Psychology Laboratory Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology Laboratory Report - Essay Example Perceptions of body image are of research concern for psychopathologies such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, amongst both women and men (Fallon & Rozin, 2985). Body-image can be defined as a person's self-concept of their physical appearance (Strickland, 2004). Investigation of the sociocultural differences between genders in body image perception is increasing (Fallon & Rozin, 2985). Fallon and Rozin (1985) report that women tend to weigh themselves more often, are more likely to consider themselves as fat, are more likely to be on a diet, and tend to seek medical assistance with weight issues more frequently, as compared to men. These results, state Fallon and Rozin, may be related to women on average being less satisfied with their appearance than men. Further, studies appear to indicate body image perception in general for women and men is focused on issues of weight (Fallon & Rozin, 1985). Fallon and Rozin cite a study by Gray in 1977 that found women were more likely to consid er themselves overweight as compared to objective measurements, whereas men were likely to perceive themselves as underweight. Gray concluded that across the genders participants misperceived their weight when compared to their own gender, and make judgments about their weight based on standards that do not incorporate the health model (Fallon & Rozin, 1985). An example of such a standard is the perceptions of the ideal body image as judged by the opposite gender (Fallon & Rozin, 1985).Later research supports conclusions that many people experience a discrepancy between their perceptions of an ideal body image and their actual body image (Byrne & Hills, 1996). Sociocultural influences on perceptions of body image may be attributed to media portrayals of the ideal body within a western industrial nation (Fallon & Rozin, 1985). Traditionally targeted at the female form, media portrayals of a body ideal now extend to both women and men (Yang, Gray & Pope, 2005). Fallon and Rozin (1985) found that on average men tended to rate their current, ideal and attractive body-image as very similar. Whereas, women's ideal image tended to weigh less, than both current and attractive ratings. Fallon and Rozin highlighted in their results that perceptions of what the opposite sex consider an ideal body-image are usually wrong. They found that women considered men to desire a slimmer female form as compared to what men reported they liked, and men perceived women to be attracted to a heavier male form than what women reported.Studies have investigated methods to quantify the difference between an individual's perception of ideal and actual body image as a measure of body-image disturbance (Byrne & Hill, 1996). Importantly, it is necessary that such instruments be standardized for the populations they are used for, for example females and males, or differences in age or ethnicity (Byrne & hill, 1996). The Stunkard Body Shape Figure Scale (Stunkard et al., 1980 as cited in Strick land, 2004) is one such scale. The patterns of ranking perceived ideal and actual body image have provided insight into how females or males as a group differ amongst themselves, as well as in

Traffic Accident Essay Example for Free

Traffic Accident Essay It is believed that the number of the people who have died in trafficaccidents is much higher than that of the people who have died of cancer or any other disease. In Ho Chi Minh City, the problem of traffic accidents is really serious. The following measures should be taken to reduce the seriousness/to minimize the consequences of this problem. Firstly, the system of the main streets in Ho Chi Minh City must be improved or upgraded. It is awful to move along the streets of Ho chi Minh City because most of them are in bad condition and some are full of holes, either big or small. In addition, during the rainy season many streets are flooded with water after a heavy rain. If we are not careful enough, we easily hit other people or fall off our bike or motorbike. Secondly, law-breaking and drunken riders/drivers should be punished strictly. These law-breaking and drunken riders/drivers are the â€Å"devils† of the streets: they operate their motor vehicles at a high speed and sway from one side/curb of the street to the other whenever they feel excited. There is no doubt that one of the main reasons of serious traffic accidents is the riders’ or drivers’ carelessness and lack of self-control. Last but not least, calling for every citizen’s obeying traffic laws is crucial. The cit dwellers’ awareness of the necessity to obey traffic law is quite low; consequently, they travel along the streets without paying close attention to traffic lights and other signals. Quite often, motor-cyclists occupy the lanes for cars and other four-wheel motor vehicles while taxi drivers speed up, forcing the riders/drivers of other vehicles to give way to them. It takes a lot of time and energy to draw the attention of anyone who does travel along the streets in Ho Chi Minh City to the well-established traffic laws here in particular and to make each of the city dwellers a law-abiding citizen in general. But it is worth it!

Tree Conservation Essay :: essays research papers

Trees the Most Valuable Resource on Earth Today  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forests are one of the most valuable resources on the planet today. Without forests it would be almost impossible for any living thing to survive. But, with this in mind many people destroy forests. It is as though they don’t even care that they are dooming themselves as well as the trees. Hopefully through this article I can help save the forest and help human kind, as well as all other organisms, by telling how important the forest is and how it functions. What is a Forest?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A forest is more than just a bunch of trees growing next to each other. A forest is a very complex system of animals and plants, living in and on fertile and suitable soil. Forests are divided up into five different levels or layers. These levels are the canopy, herb, shrub, understory, and the forest floor. The canopy layer is the top layer. This is where photosynthesis takes place and it’s also where the leafy tops of the trees are. This layer is home to a variety of insects and squirrels. The next layer is the understory. This is made up of smaller trees and is home to birds and climbing animals. The third layer is known as the shrub layer. It is made up of shrubs and vines. It also provides nuts and berries. The next layer is the herb layer. This layer is made up of soft green plants and wildflowers. Birds, insects, snakes, and toads also nest there. The last and final layer is the forest floor. This is the thick fertile soil covered by twigs, branches, insects and detritus. Why are Trees Important?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trees are major erosion blockers. Their leaves intercept rain and lower the force of impact the water has on the ground. Each tiny rain drop is like a miniature bomb. It splatters and washes dirt away with it. Tree roots also hold in soil and keep it from washing away. People plant trees on mountain slopes and other similar places to prevent mud slides. This aspect makes trees a very valuable resource.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Healthy forests serve as wonderful habitats. It provides clean water, food, shelter, and the space that living organisms need to survive. Different animals need different habitats. The forest gives them this with a variety of places to live. All though some live on the ground, most of them live in trees.

