Legal Aspects of Air Transportation

Legal Aspects of Air Transportation Kevinn A. Narvaez Y00285940 AWSC 3200 Air Transportation Prof. Ocasio Table of Contents IntroductionPage 3 Main EssayPage 4 ConclusionPage 6 ReferencesPage 7 Introduction: Air Transportation is one of the fastest growing sectors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, as such, it is subject to an increasing legal requirements. Many legal requirements has to do with the financial side of the air transportation business, specifically financial and documentation matters. These legal requirements are usually decided via yearly ICAO and IATA meetings, but also via special conferences, such as the Chicago Conference and the Havana Conference, where major changes in international air transportation were made. In this project we will look at some of the different legal measures taken to ensure fair competition and standardize business practices in the international air transportation industry. We will also look at some of the international agreements regarding air transportation, and the effects that they have had on the industry. Main Essay: International air transportation is an example of a politically- dependent business. International agreements and disagreements affect were, how, when, and how frequently air carriers fly to international destinations. A clear example of this is the embargo against Cuba, flights from the United States to Cuba are extremely heavily regulated. In many other instances, politics have played an important role in determini ng international air transportation policy, and as such, international air transportation, is in a constant state of flux. A tragic example of a flight that was caught in the bad side of international disputes was Korean Airlines Flight 007, which was shot down over the former Soviet Union during September of 1983, a period during which relationships between East and West were at a straining point. Likewise, many laws affect the citizens of a particular nation, such as the Fly America Act, which obligates United States federal employees and their families to fly primarily on air carriers from the United States. This functions as a trade boon for American air carriers, virtually guaranteeing large revenues on international flights as well as domestic flights. 4 The Fly America Act was not the first legal action placed on international air transportation, we can go as far back the Chicago and Havana Conventions, and find evidence of legal actions imposed on air transportation. These legal actions are numerous, and include the â€Å"Nine Freedoms of the Air,† and the Montreal Convention, which establishes legal boundaries and requirements for law suits involving air carriers and passengers. Of course, the legal effects of air transportation have an effect on the economics of the business, when nations go to war, and declare blockades, airlines have to increase ticket prices to cover operational risks and other factors not planned for. With increased cost comes less reward, and eventually, the airline may have to shut down the route due to excessive costs. 5 Conclusion: The legal aspects of air transportation are numerous, and their effects are not only far-reaching, but powerful in their scope. As such, many airliners are subject to their rule, and have had to adjust their operations to compensate for these legal bindings. As we have seen, the legal affects don't just encompass laws and trade agreements, but also international politics and disputes. More often than not, air carriers prefer to not operate in areas that have been involved in international conflicts, for the sake of the passengers and the aircrew. The future of air transportation law is highly unpredictable, with nations making and breaking agreements every day. However, this does not exclude the airline industry from adapting to the changing legal climate as it has done in the past. Hopefully, in the future more agreements like the â€Å"Open Skies† act and the â€Å"Nine Freedoms of the Air† will cause the airline industry to flourish. 6 References: Air Transportation; Xunta de Galicia. Retrieved on 27/Nov/2009http://www. bygalicia. eu/en/keys_to_internationalisation/logistics_and_distribution/transport/air_transport/ International Civil Aviation, various, Retrieved on 27/Nov/2009 http://www. centennialofflight. gov/essay/Government_Role/Intl_Civil/POL19. htm Air Transport Law and Policy in the 1990's: Controlling the Boom, Aberson, Emile; Mendes de Leon, Pablo. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1991 http://books. google. com. pr/books? id=yEvwGJnaZ-YC&pg=PA157&lpg=PA157&dq=legal+aspects+air+transport&source=bl&ots=QDO9UM67k4&sig=GjFZpfrImlsDED3UvuGuDUKHVZE&hl=en&ei=0nAWS4ecEs2ztgfMraj7BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAjgy#v=onepage&q=legal%20aspects%20air%20transport&f=false Korean Air Lines Flight 007, various, retrieved on 27/Nov/2009 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007 Montreal Conference, ICAO. Retrieved on 28/Nov/2009 28/Nov. 2009http://www. jus. uio. no/lm/air. carriage. unification. convention. montreal. 1999/ 7

