Boston Consulting SWOT Analysis Essay

Boston Consulting Group has clearly defined that their biggest asset is their people. The group offers an extensive training and summer internship program to prepare the interested, highly experience and motivated future consultant of Boston Consulting. The group offers services in 43 countries and their experienced and trained pool of consultants come from a diversity of experiences and culture. Boston consulting also assures their clients that a collaborative work team is the one priority. Strategic Planning Boston Consulting Group believes in strategic planning as a whole, meaning with their client involved. The group strives on strategic planning and is their biggest driven agenda with entering a new client. The group does not operate on policies of templates and redundant reorganizing of the company. They welcome ideas and creative suggestions for an effective strategic planning. Every client is different in culture and operations. In every client the group searches for new ideas and works with the collaborative approach to its client for strategic success. The group believes that working day to day and side by side with the client allows a higher output of productivity and achieving company goals. This approach also gives us the consulting group a greater experience of their industry and allows for venturing in other market growths for the client and fosters other learning experiences for our consultants. The firm creates a five-year plan for its clients and assists in every step to implement the plan through operational planning. Stakeholders As presented in the SWOT analysis one of our external stakeholders include outside businesses and the general business population. The group also provides pro bono work for many non-profit agencies and provides consulting advice such as in the high technology area and also advice to implementation assistance. The firm also specializes in the turn around approach that  implements the operational and strategic planning. This will allow for a quicker response for companies that need immediate assistance and assist with company growing pains. Once the strategic plans are identified and agreed upon an operational plan is put in place to roll out and go live on implementing the plan for company successes, quick results, and goals completed. Company and clients successes greatly impact the internal stakeholders as well. Other ideas and experiences are obtained throughout the reorganization of a company or even its restructure. All parties involved leave the completion with gained knowledg e and a sense of satisfaction once an operational plan is completed. Conclusion Once voids in a company has been identified and focused on it allow for the firm to recommend other ideas for the company for continued future success and even other joint ventures if any. In conclusion, Boston consulting group was #8 on the Fortune 100 list of best companies to work for and # 3 in 2014. Employees have identified the company’s culture as busy, flexible and ever changing. A place for new and extensive ever-moving assignments all over the world. The company has worked in China and focused on the studies in operations and strategy, to overcome challenges in the China operations. Benchmarks and global strategies were discussed in this study. It is the second of four in a series of special reports on China by The Boston Consulting Group and Knowledge@Wharton. Listed below is an image of their SWOT analysis. Part of the weaknesses of the SWOT analysis is the tough competitors, which in Boston consulting groups case is McKinsey and Bain. Strengths Weaknesses BCG focuses on assisting companies with and efficient and effective business strategy and planning BCG has been unsuccessful to international markets  1st company to be awarded as the â€Å"Best place to work for† Tough competition from other consulting groups means market share is limited Employees have a diverse experience for the robust skill set for the job Opportunities Threats Getting into international business and evolving new concept there rather than sticking only strategy Stiff competition from existing consulting industry players Their green initiatives can create a new opportunity of consultation for them Companies are not setting up their own knowledge and training centers in house. Also larger companies are setting up their own training and knowledge center in house to avoid high consulting fees. However the training and experience will never compare to the actual employees that have years of hands on past experiences or and extensive education background. Boston consulting group continues to strive for the best and grow in more countries and work with a larger diversity in its near future. As #3 in the list of Fortune 500 companies for 2014, BCG will continue to excel in all areas of corporate America and its ever-changing business industry and current challenges. The company and its leaders also provide many business publications for their clients and the general public. Clients and employees alike have found great relationships, learning experiences and continued healthy relationships with Boston consulting group. Reference http://www.bcg.com/about_bcg/default.aspx. (2014). Boston Consulting Group. Retrieved from http://www.bcg.com/about_bcg/default.aspx The Boston Consulting Group SWOT Analysis, (2014). Boston Consulting Group SWOT Analysis, 1-7

Essay over the electoral college Essay

In the United States today, we use the Electoral College to decide who is going to be the next president. The presidency is not necessarily won by popular vote. The founding fathers opted for the Electoral College, because they were afraid of the masses. They wanted the president to be chosen by those who are qualified, well informed, and have the ability to chose a president more efficiently then the so called â€Å"mob.† Although I believe the Electoral College needs many changes, it is necessary in order to have a successful government that is fair. Thee main argument against the Electoral College is that the presidency should be won by popular vote alone. It shouldn’t be that one candidate could win the popular vote, but lose the election. At first I completely agreed with this, because we do live in a democracy, and I believe that a democracy is a government for the people by the people. This would mean that the mass population decides who is the president, not a hand picked group of men to vote on who they wish, because they do not always have to vote on the candidate in which the state has voted the majority on. Although the Electoral College may take away the presidency from the candidate that won the majority vote, it evens things out across the nation. The Electoral College is necessary to make every state important in the voting process. If you did not have the Electoral College, those who were running for office would only campaign in the major states, that way they could get the majority of the population. For example the candidate would advertise and campaign in New York, especially New York City, because there is such a vast amount of people who live there, so he would try to assure that he had the votes for this city, and majority of the state, and would not have to worry about Montana. They candidate would then not go to smaller less populated states like Montana, South or North Dakota. He would not worry about the states or cities that had little populations, because are all he needs to worry about is that the majority of the people in the United States vote for him. It would be much easier to win an election by getting more people in more populated cities to vote, and not worrying about the little populations. This in fact takes away from the idea of a democracy, because it conveys the message that the only thing a presidential candidate  needs to worry about is getting the majority of the votes, and this does not have to be all over the nation, because there are parts of the nation that the population well exceeds other parts. The founding fathers developed the electoral college because they were afraid of what the government would be like if the â€Å"masses† were allowed to determine who they wanted in office. They were aware that it would turn into a popularity thing, and that is not what was needed in order to run a government efficiently. Although the population must have a say in the government, there has to be some form of control, and that was the basis of the Electoral College. I think that in order for the Electoral College to be successful, and to function properly, there has to be some major changes to it. The biggest change needs to be the fact that the electors themselves need to be abolished. I think that it should be set up to where the popular vote in the state decides whom the electoral votes from the state go. The majority of the time this is what happens, but it does not have to. If an elector wanted to vote for someone other then that the state allotted popular vote to, they very well could. I do not think that it should be allowed, because by doing that it takes the democracy out of the government, because it is never a certain thing that the populace’ wish will be carried out. If you want to go even farther you could break it down into districts with in the state. Each district gets one Electoral College vote, and the vote goes to the candidate in which has the majority of that district. The Electoral College is definitely needed in this country in order for the election process to be fair to all states and thus to all constituents. Although winning by popular votes sounds like the way to go in a democracy, it is not. If that were the case then there would be no equality among states, and the fact that everybody matters in a democracy would not be. There would be very little concentration on other small or less populated states, because you could win the election without them.

International Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business Management - Essay Example There is a process for it which is termed as New Product development, which means it is the process that helps an organization to develop new products and services. There are two parallel paths involved in the process: One involves the idea generation, product design and detail structures, the second step focuses on market research and market analysis. Price Pricing is a very complicated issue and has far reaching effects on a company’s prospects in a market. There are different pricing benchmarks for different markets. So it is not a straight forward task to price a product. Company has to survey the market and analyze what prices other competitors are offering. Cost of Raw Material and Cost of transportation are taken into account for setting the price. If a company sets very low price in relation to their competitors, then there is a threat of being perceived as a bad quality. Willingness to purchase a product is directly related with the price. If the price is affordable, customer would instantly buy the product. Placement Placement of the product assumes wider magnitude when we talk about international marketing. If customers come to buy a product, and it is not available instantly than customers would get interested in competitors. For timely availability of the product, it is very necessary to make use of warehouses and other storing places. It is essential to make placement decisions in line with the product’s position in the market. Company need to decide whether our product will be perceived as a high end product or a low end product. Promotion Promotion is a multi-component phenomenon, which operates as a interacting channel with other elements of the marketing mix, aiming to achieve the communication process caused between what companies offer goods or services or ideas working to satisfy the needs and desires of consumers from individuals or institutions according to their potential. There are number of international promotional tools such as advertisement, sponsorships, price promotions and etc, but every firm prefers to use push and pull strategy. Pull is the relationship of the goods or pieces of information that moves the product from producer to the customers, while the "push" is to bring the goods to their customers "pool". Sometimes it become difficult to draft a promotional strategy for a brand because of its USP, then brand decisions are taken. Brand decisions are the art of creating and maintaining a brand. Branding makes customers committed to a business and provides them sense of loyalty. Question 1 (b) Company Global Hyatt Corporation is a US based organization that operates the business of hotels and motels. There are two hotel companies with the name of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hyatt International from which Global Hyatt Corporation operates all their businesses. Hyatt hotels leases, franchises and operates a number of hotels and resorts. Besides hotels, Global Hyatt Corporation also runs the business of casinos. The servicing mix of Global Hyatt Corporation is extended by three points: the processes, the individuals and the physical evidence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Processes A process is a set of actions which connects all the operations of a business to each other with an aim to achieve a specific result. Usually, Process includes value creating strategies for internal or external customers, segmentation,

