New Healthy Fruit Smoothie at Burger King Essay

If fast food is unhealthy and is believed to cause obesity, why is there still a fast food restaurant every few blocks? Perhaps because there are a lot of people who are still consuming fast food and backing its business, the fast food industry survives and appears to even increase. The fact that modern life is fast paced as well as the economy hasn’t fully recovered makes people prefer to work more consistent and eat faster. Needless to say, the competition among well-known brand names is getting more challenging, and advertising plays an important role in marketing and drawing consumers’ attentions. Knowing the only disadvantage of fast food is its unhealthiness, Burger King has recently introduced their healthy real fruit smoothie using David Beckham. By equating his charm, his famous credibility, and his physique, David Beckham endorses the new Burger King’s smoothie to not only women but also soccer fans and whoever seeks healthy choices at a fast food restaurant. Throughout the commercial, Burger King shows their true intentions: to visually attract the audience with their appealing and healthy smoothie, to interest them by using a celebrity along with the slogan â€Å"exciting things are happening at Burger King†, and to show part of the American culture through the story and the conversation. In the commercial, Burger King is attempting to refresh their reputation of being unhealthy and creates a visual appeal for their smoothie. By showing how the ripest strawberries are being cut and blend nicely, the commercial effectively forms a visual image of the drink and stimulates the audience’s curiosity to try it out. In addition, strawberry is definitely one of the most favorite flavors for kids while banana is a very healthy fruit. As a result, a mixing of those two fruits surely captures the attention of children and mothers who want to purchase a possibly healthier choice. As given on the Burger King’s website, the smoothie’s nutritional facts are acceptable, 200 calories and forty grams of sugar per twelve ounce serving (small size). Even though forty grams of sugar is a little bit too much for a 200 calorie drink, most of it comes from real fruits and plus, there isn’t any saturated fat or anything else. These definitely won’t kill you or make you fat compared to other sugary, creamy drinks. However, people often think that healthy food is boring and tasteless. By filming the ad expertly and convincingly with high definition, Burger King is able make the smoothie look realistically tasty and delicious. Its most visual appeal is when it was poured into the glass. The fluid looks amazingly delicious and well-blended. The color also appears to be reddish orange as it is well-balanced between strawberries and bananas. As Hirschberg mentioned in his â€Å"The Rhetoric of Advertising†, Burger King does create â€Å"the distinctive image for the product† in their commercial. The smoothie glass is shown closely on the half left of the image while other half is showing a bunch of fresh strawberries. They also blur the strawberries in the background to emphasize the prominence of the smoothie glass. This allows the audience to see its smooth viscosity closely and triggers their appetites as well as interests. Instead of illogically exploiting well-shaped models and athletes to promote unhealthy products like other franchises, Burger King utilizes David’s healthy and lean physique to indicate their product as a naturally healthy smoothie. Starting off with a spokesperson claiming â€Å"exciting things are happening at Burger King†, the setting of the commercial is refreshing, exciting, and appealing just like the smoothie itself. Surprisingly, the spokesperson’s tone isn’t too excited as expected. It is rather a normal, not-a-big-deal tone. It seems to imply that it is usual to have exciting things at Burger King, and in this case, it is David Beckham with the strawberry banana smoothie. Apparently, Burger King tries to persuade the audience that many celebrities do actually visit Burger King, and that they should come and eat at Burger King as well if they want to meet their idols. Using David Beckham to promote the smoothie is brilliant. Not only David Beckham is appealed to women, but also his classy fashion style is attracted the young adults, let alone his recognition as a professional soccer player. Additionally, like David, those kinds of frosty, sweet, and fruity smoothies have always been attracted to women rather than men. Furthermore, his healthy body makes the drink even healthier. Also, David has been recently promoting for the Sainsbury’s Active Kids as an ambassador. He has been on many posters and advertisements that encourage children to eat healthy and exercise. Burger King apparently knows what’s going on and has their commercial set. Through the conversation between David Beckham, the cashier, and the manager, the commercial creates an entertaining situation and shows part of the American culture. Humor is definitely one of the American cultures. Mostly everything we see on TV has entertaining and humorous elements. In the commercial, audience will be able entertained as soon as David orders his smoothie and mesmerizes the cashier. As the cashier is being fascinated by his charming radiance, David shifts into a luminous gentleman wearing a classy, black suit and reorders his smoothie in a very heavy English accent. The way David pronounces â€Å"strawberry banana smoothie† and the cashier’s daydreaming look are what make it worth a giggle. The music is also very antiquated. It sounds like one of those Western classic, love songs that appeared in â€Å"Gone with the Wind†. The commercial also exploits homosexual agenda by showing the male manager, after snapping his cashier out of David’s charm, is also stunned by David’s dazzle. Same sex attraction is just a daring joke as it either makes the audience impressed or offended. Nonetheless, whether it is offensive or not, the scene creates an emotional appeal and makes an impact on the audience as one of the advertising techniques Hirschberg has discussed, â€Å"They supply the unstated major premise that supplies a rationale to persuade an audience that a particular product will meet one or another of several different kinds of needs†. After all, the homosexual joke serves its purposes: to make impressions and to indirectly persuade that the strawberry banana smoothie is just irresistible for both sexes. It is not a surprise to see celebrities or well-known professional athletes appearing in a commercial nowadays. Using David Beckham to promote the new smoothie is a great move of Burger King. Burger King shows that fast food does not necessarily mean unhealthy. To get the word out about their changes, they have to pull out their biggest marketing campaign ever using a lot of well-known celebrities. So far, David Beckham as well as the new healthy smoothie menu is definitely the aces and the most success compared to other commercials. Its views jump over 20,000 in a matter of hours proving that it works. â€Å"With their latest initiatives, Burger King is showing commitment to areas that I’m passionate about, such as supporting charities, helping children and improving the healthier eating options. I am happy to help the brand launch its first smoothie platform, which is a great addition to any diet†, said David Beckham.

Types of Industrial Conflicts

Types of Industrial Conflict Industrial conflict occurs when employees express their dissatisfaction with management over the current state of the management-employee relationship. The causes of such dissatisfaction are typically matters related to regular wage payment, wage increase or remunerations according to terms of the employment contract. Employees can express such dissatisfaction in formal or informal ways.Formal methods are organized and are planned in advance, while informal ones are spontaneous and unorganized, usually taking management by surprise. There are different types of formal and informal industrial conflicts. 1. Strike oA strike is the employees' temporary withdrawal of services, contrary to an employment contract. It is a formal form of industrial conflict that is usually organized by a trade union. (Trade unions are representatives of employment that ensure that employee working conditions and earnings are managed according to rule. During typical strikes, tra de unions ensure that there are no alternative means of getting the services that employees have refused to provide. A strikes usually continues until management addresses the matter of dissatisfaction that caused it. Work-to-rule oWork-to-rule, another form of formal industrial action, occurs when workers work strictly according to the legal terms of their contract. They deliberately refuse to make use of their initiative and act rigidly, like pre-programmed machines.For instance, a nurse may deliberately refuse to answer phone calls that are meant for doctors (since her terms of contract do not include phone-answering). A stenographer may ignore glaring grammatical errors in what her boss dictates to her (since, strictly speaking, her responsibility is merely to transcribe whatever her boss dictates to her). Since work-to-rule does not go against any formal terms of contract, it rarely brings punishment. However, it naturally slows down work progress. o Absenteeism Absenteeism, an informal form of industrial conflict, occurs when employees deliberately refuse to report to their workplace. Absenteeism is not always a sign of industrial conflict, since employees can fail to report to work due to injury or illness, for instance. Thus industrial-conflict absenteeism merely increases the loss of productivity and revenue that an organization suffers due to failure of workers to report for duty due to reasons of personal incapacity that they cannot help, such as illness.Sabotage oSabotage, another form of informal industrial conflict, occurs when employees deliberately damage their organization's production or reputation. This could take the form of slowing down production, temporarily disabling machinery, direct destruction of organization's property or slandering the organization. Employers who engage in sabotage (saboteurs) usually hide their individual identities, but do not shy away from identifying themselves as a pressure group

Book report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Book report - Essay Example He is, therefore, involved in trading of players betting the rise in transfer value. Mendes target for his trading of players is seeking to attract Euro. 85m (pounds. 67m) from investors beyond boundaries companies to buy stakes in Spain and Portugal (Conn, para1). From an economical perspective, Mendes is a critical entrepreneur. This is because he seeks and signs excellent players; producing excellent results as per a given football team. This, therefore, means that he is responsible for the production of a demand curve. The way Mendes does this is by convincing the players to sign up with him is incredible. This triggers the question, ‘Is Jorge Mendes the most powerful man in football?’ This paper seeks to review on leadership and economics in the football world in relation to effective football management. Mendes and his company name became famous over deals done involving Portugal’s top three clubs of which he managed to earn some multi-millions of pounds to England and Spain. The guardian sport reports that Mendes work as excellent achieved this summer following biggest moves of talent and money covering the whole European football transfer market (Conn, para3). From this report, it is evident that Mendes not only critically studies the activities of marker intermediaries but also accounts for the plurality of market mediation devices. By doing so, he manages to convince players to sign up with his company. While Mendes earning from the deals is not mentioned, there is a fact is he earned a lot of billions pound this summer. The main aim of Mendes is trade these players were to attract  £Euro 85 (pound67) targeting investors to buy stakes in Spain and Portugal. Transferring the players also benefits the team which sold him and the team player joins by making it famous (Conn , para2). Having been a nightclub owner and a friend of footballers to player’s broker, he mentioned his excellent remarks dominated from deals done by Portugal’s top three

Critical Analysis of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin Essay

