“Astronomer’s Wife” by Kaye Boyle Essay

In the opening paragraph of Kay Boyle’s Astronomer’s Wife, Boyle depicts a woman who is oppressed of an equal, intelligent conversation with her spouse. Mrs. Ames sees to all matters of running a successful household, while the astronomer sleeps late and is a loner. His profession makes it clear that he spends a lot of time in thought and alone in the dark at night. Boyle explains, â€Å"He was a man of other things, a dreamer. At times he lay still for hours, at others he sat upon the roof behind his telescope, or wandered down the pathway to the road and out across the mountains.† Since the astronomer is often in his own world, Mrs. Ames is expected to cater to his needs. â€Å"That man might be each time the new arching wave, and woman the undertow that sucked him back, were things she been told by his silence were so.† This quote exemplifies how involved in his work the astronomer is. Whenever he is on the brink of a brilliant idea, she interrupts his train of thought. Therefore, she is the undertow that breaks the force of the arching wave. The astronomer was obviously obsessed with his work leaving little time to act as a husband. The marriage appears to be one that compromises Mrs. Ames’s, and perhaps the astronomer’s, happiness. This is where the plumber is introduced and Mrs. Ames begins to find stimulation outside her marriage. Something as simple as a conversation with a plumber about a stopped elbow is enough to trigger an awakening in Mrs. Katherine Ames. When Mrs. Ames realized that the plumber was talking about something she understood, she in turn realized that her marital problems were not the result of a division between the sexes; instead, she avalid one. She is not happy with a man who wants to go â€Å"up† and that she rather prefers â€Å"down†. Through meeting the plumber, she recognizes this and is â€Å"called to go down†. Mrs. Ames is seeking happiness and someone in whom she can relate. She needs something that speaks to her, something that means something to her, and she wants to change. Mrs. Ames feels a connection to the plumber. He involves her in his theory and she develops her own thoughts. Where her husband treats her as unimportant, the plumber makes her â€Å"bewildered that it should be a man who had spoken to her so†. The astronomer’s wife is trapped in a lifeless  marriage and somewhere there appears a line in which she is not sure if she should cross. The plumber has made her feel like she thought no man ever could. The point is simple; Mrs. Ames has desired respect over the years and finally along comes a man that gives her that much needed self-dignity. When one’s feelings are taken advantage of or neglected, it is natural for that person to begin to look for a beau who will nurture those needs. Whether this is an act that is carried out subconsciously or intently does not matter. In the case of Mrs. Ames it is happening without her permission, but even as she tries to deny her inner feelings and needs she finds them leaking through, like water from a pipe, and the reader begins to wonder if maybe the plumber wasn’t there just to fix a dripping wash-basin.

