The Advancement of the Crusaders and the Church Research Paper

The Advancement of the Crusaders and the Church - Research Paper Example The crusades were a series of wars by Western European Christians to recapture the Holy Land from Muslims, which lasted till late 13th century1. Though there were various subtle factors behind the crusades, the first and the most noticeable one was the aggression by Islamic rulers. A look into the factors behind crusades makes it evident that they, in no way, advanced the cause of Christ because they were against the Christian worldview. The history of crusades As far back as in the third century, Christians used to visit the Hold Lands to see the places of Christ’s life. Though the place was conquered by Muslim rulers, pilgrimages continued without my disruption as Caliph Harun al-Rashid accommodated Christian pilgrims. However, the situation went wrong when the Egyptian ruler of Palestine in the 11th century, known as Hakim, started torturing the Christian pilgrims. He destroyed Constantine’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher and declared himself as God incarnate2. The Tur ks were advancing with enormous power. By 1050, they had a state in Persia and within five years, they reached Baghdad and up to Aegean in Anatolia. Soon Byzantine was defeated at Manzikert and a new sultanate was started at Nicaea. In the year 1071, Jerusalem became a part of the new Seljuk state of Syria. It was in this disorder and anarchy that General Alexius I Comnenus came to power in Byzantine. As already known, there was a split between the Eastern and Western churches. So, Pope Gregory VII found it a good opportunity to unite the Churches by spreading the holy war to Asia. So, he offered to send an army of western knights under his own leadership to Byzantine. Similarly, Pope Urban II offered military help to Byzantine against Turks. Pope Urban II pointed out in his speech at the Council of Clemont in 1095 the hardships faced by the Eastern Christians and the pilgrims to Jerusalem. He declared that God would assist those who would fight for their brothers. Another declarati on was that the sins of those who died in the work of God would be forgiven. Thus, enormous numbers of people joined the Crusade. Seeing the great Crusader armies, Turks surrendered Nicaea without a war. The crusaders advanced through Dorylaeum and soon, Edessa, a strategically important imperial city, was conquered and it became the first crusader state3. Soon, Jerusalem and Antioch were conquered by the Crusaders, and Baldwin of Edessa became the first king of Jerusalem. Within no time, the crusader states grew wealthy with the local resources. Admittedly, it was not the military order of the crusaders that helped them, but it was the lack of unity among the Muslims that allowed the crusader survival there. Soon, the Muslims united and a re-conquest was the result. Thus, in 1144, Edessa was captured by Muslims. At this point, St. Bernard preached the second crusade. As he managed to attract masses, King Louis VII of France and King Conrad III of Germany reached the East in what is called the Second Crusade. However, this time, the Crusade was destined to fail. First lf all, the local lords feared that the newcomers would take away their kingdoms and hence, the newcomers were in conflict with the local lords. Thus, the crusaders failed to conquer Damascus in 1149. The Muslim re-conquest continued undisturbed. Saladin of Egypt was a great ruler who managed to bring Syria and Mesopotamia under his control. By 1183, his brother was the ruler of

Preventable Medication Errors Essay Example for Free

Preventable Medication Errors Essay In this essay I am going to discuss what the most common medication errors are, as well as discussing how these errors can be prevented. What are Common Medication Errors? â€Å"Drug errors are defined as unintentional acts, committed by healthcare providers involving medications (Medscape, 2007). Medication errors happen due to ignorance and lack of consciously being observant as to what is going on around them. Granted humans are only humans, and being is indefinitely going to result in human error. However, most of the common medication errors are a result of administering the wrong dosage of a medication, mixing medications with alcohol or simply confusing two medications that have similar names, such as Adderall vs. Inderal. â€Å" According to the national Medication Error Reporting Program, confusion caused by similar drug names accounts for up to 25 percent of all reported errors (Caring, 2008). Insulin is a common medication that is incorrectly administered by patients. Patients sometimes â€Å"double up† on the dosage to make up for a missed dose, or think they are in need of the extra medication. Doubling the dosage of any medication will result in very negative consequences or sometimes more often than not death. Ignorance and medication make for a deadly cocktail, knowing this truth, it is important to be aware of the dangers of mixing alcohol with prescribed medications. Synergism is the mixing of prescription medication with alcohol in order to receive a greater effect of the medication. Knowingly or even unknowingly consuming alcohol with prescription medication can result in permanent physical problems and/or even death. Administering the incorrect dosage of medication, as well as mixing medication with alcohol, or making a simple mistake in the identity of a similar medication are just three of numerous errors happening every day in hospitals and outpatient facilities in the United States. It is highly important to leave no room for error as a medical assistant by consciously being aware of these errors and making it a point to avoid them by checking the medications three times, checking the dosage being administered and being aware of any current prescriptions or alcohol history of the patient. What Can You Do to Prevent Medication Errors in the Practice? If the healthcare workers in the field follow the â€Å"Golden Rule† of the 7 patient rights which are: right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right technique, and right documentation, they will lower the risk of making medication errors. The patients 7 rights were implemented for this very reason, to prevent error in the field and make for a safer healthcare setting. Cognitive psychologists report that the human brain is creative and is wired to make errors (Medscape, 2007) As a medical assistant I can constantly be aware of the risks in not checking medications at least 3 times before administering the medication to a patient that I have personally confirmed to be the recipient of the medication. By making myself aware of a patient’s health history and any possible alcohol use will help ensure the patient’s safety and use of a medication. I believe that it is important in this field to leave nothing to ignorance, but by checking and re-checking the medication prescribed and the routes it is administered will greatly reduce any possible errors in a healthcare practice facility. Conclusion Preventable medication errors can be avoided by following the patient’s 7 rights of drug administration, and educating patients on the safety precautions that should be taken and making them fully aware of the dangers in not doing so. The communication and education of administering medications will help to lower healthcare costs and save the lives of many innocent victims due to medication errors. References: http://www. medscape. org/viewarticle/556487 http://www. caring. com/articles/medication-mistakes http://www. medscape. org/viewarticle/550273

Education is the Foundation of Opportunity :: Philosophy College Admissions

Education is the Foundation of Opportunity â€Å"Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier.† - Charles F. Kettering(inventor of the electric starter, 1876-1958) I want to go into education with an open mind. Education is the foundation of opportunity, and I want to give young people all the opportunities I’ve had. It is because of these opportunities that I feel that I was called to the field of education. Every person who has ever been in school knows that there are teachers we will remember and teachers we will forget. We think of all the effective teachers we’ve had over the years with a sense of recognition, but the ones that have touched our humanity we remember with a deep sense of gratitude. We will remember some teachers because of what they taught us, some we will remember because of why they taught us. Students in my class may not leave with a complete grasp and understanding on linking verbs or calculus, but they will gain a little bit more knowledge about life. I want my classroom to be very organized. I want my rules, procedures, and consequences to be very clear to the students. I want them to know what they are and why I made them. I believe that organization is a key factor in a teacher’s success. Show me a teacher who isn’t organized, even in their own way, and I will show you an ineffective teacher. I also want my classroom to be neat in appearance. I want the seating arrangement to be set up to where students will have no problem walking around. I also what the decorations on the wall to be neat. I want them to represent something important and not just be there for show. I now want to tell you about some of my personal goals I would like to accomplish. First of all, I would like to try a harder to enhance myself in becoming a morally ethical person. When I become a teacher, I want to be nothing less then a well-developed positive influence on my students and fellow staff because the best way to lead is to lead by example. A lot of times a teacher is the only positive influence a child will have in their lives.

The Battle of Passchendaele

The Battle of Passchendaele Officially known as the Third Battle of Ypres, Passchendaele became infamous not only for the scale of casualties, but also for the mud. It was a combination of the Environment, Tactics and Poor Leadership that lead to the AIF’s losing the battle of Passchendaele. On 9 October 1917, British divisions, with the AIF in support, attacked towards Passchendaele village in terrible conditions.In the mud and rain the effort proved futile but the high command thought that enough ground had been gained to order an assault on 12 October. The Germans were fully prepared for the incoming attack, launched across an eleven mile front, small gains of land was only achieved during the attack. Then in the early days of August, the area was saturated with the heaviest rain the region had seen in thirty years. The area in Flanders became effectively a swamp.The weather at the site of this battle was dreadful; it was all muddy and sticky, after it had poured for days o n end. It was because of the harsh weather that many of the AIF troops got trench foot. As this was happening, the AIF was losing a lot of men that died or could not fight again because of the wounds that they had obtained. Third Ypres was intended as Sir Douglas Haig's Allied forces breakthrough in Flanders in 1917.The AIF lost this battle because of the poor leadership that the officers showed during the battle because of the position they were put in by the Germans. Plumer advocated continuing the attack immediately into Passchendaele ridge, arguing that the morale of the German troops was, for the present at least, broken, and that this combined with a shortage of forces would virtually guarantee Allied capture of the ridge.Haig however disagreed, choosing not to go along with the plans that he had made for the AIF. It was a combination of the Environment, Tactics and Poor Leadership that lead to the AIF’s losing the battle of Passchendaele. In conclusion the battle of Pa sschendaele was a failed attempt by the AIF as they lost a lot more men then the Germans. I have talked about the tactics, morale and the leadership. These parts of the battle were the most interesting to my eye.

