_05_v1_14_e.php We can safely conclude that language laws have contributed, even if indirectly, to the exodus of English speakers out of Quebec and to the polarization of sentiments between English and French within Quebec. However, such language laws do not guarantee the future of the French language in the province given the mass influx of new Canadians who speak neither English nor French or who are disinterested in learning French. For many French Canadians, being Canadian may still mean being French Canadian first above all else; however, as the demographic shape of Canada changes due to high immigration, they may find themselves even more isolated than ever before but this time isolated within a huge polyglot nation where the competing languages are not just English but dozens, or even hundreds, of others. At the end of it all, any increased tensions between French and English in Canada will tear at the Canadian national identity in the sense that it undermines the legitimacy of the confederation to have the two founding languages fighting with one another. On the other hand, even if simmering tensions will only intensify the self-identification of French Canadians with their French heritage, the reality is that all the chauvinism in the world may not matter chiefly because French Canada and English Canada are becoming relatively smaller pieces of the Canadian mosaic as the nation welcomes in people from Asia, from Africa, from South America and from Eastern Europe who do not have either language as their first language. Ultimately, if other divides in Canada fall the French-English model and grow more acrimonious, then the countrys future could be at risk; however, the French-English divide will probably become less important over time. Conclusion The past several pages have looked at the English-French divide in Canada, the ancient fault-line, and have argued that language laws instituted in Quebec surely did not help in bringing the two sides together; if anything, ancient animosities were revived. However, Canada is a changing nation and that means that no one can safely assume that Canada will tear apart if the gulf between English and French widens. The future is uncertain, but it is unlikely that the French and English divide will remain the dominant one in Canadian life simply because Canada is a country that is moving beyond its French/English past.

The Critics View of Edna Pontellier’s Suicide in The Awakening Essay

The Critics View of Edna's Suicide in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many ways of looking at Edna's Suicide in The Awakening, and each offers a different perspective. It is not necessary for the reader to like the ending of the novel, but the reader should come to understand it in relation to the story it ends. The fact that readers do not like the ending, that they struggle to make sense of it, is reflected in the body of criticism on the novel: almost all scholars attempt to explain the suicide. Some of the explanations make more sense than others. By reading them the reader will come to a fuller understanding of the end of the novel (and in the process the entire novel) and hopefully make the ending less disappointing.    Joseph Urgo reads the novel in terms of Edna learning to narrate her own story. He maintains that by the end of the novel she has discovered that her story is "unacceptable in her culture" (23) and in order to get along in that culture she must be silent. Edna rejects this muting of her voice and would, Urgo maintains, rather "extinguish her life than edit her tale" (23). To save herself from an ending others would write or an ending that would compromise what she has fought to obtain, she has to write her own end and remove herself from the tale. As she swims out, the voices of her children come to pull at her like little "antagonists," and there are others on shore who would also hold her down: Robert, Adele, Arobin, and Leonce. Edna finds a way to elude them all, and narrates in her suicide the conclusion to her tale. In this type of reading, her suicide can be understood in terms of societal pressure. What is the result of silencing a person's voice? Urgo maintains, on a symbolic level... ...g Sea': Freedom and Drowning in Eliot, Chopin, and Drabble." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 12 (1993): 315-32. Malzahn, Manfred. "The Strange Demise of Edna Pontellier." Southern Literary Journal 23.2 (1992): 31-39. Roscher, Marina L. "The suicide of Edna Pontellier: An Ambiguous Ending?" Southern Studies 23 (1984): 289-98. Showalter, Elaine. Sister's Choice: Tradition and Change in American Women's Writing. Oxford: Claredon Press, 1991. Skaggs, Peggy. "Three Tragic Figures in Kate Chopin's The Awakening." Louisiana Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the South 4 (1974): 345-64. Spangler, George M. "Kate Chopin's The Awakening: A Partial Dissent." Novel: A Forum on Fiction 3 (1970): 249-55. Urgo, Joseph R. "A Prologue to Rebellion: The Awakening and the Habit of Self-expression." The Southern Literary Journal 20.1 (1987): 22-32.

Relationship Paper

A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best of friends because they share some characteristics and qualities and have a good understanding of each other. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other no matter what the circumstances are there will always be some connection, even at its worst times. However, there are times when a relationship can go bad because there is no understanding, lack of communication, and a feeling of distance in the relationship.This may occur from mistakes or misunderstood acts from one another. It is believed that the parent-child relationship is the most influential relationship that there is. As of right now I believe that this is the relationship I must analyze more in-depth to get a full understanding of it and to just improve my daily life with them, but in particular my mother. My mother, like m ost Hispanics in her generation, did not grow up with half of the materialistic devices and privileges that I have had when growing up. She has come from a home that was riddled of alcohol and drug abuse.Even with those distractions at home she still managed to get straight A’s, so she says, and has had a job throughout her life since the age of 16. She says if it wasn’t for marriage and having kids she would not have dropped out of college, but she was comfortable where her family was heading and had made that decision. My mother is someone to look up to in my books because of her overcoming of obstacles that had stood in front of her like it was just taking another breath of air, and for my father, I don’t even want to start on that description.I’ll just leave it at that it is a privilege that I’m even walking this planet today. I believe my mother perceives me as taking the resources I have around me for granted. That I am just going through the motion of school and life and not tackling it like she did and still does. She sees an unemployed 20 year old at a junior college that has had recent trouble with the law. I am not putting up the biggest argument against her because I know I could be doing more to be excelling further in school and being more responsible for my own actions. I don’t think she fully understands the commitment of being in ootball during school. It really is like having a job year-round that gives you a 2 month break yearly. I know she gets her perceptions on what she hears at work at the sheriff’s department, which does not help, or what she sees on the news on television. So I believe her ideas on what people my age is a little bias. To overcome these perceptions and to better our relationship I believe we can communicate with each other more than we are now. Telling her more information about what goes on and what I am doing in my life can more likely give her a better idea on who I am or who I am on track of becoming.Telling her more and more of what I am doing and disclosing my-self, I believe can make her feel more comfortable with me. By self-disclosing my-self it can give her assurance with what kind of person I am. With the way things are going between us right now I can only imagine who she thinks I am. When a mother does not know much about his son you can see as to why they can get carried away with ideas on who they might be but not who they are. However, there also might be some things that she sees about me that I don’t realize myself.Those mother-to-child instincts are still a wonder to us all. She might see something about me that whenever I am in a serious relationship I seem to be more stressed, or that i am calm with her in our conversations. My emotions on the way I converse with her tell her a lot about myself. Emotion management is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. For example, if I failed a mid-term that day and she does not know, she cannot prepare for the negative responses, if any, to her questions and she most likely would not want to hold a conversation with me.She can start to build an idea that I am not consistent with who I am and lead up to fewer conversations to build on our relationship. However, emotion management does have its cons. For instance, if I am not happy with something she is doing and I never express anything about it the relationship for me might start to become one-sided meaning only she is happy with relational content. Sometimes giving feedback about some ones actions is the best way to maintain a relationship.Relationship maintenance between her and I is a must. If I want her to be appy with me then I have to put in my part. If I am just sitting around the house not contributing to anything or with the household how could I expect her to be happy with me. When she sees me applying myself she can have many reasons to be happy or proud with what I am doing. How can she no t be if she knows I am taking advantage of the opportunities around me? For example, if I am maintaining a 3. 0 grade point average while holding a part time job and in a year-round sport like football, she should not have reason to be upset or concerned with me. Relationship Paper A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best of friends because they share some characteristics and qualities and have a good understanding of each other. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other no matter what the circumstances are there will always be some connection, even at its worst times. However, there are times when a relationship can go bad because there is no understanding, lack of communication, and a feeling of distance in the relationship.This may occur from mistakes or misunderstood acts from one another. It is believed that the parent-child relationship is the most influential relationship that there is. As of right now I believe that this is the relationship I must analyze more in-depth to get a full understanding of it and to just improve my daily life with them, but in particular my mother. My mother, like m ost Hispanics in her generation, did not grow up with half of the materialistic devices and privileges that I have had when growing up. She has come from a home that was riddled of alcohol and drug abuse.Even with those distractions at home she still managed to get straight A’s, so she says, and has had a job throughout her life since the age of 16. She says if it wasn’t for marriage and having kids she would not have dropped out of college, but she was comfortable where her family was heading and had made that decision. My mother is someone to look up to in my books because of her overcoming of obstacles that had stood in front of her like it was just taking another breath of air, and for my father, I don’t even want to start on that description.I’ll just leave it at that it is a privilege that I’m even walking this planet today. I believe my mother perceives me as taking the resources I have around me for granted. That I am just going through the motion of school and life and not tackling it like she did and still does. She sees an unemployed 20 year old at a junior college that has had recent trouble with the law. I am not putting up the biggest argument against her because I know I could be doing more to be excelling further in school and being more responsible for my own actions. I don’t think she fully understands the commitment of being in ootball during school. It really is like having a job year-round that gives you a 2 month break yearly. I know she gets her perceptions on what she hears at work at the sheriff’s department, which does not help, or what she sees on the news on television. So I believe her ideas on what people my age is a little bias. To overcome these perceptions and to better our relationship I believe we can communicate with each other more than we are now. Telling her more information about what goes on and what I am doing in my life can more likely give her a better idea on who I am or who I am on track of becoming.Telling her more and more of what I am doing and disclosing my-self, I believe can make her feel more comfortable with me. By self-disclosing my-self it can give her assurance with what kind of person I am. With the way things are going between us right now I can only imagine who she thinks I am. When a mother does not know much about his son you can see as to why they can get carried away with ideas on who they might be but not who they are. However, there also might be some things that she sees about me that I don’t realize myself.Those mother-to-child instincts are still a wonder to us all. She might see something about me that whenever I am in a serious relationship I seem to be more stressed, or that i am calm with her in our conversations. My emotions on the way I converse with her tell her a lot about myself. Emotion management is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. For example, if I failed a mid-term that day and she does not know, she cannot prepare for the negative responses, if any, to her questions and she most likely would not want to hold a conversation with me.She can start to build an idea that I am not consistent with who I am and lead up to fewer conversations to build on our relationship. However, emotion management does have its cons. For instance, if I am not happy with something she is doing and I never express anything about it the relationship for me might start to become one-sided meaning only she is happy with relational content. Sometimes giving feedback about some ones actions is the best way to maintain a relationship.Relationship maintenance between her and I is a must. If I want her to be appy with me then I have to put in my part. If I am just sitting around the house not contributing to anything or with the household how could I expect her to be happy with me. When she sees me applying myself she can have many reasons to be happy or proud with what I am doing. How can she no t be if she knows I am taking advantage of the opportunities around me? For example, if I am maintaining a 3. 0 grade point average while holding a part time job and in a year-round sport like football, she should not have reason to be upset or concerned with me.

