Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Research Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Research Projects - Essay Example As the fall season came and went, however, the Affordable Care Act and the budget debacle in Congress fuelled interest afresh in the agenda-setting and editorial slant of Fox News and strengthened its place at the top of the cable news ratings (Bibel, 2013; Mirkinson, 2013). The operative question then remains: why is Fox News successful despite resisting an allegedly popular presidency and the liberal ethos of the bicoastal giants in media? Within the constraints of this very short paper, we discuss the theory of agenda-setting and how Fox News maintains its solitary stance but leads its segment of cable news. II. Literature Review We discuss here the theories behind framing, agenda-setting and priming as they impinge on political communication generally and, in particular, the ideology that stoutly characterizes coverage in the cable news channels Fox News and MSNBC. This means we are in the realm of cognitive communication and campaign effects, i.e. framing, agenda setting and pri ming. We also touch on the audience appeal of this ideology. Political and communications research has undergone at least three major paradigm shifts since the post-newspaper era early in the last century. The ââ¬Å"magic bulletâ⬠or hypodermic theory was much in vogue from the 1920s to the 1940s. Agenda-setting came into the limelight around 1972. Starting around 1989, the propaganda model offshoots of framing and agenda setting became even more specifically applicable to a polarized US media scene. The propaganda model revolves around the multiple facets of control by conglomerates that generally serve their own commercial interests. The news agenda is shaped by five filters that include: multiple ownership, advertising, liberal bias versus conservative ideology, anti-Communism, and catering to audience apprehensions. Early in the century, to return to the seminal background of media effects, the Frankfurt School of largely Jewish theorists proposed the ââ¬Å"Bulletâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Hypodermic Needle Theoryâ⬠as a reaction to their observations of how Hitler and Goebbels in Nazi Germany had apparently mesmerized the entire German people. In this model, the audience had no ideas of their own and passively absorbed whatever communications were launched at them. In essence, the theory was over-impressed by the power and pervasiveness of radio, cinema, television and advertising; mass media was regarded as having a direct, immediate and powerful effect on mass audiences. Since audiences supposedly did not know any better, they absorbed and agreed with any messages they heard. Empirical experience soon showed that audience and market segmentation were entirely possible because listeners and viewers did have thoughts of their own. During the 1940 Presidential election, the Two-Step Flow Theory was conceptualized to admit the possibility that interpersonal relationships were just as powerful or persuasive as anything carried by the mass media. As to the two other communication paradigms, Scheufele and Tewksbury (2007) maintain that priming is an offshoot of agenda setting. Theoretical work in the 1970s and 1980s suggested that one reason agenda-setting worked to make certain issues and personalities more prominent was that mass media had primed the audience to ââ¬Å"prioritize specific issues as benchmarks for evaluating the
Monday, October 28, 2019
Accountability of the UN Peace Support Operations Essay Example for Free
Accountability of the UN Peace Support Operations Essay Global peace and security are among the United Nations core missions (Charter of the UN; chap. 1, art. 1). At its founding in 1945, the UN aimed to serve as a global high command to keep the peace in a post-colonial, post-fascist world. The end of the Cold War has made the United Nations an ever more important partner and player in the varied tasks of conflict resolution and conflict avoidance. With the closing of the ideological gap between East and West many look to the peacekeeping apparatus of the United Nations as the best tool to deal with the lesser crises that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union (Morrison Blair 243). Thus, there is a belief that the United Nations has a pre-eminent role to play in global peace and security (Falk 627) by means of undertaking measures that fall under the category of preventive diplomacy ââ¬â peace-keeping, peace-making and peace building (Inoguchi 3). At the same time there are many critics of the way the UN has managed its security roles in the post-Cold War period. See more:à Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay Some see threatening trends in the strengthening of the powers of the UN Security Council since the Gulf War; most agree that the Security Council has limits to its effectiveness as a global policeman. Both advocates and critics of the UN peacekeeping policies recognise that to be successful the peace support operations have to be sufficiently accountable ââ¬â the same way as any use of military forces in democratic nations (Newman 16). The purpose of this study is to explore what channels of accountability of peace support operations under the auspices of the UN exist and how sufficient they are. Toward this end we will scrutinize how accountability is established, who is accountable for a mandate that cannot be carried out because of insufficient personnel, examine the degree of transparency in establishing responsibility of the parties involved, discuss the cases of peacekeepersââ¬â¢ misconduct, and make the conclusion. The Channels of Accountability of Peace Support Operations Such conceptions as preventive diplomacy, preventive deployment, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and peace-building make the essence of common vision on global peace missions. This has called forth an international partnership comprising the military, civilian police, governments and NGOs, diplomatic services, mass communication media, and other establishments supporting democratisation and advancement processes (Newman 8). At present time decisions on the uses of military forces for peacekeeping operations can be taken in international establishments far from legislative authorities that democratic administrations relied on to ensure accountability. Sometimes the principles of decision-making in such supranational institutions run counter to democratic foundations (Ku Jacobson 24). In the case of peace support operations carried out under the auspices of the UN the issue of accountability especially bring up when they deal with plenary powers and amenability for decisions on deploying military forces, incurring certain risks, choosing mission goals, and carry mandates into effect (Morrison Blair 254). Here it is of great importance to realise in what ways national governments may share responsibility with the UN and at the same time retain sufficient degree of accountability to their citizenry. The scholars define such channels of accountability as: international authorisation [and] [ ] national authorisation to use military forces, democratic civilian control of military personnel and operations, civilian responsibility to the military for the safety of deployed personnel, [and] responsibility to comply with norms governing the conduct of military and other international personnel in the field (Ku Jacobson 22). Among them the first one has been implemented successfully, for the most part, due to major shift in international politics from nations operating on their own to nations which act under the auspices of international establishments. The other channels were covered by national authorities by means of legal systems and appropriate domestic procedures inculcated in national constitutions, laws, legislative instruments and regulations as well as political and military traditions (Chesterman 99). At the national level legislative and executive authorities take decisions on the goals and targets of military missions, define the rules of conduct and involvement. Officials in charge of such decisions incur a full liability for adequacy of their deeds and are accountable to the citizens who elected them (Falk 634). But in case of peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN the issue of accountability is more complicated. It seems unrealisable to set responsibility at the international level in the same way. Hague and Geneva Conventions which are considered as the principal international laws of war provide precise directions on the conduct of military staff in the course of their peacekeeping missions and their responsibility toward the civilians and property in their zone of operations (Boulden 9). Hence, to evaluate the sufficiency of accountability of the UN peace support operations we have to discuss how these norms apply to peacekeeping troops deployed under the UN auspices and whether such norms are observed in practice.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Spanking Your Child is NOT Necessary Essay -- Against Corporal Punishm
Spanking Your Child is NOT Necessary Spanking your child has created a firestorm of debate among parents and non-parents alike. There appears to be only two sides to the argument, those for and those against. Each offers evidence to support their case, and both sides are fervent in there beliefs. There are many parenting books, classes, and articles on the internet to help people through the process of becoming a parent. Each has there own take on discipline, but most I have read are against spanking. à à à à à The idea of discipline has changed a lot over the years. My Grandfather had very stern rules when it came to punishment. My father on the other hand was a lot more lax. Now that I myself am a father, I am grappling with the questions of what to do with my children. I donââ¬â¢t believe in spanking. I take the approach of time outs, and other various forms of punishment. à à à à à In San Francisco it is illegal to spank your child. Whether or not the government should intervene in the discipline of peopleââ¬â¢s children is a touchy subject. On one hand I applaud their decision. But on the other, the thought of Big Brother enters my mind. If a law can be passed legislating how we punish our children, how far can they go? And in which direction? If one municipality decides spanking is bad, what is to stop another from deciding it is good? Do we want laws passed stating that we should, or have to spank our children? The chances of that happening are slim, but stranger things have h...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams :: A Streetcar Named Desire Essays
Tennessee Williams is known for his powerfully written psychological dramas. Most of his works are set in the southern United States and they usually portray neurotic people who are victims of their own passions, frustrations, and loneliness. The play represents the conflict between the sensitive, neurotic Blanche DuBois and the crude, animalistic Stanley Kowalski. Blanche visits the home of her sister, Stella, in New Orleans and that is when Stanley started picking at her, almost testing her. Before she had met Stanley, she told her sister of how their plantation had been lost due to the costs of paying for the funerals of many family members. There was not enough money for her to keep the plantation. While Blanche bathed after her arrival, Stanley came home. Stella had told him what had happened and he immediately insisted that Blanche was swindling them. He hinted that Blanche had sold the plantation in order to buy beautiful furs and jewelry. He went through Blanche's trunk while she bathed, Stella insisted he stop. He was looking for sale papers from the plantation. After Blanche was finished bathing, Stella was outside, so Stanley started questioning Blanche. She insisted that she had nothing to hide from him and let him go through all historical papers from Belle Reve, the plantation. While living with Stella and Stanley, Blanche had met a man named Mitch, who she started dating. She liked him a lot but she hid many things from him. Firstly, she hid secrets of her first lover, her husband Allan Grey. Every time she thought of him, she thought of how he killed himself and she heard the polka which played in the background. She did not want to speak of this to Mitch. After Allan's death, Blanche used to go to the Tarantula Arms hotel where she would have intimacies with strangers. She did it because she felt it would fill her empty heart. She did not want to tell Mitch because she wanted him to respect her.Blanche was very careful to hide her looks too. She felt that she was old looking and tried to avoid bright lights from glaring down on her. She covered a light in Stella's house with a Chinese paper lamp to keep it from being so bright she hid her looks from Mitch, he never saw her in the day. Finally, one day, Stanley tried to find out many of Blanche's secrets and told them to Mitch so he would not fall for her, even though he was considering marrying her.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Literary Analysis of David and Goliath