Beer and Heineken

Budweiser Vs. Heineken – Presentation Transcript 1. Budweiser Marketing Mix 2. Heineken 3. Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. – Thomas Edison 4. Introduction * Anheuser-Busch * Anheuser-Busch Inc. is a strong and dominating company that is a leader in the beer market. They are a company that is rooted in values, ethics and sheer determination. * Anheuser-Busch targets consumers who are interested in alcoholic beverages that provide the best taste and quality. Their targets are anyone from the lower class of society, all the way up to the upper class. They have a wide range of brands and beverages to offer that are appealing to each social class. 5. Brief History * Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. traces its roots to 1852 and the Bavarian Brewery in St. Louis. * Adolphus Busch, a successful German businessman, joined his father-in-law in the business in the 1860s and took on increasing responsibility. * Budweiser was the first national beer brand, introduced in 1876. * In 2008, Anheuser-Busch and InBev combined to become Anheuser-Busch InBev. The new company is the world’s largest brewer and one of the top 5 consumer goods companies in the world. 6. Introduction The Heineken family entered the beer business in 1864, when Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought a brewery in the heart of Amsterdam. Over the past 140 years, four generations of the Heineken family have built and expanded the brand and the company in Europe and around the world. It is thanks to the leadership of Gerard, Henry and Alfred Heineken that Heineken is one of the world’s leading brewing groups. Today Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken is delegate member of the Board of directors of Heineken Holding N. V. 7. Introduction At the end of 2007, Heineken has expanded to a number of 119 brewers in more than 65 countries all over the world with a number of 50,004 employee in the year of 2007. (Heineken N. V. , 2008). 8. Product 9. Product * Product Definition * General: Good, idea, method, information, object, service, etc. , that is the end result of a process and serves as a need or want satisfier. It is usually a bundle of tangible and intangible attributes (benefits, features, functions, uses) that a seller offers to a buyer for purchase. 10. Product: Budweiser Anheuser-Busch is an American-style lager and is one of the most popular beers in the United States. * Budweiser is made up of large proportion (up to 40%) of rice in addition to hops and barley malt. * Budweiser is produced in various breweries located aound the United States and the rest of the world. * It is a filtered beer available in draught and packaged forms. 11. * Introduced in 1982 * It was one of the first light beer s in the world * Bud Light is the best-selling beer in the U. S. and the #1 beer in the world * It’s brewed at all 12 Anheuser-Busch U. S. based breweries. Bud Light is brewed with all-natural ingredients – water, barley malt, rice, premium hops and yeast. * A blend of two and six row malt and cereal grains give bud light its clean, crisp, smooth taste. * There is 110 calories, 6. 6 grams of carbohydrates and is 4. 2 % alcohol by volume in each 12 OZ. serving Product: Bud Light 12. Product: Bud Select * Bavarian hops and an extended brewing process combine to give the Budweiser Select its distinctively full flavor-despite weighing in at only 99 calories. Dark gold in color and pleasingly aromatic, Budweiser select is impressive from any angle. The Exception to the Rule. 13. Product: Bud Light Lime * Bud Light Lime is a premium light beer that combines the superior drinkability of Bud Light with a splash of 100% natural lime flavor. * A light beer with 4. 2% ABV and 116 calories per 12 ounce serving 14. Product: American Ale * Debuted in September 2008. * The beer offer complex taste without much bitterness. * It is the first beer under the Budweiser name that is brewed as an ale rather than a lager. The beer has a darker color which is a departure from other Budweiser brands 15. Product: Bud Dry was introduced in the U. S. in 1990 with the slogan of â€Å"Why ask why? Drink Bud Dry. † * It was originally successful in the test markets and was expected to be a popular beer with the rise in lager popularity. * However, with the introduction of Bud Ice in 1994, Bud Dry began to decline in the mainstream popularity and no longer receives attention. 16. Product: Bud Ice * Introduced in 1994 as â€Å"Ice by Budweiser†. * Contains more alcohol (5. 5%ABV) more than Budweiser. * Bud Ice Light was introduced in 2007. * Contains 4. 1% ABV and 110 calories. 17. Product: Clamato Chelada. A blend of Budweiser or Bud light and Clamato. This bevera ge became available nationally in late 2007 due to overwhelming popularity during test marketing. * In its most basic form, the chelada is a fairly innocuous mixing of beer with lime and salt. Miller's new product, Miller Chill, incorporates these flavors in their new product, which they have slotted as a super premium light beer 18. Marketing Mix: Product Keegan and Schlegelmilch define a product as a collection of physical, psychological and symbolic attributes that collectively yield satisfaction, or benefits, to a buyer or user. When we interpolate the above definition into Heineken, we see that all three parts mentioned above, i. e. Physical, Psychological and Symbolic apply to Heineken products. 19. Brief Summary * When looking at the marketing mix of Heineken, we see that they have only a limited amount of products as they have a large diversity of brands. Their main product is of course, ‘the beer’. Currently, they have only four kinds of beer: * Heineken Pilsener * Heineken Premium Light * Heineken Tarwebok * Heineken Oud Bruin * The last two are specialty beers available only in USA and Netherlands. Of course they have a large variety of other brands to compensate 20. Products Heineken Pilsener This is Heineken’s regular beer which is the same as the original Heineken started with. Its mildly bitter taste, fresh, fruity aroma, bright color and exceptional clarity are obtained using only the purest water, hops and barley malt. Alcohol: 5% vol. 21. Products Heineken Premium light Heineken’s Premium Light is a beer brewed by Heineken mostly for the US market. It was introduced in 2005 and took them 10 years of market research, and was chosen from twenty options. The introduction of this beer was a big step for Heineken. Alcohol: 3. 3% vol. 22. Products Heineken Tarwebok/Special Dark (USA) Traditionally brewed and drunk in autumn, this aromatic, strong beer has a full-bodied, spicy taste derived from unique malts made with roasted spring barley and wheat. It is available only in Netherlands and in US under the name Special Dark 23. Products Heineken Oud Bruin One of the most traditional Dutch beer types, ‘Old Brown’ derives its rich, dark color and taste from its dark malt and hops. Natural sugar gives it a mildly sweet, caramel taste. It is available only in the Netherlands. 24. Products: Draught BeerTender A joint venture between Heineken and the electronic company Krupps resulted in the BeerTender which is a beer tapping system for use at home. It uses small lightweight 4-5 Lt. kegs. It is a closed system meaning that only available beer is from Heineken itself. It was first introduced in Netherlands in 2004 and found its was to eight other countries by 2008. In 2007 there were already 300,000 BeerTenders sold. 25. Products: Draught 6. Products: Draught DraughtKeg Another similar product that is developed and engineered is the DraughtKeg. It is a 5 Lt keg that has the entire tapping system built into it. The keg is portable, disposable, 100% recyclable and is manufactured in lightweight steel. It was first introduced in France in 2005. In 2007, it was available in 90 countries and sold more than 10 million units. 27. Products: Draught 28. Physical: Styling an d Packaging * Budweiser has introduced many can designs with co-branding and sports marketing promotional packaging. Today, most of these promotional programs are represented only on the 16 ounce aluminum bottle container. However, many major league baseball and NFL teams also promote 24 ounce cans marked with team logos. * NFL team-specific packaging for 28 National Football League teams from Budweiser and Bud Light. * Anheuser-Busch domestic breweries will be involved in the team specific packaging campaign, which will produce more than 78 different packaging combinations on 12 million cases of Budweiser and Bud Light aluminum cans. 29. Physical: Styling and Packaging Packages are sometimes tailored to local customs and traditions * In St. Mary's County, Maryland, ten ounce cans are the preferred package. * Chicagoans widely prefer the 16 ounce can. * Michigan prefer the eight ounce can. 30. Styling and Packaging * Presently, Budweiser is distributed in four large container volumes: half-barrel 15. 5 gal), quarter-barrel, 1/6 barrel and beer balls (5. 2 gallons). In smaller consumption volum es, Budweiser is distributed in eight, ten, 12, 16, 22, 24, 32 and 40 ounce containers. Smaller containers may be made of glass, aluminum or plastic. 1. Physical: Styling and Packaging * The Budweiser bottle has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction in 1876. * The top label is red and currently reads "Budweiser". The top of the main label is red with a white banner with a pledge on it, which has changed three times. Below the banner is a coat of arms of sorts, which features an Anheuser-Busch stylization. Below that is a large white box. 32. Physical: Styling and Packaging * Through early 1950s Budweiser was primarily distributed in just 3 packages: * Kegs * 12 ounce bottles * Quart bottles 3. Physical: Styling and Packaging * Metal Container Corp. supplies more than 60 percent of Anheuser-Busch’s domestic lids. * Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corp. recycles used beverage cans, which are remelted into new sheet aluminum. This business unit provides a posit ive alternative to mandatory deposits and helps reduce container costs. A-BRC annually recycles more aluminum cans than Anheuser-Busch sells domestically. 34. Physical: Styling and Packaging * Eagle Packaging Inc. supplies 100 percent of Anheuser-Busch’s domestic crown and closure liner materials * Longhorn Glass Corp. roduces longneck glass bottles and ships all its output to the Anheuser-Busch Houston brewery. LGC supplies the Houston brewery with more than 60 percent of Anheuser-Busch’ total glass bottle needs. 35. Analysis * Budweiser packaging concentrates more on co-branding and sports promotional packaging. * The can packaging size differs from one community to the other. * Larger container volumes ranges from 5. 2 gallons to 15. 5 gallons * A distinctive coat of arms of some sort which features Anheuser-Busch stylization. 36. Physical: Styling & Packaging Styling and packaging is critical and very important for Heineken. They also emphasize this by saying the following in their annual report of 2007: â€Å" Packaging is a key element in Heineken’s marketing and innovation strategy. New pack types create new consumption moments, build excitement around our brands, improved margins and higher volumes. † In this way, Heineken moves beyond from selling just beer to selling experiences by augmenting their product. We will see some examples of the creativity and innovation of Heineken when it comes to packaging. 7. Physical: Styling & Packaging Beer is typically served in two main types of packaging, bottles and cans. 38. Physical: Styling & Packaging Paco Bottle In 2004 Heineken introduced the Paco bottle which is made out of striking green aluminum to reinforce the brand’s premium positioning. With the Paco bottle, Heineken was the first beer brand to win Frontier’s Star Product of the Year award in 2005. â€Å" Heineken has succeeded in creating a brand new high value subcategory without cannibalizing from existing sales. The product, placement and price are all well adjusted to the travel retail environment. Paco creates a premium perception in a category that has never been perceived as premium. † [Pittilla, 2005] 39. Physical: Styling & Packaging DraughtKeg The DraughtKeg mentioned earlier caused a disruption in the beer market. Its unique functionality, offering real draft beer from a keg that is scaled down for convenience, improves the customer experience. What makes this so special is that it is done by a revolutionary packaging instead of a new flavor or a new style of brewing. 0. Physical: Styling & Packaging DraughtKeg It took 15 years to develop and an investment of $15million in a new production line. It results in 12-14 beers and costs only slightly more than a regular 12-pack. Because Heineken is a premium brand, this light increase in price will not bother the consumers since they get a better and fresher taste from the DraughtKeg. Since the margins on low-end beer are too slim to support this type of delivery system, Heineken has managed to use its creative packaging abilities to disrupt the commodity beer market. 41. Physical: Styling & Packaging Heineken WOBO In 1963, the then chairman , Alfred Heineken visited the Caribbean and noticed beaches littered with beer bottles and a shortage of building materials. This gave him the idea to use the beer bottle for another purpose then just hold beer and came up with the Heineken WOBO (World Bottle). The specially designed bottle was meant function like normal ‘brick and mortar’ construction. However, only 100,000 bottles were produced and now they have become a treasured collector’s item. 42. Psychological: Entertainment Sponsorship of the world’s premier sporting events * Maintains a high-profile presence with adult audiences through innovative marketing and sponsorship programs in sports, music and entertainment. 43. Busch Entertainment Corp. * It generates solid financial returns, supports Anheuser-Busch’s beer brands and enhances the Company’s image. * Busch Entertainment Adventure parks; * New shows and att ractions (â€Å"Believe†) * Wildlife conservation and commitment to guest service: Seaworld &Busch Gardens 44. Psychological: Environment The company recognizes the importance of being a good environmental steward in the communities where it operates. * Bio-Energy * Wastewater into a renewable fuel source * Recycles more than 97 percent of the waste it generates * Projects with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 45. Psychological: A positive lifestyle – Enjoy Heineken responsibly In 2004, Heineken became the first alcohol company in the world to link a responsibility message on bottles, cans and secondary packaging with a dedicated alcohol education website. This website, www. enjoyheinekenresponsibly. om , holds information on Heineken’s alcohol policy and provides information on the effects of alcohol and guidelines for responsible drinking. It also can redirect visitors to organizations dedicated to the subject. 46. Psychological: A positive lifestyle – Heineken Alcohol Policy Statement Heineken formed an alcohol policy statement, Heineken Alcohol Policy Statement (HAPS), that contains eight ruling principles shown below (Heineken Alcohol Policy, 2008). 1. Responsible consumption of beer is consistent with the maintenance of a balanced and positive lifestyle for most adults who choose to drink 2. The informed individual is responsible for his/her own behaviour 3. Heineken is committed to raising awareness regarding responsible consumption 4. We demand responsible behaviour of all employees in our family of companies around the world 47. Psychological: A positive lifestyle – Heineken Alcohol Policy Statement 5. Heineken companies are charged with ensuring that their commercial activities meet legal requirements and do not encourage irresponsible consumption 6. We want to help prevent abuse and misuse through dialogue and action 7. Implementation of the Heineken Alcohol Policy is mandatory in all Heineken companies 8. We will report on our actions related to our Heineken Alcohol Policy 48. Psychological: A positive lifestyle – Heineken Alcohol Policy Statement 49. Brand Image * We are all aware that it is very difficult to taste the difference between the varieties of available beer brands when given it unlabelled, it is almost impossible for a common man to say for sure what brand is it, and there are several cases on this issue. Therefore the styling and, packaging and brand image is very important. In the world of brew, consumer loyalty is shaped by brand culture (Barnet, 2001). 0. Positioning * Globally brewed and considered as leader on the market. * Holding a 49% market share of US beer sales * Quality product, best tasting, satisfying beer on market * Target market is 21 years and older * – Fun loving * – Care free individuals * – Drink occasionally and or on daily basis 51. Positioning 52. Positioning 53. Brand Strategy * Breweries: * 14 breweries in the US * 14 in China (to be 15 soon) * 1 in the UK * Brewing in partnership with Grupo Modelo in Mexico and Labatt Brewing Company in Canada * Not sell direct to customers Good sold to wholesalers, then retailers and finally to customers * Line strategy * Brand extension 54. Brand Strategy * Brand positioning * Attributes * Benefits * Benefits and values * Brand name selection * Selection * Protection 55. Brand strategy cont†¦ * Brand sponsorship * Manufacturers brand * Co-branding * Brand development * Line extension * Brand extension 56. Budweiser Brand Health * Measuring brand health gives a view of forward momentum — keeping the brand position relevant by staying ahead of constantly shifting customer needs and competitive pressure. Brands can be eternal if nurtured well. * Budweiser feels that, the â€Å"white and red blood cells† of healthy brands are resilience and leveragability thus their brand custodians must always realize that maintaining long-term brand health is usually more important than the short-term $ gains, thus they try to promote the health of their product through sponsorship. 57. Other brands * Bud light Budweiser/Bud Select Bud Ice Light Bud Ice 58. Other brands Budweiser American Ale Bud Silver Bud Light Lime Bud Dry 59. * Budweiser & Clamato Chelada Other brands Bud Light & Clamato Chelada 60. Brand Image Heineken is a group which owns a worldwide portfolio of over 170 beer brands, mainly pale lager, though some other beer styles are produced. As of 2006, Heineken owns over 130 breweries in more than 65 countries and employs approximately 57,557 people. The global beer market is expanding steadily, despite a decline in the traditional markets of West Europe and North America to approximately 1. 5 billion hectoliters in 2005 from 1. 4 billion hectoliters in 2002. 61. Brand Image â€Å" Heineken. Meet you There† Heineken USA as leading importer of beer into the US, including the flagship Heineken beer. Alaska distributors is a wholesaler of malt beverages in Washington and Alaska. Heineken did not approve a proposed transfer of distribution rights to another wholesaler, and later terminated the existing wholesaler and appointed a new wholesaler, Alaska Distributors. The market area for the distributor was North of Seattle, Washington. 62. Brand Image Heineken total beer volume was made up- Heineken brand 18. 7%, Amstel 9. 1% and other beer brands 72. 2%. 63. Filip Wouters VP Marketing Heineken Heineken USA Brand Image Heineken is an iconic brand that represents heritage, premiumness, innovation and quality around the world and is the gold standard for imports in U. S 64. Positioning Heineken is the world’s most valuable International premium beer brand. Heineken hopes to consolidate its position within the high growth Romanian beer and mineral water market by acquiring Transylvania-based brewer Bere Mures for an as yet undisclosed fee. As of 2007, Heineken owns over 119 breweries in more than 65 countries and employs approximately 54,004 people. 5. Positioning 66. Brand Strategy Building a winning brand portfolio centered around Heineken. Their brand strategy is to build a strong portfolio that combines the power of local and international brands and which has Heineken at its center. The consistent growth of Heineken requires solid creative brand management, which they always coordinate centrally. For the Heineken & Amstel brands, they develop and maintain central guidelines and standards for brand style, brand value and brand development. 67. Brand Strategy Heineken applies the following global brand strategy: â€Å"Our brand strategy is to build a strong portfolio that combines the power of local and international brands and which has Heineken at its center. (Heineken N. V 2005) 68. Brand Strategy 69. Heineken Brand Dashboard Heineken introduce a standard for measuring brand performance. Heineken brand Dashboard is a new system for measuring and reporting all essential keys performance indicators on sales, marketing and finance relating to the Heineken brand. This tools will make it easier to diagnose brand health issues and to have a consistent vies of the most successful growth drivers for the Heineken brand across the business. 70. Other Brand The Company’s other brands with some international distribution are Amstel which sold 630 million liters, Buckler, a nonalcoholic beer, which sold 90 million liter and Murphy’s Stout, recently acquired. As a result of acquisitions, Heineken also oversaw the brewing of many local and regional beer brands marked by its subsidiaries, such as Bir Bintang, the leading Indonesian brand. 71. Thank you