The Role of Formal and Informal Groups

The Role of Formal and Informal Groups Within the University of Phoenix Online By: Stephen Ruiz MGT 340 – Organization Theory and Behavior December 2011/January 2012 – Online Mondays Professor Robert Schlagheck, MS January 20, 2012 Formal and informal groups play a significant role within The University of Phoenix Online (UOP). A formal group would be â€Å"one defined by the organizations structure, with designated work assignments establishing tasks† (Robbins, 2011, p. 276). A typical organizational chart would be an example of a formal group, where places and roles within a hierarchical organization are clearly defined. An informal group would be â€Å"neither formally structured nor organizationally determined† (Robbins, 2011, p. 276). Informal groups often â€Å"develop around social or project groups† (Schatz, 2012). An example of an informal group could be a few employees who chose to take a walk during their break time each morning. UOP has several formal groups. First, there is a leadership team that is comprised of a Vice President, Senior Directors, Associate Directors and Managers. Their roles are defined and collectively they are in charge of measuring and maximizing productivity and defining organizational objectives. Lately this group has been focusing on employee satisfaction after it was revealed, through employee surveys, that there was a growing dissatisfaction among employees. Things like inflexible work schedules and inconsistent communication from the leadership team were to blame. To improve this situation I would do many of the things this group is doing now but in a more aggressive manner. In addressing the inflexible work schedules, employees are now able to flex time more easily. I would implement alternative work schedules, more specifically, 4-10 work weeks. Regarding the inconsistent communication, we now have all division teleconferences to make the communication more uniform. Again, this strategy has been too infrequent and reactive instead of proactive. I would hold implement more frequent communication opportunities. Perhaps a weekly all finance or all enrollment communication. Next there are work teams. These are formal groups with a manager and ten employees. These team are formed based on the geographical regions that they service. The manager is responsible for motivating and providing support to the team members. The team members or advisors are responsible for assisting students. In my case, processing financial aid files, and providing customer service to students, while maintaining acceptable retention and accounts receivable levels. An improvement I would implement would be similar to the Fiedler model discussed in the text. In the past year, I have had 5 different managers. I would try to establish manager-team that have styles that compliment each other. There are a plethora of informal groups at UOP. These groups are encouraged at UOP. There are reading groups, walking groups, and even a ping pong group to name a few. Personally, I am a member of a small lunch group and a larger social group. The lunch group is made up of 3 others. We all are in the same position and have common interests such as movies and sports. I would refer to these employees as friends. The larger social group is less defined but is a network of past and present team members and we share information, â€Å"the grapevine†. I would refer to these members as acquaintances. In the end, formal and informal groups can be both positive and negative. The structure and defined roles and objectives are positive. Personal conflict and gossip would be examples of negative attributes of groups References Robbins, S. P. & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Educational, Inc. Schatz, T. (2012). Basic Types of Organizational Structure: Formal and Informal. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/basic-types-organizational-structure-formal-informal-982. html

Famous Inventors - G Biographies

Famous Inventors - G Biographies Frances Gabe Gabe and the history of the Self-Cleaning House. Dr. Dennis Gbor Developed the theory of holography while working to improve the resolution of an electron microscope. Galileo Galilei One of the greatest scientists of all history Galileo had proved that the planets revolve around the sun not the earth as people thought at the time. He also invented a crude thermometer, early telescope, and contributed to the invention of the clock. Luigi Galvani Demonstrated what we now understand to be the electrical basis of nerve impulses. Charon Robin Ganellin Received a patent for Tagamet - inhibits the production of stomach acid. John Garand Invented the M1 semiautomatic rifle or Garand rifle in 1934. Samuel Gardiner Inventor of the high explosive rifle bullet. Bill Gates The chairman of Microsoft, their chief software architect, and the creator of many early PC software programs. Books on Bill Gates Richard Gatling Inventor of the Gatling gun William Ged The Scottish goldsmith who invented stereotyping in 1725, a process in which a whole page of type is cast in a single mold so that a printing plate can be made from it. Hans Geiger Hans Geiger co-invented the geiger counter. Joseph Gerber Invented the Gerber Variable Scale ® and the GERBERcutter ®. Edmund Germer Invented a high-pressure vapor lamp. His development of the improved fluorescent lamp and the high-pressure mercury-vapor lamp allowed for more economical lighting with less heat. A C Gilbert Invented the Erector Set - a childs building toy. William Gilbert Father of electricity who first coined the term electricity from the Greek word for amber. Lillian Gilbreth An inventor, author, industrial engineer, industrial psychologist, and mother of twelve children. King Camp Gillette Invented the disposable balde safety razor. Charles P Ginsburg Developed the first practical videotape recorder (VTR). Robert H Goddard Goddard and the history of liquid-fueled rockets. Sarah E Goode The first African American woman to receive a US patent. Charles Goodyear Made improvements in the indian-rubber fabrics used in tires. James Gosling Invented Java, a programming language and environment. Gordon Gould Invented the laser. Meredith C Gourdine Invented electrogasdynamics systems. Bette Nesmith Graham Invented Liquid Paper. Sylvester Graham Invented Graham Crackers in 1829. Temple Grandin Invented livestock handling devices. Arthur Granjean Invented the Etch-A-Sketch - a childs reusable drawing tool. George Grant An improved tapered golf tee was patented in 1899 by George F. Grant. Grateful Dead - Trademarks Famous trademarks belonging to the Grateful Dead. Elisha Gray Elisha Gray also invented a version of the telephone - biographies and patent information. See Also - Elisha Gray Patents Wilson Greatbatch Invented an implantable cardiac pacemaker. Leonard Michael Greene Invented a stall warning device for airplanes. Greene has patented dozens of inventions related to aviation technology. Chester Greenwood A grammar school dropout, Greenwood invented earmuffs at the age of 15 and accumulated over 100 patents in his lifetime. David Paul Gregg First envisioned the optical or laser disc in 1958 and patented it in 1969. KK Gregory The ten-year-old famous inventor of Wristies ®. Al Gross Invented a walkie talkie radio and a telephone pager. Rudolf Gunnerman Invented water-based fuels. Johannes Gutenberg In 1450, Gutenberg made his first printing press. Try Searching by Invention If you cannot find what you want, try searching by invention. Continue Alphabetically H Starting Last Names