A Character Analysis of David and Goliath When studying any piece of literature there are many different methods and techniques that can be used. The Bible, in specific, is often referred to as a source of moral code, hope, and answers to social, ethical, and political questions. However, this incredibly influential book can also be read as if it were any other novel. The events, settings, and characters can all be evaluated for what they are, forgetting the notion that they are from a religious text. This approach is called narrative criticism.When regarding to the Bible in this way, we do not need to know any historical information or focus on seeking a deeper theological meaning. Instead, the stories are evaluated in terms of how well the characters, settings, and events portray the overall theme or message of the narrative. The story of David and Goliath in particular, does a great job in using its characters to achieve this goal. Though there are many different interpretations o f this story, I am going to focus on one: the idea that power and strength is not needed to succeed or win, but instead it is our heart and determination, intelligence, and above all, our faith in God.To get this point across, the implied author uses narratives to tell us about David and Goliath as well as show us specific and relevant character traits through their actions and beliefs. In order to understand how the characters portray the message of the story we must first develop a set of traits based on what the information given to us by implied author. In the very beginning of the story we are given a detailed description of Goliath: And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion names Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. He had greves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slug between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaverââ¬â¢s beam, and his spearââ¬â¢s head weighted six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before himâ⬠(1 Samuel 17: 5-7). Based on this description we can easily come to the conclusion that Goliath is extremely strong and powerful and an experienced warrior.He is prepared, confident, and willing to take on whatever he is faced with. It is also explained that Goliathââ¬â¢s height is ââ¬Å"six cubits and a span,â⬠which is about nine feet in todayââ¬â¢s society, making him extremely tall. Furthermore, we are explicitly told that he is a ââ¬Å"champion,â⬠alluding to the idea that he never loses a battle. It is here where the implied reader would initially assume that Goliath is most likely to prevail. It is also stated in the text, through the words of David, that Goliath is uncircumcised.Though this minor detail can easily be overlooked it is important to note because it demonstrates Goliaths lack of faith in God. In addition to what the implied author explicitly tells us, there are several characteristics of Goliath that can be presumed from his own actions as well as those around him. For example, Goliathââ¬â¢s character can be described as arrogant and cocky based on his command to fight an Israelite to death for victory. He shouts to the Israelites, ââ¬Å"Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him, then you shall be our servants and serve usâ⬠(1 Samuel 17: 8-9). Before the battle can even begin, Goliath immediately takes it upon himself to set the terms and conditions of how to fight the battle at Socoh. He becomes very commanding and authoritative, bossing everyone around. Instead of both armies fighting one another, like a typical battle, Goliath is so confident in his fighting ability that he declares a one-on-one battle to determine the outcome of the battle.In reaction to Goliathââ¬â¢s demand, Saul and all the Israelites ââ¬Å"fled from Goliath, and were very much afraidâ⬠(1 Samuel 17:24). Not only does this show the power and terrifying quality of Goliath, but it also demonstrates a weakness in Saul, who is suppose to lead and protect the Israelites, and his people. At this point, it is hard to side with either the Philistines or the Israelites since neither show desirable qualities. Goliath, though strong and powerful, shows nothing beyond that. He shows no faith in God and is entirely dependant on his fancy armor and swords.Goliath has no other source of strength other than his physical stature and possessions. David, on the other hand, is depicted as a character that is lacking brute strength and weaponry. We are told through the voice of Goliath that he is ââ¬Å"only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearanceâ⬠(1 Samuel 17: 42). It is evident that David is meant to appear as an average kid with no exc eedingly superior or spectacular qualities. This simple portrayal of David is significant because it sets in motion the development of realistic empathy from the implied reader towards David.It is important for the implied reader to feel empathetic towards David because even though David kills Goliath in the end, we are meant to view him as a hero, not a murder. Building a connection between the implied reader and David makes this possible. Though David represents a seemingly common boy at the time, he has several qualities that make him stand out. However, these character traits are never simply told to us. Instead, the implied author uses Davidââ¬â¢s actions, decisions, and beliefs to reveal his nature.For example, while his two brothers followed Saul ââ¬Å"David went back and forth from Saul to feed his fatherââ¬â¢s sheep at Bethlehemâ⬠(1 Samuel 17:15). Through this simple action we see the first sign of Davidââ¬â¢s loyalty and commitment. Despite the fact that bo th of his brothers decide to focus on their loyalty to Saul, David continues to devote his time to helping his father and stays true to his obligation. Though the ability to be loyal is not enough to help David win the battle against Goliath, the implied reader is able to identify with David creating a deeper and more developed sense of realistic empathy.We are then provided evidence that David does in fact possess a set of military skills. When faced with Saulââ¬â¢s doubt and disbelief that he will be able to successful take on Goliath, David tells him a story of how he protects his Fatherââ¬â¢s sheep from lions and bears. David proclaims, ââ¬Å"your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it.Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircum cised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living Godâ⬠(1 Samuel 17:34-36). Providing us with this story of the sheep is a very effective way for the implied author to demonstrate Davidââ¬â¢s skill set. He is unmistakably very courageous for taking on the lion and bear in the first place and appears utterly fearless and determined when he continues to strike and kill them. These, in truth, are qualities that prove to be useful when in a fight. Though David is initially epicted as an underdog, his victory in this story provides the implied reader with more reason to continue building empathy towards him. However, above all these traits, is Davidââ¬â¢s unwavering and unconditional faith in God. David states, ââ¬Å"the LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and form the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistineâ⬠(1 Samuel 17: 37). This verse clearly depicts Davidââ¬â¢s relationship with God. Instead of relying on armor, swords, and spears, like Goliath, David puts his fate in Gods hands. He undoubtedly trusts that God will allow him to prevail, just as he did against the lions and bears.This is in contrast with Goliath, who worships false Gods and is completely dependant on his weapons and physical strengths. David then prepares for battle when Saul presents him with his armor, which he refuses to wear because it is too heavy for him to walk in. This simple gesture shows that David is confident in his own abilities and the power of God. Instead of relying on the armor for protection, like Goliath, he plays up his skills and utilizes his familiarity with a sling and stones. When David first appears to Goliath, Goliath ââ¬Å"disdained him, for he was only a youthâ⬠(1 Samuel 17:42).Goliath goes on to mock him stating, ââ¬Å"Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the ai r and to the wild animals of the fieldsâ⬠(1 Samuel 17:43-44). Through this statement, we can conclude that Goliath represents a bully figure. He appears cruel and harsh, trying to make David feel lesser than him for having no armor, no sword or spear, but just a sling and some rocks. However, David is not frightened or fazed by Goliaths attempt to scare and discourage him. In fact, the very opposite occurs.In his response to Goliath, David exudes bravery, determination, and loyalty to God and his people. David exclaims, ââ¬Å"This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORDââ¬â¢s and he will give you into our handâ⬠(1 Samuel 17: 46-47).Not only is Davidââ¬â¢s faith further portrayed in this statement, but also it provides great evidence towards Davidââ¬â¢s character. Instead of backing down to Goliath, he asserts himself and stands up to him. He also mocks Goliath by mimicking him in that he will ââ¬Å"feed his body to the birds,â⬠displaying his courage and bravery in the face of overwhelming force. Though the climatic point in this story is when David actually defeats Goliath, it is in this very statement where the meaning behind the action derives.The implied author explicitly tells us that it is not force and weapons that win the battle, but it is the ability to fully entrust in God. However, despite the fact that the implied author plainly states the message of the story, the power behind it would cease to exist without the strong character development. It is necessary for us to create a distinct image of Goliath as a tall, strong, and powerful fighter with intense weaponry to understand that these qualities are not what lead to success.Alternately, it is courage and mental strength, combined with faith and trust in a higher power, which is demonstrated through the character of David. Instead of choosing to back down when faced with the tremendous force, Goliath, David steps up and places a strong belief in his abilities and in God. The fall of Goliath is not simply a tale of an unexpected defeat, but of the value of faith in accomplishing the impossible.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
A Hero of Our Time Essay Example
