Moments and Time, Themes in the Narrative Beauty When the...

Time in Moments, Not Minutes When it comes to personal narratives, time is an important element. But what is time? Time can be defined in many different ways. When people think of time, the truth is that there are many definitions. Time can be seen as seconds, minutes, hours and days, but that’s not how everyone sees it. Time can also be defined by the moments in one’s life, not by the minutes that go past but by the significant times in a person’s life that defines lives. People can say, â€Å"When I was eight years old.† But they can also say, â€Å"When I was young.† And young can be defined in many different ways as well. What does young mean, really? When the individual was young or a time when the individual felt youthful? Time can bend to the moments in people’s lives that hold certain significance. In the narrative Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self, writer Alice Walker tells of her life through a series of moments that ended up defining who she turned out to be later in life. She tells of how one significant moment altered her future through a series of short stories of who she was when she was young. She uses time to effectively do that, telling the story in mainly chronological order, but occasionally stopping to put in single thoughts, such as â€Å"Did I imagine the anguish of never looking up?† (Walker, 43). With this technique she is able to tell her story and still be able to put in her own thoughts of what has happened to her, as if she is telling a close friend,

Nursing Philosophy - 1001 Words

NURSING PHILOSOPHY, 1 NURSING PHILOSOPHY NURSING PHILOSOPHY, 2 Nursing philosophy Definitions Philosophy Philosophies encompass a multitude of value statements and beliefs. Philosophies are based on knowledge derived from reality, personal values, existence, reasoning, and relevant presentation of concepts. According to Alligood (2014), they address concepts such as person, environment, health, and nursing. Philosophies are derived from different theoretical works which affirm general ideas pertaining to those works. Philosophies are all based on individual ideas which conceptualize different views of nursing. Alligood (2014) suggests that philosophies broaden everyday views of nursing.†¦show more content†¦Many think that it is being free from disease or simply nursing the ill back to health. Personal Thoughts and Beliefs Person The person is what I believe to be the core basis of the metaparadigm. The person as a whole is at the core of the key central element of nursing theory. I have mixed views about the Eastern and Western culture philosophies. I agree somewhat that the whole person may be greater than the sum of the parts because the person as a whole- mind, body, and soul must maintain health. Environment NURSING PHILOSOPHY 5 Environmental factors play a large role in nursing frameworks because the person may normally have good or poor health partially resulting from his or her environmental or socioeconomic factors. I believe the two entities cannot be separated due to it playing a critical role influencing outcomes. Health Health is another key concept in the metaparadigm I believe to influence nursing concept. I believe that health may include the absence of disease, but also obtaining wellness to the ill. Health exists independently from illness because it does change depending on life circumstances. Nursing The concept of nursing is the nurse helping another person. I believe the nurse’s interpersonal relationship with another person is self-directed by the nurse, such as the nurse facilitating the nursing care, but also believe the care is based on knowledge and theoryShow MoreRelatedNursing Philosophy Of Nursing727 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction As a nursing student in the BSN program at West Coast University, I have discovered my skills and knowledge to prepare myself on how to be an efficient nurse as well as a nurse that truly cares for the best quality of care given to a patient. I have found some good qualities and insight in the paradigms to a philosophy of caring as a nurse. In this paper I will discuss the four paradigms of nursing which includes: Health, Nursing, Client/Person, and Environment. As a nurse, one mustRead MoreNursing Philosophy : Nursing And Nursing Essay1660 Words   |  7 Pages Nursing Philosophy Nursing philosophy is defined as a nurse or students thought of what they believe to be true about the nature of the profession of nursing and to provide a base for nursing practice. (2016, para.1) The nursing field continues to develop into a professional scope of practice and nurses continue to work to develop a high standard for the profession. The values and skills that nurses’ learn as they care for patients continue to develop into rules and regulations for future nursesRead MoreNursing Philosophy637 Words   |  3 PagesPhilosophy of nursing is an occupation consisting of professional individuals that exhibit and express compassion, respect, dignity and integrity to their patients and fellow coworkers. Nursing is not just a career, it is intertwined in the way we think, make decisions and prioritize values. As a nurse, it is important to me to provide the highest quality nursing care possible to achieve excellence in patient outcomes, while simultaneously, providing a respectful healing environment and work withRead MoreNursing Philosophy784 Words   |  4 PagesNursing philosophy â€Å"identifies what is believed to be the basic or central phenomena of the discipline, relates nursing to a particular world view, and provides some information on how one may come to learn about the world†. (p. 13, Salsberry, 2008). My personal philosophy of nursing evolved over the years and includes my observations, beliefs, thoughts, and practices. The purpose of this paper is to discuss my personal philosophy of nursing and the personal and professional experiences that haveRead MorePhilosophy of Nursing1024 Words   |  5 PagesPhilosophy of Nursing Alicia Hanford Elms College Philosophy of Nursing I remember at a young age telling my mother that I wanted to be a nurse just like her, she told me to choose a different path. Her response surprised me but did not stop me from pursuing my dream. I am passionate about being a nurse and what that role means. With recent frustrations with others in this profession I finally understood why my mother told me to choose a different path. I have always believed that beingRead MorePhilosophy of Nursing713 Words   |  3 PagesPhilosophy of Nursing The environment in which the patients are in plays a big role in their healing process. Florence Nightingale founded her nursing theory and philosophy on enhancing environmental factors to improve the patients overall health, healing and well-being. Nightingales attention to environment has added significance to the role environmental conditions play in human health status (Shaner, 2006). In Nightingale’s book, Notes of Nursing, she reflects on how air and water qualityRead MoreNursing Philosophy1056 Words   |  5 PagesT. Houston Philosophy of Nursing Toi Houston The University of Texas School of Nursing In partial fulfillment of the requirements of Professional Nursing A amp; B NURS 3645 Jeanean Boyd, MSN, RN June 6, 2011 Online RN-BSN Nursing is a profession that is very complicated and complex. It is exciting and has so many levels to it that one can actually never get bored with it. Most times when people think about nursing they only think about someone who adjustsRead MoreNursing Philosophy1798 Words   |  8 PagesMy Personal Nursing Philosophy Hope G. Slate Fresno Pacific University NURS/310 August 27, 2012 Brenda Laing, R.N., M.S.N., F.N.P. Abstract â€Å"Nursing theories are the creative products of nurses who seek (or sought) to thoughtfully describe the many aspects of nursing in ways that could be studied, evaluated, and used by other nurses. Theories provide structure and order for guiding and improving professional practice, teaching and learning activities, and research.† (Sitzman, 2011) Read MoreMy Philosophy Of Nursing Philosophy1481 Words   |  6 PagesMy philosophy of nursing My own nursing philosophy arises from my Knowledge as a nurse, personal beliefs and experiences, I have gathered throughout the years from my interactions with diverse patient population and other healthcare professionals, while working in different setting as a nursing in the health care. This also addresses nurse s ethics, goal and values as it relates to my nursing practice. My Nursing Philosophy is based on five components: nursing, Person, environment, holistic careRead MorePhilosophy Of Nursing : Why Nursing Essay1268 Words   |  6 PagesJoalexis Philosophy of Nursing Why Nursing? When I graduated high school, I wanted to have a career in the healthcare field, I enrolled at Valencia College to do a major in Chemistry, because I wanted to complete the pre-medicine requirements in order to attend medicine school. While in school I was working at Walmart, it was a decent job. However, my passion to work on the healthcare field, made me put my pre-medicine studies to a standby, and enrolled in an emergency medical technician program

Choir Versus Cocoa Puffs free essay sample

My family has always been religious and involved in our church. When I was younger, my parents helped the priest give the host, my sister was an altar server, and my grandmother arranged bake sales. This was about the time that my mother, to my great distress, felt I needed to become involved too. I was dragged kicking to the church. It wasn’t so much that I despised it, but I was only ten and wanted to be doing more exciting things like watching TV and eating Cocoa Puffs. The first group I was pushed into was the Altar Server Society, where my sister belonged (as if she didn’t have enough chance to boss me around). I tried getting out of it; I whined, cried and screamed. I even threatened to call Child Protective Services and inform them of my mother’s blatant violation of the child labor laws, but in the end I submitted to her iron-fisted oppression. We will write a custom essay sample on Choir Versus Cocoa Puffs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fortunately, I was a klutz. My first service ended in shattered glass and I was never allowed to help again. I don’t know if they were trying to punish me or save what little china they had left but it was definitely safer for the church. My next assignment was helping the nursery school teachers during mass. This didn’t seem too bad. I have always enjoyed little kids and would get to miss the droning sermon. Plus, I heard there was snack. I figured the children would be six at the oldest, but most were actually seven or eight with a couple of nine-year-olds! And the other helpers were teenagers who saw me as just another little kid. Between the kids being too close to my age and the helpers too old, I had little power. I hate having little power. Because of the circumstances, this also ended in disaster. By my fourth week, I was dismissed for leading a rebellion against the teachers because they refused to give us extra animal crackers. I still believe that I was in the right. The next Sunday it seemed the sermon was especially long and boring. It just happened to be about â€Å"Responsibility† and â€Å"Serving the Church.† I could feel the priest’s eyes piercing me like daggers. My mom made things even worse; as punishment for my behavior, I was forced to sit all alone in the front row, the row of shame. All through the service I thought about coloring books, jump ropes and animal crackers. By now my mother was getting very annoyed. She wanted my cooperation and I wanted to be left to my cartoons. Unfortunately, Mom was determined to find something for me to do and came up with choir. Choir was different because I had no idea what was coming at me. I suppose my mother was surprised that I didn’t raise hell but truth be told, I was almost excited. When I entered the choir room the first time, it was neither shocking nor frightening and when we began practice, I fell in love. I already knew most of the songs and singing made me feel amazing. The only problem was that I didn’t have much talent. It frustrated me that I wasn’t as good as some of the others and I became disappointed with myself. While at first my parents had rejoiced over my good temperament, they were now mourning. Every Saturday evening, I would come stomping home in an awful mood. Then things grew even worse. When my sister saw how easy I had it, she quit the Altar Server Society and joined the choir. This wouldn’t have been a problem if she hadn’t been so naturally terrific! The director would compliment her on every note while I only received criticism. I had always lived in the shadow of her talents. Each week I loathed choir more and would beg my parents to allow me to quit. To them, though, finding choir was like striking gold, there was no way they would let it go. Things became overwhelming when my sister was given the solo I had been praying for. When she was congratulated on her superb singing, I politely excused myself and ran to the bathroom. She tried to comfort me, but strategically withdrew after I threw a roll of paper towels at her head. I may have overreacted but it hurt. Of course, my sister told on me, and, of course, my parents made me the object of their disappointment. Wanting to know why I freaked out didn’t make me feel better and I spent the next week in my room. I didn’t know what to do, so I sang. I sang all the time, which did not please my sister. Every so often she would come and bang on my door with a shoe, telling me to shut up. As I was singing â€Å"On Eagle’s Wings† for the seventy-sixth time, I came to a profound realization: choir was different. It wasn’t about beating my sister or getting solos. The feeling I got there couldn’t be taken away. Choir was an excuse to sing at the top of my lungs. Choir made me feel special. I was proud of myself for realizing that because for a 10-year-old, that was pretty insightful. As time passed I became more and more dedicated to choir and I did pour my heart and soul into every note. My sister, though still better than me, did nothing more than what was expected. She didn’t have the passion I did. And so I began to get more solos than her and finally I was asked to join the adult choir, leaving my sister in the dust. It felt good, to say the least. When my mom became much more relaxed about church service my sister quit choir. I could have too, but I was much too infatuated. It has been years since my parents tore me away from my Cocoa Puffs, and I’m still singing.

