Marketing to Children Essay

Advertisers spend 100s of billions of dollars a year worldwide[1] encouraging, persuading and manipulating people into a consumer lifestyle that has devastating consequences for the environment through its extravagance and wastefulness. Advertising exploits individual insecurities, creates false needs and offers counterfeit solutions. It fosters dissatisfaction that leads to consumption. Children are particularly vulnerable to this sort of manipulation. Young children are increasingly the target of advertising and marketing because of the amount of money they spend themselves, the influence they have on their parents spending (the nag factor) and because of the money they will spend when they grow up.[2] Whilst this child-targetted marketing used to concentrate on sweets and toys, it now includes clothes, shoes, a range of fast foods, sports equipment, computer products and toiletries as well as adult products such as cars and credit cards. In Australia, children under 18 have an ave rage $31.60 to spend each week and they influence more than 70 per cent of their parents’ clothes and fast food purchases.[3] Advertisers attending a conference on Marketing to Kids and Youth were told that children and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17 spent $3.3 billion every year.[4] In the US there are over 57 million school age children and teenagers who spend about $100 billion each year of their own and their family’s money on  sweets, food, drinks, video and electronic products, toys, games, movies, sports, clothes and shoes.[5] Additionally children 12 and under spend more than $11 billion of their own money and influence family spending decisions worth another $165 billion on food, household items like furniture, electrical appliances and computers, vacations, the family car and other spending.[6] For example, one study estimated that children influenced $9 billion worth of car sales in 1994. One car dealer explains: â€Å"Sometimes, the child literally is our customer. I have watched the child pick out the car.†[7] This means that car manufacturers cannot afford to ignore the children in their marketing. Companies such as Nissan sponsor the American Youth Soccer Organisation and a travelling geography exhibit in order to get exposure for their brand name and logo in child-friendly settings. Chrysler distributes 100s of thousands of glossy cardboard pop-up promotional books by direct mail that will appeal to children who love pop-up books. And Chevrolet has used advertisements featuring children. Some car dealers have added children’s play areas and arcade games to their facilities.[8] US advertisers are now beginning to recognise the potential of the international children’s market. James McNeal in his book Kids as Customers estimates that there are about three quarters of a billion children in other industrialised countries: â€Å"Letting one’s marketing imagination run wild for a moment, if these children spend only half of what U.S. children spend, their market potential would be equal to around $86.5 billion.†[9] Brandweek magazine, also enthusing about â€Å"the marketing opportunity that kids around the world represent† pointed out that even in China where children don’t get much income and save most of it, their total spending amounts to $2.6 billion per year, â€Å"second only to the US†.[10] Brandweek cited a survey that showed McDonald’s was the favourite fast food all over the world and Coke the favourite drink. It argued: if it is possible to create global preferences with food products–where obstacles like differences in local cuisine and culture exist–transcending cultural boundaries with toys, clothing and entertainment products should be considerably easier.[11] Average Income and Spending for Children aged 7-12 yrs Regular Income Annual Income# Savings Total Spending $US/month/child $US/year/child  $US/year Germany 32.30 569.40 46% 0.9 billion UK 31.50 506.20 26% 1.7 billion US 29.10 493.10 21% 8.9 billion France 22.50 377.90 30% 2.2 billion Japan* 10.70 407.90 62% 1.0 billion China* 9.00 182.00 60% 2.6 billion * urban areas only # including special income Source: Laurie Klein, `More than play dough’, Brandweek, Vol. 38 (24 November 1997) McNeal argues that â€Å"in many nations the competition for the children’s market is not as aggressive† as in the US: â€Å"It has been said that in the United States when you get a competitor down you kick him; in Asia you help him up.† He suggests that US firms using US-style competition will therefore have an advantage: it appears that fairly standardized multinational marketing strategies to children around the globe are viable. And they are advisable for those American marketers who are wanting to avoid some of the intense competition domestically and are thinking of seeking market and profit growth across the seas.[12]] The Development of a Consumer Children represent three different markets. In addition to the direct money that children spend and the money they influence, children also represent a third major market and perhaps the most significant and that is the future market.[13] Advertisers recognise that brand loyalties and consumer habits formed when children are young and vulnerable will be carried through to adulthood. Retailers and manufacturers have two sources of new customers, those who they can persuade to change from their competitors and those who have not yet entered the market. Those who switch are less likely to be loyal than those who are nurtured from childhood.[14] According to the CEO of Prism Communications, â€Å"they aren’t children so much as what I like to call `evolving consumers’.†[15] McNeal outlines the stages in the evolution of a child consumer. From age 1: Accompanying Parents and Observing. Children are taken with their parents to supermarkets and other stores where all sorts of goodies are displayed. By the time a child can sit erect, he or she is placed in his or her culturally defined observation post high atop a  shopping cart. From this vantage point the child stays safety in proximity to parents but can see for the first time the wonderland of marketing.[16] From age 2: Accompanying Parents and Requesting. Children begin to ask for things that they see and make connections between television advertising and store contents. They pay more attention to those ads and the list of things they want increases. At the same time, the youngster is learning how to get parents to respond to his or her wishes and wants. This may take the form of a grunt, whine, scream, or gesture–indeed some tears may be necessary–but eventually almost all children are able on a regular basis to persuade Mom or Dad to buy something for them.[17] From age 3: Accompanying Parents and Selecting with Permission. Children are able to come down from the shopping trolley and make their own choices. They are able to recognise brands and locate goods in the store.[18] At this point the child has completed many connections, from advertisements to wants, to stores, to displays, to packages, to retrieval of want-satisfying products. For many parents this is a pleasing experience. Ditto for the marketers, for it signals the beginning of the child’s understanding of the want-satisfaction process in a market-driven society.[19] From age 4: Accompanying Parents and Making Independent Purchases. The final step in their development as a consumer is learning to pay for their purchases at the check-out counter. From age 5: Going to the Store Alone and Making Independent Purchases. According to Direct Marketing magazine, by the age of eight children make most of their own buying decisions.[20] Modern children can often recognise brands and status items by the age of 3 or 4, before they can even read. One study found that 52 percent of 3 year olds and 73% of 4 year olds â€Å"often or almost always† asked their parents for specific brands.[21] Advertisers recognise that brand loyalties and consumer habits formed when children are young and vulnerable will be carried through to adulthood. Kids `R’ Us president, Mike Searles, says â€Å"If you own this child at an early age†¦ you can own this child for years to come.†[22] Forms of Marketing Children’s advertising covers all types of media outlets from newspapers to television stations. By the time most US children start school they will have spent 5000 hours watching television. They will spend more time watching television than they spend in class for their entire schooling.[23]  Similarly in Australia, where in one in four homes children have their own television sets, children spend an average of a quarter of their spare time in front of the television.[24] A version of the infomercial aimed at children is the television show whose main characters are modelled after toys. By 1988 64% of television toy advertisements were for toys related to children’s television programmes. Often cartoon characters would be launched as movies, be followed up by television series and then be merchandised on hundreds of products from t-shirts to toys.[25] The head of Disney explained to Advertising Age in 1989 how the Disney Corporation’s activities all reinforced each other: â€Å"The Disney Stores promote the consumer products which promote the [theme] parks which promote the television shows. The television shows promote the company.†[26] Advertisers not only feature cartoon or other characters from children’s television programmes to gain their endorsement for their products (known as host selling) but they sometimes even place those advertisements in the breaks of the television programmes about those characters, thus blurring the distinction between programming and advertising and taking advantage of the affection children feel for those characters.[27] Television advertising makes up about 70% of the total amount spent on advertising to children in the US but total advertising expenditure makes up only about 15% of the total amount of money spent on marketing to children. In fact much marketing to children now consists of sales promotions such as direct coupons, free gifts and samples, contests and sweepstakes, and public relations such as using celebrities and licensed characters which visit shopping centres and schools. New technologies have also provided new opportunities such as the Internet and telephone services that enable â€Å"new, personalized promotions† aimed at children.[28] Marketing in schools is also a rapidly growing arena.[29] Kids clubs, organised by retailers, producers and media outlets, have proliferated in recent times. They offer an opportunity to develop a more personal relationship with each child, get information about the children for marketing purposes that can be used for mailing lists and data bases, and to promote products to children of particular age groups and geographical locations.[30] These additional forms of marketing have supplemented rather than replaced advertising as the importance of the children’s market has grown. Their aim however is the same as advertising,  to create brand loyalties and customers amongst children. Also, those wanting to sell goods recognise that some older children become somewhat cynical of advertisements and therefore publicity in children’s newspapers and magazines as well as other marketing strategies are alternative ways of reaching these children.[31] Advertising on the Internet A new arena for advertising is the internet. It is estimated that about four million children are using the internet world-wide and this figure is bound to increase dramatically over the next few years.[32] According to the director of Saatchi & Saatchi Interactive, â€Å"This is a medium for advertisers that is unprecedented†¦ there’s probably no other product or service that we can think of that is like it in terms of capturing kids’ interest.†[33] In their advertising material Saatchi and Saatchi explain their Kid Connection service: We at KID CONNECTION are committed to understanding kids: their motivations, their feelings, and their influences. In keeping with our mission to connect our clients to the kid market with programs that match our clients’ business objectives with the needs, drives and desires of kids†¦Interactive technology is at the forefront of kid culture, allowing us to enter into contemporary kid life and communicate with the m in an environment they call their own.[34] Children as young as four are being targeted by advertisers on the internet and often the interaction with the children is unmediated by parents or teachers.[35] These advertisers elicit personal information from the children by getting them to fill out surveys before they can play and offering prizes such as T-shirts for filling in â€Å"lengthy profiles that ask for purchasing behavior, preferences and information on other family members.†[36] Advertisers then use this information to â€Å"craft individualised messages and ads† targeted at each child. The ads are integrated with the other content of the internet site which is designed to keep the children engrossed in play for hours at a time. There are even product â€Å"spokescharacters† to interact with the children and develop relationships with them so that long lasting brand loyalties can be developed.[37] Michael Brody, spokesperson for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, told a US Federal Trade Commission workshop on privacy that preadolescent children do not understand what personal information is. What is more, he pointed out, they look up to  fictional characters and tend to do what they ask of them.[38] The Centre for Media Education (CME) studied 38 children’s sites â€Å"commonly found on lists of popular places for children† on the internet. It found that 90% of them collected personal information from children and forty percent used incentives such as free gifts and competitions to encourage children to give that information. One in four subsequently send children an email after they visit the site and 40 percent send `cookies’ to those visiting the site to get unsolicited information from them.[39] Concerns There are questions about the ability of children so young to understand advertising and its intent and not be deceived and manipulated by it. Experts say that children don’t understand persuasive intent until they are eight or nine years old and that it is unethical to advertise to them before then.[40] According to Karpatkin and Holmes from the Consumers Union, â€Å"Young children, in particular, have difficulty in distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world.†[41] Additionally children are unable to evaluate advertising claims. At the same time, Richard Mizerski, an Australian professor of marketing, observes; â€Å"their cognitive structures are beginning to form and they are most sensitive to external influences.†[42] This is especially a problem when advertisements appear on school walls and posters and book covers and gain legitimacy from the supposed endorsement of the school so that children think th ey must be true.[43] One study by Roy Fox, Associate Professor of English Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, found that children watching athletes in television commercials thought that the athletes paid to be in the advertisements to promote themselves rather than the products. They believed children in advertisements were real rather than paid actors and they often confused advertisements with news items. Generally they did not understand the commercial intent and manipulation behind advertisements.[44] Older children pay less attention to advertisements and are more able to differentiate between the ads and TV programs[45] but they are also easy prey for advertisers. Around puberty, in their early teens, children are forming their own identities and they are â€Å"highly vulnerable to pressure to conform to group standards and mores.†[46] At this age they feel insecure and want to feel that they belong to their  peer group. Advertising manipulates them through their insecurities, seeking to define normality for them; influencing the way they â€Å"view and obtain appropriate models for the adult world;† and undermining â€Å"fundamental human values in the development of the identity of children.†[47] Advertisements actively encourage them to seek happiness and esteem through consumption. It is for these reasons that marketing to children should be carefully restricted. In particular advertisements aimed at children under the age of 9 years old, including on the internet and during children’s television programmes, should be banned. Such advertising subsidises the cost of these services at the cost of our children’s values, sense of well-being, health and integrity. Moreover the future of the planet is at stake if we allow advertisers and marketers to turn children into hyper consumers of the future.