Concocting a Divisive Theory

Concocting a Divisive TheoryThe phenomenal recovery of an mtDNA section from the arm of the Feldhofer Cave Neandertal was greeted with the enthusiasm and yes, even with the ballyhoo it deserved. 1 It was a truly important discovery, and from a research lab that every bit late as a twelvemonth before had predicted it could n't be done. The protagonists of the theory that Neandertal mans are a different species were beyond exuberance ( few others were quoted on the issue ) . And so, in a crescendo of excitement, Stringer and McKie2 delivered their putsch de gra?ce in a New York Times op-ed discoursing the significance of the Neandertal mtDNA findings: The deductions for the thought of race are profound. If modern humanity is made up of people who are all recent posterities of a few African innovators, it is every bitclear that Homosexual sapiens must be a startlingly homogeneous species. We merely hold non had clip to diverge genetically in any meaningful mode. However, some scientists and those with narrow political dockets have put frontward statements to prolong the thought that races exist with cardinal biological differences. Alternatively of concocting dissentious theories, we would be better served to acknowledge the importance of recent informations that will assist us happen the properties that separated Homo sapiens from other early worlds like the Neanderthals.Is this more opera or is it all over?Have the antediluvian DNA surveies brought us a existent discovery and ended the Neandertal contention so exhaustively that the lone holdouts should halt concocting their dissentious theories because they can merely differ if they have a political docket about race? Tattersall3 believes it is all over. He interprets the mtDNA consequences as demoing that the Neandertals were a distinguishable species for 600,000 old ages. For this reading, one must presume that the history of the Neandertal mtDNA line of descent section is a population history, that invariably roll uping mutants are the exclusive cause of mtDNA development, and that the mutant rate of mtDNA is known with sufficient truth to day of the month the putative split. Belief in the Eve theory of modern human beginnings is the most of import requirement for these premises because it ties mtDNA history to population history through the account that low mtDNA diverseness inworlds comes from a recent population- size constriction ( in this instance, a new species ) . It is no surprise that Eve theoreticians reacted to the intelligence with joy. It is non that I want to rain on anybody ‘s parade, but there are some shrewish inside informations. Let ‘s expression at what was really done. Krings and coworkers1 reported that the 379 base-pair section of mtDNA found in the Feldhofer specimen has 27 differences from the mention human sequence and, significantly, that 25 of these differences were at places that varied in at least one of their comparative human samples of 2,051 persons. When the Neandertal sequence was compared with 994 modern-day human line of descents of known geographic beginning, the figure of differences was more than three times greater than the average figure of differences between the worlds.But possibly the most surprising determination was that several of the worlds were found to differ from each other more than the Neanderthal differs from some worlds.Lineages in the human sample have between 1 and 24 pairwise differences reflecting mutants, while the Neandertal differed from these worlds by between 22 and 36 mutants. Taking the difference in ages into history, every bit good as the fact that any peculiar mtDNA line from that clip had merely a little opportunity of prevailing until today, this form of fluctuation is to be expected, given that an ancient Neanderthal man is being compared with modern-day worlds. In such a comparing, the pairwise differences must ever be greater than they would be for the ascendants of the modern-day worlds in the analysis who were populating at the same clip as the Neandertal. This is because the modern-day homo mtDNA lines have had a longer clip to mutate. Whether the magnitude of fluctuation is to be expected is a different inquiry. The reply could depend on the mtDNA mutant rate. Here, excessively, there have been surprising finds. Until late, the rate of alteration for human mtDNA was determined phylogenetically. Dates for mtDNA coalescency were estimated by comparing the maximal pairwise difference among worlds to the figure of differences dividing human and chimpanzee sequences. Dates for human and chimpanzee divergency were so used to gauge the rate of alteration. The Neanderthal divergency day of the month estimated by Krings coworkers assumes a mutant rate at about the center of the But possibly the most surprising determination was that several of the worlds were found to differ from each othermore than the Neanderthal differs from some worlds. scope for phyletic findings: 0.01 to 0.2 permutation sites each million old ages. But, in fact, even the fastest of these rates may be wrong. When Czar Nicholas II and his household were exhumedin 1991, their designations were based on fiting their mtDNA with that of other descendants of the Czar ‘s female parent. These analyses out of the blue revealed immensely more mutational alterations than the phyletic rates predicted.4 Subsequent computations of mutant rates between coevalss proved to be dramatically higher than had been assumed from the longer-range phyletic considerations. In two different surveies, 100s of base brace from the mtDNA control part ( more than in the Neandertal analysis ) were sequenced and intergenerational mutant rates of 1.2–4.0 permutations per myr were derived.5,6 The Eve theory postulates that a recent population-size constriction took topographic point at the clip of mtDNA coalescency in worlds. But if mtDNA mutant rates are so every bit high as the intergenerational analyses indicate, the ‘‘Eve † of these surveies could good hold been a Biblical figure because she would hold lived merely about 6,500 old ages ago. Of class, a population-size constriction this recent is extremely improbable because ‘‘it remains puzzling how the known distribution of human populations and cistrons could hold arisen in the past few thousand old ages. †6 A much more likely account for today ‘s mitochondrial diverseness is that there was no recent population constriction, but that the mtDNA has limited fl uctuation because of choice. It is known that the development of human mtDNA departs from neutrality. Choice can explicate this and the limited fluctuation in human mtDNA by, for illustration, long-run background choice against somewhat hurtful mutants, 7 or by episodes of directional choice, or, possibly a selective sweep.8 Selection is an of import component in mtDNA development because mtDNA does non recombine. Therefore, choice against any part reduces variableness in the full genome. 9 Even on the same chromosome, nonrecombining parts have much lower fluctuation than do recombining parts. One dissentious theory is that choice has reduced mtDNA fluctuation in worlds since the Neandertal lived. A concluding item is related to the claim of Krings and coworkers1 that the Neandertal is every bit related to all life people. This contributes to the perceptual experience that he was genetically isolated from them. But these writers merely presented their comparings for wide continental groups ( Africans, Europeans, and so on ) . A more appropriateanalysis is populational. A comparing of the Feldhofer Neandertal with gene-bank informations for 14 world-wide populations resulted in an mean pairwise difference of 27.3, the same average difference as in the survey by Krings and coworkers.1 But in this instance, pairwise differences for specific populations could be straight examined. These ranged from 21.3 to 33.2: the smallest average difference was between the Neandertal and a sample from Finland. One can conceive of the dissentious theory that might be concocted from these findings. There are others, largely geneticists, who besides have been busy concocting dissentious theories about modern human lineage agree on one point: The Eve theory is wrong.9,11 The job they all reference is that a population constriction terrible plenty to reset mtDNA fluctuation to zero would reset atomic fluctuation as good. Mitochondrial cistrons should retrieve their fluctuation and return to equilibrium much more rapidly because of their higher mutant rate and smaller effectual population size. But it is merely the antonym. MtDNA is out of equilibrium and has small fluctuation, whereas all impersonal atomic cistron systems studied so far are in equilibrium and have more variation.7,8,12 This entirely regulations out a terrible population-size constriction. One late supported theory is that modern worlds are non a new species but descend from a little hereditary group that lived in Africa for at least a million years.13 Others are based on analyses of the beta-globin genes14 and the Y chromosome,15 each of which reveals grounds for important genetic exchanges both out of Africa and into Africa much earlier than the period of mtDNA coalescency, even when the phyletic mutant rate estimations are used. A population-size constriction would hold erased this older fluctuation. But if the Eve theory is incorrect, there is no ground to restrict accounts of the Neandertal mtDNA to past species divergency ; nil to confute the contention that the Neandertal reflects a greater magnitude of mtDNA fluctuation in the yesteryear than in the present ; and nil to take away from the impression that mtDNA can differ dramatically between sections of the same species. Human fluctuation with and without Neandertals is similar to the difference between Pan troglodytes races. In that comparing, Pan troglodytes verus has much more mtDNA fluctuation than does Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii.12So what does the antediluvian DNA mean with regard to the topographic point of Neandertal mans in human development? The deductions are inconclusive. It seems that dodo anatomy still provides cardinal informations about human development. Many Neanderthal characteristics persist in much later post-Neandertal Europeans.16 Furthermore, it is normal to happen mixtures of assorted Neandertal characteristics in Europeanstoday. One recent analysis of Neandertal and early Upper Paleolithic European nonmetric traits indicates that their fluctuation requires Neanderthal alloy of at least 25 % .17 Further survey of these informations estimated an about 6 % Neandertal familial input in modern European cistron pools, a determination that is in line with the pairwise difference analysis ( but does non necessitate ancient mtDNA ) . And what does this mean for the Multiregional theory of development? Here, the reply is clearly nil because multiregionalism means development in more than one part, but non needfully in every region.18 It could be a valid account for human development even if every individualSo what does it intend? The antediluvian DNA findings are compatible with both phyletic readings of Neandertal mans: separate species or human race.Neanderthal became nonextant without issue. Human populations do non prevail infinitely or continuously through clip. All of them either go nonextant without issue or merge with other populations. So what does it intend? The antediluvian DNA findings are compatible with both phyletic readings of Neandertal mans: separate species or human race. But there are other, independent grounds for rejecting the impression that Neandertal mans are a different species. Tattersall and I have discussed some of these in old arguments in Evolutionary Anthropology. The fact remains t hat ‘‘the familial fluctuation between the modern and Neanderthal sequences is within the scope of other species of Primatess. †19 If Neandertal mans are non a separate species and the Feldhofer Neandertal informations prove valid, they give us two of import pieces of information. First, they indicate that if a selective expanse in human mtDNA led to its presently low degree of fluctuation, it was more recent than at least some of the European Neandertals. This could supply independent support for generational clock rates, but extra antediluvian Deoxyribonucleic acid analysis is necessary to analyze this possibility. Second, they remind us that computation of mean effectual population size in the yesteryear from coalescency theory has no relation to the existent figure of engendering females populating then.9,13 Although the sample made up of the Neandertal plus life worlds has a much larger effectual mitochondrial population size than life worlds do, it is unreasonable to reason that there were more people alive during Neandertal times than there are today. Ironically, even as the new informations raise the Neandertalargument to a higher and more interesting rational degree and represent how familial and palaeontological informations can be wed, the political degree of argument sinks to a new low.Mentions1 Krings M, Stone A, Schmitz RW, Krainitzid H, Stoneking M, Pa?a?bo S ( 1997 ) Neandertal DNA sequences and the beginning of modern worlds. Cell 90:1–20. 2 Stringer CB, McKie R ( 1997 ) Neandertal mans on the tally. The New York Times 146 ( s4 ) : E15. 3 Tattersall I ( 1998 ) Neandertal cistrons: What do they intend? Evol Anthropol 6:157–158. 4 Edward gibbons A ( 1998 ) Calibrating the mitochondrial clock. Science 279:28–29. 5 Parsons TJ, Muniec DS, Sullivan K ( 1997 ) A high ascertained permutation rate in the human mitochondrial control part. Nature Genet 15: 363–368. 6 Loewe L, Scherer S ( 1997 ) Mitochondrial Eve: The secret plan thickens. Tendencies Ecol Evol 12:422–423, p. 422. 7 Hey J ( 1997 ) Mitochondrial and atomic cistrons present conflicting portrayals of human beginnings. Mol Biol Evol 14:177–172. 8 Wise CA, Sraml M, Easteal S ( 1998 ) Departure from neutrality at the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase fractional monetary unit 2 cistron in worlds, but non in Pan troglodytess. Geneticss 148:409–421. 9 Templeton AR ( 1997 ) Testing the out of africa replacing hypothesis with mitochondrial DNA information. In Clark GA, Willermet CM ( explosive detection systems ) , Conceptual Issues in Modern Human Origins Research, pp 329–360 and combined bibliography, pp 437–492. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. 10 Hunley K, Merriwether DA ( 1998 ) The consequence of fossil age on the appraisal of the clip to common ascendant. Paper presented at the 1998 meeting of the Human Biology Association. 11 Ayala FJ ( 1995 ) The myth of Eve: Molecular biological science and human beginnings. Science 270:1930– 1936. 12 Wise CA, Sraml M, Rubinsztein DC, Easteal S ( 1997 ) Comparative atomic and mitochondrial genome diverseness in worlds and Pan troglodytess. Mol Biol Evol 14:707–716. 13 Harpending H, Batzer MA, Gurven M, Jorde LB, Rogers AR, Sherry ST ( 1998 ) Genetic hints of ancient human ecology. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 95:1961–1967. 14 Harding RM, Fullerton SM, Griffiths RC, Bond J, Cox MJ, Schneider JA, Moulin DS, Clegg JB ( 1997 ) Archaic African and Asiatic line of descents in the familial lineage of modern worlds. Am J Hum Genet 60:722–789. 15 HammerMF, Karafet T, Rasanayagam A, Wood ET, Altheide TK, Jenkins T, Griffiths RC, Templeton AR, Zegura SL ( 1998 ) Out of Africa and back once more: Nested cladistic analysis of human Y chromosome fluctuation. Mol Biol Evol 15:427–441. 16 Frayer DW ( 1993 ) Development at the European border: Neanderthal and Upper Paleolithic relationships. Pre?hist Eur 2:9–69. 17 Hawks J ( 1997 ) Have Neandertals left us their cistrons? In Cavalli-Sforza L ( erectile dysfunction ) , Human Development: Abstractions of Documents Presented at the 1997 Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Human Evolution Arranged by L.L. Cavalli-Sforza and J.D. Watson, p 81. Cold Spring Seaport: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. 18 Relethford JH ( 1995 ) Genetics and modern human beginnings. Evol Anthropol 4:53–63. 19 Ruvolo M, cited in Kahn P, Gibbons A ( 1997 ) Deoxyribonucleic acid from an nonextant homo. Science 277:176–178. Milford Wolpoff Department of Anthropology University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1382 U R 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. ISSUES Evolutionary Anthropology 3

Effect of Video Games on Kids

Tessa Johnson Professor Harrison Composition II 2 October 2012 Effect of Video Games on Kids Growing up, playing outside was what I did for fun. Whether it was riding my bike, playing with friends, or swimming, I was outside for hours at a time every day. Today, kids have access to things like Xboxes, Playstations, and Nintendo DS. In a study conducted by Gentile, Lynch, Linder & Walsh (2004) â€Å"adolescent girls played video games for an average of 5 hours a week, whereas boys averaged 13 hours a week. A survey done by Harris Interactive shows that 23 percent of youth have felt â€Å"addicted to video games. † Studies have shown that teenagers who play violent video games for extended periods of time tend to be more aggressive, are more prone to engage in fights and confrontations, and see a decline in academic success. (Gentile et al) In 2010, Robert Weis and Brittany Cerankosky conducted a study to see how video games affect academic success.They selected a group of boys who didn’t own video games and assigned them to one of two conditions: the â€Å"video games now† group got a game system immediately, and the â€Å"video games later† group didn’t receive their systems until months later. The researchers tracked the boys’ academic success at school. They found that the boys who got their game systems immediately spent less time on schoolwork and, 4 months later, they got lower reading and writing scores. This makes sense, since more time spent playing video games means less time studying.Also, the distraction of video games can cause kids to lose interest in their studies and cause them to fall behind. These results line up with another survey done by Cummings and Vandewater in 2007, which concluded that kids aged 10-19 who played video games spent 30% less time reading and 34% less time doing homework. (Cummings & Vandewater) A 2009 Brigham Young University study found that as video game usage increased, the qua lity of relationships with others, including family, friends, and other peers, decreased. The BYU Study found that daily video game users were twice as likely to use drugs.They were three times as likely to use drugs over those who never played games. This doesn’t mean that all kids who play video games are going to go out and do drugs, but it certainly doesn’t help anything. If a child spends hours at a time playing video games, they will have no time to form relationships and socialize, not giving them the social skills they may need to succeed in the future. This can set them up for failure in job interviews, school, and in building solid relationships that are crucial to every teenager’s life. However, there are also many positive elements of video games.According to Chacha Tumbokon, a psychologist at De La Salle University, video games can give kids betters skills in areas such as following directions, problem solving and logic, and hand-eye coordination an d fine motor skills. Often times the player is asked to follow commands or prompts in a video game in order to gain rewards or status, which aids with following directions. Also, when there is a challenge in a game, it doesn’t get solved easily; the player is often forced to work through many riddles or obstacles in order to succeed—another important life lesson for a child to learn.And lastly, video games require a great deal of hand-eye coordination. Often times games require the player to change viewpoints with one control, move with another control, and do actions (shooting, jumping, etc. ) with another control. This builds up hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, which is a good workout for the brain. Another common aspect of games is resource management. There are often a limited number of resources (such as lives, power-ups, money, etc. ) that has to be managed in order to succeed in a game. This is another valuable lesson that many kids should learn in t heir lifetime.James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that playing a video game is similar to working through a science problem. There is a lot of trial and error involved, which teaches a child inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing, something that can be used in many areas of life. In conclusion, there are many positive and negative effects of video games. Psychologists suggest that parents monitor the games that are being played by their children and make sure the games aren’t affecting the child’s