Product Packaging Influences Buying free essay sample

The problem is made more complex by several conflicting trends in consumer decision-making. On one hand, some consumers are paying more attention to label information, as they become more concerned about health and nutrition (Coulson, 2000; IGD, 2003c). These consumers are more involved in the product decision and use package information more extensively. On the other hand, modern consumers are often looking for ways to reduce time spent on food shopping and preparation. This can influence decision processes, too, as time pressure reduces detailed consideration of package elements (IGD, 2002b; Warde, 1999). While these are important issues, and becoming even more critical in the intensifying competitive environment, there is little comprehensive study on how packaging elements influence brand choice under involvement and time pressure. This paper aims at forming a better understanding of the link between packaging and consumer purchase behavior. The main objective is to examine packaging elements that influence purchase decisions. We will write a custom essay sample on Product Packaging Influences Buying or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From this, we propose a conceptual framework for how packaging relates to purchase decisions in the context of different product involvement levels and under time pressure. Generally, qualitative methods are best suited to developing deeper understanding, so our discussion is based on focus groups interviews which examined these issues in-depth with typical consumers. The focus groups sessions had two broad objectives. They are: to examine the consumer experience with purchasing packaged food products; and to understand consumer views on how packaging plays a role in their purchase decisions. The focus groups were conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, and thus, the views represent consumers in an important middle-income country market where the agribusiness industry is quite strong, and conditions are very competitive. The packaged food products market in Thailand Thailand provides an excellent context for examining packaging of processed food products. Understanding consumer response to packaging in Asia is critical to food companies competing globally, and Thailand is one of the leading markets for such trends. The packaged food industry in Thailand is highly competitive, and the Thai industry is a major player in the world market. Thailand is the worlds fifth largest food exporter, with more than half of its exports going to its three major markets in Japan, North America, and Europe (The Nation, 2003). Packaged food products constitute to a large part of exports, and thus, domestic markets in the West are seeing an increasing presence of Thai packaged food. In Thailand, the rapid growth of modern retailing, where packaging plays a critical role in merchandising and communication, is an important driver of the dynamic competitive environment for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) (The Nation, 2002). Expansion of modern retailing is common across Asia, even in very low income countries (Speece and Luc, 2002), but is more advanced in Thailand than in most parts of developing Asia. According to AC Nielson, Thailand is the most dynamic retail market in the Asian region except for China (Rungfapaisarn, 2002). Internationalization is a key ingredient. For example, Britain is now the fifth largest investor in Thailand, and major British FMCG companies and retailers have a strong presence (UK Trade and Investment, 2003). A report by IGD (2003a) indicates that, after China, Thailand is one of just three other key Asian markets for international retailers. As many Asian markets, Thailand has seen an influx of foreign retailers. The whole range of modern retail stores common in the West are also becoming common in Thailand. Hypermarkets now lead growth, with foreign stores playing a major role in this category. Tesco has become the largest single player, but there are also three other major chains, including the European Carrefour and Makro, and Big C, which is domestic (Phuangkanok, 2001; Rungfapaisarn, 2002, 2001). Supermarkets and convenience stores, the other major outlets for packaged food products, show a similar mix of Western and domestic chains. These trends have fostered quite a lot of product and packaging innovation. In Thailand, ready-to-eat and other convenience food products are among the most rapidly growing categories (The Nation, 2002). Packaging has become a critical marketing issue in the competitive domestic market and as Thai products expand their international presence. Industry experts believe that product innovation and packaging are the keys to enhance competitiveness of Thai packaged food products (The Nation, 2003). The director of the Bureau of Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development, which works with Thai SMEs, believes that packaging is one of the three critical areas where SMEs need to develop more expertise, along with marketing and high quality raw materials (Asawanipont, 2003). A key to maximizing package impact is understanding consumer response to packaging. Many observers, e. g. AC Nielsen, a leading international consumer research company, believe that consumers worldwide are likely to have roughly a similar response to many FMCG, despite cultural differences (The Nation, 2002). Understanding issues that concern consumers in one highly competitive market should provide a useful guide for others, even if details of execution might have to differ across countries. Our own work has found many elements of behavior toward FMCG brands to be similar among middle class consumers across a number of Asian markets (Speece, 1998, 2002, 2003). In many respects, their behavior does not seem very different from how Europeans may view brands (Speece, 2000). For example, while there is a considerable brand loyalty toward FMCG in Asia, many consumers are loyal to a small set of brands, rather than to a single one. Roughly half the consumers have frequently not made specific brand choices before they enter the store, as several brands are all acceptable to them (Speece, 1998, 2003). The package truly is critical for these shoppers, and it must communicate the advantages of the food product inside. Consumers in Thailand are becoming more careful shoppers, paying more attention to information about packaged food products (NFI, 2003; Speece, 2003). This trend, of course, is worldwide. In the UK, for example, IGD (2003c) found that 61 percent of people surveyed now look for product information on food labels, up from only 13 percent in 2000. Convenience is also a key driver for food choice worldwide, and recent trends suggest that the demand for convenience is likely to continue increasing as young consumers take their habits with them into old age (IGD, 2002a). According to IGD (2002a), more impulsive and impatient consumers have driven the move toward more informal dining and a decline in the traditional fixed meal times.

