Influences of Social Media on the Youth Essay

Amanda Todd was 15 years old and lived in Vancouver. On October 19 this year she hung herself. Shortly before she did this, she made a YouTube video describing why she would commit this unfortunate act. What made her do this harrowing act? A 15 year-old girl with her whole life in front of her. It was the result of bullying on many social media sites such as Facebook. These sites were originally set up with good intentions to facilitate communication and to keep in touch with friends and family and to share pictures. These sites can also assist students in connecting with their peers and discussing their homework, assignments and group projects. Accessing various forms of social media is a common activity and has been shown to benefit adolescents by enhancing communication. Also, it improves technical skills and keeps people connected to society. Ever since children are born, books, movies and the internet influence how the youth act and think. These influence children more and more as they grow older. During the last 5 years, the number of preadolescents and adolescents using such sites has increased dramatically. Read more: Impact of social media on youth speech essay. According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. Thus, a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet. Unfortunately recent research indicates that these sites are now used in a more negative way far outweighing the benefits. Bullying, clique forming and pedophilia are increasingly prevalent on social media sites. Because of their limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure, children and adolescents are at some risk as they navigate and experiment with social media. NEGATIVE Social media sites can have a detrimental effect on the youth due to the ever-present risk of bullying. Cyberbullying is when a person or troll deliberately uses digital media to purposely expose, harm or embarrass a particular person. It is the most common online risk for all teens and is a peer-to-peer risk. Cyberbullying is quite common throughout society and it can happen to anybody. It can cause profound psychological damage such as depression and anxiety. Also, there is the economic impact felt by parents as their children are exposed to countless advertisements that pop up on sites urging them to buy unnecessary products. In a child’s perspective, they think they need these certain items to be popular or cool. Worse still, some of these sites can expose children to violence and sexual content and this has been proven to influence children in become more aggressive in their behaviour. Furthermore, children are becoming immune to seeing violence and regard it as acceptable behaviour. They are losing their ability to empathise and to know what is right or wrong. This has huge implications for society, relationships and families. Lastly, it is known that students that are on social media sites while studying show reduced academic performances because their ability to concentrate on a particular task is reduced by the distractions that are brought about by Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. The popularity of social media, and the speed at which information is published, has created a lax attitude towards proper spelling and grammar. This affects a student’s ability to write and spell effectively. In conclusion, the use of social media websites is detrimental to the education of the youth and also their mental well-being. As you can see from this brief overview of Facebook and other social media sites, the negative impacts far outweighs the initial benefits for which they were established. We’ve looked at cyberbullying and resulting suicides, the exploitative marketing, the exposure of violence and a breakdown in societal values and morality due to the effects of social media sites. Do you think these social media sites are worth all of these potential hazards? I think not. BIBLIOGRAPHY Dunn , J n.d., The 10 Best and Worst Ways Social Media Impacts Education, , accessed 11 November 2012, . DIaz, Y n.d., Anit-Social Networking, , accessed 11 November 2012,

My personal brand Essay

My personal brand is that I am super energetic in my job. When I was working as a sale assistance in a large retail store, I would always keep my mind that I need to be cheerful and energetic in doing my job, so the customers could feel my passion and caring. This can be help me to avoid those negative emotion and things, makes me to be more productive in work. I would think that is one of the most important strengths of my personal brand. Another strength is that I am willing to learn and communicate with others. Although I am not a fast learner, I will put more effort in order to achieve the result. Also, a good relationship with colleague would make all the things much easier. Therefore, I am energetic in communicating with others and having a connection with them. My weakness is that I am not a fast learner, but I am willing to learn. In order to strengthen my personal brand, there are several actions I could do. First of all, in order to have a good communication with others, language is the most important thing. Improving my English level could help me to have a better connection with others. Also, understand the history of Australia can help me to overcome the barriers of culture difference. Secondly, attending the networking events could help me to build a relationship with different employers. Thirdly, build a personal brand in ‘linked in’ website can help me to connect with others. Also, it can let others to understand who I am.

Introdcutory for protfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introdcutory for protfolio - Essay Example The most important tutor who had influenced my English skills a lot is the Dictionary. It helped me immensely in my first assignment. It is not only my tutor but also my best friend. Whenever I have trouble in reading, it is always there to help me in understanding word by word in the context and even translate these words to my first language. So, I can understand the meaning of the articles, which I read, more easily. Furthermore, the most significant work it has done to me is pointing out the correct words which I require in my writing. Because of it, I am able to express my viewpoints more clear and explicit with elegant sentences. When I got my second essay assignment, I was out of any idea and information to write. I had never touched the area of political cheating. I could see that the evil of despair waving to me and calling me to its dark world. Fortunately, my heroic tutor came out from its digital kingdom and slew this evil. It is called the Search Engine. It can quickly find the information I want because it had broad connections to many experts all over the world. Mr. Engine is also like a history teacher. It knows all news that happened in the past. Therefore, I was able to get the information about politicians’ cheat. In addition, when I had difficulty using the citation into my essay, it provided me with many different citation styles and taught me about how to use them. It is definitely a great tutor when I need a fast source and instant live teaching for my writing. The last tutor that facilitated me is the father of Search Engine and is called the Library. It was the one which made me competent enough to finish my myth essay. It is old and slow but it has more knowledge than its son. It can explain things in specific detail. Because of Library’s support, I learned a lot of information about myth of horoscopes. It told me about who the ancestor of horoscopes was and why it was not true. Library also has taught me that writing a