Citique of Research Studies Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Citique of Studies - Research Paper Example The abstract captures the main ideas of the article in a concise but informative summary. The abstract begins with informative ideas as background information concerning chronic kidney disease, which is the issue of focus in the paper (Cheng et al. 2011). It highlights the objectives of the experiment and a description of the methodologies used in the research. In the abstract, the results and findings are outlined in a precise form. Moreover, the abstract presents the main conclusions drawn from the study. The authors present the identified problem with clarity, extensiveness and relevance. From the introduction, it becomes clear that there is need for more efforts especially regarding the management of chronic kidney disease (Cheng et al. 2011). The authors introduce the surging problem and highlight that self-management support is one of the strategies that can help in slowing down the progression of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) to its final stages. ... 2011). A quantitative research is the best because it will provide data on the progression of chronic kidney disease from one level to the next. The hypothesis highlighted in the paper is the fact that self-management support systems have the potential of CKD. The authors highlight that the self-management programs is one of the ways through which the progression of CKD occurs (Polit & Beck, 2013). Self-management is one of avenues where participation of the patient occurs, which is a paramount issue in reducing rates of progression of the CKD to its advanced state. The authors also mention the critical variables that will define the rate at which the progression occurs in both patients under the self-management support programs and the control group. The authors introduce a level of consistency in the conceptual framework of addressing the problem, and the available literature. The authors offer a short review of the available literature concerning the chronic kidney disease, explai ning how it results and the different stages of its progression. From literature review provided, it becomes evident that self-management is one of the ways that when coupled with early diagnosis present the probability of reducing the progression rate of CKD. The literature review represents the data reflected in previous primary researches concerning the progression of CKD to the end stage renal disease (Cheng et al. 2011). The authors highlight that there is an existing gap in the available literature because previous researches have not addressed the impacts of self-management support programs in altering the progression rate of CKD. The author highlights a conceptual framework in the

Why does the financial industry need to be regulated Research Paper

Why does the financial industry need to be regulated - Research Paper Example A sound financial industry primarily involves deep, efficient markets, solvent, operational financial intermediaries and a legal framework that clearly defines the rights and obligations of all participants. Financial markets are the core of any financial system architecture, holding a central position as they are a real catalyst for the overall economic activity. Depending on country-specific factors, culture and historical traditions, but also on the globalization of markets, national financial systems have both special features and common elements. Academic literature provides a classification of financial systems as follows: Bank-dominated financial systems (the German-Japanese model); Capital-market dominated financial systems (the Anglo-American model). If analyzing the characteristics of the financial systems over the past 30 years, we note the shift from the traditional bank-based orientation towards capital markets. Crucial elements of this change are monetary and financial integration processes and financial innovation. As part of financial industry, the US financial companies enhance money flows by offering various services in different areas: accounting, bank and credit unions, consultancy, insurance agencies, investment banking, professional services, security brokers, venture capital. With combined annual revenue of almost $65 billion, the US accounting and fiscal industry sums more than 90,000 companies (Richardson). The leading players providing accounting services include Price Water House Coopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG and H&R Block. The same recent statistical data reveal the structure of the US banking system shaped by 8,000 commercial banks, 1,400 savings banks and 10,000 credit unions with combined annual revenue of $600 billion. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Wachovia are the most powerful commercial banks. The US banking market is highly concentrated, 50 largest institutions spreading more than 60% of the financial industry. The credit union environment displays a fragmented anatomy with 6% of industry revenue, much lower than commercial banks percentage (80%) and closer to savings banks, with a share of 14%. Financial planning and consultancy services shape an industry with annual revenue of $15 billion split between 10,000 US firms. Morningstar, Value Line and units of financial services companies are in the top. In the field of insurance services, the 130,000 US units generate annual revenue of $85 billion, having as market leaders March & McLennan, Arthur J. Gallagher and Aon. Investment banking is served by 2000 companies with annual revenue of almost $110 billion, with the largest 50 firms holding 90% of the sector. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are the key competitors. The securities brokerage industry includes less than 4000 bodies, while the major players in investment companies are Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab, AG Edwards, and brokerage companies like Citigroup and Fidelity. Venture capital industry generates annual revenue of about $26 billion and has more than $250 billion under management. The most important companies include New Enterprise Associates, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, and Technology Crossover Ventures. Why does the financial industry need to be regulated? The empirical literature (Goodhart et al.) and practical experience point out three main reasons that justify government intervention in the financial industry: 1). Information asymmetry: unlike financial institutions, customers are much less informed, so that financial supervision aims to balance the situation; 2). Externalities: the collapse of an

Journal ad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal ad - Essay Example o the importance of the journal, its outspoken authority among world economy contributors who use the journal to reach the world in various economic topics makes it a popular tool on the shelf, table and mailbox in different publication formats. Its editorial environment has a consistent theme that captures the business world as a rare spectacle worth a keen following. This journal has a consistent package of features in terms of its coverage which is mainly focused on business and economy. However, a number of topics presented in the journal are highly varied. To illustrate this point, the above advert contained in the Wall Street Journal aims at reaching the properties market for possible buyers of the property named therein. Property market is a discrete segment with a highly competitive environment, perhaps making the reason why the advert features in a leading journal in the US and world market. In this advert, the reader is convinced to consider buying the house with a brightened exterior, indoor pool, good floors and space at only $639,000. In the wall Street journal, there are a number of related offers worth looking at for comparison since it is a competitive platform. It is a good investment by the owners since it has captured the market in a significant way across the globe. Cheema, Sushil â€Å"House of the Day: Massachusetts Colonial Holliston, MA† Wall Street Journal, 9 July 2011. Web. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904537404576554651535585940.html?mod=WSJ_RealEstate_LEADTopNews (accessed 8 September

