Incremental profit Essay

Distinguish between the following: a) Industry demand and Firm (Company) demand, b) Short-run demand and Long run demand, and c) Durable goods’ demand and Non-durable goods demand. 2 . What are the problems faced in determining the demand for a durable good? Illustrate with example of demand for households refrigerator or television set. 3 . Analyze the method by which a firm can allocate the given advertising budget between different media of advertisement. 4 . What kind of relationship would you postulate between short-run and long-run average cost curves when these are not U-shaped as suggested by the modern theories? 5 . How do demand forecasting methods for new products vary from those for established products? 6 . What are the different methods of measuring national income? Which methods have been followed in India? 7 . What do you understand by the investment multiplier? In what way does it defend the policy of public works on the part of the state during business depression? 8 . Discuss the various phases of business cycle: a. Are cyclical fluctuations necessary for economic growth? b. Suggest appropriate fiscal and monetary policies for depression Assignment B: all Case Study Electron Control, Inc., sells voltage regulators to other manufacturers, who then customize and distribute the products to quality assurance labs for their sensitive test equipment. The yearly volume of output is 15,000 units. The selling price and cost per unit are shown below:Â  Selling price $200 Costs: Direct material $35 Direct labor 50 Variable overhead 25 Variable selling expenses 25 Fixed selling expenses 15 150 Unit profit before tax $ 50 Management is evaluating the alternative of performing the necessary customizing to allow Electron Control to sell its output directly to Q/A labs for $275 per unit. Although no added investment is required in productive facilities, additional processing costs are estimated as: Direct labor $25 per unit Variable overhead $15 per unit Variable selling expenses $10 per unit Fixed selling expenses $100,000 per year Calculate the incremental profit Electron Control would earn by customizing its instruments and marketing directly to end users.

Online Marketing Essay

In today’s world, marketing research has begun to use the Internet and popular social networking sites such as, Facebook and Twitter, to gather personal information of all users. It’s becoming a lot easier for companies to connect directly with customers and collect individual information that goes into a computer database. This information can also be matched to other websites and share data collected during unrelated transactions. There are ethical and technical considerations that need to be addressed on how companies conduct its market research. Two major examples of ethical considerations of online marketing are privacy and confidentiality. Many online consumers try to avoid anything that will result in invading their privacy, but many companies tend to do that without the consumer’s knowledge. A company can easily have the ability to collect and store information relating to a consumer that can violate their right to privacy. The companies use this information to target certain advertising to that consumer, but the constant targeting can put a strain on the privacy of the consumer and start to result in a breach of confidentiality. Businesses are constantly sharing consumer’s information with partners or other affiliates to precisely target them with certain services or products they offer. Some companies sell the information to outside companies to make extra money that will lead to more strain on your privacy or even worse, identity theft. The most important example of technical consideration of online marketing is security. Security is the number one issue in a consumer’s mind when they need to use personal information to purchase or do anything online that requires that information. Hackers and viruses can lead to personal information on any database to be sold and used to wreak havoc on innocent consumers. Viruses can be used through E-mail or websites to hack into the businesses or consumer’s computer and track or steal sensitive information that can be given to a hacker at any time. Hackers can then sell that information to anyone or use it for their own benefit to ruin the reputation of that consumer. For example, hackers can use the personal information of the consumer to steal their identity and purchase things without the knowledge of the consumer and the consumer will be at fault for anything the hacker does. This continues to be an ongoing problem in the online world and something that businesses need to be very cautious about when dealing with personal information that was given from a consumer through trust in the company’s integrity online. As online marketing is becoming more popular daily around the world, companies need to realize the ethical and technical considerations that play a role on the abundance of consumer’s personal information they have. Businesses rely on precise online marketing to make the most profit with as little effort as possible, but they also need to focus on the consumer’s personal needs. Privacy, confidentiality, and security are the most important topics when it comes to personal information being stored and shared online. Without taking the time to address and resolve these issues, companies can scare away consumers from revealing certain information that helps their business grow and become successful. References Masters, T. (n.d.). Ethical Considerations of Marketing Research. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-considerations-marketing-research-43621.html. Sullivan, B. (Dec 6). Online privacy fears are real. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3078835/t/online-privacy-fears-are-real/#.UZl358qE72o

Race and Ethnicity : the Difference Essay

American society is focused so much on acknowledging differences and creating social divisions and categories, they hardly ever address similarities and possible race equalizers. African Americans along with other races have been categorized due to distinctions in their facial features as well as hair texture and skin tones. The irony of it all is that, America is supposed to be a place of equality and opportunity, yet it is seen to be the total opposite to many of the races who need the equality and opportunities. As an African American male I have been at every angle if racism. I have dealt it out and received it four times fold. Through school, dating and courting, raising children of my own, and simple tasks, like driving to work early in the morning in a rental car, I have seen my share racial and ethical stigmas and stereotypes. From getting pulled over for being the only vehicle on the street at 4 in the morning, to not being able to date a girl I liked a lot because her father’s opinion of me â€Å"seeming† like trouble. And yes all these instances influence my life in many ways, from the way I have raised my children, to the route I take to work, the racially focused incidents affect my everyday life. But why does race or ethnicity matter so much anyways? Why doesn’t class make more of a difference on how a person is judged? When people look at class, they still break it down into racial and ethical categories. Regardless of is I were to be the highest of the upper class, or just in the top of the middle class, I am still thought of as a black male first and then my money taken into consideration depending on the situation. The one time I can recall my money was taken into consideration, it was still in reference to my ethnicity. I was paying a ticket, which my son had received simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I was at the courthouse to pay this large ticket, and came with cash in hand. The cashier looked at me with a confused face, so I asked her what she was questioning. She responded, with the same look persisting on her face,† Most people cannot pay this ticket, and usually sit it out. How are you able to afford this?† I did not reply, just simply took my receipt and went on with my day. I few days later, I received another notice saying I had not paid the ticket and a warrant would be issued in the next week if it was not paid. I went back to the courthouse, receipt in hand, and got everything cleared up quickly. They needed more information. They wanted to verify my job and source of income and sorts, just digging into my personal life, wanting to know how I could afford to pay such a ticket for my son. This situation I felt was racially skewed and something I feel would have never happened had I been a white man, never the less had my son been a white young boy. Life throws curve-balls and I understand that I cannot catch them all. I wish there was a way to discern whether they are truly just situational or racial. But regardless of if I could really tell or not, they would still happen and I would still have to deal with them simply. America is so focused on differences, no one is seen as possibly being equal in any measurement and that keeps the country stuck in a mindset. This mindset being: Life not fair. Deal with it.

Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge by Warren Bennis

Leadership (management in another way) is found to be the most crucial topic of corporate America. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus explain the four important keys to effective leadership. These four keys are attention through vision, meaning through communication, trust through positioning and the deployment of self. The leadership keys would explain how a manager (who do things right) is different from a leader (who do the right thing). This management mantra is very much helpful for organizations (companies of all kind). Vague restructuring, absence of leadership and lack of trust and communication has made the workplaces and companies a living pandemonium. Managers with great management insight can only save these sinking business entities. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge is a clever advice to both big and small managers alike. The authors Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus are Professors in Business Management. The former has more than 40 years experience in management literature and the latter had first hand management experience in several companies. Warren Bennis has even served as advisor of U.S. Presidents. He had served as a university administrator and has advised several Fortune 500 companies. He had been the President of the University of Cincinnati for 7 years. Burt Nanus, on the other hand has worked as a Professor Emeritus of Management at the University of Southern California. The management ideas of these gurus have made Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge an excellent management text. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge is a book that would help managers cultivate excellent management skills that would also make their organization go up in the ladder. Chicago Tribune has commented about the book as a ‘one of the most important books of its type in a long time’. The book emphasizes that leadership (and management) skills are learnable and are not fully in-born. The book would be really boosting for managers though certain sections appear bit dry. The book is highly rewarding for management students also who is about to reach the chair of a manger. The book is considered as one of the top 50 business books of all time by the Financial Times. The book says that the speed and pervasiveness of technological change would be the most disturbing factor of the leaders of this present age. Organizations need to be filled with expert workers who can handle jobs independently. The mangers therefore should be able to handle these complex situations with great managing skill. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge explain those skills that would help a manager excel in an organization of any kind. The book would equip managers with skills that would help them successfully handle the rapid technology updates. It also would educate the leaders how to mange the organizational and structural developments. Leaders can learn the basic management skills identified by the authors and apply them in their organizations. Authors have completely undermined the traditional myths about leadership, and have proved that management is a set of skills that can be learned, studied, and mastered by voluntary attempts. They have also come up with certain key insights of leadership. For example ‘Leaders must display a passion to realize their vision’, ‘Leadership is about character’, ‘Leaders must be able to generate and sustain trust’ etc. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge is thus a really treasure to any manager or future manager. Works Cited Warren G. Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, 1997. Â  

