Euthanasia ~ A Critique essays

Euthanasia ~ A Critique essays A Brief Summary: This essay was written as a critique on the topic of Euthanasia. It argues euthanasia on three settings: a journal article, a Californian legislative initiative, and on public policy in the Netherlands. The journal article, titled "It's over, Debbie," talks about a dramatic and emotional first person account of euthanasia. The legislative initiative represents a group of Californians who tried to make euthanasia legal, through the referendum process. The initiative, called the California Humane and Dignified Death Act, required 450,000 public signatures, but only garnered 130,000. The third setting was the public policy on euthanasia in the Netherlands. It talks about how euthanasia is not technically illegal. It says that although killing and murder is illegal, physicians who perform euthanasia on patients will not be punished. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 patients get euthanized annually in the Netherlands. They authors define euthanasia as: "The deliberate action of a physician to terminate the life of a patient." Proponents argue that "patients whose illnesses cause them unbearable suffering should be permitted to end their distress by having a physician perform euthanasia." They also argue that one of the rights of the patient is to request and to receive euthanasia. After stating the two major claims of the proponents, the authors rebuttal that "the public good served by the prohibition of euthanasia outweighs the private interests of the persons requesting it." The opponents' argue can be broken down into four major categories of involuntary euthanasia. The first is called crypthanasia (meaning secret euthanasia). Opponents claim that some vulnerable patients are euthanized without their consent. The second type is called encouraged euthanasia, where chronically ill or dying patients may be pressured to choose euthanasia to spare their families financial and emotional strain. T...

10 Terms for the Common People

10 Terms for the Common People 10 Terms for the Common People 10 Terms for the Common People By Mark Nichol The English language is rich with descriptive (and generally derogatory) terms for the common person, though many are adopted from other languages: 1. Bourgeoisie: This term, derived from the French word roughly translated as â€Å"the people of the city,† refers to the middle class rather than the common folk per se, but the sense of the word is â€Å"conventional.† The petite, or petty, bourgeoisie are those of the lower middle class. Twentieth-century journalist H. L. Mencken ridiculed the ignorant masses when he coined booboisie as a pejorative play on the term. 2. Great unwashed: The common people. An epithet of contempt for the lower classes, based on the supposition that their hygienic habits are inferior to those of the upper classes. The expression is said to have been first heard in speeches around the turn of the eighteenth century, but the first documentation is in a novel by Edward â€Å"It was a dark and stormy night† Bulwer-Lytton. 3. Hoi polloi: The first word of the Greek phrase referring condescendingly to the common people means â€Å"the,† but because the phrase is not a common term in a familiar language, it is still assigned the English article: â€Å"the hoi polloi.† 4. Little people: The common people. The sense is of an inconsequential mass populace. 5. Mob: The masses as a mindless single entity driven by base or anarchic impulses. The term is a truncation of the Latin phrase mobile vulgus (â€Å"vacillating crowd†). The word is therefore an abbreviation of the adjective describing the people’s actions, not the people themselves. (From vulgus we also get vulgar, which, originally, rather than having a pejorative connotation, was a neutral term meaning â€Å"typical of people.†) 6. Peons: Menial workers. The implication is that such people can be denigrated and/or exploited with impunity. The term, taken directly from the Spanish word for a landless laborer, may also refer to indentured servants, those who are in peonage. 7. Plebeians: The common people. This word, derived from the Latin word plebeius, whose definition matches the one just given, implies small-minded attitudes and gauche behavior. Truncated forms include pleb and plebs; the plural form is plebes. (Plebe and its plural form are also slang terms for first-year students at military academies.) 8. Proles: The common people. This word is a truncation of proletariat, referring to laborers as a class. This latter term (a French word derived from the Latin term proletarius, in turn stemming from proles, or â€Å"progeny†) has an ideological connotation deriving from its use in socialist rhetoric to refer to the working people as the backbone of a society. In the slang phrase â€Å"lumpen prole,† however, the abbreviation is used in a pejorative sense with the implication that the working class consists of a mindless mob. 9. Rank and file: This phrase referring to the ordinary people in a company or organization is an extension to the civilian world of the original sense of the horizontal ranks and vertical files of soldiers in formation. 10. Riffraff: This term for disreputable people derives ultimately from rif e raf, a hybrid of English and French that means â€Å"altogether,† later evolved to â€Å"rif and raf,† or â€Å"every one.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?50 Idioms About Fruits and Vegetablesâ€Å"Least,† â€Å"Less,† â€Å"More,† and â€Å"Most†

Imagery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Imagery - Essay Example I noticed that soon the sidewalk was empty, which was such a change from the hustle and bustle of people running to get to their classes. You could tell the students had all been there, with the many pieces of litter lying in the shrubs, there had been quite a lot of activity before classes started. Someone's research paper had blown into the wind and lodged itself, rather conspicuously, underneath the bushes. Perhaps there had been a scuffle and the papers were lost in the haste. I felt bad for the person whose paper it was. The grass was trampled on and there was just the silence and the sparkling pieces of cement on the concrete, which awaited the end of the day when it would be filled with the footsteps of those searching knowledge on the campus. I watched a lone man walk demurely towards the gates, either coming or going in his haste to follow his timetable. I could see the students laughing and swimming in the swimming pool. They looked like they were having so much fun. After leaving the swimming pool area we went past the lamppost that stood tall and rested as if asleep until nightfall, when it would shine like a beacon for those who needed to access the campus at that time of night. Without the students lining the walkways the sidewalks were barren.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Development and implementation of specific strategies in an organisation is solemnly the role of human resource department. Human resource management has to embrace a close-knit relationship with their employees for the smooth running of an organisation. This is paramount because it encourages employees to give their best to the tasks of an organisation. One of the ways to maximise workforce performance is through motivation. Motivating human resource has a direct impact to the accomplishment of organisation’s targets (Martin and Fellenz, 2010: 445). This paper will endeavour to highlight the theories that explain motivation. Theories of Motivation Motivation is a process that instigates, directs, and maintains goal-oriented behaviour. This is very important because competition in workplace increases in daily basis as well as unemployment rate. Therefore, human resource management team should find prudent ways to motivate the labour force. The workforce acts in a particular ma nner depending on level of motivation. Motivation is a combination of biological, emotional, cognitive, and social forces. This is the dedication to do work. The performance of workforce is the product of their skills and experience, and the level of motivation. ... Theory of Scientific Management Frederick W. Taylor put forward this theory. Taylor holds that it is through maximal work productivity that an organisation can accomplish economic prosperity. This in turn could make employees more efficient. Taylor believes that the pay motivates the workforce. The theory analyses and synthesises the workflows thereby improving labour productivity. Taylor asserts that the human resource should not base their decision on traditional rules of thumb. They should develop precise procedures to study individuals at work. The main idea that Taylor holds is to increase workforce efficiency and decrease wastage (Handy, 1993:35). The theory argues that workers do not naturally enjoy work and work environment. In the light of this, Taylor proposes that the labour force requires close supervision and control. The theory of scientific management advocates that payment of workers be in accordance to the number of items they produce (Handy, 1993: 40). The theory ca lls for managers to break down production into series of small tasks. The human resource should then provide the necessary training and tools to workers to work in a particular task. The theory of scientific management reveals that this is the way to achieve efficiency in the workplace. The payment is then based on the quality of work that the workers perform. This means that the labour force will work hard to get a maximum pay. Therefore, money is the motivating factor. In turn, the organization will achieve its set goals. Maslow’s Need Theory Abraham Maslow proposed theory in the year 1943. The theory argues that each human being has specific fundamental requirements. Every human being is born with some needs. The necessities are exposed as an

