Ethics of Marketing to Schools in America Essay

Public schools across America are struggling with their budgets and looking to outside corporations for help. Conveniently, private corporations realize the potential buying power of students and have decided that elementary schools are the best channel to reach them. It has become routine for corporations to market there products in schools, and in exchange these schools receive various financial benefits. This new partnership has become the focus of much controversy as 80% of Americans feel that corporations should have no place in schools (). The two most cited concerns are the health of children and the growing commercialization of schools. This paper looks at this issue in detail by answering the following two questions. Is it ethical for corporations to market products in schools? What is the most socially responsible course of action for corporations to take? This paper will use a utilitarian and distributive justice framework to prove that marketing in schools is unethical and propose that the most ethical arrangement is to make schools commercial-free zones. This paper will also discuss the issue of corporate social responsibility through shareholder and stakeholder lenses to prove that there is a strong business case for corporations to? Children in schools are marketed to in a variety of ways. Schools can participate in incentive programs where a school receives funds to take part in a specific activity such as collecting box tops (). Some corporations offer free educational materials to schools that promote their corporate message. Pepsi encourages a â€Å"thirst for knowledge† on a popular textbook cover(). Each year over half of the students in schools in the United States receive free textbook covers(). McDonalds, Burger King and Dominos sponsor reading projects in schools with free meals(). Other schools receive free electronic equipment like computers and satellites for participating in programs like channel one. This is an arrangement where school receive free electronic equipment for having their students watch a 10 minute broadcast of which 2 minutes are corporate sponsored commercials (). All of these marketing techniques pose there own unique ethical dilemmas, however the most controversial type of marketing in schools today is the use of exclusive agreements. This is when corporations give schools a percentage of their profits in exchange for the right to be the sole provider of a product or a service(). The most prominent example of this is the soft drink company, Coca-Cola and their exclusive distribution rights with schools. As a result, Coca-Cola advertisements have become the most visible types of advertisements in schools today (). A US National School Health Policies study found that students could purchase soft drinks in 60% of elementary schools and 83% of middle schools (). Of these schools over 85% were under an exclusive contract with the Coca-Cola company (). For the aforementioned reasons the remainder of this paper will use the soft drink giant Coca Cola as a symbol to make it easier to understand the larger debate of marketing in elementary schools. A deontological framework can not determine whether this issue is ethical or unethical. In 1990 under $100 million was spent on advertising targeted at kids, just a decade later that number was up more than twenty times to over $2 billion (). This large increase in spending indicates that there is a strong motivation for corporations to market to youth. One way to determine if marketing in schools is ethical is to deconstruct these motivations through a deontological framework. The motivation for companies to market in schools could be a philanthropic opportunity to contribute to education. However, I do not believe this because companies like Coca-Cola make schools sign exclusive agreements, which means that they block competition and are profitable. I believe the main motive for companies to market to youth is to make money. Marketing to students in schools is an effective strategy as it reaps both short and long term rewards. Children in elementary schools have a lot of spending power. Kids ages 4-12 spend $40 billion each year (). Furthermore, these same kids influence $600 billion of household spending (). It is wise for companies to try to earn a share of this large market. Surprisingly, the sales of sodas in schools account for a miniscule slice of soda sales worldwide, less than 1 percent of soda’s 66billion dollar industry (). Clearly profit in the short run is not the main motivating factor for companies like Coca-Cola. Marketing in public elementary school promises long run benefits. Soft drink companies can create brand loyalty with their consumers at an early age. In other words, they foster and retain a captive audience for its products. If you consider the cutthroat competition among soft drink makers for customers, this brand loyalty becomes a vital business pursuit. A deontological framework can better help us deconstruct the ehics of marketing to youth purely for financial reasons. Specifically, this paper will employ some of W. D. Ross’ duties. It can be argued that marketing in schools violates the duty of non-malefiicence (to do no harm). Some children will substitute a nutritious meal for a sugar laden soda. That is harmful to their health. Marketing in schools also violates the duty of gratitude. It does not thank customers for their business by protecting their health. Instead, companies like Coca-Cola continue to aggressively market their unhealthy product to vulnerable youth. On the other hand, if one considers a corporation a person, then a corporation fulfils Ross’s duty of self-improvement by marketing in schools. It improves its own condition by increasing its profits in the short and the long run. Additionally, if a company honestly abides by the contract it signs with a school then it is upholding Ross’s duty of fidelity. The framework of deontology is inadequate to determine the ethics of marketing in schools because it presents us with conflicting duties and no hierarchy to put them into. There is an incompatible difference between the various duties. However, this situation did not become controversial simply because some believe that a corporation might have bad ethics, instead people are worried about the consequences of marketing in schools. A utilitarian framework shows us that marketing in schools is unethical. Marketing in elementary school is controversial because it offers many direct benefits to schools, but negatively impact students. Through a utilitarian framework this paper will deconstruct the pros and cons of the scenario to determine whether marketing in schools is ethical. This paper will conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine what results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The main players that benefit in this scenario are schools, shareholders of the Coca-Cola company, and employees. All of these players benefit in financial terms. Vending machines are a valuable source of revenue for schools. They support programs that might otherwise go unfunded. Elementary schools have reason to be concerned about their finances, the state of California cut the elementary school budget by $10 billion dollars in 2003 (). If a school district signs an exclusive contract with a soft-drink company it can generate an additional $3 million per year (). School districts receive all of this money for virtually no additional work on there part. This is why the cliche that: â€Å"one day our schools will have all the money they need, and the Air Force will have to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber† could become true (). Company shareholders benefit in the long run if we assume that marketing in schools create brand loyalty among consumers. Company employees also benefit from the sales of sodas in schools, simply because their company is continuing to be competitive in the marketplace and provide work for them. However, the positive impact of selling sodas in schools impacts company employees considerably less than other players in this scenario, because these employees will not be receiving a pay raise as a result of this practice. While there are some positive effects of marketing in schools, I feel that the cons greatly outweigh the benefits. Students bear the burden of the negative effects of marketing in schools. Marketing to youth perpetrates problems of childhood obesity, materialism, eating disorders, violence, and family stress (). This is especially problematic because children are more cognitively immature and prone to believe that products marketed in school carry their school’s endorsement. For instance, if a school sells soda it signifies that it is acceptable to consume drinks that are high in sugar and have poor nutritional quality. A child’s health is not an acceptable trade-off for increased revenues. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in America. One-quarter of children in the United States are overweight which means they are at risk for lifelong health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cavities (). Competitors also suffer in this scenario because ? exclusive agreements’ create a monopoly on a school and therefore promote unfair competition and can charge whatever price they want. The difficulty of examining ethics from a utilitarian perspective is that is impossible to predict the future. It is not clear how much the financial revenue schools gain from executive agreements helps them to fulfill their purpose of teaching. It is also not clear how high the correlation is between marketing in schools and negative outcomes like obesity. What is known is that most of the negative consequences (and there are a lot of them) fall on the shoulders of the students. Having the burden of this issue fall on the shoulders of millions of students nationwide is bad for society as a whole. Children need to be educated in a healthy atmosphere so that they can become productive members of society one day. It is detrimental to the future if children are not provided with the best learning environment possible. The best learning environment possible is one that is free from commercial influences. The Distributive Justice framework shows that monopolies are unethical. According to John Rawls we should determine ethical dilemmas like whether marketing in schools is ethical by making the decision from behind a â€Å"veil of ignorance. † The distributive justice framework tries to ensure that the interests of the worst off in society are considered. According to this theory, students well-being should be put before business interests because students are the most vulnerable group in this scenario. However, there is an inherent conflict of interest within this framework. Corporations believe that marketing in schools is ethical because they are exercising their 1st amendment right to free speech. Everybody has this right, thus they are utilizing the equal liberty principle: equal rights to liberties as long as all may be provided such liberties. The problem is that not even all corporations are being provided the liberty of free speech. As previously mentioned Coca Cola has an exclusive agreement with 85% of elementary schools in America, this is just a nice way to say that Coca Cola has a monopoly on the elementary school market (). Companies that engage in exclusive distributive contracts are trying to block competitors. They can not justify this action on the ground that they need to do this to spur innovation, they want a monopoly so they can control the school market. Thus the difference principle comes into play because the inequality that these companies are creating in the market place needs to be addressed. The most ethical thing to do is to make schools commercial free zones. Marketing in schools is unethical. The most ethical thing to do is to make elementary schools commercial-free zones. Students should be able to pursue learning free of commercial influences and pressures. Eighty percent of adults in the United States agree that schools should be commercial-free zones as well (). While this may be the most ethical course of action, it seems highly unlikely as marketing in schools has become entrenched. Schools continually need more money and the government is unable to provide it. If marketing in schools must continue at the very least it should be regulated. It does not seem probable that the industry will regulate itself, so it should be subject to more government oversight. Right now there is very little the government has done to restrict marketing in schools. Laws forbidding it are perceived to be a breach of the 1st amendment. A study found that only nineteen states currently have statues or regulations that address school-related commercial activities (). This number includes states that have statues that encourage commercial activities. The government should establish an independent commission to regulate marketing in public schools. This agency should make regulations that encourage schools to provide a healthy learning environment for students. The agency could regulate the sale of foods high in fat, sodium, and sugars. For example, it could decide that vending machines can not be stocked with sodas; however juices (100%) and water could still be sold. There would be greater social acceptance of this issue if it were implemented more appropriately. The business case for CSR prevails. This paper has established that the most ethical thing for corporations to do is to stop marketing to students in schools, or at the very least to regulate what they market to children. If a company were to stop marketing to children for the aforementioned ethical considerations it would be following a normative line of reasoning. The company would be interested in doing the right thing for society with little regard for how the proposition would effect its own bottom line. While I would applaud its efforts on a moral basis, this would be a very poor reason to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. There needs to be a business incentive for corporations to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. A company has to be successful financially if it is going to survive in the long run. However, there is always a business case for corporate social responsibility with respect to companies that sell consumer products. In the long run the closer a company aligns with the values of society the more successful it will be. Good ethics and good business are mutually reinforcing. In this case 80% of society wants commercial-free schools or at least commercialism that is regulated. It is socially responsible for a company to accommodate the wishes of society because it is in their long run interest to build a good reputation. A company like Coca-cola may be more successful at recruiting, retaining, and engaging with its employees and customers if it demonstrates that it is socially responsible. Critics might argue that this is just mere â€Å"window dressing. † However, a good reputation leads to higher sales in the long run. Both shareholder and stakeholder frameworks would support the business case for corporate social responsibility in this scenario. Milton Freidman is an advocate of the shareholder theory which maintains that a companies corporate social responsibility is to maximize profits without breaking the law or violating basic rules of society. Coca-Cola is not breaking any laws by marketing in schools, it is merely exercising its first amendment right to free speech. It is also not violating any social norms, children get to choose whether they want to buy unhealthy products. On one hand it may seem that Freidman would say that corporations should continue to market in schools because they are making a profit and therefore helping society. However Freidman would agree that companies need to balance there short term gains against their long-term interest. In this case, Freidman would advocate for the restriction of marketing in schools because it is in the long run self-interest of the company because companies like Coca-Cola needs to reassure their customers that they care about them. . An alternative approach to corporate social responsibility is the stakeholder theory. This theory maintains that companies should balance the interests of all stakeholders involved. In this scenario the stakeholders would be the students (customers), parents, teachers, corporations, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and society. Students are harmed by marketing in schools because marketing is correlated with problems like obesity and materialism. On the other hand these same students benefit because their schools are receiving additional funding for programs. Parents suffer because they have less control over what their children are exposed to, and it could undermine their values. Shareholders may benefit in the short run from marketing in schools, but in the long run the values of the company must be aligned with society if it is going to succeed. Therefore, the stakeholder theory would advocate a business case for Corporate Social Responsibility as well: to limit marketing in schools. Marketing in schools is a complex issue with many players. In this case, students are the most important players because schools are public institutions and schools are supposed to make students a top priority. Marketing in schools can not stop on its own, it needs to be either strictly prohibited or at the very least limited by the government.

