Managing services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing services - Essay Example The researcher then targeted UK websites in which people complained about food. These were ideal for the investigation because such parties are already quite willing to seek remedies for their problems. They were requested to take part in the survey and asked to click on a link which would provide them with access to the forms. After completion, volunteers were supposed to click on another link which would allow them to submit their responses to the researcher. The link was centrally placed in the form. Evans and Mathur (2005) notes that one of the advantages of online surveys is the ease with which one can access a large sample space. It is easy to obtain contacts if one already has a target audience. In this research, persons who complain about food services are already tried and tested clients of the service industry under analysis. Therefore, they are ideal for this food service investigation. The study involved an analysis of the responses obtained through mathematical methods. Currently, some elements of analysis are not complete but will be completed in the coming weeks. Respondents were to select specific answers from a set of four possible choices. It was relatively easy to analyse these outcomes. Duffy, et al. (2005) explains that one of the reasons why researchers are attracted to this method of market research is its speedy and relatively unproblematic response times. The research demonstrated that several customers paid attention to the degree of cleanliness in fast food restaurants. Simple things like whether a waiter dipped their fingers in the salad or used different tongs for different food items affected customer perceptions of the quality. Barber and Scarcelli (2010) echo these sentiments in their US survey which found that cleanliness was of primary significance to clients. A number of respondents also cited their interactions with service providers as a key indication of value. Some believed that fast franchises are too keen on

Make It Mine - Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay Example for Free