A Research Proposal Essay Example for Free

A Research Proposal Essay 1. Introduction Along with economy and technology are all developing rapidly in recent years, it is significant that globalization has become an overwhelming trend in all  walks of life. Benefit from this process above, the global markets can be bounded together in multi-cultural environments and become more complicated than ever before (Park and Reisinger, 2009). Thus, it is important for companies to conduct accurate market segmentation before access to a new market nowadays (Schmitt, 1997). The research aims to find out the differences in customers’ attitudes to luxury brands in China and UK, under various cultural backgrounds. To be exact, as cultural diversity will lead to differences in consumers’ needs, consuming behaviour and values, I decide to write the research proposal in view of culture segmentation. In terms of religion and country, objective factors such as various geographical environments, the heritage of history and culture, the outside culture and so on, all of these will bring about cultural difference (Schmitt, 1997). In addition, from a social perspective, cultural differences will be caused by people’s occupation, education and economic status, etc. As the largest developing country, China has become a huge potential market. Besides, since China is a vast country, itself has the character of cultural diversity. In addition, the effect of foreign culture to China has been for a long time, Chinese cultural constitution is much more complicated. Generally speaking, have a right reorganization of the customers’ perception differences between China and UK will be beneficial to British luxury brands enter Chinese market. Since there is a wealth gap between inland and eastern region in china, and the latter has a stronger economic strength, it will be the major luxury goods market (Schmitt, 1997). Therefore, this research will be conducted at several main cities in eastern China and costal areas, they are Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, separately. In UK, we will launch the survey at five cities in England, they are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. The informants who are selected should match several conditions, for instance, on the one hand, the respondents’ minimum annual income should above 40,000GBP/400,000CNY. They should be 35 years old to 40 years old, on the other hand. In this proposal, I will apply the method of combining qualitative research and quantitative research. Before quantitative research, I have to know luxury market situation in these two countries and relevant theories and fundamental conception about  cultural diversity in segmentation, demographic segmentation and so on. First of all, I should collect and analyse existing relevant document and data, it mainly consist of micro-economic environment, industrial policy and social environment. To be specific, first, micro-economic environment includes several sections such as the operation of national economy (GDP), households’ incomes and Engel coefficient. Secondly, the policy of luxury industry has a direct effect on the ease or complexity of luxury market entry. Therefore, I should analyse industrial policies, the situation of market regulation and the last part, the systems of customs and tax. Thirdly, social environment is influenced by regional culture, thus, cultural context analysis is critical. Moreover, the analyses of demographic environment, education environment and consuming concept are integral parts, too. Then, as qualitative research method has clarified the research question, quantitative research will be carried out by 1000 copies of questionnaires, both China and UK have 500 copies of questionnaires each, and every city share 100 copies of questionnaires. The questionnaire will be launched in the form of network, which is efficient, convenient and low-cost. By comparing these two countries’ customers’ perception degree of luxury goods and other aspects such as their education level, the purpose of purchase and customers’ preferable buying channel, we may find that the Chinese consumers’ consuming behavior of luxury have some more significant characteristics than British customers’. To be precise, a lot of Chinese customers buy luxury goods may have three reasons basically. The first reason is flaunting their rich. They want to show their sense of identity and social status by wearing luxury clothes, bags and shoes. The second reason is following the crowd. Due to various factors, for example, literacy level, most Chinese consumers have low cognitive degree of luxury goods and low sensitive to fashion trend. They always buy luxury blindly and without thinking independently about how to mach clothes, colours and choose accessories appropriately. The third reason is characteristic consumption. Luxury clothing brand usually have unique brand concept and distinctive brand image. Beside, luxury clothing brand has excellent design and high quality, so it can show amazing tastes of wearers. Furthermore, as its high price positioning, luxury clothing brand has less awkward situation of  outfits clash. All in all, after the research, we will have a clear understanding of the different attitudes to luxury clothing brands of consumers in China and UK. Due to this, British luxury clothing brands can know target market well and regard this as reference when they formulate marketing strategies. 2. Literature review In recent 20 years, global luxury markets are getting more considerable, because of this, luxury brands have drawn a lot of researchers’ attention (Atsmon et al., 2011). In this section, there are several parts as below. The first part is general backgrounds. The second part is a review of theories on segmentation and motivation. The third part reviews those documents which from different perspectives to compare consumers’ different attitudes to luxury brands in China and UK and conclusion at last. 2.1 General backgrounds Along with the gradual development of luxury markets these years, a mass of luxury brands are growing rapidly and have a share in markets. They have established corporate image and brand conception in the public. This can be clearly illustrated in a research which was conducted by Verdict Research (2007), as the largest and most mature luxury market, Europe would experience a growth of $ 62bn from 2007($ 101bn) to 2012($163bn). Followed by Americathe second largest luxury market would be replaced by Asia Pacific region (exclude Japanese luxury market) in 2012. What is more, Asia Pacific area would be the luxury market which developing the fastest, and the Middle East would come the next. Before study the luxury market, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of luxury concept. In accordance with Phau and Prendergast (2000), luxury should be unique, outstanding, magical, and sensual. A more simple description of luxury was put forward by Mandhachitara and Lockshin (2004) that luxury stood for high price. While Danziger (2005) argued that luxury was ‘from class to mass’, which meant that the luxury goods would finally be popular and of civilian, though it  used to be high-class. In a nut shell, it is important for companies to understand luxury concept and luxury market properly, and then they can find out the critical factors which will affect customers consuming behaviour of luxury goods. 2.2 Theories on segmentation and motives First of all, the theoretical backgrounds of market segmentation. In contemporary market, Wedel and Kamakura (2000) argued that due to the diversity of consumer needs and the complication of marketing techniques, the mass marketing method can’t be applied in many market situations. According to Dibb and Simkin (1996), market segmentation could help marketers to cope with kinds of customer needs in a resource-efficient way. In accordance with Lindridge and Dibb (2002), the ultimate principle of market segmentation theory was that the discrimination of product needs and consuming behaviour could benefit from the possibility of ‘customers can be grouped using variables’. Second, the concept of market segmentation. Second, the original definition of market segmentation was put forward by Smith (1956), he argued that ‘a condition of growth when core markets have already been developed on a generalised basis to the point where additional promotional expenditures a re yielding diminishing returns’. In line with Kotler and Armstrong (1980, p291-306), market segmentation variables could be divided into four crucial fields—geographic segmentation, demographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation and behavioural segmentation. According to Beane and Ennis (1987), geographic segmentation referred to factors such as area, population density and climate. Besides, customer demands and requirements solutions would be different as a market was divided up geographically. Demographic segmentation included basic variables like ‘age, sex, size and type of family, income educational level, race and nationality’ (Beane and Ennis, 1987). In addition, Demographic segmentation could be applied excellently as the segments were obvious. Third, the motive of consumer purchasing. In accordance with Leibenstein (1950), there were basically three kinds of motivations—mass psychology, uniqueness and exclusiveness. To be more exact, first of all, mass psychology means people who want to realize social value by trying to get the recognition of other  people in the group they belong. Next, uniqueness means that individuals in groups want to be particular and outstanding, and can be easily discriminated from the crowds. In other words, everyone wants to be a Triton of the minnows. Finally, exclusiveness can be explained as people who like to flaunt their wealth, highlight the status and identity through wearing luxury clothing, bag and so on. What is more, based on previous studies conducted by other researchers, Vigneron and Johnson (1999) considered that consumer purchase motivations could be distributed to five parts—mass psychology, uniqueness, exclusiveness, hedonism and perfectionism. Hedonic consumption is about the whole experiences in purchasing goods. Perfectionism is considered to have kinds of dimensions fundamentally. Additionally, Danziger (2005) carried out a luxury survey in American wealthy classes and labeled the consumers into four groups—‘the iconoclastic butterflies, the indulgent X-fluent (extreme affluent), the luxury cocooners and the luxury aspirers’. 2.3 Current researches about the similar topic of the proposal As cultural difference has an impact on the way of purchased merchandise and how much money a consumer spend (Thomson and Cutler, 1997), the consumers’ purchasing behavior appears to vary from country to country. According to Schmitt (1997), he carried out a consumer behaviour survey in China which was based on demographic segmentation. The author considered age and sex as variables, divided the samples into four segments, namely, two female groups consist of women aged 19 to 25 and aged 30 to 45; two male groups consist of the same two ages as women’s. He found that in older groups, women tend to products’ ‘value and convenience’, while men bought goods they need or the requirements of family members. On the contrary, young females among young people had a poor concept with money, they advocate brands and over-spent. Besides, they are easily effected buy some fashion movies. Another similar survey was launched by subsidiaries of Louis Harris in 2005 (Schmitt, 1997), three variables of demographic segmentation—income, educational level and occupation were considered. What is more, Hauck and Stanforth (2007) considered that the most potential consumers of luxury market in China would be those who were born in 1980s, and there might have 300 million rich men  among them. Thus, the main force of luxury goods consumption should be at the age of 20 to 40 years old in China. However, the mainly consumers of luxury goods in UK were older than those in China, they were aged from 40 to 70years old. Beside, as young consumers, especially those who are rich and well-educated, tend to accept new goods more easily than older customers (Schmitt, 1997), Chinese consumers of luxury goods are more willing to try new products than British consumers relatively. 