Critical Analysis of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin - Essay Example The story starts when Sonny’s elder brother gains knowledge about Sonny’s arrest on the basis of heroin addiction and drug selling. He is quite worried about his brother but he acknowledges the fact that he has never given him enough care and he realizes about Sonny’s troubles after his daughter, Grace’s death as he says, â€Å"my suffering made his real†. With his own suffering, he is able to relate to Sonny’s suffering. He remembers about his past life in Harlem and the incident of his uncle’s death by the drunken white people due to which, his father has always hated white people. Sonny’s brother suffers in silence as he never tries to face the reality of his suffering till the end. He along with his brother discovers himself and reconciles with the reality. Sonny is unable to forget or let go the sufferings he has endured. He finds freedom from the sufferings by being a jazz musician. He thinks that his music allows him to be free of the troubles of his life. However, he thinks that troubles cannot be stopped as he says, â€Å"trouble is the one thing that never does get stopped†. He considers his life troubled due to which, he gets heroin addict because he thinks it as a source of getting freedom of his sufferings. Like Sonny, his brother also suffers but unlike him, he tries to conceal his sufferings and fears of their revelation. Sonny is quite aware of his sufferings and wants to get rid of them through jazz music. He considers jazz as a source of freedom from his sufferings. Sonny’s interest in jazz music is disliked by his brother but till the end of the story, he realizes that it is only jazz music that Sonny feels free as he says, â€Å"there was no battle in his face†. Sonny’s brother realizes about his own suffering, Sonny’s suffering, his wife’s suffering, his children’s suffering and his parents’ suffering by getting near to Sonny and by letting him to break away

Human Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Population - Essay Example Food, water, shelter, healthcare, and security are increasingly becoming a key problem in the society. In Africa, for example, large family sizes are resulting in poor qualities of life. Moreover, population in China and India among other countries in the world exhibits the dire need for controlled population growth on the planet. Insights shed in the video are undoubtedly fundamental to the welfare of the human race. At a personal level, it is important for the contemporary global society to address the issues raised in the program. Water shortages are already hitting many parts of the world. Forest cover has been reducing at an alarming rate across the globe. Education and awareness on contraceptives remain inaccessible to many people around the world. In this respect, the video is an important learning tool for students, parents, social policy makers, and government agencies that deal with population matters. It is important to control and manage global population for improved social, economic, and environmental

Case Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Management - Assignment Example However, people tried to kill my dream by discouraging me into joining the nursing school. For this reason, I diverted into legal studies, where I managed to get a degree in 1998. However, I now seek to pursue my dream and have decided to branch off into nursing. Through getting a place in the nursing school, I will be able to nurture my talent, hence contribute to a healthy society. I realize that people pass through different stages, both pleasurable and unpleasant. During these times, I enjoy being a source of encouragement to people. For instance, when an individual is on his/her deathbed, I sympathize with him/her by giving comfort, and other material needs. In moments of joy, for instance, birth, I rejoice with the new mother and seek to give any assistance that would contribute to their joy. Through this, I have learned to share intimate times with people, hence encouraging me to pursue a career in nursing. Joining the nursing school will allow me to become well equipped with the skills of nursing. In addition, I will apply the skills gained in a veteran hospital where I have worked for six years now. Through this work, I have gained experience of working with both sick and well veterans. However, I have realized that I need to learn a few more concepts and skills in order to give my services satisfactorily. Thus, the skills gained in the nursing school will make my skills better. Apart from working in the veteran hospital, I intend to visit marginal societies, where treatment is minimal and give assistance. For instance, I will contribute to the profession by visiting Africa, where I intend to use my skills to save the lives of many people. Some, for instance, are ignorant of healthy ways of living, thus experience high rates of mortality frequently. Therefore, apart from offering services, I intend to train other nurses, who will assist in saving lives. Moreover, I will teach people ways of taking care of other patients at home, eating

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Classe Commercial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Classe Commercial - Essay Example This is attributable to the fact that the adverts stays in the viewer’s minds longer than any other form of commercial advert. The visual aspect of the television commercial makes for a more instant and identifiable awareness of the product than other forms likes radio or print media (Shimp 2008 p.383). Mercedes-Benz Company is not an exception. It has embarked on promoting its new brand 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Classe. The commercial runs for about ten minutes. The advert is divided into parts, namely theatrical features, driving features design and roadster. The management believes that the promotion will give the car a warm reception leading to increased sales. This paper will explore the various features of 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Classe as portrayed by the commercial, and provides an analysis of its intended purposes. The commercial begins by portraying the theatrical and active body control features of the car. At the beginning, it shows a handsome man coming to board the car with suitcase. He goes straight to the bonnet of the car to keep his luggage. However, it is amazing to see that the boot operates on hands free access ‘kick’ to open. The procedure is also followed in closing the boot (Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 2013). This implies that the car has an automated active body control. The driver switches the button and the car’s roof opens and folds towards the bonnet at the back. This feature seems to inform the audience that it is the prerogative of the owner to decide whether to have the rooftop of the car closed or not. The feature also makes the car look sporty and luxurious which most customers want. From the advert, you can be at a position to watch and hear that the car is environmental friendly. It does not produce a lot of noise. The ignition also does not produce a lot of smoke. From this point of view, the company is trying to tell viewers that the car has been manufactured in line with the environmental conservation goals . In fact, nobody in the world I do believe would prefer to buy a car that pollutes the environment. This feature will help lure many people to buy the sporty car (2013 Mercedes SL Commercial 2011). The commercial also reveals that the car is ignited using a button as opposed to a key as is commonly the case with most cars. I believe this is much of a selling point of the car. The use of manual key ignition looks much antiquated and with the advancement in technology, this is the right direction. The use of a button also helps in saving time (Video New Mercedes-Benz SL 2013 Commercial, 2011). Since many consumers like entertainments, the car has a surround sound system to keep the users entertained. This is a feature well thought by the advertisers and will help drive sales. Many celebrities in the world like entertainment and this feature as brought out in the advert will see many celebrities going for it (Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 2013, 2012). From the television advert, viewers are also able to see the design features of the car. This includes the shape, headlights, and color. For example, the advert uses a dark gray car to do the work. However, the management also states that the car exists in a variety of colors from which customers can choose. The car looks cool and the shape is just perfect. From the commercial, you can also be able to see the luxurious two seats of the car made of leather materials. Here, I believe that customer’s attention is drawn to comfort that the seats brings. The headlights of the car also look perfect in this advert (Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 2013, 2012). The television commercial also gives viewers a chance to observe the engine make-up. Here, one is able to see that the car has a V-6 engine known as SL350. The engine

Bipolar Disorder as a Mental Illness Research Paper

Bipolar Disorder as a Mental Illness - Research Paper Example There are specific medical events that take place that chemically represent the nature of the disease. Despite the fact that there are some people who believe that bipolar disorder is not a physical manifestation, the truth is that it is a disease that can be treated with pharmaceutical methods of treatment. The nature of bipolar disorder is that it is a mental disease with specific treatments that can assist a person who is suffering from its affects to have a vital and meaningful life. Mood Swings The nature of bipolar disorder is that it is defined by mood swings. This type of definition lends itself to interpretations that suggest that perhaps it should be more easily controlled by the individual and is a matter of choice over a matter of disease. As well, there are times when the disease is attributed to normal hormonal mood swings and is discounted as the unreasonable nature of the individual, rather than being understood as outside of their control. There are those who do not have an understanding, nor wish to believe, that a mental disorder can be accountable for the actions of a person, rather than the mental issues that are based upon a biological factor. Mood swings have been attributed to an unreasonable mind, rather than to the chemical state of an illness that can be treated. ... ves in a position where instead of their loved ones recognizing that they are experiencing a disorder, they are blamed for their symptoms without there being an understanding of how they can possibly not be in control of themselves. Women with bipolar disorder are more susceptible to larger mood swings in association with their periods, their symptoms of PMS lasting for weeks rather than days and their anger and irritability being beyond their ability to conduct themselves as they normally would (Burgess, 2006, p. 186). The problem that comes with this is that a blame is set up that creates stress, shame, and guilt, as the actions and behaviors manifest outside of the control or the actual responses that a person would have to any given situation. In this situation, the problem will begat the problem, perpetuating a cycle of episodes from the stress that is created from not addressing the problem sufficiently and from blaming a person for not having control, when they suffer from a d isease that takes control from them. Bipolar Illness Sartorius (2005) describes bipolar disorder as â€Å"a chronic remitting and relapsing illness that causes significant burden to patients, families and society† (p. 69). Hudson and Rapee (2005) through saying â€Å"Although patients with bipolar disorder may also experience many †¦psychotic symptoms, their major problem is mood instability. Periods of abnormally elevated mood, increased energy and decreased need for sleep, alternate with episodes of depressed mood, decreased interest, and low energyâ€Å" (p. 205). â€Å"It exists within the patience as an active illness for about 1% of the lifetime. Per year, 9-15 per 100,000 men contract the illness and 7-30 per 100,000 women. Most people who have the illnesses will seek some sort of help for

Default Unnecessary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Default Unnecessary - Essay Example This is because, it is considerably overrated. The authors argue that, market overreaction usually occurs with unpleasant implications for county’s borrowing expenses and liability dynamics. Several market commentators generally argue that, default is predictable. They support this by focusing on the extent of the modification and persistent advertising concerns reflected in the government’s distribution of treasury bonds. The authors also provide several arguments and their rebuttals. For instance, they argue that, it is difficult to evade default since it results from the diverse need of economic adjustments. They assert that, such adjustments, requires proper maintenance of the debt to GDP proportion. Consequently, the maintenance would improve cyclic adjusted primary balance deficits. Conversely, fiscal adjustment on the requisite scale normally is exceptional. In the previous times, records depict an existence of 14 episodes in advanced economies, as well as 26 episodes in the growing economies. This results from actions of individual countries adjusting their structural principal balance beyond 7 percent of the GDP (Corttarelli 6). The authors have argued that, the alternative approach for restructuring, which is suggested by the market commentators, would not settle the imbalance between expenses and reimbursements. They then recommend for a non- confrontational restructuring, which would carry inferior reputational expenses for the borrower. Secondly, they argue that, it is hard to evade default due to the towering interest rates that make the debt unmanageable. This is because; the government debt takes time to mature. In general the household exchange debt carries a long term share in the sophisticated economies (Corttarelli 8). In the current sophisticated economies, actual interests’ rate is lesser than other economies which have experienced default in the past. In comparison, countries which experienced default in the past, the

