“GOD” and “DOG” Essay

Growing up, my summers were often spent at my uncle’s ranch. My mom would drive me up and leave me for about 2 to 3 weeks. Those were the most fruitful and fun-filled summers of my life. At the ranch, I would be far removed from city life and its hectic schedule. Instead, I would spend my mornings in bed, often waking up late to have a very fine breakfast prepared by my aunt. My cousins were very accommodating and my friendship with them remains to be part of my most-treasured memories. We still keep in touch by E-mail, and sometimes see each other when our schedules allow. Idyllic and fun as it was, the most â€Å"haunting† and persistent memory I have of those summers at the ranch is that of Evan. Evan is one of my uncle’s farm hands’ son, and although he was only slightly older than we were, he had already started working at the farm since he was eight or nine. His friendship helped shape the way I am now, and made a positive impact in my life. His story and friendship became a personal cause for me, and I am hoping I could lay it down to make it into a more public advocacy. * * * At first I thought his name was Moe, because my cousins called him â€Å"Slow Moe. † He was shy and kept to himself, and never went out of his way to talk to us. Mon, my eldest cousin, had another, and simpler, nickname for him: â€Å"Stupid. † I felt sorry for him. And maybe that was why I tried my best to befriend him. It was not easy at first, but then he cracked a smile and the conversation went smoothly after that. One thing that struck me about â€Å"Moe† was that he was actually intelligent. He knew his work, and was really passionate about the horses he tended to. He knew a lot of things about their nature, how to keep them, and how to pacify them if they were agitated. His knowledge also applied to other animals. We had a great time talking about a lot of other things: about his life, my life, current events, the news, and even the gossip around town. Just about anything and everything was up for discussion. Moreover, he had his own opinions about a lot of issues and I found that really admirable. Sometimes he taught me things like how to ride a horse, or how to jump into the lake without landing so painfully on my stomach. He also taught me about constellations, their names and how to identify them. I also found out his real name was Evan, but he had learned to live with â€Å"Moe†. One night, I ventured asking why he was not in school. Evan just chuckled and said that those kids were â€Å"evil. † I later found out that Evan attended up to the first grade and then refused to go back. His last day at school was an ugly episode wherein some kids in his class called him all kinds of names and beat him almost to death. My cousins initially resented the time I spent with Evan, and even the few times I brought him along with us. He was an outsider, they protested. And they were ashamed to be seen in town with the â€Å"farm hand† with â€Å"no lights on up there. † But Evan eventually won them over, and with my cousins realizing that they have been wrong with the guy, they developed a better relationship with him. Soon, his nickname was rarely mentioned among us, and we started using his real name. Evan is a dyslexic. During that time, however, he was just plain â€Å"stupid. † I doubt if his parents ever knew his condition or cared about it. Evan was taught at home by his mom, who used pictures and drawings to get herself understood. Evan was alright with verbal explanation, but not written ones. I learned about his condition when we ventured into town with my cousins and stopped by a bookstore. He was looking at the sign outside the store and read the sign as â€Å"bokos†. I laughed and he immediately fell silent. I sensed something was wrong, but I kept quiet about it until we reached home. Because we were already close friends by that time, I asked him about it.. He admitted that he â€Å"couldn’t read,† and I told him I could not believe that. He seemed to be a smart and intelligent person, there is no way he was illiterate. He shook his head and insisted that he could not read. He explained that when he read, he always read it wrong. Evan explained that to him, E, M, and W all looked alike, as well as G, O and D. So he reads â€Å"GOD† and â€Å"DOG† as â€Å"OOO†. He further said that there are times that he could see the letters, and know what they are, but that they â€Å"danced around†. Like if he sees the word CAT, he can identify the letters C, A and T, but he could not string it together. Sometimes he’d see it as C, A and T, sometimes it’s A, C, and T. * * * Dyslexia is a disability that affects an individual’s reading and writing skills, a condition that is present in 10% of the general population in various forms and degrees (Dyslexia Action, undated, online). Today, an estimated 15% of American students suffer from dyslexia, and up to half of all Americans have some form of undetected learning disabilities. Other studies also report that as many as 2. 9 million school-aged American children have learning disabilities (Edwards, 2006, online. ) Heather Hardie, citing dyslexia expert Sylvia Moody, writes that dyslexia is simply difficulty with writing and reading, which may stem from short-term memory weakness, faulty information processing, and weak perceptual, spatial and motor skills. A dyslexic, therefore, can have problems with poor concentration and poor memory. It may manifest subtly, like when a child is slow in reading certain words, but reads them correctly; or it may be severe and obvious like in Evan’s case. Dr. Moody adds that a dyslexic may exhibit other symptoms and problems like bouts of forgetfulness, difficulties in organization and in keeping time. (Hardie, 2006, p. 26). The overall effects are dramatic. To a child suffering from dyslexia, school work may suffer. Reading is such a basic skill that’s required in nearly all school subjects that a dyslexic child is put at a great disadvantage, and often leading to problems with learning. The child usually fails in school. It can also lead to low self-esteem, delinquency, aggression, behavioral problems, and social withdrawal (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007, online). This was clearly seen in Evan’s case. He was extremely shy and preferred to work away from us and mostly kept to himself. This was unfortunate, because his friendship made my summers at my uncle’s farm more memorable. I hate to think how many friendships were not developed because of dyslexia. How many children had wanted to reach out and say hi, but was stumped by the fear of being laughed at. The moniker and label â€Å"dyslexic† is bad enough, but being thought of as â€Å"stupid† is a million times worse. A child with dyslexia needs a supportive environment both at home and at school. A parent should explain to the child that it is not his or her fault, and patiently explain the condition to him or her, this will enable the child to cope and compensate for his or her disability. Parents of dyslexic children should also get in touch with teachers, and it might help if they find support groups that can provide both emotional support and good information (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007, online). Dyslexic students grow up to be dyslexic adults, and in the workplace, dyslexia is not much kinder to those who suffer from it. In fact, Linda Goldman and Joan Lewis (2007) writes that information processing disorders, like dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are considered legal disabilities, giving the suffered adequate legal protection against discrimination and requires employers to ensure fairness by making â€Å"reasonable adjustments† in terms of recruiting, training, employing and promoting employees with dyslexia (p. 16). Often a dyslexic worker produces below par work output, manifests poor timekeeping, and often fails to remember instructions. This puts him or her at greater risk to be terminated from work, especially if his or her condition goes undiagnosed and unrecognized (Goldman and Lewis, 2007, p. 16). Even so, most employees with dyslexia need only more time to do their work and to correct problems related to concentration and coordination. This is what â€Å"reasonable adjustments† are all about (Goldman and Lewis, 2007, p. 16). However, I take heart in the stories of a lot of people who have succeeded in spite of having dyslexia. Pamela Coyle (1996) chronicles the travails and successes of three of them: Sylvia Ann Law, David Glass and Jonathan Pazer. All of them are noted dyslexics, yet each one succeeded in their fields. Sylvia Law became a professor of, appropriately, law. She also teaches medicine and psychiatry. She is the author of several books and has served as lecturer, as well as strong influence in the fields of civil rights and poverty law. David Glass and Jonathan Pazer are both practicing lawyers. (pp. 64-67). Heather Hardie (2006, p. 24) adds businessman Richard Branson, comedian Eddie Izzard and architect Richard Rogers to the list. Their lives are shining examples of how dyslexia could be overcome, if only one does not give in to low self-esteem and engage in self-pity. More than that, a child with dyslexia should grow up in a supportive environment that would not only foster his development, but also instill in him or her the confidence needed to grow and live life. * * * The last time I saw Evan was more than two years ago. He had become a handsome and confident young man, and has a steady girlfriend who, along with Evan’s mother, is helping him study for a high school equivalency test. At the time, he was also working at a local fast food chain as a janitor, and at the local school doing odd jobs. But Evan still shies away from contact and conversation with strangers. For my part, I am happy to have met him at a time when I was growing up. He made me think and realize that people have their own problems, and it is difficult to judge them by what we see. Moreover, he made me realize that what’s more important is what we do not see. If I had not scratched below the surface, I would still be one of those kids who continue to call him â€Å"Slow Moe,† and that would have deprived me of a friend who had made my summers at the farm richer and more fulfilling with his stories, tips, and jokes. In a sense, I know I could never thank Evan enough for the impact he had in my life. But I know that I am thanking him with every child, dyslexic or not, that I tutor on reading and writing as a volunteer for our neighborhood pre-school. I am thanking him by not being mean to other people when they show a kind of â€Å"weirdness† or â€Å"stupidity. † I am thanking him by not judging people I meet right away. I wish I could do more. I want to tell Evan the next time I see him all about Sylvia Law and other people whom I think would influence him to do better with his life despite his disability. In fact, I hope to be able to tell people just how wrong they are at labeling dyslexic people â€Å"stupid. † What they need is love and support. They need all the leeway they can get to help them overcome their disability. They have all the potential to succeed in life, if we—friends, teachers, fellow students, employers, colleagues, and parents—only give them the chance. Acknowledgments: First of all, I want to thank (name of teacher) for giving us this assignment. This exercise has given me the opportunity to think about my life and appreciate a person who I never really thought much about before. Alvin John for proofreading all those drafts and giving suggestions that helped shape this paper. And of course, Evan for the friendship and the insights. References 2007. Dyslexia: Complications. Retrieved July 11, 2008, from Mayo Clinic, Web site: http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/dyslexia/DS00224/DSECTION=complications 2007. Dyslexia: Coping and Support. Retrieved July 11, 2008, from Mayo Clinic, Web site: http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/dyslexia/DS00224/DSECTION=coping Coyle, Pamela (1996). What Sylvia Law, Jonathan Pazer and David Glass confront when they read or write. ABA Journal, 82, 64. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 10121349).