The Cosmic Engine Research Essay Example

The Cosmic Engine Research Essay Example The Cosmic Engine Research Essay The Cosmic Engine Research Essay Compare the views of Hubble and Friedman about the expansion of the universe: Edwin Hubble’s observation In 1929, Edwin Hubble announced that his observations of galaxies outside our own Milky Way showed that they were systematically moving away from us with a speed that was proportional to their distance from us. The more distant the galaxy, the faster it was receding from us. The universe was expanding after all, just as General Relativity originally predicted! Hubble observed that the light from a given galaxy was shifted further toward the red end of the light spectrum the further that galaxy was from our galaxy.The specific form of Hubbles expansion law is important: the speed of recession is proportional to distance. Hubble expressed this idea in an equation distance/time per megaparcec. A megaparcec is a really big distance (3. 26 million light-years). Alexander Friedman’s theory In the early 1920’s Friedman for told a theory were universe begins with a B ig Bang and continues expanding for untold billions of years (that’s the stage we’re in now. ) But after a long enough period of time, the mutual gravitational attraction of all the matter slows the expansion to a stop. The universe will eventually start to contract in a big crunch. Friedman embraced the idea that the equation in Einstein’s theory of relativity shows a universe that is in motion, and not constant.* A flow chart to show and describe the transformation of radiation into matter which followed the â€Å"big bang†: * Einstein’s view of the connection between matter and energy: Association between  mass  (m) and  energy (E) in Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, complete by the formula E=  mc2, where  c  equals 300,000 km (186,000 miles) per second i. e. he  speed of light. In physical theories prior to that of  special relativity, mass and energy were seen as distinct entities. The energy of a body at rest cou ld be assigned an arbitrary value. In special relativity, the energy of a body at rest is determined to be  mc2. There for, each body of  rest mass  m  possesses  mc2  of â€Å"rest energy,† which potentially is available for conversion to other forms of energy. The mass-energy relation implies that if energy is released from the body as a result of such a conversion, then the rest mass of the body will decrease.Such a switch of rest energy to other forms of energy occurs in ordinary chemical reactions, but much larger conversions occur in  nuclear reactions. This is particularly true in the case of nuclear-fusion reactions that transform  hydrogen  to  helium, in which 0. 7 % of the original rest energy of the hydrogen is converted to other forms of energy. Although the  atomic bomb  proved that vast amounts of energy could be liberated from the  atom, it did not demonstrate the precision of Einstein’s equation. * Accretion of galaxies and st arsAfter a few hundred thousand years after the Big Bang, the Universe was cooled down and atoms were formed. As the Universe was further expanding and cooling, the atom particles lost kinetic energy and gravity began to attract them together forming regions of high mass density. The regions of high mass density began to attract nearby material and gain mass. This process is known as accretion. At some time or another, all matter in the universe formed discrete gas clouds known as protogalaxies. As further accretion occurred, galaxies were formed. Accretion also occurred inside galaxies, forming stars.As the average temperature of matter in the universe, then as the universe expands there is less hot matter such as stars and colder dark space/matter between it, so when you average things out, you get a lower temperature. * Relationship between the temperature of a star to the wavelength and color emitted from that star. Stars appear to be exclusively white at first glance. If we loo k carefully, we can see that there are a range of colors blue, white, red etc. stars are small blackbodies and their color variation is a direct consequence of their surface temperature.Cool stars radiate most of their energy in the red and infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and there for appear red, while hot stars emit mostly at blue and ultra-violet wavelengths, making them appear blue or white. To estimate the surface temperature of a star, we can use the known relationship between the temperature of a blackbody and the wavelength of light where its spectrum peaks. That is, as you increase the temperature of a blackbody, the peak of its spectrum moves to shorter bluer wavelengths of light.This simple method is conceptually correct, but it cannot be used to obtain stellar temperatures accurately, because stars are  not perfect blackbodies. The presence of various elements in the stars atmosphere will cause certain wavelengths of light to be absorbed. Because these absorption lines are not uniformly distributed over the spectrum, they can alter the position of the spectral peak. Moreover, obtaining a usable spectrum of a star is a time-intensive process and is prohibitively inefficient for large samples of stars. Propose an experiment that can be conducted at home to find the mathematical relationship between brightness to its luminosity and distance. Shine a clear 100 Watt light bulb through a square hole in a piece of paper and see how many squares it illuminates on a piece of grid paper as you move the grid paper different distances away from the hole. Throughout the experiment, keep the light bulb and the piece of paper with the hole in it exactly 10 cm apart while you move the grid paper progressively farther away.The experiment works best if you turn the light bulb so that the shadow it casts through the hole is as sharp as possible this will usually be when the filament is held perpendicular to the paper. 1. Place the grid paper right a gainst the square hole, so it is also 10 cm from the light bulb. The bulb should illuminate one square on your grid paper. Now move the grid paper 20 cm from the bulb and see how many squares are illuminated. Repeat this measurement for distances of 30 cm and 40 cm from the bulb. 2.At each successive distance tested above, determine how many times farther away the grid paper was from the light bulb than it was at the first distance 10 cm. 3. Throughout this experiment, the amount of light passing through the square hole has remained constant since the distance between the light bulb and the hole has not changed. Thus, if the light is spread out over N squares, then only 1/N as much light falls on each individual square on the grid paper. Determine what fraction of the light coming through the square hole falls on any one square on the grid paper at each of the distances you examined. . Examine your data for trends and relationships. * Hertzsprung Russell diagram: Average mass (the s un = 1) Average luminosity (the sun = 1) * Main Sequence: A main sequence star is not really a type of star but a period in a stars life. When a star is in main sequence it is converting hydrogen into energy. It is then usually called a dwarf star. This is the longest period in a stars lifetime. Our Sun is a yellow dwarf in main sequence. A main sequence star’s mass ranges from 0. 10 M/M to 60 M/M the luminosity can start at 0. 008 L/L and reach 500,000 L/L. their surface temperature which is measured in kalvins can reach from 3000 K to 38,000 K. Once a protostar starts burning hydrogen in its core, it quickly passes through the T-Tauri stage (in a few million years) and becomes a main sequence star where its total mass determines all its structural properties. The three divisions in a stellar interior are the nuclear burning core, convective zone and radioactive zone. Energy, in the form of gamma-rays, is generated solely in the nuclear burning core.Energy is transferred tow ards the surface either in a radioactive manner or convection depending on which is more efficient at the temperatures, densities and opacities. Red Giants: Towards the end of a  star’s life, the temperature near the core rises and this causes the size of the star to expand. This is known to transform a main sequence star into a â€Å"Red Giant†. The average mass of a Red Giant is around 0. 4 to 0. 9 Betelgeuse is a red giant, it is 20 times bigger than the sun about 14,000 times brighter and its surface temperature is no more than 6,500 K.A stars evolution after the red giant phase depends on its mass. For stars greater than 1 solar mass, but less than 2 solar masses, the hydrogen burning shell eats its way outward leaving behind more helium ash. As the helium piles up, the core becomes more massive and contracts. The contraction heats the core as it becomes more dense. * White Dwarfs: Stars that have a lot of mass may end their lives as black holes neutron stars. A low or medium mass star, with a mass less than about 8 times the mass of our Sun will become a white dwarf.A typical white dwarf is about as massive as the Sun, yet only slightly bigger than the Earth. This makes white dwarfs one of the densest forms of matter, surpassed only by neutron stars and black holes. The average mass of a White Dwarf ranges from 1. 1 to 1. 7, the luminosity ranges from 1. 2 to 6. White dwarfs are quite common, being found in binary systems and in  clusters. Since they are remnants of stars born in the past, their numbers build up in the Galaxy over time. It is only because they are so faint that we fail to detect any except for the very closest ones. * Neutron star:A neutron star is a very small, super-dense star which is composed mostly of tightly-packed  neutrons. It has a thin atmosphere of  hydrogen. It has a diameter of about 5-10 miles (5-16 km) and a density of roughly 10  15  gm/cm3. Its mass is between 1 and 2 solar masses. * Proton â⠂¬â€œ Proton Cycle   and carbon cycle Proton-proton cycle,  also called  Proton-proton Reaction,  chain of  reactions that is the chief source of the energy radiated by the  Sun  and other cool main-sequence  stars. Another sequence of thermonuclear reactions, called the carbon cycle, provides much of the energy released by hotter stars.In a proton-proton cycle, four  hydrogen  nuclei (protons) are combined to form one  helium  nucleus; 0. 7 percent of the original mass is lost mainly by conversion into  heat energy, but some energy escapes in the form of  neutrinos  (? ). First, two hydrogen nuclei (1H) combine to form a hydrogen-2 nucleus (2H, deuterium) with the emission of a  positive electron  (e+, positron) and a neutrino (? ). The hydrogen-2 nucleus then rapidly captures another proton to form a helium-3 nucleus (3He), while emitting a  gamma ray  (? ). In symbols:

Free Essays on On The Relevance And Merit Of Socrates Philosophy

On the Relevance and Merit of Socrates Philosophy Very seldom in history is there a figure so great that they transcend many cultures. This is especially true of a time in which there are few records left about the person. Such is the case with the philosopher Socrates. Socrates had a brand new way of philosophizing. It was not a quest in favor of wisdom for Socrates, but to discover the wisdom in others. In this paper I will discuss Socrates’ way of philosophizing from several viewpoints. First, I will address exactly what his brand of philosophy was. Secondly, I will analyze the legitimacy of his philosophy with arguments both for and against his unique style. I intend to prove that Socrates’ new method of philosophy and wisdom seeking is not only legitimate, but worthy of merit. Socrates’ philosophy was that of no other; he discovered wisdom by incorporating what is called the Socratic Method. This method of inquiry involved Socrates always asking questions of those individuals that were considered wise. He would ask them questions about their own beliefs so that he may get a better understanding of what it is that they taught or preached. Socrates claimed to know nothing at all and he was asking these wise people what the true answers were. His continuous questioning was only to weed out inconsistencies of the particular â€Å"wise person’s† thought process. Knowing what he did was a simple matter of observation; why he did those things was another matter. Socrates tells us why he chose a life of wisdom seeking in the Apology. While defending the nature of his human wisdom at court, Socrates tells of how he came upon this wisdom he claims to not possess. Socrates’ friend from youth, Chairephon, went to visit the Oracle at Delphi. He proceeded to ask the Oracle if any man was wiser than Socrates. The Oracle then replied â€Å"that no man was wiser. † Socrates was very confused at this. He didn’t kno... Free Essays on On The Relevance And Merit Of Socrates' Philosophy Free Essays on On The Relevance And Merit Of Socrates' Philosophy On the Relevance and Merit of Socrates Philosophy Very seldom in history is there a figure so great that they transcend many cultures. This is especially true of a time in which there are few records left about the person. Such is the case with the philosopher Socrates. Socrates had a brand new way of philosophizing. It was not a quest in favor of wisdom for Socrates, but to discover the wisdom in others. In this paper I will discuss Socrates’ way of philosophizing from several viewpoints. First, I will address exactly what his brand of philosophy was. Secondly, I will analyze the legitimacy of his philosophy with arguments both for and against his unique style. I intend to prove that Socrates’ new method of philosophy and wisdom seeking is not only legitimate, but worthy of merit. Socrates’ philosophy was that of no other; he discovered wisdom by incorporating what is called the Socratic Method. This method of inquiry involved Socrates always asking questions of those individuals that were considered wise. He would ask them questions about their own beliefs so that he may get a better understanding of what it is that they taught or preached. Socrates claimed to know nothing at all and he was asking these wise people what the true answers were. His continuous questioning was only to weed out inconsistencies of the particular â€Å"wise person’s† thought process. Knowing what he did was a simple matter of observation; why he did those things was another matter. Socrates tells us why he chose a life of wisdom seeking in the Apology. While defending the nature of his human wisdom at court, Socrates tells of how he came upon this wisdom he claims to not possess. Socrates’ friend from youth, Chairephon, went to visit the Oracle at Delphi. He proceeded to ask the Oracle if any man was wiser than Socrates. The Oracle then replied â€Å"that no man was wiser. † Socrates was very confused at this. He didn’t kno...

Freedom in Human Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Freedom in Human Life - Essay Example Human life is characterized by the pursuit of freedom. Children want to have freedom from school so that they can play all day. Teenagers want to be free from their parents. Adults want financial freedom so that they can be free from want so that they can pursue their passions.  In order to have freedom, people must respect others rights to have freedom. As people pursue freedom, it is necessary to take the rights of other people into consideration. In addition, changes in our lives have significant effects on our ability to enjoy our freedom. For example, adults find themselves with new restrictions that they did not have in their youth. They have to work to pay their bills and have to consider their children making decisions.  Different cultures have their own unique approaches to freedom. The West believes that the individual should have the freedom to think, express their thoughts and do what they want as long as it does not undermine the rights of others. Most Muslim countri es place significant limitations on the freedoms of their citizens. Furthermore, the culture of a society affects the ability to exercise freedom. For example, although people are free to love whoever they want in most cultures the relationship between members of the same gender is frowned upon. As a result, some societies are more preferable than others. The beauty of the American Dream is borne out of the belief that people are free to pursue their desires.  Marketers have redefined the concept of freedom. They have made people believe that freedom means the power to buy things or to have a certain lifestyle. This has led to the rise of consumerism, a culture that values the acquisition of things. This culture has led to the loss of freedom because people are held captive by what the advertisers and corporations want the society to value. People presently focus on the pursuit of financial freedom. This is the ability to do what someone wants without having to worry about money. However, this state is difficult to attain and most people do not ach ieve the state.