2.4 Conclusion The cultural diversity will affect consumer’s different consuming behaviour, perception of luxury and so on (Park, Reisinger, 2009). As a large luxury market, China has attracted more foreign investiments as well as some British luxury brands. Theories of segmentation, motivation and consuming behavior are relevant to culture. It is important for British luxury brand to have a clear understanding of Chinese market and form feasible marketing strategies. However, there are several shortcomings in some existing studies. First, a majority of current researches lack of data support. Second, though some studies have collected relevant data, the data is not reliable and scientific. Because luxury market survey needs a huge amount of data collection and its scale is large, most studies do not have enough data proving. This research aims to collect primary data by questionnaires and then analyse the differences of customer’s consuming behaviour between China and UK. Finally, a further theoretical study can be constituted. 3. Methodology and Feasibility This section is divided into three parts. The first part is the introduction to the methodologies which is applied in this proposal. The second part relates to research procedure, description of sample and data collection. The last part is about proposal feasibility analysis. 3.1 Methodology In this study, I combine qualitative research method with quantitative  research method to collect second-hand sources and first-hand data. First of all, qualitative research. It derives from the social science, tend to study problems, recognize kinds of social phenomenon, analyse people’s behaviour and then give answers to those questions (Sandelowski, 1986). It is a way to definite an issue and address it. According to Shank (2002, P5), qualitative research is ‘a form of systematic empirical inquiry into meaning’. Moreover, quantitative research can identify intangible factors clearly, for example, social norms, gender roles and so on Sandelowski (1986). In line with Mays and Pope (1995), the methods of qualitative research include focus group, in-depth interviews, Delphi technique, direct observation, case study, etc. In addition, there are three ways to generate data—individual interviews, group interviews and contextual data. Contextual data mainly consist of observations, reports and other written data and oral data. I apply the literature research method, namely, literature review, to set up framework of theories. As a result, I can have a clear structure of the research and better understanding of relevant theories. Secondly, quantitative research. It can be described as a procedure about collecting valid data and analyzing valid numerical data scientifically. Then, we can get generalisable conclusions (Pekrun, et al., 2002). According to Luborsky, etc. (1971), quantitative research is suitable for survey about comparing two groups, thus, we can use it in the research. as the samples are large in the research, questionnaires should be a good method to collect original data which belongs to quantitative research method. Since I do the questionnaire survey on the internet, there is no time-and-space restriction. 3.2 Research design and data collection methods There are mainly two data collection methods used in this research—statistical data (secondary data) and questionnaire. Reviewing previous findings by others are a low-cost way to information and get an entire understanding of the research field we work in. Questionnaire is a convenient and efficient way to get raw data from markets, as I undertake it via internet, the costs are low. Next, I will explain how these two methods  are applied in the research. As the research needs to compare the consumers’ attitudes to luxury in China and UK, the size of samples and the scope of survey are large. Before structure a questionnaire to collect first-hand data from potential target customers, we have to know what the problem is, what intangible influencing factors are and so on. Therefore, we need to look up and quote amounts of secondary materials from websites, books, journals and authoritative organizations. These academic data should relevant to existing correlation theories, luxury market environment both in China and UK which involves policies like tax and customs, income level, current purchasing channels, etc. It would be a strong support for further survey after the data are classified into categories. The questionnaires can be constructed on the base of previous qualitative research I mentioned above. All the questions in questionnaire are based on two themes—the motivation of consumers’ luxury consuming, the pattern of consumers’ luxury consuming. In order to carry out the questionnaires, we follow the method of quota sampling to select samples by several variables as below: age: 35—40 years old income: above 40,000GBP/400,000CNY region: china—Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen; UK—London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield After the sample selection, we can conduct a hundred pieces of questionnaires in those cities separatelyï ¼Å'one thousand pieces in total. After getting the questionnaire feedbacks, the data need to be summarized and then, analysed by the software SPSS. 3.3 Feasibility Study First, in terms of schedule, this research process consist of 12 sections which clearly be illustrated in table 1. In order to complete the whole research, I will take 4months long to run it. In terms of time arrangement,  in particular, I set aside one week in case some of the twelve sections may not be finished on time. Besides, I will use the payback method in online questionnaire survey. Thus, respondents’ feedback can be collect in a short time. Second, financial feasibility analysis. As I mentioned above, I will carry on a paid survey. To be specific, in UK, I will pay 1pound per questionnaire on the website ‘surveycompare’. In China, I will conduct the survey on the website ‘opinionworld’ and pay 0.6 pound each. All in all, the general expenditure is 800 pound. Third, in terms of universal scope, as the 1000 respondents are selected from 10 cities in China and UK, the field of investigation is wide and the samples are dispersive. However, we do questionnaire survey online which is not limited by region. General speaking, as China is the largest luxury market in Asia and going to be the core market in the whole world (Verdict Research, 2007), it is high time that British luxury brands developed Chinese luxury market. As analysed feasibility in schedule, expenditure and universal scope above, the research is worth being taken into practice. 4. Timetable This research project will last four months long to carry out a serious of activities. I build up a table as below to explain the research time schedule. Table 1: time schedule for the research As the table shows, there is a week time left before report submission, it is in order to avoid any previous sections running out of time. List of References Journal articals: Beane, T. P. Ennis, D. M. (1987) Market Segmentation: A Review European Journal of Marketing 21 (5), 20 – 42. Hauck, W. Stanforth, N. (2007) Cohort Perception of Luxury Goods and Services Journal of Fashion Marketing Management 11 (2), 175-188. Leibenstein, H. (1950) Bandwagon, Snob, and Veblen Effects in the Theory of Consumers Demand The Quarterly Journal of Economics 2 (64), 183-207. Luborsky, L. et al (1971) Factors influencing the outcome of psychotherapy: A review of quantitative research Psychological Bulletin 75 (3), 145-185. Lindridge, A. Dibb, S. (2003) Is ‘culture’ a justifiable variable for market segmentation? A cross-cultural example Journal of Consumer Behaviour 2 (3), 269–286. Mays, N. Pope, C. (1995) Rigour and qualitative research British Medical Journal 311 (6997), 109-12. Mandhachitara, R. Lockshin, L. (2004) Fast moving luxury goods: Positioning strategies for Scotch whisky in Thai department stores International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management 32 (6), 312-319. Park, S. Reisinger, Y. (2009) Cultural differences in shopping for luxury goods: Western, Asian, and Hispanic tourists Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing 26 (8), 762–777. Phau, I. Prendergast, G. (2000) Consuming luxury brands: The relevance of the ‘‘Rarity Principle’’ Journal of Brand Management 8 (2), 122-138. Smith, W. R. (1956) ‘Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies’ Journal of Marketing July, 21 (1), 3–8. Sandelowski, M. (1986) The problem of rigor in qualitative research Advances in Nursing Science 8 (3), 27-37. Schmitt, B. (1997) who is the Chinese Consumer? Segmentations in People’s Republic of China European Management Journal 15 (2), 191-194. Thomson, C., Cutler, E. (1997). The effect of nationality on tourist arts: The case of the Gambia, West Africa International Journal of Hospitality Management 16 (2), 225-229. E-journal: Pekrun, R. et al (2002) Academic Emotions in Students Self-Regulated Learning and Achievement: A Program of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Educational Psychologist [online] 37 (2): 91-105. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1207/S15326985EP3702_4#tabModule [Accessed 3rd January 2013] Sandelowski, M. 2000 Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis Techniques in Mixed-Method Studies Research in Nursing Health [online] 23 (3), 246–255. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1098-240X(200006)23:3%3C246::AID-NUR9%3E3.0.CO;2-H/abstract [Accessed 2nd January 2013] Vigneron, F. Johnson, L. W. (1999). A review and a conceptual framework of prestige†seeking consumer behavior Academy of Marketing Science Review [online] 1999 (1). Available from: http://www.amsreview.org/articles/vigneron01-1999.pdf [Accessed 2nd January 2013] Book: Danziger, P. N. (2005) Let them Eat the Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses as Well as the Classes Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing 1åˆ °8é ¡ µ Kotler, P. Armstrong, G. (1980) Principles of Marketing 13th ed. London: Pearson Dibb, S. and Simkin, L. (1996) The Market Segmentation Workbook, International Thomson Press, London, UK Wedel, M. Kamakura, A. W. (2000) Market Segmentation: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations 2nd ed. Boston: Kluwer Academic Website: Atsmon, Y. et al (2011). McKinsey Company [online] Understanding China’s growing love for luxury. Retrieved 14 June Website: Available from: http://csi.mckinsey.com/Knowledge_by_region/Asia/China/chinaluxury2011.aspx [Accessed 1st January 2013] Bain study (2011) INSIGHT [online] Bain Company. Available from: http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/2011-china-luxury-market-study.aspx [Accessed 1st January 2013] Verdict Research (2007) Business Insight [online] United Kindom. Available from: http://www.verdict.co.uk/Marketing/dmvt0388m.pdf[Accessed 1st January 2013]

