Two Business A2 Level Critical Path Analysis Questions

Q1) Discuss the benefits to Balfour Beatty of using critical path analysis in order to plan its construction projects. (15 marks) Critical path analysis identifies the most efficient and cost effective way of completing a complex project. The various activities which together will make up the project are identified, and the order of these activities are identified. Then, the duration of each activity is estimated and these factors are then arranged as a network or graph, showing the whole project from start to finish, and showing which tasks can happen at the same time.The sequence of tasks which have to be done one after another with no gaps in between is called the Critical Path. One benefit of Critical Path analysis to Balfour Beatty is that it always finds the shortest time possible for completing a complex project. â€Å"The customer requested completion in 124 weeks but through careful planning using Critical Path Analysis, Balfour Beatty was able to plan the project for compl etion in 79 weeks. This can give a competitive edge and is an important element of time-based management. If a company is able to complete the task faster than others, it is more likely that they will get chosen, providing the company with more customers, more revenue and therefore more profit. A second benefit of Critical Path Analysis to Balfour Beatty is that it allows managers to operate Just-in-time production. Resources such as raw materials, labour and equipment can be employed right at the earliest start time.Construction companies rely on subcontractors to complete certain tasks and for certain equipment to be hired at specific times, so with Critical Path Analysis, a manager could predict the exact time a certain piece of equipment would be needed and book the particular equipment early on to ensure that the company will have it when needed. This saves on the storage costs and opportunity costs of stock holding, and improves liquidity.Overall, I believe that Critical Path Analysis is a very recommended way of managing time, and will ensure that a Balfour Beatty will use their time in the most productive way possible when using this network, improving efficiency and making customers want to use them again. Q2) Evaluate the main difficulties faced by Balfour Beatty and other construction companies in their use of CPA to plan their projects. (15 marks) Critical path analysis identifies the most efficient and cost effective way of completing a complex project.The various activities which together will make up the project are identified, and the order of these activities are identified. Then, the duration of each activity is estimated and these factors are then arranged as a network or graph, showing the whole project from start to finish, and showing which tasks can happen at the same time. The sequence of tasks which have to be done one after another with no gaps in between is called the Critical Path. One difficulty of using Critical Path Analysis is t hat unless critical activities are identified and supervised closely, there’ll be delays to the whole project.Critical path analysis puts pressure on mangers to manage effectively and meet deadlines. If, for example, Balfour Beatty was unable to get hold of a particular piece of equipment when needed, the whole project could be delayed by the amount of time that it takes to get the equipment. This means that there will be many employees being paid with no output and the whole project is delayed with doesn’t usually bode well with the customer. A second difficulty of using Critical Path Analysis is that Critical path analysis sets tight deadlines, especially for critical activities.It can be very tempting for the employees to cut corners in order to meet these deadlines, but that can mean quality can suffer. If Balfour Beatty’s employees cut corners with the Bull ring shopping centre, this could mean that the construction was not done properly, causing risks to p ersons entering the shopping centre, or the planning of the bull ring centre may have been rushed, meaning that the layout was not thought out properly, causing problems when it came to construction. Critical Path Analysis puts a lot of pressure on all employees, which could in turn affect the whole project.

Utilizing Online Social Networking Sites

Social Networking Business and Human Services organizations all over the world try to look for different ways to improve and be successful. One of the ways organizations have been able to maintain success is by networking and linking themselves with similar organizations. A website that provides organizations with this type of networking is LinkedIn. In week two I was given the task to research and understand why such sites as LinkedIn help human service organizations stay connected with their professional community and other human service professionals.In addition to researching how these sites enhance more quality services and support and how additional training keeps you up to date and competitive against other organizations. History of LinkedIn LinkedIn is a site used by business professionals all over the world. This site provides business professionals and other types of organizations the ability to exchange information and other networking types of opportunities. Created by fi ve founders, LinkedIn’s website officially took off in 2003 (LinkedIn. com, 2012).The five founders asked 350 of their closest contacts to join their site and within the first month had over 4500 members in the network (LinkedIn, 2012). By the end of 2003 they had over 81000 members and now present day has over 41 million members (LinkedIn, 2012). LinkedIn had a vision to redefine the social networking community and set a new standard. Considered by many to be the businessman’s Facebook, it continues to grow and help businesses to gain new opportunities through social networking. Using LinkedIn to Stay ConnectedLinkedIn has provided human service organizations the ability to reconnect to past and present colleagues, which allows them to stay in constant touch. In addition, help them gain inside connections with similar types of organizations that enhance their growth and success. The network also provides similar organizations within their network to share advice and a nswer questions. Human Service organizations grow and remain successful by linking themselves, working together and gaining referrals from similar types of organizations.Being tied into an online community helps an organization stay connected to other human service agencies and the ability to offer more types of support services. For example, one human service agency may provide speech and occupational therapy, where as their community link specializes in integration behavioral therapy, which their client needs. What then happens is a quality referral to that agency. These two organizations were able to work together, provide more services, all for the greater good of the client’s needs.How it works is that an online user can search for an organization under the search tool. Once an organization is found the user could research statistics regarding the organization, location, and who runs it. The user can then ask to follow the organization and become a networking connection. Training Training and continuing education is an important aspect to any human service agency. Organizations need to be able to provide training opportunities to their employees to keep them up to date and remain competitive in their field.New types of therapies and research are developed all the time and directors and employees need to be aware of them. Through LinkedIn and staying in touch within their online community, organizations can now attend approved training sponsored by different organizations. Some organizations can even upload the training online so that employees can do their continuing education hours without leaving the office. Sites such as NHS on LinkedIn have provided numerous human service organizations with online training, consulting, professional development, and human services training (NHS-LinkedIn. om, 2012). In addition to finding online training and development, employees can also look for employment for human service organizations through the LinkedIn c ommunity. Instead of putting an ad in the newspaper more organizations are looking to LinkedIn and other online sources to find knowledgeable and qualified employees. Technology Used to Stay Connected Some other ways that human services or other business organization use technology to stay connected to their business contacts and employees is by the internet and other social online networking websites.Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be an essential tool in keeping contact and the ability to provide constant updates. My friend’s son attends a specialized Autism School in the Salinas area. The director has 2 offices in the San Luis Obispo area and one in the Stanford area. Although her job as director keeps her on the road visiting the different sites, there are times when she is unable to visit the area. She keeps in constant contact with the assistant director and employees by using Skype.Skype is an online tool where you can have instant face- to- face chats and hold mee tings without all being at the same place at the same time. This way she is always able to attend weekly meetings, get updates, and hold training sessions with her employees. This site has enabled her to grow her organization in different areas while not having to visit the site daily. Staying Connected to the Community If I was trying to find a way to stay connected to other human service professionals in my area I would turn to the internet in order to build and find online networks.Sites such as LinkedIn would be perfect for my individual needs and allow me to build contacts while enabling me to advertise my organization. I would look to LinkedIn to help me build my online website. The purpose of this site is to allow registered users to follow your organization and become notified when other contacts or updates have been added like training, fundraisers, or networking opportunities. This can help me grow a professional contact list that I trust and find other business opportunit ies recommended by someone from another contact network.Conclusion Social and online networking is an online platform that can be used to build contacts and other business opportunities. Sites such as LinkedIn, has given human services and other business organizations the ability to grow, keep in contact, and build relationships. Since 2003, LinkedIn has continued to be the number one site that businesses turn to in order to build their online community. Since that time LinkedIn has continued to improve their site by designing better applications to make building an online community easier.Human Service organizations will do what they can in order to achieve their mission. Working together with other organizations is the key to building relationships, offer more support services, and provide quality referrals to their clients. References LinkedIn. com, (2012). Company history. Retrieved on October 25th, 2012 from http://press. linkedin. com/history/ NHS (2012). NHS management servic es. Retrieved on October 25th, 2012 from http://www. linkedin. com/company/nhs-management-services

Operative Report on Russell Jones

OPERATIVE REPORT Jones, Russell 8004320 Kurt Brockton, MD May 17, 2013 SURGEON: Kurt Brockton, MD PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS 1. Primary hyperparathyroidism. 2. History of lung cancer. POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS 1. Primary hyperparathyroidism. 2. History of lung cancer. PROCEDURE Subtotal parathyroid resection. ANESTHESIA General. PROCEDURE IN DETAIL With the patient in the supine position after adequate prepping and draping of the neck, a standard collar incision was made. Hemostasis was obtained with a cautery. The platysma muscle was elevated from the underlying strap muscles to the thyroid notch superiorly and the sternal notch inferiorly.Strap muscles were dissected free of the midline. The right thyroid lobe was exposed. The middle thyroid vein was divided between three 0 silk ties. The gland was reflected anteromedially. Upon reflection of the gland there appeared to be an enlarged parathyroid gland attached to the lateral aspect of the lower pole. The gland was reflected more anterio rly, and the right upper gland was found posterior to the middle portion of the gland. The left thyroid gland was exposed, and the middle thyroid vein was divided between three 0 silk ties. The gland was reflected anteromedially.A right lower gland was found attached to or adjacent to the lateral aspect of the lower pole corresponding to the position of the lower gland on the right side. The gland was reflected more anteromedially, and the right upper gland was found on the posterior side of the midportion of the thyroid gland but not as medial as the one on the right side. Biopsies were taken of the left upper, left lower, and right upper glands. The right lower gland was removed in toto. The path report revealed the right lower gland to be an adenoma, and the remainder of the glands appeared normal.Only a small amount of parathyroid tissue was seen in the left upper gland, but the cut surface appeared to be parathyroid and bled as it would do. Hemostasis was obtained with a cauter y where necessary. Some Surgicel was placed over the cut end of the left upper gland. Strap muscles were then closed with 3-0 Vicryl, the OPERATIVE REPORT Patient Name: Jones, Russell Hospital No. : 8004320 May 17, 2013 Page 2 subcutaneous and platysma with 3-0 Vicryl, and the skin with skin staples. A dressing was applied. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was sent to the recovery room in stable condition. Kurt Brockton, MD