The European sovereign debt crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The European sovereign debt crisis - Essay Example in the minds of many is how the financial debt crisis of the few countries could have caused such a global debt scare, yet those countries are not even the major economies of the Euro Zone. Thus, this discussion seeks to analyze how the financial debt crisis that started with the few countries eventually affected the whole of the Euro zone. The analysis will focus on two major areas of the financial markets; the bond markets and the foreign exchange, as the notable areas affected by the debt crisis. In this respect, the contagion process of the debt crisis from the few countries to the whole of the Euro zone will be analyzed. Greece is the major player as far as the European sovereign debt crisis is concerned, considering the fact that it is only when the sovereign debt crisis of Greece came to the fore that the real financial crisis facing the Euro zone started being considered. By the turn on the 20th century, Greece was one of the first growing economies in Europe (Fouskas, 27). However, the financial crisis of 2007/08 affected Greece notably, because its economy was dependent on tourism and exports, which slowed down as a result of the financial crisis, thus slowing down the economic growth in the country. To address this slow-down, the Greece government increased its spending in the economy, which in turn increased its sovereign debts (Fouskas, 132). The increased sovereign debt of Greece meant that the country’s budget deficit was increasingly becoming higher, compared to the country’s GDP. This effectively increased the borrowing rates of the country, which rose to a point where it b ecame clear that the country would no longer be able to borrow from the internal markets, while at the same time indicating a high possibility of sovereign debt default (Armingeon and Kai, 424). In reaction to the high sovereign default risk by Greece, the credit rating of Greece was downgraded to junk status, also known as the BB+, which effectively meant that the

Poverty in the United States Essay Example for Free

Poverty in the United States Essay Poverty is a serious issue not only in third world countries but also here in the United States. Discussing the nature of poverty in the United States is important because through understanding we will find solutions. Gaining insights into the issue of poverty can be used to understand the complexity of the subject. Poverty has been defined as a state of deprivation of goods and services that essential to the maintenance of an adequate standard of living in a given society. Although the concept of poverty is considered relative, it cannot be denied that it magnifies the problem concerning inequality in a particular society (Levitan). The struggle of poverty impacts people’s day-to-day life. It is easy to hide some things in life but, poverty is not one of them. There are 633,782 homeless people in cities throughout the United States (St. Francis). Poor people have no place to live and are being exposed to nature’s elements, bacteria, and harmful illness can cause threat to the health of these individuals. The environment is being impacted as well, because there is nowhere to put waste or garbage other than on the ground. This is why it is important to gain insight and understand poverty so that we can help these people and the earth. When a person is living in poverty it is humiliating and weighs on an individual’s self-esteem as well as their families and is very difficult to overcome. Poverty is not always a choice, but it is a situation that can be prevented. If people everywhere take something from every book, article or essays that has been written and are willing to recognize and do something about it then it is a problem that can be fixed. There is not a perfect plan or a perfect solution to the poverty problem but, the aim is to decrease the number of individuals and families living in poverty drastically. There are many families living in poverty and there are an equal amount of thoughts and opinions on why people live in poverty such as drug and alcohol use, domestic violence and foreclosure just to name a few. Individuals have a difficult time taking care of themselves can you imagi ne having to try to provide for a family on next to nothing every day. Without a street address these families do not qualify to get welfare assistance such as food stamps, Medicaid, or housing assistance. Without housing assistance people are forced to stay in shelters and if they don’t make to a shelter by a certain  time they go without a warm place to sleep and without food that night. Some people wait in long lines all day for a spot at the shelter only to be turned away because there is just not enough space for everyone. A good way to alleviate or even eliminate this problem is to build more shelters or use some of the abandoned buildings in poverty stricken neighborhoods for the poor people to sleep in. Have stipulations in these shelters that individuals and their families are guaranteed more than one night as long as they abide by guidelines provided, kind of like a contract. So they are not just getting help they are in a sense helping their selves. Different situations have different solutions, there is a difference between a person living in poverty because you’re a war veteran and just having a hard time and living in poverty because you are and addict and everything you have is spent on drugs and alcohol. In these newly built or refurbished shelters with these stipulations, programs can be offered to help transition into a better way of living. Yes, then there is the issue of money and where will it come from. Nobody has money lying around just to give away so charity events, fundraisers, donations, volunteers and maybe even some help from government agencies would help. The children of these families living in poverty suffer most. Research shows that poverty in the first five years of a child’s life changes the life of a child compared to if they were to live in poverty later in life. This is because poverty is associated with poor nutrition; poor nutrition leads to lower intelligence, bad physical development, and poor immune systems. â€Å"Children deprived of proper nutrition during the most informative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge. The more severe the poverty a child faces, the lower his or her nutritional level is likely to be (BrownPollitt).† Many children that are labeled bad kids with behavioral problems are really just lacking nutritional value. A child that is hungry is more likely to act ou t and have greater difficulty focusing than a well fed child. There are government programs that offer assistance with nutrition such as W.I.C and Healthy Schools but the guidelines are very strict and fall short in making sure that every child living in poverty has adequate nutrition. So, this problem can be solved by changing the guidelines and making it easier for a family living in poverty to feed our future. People might say this is not my problem, I’m not living in poverty  so what does this have to do with me? Truth be told everyone is affected by poverty. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, â€Å"There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society, with a large segment of people in that society, who feel they have no stake in it; who feel they have nothing to lose. People, who have stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don’t have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it (Dr.MartinLutherKingJr.).† According to the history of our nation, the safety and equality of the people of our society relies on everyone individually and as a whole nation as one. If that’s the way the world is meant to be then why are people living in poverty treated so differently? Upper class doesn’t make you better than a person living in poverty, money doesn’t make you bad or good and the same goes for poverty. The founders of our nation fought hard for a country where everyone is treated as a person equally but, that is not the case when thousands of people still live in poverty every day. â€Å"Anybody that has ever spent a morning at the Department of Motor Vehicles or stood in the line at the Post Office should understand that simply because the government is handling the problem, doesn’t mean it’s being handled properly (St. Francis)†. The next time you see someone a little down and out stop to give them a minute and see if you can help them in any way, remember that poverty does not make them any less a human than you. I believe the proposed solutions will work because if its believable than its achievable and our system has proven in other situations to be reliable so let use it for the good of the people of our country that could use a hand up not a hand out. For people to be sick on the street, forced to sleep on cardboard or dirt, and have to beg other people to help them is not humane or the American way and should not be tolerated any longer. Works Cited BrownPollitt. Malnutrition, Poverty and Intellectual Development. Pollitt, L. Brown E. n.d. Dr.MartinLutherKingJr. Letter From Birmingham Jail. April 1963. Levitan, Sar A. Poverty In the Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia. 1990: pages 478-480 Vol. 15. St. Francis, Nancy. Homelessness in America 2013. 2013.

Comparing Power and Freedom in Invisible Man and Notes From Underground

Comparing Power and Freedom in Invisible Man and Notes From Underground      Ã‚  Ã‚   The quest for power is an endless one for humanity.   Countless tales of greed, strife, and triumph stem from this common ambition.   Similarly, men universally seek freedom, a privilege entitling an individual to make independent decisions and express personal opinion.   Exploration of the connection between these two abstract concepts remains a topic of interest, especially in the works of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground.   Two distinct definitions of "power" exist: one deals with societally defined power, generally represented by wealth, leadership, and authority over the lives of others.   The other defines a power within oneself, in which an individual gains a true picture of his human condition and relationship to society.   In Invisible Man, the protagonist enters a Negro college, only to be expelled to New York.   He then begins a career with the Brotherhood, a group to promote civil rights and support bl acks. The narrator of Notes From Underground outlines a series of autobiographical recalled events that comprise the background for his philosophy concerning the human condition and freedom.   Both Invisible Man and Underground Man, in their direct conflicts with power inequality, illustrate the universal human conflict in the pursuit of power.   In each protagonist, heightened awareness of their human condition onsets a retreat underground to compile notes on the nature of power and freedom.   Both conclude that freedom arises as a result of self-awareness and of ability to both recognize and accept a powerlessness of self amidst oppressive societal power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Invisible Man's first major encounter ... ...on.html Bakhtin, Mikhail. Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics. Ed. and trans. Caryl Emerson. Introd. by Wayne C. Booth. Theory and History of Literature. Minneapolis: U. of Minnesota Pr., 1984. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Responses, Criticism. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1989. Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage Books, 1952. Fabre, Michel. "In Ralph Ellison's Precious Words." Unpublished Manuscript. 1996. Accessed 30 November 2001. http://www.igc.org/dissent/archive/ Ellison/early.html Howe, Irving. "Review of: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man" Pub. The Nation. 10 May 1952. 30 November 1999. http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/howe-on-ellison.html. O'Meally, Robert, ed. New Essays on Invisible Man. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Strategic Marketing of Giordano

