Identifying Individual Preferences in the Airline Industry

Transportation services are becoming more common and broadly used in recent decade, in line with the advancement of technology. Generally, transportation services can be divided into three groups: water transportation, land transportation and air transportation (Gee, Choy, & Makens, 1984). Airline industry, which this essay focusing on, is one of the discoveries of newest innovations in the travel services sector. It has been developed so much in recent year to operate more effectively. Not only guarantee a safe journey to the destination place, the airline companies are now trying to create a competition in the market by providing the best services to the travellers and offering competitive prices (Hensher & Louviere, 1983). Those strategies are aimed to attract more consumers to travel by their airline companies. This essay will discuss the theories of consumer economics and their applications in the real consumer issues in airline industry, mainly on the factors that changing the consumer demand of airplane ticket, as well as the underlying reasons of why consumers prefer some particular airlines to the others. Furthermore, the behaviour of different types of consumers toward the choice of different airlines will also be discussed here. In observing those issues, this paper will focus on two airline companies: Singapore Airlines and Jetstar. The price data were obtained from a single route from Melbourne to Singapore. The core idea in analysing consumer behaviour in making choices in the economic activity, mainly in the airline industry, is because of their limited incomes and unlimited wants. Those then lead to trade-offs and opportunity costs. Consumers in the airline industry could be divided into two groups, which are business and pleasure travellers. Elasticity is the percentage change in one variable resulting from a 1-percent increase in another (Pindyck & Rubinfeld, 2009). When the price elasticity is greater than 1 in magnitude, we say that demand is price elastic because the percentage decline in quantity demanded is greater than the percentage increase in price. If the price is less than 1 in magnitude, the demand is said to be price inelastic. Graph 1. Elastic and inelastic demand (Inelastic demand) (Elastic demand) In this case, elastic demand of airline industry is exceptionally unstable because it depends on the market conditions such as inflation, terrorists attack and price oil. In airline industry, price elasticity demand is considered both elastic and inelastic (Yahoo Voices, 2008). An elastic demand is in relation travel for pleasure. Pleasure travellers are extremely sensitive to the price of the travel. An inelastic demand is in relation for business travel. Business travels have little effect for increase in price of the travel. Income elasticity of demand measures the degree of responsiveness of demand of a good to a change in consumers’ income. It has equation of : EI=[ΔQ/Q]/[ ΔI/I]=[I/Q]*[ ΔQ/ ΔI]. Airplane ticket is normal good as it has a positive income elasticity, which means when consumers’ income increase the consumption of ticket will increase as well. Cross elasticity of demand measures the degree of responsiveness of demand of one good to a change in the price of another good. It is shown in the equation: EQ1P2 = [ΔQ1/Q1] / [ΔP2/P2] = [P2/Q2]*[ΔQ1/ ΔP2]. If airplane ticket and other consumption (i.e. food and cloths) are considered as a group, there will be a positive cross-price elasticity, which tells us that if the price of one good (other consumption or ticket) goes up, the demand for the other good goes up as well. Consumer behaviour analysis attempts to understand the consumers’ allocation of incomes among different goods and services to maximize their well-being. It consist of three distinct aspects: consumer preferences, describing the reasons why people might prefer one good to another; budget constraints, reflecting consumers’ limited incomes that restrict the quantities of goods they can buy; and consumer choices, which are the combination of the consumer preferences and budgets constraints (Pindyck & Rubinfeld, 2009). There are some basic assumptions made in observing consumer preferences in the airline industry. First, preferences are assumed to be complete. Complete means that consumers are able to compare and rank all possible market baskets. However, this assumption ignores costs. Second, preferences are transitive or consistent. And third, â€Å"more is better than less† since goods are assumed to be desirable. Indifference curve represents all combinations of market baskets which provide consumer with same level of satisfaction (Pindyck & Rubinfeld, 2009). Indifference curve and utility functions (set of indifference curves) are used to analyse the consumer behaviour and preferences in choosing market baskets, in which relate to consumer demand (Gould, 1973). Higher indifference curve is more preferable to the lower one because it represents higher welfare (Telhado, 2007). Moreover, indifference curves cannot intersect and the slope of each point in the indifference curve represents marginal rate of substitution (MRS), which is the maximum amount of a good that consumer is willing to give up to obtain one additional unit of another good. Indifference curves of consumers in the airline industry are assumed to be downward sloping and bowed-inward, reflecting diminishing MRS, since the demand of airplane tickets and comparable goods are both desirable. The shape of the indifference curves is different among group of consumers. Indifference curves of the first group of consumer, business travellers, are steeper than pleasure travellers. Graph 1 below shows that the business travellers’ group is willing to trade more of other consumption (a) to exchange it with an airplane ticket (b), since they need to directly travel to other place establishing business transactions. Graph 2. Indifference map for business travellers While in the graph 2, pleasure travellers is unwillingly trade more of the other consumptions in order to purchase a unit of airplane ticket (a < b). It is because they travel to seek pleasure, not urgently need to be done directly. Thus, they are more flexible in the decision making process of which airline company they want to travel with and the time of travel. Graph 3. Indifference map for pleasure travellers Along with indifference curve, there is budget constraints which restraint consumer’s consumptions due to limited incomes (Mary, 2007). Assume that the budget lines for business and pleasure travellers are equal which can be seen from graph 3 and 4 below; the steeper indifference curves for business travellers show their optimal choices between purchasing airplane tickets and other goods. Business travellers seem to purchase more airplane tickets rather than other consumptions because they want to give up more of other consumptions to obtain an additional airplane ticket. Graph 4. Indifference map and budget constraints for business travellers In contrast, for pleasure travellers, the flatter indifference curves will lead them to purchase other consumptions rather than allocating a large portion of income in purchasing airplane tickets. The tangent between indifference curve and budget constraint will be the point of maximum well-being which can be achieved. Area below the optimal point shows that the consumers are not maximising their consumption. Whilst the area above that point means the consumers do not have enough income (budget) to achieve that consumption level. Graph 5. Indifference curve for pleasure travellers In general, when there is a change in consumer’s income, there will be a parallel shift in the budget line, either downward or upward. As shown in graph below, initially, the utility-maximizing consumption choice is at A, at which point he buys X1 units of airplane ticket and Y1 units of other kinds of good. If his income increases, his budget line will shift outward, allowing him to attain the higher utility level associated with indifference curve U2 and then U3. His optimal consumption choice is at B (and then D) now. At this time, the consumer can purchase larger units of tickets (from X1 to X2 to X3). It can be seen in the income-consumption curve that the slope is upward, because as income increase, the consumption of both airplane ticket and other consumption increase. Graph 6. The effect of a change in income level On the other hand, when there is a change in product’s price and income level held constant, there will be an intercept rotation on the budget line. Recent condition in the airline industry is many companies try to attract more consumers to purchase the airline tickets from them by cutting the airfares. This strategy increases the competition level among the airline industry. The reduction