The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of the consumer perceptions about the branding of organizations that invest in social responsibility and the consumer behaviour regarding loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. Reviewing the literature about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Corporate Social Performance and Corporate Financial Performance, some questions arise: do consumers understand the efforts made by businesses regarding their social and ethical campaigns? And if so, are consumers willing to pay a higher price for the products and services resulting from these social and ethical campaigns? Are consumers loyal to these businesses? In order to analyse the links between CSR and consumer behaviour, the authors use a structural equations model and a Focus Group. The â€Å"Nespresso† Case is analysed and included in the survey questions, since it is a very well known brand amongst Portuguese consumers. The main conclusions of the paper are that although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested, in the structural equation model, were verified. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided. Within the focus group some interesting findings arise regarding the links between CSR, brand image, loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. There are indicators that although, CSR is considered important for building loyalty, the links regarding the willingness in paying a premium price are thin. Another finding is that communication policies don’t address the consumer concerns regarding CSR. Keywords:Corporate Social Responsibility, Brand Image, Brand Loyalty, Premium Price Introduction For some decades now research on the role and responsibilities of business in society has been searching for the business case for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The proliferation of studies on the relationship  between corporate social performance and economic bottom line is the result of different shifts in the academic debate. On the one side, in terms of the level of analysis, research has gradually moved from a focus on the macro-social effects of CSR to organizational-level analysis of CSR effects on firm behaviour and performance. On the other, in terms of theoretical orientation, researchers have moved from explicitly normative and ethics-oriented studies to implicitly normative and performance-oriented analysis. (Castaldo et al, 2009) Looking backward at the empirical research undertaken in the last few years, the business case for social responsibility and the related link between Corporate Social Performance (CSP) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) remain the most controversial areas in the business-in-society field (Barnett, 2007). Though different in their approaches to CSP definition and measurement, existing studies tend to share an often unstated assumption: the stronger the firm’s involvement in CSR programs and activities, the higher the economic and financial value firms will be able to obtain. However, a substantial inconsistency in the results obtained emerges, in terms of both existence and direction of the correlation between the constructs (Margolis Walsh, 2003; Orlitzky et al, 2003; Salzmann, Ionescu-Somers, Steger, 2005). Brand Image, Brand Loyalty and Premium Price Businesses use the brand to create and communicate their identity and building their image in the consumers’ perspective. The brand image of a successful brand is a valuable business asset because consumers identify more easily, products and services through the respective brands, than otherwise. Another important aspect of branding is that, they provide the basis to positioning and differentiation strategies. There are different points of view and different definitions of brand image. These differences reside at the abstract level in which the image is created in the consumer mind. Furthermore, there are also different theories for the construction of the brand image. Some of these theories include associations with the product (Keller, 1998), while others take in consideration associations related to the business (Biel, 1993), or the country of origin, or the user image (Aaker, 1996). Initially it was Levy (1959) who conceptualised the  concept of brand image. He suggests that products have social and psychological attributes and, as such, consumers develop emotional connections with the brands. For Plummer (1985), the image process formation initiates through the gathering of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes, benefits and consequences that are associated with the brand. According to Faircloth et al (2001), the brand image is a holistic perspective built by all the associations made with the brand. Following this perspective, Ballantyne et al (2006), define brand image as the consumers’ perception about the brand. As such, it will guide a future development of a possible bound between consumers and organisations that have its highest expression through consumer loyalty, and the willingness of the consumer in paying a premium price. The most complete definition of consumer loyalty is given by Jacoby e Chestnut (1978) that sustain that brand loyalty represents the non random repetition of the buying behaviour of the same brand or group of brands, from an individual with buying decision. Price premium has been studied by several authors, namely, Holbrook (1992), Kamakura and Russell (1993), Park and Srinivasan (1994), Netemeyer et al (2004). One may consider that the availability of a consumer to pay a price premium is defined by the amount that he is willing to pay for his favourite brand when compared with a brandless similar product. For Aaker (1996), premium price is a strong indicator of brand loyalty. For Louro (2000), price premium is a basic criterion of brand loyalty and indicates how much the buyer is willing to pay for the brand, when compared with other similar brands. The Nespresso Case Study â€Å"We believe that the true test of a business is whether it creates value for society over the long term† (Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman and CEO, Nestlà ©) Nespresso is a very well known brand in Portugal. Nespresso’s products are positioned on the high-end of the coffee market, with a patented coffee-capsule technology, associated machinery and coffee capsules. Ecolaborationâ„ ¢, launched in June 2009, is the Nespresso platform for sustainable innovation, and represents their effort for creating value throughout the value chain. Through Ecolaborationâ„ ¢, Nespresso has consolidated all its sustainability efforts in coffee sourcing, capsule recycling and energy-efficient machines into one concerted programme, and  committed itself to meet three targets by 2013: * To source 80% of its coffee from its AAA Sustainable Qualityâ„ ¢ Program and Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ farms; * To put systems in place to triple its capacity to recycle used capsules to 75%; * To reduce the carbon footprint required to produce a cup of Nespresso by 20%. With an average annual growth rate of 30% since 2000 Nespresso is the fastest-growing â€Å"billionaire brand† of the Nestlà © Group. It also has an established track record of sustainability, establishing the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Qualityâ„ ¢ Program in 2003 with Rainforest Alliance, through which only the highest-quality beans are sourced and where farmers are paid a premium. In 2009, almost 50% of the total green coffee beans Nespresso purchased came from its AAA Sustainable Qualityâ„ ¢ Program, and Nespresso has committed to increase this to 80% by 2013. Model Hypotheses The structural equations model proposed establishes the relationship between Social Responsibility practices with the constructs of brand image, loyalty and consumer willingness to pay a higher price for a product or service from a social responsible organisation. The organisation selected for this study was Nespresso. Therefore, the authors raise three research hypotheses: H1: The social responsibility policies have a positive direct impact on the brand image of Nespresso (ÃŽ ³11 0). H2: A good brand image from Nespresso helps to increase consumer loyalty (ÃŽ ²11 0). H3: A good brand image from Nespresso will increase the consumer willingness to pay a price premium (ÃŽ ²21 0) Data collection for the model estimation was done through a consumer survey using the scales of social responsibility of Roberts (1996), scales of loyalty from Yoo and Donthu (2001), scales of price premium from Chauduri and Halbrook (2001) and scales of brand image from Netemeyer, et al (2004). Sample Characterization 242 valid surveys were collected. The sample comprised 46% women and 54% men, ages varied between 19 and 72 years old, the majority of people that answered the survey were single (88%), with a net income between 1001 and 2000 Euros monthly per family (47%). The number of people per family was in the majority (86%) between 2 to 5 people. Model Estimation The model was estimated using the covariance matrix. The statistical software program used was the STATISTICA 6.1. which allowed to calculate the variance and covariance (data) matrices and the estimation of the structural model. The estimation is undertaken by the method of maximum likelihood, since the objective is to develop and test the theory of brand image of social responsible organisations and behaviours of loyalty and willingness to pay a higher price. The analysis of scales reliability allowed to obtain good indicators for the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Thus, for Social Responsibility (8 items) we obtained an alpha equal to 0,919, for brand image (5 items) we obtained an alpha of 0,864, for brand loyalty (3 itens) we obtained an alpha of 0,637 and finally for premium price (3 items) we obtained an alpha of 0,812. The chosen indicators to analyse the goodness of the adjustment are the ones suggested by Hair et al (2006) as the absolute indicators, Chi-square standardized, RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) e GFI (Goodness-of-Fit). The Chi-square standardized presents acceptable values when these are comprised between 1 and 3 (Hair, et al, 2006). We use RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) instead of RMSSR (Root Mean Square Residual) because the estimated models are based on the covariance data matrix. This indicator must be comprised between values from 0,05 (good fitness) and 0,08 (acceptable fitness). The GFI (Goodness-of-Fit) is an index of goodness of the adjustment that represents the total fitness levels, without correction in relation to degrees of freedom. High values of this indicator show good fitness, although there are not established minimum acceptable levels. Although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested were verified. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided. Focus Group Methodology Focus Groups are a research technique that allows for data collection through the interaction of a group of people. This technique consists in an interview conducted to a small group of people conducted by a moderator in a non structured way. The moderator role is to motivate the group discussion regarding the research hypotheses that are subject of the study under analysis (Carson et al 2001, Malhotra, 2004, Vaughn et al 1996). Group discussion is a methodology particularly suitable when the prior knowledge of the situations is small, the issues are sensitive and complex and if you want to take full advantage of the opportunity to explore and induce hypotheses, find out the views and attitudes of individuals and details of the issues that are being explored (Krueger, 1994, Harker, 2004). For Morgan (1988) this is an excellent method to establish the why behind the what from the perspectives of the participants. For the purpose of this research the authors conducted a Focus Group of 8 people selected randomly. The objective was that the group selected was a reflection of the participants of the survey used for the structural equations model. When the surveys were distributed a question as placed in order to find out the availability of the respondents to participate in the focus group. From the answers obtained the selection was made in order to be representative of the universe. The selection is presented in the following table. In the focus group the moderator organized the discussion according to the 3 research hypotheses, namely: H1: The social responsibility policies have a positive direct impact on the brand image of Nespresso| Most of the participants on the focus group considered that social responsibility policies have a positive impact on the brand image of any organization. Nevertheless, it was considered a finding of the group that not always consumers understand that an organization does CSR.There was also a discussion on what is CSR, and if organisations actually do it. Or if is only the result of marketing efforts.The main conclusion is that if consumers perceive an organization as a social responsible one, then, that fact will have a positive direct impact on its brand image.Regarding Nespresso, there was not a consensus regarding this aspect. | H2: A good brand image from Nespresso helps to increase consumer loyalty.| Regarding brand image there was a consensus of the group that helps to increase consumer loyalty, and that this is clearly the case of Nespresso. Again, most of the participants did not agree if Nespresso has an image of having social responsible practices.| H3: A good brand image from Nespresso will increase the consumer willingness to pay a price premium.| This was the issue that raised the most discussion. Does a good reputation translated in the brand image regarding social responsibility practices is sufficient for increasing the consumer willingness in paying a premium price?Some of the participants argued that depending on the economic situation that could be true, but when enduring difficult economic periods most of the consumers refrain their shopping attitudes and are more price sensitive.It was also mentioned again that it is crucial that the message comes across to consumers, and that they understand very well what are the policies followed by the organizations. | Conclusions The main conclusions of the paper are that although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested, in the structural equation model, were verified. These results were then validated using a focus group methodology. Within the focus group some interesting findings arose regarding the links between CSR, brand image, loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. There are indicators that although, CSR is considered important for building loyalty, the links regarding the willingness in paying a premium price are thin. Another finding is that communication policies don’t address the consumer concerns regarding CSR, since within the group there was no consensus regarding the organisation under analysis. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided, but it is crucial for organizations to have communication strategies that address these CSR policies in a way that promotes consumers’ identification. The authors found that further research should be conducted addressing the effectiveness of communication strategies of organizations that promote CSR. References Aaker, David A. (1996), Building Strong Brands, Free Press, New York. Ballantyne, Ronnie, Anne Warren e Karinna Nobbs (2006), â€Å"The Evolution of Brand Choice†. The Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 13, N º 4, pp. 339-352. Barnett, M. L. (2007), â€Å"Stakeholder Influence Capacity and the Variability of Financial Returns to Corporate Social Responsibility†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 32, N º 3, pp. 794-816. Biel, A. L. (1993), â€Å"Converting Image into Equity†, in D. A. Aaker e A. Biel (Eds.), Brand equity and advertising: advertising’s role in building strong brands, Lawrence Erlbaum, Associates, Inc., Hilsdale, New Jersey, pp. 67-82. Carson, D., Gilmore, A., Perry, C. and Gronhaug, K., (2001), Qualitative Marketing Research, Sage Publications, London Castaldo, S. and F. Perrini (2004), â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility, Trust Management and Value Creation†, presented at EGOS 2004 â€Å"Trust in Hybrids†, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Castaldo, Sandro, Francesco Perrini, Nicola Misani and Antonio Tencati (2009), â€Å"The Missing Link Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Trust: The Case of Fair Trade Products†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 84, pp. 1-15. Chaudhuri, A. e M. B. Holbrook (2001), â€Å"The Chain of Effects from Brand trust and Brand Affect to Brand Performance: The Role of Brand Loyalty†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65, pp. 81-93. Faircloth, James B., Louis M. Capella e Bruce L. Alford (2001), â€Å"The Effect of Brand Attitude and Brand Image on Brand Equity†, Journal of Marketing, Theory and Practice, Vol. 9, N º 3, pp. 61- 75. Hair, J. F., R. E. Anderson, R. L. Tatham e W. C. Black (2006), Multivariate Data Analysis, 6th Ed., Pearson, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, N. J.. Harker, Michael John (2004) Lenses and mirrors: the customer perspective on part –time marketers. Marketing Intelligence and Planning. Vol. 22, No. 6, 663-672. Holbrook, Morris B. (1992), â€Å"Product Quality, Attributes and Brand Names a s Determinants of Price: the case of consumer electronics†, Marketing Letters, Vol. 3, N º 1. pp. 71-83. Jacoby, J. e R. W. Chestnut (1978), Brand Loyalty: Measurement and Management, New York: John Wiley. Kamakura, W. A. e G. J. Russell (1993), â€Å"Measuring Brand Value with Scanner Data†, International Journal Research Marketing, Vol. 10, March, pp. 9-21. Keller, Kevin Lane (1998), Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, Upper Saddler River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Krueger, R. A. (1994). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Levy, Sidney J. (1959), â€Å"Symbols for Sales†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 37, N º 4, pp. 117-124. Louro, Maria Joà £o Sousa (2000), â€Å"Modelos de Avaliaà §Ãƒ £o da Marca†, Revista de Administraà §Ãƒ £o de Empresas, Vol. 40, N º 2, pp. 26-37. Malhotra, N. K. (2004). Marketing Research. New Jersey. Prentice Hall. Margolis, J. D. and J. P. Walsh. (2003), Misery loves companies: Rethinking social initiatives by business, Administrative Science Quarterly, 48: 268-305. Morgan, D. L. (1988). Focus groups as qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Netemeyer, et. al., (2004), â€Å"Developing and Validating Measures of facets of customer-based brand equity†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 57, N º 2, pp. 209-224. Orlitzky, M., Schmidt, F. L., Rynes, S. L. (2003), Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-analysis, Organization Studies, Vol. 24, N º 3,pp. 403–441. Park, Chan Su e V. Srinivasan (1994), â€Å"A Survey-Based Method for Measuring and Understanding Brand Equity and Its Extendibility†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 31, N º 2, pp. 271-288. Plummer, Joseph T. (1985), â€Å"Brand Personality: A Strategic Concept for Multinational Advertising†, in Marketing Educators’ Conference, New York: Young and Rubicam, pp. 1-31. Roberts, J. A. (1996), â€Å"Will the Real Socially Responsible Consumer Please Step Forward?†, Business Horizon, Vol. 39, pp. 79-83. Salzmann, O., Ionescu-Somers, A., Steger, U. (2005) Quantifying Effects of Corporate Sustainability Management. Working paper. Lausanne: CSM/IMD. Vaughn, S., Schumm, J. S., Sinagub, J. (1996). Focus group interviews in education and psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Yoo, B. and N. Donthu (2001), â€Å"Developing and Validating a Multidimensional Consumer-Based Brand Equity Scale†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 52, pp. 1-14.