Free Essays on Ancient Roman And Athenian Women

Roman and Athenian Women Equality in the ancient republic Rome and Athens, where was most famous city state of Ancient Greece was not the same as it is today. In ancient Rome (1.2) and Athenian women (1.1) were not looked upon as equals. By comparison today woman rights, Athenian and Roman woman only a small step above slaves. They could have very little rights. They were considered to be secondary in relation to men. They were always controlled by man and their duties defined as to bear children and to manage to house hold. There are a lot of similarities between two societies, because Roman society borrowed heavilly from that of the Greeks. Before Rome was founded, there were a number of Greek colonies in Sicily and Southern Italy. As a result of this close contact with the Greeks,the early Romans picked up a great amount of ideas of the Greek language and traditions. Although there are similarities between the Roman and Athenian woman, there are notable and fundamental differences. Their civil and economi c rights are different from each other. Unlike the Athenian woman, the Roman woman had more freedom than Athens. Athenian and Roman woman could have very little rights. They were controlled by men at all stages of their lives. Their father controlled them before they were married. When they married complete control went their husband. If they divorced, control and rights over any property went back to their father or nearest male relative. (Moya, K. Mason, â€Å"Ancient Roman Women: A Look at their Lives) They thought that; a woman can not manage her money except one event in Roma. When women’s boys grew up, the mother allowed spent her money and time to advance their political carrier. However, except this event, woman could not spend her money on what ever she wants. According to their thought, the reason of the marriage is that; the management and preservation of property and production of children as future care-givers and h... Free Essays on Ancient Roman And Athenian Women Free Essays on Ancient Roman And Athenian Women Roman and Athenian Women Equality in the ancient republic Rome and Athens, where was most famous city state of Ancient Greece was not the same as it is today. In ancient Rome (1.2) and Athenian women (1.1) were not looked upon as equals. By comparison today woman rights, Athenian and Roman woman only a small step above slaves. They could have very little rights. They were considered to be secondary in relation to men. They were always controlled by man and their duties defined as to bear children and to manage to house hold. There are a lot of similarities between two societies, because Roman society borrowed heavilly from that of the Greeks. Before Rome was founded, there were a number of Greek colonies in Sicily and Southern Italy. As a result of this close contact with the Greeks,the early Romans picked up a great amount of ideas of the Greek language and traditions. Although there are similarities between the Roman and Athenian woman, there are notable and fundamental differences. Their civil and economi c rights are different from each other. Unlike the Athenian woman, the Roman woman had more freedom than Athens. Athenian and Roman woman could have very little rights. They were controlled by men at all stages of their lives. Their father controlled them before they were married. When they married complete control went their husband. If they divorced, control and rights over any property went back to their father or nearest male relative. (Moya, K. Mason, â€Å"Ancient Roman Women: A Look at their Lives) They thought that; a woman can not manage her money except one event in Roma. When women’s boys grew up, the mother allowed spent her money and time to advance their political carrier. However, except this event, woman could not spend her money on what ever she wants. According to their thought, the reason of the marriage is that; the management and preservation of property and production of children as future care-givers and h...

The Wade-Davis Bill and Reconstruction

The Wade-Davis Bill and Reconstruction At the end of the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln wanted to bring the Confederate states back into the Union as amicably as possible. In fact, he did not even officially recognize them as having seceded from the Union. According to his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, any Confederate would be pardoned if they swore allegiance to the Constitution and the union except for high-ranking civil and military leaders or those who committed war crimes. In addition, after 10 percent of voters in a Confederate state took the oath and agreed to abolish slavery, the state could elect new congressional representatives and they would be recognized as legitimate. Wade-Davis Bill Opposes Lincoln's Plan The Wade-Davis Bill was the Radical Republicans answer to Lincolns Reconstruction plan. It was written by Senator Benjamin Wade and Representative Henry Winter Davis. They felt that Lincolns plan was not strict enough against those who seceded from the Union. In fact, the intention of the Wade-Davis Bill was more to punish than to bring the states back into the fold.   The key provisions of the Wade-Davis Bill were the following:   Lincoln would be required to appoint a provisional governor for each state. This governor would be responsible for implementing measures set out by Congress to reconstruct and state government.  Fifty-percent of the states voters would be required to swear loyalty to the Constitution and the Union before they could even begin creating a new Constitution through the state Constitutional Convention. Only then would they be able to begin the process to be officially be readmitted to the Union.  While Lincoln believed that only the military and civilian officials of the Confederacy should not be pardoned, the Wade-Davis Bill stated that not only those officials but also anyone who has voluntarily borne arms against the United States should be denied the right to vote in any election.  Slavery would be abolished and methods would be created to protect the liberty of freedmen.   Lincoln's Pocket Veto The Wade-Davis Bill easily passed both houses of Congress in 1864. It was sent to Lincoln for his signature on July 4, 1864. He chose to use a pocket veto with the bill. In effect, the Constitution gives the president 10 days to review a measure passed by Congress. If they have not signed the bill after this time, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law. Because of the fact that Congress had adjourned, Lincolns pocket veto effectively killed the bill. This infuriated Congress. For his part, President Lincoln stated that he would allow the Southern states to pick which plan they wanted to use as they rejoined the Union. Obviously, his plan was much more forgiving and widely supported.  Both Senator Davis and Representative Wade issued a statement in the New York Tribune in August 1864 that accused Lincoln of attempting to secure his future by ensuring that southern voters and electors would support him. In addition, they stated that his use of the pocket veto was akin to take away the power that should rightfully belong to Congress. This letter is now known as the Wade-Davis Manifesto.   Radical Republicans Win in the End Sadly, despite Lincolns victory, he would not live long enough to see Reconstruction proceed in the Southern states. Andrew Johnson would take over after Lincolns assassination. He felt that the South needed to be punished more than Lincolns plan would allow. He appointed provisional governors and offered amnesty to those who took an oath of allegiance. He stated that states had to abolish slavery and acknowledge seceding was wrong. However, many Southern States ignored his requests. The Radical Republicans were finally able to get traction and passed a number of amendments and laws to protect the newly freed slaves and force the Southern states to comply with necessary changes.

A Modest Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Modest Proposal - Essay Example He probably has some hidden agenda for making the proposals that he did. Maybe it is not in his interest to have all of those babies born, but I think that it should be up to the parents to decide what to do with their child. About the only good thing to come out of his proposal is that, as he says, it would reduce the number of abortions that took place. Parents would even be able to make some money out of it! Swift get a little inhumane when he says that children should be roasted like pigs because no butcher would want to have anything to do with them. This is correct and this shows that his proposal would not work at all. To back up his point of view, Swift lists out six reasons why his plan would be a good one. I agree with all of his reasons but I do not agree with the method to get there. At the end he reveals the real reason why he believes this; his youngest child is nine and so would not

Proposal for Exec Hotels for Business Improvement Essay

Proposal for Exec Hotels for Business Improvement - Essay Example However, the costs associated with a new focus on tourism business are currently beyond the company’s capabilities. It has been determined that renewed local marketing is the best methodology to ensure revenue growth outside of the London centre of operations. 2. The business case Occupancy rates at hotels in Europe have seen stability in the last few years, with an average rate of 63 percent in London (Carlson Wagonlit, 2011). However, many European capitals are being hit hard currently with the economic global downturn, therefore the business should focus on its local business and presence (brand reputation) in the United Kingdom rather than expanding abroad. The company staff and executive leadership team are currently well-versed in local UK cultures, values and systems and by remaining in the UK for expansion, it will avoid the high costs of training and human resources restructuring for other European countries. The goal is to improve occupancy rates during the weekend where business is the most incapacitated, however the challenge to Exec Hotels is ensuring a method to fill weekend rooms without focusing on the new tourism market. This can be accomplished by staying true to the current values and operational know-how that currently exists in the UK marketplace. 3. The methodology for revenue improvements Competitive advantage for medium-sized hotels lays specifically in market innovation practices (Lin & Wu, 2008).

Identify and examine three ways that contemporary globilisation Essay

Identify and examine three ways that contemporary globilisation impacts on international relations - Essay Example Current paper examines the above three aspects trying to identify possible points of interaction as well as areas that would need improvement in order to serve more effectively the national (as well as the international) targets. The definition of globalisation has been an issue that examined a lot in the literature. According to Guillen globalization can be characterized as ‘a process fuelled by, and resulting in, increasing cross-border flows of goods, services, money, people, information, and culture’. Under a more analytical context, globalization could also be viewed as ‘a decoupling or â€Å"distanciation† between space and time’ or just ‘a â€Å"compression† of space and time, a shrinking of the world’ (Guillen, 2001, 235). The above researcher has also accepted the views of geographer David Harvey (1989) and political scientist James Mittelman (1996) who observed that ‘globalization entails a "compression" of space and time, a shrinking of the world’. Moreover, it is noticed that the globalization has also an informational aspect under the influence of which the global economy becomes ‘an economy with the capacity to work as a un it in real time on a planetary scale’. On the other hand, Gereffi et al. (1994, 2) regarded globalization from a totally different aspect and stated the theory of ‘global commodity chains’ which ‘consist of sets of inter-organizational networks clustered around one commodity or product, linking households, enterprises, and states to one another within the world-economy; these networks are situationally specific, socially constructed, and locally integrated, underscoring the social embeddedness of economic organization...Specific processes or segments within a commodity chain can be represented as boxes or nodes, linked together in networks; each successive node within a commodity chain

INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ORGANISATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ORGANISATION - Essay Example Until present, information itself was not well thought-out as an imperative asset for an organization. The management course of action was thought-out a face-to-face, personal art and not a far-flung, comprehensive coordination course of action. While at the present time, it is extensively acknowledged that understanding information systems is indispensable for managers for the reason that most organizations require information systems to continue to exist and make money (Laudon & Laudon 1999, p.4). The term information system can be described technically as a collection of interconnected components that bring together, process, store, and distribute information to carry decision making and control in an organization (Laudon & Laudon 1999, p.7). In addition to facilitating decision making, coordination, and control, information systems may also facilitate managers and workers evaluate troubles, think about multifarious issues, and produce new products. Information systems include inf ormation about important people, places, and things inside the organization or in the environment surrounding it. In the above context, by information we mean data that have been fashioned into a structure that is understandable and functional to the human beings. On the other hand, data are collection of raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical environment before they have been prepared and arranged into a structure that people can identify and make use of it (Laudon & Laudon 1999, p.7). In its most fundamental type, an information system is a technique that helps people bring together, store, organize, and make use of information (Norton 2001, p.455). Ultimately, the information system is the computer’s basis for being. For the reason that there are numerous types of information and it can be used in countless ways, numerous kinds of information systems have been built. For case in point, it is correct, if we