Employability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employability - Assignment Example In the present scenario, there is no such situation where there is an elongated job for life. This means that it may not be possible for an individual to generate long-term contract with an organisation and in the meantime an organisation cannot expect an individual with loyalty and dedication towards the job. In the past scenario, there was a long-term commitment between an individual with an organisation. However, at the present time there is a chance for an employee to leave an organisation after a few months notice and may get appointed in the competing organisation (Senyucel, 2009). The commitment, motivation and job satisfaction of an employee are closely related which may result in increase in employee’s performance level. The trust, bond and commitment that were present between individuals and organisations have become weak in present scenario. The bond can be created by the human resource management itself by making inner investment within an organisation. Employees e xpect that their employers should consider them as one of the valuable assets of an organisation. Nowadays, employees expect the employers to invest on their training and development and for this organisations want the employees to be creative, flexible as well as productive (Senyucel, 2009). The psychological agreement between organisations and employees provides no benefit to employees because there is no enduring job security for them and organisations are continuously changing the conditions of employment. As there is huge competition, the employees are looking for better opportunities in order to develop their knowledge as well as skill. Organisations in present condition, at times hire an individual on a short-term basis. As a result, there is no employment assurance for an individual. The organisations are incapable of fulfilling the psychological contract as demanded by an employee due to various reasons. The training and development as required by an employee from an organi sation requires both time and resources for conducting such program. An organisation has less time to allocate the entire resources for the programs for employee. To fulfil this need, other employees need to be allocated in place of one who undergoes training program, but it seems to be quite difficult because hiring of new candidate for short-term is required and as a result more wages have to be paid to increased number of employees. Therefore, the psychological agreement seems to be unable to be fulfilled by an organisation (Senyucel, 2009). Change in the nature of work also has an impact on the older generation people. A few individuals prefer to leave the job due to physical activities whereas the others remain in the job. According to a report published by Richard W. Johnson, in the year 2006, employees faced various types of job demand. Only 7% of employees were interested in physical activities related work. Nonphysical works were in high demand among the individuals. 35% em ployees were employed in the job which requires high cognitive skill. Use of computer has become significant for performing the job. 18% of employees need relevant skills as well as knowledge and interpersonal skill has become vital for 34% of jobs. In present jobs, stress has become a common aspect. About 9% of employees are involved in stress related to conflict

Kant's ethical theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kant's ethical theory - Essay Example Immanuel Kant is the founder of Critical Philosophy, and he is also the Father of Modern Philosophy. By applying the Critical Method to the study of Pure Reason, Practical Reason and Judgement, Kant endeavored himself to the knowledge of Man. His findings provide a wide spectrum of implications in order to establish the frameworks of Absolute Empiricism,Absolute Rationalism and Absolute Idealism In the realm of any ethical theory, there are some standpoints that can be taken, so an ethical system could be Deontological, Teleological, Consequentialist, Relativism/Subjectivism, and Virtue Based Theories. Kant’s ethical theory is purely based on duty, so it is deontological. The uniqueness and originality of his ethical theory springs from the application of the concept of Categorical Imperatives (unconditional) instead of Hypothetical Imperatives (condicional) as the philosophers before Kant used to build their ethical theories, especially in the case of Thomas Aquinas. The Cate gorical Imperatives demand to be universalizable in order to be accepted as valid guidelines for action. The concepts of autonomy and heteronomy along with the principle of treating human beings as ends in themselves, not as means, give rise to valid conclusions about respect for human dignity, freedom in every ethical choice, and the eventual state of peace that can be accomplished with such an ethical system. It lacks the presence of Unconditional Love as Kant tried by all means not to deal with the conflicts that arise out of building an ethical theory based on emotions. But Unconditional Love is much more than an emotion as it can be considered to be a Categorical Principle. 2. Defining how Kant distinguishes between autonomy and heteronomy. Autonomy is the freedom of choice without any external determination, and Kant established that it is necessary for a human act to be considered moral in itself. Heteronomy is the external determination of human acts (for example, God or a motivation based on any kind of reward or punishement) so heteronomy interferes with the freedom of choice of the individual taking away from the agent the capacity of using his/her reason as a whole human being according to the Law of Nature to act in a moral way. The implications of this standpoint about morality are summed up as follows: "If our actions are pre-determined and we merely bounce around like snooker-balls, we cannot be described as free and morality doesn't apply to us. Kant could not prove that we are free - rather, he presumed that we could act morally, and for this to be the case we must be free. He also thought that it followed that there must be a God and life after death, otherwise morality would make no sense." (RSRevision.Com, 2006). 3. Explaining Kant's formulation of the "categorical imperative." A categorical imperative is an unconditional motivation to act morally as a free agent. This concept is very useful from a practical viewpoint since actions guided by a categorical imperative are free from speculations or dogmatic interpretations. That way our actions are morally correct, and they are good in themselves since they are valid for everybody according to the universalization process explained by Kant. Those actions spring from the good will of man since the main motivation is a strong sense of duty. Some of the formulations of the categorical imperative are the following: "Act only on that maxim (intention) whereby at the same time you can will that it shall become a universal law" () "Always act to treat humanity, whether in yourself or in others, as an end in itself, never merely as a means." (Philosopher.Org, no date). 4. Explaining how adherence to the categorical imperative provides for autonomous ethical choice. Whenever we are faced with conflictive choices the categorical i

RocketBoom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RocketBoom - Essay Example Rocketboom has an organizational structure that differs from the traditional television programs that feature the unidirectional structure. It targets international audience by engaging them in discussions and in various formats and platforms (VCTV 2007). The Rocketboom video covers the top and new stories with a bias on international arts and weblog drama. It presents the videos online and also distributes them via RSS. The firm’s content can also be accessed via its website, iTunes and subscription through emails. The availability of its content online gives it a larger audience than the television companies. Unlike traditional televisions that spend heavily in production, it uses simple facilities to compose its content (DeVilla 2006). Failure to understand the concepts of IT and business would have deprived it the opportunity to thrive in the hostile market. As discussed above, most traditional television companies fail to register growth because of their limited knowledge or lack of using IT exhaustively. Lack of business skills would have seen the company collapse at an early age because of poor

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Todays Society Essay Example for Free

