My Cross-Cultural Experiences

1. First cross-cultural experiences that I have had in my life * The first culture clash I had was on my first trip to Germany. It was when my friend and me went on a ski trip with our school. We arrived a town called Innsbruck where we stayed at a hotel. I got very surprised when I first got there, the first thing I recognized was the houses they lived in, they all had names on their houses. It was painted on their front wall. This didn’t make any sense for me but I was told that it was because some of the houses where family houses.And that they rented out rooms. At the same day when we went for dinner at our hotel we got served 4 meals. We first got soup, then salad, the main meal and dessert. This didn’t make any sense for me, because back home I was not used to get 4 meals at a restaurant. That night I went to take a shower but I couldn't figure out how to turn on the water in the shower. There were three knobs above the tub, so I assumed that they were for hot, wa rm, and cold water. I twisted the â€Å"warm† knob, but no water came out.Then I tried the two others, and I did get some water, but it was either too cold or too warm. I was too embarrassed to ask anyone for help with such a simple thing, so after making several unsuccessful attempts, I gave up. I had a cold bath instead. 2. Second cross-cultural experiences that I have had in my life – The second experience I had was when I first visited the United States. When I first arrived Westminster College I was so excited and scared at the same time.I have never lived in a community called â€Å"dorms† before and I was not sure how it would work and I had no clue how my roommates would be. The first thing I recognized was how much they talked and their conversation was at a very loud level. The next day I recognized how nice the people were, they smiled and they even said hi to me. I got shocked when people even hold the door open when I was far away they would stand t here and wait for me.When we went out for dinner that night I was also surprised when I ordered a coke, when I finished the coke the waitress came out with another one I got confused and told her that it has to be a misunderstanding because I didn’t ordered another one. She told me that it was free refuel. I felt kind of stupid, and my roommates started laughing at me because they thought it was funny. I told my roommates that in Norway we have to pay for the refuel and after that they taught me more about their culture so I could be more able to adapt to their culture.

Kmart and Sears Merger Essay

Kmart had been established in 1962 by its parent company S. S. Kresge as a discount department store offering the most variety of goods at the lowest prices. Un- like Sears, the company chose not to locate in large shopping malls but to establish its discount stores in highly visible corner locations. During the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, Kmart prospered. Retail formats in operation Kmart – is a chain of discount stores that are usually free standing or located in a strip malls. Big Kmart – signals a different kind of Kmart. These stores are bigger, brighter and offer big savings, big value, big selection and big convenience. Big Kmart stores are designed to increase store sales by increasing the frequency of customer visits. The format focuses on three distinct businesses – home fashions, children’s apparel and consumables – and features an expanded food area known as the â€Å"Pantry†. Kmart Super Center – is a chain of hypermarkets that carry everything a regular Kmart carries, but also have a full grocery section with meat and poultry, baked goods, a delicatessen, garden produce, and fresh seafood. Most Kmart Super Centers operate 24-hours a day and offer special services. In 1999 Kmart began offering a dial-up internet service called BlueLight, which was eventually spun off as an independent company. BlueLight was initially free and supported by banner ads. BlueLight dropped the free service in February 2001 and was reacquired by Kmart in July 2001. In 2002 United Online, which also owns NetZero and Juno, bought the BlueLight service after Kmart filed for bankruptcy. In August 2006, Bluelight dropped the banners. As of August 2006, the service costs $14. 95 a month and has around 165,000 subscribers. Promotional Pricing model Promotional pricing had always been the forte at Kmart. Offering a lower price temporarily in order to enhance the effectiveness of product sales efforts to cost sensitive consumer. In 1990, Wal-Mart overtook Kmart in sales, they tried to wean the company away from this strategy. Kmart cut process on 38,000 items and promoted the with expensive television commercials, which failed to lure younger shoppers. Then Wal-Mart countered by using its greater efficiency and economies of scale to fight back on pricing. The outcome was 1% drop in Kmart’s sales in December and 8% increase in those of Wal-Mart. Financial Analysis Prior to 2001, company was making continues losses, in order to understand scenario; we first analyze the period from 1995 to 1998. Here, Kmart started making some profit. And the second part from the year 1998 to 2002, where they actually went bankrupts. In 1995, the firm suffered a huge loss of $571 million. This was because of the non-performance of 127 international stores. It was in the same year that COGS as a percentage of sales were too high as 78%. Operating expenses as a percentage was in proportion to that of the industry. However due to the low performance of the international stores, stores outside t United States, Kmart had a bad financial year in 1995. It was the same year that the management decided to do away with the non preforming stores and thereby closed all its international stores and started four new stores in the home market. The list of stores by Kmart during the period can be seen as under: In 1999, COGS was 78% of sales as compared to 72 % of sales in the year 1998. Also, COGS increased drastically compared to increase in sales. Sales in 1999 increased by 6. 26%, however COGS increased by 12. 23%. Thus, there was a major decrease in the grow profit from 27% of sales to 21% of sales. This was the beginning of the downfall of Kmart. From here on, COGS kept on increasing. In 2002 COG reached 85%, thus gross margin reduced from 21% in 1999 to 14% in 2002. During the same time, Kmart’s operational efficiency too decreased and it increased from 18% in the year 1999 to 21% in 2002. Thus, increase in the COGS, lowering of the gross margin and increase in the operational costs, all contributes to the fall of Kmart. Competitors within the industry Its primary competitors were Wal-Mart, Sears, Target, Kohl’s, and J.  C. Penney, with secondary competitors in certain categories. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart followed the lower cost competitive strategy of cost leadership. According to our textbook cost leadership aims at the broad mass market and requires efficient scale facilities, cost reductions, cost and overhead control; avoids marginal customers, cost minimization in R&D, service, sales force and advertising. Therefore Wal-Mart could get following benefits: this strategy provided defense against competitors, provides a barrier to entry for new competitors and generate increased market share. Wal-Mart managed to maintain â€Å"everyday low prices† and achieve highest sales in the industry. It should be noted that Wal-Mart’s 2005 revenues exceeded that of the next ? ve U. S. retailers combined: these are Home Depot, Kroger, Sears Holding Company (which includes Sears and Kmart), Costco, and Target. Wal-Mart’s technological edge is in its logistics, distribution, and inventory control helped it reduce cost and offer customers product cheaper than its competitors. Moreover it could benefit from economies of scale. Wal-Mart also used differentiation focus strategy by creating a product and service unique to customers, according to ReferenceForBusiness. com. It could be argued that this feature is not real and just in the mind of the customer; customers believed they were being offered something special. Wal-Mart achieved this strategy by offering unique warranties and brand images. Wal-Mart customers believed they were being provided with something that they cannot find at any of the store’s competitors. Wall-mart’s value chain worked in following way: Vendors, Wal-Mart’s suppliers delivered products to Wal-Mart’s distribution center or directly to one of the stores. Wal-Mart was able to bargain for the lowest possible price because of the high volume of sales. Therefore, Wal-Mart could pass this savings to its customers. After that once the products were delivered to the distribution center, they were sorted and placed on trucks to be delivered to stores. This allows for less than 48 hour deliveries to stores and increased efficiency on trucks with backhauls. After products were delivered to the stores, they were placed on the appropriate shelf location for customers to view. Store locations were located throughout the U. S. in rural and urban towns. Moreover customers could purchase products at very low prices and have the ability to return any item. These were the key elements of Wal-Mart value chain. Overall Wal-Mart’s competitive advantage over its competitors was efficient supply chain management and lower prices achieved through maintaining low costs. Sears Sears, with the second-highest annual sales, had a strong position in hard goods, such as home appliances and tools. Around 40% of all major home appliance sales continued to be controlled by Sears. Nevertheless, Sears was struggling with slumping sales as customers turned from Sears mall stores to stand-alone, big-box retailers, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, to buy their hard goods. Sears main competitive disadvantage was its store locations. Sears has been too slow to expand away from mall locations, industry analysts said. As Sears Chairman Alan Lacy said: â€Å"Our service and products are as good as our competitors but they’re not where our customers are. † Target Target was third in sales but second in profits, behind Wal-Mart. It used differentiation strategy and tried to offer customers quality products and had distinguished itself as a merchandiser of stylish upscale products. Targets mission statement focused on great guest service, clean stores and speedy checkouts. Along with Wal-Mart, Target had flourished to such an extent that Dayton-Hudson, its parent company, had changed its corporate name to Target. Its main focus was statically higher income consumers and early internet adopters. Target’s main competitive advantage was good customer service and quality product. This is where it creates value for its customers. Kohl’s, and J. C. Penney Both Kohl’s and J. C. Penney emphasized on soft goods, such as clothing and related items. They both chose differentiation strategy. Kohl’s concentrated on selling both private and exclusive brands which were â€Å"only at Kohl’s† as well as national brands like Nike, Adidas, Lee, Levi’s, Jockey, Van Heusen. Private and exclusive brands contributed a lot more to the gross margin as Kohl’s has significant control over the production, manufacturing and marketing expense of these brands. Keeping this in mind, Kohl’s has shifted its merchandise gradually towards this section of merchandise. In 2004, Kohl’s carried 25% in Private and Exclusive Brands, and this figure rose to 50% in 2011. Moreover it tried to provide â€Å"convenience† promise to customers – an easy and satisfying shopping experience. Kohl’s organized departments by lifestyle, added signage and graphics depicting key trends, and presented merchandise to suggest how customers can create new looks. They also continued to improve inventory management to deliver more new product more often, to differentiate line mixes according to geographic preferences, and to assure a â€Å"shelf never empty† of products the consumer desires. J. C Penney targeted moderate income customs, mainly women who as company executive said that were with, â€Å"too little time, too little money, and two little kids. † Kmart versus Competitors Kmart’s main problem was that it did not have clearly defined competitive strategy. In 2001, Kmart proclaimed a new retailing strategy that included less advertising, fewer advertised specials, and lower daily prices on many items. In short, Kmart tried to challenge Wal-Mart as the everyday low-price leader. Wal-Mart responded to the Kmart challenge with still lower prices. These new initiatives further weakened the ? nancial position of Kmart Corporation. The Kmart assault on the Wal-Mart image as the low-price leader failed, and Kmart was left with huge volumes of unsold merchandise (Turner 2003, 71–72). Kmart forgot to take into consideration that its capacity to lower prices was limited because of its poor supply chain management, often popular products would be out of stock, in some cases stored in trailors outside of the stores. Kmart was not successful in using differentiation competitive strategy either. While Wal-Mart reigned supreme as the low cost leader, Target was perceived as being a â€Å"higher quality† retailer. There was basically nothing left for Kmart. In attempt to pursue differentiation strategy Kmart updated and enlarged the stores, added name brands, however this was not successful either, acquisitions all performed poorly posting minimal net income or losses and distracted management from core business. Kmart’s main competitive disadvantages were problems in value proposition, poor supply chain/inventory management and poor customer service. It needed to choose competitive strategy suitable for it and concentrate on it.