University of La Verne – BUS 567 Service Sector Marketing| Giordano | Positioning for International Expansion| Sheng-I, Chang (Becky)Chang-Ta, Yang(Frank)Chieg-Chiung, Chen (Jeff)September , 15th, 2011 | Introduction Giordano established in 1981 by Jimmy Lai. It is a Hong Kong- based retailer of casual clothes targeted at men, women and children via its four company brands, Giordano, Giordano Ladies, Giordano Junior and Blue Exchange (Bitner & Zeithaml, 2011).Giordano is one of the best known and established apparel retailers in the Asia Pacific region, employing over 8,000 friendly staff with over 2,400 shops operating in 30 territories worldwide (About Giordano, 2011). They are committed to delivering quality products and service to their customers in the worldwide market. Their vision is to be the best and the biggest world brand in apparel retailing with the mission of making people â€Å"feel good† & â€Å"look great†. This paper starts with a corporate prof ile of Giordano.The main part of the case is positioning the international expansion of Giordano and a detailed analysis of its competitive environment and alternative solutions. Furthermore, the company’s growth strategies are discussed with recommendations provided to conclude the case. Company Profile The Giordano Group is a leading international retailer of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories. Giordano’s success is measured by the company’s relentless focus on its five corporate business values of quality, knowledge, innovation, simplicity and service.The company has its own apparel manufacturing division where many of its own clothing styles are produced. Giordano is also renowned for its basic and practical men’s, women’s, and children’s T-shirts and trousers, especially denims. In comparison, Giordano is very similar to the American based popular retailer The Gap. Responding to the slow sales in the past, Giordano changed its positioning strategy in 1987 which the company decided to shift its focus to maximizing sales instead of maximizing price margin via a â€Å"value-for-money† policy with selling discounted casual unisex apparel, and increased commitment to customer service.The shift in strategy was successful. The management values and style leads Giordano to be successful, which including a willingness to try new and unconventional ways of doing business and to learn from past mistakes, and considering front-line workers to be its customer service heroes. Giordano's commitment to service began with its major Customer Service Campaign in 1989. There are three tenets in this campaign which is † we welcome unlimited try-ons; we exchange – no questions asked; and we serve with a smile†.Giordano's philosophy of quality service could be observed not only in Hong Kong, but also in its oversea outlets. There are many companies in the market selling c asual apparel. The way in which Giordano differentiates itself from other companies to gain competitive advantage is critical to its success. Giordano's Strategies Giordano distinguishes itself from the others through its high-quality service and superior customer value. However, Giordano is still a long way off from being well known brand compared to other international brand.Giordano is a label that doesn't shape opinion, After 2005, when the garment quota is abolished, imports into the Asia region will become more competitive. This change could affect Giordano's position and growth potential. Philosophy And Value System Regarding to Giordano's philosophy and value system, they believe that mistakes are unavoidable because of the rapid changes in the market. The critical thing is to learn from the mistakes. Giordano has made his employees comfortable about making mistakes.They believe in empowering people through providing a supportive, participative environment in which employees feel safe when mistakes are made. In Giordano philosophy, they feel that with contribution and participation of all employees, mistakes will be minimized. People only make mistakes when they have decision-making ability. Employees As An Asset Training is an important part of Giordano's strategy. It is provided on a continuous basis in order to support Giordano philosophy that employees are key to the company's success.However, even the most sophisticated training program will not guarantee the best customer services and satisfaction. It is the people who deliver that gives it from and meaning. Giordano has stringent recruitment and selection procedures to match its value and service requirements which continues to maintain top-level service to customers. Performance Evaluations Performance evaluations are conducted frequently at the store level, as well as for individual employees. Stores are evaluated for customer satisfaction twice every month, while individual employees are eval uated once every two months.Internal competitions are designed to motivate their employees and stores intend to do their best in serving their customers. Product Strategy & Quality Services Giordano is able to incorporate a high level of customer service as part of its products through a concerted effort, which involved every employee of the company. The company focuses on the concept of value-for money which constantly improves the value of the products and what the products mean to their customers.However, it is also essential to recognize the importance of the management and leadership’s commitment to be customer-oriented and to provide high quality service. Product strategy is to sell a small number of core products in its stores. Giordano's limited product line is seen as a strength. It has no more than 100 items and no more than 17 core items in the store while other retailers have 200-300 items. Because the company believes that merchandising a wide range of products w ill affect retailers to take a longer time to response to the market changes.Simplicity, flexibility and speed as values at Giordano is reflected in several ways which allowing company to react rapidly to the market changes, and quick decision making and well communication through its flat organizational structure. Competitive Advantage The competitive advantages those worked as key success factors for Giordano to achieve a distinct position in the competitive markets are as following: * Computerization – The POS terminals that are used to record and transmit flows of stocks to a mainframe computer which then aids in controlling stock flow of inventory. A tightly controlled menu – It mainly focus on a few items whose demand and desirability can be closely monitored. * Frugality – Curbed spending on advertising and tight inventory control * Value pricing – Value for money apparel. * A dedicated workforce in all outlets that provides quality service: In ord er to maintain this Giordano follows stringent selection procedures to ensure only desired employees are chosen, conduct workshops on â€Å"attitude training†, follows rotational on the job training method and performance related pay systems on the basis of periodic performance evaluations. Simplicity and speed of operations: Giordano maintained a flat organizational structure and this facilitated easy communication between people within the organization, helped to make speedy decision and to manage the project efficiently. * A recognized brand: Giordano has received awards such as: The American Service Excellence Award, ISO 9002 Award and People Developer Award which helped Giordano to establish their brand as a familiar one in over 30 countries.All these competitive advantages and sources should be maintained by Giordano in order to keep its current competitive position and there are some other competitive advantages that should be developed by Giordano in future. The futur e competitive advantages can be gained through investment into the development of employees and continued development of a learning organization which may not be gained by the other competitors. (Giordano K-10, 2010) Giordano's Problems We have indicated some problems and considerations regarding to the position for international expansion.If at all, Should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its current and new markets, and should it have different positioning strategies for different geographic markets? Does the company need to apply different HR strategies to suit different countries? Analysis & Solutions I. Should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its existing and new markets, and should it have different positioning strategies for different geographic markets?Regarding to the Giordano's positioning of international expansion, should Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its existing and new markets, and should it have differ ent positioning strategies for different geographic markets? According to Osama Taha- â€Å"A positioning strategy results in the image you want to draw in the mind of your customers, the picture you want him/her to visualize of what you offer, in relation to the market situation, and any competition you may have† Giordano's current positioning strategy is based on providing â€Å"value-for-money† or quality merchandise of discounted casual unisex appeal.The company also emphasized on the merchandise that is relatively mid-priced which means â€Å"inexpensive yet contemporary and trendy†, and offers quality, value and excellent customer services. The reasons for Giordano's success in market place are filling a gap in the market for trendy with reasonable price and quality unisex apparel, and the delivery of quality customer service. Now the fact is whether or not Giordano should reposition itself against its competitors in its current and new markets.Moreover, a fter thirty years of operation, Giordano's brand name and value have been in the customers' mind clearly. If Giordano changes its positioning strategy, it will be very difficult to obtain high-end customers acceptance in this intensive global apparel competition, and may lose the existing low-end customers at the same time. Therefore, we believe that Giordano should not change its existing positioning strategy. Repositioning is not necessary for the entire company because Giordano’s relatively mid-priced positioning worked well in the past decades. The Inexpensive Yet Trendy† clothing appealed to Asia’s frugal customers in the Asia market. However, Giordano could alter their brand image into a more high-value, high-quality, and high-end market. This could mean primarily repositioning Giordano as a higher priced and higher value brand in particular markets in the world. The price may can increase within 5 ~ 10 %, but not too high. According to the statistics, adju st the middle range of clothing prices within 5 ~ 10% will not affect the consumer's sensitivity of the price. Giordano must continue to be creative in their promotions.Perhaps they should spend more on traditional advertising, as they spend less on advertising and promotion than close competitors. However, compared to other international brands, Giordano still doesn’t shape opinion. One of the Giordano's competitors is Esprit who are seen as more up-market than Giordano, while being stylish and trendy. Besides, Esprit promoted a â€Å"lifestyle† image, even though it is positioned similarly to Giordano. Therefore, Giordano could re-launch its image, to be more stylish and thus promoting a lifestyle and not just a brand.It is not necessary for Giordano to follow same positioning strategies for different market but it will depend on the market condition of a particular whether to follow standardized or customized strategy. The company can go after with standardized posi tioning strategies â€Å"value-for-money merchandise† for different markets within the same region like South East Asian countries. But before implementing this standardized positioning strategy Giordano needs to understand the particular market on the basis of consumer’s tastes and preferences about the products and promotional activities.On the other hand, the other successful strategies of Giordano in proving excellent quality customer services, information system and efficient logistics and human resource policies and practices should be implemented tactically for different markets. It means customized strategies should be developed for different countries even within Asia because there are some variations between countries in terms of their economic, cultural and social factors. II. What are Giordano’s key success factors and sources of competitive advantage?Are its competitive advantages sustainable, and how would they develop in the future? The company is establishing a good key success factors. They serve their clients with good quality service and having other company as a reference for bench mark. The company emphasizes the service and the value-for-money which has a big impact to the company source of success. When they are selling their products, they are selling service which is half the price and the other half goes to the production cost. They are not only for goods but they also sell services.Moreover, Giordano have other key success factors like short product development cycle and fast market-driven new product development, excellence in management’s swift cost-control strategies, good in marketing and strong brand positioning, excellence service with â€Å"no questions asked exchange† and â€Å"unlimited try-on† policy, good location primarily in good ground-floor areas, drawing high-volume traffic and facilitating shopping, browsing, and impulse buying. By all of these key successful factors, they ha ve strong competitiveness in the clothing retail market.However, in the long run, sustainability of key success factors of Giordano highly depend on creativity and innovative of the organization. Some competitive advantages can be Giordano key success factors now, but it may not be in future. For example, information was disseminated to production facilities in real time by IT system but if Giordano’s competitor installed the similar system as Giordano did, it will no longer Giordano’s competitive advantages and cannot become the key success factor of Giordano.Giordano should never satisfy itself in such rapid changing current market situation. As the results, Giordano should look into new ways of improving and strengthening its competitive advantages. Creativity and innovative play an important role in continue to gain competitive advantages as â€Å"people are the key† to create value to organization or so called â€Å"organization culture† which is dif ficult to adopt by its competitors in market.Although Giordano might lose some of competitive advantages in future, investment in human resources will help Giordano to create new competitive advantages to contribute in the key success factors of Giordano and stay ahead in future market. Besides this, Giordano should keep on commit to its excellent customer service orientation philosophy and well monitoring with their market competition. These key success factors would develop in certain training and more research about the service and the products the target market wants to have.Innovation of product and service is a must for a company to develop and gain profit in a long period of time. Also, Giordano should rapidly development in Internet and Intranet technologies, solutions such as MS Office, point of sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and supporting telecommunications service (e. g. broadband Internet access), Giordano’s competitor could acquire i ntegrated IT and logistics technology more easily and more cost-effectively than ever before. III. A third issue to be considered was Giordano’s growth strategy in Asia as well as across continent.Would Giordano’s competitive strengths be transferable to other markets ? Would strategic adaptation to IT strategy and marketing mix be required or would tactical moves suffice? Giordano Company’s main competitive strengths which can be transferred to other market are: the experience of the employees, inventory controlled system, HRM practices but the policies should be different for each country and can use the established distribution, marketing and inbound channels members in order to market their product outside the home country.IT strategy which is currently used by Giordano, it should not adopt the same strategy for other countries where they are planning to expand their business. Because the IT infrastructure for each country in Asia and other continents may no t be the same and the current IT strategy of Giordano may not be supported by that particular country’s technological structure. Giordano needs more efficient, cost effective, and secure internal communication platform which will link its many sites in Hong Kong and other host countries.As the cross border business of Giordano is increasing, the company needed a comprehensive communications tool that would help Giordano employees conduct multisite management meetings, share documents and collaborate for fast business decisions and quality customer service. In such scenario Giordano can go for partnership with the IT company (Like Microsoft), through which they can install such a server and software through which they can equipped their staff with real time teamwork and presence capabilities that dramatically increased productivity.At the same time they can decrease its multi-national direct dialing and travel cost, as well as IT management costs. The marketing mix strategies that are followed by the Giordano for the existing market should not be the same for new markets where the company is willing to enter. The marketing mix strategies mainly deal with arrangements of the 4 Ps’. So the strategies regarding product price, price, place and promotion should not be the same for all target countries as the market differs in terms of their economic, cultural, social and political environment.But the successful strategies which are currently used for other market can be used by Giordano as guidelines and can develop tactical strategies for different market according to the market situation and customers’ requirements. Recommendation In the past, Giordano has relied on a consistent strategy across retail outlets in the Asian countries that it transacts with. The success strategies include the company's positioning and quality service, recruitment and selection policy, training and development, above-market reward and compensation system, flat str ucture, quick decision making.We believe that the same brand in different regions should not apply different positioning strategy, which should keep the same business strategy consistency. Due to the intensive competitions in the global market, same brand name with different positioning strategy will cause the confusion of customers worldwide. Customers in these markets may become confused as to what Giordano stands for, and this inconsistency makes effective service strategy implementation difficult, particularly as consumers are becoming increasingly mobile and travel more frequently between Giordano’s core markets.Moreover, Giordano might can develop a new high-end brands in order to satisfy the demands of high end markets. From the above analysis we have some recommendation for expansion in the international market for Giordano. First, it is essential to start promotions to increase brand awareness when starting businesses in new market. Second, the location and site sele ction for establishing Giordano’s outlet in different country will be critical. The company should carefully select the site to position their stores which will be convenient for the customers. Third, customer is the key and main factor for differentiation is customer care.The company needs to follow customized customer service strategy for each market segment. Fourth, Giordano needs to find out possibility of outsourcing to maintain low costs. Fifth, extensive market research is needed to investigate designs and fabrics required by the target customers. Giordano has perfectly focused in the value-for-money concept and everything they do is managed at a world-class standard. The management conducted their business in such an excellent and professional manner which helped this brand to reach from Asia to the Middle East and India, Australia, Eastern Europe, and now in North America.Reference Giordano (2011). About Giordano. Accessed Sep 15 , 2011 from http://www. giordano. com . hk/web/HK/ourCompany. html Giordano (2011). Giordano International Limited Annual Report 2010. Kowloon, Hong Kong. Accessed Sep 15 , 2011 Bitner, Zeithaml, Gremler (2011). Service Marketing – Integrating Customer Focus Across the File 5th edition. McGraw Hill. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011. Tam, F. Y. , Chan, T. S. , Chu, P. W. , Lai, T. C. , Wang, L. L. (2005). Opportunities and challenges: Hong Kong as Asia’s fashion hub. J.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 9(2), 221-231. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011 Tyler, D. , Heeley, J. , Bharma, T. (2006). Supply chain influences on new product development in fashion clothing. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 10(3), 316-328. Accessed Sep. 15, 2011 Taha, O. (2000). How to Design Your Positioning Strategy. Retrieved Sep. 23, 2011, from http://www. dime-co. com/marketing/positioning. htm Giordano International Limited (Hong Kong). (2011). Retrieved Sep. 25, 2011, from http://www. giordano. com. hk/web/HK/index. html