Group Dynamics Essay

Q. 2 what are the types of groups and group dynamics? Answer2: A social process by which people interacts with each other in small group is known as group dynamics. The word dynamic is Greek word which means study of forces operating within a group for the social interaction. Interaction in small group is not always governed by rules and regulations and conventions. In these small groups social relations between persons may play an important role in communication. The Word Dynamics means force. The term group dynamics refers to the forces operating wide in groups for social interest. The investigation of group dynamics consists of a study of these forces and the conditions modifying them. The practical application of group dynamics consists of the utilisation of knowledge about these forces for the achievement of some purpose. Group dynamics is the combination of the certain techniques to be used within groups. GROUP TYPES One common way to classify group is by whether they are formal or informal in nature. Formal work groups are established by an organization to achieve organizational goals. Formal groups may take the form of command groups, task groups, and functional groups. Formal & Informal groups: Formal groups are created and maintained to fulfil specific needs related to the overall organizational mission: a. Designed by Top management for achieving organizational goals b. Concentrates more on the performance of job c. People are placed in hierarchy and their status determined accordingly d. Co-ordination of members are controlled through process, procedures etc Informal Groups are created in the organization because of social and psychological forces operating at the workplace. a. A natural outcome at the work place & not designed and planned b. Organization is coordinated by group norms and not by norms of the formal organization c. Such group associations are not specified in the blue-print of the formal organization COMMAND GROUPS. Command groups are specified by the organizational chart and often consist of a supervisor and the subordinates that report to that supervisor. An example of a command group is an academic department chairman and the faculty members in that department. TASK GROUPS. Task groups consist of people who work together to achieve a common task. Members are brought together to accomplish a narrow range of goals within a specified time period. Task groups are also commonly referred to as task forces. The organization appoints members and assigns the goals and tasks to be accomplished. Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new product, the improvement of a production process, or the proposal of a motivational contest. Other common task groups are ad hoc committees, project groups, and standing committees. Ad hoc committees are temporary groups created to resolve a specific complaint or develop a process. Project groups are similar to ad hoc committees and normally disband after the group completes the assigned task. Standing committees are more permanent than ad hoc committees and project groups. They maintain longer life spans by rotating members into the group. FUNCTIONAL GROUPS. A functional group is created by the organization to accomplish specific goals within an unspecified time frame. Functional groups remain in existence after achievement of current goals and objectives. Examples of functional groups would be a marketing department, a customer service department, or an accounting department. In contrast to formal groups, informal groups are formed naturally and in response to the common interests and shared values of individuals. They are created for purposes other than the accomplishment of organizational goals and do not have a specified time frame. Informal groups are not appointed by the organization and members can invite others to join from time to time. Informal groups can have a strong influence in organizations that can either be positive or negative. For example, employees who form an informal group can either discuss how to improve a production process or how to create shortcuts that jeopardize quality. Informal groups can take the form of interest groups, friendship groups, or reference groups. FRIENDSHIP GROUPS. Friendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar social activities, political beliefs, religious values, or other common bonds. Members enjoy each other’s company and often meet after work to participate in these activities. For example, a group of employees who form a friendship group may have an exercise group, a softball team, or a potluck lunch once a month. REFERENCE GROUPS. A reference group is a type of group that people use to evaluate themselves. According to Cherrington, the main purposes of reference groups are social validation and social comparison. Social validation allows individuals to justify their attitudes and values while social comparison helps individuals evaluate their own actions by comparing themselves to others. Reference groups have a strong influence on members’ behavior. By comparing themselves with other members, individuals are able to assess whether their behaviour is acceptable and whether their attitudes and values are right or wrong. Reference groups are different from the previously discussed groups because they may not actually meet or form voluntarily. For example, the reference group for a new employee of an organization may be a group of employees that work in a different department or even a different organization. Family, friends, and religious affiliations are strong reference groups for most individuals. Factors influencing Team and Group  Dynamics Following are some of the factors which influence Team and Group Dynamics. The factors are as follows:   1. The Context of the Team The country and geographic region form a larger culture in which the organization operates. All of these contribute to the economic, political, technical, and cultural climates in which the organization, the team, and the individuals operate. 2. The Organization The kind of organization, such as business, or non-profit, along with the organizational culture will influence the team functioning just as much as the division of the organization such as sales, research, operations, etc. 3. The Team Identity Teams have an identity of their own. This identity stems from the interrelationship of the larger culture, the organizational culture, the team configuration, the nature of the work (purpose), and the qualities of the individuals. It is not the sum of the types, or preferences, or temperaments of the team members. There are many kinds of teams including ad hoc, project, executive, management, committees, and so on. Each team has a charter to fulfil a certain role in the organization. Team dynamics is heavily influenced by the nature and purpose of the work to be done by the team. 4. The Individuals Within this mix of influences are the individual team members who likely have specific kinds of work to perform and specific roles on the team. Individual members influence the team dynamics as well, so much so that when the composition of the team changes, the team dynamics will change.

Potential Rewards and Risks of Strategies for International Essay

Potential Rewards and Risks of Strategies for International Organisations - Essay Example Planning and preparation of strategies for an organisation become very crucial as those, at times, determine the fate of the organisation. Globalisation is the modern approach of business. Many organisations operate their business globally providing it with huge market to operate. In the present context, the strategies of an organisation are quite developed which mostly deal with the overall development of the business enterprise, generally focusing on the growth of the organisation, nationally and internationally. Strategies can be referred to the set of plans which are prepared and developed by the higher level of management of the organisation. This paper involves with the reasons behind the preparation and usage of strategies by the organisation. It also includes the means of strategies used by the organisations for their international operations (John & Gillies, 1996). Reasons behind the International Businesses Usage of Strategies Strategies are prepared by an organisation with an intention to deal with any unfavoured consequences, if occurred, in future context and so to grow the business in both future and present context. A well planned strategy helps to organise and to allocate the available resources of an organisation into a distinct and feasible position focusing on the internal competencies and drawbacks. Strategies prepared by the organisation are expected to anticipate changes in the environment and the moves taken by intelligent competitors (John & Gillies, 1996). ... Strategies are prepared by the organisations with various intentions. Quite a few strategies are prepared by the organisations which operate its business nationally and internationally. Strategies once prepared help an organisation to achieve a clear sense of direction for the business which also helps the organisation to take a forward view and establish a clear set of objectives and goals. Strategies prepared by the management have proved to be helpful for the better functioning of the business as they provide important integrating and co-ordinating function for the companies operating largely in context of economy. Strategies are prepared by the internationally functioning organisation to ascertain the marketing trends and to help the organisation by supporting it with sustainable growth. Strategies help the organisation through this role of co-ordination to minimize intra-organisational conflict including tensions in headquarters and relationships among subsidiaries. The higher l evel managers of organisation prepare strategies as it serves as a guide to action, providing a framework for the companies functioning and operating their business worldwide to take operational and administrative decisions. The strategies encourage the corporate performance by maximising strengths and opportunities, minimizing weaknesses and treats. Strategies enable an organisation to respond successfully to the uncertainty, complexity and competitiveness of the international business environment encountered by firms of increasing global scope (Mintzberg, 2003). Preparation of the strategies is done by the management with great attention. There are various required fields where

Syndicated Loans And Bonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Syndicated Loans And Bonds - Essay Example To gain a clear perspective of what a syndicated loan facility, let us first understand the nature thereof. Syndication can be loosely translated in terms of pooling of resources and capital. Banks are syndicated when they come together to carry out a single or multiple business transactions to a single or multiple individuals. One of the most popular transactions which these syndicated banks undertake is the syndicated loan facility. A syndicated loan facility is the term, which refers to a long-term loan, issued by a number of banks collectively to a single client or borrower. A lead institution or bank will serve as the secretariat and manage the syndicate. Typically, not all banks that will respond to the call for syndication have the same financial capacity and standing, they may not be on equal footing at all. Thus, the need for a system that will allow the participating banks to limit their participation according to their capacity in order to mitigate any incidents that may potentially lead to overexposure1. In other words, participating banks maintain their own independent operati ons and the participating banks only maintain â€Å"an arm’s length relationship†2 with each other. By contrast, bonds are securities issued by companies to the public as evidence of indebtedness. Bonds are promises to pay the principal as well as interest to its holder at a certain specified time indicated in the instrument. Government and business corporations for a number of purposes, which are generally indicated on the face of the certificates, may issue it. Generally, issuance of bonds is another form of borrowing money. Thus, the relationship formed between the issuer of the bond and that of the holder thereof is that of a debtor and creditor. Bonds are highly saleable commodities3 as they are considered a safe form of investment and can be used as collateral to support loan4.

