Childrens products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Childrens products - Essay Example It is for this reason that 8% teenagers of the United States have some portion of their money invested in futures and stocks (Lindstorm, 2004). Almost 20% have their personal checking accounts and 70% love using a credit card if the parents allow it (Lindstorm, 2004). It is hard to argue that global kids segment does not exist when this generation spends over $150 billion a year. And that is not it, they also control another $150 billion through influencing what their parents are buying for them. Martin Lindstorm writes in Brainchild that the money which the new generation is spending is unprecedented, which is why every marketing director needs to allot money for this niche (Sudworth, Cray and Russel, 2007). The 21st century is full of information overload. The new generation is being fed a steady diet of information 24 seven. This information is changing the way they perceive the world and shaping their behavior. The global kids segment is the product of technological advancements. They use mouse, computer screens, smart phones, tablets and other gadgets to see the world. Toddlers now understand icons before they can even start to read. Smart phone manufacturers and app developers specifically target their marketing strategies to toddlers. They can play with the smart phone, listen to the funny sounds but they do not know that the icons and marketing tactics are targeting their subconscious and effecting their decision-making behaviors. The new generation thinks in terms of megabytes and screen resolutions the same way the previous generation used to think in terms of memorizing football scores and doing wheelies on bicycles (Lindstorm, 2004). If the marketing directors need to target global kids’ segment they need to think the way this generation thinks. They need to understand that the new generation is very different from the older generation because they have no hindrances in fully embracing the digital media. Electronic media has

Critical Reflection on Assessment Process Assignment

Critical Reflection on Assessment Process - Assignment Example For the second assignment, I extended what I had done for the first one by adding further assessment techniques (such as the group discussions, portfolio and self assessment rubrics) and taking a more critical look at their advantages and disadvantages. I reached my conclusions by simulating or projecting mentally the outcomes of using these assessment methods in the light of the specific objectives chosen. I also extended my application of the information on the assessment methods beyond the simpler learning objectives of the first assignment, to focus on more diverse objectives and the acquisition of various capabilities.Critical reflections in terms of usefulnessE. The most useful parts for my learning on this course were the discussions among students, sometimes facilitated by a member of the teaching staff, concerning the material, its usefulness and how it should be applied. I would encourage the systematic inclusion of a debate (or "mini-debate") in each lecture or class where possible. This ensures a real-life aspect to what we are doing.The least useful parts for my learning were certain lectures that lacked interactivity. This is linked to my comments above. Being spoon-fed theory does not allow you to test and apply the information so easily for what is after all a practically oriented subject.F. The most useful parts for my products were that the first product (first assignment) was a good way for me to benefit from the mistakes that I made. The products helped each other. as I could then do more with the second one, thanks to the first one. The first assignment allowed me to really understand the main questions of this course: what is assessment; why do we assess people, either students or teachers; and what allows us to do a successful assessment. In the second one I learnt more on designing and planning for good assessments. The least useful parts for my products were some of the academic texts that were cited. Although it is important for logical arguments to be well grounded in established data, assessment is a practical science as well. As such, once the underlying theory is established, the value (in my opinion) is in applying it and making it perform in real life, rather than taking one more step "backward" into the realms of academia. Recommendations that I would make and the reasons for making them. G. For future students regarding the assignment preparation, I would recommend consulting the assessment experiences of different educational organizations, for example, by visiting their websites. They often have relevant and focused comments on what works and what doesn't work in specific environments which adds a practical dimension to the theory discussed in the course. If a student has some weakness in English, like me, then I suggest revising the particular

Macro Environmental Analysis of the Indian FMCG Market

Macro Environmental Analysis of the Indian FMCG Market The life styles and culture of India is changing drastically. The population of India is increasing every year and this will have a direct impact on the FMCG industry and its organizations. Although population of India is increasing every year the population growth rate is decreasing over a period of time. In 2008 the population growth rate is 1.6%, in 2009 it is 1.5%. In 2010 the growth rate is 1.3%. Although the figures didnt change drastically, the supply and demand of the FMCG products will be affected due to change in population structure. There will be decrease in demand and intense competition as the birth rates and number of customers decrease. Most importantly it is the change is life style of Indian customers and social behavior will affect the FMCG industry in India. It will demand a new products and services over the time and will lead to increase in investment in RD of FMCG companies. Now the world is facing with food shortage leading to increasing invest in food product ion. If the organizations fail to offer products and services according to changing lifestyle and behavior then it will be difficult for any organization to survive in the market. Economic: Current slowdown in global economic scenario affected almost every industry across the world. There has been increase in unemployment and low consumer spending power. This leads to consumers not opting to buy expensive products or services. This further pressurizes the RMCG companies to reduce the prices for the products and services. Organizations will have to review this economic ride and have to respond accordingly, A successful organization will respond according changing economic conditions, consumer and stakeholder behavior. An efficient organization must be aware of the changing economic condition across the country and global and should employ a suitable strategy to stay in the market. Political: Political factors will have a greater influence on the organization and industry and it is the duty of the organizations to comply with it. It is necessary for the organizations to comply with the legislations implemented non conformance of which may lead to serious implications on the organization. The government has implemented certain restriction in the import policies. However tax exemptions in sales and excise duty are provided for the small scale industries. This will allow the SMEs to invest more and will increase the number of new entrants. Transportation and infrastructure facilities are improving not only in urban but also in the rural area which will help in distribution network. Technological: Advancement in technology boost the production with enhancement in quality of products and services rendered to the customers. Organizations began to adopt e-business to improve brand communication and market. Technological advancement makes the supply chain and transactions along the chain simple. Organizations reduced costs with effective IT technologies and increased the rate of information transactions. Technology is playing a key and huge part in the FMCG sector by developing the new packaging, increasing productivity and longer shelf life of food products. Better, stronger, more effective and faster are the key elements that all manufacturers in this sector push for, as it drives sales. The advancement enhances the sales by enabling the manufactures to produce better products with attractive packaging and better communication. With advancement in communication technology and rising social media network it enables the organizations to communicate better to the customers by improved marketing campaigns. International trends: The economic crisis and slowdown had greatly affected the sales FMCG goods across the world. However emerging economies like India, China and Brazil are not greatly affected and manage to do well to recover quickly. A common trend that was followed across the world during economic slowdown was trading down. Because, customers became more cautious looking for less expensive brands, special offers and discounts. This added tremendous pressure on the market prices due to severe competition and down trading. However emerging economies like India, China and Brazil saw development in hypermarkets helping the growth of FMCG markets in these countries. Macro environmental opportunities: India has Vast Rural Market with majority of population where the market is still untapped market. India has cheap labour to provide cost advantage over other countries. Many multinational companies are having cost advantage by outsourcing its product requirements from its Indian company. ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: Industry structure: The FMCG market of India divided into two sectors the organized sector and the unorganized sector. The organized sector has only few Indian companies and MNCS whereas the unorganized sector is crowded by a many local players. Indian FMCG market accounts for about Rs.460 billion where the market has been highly occupied by local and unbranded products. This has been a challenge for many organized players to successfully launch a product and to occupy the market share. Distribution and supply chain has also been a challenge as Indias infrastructure and transport systems not quite helpful with millions of retail outlets in the country. Although infrastructure and transportation system is developing in recent times it is still considered as a challenge by many players. The FMCG sector has a wide range of products including confectioneries, beverages, detergents, toothpaste, toilet soaps, shampoos, creams, powders, food products, cigarettes. Typical characteristics of FMCG products are: The products cater to necessity, comfort and luxury. Price and income elasticity of demand varies across products and consumers. Individual items are of small value (small SKUs) although all FMCG products put together account for a significant part of the consumers budget. The consumer spends little time on the purchase decision. He seldom ever looks at the technical specifications. Brand loyalties or recommendations of reliable retailer/ dealer drive purchase decisions. Limited inventory of these products (many of which are perishable) are kept by consumer and prefers to purchase them frequently, as and when required. Brand switching is often induced by heavy advertisement, recommendation of the retailer or word of mouth. Distinguishing features of Indian FMCG Business FMCG companies sell their products directly to consumers. Major features that distinguish this sector from the others include the following: Design and Manufacturing Low Capital Intensity as most of products in FMCG requires relatively little investment in plan, machinery and other fixed assets. Basic technology required for manufacturing is easily available. Third party manufacturing is common and the benefits include production and inventory planning flexibility, flexibility in controlling labor costs and logistics. Marketing and Distribution High Initial Launch Cost with huge investment in product development, market research, test marketing and launch. Creating awareness for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure. Huge Distribution Network as India has millions of retail outlets across the country making the logistics functions difficult for many players. Competition Market is crowded with many unorganized players. Presence of many unorganized players and highly capable MNCs provides fierce competition in the market to launch many new brands. This gives wide range of choice of brands for the customers. PORTERS FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES: BUYER POWER: The consumer base of this industry is larger than any other industry and they have little or no influence on the price of the product. The consumer always possesses great choice of brands within the product category and they can shift from one to another without much influence. Hence, buyer power is not quite strong in this industry. But they have power when they provide threat to shift from one brand to another brand. In FMCG retailers should also taken into the account for analysis. Retailers can always decide which brand to stock and consumers dont show much interest to wait if one brand of choice is not available. So retailers can always make choice between brands and they have more buyer power than consumers. SUPPLIER POWER: Supplier power is little or limited in the FMCG industry. The industry always has great number of suppliers with great size. There will not be any uniqueness in the product or service of suppliers and the manufacturer can always shift from one supplier to other supplier. However manufacturer faces some amount of supplier power due to the cost they have to incur when switching suppliers. Suppliers who do large business with manufacturers are always obliged to their customers. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS: Threat of new entrants is limited in this industry. The new entrants generally cater to local or small markets contributing to the large unorganized sector. Raw materials for most of the segments in FMCG industry can be easily procured. The investment will not be high for machinery and other assets required for most of the products in the industry. Also the basic technology is easily available. These factors can make the local or small manufactures to enter easily in the industry. But this industry requires high initial launch cost and distribution network is always a challenge. These factors act as a barrier for any new entrants in the industry and virtually provide low threat of new entrants. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES: The FMCG industry bears a high threat of substitutes. The industry possesses many organized players with great number of local manufactures. The products in the industry can always be imitated and marketed. The industry possesses high level threat of substitutes in rural market than in the urban. DEGREE OF RIVALRY: The degree of rivalry is high in the industry. There are many global players along with local manufacturers. The industry enjoys low customer loyalty. The customers always have wide choice of brands and the switching cost is always minimum or negligible. There will be only slight difference in the quality of brands. So the competition is fierce in the industry to attract customers and retain them. Strategic groups in the industry: Among the FMCG companies in India Hindustan Unilever Limited is most catered company to almost every segment in the industry. Its competitors are only catered to certain segments but HUL faces stiff competition from all competitors in every segments. The major companies of strategic groups in FMCG industry are Hindustan Unilever Limited, ITC Limited, Nestle India, Emami Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, Dabur India Limited, Procter Gamble, Godrej Consumer Products Limited and Cadbury India. International Competition: India is an emerging market and has become a hotspot for many multinational FMCG companies like HUL, Proctor Gamble and Nestle. However domestic companies like Marico, Dabur and Emami are giving tough competition to them. These companies step into natural product category by offering herbal products and managed to occupy the market. For instance, Maricos flagship brand Parachute Coconut Oil has no foreign competition. The presence of international competition is restricted to areas of where they can act and categories like natural products did not interest the global players. Industry Threats: The organized players in the industry are facing problems high magnitude of imitative products. The fake products are seen highly in rural markets and the Indian FMCG sector is losing large amount of money due to presence of counterfeits products. The industry is facing increasing input costs due to increase in price of the raw materials due to global economic slowdown and potential impact of rising crude oil prices Industry Opportunities: The FMCG sector is the fourth-largest sector in the Indian economy and has been growing considerably over the past few years due to changing lifestyle, consumer preferences and high disposable income. The rural market is being highly untapped and provides favorable condition for growth of the companies in this sector. EVALUATING HUL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS: VRIO Framework of Hindustan Unilever Limited: The value of HUL lies in their ability to offer different products and cater to the different segments in the industry. The organization has international expertise and wealth of knowledge to cater to different segments satisfying the customer needs. The organization is displaying high standards of corporate behavior towards its stakeholders. The company realizes that its employees are the primary source of success and well committed to their employees. The organization encourages the open communication with customers to get feedback and improve its product offerings. Rarity: The company enjoys the competitive advantage in its robust supply chain and distribution network. Though the company resources are not rare it enjoys the competitive advantage in its resources employed in supply chain and distribution network. Imitability: The organization possesses valuable and rare resources in its supply chain and distribution network that the competitors did not have cost advantage in imitating the resource. The social relationships entailed in resources are complex that the competitors cannot easily imitate and manage well. Organization: The organization structure of HUL with its empowered managers across the companys nationwide operations imparts speed and flexibility in decision-making and implementation. The organization leverages its resources for efficient management. The company realizes that its employees are the primary source of success and well committed to their employees. Analysis of Corporate Strategies: Hindustan Unilever Limited has robust supply chain and distribution network covering over 3400 distributors and 16 million outlets. HULs sales organization structure integrates the Household, Personal Care and foods distribution networks together. By this the organization aligns all the units of its organization towards the common goal. Analysis of Business Strategies: HUL introduces wide variety of products in different segments at different price points. HUL analyses its strategy to improve its foothold in the processed foods category which is largely unoccupied. HUL Strengths: The company has variety of products in each category giving wide array of choice to customers. Robust Distribution Network covering over 3400 distributors and 16 million outlets. The Company enjoys many reputed brands and created a well reputed brand image in the customers mind through advertisement. Well developed quality management. The company has highly capable and well developed RD resources. HUL Weakness HUL not able to compete effectively with local competitor in the rural market: The Companys product mostly target middle class and lower middle class population. So the upper middle class population terms the companys product as a cheap product with low quality HUL is over dependent on Indian market and depends on it for majority of revenue generation. This makes the company subject to changes in weather, political and economic conditions and also makes it vulnerable to potential risks arising in India.