The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli Niccolo Machiavellis gift to Lorenzo de Medici, The Prince, is a discourse discussing politics and how a prince should rule his state. Machiavelli describes his beliefs on the most efficient way for a prince to rule and remain in power and validates his arguments by referencing historical examples and using metaphors. One of the most prominent themes of The Prince is fortune. When speaking of fortune, Machiavelli is referring to luck, fate, or chance. He applies this concept to princes and principalities. Fortune can be either useful or advantageous, or it can be harmful or dangerous. Machiavelli believes that fortune controls half of ones life and the other half is controlled by ones own talent. Machiavelli argues that someone can gain power through his own ability or by good fortune. Good fortune could possibly come in the form of being born into power, buying power, or being assigned a governmental position. Machiavelli believes that it is very easy to come into power with fortune but very difficult to come into power with ones own ability. On the other hand, staying in power after acquiring it by fortune is very difficult whereas staying in power after acquiring it by virtue is rather simple. Machiavelli supposes this because people who have come into power with fortune rest simply on the will and fortune of whoever has given a state to them, which are two very inconstant and unstable things. They do not know how to hold and they cannot hold that rank: they do not know how (26). In other words, Machiavelli believes that individuals who acquire their power through fortune are unable to successfully hold their power because they do not have the necessary experience or found ation to effectively lead a state. Machiavelli compares fortune to a powerful and flooding river that inflicts destruction of plants, houses, and valuable resources. Although there is nothing that can be done to stop a raging river already in progress, preventable measures can be taken to ensure that such a river inflicts little to no harm by building dams and barriers. Similarly, fortune demonstrates her power where virtue has not been put in order to resist her and therefore turns her impetus where she knows that dams and dykes have not been made to contain her (98). In the same way that one can prevent a catastrophic river by building dams, a prince should strive to anticipate bad fortune so as to be capable of resisting it when it arrives. Since fortune controls half of ones life and the other half is controlled by ones own skill and ability, Machiavelli believes that, as mentioned before, a successful prince is capable of using his own ability to counteract bad fortune. He analyzes what a prince should do during times of peace so as to be prepared for times of war. His views on this concept are rather simple; a prince should have no other object, nor any other thought, nor take anything else as his art but that of war and its orders and discipline (58). Machiavelli expounds his argument by saying that a prince can prepare for war by exercising his mind and his actions. In order to train the mind, a prince should study past battles, wars, and leaders. Furthermore, in order to exercise his deeds, a prince should go on hunting trips so as to further understand his states land and keep his armies strong. According to Machiavelli, a prince cannot rely too much on fortune and must be able to accomplish tasks through his own prowess. He admits that relying on talent and strength is much more difficult than relying on fortune. Nevertheless, depending on fortune too much can be disastrous because fortune is unpredictable. If a prince who is accustomed to good fortune were to encounter sudden bad fortune, he would be unprepared, thus making the prince susceptible to devastation. Although a prince may resist fortune and instead rely on his own talents, this may still not be sufficient to attain Machiavellis perception of an ideal ruling system. Despite his scholarly and defensible politics, Machiavelli did become rather notorious for this concept because it excludes a heightened sense of morality. Machiavelli argues that a prince or ruler should not depart from good, when possible, but know how to enter into evil, when forced by necessity (70). In other words, Machiavelli believes that a prince must know how to adapt to certain circumstances even to the point of being immoral if it is in the best interest of his principality. Machiavelli states that there are two kinds of combat: one with laws, the other with force (69). He goes on to say that humans are inclined to follow the one with laws whereas animals are inclined to follow the one with force. According to Machiavelli, laws are not adequate enough for a prince effectively lead and therefore, the prince must learn to use force. Because animals are more inclined towards force, Machiavelli asserts that a truly effective ruler will become like animals. He draws attention to the fox and the lion. A fox is unable to protect itself from wolves and the lion is unable to protect itself from traps whereas a fox can detect traps and a lion can fight off wolves. Thus leading to Machiavellis conclusion; if a prince became like a lion and a fox then he would truly be a great ruler. The harsh realities that Machiavelli presents are contrary to what most people regard as virtuous or honorable. However, he believes that a truly virtuous prince is one who is willing to compromise his morals and do everything that is deemed necessary for the welfare of his state. Although beneficial for the principality, this may prove to be a problem for the prince because the inhabitants of his principality may not be satisfied if they learn of any immoralities or dishonesties the prince may have committed. This discontent may compel the public to dislike the prince. Therefore, Machiavelli cautions princes and rulers to always appear to be virtuous to the public. He even gives an example to prove that he is indeed correct in his assertion. He states that Alexander VI never did anything, nor ever thought of anything, but how to deceive men, and he always found a subject to whom he could do it (70). Furthermore, Machiavelli explains how the public should perceive a prince regarding certain traits. One particular quality that Machiavelli mentions is generosity. Machiavelli explains that generosity is obviously perceived as virtuous but a prince must remain careful so as not to gain a reputation of generosity. He argues that if a prince gains a reputation of generosity then he will be compelled to use his resources in order to keep that reputation. If, however, he were to try to liberate himself from a generous reputation, he would be perceived as parsimonious, thus causing hatred from the public and likely weakening him or even leading to his downfall. Another major topic that Machiavelli discusses regards whether it is better for a leader to be feared or loved. Machiavelli explains that since men love at their own convenience and fear at the convenience of the prince, a wise prince should found himself on what is his, not on what is someone elses (68). Machiavelli supports his contention by analyzing human nature. According to Machiavelli, people will always fear punishment regardless of the circumstances. On the other hand, if a prince is loved rather than hated, people will be more willing to disregard a connection of love for their personal benefit. However, as mentioned before, Machiavelli believes that a prince cannot be hated by the public. Therefore, a prince must ensure that he is feared but not hated. In summary, Machiavelli believes that ones ability controls half of his life and the other half is controlled by fortune. In order to be an effective leader, a prince must not become too reliant on good fortune and must overcome any obstacles that arise by using his own talents. Additionally, the prince must use his abilities to anticipate bad fortune so as to be prepared to combat it when it arrives. Furthermore, a prince must truly love and be virtuous to his country. He must love his country enough so as to be willing to employ certain vices such as cruelty, frugality, and deception. He must be feared and respected by the public but he must ensure that he is not hated. Machiavelli believes that if a prince or a ruler were to follow all of his recommendations and admonitions then that prince would surely be able to attain magnificence and be able to preserve his principality.

