The Theory Of Social Interactions - 1341 Words

preservation of social interactions. Beyond identifying the significance of the need to form and maintain relationships, research must also assess why people seek connection. In the attempt to do so, theorists developed the Belongingness Orientation Model, which identifies growth orientation and deficit-reduction as two qualitatively different ways people are motivated to seek interpersonal relationships (Lavigne, Vallerand, Crevier-Braud 2011). Within this paradigm, the growth orientation model characterizes interpersonal relationships as important because people have a genuine interest in others and see relationships as enriching. In contrast, the deficit-reduction model characterizes interpersonal relationships as important because they fill a social void, specifically, that individuals search for closeness and security through social acceptance. Lavigne et al. (2011) found that when participants were asked to rate how each illustration of an attachment style mirrors their behavior in relationships, people with a di smissing-avoidant style had a negative relationship with the deficit reduction model and no relationship to the growth orientation model. With this finding, the researchers concluded that a dismissing-interpersonal disposition leads people to be overall disconnected from others. The disconnection from people suggests that dismissive individuals are so guarded against expressing a need to belong to others that they overcompensate by forcing the perception ofShow MoreRelatedSocial Identity Theory And Social Interaction Theory Essay1907 Words   |  8 PagesSocial Identity Theory In 1979, Tajfel and Turner are recognized for the development of social identity theory (SIT) (Tajfel Turner, 1979). Through earlier studies, Tajfel attempted to understand mechanisms that lead to group members to discriminate against non-group members, which lead to evolution of SIT (Hogg, van Knippenberg, Rast, 2012). The Tajfel and Turner developed SIT with the purpose of understanding social group discrimination (Tajfel Turner, 1979). SIT is based on three concepts:Read MoreSociocultural Theory And Social Interaction1258 Words   |  6 PagesSociocultural theory refers to the idea that parents, peers, teachers, and culture help to shape a child’s learning. The engagement between objects and environment, in collaboration with social interaction play an extensive role in a child’s learning and development (Wang, Bruce, Hughes, 2011). Psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, introduced socio-cultural theory. The basis of socio cultural theory is made up of social interaction a nd cultural tools. 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According to Crossman (n.d.), that model interprets soc iety as a series of interactions that are based on estimates of rewards and punishments. Crossman (n.d.) continues to say; According to this view, our interactions are determined by the rewards or punishments that we receive from others and all human relationships are formedRead MoreExamining the Social Interactions of the Inclusion Classroom: A Grounded Theory1424 Words   |  6 PagesExamining the Social Interactions of the Inclusion Classroom: A Grounded Theory HIED 595 Texas AM University-Commerce Examining the Social Interactions of the Elementary Inclusion Classroom: A Grounded Theory Inclusion has been one of the main focuses in the field of special education for the past two decades. Students with disabilities are being integrated in the general education classrooms at a steady pace. With the focus being on inclusionRead MoreLabeling theory is closely related to social-construction and symbolic-interaction analysis. It1000 Words   |  4 PagesLabeling theory is closely related to social-construction and symbolic-interaction analysis. It means that deviance is not a natural tendency of an individual, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from standard cultural norms. The theory is based off how people tend to own up to what society claims them to be. The theory came about during the 1960s and 1970s. A lot of the theory’s symptoms are still noticeable today. Labeling theoryRead MoreCrick and Dodges Theory of Behavior of Children in Social Relational Interactions593 Words   |  2 PagesDodge’s (1994) social information processing model suggests that the ways in which a child behaves in social and relational interactions is based on how a child processes information. According to Crick and Dodge’s model, children are constantly drawing on their biologically determined capabilities, their database (the central location of our memories and schemas) and social cues. Crick and Dodge provide a detailed outline how a child’s mental processing during a social interaction in five steps:Read MoreEssay on Lev Vygotsky and Social Development Theory1038 Words   |  5 Pagescreated the Social Development Theory/ Sociocultural Theory. Vygotsky believed that childrens mental, language, and social development is supported and enhanced through social interaction. Vygotsky also believed that beginning at birth, children seek out adu lts for social interactions and that development occurs through these interactions. The belief that social development sets a precedent for development(appeals to the nurture side of development). The general idea from this theory is that beingRead MoreSociological Theories And The Structural Functional Theory1356 Words   |  6 PagesSociological Theories: Compare and Contrast The Structural-Functional theory definition: Two theorist who were major contributors to the structural functional theory where Herbert Spencer and Robert Merton. Also known as functionalism, it is a framework for building theory that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability and solidarity. Important concepts in the perspective of functionalism include social structure, social functions, latent functions and manifestRead MoreSymbolic Interaction: My Favorite Sociological Theory1235 Words   |  5 PagesMy Favorite Sociological Theory Authors name Authors institutional affiliation Authors note My Favorite Sociological Theory There were several theories that I found interesting as a part of the course, yet the theory that I connected with most personally was Symbolic Interaction. This theory was established first by George Herbert Mead, who coined the phrase symbolic interactionism first. The theory has been present in the field of sociology for several decades, and after the death of Mead

Why christains believe god is present in our lives. Free Essays

Catholics believe that God Is present In our lives through rituals. Catholics believe that doing the sign of the cross is a significant way to start a conversation with God by putting yourself In the presence of God. Also by attending mass It Is declaring that they belong to God and want to obey him and when Catholics go to receive transubstantiation Catholics are accepting the suffering that Christ has done for us. We will write a custom essay sample on Why christains believe god is present in our lives. or any similar topic only for you Order Now Catholics also believe that God is present in our lives through ethics. Catholic ethics come from the 10 commandments, it is important that we know the everlasting laws f God and what they mean such as â€Å"thou shall not steal† means that we shouldn’t steal because it is disrespectful and we should respect others property as we wool like done to us. Another moral is â€Å"thou shall not harm† because humans are a creation of God and if we harm others or ourselves we are destroying Gods creation and â€Å"thou shall not bear false witness† means to not lie about one self of anyone else. All of these ethics come under respect one self and one another. Why Catholics think It Is Important Is that acting morally with the Infinite laws of God, which are so Inspiring to most people that even those who do not know anything of God follow In the path of morality. Catholic believe strongly that God Is present in our lives though practice of individual experience such as baptism. Baptism is significant to the catholic community and faith because to that person getting baptized it represents the start of that person and God’s relationship. This individual experience is very similar to conformation, it is similar because conformation In the Catholic Church represents growing up and creating a stronger bond between the person and God. Another individual experience is reconciliation in the Catholic Church, reconciliation is significant in the Catholic Church because â€Å"only God can forgive and cleanse sins away and allowing God to guide that individual through very tough times with making that bond with god and that individual stronger. Catholics believe that God Is present In our lives through rituals. Catholics believe that doing the sign of the cross Is a gallants way to start a conversation with God by putting yourself In the presence of God. Also by attending mass It Is declaring that they belong to God and want to obey him and when Catholics go to receive transubstantiation Catholics are accepting the suffering that Christ has done for us. Catholics also believe that God is present in our lives through ethics. Catholic ethics come from the 10 commandments, it is important that we know the everlasting laws of God and what they mean such as â€Å"thou shall not steal† means that we shouldn’t steal because it is disrespectful and we should respect others property as we wool like done to us. Another moral is â€Å"thou hall not harm† because humans are a creation of God and if we harm others or ourselves we are destroying Gods creation and â€Å"thou shall not bear false witness† means to not Ill about one self of anyone else. All of these ethics come under respect one self and one another. Why Catholics think It Is Important Is that acting morally with the Infinite laws of God, which are so Inspiring to most people that even those who do not know anything of God follow in the path of morality. Catholic believe such as baptism. Baptism is significant to the catholic community and faith because o that person getting baptized it represents the start of that person and God’s relationship. This individual experience is very similar to conformation, it is similar because conformation in the Catholic Church represents growing up and creating a stronger bond between the person and God. Another individual experience is reconciliation in the Catholic Church, reconciliation is significant in the Catholic Church because â€Å"only God can forgive and cleanse sins away’ and allowing God to guide that individual through very tough times with making that bond with god and that individual stronger. How to cite Why christains believe god is present in our lives., Papers