Blood Promise Chapter Two

Chapter Two Going for her instead of me was bad form on the Strigoi's part. I was the threat; he should have neutralized me first. Our positioning had put Sydney in his way, however, so he had to dispatch her before he could get to me. He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to him. He was fast-they always were-but I was on my game tonight. A swift kick knocked him into a neighboring building's wall and freed Sydney from his grasp. He grunted on impact and slumped to the ground, stunned and surprised. It wasn't easy to get the drop on a Strigoi, not with their lightning-fast reflexes. Abandoning Sydney, he focused his attention on me, red eyes angry and lips curled back to show his fangs. He sprang up from his fall with that preternatural speed and lunged for me. I dodged him and attempted a punch that he dodged in return. His next blow caught me on the arm, and I stumbled, just barely keeping my balance. My stake was still clutched in my right hand, but I needed an opening to hit his chest. A smart Strigoi would have angled himself in a way that ruined the line of sight to his heart. This guy was only doing a so-so job, and if I could stay alive long enough, I'd likely get an opening. Just then, Sydney came up and hit him on the back. It wasn't a very strong blow, but it startled him. It was my opening. I sprinted as hard as I could, throwing my full weight at him. My stake pierced his heart as we slammed against the wall. It was as simple as that. The life-or undead life or whatever-faded away from him. He stopped moving. I jerked out my stake once I was certain he was dead and watched as his body crumpled to the ground. Just like with every Strigoi I'd killed lately, I had a momentary surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri? I tried to imagine Dimitri's face on this Strigoi, tried to imagine him lying before me. My heart twisted in my chest. For a split second, the image was there. Then-gone. This was just some random Strigoi. I promptly shook the disorientation off and reminded myself that I had important things to worry about here. I had to check on Sydney. Even with a human, my protective nature couldn't help but kick in. â€Å"Are you okay?† She nodded, looking shaken but otherwise unharmed. â€Å"Nice work,† she said. She sounded as though she were forcibly trying to sound confident. â€Å"I've never†¦ I've never actually seen one of them killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't imagine how she would have, but then, I didn't get how she knew about any of this stuff in the first place. She looked like she was in shock, so I took her arm and started to lead her away. â€Å"Come on, let's get out to where there's more people.† Strigoi lurking near the Nightingale wasn't that crazy of an idea, the more I thought about it. What better place to stalk Moroi than at one of their hangouts? Though, hopefully, most guardians would have enough sense to keep their charges out of alleys like this. The suggestion of departure snapped Sydney out of her daze. â€Å"What?† she exclaimed. â€Å"You're just going to leave him too?† I threw up my hands. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? I guess I can move him behind those trash cans and then let the sun incinerate him. That's what I usually do.† â€Å"Right. And what if someone shows up to take out the trash? Or comes out of one of these back doors?† â€Å"Well, I can hardly drag him off. Or set him on fire. A vampire barbecue would kind of attract some attention, don't you think?† Sydney shook her head in exasperation and walked over to the body. She made a face as she looked down at the Strigoi and reached into her large leather purse. From it, she produced a small vial. With a deft motion, she sprinkled the vial's contents over the body and then quickly stepped back. Where the drops had hit his corpse, yellow smoke began to curl away. The smoke slowly moved outward, spreading horizontally rather than vertically until it cocooned the Strigoi entirely. Then it contracted and contracted until it was nothing but a fist-size ball. In a few seconds, the smoke drifted off entirely, leaving an innocuous pile of dust behind. â€Å"You're welcome,† said Sydney flatly, still giving me a disapproving look. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"My job. Can you please call me the next time this happens?† She started to turn away. â€Å"Wait! I can't call you-I have no idea who you are.† She glanced back at me and brushed blond hair out of her face. â€Å"Really? You're serious, aren't you? I thought you were all taught about us when you graduated.† â€Å"Oh, well. Funny thing†¦ I kind of, uh, didn't graduate.† Sydney's eyes widened. â€Å"You took down one of those†¦ things†¦ but never graduated?† I shrugged, and she remained silent for several seconds. Finally, she sighed again and said, â€Å"I guess we need to talk.† Did we ever. Meeting her had to be the strangest thing that had happened to me since coming to Russia. I wanted to know why she thought I should have been in contact with her and how she'd dissolved that Strigoi corpse. And, as we returned to the busy streets and walked toward a cafe she liked, it occurred to me that if she knew about the Moroi world, there might be a chance she also knew where Dimitri's village was. Dimitri. There he was again, popping back into my mind. I had no clue if he really would be lurking near his hometown, but I had nothing else to go on at this point. Again, that weird feeling came over me. My mind blurred Dimitri's face with that of the Strigoi I'd just killed: pale skin, red ringed eyes†¦ No, I sternly told myself. Don't focus on that yet. Don't panic. Until I faced Dimitri the Strigoi, I would gain the most strength from remembering the Dimitri I loved, with his deep brown eyes, warm hands, fierce embrace†¦ â€Å"Are you okay†¦ um, whatever your name is?† Sydney was staring at me strangely, and I realized we'd come to a halt in front of a restaurant. I didn't know what look I wore on my face, but it must have been enough to raise even her attention. Until now, my impression as we walked had been that she wanted to speak to me as little as possible. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine,† I said brusquely, putting on my guardian face. â€Å"And I'm Rose. Is this the place?† It was. The restaurant was bright and cheery, albeit a far cry from the Nightingale's opulence. We slid into a black leather-by which I mean fake plastic leather-booth, and I was delighted to see the menu had both American and Russian food. The listings were translated into English, and I nearly drooled when I saw fried chicken. I was starving after not eating at the club, and the thought of deep-fried meat was luxurious after weeks of cabbage dishes and so-called McDonald's. A waitress arrived, and Sydney ordered in fluent Russian, whereas I just pointed at the menu. Huh. Sydney was just full of surprises. Considering her harsh attitude, I expected her to interrogate me right away, but when the waitress left, Sydney remained quiet, simply playing with her napkin and avoiding eye contact. It was so strange. She was definitely uncomfortable around me. Even with the table between us, it was like she couldn't get far enough away. Yet her earlier outrage hadn't been faked, and she'd been adamant about me following whatever these rules of hers were. Well, she might have been playing coy, but I had no such hesitation about busting into uncomfortable topics. In fact, it was kind of my trademark. â€Å"So, are you ready to tell me who you are and what's going on?† Sydney looked up. Now that we were in brighter light, I could see that her eyes were brown. I also noticed that she had an interesting tattoo on her lower left cheek. The ink looked like gold, something I'd never seen before. It was an elaborate design of flowers and leaves and was only really visible when she tilted her head certain ways so that the gold caught the light. â€Å"I told you,† she said. â€Å"I'm an Alchemist.† â€Å"And I told you, I don't know what that is. Is it some Russian word?† It didn't sound like one. A half-smile played on her lips. â€Å"No. I take it you've never heard of alchemy either?† I shook my head, and she propped her chin up with her hand, eyes staring down at the table again. She swallowed, like she was bracing herself, and then a rush of words came out. â€Å"Back in the Middle Ages, there were these people who were convinced that if they found the right formula or magic, they could turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they couldn't. This didn't stop them from pursuing all sorts of other mystical and supernatural stuff, and eventually they did find something magical.† She frowned. â€Å"Vampires.† I thought back to my Moroi history classes. The Middle Ages were when our kind really started pulling away from humans, hiding out and keeping to ourselves. That was the time when vampires truly became myth as far as the rest of the world was concerned, and even Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunting. Sydney verified my thoughts. â€Å"And that was when the Moroi began to stay away. They had their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.† That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had trouble conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. â€Å"And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies stay secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.† She touched the golden tattoo. â€Å"What is that?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, aside from the obvious.† She gently stroked it with her fingertips and didn't bother hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. â€Å"My guardian angel. It's actually gold and†-she grimaced and dropped her hand-â€Å"Moroi blood, charmed with water and earth.† â€Å"What?† My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone much lower and very bitter. â€Å"I'm not thrilled about it, but it's our ? ®reward' for helping you guys. The water and earth bind it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. I'll live a long life.† â€Å"I guess that sounds good,† I said uncertainly. â€Å"Maybe for some. We don't have a choice. This ? ®career' is a family thing-it gets passed down. We all have to learn about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. We've got tricks and techniques to get rid of Strigoi bodies-like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as much as we can-which is why most dhampirs aren't told about us until they graduate. And Moroi hardly ever.† She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over. My head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this-wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasized the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness, combat, etc. Yet every so often I'd heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. I'd never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist. If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have. This probably wasn't an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldn't help it. â€Å"Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?† â€Å"Because there's an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.† A charm that bound them from speaking†¦ that sounded suspiciously like compulsion. All Moroi could use compulsion a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was guessing this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centuries. I replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions spinning in my head. â€Å"Why†¦ why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that I'm looking to become BFFs or anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it's our duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night.† Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a golden cross. My initial reaction to that was unease, seeing as I wasn't very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. Thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in. â€Å"Wait a minute,† I exclaimed indignantly. â€Å"Are you talking about all of us-dhampirs and Moroi? We're all evil creatures of the night?† Her hands dropped from the cross, and she didn't respond. â€Å"We're not like Strigoi!† I snapped. Her face stayed bland. â€Å"Moroi drink blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans.† No one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we'd been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do? â€Å"Moroi and dhampirs are not evil,† I told Sydney. â€Å"Not like Strigoi.† â€Å"That's true,† she conceded. â€Å"Strigoi are more evil.† â€Å"Hey, that's not what I-â€Å" The food arrived just then, and the fried chicken was almost enough to distract me from the outrage of being compared to a Strigoi. Mostly all it did was delay me from responding immediately to her claims, and I bit into the golden crust and nearly melted then and there. Sydney had ordered a cheeseburger and fries and nibbled her food delicately. After taking down an entire chicken leg, I was finally able to resume the argument. â€Å"We're not like Strigoi at all. Moroi don't kill. You have no reason to be afraid of us.† Again, I wasn't keen on cozying up to humans. None of my kind were, not with the way humans tended to be trigger-happy and ready to experiment on anything they didn't understand. â€Å"Any human who learns about you will inevitably learn about Strigoi,† she said. She was playing with her fries but not actually eating them. â€Å"Knowing about Strigoi might enable humans to protect themselves, though.† Why the hell was I playing devil's advocate here? She finished toying with a fry and dropped it back on her plate. â€Å"Perhaps. But there are a lot of people who would be tempted by the thought of immortality-even at the cost of serving Strigoi in exchange for being turned into a creature from hell. You'd be surprised at how a lot of humans respond when they learn about vampires. Immortality's a big draw-despite the evil that goes with it. A lot of humans who learn about Strigoi will try to serve them, in the hopes of eventually being turned.† â€Å"That's insane-† I stopped. Last year, we'd discovered evidence of humans helping Strigoi. Strigoi couldn't touch silver stakes, but humans could, and some had used those stakes to shatter Moroi wards. Had those humans been promised immortality? â€Å"And so,† said Sydney, â€Å"that's why it's best if we just make sure no one knows about any of you. You're out there-all of you-and there's nothing to be done about it. You do your thing to get rid of Strigoi, and we'll do ours and save the rest of my kind.† I chewed on a chicken wing and restrained myself from the implied meaning that she was saving her kind from people like me, too. In some ways, what she was saying made sense. It wasn't possible that we could always move through the world invisibly, and yes, I could admit, it was necessary for someone to dispose of Strigoi bodies. Humans working with Moroi were an ideal choice. Such humans would be able to move around the world freely, particularly if they had the kinds of contacts and connections she kept implying. I froze mid-chew, remembering my earlier thoughts when I'd first come along with Sydney. I forced myself to swallow and then took a long drink of water. â€Å"Here's a question. Do you have contacts all over Russia?† â€Å"Unfortunately,† she said. â€Å"When Alchemists turn eighteen, we're sent on an internship to get firsthand experience in the trade and make all sorts of connections. I would have rather stayed in Utah.† That was almost crazier than everything else she'd told me, but I didn't push it. â€Å"What kind of connections exactly?† She shrugged. â€Å"We track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. We also know a lot of high-ranking government officials-among humans and Moroi. If there's been a vampire sighting among humans, we can usually find someone important who can pay someone off or whatever†¦ It all gets swept under the rug.† Track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. Jackpot. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. Everything seemed to hinge on this moment. â€Å"I'm looking for a village†¦ a village of dhampirs out in Siberia. I don't know its name.† Dimitri had only ever mentioned its name once, and I'd forgotten. â€Å"It's kind of near†¦ Om?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. I straightened up. â€Å"Do you know it?† She didn't answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"You do!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You have to tell me where it is. I have to get there.† She made a face. â€Å"Are you going to be†¦ one of those?† So Alchemists knew about blood whores. No surprise. If Sydney and her associates knew everything else about the vampire world, they'd know this too. â€Å"No,† I said haughtily. â€Å"I just have to find someone.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Someone.† That almost made her smile. Her brown eyes were thoughtful as she munched on another fry. She'd only taken two bites out of her cheeseburger, and it was rapidly growing cold. I kind of wanted to eat it myself on principle. â€Å"I'll be right back,† she said abruptly. She stood up and strode across to a quiet corner of the cafe. Producing a cell phone from that magic purse of hers, she turned her back to the room and made a call. I'd polished off my chicken by then and helped myself to some of her fries since it was looking less and less like she was going to do anything with them. As I ate, I pondered the possibilities before me, wondering if finding Dimitri's town would really be this simple. And once I was there†¦ would it be simple then? Would he be there, living in the shadows and hunting prey? And when faced with him, could I really drive my stake into his heart? That unwanted image came to me again, Dimitri with red eyes and â€Å"Rose?† I blinked. I'd totally spaced out, and Sydney was back. She slid back into her spot across from me. â€Å"So, it looks like-† She paused and looked down. â€Å"Did you eat some of my fries?† I had no clue how she knew, seeing as it was such a huge stack. I'd barely made a dent. Figuring me stealing fries would count as further evidence of being an evil creature of the night, I said glibly, â€Å"No.† She frowned a moment, considering, and then said, â€Å"I do know where this town is. I've been there before.† I straightened up. Holy crap. This was actually going to happen, after all these weeks of searching. Sydney would tell me where this place was, and I could go and try to close this horrible chapter in my life. â€Å"Thank you, thank you so much-â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me, and I noticed then how miserable she looked. â€Å"But I'm not going to tell you where it is.† My mouth gaped. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm going to take you there myself.†