Theories of Internationalisation and Relevance in Explaining Global Essay

Theories of Internationalisation and Relevance in Explaining Global Patterns of Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example In effect, countries can gain profits if they direct their activities to the generation of products and services which are most profitable. This theory relates the situation where a country creates products and services for its people, and for export in terms of surplus. As a result, it is favourable for countries to import the products and services where they also have an economic disadvantage (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). The economic advantage and disadvantage may be based on differences in available resources, labour, and technology. The classical theory argues that the foundation of international trade would come from the differences in the qualities of production and available resources which are also based on differences in natural and acquired advantages (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). Another theory of internationalisation contrasts with the classical trade theory. The factor proportion theory discusses that countries usually produce the export products and services which supp ort significant production advantages that they have, and they will import the products and services which would need large scores of production factors that may be limited (Hecksher and Ohlin, 1933). This theory supports the idea of economic advantage by evaluating the endowment and costs related to factors of production (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). The above theories do not completely explain the current trends in international trade. For one, the rise of technological development and of multinational corporations during the 1960s called for new theories on international trade. At such time, the product life cycle theory relating to international trade was considered a significant basis in explaining trade patterns and MNC expansions (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). Such theory... This essay stresses that financial arbitrage is also another opportunity for securing strategic flexibility for FDIs. MNCs can circumvent the restrictions imposed by the host government, mostly those which relate to finance, remittance, and foreign exchange in order to secure and support their new and innovative products. Another opportunity relates to the transfer of information. Flexibility ensures that MNEs can benefit from the act of singling out available opportunities, assessing the world markets to match the involved buyers and sellers and avoiding the barriers to effective trade relations. This paper makes a conclusion that based on the above discussion, the theories of internationalisation like the classical trade theory acknowledges the fact that trade relations and investments are dictated by the needs of investors and of the consumers. Where the need is great and the profit would best be gained, the FDIs would likely be made. The current global trends in investments indicate how the emerging economies have manifested the greatest need and the most profit for investments, for which reason investors have directed their economic activities to these areas. The internationalisation theory generally indicates how the current trends in the economy are gravitating towards more open forms of trade and economic relations. These FDIs are but another manifestation of internationalisation, and these investments would likely find bigger avenues for investment in the years to come.

Management of Quality in ABC organisation Assignment

Management of Quality in ABC organisation - Assignment Example For this report it has been decided to adopt a manufacturing company namely Toyota. This paper will cover the theoretical assumptions of quality management and simultaneously will demonstrate that how Toyota has applied all these assumptions in its business processes (Deal In the recent past, quality has gained prominence as the organisations experienced the high cost of poor quality. According to the scholars of the quality management, all the aspects of the organisation are affected by quality and therefore it has dramatic cost implications. Basically cost to quality can be broadly categorised under two heads namely cost of conformance and cost of non-conformance. The first type of cost is incurred to prevent the second one. After Prius recall, management of Toyota has decided to implement new quality plan. Among those, the most important is the developing of the communication plan. They have a plan to open up a regional customer research centre for collecting customer’s queries and for resolving them. Appraisal Cost: Primarily appraisal costs are incurred to ensure that the defects do not reach to the customers. It consists of a cost of assessing suppliers, inspections of incoming and outgoing materials, product testing and performing audits. Toyota has been crediting the ‘Quality Cost Delivery’ (QCD) award to their suppliers whose cost, delivery and most importantly quality exceeds 95% standard of excellence. The management of Toyota evaluated the suppliers on the basis of the rejection rates on the basis of parts per million (PPM). Internal Failure Cost: It has been associated with all those events which are employed to determine the poor product quality before delivering to the customers. It consists of rework for modifying the defects and losses of material. Even it also includes cost of scraps which refers to the defective products that cannot be corrected

Theories of Internationalisation and Relevance in Explaining Global Essay

Theories of Internationalisation and Relevance in Explaining Global Patterns of Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example In effect, countries can gain profits if they direct their activities to the generation of products and services which are most profitable. This theory relates the situation where a country creates products and services for its people, and for export in terms of surplus. As a result, it is favourable for countries to import the products and services where they also have an economic disadvantage (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). The economic advantage and disadvantage may be based on differences in available resources, labour, and technology. The classical theory argues that the foundation of international trade would come from the differences in the qualities of production and available resources which are also based on differences in natural and acquired advantages (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). Another theory of internationalisation contrasts with the classical trade theory. The factor proportion theory discusses that countries usually produce the export products and services which supp ort significant production advantages that they have, and they will import the products and services which would need large scores of production factors that may be limited (Hecksher and Ohlin, 1933). This theory supports the idea of economic advantage by evaluating the endowment and costs related to factors of production (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). The above theories do not completely explain the current trends in international trade. For one, the rise of technological development and of multinational corporations during the 1960s called for new theories on international trade. At such time, the product life cycle theory relating to international trade was considered a significant basis in explaining trade patterns and MNC expansions (Morgan and Katsikeas, 1997). Such theory... This essay stresses that financial arbitrage is also another opportunity for securing strategic flexibility for FDIs. MNCs can circumvent the restrictions imposed by the host government, mostly those which relate to finance, remittance, and foreign exchange in order to secure and support their new and innovative products. Another opportunity relates to the transfer of information. Flexibility ensures that MNEs can benefit from the act of singling out available opportunities, assessing the world markets to match the involved buyers and sellers and avoiding the barriers to effective trade relations. This paper makes a conclusion that based on the above discussion, the theories of internationalisation like the classical trade theory acknowledges the fact that trade relations and investments are dictated by the needs of investors and of the consumers. Where the need is great and the profit would best be gained, the FDIs would likely be made. The current global trends in investments indicate how the emerging economies have manifested the greatest need and the most profit for investments, for which reason investors have directed their economic activities to these areas. The internationalisation theory generally indicates how the current trends in the economy are gravitating towards more open forms of trade and economic relations. These FDIs are but another manifestation of internationalisation, and these investments would likely find bigger avenues for investment in the years to come.