Hospitality Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Hospitality Law - Essay Example The law is found under the section of Federal social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and Workers Compensation (FUTA) (Boella and Alan 34-49). The FUTA has a subsection where, Meals and Lodging benefits are extended to the workers. It is under particular state laws, for example, in New York (Boella and Alan 54-56). All 50 states enacted workers’ compensation law, which outlines statutory framework for every employer to compensate workers for injuries at work. It insures the employees against occupational risks and hazards. In case of an incident (injuries or sickness), the medical care and benefits are catered for by the employer, while if death ensues, payments are given to the spouse and dependents as the law defines. The compensation act outlines that in the event of negligence, the worker has the right to sue his or her employer according to the common law. Therefore, the occupier has to obtain insurance from private companies or state agencies that cover claims of work-related injuries. In New York, an occupier is not allowed to charge any cost of insurance compensation to the employee. Workers must be advised about their right and the procedure of filing a claim by use of accessible and strategically placed posters. The posters postulate that the premise complies with the Workers’ Compensation Law (Form C-105 in New York). In case of noncompliance, the employer is fined $100 after every 10 days for assessment and may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor in a criminal court (Boella and Alan 71-78). The compensation depends on defined amounts or formulas that in turn depend on four classifications of disabilities that result from injuries. The disability classes include temporary total, permanent total, temporary partial, and permanent partial disabilities. The act also provides for â€Å"scheduled injuries† (amputations of limbs or eyesight loss). The payments that the workers

Young Goodman Brown (Nathaniel Hawthorne) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Young Goodman Brown (Nathaniel Hawthorne) - Essay Example The darkness here has been used to symbolize confusion and loneliness of a Godless life. Brown meets the Devil who accompanies him to meet up Goody Cloyse. Afterwards the devil disappears and Brown attempts to pray (Hawthorne 23). He is however, distracted by a cloud containing the voices on several sinners. At this point, the author attempted to communicate the danger of the world blinding a person’s eye to heaven. Brown runs through the woods. Here, the author communicated that finding the path of righteousness is challenging when one leaves it first since the sin’s woods are covered with confusion and darkness. The story ends in Brown getting back to the village a fearful and bitter man who suspects the religious wholesomeness of those near him (Hawthorne 48). Critics have argued that this story clues Hawthorne’s own history. Similar to Brown, he was brought up in a Salem, Massachusetts. The two women in the story, Cory and Goodies Cloyse execute witchcraft during Hawthorne’s time. It is also arguable that the moral and mental beliefs of Hawthorne have been revealed throughout this story. He felt that all humans share a fellowship of fault. He believed that if it was possible to escape guilt, it was impossible with brotherhood

Why managers may face difficulties when managing employees in a Essay

Why managers may face difficulties when managing employees in a cross-cultural context - Essay Example factory manager who moved to Mexico in order to raise the productivity of his firm factory in the State of Mexico. He apparently was not able to understand main cultural points and his management was a complete failure which led to a 500.000 $ loss for his company. The culture in which each of us lives influences and shapes our feelings, attitudes, and responses to our experiences and interactions with others. Because of our culture, each of us has knowledge, beliefs, values, views, and behaviors that we share with others who have the same cultural heritage. These past experiences, handed down from generation to generation, influence our values of what is attractive and what is ugly, what is acceptable behavior and what is not, and what is right and what is wrong. Our culture also teaches us how to interpret the world. From our culture we learn such things as how close to stand to strangers, when to speak and when to be silent, how to greet friends and strangers, and how to display anger appropriately. Because each culture has a unique way of approaching these situations, we find great diversity in cultural behaviors throughout the world. According to this definition, culture is made of all that defines our background and this is exactly why, as it is stated, we find great diversity in cultural behaviors throughout the world and this is the exact reason why managers may face cross-cultural p... As they have different cultural i.e. different knowledge, beliefs, values, views and behaviors, they will not have the same approach regarding a work, a problem, a situation. According to DuPraw and Axner3 (1997) there are six fundamental patterns of Cultural Difference: Communication Styles, Attitude towards conflict, Approaches to completing tasks, Attitudes towards disclosure, Approaches to knowing. From a culture to another, even if they share the same language, the meaning of words change and doesn't convey the same ideas and the importance of non-verbal communication is not the same. Conflict, depending on the culture, can be seen as a bad or good thing. Western countries often consider conflicts as being undesirable and often do all that is possible to tackle the issues immediately, whereas some other cultures don't have the same considerations on conflicts and believe that it is profitable for both parts. Another aspect of the conflict is the way to tackle it. Some cultures are accustomed to settle a conflict by a written exchange, contrary to the western face-to-face confrontation which can be embarrassing for them. How to complete task also differs from a culture to another because they will consider the same approach to complete it and also the way to work in teams are not the same. The process to make a decision in the working process is also submitted to variation depe nding on the cultural background. In some countries there is only one decision maker for the entire working process whereas in others the there must be a common agreement on what to do. Expressing feelings can also be an issue because it may be considered rude in some

Critcally appraise the nurse mentors role in the support and Essay

Critcally appraise the nurse mentors role in the support and management of under achieving students - Essay Example Here, nurse mentors are supposed to come up with appropriate strategies for intervening to address the areas where a student portrays weaknesses (Cottrell 2013). By differentiating the treatments to facilitate in addressing the needs of underachievers, it would be possible to start addressing the problem attributed with underachievement in both the society and schools (Duffy 2007). For instance, there are diverse forces that lead to underachievement among students. This creates a need to adopt interventions for reversing the effects of underachievement. Instructional interventions and counselling are among the key strategies that nurse mentors can adopt to deal with the issue (Cooper and Gosnell 2014). Various counselling interventions lay emphasis on altering the family or personal dynamics, which lead to underachievement by a student. These interventions may target family, group, or individual mentoring. In diverse mentoring instances, a nurse mentor should refrain from forcing a student to become a successful. Rather, the mentor should focus on helping the student to determine whether success is a valuable goal, creating room for changing counterproductive behaviour (Brown, et al. 2012). Furthermore, a major instructional intervention that has been noted to play a major role in assisting underachieving students is placing them part-time to special classrooms. In these designated environments, mentors aim at providing the students with an appealing environment by altering the customary classroom environment. Usually, small ration between the student and the mentor prevails where the mentors can offer mentoring services and choice for exercising control and freedom in their environment. Here, the students are encouraged to utilize diverse learning strategies as well as adopt self-directed behaviour (Cooper and Gosnell 2014). Thus, this paper

Will Evolving Forms of Journalism Be an Improvement Essay

Will Evolving Forms of Journalism Be an Improvement - Essay Example The growth of the Internet has had far reaching effects on almost all industries. In journalism, the internet has expanded the opportunities for individuals to generate content and disseminate it to potentially millions of users at a low cost. Participatory journalism takes two forms; civic journalism and independent journalism. The former is most suited to improve the field of journalism. In civic journalism, media outlets give their audience an avenue to comment and report on public matters concerning them. Social media provide a gathering place for a broad range of people to participate in a discourse on everyday issues. During the Arab Spring, Social media played a large role in informing the public and gathering support for civil disobedience efforts. While traditional media remained gagged by Arab governments, social media sites of both regional and international media were alive with thousands of user-generated reports. Even when Arab governments shut down internet access, citizens worked to provide alternative internet access. Alex Jones claims that the collapse or diminishing popularity of traditional news media has the potential to impact negatively on democracy (Alexander and Hanson 169). His argument is valid to some extent as the verification of news that traditional media offers ensure that the information provided to the public is free and fair to all parties and devoid of irregularities. However, throwing a blanket condemnation on participatory journalism ignores evidence that do not support Jones’s argument. Jones mistakenly believes that quality journalism is entirely responsible for democracy. In 19th Century America, while most newspapers openly favored particular parties, voter turnout was considerably higher than modern day America where journalism could be considered to be of a higher quality than in the past. The impact of social media on audience levels are seen in two approaches. The first approach is that through