Importance of Symbols and Gestures

Signs ,Symblos and Gestures: ?A sign is something we directly encounter, yet at the same time it refers to something else. Thunder is a sign of rain. A punch in the nose is a sign of anger. An arrow is a sign of whatever it points toward. ?Symbols expand the notions of signs and signals. Symbols are characterized by rich meanings that are multiple, fluid, diverse, layered, complex, and frequently predicated on metaphorical associations that assert an analogy between things from different contexts that normally may not be connected.Given that the referents of symbols tend to be general, abstract, and ambiguous, their personally or socially constructed significations may not be apparent except to those who make them. ?Gestures are present early in development, and are used to communicate before a child has the ability to vocalize. Once the child has the ability to speak, gestures are used to express thoughts that are not expressed vocally; eventually, gestures complement vocalized idea s. Importance :The use of gestures ,symbols and signs paves the way for learning speech. Before a child can vocalize, they have the ability to understand language and communicate through deictic and iconic gestures. Early on, children use deictic gestures, which are seen around ten months old, and consist of pointing to or holding things up. Iconic gestures are used by children at eleven to twelve months old, and capture the features of their referents. Iconic gestures convey predicate information, like punching the air to refer to fighting.According to Ozcaliskan & Goldin-Meadow (2004), at fourteen months old, children use a vast majority of gestures that are usually produced along with verbal communication. At eighteen months, half of an average child’s speech is accompanied by gestures. The ways in which gestures are used are an indication of the developmental or conceptual ability of children Symbolic gesturing yields positive rather than negative effects on learning to t alk. The incompatibility hypothesis, a belief that has been dominant for decades, states that the different odalities of communication (gestures, manual signs, speech, etc) are in competition of one another, and therefore learning one modality will suppress the acquisition of the other modality. Because of this hypothesis, in the past parents were advised not to use manual signs, as it would be detrimental to the child’s acquisition of natural speech (Loncke, 2013). On the contrary to this incompatibility hypothesis, in the absence of language, encouraging the use of gestures will not delay the verbal ability of children, rather, the experience of gesturing has a facilitative effect on early syntactical development.Communication is multimodal, meaning there is more than one channel used for communication (gesture, speech, picture, etc), which strengthens the overall communicative interaction. For example, speaking a word and pointing to a picture reinforce the communicative m eaning and intent of the speaker (Loncke, 2013). Gesturing facilitates and enriches the relationship between parent and child. Between nine and eighteen months, the child, lacking full vocal abilities, will want to communicate with the parent, who must determine what message the child is trying to convey.It is during this time that gesturing becomes important. This is supported by the compatibility hypothesis, which condones the use of multimodal forms of communication, and claims that learning gestures will not hinder a child’s acquisition of normal speech and language. For example, a mother bathing her eighteen month old daughter might be unaware that the water is too hot, but the child could indicate this through a gesture, rather than try to formulate a time-consuming verbal explanation

Discussion Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Discussion Topics - Essay Example The America became restless to defend this position to appoint involvement in war as seen in the Persian Gulf War and the craving to influence the Middle East and its oil supplies (Patterson, 2005). Terrorism: It diverted attention to crucial domestic issues e.g. education, economy and Social Security to war against terrorists (after the president decreed War on Terror). The terrorism claimed many lives (approximately 3,000 people, more than that of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 died), it led to war on Afghanistan and later Iraq, and economic recession lastly followed; different industries, employment opportunities and oil prices were affected. These led to a vast financial crisis the Americans have had since the Great Depression. Financial fall down: Financial fall down is a breed of many problems in a country. It is said that since terrorists attack to date, US is in debt for $14.3 trillion dollars. In addition to dept, unemployment rate, poor health care, slow development rate and down fall of the GDP may be experienced, even the strength of US dollar against other currencies may lost. All these may weaken the US

Legal skills 2 . Explain the differences between the regulation of Essay

Legal skills 2 . Explain the differences between the regulation of abortion in the United Kingdom and the United States of America; and speculate how any reform - Essay Example The Abortion Act of 1967 was modified by the Fertilization and Embryology Act of 1990.1 The modifications2 were widely hailed as a gain for the pro-choice movement3 because they established an upper time limit to terminate pregnancy at twenty-four weeks and extended the circumstances in which abortions could be performed to include terminations up until birth in the case of fetal handicap. The effect of the 1990 debates in Parliament over the Acts modification was to entrench in the public and parliamentary consciousness that abortion is permissible prior to viability of the fetus. Today, an abortion is lawful in the United Kingdom if covered by one of four grounds listed in the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act of 1990.4 The provisions of the Act allow for an abortion up to twenty-four weeks if approved by two doctors when "the social or environmental or living conditions of either the mother or her existing children are likely to be worsened by the continuation of the pregnancy."5 Furthermore, it tolerates abortion without time restriction on eugenic grounds if "there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped." Abortions for the most part are financed by the National Health Service under the National Health Service Act of 1977. The Act does place some restrictions on the availability of an abortion. Abortions are only permissible if the pregnancy has not exceeded twenty-four weeks. Beyond the twenty-fourth week, the risk of a grave mental or physical injury must exist before an abortion can be legally performed. The Act also provides physicians with broad authority over a womans ability to terminate. T o be consistent with the Act, an abortion can only be legally performed if two medical practitioners believe in good faith that one of the four grounds set forth in Section 1(1) of the Act has been met. The United

Homework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Homework - Case Study Example An example of backward vertical integration is when a company producing sugar buys the can farm from which they have been acquiring their primary raw product. In the short term it will solve supply problems since it can guarantee itself a constant supply of sugarcane; should there be a cane shortage, the sugar producer is protected from having to compete with others for the limited cane. On the other hand, it takes control of the cane producing process and safeguards against substandard or poor quality products. Backward integration is a particularly beneficial strategy under the following circumstances; when the supplies serving the firm are not reliable. On the other hand, when the suppliers in the industry are few but there are many buyers, and it’s an industry that keeps rapidly expanding and is characterized with unstable prices of inputs. However, before committing to this line of business the buyer firm must ensure it has sufficient capabilities and resources to manage the new business. The oil industry presents several examples of vertical integration with firms such as BP, while it retrospectively used to outsource for exploration and focus on production, it gradually evolved its production functions and today it handles both functions and this has resulted in considerable success and profitability. Social corporate responsibility is the factor that marks the line between a caring and responsible corporate and a predatory and exploitative one (Porter & Kramer, 2006). While admitting that the primary objective of any business is to make profit, this should not be achieved at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of communities and staff members. If this were the case, then business ethics would be redundant, in the above case study, the firms is faced with a serious dilemma, on one hand there is a predator intent on capitalizing on the firms weakness which in part stem from its tendency to