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Todays Society Essay How do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols communicate what it means to be a black woman in today’s society? In this essay I will compare two poems. The two poems I will compare is Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I rise’ to Grace Nichols’ ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of Black women’. I think Maya Angelou’s ‘Still in rise’ has a rather different message to Grace Nichols’ poem. I think they are interesting to compare because Maya Angelo is lively and spirited about writing a poem about how strong black women are and how it is to be a black woman in today’s society. Whereas, Grace Nichols is more disgruntled and irritated about writing her poem. The first poem I will scrutinize is Maya Angelo’s ‘Still I rise’. The title ‘Still I rise’ shows strength and optimism as it is a short but strong meaning title. It means that Maya Angelou will always defend herself. It makes you feel no matter what you do to Maya Angelou she will just get back up again. This makes you believe that Maya Angelou is a strong person. In the first verse, Maya Angelou starts off using an accusatory tone when she says ‘you may write me down in history with you bitter, twisted lies’. This gives the impression that she is talking to white people when she says this. I think this means she doesn’t like what white people have wrote in their history books about black people’s past as it is over exaggerated and a lot of lies. Near the end of the first verse, she uses the simile ‘but still like dust, I’ll rise’. This is once again reinforcing the idea that she is a strong black woman. By using this simile she is also comparing herself and her race to dust and this suggests that you can’t get rid of black people and that they are everywhere you go, as dust is hard to get rid of and it is everywhere as you can’t control or capture it. In the second verse, Maya Angelou is more lively and spirited when she says ‘Does my sassiness upset you? ’ This suggests that she is getting more confident as she progresses through the poem. She also uses two rhetorical questions to grip the reader’s attention ‘why are you beset with gloom? Also, in the second verse she shows more confidence when she uses the phrase ‘‘cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells pumping in my living room. ’ The use of informal language ‘cause’ shows this. This phrase also makes me think that she feels powerful, rich and important. In the third stanza, she uses a lot of similes such as ‘Just like moons and like suns’ I think she has put this simile in because it is natural imagery and she wants black people to be described as this because it is not only a part of nature but the sun and moon are beautiful; vital to the world. In the next line she continues with the natural imagery by saying ‘With certainty of tides’. This is also natural imagery as she is comparing the black race with tides. I think she chose to use the natural imagery of tides here because not only is it once again vital to the world but it also creates a sense of power as tides and waves are incontrollable, powerful and constant and waves always come back so I think maybe she was also trying to reinforce the idea that she and her race are strong. However in the fourth verse, she stops using natural imagery and changes into an interrogative mode when she says ‘did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? ’ Here she uses negative lexis such as ‘broken’ to create an image of a typical slave to the reader. I think she does this here as she wants to show people that herself and her race are not slaves and that you should not dwell on their past and think of them as slaves. In the fifth stanza, it’s more about her culture when she uses the simile ‘cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines’ I think she is implying here that she is not rich in wealth but she is rich in culture and in spirit. I think this changes the atmosphere to a more relaxed mood as she is embracing her culture. Also, when she says ‘diggin in my own back yard’ it gives you a sense of black soulful language and reinforces the fact that she embraces her culture and language. However, in stanza six, it is a more harsh verse as she uses an accusatory tone once again. She creates an atmosphere of fury and annoyance by using onomatopoeia and harsh sounds such as ‘cut’ and ‘kill’. I think this was put in so people would remember the way white people treated slaves and how violent they were towards them. I think she is trying to give an insight of how it must have felt to be a slave and make people feel guilty for treating them so unfairly. At the end of this verse, she repeats herself ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise’. I think she does this to not only make people believe she is a strong, black woman, but to also make the poem memorable for the reader and make it stand out. Also, when she uses the simile ‘like air’ it makes you think that you can’t hurt her because she is ‘like air’ and you can’t cut or hurt air. I think air was a good simile to use here because air rises and I think Angelou was implying that she will rise above all expectations people have for her, black women and black men. Also, by using the word air Maya Angelou is trying to indicate that herself and the black race are now free as black people are now free from slavery. In the seventh stanza, the atmosphere changes and you can see Angelou’s pride in her culture and race. I think Maya Angelou is trying to create a different image for black women as she says ‘does my sexiness up set you? . This suggests that she is trying to make a new image for black women that is sexy and more elegant because before they were seen as only slaves. In the third and fourth line of this verse, she says ‘that I dance like I’ve got diamonds, at the meeting of my thighs’. By using the word diamond she is implying that black women are rare, precious and tough as those are the main characteristics of a diamond. I t hink she is suggesting black women should be treasured and kept safe as they are too precious to lose. In the last stanza, Angelou breaks free from the previous set structure of the quatrains and it’s a more symbolic structure; it does not have a pattern to it. I think this is because it is supposed to imitate the slaves breaking free. Also, it has a random lay out and I think this is reinforcing the idea that you can’t capture black people like slaves anymore and that black people shouldn’t be treated unfairly anymore. The last verse also has more energy to it as it speeds up more. I think this is because when black people broke free from slavery they were lively and more spirited and had more pride in their culture and race. Also, in the last verse, Angelou uses metaphors instead of similes now such as ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. I think she changes from similes to metaphors in this verse because she has gained more confidence and pride. It has also become a more happier, lively verse again as she uses more positive lexis such as ‘daybreak’ and ‘wondrously clear’. This is because she is happy and proud of being black and wants black women and men to be perceived as happy and lively. She has not only broken free from the quatrains in this last verse, but she has also broken free from the AB rhyming sentences and is now using rhyming couplets as well as repetition of the words ‘I rise, I rise, I rise’ to show confidence, power and pride of what it means to be a black woman. Overall, throughout the whole of the poem, I believe that Maya Angelou was trying to change the perception of black women and make black women feel as confident and as proud as Angelou does of being black. Throughout the poem Angelou’s tone differs. As in the beginning, although she started with an accusatory tone, she went on and used positive lexis such as ‘hopes springing high’ this then changed from a interrogative mood to a more lively and spirited atmosphere. However, as the poem continues she starts to use negative lexis again and the interrogative mode re-appears making the poem seem more harsh to the reader, although, when you read on the poem ends in a more lively and happier tone as she uses more absolute phrases and starts to use metaphors rather than similes now; ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. Angelou’s use of sound imagery is interesting as she makes the reader imagine not only pretty, natural images, but harsh, cruel images as well. For instance, ‘Just like moons and like suns’ and ‘Shoulders falling down like teardrops’. I think she does this so we all can see what she wants black people to be perceived as and also what black people used to be perceived as. Overall, I think Maya Angelou wrote this poem to change the perception of black women in today’s society. The second poem I will analyse is Grace Nichols ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’. This is a poem with a slightly different message. Whereas, Maya Angelou’s poem was overall lively and spirited, Grace Nichols poem takes on a more sarcastic side of what it’s like to be a black woman, compared to a white woman, in today’s society and how she feels about being asked to write a poem on what it’s like to be a black woman. The heading of Grace Nichols poem’ Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’ shows a sarcastic side as she has put realities in inverted commas. This gives you the impression that she doesn’t want to write this poem as black women are no different from white women or any other race. The first verse of the poem starts with ‘what they really want at times is a specimen whose heart is in the dust’. When she uses the word they in the beginning I think she is talking about white people, racists and those that misunderstand her race. Also, when she says the word specimen it makes you think of a different species; something that needs to be studied. I think this is what she feels racists think of the black race. When she refers to ‘whose heart is in the dust’ this makes the reader believe she thinks people pity her race. When she says ‘a mother-of-sufferer’ she is referring to ancestors of slaves and this then links to ‘trampled/oppressed’ which is the typical slave image. She’s is saying here that ‘they’, meaning white people or people that misunderstand her race, want a slave to write a poem about how it is to be a black person living in today’s society. Grace Nichols then moves on and says ‘they want a little black blood undressed and validation for the abused stereotype already in their heads’. This means that racists want a black, vulnerable person to be proof for the typical slave image, that’s a black stereotype, in their minds. When she says ‘black blood’ she is implying that black people are completely different to any other race and even have different blood, even though black people are no different from white people. She is also implying, when she says ‘For the abused stereotype already in their head’, that the stereotype has been put into people’s heads by white, biased history books. When she says, in the next verse, ‘a perfect song’ she is referring to someone that is proud of their race and would like to write a poem about being black, for example Maya Angelou. Within the next few lines, Grace Nichols talks more about how not all black women are the same and how they can’t be categorised. When she says’ I say I can write no poem big enough to hold the essence’. This means she can’t write one poem for black people or any other race as there are too many personalities and individuals to put them all into one category. When she says ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ she is then showing her sarcasm again when she says ‘green woman’ as you can’t have green women and what she is trying to say is that we are all equal . ‘And there are Black women and Black women’ this is once again reinforcing the idea that there is not just ‘the’ black woman. There are different types of black women and they are not all the same and are individuals. In the next line she uses a very good simile when she says ‘like a contrasting sky of rainbow spectrum’. I love this simile as she is saying that there isn’t only one colour black and that when you put all the different colours together it makes something beautiful, such as a rainbow. She is also using natural imagery here and it makes you think of how special black people are to this world. As you go on in the poem, she uses the well known phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ very well as she says ‘touch a black woman you mistake for a rock and feel her melting down to fudge’. I think this is implying the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ as it is saying if you insult a black woman when you think she has ‘thick skin’ she could really be vulnerable inside. In her poem, she does not only talk about different types of people and race, but she also introduces the fact of the different types of language. ‘If need be we’ll trade a piece-a-pussy’. Here she uses her own language of Creole and mixes Caribbean English with English to create a sense of her own Caribbean culture and how proud she is to be black and have her own, unique culture. Also, during her poem, Grace Nichols refers to some famous black women as she says ‘and there are black women so dangerous in South Africa they prison them away’. Here she is talking about Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s wife. She also refers to Maya Angelou throughout her poem as she says’ and there are black women strong and eloquent and focused’. Here she talks about Maya Angelou and how proud she is of her race. However, at the end of the poem, she ends on a positive note as she says’ the twisted self-negating history we’ve inherited’. I think this means even though they see their history as twisted and cruel, she wants black people to focus on the present and make their history better than that of the ancestors that were slaves. She also says ‘crushing out with each dancing step’. This shows me that she wants to crush out their past history and therefore ends on a positive note. Overall, throughout the poem, I think Grace Nichols was trying to make black women proud of their culture and race and that they are no more different than white people or any other race. I think Grace Nichols didn’t have a set structure for the poem as it is sporadic and a random layout. I think she did this because there is not a set pattern for black women and that the layout represents this. Also, the layout is random and unique and that’s what she wants black women to be perceived as instead as being in a set pattern and categorised. Grace Nichols repeats several thing throughout her poem. ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ is repeated a lot to emphasize the point that all races are equal and it doesn’t depend on colour for how we are treated. She also repeats the phrase ‘crushing out with each dancing step’ to make her point that you shouldn’t judge people by their past and that you should forget about you and your ancestors history and create new history. I think Grace Nichols used Creole to emphasize how she is proud of her culture and that black women should be proud as well and celebrate their own culture. I think these poems differ in messages and tones as Maya Angelou’s poem ‘still I rise’ her message is that black women should be proud about their culture and to be black and that Maya Angelou wants to change the perception of black women so that it is not the typical lave image but it is more sexy and elegant. Also, I think Maya Angelou was lively and spirited throughout most of her poem, although she had some accusatory tone and interrogative mode. However, Grace Nichols’s message was different from Maya Angelou’s as Grace Nichols wanted black women to be treated fairly and equally as any other race are and that she doesn’t think its right to define black women all in one category. Also, she didn’t think it was right to be asked to write a poem about how black women feel living in today’s society as it is no different from any other race woman. Grace Nichols’s tone throughout was mainly accusatory and angry. In some ways the two poems are similar as they both feel that their race should not be treated as slave just because some of their ancestors were in captivity as slaves in past history. Also, they both feel that their race should now think about the present and not focus on the past and believe you should forget about slavery and the past. They both also want black people to celebrate their culture. I think Grace Nichols’s poem portrays the black race better as Maya Angelou categorises the black race even though they are all individuals and can’t be put into just one category. Whereas, Grace Nichols says all the way through her poem that black people are individuals and all unique and you can’t categorise them. Also, I think Grace Nichols write not just about the good things about being a black woman, but she also write about the bad things, whereas, Maya Angelou doesn’t.