Inventions: The Steam Engine and the Internet Essay -- Innovation

Despite originating more than two centuries and half a world apart, the steam engine and the Internet followed similar paths throughout their conception, development, and execution. In 1712, the first successful steam engine was built; it was bulky, inefficient, and partially hand operated. Two hundred fifty-three years later, the first major network connection was made, using slow, dedicated phone lines to carry information across the country from expensive, complicated computers in Massachusetts to their counterparts in California. Although these innovations were advanced for their time, their usefulness was limited by the scope of their execution. Fast forwarding to 1820, steam engines now used superheated, high pressure steam in order to yield more power in a smaller space, resulting in their widespread use in trains, boats, and cars. The engines operated under 13 times more pressure, using new technology to avoid explosions (CITE 3). Similarly by 1973, networking and networks ha d advanced at a frenzied pace. People now sent emails to people across the country and then heard the voices of those same people from terminals from universities and companies (CITE 2). The rapid pace of these improvements, coupled with their accessibility, resulted in two designs that profoundly changed the world view of people and businesses. These two designs are not only similar in their origins and historical progressions; they are also akin in the effect of their widespread use. Since their inceptions, they have both had extensive impacts on the world around them. Following the inventions of the steam engine and the Internet, the world was thrust into periods that are characterized as having â€Å"a succession of breakthrough inventions" and â€Å"a commo... ...of steam engines in factories freed the factories to go anywhere. Previously, machines had been powered by the swift flowing water of rivers. Once freed from that constraint, factories were built in more convenient locations, nearer to consumers. Works Cited http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=25442 http://history-world.org/Industrial%20Intro.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3405300236.html http://www.cottontimes.co.uk/trevithicko.htm http://www.lk.cs.ucla.edu/data/files/Kleinrock/Information%20Flow%20in%20Large%20Communication%20Nets.pdf http://www.linfo.org/packet_switching.html http://library.thinkquest.org/17658/nuc/nuchistoryht.html http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar531140&st=history+of+steam+engine http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline http://www.inventionreaction.com/famous-inventions/Steam-Engine Inventions: The Steam Engine and the Internet Essay -- Innovation Despite originating more than two centuries and half a world apart, the steam engine and the Internet followed similar paths throughout their conception, development, and execution. In 1712, the first successful steam engine was built; it was bulky, inefficient, and partially hand operated. Two hundred fifty-three years later, the first major network connection was made, using slow, dedicated phone lines to carry information across the country from expensive, complicated computers in Massachusetts to their counterparts in California. Although these innovations were advanced for their time, their usefulness was limited by the scope of their execution. Fast forwarding to 1820, steam engines now used superheated, high pressure steam in order to yield more power in a smaller space, resulting in their widespread use in trains, boats, and cars. The engines operated under 13 times more pressure, using new technology to avoid explosions (CITE 3). Similarly by 1973, networking and networks ha d advanced at a frenzied pace. People now sent emails to people across the country and then heard the voices of those same people from terminals from universities and companies (CITE 2). The rapid pace of these improvements, coupled with their accessibility, resulted in two designs that profoundly changed the world view of people and businesses. These two designs are not only similar in their origins and historical progressions; they are also akin in the effect of their widespread use. Since their inceptions, they have both had extensive impacts on the world around them. Following the inventions of the steam engine and the Internet, the world was thrust into periods that are characterized as having â€Å"a succession of breakthrough inventions" and â€Å"a commo... ...of steam engines in factories freed the factories to go anywhere. Previously, machines had been powered by the swift flowing water of rivers. Once freed from that constraint, factories were built in more convenient locations, nearer to consumers. Works Cited http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=25442 http://history-world.org/Industrial%20Intro.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3405300236.html http://www.cottontimes.co.uk/trevithicko.htm http://www.lk.cs.ucla.edu/data/files/Kleinrock/Information%20Flow%20in%20Large%20Communication%20Nets.pdf http://www.linfo.org/packet_switching.html http://library.thinkquest.org/17658/nuc/nuchistoryht.html http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar531140&st=history+of+steam+engine http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline http://www.inventionreaction.com/famous-inventions/Steam-Engine