The psychology of South African's acceptance of segregation Thesis

The psychology of South African's acceptance of segregation - Thesis Example cial education has been launched to cater to learners that are under the classification poverty, health problems, nutrition, street children and children who are affected by the impact of HIV/Aids, discrimination is clearly seen in this aspect, in addition to that, this project resulted to facilities and learning tool problems. (Eloff & Kqwete, 2007). Statistics shows that South Africa’s population by race shows that 79.6% are Africans, 9.1% Whites, the Coloured population is 8.9% and finally the Indian/Asian population is 2.5%. (South Africa’s population) Africans has the greater percentage of the population. That proves their greatness in number yet discrimination in social aspects still exist in their own land because of the lack of values of social policies and equal rights. Discrimination in South Africa is also classified not only by race but social status as well. Before, the Aparthied, taken from the word â€Å"separateness† is a policy in racial segregation that was followed in South Africa. The Aparthied gave limited rights to the African people. But before this policy was put in place, racial segregation and white supremacy ruled. The majority of Africans opposed these restrictions. Aparthied was continuously been criticized internationally. In 1990, the president F.W de Klerk formally proclaimed that Aparthied is put to an end. Today discrimination still exists and there has been continuous efforts and protest to put an end to it. Africans have suffered from a long history of discrimination, and this clearly shows that violation in human rights has been visible in many aspects in the society like education, housing rights, status and race. Although numerous efforts and protest from both social groups and the government tried to eliminate the existence of discrimination in South Africa, it is still visible in a lot of aspects in the society. Africans think that the aspect of race in South Africa should not determine the capability and hinder

Employee Relations in Marks and Spencer Case Study

Employee Relations in Marks and Spencer - Case Study Example However, with fast technological developments and greater linkages between various countries around the world, there was greater competitiveness in the retail sector thus creating a need to adopt less adversarial approaches to employee relations. The Company realised that they had to engage their employees a little more. This led to some of the present staff management practices adopted by the company. The company has tried instituting some sound principles within management but there are still certain problems here and there. (M&S, 2007b) In the past, there were no cases of Sunday trading. Workers in the retail sector counted on the fact that their work arrangements did not necessitate additional efforts. However after introduction of Sunday trading in the UK, there was a need for all retail companies to adjust their employee schedules to suit this change. Marks and Spencer was no exception; in response to this change, it created flexible hours for its employees so that it could allow employees to balance their social life with their careers. In the early nineties, most workers within the retail sector used to work for a period of thirty six to thirty eight hours per week. In Marks and Spencer, eighty percent of their employees used to comply with this rule. But currently, most workers need to put in more hours in order to meet demand. M&S have adjusted to this through employment of more workers and through better employee schedules. (Mellahi et al, 2002) Trade Union Actions The TUC is one of the most influential bodies in the United Kingdom especially when it comes to protecting workers rights. Marks and Spencer has had to watch out for the activities and protests conducted by some trade Unions. One such example occurred in the year 2001. Marks and Spencer has opened up some stores in different parts of the world including France. The Company had made the decision to close all the stores in Europe and halt operations immediately. This was one of the most controversial issues the retail giant has ever faced. In a speech made by the TUC General Secretary, the Union highlighted the fact that Marks and Spencer were not really faced with financial difficulties in those operations. The Union also asserted that the closures were simply and endeavour by the organisation to impress City sentiments rather. They believed that the company was not really concerned with issues surrounding profit making. TUC also said that they were trying to protect foreign worker's rights in general. Marks and Spencer tends to export their bad employment practices into other countries. The Trade Union brought to the forefront the issue of complacency prevailing in M&S stores. The Company had not been very considerate at some stage in their firing and hiring processes. These practices are quite common in the UK despite their notoriety. But in some European countries like France, these employment practices are quite unlawful. The trade Union spoke about how M&S has been sacking employees without notice in those countries and how it faced the full arm of the law. (Storey et al, 2005) TUC advocated for more dialogue and consultations between employees and employers at all times and not when issues have spiralled out of control. The actions of this trade Union and others have caused M&S to change some of its employment practi

Virtual Intimacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Virtual Intimacy - Research Paper Example The history of virtual intimacy can also be traced in older times. It was in practice with the help of letters (pen friendships) and telephones (telephonic friendships: a bit newer trend than pen friendship). These practices were not so much common and were only revolving around a certain group of people usually with literary taste. It was a practice of patience so young generation was rarely found indulged in such relationships (Psy.D.). During the age of technology, people who were dreaded of loneliness found a way out to get rid of anxiety and stressful individualist life. They started finding happiness in their desktops. Virtual intimacy and distant cyber oriented relationships no doubt have introduced us with a number of social and communal melodies with incurable side effects. Youth has abundantly distracted in the way of finding their glee in their computers. Cyber crimes were augmented significantly during the age of virtual intimacy (Halder et al 32). These crimes include ha cking, personal information theft, online passwords theft, credit cards theft and fake identity show off. Levels of virtual intimacy are several including general friendships, love relationship and sexual relationships using web cameras and audio applications. Lack of trust and fake identity representation has destroyed the entire beauty of social networking. People are usually representing their identity in false grounds to timely enjoy with others (Gizmodo). Apart from social networking sites, internet media has introduced online dating services where individuals can find their dating partners to exhale their desperate feelings of affections. Since Maslow has identified social and affection need of human being, it has now justified because people cannot survive in individualist cultures (Halder et al 34). When the debate of real versus virtual relationships comes into being, it can easily be justified that level of trust is vulnerable in actual and physical relations in today†™s technological age. In the scenario of uncertain physical intimate relations, it is really hard to trust upon unseen people on internet in order to plunge in to a relationship. In some cases, people reach to marriages but such marriages are not long terms due to abundantly spoken lies (Kiesbye 21). People are lean to plunge in to virtual relations because they do not feel any sort of binding or accountability. They can utilize their leisure in better way. It also offers diversity to people. If a person joins an international dating forum, he or she can get a very diverse choice of people. For example, females in western countries are more interested in Asian men and men in Asian countries like to have a white lady. This collision in choices stimulates them to have a platform to get connected with people of their desire. Many people are fond of travelling and networking, for this purpose they remain connected with many people of their interest areas who can provide them help when needed (Panteli 101). A very broadly observed phenomenon is curse of foreign nationality in men of less developed countries. They get contacts with foreign woman who can support them to come abroad for better earnings. However this is observed lesser. Nowadays people are interested in short term relationships without any sense of accountability and responsibility. Which is why they either virtually intimated with others or they look for shorter term need fulfillment

Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Question - Essay Example This category comprised of 14% of the whole sample. The next category was ordinary users. This comprised a moderately 27% of the whole cluster analysis. The third category was the irregular users. The irregular user encompassed 14% of the total population sample. The largest category was thee basic users, who comprised an enormous 45%. In order to obtain this analysis, Chi-Square analysis method was used. This analysis showed important relationships between the various kinds of technology identified. The analysis also showed the various universities which the students attended. It also reveals the various genders of the students, their age, and their countries of origin. The last ten years has shown a lot of development in the type of technology that is being employed today. The technology skills have improved greatly. Students have changed their preferences and their experience is biased towards the direction of technology. The result in the next few years will be that all the students will be â€Å"digital natives.† These students will have homogenous group characteristics that require a wide range of experience and improved skills in in using information and communication technology. In recent years, there has been an empirical research that has been conducted by other different researchers concerning the Net Generation students. This research reveals an increasing level of technology that is being adopted and used. However, the findings are below those predicted by the Net Generations or the digital natives’ rhetoric. The researches shows a large number of students often use an established technology. For example emails and web browsing. However, there is only a few of this students sub-groups who used more advanced or a recent technology and tools. While classifying the various groups in a broader manner, another researcher found out that 31% of all the American adults were elite technology users while 20% were mid-level

Identifying a discourse's significance and problem Essay

Identifying a discourse's significance and problem - Essay Example onveyed in a powerful way by linking it with the story of the protagonist lion cub that grows into a lion and realizes what happens when the hyenas take over and kill all the animals. In the film, â€Å"Lion King† King Mustafa refers to the valley as the â€Å"Circle of Life† which is significant for the cause of preservation of animal life. The incidents that occur later in the story when Scar lets the hyenas loose on pride land demonstrates the disastrous results when animals are used for selfish purposes and when their lives are not preserved. This is an important message that only serves to emphasize how important it is that animals should be made to suffer, neither should they be used indiscriminately for man’s benefit, as in the entertainment industry and in scientific experiments – where they are put through pain and suffering. Killing animals is also likely to disturb the Circle of life and the delicate ecological balance that exists. This is the real problem the film addresses with its underlying message - the cruel and indiscriminate killing of animals. The film applies subtle persuasion as far as the viewer is concerned, highlighting the importance of preservation of the life of animals in order to ensure that the various species of the earth are protected. The text of the film supports the message against indiscriminate killing of animals, mostly through the stark desolation it portrays of the land when most of the animals in it have been destroyed. This is an important message in the modern day context, when man is indiscriminately destroying animals and subjecting them to cruel and inhuman treatment. As the film portrays, there is a delicate balance in nature, where different species co-exist harmoniously together. Pride Land as it existed was a place where there was a productive earth and happy animals because none was subjected to cruel degrading treatment. The film also provides a resolution for the problem. After highlighting the devastation