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 17

Project management - Essay Example Mediation regarding theory development in project management is not a recent development; this essay has discussed the fit between several published theories regarding project management and individual practice as a result of my participation in the Being-Active project. There are several published theories about management, though this article has touch on a few that were relevant with the discourse. Actually, the discipline of project management is not the only discipline of knowledge that within its progression falls into this trap of reinforcing its theoretical base as one of the academic discipline. Theory can be described as a scientific principle facilitating prediction and avails explanation for a given phenomenon as contrary to the body of knowledge (Tauber, 2007). In respect to this, a theory as the way it has been defined in natural sciences entails empirical verifications founded on direct observations and personal experience as per laws or scientific typology that assists in organizing things, give an explanation for the past and predicting the future occurrences and help explain the factor behind the way things do happen. Most entrepreneurs are most likely to have employees with skills in project management. This may be so in that learning the skill of project management becomes more useful and important. Good project managers are come from experience or being train ed, and not by birth. (Blanco, 2011) In getting involved in ActiveBeing project 2014-15, there are several managerial theories that one may notice as to being in use. There are some critics who argue that there is no explicit theory of project management (nmbm). During the stay, there were a lot of activities which needed to be handled in order to achieve the goals at the end of it all. As new entrants into the field of management that is competitively hard to handle, it was advisable to

The Lord Of The Ring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Lord Of The Ring - Research Paper Example Long before, there existed twenty rings: nine were for men, seven for dwarves, three for elves and another unique ring was made by the Dark lord Sauron in Mordor and would rule all the others. This last ring is the one that stirs conflict in the story and ensures continuity. The story is divided in three parts: the Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers and the Return of the King. This paper will discuss the conflicts faced by the protagonist, the ways he deals with them and whether he succeeds in his quest (Tolkien 49). Conflicts between the Protagonist and Other Characters and how he resolves them Frodo is the ring bearer and the protagonist in the trilogy. He is a young hobbit chosen by the wizard Gandalf to return the ring to Mordor. This happens when the eccentric hobbit Bilbo departs from his home in the Shire and gives his most treasured ring to Frodo. Due to the difficulty he had in giving away his ring, the Wizard Gandalf suspects that it is the powerful ring forged by Sauro n. The wizard warns Frodo that the ring must be destroyed since Sauron had already learnt of its whereabouts from the creature Gollum (Tolkien 53). This is the main conflict in the story that revolves around the protagonist. The conflict is to get the ring destroyed and prevent Sauron from getting it. Frodo accepts this quest and burden and promises to take it to the safety of Rivendell. In the first part, the protagonist is in conflict with the obstacles that come between him and his destination. He sets off for the journey with three other companions, Merry, Pippin and Sam, his fellow hobbits. The black riders are an obstacle that conflicts with Frodo on the road. They are attacked near the ancient Watchtower of the Weathertop. The ring wants to reveal itself since it senses the close proximity of its servants. Frodo, on the other hand, wants to hide the ring. Part of the desire to slip on the ring comes from its power. Frodo copes with this mind conflict when the black rider sudd enly sits up and rides away. In another episode, Frodo is not tempted to put on the ring. Instead, he invokes Elbereth and Luthien; the leader stabbed him with an evil enchantment and tried to force him to surrender. Heavy floods wash the black riders away while Arwarm rushes to Rivendell on a horse back with badly injured Frodo (O'Day 123). In Rivendell, it is decided that the ring must be destroyed at mount Doom, its place of origin which is also Sauron’s home country. Frodo for the second time accepts to deliver the ring to its destruction. The fellowship of the ring is formed to accompany him in the journey. Many obstacles triggers conflict between them and Frodo as there were many others who wanted the ring for themselves. First was one of the wisest wizards, Saruman the white, who wants to keep the ring to himself. This episode is followed by an unnatural snow that almost burries them, but they retreated. These obstacles act as a physical conflict between Frodo and his quest. But he does not give up the ring to the wrong people. Frodo carries a sword to defend himself, but he rarely uses it. His heroism is brought out by his endurance to the weight of the ring (Tolkien 169). They decide to brave themselves through the mines of Moria which also has many darker obstacles. Gollum begins to go after them, and they are later attacked by a terrible demon known as Balrog. Gandalf holds it

The Appearance Of Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Appearance Of Painting - Essay Example In this painting, there is no real texture which appears as brushwork and impasto. However, the bold or noticeable texture appears a little bit on the rocks. A value in this painting includes high-key and low-key. The high key appears almost in the middle visible horizontal line starting from the middle of the building moving towards its right side. The low key value appears on the waves, the clouds, the rocks and the mountains. Together, the high-key and low-key values make a strong contrast as is visible At first sight of the painting.In this painting, space is obviously noticeable. The front houses overlap the other house and the big mountain behind the house overlaps the other mountain. The rocks as well overlap each other. In addition, the shading in the waves and the clouds indicate space, different sizes, and positions of the buildings, the rocks, and the mountains. The perspective of this painting indicates space too as it appears as atmospheric view in this painting.In this painting, colors appear natural. Appearing in this painting, some of the natural colors is blue(on the waves) and green(on the mountaintop). Some parts of the waves have a tint of blue making them look lighter than blue whereas, some parts of the waves have a shade of blue making them look darker. This cool color combination gives the painting a peaceful touch and makes the city look like a good place to relax and spend a vacation.Looking at the balance of this painting, it is obvious this painting is of asymmetrical.

ECommerce Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ECommerce - Dissertation Example The second part will develop e-marketing strategies for the organization illustrating the best fit and marketing mix for the organization. The third part would find solution projected at the problems faced and thereby design and develop the strategies highlighted. The next part of the report would consider the budget for the projects and subsequent allocations. Lastly, legal and ethical issues related to the projected are also required to be given importance. Identification of Problems and Prioritization This part of the report discussed the problems that are currently being faced by the company and that would be faced in the setup and implementation of the new center in Birmingham. The IT Academy in its new center intends to open systems wherein they could offer on-line course enrolment and the prospective students could pay the fees online. They need to develop and highly efficient enquiry and student query system that addresses the queries if the student and that had an in-build F AQ section to address frequently asked questions by the students. An uploading and downloading system needs to be developed online at the company website wherein teachers and staff could upload their notes and assignment and students could upload their papers and download notes uploaded. IT Academy for promoting its newly set campus also needs appropriate e-Marketing strategies to continuously promote the academy and the courses offered by it. The e-Marketing techniques when implemented should reflect the strong brand name of the academy and its fundamental power of delivering student courses. The company, at some point of time in future also intends to use advanced technology for delivering its courses to the students. It intends to deliver live lectures with the help of wireless networks so that it could deliver lectures globally at any point of time. This will help the academy to build its brand presence globally and irrespective of the location of the student. But as discussed e arlier, for all this to happen IT academy needs to revamp its network with the help of e-commerce technologies and advertise with the help of e-marketing strategies. For solving the problems and meeting the requirements intended by the academy a proper prioritization plan is required by the company. The prioritizations plan describes how the problem solving approach would be determined and which problem is primary and would be solved first. Prioritization of activities is done primarily on the basis of priority of requirements and linking of activities. In my report developing a proper ecommerce model which is linked to the business model of the IT academy is the prior activity. This is because every other activity is basically linked to the success of this activity. This would act as a base of offering on-line courses and also payment of feed online. This will also build an online system that could handle online queries of the student. Also, based on the effectiveness of ecommerce of IT Academy successful e-marketing strategies could be implemented. So revamping of the e-commerce technology in IT Academic will be priority in my report. E-marketing Strategies After