City and Village Life Essay

1. Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. It is also referred to as one’s elder.. The age of 60 or 65, roughly equivalent to retirement ages in most developed countries, is said to be the beginning of old age. Â  Village life is better than- city essay 2. Old age homes are meant for old aged /senior citizens who are unable to stay with their families or are insolvent. Some old age homes also have residential medical facility performs multiple functions catering to the needs of the old age people’s. 3. There are 728 Old Age Homes in India today. Detailed information of 547 homes is available. Out of these, 325 homes are free of cost while 95 old age homes are on pay & stay basis, 116 homes have both free as well as pay & stay facilities and 11 homes have no information. Kerala has 124 old age homes which is maximum in any state. 4. For the elderly & senior people this is very important issue because we need utmost medical care & look after when we grow old whether we are in or anywhere in the world. There are many reasons for looking for old age homes such as migration or location of Peoples due to their work / lack of time in youngsters / neglect / family problems etc. 5. Those elderly who are abused by children, may feel the old age home is heaven. But later they feel they wish to go back home. Because no place can beat a home, however painful it is. A home means family, and family means belonging. Those who do not have any family, for them old age homes can be a blessing. But those who have family, for them being sent to old age home is like condemning them to death. 6. This Old age homes supply a number of needs they want as they get older. First among these is security, both financially, physically and medically, though not necessarily in that order. The elders are seeing old age homes as an alternative to care in the context of lack of family care. Among such elders, on the one hand we have elders from the upper class staying in paid homes enjoying all and active life.

Contrast

Public vs. Private College – Several Factors to Compare/Contrast Public vs. Private College Several Factors to Compare/Contrast Making the choice to attend a private or public university is a big one. Many students and their parents make that choice based solely upon cost. After all, a college education is a large financial investment, and there may be hefty student loans to pay back after graduating. So, yes, price has to be a big factor in our decision but if you cannot answer the question, What is the difference between public and private colleges? then you are not really ready to make your decision. Here are 5 factors of comparison that all students should consider. Structural Difference Public Universities State universities are funded by the taxpayers of that state and student tuitions and fees. Every university has an operating budget which it must submit to an appointed Board of Governors, and that budget must be approved by the state legislature. The amount of tuition and fees charged must also be approved by the state government. What is a Private University Structure? Private colleges and universities have been around longer than state institutions. They were initially founded by religious organizations, although most are not pretty secular. These institutions are not funded by the taxpayer and are therefore free to set their own policies and budgets without state approval. They usually have a Board of Directors or Governors that sets policy and tuition and fee rates. Private colleges are funded by student tuitions and fees, as well as by donors, most of whom are wealthy individuals who graduated from that college. Prices Public Universities Because of their state funding, tuition and fees at public schools are much cheaper than at private school, as a rule. And states vary widely on those tuition amounts. Texas, for example, has very high funding for its state universities, so students get a big bargain. Generally, however, students can expect to pay from $7000 - $9000 a year. Cost of living, whether in a dormitory or an apartment, will not vary much from that in private universities, nor will meal plans that are offered by the schools. The other factor that will remain comparable will be the costs of texts and supplies. Private Colleges Tuitions will be significantly higher in private schools, and will generally range from $20,000 - $45,000 per year the more prestigious the school, the higher the cost. Cost of living and texts, as mentioned will not vary much from those of state schools, but those costs can be significant. The one offsetting factor in tuition and fee costs is that private schools do have a lot of privately available financial aid. Some of their endowments from donors are earmarked for financial aid to students in need, and the school must give that money out as required each year. So, before you dump the idea of a private school, check out its financial aid programs. Population In looking at public university vs. private university sizes, the general rule is that public schools will have much larger student populations. This also means that class sizes will be larger and the personal attention is not great. Some campuses have up to 40,000 students or more, and at least at the general education level coursework, auditorium-style classes are the rule. Student populations in private school really vary. Small schools may have as few as 1800 students. Harvard, by contrast, has 27,000+. As a rule, however, class sizes in private school are smaller and there is more personal attention. If you do well in very large and more impersonal schooling environments, then you will do very well in a public school. If you do not, however, you should consider a private college Degrees Because of their sheer size, public colleges tend to have more degree programs, so there are certainly more options when selecting a major field of study. And within a state system, some schools are known for their excellence in certain degree fields. If you select a state school, make sure you select one that is known for its department in your major. Private schools have fewer degree programs, but many have an exceptional reputation in the degree programs they offer. If you intend to go the private school route, make sure that the degree program you are choosing has a department with a great reputation. Social Life This is the final factor to consider. Big schools offer a great deal of diversity of population and a huge number of clubs and organizations to join. Most are also known for their party weekends especially when there is a home sporting event. Private schools, with some exceptions, may be less diverse and offer fewer opportunities for you to branch out and widen your social horizons. If there are fraternities on campus, there will be parties, for certain. But in general private schools tend to have less of a reputation for being party schools. These, then are the factors to look at. Finding the right balance of cost, size, programs and social life for you to be happy takes time and careful thought. Contrast Free Essays on Comparison/Contrast The Death of the Human Spirit in â€Å"Harlem† and â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† Although Langston Hughes’s â€Å"Harlem† and John Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† were written about 130 years apart and they differ in their structure, they seem to share a similar underlying theme. Both of these poets are trying to convey a feeling of death. They are not talking about a superficial death but rather, a dying on the inside. This is the type of death that robs them of their spirit. To the reader, it is fairly clear to see in Hughes’s â€Å"Harlem† whereas in Keats’ â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the reader has to look beyond the outer layer of the poets words. In Hughes’s extremely short poem, â€Å"Harlem†, the poet asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (1). If not for this opening line, the reader might be left wondering what the objects in the poem symbolize. Hughes uses a raisin, a sore, meat, a syrupy sweet, and a load. The â€Å"raisin† represents the plight of the black man in a dominant white society. The black man (raisin) refuses to give in and thus turns into a â€Å"sore†. The â€Å"meat† turned rotten in â€Å"Harlem† symbolizes the fight of the African American in making their place in the world. The â€Å"sweet† represents the satisfaction to be found in an existence full of harmony. The â€Å"load† is the culmination of all of these objects. As time goes by, the burden of the â€Å"load† gets harder and harder to carry. The heavy burden causes the black man to falter and â€Å"sag†. Eventually, the immense pressure causes an explo sion to the reality of the situation that the African Americans face. In order to understand the meaning behind John Keats’ somewhat longer poem, â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, the reader has to look past the words written to reveal their true meaning. On the surface, the reader might think this poem is light and airy, when in fact; it is a sad tale of lost chances never to be r...