Symbolic Sexism in The Color Purple Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Symbolic Sexism in The Color Purple - Essay Example weaving, or Shakespeare’s Desdemona, wandering aimlessly through her palace trying to puzzle out what’s troubling her dear husband, the woman of color was expected to play the woman as well as the servant. Her servant status did not only include the duties of the home, as it did for white women of lower class, but also the duties of the fields and the livestock. She was considered the most versatile workhorse, plaything and servant available. It was a role that only become more complex following the age of American slavery, when the woman of color was not just a servant or a woman, but a sexual tool to be used at will by whichever man has current rights to her. The question of the modern age, then, can be put in terms of who has control of the woman’s sexuality, the woman or the man who ‘owns’ her. This struggle over who has control of the woman’s sexuality is one of the primary themes that runs through Alice Walker’s novel The Color Pu rple. As Celie develops from an oppressed black woman of the South to a liberated woman of the modern age, the elements of symbolic sexism are exposed both within the novel and the film, although this expression is somewhat different in the novel than in the film. Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple (1982), investigates the black American woman’s experience of double oppression, first as a black person and then, more significantly, as a woman, elements that are present to different degrees within the film version (1985). The main character, Celie, is presented as a black woman heavily oppressed, trained early to be subservient and completely conventional in her ideas as a result. Her experience of life has taught her that one is either submissive and accepting of the abuse or one is beaten to death if defiance is shown. Through epistolary segments, the maturation process of Celie is revealed in letters to God until Celie can’t accept Him as a protective figure anymore. This occurs at about the time

Proof read Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proof read - Essay Example As a businessman, my father is always busy together with my mother who assists him in the details of his transactions. Despite their busy schedules though, our parents always make time for the family and include me and my sister in their travels every December. Therefore, I have come to love the month of December because I am not only able to be with my parents but I also get the chance of visiting other places. I have already been to different parts of the world such as France, Singapore, Germany, China, Seoul, Japan, Korea, England, USA, and Canada. The interesting places often make family vacations extra special and wonderful because I get to visit beautiful places and taste different delicious foods. Travelling around the world has therefore become my dream because I am very interested in exploring other cultures and meeting people from different backgrounds. As an afterthought, I think my father intentionally instilled in me the importance of travel to a businessman. Looking bac k, I could see how he has guided and molded to becoming a good businessman through the education that was given to me which I believe would really be very beneficial. I graduated from Gandhi Memorial International School in my hometown. As an Indonesian, I fluently speak my native language which is Bahasa Indonesia. Coming from Chinese descent as well, I am able to speak Mandarin because I am forced to speak the language with my grandparents. In addition, the school I attended also taught us the language. As an international school, Gandhi Memorial taught most of our subjects using the English language. This enabled me to use the language well. As an aspiring businessman, I consider my communication skills as an advantage because I know I could communicate well with other people. Knowing the benefits of education, I entered Pasadena City College on the Fall of 2013 to pursue higher education. My travels proved to be helpful as I lived

Nervous system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nervous system - Research Paper Example Each is charged with a specific cognitive function and even though they are separate, they still communicate and work together with each other in order to process, integrate, and store information. Sometimes in cases of head trauma and other incidents, parts of the brain become damaged to the point where behavior and some cognitive functions become impaired (Squire, 2003). The primary function of the temporal lobe is the processing of auditory stimuli as well as processing some memory functions. It is also where the hippocampus is housed, which is responsible for long-term memory formation. Because this area plays a key role in memory integration, any damage to this area would affect the way in which memories are formed, leading to different types of amnesia. In addition, the ways in which hearing and visual stimuli are processed would also be affected. The parietal lobe is a part of the brain, which is responsible for integrating all of the senses from the different sensory systems together, and processing them. It is also important due to the fact that it coordinates the understanding of things such as mathematical relationships as well as visuospatial processing. As a result, if damage was to occur in this area, a person might loose their ability to perform math tasks, as well as loose the ability to visualize conceptually and literally.

The Commercial Banks in Singapore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Commercial Banks in Singapore - Essay Example Commercial banks are the backbone of any economy and they contribute to the economic development in the following ways: 1) Promoting capital formation in the economy 2) Promotion of trade and industry through loans and investments 3) Development of agriculture through Agri-financing 4) Transferring surplus capital from developed to less developed regions to allow for balanced development of the economy 5) Encouraging businesses related to export by providing them support so as to improve the GDP of the country through positive trade (Janan, 2009) b.1. Following are the 5 principles on which the Islamic banking model operates: 1) Sanctity of contract – it must be ensured that the contract is halal (all components valid and not voidable) according to the Sharia rulings 2) Risk Sharing – profit must not be earned by a party without having a stake in the asset generating the said profit 3) No Riba/Interest – money should not be lent to earn additional amount on its u nderlying value 4) Economic Purpose – the activity should be for economic purpose 5) Fairness – the terms and conditions should be fair to all parties involved and be disclosed fully to avoid any doubt in the contract (Ahmad & Shabbir) b.2. Advantages of Islamic Banking over Conventional Banking: 1) Islamic modes of finance can’t be marketed beyond the initial parties of the contract and are also non-callable – both these features protect the financial system from collapsing. Conventional bank lending is a pyramid-shaped chain where one party can further the loan attained from the bank, thus when a financial crisis occurs and one party defaults the whole system crashes. Also, the non-callable feature allows for more certainty as the party is able to keep the loan until its maturity. (Ahmad & Shabbir) 2) Islamic banks bear the liability of getting involved in a transaction with the customer unlike conventional banks – thus they do not have a guarant eed return in form of fixed payments from customers (interest) rather they take risk of partnering in a venture with their client. For example in Musharika which is a mode of Islamic finance, the bank gets into a partnership agreement with the client and the profit sharing ratio is agreed upon by the parties while the ratio of loss sharing is in proportion to the capital invested by the bank and the client. (Ahmad & Shabbir) 3) The creditworthiness of the client is not the only determining factor in Islamic finance – the type, nature, viability, and profitability of the business are the main determining factors. Islam does not allow unethical and immoral business activities, thus lending to businesses such as alcohol, pornography, etc. is forbidden as these activities are also harmful and negatively affect the productivity of the economy. (Ahamed, 2008)

Enlightenment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Enlightenment - Essay Example Enlightenment helps both the individual and the society. For example, suppose a terrorist got enlightenment during a particular period of time and as a result of that he decides to stay away from terrorist activities. In this case, apart from the person, the society will also be benefitted. Take the cases of abortion or divorce. In both the cases, the individual and the society will be benefitted if a person decides to stay away from such activities. Even though, we are living in the most civilized world at present, I cannot say that we are living in an enlightened age. The clashes between cultures, religions, countries and communities are increasing day by day. An enlightened world will never engage in such activities. An enlightened world will give equal opportunities to all. It will never measure human rights based on religious beliefs. It should be noted that thousands of people are being killed every day in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the name of war on terror or clashes between communities. An enlightened civilization will never engage in such activities in the name of religion or belief. It should be noted that Lord Buddha after his enlightenment asked his disciples, not to kill any creature in this world. In other words he has asked the public to stay away from killing humans, animals, birds, insects etc. Life is the most precious thing in this world and it should be preserved at any cost. An enlightened world will never think of destroying any life forms.

Stocks Perference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stocks Perference - Essay Example Also, the company might find it difficult to pay out high interest, as the current global economic scenario is quite uncertain and might turn for worse any day. Once the management trainees are hired, we could decide on a sound strategy and growth pattern for the company and subsequently go in for the public issue after a period of three months at least. This time is required for the trainees to familiarize themselves with the working of the company and think about ways to improve the sales and profits. I would however not recommend having any of the new management grads on the board as the board members must be experienced people with excellent track records. Employee Stock Option is a wonderful tool to retain talented employees and keep them happy. No doubt, this perquisite could be offered to the employees, especially the management trainees who join the company in the next few weeks. â€Å"Technically, under ESOP, a company offers its employees the chance (or option) to purchase a certain number of shares at a future point in time. Generally, these shares are offered at a pre-determined price, which as per the company’s expectations would be lower than the market price at the time when the employee can exercise the option (choose to buy). Of course, the reverse could be true, in which case the options have no value at all.†[Sify Business] In case the employee chooses to leave the company before the vesting period, the stock option ceases to exist and the employee cannot benefit from it. We could keep the vesting period as five years to encourage the trainees to keep working with us. Another advantage with ESOP would be the tax benefit for the company. Since the stocks would be a part of the employee’s compensation package, the employee would have to pay the tax on the amount and we would be saving that amount. If a substantial part of the salary is offered as ESOP, we could be sure of the dedication of the