Society Way Essay Example for Free

Society Way Essay Societies have their own ways of working, and to prepare an individual to live in those societies the individual must has been socialized. Socialization is a process of how we learn the way of society. There are agents that work to form an individual in society such as family, parents, neighborhood, religion, and school. Those agents expect from an individual to act, think, and feel in a certain way, and play roles in life that fit the society. I am from Saudi Arabia. Society over there is nothing like other society, in my opinion. I can understand the similarity of societies, but mine has differentiations from other. I can say that above all agents of socialization religion has the most impact on individuals. Religion in my society is the center of everything; I see it as the big tree and the other agents are branches. Family is number one priority in my society, so the impact that I receive from it is huge. The way I should greet my father and mother is based on family norms, so I have to follow that way. In family the old son is next in responsibility after the father, so the role that he should play has to fulfill the duty of that position. I am the oldest son in my family, so I know what I am talking about. My father taught me to be mature in a young age so I can take care of the family. This kind of teaching considers socialization. He prepared well to live in such a society. So by doing that he expects a certain role from me to do. I see in my society another new agent, or maybe it’s a branch from the family, it’s the tribe. Tribe has a significant meaning to an individual in my society; it is the source of the identity. So for that reason tribe plays a big role in how we, as members of tribe, act toward each other and toward society. Tribe is the extended family. We are siblings, because we share the  seventh father. The leader of the tribe has control and impact on the members. He plays an important role of how we act as a group. When the leader honors a member because he is a very good poet, the poet has to feel happy. Controlling of feelings appeared over here, so I think the tribe is an agent of socialization. Also in big meetings and weddings we have to behave in a typical way that suits our society; no intermixing between men and women in weddings, no excuses for not coming to the wedding, and bring something for the groom and the bride. Parents tend to teach individual what the society e xpects from him/her. The teaching of the parents usually comes in hidden messages form. They always remind the individual how his/her grandfather and grandmother behaved, and how parents followed that. This reminding is a message to the individual that he/she has to walk on the same steps to anticipate in society. Parents tell individual that it’s rude to interrupt someone while talking. That implies society has mores and we should respect them. The experience that the individual has from the parents is long-term experience, and it would play a major role in the individual choices, values, and faith. When I grew up in a Muslim family the expectations from my actions and thought are have to suite a Muslim society. Neighborhood for kids is like the soil for the plant. If the kids were planted in a good soil they will thrive and bloom. The impact that neighborhood has on an individual is essential to the development of individual’s character, motivation, and ideas. I grew up in a neighborhood that has a big mosque in it. I spent most of my time around that mosque with my coterie memorizing chapters from Quran and laws of Islam. That would be a very typical model of a Mus lim society. The neighbors who see me going back and forth to the mosque would greet me and cheer me up, and they may tell their kids to follow me. In neighborhood also individual learns how to hustle his/her way through life, and that considers socialization. I learned how to be carful not lose my control and behave when I am in trouble, because that could means I may cause damage to the repetition of my family or myself. Religion is the source of my society; everything pours out of it. The behaviors, thoughts, morals, values, norms, and mores are coming from the Islam. The way my society judges anyone is based on rules and conditions of Islam. This major role that religion plays over here on society is obvious, even on those who are non-Muslims. They follow the  general rules of a society that they don’t belong to its religion. The way I dress is based on Islamic concept. I can’t dress something too short over the knee in general places, it would be against the concept. Also women have to dress in a certain way if they want to go outside the house, even if they were foreign women. Appropriate attitude is required on such a society; modesty is the general them. I’ve been raised in a Muslim society, so the impact on me is huge and it influences every single thing lf my life. The way an individual greets someone in the street is based on religion, and if the individual doesn’t greet it considers rude. James’s (2012) we would miss the point if we were to assume that religion influences only people who are â€Å"religious.† Religion plays a powerful role even for people who wouldn’t be caught dead near a church, synagogue, or mosque. How? Religious ideas so pervade U.S. society that they provide the foundation of morality for both the religious and the nonreligious. (P79). Resocialization is how an individual learn new principles, behaviors, and tradition of a society. According to James (2012), â€Å" Resocialization is the learning of new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors to match the individual new situation in life. In its most common form, resocialization occurs each time an individual learns something contrary to his/her previous experience† (p. 82). In my society I didn’t used to shake hands with women, and that is based on religious concept. When came to the U.S. in 2011 I faced a lot of women who are workers, and I have to greet them when I meet with them. At the beginning I used to say I don’t shake hands, and I would see enrage in their faces. They think that I am disrespecting them, but the truth is that I am following the rules of my religion. Now in order of resocilization I shake the hands of old women only, I don’t want them to feel angry on me. Studying with females also is resocialization. In my society boys are separated from girls in schools. I used to study with boys only. When came I here at the first day I was nervous about that, but with time I got used to it. That also is a process of resocialization. References Henslin, James, M. (2012). Sociology A down-to-earth approach. Eleventh ed. Boston, MA: Nesbitt graphics Publishers.

Styles Of Learning Essay Example for Free

Styles Of Learning Essay There are three different styles of learning, auditory, visual and tactile. Each one is very different from the other. Visual learners do best by seeing the lessons and even writing the important things. Auditory learners need to hear it and even reading it aloud to do best. Meanwhile tactile do better with hands on approach and do better with the physical when learning. For most people, they have one specific style of learning that helps them best. After taking the learning style assessment, it showed me how I learn best. I have learned  that I am an auditory learner. Being an auditory learner means I learn best by hearing and listening to whatever it is I need to know. One way that really helps me is to read something aloud several times and I usually remember it. I have to sit somewhere with very few distractions to be able to concentrate when I am learning something new or studying. If I hadn’t taken the learning style assessment, I would’ve never learned about being an auditory learner. One thing that is important is to always try new ways to study in a way that best suits your learning style. For instance, if I am trying to stay in a certain area of my home to do my studies but there are too many distractions; then I should find a place to study that is better suited to my learning style. For an auditory learner, I feel the best place to study would be somewhere quiet so I can concentrate but also so I can hear myself reading the work aloud. If I am unable to relocate to a quieter area, then I use ear plugs or headphones to drown out the distracting noises. I try to study in the same place, but I also know it is smarter to study somewhere I can learn the best. The world today has a lot of things that are very beneficial to auditory learners. When attending a class or studying new things, you can record yourself or the teacher and listen to the lesson repeatedly. As an auditory leaner, listening to the lesson will help me remember what I need to learn a lot easier. Another resource that is available, especially at CTU, is all the live classes are recorded and are available to listen to as many times as needed. The world today is all about technology, making it very easy to access audio files anywhere and at any time. Today’s high tech world makes learning very easy, no matter what type of learning style you are. After this assignment, I’ve learned a couple things about being an auditory learner that I didn’t previously know. I never knew that my constant talking to myself had anything to do with my learning style. It also explains why I always read everything to myself when I’m learning, which usually lead to being in trouble for talking in school. Another thing that really stood out to me that I didn’t know was that my learning style had influence over the mismatched color of my  clothes. I always thought it was me being weird or different. The three different learning styles are different from each other. Visual learners tend to be neater and do best when they sit in or near the front of the class. They also pay close attention to the teachers’ expressions and body language to help them understand the lesson. Tactile learners often find it hard to sit still and are often sidetracked by the need to be active. They do best when they take short frequent breaks while learner so they don’t overload themselves with too much at once. They are very hands on people; they express themselves through touching often. In a classroom setting, the learning styles are usually a good mixture of the three styles. The downfall usually is that one style usually annoys the other two and vice versa. Teachers should give the learning style assessment towards the beginning of the classes and try to seat people in the same general area as others with the same earning style to create a more cohesive classroom. Reference: What’s your learning style? http://www. educationplanner. org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz. shtml? event=resultsA=9V=5T=6

Areas to Support Children’s Learning and Development

Areas to Support Children’s Learning and Development Supporting Children’s Learning and Development Children are developing all the time and their learning reflects this, so, for example, when a child can pull themselves up they can suddenly reach things they couldn’t before or when they learn new words they begin to label objects such as ball or drink. The revised EYFS uses the term Learning and Development to describe seven areas of learning. These are all related to each other however, they are divided into prime and specific areas. Prime Areas Personal, Social and Emotional Development Communication and Language Physical Development Specific Areas Literacy Mathematics Understanding the World Expressive Arts and Design In addition the revised EYFS refers to the different ways that children learn as the characteristics of learning: playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’. Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements. Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things. Together with the prime and specific areas these comprise the knowledge, skills and experiences that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth to 5 years. Personal, Social and Emotional Development – Involves helping children to form positive relationships, to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings and develop respect for others. Personal, Social and Emotional Development is made up of these aspects: Self Confidence and Self Awareness – Children are confident to try new activities and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, talk about their ideas and say when they do or don’t need help. Managing Feelings and Behaviour – Children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others behaviour and that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work part of a group and understand to follow rules. Making Relationships – Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity and form positive relationships with adults and other children. Communication and Language – Involves giving children the opportunity to develop their confidence and skills. To give children the best opportunity for developing communication and language. Communication and Language is made up of these aspects: Listening and Attention – Children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories and respond to what they hear with relevant comments or questions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately while engaged in another activity. Understanding – Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories and events. Speaking – Children express themselves effectively. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events. Physical Development – Involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive, and to develop their co-ordination, control and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices to food. Physical Development is made up of these aspects: Moving and Handling – Children show good control and co-ordination. They move confidently in a range of ways. They handle equipment and tools effectively, for example, pencils for writing and climbing equipment. Health and Self Care – Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise and a healthy diet and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs including dressing and going to the toilet independently. The Specific Areas Literacy – Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials such as books to ignite their interests. Literacy Development is made up of these aspects: Reading – Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read. Writing – Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Practitioners could support writing skills by providing sand to promote writing. Mathematics – Involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to describe shapes, spaces and measures. Mathematics is made up of these aspects: Numbers – Children count reliably from 1-20 place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number. Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract two single digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer. Practitioners could supply building blocks and numbered jigsaws to help support this. Shape, Space and measures – Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems. They recognise, create and describe patterns. They explore characteristics of everyday objects and use mathematical language to describe them. Different sizes and shapes of building bricks and blocks could be used to promote this. Understanding the World – Involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. Understanding the World is made up of these aspects: People and Communities – Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and family members. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others and among families, communities and traditions. Practitioners could use pictures and photographs to display different cultures. The World – Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, material and living things. They talk about their own environment and how environments might vary from one another. Children will also develop an understanding to care for their environment. Practitioners should support this by getting children to care for plants or a small vegetable patch. Technology – Children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes. Younger children use mechanical toys while older children could take, in turn, using a computer. Expressive Arts and Design – Involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. This area supports children’s curiosity and play. They explore and share their thinking, ideas and feelings in music, in art, movement and dance, role play and technology. Expressive Arts and Design is made up of these aspects: Exploring and using Media and Materials – Children sing songs, make music and dance. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Practitioners could use tape recorders, cd players and musical instruments. Being imaginative – Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories. Practitioners should provide a variety of role play materials and support children’s imaginative ideas. Children develop and learn in different ways. Practitioners need to look at what skills and knowledge the children are demonstrating and consider ways to support the child to strengthen and deepen their current learning and development skills. This will ensure that the individual needs of the child are met. There are 3 characteristics of effective learning to help us focus on and understand how children learn. Playing and Exploring Finding out and Exploring Using what they know in their play Being willing to have a go This characteristic of learning focuses on a children’s engagement with the resources they use, the environment they are in and the people around them. Children should have opportunities to be involved in open ended, hands on experiences prompted by their own curiosity. Children’s play experiences should enable them to seek things out that interest them, initiate activities, seek challenges, develop a ‘can do’ attitude, and be willing to take a risk in trying out new experiences and begin to see ‘failures’ as a learning opportunity. Play also provides the link to the areas of learning and development and gives the opportunity for children to explore their own feelings, views and ideas. Active Learning Being involved and Concentrating Keep Trying Enjoying and Achieving which they set out to do Active Learning focuses on the role of intrinsic motivation which supports long term success. Children need to be able to follow their interests for long periods of time, fully engaged in what they are doing and concentrating deeply. In their activities, children should be encouraged to face challenges and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties. Practitioners should help children to value the rewards of their own success. Creating and Thinking Critically Having their own ideas Using what they already know to learn new things Choosing ways to do things and finding new ways Creating and thinking critically highlights the importance of observing how children are thinking. Children have and develop their own ideas. Children should have many opportunities to be creative, generating new ideas, being inventive, finding problems and challenges and figuring out their own ways to solve them. By respecting children’s ideas will give them confidence to try out new experiences. Children from a very young age enjoy organising and processing information, creating patterns and making predictions based on what they already know. Children develop and learn in different ways. There is a great deal of overlap between the ages and stages because all children develop at different rates and at their own pace. This should be remembered when planning activities. Birth to 11 months – babies enjoy being held and cuddled. They enjoy the company of others. Practitioners should ensure that all staff are aware of the importance of attachment and to get staff to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ as this develops a secure and trusting relationship. Practitioners should plan to have one to one contact with babies and provide toys/objects to be sucked and squeezed and provide space to roll around and explore. 8 – 20 months – babies and young children will now start to build relationships with special people. They start to show an interest in activities so practitioners could provide push along toys and trikes for outdoor play. 16-26 months – children start to play alongside others and play co-operatively with a familiar adult. Practitioners could then play name games to get everyone to know each other. Plan play activities to get children to explore new toys and environments such as trikes, pushchairs for dolls, dough, sand and cd’s and story books. 22-36 months – children now show an interest with others and want to join in. Many form special friendships with others. Practitioners can provide resources that promote co-operation between two children like a bat and ball. Provide safe spaces so children can run around safely, kick a ball and use A frames. Practitioners can discuss with other staff how each child responds to activities and build on this to plan future activities. 30-50 months – children now play within a group and initiate play. Practitioners need to provide space and materials for group play, for example, lego. 40-60 months – Practitioners need to ensure that children have opportunities to play with everyone in the group and to provide activities that involve taking turns and sharing. Practitioners need to plan time and space for energetic play and plan activities where children can practice moving, throwing, climbing and kicking. Experiment different ways of moving.