Renaissance Humanism Essay

Renaissance means to be born again. The Renaissance was a period of cultural and intellectual rebirth for Europe; it started in Italy in the 14th century and lasted until the 17th century. Humanism was a very important piece of the Renaissance. This period happened just after the Middle ages which is dated from 400 to 1300. It was a method of learning based of reasoning and evidence. Studia humanitatis means humanistic studies, which were grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, and moral philosophy. Francesco Petrarca, known as Petrarch, is considered to be the founder of Renaissance Humanism. He was one of the most important Renaissance poets who applied the values of ancient Greece and Rome to questions about religious Christian doctrines. He believed in the value of the study of philosophy and literature of the past; he encouraged this. Petrarch was one of the first people to spread the word of humanism. Once he did it spread fast and almost everyone had heard his ideas on philosophy. With his ideas the world was given a new perspective on life ,which is what the Renaissance was all about. There were many figures just like Petrarch, and a lot of them were political figures who spread humanist ideas with their positions. Coluccio Salutati and Leonardo Bruni became chancellors of Florence. They reached their authorities because of prowess in Latin in their speeches. They developed new ways of thinking about Florence’s government traditions of the republic based off the old writings of antiquity. Humanism increased the influence on education. People needed to learn Greek and Latin to understand the manuscripts. This was a challenge for the poor. This led to further education in the arts and philosophies which went along with those manuscripts. Consequently, there was a blast of scientific and technological development during the Renaissance unlike any that had happened in Europe for centuries. Renaissance Humanism’s most important characteristics lies in its spirits. Humanism was regarded as a free and open breath of fresh air. It was a way of thinking for yourself, and it was critical about the Church. It argued that people needed more intellectual freedom so they could build their own wisdom. The Humanists, rather than focusing on what they considered questions of logic, focused on the relation of the human to the divine. Humans were the high point and purpose of God’s creation for them. They tried to define the human place in God’s plan and the relation of the human to the divine; therefore, they centered all their thought on the human relation to god, and therefore they called themselves humanists. Humanists never ignored their religion; humanism is altogether a religious and educational movement, it is not a secular idea. Most religions were considered humanist by nature. Humanists probably received a reputation for not believing in god because it was focused on the writings of men who did not. Though, many well known humanists were active in church. Papal secretaries, bishops, cardinals, and even a few popes (Nicholas V, Pius II) were humanists in the Renaissance. These leaders were defined as secular. They were more interested in art and literature than sacraments and theology. Renaissance Humanism left a mark in society and changed all. It was one of the most important philosophical movements in history. Thinking, studying, writing, and questioning are the best ways to learn. These were all what the Renaissance Humanism mainly focused on. While it was started in Italy by one man, it blossomed and spread throughout the entirety of Europe. Even now we study Renaissance Humanism because of the everlasting impact it had on society.

Conformity vs. Rebellion (Bartleby the Scrivener) Essay

Conformity and rebellion are evil twins that humanity has been nourishing since the beginning of civilization. As we conform to the social norms that surround us everyday, we are trapped inside of this overwhelming system where we easily lose ourselves as individuals. On the other hand, the urges of rebellion that live in our ego compel us to break from the state of our bondages. Yet, our superegos are trying to keep us in a reasonable threshold, and enable us to stay in the system. As a result, people are fighting a constant internal battle of conformity versus rebellion. As Herman Melville describes in his story â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener,† humanity is hopelessly struggling between conformity and rebellion. He presents us with images of entrapment and death to address his concerns for the issues of conformity and rebellion. The images of entrapment are evident throughout the story. From the â€Å"lofty brick wall† outside of the office window to the sound-dividing prison walls which Bartleby died within, the narrator traps the readers in his dark replica of reality. Looking out the office windows, â€Å"the light came down from far above, between two lofty buildings, as from a very small opening in a dome.† The physical confinement of their dark and depressed office space is apparent through the images of the dim lighting and restricted view. For Bartleby, the confinement is no longer physical but psychological. â€Å"From his long-continued motionlessness, that behind his screen he must be standing in one of those dead-wall reveries of his.† This unusual behavior is a common act of such character. It is not the act of boredom but desperation and hopelessness that disintegrates from within and disables him from engaging in any productive activates. As the narrator takes the readers to the final resting place of Bartleby, he portrays the ultimate human confinement, the prison. The extreme thickness of the prison walls â€Å"kept off all sound behind them.† The images of entrapment are clear, that the inescapable prison walls trap any living souls inside of their boundaries. However, to Bartleby it is just another empty place, for his soul has already died long ago. The walls only keep off the outside world from him rather than restricting the already seized motions of Bartleby’s. It is the place where Bartleby chooses to escape from all, and rest for an eternity â€Å"with kings and counselors.† Images of death come as a natural companion of entrapment. The character of Bartleby appears ghostly and lifeless. He is â€Å"a motionless young man,† who works quietly like a machine in his dark and confined space. Unlike the way the narrator describes the other three employees of his, Bartleby has no anger, no ambition, and almost nothing human about him at all. The â€Å"idly cadaverous† response, â€Å"I would prefer not to† from Bartleby, implies that this man’s spirit has died long before his physical death. There is nothing in this world excites him or motivates him, leaving him only dreaded depression. This emotional emptiness must drive Bartleby to insanity, to the extent that he gives up all life burdens including basic biological functions such as eating and sleeping. Later in the story, Bartleby is sent to the â€Å"Tombs,† because of the uncooperative nature of this man. The name of the jail â€Å"Tombs† carries a symbolic meaning of death. In the narrator’s description of the interior of the jail: â€Å"the Egyptian character of the masonry weighed upon me with its gloom,† he reinforces the indestructible and inevitable power of death with these chilling images. The images of entrapment and death are excellent representations of to the concept of conformity and rebellion, whereas Bartleby lives with the entrapment of his unfulfilling life, and finally chooses death as his ultimate rebellion. The narrator, Herman Melville, constructs the abstract character, Bartleby, to extract and speak for his desperation and hopelessness feeling towards the fate of humanity as a whole. Quite like the dilemma Melville brought to our attention a half century ago, societies today are still struggling with issues of conformity and rebellion. We are so driven by the â€Å"errands of life,† and rarely stop and think about the reasons of our very existence. As the train of life speeds us to the final destination, we realize that we have traveled the exact same track as everyone else did.