Bruce Lee Speech

EARLY LIFE Bruce was born in San Francisco's Chinatown. * His father was a famous opera singer and film actor and 1941 they moved back to china which was then occupied by the Japanese. * The Hong Kong neighborhood Lee grew up in became over-crowded, dangerous, and full of gang rivalries it was a tough place to grow up. Gangs ruled the city streets and Lee was often forced to fight them. Bruce's street fighting began to escalate * Eventually, Lee's father decided for him to leave Hong Kong to pursue a safer and healthier avenue in the United States New Life in America While in the United Lee abandoned thoughts of a film career in favor of pursuing martial arts but a martial arts exhibition on Long beach led to the invitation for the role of Kato in the Green Hornet and many other movies including the big Boss which was a big success and catapulted him to stardom. Followed by Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon where he was given complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. * In 1964 Lee had met Karate champion Chuck Norris. * In the movie Way of the Dragon He introduced Norris as his opponent in the final death fight.Today considered one of Lee's most legendary fight scenes and one of the most memorable fight scenes in martial arts film history Essentially bruce lee became obsessed with martial arts and fitness FITNESS AND NUTRITION * HIs interpretation of keeping in shape was constant daily workouts. His workout consisted of three categories: martial arts sparring, weight training, and extensive AB training. * The workout first consists of hours upon hours of martial arts sparring. Secondly, a series of heavy weight training of his main muscles. Finally, is his extensive workout towards his ABs. Bruce Lee's favorite muscle was his ABs and whenever he had time, such as watching TV, he would do sit-ups or crunches. Bruce Lee had what most people called â€Å"washboard ABs† and was not afraid to show it, you can see this in almost every fight scene he had in his films. * PHYSICAL FEATS: Lee could land a punch in around five hundredths of a second (0. 05 second) from 3 feet away * Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind * Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index fingerBruce not only took care of his body by working out but as well as having a proper nutrition. Lee took nutrition seriously and his diet consisted high-protein drinks, vitamins, mineral supplements, green veggies and fruit every day. UNFORTUNATELY HE SUFFERED A SUDDEN DEATH ON DEATH AND LEGACY: * On July 20, 1973, just one month before the premiere of  Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of 32. The official cause of his sudden and unexpected death was a brain edema, found in an autopsy to have been caused by a strange reaction to a prescription painkiller he was reportedly taking for a back injury.Contr oversy surrounded Lee’s death from the beginning, as some claimed he had been murdered. Summary: * Bruce Lee, pound for pound, was arguably the greatest fighter of our time. Twenty-four years after his death, he remains the standard by which all other fighters are measured. His passion, skill, charisma, philosophy, and innovative martial arts concepts brought him worldwide acclaim– incredibly, all by the age of 32. In such a short span, Lee managed to accomplish more than most of us will ever achieve in our lives.

California's Diverse Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

California's Diverse Population - Essay Example A diverse population becomes the defining characteristic of modern day California. This acceptance results in people co-existing within the same environment harmoniously. Within the process of living together, certain elements of the cultures become shared and learned between the people. Assimilation has been described as the process through which cultures begin to resemble one another through shared values and behaviours. The culture which results from assimilation has been compared to a molten pot or a bowl of salad because of the various elements which are involved. The aspect of a bowl of salad does not fully fit into the description of assimilation since it only signifies the co-existence of different cultural backgrounds within the same region. The multicultural societies can be perfectly described by the concept of a salad bowl where assimilation has not occurred. The melting pot concept also does not clearly describe the element of cultural assimilation. This is because despite the cultural elements becoming mixed up, there are still traces of the differences which define each culture (Sunday Review, 2014). The resulting culture becomes something different from all the rest, but the practices of each culture are not completely eliminated. Cultural assimilation can be defined as a process through which ones cultural practices begin to resemble the practices of another culture. The concept of assimilation describes effect which the changes have on both cultural background and in most cases results in the development of a unique culture among the people. This new culture carries traces of both cultural backgrounds and sometimes it could become a stronger culture. These cultural changes normally occur gradually over a long period of time until there can be a clearly distinct culture within the society (Le, 2014). The adoption of cultural values normally occurs spontaneously as a result of perceived cultural superiority of one

Is college education valuable beyond economic incentive Essay

Is college education valuable beyond economic incentive - Essay Example Though the economic incentive is the biggest reason for gaining college education, there are a lot of other reasons too which justify the cause of acquisition of college education. Hence, college education is valuable beyond economic incentive. Discussion Many students, after having education from high school, cannot imagine the benefits a college education may offer to them. To them the college life and the studies at college are threatening, the thought of getting difficult assignments at college upsets them and the possibilities of meeting new people during college life distresses them. Being a student at high school one value one’s friends and it is difficult to think about departing from them. But the best part of college life is that there is a great possibility of meeting new friends with similar interests, principles and comic sense as soon as one enters the college. College life gives experiences and memories along with knowledge and skills. The benefits of college do not end with the passing out of a student but remain for lifetime. The most important among all advantages of college education is the economic one. It is the degree of a college that makes a student eligible for having a high salary. However, students who have acquired college education gain a lot of other benefits from college education as well. So it can be rightly said that besides economic incentive, there are other benefits of college education as well. This essay will discover how college education is valuable beyond economic incentive. It is a fact that after getting a college degree the student finds a good job with high remuneration package but along with the financial benefit, college education also gives the knowledge and skills that are the basic requirements of a good job (Ramage et.al. 508-512). Students who acquire a college degree usually get jobs which pay them 100 per cent more than the jobs gained by secondary school graduates at their entry level. A student jus t after having a bachelor’s degree usually succeeds in gaining a job which pays him no less than $4000 per month. On the other hand, a student who has acquired only a secondary school diploma cannot get a job which pays him more than $2500 per month. After gaining a college degree, the possibilities of job availability also increases. In today’s age a good job vacancy in a good working environment is rarely found, but those who have a college degree usually get a good designation at a reputed establishment. Along with economic incentive, it increases the confidence of college graduates in their capabilities, whereas the secondary school graduates usually do not get the same chance (Ramage et.al. 238-252). Furthermore, because the number of college graduates is smaller as compared to the secondary school graduates, college degree holders have to face lesser competition than them. Usually college degree holders are hired by organisations as soon as they get their degree. In this way the precious time of highly educated college graduates is saved from being wasted in searching jobs. But on the other hand, high school graduates are always in search of work. Because of a college degree, a student is able to achieve top management positions in an organisation but an unqualified employee can only look after a group of equally unqualified colleagues. The achievement of top management position, because of a college degree, boosts one’s confidence and encourages him/her to achieve a further position in his/her professional career. After gaining a college degree a student understands the way s/he can improve himself/herself. By gradually improving oneself one becomes a specialist in one’

David Christopher, Orthopedic Surgeon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

David Christopher, Orthopedic Surgeon - Essay Example e second to most in demand whereas surgeon B takes as long as 60 minutes for the most required and the second to most required surgery that he executes. In addition, surgeon B is more skilled as he does surgeries of a greater variety as compared to the surgeon A. Keeping these facts into consideration, one way for Dr. Christopher to increase the patient throughput and accordingly the revenues without compromising upon the quality of care is to add a surgeon who is skilled in the surgeries of ACL ligament repair, Achilles tendon repair, and knee replacement since these are the surgeries with a lot of demand. The second approach can be to use the surgeons A and B only for the surgeries that are more in demand and stop doing surgeries in areas that have no demand. The record shows that no patient has been scheduled for the surgeries of big toe replacement and fractured hip, so the changeover time of 45 minutes consumed by surgeon A and B in these surgeries can be utilized more efficiently by doing more surgeries of ACL ligament repair that, though Dr. Christopher needs to train surgeon A to perform this surgery. Dr. Christopher can also increase the revenues without compromising upon the quality of service by better management of time. Presently, the surgeries are done only from 7:00 am to 12:00 noon whereas in the time thereafter, patients are seen either in the hospital or the clinic. After noon till break-off, there is plenty of time that can be availed in actually performing surgeries rather than just checking patients. At least, this time can be used to perform the surgeries that take equal to or less than 1 hour to perform and are high in demand like the ACL ligament repair surgery, the Achilles tendon repair surgery or the rotator cuff repair surgery. Yet another way is to keep the number of surgeons the same but divide the surgeries between before noon and after noon time depending upon the time they take. For example, Dr. Christopher should make the