Ethnic group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic group Essay Discussion about race and ethnicity has increased steadily over the last several years. Recent discussion has centered on whether the differences between race and ethnicity are necessary, damaging, or beneficial. There is also much to be said about race relations across the globe and many questions to be pondered. Writing about race can be difficult, and discussion about race even more difficult. The idea is that with research and knowledge, it is much easier to have an intelligent, well-informed discussion about issues that affect all of us. Listed below are some possible essay topics: Race vs. Ethnicity Is the idea of â€Å"race† a human construction that is further separating people in countries across the globe? Does science support the idea that â€Å"ethnicity† more clearly defines us, and therefore, should be how we see each other? Discuss the inherent differences and similarities between race and ethnicity and the importance of them. Race issues in American TV shows and movies Explain through examples and research how different races are portrayed on television and/or movies. Are stereotypes exploited? Are stereotypes nullified? What about the presentation of race in cartoons, e. g. , the Disney movies? Race and the criminal justice system It is commonly believed that minorities are at a disadvantage when it comes to the justice system. Is this true? Are there disproportionate numbers of minorities convicted of crimes? Racial profiling Examine the hot-topic debate about racial profiling. Consider situations that might involve profiling: driving; airport screening; renting/buying housing; shopping and shoplifting; college entrance; and job hiring practices. Discrimination in hiring The topic of discriminatory hiring practices can be explored on its own. Available research will include news reports of instances and court cases. Also review the laws in place to prevent such practice. More possible topics: Should racial profiling be a legitimate law enforcement policy in some areas? †¢Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued? †¢Should the primary method of public school funding (property taxes in individual school districts) be amended to create more fairness in schools? †¢If a university offers â€Å"African-American Studies or Black Studies as courses, should it also offer European-American Studies or White Studies? †¢How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stereotypes? †¢Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative perspectives on historical events? †¢What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals? †¢Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans? †¢Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses? †¢If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected? †¢Should government organizations have staff that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society? Assignment: Choose one of the above listed topics, a combined topic from above, or a topic of your own choosing that somehow relates to the issue of race and ethnicity. Research the topic, choosing at least 3 sources that you can also easily print to bring to class. This will be an in-class essay with two days of writing that will be at least 4 pages. Type a works cited page and bring it to be turned in with the essay and the printed sources.