Make It Mine Customization as the Future of Luxury Essay 1 â€Å"The things at Prada today are not well made, the fabrics are not as good, everything was much better in my time† Miuccia Prada I. Purpose of Research The changing landscape of the luxury industry challenges brands to find a new approach to reach out to their core costumers. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Burberry are about to jeopardize their true customers and their image by overexposing themselves to a mass luxury clientele. Thus, a new approach must be found to bring back the feeling of true luxury, personal attention and to create a bond to their core customers. This paper’s purpose is to examine how luxury brands can adapt mass customization techniques in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage and bring back the notion of true luxury. Furthermore, it will be questioned if customization can harm a luxury brands image and status, taking into consideration the â€Å"anti-laws† of marketing, which propose to not pander to the customer’s wishes and to dominate the luxury client (Kapferer, Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). The goal is to come up with a conclusion that provides luxury brands with a direction of how customization could be implemented and what benefits or challenges may come with it. II. From Class to Mass Looking at today’s luxury fashion market one does not have to be an expert like Miuccia Prada to see things have changed. While almost every established luxury brand started out as a small business with a tradition of unique craftsmanship, utmost quality, best service and limited quantities, those attributes are not necessarily true for many of today’s still existing luxury brands. Luxury brands have gone mass. This is often referred to as â€Å"the democratization of luxury†, which means 2 that luxury brands have opened themselves for a mass market. While back in the day luxury brands were the domain of the rich only available in selected stores or brand owned boutiques, brands today want to reach a wider customer range. According to Thomas, aggressive growth was not a priority until the eighties (Thomas, 2007, 238). However, growth quickly became the main objective and store expansions have experienced a boom in Japan, as well as the USA. The middle market customer was born. By expanding their assortment lines in department stores with lower-priced items, such as perfumes, small leather goods and cold-weather items, luxury brands became attainable. No longer were people intimidated to walk into a luxury boutique, they often became tourist attractions in capital cities. Luxury brands were intrigued by the sudden success. It just took a few logo-covered products, which were the middle class’s favorite item and sales and profits grew steadily. However, the rapid expansion also created one of the luxury brands biggest problems today. As banking analysts conclude, the greatest problem that luxury brands have created for themselves by going mass is financial instability. â€Å"Before its global expansion to the middle market, luxury was immune to economic cycles. The companies were small and catered to a limited old-money clientele [†¦] who shopped consistently and bought well. Luxury was a successful niche business. But when luxury changed its target audience to the cost-conscious middle market that shops when flush but stops cold when times get tough, it made itself dangerously vulnerable to recessions† (Thomas, 2007, 264). Another disadvantage from overexposing themselves is the loss of the traditional old money clientele, since their logos could be seen everywhere. Many brands jeopardized their exclusivity status along with their â€Å"well-crafted† message along the chase for higher profits, in order to keep the shareholders happy. The dilution of the luxury status peaked with the 3 introduction of e-commerce and outlet stores. In the first case it is very hard for a brand to create a luxury shopping experience, since the Internet is a generic and impersonal sales channel. In the case of outlet stores, brands are trying to sell their overstock, which has highly increased due to mass production. Not only is merchandise that was once available at a high-end boutique sold for a discount price, moreover some brands are producing some items solely for outlets (Edouard, 2006, 11). Assessing the six main facets of a luxury brand, which have been identified in a broad empirical study by Dubois/Laurent/Czellar and are considered to be global and most accurate, one can review the situation of the luxury market today. The six main facets are (Dubois/Laurent/Czellar, 2001, 8 ff. ): †¢ Very High Price (according to the absolute price (inter-categorical) as well as the price relative to other brands of the same category (intracategorical)). Excellent Quality (according to the processed materials as well as the assumed diligence of the manufacturing-process). Scarcity Uniqueness (expressed by a difficult accessibility and rarity). Aesthetics Polysensuality (creating through design, colors etc. a value experience that touches all senses). Ancestral Heritage Personal History (continuous branding in design, communications etc. ). Superfluousness (dominant perception of symbolic attributes †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ compared to technical-functional ones). It is evident that at least two of the six facets, namely Excellent Quality and Scarcity and Uniqueness, are not fulfilled in many cases anymore. Industry experts suggest that the last true luxury brands that are living up to all the standards are Hermes and 4 Chanel (Thomas, 2007, 323). Hermes is the epitomization of luxury, which is highly due to the fact that the house is still making all its products by hand, sourcing the finest materials and using special design and production techniques that have been invented from the house’s founder over 150 years ago. However, there is another reason why Hermes is on top of other luxury brands: Customization. Unlike in most luxury boutiques, Hermes only receives a few handbags each season to sell them directly. However, this is the exception. The rule is that those handbags are just a display of options. The customer can choose the material (canvas, cowhide, reptile or ostrich), the color and the hardware and in case of the Kelly bag the seams (Thomas, 2007, 172). And then you wait for a product that is specifically tailored to your taste and needs. Obviously this is an experience that real customers highly value. The next chapter provides a brief overview about the luxury consumers today and examines the need to offer separate services for each customer type. III. The Luxury customer today â€Å"Today’s luxury consumer is different from the wealthy consumer of the past. † (Okonkwo, 2007, 65) As mentioned above, many luxury brands opened themselves for the middle-class customer. Silverstein and Fiske have extensively described the evolution and habits of these consumers in their book â€Å"Trading up† (2005). Amongst those â€Å"mass wealthy† consumers, the spending on luxury goods has increased tremendously due to a rise in real household income by 30 percent since 1970. Looking at the figures, four million American households had a net worth of more than $1 million by 2005 and the average spending increased up to 70% (Thomas, 2007, 239). Parallel to this the credit card debt reached its peak. What happened to all that money? Consumers 5 traded up and luxury brands catered to their new audience. While the old-money consumer had a deep appreciation for quality and craftsmanship, the new luxury consumer wanted to buy into the dream and show that they could. Logos came in fashion, and soon â€Å"It† bags with the brand’s logo plastered on them could be seen everywhere and on everyone. Interesting enough brands and designers seem to embrace this trend, as Marc Jacobs states: â€Å"When you look at Louis Vuitton, you see it is mass-produced luxury. Vuitton is a status symbol. It’s not about hiding the logo. It’s being about a bit of a show-off† (Thomas, 2007, 18). Although welcomed by the brands themselves, this is a development that does not please a lot of the old luxury consumers and luxury brands are about to jeopardize their core clientele. Besides the love for the logo there are other characteristics that come along with the new luxury consumers. These are a need for a quick trend turnaround, a disposable attitude and the experimenting and mixing of luxury brands with premium and fast fashion (Okonkwo, 2007, 66). Thus, these consumers are not loyal to one single brand but shop across the entire brand hierarchy, from Gucci to HM. And they are not recession proof. While in the past luxury catered to a limited old money clientele enough money whose spending habits have not been deeply affected by economic cycles, short-term stock market drops or the dependency of credit available, the new luxury customer is very sensitive to all those factors. The luxury market as we experience it today is an amalgam of mass production1, flashy branding, highly varying quality and heavy advertising. While this might work for the middle class market, educated, real luxury consumers cannot be captioned by such techniques. 1 E. g. all Gucci leather products are designed on a computer, by 2004 the entire Gucci group produced 3,5 million leather goods a year, with a production time of two to three hours for a basic bag. Louis Vuitton’s handbags are produced in an assembly line setting in China, where it takes two minutes to glue handles on two bags. As a comparison, an average size Birkin or Kelly bag takes up to sixteen hours, while a bigger one takes up to thirty hours (Thomas, 2007) (Purseleague, 2010). 6 This paper acknowledges the importance of these new customers for luxury brands in order to keep the shareholders satisfied and the need for luxury brands to grow and make profits. If brands would stop cater to this clientele, the losses would be tremendous, since the brands made themselves dependent on high volume sales. However, it must also be considered that such practices can and will jeopardize the old luxury consumers, the ones who support the brand even in tough economic times. Thus, this paper suggests an approach to return to older notions of luxury, namely superb quality, classic design, premium service and customization. In short, the ultimate luxury experience. IV. Back to the roots â€Å"Luxury fashion brands today are too available, everything is too uniform, and customer business is too pedestrian. † Tom Ford Looking back in the history of luxury, customization has been the starting point for many brands and has always played a vital role in the brand’s identity. Hermes started out as custom-made harness shop, catering only to the aristocracy. Likewise Gucci, which started as a saddlery shop in Florence and later specialized in small custom made leather goods and luggage, while Louis Vuitton started as a Malletier for French Royals. All had in common that made-to-order items were the focus of their businesses and they offered only a small product range. Another big part of the customization history of luxury and probably the embodiment of the ultimate luxury item is the haute couture dress. Fittings were done by the couturiers themselves and the garment was constructed for one’s own shape, height and comfort. When American society ladies could not make it to Paris, the Couture houses would sell their patterns to stores like Saks or I. Magnin and fittings were done in beautiful 7 private fitting rooms to convey the Paris atmosphere. Shopping in those department stores was an experience, an event, a pleasure and sales assistants were experts, advisors and friends. Customers chose their favorites, either at in-house fashion shows or during personal viewings, and an in-house seamstress would alter everything to make the customer happy and fit the garment perfectly. This was a long time ago. As Thomas, points out, luxury clothing shopping today is more an exercise of patience, with only a few pieces in the smallest sizes on the sales floor, mediocre service and long waiting times (Thomas, 2007, 5). Buying an $8000 dress directly from the rack is a relatively new phenomenon, evolving with the availability and democratization of luxury. Reviewing the history of customization in the luxury industry, the following points can be identified that cater to a true luxury experience: Craftsmanship, high quality material, luxury service and customization. Based on these findings, the following part of the paper will develop a framework of customization for luxury brands today. It should be emphasized that the approach of customization is not catering to the luxury mass clientele, but rather to the true luxury customer, to create brand loyalty and recreate the luxury experience in the current market setting. V. Customization in Today’s Luxury Market One’s striving for uniqueness and expressing their individuality has without a doubt reached a peak in the current society. Some businesses have recognized this development and reacted accordingly, such as Dell, Apple, Levis, BMW or even Ralph Lauren. Especially luxury consumers always had the need to feel the exclusivity attribute of a service or a product and require personal attention. Luxury customers today do not want to follow a dictate by a brand, they are independent in 8 their choices and want to be involved in the creative process. As one author correctly stated, the days of uniformity and sameness are over (Okonkwo, 2007, 249). While Okonkwo is advocating a â€Å"mass customization† approach, which means that customization for luxury brands is done in bulk and offered to everyone, this paper suggests an exclusive approach of customization. Although economies of scale still play a role with the exclusive approach, it is not promoted to produce customized products en masse. This again would take way from the notion of rarity and exclusivity and would not help luxury brands to recreate a luxury experience, which is the purpose of this paper. It must be mentioned that a few luxury brands currently offer customization as they call it, however this is not customization to a degree that satisfies a true luxury customer. Louis Vuitton for example offers a â€Å"customization/personalization† service on its website, where customers can choose different colors for stripes and their initials to be drawn on a brown canvas bag. The whole process is done online, which delivers no luxury atmosphere at all and the aesthetics are not living up to a luxury brand and neither the leather, nor the hardware or lining can be altered. â€Å"Real customization† is only available for travel pieces. According to Gilmore and Pine, two customization experts, there are four different approaches for customization and managers should evaluate each to offer best service to their customers. In some cases not every approach is possible. The following part of the paper examines each approach and the possibilities for a luxury brand to utilize it (Gilmore/Pine, 2000, 116). 9 1. Collaborative Customization In this approach a company is conducting a dialogue with customers, so that they can articulate their preferences and needs. The goal is to identify a precise offering in order to satisfy these needs and offer a tailored product. 2 2. Adaptive customization In this case a standard product is offered, that the customers can customize themselves after the purchase. An example would be a watch where one can change the wristbands, such as the Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch†. Fig. 1 Gucci â€Å"U-Play Interchangeable Lizard Watch† 3. Cosmetic Customization 2 [†¦] on an Air France flight from Paris to London Jane Birkin pulled her Hermes datebook out of her bag and all her papers fell out. She groused about how the book needed a pocket. Besides her sat Jean-Louis Damas. He took her datebook and she got it back a few weeks later with a pocket stitched inside, which is still there today (Thomas, 2007, 189). 10 Cosmetic Customization is not about the product itself but more about the packaging, the advertisement of different attributes or benefits of the product. Thus, a standard product is packaged and presented differently for certain markets. This can become especially important a retail environment where customized packaging plays a big role. Personalization, like adding the customer’s name would be an example for a cosmetic customization. 4. Transparent Customization This approach is used when customers do not directly communicate their needs, but they are easily predictable or can be easily deduced. Customers are provided with goods or services tailored for them, without letting them know that they have been customized for them. This type of customization requires constant monitoring and a deep understanding of the customers needs. It challenges brands to come up with innovative methods of data collecting. Fig. 2 The Four Approaches to Customization 11 Besides the different approaches of customization it must be mentioned that customization can be applied throughout the value chain, but it implies a company open for innovative approaches and careful management. Customized? Development? Customized? Production? Customized? Retailing? Customized? Delivery? Fig. 3 Possible Value Chain of a Luxury Brand Since it would exceed the scope of this paper to discuss every possible customization process that could be applied by a luxury brand, the following part outlines a scenario of customizing a luxury handbag for exclusive customers, taking every step in the value chain into account. In the development stage of the product, the customer would make an appointment in a luxury boutique, or be offered to have a designated expert of the brand come by a place of the customer’s choice. It must be mentioned that customization should only take place in selected brand-owned boutiques, such as flagship stores and never on the internet or a non luxury shopping mall (e. g. Lenox). In the case of an instore appointment, there should be a private room or section that is solely reserved for customization customers, including catering of exquisite snacks and drinks to enhance the luxury atmosphere. Unlike customization that is offered online, the customer should actually have all the materials that she can choose from in front of her, so she can feel and smell the different kinds of leather, fabrics, linings, hardware etc. As mentioned above, polysensuality is an integral part of a luxury brand, thus all senses should be addressed. The brand should provide multiple options to choose from of materials, shapes and sizes. However, if a customer has a special wish, e. g. 12 a color that is not available in the presented selection or a special lining wish, the brand should be able to provide it. On top of that personalization should be offered. Customers should be able to have their name, a quote, writing etc. on the bag at every place they want it. Anya Hindmarch for example offers customers the opportunity to write a personal message in their own handwriting that is discreetly embossed on the handbag in silver or gold, prices range from $1300 $9. 500 (Okonkwo, 2007, 262). Unfortunately, this service is only offered online, thus customers can’t feel the materials and have definitely no luxury experience. When the customization process is finished, the brand should have special software to show the customer on a big screen a model of what the creation will look like, so that last changes can be made. The design must be sent to an atelier, preferably in the country of the brand’s origin, where skilled craftsman are working on the items. Each bag must be identified with a number, the craftsman who worked on it and the material it was made from. Naturally a customized piece has a longer delivery time, for a handbag approximately 6-16 weeks, depending on availability of materials etc. However, since a customized item is considered an investment piece, customers are willing to have a longer waiting time. After the item has arrived in the store, cosmetic customization can be made at the point of retail by the sales assistant. In case of a bag or travel item e. g. the brand could attach a charm or a customized name nametag in the bag’s color to surprise the customer and show special attention. The packaging of the customized item can also be tailored towards the taste of the customer (the in-store customization expert should be aware of customer’s preferences or be able to find out during the design process, referred to as transparent customization). Along with the customized item the customer should 13 receive a letter from the store manager, which addresses the customer directly and shows the brand’s appreciation. Having a personal delivery service that brings the item directly to the customer can customize the last part of the value chain. To create the ultimate luxury experience the brand could additionally send flowers, truffles or wine to show appreciation for the customer. The process of customization outlined above is not limited to bags and can be applied to almost every item, shoes, jewelry, travel items etc. Obviously customization is a laborious process, thus the question arises which advantages does it have for brand have and is all the effort worth it? The basic question â€Å"Do customized products bring additional value to the customer† was widely discussed in academic literature. The findings of the latest study by Franke, Keinz and Steger suggest that the higher the customer involvement with a product is, the more value customization adds (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 2009, 115). Assuming that a luxury product already requires a high consumer involvement, due to its high price and the â€Å"dream value†, it can be concluded that customized luxury goods are adding value to the customer’s purchase. Amongst all advantages the most important one is the closer contact and relationship to your core customers, and a personal identification with the brand. The customer serves as a co-designer and in-house consultant during the customization process. The brand can learn about their customers’ taste and tap into their intellectual property, which results in higher potential of future design success. Empowerment of the customer leads to a higher customer satisfaction, which results in repeated purchases, less comparative shopping and overall brand loyalty (Okonkwo, 2007, 252). Especially in a globalized luxury landscape brands can satisfy customers in different parts of the world and react to cultural taste differences. As a conclusion it can be said, that â€Å"benefits of 14 customization are contingent on characteristics of the customer, namely his or her level of insight into own preferences, ability to express those preferences, and product involvement† (Franke, Keinz, Steger, 116). Although the advantages overweigh, it must be noted that customization also imposes challenges on a brand, such as the integration of the customization process into already existing internal processes and the value chain. Operations must be changed, functional units for customization must be established and the brand must invest in human capital, in order to have experts on both the retail and manufacturing side. Many companies will have difficulties overcoming current practices, since most luxury brands are now owned by big conglomerates, where they face a wall of bureaucracy. Besides that the collection of personal data from customers is a highly sensitive area of customization. First, data collection and analysis are not a core competence of luxury brands and many companies just started to use special software. Thus, problems could arise organizing and interpreting the gathered information. Second, although it can help a lot with future shopping assistance and marketing, luxury brands should never store personal data without the explicit permission of the customers. VI. Marketing in an Age of Diversity It is a given that an exclusive offer like customization needs an exclusive marketing approach. Therefore, all common marketing practices, such as fashion magazine advertisement, blogs, online marketing etc. are not an option. Since this customization is a costly service, the right clientele must be targeted. Thus, this paper suggests three marketing approaches to reach the luxury core customer. The 15 first strategy is to approach luxury magazines that are not directly fashion related. The selected magazines would include, but are not limited to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ FT- How to spend it Town and Country Palm Beach Illustrated3 Architectural Digest Robb Report Unique Homes Luxury Living Dolce Vita Elite Traveler Prestige Instead of placing bold ads in these magazines, the marketing strategy should focus on creating interest by subtle advertisement. This could include product placement in an editorial spread that has nothing to do with fashion, e. g. a bag could be placed on a designer table in Architectural Digest. Placing the product in a special section like â€Å"most exclusive picks of the month† would be another form of subtle advertisement. If the relations to a magazine are very good, the brand could have the magazine featuring a story about most exclusive luxury items and place the customization service in there. It is crucial that prices or places where the customization service is offered will not be communicated. The magazine should only provide a phone number that connects the customer to the customization department of the brand, where all information will be available. Furthermore â€Å"price upon request† is an effective tool to create interest and the notion that a product is in a top price range and only available for a few clients. 3 Palm Beach Illustrated Magazine is an award-winning regional luxury lifestyle magazine, appealing to the worlds most sophisticated and ultra-affluent audience. The magazines content reflects the many facets of sophistication that set the Palm Beach market apart and gives the community its unique brand of panache. Focusing on cutting-edge fashion, the social and philanthropic scenes, the celebrities and fascinating personalities, the exquisite estates and interiors, as well as the luxurious retail and travel opportunities available in this unique region. 16 The second marketing strategy would be an exclusive catalogue, in which the brand introduces its new service to selected clients. That this service is not available to the broad public must be clearly communicated. Naturally the catalogue must be printed on high quality paper and must feature only very creative pictures from one of the world’s best fashion photographer, such as Andrea Klarin, Raya or Steven Meisel. The catalogue should inform the customers about the customization process, as well as provide examples of customized bags. Since luxury customers today have strong values and principles, the catalogue should include where products such as leather and silk are sourced as well as the place of production. The catalogues would be sent to already existing top customers, whose addresses the luxury brand should have in their data storage. Magazines such as Prestige, which only have subscribers over a certain net worth (starting at $2 Mio. ) could provide additional addresses of future customers. The catalogue must convey a luxury feeling through materials and aesthetics, so it does become a decorative book more than a disposable item. The last part of the marketing strategy would be an invitation only event that can be held in the best hotels of strategically important cities. With approximately 150-200 guests, the brand would exclusively introduce the customization service to their most important clients and high-society people of the city in a glamorous atmosphere. The brand could show a video about their history and heritage, leading the consumer back in the days when customization was the starting point of the brand. Exquisite catering and entertainment must be a part of the event, as well as a small fashion show that shows the brand’s latest collection with some of the customized items. The brand should have a customization expert on site, so if guests have questions about the service there is a person helping them directly. 17 VII. Financial Analysis The attached excel sheet outline a one-year cash flow plan for setting up the customization service in a first tier city flagship store. The $500. 000 start capital are sponsored by corporate. Travel expenses include travels to other flagship stores, the manufacturing site or to customers, who are out of town. As mentioned before, customized products do not impose any inventory costs on the stores. It is assumed that corporate takes over most advertising costs, however stores must support local advertisement, which can be seen in the expenses. Income taxes are assumed to be 25 percent of the sales, based on the information that in the US income taxes range from 10-35 percent. The sales figures are derived from the following price points of merchandise: Between $9. 000 and $85. 000 for a customized bag, $800 $5000 for customized shoes and $15. 000 100. 000 for customized travel items. Prices depend on leather, hardware, other materials such as lining and complexity of production. The high price points are set deliberately, to keep away non-enthusiast and protect the exclusivity of the service. The predicted sales figures are more conservative at the introduction phase of the customization service but pick up by the end of the 12 months, leaving the store with a profit of $648,700. 000 at the end of the year. December is supposed to have the highest sales figures, due to holiday business. VIII. Conclusion: Does Customization Take Away a Brand’s Authority? One reason why many brands are reluctant to change their current practices when it comes to customization is their fear of losing brand authority. As Okonkwo put it correctly, it is argued that if brands provide their customers with the tools to customize their products, they might lose their superiority appeal (Okonkwo, 2007, 248). Marketing guru Kapferer advises luxury brands to â€Å"Not pander to their 18 customers’ wishes† and to â€Å"Dominate the client† (Kapferere/Bastien, 2009, 64 f. ). However, looking at the roots of most luxury brands, with customization as their starting point, this advice seems to be outdated and ignorant to the trends in current society. Due to the latest development in the luxury markets, which have extensively explained above in chapter II- IV, denying customization to the customer seems to be narrow-minded and can seriously damage the brand on the long run. Since customization as discussed in this paper is not a means to please the masses, but to gain back the true luxury consumer who seeks an exclusive experience, the argument that the brand loses its superiority status is not applicable. The purpose of research was to examine if luxury brands could use customization in order to win back core customers and regain a luxury status. It can be concluded that with the right marketing approaches as well as with a management that is open for innovation, customization can be a great tool to optimize customer satisfaction and add value at every part of the value chain. If customization is executed correctly, it can change the luxury landscape to a situation where not only Hermes, but other brands with a long tradition of craftsmanship can be considered true luxury again. 19 References M. Edouard (2006), Revamping Luxury: Mass Customization Applied to the Luxury Goods Market. MBA Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. N. Franke, P. Keinz, C. J. Steger (2009), Testing the Value of Customization: When Do Customers Really Prefer Products Tailored to Their Preferences? , Journal of Marketing Vol. 73 (Sept. 2009),103-121. J. Holusha (1996), Making the Shoe Fit, Perfectly; Companies Use Technology to Sell to a Market of One, The New York Times. J. N. Kapferer, V. Bastien (2009), The Luxury Strategy – Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands. London: Kogan Page. P. Zipkin (2001), The Limits of Mass Customization, MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring2001, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p81, 7p.