VIOLENT PROGRAMS ON TELEVISION LEAD TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR BY CHILDREN

Since 1982, the National Institute of Mental Health, along with other reputable health organizations has collected data that connects media violence, with violent acts. Conclusions deduced from this data prove that violent programs on television lead to aggressive behavior by children and teenagers who watch those programs. Television violence affects young people of all ages, all socio-economic levels, and all levels of intelligence. Today’s children view vast amounts of violence on television. A steady diet of death, killings, torture, and other grotesque acts may be viewed on any day by vulnerable youth. When children are young, they are impressionable to all their surroundings, and especially vulnerable to what they see. Scientific research validates this fact. In studies by the National Institute of Mental Health, educators have learned that children who watch violence often act out this violence. Parents today have a responsibility to ensure their children are supervised when watching violent programs if they are allowed to watch these programs at all. When parents are in the room with children, parents should point out to children that television is not real. Children tend to see television as real life, and lack the maturity to differentiate the difference between news and fiction programs on television. Studies by George Gerbner, Ph.D., at the University of Pennsylvania, have shown that children’s television shows contain about twenty violent acts each hour and that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Society sees many tragic examples of research findings on youth and television violence. One such example occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1999. At the time, Justin Douglas was a cute, intelligent five-year-old little boy with loving parents and a safe; middle class home. One day, Justin watched his favorite cartoon heroes; Beavis and Butt-head, on MTV perform one of their famous arson stunts. The cartoon program, created for a mature audience, often contains foul language, drinking, comments about setting fires, smoking, and portrays stealing as acceptable. Justin tried the same stunt he had watched. The real life result was not a cartoon. His home was set on fire and his younger sister lost her life when she could not be rescued from t... ...fect that the observation of violence would have on the subject’s social behavior. The experimental group, which was exposed to the violence, was shown to push the red button, which was believed to hurt another child’s chances of receiving a prize. More often and for a significantly longer period than the children were shown an exciting non-violent film. The conclusion was that the exposure to violence is related to the acceptance of aggression. All of these studies lead to one thing, the fact that violence affects children and adults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the average American child leaves elementary school, researchers estimate that he or she will have witnessed more than 8,000 murders on television. This steady diet of imaginary violence makes America the world leader in real crime and violence. It is time for parents and the American public to take notice of the scientific evidence that proves the correlation between violence seen on television and violence acting out in our society. To ignore these studies continues the growing culture of violence in our country. As Texan writer Molly Ivans says, â€Å"the first rule of a hole is, if you are in one, stop digging.†