Risk Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Identification - Essay Example For anything to qualify as an art, it is essential that an element of subjectivity lies therein. Subjectivity hitherto refers to lack of objective and empirical explanation for the factors that might be involved in the undertaking. These do tend to be absent from the dynamic identification of risk at certain junctures. Here comes the viewpoint of considering it as underdeveloped. The fact of the matter is, that classifying the true potential of a subjective quantity is never really possible - hence making risk identification an essentially underdeveloped art. It may not be taken as a negative feature, but rather as inherent trait. It is partially developed in the context that certain integral features of the process of risk management have been actualized, and can be subsequently applied to any school of thought wanting to get a risk identification for itself. However, it is reasonably underdeveloped in the context of protective and speculative abilities. After all, the primary purpose of risk identification is to rid oneself off it and possibly avoid a remission of the same. However, the complex dynamics of every operating system, man or machine, makes it a magnanimous task to recognize all possible risks. Wikipedia explains the process of risk identification, "... It is partially developed in the context that certain integral features of the process of risk management have been actualized, and can be subsequently applied to any school of thought wanting to get a risk identification for itself. However, it is reasonably underdeveloped in the context of protective and speculative abilities. After all, the primary purpose of risk identification is to rid oneself off it and possibly avoid a remission of the same. However, the complex dynamics of every operating system, man or machine, makes it a magnanimous task to recognize all possible risks. Risk Identification - Domain Wikipedia explains the process of risk identification, "After establishing the context, the next step in the process of managing risk is to identify potential risks. Risks are about events that, when triggered, will cause problems. Hence, risk identification can start with the source of problems, or with the problem itself." This explains the rationale of how things are taken, and hopefully, preempted. After this, it is desirable for the analysis of the risk to be taken. These can be further of two types: 1. "Source analysis Risk sources may be internal or external to the system that is the target of risk management. Examples of risk sources are: stakeholders of a project, employees of a company or the weather over an airport. 2. "Problem analysis Risks are related to fear. For example: the fear of losing money, the fear of abuse of privacy information or the fear of accidents and casualties. The fear may exist with various entities, most important with shareholder, customers and legislative bodies such as the government" (Wikipedia). Risk Identification - Methods Risk identification factors can be multifaceted in their origin. "The chosen method of

Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice - Essay Example e status of vasectomy via interviews; most of the interviews involved telephoning, administration of questionnaires, the use of the healthcare centres registries, as well as the physical interview by nurses. Among the participants of the research included patients that had experienced the vas deferens’ surgical operation. In order to control the cases study various controls were taken into account; these included individuals that were diagnosed with skin and lung cancer. Other conditions such as digestive disorders and rehabilitation problems, as well as the neighbours of the patients were also treated as the controls of the case study (Bernal, Latour and Gomez, 2012). However, as regards they made decisions regarding the relevance of the primary studies, Bernal, Latour and Gomez (2012) do not point out the modality of selecting the papers for a review. The quality of the methodology was evaluated by taking into consideration a number of threats that are likely to be absent or present with respect to the validity. Among the threats included misclassifying of a disease and inadequacy of selecting the controls. Bernal, Latour and Gomez (2012) carried out an observation on a population of 221,238. Out of this population, 14,334 were categorized under case-control studies, while 206,904 fell under the cohort studies; there were nine case-control studies, and five cohort studies. Following the research, Bernal, Latour and Gomez (2012) claimed that the experimental evidence that was attained regarding the relationship between prostate cancer and vasectomy was characterized by a low level of quality. It was identified that there are several biases with respect to the sources; the sources attempted to overestimate the effect of vasectomy. In this respect, the evidence that was experienced does not advocate for a change in the family planning; this is due to lack of justified evidence. Similarly, the evidence does not indicate whether individuals who have experienced

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History - Assignment Example â€Å"In two years, through murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the two hundred fifty thousand Indians on Haiti were dead.† Zinn goes on to explain, â€Å"a report of the year 1650 shows none of the original Arawaks or their descendants left on the island.† 3. One major difference in worldview between European and Native American cultures is the idea of property rights. Europe’s aristocracy thrived on land ownership, and in a culture where land meant power, ideas on dissolving property rights were scarce. The Native Americans, mostly, believed in living in harmony with the land. Humans were only part of the larger picture. So to destroy a forest to build a city isn’t just egocentric, its sacrilegious. When Europeans attempted to buy Native American lands in some instances, some Native Americans couldn’t understand the idea of owning the land. 4. While differences certainly existed in the slavery systems in Africa and the Americas, Americans bein g much crueler to our slaves and Africans viewing slaves more as indentured servants, I think the similarities are too outstanding to ignore. Slavery anywhere should be intolerable to humanity everywhere. I think Dr. Akurang-Parry summarized this sentiment best in his article Ending the Slave Blame: â€Å"The viewpoint that â€Å"Africans† enslaved â€Å"Africans† is obfuscating if not troubling. The deployment of â€Å"African† in African history tends to coalesce into obscurantist constructions of identities that allow scholars, for instance, to subtly call into question the humanity of â€Å"all† Africans. Whenever Asante rulers sold non-Asantes into slavery, they did not construct it in terms of Africans selling fellow Africans. They saw the victims for what they were, for instance, as Akuapems, without categorizing them as fellow Africans. Equally, when Christian Scandinavians and Russians sold war captives to the Islamic people of the Abbasid Empir e, they didn’t think that they were placing fellow Europeans into slavery. This lazy categorizing homogenizes Africans and has become a part of the methodology of African history; not surprisingly, the Western media’s cottage industry on Africa has tapped into it to frame Africans in inchoate generalities allowing the media to describe local crisis in one African state as â€Å"African† problem.† (source: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=180999) 5. English people migrated to North America to escape religious persecution, for the possibility of achieving power or wealth in the new colonies, and to make money on early expeditions to North America. 6. England wanted to establish colonies in North America to expand its cultural influence, for the possibility of gold or natural resources, and to out muscle the French and Spanish who were colonizing the area at the time. 7. An indentured servant was a worker, typically a young per son from Europe, who agreed to work a certain number of years for a master if that master would pay for their voyage to America. These workers were crucial to our developing economy, as low wage workers were scarce and slaves were expensive. 8. One similarity between all the colonies is

Greenways Garage Evaluation Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Greenways Garage Evaluation Report - Essay Example The word improvement deals with maximizing opportunities, increasing the production at a lower cost and creating more profit. In doing this kind of endeavor, one thing should be the outmost priority of the business enterprise, and that is to satisfy the needs of the customers because primarily, it is the reason of the existence of the business. "Quality thinking was initially based on users' charters (1991 'Citizens Charter' in the UK, 1992 'Charte des services publics' in France and in 1993 the Users' Charter in Belgium, later followed by a number of other countries). During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Total Quality Management focuses on products that are primarily catered for public consumption. Later on, a variation of quality models (EFQM, ISO) and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) were made available for the benefit of public sector. Recently, new members of the EU have taken quality management aboard (.Bouckaert G,1993)1 In the United States, a number of companies use MBNQA or Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award which is credited for the success of most companies in the aforementioned country along with the Baldrige approach. Furthermore, Vinod Singhal, Professor of Operations Management at Georgia Institute of Technology, reported to an audience of international quality improvement leaders in The Hague, Netherlands on 3 June 2003, it is a change strategy used by growing numbers of businesses around the globe because it works to improve results.2 Here in Europe, variety of measurements are used nowadays to ensure the productive performance of a certain enterprise which is beneficial to managers on how will they implement strategies for a competitive business process.2:2Quality and Quality assurance developments -This part discusses the four Models that are used in Europe, in quality and quality assurance developments One of which is the EFQM Excellence Model or the European Foundation for Quality Management, a non-profit membership foundation s the primary source for organizations in Europe looking to excel in their market and in their business with website available at http://www.efqm.org/3.The other methods include, the Benchmarking, a process that provides accurate measure of performance relative to a Council's peers, and has been shown to provide the motivation for management to seriously consider improvement processes, and ultimately reduce risk in the workplace (http://www.emrc.org.au/risk.asppg=133)4, There are three forms of benchmarking namely : internal, competitive and generic . "Internal benchmarking is deemed as comparisons between units within the institutions. Competitive and generic benchmarking refers to identifying best practices of other organizations. Competitive benchmarking involves comparisons with direct competitors, whereas generic benchmarking involves organisations that are not direct competitors but share similar organisational practices and procedures" (Doerfel and Ruben 2002, 6-7)5. A management system that