Product Level Planning

Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Market analysis 3 SWOT Analysis 4-7 Objectives 7 Marketing Strategy 8 Action Program 9 Financial Projection 10 Feedback & Control 10 Conclusion 11 References 11 Executive Summery Cement Industry is highly important segment of Bangladesh’s Industrial sector & Plays a vital role in socio-economic development.Although cement industry of Bangladesh has witnessed its ups & down in recent past but in last decade it has recovered & now it’s a self-sufficient industry of Bangladesh not only fulfilling domestic needs of Bangladesh also exporting a huge amount of cement to other countries, bringing foreign reserves & help in up lifting Bangladesh’s GDP. Bangladesh is currently operating at their maximum capacity due to the boom in commercial & industrial construction within Bangladesh.In this report I have selected ‘Anchor' cement, Olympic Cement Ltd (OCL) of ‘Khansons Group’ simply called gray cement & we will descr ibe how they do product planning for that? Khansons Group has extended its industrial arena by putting-up a clinker grinding cement plant named as ‘Olympic Cement Ltd'. The plant is located at Rupatoli, Barisal all in a row along with its textile industries. The finished product (cement) has been branded as ‘Anchor' & the same has become popular in the local market. This cement project commenced its initial production at 800 tpd and gradually increased the production to the level of 1,600 tpd.Olympic Cement Ltd (OCL) is one & only cement factory which has targeted to meet the entire demand of cement in Southern Bengal. As a result, OCL has concentrated its sales on a soaring trend by increasing production volume. OCL is maintaining the reputation of its quality product and aiming at the extended project in days to come. Current Market Situation Overall Market Situation Bangladesh cement industry is the 40th largest market in the world. There are 70+ cement factories in B angladesh and daily production capacity is 16. 687 Million MT.In January 2012, Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau released data confirming that cement exports had witnessed a 21% increase in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (July 2011 – January 2012). The boost in the cement sector is because of the rising construction activity in the country & increasing development expenditure by the govt. Due to this the sales of cement sector will also rise every year. Product Situation Since Cement is a specialized product, requiring sophisticated infrastructure & production location, so, Most of the cement industries in Bangladesh are located near/within a river side that are rich in clay.Iron & mineral capacity so ‘Anchor’ cement is situated near to the bank of river ‘Kirton Khola’. Anchor cement installed capacity is 1,600 tpd at present with the turnover of 50 crore in a year. Competitive Situation: In competitive situation we will describe all the competitors of Anchor Cement producing gray cement. There are 70 + firms in the market along with Anchor Cement. All these companies are using different marketing tactics to grape as much market share as possible but they are acting like a cartel under the tree of APCMA.They are producing same quality of cement with all most same price and features that’s why competition in the market is very tough for local as well as foreign market. All are using same bulk & penetration strategies to cover major portion of the market. Some are using cost leadership strategy but due to cartel act behavior they are not getting the target results that they want to achieve. Currently Crown cement is the market leader while Anchor cement is a niche in the national market but it is the leader in the local market of Barisal & southern part of Bangladesh. Distribution Situation:Anchor Cement Company uses different channels of distributions to transfer the gray cement from company t o the different part of Bangladesh. †¢ACC > Whole Sellers > Retailor> Customer †¢ACC > Retailors> Customer †¢ACC > Customer †¢ACC > Regional Offices > w/s Retailors Macro-Environmental Situation Macro environmental factors directly or indirectly effect the production of the company & its market. Macro- Environmental factors are the factors that are not in the control of the company. These factors are†¦.. 1. Political 2. Law & order situation 3. Cultural values 4. Technological change . Demographic trends 6. Economic Condition 7. Inflation Opportunity & Issue Analysis After completing the market analysis now we will do analysis of opportunities & issues for the ACC. Opportunity is a chance of progress or advancement that is available in the market & the company has to avail it for the progress and profitability while issues are the weakness or threat for the company to avoid or settled down. For this purpose we have to do SWOT analysis of ACC. Strength of ACC Strengths are the internal positive factors of advantage that a company possesses. Following is the strength of ACC. Installed Capacity: Installed capacity of company is 16. 687 Million MT daily & they are producing 6007. 32 MT per annum so they can exceed the production easily by proper implementing their marketing mix strategies & it will directly increase profits of the company. oRaw Material: Anchor Cement Company is situated near the bank of the river kirtonkhola. So they can easily avail the huge reserve of raw materials with a very low cost as compare to other competitors’ as their cost of material is high. oHigh Quality of ACC: Quality of ACC is much better than the standard set by Bangladesh & importers.Quality of production is better than most of the competitors in the market. oCheap Labor: They are using cheap labor market of Bangladesh which is strength of them & due to this their price is low as compare to other compotators. oGood Govt. Policies: Local & federal govts. Policies are supportive & favorable to the cement sector. They are getting many benefits in term of electricity etc from BD govt. So over all ACC is enjoying good environment created by Government. Weakness of ACC Weaknesses are the internal negative factors of a company that should be avoided or to be controlled.Following are the negative factors of ACC. oNot Utilization of Full Capacity: ACC is not utilizing its full capacity of production of gray cement. They can produce more per annum so not utilizing their full capacity is also their disadvantage which they should convert it into opportunity. oFuel & Electricity Charges: ACC cost comprises more than 50% costs of fuel & electricity. So they should minimize these expenses as much as they can. It can really help them in uplifting their market share & growth & profit as well. They can convert their system or can generate their own electricity by investing in this sector. Management: ACC major boards of directors are from th e same family which is also a negative factor of them. So they should introduce competent personnel’s in the company for the growth. oFreight Charges: Freight or transportation charges to other parts of the country are also a problem for them which should be settled down as soon as possible. They should minimize their expenses to avail greater markets present in other parts of Bangladesh. Opportunities for ACC Opportunities are chances for progress or advancement that is available in the market and the company has to avail it for the progress and profitability.These are positive external factors. Following are the opportunities available for ACC. oGovernment Development Expenditure: Govt: is spending huge amount on development projects like roads, schools, hospitals, dams & infrastructure etc. ACC can avail these opportunities by responding on time to these projects. oConstruction of Big projects: Recently there are many big projects are going on Bangladesh like construction of Jamuna future park, many high rise buildings etc, also in nationwide & in Barisal.ACC should explore all these opportunities to increase its market share. oDemand of Bangladeshi Cement: Recently Bangladeshi cement demand is increasing day by day in foreign markets so ACC can improve its foreign market share. This will be very favorable & profitable for them. Threats for ACC Threats are the negative factors that are available in the external environments. These are unhidden threats that are waiting for & company should be ready or prepared to tickle down all these threats for their existence & survival. Following are the threats available for ACC. High Energy Prices: Energy prices are constantly increasing in Bangladesh & worldwide which is directly affecting the profitability of ACC because major portion of cost consists of fuel & energy expenses so they should find out alternative source of energy to minimize the cost of goods. oHigh level of Taxes & Custom duty: High level of c ost & custom duty are affecting its profitability. So govt. should take constructive steps for the development of the industries. oCompetitors: There are 70+ firms in cement industry which make the competition very tough.Each firm is striving to get as much share as they can and they are using different tactics to excel their sales. So, ACC should take proper steps for its growth while taking into consideration all the Competitors. oPolitical Instability: It is also a main threat for ACC because it brings changes in laws & regulation accordingly. Objectives After analyzing all the factors now we will set the objectives or targets we can say, for ACC that is going to be achieved in the next financial year of the company. Our objectives should be ? Specific ?Measurable ?Achievable ?Realistic ?Time bound There are 2 kinds of objectives which are: Financial Objectives †¢Marketing Objectives Financial Objectives: Financial objectives are related with the financial performance of the company or simply objectives that relate to finance. Following are the financial objectives that we can set for ACC for 2013. ?Profit after taxes should be 60 crore ?Cash flow should be 10% high Marketing Objectives Financial objectives should be convertible to marketing objectives. Marketing objectives are related to market or overall industry. Following are the marketing objectives of ACC. Sales should be 50% high Exports should be 40% Average price should be up to 450 pgSales of 5,00,000 tons should be achieved in 2013 Expand the number of dealers Market share should be up to 5% Marketing Strategies Strategies are the game plan or road map to achieve the objectives set by the company by utilizing its resources. Following are the marketing strategies that should be used: oNew Markets New markets in outside & inside of the country should be achieved. oDistribution outlets Distribution outlets or big distributors must be located in all the targeted markets. oAdvertisement 2% budget should be allocated for advertisement campaign on bill boards & certain media channel. Low pricing strategy Low pricing strategy should be adopted as compared to competitors. oAlliance Alliances should be made with distributors & realtors in important markets & preference should be given to them. oSales force Sale force or sales agents should also be hired in remote areas with 5-8% commission. oMarket Research 10% Budget should be allocated to market research to know competitors, customer behavior & new markets. oLower cost of goods strategy Cost of the cement should be low down to earn maximum profit Action Programs Marketing strategies should be supported with action programs or day to day plans.Each strategy should be broken down in to small programs or action that can easily be implemented. It tells us that which marketing strategy is to be completed by whom, when how & what will be the cost of that? ?Sales department have to do 25 crore sales after every 4 months. ?Production department have to produce 0. 25 million tons after every 4 months. ?Purchase department should purchase furnace oil & raw materials 5% less as compared to previous year. ?Management should reduce unproductive expenses @10% as compared to last year. ?Other incomes should be increased up to 10 crore as compared to last year. Marketing department should achieve their target within given budget on the basis of six months. Financial Projections †¢Following are the overall projection for year 2013. In millionsIncrease Sales500060% Cgs (Cost of goods sold)(3200)36% Gross Profit120080% Other Expenses18010% Other Income2040% Profit Before Taxes800 Taxes200 Net Profit60020% Feedback & Control In the last stage of product level planning we will consider does the company actually achieved its objectives or not. In this step we will compare the actual results with the standards set out there in the planning stage.According to the above results & figures ACC has achieved all the targets & g oals efficiently & effectively. They have properly implemented the planning as compared to previous year so they have achieved the level of performance what they want. Even more fruitful results have been achieved. Usually, Anchor Cement Company carries out three types of controlling strategies which are as under.. oAnnual Plan Control ACC usually do audit or check up at the end of year that whether that have achived their annual goals/objectives or not regarding sales, profits, market share & growth etc.They want to know the gap between actual & standard, if found any & then will fix it down in the upcoming period. If they have performed much better then they watch out the reasons behind that to implement forever in the organization. oAudit Control Internal Audit is carried out by the internal auditors. External Audit is carried out by external auditors. oStrategic Control Strategic Control is the step of the last section. In strategic control usually they evaluate whether the Anch or Cement Company marketing strategy is appropriate to the market condition or not.If not they do Changes in it to make implementable in the market. They change their strategy according to the market situation that changes so rapidly. Conclusion From the above analysis we can easily conclude that how a company usually does their product or marketing planning. I pick Anchor Cement Company collect data from different sources (mainly from web) & then make the palling for them accordingly. All the above discussion gives us a bird’s eye view regarding a good product planning that a marketer can do. References http://www. khansonsgroup. com www. scribd. com Marketing Management- Philip Kotler, 11th edition