How does fitzgerald tell the story in chapter

â€Å"How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 1 of ‘The Great Gatsby? † Fitzgerald opens the first chapter introducing us to Nick Carroway, who is clearly of first person narration and he is telling the story from the future. By telling the story as though it has already occurred, Fitzgerald has created the Illusion that his maln character has already experienced the events that are unfolding. This ensures that Nick is a retrospective narrator throughout the book but also obviously a bias story teller.Fitzgerald makes it known that Nick has already met all the characters and knows hem and their story, he openly has his own personal Judgements and opinions of them, also making It clear he is going to be a bias narrator, giving out inaccurate and one-sided information to the reader. The chapter also tells us about Nick's life in New York when he lived in 1922 and his life in West Egg. Fitzgerald's purpose of chapter one is mainly to introduce the characters of the bo ok and to drop hints and revelations for the events in the rest of the book, such as suggesting themes of class and characterisation of Gatsby.The chapter also presents us the relationship etween Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Furthermore, the housing is deeply described by Fitzgerald, â€Å"A sunken Italian garden, a half-acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub- nosed motor boat that bumped the tide offshore†. This presents an Image of wealth and the strong themes of money linked with social class due to the immense description of the expansive home Tom and Daisy took for granted. The author's description of the houses shows the difference clearly between Nick's home which hed â€Å"Rented In one of the strangest communities†, Inexpensive In comparison toTom and Daisy's house which was a representation of old money. This is again also shown in chapter one with Gatsbys home which Nick had described as a â€Å"mansion†, Implying that his house Is huge and could possibly link to Gatsby's personality from what we know of him. This shows that Gatsby has new wealth and that he simply bought his mansion to fit his stereotyped personality and ego. Fitzgerald still telling the story from Nicks point of view, makes the audience aware that Nick is new into this lifestyle, and that he is not particularly wealthy within his own devices.However I think It's clear from the start that Nick will have to change his personality also In order to fit in with everyone else and his friends. This is due to the fact that when Nick leaves the Buchannan's' house, he is â€Å"confused and a little disgusted. † This is aimed at the attitude Daisy has towards Tom's evident promiscuity and blatant affair he has going on with a girl from New York as Daisy is aware and doesnt show any sign of caring that her husband Is having an affair as she Is not making any effort to stop it.He's confused as to why Daisy doesn't simply leave Tom and find someone else, but as I said he has yet to adjust to the mind-set of the rich and foolish upper- class. This Is done well by Fitzgerald however, as It gives Nicka sense of lower status In comparison to his friends in that before he becomes Involved them he must first adjust his personality. Not only does this work on a human level, but it also reveals more about Nick's character as he explained how genuine and non-judgemental he completely fake in front of these friends he has made.This can Introduce and theme of people being fake'. The author starts off the story in chapter one, talking to the reader through Nick, â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one†¦ ]ust remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had. † – This is the first case of Fitzgerald pointing towards the reader and asking them to look at themselves. This is because of the fact that we all Judge our friends, our familV'How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 1 of ‘The Gre at GatsbV? , and other members f community in our mind, but we do not all have the courage to come out and say it. Nick does not talk of his opinions as far as I know from chapter one to his friends, the story tells us all his accurate Judgements of the other characters. However I don't think we can trust his completely as he is bias. I think Fitzgerald has purposely done that to leave a mystery of Nick from what I can tell from chapter one alone, but also Nick can be considered reliable as he speaks his opinions to the readers and doesn't hold back what's on his mind.Nick is portrayed to us as an honest guy in the first hapter, however I think he is of the theme fake' a he is being nice to the people he has met so far despite the Judgements he has formed of them. So he gets along with everyone in public but Judges them in private which is only revealed to us readers. I think that Nick is a very real and genuine character, and that Fitzgerald has created an accurate depiction of the average American man. He isn't born to old money, and isn't born in to new money, he's Just born into a normal family, making his own judgements.Even though Nick can be considered a secret hypocrite. And even though he claims to be appalled and disgusted by the ways of the rich and upper- classes due to the cheating that goes on, on Tom's behalf, it fascinates him, and he wants to know more. I think that this is where Fitzgerald has made us somewhat ‘like' Nick as he is Just a normal person trying to change to fit in with his surroundings and peers. So I think that Fitzgerald is telling us the story in chapter one through Nick as us readers can relate to him being a regular person, so in some ways we live the story and there is a part of Nick in all of us.

Hum/114 Wk 1 Individual – Drill or Not to Drill

To Drill or Not to Drill HUM/114 October 25, 2010 To drill or not to drill is large debate that many Americans are not sure how to answer. Many people are upset about the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and have been discussing that we could invest in alternative sources of energy more, but without knowing the facts. Unfortunately, misfortunes like this happen all of the time, it is a part of life and all we can do is discover from our mistakes and move forward. One of the main complaints is that â€Å"Offshore drilling poses environmental risks. Yes the environmental danger of off shore drilling gradually has affected our wild lives and fish stocks. Researchers argue that this is not just a short-term effect because the remaining species can obtain new diseases and not be able to fight them because of lower heterozygosity index. In addition they are afraid that it will lead to the extinction of a variety of species. Due to today’s new technology that is continuously u pdated the new drilling rigs have considerably reduced the risk of potential accidents.In the most recent situations that have occurred due to oil rigs BP being one and the Exxon Valdez accident in 1989 off the coast of Alaska being another. Researchers were able to discover that there were several factors that stacked up in order for these accidents to occur. Once of the main causes involved highly negligent practices such as strained workers, unfulfilled promises of advanced technology equipment and several safety regulation violations.BP has been known to have an appalling track record concerning safety and has been fined 760 times in comparison to one of our leading oil drilling companies ExxonMobil, who has been only fined once and has had no incidents. Another argument is how long can we honestly rely on oil? In the long run researchers are saying that our dependence on oil must end entirely. This is most likely a true statement; however, it is reality that even with scrupulou s development of these energy resources they are far from eing able to produce the energy needed in today’s world. I strongly support renewable energy, but researchers are a long way away from being able to convince us that it is possible much less feasible. As we stand the reality of the matter is that we do need additional energy and while scientist are in the process of getting all of the resources together, offshore drilling is a very sensible and practical way of obtaining energy.I do realize that oil is not sustainable but believe until it is diminished we should continue using it in the most efficient way possible. References By: Stone, Brad; Williams, Elisa. Newsweek, 11/17/2003, Vol. 142 Issue 20, pE22-E25, 3p, 2 Color Photographs, 2 Diagrams; Reading Level (Lexile) By: Kintisch, Eli. Discover, Jan2007, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p20-23, 4p; Reading Level (Lexile) Congressional Digest, Sep2008, Vol. 87 Issue 7, p196-224, 4p By: Khermouch, Gerry.Architectural Record, May2004, V ol. 192 Issue 5, p169-176, 6p, 4 Color Photographs, 1 Diagram; Reading Level (Lexile By: Dresselhaus, M. S. ; Thomas, I. L.. Nature, 11/15/2001, Vol. 414 Issue 6861, p332, 6p, 4 Color Photographs, 1 Diagram By: Hartley, Frank. Offshore, Feb2006, Vol. 66 Issue 2, p32-32, 1p, 1 Chart By: TARA MAC LEAN SWEENEY; SPECIAL STAFF ASSISTANT OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR; STATE OF ALASKA. FDCH Congressional Testimony, 03/12/2003