The Importance of Communication Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Communication Essay Foundations Workers at all levels of an organization, be they CEOs, middle managers, or entry-level staff, recognize that change is inevitable. However, the successful implementation of organizational change in response to changes in an organization’s external environment can be one of the greatest challenges top-level leaders face. Regardless of how far-seeing and meticulously planned organizational change may be, it will not be effectively implemented unless it is communicated to an organization’s staff in such a way that resistance is overcome, fears are assuaged, confusion is minimized, and buy-in by all affected individuals is secured. Kurt Lewin (as cited in Evans, Ward, Rugaas, 2000) was one of the first to develop a model of behavioral change in his 1951 book, Field Theory in Social Sciences. Lewin described three stages as being necessary in the implementation of a change in a person’s behavior. The first of these is unfreezing, the stage during which a person becomes ready to learn or acquire a new behavior, perhaps by recognizing the ineffectiveness of a current behavior or by learning about the benefits that would accrue if the new behavior were implemented. The second stage is the change itself, which will involve a trial period during which the person familiarizes him or herself with the new behavior. Finally, the refreezing stage occurs as the new behavior becomes habitual or ingrained with the individual. Thinkers in the management field have applied this model to the process of change within organizations. In order for change to be effectively and lastingly implemented, all staff affected by the change must go through this unfreezing-changing-refreezing process. Kotter (1995) lists eight steps that leaders of organizations should take in order to successfully implement change. One of the most crucial steps in the process, and the step during which many attempts at organizational  change fail, is communicating the vision of change to the staff via every possible means. He notes that a classic error made by leaders trying to implement change is under-communication of the change to the staff that will be implementing it. The most effective communicators discuss the change at every opportunity and incorporate the discussion into day-to-day activities such as performance reviews, employee training courses, and quarterly production meetings, thus making clear to employees not only the overarching vision of change for the organization, but also exactly where the employee fits into the process. Organizational leaders must also behave in ways that are consistent with the vision they are promoting: communication regarding the change should occur not only via words, but also via deeds (Kotter, 1995). Communication about change aids in the unfreezing of old behaviors, the transition during which new behaviors are adopted, and the refreezing of the new behavior into habit. In fact, Ford and Ford (1995) claim that change does not occur except in that it is mediated by communication; in other words, communication is the context within which change occurs. They describe four types of conversations that move the change process through its successive phases: initiative conversations, that begin the change process by focusing the participants’ attention on what needs to be done; conversations of understanding, during which the participants seek to make sense of the problem and start generating methods of addressing it; conversations of performance, which concentrate on producing the intended result; and conversations for closure, during which the change process is determined to be complete. This model of change as mediated by the conversations that instigate and guide it differs from previous thought in which communication about the change is presented as a single stage in the change process, although it expands upon Kotter’s (1995) call for communication regarding change to occur in as many contexts as possible within an organization. The model also helps to conceptualize the role of communication during the stages of unfre ezing (instigation), change (understanding and performance), and refreezing (closure). Current thinking in organizational change and communication The work by Lewin (Evans, Ward, Rugaas, 2000), Kotter (1995), Ford and Ford (1995), and other earlier researchers in the field lays an important  foundation for current work in the use of communication to effectively promote change within an organization. Deborah Barrett (2002) developed the Strategic Employee Communication model as a tool for organizations to use in assessing the effectiveness of their own communication channels when confronted with the necessity of organizational change. The model breaks down effective employee communication into four components which interact in well-functioning companies to reinforce strategic objectives. One important component is a top and middle level management that is committed to fostering communications â€Å"up, down, and across the organization† (Barrett, 2002). The second component is the communications themselves: messages that are both tailored to the audience they are intended for to maximize relevance, and that are consist ent with each other and with the overall strategic objectives of the organization. The third component is the mode of communication; it should rely on a variety of media but should take place primarily in person. The final component is a communications team or staff that is positioned in such a way as to be privy to the thinking behind the company’s strategic objectives so that the messages they produce reflect an understanding of the change. In companies that have effective communication networks, these four components are continually assessed against the background of progress towards the company’s strategic objectives. Barrett (2002) makes specific recommendations regarding how the effectiveness of employee communications during times of organizational change may be evaluated, giving an example of a survey instrument to assess perceptions of the current state of communication, suggestions for the development of ‘cascading workshops’ to spread the message of change throughout the organization, and methods of monitoring how well the mess age of change has spread and been internalized throughout the organization. The influence of Lewin’s (Evans, Ward, Rugaas, 2000) unfreezing – changing – refreezing model of change can be seen in Van der Waldt’s (2004) depiction of change communication as occurring in three phases. During the first phase of change, individuals within organizations face the loss of old ways of doing things, and should be supported in the initial phases of the change by communication that acknowledges this loss and that recognizes the difficulty that some individuals may have in letting go of the past. During the second phase of change, staff may face confusion and uncertainty as they  try to adopt the new way of doing things. Van der Waldt characterizes this as a ‘neutral zone’: a way-station between the old and the new, and notes that communication during this phase should recognize and attempt to assuage the isolation that may ensue from this confusion. The setting of short term, easily measurable and attainable goals will aid empl oyee morale during this time. The third phase of change occurs as staff begin to internalize the change and move forward, and communication at this time should be characterized by an acknowledgement of what individuals in the company have accomplished thus far and an understanding of the role the individual plays within the new system. A current topic in this area of research is the use of narrative techniques in communication about change. Organizational change is disruptive by nature, and involves the uprooting of old norms that have enabled a company to succeed (or at least survive) thus far, and the adoption of as-yet-untried practices (Denning, 2005). In order for the change to succeed, management and staff must voluntarily and enthusiastically severely disrupt their own established work habits and consent to move into the unknown. Stephen Denning, one of the champions of the use of narrative in change communication, argues that in these situations, the organization’s leaders must employ extraordinary communication techniques to achieve the level of buy-in necessary to make change work. The use of storytelling to bring reality and substance to a leader’s vision is one way in which change can be made real to management and staff. Denning (2006) describes eight different narrative techniques that can be employed in different stages of organizational change. An example of one of these techniques is the u se of ‘springboard stories’, which may be used to spark action and help muster enthusiasm for the change. Stories used in these situations should be simple and straightforward in content, the goal being to spark the listeners’ imaginations and to get them imagining stories of their own in reference to the change being introduced. Stories may also be used as devices to deflect or defuse rumors, and as preparation for the future after the change is implemented. The overall purpose of the narratives is to change the listener’s behavior in such a way that it is aligned with the leader’s objectives. Denning (2006) warns of the danger of becoming so involved with the crafting and telling of stories that the goal of the narrative is lost. Storytelling can also be a way to  get employees talking and thinking about what organizational change means to them and how change can be enacted. A small regional hospital in New Mexico employed an interactive narrative technique in which employees were presented with a role-playing scenario that likened the transformation of the hospital’s mission to an Indiana Jones-style journey that was titled ‘Raiders of the Lost Art’ (Adamson, Pine, Van Steenhoven, Kroupa, 2006). Within the structure of the game’s narrative, staff were presented with data regarding themselves, the community within which they worked, and their patients, and in this context were given scenarios about which they were encouraged to present ideas and feedback. By using this approach, hospital administrators were able to solicit employee feedback, involve staff in the development of strategic goals and objectives in support of the new mission, and gain buy-in by making employees a part of the change process. Change, communication, and information organizations Libraries and other information organizations are faced every day with the challenges that come from adapting to a rapidly changing external environment. Information organizations that are able to proactively incorporate change into their strategic planning will be in a better position to keep pace with the evolving demands of customers than organizations that merely struggle to catch up as change overwhelms them. Farley, Broady-Preston, Hayward (1998) identify four primary areas of change that affect academic libraries in particular: economics, technology, higher education, and organization. The rising costs of materials, combined with widespread reductions in funding, compounded by the additional financial burden imposed by the need to introduce new technologies, create an environment in which libraries must change in order to survive. The increasing sophistication of technological tools used by librarians has, in some larger institutions especially, created a need for staff reorganization to incorporate greater collaboration with technical support staff (Farley, et al., 1998). Given this environment, effective communication with staff regarding change is essential to the success of libraries and other information organizations. Horenstein found that communication with library staff about the implementation of change is also important in fostering high levels of job satisfaction amongst library staff (as cited in Farley, et  al., 1998). Yet, although there is a substantial body of literature dealing with change management in information organizations (Farley et al.), little has been written about the specific application of communication research to the needs of information organizations facing change. For instance, a literature review conducted in conjunction with a study described below (Chalmers, Liedtka, Bednar, 2006) uncovered no literature published specifically on library communications assessment since the 1980s. In a review for librarians of change management literature from the business world, Smith (2006) addresses communicating in times of change by developing a series of rules of effective communication drawn from the literature. One of these rules states that managers should recognize that not all organizations, and not all individuals within organizations, will react to change the same way, and that communications should be geared accordingly, echoing the above-described communication model that incorporates targeted messages (Barrett, 2002). Another of Smith’s rules emphasizes the importance of making communication about change a two-way process incorporating a variety of communication methods including written, verbal, large and small group meetings and one-on-one encounters, and formal and informal venues, applying Kotter’s (1995) message about incorporating change communication whenever there is opportunity to do so. Though Smith’s article is directed towards library professionals and, since it is published in the journal Library Management, is a useful vehicle for introducing concepts change communication research that librarians may not otherwise be exposed to, Smith does little more than review current literature and does not attempt to draw lessons from the literature to apply specifically to information organizations. On the other hand, Chalmers, et al. (2006) apply lessons from the literature of business communications to develop a survey that identifies the primary communication channels within the staff of a large academic library and assesses staff satisfaction with communication processes. They then provide recommendations based upon their experiences regarding how such an audit may be conducted in other similar organizations. The communications audit was conducted at California State University, Fullerton’s Pollak Library, in response to a perception of diminished morale and increased staff isolation in response to rapid changes in management  philosophy, staffing, and the introduction of new technologies. Library staff reported a relatively high rate (76%) of satisfaction with their level of informedness about changes within their own department, but indicated that they were less satisfied (46% satisfaction rate) with the degree to which they received information about the long range planning and goals of the library as a whole. Staff received their information both through formal library communications (newsletters, website, etc.; 80-98%) and informal channels (91%). Chalmers et al. describe how the survey instrument developed could be used to establish baseline data about intra-organization communication channels and identify areas of staff dissatisfaction with communication within the library . Future directions Although there is a significant body of work in the business management field that deals with effective intra-organizational communication in times of change, little of this work has been applied in a way that is specific to the needs of information organizations. Given that information organizations have been and are facing a period of rapid and intensive change, work that applies the change management lessons learned in the business world to the needs of libraries would be especially timely. In particular, case studies of information organizations that have implemented communication strategies and are monitoring the effectiveness of these strategies in facilitating change would be useful starting points for other information organizations facing change. In addition, the adaptation of existing theoretical models of intra-organizational communication to information organizations may provide a useful starting point for the development of communication strategies, goals, and objectives . In the greater body of business management literature regarding change communication, the primary focus of most research has been on top-down communication: methods by which leaders may effectively promote their vision amongst employees (Jones, Watson, Gardner, Gallois, 2004). Although several workers (Adamson, 2006; Chalmers et al. 2006; LeTourneau, 2004; Smith, 2006) emphasize the importance of feedback from employees to management, and communication between employees, there is little material that deals with methods to assess the importance of or to actively cultivate  these types of communications within an organization (Jones, et al., 2004). Additionally, communication and coordination between departments may become increasingly important during times of change; for instance, in libraries the introduction of new technology may necessitate greater collaboration between IT departments and reference, circulation, or other services. Further investigation into means of facilitating collaboration between formerly non-interacting departments during times of change would be a helpful addition to the current literature on this topic. References Adamson, G., Pine, J., Van Steenhoven, T., Kroupa, J. (2006). How storytelling can drive strategic change. Strategy and Leadership, 34(1), 36-41. Barrett, D. J. (2002). Change communication: Using strategic employee communication to facilitate major change. Corporate Communication: An International Journal, 7(4), 219-231. Chalmers, M., Liedtka, T., Bednar, C. (2006). A library communication audit for the twenty-first century. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 6(2), 185-195. Denning, S. (2005). Transformational innovation: A journey by narrative. Strategy and Leadership, 33(3), 11-16. Denning, S. (2006). Effective storytelling: Strategic business narrative techniques. Strategy and Leadership, 34(1), 42-48. Evans, G. E., Ward, P. L., Rugaas, B. (2000). Management basics for information professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. Farley, T., Broady-Preston, J., Hayward, T. (1998). Academic libraries, people, and change. Library Management, 19(4), 238-251. Ford, J., Ford , L. (1995). The role of conversations in producing intentional change in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 541-570. Jones, E., Watson, B., Gardner, J., Gallois, C. (2004). Organization communication: Challenges for the new century. Journal of Communication, 54(4), 722-750. Kotter, J. P. (1995). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 73(2), 59 – 67. LeTourneau, B. (2004). Communicate for change. Journal of Healthcare Management, 49(6), 354-357. Smith, I. (2006). Communicating in times of change. Library Management, 27(1/2), 108-112. Van der Waldt, D. (2004). Towards corporate communication excellence in a changing environment. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 3, 134-143.