Minoan Palaces in Crete

The main palace sites in Minoan Crete include those in Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Gournia, and Zakros. The palace at Knossos is the largest, with an area of approximately twenty two thousand square metres. It is located in the valley of the Kairatos River and said to be where King Minos of Ancient Greek mythology lived. It is estimated that the palace of Knossos was palace of Phaistos is the second largest and located on a low hill in the Messara plain. Just outside the town of Malia, which is thirty seven kilometres east of Heraklion, is the third largest Minoan palace. There is also a palace in the town of Gournia which is located on a small hill near the Gulf of Mirabello. Finally, a Minoan palace is located in Zakros, on the east coast of Crete and south of Palaikastro. The palace of Knossos was the largest one of the Minoan empire. Although its actual functions are still not certain, it is thought that the palace was used for both ceremonial and administrative purposes. After it was first built, it is believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake in around 1700 B. C. E and then rebuilt in approximately 1450 B. C. E. Although it is difficult to be sure about the details of the palace, the evidence that does exist suggests that it was essential to the Minoan society. Floor Plan of Knossos Palace Sir Arthur Evans Sir Arthur Evans, a British archaeologist, was the first to excavate the palace site at Knossos. He was born in 1851 and graduated from both Oxford and Gottingen universities. His discoveries were published in â€Å"Palace of Minosâ₠¬  and he was knighted in 1911 for his archaeological work. Evans perished in 1941. The excavation of the palace at Knossos and its surrounding area began in 1900 and continued to some degree for over three decades. Evans used a large sum of his own money on the project. Evans employed many local labourers to join his team and within a few months, had discovered a large amount of what he called â€Å"the Palace of Minos†. His main assistants were Theodore Fyfe and Duncan Mackenzie. Based on his findings at the site, Evans concluded that there must have been a people that existed before those previously found to have lived on Crete. The palace that Evans was in the process of excavating seemed to him to resemble the labyrinth built by King Minos of Greek mythology, and so he named the people that once inhabited the palace and its surroundings ‘the Minoans’ – after King Minos. By 1903, a large amount of the palace had been excavated. During this process, Evans and his team had found many art works and tablets displaying examples of writing, which we now refer to as Linear A. These artefacts revealed a lot about Minoan society, and lead Evans to make many of the assumptions, or ‘educated guesses’, that he did about their civilisation. The methods of restoration of artefacts found in the palace at Knossos by Evans have been questioned since his work at the site. The pioneer excavator used concrete to reconstruct areas and objects of the site, and people were employed to recreate the work on the frescoes found in and around the palace. These restorations are said to have more to do with the imagination of Evans and his team rather than the accurate works of the Minoans. Evans replaced missing fragments of frescoes and other parts of the constructions of the palace with paint and other materials that are considered by many to be inaccurate. His methods have been widely criticised as it is considered detrimental to install materials that are foreign to genuine Minoan architecture, however, he is still recognised as an important figure who contributed a great deal to our knowledge about the Minoan society. The Palace of Knossos Today Today, although the original condition of the palace site at Knossos has been maintained relatively well, there are also modern influences on the area. Located around the site are a gift shop and parking lot as well as a bronze bust of Sir Arthur Evans. Obviously, the condition of the palace itself has decreased since Minoan times due to weathering and other damage, but displays of Minoan culture are still available at the site in various forms. Visitors to the site today are able to make their way around its many rooms via its many corridors and passageways. They are also about to admire the Minoan frescoes that are still displayed at the site. Rooms and Areas of the Palace The palace has several main areas, including the east and west wings and the central court. The palace was built with an estimated one thousand and three hundred rooms and is believed by many to be the actual labyrinth mentioned in the Greek myth, â€Å"the Legend of the Minotaur†. The palace is believed to serve multiple purposes with its many rooms. It was probably an area for storage, crafting, administration, archive keeping and ceremonies as well as sleeping quarters for any royal members of society as well as possible others. The palace has both a north and south entrance and includes several staircases. In the east wing were the domestic quarters, which included apartments where any royalty would probably have lived. It also has shrines and art works as well as reception halls and luxurious bathrooms, and underneath it are storerooms that once housed many treasures and elaborate tombs. Bright murals decorate the areas that are thought to have been inhabited by Minoan royalty. There was also a room in the east wing of the palace in which a seemingly majestic chair stood, thus named the ‘throne room’ by Sir Arthur Evans. In the west wing were the storerooms where the produce of the Minoan trade system was kept. The palace of Knossos was a central location for the Minoan people to store their goods. The central court of the palace was probably used for ceremonial purposes. Records of trade undertaken by Minoans from Knossos were also archived in the palace. The palace of Knossos was probably larger than Minoan palaces found in other areas because the town of Knossos was likely to be the capital of Crete at the time. This means that the palace probably needed the space for all the storage and administration that a capital of an empire must have. The size of the palace is also a symbol of the grand nature of the city of Knossos. Knossos is also thought to have been the most densely populated town, with approximately one hundred thousand people living there. This population is extremely large compared to other ancient towns. Frescoes of the Palace The palace of Knossos is home to a huge spectrum of Minoan art, and a significant amount of works have been found there. Archaeologists think that these frescoes depict Minoan people and the animals, plants and geographical features that they were familiar with, as well as scenes such as sporting events, religious festivals and ceremonies. People are shown going about activities such as fishing and gathering on the frescoes. These people are often youthful adults and rarely children or elders. Women in the frescoes were usually painted to have lighter skin, whereas male figures had skin of a ruddier colour. Military activity is generally not displayed on Minoan frescoes, which sets the Minoan artists apart from others who existed during their time and after it. Perhaps the most famous fresco found in the Knossos palace is the Toreador Fresco, which depicts Minoan people riding a bull like creature in what appears to be some kind of sporting event. These frescoes were not in their original condition by the time archaeologists were able to excavate them due to centuries of weathering and other damage. Despite this, archaeologists and historians have a good idea of what the frescoes are supposed to depict because they are able to use the incomplete images on the works to determine what they may have looked like originally and to restore the art to this state. The importance of the Palace of Knossos The palace of Knossos is important to historians because it provides them with a vast amount of information about Minoan society and what life was like for people living on Crete during the Bronze Age. Much of what is known about the Minoan people is due to the artefacts, architecture and other evidence found in the palace site of Knossos. Frescoes provide insight into the people of Crete during Minoan times and their appearance, clothes, habits, rituals and abilities. Tablets found in the palace inform historians that Minoan people were literate and had a writing system, although its symbols cannot be deciphered today. The general layout and architecture of the palace provides knowledge regarding the Minoans’ ability to build structures, and what methods, techniques and materials they used to do so. The palace also provides evidence supporting the idea that there was Minoan royalty, although this theory is not confirmed. Overall, the palace at Knossos is of great importance to historians because without it, their knowledge of Minoan society would be significantly more limited than it is now.

The History of Aspirin and Salicin

The History of Aspirin and Salicin Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a derivative of salicylic acid. It is a mild, non-narcotic analgesic that’s useful in the relief of headache as well as  muscle and joint aches. The drug works by inhibiting the production of body chemicals known as prostaglandins,  which are necessary for blood clotting and  for sensitizing nerve endings to pain. Early History The father of modern medicine was  Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. Hippocrates left historical records of pain relief treatments that included the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. However, it wasn’t until 1829 that scientists discovered that it was a compound called salicin in willow plants that relieved the pain. In From A Miracle Drug Sophie Jourdier of the Royal Society of Chemistry wrote: It was not long before the active ingredient in willow bark was isolated; in 1828,  Johann Buchner, professor of pharmacy at the University of Munich, isolated a tiny amount of bitter tasting yellow, needle-like crystals, which he called salicin. Two Italians,  Brugnatelli  and Fontana, had in fact already obtained salicin in 1826, but in a highly impure form. By 1829, [French chemist]  Henri Leroux had improved the extraction procedure to obtain about 30g from 1.5kg of bark. In 1838,  Raffaele Piria  [an Italian chemist] then working at the Sorbonne in Paris, split salicin into a sugar and an aromatic component (salicylaldehyde) and converted the latter, by hydrolysis and oxidation, to an acid of crystallised colourless needles, which he named salicylic acid. So while Henri Leroux  had extracted salicin in crystalline form for the first time, it was Raffaele Piria  who succeeded in obtaining the salicylic acid in its pure state. The problem, though, was that salicylic acid was hard on the stomach and a means of buffering the compound was needed. Turning an Extract Into Medicine The first person to achieve the necessary buffering  was a French chemist named  Charles Frederic Gerhardt. In 1853, Gerhardt neutralized salicylic acid by buffering it with sodium (sodium salicylate) and acetyl chloride to create acetylsalicylic acid. Gerhardts product worked but he had no desire to market it and abandoned his discovery. In 1899, a German chemist named  Felix Hoffmann, who worked for a German company called  Bayer, rediscovered Gerhardts formula. Hoffmann made some of the formula and gave it to his father who was suffering from the pain of arthritis. The formula worked and so Hoffmann then convinced Bayer to market the new wonder drug. Aspirin was patented on February 27, 1900. The folks at Bayer came up with the name Aspirin. It comes from the â€Å"A in acetyl chloride, the spir in spiraea ulmaria (the plant they derived the salicylic acid from) and the â€Å"in† was a then familiar name ending for medicines. Before 1915, Aspirin was first sold as a powder.  That year, the first Aspirin tablets were made. Interestingly, the names Aspirin and Heroin were once trademarks belonging to Bayer. After Germany lost World War I, Bayer was forced to give up both trademarks as part of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Edgar Allen Poes Anabelle Lee

Edgar Allen Poes Anabelle Lee Edgar Allen Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" represents the unfortunate demise of Annabel Lee. The poem begins by introducing, Annabel Lee and how someone feels about her. "That a maiden there lived whom you may know by the name of Annabel Lee; and this maiden she lived with no other thought than to love and be loved by me" (5). This stanza exemplifies how this person feels about Annabel Lee. According to this verse. Annabel Lee is the love of his life, and nothing else matters to him.Unfortunately, he is not the only one in love with Annabel Lee, "With a love that the winged seraphs in Heaven coveted her and me" (10). This specific stanza is a representation on how the Winged Seraphs (Angels) in heaven also desire the Annabel Lee. The angels desire for the lovely Annabel Lee is a maxim, which signifies that the death is imminent, and that the lord and the male relatives in her family request her presence in heaven.English: The cover of the January, 1850 Sartain's ..."And this was the reason that, long ago, in this kingdom by the sea, a wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee; so that her high-born kinsmen came and bore her away from me, to shut her up in a sepulchre, in this kingdom by the sea" (20). Annabel Lee has passed away, the wind represents the sprits, taken her away to the place where she is put to eternal rest, which in this case is, a kingdom by the see.Overwhelmed with love for the lovely Annabel Lee, regardless how the spirits and demons view him he remains faithful to her, and expresses his love for Annabel. "And neither the angels in Heaven above, nor the demons down under...

Up and Down Phrasal English Verbs

Up and Down Phrasal English Verbs Phrasal verbs formed with up and down are used to indicate increases and decreases in a number of qualities. Each use is indicated by a specific general quality followed by a synonymous verb or short definition. There are two example sentences for each phrasal verb with up or down. Heres an example: Up Increase in ValueDown Decrease in Value to put up (S) to raiseThe supermarket put coffee prices up in January. to bring down (S) to reduceThe recession brought profits down sharply. Remember that phrasal verbs can be either separable or inseparable (review separable inseparable phrasal verbs). Each phrasal verb is also marked as separable (S) or inseparable (I). In the case that verbs are separable, examples will use the separable form of the phrasal verb. For inseparable phrasal verbs, examples keep the phrasal verbs together. Phrasal Verbs With Up Up Increase in Value to put up (S) to raise Well have to put our prices up to compete.Have they put the price of corn up recently? to go up (I) to increase The price of gas went up in March.Our rent went up in January. Up Increase in Size to bring up (S) to raise (usually children) They brought their children up to be responsible adults.Were bringing up two children. to grow up (I) to become older Youve grown up since I last saw you.The children grew up so fast. Up Increase in Speed to speed up (I) to go faster in a vehicle He quickly sped up to sixty miles an hour.His motorcycle can speed up to 100 quickly. to hurry up (I) to do something faster, to get ready faster Could you please hurry up?!Ill hurry up and finish this report. Up Increase in Heat to heat up (S) to make hotter Ill heat the soup up for lunch.What should I heat up for dinner? to warm up (S) to make hotter Ill warm this soup up for lunch.Would you like me to warm your tea up? Up Increase in Happiness, Excitement to cheer up (S) to make someone happier Can you cheer Tim up?I think we need to cheer them up with a song or two. to liven up (S) to make something more fun Lets liven this party up with a game.We need to liven this meeting up. Up Increase Sound to turn up (S) to raise the volume Please turn the radio up.I like to turn the stereo up when nobody is home. to speak up (I) to speak with a stronger voice You need to speak up for people to understand you.Please speak up in this room. Up Increase in Strength to build up (S) to increase over time Its important to build your muscle strength up over time.Theyve built up an impressive stock portfolio. to pick up (I) to improve over time My health has picked up over the past few days.The stock market has picked up recently. Phrasal Verbs With Down Down Decrease in Value to bring down (S) to reduce They bring down prices after Christmas.The summer brought heating oil prices down. to go down (I) to decrease The value of the house went down during the recession.Gas prices have gone down dramatically over the past few months. to cut down (S) to reduce the value of Weve cut our research and development budget down significantly.Theyve cut their investments down to half. Down Decrease in Speed to slow down (I) to reduce your speed Slow down when you drive into town.My car slowed down and stopped at the intersection. Down Decrease in Temperature to cool down (S) to a lower temperature Youll cool down after you stop exercising.This cool towel will cool you down. Down Decrease in Excitement to cool down (S) to relax I need to take a moment to cool down.Tom should cool his friend down so we can continue the meeting. to calm down (S) to make less excited I calmed the children down with a movie.It took him a while to calm down after the meeting. Down Decrease in Volume to turn down (S) to reduce the volume Could you please turn that music down?I think you should turn the volume down on the radio. to keep down (S) to remain soft Please keep your voices down in the library.Id like you to keep it down in this room. to quieten down (S) to encourage someone to become quieter Could you please quieten your children down?Id like you to quieten the class down. Down Reduce Strength to water down (S) to reduce the strength of something (often alcohol) Could you water this martini down?You need to water down your argument.