A Hero of Our Time Essay Example A Hero of Our Time Paper A Hero of Our Time Paper Essay Topic: Literature On the surface A Hero of Our Time is a selection of short fiction stories set against a backdrop of a wild, untamed region; the Caucasus. In this exotic location, Lermontov provides authenticity to the military and cultural peculiarities which existed between the tsarist Russian army officers and the savage ethnic mountaineer tribesmen. Central to each of the stories is the psychological state of its main character, Pechorin and his effect on those he emotionally targets. In a relentless quest for power over everyone he meets in life, Pechorins purpose is to bend to my will everyone and everything near me o arouse in somebody love, devotion and fear what is this but the first sign and the greatest triumph of power? (164-5). Prior to the disclosure of Pechorins personal diaries, Lermontov provides a filtered version of Pechorin by the use of two narrators; an anonymous travelling narrator and Maxim Maxemich. The initial account of Pechorin in Bela is relayed through the eyes of Maxim who is fascinated by Pechorin. Maxim is depicted as the archetypal old Russian captain, a compassionate man who generously describes Pechorin as an excellent fellow, though a bit strange (27). Maxims friendship is rebuked when he meets Pechorin several years later in the story Maxim Maxemich. The narrator recounts that Maxim was going to fall on Pechorins neck [and] Pechorin rather coldly offered him his hand for a moment the captain was brought up short in amazement (86). Although Maxim relays that he spent almost one year in Pechorins company he clearly does not comprehend the complicated facets of Pechorins personality. An irregular chronological sequence also functions to gradually expose Pechorins complex and intricate character to the reader. The chronological order begins with the mystical story of Taman, the name of a coastal town on the Black Sea in which Pechorin is almost murdered. He travels through this town on his way from St. Petersburg to the Caucasus. In a linear sequence Taman would be followed by Princess Mary, Bela, The Fatalist and conclude with Maxim Maxemich. However, there is also another short but significant story, the Introduction to Pechorins Journal in which the reader becomes aware that the novel is relayed in this sequence because this is the order in which the travelling narrator becomes familiar with Pechorin. In this prologue, the narrator assures the reader that Pechorins self-analysis is sincere. At the same time, he questions whether the characters portrayed in Pechorins journals can excuse his behaviour on the assumption that he did not subscribe to the same principles or philosophies in which society is bound society will forgive and accept people if they are understood; we are almost always ready to forgive what we can understand (94). This chapter also discloses that the narrator has not published all of Pechorins diaries and that there is an abundance of information which is omitted; I have included in this book only matter which refers to Pechorins life in the Caucasus. There still remains in my hands a big note-book in which he tells the whole story of his life. I do not dare, for several important reasons, to take the responsibility of publishing it (94). The quote is intentionally ambiguous and allows the reader to deliberate on how Pechorins character may have otherwise evolved once he departed the Caucasus. This statement also presented Lermontov with an option to further develop Pechorins character in later works. On a deeper level this novel provides a sociological and political perspective of Russia in the 1830s; it offers an insight into the distinct ethnic divisions which existed during this period. In the introduction, Lermontov provides a hint of the conflicting philosophies which began to mark impending changes within Russia. He warns the reader that Pechorin is not just a study of a single individual, but a portrait rawn from the fully developed vices of our entire generation (16). The intellectual elite, aside from the dubious distinction of serving in the Russian military, had no meaningful role within Russian life and were in effect, superfluous. Similarly, Pechorin is depicted as an educated, wealthy individual, who has no clear purpose in Russian society this is evident from his self-analysis; my being has been corrupted by the world nothing satisfies me; I get used to suffering just as easily as I do to enjoyment, and my life becomes more empty every day (65). Pechorin illustrates his unceasing pursuit for happiness which only exacerbates his boredom with life; the moment I emerged from my familys tutelage I rushed wildly into every sort of pleasure that money could buy; and naturally I soon tired of such pleasures I quickly got bored with society I got transferred to the Caucasus [but] within a month I was more bothered by mosquitoes than by bullets (63). Essentially, Pechorin is a metaphor for the frustrated, educated quasi-European which seemingly has no purpose in true Russian society. In depicting this character as an example of Russian societys ills, Lermontov notes that the disease has been diagnosed, but how to eradicate it goodness alone knows! (17). Importantly, Lermontov consistently makes the ironic distinction between the stately, noble Russian and the uneducated, savage nationalities which existed in the mountainous Caucasus region. This is particularly apparent in the story of Bela. Lermontov conveys the typical Russians feelings of superiority over the mountaineer tribes when Maxim Maxemich passes judgement on them by commenting that these Asiatics are miserable fellows hey are terrible robbers (21). Maxim further remarks that the Ossetes are a stupid race, they know absolutely nothing and they cant be educated (24). Similarly, in an attempt to win over Belas affections Pechorin shows his disdain for the Chechen race when he arrogantly questions Bela; Youre not in love with one of your own people, are you? (44). Pechorin clearly considers himself the better person. Lermontov also physically differentiates between Pechorin and Kazbich. He describes Pechorin as fair-haired [with] a white, well-bred forehead is moustache and eyebrows were black, a sign of breeding in a man (84-5). By contrast, Kazbich is depicted as having the most ruffianly appearance (31) along with a swarthy face [and a] ragged, dirty appearance (61). However, instead of portraying Kazbich as the savage murderer and Pechorin as the noble hero, Lermontov implies that the two men have in fact treated Bela in an identical manner and that there is no moral difference between them. Kazbich physically kills Bela, but Pechorin has already destroyed her on a moral level socially and culturally. In fact, there is a subtle inference that Kazbich in an ethical way is the more admirable man as he has sought revenge based on his strict cultural sense of right and wrong. On the other hand, Pechorin ruthlessly exploits and destroys Bela when he kidnaps her with no intention of marriage. In complete contrast to Bela, Lermontov departs from the wilderness of the remote Russian fort and into the aristocratic spa region of Piatigorsk, where Pechorin is based whilst on military leave. In short, the story unfolds as Pechorin meets Grushnitzki and prophetically declares; Nor do I care for him; I have a feeling that we shall one day meet on a narrow path, and that it will fare ill with one of us (119). The relationship between Pechorin, Grushnitzki, Vera and Princess Mary become emotionally entangled. Further, Pechorins calculated manoeuvres ensure that he emotionally seduces Mary and makes Grushnitzki look foolish. In the background is Vera, a former lover, now married but again willing to be seduced by Pechorin. The climax of this story is the duel in which Pechorin kills Grushnitzki; when the smoke cleared off, Gurshnitzki was not on the plateau. At the edge of the precipice there was only a slight column of dust to be seen. Everyone screamed simultaneously (221). There are also another two important incidents which occur in Princess Mary and provide the reader with different facets of Pechorins character. The first is in the form of his self-analytical confession to Mary; Everyone read in my face the signs of bad qualities which were not there at the time, though they came into being by suggestion. I was shy and was accused of craftiness; so I became secretive. I had a deep sense of good and evil, but nobody showed me kindness or treated me decently; so I became bitter and spiteful. And then despair was born in me, not of the kind that can be cured only by a bullet, but a cold, feeble despair, which hides itself under kindliness and an amiable smile (168-9). This speech is a turning point in the novel as the reader is persuaded to speculate on and sympathise with Pechorins character, however, rather than a genuine expression of his feelings, it is another tactic to influence control over Mary. This is evidenced by the preface to his dialogue in which Pechorin thought for a minute and then said, [pretending] to be deeply touched (168). Clearly Pechorin is acting out a role and at the end of the dialogue he admits that he did not continue [his] pathetic soliloquy (170). Further, his analysis of Marys reaction to him is that she is dissatisfied with herself and accuses herself of being cold. Tomorrow she will want to reward me. I know it all by heart. Thats why it is so boring (171). The second incident takes place when Pechorin receives a farewell letter from Vera letting him know that their affair was discovered by her husband and she has to leave Piatigorsk immediately; I prayed, cursed, wept, laughed nothing expressed the wild agitation of my despair (225). Pechorin tries to see Vera once more but his exhausted horse falls and Pechorin similarly collapses into the grass. As he lay there he wept bitterly not trying to keep back my tears and the sobs that tore my chest. All my hardness and coolness had vanished like smoke. If anyone had seen me then he would have turned from me in contempt (226). Unlike the earlier passage, this is an honest and unrestrained outpouring of emotion which humanises Pechorin. Furthermore, throughout the novel Lermontov demonstrates yet another facet of Pechorins character by illustrating his enchantment with nature. The descriptions of the panoramic landscapes which form the backdrop to the Caucasus are essential in providing an authenticity to the novel. Nature is depicted in a surreal form and a striking example of this is apparent when Pechorin, on his way to face Grushnitzki in a duel and all his senses stimulated, pronounces; I never remember[ed] a morning that was so blue or fresh. the mingling of the first warmth of [the suns] rays with the cold of the dying night induced in all my senses a delicious languor. At the lightest breath of wind thick bushes that grew in the crevices sprinkled us with silver drops. How eagerly I watched every dew-drop quivering on the broad vine-leaves and reflecting countless rays of rainbow light! (209-10) . For Pechorin, nature is an antidote to the world of civilisation completely removed from St Petersburg society. Lermontovs style ensures that he utilises various graphic devices in his depiction of nature. One of these devices is his generous use of colours including silver and gold to accentuate brilliance and richness. The descriptions of the sublime scenery swiftly situate the reader into a breathtaking setting; On every side there were inaccessible mountains, reddish rocks grown over with green ivy and crowned with rows of plane-trees, yellow precipices scored with ravines and, high, high up, a fringe of snow, golden in the sunset. Below, the Aragva united with a nameless stream, forced its way with a roar from a black, misty gorge, and lay there, a silver thread, with shining, snake-like coils (19). Snakes, clouds and mist are also consistently used to depict movement and an example of this is highlighted at the beginning of the novel; A pale moon was shining in the west, about to go behind some black clouds which hung over the distant peaks, like tattered curtains. the pale glow in the east spread over the purple heavens, lighting up gradually the steep mountain slopes covered with virgin snow. On either side were dark, mysterious chasms into which the mist whirled and writhed like a snake, creeping along crevices of rock, as though it felt and feared the coming of day (49). As a concluding chapter to the novel, A Fatalist is unquestionably appropriate. Although not the chronological conclusion, this chapter nevertheless, plays the role of the novels epilogue and it is not surprising that predestination or fate provides the theme to this story. The opposing forces of free will versus fate preface several incidents in which one of the characters, Vulich tempts fate by attempting to kill himself with a loaded gun, however the gun does not fire and he escapes death only to be murdered later that night by a drunk Cossack soldier. Uncharacteristically Pechorin performs a heroic deed and also tests fate by disarming the murderer at great risk to himself. Although Pechorin is uncertain of his attitude towards fate, he is convinced that fatalism does not subdue a person into pursuing a passive existence, rather it makes ones character even more decisive and courageous as he remarks; After all this, how can I help being a fatalist? And yet, how can a man tell whether he is sincerely convinced or not? We so often mistake for genuine conviction the imposture of our emotions or the blundering of our judgement. I like to have doubts about everything, a propensity which does not preclude determination. On the contrary, so far as I am con cerned, I can always go forward more resolutely when I know what to expect. After all, nothing can happen worse than death, and death cannot be avoided (246). The irony of this story is that although Pechorin is not entirely convinced about fatalism, Maxim, whilst not fully realising its meaning,ostensibly believes in fate. Once Pechorin relays the story of Vulich and explains the significance of the word predestination, Maxim notably exclaims, Yes it was bad luck on the poor fellow. But what devil made him talk to a drunken Cossack at night? Well, obviously, it must have been written at his birth (247).