Critical Analysis Of Strategic Organizational Human Resource Managemen

Question: What are the key strengths and limitations of the two HR systems in the context of the workplace? How do the two HR management systems relate to the accomplishment of strategic goals? What assumptions are you basing these views on? Compare how the two HR management systems effectively contribute to the management of human capital to achieve the strategic goals of the organisation. How did the discussion in the forum contribute to your analysis? How can you use the information in your posts and the posts of others as evidence? Answer: Introduction Strategic human resources management is a process that makes human resource strategies that are integrated with the firms business goals and contribute to the overall strategy of the organization. It is defined as the means of aligning the management of human resources with the strategic content of the business (Walker, J.W., 1992). The integration can be vertical or horizontal. Vertical integration provides congruence between HR strategy and the business with the former supporting the accomplishment of the latter. And the horizontal integration works to make sure that the various human resource strategy elements fit together and support each other mutually (Armstrong, M., 1999). Though strategic human resource management system is an evolving system today, there are several issues pertaining to its practice. Critical Analysis of strategic HRM Strategic human resource management basically is about the strategic role of human resources management in meeting the organizational objectives. Human Resources is firmly linked with the performance and effectiveness of a business. But the mechanisms through which the human resource practices influence organizational effectiveness were always questioned upon by critics. A lot of researches have been conducted upon the explaining the importance of human resource management in the performance of a business. The studies have mostly adopted a resource based view of the firm (Delery, J., 1998) which emphasizes that the firms competitive advantage is increased by the kind of resources it possesses. And this in turn emphasizes that human resources management definitely adds value to an organization since the human resource management practices are the main factors that a firm employs to produce or retain the necessary work force. The predominant focus of research on strategic human resourc e management is mostly on the horizontal and vertical fits. Horizontal fit in strategic human resource management emphasizes the internal consistency of the HR practices with the basic assumption that for any particular policy to have maximum effect it is important that the other policies in effect are functioning as good. The complication in this theory is the absence of description about which internally consistent practices make up a system. There is no solid theoretical framework for choosing the HR practices. It was argued that there are several combinations of practices that will result in the same organizational outcomes (Delery, J., and Doty, D., 1996). For example, a firm needs to identify the human resource practices that would develop work force with high performance if they are to have advantage over their competitors. But any HR practice leads to multiple outcomes and multiple HR practices can be used to achieve the same outcome. This is a critical issue in strategic human resource management. In fact recent models of competency have provided researchers with a framework that helps creation of horizontal fit. In these models, a set of behavioural competencies are defined that are relevant to the business based on which human resource practices can be employed to ensure development of those behaviours in individuals. But in actual, a solution is yet to be reached in the issue of horizontal or internal fit. How it is developed and measured is an avenue that offers ample opportunities for future researchers to address. An important discussion in strategic HRM is a synergistic relationship between the different HR practices. There are two basic forms of this synergistic relationship. The first describes how multiple practices can work together and promote each others effectiveness and that in turn enhances the organizations effectiveness resulting in a positive outcome. This is termed a powerful connection by Becker et al. Another combination termed deadly connection is when the practices work against each other and the outcome is negative. It is therefore important in strategic human resource management to identify and measure HRM practices and systems while acknowledging these relationships among the practices (Becker, B., and Gerhart, B., 1996). Another important issue in strategic HRM is the level of analysis. It is based on what level the human resource practices in a firm are measured. According to a framework proposed, it is important that the work force core for strategic goals be governed by a high performance work system. While this practice will gain the organization higher scores on their core work force, the issue with this approach is that the non-core work force may also have equal importance or greater weight. Therefore, while measuring the HR practices, closer attention must be paid to the level at which they are measured. Averaging the use of practices may denote that all the employees be it core or non-core groups are equally important. Organizations must use different human resource practices for different employee levels and groups. This suggests that for a particular job a particular HRM system is required. Focussing on human resource practices at different job levels in an organization would thus provide insight into how advantage over competition can be achieved using work force. As discussed already there is no agreement about what practices constitute a coherent HRM system. It is also equally important to concentrate on the human resource policies along with the practices; the issue of construct definition. Development of theory would solve this problem. Strategic HR management has always been criticized for lack of theoretical foundation. But researches have proved that there are three different theoretical frameworks in the Strategic HRM; Universal, Contingency and Configuration theories (Delery, J., and Doty, D., 1996). The Universalistic theory demonstrates that some human resource practices are universally effective. Adoption of these practices by an organization will result in increased benefits. According to the Contingency theory, the effectiveness of human resource practices is contingent with the organizational strategy. Organizations must adopt HR strategies that are appropriate for its strategy to have higher effectiveness. And the configuration theory deals with the synergistic relationships between the practices. Other research employs six theoretical models for discussing strategic human resource management; Behavioural perspective, cybernetic models, transaction/agency cost theory, institutional theory, resource-based view of the organization, and power/resource dependence models. These theories are useful for understanding strategic as well as non-strategic determinants of human resource practices (Wright, P., and McMahan, G.C., 1992). The behavioural perspective is concerned with how strategy, human resource behaviours and practices are interrelated. Cybernetic models and transaction cost models is concerned with the relationship amongst the HR practices, firm strategy and the HR capital pool and behaviours. The institutional theory and resource dependence theory concerns the effects of institutional and political factors on the human resource practices. These theoretical frameworks are not without their limitations. But according to the critical analysis of strategic human resource management, most of the issues concerning the SHRM can be solved by developing a strong theoretical basis of management. Qualitative and quantitative comparison of two firms in the same industry and different performance levels could be constructed to aid in the construction of specific and general practices. It also helps in generalizing the process within a firm that drafts the principles and the process of successfully translating these principles in HR policies that are efficient. This line of research in strategic human resource management could help improve the way organizations are studied and managed (Colbert, B., 2004). Using data from forty five business units and correlated human resource practices from the past, present and future operational practices, it was found that correlations with all operational measures were high and invariant. Further it was found that controlling the past and present performance almost eliminated the connection of human resource practices with that of the future. This provided strategic human resource management researchers cautionary evidence on making casual inferences on the relationship between HR practices and the performance of the organization (Wright, P., Snell, S., and Dyer, L., 2005). Organization performance depends upon the how HR systems are measured. Performance in organization varies based on how near it is to the intended effect of human resources practices and what level it is aggregated. Analysis of strategic human resource management in emerging economies countries demonstrate that it is more likely that privately owned businesses will adopt this process than the public organizations. More focus is being paid on the implementation issues of strategic HR management in recent times. The business firms are recognizing that the intended and realized practices are different from one another and relying upon a set of stated principles will result in ineffective results. Also more attention is being focussed on strategic human resource managements role in mergers and acquisitions. Understanding the human capital investment decision making process, understanding the difference between investments in core and non-core work force, and a better understanding of the diversity of work personnel and their effects on organizations performance are contributing in understanding the strategic human resource management. The challenge is to fill the gap between knowledge that has been identified and break new ground (Lengnick-Hall, M., Lengnick-Hall, C., Andrade, L., and Drake, B., 2009). Two HR systems The human resource management system can be most notably classified in two; traditional, operational and functional aspects comprising the micro or functional system and the strategic system. Complying with business strategy, dealing with mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, international human resource management formed the core of strategic HRM and selection, training, appraisal and compensation constituted the functional HRM (Fisher, 1989). Strengths and limitations of the two HR systems Strength of a Human Resource management lies in the effectiveness of HR policies in practice. The practices that are not efficiently working need to be regularly monitored and modified. The competitive advantage that an organization provides its employees in comparison to the opposition is an important factor that determines the strength of the Human Resource system. Skills and qualifications of the work force and placing right people at the right jobs contribute to a HRMs strengths. In case of strategic HRM, one serious limitation is that the strategic fit is a very good idea but is very difficult in practice. Business strategy being translated into mutually supportive set of human resource practices doesnt happen most of the times (Armstrong, M., 2006). Role of HRM in accomplishing strategic goals Human resources can offer competitive advantage and can be managed strategically. HRM practices differ between different organizations and countries. And researches show that the companies that employed the HR practices of other successful companies failed miserably emphasizing the need for each organization to develop their own HR practices and policies. These HRM practices indirectly affect operational performance through strategic goals. In accomplishing strategic goals of the organization, a human resource manager needs to develop an environment for the employees that is conducive and fosters employees loyalty to the firm (Ahmad, S. and Schroeder, R., 2003). Globalization, de-regulation of markets, varying demands by the customers and investors and constant increase in market competition are becoming the norms for most organizations with the rapidly changing economic environment. The role of HR management can be crucial in improving performance in such an environment. Therefore, the human resources department and function must have as their primary focus a set of properly designed policies that support the organizations strategic and operational goals. But simply instituting the best in class HR systems will not have the desired effect. A properly configures HR system will achieve the desired objective. The leadership of this strategic human resources systems role in organization also reflects in the competition for intellectual leadership in the area (Becker, B., and Gerhart, B., 1996). Strategic human resource practices contribute to the strengthening of competitive advantage of a firm by enabling knowledge development as HR practices develop individual knowledge and skills along with developing the work forces attitudes and behaviours. This along collective changes in human capital and organization environment is strong enough to influence organizational performance and in turn attaining the goals (Birdi, K., Clegg, C., Patterson, M., Robinson, A., Stride, C., Wall, T. and Wood, S., 2008). Functional human resource practices such as recruiting the right person for the right job; empowerment and training enhance employees knowledge of the company and help them exploit it. Also these three human resource practices interact positively with each other resulting in positive outcomes. The adoption of advance manufacturing technology, quality management, supply chain partnering etc. will independently enhance performance of the firm. Management of human capital by the two HRM systems The foundation of a human resource department relies on human capital as the basic source of competitive advantage. The system is characterized by operational excellence and understanding by the HR managers the implications of human capital on the business and their ability to modify the system based on the requirements. The human resource management system that strives to improve an organizations strategic infrastructure is an investment. According to the CFO of Coca Cola, a companys phenomenal market value is largely attributable to its brands and management systems rather than any collection of tangible assets. The strategic importance of human capital has increased significantly owing to the rapid globalization, and the demands for constant innovation in products, the ability of the firm to adapt to the changing trends and its speed and efficiency. The three important elements of value added HR functions include: A management culture and strategy that is supportive and appropriately aligned, human resources system characterized by professional and operational quality, and human resources executives and managers who are effective and human resources function that support the managers. It is proven that with the proper alignment of each of these things, businesses average twenty seven percentage higher gains. And to achieve this building an extraordinary environment at the work place is important. The environment must be characterized by ensuring the employees feel valued, achieving long term business success, ensuring employees feeling of pride in being associated with the firm, emphasizing a sense of camaraderie and team work, enabling opportunities for the employees to reach their personal and professional high points, making the environment fun and exciting. A strong pay performance relationship is also an important characteristic. It elicits a signal that right behaviours and higher performance will reflect on the employees pay check. Some examples of firms operational excellence by proper human capital management by HRMs are: Lucent Monitors report ninety nine percent data entry accuracy in their HRIS (Becker, B. and Huselid, M., 1999). Ninety percent of the customers using their employee services centre have their problems tackled on the first call; Sears indicates significant proficiency at handling higher volume demands efficiently; at Herman Miller, desire to combine HR with the organizations business strategy has resulted in the adopting of worldwide shared services environment by them. Defining of the competencies required is the first step in identifying proper human capital suitable for a particular role. These competencies are then integrated in recruiting and staffing, career development of the staffs and management of their performance. Adaptation of some of the best practices that lead to exceptional performance by organizations include: employment security, good pay, reduced status distinctions, decentralized decision making, selective hiring, extensive information sharing, and extensive training. And the ability to translate HR practices into high performance practices requires several roles by HR managers including: role as an administrative expert, employee champion, and strategic partner. Conclusion Strong human resource management systems can create environments with little ambiguity regarding strategic goals of the organization. Characteristics such as visibility of the HR processes, clarity of the information in the policies, acceptability of the practices, and consistency of the management in applying the policies to employees uniformly, effectiveness of the policies, internal consistency (horizontal fit) and intensity are the basics governing the strength of a human resource management. Organizations that attempt to copy HR policies and practices from successful organizations find those practices from the other firms did not give them the same advantageous results. Employee perception about the human resource practices plays a crucial role between human resource practices and strategic goals. Therefore it is important to manage human resource management practices that do not result in varied perceptions of the employees. The proper description of human resource management c an thus help with a better understanding of the field of strategic human resource development and help formulate the human resource management policies that can impact positively on the performance of an organization. References Marler, J. (2012). Strategic Human Resource Management in Context: A Historical and Global Perspective.Academy of Management Perspectives, 26(2), pp.6-11. Wei, L. (2006). Strategic Human Resource Management: Determinants of Fit,Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 14(2), pp. 49-60. Colbert, B. (2004). The Complex Resource-Based View: Implications for Theory and Practice in Strategic Human Resource Management.The Academy of Management Review, 29(3), p.341. Wright, P. (1992). Theoretical Perspectives for Strategic Human Resource Management.Journal of Management, 18(2), pp.295-320. Boxall, P. and Purcell, J. (2003).Strategy and human resource management. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Armstrong, M. (1999).A handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page. Delery, J. (1998). Issues of fit in strategic human resource management: Implications for research.Human Resource Management Review, 8(3), pp.289-309. Delery, J. and Doty, D. (1996). Modes of Theorizing In Strategic Human Resource Management: Tests of Universalistic, Contingency, and Configurational Performance Predictions.Academy of Management Journal, 39(4), pp.802-835. Devanna, M., Fombrun, C. and Tichy, N. (1981). Human resources management: A strategic perspective.Organizational Dynamics, 9(3), pp.51-67. Lengnick-hall, C. and Lengnick-hall, M. (1988). Strategic Human Resources Management: A Review of the Literature and a Proposed Typology.Academy of Management Review, 13(3), pp.454-470. Becker, B. and Gerhart, B. (1996). The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance: Progress and Prospects. Academy of Management Journal 39, pp. 779-801. Wright, P., and McMahan, G.C., (1992). Theoretical Perspectives for Strategic Human Resource Management.Journal of Management, 18(2), pp.295-320. Becker, B. and Huselid, M. (1999). Overview: Strategic human resource management in five leading firms.Human Resource Management, 38(4), pp.287-301. Wright, P., and Boswell, W.R., (2002). Desegregating HRM: A Review and Synthesis of Micro and Macro Human Resource Management Research.Journal of Management, 28(3), pp.247-276. Armstrong, M. (2006). Strategic Human Resource Management. London: Kogan Page. Wright, P., Snell, S., and Dyer, L. (2005). New models of strategic HRM in a global context. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(6), 875881. Lengnick-Hall, M., Lengnick-Hall, C., Andrade, L. and Drake, B. (2009). Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field.Human Resource Management Review, 19(2), pp.64-85. Ahmad, S. and Schroeder, R. (2003). The impact of human resource management practices on operational performance: recognizing country and industry differences.Journal of Operations Management, 21(1), pp.19-43. Birdi, K., Clegg, C., Patterson, M., Robinson, A., Stride, C., Wall, T. And Wood, S. (2008). The Impact of Human Resource and Operational Management Practices on Company Productivity: A Longitudinal Study.Personnel Psychology, 61(3), Pp.467-501. Collings, D. and Mellahi, K. (2009). Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda.Human Resource Management Review, 19(4), pp.304-313.