The Brontë Sisters and Their Work Essay -- Biography Biographies Essay

The Brontà « Sisters and Their Work      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the three famous Brontà « sisters grew up, they wrote stories even as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   young girls. They developed their characters and plotlines over the years,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and these three works would later become either their best or only works;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlotte with Jane Eyre, Emily with Wuthering Heights, and Anne with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agnes Grey. Focusing on the key works of Charlotte and Anne, readers get a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   glimpse into the writers' opinions of being a governess and perhaps life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   in general.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of the three sisters, Emily produced the least amount but was also the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   first to pass away. All three did see some of their poetry published   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   before taking to their final resting place, but Emily published only one   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   novel. Anne only published two, but the second novel The Tenant of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wildfell Hall was a much larger work than her first. Charlotte saw three   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of her novels published, Shirley, Villette, and Jane Eyre, and the fourth,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Professor, was released after her death. Charlotte was obviously the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   more productive one, but she lived to be 39, while Anne died at 29 and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily at 30.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlotte and Anne spent a great deal of their adult lives as governesses,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   while Emily tried the profession once for six months. Looking exclusively   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   at Agnes Grey and Jane Eyre then, one can see that the writers used much   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of their own lives and experiences in their works. The protagonists of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   both books become governesses at a young age (Charlotte and Anne took   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   their first positions both at 19), and if Jane a... ...ot have any feelings for him. Her   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and Rochester's personalities fit together, and Weston is nothing like   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rochester. Miss Murray would still marry Lord Ashby, so Jane would   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   probably look for another position.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, Charlotte may have toned down her experience for the sake   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of the complexity of the novel, considering she never in real life fell in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   love with her master and then went on to marry him only to find out he was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   married to the wild beast in the attic. Anne's portrayal would be the more   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   realistic of the two, considering Agnes' story is not beyond the realms of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   reality. Through these two works, however, one can get a sense of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brontà «s' experience as governesses and their opinions of the profession.               

The Men of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Essays

The Men of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, the reader is given a particular glimpse into Janie's life with reference to the men she has known.   Janie's three men are all very different, yet they were all Janie's husband at one point in her life.   Although they all behaved differently, in lifestyle as well as their relationship with Janie, they all shared certain similarities.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Janie's first husband was a poor old soul named Logan Killicks.   He was an ugly, dirty farmer whose prime concern for Janie was that she do her share of the work in order to keep the farm up and running.   Janie was simply another pair of hands to do some work.   When compared with Janie's second husband, Logan seems uncaring and rude.      When Janie first met her second husband, Joe, he was very caring and reassuring - an ideal husband.   Joe was an ambitious young man with many goals set out for him.   And like Janie, he was raised around a white background.   Joe strived to be and have the best at everything.   However, once Joe got Janie as his wife, he became a jealous and demanding man, just as Logan had been.   Joe saw himself as a god, his sentences began with " I god..." ... ...use he used it to help himself become mayor.   Tea Cake loved Janie for who she was as a woman.   All three had completely different things to offer Janie economically, socially, and emotionally.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two rich men loved a woman, the poor man loved Janie.    Works Cited and Consulted: Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Perennial Classics, 1990. Interpretations: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Williams, Shirley Anne. Forward. Their Eyes Were Watching God. By Zora Neale Hurston. New York: Bantam-Dell, 1937. xv.