European History: Marxism and Darwinism

Chad McKeegan Mr. Horner AP European History 10 April 2013 Marxism Essay Life for Europeans during the 1800s only contained two possibilities of economic wellbeing because, as Marx would note, the wealth was not evenly distributed between the social classes. The majority of the wealth was obtained by the upper class or people with power, such as business tycoons as a result of the capitalistic economy that existed.Based on the paintings presented, Marxism theorists would exemplify that the economic differences between the two families is a result of class conflict, but Social Darwinists would argue that differences are primarily caused by their biological disadvantages to the environment. At a glance people tend to associate Marxism as basic communism, but it was Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles’ ideologies of the proletariat evolving society into one of economic and social equality that eventually developed into what people commonly refer to as Communism.Marx and Engles believe d that a proletariat revolution was necessary in order to lay the base line for a communist society, which is further explained in the Communist Manifesto. In contrast Social Darwinists philosophize about a â€Å"survival of the fittest† society, in which individuals whom have environmental advantages will obtain economic and social advantages, and those at a disadvantage will fall off the ladder.Both Marxism and Social Darwinism are based around completely different ideals, but both philosophies do not expurgate the ideologies needed to sustain a stable society. Upon analyzing the contrasted paintings it is evident that there are major economic differences between the two families. When examining the painting of the wealthy European family the degree of wealth is clearly visible in both the environment and the people.The wealthy family seems to be surrounded by various items of wealth, such as paintings, ritzy furniture, fancy curtains, and the prestigious clothing they wear all contribute to the expression of content visible on their faces. In contrast the deprived family is clustered together with their several children because it was necessary for the children to work in order to receive manageable income.This painting in particular expurgates a vicarious feeling of sorrow and misery, which is clearly visible in every family member’s face. Marxist theorists would argue that the wealthy family can afford luxurious items and live peacefully every day, while the poor family struggles because there was an incredibly uneven distribution of wealth. Based on the labor theory, the worker is cheated of the value his labor creates, which the low wages of workers meant the threat of over – production, accumulated goods, and depression.The poor family cannot earn enough money to comfortably live day to day because the corporate business owners and those of nobility do not pay the workers enough, and siphon all of the accumulated wealth. Social Dar winists would analyze the two paintings and immediately notice that the poor family is of different race. Social Darwinists would then conclude that the poor family lacked the intelligence and societal skills because their biological differences put them at an environmental disadvantage.This environmental disadvantage would be considered the primary reason the less fortunate family cannot prosper. The Social Darwinian ideals eventually gave rise to the phrase â€Å"survival of the fittest,† which accurately explains the original Darwinian concept of certain species ability to survive and mate as a result of their biologically determined environmental advantages. Social Darwinism, which was a valid concept during the 1800s, no longer has a place in modern society; considering that most civilizations are based on equal opportunity for success.Upon analyzing the two paintings Marxism theorists would argue that the social and economic differences between the two families is large ly the result of an unequal distribution of wealth, and Social Darwinists would believe that biologically determined environmental advantages is the cause of the vast gap between the wealthy and the poor. The issue associated with both philosophies is that each concept largely benefits only one group of individuals, which exemplifies the impossibility of a utopian society.

Trueblood Case

SUBJECT: Deciding the Appropriate Extent of Audit Performed for Billy’s Beats for Asset Valuation Billy’s Beats Inc. , an SEC registrant, is a new audit client with a fiscal year-end of December 31, 2010. Billy’s is a manufacturer of musical instruments. Billy’s acquired Little Drummer Boy Inc. in 2010 for $575 million in cash. Significant assets acquired included property, plant, and equipment totaling $865 million and other assets totaling $145 million. The useful lives assigned to the property, plant, and equipment acquired were 30 years for the plant and 15 years for the equipment.The useful lives for the plant and equipment already owned by Billy’s are 20 years and 10 years. Other included assets of acquired customer lists, were assigned a useful life of 15 years. To test the useful lives of the operating assets, the engagement team asked management why the number of years assigned to the plant and equipment acquired differed from the years ass igned to the assets which Billy’s had already owned. Management stated that the useful lives for the acquired assets were the amounts used by Little Drummer before the acquisition.The engagement team discussed the useful lives of the acquired property, plant, and equipment with the plant manager of Little Drummer. The plant manager stated that 30 years and 15 years for the plant and the equipment, respectively, were the useful lives used before the acquisition. This discussion was documented in the audit working papers. The valuation specialist allocated the plant fair value of $865 million to each asset class based on the percentage of the seller’s total original cost applicable to each asset class. These percentages were provided by management of Little Drummer and relied on by the valuation specialist.The engagement team compared the percentage of total costs to a client prepared spreadsheet listing each asset class, asset ID, and percentage of total cost. No errors were noted and, accordingly, no further testing of the client-prepared spreadsheet was performed by the engagement team. In addition to its drum manufacturing business, Billy’s also wholly owns RockOut Inc. , which is the largest manufacturer of guitars in the United States. RockOut grew through the acquisition of other guitar companies and completed five acquisitions durng 2012, eight acquisitions during 2009, and four acquisitions during 2008.As a result of the acquisitions, RockOut reported approximately $90 million, which was 15 percent of total assets and 60 percent of total intangible assets, of customer lists as of December 31, 2010. RockOut amortizes its customer lists on a straight-line basis over 25 years, which management believes reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the customer lists are used up. During 2010, management revised its estimate of the customer list economic life, and began assigning an amortization period of 15 years to newly acqui red national customer lists.Amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2010, was $3 million. To test the economic lives of the customer lists, the engagement team asked management what the reasoning was for the change in the assumed economic life this year. Management provided a memorandum that discussed the rationale for using the 25-year economic life to amortize the various customer lists, as well as the rationale for the current-year change in management’s estimate of the newly acquired national customer lists lives.According to IAS 16, The cost of an item of property, plant and equipment comprises, its purchase price, including import duties and non-refundable purchase taxes, after deducting trade discounts and rebates, any costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management, and the initial estimate of the costs of dismantling and removing the item and restoring the site on which it is located, the obligation for which an entity incurs either when the item is acquired or as a consequence of having used the item during a particular period for purposes other than to produce inventories during that period. Because this in not how the company decided on the value and useful lives of the assets in question they should have follows IAS 36 to determine if there was an impairment. The audit procedures for determining if there was a valuation problem could also be addressed using FASB Statement No. 142.

Coursework †Metamorphosis Essay

Gregor must work at a job he hates to pay off his family’s debts. The family is in debt, but he is the only one who has a job. While he wakes up early and goes on the train until late at night, his father has a leisurely life. Kafka writes, â€Å"for his father breakfast was the most important meal time in the day, which he prolonged for hours by reading various newspapers. † Instead of working, he is eating and reading newspapers for many hours. At this time, Gregor must work to support the whole family. Later, he finds out that the family has enough money to live on for a few years and maybe Gregor did not have to work so hard. Kafka writes, â€Å"with this excess money, he could have paid off more of his father’s debt to his employer and the day on which he could be rid of this position would have been a lot closer. † He is like a servant, and this is not natural for a family member. Changing into the insect is symbolic of being liberated from this life. Since he is now a bug and cannot work, he does not have to be responsible for paying off the family’s debt anymore. Instead, the family has to be responsible. Therefore, the metamorphosis is also symbolic of the family being liberated because they do not depend on Gregor anymore. They depend on themselves for support. After the change, the mother and sister must do the cooking and the family must all get jobs. Once that happens, the family quickly decides that they do not want or need Gregor anymore. They are independent and decide that Gregor is not an important part of the family. Question 2: If the story was set in contemporary America and Gregor was working two jobs, the plot would change in many ways. If he is working two jobs, it is probably because they are barely able to pay the debts. The family would already be working, they would not get new jobs so easily, and there would be no servant girl or lodgers. If Gregor had two jobs, the other family would probably be working too. This would change the plot significantly. If all the family is working, Gregor would not be the only one responsible for the debts. After the metamorphosis, the family would not have enough money. If they are already working and Gregor loses two jobs, the family would be more in debt every day. Also, in the story, the family starts working soon after Gregor is changed to an insect. However, today it is not so simple to get a job like in the story. If the family has to get new jobs, it would take a long time and their debts would be higher. In addition, there would not have been a servant in the story. Kafka writes, â€Å"The servant girl was now let go. A huge bony cleaning woman with white hair flying all over her head came in the morning and evening to do the heaviest work. The mother took care of everything else in addition to her considerable sewing work. † If Gregor was working two jobs, the family would not have a servant girl or cleaning woman. They would not have enough money and the family would do this work themselves. Also, the family gets rent from three lodgers. Today, lodgers are not so common so the family would be forced to find other ways to get money. The story does not say if the rent is a lot of money, but one of the family would have to get another job to replace the rent. Question 3: I researched â€Å"The Metamorphosis† and found two very good resources: 1. The Modern World. 16 Mar. 2007 . This website is a collection of information about Franz Kafka and â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † It has a biography, review of the story, and a collection of other resources like papers, research, and websites. 2. Bloom, Harold, ed. Franz Kafka’s the Metamorphosis. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. This is a book with many essays about â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † I read â€Å"Metamorphosis of the Metapho r† by Stanley Corngold and â€Å"From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in Kafka’s Metamorphosis† by Walter H. Sokel. In â€Å"From Marx to Myth: The Structure and Function of Self-Alienation in Kafka’s Metamorphosis,† Walter H. Sokel writes Gregor turns into an insect because he has self-contempt. Sokel writes, â€Å"Seeing himself as vermin, and being treated as such by his business and family, the traveling salesman Gregor Samsa literally turns into vermin† (105). I agree with the author when he says vermin represents the way Gregor is treated, but I do not agree that Gregor sees himself this way. Gregor does not like his job, but must go to work to â€Å"pay off my parents’ debt† to his boss. His family uses him because he can make money and pay off the debts. His boss uses him because he can make money for the company. Kafka writes about Gregor, â€Å"He was the boss’s minion, without backbone or intelligence. † He cannot even miss work if he is sick. He certainly is treated like vermin by his family and boss. However, I do not see that Gregor thinks he is vermin until after he turns into an insect. He seems to be proud that he supports his family.