Strategic Retail Management Essay Example

Strategic Retail Management Paper People need a lot of things from their basic things to their luxuries and wants. They turn to the sellers of the merchandise that they need. These sellers may be small retail business owners or big ones such as a department store. Retailing is an important feature of the economy in distributing goods and services from the producers to the people who need them. Retailers usually purchase large amounts of goods from producers, manufacturers or from wholesalers. A quick glance at the supply chain from the production factories would reveal that retailers are at the bottom rung of the chain. Retail stores or shops are usually located where the people are. If people will have to travel long distances just to go to retailers, their business will not grow. Since retail shops are where people go to for their basic needs, they usually develop a connection with their favorite shops. Not a few develop loyalty to the shops they frequently go to. The Retail Environment There are different kinds of retail environments that people may go to. Traditionally sellers and buyers converge on markets. Markets, however, have been supplanted by the rise of malls and big supermarkets. Some retail environments may be in the form of stores where an attendant gets what the customer wants. There are also self-service shops where the customers just get what they want and then pay at the cashier. In stores and shops, however, what can be noted is that the traffic of people never stops. There is interaction most of the time. The retail environment is a place where the economic relationships of people can be highlighted. Yet, such relationships are not only economic, both buyers and sellers may also develop social connections through the retail environment (Berman Evans, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Retail Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Retail Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Retail Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Morale and Motivation at the Retail Environment The morale and motivation of the workers in a retail environment is very important to its operations. A motivated workforce will mean that they will also transfer that motivation to the customers that will visit the shop. In order to facilitate this, the workers at the retail shop should enjoy certain benefits and privileges. In this regard, the retail environment should have clear role perceptions, motivation from the manager or owner, and ability, which can be enhanced through training (Weitz, Sujan, and Sujan, 1986). If the management of the retail shop can ensure the motivation of its workers, this would redound to better customer service to the consumers. In a study conducted by Kim, Kang and Kim (2005), they discovered that there are several dimensions of retail shopping motivation from consumers, especially those who are older. They can either consume service, value and food or they can engage in shopping for diversion and leisurely appreciation of aesthetics. Through the model created by these researchers, they found out that people who are lonely and in need of social interaction tend to go to malls and retail shops. Through their experience at the retail shops, their loneliness can be lessened. In this regard, the workers of a shop can make buyers happier by helping them in value consumption and provide them good services (Kim, Kang Kim, 2005). Such kind of motivational spirit would work well if the workers themselves have motivation and if they have high morale. In times of sadness and loneliness, then the workers at the retail shop could also help people become more cheerful. Retailing Trends for Small Businesses One of the most interesting developments in retail management is in two areas, both of them involving technology deeply. Supply chain management is now increasingly integrated with computer applications that enable store owners to manage their inventories more effectively. The technology is also becoming more affordable so even small businesses can afford it. With the availability of online applications, retail management has become more technologically dependent (Krafft Mantrala, 2005). Another important development in retailing is the increasing popularity of the Internet as the place to shop. With credit cards and online payment schemes, more and more people, especially the busy ones, are depending on the Internet and their credit cards for their purchases. If it is any indication, the success of Ebay and other online shopping sites have also led to the emergence of a new kind of entrepreneurs and retailers who are using the Internet in marketing their products. Whatever their products are, they are now able to reach out to a wide segment of buyers not only in their immediate vicinity but also to the whole world (Krafft Mantrala, 2005). This internationalization of retail management has an important impact on the operations of businesses as well as in their business model. With the integration of the Internet as an effective marketing arm, it supplements the traditional marketing media being used by retailers. The internet also helps small retail businesses to get in touch with their customers more quickly and instantaneously. In doing so, they can easily get feedback from them and act on such feedback right away. As such, the marketing aspect of retailing, the interfacing with customers, and the gathering of feedback becomes easier because of the Internet and other online applications. With the internalization of retailing, however, businesses need to think more creatively about their strategy in reaching out to their target market. Another important thing to think about is how to motivate and raise the morale of the customers similar to what they experience when they go to retail centers or to malls. Obviously, retailers also need to take into account the value added needs of the customers that would contribute to a better experience to them when they are shopping online or on site. Apparel shopping on the Internet has been growing in the past few years yet there are hesitations on the part of shoppers to buy clothing over the Internet. This is because of the perceived risks in buying items there. For one, buyers do not get the same visual and texture sensation when they shop on a store. They cannot try on an item of clothing shown online. Given this limitations, retailing through commerce should appeal to other aspects of the buyer experience (Park Stoel, 2002). The Future of Retail Retail management will not be relegated to the dustbins of history. Although economic recession may facilitate the rise and fall of different means of product distribution and retail management but as long as people need goods and services, retailing will remain as a key feature of the country’s economy. Yet the future of the retail industry is worth looking at. Dawson (2000) identified six major challenges to retail management. These challenges have to be addressed in order for retailers to thrive in their industry. The first one is about the challenges of growing and â€Å"bigness†. Big supermarkets and retail chains are on the rise and these industry giants are undermining the small-time players. As such, small and medium businesses should think of creative ways to survive the intense competition. Secondly, brands are highly arbitrary, always in flux and subject to constant change. Choosing which brands to market and distribute may be a crucial issue for retailers. Another challenge would be the over-capacity of the space for retailing. This would refer to the need for careful management of space and buildings of retailers to ensure that both aesthetics and functionality are ensured. In addition to this, changes in the products and services being marketed tend to be abrupt and turbulent. Even the tastes and preferences of consumers can easily change. Retailers therefore should be quick to understand the dynamics of the market so they can prepare for difficulties and problems along the way. The past decade has seen the rise of outsourcing and offshoring in the discussion of business models, processes and services. The challenge that retailers need to address in this area is achieving the balance between internalization and outsourcing of functions. Outsourcing may be an option for businesses but if overdone, it could easily be a source of fragmentation in the business and the loss of trade secrets. Lastly, retailing through e-commerce is yet to prove itself as effective. In order to deal with these challenges, Dawson (2000) recommends several areas that retailers need to look at. One is making the retail firm relevant to the times and to the changing preferences of consumers. There should also be an effective assessment of the risks that the retail firm faces. Another important aspect is to remodel the organization, establish an effective means of gathering knowledge, which will help in development the corporate culture of the firm. Competition is definitely a big issue in retailing. As such, effective strategies should be devised to deal with globalization and competition from large scale companies such as Wal-Mart (Dawson, 2000). Conclusion Retailing will remain as a very important feature of the country’s economy. Actual retailing helps customers with their needs for various products and services. Retailing also gives consumers value added. Through the act of being at the retailer’s shop or store, the loneliness and sadness of certain people can be alleviated. This is not something that people can easily enjoy in huge shopping complexes and warehouses. In spite of big challenges in the retail industry, there are still those that manage to survive. There are also those, however, that cannot cope with the difficulties of the industry and are forced to close or to seek for ways to mitigate their losses. Wendy’s Hamburger has experienced losses in the last two years or so. Some of its stores are no longer visited by customers. Big franchises of the hamburger chain also closed down. Some of the most notable ones are those that are in Australia. Likewise, fifty Wendy’s locations were closed in the United States just recently. This trend could be attributed to intense competition from other hamburger retail chains most notably, McDonalds. More importantly, though, the chain was not able to create a brand name for itself similar to BigMac or Whopper (Wolf, 2007). Retailers can learn valuable lesson from this. Branding is very important in facing the intense and uncertain competition in the world of retailing. Retail management is a difficult business but if the trends in the market can be anticipated, then the right action can be done to make the business thrive.