Can terrorism be justified? Essay

Introduction The purpose of this essay is to explore the issues surrounding the morality of terrorism. I will begin by providing contextual information of the topic through exploring the history of terrorism. From the Sicarii in 50AD who carried out assassinations with short daggers to more recent attacks such as 7/7 bombings in the London underground. In this section however we will find it is not only the methodology of terrorism that has changed but its definition has evolved also. I shall use the historical examples to find any patterns in the use of the word and analyse what these examples tell us about the meaning of the word. Throughout my essay I shall adopt a narrow definition as I believe it allows you to explore terrorism in more detail. Subsequently I will seek to define terrorism along the basis that it sets out to instil fear into others in order to reach a final objective. Following this I shall examine the arguments for and against the justification of terrorism through questioning the ideas of various scholars such as Rudolf Bittner who says terrorism is always wrong to the arguments of Kai Neilsen who says terrorism can be justified if the ends justify the means. Hence I shall reach my final conclusion and reinforce my core argument that terrorism can never be justified, as I believe there is always other less harmful options which reach the same results , furthermore I believe strongly that the lives of others should never be sacrificed for personal gain, whether that be social, political or economic. Lit review The first known terrorist organisation originated in 50AD, they were called the Sicarii, The Sicarri wanted liberation from Roman leadership and assassinated all those associated with the Romans, it was said that the fear that was aroused by these crimes was worse than the act itself(law, R. Terrorism: A history, p.27). The arousal of fear is seen even in modern terrorism through the 7/7 bombings in London where civilians were targeted in the underground train stations, subsequently many feared to use London transport. This running theme of sparking terror within a population suggests that the meaning of the word terrorism must be based around the act of instilling fear; however this is only one aspect of the definition. In the case of the Sicarri they committed these terrorist acts in order to reach an end goal of liberation, this highlights that the definition of terrorism must include a final objective. This end goal is seen through many other terrorist organisations and has become more apparent over time , for example the Ku Klux Klan wished to eradicate all rights of black Americans, this was demonstrated by burning down places of worship and public buildings owned by black Americans. Despite these similarities the definition of terrorism has become elasticated over time, thus it has become difficult to pin down into a singular concept. This variation can be seen through the methodology, in the early stages of terrorism the use of swords and knifes were popular, such as the Sicarii’s use of daggers, however modern day terrorists use explosive devices such as bombs in the 7/7 attack in London. As terrorism has evolved so has the brutality of the act, the consequences of terrorist acts are much larger now than in 50AD, for example the al-Qaeda killed 3,000 people in the attack of 911 alone . This makes it apparent that a key part of the modern definition of terrorism should revolve around fear or terror being committed upon a large scale. Definitions In this essay I will be using a narrow definition, as I believe it’s more efficient in focusing upon the foundations of terrorism. This is because I believe wide definitions are too vague as they incorporate all victims of violence. Thus it becomes difficult to be as thorough when zooming into who and what terrorists are. For example under the pretences of a wide definition anybody can be the victim of terrorism, therefore the assassination of Osama Bin Laden could be classed as a terrorist act. This is clearly not the case. Therefore I believe at times wide definitions can lead you to draw incorrect conclusions, as a result I will be using a narrow definition of terrorism throughout the essay. The two core aspects of terrorism is 1)the act of instilling terror and 2)the use of terrorism for a political goal, thus I believe all valid definitions of the term should revolve around these constant features. Various historians and philosophers throughout the course of history have put forward their definitions of terrorism. Walter Laqueur defined terrorism as the illegitimate use of force to achieve a political objective when innocent people are targeted (definitions of terrorism. This definition of terrorism is successful in demonstrating that terrorism is always used as a means to reach an end. However it fails to mention the instilling of terror into a nation and rather focuses upon force by means such as weapons. It also highlights that government organisations can’t be terrorist groups, however many definitions such as Per Bauhn’s would disagree with this. Bauhn defines terrorism as the performance of violent acts, directed against one or more persons†¦.to bring about one or more of the agent’s political goals (Bauhn, 1989:28). In Bauhn’s definition he fails to specify qualities of the agent , I believe this makes his definition invalid. As warfare could then qualify as a terrorist act, which in my opinion it isn’t . Terrorism is difficult to define, however I have reached a definition that terrorism is the illegitimate use of force against an innocent population in order to provoke fear or terror as a strategy to r each an end objective. I believe this definition is plausible as it focuses upon the two core features of terrorism whilst eliminating government organisations. Analysis Philosophers and historians debate continuously about whether terrorism can ever be deemed morally acceptable. I take a deontological stand point and believe that terrorism is wrong in every situation. I believe this as there are always less harmful options which will reach the same result, for example protests and speeches. Moreover if we class terrorism as justifiable, society may begin to use violence to express messages regularly and what sort of a world would we live in then? For example if we classed the attacks of 911 as morally acceptable it would provoke others to do the same. In addition I believe that in any situation the use of terrorism will never be worth the end result, the lives of human beings are always going to be more valuable than any potential gain. However many may disagree with this view point, they could argue that if the end result of terrorism moves us towards a more ideal society then in the scheme of things the loss of a few lives is nothing. However this argument is invalid as how can society truly be improving if it relies on violence to do so? I believe that if change requires others to die in order for it to be fulfilled then it isn’t as beneficial for society as if the change was reached via other peaceful  methods. Thus we should always use other strategies available to us to portray our beliefs rather than opting for terrorism. There are many justifications for terrorism which disagree with my claims; Kai Neilsen is a consequentialist therefore judges every action upon its consequences. He argues that terrorism can be morally acceptable in a situation, if it can be shown to be 1) the most effective action with 2) the least bad overall consequences. His basic argument is that if the means justifies the end then it is acceptable. However a major flaw in his argument is that it is impossible to calculate whether the end result is of a greater good than the course that had to be taken to get there. For example was the death of tens of thousands of French people worth liberation in the French revolution, the families of those who lost loved ones may argue that it wasn’t. In addition how can we be sure before carrying out such terrorist acts that this greater good is going to be reached, we c annot be certain of such things. A disadvantage of all consequentialist ideas is that we cannot predict consequences therefore using Neilsen’s criteria it would be difficult to deem whether a terrorist act is justified before it has taken place, this makes Neilsen’s argument unreliable. Moreover we are unable to define what the ‘greater good’ is, as it varies from person to person, an act which may benefit one person may not have the same effect upon another. This can lead to an individual’s happiness being over looked, as John Stewart Mill stated through the idea of higher and lower pleasures an individual’s happiness can be of a greater worth than the majorities. Quite often in Terrorist acts minorities are over looked which results in the least amount of happiness being achieved. Due to these major flaws in Neilsen’s argument I reject his views. Rudolf Bittner supports my claims and as a deontologist abides by moral norms, as a result he believes terrorism is always wrong as violence violates human rights. I agree with his argument as laws are made for a reason, to keep peace and order in society .Violence however is detrimental to the majority of the laws that society upholds. Therefore if we justify a violent act as extreme as terrorism we are only inflicting terror upon ourselves. On the other hand Emile Henry argues that civilians who benefit from unjust societies are somehow to blame for the society they live in. Henry says that these civilians aren’t innocent at all and should serve as targets for violence. Osama bin Laden adopted this view and justified  killing innocent Americans in 911 by saying ‘the American people are the ones who pay the taxes which fund the planes which bomb us in Afghanistan’ (full text: Bin Laden’s ‘letter to america’, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver, retrieved: 03/08/14). Using Henry’s argument all those in the world trade centre on the 11th September 2001 were guilty and therefore the attack was morally acceptable. However these civilians are not guilty they pay taxes because its compulsory not because they want planes to bomb Afghanistan, they do not give the orders which kill their people, they have no real voice in the matter. This is where Henry’s argument becomes invalid; it is difficult depending upon your perception to say whether a person is truly innocent. Henry’s argument is short sighted and doesn’t think of the bigger picture, If this justification was used then society would be a constant war zone, just because you consider a person to be guilty of a crime doesn’t make their murder acceptable. Nicholas Foiton’s argument against terrorism being justifiable influenced my opinions strongly, he said terrorists have ‘ideological’ conceptions of what is good which misrepresent actual peopl es interests. I agree with this entirely as quite often a terrorist organisation becomes deluded by their aims and forgets to look at the wellbeing of a whole society. For example the members of the Ku Klux Klan believed that immigrants didn’t belong in America. They thought that by attacking black Americans they were moving society forward, when in actual fact they were doing the opposite, they had ‘ideological’ conceptions of what was good for America. Foition additionally said that terrorism is never the last resort to make a change; I adopted this point as there are always alternative less aggressive strategies. For example Martin Luther King’s speech which wished for equality between white and black people in America was extremely influential and helped strive towards the more equal society which we live in today. This highlights that’s terrorism isn’t the most effective option and often results in a nation abiding out of fear rather than choice, therefore has no real change to a societies opinion. Thus terrorism cannot be justified on the basis that is the only available option. Foiton additionally arg ues that terrorism is not morally acceptable because all objectives that need innocent people to die to be reached are bad. If an objective requires people to die for it, is it really worth  carrying out? I agree with Foiton as a human life is worth more than any potential political gain, therefore terrorism cannot be justified upon the grounds that the end will justify the means. Conclusion In my conclusion I shall reiterate my main findings which I have discussed previously. I strongly believe that terrorism Is always wrong and cannot be justified in any situation. My main reasoning for this is that violence should always be considered immoral, it goes against human rights and laws which are implemented into our society for a reason. If we justify violence as extreme as terrorism people will begin to believe that is acceptable to behave in such a manner in everyday life. Furthermore terrorism cannot be justified upon the foundations that it is the last resort, there are always other strategies that are just as effective and less detrimental to society. I conclude that if society has to use violence in order to move forward then society in reality is not really improving at all. In addition I believe that all consequentialist arguments for justifying terrorism are invalid as they lack reliability, we cannot predict outcomes therefore we are unable to utilise justificati ons such as Neilsen’s in practice. Moreover how can we justify terrorist acts such as 911 which killed thousands of innocent people? No act that brings such damage and devastation can ever be morally acceptable; it goes against all the political and religious laws of which our society depends upon. I also believe that defining what the ‘greater good’ for society is, is impossible, therefore any justification which revolves around terrorism being used as a method to improve society is invalid. This is because terrorists believe their opinions to be the only ones that matter, therefore the interests of societies who are affected by these groups are overlooked, this results in the greater good not being reached at all. Subsequently I take a deontological stand point and agree with scholars such as Bittner and Foiton, there is never a right time or place to use terrorism as it can simply never be justified. Bibliography http://terrorism.about.com/od/groupsleader1/p/Sicarii.htm http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/terrorism http://www.azdema.gov/museum/famousbattles/pdf/Terrorism%20Definitions%200728 09.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_terrorism http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/24/theobserver KS5-Philosophy-Can terrorism ever be justified? (brilliant club text book)