Cultural Differences in Joint Ventures Essay -- essays research papers

ESSAY TOPIC (1) :A joint venture is affected by the cultural distance between two partners. In what ways are joint ventures and types of international collaboration affected by cultural differences? INDEX INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 What is culture?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2-3 The Cultural Orientation Model†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 The cultural Gap†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5-6 Understanding Cultural Differences†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 The Challenge of Cultural Success†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 Cross-cultural training as a solution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 The effectiveness of the cross cultural training programs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8-9 Future Directions for Cross-Cultural Training and International Business Assignments†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 BIBLIOGRAPHY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 INTRODUCTION Since the end of World War II, international operations have become a reality for an increasing number of corporations. Many of these initial efforts began as simple export schemes to sell goods overseas to supplement domestic sales. Over time, however, international operations have become increasingly more complex: from joint-ventures to purchasing existing foreign firms to ‘green-field’ start-ups. While export operations usually require no more than extended business trips overseas, more complex international operations demand long-term assignments of key personnel outside their home-country. What would normally be considered routine business transactions in the home country can become very complicated when they are conducted between individuals and organizations from different cultures. In this essay we will examine how this cultural gap can affect international business and joint ventures. What is culture? The word 'culture' is often described in terms of concrete ideas or social artifacts. Gary R. Weaver describes some common conceptions such as "good taste," "art or music," or "something that people in exotic foreign lands had."1 However, culture in the context of international assignments relates to how people perceive the world and the influence this perception has on their actions. It is culture on the interpersonal level. Different cultures can perceive the same thing differently, which leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding when one crosses into another culture not their own. We... ...s: Software of the Mind, (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill 1998) 4. 5.Ibid., 4. 6.Ibid., 4. 7.Paul E. Rohrlich, "Why Do We Study Intercultural Communication?," in Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations, 2d ed., ed. Gary R. Weaver (Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Publishing, 1998), 84-87. 8.Ibid., 85. 9.Ibid., 85. 10. (Schneider & Barsoux 1997:1). 11. Satish P. Deshpande and Chockalingam Viswesvaran, "Is Cross-cultural Training of Expatriate Managers Effective: A Meta Analysis," International Journal of Intercultural Relations 16 (1992): 296. 12.Environments," in Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations, 2d ed., ed. Gary R. Weaver (Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Publishing, 1998), 185-186. 13. Stewart J. Black and Mark Mendenhall, "Cross-cultural Training Effectiveness: A Review and a Theoretical Framework for Future Research," Academy of Management Review, No. 1 (1990), 132. 14. Deshpande and Viswesvaran, 301. 15. Rosalie L. Tung, "Selection and Training of Personnel for Overseas Assignments," Columbia Journal of World Business, (Spring 1981), 68-78.