Toyota Motor Corporation Essay Example for Free

Toyota Motor Corporation Essay In a business organization, the organization is composed of systems that concentrate on overall efficiency. A systems approach is essential whenever something is being designed, redesigned, implemented, improved, or otherwise changed. It is important to take into account the impact on all parts of the system. Consider owning and operating an automobile. It has many parts and systems that can malfunction; some of these are critical. The automobile would not function or would be dangerous to operate without them. The Toyota Company seemed to have missed the importance of the impact on all parts a system as they came under scrutiny with the largest recall of vehicles in the United States in 2009-2010. These recalls were triggered by a car collision in August 2009 that took the lives of four people. This assignment will look at what barriers caused the systems to fail within the Toyota Company that subsequently changed the attitudes of their consumers and their trust towards Toyota. Toyota Motor Corporation The Toyota Motor Corporation was established in 1933 as a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works under the direction of Kiichiro Toyoda. In 1934, the company produced its first Type A engine at the encouragement of the Japanese government, and two years later the company produced its first passenger car, the Toyota AA and in 1937 was established as an independent company. In 1957 Toyota established its first sales, marketing, and distribution subsidiary in the U.S., called Toyota Motor Sales Inc. In 1982, Toyota Motor Corporation formed a joint venture with General Motors, called New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. and began production in the U.S. in 1988 establishing new brands for this market. In 2009, Toyota employed more than 8,900 people and supervised 14 regional offices throughout the 50 states. Toyota produced 5.2 million cars in 58 production sites in 2000, and by 2009 they had the capacity to produce 10 million cars and had added 17 production sites. Toyota had added the capacity of a Chrysler-sized company. (Greto et al., 2010). In January 2010, Toyota suspended sales of eight recalled vehicle models to fix accelerator pedals with mechanical problems that could cause them to become stuck. In December 2012, Toyota announced an agreement worth more than $1,000 million to settle a lawsuit involving unintended acceleration in some of its vehicles (Slobe, 2010) Existing Processes According to Greto et al.(2010) the Toyota company incorporated a philosophy known as the Toyota Way. This set of principles was to bring about approaches that called for continuous improvement, which encouraged teamwork, respect, and value for people. The Toyota Way was to encourage employees to strive for perfection. Another key process to mention is the Toyota Production System (TPS). It was designed to remove all unnecessary waste from the production and manufacturing process. More than just waste avoidance, it aimed to eliminate any excess interruption, misalignment, unnecessary work, or redundancies in the production process that add no value to customers. Specifically, TPS addressed seven kinds of waste: overproduction, operator motion, waiting, conveyance, self-processing, inventory, and correction (rework and scrap). Through TPS, Toyota had been able to significantly reduce lead-time and production costs (p 4). Importance to Toyota These processes both posed of great importance to the Toyota Company because when you value and respect your employees and external constituents it brings about a level of trust and cohesiveness in the work place and your company gains loyalty from the customers. When everyone is operating as a team, any challenges that exist are met with courage and this creates a level of motivation within the company to bring about improvement. In regards to the having a production system that will bring to the forefront at the onset any issues, it eliminates wasted time, production costs, and manpower. It builds a foundation to where employees are reliable where they embrace the philosophy of quality at the start. It also creates a learning environment where leaders who carefully understand the philosophy, will teach it to others. This grows the company and builds it up for success. Scope: Breadth of its reach The scope of its reach can be throughout the global market. Not only within the automobile industry but because Toyota diversified into several nonautomotive businesses, it can also affect industries in aerospace, higher education, robotics, finance, and agricultural biotechnology (Greto et al., 2010). Parties involved: customers as well as internal and external suppliers. When there is a breakdown in these processes, it impacts the employees and all external stakeholders. For example, when a breakdown occurred in the lines of communication between the Japan and U.S. offices, in responding to the issues with the faulty accelerators, not only was customers affected, stockholders were affected. When the reputation of a company is tarnished, it affects the stockholders and they stand to lose money they invested in the company. Supply vendors are also affected when these processes breakdown because they lose business as well. Competitors can also be positively affected by this. They gain the customers who choose to no longer do business with Toyota. Priority: the timeliness or urgency. Timeliness is important to any business as this attributes to the quality of service a company provides customers, to employee concerns, matters concerning supply vendors and stock holders to name a few. Toyota did not readily address the concerns of their customers initially until it became more in the public eye. This takes away from the value of the company and it certainly affected customer loyalty and satisfaction to say the least. The company stock value went down and it suffered millions of dollars in lost. Timeliness is certainly a priority for any business. Overall impact or benefits of improvement to Toyota The overall impact for Toyota led to someone dying while driving a faulty vehicle therefore all the millions of dollars they were fined still does not make up for the loss of a person’s life. This goes down in Toyota’s history book as it cost them their reputation. The benefit is that can take place is to push management to take a look at their overall company operations and break down the areas that need improvements; identify additional defects and restructure their operational systems. If changes are to occur, Toyota has the opportunity to make changes, manufacture more innovative vehicles, and create initiatives that involves the communities they do business with as a way to build trust and their reputation. Cost to Toyota if the process is not improved The cost to Toyota if these processes are not improved could mean failure with a loss of market. The business can go bankrupt; offices close down, excessive inventory, stock price decreases, and employee layoffs that add to the unemployment rate.

John Lewis partnership

John Lewis partnership What is John Lewis partnership? John Lewis partnership is a visionary and successful way of doing business, boldly putting the happiness of partners at the centre of everything they do. The outcome of nearly a century of endeavour to create a different sort of company, owned by partners dedicated to serving customers with elegance and fairness. All 71,196 staff are partners who own 28 John Lewis department stores, 213 Waitrose supermarkets, an online and with catalogue business, (John Lewis direct-john Lewis.com), a direct services company (Greenbee), three production units, and a farm with a turnover of nearly  £6 billion last year. Partners share in the benefits and profits of a business that puts them first and the partnership follows its seven business principles purpose, power, profit, members, customers, business and relationships. Mission statement Mission statement addresses the question where does it belong to in the business. The John Lewis Partnerships reputation is founded on the uniqueness of its ownership structure and commercial success. Its purpose is the happiness of all our members, through their worthwhile, satisfying employment in a successful business, with success measured on its ability to sustain and enhance the position both as an outstanding retailer and as a thriving example of employee ownership. Partnership Strategy Partnership strategy is based on three interdependent objectives partners, customers, profit which together will make its successful business. Partners should gain personal satisfaction by being members of a co-owned enterprise in which they have worthwhile, secure and fulfilling employment and confidence in the way the partnership conducts its business. The partnership should recruit and retain loyal customers through their continued trust and confidence in our reputation for value, choice, service and honesty. The partnership should make sufficient profit to sustain our commercial vitality and distinctive character, allow continued development and distribute a share of profits each year consistent with partners reasonable expectations. Environmental Factors As ROBSON(1997) conveys environment analysis takes an important part towards increasing the quality of strategic decisions considering relevant features well before making an irrevocable decision. Social Fairtrade, certifies producers against internationally recognised trading standards. Fairtrade items generate a guaranteed price to cover production plus a social premium to be reinvested in suppliers businesses or local communities. Recruitment, retention and training- Partnership aims to attract and retain the best people who share the values. Traceability- Having full traceability of products, and their ingredients or components, is critical to success and to consumer confidence. Product safety- Ensure the integrity of products and the application of the best standards in safety, quality environment and animal welfare. Animal welfare- Waitrose is committed to providing the best conditions for animals at all stages of the supply chain and to combating cruel practices. Environmental Energy and emissions- committed to tackling the issue of Climate Change and have set a public target of reducing CO2 emissions by 10% by 2010 Packaging and waste- The Partnerships longstanding objective is to reduce waste wherever possible, and to reuse or recycle more of what they produce. Economic As a business based solely in the UK, the Partnership is particularly exposed to any economic downturn which could affect consumer spending, most notably in the Department Store business. Political The Partnership remains sensitive to the regulatory environment in which it trades in order to ensure ongoing compliance with key regulatory requirements around planning, trading, tax and competition. SWOT Analysis The importance of performing a SWOT analysis is that, no business should take a high risk strategy if there are any significant weaknesses foreseen. Performing a SWOT analysis may consider in, What are the weak/strong products, divisions, attitudes etc.? Are there any gaps/opportunities? Are there any dangers/threats needs to be protected? Are we strong in the right way to exploit the opportunity? Considering the above facts a SWOT analysis has taken place to mark the right opportunity. Strengths Weaknesses The Partnership has many strengths such as committed and experienced Partners; the ability to trade well even when conditions were difficult. It had also come through a very difficult period with its integrity and the trust of customers intact. However, it had not been plain sailing as profits has been hit hard particularly in John Lewis. Sales in Waitrose have been more resilient but the division has fought hard by turning up the volume on price and the cost of that investment. As Partnership Chairman Charlie Mayfield reports, Profits could be down this year but their financial position remained strong. Their financial strategy is conservative as borrowings and mortgages are low comparing to competitors. This is due to the fact that they have planned and were able to cope with difficult economic periods. They also have good relationships with banks, but it has to be maintained to ensure their continued support in the future. However, plans for growth cost money and the business needs to consider how much more it could afford to invest when operating profits on under pressure. Opportunities Threats Clearly sales have been under threat during recession periods and there were risks around the operational side of the business. A biggest threat seen was the collapse of banking sector. John Lewis partnership didnt seem to be affected by it but still since it has not ended yet there is a caution of lending money from banks. Apart from it, implementing new products and multi-channelling occupied the ongoing of business. Organisational Structure Its Decision Levels Partnership council Partnership has a clear and streamlined management structure which means decisions could be taken very quickly. The Partnership Council symbolizes its democratic structure and represents the strategic level governing authority. Signifying Partners as a whole,  most of its members  are elected by  Partners. Its main role is to hold its management to account, to influence policy and to make key governance decisions. Partnership Board has ultimate responsibility for issues of major policy and for allocating the financial and other resources of the business. To a large extent its role is keeping the Partnership true to its principles both in terms of the vitality of its commercial progress and its distinctive co-ownership objectives. The Council should retain its three vital decision-making powers: to elect the Trustees of the Constitution and five directors to the Board to change the Constitution, with the Chairmans agreement to dismiss the Chairman. Managing the business This starts with the two divisional Management Boards, who have clear responsibility for developing a strategy for the ongoing development of our John Lewis and Waitrose businesses and then for seeing through its implementation in accordance with an approved business plan. Said two divisions share the Partnerships principles in the managerial level and a common approach to doing business, but they are substantial businesses in their own right. The establishment of the Management Boards clarified the responsibility they carry for the trading operations of the business. They are accountable to the Chairman for their performance, and they derive their authority from the Partnership Boards approval of their business plans. Waitrose Management Board The Waitrose Management Board is accountable to the Chairman for its performance and it derives its authority from the Partnership Boards approval of its business plan. John Lewis Management Board The John Lewis Management Board is accountable to the Chairman for its performance and it derives its authority from the Partnership Boards approval of its business plan. Partnership Services Partnership Services represents the knowledge level and designed to meet the Business plan and Partner needs with simple, efficient services, enabling a growing and successful Partnership. Partner Being a partner with a shared responsibility for the partnership and a drive to put its success first is a different aspect compared to operational levels in other organisations. Further partnervoice is the local avenue for Partner opinion and is the means by which Partners can provide feedback, question management on branch, raise their own issues and be consulted. Types of Decisions Made at Various Levels Multi-Channel Retailer Level Type of decision Type of IS Benefits to organisation Link to the mission Strategic level Build multi channel retail ESS- sales forecast for 3 years. Improvement of profit margins and expanding the organisation. Partners could be stretched and develop their career. Management level Budgeting Cost analysis MIS- Annual budgeting on channels DSS- analysing cost in implementing and maintaining channels Knowing the spending In finding the best possible way to suit the business To build a successful business Knowledge level Designing modern trends KWS- designing channel workstations Best possible way to suit the business Sustain as an outstanding retailer Operational level Schedule employees TPS- Training and development Processes daily activities smoothly To sustain as a business IS Recommendations Strategic level management of performance as a whole where how it could meet the expectations of organisation Management level performance report against the spending. Knowledge level design performance indicators Operational level pay reviews. International Expansion Level Type of decision Type of IS Benefits to organisation Link to the mission Strategic level International expansion ESS-prepare 5 year forecast in sales Growth in the partnership internationally Partner satisfaction Management level Budgeting Pricing analysis MIS- annual budgeting on expenditures DSS- determine prices Keep track on expenditures of the company. Towards the company profit margin. Success of the business Knowledge level Market analysis KWS-analysing retail market Acquire the best opportunities. Sustain in the business Operational level Process orders TPS-processing and tracking of orders. Process routines Success of the business IS Recommendations Strategic level franchise internationally Management level franchise budgeting forecast reports Knowledge level analysing markets for franchise Operational level keep up the standards as a franchiser. Increase Marketing Level Type of decision Type of IS Benefits to organisation Link to the mission Strategic level Increase Marketing ESS- 3 year sales forecast Increase of sales Sustain of the business Management level Marketing budget Cost analysis MIS-issuing marketing budget DSS-analysing costs towards marketing Manage marketing budget Find best possible for the company Enhance the position in the market Knowledge level Design marketing trends KWS-market analysis Attract customers to drive sales Success of the company Operational level Display marketing adverts TPS-point of sale To drive more sales More sales more bonus IS Recommendations Strategic level economic trends of a countrys condition in a given time period Management level sales analysis and sales reports. Knowledge level design products to suit the economic trend. e.g. to suit economic crisis Operational level production order of the new designed product. Expansion In UK Level Type of decision Type of IS Benefits to organisation Link to the mission Strategic level Expansion in UK ESS-prepare 3 year operating plan Bring more sales, profits Enhance the partnership Management level New budgets for new stores Costs in expansion MIS-spending budgets for annum DSS-contract cost analysis Make most of it towards the future Keep within budgets Sustain of business Knowledge level Design KWS-engineering workstations Keep up standards Towards success of the company Operational level Enter, process orders TPS-order process Make sales More sales more profit, bonus IS Recommendations Strategic level profit forecasts, sales trend forecast Management level sales management, sales analysis Knowledge level market analysis Operational level training development Ethical Issues Climate change Reduced overall CO2 emissions by 16% Waitrose are investing  £55 million over five years to replace refrigeration equipment and improve efficiency Improved shop energy efficiency by 15% in John Lewis, 19% in Waitrose Investigated alternative, lower carbon fuels for vehicles Founder member of the Environmental IT Leadership Team, a cross industry user group aiming to develop more sustainable IT strategies Packaging, waste recycling In 2007-08, John Lewis recycled 4,490 tonnes of waste (39%) and Waitrose 21,500 tonnes (49%) Waitrose reduced carrier bag usage by 30% this year John Lewis have introduced a number of carrier bag initiatives Waitrose are committed to reducing packaging and are introducing recycled recyclable materials. In John Lewis, all new paper and card packaging uses either recycled or FSC-certified material. Waitroses anaerobic digestion generates green energy from food waste from 5 stores Building and operating sustainable shops- Signed up to the BCSC Sustainability Charter Each building project now starts with a Sustainability Action Plan Working to identify ways to improve the sustainability impacts of the design and construction of interior fixtures and fitting Over 90% building waste was recycled during the fit-out of John Lewis Leicester All new Waitrose in-store graphics are made from paper or card, making them fully recyclable, and signage equipment is fully deconstructable so it can be recycled at the end of its life. Supplier relationships The Partnership have provided suppliers with a Responsible Sourcing Supplier Workbook to give suppliers a better insight into our Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice. Through day-to-day contact, John Lewis highly trained buyers give suppliers a helping hand in meeting the terms of our Responsible Sourcing Code of Practice Sustainable products- 78% of the garden furniture FSC certified John Lewis We Can Make a Difference promotion covered more than 600 biodegradable, organic, energy-efficient, Fairtrade, recycled and sustainable products Waitrose stock 180 Fairtrade lines and Fairtrade sales rose by 76% in 2007 Waitrose are the only UK retailer to insist all British fruit and vegetable growers adopt the LEAF certification standard Waitrose local and regional sourcing sales increased by 58% to  £21 million in 2007-08 Improving the customer experience Ranked first for service in the Verdict customer satisfaction index for 2007 Focusing on reporting and sharing details of any customer complaints, so that we can learn from such feedback All new John Lewis Partners currently receive an induction and lots of on-the-job training. This year, we are investing more in training Partners Chairman Charlie Mayfield appointed to the UK Commission on Employment and Skills (UKCES). Health nutrition Over 1,000 products now carry the Food Standards Agency (FSA) multiple traffic light labelling on their packaging, and all recipe cards and publications carry key nutritional information per serving. Waitrose Education invests approximately  £400,000 a year educating young people about nutrition and food. The online Nutrition Advice Service provides customers and health. professionals with help and advice on a wide range of food issues Supporting our communities- Partnerships contribution to charities and communities in 2007-08 was  £6.2 million. All Waitrose shops support local charities and community groups nominated by customers through its new Community Matters scheme. Partners have raised  £138,000 for Wallace and Gromits Childrens Foundation, this years John Lewis Charity of the Year. Waitrose Partners donated 4,221 hours and John Lewis Partners 22,500 through the Golden Jubilee Trust scheme.