Security Essentials 1.5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security Essentials 1.5 - Essay Example Contemporary society confronts security experts with distinct and frequently unprecedented security-associated concerns. The security sector was known as a growth sector even before 9/11 (Clifford, 2003). Affairs between civic law implementation agencies and private security experts in more recent years have been limited, even though it is purportedly transforming. History is full of cases where security purposes have been accomplished through the application of innovative minds, resourceful plans, and easily accessible solutions. Sectors evolve to meet these new social demands as society itself evolves. Exploration of artifacts offers evidence that shows attempts by the earliest communities to secure themselves from internal and external dangers. Particular communities discovered methods that were more dignified in an effort to assure security protection by building tools, starting agriculture, and settling in the long-term. These communities resided in regions with certain climates that presented particular security dangers as well as defenses (Clifford). Kangaroo justice was still a preferred option even after the establishment of formalized legislation in educated nations such as the United States. Historians commonly agree that tribal leaders or household members who represented the rest of the family determined security aims during eras that preceded recorded history and areas where legislations could not be implemented freely like the American Frontier. Archeological proof imply that civilizations dating as far back as five millennia BC designed and implemented laws to identify proper behavior. Ancient recorded attempts to build a series of criteria has been credited to the Sumerians as far back as five millennia BC. The Code of Hammurabi, 1750 BCE, is the later legal cannon that adopted Sumerian cannons, set up by King Hammurabi, and discovered in 1901. Draco’s Law applied to Athens in 621 BC and included punishments for numerous crimes that

Caring for People with Additional Needs Essay Example for Free

Caring for People with Additional Needs Essay Introduction In my AO1 ‘caring for people with additional needs’ portfolio I am going to provide and clearly display in great detail information and understanding of three causes of additional needs. I will do this by researching a range of sources to get in dept information. Then I will provide an explanation with great content of the effects on people who are in need of these services due to their additional needs. Finally, I intend to record in depth and show understanding of each stage of the care management process and evaluate how it is used to access, plan, implement, monitor and review individual care plans. Definition of disability â€Å"A physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a persons ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.† (http://www.equalityni.org) What is a physical disability? People with physical disabilities, also known as disabled people or physically disabled people, have a physical impairment which has a substantial and long term effect on their ability to carry our day-to-day activities. Someone with a moderate physical disability would have mobility problems, e.g. unable to manage stairs, and need aids or assistance to walk. Someone with a severe physical disability would be unable to walk and dependent on a carer for mobility. Depending on their individual needs, disabled people may require an accessible home, with or without aids and adaptations. Occupational therapists will assess an individual persons needs for these, and refer the person on to the appropriate agency to have adaptations carried out. Care Repair Services help disabled owner occupiers and private tenants to have adaptations carried out. (http://www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk) What is a sensory disability? A sensory disability is when one of your senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste or spatial awareness, is no longer normal. For example, if you wear glasses you have a slight impairment. If you find it hard to hear then you have a hearing impairment. You don’t have to have completely lost a sense to be sensory impaired. (http://www.staffordshirecares.info) What is a Learning disability? A learning disability affects the way a person learns new things in any area of life, not just at school. Find out how a learning disability can affect someone, and who can offer support. It affects the way they understand information and how they communicate. This means they can have difficulty: †¢ Understanding new or complex information †¢ Learning new skills, and †¢ Coping independently â€Å"In practical terms,† says Lesley Campbell from the learning disability charity Mencap, â€Å"a learning disability means that it’s harder for your child to learn, understand and communicate than it is for other children.† A learning disability is not the same as learning difficulty or mental illness. â€Å"People get confused if they start using the term ‘learning difficulty’. In education this means things like dyslexia, which is not a learning disability,† says Campbell. â€Å"Our definition of learning disabilities focuses on people who have difficulty learning across more than one area of their life. It’s not just to do with reading or writing.† (http://www.nhs.uk) The three conditions I have chosen to focus on are Down’s syndrome that is caused by a chromosomal disorder, cerebral palsy that is caused by damage before and after birth and diabetes that is caused by a disease and medical condition. Firstly I am going to research Downs’s syndrome, which is caused by a chromosomal disorder. Down’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that was named after John Langdon Down, the doctor who first recognised it as a distinct condition in 1866.Down’s syndrome affects a babys normal physical development and causes moderate to severe learning difficulties. It is a lifelong condition that develops when a baby is still in the womb (uterus). Children who are born with Down’s syndrome also have a higher chance of developing other conditions, some of which are life threatening. (http://www.nhs.uk) Down’s syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. The physical features and medical problems associated with Down’s syndrome can vary widely from child to child. While some children with Down’s syndrome need a lot of medical attention, others lead healthy lives. Though Down’s syndrome cant be prevented, it can be detected before a child is born. The health problems that may go along with Down’s syndrome can be treated, and many resources are available to help children and their families who are living with the condition. (http://kidshealth.org) Downs syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 of 800 live births. It is uncommon in the UK, for example, from 2007 to 2008, 1,843 cases of Down’s syndrome were diagnosed during pregnancy, and 743 babies were born with the condition. Down’s syndrome affects about 1 in every 1,000 live births. Down’s syndrome affects all ethnic groups equally. Boys are slightly more likely (around 15%) to be born with Down’s syndrome than girls. (http://www.nhs.uk) The likelihood of having a baby born with Downs syndrome increases with the mothers age: What are the symptoms? There are estimated to be over 100 characteristics of Down’s syndrome. Common characteristics of Down syndrome can include: †¢ A flat facial profile †¢ An upward slant to the eye †¢ A short neck †¢ Abnormally shaped ears †¢ White spots on the iris of the eye (called Brushfield spots) †¢ A single, deep transverse crease on the palm of the hand †¢ Smaller than average size †¢ Exaggerated space between the first and second toe †¢ Poor muscle tone (called hypotonia) †¢ Joint looseness †¢ Broad feet with short toes †¢ Learning disabilities. (http://down-syndrome.emedtv.com) The diagnosis Antenatal screening is a way of assessing whether the unborn baby could develop, or has developed, an abnormality during the pregnancy. Antenatal screening cannot diagnose conditions such as Down’s syndrome, but it can determine the likelihood of the baby developing the syndrome. If the risk of Down’s syndrome (or any other condition) is shown to be high, further testing can be arranged to confirm whether or not the baby has the condition. The test that is used for Down’s syndrome is a combined blood test and an ultrasound scan, which is known as the ‘combined test’. During a blood test, a sample of your blood will be taken and tested to check the levels of certain proteins and hormones. If the blood contains abnormal levels of these substances, one may have an increased risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome. (http://www.nhs.uk) The treatment Down’s syndrome is not a condition that can be cured. However, there are treatments and therapies for the physical, medical and cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome. †¢ Medications can be used to treat certain conditions that occur in people with Down’s syndrome. For example, if a person with Down syndrome has a seizure disorder, they would benefit from taking anti-seizure medications. †¢ The baby’s pediatrician will be the main person managing the infant’s health issues. Most pediatricians have experience dealing with the common medical issues seen in children with Down’s syndrome. †¢ Children with Down syndrome are almost always referred to early intervention programs shortly after birth. Early intervention is a program of therapies, exercises and activities designed to specifically help children with Down syndrome or other disabilities. †¢ Physical therapy focuses on motor development. Since most children with Down’s syndrome have hypotonia or low muscle tone, the goal of physical therapy is to teach the children with Down’s syndrome to move their bodies in appropriate ways, and to improve their muscle tone. †¢ Speech therapy is a very important treatment for children with Down’s syndrome. Because children with Down’s syndrome often have small mouths and slightly enlarged tongues, they can have articulation problems. (http://downsyndrome.about.com) Theres no cure, but treatment of any accompanying health problems and support for learning difficulties allows many people with the syndrome to lead relatively normal and semi-independent lives. Others, however, need full-time care. Many people with the condition live well into adulthood, with an average life expectancy of around 60 years. Physiotherapy, speech therapy and special educational programmes have an important role to play, while specific medical conditions associated with the syndrome are treated as appropriate.