ABC Financial Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ABC Financial Business - Research Paper Example Business planning to expand its sales with a 25% increase requires the management and its shareholders to set their targets and goals through a forecast budget. An effective business will lays out the perfect strategy in realizing the companies’ goal of profit maximization. By having the capability to read the agency’s future, it is practical to form feasible strategies that work in favor of the additional products that can leverage the current ABC employee skill-set as well as the manufacturing facilities. In this case, it is critical to form a financial plan to assist the agency’s long term objectives. This is especially if it is the first time trying to make it in this entrepreneurial venture. Some of the aspects that surround this business need addressing so as to make it simpler to deal with the hurdles that these project faces. This paper will examine such a plan in bide of setting aggressive growth target of reaching $3 million annual sales within the next 3 years and how it may impact the growth and development of the business, in the long run. The paper also analyses the overall risk profile of the company based on current economic and industrial issues that it may be facing based on the track records of its financial statements. Discussion It is fundamental for one to be apprehensive about the issues the market may be facing. One of these issues may be an economic downturn. The economic activities that surround this manufacturing industry are a vital aspect in the continuation of the new proposed project (Chandra, 2011). An expansion of the activities occurring in the manufacturing environment means that, there is a chance of having restructuring other interdepartmental that do facilitate the production of final product. As a growing business, the board of management needs to be sensitive to such customer needs and requirements. Overall customer satisfaction is another sensitive area to look into in the business. Customers prefer to have access to information. The ability to provide this access at a rapid pace means that, they will be inclined to get more involved with the business (Brigham, & Ehrhardt, 2011). This works in boosting the annual revenue acquisition. This is where technology comes into play in the business. Offering customers information leads to more interaction, which is the primary focus of the product. Government regulations are also a sensitive area to look into while trying to grow the business in order not to derail the quality of their product (Chandra, 2011). The government policies could also improved access to financial services which on the other hand is help-full in raising the funds for such proposed expansion. All these sensitive areas might determine if the business will grow after expansion, or if it will remain stagnant as at the commencement of the pursuit of new venture. It is very pertinent to acknowledge the presence of all factors present in the industry that might enable it to grow, decline, or remain stagnant (Brigham, & Ehrhardt, 2011). In order to attract a wide variety of customers, it is vital to have an image of the build cedar dollhouses that are to be offered in the market. The price would depends on alternative product which the competitors also do offer in market, that reflect the loyalty of the client, and how much they are invested in the business as a cost of production. Loyalty in any business is fundamental in its growth as cabalist. However, diverting customers from the competition is instrumental in covering the business and some of its costs. In order to provide capital to enable the business to grow and give the shareholders their share,

Online poker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Online poker - Research Paper Example shall be taken care of by the provision of online poker as it aims to provide a more secure setting for gambling and consequential feuds, vendettas and other illegitimate participatory activities. The most significant advantage, however, is vested in the fact that poker rakes will bring large amounts of revenue to the government. The revenue generation is steadily building over the years and it is not surprising that the gambling profits for the government are almost doubling over a period of every five years which makes online poker a very promising arena for revenue generation. Furthermore, the expansion of the poker during recent times such as improved disposable earnings giving customers additional time for relaxation and entertaining activities and the altering socio-demographic traits have worked as stimulants to customer using money on poker and other gambling activities reassuringly make it a sound ground for government

English - Evaluation on a restaurant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English - Evaluation on a restaurant - Essay Example The thesis statement for this paper is, ‘to evaluate the pros and cons of the Ocean Prime, three criteria will be used: food choices must include a wide range of seafood with high nutritional value, the service staff must be efficient and well mannered, and the total cost must not exceed $20 per person’. The first criterion used to evaluate the restaurant was that food must include a wide range of highly nutritional seafood dishes for seafood lovers.   I believe that the restaurant does very well in this regard. We ate Crab Wedge with Maytag Blue Cheese and Shellfish Cobb Salad and really liked them. Both dishes had good nutritional value as they contained high percentages of potassium, protein, and omega-3s. Some strengths of the restaurant in this regard include variety of signature salads, chicken and fish sandwiches, cocktails. However, a couple of weaknesses that we observed regarding this criterion included a little amount of extra vinegar in the Crab Wedge dish and unavailability of some main seafood dishes listed on the menu book. The second criterion used to evaluate the restaurant was that service staff should be well mannered and efficient.   I believe that the restaurant did not meet this criterion to full extent. The reason is that there were just 4 to 5 waiters for 12 to 14 tables. Each waiter was serving more than two groups of visitors at a time which made it difficult for them to serve each visitor properly. However, they were all well mannered and dealt with visitors very courteously. Therefore, the strength of the restaurant in this regard was its well-behaved service staff, whereas the weakness was its shortage of service staff to serve a large number of visitors. The second criterion used to evaluate the restaurant was that the total cost must not exceed $20 per person. The restaurant’s rates were economical as compared to most of the other seafood

The Economics of the Just Price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Economics of the Just Price - Essay Example The aspect of determining price fairness has raised questions since the concept was conceived and has been an element of discussion. An economic solution was developed to determine the constituents of fair prices in accordance to some conditions that must be satisfied. These factors are the clear definition of production factors. The presence of perfect competition within the market and the absence of market failures as a result of economies of scale. When these parameters are considered the prices of commodities with only be affected by eh production costs and profits desired; and hence will be fair to both consumer and producer. This determination of the conditions that define fair prices has aided in the understanding of the elements that can be used to determine a fair price. In the ancient times, there were various factors that caused difficulties in determining a fair price and they were summed by the element of capitalism which was characterised by a lack of proper prices for labour, widespread aversion to payment of loans, and failure to incorporate interest payments into production costs.

Health Promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Promotion - Essay Example First of all, each program should be described for the sake of clarity and specific goals thereof. In this vein, ACAP is well based on the provision of proper information on the issue and the way of emergency training (Asthma Australia, 2011). The main objective is to implement educational standards applied to the healthcare in the country. It is vital to note that the main parties concerning ACAP are education staff, parents, and adolescents (Asthma Australia, 2011). Thus, it is aimed at providing children with ultimate care so as to make sure their attitudes will be loyal toward the program itself. Triggered in November 2009, the program is advantageous for training more than 148 104 staff in schools and preschools providing 7 514 1 hour Asthma Australia training sessions across Australia (Asthma Australia, 2011). Thus, the program is aimed at making education staff aware of the problem itself and safety options required for keeping up a good job with children with asthma accordingly. Moreover, it is valuable in a hospital setting, involving children into a friendly atmosphere of understanding and counseling on the part of adults. Moreover, keeping in mind the fact that the rate of asthma prevalence in Australia is one of the highest in the world, the annual costs varies from $500 million to $1 billion (Mulberg, Silber, & Anker, 2010, p. 25). Definitely, ACAP is seen to have the largest amount of funding on the part of the government. Nevertheless, it needs more inclusion of additional directions aimed at the optimization of ACAP’s mission throughout different states in Australia. ACSP is another program included in the national program on community and hospital admission of asthma training in order to increase people’s awareness of the diseases while decreasing cases of emergency in the future. The program deals with both community and hospital awareness and is based on education, information, and support (Asthma Australia, 2011). In this respect the program is effective due to its widespread popularity a a host of positive feedbacks from all participants engaged in this program. The question is that ACSP is called to prevent Australians with asthma from lethal outcomes. It is all about the conclusions made by the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring state that during the period of 2000-2005 there were 145 deaths per 100,000 patients with the highest rate of mortality among patients over 45 years old (Watson, Pharma, & Rabe, 2007). Thus, commenced in response to such a poor statistics in November 2009, ACSP provides the hospital staff al ong with the rest of population with proper training and assessment regarding asthma. To say more, 511 session were realized in the last year (Asthma Australia, 2011). However, the program lacks impact on the western states of Australia having less performance in there. Finally, AAP is the oldest health-promoting anti-asthma program commenced in Australia at the end of the 1980s in order to timely analyze and define the detrimental factors for and preventive measures against asthma. In this respect the first two programs seem to repeat the methods prescribed in AAP. It is all about the main benefits of AAP for Australians realized through the awareness of the symptoms, seeking medical attention, resources for better management of asthma, training community members with what they can do in cases of asthmatic manifestations in an individual, etc (Harver & Kotses,

Economic Analysis Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic Analysis Project - Research Paper Example The overall national income of United States of America is being decreased. Highest concern has been raised about the job or labor market of the country. There are number of people who are looking for suitable jobs and are not able to find one. On the other hand the average take home wages have been decreasing considerably (Pear, 2011). This all results in further increasing the issues and problems for the economists and policy makers, who are in search of different ways to come out of the after affects of the economic recession. Government of United States of America along with other policy makers are busy in devising such a policy or strategy which facilitates them in the process of recovering. Different policies and initiatives are being taken by the officials and policy makers, but despite of this there has been continuous decrease in the overall income and output level of the economy. It has been reported that the national income of United States of America decreased by almost 9 .8 percent after the recession till June this year. According to different economics analysts, this is one of the largest decline in past few decades (Pear, 2011). Despite of the little improvement in overall unemployment rate, the average wage rate is reporting constant decline (Pear, 2011). This issue is not only of high importance for the job seekers, but also for job providers and the government of United States of America. As it has direct link with the overall economic condition of the country. And there is a high need of coming up with some effective strategy in order to overcome this problem. In order to solve this issue or problem, it is necessary to first identify the reasons and causes behind it. This is possible only through a proper and thorough applied economic analysis. APPLIED ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR IDENTIFYING MAIN REASONS BEHIND THE ISSUE AND COMING UP WITH EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES: In order to better understand the overall situation it is important to have a look at th e basic elements and factors which are directly related to the issue. First step in this regard is to identify and explore the reasons and factors behind the constant decrease in the wage rates and also in the overall national income of the country (Pear, 2011). Different analysts have presented several elements which are responsible for this. One of the main factor for this declining wage rate is high unemployment rate. There are several people who are in search of job, who are also ready to work at nominal hourly rates. Along with this, employees cannot demand high salary because of the increasing unemployment. It will be easy to understand these factors by applying the concept of supply and demand. In a normal market prices and level of output are decided by the forces of supply and demand. Similarly, in labor market wage rates are decided by the supply and demand of the labor. The concept of Marginal Productivity, tried to explain the relationship between the wage rate and deman d of the labor. According to this concept the wage rates are directly related to the demand of the labor. If there is more demand of labor the average wage rates will also increase. Whereas the there is an inverse relationship between the supply of labor and wage rates. If the supply of labor exceeds the demand of labor, then there is a significant decrease in th