Racism and Non-Western Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Racism and Non-Western Discrimination Essay Slavery dates a thousand years back and now comes to be one of the sources of dismay for people who are relatively concerned with their neighbors. Africans are the main victim of this atrocious treatment, having a different color and being considered to be the most underdeveloped human being compared to their European and white counterparts. This classification of people, through their skin color and place of birth, accompanied by extreme feeling of hatred and disgust is widely known as racism. It attracts other people to look at a persons natural characteristics, their nose, hair, complexion, etc., as basis of their capacities. Thus came more superior races because of being more desirable and developed than the others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Racism has been evident in the past decades and has been the basis of bloody wars and genocide. Hitlers hatred over the Jews killed thousands of these religious descendants because of his belief that his bloodline is supreme than that of David. Until now, the holocaust denial movement insists that there are no mass murder committed against the Jews. This anti-Semetic treatment over Jews continue until now, evident mostly in their war in the Middle East (â€Å"Anti-Semitism,† 2001, n.p). The concept of Deicide, or the killing of a God, has intensified this hatred in the rise of Christianity. Radical racism has encouraged separatism, a tradition where the inferior race is removed of the benefits enjoyed by their superior counterparts (â€Å"Racism,† 2001, n.p). In the U.S., white supremacist groups continue to establish racism against the blacks, spreading the word of inequality all over the country with their skin-head members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One recent issue that needs appropriate concern is the interne-hate. It is an online propaganda, primarily using internet websites, to conjure and express hatred and discriminate people of perceived inferior race (â€Å"Internet Hate,† 2001, n.p). Because of internets free environment, almost absolutely allowing every person with access to express their thoughts, it became the battle ground and sanctuary for many racist activities all over the world. Publication of hate inciting materials in the world wide web has been greatly tolerated because of the lack of internet related laws prohibiting or limiting the freedom it offers to its users. Furthermore, the growth of this technology helped in proliferating violent messages to millions of users around the world, including children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other means of racist behavior before have included pamphlets, brochures, posters, and magazines. Racism also manifested through radio and TV shows, theater plays, and movies. Taking advantage of recent technological advances, racists elevated their campaign against other races through the internet, where information is sent in a split second to millions of users. They can send electronic mails to private users and fellow racists, comment on internet contents, join discussion groups, upload hateful videos and music, and incite violence through blogs without being identified. They can literally hide their identities, use multiple profiles, and present pictures not their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Racism can also be widely encouraged through this system. Racists can easily find other racists who can strengthen their claims and remove them of any dissonance. They can also insist that they are backed up by thousands of other racists, to scare their targets and attract supporters. One particular website is the BlackMonitor. It contains articles and discussion posts from unknown sources. Articles are primarily against blacks – black athletes, celebrities, families, criminals, perverts, politicians, and terrorist. There are criticisms against even talented blacks, like Fifty Cent (â€Å"Nigger 50 Cent Hates Alicia Keys,† 2008, n.p) and Wesley Snipes (â€Å"Nigger Wesley Snipes off to Nigger College,† 2008, n.p). Most particularly, presidential candidate Barrack Obama has been targeted with so much criticism, a comment even asked for an assassination (Lies, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The internet phenomenon is deemed to be the most influential source of information being easily accessed by millions of users. Also, the lack of rules because of its international coverage is primarily the reason for its wide use for racist activities. Local and federal laws may exist, other countries may have implemented strict censorship, and some websites may have established their own guidelines for publication. However, these may not be enough to stop this hateful attitude toward people perceieved to have inferior race.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Racism itself is hard to vanish. No matter how hard we try in alleviating discrimination, some people who will always think that they are better than the other and will resolve to violent attacks against them. However, there are basic solutions we can employ to help the abused people. Counter superior-inferior racial notions Implement equal opportunities, blacks and Asians remain less developed because their white counterparts are being entertained well in many companies. Incorporate anti-racism in childhood education and enforce it well in the preceeding years. Encourage international and intercultural education. Specify racial crimes and establish punishments for it. Dissolve racist groups and give its members appropriate measures and education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Racism basically becomes violent because of misinformation. By removing the wrong notions about racial classifications and implementing effective education on children and young adults, and enforcing laws against racism we can minimize this long criticized issue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Internet Hate in particular can be limited through censorship and establishment of necessary laws to stream its contents. This may limit freedom of expression and thought, but freedom is never absolute. There are details that should be removed because of their harmful contents. States have a great responsibility in prohibiting malicious contents in their areas since international laws may be hard to enforce in local cities. Registration of websites can also be an effective solution. Through this we can identify who owns and manages a website and have people to blame in cases of discrminatory contents. Censors may also be established to have constant checks, though this may be very exhausting due to the thousands of websites that are active in the world wide web. However, users reporting malicious contents can help in determining websites that should be sanctioned and ordered for closure. Again, this may bar certain rights and privacy policies, but if we are really serious in removing inequalities and minimizing those discriminatory eyes against our unfortunate friends, we can take this step in alleviating racism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of us may think that freeing this world of racism is impossible. Lawmakers, who are secretly racist themselves may oppose such acts. Nationalist movements and groups may also prevent us from reaching our goal of equality and non-racial classification. However, many people have suffered enough because of this kind of treatment, of constantly giving them a hateful stare, beating them on their way home, treating them like dogs, under paying them, and lastly trafficking these innocent people. These actions may force them to be aggressive towards us, and that gives us new reasons for discriminating them. It just wont stop this way. Indeed, there will always be inequality, but at least, let us, more developed individuals, be more compassionate and understanding of their situation. References Anti-Defamation League. 2001. Anti-Semitism. Retrieved 29 April 2008. http://www.adl.org/hate-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   patrol/antisemitism.asp Anti-Defamation League. 2001. Internet Hate. Retrieved 29 April 2008. http://www.adl.org/hate-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   patrol/internet_hate.asp Anti-Defamation League. 2001. Racism. Retrieved 29 April 2008. http://www.adl.org/hate-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   patrol/racism.asp Blackpubwatch. Nigger 50 Cent Hates Alicia Keys. Black Monitor. Retrieved 29 April 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://blackmonitor.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/nigger-50-cent-hates-alicia-keyes/ Blackpubwatch. Nigger Wesley Snipes off to Nigger College. Black Monitor. Retrieved 29 April   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008. http://blackmonitor.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/nigger-wesley-snipes-off-to-nigger-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   college/ Black    Monitor. Lies. Comment on Barack Obama Pathological Liar Extraordinaire by blackpubwatch.   Retrieved 29 April   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008. http://blackmonitor.wordpress.com/2008/04/26/barack-`  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   obama-pathological-liar-extraordinaire/

Process for Passing Legislation

Process for Passing Legislation Tim Mulligan Energizing California’s Legislature How to Inspire Legislative and Electorate Action about an Electric Vehicle I have recently invented a solar-electric hybrid vehicle that could have immensely positive effects on drivers of California, and it could also facilitate a significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels in the state. In order for my invention to gain more prevalence throughout the state and to begin making these changes, I will need to have a piece of legislation passed. I believe that individuals who purchase one of my hybrid vehicles should be entitled to a $4,000 tax credit because of the positive impact they are having on the environment. There are several ways to go about this. Legislative Process In order for this appropriations bill to be passed by the California legislature, several things need to happen. I first need to contact my congressman and inform him about my product and the idea that I have for a piece of legislature. This is my primary involvement in the legislative process as I have the chance to speak with my congressman on the merits of my product and the legislation that I would like passed. The legislative process begins when either my state senator or my state assemblyman decides to author the bill for me. After my congressman has authored my bill, it is sent to the Legislative Counsel to be officially drafted into a bill. The newly drafted bill will be sent back to my congressman so that it can be introduced to his or her congressional house, the Senate, or the Assembly. My congressman will read the proposed bill to his/her congressional house and the bill will be sent to the Office of State Printing not to be dealt with for 30 days. Next are the committee hearings. The bill is sent to the Rules Committee where it will be reviewed to see which policy committees in which it needs to be seen. For this specific bill, I believe that it would be sent to committees such as the Appropriations Committee, Environmental Safety and Toxins Committee, Natural Resources Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Committee. This is because the bill deals with a $4,000 tax credit for individuals and also because my product has an impact on the environment and our use of natural resources. These committees can pass the bill as it is out forth by my congressman, pass it with amendment, or they can defeat the bill. If the bill survives the committee process it is then read a second and third time, followed by a roll call vote within the congressman’s congressional house. As an appropriations bill, it would need 27 votes in the senate and 54 votes in the state assembly to be passed. If the bill passes after undergoing this whole process in one of the congressional houses, the process is then repeated in the other house. If both housed approve the bill, it is then sent to the governor where he can either sign it, allow it to become law without his signature, or he can veto it. Use of Lobbyists, Interest Groups and Campaign Contributions The most significant way that I can help my legislation get passed is through the use of lobbyists and interest groups. Lobbyists and interest groups often have very close relationships with members of congress and their influence in the legislative process is invaluable. I would need to employ lobbyists from environmental groups to help communicate with my congressman the advantages that my hybrid vehicle would bring to the state of California. Interest groups can mobilize my idea within the population and lobbyists can promote my idea face to face with my congressman. Campaign contributions are also incredibly influential in the legislative process because there are many interest groups, lobbyists and corperations that can influence congressmen by either contributing to their campaign funds in return for legislative action, or they can withdraw their often massive contributions if the congressman does not support legislature that caters to their best interests. Using Direct Democracy I could also take the route of direct democracy in order to get my legislation passed. This would occur through the initiative process. I would need to make a request for a title and summary for my proposal. Because this process is so expensive I would most likely need to have the help of lobbyists or interest groups. I would also need to hire attourney’s so that my proposal can be drafted in proper legal text. Once the attourney general has prepared a title and summary for my initiative, it is on to the signature process. I would need to acquire a number of signatures in support for the initiative that is equal to the full number of votes that were casted for any governor candidate in the last gubernational election. If I indeed allocate this many signatures, the Secretary of State will include the initiative in the next general election and any special elections subsequent to the intitiatives qualifying. Waging a Successful Direct Democracy Campaign After I have successfully brought my initiative to the ballot, I will need to campaign for it so that I can see that it is passed in the next election. At this point there is no doubt that I will need the aid of interest groups, not only for their public influence but for their campaign funds. I will need to select a sponsor that not only has funds but also has the ability to reach the voters. Research will need to be funded not only to analyze the potential benefits of my hybrid vehicle and the tax credit that it would bring individuals, but to analyze the public opinion and how voters can best be reached. Focus groups will help me to develop my strongest arguments for why my bill should be passed and these ideas will be put forth in advertisements. Television advertisements, radio advertisements and hired interest group lobbyists will be my primary means of campaigning for people to pass my legislation. Pros and Cons of Legislative Process/ Direct Democracy I believe that direct democracy would be the strongest means of getting my hybrid car tax credit passed into legislation. I believe that bills that are proposed to the legislation are often impeded by the partisanship of the members of Congress. This is true not only on a federal level but at the state level. I think that lobbyists can only propel a bill so far into the legislature before partisanship will defeat it, or amend it beyond its primary purpose. The legislative process is a good safeguard for mitigating the number of laws that are passed as well as intensely analyzing their contents before they are passed. But, I do not believe that the legislative process would serve my bill well. Direct democracy would be a good means of getting my legislation passed because I believe that it would be easy to mobilize voters on a bill that could potentially credit them $4,000 for purchasing an already money saving car. The preservation of natural resources is an issue that more and more people are agreeing upon today and I do not believe that anybody would be opposed to a tax credit. I think that my only problem with the direct democracy route would be actually mobilizing people to vote. Because this bill really only effects those who are purchasing my vehicle, the number of people that would feel the need to vote for it would be very small. People do not often vote on things that they feel do not have an effect on them and that could be problem when it comes to mobilizing the electorate to consider my car that effects a small group of people.