Apple iPhone Essay

Japan to Apple iPhone â€Å"No Thanks† and Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark Fin Soup these two case studies shows what happens when consumer behavior and marketing mix in globalization goes very wrong. These two studies reveal how marketer think they are giving a wonderful product and service in the case of Apple’s the iPhone and Disney the Shark’s Fin Soup. Understanding the consumer’s behavior and the customs and values of the culture impacted these two campaigns. Apologies good media press and changes in the strategy to get the approval of the consumers. Both case studies points out the impact of technology and how it at first affected the campaigns for bad with negative that changed the reputation of both companys. Apple’s dilemma was very embarrassing for the company with negative reports and predictions of how the iPhone was going to sell in Japan. The propaganda was already put out to the media about the Japanese saying No Thanks to Apple concerning the iPhone 3. Apple thought that Japan would be ecstatic with the new product but supposedly the opposite occurred with reports of weak showing of the iPhone3. Of course with Apple being the cutting edge in technology and innovation in the western world Japan did not feel the same way about Apple’s iPhone3. First Japan was a hard market to try to get into the for Apple and their competition Nokia, and Motorola, whose attempts to grab Japanese customers were futile. So this was going to be a difficult campaign for Apple. At the time Japan was hostile toward western brand including Nokia and Motorola which I thought were Japanese brands. What’s wrong with the iPhone, from a Japanese perspective? The high monthly data plans that go with it, its lack of features, the low-quality camera, the unfashionable design and the fact that it’s not Japanese. Besides cultural opposition, Japanese citizens possess high standards when it comes to cell phones. The country is famous for being ahead of its time when it comes to technology. Japanese consumer rather would use their own brand even if the feature is not used frequently. For example, Japanese handset users are extremely into video and photos .The iPhone had neither a video camera nor multimedia text messaging. A highlight feature enjoy on their handset is a TV tuner. Many consumers also used their cell phone as their only computer device and also as a TV. The monthly rates was considered to expense and many consumers did not want to pay the monthy bill. Apple had to make  decision because the consumer’s behavior was very different in Japan. The Japanese in the time of No Thanks were more communal than individualistic which a new trend with the younger generation is. They were not considered conspicuous consumption they way it is in western countries. The Japanese way of consumer behaving was inherited from Edo Period of history (each class had it own code) Brand shopping revealed two things about the Japanese consumer social status and quality of product. Japanese consumers are known for being demanding with products. The Japanese consumer shopped mostly in department stores but now this is changing with malls. The Japanese consumer is a cautious spender and that is why the monthly charge for service was problem for Apple. They are also very environmental aware and health conscious. Apple did not understand that Japan demographic of aging is very large with life expectancy being vey long. So Japan has a big 60 plus consumers demographic that live by the old tradition, values and customs. These consumer behaviors were very different from the western marketer Apple did not take these in to consideration when the iPhone came out. The marketer had to start at zero level and make huge marketing decision for the Japanese market. Quality of the iPhone its features had to be reintroducing to the consumers to the cell phone market in Japan. Many iphones were given away so as to help the consumer get comfortable with the iphone a great strategy. The monthly pricing had to be adjusted but they really had to do with the value of the Yen. The Bloomberg report today notes that the iPhone has captured 72 percent of the Japanese market. High price, lack of a video camera and support for multimedia messaging, all three of those shortcomings have been addressed. â€Å"Softbank w ho Apple used to sell iPhones gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. The Bloomberg report further suggests that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan, which we also acknowledged in a report published August 2009.†(Tewney ,2008) Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark’s Fin Soup? Became fiasco for Disney with reports that Disney wool start serving Shark Fin Soup to their customers in Disney Hong Kong. In a feature dated May 18, the Hong Kong Standard reports that shark fin soup, along with roast suckling pig and sliced abalone, will be included in wedding banquets Disney is promoting at the two hotels at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort. Shark’s fin soup is a traditional Chinese  delicacy popular at weddings and other important social events. Eating shark’s fin soup carries cultural significance and is seen as luxurious and a display of affluence and generosity. However the process by which sharks are caught and killed to provide the ingredients has long been criticized for the way in which fins are h arvested. A 2004 survey by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that out of 262 shark species around the world, 56 were endangered. The Hong Kong Standard publishes a follow up to the story on May 23 and reports that Disney’s plans to serve shark’s fin soup have outraged local environmentalists. Under the environmentally umbrella Disney has integrated conservation efforts into its daily operations. The company says its employees around the world proactively support environmental initiatives through all aspects of its business and states that it is â€Å"committed to balancing environmental stewardship with our corporate goals throughout the world.† Disney lesson was tradition and customs no longer overruled environmental issues because affluent consumer wants a certain food or clothes. The voice of green and environmental safety out powered and was louder than the money of the wealth who wanted the Shark Fin Soup. With the new rising environmentalist animal cruelty advocate this was not going to be easy for the affluent consumer to win. Disney was going to have to make a decision not to serve the soup at all and it did. Globalization, can intentionally or otherwise remove social and cultural differences, which can often have a bearing on consumer behavior and in turn, lead to brands developing a more consistent global identity, one which doesn’t have to worry about the backlash of possible misinterpretation in other parts of the world. This isn’t to say that marketers believe cultural issues are no longer important. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The more information a brand holds about the world and its contrasting consumers the more chance it has of understanding and manipulating them. The interlocking of economic spheres is another aspect, which has affected consumer behavior for very different reasons all together. The European Union and the combine currency of Euro connecting different countries with the same currencies make for a huge consumer behavior being established. This was also the problem with Apple’s because Japan does not have the same cultural values as the western hemisphere which was a learning campaign for Apple’s globalization. The arrival of the Internet and advances in technology have succeeded in breaking down social and cultural barriers, but have not succeeded in stopping the masses from being continually guided by those who are learning more and more about them and the way they behave. In conclusion these two global business dilemma help to open the way for a precise understanding of different culture that helps with evolving of globalization to include all cultures and to give the best culturally socially, environment decision while giving the best service and product. Reference Key Characteristic of The Japanese Consumer (2014) Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/rpretet/key-characteristics-of-japanese-consumers CRS ASIA (2014) Retrieved from :http://www.csr-asia.com/weekly_news_detail.php?id=5318 Consumer Behavior (2014) Retrieved from:http://publicresearchsystems.blogspot.com/2009/01/report-on-global-factors-affecting.html Why Japans Hate Apple (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ . â€Å"Softbank who Apple used to sell iPhones gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. The Bloomberg report further suggests that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan, which we also acknowledged in a report published August 2009.† Why Japans Hate Apple (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark’s Fin Soup Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/business/worldbusiness/17 shark.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

The 10 Best Places For Dads to Work in 2017

The 10 Best Places For Dads to Work in 2017 The United States is pretty terrible when it comes to family leave- but it’s even worse for dads. Very few employers even provide paid parental leave for fathers. As Simon Isaacs, co-founder of Fatherly, told Business Insider, â€Å"This means a lot of new dads are not able to take time to bond with their babies and be at home with their families.† Isaacs is quick to add that paternity leave is not â€Å"time off.† â€Å"There is an increasing body of evidence,† he says, â€Å"behind the importance of father-child bonding beginning in the first few weeks†¦ With more couples than ever sharing responsibilities at home, paternity leave is also important to support your wife or spouse.† The conversation is happening, and hopefully, change is in the works. But in the meantime, Fatherly has compiled a sweet list of companies leading the charge. Here are some of the highlights, taking into account leave policies, flexible hours, and telecommuting opti ons.1. NetflixNetflix wins all the praise from Fatherly. And should have our respect anyway given their â€Å"Unlimited Vacation† policy. Their parental leave policy is stellar; parents (mothers and fathers) can take up to a full year of paid leave. They can also change their hours around to work as much or as little as they need at different times. And they can come in and out, go full-time, part-time, etc. and keep receiving their salaries as normal. As long as you do your job at Netflix, the company trusts you and takes care of you.2. EtsySecond on Fatherly’s list is Etsy, giving its employees a gender-blind blanket 26 weeks of paid leave. You have to take the first six weeks consecutively (at the beginning, i.e. the first six months), but then you can spread the rest out over the course of two years (post birth or adoption) as needed. Their Brooklyn office also boasts dedicated parents’ rooms and a twice weekly communal meal called â€Å"Eatsy.†3. AmE xGo Platinum with AmEx’s parental leave policy. First of all, if you adopt, undergo fertility treatment, or use a surrogate, you’re eligible for $35k in medical assistance. Then, you get 20 weeks of paid paternity leave. Then an additional 20 days of subsidized backup dependent care per year. Plus, at some of their office locations, you can take advantage of â€Å"Summer Flex† and compress your work weeks to maximize weekend time off with the fam.4. SpotifyYou get 24 weeks of paid paternity leave with no restrictions on how to use it- until your kid’s third birthday. (You even get this retroactively as a new recruit if you come in with a child under three.) Their â€Å"Welcome Back† program lets your return gradually to full-time status with the added bonus of telecommuting options. And they have a Dad-centric â€Å"Focus on Fatherhood† group with activities, programming, and networking breakfasts with top execs giving advice about work/life balance.5. FacebookFacebook offers $20k in family planning benefits for fertility treatments, egg freezing, surrogacy, etc. Then 17 weeks paid leave, plus the standard 21 days of PTO and unlimited sick days, including an additional three days per year for â€Å"taking care of sick dependents.† If your kid gets the flu, take the day off, then log into Dads@Facebook (the company’s online dad space) for advice.6. TwitterTwitter is more like Netflix than Facebook, in that there is no PTO policy. Do your job well and take all the time you need otherwise. They’ve just doubled their paid paternal leave to 20 weeks. And they have great company perks, including a prep class for Dads about to go on leave to help in the transition.7. VMware, Inc.This company offers $5k to help with adoption or surrogacy ($10k lifetime limit), a $250 â€Å"Welcome Baby† gift, and 18 weeks paid paternity leave. And they have a non-accrued vacation policy to let you shape your own tim e off- as long as you’re delivering good work.8. Bank of AmericaBank of America offers a lot of support to new parents: a Welcome Kit, free financial planning, Lifecare advice and assistance, and 16 weeks paid paternity leave. You also get a 25-day backup child care allotment and a 25-day adult care allotment for when a caregiver is not available.9. PatagoniaFathers at Patagonia get 12 weeks paid leave to be used at any time before the child’s first birthday. They have a great work-life balance reputation, and are very concerned with employees and their children thriving. There are lots of ways they help a new family get set up, including FSAs and stipends.10. DeloitteYou’re eligible for paternity leave from day one of your employment, to the tune of 16 paid weeks. They offer child-care coverage and reimbursement, and employees get an average of 40 paid days off per year regardless. Managers here won’t track time off either. So do your work, and get your life in order without stress.