SWOT Analysis - NYLB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

SWOT Analysis - NYLB - Research Paper Example This function started since 1909 after the New York legislation passed a law which stated that the receiver would have separate responsibility and was appointed by the State Supreme Court of New York (New York Liquidation Bureau, â€Å"Home†). Mr.Bing, chief executive officer of the NYLB authored 85 bills that passed the Assembly and around 35 of the bills passed the senate and were signed into law. Among these law included the 2006 law passed by Mr.Bling which stated about the limitation of workers, recovery and clean up workers, compensation claims made by the 9/11 rescues; other law stated were the 2010 no fault divorce law, adoption of the UPMIFA statute in 2010, the law of criminal and civil penalties in the year 2008. Apart from the law stated above the chief executive also authored laws for the insurance and real estate sector so that these industries could taste success even during hard economic times. NYLB performs administrative and operational support to NYLB through economical and timely procurement of goods and services. The claims division looks after the disposition of claims which meets the criteria under the New York Security Fund, enabling NYLB to close its proceeding of estates with the allocated time. The creditor and ancillary division looks after the insolvent users and helps the Superintendent performs his responsibilities. The assets of NYLB are looked after by the finance division and the Human Resource department protects the estates by minimizing the risk (New York Liquidation Bureau-a, â€Å"About us†). The bureau does not own any assets, rather it holds and manages the assets of the security funds and estates and acts as a fiduciary for the benefits of the creditors and policyholders of the Estates. The Bureau’s total receipts for the year 2010 stood at $ 195,486,151 as compared to 2009 of $ 100,186,041 and net receipts was much higher as compared to previous year and was calculated to be $15,588,520. Cash comprised only the money which are deposited in the CDA and for longer term investment opportunities the cash is placed in the Money Market Deposit Account so that a more attractive yield is achieved. The bureau monitors the cash balance based which are in excess of insured limits and based on the information, such balances does not represents material credit risk for the New York Liquidation Bureau. Thus cash at the beginning of the year 2010 accounted to $15,022,557 and for 2009 cash was $7407191 and cash at the end of the year accounted for a total amount of $30, 611,077 in 2010 and $ 15,022,557 at the year 2009 (NYLB-c, p.3-4). Literature review The New York Liquidation Bureau performs the responsibility as a Receiver for the Superintendent of Insurance and the Bureau acts on the behalf of the superintendent in order to carry out the duties to safeguard the interest of the creditors and policyholders of the insolvent a nd impaired insurance companies. The Bureau takes care of the insolvent insurance companies in order to maximize the assets and resolve the liabilities, return back the rehabilitated insurance companies to market place so as to distribute the proceeds of the company to the creditors within the given period of time. NYLB has been performing the function of the Receiver since 1909. When the insurance company is

Critique of a published research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critique of a published research paper - Essay Example 2004). Title The title of the study conducted by Nick Sevdalis, Andrew N. Healey and Charles A. Vincent (Nick et al. 2006) is well defined, concise and the reader can effectively understand the topic of this study only by reading the title. The title is informative because it is telling us that the subject of this study is which is important information for future researchers (Polit and Beck 2008). However even though I can clearly understand the subject of this study I can understand very little about the character of this study and the methods they used so based on the title I can’t determine if it is a systematic review, experimental study. Researchers Qualifications Nick et al. 2006 have the appropriate professional qualifications for conduction of this study. This is important because of the character of the research method adopted by the authors. Subject of this study is analysis of communication within the operating room and identification of eventual events that may di stract the normal functioning of the surgeon, anesthesiologist or other members present in the operating room. In order to achieve adequate and reliable assessment there is a need of professionals, trained to recognize the subtitle communications within the operation room. They have to be familiar with medical terminology and the surgical procedure in general in order to be able to recognize and differentiate a conversation that may be qualified as distraction or communication that is normal and productive (Dale 2005). As I can see from the qualifications of the researchers (Lecturer in patient safety, Research associate, Professor of clinical safety research - Department of bio-surgery) all of these aspects are covered. Abstract Abstract is a brief summary of an experimental study, research paper, dissertation thesis or some other academic article. It can be viewed as a â€Å"point of entry† or general information’s about the paper (Gliner et al. 2000). It is often us ed as a tool for fast familiarization with the general text. Abstracts are often used by researchers in order to obtain fast information about the essence of the study and to conclude if this study is of any interest for his research. Study conducted by Nick et al. 2006 has abstract included at the beginning of the text. In the abstract authors state the aim of the study: there are problems of communications effectiveness in the operating rooms and authors try to identify the content, initiators and recipients of communications and the level at which the surgical team and its team members are distracted by these case-irrelevant communications or CIC’s. In the abstract I can also see that authors presented a short outline of the methodology that they used in order to obtain the data. At the end of the abstract authors summarize the findings in a conclusion subheading where they point their perspective of the findings of the study and proposal for a future research. As I can se e abstract of this study is very informative and concise. Introduction Introduction of the study

Luxury Paradigm Essay Example for Free

Luxury Paradigm Essay It is generally acknowledged that western consumption of luxury in the 1980s and 1990s was motivated primarily by status-seeking and appearance. This means that social status associated with a brand is an important factor in conspicuous consumption. The baby boom generation luxury consumer has a passion for self-indulgence while maintaining an iconoclastic world view, which is transforming the luxury market from its ‘ old ’ conspicuous consumption model to a totally new, individualistic type of luxury consumer one driven by new needs and desires for experiences ’ . The expression of ‘today’s luxury’ is about a celebration of personal creativity, expressiveness, intelligence, fluidity, and above all, meaning. LUXURY AND POSTMODERNISM Recent arguments have been sounded that aspects of contemporary luxury consumption have reflected the phenomenon of postmodernism. Postmodernity means very different things to many different people’. Postmodernism is essentially a western philosophy that ‘refers to a break in thinking away from the modern, functional and rational’. In terms of experiential marketing, two aspects of the postmodern discourse are most relevant: hyper-reality and image. Hyper-reality refers to ‘the blurring of distinction between the real and the unreal, in which the prefix ‘hyper’ signifies more real than real. When the real that is the environment, is no longer a given, but is reproduced by a simulated environment, it does not become unreal, but realer than real’. The example of Bollywood to illustrate the so-called ‘Disneyfication’ of reality within the context of contemporary Indian society: ‘Bollywood captures not only the imagination in the form of song, music and dance but fairy tale settings, romantic melodrama and heroic storylines immerse the viewer in ‘simulated reality’. Traditional marketing was developed in response to the industrial age, not the information, branding and communications revolution we are facing today. In a new age, with new consumers, we need to shift away from a features- and-benefits approach, as advocated by traditional approaches to consumer experiences. One such approach is experiential marketing, an approach that in contrast to the rational features-and-benefits view of consumers takes a more postmodern orientation, and views them as emotional beings concerned with achieving pleasurable experiences. EXPERIENTIAL LUXURY MARKETING When a person buys a service, he purchases a set of intangible activities carried out on his behalf. But when he buys an experience, he pays to spend time enjoying a series of memorable events that a company stages to engage him in a personal way. Experiential marketing is thus about taking the essence of a product and amplifying it into a set of tangible, physical and interactive experiences that reinforce the offer. Experiential marketing essentially describes marketing initiatives that give consumers in-depth, tangible experiences in order to provide them with sufficient information to make a purchase decision. It is clear that the fact that many luxury goods are almost always experiential puts luxury marketers in a unique position to apply the principles of experiential marketing to their activities. Dimensions of the luxury experience The term ‘involvement’ refers to the level of inter-activity between the supplier and the customer. Increased levels of involvement fundamentally change the way in which services are experienced, that is, suppliers no longer create an experience and pass it to the customer; instead, the supplier and customer are interactively co-creating the experience. The term ‘intensity’ refers to the perception of the strength of feeling towards the interaction. The four experiential zones are not intended to be mutually exclusive; the richness of an experience is, however, a function of the degree to which all four zones are incorporated. Those experiences we think of as Entertainment, such as fashion shows at designer boutiques and upmarket department stores, usually involve a low degree of customer involvement and intensiveness. Activities in the Educational zone involve those where participants are more actively involved, but the level of intensiveness is still low. In this zone, participants acquire new skills or increase those they already have. Many luxury goods offerings include educational dimensions. For example, cruise ships often employ well-known authorities to provide semi-formal lectures about their itineraries – a concept commonly referred to as ‘edutainment’. Escapist activities are those that involve a high degree of both involvement and intensiveness, and are clearly a central feature of much of luxury consumption. This is clearly evident within the luxury tourism and hospitality sector, characterised by the growth of specialised holiday offerings. The launch of the Royal Tented Taj Spa (Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces) at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur (India) recreates the mobile palaces used by the Mughal emperors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with chandeliers, royal pennants and Indian love swings. When the element of activity is reduced to a more passive involvement in nature, the event becomes Aesthetic. A high degree of intensiveness is clearly evident within this activity, but has little effect on its environment such as admiring the architectural or interior design of designer boutiques. The six-storey glass crystal design of the Prada store in Tokyo conceptualised by the architects Herzog and de Meuron has become a showcase for unconventional contemporary architecture.

Psychology Paper Essay Example for Free

Psychology Paper Essay In this paper I am going to be talking about the philosophy of psychology in the 19th century. I am going to be discussing the roots in early philosophy leading into the 19th century that influenced the development of modern psychology, identify philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings of psychology as a formal discipline, identify major philosophers in the western tradition that were primary contributors to the formation of psychology as a discipline and explore the development of the science of psychology during the 19th century. There were several philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings psychology as a formal discipline. John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume and John Stuart Mill are just a few to mention. John Locke made a distinction between simple and complex. â€Å"Simple ideas resulted from experiencing basic sensory qualities such as yellow, white, heat and so on, and from making simple reflections such as â€Å"pleasant.† A complex idea includes sever ideas, which can be a combination of simple and other complex ideas. Complex ideas are compounds and can be ultimately reduced to simple ones, much as chemical compounds are composed of simple elements.† (Goodwin, 2008). George Berkeley’s work on vision was the first systematic example of how empiricist thinking could be applied to the study of perception. Berkeley tried to show that our perceptions of the distance, size, and locations of objects are judgments that depend entirely on experience. We do not see objects directly; rather we make judgments about them based on visual information and our experiences. Davie Hume came up with the rules of association, that ideas that are similar or happen simultaneously are associated. He proposed three laws: resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect. David Hartley, another dualist, believed that although the mind and body operated separately but also parallel to each other. He used association in his theory of memories. He believed the â€Å"strength of association relies on repetition† (Goodwin, 2008). John Stuart Mill, known as the â€Å"key transition figure in the shift from the philosophy of the mind to the science of the mind† (Goodwin, 2008), used a chemical rather than mechanical description in our complex ideas are made from simple ones. He believed that the mind was much more active than passive. Mill’s logic consists of the Method of Agreement, Method of Difference, and Joint Method.