English American Wedding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English American Wedding - Essay Example Devine replied with a smile. She said, "It used to be one to two months, but nowadays people are getting busier. They usually go for a two-week honeymoon, three weeks at the most. The couple cannot leave their jobs too long and have to get back to work immediately." With a slight doubt, the grey-colored eye Devine guesses, "I think that traditionally, the man would go down on his knees and propose to the woman he loved with a diamond ring. But time changes although some men still do it. Men start to get more creative in proposing to women." Devine said that wedding reception usually takes place in a hotel or a garden. It serves as a token of gratitude. The couple party with their family and friends. Delicacies and finest foods are served, toasts of wishes for the couple, and a dance. After I laid my final question, the whole class started to get noisier and louder. I was having a lot of fun talking to Devine when Mr. Wonderful stood up in front of the class and told us to stop the discussions. During the reception, the groom and the bride will cut the cake together with a knife and eat it together. The cakes are usually very large and tall stacked in multiple layers. Maybe this shows that Americans love to eat cake and the abundance of the cake represents luck of the couple's marriage that they will always have enough food. Today, the white wedding is considered semi-formal way of uniting ... She greeted me back nicely, "It was nice to talk to you, Dian." It was a great way for me in learning the American wedding culture from my partner, Devine. I thought she was cheerful and friendly. If she will be marrying in the future, I hope she will have a great wedding ceremony. Commentary The term "white wedding" refers to the theme and the color of the wedding dress. The color white symbolizes purity of the heart and the innocence of childhood. According to White also signifies virginity. Maybe the "white wedding" theme has some connection with Christianity. During the reception, the groom and the bride will cut the cake together with a knife and eat it together. The cakes are usually very large and tall stacked in multiple layers. Maybe this shows that Americans love to eat cake and the abundance of the cake represents luck of the couple's marriage that they will always have enough food. The white wedding was first performed by Queen Victoria who wore a white lace dress at her wedding. It is popular today that maybe it shows how Americans are fond of the royal life. Today, the white wedding is considered semi-formal way of uniting a couple. Even so I think that this wedding ceremony is simple. Maybe this has to do with the busy life of American people. Their jobs who keep them busy drive American couples to have a simple and uncomplicated wedding ceremony like the white wedding. Almost a decade had passed; the American wedding traditions have become a lot more liberal. Also, American wedding ceremonies vary according to religion and culture. There are no strict guidelines in celebrating wedding. Narration I am fifteen minutes late when I arrived at my good friend's wedding ceremony held in a Catholic

The new education style Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The new education style - Scholarship Essay Example b. The relationship between reflection and critical thinking is important. In fact critical thinking cannot take place without reflection. One must understand self and that around self in order to apply knowledge to critical thinking. a. Previewing is an important exercise in learning. Instructors know that getting the student to read their textbook and preview essential materials will prepare them to be able to critically think and discuss during classroom, allowing for a better learning atmosphere. When you preview, you give your mind a general framework of main ideas and structure, you will be better able to comprehend when doing a thorough job of reading. d. Reflection is how we retain the information that we have learned. By asking the student to do a reflective journal or write a reflective paper at the end of the course, helps them to be able to think about how the information that they have learned should be or could be used. This allows the student a better chance of retention of the information that has been learned. Patricia Bizzell (2005), believes that first year students are entering, in a sense, a different world. There are many things that are different but suddenly the learning needs of this individual change rapidly. The student must learn, "the stances of fairness, objectivity, and formal courtesy that smooth the surface of academic disputation."(Bizzell, 2005). It is not known when they arrive, how they think, write, or what their ability with words is. It is not known whether they can articulate in such a way as needed to write an essay for example. This paper will review that thought According to Patricia Bizzell, Mina Shaughnessy once said, "The rituals and ways of winning arguments in academia are sometimes difficult to learn" yet we have always expected that students must win their arguments in order to learn. Ms Bizzell believes that this clash in discourse, coupled with the clash that new students have with the forms necessary for their education process and the methods that they use when they arrive cause many of first year issues. Clashing in ways of thinking becomes very important for the student must be able to critically think in order to work through many of the course needs in a University. Critical thinking is founded on reflection and most of these students, at least traditional students, have not had to critically think problems before. This immediately becomes a problem for them as they must move quicker through the curriculum than they are used to. In conclusion, first year students are stressed for many reasons but some of those reasons are the changes in culture that cause a clash with previous experience. Helping the student learn to handle those issues will make a much more successful student. Section D: Reading Comprehension and Critique Question 8 b. The author of this work believes that education in the past has been a situation of benign neglect and that philosophy is changing. The government has stepped up to influence that change. The author indicates to us that in the past adult education in the UK has been developed and taught as a literacy

Vodafone international strategic development Essay

Vodafone international strategic development - Essay Example The initial acquisition move of the company was a merger with AirTouch Communications Inc. of the United States in a $61 million deal. The company briefly renamed itself as Vodafone AirTouch in a gradual move towards aligning AirTouch to its global strategy (Johannes and Ashok, 2009, P.263). The company’s North American branch was integrated into a new entity branded Verizon Wireless together with Bell Atlantic’s mobile business with the company retaining 45% stake in the new venture. Verizon wireless was the largest mobile phone operator in the North American market with 36 million customers and 24% market share in 2003. The targeting of large firms is in line with literature that suggests that large scale acquisitions provide potential scale economies and are expected to outperform small scale acquisitions (Risberg, 1999, P.76). The targeting of large firms is also observed in the acquisition of Mannesmann in a deal that helped it own D2 mobile phone business, which w as the private market leader in Germany. This deal made Vodafone one of the 10 largest companies in the world helping it achieve scale and scope economies (Johannes and Ashok, 2009, P.264). ... was a good strategy as mobile companies shared some similarities with Vodafone in capabilities and were likely to exhibit some level of homogeneity with its structure. Such acquisitions also helped Vodafone secure a platform for acquiring the existing business position (Risberg, 1999, P.82). Unlike its competitors, the company used shares for its acquisitions. This strategy helped the company emerge from the telecom crisis relatively early so that it could concentrate on growth while virtually all of its competitors were preoccupied with debt reduction (Johannes and Ashok, 2009, P.264). The company had acquired other businesses along with the mobile phone business as was the case of Japan Telecom and Mannesmann where it owned fixed line operations. Vodafone had an explicit desire to concentrate on its core business of mobile telecommunications, and this made it look for ways to dispose of the other non-core businesses. Vodafone insisted that it was mobile focused and intended to stic k to that strategy in all of its acquisitions and subsidiaries. The emphasis on only retaining those operations in the acquired firm that were core to its expansion strategy is in line with literature that suggests that strategic fit is important in creating shareholder value (Risberg, 1999, P.81). Vodafone’s strategy was to increase revenue growth and margin improvement by providing enhanced services to its customer base. This principle had three tenets. The company would increase voice and data revenues through increased marketing focus on its established high-quality customer base. It intended to extend its operational leadership of the mobile industry through maximizing the benefits of scale and scope by using partner network agreements, increasing equity investments in firms where