Compare Only the wall by Matthew Sweeney and Mirror by Sylvia Plath. :: English Literature

Compare Only the wall by Matthew Sweeney and Mirror by Sylvia Plath. Poem Comparison. I am going to compare two poems "Only the wall" by Matthew Sweeney and "Mirror" by Sylvia Plath. Both poems are similar as they both use personification. The poem "Only the wall" has the wall, which is personified as the wall is seeing what is happening, but cannot tell anyone. The poem "Mirror" has the mirror, which is personified, as the poem shows what the mirror sees. The poem mirror is about a mirror and a woman who is obsessed with the mirror. The mirror says it does not lie it just tells the truth. "I am not cruel only truthful" This tells you the mirror does not lie it shows the truth even though it might hurt and that it cannot judge how someone looks. In the second stanza the mirror begins to feel sorry for the woman. "I see her back and reflect it faithfully. She rewards me with tears and an agnation of the hands." This tells you how the mirror sees the woman's ugly face everyday and how the mirror sees the woman upset with the way she looks. The mirror is also upset, as it does not mean to upset her, but it can only show the truth. The mood of the poem is sad. "In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises towards her day after day, like a terrible fish." This tells how sad she is especially when she goes to the mirror and sees how her beauty has died away. The way the poem has been structured is the first stanza is about the mirror and the second stanza is about the woman. The poet's idea is trying to make us think about how people care so much about how they look. "I am important to her. She comes and goes. Each morning her face replaces the darkness." This tells us that the woman is maybe upset with the way she looks and how the mirror is really important because she wishes that she could be young and pretty again. Overall I think this poem was sad as it made me feel sorry for the woman. Also at first I found it hard to understand. The second poem has a different subject to the first poem. The first poem is about a woman looking in the mirror and the second poem is about a wall watching three bullies bullying a boy. For example: "The first day only the wall saw the bully trip the new boy" This line tells us that on the new boys fist day only the wall saw

Learner Styles :: essays papers

Learner Styles Technology is given in many forms, as television, computer, internet and cell phones. All of these are different types of technology. All of these different forms of technology help us to communicate with one another faster, relay quicker messages as well as learn. There are many ways to use technology to create different learning styles within the classroom. Creating different ways to learn is easier now that technology has given us different methods to choose from. These different methods are using or having a computer present in every classroom, using email, using CD Rom devices with math/ English activities, having interactive CD that helps explain different subjects, CD’s that help you visualize different periods of history, scientific calculators, electronic testing, as well as classes given on line. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the different ways technology can support different learning styles. Enhanced Interactive CD Technology is â€Å"the sum total of the technical means employed to meet the material needs of a society† (Webster Pocket Dictionary, 1997). With this technology is invented to meet the needs of people in our society. Throughout the years teachers and parents have been looking for more ways to make learning easier and more interesting to students. They have tried various ways, and have found that learning visually is one of the number one way to learn ( Scott, Survey) Therefore teachers as well as stay at home parents have tried to incorporate more ways for their students/ children to learn using visual aids. Since these visual aids worked and test scores rose, many people began to look for other visual aids to use. After the Computer was invented different authors wanted to publish there books as well as give an enhanced interactive CD that would help those students that weren’t able to pick up the information just by reading this enhanced interactive CD in 2004 is almost made in every subject. These CD’s aren’t just made for certain age groups they are made for anyone that is in school, from ages 5-21. There are math CD’S that are provided in math classes that help the student go over math problems. This helps the teacher out tremendously, because with the class sizes that are given in today’s schools the teacher is not always available to help every student.

Daughter of a Roughneck :: Biography Descriptive Essays Papers

Daughter of a Roughneck Juanita "June" was born in the mid-1940's, the firstborn of Q.D. and Hazel. Q.D. was a driller on oilrigs, a crew called "roughnecks." Over the years the family lived in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. For the first 16 years of her life, June lived with her father, mother, and two younger brothers in a trailer that was so small it could (and was) pulled by the family car from oil patch to oil patch. Despite social prejudices, educational setbacks, and trauma in her life, she overcame those obstacles. Many of today's oilrigs are located offshore. During the 1940's there were more areas on land available to set up a rig. A roughneck crew would set up a rig at an oil patch. A typical job would last about six weeks. The oil was pumped out until the patch went dry. When the patch dried up, the crew would move on to the next pre-designated patch. The crews lived in portable homes on wheels, more commonly known as "trailers." A roughneck's family traveled with him. It was common for crews to move together, following each other in a caravan. This lifestyle had a great impact on June's life. It was difficult for her to make friends because the family moved so often. Since the family was moving every six to eight weeks, she was never in one school for very long. It was difficult to make friends as she got older. Even though she knew a friendship was going to be temporary, June longed to have a companion. The girls were cliquish and not friendly to her. On the other hand, the boys instantly took an interest in the pretty young lady. Unfortunately, this caused even more of a rife with the girls. She started dreading the moves that happened so frequently. Learning anything in class was a struggle. The constant moves took a toll. The family would move to a new place and she would start school. A new school might be ahead of the last school, and it would be hard to catch up before the next move. Sometimes she would start at a school and already know that material, and she would become bored. Developing study habits was very dif ficult and it was difficult for her to concentrate. Social prejudice was another fact of life. Roughnecks were viewed by some people as poor, trailer park trash.

Formal Features of Remember by Christina Rossetti Essay

â€Å"Remember† is a sonnet by a poetess of Victorian England, Christina Rossetti. The poem was written in 1849 but was first published in 1862 in â€Å"Goblin Market and Other Poems† by Rossetti (Petacovic, 2009). Rossetti suffered from ill health throughout her life (Shanks, 2010); she seemed to be obsessed with her death and therefore wrote several poems (â€Å"Song†, â€Å"The One Certainty†) exploring the theme of death. Christina Rossetti was only 19 when she wrote â€Å"Remember†. Scholars believe that the poem was addressed to her fiance, Charles Cayley, though they later separated due to differing religious views. Written in iambic pentameter, â€Å"Remember† is a sonnet with Italian form. It is divided into an octet and a sestet. The octave (eight lines) rhymes ABBAABBA. As in most sonnets, the octet serves to set the theme of the narrative. The author seems to be informing the reader about her impending death. The sestet (six lines), on the other hand, has a rhyme scheme of CDDECE. This variation in rhyming scheme changes the atmosphere of the poem. The basic theme of the poem is that the narrator is asking to be remembered by her loved one but if her remembrance brings sorrow, she would rather be forgotten. Rossetti has employed simple words throughout the poem (Bennet, 2012). There are no visual details in the 14 lines. The author uses the phrase â€Å"remember me† three times in the first eight lines, almost demanding that she be remembered in certain situations. In the sestet the tone is very temperate. There is no use of imperatives. Instead, she states that it is better that her lover sometimes forget that she is gone and smile, rather than remember and be sad (Petacovic, 2009). Unlike most of Rossetti’s poems, such as â€Å"Winter: My Secret†, figurative language is used sparingly in the sonnet. There are three metaphors in this poem. The first metaphor is in verse 1, â€Å"Remember me when I am gone away†, where the words â€Å"gone away† are used instead of â€Å"dead†. The second metaphor (verse 2), â€Å"silent land†, could possibly allude to a religious land such as heaven, hell or purgatory. This reference reflects Rossetti religious upbringing. The last metaphor is employed in verse 11, â€Å"For if the darkness and corruption leaveâ€Å", where â€Å"darkness and corruption leaveâ€Å" is used as metaphor for her lover’s anger at her death (Petacovic, 2009).