Should the Government Control the Content that Can be Displa essays

Should the Government Control the Content that Can be Displa essays the Content that Can be Displayed on Television? The television was once a device whole families could gather around to share a fun evening together with, but television is starting to depart from family friendly shows in favor of adult programming. The question then arises, what can be done to protect children from seeing inappropriate subject matter on TV. Recently, a call for government interference has come about and seems to gaining support, but should the government intervene? Who is accountable for letting children see this material anyway? The American people put pressure on the big television companies to begin a ratings system on TV shows several years ago. The result was every large station suggesting their own system, with the exclusion of NBC. The government then opted for a system similar to the one used to rate movies. Generic letters suggesting a certain group of peoples opinions as to how offensive a show may be. Also brought to aid the fight against dirty TV was the v-chip, which allowed programs with only certain ratings to be shown on a TV that has it. But still people say this is not enough. Why people support government interference so vehemently is beyond me. If people dont like what is on TV they shouldnt watch it. Supporting government involvement on any greater plain is unwise. Firstly, it is a violation of first Amendment rights. Like it or not, freedom of speech is crucial in our society. Another reason against it is the probability the government will go too far. The government could easily switch from removing adult content to direct censorship of what can be said. Another reason why government is not good is because it is unnecessary. Children will see explicit material in their own lives, even if it comes from something that is less of a socializing force than TV. However, if parents object to their kids seeing such material, they mu ...

Humpty Dumptys Philosophy of Language

Humpty Dumptys Philosophy of Language In Chapter 6 of Through the Looking Glass Alice meets Humpty Dumpty, who she recognizes immediately since she knows about him from the nursery rhyme. Humpty is a bit irritable, but he turns out to have some thought-provoking notions about language, and philosophers of language have been quoting him ever since. Must a Name Have a Meaning? Humpty begins by asking Alice her name and her business:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘My name is Alice, but––‘  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘It’s a stupid name enough!’ Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently.   ‘What does it mean?’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Must a name mean something?’ Alice asked doubtfully.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Of course it must,’ Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh: ‘my name means the shape I am–and a good handsome shape it is too.   With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost.’ As in many other respects, the looking glass world, at least as described by Humpty Dumpty, is the inverse of Alice’s everyday world (which is also ours). In the everyday world, names typically have little or no meaning: ‘Alice,’ ‘Emily,’ ‘Jamal,’ ‘Christiano,’ usually do nothing other than denoting an individual. They can certainly have connotations: that’s why there are so many more people called ‘David’ (the heroic king of ancient Israel) than are called ‘Judas’ (the betrayer of Jesus). And we can sometimes infer (though not with perfect certainty) incidental acts about a person from their name: e.g. their sex, their religion (or that of their parents), or their nationality. But names usually tell us little else about their bearers. From the fact that someone is called ‘Grace,’ we can’t infer that they are graceful. Apart from the fact that most proper names are gendered, so parents don’t usually call a boy ‘Josephine’ or a girl ‘William,’ a person can be given pretty much any name from a very long list.   General terms, on the other hand, cannot be applied arbitrarily. The word ‘tree’ can’t be applied to an egg; and the word ‘egg’ can’t mean a tree. That is because words like these, unlike proper names, have a definite meaning. But in Humpty Dumpty’s world, things are the other way round. Proper names must have a meaning, while any ordinary word, as he tells Alice later, means whatever he wants it to mean–that is, he can stick them on things the way we stick names on people. Playing Language Games With Humpty Dumpty Humpty delights in riddles and games. And like many other Lewis Carroll characters, he loves to exploit the difference between the way words are conventionally understood and their literal meaning. Here are a couple of examples.                   ‘Why do you sit out here all alone?’ said Alice†¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Why, because there’s nobody with me!’ cried Humpty Dumpty.   ‘Did you think I didn’t know the answer to that?’ The joke here stems from the ambiguity of the ‘Why?’ question. Alice means ‘What causes have brought it about that you sit here alone?’ This is the normal way the question is understood. Possible answers might be that Humpty dislikes people, or that his friends and neighbors have all gone away for the day. But he takes the question in a different sense, as asking something like: under what circumstances would we say that you (or anyone) are alone? Since his answer rests on nothing more than the definition of the word ‘alone,’ it is completely uninformative, which is what makes it funny. A second example needs no analysis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘So here’s a question for you{says Humpty].   How old did you say you were?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alice made a short calculation, and said ‘Seven years and six months.’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Wrong!’ Humpty Dumpty exclaimed triumphantly.   You never said a word like it.’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘I thought you meant â€Å"How old are you?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Alice explained.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘If I’d meant that, I’d have said it,’ said Humpty Dumpty. How Do Words Get Their Meaning? The following exchange between Alice and Humpty Dumpty has been cited countless times by philosophers of language:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘†¦and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents––‘  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Certainly,’ said Alice.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘And only one for birthday presents, you know.   There’s glory for you!’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚                  ‘I don’t know what you mean by â€Å"glory†,’ Alice said.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. ‘Of course you don’t–till I tell you.   I meant â€Å"there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘But â€Å"glory† doesn’t mean â€Å"a nice knock-down argument†, Alice objected.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   †˜When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean–neither more nor less.’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean different things–that’s all.’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master–that’s all’ In his Philosophical Investigations (published in 1953), Ludwig Wittgenstein argues against the idea of a â€Å"private language.† Language, he maintains, is essentially social, and words get their meanings from the way they are used by communities of language users. If he is right, and most philosophers think he is, then Humpty’s claim that he can decide for himself what words mean, is wrong. Of course, a small group of people, even just two people, could decide to give words novel meanings.   E.g. Two children could invent a code according to which â€Å"sheep† means â€Å"ice cream† and â€Å"fish† means money. But in that case, it is still possible for one of them to misuse a word and for the other speaker to point out the mistake. But if I alone decide what words mean, it becomes impossible to identify mistaken uses. This is Humpty’s situation if words simply mean whatever he wants them to mean. So Alice’s skepticism about Humpty’s ability to decide for himself what words mean is well-founded.   But Humpty’s response is interesting. He says it comes down to ‘which is to be master.’  Presumably, he means: are we to master language, or is language to master us? This is a profound and complex question. On the one hand, language is a human creation: we didn’t find it lying around, ready-made. On the other hand, each of us is born into a linguistic world and a linguistic community which, whether we like it or not, provides us with our basic conceptual categories, and shapes the way we perceive the world.  Language is certainly a tool that we use for our purposes; but it is also, to use a familiar metaphor, like a house in which we live.

Economics-how does ethics influence regulation both in the U.S and Essay

Economics-how does ethics influence regulation both in the U.S and abroad - Essay Example Thus the influence of ethics in shaping up regulation is essential to the overall well-being of the governmental and/or private entities, working within the country’s boundaries. It gives them the edge to explore new grounds and be vocal about the same. (Elliston, 1988) It facilitates in building policies which could assist not only their business from a rational standpoint but also the plight of its stakeholders, which could be far and wide, varied and distinctive – all at the same time. The ethical debates are thus facilitative in the fact that the vision is followed to the core and the government regulations which are set about under such a process are appreciated by the people at large and the governmental circles within the country. All said and done, the role of ethics plays to the positive effects of any government regulation, be it a huge one or of a very small

Baytree Procurement for MSA Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Baytree Procurement for MSA Project - Essay Example Most recently, the concerns about sustainability and environmental impact alarmed individuals, civic organisations, and even the global governments to subject themselves to goals that deter the destruction of the natural environment and ecological processes. This is in line with the reduction of the negative impact of global climate changes, and disasters caused by mankind’s mindless consumption, waste generation, pollution, and other activities including construction of built environment. All activities point out and lead to connected sourcing up to disposal so that each step of every process has become an important part of a whole. This paper will try to determine one company –Baytree Leisure Plc’s possible procurement issues as well as possible solutions to develop a proposed motorways services area in Yorkshire with close consideration of environment impact as well as sustainability. (i) Analyse the key procurement issues for Baytree Leisure plc to consider, including a review of their likely project success criteria and objectives for the proposed project Salteroyd. Identify any assumptions that you have made. The Key Procurement Issues for Baytree Leisure Plc In consideration of the proposed plan to provide the Motorway Services Area (MSA) on the M7 motorway in an area in Salteroyd in the county of Yorkshire, various procurement issues must be addressed. The aim of the plan is to meet the expectations resulting from the climate change agenda and drive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The customers and consumers are therefore expected to become more selective in their buying decisions and would consider use of built environment such as the MSA to adhere to environmentally responsible developments. Sustainable building design and construction is therefore a must for Baytree. Design Foremost about the procurement process issue that Baytree needed to address is design. Design in the built environment means a plan for achieving goals or requirements by clients in consideration of users, environment, as well as other factors that will guide or limit the designer (Ralph and Wand, 2009). It serves as a guide to meet the least and the loftiest of details for a more holistic approach, and in this process, an ecologically sound MSA. Design choices as already mentioned, is guided by the principles of sustainability, environment-friendliness, costs, economics, functionality, ergonomics, or change methods to meet goals (Holm, 2006). Approaches in design includes user-centred usually guided by the function, multiple approaches, as well as keep it simple or KISS with minimised process and content but with consideration to aesthetics (Holm, 2006). Design also applies the following: Explore possibilities addressing problem and research that involves all stakeholders in the presentation of goals; Redefine development and improvement of traditional specifications and guidelines for options, solutions, and goals; Manage approache s to defining, exploring possibilities or creating ecological designs; Prototype or production of possible products to improve existing or traditional designs; Trend-spot merging concepts and products in order to innovate (Getlein, 2008). In addressing design issues, the project owner and its contractors will be able to provide a guide for the procurement specifically based on the