(http://www.bbc.co.uk) What are the short term and long-term effects on someone with downs syndrome physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially? Long term effects- physically Common Down’s syndrome physical effects can include thyroid problems, hearing problems, congenital heart disease, eye problems, joint and muscle problems, Seizure, bone, Leukaemia and other cancers, Immune system problems. (http://down-syndrome.emedtv.com) Children with Down syndrome have a widely recognised characteristic appearance. Their head may be smaller than normal and abnormally shaped. Other prominent characteristics of Down syndrome are: a flattened nose, protruding tongue, upward slanting eyes, short hands and fingers, and a single crease in the palm. (http://www.mamashealth.com) Short term effects- physically Children with Down syndrome have decreased resistance to infections and are more prone to dental disease. Some people with Down’s syndrome may have to wear glasses or eye patches. (http://www.health.state.mn.us) Long term effects- intellectually Down’s syndrome affects a childs ability to learn in different ways, but most have mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Children with Down’s syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They simply reach goals at a different pace. There is often a misconception that individuals with Down’s syndrome have a â€Å"static† or predetermined ability to learn. This simply is not true. It is now known that individuals with Down’s syndrome develop over the course of their lifetime and should be treated accordingly. The learning potential of an individual with Down’s syndrome can be maximised through early intervention, good education, higher expectations and encouragement. (http://downsyndrome.about.com) Some may not be able to cope up with complex thinking that is required in the study of certain subjects. Some may achieve the complex thought process much later. (http://www.buzzle.com) Short term effects-intellectually As almost all children with Down’s syndrome have some degree of intellectual disability, we expect them to have more difficulty developing speech than normal children do. If the child with Down’s syndrome does not have a hearing loss we expect the child’s ability to develop speech to be somewhat dependent on the level of intellectual ability. Therefore, if the child has only a mild intellectual disability (and no hearing loss) he or she usually develops a great deal of speech and can have a simple conversation with family or friends. If the child has a very severe degree of intellectual disability we expect the Down syndrome child to have a great deal of difficulty developing spoken language, and we may use signs and/or pictures (augmentative communication) to help us communicate with that child. (http://www.sch.edu.au) Long term effects-emotionally Around 1 in 5 people with Down’s syndrome will develop a psychological or behavioural condition. Children: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a behavioural condition that is characterised by a short attention span and impulsiveness Autistic spectrum disorder a developmental disorder than can cause problems with language, behaviour and social interaction Teenagers and adults: Depression a condition that causes persistent feelings of extreme sadness Obsessive compulsive disorder a health condition that is usually associated with both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. (http://www.nhs.uk) Short term effects – emotionally Because of the communication problems discussed above, people with Down’s syndrome may have difficulty talking about things that make them sad or angry. Major life changes such as loss or separation may prompt decreases in appropriate behaviour at school or work. (http://www.ds-health.com) Long term effects – socially They are recognisably inarticulate in their language and communication skills. Their emotional and intellectual growth is often retarded. Children with Down’s syndrome lack in social abilities. (http://www.buzzle.com) Short term effects – socially Socially people with Down’s syndrome are affected, they may feel that it is difficult to mix with people independently, although further into their lives they may develop more confidence to be able to socialise more easily. That’s not to say that people with Down’s syndrome are shy or unsociable, but just may have less confidence in certain years of their lives. Some people with Down’s syndrome may have to be supervised because of their condition, leaving them less outgoing and feeling uncomfortable having an adult watching over them. My second cause of additional need that i now intend to discuss is cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is a general term covering a number of neurological conditions that affect a childs movement and coordination. Neurological conditions affect the brain and nervous system. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain, which normally occurs before, during or soon after birth. Known possible causes of cerebral palsy include: †¢ Infection in early pregnancy †¢ A difficult or premature birth †¢ Bleeding in the baby’s brain †¢ Abnormal brain development in the baby (http://www.nhs.uk) At some point very early in life, either while a baby is still growing in the womb, during birth or shortly after, something happens to interfere with the normal development of the brain or to injure the brain tissues. This abnormal development or injury disrupts the nerve signals between the brain and the muscles, leading to problems with movement, posture and coordination as the child grows up. This is called cerebral palsy. While some people are severely affected, others have only minor disruption, depending on which parts of the brain are not functioning properly. It’s estimated that as many as 1 in every 400 children may have cerebral palsy, which means nearly 2,000 babies, from all social backgrounds and ethnic groups, are diagnosed every year. (http://www.bbc.co.uk) About 1 in 500 babies born in the UK have cerebral palsy. The number of cases per year (the incidence) has not changed much over the period of 50 years or so. The health and care of mothers have improved in this time and some causes of cerebral palsy have decreased. However, more babies are being born prematurely and surviving. A proportion of these will have cerebral palsy. This (together with the cause in most cases not being known) is probably why the number of cases has not changed much over the period of 50 years or so. (http://www.patient.co.uk) What are the symptoms? Cerebral palsy is often classified into different types depending on the type of symptoms, which in turn probably reflect which parts of the brain are not working as they should. These include: †¢ Spastic cerebral palsy (about 70 per cent of all cases) some of the muscles in the body are tight, stiff and weak, drawing the limbs in and making control of movement difficult. †¢ Athetoid (dyskinetic) cerebral palsy (10 per cent of cases) control of muscles is disrupted by spontaneous and unwanted irregular writhing movements. These may be the result of muscles changing very rapidly from being loose and floppy to very tight and tense. The muscles used for speech may also be affected, interfering with communication. Control of posture is also disrupted. †¢ Ataxic cerebral palsy problems include difficulty with balance, shaky movements of hands or feet, and difficulty with speech. †¢ Mixed cerebral palsy a combination of two or more of the above. In coordination of the muscles of the mouth may cause feeding problems such as slow feeding, gagging and vomiting. There may be delayed motor milestones, such as crawling and walking, weakness or paralysis of the l imbs, an abnormal gait and slowness in developing speech and social skills. As many as one in three children and adolescents with cerebral palsy also has epilepsy (or seizures). Other common problems include: †¢ Difficulty with walking, writing, eating, talking, dressing †¢ Problems with balance and coordination †¢ Difficulty controlling and maintaining posture (they may need help to sit upright) †¢ Visual difficulties †¢ Hearing problems (http://www.bbc.co.uk) The symptoms of cerebral palsy normally become apparent during the first three years of your childs life. Your child may be slower in achieving important developmental goals, such as learning to crawl, walk or speak. Children with cerebral palsy also tend to have problems with their muscle tone (the unconscious ability to contract or relax muscles as needed). Your child may have: †¢ Hypertonia: increased muscle tone, which can make them appear stiff or rigid †¢ Hypotonia: decreased muscle tone, which makes them appear floppy (http://www.nhs.uk) The diagnosis The paediatrician will ask about a childs history and their pattern of development. They will also study a childs reflexes, posture, motor skills and muscle tone. Depending on the childs age, they may also be referred to an educational psychologist so the childs intellectual development can be assessed. Further tests may be recommended to rule out other conditions, which cause similar symptoms to cerebral palsy, such as a tumour or muscular dystrophy (a genetic condition affecting the development of the muscles). In some cases, further testing will also be able to confirm a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. This is because the condition can cause changes to the structure of the brain, which can be detected by the tests. Tests a child may require include: †¢ Blood tests †¢ Cranial ultrasound, which uses sound waves to build up a picture of the childs brain tissue †¢ MRI scan, which uses radio and magnetic waves to study the brain in more detail †¢ CT scan, which uses a series of X-rays that are then assembled by a computer to create a detailed 3-D model of a childs brain While a confident diagnosis of cerebral palsy can usually be made when s child is two or three years old, the type and severity of a childs cerebral palsy may not be determined until they reach four or five years of age. (http://www.nhs.uk) Treatment Theres no cure for cerebral palsy. However, there are plenty of treatments and therapies that can reduce the impact of the condition by easing symptoms such as spasticity, improving communication skills and finding other ways to do things. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy can all play an important part. Children with cerebral palsy do best when they get special help from an early age. Because the brain changes a lot during the first few years of life, it can be difficult to assess the extent of cerebral palsy at first, but most experts suggest babies should be first assessed at about 9 to 12 months. Many children with cerebral palsy benefit from an approach known as conductive education, which helps them to overcome movement problems and gain some control through special education and rehabilitation. Adults can get a lot from it too. Speech and language therapy helps with speech development and also with eating, drinking, and swallowing. Surgery is sometimes needed to correct any deformities that develop as a result of abnormal muscle development or function. Medication can reduce muscle hyperactivity and spasticity, but physiotherapy is the bedrock of cerebral palsy management and can helps with posture and movement. It also tries to prevent progression of disability. Occupational therapy helps children overcome difficulties performing everyday tasks, encouraging them to lead independent lives. With help, most people with cerebral palsy are able to live much the same sort of lives as everyone else. They may have to work a bit harder to overcome practical problems, but most things are possible. (http://www.bbc.co.uk)

Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-1934

Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-1934 The Civil Disobedience Movement led by M K Gandhi, in the year 1930 was an important milestone in the history of Indian Nationalism. During the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Indians learnt how philosophical tenets like ‘non violence’ and ‘passive resistance’ could be used to wage political battles. The programs and policies adopted in the movements spearheaded by Gandhi reflected his political ideologies of ahimsa and satyagraha. While the Non-Cooperation Movement was built on the lines of ‘non violent-non-cooperation’, the essence of The Civil Disobedience Movement was ‘defying of the British laws’. Through his leadership to the National Movements, he not only buttressed his political stance but also played a crucial role in unification of the country, awakening of the masses, and bringing politics within the arena of the common man. Causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement Simon Commission: One of the main factors was the Simon Commission. This was formed by the British Government that included solely the members of the British Parliament, in November 1927, to draft and formalize a constitution for India. The chairmanship of the commission rested with Sir John Simon, who was a well known lawyer and an English statesman. Accused of being an All-White Commission, the Simon Commission was rejected by all political and social segments of the country. In Bengal, the opposition to the Simon Commission assumed a massive scale, with a hartal being observed in all corners of the province on February 3rd, 1928. On the occasion of Simons arrival in the city, demonstrations were conducted in Calcutta. The Nehru Report: The British justified that ‘disharmony among the various groups in the country’ was the reason why Indians were not included in the Simon Commission. In 1925 and 1927, Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State, had challenged the Indian leaders to draft a constitution to which all parties would agree (keeping the communal disunity in mind). Representative of the congress, the league, the liberals, the Hindu Mahasabha, the central Sikh league, and a number of smaller groups representing labour, business and other interests, met in an all-parties` conference between February and May 1928. A select committee was appointed for the actual drafting of the constitutional scheme. Pandit Motilal Nehru with Tej Bahadur Sapru, sir Ali Imam, Sardar Mangal Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose as its members. The Nehru committee`s report as it was called was submitted on 10 August, 1928. The Nehru report stated that the next immediate step for India must be ‘dominion status’. The Nehru report was approved by the congress at Calcutta in December 1928. Gandhiji sponsored a resolution agreeing to ‘dominion status’ so long as the British accepted the Nehru constitution in its entirety, which should happen in one year. If they did not, congress would `organize a campaign of non-violent non-co-operation` which would include refusal to pay taxes. The failure of the Government to comply with the Nehru report finally made the Congress to launch Civil Disobedience Movement under Gandhiji. The Launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement: First Stage The Congress Committee met at Sabarmati in February, and invested Gandhi and those working with him’ with full authority to lead and direct the Civil Disobedience campaign. Gandhi was urged by the Congress to render his much needed leadership to the Civil Disobedience Movement. Dandi March: On the historic day of 12th March, 1930, Gandhi inaugurated ‘The Civil Disobedience Movement’ by conducting the historic Dandi Salt March, where he broke the Salt Laws imposed by the British Government. Followed by an entourage of seventy nine ashramites, Gandhi embarked on his march from his Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi that is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea. On 6th April 1930, Gandhi with the accompaniment of seventy nine satyagrahis, violated the Salt Law by picking up a fistful of salt lying on the sea shore. They manually made salt on the shores of Dandi. Gandhi-Irwin Pact: In the meantime, the First Round Table Conference was held in 1930, with no Congress member as the participant of the Conference. This led to the meeting of Gandhi and Lord Irwin, the viceroy in March 1931. Here they signed a pact, which came to be known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Accordingly, they agreed on the Discontinuation of the civil disobedience movement by the Indian National Congress participation by the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference withdrawal of all ordinances issued by the British Government imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress withdrawal of all prosecutions relating to several types of offenses except those involving violence release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement removal of the tax on salt, which allowed the Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own private use. Second Round Table Conference Gandhi attended The Second Round Table Conference in London accompanied by Smt. Sarojini Naidu. At this Conference, it was claimed by Mahatma Gandhi that the Congress represented more than eighty five percent of the Indian population. During this Conference, Gandhi could not reach agreement with the Muslims on Muslim representation and safeguards. Gandhis claim of the Congress representing majority was not endorsed by the British and also the Muslim representative. The final blow to Gandhi came when at the end of the conference Ramsay MacDonald undertook to produce a Communal Award for minority representation, with the provision that any free agreement between the parties could be substituted for his award. Thus, the Second Round Table Conference proved to be futile for the Indians and Gandhi returned to the country without any positive result. The political scene in India thereafter assumed an acute dimension. The Viceroy, Lord Willington, in the absence of Gandhi has adopted the policy of repression. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was violated and the Viceroy took to the suppression of the Congress. The Conservative party, which was in power in England, complied with the decision to assume a repressive stance against the Congress and the Indians. The Congress was also held responsible by the government to have instigated the Red Shirts to participate in The Civil Disobedience Movement, led byKhan Abdul Ghaffar and provoking the cultivators of U.P to refuse to pay land revenue. Adding to this was the serious economic crisis that took hold of the country. Under such circumstances, the resumption of The Civil Disobedience Movement was inevitable. Renewal of the Civil Disobedience Movement: Second Stage The Congress Working Committee took the decision to restart The Civil Disobedience Movement, as the British government was not prepared to relent. Gandhi resumed the movement in January, 1932 and appealed to the entire nation to join in. The Viceroy was also informed of the stance assumed by the Congress. The police was given the power to arrest any person, even on the basis of mere suspicion. Sardar Patel, the President of Congress and Gandhi were arrested, along with other Congressmen. Though the second phase of The Civil Disobedience Movement lacked the organization that marked its first phase, nonetheless, the entire nation put up a tough fight and the movement continued for six months. Communal Award, 1932 Meanwhile, the failure of the Second Round Table conference convinced Mr. MacDonald to announce the Communal Award on August 16, 1932. According to the Award the right of separate electorate was not only given to the Muslims of India but also to all the minority communities in the country. The Award also declared untouchables as a minority and thus the Hindu depressed classes were given a number of special seats, to be filled from special depressed class electorates in the area where their voters were concentrated. Under the Communal Award, the principle of weightage was also maintained with some modifications in the Muslim minority provinces. Principle of weightage was also applied for Europeans in Bengal and Assam, Sikhs in the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, and Hindus in Sindh and North West Frontier Province. Though the Muslims constituted almost 56 percent of the total population of Punjab, they were given only 86 out of 175 seats in the Punjab Assembly. The Muslim majority of 54.8 percent in Punjab was thus reduced to a minority. The formula favored the Sikhs of Punjab, and the Europeans of Bengal the most. The Award was not popular with any Indian party. Muslims were not happy with the Communal Award, as it has reduced their majority in Punjab and Bengal to a minority. Yet they were prepared to accept it. In its annual session held in November 1933, the All India Muslim League passed a resolution that reads; Though the decision falls far short of the Muslim demands, the Muslims have accepted it in the best interest of the country, reserving to themselves the right to press for the acceptance of all their demands. On the other hand, the Hindus refused to accept the awards and decided to launch a campaign against it. For them it was not possible to accept the Untouchables as a minority. They organized the Allahabad Unity Conference in which they demanded for the replacement of separate electorates by joint electorates. Many nationalist Muslims and Sikhs also participated in the conference. The Congress also rejected the Award in Toto. Gandhi protested against the declaration of Untouchables as a minority and undertook a fast unto death. Though he managed to sign the Poona Pact with Dr. B. R. Ambedker, the leader of Untouchables in which the Congress met many of the Untouchables demands, the Communal Award was a blow to Gandhiji and he finally decided to suspend and withdraw mass satyagraha on 14th July, 1933. The movement ceased completely on 7th April, 1934.