George Berkeley’s Argument and Proof on God’s Existence Essay

Questioning about the eternal mystery about the existence of one Supreme Being may appear to be one of the most controversial topics to discuss. Wherever one goes in the world, people would always tend to take this issue of a God as a very sensitive and insightful issue to debate about. With this perceived controversy about the existence of God, a lot of philosophers have dared explore and expound on the topic better. Some of them presented positively appealing views; however there were also some who chose to present a rather contradicting and appalling statement about the reality of one Supreme God. And in dealing about this topic, one of the most surprising and rather intriguing arguments is from George Berkeley. Unlike any other, his claim appeared to be surprising as he argues that religion and science are not always two contradicting fields, thus, the ideas of God’s existence and science can indeed support each other. God and Science: Idealism and Representationalism More often than not, people have always encountered conflicting claims from religion and the fields of science. This may be brought by the conflicting bases of belief which the two fields have. Religion as the more mystic and supernatural field would tend to base its creed on beliefs established by tradition, time and holy scriptures, while science on the other hand would tend to base its conclusions on hard, cold facts. However, one interesting claim and argument is presented by the great mind, George Berkeley who disputed that science can also be compatible and supportive of the idea about the existence of one God (Berkeley Reading, 2009). He argues that the representationalist minds of men are the factors which make them skeptical about ideas such as a Supreme Being. This is because representationalism promotes the belief in things which can be supported and explained by material things. And this is the idea which Berkeley chose to debunk. He argues that, people can only avoid skepticism if only they will choose not to base things on material facts, because not all ideas and concepts are actually explained by these material bases. This is his explanation of Idealism and this is his first basis about his claim that a Supreme God indeed exist. Moreover, Berkeley insists that â€Å"the existence of God is far more evidently perceived than the existence of men† (Priest, 2007). Thus this implies that as people try harder to explain God existence than men’s existence it can be said that God appears to have a more significant reality and existence than men. As more people try to explain God as a supreme being, the more that the idea proves to be stronger. Berkeley believes this argument since he supports the claim that the belief in God’s existence is the product of all men’s ideas, as compared to the belief in men’s existence which is but an inference of one’s ideas. Therefore this logic implies that the evidence of God’s existence if far greater that the evidence of men’s existence (Priest, 2007). And this is another strong point of Berkeley’s argument about God’s reality. George Berkeley like Rene Descartes is a fan of science which is innately a material fact-dependent field. This is the reason why it appears rather surprising how he can explain such a supernatural concept with supporting ideas from science. It is also surprising and very puzzling how Berkeley can argue that matter is not always the basis of the explanation about the existence of things. And this is because he rather believes in the idea of â€Å"sensible things† than of â€Å"matter. † This also shows that Berkeley believes more on ideas over matter. However, he still relies on matter as basis of explanation since it can explain the existence of material things. And since God is immaterial, it supports his claim that God, indeed, cannot be explained materially like any other things people perceive as material. In several ways, this claim of Berkeley also shows that he supports the idea that not all things are material; that there are things which will not be ‘visible’ but rather be ‘sensible’. Thus for Berkeley, reality does not just stand on solid material bases but also on strong sensible perceptions. Assessment of Berkeley’s Claims In many ways, George Berkeley’s ways may appear puzzling and incomprehensible in some parts. This is quite understandable since people have been used to the notion that science is just based from real, concrete facts. Unlike science, religion and belief in supernatural forces has always based its creed on invisible, immaterial and rather intangible forces. But although science and religion appear to repel each other’s ideas and views, Berkeley was still able to merge these two fields in explaining his own perception on the existence of God. Berkeley’s effort of expounding on the idea of God’s existence roots from his need of having something that explains order and regularity in the world (Yuksel, 2005). Berkeley himself believes that aside from the material things and forces, there is one intangible and invisible idea whose existence is far stronger and greater than any other material force’s existence. Thus, since this inference is based on a personal need, it also appears that Berkeley actually based his claims on what he chose to believe in; that since he needed an explanation on the seemingly invisible force which promotes order in the world, he rather chose to explain it as God. It is undeniable that his differentiation of materiality and sensibility has been a struggle. Up to now, there are still some aspects of this claim which appears like a blur. One man previously challenged this claim by asking that, if Berkeley closes his eyes and he cannot see, does he also closes an idea or does he eliminates a material thing (Yuksel, 2005)? This challenges Berkeley’s argument that materiality is not always the sole bases fro truth, rather there is also sensibility. Although in many ways, Berkeley’s arguments may really seem puzzling and confusing, it also appears that he delivered his ideas in such a very systematic and well expounded way. Truly, people have their choice as to whether or not to believe in one Supreme Being. People also have the liberation as to how to perceive this Supreme God. And in this context, Berkeley also has his own way. It just so happened that the bases he chose are two of the most repelling and contradicting ideas in the world of humankind. Thus, it is understandable why his argument remains intriguing and puzzling in many ways. References â€Å"File Uploaded. † (2009). Berkeley Reading. Priest, S. (2007). The British Empiricist. New York: Routledge. Yuksel, E. (2005). â€Å"Descartes vs. Berkeley: On the Two Corners of the Triangle. † The Islamic Reformer. Yuksel. org. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www. yuksel. org/e/philosophy/triangle. htm

Assault, Battery, and Crimes against Persons Assignment

Assault, Battery, and Crimes against Persons - Assignment Example This means that there are different degrees of battery depending on the seriousness of the harm inflicted. Assault is not considered anything beyond threats without any physical harm. However, the reason why most of the jurisdictions consider both crimes together is because when one commits battery, they first have the intention of causing harm followed by threats and then they the physical harm is caused. While assault is executed verbally, battery goes beyond to involve both verbal and physical harm (FindLaw, 2014). To draw a clear distinction between battery and assault an example is ideal. An example of an assault is seen when an individual intimidates another and threatens to kill them. However, the person threatening the other does not inflict any physical harm to them. On the other hand, the case of (A) can be regarded as battery where the attacker inflicts harm to (A) by dragging him and ripping off her clothes. The action taken by (A) cannot be considered as assault neither battery since he was on self-defense when he hit the attacker with a rock and ran away. The attacker should be punished for having committed both battery and assault to (A). This is because he had the intention to harm and went ahead to engage in a physical act that was geared towards causing fear and bodily harm to (A). The actions of (A) cannot be regarded as either assault or battery because they were attacked and reacted to the actions of the attacker by using a self-defensive mechanism. The assault and consequent battery against (A) could be narrowed down to consensual touching if the attacker did not inflict any form of harm or create any fear of harm to (A). This is based on the view that the attacker did not have any evil motive of inflicting injury to (A), neither did they attempt to harm them verbally. In consensual touching, the victim (A), should be willing to talk to the attacker without being forced to do

Cost Effectiveness for Smoking Cessation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost Effectiveness for Smoking Cessation - Essay Example So, it is enough to start with one cartridge and use it. Perhaps, you will not need the next one. The period of usage is different as every smoker applies different number of cigarettes. That is why it is impossible to plan the usage of electronic cigarettes for everybody. It should be noted that all my participants were from New York. There were both males and females to participate in my investigation. However, their age was different. In particular, the age of participants was 19-70. I think that this intervention should be made the following way. Every person should receive so many opportunities to smoke electronic cigarettes as he/she needs to have for traditional smoking. In two-three months it is necessary to check the results. I think that here it is better to use interviewing the participants to get to know if they started smoking less. Smoking cessation by means of electronic cigarettes has much in common with another method to give up this bad habit. It is nicotine gum. It is even possible to compare these two types of smoking cessation. In case of nicotine gum a person is asked to use a special gum instead of a traditional cigarette. According to the smoker’s point of view (he tried to give up smoking with the help of nicotine gum), he used the gum during eight months and became addicted to it. So, it is difficult to say if this method is better than keeping smoking traditional cigarettes. The amount of nicotine in them is less, but still it may lead to cancer and nicotine dependence. That is why I do not advise to use nicotine gums. It is better to apply electronic cigarettes. It should be stressed that the study is very important. First of all, it is societal. It helps to get more information about the effect of smoking cessation by means of electronic cigarettes. So, it helps people from our society to be informed about electronic cigarettes and their effectiveness. The cost of the research is not very high. No additional equipment was nee ded as people were just interviewed. All results were received with the help of interviewing and smokers’ feedbacks. It turned out that several people managed to give up smoking by means of electronic cigarettes. There were practically no direct and indirect costs in the process of research. A little amount of money was spent by me on tickets to travel to people for interviewing. There may be two possible answers to the question as for the time horizon needed for this research. On the one hand, it is not necessary to conduct a long-time research if you need just to get information about smokers’ feedback after usage electronic cigarettes. On the other hand, it also can be a lifetime research, if you want to get as much information about electronic cigarettes as possible. Everything changes very quickly nowadays. It concerns various methods created for smoking cessation as well. The structure and function of electronic cigarettes may be changed in future. That is why it is a good idea to conduct a lifetime research and analyze the peculiarities of new trends in this field. It is necessary to emphasize that only in this case the research will be effective and demonstrate if it is worth to apply electronic cigarettes to give up smoking forever. The data for research can be found with the help of the following ways. Internet sources TV translations Newspaper articles Interviews with smokers Interviews with people who use electronic cigare