The PetsMart Essay Example for Free

The PetsMart Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper presents a brief background on PetsMart, identifies its vision and mission statement for the current timeframe, differentiates PetsMart’s current generic strategy from that of Camp Bow Wow, and completes a remote analysis by indicating the opportunities and threats for each remote factor in a table form. Background on PetsMart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart, established in 1989, is the number one retailer of pet food, supplies, accessories, and services in North America with 726 retail stores, of which 25 are located in Canada. Its retail store size ranges from 19,000 to 27,000 square feet, and sells over 12,900 items (Gilliard, 2005, p. 5). It employs about 30,300 associates, of which roughly 50 percent are full time (p. 7). It entered the international arena in 1996. Its major competitor is Petco—both Petsmart and Petro overlap in some geographical locations of business operation (p. 2). Other competitors for these two largest stores are Target and Wal-Mart; other major sources of competition are from grocery stores. Its potential competitor will be Camp Bow Wow. Vision and Mission Statement for PetsMart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart’s vision is â€Å"to provide Total Lifetime Care for pets and build enduring relationships with its customers† (p.   6). Its mission is to lead the global retailing market of pet food, supplies, and services. PetsMart Strategy vs. Camp Bow Wow Strategy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart strategy is to capture and keep a group of identified pet owners or pet parents by being the â€Å"preferred provider for the lifetime needs of pets† (p. 6). To accomplish this, PetsMart carried out the following customer-focused initiatives: (1) expansion and efficient operation in existing and new multi-store and single store markets, to make its products and services more available to customers, and at the same time reach to out new customers; (2) reformat stores like specialty stores through organization of products by pet species, emphasis on pet services, and removal of high steel shelving to help customers navigate easily inside the store; (3) provision of pet services to build better relationships with customers; (4) training of associates to determine customer needs, and offer solutions to further develop customer loyalty; (5) development of brand identity through PetPerks savings card to create a sense of belongingness of customers in PetsMart and at the same time taking advantage of price savings. Petsmart uses a centralized information system to analyze customer shopping patterns, the results of which will be used for marketing and promotional materials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Camp Bow Wow was conceptualized in 1994 to take advantage of the growing market and took off in 2000. It started a day care facility for dogs and later expanded its operations to include overnight boarding. It also takes care for puppies, older or sickly pets. It offers on-site grooming, vaccinations, indoor/outdoor play areas, climate controlled facilities, pools and play equipment (p. 11). It has a different strategy from that of PetsMart. It adopts franchising as a rapid growth strategy. It requires franchisees to provide excellent services to pet owners, maintain outstanding facility, and share its earnings to local dog charities. It offers franchisees operational and training support, research and development information, linkages to quality suppliers, and commitment to growth. Its owner has great plans and vision for franchising, such as (1) use consistent operations systems, and similar look and style; (2) develop and sale of brand dog food and biscuits, and human and dog sportswear at the franchise location; (3) develop services like mobile grooming, pet taxi services, in-home pet sitting, and poop scoop services; (4) develop and maintain operations systems, training programs, and marketing strategies to manage its brand name; (5) monitor company growth to allow profitability; and (6) build a non-profit foundation for national or regional dog charities (p. 12). Remote Analysis of the PetsMart Remote Factor Opportunities Threats Economic  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The surge of consumer spending increases net sales.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The strategic alliance between PetsMart and Medical Management International, Inc. ensures sufficient supply of veterinarians, and efficient delivery of veterinary services to customers.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Good economic outlook definitely increases pet customers and their spending volume on pets and pet-related products and services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Any dollar appreciation will shoot up sales on pets and pet-related products.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   High inflation rate reduces consumer spending on pet accessories.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   High unemployment rate lowers the number of pet customers and reduces consumer spending on pets and pet food, accessories and services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Seasonal incomes provide fluctuations on spending pattern on pet accessories and services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Shortage of qualified veterinarians limits offer of veterinary services, and reduces consumer spending on pet services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Shortage of skilled employees to train and groom pets hampers service efficiency, and reduces consumer spending on pet services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Limited capacity of local and overseas vendors gives no assurance of timely delivery of products, quality of product and labeling and packaging requirements, and volume requirements; and jeopardizes efficient customer-focused services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Global expansion of international competitors restricts PetsMart global expansion plans, and consequently reduces consumer spending on its products in foreign markets.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Currency exchange rate fluctuations provide no steady or increasing international consumer spending pattern on pet products. Sociological  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The demographic trends—â€Å"growth of baby boomers, empty-nesters, couples with no children, and other people delaying marriage and children†Ã¢â‚¬â€increase consumer spending as numerous pet owners raised their pet status as members of the families and pampered them with luxurious pet products and services, like pet insurance, hotels, spa, pet frequent flyer programs, and pet toys.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The shift of this demographic trends—e.g., aging of baby boomers, people decided to get married and have children—may affect consumer spending on pets and related pet products and services.. Technological  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Diverse and innovative products induce consumer spending on pet-related products. PetsMart’s products are categorized as (1) pet food, treats, and litter category; (2) pet supplies and other goods category like collar, aquarium, bird cages; and (3) various pets, like dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, and small pets.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   New and innovative pet services that complement the products attract higher consumer spending. PetsMart services include grooming, pet training, boarding (PetsHotel), day camp (Doggie Day Camp), and on-site veterinary services.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovative products and services supports other complementary products in the market, like insurance and airline frequent flyer perks, which, in turn, has positive ripple effects on Petsmart.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   E-commerce sales of pets and related products and services (www.petsmart.com) provide unlimited market place to a wider customer base within 24 hours at lower costs, and increase sales.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovative branded catalogues provide flexible and updated presentation of products and services attract customers, and thereby increase sales.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Product and service diversification opens multiple lines of competition—creating opportunities for competitors to enhance existing pet-related product lines and introduce new products, which will eventually outmode Petsmart products.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Petsmart cannot reap the full advantage of its on-line pet store as its competitors also established and maintained similar innovation. Political  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Loosening of regulations decreases monitoring and compliance costs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚     Political stability supports global expansion.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Monitoring and complying in federal, state, and/or local regulations increases costs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Tariff increases and other trade barriers reduce exports of pet products, and reduce import spending in foreign countries.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Compliance to employment regulations on minimum wage, working conditions, and staffing requirements increases costs and reduces profit level.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Compliance to laws and regulations on transporting, handling and selling of pets, may be difficult as they are governed by federal, state and local government. At the local level, they differ from one jurisdiction to another. Ecological  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   The establishment of PetsMart Charities has saved the lives of homeless pets by not leaving them astray. This increases animal welfare awareness, and customers treat PetsMart fairly for its concern on animals.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to dog charity initiative, PetsMart may consider other line of business, like collecting, disposing, and conversion of animal wastes into fertilizer or energy.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmental regulations increase production costs and consequently reduce profits. These regulations affect pet facilities on the â€Å"generation, handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of waste and biohazardous materials†.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Any sickness or plague that attack on birds halts sales of pet birds.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   Environment advocates might lobby on proper handling and disposal of wastes—which might hurt the sales in the short run. Source: Gilliard (2005). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PetsMart experiences the fastest retail growth and profits, reflecting the overall trend of the pet industry. This attracts new entrants into the industry. And PetsMart should not be complacent and needs to continually guard itself from risks or threats at both the industry level and external environment to maintain its leading position. Its current strategy seems to work well so far. But in the long-run, considering significant changes in both industry conditions and external environment, shouldn’t there be strategy shift? Shouldn’t it adopt franchising as what Camp Bow Wow did to increase sales and enhance product quality? Reference Gilliard, D. J. (2005). The Pet Care Industry: From PetsMart to Camp Bow Wow.