in price of the air fares will result in outward rotation in the budget line on the ‘x’ axis, which represents airplane ticket. People can now purchase more airplane tickets due to lower price, representing the increase in consumers’ welfare or utility level. It is associated by the movement of indifference curve from U1 to U3 by selecting point D. At this time, consumption of ticket will increase from X1 to X3. Moreover, the slope of the second budget constraint is now decreasing, represents lower opportunity cost of obtaining a unit of airplane ticket. Graph 7. The effect of the decrease in price level In most cases, consumers would like to buy more airplane tickets as their income increases, but in some cases, the quantity demanded falls as income increases, the income elasticity of demand is negative. As shown in graph below, for relatively low levels of income (between point A and B), both Singapore Airlines and Jetstar flights are normal goods. However, as income rises, some consumers tend to buy less Jetstar tickets and more Singapore Airlines tickets as Singapore airlines has better service, food supply and in-flight entertainment system. At this time Jetstar has become an inferior good, the income-consumption curve bends backward from point B to C, which means its consumption has fallen when income has increased. Graph 8. Jetstar becomes an inferior good as income increases Even though Jetstar has been said as inferior good in some cases, in general, airline ticket is assumed as normal good. Refer to that, a decrease in the price of airline tickets due to the market competition has both income and substitution effect. As shown in the graph below, the consumer is initially at A, on budget line RS. When the price of ticket falls, consumption increases by A1A2 as the consumer move to B. Keeping real income constant, the substitution effect A1E can be got when the price of ticket falls, associated with a move from A to D. If keeping relative price constant but increasing purchasing power, the income effect EA2 can be got, associated with a move from D to B. As airplane ticket is normal good, the income effect EA2 is positive. Therefore, the total effect of a change in ticket price is equal to the sum of the substitution effect and income effect. Graph 9. Total effect of a change in price After discussing the demand curve for individual consumer, market demand curve for airplane ticket will be shown now. It can be derived as the sum of the individual demand curve of all consumers in the market, as stated previously. As shown in graph below, the market demand curve is also slope downward as all the individual demand curves slope downward. However, the market demand curve is not a straight line. When more people choose to travel by airplane, the market demand curve will shift to the right. In addition, if most consumers in the market earn more income, as a result, their increasing demand for airplane ticket will also shift the market curve to the right. If the economic crisis breaks out as what happened several years ago, many people lose their job and the income decreased. Thus, the market demand curve for airplane ticket will shift to the left. Graph 10. The market demand curve for airplane ticket From the actual rates, Singapore Airlines has the higher average price than Jetstar. In the same time, there is a survey about the level of satisfactions of international airlines shown by the graph below. From the graph, it illustrates that Singapore Airlines has the highest satisfaction level figure. From the risk and uncertainty point of view, Singapore Airlines provides superior service and it maintains an eye on rivals’ prices and ensures it stays competitive among other airline companies. The airline cancellations and delays usually provided with explanations and apologies. This airline is also providing advantage on frequent flyer consumers such as â€Å"priority passengers’ service†. This service is suitable for business travellers as it will give them advantage in booking urgently needed flights for important meetings. This airline is also suitable for those high-income pleasure travellers as it offers great entertainment and amusement, such as popular movies with multiple language options, games and dozens of audio channels. In addition, Singapore Airlines catering supply is trying to provide varieties of meals menu which match the likely passengers’ needs. For example, there will be Indian and western food provided for subcontinent flights. Moreover, Singapore Airlines has a modern fleet and the aircrafts have been maintained with the highest standards. Thus, the cost of flights is higher which result in the higher airfares, however, safely of this airline is guaranteed. Comparing to Singapore Airlines, Jetstar offers lower price to the consumers. Their food, beverages and entertainment standard are much lower than Singapore Airlines’. Jetstar is known for having many complaints from its passengers in term of its services, such as frequent delays and cancellations of flight. Those seem to be serious problems for business travellers, as time efficiency is the main factor. However, Jetstar’s network is constantly expanding by opening flights to some new locations in Asia. Thus, Jetstar is more suitable for pleasure travellers which have shorter travel distance and not much concern about the services provided on board. As the theory of equal marginal principle states that â€Å"the utility is maximized when the consumer has equalized the marginal utility per dollar of expenditure across all goods† (Gordon, 2007), the business travellers who are not price prioritize will choose to travel with Singapore Airlines since they prefer in optimal satisfaction. However, for the pleasure travellers that prioritize the price factor will choose to travel with Jetstar which provide low price for consumers rather than best satisfaction. Graph 11. Satisfactions with International Airlines 2009-2010 Even with a high level of satisfaction, Singapore Airline has experienced a decline in market share over the last five years, as shown in Graph 13. Low-cost airlines such as Jetstar have contributed to the lack of growth for more premium airlines. Additionally, Peter von Moltke stated that â€Å"the low cost sector is a major influence in sustaining a steady growth trajectory for the global aviation industry.† (PR Newswire, 2011). Graph 12. Market share of Top 10 Airlines in Australia (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2012) So far, it has assumed that people’s demands for airplane ticket are individualized. That enables us to obtain the market demand curve simply by summing individuals’ demands (Kris, 2007). In real-life, however, one person’s demand always depends on other people’s demand. That is a network externality, which can be positive or negative. It is a good chance for airline companies to attract more passengers by using bandwagon effect of a positive externality. As shown in the graph below, when consumers believe more people have purchased the product, the demand curve shifts further to the right (D1 to D5). The market demand curve is found by joining the points on the individual demand curves, which can be seen that it is relatively more elastic. Suppose the ticket price falls from P1 to P2. Without bandwagon effect, the quantity demanded will increase from Q2 to Q2’. However, as more passengers choose to fly with Jetstar or Singapore Airlines and think it is worth to be the first-flying choice as it is trustworthy, the bandwagon effect increases quantity demanded further to D4. Therefore, airline companies use bandwagon effect to increase the response of demand in relevance with price change. To obtain this effect, the airline companies could target its potential segment and use advertisement to build up their brand image and reputation among the market. For example, Singapore Airlines could use ‘comfortable, quick and always on-time’ image to attract its business travellers. And for Jetstar, the image of cheap and flexible could help the company to obtain its bandwagon effect in pleasure travellers’ market. Graph 13. Bandwagon effect To conclude, the consumers’ demand of airplane ticket is affected by their income, ticket price, and the demand elasticity. Business travellers prefer to travel with Singapore Airlines, even with a higher airfare. They concern more on punctuality and the service provided and their price elasticity of demand is low. In contrast, pleasure travellers are less concerned with the quality of service provided, focusing on reaching their destination with the lowest cost. Their price elasticity of demand is high, thus, Jetstar is preferred in this case. In the intense market competition, Singapore airlines and Jetstar could use the bandwagon effect to attract more passengers by building up their own brand image.