Mies van der Rohe architecture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mies van der Rohe architecture - Term Paper Example Mies is known for the spiritualization of technique and he was an architect with the special ability to reduce all the problems of his character to the essential simplicity of his architecture. Significantly, the modern style in architecture commonly referred to as High Modernism was introduced in United States of America mainly by Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius. Mies van der Rohe worked as the director of Germany’s most famous design school, Bauhaus, during 1930-33 and he started applying the Modern architectural style to his works. The liberal members of the Bauhaus such as Mies and Gropius found their way in due course to America when it was disbanded by the Nazis and they reworked the modernist architecture in the 1940s and 50s. As a proponent of the modern architecture, Mies defined interior spaces with modern materials like industrial steel and plate glass in his mature buildings. One of the characteristic features of his style of architecture is that it made use o f minimal framework of structural order and he is the most important architect of the modernist and late-modernist architecture. Significantly, Mies van der Rohe is highly recognized for his skin and bones style architecture and his modernist architecture is esteemed for its plain surfaces and straightforward rectangular shapes which was adapted to the corporate skyscrapers, apartments, and university buildings. As E. C. Relph maintains, â€Å"his plans were simplicity itself. All the buildings were arranged in lines and at right angles, and their basic form was that of a carefully proportioned cube expressing the structure of steel columns and beams as perfectly as possible. The slogan Mies invented to express his design philosophy was ‘Less is More’.† (Relph, 191) Therefore, it is fundamental to maintain that the modernist architecture style introduced by Mies has been noted for simplicity and the skin and bones style achieved grand success in modern architectu re. This paper makes a profound analysis of Mies van der Rohe architecture in order to realize how his work relates to ‘modernism’ we can appreciate today. Born as the son of a stonemason, Mies van der Rohe received practical experience in construction during the early stages of his life and his later architecture style proved to be the milestone in modernist architecture. Soon he became Germany’s most important architect of his time and severed as the director of Bauhaus where he applied his Modernist architectural principles to his works. Whereas his early designs as an independent designer show the influence of Schinkel, he rapidly grew into a Modernist architect with original designs and styles, and his concept of a transparent skyscraper marked a new step towards Modernism. However, due to the scantiness of material science and construction techniques, it took more time for him to establish as the leading proponent of High Modernism. In 1938, he became the h ead of the architectural school at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and he redefined Modern architecture with a string of important commissions in the following years. â€Å"The elevated glass cube of the Farnsworth House (1950) in Plano, Illinois, took ideas of open, simple interior spaces to their extreme. The pristine steel and glass tower of the Lake Shore Drive Apartments (1951) in Chicago were hailed as perfect new renditions of this building type, and the Seagram Building (1958) in New York was viewed as the prototypical new skyscraper.†

LLB Company Law England and Wales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

LLB Company Law England and Wales - Essay Example According to the discussion the company’s articles may require such authorisation from the shareholders and in such cases, even if the board authorises such transaction, it is not valid unless members approve the same. In case of public companies, only if the constitution specifically permits this, then only the board will have authority to authorise such transactions in which a director is interested. It is to be noted that s 175 has to be interpreted in conjunction with the s 182 CA 2006. It is the latter section that deals with the scenario where a director has an interest in a present business arrangement or transaction. For instance, if A Ltd wants to enter into business dealing with B Ltd and X is a director in both the companies; This is really a conflict of interest scenario as X is the director in both the companies. If X has made an disclosure of his interest to the board of the both companies and has obtained approval from the member of the boards, then, it is said that he has adhered with the section 175. From this paper it is clear that shareholders are authorised to take derivative action against the directors of the company for the loss sustained to the company due to the conflict of interest by a director of the company. Part II of CA 2006-under s 260 - now provides an opportunity for shareholders to initiate derivative action against the company for any proposed act or any actual omission involving default, negligence, breach of trust or breach of duty. Under this, as exclusion to the rule laid down in Foss v Harbottle, a statutory derivative claim can be initiated by a shareholder against the company directors, and this section does not complement the rule laid down in Foss v Harbottle but simply offers a legal procedure for a derivative action. In this case, Brian can make a derivative action against the directors to reimburse the loss sustained by the company. Further , board has kept silent even after finding the lapse and Brain has every right to sue the directors of the com pany, including Marcus for their act of negligence . Issue II â€Å"Duty to promote the Success of the Company† Duties owed by a director of a company to the company are enumerated in S 171 to 177 of CA 2006.  

The Black Model for Interest Rate Derivatives Essay

The Black Model for Interest Rate Derivatives - Essay Example Over the last two and half decades, finance has experienced tremendous and exciting developments especially with reference to derivatives markets. One of the reasons explaining the idea of tremendous and exciting developments within financial sector is the fact that both hedger and speculators within financial markets find it attractive to trade derivate specifically assets rather than trading on the assets themselves (Gupta and Subrahmanyam. 2005). Development of derivatives is considered as one of the most successful upcoming within capital markets (Brigo and Mercurio 2001). Within derivatives, there are three main traders; hedger, speculators, and arbitrageurs. Application of derivatives within financial markets helps in eliminating or reducing risk associated with the fluctuations in the prices of assets. Overview and Development of Black Model Financial markets have experienced an increase in the interest-rate contingent claims that include amongst others caps, swaptions, bond o ptions, mortgage-backed securities, as well as captions. The main problem however that is currently experienced is the development of effective and efficient instruments for valuing such contingent claims. Different models have been developed and used in an attempt to find the best and most effective one. Nonetheless, there has been indifference amongst traders on the model effective and efficient enough to help in measuring, controlling, and supervision of interest-rate risks. Hull (234) identifies Black-Scholes Model as a major innovation is pricing of various stock options. During the early 1970s, Fischer Black, Myron Scholes, and Robert Merton developed a model that can be used effectively and efficiently in pricing stock options (Hull p234). In addition, Clewlow and Strickland (2000) confirm that Black Model has been frequently used in valuing bond options due to its effectiveness and efficiency. Black Model borrows extensively from the Black-Scholes Model (Black, 1976). Actual ly the former is an extension and modification of the latter. Black Model for pricing stock options assumes that the value of an interest rate, bond price, or other variables at a given time is future follows a lognormal distribution. One of the reasons that necessitated the extension and modification of the Black-Scholes Model to Black Model is the difficulty experienced in valuing interest rate derivatives as opposed to valuing foreign exchange derivative (Hull p508). The difficulty is experienced due to a number of reasons such as complications within the behavior of individual interest rate as compared to stock prices of exchange rates (Hull p508). In addition, there has been the need to develop a model that will help in evaluating the behavior of the entire derivate including the zero-coupon yield rate. Consequently, Black Model was developed, which derives most of its assumptions from the Black-Scholes-Merton differential equation that represents the model. For instance, the m odel assumes that there are no transactional costs of taxes involved in applying the model to value stock options (Black, 1976). What’s more, the model assumes that there are no dividends obtained during the derivatives’ life coupled with facts that arbitrate opportunities are termed as riskless. In this model, another important assumption is that the rate of risk-free interest is constant and equals

The Sex differances in learning in chimpanzees Essay

The Sex differances in learning in chimpanzees - Essay Example In specific, this paper has selected an article, ‘Sex Differences in Learning in Chimpanzees’ (Lonsdorf et al, 2004) that is a synopsis of a four-year longitudinal study carried out at Gombe National Park in Tanzania on wild chimpanzees. Primarily, the paper will attempt to provide a brief summation of the mentioned article that will enable the reader to understand basic and important findings, as well as limitations of this article. In this article, as earlier mentioned, wild chimpanzee of Gombe National Park in Tanzania were the participants of this four-year longitudinal study, and experts attempted to identify the sexual differences in the learning process and practice of these chimpanzees during the study. Findings of the study indicated that chimpanzees were skillful in the utilization of flexible tools for hunting termites from their mounds. Plantations were the only source of such tools that enabled chimpanzees to ‘fish for termites’ and eat them after extraction from the termite heaps. Experts (Lonsdorf et al, 2004) specified that chimpanzee culture of the local environment indicated that utilization of tools was a common practice for chimpanzees that used tools for various purposes. In addition, experts revealed that various studies have indicated that chimpanzees are the most intelligible non-human species to utilize tools for different purposes. Experts also disclosed that social learning and interaction capabilities of chimpanzees were some of the basic factors that cause such a varying range of utilization of tools in their communities. Article denoted that the experts focused on fourteen chimpanzees below eleven years of age during the period of four months, and paid attention to their interaction with their chimpanzee mothers during fishing sessions for the termites. Analysis of fishing practices and social interaction in the chimpanzee community indicated that chimpanzees of both genders interacted

You can make a topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

You can make a topic - Research Paper Example Today, however, its message has changed. In his article, â€Å"How Hip Hop holds Blacks back†, John McWhorter expresses his concern at the more primal effects of the present day Hip Hop music. McWhorter starts his article by detailing an experience he had at a restaurant in Harlem where he witnessed teenage African American boys behaving in an unsocial manner. Not only do the boys play loud music, shout and hurl food about, they also disregard the female manager of the restaurant who asks them to leave. They only move out of the restaurant when a male security guard asks them sternly to leave. McWhorter points out that this attitude is the product of the music that is favored by the teenagers. Hip Hop today is filled with messages that denigrate women and encourage the scorning of authority figures. It has in the past been dubbed as an â€Å"angry† type of music (McWhorter 9). This is because its artists are never calm when performing it. There are no ‘calm’ Hip Hop songs. Hip Hop artists are characterized by the fact that they shout their music and make angry or antisocial gestures that in another era would have been viewed as encouraging social strif e. This music is popular with teenagers because they find a place where they can express their inwardly-held angst at changes they are experiencing that are uncomfortable without being judged. However, McWhorter’s point of contention is that whereas the youth of other ethnicities move on and leave Hip Hop behind as they become surer of themselves, African Americans, particularly the men, embrace Hip Hop as a lifestyle. This has resulted in the infantilization of African American men and the near collapse of the entire community. Today, there are 30 and 40 year old men such as Jay Z and P Diddy, who are glorified by the Black American community for refusing to grow up and become responsible citizens (McWhorter 9). According to McWhorter, when young Black teenagers see how these