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Essay

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson - Essay Example Jekyll’s counter part, Mr. Hyde, a very important character in the story is rather like a synonym for iniquitous personality. A quote from page 40 reads like this, â€Å"Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice† (Stevenson, Chapter, 2). One can easily identify the deliberate attempts the author makes to exhibit the villain in Mr. Hyde. Take the following for reference; Mr. Earnfield describes to Utterson how the creature trampled over a child in the street-â€Å"and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the childs body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasnt like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut† (Chapter, 1). It gives the greatest visual effect of a narration- here, a man is a brute personified! Irony of the expression is that the narrator calls the Mr. Hyde ‘a man’ and ‘a juggernaut’ at the same time. There is another example of how Mr. Stevenson visualizes the wicked image of a true brute. Hyde’s encounter with an old guy referred in page 47 runs like this, â€Å"he broke out in a great flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on (as the maid described it) like a madman., †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway†(Stevenson, chapter, 4). It shows the maximum of severity that an individual can posses. It is definitely indisputable that the character of Mr. Hyde is the reflection of the devilish mindset of human. There can be probably nothing more brutal about anyone than killing a fellow being for insistent

Case analysis for business negotiation Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis for business negotiation - Case Study Example Moreover, this was likely due to the high labor costs in France as well as the increasing inputs of the production process. With this baseline of understanding established, the CEO then went on to elaborate upon how labor costs and inputs within Slovakia are measurably cheaper than in France (approximately 30% on the whole). In such a way, such an approach would definitively save money in the long run. Finally, anecdotal evidence is given with regards to the fact that other large firm such as Peugeot and Sony had recently relocated their operations from France to Slovakia and had experience and measurable increase in overall growth and profitability as a result. 2. How did this CEO communicate to the media the closing of the plant and its relocation to Slovakia from becoming a national issue? One of the first reasons that any level of media hype is generated is with regards to the level and extent to which leaks of the information reveal a sensational story that the media cannot resi st. In such a way, the strategy of closure within this particular case was handled with the utmost care. This was facilitated I insisting that all individuals who were cognizant of these changes sign a nondisclosure agreement and remain very tightlipped within the firm as well as without with regards to the facts that closure was soon it likely to take place. In this way, once the information was released, the firm had fully anticipated the response and was able to manage the story in a way that did not create a sensation or make stakeholders feel as if they had been kept in the dark with regards to such a decision. 3: What were the negotiating strategies used to reach the agreement? With regards to the negotiating strategies used to reach the agreement of plant closure, these were necessarily concentric around cooperation, analysis of the situation from multifaceted viewpoint, and general secrecy. Although the first to have been briefly enumerated upon, the general secrecy might ne cessarily be viewed as a negative aspect. However, the negative externalities of not keeping a closely guarded secret with regards to the means by which the plant would close might necessarily harm each and every stakeholder within the entire process. By making the information known prior to a formal strategy being elaborated upon, the situation would necessarily unfold in and out of hand manner without the CEO or top management being able to be directed in any way shape or form. From the firm’s perspective, such an eventuality would mean in much higher cost with regards to the payments that they would be due to the labor unions. 4: What are the pitfalls to be avoided when negotiating with the labor union representatives? By engaging early with the labor unions, the firm was able to experience a â‚ ¬1 million savings by reducing costs that would otherwise have been associated with payoffs to the union that were required. This was able to be effected simply by assuring them that all employees 55 years or older would be a able to draw an early pension from the plant shuttering. In this way a cooperation strategy was employed. Furthermore a bond of trust between the firm and the union representatives was established prior to the shuttering of plant. This was leveraged when the bad news was delivered to the union as a means of creating a situation in which the union

History Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History - Coursework Example Slaves were assigned a first name only, and after Reconstruction, many of them took on new names, as did Lewis Evans, who said â€Å"the white folks gave me a new name†. America missed the opportunity to create a multiracial society. First, Lincoln missed that chance by legitimizing pro-Union governments in the South that only allowed white men to vote. After Lincoln was assassinated, the new President, Andrew Johnson, took power. He was extremely racist, saying â€Å"Damn the negroes† (textbook, 474). As someone with a class chip on his shoulder, Johnson quickly returned the southern states to the Union, allowing them to enforce Black Codes of law that kept African Americans without property, and with very few legal rights. The former slave narratives include the story of Henry â€Å"Happy Day† Green, Sarah Gray, Lewis Evans and Measy Hudson. Henry Green reports that he voted. The right to vote was an important symbol of freedom. Sarah Gray’s voice did no t come through in the interview, perhaps because of the interviewer, Minnie Ross’s, condescending attitude: â€Å" [it gave] her as much pleasure as a child playing with a favorite toy†. All that Miss Ross seems to have found out is that Sarah Gray thought she was well-treated in slavery. Lewis Evans speaks of his house, and garden lot, his own land on which he raises a garden and chickens. This is important because along with his small pension, it provides his livelihood. Measy Hudson describes working as a laundress, being married and voting twice, all important parts of freedom. I think the slaves’ narratives are accurate when their actual words are faithfully recorded, because they were there, and experienced these events first-hand. ELECTIONS OF 1912 Roosevelt espoused Progressivism, which believed in reducing the power of giant trusts(corporations). Progressivism wanted to remove the influence of special interest groups to form a â€Å"pure democracy† where people had a more direct voice in the central government. He proposed to limit the power of the judicial system by allowing a popular vote or referendum to overturn court decisions. Wilson, a Democrat, espoused antitrust measures and state regulations to control the powers of giant trusts. He also espoused small government. Taft, the incumbent Republican President, espoused the protection of the judicial system from popular votes intended to overturn rulings. He believed that checks and balances were written into the constitution to prevent mass hysteria in governance. Taft believed in protection of the environment and safety standards for mines and railroads, as well as an 8-hour workday, all of which he put in place while president. Eugene V. Debs espoused the organization of workers into unions. He ran on the Socialist Party ticket and was one of the founding members of the International Labor Union. The outcome of the election, with Roosevelt’s victory, says that Americans wanted to have a more direct influence on their national government, and that many of them were in favor of the various reform movements of the time. WORLD WAR 1 PROPAGANDA The U.S. Food Administration sent the message in its propaganda posters to conserve food, especially meat. A poster for navy recruiting week listed the dates to attend. The president lent his image to say conserve food, as well as to say that we must conquer the enemy, and stay united in the war effort. The Armenian and Syrian Relief Campaign’

Case analysis for business negotiation Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis for business negotiation - Case Study Example Moreover, this was likely due to the high labor costs in France as well as the increasing inputs of the production process. With this baseline of understanding established, the CEO then went on to elaborate upon how labor costs and inputs within Slovakia are measurably cheaper than in France (approximately 30% on the whole). In such a way, such an approach would definitively save money in the long run. Finally, anecdotal evidence is given with regards to the fact that other large firm such as Peugeot and Sony had recently relocated their operations from France to Slovakia and had experience and measurable increase in overall growth and profitability as a result. 2. How did this CEO communicate to the media the closing of the plant and its relocation to Slovakia from becoming a national issue? One of the first reasons that any level of media hype is generated is with regards to the level and extent to which leaks of the information reveal a sensational story that the media cannot resi st. In such a way, the strategy of closure within this particular case was handled with the utmost care. This was facilitated I insisting that all individuals who were cognizant of these changes sign a nondisclosure agreement and remain very tightlipped within the firm as well as without with regards to the facts that closure was soon it likely to take place. In this way, once the information was released, the firm had fully anticipated the response and was able to manage the story in a way that did not create a sensation or make stakeholders feel as if they had been kept in the dark with regards to such a decision. 3: What were the negotiating strategies used to reach the agreement? With regards to the negotiating strategies used to reach the agreement of plant closure, these were necessarily concentric around cooperation, analysis of the situation from multifaceted viewpoint, and general secrecy. Although the first to have been briefly enumerated upon, the general secrecy might ne cessarily be viewed as a negative aspect. However, the negative externalities of not keeping a closely guarded secret with regards to the means by which the plant would close might necessarily harm each and every stakeholder within the entire process. By making the information known prior to a formal strategy being elaborated upon, the situation would necessarily unfold in and out of hand manner without the CEO or top management being able to be directed in any way shape or form. From the firm’s perspective, such an eventuality would mean in much higher cost with regards to the payments that they would be due to the labor unions. 4: What are the pitfalls to be avoided when negotiating with the labor union representatives? By engaging early with the labor unions, the firm was able to experience a â‚ ¬1 million savings by reducing costs that would otherwise have been associated with payoffs to the union that were required. This was able to be effected simply by assuring them that all employees 55 years or older would be a able to draw an early pension from the plant shuttering. In this way a cooperation strategy was employed. Furthermore a bond of trust between the firm and the union representatives was established prior to the shuttering of plant. This was leveraged when the bad news was delivered to the union as a means of creating a situation in which the union