AQ-TD#1 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AQ-TD#1 8 - Essay Example Influence can be generated through trustworthiness, competence and credibility. By influencing the other nurses, an advocate can build a case for the needed change (Almidei, 2010). Additionally, it is vital to establish positive, cooperative relationships with the other nurses in order to have them in the advocacy. Collaboration would allow the advocate to share a common goal with the other nurses. With this, the advocate would include the other nurses by involving them in the development of the common goals and strategies on how to attain the desired change (Almidei, 2010). Arguably, developing a collaborative relationship with nurses in other departments would make a valuable contribution. However, collaboration would be effective with communication to the other nurses. In essence, advocacy depends on communication. In order to bring the other nurses to share with the advocacy, an advocate would require to communicate the issue to the other nurses in order to convince them to join him or her (Mason et al., 2011). This would serve as a way of including other nurses in the

Strategic Human Resource Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Human Resource Management - Case Study Example The major political concern that Excellence University is facing is the issue of clamping of the education visa by the involved agency. This has reduced the number of foreign students in the university. In terms of economic issues, the economic downturn has affected the enrolment rates and hence impacting on the remuneration packages for the university staff (Millmore, 2007). Among the social issues affecting the university is the lack of approval of some of the course in the university by the press. The operation of the university has also been affected by its failure to embrace technology in its various aspects leading to complaints from both the staff and the students. When it comes to legal matter the issue of UK Border Agency clamping the education visas of the students from foreign nations is also affecting the operation of the university. Despite the challenges being experienced, the university still has some strength in terms of the human resources. One of the strengths is the emphasis on quality and the open door policy that has allowed for and encouraged open communication. The weaknesses of the university in terms of human resources include poor management, poor secession plans, lack of customer support, low job satisfaction among the employees and out dated remuneration packages. The major opportunity that the business has is incorporating technology in its human resource operations to have the ability to react to some of the challenges that it is facing. Some of the major threats that it faces are the withdrawal of its licences, strives and stoppages due to the union issues, competition and withdrawal of foreign students. Some of the key influences that are impacting on the business now include poor management, outdated employee remuneration packages, failure to incorporate technology and competition. These four key factors

Should you let your kids drink at home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should you let your kids drink at home - Essay Example Indeed the article has emphasized upon how supervised drinking leads the way within such discussions because it allows the parents to know what their young ones are doing and when. There is the important metaphor of being aware about each and every happening related to them that seems to satisfy the parents in entirety. Hence this article is a manifestation of how drinking has been a bane all these years yet somehow it can be triggered to achieve a better outcome in the end. I personally believe this article touches upon quite a few important points which are significant to be highlighted in this day and age. Even though parents would have a problem discussing such matters with their children – the fact of the matter remains entrenched in the belief that children have to be told about the positive and negative sides of drinking by their parents since they are the closest to them. I also opine that this article emphasizes upon the fact that in order to be taken on as ‘cool’ parents, some of these would go the extra mile and do something which other conventional parents would not even get into. They cannot afford to let their young ones go haywire and hence the need to be at their defensive in such a different way. Some would see this as a drastic step but what they might forget is the understanding that these parents are taking such measures to make sure that their young ones actually remain on track. They would allow their children t o drink yet in a measured way, which then again is a step in the right direction (Gillis, 2009). What I have understood from this article is the fact that parents have started to become more considerate towards their children as far as allowing drinking regimes are concerned. It is because perhaps they have come closer to their children which indeed is a good omen for the families at

Canada and China cooperation in Science and Technology Thesis

Canada and China cooperation in Science and Technology - Thesis Example the free trade policies and agreements in NAFTA, SAFTA, ASEAN etc. Apart from the common summit, various countries also have been indulging themselves in treaties which are more individualistic in nature, helping both the participants. China and Canada are good example of such nations. There have been various agreements and various treaties signed by the two nations which have helped them to grow economically as well as culturally. There has been a huge difference in the cultures of the two nations. Despite of this, they have sidelined the cultural barriers and created an era of utmost friendship and fostered mutual understanding and economic growth. The major agreements between the two countries are in the field of agriculture and science and technology. Funding organizations like MOST in China and ISTP in Canada have been set up to fund various research projects in universities/colleges, companies and association to augment the growth of research and technology based partnership. A lso with the help of CIDA's Agricultural Program, the agricultural productivity of China has touched new heights. In the course of this paper, we will study the cultures, demographic details, science and technology and the economies of the two nations and then the growth achieved by them with the help of their treaties in agriculture and science and technology. Han Chinese, the largest ethnic group in China,constitute about 91.9... Languages There are seven major Chinese dialects and many subdialects. Mandarin (or Putonghua), the predominant dialect, is spoken by over 70% of the population. Mandarin is taught in all schools and is the medium of government. About two-thirds of the Han ethnic groups are native speakers of Mandarin; the rest, concentrated in southwest and southeast China, speak one of the six other major Chinese dialects. Non-Chinese languages spoken widely by ethnic minorities include Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur and other Turkic languages (in Xinjiang), and Korean (in the northeast). The Pinyin System of Romanization In 1979, the Government of China adopted the pinyin system for spelling Chinese names and places in Roman letters. Pinyin has now replaced other conventional spellings in China's English-language publications. The U.S. Government also has adopted the pinyin system for all names and places in China. For example, the capital of China is now spelled "Beijing" rather than "Peking." Religion Religion plays an important role in the life of many Chinese. Buddhism is the religion that is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism also is practiced. Official figures indicate there are 20 million Muslims, 5 million Catholics, and 15 million Protestants; unofficial estimates are much higher. While the Chinese constitution affirms religious toleration, the Chinese Government places restrictions on religious practice outside officially recognized organizations. Only two Christian organizations--a Catholic church without official ties to Rome and the "Three-Self-Patriotic" Protestant church--are sanctioned by the Chinese Government. Unauthorized churches have sprung up in many

Current Job Problem in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Current Job Problem in US - Essay Example Revenue in the middle earnings range for most Americans citizen has declined for more than 20 years. Manufacturing employments are moving offshore.   Internationally, the set of supplies and services that is tradable is increasing, but the United States and other developed countries are not contending productively for an enough share of the tradable field. Some 5.9 million US employees have been out of employment for over twenty seven weeks or more. Economists approximate that one million people lost all federal joblessness advantages last year after being incapable to find employment for 99 weeks. Almost two million citizens total are amongst this group of 99ers. The portion of employment age people who are in employment is 57.6 %, the lowest level ever since 1983. This denotes that the transformative result of women inflowing in the manual labor force over the previous three decades has been completely offset by the overwhelming increase in joblessness. The job population fractio n for men is at its lowest level. In another era, such circumstances would have been treated as a national shame, and the political organization would have felt some compulsion to take administration action. On January 11, 1944, as the United States of America was packaging up the war in Europe, Franklin D. Roosevelt (2010) gave a lecture to parliament, in which he announced that the political rights assured in the American Constitution had showed insufficient, needing a financial bill of rights. Roosevelt’s (2010) suggestion was dead on arrival. American free enterprise proved incompetent of eliminating poverty and joblessness, even in rumble years of the postwar era. For decades after that, American leaders and politicians gave lip service to the perception of full employment as a basic objective of domestic strategy. Joblessness insurance was brought in some states in 1932 and extended all through the country in the 1930s, in response to the Great Depression. These efforts were part of a common program of social improvement determined in no small part by fear in the ruling group of social turmoil and revolt. Roosevelt himself was talking only a few years after the Russian revolt. The American policy is directed towards eliminating the remains of the postwar era reforms, as well as joblessness advantages. The political organization has deserted even the vaguest suggestion that people have the right to a job. The actual problem in the United States right now is employment: not just obstinately high joblessness, but a bigger crisis described recently in a considerate article by Andy Grove, the longtime C.E.O. of Intel. He argued that manufacturing is fading in the United States, a tendency that must be upturned (Andy 56). There is little uncertainty that America’s societal contract is beginning to break. It had on one side an open, supple economy, and on the other the guarantee of jobs and rising earnings for the aggravated and hard-working. It i s the second fraction that is disentanglement. The unemployment consequences of these tendencies over the past fifteen years have been followed by surplus consumption and the overdevelopment of fields such as economics and property, health care and administration. These sectors are now set to shrivel, as international companies develop where they have access to high development up-and-coming marketplaces in Asia and Latin America. Such businesses will relocate their

Rhetorical Criticism-Week 6 Part I Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rhetorical Criticism-Week 6 Part I - Article Example Elements represented by these music videos enhance rhetorical analysis of the culture texts. Lil Wayne and Birdman’s music video, ‘Fire flame’ is one that was received with extreme eager to the fans all over the world. The lyrical description is often said about, and its listeners’ belief and behavioral characteristics need to be explored as they are regularly reflected on. The video falls under the hip-hop genre of music that is known to have the largest followers in the universe. This piece of entertainment is highly prominent. It is, therefore, necessary to determine how much its messages are perceived by the listeners and how they relate to the every fans’ life. The ‘Fire Flame’ music video has an intense description that hurls more on its experience among the artistes and fans. The music corresponds congruently to the young generation but incongruently to the older generation. It is a rhetoric perception since as it depicts different lyrical messages to different audiences (Sellnow 116). It depicts all about money and fame and to some extent, lurid sexual experiences. Fans consider this the trending ways of the century. It conveys emotional messages that term fans as ‘die-hard-fans’. It imparts in a negative way conceptually. According to the illusion of life perspective, the interpretation of the music video overrates vast experience. The youth, middle-aged men and other persons are the realest followers of the music. It is also initiated as a religion to some of the hard-core fans. It has arisen to the creation of various mal-intention groups and organizations aimed at promoting the music. The music release patterns are apt and always in the rise of production, developing both comic and tragic messages to all audiences (Sellnow 123). Perspective evaluation of this music video touches on various aspects of life. The video’s potential implications affect both the fans and opponents of the music. This music does not