Tom brennan

Miss Long The Story of Tom Brenna Topic: You cannot alter the past. Only when Individuals move on can they achieve happiness. Discuss this in relation to your understanding of The Story of Tom Brenna. The Story of Tom Brenna by J. C Burke is an honest novel, which follows a young man's struggle to accept his past in order to move on. The car crash changed all the characters' lives but taught them to become stronger and resilient people. This sometimes meant that they had to learn to forgive others and accept their past to move towards happiness.They were forced to confront their pasts in order to eve on to their futures. Tom's life is changed drastically when the car crashes. He has dug too deep into what he refers to as the ‘black hole' and he loses the will to live: â€Å"Trying to shut down the bad thoughts that always surfaced and suffocated any hope I had of getting my life back. † (pig. 1 5). He tries to get better by starting running as a way of releasing his stre ss and worry. Someone who was essential for Tom to move on was Daniel his brother: â€Å"Do you hate me, Tommy? †¦. ‘Daniel. ‘ I swallowed. ‘You're my brother. (pig. 141) Although Daniel has done such a horrible thing Tom is not willing to give up on his brother. Another character that helps Tom conquer his past is his uncle Brendan. Brendan really gets Tom to open up and see the world from another point of view; this causes Tom to start talking: â€Å"You were hardly ‘Mr.. Have-a-chat' when you arrived. Now I can't shut you up. † (pig 98) He moved on from his past and found happiness in himself and his life again.He finds himself through his girlfriend Christy because when he's with her all he is, is himself: â€Å"When I was with Christy I was me again. Simple Tom Brenna – no ties, no debt, no guilt, no bad thoughts. Just me, the way I had always known myself. † (pig. 261 Although the road to peppiness was hard for Tom, his desire to help those around him saved him and his family: â€Å"But now I knew what I missed the most. I missed me, Tom Brenna, and that's why now I could smile, cause I could see he was coming back. † (pig. 61 ) After the crash it seems like Tees herself fades and becomes little more than a shell. She becomes depressed and barley leaves her room. Her actions affect the whole family but mainly Tom and Kylie. Tom feels neglected and Kylie shuts down without the support of her mother. Once Tees realizes how much her children need her she tries to improve for them: â€Å"I'm sorry, Tommy†¦ ‘m trying, I really am. I promise it'll get better. â€Å"(pig. 216). This is an important part of her recovery and influences her children to improve to.Another important part of Test's recovery is seeing Daniel and learning to accept the crash and his part in It: â€Å"Don't†¦ Don't say that about him. † (pig. 85). This proves that while she may dislike the fact that It wa s Daniels fault she still loves him and will always stand up for him. After Tees had recovered Tom forgets about what she was Like before and the family begins to move forward again: â€Å"It's kind of hard to remember what she was like then† (pig. 265). We see now that it is not is able to move on after she learns to forgive her son Daniel and herself, this is when she can achieve happiness.Daniel is responsible for the deaths of two people and paralyzing his cousin, this would be grueling, for anyone to come to terms with and Daniel struggles with it: â€Å"l f****d up everything. Everything. † (pig. 140). He is fuming and cannot deal with the guilt; He does not believe he deserves to live. During his time in prison he takes part in a peer support program which helps him begin to accept his past in order to move on: â€Å"And that was what Daniel needed the most – a kicked out of the past. â€Å"(pig. 143).Daniel is assigned a mentor who acts as a councilor and he begins to accept that he messed up and needs to move forward from it: â€Å"l did, Tom, and that's what I'm trying to get a handle on. â€Å"(pig. 214). Though Daniel struggles to accept the past and move on he tries his best to. Once he accomplishes this he is able to move on to a happy future much like another character achieves her happiness. Kylie cannot accept the fact that her family was associated horrific event so she shut the whole world out, acting like nothing is wrong and she has moved on hen she clearly had not : â€Å"She'd become tough.It was like I hardly knew her anymore† (pig. 29). Proving that Kylie had been ignoring everybody, although she tried her hardest to ignore the accident and move on from it she couldn't accept it within herself: â€Å"She's angry. This is her way of getting it out. I guess its better that way. † (pig. 176) explaining that she was trying to accept it, but she kept shutting people out it became impossible for her to truly accept it. Until finally it became too much for her and broke down : â€Å"l don't want to be Kylie Brenna. Kylie anyone, but not Kylie Brenna. † (pig. 29) Tom really helps Kylie get back on track â€Å"It's slow, but I can see ahead now, if you know what I mean† (pig. 228) these show how strong there relationship is and that sometimes you have to rely on others to help you so that you can forgive yourself. In the Story of Tom Brenna it tells a confronting tale about a family who has been greatly affected by a tragic car crash. It tells how each character recovered and learns to move on, through forgiveness, forgetting or acceptance. The characters must move on in order to gain happiness in their lives once more. Tom brennan Miss Long The Story of Tom Brenna Topic: You cannot alter the past. Only when Individuals move on can they achieve happiness. Discuss this in relation to your understanding of The Story of Tom Brenna. The Story of Tom Brenna by J. C Burke is an honest novel, which follows a young man's struggle to accept his past in order to move on. The car crash changed all the characters' lives but taught them to become stronger and resilient people. This sometimes meant that they had to learn to forgive others and accept their past to move towards happiness.They were forced to confront their pasts in order to eve on to their futures. Tom's life is changed drastically when the car crashes. He has dug too deep into what he refers to as the ‘black hole' and he loses the will to live: â€Å"Trying to shut down the bad thoughts that always surfaced and suffocated any hope I had of getting my life back. † (pig. 1 5). He tries to get better by starting running as a way of releasing his stre ss and worry. Someone who was essential for Tom to move on was Daniel his brother: â€Å"Do you hate me, Tommy? †¦. ‘Daniel. ‘ I swallowed. ‘You're my brother. (pig. 141) Although Daniel has done such a horrible thing Tom is not willing to give up on his brother. Another character that helps Tom conquer his past is his uncle Brendan. Brendan really gets Tom to open up and see the world from another point of view; this causes Tom to start talking: â€Å"You were hardly ‘Mr.. Have-a-chat' when you arrived. Now I can't shut you up. † (pig 98) He moved on from his past and found happiness in himself and his life again.He finds himself through his girlfriend Christy because when he's with her all he is, is himself: â€Å"When I was with Christy I was me again. Simple Tom Brenna – no ties, no debt, no guilt, no bad thoughts. Just me, the way I had always known myself. † (pig. 261 Although the road to peppiness was hard for Tom, his desire to help those around him saved him and his family: â€Å"But now I knew what I missed the most. I missed me, Tom Brenna, and that's why now I could smile, cause I could see he was coming back. † (pig. 61 ) After the crash it seems like Tees herself fades and becomes little more than a shell. She becomes depressed and barley leaves her room. Her actions affect the whole family but mainly Tom and Kylie. Tom feels neglected and Kylie shuts down without the support of her mother. Once Tees realizes how much her children need her she tries to improve for them: â€Å"I'm sorry, Tommy†¦ ‘m trying, I really am. I promise it'll get better. â€Å"(pig. 216). This is an important part of her recovery and influences her children to improve to.Another important part of Test's recovery is seeing Daniel and learning to accept the crash and his part in It: â€Å"Don't†¦ Don't say that about him. † (pig. 85). This proves that while she may dislike the fact that It wa s Daniels fault she still loves him and will always stand up for him. After Tees had recovered Tom forgets about what she was Like before and the family begins to move forward again: â€Å"It's kind of hard to remember what she was like then† (pig. 265). We see now that it is not is able to move on after she learns to forgive her son Daniel and herself, this is when she can achieve happiness.Daniel is responsible for the deaths of two people and paralyzing his cousin, this would be grueling, for anyone to come to terms with and Daniel struggles with it: â€Å"l f****d up everything. Everything. † (pig. 140). He is fuming and cannot deal with the guilt; He does not believe he deserves to live. During his time in prison he takes part in a peer support program which helps him begin to accept his past in order to move on: â€Å"And that was what Daniel needed the most – a kicked out of the past. â€Å"(pig. 143).Daniel is assigned a mentor who acts as a councilor and he begins to accept that he messed up and needs to move forward from it: â€Å"l did, Tom, and that's what I'm trying to get a handle on. â€Å"(pig. 214). Though Daniel struggles to accept the past and move on he tries his best to. Once he accomplishes this he is able to move on to a happy future much like another character achieves her happiness. Kylie cannot accept the fact that her family was associated horrific event so she shut the whole world out, acting like nothing is wrong and she has moved on hen she clearly had not : â€Å"She'd become tough.It was like I hardly knew her anymore† (pig. 29). Proving that Kylie had been ignoring everybody, although she tried her hardest to ignore the accident and move on from it she couldn't accept it within herself: â€Å"She's angry. This is her way of getting it out. I guess its better that way. † (pig. 176) explaining that she was trying to accept it, but she kept shutting people out it became impossible for her to truly accept it. Until finally it became too much for her and broke down : â€Å"l don't want to be Kylie Brenna. Kylie anyone, but not Kylie Brenna. † (pig. 29) Tom really helps Kylie get back on track â€Å"It's slow, but I can see ahead now, if you know what I mean† (pig. 228) these show how strong there relationship is and that sometimes you have to rely on others to help you so that you can forgive yourself. In the Story of Tom Brenna it tells a confronting tale about a family who has been greatly affected by a tragic car crash. It tells how each character recovered and learns to move on, through forgiveness, forgetting or acceptance. The characters must move on in order to gain happiness in their lives once more.

Evaluating La Donna Beatty’s “What Makes a Serial Killer”

In exploring the concept of the serial killer, La Donna Beatty looks toward the violence of modern society, biology, and family. In addition, she observes the possible correlations between the de-institutionalization of the American mental health system as well as alcoholism. However, as with any attempt to map the mentality of the modern day serial killer, she is left largely with theories and inconclusive statistics. Given the broad range of factors which contribute to human behavior and experiences, the search continues while evidence, both complimentary and contradictory, builds. I expect that La Donna would largely agree that while she sets out to explore â€Å"What Makes a Serial Killer,† she comes no closer to a conclusive definition than where she began. While the facts she provides are compelling, her personal interpretations and conclusions are at times based on fallacy rather than consistently proven logic. Beatty begins her presentation of theories by touching on the most popular of modern theories for the prevalence of violence in American society – violence in the media. While she does briefly address it later, upon initially presenting this issue, Beatty does not look at the large number of people who are also exposed to media violence but do not grow up to be serial killers. Taken a step farther in relation to criminal impulses, just as not every person who is exposed to violent video games or movies becomes violent, those who do become violent do not always become serial killers. In fact, only a small percentage could ever be classified in this manner. This does not, of course, discredit the possibility of media violence as disturbing a child already inclined to such behavior and like much of the evidence in defining serial killers, the problems with the argument do not negate the possibility of some effect. Such media violence naturally leads into the subject of personal experiences with violence. I agree with the assertion that the high incident rate of domestic abuse in the childhoods of serial killers proves too common to be simple coincidence. Combined with the visibility of violence in society, such violence in the home could be volatile in the future killer’s behavior. However, some of Beatty’s connections are more forced than naturally conclusive. In particular she notes, â€Å"with 79 percent of the population believing that slapping a twelve-year-old is either necessary, normal, or good, it is no wonder that serial killers relate tales of physical abuse† (Beatty). In this, Beatty is drawing a connection that does not truly exist in her initial argument. While she should have tried to show the extreme types of parental attitudes serial killers may have experienced as children she instead shows the general public’s feelings of parental discipline. The issues of alcoholism and de-institutionalization of the American mental health system can be addressed together for the assumptions at the basis of Beatty’s fallacies on these issues. As with the problem of media violence, Beatty’s sources fail to look at the broader issues of the human rights of the mentally ill or the inconsistencies of the argument that the de-institutionalization of mental hospitals unleashed a wave of violence. While restrictions of unlawful and forced stays may create issues, as in the notable cases of Richard Chase and Edmund Kemper, it is impossible and potentially cruel to re-evaluate a system that is built to serve a broad spectrum of people where these kinds of violent men are not the norm. In her discussion of alcoholism, Beatty presents an even more illogical idea when she supposes that had Jeffrey Dahmer been treated for alcoholism he may not have become an infamous murderer. I cannot say with certainty that he would have killed had he gotten his alcoholism under control. Certainly, sobriety would have brought some self-control but it would be oversimplifying a complex issue and broad range of crimes by calling it a case of alcoholism gone badly. Taken individually, no theory presented by Beatty has yet to clearly define a serial killer class or disorder in our society. More likely, it is a combination of factors, some presented in Beatty’s essay and others of a more personal significance that may never consistently present itself in every killer. However, in the search for the reason behind their compulsions should we look for a solution? Should we attempt to find a way to stop those situations that damage these individuals, making their pain â€Å"so intense that it demands bloody revenge† (Beatty)? Even Beatty seems at a loss to decide between knowledgeable prevention and/or treatment and the reality of such men as Ted Bundy who she quotes at the end of her essay. Bundy certainly did not feel himself capable of being saved but, unspoken, is the question of whether he could be prevented. Like Beatty and Bundy, I have no answer but remain open to the theories that though they may not ever make it possible to stop everyone of these killers, can help us understand how they can veer so far from the beaten moral path.