Grear Rafting Analysis

Introduction Grear Rafting Company, owned by Peggy Grear is a company that provides rafting services to rafters. Grear Rafting Company, henceforth referred to as Grear Rafting, has just gone through its first season in business on which it provided rafting services to 1,048 rafters for seven (7) days. During these seven (7) days, Grear Rafting also provided meals to the rafters three times a day, it also provides the rafts used during the season. During its first season, however, Grear Rafting experienced a loss.Peggy Grear has enough savings to get Grear Rafting through another season or two of business, but Grear Rafting would have to shut its business down if it does not make a profit (Houston Baptist University, 2012). In this paper, I would show what Grear Rafting requires to break-even and make a profit. Grear Rafting’s income statement from its first season is shown below on Table 1. Table 1. Grear Rafting CompanyIncome StatementYear Ended December 31, 2012| Revenue | | $1,048,000| Rental Expense| (208,600)| |Meals Expense| (314,400)| | Advertising Expense| (50,000)| | Compensation to Guides| (471,600)| | Salary Expense| (16,500)| | T-shirts and Hats Expense| (31,440)| | Office Utility Expense| (3,850)| | Gross Income (Loss)| | $(48,390)| Variable and Fixed Costs There are different types of costs associated with the running of Grear Rafting. In order to develop a plan for Grear Rafting to make a profit, it is necessary to identify those costs that can be changed, and those that cannot be changed. 1. Variable Cost:A variable cost is a cost that increases in total as output increases and decreases in total as output decreases. (Rich et al, 2010). For example, cotton used in making cotton shirts is a variable cost. As a company makes more cotton shirts, it needs more cotton to produce the shirts. The variable costs incurred by Grear Rafting are: * Meals provided to rafters ($314,400): the rafting trip is for seven (7) days, so as more rafters use G rear Rafting’s services, Grear Rafting would incur more costs in providing meals to the rafters for the time period of seven (7) days.If less rafters use Grear Rafting, the cost of providing meals would decrease. * Compensation paid to guides ($471,600): the compensation paid to the guides is paid on commission basis. Therefore, if more rafters use Grear Rafting’s services, the commission to the guides would increase, causing the compensation cost to increase as well, and if less rafters use Grear Rafting’s services, the compensation cost would also decrease. * T-shirts and hats provided to rafters ($31,440): the number of rafters that used Grear Rafting this season was 1,048.This incurred the cost of t-shirts and hats of $31,440. If more rafters come in the next season, the cost of providing t-shirts and hats would also increase. So also, if fewer rafters come in the next season, the cost of providing t-shirts and hats would decrease. 2. Fixed Cost: A fixed cos t is a cost that does not increase as total output increases and does not decrease as total output decreases. For example, the cost of property taxes on a factory stays the same no matter how much the factory produces.The quantity produced does not have an effect on the cost of property taxes; they only change because the city or county government raises taxes (Rich et al, 2010). Fixed costs incurred by Grear Rafting in its first season include: * Rental cost of rafts and camping equipment ($208,600): the rafts and equipment are rented on an annual basis, and additional rafts and equipment are not available to Grear Rafting. Since the rafts and equipment are rented annually, the number of rafters does not affect the cost of the rafts and equipment because these are rented not based on the number of rafters expected, but based on what is available. Advertising expense ($50,000): the cost for advertising Grear Rafting does not depend on how many rafters use Grear Rafting. Advertising is a way to introduce the company to the public, and whatever advertising means Peggy Grear decides to use is billed to Grear Rafting no matter how many rafters it serves. * Salary of office manager ($16,500): the salary paid to the office manager is a fixed cost because no matter how many rafters come for the season, the salary is an established amount that is agreed upon by the manager and Peggy Grear.Therefore, the cost of paying salary to the manager is fixed and is not based on how many rafters there are in the season. * Office utility expense ($3,850): this expense is a fixed cost because it is based on the utility that is used in the office and not on the number of rafters there are. Product and Period Costs 1. Product Cost: Product costs are costs, both direct and indirect, of producing a product in a manufacturing firm or of acquiring a product in a merchandising firm and preparing it for sale (Rich et al, 2010).For example, the metal used in making a car, the hours put int o making that car, and depreciation on equipment are product costs. The product costs incurred by Grear Rafting include: * Rental cost of rafts and camping equipment ($208,600): this is a product cost because the rafts and camping equipment are rented for the current season. These would be used during the rafting season at Grear Rafting. * Meals provided to rafters ($314,400): this is a product cost because the meals are provided for the rafters during the seven (7) days they are rafting.The meals are not prepared for the long-run, but only for the space of time for the rafting season for Grear Rafting. * Compensation paid to guides ($471,600): the compensation paid to the guides is a product cost because the compensation is paid for the specific rafting season concerned; it is not a long term payment to the guides. * T-shirts and Hats provided to rafters ($31,440): this is a product cost because the t-shirts and hats provided to the rafters are purchased for the specific season bas ed on how many rafters available. They are not purchased on a long-term basis. . Period Cost: Period costs are costs that are not carried in inventory; all costs that are not product costs. That is, all areas of the value chain except for production (Rich et al, 2010). For example, costs of advertising, salaries to the CEO, and research and development activities are not added to inventory, thereby making them period costs (Rich et al, 2010). The period costs incurred by Grear Rafting include: * Advertising expense ($50,000): the advertising cost is only incurred when Grear Rafting advertises the company for rafting services. Salary of office manager ($16,500): the salary of the office manager is a cost that does not deal with production, or in this case, with the activities of Grear Rafting during this season. * Office utility expense ($3,850): this is a period cost because the cost is expensed in the period it occurs. Break-Even Based on the information provided earlier, there are several changes Peggy Grear can make that would affect Grear Rafting’s ability to break-even or even make a profit. A breakeven point is the point where total revenues equal total cost, and net income is zero (0).Break-even can be calculated in sales dollars and in units. Break-even is calculated by dividing total fixed cost by the price minus the variable cost per unit; and break-even in sales dollars is calculated by dividing total fixed expenses by the contribution margin ratio. The contribution margin ratio is the percentage of sales dollars remaining after variable costs are covered (Rich et al, 761). The table below is a contribution margin income statement from which we can understand how to calculate break-even. Table 2.Grear Rafting CompanyContribution Margin Income StatementYear Ended December 31, 2012| Sales ($1,000 X 1,048)Total variable expenses Total contribution marginTotal fixed expenses Operating Income| Total$1,048,000 817,440 230,560 278,950 (48,390)| Per Unit$1,000 780 220 | Contribution Margin Income Statement Contribution margin is the difference between sales and variable expenses. It is the amount of sales revenue left over after all the variable expenses are covered that can be used to contribute to fixed expense and operating income (Rich et al, 758).To calculate break-even, the Cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis is needed. CVP analysis estimates how changes in costs, both variable and fixed, sales, volume, and price affect a company’s profit. CVP, an important tool used by managerial accountants, is used to reach important benchmarks such as a company’s break-even point. It is useful to organize costs into variable and fixed components for a CVP analysis. The contribution margin income statement format is based on the separation of costs into variable and fixed components. Table two (2) above shows the format for the contribution margin income statement.When recast as an equation, the contribution margin income s tatement becomes more useful for solving CVP problems. The operating income equation can be expanded by expressing sales revenues and variable expenses in terms of unit dollar amounts and the number of units sold. So, the operating income equation becomes: Operating income = (Price x number of units sold) – (Variable cost per unit x Number of units sold) – Total fixed cost (Rich et al, 758). For a company to break-even, its operating income should equal zero (0). Grear Rafting’s break-even point will be calculated in units and in sales dollars.For Grear Rafting to break-even, we need to consider the number of rafters that came for the past rafting season. Grear Rafting had 1,048 rafters in the past season; to be able to reach break-even, Grear Rafting needs approximately 1,268 rafters. This was determined by dividing the total fixed cost ($278,950) by the price per rafter ($1,000) minus the variable cost per unit ($780). To calculate the break-even point in sale s dollars, total variable costs are defined as a percentage of sales rather than as an amount per unit sold. The break-even point in sales dollars for Grear Rafting is $1,268,000).This was calculated by dividing the total fixed cost ($278,950) by the contribution margin ratio (22%) which was calculated by dividing the contribution margin per unit ($220) by the price per rafter ($1,000). The contribution margin per unit was calculated by subtracting the variable cost per unit ($780) from the price per rafter ($1,000). To determine how Grear Rafting can make a profit, there are several costs that need to be reduced. First, however, it is necessary to determine the number of rafters Grear Rafting needs to achieve a target income that would yield a profit.If Grear Rafting’s target income is $49,000, then the number of units it needs to earn it can be calculated by adding the total fixed cost ($278,950) to the target income ($49,000) and dividing it by the price ($1,000) minus the variable cost per unit ($780). The number of units Grear Rafting needs to earn its target income is $1,490. 68 or approximately $1,491 rafters. Therefore, Grear Rafting’s margin of safety in units, which is calculated by subtracting break-even units (1,268) from sales (1,491), is 223 units, and ts margin of safety in sales dollars, which is calculated by subtracting the break-even volume ($1,268,000) from the revenue ($1,491,000), is $223,000. Recommendations Meals: The first cost that needs to be tackled is the cost of meals to the rafters. The cost of meals provided to the rafters in Grear Rafting’s first season cost $314,000. It can be deduced that Grear Rafting is spending a lot of money on meals for the rafters. To reduce the amount of money spent on meals, Grear Rafting could look for cheaper means of providing meals to the rafters. Impact of Recommendations Conclusion References

To what extent do sociologists agree that different levels of educational attainment are affected by genetics?