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business Ethics - Essay Example It has been argued that business owners, or stockholders, have an obligation to in some sense repay the society that allowed it to be. Others suggest that providing jobs and contributing to the tax base is repayment enough. Whichever of these perceptions one subscribes the fact that employees of a company have but a single responsibility, to make money for the owners, is not in question. A chief executive officer may act as the ‘brains’ of the corporation but they are an employee and are bound both by ethical consideration and by federal law to make decisions intended to increase company profits. Of course company employees are expected to obey the law and in act in accordance with customary public ethical guidelines but mainly because this is in the best interest of the company and not because the company itself has a moral obligation. The end result justifies any means by which to achieve it including the destruction of the environment as well as the financial gouging of customers and employees. Corporations do have social responsibilities and society should demand corporate adherence to those responsibilities. Employees cannot simply give away company funds to their favorite charity. That would be irresponsible, unethical and illegal. Certainly, company officials are also individuals whose conscience extends past workplace concerns. The person outside the corporation may feel a duty to voluntarily give their time and money to charities, the church, community and family. In these instances, the individual is not acting as the agent of the giving but the principal. They are spending their own time and money or time and not the resources of a company. â€Å"If these are ‘social responsibilities,’ they are the social responsibilities of individuals, not business† (Friedman, 1970). Though the view that business do not have a social responsibility is logical and fits the capitalist ideology on which the country was built, others ar gue that the self-serving goals of corporate America has created a value system not only separate but in opposition to that of society. This reality is apparent not only in the U.S. but in many other countries as well, both in the developed world and Third World nations. The banking debacle in Mexico escalated its national debt by $80 billion due to the government financially bailing out unscrupulous shareholders who were in league with government officials at the taxpayer’s expense. When Argentina privatized most of the public works departments, corporations stole money from millions of Argentinean citizens. In Europe, the pharmaceutical industries essentially regulated themselves due to their influence within the government. The drug companies did not sufficiently test its products interested only in profits and not the benefits of the drugs for patients. Steps have since been taken to reduce the harm committed by this type of corporate corruption. Many suggest that the sit uation in the U.S. today involving pharmaceutical company influence and the consequential affects is hauntingly similar. (Borger, 2001) Of course corporate corruption in the U.S. is sadly legendary in scope. The recent banking and Wall Street debacle in the U.S. is expected to cost taxpayers into the trillions of Dollars. The Bernie Madoff scandal, Worldcom, Tyco and Enron are but a few of examples of fraudulent practices by company heads which cost thousands of people millions of dollars including

Sports Celebrities Endorsements and Consumers' Purchase Intentions Dissertation

Sports Celebrities Endorsements and Consumers' Purchase Intentions - Dissertation Example Sports occupy a larger portion of the importance of a human being’s life and its social existence. With the increasing global reach of the individuals and with the rising degree of influence of different nation over the others, a number of types of sports get included into the vast kinds of sports. Also, with the ever increasing consciousness of the individuals regarding their health and ways to secure good health rising number of people are resorting to adopting the ‘sporting habit’. Sport has become one of the most interesting activities of the recent times and in a similar way the sports persons have become increasingly popular with the public. The extent of popularity and influence of the sportspersons have given them the stature of stars and celebrities. Cashmore (2002) explains the concept of celebrities as someone who has a very prominent public profile which has a certain degree of public fascination and even which influences the day-to-day media. Celebrit y is someone who enjoys huge public attention and who has a greater influence on the public lives. The popularity among the public makes them a great medium through which communication with perfect agenda could be delivered. Thus they become great mediums for advertising the products and services, because it adds credibility to it. This research paper makes a detailed study about the impact of sports celebrities’ endorsements on consumer purchasing behavior. 1.2: Research Aim This particular research paper was decided upon with the aim of studying the impact of sports celebrities’ endorsements on the purchasing intentions of the consumers in Singapore. Such an aim was specifically chosen because of the increasing popularity of the sportsperson and even due to the increasing popularity of a wide number of sports. The fact that the sportsperson have a larger appeal to the public makes it all the more important to assume that their endorsements will also be purchased by t he public. 1.3: Research Objectives The following are the set of objectives decided for this paper: To discover how motivated Singaporean consumers are buying products that are celebrity-endorsed compared to products that are advertised using other advertising tools To examine which gender are more influenced by celebrity-endorsed products To examine whether the impact on purchase intention of celebrity-endorsed products varies across age groups To examine the likelihood of Singaporean consumers boycotting a celebrity-endorsed product because of socially unacceptable behaviors engaged by the celebrity. 1.4: Research Questions The research questions are as follow: 1. What is the impact of sports celebrities’ endorsements on the buying behaviour of consumers in Singapore? 2. What is the impact of sports celebrities endorsements compared to other advertisements methods? 1.5: Summary The very first chapter of this research paper of this research paper introduces the topic, marks its relevance in the present market scenario and highlights its importance. The aims and objectives of this research paper are being clearly mentioned in the very first chapter. The next chapter presents an analysis of the relevant literature that will further help in achieving the proposed research objectives

Human Law and Conscience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Law and Conscience - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that conscience can be regarded as a set of moral convictions arising from traditional and spiritual beliefs, which is invoked and defined by the individual himself. Unlike the structural Human Laws, which includes both the civil laws and ecclesiastical laws, conscience is a subjective concept that holds the possibility of implicating total sovereignty over these human laws. Most importantly, the value of human conscience has a direct influence on the individual’s expression of denial or compliance with the human laws. However, the conflict between this individual conscience and human laws is inevitable. Exercising one’s own conscience by involving or refusing to the government that enforces unfair policies is one of the primary right and obligation for any citizen to act upon. There are many scholars and theorists who express the civil disobedience in the light of human conscience. Civil disobedience can be regarded as a nece ssary expression of human conscience and morality towards unjust laws. The concept of the right to resistance has a significant importance when the government policies turn out to be unjust or immortal towards the society. This would help in reconfiguring the laws of the State to make it more equitable and less onerous towards its treatment of the community as a whole. According to Henry David Thoreau, the morality of individual acts can possibly outweigh the consequences of civil disobedience against the severity of the injustice. It can be asserted that acting on civil disobedience does not undermine the power of democracy but it reinforces the values of liberty and deference. In circumstances when the human laws or government policies become an intrusive power, stifling the people’s rights, civil disobedience is acceptable by all means that would recognize the freedom of every individual. Fighting against inequality within a community has to be witnessed through the inborn , unwritten law of one’s conscience rather than inferring from the human laws that actually created it in the first place.

Engaging Learners with Digital Devices Research Paper

Engaging Learners with Digital Devices - Research Paper Example As such, engagement of learners with digital devices, which are novelties of technology is a step in the right direction and has the potential for accrual of immense benefits for the learner’s knowledge development and amplification. Engagement of learners with a digital device, therefore, helps nurturing innovativeness in them, and this contributes to futuristic strategies for making the lives of individuals better. According to Markert & Backer (2010), technology has contributed to healthier lifestyles and in effect leading to the longevity of people’s lives especially in the field of medicine where technological advancements have been of help a great deal. Ally & Khan (2015) assert that ideally, technology’s’ most appreciated and commendable function is the simplification of procedures. Engagement of students with digital devices plays a part in enhancing their urge to explore and experiment with new and innovative ways of improving the people’s lives by expediting processes. Gliksman (2012) says that engaging the learners with digital devices has the potential to accompaniment the methods that teachers use in instructing the learners. With digital devices, it becomes very easy for learners to grasp concepts and generate information, which is useful in the improvement of the education system. Technological engagement of learners enhances professional learning and improves mutual learning leading to increased expertise in both the learners and the instructors. Markert & Backer (2010) suggest that technology especially in the medical sector has been of great importance. The importance of technology in healthcare education is elaborate especially for diagnostic activities involving the use of machines such as the MRI and the ultrasound. Engaging the learners with digital devices potentially has the capability of empowering the learners to improve on the existing technologies through

Quality & Supply Chain Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Quality & Supply Chain Management - Assignment Example A sales bill of materials defines products as they are ordered. It can also define products as they are built and this bill is called manufacturing bill of materials. In this case, we will emphasis on manufacturing bill of materials to know how the sandwiches in Delight Sandwich Company are manufactured. This is a company that is based in Tees Valley Area. Its main objective is to provide quality sandwich to its customers in the area and abroad. This objective has made it come up with a more sophisticated sandwich product called chicken deluxe sandwich. This will lead to improved company feat in terms of competitive gain, higher market share, quality and cost advantages and higher revenue with the new product. Bill of materials Bill of materials structure for the new chicken deluxe sandwich NUMBER PART NAME REQ’D MATERIAL DRAWING NUMBER 1 OUTER LAYER 1 WHEAT FLOUR (BREAD) DSC 0001 2 THIN UPPER LAYER 1 BUTTER DSC 0002 3 UPPER SANDWICH 4 COS LETTUCE DSC 0003 4 UPPER MIDDLE SANDW ICH 2 CUCUMBER DSC 0004 5 MIDDLE SANDWICH 3 TOMATOES DSC 0005 6 LOWER MIDDLE SANDWICH 10 FRESH CHICKEN DSC 0006 7 SAND WICH COVER 1 MAYONNAISE DSC 0007 8 THIN LOWER LAYER 1 BUTTER DSC 0002 9 OUTER LAYER 1 WHEAT FLOUR (BREAD) DSC 0001 Drivers and implications of product innovation Product innovation is the leading mode of innovation and aims first and foremost at improving product performance. It leads to improved company feat in terms of competitive gain, higher market share, quality and cost advantages and higher revenue with new products. Succeeding product innovations eventually yield a dominant design where the most favorable product configuration is reached (Curtis , 2010 and Hal, 1987). Innovation process is at first minor in significance and production in early stages is characterized by high labor skills level, small scale and flexibility. As product design continues stabilizing, increasingly automated production methods are used and innovation process to lower costs takes o ver as dominant innovation mode (Mishra and Mishra, 2006). The presence of a variety of threshold levels for net utility and functionality implies that consumers will differ in the level at which a product technology at a given condition is capable of gratifying their requirements. This will result to variation in amount, and type, of development required before the products become relevant to the consumers. The model of diffusion of innovation focuses on the diffusion of fixed innovation as well as demand heterogeneity in elucidating the differences in decision and adoption rates. They fail to consider the interaction between consumers’ adoption to decisions and changes in the innovation that led to further development (Bob, 2011). In mature markets, price and functionality are often confounded as consumers with low or high functionality generally buy less or more expensive products. Nevertheless, price and functionality need to be coupled. With emerging technologies, potent ial consumers with high willingness to pay for products with the same low functionality requirements, play important roles both the adoption of an innovation and the development. In the context of emerging technologies, companies and firms do not have the alternative of positioning their products in the quality price space at will, but to a certain extent need to slot in development to affect uniqueness. While consumers have a minimum threshold for satisfactory performance,