Confusing Preposition Pairs in English

Confusing Preposition Pairs in English Confusing  preposition pairs in English is one of the most common mistakes for ESL students. To help you avoid this mistake, review  some of the most commonly confused pairs of prepositions below.   In / Into The key difference between in and into is that in indicates a state of being, whereas into indicates motion. For example, into is often used to describe the movement of something from outdoors to indoors, such as in the sentence, I walked into the house.  By contrast,  in is used when a thing or person is stationary. For example, I found the book in the drawer. Examples Jack drove his car into the garage.My friend lives in that house.The teacher came quickly into the room and began the lesson.The dishes are in that cupboard.   On / Onto Similar to into and in, onto indicates motion where on does not. Onto normally indicates that something is placed onto something else. For example, I put the dishes onto the table when I set it. On shows that something already rests on a surface. For example, The picture is hanging on the wall.   Examples I carefully placed the picture onto the wall.He put the book onto the desk.You can find the dictionary on the table.Thats a beautiful picture on the wall. Among / Between Among and between are almost exactly the same in meaning. However, between is used when something is placed between two objects. Among, on the other hand, is used when something is placed among many objects. Examples Tom is between Mary and Helen in that picture.Youll find the letter among the papers on the table.Seattle is located between Vancouver, Canada, and Portland, Oregon.Alice is among friends this weekend. Beside / Besides Beside - without an s- means next to. For example, Tom is seated beside Alice. In contrast, Besides - with an s - states that something is in addition to something else. For example, Besides math, Peter is getting an A in history. Examples Hang your coat beside mine over there.There is so much work to do besides the normal tasks.Come sit down beside me.Besides potatoes, we need some milk.

White Privilege and the Myth of Meritocracy-Diversity in Organizations Essay

White Privilege and the Myth of Meritocracy-Diversity in Organizations - Essay Example The discussion is also made in the additional contexts of the questions that are required to be answered relating to white privileges that have relevance with regard to organizational diversity; white privileges from the vantage point of non-white minority groups; how discrimination fosters white privileges and whites’ perception of their own capabilities and merits; the use of the terms qualified minorities, qualified whites, and qualified women; gender-based privileges; the relationship between wealth and privileges (Bell, 2011; pp. 223-256; McIntosh, 1990; McIntosh, 2009; McNamee and Miller, 2004; Unz, 2012). Discussion Whites here refer to the ethnic groups that fall under the umbrella of non-Hispanic white and have roots in Europe, or else are from North Africa or the Middle East. They include those who self-report being white, or else report themselves to be one or other of the following: Arab, Irish, Polish, Lebanese, Italian, German, or from the Near East. This is also the definition espoused by the US Census Bureau, and forms the basis of the definition for the paper (Bell, 2011, p. 225). By white privileges is meant those privileges that accrue to Whites in America by virtue of the social conventions that work on either positively discriminating whites based on their color to confer special work, consumption, and other social privileges, or to negatively discriminate against non-whites to effectively put whites in positions of economic, social and political power, and in other relevant aspects of social and cultural life in the country. The myth of meritocracy, meanwhile, posits that whites earned their privileges and positions of dominance and power, and that conversely other minority groups effectively have not earned power and therefore are unable to rise into similar positions as whites. The myth of meritocracy also exists as divisions in â€Å"earned† power and privileges along gender lines, with white women being in inferior positi ons at work for instance due to white males having earned their positions through the merits of their own work and capabilities. While there are parties that assert that reverse discrimination exist, and documented in the courts, the reality is that white privilege persists as a social force acting in ways that reinforce those privileges at the expense of women and minorities, even as whites themselves in significant numbers have historically worked for more egalitarian social arrangements among races, viewing diversity in organizations as sources of strength and advantage that lift all in turn (Bell, 2011; pp. 223-256). Answering the first question, McIntosh presents many of the subtle ways by which white privilege presents itself in daily life, and it is easy to imagine that in the context of organizational diversity, many of those presentations are relevant, especially with regard to not being racially profiled for a host of activities including participating in race-based discus sions and in discussions on promotions, and with regard to the impact of subtle segregation rules in the choice of housing for employees that may work against drives by organizations to foster greater racial diversity in its employee pools. In promotions discussions, if majority of upper management is white too, then ingrained social forces operating within an organization would work against greater ethnic diversity in the management ranks too, to cite another example (McIntosh, 2009; McIntosh, 1990). To answer question two, If I were a member of a minority ethnic group, the white privileges relating to natural social tendencies to promote and enhance the power of whites over

The Changes in Employment Law Introduced by the Equality Act 2010 Essay

The Changes in Employment Law Introduced by the Equality Act 2010 - Essay Example The paper discusses the changes on the employment law as a result of introduction of the Equality Act 2010. Equal Pay The Equal Pay Act of 1970 prohibits discrimination in pay between men and women. The Act emphasizes equal pay for equal work. Despite the act being in place gender wage gap continues to rise and women are segregated in low paying service sector jobs such as education and health. However, the claimant pursuing this allegation should be able to proof that the difference in pay is as a result of discriminatory act by the employer. To proof this, there needs to be a comparator of opposite sex performing similar work in the establishment or in a similar establishment offering same terms and conditions of employment (Kelly et al. 2011). The Act gave employers right to secrecy in remunerations thereby preventing employees from getting information as to whether they are being discriminated thus making it hard to claim unequal pay discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 however makes some changes which removed the clauses on secrecy. Employees are thus free to get information regarding remuneration. It also made it unlawful for employers to prohibit employees from discussing pay. The Act requires organizations with 250 or more employees to publish pay differences for males and females (Directgov, 2011). The Act also enables claimants to make a claim even if there is no comparator. This implies that employers need to be very cautious when offering terms of payment to avoid discrimination allegations. It has also to publish pay differences to avoid paying fines. This may affect performance related pay as those performing equal work need to be paid similar wages. While Equal Pay Act incorporates equality clause in all contracts, Equality Act incorporates sex equality in the contract (Kelly et al. 2011, p. 465). Sex Discrimination Treating one less favourably on the grounds of sex is prohibited in the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 (Kelly et al. 2011). The act also prohibits harassment based on sex and victimization as a result of giving evidence on sex discrimination cases or for filing a complaint based on sex. The Employment Equality (sex discrimination) Regulations 2005 require a claimant to proof they were discriminated because of their sex by use of a comparator hence according to Clarke (2006), discrimination laws emphasize on differences between complainant and comparator rather than the disadvantage the complainant has experienced (161). The Equality Act has extended the associative and perceptive discrimination based on sex. It is therefore unlawful to treat someone less favourably because of having an association with a person of a particular sex or because of being perceived as belonging to a particular sex. Disability Discrimination The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 prohibits unfair treatment on the grounds of being disabled. It prohibits direct discrimination and disability related discrimination whereby one is disc riminated due to reasons associated to disability such as sickness. However, the employer can discriminate if the nature of activities does not allow hiring a disabled person, if costs involved are high or as a result of genuine

Answer for exam question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer for exam question - Essay Example African culture characteristics Edoho (2001) asserts that the African culture is almost opposite to that of America. In his comparison between the two cultures, Edoho found that the Africa culture exhibits the following characteristics; High power distance, Collectivism, Moderately feminine and Moderate to low uncertainty avoidance. According to Edoho, America has an individualism culture, low power distance, masculine and low uncertainty avoidance. Individualism refers to a cultural state of affairs where individuals’ ties between individuals are loose. Although the extent of collectivism varies within countries, Africa countries are generally collectivist in nature. With regards to masculinity v femininity, African countries are moderately feminine. Uncertainty avoidance is the degree to which members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain circumstances. African culture is generally low on uncertainty avoidance. African culture is characterized by high power distance. The high power distance also gives rise to high social inequality, where subordinates highly depend on managers (French, 2010). A person’s standing in the society depends on the age and social status. In addition, hierarchies, formality and titles are highly regarded in African culture. Africans place value on personal connections, trust, friendship and personal relationships. In addition to valuing relationships, Africans value groups such as clans and ethnic group rather than an individual. This results in the prominence of working for the benefit of the whole instead of an individual. Tradition and honor are highly regarded and the culture endeavors to safeguard the loss of honor. In terms of male domination, African societies are male dominated, although most Africans tend to be modest. While dealing with uncertainty, the African culture stresses on harmony rather than conflict. Africans resort to harmony as they do not feel threatened by unknown circumstances. Africans have a more flexible and relaxed attitude towards time. This flexibility of time in the African culture is unofficially referred to as the â€Å"African time†. Finally, the African culture is characterized by high content where decisions depend on the external environment, circumstances and non-verbal signs. Conclusion In conclusion, the African nature exhibits most of the attributes put forward by Hofstede. Among the most prominent features in the African culture are high power distance, low uncertainty avoidance, collectivism and moderate femininity. High distance in African countries considers inequality as essential and that everyone has a place. Organizational values in African countries hold that most people should be dependent on the leader. People holding social positions are perceived as privileged and people work towards protecting their titles and prestige. As such, only related relationships are accepted in organization as subordinates consider themselves as different from their bosses. Q 1 B: how understanding cultural theories can help international managers to decide on the most suitable management style. Introduction The management of human resources is collective with regard to policies, processes and strategies. Managing and developing human resources in an international setting is increasingly acknowledged as a central challenge, especially for