A Cry For Racial Justice Example

A Cry For Racial Justice Example A Cry For Racial Justice – Term Paper Example A cry for racial justice While in Birmingham jail, King alleges that his actions to protest against racial discrimination in American society has been termed as untimely and unwise. He asserts that the move to mobilize people to rally against the white is because they have refused to negotiate with them in order to resolve the issues they are presenting. The white people always referred to African Americans as Negros. King argues that it is vital to create tension in the mind of people that will assist men to rise from the dark depths of racism and prejudice to attain reasonable heights of brotherhoods and understanding. In order to show how racial prejudice was prevalent in the American society, King in his letter talks about Rosa Parks who was sitting in the back of the bus in a section of the colored people. She refused to surrender the seat to a white man who was standing. As a result, she was arrested and fined. In response, African American people under the leadership of a youn g pastor from Dexter Avenue Church organized a boycott in the Montgomery bus station. The Civil rights movement in America began to be active in order to protest against such acts in search for justice. Further, the civil rights movement was strengthened in 163 when Martin Luther King gave his â€Å"I have a dream speech† in which he strongly condemned racial injustices in the American society. African Americans were challenged to gain black power that would enable them to revolt against the system and establish their own system so that they can stay as men. The African Americans have to establish their own black culture in order to erase the lies that the white man has fed in their mind since they were born. Due to the demand for black power, the civil rights movement in the US in 1960s had made gains in that legal discrimination in the South had been eliminated. However, legal victories did not mean easy access to jobs, high standards of living, education, or end of racia l segregation. The end of 1960s were years of protests and polarization in that bodies such as SNCC and the student league r industrial democracy were formed to fight against racial discrimination. Discussion questionsi. What were the major challenges that the black community in American society experienced?ii. How were the violence and discrimination against the black community?iii. What names were given to the African Americans in the American society?iv. Were the criticisms against King’s call for racial justice justifiable?

Career Of Pedro Almodovar Film Studies Essay

Career Of Pedro Almodovar Film Studies Essay Pedro Almodovar is undeniably one of the great film auteur’s of our age, having defined decade’s worth of Spanish national cinema. As stated by Isabel Cadalso â€Å"By the time Franco’s death released Spain’s seething subculture, Almodovar was at the centre of it.† (Cadalso)His combination of witty, flamboyant and daring scripts, brilliant performative actors and the vibrant setting of Spanish culture in Madrid always manage provide an in depth insight into the turbulent lives of his characters. â€Å"Madrid has figured prominently in Pedro Almodovar’s cinema, gradually coming into focus as the implicit protagonist of nearly every work. In these films, the city is regularly images as a cultural force, producing forms of expression and action that challenge traditional values by tearing down and rebuilding the moral institutions of Spanish life: the family, the church and the law.† (D’Lugo)There are always many layers to Almodov ar’s films, particularly in the setting and social context, usually being Madrid. Throughout his career we can see how they have developed with the changing political climate of Spain as well as his maturing age, with his films being particularly different from the 80’s to the 90’s and onwards. Madrid is a metaphorical subtext in his films in many different ways, be it relating to characters, situations they are in or the political climate. As stated in A Punk called Pedro â€Å"Madrid functions as a ‘character’, breaking down boundaries between the public and the private arenas. Madrid provides a framework for the new interactions between social behaviours and ‘becomes the site of a radical series of social desires.† (Toribio) Madrid is a place for Almodovar’s character’s where â€Å"They are able to seek kindred spirits in an atmosphere that†¦ is socially liberating and the impetus for new artistic creativity.† (Toribio) As the city it changes, adapts and explains much of the action that is not in Almodovar’s films. Early in Almodovar’s career, he directed two fantastic, yet very different films; Labyrinth of Passion and Matador. These films were both critically acclaimed and duly noted for their vibrant display of Madrid as setting and as a representation of the new Spanish culture. As written in Pedro Almodovar: A Spanish Perspective during the 1980’s†Spain was experiencing a fascinating period of giddy and radical changes. It was a country thousands of miles away from the distorted portrait Franco had shown to the rest of the world, a portrait that fit only within the hypocritical moral values of a dictatorship.† (Cadalso)It was during this period that Almodovar thrived and these two films were made. â€Å"Madrid is the realistic, almost unaltered decor in which Pepi, Luci, Bom and Labyrinth of Passion were filmed and in which the characters could mo ve more freely, reflecting the experience of a generation of Spaniards, like Almodovar himself, who could only quench their thirst for creativity in the large urban areas: cityscapes in these early films tend to emphasize the concept of physical movement and social mobility underscored the very word, Movida, ‘movement.'† (Toribio) We can see in Labyrinth of Passion the colourful new wave of Spanish culture, so vibrant and different to anything previously known to Spain. A prime example of this is in El Rastro a Sunday street market of Madrid, which â€Å"was an important showcase for all subcultures, but significantly for the movida, because of its unsanctioned and vaguely transgressive status. It was used as a meeting place and some stalls displayed their fanzines, records of emergent punk groups etc. For this reason it is an apt setting for Labyrinth of Passion (1982), especially the opening scene where it becomes Sexilia’s ‘shopping area’ for sex partners.† (Toribio)We see the completely different society to that of what we would have seen under the Francoist regime, there is liberty and freedom, life and passion, which had not been experienced before, culminating in a paradise of difference. As kinder states â€Å"The tortuously complex plot follows the tangled passions of an ensemble of young Madrilà ¨nes trying to escape the crippling influences of repressive fathers in order to pursue their own pleasure.† (Kinder) The subtext of Madrid is telling us how â€Å"†¦The Castilian director unfolded his passions amid a society that had just started to enjoy its own freedom. His uncontrolled and colourful films found a receptive audience in a population that was eager for spontaneity and light, for new stimuli that could again bring joy to the living. The Mediterranean spirit of freedom had been squeezed for four decades, and suddenly there was Almodovar, who dared to show on screen all the passion that previ ously had been politically impossible for Spanish society or its arts to express.† (Cadalso)We see as Sexilia moves through the city how there are many kindred spirits reciprocating the feeling and the buzz, yet there are also occasionally â€Å"non-movida city people, dressed in drab colours and expressionless, provide a background against which Sexilia, in her colourful attire, is distanced from the Spain they conjure up.† (Toribio)This heightens her difference from traditional Spain and the old regime. â€Å"In hiding the city’s shortcomings Almodovar was able to reveal the mood of the country once more as it progressed through the initial euphoria of democracy into disenchantment.† (Toribio) This shows how Maria fits into the Madrid setting and population easily with the new mentality and expressionism present in the place and her peers.

Political Environment Case Study Analysis Research Paper

Political Environment Case Study Analysis - Research Paper Example It encourages a series of revenge by the wrong doer to the society and thus crime is not stopped (Honderich, 1969). I would, therefore, try to show the sense in my program and its benefit in the long run when the inmates are incorporated in the society as rehabilitated. This way, the governor may understand it and convince, through his political power, his followers who might be tempted to be against the current program. This will be easier for him since the project has already won the hearts of the citizens. The programs for providing educational, vocational and treatment opportunities have not only gained national attention, but have led to the reduction of recidivism by 30 percent. My department will attempt to convince the governor that, this way, he will gain his political mileage even if it means associating the program with him. 2. Is there any room to negotiate with the governor? As a trade-off, would you offer to put in place some programs that are known to be tough on inmat es? If so, what kind? There is room to negotiate with the governor since the programs cannot be implemented without his support. The difference, between the governor’s ideology and the ideology behind the programs being implemented, is that the governor wants retributive justice while the program is working on restorative justice. In restorative justice, the main concern is making the victim whole and reintegrating the offender into the society through education, vocational training and humane treatment (Duff & Garland, 1994). This way, the offender is treated like other citizens and is given a chance to rehabilitate and understand the effect his offense has done to the victim. This approach does not satisfy legal principles, but the victim takes an active role in the process while offenders repair the harm they have done by being rehabilitated (Konow, 2003). Effort will be made to convince the society on the effectiveness of the preferred theory of justice. Therefore, enough mechanism will be put in place to ensure correct protocols are used to approach the politician. This way, there will be no need of a trade off by reintroducing tough programs for the inmate. This is because; these tough programs will not work well with restorative justice approach, which is meant to treat inmates as leniently as possible when it comes to punishment. Since the program has some ends to achieve, they will desire, just like the offenders to do so â€Å"through cooperation with others on mutually acceptable terms† (Rawls, 1999, p. 266). 3. Before dismantling your policies and programs, would you attempt to see how much internal and external support you have for them? If yes, whom would you contact and how? Incase the worse get to be worst, and the program requires to be dismantled, we will give a chance to public opinion. Since the program in place has already won some support from the public, it will be significant to assess the internal and external support. Th is will be done with the hope that the governor will be convinced, and if he is a democrat, he will go by public opinion. For this case, I will contact institutions like media and others which conduct opinion polls to assess the public opinion on the programs.