When Small Worlds Collide :: essays research papers

When Small Worlds Collide The Industrial Revolution provided well-defined boundaries between communities, companies, nation-states, markets, and peoples established by the invention of the railroad. The new era of globalization or Informational Revolution breaks down all of these boundaries and shapes our lives by integrating technology, finance, and information into a single global market. E-Commerce globalization has created a system that is shaped by superpowers, supermarkets, and super-empowered individuals. This new Globalization is a highly complex and interconnected international system of small worlds uniting knowledge ultimately leading to the end cultural wars and ways. The Lexus is what each one and country wants, but what is the price? Cultural Genes Biologists generally agree that the primary force behind evolution in humans is natural selection. With each generation the chromosomes and genes of the parents are scrambled to produce new mixes . The genetic evolution is parallel to the cultural evolution. They are linked and the mind is that linkage. However, there is a boundary between knowledge for the mind and culture. This is not a territorial line, but a broad, unexplored terrain awaiting entry from both sides. Technology is the tool that enters this terrain. Thus, the communal mind created by culture, which is a product of the genetically structured human brain, can now be exposed to all cultures, societies, and ideas. Some of them are Lexus while others are Olive Trees. Everyone can have the same Lexus; however there is only one unique Olive Tree. Identity Crisis â€Å"Few things are more enraging to people than to have their identity or their sense of home stripped away. †¦ Because without a sense of home and belonging life becomes barren and rootless. And life as a tumbleweed is no life at all. Olive trees...represent everything that root us, anchors us, identifies us and locates us in this world†¦.† states Thomas L. Freidman. The underlying message here is fear. Our fear of the unknown, our fear that home will no long be, and our fear of not surviving. The Cold War spawned treaties to protect our Olive Tree from fear of our enemies. Now, the deal becomes the protection from our competitors. But the biggest fear is not from another olive tree, nor the Lexus. It is from the standardizing market forces and technologies of today, which tend to break down communities, steam-roll environments and crowd out traditions. This leads us to a loss of identity which in turn can create a crisis.

Atwater vs. Supreme court Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I selected the case of Atwater vs. The city of Lago Vista   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gail Atwater was stopped by a police officer for not having her children seatbelted. Instead of issuing a minor misdemeanor ticket, as is normally done, the officer arrested Atwater   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The city of Lago Vista removed the suit and sent it to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Which gave ruling to The city of Lago Vista. The court said that Atwater had failed to present proof that any constitutional right had been violated. The constitutional issue involved, as ruled by the US court of Appeals, was the 4th amendment. In the 4th amendment it states that â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, p...

Case Analysis of US v. Emerson Essays -- Law Court Essays

Case Analysis of US v. Emerson This case deals with the Defendant's possession of a firearm while under a restraining order, and the charges incurred by the Defendant for such firearm possession. Under Texas law, the possession of a firearm by Mr. Emerson creates a perceivable threat to members of his family, thus creating a violation of the restraining order against him. Apparently common practice in Texas, the restraining order was filed by Mr. Emerson's wife in conjunction with the papers filed for divorce. The restraining order sought to enjoin Emerson from "engaging in various financial transactions to maintain the financial status quo and from making threatening communications or actual attacks upon his wife during the pendency of the divorce proceedings" (United 1). Under Texas law, unbeknownst to Mr. Emerson, the possession of a firearm during the time period of the restraining order constituted a direct violation of the restraining order, and Mr. Emerson was indicted on charges of such violation. District Court Analysis Mr. Emerson was indicted in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, San Angelo Division, on charges of violation of the restraining order filed against him. Possession of a firearm was in violation of 18 U.S.C. Â § 922(g)(8) (hereafter referred to as "the Act"). This statute states that: (g) It shall be unlawful for any person (8) who is subject to a court order that (A) was issued after a hearing of which such person received actual notice, and at which such person had an opportunity to participate; (B) restrains such person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner of such person or child of such intimate partner or person, or engaging in other c... ...judge's question of whether it was the government's position that it could "take guns away from the public," and, "restrict ownership of rifles, pistols and shotguns from all people." Mateja responded, "Yes" (Texas). Works Cited National Rifle Association, the. amicus curiae US v. Timothy Joe Emerson. URL: http://www.potomac-inc.org/emernra. 7/20/00. Potomac Institute, the. amicus curiae in support of appellant. URL: http://www.potomac-inc.org/emerarg.html. 7/20/00. State of Alabama, the. amicus curiae US v. Timothy Joe Emerson. URL: http://www.potomac-inc.org/alaamic.html. 7/20/00. "Texas Case Could Help Shape Gun Debate." America's 1st Freedom. August 2000. Vol. 1, Number 3. United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas San Angelo Division. United States v. Emerson. URL: http://www.azstarnet.com/~sandman/emerson.htm. 7/20/00.

Children and Screen Time

Randi Getzelman English 151 03/24/2013 Every parent wants nothing more then their child to succeed. They want their child to develop and learn with out struggle. In this day in age we have access to so many devices that can help contribute to a child’s success. Many will argue that a device such as a I-pad or mobile device will hinder ones learning. I feel the exact opposite will occur, and the child will gain knowledge. Children develop and learn so much at a very young age.They absorb everything they see and hear. They best learn through touch, sight, and sound. Using a device such as a touch I-pad, or I-phone a child can interact on their level. There are so many Apps available for children of all ages. They will help a child develop at their capability and speed, while learning. I feel they will absorb more knowledge with a educational hands on device rather then TV. Children have to interact and use their brains in order for the App to work.Placing a child in front of a T V to just sit and learn, they do not get the same hands on experience. There will be those arguing that placing a phone or tablet in a child’s arms will cause harm. I do not see that being true, in this day in age we use App’s for everything. Rather at the grocery store, banking, or even schools, most teach with touch devices. I feel that helping your child learn with a hands free device, will only help them in the future.

How Goths Contributed to the Breakup of the Roman Empire

Today our group will discuss how the Goths contributed to the breakup of the Roman Empire. We will do this by raising some questions and providing the answers for our theory. The Goths were an ancient Germanic Tribe that conquered Europe’s Roman Empire. Each of the Germanic tribes divided into several branches, the Saxons, the Vandals, the Franks and the Goths, The Goths consisted of two branches that contributed to the fall of Europe’s Roman Empire, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths. Geographic descriptions were often used to distinguish people living north of the Roman Empire, so the Goths were known as the forest people. The Goths originated from Sweden. The Western Gothic tribe, The Visigoths, first emerged as a distinct people, during the fourth century. The Eastern tribe, The Ostrogoths, migrated to Poland and developed as a distinct people over the following 300 years. There names are geographical and were used by each tribe to describe each other. They were however, multi ethnic and cannot lay claimed to an exclusive heritage. The Goths were banished from their homeland after an attack from the Hun, and were desperate enough to camp on the Danube River, from which they crossed into the Roman Empire. They then sheltered from further attacks from the Hunnic invaders, and were offered farmland by the Valens the Emperor of Rome. Famine began to take its toll and in order to get food the Goths plundered the Roman farmlands to survive. Initially, the Ostrogoths were close allies of the Hun. During the fourth and fifth century, the Ostrogoths emerged as serious rivals to Rome for control of the Danube River, but this became untenable after the arrival of the Hun Barbarians. This is a conflict all about the competition for space, the Hunnic had very defined roles for subordinate ethnic groups, and the Ostrogoths escaped the brutal Hunnic occupation and were received as settlers on Roman soil in Yugoslavia. It was a common belief that the Roman Empire would last forever, but in the third century barbarian invasions became severe which made the Empire weaken its western and northern frontiers. The combination of other factors such as imperial It was a common belief that the Roman Empire would last forever, but in the third century barbarian invasions became severe which made the Empire weaken its western and northern frontiers. The combination of other factors such as imperial incompetence, the size of the Empire, the uncontrollable abundance of slaves, the fall of the army, corruption within the senate, poorly equipped technology, Christianity, the rise of Islam along with the barbaric attacks deposed the last Roman emperor. Rome’s fall lead to the dark ages. The Roman rulers had no practical experience in engaging with the barbarians, in a peaceful manner. By offering to settle the Ostrogoth tribes the Romans could not assimilate new soldiers into the army as easily as they had planned. Since the people stopped participating in government and didn’t join the army, the Roman army became a club for barbarians from Germany, who lead disorganised attacks so the army was no longer the super power it was before. Many of the lands that Rome had conquered, claimed independence and broke free of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire fell because it was too widespread, leaving it exposed to constant attack from external groups. Perhaps the territories could have been given greater independence and autonomy allowing the occupiers a greater level of input into government and revenue collection. The Roman Empire in the end was eventually overrun by millions of barbarians from the north and east of Europe. It is believed to have happened two or three times in history that mass migrations of Barbarians took place across Europe, where tribes moved to settle in new territories. The great migration proved too much for the Romans to stem. Their armies were designed to defeat other armies, not entire folks and people flooding toward them. The collapse of the Western European Empire in Rome was completed when Rome itself was conquered by the Visigoth Odoacer and his men in the year 476 AD. But what is generally referred to as â€Å"the fall of the Rome† doesn’t include the Eastern Europe Empire. This, with its centre Constantinople, managed to cling on for almost another thousand years until it was eventually conquered by the Turks under their leader Mohammed II in the year 1453 AD. The roman emperor Valens allowed to settle with his people on the south bank of the Danube. Here, they hoped to find refuge from the Huns. Valens permitted this, as he saw in them â€Å"a splendid recruiting opportunity for his army†. However, a famine broke out and Rome was unwilling to supply them with food they were promised nor the land; open revolt ensued leading 6 years of plundering and destruction of an entire Roman army. The Battle at Adrianople in 378AD was the decisive moment of the war. The Roman forces were slaughtered and the emperor Valens was killed during the fighting. Adrianople shocked the Roman world and eventually forced the Romans to negotiate with and settle the barbarians within the Empire’s boundaries, a development with far reaching consequences for the eventual fall of Rome. After a big battle at Vouill? , the Franks, similar to the Hunnic tribes, took over most of southern France, forcing the Visigoths to move to Spain, where they founded a new capital city, the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo. As a Roman outpost and during their long reign in Spain the Visigoths are responsible for the only new cities founded in Western Europe between the fifth and eighth centuries. They founded five new cities; Reccopolis, Victoriacum Luceo and Olite. All six of these cities were founded for military purposes and three of them in celebration of victory. By 600AD the Visigoths were the only Arians left in the Mediterranean area or anywhere else. Prolonged contact with the Roman population of the former empire ultimately led to conversion to Catholicism, in the late 6th century translating the bible into the Gothic language. In Spain the central kingdom of Visigotha still survives, but the ancient kingdom of the Visigoths continued for well over 1,400 years and has finally passed because, like the Romans the Visigoths simply did not have the resources to maintain there colonies. There were five different tribes that may have merged into one dominant group that finally brought Rome down. They were all attacking various pieces of the Western and Roman Empire. It is clear there is a common destiny, which links the rise and fall of both the Roman and VisiGothic Empires. Throughout history all human endeavour is defined by a beginning, middle and an end. In conclusion there were many factors that led to the eventual collapse of the Roman Empire, however, because of the reasons discussed previously and, because the Goths developed different types of military strategies the Romans had not previously encountered, which led to the defeat of the Empires Army, and eventually contributed to the ultimate collapse of Roman civilisation. Therefore our group strongly believes that the Goths were a major factor which finally caused the breakup of the Roman Empire. Sources: www. howstuffworks. com http://edhelper. com/ReadingComprehension_35_607. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Theodosius_I http://authorama. com/story-of-mankind-27. html