The Publication of the Pentagon Papers

The Publication of the Pentagon Papers The publication by the New York Times of a secret government history of the Vietnam War in 1971 was a significant milestone in the history of American journalism. The Pentagon Papers, as they became known, also set into motion of chain of events that would lead to the Watergate scandals which began the following year. The appearance of the Pentagon Papers on the front page of the newspaper on Sunday, June 13, 1971, infuriated President Richard Nixon. The newspaper possessed so much material leaked to it by a former government official, Daniel Ellsberg, that it intended to publish  a continuing series drawing upon the classified documents. Key Takeaways: The Pentagon Papers These leaked documents detailed many years of American involvement in Vietnam.Publication by the New York Times brought sharp reaction from the Nixon administration, which ultimately led to unlawful actions of the Watergate scandal.The New York Times won a landmark Supreme Court decision hailed as a victory for the First Amendment.Daniel Ellsberg, who provided the secret documents to the press, was targeted by the government but the prosecution fell apart due to government misconduct. At Nixons direction, the federal government, for the first time in history, went to court to prevent a newspaper from publishing material.   The court battle between one of the countrys great newspapers and the Nixon administration gripped the nation. And when the New York Times obeyed a temporary court order to cease publication of the Pentagon Papers, other newspapers, including the Washington Post, began publishing their own installments of the once-secret documents. Within weeks, the New York Times prevailed in a Supreme Court decision. The press victory was deeply resented by Nixon and his top staff, and they responded by beginning their own secret war against leakers in the government. Actions by a group of White House staffers calling themselves â€Å"The Plumbers† would lead to a series of covert actions that escalated into the Watergate scandals. What Was Leaked The Pentagon Papers represented an official and classified history of United States involvement in Southeast Asia. The project was initiated by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, in 1968. McNamara, who had masterminded Americas escalation  of the Vietnam War, had become deeply disillusioned. Out of an apparent sense of remorse, he commissioned a team of military officials and scholars to compile documents and analytical papers which would comprise the Pentagon Papers. And while the leaking and publication of the Pentagon Papers was viewed as a sensational event, the material itself was generally quite dry. Much of the material consisted of strategy memos circulated among government officials in the early years of American involvement in Southeast Asia. The publisher of the New York Times, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, later quipped, Until I read the Pentagon Papers I did not know that it was possible to read and sleep at the same time. Daniel Ellsberg   The man who leaked the Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, had gone through his own lengthy transformation over the Vietnam War. Born on April 7, 1931, he had been a brilliant student who attended Harvard on a scholarship. He later studied at Oxford, and interrupted his graduate studies to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1954. After serving three years as a Marine officer, Ellsberg returned to Harvard, where he received a doctorate in economics. In 1959 Ellsberg accepted a position at the Rand Corporation, a prestigious think tank which studied defense and national security issues.   For several years Ellsberg studied the Cold War, and in the early 1960s he began to focus on the emerging conflict in Vietnam. He visited Vietnam to help assess potential American military involvement, and in 1964 he accepted a post in the Johnson administration State Department. Ellsberg’s career became deeply intertwined with the American escalation in Vietnam. In the mid-1960s he visited the country frequently and even considered enlisting in the Marine Corps again so he could participate in combat operations. (By some accounts, he was dissuaded from seeking a combat role as his knowledge of classified material and high-level military strategy would have made him a security risk should he be captured by the enemy.) In 1966 Ellsberg returned to the Rand Corporation. While in that position, he was contacted by Pentagon officials to participate in the writing of the Vietnam War’s secret history. Ellsberg’s Decision to Leak Daniel Ellsberg was one of about three-dozen scholars and military officers who participated in creating the massive study of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia from 1945 to the mid-1960s. The entire project stretched into 43 volumes, containing 7,000 pages. And it was all considered highly classified. As Ellsberg held a high security clearance, he was able to read vast amounts of the study. He came to the conclusion that the American public had been seriously misled by the presidential administrations of Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson.   Ellsberg also came to believe that President Nixon, who had entered the White House in January 1969, was needlessly prolonging a pointless war. As Ellsberg became increasingly unsettled by the idea that many American lives were being lost because of what he considered deception, he became determined to leak parts of the secret Pentagon study. He began by taking pages out of his office at the Rand Corporation and copying them, using a Xerox machine at a friends business. Seeking a way to publicize what he had discovered, Ellsberg first began to approach staff members on Capitol Hill, hoping to interest members working for members of Congress in copies of the classified documents.   The efforts to leak to Congress led nowhere. Congressional staffers were either skeptical of what Ellsberg claimed to have, or were afraid of receiving classified material without authorization. Ellsberg, in February 1971, decided to go outside the government. He gave portions of the study to Neil Sheehan, a New York Times reporter who had been a war correspondent in Vietnam. Sheehan recognized the importance of the documents, and approached his editors at the newspaper. Publishing the Pentagon Papers The New York Times, sensing the significance  of the material Ellsberg had passed to Sheehan, took extraordinary action. The material would need  to be read and assessed for news value, so the newspaper assigned a team of editors to review the documents.   To prevent word of the project from getting out, the newspaper created what was essentially a secret newsroom in a Manhattan hotel suite several blocks from the newspaper’s headquarters building. Every day for ten weeks a team of editors hid away in the New York Hilton, reading the Pentagon’s secret history of the Vietnam War. The editors at the New York Times decided a substantial amount of  material should be published, and they planned to run the material as a continuing series. The first installment appeared on the top center of the front page of the large Sunday paper on June 13, 1971. The headline was understated: Vietnam Archive: Pentagon Study Traces 3 Decades of Growing U.S. Involvement. Six pages of documents appeared inside the Sunday paper, headlined, â€Å"Key Texts From Pentagon’s Vietnam Study.† Among the documents reprinted in the newspaper were diplomatic cables, memos sent to Washington by American generals in Vietnam, and a report detailing covert actions which had preceded open U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. Before publication, some editors at the newspaper advised caution. The most recent documents being published would be several years old and posed no threat to American troops in Vietnam. Yet the material was classified and it was likely the government would take legal action.   Nixon’s Reaction On the day the first installment appeared, President Nixon was told about it by a national security aide, General Alexander Haig (who would later become Ronald Reagan’s first secretary of state). Nixon, with Haig’s encouragement, became increasingly agitated.   The revelations appearing in the pages of the New York Times did not directly implicate Nixon or his administration. In fact, the documents tended to portray politicians Nixon detested, specifically his predecessors, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, in a bad light.   Yet Nixon had reason to be very concerned. The publication of so much secret government material offended many in the government, especially those working in national security or serving in the highest ranks of the military.   And the audacity of the leaking was very disturbing to Nixon and his closest staff members, as they were worried that some of their own secret activities might someday come to light. If the country’s most prominent newspaper could print page after page of classified government documents, where might that lead?   Nixon advised his attorney general, John Mitchell, to take action to stop the New York Times from publishing more material. On Monday morning, June 14, 1971, the second installment of the series appeared on the front page of the New York Times. That night, as the newspaper was preparing to publish the third installment for the Tuesday paper, a telegram from the U.S. Department of Justice arrived at the New York Times headquarters. It demanded that the newspaper stop publishing the material it had obtained.   The publisher of the newspaper responded by saying the  newspaper would obey a court order if one was issued. But short of that, it would continue publishing. The front page of Tuesdays newspaper carried a prominent headline, â€Å"Mitchell Seeks to Halt Series on Vietnam But Times Refuses.†Ã‚   The next day, Tuesday, June 15, 1971, the federal government went to court and secured an injunction which stopped the New York Times from proceeding with the publication of any more of the documents Ellsberg had leaked. With the series of articles in the Times halted, another major newspaper, the Washington Post, began publishing material from the secret study which had been leaked to it. And by the middle of the first week of the drama, Daniel Ellsberg was identified as the leaker. He found himself the subject of an F.B.I. manhunt. The Court Battle The New York Times went to federal court to fight against the injunction. The governments case contended that material in the Pentagon Papers endangered national security and the federal government had a right to prevent its publication. The team of lawyers representing the New York Times argued that the publics right to know was paramount, and that the material was of great historic value and did not pose any current threat to national security. The court case moved though the federal courts at surprising speed, and arguments were held at the Supreme Court on Saturday, June 26, 1971, only 13 days after the first installment of the Pentagon Papers appeared. The arguments at the Supreme Court lasted for two hours. A newspaper account published the following day on the front page of the New York Times noted a fascinating detail: Visible in public - at least in cardboard-clad bulk - for the first time were the 47 volumes of 7,000 pages of 2.5-million words of the Pentagons private history of the Vietnam War. It was a government set. The Supreme Court issued a decision affirming the right of newspapers to publish the Pentagon Papers on June 30, 1971. The following day, the New York Times featured a headline across the entire top of the front page: Supreme Court, 6-3, Upholds Newspapers On Publication of the Pentagon Report; Times Resumes Its Series, Halted 15 Days. The New York Times continued publishing excerpts of the Pentagon Papers. The newspaper featured front-age articles based on the secret documents through July 5, 1971, when it published its ninth and final installment. Documents  from the Pentagon Papers were also quickly published in a paperback book, and its publisher, Bantam, claimed to have one  million copies in print by mid-July 1971. Impact of the Pentagon Papers For newspapers, the Supreme Court decision was inspiring and emboldening. It affirmed that the government could not enforce  prior restraint to block publication of material it wanted kept from public view. However, inside the Nixon administration the resentment felt toward the press only deepened. Nixon and his top aides became fixated on Daniel Ellsberg. After he was identified as the leaker, he was charged with a number of crimes ranging from illegal possession of government documents to violating the Espionage Act. If convicted, Ellsberg could have faced more than 100 years in prison. In an effort to discredit Ellsberg (and other leakers) in the eyes of the public, White House aides formed a group they called The Plumbers. On September 3, 1971, less than three months after the Pentagon Papers began appearing in the press, burglars directed by White House aide E. Howard Hunt  broke into the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, a California psychiatrist. Daniel Ellsberg had been a patient of Dr. Fielding, and the Plumbers were hoping to find damaging material about Ellsberg in the doctors files. The break-in, which was disguised to look like a random burglary, produced no useful material for the Nixon administration to use against Ellsberg. But it indicated the lengths to which government officials would go to attack perceived enemies. And the White House Plumbers would later play major roles the following year in what became the Watergate scandals. Burglars connected to the White House Plumbers were arrested at the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate office complex in June 1972. Daniel Ellsberg, incidentally, faced a federal trial. But when details of the illegal campaign against him, including the burglary at Dr. Fieldings office,  became known, a federal judge dismissed all charges against him.