Introduction of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction of Management - Essay Example For instance, making decisions about how to cut costs by five percent reflects a problem. The manager also has to make decisions when there is an opportunity that can be exploited. If the firm has surplus funds, the manager has to decide whether the extra funds should be used to increase shareholder dividends, reinvested in current operations, or to expand into new markets. The quality of managers' decisions is the yardstick of their effectiveness and value to the organization. Managers are usually evaluated and rewarded on the basis of the importance and results of their decisions. (P. Drucker) This indicates that managers must necessarily develop decision-making skills. The success of an organization depends greatly on the decisions that managers make. (Management Assistant Program) The Rational model which is believed to be one of the major types of models regarding how managers make decisions is discussed below. The rational model of managerial decision-making has its roots in the economic theory of the firm. When theories about the economic theory of the firm. When theories about the economic behavior of business firms were being developed, there was a general tendency among economists to assume that whatever decisions managers made would always be in the best economic interests of their firms. There was a tremendous support for this assumption from many thinkers of management. The rational model of decision-making believes that managers engage in a decision-making process which is totally rational. They not only have all the relevant information needed to take decisions but also are aware of all the possible outcomes and consequence of the decision so taken by them (Administration). Decision-making is a systematic process and involves a series of steps. (Galbraith) Any decision making process consists basically of the following steps. Identifying the Problem - The first step in the decision making process is identifying the problem. Prior to identifying the problem, it is essential to first recognize that a problem exists. The manager would have identified the problem when the administration department brings the problem with the photocopier to the notice of their superior - in this case the manager. This decision can be categorized as a non-programmed decision as the replacement of any kind of machines or equipment in a business is not done always. (Biz/ed) Non-programmed decisions are the ones which are taken in unforeseen conditions or which are unstructured. Identifying Resources and Constraints - Once the problem is identified and diagnosed, the manager should identify the resources and constraints relevant to the problem. Anything that can be used to solve the problem is a resource. Resources include people, money, materials, time, equipment, expertise, and information. On the other hand, constraints are the factors that limit managers' efforts to solve the problem. With respect to the replacement of the photocopier, different companies which deal with that particular equipment, the marketing executives related to the equipment etc, are the resources. Constraints may be mismatch in the price and quality of the equipment, the supplier who can deliver the equipment at the earliest possible date. Generating Alternative Solutions - Once the problem, resources and constraints of the organization are identified, the next step would be to generate

Writing the Writer’s Problem Essay Example for Free

Writing the Writer’s Problem Essay Writing is a passion. Everyone can write but only few people can write well enough for other people to understand. Writing has never been an easy task, job or hobby; it requires attention and broad understanding of the things around you. Language is the first to be considered in writing, how a person will be able to talk to his or her readers and what shall the writer to use. Whatever the reason for writing is, culture and the environment of the writer affect any output he or she produces. In this case, differences in language and in rearing make them different and sometimes, people were unable to understand them. There are certain things that are considered first in writing and when you are in an American school or any English Speaking School, the language used could affect you as a writer especially if your were never a native English speaker. However, writing in English or being fluent in English depends on the nature of the person. Thus, those who came from a different place, foreign student as we call them, and took a chance to enter a world different from theirs, commonly experience language barriers in the sense that they may have used a different language since birth or they have a different tone. Hence, they experience problems in communicating with the people around them in English language, may it be in papers submitted in school or outside school, in conversing with other people, their peers and their classmates. Reflections Using the guides given by the instructor it seems to be so easy at first to analyze one’s self regarding writing concerns. However, this task is a big thing and involves severe reflection and analysis of the real issue. Hence, the following entries are reflections over the guidelines and question given the instructor which would most probably help in knowing one’s self. There are three exercises to be answered and they are in the form of an essay. Exercise 5B: Reflecting on Your Own Writing Concerns Criticizing personal works is not bad at all. It only allows us to have rooms for improvement and a better writing skill. Perhaps it is better to do such reflection over personal works more often than to be too sensitive of the critics. Considering my performance over the past years, it seems that I had been dealing with a better writing skills compared to others. The upbringing I had and the way I use the language allows me to write a better paper and how I was able to communicate with others, may it be through the web or in person. Personally, there are no problems since I can observe no rules in writing but when it comes to professional and academic concerns, it seems that I have to be more careful since there are rules to be followed. However, as a writer, I believe I do not have many problems except of having errors in grammar and thoughts but aside from those, nothing else follows. Moreover, as a writer, my problems in writing allowed me to become emotional sometimes and when it comes to critics over my professional and academic writings, I somehow lose confidence but reflecting upon it at this time, it seems that it is better not to take it personally because critics were made for your own development. On the other hand, it is not hard for me also to relate with those writers who uses English as second language. Like them, I have criticism also and that people, instructors and peers say different things about my writings which I believed were also experienced by writers who use English as second language. However, when it comes to writing anxieties, I believe I do not share the same frustrations since English is not my second language and I had been fluent for a long time already. But regarding struggles in starting an assignment seems to be a common problem among students because that is a common though and it is hard to make a or write a paper without an issue in mind but this one I think I was able to conquer already along with the problem in language. Exercise 5A: Reflecting on Writers’ Concerns Regarding the mock requests, I believe there is nothing personal and so meeting the students face to face would be better. In this case, there will be enough attention and the focus of both the student and me will be at one point, sharing the same point of view and focal point. Hence, it will be easy for the two of us to exchange ideas and opinion which will be very helpful not only to the students but also with me. If we happen to see face to face, perhaps the students will confess about their problems in writing and the language which prohibits them to continuous write down their thoughts and opinions. It is a common problem and though they are frustrated already, they will and eagerness to learn more and to work on with they writing skills allows them to deal with their frustration. In this case, the students were benefiting in such tutorials because they are given the chance to be heard and then to learn also. In some point, there are no reasons why language used in writing will not be tackled over mock requests. It seems that it is one of the main reasons why such things happen and it is focused mainly on improving the students and not into insulting them. Addressing such problems are common already that it will be helpful for the students if they will take constructively and not focusing on the emotional torture it may give them. The advises I gave seems to be helpful to them due to the fact that they really have improvements and that they do understand the importance of knowing English and learning how to fluently write in English since they are presently in an English Country wherein there is a Standard Academic English. Exercise 5c: Reflecting on Tutoring Techniques Considering the revision of the advices I gave to the students, it seems that it still have to revise other things and that the once I shared must be given in full detail and not in a short talk only. First and foremost, I have to be sure that the students understand what I was trying to say and have an idea of what is really happening which means that full attention must be give. Also the student must be oriented with culture and the differences since it is one part of the cultivation of the writer’s thoughts and skills. Furthermore, clearing issues about culture will allow them to have ideas in the world of writing such as plagiarism and to give them ideas about the proper style to be used when writing for academic papers under the Standard American English. Hence, with all of these things cleared to the student, he or she will be able to write better and soon learn more about and learn to adapt with the changes. Works Cited Module 4: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Writing Center

Disadvantages Of Online Learning Education Essay

Disadvantages Of Online Learning Education Essay Clearly, the benefits that online learning brings to students are enormous and undeniable. Even, as Hinkle suggests in her article Advantages and disadvantages of E-learning, pursuing an online course is an outstanding choice in education, especially when traditional learning situations have many obstacles, such as commuting or distance. However, as every coin has two sides, e-learning also has some fundamental drawbacks that can make it a little bit inconvenient for users. 2.1. Lack of verbal interaction One of the most disadvantages that Dogra (2011) and Hinkle (2009, n.d.) all agree is the lack of verbal interaction between teacher[s] and student[s]. Because of the fact that most online learning programs can only offer a one-way communication, this disadvantage is inevitable! As stated in Top 10 Distance Learning Disadvantages, the loss of human contact, let alone personal touch with instructors, provided in a traditional classroom in which two-way or face-to-face communication always proved its important (Pakhare 2008) is the evident truth. Similarly, Hinkle (2009) also believes that there is a significant reduction in the amount of interaction through distance learning. To further discuss this, Kartha (2011) makes the readers aware of that e-learning does not give learners any help in improving their oral communication skills. Although some online courses enable their users to communicate through discussion and community boards, this definitely differs from carrying a conversation to a classmate sitting next to you in person. Moreover, Dogra (2011b) assumes that an e-learning student may not be exposed to enough multidimensional views of a certain subjects or topic. She demonstrate the hindrance of online learning by saying that the chances of growth or learning of students who pursue full-time courses and are facilitated to discuss many aspects of one problems, many problems of one subject might be higher than those who do not. Whats more, in a class, a debate arising does not necessarily involve in what were taught. Instead, a wide range of issues pertaining to future plan or professional life is also focused on. This helps students develop their personality and teaches them how to deal with life in an appropriate manner. To gain success in life, one needs not only bookish but also experience and particularly, knowledge about various life issues as well as situations. She summarizes that, in some cases, the sale of professional improvement gained through online learning, therefore, might be limited. An article entitled Pros and cons of distance learning refutes this viewpoint of effect of less verbal contact, showing that e-learning seems to be a good way to grow students writing skill owing to that they have to type their contributions to class discussions and any other correspondence with [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] professors and fellow classmates. However, this opinion is flawed. In the first place, if students really need to improve this skill, it is not required to follow an online course. The second and more important reason is that, compared to the loss of communication skills, the benefit is far from equivalent. 2.2. Absence of live academic resources Apparently, online learning means studying in isolation and without a set schedule and proper study timings and it demands strong self-motivation and self-discipline to be a good learner (Dogra 2011a). She warns that this type of learning is totally not suitable for students who need regular and instant feedbacks from instructors. Pakhare (2008) expresses his agreement with Dogras statement and says that the absence of face-to-face communication results in the failure of receiving immediate feedbacks for students assignments and fieldwork studies. They may not have their problems and questions of the last lesson solved by professors or classmates as in a traditional class, which can function as a barrier in ones learning (Kartha 2011). In case of receiving feedbacks, students have to wait for a long time, till the instructors review their work (Top 10 distance learning disadvantages). In addition, according to the article Pros and cons of distance learning, whereas academic resources are supported in most conventional colleges/universities such as libraries, stadiums, study areas and laboratories, online learning environment is much more challenging. It is pretty practical when mentioning the impossibility of drop[ping] a tutoring center or attend[ing] extra help. Therefore, learning process, due to all of these factors, will be less effective. Perhaps, it is the main contributor to lesser weightage to online learning. There is a common notion among employers that students following e-learning class are far less informed and more experienced than those with full-time education (Dogra 2011a); and worse in term of attitude as well (Dogra 2011b). Some employers even refuse to give online learning a piece of acknowledgement (Top 10 distance learning disadvantages). Of course, she says, this situation will completely different in case those students have certain years of experience. However, most companies still give a preference to learners with traditional certificates or degrees (Dogra 2011a). 2.3. Technology difficulties It is beyond doubt that online learning requires some equipment. Two typical kinds of e-learning can be taken as examples here. First, computer-based training provides users with learning objects including audios, videos, animations and application simulations via a CD-ROM or a mainframe and through a local network, while another type, web-based training, has its learning materials delivered over the Internet . A computer connected to a network is a must with both of them. According to Hinkle (n.d.), this triggers off the technology-related problem to people who do not have ready access this equipment, in other words, they are ill-equipped to use it (Hinkle 2009). Besides, power cutoff, failure in Internet server on any hardware issue can also make severe impacts on learning process. Last but not least, technical requirement may put great pressure on ones who are completely not computer-literate, which, in turn, might lead to stress and frustration (Top 10 distance learning disadvant ages).