Visible and invisible techniques in the architecture Essay

Visible and invisible techniques in the architecture - Essay Example Therefore, the idea for use in this case is exploring the unknown to known using visible spaces. According to Blundell- jones, Petrescu & Till (125), spatial boundaries and connection are created by the mind upon conceiving a piece of artworks.   In most cases, space relies on the construction already in place such as a building or the existing natural environment. This is to mean that the idea of using space is not a nouvelle concept in the field of architecture. It is from it that creativity emanated and other ideologies associated with creative construction such as architecture.   When visible and invisible space is used in architecture, it guides in focusing on the right medium since all pieces of art are constructed in space (Blundell- jones, Petrescu & Till 3). It complication comes from the designing stage. It is from the presentation that it will influence the viewers for a given piece of artwork.   Space is a reminder that our experience in real life is spatial in show ing connections that exist; therefore, it is evident that beings and the universe are similar.   Ã‚  According to Blundell- jones, Petrescu & Till (143), the unique aspect about invisible and visible space is that they experience a flow as a form of architecture. They indicate imaginary boundaries, which can be shifted in whatever direction depending on the artists and the viewer for the art works. This technique is commonly used in construction of modern buildings. Usually, space flows by sequencing connections shown by the voids present. in a given piece of construction. Consequently, rhythm and tonal variation are the visible elements when considering the creation of space for a piece in architecture. Therefore, artists intending to be compassionate in their architectural works have no obligation but to utilize space in its visible form in order to express the invisible. In construction, the use of space elements wisely, an architect is not supposed to experience distraction by his/ creation. Instead, they should use the template and the construction

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 20

None - Essay Example of the high demand for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus, the Apple Inc chief executive, Time Cook, and the management decided to delay the production of an extra-large iPad. It seems that the leadership did not want to overwork its supplier while they were still trying to meet the demand of their customer on another product. According to the Wall Street Journal unnamed source from one of Apple’s suppliers said that the 5.5- inch iPhone 6 plus output remains unsatisfactory. Splitting resources among the display makers would be challenging in producing a large screen iPad at the moment (Luk and Wakabayashi 1). Therefore, it is a significant understanding by the Apple management for allowing its suppliers to push the production of the large screen iPad. They were well aware of the challenge the company is facing in hiring enough factory employees who will assemble the new iPhone in some of its suppliers’ branches. In an organization, there are different individuals trying to accomplish as a specific goal, but working on different tasks. Therefore, organizational behavior is how these individuals or groups are working together within an organization. The idea is focusing on the best way to manage the workers, organization and processes. It is based on the idea of what are employees’ motivated by and why does it motivate them. Managers and supervisors can accomplish organizational goals by defining goals, motivating staff and monitoring performance (Schmermerhorn, Hunt & Osborn 63). With the information that a manager gathers in the organization, he or she is able to make a decision. Therefore, managerial control of the management over the organization is a very significant part of organizational behavior. It includes the decision process by the management of an organization in choosing a course of action to deal with an issue or opportunity. In this case, Apple Inc. Decided to delay the production of a large-screen iPad and instead produce iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus

WC Mod 7 WA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

WC Mod 7 WA - Research Paper Example Although most crimes are linked to male counterparts than female this has been attributed mostly to the fact that men are typically more aggressive than their female counterparts. The impact of these challenges hinders efficient and effective administration of justice. In addition it is a basis of stereotypes that causes a lot of psychological harm not only to the affected individual but the general population that views it self as minority. The complex relationship between criminology and gender is attributed to the fact that relatively little attention has been dedicated to women in the justice system because of their small percentage in the system. This explanation fall short in a number of ways, first is that while women are underrepresented as victims, workers and offender, the number of women falling into criminal activity is still rising. Secondly practices that negatively affect the men have an effect on women as well for instance women are the ones who bear the responsibility of child-care when the male counterpart is imprisoned. Additionally while the criminal system is all male based gender is relevant when talking about male involvement in the system as well as female. It is however worth noticing that significant developments have been witnessed and currently discussing gender and crime is definitely an easy task now as compared to how it was thirty years back. Criminology is a wide concept that requires a holistic approach and to establish the link of gender and crime and the overall effect it has on criminology and justice system. Gender plays a critical role in understanding and resolving issues of related to crime. Criminology takes into consideration the theories of Marxism, feminist and critical theory as crimes originate from inequalities. In the 19th century Italian criminologist known as Cesare Lombroso developed the theory of