Monday, October 21, 2019
Seven Categories of Computers
Seven Categories of Computers Free Online Research Papers There are seven categories of computers. The first one that I will discuss is the personal/ desktop computer. This type of computer fits on a desk and can range in price from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. These computers can vary from special purpose to general purpose depending on the demands of the person purchasing it. These computers have developed over time and performed similar tasks as the computers we use today. However the technology 10 years ago was less sophisticated and therefore the memory and storage capacity of these computers greatly affected their performance. The next type of computer we will discuss is mobile computers and devices. In this category the item typically fits in your hand or lap and can cost between one hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. This category has developed substantially over the past decade, and depending on the needs of the consumer it may be general purpose such as a cell phone or they can be used as special purpose in circumstances such as the devices electricians use. These devices have shrunk in size, which have allowed them to become mobile and not stationary devices. The next category is gaming consoles; these are either small boxes or hand held devices and cost several hundred dollars or less. These devices began as such consoles as Atari and before that the classic pinball machine. These devices commonly play disks or cds that you insert in the machine and therefore the usage can be considered general. Servers are considered to be the size of a small cabinet and can cost upwards of a million dollars. This form of computer is very specific in what it does, and is extremely complex due to the thousands of simultaneous connections. Once again as technology has advanced the size of these devices have shrunk substantially. Mainframes can be up to the size of a full room and are used for a very specific purpose. These can cost several million dollars, and once again these machines have advanced substantially to allow more computing power at faster speeds as well shrinking the size of the unit. The technological advances which have been made have allowed these units to be responsible for approximately 83% of the transactions in the world. Supercomputers are the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive computer in existence. These units can store more than 20,000 times more data than that of a personal computer, and are used for mathematical calculations and simulations in aerospace, nuclear energy and weather forecasting. Embedded computers are miniature and are considered special purpose. The functions of these units are a component of larger products such as a car. The prices of these systems are embedded in the price of the larger unit. These units have developed rapidly in the last decade especially in the automotive industry offering tools such as GPS, and active cruise control. Before the time of these machines people were forced to keep records and control data manually, whether it is a nurse writing hand notes for a doctor, or a person having a map in their personal cars. As technology advances to meet the changing needs of consumers the technology becomes more advanced and smaller, offering more for less. Due to the high demand in technology and the ever changing demand in products computers have forever changed the consumer, and in effect will constantly change and be developed in order to meet the demands of tomorrow. Research Papers on Seven Categories of ComputersBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAWDefinition of Export QuotasResearch Process Part OnePETSTEL analysis of India
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Crime and Punishment essays
Crime and Punishment essays The young Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, an aspiring, brilliant yet poor student lives in Russia in the early 1860's. It is late summer and Raskolnikovs poverty has forced him into lodging at a cheap dirty garret where he is already deeply indebted to his landlady, Praskovya Pavlovna. His unique views and thought process lead him to make random rants about numerous subjects such as society. These intellectual arguments lean the novel to a more tense and bitter atmosphere. He is without any close friends and cares little for his appearance or composure. Yet he has one major belief that later is shown to be the theme. This belief is based upon the idea that all crimes committed are discovered through the criminals own mishaps caused by their lack of will, ultimately he believes that a criminal conscience is their downfall. He sets to prove this theory by committing the perfect crime. He carefully plans the murder of an old cynical pawn broker, Alyona Ivanovna. Yet the events leading up to the murder, are a great influence on Raskolnikovs actions. At one point he meets an older man in a tavern who tells him off his poverty and self loathing. He explains that he had stolen the money from his wife and later his daughter, whom he had been forced into prostitution, and had spent this money on alcohol. Raskolnikov is utterly disgusted by the man and his tale and vows never to demean himself to such a level. Yet after the murder of the pawn broker and her sister he is struck by bouts of unconsciousness and fitful sleep. His crime and illness lead him to meet new characters who make him question the belief that he founded his crime upon. Dostoevsky uses Raskolnikovs interactions with different characters as a juxtaposition and symbolism of his own personality. When he meets the drunken man in the tavern he is touched with self loathing and self pity as he recognises his own poverty and willingness to demean himself and ot...
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Child and Elder Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Child and Elder Abuse - Essay Example The elders and children comprise the largest percentage of such. In relation to the aforementioned situation, this paper will study some case of elder and child abuse and the effects of which on the victims. Doris Racher entrusted her mother, Eryetha Mayberry, a 96-year old dementia patient; in a nursing home in Oklahoma City. The daughter noticed that some items she bought for her mother were missing. Consequently, she placed a motion activated camera that looked like an alarm clock inside the room of the elderly woman. Nevertheless, instead of capturing the thief, the camera caught the grievous acts of Mrs. Mayberryââ¬â¢s caregivers. One stuffed latex gloves in the mouth of the patient while another scorned and tapped her on the head. Then, lifting the old woman from her wheelchair, they threw her to her bed and eventually, one gave her a number of heavy-handed chest compressions. The patient died soon after (Hoffman, 2013). It has to be noted that the woman was suffering from dementia so that it could perhaps be safely concluded that the abuse may have started early on. However, the woman did not report any of the events because of her mental condition. In addition, with her age, she might not just have been mentally but also physically incapable of reporting her abusers. From the said report, one can easily see that the immediate result of the physical abuse on the elderly is death. Since elders are physically weak, they can easily suffer from any physical abuse inflicted on them. For instance, the heavy-handed chest compressions may have broken some of the old womanââ¬â¢s brittle bones which might have resulted to her death. It might be true that she is already old and her death is just waiting to happen but the fact that she was physical abused is a contributing factor to her death. Other results of elder abuse could be wounds, physical
Friday, October 18, 2019
The commonest form of contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
The commonest form of contract law - Essay Example A court of law usually enforces the contract as long the offeree proves that he posted the letter. For the case of Bella, the letter he posted on 25th September 2006, but arrived on 30th September 2006, the contract to purchase the text book became binding immediately he sent the letter of acceptance. It does not matter that the letter was delayed by the post office. On the issue that since the recommended textbook for the course has changed, and Bella does not wish to buy the textbook, this would not apply. Acceptance one made, it cannot be revoked. The moment Bella expressed his acceptance of an offer, that very moment the contract is concluded, and it does not matter whether the acceptance is by word of mouth or even by writing. On the case of Chu who accepted Arun's offer by telephone, his contract became complete when the acceptance was heard by Arun on 30th September 2006. According to the law of contract, there is an exception to the communication of acceptance. A contact is complete only when acceptance is actually communicated to the offeror. But a contract made by telephone is complete only when the acceptance is heard by the offeror. For this case, Chu should not revoke the acceptance on the basis that the book will not be useful since it is not recommended text book in his course. An acceptance once made, it cannot be revoked. On the case of Dilma, who accepted the offer by email sent on 27th September 2006 but read by Arun on 28th September 2006, the contract became binding immediately the email of acceptance was sent. According to law of contract, there is an exception to the communication of acceptance as acceptance made by cable takes effect from the moment of posting is an exception to the general rule, that a contract is complete only when acceptance is actually communicated to the offeror. For this case, Dilma cannot be able to revoke the acceptance since an acceptance made cannot be revoked. Past Consideration is Sufficient Consideration Although consideration must not be past, there are three exceptions to this rule that past consideration is no consideration. The exceptions to this rule are applicable when:- The past consideration consists of services rendered at the express or on legally implied request of the promissor. A relevant case studied on this concept is that of:- Lampleigh vs. Braithwait In this case B, under death sentence, requested L to obtain King's pardon for him, which he did. B subsequently promised to pay 100 to L, which he failed to pay, and pleaded the defence that his promise was based on past consideration. It was held that as the plaintiff performed services as the express request of the defendant, a subsequent T promise to pay would be binding on him. When a debt, the payment of which is barred by statute of limitations, is revived by a fresh promise in writing for example if a creditor does not demand the repayment of the loan from his debtor within six years of the loan hence he cannot enforce his claim in the court in case the debtor refuses to pay. Lastly in the bill of exchange Act that provides that an antecedent debt or liability on the part of the promisor or drawer of the
Functional Department Participation Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Functional Department Participation Plan - Essay Example Within the Information Technology industry, the business governance plan is of utmost significance. This is because the business governance plan sets the foundation stone for a number of developments within the realms of the business and indeed the organization in the long run. There is a great amount of learning that can gained from the business governance plan for the sake of the organization which at times is difficult to measure. However, for the sake of simplicity it is always desirable to support how this business governance plan will be implemented across the board and what its ramifications are with regards to the department incorporations (Kay, 1995). The different functional departments that might play an important role within the drafting of the business governance plan shall include the human resources management department, the legal department, the finance department, the marketing and advertising department and the supervisory role of the Board of Directors within an o rganization. This paper shall pinpoint the exact basis of the business governance plan and how it is implemented across the board under the functional departments, the roles of the relevant departments and the embedded link with the Information Technology concerns. It is needed that the Information Technology domains play an important role within the chalking up of the business governance plan so that the success points could easily be understood and the weaknesses within the relevant realms are also highlighted upon at length. These grey areas would be taken care of for future implications that might arise at a later stage. The business governance plan is an elaborate plan that takes into consideration some of the most significant pointers related with running a business in entirety. However what is important to note is the fact that this business governance plan would not be able to meet success if the people in the varied departments of the organization are unwilling to do their jobs properly (Blair, 1996). The different departments within any organization are dependent on the business governance plan in essence to bring out the value and quality for the sake of the organization in the long run. However these are important understandings that need to be reached upon because these manifest the basis to remain one step ahead with regards to the competitive businesses and in the end, achieve success for the organizations that are being discussed about. The business governance plan entails of a list of important undertakings that the business regime has in place. The governance mechanisms are highlighted, which signifies the extent to which a business can proceed to, and thus find its truest basis in the long run. What is required now is a vision to go above the top and attain the end objectives of the business governance plan so that success for the sake of the organization is attained without any hindrances. The business governance plan is always a comprehens ive plan which lists down the pointers that shall bring about the strengths which are enclosed within a business realm. It takes care of the patterns which would essentially help the business grow as a whole and that too in the long run. Within the human resources management department of an Information Technology industry, the significance of the business governance plan is such that the department has a close liaison with the top management domains. This helps shape up the tasks and activities of the department more than anything else. It also makes the tasks easier for the people who mean business within the organization. The human resources management department is indeed the window for the employees to get in touch with the organization and thus the department should make it a point to talk to them as and when required. Instead a proactive approach towards one another is significant because they will embody the basis of eventual success that the organization has.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