Aristotle and Meaning of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aristotle and Meaning of Happiness - Essay Example If a person wants to gain real happiness then he should desire and aim for virtues in himself which eventually become real happiness of a person and will last within person's soul till eternity. Values like sincerity, honesty, honor, morality, justice wisdom and courage are the qualities which enlighten the human and bring inner happiness with can never be taken away. (YUKSEL.ORG) HAPPINESS WITH VIRTUE AND VALUES VS WORLDLY AND SELF CREATED VALUES: For Aristotle happiness is what enlightens and satisfy the soul. And happiness cannot be measured with worldly things like wealth, fame and social setup. From the virtues are the moral values of a person and they are real happy for a person as they define and satisfy the inner being of that person. And according to Aristotle real happiness can only be gained through virtue. He defined two types of virtues: moral and intellectual. Moral virtues are those which are explained and generated by feelings, choice, and action. The feeling of care, honesty, and justice etc. are the moral virtues which show the feeling and values of a person towards life and others. Whereas intellectual virtues are those which are related to person's cognition like wisdom (W. Russ Payne) IN THE LIGHT OF BOOK â€Å"TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE† The book â€Å"Tuesday with Morrie† writer by Mitch Albom is a memoir of the time the writer and his professor had together. It tells a heart touching story of a unique relationship which a student redevelops with his teacher Morrie Schwartz who is fighting against a fatal disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). After 16 years of graduation, when Albom accidentally see his professor in TV program Nightline while tripping channel he becomes totally shocked and stunned to know that his most favorite teacher is suffering from a terminal disease. This accident brings all the flashbacks to Albom’s mind and he recalls his pledge he did to his teacher on the last day to his graduation; which w as to stay in touch with him but he wasn’t able to fulfill it. And how on the last day of graduation Albom gifted Morrie a briefcase, with which he expressed his deep feelings of departure and gifting him a gift because he doesn’t want his professor to forget him. And how his sir Morrie was equally emotional and he sees him crying when he turned away after meeting him. This was very painful for Albom to recall and felt guilty that in his busy life he overlooked and forgot his promise. And after coming to know that he is suffering from ALS and is on wheelchair he felt great remorse and regret not staying in touch. Soon after this Albom’s starts visiting his teacher and realized that he has lots more to learn from his teacher. And just after coming to know about his teacher’s fatal condition, Albom who’s heart was full of agony immediately goes to meet his sir who even after a gap of 16 years recognize his students. This was not only painful for the student to see his teacher in such condition but a very emotional and nostalgic point in Morris life to see his student coming at his door after 16 years which brought all flashbacks of past. Albom starts visiting his teacher every Tuesdays and talked about life and knowledge. Albom and Morrie already had a very cordial father and son like relationship back in college but it took a new turn when after the lapse of sixteen years, Albom again started to visit him.  

What does The Walt Disney Company do related to anthropocene, Research Paper

What does The Walt Disney Company do related to anthropocene, environment and ecosystem - Research Paper Example icated the actions of man from the time of earlier development to late on the environment, the company Walt Disney has focused some of their returns and activities to promote environmental conservation aspects. The study focuses on the different contributions that the company has made to this regard. Based on this, the thesis of the study is the fact that the Walt Disney Company does not only concern on their financial aspects that focus on their profits and business development, but also the different environmental concerns. As such, it considers all anthropocenic aspects that have generated different environmental effects leading to extinction of other species and a negative effect to the environment. The study focuses on the different efforts that the company has put in the achievement of environmental goals and supporting the environment, the reasons as to why the company engages in environmental aspects, and the targets that the company aimed for in developing the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. The reflection of the different themes in the movies developed by the company all symbolize the commitment that the company has over the environmental effects. These aspects are all discussed in the work below: Walt Disney Company does numerous activities to promote ecosystem and environmental aspects that range from the development of advocacy aspects. The development of the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund and the development of property that is curved to the environmental aspects. Through these, programs such as sustainable tourism have come to start. Sustainable tourism refers to tourism activities that encourage the tourism aspects that protect the environment, the inclusion of different economic activities cultures that promote local experiences in improving the environment. Walt Disney Company has developed solid conservation aspects through policies and practices that have put the company on top in relation to environmental aspects. The leadership of

Representation of Obesity in the Media Research Paper

Representation of Obesity in the Media - Research Paper Example It is necessary to say that the media focuses especially much attention on the issue of obesity in those countries where it is an acute social problem, too. First of all, this is a matter of discussion in the media of the US. According to statistics of 2014, approximately two-thirds of adults in the US are overweight or obese, which makes obesity rates of this country among the highest in the world. The situation in Australia and New Zealand is quite similar. It is often compared to the health crisis in the US. As a result, obesity became one of the most frequent health issues discussed in the media, at least in these countries. Even despite so high obesity rates in the US, people in this country are extremely prejudiced against those who are overweight or obese. This is obvious that the media is due in no small part to this fact. Very often, the image of people who are obese is quite negative in the media. Popular television shows, for instance, portray them either as comedic, lonely characters, or freaks (Whyte, 2010). The Drew Carey Show, a popular American sitcom, may illustrate this. Its main character, Drew Carey, often expresses disappointment about his own weight. One of his co-workers, Mimi, is portrayed as a large unattractive woman. Obese people are also shown as awkward, slovenly, obnoxious, and even stupid. In media, it is hardly ever possible to come across a successful lawyer, doctor, or businessman who is overweight or obese. At the same time, however, the situation is drastically different in real life. In fact, people whose weight is normal are a minority today.  Ã‚  

Use of Skeleton Steel Frame Structure On New Factory Essay

Use of Skeleton Steel Frame Structure On New Factory - Essay Example The instance offers the advantage of treating wooden materials instead of the steel materials. As result, it avoids heavy expenses involved in building and construction process (Ward, 2008). Assemblage of steel materials is very efficient and faster since manufacturers of the materials design them in a manner that they just fix and join with each other. As result, it saves time of redesigning the joints for the materials. Unlike wooden materials used in building, steel materials have a high degree of accuracy. For instance, their edges once measured and cut according to the specifications wanted, do not always peel off unlike wood or plastic materials (Ward, 2008). Steel structures have their versatility feature that gives the architectures the choice to attain most of their objectives during building and construction process. For instance, steel forms an important building material in stadia, shopping structures, commercial buildings, steel cladding systems, landmark structures, and other possible areas that steel can provide the best option in constructing it (Ward, 2008). Since steel is strong and durable, it, in this case, emerges as one of the sustainable construction materials. It isalso possible to recycle steel materials and as a result making it enhances sustainability in building and construction (Ward, 2008). Steel structures also offer to the manufactures its choice of flexibility. In this case, steel becomes advantageous to manufacturers due its lightweight, open and the airy spaces. As a result, it makes possible for the steel to withstand disturbances with little costs incurred in its maintenance. Protection of steel against fire involves using the passive fire protection method. The method facilitates the insulation of the structures from the effects of high temperatures from the fire. However, passive method involves two types; on

Networking Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Networking - Term Paper Example These systems also force consumers to tackle new rights and responsibilities in order to use the data and re-evaluate principles of advent computers (Stahl 2011). 1.2 The Importance of Ethics Authority, source and control are the major resources of the information. In fact, the key to success is the right access towards the information. As a result, the social and political relationships are also involved in the development and growth of information systems (Hilton, Se-Hyung "David" Oh et al. 2006). It is more important and ethical that how this information is been utilized by the people. For instance, government levels, headquarters and homes include the electronic systems (Hilton, Se-Hyung "David" Oh et al. 2006). This involvement is increased so much that the people without access to these systems are exaggerated in a particular way. For this reason, new and modern techniques, innovative ethical and lawful decisions are needed in order to balance the requirements and privileges of every person (Stahl 2011). 1.3 Ethics Fill the Gap as Legal Decisions Lag Behind Technology The legal decision lags lies as in modern technological field behind technical development and growth. ... These legal issues should be resolved in Electronic Information Systems. 1.4 Ethical Issues In relation to the entire community, the ethics consists of moral options choose by the individuals or users. These include standards of acceptable behavior and rules governing members of an occupation. Moreover, these extend to the Electronic Networks, Electronic Databases and significantly to a Geographic Information Systems. The problems that are present particularly in the three areas require a little different type of ethical decisions. In general, the Electronic Systems, Geographic Information Systems and Networks are being described individually in the later section of this study. 2 World Wide Web 2.1 A Network Defined Starting from a fundamental definition of computer networks, a network is defined as a set of computers or workstations that are capable to communicate with one another. Likewise, in other words a group of similar objects connected together. Some of the networks are prese nt within the institutions or organizations allowing people to communicate electronically within the organization. In fact, some of these small systems are inked or connected with the other organization’s workstations. Thus, thousands of such networks connecting together collectively form an Internet. However, several issues related to the Internet may be applied to smaller network as, well as large network connections. 2.2 Network as Source of Power Initially, the Electronic Networks are recognized as a reliable means of connecting and communicating. Furthermore, it is also recognized as a mean for exchanging information efficiently but today it has become a much more than this. The new sources of power are represented by the large networks. The

A Philosophical Approach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Philosophical Approach - Assignment Example The development of ethics has come with some controversies and debates. There are philosophers like Immanuel Kant who believe that there is a universal set of laws that apply to all human beings and all situations (O'neill, 1993). This therefore means that what is right and what is wrong is universal and on no account should it be compromised (Shiples & Maier, 2011). However, there are the utilitarians who argue that if something does the greatest amount of good to the greatest number of people, then that can be seen as good (Tavani, 2011). Although utilitarians claim their approach is the most practical, there is an issue of whether it is the best, because if 99% of people have enslaved 1% of people and subjected them to the worst and most severe conditions, can we say that it is good? This is the fundamental debate about ethics and its foundations Review of the Pinto Fires Dennis Gioia narrates the incidents of the Ford-Pinto brand in the 1970s which was an ethical dilemma and how it caused the death of several innocent people. A summary of the facts are narrated from Trevino & Nelson (2007): In the late 1960s, there was a huge demand for sub-compact cars around the globe and German and Japanese manufacturers were set to take over the international market. Ford, the American car manufacturer had to internationalize quickly and catch up with its competitors on the global market. The Ford-Pinto was designed and there were signs that it would do well internationally, so there was the need to speed up the research and development process to begin mass production to meet the huge demand. Ford’s Vice President, Lee Iacocca asked for the acceleration of the development process from 43 months to 38 months and this was accepted by the President who was a man of repute. The engineers identified that there was a major flaw in the car’s combustion and fuel system that made it vulnerable to explosions during accidents. However, due to the need to accelerate the development process, the engineers were not given ample time to correct the error. This led to the development of a car that led to the death of many users. In 1978, a Pinto car crash that killed the passengers led to a legal action the criminalization of the Ford company for the lack of proper care to develop a safer car. Ethics & The Pinto-Fires The Pinto case comes with several questions related to ethics. First of all, did the Vice President and the management team of Ford really act ethically? What were their major responsibilities and did they fail totally? Is it fair to attribute the death of passengers in one of many automobile accidents in America to the top-level management? What was the responsibility of the other people in Ford? The Eight-Step Model Trevino & Nelson (2007) identify eight steps which must be followed in taking ethical decisions in businesses. If this model was applied, it is likely that the management of Ford would have worked out a different approach to the Pinto brand and avoided a few issues. Step 1: Gather the Facts: First of all, the management of Ford should have gathered all the facts relevant to the global automobile industry. This way, they would have gotten enough information to identify the need to consider safety as a primary issue. However, it is clear that the focused more on internationalization and the capturing of market share ahead of the safety of their customers. Step 2: Define the Ethical Issues:

The Role of Woman in the Church Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Role of Woman in the Church - Article Example Historical evaluation is needed to counteract sexist interpretations and to understand general trends surrounding the issue of hierarchical vs. egalitarian roles. Three views on the role of women in the ministry of the local church, act as general philosophical camps. The egalitarian view points to three primary texts supporting the right for women to hold ecclesiastical office: Romans 16:1, 7 and 1 Timothy 3:11. At the same time, the egalitarians must answer the hierarchal traditional interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11,12. The question of women holding ecclesiastical offices of authority has been the primary test case for egalitarianism. Traditionally, the evangelical church has denied women the office of apostle, pastor, elder and deacon. Cultural feminism, since The Feminist Mystique, (publication of Betty Friedan's, work became the rally point of the feminist movement.) has launched a passionate crusade to place women into leadership positions within all social structures. And the evangelical church, generally the bastion of the hierarchal tradition, has felt the special onslaught of this feminist campaign. The non-evangelical egalitarian view generally holds that the Bible is sexist and rooted in patriarchal culture. Within the non-evangelical egalitarian view, some hold to a complete rejection of the Bible in constructing a contemporary philosophy of the role of women in ministry, and see contemporary feminism as the hermeneutical grid, instead of holding the Bible as the final authority for contemporary practice. Others endorse the seeds of cultural liberty within Christianity as evolving into a progressive liberation of women from early cultural patriarchal domination. It challenges the historical hierarchical tradition of interpretation. Therefore, a concrete understanding of it becomes paradoxical in nature. The evangelical egalitarian view, also known as the Biblical equalitarian position, holds to an authoritative Bible but challenges the historical hierarchal tradition of interpretation. This view sees the Bible as teaching complete equality between male and female, with an emphasis on mutual submission. This view basically gives strong emphasis to a cultural hermeneutic, to eliminate the hierarchal tone of the New Testament passages of role difference. Through exemplification it can be better discerned. Romans 16:1- reads, "I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchreae." (KJV) Egalitarians generally hold that "servant" should be translated "deaconess." This could suggest an office of authority, reflecting gender equality in role responsibilities. The Greek interpret Phoebe as a leader, elder or deacon in her church. Romans 16:7 reads, "Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who were in Christ before me." According to the egalitarian position, the feminine proper name Junia is designated an apostle. Hence, a woman apostle is mentioned in the New Testament, at least in the general sense. And even in the general sense, there is still an element of definite authority implicit in the title. Timothy 3:11 reads, "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all

Eport that outlines why sustainable development is part of the Essay

Eport that outlines why sustainable development is part of the solution to man-made global warming - Essay Example Wind energy appears to be feasible sustainable energy option, which can fulfil power needs, even while countering global warming. Table of Contents Introduction 3 Aims and Objectives 3 Global Warming and how sustainable development is the way forward 4 Sustainable options 5 Conclusion 7 References 8 Sustainable development is part of the solution to man-made global warming Introduction Man-made global warming subjects the environment to various forms of ‘assaults’ and that is having a extreme effect on the human lives as well, as both coexist. Loss of human supporting biodiversity, shortage of fresh water, drastic changes in climate, etc are having negative effect on the health of the humans. Unless this negative impact of global warming is stopped or paused or even minimized, it will continue to endanger many human lives not only in the present but also in the future. Thus, before formulating any strategies against global warming, it is necessary to understand how actio ns taken by people of current generation could have an impact or consequence for them as well as for the future generations. This aspect of understanding and caring for the people of present times as well as future, and thereby acting accordingly only constitutes sustainable development. As defined by Kates, Parris and Leiserowitz (2005) sustainable development is the â€Å"†¦ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† Aims and Objectives Development is carried out mainly focusing on economic and materialistic aspects, without thinking about sustainability. That is, as pointed out above, sustainable development focuses on the wellbeing of not only the present generation of people but also the future, but this focus on economic aspects and materialism is destroying the environment and the people dependent on it. Thus, it is very crucial to carry out these developmental activities in a sustainable way. Sustainable development is a major part of the solution to global warming, as it eliminates the catalytic factors of global warming. After focusing on how sustainable development is the way forward for the human race, the next part of the paper will discuss the various sustainable options, particularly focusing on Wind power. The paper will end with a personal conclusion on how to stop or pause or even minimize global warming and its effects. Global Warming and how sustainable development is the way forward Global Warming is mainly caused by the GHG, particularly Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and their activities in the atmosphere. This increased CO2 emissions and the resultant global warming hots up the earth abnormally, leading to various negative effects on the environment as well as the human lives. CO2 emissions are visible in various human developmental activities starting from constructing new infrastructure to the process of elect rification. For example, Coal, used to generate electrical power in many countries around the world, is also high emitter of CO2. â€Å"With Coal having the highest carbon intensity among fossil fuels, coal-fired plants have the highest output rate of CO2 per kilowatthour.† (eia.doe.gov). As there is increasing emission of CO2, earth gets hotted up very quickly melting the

Explaining the Focus Learners Use of Communication How does the Assignment

Explaining the Focus Learners Use of Communication How does the educator analyze students use of language to develop con - Assignment Example In order to achieve this, candidates have to be granted the opportunity to satisfy the necessary requirements in the edTPA handbook for their specified subject. Furthermore, the candidates should be responsible for planning and assessment during the edTPA training; present video recordings and complete the edTPA within the specified timeframe. The edTPA affects mentor teachers, teacher preparation programs, and teacher candidates. Teacher candidates are affected by edTPA in the sense that the process is intended to instill confidence in candidate teachers while at the same time acceleration the process of effective teaching. Data and evidence is used by the teacher preparation programs with aims of focusing experience and classroom performance. On the side of mentor teachers, the process brings about a sense of shared ownership while targeting the student teaching experience outcomes. The edTPA is a very helpful process that helps educators to assess learners. The experience gained from the process is not only applicable in classrooms but also in the outside world to study and help special learners and

Bats Definition Essay Essay Example for Free

Bats Definition Essay Essay Bats are defined as flying mammals of the order Chiroptera . They have a worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions and have modified forelimbs that serve as wings and are covered with a membranous skin extending to the hind limbs that allows them to fly. The bat’s the only mammal capable of true flight. They use echolocation to find their prey by emitting sound waves that bounce off objects in front of them and echo back to them. By using their highly advanced hearing they can determine an object’s size, shape, location and even texture Bats are good at keeping insect populations in control by hunting Different bats live through the winter in a variety of ways. Some types of bats migrate while others hibernate. Some even go into Torpor (a state of controlled hypothermia). Bats in the wild usually find places like hollow trees or caves to hibernate in, but they also find comfort in man made locations. It’s during the winter that most homeowners need to be aware of bat activity surrounding their homes. It’s not uncommon for bats to move into homes to stay warm, dry and secure during the winter months. They’re especially fond of places like attics, crawlspaces and unused chimneys. Bats are commonly thought of as carriers of rabies. While bats can get rabies the percentage of bats with the disease is less than one percent, so there is no reason to fear a bat more than other animals. However, it is recommended that bats found in houses or bats that come in contact with humans be taken to a local health department vet or police for rabies testing to rule out the presence of the disease. Signs of a bat infestation can include the smell of urine or feces (or guano) in strange places (usually near walls or fire places) or maybe even the physical presence of animal waste. Another, more obvious sign includes scratching and squeaking in the walls or ceiling. Occasionally bats may find their way into the inner sanctum of your household. There are many rights and wrongs to getting a bat out of the house First of all, it is important to know your foe and be aware of a bat’s abilities. When trapped indoors bats have the tendency to swoop back and forth through a room quickly. When this happens the best thing to do is to contain the bat in one room and open any doors or screenless windows leading to the outdoors. If this is possible simply stand back and wait for it to land or fly out the window. If you have some sort of net you could try catching it as it swoops by. Bats cannot take off from the ground, so they have to climb and take off from high places like walls or furniture, so when a bat is grounded you have the opportunity to catch the bat. This can be done in several ways. Regardless of how you catch a bat you must always be very careful to not touch the bat to prevent being bitten or scratched. Cornered bats can be quite vicious if provoked. You can use gloves, a thick towel or net to capture the bat. If you prefer not to use your hand you could use a box, can, or Tupperware container by trapping the bat and then sliding a piece of cardboard under it. Regardless of how you choose to approach a bat, it is always a good idea to at least wear thick gloves to avoid being bitten. Any bat suspected of having physical contact with a person should be captured and submitted for rabies testing. Your local health department, animal control office or veterinarian can help you submit the bat to a laboratory for rabies testing. If the bat tests negative, rabies treatment can be avoided. If a bat bites or has physical contact with a person, the wound or contact area should be washed immediately with soap and water. Unfortunately, bat bites and scratches are small and may go unnoticed. In certain situations it may be impossible to know if contact with a bat has occurred. These situations occur when a bat is found in the same room with a sleeping person, infant or young child, a person with a disease that reduces mental capacity, or persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Whenever a bat has physical contact with a person, or is suspected of coming in contact with a person, the bat should be captured and tested, if possible, and the incident should be reported immediately to a physician and local health authority to assess the need for rabies treatment. Bats are good for the environment and should not be feared but respected. Bats good for the environment and keep the mosquito population down preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and West-Nile Virus. Bats are often viewed in culture as evil