Comparing Hypermarket and Traditional Wet Market Consumers

Comparing Hypermarket and Traditional Wet Market Consumers CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS 4.0 Introduction This study was conducted in two different store formats, which are hypermarket and traditional wet market respectively. Totally 200 questionnaires were distributed and collected, each market has 100 questionnaires respectively. First of all, the general data such as respondents profiles, trip patterns and transaction patterns were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. This approach generates frequency and percentage of the respondents characteristics and presents the basic data and information. Secondly, reliability of the respondents perception on store image will be tested to examine whether if the data reliable or not. The level of reliability, which is so called Cronbachs alpha, the alpha value should not lower than 0.70 to obtain the consistent result. After that, independent t-test will be used to examine the level of significant on store attributes between different store formats. Moreover, we will also test the correlation between store formats and the demographic characteristics, trip patterns and transaction patterns. The differences of mean will be calculated, and 95% of confidence intervals were taken in this study. Significant probability was ≠¤0.05. It means if the result lower or equal to 0.05, it indicates statistically significantly different. 4.1 Descriptive Analysis 4.1.1 Respondents Profile 4.1.1.1 Gender Table 4.1: Gender Figure 4.1: Gender At both different store formats, we can find that there is more female shop at markets than male does. Gender distribution of respondents at hypermarket was much more balanced than gender distribution of respondents at traditional wet market, which are 46% for male and 54% for female at hypermarket, while traditional wet market was 1/3 of respondents are male and 2/3 of respondents are female. 4.1.1.2 Age Table 4.2: Age Figure 4.2: Age The data collection of this study showed that respondents at hypermarket and traditional wet market with the age of 25 years old and below are the highest, which are 35% and 28% respectively, compare with the ages which are between 26-35 years old (34% and 19%), 36-45 years old (16% and 14%), 46-55 years old (12% and 23%), and 56 years old and above (3% and 16%). One phenomenon can be found in this data is the number of respondents of traditional wet market with the age which are between 46-55 years old and 56 years old and above, are much higher than the respondents of hypermarket with the same range of age. The total percentage for this range of age (46-55 years old and 56 years old and above), for traditional wet market is 39%, while for hypermarket is only 15%. We can conclude that the respondents of traditional wet market are older than the respondent of hypermarket. 4.1.1.3 Ethnic Table 4.3: Ethnic RUL 573- RESEARCH PROJECT IN PLANNING CHAPTER 4: Store Image: Comparing Hypermarket and Traditional Wet Market Consumers Perception. Case Study: Bayan Baru, Penang. Figure 4.3: Ethnic In this study, Chinese has the highest number of people (55% from hypermarket, 74% from traditional wet market) following to Malay (33% from hypermarket, 14% from traditional wet market), Indian (9% from hypermarket, 11% from traditional wet market) and the others (3% from hypermarket, 1% from traditional wet market). The biggest different of these store formats is Chinese respondent has higher portion at traditional wet market compare to hypermarket, which are  ¾ of all respondents of traditional wet market compare to  ½ of all respondents of hypermarket. While the figure of Malay showed that Malay tends to shop at hypermarket instead of going to traditional wet market, the number of Malay shops at hypermarket is twice compare to number of Malay shops at traditional wet market. 4.1.1.4 Marital Status Table 4.4: Marital Status RUL 573- RESEARCH PROJECT IN PLANNING CHAPTER 4: Store Image: Comparing Hypermarket and Traditional Wet Market Consumers Perception. Case Study: Bayan Baru, Penang. Figure 4.4: Marital Status 40 RUL 573- RESEARCH PROJECT IN PLANNING CHAPTER 4: Store Image: Comparing Hypermarket and Traditional Wet Market Consumers Perception. Case Study: Bayan Baru, Penang. Base on the data that obtained, the respondents of hypermarket who are married (42%) are fewer than those who are single (58%). While respondents from of traditional wet market have the different situation, the result was totally inversed of hypermarket, that is 58% of the respondents are married, and the others 42% are single. This result indicates respondents of this study who are married tend to shop at traditional wet market and respondents who are single prefer to shop at hypermarket. 4.1.1.5 Education Level Table 4.5: Education Level Figure 4.5: Education Level The respondents from both store formats also have highest number of people (74% of hypermarket and 50% of wet market) who had at least tertiary education, which indicates college or university. This is because of more than 1/3 of respondents from hypermarket and 1/4 of respondents from traditional wet market who are younger generation, which is in the category of 25 years old and below as shown in Chapter 4.1.1.2. The overall result showed that the respondents of traditional wet market have slightly lower education level compare to those respondents of hypermarket. Half of the respondents of traditional wet market have not ever pursued tertiary education, the number is twice compare to those respondents of hypermarket who had only secondary education, primary education, and no formal education. 4.1.1.6 Occupation Table 4.6: Occupation Figure 4.6: Occupation In the previous data showed that the respondents who are younger generation (25 years old and below) and have at least tertiary education level had a large portion of entire respondents. In this section, it showed that most of the respondents of hypermarket are student (39%), following by waged worker (25%), government employee (18%), housewife (8%), entrepreneur (7%), retired (3%). While at traditional wet market, most of the respondents are worked as waged worker (32%), following by housewife (26%), student (23%), retired (7%), government employee (5%), entrepreneur (5%) and unemployed (2%). This data also showed that housewife prefers to shop at traditional wet market (25%) instead of shop at hypermarket (8%). 4.1.1.7 Household Size Table 4.7: Household Size Figure 4.7: Household Size The mode number of household size for respondents of hypermarket and traditional wet market are 4 and 5 respectively. The data showed that 28% and 27% of respondents of hypermarket have household size of 4 and 5. On the other hand, 22% and 28% of respondents of traditional wet market have household size of 4 and 5. These indicate more than half of the respondents who have household size of 4 or 5. From the figure above, we can see that the household size of traditional wet market respondent is slightly bigger than household size of hypermarket respondents. From the calculation, the mean household size of traditional wet market respondents are 4.87, and respondents of hypermarket are 4.63. 4.1.1.8Household Monthly Income Table 4.8: Household Monthly Income Figure 4.8: Household Monthly Income From these 200 respondents, there is no big difference of household monthly income between two different store formats. For respondent of hypermarket, the categories of RM1500 and below, RM2501-3500, and RM3501-4500 also showed 23% respectively, followed by RM1501-2500 (17%), RM4501and above (14%). On the other hand, the mode number of household monthly income for respondents of traditional wet market is RM2501-3500, followed by RM1500 and below (22%), RM1501-2500 (21%), RM4501 and above (20%), RM3501-4500 (13%). Overall there is not a very significant different between the groups and the categories. 4.1.2 Trip Patterns 4.1.2.1 Travelling Time from Home to Markets Table 4.9: Travelling Time Figure 4.9: Travelling Time Majority of the respondents travel from home to the markets were just within 15 minutes and this was showed by 48% respondents of hypermarket and 53% of traditional wet market. This indicates half of the respondents came from adjacent area. While 34% respondents of hypermarket and 28% respondents of traditional wet market have travelling time between 16-30 minutes. Travelling time between 31-60 minutes, 16% and 17% fell to respondents of hypermarket and respondents if traditional wet market respectively. The category of 1 hour and more is only chosen by 2% of respondents of hypermarket and traditional wet market respectively. From the data we can conclude that people prefer to travel from home to market in shorter time. 4.1.2.2 Transportation Mode Table 4.10: Transportation Mode Figure 4.10: Transportation Mode Majority of the respondents prefer going to the markets by car, the data showed that 68% of hypermarket respondents and 45% of traditional wet market respondents go to the markets by car. Another transportation mode that is chosen by respondents is walking (15% of hypermarket respondents and 23% of traditional wet market respondents), as well as motorcycle (8% of hypermarket respondents and 23% traditional wet market respondents). A few people chose bus (5% of hypermarket respondents and 6% of traditional wet market respondents) and bicycle (4% of hypermarket respondents and 3% of traditional wet market respondents). Taxi and the others transportation mode have none of respondent chose such mode of transportation. Although majority of the respondents have the shortest travelling time from home to market as showed at Chapter 4.1.2.1, but most of them still prefer to drive to the market. 4.1.3Transaction Patterns 4.1.3.1 Frequency of Visiting Table 4.11: Frequency of Visiting Figure 4.11: Frequency of Visiting Majority of the respondents visiting markets once a week, 36% of hypermarket respondents and 40% traditional wet market respondents chose this category. While 27% of hypermarket respondents and 21% of traditional wet market respondents chose to visit the market less than once a week. Less than half of the respondents visit the market twice or more than twice weekly. From the data obtained, 21% of hypermarket respondents and 11% of traditional wet market respondents visit the market twice weekly, 12% of hypermarket respondents and 10% of traditional wet market respondents visit the market thrice weekly, and 4% of hypermarket respondents and 18% of traditional wet market respondents visit 4 times and more weekly. The respondents who visit the markets 4 times and above weekly are 4.5 times more than those hypermarket respondents do. 4.1.3.2 Visiting Markets with Whom Table 4.12: Visiting Markets with Whom Figure 4.12: Visiting Markets with Whom Almost half of the respondents prefer to visit the markets with their family member or relatives, this occupied 47% of hypermarket respondents and 52% of traditional wet market respondents. While the respondents who chose to visit markets with friends/ neighbors/ colleagues or alone, there is a significant different between hypermarket and traditional wet market. 36% of respondents of hypermarket prefer to go to the markets with their friends/ neighbors/ colleagues instead of go by alone, which has only 17% of the respondents chose that. On the other hand, traditional wet market is different. 36% of the respondents chose to go alone instead of go with friends/ neighbors/ colleagues, which only has 12%. None of them chose to visit the markets with the people who have other relationships. 4.1.3.Time Spent Table 4.13: Time Spent Figure 4.13: Time Spent From the data that obtained, majority of the traditional wet market respondent spent 30-60 minutes in the market, which occupied 49% of the traditional wet market respondent, followed by 1-2 hours (28%), 30 minutes and less (18%), and 2 hours and more (5%). While hypermarket respondents prefer to spent longer time in the market. 41% of hypermarket respondents spent 1-2 hours, followed by 30-60 minutes (32%), 2 hours and more (15%), 30 minutes and less (12%). For overall, 2/3 of traditional wet market respondents tends to spend shorter time compare to only 44% of hypermarket respondents spent less than 1 hour. 4.2Reliability Analysis Data of consumer perception have been collected in the approach of Likert scale, reliability of the data should be tested. Gatewood and Field (1990) said that reliability is the ability of the instrument in providing the consistent results when it is repeated used. Cronbachs alpha is the basic measurement for reliability and an alpha value of 0.7 is sufficient (Nunnally, 1978). All the store attributes will be tested in terms of the store attributes those contribute as the reasons of consumers to choose a retail store and also the importance level that respondents have given to the store attributes. 4.2.1Store Attributes as the Reasons for Consumers to Shop Following are the store attributes as the reasons for consumer to shop: Attribute 1 : Appropriate opening hours Attribute 2 : Near to place of residence Attribute 3 : Product quality Attribute 4 : Product variety Attribute 5 : Reasonable price Attribute 6 : Speed of purchase Attribute 7 : Satisfactorily service Attribute 8 : Spacious interior space Attribute 9 : Not crowded Attribute 10 : Clean and comfortable Attribute 11 : Good public transport available Attribute 12 : Car parking facilities Attribute 13 : Easiness on finding the product Attribute 14 : Habit Attribute 15 : Trust in vendor 4.2.1.1 Hypermarket Table 4.14: Reliability Statistics (Store Attributes as the Reasons for Consumers to Shop at Hypermarket) Table 4.15: Item-Total Statistics(Store Attributes as the Reasons for Consumers to ShopAt Hyperma