3 - Assignment Example systematic consistency with the English Language style and presentation guidelines f) no unacknowledged use of the work of other people or sources (1) In preparation to this coursework, One of the things I did was to read a lot of books and articles so as to improve my language and linguistic skills. Another thing that I did in preparation to this courswork was to listen to several movies and songs with different accents and dialects so as to improve my understanding of phonetics and phonology. (2) i. Into The Flamesââ¬â¢. Chapter 1 of: Sheehy, Gail. 1999. Hillaryââ¬â¢s Choice. Random House, New York. (a) I choose the part where Bill Clinton fell in love with a divorced woman in Arkansas in the late 1980ââ¬â¢s leading to Hillary contemplating divorcing him. In this part, the linguistic formulation gives rise to the effect of portraying Hillary as a strong woman. The syntax in this part of the book is that the words and the sentences are arranged to first of all show that Hil lary was not to blame for her husband falling in love with the other woman and hence makes it a sad ordeal for her and then brings the element of decision making and perseverance and hence portraying her as a very strong woman who is able to handle difficult situations and come out victorious. (b) This writing is a bibliography. It talks about the life of Hillary Clinton. One linguistic feature of the text which is associated with this kind of writing is writing in retrospect as it is an account of past events. (c) One inference I have made from reading the text is that women are very strong emotionally. (d) The evidence in the text which support my inference is the fact that Hillary, a woman, was able to stand the emotional stress of her husband falling in love with another woman who was the Arkansas divorcee and also allegedly cheating on her with Monica a state house intern. (e) Aspects of the language used in this text have led me to make this inference as they have portrayed Hi llary as having been subjected to a lot of emotional torture as a woman. She played her role as a wife perfectly but somehow all did not go well for her. The language used in this text makes one feel pity and compassion for Hillary. The fact that she comes over all the challenges that faced her indeed portrays her as very strong and as a typical woman, hence leading to my inference that women are very strong. (f) In order to make it less likely to make this inference, a relevant passage in the text would be one which describes Hillary as a special woman who is extremely different from all other woman and thus making it clear that all her actions and decisions are unique to her alone and no other woman on earth. (3) (ii) WRITING AND ANALYSIS: a) Produce a piece of writing of up to 1000 words which represents ONE of the following: a newspaper article commenting on a recent news story (you can decide what the story is and choose a real or invented one) Should the UK have invited Presid ent Kenyatta? The UK government plaid host to the newly elected President of the republic of
Summary of fixed income securities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Summary of fixed income securities - Essay Example Debt securities have two essential components namely interest and principle. Fixed income securities which fall in the category of debt includes bonds, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and bank loans. Preferred stock obligations can be defined as the stock in which the investors gain ownership interests in an organization. Fixed dividends are paid to the stock holders out of the profits which are earned by the company. Preferred stock holders are different from the common stock holders as they do not have voting rights. Preferred stock holders only can realize fixed dividends at periodical intervals. However, preference stock holders are given more priority when it comes to payment of dividends as compared to common stock holders. If a company becomes bankrupt, the obligations to preference stock holders are cleared off first. Considering such aspects associated with preferred stock, they are termed as form of equity having characteristic features which are similar to bonds (Barnhill Jr and Maxwell 347). Treasury bonds- They are also referred to as government bonds as the federal government of a nation issues such bonds. The government is expected not to default the payments associated with such bonds. Hence, the risks associated with such bonds are perceived to be low. However, since the price of such bonds may fall if the rate of interest rises, they are not completely riskless. Corporate bonds- Such bonds are issued by business organizations. Unlike government bonds, corporate bonds are exposed to high default risks. If the issuing company does not earn adequate profits or is suffering huge losses, it may not be able to make timely payments to the bondholders. The default risks which are associated with the bonds may range on the basis of the characteristics of the company and the terms of the bond. Such default risks are
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
3 - Assignment Example systematic consistency with the English Language style and presentation guidelines f) no unacknowledged use of the work of other people or sources (1) In preparation to this coursework, One of the things I did was to read a lot of books and articles so as to improve my language and linguistic skills. Another thing that I did in preparation to this courswork was to listen to several movies and songs with different accents and dialects so as to improve my understanding of phonetics and phonology. (2) i. Into The Flamesââ¬â¢. Chapter 1 of: Sheehy, Gail. 1999. Hillaryââ¬â¢s Choice. Random House, New York. (a) I choose the part where Bill Clinton fell in love with a divorced woman in Arkansas in the late 1980ââ¬â¢s leading to Hillary contemplating divorcing him. In this part, the linguistic formulation gives rise to the effect of portraying Hillary as a strong woman. The syntax in this part of the book is that the words and the sentences are arranged to first of all show that Hil lary was not to blame for her husband falling in love with the other woman and hence makes it a sad ordeal for her and then brings the element of decision making and perseverance and hence portraying her as a very strong woman who is able to handle difficult situations and come out victorious. (b) This writing is a bibliography. It talks about the life of Hillary Clinton. One linguistic feature of the text which is associated with this kind of writing is writing in retrospect as it is an account of past events. (c) One inference I have made from reading the text is that women are very strong emotionally. (d) The evidence in the text which support my inference is the fact that Hillary, a woman, was able to stand the emotional stress of her husband falling in love with another woman who was the Arkansas divorcee and also allegedly cheating on her with Monica a state house intern. (e) Aspects of the language used in this text have led me to make this inference as they have portrayed Hi llary as having been subjected to a lot of emotional torture as a woman. She played her role as a wife perfectly but somehow all did not go well for her. The language used in this text makes one feel pity and compassion for Hillary. The fact that she comes over all the challenges that faced her indeed portrays her as very strong and as a typical woman, hence leading to my inference that women are very strong. (f) In order to make it less likely to make this inference, a relevant passage in the text would be one which describes Hillary as a special woman who is extremely different from all other woman and thus making it clear that all her actions and decisions are unique to her alone and no other woman on earth. (3) (ii) WRITING AND ANALYSIS: a) Produce a piece of writing of up to 1000 words which represents ONE of the following: a newspaper article commenting on a recent news story (you can decide what the story is and choose a real or invented one) Should the UK have invited Presid ent Kenyatta? The UK government plaid host to the newly elected President of the republic of
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Childbirth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Childbirth - Essay Example The rate of vaginal birth after previous cesarean increased from1989 till 1996 and declined between 1996 and 2003. In the year 2003, 27.6% of all births in the United States resulted from cesarean deliveries. (MMWR, 54(02), 46) An institutional culture that views childbirth as pathological might have contributed to an extent for the increase in cesarean deliveries in the United States. The number of voices urging to make childbirth a human and social, rather than a medical, event signifies this. However, the institutional culture is not the sole reason for these undesirable results. The safety issues of mother and child and medico legal considerations appear to have contributed to the rise. A doctor is more likely to be sued for not doing a cesarean than for doing one. In addition, a high rate of malpractice by the midwives and the insurance costs favored the pregnant women to seek the services of an obstetrician. Childbirth is either by means of a vaginal delivery or a cesarean section. Cesarean sections are carried out by obstetricians. A few alternatives to a normal natural vaginal delivery are there for women in US. They are natural birth with pain medication, aromatherapy at birth, home birth, midwife delivery, birthing centers, water birth and Doula assistance. In a natural birth with pain medication, medication is given to alleviate the
People as a huge asset Essay Example for Free
People as a huge asset Essay 1.1INTRODUCTION Organisations are made up of people and people are a huge asset to any organization. To be more successful in achieving their goal and objectives; organisations needs to have an understanding about their human assets, their behavior, tendencies, best practice etc..â⬠Leadership is the ability of one person to influence a group of persons toward the achievement of common goalsâ⬠(Yukl, 1994). Influencing others means that leaders must have an understanding about their behavior, which can only happen when they themselves understand their values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations. Understanding oneself means one must carry out self-assessment/evaluation as this is very important for leaders today. I will be carrying out an assessment about the benefit of self -assessment/evaluation to leaders today and the importance of understanding human behavior in oraganisations. 1.2 DEFINITION OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR Human behavior is the way people behave and which can be influence by culture, emotions, attitudes, values, ethics, genetic etc.. Depending on the society and environment, human behavior can either be common, usual, acceptable or unacceptable. Human behavior can either be learnt as we relate to our environment; for example, tying your shoes is a learned behavior or it can be innate which can be inherited through genes. 1.3THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR TO AN ORGANIZATION Organisations depend on the behavior of both individual and teams to achieve their goals and objectives; as such it is very critical for organisations to have thorough understanding of human behavior. Understanding human behavior is aà key to organisational success. Human behavior defines how people work together and relate with one another. Communication being the cornerstone of behavior can only be effective when people understand one another. Interpersonal conflict can be reduced in an organisation once thereââ¬â¢s an understanding of human behavior. Behavior can influence negatively on the achievement of an organizationââ¬â¢s goals and objectives if not manage well; will lead to poor output and failure. Organisations need to plan their training programme, understanding the behavior of its employees will inform the planning process, thereby ensuring that training needs are effectively met. An effective understanding of the diverse behavior of personnel is important. Evidence has shown that as people get to know one another, they became less concerned about differences if they see themselves as sharing more important characteristics, such as personality and values, that represent deep-level diversityâ⬠(Stephen P Robbins Timothy A Judge, Organizational Behavior -15th Editions) A co-operative team that knows how to work with one another can produce better result than those who have problems relating to one another. 