Product strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Product strategy - Case Study Example The following discussion seeks to implement the beverage, grocery, and baking industry pricing practices. The industry firms embark on a process of innovating and producing products that will achieve the desired responses. The IBIS World research report indicates that the companies present in the industry embark on customer-value oriented strategies in order to acquire their long-term goals and objectives (Stark, 2007). For example, Coca-Cola and Pepsi companies engage in the production of soft drinks in flavors best favored by different consumer groups. However, the companies embark on the use of credible pricing strategies in reflection to the market’s consumer needs. Notably, soft drinks manufacturers and grocery wholesalers engage in price-penetration strategy to ensure that their market segments grow competitively. The research study indicates that Coca Cola’s growth rate is overwhelming compared to its competitor, Pepsi that currently stands at a -1.7% (Ibis World Reports, 2014). On the other hand, retail and wholesale chains that grow, produce, and sale groceries an d baked products reveal similar pricing practices. For instance, Wal-Mart and ASDA retail stores have acquired profitable market segments and subsequent growth rates from the market due to the use of price-penetration strategies (Levin, & Kalal, 2003). The companies present in the food industry seems to implement similar objectives. For example, the companies realize that growth and diversification of investments remain a beneficial strategy since it enables businesses to enjoy economies of scale (Ibis World Reports, 2014). Asda Retail chains engage in market-penetration strategies and the use of low prices to increase their consumer-value responses. It is evident that the companies practice the use of high quality production practices to sell at medium prices to the customers (Levin, & Kalal, 2003). The

Priestleys purpose Essay Example for Free

Priestleys purpose Essay Unlike Gerald, Priestley describes Eric in the opening stage directions as not quite at ease. He has been expensively educated, and yet he is a disappointment to Birling: he and Gerald joke behind his back (p.10), and his father patronises him (p.12). He is kept out of the information about his fathers possible knighthood, and when he really needed help he felt his father was not the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble (p. 54). His drinking is an open secret within the family (though Mrs Birling chooses not to admit it to herself), and suggests that he lacks self-discipline. This is borne out by the behaviour that is revealed in the course of the play: he forced himself into the girls lodgings despite her protests, drunk and in that state when a chap easily turns nasty (p.52), has made her pregnant, and has stolen money from his father. But he also has an honesty that others lack. He is the only one to respond spontaneously to details of the girls death (p.11), and when he is forced to admit how he behaved towards her he has a strong sense of guilt because the consequences of what he did are so serious. We also believe him when he tells Birling that he would have let the girl stay at the factory (p.16) but Eric throughout the play is shown to be naive, even if his heart is often in the right place. (Stealing Birlings money, even though a crime in law, might be another example of this.) He does not have the realistic outlook necessary to make a success of his life. He is also shown to be immature, regarding the girl as a good sport (p.52), although she treated him as a child. Like every character accused by the Inspector, he is shown to be a hypocrite he is disgusted by the fat old tarts round the town (p.52), yet by this stage in her life, the girl is also a prostitute, though it is not clear whether Eric realises this.  He appears to have learnt very little from his privileged education, yet he has been impressed by the Inspector. At the end, like Sheila, he refuses to pretend things are like they were before, and is frightened by the fact that the older generation appear not to have learnt anything. He wants his parents to admit their mistakes as freely as he has admitted his. Though he is not a particularly pleasant character, we may feel that he is sincerely ashamed of his behaviour and is capable of changing for the better. Sheila  Priestley describes Sheila in the opening stage directions as a pretty girl and very pleased with life later, however, her prettiness is revealed as vanity and her happiness is shown to be selfish, bought at the price of the girls job.  Her first reaction to the news of the girls death is superficial she seems upset that it has spoiled her evening and Ive been so happy tonight (p.17), and is interested only in whether she was young and pretty. But, unlike her parents, she quickly comes to see her as an individual: these girls arent cheap labour theyre people (p.19), she tells Birling. She becomes agitated (p.20) as she realizes her own part in the girls death, and like Gerald later in the play runs out of the room. However, unlike her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, she returns to accept her guilt rather than to find a way round it. We sense at the start of the play that there is an unresolved tension in her relationship with Gerald; they are actually very different people. But it is Sheila who grows up in the course of the play: at the start she is playful and attention-seeking; at the end, she is thoughtful and reflective. By contrast, Gerald is revealed to be a moral coward, unable to accept the wrongness of his behaviour and taking comfort from the fact that no-one seems to have died after all. Like Birling, she readily admits to having met the girl. But her father admits this because he is unable to see that he has done anything wrong; Sheila, on the other hand, admits this because she is genuinely ashamed (p.23) and is trying to tell the truth (p.23). Of all the characters, hers is the only confession that does her credit Mrs Birling is first obstructive then defiant, and Gerald and Eric both confess at a point when they know they have been already found out. She is guilty of the sins of pride and envy she complained about the girl because she thought she was laughing at her, and because she was a very pretty girl too I couldnt be sorry for her (p.24). Although she asks how could I know what would happen afterwards (p.24), she does not try to escape from the blame. Priestley uses her as an example of someone who is vain and thoughtless, but not heartless: she is genuine when she says if I could help her now I would (p.24). But he intends the audience to learn the lesson that good intentions are no good if they come too late; Sheilas predicament is a warning to us.  Sheila herself warns both Gerald and Mrs Birling not to try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl (p.30). Once she has admitted her own guilt, her rà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½le in the rest of the play is to show others the importance of admitting the truth. She becomes disillusioned and hurt by what she learns about the rest of her family particularly Gerald, whom she now addresses bitterly (p.33) and with sharp sarcasm and irony (p.38) but when he has finally told the truth, she respects him rathermore than Ive ever done before (p.40). Facing up to our faults, Priestley suggests through Sheila, is painful, but not to do so makes things worse in the long run, as she says. This is part of Priestleys purpose in the play: to make us feel the urgency of rethinking the responsibility we bear towards our fellow men before it is too late.  Sheila emphasizes the importance of everyone learning from the Inspectors visit. She and Eric are the only characters who are not concerned whether Goole was a real Inspector she says it doesnt make any real difference (p.59), because she acknowledges her behaviour was morally wrong, whether or not it was legally wrong and whether or not it actually resulted in a girls death. By the end of the play, she has begun to have some understanding of what the Inspector is doing, so that she is able to see the world, and her responsibility, according to his values instead of those of her family. This is why she can see the trap her mothers arrogance is creating, and why she tries to stop her mother from exposing and condemning the childs father. It is only she and Eric, the two youngest and more impressionable characters (p.30) who, in Priestleys eyes, have profited sufficiently from the lessons on stage in front of them not to repeat their mistakes a second time as he hopes the audience will have too

Beowulf The Epic Hero :: essays research papers

Beowulf the Epic Hero What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind. In order to be a hero in an epic poem there were certain qualities you had to possess. First of all you had to be a male. It is rare to see any woman in epic poems taking on the role as hero. Women were usually only minor characters who are often not even named. Second of all you had to be a man of noble birth. Meaning that the hero had to be either a king, prince, knight or some other high-ranking person in society. Beowulf satisfies all of these requirements. He is the nephew of the king of the Geats, and son of a great warrior. As was common in literature up until recently, Beowulf’s mother was not named as well as Grendel’s mother. The slave character was not named too, which in my mind would indicate that women had little more status than slaves or property during the times of the Vikings. Fittingly enough, Beowulf’s sword even got a name, for it is by his sword that he earns his eternal fame and glory. However, besides the fact that Beowulf was of noble lineage and that he was a great warrior, he has some other noble qualities. On the plus side for Beowulf we can say that he was a pious warrior. Although he was from being a modest warrior, for he was anything but modest when it came to his great deeds of valor on the battlefield, he did credit Jesus for every success he has come across. This is not really a revolutionary idea for epic heroes, as we see the heroes of the Iliad, Odyssey, and the Aenied constantly praying to the gods for glory on the battlefield. The main difference is that they are pagans, and Beowulf is a Christian, which does not even really make sense because he was a Viking warrior and the Vikings were not Christians.