Business Research Methods -Starbucks Essay

Starbucks Coffee Company originated in 1971 as a small coffee house in SeattleWashington. Over the years, Starbucks has grown into a global company offering its exclusive brand coffees in domestic and international markets. Unfortunately in recent years, increased competition and market saturation has caused the company to re-evaluate its business strategies often leading to the closure of many of its stores in many recently expanded areas. This business problem and optional proposal is designed to address the issues Starbucks is facing as a result of the increased competition and market saturation in the coffee industry. Using statistics to remedy the issue, Team C will develop a hypothesis to study using an appropriate sample pool as well as primary and secondary data sources. The outcome of the research will result in a final recommendation related to the problem and the hypothesis that was tested. Subject ProblemIncreased competition and market saturation has caused Starbucks Coffee Company to reevaluate its business strategies in order to eliminate the closure of many of its stores in recentlyexpanded areas. Consumers are feeling the prices in their pocket and are mindful of the next dollar they spend. Dependent and Independent VariablesA recent slump in sales and revenue has forced the coffee powerhouse company Starbucks to close several hundred stored over the last year and upcoming moths. The new sales plummet will be the dependent variable in our research of the independent variables and their effect of the overall sales. When looking at Starbucks many recent events can be attributed to its sales drought such as the huge unemployment which can be defined as our independent variables. The first independent variable to consider is the over saturation of Starbucks’s locations across the country. Each Starbucks location needs a certain amount of profit to stay open, thus several locations will have to resort to closing their doors. With Starbucks popularity early on it opened the door for other competitors such as  McDonald’s to serve a premium roasted ice coffee for a cheaper price. Also with the gas prices being steady and the economy trying to rebuild itself from this financial state it doesn’t seem economically to purchase a $4-$8 cup of coffee when you can get a similar product from McDonald’s or your local convenience store. Populations of InterestsThe two populations of interest that Learning Team C will be focusing on will be the consumers for cold coffee. The cold coffee market has grown with Starbucks being on the higher end and McDonald’s cold coffee being on the lower end of the market. We will show the comparison of these two companies’ consumers and how the overall market has been effective by the economy. Proposed Sources/Resources for Data CollectionFor a primary research source for Starbucks, data can be collected from market surveys,teleconferencing interviews, consumer questionnaires and focus group sessions by directlycontacting customers. Other information can be derived from sampling techniques and statisticalmethodologies which are documented to be 1 percent of the market profitable value. Secondaryresearch sources are in the form of data which has already been collected in preceding researchstudies. Examples include reports, press released articles, and initial market research projectsthat eventually arrive at a conclusion, governmental agency studies, and trade associations. Sampling methods to be used in researching the two hypotheses will be in simple random sampling and cluster sampling. Samples of customers will be asked to take a survey in different regions and areas of the market. The samples will include an assortment of populations including various age, race, career and education levels. Primary and Secondary DataPrimary resource data includes Starbucks’ mission statement that indicates â€Å"Our Commitment to Being a Deeply Responsible Company Contributing positively to our communities and environment is so important to Starbucks that it’s one of the six guiding principles of our mission statement.† (Starbucks, 2008) The effort that Starbucks exudes is a  positive one and working together with each employee helps them to create the above-average approach that they are known for. Analyzing surveys that were generated at the local Starbucks indicated that even though the price of Starbucks has rose in price, consumers are still willing to buy that product, especially when a competitor like McDonald’s sells it, as long as it bears the name Starbucks. The observations that have been analyzed are that Starbucks is known for providing a relaxing experience which can rival those of fast food restaurants. Starbucks has been known to modify their stores to embrace the coffee experience to entice consumers from every walk of life in local communities and throughout the world. â€Å"One of the benefits of combining primary research with secondary research is in the area of data triangulation. Data triangulation is when a piece of data, a finding, or a generalization is able to be verified with several different research methods.† (Driscoll, 2006) For example, when conducting a study on how many college students drink Starbucks coffee, results indicate that â€Å"Coffee drinking appears to be on the rise, and this might not be a fad. The Dallas Morning News recently wrote an article about a specific new trend in cold coffee. In a Sept. 4 article, staff writer Teresa Gubbins says we have a â€Å"love affair with hot coffee.†(Cooper, 2003)In this experiment, of the students interviewed, 57 percent of them reported to be coffee drinkers. Fifty-five percent had not been regular coffee consumers before college, and admitted they picked up the habit once they arrived at SMU. Because college is such a drastic change in atmosphere, schedules, class loads and stress, many students rely upon coffee as a solution to get them through the day. â€Å"I started drinking coffee because I cannot stay awake in class without it,† sophomore Shunta Richardson said. Fifty-nine percent of students said they prefer Starbucks coffee. â€Å"I drink Starbucks coffee because there are so many stores all around the country. No matter where I go I can trust that my favorite drink will be there,† junior Tyler Torres said. â€Å"(Cooper, 2003)Using secondary data sources, it is necessary to look at what kind of future Starbucks is facing. They also need to ask themselves some questions,  such as should they launch new products considering the trend of the health conscious? How will Starbucks market new products and continue to keep the price down? Starbucks must also look at the demographics of the target market to ensure the validity of concern. Starbucks must also research and use forecasting in an effort to predict future revenue. â€Å"Forecasting long-range predictions are essential to allow sufficient time for the procurement, manufacturing, sales, finance, and other departments of a company to develop plans for possible new plants, financing, development of new products, and new methods of assembling.† (Lind, Marchal & Wathen, 2004)Sample SizeStarbucks has become a well-known company for selling the highest quality coffee beans and best tasting coffee products around the world. Starbucks was one of the first companies to realize that the real money to be made was in beverage retailing, not just coffee beans. What makes Starbucks coffee stands out from the other corporations is the roasters of Starbucks coffees are extensively trained for one year before they start the production of the coffee. Starbucks is the only competitor in the coffee market that has a recognized brand image. Starbucks have introduced gourmet flavored decaffeinated coffees as well as specialty flavors and whole bean coffees for their faithful coffee drinkers. Starbucks stores operated in most metropolitan areas of the United States and have a direct mail business to serve customers in every state. One of Starbucks competitors for the premium roast coffee is McDonalds which they offer a similar product for less than the cost of Starbucks. This has posed a problem for a great deal of Starbucks retailers because customers these days are very conscious of their spending habits and figure why pay the cost of Starbucks when they can get the same product from McDonalds for a lesser cost. The sample sizing consisted of a group of 100 which the first group of 50 is Starbucks customers and the other 50 were McDonald customers. Customer surveys are one of the tools that can quantify the process and use of such tools are important to determine the need for a product and changes. The surveys can measure whether or not the marketing plan is effective, or if it needs to be repackaged and delivered in a different fashion. The initial choice of a quick, yet descriptive questionnaire is paramount to  gather needed information. Starbucks and McDonalds need to identify their customers, what are they willing to pay for this product and how do they rate the premium roast coffee. For each customer at Starbucks and McDonalds every 10th customer can complete the survey and receive 10% off their next purchase. Below would be questions that would be included in the survey for Starbucks and McDonalds customers:†¢How often is premium roast coffee purchased? (daily/weekly/monthly)†¢What is your specific age bracket? (under 18/ 18-24/ 25-44/ over 45)  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Where do you make your purchases? (restaurant/grocery store/mail order)†¢What is the cost that you are willing to pay for premium roast coffee? (less than $2/ $2 – $4/ Over $4)†¢What brand of premium roast coffee do you purchase? (Starbucks/McDonalds/other competitor)As you can see statistics can play an important role when making decisions. A manager at one of these companies can reduce the unexpected, and potentially costly, variances when making business decisions. Starbucks coffee is much expensive than McDonalds but Starbucks puts time and money into their product which ultimately increases the cost. Most consumers are excited about the competition of premium roast coffee such as McDonalds because of the lo w cost yet faithful customers to Starbucks because of the quality. When uncertainty is reduced better conclusions can be drawn that will minimize risk and maximize profit gain. Sample SelectionThe team examined secondary data within this business problem analysis, which can save a firm time and money by using publicly available information as well as information already in the firm’s database. If the company had already conducted research of the best markets within its regions and area of influence, the company would be smart to use this when deciding how to downsize its stores. While using secondary information is cost effective, the use of secondary data must be carefully considered and used only when applicable to the research question. Starbucks will need to gather accurate and reliable secondary information, which can either be sub-contracted out to a firm that specializes in market research or it can form an internal research team to explore opportunities which will start to present themselves as the company begins to downsize. A key concern for the validity of data is the age of the data. All the data is sensitive to the effect of time so any action being taken by the company must account for the  changing nature of the environmental landscape. One questions that Starbucks should ask its internal or external research team is, â€Å"How does the coffee market change once the Starbucks brand is not as strong as it used to be?† Another question would be, â€Å"What types of aftermath will come with coffee saturation in the fast food markets, will customers want quality over quantity?† Starbucks should use accurate, reliable and timely data in its decision-making processes going further. The company would be surprised to see that opportunities will arise even within the decrease of its stores. An example of this type of opportunity occurs when customers get tired of fast food production of coffee, Starbucks can offer extended hours at its current stores to maximize on profits. The team used demographic data within this analysis in which data was collected from Starbucks clientele through various surveys. Although demographic data will change and cultural habits may differ from town to town, the selection of cities with a vibrant coffee drinking base improves the odds of matching consumers that prefer Starbucks premium product line versus that of McDonalds or any other new rival. In an effort to hear from the people who matter the most, Starbucks should look to survey frequent, occasional and without a doubt new customers. When selecting age and gender criteria to survey, the team used careful consideration and attention was paid to all age groups. However, in an effort not to taint the results of this analysis, the team found that typically, pre-teens are neither decision makers, nor do they possess the spending power required for Starbucks products on a continued basis. Therefore, pre-teens were omitted from the sample. Although the teenagers have about the same spending power as pre-teens Starbucks does offer an atmosphere and products in which the company could use in the future as an opportunity. This age group was left in the surveyed population as the team conducted its analysis. Gender was annotated as a means to direct creative marketing and capitalize on the different sexes. Although the research team was efficient in its attempts to give Starbucks the best information available, statistical testing cannot prove the viability of Starbucks’ alternate hypothesis so company executives must weigh the test results using  the wealth of professional experience possessed by the Starbucks’ organization. References Corporate Social Responsibilityhttp://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csr.aspCraving a caffeine high, SMU opens Java City on campus as coffee houses battle to attract students off the Hilltop, by Melissa Cooper, retrieved on the internet at http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2003/01/16/News/Craving.A.Caffeine.High-2273665.shtmlStarbucks Case Study (2007).

The Immensity Of The Collision Between Cultures Essay

The Immensity Of The Collision Between Cultures - Essay Example The sages say that the past is not really real, that it is just all in the mind, thoughts, that have no reality in and of itself. From experience, I can say that I am more a product of my choices and my own personal history rather than my cultural heritage. I have always been my own person, distinct from another, in the same way, that even my closest friends are different from me, and defined by their own choices, even though we grew up together and share many things in common. Growing up, there was no question that I can be my own person and that I can even make decisions on who to befriend and what I did with my free time, within limits. I was even free to choose what I wanted to study and what career I would pursue. My tastes in clothes and in music have always been my own. Even my choice of friends is something that was, is up to me. All of these are encapsulated in my present, and my present circumstances alone shape all of these choices and decisions, unhampered by any past or cultural tradition or heritage. This seems so contrary to what Kingston’s family in China, and the young unmarried people in their community, were used to. Their restriction and bowing to tradition seemed to be the norm, and going against the dictates of the community meant becoming ostracized and forgotten. Yet in another sense, we human beings need some kind of grounding in the past. If there is no past then a man in a way is also a kind of ungrounded animal with no social dimension at all. The past roots us to social history, and cultural history as well. In this social aspect and cultural aspect of our lives, we relate to others, and others relate to us, in the categories that they also define themselves in. In the context of American society, this is clear.

EU Economy Issues and Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Family Business & Entrepreneurship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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John Lockes philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

John Lockes philosophy - Essay Example The migration of the Englishmen into the New World made it possible for them to introduce the philosophies of John Locke into America and the extent at which Locke’s philosophy influenced the ideologies behind the American Revolution shall be examined in this short paper. John Locke’s philosophy was primarily based on the sovereignty of the people and the responsibility of the individual in the society. It was based on this principle, that the Americans deemed it fit to defend their sovereignty as a nation and stage a revolution. Locke’s philosophy was based on upholding the right of the individual as his premise was based on the fact that sovereignty lies in the hands of the individuals rather than the state and it was on this basis that the citizens of America fought for what was rightfully theirs. Locke believed that every individual had the right to start a revolution if they feel they are been oppressed by their leaders. The Americans made use of Lockeâ€⠄¢s principle in the oppression that they faced at the hands of their British colonial masters (Axtell 98). John Locke’s ideas were also the bedrock of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. J