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example for Free

Annotated Bibliography Essay Juleen K. Buser, Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development 37.2 (April 2009): 94-104 This article is a great article that relates to African Americans seeking mental health treatment at lower rates than whites. The article states that this disparity can be attributed to attitudes toward services, alternate coping, and differences in care. This article also illuminates biases in counseling. Snowden, Lonnie R, Barriers to Effective Mental Health Services for African Americans, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 181-187 (Dec. 2001). Social Services and Welfare, Psychology This article states that many African Americans do not seek proper mental health care. It states that the ones that do generally drop out. The article attempts to define the causes and the effects that would help alleviate this problem. McField, Edward, Culture, acculturation, and social capital: Latinos and use of mental health services. Loma Linda University, 2010. 3405317 This article states that Latinos suffer from the same mental disorders as others, but when they do, they receive less than standard care. The article gives the results of studies that state that state that there is an association between acculturation, models of illness, stigma, need, and mental health service use. Organista, Kurt C. New Model for Latinos in Need of Social Work Services, Social Work, 54.4, (Oct 2009). 297-305 This article is wonderful in that it gives some of the best pragmatic models and concepts in the cultural competence literature. This article states ways in which to enhance cultural sensitivity, as well as increasing awareness of the Latino experience and understanding of problem patterns in their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Borup, J. (1999, May/June). Foundations of social work practice with lesbian and gay. Families in Society, 80.3, 308-309. Describes a foundation for helping gay and lesbians for the human services worker. When helping or working with a person who is gay or lesbian it is important to have knowledge of professional literature,  experiences from professional peers, history, and the actual case information. It is also important to remember the family history, for this characterizes and confronts any myths associated with this particular lifestyle. The lack of social support and homophobia can create consequences to those who are not accepting of this community. The author is educating students about the knowledge and facts on working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and the most important is the code of ethics for social workers. Cavet, J. (2000, Oct). Children and young people with a hidden disability: and examination of the social work role. British Journal of Social Work, 30.5, 619. The recent study described that children and young people with hidden and impairment received a social work service which was at a minimal level. It is recognized that the level of social services intervention available to these families may be a reflection of a low priority assigned to disabled children. A change in priorities is needed which recognizes the importance of knowledgeable support to disabled children as a means of improving their environment and reducing families stress levels and the likelihood of abuse or rejection. Copeland, C.A. (2011, January/February). School librarians of the 21st century using resources and assistive technologies to support students’ differences and abilities. Knowledge Quest, 39.3, 64-69. This article describes the many ways librarians can help differently abled children realize they are special. And by librarians having all the resources (informational and technical) they can further help these differently abled children understand how truly especially able they are. It opens their eyes to their own gifts and abilities and this helps the librarians these abilities to develop the information literacy skills and multi-literacies necessary for lifelong learning. The National Center for Education Statistics shows that approximately one in seven students have one or more characteristics society defines as a disability. Technologies can be selected and so they can best meet the needs of the students who are differently abled. Donahue, P. (2005, July-September). Current perspective and future directions  for social work practice and research. Families in Society, 86.3, 359-366. This article describes the aging gay and lesbian community. Past research of this community focused more on the gay White man, well-educated, active in the gay community and high socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examines current roles of social work regarding research with older gay men and lesbians and presents recommendations for both practice and research in the years ahead. Not only is this community of sexism, they are also victims of ageism. Future work must strive to be more representative of older lesbians, geographic diversity, and classes because these variables play an important role in shaping the gay aging experience. Bell-Tolliver, L., Burgess, R., Brock, L. J. (2009). African American therapists working with African American families: An exploration of the strengths perspective in treatment. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 35(3), 293-307. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220979644?accountid=35812 When working with African Americans and Native Americans human service workers must consider important factors. When doing a study researches found 5 strengths that African Americans showed. They have strong kinship bonds, strong work orientation, adaptability of family roles, strong achievement orientation, and strong religious orientation. African American family is defined as an intimate association of persons of African descent who are related to one another by a variety of means, including blood, marriage, formal adoption, informal adoption, or by appropriation; sustained by a history of common residence in America; and deeply embedded in a network of social structures both internal to and external to itself (Bell, 2009). Waites, C. (2009). Building on strengths: Intergenerational practice with African American families. Social Work, 54(3), 278-87. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215269004?accountid=35812 These families are diverse groups of people with their own ideas, opinions, and values. African American families have strengths, and that the use of those strengths within the therapeutic setting can lead to successful outcomes. We also believe that understanding the strengths of African American families can help mental health professionals develop successful treatment outcomes for families. It is critical that professionals gain an understanding of how these strengths impact the functioning of the African American family to empower families who are struggling. When helping this group we should focus  on their strengths and not their weaknesses (Waites, 2009). Michael, T. G., Eugene, F. P. (2000). Red as an apple: Native American acculturation and counseling with or without reservation. Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD, 78(1), 3-13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/219014436?accountid=35812 The United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (1988) legally defines Native American as a person who is an enrolled or registered member of a tribe or whose blood quantum is one fourth or more genealogically derived from Native American ancestry. When working with Native Americans one must remember that they are very religious and hold traditional values and beliefs. They practice only traditional tribal customs and methods of worship. However some Native Americans may be more willing in the practices of other cultures. That is why the counselor must not make assumptions without gathering further information (F.P, 2000). Kathleen, A. E. (2000). Counseling with Native American Indians and Alaska Natives. Families in Society, 81(5), 543-543. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230163172?accountid=35812 Culturally based treatments may be needed. This group can be offended very easily and the counselor must be careful not to overbear (A.E, 2000). Latino-Kuglin, M. (2009). Latino outreach. Children Libraries, 7(3), 42-46. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212161869?accountid=35812 â€Å"Its a way to celebrate Latino heritage, literacy, and families coming together at the library, said Watts. She said Dà ­a celebrations at HCL have two goals. The first is to celebrate the heritage of the community that we see already. Weve got libraries that have large Spanish- speaking populations that actively use the library, so this is a way to celebrate and acknowledge the community that is already there. No-show: Therapist Racial/ethnic Disparities in Client Unilateral http://psycnet.apa.org. N.p. In the present study, the authors examined the source of racial/ethnic minority disparities in unilateral termination form of dropout that is associated with poor alliance and outcome. First, the authors must be tested whether some therapists were more likely to have clients who reported unilaterally terminating as compared with other therapists. Next, the authors examined 2 competing hypotheses regarding the therapists role in  termination disparities: (a) that racial/ethnic disparities in unilateral termination are similar across therapists and thus due to other components of the treatment process or (b) that racial/ethnic disparities in unilateral termination are specific to therapists, where some therapists are more likely, on average, to have higher rates of unilateral termination with REM clients as compared with white clients.