Vocal awareness

Language and vocal awareness Language Is a key element to be explored In drama. An Important characteristic of dramatic language Is the way it indicates the mood of a scene. It does this, by Incorporating stage directions Into the dialogue. We can often tell the mood of a character by the language that is used. For example the repetitions of the noun ‘Laurence' suggest that Beverly was annoyed with the fact that Laurence wasn't doing what she asked him to do. The way in which a play is written can inform us of the time period, the setting and it also helps to give each individual character an identity.Dramatic language is also able to indicate how actors should be grouped together upon the stage, for example the character of Beverly as a host of the dinner party she has to be up and serving drinks to make sure her guests are comfortable and satisfied. Altogether language helps the actors/actress to convey a naturalistic performance. The technique I found particularly useful whe n exploring my character has been language. This technique really developed my characterization as well as improved my knowledge and understanding of my character Beverly as she uses a range variety of punctuation.An example of this Is with the rhetorical question ‘dya know what I mean' this may suggest that Beverly Is the sort of person that Ilkes to be understood. Secondly, Beverly also uses a lot of question marks: ‘Dya get something to eat? ‘Dya get those larger? as the play was written in 1977 and the traditional role of women's changed in the 1 920's can suggest that Beverly abuses the freedom of not having to follow the traditional role of a women (cook and clean and providing) although she doesn't work but she still doesn't cook (that's why Laurence eats a lot of fast-food).We used an exercise in class where we walked around the room reading our monologues aloud and when we got to a punctuation marking such as a full stop or question mark we had to turn 90 degrees and then carry on. This told us where all the breaks where In the monologue and by doing this helped us get a better understanding of where the tension was In the piece. For example my character was Beverly; she's a very demanding character so the first scene starts off with lots of explanation marks: ‘Laurence! ‘ ‘No! this tells me that my character is quite angry and he tension would be high in this part of the monologue. As we continuously repeated this exercise which included the turning around and round (bearing in mind Beverly is the host of the party so she has to do a lot of talking, this was a disadvantage for me) which made me feel dizzy and as if the room was spinning around. This was relevant to my role because the whole dizzy effect can be used to portray a naturalistic performance as In the play Beverly drinks a lot so the dizziness can be a result of the alcohol.This can change her use in language as she is drunk. Vocal Awareness using my mon ologue piece I had to vocalise the vowels the consonants and the consonant only. My character was Beverly, I had to read act 1 scene 1 on all of Beverlys line reading only the consonant without pronouncing the vowels. This exercise seemed a bit weird at first as but I then realised that the character of demanding as she's always asking him to do things and she's always nagging constantly, she doesn't keep to the rural traditional wife law of having children, cooking and cleaning and expect Laurence to always eat takeaway and ‘pizza'.This technique really helped me to learn more about my character also using this technique helped me noticed that my character uses a lot of â€Å"Irnc† which kind of sounds like the word ‘drink this is significant as in the play Beverly continuously offers her guests drink Sue in particular as she declined most time but was forced by Beverly to have some more this also links with Beverleys super objective which is to keep her guest oc cupied and comfortable by offering them drinks as her way of being a good host as she's always trying to make a good impression.

McDonald’s and Crespiano’s Restaurants Essay

McDonald’s and KFC’s are two famous restaurants in Doha city. But even though they both serve delicious chicken meals in the same town, they don’t have anything else in common. They have differences in aspects of service speed, meals’ prices, and types of customers. McDonald’s serves meals at high speed as the staff who work there use computers in taking orders, radio headsets to communicate, and automatic timers to help with cooking. Unlikely, Crespiano’s is not as quick as McDonald’s because Crespiano’s staff number is less than McDonald’s. In addition, Crespiano’s system in taking orders is a manual system, no computers used, there is only one person who works as a cashier and takes orders in handwriting. In terms of meals’ prices, McDonald’s meals, are very expensive due to the fact that McDonald’s serves Pepsi and chips with every meal, while Crespiano’s meals are cheaper as they are served without these extras. However, Crispiano’s offers its customers a free home delivery. Unlike McDonald’s, Crespiano’s customers are of the local residents who live nearby the restaurant only because there is one main branch of Crispiano’s in the whole city. On the other hand, McDonald’s has more than one branch all over the city so it serves a bigger number of people and different types of customers. In conclusion, McDonald’s and Crespiano’s serve delicious meals. While they both have a different style in handling their business, customers have an opportunity to choose which style is preferable for them.

Assess the role of religion and festivals in Spartan society essays

Assess the role of religion and festivals in Spartan society essays "Based on a study of both ancient and modern sources, assess the role of religion and festivals in Spartan society" In Spartan society, religion and festivals played a pivotal part of everyday life for both men and women. The very system by which they lived, decreed in the Great Rhetra, was "Delphic-oracle-given", delivered by the celebrated Lycurgus. The Spartans, famed for their military-based lifestyle, were in fact dependant on military divination to advise them whether or not to go into war - if the signs were not right then even an essential military engagement may be delayed or abandoned totally. Similarly, they sometimes missed or did not fully participate in certain battles if there was a religious festival on at the same time. Another significant element of Spartan life - unions between young Spartan boys still in training and adult Spartan warriors - has been attributed to the relationship between the mythological Apollo and the adolescent boy Hyacinthus. Religion and festivals were also noteworthy aspects when it came to the lives of women; they relied upon the gods for fertility, bea uty and health. Thus, we can deduce that religion and festivals played a very important role in Spartan society, affecting their society politically, militarily and even shaping their values, attitudes and outlooks on life. The ancient Spartans life was governed by the oracle brought from Delphi, by Lycurgus. This oracle, known as the "Great Rhetra" detailed the laws of Sparta, in a place where there were no written laws. Paul Cartledge, in his book, The Spartans ¹, states that, "myth, religion and politics coalesced to produce the first glimmerings of a political history ... of the Spartan polis or state". He is saying that religion and politics in ancient Sparta are so tightly linked that it is impossible to consider one aspect without addressing the other at the same time. In fact, the very founder of the Spartan way of life, Lycurgus, ...

Receiver Paper -- Ted Youth Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Receiver Paper -- Ted Youth Speech - Essay Example â€Å"Leading Miami† was formed with the main objective of teaching the local youths in Miami about the values of leaderships, empathy, and self realization. According to Koenig, active leadership presents the best solution towards changing the way young people engage in civic activities in the city. He said that he believed leadership is the best avenue to changing the state of low civic activities not only in Miami but across the world as well. Koenig’s speech was a rallying call to the youths in Miami to take action towards changing Miami for better. The greatest lesson that the speech carried was on leadership and how it can be used to drive personal and communities ambitions to higher levels of achievement. Philip Koenig was very articulate about the subject of leadership. He said that teaching about leadership was a great opportunity for the youths in Miami to â€Å"create change within a broad spectrum on all sides.† He further gave examples of some of the world’s greatest leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi who took active role in civic activities. He said that empathy was the greatest personal value behind the passions of Mandela and Gandhi in leading to change the world for better place. Koenig was speaking to a group of mostly the youths that had assembled for the TEDx speech presentation in Miami in November 2013. Members of the auditorium had assembled to exchange experiences and also learn from others, what it would mean to change Miami to statuses of cities like Minneapolis a very active civic life. Speaker after speaker was a youth perhaps to authentic the fact that the speech presentations on the day was as forum for the youths of Miami. The audience was also representative of the American multiracial diversities. Speakers were also from different racial backgrounds. Philip entered the stage just moments after an African-American youth had just finished making his presentation. The occasion was specificall y dedicated to youths of Miami to learn about what they could do to change their city for a better place. The rallying call that Philip made was for the youth to rise above the below average ratings of their city and compete with the likes of Minneapolis where civic engagement by the populace was way above. The audience applauded the speaker in appreciation after he finished his presentation. Koenig was an effective speaker and being a member of the audience, I found him very articulate in presenting his views. His major objectives were to call upon the youth to take an active role in engaging in civic activities. He also wanted to tell the youths to inculcate the spirit of empathy in them as they learn of leadership skills and self development. On the other hand, the speaker wanted the audience to know of various ways through which they could engage actively in civic activities in the city. The speaker created an impression that he is an authority worth listening to early in the sp eech. He stated that he has been running â€Å"Leading Miami†, an organization that has been in the forefront of educating and inculcating leadership values in the youths of Miami. He thus came forth as someone that has been in the fore when it comes to civic activities in the city of Miami. The speaker also employed the use of emotional appeal to capture the audience’s emotions. He said that taking part in civic activiti

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

Garabology - Essay Example This is my weekly routine before I go to the supermarket for shopping foodstuffs. A rough estimate of this waste equated to $12 which is about eight percent the grocery bill I handle every week. Another inclination on the same is the waste of textiles. I realized that my family would throw away several clothes every week and sometimes it included shoes, beddings and curtains. I realized that I threw away at least one cloth every week and that makes my expenditure on the same rise even though am comfortable with the same. There has also been waste associated with paper. This originates mainly from the used paper towels, packaging material, cut-outs of magazines and newspapers. I realized with the kind of artwork my younger sister is in to, we throw away such waste amounting to about 4 kg per week. This is regardless of other biodegradable substances she uses when drawing or painting. Polythene materials and plastic such as packaging material also form part of the materials that are thrown away. Since I do most of the grocery shopping during the weekend and most of the stuff I buy is packed using this material, it came to my attention that this was the main reason why I do collect a lot of polythene material for disposal every week. Glass can also be accounted as waste though it is not consistent. This may include breakage of cups or tumblers. My parents always complain how we are poor eaters and they would always try and tell us stories referencing to their days. They would at least not take one meal out of the typical three in a day because of the economic status of their parents at the time. This kind of garbage insinuates the idea that the family has more than enough to eat and spare. This is despite the fact the family does not maximize these products. This may portray the household as either a middle class or a high class family because the children therein are able to dispose at least