1.4 THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR BY LEADERS Organisations need strong leadership to achieve its goals and objectives. An organisation is only as successful as its leadership. Leadership is the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of a vision or set of goals. Individuals or group can only be influence when thereââ¬â¢s an understanding of their behavior. Business necessity, enlightenment about differences and moral fortitude have combine to push organisations into hiring a diverse set of employees, as a result managing this diversity has proven to be a challenge to leadersâ⬠¦ Leaders can effectively manage this challenge through understanding this diversity. A leader who fails to understand his followers thereby focusing at a very superficial level by commanding others to do their will; is at the bottom of the leadership level. Deeper understanding provides more options, give one more potential tools, and frankly, makes one a powerful leader (Stephen P Robbins Timothy A Judge, Organizational Behavior -15t h Editions). This is a trait of level 5 leadership. ââ¬Å"Understanding the behavior of followers will assist leaders in putting together teams to manage projects and it will also assist inà assigning task to employees in a way that will put to efficient use each memberââ¬â¢s strength rather than their weakness ââ¬Å" (www.employment-testing.com) Attempting to influencing individuals without understanding why they behave the way they do, might yield random or unpredictable effect and this will lead to leaders being unsuccessful as followers will be alienated; whereas understanding the personalities of subordinates and superiors informs leaders as to others expectations and provides insights into motivation, competitiveness and interpersonal relationships and communication. 1.5 LEADERSHIP SELF-EVALUATION/SELF-ASSESSMENT As leaders the ability to influence people has to be continuously improved; and the first step in achieving that will be by knowing yourself and gaining understanding of your leadership style, skills, traits, competencies, abilities, personality type and experience. According to Kevin Sharer of AMGEN CEO and president, ââ¬Å"Leadership has many voices. You need to be who you are, not to emulate someone else.â⬠An apt statement as leaders has the responsibility of influencing others in the achievement of goals and objectives; an achievement that will be almost impossible to attain when followers lacks faith in their leader. People normally have faith in authentic leaders as they are leaders who not only know what they believe in and value but also act on that values and beliefs candidly and openly. Most leaders are unaware of the effect their emotional intelligence has on their superiors and subordinates, many a time we blame negative outcome to those around us, all the time bei ng totally blind to the fact that our personality might have had effect on others action. ââ¬Å"Those who use the emotional intelligence framework to guide their thoughts and actions may find it easier to create trust in relationship, harness energy under pressure, and sharpen their ability to make sound decisions-in other words, they increase their potential for success in the workplaceâ⬠(Jones and Bartlett learning PTT) only by carrying out self-assessment/evaluation will you be able to understand your emotional intelligence and other traits. As leaders one should know what their strength and weaknesses as this will enable them build on their strength and march it to their leadership opportunities, it will also assist in the development of their weaknesses and allows for theà elimination of threats to leadership. 1.6 THE BENEFITS OF SELF- ASSESSMENT/SELF-EVALUATION TO LEADERS TODAY. Most of the benefits of self-assessment have already been discuss above, however some benefits are; A.Develop Emotional Intelligence When taking time to self-reflect you are looking inwards. Self-awareness gives you the ability the ability to understand your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives, values and goals, and recognize their impact on others you are leading. Being self-aware will aid you in controlling or redirecting your disruptive emotions and impulses and adapt to changing circumstances. Building these emotional intelligence components will improve your leadership. B. ASSISTS IN BECOMING EFFECTIVE LEADER Authentic leaders are clear on their core values, and this will help to strengthen leadership integrity and lead you to better decisions. Understanding your core values will build followers trust in you as a leader and this will make decision making easier as our integrity is often put to the test during stressful and difficult times. C. BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE Confidence is crucial for leaders. It helps in effective communications, decision making, and influence building. People will see you as you see yourself, being aware of your strength as leader will build self-confidence and this will increase team effectiveness.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Precipitation of Calcium Carbonate in Different Environments
Precipitation of Calcium Carbonate in Different Environments Most confinement studies have focused on the effects of freezing and melting pure liquids like water, hydrogen and helium; inert gases and organic liquids in nanoscale pores. Thus, many studies have shown that melting points and enthalpies of fusion in nanoscale crystals can differ significantly from their bulk scale counterparts. It has been shown (Christenson H.K., 2001) that melting points decrease in crystalline solids embedded within nanoporous matrices and melting point depression becomes more significant with decreasing size of pore. However, the confinement has other less known effects that will be discussed in this report. The study of biominerals shows that many biological reactions take place in specific spaces which can provide a structural and chemical environment that enables the controlled formation of crystals. The formation of biominerals in these specific volumes assigns them certain characteristics which would change if the growth environment changed. This kind of organization suggests that there should be similar systems which are available and exploitable in synthetic materials chemistry. Some studies have focused on these changes and have attempted to confine compounds such as calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate. These studies have been conducted in synthetics systems to observe the differences on their crystallization in confinement and in bulk solutions. The results obtained in these studies are discussed in this report. There have been numerous investigations into the precipitation of calcium carbonate in different confined environments. For example, it has been grown within regular arrays of picoliter droplets created on patterned self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) (Stephens, C. J., et al. 2011). Figure 1. SAM deposited on a gold-mica substrate with a droplet of CaCO3 solution by passing a Na2CO3/CaCl2 solution across the SAM. (copied from reference 6) It is also possible to confine CaCO3 within the confines of a annular wedge, formed around the contact point of two crossed half cylinders. The cylinders are functionalized with SAMs. (Stephens, C. J., et al. 2010). Formerly, CaCO3 biomineralization was considered to be based in a combination of ions pumped into the mineral deposition site. However, CaCo3 confinement has helped to increase our understanding of biomineralization processes due to a higher study of its formation. Currently, it is well known that calcite and aragonite formation in biological systems frequently proceeds via ACC (amorphous CaCO3) precursor. It was shown (Stephens, C. J., et al. (2011) how the crystallisation of CaCO3 was slower in droplets than in a bulk solution. This allows us to observe the mechanism of crystallisation more easily and then study the different stages of the process or even discover new polymorphs. The research shows that the crystals that had precipitated within the droplets were quite different in morphology and were smaller than those precipitated in bulk. While the crystals precipitated in bulk solution were rhombohedral calcite crystals, most crystals formed in the droplets were tetrahedral ACC crystals. The explanation for these results is that the rate of crystallization of the ACC phase decreases in confinement. In bulk solution, the tetrahedral growth form converted into the more common rhombohedral morphology faster than in the droplets because the lifetime of the ACC precursor phase increased in small volumes. In particular, precipitation reaction of CaCO3 terminates at an earlier stage of crystallization in SAMs than in the bulk solution. Thus, under the limited reagent conditions, we might be able to observe the frozen intermediate and then, better understand its mechanism of crystallization. Other work has confined the CaCO3 in phospholipid bilayer vesicles (Tester C., Ryan E. Brock, et al. 2011). The results obtained are similar to those obtained in droplets: confinement allow the stabilization and control transformation of metastable amorphous precursor phases of calcite. Figure 2. Phospholipid bilayer vesicle (liposome) (copied from reference 18) Liposomal encapsulation offers excellent control over calcite nucleation and growth. CaSO4 was also confined in a annular wedge formed around the contact point of two crossed half cylinders (Wang, Y. W., H. K. Christenson, et al. 2013). A remarkable stabilization of the metastable phases amorphous calcium sulfate and calcium sulfate hemihydrates was observed. Confinement caused changes in the crystal shapes, sizes and observed polymorphs. The effect of confinement on Calcium Phosphate has also been studied. The importance of Calcium Phosphate confinement is highlighted by the fact that it allows understanding of bone and teeth structure and its formation mechanism (Cantaert B., Elia Beniash et al. 2013). By precipitating calcium phosphate within the pores of track-etched membranes, it is demonstrated that the formation of polycrystalline hydroxapatite and octacalcium phosphate (results of the crystallization of calcium phosphate) occurs by means of an intermediate amorphous calcium phosphate which is significantly stabilised in confinement. In addition, it is shown that in confinement the spatial constraints can provide a more organised structure of apatitic crystals because preferred orientations of the calcium phosphate nanocystals might appear. This research shows that orientation of the polycrystalline hydroxapatite in confinement is comparable or even superior to that seen in bone. Figure 3. Precipitation of CaPO3 within membrane pores (copied from reference 1) Some other studies have also reported that solid crystallization within nanometer-scale often exhibit preferred orientations with respect to the direction of the pores. Organic crystals were grown in the porous polymer monoliths and it was shown that pore direction affects the orientation of the nanocrystal. (Hamilton et al. 2012). Moreover, it is demonstrated that the sizes of crystals embedded in pores and the polymorph stability and selectivity during crystallization are affected by the pore size. The importance of confinement is explained through the crystallization processes since most of biological and chemical reactions can be affected by confinement, due to the changes in stability, morphology, polymorph, orientation, polycrisystalline character of crystals and also in the rate of crystallization. Indeed there are many crystallization phenomena that we cannot describe correctly from bulk solution. In conclusion, the confinement effects are important in general material synthesis since many optical, ferroelectric, electronic and magnetic proprieties of crystalline material depend on the control of the polymorphic forms of materials. Moreover, the study of early stages crystal growth is hard because they are transient and form randomly. Hence, to study the different polymorphic forms and orientation of crystals, it will be useful for solid crystallization to be conducted in localized volumes.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Essay --
1. INTRODUCTION Internet abuse is generally means an employee is surfing inappropriate web sites during work hours. Visited web pages are prohibited in organizational policy, or simply because of time or frequency of an employee web browsing problem. Abuser finder project is a project that can detect and check what staff in SMK Taman Ria Jaya do during working hour such as opening sites that is unrelated to their work. It is useful to superiors to monitor what staffs do at work. Is it working or doing other work. If so, staff opened the other sites during work, superiors can criticize or take action against the staff. 2. PROBLEM STATEMENT Problem statement is where before making a solution sure there is the problem. Here, there are some problems to be solved. Among them are:- ïâž Staff open other website during working hours ïâž Staff not focusing on their work while working ïâž IT Staff cannot monitor what staff are doing when working hours because quite a lot of staff 3. OBJECTIVES It is a must to achieve this by solving the problem of internet abuse faced by workers today. Th...