Gender and Religious Discrimination in Islamic Countries

Gender and Religious Discrimination in Islamic Countries ANTHROPOLOGY: CONFLICT AND CULTURE Introduction Some of the vices of the society that were supposed to have been done away with ages ago are still so pronounced in the society today. There are some controversial cultural practices that continue to thrive even in this 21st century though have been passed by time: such includes the discrimination of the minority in the society. Its expected that with the development emanating form advanced science and technology, men should have developed parallel with technological advance hence overlook some destructive cultural practices based on myths proven scientifically to be wrong. This is not the case as religious and gender discriminations continue to deepen its roots in many cultures especially among the Muslims. This paper endeavors to unveil the evils of minority discrimination based on religious laws. The minority discussed in this paper are the religious and gender based in Islamic nations using a case study of Saudi Arabia. This study is based on a thesis statement that discriminatio n based on Religion and gender is pronounced and in continuity in Islamic based nations. The religious cultures are the sources of the controversies and minority discriminations. Discrimination The concept of discrimination has triggered much reaction in the society we live today because the adverse effects it has on the victims. Discrimination is the treatment taken against an individual or a group of people and based on category or class (Benton, 2007). According to the United Nations, discriminatory behaviors may take a variety of forms but all having a common factor: they include some form of rejection or exclusion. Any action that treats a group of people in an unfair manner because of their membership to a particular social group is discrimination (United Nations Cyber School-Bus, 2010). Minorities and Discrimination The minorities in the society are a group of people who do not constitute formulate the dominant majority of the total population in a given society. Minority group does not necessarily mean numerical majority, rather may include any group of people considered subnormal in relation to the dominant group of people in terms of wealth, employment, class, political power, education and social status (Traiman, 2006). The minority may also be referred to as the ‘subordinate group while the majority group may be referred as the ‘dominant group instead of minority and majority respectively. The term minority group is mostly used in reference of an ethnic group which may include: nationality, language, religion, gender and culture. Some other minority groups may include: The working minorities (unemployed and working poor, people with disabilities, age minorities who are older or younger than the typical working class and the sexual minorities (Lovelace, 2006). The commonality of the term ‘minority group is manifest alongside the discourse of collective rights and civil rights gaining prominence from the 20th century. Those who fall under the category of the minority group frequently fall prey to different treatments in the societies and the countries where they reside. The discrimination can be based on the individuals perception as belonging to the minority group failing to notice an individuals personal successes or occur indirectly based on the social structures that do not offer equal opportunities to the entire subject. Those who belong to the categories of the minority groups are often identifiable while tabling of complains of maltreatments and demanding for equal rights (Lovelace, 2006). Religious Discrimination: Saudi Arabia case study The focus of this paper is to look into the minority groups in the Islamic nations and how they are discriminated by the society and the governing laws within their nations. The two major categories of minority groups within the Islamic culture are the religious minority and gender minority: women. One of the most established Islamic states of the world is Saudi Arabia; though our focus is the Islamic culture in general most of the examples shall be obtained from the monarchy of Saudi Arabia. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is governed by Sharia laws that are derived from the Holy Quran. The kingdom has no legal protection in relation to freedom of religion hence no authority offers such protection to the minority groups: those who do not profess the Islamic religion such as the Christians and the Buddhists. The requirement of the Sharia law is that all people should be Muslims. The government does not condone a public practice of non-Muslim religions, in fact its illegal. The non-Muslims are only allowed to conduct their worship in private. Nevertheless those limited rights are not always respected and contravention does not necessarily carry a lot of weight (International Labor Office, 2007). The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a population of about seventeen million with about seven million foreigners. The foreign population includes about 36,000 Americans, 40,000 Eritreans, 130,000 Sri Lankans, 150,000 Lebanese, 250,000 Palestinians, 800,000 Filipinos, 800,000 Egyptians, 900,000 Pakistanis, 1 million Bangladeshis, and 1.5 million Indians. Of the entire population in the Saudi society, the majority are Muslims with minority Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews. There are very few of the foreigners who are Muslims. There is a high degree of cultural homogeneity as well as high social stratification (Federal Research Division, 2004). The freedom of religion does not exist, Islamism being the official religion; all the citizens are required to be Muslims. The government is an Islamic monarchy declaring Prophet Muhammads Sunna traditions to be the governing constitution. The government is fully conservative observing the precepts of the Quran to govern the country. The government as well as the society do not allow for any separation between the government and religion. The Muslims societies are allowed to adjudicate their legal issues using the Shia Muslims traditions. This is at the expense of the minority groups who are not Muslims since they are judged according to the Muslims laws: this becomes unfair since the non Muslims are not versed with the basic knowledge hence may contravene the laws out of ignorance. On the same note the non Muslims do not enjoy the Christian festivals and holidays since the only permissible public holiday is Eids, Eid Al-Fitr done as a wrapping up of Hajj (International Labor Office, 2007). The religious minority suffers in that the system of education is based on the Islamic laws. Some other religious teachings such as Christian religious Education are not provided for, the parents and guardians have to organize for tutorial classes to teach their children the basics of their religions. Those who have attempted to advocate for some forms of democratic systems or criticized or written opposed the Islamic administration have faced the Sharia law some being imprisoned while others have faced reprisals. The minority groups pay the revenues to the government which is used in the establishment of Mosques. The government also uses collected revenues to pay the Imams who are the prayer leaders and the other mosque employees though it does not permit the establishment of churches (Abir, 1993). The jurisdiction in the legal system treats the majority, Muslims, unequally to the minority: other religions. For example the retribution sort for blood money varies from that of a Muslim man from that of a member of the other religions. The blood money payable to a Christian man is half that of a Muslim man. The members of the other religions are valued 1/16th of a Muslim man (Saudi Arabian Government and Law). Gender Discrimination The acuity of the womenfolk as a minority group facing discrimination has been publicly debated from time immemorial. The concept of gender discrimination is based on belief that women are a lesser sex in the society. Its generally propagated by attitudes and beliefs concerning the gender of a person. The attitudes and beliefs are social nature normally not carrying legal consequences. The treatment of women varies from one society to another and from institution to another (Tofilon, 2005. The advance in development continues to provide for more opportunities for women. Though not many societies have managed to achieve a level of equal rights for all people despite of their gender, the Islamic based countries do not even make the initiative to provide equal opportunities for all. Gender discrimination can arise in different settings. The discrimination may involve an employee being asked some discriminatory questions in job interviews or while working: if a woman presents herself as a Chief Executive Officer of a given company others may doubt her ability to run such a position based on cultural beliefs that a woman ought to take less task positions not such which involves the control off the entire company. Such cultural beliefs have been impacted on women to an extent that some have accepted the position as a reality of life. Unfair discrimination of women follows gender stereotypes that are held by the society (Hyde, 2005). Gender Discrimination in Saudi Arabia The discrimination of women as the ‘minority group is most pronounced among the practitioners of Islamic religion though also very evident in other societies such as in America: it was identified that more than half of the masters degree programs are offered to women though this is not reflected in the management of organizations; over 95% of senior management positions in organizations remain occupied by men (U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission, 1995). In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gender discrimination is so pronounced in almost all circles. The greatest challenge in pursuit of gender equality in this monarchy is faced owing to the fact that not many including the womenfolk are willing to see change; many are contented with the status quo. This is chiefly because the discriminations are not perceived by the women since its based on the laws of God: Sharia from the Holy Quran, to them God ordained men to rule as women serve the men (Kline, 2005). Despite the fact that about seventy percent of those enrolled in universities are women only five percent of the workforce is composed of women, 95% of workers are men. This ratio is the most unusual in the world. Any attempt to increase womens opportunities in the working force has faced pronounced resistance from without the government (men citizenly and religious police) and within the labor ministry. The position of a woman is at home according to the Saudi peoples cultures and Islamic religion. Most of these cultures state that a woman was created to take care of her husband and family. The segregation for this minority group is continued even to the home settings where there are some special doors that are set mens usage. In Saudi Arabia women are prohibited even from driving cars and those who drive do it out of contravention of the law, they are very few for not many husbands would allow their wives to drive. They are allowed to fly aircrafts but have to be chauffer driven to the airstrips (Kline, 2005). Women in Saudi Arabia are not even allowed to contend for political positions. They are just allowed to vote. The discrimination of women among the Islamic nations is not only manifest in Saudi Arabia, in Iran there is no much difference; there are so many rights that women are denied from accessing based on the Islamic religion. If a Muslim man commits adultery with a Muslim woman he receives a penalty of 100 lashes, but if with a non Muslim woman there is no provision of the punishment involved. If a non-Muslim man commits adultery with a Muslim woman the penalty is death sentence. Iran law allows a Muslim man to marry a Muslim woman but a Muslim woman can never be married to a none-Muslim man (FIDH report, 2003). Conclusion The discrimination of people in todays society based on beliefs and practices that can not be proven has received vast criticism from many circles. With the current advance in scientific and technological advance its expected that most of the cultural myths that continue to thrive in the society should have been done away with along time ago, but this is not the case. Minority discriminations based of cultural beliefs are so evident in many circles of life especially in the Islamic religious societies. Religious decimation against the minority and gender discrimination are so pronounced in Muslim societies. The minority groups continue to encounter massive challenges in an attempt to fit in these societies. The Saudi Arabia Kingdom which is our case study is a monarchy run in accordance with Islamic religious ethics. The constitution of this monarchy is based on Sharia form the Quran. The greatest percentage of Saudis citizens is Muslims hence all the rest fall under the category of minority group subject to various minority discriminations. Women in the society from time immemorial receive a different perception and treatment by the society. This is based on the belief that they are a weaker sex; the Islamic nations have not been left behind in unequal treatment of women. The paper has outlined the various religious and gender discriminations especially in Islamic based states using the case study of Saudi Arabia. References Abir, M. (1993). Saudi Arabia: government, society, and the Gulf crisis. New York, NY: Routledge. Benton, A. J. (2007). Are Your Genes Protected: Federal Legislation and Genetic Discrimination: The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, Iowa City, 10(2), 285-311. Federal Research Division. (2004). Saudi Arabia A Country Study. Montana: Kessinger Publishing. FIDH and the Ligue de Dà ©fense des Droits de lHomme en Iran. (2003). Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran, Paris – France. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/ir0108a.pdf Hyde, J. S. (2005) â€Å"The Gender Similarities Hypothesis†, American Psychologist, (International Labor Conference); 96th session, I (B). Publisher International Labor Organization. International Labor Office, (2007), Equality at work: tackling the challenges: global report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work International Labor Office Series Volume 91; Volume 96 of Report (International Labor Conference) Report. Publisher International Labor Organization. Kline, J. (2005). Ethics for international business: decision making in a global political economy. New York, NY: Routledge. Saudi Arabian Government and Law. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://www.jeansasson.com/law_and_government.htm Tofilon, L. (2005). Masters of Discrimination: Augusta National Golf Club, Freedom of Association, and Gender Equality in Golf. The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice. Iowa City: Fall, 9(1), 189-20. Traiman, L. (2006). Guidelines but No Guidance: GaySpermBank.com vs. FDA. The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice. Iowa City: Spring, 9(3), 613-623. U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission. (1995). â€Å"Glass Ceiling Commission A Solid Investment: Making Full Use of the Nations Human Capital A Solid Investment:† Making Full Use of the Nations Human Capital. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117context=key_workplace United Nations Cyber School-Bus. (2010). What is discrimination? Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/discrim/id_8_ud_print.asp

History Of Physicians Assistant :: essays research papers fc

The year is 1959, and Mr. Scott has had a migraine headache for the past few weeks and so he drives to the local Potsdam Hospital. The poignant antiseptic smell fills his nostrils as he steps unto the polished hospital floor but what catches his eye is the large number of people waiting in the lounge. Mr. Scott patiently stands behind the long line of people to sign the needed forms to be seen by the physician. An hour and a half passes, and it is finally his turn to see the receptionist. He looks at the woman behind the counter in the bright white uniform and asks, â€Å"Is it always like this?† The woman replies in a weary but irritated tone â€Å"It was not this hectic until Dr. Johnson and Dr. Smith left to specialize in Syracuse.† As Mr. Jones fills out the questionnaire about his insurance, he mutters to him self, â€Å"Boy, they need to do something about this. They should hire more doctors or something." The medical community did do something to off set th e projected decline of physicians. About thirty years ago, a new health care profession was integrated into the medical field to assist physicians to prescreen and handle the routine patient loads. At first, Physician Assistants (PA’s) met some opposition, but later they were accepted as a need and an asset to society. The following history of the physician assistant will show how a crisis caused the development of this profession, and the conditions which created the profession and how the struggles of the PA profession during the 1960’s through the 1970’s ended with the maturity phase of the 1980’s and 1990’s. A crisis caused the development of the PA profession. This problem was the widely held belief that there was a shortage of medically trained personnel , which originated from the 1959 Report of the Surgeon General’s Consultant Group of Medical Education. This report gave three main reasons why an expansion of health care was needed in the United States: 1. There was fear of rapid population growth projections with disproportionate increases of the young and elderly. These two populations statistically and historically utilize more health care than the average populace. 2. There was an increased per capita use of health care facilities. This was spurred by numerous factors. The first was improved living standards that brought higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality.