Skills for running a small business

Skills for running a small business SKILLS FOR RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS There are a number of skills required to run a business. You will need to use the skills you have and probably develop new ones as well It is often not possible for one person to have all the skills, in this case you might consider taking on staff or perhaps a partner to fill the gaps What kind of skills do you think are needed to run a business? Skills relating to products or services Management skills Recording and checking performance skills Selling skills Administration skills Previous experience, although not a skill will help The ability to recognise your own strengths and weaknesses 1. Skills relating to products and/or services Some products or services require specialist skills to produce or provide Even if you buy your products or services in, the people in your business that deal with customers still need a detailed knowledge of what is on offer You will need to think about these skills for your business, do you have them, are you planning to develop them, or are you going to employ someone who has them? 2. Management skills Henry Fayol suggested there are 5 primary functions of management, to be a successful manager you will need to have or develop skills in these areas. Planning Organizing Leading Co-ordinating Controlling (processes, performance etc, NOT people) Some people now think Fayols ideas are a bit old fashioned, however the basic principles of management remain the same A more modern writer, Katz, identified 3 main components to being a good manager Technical skills about the product or service Human skills, interacting with others and leading effectively Conceptual skills, coming up with new ideas, decision making and problem solving 3. Recording and checking performance skills One of the main roles of a business owner is to monitor how well the business is doing so that things can be changed if needed Performance standards need to be set, these should relate back to the aims and objectives and be SMART Actual performance is measured, information is collected. What information would your business need to collect? Actual performance is compared to the standards, if they are being met no further action is needed Corrective action is taken where required How good are you at following this kind of process, do you have an eye for detail, are you likely to follow up and measure? You will need to make use of your organisational and analytical skills 4. Selling skills As a small business owner you may need to use personal selling to get your potential customers to buy Good communication skills Persuasion skills An awareness of buying signals from customers (Observational skills) The ability to close a sale (Negotiation Skills) Good listening skills Identifying product needs in the customer Good product knowledge A lot of these skills can be learnt if you dont have them 5. Administration skills . Administration skills are vital to any business. To be good at administration you need to have a logical approach, be well organised, pay attention to detail and have good communication skills Accurate organisation of customer files and data Letter writing, faxing, emails, telephone calls etc (Technological skills) Preparation and dispatch of invoices, paying bills Managing budgets 6. Previous experience (although not a skill, this would be useful) If you have already worked in a similar company or related business this will help you. Also if you are basing your idea around a hobby or interest this may also give you some expertise If you have worked in a similar business you may have seen problems in that one that help you to avoid them yourself 7. Strengths and Weaknesses No-one is good at everything so you need to be honest about what you can and cant do Recognising your strengths will help you build the business around things you are good at Weaknesses should not be ignored. Once you are aware of them its important to implement a strategy to either eliminate them or prevent them from undermining the business Training you could enroll on a course, possibly with a local college. There are also lots of companies around that specialise in training so you might be able to contact one of them. Beware though, sometimes they can be very expensive, particularly if they are specialised Take on a partner if they compliment your skills this may be a good idea. There may be no upfront expense associated with this but they will expect a share of the profits Do some business networking this is where you attend events that attract other business people, you can talk to them, make contacts, get advice and possibly sales leads as well. For most small businesses this is an excellent option. Business Link, Chamber of Commerce and trade associations are sources that can help with this Employees you could always advertise for an employee with particular skills. Specialist employees may expect   higher salaries so could be expensive There are a number of areas that you can get professional help in. It can be really expensive so be sure you know what youre getting into before you commit. What kind of professions do you think can help? Business consultants you can employ experienced business people who will share their expertise and knowledge Accountants Most small businesses will need to employ a professional accountant, particularly to set up the legal status of the business and produce the annual accounts Solicitors will advise on any legal matters, contracts and the like with regards to the business Business Link an organisation set up by the government (Department for Trade and Industry), they offer services similar to business consultants but because they are government funded they are cheaper. You may have to wait for them, they are generally very busy You are now ready to do a skills audit. You need to perform an objective and accurate assessment of your suitability and the skills you possess to run the business you have chosen. You need to appraise your own skills and abilities honestly and identify any gaps For the first part you need to compile a list of the skills needed to run your business and a realistic assessment of whether or not you have them at the moment. You now need to put an outline job description together that describes the skills needed to run your business. Skills relating to products or services A keen interest in the product sold by my business shal be a necessity n the working of the company, Also a ability to know the whole of the procut along with its functionality shall also be required. It would also be needed that a ability to answer customer demands in regards to a product, to run the business smoothly. Obvioulsy therefore in light of this a ability to use and demonstrate the product shall be required along with a ability to market the product as well as the business enteprie itself. Management skills Team management shall be needed when running my business, especially in the field of marketing. Whereby groups of ndividuals shall market the product outside the company, and therefore good management technique shall need to be drawn upon. Furthermore to this senior management shall be needed to direct the company and its product as the business gros and develops. This ability to lead the business shal undoubtably be a massive requirement in regards to moving th company forward in the future. Recording and checking performance skills Recording and checking the companies performance shall be a necessity as in any other eneterprise. Particularly in the business of a new innovative product, market analysis and checking shll be a hugely needed requirement. Furthermore a ability to check company financial performance shall be needed to ensure the company is hitting projected performance targets as a whole. Selling skills A strong ability to sell the product of which we sell shall be neededwithin my business, for It continued success. A ability to sell the product in bulk orders would be preferable and also to sel the product in a friendly manner too. Also when sales are lost an ability to record and suggest how the sale went wrong shall also b e a required skillset. Administration skills Administration skills as in any business shall be critically important. In order to run my business successfully a srong administration skillset shall be needed. This shall allow for all paperwork and smaller tasks within the business to all be completed to a standard that ensures the company in kept up-to-date in all its work and legality documents. Previous experience, although not a skill will be useful Internal audit Strengths Weaknesses External audit Opportunities Threats Skills Assessment Team Member (Anonymous) Skill Administration Skill Management Skill Selling Skill Product Knowledge Skill Operations Skill Customer Service 1 3 3 2 3 5 3 2 4 4 2 2 4 3 3 5 3 1 2 5 2 4 3 2 2 3 4 1 Tally Priority Rating Scale 1-5 (1=Good, 5=Poor) Statement 1 Your selling skills within your business at the momen its its greatest quality. However its clear that the area of operations can greatly do with improvement Statement 2 Operations is a poor area of your business to date, in terms of how everything works and things fit together however management like selling is a better quality existing. Statement 3 Your customer service at the moment is good, however a better knowledge of the products you shall would be of greater use and further help your customer service. Statement 4 Your management skills however currently good theres a great amount of room for improvement in this skillset. This can be achieved by leading your employees more effectively of which shall also cross over and improve your results for the operations section of your business. Skills I need to run my business Do I currently have these Evidence Selling Skills in regards to the product Good Customer Service I feel that currently my selling skills are of a good standard however would greatly need improvement in the future. In order to run my product based business to a successful level. It key therefore that this skill is worked upon and developed. Along with a ability to sell, with my business being around a product good customer service shall be essential. It shall be preferred that I develop a good level of customer service skills that are used throughout my business. Selling products within young enterprise group. Speaking to customers of young enterprise and helping with order placements. Skills I need to develop Purpose for development How will I achieve this By When Need to develop operations skills To improve my ability to work a business. And to get it functioning towards a objective. Allowing for the business to run smoothly and operate successfully. This shall be key in ensuring my business is of a good working level and leads to a strong company as a whole. I shall achieve this by working on the area of operations within a business. I shall therefore take roles relating to operations more frequently and work in those areas with great care in order to improve within that particular area. I aim to achieve this particular goal by February 2010. Target Review point 1:   February 2010 Date achieved Evidence If not achieved how   can you achieve them in the future Target Review point 1: April 2010 Date achieved Evidence If not achieved how   can you achieve them in the future