Answering quistions regarding to the personal statment Essay

Answering quistions regarding to the personal statment - Essay Example In view of this self-awareness would give me the impetus for being employed since I would be able to properly articulate my knowledge ability and skills set to prospective employers succinctly without stuttering. From the feedback, I have learnt that my communication skills, especially in giving specific details about me are quite poor and therefore need to be improved greatly to give the right impression to prospective employers. I have also learnt that I have a great potential in me of being an effective communicator by concentrating on the major issues through pin pointing the specifics of the issues I am talking about rather than applying generalizations. Another important lesson from the feedback is that there is urgent need for me to do a thorough research of the specificities of the practical nature and varieties of possible job openings in my field of specialization and their specific entry requirements. In relation to my key strengths, I would have indicated that as an electrical and electronics engineer, my personal organization skills would be helpful in prioritization of tasks allowing free flow of operations that my work supports. Responsibilities in electrical and electronics engineering involve the application of diagnostic expertise and tests for identifying and determining the sources of electrical faults and interpreting the error codes and in-built indicators of faults. Other crucial tasks involve design transformation into actual outcomes. . These tasks require high level of organization and keenness. My ability to handle pressure would enable me deal with situations like total collapse of systems quickly without any delays, to restore maximum performance of systems in the shortest time possible. I will achieve this through quick and accurate interpretation of circuit diagrams. My high standards of excellence would be instrumental in accurately analyzing information in

Developmental psychology Essay Example for Free

Developmental psychology Essay Up until a week ago I thought that the states ideas of â€Å"kindergarten readiness† were just political lip service, but last week my opinion changed. I was in the car listening to an interview on NPR (sadly I do not remember the woman’s name) about a new program called Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills, or WaKIDS. This year is the pilot season for this program. The interview was also on the up and coming mandate the child care workers, and preschool teacher have a Bachelor’s degree. This mandate will go into effect in 2013 in Washington State. The mission statement for WaKIDS is â€Å"The Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) is a kindergarten process that: * Welcomes families into the Washington K-12 system as partners in their child’s education. * Gives kindergarten teachers information about the development of children in their classroom to help them teach every child—data about social/emotional, cognitive, language/literacy and physical development. * Align practices of early learning professionals and kindergarten teachers to support smooth transitions for children. * Offers a statewide snapshot of where children in Washington are in their development at the start of kindergarten, to help inform state-level decisions about policy and investments This program is designed to provide a smooth transition from pre-school to kindergarten and maintain positive development in each child. WaKIDS focuses on four main areas in child development they are physical, social/emotional, cognitive and language. The program aims to maintain a collaberation between child care provides, preschool, early education and policy makers in an effort to provide the best arena for children to develop. These collaborations are in person meetings when a child is transitioning from one â€Å"grade† to another. For example, preschool teachers will meet with kindergarten teacher and discuss each child progress or â€Å"standing† and needs. This aids the next teacher in keeping a positive flow to a child’s education, and it allows for the child to be more personally invested in their own success if they know that they teachers is also invested on a personal level. In the NPR interview the woman who was speaking; she owns a daycare facility,  said that she only hires people who have at least a Bachelor’s degree. This is also going to be state mandated by 2013 that every kindergarten teacher have at least a BA, and that there is a 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 ratio of BA holding workers in day cares. The interviewee talked about how she would prefer to hire only those who have college degrees, because they are â€Å"professionally† trained in child development area. I think this is an admirable desire, but it does narrow the employee field because not everyone who is committed to making children’s live better can afford to go to college. This provides material for a great debate, but for me, what it really does is take away from the development of children. Children thrive because they can use their ability to assimilate their surroundings, and the experiences there in. If only people who have college degrees are working with kids imagine how that lessens a child’s experience of life’s diversity. In conclusion, I fully support the desires by the Superintendent’s office to enrich the education standards of this state and heighten the educational level of our children; I am very leery about all the politics that accompany a program such as WaKIDS. I do believe that it is a step in the right direction, and if we as people who work toward the betterment of children will take the risk; we ought to look even further toward education. For example: the Friends school, or Montessori school, or even parochial school. Look at what works. Look into why they provide better education than public schools. And with the guide and more programs like WaKIDS I believe that we will achieve the goal of educating well and enriching our children.