Project Analysis St. Mary Shopping Centre Thornbury Assignment

Project Analysis St. Mary Shopping Centre Thornbury - Assignment Example This essay describes a proposal, that was made to demolish the existing Thornbury library building at St. Mary Street, Thornbury BRISTOL, South Gloucestershire, to facilitate the erection of a three storey building to form a new library. The new library was also proposed to provide retail space, office space, and associated car parking in the form of a town centre. The proposal was considered by the Development Control Committee. After due consideration of the opinions and views of all interested parties and after a full deliberation the Committee refused the proposal of the development planning. This essay examines the circumstances under which compulsory purchase of land can be ordered by the city council or other local authorities and also the policies of the government with respect to local planning and development. The researcher of this essay also aims to present an alternative development plan for the land under question. Since the proposal for redevelopment of the site is not accepted by the Thornbury Town Council, it is proposed to demolish the building and construct a shopping centre in the place for renting out office space. The details of the project are listed elsewhere in this paper. However, the researcher concludes that before examining the commercial viability of the proposed shopping complex, it would be of interest to study the details of the provisions, that are related to the compulsory acquisition of land and also about the local planning policies of the government.... Thornbury Library St. Mary Street - a Background The proposed site is located in St. Mary Street, Thornbury Town in South Gloucestershire County and the proposal was to make the shopping centre with the name and style of St. Mary /shopping Centre. The town is situated about 14.5 miles north of Bristol city centre. The site is in the ownership of South Gloucestershire Council and can be leased on a long term basis. The Town centre in Thornbury is dominated by the High Street. St. Mary Street where the site is located is full of remnants of old and historic Thornbury building blocks. Since the proposal for redevelopment of the site is not accepted by the Thornbury Town Council, it is proposed to demolish the building and construct a shopping centre in the place for renting out office space. The details of the project are listed elsewhere in this paper. However, before examining the commercial viability of the proposed shopping complex it would be of interest to study the details of the provisions relating to the compulsory acquisitio n of land and also about the local planning policies of the government. Compulsory Purchase of Land Compulsory acquisition is the process by which local and national governments obtain land and premises for development purposes which they consider is to be done in the best interests of the community. The law relating to compulsory purchase is far too complex in that it includes a provision to allow an owner of an interest in land to make a request to the local authority concerned to take possession of the land if that land is affected by a planning decision of the local authority. The basic principle behind the law is that the land suitable for development which will benefit the community may be

Central City Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Central City Museum - Essay Example As the reporter highlights "I would create a forum that encompasses all of them and categorically convince them that the purpose and direction that the museum should take is to benefit both the school and the community. I would inform them that the approach is cost effective and cut across because it takes care of the interest of nearly every one of them. To implement this mission, I would contact the major museums in the region with the aim of creating travelling exhibition. Furthermore, I would sensitize and encourage students and the community to display their cultures during the cultural exhibitions that will be organized by the museum. Lastly, I would create a section that is accessible to both the students and the community that only deals with the current events. The main concept of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity today is to eliminate any form of discrimination at the place of work by embracing diversity. In addition, it is a requirement for every business organization to implement a formal affirmative action plan as directed by executive order 11246 that is found in the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. Â  At my place of work, both interpersonal and organizational are sources of barrier towards timely communication. They include ‘emotional noise’ caused by attitude, poor or even outdated communication equipment that is sometimes used to relay information, stereotyping others based on their cultural backgrounds."

Hitler's table talk Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Hitler's table talk - Term Paper Example In fact, he viewed Europe as a racial entity not a political entity. He praised the diligence and ingeniousness of the Germans. He disliked the French, the English and the Russians. He, however, expressed his respect for the English. He equally respects the Italians, attributing the success of the National Socialism in Germany to the Fascist success in Italy. The English were proud yet incapable of creative inventions. His dislike for the Russians was apparent. He considered the Russians as lazy people, who are not motivated to work. Russians are not capable of doing anything good. If at all, some good came out of a Russian, it is due to the â€Å"Aryan blood in his vain† (Cameron and Stevens 4). He dislikes Russians but dreamt of conquering Russia to acquire the wealth of St. Petersburg. He planned to colonize Russia by employing soldier-peasants as the Colonial Masters. He desired the Eastern Europe, with Russia and Ukraine as the main targets, his lands of conquest. He has no objective of going outside Europe to colonize other races. He was determined to crush any resistance from the Russians. He also dreamt of colonizing the Ukraine by using soldier-peasants and the Baltic states by employing the Dutch, Norwegians and the Swedes.. Once colonized, he will turn Ukraine into an agricultural country that will provide raw materials for the expanding German industries. He also has the same plan for Rumania. In fact, his plan was that Rumania, also an eastern European country, should stop any form of industrialization, and focus on directing the wealth of her soil to German industrial growth and in return, Germany will supply Rumania finished products. Furthermore, the Russians will be denied education. They are to remain illiterate. His plan was to make Eastern Europe reliant on Germany industry. In fact, he planned was to prevent military and economic power from rising in any country that is east of Germany. This was mainly a military strategy, which will prevent Germany’s western military rival from allying with military powers east of Germany. This will secure Germany position. The book also shows Adolf Hitler’s perception of the German people. He loves Germany. Germans are superior to any race. The Germans are hardworking people. German scientists dominated the American scientific community. Furthermore, he believed that the German Army was technically the best in the world, better than the English Army. He based his claim on the historical fact that two out of the three wars of annihilation, Cannae, Sedan and Tannenberg, where fought by the German Army. He planned to improve that military record by adding the conquest of Russian, Poland and Western Europe to the historical list of wars of annihilation. He praised the initiative of the German military as against the lack of initiative that exist with the German civil administration. He was not opposed to mistakes in so far as they yield long-term positive results. I n his opinion, mistakes are inevitable and those in charge should take responsibility. The German civil administration, according to Hitler was overloaded, lack initiative and over- organized. He attributed the lack of initiative with fear of making mistakes. Indeed, he compared the English administrative style in India with the one in Germany. While the English governed successful a hundred and fifty million people with a hundred and forty-five thousand men, the

Case Study Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study Analysis Paper - Essay Example Doug will be required to conduct a diagnosis of the newly initiated orientation program and the prevailing work environment so that he can identify the problems contributing to the poor employee participation. A diagnosis will help Doug determine whether or not his program or the work environment or both are causing problems relative to participation in new employee orientation program (Jackson et al, 2011). It is only after Doug has conducted a diagnosis of the program and the employee work environment can he effectively construct an action plan (Jackson et al, 2011). Doug must be careful however, to check the results and look for additional information which can identify other â€Å"aspects of the problem† (Kubr & Prokopenko, 1989, p. 67). Doug will have to take into account a large spectrum of variables. As von Hippel (1994) informs, in order to solve a problem, information is needed and problem solving â€Å"capabilities† must be utilized (p.429). In this regard Dou g will be required to process the results of his diagnosis and reevaluate six specific facts of a workable strategy: stated goals; diagnosis of the environment; strategizing; evaluation of the strategy; implementing his strategy; and control of the strategy (Schendel & Hofer, 1979). In strategizing, it will be entirely necessary for Doug to take account of the people that he seeks to set goals and strategies for: new employees. In anticipating and setting strategies for new employees and the work environment, it will be necessary for Doug to take into account pre-employment expectations, experiences following employment and any gaps that might influence new employees’ morale (Sutton & Griffin, 2004). For instance, high expectations prior to entering the workplace may not have been fulfilled and thus employee motivation and morale might be low. Doug’s strategy may have to be reorganized around reaching out to employees as a means of motivating employees rather than mere ly orientation strategies. In other words, a diagnosis of the program and the employee’s environmental conditions might inform Doug that his program does not correspond with the experiences of the new employees. Thus an action plan will have to take these factors into consideration. Doug must take all reasonable steps to ensure that he is responsive to the lack of participation by new employees. If the problem turns out to be a mere scheduling problem he might want to reschedule his program so that it accommodates the schedules of a majority, if not all of his new employees. Scheduling may only be one of the problems that require Doug’s attention. It might also be a problem with the gap between pre-employment expectations and post-employment experiences. A review of the literature informs that there are a number of solutions that Doug may consider and these solutions relate to long-term solutions that are built into the working environment. First and foremost, the idea is to create a culture that transfers motivation and learning throughout the organization by virtue of a socialization and invocation process. This can be accomplished by virtue of building competency within the organization â€Å"among employees and local supervisors† (Forman & Jorgensen, 2001, p. 71). It is also necessary to encourage employee involvement in the planning and execution process relative to tasks and

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business Essay - 5

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business - Essay Example The unfair dismissal, which has been defined as the termination of employment deemed to be ‘unjust, harsh or unreasonable (Pizam, 2010), in another organization was appeared. In which, the employees were sacked; subsequently, the aggrieved party filed a petition against the unfair dismissal. And, the court gave its verdict in the favor of the victims. And, they re-joined the same organization on the court orders. In addition to that, after going through the different reports over the ethical issues, I came across with the news pertaining to the ethical violations in one of the renowned organizations; however, it would also be unethical to mention the name of that organization. But, the ethical violation in that organization was that the organization had frozen the overtime and other benefits of its own employees just because of the employees had carried out a Trade Union activity. A number of impacts can be observable from the practices of ethical violations. First, the discrimination of any form would not help in entertaining the corporate objectives of the organization. This would create the environment of grouping or empire building within the organization. In which, one group would be working at the cost of other groups. And, the organizational objectives would not be compromised but also be neglected. In addition to that, discrimination would engender the environment of hostility within the organization. And, the hostility would only convince the staff to work to improve group’s benefits. Also, if the corporate objectives of the organization would be compromised, the organization would not earn profit or sufficient revenue; and, in the long-run, the organization would need to fight for its own survival. The unfair dismissal and the freezing of overtime and other benefits would hardly find any reasonable or legitimate justification as both actions on the side of the organization were carried out with the insincere