Customers Needs of Marks and Spencer

Customers Needs of Marks and Spencer Introduction of Marks and Spencer In 1998, Marks and Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre- tax profit over  £1 billion, but a few years later it plunged into a crisis which lasted for several years. They cant meet the customer expectations and need longer lead time on the production. However, after changing their company CEO, Marks and Spencer started improve due to a substantial number of changes in operation management. It included dynamic and cheaper supply chain, improve the products design and quality, and good identification and service of market segments. 1.1 The identification of different customer needs on MS clothing ranges Marks and Spencers (MS) has divided into three types of clothing ranges that are Perfect and Classic range, the Autograph range, and he Per Una range. Each range has been developed to a different target segment customer of the women clothing market. Marks and Spencer must identify what their customer needs to meet their customer expectations and improve the products. Customers will tend to judge the products and services according to their judgement to compare the price, quality, promotions, values, and pre and post services together with competitors to determine which brand they like. Marks and Spencer using the demographic segmentation to identify what their customer needs. Mark and Spencer target their customers by age, gender, income, social class, and the others. This is because customers will change their needs and wants anytime. So that, Marks and Spencer should be aware this issue occurs. 1.2 Customer Needs Customer needs is to meet the customer expectations or customer needs and wants. We need to do the market research to find out what products the customer likes and identifies emerging opportunities (No author, 2011). The products can influence the customer needs and wants such as the price, location, design, culture, and the others. 1.3 Perfect and Classic Ranges The Perfect and Classic ranges are aimed to serve the core customers of Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer core customers are target under 35 to 55 year old men and women. Perfect collection is designed the clothing in basic and simple way and they include plain, white shirts, black roll-neck sweaters and jeans. The clothing must be machine washable, non-iron, and tumble-dry friendly for the busy lifestyle customers. These range customers who is looking for appreciate practical, good quality, and value at reasonable priced. Besides, the design must be timeless that means the design not outdated from time to time. The Classic Collection was aimed at more mature customer and tends to serve into different style such as smart, elegant, and confident style for their customers. The designs for these ranges are limited and ensure the customers can find their suitable clothes. 1.3.1 Age and Gender Perfect and Classic Range in Marks and Spencer their core customers are target under 33 to 55 year men and women. Marks and Spencer must determine these range customers what are their age and gender before designing the clothes. This is because easier for the designer designing the clothes. 1.3.2 Income and Social Class Income and social class can show a customer buying behavior. As we can see, Perfect and Classic range customers their income and social class not so high. Therefore, they required appreciate practical, good quality, and value at reasonable priced. Marks and Spencer must meet their customer expectations. 1.4 Autograph Range The Autograph range was launched in the spring and summer in year 2000 and it is a new seasonal range. This range is to bring cutting-edge design to wider the audience within a unique environment. These range designs were done by Julien Macdonald, Philip Treacy, and Sonja Nuttall who are the recruiting best designers in Marks and Spencer. This design was developed a range of clothes, men and women accessories. It is providing a more up-market range of clothes for Marks and Spencer core market. Autograph range brings the top designer collection to Market and Spencer customers at high street prices, within a designer boutique environment. However, in the autograph range limited to spring and summer range with merely 60 colours style every season. Autograph range designs a bit like formal wear or elegant clothing. For example, the elegant clothing can wear to work or shopping. 1.4.1 Income and Social Class As we know, Marks and Spencer Autograph range products are more expensive. Their customers are willing to spend their money to purchase the luxury products. It shown that, Autograph range customers have high income and high social class. 1.5 Per Una Range Per Una range was launched on 28 September 2001. Per Una range target customers were the fashion-conscious women aged between 25 to 35 year old, sizes 8-18. This collection is providing the high quality materials and the designs are the latest trends design. Besides, the products of Per Una range sold under limited edition, which makes the products unique in the market. Besides that, the prices were 10% more expensive than other Marks and Spencer ranges. 1.5.1 Age and Gender For age and gender in Per Una range, Marks and Spencer their target customers are under the aged between 25 to 35 fashion-conscious young lady. Around this aged ladies like to buy the trendy or fashion clothes especially the limited edition because its very unique and small quantity in the market. So, the Marks and Spencer designer must identify their age range to design the limited edition clothing for the customers. 1.5.2 Income and Social Class In the new generation, most of the young ladies liked to show how rich they are or their social level. Per Una range are very suitable for the ladies who like to buy the trendy or fashion clothes especially limited edition to show out their social level and how rich they are. Identification and explanation of order winners and qualifiers In Marks and Spencer, they are very clear on their order winners as well as their order qualifier. Marks and Spencer as the top retailer in UK, the order winners and order qualifier for each range are identified. This can make the customers perceived the clothing produced by Marks and Spencer is high quality and competitive prices meet their customer expectations. In Marks and Spencer, each range clothing has different order winners and order qualifier to target different customers in UK. 2.1 Order Winners Order winners are those competitive characteristics that cause a firms customers to choose that firms goods and services over those of its competitors. It can be considered to be competitive advantage for the firm. It usually focuses on rarely more than two of the following strategic initiative. It included price or cost, delivery speed, delivery reliability, quality, product design, flexibility, brand image, and after-market service (No author, 2008). 2.2 Order Qualifier Order qualifiers are those competitive characteristics that a firm must show to be viable competitor in the marketplace (No author, 2008). The firm is responsible for providing the order winners and order qualifier that enable the products to win orders in the marketplace. This process must start with the corporate strategy and help the firm to continue operating or to wins the customers business (Hill, 2000). The order winners and qualifiers are both specific in market and time. They work in different combinations such as different market and different target customers. Therefore, the customer needs are the key factor that influence the order winners and order qualifiers principle makeover (Nemetz-Mills, 2001). 2.3 The correlation and influences of order winners and qualifiers in MS clothing ranges. Perfect and Classic Ranges Autograph Ranges Per Una Ranges Product Range The range is limited to its classical style and return to basics trend The range is based on designer wear trend and available at selected boutique store The range is focused on high quality and fashion trend design Design Changes The design standardise with multifunctional clothing The design is seasonal range and focus on spring and summer The design of its product is latest trend and changes monthly Price Value at reasonable pricing High street pricing High street style at affordable pricing, 10% more expensive than other MS ranges Quality High quality and functional clothing High quality, based on the summer and spring trends High quality, limited edition and trend designs Sales Volume [SKU] Large volume Limited and available at the selected boutique store Very small volume and limited edition Order Winners The reliability of its product functional from wash to tumble-dry High quality and clothing design ranges based on seasonal trends The design based on its design and appearance and its limited edition trends Order Qualifiers It focusing for quality and value at reasonable pricing It focusing on its competitive high street pricing of it clothing range Affordable price and high quality Operations Priorities The operations prioritised on its clothes cost The operations prioritised on its clothes quality The operations prioritised on its rapid and flexibility changes of it clothes trends 2.4 Perfect and Classic Ranges Perfect and Classic ranges are emphasise to standard design that mean the fashion is not the out-dated design or timelessness design. Perfect Collection customer who is looking for appreciate practical, good quality, and value at reasonable priced. This collection is carrying on Marks and Spencer tradition of reliability and buying experience and the sourcing is more low cost producers. Classic Collection is focusing on more mature customers. The design for these ranges are timeless and not just the latest fashion. It is to ensure the customers can find the suitable products. 2.5 Autograph Range The Autograph range is design the clothing on seasonal range that are spring and summer. Besides, it is offering exclusive collection of products on high street prices. The OWC comprises of the product more stylish, designer boutique, service package, store layout, and high street pricing. Moreover, quality control (QC) is very important to control the product quality. Marks and Spencer has obtained the products for the suppliers who have strengths in product or material development (Harrison Pavitt, 2003). 2.6 Per Una Range Per Una range is aimed to serve the target customers aged between 25 to 35 year old women who are fashion- conscious. This collection was provided the high quality materials, latest trends, individual cuts, fanatical attention to detail, and ease of shopping (Harrison Pavitt, 2003). Besides, the collection was sold under limited edition and the design changes in monthly. So that, the prices was 10% more expensive than other MS ranges. The operations prioritised on its rapid and flexibility changes of it clothes trends. Polar Diagram approach assessment and comparisons of different operations performance in MS clothing ranges. 3.1 Polar Diagram Tabulation Table Perfect and Classic Ranges Autograph Ranges Per Una Ranges Quality 4 5 5 Speed 5 3 2 Dependability 3 4 5 Flexibility 5 3 2 Cost 3 4 5 The polar diagram above represented the five performance objectives of Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer must know the different of the clothing ranges and analyse it. 3.2 Perfect and Classic Ranges Perfect and Classic range should emphasis on flexibility, and speed because it get the highest scored in polar diagram. 3.2.1 Flexibility Flexibility means that Marks and Spencer able to innovate the product and design the latest trends. This is because Perfect and Classic collection can be more fashion. 3.2.2 Speed Speed means the rate of response and delivers on time to the customers. It shows that how Marks and Spencer organisation communicate with the customers. From the polar diagram above, Perfect and Classic ranges get the highest scored in terms of speed. This is because all the products design are returns into simple and basics. So, the produces and deliver time will not be longer. 3.3 Autograph Range Marks and Spencer should look into the quality to enable the Autograph range can compete in high street market. 3.3.1 Quality Good quality is essential to maintain Marks and Spencer brands image. From the polar diagram above, Autograph and Per Una ranges get the highest scored in quality. It is due to Marks and Spencer has high quality control. 3.4 Per Una Range Marks and Spencer should emphasis on dependability and cost in Per Una range because it is the limited edition and the prices more expensive that other ranges. 3.4.1 Dependability Dependability refers to the reliability of the products. In Per Una range, it scored top among other ranges. The design is latest trends and limited edition and reliability products. In this range, Marks and Spencer targeted the fashion-conscious young women between 25 to 35 years old. 3.4.2 Cost In this area, Per Una range get the highest scored among other ranges. This is because these range design are limited edition, changes monthly and need to produce in high quality. Therefore, the production cost will more expensive than other ranges. Appendix 4.1 Appendix A Logo Company and Products Logo Previous Marks and Spencer Logo New Marks and Spencer Logo presented in 2004 Per Unas logo, three heart shapes 4.2 Appendix B Three Ranges Clothing 4.2.1 Classic Collection Classic Collection Pure Cotton Swirl Classic Collection Floral Border Neckline Jersey Top Dress with Scarf Classic Collection Large Collar Classic Collection Front Belt Pull Ruched Jacket On Trousers 4.2.2 Autograph Range Autograph Shower Resistant Trench Autograph Exclusive Pure Silk Floral Coat with Belt Dress with Belt Autograph Cotton Rich Crochet Autograph Pure Silk Paisley Print Lace Waistcoat Top 4.2.3 Per Una Range Per Una Pure Linen Bold Stripe Per Una Linen Blend Floral Prom Dress Appliquà © Shift Dress Per Una Crossover V-Neck Zebra Per Una Pure Cotton Tie Dye Print dress Camisole Top

The Pros and Cons of Language Translation :: Pro Con Essays

To answer the question above we first have to define what is actually meant by translation before we are able to think about the limits and advantages of translation. Translation can be described as an expression of a sense from one language to another as well as a transmission of a written or spoken language into another. Translation is since the beginning of human culture an important item of understanding between different countries. So the â€Å"Stone of Rosette† made it possible to decipher the ancient Egypt language. But here we already see the limits of translation. We never will be able to understand all their feelings. Later on, the translations of the old Greek and Latin authors have influenced all western Europe countries and have let to the grandiose works of Shakespeare for example. Here we see the great advantage translations have brought to all Europe. As the statement in the title says, translation offers us the experience and attitudes of another culture or mentality. When for example reading books from typically English authors like Agatha Christie or George Orwell in German or any other language, we learn something about the culture or mentality, because the good description as well as the feeling of being in Britain at the present time, makes this possible. From this we come to a point which is even more important, the transport of culture and understanding between peoples. A good example for this is the book â€Å"Uncle Toms Hut† which had enforced the fight against slavery world wide but was hardly able to cause political influence. This shows again the limits of translation. On the other side we can not imagine a world without the translation of literary master pieces from all countries, mentioned only the great Russian, German, English and French authors red all over the world. Here we see the problems and limits of translation very closely. A good translation not only transports the sense but also the choice of words and the way of expressing. Especially for translations of high standing literature the translator should be home in both languages. The translator often finds his limit with poems. An other example to show the limits of translation are technical items, which were produced in China or Korea. As we do not speak any Chinese or Korean we are not able to understand what we should do before the first use.

Chinas growing economy :: essays papers

After North America, Europe, and Japan, the area of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong "is a fourth growth pole in the world economy" (Jue 108) which in 1994 was expected to double in size by 2002. Today, the growth rate is still on track to fulfill that prediction. Recent Chinese economic policies have shot the country into the world economy at full speed. As testimony of this, China’s gross domestic product has risen to seventh in the world, and its economy is growing at over nine percent per year (econ-gen 1). Starting in 1979, the Chinese have implemented numerous economic and political tactics to open the Chinese marketplace to the rest of the world. Chinese reform measures even anticipated the rush of foreign investment by opening newly expanded industries to out-of-country investors. As trade expands globally and countries within geographical proximity and of similar cultural descent and philosophies ally themselves in order to better compete on a world level, we are se eing the development of increasing number of geographical trade alliances, whatever the underlying reasons behind each. The alliances that have been in place for a while are proving to be very successful in competing in the international markets, stimulating the economies of nearly all of their member states. Effects of this change in economic strategy by a world power can be felt by practically every nation of the globe involved in international trade. The change in the amount of imports and exports to and from China will increase the demand on countless markets. Also, with all the foreign investment China is receiving, the socialistic republic will only grow more and more interdependent upon the world economy. However, the impressive growth rate of China’s economy is not without its shortcomings. Problems such as inflation and inefficient state-owned enterprises plague the rise of the Chinese economy. When China opened its economic borders 19 years ago, environmentalists spoke of the "efficiency" of their farming systems and how they used hardly any organic fuels in the production of food for their people relative to some of the other countries of the world-most notably the United States. What they neglected to mention, however, that one farmer at the end of one rake struggling to feed his family kept fuel consumption very low indeed. It was not, by any stretch, "efficient.