Volvo Group Of Companies and the challenges it faces

Volvo Group Of Companies and the challenges it faces 1 Introduction AB Volvo is the mother company of the Volvo Group of companies with its head office in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company was formed in 1924, with the first Volvo truck rolling off the production line in Sweden in 1928. The Volvo Group is one of the worlds leading suppliers of transport solutions for commercial use, also providing complete solutions for finance and servicing. This mission statement for the company is ‘By creating value for our customers we create value for our shareholders. We use our expertise to create transport-related hard and soft products of the superior quality, safety and environmental care for demanding customers in selected segments. We work with energy, passion and respect for the individual (AB Volvo Group Presentation 2011). Volvo as a group is tremendously proud of the core corporate values of, Safety, Quality and Environment and has retained and lived by these values from the start of the organisation. These three values are evident in every aspect of the business. The Volvo Group has now grown to become the second largest manufacturer globally of heavy trucks, and as illustrated in Figure 1.1 incorporates many different brands. As illustrated in Figure 1.2 , the Volvo Group is separated into business areas and business units. The business areas are responsible for generating revenues for the company and the business units are the recognised support units to support all business areas. Volvo Information Technology (Volvo IT) is the recognised support business unit for information technology strategy and systems support. Volvo IT does not confine their business to the Volvo Group, outsourcing their expertise to such organisations as the Ford motor company and the Stockholm Government. This ensures the Volvo IT is continually benchmarking the Volvo Group to other businesses in the open market to stay in the market forefront. Volvo Group works with external interest groups to continue to develop and drive progress in the transportation industry, especially on projects that align with the corporate values of quality, safety and environmental care. An example project requiring the key involvement of Volvo IT is the Alternative Fuels project. This project is examining a viable replacement of fossil fuels for commercial applications (Alternative Fuels 2011). In the Alternative Fuels project, the Volvo Group is working with customers, suppliers and governments to investigate workable fossil free fuels, with all business areas and units working towards making this possible. Volvo IT is involved to introduce software changes for engine management systems to ensure clean burning of these fuels. The solution is to utilise a centralised and shared IT infrastructure, platform and software application serving content to authorised users over the web. In this report we discuss the IT infrastructure issues and challenges for the Volvo Group and the business benefits and costs of a modern IT model called Cloud Computing. Recommendations are provided as to the adoption of Cloud Computing by the Volvo Group followed by concluding statements. 2 IT Infrastructure: issues and challenges 2.1 IT infrastructure challenges Two of the major components {Laudon, 2010 #159}of an IT infrastructure that must be coordinated by a firm include computer hardware platforms and enterprise software applications ( Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 203). These two essential components of an organisations IT infrastructure ecosystem ( Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 203) are concentrated on in this report as they exhibit the most risk to the Volvo Groups business, but they also provide the most opportunities for an information technology strategy to add business value to the Volvo Group. An information system is defined by Laudon Laudon ( 2010, p. 46) as ‘a set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organisation. In modern organisations, most information systems are implemented via IT infrastructure that includes computer hardware platforms and enterprise software applications. These systems are ‘typically the backbone of an organisations information flow and the main vehicle for consolidating business information ( Bisbal et al. 1999, p. 103) and their failure can have a significant impact on the business. 2.2 Legacy information systems Information systems that have been in existence for a long time and continue to be resistant to modification and evolution due to a high replacement or redesign cost are called legacy information systems ( Brodie Stonebraker 1995, p. 103; Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 634). The evolution or appearance of legacy information systems in an organisation can also typically occur due to mergers and acquisitions ( Macknight 2005, p. 14). As described by Bisbal ( 1999, p. 103), legacy information systems can cause an organisation a number of problems: Running on old or obsolete hardware. Expensive software maintenance. Inflexibility in extending the systems. Difficult to integrate with other systems. Long failure or disaster recovery times. Old and obsolete hardware can be power hungry. Replacement can be expensive or sometimes impossible due to lack of skills or unavailable parts. Some organisations need to maintain spares holding and skills within their organisation to mitigate such risks. Similarly skills in software maintenance and fault-finding may be hard to out-source or outsourced service levels may not align with the needs of the business. The system may need to be flexible and able to integrate with other systems in order to respond to changing business requirements ( Bennett et al. 1999, p. 153) 2.3 The evolution of Volvos global information systems strategy Volvo Group has seen an increase in their legacy information systems mainly due to the impact of company acquisitions over the years. Many areas in the IT infrastructure ecosystem ( Laudon Laudon 2010, p. 203) required particular attention during acquisitions to ensure compliance through coordination of the many components of the ecosystem. Hardware platforms differed as did internet platforms. Data management and storage needed to be centralised. The need to change and centralise was evident. Throughout these acquisitions, the focus of the information management strategy of the Volvo Group has been to ensure key enterprise systems are incorporated into the acquired organisations. The ERP system based on SAP is an example one of the key enterprise systems common throughout the entire Volvo Group. In contrast, supply chain systems have remained as point solutions unique to each business area and physically deployed on a geographically separated basis. As specified by ( Ives Jarvenpaa 1991, p. 34), a ‘global information technology application contributes to achieving a firms global business strategy by using information technology platforms to store, transmit and manipulate data across cultural environments. With AB Volvo being a true global corporation experiencing ongoing growth through acquisition, challenges have presented themselves in most countries with legacy systems across the supply chain. Cultural diversity such as different languages utilised from regional area to regional area continue to discourage the upgrade of legacy supply chain systems. Also, the resultant point solutions all require local IT support. Evidently, having multiple point solutions poses many challenges for the Volvo Group, but it also causes misalignment with their core corporate values. For example, the Volvo Group core value of environmental care leads to goals to reduce energy usage in efforts to reduce the companys carbon footprint. With the multiple point solutions, and many of these being legacy systems, there would be a propensity for excessive energy usage due to the hardware platforms not complying with environmental requirements and other inefficiencies. There are better solutions available. Hospitals in the USA have started to use energy efficient, environmentally friendly hardware, as well as using cloud like technology for patient files access and program access ( Does Green Really Pay Off? Ideas from Hospitals That Say Yes!   2009). 3 Cloud Computing and its business benefits and costs 3.1 Cloud computing explained Cloud computing is referred to as a ‘model of computing by Laudon Laudon ( 2010, p. 196) ‘where firms and individuals obtain computing power and software applications over the Internet, rather than purchasing their own hardware and software. Typically ‘cloud computing infrastructure resides in a large data centre and is managed by a third party ( Jaeger et al. 2008, p. 270). Gilbert ( 2010, p. 1) states that ‘Cloud computing has been recognised as one of the most important developments in information technology in the past 60 years. Globally, organisations are implementing cloud computing solutions in order to reduce costs; be more responsive to market demands; to share information more readily and rapidly; ( Gilbert 2010, p. 1); to provide better customer service, and much more. Cloud computing has been enabled through technological drivers such as reducing communication costs, the internet and its growing speed, smaller footprints required for more processing power and data storage, advances in internet security, virtualisation and much more. Figure 3.1 describes further characteristics of the cloud environment. 