RESEARCH ON THE JAPANESE YEN Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ON THE JAPANESE YEN - Research Paper Example Precisely, this theory argues that a unit current, for instance, the Yen must have the same purchasing power in a foreign country. The study uses the Japanese Yen together with other currencies in testing the PPP hypothesis and focuses on the empirical analysis from 1980 up to March 2013. This period is divided into three windows. The first window is what is referred to as the complete sample; the pre-crisis sample, which began in January 1980 and ended in August 2008, is the second window. The third window is referred to as the crisis sample, starting from September 2008 up to March 2013. The Japanese Yen among other currencies such as the Euro, the British pound and the U.S dollar are key currencies of the recent floating exchange rate period. In this regard, the first step of the study was to check for the stability of the real exchange rate prior to and after Lehman Brother’s crash in 2008. The empirical results showed that the real exchange rate is not constant for Japane se yen. For a proper evaluation of the problem under study this paper will comprise of various sections, including a brief literature review, the econometric methodology, data and empirical evidence, and lastly a summary of the findings and concluding remarks. The purchasing power theory dates back to several centuries ago, beginning with the Spanish doctors and the ‘Salamanca School’ of the 16th century who had crucial contributions to the economic theory (Laurentiu). They designed a quantitative money theory of the foreign exchange, which was based on diversity in purchasing power in various countries from observing the general effects on price levels, exchange rates and money supplies of large inflows of gold from the newly discovered continent, America. The celebrated Augustinian doctor, called ‘Doctor Navarrus came up with some outstanding contributions in

Culture and Healthcare in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture and Healthcare in America - Essay Example According to Loraine Magda (2007) "From academia to the applied sciences, medicine, law and politics, Western society operates from a paradigm firmly based on materialism with grave skepticism, and unless proven true by science, becomes relegated to the wasteland of wishful thinking." Most scientists believe that science starts with basic questions and as they try to answer, and develops the answers, it leads to further questions. When students are taught on this basic belief they ignore the interplay of science with society, and such training tends to obscure connection between science and society. Thomas Kuhn says "to acquire the status of a paradigm, a scientific achievement must offer sufficiently convincing resolutions of previously recognized problemsmust also have enough unresolved problems to provide the puzzles for subsequent research practice within the research tradition it comes to define" (Marshall1998).

The Price Elasticity Of Moisturizing Cream

The Price Elasticity Of Moisturizing Cream Considering the above table, we find that the quantity demanded has increased from P0 to P4. But we do not see a significant decrease in the price of the product. Does that mean that moisturizing cream is price inelastic? The answer to the question is NO. Moisturizing cream is definitely price elastic. But price is not the only factor that affects the demand of the cream. The other major factor that affects the quantity demanded is Advertising cost. Moisturizing cream can be considered as a non essential luxury durable good. According to Sethuram and Tellis ( in Farnham 2010,p 96), durable goods have lower price elasticity than non-durable goods. Usually consumers relate a higher price of durable good with a high quality. Hence they can pay higher price for a product. The non durable goods are more price elastic since consumers are not ready to pay more price for an item that will not last for a long time. According to the marketing study of Sethuraman and Tellis (in Farnham 2010 ; p 97) producers should concentrate their strategies on advertising policies for cosmetics, luxury goods and new products. Higher advertising cost will help in creation of brand value and increase the sales of the product. Higher advertising will project the superiority of the brand with respect to the other brands (if done correctly). As seen from the table, the demand curve drawn would have positive slope. A demand curve with positive slope is common in markets that exhibit Conspicuous Consumption and the products that are categorized as Veblen goods. In the game, the highest market shares were experienced by firms that had the highest advertising costs. Considering the performance of the best 2 firms on the basis of profit and market share for five periods of GRITAIN MOISTURIZING CREAM INDUSTRY: It can be clearly seen that the market share is influenced by the advertising cost. In P1, firm 38 had a market share of 32.8% though its price was much higher than firm 35. This shows that when the advertising is higher, the quantity demanded for products like moisturizing cream and other beauty products is higher, irrespective of the country. Let us analyse the elasticity of Cement by considering the PIELAND CEMENT INDUSTRY. Again considering the performance of the best 2 firms in the first five periods on the basis of market share and profit we have: On considering P2, it can be found out that the market share of firm 7 is much higher than its closest competitor firm 9 in spite of the fact that firm 9 spent heavily on advertising. This shows that consumers demand more units of cement if it is cheaper, making it highly price sensitive. It has a low price elasticity of demand. It was observed that making profit was highly difficult in the cement industry. A right mix of advertising and pricing strategy was required. A very low price would help in achieving a good market share but would make it very difficult to break even. According to Dr. Divina M. Edralin (2004) The cement industry is highly capital-intensive, as it needs substantial investments in fixed assets like plant and equipment. The industrys main product is characterized by low price elasticity of demand, limited shelf life, and expensive handling and transportation costs for imports. According to Dr Edralin, globalization has provided opportunities to transnational cement corporations to monopolize the worlds cement industry by managing the economies of scale because of their large capital investments and thus making it difficult for smaller domestic firms/factories producing cement. PART B: PRODUCTION AND COST ANALYSIS (SHORT RUN AND LONG RUN) SHORT RUN Considering the firm 28 in Pieland Moisturizing Cream Industry, the short run cost functions can be interpreted by looking at the total fixed and variable cost, average fixed and variable cost. The functioning of the firms of various industries from P0 to P4 can be considered as short run as the firms were not allowed to increase their capacity. Thus the capital input remains constant in those periods. Fixed Costs = Overhead costs + Interest on negative balance + advertising costs + depreciation (These costs are not related to the production). As advertising costs have increased because of managerial decisions, they can be categorized as discretionary-fixed costs. Depreciation is considered as a fixed cost because it is calculated on the basis of time and not on the basis of number of units that a machine produces. Variable costs = $2 per pot of moisturizing cream Depreciation is 5% per period Profit calculation was done as total revenue total costs If we combine the above two periods for firm 28, we have Total Revenue = 183200(period 1) + 252000(period 2) = $435200 Total Costs = 159800(period 1) + 191698(period 2) = $351498 Total Profit = $83702 Total sales = 46900 pots Profit per pot (combined P1 and P2)= $1.78 Profit for P1= 23400 (183200-159800) => Profit per pot = 23400/22900 = $1.02 Profit for P2=60302 (252000-191698) => Profit per pot = 60302/24000 = $2.51 As we can see, the profit has increased in the period 2. In real life situations where most of the durable products are quite price elastic, the managers have constraints of not increasing the product price (unlike the game). The costs of running the firm increases gradually as more competitors enter the industry and companies spend more on advertising costs. This costs the profits to reduce after some time and the firms are forced to innovate new products and strategies. This can be overcome by the economies of scale as well as by increasing the price per unit. In a luxury non-essential item such as moisturizing cream, it can be done by increasing the price per unit as moisturizing cream is more advertisement elastic and consumers are ready to pay a higher price. This can be seen in the prices of the best performing teams of Pieland moisturizing cream industry. Just 5 periods have been shown as the firms had the provision to increase their capacity from P5. If we consider the Pieland Cement Industry and analyse the pricing strategy of the best two firms we can interpret that to survive in the industry, it is very essential to keep the price low as cement is not very advertisement elastic and highly price elastic. This makes cement industry in any country highly vulnerable to competition. Hence the cement firms have to work in collusion to survive in the market. The cartelisation mode of functioning is very common in this industry. The case of collusion is not seen in the game as two out of four firms have made huge losses. LONG RUN According to Farnham (2010:167) moisturizing cream industry in the game has adopted the capital intensive method of production because there is a provision of buying large large quantities of capital investment. Considering the firms of Pieland Moisturizing Cream, a comparison can be done between capacities of two firms: one which did not increase the capacity and the other which increased the capacity. The cost per unit for each of the above periods for the firms would be: The cost per unit is calculated as (Overhead+Variable costs)/ Units produced for simplicity. The cost due to negative interest and the advertising cost have not been considered for the calculation. Above it can be seen that the cost per unit in P1 for firm 25 is more than firm 28. This is because the capacity utilization of firm 25 is lesser than firm 28. Firm 25 produced 12000 units in P1 whereas firm 28 produced 18000 units in P1. As it can be seen in Table B.7, the cost per unit for firm 28 has reduced consistently from P1 to P7. It is easier for firm 28 to breakeven quickly and sell the units at reduced prices and drive firm 25 out of competition. However, it was observed that when the capacity of the firm was increased from 45000 to 50000 units, the cost per unit came out to be the same $3.87. This can be correlated with the graph of Minimum Efficient Scale. According to Farnham(2010:178), the Long Run Average Cost curve becomes essentially flat with neither further economies nor diseconomies of scale. $4.11 $3.91 $3.87 Q=35000 units ( Minimum Efficient Scale ) The Long run average cost curve for firm 28 depicting Minimum Efficient Scale. Capacity Utilization Ratio (Production/Capacity) of Firm 28 is higher than Firm 25 in Pieland Moisturizing Cream Industry. The stocks not sold are also used to determine whether the firm needs to increase its capacity or not. Firm 28 has a higher capacity utilization ratio and has sold stock in most of its periods. So it gives it the incentive to expand its through investment in new structures and investment. Usually a ratio higher than 85% gives the incentive to increase the capacity according to Farnham (2010: p 352). For firm 28 the ratio is more than 95%. PART C: OLIGOPOLY AND GAME THEORY The game theory models can be linked to the PIELAND MOISTURIZING CREAM industry. Moisturizing cream is highly advertisement elastic. This makes all the firms in the industry incur high advertising costs in each period. Consider the advertising costs for some of the periods for various firms: As it can be seen, all the firms in the industry have constantly increased their advertising costs. It started with $30000 at P0 and ended up in millions. Majority of the firms ( 3 out of 5) suffered huge losses because of this. Advertising heavily in every period was highly essential to survive the competition and sell the product (referring table A.1 above). Thus in every period advertising heavily was the dominant strategy for each firm. If the firms had co-ordinated their strategies, the advertising costs would not have reached millions. They could have sold the cream pots at higher price with minimum advertising cost. All firms ended up worse off than if they had been able to co-ordinate their strategies. All firms became prisoners of their own strategy particularly firm 25, 26 and 27 considering the final profit figure in table C.2 (Farnham 2010: p258). Though firms 28 and 29 made profits their profits could have been higher if the firms in the industry had co-ordinated and followed a co-operative oligopoly model. But the fear of punishment prevented the firms to collude (punishment from anti-trust/anti-cartel in real world). If the advertising costs of Firm 28 are considered in particular, they have increased with every period. However, the advertising cost in P14 of Firm 28 was the lowest in the group. It was known well in advance that P14 would be the final period of the game. If Firm Id 28 had kept advertising costs similar to the other firms and for some reason it would have been unable to have good sales, my firm (firm 28) would have incurred huge loss. The lesser revenue would not have negated the effect of high advertising cost and my existing positive balance would have turned into negative. This made me reduce the advertising. The price was also brought down ( as seen in table C.3). The highest risk that Firm 28 faced during this period was : Overhead cost = (-$84213) Variable Cost = (-$63000) (production was brought down as lesser sales were anticipated) Advertising = (-$100000) Total = (-$247213) The positive interest was $2897. Thus the net risk becomes (-$244316). The balance in firm 28 was $289728.51 as on P13. Thus if there are no sales in P14, there is still a positive balance of around $45412.51 ($289728.51 $244316). I considered this strategy as the best for my firm regardless of the strategy that other firms choose. I consider this scenario as the Nash Equilibrium because from a set of strategies, I have chosen the best strategy considering that the other firms will also choose their respective best strategy (Farnham 2010: p 258). PART D: IMPACT OF MACROECONOMY The macroeconomic scenario can be evaluated on the basis of the total quantity demanded for a particular product. Let us consider the Pieland and Gritain Moisturizing cream industry: As it can be seen from the table, the quantity demanded for units in Pieland as well as Gritain has grown in each period (except in P14 for Pieland). However, the quantity demanded curve shows a steep slope in Pieland in comparison to Gritain. This shows that the growth rate is higher in developing countries than the developed ones. The quantity demanded has a lesser slope for periods between P1-P4 since the monetary policy was deflationary. The consumption of a non essential luxury item such as moisturizing cream is less. However, from P5 the consumption increased as the monetary policy was reflationary (interest rates were cut) causing people to spend more on cosmetics. Reflationary fiscal policy causes the reduction of either the direct or indirect taxes. This leads the people to consume more. The reflationary policy caused accelerated growth from period 10. But accelerated growth caused inflation. It can be inferred from the graph that the governments and banks increased the taxes and interest rates. This brought the consumption down which is apparent from P13-P14. The effects of fiscal and monetary policy were more easily visible on emerging/developing economy of Pieland than on Gritain since Pieland has a higher growth rate. A suitable monetary and fiscal policy will affect the markets of Pieland more than Gritain.