Federalists vs Democrat Republicans

10/13/11 Federalists Vs. Democratic-Republicans Hearing about political parties, Washington was not too keen on the idea. Conversely, he was part of the uprising of the first two political parties. Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, previously named anti-federalists, were the two different political organizations. The first two parties to evolve were very different regarding beliefs of the common people, views of the government, their stances on the foreign policy, and ways to manage finances. Alexander Hamilton, a political mastermind, was the first leader of the Federalists.Like him self, the Federalist followers were wealthy land owning men who were powerful and held high jobs within the cities. They believed that industries of mercantilism and business were going to be significant contributors to the success of America’s future. Therefor Federalism was very popular in New England and the North part of the United States because of the popularity of â€Å"big businessà ¢â‚¬  in those areas. In fear of getting in the middle of a war with another country they did not want any ties with any other countries, but to trade with them. Hamilton and his followers also believed in a very strong central government.They wanted a secure executive branch and trusted it as the key for a strong nation. However, they followed the Constitution, but if they found the need to change anything, and it was necessary and proper and would benefit the nation, they were ok to make the change. The federalists were very strong supporters of the British. Hamilton felt that they should not get involved with the war between France and Great Britain, this however angered the French because without them, they believed, America would have lost the Revolutionary war. Thomas Jefferson led the Democratic-Republicans.This party’s followers were considerably less wealthy than the Federalists. Supporters came from the south and west where there were more of the farmers, small bus iness owners, and employees of the new nation. The beliefs of these people were very contrary to those of the Federalists. They followed the constitution very strictly and anything that was opposing the constitution the Central Government had no place on handling the issues. They felt that there should not be too much power placed on the federal government and that the legislature should hold more of the power.Their beliefs were that a strong Central Government would diminish the rights of the states and the people. This party saw the future of America flourishing under agriculture. They did not want the national bank as the Federalists did because it was not originally written in the Constitution. Also in contrast to the Federalists, the Democratic-Republicans did not like the British and wanted nothing to do with them. Between the two parties, consolidating the differences down to major dissimilarities, the Federalist Party is one I side with for some distinct reasons. A loose int erpretation of the Constitution is a major upside in my opinion.If America were to make no changes to the constitution we would be fixed in a system of roundabouts. The same problems would keep arising and there would be no way to change them while under strict interpretations. The last difference is the strong central government with a secure executive branch. The distinction of powers in the government insures separation of the powers and does not give positions concurring powers and rights. Although the representation of the lower totem-pole citizens is marginal, they can make changes based on the representation of the people because of the equalized powers of the government.

Dominant Images of Women and Gender Construction

Introduction Women in society are viewed as subordinates to men. Women are expected to listen, sit and wait for the men. There are examples of the subordination of women everywhere you look. In literature, the media and different societies all over the globe, women are portrayed as lesser than men. In the past, many Eastern and Western societies did not allow women to be educated due to the fact that men thought women should not have the knowledge and be able to use their knowledge in any way. Men treated women in such a primitive manner.All the females needed to know were the basics of keeping house, raising children, and following their husband’s orders. In section 2, I will describe two dominant imageries of women. I will provide modern day examples of these two dominant images which I chose to discuss. I will discuss how these images co-play with the mechanisms of gender construction. There will be a feed-back loop on the effects of expectations of women due to these 2 typ es of imagery. 2. Women as Sex Objects Women are often viewed as sex objects.One reason why men view women as sex objects is because men use women to reproduce and without women, there will be no way to have more children. Another reason why men view women as sex objects is because it makes them feel more superior to women. This is especially true in the porn industry. Pornography constructs women as what men want sexually. Pornography is the answer to the fantasies of men. Women are constantly being dominated by men and used to satisfy the men’s desires. In many cases, women who are perceived as â€Å"dangerous† are often made to appear less threatening, more childlike.Women who are perceived to be too pure are portrayed to be more â€Å"bad†. Many antipornography feminists protest against pornography because it degrades women and promotes violence against women. Overall, pornography radiates a bad image of women to the world. As a result of women being viewed as sex objects, men acquire a certain expectation from women to act and behave the way women are portrayed in pornography. Sometimes, men take pornography scenes too literally and are tempted to re-enact the scenes out, giving life to these fantasies. In MacKinnon’s, Pornography, Civil Rights, and â€Å"Speech†: The books that were ound with this man were: Violent Stories of Kinky Humiliation, Violent Stories of Dominance and Submission – you think feminists made up these words? – Bizarre Sex Crimes, Shamed Victims, and Water Sports Fetish, Enemas and Golden Showers. The Minnesota Supreme Court said, â€Å"It appears that in committing these various acts, the defendant was giving life to some stories he had read in various pornographic books. †(1993: 379). Women as Earth Mothers Ever since ancient times, women have been viewed as earth mothers because they are considered to be closer to nature.Staying at home, having kids, raising the kids, teachin g, cooking and cleaning – these are all the things that are expected naturally from women. According to anthropologist Sherry Ortner: Women are universally devalued and this is tied to the symbolic association of women and â€Å"nature†. (1974: 29). She argued nature is controlled by culture by means of symbol and artifacts. In her sense, â€Å"culture† is associated with human consciousness and the products of humans, such as technology and thoughts which humans use to control â€Å"nature†.This means that culture is superior to nature because it can form and shape nature any way it wants to shape it according to the needs or wishes of humans. As earth mothers, women are associated with â€Å"nature† and men have been associated with â€Å"culture†; so therefore, men are seen as superior to women and men can easily control women. Women are considered closer to nature in 3 ways. One is due to their ability to bear children. To be able to rep roduce makes women a step closer to nature than men. Another reason is based on the fact that women are caretakers or infants and children.They are nurturing individuals who take care of children who are too young to acquire cultural values so this makes children closer to nature. The women are viewed as even closer to nature because they are taking care of these young children who have yet to acquire culture. The third way women are seen as earth mothers is because women deal with more concrete issues such as taking care of the children, taking care of her husband, and housework. As a result of women being viewed as earth mothers, the women act the role while the men expect the women to have kids and nurture the family.If this standard expectation is not followed, society will criticize the individuals. 3. Conclusion There are many dominant images of women. The main ones I chose to discuss are women portrayed as subordinate sex objects and women portrayed as nurturing earth mothers . The world is still filled with the idea that women are subordinates compared to men and it will be a tough fight for feminists; but little by little, progress is being made. Soon, not only women are going to be viewed as the caretakers of the family – men are slowly adopting the roles women are currently playing. Society is gradually changing.

Global Sourcing Challenge Case Questions Essay

1. Marianna Barner should decline the invitation for IKEA to have a representative appear on the upcoming forecast of the German video program. The producers of the documentary invited them to take part in a live discussion during the airing, and while this offer does sound beneficial for IKEA to educate the public and the producers of the current efforts taken to fight child labor, it would not be in their best interest. This is attributed to the fact that the producers refuse to let IKEA preview the video beforehand and that they are aware that the producers â€Å"planned to take a confrontational and aggressive approach† directly aimed at them. As a result, there is a very high possibility that the representative would then be blindsided with questions and then IKEA’s message of their efforts would not be portrayed accurately. Instead, IKEA should respond to the allegations by releasing their own statement allowing them to explain their efforts once they have had the opportunity to review all evidence and verify the credibility. 2. In regards to the supply contract that IKEA has with Rangan Exports, it would be best if Barner terminates the contract, should sufficient evidence prove that they do indeed use child labor. They stress the importance of taking responsibility for their suppliers, and in the IWAY (IKEA Code of Conduct), it clearly states that they do not accept Child Labourm, otherwise their contract will be terminated. The well-regarded company (Rangan) had signed an addendum that explicitly forbids the use of child labor, so it is important that IKEA upholds their standards and codes in order to maintain a fair position with their other suppliers. It would also be wise for her to then issue a statement or press release about the severed ties with the company, stating the reasons for the decision and maintaining integrity by upholding their own policies regarding child labor, so that the public and other suppliers see that they won’t tolerate unethical behavior or violations to their contra ct. 3. It is suggested that IKEA stays in India and continue operations. The long-term strategy that Barner should take regarding continued operations includes maintaining their code of conduct to uphold their image of being responsible for their suppliers and the environment, while also contributing to an improved quality of life for those in India.