Marketing plan for the salad bar

Marketing plan for the salad bar This project involves designing a market plan for soon to be opened fast food chain named The Salad Bar. The purpose of The Salad Bar is to provide fairly priced salads in a fast food restaurant. The introduction of the salads is in a bid to contribute in solving the current challenges of obesity that have been associated with fast foods, which as result have been considered unhealthy. Despite efforts by some companies to introduce healthy foods such as salads, the quality of their foods in terms of taste and attractiveness is still wanting. The entry into the market of a new healthy, fast foods company will shift the markets attention to the new products that have not existed before. As a result, the market and demand for the new products will be anticipated since the products are new and the idea behind their introduction is widely appreciated. In a quest to create customers for the products or services, this paper will highlight the actions that help to in the management of the marketing process. Background and Rationale The rise in obesity in the world and especially in the United States has been alarming in the recent years. The obesity problem has resulted in debates on the types of food that should be eaten in order to have good health and avoid obesity. Most researches conducted trace the source of this development to the rise in the consumption of fast foods. A research conducted by Bowman et al (2009), concluded that consumption of fast foods among children in the United States seemed to have negative effect on the dietary quality in ways that plausibly could increase risk for obesity (p.112). The research indicates that the dietary factors associated with fast foods may lead to excessive weight gain such as massive portion size, palatability. According to Bowman, Bryan and Vinyard (2004), the number of adults who frequently consumed fast food increased from early 1990s to the mid- 1990s, and adds that the trends was projected to continue. Most of the people who consumed fast foods were aware of the fact that fast foods are high energy foods and can lead to obesity if frequently consumed. The research recommends that customers should ask for nutritional information fast foods should there no information nutritional information indicated. Young and Nestle (2002), indicate that despite the federal government requirement that fast food should have labels on them as dietary guidance; the market place portions of foods that are the major contributors of energy to US diets have significantly increased. It has been revealed that obesity accounts for a large percentage of deaths in the United States every year and the rates are on the increase in every decade. The rise is attributed to the increasing consumption of fast foods. Chlosser (2001) indicates that the additives that give processed foods their taste are man-made and people are driven to buy mainly by their meticulous packaging. The report points out that about 90% of the money that Americans spend on food is used to buy processed foods. He argues that the quality that people seek in food is the flavor, which is usually forms an almost negligible quantity as of the food. It is in view of the above problems based on market analysis and literature reviews that the idea of The Salad bar was thought of. Instead of the use of additives and processed ingredients, The Salad Bar will use natural food additives and will seek to prepare the salads in ways that will preserve the best flavors, while keeping the natural nutrients intact. The empowering of the public with the knowledge of the inherent benefits of The Salads Bar salads as a result of their natural production will act as the competitive edge for company. The salad bar is a high quality and healthy salads business start-up that will deliver to its customer by means of fast food restaurant. While the vision is Healthy Food for All; The Salad Bars mission is to be the leader in the provision of healthy, quality, great tasting fast foods salads at affordable prices. The salad bar will establish its first restaurant in South California and seeks to establish close contact with customers and to build excellent business relationships, driven by desire to delightfully meet its customers needs. The Salad Bar is a privately-held California corporation and maintains an office and a store located in a mixed-use area of San Jose, California. The salad bar was started with a view to providing a healthier place where people can eat. The fact that there are few firms that focus either on salads or healthier base foods forms the premise for the establishment of the salad bar. It is in this view coupled with the absence of tight competition in the fast food industry that The Salad Bar anticipates to exceed its financial forecasts. The aim of the business is to create a place where people can enjoy healthy foods with best service at affordable prices. Objectives The objectives that are set out in the establishment of The Salad Bar are in line with the company mission and vision. Firstly, the company intends to provide salads which are tasty, have the natural health ingredients and can be afforded by the customers. Secondly is to create a brand and a household name in the fast foods industry as a chain that provides the best service. Thirdly, the company targets to expand and attain a national status in about five years to increase access of quality foods by customers countrywide. The Salad bar, in its expansion objectives anticipates increased ownership of the company and if possible by as many customers as possible to create a sense of belonging among customers and the general public. In addition, the company will create awareness through campaigns to sensitize the public on the dangers associated with consuming fast foods. This platform will as well act as a point for marketing the company products by offering them as safer alternatives. As a result, the company will enjoy sustained market for its products and hence the realization of sustainable competitive advantage. The Salad bar shall lay down several strategies relevant to its business to ensure sustained competitiveness in the market. Efforts will be put in place to reduce customer defection; increase longevity of customer relationship; enhance the growth potential through cross-selling and up-selling and make low profit customers more profitable. With a view to gathering information for the purposes of assessing the market and understand the customer responses and possible start-up challenges, a survey was conducted. Questionnaires were used and twelve respondents filled the questionnaires. The results of the survey will inform the analysis that is done before the start-up. Twelve people were surveyed. The following is the questionnaire used in the survey: Are you a salad eater? (I would want to make sure I am talking to a salad eater How many times a week or month do you eat salads? Where do you go when you want to buy a salad? Are they good and fair priced (maybe also ask how much they pay for a good one typically)? What would you like to get if you good make your own choice of a salad? If there was a fast food salad place, would you go there? What would you think would be a fair price for a salad would be? How many times a week or month do you think you would eat at one if it was good and fair priced? Would you prefer to eat a salad of our liking over which ever fast food you normally prefer? What would you not want to see in a place like The Salad Bar? What would you want to see in a place like The Salad Bar? Analysis The results of the survey indicate that most of the people eat salads considering that all the twelve respondents said that they eat salads and like salads. Some of the respondents reported that they make their salads at home and some get them when they come along with food as side salads in restaurants. Most of the respondents understood the need to eat healthy food, but their main problem was where to find healthy food. The idea of The Side Bar excited the respondents and predicted that it be a successful idea. The salads sold should be fresh and having a selection of well cooked meat. The respondents pointed out they that they need to find the salad in conveniently and affordably. The Products The Salad Bar will follow the In-n-Out Burgers model: have a small but effective menu, with the main focus being on salads. By focusing strictly on salads, The Salad Bar will ensure that simplicity is kept and the menu is not unnecessarily overcrowded with food items. A decent assortment of toppings will be supplied as they can be easy to store and cheap as well. Meats free from fat and grease shall form part of the salad to bring about variety. The inclusion of meats follows the high number of customers who desire it included in their salad as concluded by the survey. Fast foods such as chocolate or vanilla milkshakes will not be served at the The Salad Bar, since they do not meet the The Salad Bar criteria for healthy fast foods. Instead, The Salad Bar will serve fresh real fruit shakes. The fruit can be used for milkshakes, toppings for salads, or for customers who do not like regular salads; a fruit salad made from a fruit or fruits of their own preference are served. Planning to aggressively transform the content, the view and effects of fast food in society, The Salad Bar seeks to introduce a healthy way to eat, while it remains in the fast food industry by distributing its products through fast food restaurants. To achieve these plans, inclusion of a large selection of salads and toppings for customers to add to their meal, will offer a greater variety, compared to a selection of a few salads that competitors offer. In addition, more diverse ways to eat the salads will be devised to ensure that customers have a new and delightful experience. In view of getting the best ingredients for the salads, establishment of a good relationship with the suppliers is critical. In this connection, the Salad Bar will seek to identify reputable suppliers; whose products are known to be fresh and of credible quality. As a result the The Salad Bar will be enabled to avail fresh and delicious, organic foods to the customer that will have not bring negative consequences to their health. Apart from strengthening the product brand, the company targets to produce high quality products and to package the products carefully in order to appeal to customers. Warranties relating to maintenance of standards should be given to the customers in order to promote customer loyalty. Place The most strategic place for the salad bar should have a large volume of people on daily basis, preferably a shopping centre. This is necessary for convenience on the side of the customer as they can easily frequent, and the realization of increased volume of sales for the proprietor. Sales are expected to be high basis due to many people who are employed at the centre who will be interested to search for healthier lunch selections. Drawing from experience and observation, it is clear that people many people have made it a habit to eat salads throughout the day. The strategy behind locating business in a shopping centre is that most shopping areas have high traffic and most food spots in these areas are costly. High population, coupled with the strategy of setting prices comparatively lower than competition, prices, more sales than those of an average restaurant in a normal location can be made. Businesses that are strategically located need much good will as they leave the premises due to the advantages accrued ranging from access to customers to access to supplies by the company due to the convenience afforded by an efficient communication infrastructure. The place will determine the distribution channels which may be direct, retail distributors and intermediaries. A competent criteria for vetting groceries that will act as outlets will be developed. Logistics of transportation, warehousing and order fulfillment will be developed by the company to ensure efficiency in supply of materials. The company will also seek to motivate the market. Price When searching for a good salad it can be hard to find one that is good at a decent price. Considering that the besides taste, price is one of the most important factors in the driving force of the success of The Salad Bar, price determination for the product requires a careful consideration. The price set should enable the company to make profit and at the same time remain competitive in the market. The goal of The Salad Bar is to have fresh delicious salads at the prices that almost compare to those of a normal fast food restaurant. The proposed price range for The Salad Bar would be from $6 to $12 depending on the size and the customer preference in the salad. The expectation held is that the combined effect of quality food and the comparatively low prices for the products will result in increased sales and widened customer base, which translates to increased profits and customer loyalty. Besides setting a competitive price, the use of price in marketing can be gainful to the comp any. The pricing strategy include developing a list price, offering discounts , bundling , giving flexible payment terms and financing options such as use of credit cards and leasing options. Promotion Promotions are the most important factor in the marketing mix. This is what because it is the means through which the soon to be customers know the business and the products to be offered. Without promotions, it will take long for the business to be known, a situation that may increase the time the business takes before it is profitable. The fact that promotions can be expensive Promotions can be very costly necessitates that a proprietor should have the right marketing plan. Good ways to start promoting are old conventional ways such as coupons in the weekly paper, or coupon websites, door hangers with coupons, and commercials. In opening the first Salad Bar, commercials might be a bit overboard. In designing the best marketing plan for this product, the cost effectiveness of the promotion method is critical. The main activities that will be involved in the promotion of the product include neon signs that will be placed on the business premise for night advertising and registration to participate in the next business exhibition shortly after the launch of The Salad Bar. Other promotion initiatives will include the purchase of a computer for on-line marketing, brochure printing and attending training sessions by a human resource development firm. SWOT Analysis As the Salad Bar establishes itself in the market, there are a handful of strengths that act as impetus to starting a business. First, the creation of a strong product with focus being on quality, effect on the health of the customer, quick customer service and setting of affordable prices will set the company apart from the rest. Secondly, based on the market survey conducted, the results indicate the existence of demand for the products that The Salad bar intends to bring to the market. Thirdly the anticipated demand for the products will translate to increased sales, and therefore bulk purchases from suppliers will be needful. Bulk buying will ensure lowered purchase prices hence improved profits. In addition, the adoption of the already existing restaurant model for selling the new products enables the business to easily fit in the market. Ability to capitalize on brand ad concept with the expansion through franchising and other market segments is also an advantage to the business. Finally the specificity of the menu; focus on salads will curve out a market for The Salad Bar. Weaknesses The main weaknesses that the company faces are related to the product. Dependability of concept on some of the food products, and since food products cannot be patented; this need to be addressed by building strong brand awareness and establishing copyright on total quality system. Another weakness to the business is that the product may be vulnerable and will be weakened over time. This weakness can be minimized through manufactured goods innovation and diversification. In addition, the limitations in revenue will limits The Salad Bar to start in one location then build up as it expands to occupy new locations. Marketing challenges may also be experienced due to financial limitations as the company builds revenue. The marketing Budget The marketing budget will allocate money for the various planned activities. Included in the budget are the costs that will be incurred in the process of marketing such as marketing and advertising. The budget for The Salad Bar will be as shown below: Activity Cost ($) Neon Signs 330 Budget for Annual marketing Efforts 6500 Advertising in local business Magazine 500 Brochure Design and Copywriting 450 Advertising in the business Newspaper 1200 Brochure Printing 270 Registration for Business exhibition 175 Product Launching 4000 Computer for e-mail marketing 1000 Training Sessions 1000 In order to track effectiveness, evaluation shall be done at the middle and at the end of the year; comparing the gross sales and the expenses. This is done by identifying the measurable objectives of the marketing agenda and tracking them through the budget period in order to assess their performance. Changes to the budget may be necessary to the budget over time if performance is not as was anticipated. The constant evaluation will point out the areas that need more attention as the business adjusts to the market conditions. Documentation should be done at every stage of the business whether profits or losses are made to secure records for future referencing. This will act as an internal control to ensure that the company does not run at a loss without the knowledge of the management.