The Difficulty with Defining Emergency Essay -- Expository Definition

The Difficulty with Defining Emergency The word "emergency" has lost its meaning where cellular phones are concerned. Instead of calling to say, "Someone here is bleeding profusely," what you get is, "Should I wear my blue shirt or my red shirt tonight?" Since when is color scheme dubbed an emergency? One of the first lessons I ever learned from my father, a veteran police officer, was what an emergency was. "If the house is on fire," he would say, "that is an emergency." "If anyone in this house requires serious medical attention for any number of idiotic reasons, that is an emergency." (For the record, there were at least eight idiotic reasons, but that's another story for another time.) "If, however, you and your brothers are in a brawl or someone is doing something they shouldn't, that is NOT an emergency." After that conversation, there was never any question in my mind of what an actual emergency was. Time passed and the world was taken by storm with electronic pagers. The code for an emergency was "911". Of the five people who had my pager number, four of them cau...

Genetically Modified Foods Speech Essay

SPECIFIC SPEECH GOAL: I would like to increase the audience’s knowledge of genetically modified foods, their history, and the controversy that it involves. THESIS STATEMENT: I want to inform my audience by explaining exactly what genetically modified foods are, as well as, there intended purpose, history, advantages, disadvantages and controversy surrounding them. Introduction I. Before you eat a meal or snack do you ever actually think about where it comes from, what is in it, and how it will affect your body? Most people these days consider eating to be a mindless act, especially when they are so busy with school, work, and other things. They eat foods that are conveniently available with little regard for what is in them. II. I was one of the people up until a few years ago when I started doing some research and came across information I was unaware of. III. Did you know that 80% of the food in our grocery stores is genetically modified in some way, shape, or form? This may be a big deal for some of you or some of you it may not be because you are not fully aware of what this means. IV. In my speech today, I would like to make you aware. I will explain exactly what genetically modified foods are, their purpose, their advantages, their disadvantages, the controversy, and what this means for you. Body I. What are Genetically Modified Foods? A. Genetically modified foods, also go by names such as, genetically engineered foods, or genetically modified organisms, better known as, GMOs. B. The official definition of GMOs is organisms that have been genetically modified by having their genes altered to enhance desirable traits that do not occur naturally to achieve a better organism. Transition Statement: Farmers have been naturally modifying plants and animals for thousands of years through selective breeding and hybridization so what is the purpose of GMOs? II. What is the purpose of genetically modified foods and their history? A. The genetic engineering of foods allows scientist to speed up the processes of moving desired genes from one plant or animal to another. It also is used in an effort to enhance the nutrition and flavor or foods. This process was discovered in 1980. B. Skip ahead to 2004, 8. 25 million farmers in 17 countries produce genetically modified crops. The United States and Canada are the top 2 producers and some of the only countries that do not require the labeling of GMO foods. Transition Statement: So as you can see genetic modification has been around for a while so what is the big deal now? Some people will tell you there are many good reasons for GMOs, while many will give you a very different view. III. The Advantages versus the Disadvantages of GMOs. A. Supporters will tell you that GMOs help produce more nutritious tastier foods, disease and drought resistant plants, increased supply of food to help feed the world, reduced pesticide use, economic and environmental benefits, and reduced energy use. B. Those who oppose GMO’s will tell you the opposite. They say that GMOs are created in a lab with methods totally different from natural breeding methods. The say GMO’s can be toxic, allergenic, or less nutritious, they are not adequately regulated, and they actually increase pesticide use, as well as, create serious problems for farmers. C. Those opposed believe the only ones benefiting from GMO’s are big businesses like Monsanto. Monsanto’s company is the largest producer of herbicides, pesticides and genetically modified seeds. One of the problems that GMOs create actually benefits this company. Nature adapts so plants will becomes resistant to herbicides and pesticides. As a result, toxic herbicide use has increased 15 times since GMO’s were introduced. This means our interaction with these toxins has increased by the same amount. D. While America and Canada stay in the dark about GMO’s, 60 countries around the world have significant restrictions or outright bans of the production and sales of GMOs. E. Whatever side you choose to be on, the main thing that concerns me, and should concern you, is that these plants have never been tested for the safety of human consumption. This means we are all a part of one of the largest scientific experiments around without our consent and without any knowledge of what the outcome may be. Transition Statement: I don’t know about you but that seems a little scary to me. This is why many Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment. IV. Protection, labeling, and what to look for. A. Many polls have been taken and about 60% of people would not eat genetically modified foods if they were labeled. B. The labeling of GMOs is not required in the US. So finding out which foods have them requires a bit of work. C. There are 8 crops currently being genetically modified: Corn, Cotton, Canola, Alfalfa, Hawaiian Papaya, Soy, Zucchini and Summer Squash. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, these crops show up in almost all of our foods in the form of oils or ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and maltodextrins, just to name a few. There are too many to list and they are in pretty much all of the junk foods, processed foods, and frozen foods we eat. They are also in foods such as, bread, yogurt, milk, meats, and baby foods. D. The best ways to avoid GMOs are to buy organic, grow your own garden, read labels, avoid main genetically modified ingredients, buy organic grass-fed meat, stay informed, and do your research. Transitional Statement: I have informed myself with a lot of information about GMOs, a lot more that I have shared in this speech. As you can probably figure out by now, I am one of those Americans that are trying to opt out of the GMO experiment. Conclusion I. Now I feel I have given you the information to be a little more knowledgeable. You should now know about what a GMO is, their purpose, pros, cons, and how to protect yourself should you choose to. II. Do I personally avoid all GMO’s? No. Not from lack of trying, but trying to read every ingredient was and is a very daunting task. What I do try to do is avoid as many as I can. I have altered my diet to avoid most processed foods and I try to check ingredients as best I can. I made all of my daughter’s baby food from scratch with only organic fruits and vegetables, and I make sure most of the snacks I give her are GMO free. III. We vote with our dollar and the only way we can make this an easier task is by refusing to buy the foods with genetically modified ingredients and lobbying for our government to require labeling so we can make the choice easily if we want to buy genetically modified foods or not. References GMO Facts. (2013). Retrieved October 14, 2013, from the Non-GMO Project website: http://www. nongmoproject. org/learn-more/ Caplan, A. L. (2013). Genetically Modified Food: GOOD, BAD, UGLY. Chronicle of Higher Education, 60(2), B4-B5. Examining Genetically Modified Food. (2013). Retrieved October 14, 2013 from the For Dummies website: http://www. dummies. com/how-to/content/examining-genetically-modified-food. html Genetically Engineered Foods. (2012, July 05). Retrieved October 6, 2013 from the University of Maryland Medical Center website: http://umm. edu/health/medical/ency/articles/genetically-engineered-foods PsycheTruth. (2012, October 5). GMO Food, How To Tell, Truth About Genetically Modified Foods & Label GMO Psychetruth Nutrition. Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=3HYNBY5IKAQ&feature=share&list=PLvP8YsX0ebXaunR4wgSHJdKHPzpQCtgsx.