Culture and packaging Essay Example for Free

Culture and packaging Essay Packaging is considered to be an integral part of the product and is the first point of contact with the brand for a consumer product. So, most of the companies that do business internationally redesign their packages for each market. The principle reason is that expectations and utilizations of consumers vary across cultures. The world’s two leading industrial powers, U. S. and Japan have almost opposite approaches to packaging. Packaging is recognized as an expression of culture in Japan and designed to be appreciated, whereas in America cultural aspect is largely ignored and packaging is calculated to be accepted. Foods that only Japanese eat have beautiful, traditionally designed wrappings that resemble handmade paper or leaves and accommodate scan able bar codes. Such products look Japanese and are intended to do so. Products that are foreign, such as coffee, look foreign even to the point of having only Roman lettering on the can. We speak of global villages and international markets, but packages reveal some unexpected cultural boundaries. Few examples of such cultural implication of packaging are- Canadians prefer to drink milk out of flexible plastic pouches that fit into reusable plastic holders while Americans are believed to be so resistant to the idea that they have not been given the opportunity to do so, Japanese consumers prefer packages that contain two tennis balls and view the standard U. S. package of three as cheap and undesirable, Germans insist on highly detailed technical specifications on packages of videotapes, while Americans don’t, Swedes consider blue Colour of packaging as masculine whereas Dutch consider it to be feminine and so on. (Eric, J. A. et al. , 2004, p. 298) Culture Packaging Colour Schmitt and Simpson (1997) states, Colour is one of the many marketing tools that global managers use to create, maintain, and modify brand images in customers’ minds while Schmitt and Pan (1994) discovers, Colour is also an important component of many corporate and brand-building cues, such as logos, packages, and displays. It is a commonality reflecting in the views of both the authors that- Colour is one of the major element which affects consumer perception regarding a brand. The research results show cross-cultural patterns of both similarity and dissimilarity in Colour preferences and Colour meaning associations. Colour used in packaging is equally important in determining a product’s desirability. â€Å"James Mandle, a Colour consultant, changed the Colour of Ty-D-Bol’s toilet bowl cleanser bottle from light and green to stark white letters on a dark background. He believed that the original Colours were â€Å"too wimpy† and that the new, bolder Colours would connote strength and cleanliness. In an 18 month period following the change of Colour, sales of Ty-D-Bol jumped 40% (Lane 1991). † (Thomas, J. M. et al. , 2000, p. 91) Packaging is not about Colour only there are various other factors involved in it. Factors like design shape of the package, text on the package and other factors of the packaging. But it is true that Colour is the most important attribute in terms of attracting the attention of the consumer. Packaging is not only made up of a single Colour but combination of Colours to create a brand image. So preferences in regard to combination of Colours also vary across cultures. Few examples of such combinations are of pairing Colours with green and red. The Colour best paired with green is yellow in Canada, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, blue in Columbia, and white in Austria. Only the Chinese and Taiwanese pair green with red as red is a potent Colour in China. In Brazil and the US people pair red with black, whereas in Canada, and China, the preferred combination with red is yellow. ( Mooij and Marieke K. de, 2004) Culture Packaging Information Packaging not only protects and contains a product but also provide the consumer with loads of information about the product such as its composition, correct use etc. For instance, packaging of foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals provides information regarding the name of the product, manufacturer, country of origin, â€Å"best before† date and expiry date, ingredients and additives or composition of drug along with quantity and price. Since packaging is subject to country-specific legislation so ear of legal action has made many companies in the US and the UK includes all sorts of warnings on label instructions on consumer goods. On bar of Dial soap: â€Å"Directions: Use like regular soap. † On a Sears hairdryer: â€Å"Do not use while sleeping. † On packaging for a Rowenta iron: â€Å"Do not iron clothes on body. † On Nytol sleep aid: â€Å"Warning: May cause drowsiness. † On a child’s Superman costume: â€Å"Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly. † On Sainsbury’s peanuts: â€Å"Warning: contains nuts. † On Marks Spencer bread pudding: â€Å"Product will be hot after heating. † On Boot’s child’s cough medicine:† Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication. † ( Mooij and Marieke K. de, 2004, p. 265) In the present scenario various countries have included packaging waste into hazardous matter to contribute in pollution. This led the government to adopt some policies to restrict the use of non recyclable products as a packaging material where it is not required. These have also posed challenge among business organizations to try and find out recyclable materials and present themselves as a responsible corporate citizen among the stakeholders. This is also one aspect of culture which leads to this kind of environmental concern approach. Culture Packaging Images/Pictures Imagery is an important element of packaging, as it enhances the accessibility of packaging information. As said by Bolen (1984), visual information in advertisements generally attracted more attention and was noticed before verbal advertising content. While Alesandrini (1982) declared, visual information may serve to attract consumer’s attention and set expectations for the contents of the verbal elements; the visual information thus serving as an â€Å"advance organizer† for the verbal elements of packaging. (Underwood et al. , 2001) Different culture recognizes various symbols differently with different meanings altogether. Picture that is very meaningful for people in one culture as it expresses important values of that culture can be completely meaningless to the people of the other culture. For instance, a box of pineapple cookies sold in Singapore has an image of a lion, as in Singapore lion is considered to be a symbol of royalty. Hence, if the similar box of cookies is launched in UK it won’t be given equivalent importance as in Singapore due to the differences lying in culture. Culture Packaging Communication Customer or prospect judges the products on the basis of its name as well. Language used on the product package including its brand or product name creates impression among consumers. Consumer interprets the information selectively on the basis of his culture and his own personal factors. Different aspects of marketing communications like corporate identity, brand name, package design, and advertising styles impacts consumer in certain ways. Marketing communications styles are interrelated with personal communication styles. Chinese-speaking consumers tend to judge a brand name based on its visual appeal whereas English speakers judge brand name based on whether the name sounds appealing. In Asia, visual symbolism is a key aspect of a firm’s corporate identity. A comparative study of package design across seven countries found that packages differ both in three-dimensional design and in the way they communicate through graphical design and vary in the use of textual information; use of Colour, shape, and symbolism; and degree of structure and detail in the package design. All the above differences are highly influenced by culture. Even the product category is influenced by the packaging design, for example Deodorant is communicated differently from cigarettes, and that is reflected in its design of the packaging. ( Mooij and Marieke K. de, 2004, p. 213) Why it is important to understand culture differences in cultures? It is always very important for a marketer to understand the culture of his target market place. Many good products have failed in the market only due to ignorance of socio- cultural aspects. There are underlying components that influence culture such as religion, family, customs, politics, weather, etc, which must be taken into account when marketing products on an international basis. Consequently, it is important for marketers to be aware of the 25% of cultural differences in the world market to promote their product properly. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand similarities and differences in culture which also affects the consumer purchasing behaviours across the cultures. (Weber, J. M. et al. , 2002, p. 396) Tastes and preferences of consumers vary in different part of world. In the European continent itself consumer preferences and taste varies so much that retailers Marks Spencer had to made different advertising campaigns for each country. Initially Marks Spencer has a single uniform advertising for the whole of Europe in 2001. Later it recognized its weakness and immediately changed the advertising campaign according to the taste and preference of different parts of European continent at the end of 2001. Toyota’s model ‘Camry† was a huge success in US which it tried to launch in UK market in 2000. It was a huge failure due to difference in the lifestyle and cultural set up of these two countries. Toyota re-launched it later with changes in the model according to the European culture and it was a huge success. Companies have to estimate the strength of their products along with the market they are trying to trap irrespective of their own brand name and value. One of the mistakes by the snacks giant Kellogg’s is Indian market was with its breakfast cereals. Within Indian culture people tend to eat heavy breakfast in the morning. In such market breakfast cereals as a healthier alternative to the heavy Indian breakfast was unattractive offer to the Indians. Later on company improved its communication strategies and compared it with traditional chapattis (Indian breads). Even in that case Kellogg’s could sell to a Westernized niche market only. So it is quite clear from the above examples that thorough understanding of the culture as well as its differences across cultures is very important to survive in today’s competitive environment. There are some other companies which have done very well in understanding various markets on socio-cultural dimensions like Disney, Pizza hut, dominos, Mc-Donald’s and others. Success pf these brands was result of their conscious effort to keep the significance of culture in their minds. These companies went local irrespective of their global operations for each and every market for them. One such example is Mc-Donald’s. The reasons behind success of Mc-Donald’s in foreign markets apart from a strong brand image and consistent service a standard around the world is, its advertising which is local and its product offer has a local touch. Examples are the Kiwi burger in New Zealand; the Maharaja Mac in India; the Prosperity burger in Malaysia; the Teriyaki burger in Japan; the McKorket in the Netherlands; McLaks, a grilled salmon burger, in Norway; and the Croque McDo in France that refers to the popular French â€Å"Croque Monseiur†, a hot ham and cheese sandwich. Advertising by McDonald’s in France tied into local habits and symbols. In 2001, for example, advertising for McDonald in France tied into â€Å"Asterix and Obelisk,† the most famous historical cartoon of the nation. Hence, localization makes it increasingly important for marketing and advertising people to understand the influence of culture. ( Mooij and Marieke K. de, 2004, p. 18) Importance of Colours can not be ignored in the case of international markets. Colours are associated with different cultural beliefs, moods and meanings. Understanding of these aspects of Colour, culture and society helps the organization to develop appropriate strategy. As said by (Kirmani 1997: Schmitt and Pan 1994), one marketing cue that global managers can use regardless of location is Colour. The effects of culture on the meaning associated with Colours are very critical for international marketing purposes. â€Å"Wagner, the creator of the Wagner Colour Research Institute, contends that Colours are associated with certain images (Lane 1991). For example, Blue is associated with wealth, trust, and security: Gray is associated with strength, exclusively, and success: and orange denotes cheapness. These associations may explain why banks are more likely to Colour their logos and collateral using Blue or Gray rather than orange ( Seitel 1993). It is cultural background due to which Colour has a strong effect on choice of a customer. It is important to understand which Colours are preferred by people in different cultures. It will help to create, maintain, or modify brand images in consumers’ minds. The associated with Colours and combination of Colours are important to understand for any marketer. â€Å"Colour combinations are considered culturally bound with certain ideologies and traditions (Geboy 1996). For example, black on red signifies happiness to Chinese people and is commonly used for wedding invitations while a combination of red over white represents celebration and signifies the life force to the Japanese ( Tektronix 1998). (Thomas, J. M. et al. , 2000) After Colour it is cultural beliefs which have impact on the consumer minds. It is important to understand the beliefs related to target product category within the target market place. For instance in India people feel that ancient herbal methods are good choices over the cosmetic options available today. This led various cosmetics company in India to launch their promotional programs comparing their product with traditional methods or showing the products equivalent to the traditional benefits. In these leading brands like Lux, Fair Lovely and many others are present. Success of a fair and lovely brand due to the fact that Indians believe fairness is beautiful. Vicco turmeric cream is another example which positioned itself as a cream that would be useful for would-be brides to enhance their complexions, as applying turmeric for skin care is a part of the Indian tradition. These types of behaviour which are associated with a specific culture or belief can also be associated with different product categories such as, for instance, the bindi worn in most parts of India. It is important that the brand name selected for such a product category should have an ethnic-sounding name whereas a Western name is prone to be counter-productive. (S Ramesh Kumar, 2003) Another product category is food where the role of mother and grand mother is considered important. This is the reason all spices, traditional quick meals and cooking oil etc contain some or more of the mother’s recipe kind of concept. Not only that change in the societal socio-cultural structure can also be seen as some of the advertisement in India show modern man helping their women in their work as well like washing clothes or taking care of child. There is a strong need to understand and consider the culture which constitutes of the values, beliefs and habits of consumers which show a discrepancy across the nations. The other aspect of the changing cultural environment and upcoming trends are also important to understand.