Should Animals Be Kept in Zoo

houldTopic: You are a member of your school’s debating club. Write a debating speech on the topic â€Å"Animals should never be kept in zoos†. You can either choose for or against the motion. Honorable adjudicators, Ladies and gentlemen, Today’s motion is â€Å"Animals should never be kept in zoos†. Our team totally oppose to the motion. Mind the word ‘never’ is used, which gives a very extreme meaning. Our opponents may say that animals come from nature. They deserve and have to live in their own habitat to make sense. We, human beings, should never disturb them.There should be a clear boarder between them and us. However, is the really practical? The following arguments will explain. First of all, zoos keep animals for educating the public. Zoos are not amusement parks or circuses, animals are not required to be trained to perform. I hereby show sympathy for animals which are mistreated. Ladies and gentlemen, Animals in zoos are real, which attracts the public to visit. There is information about each species and visitors can know more about a variety of species if they read the descriptions.Even if not, at least they know they exist such kind of animal on earth and appreciate the biodiversity of nature. Zoos can also organize programmes and activities to enable participants to understand more about certain species in detail. Clearly, animals in zoos are valuable for educational purpose. Secondly, zoos can preserve animals. Apparently, animals can evade not only predators but also natural disasters like earthquake, hurricanes and so on so forth. This helps them to breed. Then, animals are not endangered or to face extinction.We can now protect what the nature gives us, as this is also our responsibility. In order to safeguard a diversity of species, it is of no alternatives but to keep some of them in zoos. Ladies and gentlemen, we have destroyed the nature enough since industrial revolution, it is time for us to repay and protect animals by simply keep Thirdly, animals in zoos obtain research values. Scientists are conducting researches on numerous animals. This facilitates us to understand deeply in animals.It would be difficult to randomly capture a suitable wild animal, in good condition, for experimental uses or observations. Employing animals in zoos alleviates time constraint and inadequate manpower. Ladies and gentlemen, the more we know about animals, the better we can treat them. Of course, we definitely try to preserve their habitats in nature. To achieve that, researching is the first step. My teammates Peter will further elaborate on the part of education and Mary will give more details of operating zoos.Most of us, if not all, disagree to confine all animals on earth in zoos, which is actually no possible. We just capture a few of each species for preservation, just like the seed bank for plants. Our opponent may the argue people treat them cruelly and we also cannot create the exac t same environment for animals to live in. it is undeniable that artificial environment is not the exact same copy of the nature, which is what animals craving for.However, with advanced technology and better knowledge, we believe it is possible to simulate the nature for animals to live. It is not practical to refuse any degree of confinement of animals. Ladies and gentlemen, we anticipate a balanced sustainable development, which is on both environmental and economic sides, and we ignored the latter in the past. Conserving the nature has become our obligation and zoos are one of the best ways to complete this eternal task. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, today’s motion must not stand. I rest my case. Thank you.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning has also found its way into the realms of entertainment. The most notable example of this is the 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange written by Anthony Burgess and it subsequent 1971 movie directed by the late Stanley Kubrick (Internet Movie Database. ) A Clockwork Orange details the activities of a young ultra-violet protagonist named Alex. Alex is â€Å"cured† of his evil tendencies via classical conditioning. He is forced to watch various films depicting ultra-violence (US) and the like , and his natural feeling of excitement or joy serves as the UR. The films are paired with a drug (CS) that makes Alex violently ill. In turn Alex eventually becomes violently ill (now the CR) when he begins to feel the excitement associated with violence. The people treating Alex also utilize galvanic skin response (GSR) to get the optimal results. GSR is used to measure arousal from a stimulus (Hawkins 1998. ) It uses small electrodes attached to the skin that measures minute changes in perspiration. The most well known use for GSR is in the lie detector test (Hawkins 1998. The book brings up certain moral aspects of classical conditioning when used to modify behavior (such as consumer behavior. ) Burgess makes his character out to be programmed, and unable to make choices on his own. It is generally believed that Burgess overstates the power of classical conditioning in the context complete behavior reform. In addition to entertainment, classical conditioning is also used as a marketing tool. Classical conditioning is generally used with low-in volvement products (Hawkins 1998. ) This is because classical conditioning is most effective when emotion is involved (Classical Conditioning. Advertising for low-involvement products usually attacks the consumer through affective means because nobody wants to think (cognitive) about purchasing low-involvement products. Advertising and sales promotion (event sponsorship) are the most common forms of classical conditioning in marketing. Classical conditioning is used in a plethora of advertisements. The idea behind it is a simple one. Make an ad (US) that elicits a positive response (UR) in the person exposed to the ad. The product or brand within the ad then becomes the CS. The goal of advertisers is to get the exposed person at the grocery store or what have you, to associate the positive feeling they had for the ad with the product. This makes the positive feeling now the CR. Event sponsorship is very similar to this. With event sponsorship the sponsor wants the person viewing the event (US) to project the positive feelings (UR) they get from the event with their product. The big advantage to event sponsorship is that the person being exposed has generally chosen to be exposed to the event. Therefore, the positive emotional feeling toward the event can be intense. This can also be a double-edged sword as well. This occurs when the emotion involved is extremely negative. An example of this is when it is a sporting event, and the exposed person’s favorite team loses. The product could then be associated with those feelings. One area extensively covered with regard to classical conditioning and consumer behavior is the effect of background music. Gerald Gorn can be considered the leader in this research due to his 1982 experiment involving background music and the color of pen chosen as a gift (Kellaris 1989. The experiment involved pairing one pen color with pleasant music, and pairing another pen color with unpleasant music. Several pen colors were tested and ranked on a scale of one to seven. Then two pen colors with similar positions were used in the experiment. The music was picked using a ranking scale as well, except instead of picking two pieces with similar positions, the two selections were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. T he subjects then were exposed to slides of the one color pen paired with pleasant music, and the other with unpleasant. When given a choice the more subjects chose the pen color associated with the pleasant music This study has a major impact because it showed that consumer behavior can be influenced rather easily. The Gorn experiments are not without controversy (mostly regarding the procedures used in the experiment), but the are still very widely accepted and referenced (Kellaris 1989. ) Another area looked at by marketers is how often to repeat the advertisement. This will be looked at in the next section. Low-involvement advertising needs extensive repetition in advertising (Hawkins 1998. This is mostly because people just are not actively searching for information on low-involvement products. This generally means that not a great deal of attention is paid to ads for low-involvement products. The problem with this is a certain amount of diminished return on the ad. The first time the ad is adequately comprehended it is generally as funny, emotional, etc. as it is going to get. From that point on its affect diminishes and the conditioning is not as strong. This encourages companies to advertise in campaigns. This way they don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time out, but they can still remain fresh with ongoing variations. Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning has also found its way into the realms of entertainment. The most notable example of this is the 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange written by Anthony Burgess and it subsequent 1971 movie directed by the late Stanley Kubrick (Internet Movie Database. ) A Clockwork Orange details the activities of a young ultra-violet protagonist named Alex. Alex is â€Å"cured† of his evil tendencies via classical conditioning. He is forced to watch various films depicting ultra-violence (US) and the like , and his natural feeling of excitement or joy serves as the UR. The films are paired with a drug (CS) that makes Alex violently ill. In turn Alex eventually becomes violently ill (now the CR) when he begins to feel the excitement associated with violence. The people treating Alex also utilize galvanic skin response (GSR) to get the optimal results. GSR is used to measure arousal from a stimulus (Hawkins 1998. ) It uses small electrodes attached to the skin that measures minute changes in perspiration. The most well known use for GSR is in the lie detector test (Hawkins 1998. The book brings up certain moral aspects of classical conditioning when used to modify behavior (such as consumer behavior. ) Burgess makes his character out to be programmed, and unable to make choices on his own. It is generally believed that Burgess overstates the power of classical conditioning in the context complete behavior reform. In addition to entertainment, classical conditioning is also used as a marketing tool. Classical conditioning is generally used with low-in volvement products (Hawkins 1998. ) This is because classical conditioning is most effective when emotion is involved (Classical Conditioning. Advertising for low-involvement products usually attacks the consumer through affective means because nobody wants to think (cognitive) about purchasing low-involvement products. Advertising and sales promotion (event sponsorship) are the most common forms of classical conditioning in marketing. Classical conditioning is used in a plethora of advertisements. The idea behind it is a simple one. Make an ad (US) that elicits a positive response (UR) in the person exposed to the ad. The product or brand within the ad then becomes the CS. The goal of advertisers is to get the exposed person at the grocery store or what have you, to associate the positive feeling they had for the ad with the product. This makes the positive feeling now the CR. Event sponsorship is very similar to this. With event sponsorship the sponsor wants the person viewing the event (US) to project the positive feelings (UR) they get from the event with their product. The big advantage to event sponsorship is that the person being exposed has generally chosen to be exposed to the event. Therefore, the positive emotional feeling toward the event can be intense. This can also be a double-edged sword as well. This occurs when the emotion involved is extremely negative. An example of this is when it is a sporting event, and the exposed person’s favorite team loses. The product could then be associated with those feelings. One area extensively covered with regard to classical conditioning and consumer behavior is the effect of background music. Gerald Gorn can be considered the leader in this research due to his 1982 experiment involving background music and the color of pen chosen as a gift (Kellaris 1989. The experiment involved pairing one pen color with pleasant music, and pairing another pen color with unpleasant music. Several pen colors were tested and ranked on a scale of one to seven. Then two pen colors with similar positions were used in the experiment. The music was picked using a ranking scale as well, except instead of picking two pieces with similar positions, the two selections were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. T he subjects then were exposed to slides of the one color pen paired with pleasant music, and the other with unpleasant. When given a choice the more subjects chose the pen color associated with the pleasant music This study has a major impact because it showed that consumer behavior can be influenced rather easily. The Gorn experiments are not without controversy (mostly regarding the procedures used in the experiment), but the are still very widely accepted and referenced (Kellaris 1989. ) Another area looked at by marketers is how often to repeat the advertisement. This will be looked at in the next section. Low-involvement advertising needs extensive repetition in advertising (Hawkins 1998. This is mostly because people just are not actively searching for information on low-involvement products. This generally means that not a great deal of attention is paid to ads for low-involvement products. The problem with this is a certain amount of diminished return on the ad. The first time the ad is adequately comprehended it is generally as funny, emotional, etc. as it is going to get. From that point on its affect diminishes and the conditioning is not as strong. This encourages companies to advertise in campaigns. This way they don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time out, but they can still remain fresh with ongoing variations.