Autobiography of Ben Franklin Book Review

Ben Franklin Book Review Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a man of many trades, including an inventor, printer, scientist, educator, and politician among many other professions. During the summer of 1771, he started writing his autobiography to his son so that he would be able to learn of his father’s life travels and experiences. Throughout the autobiography, which Franklin refers to as Memoirs, we see how a young man matures into an adult, changing from profession to profession, and how he influences many people along the way.Franklin was truly an innovative individual, bright and original, and also a tremendously decent man. Ben Franklin frequently refers to the theme of virtue and how he was a virtuous man. Over the years Franklin collected numerous desirable qualities he had heard from persons or read in literature. He wanted to make note of these assets, but thought that many of these had too many or too few under the same idea and were somewhat confusing. This instigat ed Franklin to categorize them in his own way, dividing out the ideas into his â€Å"Thirteen Virtues†.Franklin, was a kind hearted man, decent, and did have high morals. Franklin does note in his autobiography that he strived to be virtuous in character. He wanted to live his life without any faults and was fascinated with improving himself with admirable qualities. This is evident when Franklin states, â€Å"It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection,† (pg 93). Franklin does go on to reveal that it was not as easy as he first thought it would be, but he would put together a method for learning and performing his virtues to the fullest extent.Benjamin Franklin, along with being a worthy human being, was an extremely ingenious person as well. Franklin was a very clever man, intellectual and witty, and he did not let his ideas go to waste. Franklin was often intrigued when he would learn new ideas from books he read d uring his journeys. He was always trying to gain knowledge by creative self-experiences. It didn’t bother Franklin to try new ideas that the common folk wouldn’t necessarily accept into they’re routine lifestyle. A clear example of this is when he took up vegetarianism for the first time.In the text Franklin states, â€Å"When I was about sixteen years of age I happened to meet with a book written by one Tyron, recommending a vegetable diet†¦ My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chid for my singularity,† (p 29). This shows how Franklin was not a product of his society because he was always anxious to break beyond the realm of the â€Å"normal† culture. Later on in his life, he gradually began to shape the culture and society he was apart of.The brilliance of his writing, from a young teen to a grown adult, inspired anyone who read his work. One of his most popular pieces written was the Poor Richardâ€℠¢s Almanack. This almanac had an immediate impact on the common people as Franklin states it was â€Å"both entertaining and useful,† (p 107). Poor Richards Almanack is an example of how Franklin shaped society as it â€Å"accordingly came in such demand that I reaped considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand,† (p 107).Ben Franklin’s ingenious nature allowed him to express his ideas to the people and help shape society and culture of his time. Ben Franklin did not life his life entirely to the Puritan standards. The Puritan lifestyle of the time period was a very strict way of life and much revolved around the church and God. Franklin did have his praises to religion and God, as he mentioned several times in the autobiography, but he didn’t live his life to the firm structure of the Puritans. He was very open-minded and free spirited, and couldn’t contain his unsatisfied understanding of the world.Franklin welcomed the thought of change, which wasn’t normal to the Puritan existence. Also contrary to the Puritans, who believed the church and God was the key to happiness, Franklin had a different view. A quote that shows this is when Franklin says, â€Å"I grew convinced that truth, sincerity, and integrity, in dealings between man and man, were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life,† (p 70). This message expresses Franklins perspective of human nature is and what he believes is the key to having excessive happiness in life.

Dance Essay

Jameisha Tucker Divine Purpose Dance Team 08. 01. 11. Co-Captain Admissions Essay The term captain is synonymous with the term leader. By definition, a leader is someone who is in an advanced position to take the initiative in order to go forth and show the way. A dance captain should be able to make intelligent and creative decisions quickly and efficiently. Being a dance team captain for the Mighty Marching Lions has so much more to do with choreography and precision. Because we are a part of a Christian marching band, our purpose and our duty to fulfill that purpose is ten times greater than that of a traditional marching band. Without God, we would not have this grand opportunity and because of that we have to do things differently than the world would. We as band members are all working towards a goal which is ministering and showing the world the power of youth through the will of God. A captain must be able to effectively communicate and build a positive relationship with the team. A good relationship between captain and team is essential to the success of the team. Without it, everyone may not be on one accord and to accomplish our goals we all have to look and think like one. Every team has there issues and there is always going to be a time when someone is upset with someone else. Although our actions and words may not always project to be what we intend them to be, there are always reasonable solutions that can be taken in order to avoid altercations. We are of God and therefore we need to try our best to always show the love of God. I believe that I do posses many qualities of a leader. I am always pushing and striving to be greater. There may be times where I do get a dance move right away but I go home and practice until I feel I have mastered that move. I enjoy the fitness that we do before practice because I want a stronger body so that I can be a better dancer. I have a very independent personality and it is only because I want to be the best Christian, dancer, and overall person that I can be. One of our dance tattoos is â€Å"NO COMPROMISE†. I do not ever want to compromise myself or my beliefs to fit it. A leader never â€Å"fits in†. I always try my best to follow instructions because I know that this dance team is not only for me, it is for the world. We have to show the world the light. In this band you have to become selfless and know that when you are performing it is so that we can reach the world and save lives. Although I am also a dancer on my school’s dance team I would still be very committed to Divine Purpose. My contributions to this dance team would be enthusiasm, hard work ethic, and dedication. I am very excited to be apart of this dance team. I have been apart from the very beginning. I remember our first performance at the WE Fest on that very small stage. We didn’t even have team T-shirts but we tried to dance our hearts out. Moments like those are ones I never want to forget. I cannot wait for the incoming dancers to begin so that our team can grow and flourish. Pastor Powe is always preaching on legacy and I want to be able to leave one for future dancers. Dance Essay Jameisha Tucker Divine Purpose Dance Team 08. 01. 11. Co-Captain Admissions Essay The term captain is synonymous with the term leader. By definition, a leader is someone who is in an advanced position to take the initiative in order to go forth and show the way. A dance captain should be able to make intelligent and creative decisions quickly and efficiently. Being a dance team captain for the Mighty Marching Lions has so much more to do with choreography and precision. Because we are a part of a Christian marching band, our purpose and our duty to fulfill that purpose is ten times greater than that of a traditional marching band. Without God, we would not have this grand opportunity and because of that we have to do things differently than the world would. We as band members are all working towards a goal which is ministering and showing the world the power of youth through the will of God. A captain must be able to effectively communicate and build a positive relationship with the team. A good relationship between captain and team is essential to the success of the team. Without it, everyone may not be on one accord and to accomplish our goals we all have to look and think like one. Every team has there issues and there is always going to be a time when someone is upset with someone else. Although our actions and words may not always project to be what we intend them to be, there are always reasonable solutions that can be taken in order to avoid altercations. We are of God and therefore we need to try our best to always show the love of God. I believe that I do posses many qualities of a leader. I am always pushing and striving to be greater. There may be times where I do get a dance move right away but I go home and practice until I feel I have mastered that move. I enjoy the fitness that we do before practice because I want a stronger body so that I can be a better dancer. I have a very independent personality and it is only because I want to be the best Christian, dancer, and overall person that I can be. One of our dance tattoos is â€Å"NO COMPROMISE†. I do not ever want to compromise myself or my beliefs to fit it. A leader never â€Å"fits in†. I always try my best to follow instructions because I know that this dance team is not only for me, it is for the world. We have to show the world the light. In this band you have to become selfless and know that when you are performing it is so that we can reach the world and save lives. Although I am also a dancer on my school’s dance team I would still be very committed to Divine Purpose. My contributions to this dance team would be enthusiasm, hard work ethic, and dedication. I am very excited to be apart of this dance team. I have been apart from the very beginning. I remember our first performance at the WE Fest on that very small stage. We didn’t even have team T-shirts but we tried to dance our hearts out. Moments like those are ones I never want to forget. I cannot wait for the incoming dancers to begin so that our team can grow and flourish. Pastor Powe is always preaching on legacy and I want to be able to leave one for future dancers.

Mr. Ajinkya Deshmukh

In 1990, Buick advertised extensively that a survey of over 26, 000 new-car buyers had revealed that Buick was the only American car line ranked in the top 10 in initial quality based on owner reported problems during the first 90 days. Buick featured in its ads, a list of the top-10 automobiles in the survey, in which it was ranked fifth: behind Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Infiniti and ahead of Honda, Nissan, Acura, BMW, and Mazda. All nine of these other car lines are Japanese or German. In his nationally syndicated column, â€Å"High Five Is Goodbye Wave, Not the Symbol of Quality,† August 23, 1990, columnist George Will somewhat berated Buick for bragging about only being fifth. He stated that the â€Å"We’re Number One† boasts of wining college football players and their fans may be â€Å"mistaken, and the passion may be disproportionate to the achievement, but at least it is better than chanting ‘We’re Number Five. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mr. Will noted that such ads imply, â€Å"Don’t expect us to measure up to the big boys – the ones overseas. † He wanted Americans to become â€Å"impatient and censorious about lax standards (We’re Number 5) that are producing pandemic shoddiness in everything rom cars to art to second graders’ homework. † Mr. Will ended his column: â€Å"Americans would feel better, and might be more inclined to buy Buick, if they saw an ad reprinting the list above, but with a text that says: ‘Fifth place is not nearly good enough for Americans to brag about. And until we do better, we apologize! †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mr. Will may well have been correct that many U. S. firms were not producing products up to the quality standards of many foreign firms. We want to point out, however, that his criticism of Buick’s boast of being number five as indicative of shoddy American quality may not have been quite valid. In fact, it may be great to be â€Å"Number Five†.