Health Promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Promotion - Essay Example First of all, each program should be described for the sake of clarity and specific goals thereof. In this vein, ACAP is well based on the provision of proper information on the issue and the way of emergency training (Asthma Australia, 2011). The main objective is to implement educational standards applied to the healthcare in the country. It is vital to note that the main parties concerning ACAP are education staff, parents, and adolescents (Asthma Australia, 2011). Thus, it is aimed at providing children with ultimate care so as to make sure their attitudes will be loyal toward the program itself. Triggered in November 2009, the program is advantageous for training more than 148 104 staff in schools and preschools providing 7 514 1 hour Asthma Australia training sessions across Australia (Asthma Australia, 2011). Thus, the program is aimed at making education staff aware of the problem itself and safety options required for keeping up a good job with children with asthma accordingly. Moreover, it is valuable in a hospital setting, involving children into a friendly atmosphere of understanding and counseling on the part of adults. Moreover, keeping in mind the fact that the rate of asthma prevalence in Australia is one of the highest in the world, the annual costs varies from $500 million to $1 billion (Mulberg, Silber, & Anker, 2010, p. 25). Definitely, ACAP is seen to have the largest amount of funding on the part of the government. Nevertheless, it needs more inclusion of additional directions aimed at the optimization of ACAP’s mission throughout different states in Australia. ACSP is another program included in the national program on community and hospital admission of asthma training in order to increase people’s awareness of the diseases while decreasing cases of emergency in the future. The program deals with both community and hospital awareness and is based on education, information, and support (Asthma Australia, 2011). In this respect the program is effective due to its widespread popularity a a host of positive feedbacks from all participants engaged in this program. The question is that ACSP is called to prevent Australians with asthma from lethal outcomes. It is all about the conclusions made by the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring state that during the period of 2000-2005 there were 145 deaths per 100,000 patients with the highest rate of mortality among patients over 45 years old (Watson, Pharma, & Rabe, 2007). Thus, commenced in response to such a poor statistics in November 2009, ACSP provides the hospital staff al ong with the rest of population with proper training and assessment regarding asthma. To say more, 511 session were realized in the last year (Asthma Australia, 2011). However, the program lacks impact on the western states of Australia having less performance in there. Finally, AAP is the oldest health-promoting anti-asthma program commenced in Australia at the end of the 1980s in order to timely analyze and define the detrimental factors for and preventive measures against asthma. In this respect the first two programs seem to repeat the methods prescribed in AAP. It is all about the main benefits of AAP for Australians realized through the awareness of the symptoms, seeking medical attention, resources for better management of asthma, training community members with what they can do in cases of asthmatic manifestations in an individual, etc (Harver & Kotses,

Qualitative research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Qualitative research - Essay Example Researchers use coding process to connect data obtained from various research topics in qualitative research. Coding process helps in generating the main theme of the study and relating data collected. During the analysis of qualitative information, the first step involves the organization of data collected. The researcher organizes transcripts during used to collect the information. Data collected though video or record modes are formatted properly in order to make them understandable (Houser, 2011). If the information collected was with transcripts and video, then the two needs harmonization to help build on the theme of study. Otherwise, the data collected would be challenging to interpret. Second step involves reviewing the interviews conducted using the data source by coding. Codes obtained from the review process helps in identification of the main theme of the study (Houser, 2011). The codes may be inductive or deductive. In inductive coding, the information understood from the data assist in making thematic conclusion as opposed to deductive theme that results from experience of the researcher or theory based on the topic. Coding of information is possible using computer programs. Jeanfreau, S. G., & Jack, L. (2010). Appraising Qualitative Research in Health Education: Guidelines for Public Health Educators. Health Promotion Practice, 11(5), 612–617.

Press Statement Essay Example for Free

Press Statement Essay An approach to aspects of a child abuse investigation in a modern society using police and community cooperation (A reference to the media)   Ã‚   As traditional communities erode and our societies become more diverse, feelings of insecurity grow, fear of crime increases and questions of identity and citizenship come in question A threat on the safety of our children has culminated to an investigation into the cause and the socio-political aspects of the problem. Our law officers and the stakeholders of the social welfare are investigating and researching on various socio perspectives and trends that are described as possible factors leading to the problem. It’s not commonplace in this society to have incidents of child abuse and as such we are working towards stemming down any possible link and also address the problem collectively through arresting those perpetrating such crimes.   Ã‚   Out of every ten children in our community one of them has reported abuse or aggressive behaviour. 17% of the children report that their attackers were burly or sickly looking. 25% of the children are now afraid of venturing into the neighbourhood. The rate of these abuses has rose up with up to 11% which is a considerable rate.    We have checked on any psychopathic connections to the few cases that have been reported. We are also evaluating theories and investigating curtails that have suspect characters that are substance abusers and their possible involvement. We are comprehensively analyzing socio-economic factors as well as ideological issues which could be eliciting the problem. We believe some people might have ideologies which force them to think and argue that children rights and safety are not important. These ideologies result to hate against children. We also view childless individuals who have developed frustration and stress levels might be involved due to obsession with the idea of harassing other people’s children due to this frustration.      We are establishing stereotyping, class and other social factors which have negative impacts on children social groups. Apart from these theories we understand victimisation based on family and social feuds might victimise children. We are working on looking into any possibilities of parents, select social classes, estate neighbourhoods and school based feuds as being the cause of the problem. Some disgruntled parents or neighbours might be trying to settle scores, seek payment of a debt, drug money and illicit business dealings and other bad dealings gone sour might be causes. We are establishing all these theories so that we can close in on the perpetrators so that not a single aspect of the problem will result to unjust prosecutions or any victimisations.   Ã‚   As members of the society we understand that there are various socio-political aspects of crime pattern and jurisdiction that we have to flow and collectively approach when dealing with suspects. We assure the members of the society that we will not victimise or arrest any suspect without credible evidence on his involvement or connection. We understand and respect all human rights and abide by principles of justice. No suspect will be charged until investigations establish credible evidence of involvement. This will be done according to the law and we will emphasise on justice being administered in accordance to all penal codes as stipulated and comprehensively understood in the judicial system. We attribute rise in crime and related social anomalies to changes in economic structure are altering the pattern of regional inequalities (UNICEF 2006).    On the other hand we blame radical political changes on the faà §ade of some expression values, especially in the fourth estate. Too much exposure of various aspects of the judicial system acts to people with criminal intent has increased affableness to crime due to the knowledge and criticism on aspects of legislation and police action on the issues as well as the legal loopholes. We are encouraging more concise and distinctive media education and publishing in judicial and social values content so that we can have a responsible and safe society. We are sure that political dividing lines of class and religion are eroding and cannot sustain values and ethics of safe and respectable humanity.   Ã‚   The perception of increasing violent crime, often drug related, has gone along with a rise in anti-social behaviour: petty criminality such as vandalism on housing estates, or extreme rudeness, disrespect and lack of consideration for others. (Liddle Lerais 2006). We expect that all acts against children will come to book in accordance to the United Nations act that protects children against anti-socio behaviour on children (UN 2007). We are optimistic we will arrest and put behind bars those involved and successfully contain the problem. Sources (Liddle Lerais 2006) Europes social reality: pp 5 UNICEF United Nations (www.undp.com )

Sublime and Fantastic Elements in The Day We Were Dogs :: Day We Were Dogs Essays

Sublime and Fantastic Elements in The Day We Were Dogs      Ã‚   "The Day We Were Dogs" is a short story written by an author born in Puebla, Mexico, in 1993. Elena Garro's major themes revolve around the concepts of time and memory. I do not believe this story is a true example of magical realism; however I do see the sublime and the fantastic used in this story. I think that this story is really a misidentification of magical realism. To start out, I was moved by the way the author talked about a day with two days inside of it. How could this occurrence be? It is two days and two realities. There also were two afternoons and two heavens, dogs talking, dogs named Buddha and Christ. I just see Garro trying to imitate magical realism, but she did a bad job of it. I do have to give her credit for bringing the sublime and the fantastic in, though. The characteristics of magical realism are phenomenal, deeper realm, visibility, mysterious, opinionated, timeless fluidity, and fascinating. This story has none of those characteristics, or at least it does not express them the way a magical realism story would. "We recognize the world, although now-not only because we have emerged from a dream-we look on it with new eyes"(Roh 17). I see what Roh is trying to say about magical realism, and I do not think one can use these certain strategies to figure out this story because it is fantastical and sublime. The fantastic is characterized by the marvelous, the uncanny, the natural, and the supernatural. The marvelous to me in this story would be the two parallel days. It seems so normal how Garro talks about it. They looked at one day or thing and saw what happened, and then they looked at another. Being able to experience time this way seems so wild and crazy. Rabkin states that "we recognize this reversal (90 to 180) through certain textual (signals):the reactions of the characters, the statements of the narrators, and the implications of structures provided by implied authors."(Rabkin 11). The story does show a big reversal as the dogs act as dogs and the people act as dogs. Also, the character questions, "I'm a dog"? Then another dog replies, "Yes we are dogs." I saw that later on in the story she realizes that she was a dog by replying ,"Woof, Woof, Woof," when someone asked her a question.

Linguistic Communication Barriers Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Es

Communication Barriers Hispanic immigrants living in American are regularly faced with communication problems. When one’s native culture varies from the norm they are often the one expected to eliminate the disparity. Language barriers present for the Hispanic population living in America and their physical therapists can cause significant problems, not only for communication in general but also for diagnosis and treatment. In order to overcome communication barriers in the field of physical therapy, providers need to become more linguistically and culturally competent. When asked what was a problem that regularly frustrated her while working, Karen Hobbs, PT of Erwin NC, immediately responded, â€Å"not being able to talk to my own patients† (Hobbs). Mrs. Hobbs is a physical therapist who works in a rural farming community that is largely populated by Hispanics. Her frustration is shared by many physical therapists who struggle to communicate with their patients. Language barriers are a problem that physical therapist are faced with across the nation. In American, over two-fifths of the Spanish-speaking Hispanics report that they experience difficulty understanding their medical provider because of a language barrier. In many cases the weight of this problem that physical therapists are faced with is handed over to the patients. Only half of the patients that report a difficulty understanding and needing an interpreter present are regularly provided one (Uninsured). One study found that only one percent of Hispanics received help from a trained medical interpreter. Most patients relied on the help of family and friends (Bustos). Family members and friends that are used as translators often have a limited under... .... (March 2002): Joyner Library, City of Greenville, NC. February 2004. â€Å"Safety Pros Share Proven Tricks for Training Spanish-Speaking Workers.† LexisNexis. IOMA Safety Directors Report. (July 2003): Joyner Library, City of Greenville, NC. February 2004. Taylor, Curtis. â€Å"A Language Barrier; Mayor, HRA Oppose Bill Requiring Interpreters.† NexisLexis. Queens Edition. (November 2003): Joyner Library, City of Greenville, NC. February 2004. â€Å"Tips on How to Increase Cultural Competency.† American Physical Therapy Association. Foundation for Physical Therapy. 20 February 2004. . â€Å"Uninsured Hispanics With Limited English Face Formidable Barriers To Health Care Finds Commonwealth Fund Report.† LexisNexis, U.S. Newswire. (February 2003): Joyner Library, City of Greenville, NC. February 2004.