Juvenile Detainees Essay Example for Free

Juvenile Detainees Essay Criminal Justice and the juvenile justice systems are almost the same but are different. When corrections’ officials have to deal with juvenile detainees, such a situation needs to be dealt with care. In identifying such situations, we will look at child development, punishment and deterrence. Juvenile detention officers work with incarcerated youth. Although juvenile detention officers deal with many of the same realities as other corrections officers, juvenile detention officers have the opportunity to assist young offenders in their attempts to be rehabilitated into responsible adults. In a sense a Juvenile detention officer is the perfect blend of a jailer and social worker. While the Juvenile detention officers must be alert and tough enough to work with young criminals, he or she must also be committed to helping troubled youngsters change their life. Since Juvenile detention officers work with youth, they have to see to it that young offenders receive all the services they need and that they are meeting their legal and therapeutic obligations. As such, Juvenile detention officers are responsible for making sure that inmates arrive on time to appointments within their facility and outside of it. According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, a juvenile detention officer, Prepares detained youth for court appearances, transports and escorts detained youth to medical, criminal justice, social services and judicial facilities as needed according to departmental and facility policy and procedures. Of course, this implies keeping track of incarcerated youth and not letting them flee. Aside from insuring that juvenile offenders receive proper care and keep appointments, juvenile detention officers teach wayward youth how to function in society by acting as models of proper adult behavior. For instance, juvenile detention officers in Kitsap County, Washington are expected to Assist juveniles in cultivating appropriate social, behavioral, and interpersonal skills and attitudes useful in community living; lead recreational activities and give instruction in games. Juvenile detention officers may also lead the youngsters in cleaning and maintenance activities in order to model good hygiene and to demonstrate proper adult housekeeping habits. Although there is an emphasis on rehabilitation and inmate care in juvenile correctional facilities, juvenile detention officers are subject to the hazards of working in a locked facility with young criminals. In addition to rehabilitation and treatment related activities, juvenile detention officers may have duties similar to those of any other corrections officer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the duties of detention officers include searching for contraband, weapons and drugs, resolving conflicts between inmates, and enforcing discipline. This means monitoring vehicles and packages coming in and out of locked facilities as well as frequent personal and room inspections. Juvenile detention officers are, of course, responsible for knowing the whereabouts of all inmates and preventing them from leaving the locked facility. Laws we have regulated the way we have set up punishment for juveniles. The punishments we have in tact usually serve to rehabilitate the juvenile to do better in the future. Our laws have extended that to sealing juvenile records for the sake of protection. Juvenile crime and punishments can be different from the types of punishments that are ordered in adult criminal cases. The first court established expressly for juveniles was built in Chicago in 1899 to address the issue of juvenile crime and punishments. Juvenile crime and punishments peaked in 1994. The 1990s saw a swell of public scrutiny over the perceived juvenile crime epidemic. In an effort to crack down on juvenile crime and punishments, many state legislatures have adopted harsher laws regarding juvenile crimes. In my opinion, the best two ways to prevent juvenile crime is strengthening families and education. In American Samoa, a block grant was introduced and tested from 2002 to 2004. This block grant was for Preventing Substance abuse targeting the families and children. The idea behind the program was to seek if a problem existed, what the effects of substance abuse and how it can be fixed. The interesting factor and I suppose the most important was how the Samoan family evolved from closely knit and knowing every aspect of their children’s whereabouts to children becoming simple renters in the parent’s homes. Long story short, American Samoa was awarded funding for 10 years or so long as the program is needed. The theme of the program was strengthening families. I believe that it is an important part in anyone’s life. Sociologist’s believe that one’s environment affects one’s way of life. However, in some unfortunate cases, not everyone has the chance to grow up with a traditional family. The idea is, one’s family should be the biggest and the most important supporters in their lives. We define our familes different, whether it is a mother, a father, brother, sister, grandparent or even your best friend’s family. The point is having the sense of strength in one’s home is important to one’s success or failure. Strengthening families can be accomplished by offering help to those that need it through information and education. Which leads to my second point is education. Juveniles feel lost as do most of us that don’t know what to do or which direction to head to. Through education we get an idea of where we would like to go in our lives. Some juveniles do not have access or do not see the importance of education until there is support, programs, and resources available to them. We promote education through the media and all sorts of things, but are we really making it available for everyone? My mother in law always tells us, children are like cameras, they take images of everything around them. The product of these images are the problems we face today. Reference: Seiter, R. (2011). Corrections: An introduction (3rd ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

U.S. automobile industry.