Spanish as a Second Languge :: essays research papers

Spanish As a Second Languge In recent years, the total population of Spanish speakers in the US has doubled. According to Census 2001 of the estimated 284 million residents in the USA, 36 million are of Hispanic origin, Five million more than the entire population of Canada. In 1960 people of Hispanic origin only equaled 6% of the US population. Since increased to 13%. 332 million people in the world speak Spanish. Second to Chinese Mandarin: 885 million. The continual growth of the Hispanic population increases everyday, but the number of Americans not of Hispanic descent who speak Spanish fluently, is a mere 3%, according to studies done by Florida State University, Relevant because of area of high Hispanic concentration. Spanish should be required to be taken as a second language in grades K-9. American students should be required to speak Spanish fluently upon completion of their 8th grade year. Other societies such as Pakistan, Japan, and China can demonstrate proficiency in 3 or 4 languages by middle school years. "A child taught a second language after the age of 10 or so is unlikely ever to speak it like a native," said a February 1996 Newsweek article. Through extensive research it has been proven that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language the greater the chances are that this child will master both languages. A number of experts attribute this mastery to physiological changes that occur in the maturing brain as a child enters puberty. Picture yourself as a fluent Spanish speaking American. Able to communicate with others. Eliminate stereotypes; talking about me, plotting something.

Biotrim: True Weight Loss or Scam? Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive P

Biotrim: True Weight Loss or Scam? In today's society, everybody wants a quick fix to all of their cosmetic problems. Whether we want better faces, better bodies, whatever, we want it now and we surely do not want to work for results. Due to this incredible demand for immediate self-improvement, the weight loss market has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry preying on people who are uniformed about weight loss and the body's capabilities. Many products and programs such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and the like are useful to many people and teach them how to maintain their entire lives in addition to their weight. Unfortunately, there are also products on the market today that offer false claims about individuals' ability to lose weight. One such product, the topic of this investigation, is called Biotrim. In the following paragraphs, we will look into its claims for weight loss and make an educated conclusion about the possibility of success by using this product. Before ever reading the advertisement I found for Biotrim, I took a look at the pictures of satisfied Biotrim customers. Here, I saw photographs of people who were overweight and looking unhappy before using the product, and then photographs of those very same people slim and happy after their success with weight loss by using Biotrim. There are little captions of personal letters from these people singing the praises of their incredible results and how they were happier, better adjusted human beings based on their appearance. This underlying claim that losing weight will make you a better person is just one of the many ways these companies target people who are insecure and uninformed. Reading on in the advertisement, this product promises not onl... ... bottom of the advertisement that the results shown are "atypical." Also, the cost to the company to make the product is substantially less than the $23.95 that it costs the consumer to buy it, so even if half of the customers ask for a refund, the producers of Biotrim still make money. Well, I hope that this investigation into the weight loss claims of the Biotrim product had been informative. If nothing else, I hope that you will read claims very carefully in the future, and keep in mind that many products that promise quick results with no effort on your part are on the market simply to take advantage of people that should know better but just do not take the time to investigate the claims. Take care in buying these products, because most of them will not deliver. Beware of scam artists, they will prey on your desire for a better you. Don't waste your money.