“A Conversation with My Father” by Grace Paley

Grace Paley combined several elements and devices in her short story â€Å"A Conversation with My Father†. The most striking themes in this short story are abandonment and family relationships.In this new story, the daughter is describing facts, whereas the father wants a more complete description, full of details. Following this, we see that the daughter prefers to be optimistic, while the father prefers reality.This is illustrated by the following quotes: â€Å"No, Pa, it could really happen that way, it’s a funny world nowadays†, and to this, the father replies â€Å"No†¦ Truth first. She will slide back.† Her story describes the life of a mother and her son, and how she becomes a junkie to remain close to her son, who has become a junkie. In the end, the son quits the drugs world, but the mother cannot.Her son leaves her, introducing the element of abandonment in the story. This theme is pursued further, but in between lines. For example, the son left his mother at a critical time, when she needed him most, whereas the narrator stayed with her dad, even in his dying days.The father does not believe that the woman in his daughter’s story is strong enough and that even though she manages to quit doing drugs, she will fall back. I would tend to agree with him, because a lot of substance abusers, who quit, eventually, fall back. Her story is too optimistic, with a sense of denial for the tragedy.As the story ends, the father says â€Å"Tragedy! You too. When will you look it in the face?† Again, here we wonder whether the tragedy refers to the mother/son situation, or the fact that he will be dying soon. Earlier on, the father had said â€Å"what a tragedy. The end of a person.†And again, here the daughter refuses to accept that this is the end†¦whether it is the end of the mother or her father. This all relates to hope. When she started her story, she was determined to have hope in her story, to demons trate that â€Å"everyone†¦deserves the open destiny of life.† I find it ironical, as she tries her best to present the story with an open end, with plenty of hope. However, when she read the story, her father says that it does not communicate hope.It’s the â€Å"end†. On a lighter tone, there is another obvious pair of ironical sentence. The father says â€Å"Doesn’t anyone have the time to run down to City Hall before they jump into bed† and to this his daughter replies â€Å"In real life, yes. But in my stories, no.† I find this ironical, as nowadays the opposite is true.Today, in real life, people jump to bed and then get married, or never get married. This is a contrast between then and now, and how the people, as well as literature, have changed.

Nokia Case Study Essay

Introduction: As a former global leader in the cell phone industry, Nokia have a history of great ability to adapt new markets with a solid strategy. Formed in 1865, Nokia started out as a lumber mill and moved on to the production of electricity and rubber. In 1992, Nokia decided to focus solely on the cell phones industry and rapidly obtained great market share, and later became pioneers of the wireless revolution which derived the smartphones. Despite this impressive past and former position in the cell phone industry, it is obvious from the case study that Nokia have several problems causing the crucial recession of its market share the past years. One of the problems is the slow decision making which halts the possibility of innovative activities. Despite a staggering cost of 40 billion dollars on Research and Development, none of Nokia’s cell phones reached the market due to the bad decision making and internal rivalries. In the cell phone industry, it is crucial that you act fast or else you will be outrun by the competitors, which is exactly what happened with Nokia. Rothaermel, Hess (2010, p. 13) states that consistent innovation is the factor that drives the worlds successfully companies and explains that innovation is a crucial competitive advantage for companies in a harsh economic time as it allows them to change the market in their favour and hopefully become market leader. Without any changes in the decision making process and in the innovative culture, Nokia will keep declining, as their competitors such as Apple and HTC Corporation will keep being in front and control the market. This paper will argue that, in order to achieve a bigger market share and a better competitive advantage, Nokia needs to speed up their decision making and change their innovative culture and the linkage between these activities. Relevant theory will be discussed as well as recommendations for future activities will be provided, in order to get Nokia back on track. Analysis and Argument The decision making process from the management of a company is a crucial process in both internal and external perspectives. It determines the current situation and the future of the company, and has to remain continuous due to the constant interactions from the environment. The decision making process determines whether the company succeed or fail when launching a new product on the market, and that is why the company has to know whether the market is ready for their product or not. Baum, J.R. and Wally, S. (2003) states that a fast pace of the decision making is crucial when competitive advantage is desired in a market, as the new product you are launching will be adopted in an early stage and enter the market quicker than your competitors. This argument is supported by Eisenhardt (1989; as cited in Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". 2008 p. 1) who has conducted a study of eight high-tech firms and concluded that the most profitable of these eight firms, were the ones with the fastest decision making process. A more superior study was completed by Judge and Miller (1991; as cited in Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". 2008 p. 1) who stated that there is no linkage between the speed of decision making process and the performance of a company only with the exception of fast-moving environments, such as the cell phone industry, where it was discovered that these participating companies had higher performance and fast decision making processes. The cell phone industry is a fast-moving environment due to the development of new technology and constant changes, and it is in this industry that Nokia is located. Finally, Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". (2008) argues in the light of the above evidence and personal studies, that a strategy with fast decision making will lead to competitive advantage. The importance of a fast decision making strategy is supported by the fortune of Nokia from the case study. With a very slow decision making and the sacking of several products, followed up by internal disagreements, the competitors in the fast-moving external environment suddenly started to outrun Nokia, which didn’t manage to address their internal abilities, such as the innovativeness. According to Andersen, T.J. (2001; as cited in Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". 2008 p. 4), especially this innovativeness reflects the company’s capability to be the first in their environment to launch a product or system, and create competitive advantage and corporate performance. Han, J.K., Kim, N., Srivastava, R.K. (1998) supports this theory and believes that the innovativeness serves the purpose of being a mediator between the company’s market orientation, and the company’s performance. Nokia have used a huge amount of expenses to obtain this market orientation, so one could argue that more efficient innovation is the key to reach better performance. This precise opinion is what Blundell, R., Griffith, R., Van Reenen, J. (1999) states, as they also links the innovation of a company, with the achievement of greater market share and market stock value. From the above mentioned theories of faster decision making strategy and an efficient innovation performance and the associating arguments of these theories, you can argue that a relationship and cooperation between them is crucial and inevitable. This theory is supported by Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". (2008) who defines that the fast decision making combined with innovative performance will lead to better corporate performance. This relationship might be the key to get Nokia back on track and back at the top of the cell phone industry. Recommendation It is recommended that Nokia change their decision making strategy immediately and become more aware of the changes in the external environment. Nokia ought to design its decision making strategy around Eisenhardt, K. M. (1999) four keys to decision making strategy. First, Nokia needs to establish collective intuition by hosting regular meetings and realistic cases for the management department, which will develop their ability to discover threats and opportunities in an early stage and more precisely. Second, they must assemble diverse teams and challenge them through heuristic and stressing situations with numerous alternatives, so the teams will improve their decision making ability under pressure. Third, Nokia needs to discipline the timing of the decision making through paced time schedules, prototyping and consensus in the teams to maintain the momentum in the strategic choices. Lastly, emphasize a common goal and a clear set of rules, and remember to have fun. These tactics avoid that the decision makers are getting into interpersonal conflicts and waste the time on politics, which Nokia already have used incredible amounts of time doing without any luck. The execution of these four keys leads towards a more effective strategy, making the decision making process a cornerstone of the strategy. These four keys with the team based approach that is striving to create a common goal and keeping the process fun are to be transferred to the innovation department in order to optimize this as well. Teams of innovation and development are to be established, instead of letting the employees fight an internal battle for the right to keep their jobs. This battle creates disorder in the internal community, and is discouraging the employees and affects their efficiency. Instead, it is crucial that the innovative department works towards a common goal and is continuously challenged in order for them to keep the momentum and keep improving, while they are having fun doing it. Conclusion From the arguments presented in this paper, it is apparent that in order for Nokia to return to the top of the cell phone industry and reconquer the lost market share, they need to change the decision making strategy entirely, and develop a much faster and efficient one. This will allow them to launch new products to the market more frequently and increase the opportunity for successful products. These frequent products will promote the innovative performance and make the company more adaptable to the many changes in the environment, and allow them to affect the market themselves. It is not possible to choose which argument that is the most suitable, as they relate to each other because a faster decision making process leads to more efficient innovative performance, which leads to better corporate performance and more market share. The snowball effect will emerge, but Nokia has to start rolling the ball. With this in mind, these changes will not do it alone. Several corporate changes in the entire organization must be performed in order for this to succeed, but the history of Nokia will help them in this challenge, as they have faced great organizational changes before and know what it takes. References: Rothaermel, F.T & Hess, M (2010), ’Innovation Strategies Combined’, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 13-15, viewed 20 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, Eisenhardt, K.M (1989), ‘Making fast strategic decisions in high-velocity environments’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 543-76 Judge, W.Q & Miller, A (1991), ‘Antecedents and outcomes of decision speed in different environmental contexts’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 449-63 Baum, J.R & Wally, S (2003), ‘Strategic decision speed and firm performance’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24 No. 11, pp. 1107-29 Zehir, C & Mehtap, Ãâ€" (2008), ‘A field research on the relationship between strategic decision-making speed and innovation performance in the case of Turkish large-scale firms’, Management Decision, Vol. 46, No. 5, pp. 709-724, viewed 20 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251740810873473 Han, J.K, Kim, N & Srivastava, R.K (1998), ‘Market orientation and organizational performance: Is innovation a missing link?’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 30-45, viewed 20 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, Andersen, T.J (2001), ‘Information technology, strategic decision-making approaches and organizational performance in different industrial settings’, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Vol. 10, pp. 101-19 Blundell, R, Griffith, R & Van Reenen, J. (1999), ‘Market share, market value and innovation in a panel of British manufacturing firms’, The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 66, No. 228, pp. 529-554, viewed 21 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, Eisenhardt, K. M (1999) ‘Strategy as strategic decision making‘, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 65-72, viewed 21 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library,