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Free Antigone Essays: The Human Condition :: Antigone essays
Exposing the Human Condition in Antigoneà à Heroism entails several things; a selfless act, courage, or the accomplishments of bold and daring expeditions. A hero can also mean courage in the face of death. Others may view this type of hero as stupid, or a martyr. Every hero has faults and these faults along with heroic deeds make the man or woman; a hero, heroine. "Antigone" would be considered a hero in the sense of being a martyr. Because of her love for her family Antigone wanted to give her brother a proper burial, and even though he did evil deeds, she respected him. She believed that all of the dead were in a state of equality. When faced with the decision to obey the King or obey her heart, she says on page 23, in lines 86-90: ââ¬Å"I will bury him myself./If I die for doing that, good:/I will stay with him, brother;/and my crime will be devotion.â⬠This decision, to bury her brother, was very heroic in that even though she knew death was at stake, she knew where her loyalties lied. On page 39, lines 560-575, Antigone stands up to her uncle and tells him to his face that he has disobeyed the Gods decrees. In line 562, 563, and 564 she says: ââ¬Å"I did not intend to pay, before the gods,/for breaking these laws/because of my fear of one man and his principles.â⬠Antigone accuses Kreon of overstepping the laws of the gods, by relying on his own thinking. As is brought out later, Kreon never listened to other peoples advice until it was too late. In the above passage Antigone heroically faces up to the most powerful man, the King, knowing he could kill her in an instance, but still she tells him he is wrong. Being strongly tied to a family, where you would risk death is one thing, but as in any family a person usually takes their anger and frustrations out on individual family members, as in this passage on page 24, lines 100-103: ââ¬Å"Then weakness will be your plea./I am different. I love my brother/and Iââ¬â¢m going to bury him, now.â⬠Antigone, non-heroically, accuses Ismene of not loving her brother, but of course Ismene loved her brother, Ismene was just afraid of the king. Antigone, in the heat of the moment, took Ismeneââ¬â¢s frightened state as a sign of the lack of love on Ismeneââ¬â¢s part.
Friday, October 11, 2019
The Lesson of Romeo and Juliet
Stephanie Lloyd Ms. Christenson English 9 May 19, 2010 The Lesson of Romeo and Juliet What happens when you are in love with an enemy of your family? In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet this is just the case. Romeo and Juliet are two teenagers madly in love with each other, yet their families are at war. The two of them take all the risks to be together and deceive their parents time and time again. Many spectators of this play say that the lesson of Romeo and Juliet is that children should not deceive their parents. This is not the lesson at all. The lesson of Romeo and Juliet is that if love is strong enough, youââ¬â¢ll die for it. In the play, Juliet and her nurse do numerous things to keep Romeo and Juliet together. Romeo has Juliet tell her nurse to get him a ladder so that he can climb over the walls of the Capuletââ¬â¢s to see Juliet at night. The two of them are not afraid to do anything they have to for them to be able to see each other. Romeo and Juliet went as far as to go to Friar Lawrence and get married. Their love was so strong that they were willing to take the chance of losing everything just to be together, even if it meant dieing for on another. For example, in the play the Capuletââ¬â¢s, Julietââ¬â¢s family and the Montagueââ¬â¢s, Romeoââ¬â¢s family are at war. The two families hate each other, yet when Romeo and Juliet fall in love the nurse does everything to help hide it. Juliet tells her nurse that she is in love with Romeo, and the nurse keeps it a secret because she knows what would happen if Lady Capulet or Capulet, Julietââ¬â¢s family found out. Julietââ¬â¢s nurse knows that if she is caught hiding this secret that she will be severely punished. She helps the two of them be together even though she fears the risks of doing so. The nurse is more of Julietââ¬â¢s mother than Lady Capulet is. This is the main reason that she helps Juliet so much. The nurse even gets Romeo a ladder so that he will be able to climb over the walls of the Capuletââ¬â¢s so that he can see Juliet at night. She hides everything from the Capuletââ¬â¢s, tells them lies about where Juliet is when she is seeing Romeo, and at night when Juliet is talking to Romeo and Lady Capulet is coming the nurse warns her so that the two of them wont get caught together. Yes the two of them were deceiving their parents, but they were doing it for love. They did not just do it because they could, it was simply for the love that they had for one another. When you read this play you can feel the emotion through the words Romeo and Juliet speak. As another demonstration on how the lesson of this play is ââ¬Å"if love is strong enough you will die for itâ⬠, Romeo and Juliet went against all odds and got married. The two of them went to Friar Lawrence and asked him to marry them. They all knew that this was extremely forbidden because of the war between the families. Friar Lawrence did not want to marry Romeo and Juliet at first, but then he thought that maybe it would end the feud between the two families. Romeo and Juliet, if caught, could have been in more trouble than they had ever imagined. They took this risk because they loved each other and wanted to be together at all costs. These two teenagers did everything they could to be together. The things that they told each other were the most powerful words of love that two people could exchange. Romeo and Julietââ¬â¢s love was so strong that they were willing to do anything to stay together. Right before the two of them had planned to have sex to claim each other in their marriage, they were caught. Romeo was banished from Verona for having relations with Juliet. Capulet then told Juliet that she was to marry a boy named Paris. Juliet was heartbroken about this and tried everything that she could to get the wedding stalled so that she would have time to go and find Romeo. Juliet went to Friar Lawrence to ask him for some advice on what she should do. He gave her a potion that would make her sleep for 42 hours but everyone would think that she was dead. Juliet and Friar came up with the plan for Juliet to drink it the night before her wedding. The next day when no one could wake her everyone would think that she was dead. They would then have a funeral and Juliet would wake before they buried her and go to find Romeo. Things went wrong with the plan though. Friar had sent Romeo a letter telling him that Juliet would be alive, but it never got to him. Romeo returned to Verona and found Juliet. She had already taken the potion and Romeo thought that she was dead. In his eyes, if she was dead then he could not go on living. Romeo killed himself right before Juliet woke up from the affects of the potion. When Juliet woke up and saw that Romeo had killed himself she was devastated. She had lost the love of her life that she had done so much to be with. Juliet killed herself when she saw Romeo because she knew that she would be with him in heaven. The two of them were finally together in a place where no one could tear them apart. If love is strong enough, youââ¬â¢ll die for it. This is the real lesson of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet and her nurse did everything they could to keep Romeo and Juliet together. The nurse gave Romeo a ladder to be able to see Juliet at night. Romeo and Juliet even got married behind their families backs. This play shows just how strong love can be and how much two people can care for one another. Many think that they have a strong bond with another person, but a lot of the times it turns out to be nothing. Romeo and Juliet is a case of true undying love for another person. This play shows everyone what love truly is. Its not just something you say because you can, its something you say because you mean it. If you really love someone youââ¬â¢ll do anything to be with that person. Is the love you have with someone else strong enough to die for?