An Intriguing person George Bernard Shaw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Intriguing person George Bernard Shaw - Essay Example Shaw was asked by one person the reason for not decorating his house with cut flowers. In his reply Shaw stated that ,I do love children very much but I don’t cut their heads and keep them in my drawing room. What a great thinker? This shows the fact that he is extra – ordinary and indeed he loved nature from his heart. Even though Shaw was world renowned person in artistic and literature world, his humble nature and humanitarian attitude is what captivated my heart and soul He was a high thinking man but did not have a university education .He was self taught and had only local school education. He was born as a third child to a corn merchant called George Carr Shaw who was an alcholic.His parents had no money to spend on his education but still George with his intelligence brought about change in his personality and career. He was a world renowned playwrighter and his plays have a grand reptoire attached to it. He was acknowledged with the Nobel Prize in 1923 and that too after many struggling years as an artist. It is very interesting to note that he never accepted his prize money as he thought it was unworthy for him. This humility and humbleness in him have consistently influenced me in my daily life. It is extremely pleasing to notice how valuable and knowledgeable people like Shaw conducted their life with less pomp and luxury. He was an artist by heart and gave much respect and consideration to nature. The most praise worthy aspect of Shaw is that he was a vegetarian .This was an admiring quality in him that attracted me towards him. In the early times the European world was unaware of the spiritual side of being on vegetarian diet and the concept of non – violence. But even then Shaw was voluntarily a vegetarian loved all living beings as his fellow creatures. What an excellent and noble thinking! He is so elevated from his soul to consider all elements of nature precious and worthy of love. He was a lifelong pacifist, socialist an d vegetarian. He was an international icon in his waning years and whatever he said or did was considered with respect and awe by public. Every word delivered by him were considered with great respect and traveled through continents. He was regarded as a profound thinker with immense wisdom and morality. These golden qualities make him an exquisite personality in my eyes. He advocated that our dislike for a certain human being or a person does not give us the right to hurt them or injure them. I believe that every human being have a lot to learn from this noble man who is a genius and a brilliant humanitarian. He was a socialist and defended largely against landlordism, politics, militarism, prostitution, capitalism, hypocrisy and deceit Ironically till his thirty years of age he believed in atheism and judged the doctrines of Church absurd and menaingless.In 1890s, Shaw confessed that he believe n mystic theories and was a believer of cosmic power. This is another point which make him idealistic as I find I have the same values and beliefs .He was never a believer of idol worship and rituals but understood that loving and caring attitude towards living beings means a lot more than loving an unknown identity. He propagated that the life has a meaning and the cosmic power did not make us for nothing. We are supposed to attempt self sacrifice as we are bestowed with intelligence will and determination by the life giving force. The important concepts delivered by Shaw have to be understood and followed by young generation. We have a lot to learn and comprehend from this idealistic man. His thought needs to be pondered upon, analyzed and then practiced in life. Shaw ardently believed that God made us for a purpose and he wanted

The U.S. Supreme Court Powers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The U.S. Supreme Court Powers - Research Paper Example Subject-matter jurisdiction refers to authority over the facts and law involved in a particular case based on a specific subject matter such as divorce or bankruptcy. Subject-matter jurisdiction limits the authority of the court within matters directly relating to the subject matter (Garner, 2006). This is to say, therefore, that a divorce court may not hear cases involving bankruptcy. Information retrieved from the Harvard Law Review indicates, â€Å"Lack of subject matter cannot be waived.† (Cushman, 1998, p 89) Any decision from a court that lacks subject matter jurisdiction over a given case is invalid to that extent. Personal Jurisdiction By granting personal jurisdiction, the Supreme Court confers authority over the parties involved in a specific case. The court therefore gains jurisdiction based on the individuals involved in the case. Sources indicate that the personal jurisdiction, as a legal concept, draws from the traditional concept that a King exercised his author ity within his domain and not outside the kingdom. Every state in the US has personal jurisdiction over its citizens. Likewise, all courts within the state can exercise authority over citizens. The constitution unequivocally states that consent, power, and notice are the three elemental principles of personal jurisdiction that restrain the authority of courts to bind property or individuals to their decisions.

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Biology - Essay Example However, this has been widely criticized as there are new illnesses associated with the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system, which has caused a rise in the level of such diseases across the nation (Genetic Roullete, n.p.). Genetic modifications have been known to be carried out without the awareness of both the FDA and the general public which raises questions on the safety of such products. Furthermore, companies have been known to put these products on to the market without alerting the public. This has been criticized due to the fact that these modifications are rarely put under intensive testing despite the adverse effects that have been associated with genetically modified foods. Such effects include infertility, change in structure of the liver and susceptibility of the individual’s digestive system to various diseases. Another area that makes this a worrying issue is the nature of genetic modifications which results in every cell of the organism possessing the m odified toxins which the human digestive system has not adapted to or developed mechanisms of digesting. Furthermore, these toxins are poorly excreted and damage the liver, and in cases of pregnant women can cross the placenta and lead to several complications with the pregnancy or the child in the near future (Genetic Roullete, n.p.). Such foods are not part of the natural system; hence, the body is likely to develop allergic responses after their consumption. The introduction of genetically modified food has led to an increase in the number of allergies and individuals in modern times are now developing allergies to basic food commodities such as parsley or regular vegetables which were previously considered as part of a healthy diet. These allergic responses to genetically modified food lead to the disruption in normal functioning of the immune system. Hence, individuals also develop immune responses when they consume foods of a similar nature even if they are not modified, resul ting in the necessity of dietary alterations. The harmful effects of modified foods is not just a myth as children and individuals who have been diagnosed with several diseases of the digestive system have shown 100% recovery after they change to consuming an organic diet. In addition, research on mice has shown that they become infertile after injection with genetically modified food, they also present with change in organ structure and they decrease in size with every generation. The question however rises why this research is frequently ignored and is never followed up. When this food is introduced to chicken embryos, it has fatal effects within a few hours, which shows the potential damage it could have to pregnant women (Genetic Roullete, n.p.). Specialists have stated the danger associated with genetically modified food as it is a potential threat due to the fact that it creates several genetic mutations in the DNA. Furthermore, these mutations are further transferred to the f ollowing generations. This could lead to a new generation which is susceptible to several illnesses, including infertility. Hence, this has been considered a case of emergency due to the fact that the population might not be able to sustain itself in the near future. In addition, genetically modifying crops leads to a cycle of nutrition deficiency that leads all the way from the plants to the livestock and to the humans. The process of modifying crops has also been found to increase the number of mortalities among cattle and other livestock. Removal of

The gender class between the past and modern China Essay

The gender class between the past and modern China - Essay Example In today`s world, Chinese women are given greater freedom and opportunities. They are allowed to live a normal life and make their own decisions but even today, the Chinese culture is in favor of men. No matter how much advanced and successful the economy is, men are still preferred more over women and are given greater opportunities. Historically, women were treated as mere creatures rather than members of the human community. The patriarchal structure of the Chinese culture gained a lot of importance during the years 960-1279 CE. During this period of the song dynasty, the gender differences in China reached to its maximum limit. The practice of foot-binding was introduced during this period and though not practiced today, this practice has left a number of foot prints (Gender issues in the Chinese culture, Web). Foot binding is a practice in which a girl`s feet are tightly bound to limit female mobility as well as to restrict the growth of girls. It was a totally inhumane practice which was thought to be started in Imperial China during the 10th or the 11th century. It started as a status symbol indicating a high social rank, but unfortunately spread through out China. Although it has been banned by the Chinese government, its effects can still be seen today as some of its victims are still found today. As a result of this practice, the women affected were not able to support their families by working in the fields and made them dependant. During the same period, women were forced to marry against their wishes and after marriage, had to comply with the wishes of her husband as well as her in laws (Traditions of foot binding in China, Web). Confucianism is the foundation of traditional Chinese system, created by Confucius who displayed gender discrimination by placing women at the lower end of a patriarchal domestic family system. This theory was supported by the initiation of the Neo-Confucianism which placed more restrictions of women. The teachings of Conf ucius were further strengthened by Ban Zhoa`s â€Å"Lesson for girls†. Apart from the practice of foot binding, female infanticide became quite common. The Chinese men only cared about their sons as they would carry forward the family name. The girls born in their family were treated as dirt and were either left to die or were even sold to rich families as mere objects and slaves. Families in China have favored sons over daughters in the past as well and this has increased the number of men in China today. There have been infinite cases of infanticide, better treatment of baby boys than baby girls and abandonment of new born baby girls. This increase in the number of Chinese men has been made possible by advances such as ultrasounds which make it possible to know the sex of the baby about to be born. This has been supported by factual evidence as the number of male births has increased from 108 in 1980s to 120 in 2000. This problem was worsened by the one child policy by the Chinese authorities and people were reluctant to give birth to baby girls as their only child. This increase in the number of men has been predicted to result in a rise in crime rates of sexual violence and other social crimes (China`s great gender crisis, Web). The problem of surplus of women has been felt by the Chinese authorities as they have made it a part of the country`s fie year plan to cut the ratio of the sex gap to 112 or 113 by

The 2007 Real Estate Market Crash Research Paper

The 2007 Real Estate Market Crash - Research Paper Example It is connected to many other aspects of the U.S. and world economies. For this reason, an understanding of how the economy works is important to gain a deeper appreciation for the events that have developed. The paper has three parts that answer the questions: "Where are we now", "How did we get here" and "Where are we going" Answering these basic questions would result in a deeper understanding of events, allow an objective analysis of the causes and how these are linked to the effects, and teach important lessons that could be learned to avoid, or at least minimize, similar experiences and mistakes in the future. The third part is a series of predictions of what would happen, what steps could be taken to minimize the negative effects on the economy, and what lessons could be learned and answers the question "Where are we going" On February 7, 2007, the Senate Banking Committee indicated that nearly 20 percent of sub-prime mortgage loans obtained from 2005-2006 would be foreclosed, threatening over 2.2 million families in the U.S. with losing their homes over the next few years (ABI, 2007, p. 8). Last April 2, 2007, the second largest provider of high-risk, sub-prime mortgages in the U.S., New Century Capital Corporation of Irvine, California, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and fired 3,200 employees in the wake of its own "financial missteps" and troubles with the SEC and U.S. Department of Justice over financial statements which failed to accurately account for financial losses the corporation was suffering, as well as mismanagement of the corporation (Gentile, 2007, p. 1). A September 1, 2007 issue of The Economist (2007, p. 59) revealed that despite official reports in the end of July that the U.S. economy was doing well, the truth was much darker than what most people believed: the economy's weakest link, the housing market, was in even worse shape than many realized. New-home construction plunged in July; the backlog of existing unsold houses rose to a 16-year high; and average house prices in America's ten main cities fell by 4.1% in the year to June. These developments led economists to forecast that the pace of new-home building would fall by a further 30% and average house prices would tumble between 7.5% and 15% by the end of 2008 and by another 15% to 30% in the succeeding years. These news reports can be seen as part of a series of business and financial problems. Houses were built using borrowed money that could not be repaid by builders because the houses could not be sold. Houses could not be sold because too many were built because borrowing was easy. Since houses could not