Best Places to Sell Used Textbooks Online

Best Places to Sell Used Textbooks Online Selling Used Textbooks Textbooks are very expensive. With most books costing $100 or more each, its not unheard of for students to spend well over $1,000 on textbooks during their academic career. And once youre done with a textbook, what do you do with it? Some schools offer a buyback program that will take your textbooks back and give you cash in return. Unfortunately, they rarely pay top dollar, which means you might take a considerable loss. A second option is to sell your used textbooks online. This latter option might just put a few more dollars back into your pocket. Get tips on how to sell used textbooks for cash. Where to Sell Used Textbooks There are a number of places to sell used textbooks online. Some of them allow you to sell directly to buyers, and others sell the books for you so that you can put a significant sum of money in your pocket without doing a lot of work.   Before selling any of your used textbooks, you should take time to compare the different prices you will get from the various outlets that sell books. Of course, you dont want to get too carried away with the comparison if you dont have a lot of time on your hands. There are tons of sites that buy used textbooks; you could spend hours comparing prices on just one book. Youre better off making a list of options and checking those sites in particular.  Some of the best places to sell use textbooks include: Amazon - You can sell your textbooks on Amazon when you sign up for a free account.BetterWorldBooks - You can sell or donate your books to this site. BetterWorld pays the shipping.BIGWORDS - Get up to 75 percent of your money back when you use BIGWORDs buyback comparison tool.Blue Rectangle - This site pays the shipping when you sell your used textbooks to them.Book Scouter - Use this site to find the website that will buy your used textbooks for the highest price.BookByte - You can get instant quotes and free shipping when you sell used textbooks on BookByte.BooksIntoCash - This long-established site offers fast payment and free shipping to students who want to get rid of old textbooks.BooksValue.com - This site buys used textbooks from both students and faculty.Cash 4 Books - You can receive payment within three business days when you sell used textbooks to this website.CKY Books - CKY will send you payment within 24 to 48 hours of receiving your used textbooks.CollegeSmarts - You can sell and trade your used textbooks on CollegeSmarts. Craigslist - Craigslist is a great place to sell anythingtextbooks are no exception.eBay - On eBay, you can set a reserve and get the price you need for your used textbooks.eCampus - This site offers great buyback prices and free UPS shipping.eTextShop.com - This site guarantees the most money for your used textbooks. Other perks include free shipping and fast payment.Half.com - This eBay site is a great place to sell used textbooks.Kijiji - This classifieds site is a good place to sell used textbooks and other school supplies.MoneyForBooks.com - Get free shipping labels, fast payment, and other perks from this site.SellBackBooks - This site offers instant quotes and fast payment with direct deposits.Textbook Buyer - You can sell used textbooks, manuals and other study materials through Textbook Buyer.TextbookX.com - This site pays 200 percent more than bookstores that buy textbooks.Valore Books - Valore is known for having some of the highest buyback prices.