U.S. automobile industry. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Car is great invention of human development. After more than two centuries of development and innovation, automotive products remain irreplaceable in the transportation. Automobile industry is always one of the most important industries of each country and the world in general. The U.S. automobile industry was born in the beginning of 19th century, contributes a huge amount in GDP of American as well as one of the domination industries in American particularly and globe generally. This project provides an overall and comprehensive view about the U.S. automobile industry. Through application of appropriate strategic analysis tools, this topic focus on analyze four following parts: Firstly, the overall current macro-environment of this industry is provided, especially the key forces driving change in the U.S. automobile industry. Secondly, using the Michael Porter model to analyze the competitive environment or also called task or industry environment, the strengths and extent of competitive forces, which affect the attractiveness of the U.S. automobile industry. Next, map of the key strategic group in the U.S. automobile industry and analysis of the competitors in a main strategic group. Finally, based on the analysis of both environments, this report offers comments of the key opportunities and threats facing by the firm in the U.S. automobile industry and its attractiveness of the present incumbents and potential new entrants. I. INTRODUCTION The United States, with its total current resident is about 308 million, is the third most populous country in the world. It is the second largest country in Western Hemisphere, and the third or fourth largest in the world by total area. With an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of US $14.4 trillion (a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity), the U.S. economy continuingly occupies the most important position in global economy. Based on these advantages, the U.S. automobile market is one of the third largest markets, after China and Japan, both of manufacturing and consumption. The U.S. automobile industry has long historic development from the early decades of the 19th. There were over 1800 automobile manufacturers in the United States in the past. Although very few can survive and only a few new ones were started after that period, they are on the top automakers of the world. Moreover, it attracts most of the biggest foreign automakers to locate factories and invest, such as Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mitsubishi, etc. Recently, the automobile industry dramatically down caused the shortage resource and the current economic crisis. The U.S. automobile cannot avoid this trend. However, the general industry and Big Three U.S. automakers General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford recover gradually whereby the timely auto industry bailout and restructuring of the President Barack Obamas government. II. THE CURRENT MACRO-ENVIRONMENT OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY There are many external forces that can affect an industrys performance and hence to know well about the environment is the best way for improving the strength as well as reducing the weaknesses of companies in the field. This analysis of Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, Political and legal forces that affect the automobile manufacturing industry will be presented as follows. 1. Socio-cultural forces It cannot be deny that in todays society, people are judged on the type of cars they drive. Anyone who drives a nice and expensive vehicle is thought to be wealthy and success. People will find them-selves more valuable and feel better when they drive a nice and new car and therefore, car manufacturers target their markets by these thoughts. For example, with Mercedes-Benz, the producer launched three types of cars, which represent the brands value: luxury, safety, innovation. They are A-Class, F400-Carving and C-Class which being able to appeal the significant diversity of Mercedes-Benz in conquering the customers. Another thought provoking issue of the socio cultural is the environmental concerns for the need of fuel-efficient vehicles. Many environmentalists are worried about the impact that the gas cars have on the environment. The lower amount of gas emission emits into the air, the better the environment becomes. Therefore this problem also is taken into consideration by specialists of automobile companies. 2. Technological forces The U.S. is the worlds largest producer and consumer of motor vehicles with production of 16 million units every year. To increase its scale, the U.S automotive industry continues to experience technological change by investing on research and develop projects every year. These plan aim at finding out clean and renewable energy resources so that car can be used in the most efficient way. In addition to this, improving the quality of engine, making new more functions, changing technical innovation and styles for cars are also the objects that car-manufacturers want to bring to customers. Getting success as today, automobile industry should consider Internet as an important and useful instrument that make the business easier and more convenient. Thanks to its functions, the business of automobile industry becomes more efficiency and lower cost by e-booking, payment, connecting suppliers and customers online. For example, Ford, GM, and Daimler Chrysler created a global online exchange for suppliers and the original equipment manufacturers. 3. Economic forces In the past, the automobile manufacturing industry is regarded as one of the largest and vital industries within the U.S due to its great contributing to this economy in employment and productivity. Reports indicate that motor vehicle production represents over 5 % of the U.S. private sector GDP. However, because of the global crisis and the increase in oil price, 2008 and 2009 are the most difficult periods for automobile companies all over the world. In US, the number of cars sold is significantly reduced to be lower than 30% in 2008 and predicted 50% in 2009, making many automobile companies got into trouble, especially big ones like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. 19.4 billion aid from the U.S. government with 9.5 billion from Canada government can not help General Motors avoid from breaking in 1/6/2009. The car consumption of Ford Corporation also decreased significantly, they had to close four plants in the U.S. and thousands of workers to leave work until now. The head of corporate manufacturing automotive components Continental (Germany) Karl-Thomas Neumann is predicted, the crisis in the automobile industry could take up to the next 5 years. This means that over 50 million people live based on the automobile industry will have to face unemployment in this period. 4. Ecological forces After the crisis, major technology trends that automobile production corporations want to aim at are comfortable, friendly environment with consumption of fuel savings cars. In present, Hybrid vehicles with fuel economy of fuel consumption at 35 km per liter gasoline are taken into consideration and eventually moving to the car model that does not use fuel as crude oil is development direction of the automobile industry in the near future. Besides, Pollution Prevention Project will be carried out regularly with the hope of finding innovative ways to keep our environment healthier and cleaner. 5. Political and legal forces Since the 1960s, the U.S. government has issued regulations that affect the production and consumption of cars in this country. Accordingly, almost all of the provisions are about environmental related problems and the safety of the drivers as well as passengers. The first National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act that forced manufacturers to improve the safety for the passengers, the driver visibility, and the braking of the car were approved in 1966. After that, there was also growing concern for the environment, many Acts were introduced in order to set standards for automobile pollution and decrease in automobile emission such as The Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act, Clean Air Act. Then, after the oil crisis in the 1970s, The Energy Policy and Conservation Act stated that all automobiles must meet a certain mileage per gallon to ensure that the amount of energy could be saved as much as possible. III. THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT In todays fierce competitive environment, the firms need to achieve competitive advantages for competing, existing and growing. Accordingly, the firms must recognize the environment that powerfully influences the firms. In American automobile industry, the automobile manufacturers have realized the environments influence to automotive industry. At the same time, they must look at the main sources of competitive forces and how high or low competitive force is. As stated by Wheelen and Hunger (2008, p. 83) about the six sources of competition in Porters Five Forces model. This framework is used to identify the opportunities and threats for entering in to a particular industry. It is featured as follow: Rivalry amongst existing firms in the industry The American automobile industry includes three major manufacturers, General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler. On the other hand, it has also two Japanese biggest competitors, Honda and Toyota. Now we will discuss about how strong each competitive force is and which they affect on the attractiveness of the American automotive industry. 1. The threat of new entrants-Barriers to entry New entrants can threaten the market share of existing competitors. One reason new entrants pose such a threat is that they bring additional production capacity, reducing the attractiveness. (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskinsson, 2008). The threat of new entrants is low in the American automobile industry because of some main reasons. First, the American automobile industry now is mature and it has attained economies of scale. Although Honda and Toyota have invested heavily in America to produce cars, now the crisis in the auto industry and the slow sluggish state of the global economy lead to small demand; therefore, new entrants are not interested to enter this sector. Besides, this heavy industry requires a significant amount of capital for producing automobiles as well as research and development new designs. It also demands modern technologies, management and marketing skills. Besides, establishing the intermediaries for distributing the products is not the simply problem in America. The firms must look for the dealership to sell their automobiles. These entry barriers are substantial that make it difficult for new automakers. Accordingly, it is not easy for any new entrants to enter the American automobile industry. 2. Bargaining power of suppliers According to Hill and Jones (2008), the bargaining power of suppliers is the suppliers ability to raise input prices or the costs of the industry by providing poor quality inputs or poor services. In the automobile industry, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. The auto manufactures need several components from suppliers. Moreover, there are many suppliers in this sector. We can see that suppliers in the U.S automobile industry have little power. Therefore, the auto manufacturers have many options for bargaining prices and deliveries. If suppliers do not meet some main qualifications such as quality and delivery, the auto manufacturers can switch to other suppliers. Besides, the automakers can have many opportunities to force down input price as well as demand higher quality inputs. 3. Bargaining power of buyers Wheelen and Hunger (2008) mentioned that buyers could have an effect on an industry through their ability to force down price, bargain for high quality or more services. Thus, powerful buyers should be viewed as a threat of the industry. The bargaining power of the buyers in the American automobile industry is high. Nowadays, customers easily get information and have many options in choosing brands and models of cars between auto suppliers. Some of qualifications that they based on in choosing cars are quality, price, appearance, efficient, and so on. Because of the variety of lifestyle, customers purchase the cars in different ways. Besides, the switching costs are low in automobile industry. As a result, the buyers can play off the supplying company against each other to force down price. Whats more, a buyer has the potential to integrate backward by producing the product itself as a bargaining tool. Ford and General Motor have used the threat of manufacturing a component themselves instead of buying it from suppliers. 4. The threat of substitute products Hitt, Ireland and Hoskinsson (2008) pointed out that substitute products are goods or services from outside a given industry that perform similar or the same functions as a products that the industry produce. The threat of substitute products in U.S automobile industry is medium. Although people can travel by several public transportation means such as subways, trains, buses, the need of automobiles is inevitable in todays modern life. Traveling by automobiles bring conveniences and dependences for people whenever and wherever they want to go. Moreover, in using subways, trains, buses, the switching costs are high in considering of time, money and convenience. The cost of fuel consumption, the maintenance costs, the annual insurance fee, and so on in using automobiles may be higher than traveling by public transportation means. Thus, we can see that the threat of substitute products is depend on personal preference and it can be seen mild in automobile industry. 5. Rivalry among existing firms in the industry Rivalry refers to the competitive struggle between companies in an industry to gain market share from each other (Hill and Jones, 2008). Rivalry among competitors is extremely intense in the American automobile industry. There are few competitors in this sector and they are roughly equal in size. We can consider that American automobile industry is a consolidated industry because a small number of large automobile companies dominate this industry. They are General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler. In todays economic recession with slow market growth, each auto company watches each other carefully and fights to take market share from each other. They compete with each other by offering long-term warranties to customers. Besides, the rivalry among existing firms is high in this industry because of not much differentiation opportunities. General Motors, Fords, and Daimler Chrysler produce automobiles and sport utility vehicles. They evaluate about the price, quality, product design, and after-sales services and support of each other in competing to gain market share. Overall, the competition between American automakers can strengthen the attractiveness of automobile market as well as improve the product quality and after-sales services in automobile industry. 6. Relative power of other stakeholders The US government has low power over the automobile industry. General Motors, Fords have plants outside the United States, where U.S laws are not applicable. Forces driven by market demand are the only forces that significantly affect profit potential of auto industry. Accordingly, the relative power of other stakeholders ability to affect profit potential is low. After analyzing the Porters Five Forces model in the American automobile industry, we can see that the threat of new entrants is low through high entry barriers. The rivalry among existing firms is extremely intense because of few automakers in this sector. The overall impact from buyers bargaining power to the industrys attractiveness is high because customers have many options. Suppliers have limited bargaining power in this industry. The threat of substitute products is moderate and the relative power of other stakeholders is low. IV. MAPPING OF THE KEY STRATEGIC GROUPS AND ANALYSIS OF THE COMPETITORS According to Anthony Henry (2007) and Gregory, Lumpkin Marilyn (2002), the purpose of strategic group mapping is help organization identify their directly competitors, recognize mobility barriers, indicate the direction in which their strategies are moving to determine industry competition and analyze trends in the general and competitive environment. Automotive industry is one of the most complicated industries in which the giant corporations own many brands and focus on many different market sectors. The price of the product in the automotive industry is not only depended the cost but also related to the brand image of the firm. Those are the reason why this report chose the brand image and product ranger as the two variances for the two dimensions. Base on two dimensions as mentioned above, five strategic groups are formed. These groups are mainly formed base on the difference of brand image. However, the criterion of product ranger is very useful when mentioning about the luxury and extreme luxury group. The first group includes firms that have the brand image as low class / low price (Hyundai, Kia, Tata†¦). However, this group is the second highest wide range of product cluster. All most of those firms are defender. The short-term strategy of the companies mostly is cost orientation. The strategy of these organizations is try to clear the image of the low class, low quality brand and endeavor to enter to the second group which is middle class brands. The way that Hyundai try to do is build a new image of a quality brand when they offer an extensive warranty (7 years, 100,000 miles) (Gregory at all, 2002) The second group is the most powerful cluster. They have the most wide range of product which cover all most of segment of the automotive market exclude S-segment (Appendix I car classification). Majority of them are analyzers type. Toyota is a typical example. They have a wide range of current traditional engine product, which can give it a stable fundamental for them to innovate in the other sector. On the other sector, Toyota innovate the new generation hybrid engine (Toyota Prius), which is the solution in the world of traditional energy shortage nowadays. In the future, as the competitors in the same strategic group, Honda and Ford are going to introduce the new generation hybrid cars to compete with Toyota. To reach to the higher class of customers, these firms that stick with the image of middle class car try not to introduce a new high-class line but create a new higher-class brand or purchase an existence higher-class brand. With this purpose, Toyota creates Lexus, Nissan owns Infiniti, Volkswagen has Audi, Bentley and Bugatty etc. The third group is the high-class cluster. The price is higher than the middle-class mainly because the brand image and the performance of engine. In this group, the ranger of product is narrower than the middle class group because of the focus on the higher income group. To reach the higher class of customer, those firms also implicate the same strategy with the second group, which create new brands or purchase new ones. For example, BMW owns Rolls Royce. The fourth and fifth group is the luxury and extremely luxury car. Those two groups differ between each other not only on the price but also on the target customer although they are seemed in the same position when we mention in the ranger of product. The fourth group mainly focuses on the sport car, which has the high speed and hi-end technology. The target customers are young successful businessperson and celebrities. On the other section, the target customers of fifth group are people have the high state in the society, successful executives and of very rich. Because of the difference in the target customer and brand history image, the barrier of motivation is very high between those two groups. The group that this report focus on is the middle class which is the most profitable and innovative group in the automotive industry FORD Henry Ford in June 16, 1903 founded Ford Motors Company, which would go on to become one of the most profitable and largest companies in the world. As known one of the largest family-controlled companies, Ford family has been continuous controlling this company for over 100 years. The company locates the head-quarter in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Ford is currently the fourth-largest automaker in the world and the third in US based on number of vehicle sold annually which records 1,602,011 in the U.S. market and 5,407,000 in the global market. In 2008, Ford employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Well-known brand and history Product diversification Offering hybrid and environmental friendly cars Good marketing plan: Bold Moves Sponsoring and financing for big event. Product has a good review: quality, reliability, moderate price. Firestone tire recalls. CEO Jacques Nasser and Chairman Bill Ford Jr. cannot get along. Their overseas allocation and outsourcing creates fewer jobs in America. Their products are getting lower quality due to use cheap ways to make them. HONDA Soichiro Honda found the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu in October 1946, to develop and produce small 2-cycle motorbike engines. Two years later, Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was born, and in 1959, Honda opened its first storefront in Los Angeles with six industrious employees. Today, Honda employs nearly 27,000 people in all 50 states. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Good brand in producing high quality products from cars to motorcycles to lawn mowers. One of the largest manufacturers of motorcycles in the world Awards for initial quality and customer satisfaction Pioneer in engineering low emissions internal combustion and hybrid technology. Higher price for non-luxury vehicles. Non-attractive in truck product. High technology cost cause over-price for consumer. MITSUBISHI MOTOR Basically, Mitsubishi Motors is one member of Mitsubishi group was found on April 22, 1970, and was based on the successful introduction of the first Galant. Until now, MMC has 33,202 employees and 12,761 non-consolidated employees, as of March 2008. The Mitsubishi brand was introduced to the American market for the first time in 1971. Until now, they employ about 18,500 employees across United States. Nearly two-thirds of the Mitsubishi vehicles are sold in the U.S; particularly this number is 58,963 in the end of 2008. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES 4th largest automaker in Japan Restructuring Recovery plan. Strong brand awareness. Member of Mitsubishi Group. Poor model awareness. Loss of RD engineers. Weak uncertain leadership. Eclipse brand strongly associated with Female buyers. History of product recalls TOYOTA Toyota Motors Corporation was established on 28 August 1937 as independent company, headquarter is being located in Toyota city, Japan. The founder of Toyota was Kiichiro Toyoda. Nowadays, Toyota is basing 26 factories to produce vehicles, and marketing distribution in more than 170 countries in the world. In 2008, Toyota passed General Motors to become the No1 automaker in USA and the worlds largest automaker in global sales for the first time in history. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Well-trained employees. Strong leadership. Global organization, with a strong international position in 170 countries worldwide. High financial strength. Strong brand image based on quality, environmental friendly (greener), customized range. The largest automaker. Well culture-friendly, family†¦ encourages employees. Product diversification, developing the hybrid- motor product ranges. Japanese car manufacturer seen as a foreign importer. Quality issues due to rge-scale re-call made in 2005. Most products targeted to the US and Japan only shifting attention to the Chinese market. VOLKSWAGEN Founded by Ferdinand Porsche on May 28, 1937 as â€Å"Grsellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† and renamed as â€Å"Volkswagenwerk GmbH† in 1938, from a small car company, nowadays Volkswagen becomes the largest automobile maker in the world by vehicle production (Autocar, 2009) STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Aggressive and talent leadership High financial strength. The largest automaker. High reputation German quality engine Cost-control with the purchasing list Non-stop requirement for the new project Special production testing process (manager attend the test drives) Lower position than Toyota and Honda in the market share Bad public image because of GM sue Not good relationship with their investors V. THE COMMENTATION VI. CONCLUSION Automobile industry is one of the most important industries contributed the U.S. worldwide dominated position. However, this industry now is facing the worst crisis of the car industry in the past decades. The most urgent task is recovering this crisis. Moreover, finding out the new developed trend is the main strategic for whole the industry.