A sociologist would not agree that a student's genetic make up has an affect on their educational achievement. They would state that there is also no scientific evidence what so ever to explain or suggest that a person's chromosomes determine their successes within the education system. Instead, they would suggest that the patterns in differences of educational attainment are down to social factors. A sociologist would explain the differences in terms of human social life, groups and societies. Sociologists aim to investigate and understand the social world and human behaviour within it. They are particularly interested in the way society influences us and shapes our lives. In the past it was assumed that some strata of society were superior to others because they inherited intelligence or artist abilities along with their physical appearance from their parents. This belief in â€Å"genetic endowment† has been challenged over the past one hundred years and the â€Å"nature vs. nurture† debate continues. Many definitions have been given to explain the nature of intelligence. A simple one is â€Å"the ability to perceive and solve problems† – the nature of the problems will however depend on the society in which they exist. A lot of research has been aimed at establishing whether, and to what extent, intelligence is inherited. Conclusions have ranged from that of Watson (1931) who stated â€Å"There is no such thing as an inheritance of capacity, talent, temperament, mental constitution and characteristics†, and that of Floud, Halsey and Martin (1956), who argued â€Å"it is well known that intelligence is largely an acquired characteristic†, to that of Jensen (1969) and Eysenck (1973), who have maintained that genetic factors are much more important than environmental influences in producing differences in intelligence. Most research since has concluded that intelligence is in some measure inherited but that environmental factors can be conclusive in its development or otherwise. In Britain the major argument with regard to environment and heredity revolves around the impact in differences in academic achievement between the social classes. Although differences in measured intelligence have been taken into account, the impact of the environment upon a child's educational chances seems of much greater significance. For example, the environment will include the kind of stimulus a child receives in terms of speech, books, encouragement and example. It will include varies in facilities such as housing, computers, privacy and private tuition; it will include values of the home, area, and local peer group. Also, it will even include nutrition, for there is some evidence to suggest that severe malnutrition within the first few years can affect the development of the brain. Therefore, the differences between the environmental factors which affect the working class and middle class mean that they will seem to have a different level of intelligence. The term ‘social class' is one which involves describing a person's position in society. An individual's class is often determined by looking at either their occupation or their parent's occupation. Stats tend to show that the higher a student's social class background is, the greater the chance of that student gaining educational success. But why is this, Members of the lower classes place less value on the importance of education. This is due to the different way in which they have been socialised to believe in different norms and values. They place less emphasise on formal education as a means of personal achievement. Members of the lower classes also place less value on the importance of achieving occupational status; therefore during education they are less likely to strive to achieve top grades. Students from lower social classes tend to take into account a wider range of issues when deciding to enter higher education, in comparison to their counterparts from the higher social classes. They tend to place more importance on the expected beneficial outcomes of higher education than do students from higher social class groups. In comparison to the middle class, the working class tend to believe that there is less opportunity for personal achievement. This belief may be due to the lower value the working class place on the importance of education and higher educational status. Some sociologists also say that this may be due to the lack of opportunity which is enhanced more so, by the working class' own poor belief in themselves. This may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the idea that the working class do not achieve educational success, as they do not believe that they will be able to achieve it, therefore not trying to strive for better attainment. This can also be a value that is taught to them by socialising institutions. For example, if a person's family are of working class and their immediate family did not do well in education, and believe that it is an institution that only benefit's the ruling classes then they are likely to pass on these values and therefore cause the child to feel the same. They therefore will also not succeed within the education system as they would think that whatever they do will not be good enough, meaning they will not strive for achievements. This is enhanced more so by streaming and setting. By using the streaming system a less able student may feel that there is no point in trying to succeed as there are too many other students who are more capable than themselves. This therefore causes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Also it has been argued that it is common for the lower groups of the streaming process tend to be from the working class. Whereas the students of the higher streams tended to be from the middle class. This could be due to more wealth meaning better educational assistance, e.g. tutoring, books and equipment, etc. leading to better educational attainment. However, it could also be due to labelling theory. The school culture tends to be middle class, e.g. type of speech etc. although schools vary in their educational objectives. They therefore, tend to enforce middle class values. Teachers are middle class and unavoidably make judgements about pupils. These judgements often affect the child's chances of educational achievement. The idea of the theory is that a teacher labels a student, according to their class by their, speech and family background. If a student is labelled in such ay to be in the working class, then the teacher may not have belief in them achieving educational success and therefore not offer them as much encouragement or push them to do better. This therefore causes these students to not seek for higher opportunities and not reach their full potential. Social research by Douglas also stressed the importance of parental attitudes determining educational success. Some researchers have suggested that middle class parents socialise their children into one set of norms and values and parents from the working class socialise their children into a different set. It has also been suggested that the values taught to the middle class contribute to the development of ambition, disciplined study and individual striving for success. These are values which are highly thought of by teachers within schools. Due to the middle class backgrounds of teachers, working class values are less likely to lead to such success as there is an emphasise put on present gratification. Sociologists say therefore that because a person is a part of a different social class, meaning their difference is only man made. Their chromosomes or genetics does not efficiently explain the difference in the working class' and middle class' educational achievement. Just as parents' expectations, attitudes and also teachers' expectations and attitudes, can be crucial in affecting the educational achievement of those from the differing class groups, so too, can these expectations and attitudes influence differential achievement between girls and boys and between people form different ethnic backgrounds. The expectations of girls being passive by teachers mean that they get labelled. They also tend to accept this label and think it natural for boys to ask questions and challenge teachers. Sociologists would say that because female students in the past did not perform as well as their male counterparts in the education system, but are now achieving better than boys, genetics is an inadequate explanation of the differences in educational success. Instead this would suggest that the feminist movement has led to the changing of attitudes towards women's roles in society and in turn their aspirations and expectations for career opportunities (79% of women said they wanted to develop a career). They would also suggest that the increase in female achievement is down to the introduction of the national curriculum, changing job opportunities and legal change in policies, i.e. promoting equal opportunities between the genders. Statistics show that for both female and male GCSE students the percentage achieving 5 or more GCSEs have increased, however, the statistics also show that more of the female students are still achieving better than the males. Some sociologists have studied and attempted to explain male underachievement. Harris's research about adolescent attitudes (mainly the working class) has shown that boys are thought to be suffering from increasing low self-esteem and poor motivation. The study also showed that males seem to be less willing to struggle and to overcome difficulties of understanding their studies. They are more easily distracted and find coursework harder to complete. Their female counterparts are more willing to spend a longer time on their homework and revising for their subjects. They are more focused on their futures and see qualifications as more important. As is gender and influential factor on the educational achievement of a student, their ethnicity is also. Statistics have shown that to some extent a child's attainment is related to their ethnicity. Students from some ethnic backgrounds tend to underachieve more than other, e.g. children from English, Welsh, Scottish and African-Caribbean families fared the worst (ILEA study). Whereas students from Indian, African and Pakistani backgrounds showed the best. In all ethnic groups the females out performed the males. Some sociologists say that these ethnic differences can be explained by the differing socio-economic status that is generally held from ethnic group to ethnic group. For example, underachieving Bangladeshi children tend to be form the working class. It is therefore hard to differentiate between the affect of class and ethnicity. It is hard to discuss the differences of parental expectations between the ethnic groups as it can also be interpreted as the different expectations of social classes. However, cultural differences have been used to explain the differences in educational attainment. This view suggests that the cultures of some ethnic minority groups are different from the â€Å"mainstream† culture of schools. This therefore may affect their achievement as the school is a place where the white norms and values dominate. Many members of ethnic minority groups may also speak English as a second language. This therefore puts them at a disadvantage within school. This may lead to students feeling less capable and confident when it comes to oral and written work, affecting their achievement levels and possible causing a self-fulfilling prophecy. In the same way, teachers label males and the middle class to be less capable, they also tend to label ethnic minorities. These stereotypes mean that there are again differences in the way ethnic groups are taught and treated, affecting how they perform within the education system. In conclusion, a sociologist would disagree that differences in genetics affect educational attainment of individuals. They would not argue that biological factors cause the differences in achievement, but would suggest that the patterns of underachievement etc. are due to the way society influences human behaviour. Sociologists have spent much time investigating the influence of social class, ethnicity and gender differences. It is hard to differentiate between the affect of one factor and the affect of another. Therefore, sociologists agree that educational attainment is effected in many different ways and that no one factor can out-influence another. They also agree that the â€Å"nature vs. nurture† argument is not fully resolved as society will ever be changing and scientific research and abilities will ever be improving.