I Want To Be a Teacher Essay -- Education Teaching Learning School Ess

Why I Want To Be a Teacher Education is one of the most essential possessions in life. It is necessary for success, and it provides an enhanced future. I believe that people, who do not get an education, are uninformed as to what is going on in their surroundings. The disadvantage is that people can abuse you for your lack of knowledge. People need to be educated to communicate effectively with other people who might have distinct points of views than theirs. In other words, education makes you more open-minded and acceptable to other ideas, beliefs, and values. In the United States, people are extremely lucky because no matter what their age they always have the privilege of receiving the best education possible. In other countries, children have withdrawn from school at an early age because their parents cannot afford to pay for their education. This is very depressing because in the United States innumerable people take school for granted and give up just because they are lazy. They do not appreciat e what they have and do not value education. When I was a child, my mother would constantly remind me about how important it was to have high expectations. My mother is originally from Central America. In her country, people are very unfortunate. She loved school and dreamed of becoming a nurse. However, she had to leave school to help my grandmother, economically. She decided to come to America and to endow my brothers and me with the education she never had. For this reason, most of the things I have accomplished throughout my schooling are because of my mother. I always perform my best in everything I do because I want to make her proud. I know that through me her dreams are becoming a reality. I plan to ... ...bility over each one of your students. Good quality instructors are what society needs in order to make this country flourishing. Yet, I have heard many controversies over what an effective teacher really is. Although this was intimidating, it gave me more determination to work towards my goal. Another reason why I admire teachers is because not only do they facilitate children’s learning but they can aid their own children as well. I think that is something remarkable. I anticipate that in the future I will be able to be of assistance to my children with their homework and teach them how to be responsible citizens. Accomplishing my aspiration of becoming a professor will fill me with enormous satisfaction and pride. I know that completing my schooling will guarantee me a successful future. Only then will I prove that my mother’s sacrifice was not useless.

The Cult You’re In Essay -- Literary Analysis, Kelle Lasn

Everyone is in a consumer’s hypnosis, even if you think you are not. When you go to a store and pick one brand over the other, you are now under their spell. The spell/ hypnosis is how companies get you to buy there things over other companies and keep you hooked. Either through commercials or offering something that you think will make your life better by what they tell you. For example, you go to the store and you need to buy water, once you get to the lane and look, there is 10 different types of water you can buy. You go pick one either because the picture is better or you seen the commercial the other day and you want it. During the length of this paper we will talk about two important writers, Kalle Lasn the writer of â€Å"The Cult You’re in† and Benoit Denizet-Lewis writer of â€Å" The Man Behind Abercrombie & Fitch†. They both talk about similar topics that go hand and hand with each other, they talk about the consumers â€Å"Dream†, how companies recruit the consumers, who cult members really are, how people are forced to wear something they don’t want, and about slackers. What is The Dream we all have? Think about the main things that you strive for in life. Well everyone else in the world has the same dream because companies or â€Å"cults† in bead this dream to pull you in to their â€Å"cult†/ group. They make it seem that you will be happy with having this dream and they can help you get close to it by you buying their stuff. Lasn specifies on this dream everyone as he said â€Å"Dream by definition, are supposed to be unique and imaginative. Yet the bulk of the population is dreaming the same dream. It’s a dream of wealth, power, fame, plenty of sex, and exciting recreational opportunities† ( lasn, 380). This dream is feed to us by the peopl... ...teens can shop elsewhere ‘In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not so cool kids,’ he says† (Denizet-Luis, 369). So if your different then there target audience you don’t belong in the group which would consider you a type of slacker. All and all, we are all in a consumer cult if we want to or not. If you go to the store all you see is brands and you need to buy one no matter what. But what you can do is stop over buying things you don’t need that you think will make you happy. The companies are manipulative in many ways because they show you this â€Å"dream† of a life by buy their stuff, once you are hooked on it they recruit you, bring you in to the cult, make you do stuff you don’t want to, and then if you become a slacker they alienate you away from the other â€Å"cut† members so you can’t influence them to become a slacker too.

A Comparison of This Perfect Day, Brave New World, and 1984 :: comparison compare contrast essays

This Perfect Day, Brave New World, 1984: Dystopian Masterpiece This Perfect Day belongs to the genre of "dystopian" or anti-utopian novels, like Huxley's Brave New World and Orwell's 1984. Yet it is more satisfying than either. This Perfect Day is probably Ira Levin's greatest work of his career. Levin's work, despite being written in 1970, is very plausible having realistic technology, such as scanners and computers which watch over the entire family, the entire population of the world. This novel could be used to show the dangers of a Utopian society as well as being full of anti-Communist and anti-racist sentiment. This Perfect Day also displays the feeling that communist and segregated institutions can be defeated, as the protagonist Chip over powers the "family" and their vile Uni Comp as well as rising above the segregated community he reaches after fleeing the family. This work could best be placed in an area of the curriculum where it is the students job to learn that although everyone might not be equal, nor should they be, they are st ill human and deserve to be treated with the respect and kindness we would expect to be treated with. This work could be used in conjunction with other works of literature that display the same ideals against communism and discrimination as well as a lack of compassion for others. Other works that could be used in cohorts with Levin's This Perfect Day, are Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut and even the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Both of these novels show the dangers of trying to create a Utopian society and the chaos it causes. In Harrison Bergeron, handicapping has become an American institution and it is the governments responsibility to make sure that everyone is equal in every way which ends up causing chaos and rebellion. The Handmaid's Tale shows the dangers of when an extreme group takes over the United States after a nuclear holocaust, with women being placed in a submissive role to men, only being used to reproduce. This Perfect Day could also be used in a section with novels such as Uncle Tom's Cabin which portray the evils of racism and discrimination, just as the land where Chip ends up after escaping the family, is very racist and segregated. He is forced to endure the taunts and tortures of the folks who had fought Uni from the beginning, yet he rises above these bounds to return and destroy Uni Comp, thereby destroying the family.