How To Overcome The Problems And The Advantages And Dis Advantages Of Using Survey Method

a. ) Discuss the problem which a researcher might encounter when conducting social surveys. Explain how to overcome the problems. b. ) Explain the advantages and dis advantages of using survey method. According to chrishnaswami O. R (2003) social survey is defined as a fact finding study. It is a method of research involving the collection of data directly from a population or a sample there of a particular time.It must not be confused with the mere clerical routine of gathering and tabulating figures for it requires expert and imaginative planning careful and rational interpretation of findings. Omari I. M defined social survey research as probably the best method available to the social scientists interested in collecting original data for describing a population too large to observe directly. Survey may be used for descriptive explanatory and exploratory purposes.Although this method can be used for other units of analysis such as group or interactions it is necessary that some in dividual persons are used as respondents or informants. In social survey data maybe collected by methods like observation, interviewing and questionnaires . social survey has the following characteristics, it is always conducted in a natural setting, it seeks responses directly from the respondents, it can cover a very large population and it covers a definite geographical area for instance a city, district or a state. The following steps are involved while collecting a survey.The first step is selection of as problem and its formulation followed by the preparation of a research design then operation of concepts and construction of measuring indexes and scales then sampling then construction of tools for collection of data and their pretest then field work and calculation of data then processing data and tabulation then lastly reporting. A researcher might encounter certain problems while conducting a survey study, the following are the problems which a researcher might encounter wh ile conducting social survey. A sample survey is subject to sampling error.Its findings must be interpreted in the light of this error. The survey method depends primarily on verbal behavior; the respondent can give untrue or misleading answers hence a survey is subject to response errors. A survey is also subject to errors of measurement, implicit, iniquity attitude, abilities behaviors and other personal traits. There is a limit of the number of items of information that can be collected in a single survey. There is an optional length of time for an interview hence the extent of data requirement should be delimited to the tolerance of the respondents.The survey methods alone are in adequate analyze adequately the complex fabric of social organization . it is also not well suited to studies of historical development. Social surveys are very expensive in terms of time and cost. Hence an individual cannot afford to carry out an extensive survey out of these resources. Having seen the problems which a researcher might encounter the following are the ways through which a researcher can use so as to overcome those problems, The researcher must make sure that the research topic is clearly defined to him/herself .this will enable the researcher to state the problem clearly to his/her respondents. The researcher should be clear both about the information that is required about the topic and the reason for wanting this information for him/herself. The researcher should make sure that the topic has been properly defined for the respondent that is by avoiding the use of abstract words and jargons Researchers should make sure that they ask questions that are relevant to the respondents.He /she should avoid asking hypothetical questions/abstract questions and should also avoid asking for information that requires the respondent to have remembered things that they are likely to have forgotten. This will reduce misleading answers. The researcher should make sure that the qu estions asked are not biased . he/she should ensure balance in the introduction, should also ensure that the sets of response options are balanced and should avoid words that are likely to invoke different reactions or stereotype reactions from respondents.The researcher should eliminate complexities so that the respondent can easily understand the questions . this is by avoiding asking two or more questions at one time, avoid using words with several meaning. Check whether the question has been simplified to its simplest form and avoid using too many vocabularies in the question. The researcher should, ensure that the respondents understand what kind of answer is needed. The researcher should also avoid asking ambiguous questions b) Explain the advantages and dis ad vantages of using survey method.The following are the advantages of survey research The survey method facilitate the drawing generalization about large populations on the basis of representative sample The survey method is flexible to permit the use of various methods of collecting data like observation interviewing and questionnaire. Social surveys sensitize the researcher to unknown problems, the collection of data from respondents through interviewing or mailing often uncovers facts previously unknown to the researcher.The quality of data collected is not dependent on the personal impressions, skills and objectivity of single researcher. The information is gathered from a sample. Generalization can easily been drawn by studying large number of respondents in using effective sample techniques. Social surveys deliver objective accurately measured scientific data which can be easily put into statistical form. Having seen the advantages of the survey method . the following are the dis advantages of social survey methods, In social survey the most important questions might not be asked, this is due to the limit of time.However the researcher might find it difficult to ask, more questions due to poor response and negative reactions from the respondents hence not getting the expected answers. Misinterpretation due to the language used. Respondent may not be well familiar with the language which the researcher use as a result misunderstanding rises due to lack of clarity to the respondents hence sometimes giving out an irrelevant answer to the question asked by the researcher.A single survey is done with a specific planned time and since time is limited the number of items to be collected must also be limited to put in planned time hence leaving out some others items to be collected to make the whole survey complete and worth fully needed facts found. Social survey is very expensive in terms of time and cost. an individual cannot afford to carry out an extensive survey out of his resources. The concepts and forms of language used in the survey maybe misinterpreted hence lead the respondent to tell lies. This creates limitation to the researcher on terms of facts finding hence can lead to false conclusions

Importance of training in public safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Importance of training in public safety - Essay Example The topic of the work is related to the discussion of why training in public safety is important and why the idea of its importance should be made public. Special accent is made on the role of Human Resource Management personnel in promoting these public safety policies as well as their importance. Despite the fact, that various organizations put a special stress on the necessity to train personnel in the sphere of public safety, many still neglect it. This is why it is essential to discuss the issue in more details. The work will be designed according to the following outline. The background of the problem should be described, and it is clear that it is connected with both the negligence of personnel towards it and the growing threats for the public safety all over the world. The combination of these two factors makes the issue of public safety training of vital importance. The historical perspective is also essential to make the discussion complete. The research will be made through the various literary sources, and will pay additional attention to the importance of public safety training in the light of the events which regularly take place in the country; it does not only include the threat of terrorist attacks, but accidents of mass murders in public places, while any organization and personnel may become the victims of such crimes. The aim of the work is to make the reader understand that public safety training has become the integral part of the public personnel management, but not only s pecialists, but personnel themselves should pay more attention to this issue, as their lives depend on the way they address training. The key attention will be paid to the role of the HRM in providing public safety training and the imporance of this training in private companies and in public safety organizations as well. Background The background of the problem relating to the importance of training in public safety lies in the fact that accidents of various kinds often become the reason for injuries and deaths, this is why training in the sphere of public safety is essential for the organizations, and this aspect should be made an integral part of the public personnel management. In order to estimate the level at which public safety training should be provided in the various organizations, it is essential to see what knowledge personnel possesses at present. The level of safety knowledge in the modern community is different, and thus among the aims of the present work will be to discover the level of the safety knowledge in the modern community among different personnel, and to relate it to the importance of the public safety training. In order to see the importance of the public safety training in public personnel management, the examples of workplace violence will be taken; they often become the causes of de aths and are neglected in the same way, thus needing special attention. The background of the public safety training issue lies in the fact, that this aspect should not only be made one of the priority ones, but should also exercise various techniques for that. However, the background of the problem is directly connected with the historical perspective which should also be discussed in this work. Historical perspective Not only must an organization see to it that employees' rights are not violated, but it must also provide a safe and healthy working environment. Mondy and Noe (1996)

Management accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Management accounting - Assignment Example Before I begin discussing this statement, I would like to make my stand known. I disagree with this statement and I welcome the opportunity to argue and defend my case; this disagreement will form the bedrock of my whole discussion. Based on research and my professional experience, modern developments like activity-based costing (ABC) have brought significant benefits and advantages to businesses and organizations everywhere regardless of the size (small, medium-sized and large). These developments have allowed businesses and organizations to implement more efficient systems that guarantee long-term growth provided the implementation process is done correctly and professionally (Cotton 2001, pg. 29). ABC, for example, is a recent modern development/innovation that has been rapidly adopted by organizations in many industries. Governments and NGOs have also been quick to adopt and implement ABC and to make it a core component of their management policies. This shows that there must be something beneficial about these modern developments and ABC in particular, their fanciness is inconsequential to their primary functions. It is important to note that the adoption of such developments/innovations is not done in a wholesale manner because they come with their own disadvantages that must be addressed (Lucas 2006, pg. 39). However, overall, such developments are more beneficial and therefore rightfully warrant adoption and adoption. Let us go back to ABC. This is a technique employed in determining correct costs. It is used to assign resource costs (based on activities that are conducted) to cost objects like customers products, or services. The basis for the ABC approach to costing is that an organization’s products or services stem from activities. Activities consume resources which in turn incur costs. In ABC, the costs of resources are normally assigned to activities on the basis of

Economic History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic History - Research Paper Example Most of his works were drafted in the late eighteenth century, when economics was not even properly regarded as a separate subject. Astonishingly enough, Adam Smith’s works are still very useful and many of the modern researches in economics are based on the theories and principals proposed by him. Thesis Statement: Adam Smith’s economic theories and principals have drawn and remained at the focus for more than two hundred years. The basic framework of contemporary economy can be considerably attributed to his works and philosophy. Discussion on the Different Economic Principals and Theories of Adam Smith The two most important works of Adam Smith are â€Å"The Wealth of Nations† and â€Å"The Theory of Moral Sentiments†. The Wealth of Nations can be considered as a precursor to today’s academic discipline of the subject economics. There are certain principals and theories that can be spotted in The Wealth of Nations. It attributes to the basis of r esource-allocation theory, which states that in competitive environment, resource owners would utilize them to maximize profits. This would result into equal rates of returns in equilibrium related to all utilizations, suited for the apparent diversities arising from the factors like unemployment, hardship, trust, and training (Smith, A., 1776). The General Equilibrium Modeling derived by Walras almost a century later is also based on Smith’s resource-allocation theory. Moreover, Smith’s labor theories provide the basis of the modern industrial relations. Labor theory of value further elucidates the relation between labor and the cost of the product produced, which affects the allocation of outputs and the distribution of earnings. Further, in his work The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith finds out relationship between the ethical behavior of an individual and the economic structure of the society. His concept of â€Å"homo economicus† (economic man) defin es that how a sensible citizen can make economic contributions to the well being of our society (Klein, D.B., 2009). Why Adam Smith is Important? Adam Smith is important because this Scottish economist worked during the days when the very subject â€Å"economical science† or economics was in a nascent state. Adam Smith, to some extent, decided the course of the evolution of economics as a separate subject. He deeply analyzed the concepts of taxation, market, labor, training, unemployment, infrastructure, etc., which are critical in today’s economic environment and related public administration. It is due to Adam Smith that we are sometimes compelled to think about capitalism as a moral system, where profits are not the only pursuit. Hence, his legacy deserves special importance today (Brown, V. et al, 1993). Further, in Smith’s works, we get the glimpses of the emerging industrial society in the late eighteenth century Britain, wherefrom the modern industrial re volution actually began. Why are his Theories Important? Critics of Adam Smith try to find out limitations of his economic philosophy. According to J. Schumpeter (1994), â€Å"Had he (Adam Smith) dug more deeply, had he unearthed more recondite truth, had he used more difficult and ingenious methods, he would not have been understood.† However, this criticism still testifies that Adam Smith’s theories have a simplistic approach, which make them understandable in the context of common people, and hence, are important. His theories