New Deal Relief Projects Essays - New Deal Agencies, Free Essays

New Deal Relief Projects Essays - New Deal Agencies, Free Essays New Deal Relief Projects After the major crisis of the banking situation had slightly blown over, President F.D.R. faced a new and much more prominent problem; and that was to provide relief and other charities for the unemployed and now many homeless families, along with struggling businesses and facilities. He quickly designed many new programs that would surely help these families that were in desperate need of it. The Public Works Administration (PWA) was designed to provide the public with certain necessities, without providing the politicians with the opportunity of corruption, Roosevelt watched over these proceedings carefully. The plans that were implemented at this time included huge public buildings, dams, irrigation and other flood- control projects. Another relief plan that helped businesses in particular was the National recovery Administration, (NRA) along with the National Industrial Recovery Act, (NIRA). These were designed to help businesses by eliminating unfair competition through a series of codes and newly established laws. The laws against combinations of large businesses were suspended as long as workers were guaranteed specific minimum wages, maximum hours, and the right to bargain as an organization. A very successful relief operation that was specifically designed for young men was the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC). This organization provided work for and unemployed and unmarried men. They received food and shelter and were paid about $30 a month for their services, and $25 of that monthly sum was intended on providing for their families. Over 250,000 men joined this group, living together in army-type camps. They performed outdoor work such as digging ditches, fighting fires, also restoration and construction of homes. They benefited from the workout, and their families

Overcoat By Ghulam Abbas and The Blue Donkey By Suniti Namjoshi Essay Example

Overcoat By Ghulam Abbas and The Blue Donkey By Suniti Namjoshi Essay Example Overcoat By Ghulam Abbas and The Blue Donkey By Suniti Namjoshi Essay Overcoat By Ghulam Abbas and The Blue Donkey By Suniti Namjoshi Essay The Overcoat and The Blue Donkey are about how people tend to stereotype people by their outward appearance; societies see the outer shell of people and immediately make a judgement without looking deeper. People are rejected because of their appearance; both stories are about how appearances can be misleading. The story Overcoat is about a young man who dresses smartly, neatly and is well groomed in order to conform with the society. In contrast, The Blue Donkey is about a blue donkey that lives in the neighbourhood of the Red Bridge Society, where she is rejected because of her bright blue skin. We can recognize Overcoat is a fable since the characters in Overcoat do not have names, only the names of the street are mentioned. For instance, Charing Cross, Lawrence Garden, Mc Leod Road etc, are used to make it sound more like a true story. The young man is walking through some Asian city, we can recognize this by the people n the story such as, Tonga-wallas, Pan wallas etc and the money used in India and Pakistan is Anna. I think the fable is supposed to be set in Lahore because the writer comes from Lahore. In comparison, we can identify The Blue Donkey as certainly a fable as it begins with Once Upon A Time. They usually illustrate a proverb or a well known saying. The Blue Donkey is more obviously a fable since the central character is an animal that talks. The red bridge society in The Blue Donkey could be anywhere in the world there are no details of background at all or the names of the characters. These two stories are fables. They are stories with a moral behind it, which teaches us about human nature. The settings and backgrounds of both stories are very vague because the moral message is more important than the characters or background. In both stories the characters are extremely isolated, they stand out from the society around them. In Overcoat, the young mans smartness and elegance stand out from the society around him. His hair was sleek and shining and he wore side burns. His thin moustache seemed to been drawn with a moustache. He had on a brown overcoat with a cream coloured half opened rose in his buttonhole and a green felt hat which he wore at a rakish angle. A white scarf was knotted at his neck. One of his hands was slipped into a pocket of his overcoat while in the other he held a short polished cane which every now and then he twirled jauntily In comparison, in The Blue Donkey the donkeys blueness stands out and troubles the red bridge society although the blue donkey herself thinks she is a fine donkey. The citizens say to her: Your blueness troubles us Overcoat starts positively although it ends negatively. Which is in direct contrast to theThe Blue Donkey. The young man in Overcoat is first treated respectfully, courteously and with consideration. Traders are eager to sell their wares and render their service to the young man. Tonga wallas on catching sight of him raced towards him as they thought they would get some business from him as he looked rich, however the young man turned away from them. The young man later on went to a western music shop where he lifted the cover of the piano and played a few notes as if he was an expert. A salesman came up, Good evening sir he said courteously, Can I help you sir? The young man is treated courteously and respectfully. If he came in as his real self, beneath the overcoat, the salesman would not have spoken to him politely, he might not have allowed him in the shop let alone touching the piano. When the young man went into the Persian carpet shop, the carpet dealer greeted him warmly and this shop dealer also addressed him as sir. The carpet dealer offered to take the carpet off the wall and he was prepared to reduce the price of the carpet to the minimum. However, the young man walked away and told the carpet dealer that he would come some other time. As the young man was injured by the truck full of bricks. Two or three people who witnessed this shouted: Stop him . . . take the number The witnesses were concerned and eager to help the young man. When the young man was taken into the operating theatre, there was blood all over his clothes. Someone with sympathy put his felt hat on his chest so he would not lose it. The nurses feeling remorseful said: All togged up for Saturday night, poor chap. Did they catch his driver? No he got away What a pity! Now the nurses were taking the young mans clothes off. They exchanged glances after taking the young mans scarf off. Beneath the scarf there was neither a tie nor a collar not even a shirt. When the overcoat was being taken off there was a sweater full of holes, through the holes a dirty vest was seen which was worse than the sweater. It was as if the young man had not had a bath for at least two months. Layers of dirt covered the body. Only the part that could be seen by the public was well powdered and clean, the rest was filthy. After the vest, it was the trousers turn to come off. Again the eyes of the nurses met The trousers were securely bound at the hips by an old cloth that looked like an old tie. The shoes and the socks had to come off now. The shoes were old but were polished clean. As for the socks, they were different in colour and pattern from each other. There were holes in the socks from which the filth could be seen. Before the clothes had been taken off, his face was toward the ceiling but slowly it had turned toward the wall as his clothes had been taken off as if in shame for what he really was under his mask. Was it perhaps for the shame of this dual nakedness of body and soul that now he dared not face his fellow beings? The story ends pathetically with the few items in the young mans pocket, A small black comb, a handkerchief, six annas and a few pies, a half smoked cigarette, a little diary in which the names and addresses of a few people were noted, a list of gramophone records and a few handbills which distributors had thrust upon him during his evening promenade. In contrast, The Blue Donkey starts negatively and ends positively. Both parties first reject her. Her skin colour was different and so they rejected her. The councillors who governed the town said: A donkey who lives by our bright red bridge has to be of the purest and silkiest white or we must request that the said donkey be required to move on. The second party thought it was unfair asking the donkey to be the silkiest white because she was never white and she could never be white. However, this party thought it would be better if she turned herself grey, as it would be better so no one will be offended. The first party thought the donkey was being blue on purpose. The two parties use various arguments to cover up their intolerance and racism. Both parties went to the blue donkey and asked her to turn into an inoffensive grey, the donkey did not moan that she was blue but instead she said: Cant and wont The first party barked out that she was being stubborn. The donkey confused then said: I am a perfectly good donkey The donkey didnt mind being blue and eating pink carrots although this troubled the red bridge society as the carrots clashed horribly with the bright red bridge and they spitefully told the blue donkey that they didnt want a bright blue donkey living near the red bridge. Although most of them got used to the donkey being blue and they did not notice it any more. There were still a couple more who thought the donkey was being blue on purpose. Sometimes there were those who brought her blue flowers as they thought, That the blue donkey was herself therefore beautiful They finally admired her difference and they respected it. The story ends positively with acceptance unlike Overcoat. The young man in Overcoat has a poor self-image. He knows he will not be accepted so he changes his identity. He does not like being different he spends a lot of time on being smart he plucks his moustache so carefully that it looks as if it is dr awn with a pencil. The young man is ashamed of being his true self. He is not self confident. In direct contrast, The Blue Donkey likes herself just as she is. She is self-confident The Blue Donkey does not hesitate to say she does not want to be blue but instead she says, cant and wont. She knows she is a perfectly good donkey and she does not change because of what the society says and what she looks like from the outside. The Blue Donkey likes to flaunt her blueness as she is different and she does not mind been solitary and inferior. The blue donkey does not hide her blueness she would rather be blue than be with the crowd. The style of each story is different. The story Overcoat has a plot as we follow his promenade through the town meeting different traders and different people. We listen to some of the conversations the man has with some of these traders. It reaches a climax with the accident and there is a lot more action at that point. There is a lot of description ,adjectives and adverbs to describe peoples apperance. The owner of the shop, wearing a long robe and a silk turban, greeted him warmly. There are many people the young man meets. There is a mixture of long and short sentences and a mixture of long and short paragraphs too. There are two parts to the story first where he is accepted by the traders and people before the accident. Later on in the operating theatre he is rejected by the nurses. In The Blue Donkey there are very few descriptions of people and there are very few adjectives the only adjectives. The only adjectives used are to do with colour, A donkey who lives by our bright red bridge must be of the purest and silkiest white or we must request that the said donkey be required to move on The story itself is plain and brief. There are very few adverbs and the story itself has simple style. No plot develops and there are arguments rather than actions. The language of the political parties is pompous and formal because they are superior being white or think they are. There are only long paragraphs in the entire story in which the longest is twenty-five lines long. This story has also two parts, first where she is rejected and told to move on if she is not of the purest or silkiest white and later on when she is given blue flowers, as she was beautiful because she was herself. Societies should not judge people for what they look like on top without looking deeper, like the people in Overcoat who judged the young man to be wealthy as in the end he was a pauper who just wore an overcoat so he could fit in with the society and so he would not be rejected. I think this story resembles the saying, All that glitters isnt gold The young man in Overcoat deceives himself by judging others by their outward appearance when he is covering his true self just like the society around him, It was their clothes rather than their faces that attracted his attention. The donkey in the story represents old aged pensioners, disabled people, ethnic minorities, poor people, foreigners, coloured people as the story is about prejudice and the refusal to accept people for what they really are. In the end the blue donkey is accepted, she did not mind looking different from the society. She didnt do what the society said but she did what she thought was good for her. I think this story resembles the saying, Dont judge a book by its cover. Like the red bridge society, we tend to jump to conclusions and stereotype. People are too quick to judge and reject anyone who is different. This discrimination and intolerance can easily lead to war.