Skinheads Essay examples -- Gang London Skinhead Gangs

When thinking about skinhead gangs in London, it is impossible not to conjure up images of shaved heads and heavy Doc Martin boots accompanying a particularly racist kind of violence with no respect for authority structures of the state. However, did these gangs begin with such a clear idea of their purpose? Were they aware that their daily activities would become a â€Å"subculture† along with the Mods and Rockers? In his essay titled â€Å"The Skinheads and the Magical Recovery of Community,† John Clarke argues that skinheadism is about the recovery of a community in working class neighborhoods where this feeling had been lost due to various changes in socio-economic conditions. He says that their feeling of exclusion â€Å"produced a return to an intensified ‘Us-Them’ consciousness† (Clarke, 99). Though the realization of this distinction plays a major part in the formation of any subculture, the Us-Them discourse turns out to be much more compli cated in the case of skinhead gangs, and the space that these groups occupy in relation to the outside world does not have such clear boundaries. Looking at three different representations of Skinhead culture: the novel A Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess, the non-fiction work The Paint House (1972) by the Collinwood gang, and the film Scum (1979) directed by Alan Clarke, the evolution of this space over time becomes clear. This change happens both in the way the gangs define and view themselves, as well as in the way mainstream society deals with the problem of violence in â€Å"Modern Youth† (Burgess, 41). Ironically, the skinhead style began as a way for these working class youths to feel dignified and was in direct opposition to the tendency of other young people, such as hippies, ... ...ys, â€Å"The people who read it will be these Marxist students and such who will contact us to join them in their fight against the establishment† (110). There is certainly an ambivalence about giving mainstream society literary access to the space the skinheads occupy. This is yet another way that the boundary between Us and Them gets breached. Perhaps the sheer violence, language, and overall controversial nature of these works are in themselves a kind of boundary maintenance, only letting in those who feel some affinity to their world. Works Cited Clarke, John. â€Å"The Skinheads & The Magical Recovery of Community.† In Resistance through Rituals. Ed. by Stuart Hall and Tony Jefferson. 99-105. London : Hutchinson, 1976. Doyle, Pat and others. The Paint House: Words from and East End Gang. Middlesex, Eng.: Penguin, 1972. Scum. Dir. Alan Clarke. G.T.O, 1979.

Communication as a Means of Stability Essay -- Essays Papers

Communication as a Means of Stability As demonstrated throughout various Native American texts, communication tends to be the Native’s greatest challenge in that they are unable to develop successful relationships with the outside world. Ultimately, broken treaties have become the unfortunate model for miscommunication between the European Americans and the Natives. Granted the white culture and the Natives share very few of the same beliefs or traditions, neither culture has yet to successfully compromise and broken through the barrier that so obviously separates them. Therefore it remains crucial that these very different cultures develop a good enough rapport with one another that would allow either culture the freedom to practice and express their beliefs non offensively, and prevent future communication from being null. From these Native novels, in particular Louis Owen’s Bone Game and Henry Gordon’s The Light People, we learn that communication and compromise are key to the success between these cultures, and lack of it will result in feud and confusion. The plot unfolds in Bone Game as a Native American professor Alex Yazzie unleashes a large cultural discrepancy between Natives and the white people as he skins a deer at his Santa Cruz residence for faculty housing. Since this act is atypical and shunned by the white community by which Alex is surrounded, tensions rise as his actions are perceived as barbaric. It is Cole, the story’s protagonist and a fellow Native, whom the university calls upon to mediate and resolve this disturbing â€Å"Indian Emergency† (Owens 23). Contrary to the school’s understanding and the laws that govern the county, this native is simply partaking in traditional Indian practices and u... ...ion aspect of it, but more importantly the â€Å"potential† it had as a future tourist location (Henry 101). According to Webster’s Dictionary, an agreement is defined as an arrangement made by negotiation between two parties. The word negotiation infers somewhat of a compromise or acceptance through successful communication by both parties. Yet through historical events, especially those pertaining to Native American’s, society has developed an understanding that language tends to often be dishonest. As Owens puts it, â€Å"The realization that words can say what they don’t mean and mean what they don’t say†¦[indicates] to an Indian [that] every sentence in English may be a broken treaty† (Owens 43). Works Cited Henry, Gordon Jr. The Light People. University of Oklahoma Press: Oklahoma, 1994. Owens, Louis. Bone Game. University of Oklahoma Press: Oklahoma, 1994.

Abortion - Views from Both Sides Essay -- Social Issues

Abortion - Views from Both Sides Abortion is the ending of pregnancy before birth and is morally wrong. An abortion results in the death of an embryo or a fetus. Abortion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and is illegal in many countries. By aborting these unborn infants, humans are hurting themselves; they are not allowing themselves to meet these new identities and unique personalities. Abortion is very simply wrong. Everyone is raised knowing the difference between right and wrong. Murder is wrong so why isn’t abortion? People argue that it is not murder since the fetus being destroyed is not living, breathing and moving. Why is it that if an infant is destroyed a month before the birth, there is no problem, but if killed a month after birth, this is inhumane murder? The main purpose abortions are immoral is how they are so viciously done. Everyday, innocent, harmless fetuses that could soon be laughing children are being brutally destroyed. One form of abortion is to cut the fetus into pieces with serrated forceps before being removed, piece by piece from the uterus by suction with a vacuum aspirator. Another form consists of bringing the fetus feet first into the birth canal, puncturing its skull with a sharp instrument and sucking out the brain tissue. The body parts, such as the head, are given letters, rather than refer to the parts as what they are. In my opinion this is for the doctors who cannot face the reality of what they are doing. The re...