3.2 Cloud computing service models Cloud computing services can be provided in three models ( Gilbert 2010, pp. 18-9) Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS), and Software as a service (SaaS). These models are described in more detail in Figure 3.1. For organisations such as Volvo, the cloud computing service models tend towards the use of IaaS and SaaS. The staff of Network World ( 2007, p. 28) quote eBays Paul Strong as stating ‘companies must decide what is core to their business and what can be commoditised as a utility served up by a SaaS (software as a service) provider. Cloud service providers are able to consolidate computing resources enabling cost reductions derived from centralised management and economies of scale, passing on these cost savings to the user of the cloud service who can utilise the service without the initial capital outlay and maintenance of a dedicated infrastructure ( Jaeger et al. 2008, p. 270). 3.3 Cloud computing delivery models Cloud delivery models can be public, private, hybrid or community ( Gilbert 2010, p. 19). These are described in more detail in Figure 3.1. For organisations, cloud computing ‘presents many major problems of information policy, including issues of privacy, security, reliability, access and regulation ( Jaeger et al. 2008, pp. 269-70) with legislation lagging commercial interest in this computing model. In evaluating their potential utilisation of a cloud computing service, organisations would need to consider a range of issues. Two typical issues revolve around trust in the integrity of the service provider. Organisations would need to trust in the ability of a cloud service provider to ensure the security of their valuable private information. There must also be trust in the business continuity of the service provider, along with the ability of the service provider to maintain their quoted service levels ensuring the appropriate access and reliability of the service. Subsequently organisations are more likely to take up a private cloud delivery model for enterprise software applications and computer hardware platforms. For larger global organisations with multiple business units, such as Volvo, a hybrid model of a private cloud and community cloud delivery model would be more desirable. Such a model is illustrated in Figure 3.2 3.4 Cloud computing business benefits to Volvo The Volvo Group can benefit greatly from the use of cloud computing. With the group having its own business unit that handles and manages IT requirements, Volvo Group has an opportunity to reduce costs from infrastructure and hardware duplications, have competitive advantage via speed to market of new services for customers and reducing the costs of good sold into markets via supply chains. Other benefits to the group include much lower cost of entry and capital expenditure, low and transparent cost of ownership, and tax advantages ( OSullivan 2009, p. 21). The supply chain systems within the Volvo Group are characterised as legacy point solutions with regionally located and managed data centres housing multiple software applications and hardware platforms, each providing the same business function. These legacy supply chain information systems would appear to be prime candidates for replacement by a cloud computing solution. Indeed, supply chain systems are one of the types of systems that are quickly moving from their traditional platforms to the cloud computing model ( OSullivan 2009, p. 20). 4 Recommendation of cloud computing adoption/adaptation 4.1 Volvos five year strategy The five year strategy from the Volvo Group is to continue to reduce their environmental impact, produce quality products in all areas of their business and continue to create value to customers and shareholders. A key aspect of the Volvo Groups five year strategy is to continue to reduce the carbon output in all areas of the business (Volvo Truck Corporation Sweden 2011). Laudon Laudon ( 2010, p. 223) provide six factors that should be used to answer the question â€Å"How much should our firm spend on IT infrastructure?†. They are: 1. Market demand for Volvos services These are ever increasing with more services being provided to Volvo Truck Customers through the complete life of the vehicle. 2. Volvo Business Strategy The group will continue to develop services and vehicles that reduce CO2 footprint and lead to better ways of commercial transportation. 3. Volvo information technology strategy, infrastructure and cost A cloud computing model should be considered for the replacement of supply chain information systems and considered for further system replacements and introductions. 4. Information Technology assessment The adoption of a cloud computing model would not be considered to be lagging behind the technology curve, nor would adoption at this stage be considered early. A review of the risks associated with policy associated with the implementation of a cloud computing model should be undertaken before adopting the model. 5. Competitor firms services Many other European competitors are experimenting with cloud computing. 6. Competitor firms IT Infrastructure investments Mercedes Benz are also investing in future services for customers, showing a trend of high IT infrastructure investment for the global market (Daimler Trucks Germany 2011). 7. Investment can be sought into cloud computing on a business case basis, generating revenues for Volvo IT, and reducing costs for Volvo business areas on a user pays system. Investment in IT infrastructure will give a competitive advantage to the Volvo Group. Investment can be sought into cloud computing on a business case basis, generating revenues for Volvo IT, and reducing costs for Volvo business areas on a user pays system. 4.2 Plan to consolidate of legacy supply chain information systems For the replacement of legacy information systems, Volvo Group Australia has the option to upgrade the current local legacy systems and servers. This would result in high upfront and ongoing costs. Another option is to move to centralised systems hosted by Volvo IT with all storage, maintenance and upgrading performed centrally for considerably less cost. Supply chain system workflows typically extend beyond the internal organisation, typically to dealers (retailers). A cloud computing model can connect entire networks of suppliers and service providers providing efficiency and cost savings ( Ford 2010, pp. 57-8). It is recommended that the Volvo IT department adopt a cloud computing model for the replacement of legacy supply chain systems. This model should be based on a global policy taking into account the issues surrounding cloud computing and its characteristic lag behind appropriate legislation and legal precedence. It is expected that the most appropriate model will be a SaaS service model delivered via a hybrid of a Private and Community model with the cloud service provider being Volvo IT. The cloud community members in this model would be the Volvo Groups Business Areas. The recommendation would be to identify all legacy supply chain information systems across the Volvo Group as candidates for replacement by a SaaS solution under the hybrid model. A business case aligning with the Volvo Groups corporate values should be completed for the replacement of each system or groups of systems. A pilot implementation of a cloud computing solution should be utilised as a proof of concept before a larger roll-out. The recommended pilot implementation is the TruckShop SaaS. 4.3 TruckShop SaaS Pilot Volvo Group Australia has the requirement to upgrade an online catalogue purchasing supply chain information system called TruckShop that allows dealers (retailers) to purchase truck parts via suppliers of the Volvo Group. The TruckShop SaaS model would represent the characteristics of Cloud computing, namely on demand service, internet accessibility, pooled resources, elastic capacity and usage based billing ( Goodburn Hill 2010). The service developed for the TruckShop project will be able to be sold to other business areas in AB Volvo to provide similar solutions. TruckShop is currently running on a legacy system platform with local servers in Sydney. Maintenance and upgrade costs are on the increase, with limitations also being evident on performance and capability to meet current user requirements. Energy consumption costs were noted as increasing due to more servers being required to store data. Whilst the costs of hardware had reduced in the last 10 years, the Volvo Group Australia wanted to capture more data to analyse business trends, something evident in most industries globally ( Tallon 2010). The legacy systems also are prone to downtime, costing thousands of dollars in lost revenue while not being available to the dealer network. 4.4 Post TruckShop pilot Should the TruckShop pilot prove successful the system is recommended to be rolled out into other business areas. The continuing success of the TruckShop roll out is expected to result in high availability, high reliability, low entry cost and ongoing cost effectiveness for all users of the system. All new supply chain enterprise system projects, and indeed other candidate enterprise systems within the group would be recommended to proceed with this cloud computing service and delivery model to ensure overall cost reductions, efficiency gains, centralising and amortising maintenance, upgrades and improvements across all business areas. 5 Conclusions For cloud computing solutions, Volvo IT would generate their revenue by charging the Business Area departments based on the number of users. Users could apply for only the access to systems that they required. System updates and improvements would be performed centrally in Sweden, and users would not have to concern themselves with updates nor have to present their hardware to IT to update. The pilot of TruckShop should prove to the company what cloud computing can achieve. Many other business areas in the Volvo Group can benefit from adopting cloud computing practices. With technology being built into Volvo Trucks, and the focus on providing business partnerships more online services will be developed into the future.  