Pro and Cons for Electric Car Essay

The most obvious advantage of electric car batteries is that they don’t produce the pollution associated with internal combustion engines. According to the Electric Vehicle Association of Canada, or EVAC, even EVs recharged from coal-powered electric generators cut carbon emission roughly in half. EVs recharged from cleaner forms of electrical power generation, such as hydropower and nuclear plants, can reduce carbon emissions to less than one percent of those currently produced by internal combustion engines. So, even in the worst case scenario, cars operated by EV batteries are cleaner than gas-powered cars. Another important advantage of battery-powered motors over gas-powered engines is the lower cost of the fuel — that is, electricity for EVs and gas for the internal combustion engines. The United States Department of Energy has calculated that a typical EV can run for 43 miles on a dollar’s worth of electricity. Only a substantial drop in the cost of gasoline could give gas-powered cars anywhere near such a low cost per mile. Yet another advantage of these rechargeable batteries is that they recycle well. Almost 100 percent of these batteries can be recycled, which keeps old batteries from becoming a disposal problem. Electric motors have very few moving parts and don’t need fluids such as engine oil, anti-freeze or transmission fluid, so they require relatively little maintenance and are far less likely to leak. Excellent reliability means down time is less likely, too. EVs also run far more quietly than their combustion-powered counterparts which enhances worker health and comfort – a smart move in an era of rising medical costs. The major disadvantage of battery-powered cars is the time required to recharge the batteries. With lithium-ion battery technology, a fully charged EV can travel a distance comparable to an internal combustion engine vehicle with a full tank of gas, but it still needs to be placed on a recharger at the end of that time. At present, this means a drained EV will be out of service for several hours before it’s fully recharged. In the future, faster recharging technology may become available, but in the near term, electric cars won’t be the vehicles of choice for long trips. Another disadvantage of electric car batteries is their weight. Because they need to do more than traditional car batteries, electric car batteries need to be linked together into arrays, or battery packs, to provide additional power. These collections of batteries are heavy. The lithium-ion battery pack in a Tesla Roadster weighs about 1,000 pounds (453. 6 kg). That’s a lot of weight to carry and it can greatly reduce the car’s range. However, the designers of the Roadster have offset this battery weight with a light frame and body panels. The entire car only weighs 2,690 pounds (1220. 2 kg) — not terribly heavy when you consider that more than a third of that weight is battery. Electric cars are a lot more costly than gasoline powered cars within the same range. The Nissan Leaf clocks in at up to $33,000 and the Volt is estimated at $40,000. Both are outrageous priced for hatchbacks with limited room. What? s more, insurance rates will be estimated to be higher for electric cars than gas powered cars due to the danger of running out of power in a bad spot, its higher cost, and the dangers associated with electricity. Lastly, maintenance costs as a result of new technology and developing skills between mechanics makes electric cars even more of a costly proposition. Electric engines will be forever the gas engine? s ugly cousin, with top speeds maxing out at 70 mph (even less for smaller electric vehicles) which make them a poor bet with highway driving. Out running a car to make a quick lane change is going to be a hard bet. Adding to the aggravation of running out of power on the road, it is very difficult to find plug-in stations when driving an all-electric vehicle. Some parks, stores and rest stops have these charging stations, but the driver must do extensive research to find them. Some stations charge you to use the power source.