Religion and its Impact on the Life of Man of Today :: Religion

Religion and its impact on the life of the man of today Jamalpour believes, It is very difficult to define the religion, each group of people have a specific definition and beliefs about that. But people believe that religion makes a better life and makes the world a better place to live. With the help of religion people will respect to the costumes and traditions, nobody will be disappointed, the life has a meaning. So many kinds of religions until today have found, but it?s impossible to say which one is helpful or has a positive impact on man. From the beginning of life there was a power that keeps human away from darkness, this power in all societies and cultures effect the life of that community, the beliefs that there are always wars between light and darkness, the stories about God and evil, cause people to accept the orders that were brought by some messengers that called religion. Some say that religion cause man to believe in a super power that control their lives and the world, every thing, every action is under the control of this power, who knows what is this power? The next group, who think religion cause people to believe in myth and superstition, are against the religion and religious thoughts. They consider religion as an obstacle to human?s development, as a limitation for free life. Even some of them don?t believe in God, they consider the world as a machine which works according to special rules, they say every thing in this world is mortal, there is no life after death, so they try to seize the days in this world and experience all the pleasures. More than that is mentioned here, there are groups or better to say countries that although they don?t believe in religion, but use it in order to reach to their benefits, the play with people, they deceive people with wrong beliefs, different governments in different eras, killed, destroyed, and punished innocent people just because they don?t heed to their religions.

History: Luzon and Philippine Folk Dances

Pandanggo sa Ilaw Luzon Folk Dance (Candle Dance) Pandanggo sa Ilaw – This popular dance of grace and balance comes from Lubang Island, Mindoro in the Visayas region. The term pandanggo comes from the Spanish word fandango, which is a dance characterized by lively steps and clapping that varies in rhythm in 3/4 time. This particular pandanggo involves the presence of three tinggoy or oil lamps, balanced on the head and the back of each hand. . It is said to have originated from Mindoro, the seventh-largest island in the Philippines.This dance of lights simulates fireflies at dusk and at night. The music to which the pandanggo sa ilaw is now commonly danced was composed by Col. Antonio R. Buenaventura, a National Artist for Music and a native of Bulacan. He wrote the music sometime in the early 1930's while teaching at the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Philippines Costumes: . Kimono, Saya and Malong. History of Pandanggo sa Ilaw These a fore mentioned Philippin e folk dances are ethnic in nature and origin.On the other hand, there are several Philippine folk dances that were influenced by some Western countries as some of these had colonized Philippines in the past. One such country is Spain. Some of the so-called â€Å"influenced† Philippine folk dances are the following: Pandango sa Ilaw, Carinosa, Balitao and Rigodon. To conclude, these folk dances whether ethnic in origin or not reflect the lively culture that the Filipinos have. These dances may be diverse but through these cultural forms, the Filipinos are unified and proud by way of having Philippine folk dances that are truly one of the bests in the world.

When to bail out

Even the proponents of free economy accept some form of regulatory intervention on organizations that become mighty powerful. The regulatory authorities have a right to intervene, if the market forces are giving unfair advantages such as monopoly or pollution. Commercial banks can become mighty powerful and at the same be very fragile. Even flourishing capital markets have not undermined the importance of commercial banking. Commercial banks are a widely used tool to stimulate the economy through loans that stimulate consumption and investment. Therefore, in essence the health of the banking sector is directly related to the health of an economy. Liquidity risk is inherent to commercial banking because the depositors can come and claim their deposits at anytime. A mismatch of time to maturity of advances and deposits can create severe problems. For instance, a wave of panic-stricken withdrawals can essentially bankrupt a bank in no time. This can trigger systematic risk and leave the entire economy shaken. The banks need to monitor their asset liability management statistics because any mismanagement can lead to bank runs or cash shortages. For these problems, central banks require of commercial banks to insure their deposits and provide them with liquidity support. By providing liquidity support central banks regulate the money market and injecting cash in the economy when demanded. These solutions in effect lead to other problems. For example, in insured deposits, depositors stop monitoring a bank’s performance and the banks increase their risk appetite by increasing lending. To address this issue the central bank requires banks to maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio, and regulate insurance premiums to be proportional to the risk of a bank’s lending. However, recent stats suggest that capital adequacy is not a safe determinant to monitor banking sector. Commercial banks start to over rely on central bank’s liquidity support and tend to lend high premium loans to institutions with lower credit ratings. Even if such lending results in volatility in the money market such variations are small compared to the bank’s capital. Central bank needs to be proactive rather than be reactive because the public cost of economic instability and high interest rates is too high. Even the Basel II addresses risk capital framework but does not address provisioning for funding. The emphasis should be on liquidity rather than on solvency alone. Therefore, commercial banks need to be scrutinized through stricter prudential regulations.

Democratic Education Essay

Democratic Education should be a mainstream style of teaching, and should be taught specifically to anyone aspiring to become any type of successful instructor. Everywhere you go the world is constantly changing, people adapt, time ticks away, and the days come and go, every waking moment is progression to the future. Why is the one thing that we as a society depend on for survival going backwards? Our education system and the way we educate children is the only tool we as a society use to ensure our existence, think of the world as a well oiled machine. If you neglect certain parts, yes maybe it will keep working for a short while. Eventually the machine will fall apart because of the mistreating and lack of or poor maintenance, if we keep neglecting our education system by turning a blind eye to the type of educators we give teaching credentials to or the way our current teachers or professors are instruction our future, then our existence is headed for an abrupt halt. Schools need to embrace interesting, interactive-learning environments throughout the curriculum. â€Å"If you do not want to do something, you will not, period.† This thought means if someone is in a place that does not at least entertain the senses, let alone stimulate the mind then why even waste the time to just be physically be present? By doing that it wastes money, and more importantly the teacher and the students time. Democratic education as a teaching style is based on â€Å"affirmative authority without disrespect of freedom†; Democratic Education, by bell hooks. Authoritative guidance with inspiring, limitless, encouragement should be the goal of every type of educational course offered in the United States. We need to input this style of teaching into our aspiring teachers required classes to graduate at any institution or university across the country. We need democratic education because this type of teaching inspires the students, just because someone passes a test or any kind of written exam does not determine someones intelligence. The definition of the term intelligence, according to www.google.com, means the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. This applies to institutions and their instructors because if a pupil is not taught how to apply these skills he or she has been taught how does this apply to the fast-pace times that we live in today? The answer is, it does not. Democratic education benefits the entire classroom rather than just a select few because of the more upbeat style of teaching. The beauty of democratic education is that it can also be incorporated with the old style of a more text-geared curriculum as well. It has the potential to improve teaching as a profession because it would lengthen the required courses to become a teacher, therefore narrowing the number of instructors produced. With that being said, the teaching salaries can improve because of the new demand for this productive style of teaching that K-12 schools would require the employed instructors to have completed during their college career(s). Our future generations upbringing needs to be updated according to the new age that we live in today. Democratic education needs to be a mainstream style of teaching, not for our benefit, but for the future of the precious world that you and I share. This is not a type of thing to be organized and implemented to help certain individuals succeed but for everyone, we need to teach our children that as a country we are a collective, and as individuals we are our own. Democratic education be used as another tool to help us educate the country and create a more successful tomorrow.

Promotion Mix Tools

promotion mix tools The promotion ( Promotional Mix ) is one out of four basic instruments of marketing that has the purpose to inform about other instruments of marketing mix and to contribute to sales increase on the long term. The promotional mixis always serving to specific goal. These goals can be public informing, demand increasing, product differentiation, and product value increasing or sales stabilizing. Usually the promotion is targeting more than one goal.Promotion is the process of communication between the company that sells the product and the potential customer, with the purpose of influencing the attitudes and behavior. There are specific promotional tool that are supporting chosen promotional goal. The promotional mix represents a combination of different promotional tools. The basic elements of promotional mix are Advertising, Public Relationship, Personal Sales and Sales Promotion. Advertising is communication with current and potential customers and consumers, don e through paid mass media. The channels of communication can be TV, radio, Internet, billboards, etc. * Public Relationship ( PR ) is communication toward public, but is turned more to reputation and image of the company, than to it's products. The PR activity can be a press conference, TV interview with company representative,   press article about donation of the company to charity or about latest environmental project. Personal Sales is a way of promotion activity where sales representative is directly contacting the customer. This person-to-person contact has the goal of direct promotion of the product and conclusion of sales. * Sales Promotion represents a set of different promotional activities that has the goal of animating customers for purchasing. This can be value offer ( discount ), quantity offer ( 2+1 ), prize drawings, merchandising, direct contact by animators in retail outlet, etc.