Makemedos Journey to Power in Aristophanes Birds :: Aristophane Birds Papers

Makemedo's Journey to Power in Aristophanes' Birds Humans have always journeyed in search of what they want and need. Our earliest ancestors were nomads, wandering the countryside in search of food and shelter. It is no surprise, then, that much of ancient and modern literature deals with the theme of the journey and getting what one wants. This is especially true in the writing of Aristophanes' Birds, from Aristophanes I: Clouds, Wasps, Birds, translated by Peter Meineck, published by the Hackett Publishing Company in Indianapolis, IN, in 1998. The main character, Makemedo, begins his journey by seeking a land free of worry and work, and ends it by becoming a divine ruler. His desire shifts from wanting a simple existence to wanting tremendous power. This change in his ultimate goal is shown throughout the play by a series of visits from other characters. Aristophanes uses the visitors as a way of mirroring Makemedo's journey on the path to power: the visitors represent the state of Makemedo's power, and the way he deals with them i s a reflection of his status. The first visitor on the path to power is Makemedo himself. He begins by journeying ". . . in search of a land free from hustle and bustle / where a man can just settle down and rest" (43-44). His original demands are simple, and his ultimate goal is to find the Hoopoe, a bird who used to be human, who will help him find such a land. Makemedo begins his journey as a seeker, delegating the power to the Hoopoe, who can help him obtain what he wants: We thought that you might be able to help us. That in all your flying about, you may have come across a nice soft and woolly city where two men can snuggle up and live in peace and tranquility. (119-122) The power is also in the hands of the birds themselves, who meet Makemedo and Goodhope with great hostility saying, "Now for these two old men, the penalty is clear: / Peck them to death! Tear them to shreds!" (337-338). Makemedo is in a position of very little power until he deviates from his original purpose and comes up with the idea for the birds to found their own city. The power shifts the moment the idea occurs to him. The birds are also won over: "Oh! What a transformation, from bitterest enemy to greatest friend! / You've won us over, from now on we're going to listen to you" (628-629).

A Scientific Solution to the Whaling Problem

Science faces a dilemma when it comes to consider the breakdown of society in the face of technological advance. The situation is even more difficult when science takes the environmentalist stance and then finds itself in opposition to native culture, which it also wants to preserve. Anthropological studies have shown that many cultures around the world are integrally linked to whaling, both economically and culturally. But now that whales are facing extinction, the scientific community must make a decision as to which is more worth preservation, native human cultures, or the population of whales. In my opinion, science should support the latter cause. It is an accepted tenet of modern life that technological advance breaks down old modes of social solidarity, and introduces new forms of connectedness. These new spheres of connection bypass locality and ethnicity, so that the tendency is towards a global culture and economy. What seems to be initially a cultural loss is not so, for culture is evolving in step with technology. However, the extinction of whales is a true and final loss. In 1999 the international whaling commission lifted its moratorium and allowed the Makah Indians of Washington State to hunt whales for the first time in 70 years. Charlotte Cote, a descendant of whaling Indians, enthuses over the decision, and describes how whaling has â€Å"reaffirmed their identity as a whaling people and providing a symbol for tribal resiliency, adaptability, and cultural survival† (2006, p. 177). However, Richard Caulfield, who has carried out extensive research into the whaling tribes of Greenland, opines that we cannot view these cultures in isolation, and these people have always retained links to mainland Europe. The recent speed of technological advance has only intensified these links. It is obligatory, therefore, that the remote whaling communities collaborate with the international community (Nuttall 1998, p. 831). The best role for the scientific community would, thus, be to effect a dialogue between the natives and the international body politic, while carrying out research from both points of view.

Chanel Marketing Plan

Marketing Interim Report By Bilal Rasheed & Hisham Ahmed Executive Summary Chanel’s objective is to provide a sense of luxurious, elegant and fashionable bringing up for women introducing timeless style. If Chanel wants to retain the same kind of brand image then it needs to continue with the same strategies which are currently being applied. However, in order to increase market share, emphasis on mass media and e-commerce would be effective which the competitors are already practicing. Chanel’s vision is’ o be the ultimate house of luxury’.Chanel is an established brand and specializes in haute couture, luxury goods, accessories and ready to wear cloths. With the vast positive change in the global economy, the trends are changing with time like demand for luxury products is on its boom. Company Summary Chanel started back in 1909 and it is operating mainly in europe,asia and most parts of united states. The house of chanel is known for its fashion stores all over the globe. In this new milinoum Chanel stepped up its purchsess in luxury sectors.Chanel offers and is known for fashion apparel ,watches ,eye products and various other fasion able accessories for women. Products and services Product description: Chanel specializes in wide range of products. Famous Perfumes by Chanel include Allure, Chance Eau Tendre and N5, which used to be global perfume leader and is still one the best perfumes in the world. The company offers trendy handbags as well. These emply different leather and locks in order to be adjustable to individuals One of the famous unisex wristwatches line by Chanel is J12.Chanel also has a clothing line for women. Competitive Comparison: Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci are strong competitors for Chanel as they have a very strong image amongst the people. Technological needs: Chanel, a luxury goods brand with a long tradition, has evolved into what it is now by constantly adding new innovations to its tradition. Instea d of resting on the business fields where it has proven successful, the company has brought forth new ideas. Technology management refers to business management conducted around sophisticated technological proficiency.Although Chanel was a latecomer to the watch business, Chanel’s commitment to technology is noticeable in the establishment of its own workshop. Chanel’s commitment to technology will be considered through the example of the â€Å"J12,†, Chanel’s first mechanical watch. Market Analysis Target market Target Market Segment Strategy: Chanel customers are women who wants to identify what Chanel represents which is elegance, simplicity, modern and class. Chanel’s cosmetics are targeted to younger consumers but they still retain the classic market which is their strong suit.With the launch of chance perfume, Chanel is targeting women between the age group 18-39. Market Trends: Trends change every now and then and it is important for a busin ess to keep a track of changing trends especially in the target audience. In Chanel’s case changing trends could be more like e. g. ; in accessories, size of pendants or shapes of earrings keep changing with time however, style remains the same and Chanel’s market image is such that what they bring into the market is labeled as fashion. Market Growth:Chanel’s success started from the sale of their famous, world leading perfumes, N5. Later on in 1920’s and 1930’s they decided to launch new perfumes amongst the public to gain more market. Soir De Paris was another fragrance launched after N5. To keep flourishing in the market and to make the business grow, cloths were also being sold under Chanel’s name. In late 1980’s more than 40 boutiques were opened worldwide. This was later followed by other product chains like Shoes, Chanel watches and various other highly priced accessories Industry AnalysisIndustry Participants/Key Players: The key players in the industry same as Chanel would be; * Louise Vuitton * L’Oreal’s Lancome * Calvin Klein * Gucci * Burberry * Alberta Ferretti * Bulgari * Canali Main Competitors/Competitive Analysis: Chanel’s biggest competitors in the market would be L’Oreal’s Lancome who are also focusing mainly on luxury cosmetics along with Chanel creating a very tough competition. Not just this but other renowned brands like Gucci and LV are also equally strong competitors specifically for Handbags and other accessories.Perhaps it’s really hard to dominate in such a market where brand image for competitors is also very strong. Strategy and Implementation Summary Marketing Strategy: Chanel is focusing a lot on developing plans to take an impressive lineage into today’s market. During 1999, Chanel took an initiative to target the age group of people under twenty five which was earlier ignored by the company. It was really important to take some ne w initiatives like this in order to compete with competitive fashion stores like C Pricing Strategy: Chanel is known for its luxurious products around the globe.To Maintain this top quality image products, high prices are being charged for its products. For similar reasons, their products are usually not discounted as it won’t be really consistent for their image at all. Prices for their product are decided and selected entirely by Chanel, France. Promotion Strategy: To grow their market, Chanel focuses more on promoting their new products instead of older ones. For this, their website is updated frequently providing information for all the up to date promotions and also about their new upcoming products, if any.Not just this but to keep up with customers, very clear and easy information is provided for the customers to reach the company and contact them. This would help the company get their feedback and work on it in order to main the relations with customers and satisfy th em. Distribution Patterns: Products by Chanel such as their perfumes are not only sold in their own boutiques but also by other distributers. E. g in Canada, Distributors such as The bay, Luwinna etc are selling their perfumes aswell. Basically chanel uses a comparatively short channel for distribution.Chanel has mostly signed with local distributors in different country along with their own boutiques. This is just to diversify and make the most out of sales. SWOT Analysis Strengths * Very strong brand image * Efficient management with intense training * High quality products Weakness * Poor geographical coverage * Work needs to be done on website as it does not specifies the prices for products Oppertunities * Can look forward to expand more, specifically In asia irorder to gain more market * Keep up with technology Threats * Highly priced and counterfiet productsWeb Plan Summary Website Marketing Strategy: To grow sales and gain a foothold in competitive markets, having so many to ugh competitors, products were sold online directly through their website making it easier for all the customers to get the product. This would definitely enhance their total amount of sales at the end of the day. Development Requirements: * Invest in the emerging markets, open more stores * Increase emphasis on new media technology * Pay more attention to the counterfeit and possible invest in technology to prevent it.