Social Organization of Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Social Organization of Religion - Essay Example What does it mean to be religious nowadays? Why do we need to go to church, or in what other ways is it possible to confirm one’s aspiration to be a religious person? From the perspective of sociologists all answers to these questions can be found in the ordinary behavior of people in their daily lives. For example, it is ordinary for people to follow behaviors of others. Thus, they follow other people’s beliefs and religious is a favorable basis for unification of people. Moreover, it performs a pacifying function in the society; it instills hope in people’s hearts and exerts much more positive influence on individuals. Nevertheless, there are negative outcomes of religion, when people are involved in different sectarian developments or when they are ready to give all their money to churches for charity. Religion has exceeded its limits as of a spiritual basis for people’s development. It turned into a global machine, which requires people’s money for fake hopes and beliefs. A sociological root of religion is presented to people on TV or in the magazines, online or broadcast on radio. Still, no one knows where to find the truth and what is the real essence of the modern religion. Group spirit of religion can be interpreted from the perspective of humanity’s desire to be together with other people and follow a so-called spirit of herd. Sociological aspect of religion can clarify numerous aspects of this global phenomenon. For example, religion is often correlated with supernatural phenomena and people are often afraid of unknown. Thus, their belief in God is often considered to be a strong power, which helps them living their lives. Moreover, there is an evident blending of real phenomena and imaginative divinities. A real life of humans is compared with the lives in the Heaven or Hell. Social events and phenomena are correlated with religious practices and religious followers explicate their

Reducing Video games with Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reducing Video games with Children - Essay Example The repetition and consistency of the violent games, such as Death Race, Mortal Combat and Doom, that include reward system is effective tool of learning how to behave. No wonder, children who enjoy playing violent games are said to be able to commit violent crimes in future, thus, increasing the number of violent people in society. Excessive playing of video games isolates children from normal social life, as well as does not leave any time for doing homework or sporting. Video games are believed to give children wrong values, such as violent behavior, vengeance and unmotivated aggression, since these are rewarded (Gardner, 2012). Video games seem not to entertain good values such as negotiation, nonviolent solutions and portrayal of women as weaker and sexually provocative beings. Children playing video games are not able to differentiate between realism and fantasy. Playing video games may also affect academic performance of a child because most of the time is taken on video games . Students may even skip their homework to play games as well as taking lots of time arguing with their tutors and their friends. Video games played online are said to make children imitate terrible languages and behaviors in real life, which does not make communication any easier. Playing video games further damages long time concentration of children and may have bad effects on kid’s health. ... Counter-argument However, there are some positive effects of video games that should also be addressed. Video games assist in exercising the brain of the kids due to the skills and tactics required to win the games. These skills and tactics require high level thinking which is not taught in schools. The mental skills acquired while playing video games include problem solving skills, eye coordination and fine motor and spatial skills. Other skills acquired are accuracy, quick thinking, and situational awareness, development of reading skills, perseverance, pattern recognition and inductive reasoning. Playing video games may create bonding between the parent and the kid especially games that are attractive to kids and adults. This may make a parent learn new and hidden things about a child. Kids enjoy learning through video games because of the interactivity and animations used, thus, motivating the kid to keep on practicing. Video games aid children in developing creativity skills. Pl aying video games improve the decision making process in children. These games help people in making choices. These games are also believed to enhance self confidence and self esteem since the levels of games are adjustable starting from the easy one to the most challenging ones. Video games played by several players help kids to work cooperatively by listening to other people’s ideas. Moreover, playing video games is much better compared to other immoral behaviors such as doing drugs and drinking alcohol (Nauert, 2013). Response to Counter-arguments: Due to the advantages obtained from playing video games, a kid should be closely monitored on the kind of

Social Issue Essay Example for Free

Social Issue Essay â€Å"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. † As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, the world must go far beyond than our differences and we must love each other for what we are. And Afghanistan religion is not an exception. Amir is the son of Baba, a wealthy businessman and a Pashtun Muslim, he also goes to school, owns books and wears fancy outfits. Hassan, on the other side of the coin, is the son of Ali, a member of the Hazaras and Amir’s personal servant. He does not attend school and is analphabetic and wears pitiable clothes. And despite the fact they live in the same property, Amir’s dwelling is the most beautiful and opulent house in town, meanwhile the servant child lives in a humble cabin down by their garden. The Kite Runner clearly exposes the social inequality of Amir and Hassan upon the different lifestyles of the characters, the education they are given and of course the discrimination upon the ethnic groups they each belong to. The three main points already mentioned, clearly exemplify the immense social gap inside the Afghanistan culture. To begin with, the ethnic conflict and the discrimination issue in Afghanistan have been around from years in such culture. The Hazaras on one side, are the minority group among the society, they belong to the peasant class and throughout centuries, they have been persecuted and exterminated by the members of the nation’s ruling class: The Pashtuns. â€Å"Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans† (Hosseini, K. (The Kite Runner), 2003 p. 22). Nevertheless, Amir and his father Baba are members of this religious sector; in fact, they are one of the wealthiest families in North Kabul. Hassan and Ali, on the other side, were part of the Hazaras and due to their Mongol features and cultural status, they constantly tend to receive social and physical discrimination. And although these two Islamic branches tend to live together assorted inside the same land, their social disparities are enormous. And which better example to portrayed this idea, than Hassan and Amir themselves. They both live in the same location and nearly eat the same food, but the society’s views about them are completely dissimilar. The Pashtun boy is seen as a fruitful and pure soul; however, Hassan is perceived as a filthy and foolish fellow with no certain future. Second of all, the education received by Amir is completely unlike the one given to Hassan. This Pashtun lad attends an upright school in Kabul, where he is taught how to write and read. At home, he frequently enjoys reading several sorts of tales and even writes his own short stories. Hassan’s education, however, was exactly the opposite: he doesnt know how to write or to read. He works most part of the day and attends no school at all. The only kind of â€Å"education† this poor Hazara child will ever obtain, is the one given by Amir from time to time, when he teaches him the definition of a few words from the books he reads to him. Just for the fact he belongs to a social minority, Hassan will never in his life do anything but to cook or clean before others. And no matter how hard he struggles, he will never be given the chance to attend any school, will never be given the chance to read and will never be given the chance to write. â€Å"After all, what use did a servant have for the written words? † (Hosseini, K. (The Kite Runner), 2003 p. 37). Pursuing this further, the Afghans kids’ lifestyles are completely unlike. When both lads get up in the morning they follow a very similar routine, however lived from utterly different perspectives. When Amir wakes up in the morning, he comfortably eats his breakfast. When Hassan wakes up, he prepares Amir’s breakfast. While Hassan makes his bed, polish his school shoes and ironed his uniform, Amir complains about homework and how tough is school. â€Å"When the sun dropped low behind the hills and we were done playing for the day, Hassan and I parted ways. I went past the rosebushes to Baba’s mansion and Hassan to the mud shack where he had been born, where he’d lived his entire life. † (Hosseini, K. (The Kite Runner), 2003 p. 24). This is one of the greatest example of the social disparity in Afghanistan, where the younger generation’s future is strictly related to the their religious group. Amir, for instance will have a successful life, crowded of opportunities and joyful moments, meanwhile Hassan will grow old enough to become dust in the wind. However, Amir and Hassan both grew under the same roof and spent the first twelve years of their lives playing together. They learned how to crawl together, they even taught each other how to ride a bicycle with no hands. They spent entire winters flying kites, running kites, watching westerns at the cinema and chasing each other between tangles of trees in Baba’s house. Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, Amir was a Pashtun and Hassan was a Hazara, he was rich and he was poor, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. Given these points, we can conclude the differences upon Amir’s and Hassan’s education, their unlike lifestyle and the discrimination throughout The Kite Runner’s main characters are undoubtedly originated upon their ethnical position. Just for the fact Hassan is not a Pashtun Muslim, just for the fact he belongs to social minority, just for the fact he is different, he is destined to live this rotten life eternally. However, Amir will be given the chance to live his own life. He will study hard and become one of the many wealthy men in Kabul. He will drive his opulent family in an opulent car to his opulent house, where Hassan and his child will be waiting for them inside their mud shack. The same mud shack where they have live their entire miserable life. It is incredible how the religious distinctions between them, greatly affect their existence. But it is a fact. The Pashtuns and the Hazaras discrimination in Afghanistan is happening. And no matter how hard they struggle, Amir and Hassan can not escape from this reality where each of these two innocent boys stands as an example of the social inequality in Afghanistan. Reference List: -Hosseini, K. (2003). The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead.