Learning environment in primary schools

Virtual Learning Environments or VLEs are the new-age educational direction engineerings that support interactions between scholars and instructors. Virtual acquisition environments besides focus on using assorted resources like on-line systems and practical tools to heighten the acquisition experience. The learning result and experience realized by deploying such a system depends on how good instructors use the system in the schoolroom. The important determination to utilize VLEs in primary schools provides countless benefits to and arouse a figure of critical academic direction issues. The end of this paper is to measure how constructs of VLEs have affected acquisition in primary schools, particularly in relation to the present instruction patterns and deployment of online and practical instruction engineerings. In add-on, this paper besides provides how pedagogical acquisition values can impact the acquisition environment, particularly when schools use VLEs to circulate informatio n through modern communicating systems. Introduction The action to implement a practical acquisition environment ( VLE ) in a primary school provides a figure of advantages. It besides raises many pertinent issues for the school direction. In fact, school direction should take this issue really lightly ( Gill & A ; Shaw 2004 ) . VLEs are the new-age acquisition systems that provide a figure of practical benefits to schools. It ‘s, anytime and anyplace entree, ability to heighten motivational degrees in pupils, capableness to ease independent acquisition, enhanced use of modern information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) tools and active engagement of both instructors and pupils, are some of the most important benefits ( Becta 2004 ) . Many school direction boards perceive a VLE plan as â€Å" facilitators of alterations in instruction and teaching method towards more learner centered attacks, heightening interactivity in larning [ and ] assisting constructional cognition edifice † ( Land & A ; Hannafin 2000, Pentland 2003 ) . However, there is a lingering confusion over the use of footings that highlight online larning system ( Gill & A ; Shaw 2004 ) . The most widely accepted definition for VLEs as defined by JISC ( 2003 ) is really simple: â€Å" A VLE is an electronic system that can supply on-line interactions of assorted sorts that can take topographic point between scholars and coachs, including online acquisition † ( JISC, 2003 ) . Some other definitions are broader and brushing in nature. European Schoonet uses a broader definition for VLE: â€Å" Any solutions that propose a coherent set of services with pedagogical purposes, back uping acquisition and instruction activities † ( EUN 2003, Annex VI, p81 ) . Commercial VLE developers use an wholly different definition while schools use the term acquisition platforms. The history and development of VLE is rather recent. With the promotion in computing machine and communicating engineering, policymakers from different schools started utilizing on or the other VLEs to supplement their primary educational attempts. Although the use of VLEs is really recent, one can follow the history of VLE back to the former yearss of educational calculating those used technically lacking systems ( Winn 2002 p332-335, Ganesan et al 2002, p94-95 ) . If at all, some schools used this engineering, it was most likely motivated by technological developments instead than the most urgent instruction demands ( Esienstadt & A ; Vincent 2000, Porter 2003, Gill & A ; Shaw 2004 ) . There is a ferocious argument on the efficaciousness of presenting VLEs in a primary school educational scene. Right now, there are light studies of primary schools utilizing a full-pledged VLE to heighten the quality of instruction. Becta ( 2003 ) studies that, â€Å" a to the full incorporate VLE [ may ] non be appropriate for a primary school at this phase in VLE development † ( p35 ) . On the other manus, Gill and Shaw ( 2004 ) perceives that â€Å" most of the primary schools depend â€Å" on external inputs to develop their apprehension, vision and attendant usage of any provided solution † ( p3 ) . However, more Numberss of schools have started to utilize VLEs to intermix primary instruction into the kingdom of modern practical educational constructs ( DfES 2005c ) . Some primary schools around the universe, particularly in the progress states of the West have started utilizing â€Å" establishment degree † information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) to better their instruction and direction aims. This survey provides how VLEs can impact the edification degrees of primary instruction in schools and in what mode primary schools can incorporate many pedagogical practical acquisition values in a seamless mode. This paper besides presents the use of primary practical acquisition techniques that a primary school can utilize to develop its pupils and recognize better larning experience from them. Reappraisal of Literature VLE is basically a network-empowered computing machine package plan where the user takes portion in an highly fake 3D infinite medium ( Dickey, 2005 ) . Harmonizing to Trindade et Al. ( 2002 ) , VLD displays a high grade of submergence and active engagement that finally makes a user as if he or she is an unreal environment. A VLE plan may include several tools like conferencing system, synergistic simulation tools, shred practical whiteboards, asynchronous and synchronal treatment togss ( Britain & A ; Liber, 1999 ) . VLEs offer several advantages over a traditional schoolroom. They are flexible, convenient, supply easy entree to class stuffs and aid pupils retain cognition for a long clip. VLEs besides empower larning that is student-focused, synergistic and self-sufficient ( Harasim et al. 1995 ) . Academicians believe that VLEs could assist pupils with rational lacks in advanced instruction. Pantelidis ( 1993 ) believes that VLEs have the capableness to promote active acquisition and they give users an experience of self-denial over the learning procedure. Both engaged acquisition and VLEs relate with each other. Engaged acquisition is a really old thought. VLEs normally deliberate on active and engaged larning through enquiry. Engagement is an of import construct. In kernel, it is â€Å" the mobilisation of cognitive, affectional and motivational schemes for interpretative minutess with text ‘ ( Bangert-Drowns and Pyke, 2001, p215 ) . An occupied scholar discoveries larning really exciting while the attending degree that he or she exhibits is far better and lengthier. An occupied scholar is besides a scholar by engagement and geographic expedition. The active usage of information and communicating engineering ( ICT ) and its tools could help a pupil become an active and engaged scholar. An ICT based, VLE environment ever involves disputing and existent jobs to work out ( Savery & A ; Duffy, 1995 ) . It besides facilitates different types of interactions like learner-content, learner-learner, and learner-teacher ( Chou, 2003 ) . Collaborative acquisition is possible with the deployment of VLEs. Students can easy work in groups to happen solutions to a common job or act as a squad to happen collaborative solutions. Salmon ( 2003 ) explained how teachers could utilize VLE to assist pupils go capable and academically empowered. A good VLE system can better I ) the pupil ‘s degree of handiness to the acquisition procedure, two ) the schoolroom interaction between the pupils and teachers and three ) their motive towards the acquisition ( Lopez et al. 2007 ) . Using effectual VLEs to incorporate seamless pedagogical values The execution of VLEs in a primary school can be really effectual. To put up a formidable VLE to back up a school course of study, the direction may necessitate to believe of its effectivity that in bend is influenced by three of import factors: cognition direction, students ‘ attack to acquisition, and academic public presentation ( Becta 2003 p32 ) . However, all the three factors show a really close relationship. The basic attack to larning in a primary school is affected by the type and effectivity of cognition direction and its sharing form among different pupils. These factors besides lead to some critical inquiries: First, how does a VLE plan act as an effectual tool for administrating cognition direction in a primary school? Second, can its usage and deployment demonstrate a positive influence on pupil ‘s point of view about his or her academic public presentation? Third, is it possible for a VLE plan to heighten the public presentation of pupil in footings of mensurable academic accomplishment? Although practical acquisition environment is a fast spread outing field of academic research, its usage in primary school is instead really bare. No much literature is available on this specific country. One of the of import concerns that most schools express is how they can guarantee a better bringing for traditional course of study and act as facilitators for brushing pedagogical transmutations on the other. Another pressure concern could be the being of the perceived â€Å" digital divide † as suggested by many writers ( Sallis & A ; Jones 2002, Valentine et al 2005 ) .Some school direction boards may besides experience about the equality of entree to an online course of study ( Becta, 2003 ) . One of the booby traps of utilizing VLEs in a primary schoolroom scene is the being of a â€Å" digital divide † . Many of the pupils who want to take portion in the VLE thrust may non hold a computing machine with an internet connexion. Students from developing states normally face this job. Another important concern could be the deficiency of cognition in runing a computing machine system. However, some pupils may entree the class by deriving internet connexion from topographic points other than their places. However, these concerns may be irrelevant now because the deployment of robust VLEs can vouch a figure of benefits and advantages. They can authorise the school and its pupils with a far greater entree to the course of study by utilizing a specific and confirmed technological invention ( Vincent & A ; Whalley 1998 ) . In add-on, an efficient computer-enabled communicating system can wheedle even the shyest and withdrawn pupils to fall in the plan ( Williams 2002, p266 ) . VLE-blended learning plan Acts of the Apostless as a solid ground tackle. The instructor who handles the plan becomes the ground tackle for his or her pupils. Anchored direction will authorise pupils to research, question, inquiry and analyze the class presented in a practical context. VLEs are really efficient in giving a meta-environment where the system will unite legion on-line resources that could be of huge usage to a pupil ( Sumner & A ; Taylor 1998 ) . Teachers use VLEs as a common platform to plan and make trade name new classs ( Minshull 2004, p25 ) . A instructor who uses a good VLE can presume the function of a â€Å" cognition agent † ( Davenport & A ; Prusak, 2000, p29-30 ) . Decisions Introducing a VLE environment is a direction determination. The most of import inquiry that research workers pose here is, â€Å" what can schools make to put up a VLE acquisition environment and guarantee its complete success and maximal effectivity? † Minshull debates that â€Å" it is aˆÂ ¦ indispensable that the choice of the VLE and the manner it is implemented are in close conformity with the establishment ‘s strategic program † ( 2004, p20 ) . Many writers argue that VLEs in a primary school context is non utile and it may non supply the coveted result. It is true that many schools are happening deployment of VLEs in their school course of study. The most often asked inquiry is whether this system is making a new paradigm in instruction or it is merely seeking to better an already bing version of plan. The European EUN Consortium Study ( Vuorikari, 2003 ) argues about three of import points: There is a sensed roar in VLE ‘s development They are non run intoing the outlooks of the academicians Schools, whoever is utilizing it, deploy it as a traditional tool to circulate new cognition and accomplishments By the way, this study proposes two plausible grounds for the slow-paced development in the deployment of VLE. The first ground is that most instructors are still larning the techniques in which a VLE plant. The 2nd 1 is the system ‘s inability to back up the coveted alteration ( Vuorikari, 2003 ) . VLEs could be extremely successful tools for presenting content in a real-time mode. However, it can work merely when it utilizes its technological characteristics along with the much-needed re-analysis of the instructor ‘s teaching method. At times, instructors and teachers who are involved may hold some troubles. The teacher-level barriers to the successful execution of VLE system could be the deficiency of assurance, clip and preparation ( Guha, 2000 ) . Teacher ‘s evident fright of failure could besides be a large factor in accommodating to the new engineering. A important alteration in the pedagogical pattern to utilize the new engineering may coerce some instructors non to accept the utility of VLE plans because they feel that those plans may non heighten larning procedure. It may be necessary to analyze the bing pedagogical atmosphere in relation to the present manner of instruction, scrutiny and instruction patterns. The type of barriers that exist today towards the effectual usage of VLE systems are segregated into two typical groups: those associating to the teachers and those connected to the establishment direction ( Becta, 2004 ) . Lack of good ICT installations could be another barrier ( Pelgrum, 2001 ) . Inadequate entree to computing machine installations and organisation of computing machine systems into VLE suits could besides be other barriers ( Fabry and Higgs, 1997 ) . Introduction of VLEs into primary school environment is a comparatively new phenomenon. With the coming of new communicating engineerings and tools, the instruction sector will see debut of sophisticated bringing systems that rely entirely on practical acquisition environment doctrines and aims. Barriers, when broken and shattered, will give manner over to the adaptation of VLEs in an drawn-out graduated table. However, instructors and the establishments may necessitate to utilize this system sagely and in a productive mode. Otherwise, they may merely neglect to accomplish the coveted aims. To cite Tony Bates ‘ words, â€Å" Good instruction may get the better of a hapless pick in the usage of engineering, but engineering will ne'er salvage bad instruction ; it normally makes it worse † ( 1995, p.12 ) .