Case Analysis

Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC.In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. Th ere is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, according to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its ma rket share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment.Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell's strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group's strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell's, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments.HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather th an setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple's market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user.Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell's loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim's personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer.Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market se gments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies.I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose.On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments.The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. Case Analysis Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC.In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. Th ere is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, according to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its ma rket share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment.Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell's strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group's strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell's, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments.HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather th an setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple's market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user.Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell's loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim's personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer.Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market se gments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies.I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose.On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments.The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. Case Analysis The Effects of Advertising CONSUMER BEHAVIOR COURSE – Brief overview The schedule will be available in September Dr. Anne-Laure Sellier Tisch 8-11 Phone: (212) 998-0553 Fax: (212) 995-4855 [email  protected] nyu. edu Office Hours: flexible, call for appointment Teaching assistant: TBA Optional Readings: I highly recommend you go through the readings below. However, please note we will never refer to the Solomon book in class. I will merely indicate what chapters are relevant for each class, and you can use the book as a tool to better grasp some of the concepts we will discuss in class. . Solomon (2008). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 2. Additional journal articles, exercises, and recent news from the popular business press will be provided throughout the semester. The journal articles will provide you with a deeper insight into selected topics and methods of consumer behavior research. The business news articles, cases, and exercises will give you the opportunity to apply the conceptual framework to current real-world marketing problems.The readings and assignments will be handed out in class and/or posted on the Blackboard. 3. Most cases assigned for the class are in the course pack, and some will be posted on Blackboard, as we will enjoy freshly baked cases from the London Business School and the industry. Overview: Consumer behavior is one of the most interesting and important aspects of marketing management. Virtually all decisions involved in developing an effective marketing mix for a product or service rely on thorough knowledge of the consumers who comprise the target market.Understanding the behavior of the consumer can help marketers anticipate reactions to changes in the marketing mix, or determine whether new products are likely to be adopted. Consumer behavior is also closely related to marketing research. A practical understanding of the consumer can aid in the selection of an approp riate research methodology, question design and selection, as well as in interpreting consumer responses to such questions. In this course we will directly examine the available theory and research concerning the behavior of the consumer in order to understand its most basic principles.The majority of the course will focus on the consumer as an information processor of one sort or another. We will examine the motivational and perceptual factors upon which buyer behavior is built, as well as look at more complex processes such as persuasion, attitude judgment, and decision-making. In practical terms, we will address the following questions: What kinds of marketing stimuli do consumers notice? How can we get them to notice our marketing messages? What motivates consumers? What do consumers value?What elements can we include in our marketing mix to motivate consumers to learn more about our product or to buy it? What kinds of information are consumers good at remembering? How can we ai d consumer memory for our brand name and product features? What makes consumers evaluate products as good or bad, and how can we persuade them that our product is good? How can we get consumers to choose our product over competitors? What features do consumers care about, and how does this influence their decision? What are the main things that determine whether consumers are satisfied with a product or not?The goals of this class are: †¢ to acquire a framework for analyzing consumer behavior problems †¢ to learn how consumer behavior can be affected by different marketing strategies †¢ to show how behavioral evidence can be used to evaluate alternative marketing strategies †¢ to learn about and use consumer behavior theories in marketing and social psychology The course is structured as followed: we will discuss a case; it will be followed by a lecture related to the case. Note that we discuss the case for 1h30 / 2 hrs, so you are expected to be thoroughly prepa red for class discussion.Course prerequisites: a solid understanding of your Core Marketing course Course Grades: Class participation Written assignments (2) Final exam 20% 40% 40% N. B. on class participation: Attending all sessions is obviously crucial. It will also give you the opportunity to actively participate in class discussions and obtain a high class participation grade. Note, however, that your mere presence is not sufficient to earn points for class participation. What matters is the quantity and, especially, the quality of your contributions to class discussions.Assignments Assignments are due at the beginning of the relevant class. They are to be prepared in groups of 4 or 5 students. Students are expected to choose who they want to work with. All groups should be formed before the third week of class. Length: 3 pages (single spaced), plus any appendices, graphs, etc. The assignments involve a case analysis. Groups will write a brief paper examining the buyer behavior issues involved in two case readings assigned for the class, and describe the implications these principles have for the strategy they propose in the case.Each case will have associated questions with it that will help you structure your answer. Each assignment is due at the beginning of the class where the case will be discussed. Final exam The final exam will be a three-hour case-study, closed book, involving questions related to consumer behavior. It will take place during the last week of the course. We will finalize the exam date during our first class. Please make sure that you will not have any other work / interview-related commitment that day.Course Website This website has many useful things on it, including continuously updated information on assignments, readings, course schedule, etc. Also, we will use it as a platform to discuss consumer behavior issues covered in the press during the semester. Please check Blackboard regularly. Class Notes I will hand out hard copies of the slides after the case discussion in every session. In addition, the PowerPoint slides for each class will be available for downloading from the website as of right after class. Note, however, that these slides only present an outline of the class discussion.You will need to take notes to fully capture the material discussed in class. Additional Literature You can find additional relevant literature (e. g. , for your team project) using the Bobst Business Databases ( http://www. nyu. edu/library/bobst/database/d_bus. htm ), as well as links on the class website. Class Policy †¢ Be prepared: Make sure that you have read the readings assigned for each class. This will help you to better understand the material discussed in class and to actively participate in class discussions.Attend regularly: Regular attendance will provide you with more opportunities to contribute to class and thus increase your participation grade. Please note that you are responsible for knowing any ch anges or assignments announced in class. Arrive on time: Late-comers are very disturbing. Systematic tardiness will have a negative impact on your participation grade. Respect assignment deadlines: Late assignments will not be accepted without a prior agreement. Be honest: Cheating and plagiarism will result in a grade of â€Å"F† for the assignment/test for all parties involved. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Case Analysis Organizations that remain stagnant In their strategy eventually become so salary to their competitors that the only differentiating characteristic between them is price; this hometown, according to Cummings and Gnawing transforms these companies into â€Å"lemmings† that blindly follow their peers without unleashing their full potential. An organization can set itself apart and create new paths for itself by changing its strategy to meet the new environment, a change Into what the authors call the Annual chimera† or PVC.In mythology, a chimera Is a multi-headed, different-faced creature with different body parts. The idea behind the chimera analogy is clear: organizations can differentiate themselves by adapting to the changing environment, hangs brought about by technology and increasing globalization. Most companies want to â€Å"differentiate themselves by developing a unique network of psychological characteristics and associations that separate them from others. Th ere is a clash between the old school management theories and the PVC: where the previous theories focused on cost reduction and efficient production, the PVC focuses on differentiation and customization. The clash emerges because the focus of these two ideas necessarily contradicts the other, as in how can you reduce cost but still customize your product? The PVC Is consistent with the resource-based model since It views organizations â€Å"In terms of their distinctive constellations of tangible and Intangible resources, the sum of whose parts create unique and often Inimitable capableness. The value chain analysis, according to the PVC, is not the preferred method of viewing strategy; instead, strategy should be a mixture of resources and value to create a hybrid organization that is both agile and also maintains its ability to produce what its customers want. 4. Dell faces Increased competition from Its rivals such as HP, Acre, Apple, and Leno and must stay agile to keep its ma rket share. All of them segment their customers effectively and then set their strategies to focus on each segment.Dell has four market segments that it has identified: home users, large enterprise customers, small/medium businesses, and the public sector. Dell's strategy is to maintain its focus on each of these segments to provide better customer service to malting loyalty. Acre group's strategy Is to acquire other competing brands and en to tailor tense Dramas to meet tenet segments needs. Acres strategy Is salary to Dell's, however Acre does not possess the knowledge that Dell has gained in-house to successfully focus its strengths into different brands for different segments.HP also segments is markets, however it started out by focusing on printing and imaging and not personal computers. HP also focuses its strategy on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in directly. HP seems to be focusing its PC sales on new, fancy-looking computers rather th an setting itself apart eased on its customer service or services business. Apple, on the other hand, does not segment its market in the same way that Dell, HP, and Acre segment their markets. Apple's market is a niche computing market that serves the â€Å"high-end† computer user.Dell does not need to directly compete with Apple since Apple-loyalty is based on the niche, and not based on the quality of service or quality of product like Dell's loyalty is based. Leno started out late in the game and purchased Vim's personal computer division and is the largest producer in Asia. Leno focuses, like HP, on the services-side of computing, a segment that Dell does not compete in yet. Dell also offers adjacent products like televisions and entertainment products, segments that Leno does not offer.Dell should compete with Leno only in Asia and the Middle Eastern markets in the future. Based on the previous analysis, Dell should continue to focus its strategy on its current market se gments and not venture into new territory such as services and other management tools. While Dell might consider Asia as its next frontier, there are many issues with facing Leno on its own ruff, as well as new entrants to the market as developing countries like India begin their own computer producing companies.I would recommend that Dell maintain its focus on Asia and keep its strategy limited to offering quality customer service and affordable, customizable personal computers in the U. S. 2. We must classify environments because firms can control certain aspects of it, and cannot control other aspects of it. General environment segments directly influence an industry and include segments such as political, demographic, and coloratura. Firms cannot control the general environment segments, however these segments directly influence the strategies these firms will choose.On the other hand, industry environment factors directly influence a firm and its strategic choices: the power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Successful firms gather all the necessary information on the external environment and then also gather intelligence on their competitors in the industry to properly form their strategy. Five important factors in the general environment include anemographic, technological, coloratura, global, and legal segments.The demographic segment considers that age and population of the market as well as the income of customers; technology considerations include advances in communication and product innovation; coloratura segment analysis includes workforce diversity, shifts in product characteristic preferences, and shifts in work/career preferences; the global segment considers emerging new markets and different cultural attributes; finally, the legal segment considers laws and regulations that may affect strategic decisions. Case Analysis The Effects of Advertising CONSUMER BEHAVIOR COURSE – Brief overview The schedule will be available in September Dr. Anne-Laure Sellier Tisch 8-11 Phone: (212) 998-0553 Fax: (212) 995-4855 [email  protected] nyu. edu Office Hours: flexible, call for appointment Teaching assistant: TBA Optional Readings: I highly recommend you go through the readings below. However, please note we will never refer to the Solomon book in class. I will merely indicate what chapters are relevant for each class, and you can use the book as a tool to better grasp some of the concepts we will discuss in class. . Solomon (2008). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 2. Additional journal articles, exercises, and recent news from the popular business press will be provided throughout the semester. The journal articles will provide you with a deeper insight into selected topics and methods of consumer behavior research. The business news articles, cases, and exercises will give you the opportunity to apply the conceptual framework to current real-world marketing problems.The readings and assignments will be handed out in class and/or posted on the Blackboard. 3. Most cases assigned for the class are in the course pack, and some will be posted on Blackboard, as we will enjoy freshly baked cases from the London Business School and the industry. Overview: Consumer behavior is one of the most interesting and important aspects of marketing management. Virtually all decisions involved in developing an effective marketing mix for a product or service rely on thorough knowledge of the consumers who comprise the target market.Understanding the behavior of the consumer can help marketers anticipate reactions to changes in the marketing mix, or determine whether new products are likely to be adopted. Consumer behavior is also closely related to marketing research. A practical understanding of the consumer can aid in the selection of an approp riate research methodology, question design and selection, as well as in interpreting consumer responses to such questions. In this course we will directly examine the available theory and research concerning the behavior of the consumer in order to understand its most basic principles.The majority of the course will focus on the consumer as an information processor of one sort or another. We will examine the motivational and perceptual factors upon which buyer behavior is built, as well as look at more complex processes such as persuasion, attitude judgment, and decision-making. In practical terms, we will address the following questions: What kinds of marketing stimuli do consumers notice? How can we get them to notice our marketing messages? What motivates consumers? What do consumers value?What elements can we include in our marketing mix to motivate consumers to learn more about our product or to buy it? What kinds of information are consumers good at remembering? How can we ai d consumer memory for our brand name and product features? What makes consumers evaluate products as good or bad, and how can we persuade them that our product is good? How can we get consumers to choose our product over competitors? What features do consumers care about, and how does this influence their decision? What are the main things that determine whether consumers are satisfied with a product or not?The goals of this class are: †¢ to acquire a framework for analyzing consumer behavior problems †¢ to learn how consumer behavior can be affected by different marketing strategies †¢ to show how behavioral evidence can be used to evaluate alternative marketing strategies †¢ to learn about and use consumer behavior theories in marketing and social psychology The course is structured as followed: we will discuss a case; it will be followed by a lecture related to the case. Note that we discuss the case for 1h30 / 2 hrs, so you are expected to be thoroughly prepa red for class discussion.Course prerequisites: a solid understanding of your Core Marketing course Course Grades: Class participation Written assignments (2) Final exam 20% 40% 40% N. B. on class participation: Attending all sessions is obviously crucial. It will also give you the opportunity to actively participate in class discussions and obtain a high class participation grade. Note, however, that your mere presence is not sufficient to earn points for class participation. What matters is the quantity and, especially, the quality of your contributions to class discussions.Assignments Assignments are due at the beginning of the relevant class. They are to be prepared in groups of 4 or 5 students. Students are expected to choose who they want to work with. All groups should be formed before the third week of class. Length: 3 pages (single spaced), plus any appendices, graphs, etc. The assignments involve a case analysis. Groups will write a brief paper examining the buyer behavior issues involved in two case readings assigned for the class, and describe the implications these principles have for the strategy they propose in the case.Each case will have associated questions with it that will help you structure your answer. Each assignment is due at the beginning of the class where the case will be discussed. Final exam The final exam will be a three-hour case-study, closed book, involving questions related to consumer behavior. It will take place during the last week of the course. We will finalize the exam date during our first class. Please make sure that you will not have any other work / interview-related commitment that day.Course Website This website has many useful things on it, including continuously updated information on assignments, readings, course schedule, etc. Also, we will use it as a platform to discuss consumer behavior issues covered in the press during the semester. Please check Blackboard regularly. Class Notes I will hand out hard copies of the slides after the case discussion in every session. In addition, the PowerPoint slides for each class will be available for downloading from the website as of right after class. Note, however, that these slides only present an outline of the class discussion.You will need to take notes to fully capture the material discussed in class. Additional Literature You can find additional relevant literature (e. g. , for your team project) using the Bobst Business Databases ( http://www. nyu. edu/library/bobst/database/d_bus. htm ), as well as links on the class website. Class Policy †¢ Be prepared: Make sure that you have read the readings assigned for each class. This will help you to better understand the material discussed in class and to actively participate in class discussions.Attend regularly: Regular attendance will provide you with more opportunities to contribute to class and thus increase your participation grade. Please note that you are responsible for knowing any ch anges or assignments announced in class. Arrive on time: Late-comers are very disturbing. Systematic tardiness will have a negative impact on your participation grade. Respect assignment deadlines: Late assignments will not be accepted without a prior agreement. Be honest: Cheating and plagiarism will result in a grade of â€Å"F† for the assignment/test for all parties involved. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