Unit 4 Per Diary Task

Unit 4 Practice Evidence Record Diary 4. 1-  During my time at placement I have had to encourage children to use resources in a safe and controlled way. For example while working outside in the settings back garden the children wanted to play on the slide. For children to be playing on the slide they will need to climb up from the one side where there are steps. However I made sure that I was close by in case a child injures themselves.While supporting the children I also allow myself to encourage the children to hold onto the handrail allowing them to have a steady balance, preventing them from falling. Due to keeping children safe and secure I am able to acknowledge that I am suppose to be asking the children not to run to fast and ensure that I am providing positive instructions for example to take turns on the slide allowing all the children to have a chance in playing on the slide I also supervised the children during the activity to make sure they were safe.It states in Tasso ni. P ^et al^ Heinemann 4th edition child care and education cache level 3 that P. Tassoni, 2007, page, 218 says  Ã‚  health and safety policy- this will give guidelines on how to keep children, parents and staff safe, for example guidelines on handing over children at the end of a session safely. However this practice shows that I am able to follow all policies and procedures such as the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 or the Equal opportunity policy.

Cybersex: Human Sexuality Essay

Human sexuality is an enormous part of a human life and people are constantly faced with sexuality challenges. As the world evolves, ideas and inventions are voiced and created to make life better for everyone and the internet is one of these creations becoming an essential part of many lives all over the world. Cybersex is a growing form of sexual expression over a computer where people get arousal through typed text, video, images and spoken voice (Waskul : 2003). Because cybersex is so wholly person, yet so wholly impersonal creates many interesting qualities in the phenomenon (Waskul: 2003). With the internet rapidly becoming one of the most used tools in the world, it seems only an easy and curiousity driven progression that relationships arousal is experienced via technology. The underlying question of this innovation is whether or not cybersex will transform human sexuality or is it merely a backward step for society? In an investigation performed of online users, three types of cybersex participants were established. Firstly, there were the recreational users who perform cybersex for curiosity and entertainment. Secondly, the sexual compulsives who use it for sexual desires and lastly the at –risk users who rely on internet interaction, have a definite addiction which leads them to becoming isolated, living solely from this fantasy world (Cooper:2000). Cybersex is a virtual environment with convincing representations that become real through their outcomes (Waskul:2003). The manifestations of cybersex allows people to react to them as if they were real which is how we come to the conclusion of Cybersex having the three types of users, the level of addiction depending on how deeply persuaded someone is. Cybersex used in control is healthy and no different to watching pornography. However, it can grow from transforming human sexuality to being very problematic and as we can tell from above, if not done in moderation it will have harmful effects. The vast number of sexually- oriented online chat rooms is a huge reflection of the immense ranging sexual interests that are now spreading throughout cyber space. New forms of identity as well as intimate liaisons are being created all the time. Be it â€Å"sexually active women, men, teenage and adult homosexuals, closeted and open bisexuals, people with multiple sex partners, part-time or full-time sex workers† or trans genders, all have found a new means to build their solidarity through the internet (Castells:1996). The internet mediated environment has become a very important channel through which individuals are freeing their embodiments which help to further pronounce their sexual practices. People always try and find ‘closure’ amongst feelings or ideas which are not settled. People tend to feel more clear headed if they can pin theirs, or someone else’s sexuality down to a label. The qualities of cyber space liaisons make it possible for identities to be truly â€Å"fluid†(Castells:1996). Identities are no longer fixed but instead taken up, created and explored, mixed and matched, and eventually given up only to try out a series of other sexual identities (Castells:1996). Nowhere else is this identity formation process more actively carried out then on the internet. What leads someone into a potentially dangerous and addictive area is when they do not give up their online identity and pursue the one that is true to them in the real world. They resort to the online cyber space to free themselves from the fake persona they have created outside this fantastical world. Cybersex is an escapist method for some people, diverting their sexual struggle away from the focus of society. The cyberspaces’ anonymity allows a person to freely follow their sexual desires and curiosity without the pressure and possibility of ridicule from society. This could go two ways. Either this expression will help them become more comfortable in their own skin which in turn, helps them be honest in the real world, or it could have the opposite affect with it becoming counterproductive to an individual (Cooper:2000) Someone could get so used to this gratification away from the public eye that it becomes an addiction. However for those individuals who don’t use it as an escapism and purely to connect with the sexual minorities it could potentially transform sexuality. There is now an application on the i-phone called ‘grinder’ in which a gay boy can sign up and it will search for all the other same orientated people within a five kilometre radius of you. You can chat with someone and see if you like talking to them, and if so, this progresses to meeting up in person if both parties are willing. It seems to be of great advantage to those looking to connect with other like minded sexual beings. Cybersex is extremely accessible, and anyone can sign on practically anywhere, anytime. It could be argued that this is a brilliant innovation where bodies, sex and society are interrelated for the first time that it is transforming people and their sexuality through its availability (Waskul:2003). One does no longer have to wait to have sexual interaction by relying on someone else, it is all on your terms. If this is just as exciting to someone having the absence on a real body, opposed to actually having one, then it’s hard to argue against there being a problem because you are causing no direct harm to anyone else if you use cybersex safely. If an individual is confused about their sexuality, the internet is very accessible and affordable where they can seek experience to try and come to a realization of their orientation within themselves. But is this always healthy? As I mentioned before, it can help someone to become more open, but on the flip side, it is very negative. If someone is faced with a situation where they are actually gay but married to the opposite sex and have a job where their boss is a homophobic, it seems almost incomprehensible that they could ‘come out’ and live a happy life. Driven by their distress and/or unhappiness, they resort to online arousal with the same sex. Cybersex could just be an avoidance of sexual issues someone is facing. It is important to consider whether cyberspace is a new virtual world? Which is merely a progression and natural development from the outside, physical world, or is it purely a fantastical world which makes it impossible to ever look at it with objectivity as a transformation of modern physical world. People tend to modify and refine their values and actions in response to what society views as acceptable (Cooper:2000). An individual could pose as anyone they wanted. In a sense, most people do this in some form every now and then, whether it be them sending a text as someone else or they are an actress so take on the role of another individual. The difference is over the internet they don’t have the conscience of others judging them so are more likely to get more deeply involved in their false personality. With the anonymity one receives online, they no longer have the force and influence of society helping them guide them in a suitable direction. The characteristics of online interaction could potentially make someone act in a harmful way. They begin to not be considerate of other people’s needs and wants, and instead go about cybersex in a very egotistical manner. On the flip side, it could help someone to grow as an individual, allowing them to change their opinion with the click of a mouse and explore different areas of themselves and ways on interacting with another being (Castells:1996). This can shift boundaries f the rigid ideas society has of what a relationship should and shouldn’t be, developing ones sexuality greatly. Sex is a big part of sexuality, but there are so many more components to discovering ones sexuality such as mental, emotional and spiritual which cybersex seems to ignore. Does cybersex just boil down to the pure physical side? Sex is a very important part of any relationship but cybersex full emphasis is on sex (Waskul:2003). It seems to stray away from the enormity of the subject of se xuality and only be for physical arousal. I’m sure this can develop sexuality, but it is hard to see it transforming if it ignores these other important areas of the subject. As people pursue pseudo intimate relationships, will this have an effect on their ability to have a real world relationship? They are satisfied from this online experience so don’t feel the desire to try and make a real life one work which is much more difficult. But satisfaction is probably the extent of happiness one would get from cybersex, where a real life person could exceed this satisfaction. In an interview I did of one of my friends who takes part in cybersex, she comments in response to this paragraph â€Å"well you may think that real life relationships are better, but I don’t see it that way. There is a detachment from emotions so I don’t need to fear being hurt. Its all very practical, I get my excitement but there is never any down side to it for me. Im just as happy as anyone else†. It is important to make a distinction between people who do it for get rid of the ache or longing for real physical sex, and ones who merely want a good time and fun experience. It’s a tough debate to see if people who are against cybersex are because they are conventional and have a set idea of the meaning of sex or because they see it merely as a commodity where the negative effects rule out every positive one and the commodity is a terrible backwards step for the progression of sexuality in society. Cybersex relies on accessibility, so what does this mean for third world countries? It can only transform sexuality with those countries that have access to internet. In a sense, cybersex is completely dependent on region, and something that is going to have transforming effects needs to be available to everyone. This phenomenon may have begun with good intentions, but society has perverted it. It does enhance sexuality but only within a definite circle (Cooper:2000). As soon as you move outside these lines its side effects overwhelm its positive potential. It is an individual’s free choice to par- take in cybersex. It is very important to step back and think about the meaning of â€Å"sex† and perhaps it should be something that goes beyond momentary gratification or is this once again, a view which has been socially constructed? Cybersex is a topic which has many opposing arguments and it is hard to reach a settled opinion on the matter. Like I have stated throughout this essay, there are many negative effects to the internet sensation but there are negative effects to anything in life. I don’t think it has the potential to transform sexuality as due to the characteristics of it most people would be uncomfortable. All it really boils down to an individual’s personal choice and if they can use it wisely and approach it with wariness.