SWOT Analysis on the Internal and External Environments relevant to Essay - 1

SWOT Analysis on the Internal and External Environments relevant to Allergan pertaining to their Botox Product - Essay Example Allergan has been into discovery of innovative products the like of Botox,and marketing them through prescription by doctors in the specialty markets for a long time. It boasts of a research & development wing involved in discovering and producing specialty segment products such as BOTOXÂ ® Cosmetic, which is a prescription medicine that is injected into face muscles for improving the look by reducing or fully eliminating frown lines between the eyebrows in people in the age group of 18 to 65 years temporarily. SWOT Analysis Internal – Strengths Botox not only removes frown lines but is equally effective in other many ailments such as in treating migraine headaches, chronic neck and back pain, sweating overly, and probably spastic disorders also. Allergan internal strengths are many. Its 8000 employees worldwide are its major strength. Allergan has reached to its current customers via its vast network of workforce. R& D investment in the making of the product i.e. Botox has b een the internal strength of the company and the product both. Being a multispecialty healthcare company into discovering, developing and commercializing pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices, it is deeply rooted into manufacturing of specialty products such as Botox, which has brought it to the front runners’ line by capturing a niche market worldwide of its customers belonging to all walks of life. Botox being an innovative product, it is comparatively safe from generic erosion, as the medicinal formula of developing the medicine is a well-kept secret, which insulates the medicine from being sold by copying the drug development process. Internal – Weaknesses Botox is not a fully safe drug, as it paralyses facial muscles to the point beyond the earlier natural condition of the muscles where they can no longer react to outside changes emerging from symptoms such as age, use and wear. Forehead muscles can’t express emotions like anger. The community of a ctors and stars, mostly habitual to using Botox can no more show their emotions above the eye through acting. An emotionless face can transform humans into zombies. Botox has a number of side effects like drooping eyelids, drooling mouth, and slurred speech. These side effects are quite serious in nature affecting the personality of a person. Some temporary side effects such as nausea, allergic reactions, headaches, respiratory infections, flu symptoms, and redness and swelling around the injected area could be visible in some or all patients for a short duration. Another weakness of the medicine is that its impact on the related area is not permanent. The treatment remains effective only till six months of taking the Botox injection. It is a very costly treatment and is effective for a short duration compelling consumers to visit the clinics in regular intervals to maintain their visage. External – Opportunities Sales opportunities have increased greatly. Botox can be market ed globally through advertisement to the probable users for cosmetic uses of the product; earlier permission to advertising the product was not granted. Latest fashion trends provide a boost to the sale of Botox, as the product has become very popular in high profile society. Advertisement in the TV and popular magazines has increased the sales of Botox significantly as on an average a person views such ads 10 times a year. Ophthalmic market offers huge business potential for sale of Botox. Dermatology is another area where Allergan has opportunities waiting as use of Botox in dermatology provides possibilities of expanding by acquiring new formulas or by buying licenses from foreign producers, as it is relatively more cost-efficient than developing through R & D. The company can leverage through spending on marketing efforts from the revenue earned in dollar on other products to fight competition. Huge sales opportunities exist in primary segment

Tourism and Hospitality Promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourism and Hospitality Promotion - Essay Example Easyjet follows certain value systems for the purpose of objective setting strategy. This includes designing and maintaining the highest safety standards for its customers, breaking the shackles of traditional methods of thinking and find innovative ways and means to attract new customers, providing services that transcend the expectations of the travelers, converting newer customers into long term customers by providing customer satisfaction and best service possible, focusing on a double-digit growth rate in future years, enhancing capacity utilization, reducing fixed cost, providing the highest quality resorts thereby helping the customers to gain the best experience possible which will in turn bring profits. (About easyJet, n.d.) PEST Analysis of Easy Jet: Political-legal factors: The Political legal factors affecting the Easyjet include the political unrest and war signal in the Middle East. The Air Miles scheme is not recognized by the government as taxable perk in the same way s as tax is levied on company cars, which may help the Easyjet to contend on the same base with that of British Airlines. Engagement with the EU market gives them the widest network access. Economic factors: Increasing fuel costs, legal and environmental regulations and possibility of higher security along with insurance costs increases the risk for terrorism. Globalization helps the traffic to grow in longer term, the introduction of a single currency helps in boosting the business with the whole of Europe getting integrated. Socio-cultural factors: General reluctance in using credit cards seems to be the concern for attracting French and German travelers. Customers being more comfortable with cheaper flights get angry when they have to pay a premium to actual cost for a particular time of flying. Technological issues: The major issue is how much the application of Internet has synergized the cost and distribution resulted from integration of the industry causing reduction in the u pward rise in price. (Geiger, Schlottke & Schrade 2009) Porter’s model: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Only two suppliers Airbus and Boeing provide aircrafts and face stiff competition. This helps the Easyjet to buy aircrafts at cheaper price. However the switching cost to another supplier is also very high. Bargaining power of customers: The price bargaining power of the customers is very high for Easyjet. With so many other LCCs in the market it becomes important for Easyjet to provide economical price to retain customers. Threat of New Entrants: There is a huge capital investment required upfront in the airline industry. Moreover higher efficiency is required to maintain sustainability. Moreover with so much air carriers, the introduction of a new one creates high competition facilitating price war. Threat of Substitutes: The main objective for Low cost Airlines includes faster and cheaper travel. Moreover the whole of Europe is connected with well-networked extensive trai n system, which provides transportation at a cheaper cost. So there is a definite threat for Easy jet in this regard. Rivalry among competitors: Easy jet faces huge competition among its competitors, as there is an intense competition to maintain cheaper airfare and providing better customer services. (Geiger, Schlottke & Schrade, 2009, pp. 2-4) SWOT Analysis: SWOT Team (2007) Strength: The overall cost-leadership model, the