Frankenstein Comparative Paper Essay

Compare the Frankenstein novel with Kenneth Branagh’s film version. Which is the better example of a gothic text? Gothic texts enable audiences to be immersed in a world of the supernatural involving horror and romance. Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, and the film adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh, are both texts that portray the gothic genre. The film may share the same gothic elements as in the novel; however the novel allows the reader to use their own imagination, thus bringing to life this genre. Through the comparison of supernatural events, heightened emotions and the atmosphere of mystery and suspense in both literary mediums of Frankenstein, the differences and similarities will be compared to find the better example of a gothic text. Most gothic texts have a series of supernatural events that help the progression of the story, yet Frankenstein has only one. This event being the creation of the monster sets the entire story in motion. When comparing the novel and film adaptation, the monster was somewhat made in the same way. Various deceased body parts were sewed together to form the shape of a man, and then the use of an electric element brought the monster to life. However, in the novel the monster’s birth was more archaic compared to the seemingly humorous, clumsy behaviour of the monster’s birth in the film as Victor Frankenstein helped it to its feet. When the monster was ‘born’ the emotions and senses were much more detailed in the novel, since it almost portrayed the monster as being a child that explored and discovered such things as clothes and fire: â€Å"I found a fire which had been left by some wandering beggars, and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. How strange, I thought, that the same cause should produce such opposite effects!† Monster (p.123) When this is compared with the film adaptation, once the monster was ‘born’ somehow it already knew what clothes were used for and how to construct makeshift shoes out of cloth. When any child is born the most natural and childlike thing to do is explore your surroundings. The novel Frankenstein, allows the reader to understand the childlike nature of the monster thus building up emotions, which the film did not allow as it took away the childlike innocence when the monster was created. Heightened emotions are a gothic feature Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein portrays clearer than the film adaptation. This is evident when the monster and Frankenstein were conversing in an ice cave. In this scene the tensions were very high between them. The way Shelley portrayed these emotions was by the use of eloquent wording. In the novel, the monster was well spoken when addressing Frankenstein about his experiences of life, and also quite intelligent. When compared to the film, in which the monster stuttered sounds, was not clear at all with many emotions being lost though clumsy wording, thereby portraying him as unintelligent. The build-up of emotions such as rage, disgust, sadness and refusal expressed by Victor in the ice cave when asked to create another like the monster had greater impact in the novel: â€Å"Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world? Begone! I have answered you; you may torture me, but I will never consent.† Victor (p.176) In the film, Victor simply agreed without the degree of emotions expressed in the novel. With the use of Shelley’s eloquent wording in the novel, heightened emotions are seen clearly compared to the film adaptation in which heightened emotions are rarely seen, thus not supporting a gothic text. Shelley used a very gothic and gloomy atmosphere throughout the novel to put an emphasis on the horror that comes when men try to play God. As a novel can only use the reader’s imagination and descriptive wording by an author’s command of literary skills, a film adaptation of a novel has what may seem to be an advantage in being able to portray a mysterious and suspenseful atmosphere through effective use music, lighting and visual elements to create a gothic atmosphere, something that is not necessarily available in a novel. Yet a novel can create music, lighting and visual elements through the effective use of words. One technique in which the film proved better than the novel was pathetic fallacy; when the atmosphere changed with the mood of the character. An example of this was when the scenes changed from Geneva to Ingolstadt. In Geneva a sunny, happy and vibrant atmosphere was seen through Victor’s relationship with his family and beloved, Elizabeth. With the film also being able to use the effect of a symphony orchestra, it really brought this atmosphere of happiness together. In Ingolstadt the atmosphere was dark and gloomy, and with the effect of the symphony orchestra it was obvious that Ingolstadt was a place where Victor would encounter horrible misfortunes. Compared to the film, the novel was at a disadvantage by not having the ability to engage other senses besides the use of imagination. However, the descriptive wording Shelley used was sufficient enough to build a full picture of Victor’s misfortunes: â€Å"As I still pursued my journey to the northward, the snows thickened and the cold increased in a degree almost too severe to support.† Victor (p.257) In the quote, Victor tracks down the monster in the Arctic; Shelley uses this desolate location to show the isolation of Victor and the monster creating a gothic atmosphere. Even though the film version had the ability to use music and visual elements to create a fuller atmosphere of mystery and suspense, the novel’s descriptive wording proves greater. The film adaptation may share the same gothic elements as in the novel; however the novel lets the reader use their own imagination thus bringing to life this genre. The novel allowed the reader to understand the childlike nature of the monster through the supernatural event, which the film did not. The use of Shelley’s powerful wording expressed heightened emotions better than what was evident in the film adaptation. Even though the film had an advantage in creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense through the use of creative cinematography, Shelley’s descriptive wording was sufficient enough to create a far better gothic atmosphere, thus being the better example of a gothic text.

The #1 Way to Solve Business Disputes

The #1 Way to Solve Business Disputes As a business owner, I want my relationships with both clients and vendors to run smoothly 100% of the time. In actuality, of course, business dealings sometimes involve conflict. Although I am not exactly a conflict avoider, I don’t enjoy it either (I left the legal profession almost 6 years ago for that reason and have never looked back)! Nevertheless, I strongly believe that when faced head-on and handled well, conflict can lead to greater trust and a foundation for long-term success. Whether you are a client or a business owner, you might possibly have experienced conflict in a business relationship, or if not, then you might possibly experience it in the future. Below are some situations I have faced, and which have had different outcomes based on one predominant factor. This factor makes the difference between a happy customer and a dissatisfied one. Commitment to Excellence at The Essay Expert I have a team of writers at The Essay Expert who do top-level work, and 95% of our clients are satisfied with the first draft of their resume and LinkedIn profile. I am proud of that number; and I am even prouder that for the small number of clients who have issues with their first write-ups, we are able to create happy clients 99% of the time. The writers who work with me are fully committed to satisfying our clients and they go the extra mile to accommodate each person’s preferences. In the end, I believe that the most important value we offer is our commitment to doing the work required to satisfy every client. Clients leave feeling like we truly partnered with them to meet their needs. Sometimes I face a situation where a client and writer are not a perfect match. In these cases, if the client speaks up right away (which I encourage them to do), I first determine whether we can resolve the situation with the current writer. If not, I assign the project to another, more senior writer or, in rare cases, step in myself. If any uncorrectable human errors have occurred, I will always offer a partial refund. I am always available for discussion and negotiation, and will do everything I can to reach an agreement and satisfactory resolution. Sometimes the clients who become The Essay Expert’s biggest fans are those who were not satisfied initially, and with whom we worked tirelessly to remedy the situation. In fact, just this week, one such client referred a connection who hired us for a resume and LinkedIn package. How to Handle – and Not Handle – Billing Disputes I am a client to other companies as well as a business owner, and this week I experienced both excellent and poor customer service. In one situation, I raised issues about the service I was receiving and questioned the validity of some charges on their invoice. Despite the fact that I have been a client of this business for two years and have never questioned an invoice before, the owner refused to discuss the issue, instead telling me that the firm no longer would be working with me. I stated my desire to work things out and he still refused, though he did tell me to pay whatever I wanted and they would write off the rest. I was left with a negative impression and if anyone asks me about that business I will tell them how I was treated. In contrast, with another firm, when we ran into an issue where a job they were doing for me went over budget, I agreed to their terms and requested something in return from  them that I felt would be a good trade. They thanked me for my communication and agreed to give me what I asked for. I was left with a positive impression and will continue to refer business to that firm. The #1 Factor: Customer Service (Plus†¦) In each of these cases, what made the difference? Customer service. That’s the #1 factor to watch when addressing business conflict. Good customer service can turn conflict into good will. Bad customer service can create ongoing negativity. Also note that someone has to start the conversation about the issue at hand if anything is to be done about it. When my clients do not tell me they are dissatisfied, I am at a big disadvantage. I can’t resolve an issue I don’t know about. It’s therefore essential to ask clients about their experience consistently so that they have an opportunity to voice any concerns. Showing interest in the quality of their experience is a key piece to customer service. Once an issue is aired, I have found that it’s very helpful to hold a strong vision for the relationship. Whichever party states a vision, the other party often aligns with it. This alignment sets the stage for a satisfactory resolution. In rare cases, one party might state a vision for an amicable ongoing relationship and the other does not join that vision; in this situation, the conflict will likely not be resolved. Thankfully, most of us as human beings are wired to want to work well with other human beings. And most businesses have a strong commitment to good customer service. That commitment, when put into action, creates a foundation where almost any conflict can be resolved. If you have stories of good customer service or more ideas of how to resolve business conflicts, please share below!

Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Example

Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Example Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Frankenstein vs. Blade Runner Essay Both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner are classic science fiction stories that deal with the themes of technology’s effect on humanity and the question of ‘What does it mean to be human? ’ In Blade Runner, the film portrays the human race having a diminished sense of ‘humanity’ because the collective cultures and communities that exist in present day are non-existent in Blade Runner’s dystopian earth. Take for example the confrontation between Chief Bryant and Deckard over whether to ‘retire’ the rogue replicants. First Bryant tries to passively push Deckard to come out of retirement; but when Deckard refuses to comply, Bryant resorts to using abusive threats and bullying to get Deckard to do the dirty work and kill the replicants. This theme continues to appear throughout the movie as the human characters bark and snap at each other constantly. Which indicates the lack of respect they have for each other, showing the breakdown of human relationships in this dystopian world. In contrast, the Replicants, who by all accounts are the most synthetic aspects of the film, appear to have the most genuine compassion, companionship, morality, empathy and courtesy for each other. This makes them appear more human than the actual protagonists in the film. Throughout Blade Runner the replicants tend to hold more civil and polite conversations with one another, demonstrating the compassion they have for each other and a caring empathy that lacks between the humans. : By the end of Bladrunner, the replicants appear to have a identity that is more human when compared to the actual humans in the film. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein also functions in a similar way. Frankenstein compares Victor Frankenstein’s creature to Victor himself and by the end, the roles of ‘human’ and ‘creature’ are reversed. Initially the creature is frustrated and is full of hatred for his creator’s abandonment and society’s abhorrence of his appearance. Frankensteins creature explains his anger, saying, There was non among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No: from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery. After realizing that his creator will eventually do nothing to help him cope with being alone in the world and detested by society, the creature kills off Victor’s family, turning the nce urbane gentleman into a monster not unlike the creature. Echoes of the creature’s earlier statements now appear in Victor’s deathbed speech, illustrating the degree in which Victor has become dehumanized. â€Å"I was cursed by some devil,† he cries, â€Å"and carried about with me my eternal hell† (142). Driven by his hatred for the other, the ‘human’ – Victor – distances himself farther and farthe r away from human society and sanity and becomes a creature possessed in finding and killing his creation. After his creator’s passing the creature pays one final visit to his former master and while Victor in the end believes him to be a  insensitive brute, Shelley casts the creature as a martyred classical hero: â€Å"I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames,† he says (149). Fittingly, the last few pages of the story are taken up with the creature’s own words as he preaches to the reader about his apparent moralistic change in an attempt to give himself self-definition. Another theme that can be seen in both Blade Runner and Frankenstein, is the question of ‘Are creations of science born inherently evil? ’ To put it into context for Blade Runner, Dr. Eldon Tyrell – inventor of the replicants – created machines that functioned almost the same as humans, but they were thrust into the world without any memories and experiences. The replicants were also expected to work and adapt to a changing world with an underdeveloped brain on par with a pre-pubescent child. Dr. Tyrell realised this and thus implanted within them a four-year lifespan with which time they would automatically die. This was due to the fear that the replicants, who were born with a mind of ‘tabula rasa’ or a blank slate, would develop humanistic feelings and become human. From this the movie illustrates that as the replicants (especially the seven rouge replicants) reach the end of their lifespan, they become scared of ceasing to exist and then take drastic measures to allow themselves to live Frankenstein functions in a similar way, the gothic horror novel explores what makes us human and questions the reader to pinpoint what are the attributes of a human being and how do humans become integrated into society. The creature shows that humans and man-made creatures alike are born with inherently good, and nature and the conditions around determine future personality, or the old nature/nurture argument. When Frankenstein’s creation turns against him, the novel shows that it is not the fault of the creature, but rather the wrongdoings of society that forced the creature to act the way he did.

Biography of Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, Ruler of Mexico

Biography of Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, Ruler of Mexico Porfirio Dà ­az (September 15, 1830–July 2, 1915,) was a Mexican general, president, politician, and dictator. He ruled Mexico with an iron fist for 35 years, from 1876 to 1911. His period of rule, referred to as the Porfiriato, was marked by great progress and modernization, and the Mexican economy boomed. The benefits were felt by very few, however, as millions of peons labored in virtual slavery. He lost power in 1910–1911 after rigging an election against Francisco Madero, which brought about the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). Fast Facts: Porfirio Diaz Known For: Ruler of Mexico for 35 yearsAlso Known As: Josà © de la Cruz Porfirio Dà ­az MoriBorn: September 15, 1830 in Oaxaca, MexicoParents: Josà © Faustino Dà ­az Orozco, Marà ­a Petrona Mori Cà ³rtà ©sDied: July 2, 1915 in Paris, FranceAwards and Honors: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, First Class Condecoration of the Imperial Order of the Double Dragon, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands LionSpouse(s): Delfina Ortega Dà ­az (m.  April 7, 1867–April 8, 1880), Carmen Romero Rubio (m.  November 5, 1881–July 2, 1915)Children: Porfirio Dà ­az Ortega, Luz Victoria Dà ­az  Notable Quote: It was better that a little blood should be shed that much blood should be saved. The blood that was shed was bad blood; the blood that was saved was good blood. Early Military Career Porfirio Dà ­az was born a mestizo, or of mixed Indian-European heritage, in the state of Oaxaca on September 15, 1830. He was born into extreme poverty and never even reached complete literacy. He dabbled in law, but in 1855 he joined a band of liberal guerrillas who were fighting a resurgent Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. He soon found that the military was his true vocation and he stayed in the army, fighting against the French and in the civil wars that wracked Mexico in the mid-to-late 19th century. He found himself aligned with the liberal politician and rising star Benito Jurez, although they were never personally friendly. The Battle of Puebla On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated a much larger and better-equipped force of invading French outside the city of Puebla. This battle is commemorated every year by Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo. One of the key players in the battle was young general Porfirio Dà ­az, who led a cavalry unit. Although the Battle of Puebla only delayed the inevitable French march into Mexico City, it did make Dà ­az famous and cemented his reputation as one of the best military minds serving under Juarez. Dà ­az and Jurez Dà ­az continued to fight for the liberal side during the brief rule of Maximilian of Austria (1864–1867) and was instrumental in reinstating Juarez as President. Their relationship was still cool, however, and Dà ­az ran against Juarez in 1871. When he lost, Dà ­az rebelled, and it took Juarez four months to put the insurrection down. Amnestied in 1872 after Juarez died suddenly, Dà ­az began plotting his return to power. With the support of the United States and the Catholic Church, he brought an army into Mexico City in 1876, removing President Sebastin Lerdo de Tejada and seizing power in a dubious â€Å"election.† Don Porfirio in Power Don Porfirio would remain in power until 1911. He served as president the entire time except for the period of 1880–1884 when he ruled through his puppet Manuel Gonzlez. After 1884, he dispensed with the farce of ruling through someone else and re-elected himself several times, occasionally needing his hand-picked Congress to amend the Constitution to allow him to do so. He stayed in power through deft manipulation of the powerful elements of Mexican society, giving each just enough of the pie to keep them happy. Only the poor were excluded entirely. The Economy Under Dà ­az Dà ­az created an economic boom by allowing foreign investment to develop Mexicos vast resources. Money flowed in from the United States and Europe, and soon mines, plantations, and factories were built and humming with production. The Americans and British invested heavily in mines and oil, the French had large textile factories, and the Germans controlled the drug and hardware industries. Many Spanish came to Mexico to work as merchants and on the plantations, where they were despised by the poor laborers. The economy boomed and many miles of railway track was laid to connect all of the important cities and ports. The Beginning of the End Cracks began appearing in the Porfiriato in the first years of the 20th century. The economy went into a recession and miners went on strike. Although no voices of dissent were tolerated in Mexico, exiles living abroad, primarily in the southern United States, began organizing newspapers, writing editorials against the powerful and crooked regime. Even many of Dà ­az supporters were growing uneasy because he had picked no heir to his throne. They worried about what would happen if he left or died suddenly. Madero and the 1910 Election In 1910, Dà ­az announced that he would allow fair and free elections. Isolated from reality, he believed he would win any fair contest. Francisco I. Madero, a writer and spiritualist from a wealthy family, decided to run against Dà ­az. Madero didnt really have any great, visionary ideas for Mexico; he just naively felt that the time had come for Dà ­az to step aside, and he was as good as anyone to take his place. Dà ­az had Madero arrested and stole the election when it became apparent that Madero would win. Madero was freed, fled to the United States, declared himself the winner, and called for an armed revolution. Revolution and Death Many heeded Maderos call. In Morelos, Emiliano Zapata had been fighting the powerful landowners for a year or so already and quickly backed Madero. In the north, bandit leaders-turned-warlords Pancho Villa and Pascual Orozco took to the field with their powerful armies. The Mexican army had decent officers, as Dà ­az had paid them well, but the foot soldiers were underpaid, sickly, and poorly trained. Villa and Orozco routed the Federals on several occasions, growing ever closer to Mexico City with Madero in tow. In May 1911, Dà ­az knew he had been defeated and was allowed to go into exile. Diaz died just four years later, on July 2, 1915, in Paris, France. Legacy Porfirio Dà ­az left a mixed legacy in his homeland. His influence is undeniable: with the possible exception of the dashing, brilliant madman Santa Anna, no one has been more important to the history of Mexico since the countrys independence. On the positive side of the Dà ­az ledger must be his accomplishments in the areas of the economy, safety, and stability. When he took over in 1876, Mexico was in ruins after years of disastrous civil and international wars. The treasury was empty, there were a mere 500 miles of train track in the whole nation, and the country was essentially in the hands of a few powerful men who ruled sections of the nation like royalty. Dà ­az unified the country by paying off or crushing these regional warlords, encouraged foreign investment to restart the economy, built thousands of miles of train tracks, and encouraged mining and other industries. His policies were wildly successful and the nation he left in 1911 was completely different from the one he inherited. This success came at a high cost for Mexicos poor, however. Dà ­az did very little for the lower classes: he did not improve education, and health was only improved as a side effect of improved infrastructure primarily meant for business. Dissent was not tolerated and many of Mexicos leading thinkers were forced into exile. Wealthy friends of Dà ­az were given powerful positions in government and were allowed to steal land from Indian villages without any fear of punishment. The poor despised Dà ­az with a passion, which exploded into the Mexican Revolution. The Revolution, too, must be added to Dà ­az balance sheet. His policies and mistakes ignited it, even if his early exit from the fracas can excuse him from some of the later atrocities that took place. Most modern Mexicans view Dà ­az more positively and tend to forget his shortcomings and see the Porfiriato as a time of prosperity and stability, albeit somewhat unenlightened. As the Mexican middle class has grown, it has forgotten the plight of the poor under Dà ­az. Most Mexicans today know the era only through the numerous telenovelas- Mexican soap operas- that use the dramatic time of the Porfiriato and Revolution as a backdrop for their characters. Sources Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.McLynn, Frank. Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2000.â€Å"Quotes by Porfirio Diaz.†Ã‚  AZ Quotes.