Abortion: a Practice of Contraception Essay

Abortion is the deliberate killing of the weakest and most defenseless among us. Unfortunately, for the last few decades, the practice has been recognized as a fundamental human right by the highest court of the land. Many people are fervent supporters of abortion. Their reasons for support are varied. However, I believe that support for abortion is not possible for those who understand our dignity as human persons under God. We were made by God, and it is from Him that we derive our worth The issue of abortion is one of the most commonly used as a topic for academic argumentative papers. Definitely, abortion is a very sensitive issue from the moral and ethical points of view, and there are numerous proponents and opponents of abortions in the US. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Writing an academic paper on abortion can give the writer a great field for arguing and discussing numerous pros and cons of this controversial issue. At the same time, writing argumentative essay on abortion can help author formulate own point of view on this problem and demonstrate own opinion and position regarding abortion legalization. Many people consider abortion as a cruel, unnatural, and absolutely immoral human act, that is why they are arguing for banning abortions. They qualify it as a murder of an unborn child and argue for launching criminal responsibility to those who intend to do abortion. They are convinced that such thing as abortion can never be considered ethical and it infringes all moral norms and postulates on which our society is based. They believe that abortions as a concept is very unhealthy and even dangerous to normal development of our social life. Those are the most important con factors which can be mentioned when working on argumentative essay on abortion. There are also numerous proponents of the abortion issue, who believe that there is nothing wrong about it and it is a personal matter of every modern woman whether to keep the unborn baby or not. Such individual point on numerous incidents of rape or incest which sometimes simply require abortion as a salvation from the situation. Also, they say that some pregnant women choose abortion since they are not ready for motherhood or do not have funds to rise the child properly. These are quite strong pro arguments which should also be mentioned in any academic paper on abortion.

How to Create Book Report Essay

We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust by Jacob Boas Rescue: The Story of How Gentiles Saved Jews in the Holocaust by Milton Meltzer Hiding to Survive: Stories of Jewish Children Rescued from the Holocaust by Maxine B. Rosenberg Parts of the Book Report: Title Page Actual Book Report Contents of Book Report: 1. Discuss the setting of the book. 2. Give a summary of the book by discussing the real person’s/people’s life/lives. 3. Discuss the character/person’s traits and support them with examples from the book. 4. Discuss the theme – the message of the book and some interesting facts you learned from this book. 5. Give your opinion of the book. Include the answers to the following: *How would you rate the book? Why? *What part of the book affected you and in what way? *Do you think the book gave an honest account of the personOs life? *Do you admire any of the people in the book? Why? Book Report: Fiction Kris’s War by Carol Matas Lisa’s War by Carol Matas Parts of the Book Report: Title Page Actual Book Report Contents of Book Report: 1. Discuss the setting of the book. 2. Give a summary of the book by discussing the real person’s life. 3. Discuss the main characters’ traits and support them with examples from the book. 4. Discuss the theme – the message of the book. 5. Give your opinion of the book. Include the answers to the following: *How would you rate the book? Why? *What part of the book affected you and in what way? *Do you think the book gave an honest account of a person’s life during the Holocaust? Hint: Follow guide sheets for book report for the four elements of a book; there is one more thing added this time – your opinion.

Discuss the early life experiences of both Frankenstein Essay

   Shortly after returning from Ingolstadt, Elizabeth developed Scarlet fever. Victor’s mother cared for Elizabeth and nursed her back to health. But she also developed scarlet fever and died. The death of his mother affected Victor Frankenstein intensely, and it was one of the main reasons why Frankenstein started to develop a being â€Å"Invulnerable to none but a violent death. † â€Å"When his mother died he was devastated, his initial grief and disbelief gave way to a determination and an aim in life, which was to find out a new life form that would be stronger and smarter and would not die from disease. â€Å"- Andrew Prothero Victor Frankenstein had a particularly good upbringing. â€Å"No Human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. â€Å"The opposite is true about the creature. The early life experiences of the Creature The Creature was ‘born’ as a result of Victor Frankenstein’s quest to create a being that couldn’t die. Frankenstein had left the Creature, and had gone to bed, but the Creature came to visit Victor Frankenstein in the night. â€Å"I beheld the wretch, the miserable monster which I had created. † The creature was so large and physically revolting that when it was ‘born’ Frankenstein was terrified and fled. â€Å"Breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. † The Creature first has contact with Humans when He is thrown out of a town. â€Å"The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open country. † The Creature wanders the woods, freezing cold until He finds a fire. The Creature was intrigued by it’s warmth and â€Å"thrust [His] hand into the live embers. † The creature learns to talk by eavesdropping on the De Laceys and talks to De Lacey, who is Blind. â€Å"I knocked. â€Å"Who is there? † said the old man-â€Å"Come in† I entered; â€Å"Pardon this intrusion,† said I â€Å"I am a traveller in want of a little rest; you would greatly oblige me if you would allow to remain a few minutes before the fire. † ‘ â€Å"Enter,† said DeLacy; â€Å"And I will try in what manner I can relieve your wants, but, unfortunately, my children are from home, and, as I am blind, I am afraid I shall find it difficult to procure food for you. † ‘ â€Å"Do not trouble yourself, my kind host, I have food; it is warmth and rest only that I need. † The Creature also reads Paradise lost and Sorrows of Werter The Creator learns of his creator and the way in which he was created by reading Frankenstein’s journal. The Creature has no contact with the opposite sex, although Frankenstein starts to create a female partner for the Creature. â€Å"A turning point for both characters is when they meet and the creature requests for a companion. He goes to Frankenstein and demands a companion. ‘You must create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my beingi , this is a very reasonable statement in many ways, and one main argument would be that he is alone in the world with no one like him. † – Andrew Prothero. When Frankenstein changes his mind and smashes it, the Creature is deeply upset. The Creature has no friends, being â€Å"too horrible for human eyes† and learns to expect Ill- treatment. â€Å"I expected this reception,’ said the daemon. † The Creature lives in the forest and icy caves, a â€Å"hovel† and a â€Å"kennel. † â€Å"[I] fearfully took refuge in a low hovel, quite bare, and making a wretched appearance after the palaces that I had beheld in the village. This hovel, however joined a cottage of a neat and pleasant appearance; but, after my late dearly bought experience, I dared not enter it. My place of refuge was constructed of wood, but so low that could, with difficulty sit upright in it. † Conclusion Robert Winston has said, â€Å"Nurture counts more than nature. † I consider this to be true for the Creature, who is driven to commit His crimes through deprivation, neglect, and vicious persecution from Frankenstein and other townspeople, who in the 1700s would have treated the Creature as a freak. The Creature wasn’t educated in moral values, and so it didn’t know that it was wrong to commit the crimes that he committed. I believe that in Frankenstein’s case, He was nurtured in the very best way possible. His parents were â€Å"Possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence. † But it was in his Nature to strive for knowledge and to experiment. When the Creature was ‘born’, Frankenstein was an extremely poor parent and had none of the skills required to be a good parent. I feel almost no sympathy for Frankenstein, as He was unable to face up to his responsibilities once he had become a ‘father’ to this creature. # â€Å"The character of Frankenstein is not portrayed as evil, he is selfish and single minded in his pursuit to create perfection. He does not consider the implications of his dangerous experiments or believe that anything could possibly go wrong, his intentions he believed were good. Horrified at his failure and unable to accept what has happened he runs away from the problem, he is too vain to admit that what he has done is wrong. â€Å"- Andrew Prothero. I definitely feel more sympathy for the Creature, who has a desolate, lonely life. His crimes are forgivable, for he wasn’t educated in moral values. His actions were the result of extreme poverty and deprivation and ill- parenting. â€Å"The creature does not show his evil side until he has won the sympathy of the reader from his constant rejection and desperate need for love, he is shown to be highly intelligent and extremely sensitive to the feelings of the people that he has observed. † – Andrew Prothero I think this is how Shelley wanted us to feel. The early life experiences of the Creature and Frankenstein couldn’t be more different. † The ‘perfect’ baby is not just the product of its genes. It’s more the result of good nutrition, education, healthcare – and love† – Robert Winston.

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Lab Report Example Once the cuvette is filled and locked. Place it in the colorimeter and read the first wavelength. This will be your base reading that you use to determine the intensity of color in the upcoming readings. Once that is read, you can then clean the cuvette again. You will get a reading for each setting on the Calorimeter (430nm, 470nm, 565nm,635nm). You will use the lowest percentage reading and stick with that setting for the duration of the experiment. You will then start using your color solution to get readings and determine the intensity of color. You will begin doing this by adding more dye to the solution. You will start at 10% and work your way up to 100% .Each time you add a percentage of water to the solution you will place the cuvette into the calorimeter and read the results. Each time you finish getting the results, clean the cuvette and begin to do it again to all other percentages. The graph gives the best fit line, or the straightest line is one that predicts vs concentration. This graph however, does not match the equation of Beer-Lambert’s law. The x-axis of the Beer-Lambert’s equation represents the concentration while the y-axis represents the absorbance. Lambert-Beer Law is used to determine concentration [M, mM, or  mM] from Absorbance [No unit], if the molar extinction coefficient  e  [M-1cm-1] of a compound and the path length of the cuvette [cm] that the distance light passes through the solution are known.  The formula  of this relationship: The possible limitations of spectroscopy used in this investigation are the narrowness of spectra and effect of stray radiations that might have made the measurements of absorbance upon slit width and wavelength setting and the fact that it is not possible to know molecular weight of substance could also affect the investigation. The goal of this experiment is to find the factors that affect the intensity of color. This was done

Analysis of The Red Convertible by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay

Analysis of The Red Convertible by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Essay Example Angered, Lyman smashes the convertible. Henry realizes their convertible is run-down. He repairs the convertible and they drive to the river with his brother. The two make a fire by the banks of the river and spends the moment talking. They disagree and fight. Henry jumps in the river to cool off. He drowns and Lamartine fail to rescue him. Lamartine starts the car and plunges it into the river. Symbolism in The Red Convertible The red convertible is an important symbol in the story. The brothers bought the convertible and used it to tour different places. The narrator expresses that they enjoyed each other’s company as they drove to different places together. This is a representation of the normalcy of life before the effects of war. Henry goes to war, and he separates with his brother. Lamartine takes the car apart to demonstrate their separation. After three years away from home, Henry comes back home a different man. Lamartine does not like how Henry comes home withdrawn a nd disinterested in the things they enjoyed before the war. He laments to see how his brother is not returning back to his old self. Out of this devastation, he bangs up the convertible. This symbolizes the torn relationship between the brothers (Erdrich 464). Henry confronts the brother after noticing the state of the convertible. This is indicative of the reality that war veterans face after serving in the war. They find things different as if in a new life. Henry manages to repair the convertible. This points to the repair of his relationship with his brother as the convertible was one of the things that held the two brothers together before the war. When Henry finishes fixing up the convertible, he asks his brother to drive to the river with him. Lamartine thinks that things will go back to normal. His hopes end shortly when Henry jumps into the river and drowns. After he is unable to save his brother, he sends the car plunging into the river so that to give it to his brother. T he demise points to the destructive effects that war has on veterans. It destroys the veterans and their relationships with others. After Henry returns from the war, he does not change his boots and his clothes (Erdrich 464). This is indicative of the permanent memories that veterans carry from the war. These include the horrors and scars they incur in the war. He refuses to change into the clothes he wore before going to war. This expresses difficulty that war veterans experience in resuming their normal lives. Bonita takes a photograph of her two brothers before they drive off to the river. In the photograph, the two look different. Lamartine’s face that comes out as being round, big and right out the sun is the representation of a person who has not been to war. Henry’s face is wrinkled, drawn back and has shadows (Erdrich 465). This represents the state of the soul of a person who has been to war. Henry does not like watching the color television. He becomes violen t to his brother over it. The color from the color television makes him re-experience the horrors he witnessed in the war. This is a common symptom with war veterans. Themes in The Red Convertible Change Change is most prominent in the story. Henry and Lamartine start as good friends who trust each other and enjoy each other’s company. They buy the red convertible together and gets away on a summer vacation. Their adventures in the red convertible express their innocence and freedom in life. They appreciate one another and are close. Henry slept

Pros of Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pros of Gay Marriage - Essay Example Being gay should not be a basis of discrimination, stigmatization or even denial of human rights of a person. Character of a person determines who he or she is and not his or her sexual orientation. Different arguments have been put forth by opponents of gay or same sex marriages in different parts of the world. Religion is the most used argument by opponents of gay marriages. According to beliefs ascribed by different religions, gay marriage amounts to immorality and sin to the deity. In this light, homosexuality is sin and morally wrong hence requires to be illegalized (Chauncey). Another argument put forward by opponents of gay marriages is that, marriage is supposed to lead to procreation so as to ensure continuity of life and family, however if same sex marriages were to be legalized, this would lead to a decrease in the number of children being born in the world. Traditionally, marriage has been defined as the union between a man and a woman. Inclusion or legalization of gay ma rriages would require a re-definition of marriage to include same sex marriages. The same would also be expected or included in the school curriculum forcing teachers to teach homosexuality in schools. This may lead to confusion concerning gender identity especially in young people (Sprigg). However, when viewed from other perspectives, gay marriage appears to be a natural part of human evolution.

Ethics and Criminal Justice CRJS345 Research Paper

Ethics and Criminal Justice CRJS345 - Research Paper Example Use of COPPS will be imperative in mining vital information from members of the public and through scanning, analysis, response and assessment will utterly empower police to solve the prevalent problems of underage drinking and street racing in Westwood. Social crimes such as drugs trafficking and mugging continue to prevail in the contemporary society. It is intelligible that police agencies cannot handle such serious issues without encouraging public participation. The development of COPPS will be of assistance to condense causes and diminish social disorder through analytical devices and community-policy joint venture. Scanning phase will be of prodigious support in channeling preliminary investigation and in establishing if underage drinking and street racing problem exist in Westwood. Scanning phase will help in identifying the actual area in Westwood that juvenile drinking is practiced. I will visit traffic unit so that I can get to know if street racing do exist in Westwood roads. After this, I will analyze data on underage drinking and street racing delinquency both from the public and police agency as this will be helpfulness in attaining substantial details for determining whether the two offenses are existent (Sozer, 2010). I will use the analysis phase in solving the problems by first examining to which extend has underage drinking, and street racing problem broadened in Westwood. My major source is from the community and the police agency; therefore, I will initiate a solemn study that will help out in discovering the major cause of these two problems. In my study to underage drinking, I will try to explore what may be the its cause or navigating factors (Williams & Arrigo,  2008). This can help me to understand the key causes thus formulate the best strategies of resolving the issues. Is it caused by young people’s curiosity of venturing into risk-taking or is caused by heritable feature and other

Organization Change and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organization Change and Development - Essay Example There is not one organization in the world that can survive the current business environment by resisting change (Kaufman, 2007). These changes are not random; rather they are the result of various factors which will be the focus of this paper. Factors Affecting Change The major forces that make organizational change inevitable, which can either be external or internal, are: economic, technological, social, political, legal, labor market and international environments. Every organization has its own unique goals and objectives which are related in one way or another to the changing business environment which is highly dynamic. These factors of change normally force the organization to re-evaluate and change its mode of operation, management and service delivery (Botha and Kourie, 2008). Technology may be the main factor of change that is being experienced all over the business world. The 21st century has been characterized by innovations and introductions of new technologies which ha ve affected the way people love and work. Perhaps the most important of this technological innovation has happened in the communication sector. The development of the telephone, internet and other forms of communication has entirely changed the business environment (Appalbaum, Close and Klasa, 1999). ... The market conditions in the 21st century have also changed quite a lot. Competition has become much stiffer than it was years ago. This competition has been heightened by the ever increasing number of businesses that offer the same or similar products and/or services. The battle to remain relevant in this kind of market environment is one that all organizations must fight on a constant basis. If it means that the organizations have to change the way they conduct their business, then there is no way around it. Globalization is a major reason why market competition has risen to such great heights (Appelbaum, Everard and Hung, 1999). A good example of a business environment that has seen many changes due to changing market conditions is India. After liberalization in the last two centuries, the country has experienced an influx of foreign companies and formation of many others. This has created such high level of competition that those organizations which could not keep up with the cha nge had to close down or merge with those that had already adapted to the changing business environment. Those organizations that were able to re-align their operations with the sweeping changes in the market are some of the countries best today. The political and legal environment is also as turbulent as the business environment of today. This is because it is also vulnerable to frequent changes, which also affect other spheres of life for individuals and organizations alike. Any changes of governance or administration in a country or a region may have great implications for businesses. For instance, if a democratic government is replaced by a totalitarian one, or vise versa, there is likely to be a major shift of

Development Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Development Strategy - Essay Example and growth of specialized stores the competitive landscape became much more diversified. 'Boots operates in an extremely competitive environment where the pace of decision-making and speed of implementation is integral to success," said Boots' chief executive Richard Baker.' (WWD, Jan 23, 2004, p.13). In response to the changes of the environmental factors Boots Group has undertaken a number of measures. Among them are launch of the customer loyalty programmes, sale of non-core business branches, plans for merger etc. One of the examples is the loyalty programme that has been commenced early in the year. 'Customers earn four points for every 1 [pounds sterling] spent. They can buy goods with points, each point advantage card earned being worth a penny. Customers can also collect points on the Boots website, boots.com, but can't spend them on the site.' (Grocer, Feb 19, 2005 p45) The possibility to unite the efforts and capabilities with one more strong market player is for Boots Group another way of addressing the struggle for profits in a competitive environment. In October 2005 the company announced that 'it has been in talks for about six months regarding a merger with rival Alliance UniChem. The transaction was approved by both companies' respective executive boards and shareholders and is expected to be finalized in April, 2006.' (Hoovers 2005) The America's Intelligence Wire, Oct 3, 2005 noted that 'the merger comes after Boots. . .refused to reiterate profit guidance for the year amid slowing U.K. consumer spending and competition with Britain's top retailer, Tesco PLC'. Taken into account that the shareholders and potential investors are two more integral parts of the company's business environment, the rumours about possible merger that have been circulating for six months had significant influence on the stock performance. The ambiguity of the future outcome has partially caused the decline in the stock price earlier in the year followed by the increase after the announcement of merger has been made. (Reuters Quote 2005). The goal of the merger is to create 'an international, pharmacy-led company with a combined turnover of L13.0 billion ($23.11 billion), to operate under the name Alliance Boots. However, their proposal might yet be scuppered as several private-equity firms are reported to be looking at making a bid for Boots following the news that it is up for sale. Among these are KKR, Permira and Apax'. (Pharma Marketletter, Oct 10, 2005 p0) Another environmental aspect that becomes more and more important with the course of Boots expansion into the US market is the economic, social and political factors and the specifics of this market. The groups plan to gain strength in the US retail market in the upcoming few years: The firm is boosting its beauty product presence in U.S. retail partners CVS and Target, and by this fall, Boots beauty items will be offered in 130 stores, up from 32, which will give it entry into the key markets of Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Dallas, Minneapolis and suburban New York and Boston. This effort will also help the retailer gather data on how to successfully expand here nationwide in 2006 within these retailers. (Moore 2005, p.1) Organizational Audit The internal environment of the Boots Company is built upon a strong notion of