Consumer Behaviour Audit

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AUDIT The Consumer Behavior Audit is divided into the following sections: MARKET SEGMENTATION A. External Influences B. Internal Influences C. Situational Influences D. Decision-Process Influences PRODUCT POSITION A. Internal Influences B. Decision-Process Influences PRICING A. External Influences B. Internal Influences C. Situational Influences D. Decision-Process Factors DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY A. External Influences B. Internal Influences C. Situational Influences D. Decision-Process Factors PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY A. External Factors B. Internal Factors C. Situational Influences D. Decision-Process Influences PRODUCT A. External Influences B. Internal Influences C. Situational Influences D. Decision-Process Influences CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT MARKET SEGMENTATION As mentioned by Silvia Rico, the market segment consists of single women with children, ages 25-44, who live in the same geographical area in Brownsville and shop at Lopez Supermarket. A. External influences Are there cultures or subcultures whose value system is particularly consistent (or inconsistent) with the consumption of our product? The value system for the subculture (Mexican-Americans) is for the most part consistent with the consumption of Lopez Supermarket since they all share the traditions and beliefs, Hispanic race, Spanish language, and nationality background. Average family size for this segment is of 3. 5, and spends 15 to 20 percent more of disposable income on groceries than the national average. They view their family and friends as an important part of their life, and value their opinions when making decisions such as where to shop for groceries. Customers of Lopez are generally those living close to the store. In general they are low-income Mexican/Hispanics with limited resources, strong values, high ties to family and tradition and the majority practice the Catholic religion. Is our product appropriate for male or female consumption? Will ongoing gender-role changes affect who consumes our product or how it is consumed? Lopez Supermarket is appropriate for both male and female consumption. Even though, according to the Census Bureau, 17. 4% of households are made up of female householder, and 45. 8% without husband presence and with children, products sold at Lopez can be bought by either male or female. The ongoing gender-role (assuming that is from the same culture and subculture) would not change as to who buys at Lopez, but it could affect how it is consumed. Meaning, men, just as women, shop at Lopez, but men would not shop as much or buy the same products as women. Do ethnic, social, regional, or religious subcultures have different consumption patterns relevant to our product? Ethnic and social subculture, for the most part, might have a different consumption patterns. Some might like to go to Lopez to make use of their rebate coupons they offer. Some might shop on a daily basis, while others might shop once a week. It all depends on the amount of income and time they have to make their shopping. For the most part, Lopez is directed to a Mexican-American region culture. If Lopez were to locate somewhere where Mexican-American population is very low, Lopez’ current environment might not be as appreciated due a difference in values and believes other segments might have. Do various demographic or social-strata groups (age, gender, urban/suburban/rural, occupation, income, education) differ in their consumption of our product? Mexican-American is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the U. S. (in Brownsville, they totaled 103. 297). Geography is an advantage for Lopez, since stores are located on the border of U. S. and Mexico. Demographic and social-strata groups (age, gender, urban/suburban/rural, occupation, income, education) might have different motive for shopping at Lopez Supermarket. For example, in an age group, kids might go to buy candy or they could be sent by their mothers to buy immediate products (tortillas, milk, soda) that they might need at home. Meanwhile adults might go to buy groceries in high amounts and items such as beer and cigarettes. Other segments might not buy their groceries at Lopez, but they might go for the â€Å"fresh meat† or â€Å"barbacoa† they sell. Geographically, if Lopez is not close by, consumer might look for alternatives and buy groceries either at a gas station or at another grocery store. Is our product particularly appropriate for consumers with relatively high (or low) incomes compared to others in their occupational group (ROCI)? Based on Silvia Rico’s report, class structure for this segment is Lower-Middle who strives to become part of the Upper Class. This segment view food as an abundance of wealth, so they usually give food gifts. They have many status symbols, such as jewelry, new car, home decor, etc. In their leisure time the go to the beach, and spend time with family. High income might prefer an alternative. Can our product be particularly appropriate for specific roles, such as students or professional women? In general, anyone can shop at Lopez, but it is most appropriate for district level, low-middle income consumers whose role are of a household provider. If customers are playing the role of a professional businessperson, for example, they definitely will not find items they might need (suitcases, high quality pens, etc. , since Lopez is meant for groceries. A student, might find pen, paper, pencil, and notebooks, but in very small amounts, and a higher price than specialized stores. Would it be useful to focus on specific adopter categories? Not necessarily. Focusing on specific adopter categories (The ranking into which adopters of a new product fall according to their willingness and speed to embr ace a new product; adopter categories are normally listed as innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards) will not help much, since Lopez sells products people are already familiar with. An alternative would be to subgroup the current marketing segment even further (such those women who work and those who don’t) in order to target them better, since this subgroups share similar purchasing behaviors. This group of single young women with children can be subdivided based on the people that live with them (alone with own children, and with extended family), their number of working hours (part-time, and full-time), and based on their children’s age (under 6 yrs. , and from 6 to 17 yrs. ). Targeting per segment Women living alone with their own children: This sub-segment is influenced greatly by their children, they may go to shop at Lopez because their children had great experiences from the store. Children are a strong influence that guides these women to shop there, but also they also have influence in the products they buy. This segment may spend great part of their income in shopping products their children like, depending on their age. Small children may influence them to buy candies, and products that contain attractive animations. Older children may influence their overall product selection based on their tastes and preferences. These children may also influence their mothers to buy high quality, and name branded products. Women living with extended family: These women are more likely to be influenced by their relatives living with them, specially the older ones that are thought to be the wisest ones. This segment tries to comply with society, and with their own family. They want to be approved by others, and make their purchases according to the way others expected them to act. They choose Lopez as their store for their food supplies, because it is the family tradition store. They are high self-monitoring, since these women tend to evaluate products consumed in public in terms of the impressions they make on others. They may also cash their checks, and pay some bills at Lopez, because that is the family tradition way to do this activity. Another reason for them to cash their checks is because they are low-Income and usually they do not have a bank account, because they tend to save the money that is left (if any) in their houses. They learned these activities from their parents or relatives living with them. Women living with extended family and not working: This segment relies on the extended family (or federal aid such as food stamps) for financial support. They might be the ones purchasing immediate items for their children (such as cereal, milk, cookies) but leave the large purchase decisions to a secondary person. This segment has more time to shop and look around, and does not go to Lopez alone. They usually go at least twice a week (if not more) with their kids, and the extended family member with the purchase decision in the household. They rely on their family and friends for their immediate purchase decision, and try to save as money as much as possible since they don’t have sufficient income. Women working full-time: This sub-segment is very busy, they value their time, and buy at Lopez because of the store location, the relative small store size (comparing it with HEB, and El Globo), and because they are very familiar with the store, and they cash their checks at Lopez when they go shopping in order to save time. These women know where are products located within the store, they know products prices, people working there, and people shopping there. Women within this segment, go to Lopez once a week, or once every two weeks, depending on the way they get paid. They will usually go to the store on weekends, especially on Friday because is when they may cash their wage checks. On weekends they can buy groceries for all the week, since buying food supplies is a priority for them, and whatever money is left, they will spend it in clothes or save it. This segment usually goes to shop alone, and make their purchases according their own opinion, and neither relatives nor children influence their consumer behavior. These women are very important for Lopez because these women buy high-volume when they go to Lopez. They buy huge quantities because they do not have time to go other day in the week. Their purchases may not be well planned, they may buy their necessary products, and other products with discounts. Products strategic point-of-display is very important to influence this segment to buy. Women working part-time: This women have more time to analyze and plan their shopping, they may look more detailed the products they will buy. They may go to Lopez at an average rate of three times per week. Since they earn less money than full-timers, they will buy products at discount, and are well informed of the products that are going to be on sale any specific day. These women are very familiar with the store, and usually they have great relationships with store employees, and seek for their advice when making their purchases. This segment go to shop with their children, or other relatives, so their purchases are influenced by the people that go with them. They shop at Lopez because it is the store for groceries they know best, and because their relatives advice them to. They are more likely to be influenced by advertising (specially coupons), than full-timers, since they have more time to read adds, look for coupons, cut and use them. Women with children under 6 years old: This group of women with children under 6 years old, represents 8. 6% of the female householder with no husband present, according to the U. S. Census Bureau (Census 2000) of Cameron County. This segment in heavily influenced by their children preferences. They will look for products that will be accepted and that will cause a positive attitude in their children. Children are a strong influence that guides their consumer behavior; thus influencing the type of products they buy. This segment may spend great part of their income in children-related products, such as candies, chocolates, cereals with cartoon animations, products that include small toys and others that are attractive to children. Mothers will usually go to Lopez accompanied by their children, because children make pressure to go with them. Children under 6 years old like to be with their mothers, and enjoy going to shop with them. These children influence mothers to buy seasonal products, especially adornments to their houses, and also food that include seasonal animation in its package. This segment may end up buying unexpected items, and spending more money than planned because of their children influence. Women with children from 6 to 17 years old: These children have strong influence in product brand selection. This group represents 35. 3% of the female householder with no husband present, according to the U. S. Census Bureau (Census 2000) of Cameron County. They may influence their mothers to buy the brands that are most common, and are preferred by their friends. These children may not go to shop with their mothers, since they are at an age where they like to be seen as independent individuals. They do not participate actively in the purchase itself; they just influence their mothers to buy what they said. Mothers seek the approval of their children, so their purchases may be strongly influenced by their children. This segment wants to create a positive attitude towards the products they buy. These women are willing to buy more expensive items to satisfy their children’s preferences. They are willing to buy more products at a higher price, and sacrifice other goods, as possible to comply with children’s desires. For this segment, their children are seen as young adults with valuable opinion about products. Since many of this children go to school, and are the most knowledgeable and educated in the family, their judgment about certain products are taken as valid, and may cause changes in the products bought. Do groups in different stages of the household life cycle have different consumption patterns for our product? Who in the household is involved in the purchase process? In this case, single women might just buy the basic items (milk, cereal, eggs). If they live with their parents, their parents might be the ones doing the groceries. Younger kids might also play a role, meaning they might be the ones asking what type of products to buy at Lopez (specific brand of cereal or soft drink). B. Internal influences Can our product satisfy different needs or motives in different people? What needs are involved? What characterizes individuals with differing motives? Yes. Customers might go to buy groceries, and at the same time take advantage of paying their bills, cashing a check, or sending mail. Those who go on a daily basis might also want to know what kinds of savings they might find. Kids might want to go to buy candy. Others might need to buy food for a birthday party, or to get ready for Friday’s barbeque. Is our product uniquely suited for particular personality types? Self-concepts? Lopez is focused more for the lower-middle income people. This means that people who have relatives and shop at Lopez might do so as well just to not feel left out, as mentioned by Silvia. High-income people might not shop there simply because they might want to be compared or identified with the low-middle income people (of course there are exceptions but this goes for the majority of the high-income class. ) For the most part, Lopez is directed toward a Mexican-American environment and to the other segments that accept this. What emotions, if any, are affected by the purchase and/or consumption of this product? Realizing that they are known and treated on a friendly matter influence them to go to Lopez. Also having family, neighbors, or friends who might work or go there, might affect this as well. Is our product appropriate for one or more distinct lifestyles? For the most part, is for those who prefer to go to Lopez for convenience and to save money. Young single Mexican-American mothers might go there because their concern is their family and their heritage traditions. Other with a different lifestyle (those who might like to spend a lot of money, for example) might not consider Lopez as an option. As Silvia Rico mentioned, self-monitoring is also affected here because their choices are influenced by their estimates of how Lopez is perceived by their family and friends. If a person was told that shopping at Lopez is only for the poor, then that person might be embarrassed to go or be seen there. A birth of a child or departure of an older one, may affect the lifestyle of the consumer and they way they buy. For the birth of a child, they might need to buy baby products, while for the departure of a child, they might consume less. Do different groups have different attitudes about an ideal version of our product? Yes. Some might prefer a â€Å"nice looking and cleaner† store. Others might compare Lopez to H. E. B. and might perceive Lopez as a small, local store compared to H. E. B. Others might not want to shop at Lopez because of the smell (meat) it emits. There are also those who believe that Lopez is fine the way it is. C. Situational influences Can our product be appropriate for specific types of situations instead of (or in addition to) specific types of people? Yes. In case of an emergency (a hurricane, for example), people might go to Lopez to buy items such as candles, flashlights, can food, batteries, or anything else they might need. A family birthday party or special celebration might require buying the meat and even decorations such as balloons. Barbeque on Friday, as Silvia pointed out, is another example. D. Decision-process influences Do different individuals use different evaluative criteria in selecting the product? Yes. Family could influence some individuals (worrying about what their family might think of them if they were to shop at another store). Others might select distance or convenience as a way to measure going to Lopez (how far it takes to go to Lopez compared to going to a gas station). Do potential customers differ in their loyalty to existing products/brands? Some of the products sold at Lopez might not be sold at other stores and vice-versa. (Hill Country products are only sold at H. E. B. ). Some products are well known to them since they are the products their parents and grandparents used. Others might not be as loyal to the brands as they are to the store itself.