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Consumer Behavior Comparison Essay
1. Using the tricomponent attitude model, compare the differences in attitude of consumers towards Kraft Foods versus their attitude towards Vegemite. The tricomponent attitude model is made up of Cognitive, Affective and Conative component. The three components are interrelated and integrate to form an attitude of a person toward any product or service in consumer scenario. Here we are studying how the consumers react to Kraft Food and Vegemite. Cognitive Component Cognition is basically making decisions going through a thinking process. So this thinking process can occur on the basis of knowledge and perceptions that already existed in the consumersââ¬â¢ minds. The Cognitive Component of attitude is developing a belief based on past experience or perception and whenever the consumers are exposed to attitude object (about which we are to form certain attitude) and those belief will form a typical behavior towards that attitude object. The consumers can be seen in the case study to be protective over Vegemite as they perceive it to be a national symbolic food with the long history. The brand itself had lasted centuries with its unique salty base as breakfast spread as compared to traditional sweet base spreads. Kraft Foods being the brand owner did not do anything to the brand until the later years where they did a rebranding of the product to suit modern culture and needs. The consumers clearly triggered heavy resentment over the undesired new name as they had perceive ââ¬Å"Vegemiteâ⬠to be worthy of a name to more relevant. Here Kraft Food suffered a marketing backlash whereas consumersââ¬â¢ support for Vegemite rally strong. Affective Component This Component of Attitude formation is all about emotional feelings of a consumer about the particular product or brand. Consumers have certain emotions regarding the attitude objects either favorable or unfavorable; good or bad, it may be regardless of any quality, specification, features, utility or brand name. Vegemite lasted centuries of success without any interference from Kraft Food in terms of product modification or receipe changes. Kraft Food knew that Australians held Vegemite with high regards and deeply rooted in the history and culture. Despite a dip in sales after foreigners infux, the strong support of the old brand can be seen as Kraft Food carelessly picked an odd name for their re-branding. In their ââ¬Å"Name meâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ campaign, strong sentiments of the brands were reveal as hate groups emerge to hate the new Vegemite name. The consumers feel strongly violated as the name did not resonate with the hearts of the supporter. Kraft Food succumb to pressure an d rename the product. Conative Component This final component is concerned with the likelihood or tendency that a specific action will be undertaken by an individual regarding attitude object. It is treated as an expression of consumerââ¬â¢s intention to buy. It may include action itself. Consumers usually make purchases for positively evaluated brands. Their intentions towards those brands are positive, so their attitude towards those brand would be positive. Although the new ââ¬Å"iSnack 2.0â⬠was much disliked, the success of the receipe is shown with the improvement in sales figures. Consumers in this case, reacted to the over hyped publicity generated by negative marketing, resulting in curious new consumers trying out the new product. Vegemite in this case, was successful. On the other hand, Kraft Food was said to be making use of the clever marketing strategy by inducing resentments from the consumers with the ââ¬Å"iSnack2.0â⬠name. Compared with vegemite, Kraft Food is perceived to be crafty and had to resort to underhand means to achieve desirable results. 2. Thinking about the different methods Kraft used to encourage consumer input for their new Vegemite product, what kind of consumer learning took place during the entire process? Consumer learning is the process by which individuals acquire the purchase and consumption knowledge and experience they apply to future related behaviour. Most of the learning is incidental and some of it is intentional. Elements of Consumer learning The basic elements that contribute to an understanding of learning are motivation, cues, response and reinforcement. Consumers will be motivated to learn if the information is relevant to their needs and goals while cues serve to direct consumer drives when they are consistent with consumer expectations. Response is how consumers react or behave to a drive or a cue while reinforcement increases the likelihood a response will occur in the future as a result of a cue. Kraft encouraged consumer input for their new Vegemite product through the ââ¬Å"How do you like your Vegemiteâ⬠and the ââ¬Å"Name me..â⬠campaign. By getting the consumers to be involved, the Australians will feel that they ââ¬Ëownââ¬â¢ the brand which created the sense of belonging. Kraft asked consumers to log on to the website and post their ideas on the different ways they ate the product. Instrumental Conditioning Instrumental Learning theorists believe that learning occurs through a trial and error process in which the positive outcomes in the form of results or desired outcomes lead to repeat behaviour like Repeat Purchase or Repeat Positive Word of Mouth. Both positive and negative reinforcement can be used to encourage the desired behaviour. The timing of repetitions influences how long the learned material is retained. Learning usually persists longer with distributed re-inforcement schedule, while mass repetitions produce more initial learnings. In view of how Kraft Food did was the ââ¬Å"Name meâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ campaign. They failed to select a proper name for the first time, but they acknowledge the mistake and repeat the campaign a second time. Meanwhile, they took four months to replace the ââ¬Å"iSnack2.0â⬠labelled jars off the shelves before replacing with ââ¬Å"Cheesybitesâ⬠. The consumers are conditioned by this instrumental method. 3. Vegemite is a food product sugge sting customers would have lower levels of involvement with the brand. However, the fall-out from ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢ imply otherwise. What aspects of involvement theory were presented in their response? Involvement theory recognizes that consumers become attached to products, services or brands to differing levels and they engage in a range of information-processing activities, depending on the significance of the purchase (Sciffman et al. 2008). The involvement level shown by the consumers in ââ¬ËiSnack2.0ââ¬â¢ is high is because Vegemite is considered to be a national brand and a part of Australiaââ¬â¢s heritage (Superbrands Australia, 2012). Beside this, the ââ¬ËHow do you like your Vegemiteââ¬â¢ and the ââ¬ËName Meââ¬â¢ campaign further increase the involvement level of the consumers as they felt a sense of ownership in the creation phrase of the product (Sciffman et al. 2008). From the case of ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢, the hemispheral lateralization theory can be used to explain the responses of the consumers. The hemispheral lateralization theory, also known as split-brain theory, is the learning theory around the basic principle that the left and right side of the brain specialize in the kind of information they process. The left side of the brain, which specializes in cognitive activities, can be put as rational and logical, while the right side of the brain, which specializes in pictorial and holistic information, can be put as emotional and instinctive (Sciffman et al. 2008). When Kraft chose the name ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢, the left hemispheral of the consumers processed the decision-making and they responded negatively because the logical thinking is that the selected name is more related to technology products such as iPod and iPhone by Apple. This made the decision looks ââ¬Ëwierdââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëirrevelantââ¬â¢ to the public and will also results in consumers thinking that Kraft is trying to ride on the success of Appleââ¬â¢s products (Miller, 2009). On the other side, the right hemispheral of the consumers also contributed to the consumers responding negatively because Australians have high loyalty and feelings for Vegemite (Foley, 2009) and the fact that Kraft did not let the consumers have a say in the winning name intensifies the negative feeling that Kraft, an American company, is not allowing the Australia public to have a say in the brand they felt they have ownership in. And by choosing a name that is perceived to be unsuitable and outrageous, it further fuels the feeling that the company is showing disrespect to the brand Australians love (Sciffman et al. 2008). 4. Do you think Kraft can change perception of ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢ by changing the name to ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢? Explain your answer. Perception is the process by which people select, organize and interpret stimuli to form a meaningful and logical picture of the world and it is important in marketing strategies for marketers because consumers make decisions based on what they perceive, rather than on the basis of objective reality. (Sciffman et al. 2008). When ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢ was chosen, it triggered negative responses and outrage from consumers across a number of social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, online forums, newspaper and magazines. ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢ was perceived to be ââ¬Ëweirdââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëirrelevantââ¬â¢ and make no sens e to consumers as to why a food product was given a technological name that is normally related to technology products such as iPhone and iPod (Miller, 2009). The name was also perceived to be a marketing stunt by the company as the negativity generated increased the exposure of the product. This led to the sales rising 47 percent in the first two weeks and the product being available in 15% of Australian households (Foley, 2009). However, ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢ also led to hatred and anger as there are consumers who suggested boycotting the product (Collerton, 2009). By deciding to change the name of ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢ to ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢, Kraft can change the perception of the product. The product is a combination of ââ¬ËVegemiteââ¬â¢ spread and cream cheese (Kraft Foods Australia, 2011), which is as what ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ suggested and made more sense to consumers. Another reason is that ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ is chosen in a popularity vote by more than 30,000 Australian and New Zealanders, instead of by the company, therefore will relate better to consumers (AAP, 2009). Once the more popular and logi cal choice of ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ replace ââ¬ËiSnack 2.0ââ¬â¢, sentiment will soften due to the Australia loyalty to the brand and the incident will slowly fade away. 5. If ââ¬ËVegemiteââ¬â¢ could be given a brand personality, what do you think it would be like? Compare this to how the ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ personality might be. Brand personality is an act or a process of the personality traits that a brand possesses. It is the viewing of a brand as a person and defining the traits that a brand has. A brand personality is something consumers can relate to and it develops over time (Parameswaran, 2006). An effective brand will increase its brand equity by having a consistent set of traits. There are five main types of brand personalities and they are Excitement, Sincerity, Ruggedness, Competence and Sophistication (Friend, 2010). ââ¬ËVegemiteââ¬â¢ is best described as having the personality of Sincerity which is interpreted as down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, and cheerful (Friend, 2010). Vegemite is an Australian brand that reaches to the hearts of its consumers and therefore brand loyalty is high. Kraft has retained the down-to-earth nature of ââ¬ËVegemiteââ¬â¢ by not changing the content, with the only updates applying to external factor such as packaging and the occasional consumer promotion. ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ is best seen as having the personality of Excitement under the 5 dimensions of brand personality. The name ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ gives consumers an exciting, daring and spirited feeling (Friend, 2010). This will attracts consumers with high innovativeness as they are risk takers and are more likely to adopt new products (Tellis et al, 2009) The different personalities of ââ¬ËVegemiteââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËCheesybiteââ¬â¢ give consumers totally different perception and feeling and this is important for Kraft to position itself in the different market segment to establish a good name. Bibliography AAP, 2009, Vegemite Cheesybite replaces iSnack2.0, The Sidney Morning Herald. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/vegemite-cheesybite-replaces-isnack20-20091007-gm5u.html Collerton, S. 2009. iSuck 2.0: Unhappy little Vegemites. ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-09-28/isuck-20-unhappy-little-vegemites/1445034 Foley, Meraiah. 2009. Vegemite Contest Draws Protests. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/business/global/03vegemite.html?pagewanted=all Friend, Camille. 2010. The 5 Dimensions of Brand Personality. Fuel Your Branding. http://www.fuelyourbranding.com/the-5-dimensions-of-brand-personality/ Kraft Foods Australia. 2011. http://www.kraftbrands.com/kraftvegemite/Pages/product-information-cheesybite.aspx Kraft Foods Australia. 2011. http://www.kraft.com.au/products/media_release_vegemite_vote.aspx Miller, K E. 2009. Title fight. The Drum Opinion. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/26916.html Parameswaran, M.G. 2006. Building Brand Value: Five Steps To Building Powerful Brands. Tta McGraw-Hill Education. Schiffman, Leon, David Bednall, Aron Oââ¬â¢Cass, Angela Paladino, Steve Ward, and Leslie Kanuk. 2008. Consumer Behavior. 4th ed. Pearson Education Australia Superbrands Australia. 2012. http://www.superbrands.com/au/content/view/300/1/ Tellis, Gerard J, Eden Yin and Simon Bell. 2009. Global Consumer Innovativeness: Cross-Country Differences and Demographic Commonalities. Journal of International Marketing, American Marketing Association. Vol. 17, No 2, 2009, pp 1-22.
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