Write a memo describing how to make right business decisions for Essay

Write a memo describing how to make right business decisions for senior managers - Essay Example Timing – this is one of the most important aspects in decision making. No matter how right a decision may seem to be if its timing was wrong, then the decision is also wrong to the extent of its wrong timing (Zaratà ©, 2008). An example is timing when investing in the stock market. The simple rule known by all is ‘buy low, sell high’. This not withstanding, many still miss the point and majority loses a great deal basically due to wrong timing. Prices for stock can be low but that does not necessarily mean it is the right time to buy that particular stock. The same case applies where prices are high where this also does not imply it is the right time to sell. This is more of a norm rather than the rule. This scenario also applies elsewhere. Tailoring – under this criterion the fundamental reality of situations and circumstances is that no single one is identical to the other. This therefore calls for senior managers to make decisions that serve the uniqueness of each situation. Lack of tailoring in making decisions is tantamount to absent mindedness thus bad decisions made. History – decisions and their outcomes give a hint on how successful a decision can be. Looking back to similar decisions made in similar circumstances is therefore important to predict the likely outcome. A senior manager should therefore make decisions basing this on history of similar approaches’ success or failure of others. Hoch (2004) says that in order to ensure that a good decision is made all the above have to work together since each situation needs its good timing, it is unique in its own sense therefore the need to have the decision tailored to fit its uniqueness and its history should be sort to predict success. When I was an employee at one of petroleum companies the branch manager then was faced with a looming shortage from the headquarters out of national oil crisis. He made

Entrepreneurship----Strengths and weaknesses of family businesses Essay

Entrepreneurship----Strengths and weaknesses of family businesses - Essay Example The degree of control over inter departmental affairs is relatively strongly managed in family businesses. The culture is considerably flexible, informal and occasional use of local language might be seen in practice. Long term dependencies and affiliations are another feature of family businesses. Such businesses are not total loss; rather have lots of positives to them. The first and foremost advantage being enjoyed in such cultures is that of trust, reliability and endurance. The chemistry amongst the members of the kin creates a benevolent atmosphere in itself which is very fruitful for the overall working environment. For many, the family businesses perform much better than other kinds of businesses and evidences have been seen where the throughputs have been far better compared to their non allegiance based enterprises. Weaknesses: The weak links in any family business often starts with the succession of an individual by a family member which might be compromising in context of the merit and requirements of professional operations. The resistance to change is relatively more deep routed in the company as personal biases are involved directly or indirectly. The family business environment is often termed as closed loop business atmosphere, since it in contrast to the conventional form of business environment, has relatively related faces around that are more loosely in the organization and business because of personal belonging and affiliations. The existence of obligation to transfer the power amongst family member regardless of the capabilities and professional experience, this serves as serious draw back in this concept of business world. Meritocracy is often believed to be compromised in such forms of business. Personal enmity and competition in a negative way can be another damning factor in the working environment of

Existence of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Existence of God - Essay Example I feel that this argument is the strongest because it is the one that is seen most often, especially in a religious setting. It is something that is entirely based off of faith; it is the one argument does not require evidence for a person to believe that such a thing as God does exist, which, in my opinion, makes it one of the strongest arguments. Many people believe that God is not something that should be, but needs to be. They can find no other evidence to support the creation of the universe, of humans, or of anything else that is upon this Earth. They are unable to explain what they believe to be miracles, nor do they fully understand why some things happen and others do not. Yet, while they can find no solid, concrete evidence for the existence of God, they still believe that, based on intuition and reason, God does, in fact, exist, and he is the being behind the aforementioned events. One of the reasons that I feel that this is the strongest argument is because there are so many people out there that are ready to stand up for this belief, regardless of the fact that they have nothing solid to prove for it. This act is known as faith; in this case, I believe that faith can replace the lack of evidence, even if faith is not something that can be seen or felt, though it is capable of being witnessed by others when someone believes strong enough. I am one of those people that believe the only evidence needed to prove the existence of God is the intuitive feeling of a person; if someone did not believe that something or someone existed, like God, then they would not feel it and they would leave that argument and position alone. However, if they feel so strongly about something that can yield no proof, then I think that that is all the proof that is needed. That is what faith is - acting on something because you believe it, because you feel that there is no other way or no other explanations for some

Journel 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journel 6 - Essay Example for native cultures that was not distorted by the westernized way of life where the icon lived, an inner strength that made her overcome all the odds to emerge an icon, a love for fashion that relates to her culture and respect for cultural background especially with regard to the mode of dressing among women. Unlike other texts that present a violent cultural icon especially due to the racist ideologies of the past, the icon in this case presents a different image that represent calmness, inner peace and confidence in whatever she did. The cultural icon is regarded as one of the pioneers who helped in reshaping culture, music and arts especially among the people of African origin and helped them to spread their skills across the globe due to her prowess in compositions, all which were deeply rooted in the classical Christian theology that she closely practiced (Boodram, 2012). Therefore, the icon stood for a strong feminist advocate who declared the strong power of women especially as a minority in world that was ruled by racial ideologies and racial suppressions. Interestingly, the icon did not hip upon herself an iconic or a hero status in his artistic work. On the contrary, she presented herself as a humble person with a duty to ensure her country men (especially with regard to the descendants of the black immigrants) would find a better place under the sun through her endless efforts. Her humbleness and simplicity was, therefore, a contradiction to the iconic and heroic role attributed to her after achieving her dreams. Boodram, Kim. Pat Bishop dies: Cultural icon collapses during meeting with Planning Minister. Trinidad Express, August 20, 2011. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/PAT_BISHOP_DIES-128137113.html. April 16,

A psychological disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A psychological disorder - Essay Example Disastrous events and life changing experiences can elevate our level of stress. While many people deal with this day to day stress without medical intervention, it may have a long-term connection with cancer or heart disease (Myers 539,544). Intense feelings of stress are known as anxiety disorders. They seem to have no rational cause and leave a person agitated and out of control of their emotions. The anxiety disorders are further broken down into sub groups that include phobias and panic disorder. These cases of extreme anxiety are treated through conditioning and medication. Depression may be viewed as similar and may be confused with anxiety. While anxiety is the uneasy feeling in regards to a future event, depression is a reaction to a past event (Myers 646). While these feelings may be normal, they become a disorder when they are unrealistic and begin to impede a person's normal activities. Depression is not an abnormal feeling, but when it reaches an ongoing and insidious level, a professional should treat it. There are many modern medications that address both anxiety and depression. More severe forms of psychological disorders are seen in schizophrenia and dissociative disorders. In the former, the mind may be severely disorganized. The victim may suffer from delusions and inappropriate emotions.