Milk and Snack Fresh Fruit

Explain how to prepare and store food, formula and breast milk safely according to health and safety guidelines. Babies between the ages of birth to 24 months have immune systems that are still developing, leaving them more susceptible to germs and bacteria. Bacteria that comes in contact with an older child or adult may not have the same impact that it will have on a baby, which is why it is extremely important that food safety be managed diligently.In my setting, food is prepared, stored and cooked hygienically. Kitchen area is clean all the time and anyone handling foods have â€Å"Food & Safety Certificate† and good personal hygiene. Anyone handling food washes her/his hands with hot water and soap before touching any foods. We have colour codes for chopping boards, knives cleaning up equipments such as mops etc. Aprons ad hats are essential to wear in food area.We provide food for babies in our setting so parents are not allowed to bring any food because of allergies We s tore the baby food on room temperature only till one hour and there is no direct physical contact with food(aprons and gloves are used ). We sterilise cutlery on daily basis.Storing food at right temperatureWe store food in refrigerator at right temperature which is 0 degree centigrade to 5 degree centigrade. We store food in deep freezer at -18 degree centigrade or below.Preparing formula feedWe make sure all the bottles are sterilised before use.Then we boil the kettle and fill the bottle up to required amount, for example I need to make 5 ounces milk, I will fill the bottle up to 5 ounces, add 5 scoops of milk powder, shake it well, let it cool down and check the temperature on the back of my wrist. Formula milk is ready to use if the temperature is right for child to use.Storing formula milkAccording to the latest recommendation from the Department of Health, formula milk is made fresh rather than being made up in advance and stored. For outings, we take boiled water (at least 7 0 degree centigrade) and formula milk powder with us Storing breast milkIf any parent brings breast milk for her child, we store this milk properly in fridge at 4 degree centigrade according to recommended guideline. Expressed breast milk is stored in sterile bottles or containers to prevent bacteria growth and is always handled with clean hands. We store breast milk only for one day. We shake bottle properly before using.Identify balanced meals, snacks and drinks for children in their early years, following current government guidance on nutritional needs. The term ‘balanced’ diet is often used in connection with healthy eating. A balanced diet is one in which there are sufficient nutrients in the right quantities for children and adults (Penny Tassoni). Within the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage there is a requirement that, where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.However, even wi th proper guidance it is clear that there is a need for training on infant and toddler nutrition for all practitioners in childcare settings, to help them to interpret guidelines for the production of nutritionally balanced meals and snacks. Healthy eating for under-fives differs significantly from that for school-age children and adults. For growth, young children need a plentiful source of energy from carbohydrates and fats, alongside protein, vitamins and minerals.This can be achieved by ensuring that, every day, children eat from the four main food groups: bread, cereals and potatoes fruit and vegetables milk and dairy foods meat, fish, eggs and vegetarian proteins (e.g beans, pulses, soya). Children normaly do not get enough calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin D & E. Sources of these nutrients are listed below: †¢ Fiber- whole grains, fruits and vegetables†¢ Vitamin E – nuts, seeds, wheat germ oil and vegetable oils †¢ Calcium- low fat and fa t free dairy products, rhubarb, spinach, collard greens, and sardines †¢ Magnesium- whole grains, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and white, black, navy beans †¢ Potassium- legumes, potatoes, dried apricots, beet greens, prune juice and dairy products †¢ Vitamin D- sunshine, fortified dairy and juice, cod liver oil, salmon, tuna and mackerel Menu is planned very carefully in my setting considering children’s age and food requirements.Here is the sample menu for a week.Mon Mid Morning Snack Fresh Fruit Lunch Our Popular Fruity Chicken Curry served with RiceFruity Vegetable Curry served with Rice (V) Dessert Fruity Jam Tarts Afternoon Snack Banana Slices Tea Tuna Pasta Salad served with Tomatoes and Cucumber Dessert Chocolate Chip Biscuit Tue Mid Morning Snack Cheesy Crackers Lunch Creamy Salmon Fish Pie served with seasonal VegetablesCreamy Vegetable Pie served with seasonal Vegetables (V) Dessert Moorish Chocolate Brownies Afternoon Snack Fresh Fruit Tea Asian Tomato Soup served with fresh Bread Dessert Fresh Scones served with Strawberry Jam and Fresh Cream Wed Mid Morning Snack Fresh Fruit Lunch Polish Kabanos Sausage Casserole, served with BreadQuorn and Vegetable Sausage Casserole, served with Bread (V) Dessert Swirly Cheesecake Afternoon Snack Tortilla Chips Tea Chicken or Quorn Bites served with a seasonal Salad Dessert Juicy Pineapple upside down Cake Thur Mid Morning Snack Variety of Maize Snacks Lunch Chilli Con Carne served with RiceVegetable Chilli Con Carne served with Rice (V) Dessert Sweet Bread Pudding Afternoon Snack Fresh Fruit Tea Selection of soft filled rolls, served with crispy lettuce and Cucumber Dessert Mini Banana Muffins Fri Mid Morning Snack Fresh Fruit Lunch Cheesey Courgette and Polenta Bake served with Cauliflower Florets(V) Dessert Fruit Crumble and low sugar Custard Afternoon Snack Healthy Baked Bites Tea Mini Jacket Potatoes filled with Cheesy Baked Beans DessertSmooth Fruit YogurtIf you see the menu ,you will know t hat children are getting correct amount of required nutrients everyday. Milk and water is essential for snack time to make sure children are getting correct amount of Calcium and Vitamin D.Babies have organic carrot sticks (very soft crisps) and cracker bread for snack. Some babies don’t have snack. They have their milk bottles. Rest of the food, they have same but we make sure that everything is mashed up properly.