Japanese fiction works are better than Western ones Essay

Q:What kind of Japanese fiction works? A:This presentation is mostly about comics and animation produced in Japan, but it covers also TV Shows and movies Topic: Japanese fiction General Purpose: To persuade Specific Purpose: To persuade you that Japanese fiction is better than western fiction regarding comics, animation, movies and TV shows Thesis statement: Although Western people see Japan as a calculating land with brutally efficient workers, they are in fact individualistic, expressive and sentimental if we can judge them from their works of fiction who surpass our own in various aspects Introduction: I. How other countries think of Japan II. Thesis statement III. Reminding the meaning of the terms manga and anime Body: I. First argument: Japan’s tendency to mix various influences from all over the world A.Japan borrows various foreign things and merges them with other elements B.Example regarding religion of Japan C.This tendency in regards to fiction II.Second Argument: How Japanese portray life, human relations, nature and the world in their fiction works A.Human nature is portrayed as it is B.Japan’s popular culture has a tight closeness to the ordinary, everyday lives of its audience C.Manga on any theme imaginable and toward any age range D.How human relations are portrayed III.Third Argument: Heroes’ fate after their struggle, death and the morality of the universe in Japanese fiction A.What defines a hero in Japan B.Death in japanese fiction C.View of the universe as amoral IV.Opposition/Refutation A1. Pornographic themes in manga and anime A2. Refutation B1. Japan’s cultural insularity robs it of relevance for other societies B2. Refutation Conclusion: I. Quote from Antonia Levi If someone will say that Japanese people are imaginative, sentimental, expressive and individualistic might earn him strange glances in most countries of the world. Many Westerners see Japan as a cold, calculating land of ant-like workers with brutal efficiency. Students are seen as oppressed slaves to their studies, pounded down like nails until their imaginations and individuality are crushed, or until they are driven to suicide. Japanese social culture is often seen as blanketed under stifling layers of politeness and formality, characterized by endless bowing. However, underneath all these there is the hidden Japanese soul. Almost all of the Japanese escape from reality through fiction works. These domestically created fiction works be it comics, animation, movies or TV shows enjoy great popularity not only in Japan but also in many countries of the world. Therefore, because these specific works are strikingly different from what we’re used to here in the Western world, it is inevitable to compare these two: the Western fiction works and the Japanese ones. Hello, everybody, my name is †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I will talk to you about Japanese fiction works and I will compare them to Western ones so as to enforce my opinion and persuade you of course, that Japanese fiction is better than Western fiction. Before starting, I want to make you acquainted with two terms. Manga, which is used to refer to the Japanese comics and anime, which refers to the Japanese animation. As a first argument, I have to inform you that Japan has the tendency to borrow various foreign things and to tinker with them, merging them with native or other elements so that they become something new and often quite distinct from the original. As an example, regarding religion, Taoism was the original religion of Japan but this didn’t stop Japanese people from accepting Buddhism as well, and even acquiring some aspects of other religions in addition, like Christianity. In works of fiction this tendency of the Japanese means new and non-static entertainment through mixing different influences from around the world without having to suffice only to the myths and the influences of their own country. For my second argument supporting Japanese fiction, I want to inform you about the way Japanese portray life, human relations, nature and the world in their fiction works. The world and human nature in Japan’s pop culture can be portrayed as they are, not as they should be. This allows Son Goku, Dragonball’s raised in the wild, central character, to be drawn naked, without the private parts-covering fig leaf that had to be added for American TV. It allows as well, the darker side of life to be portrayed. In an episode of Naniwa Kin Yudo, which is an anime TV series, the protagonist Haibara encourages the girlfriend of a customer, who cannot repay his loan, to work as a prostitute to cover her boyfriend’s debt. Scenes such as this can be disturbing but they are part of life and are neither denied nor hidden. Kazuhiko Torishima, editor of Japan’s best-selling comic magazine Shonen Jump states: â€Å"I feel sorry for U.S. kids, who live in an adult-filtered Disney world.† Moreover, Japan’s popular culture has a tight closeness to the ordinary, everyday lives of its audience. American comic artist Brian Stelfreeze has said: â€Å"Comics in the U.S. have become such a caricature. You have to have incredible people doing incredible things, but in Japan it seems like the most popular comics are the ones of normal people doing normal things.† Part of the normalcy is that the characters that populate Japan’s manga, anime and TV dramas display plenty of character flaws and weaknesses along with their strengths and good points. Furthermore, as Ian Reader, a scholar of Japanese religions and popular culture, has noted: â€Å"Manga are simply too fascinating, colorful and rich a literary medium to be left solely to children. In Japan one can find manga on any theme imaginable and toward any age range.† which is certainly not the case with American comic books. In addition, Timothy Craig which is an author, writes in his book entitled â€Å"Japan Pop!† that, human relations are a pervasive topic in Japanese pop culture, as one would expect from a society that places great importance on the group, harmony, and the smooth management of conflict. Human relations are also portrayed with a sophistication that does justice to the complexity of human affairs. Issues are many-sided, emotions are mixed, solutions are neither easy nor obvious, and outcomes are often ambiguous – not unlike real life. He continues by saying that, in Japanese fiction the human characters are more real. They  exhibit a fuller range of human emotions and are put into more realistic situations, sometimes with unpleasant outcomes, than allowed by Disney’s â€Å"perfectly preserved, stiflingly safe fairytale-based storylines.† For my last argument I will talk about heroes’ fate after their struggle, about death and the morality of the universe and therefore god, in Japanese fiction. We here in the Western world, are used to good being only good and be rewarded in the end and evil being only evil and be punished in most of the cases. This is not the case in Japanese culture. It’s not unknown in Japan for heroes to become villains and vice versa. Moreover, the Japanese hero is defined by motivation than in the West where heroism is more dependent on result. The ideal Japanese hero is not only self-sacrificing, but also unconcerned with personal gain or survival. The hero’s willingness to give his or her all to it is what counts. Winning doesn’t matter either. Losing and gaining nothing confirms the hero’s altruism and renders his or her sacrifice all the more tragic. Many characters also, meet meaningless, undeserved ends. And fans love that aspect, the fact that bad things , even death, can happen to any character at any time. It doesn’t matter how brave, how good, or even how popular they are. According to my opinion, this fact is absolutely in accordance to how our own world works. Death and bad things generally, can be around the corner for any person, no matter how kind or good-willed he or she is. According to a book by author Antonia Levi titled â€Å"Understanding Japanese Animation† that doesn’t happen on American TV where virtue is rewarded and evil is punished. That’s mainly because America is a Christian culture that believes that the universe is, or it should be, a moral place. The Japanese peoples’ take on this is that universe is amoral. Shinto as well, has no moral code at all! It simply celebrates life. Heroism and self-sacrifice may define a japanese character as a hero, but they will not save him or her. The universe simply doesn’t care. On the opposing side now and regarding manga and anime specifically, some of you may have noticed and may say that a lot of these works have pornographic themes. Wrong. According to the author of the book â€Å"Understanding Japanese Animation† these works are actually a very small portion of the total production of Japan in manga and anime that is disproportionately exported  to the Western world. Another opposition stated by quite a few people, expresses that Japan is a one-dimensional economic power marked by a cultural insularity that robs it of relevance for other societies. Wrong again. The success and presence of Japan’s cultural exports in countries apart from Asian ones such as U.S.A, Canada and most of the European countries is strong evidence that Japan’s culture does have relevance for other societies. To conclude, and quote author Antonia Levi, it’s not just that Japan’s pop culture deals with dilemmas in a more realistic fashion, or that it raises issues considered taboo in other countries. Its willingness to show death and other bad stuff restores a kind of tension, a genuine dramatic emotionality that Hollywood and TV seem to have forgotten about. Bibliography: Clements, Jonathan and Helen McCarthy. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 Stone Bridge Press, 2001. Craig, Timothy. Japan Pop: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture East Gate, 2000. Levi, Antonia. Samurai from Outer Space: Understanding Japanese Animation Carus Publishing, 1998. Patten, Fred. Anime Stereotypes. Newtype, Issue Dec.2003 A.D.Vision Publications. For my third argument supporting my opinion, I will talk about the presence of female heroes in Japanese fiction. In the Western world apart from such exceptions as Wonder Woman, She-ra and Xena the role of superhero has traditionally been reserved for males, and targeted a predominantly male audience especially in comic books. This is not the case with Japanese  fiction. Japanese don’t neglect females be it on the starring roles of their fiction works or as a target group audience. In manga specifically, there exists a separate genre called shoujo manga with many sub-genres itself, which raises issues and has stories related and devoted to women. The presence of females as featured heroes in manga, animation and TV shows has been much stronger in Japan than in the western world. As the book â€Å"Japan Pop† specifically reports: â€Å"in Japan girl heroes are now as common and popular as boy heroes. The reasons for this are complex and, while hardly due to a greater feminist consciousness in Japanese society, are clearly linked to the increase in recent years of female artists.