Marketing Audit on a 1 shop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Audit on a 1 shop - Essay Example According to the figures released earlier this year, Poundland reported an 81.5% increase in profits from the previous year. Poundworld posted record profits of ?5.4m in on sales of ?133m. Buying from these pound points provides incredible value for money to the consumers, and with budgets stretched, it makes pound shops very preferable for them. The low prices are made possible due to low costs incurred in their model, by these shops. A conscious effort to keep a check on costs is made, in terms of overhead expenses and direct costs. Pound shops are able to save large chunk of money by buying in bulk quantities. They don’t shelve varieties for their products, but usually stack on products from one or two manufacturers for each category. This allows them a lot of bargaining power with the suppliers. Since they only have to stock few varieties for each product category, they can always switch to those suppliers that offer the lowest rates. Even renowned brands have supplied the ir products to pound shops, recently. Pound shops’ model is based on keeping prices at the low price points, ensuring there’s price consistency across the shop, and which continues overtime. This creates greater certainty for the customers, who confidently return to the shop, knowing they would be able to shop without draining on their low budgets. For the administration too, it’s a relief, since they don’t have to spend time and hire resources, to calculate prices for each product item. All product items can be arranged anywhere in the shop, and rearranged to change the display, without worrying about changing tags, or shelves. Pound shops also don’t undergo price inflation. This certainty gives them a rare advantage over other consumer retail and other avenues of consumers’ pounds, where inflation can be a huge drain on consumers’ already limited incomes. Pound shops try to absorb inflation by negotiating harder with suppliers so th ey continue getting products at same level of prices. Alternatively, they might switch to another supplier, which, however, could be offering products which are inferior to those previously offered. However, at times, pound shops have been known to counter inflation by other means too. Instead of increasing prices, they have reduced the quantity of product offered. 99p Stores, for instance, were selling 200g Toblerones but later the chocolate bars were only 170g in weight. In general, however, the zero-price inflation, price consistency, and of course low prices, ensure a large customer base for pound shops. In times of recession and low economic growth, when wages don’t increase by much, if at all, low wage earners find pound shops extremely valuable. When unemployment is relatively high, more people are living off benefits. Middle and upper classes too feel compelled to look for value in their shopping, and then there are students and other such groups of consumers who are very conscious about their spending. With their unique business model, pound shops are able to reach out to, and cater to, a larger customer base than other retailers. Pound shops also employ an effective tool in their marketing mixes- that of psychological pricing, in pricing. 99c is a successful price point chain in UK, and others also use the psychological pricing effectively, to give the consumer the perception of greater value for money. In terms

Rally Round the Trade Name Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rally Round the Trade Name - Essay Example Despite the fact that Gabby’s surname is Rally, it is not lawful for her to use it for her piazza business in the same jurisdiction as occupied by Rally motors. This is because, for one, a trade name is given under two different laws; common law and trade name registration law according to Tatum (2010). Under common law, an individual who first uses a certain trade name in a particular region for a particular purpose has exclusive rights for that name in the particular areas for that specific purpose. As a result, Gabby is not supposed to use her surname in conjunction with her business in the region. Doing this amounts to violating the law and infringing on trade name rights. According to intellectual property law, it is illegal to infringe on a trade name whether one posses the name or not. The issue of trade name protection goes beyond zones of reputation, expansion, and marketing despite being the first to be used in the region. Since Rally is linked with both pizza and motors, it is not a big conflict as it would happen if Gabby had decided to name her car dealership business as Rally Used Cars. It is unlawful for a similar business owner to possess two confusing names for his/ her business. Therefore, there is no problem with Rally’s association with pizza if only she does not use her name confusingly. This is because using this name does not imply that people might confuse pizza with cars. However, when two business uses the same trade name in a similar market region this can lead to a lot of confusion. The truth that Herman started utilizing the name Rally around forty years ago, protects him under both trade name registration law and the under the common law. He is also protected by the fact that he started using the trade name in the region first, before Gabby.

Mla Template for Dummies Essay Example for Free

Mla Template for Dummies Essay Got a paper to write? Here’s a tip: don’t worry about the formatting, just write. Besides, this MLA template for Word has the formatting down for you. Just replace everything in brackets with your information (remember the heading!) and you’re good to go. And, of course, replace this stuff with your content. But read this first! There’s some really important info here. Do yourself a favor and save this template to your computer in a place where you’ll remember it. There are bunch of little nuances in MLA that are really easy to miss – the heading, the spacing, the date format, and those random rules that seem to exist only to annoy you†¦ stop re-writing it each time you go to write a paper, and just whip out this handy template! Wasn’t that easy? By the way, here’s a look at some of the stuff people get wrong a lot. First, the heading at the top right corner of each page. Remove the entire thing if your paper is just one page long; some teachers, though, tell you to just remove the page number. Next come inline citations. You want to â€Å"write them in this format, with the period way at the end, assuming you got this from the 5th page of someone’s essay† (Someone 5). Also, if someone includes some random tangent in their quote, you can cut out the junk using ellipses. â€Å"I’ve got logorrhea, meaning I tend to ramble on incoherently a lot . . . Now back to the main topic.† Notice that there are spaces in between each ellipsis (yes, that’s the singular form), before the ellipses, and after them. Strange, I know. But it gets weirder. What if you want to cite a really long bit of text (4 lines or more)? Take a look. Welcome to long-quote land! Notice that the formatting here is the same as it is everywhere else – except every paragraph is indented twice as much (one inch) as usual paragraphs. What I’d recommend you do is type your long quote normally (like a normal paragraph), then highlight the whole thing and hit â€Å"tab† to indent it all properly. Also, remember that there are no quotation marks surrounding this block of text! None! Nada! Zilch! And as if there weren’t enough twists already, citing a long quote is different than citing a normal quote: the citation goes in parentheses after the final punctuation, like this. (Someone 5) Also, make sure you include a Works Cited page below this page (I’ve even included the page break!) I’d highly recommend using a web service such as easybib.com, which does all your formatting for you – just input the information you know. What’s more, you can export it to a Word document, complete with all the formatting! You can copy the contents of the exported document, insert a page break (Insert → Page Break; fancy that) after your body, then paste the contents in. Feel free to share this template with your friends at is.gd/mlatemplate (or, if for some reason that doesn’t work, is.gd/MLAtemplate), but remember that this template is copyrighted, meaning you can’t claim it as your own. Enjoy and good luck! –Neel