Strategies for Policy Formation

Strategies for Policy Formation Loui Rhey C. Irang Problem Identification In order to truly understand the development of the policy, problem should be identified. In the setting of policy analysis, the idea of problem definition has long been introduced as the most critical and demanding task fronting the experts. The ÂÅ ½ first concern of problem definition is acknowledgement that problems do not exist in the workplace. The second concern suggests that definitions of problems in the setting of practice must meet the standards of feasibility and worth for improvement thus policy analysis is explained as identifying and shaping problems worth solving. Agenda setting considers policy change as a way to policymakers changing their inclination based on observation and needs of improvement and policies to be discontinued also are observed from time to time. Political model tend to discuss policy development as the product of changes in the arrangement of main interests. It states that somewhat the implied understanding that policy improvements are the product of the combination between power and ideas and adapting their objective to new circumstances. Learning is part of the policy making process in a way that policy assessment follows implementation and leads to correction and termination. Policy formation The definitive policy that is selected to resolve a certain issue at hand is reliant on two influences. First, the policy must be a legal way of solving the certain issues in the most effective and feasible way probable. Efficient formulation involves investigation and identification of alternative ways to solving issues. Secondly, policies need to be politically feasible so in other words policy should be plausible. Acceptable formulation must come in a political part that involves the approval of policies by genuine decision makers. This is typically accomplished through standard building in a negotiating or bargaining process. Policy formulation therefore is, composed of investigation that recognizes the most acceptable and effective policies and political agreement. Adoption After formulation of policies, it should have to be adopted by significant organisations of government in directive to be put it into effect. Adoption can be influenced by the similar issues that affect what factors move into the earlier point of agenda building. For example, policies that address the improved situations crises often carried on and can often be adopted immediately. Temporarily, influential interest organisations can use their political impact to regulate what policies are to be adopted. The media also plays an important key role in adaption of policy. When journalism and reporting are balanced, it can deliver an opportunity where discussion over numerous cases for policy adoption comes into place. When the media shows a favourable preference, it can improve a policy proposals chance of adoption. And on the other hand, an unfavourable media preference may weaken a policy proposal. Policy Implementation The next step after putting policy adoption into effect is the implementation of the policy. Effective implementation is dependent on three elements: First, policies must be approved by the government and local government officials to the proper assistance within the government administration. Therefore, a policy intended to impose traffic safety by limiting on the quantity of drunk drivers would be first submitted to law enforcement officials for approval then for implementation. If there is no present agency that has the abilities to carry out a certain policy, new agencies must be recognized and operated. The second element vital to efficient implementation of policy is a clear interpretation. Legislative objective must be expounded into operational rules and guidelines. Vagueness in this period can lead to participation by the judiciary that will lead the legislators to explain their conclusions and worth for policy implementation. Judiciary may override the policies’ implementation where legislative commitment cannot be effectively rendered into appropriate operating guidelines and rules The final element required in effective implementation of policy is difficult to accomplish. The commitment of resources under the first element must be combined with coordination of the policy to implement the policy with on-going operations. A new edge or agency must not cause extreme competition or disagreement with current agencies. Policy implementation should be on great deal of direction to avoid further complication when policies are being submitted to the agencies. Policy formulation is frequently the result of cooperation and representative use of politics. Implementation executes a large amount of both decision and confusion in initiatives or agencies that implement policies. Bureaucracy should be competent enough to help in the policy implementation process. Policy Evaluation The last policy process is policy evaluation. Policy evaluation can happen at different times. Organisation Administrators pursuing to develop operations may assess policies as they are in implementation. Policies can be further evaluated to understand their overall effectiveness after policies have been implemented. There are many ways policies may be evaluated but they can be often not evaluated at all. Scientific and formal research consume a lot of time, costly and complicated to design and to implement. Policy evaluation also tends to be contaminated with unfairness unlike more informal evaluations concentrated on stories and feedbacks are more manageable. 2. Workplace As a healthcare professional I might advocate to influence policies with regards to workplace culture. Workplace culture is centred on the shared attitudes and values including belief towards work outlooks within the organisation and business. It is important to give respect to organisation and workforce culture. It is vital to develop a workplace culture that redirects organisation’s own values as the administrator or business owner. It is why in this case hiring the right staff is such an important element in the on-going success of the business. Setting out clear lines of communication is important as you introduce policies to the business or organisation, it is significant to set out a plan for communication ensuring each new policy is presented and introduced to the workforce in the similar way. It’s also significant to take note that communication comes in two ways as both the owner and the management workforce should encourage the staffs to share their input to t he process. Best ideas sometimes come from staff who usually facing customers Government and professional organisation As number of aged people is constantly increasing in the country, it is important for the Government to allocate enough funding to healthcare facilities that will address needs in the Aged care. As a healthcare professional, I will advocate these needs through convincing professional organisation for the Aged, who are recognized by the government, to promote this advocacy to the government. Professional organisations for aged care may have the proficient knowledge of the issue in promoting the idea of government funding as their organisation or group is related to the healthcare promotion trying to rise. They can direct the point right way to the legislators. Community Volunteering in a local community can be tempting to think that national policy creates slight difference to what people do. As a healthcare professional, I would like to advocate to the homicides connecting mental disability. It is safe to the country to be free from discrimination and crime rates. In terms of discrimination, mentally ill individuals should have fair and therapeutic way of treatment. In terms of crime rate, government should implement strict policy in thorough assessment of mentally ill individuals. Further research in diagnosing, assessing and treating should be done. In this case, mentally ill individual will not be released in the mental health services if not properly rehabilitated and treated. Follow-up observation after discharge should be included in the policy. In this case, crime rates relating mental illness will decrease. 