Illegal Immigration ( MUST BE DONE in LESS THaN 9 hours) Essay

Illegal Immigration ( MUST BE DONE in LESS THaN 9 hours) - Essay Example Considering Janet Napolitanos background sheds some light on her ambiguous positions. She is a native New Yorker that was raised in New Mexico. A life long Democrat, she is governor of a state that is generally overwhelmingly Republican. Twenty years ago she was a lawyer representing a Tucson Arizona church against charges that they were smuggling illegal aliens. She won a major case that barred federal informants from investigating the Southside Presbyterian Church. Now, as Governor of a state at the heart of the immigration problem, she faces the dilemma of squaring her past record with the political realities of the present. Clearly Arizona has an illegal immigrant problem. According to Pomfret, approximately 4000 illegal immigrants enter Arizona every day. That amounts to 1.5 million immigrants a year in a state with a population of 6 million permanent residents. The toll on schools, law enforcement, hospitals, and public programs is immense. Federal funding has skyrocketed and as Pomfret reports, "[...] the Medicaid bill ballooned from $200 million in 2001 to $1.2 billion in 2003, at least partly because of illegal immigration". In 2004, Arizona passed one of the most stringent laws to regulate spending known as proposition 200. Proposition 200 mandated that all non-federally funded programs and assistance to illegal aliens cease immediately. However, Pomfret states that, "Arizonas attorney general, with Napolitanos support, has ruled that the law only pertains to discretionary state programs and not to federally funded entitlements such as food stamps and subsidized school lunches". The propositions advocates have sought court action to demand full implementation of the initial intent of the law. The legislators, caught in an election season have ducked responsibility and have decided to let the electorate decide which, if any,

Global marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global marketing strategy - Essay Example In the current decade international marketing has emerged as a booming platform that holds significance in daily life of customers. National boundaries or local regions are not restricted only to competitive forces. Firms operating in globalized economy can only be successful if they are responsive towards local and global market conditions. International marketing process comprises of various factors and companies need to develop strategies to encompass such factors. Skills of international marketing are an important aspect of every firm whether it is involved in different activities of exporting for the company or brand. Globalized market place has witnessed a sudden drift in the recent years due to emergence of trading standards, practices and techniques. There are wide array of market entry barriers witnessed by firms who plan to go global. This study shall outline such barriers and even portray a clear picture regarding two different market segments. Poundland is a variety store chain of United Kingdom that sells majority items in its store outlets at  £1. Stephen Smith and Dave Dodd had founded the company in 1990. The firm presently operates in more than 450 locations and comprises of 3000 kitchen ware, healthcare, home ware and gift products. It deals in 16 categories majority of which are clearance products or do not hold a brand name. This study would highlight the international expansion of Poundland into Japan and China. The major aim of this analytical study is to determine the market conditions of a developing and developed country. Japan and China has been selected as two markets where Poundland will expand its business. Both these countries comprise of certain opportunities for the variety store chain. In order to establish market position in a country it is essential to analyze its marketing environment. There is wide range of external forces that changes operating environment of a country. PESTEL analysis is basically

Affordable Care Act Essay Example for Free

Affordable Care Act Essay Abstract The Affordable Care Act Health coverage was developed to provide and guarantee coverage for sickness, injury and preventable health measures. Many people suffer from illness’ that go untreated because they have no health insurance or cannot afford it. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows everyone to have health insurance. In this case study I will explain how the affordable Care Act in North Carolina has improved. The impact of the Affordable Care act on the population that it affected The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the most comprehensive reform of the United States. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) also called Obama Care transforms the non-group insurance market in the United States, mandates that all residents will have health insurance, significantly expands public insurance and subsidizes private insurance coverage, raises revenues from a variety of new taxes, and reduces and reorganizes spending under the nation’s largest health insurance plan, Medicare. Many people are opposed to Obama Care, simply because their high Republican beliefs won’t allow them to participate in any program put in place by a Democrat. Participating in a Healthcare program shouldn’t be chosen by whichever political party you believe in, it should be determined by carefully thought out plans and weighing the pros and cons of whichever coverage best suits you and your family’s needs. The Affordable Care Act  does not affect people or families currently covered with adequate health insurance. Those who already have Heath Care in place are protected by the â€Å"Grandfather Policy†. However, it does affect lower income Americans without health care making below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). They may qualify for Medicaid under Medicaid expansion, if they meet all of the policies requirements. This puts health care within reach of many people denied health care in the past. The President of the United States put laws in place that all people participate in the Affordable Care Act and get health care insurance or be penalized and pay monthly fines. This legislation ensures that all people be treated equally†¦ the rich, poor or anywhere in between, you must have health insurance. To some this program seems very beneficial, but we as Americans do not like the government controlling our Medicare choices. These newly enacted Affordable Care Acts were set in place to help all Americans receive health care and medical treatment. This act wasn’t put in place to provide care to people living in the United States illegally; undocumented immigrants and people who have been in the United States for less than five years do not qualify. The uninsured people, who gain insurance coverage in 2014, will obtain their coverage through the state’s Medicaid program. Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act requires that states expand Medicaid coverage to most uninsured adults with modified adjusted gross income no greater than 138% of the federal poverty limit. Children in families with incomes no greater than 200% FPL will continue to be eligible for Medicaid or North Carolina Health Choice (North Carolina’s Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Other people will gain coverage through private insurance offered through the Health Benefit Exchange (HBE). (Milstead, 2013, p. 199) . The impact of the economics of providing care to patients from the organizations view In the case study, the impact of the affordable care act on North Carolina uninsured population in 2011 showed childless, non-disabled, nonelderly adults could not qualify for Medicaid. Being poor, unemployed or homeless did not qualify a person for Medicaid. People, who are uninsured, are more likely to delay care and less likely to receive  preventive services, primary care, or chronic care management. As of 2014, The Affordable care Act adults will be able to qualify for Medicaid if their income is no greater than 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. That income level was set at $30,429 for a family of four in 2010. However, some states do allow a family of four to have higher incomes and still qualify. The case study also showed that providing Medicaid to all people across the chart insured total coverage to all people and the FPL (Federal Poverty Level) had risen to a level where all peo ple were nearly identical to one another. Suggesting that if health care is provided equally throughout the nation there will be a lull in infectious diseases and untreated illnesses because everyone would seek treatment since they have coverage. Some of the economic growth and plans involve tax credits to individuals and families participating in Affordable Care Act, helping to keep participation affordable to all. Doing so helps to promote membership to all, thus keeping costs at a minimum and entices more families to participate. Another planned impact would be the cap placed on insurance company’s expenditures, careful monitoring of costs to provide service will eliminate overcharging by insurance companies and its affiliates. The government understands that it will take a number of years before the Affordable Care Act will show how much of a positive impact this program has on its participants. However, the government promises that keeping health care costs affordable will eventually lower rates and spending across the board. It says that with health care more available to all, more people get better and employees will come in to work reducing sick days and create better productivity, and financial gain for everyone. The Affordable Care Act also keeps families from financial ruin now when a family member becomes sick or unable to work they can still have health coverage through policies of their own or coverage provided through a participating family member. Before when a family member got sick they had to worry about being cut off of coverage if they lost their jobs. Families also had the added worry of escalating medical expenses while they were suffering through their sicknesses. Many feared losing their homes to pay for medical expenses. How the patients will be affected in relationship to the cost of treatment, quality of treatment, and access to treatment The Residents of North Carolina’s will have access to quality, affordable health care under the updated health insurance reform. The Affordable Care Act of 2014 will have a positive effect on patient safety and outcomes. It will provide many resources to allow patients easier access to insurance for health care costs and preventive care such as cancer screenings and vaccines. It will give incentives to health care facilities to improve the care being given. It is also mandated for all healthcare facilities to use electronic health record systems to keep track of all patient information to minimize errors. Doing this will also ensure that all patients receive the same care and treatment at all facility’s and that hospitals can share new developments or procedures. Reducing costs and prolonged hospital stays and long drawn out treatments, patients in need of specialized treatments can be sent to facilities better equipped to treat them with records of their treatments already in the system. (R. Kocher, J. Emanuel, M. Deparle, 2014, pp. 536-540) The Affordable Care Act provides medical coverage for families and children and is required to continue to make such coverage available for an adult child who is not married until the child reaches age 26. However, the Affordable Care Act is not obligated to make coverage available for a child of a child receiving dependent coverage. These people are considered parents themselves, and are expected to work and provide health care for their dependent children themselves. The ethical implications of this act for both the organization and the patients Since the beginning of 2010 adults, can qualify for Medicaid if their income is not greater than 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Gaining strength over the last couple of years as of 2014 everyone is qualified to get Affordable Health Care as long as they meet the plans restrictions and verifications. As everyone in North Carolina gains health coverage, the state and county governments could potentially reduce some of the expense to safety net providers currently used to help pay for services to the uninsured. Under this new mandated health reform, hospitals and medical  providers will be assured funding and payment since this program is to be funded by the federal government. Thus providing a system where medical facilities can focus on patient care, and not worry about the un or under insured not being able to pay for the care they receive. When organizations across the entire United States are given enough funding to cover the expense of new equipment and supplies, it allows more opportunities for hiring more educated staff members, and lets health providers focus on patient care. The state of North Carolina may eventually experience a decrease in unnecessary use of the emergency department and reduced hospitalizations as more people gain coverage and access to preventive and primary care services. Once health care is made more readily available and affordable to more people and families, the risk of fraud and abuse of services would be greatly reduced. These worries and concerns will all but be eliminated because health care would now be available to all Americans. Even Americans who were once refused treatment due to pre-existing health problems can now be seen by a physician. The Affordable Care Act prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions, refusals of treatment and all other discriminations based on health status by group health plans. Reference Milstead, J. A. (2013). Health policy and politics: A nurses guide (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Kocher, R., Emanuel, E. J., DeParle, N. M. (2010). The Affordable Care Act and the Future of Clinical Medicine: The Opportunities and Challenges. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 153(8), 536-W.190 Kovner, A. R., Knickerman, J. R. (2011). Health care delivery in the United States. (10th ed.). New York, NY: Springer. 2014, 01). Impact of Affordable Care Act on North Carolina Uninsured Population. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 01, 2014, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Impact-Of-Affordable-Care-Act-On-46392180.html (P.L. 111-152 Summary of patient protection and affordable care act (P.L. 111-148, H.R. 3590), with amendments of the health care and education reconciliation act of 2010, H.R. 4872). (2010). Tax Management Tax Practice Series Bulletin, 22(7), 12-31. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/193794262?accountid=14872