The Way to Fight Global Poverty Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Way to Fight Global Poverty - Assignment Example Better governance through political integrity is another solution to the global poverty and entails administration of donor aid in controlling poverty (Banerjee and Duflo). Â  Responsibility among the poor to eradicate global poverty offers hope for a solution. The authors’ randomized controlled tests identify passivity among the poor because they fear involved risks in active ventures and because of misplaced priorities that consume their resources instead of investments for higher incomes. Resource limitation is the main challenge to the solution strategy and calls for empowerment from rich people and countries. Banerjee and Duflo’s proposal for an active role of the rich in poverty eradication also promises viability by resolving the poor’s limitation into activeness. Creating awareness of possible initiatives by the poor is likely to undermine fears of failure and encourage the poor. Offering economic support is also likely to improve personal initiatives among the poor because of resolved resource limitation problem. Goodwill and political support, however, challenge empowerment initiatives but the author’s third altern ative offers the remedy. Better politics towards corruption free governance is likely to focus on poverty eradication, instead of self-centered interests, and source for resources for the initiative and manage available resources with integrity. Integrating the three ideas is likely to succeed in eradicating global poverty (Banerjee and Duflo). Â  The authors’ ideas identify hope in solving the global poverty problem and identify the need for professional attention to the problem.

Alfalfa hay yield prediction using yield monitor data and satellite Research Paper

Alfalfa hay yield prediction using yield monitor data and satellite imagery - Research Paper Example These variables can be used as yield indicators upon which crop growth models are based (Clevers et al, 1994). Accurate yield estimation relies on the availability and quality of actual crop status data. Satellite images provide a spatial resolution in spectral bands and offer coverage cycles. A number of studies have used such satellite images for monitoring of crop development (Watz et al, 1996) a characterization of natural vegetation (Saiz et al,1996). Information about the crops can be obtained from Vegetation indices (Tucker, 1979). These are functions that measure crop reflectance in terms of spectral analysis. Studies support the fact the use of Vis from the sensors were effective in determining the spatial variation and phonological changes in vegetation, though there are several Vis defined the most commonly used VI is the NDVI(normalized difference vegetation index) (Schowengerdt,1997). Techniques to improve the use of NDVIs are being developed, for example to normalize mu lti-temporal NDVs derived from NOAA AVHRR data for atmospheric effects. (Potdar et al, 1999). The reason for the variations was the low correlation coefficients. (Groten, 1993, Sharma 1993, Rosema, 1998) The main goal of agricultural crop management is to guarantee food resource for its population. Crop yield prediction ahead of harvest time and involving large regions is important for all countries. Crop yield prediction entails the application of crop growth models and crop yield models. Despite advances in crop yield prediction models, the applicability of such a model is limited to particular crops, cultivation practices, and growing conditions (Gommes, 1998). In addition, there is recognition that an integral part of predicting yield lies in accurate identification of growing sites and measurement of crop sown area, prior to using VI based methods for predicting crop growth and yield (Gommes , 2001). Thus, the goal of our study was to validate the prediction model as per NDVI w ith actual yield. In fact, early research has revealed the need to obtain better spectral signatures for predicting growth and yield of crops (Sonia ,1999, Sonia et al ,2002). This is because no single model of prediction has proven satisfactory in all conditions. For example, models like CERES (Larrabee et al, 1985), WOFOST (Diepen et al,1989) and EPIC (Williams et al, 1984), is limited due to the fact they were targeted towards specific research methods. The leading crop simulation models have been deemed to complex for wide acceptable forecasting purposes (Gommes, 1998). Remote Sensing has been used to furnish input data for models. Spectral vegetation indices correct the atmospheric and soil spectral effects on remotely sensed data.(Broge et al,2002)(McDonald et al ,1983)(Tucker,1979)(Tucker et al, 1985)(Tucker et al, 1991)(Unganai et al, 1988)(Williams, et al, 1991). This Vegetation Index (VI) is a measure of total green biomass at any given time has been related to crop yield (Potdar et al, 1993). The normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) can be computed from red and near infrared reflectance data available from LANDSAT-TM, SPOT, ARTEMIS, NOAA-AVHRR satellite images (Heilkema et al, 1990). The NDVI derived

Communication Paper Essay Example for Free

Communication Paper Essay I would like to take this time in welcoming you to this presentation on communication marketing in health care. We will first be identifying different and most common communication used by consumers and health care providers, such as e-mail, a web-based forum, and/or electronic medical records just to name a few. We will also be discussing the benefits to the patients, an aspect relating to the values and importance of maintaining patient confidentiality when using these types of communication, some reasons that these types of communications are an effective way of communicating between consumers and their providers, how these types of communications may differ from others, and lastly, how might media and social networking change communication in health care today and years to come. Now, join with me as we discuss the different types and most common communication used by consumers and their health care providers. Many communication channels are used in healthcare, each with different properties. These channels may be synchronous or asynchronous, mobile or fixed, secure or no secure. Because of this, participants must decide which channel best suits the issue about which they need to communicate. Synchronous channels such as telephones and face-†to-†face meetings allow both parties to communicate at the same time, enabling information to flow freely in real time. Synchronous channels are ideal when discussing time-†sensitive issues and exchanging dense information. It is not always convenient, however, for a patient and physician to schedule time to communicate using synchronous channels because they can lead to delayed care, telephone tag, and frustration—when these channels fail to connect, some healthcare issues remain unaddressed. Yet, generally only pagers and synchronous communications are available for patient-†physician  communication. Asynchronous channels such as email, fax, and blogs enable each party to communicate when it is convenient. These channels may be used safely for issues that are no urgent or time-†sensitive. Because time is not a factor when using asynchronous channels, both patient and clinician can be more reflective in their messaging. Asynchronous channels, however, should not be used for medical emergencies or time-†sensitive issues. Another characteristic of communication channels is whether they are fixed (connected to a wire) or mobile. Thanks to advances in technology, many communication channels that were once fixed are now wireless, such as telephones and text messaging. Presenting new technologies is challenging when dealing with an industry entrenched in using the same telephone, fax, and pager systems for decades. Many problems in healthcare stem from the industry clinging to these outdated methods of communication, without understanding the benefits brought about by newer solutions. For example, electronic pagers, which have been abandoned by most industries, are still the core device for hospital communications. While physicians extensively use a mobile core phone outside the hospital, these phones are often banned from being used inside, despite evidence that in most areas of the hospital this technology is safe. Email is often discouraged for clinical communication for security reasons, and more advanced technologies such as instant messaging, videoconferencing, group teleconferencing, or web-†based collaboration are almost unheard of in clinical care—despite evidence that proves the effectiveness and safety of these technologies in healthcare. While physicians have found newer tools such as email useful, they are typically used only in limited situations and not commonly employed to communicate with patients. The reasons for physicians’ reluctance to use e-†communication with patients include concerns about malpractice litigation, fears of being barraged with emails, and the absence of a model that reimburses them for consulting with patients electronically. Communication in healthcare fails for many reasons: necessary personnel cannot be identified or located; they may not be available or may not respond in a timely manner; or the communication channel of choice may not be well suited to the task at hand— for example, e-†communication such as  email should not be used for time-†sensitive issues such as a patient having a heart attack, or in situations that require a dense exchange of information. Pagers, for instance, are more appropriate for time-†sensitive issues, while telephones, in-†person or videoconferencing meetings, or web-†based collaboration tools are more efficient options for exchanging dense information, such as detailed c ase reports. Because case reports require much discussion among physicians, using email only slows down the discussion process. With the ability to reduce costs, telemedicine has been shown to be such an effective medical practice in several instances that its growth and application in the health care industry have raised greatly. One of the reasons for patient satisfaction with telemedicine is a reduction in waiting time, travel time, and the time involved in arranging appointments. The absence of all these issues can facilitate health communication by eliminating many of the burdens involving in standard health care. There also some challenges to the patient privacy with web-based communication just as in a facility. Because multiple individuals in telemedicine communication, exposure of confidential records to all parties concerned becomes a threat to the privacy of the patient. Additionally, even through medical doctors accept the obligation of maintaining their patients’ privacy rights, the other assisting parties involved in the telemedicine communication may not be held to the same standards (Turner, 2003). As a result of this risk to patients’ privacy rights, telemedicine has struggled to gain acceptance for the legal and medical communities (Sanders Bashshur, 1995). However, again, as time progresses and this issue tackled by the medical and legal communities alike, solutions should be found to eliminate privacy risks to patients. Furthermore, these solutions should generate increased acceptance of telemedicine practices by all parties concerned and, likewise, should alleviate the fear and frequency of breached to patient privacy laws. In conclusion to the communication marketing in health care, we were able to identify the different types of communication such as e-mails, web-based and  medical records. We were able to point out some benefits and different aspects for the patients values and the importance in maintaining the patients confidentiality and the risks of safety in these types of communications. We were also able to understand the reasons as to how these types of communications are effective between the consumers and their providers and how they differ from other forms of communications as well. Thank you for your time and efforts in taking the time to better understand the communication through telemedicine present and future. References: http://www.uapd.com/wp-content/uploads/Telemedicine-Its-Effects-on-Health-Communication.pdf http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac79/docs/wp/Communication_Healthcare_WP_0724FINAL.pdf