Hiring Gets Off on the Right Foot Essay Example for Free

Hiring Gets Off on the Right Foot Essay Nike has adapted their employee selection techniques by using a computer-based interviewing system that aims to select suitable applicants for a specific job (Bohlander, 2007, p. 284). The said system can be very useful to the company’s human resources department since it makes their job a lot easier. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of the said process should still be proven. Generally, the said computer-generated interview can be very beneficial both to the applicant and human resource department. Nevertheless, it also has some setbacks although these setbacks are negligible and can be ironed out. The computer-based interviewing system is applicable especially to large companies like Nike; on the other hand, a company should not solely rely on this type of employee selection process. Other ways of employee selection should still be utilized such as accepting walk-ins in a personal interview rather than a computerized one. Analysis The computer-assisted interviewing system tries to narrow down the selection of qualified applicants to a minimum so that the human resource department need not spend time on all applicants (Bohlander, 2007, p. 285). This is successfully met by the said system since modern high technology usually reduces the clutter of office work. As in the case of Nike, computer-based interviews can be of great help if the number of applicants is really large. By doing so, few people are needed in the human resources department. Also, by subjecting the applicant’s to this computer interview, human resource managers will have the idea how the applicants cope or adapt with technology. Are they computer literate and able to keep up with the idea of a computer interviewing them? Do they easily understand instruction by merely looking and reading at a computer monitor? These are some of the questions that can be answered by employing such a process. In addition, the three customer-related scenarios in the computer-generated interview are very practical and realistic scenarios to test the applicant’s approach to the real job at hand. The system has many advantages as has been pointed out in the previous discussion, yet, it also has some weaknesses. One very important factor in choosing the right person for the job is his emotional health. Using the computer-generated interview, Nike cannot account the applicant’s emotions and feelings while the interview is going on. Thus, the computer cannot tell the company of the level of confidence an applicant has when the interview is done. Furthermore, there will always be Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) concerns when it comes to employment selection processes. In this case at hand, the company surely provides EEO since the computer is not programmed to unjustly cater to a selected group of applicants. Thus, discrimination that a human resource officer may unconsciously bring when interviewing an applicant may be eliminated. Recommendations On the whole, the computer-based interviewing system is beneficial if it is used hand in hand with other types or ways of employee selection. However, on its own, it is very inefficient. It can be suggested that personal interviews should still be employed by the company since this kind of interview are the most spontaneous and revealing. Also, to further develop the computer-based interviewing system, besides the printout, it will be better if the company will include a video camera that could record the features, facial expressions and gestures that an applicant may have while answering questions. By doing so, the applicants emotional aspect can also be observed. A psychology test can also be included in the computer-based interview to evaluate the person’s emotional health. Summary and Conclusion Positively, the computer-based interviewing system is a great innovative for the human resource department of the company. As the number of applicants for a particular job increases, the feasibility of this method also increases. However, it is still insisted that the computer-generated interview should not be the sole factor in selecting the right person for the job. Personal interviews will always be more helpful. Surely, Nike should be concerned that the interview they are doing is far from public relations. Public relations require people in the process, also, an interview is a conversation between two people, however, the computer is not a human being, and it is only a machine. Therefore, the computer-based interview is one of the means of employee selection but it is not the end. It is only one way of the many methods an effective complex employment selection may have. References Bohlander, G. , Snell, S. (2007). Managing Human Resources, 14th Ed. Mason, USA: Thomson South-Western.

Ethical Implications Of Image Manipulation

Ethical Implications Of Image Manipulation There are many arguments both for and against image manipulation in the media by the public. Groups argue that image manipulation contributes to eating disorders in both women and men and a general decline in self-worth. But opposing views suggest that image manipulation is a necessity for the upkeep of our idyllic view of celebrity culture, or is a form of art. Through my research, I will look at literature that may suggest that the use of image manipulation is negatively affecting our views of society and, in turn, what positive effects it is having too. When speaking about image manipulation, we need to think of the ethics involved. In a post about the ethics of image manipulation, Lodriguss says; When we correct, manipulate and enhance images in Photoshop, we must deal with questions of both ethics and aesthetics. (Lodriguss, 2006) What is ethical and what is not in terms of image manipulation? In what way are we manipulating the images, and is this for good or bad? There are a whole host of questions that can be asked, but we must focus our attention on whom the editing is affecting. When an image is edited, we are looking at two possible audiences who could be affected by the image; the subject and the people viewing the image. These two parties will each have different views about the editing that means the moral implications become entwined. When a reader picks up a magazine, looks at a billboard advertisement of a celebritys latest perfume release, or a fashion shoot, their view of the subject is most likely skewed. The editors of these publications often embrace imaging software and its editing features to better engage their target audience, and also to assist celebrities in keeping up their perfect image. Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, has been quoted saying Yes, of course we do post-production corrections on our images. Photoshopping is an industry standard. (The Daily Mail, 2012) This was said about an image of Kelly Clarkson that was heavily altered. It may be seen by some that the editing of the image is ethically correct as it is maintaining a positive image of the artist. We have to remember that looks sell and in the dog eat dog world that is celebrity culture, does the digital world offer a safe haven for those who may need those few extra pounds shaved off? We have seen a strong example of how digital manipulation can help those that are being edited, but what about the audience that view and interpret the images? It is quite apparent that the editors of the media publications have an agenda when it comes to image manipulation. Maximising profit. A general understanding is that the public want to see the glam and glitz that comes with the size zero celeb. Its a form of escapism in the sense that the decoders may look at a magazine front cover and get lost in its world of designer gear and pocket sized pooches. But that escape from reality is short-lived, and the effects of over exposure from these edited images can be devastating. Young girls are exposed to between 400 and 600 media images per day. (Hawkins, 2012) With such a high figure, is it any wonder that there has been an outcry from charities, that support those affected by eating disorders, to ban excessive photo manipulation? The BBC say that the media is a powerful influence and we know how vulnerable some people at risk of eating disorders can be to its visual images in particular in a quote from Susan Ringwood of B-Eat. (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2010) Charities are getting angry that the media is allowed to digitally diet celebrities with no form of ethical guidelines that they must adhere to. However change may be on the horizon. The government are currently looking at reducing the amount of editing that institutions are allowed to put out into the mainstream public. They [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] want to keep computer enhancement and digital manipulation to an absolute minimum (eg red eye reduction, background lightening). (Herrin, 2011) The gov ernment have seen that the stream of unrealistic photos that plague the media is affecting the way some people view themselves, which is therefore having an effect on their own wellbeing. By creating an ethical code that institutions have to follow, they will be taking one step to safeguarding those at risk of influence. Early this year, a young 14-year-old girl named Julia Bluhm from Maine, USA, started a petition on the Internet to try and get teenage magazine Seventeen to print unedited photos of women once a month. Julia didnt think that she would get nearly the amount of signatures that she did, totalling up a staggering 84,000. This figure effectively illustrates how many young females believe that image manipulation has a negative influence on the youth of today. The magazine promises not to doctor girls body shapes or face shapes (Dieken, 2012) which means that it wont be reducing the waist size or the complexion of the young girls. Girls will now be able to read a magazine with accurate representations of their peers, even if it is only once a month. This was seen as a massive breakthrough in the media industry, with her crusade [leading] to a magazines commitment to change. (The Daily Mail, 2012) I believe that both the encoder and the decoder of media texts have valid arguments when it comes to the ethics of image manipulation. I think that the celebrity culture demands that those in the spotlight look their very best at all possible times, and the media make a positive contribution to that image remaining so. I do however believe that the repercussions of this editing take an over arching negative effect on those who view them. Young women should not have to be subjected to a bombardment of ultra skinny, perfect representations of women. If those images were mediated by the institutions to a set code of ethics, I believe that the representations of women and the ramifications would be much less negative and tarnished.

Hip-hop, Reggae, and Politics Essay -- Essays on Politics

Hip-hop, Reggae, and Politics Introduction Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New York City has now taken over the mainstream, but originated as an empowering art form for urban youth and emerging working class. Musically hip-hop spawned the age of DJ’s. With strong influences from Reggae, hip-hop has developed into an empowering form for the expression of ideas, power, revolution and change. Power and empowerment have emerged from these musical styles that now have many commonalities. Hip-hop and Reggae are both forms of protest music. â€Å"Protest music is characterized by objections to injustices and oppressions inflicted on certain individual groups†¦. typically, the intent of protest musicians is to oppose the exploitation and oppression exercised by dominant elites and member of dominant groups†(Stapleton, 221). Hip-hop has developed as a new form of protest music void of the common acoustic guitar. The goal of protest music is to promote freedom through music. Bob Marley expresses his belief that music is a message and route to freedom in the song â€Å"Trench town.† ... ...ap† Miami New Times, February 10, 2000, Thursday. Salmon, Barrington â€Å" Bob Marley’s legacy lives forever† Miami Times, V. 73; N. 22 p. 5A, 2/18/1996 Shivers, Kaia â€Å"This is Reggae Music† Los Angeles Sentinel† V. 66; N. 32 p. B5 11/8/2000 Wilson, Basil â€Å"The politics & culture of Reggae music† The Caribbean-American Magazine v. 24 N. 1 p. 25, 2/28/2000 Discography: Honorary Citizen: Peter Tosh, Sony Music Entertainment:1997 Steffens, Roger. â€Å"In the Tracks of the Stepping Razor: The Peter Tosh Biography† pgs. 42-51 Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli, Rawkus Records 2000 â€Å"This means you† Run DMC: Run DMC, Arista Records 1983 â€Å"Its Like That† Bob Marley: Confrontation, Polygram Records 1983 â€Å"Chant down Babylon,† and â€Å"Trenchtown† Bob Marley: Suvival, Ploygram Records 1979 â€Å"Babylon System†