Sexual Appeals in Advertising and Their Effects on Consumers

Sex Appeal is one such method of differentiation that suppliers have found and proven to be successful. By targeting our basic animalistic behaviour, namely the drive for sexual reproduction, firms have found that through a cleverly designed message containing sex appeal, they can attract and hold on to consumers’ attention, thus making it more likely for consumers to choose that particular product over another. On the other hand however,sexual content may not be communicative and might even have a detrimental effect on brand information processing. Using sex appeal in advertising is a time-tested technique that will probably be with us forever. If you are marketing a product or service, you need to be aware of the power of sex appeal in advertising and understand the nuances of using sex to market your wares. What is sex appeal in advertising? Appeals utilizing overt sexual information are common in mainstream consumer advertising. Sex appeal is pervasive in advertising and is used with increasing frequency. As advertisersseek out ways to break through clutter and draw attention to their messages, the use of sexually oriented appeals have been used as a communication technique . Previous research for advertising has documented that sexually oriented appeals are widespread, commonplace, and increasing. Typically, sex appeals have varied along two major dimensions; nudity and sexual explicitness. The escalating usage of sexual stimuli in advertising indicates that companies will advertise in a way that most effectively moves the product. And sex does sell; one only has to browse through popular magazines to realize how powerful a tool sex is. Why Sex Sells: The most obvious reason sex appeal works in advertising is that it grabs attention. Both males and females are attracted to this type of advertising. It is a powerful instinctive attraction that will take our focus from anything else we may be doing. And advertisers know this. They play off of our curiosity. They know that it will be more likely to be recalled than most other forms of appeals because of the generated interest. Also, many advertisers have found that overly controversial images, even if they are taken off of the air, will stir up discussions about the ad and the product associated with it. Even if someone does not agree with what is put on an ad, they are still talking about it. By those discussions being had, the name of your product stays in the minds of consumers longer. What to Be Careful of When Using Sex Appeal in Marketing: Make sure that people are not so distracted by the sexual appeal of the ad that they do not remember what the ad was for in the first place. It does not do any good to create a sensual or sexual message when all they can remember is the image and not the brand name. So, make sure the sexual/sensual image being used is connected in some way to the product or service being promoted. This will create a link between the two and make the viewer much more likely to remember the product or service being advertised. Many advertisers appeal to males in this way- buy the product, get the girl. Especially beer advertisements- generally, a group of average looking guys will be in a bar and by purchasing or drinking a certain brand, they will attract interest from an attractive girl across the room. What is considered acceptable varies from one location to another. In a large metropolitan area with a diverse, less conservative population, you might be more likely to produce more risque advertising versus a rural and conservative or religious community. Tailor the message to the people you are targeting, which includes understanding their feelings and beliefs on public sexuality. If you are setting up a business in a smaller community, make sure to note what other businesses do to advertise. Sex appeal may not be an acceptable form of appeal at all. It is not as attention-grabbing as it once was. There is still an element of surprise, but do not think that people will react or respond quite how they did when it was first being used. As we have become more and more surrounded by sexual images in movies and television, we have become almost desensitized to it, and an ad with half-dressed models does not nearly shock us as much as it would have twenty years ago. So, instead of just having a group of sexy girls or guys in an ad, try to find more subtle and unexpected ways to use sexuality in your message. Dove did this by using â€Å"real people† in their marketing campaigns that started a few years ago. They used the different kinds of beauty, body shape, and age to promote their products. This unexpected campaign, which premiered during the Super Bowl, was extremely successful because it was something different that they were remembered for doing. Sex appeal can be used in many ways. In short, make sure that the way you are using it is appropriate for the product that you are selling and the people you are selling it to. Amy Bax is interested in providing innovative informational resources to entrepreneurs. She is currently an MBA student at the University of Missouri – Columbia. We're surrounded by advertisements that desperately compete for our attention. Everywhere we look, we find ourselves inevitably drawn to images of scantily clad attractive men and women that are supposed to somehow inspire us to purchase products they endorse. Sure, this attention-getting strategy is popular. Is sex appeal effective? Sex appeal can increase the effectiveness of an ad or commercial because it attracts the customer's attention. It's human nature to be curious about sex. A pair of long legs on a billboard is more likely to catch (and hold) a guy's attention than a puppy, regardless of how cute it may be. Even women are drawn to them, perhaps with the desire of having goddess-like legs. However, misuse of sex appeal can be costly. Many campaigns deemed offensive have started brand boycotts that affect sales and damage brand reputation. Abercrombie & Fitch has been involved in several scandals, the latest from their most recent catalog entitled â€Å"XXX Wet, Hot Summer Fun. † On April 18, 2002, only a week after the catalog hit the stores, the Illinois State Senate passed a resolution condemning A&F's advertising tactics. This resolution, backed by several nonprofit organizations, suggests citizens and shareholders boycott Abercrombie's products and to take a stand against the company's marketing strategies. Although sexy images in catalogs are not at all uncommon, â€Å"XXX Wet, Hot Summer Fun† featured naked boys and girls frolicking in natural settings. Not quite appropriate for an apparel catalog targeted at teenagers. Sex in advertising has stirred controversy for many years, an advertiser must be careful when incorporating it in a campaign. Great advertisers consider not only the attention-getting power of an advertisement or commercial, but also what kind of emotional response it provokes in customers. Studies show that the attractiveness of the endorsing model provokes positive responses. Nudity and graphic erotic content, while still increasing consumer's attention, doesn't really generate positive feelings among viewers. In other words, advertisers must be careful to avoid the â€Å"cheap shot,† which may negatively affect a brand's image. To avoid that, the sexual content in advertising must be appropriate to the product category and have a proper underlying message. One spot, called â€Å"The Premature Pour,† shows a beautiful seductive woman pouring Heineken into a glass. When a guy across the bar responds by pouring his own, he nervously pours too fast and spills foam all over the table and himself. The sexual content is implicit, yet direct. The sexual reference in this and other spots in the campaign worked, causing sales to rise 13% in the first two quarters of 2002. However, Steve Davis (VP of marketing in Heineken USA), claims that, â€Å"Provocative is a very good place to be, as long as we're not inflammatory. But the spots also work for a different reason. From the tag line to the plot, they are about a desire for Heineken. Our ads make the beer the hero. † Sex sells, yes, but only when used â€Å"in good taste. † As marketers we must think not only in getting customers' attention for the short term, but also in building a brand reputation that will yield long-term results. The positive roles of sex appeal in advertising: One might ask ‘why do advertisers promote sex appeal? ’ The answer in its purest form is thatit works well in most cases and according to Bumler (1999), most advertising executives usesex appeal as the most powerful weapon in their arsenal and therefore they use graphic images to get and hold on to audiences’ attention. From a marketing perspective, sexual appeal maybe advantageous for the simple reason that they prey on basic biological instincts and thus, an incredible motivational factor, which is a desirable attribute to break through clutter. Advertisements that attract attention have the increased likelihood to affect persuasion,especially in a saturated media environment typified by passive viewing exposure. Numerous research studies have revealed that sexual appeal, when used in advertising are attention grabbing, likeable, arousing, effect inducing, memorable, and somewhat more apt to increase interest in the topic advertised in comparison to non-sexual appeal. Sex appeal serves several crucial roles in advertising. Firstly,sexual material in advertising acts as an initial attention lure to the ad, which is referred to asthe stopping power of sex . Attention is a necessary condition for learning, attitudinal change and behavioral effects. A second function of sexual stimuli in advertising is to enhance message recall as sex is arousing, easy to relate, emotion inducing, and most of all, memorable. Finally, the third role of sexual content in advertising is to evoke emotional responses, such as feelings of arousal, excitement, or even lust, which in turn can create stimulation and desire for the product (Bumler 1999). This role may affect the consumer’s mood and can result in favourable cognitiveprocessing of the ad and increase the persuasion impact. Sex appeal in advertising is also effective ineliciting fantasy or expressing the imaginative fulfillment of motives, such as sexual gratification. Latour, Pitts, and Snook-Luther (1990) have provided insight into the emotional impact ofsexual appeals, specifically the level and nature of evoked arousal and attitudes toward theadvertisement and brand. They have found a direct relationship between the positive arousalevoked by sexual appeals and evaluations of the brand. Nonetheless, whether sexual appealelicits a positive or negative reaction depends on the appropriateness to the advertisedproduct. Richmond and Hartman (1982) ascertain that sexual stimuli will enhance brand recallonly if it has an appropriate relationship with the product category and the advertisingexecution. When sex appeal is used inappropriately, such as utilizing it solely as an attentiondevice, exploiting the female body, degrading the female role or insulting propriety, weakbrand recall may occur and may in fact produce a negative attitude towards the brand. This implies that the use of sex appeal in advertising must be appropriate to the type of products eing advertised and when sex appeal is used thoughtfully and appropriately, it may produceacceptable and satisfactory results. Negative effects of sex appeal in advertising: While studies have shown that overt sexual portrayals attract attention to an advertisement, other numerous advertising research have also suggested that inappropriate and excessive use of sexual content can actually have a number of negative effects. Consistently, studies have demonstrated that sexual appeals attract attention to the ad, typically without a corresponding advantage for brand information processing. Sexual content may be eye-catching and entertaining, but it may not be communicative and might distract the viewer from the message. When sexual stimulus is used in advertising, viewers’ perceptual and processing resources are directed toward the sexual information in the ad rather than toward the brand. The use of explicit sexual messages in advertisements may interfere with consumers’ processing of message arguments and brand information, which in turn may reduce message comprehension. Furthermore, initial devices such a sexual stimuli overwhelm the message, and are negatively correlated to both recall and persuasion. Finally, there has been evidence to suggest that overt sexual appeals may have detrimental effects on attitudes toward the ad and brand, and therefore may reduce purchase intention . These findings led MacInnis, Moorman, and Jaworski to advance the proposition that hedonic appeals, such as sexual stimuli, increase motivation to process the ad execution, but largely at the expense of the brand. All of these threaten to act as potential hazards of using sex appeals. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) provides a framework to understand the role of sexual appeals in persuasion (Shimp 2003). According to ELM, persuasion can occur along a continuum of elaboration. Persuasion resulting from extensive issue-relevant thinking isreferred to as central route processing, whereby receivers engage in vigilant examination ofmessage information. As receivers’ motivation, opportunity, and ability decrease, receiversare less likely to engage in systematic elaboration and are consequently more likely to rely onperipheral cues to guide their decision-making. Evidence suggests that this process occurs in response to sexual appeals in advertising (Severn, Belch & Belch 1990). It appears that numerous advertising utilizing sex appeal seems to get attention but do little for the advertised product. For instance, Judd and Alexander (1983) found that ads withdecorative female models increase memory for the image in the ad with no difference in actually reading the information of the ad. In particular, nudity and erotic content was found to increase attention to the ad, but not necessarily enhance recall or positive attitudes toward a brand. As a result, sexual appeals stimulate less argument elaboration and connecting thoughts than will non-sexual appeal. Additional evidence also suggests that, as the level of nudity and erotism increase, the intended communication effects either become negative or dissipate. Therefore, despite the persuasiveness of sexual appeals when used in advertisements, it is likely to be the result of peripheral processes and as a result may be transient. In addition to the aforesaid negative effects of advertising, bad uses of sex symbols in advertising may lead to unacceptable perception by audience. The widespread use of sex as an advertising technique has elicited significant consumer protest. On top of that, as clutter increases in advertising, consumers appear to be more able to physically avoid advertising and tune out . For this reason, every advertiser haspragmatic need to stand out. As marketers focus on developing messages that stand out, too many of them forget that their focus should not solely be on the executional devices, but on the core message. In order to investigate the abovementioned discrepancy with regards to the effects of sexual stimuli in advertising, we conducted a short survey on 20 subjects on their perception of ads that exploit sex appeal. The subjects, who consisted of eleven females and nine males, wereasked to browse through five different ads for 20 seconds. Two out of the five ads presented,employ sexual appeal as their core messages. The subjects were then required to answer a series of questions about the attractiveness of the ads and were then asked to recall the brand names. The survey questions, results, and advertisement stimuli are provided in Appendix 1. It was found that one of the ads utilizing sexual appeal (Ad 2) was rated as most appealing by the majority of subjects. Interestingly however, the other ad that displays explicit nudity (Ad) was rated as most unappealing and most subjects were unable to recall the brand name. We therefore concluded that sex appeal in advertising works well, but only if it is appropriate with the product context and within an appropriate level of explicitness.