Emoji in Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Emoji in Communication - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the word emoji derives its meaning from two words; emotions and a Japanese word kanji which means Japanese character. Emoji is defined as an image or an expressive face or cartoon that is used to convey emotions in writing on cell phones, texts or online chats. Over the past few years, emoji have gained popularity like never before. This can directly be associated with the rapid advance and the takeover of the social media as primary means of communication. With platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram among others, emoji have become a more relevant means of communication to most people. There are individuals who find it more efficient to express their emotions with the help of emoji other than the use of words. However, this can be misinterpreted by other people to mean that an individual is poor in writing or has little interest in a given conversation. The popularity of emoji is no doubt at its pick but there is a question ab out its sustainability in communication. Emoji has a setback of misinterpretation. In as much as they are universal, they can easily be misinterpreted and eventually render ineffective communication. Nonetheless, Wroclawski sees a high potential for emoji to go above this setback and unify global communication. The reason for this is that Emoji does not require special skills to interpret. The use of emoji has turned to be a new language on its own. With over 470 million joy emoji being used on twitter today, this might be the birth of a new language on its own.

Recent Supreme Court decisions 2014 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Recent Supreme Court decisions 2014 - Essay Example The court of appeal of California declined the petition and affirmed that the police officers had right to stop and search the vehicle since they had sufficient suspicion that deduced them to investigate the vehicle. The officers did not violate the fourth amendment and they supposed the vehicle driver was intoxicated with marijuana. The fourth amendment grants police officers powers to stop a person or vehicle and conduct a brief investigation if they have perception that the person is criminal suspect. The police tip off by the caller of 911call gave the security officers sufficient reasons to stop and investigate the vehicle that resembled the one occupied by the petitioners. The claimed reported by the 911 caller of a vehicle running another vehicle on the road was sufficient reason by the security officers to suspect the occupants of the car were drunk. Therefore, the judge of the California court of appeal affirmed the trial court’s decision that security officers acted reasonably by suspecting the petitioners of drunken driving. In this case, the respondent was young, a victim of sexual abuse who had been engaged in production of phonographic video at a tender age. At the age of seventeen years she discovered her image was continuing to circulate in the internet thus perpetrating the abuse she went through. Paroline the petitioners accepted the liability of being in possession of victim’s photographic images. The victim requested for three million dollar as restitution for the lost revenue by trading with her image and five-hundred thousand dollars future treatment and counselling expenses. The Supreme Court held that the victim was entitled to restitution to the extent of the loss she was caused by the offender. Also, the court added that the government had an obligation to determine the loss suffered by the victim. Therefore, the payment of restitution by the offender to the victim was declared

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch - Case Study Example This distillery is famed for its single malt scotch whiskey. Rather than marketing a blended scotch whiskey, Bowmore prides itself in marketing the best aged and single brandy whiskies. Their brand Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch is wildly famous not only in the united kingdom but also in other parts of the world like Japan and china. The success of this brand can be attributed to the marketing strategies that had been adopted by the marketers of this distillery. One of them is creating a brand that is unique in quality. This means that the scotch is priced highly and this sets it apart from other run-of-the-mill scotches. The marketers have long realised that sophisticated consumers are looking for the expensive scotch and not necessarily the best scotch. As such, when a brand is able to combine expensive and good, it is bound to succeed. This is what Bowmore Distillery has done; they have produced a very expensive and a very good scotch whiskey. This report is a culmination of a market research that was carried on Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch. It was commissioned by Bowmore Distilleries and conducted by this research outsourcing company. The major aim was to analyse the domestic and international markets of this brand. The aim of this research was to determine how these trends in the domestic and international markets may affect sales of the product. ... 1) definition of the problem of the study 2) methodology for the research 3) presentation of the findings of the research a). an analysis of the domestic market b). an analysis of the international market c). competitor analysis at both international and domestic markets d). impacts of the domestic and international market dynamics on sales of the product e). Bowmore use of different market research methods to enter the African market Problem of the Study It has come to the realisation of the marketing department in Bowmore that the domestic sales have dropped below those of the international market. In fact, when the sales accrued from the international market increase at a high rate, those of the domestic market seem to decrease at a very low rate or stagnate at times. The executives of the distillery needed to know where this discrepancy was stemming from. Another impetus for this research was the fact that the marketing department wanted to launch the product into the African market. Kenya, a country in the eastern part of the continent, has been chosen as the entry point into the region. The executives needed to know the different types of marketing research that they can use to make inroads into this market. Methodology of the Research There are various methods that the researcher used to collect information for this study. Liang (2003) opines that the success of any market research lies on the methods that were used to execute it. If the research design was poor, this will be reflected in the findings of the research and vise versa. The accuracy of the research is of paramount importance given that the policy makers rely on the findings and recommendations to make their decisions. As such, if they are presented with a

Toyotas Strategy and Initiative in Europe Case Study

Toyotas Strategy and Initiative in Europe - Case Study Example However, instead of being engaged in price competition, companies are scaling down their operations. The uniqueness of Toyota's strategy was that it designed and manufactured locally adapted models. This strategy helped the company to increase sales: "by almost 50 percent from 2000 to 2005. The new strategy paid off financially, too. According to Business Week, the operating profit increased ninefold to $654 million in 2003" (Thompson et al 2008, p. C245). Research and innovation are a part of Toyota's success. The company launched its new car Aygo and "challenged many of its traditional views: the car was specifically designed for the European market and exclusively" (Thompson et al 2008, p. C245). For Toyota, this business decision is multi-dimensional and extremely complex. It is impossible to assume that business decisions even approach rationality, let alone perfect rationality. Toyota has to make complex decisions and, because of the multi-dimensionality of their decision conditions, they make many decisions (Annual Report Toyota 2008). Product adaptability and outsources are also key success factors. Today's consumer has a tremendous number of choices. Most of the products are complex and many of them have additives, preservatives, and other chemicals. Some of them are dangerous. Many of them have hazardous long-term effects. It is virtually impossible for the modern consumer to be rational and maximizing. Normal average consumers are typically confused and have difficulty making satisfactory decisions. Even though they may have the capability to evaluate functional product attributes in a rational manner, they lack the time and motivation to do so (Annual Report Toyota 2008). Global expansion and penetration to the North American market improves Toyota's position on the market "For 2006 Toyota was expected to reach 9 million units in production-with luxury brand Lexus reaching the 500,000 units mark for the first time (up from 400,000 units in 2004)" (Thompson et al 2008, p. C246). Toyota follows growth strategies based on the idea that expansion and market development will help it to attract new customers. According to its Annual repot: "Toyota expects to record net sales of 2,000.0 billion ahead of schedule for the fi scal year ending March 31, 2008" (Annual Report 2008, p. 3). The global car market is not only very complex but also not quite open for entry. Investment in research and development improve its position and increase opportunities on the global scale (Financial Results. Presentations 2008). 2. SWOT analysis shows that there is a strong correlation between successful strategies and direction selected by the company and its financial performance. The main strength is stable position on the market and loyal consumers. Financial statements highlight that in 2007 Toyota has increased its sales in 4.7% in comparison with 2006. Its operation income increased in 17.3% and income before income taxes and minority interests increased in 29.2 %. The net income is $40,309 million (2007) in comparison with 30,268 million in 2006 (see Appendix 1, 2). The main opportunity for Toyota is growth. Growth up until the 1990s meant expanding productive capabilities and market opportunities and making sure that this growth would yield better