Making New Writing :: Personal Narrative

Making New Writing This assignment is for my ‘Writing, Style, and Technology’ class at University. The focus of the class is supposed to be on computers, Internet, etc. But for our first major project, the goal was to create a new type of writing technology. The catch was that we couldn't use common writing tools like paper or pencils. We had to use ‘natural’ items and things we could find around the house like food, paper clips, dirt, etc. And the finished work was to be a word or brief sentence using that new technology. The idea was to act as an ‘writing inventor’ and get an understanding of the thoughts and processes that went into making some of the common writing technologies used today. Many of those evolved from using items in ways that weren't originally intended. For example, the first computers were originally used for complex math calculations and not for word processing, until later adaptations against the desires of many early computer operators who thought making letters as too simple (Baron 46). That was the idea for this assignment: making words with tools not normally used to write with and to temporarily get beyond the normal practices we grew up with to understand how people in the past felt with the introduction of new writing practices. The first instruction that got stuck in my head when the assignment was first presented was the one about not using any ‘man-made’ things. Going outside in the cold/snow and digging up ‘natural’ tools wasn't a pleasant idea. But history has shown that making new writing technologies often turns into a ‘dirty’ process. In 18th century French, pencil-maker Nicholas-Jacques Conte had to deal with pencil graphite shortages by creating his own mixture of graphite and other material like clay and water (Baron 44). Replaying a task like that didn't sound very fun. But I probably wasn't paying enough attention in class when the assignment was first talked about to realize that it wasn't that limiting. After carefully reading the instructions, it appeared that man made items *could* be used, but not ones that are extensions of common writing tools (paint, nail polish). That was a relieving realization. Going in nature was then ruled out for weather reasons, and the search for a new writing technology began at home. My room was filled with papers, pens, and other school stuff, so searching there wouldn't have done any good.

YbAl3 Compound

Title: Electrical Resistivity and Seebeck Coefficient of YbAl3 CompoundI prepared YbAl3 specimens utilizing a hot-pressing technique and so I measured the Seebeck coefficient and electrical electric resistance over the temperature scope 150-700K in an effort to measure their possible as thermoelectric stuffs. My consequences show that YbAl3 possesses an electrical power factor dual those of the state-of-the-art Bi2Te3 thermoelectric stuffs. So I can reason that YbAl3 is a promising campaigner stuff for thermoelectric coevals utilizing â€Å" low temperature † waste heat. A thermoelectric energy convertor is really alone and dependable heat engine in which the negatron gas serves as the working fluid, BUT, its more wide-scale application has been limited by its comparatively low energy transition efficiency, so that research attempt has concentrated on bettering its public presentation by increasing the thermoelectric -of-merit, Z=a2/rl, of thermocouple stuffs, where a is the Seebeck coefficient, r the electrical electric resistance, l the thermic conduction ; a2/r is referred to as the electrical power factor. To day of the month, all the established thermoelectric stuffs are semiconducting materials in which the thermal conduction consists chiefly of two parts, a lattice and an electronic constituent with the former being significantly the larger of the two. Solid province theory has provided theoretical theoretical accounts of the lattice thermic conduction and over the past four decennaries research attempts have focused on its decrease. Unfortunately, these attempts have met with limited success due to an attach toing debasement in electrical belongingss ( Rowe and Bhandari 1983 ) . Recently, attending has focused on increasing the electrical power factor and new stuffs, some with fresh constructions such as quantum Wellss ( Mensah and Kanyah 1992, Hicks and Dresselhaus 1993 ) and multiple possible barriers ( Moyzhes and Nemchinsky 1992, Rowe and Min 1994 ) are being proposed in an effort to accomplish this aim. Traditionally, intermetallic compounds are considered inferior thermoelectric stuffs to semiconducting materials because they possess low s-of-merit. However, a member of this household of stuffs is the rare-earth intermetallic compound YbAl3, which exhibits unusual conveyance belongingss and may offer possible for development as a high public presentation thermoelectric stuff ( Van Deel et Al. 1974, Mahan and Sofo 1996 ) . The aim of this work is to look into the thermoelectric belongingss of this promising compound. Specific geometries are normally necessary in the appraisal of thermoelectric belongingss and stuffs with a comparatively big dimension ( over 1 ten 1 ten 1 mm3 ) are normally required in the building of thermoelectric elements. Preparation of such â€Å"large† specimens of pure YbAl3 proved hard due to the peritectic nature of its stage diagram. Although big dimension specimens can be prepared utilizing arc-melting technique, stuffs prepared by this method are constantly a mixture of YbAl2 and YbAl3 with different proportion depending on the get downing composing and readying conditions. However, pure YbAl3 pulverization can be obtained by crystal growing or solid diffusion ( Rowe et al.1997 ) in an aluminum oxide crucible with extra aluminum utilizing a alleged â€Å"flux technique† ( Canfield and Fisk 1992 ) . A hot-pressing technique was employed to fix the compact specimens about 6 millimeters in diameter and 1.5 millimeter midst. Hot-pressing at 200 MPa was carrie d out in vacuity ( about 10-2 millimeter of mercury ) and at a temperature of 700 K for approximately 4 hours, followed by a heat intervention at about 900 K in an aluminum surplus environment for 15 hours. The denseness of the specimen is estimated to be approximately 88 % of its theoretical value. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical electric resistance as a map of temperature over the scope 150-700 K were measured â€Å"simultaneously† utilizing an setup described in ref. ( Rowe et al. 1997 ) . The consequences of the measured Seebeck coefficient and electrical electric resistance are shown in 1 and 2, severally. The corresponding values for the established thermoelectric stuffs Bi2Te3 based metals ( Yim and Rosi 1972 ) are besides shown in the s for comparing ( broken lines ) . As expected, the electrical electric resistance is much lower than that of Bi2Te3 metal. However, although the Seebeck coefficient of YbAl3 is lower than that of Bi2Te3 based alloys, it is well larger than that of the other intermetallic compounds or metal metals. Consequently, a big electrical power factor is obtained over the whole temperature scope investigated as shown in 3. A maximal a2/r value of about 90 ten 10-4 W/mK2 is obtained at a temperature of around 250 K, which is about twice every bit big as that of the best thermoelectric stuffs antecedently reported, and over the temperature scope 300-700 K, it exceeds that of Bi2Te3 based metals by at least 50 % . The temperature dependance of the Seebeck coefficient for both YbAl3 and Bi2Te3 based alloys appears similar: the Seebeck coefficient ab initio increases with an addition in temperature until it reaches a maximal around room temperature and so decreases with a farther addition in temperature. However, the electrical electric resistance of YbAl3 additions with an addition in temperature over the whole temperature scope, while that of Bi2Te3 exhibits a similar tendency as that of the Seebeck coefficient. Bi2Te3 based metals are narrow band-gap semiconducting materials and the temperature dependance of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical electric resistance can be explained within the model of semiconducting material conveyance theory. YbAl3 is a rare-earth intermetallic compound which exhibits unusual electrical belongingss due to the â€Å"Kondo effect† : a lower limit is observed in the temperature dependance of the electrical electric resistance accompanied by a significan t value of the Seebeck coefficient. As a consequence, stuffs which exhibit the â€Å"Kondo effect† may possess a significantly big power factor. Furthermore, divergences from the Weidemann-Franz-Lorenz jurisprudence have besides been observed in â€Å"Kondo materials† ( Bauer 1991 ) , which may ease use of the thermic conduction in a similar manner to that in semiconducting materials ( White and Klemens 1992 ) . In drumhead, YbAl3 exhibits a well larger electrical power factor than any other presently available thermoelectric stuffs over the temperature scope 300-500 K. It offers a typical advantage for electrical power coevals utilizing waste hot H2O ( & lt ; 425 K ) , where the electrical power denseness instead than the transition efficiency is a major consideration ( Rowe and Min, 1996 ) . Furthermore, an improved apprehension of its well big electrical power factor and possible divergence from the Weidemann-Franz-Lorenz jurisprudence may supply an penetration into increasing the thermoelectric -of-merit in other stuffs. This work is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation ( NEDO ) , the Energy Conversion Centre, Japan. Prof. R.J.D.Tilley, Mr. R. Jones and Dr. D. Pasero are acknowledged for X-ray analysis of specimens. Bauer, E. , Adv. Phys. , 40, ( 1991 ) , p417 Canfield, P.C. and Fisk, Z. , Philosophical Magazine, 65, 6, ( 1992 ) , p1117 Yokels, L.D. and Dresselhaus, M.O. , Phys. Rev. B47, ( 1993 ) , 12 p727 Mensah, S.Y. and Kanyah, G.K. , J. Phys: Condens. Mater. 4, ( 1992 ) , p919 Mahan, G.C. and Sofo, J. O. , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol 93, July, ( 1996 ) , p7436 Moyzhes, B.Y. and Nemchinsky, V. , Proceedings of 11th International Conference on Thermoelectrics, ( 1992 ) , Arlington, Tx. , USA, p232 Rowe, D.M. and Bhardari, C.M. , Modern Thermoelectrics ( Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983 ) Rowe, D.M. and Min, G. , Proceedings of 13th International Conference on Thermoelectric, ( 1994 ) , Kansas City, USA, p339 Rowe, D.M. and Min, G. , IEE Pro.-Sci. Meas. Technol. Vol. 143. No. 6. , ( 1996 ) , 351 Rowe, D.M. , Min, G. , Williams, S.G.K. , Kuznestsov, V. and Aourn, A. , NEDO Technical Results Report: TR3 ( 1996-1997 ) , University of Wales, Cardiff, ( 1997 ) Van Daal, H.J. , Van Aken, P.B. and Buschow, K.H.J. , Phys. Lett. , 49A, 3, ( 1974 ) , p246 White, D.P. and Klemens, P.G. , J. Appl. Phys. , 71 ( 9 ) , ( 1992 ) , p4258 Yim, W.M. and Rosi, F.D. , Solid-State Electronics, 15, ( 1972 ) , p1121