Process Mapping Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Process Mapping - Speech or Presentation Example The output to this process might be patient is referred to any specialist doctor or diagnosed or treated. The services or care for time, diagnosis, treatments have to be managed by the individual doctor (health care provider) for converting input into output. In the large care facility or hospital, the processes are quite different and integrated. The health care delivery process can be explicitly shown as model developed by Roth (1993) (fig1 Appendix). Process mapping developed by an engineer, Frank Gilbert in early 20th century has been frequently used in the field of engineering and other industries for the last five or six decades, it is only during the 1980s health care providers in the USA began to develop the process mapping/pathway tool in ‘Managed Care’. Scope and Objective of Process Mapping It is one of the most effective ways to understand the real issues from the patient’s perspective, and to recognize opportunities for improvement. Finally, the only person who experiences the whole journey is the patient. Process mapping helps perceive accurately in making decisions and understanding based on ground reality rather than the preconceived ideas of how the service works. The field of vision of the management in a medical condition or treatment is divided into a series of sequential events, for instance, activities, interventions, or personnel involvement. The series of these events between two stages (from admission to the critical care facility to release from the hospital room) can be viewed as a patient pathway or process of care. Changing and correcting measures of the process mapping/patient pathway involve immaculate coordinated application of multidisciplinary practices to boost medical efficacy and efficiency by excluding ineffective and unnecessary steps. The resulting data by process mapping can be used to redesign the patient pathway, improving the quality and efficiency of patient management. Reviewing the care process, patient pathway is highly recommended and beneficial that should include measures to improve patients’ satisfaction or quality or cost of a particular medical service. It is imperative to emphasize that process mapping is all about doing something better than previous attempts to really understand the patient’s experience at various steps of their journey, and there is no way to find fault with. Organizing a Process Mapping Activity A process mapping operation should be a gratifying and creative experience for involved personnel. It requires a planned and coordinated approach, as even the simple and straightforward patient journeys can be tortuous, with many entangled events. Elements in developing patient/process pathways can be depicted as follow: Choosing a clinical area to be considered for the exercise of care mapping: Selecting any important area of practice/activity should be the first stage to start with. Then every possible step should be structured by drafti ng the whole process pathway by having written record, drawing and diagram. Senior management and clinical staff must share and agree on the objective and scope. The strategic decision is imperative, which ensures that the whole team works towards a defined goal. To begin the process, it is desirable to have a team of four or five key persons, preferably, including someone with exposure or experience of lean thinking transformation with a plan for the project and its scope in place as envisaged in a flow diagram (fig2 Appendix). The required criteria in the selection of the personnel who would take part in the process mappin

Urbanization in ancient Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Urbanization in ancient Greece - Essay Example One key characteristic of these settlements was lack of governmental authority beyond the boundaries of the village (Chant et al, 2000). In addition, these villages did not have any workshops or public buildings. Such egalitarian societies persevered on even after the introduction of agriculture. The egalitarian societies were stratified and turned into functionally specialized units by the formation of states and urbanization (Chant et al, 1999). This process took place independently in numerous regions of the world, probably starting from the Southwest Asian region, which was very fertile. The formative era referred to the period between the years 7000 to 5000 BC, which was characterised by urbanization and state development, which complemented each other. Upon the stratification of the egalitarian society, there emerged craftspeople, farmers, soldiers, administrators, merchants and priests, with the cities becoming the civilization focus (Chant, 1999). In the development of Greece cities, the natural environment as well as the existing technologies played a key role. These cities were built in around the eighth century by the Greeks. Distinguishing how the shape of the buildings in the cities was influenced by the natural environment or the available technologies is not easy. This is because there exists a very dynamic relationship between the natural environment and technology, with each shaping or being shaped by the other. Military technologies and needs were very important determinants in the layout and growth of Greek cities. Some of the initial cities in Greece grew as a result of pressure since the people needed to defend themselves form their enemies. As a result they were generally located on rocky positions, which were regarded as defensible. They were also positioned some distance from the harbour, with heavy fortification (Chant et al, 2000). Wall-building proved to be the most expensive and laborious task and involved very impressive engineering accomplishments in the architecture of Greece. Stone was in abundance and was used the building material, with its properties determining the style of construction. For instance, lintels and posts were frequently used in the construction of public monuments. Stone, which was the building material of choice, needed lifting technologies that utilized people as opposed to hoists (Chant et al, 1999). Cranes were not in use until much later, in 515 BC and beyond. They came into use as a result of labour shortage and not because of their capability of lifting larger blocks of stone. The unplanned growth of the earliest settlements was substituted by a bit more formal buildings, mainly after Persian attacks in the fifth century. With the advancement of technology in the military, it became necessary to adopt a defensive layout for the city streets. In the process of the reconstruction of these cities, there was development of numerous town planning theories, most of which were put into practice, with the grid plan becoming very common. Aristotle advocated for a city design of a defensive nature, which uses both the irregular and regular features. This, he argued, was aimed at reconciling the strain of moving both the equipment and troops easily, and to confuse any attackers (Chant, 2000). Natural Environment The location of earlier settlements was mainly determined by the natural

Argumentative Essay Essay Example for Free

Argumentative Essay Essay In America there are so many people who live without healthcare. President Obama has tried hard to change that known fact by introducing and passing his new Obama Care Act. It is very important for people to have proper healthcare coverage, medical care, affordable medications, and for all healthcare services to be available to everyone, whether they are poor, middle class or rich. For most Americans, high quality care generally is readily accessible without long waits but at high cost. However, the uninsured and, increasingly, the underinsured, the poor, and members of underserved minorities often have poor access to health care and poor health outcomes. The health workforce is well trained, yet the United States faces a severe shortage of primary care physicians. Approximately 45% of the U.S. population has a chronic medical condition, and about 60 million people, half of these, have multiple chronic conditions; the CDC estimated these numbers during a recent survey. 2 Most Americans 250 million (84.2%) have some form of health insurance coverage. But an estimated 47 million Americans (15.8%) were uninsured for a year, as reported for 2006 by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 43.6 million people (14.8%) of all ages were uninsured at the time of the National Health Expenditure Survey interview in 2006. However, as many as 89.5 million people under the age of 65 years lacked health insurance for a least 1 month or more during 2006-2007, according to a study by Lewin and associates published by Families USA. In addition, another 16 million people can be  considered underinsured. People without health insurance are much less likely than those with insurance to receive recommended preventive services and medications, are less likely to have access to regular care by a personal physician, and are less able to obtain needed health care services. Consequently, the uninsured are more likely to succumb to preventable illnesses, more likely to suffer complications from those illnesses, and more likely to die prematurely. The U.S. health care system has much potential for improvement. Disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status has pervaded the U.S. health care system. In addition to the large numbers of Americans who lack adequate health insurance, the cost, quality, and utilization of health care services vary widely. Meanwhile, the need for long term care services and care coordination is increasing. Preventive care, cross discipline coordination, and proactive management of long term care might reduce the cost of care, but these services often are uncovered or poorly reimbursed. 3 Spending on health care in the United States has been rising at a faster pace than spending in the rest of the economy since the 1960’s. According to the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services- National Health Statistics Group states that in 2005, national health care spending amounted to approximately $2.0 trillion, or $6697 per person and 16% of the gross domestic product. By 2015, health care spending is expected to reach $4.0 trillion. People with large medical care cost are often chronically ill, disabled, or poor. Our society’s inability to provide continuous, coherent patient centered care for this group of individuals is one cause of the high aggregate cost of health care and contributes to the cost of public insurance programs. Patients who enter Medicare without previous insurance but with chronic illness will be sicker and more disabled and therefore more costly to that government program. Health insurance premiums increased drastically since the year 2005. Many have been unable to even afford health coverage. Employer based health insurance has been the basis for paying for health services since 1940, but  it is fast eroding under the pressure of relentlessly rising costs of care. Despite the growing need for coordination of health care services, government and private insures pay for health care services primarily on a episodic, visit related basis with few, if any, incentives for providing comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous care for the prevention and management of chronic illness. Primary care physicians now spend about 20% of their time in unreimbursed coordination of care tasks using the telephone or e-mail. Despite repeated attempts to rein in federal expenditures for Medicare and Medicaid, federal have continued to increase much faster than inflation in the entire economy. 4 The Medicaid program provides medical benefits to over 52 million people who meet categorical eligibility standards. The federal government and the state share responsibility for funding Medicaid. The success of the VA system in dramatically restructuring itself indicates that major gains can be achieved in the United States in improving health care access and quality while reducing costs. One response to rising health care costs has been the adoption of consumer directed health plans in which the individual takes greater responsibility for paying for care out of pocket rather than the employer or government. Unfortunately, for those with modest incomes, cost sharing has reduced medically necessary care, such as taking medicines for hypertension. The United States is in such a crisis when it comes to the health care system, yet is very important to see that every one of its citizens is afforded health coverage. People are sickly in this nation, like it is in other countries. The United States is in the midst of a primary health care workforce crisis that is expected to worsen in the next decade. The population is aging, and baby boomers are at a high, and a large amount of people will soon be over 65 years and at greater risk for needing care for chronic conditions. The United States should continue to work on having national policies introduced to the health care system to help guide training, supply, and the distribution of health care providers to better assist those in need of health coverage. It is very important to make this a reality, because we the  people of the United States need to be able to receive medical care, and health coverage, no matter if we are rich or poor in this society.