Transactional and relationship marketing

Transactional and relationship marketing In this age of modernization and technological advancement one must be on top of the game to succeed in a competitive business market. And to accomplish this task a firm need not only produce high quality products but also effectively handle customer queries and complaints, which results in maintaining good customer relationship. Two different types of marketing approaches have been discussed here. Transactional marketing which focuses only on individual transactions and gives no importance for customer relationship. On the other hand, Relationship Marketing gives top most importance for building long term customer relationships and concentrates on customer satisfaction. Differences between these two approaches have been provided for better understanding of the concepts. Detailed study has been done on customer relationship management techniques, how it is beneficial for the organisation, etc. In the end, we will be discussing the best practices followed by ICICI Bank Ltd, a successf ul and leading organisation in the banking industry. Transactional Marketing is a traditional marketing approach that concentrates only on individual transactions. It mainly focuses on the single sale formula, pushing the sales through mass marketing and promotions of the product. It is based on short period of time, with little or no emphasis on customer service. It is a theory that includes low-price competition, cost cutting, promotion, return on investment etc. They also believe that they can gain market share with only price and customer loyalty is not a major factor. Effective use of the internet helps them to reach customers in a cost effective manner. Transactional Marketing is done by the purchase of consumer information in the form of databases. The company then reaches the consumer by telemarketing, mass e-mailing and other promotional activities. It is not very popular currently as there is no post sale consulting or service. Example: A sales agent who is given commission for each successful sale. He / she tries to persuade the customer to buy the product by describing the features of the product, and then never get back to the customer after closing the sale. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/541909499_13501229b7.jpg In simple words, we can say that Transactional Marketing focuses on maximizing the profit of the company by attracting more customers to purchase the firms product. Relationship Marketing Relationship marketing is concerned with developing and strengthening the relationship with both current and prospective customers. It is more focused on providing the valued products and services to the customers rather than advertisement and promotion. It differs from other marketing schemes as it aims to value the long term relationship and customers contribution towards the business. The main emphasis will be on retention of existing customers for the long term benefits of the company, not on attracting new customers on a daily basis. This gives the organization a competitive gain over its rivals. The biggest threat every company face is the fear that their customers could switch to its competitors. But, if an organization follows a good relationship strategy, their customers are less likely to switch to the competitors. Today, companies are trying their best to build long term relationship with the customers, which will lower the cost of attracting new ones. This ongoing process of building and creating new values with individual customers, and sharing lifetime benefits with them is vital and very important for the organisation because it creates the sense of loyalty in customers and long-term profit for the company. Customer loyalty, particularly to a small business is the key to companys survival. Example: In banking industry, it is very important to maintain a very good relationship with the customers. More number of happy customers will help in terms of expanding customer base, which will result in more revenue and gaining competitive edge over others in the industry. http://www.cxo.eu.com/media/media-news/news-thumb/100517/customer-relationship-management.jpg Comparison between Transactional and Relationship Marketing Transactional Marketing Relationship Marketing Short time scale Long time scale Focus on single sale Focus on retention of the customer No importance to customer service Top priority for customer service Orientation to product features Orientation to customer values Limited commitment towards customers Higher commitment towards customers Focus on product quality while production Ensure product quality in all aspects No post sale consulting or services Follow up after sales to ensure customer satisfaction Mechanical and production oriented business model More humanistic and relationship based business model In conclusion, we can say that Relationship Marketing is a much more affordable approach in terms of a companys budget as it focuses on current customers and prospective clients rather than blindly searching for individuals who may have no interest in the product or services offered by the company. http://courseware.finntrack.eu/images/RelationshipMarketingIsNotJustLoyaltyPrograms.jpg Customer Relationship Management Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a comprehensive approach for creating, maintaining and expanding customer relationships. An excellent customer relationship management is at the heart of every business success. With CRM, you will easily understand customer requirements, meet those needs effectively, predict market trends and enhance your bottom line. A good CRM will help the business to become more efficient and effective. CRM is the strategic use of Information, processes, technology and people to manage the customers relationship with your company (Marketing, sales, services and support) across the whole customer life cycle. CRM will help the business to improve customer satisfaction, increase staff productivity, slash operational costs and maximize the effectiveness of each customer interaction. CRM programs enhance the customer-friendly services by automating all proceedings and procedures in a company. All CRM systems are primarily large customer databases capable of storing all customer information such as customers name, address, customer contacting method, ability to spend money on products, money spending per visit etc. The specific programs built in these systems integrate the stored data on demand to identify good customers and help to create better service plans for them. The finest CRM system chiefly computerizes the customer service process and also makes it more competent and user friendly. Customers can effortlessly navigate their way to the exact information, so that personal exchanges such as phone calls, emails can be put away for, out of the ordinary situations. http://www.masternewmedia.org/images/customer_relationships_management_handshake_id180610_size485_b.jpg The key to targeting new customers is relatively straight forward, holding onto them is another thing altogether, and this is where good customer service plays an important role. Taking all the efforts to keep a client happy, will vastly improve the chances of them returning with their custom in the future. Effective CRM is central to any successful business. In short, it is the process a company follows to track and organise its current customer base. If implemented correctly, a holistic CRM approach can help businesses of all sizes to make better informed marketing decisions, offer more efficient customer service and support and, ultimately, create shorter sales cycles. CRM software enables companies to proactively create sales that otherwise may not have happened. And ultimately, the long term success of any business will depend on the effectiveness of their overall customer relationship management strategy. Success of any business small, medium or large greatly depends on customer satisfaction and the manner in which an enterprise makes attempts to cater to client requirements and boost customer relationships. It is herein that the concept of CRM becomes vital to win customers and sustain their growth. Benefits of CRM Customer Satisfaction: Using CRM, marketing, selling and servicing your customers will be organized and systematic. As every customer interaction is done in a consistent way, your business exceeds customers expectations. A well-implemented CRM will increase customer satisfaction. A Customer Relationship Management for your company is a worthwhile investment and a smart solution to keep your business stay competitive. Today, CRM programs have become the most effective tools for all marketing and service providing companies to enhance their customer satisfaction. Increased Revenue: CRM will result to shorter sales cycles because of efficient management of accounts and orders. This will then naturally encourage business growth and long term profitability as the number of customers increase and opportunities are maximized. In the cut throat environment of modern times, a CRM system then emerges as a valuable tool to help build customer loyalty. CRM as the acronym suggests is all about managing the customer. If the customer is managed in an effective manner, the profit on a continuous basis is the logical by-product. A business can generate profit only when it has a committed and faithful following of customers. It does not matter whether your business is small, or you are running a large business, the longevity of your business relays on the information you acquire about your customer. Profits can be maximized first and foremost on a continued basis by having retaining satisfied customers. It can be done only through a personal touch. This personal touch can be ensured through maintaining a database on the needs and preferences of your customers. Building a relationship of trust and understanding by knowing their needs and wants will help you and your customer develop a long term relationship, or more importantly, partnership. Reduced costs: Through the use of CRM, work and activities become systematic and coordinated. This will eliminate waste of funds and leads to reduced labour costs. CRM solution providers bring in healthy solutions to enable companies to better serve their customers and recognize their target customers, manage marketing campaigns and generate quality leads for the sales team. Statistics reveal that expenditure is much higher in acquiring a new customer than to retain an existing one. This can be guaranteed by keeping a database on the requirements of your customers. CRM system allows you to have a better grip on your customers. This in turn saves a lot of time and money thereby by being twice as more beneficial to your concern than any other similar system. Why CRM is crucial? CRM is an effective tool to take the business forward as it helps to evaluate the companys customer base and manage their customer data efficiently and effectively. It is required to have a proper planning and a strategic device to expand their footprint as well as retain their old customers, while also winning new clients; CRM becomes imperative in the current situation. CRM also helps businesses to simplify sales and marketing processes, while also reducing costs. http://www.thebmrant.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/crm-12.jpg The main objective of CRM is to maintain a better understanding of the customer requirements and manage customer relationship through the use of software, Web-based integration of business processes and methodologies. Besides, CRM programme provides a swift mechanism to monitor all contact points between a client and the company, thereby reducing the hassles of handling customer complaints. Loyal Customers are Most Important Profit Drivers Best customers, allow you to earn your acquisition cost and generate a positive return on investment. The longer you keep them, the more positive your returns will be. Loyal customers are more likely to buy more things from you. They dont have to be sold as hard because they understand your value proposition and, since they have a relationship with you, they are more likely to see your marketing, which increases revenue and profit, and reduces acquisition cost. Loyal customers will pay a higher price. They understand your product and see its value. You dont have to bribe them to buy again. This further improves the profitability of the company. Experienced customers cost less to service. Because they know how your product or service works. All this reduces your cost, which improves profitability. Loyal customers will happily tell their friends and associates about your product. This brings in more great customers with no acquisition cost. http://images04.olx.com.ph/ui/13/95/62/1300216362_177789362_2-Pictures-ofBuild-Your-Business-With-Loyal-Customers.jpg http://themarketbureauwebsite.businesscatalyst.com/images/blog/growth2.jpg Impact of CRM on Marketing and Operations of an Organisation This view of CRM completely changed the operations of the organisations. Companies became more concerned about keeping the existing customer than searching for new ones. This new dimension of marketing changed the entire approach, companies changed their marketing strategies, and every customer is different than other, so each one is being treated differently. Different CRM strategies are used by the companies, which allow them to identify their best customers, try to satisfy their needs and continuously increase their level of satisfaction and take them up to the loyalty level. CRM has affected the marketing of the organisation in a sense that it made organisations to change all its marketing strategies and operations. CRM based organisations are concerned about the customers. Organisations now attempt to define the characteristics of the best customers, estimate their lifetime value, and are changing their marketing strategies accordingly. CRM system is mostly technology based, and it affects the customers behaviour a lot, if it is not implemented properly. CRM has a huge impact on marketing of the organization. It has almost shifted the focus from mass marketing to individual customer. Managing each customer relationship is the heart of CRM, while traditional market metrics hardly allowed the companies to make operational decisions that affect individual customers. CRM helped the organizations to improve its mass marketing and campaign measures. These retention campaigns cost a lot but its very effective in longer run. Furthermore, having a regular client base also alleviates a lot of the pressure that comes with continuously having to target new customers, which is not only costly and time consuming, but there is no guarantee how much revenue any new marketing initiative will generate. http://www.divessi-indo.com/images/loyalty-cycle.gif By having access to customers detailed buying history, its possible to offer related products and services. Known as cross-selling, this is an extremely effective means of generating additional revenue. Then there is what is known as up-selling, which is where the customer is encouraged to buy upgrades or add-ons at the point of sale. Traditional marketing approach was more focused on the sales while CRM has a view of long-term relationship with the customers. This idea of retaining the customers made huge changes within the organizations and changed its marketing and operations. Organisations started building and maintaining databases of the customers information. CRM made businesses more conscious about customer services, acquiring and serving the customers, increasing their value towards the company, retaining good customers and determining which customer should be retained or given a higher level of services. Businesses today put a lot of efforts on analysing the purchasing behaviour of the customer; they manage several databases where they keep records of each customer. According to the information each customer is targeted separately. Different schemes and campaigns are being organized by the business to retain the customers. These schemes include different promotions to create a sense of loyalty among the customer. Like different newspapers give a free copy to its regular customers. http://securitysystemprice.com/images/opfso-2.jpg http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbDzvInkO7kX_1BM9EIfTILUYrMayXiYqzJKgmmVjN5SsYzG5goAt=1 A CRM system could run better if the organisation have the right employees, who have knowledge of the CRM system, so organisations now have to spend more on training the employees and make them aware of the system. CRM system is more or less technology based so certain tools should be upgraded continuously like Web Pages. Organisations now tend to make databases of the customers, which have increased the burden because this approach of one-to-one marketing and customer loyalty expects a lot. With the implementation of CRM system in the organizations, their marketing strategies seemed to be customer centric (striving to create the customer loyalty rather than making new customer every time) and focus is being given to One-to-one marketing, rather than mass marketing. Today, organisations are more customer centric. In simple worlds organization makes sure that its customers could easily contact it. The best example of customer centric organization could be Amazon.com. They have personalized web pages with wide range of products to select, the low price lead towards the customer loyalty and a long-term relationship of Amazon.com. One-to-one Marketing: It is also expressed as 1:1 Marketing. Its a CRM strategy which emphasis on personalized interaction with customers. It is thought that this personalized interaction will grow customer loyalty and will give a better return on the marketing investments. This one-to-one marketing term could be new but the approach is quite old. And its been taking place since the commerce came into existence. For example: the owner of a grocery store would naturally take this one-to-one approach while dealing with customers, i.e. remembering the customer details about their preferences and their characteristics and ultimately providing the services based on that knowledge. http://www.websitepromotionsltd.co.uk/images/customer-focus3.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1295915031625 http://kiranmendekar.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/customer_focus.jpg In Conclusion, we can say that CRM has given organization great benefits in terms of improved marketing methods, customer retention, a growth in the market share and an analysis of customer profitability. CRM provides the organization with a sustainable competitive advantage. CRM is the comprehensive approach of creating and maintaining long term relationships. This one to-one marketing approach has impacted a lot on different aspects of the organization; this is more technology-based approach to stay in touch with customers, striving to make them loyal with the company. Due to this relation maintaining approach, companies have also affected in terms of their marketing strategies, and their operations. Companies have to change all of their previous strategies and start working on this new approach. http://www.awinsjclarke.com/wp-content/uploads/diag_serv_crm2.gif Case Study Best CRM Practices followed by ICICI Bank Ltd CRM at ICICI involves increased communication between the bank and the customers. ICICI believes that a true customer-centric relationship can only be accomplished by considering the unique perspectives of every single customer. ICICI also believes in one to one marketing strategy by tracking complete customer life-cycle history. Effective use of Cross Selling technique helped the bank in terms of generating more revenue. Implementing CRM at ICICI Bank Business Focus: There are various components of CRM like customer information, sales, marketing trends and marketing effectiveness that acted in tandem to improve relationship between ICICI and its consumers. ICICI captured customer data and analyzed them while dealing with customers at these very touch points. A CRM solution from Siebel was implemented for the automation of customer handling in all key retail products of the Group. The solution allows customer service agents to track all customer complaints and requests. It also allows target setting and centralized tracking of turnaround times for request fulfilment. The bank has also undertaken a retail data warehouse initiative to achieve customer integration at the back-office. This central view of the total customer relationship is being used extensively for identifying opportunities to cross-sell new products and services to the existing customer base. Technology Focus: ICICI Bank continues to leverage information and computer technology as a strategic tool for its business operations to gain competitive advantage. Its technology strategy emphasizes enhanced level of customer services through 247 availability, multi-channel banking and straight through processing, and cost efficiency through optimal use of electronic channels, wider and focused market reach and opportunities for cross-selling. The Technology Management Group (TMG) is the focal point for the ICICI Groups technology strategy and Group-wide technology initiatives. This group reports directly to the Managing Director CEO. A key to ICICIs success has been its ability to harness business information to CRM initiatives that have fuelled growth and helped attract more than 30 million customers. http://www.foxif.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ICICI-Bank.jpg http://thezerolife.com/kobnaghar/wp-content/uploads/ICICIBankCustomerFirstTheZeroLife.Com_thumb.jpg Components of CRM Cycle Understand and Differentiate: Organisations need to understand their customers in order to have a relationship with them. ICICI understands every individual and offer products and services based on their learning. Develop and Customise: In a customer-focused world, Organizations are increasingly developing products and services, and even new channels based on customer needs and service expectations. ICICI believes that the extent of customization should be based on the potential value delivered by the customer segment. Interact and Deliver: ICICI is strongly of the opinion that value is not just based on the price of the product or the discounts offered, but are based on a number of factors including the quality of products and services, convenience, speed, ease of use, responsiveness, and service excellence. Acquire and Retain: The more ICICI learns about customers, the easier it is to pinpoint those that are producing the greatest value for the organization. They aim to continue to learn more about each customer segment and use it for successful customer retention. As ICICI moves step further in CRM they hopes to gain insight and understanding that enhance the subsequent efforts. Successful customer retention is based on the organizations ability to constantly deliver the best services to its customers. http://cdn.information-management.com/media/editorial/dmreview/199911/199911_060_1.gif We can say that ICICI Bank has achieved this level by way of focussed and customer centric approach using various customer relationship management techniques. CRM plays a vital role for organisations growth and success. Effective use of the latest and proven CRM techniques will help organisations to be competitive in this changing world. http://www.gwtindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/crm_internship.jpg