Let’s Be Lefties for a Day

â€Å"The perception of normality is based on how closely you resemble the majority of people† (Devry College, 2013, Week One Assignment, Para. 1). I have been right handed since 2nd grade. This was not always the case though. When I began Kindergarten in 1985, I was predominantly left handed. I was persistently discouraged from writing with my left hand and eventually I became fluent in penmanship with my right hand. At the time, I recall being told that â€Å"Everyone should write with their right hand!† I was taught early on, that to be normal is to be like everyone else. To this day I am still right handed as far as for writing, however, I have always favored my left hand for activities such as gymnastics and driving. I remember feeling weird and looked down upon for being different and for taking longer than my classmates to learn how to write with a hand that felt foreign to me. Did it pay off? Was there an advantage to being right handed versus left? These are qu estions that are not as black and white as they may seem.This paper examines normalcy and what it means to be a part of the majority versus being a minority. In our society, right-handed people reflect the majority or dominant group and left-handed individuals would be considered the minority based on the percentage of right versus left-handed people. In order to understand the affects of being in a minority group, we were challenged to â€Å"Let’s be lefties for a day. † It was quickly apparent that our society and environment is catered toward right-handed people.This reflects a principle known as institutionalized discrimination where minority groups are at a disadvantage because of the normal way society operates (Devry College, 2012, Week One Lecture, para. 2). Take buttons for instance. It is much easier to button jackets, or pants, etc†¦ with one’s right hand as opposed to one’s left. The reason for this is simply that the vast majority of mec hanisms for buttoning, or zippering, are adapted for ease of right-handed individuals. Another example is door knobs. Most door knobs are manufactured with right-handed ergonomics in mind.Opening doors with my left hand involved twisting my wrist in a manner that is both awkward and uncomfortable. Further exploration found that items such as golf clubs, scissors, kitchen utensils, and keyboards, are available for left-handed individuals; however, they come at a price. Not only were they more expensive per unit than â€Å"standard† items that are readily available; but they also required internet access as they are primarily found online, and included shipping fees in addition to the already hefty price tag.It was evident that in this instance, being in the minority or less dominant group incurs inconvenience and monetary penalty. â€Å"Through these major institutions, the dominant group will shape the society in ways that reflect its interests, values, and beliefs and minim ize those of less dominant groups. The result is discrimination† (Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture, Para. 2). Having spent the majority of my life right-handed, I hadn’t given much thought to what it means to be left-handed.It is easy to not have to consider what life is like for those in the less dominant groups when things as simple as the ease of opening a door, or a can, or sharpening a pencil, and/or buttoning ones pants do not require a second thought. Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture states that â€Å"[u]nlike the dominant group, most minority groups recognize and understand cultural differences. Unfortunately, they also feel the need to be wary and defensive at all times† (Para. 8). This is very similar to how I felt almost 30 years ago when I took my first penmanship class in Kindergarten and was instructed to become a rightie versus a leftie.The Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture continues â€Å"[t]he end result is that subordinate groups always know and understand more about the dominant group than the dominant group does about the subordinate group† (Para. 8). It is important to recognize that we all have differences, be it cultural, ethnic, gender, or something as seemingly simple as being right or left-handed. These differences are what creates diversity and adds richness and color to our world and â€Å"†¦is a major component in the social glue holding a culture together.What we want to do is simply recognize that we do have prejudices arising from our ethnocentric view of the world† (Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture, Para. 10). There is an old familiar saying that you never know a man till you have walked a mile in his shoes. This is so true and it can be easy to forget that beyond our obvious differences, we are all human. How does all of this relate to the business setting? M. Bell, 2012 states that â€Å"[i]n inclusive organizational cultures, employees feel as though they are accepte d, belong, and are able to contribute to decision-making processes† (M.  Bell, 2012, p. 5).Imagine all of the important discoveries, policies, and practices that would not exist if we had not recognized the contributions of minority members of our society! That said, there is still a long way to go. Individuals need to be recognized and considered for their qualifications when seeking employment or promotion, not discriminated due to their gender, ethnicity, or cultural differences. In conclusion, the leftie experiment was a real eye-opener! I never realized how difficult seemingly simple things can be for some, and how much I take for grantedThe world is a different place for minorities and we need to level the playing field through acceptance and understanding. Ethnocentricity is not always a bad thing. It is the tie that binds us; but when used to discriminate, it serves only to tear us apart. How do we move forward? Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture declares that hon esty and â€Å"explaining all options and services available† are key to braking down the barriers between majority and minority groups created by distrust (para. 11).

E-Marketing study notes

Owned Media: carry communication megs from the org to net users on owned channels(our site) Paid media: properties owned by others who are paid to carry promotional megs (advertising) Earned media: when Individual's conversations become the channel (WHOM) Media type Definition: Examples: The role Benefits Challenges OwnedChannel a brand controls Web site, mobile site, blob twitter account Build for LET RSI with existing potential customers and earn media Control, cost efficiency, longevity, versatility, niche audiences, build B image No guarantees, company communication not trusted, takes time to scale Paid Brand pays to leverage channel Display ads, paid search, sponsorship Shift from foundation to a catalyst that feeds owned and creates earned media In demand, immediacy, scale, controlClutter, declining response rates, poor credibility limited control Earned When customers become the channel WHOM, Buzz, viral Listen & respond – earned M Is result of well executed & coordinat ed owned/pall media Most credible, key role in most sales, transparent and lives on No control, can be negative, scale, hard to measure Owned media: Content marketing: strategy involving creating & publishing content on sites and in social media.Having content available to inform ,entertain and engage users when eek the company Companies organizing themselves as media publishers online All owned media is content Sell digital content on media (music software), accept Google Ad Sense and recover payments when click on ads. Websites: Marketing public relations (MR.) brand related actively & non paid, 3rd party media coverage to positively Influence market. DVD for using W to publish plus Info: low cost alternative, Info updated, can reach new prospects. Entertain, build communities, communication channel, provide info and