International Globalization Marketing Plan of Batik Essay Example for Free

International Globalization Marketing Plan of Batik Essay Our mission is to establish a Global Batik Boutique industry with world-class quality in fashion design to support corporate clients and stylist society of upper market. We would like to be known as an industry driven by social values. We strive to be a â€Å"Choice of Retailer† in developing long-term Batik business relationships with our customers, which are founded on our ability to help identify the style-fashion and recommend the best wares and look’s for our customers. We strive for continuous improvement in providing â€Å"New Design† and â€Å"Good Quality† materials selection through a â€Å"Right-on-Time † fashion delivery. Batek Empat Kawan Sdn Bhd need to grow their revenue by exporting Batik products and expanding into new markets segmentation. With faster communication, transportation and financial flows, the company is planning penetrate into United Kingdom Consumer market on establishment of Batik made garment products . 1. 0 Company Background Batek Empat Kawan Sdn Bhd (BEK Sdn Bhd ) is a Malaysian owned company, a batik fashion and boutique consulting firm head quarters in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, specializing in all kind of batik design garment products. BEK Sdn Bhd incorporated in 2001, has an Sales Office and Manufacturing plant at Kajang.

Teaching exam classes

Teaching exam classes Teaching exam classes Getting students to participate in writing activities in class can be an arduous task. However, our best efforts as teachers to make the prospect of writing a fun and collaborative activity, it is often met with groans of reluctance. Often, students have had negative experiences of writing in the language classroom in the past, perhaps they see it as a waste of class-time, which could be better spent practicing their oral skills, or perhaps they simply find writing a difficult and laborious task even in their first language. Whatever the reason, getting adult students motivated to write in class can be tough. However, for teachers it can be very useful to monitor students writing in class. They are at hand to answer any language difficulties, give advice on how to structure sentences in a more natural way, provide vocabulary that students are lacking and generally be available to deal with individual needs as well as noting common problem areas. This is of great benefit to students too of course, much more so than receiving a marked piece of written homework covered in red pen. Exam writing Students who are studying for exams do tend to be slightly more motivated when it comes to writing in class but still often prefer to do the actual task for homework. The following activity ideas are ways in which we can teach the nuts and bolts of academic writing in an analytical way, illustrating a step-by-step approach that will hopefully show students the value of writing in the classroom without the pressure of simply being told to put pen to paper. Each of the seven activities focuses on specific areas of writing, such as planning, layout, content, etc. However, the activities are fairly general and could be easily adapted to suit most task types that exam candidates are required to do, such as writing a formal letter or an article. In this activity students get a good idea of what examiners are looking for and learn how to avoid making common mistakes while also picking up tips on good examples of language. Students look at 2-4 model texts ranging in level from a fail to a strong pass. Real candidate answers are ideal if you get them. Students note the good and bad points about each answer and write comments under headings such as layout, organization, content, style and accuracy. Students share their comments with each other before looking at the real examiners comments if you have them. Here, students are made aware of differences in register and appropriacy of language, while building up a stock of suitable phrases they can use in formal letters. Students receive a formal letter which has several phrases written in the wrong register, i.e. informal/slang. Students identify which phrases they think are unsuitable for a formal letter and underline them. Then, they try and rewrite the phrases using a more formal style of language. Finally, students choose the correct answers from a list provided. You can make this activity more communicative by dividing the class into two groups and giving each group a different letter to work on. When they have rewritten their phrases they pair up with a student from the other group who has the answers for their letter and compare answers. How to teach an FCE class The First Certificate in English (FCE), administered by UCLES, is a general English examination for upper intermediate learners. Teaching an exam class for the first time can be daunting but experienced teachers tend to agree on the following advice. The first task will be getting to grips with the exam specifications. I need to be familiar with each of the five papers, which are Reading, Writing, Use of English, Listening and Speaking, ideally before student begin in first class. The Exams Officer in my school should have a copy of the FCE Handbook, which explains exactly what skills and language knowledge my students need to have before they take the exam, as well as providing a sample paper. Be aware of issues like learner motivation and classroom morale. Learners in exam classes tend to be more goal oriented that those in a general English class. Remember that students will have to pay a fee to sit the FCE as well as for the preparation course, the advantage of which is that having invested in an exam course then the average FCE student tends to be highly motivated to succeed. However, motivation and high morale can be very fragile things. If my students need to be familiar with the exam conditions and requirements, and regular timed practice under exam conditions will help them get used to exam rubrics, different question formats, time restraints, doing tasks efficiently and filling in the answer sheets correctly. Dont be afraid to share information with your students by explaining, for example, the marking criteria for assessing their writing tasks. Be explicit about the value of classroom activities. As well as having high expectations , I may find that my students have quite definite ideas about what an exam class should be like. A student may try to undermine by saying that discussion activities, for example, are a waste of time in an exam preparation class and that time should be spent doing grammar exercises or practice tests. However, this situation is less likely to happen if I explain at the outset that pair and group work activities are invaluable for the Speaking paper, in which candidates are examined in pairs and their ability to interact with a partner is assessed. Try to instill good study habits from the start. What my students do outside the exam classroom is just as vital in preparing for the exam. Use tutorial time to help individuals identify their strengths and weaknesses in each paper and to structure their homework/self-directed learning accordingly. Often, the most successful learners are those who keep good records of their learning. Encourage learners to keep a vocabulary notebook, organized in a way that is meaningful to them. Types of exams and exam questions There are many types of exam questions used at university and need to prepare for different types of questions in different ways. To prepare well for exams should enquire about the nature, length and value of each exam so that can allow adequate time and effort for preparation. Check assessment details in course materials and with teaching staff. May find it useful to record for each exam so that clear about what the exam will cover and when and where it will be held. This information will help guide preparation for the exam. Some different types of exams questions, with a brief description, are listed below. For each type, use the link to additional suggestions relating to this type of question, how can best prepare for it and practical strategies for answering the question: Multiple choice questions offer a range of choices from which select the most appropriate response. Short answer questions require answers of up to a paragraph. The nature of the questions may vary. Some questions may test you recall of information, others may test ability to apply concepts to new situations. Essay question require you to write an essay type response to a topic. Essay questions may be arranged in sections in the exam paper which reflect different sections of the course. Open book questions allow to bring and use reference materials in the exam room. Take home questions are questions that are given to take away and complete and then return within a specified time e.g. 24 hours. Oral questions are used to test oral language skills. Typically they are taken individually. Practical questions test practical skills and techniquesusually in laboratory, clinical or field settings. There are differences in the learning need to do for different types of questions. I previous experience of exams may mean that I have developed very good approaches for some types of questions but not for others. If I tackling new types of questions, find out about my student lecturers expectations as well as the exam requirements. The timing and duration of my preparation will be determined by a number of factors. For example, if my exam is worth a high proportion of the overall grade, I would be wise to prepare throughout the semester. If its worth a small percentage of the grade I may decide to study intensely in last few weeks, but Ill need to lay the groundwork for that study in the way I take notes and file my work throughout the semester. Exam Materials Responsible for what you leave outside the exam venue. There will be no bag drop at exam venue. Bags left outside the exam venue are left at the owners risk and are not the responsibility of the University. Responsible for what you bring into an exam. Bring only what you need for the exam, especially your student card. Cheating includes introducing into an exam venue any book, note, document, or instrument which is not authorized by the examiner or the examinations officer. The consequences are severe. About on-line learning We believe that distance learning works best when it captures, as far as possible, the dynamics of face to face learning, even when that means less flexibility (see below). A sense of isolation can cause people to drop out of distance learning courses. Our Distance/On-line Teaching Exam Classes Courses have the following key features, which ensure motivation remains high. Variety of ways of learning Through our virtual learning environment you will use the internet to communicate with tutors and fellow course members, access materials and complete learning tasks. Interaction Our virtual learning environment (VLE) allows you to communicate individually and collectively with tutors and other course members, both for social and study purposes. You will be assigned individual, group and pair tasks, as in a real classroom with the difference that, instead of all working at the same time you can log on and off and contribute at times which are convenient to you. You may, on a few occasions, be required to log on at the same time as other course members for lessons, conferences or chats in the virtual classroom. A real class of fellow students In many distance courses, learners start and finish courses at any time of the year and join an infinite number of other distance learners at various stages of their course. Our courses have start and finish dates and a defined group of participants, just like our face-to-face courses. You will have tasks and deadlines to keep and be expected to maintain an appropriate rhythm. In other words, flexibility is limited in order to maintain motivation. Learning how to learn on-line As well as learning about teaching and language you will have the opportunity to experience and reflect on the nature of on-line learning itself. Ease of use You will find it easy to use the virtual learning environment, even if you are relatively unfamiliar with this kind of learning and there will be plenty of support and guidance from tutors to deal with any queries and make sure you are on track. upload and download course information and material access materials on and off-line participate in live and non-synchronised discussions send work to tutors and receive feedback communicate with tutors and other members of the class individually and as a group. interact in ways similar to a real classroom with the advantage of being able to access it at times convenient to you. We use style/messenger or telephone for personal tutorials. You will need to have regular access to a computer with internet connection, but wont need to spend huge amounts of time actually on line. We recommend you install style if you dont have it already to take advantage of cost free calls to tutors. Conclusion All of the activities are intended to facilitate each stage of the writing process, from planning a first draft to editing the final answer. By analysis both good and bad model texts, students are made aware of what examiners are looking for and can learn to avoid common errors. Overall, this very guided approach to exam writing should make students feel more confident about attempting writing tasks.