Fundacin Chile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fundacin Chile - Essay Example In 1997 Dr. Eduardo Bitran assumed the office as general director of Fundacin Chile. He faced the difficult task of administering the institution, which was constituted as a private non-profit institution with 50% state ownership. One of the most innovative mechanisms that the foundation used, unique in Chile and probably in Latin America, was to create new businesses as a main means to diffuse and transfer technology. Dr. Bitran played a major role in Chile's economic development. , Chile had managed to keep to its course and to maintain growth and stability amidst enormous turbulence, in a period of economic decline that had affected all of Latin America. Recognition of the importance of new knowledge as the base of future businesses was gaining importance and Venture capital funds became the focus. Local innovation clusters were formed around the wine and salmon industries, and specialized fruit production was beginning to reveal the benefits of biotechnology and sophisticated pro duction methods. Immediate challenge for Dr. Bitran was to identify the path and direction for Fundacin Chile. His main challenge would be administer the institution to generate social benefits, as required by the mission entrusted to it as a quasi-public entity, while at the same time acting as a private business to obtain the necessary resources that would permit it to grow and develop. Fundacin Chile's promoted innovation and technology transfer emphasizing agribusiness, forestry and marine resources. It followed several modalities like demonstration businesses, technology transfer groups, training and diffusion, and providing services such as consulting to quality control. Chile encouraged the participation from its associates and strategic allies both national and international; financing originating from the private sector was diminishing with time, while that obtained through state grants increased. Financing provided by sales of services to the public sector had not changed for several years. Fundacin Chile, besides creating innovative business and developing the programs mentioned, began to develop financial innovations for the national market. The institution sought, with these innovations, to more efficiently mobilize savings for investment in the sectors in which Fundacin worked. The foundation also created a venture capital fund for regional investments in medium-size growth businesses and new projects. Besides these venture capital funds, the foundation also fulfilled a seed financing role for innovative projects originating within the institution. Fundacin Chile was structured in four sectoral directorates: agro-industry, marine resources, secondary wood products, and forestry. The operational model was re-defined to distinguish and specify the concepts of technological centre, business units, companies and endowment management, establishing differences in objectives and in plans of management and interaction among the

How Leadership and Team Working Might Improve the Career Prospects in Term Paper - 56

How Leadership and Team Working Might Improve the Career Prospects in the Field of Business Management - Term Paper Example Today’s modern organizations operate in an integrated economy that is highly competitive and demanding. This compels the organization to hire and retain employees who are multifaceted in terms of skill and knowledge would perform according to the level of competition that the business organization they are in.   Organizations would prefer employees who would already fit in the competitive world of business management and these employees are those who already have a wide range of knowledge in management issues such as leadership and team working because they already know the realities of business and is aware of what is expected from them. Thus it is imperative for employees to already have a wider knowledge in these management issues to improve their career prospect of being hired and promoted in a business organization when they graduate from college. This learning can begin right in the university as Cottrell advised students to determine early the purpose of their study i n the university to make it useful in life (2008). Employees who are already knowledgeable of wider management issues, such as leadership and team working already have the advantage over those who do not have them. This advantage is already apparent beginning at the hiring process. This means that employees who are already knowledgeable in a wide range of management issues such as leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, project management already have a high learning curve that would make them effective in the job and could already be noticed during the hiring process.  Cottrell recommended active learning beginning in the university to become more effective in one’s professional life (2008) and the beginning of reckoning would be during the application process particularly during interview whereby interviewers will peer into the competence of applicants through a series of questions.        

Fundacin Chile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fundacin Chile - Essay Example In 1997 Dr. Eduardo Bitran assumed the office as general director of Fundacin Chile. He faced the difficult task of administering the institution, which was constituted as a private non-profit institution with 50% state ownership. One of the most innovative mechanisms that the foundation used, unique in Chile and probably in Latin America, was to create new businesses as a main means to diffuse and transfer technology. Dr. Bitran played a major role in Chile's economic development. , Chile had managed to keep to its course and to maintain growth and stability amidst enormous turbulence, in a period of economic decline that had affected all of Latin America. Recognition of the importance of new knowledge as the base of future businesses was gaining importance and Venture capital funds became the focus. Local innovation clusters were formed around the wine and salmon industries, and specialized fruit production was beginning to reveal the benefits of biotechnology and sophisticated pro duction methods. Immediate challenge for Dr. Bitran was to identify the path and direction for Fundacin Chile. His main challenge would be administer the institution to generate social benefits, as required by the mission entrusted to it as a quasi-public entity, while at the same time acting as a private business to obtain the necessary resources that would permit it to grow and develop. Fundacin Chile's promoted innovation and technology transfer emphasizing agribusiness, forestry and marine resources. It followed several modalities like demonstration businesses, technology transfer groups, training and diffusion, and providing services such as consulting to quality control. Chile encouraged the participation from its associates and strategic allies both national and international; financing originating from the private sector was diminishing with time, while that obtained through state grants increased. Financing provided by sales of services to the public sector had not changed for several years. Fundacin Chile, besides creating innovative business and developing the programs mentioned, began to develop financial innovations for the national market. The institution sought, with these innovations, to more efficiently mobilize savings for investment in the sectors in which Fundacin worked. The foundation also created a venture capital fund for regional investments in medium-size growth businesses and new projects. Besides these venture capital funds, the foundation also fulfilled a seed financing role for innovative projects originating within the institution. Fundacin Chile was structured in four sectoral directorates: agro-industry, marine resources, secondary wood products, and forestry. The operational model was re-defined to distinguish and specify the concepts of technological centre, business units, companies and endowment management, establishing differences in objectives and in plans of management and interaction among the

National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Essay Example for Free

National Film Registry and Existentialism Reflection Patch Essay Existentialism Reflection Patch Adams is a movie about a man that is determined to be a doctor. Along the way, he comes across some issues when he won’t conform to the rest of the medical students. He is actually a good example of an existentialist. He is his own person within a larger society, or the other students at the school. He follows what he believes in and his life turns out almost just the way he wanted it to. In the movie, there were some quotes: â€Å"Look beyond the problem.† –Arthur †¢Everyone else stares whatever their problem is right in the face and expect to figure out the solution. Arthur tries to say, look past the problem. Focus on the solution. â€Å"See the world anew each day.† –Arthur †¢In a way, this is a stoic quote. To not let anything previous to this day affect it. Everyday holds a new adventure and if you are worrying about the past, how are you ever going to enjoy it? â€Å"The mental hospital was the best thing that ever happened to me.† –Patch †¢In the hospital, he found out he loved to help people. He wanted to listen to people and make them enjoy life. He really found his passion and without the mental hospital, he maybe never would have. â€Å"Death is not the enemy†¦indifference is.† –Patch †¢When people are dying, showing care is the most important thing. If they don’t know that people care, that makes death so much worse. Everyone is going to die someday. Everyone should just enjoy life. As relating to existentialism, Kirkegaard would have thought that Patch was a good example. He was a part of the group, yet he was his own person within that group.