Learn How to Conjugate the Verb Corriger (to Correct)

Learn How to Conjugate the Verb Corriger (to Correct) In French, you will use the verb  corriger  for to correct. When you want to say correcting or corrected, a verb conjugation is required and this lesson will walk you through that. Conjugating the French Verb  Corriger Verb conjugations are required to express whether the action happens in the past, present or future. In English, we use -ing and -ed endings, but its a bit more complicated in French. This is because the verb changes with the subject pronoun as well as the tense. Corriger  is a  spelling change verb  and that makes it a tricky one, particularly when writing it. While the pronunciation remains the same, you will notice that a few of these conjugations change the   -ge-  to -gi-. This is done in -ger  verbs to retain the proper G sound. Use the table to study the various conjugations of  corriger. You will match the subject pronoun the  je, tu, nous, etc. with the present, future, or imperfect past tense. For instance, I am correcting is je corrige and we will correct is nous corrigerons. Subject Present Future Imperfect je corrige corrigerai corrigeais tu corriges corrigeras corrigeais il corrige corrigera corrigeait nous corrigeons corrigerons corrigions vous corrigez corrigerez corrigiez ils corrigent corrigeront corrigeaient The Present Participle of  Corriger To form the  present participle  of corriger, -ant  is added to the verb stem. This produces  corrigeant  and it works as an adjective, gerund, or noun as well as a verb. Corrigers Past Participle and Passà © Composà © The  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is a familiar way to express the past tense of corrected. To use this, you must first conjugate  avoir, which is an  auxiliary, or helping verb.  The  past participle  corrigà ©Ã‚  is then added to complete the phrase. For instance, I corrected is jai corrigà © and we corrected is nous avons corrigà ©. Notice how  ai  and  avons  are conjugates of  avoir  and that the past participle does not change. More Simple  Corriger  Conjugations to Learn Beginning French students should concentrate on the past, present, and future verb forms of  corriger. There may, however, be instances when one of the following conjugations is necessary. The subjunctive verb mood is used when the action is uncertain or subjective. Likewise, the conditional verb mood is reserved for those times when the action may or may not happen because its dependent on something.   Its likely that you will not use the passà © simple because it tends to be used in formal French writing. However, you should be able to recognize and associate it with  corriger. The same can be said of the imperfect subjunctive form. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je corrige corrigerais corrigeai corrigeasse tu corriges corrigerais corrigeas corrigeasses il corrige corrigerait corrigea corriget nous corrigions corrigerions corrigemes corrigeassions vous corrigiez corrigeriez corrigetes corrigeassiez ils corrigent corrigeraient corrigrent corrigeassent The imperative verb form may be useful as well. This is used in short and often direct commands or requests. When using the imperative, the subject pronoun is not required, so you can say corrige rather than tu corrige. Imperative (tu) corrige (nous) corrigeons (vous) corrigez

REAL ESTATE URBAN PLANNING PRACTICES IN EUROPE + GEOGRAPHY Essay

REAL ESTATE URBAN PLANNING PRACTICES IN EUROPE + GEOGRAPHY - Essay Example Therefore, economic efficiency entails producing the right (allocative) amount in the proper manner (productive efficiency). Distributional-justice means the distribution of impacts between known societal cohorts such as the rich or the poor, those owning cars and those without. It focuses on the minimization of the segregation or discrimination of each group based on classes in order to ascertain equity (McIntosh, 2004). In this essay, the researcher seeks to investigate and uncover the reasons behind the contradiction between the conventional economic efficiency frameworks in Europe by argument for and against the proportion that in Europe, economic efficiency calls for expansion of large shopping centres, usually out-of-town, while environmental and distributional-justice considerations often indicate that retailing should remain within the urban area / town centre. Europe’s economic efficiency calls for expansion of large shopping centres, usually out-of-town. Urban planning policy makers in Europe have shifted their attention to advice owners of large shopping centers to diversify off-cities. The urban planners advocate for such a strategy in order to ensure resource efficiency based on the utilization of the limited resources in a more sustainable manner. Such a strategy points towards the EU’s vision pushing for the economic growth while respecting scarcity of resources and planetary boundaries. The proponents of such strategies hold that economic efficiency is only achievable through ensuring both allocative and productive efficiency. Millions of Companies and consumers need to transform their production and consumption frameworks. Such transformation are feasible through a harmonious interactions of policy, investment, financing and innovation. The EU†s 2020 growth strategy projects a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. A Roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe is the blueprint (Committee on spatial development,

Bribery, Corruption and Social Responsibility Essay

Bribery, Corruption and Social Responsibility - Essay Example (Business for Social Responsibility) With this background this paper attempts to make a report suggesting the possible course of action for the executive of the company BIM taking into account the broader issues of the company's ethical policies, its social responsibility and the so called social evils of bribery and corruption, Job and wealth creation in society is the primary objective of businesses. According to Canada's business and consumer website the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is to position the companies to both proactively manage risks and take advantage of opportunities especially with respect to their corporate reputation and broad engagement of stakeholders. The stakeholders group includes shareholders, employees, customers, communities, suppliers, governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and others affected by the companies' activities. It is assumed that through CSR enterprises can play an important role in preventing and combating corruption and bribery and in helping preventing the use of enterprises for money laundering and criminal activities financing. In the instant case the for Thomas the question before him is whether to follow the code of Ethics of his company with respect to the use of bribery and loose the four years background work done by spending $ 30 million of the shareholders money and a lucrative opportunity of turning in a good business for the company or To follow the accepted practices of the country, pay the necessary bribes and get the contracts signed for the company ignoring the company's code of ethics. The question is to be looked into from the angle of the social responsibility of the company in so far as how it proactively manage the risks and take advantage of the opportunities. By not paying the bribe and losing the business opportunity Thomas is not doing justice to The shareholders whose valuable money of $ 30 million is spent on developing this project. Quite obviously the bribery practice in Lagos or Nigeria has not started after the decision to work on the project. Hence Thomas and the Company should have knowledge on these practices even before the decision on the project is taken. The code of ethics is a subsequent development as the background work for the project is being carried out for four years now. Hence to withdraw now from the project at a stage when the efforts are going to give benefit to the company is doing injustice to the shareholders and against the principle of corporate social responsibility The part of employees who have been recruited for the project, since the company may decide to retrench them in case the project is not taking off. It is none of their fault that the director or the company is not aware of the prevailing practices of bribery and corruption in the country of operation. In any case they should not be penalized. If they are it is against the so called Social Responsibility The issue needs to take into

You choose a subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

You choose a subject - Essay Example She however got tired of him too because he repressed her independence and treated her more like a trophy than a person. Although she submits to him, deep down she resents her life and feels being married to him was just like being a servant. After 20 years of marriage, he dies and she marries Tea Cake, a poor but fun loving and adventurers’ man in whom she finds all the love she had been looking for. They move to the everglades where they work as laborers, this relationship is however brutally ended when during the Hurricane Tea Cake is bitten by a rabid dog (â€Å"From their Eyes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  7). Two weeks later she is forced to kill him to defend herself from his psychotic delusional self. After being acquitted for his murder, she finally goes home and the book begins and ends as she retells her story, an act that finally puts her at peace with herself and her late husband. The book touches on several themes that are or relevance to the lives of women of color and the black community in general in the backdrop of recently ended slavery. One of the dominant themes is, Love vs. independence, since the quest for both is the content of most of Janie’s life; she leaves home to search for love but evidently fails to find it in her first husband. She leaves him believing she has found true love in Stark and although in the start it looked like the perfect romance she soon realizes his ambition is far greater than his love for her. It is only with Tea Cake that she finally gets both love and independence since he treats her tenderly and respects her individuality unlike the former husband who repressed her. The theme of gender roles is also explored in the book through the events that shape Janie’s life. He grandmother holds that men are providers and women should be taken care of by them and so married Janie off to an older man. Stark, on the other hand, assumes that being the man in a relationship gives him rights over the woman whom he treasures more

Situation in Europe during the Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Situation in Europe during the Holocaust - Essay Example Slovakia despite being sovereign, they resulted to be more depended on Nazi Germany. This was after their dismemberment from Czechoslovakia where they teamed up in annihilation and extradition of Jews.Hungary initially was independent, but its politics took a drastic change that underwent various regimes. This encompassed from democratic through Bolshevik revolution to dictatorial state (Pinder-Ashenden 134). During the autocratic period, it collaborated with Germany to execute anti-Semitic ideology. This yielded to the annihilation of Jews, for instance, in 1944 where it expatriated 420,000 Jews; Nazis executing 75%. The state’s political structure and its leaders prompted more killing besides collaborating with the Germany. Germany’s involvement was the pretense to supplement its resources that were depleted due to immense war cost while the Jews’ role was a secondary in the Hungarian economy (Pinder-Ashenden 137).The three states despite some having the power to maintain their sovereignty, they collaborated with Germany who by then was more powerful and master of war, especially against the Soviet Union. The main trend among the three was the extermination of the Jews who seemed or thought to be Soviet Union’s spies, hence threatening the stability of the German. Primarily, this was in the states in which German had control over where it instigated extermination of Jews to shun leakage of information to its enemies (Pinder-Ashenden 138).