Ageism Essay Example for Free

Ageism Essay Journal Assignment: A Review of a Study Measuring Ageism in East Tennessee, USA The renowned gerontologist Dr. Robert Butler defines ageism as â€Å"stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old† (McGuire, Klein, Chen, p. 11, 2008). McGuire, Klein, and Chen (2008) were interested in determining the amount of ageism present amongst older adults in East Tennessee, USA. These researchers also wanted to examine the types of ageism reported by such individuals. McGuire et al. 2008) hoped that their results from this study would be a precursor for creating strategies to fight ageism in the region. Method McGuire et al. (2008) used convenience sampling methods to recruit community-dwelling older adults. The researchers were interested in surveying individuals 60 years of age or older (McGuire et al. , 2008). They obtained 247 participants who qualified for the study (mean age = 74; 75% females). The survey was administered at eight locations in four counties in the East Tennessee area (McGuire et al. , 2008). Of the eight survey sites, five of them were considered urban/suburban while three of them were considered rural. There were 151 participants from the urban/suburban sites and 96 participants from the rural sites (McGuire et al. , 2008). McGuire et al. (2008) utilized a cross-sectional survey design involving the Ageism Survey. The Ageism Survey is designed to measure the frequency of ageism in different societies, determine which subgroups of the elderly report the most ageism, and determine which types of ageism are most common (McGuire et al. , 2008). The survey includes 20 items that examine the frequency of occurrence of ageism along with examples of negative attitudes, stereotypes and institutional and personal discrimination towards the elderly (McGuire et al. , 2008). Results The participants revealed that ageism is prevalent and widespread. Roughly 84% of the participants stated experiencing ageism at least once and 71% of the participants reported experiencing ageism more than once (McGuire et al. , 2008). 69% of the participants indicated that they were told a joke that made fun of the elderly, while 51% reported that they were given a birthday card that made of the elderly. Furthermore, 40% of the participants stated that they were disregarded or not taken seriously due to their age, while 37. 5% indicated that they were patronized due to their age (McGuire et al. , 2008). Finally, 22. 8% of the participants stated that they were treated with less respect and less consideration as result of their elderly status (McGuire et al. , 2008). In addition, McGuire et al. (2008) found that a statistically significant difference existed between the urban/suburban and the rural locations in terms of the frequency of ageism. The participants from the urban/suburban areas indicated a higher rate of ageism than their rural counterparts on the following survey items: received an offensive birthday card, was told a joke that made fun of the elderly, was ignored due to their age, and a doctor assumed their ailments were age-related (McGuire et al. , 2008). The rural participants reported a higher occurrence only for the following event: someone thought I couldn’t understand due to my age (McGuire et al. , 2008). Discussion and Conclusions Based on their results, McGuire et al. 2008) concluded that ageism is thriving in the USA. Their results support findings from previous research and confirm the existence of ageism. McGuire et al. (2008) also mentioned that their study reveals the utility of the Ageism Survey and the importance of measuring ageism in society. They state that the results obtained by the Ageism Survey are useful for focusing the direction for interventions to fight ageism (McGuire et al. , 2008). Overall, McGuire et al. (2008) stress the importance of shifting societal norms towards a more accepting view of aging. Perceived Limitations  McGuire et al. (2008) state that the primary issue of their study involves their use of urban/suburban and rural dwelling participants. This is because even through the participants lived in urban/suburban or rural neighbourhoods, they may have experienced the ageism that they reported in a different setting. That is, the urban/suburban participants may have been in a rural area when they witnessed ageism, or vice versa. Furthermore, McGuire et al. (2008) mention that they are unable to say for sure whether their results are really cases of ageism and not simply hypersensitivity. In addition, participants may have been embarrassed resulting in their inaccurate responding in the survey. Thus, McGuire et al. ’s (2008) results are only as accurate as the participants’ reporting. Finally, the researchers indicate that their results may be influenced by response bias as the survey only used positively worded events; therefore, it is possible that the results are actually more positive than reality (McGuire et al. , 2008). Other limitations of this study involve the use of a convenience sample. That is, while the results may pertain to elderly participants in the East Tennessee area, they cannot be generalized beyond that. One cannot conclude that the findings from this study necessarily reveal information regarding populations in other parts of the USA or in other countries. Furthermore, the study doesn’t address whether gender differences in experiences towards ageism exist. It is generally believed that women experience a higher degree of discrimination in regards to the aging process, thus perhaps the results in this study are skewed due to the fact that 75% of the sample were female. Therefore, the results may be more negative than what would have arose if more men were surveyed. In addition, this study doesn’t address the context in which the participants experienced ageism. The elderly person may have misunderstood the situation and deemed the experience as ageist when in reality no such intentions existed. This taps into the limitation highlighted by the researchers themselves that states that the participants may have been overly sensitive. However the reverse is true as well. It is possible that the participants experience ageism a lot more than they even notice. That is, perhaps some instances of ageism are so subtle that the elderly person involved is naive to what they are experiencing. Further limitations of this study involve the technique of data collection: a survey questionnaire. While this method is generally inexpensive and allows researchers to use large samples, safeguard anonymity, and reduce the possibility of researcher bias, questionnaires have a tendency for inaccuracy. As previously mentioned, the results are only as good as the responding. It is possible that the participants lost interest while completing the study and mindlessly responded. There were no incentives given to the participants (i. e. no rewards), therefore intentional distortion may have occurred. Furthermore, self-presentation bias or impression management is a possible confound in this study. The participants may have been trying to preserve their dignity and therefore underreported their experiences of ageism. In addition, the questionnaires were presented to the participants only once; therefore it’s difficult to predict whether or not the results would be stable over time. To check this, the researchers should have used reliability tests, such as test-retest and/or alternate form. Finally, there is always the possibility that the researchers misinterpreted their results. Directions for Future Research  McGuire et al. (2008) suggest that additional research should be conducted to provide larger numbers, further support, and more culture-based population information regarding the measurement of ageism. These researchers suggest that welfare and health professionals and policy advocates can play a significant role in decreasing ageism; but, they must first be able to demonstrate the scope and epidemiology of ageism (McGuire et al. , 2008). As a result, they suggest further research in any and all areas pertaining to the prevalence ageism is vital if it is to ever be eradicated (McGuire et al. 2008). McGuire et al. ’s (2008) study appears to be a starting point and precursor for future research in the field of gerontology. While this study has demonstrated the extent of ageism in East Tennessee, it does not necessarily demonstrate how society should combat it. As a result, future research should be conducted to reveal the most effective means of eliminating ageism. Furthermore, additional research should be performed on other populations and more representative samples, such as from different age groups, ethnicities, and socio-economic statuses. Data from other countries or cultures (i. e. where the elderly are embraced) may be useful in demonstrating to Western societies the benefits and importance of elderly citizens. Furthermore, information from a variety of populations will provide a more all-encompassing view of the topic of ageism and will perhaps pinpoint a better approach to fighting it. Additional studies should make use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. It would be interesting to compare the results from an open-ended interview or case study with those from a laboratory study. By utilizing mixed-methods, the field of gerontology is exposed to a more comprehensive view of ageism. Future research should also examine which types of individuals are most vulnerable to experiencing ageism, so that efforts can be targeted to reduce ageism. Researchers should also focus on methods of spreading awareness. That is, they should study the most effective means of educating society about the effects and prevalence of ageism. Another potential line of research may involve asking younger individuals whether they have participated in acts of ageism. The results from this possible study may provide useful information on how younger generations view ageism and how society can go about educating them and preventing future acts of ageism. It would also be interesting to uncover data pertaining to implicit ageism and self-stereotyped ageism. Finally, it may be beneficial to reveal whether ageism exists amongst and between the elderly. That is, whether or not older adults engage in ageism themselves. Overall, future research should be focused on developing an epidemiology of ageism so that society can start working on decreasing it in our world.