My Tuesday with Morrie Essay

Life is a class, from the day we came to the day we leave. In this class, we learn to learn, learn to live, learn to accept relationships, learn to face death, and learn to adapt to this long and fancy journey of life. Since our childhood, we constantly wonder what our futures will be. Our future life style, future career, the coming deterioration of our body functions and even death, are all in blur that whenever we think of them, we will be occupied by fear. Sometimes, we cannot help but ask: what is the feeling of death? Where will we go after we die? It is always hard for us to be easy with death because we fear it. Therefore, we rush to work hard to get what we desire within the short span of life. However, it is a pathetic fact that we are sometimes blinded and lose what we really need when pursuing what we â€Å"desire†. Even worse, we will not realize it until we are about to die. Tuesday with Morrie can help us realize it before hand. My Encounter with Tuesday with Morrie I am really grateful for this course and Miss Yang. Thank you for giving me a chance to read Tuesday with Morrie, a book that enlightened me in understanding the meaning of life. I am the same kind of people as Mitch Albom, who is always occupied by work and spare no time in other parts of life. When I was reading this book on every Thursday, I put myself in Mitch’s position. The Abstract of the Story Tuesday with Morrie tells a real story about an old professor, Morrie  Schwartz, who had been gradually paralyzed by ALS and was about to die. His student, Mitch Albom, accidently saw his professor being interviewed in the television. Shocked by the upcoming death of his dear professor, Mitch went to meet Morrie in order to grasp some time to say goodbye to the professor who inspired him during college. During the last three months, no matter how busy Mitch was, he would went to see Morrie on Tuesdays to attend Morrie’s lessons about the meanings of life. They talked a lot ranging from death, love, marriage to culture etc. Inspired by the lesson, Mitch realized that love dwarfs all the fame and fortune. Luckily, he successfully saved a precious relationship. Three Kinds of Attitudes towards Life Life is the same process for everyone which stars from birth, living to death. However, everyone has his own particular understanding of life. In my opinion, most of the attitudes towards life can be divided into three main categories. Those who have monotonous and dull lives conceive life as a process of birth, eating, drinking, sleeping, getting married, growing old and finally going to the heaven, which is apparently meaningless. The second type views life as a trade. Their theme of life is what they can obtain from life. Their spontaneous reaction to any new experience is bound to be: what it worth to me? In the world built on this kind of attitude, happiness turns out to be a competition. Most people in the modern world are living with this life style where competition and efficiency dwarf everything. The third kind of attitude expresses a theme: what I can bring into life. Their objective is to bring others happiness, which eventually will bring happiness to themselves. I admit that I am in the second category. Tuesday with Morrie taught me how to move into the third. Cherish What You Own at the Present. In Tuesday with Morrie, Professor urged us to remember a philosophy: â€Å"If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.† Since we cannot reject it, why don’t we just ignore it and cherish what we have right now? We should enjoy every stage of our lives. When we are kids, we should enjoy playing and being an innocent kid. When we are adults, we should enjoy working hard,  giving out, embracing love and being an enthusiastic adult. When we are old, we should enjoy the peace of life and being an experienced yet calm old man or woman. As long as we accept who we are right now and learn to enjoy it, every stage is meaningful and wonderful for us. Many of us skip other processes lying in the middle but only see the very end of life and therefore rush every day to try to obtain more, more and more. This is not living. Realize What We Need In the modern world, there are innumerable people like Mitch, who was always occupied by his work, by his pursuing of fame and fortune. Though I am still a student, I have already been trapped in this kind of life style, too. Due to the countless homework and researches, I barely have time to have fun with friends or care for my families. I can obtain all I desire but I seldom feel quite happy. I was confused and could not find a way out. Morrie helped me. He said that when you learn how to die, you learn how to live. Death is a wake-up call for all of us. When faced with death, all the fortune and fame, those we desire and fight for in our whole life, become useless. There was an experiment carried out among students. They were given five stuffs, including a box of matches, a Channel perfume, an LV bag, a Benz car and a big house. Everyone was given a few million dollars and they could buy whatever they want. The result shows no one ever chose to buy the matches. However, when the professor assumed that the students were in a deserted island, all the students bought the matches. It is obviously that, compared with a box of matches, those luxuries are of no use in the deserted island. Matches can start fire to warm, to cook and to make signals. That was what they need. Nowadays, people are hard to be satisfied because they are always pursuing things much more than they actually need. If we can learn lessons from Morrie’s death or the students’ realization in the experiment, we can figure out how much we have already owned and suddenly we can get away from the depression of the constant struggle for more and start to enjoy living itself. It is a pity that the modern world encourages the second type of life style I mentioned above. A set pattern designed by the society forces us to struggle  for colleges, exams, promotions, money, marriages, houses and cars etc. It seems every one takes it for granted and has been accustomed to it. We lost our judgment. Morrie, as a man dying soon, told us that wealth could not buy happiness and contentment. Life should not have been that hard. My Changes after Reading the Book When Morrie asked Mitch to drop by every Tuesday, Mitch hesitated and said he might not be able to because he was so busy. However, he made it. After reading Morrie’s fourteen lessons on the meaning of life, I decided to learn from both Morrie and Mitch. I have to abandon my forever excuse: I am so occupied and I have no time. I started calling my parents and my sister regularly and occasionally went out with friends, as well as doing some charity works. Amazingly, it suddenly occurred to me that I am a human, a living human. Though it is hard to suddenly change from type two person to type three, who can live as wisely as Morrie, I am working on it and I am making progress.

Autobiography of a Face Essays

and now he’ll shrivel up like a prune if you let him. With any luck, I’ll have him holding his own fishing pole by this spring, and I’ve already got my eyes on a little pair of water skis. Who knows, maybe 20 years from now, he’ll be writing an autobiography about how growing up on the water help shape his life too.†¦ Irish Autobiographies Adapted for Film This image of mid-twentieth century Ireland embodied in the themes of emigration, cultural isolation, economic depression, literary censorship and religious conservatism have become a fixed concept in the collective imaginative and cultural production. At the start of the twenty-first century, far from seeking to exorcise such associations, Joe Cleary has noted that "the period is repeatedly evoked because it serves as the definitive image of the anti-modern†¦ Online classes or Face-to-face? Students learn at different paces and different ways. Online classes is one of the ways for students to learn different subjects, and it proves to be a good for some students. Online classes allow you work at your own pace which most students enjoy. The other way is the traditional sitting in a desk, listening to a teacher/professor teach on and on, and trying to stay awake until its over. Classroom makes you have a good sense of time management. Students need to†¦ Multicultural Education Autobiography and Reflection Throughout the entire course, as a class we have covered a variety of different topics ranging from ethnicity to gender and sexual orientation. Some of the topics covered in our class were easier to discuss while being able to express our own thoughts. Other topics were topics that we had been aware of, yet we did not feel so comfortable discussing because as humans we tend to care what others might think of us when we speak up. For example, sexual†¦ race, gender or beliefs. Gandhi: An Autobiography and The Help portray multiple insights of the world in the 1900’s compared to modern day society. Social justice is a major theme in The Help and Gandhi: An Autobiography. In these two books we see how society can be a cruel mistress. How people of different races are treated throughout time and how the main characters never give up on hope for a better future in our community. In Gandhi: An Autobiography and The Help, the social aspect of†¦ Introduction In 1946, the book simply titled Autobiography of a Yogi was published. It was written by a hitherto unknown saint from India named Paramahansa Yogananda. Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian Yogi who left the shores of India in 1920 to teach God realization to people of the West. In this inspiring book, he describes his meetings with miracle performing yogis in India such as the levitating saint, a tiger fighting swami, a yogi who bilocates and other great saints search for a guru, and†¦ Sexual Autobiography Shaping my sexual behavior was generally influenced by my mom. I learned to be dependent on men and use safe sex through media. Gender sex roles also placed me to be secretive with my sex life and nurturing. My body image makes me insecure when it comes to intimacy. There were no specific sexual guidelines that my family made me follow. I was raised in a family where I was able to explore and have my own opinions about sexual situations. Not having guidelines or a path made†¦ Lucy Grealy's Autobiography of a Face "Language supplies us with ways to express ever subtle levels of meaning, but does that imply language gives meaning, or robs us of it when we are at a loss to name things?"(Grealy 44). Throughout her childhood and young adulthood, Lucy Grealy attempts to create a self-image based on her looks, through the reactions of others, and her own hopefulness, but these fail and she learns to forget her image completely. It is at this time of forgetting her image that†¦ need to take big steps and make sacrifices. After reading the autobiography of Malcolm X its admirable that he became such an intellectual man even thought he didn 't finish school and had a difficult time pronouncing words. He was someone that went through many changes in his life to fight for equality and never give up on his dreams. His passion and his aspirations in life to fight against racial discrimination in America help him face all his academic struggles and to become a intellectual and knowledgeable†¦ From an Electrician to a Teacher: An Autobiography â€Å"The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, and gives you a sense of joy, meaning and passion.† – Angel Chernoof* I firmly believe that to be successful and flourish in education and childhood learning, your heart must lead you to this passion – as my heart did a year ago. Coming out of high school, my dreams were far beyond teaching and spending a lifetime discovering†¦

Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Change - Essay Example This paper will discuss the significance of the training and development concepts and terms of an intervention applied as a result of the organizational change. It elaborates upon the importance of the concept along with an overview regarding the need of training and development in the organziation. Moreover, the application stages and outcomes of the entire process will also be provided. Training and Development The concept of training and development (T&D) is an essential element in every organziation irrespective of its nature or scale of service provision. This concept entails three major functions: training, education, and development (London, 1989, p. 121). Training: The training activity is centered upon and evaluated against the job which is held by an individual at present. Development: This activity usually focuses upon the activities that the organization employing the individual, or that the individual is part of, may partake in the future, and is almost impossible to eva luate. An ideal form of training is connected to the business performance and goals directly. Generally, it is a part of the company-wide objectives and focuses mainly on setting the tangible objectives and standards for the employees and workers within an organization. Moreover, it makes up a significant part of the Company's policy (Jacobs & Jones, 1995, p. 56). Training and development are the important components in an organziation. They are used for improving the performance of the individual, and this is ultimately mirrored in the increase in production and improvement of quality at the lowest cost, with less effort, and in the shortest time. The training and development methods keep the individuals updated with technological and organizational developments. Application Stages The application stages of the training and development process implemented as an intervention to change in the organizations is as follows: Need Assessment Needs assessment is a process to identify and m eet the needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and conditions targeted. It is often used to improve the individuals or education and training programs, organizations, or communities. Thus, every officer in charge of the work needs to formulate and implement a continuous training which makes the employees fit and functional, especially if any negative indicators regarding the change acceptance or performance and productivity decline have arose in the workplace (Noe, 1999, p. 89). Design and Delivery The training and development program will be designed and delivered in an expert manner in order to ensure the best results. The more these principles are used in learning, the more likely that the training is effective. These are the principles of participation, repetition, relevance, transfer, feedback. The training programs can prove to be the best intervention strategies for the employees. They not only equip them with the ability to cope up with the organizational changes, but a lso make them learn various new things regarding their jobs and the organziation. Teambuilding The teams are groups created within the organizational structure to achieve a goal or a specific task requiring coordination and interaction and integration between team members. Team members are considered responsible for achieving these goals, as empowerment for the team in decision making, and the team in the end is a