Detecting Jamming Attacks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Detecting Jamming Attacks - Case Study Example As a result, the first measure towards avoiding jamming attacks is the detection of modes used by jammers to stifle operations by applying mechanisms that enable a user to handle the situation. The jamming attackers normally hinder the signal reception by preventing a real server from conveying information or by avoiding the function to genuine packets. Considering this, the various models adopted by jammers is the constant discharge of radio signals, the introduction of a regular package to the channel without any breaks between ensuing packet broadcast and alternation between inactivity and jamming (Xu, et al, 2005). This implies that a jammer will continually send radio signals to interact with data submissions, causing delays in the systems. The introduction of a regular package to the channel is detrimental because it activates a system to a default mode that does not portray the current activity (Xu, 2007). For instance, if a node can be set to remain in the receive style regardless of whether it is sending or not doing so. The alternation between inactivity and jamming is that the system is automatically set to be inactive and resume operations after a certain time (Xu, et al, 2005). This makes the system to be in the attacker’s default mode or experience delays. Another jamming mode is the employment of a reactive strategy in which the jammer does nothing when the channel is idle and assumes operation upon the detection of signals. A receptive jammer targets the response of a message to execute the attack. Although most jammers use varied models for their missions, users should always monitor their wireless for possible attacks. This implies that they need to install necessary detection mechanisms that enhance the safety of their devices. The first detection measurement is checking the signal strength to determine the presence of unusual scenarios in the system. This employs gathered

Revolutionary China- chinese history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revolutionary China- chinese history - Essay Example The situation in China changed dramatically after the civil war victory of Mao Tse-tung in 1949, which led to the fleeing of the government of Republic of China (ROC) led by Chiang Kaishek and the Kuomintang (KMT) to Taiwan. This led to the United States to continue its recognition of the ROC government based in Taiwan as both regimes that is the government in Taiwan and the Peoples Republic of China based in mainland fought for legitimacy. This paper seeks to discuss the implications of the recognition of the CCP government in PRC and the GMD in Taiwan in the period 1952 by the United States and whether there is need to change that position. China since 1921 and its Relations with Taiwan After the end of the Qing dynasty, China had undergone several periods of trials and tribulations which it wanted to overcome in the shortest time possible. In 1928, the Kuomintang (KMT), which had ruled China, got into constant conflict with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that made governance al most impossible. The Kuomintang was later defeated and retreated to Taiwan after it had made several political, economical and military missteps. As at the year 1934, Chiang Kai-shek, the Nationalist leader in collaboration with Song Meiling had called for China to carry out a â€Å"New Life Movement which aimed at the promotion of a regular life guided by four principles and virtues namely ritual or decorum, rightness or duty, integrity or honesty and the sense of shame†.1 These were aimed at promoting morality, dealing with people in their human affairs and whoever violated the rules would fail in the society and they were meant for the prosperity of the nation. According to 2 the new life movement was initiated after Generalissimo realized that military conquest of the community alone would not be enough to remedy the psychological damage that the communist rule had caused. â€Å"†¦communism crushed the spirit people in addition to robbing them or material thingsâ₠¬ . The rules were also meant to instill discipline and social order amongst the members of the society at any moment of the life of the citizens as contained in the â€Å"Essentials of the New Life Movement speech in 1934 by Chiang Kai-shek. The principles were frequently criticized owing to the fact that there was hardly any food, let alone patience for people to exercise them. However, in defense of the movement Meiling argues that â€Å"†¦ if everyone from the highest official to the lowest wheel barrow man would conscientiously practice these principles in everyday life, there would be food for all†3 of the rules. Shih-wei, had argued along similar lines as he saw the communist movement as an embodiment of inequality where the ranking members in the â€Å"rankles† society got more food than they needed, but the lower cadres were given the basic minimum. Ironically, whenever they were asked if they had eaten â€Å"†¦ Party members are expected to lead the rest in a chorus of ‘Yes, we’re full!’†.4 In addition, Chen Xuezhao became sympathetic to the Communist Party after her return to China and found china was faced with deepening national crisis â€Å"†¦ Chen was formally accepted in the year 1945†.5 In her work â€Å"Wandering through the Liberated Zones†, Chen shows her allegiance to the CCP and was published on the eve of the Communist victory. Further, in her

Detecting Jamming Attacks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Detecting Jamming Attacks - Case Study Example As a result, the first measure towards avoiding jamming attacks is the detection of modes used by jammers to stifle operations by applying mechanisms that enable a user to handle the situation. The jamming attackers normally hinder the signal reception by preventing a real server from conveying information or by avoiding the function to genuine packets. Considering this, the various models adopted by jammers is the constant discharge of radio signals, the introduction of a regular package to the channel without any breaks between ensuing packet broadcast and alternation between inactivity and jamming (Xu, et al, 2005). This implies that a jammer will continually send radio signals to interact with data submissions, causing delays in the systems. The introduction of a regular package to the channel is detrimental because it activates a system to a default mode that does not portray the current activity (Xu, 2007). For instance, if a node can be set to remain in the receive style regardless of whether it is sending or not doing so. The alternation between inactivity and jamming is that the system is automatically set to be inactive and resume operations after a certain time (Xu, et al, 2005). This makes the system to be in the attacker’s default mode or experience delays. Another jamming mode is the employment of a reactive strategy in which the jammer does nothing when the channel is idle and assumes operation upon the detection of signals. A receptive jammer targets the response of a message to execute the attack. Although most jammers use varied models for their missions, users should always monitor their wireless for possible attacks. This implies that they need to install necessary detection mechanisms that enhance the safety of their devices. The first detection measurement is checking the signal strength to determine the presence of unusual scenarios in the system. This employs gathered

Purnell's Domain of Culture for Argentina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Purnell's Domain of Culture for Argentina - Essay Example Extended families are the norm and Argentines accord high respect to their elders. Willingness to Share Thoughts, Feelings, and Ideas Argentines are strongly vocal in sharing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. They believe that it is important to be frank, direct, and open with others, although they balance their candor with tactfulness and diplomacy (Whittle, 1998, p.171). They do not like offending others, so they are careful in hurting other people’s feelings. They are unreserved with their opinions, but they are warm and friendly people who readily welcome guests into their country and homes (ISEP, 2010). Argentines are passionate in talking about art, literature, politics, sports, and music. They also openly talk about their families, because they are proud of their ancestries and achievements in life (Whittle, 1998, p.171). Though open to many issues, some Argentines are sensitive to people who do not cheer for their football team when watching at their arenas and some think that it is taboo to talk about Argentina’s relationships with the U.S., Brazil, or Great Britain (Bao, Clark, & Symington, 2010, p.42). Practice and Meaning of Touch Like other Latin American cultures, the Argentines practice touch as part of their communication strategies. People often touch each other while talking, especially family and close friends (Whittle, 1998, p.172). ... Touch is important to Argentines because it symbolizes respect and love. Health care providers are also expected to understand the meaning of touch to healing (Bosco, 2007). Nurses are most especially expected to touch patients while caring for them, such as patting their hands or shoulders to show empathy for their emotions. Spatial and Distancing Strategies When discussing something with friends, Argentines commonly do so in a close manner, even with strangers (Whittle, 1998, p.172). They maintain little distance with other speakers, particularly since they come from high-context cultures where lesser distance means more warmth and honesty (ISEP, 2010). Still, friends may speak closer with each other than other strangers, specifically if these strangers come from other cultures and Argentines may feel that the latter are not comfortable with close-distance communication practices. Eye Contact Argentines speak with each other using strong eye contact (ISEP, 2010). Maintaining eye co ntact means that people respect each other (ISEP, 2010). Argentines use direct eye contact with family and friends. They also do so even when they speak with strangers. Younger people also look directly at their elders to show their respect, although they may look down when they feel embarrassed and have wronged the latter. Gestures and Facial Expressions Argentines are passionate in expressing themselves, which some races would see as melodramatic and aggressive (Expatica.com, 2004). When discussing issues or problems with others, Argentines use â€Å"very punctuated gestures, facial expressions, choice of words and tone of voice† (Expatica.com, 2004). The words â€Å"disaster, chaos or cry† are common in their daily