The different sources of cultural bias

The different sources of cultural bias Sources of Cultural Biases can be interpreting through different frameworks which meaning is attributed. Sue and Sue (1990) attributed class, culture bound values; differences in verbal, emotional, and behavioral expressiveness, differences in causes and effect orientation, and differences in patterns of communication. The discrepancy in attributional systems that are culturally different clients and counselors bring to their interactions may present a barrier. The interactions may fail because of underlying mechanisms of culturally mediated attributional differences. The relationship between subjective culture (Triandis, (1972) and attributional processes are illuminated by theoretical and empirical work conducted by social psychologists as well as important insights from the field of linguistics. The occurrence, form and meaning of a particular behavior in a particular situation may differ from culture to culture because of differences in norms, values, role perceptions, expectatio ns, and historical experience. Individuals from different cultural traditions bring to cross-cultural interactions different implicit, as well as explicit, frameworks for interpreting these experiences (Albert, 1983). These differences in interpretation may lead culturally different people to view the same situation or behavior very differently. There is a great range of within-group variation in the attribution and cause and meaning, between-group variation may account for failed interactions because of differential attributions likely to occur (Salzman, 1990). The silence of an individual from one culture may be interpreted by a culturally different as indifferent or hostility when it was intended as respectful noninterference. The behavioral consequences of this discrepancy could interfere with the development of mutually respectful, cooperative, professional and personal relationships. Attributions are inferences about the causes of behavior. Heider (1958) indicated that humans are constantly engaged in the process of making inferences about behavior that is observed. Even though the behavior in any interactions that are or not performed can be important, it is the interpretations that are given to these behaviors that are critical (Albert Triandis, 1979). A compliment can be interpreted as a way to manipulate, help can be seen as demeaning and a gift as a bribe. These interpretations have predictable behavioral consequences and may serve to define the interaction. Discrepant attributions have been found to result in misunderstandings, low personal attraction, rejection and even conflict (Albert, Trianis, 1979; Salzman, 1990). It is thought that such discrepancies are more likely to occur in cross-cultural interactions because of differences in norms, roles, values and expectation that each culture has developed in adapting to life geographically, economically and historical circumstances. Heider (1958) saw all people behaving as naÃÆ'Â ¯ve scientists, constantly engaged in making inferences about events and observed behaviors by attributing causes and motives. Casual attributions, then answer the why questions about behaviors. They serve as mediators between all stimuli encountered in the world and responses made to these stimuli. Humans do not respond directly to events around us, we respond to the meanings or interpretations given to these events (Albert and Triandis, 1979). Pedersen (1987) noted that one source of bias is the implicit assumption that normal means the same to people of different social, economic, political and cultural backgrounds. Instead he argued that what is considered normal will change according to the situation, the cultural background being judged and the time during which a behavior is being displayed or observed Pedersen (1987), p. 16). He pointed out the dangers of diagnostic errors when using definitions of normality generated from the perspective of one culture with people of different cultures. Rogers objected to therapists making diagnosis of clients on their own evaluations (Rogers, 1951). He believed however that the individual client should be the only one who should make specific evaluations and set goals. Rogers (1980) advocated the location of power in the person not in the expert. Rogers espoused the view that only the individual embedded in a particular social, cultural and historical context could define normal be havior for him or herself. Pedersen (1987) asserted that many counselors neglect the development of the family, organizations and society in favor of emphasis on the welfare of the individual. According to Pedersen, counselors are encouraged to focus on changes in the individual client, sometimes blaming the group demands for the client adjustment problems and disregarding the effects of individual change on the groups to which the client belongs. Traditional counseling approaches according to Pedersen (1987) have all too often neglected other academic disciplines that speak to problems and issues of humanity such as sociology, anthropology, theology and medicine. Counselors tend to view their clients problem from a very limited perspective; however their problems are not confined to the disciplines of psychology and counseling. Pedersen (1989) believed that it is important for counselors to go outside the boundaries of their specialized knowledge and interest, to examine the issue or problem from the clients cultural perspective. According to Pedersen (1989) many counselors downplay the role of family and peers in providing support to a troubled individual and instead emphasize their professional services. He argued that counselors should attempt to incorporate the client natural support system into a treatment plan, which in some cultures is more acceptable than disclosing intimate information to the counselor, who is likely to be a stranger. Pedersen (1987) argued that too often counselors assume that their role is to change the individual to fit the system and too often fail to question whether the system should be changed to fit the individual. Counseling and therapy has a history of protecting the status quo against change, at least as perceived by minority cultures, through what has become to be called scientific racism (D.W. Sue Sue 2003). Counseling psychology has been slow to respond to evidence of cultural bias. Sampson (1993) suggests that psychology and counseling have at best accommodated add on eclectic strategies in response to culturally different movements and special interest groups without fundamentally transforming conventional frameworks of understanding. Wren (1962) first introduced the concept of cultural encapsulation. The perspective assumes five basic identifying features. First, reality is defined according to one set of cultural assumptions. Second, people become insensitive to cultural variations among individuals and assume their own view is the right one. Third, assumptions are not dependent upon reasonable proof or rational consistency but are believed true, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Fourth, solutions are sought in technique oriented strategies or quick and simple remedies. Fifth every one is judged from the viewpoint of ones self-reference criteria without regard for the other persons separate cultural context. There is evidence that the profession of counseling is even more encapsulated now than it was then when Wren wrote his original article (Albee, 1994; Wren, 1995). Counselors bias coming from two sources, such as their own cultural backgrounds and their professional training were highlighted in studies their actions toward groups other than whites. In a study examining this particular source of bias, the degree of cultural stereotyping among practicing counselors was explored using structured interviews (Bloombaum, Yamamoto, James, 1968). The results indicated that counselors attitudes toward Mexican Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans and Jews reflected the similar degree of cultural stereotyping usually found in the general population. Counselors must recognize racism, prejudice and discrimination, and accept them as real to better understand the living reality of clients who without the benefit of choice find themselves members of minority groups on the basis of differences from the dominant culture in our society, (Glauser, 1999). Each individual counselor must identify and accept his/her personal capacity to help or hinder clients whose life experiences, beliefs and physical makeup and or culture are different from their own. A counselor who is aware of his/her own limitations, when working with members of minority groups will conform to ethical guidelines and assure that their clinical efforts have the potential to help rather than do harm. Research has shown that prejudicial responses, in the form of stereotype activation, can persist long after an individual makes a conscious break with habitual prejudice thinking (Devine, 1989). Individuals in low prejudice tend to carefully scrutinize messages from minority groups to guard against unfair reactions. The care they take may interfere with the communication process in interaction with minority group and hinder full engagement by a counselor in the therapeutic setting (Petty, Fleming and White, 1999). The following examples indicate the types of cultural issues and their effects on the counseling situation. In the cultural value system of the Chinese American passivity rather than assertiveness is revered, quiescence rather than verbal articulation is a sign of wisdom and self-effacement rather than confrontation is a model of refinement(Ching and Prosen, 1980). Since humility and modesty is so valued it is difficult for counselors to draw out responses from a Chinese American in a group setting. The reticence which reinforces silence and withdrawal as appropriate ways of dealing with conflict may be interpreted as resistance by the uneducated counselor. Democratic counselors may also be uneasy with the role of the all knowing father that the Chinese respect bestows upon them (Ching and Prosen, 1980). African Americans place great value on family, especially their children, who are seen as a gift from God and on social relationships with a great emphasis on community and their pla ce in it. In this context social conflict resolution becomes important, so that peace and equilibrium may be restored to the community while personal conduct becomes secondary. (McFadden and Gbekobov, 1984). In his discussion of counseling the Northern Natives of Canada, Darou (1987) notes that counseling is seen as cultural racism when it does not fit native values. These values are cooperation, concreteness, lack of interference, respect for elders, and the tendency to organize by space rather than time and dealing with the land as animate not an inanimate object. Bernard and Flores-Ortiz (1982) point out that Latin cultures view the family as primary support for its members. Any suggestions that the family is not fulfilling that obligation can bring shame, added stress and an increased reluctance to seek professional services. Involving family members in treatment will most likely ensure successful counseling outcomes with Latinos. In examining the aspect of grief, the way the client reacts to it should be noted and respected this helps them to normalize their experience. The counselor should not try and fix the persons pain, but be as present as possible and pay attention to what the person is telling you in the moment. Give clients the permission to talk; they may have a need to tell their story over and over, as a part of the healing process. The counselor should give the client room to express their feelings and not censor them. It is okay to ask culturally different clients how grief and loss are addressed in their culture. As counselors we must be aware of our own feelings about grief and loss from personal experiences. Self-awareness helps avoid expecting clients to act like we would in a similar situation. Alcohol and other drug treatment programs continually report relatively low success rates among African-American participants. There is a need to consider treatment approaches that are more culturally competent. Counselors must view the identity and the development of culturally diverse people in terms of multiple interactive factors rather than strictly cultural framework (Romero, 1985). A pluralistic counselor considers all facets of the clients personal history, family history, and social and cultural orientation (Arcinega and Newlou, 1981).

Life In The Universe :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the selection I have chosen Chapter 6 of Life in the Universe; The Evolution of Life on Earth begins with the theories of Darwin and natural selection and how survival of the fittest was one of the main theories of evolution of life of an organism. Although it is a good theory, and has been tested through years it is not one of the main priorities of evolution. There was a reason of an outside force that forced the funas to extinction, not because it was unable to adapt to an environment. Also the past of origin goes too far back and is so complicated that there is no sure way to point a certain time or place in the history of our origin, unlike the work of nature. For example Homo sapiens come to be through neural complexity. Human arose from thousands of events happening in time that altered our past in a dramatic way. In order to understand the drastic changes we have to understand not just the principals of evolution but to understand the theory and life st yles of fossils found.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Complex creatures don’t mean that it has a better chance of survival and evolving into something better. Yet the simplest form of creation like bacteria still rule all with the enormous amount occupying the earth. Still the more complex we are doesn’t mean we have a better chance of survival. More complex animals like dinosaurs have already been extinct, so that tells us a great deal about evolving or surviving in the future. Bacteria occupy a wider range of space on earth and are an indestructible type of organism. Humans and other type of complex organisms have to worry about their extinction while bacteria on the other hand have a low chance of getting wiped out. Even as they are simple organisms they also have the same chance as we do to evolve without the tough struggle. Comparing the two it shows that complexity was not good or favored issue in evolution. Complexity is probably a bias made by us for the reason of our being and our evolution. E volving in such a way, it would state that animals evolve by greater complexity, or ecological adaptation with the theories of Darwin. Still there is no proof to us that this was true. Also if complexity was such a great thing why did it take so long for evolution of these type of species (including us).

Hidden Class Struggle in John Updikes A&P :: A&P Essays

The Hidden Class Struggle in Updike’s A & P Two Works Cited In John Updike’s "A & P," Sammy is accused of quitting his job for childlike, immature reasons. Nathan Hatcher states, "In reality, Sammy quit his job not on a matter of ideals, but rather as a means of showing off and trying to impress the girls, specially Queenie" (37), but Sammy’s motive runs much deeper than that. He was searching for a sense of personal gain and satisfaction. By taking sides with the girls, he momentarily rises in class to meet their standards and the standards of the upper-class. Sammy was obviously near the bottom of the class ladder, a place where he was extremely unhappy. His dead-end job at the grocery store, where lower class citizens are the prime patrons, was not a place he felt he belonged. He wanted to be a member of the family where the "father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate and they were all holding drinks the color of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them" (Updike 1028). Sammy realizes that Queenie comes from this sort of background, a very different one from his. When Queenie is being harassed by Lengel, Sammy sees that "she remembers her place, a place from which the crowd that runs the A & P must look pretty crummy" (Updike 1028). Queenie’s family was in the class that he envied, that he admired, that he wanted to become a part of. So Sammy quits his job to prove to himself, maybe to others, that he belongs in this "place." Quitting his job is his first step in achieving this goal. Sammy was obviously enthralled by the girls from the moment they walked in the A & P. He was not keen on the other two girls, but Queenie overwhelmed him. He may have even taken a liking to Queenie, but any average, nineteen-year old male would do the same after witnessing such striking beauty as is described. On the other hand, the average male would not quit a job and create such turmoil if first impression was the only cause. How interested could he actually be? In trying to figure out Queenie’s persona, he asks, "do you really think it’s a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glass jar?