Introduction To Opportunity Cost Commerce Essay

Introduction To Opportunity Cost Commerce Essay It is a very powerful concept when someone has to make a decision to select a particular product or making a choice. In simple words, opportunity cost means choosing or making a best decision from different option. When one has to make a decision in between various actions to select only one particular work at a time is called opportunity cost. Example: From a economist point of view when a kid has to make a decision to choose between ice cream and chocolate at a time. When the kid has got a limited pocket money of $10 only and ice cream cost is $8 whereas chocolate cost is $15. So, the kid will have to select ice cream only as the kid has only limited cash in hand. It is also an example of scarcity too. In this example, there is scarcity of money. NEEDS AND WANTS According to Macpherson (1977, p.27) defines needs and wants as The problem of needs and wants is both an ontological and a historical problem. NEEDS The basic requirement to satisfy human beings desire is included in needs. Needs are a basic necessity which are used in daily life like food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter etc. A mans survival is dependent on these needs only on the primary stage. In a modern society the basic needs keeps on changing according to the society standards. In case of modern society the basic needs of a man may differ from clothing to electricity, food to running water, shelter to furniture, medicine to electronic items etc. After talking about primary needs, secondary needs is the another topic which are needed to be explained. In case of secondary needs the necessity can be regarded as luxury. Like an automobile is a necessity in The United States. As the country grows to progress and development, the luxury too gets into necessity item for the people. At earlier stage cars could be only affordable by rich people. But at present, many of the middle level income people are also willing to afford it. Growth in a countries economy helps one to go beyond his or her limits. WANTS Wants include needs but it goes beyond that. Before we get deep into wants, we should understand the gap between needs and wants. According to Heibroner (1962, p.135) makes the statement that Consumer demand is no longer driven to essentials but hesitates before a whole range of possible luxuries and semi-luxuries. It means that now a days, consumer demand are unlimited and its no longer situated in a stage where consumer use to select between luxury and semi-luxury products. Due to the growth in economy, now most of the middle class people are also willing to afford luxury products. In a few years back was just a dream for them to afford the price for a luxury product. SCARCITY It is a stage when the wants are not satisfied up to the satisfaction of people. When the production is not enough or sufficient, to satisfy the demand for a particular commodity, the problem of scarcity arises. The scarcity keeps on changing from one society to various countries. As the society keeps on developing, the standard of living also gets higher. The demand also keeps on increasing according to the economy of a country and the satisfactory level of the society. So, the resources get scarcer to produce goods and services for the satisfaction of wants. OPPORTUNITY COST According to (Pearce, 1983, p.322) opportunity cost can be defined as opportunity cost can only arise in a world where the resources available to meet wants are limited so that all wants cannot be satisfied. In simple words, we could say that the wants and needs of human being are unlimited. But the resources available in the market are limited. And so, it is not possible to satisfy each and every wants and desires of human being. And thus, the topic opportunity cost arises in a world. Choosing the best alternative when there is scarcity for a particular product, it can be measured in opportunity cost for the satisfaction of the needs and wants. The value of the next best alternative which is available in the market is termed in as opportunity cost. ADVANTAGES OF OPPORTUNITY COST Opportunity cost provides a benefit of choosing one option over another. It may be personal or business related, opportunity cost arises when we select one option over another taking into consideration that the selected option has better advantage comparing with the another option. It helps one to study each and every facilities and satisfactory level of various products similar in nature, when the resources are limited. Opportunity cost provides us awareness towards choosing the best alternative product, which helps one to make fully informed and to make appropriate planning and decision making, which helps to maximize ones resources. Price of a product plays an important role in considering opportunity cost, as it allows us to consider and compare prices between each alternative product and to select the most effective and satisfactory product from the option. DISADVANTAGES OF OPPORTUNITY COST Opportunity cost consumes a lot of time to calculate the features, price, budget, success ratio, satisfactory level etc of a product and many times we do not have time to evaluate the benefits of every product to choose the best alternatives. The biggest disadvantage of opportunity cost from a economist point of view is that the opportunity cost is not considered in accounting process of any company accounts. And so, the cost of opportunity involved in a selection of a particular product and the alternative product which was not selected, cannot be taken into accounts for future studies at all from a financial point of view. PRACTICE OF OPPORTUNITY COST IN REALITY Opportunity cost is calculated everyday by a human being who has the desire to purchase any product available in the market. Whether it may be implicit or explicit cost, it is considered into opportunity cost itself. An example of opportunity cost in case of financial sector is as given below:- A decision maker must study the impact of opportunity costs deeply before making the decision. If we consider a situation of an investor, whether to make investment in stock market or mutual fund investment. If a person makes an investment of $20,000 in Mutual Fund Investment of any company for one year, then he thinks what if he had put the same $20,000 in stock market rather than mutual fund investment. Perhaps he may expect a return of 20% on stock, and then the investor has an opportunity cost of $4000.Mutual fund may only provide a return of 10% ($2000). Then the investor has to consider the risk taking capacity, if he goes directly with stock market. As stock market value keeps on changing from time to time and there is always a risk of losing the money. In case of mutual fund investment, investor finds it more safe and secure for his money. There is very less chance of losing the money as compared with stock market. Hence, the investor may take the decision on the best alternative to invest in after considering the opportunity cost. PRACTICES ADOPTED BY ORGANIZATION IN RELATION TO OPPORTUNITY COST Opportunity cost is very important concept in financial sector. Especially in business progress related strategies. Opportunity cost helps one to examine the details and to make a profitable deal in a business purchase and selling process. The opportunity cost is the value mentioned to the next best choice. When an organization makes a decision to purchase an asset over another, there the organization is transferring the opportunity cost offered by another asset which was not selected. From my personal investigation on use of opportunity cost in business world, opportunity cost helps the organization to manage time with fully efficiency. Opportunity cost helps the organization to manage time with full efficiency. Even the business organization has to analysis which productive material should be purchased or not. Evento study the profitability level of various materials before purchasing it. It helps in a better decision making. Examples of opportunity cost in Business organization: A company has $2 million to spend on a project. The company can decide to invest the money for advertisement purpose of the particular product at the time of launch in the market. If they decide to invest the money in production and to buy machinery and all then the opportunity cost gets lost for advertisement purpose. And if they decide to spend the money on advertisement purpose, then the opportunity cost will be the organizations ability to produce commodity with more efficiently. Another example for business organization is that an organization owns a building in which it operates its function and so, it does not have to pay any rent for the office room space and all. But from economist point of view the business owner might have kept the office space for current use itself or the office space might have given for rent for money. So, that the owner could have earned from the rent but if the owner will not consider or provide the office space for rent then there is a loss in business expenses according to economist view point. But in real life accountant of a business organization cannot provide any loss expenses due to opportunity cost in any accounts. Even though opportunity cost is not considered by the accountants in case of financial accounts and all. But it is very much important for a manager of the business organization to consider opportunity cost in relation to business strategies. A business manager must consider opportunity cost in calculating the opportunity expenses in the organization for analyzing the profitable deals available in the market. It also helps in utilizing limited resources efficiently. CONCLUSION The value of the next best alternative which is available in the market is termed in as opportunity cost. It means choosing or making a decision from different options. From a economist point of view when a kid has to make a decision to choose between ice cream and chocolate at a time. When the kid has got a limited pocket money of $10 only and ice cream cost is $8 and chocolate cost is $15. So, the kid will have to select ice cream only as the kid has limited cash in hand. It is also a better example for scarcity too. When we talk about opportunity cost, we must take scarcity, needs and wants also into consideration. As, the basic needs to satisfy human beings desire is included in needs. Needs are a basic requirements which are used in daily life like food, water, clothing, medicine, shelter etc. A mans survival is dependent on theseneeds only on the primary level. Saying about wants it includes needs but it goes beyond that. Now a days consumer demands are unlimited but the resources are limited. It makes the demand margin to get higher, comparing with supply or resources. Scarcity is a stage when the wants are not satisfied up to the mark. When the production is insufficient to satisfy the demand for a particular commodity the problem of scarcity arises. Opportunity cost provides a benefit of choosing the best option available in the market after concluding the advantages and disadvantages. It also provides awareness towards choosing a product. From a business concern opportunity cost helps to maintain time management to make business decisions. Even opportunity cost involves limitations like consumption of a lot of time and opportunity cost is not considered by accountants.

Punishment as a form of behaviour modification Essay -- essays researc

Introduction Punishment is a process through which â€Å"the consequence of a response decreases the likelihood that the response will recur† (Gray, 2002, pp.115). Further, punishment can be seen as an effort to decrease the response rate to stimuli by either removing a desired stimulus or presenting one which is undesired (Gray, 2002). Recent studies suggest that punishment can be an effective method of behaviour modification. However, as reported in Lerman and Vorndran (2002), there are a number of limitations to punishment as an intervention and subsequent negative side effects. For this reason, certain principles upon which the implementation of a successful punishment is dependent must be adhered to. In accordance to these findings, this essay will contend that whilst there are alternative means to operant conditioning, certain punishment techniques have been proven to be effectual and in some aspects advantageous. The effectiveness of punishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Punishment is one of the most used, but least understood and badly administered, aspects of learning† (Luthans, 1977, pp.300). As mentioned earlier, punishment is anything which weakens behaviour and tends to decrease it in subsequent frequency. Positive punishment is the method of administering negative consequences upon the occurrence of an action whereas Negative punishment involves the termination of positive consequences. In order to work, either case must weaken and decrease the behaviour which preceded the application or withdrawal of the stimuli. Skinner (1953) stipulated that we must defy the urge to label a form of stimuli as â€Å"desired† or â€Å"undesired† as a whole but rather to identify them by their effect on the observed subject. Whether punishment is effective depends on the criteria applied or the objectives to be achieved. That is, before we can say it is useful we must ask whether we desire an immediate or a lasting effect, and at how high a cost. There is some evidence to suggest that when punishment is administered in the form of aversive stimulation, it acts to suppress behaviour temporarily. When it is withdrawn, the punished behaviour rapidly gains strength. If the punishment is more severe and given consistently, it may act to suppress behaviour for a longer period of time (Skinner, 1953). Historically, the efficacy of punishment has been appreciated only in the pa... ... determine its utility (Lerman & Vorndran, 2002). Ultimately, â€Å"if punishment is necessary, it should always be used in combination with positive reinforcement† (Luthans, 1977, p.517). References: Blackham, G.J., & Silberman, A. (1971). Modification of Child Behaviour. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. Browning, R.M., & Stover, D.O. (1971). Behaviour Modification in Child Treatment. Chicago: Aldine–Atherton, Inc. Gray, P. (2002). Psychology (4th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers. Lerman, D. C., & Vorndran, C. M. (2002). On the status of knowledge for using punishment: Implications for treating behavior disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 431-464. Lieberman, D. A. (2000). Learning, Behavior and Cognition (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. [Chapter 7] Luthans, F. (1977). Organizational Behaviour. United States of America: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Sanson, A., Montgomery, B., Gault, U., Gridley, H., & Thomson, D. (1996). Punishment and behaviour change: An Australian Psychology Society position paper. Australian Psychologist, 31, 157-165. Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behaviour. New York: Macmillan Co.