Marketing Essays Satisfy Consumer Needs

Marketing Essays Satisfy Consumer Needs Satisfy Consumer Needs Introduction When marketing managers are asked if a particular tactic will produce the desired results, their answer has normally been closer to the lines of: it all depends on the product or service, the target demographic, the message and, particularly, how the target customers want to be approached (Beinhocker and Kaplan 2002). All these elements form a part of the marketing mix. Traditionally, marketers use the marketing mix, the 4Ps of product, price, place and promotion, to position the brand and to create brand values around a coherent set of policies for each of these P’s. Marketing mix has been used as a framework which acts as a guideline for marketers to implement a marketing concept. It consists of a set of major decision areas that a company needs to manage in order to at least satisfy consumer needs. This study will relate the concept of marketing mix with the fast changing mobile technology product market. The mobile phone market are no more company driven, rather it is cons umer driven. The business environment in which it operates is highly competitive with intense rivalry not only from direct competitors but also from the regulators and the environment. Analyzing the elements of the Marketing mix   ‘Price’ in the ‘marketing mix’ is the amount of money charged for a product or service, or the sum of the values that consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service (Beckwith, 2001). This is the only element on the marketing mix that produces revenue while the other three creates costs. By, ‘product’, marketers refer to anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need (Sudhir, et al., 2005). This includes physical objects, services, persons, places, organizations and ideas. ‘Promotion’ refers to activities that communicate the product or service and its merits to target customers and persuade them to buy (Kotler Keller, 2006). It is concerned about delivering the sales message and traditionally has consisted of Advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relation, publicity and personal selling. ‘Place’, a s the name suggests, refers to the geographic locations which has become increasingly significant in the wake of globalization. Every industry has to consider the culture and business practices of the place it is trying to do business with and the entry mode it wants to adapt before entering a different place/country/region. The ‘people’ (recently added to the marketing mix) aspect of marketing mix signifies the level of customer service, advice, sales support and aftermarket back-up required, involving recruitment policies, training, retention and motivation of key personnel. Marketing is professional practice it involves people. Traditional marketing mix was about dictating the market through price, product, place, and promotion manipulation. Marketing managers have traditionally used it to make better use of the tools and resources available to them in supplying products and services to customers and prospects. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers Analysis and Discussion A consumer’s utility for a model of mobile phone is a function of the attributes and the price of that model, with the consumer choosing the brand-model that maximizes utility (Sriram, 2005; pg 440). Product plays a big role for global mobile phone companies like Nokia which not only have to keep continuously innovating with their products but also need to change its product according to the ethical and cultural aspects of the local market. It might be argued that even though ‘product’ is an important part of the digital industry, it’s the ‘innovation’ aspect associated with the products that give firms distinctive advantage over its rivals. Eg Sony Ericsson (the Japanese / Swedish firm) has integrated its successful ‘cybershot’ camera within its mobile phones to add value to its offering. Sony has also added its much known Walkman (Sony was the inventor of Walkman) feature to its mobile phone to give customers the best of three wo rlds (mobile, camera and walkman) in one device. Some might argue that this sort of strategy falls under the ‘product’ category of the marketing mix but, its less associated with the product design and specifications and more with the value and innovativeness. The price element of the marketing mix has traditionally relied on selecting the price objective by determining demand. Companies have estimated their price by comparing them to their competitors and basing it on a particular pricing method (Petrin, 2005). While the mobile phone industry still considers all these factors in setting its price, competitive pricing has given way to ‘value for money’ pricing. This means that low price as compared to competitors no longer means success in the mobile world. Pricing strategy in the mobile phone industry is more aligned to the company’s value proposition. Eg. Apple charges premium for its handset (iPhone) which is one of the costliest handset in the market, till its handset has achieved higher than expected sales. This is because its price is based not on competitor price but on its value proposition of innovativeness in terms of design and features. Similarly, Nokia N95 (market retail price c £500) is one of the most s uccessful Nokia offerings because it was the first phone to integrate a 5 mega pixel camera with a mobile. Customers are not ‘price sensitive’ any more; they are ‘value sensitive’. They see the value they are getting in terms of price that they pay for the offering.    While pricing strategy still needs to fit in with the overall mission of organisation, and reflect its financial objectives, it has to be more ‘value based’. Mobile products justify the fact that even though the four Ps are relevant in the current business environment, they probably need to be upgraded to include elements such as ‘innovation’ to reflect the present technology market realities. The promotion element of the marketing mix has undergone a huge change within the last few years. According to the Mobile Marketing Association, by 2008, 89 percent of brands will use text and multimedia messaging to reach their audiences, with nearly one-third planning to spend more than 10 percent of their marketing budgets on advertising in the medium (Graham, 2008). The newer element of marketing mix, ‘people’ is used to define modern mobile consumers and classifies consumers into a single entity. Researchers argue that ‘people’ cannot be classified as a single entity as requirement for product and services may vary. Also, increasing consumer power and sophistication due to wide availability of information has given rise to personalized marketing which requires interaction and sincere, direct dialog with the customer (Beinhocker, 2002). There is an increasingly need for marketers in the mobile market to identify the constantly changing and evolving customer needs, respond quickly to competitive movements and predict market trends early and accurately. Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work Eg. Motorola pioneered the mobile revolution and was the first mobile phone brand to enter the market. But, it has moved from pioneer to a low third (in terms of market share) and currently under threat to lose market share to Sony Ericsson because of its innovative handsets. Eg. Major Motorola competitors like Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson have come out with 5 Mega pixel camera mobiles but Motorola is still to catch up with them in terms of product design and value addition. Some may argue that this falls under ‘product’ part of the marketing mix but it is actually innovation that drives competition. Mobile was an innovative device and the market has always relied on innovation, which can be in terms of product or service. With organizations already providing internet access over mobile phones, the new trend is to add the capability to view television programs on the mobile. Rather than the 4P’s, performance in the mobile industry is driven more by changes tied t o intrinsic preferences which can be because of the changing portfolio of models in the product line and/or modifications in the attributes and prices of the models in the product line. While the 4P’s theory is still relevant in terms of marketing theory and practice, it oversimplifies the reality of marketing management in terms of mobile phone market (Brassington Pettitt, 2003). It is more organization-centric and says about the interactions between the mix variables. Also, recent development in technology has led to the concept of Customer Relation Management which encourage relationship building with the customer. The 4P’s of marketing rely on more transactional variables. The mobile phone product is one such product where staying close to the customers is extremely important. Companies not only need to know who their customers are but also what they value, in terms of add-on services. Comaines need to understand the need for product extensions by maintaing a direct contact with their customers, the highly visible nature of the service process, and the simultaneity of the production and consumption (Coviello Brodie, 2001). The extension allows a more thorough analysis of the marketing ingredients necessary for successful marketing (Akcura et al., 2004). Also, depending on the product line, different elements of marketing mix may have varying importance attached to them. Eg. Previous financial researchers done by (Driussi, 2007; pg 57) have revealed that in some cases a 1 % change in price can deliver a 10% plus improvement in profit. This might mean that businesses deal with pricing with much more rigor that their product design, channel management or promotions planning.   Despite the background and status of the Marketing mix as a major theoretical and practical parameter of contemporary marketing, several academics have at times expressed doubts and objections as to the value and the future of the Mix, proposing alternatives that range from minor modifications to total rejection (Brassington Pettitt, 2003). The common issues where researchers feel they marketing mix has its limitations are, its inadequacy to address specific marketing situations like the marketing of services, the management of relationships or the marketing of industrial products. Due to these factors, researchers believe that the marketing mix theory has to be broadened to suit the current market conditions. Consumer behavior in the mobile phone industry has also evolved with a rise in the over the mass consumer markets towards increasingly global, segmented, customized or even personalized markets of today (Kotler Keller 2006) where innovation, customization, relationships build ing and networking have become issues of vital significance. The new marketing principles imply that marketing activities should be based on identification of customer needs and wants, typical external and therefore uncontrollable factors (Naik et al., 2005). Researchers believe that by expanding the theoretical scope of the marketing theory, it will be easier to reflect on urge to better understand the managerial consequences of transformations taking place and identify sources of superior firm performance in constantly evolving competitive environments (Constantinides, 2001). Draganska (2006) believes that the growing pressure on marketers to better identify and satisfy constantly changing customer and industry needs, the increasing importance of services and the need to build-up long-lasting relationships with the client, have further contributed to the exposure of several limitations of the 4P framework as a marketing management tool.   Conclusions   The changing marketplace dynamics of mobile phone industry has meant that marketing mix as a differentiation strategy needs massive upgrading. The rise of competition, globalization, increasing use of technology in marketing practices has changed the traditional way to marketing to people. There are no certainties and no guarantees of success within the mobile phone industry even if companies get their 4P’s right. This is because, what works with one group of customers may not work with another, and some things which traditionally used to work may not work at all. In the continuously changing marketing environment, the marketing mix is still relevant but strategies based on them may not necessarily work. There are more variables and elements to the mix than the 4P’s, which depends of the industry type, market structure, competition and other related factors. Graham (2008; pg 40) while referring to the 4P’s states that rather than bouncing the four (price, promoti on, people and place) balls at one time, marketers need to juggle up to a dozen or more at the same time. It is worth mentioning that in the wake of changing consumer preferences, marketing managers still need to evaluate the effects of product attributes and marketing activities to improve performance in the marketplace. References Akcura, T. M., F. Gonul, E. Petrova. (2004) Consumer learning and brand valuation: An application on over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Marketing Science. 23(4) 156–169. Ailawadi, K.L., Lehmann, D.R. and Neslin, S.A. (2001), Market Response to a Major Policy Change in the Marketing Mix: Learning from Procter Gambles Value Pricing Strategy. Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65 Issue 1, p44. Beckwith, H. (2001), The Invisible Touch the Four Keys of Modern Marketing, Texere Publishing. Brassington, F. and Pettitt, S. (2003), Principles of Marketing, Third Edition, Prentice Hall / Financial Times. Beinhocker, E.D. and Kaplan, S. (2002), Tired of Strategic Planning? The McKinsey Quarterly, nr 2. Constantinides, E. (2002), The 4S Web-Marketing Mix Model, E-Commerce Research and Applications, Elsevier Science, July 2002, Vol. 1/1, pp 57-76. 434 Coviello, N.E. and Brodie, R.J. (2001), Contemporary marketing practices of consumer and business-to-business firms: how different are they?. The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Vol. 16, Nr. 5 pp. 382 400. Draganska, M., (2006) Consumer preferences and product line pricing strategies: An empirical analysis. Marketing Science. 25(2) 164–174. Driussi, A (2007), Pricing: the lost component of the marketing mix?, BT Weekly, 5/11/2007 Professional Marketing Su, Vol. 57, p6-7 The New Marketing Mix: Where Will You Meet Your Customers? 1/7/2008, Vol. 233 Issue 2, p40-41 Kotler Keller (2006), Marketing Management (12th edn.), London, Perason Education Naik, P., K. Raman, R. Winer (2005) Planning marketing-mix strategies in the presence of interaction effects. Marketing Sci. 24(1) 25–34. Petrin, A. (2005) Omitted product attributes in differentiated product models. Working paper, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. Sudhir, K., P. K. Chintagunta, V. Kadiyali. 2005. Time-varying competition. Marketing Sci. 24(1) 96–109. Sriram et al.: Effects of Brand Preference, Product Attributes, and Marketing Mix Variables Marketing Science 25(5), pp. 440–456