Dumping of Products in Third World Countries Essay

Made in the USA- Moral JudgmentFor years, the United States has been dumping export materials and goods that have been banned or found to be hazardous to the health of the people the United States. In the case Made in the U.S.A. – Dumped in Brazil, Africa, Iraq†¦, the case informs about how the United States dumped fire-retardant children’s pajamas, baby pacifiers, chemicals, etc. in third world countries without their knowing of the danger they were exposing themselves to by accepting the export goods. The U.S. had this great idea to come up with a children’s pajama that would resist catching on fire. After careful examination by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission products and by products of the chemical in the material called Tris was found to cause kidney cancer in children. Then the US came out with baby pacifiers that were found to cause choking. The pacifiers were exported overseas and 400 Iraqis died and 5,000 were hospitalized after eating the fungicide on the pacifiers. Then we have Winstrol, which was a male hormone product was banned after it was found to stunt the growth of American children. Lastly when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the sale of Galant, which was to be used as a weed killer, found that this weed killer caused cancer the EPA banned the killer in the US, but the manufacturer of the product still continues to sell the same product in Mexico City. Although the U. S. has been allowing the business practice of dumping by products and products that have been banned by the US for human use on third world countries dumping is wrong and needs to stop immediately for the betterment of all human well-being. The safety of children is very important, but does it have to cost the price of third world children to save the lives of the children in the United States? I think not. The United States had no right to dispose of the children’s pajamas without even talking to the other countries before exporting bad goods to them. The non-consequentialist theory best describes this judgment. Non-consequentialist theory is â€Å"right and wrong are determined by more than the likely consequences of an action† (Shaw 2008, 44). The wrong of the action is that children, precious children are being harmed by these pajamas. Then to pass them on to other children on other countries does not make the action right. It is still wrong. Just as the children of the United States are important so should the children of other  countries as well. Third world countries have their own problems and the US giving them harmful contaminated pajamas does not make the state of the country any better. Next, the U.S. manufactured 450,000 baby pacifiers and they were known to cause babies to choke to death. So what does the U.S. decide to do with these pacifiers? They decide to export the pacifiers overseas where these children were exposed to the fungicide and either died or had to be hospitalized due to the organic mercury that was on the pacifiers. â€Å"Four hundred Iraqis died in 1972 and five thousand were hospitalized after consuming the by-products (pacifiers) of eight thousand tons of wheat and barley coated with an organic mercury fungicide, whose use had been banned in the U.S.† (Dowie, 1979). This action is wrong. This is showing that the U.S. kids are better than the children of other countries and this is not true. What makes the United States kids better than any other child in the world? The U.S. has no right to put certain children over others. If the shoe was on the other foot the U.S. would not allow other countries to dump products and by-products on them. It should be the United States’ moral obligation to see that all children are safe from harm or harmful things by banning the business practice of dumping hazardous products and by products to third world countries. Winstrol, when it first came in existence in the United States was to be used as a â€Å"synthetic male hormone† but was found to stunt the growth of the children in the United States. After the product was banned in the U.S. it was then dumped to third world countries where that promoted the product as an appetite stimulant for children. In India thirty percent of the children are malnutrition and one-third of the children in the Philippines are considered malnutrition also. This product was advertised in these countries as a cure for children who are not able to get the nutrition from the foods they eat. The advertising for this product included phrases like â€Å"‘a delicious syrup flavor children love †¦ a remarkable appetite stimulant and builds body tissue.'†(Tiranti, 1983), which if promoted in these countries where food is hard to get and children are dying each day. The parents of the children in the third world countries would do anything they could to  keep their children alive and healthy as possible. In the United States Winstrol was found to stunt growth and in the third world countries it was thought to be the cure for malnutrition children. What choice is better for children? The choices to stunt their growth or build up their appetite are both misleading. America misleads the third world countries to think and believe that a drug can cure hunger and that is wrong. What the third world countries children need are food and not a pill. This drug should not be used for that purpose and dumping the drug on countries who do not know is simply wrong. Through a consequentialist point of view, the consequence of this drug being promoted as a good product is wrong so the action of the U.S. dumping this product on others is wrong too. Galant is a chemical used in a lot of products and by-products. Galant is used in everyday products such as baby blocks, nail polish, weed killer, kitchen cabinets, plywood, etc. Europe banned this chemical from products, but the United States did not. The US is always out for a profit, so if it can export these products to other countries and still make a profit then that is what the US will do. As more and more health agencies started to see that Galant was dangerous they stopped using the chemical. What makes Galant so dangerous is the dipyrone that is given off by the by products and products mentioned. This is the agent that is said to cause cancer. It is also linked to asthma and headaches too (Gardner, 2006). â€Å"Michael Wilson at UC-Berkeley claim the United States risks becoming a â€Å"dumping ground† for toxic products as other nations clean up their acts. U.S. chemical laws are weak, he complains. Instead of forcing industry to prove a chemical is safe, the burden is generally on the EPA to prove it endangers people and places. And that legal standard of proof, he says, is too high† (Gardener, 2006). The practice of the United States putting the burden of their mistakes on other countries is wrong and needs to be stopped. It is not the responsibility of other countries to dispose of the mess the U.S. makes. Galant, this cancer causing blood disorder product is a mistake and is not the responsibility of other countries to take the load for products that the United States find to be dangerous to human health. â€Å"Manufacturers that dump products abroad clearly are motivated by profit† (Shaw, 2008). The United States is all about profit and companies in the U.S. cannot stand to lose money. So if they can find another way to get a profit on a product that they have produced be it safe or unsafe they will do it. Now, should this profit be at the expense of human health and well being. This should not be the case at any time by any one country. The business practice of dumping products and by products in other countries is wrong and needs to change. The U.S. needs to find a better way to dispose of products that are found to be harmful the human health or consumption. The U.S. has no right to push banned products on third world countries. The U.S. is no better than any other country when it comes to the welfare of its people and they need to think about that. If the products can harm the U.S. citizens what makes third world countries any different for them. The effect of dumping has started to come back and haunt the United States. The same chemicals that we banned in the United States to use on our crops are being used in third world countries and when we import products from these countries the chemicals are on the products and by products that they produced for us. This goes to prove that the U.S. is no better than any other country when it comes to finding products and by products not good for human use or consumption. The business practice of dumping is dangerous, dangerous to the U.S. and dangerous to other countries and it has to stop and stop now. References Dowie, M. (1979, Nov/ Dec). The Corporate Crime of the Century. Mother Jones. Retrieved May 16, 2008, from http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1979/11/dowie.html. Gardner, S. (2006, November). US becoming a toxic dumping ground. Marketplace. Retrieved May 17, 2008, from http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/13/us_becoming_a_toxic_dumping_ground/Shaw, W.H. (2008). Business ethics (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. Chapters 1 & 2.

Gun Violence Essay

The issue of gun ownership and gun violence is highly controversial and has become highly controversial since the recent multiple massacres/shootings in schools and theatres. Controversy ensues between individual beliefs of who can own guns and how to control gun violence. The recent massacres/shootings bring into stark, shocking reality that gun ownership isn’t as controlled as it should, leading to gun violence. As quoted from Steve Mostyn, a Texas trial lawyer, â€Å"Lemme tell you†¦I own thirty-five guns. You know I like to shoot. Last week I went to a local gun store near my house and bought three thousand rounds of ammunition†¦The same month†¦he sold an old rusted Jet Ski trailer for $200. The buyer showed up, hooked the trailer to his truck, and drove away. A few days later, the man asked Mostyn to meet him at the local DMV so they could fill out some paperwork necessary to transfer ownership of the trailer.† Steve continues, â€Å"So I had to go downtown and take the time to fill out a bunch of forms about an old trailer†¦You know how much paperwork I had to do to buy three thousand rounds of ammo? Nothing. (pg 25)† Steve, who supports tighter background checks when buying guns and ammunition, brings to light the reality that guns are being sold with a seemingly careless attitude. One side of the issue believes that gun violence is to blame on video games, the media, and weak federal gun prosecutions. The other side of the issue believes that gun violence is to blame on weak/no background checks when buying guns. These background checks include checks of serious previous and/or current mental health issues. The NRA (National Rifle Association) believes that gun violence is mainly a result of the media, video games, and weak federal gun prosecutions. Gabrielle and Mark, the authors of the book, are just one voice amongst many Americans who believe  weak/no background checks are the cause of gun violence. Honestly, I agree with both sides. I believe that video games, weak federal gun prosecutions, and weak/no background checks are to blame for gun violence. I don’t think the media has a large influence on gun violence. America’s long-standing traditions and mottos of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness include a footnote of gun ownership. I think that some-most Americans take the definition of protecting these American ideals too far with gun violence. Every American has a right to concealed carry, open carry, and gun ownership for the protection of individuals, families, and the home. To go out a massacre humans because of mental instability and inappropriate contextual belief of American values is wrong. My belief, along with other citizen’s beliefs, is important in the issue of gun violence/gun ownership because it is a controversial issue that rests largely in each American citizen’s hands. The government and legal officials’ roles is to help ensure that whatever decision is taken in this issue is enforced.