3. A. Garbage can model The garbage can model, talking about the uncharted field of organizational chaos which is categorized by problematic preference, technology that is not clear and fluid participation, tried to develop organizational decision theory. The theoretical development of the garbage can model is it disconnects organisational problems, decision makers and solutions from each other, unlike the traditional decision theory. Definite decisions do not entail a methodical process from problem to resolution, but are results of numerous reasonably independent streams of measures within the organization. Political Bargaining model The political bargaining model sees organisations as screaming and alive political arenas that involve a multifaceted variety of entities and interest groups. An organisation is considered as an association of dissimilar interest, it sees the organisation as having conflicting and multiple goals which change as the balance of changes in power. In this system, decisions and outcomes are the product of the bargaining behaviour. Interest groups and individuals come in into bargaining circumstances in a way to affect decision making and goals in the system. Bargaining is continued as long as they believe that they will get benefit from resuming on participating in the process. Individuals not need to settle on values and goals. Bargaining is only they agreed on. B. Structured Decisions Structured Decision Making is an organized method to recognizing and assessing resourceful options and building selections in complex decision circumstances. SDM is planned to bring understanding to decision or judgment makers about how well their goal and objectives may be contented by probable substitute courses of action. It more focuses and helps find ‘win-win’ resolutions across groups, illuminates the complicated interchanges that are present and may exist between different potential sequences of action and aids to communicate how individuals perspective on these various options. Key Ideas includes Structured Decision Making uses laborious methods established in the decision and healthcare sciences. Structured Decision Making is predominantly useful for decisions concerning the combination of technical investigation with value-based discussions. Structured Decision Making has been amended for spot decisions and is accommodating for assisting multiple disciplinary stakeholder involvement and technical planning. Unstructured decisions The unstructured decisions are the unexpected and non-programmed decisions that are happening for the first time for example, dealing with a labour strike in the company. At the other finale of the range are unstructured decisions. Unstructured decision may have the same mechanisms as structured decision components like process, data, and evaluation. There is little agreement on their nature. Unstructured decisions, for instance, each decision maker may use dissimilar processes and data to grasp an assumption. The organization qualified to evaluate the decision may only have a limited number of people because of the nature of the decision. It is therefore concluded that unstructured decisions are prepared through instances in which all components of the organisation’s business environment customer, competitor response expectations, cost of obtaining raw materials and others are not totally assumed. Unstructured decision systems usually focus on the persons who or the group that will mark the decision and judgement. These decision makers are typically trusted with decisions that are unstructured because of their expertise and experience; it is their distinct ability that is of worth. Strategic decisions Chosen substitute that influence significant factors which conclude the achievement of an organizations decision strategy. To compare it, a strategic decision influence the daily implementation of steps required to reach the goals of a strategy. Strategic decisions are those which influence the long term presentation of the business and which are directly related to its purposes and objectives. They are commonly taken at the uppermost levels of management and bring higher levels of risk. The advantage However, effective strategic decisions bring high levels of reward. Operational decisions Operational decisions happen and take place on a day to day basis and are made in perspective or view of the risk to the organisation business. More often these decisions are in nature administrative in a way and can be done and implemented rapidly and tend to bring tiny risk. Talking about an organisation that all employees at different level yield and do operational decisions daily, an instance might be when to arrange and re-order a specific thing of stock and another could be to define number of how many operative staff will be compulsory to complete a certain task. Operational administrative decisions scale may be small, but are however still important selections that individuals have to make to achieve their roles. As other employees are working in an open culture, where there is also discussion of information and communal trust, they sense empowerment to take and do decisions. This sense and feeling of empowerment mean that the organisation paybacks from speed nature of decision or judgement. Open lines of communication inspire coming in and free flow of accurate and reliable information. These things lead to better together, learned decision-making at all levels. Reference Electronic Source: Boundless. â€Å"Policy Formulation.† Boundless Political Science. Boundless, 03 Jul. 2014. Retrieved 18 Nov. 2014 from https://www.boundless.com/political-science/textbooks/boundless-political-science-textbook/domestic-policy-15/policy-making-process-95/policy-formulation-514-6174/ http://www.hdc.org.nz/media/200416/factsheet%20two%20-%20homicide%20and%20mental%20illness.pdf http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/npower/developing-people-through-decision-making/operational-decisions.html#ixzz3JY2SdiiC

Macbeth - Kingship Essay examples -- essays research papers

With detailed reference to the characters of Macbeth, Duncan, Malcolm and Edward in the play ‘Macbeth’, analyse William Shakespeare’s ideas and attributes towards kingship and assess what you think the audiences reaction to the play would be at the time. Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play. He shows that a king should be chosen by divine right and shows the attributes of what a good king should be. The play ‘Macbeth’ is set in medieval Scotland at the fictional time of King Duncan. Scotland is currently at war with the Norwegians when news of their victory comes through, with thanks to the two leaders of the army Macbeth and Banquo. On their travel home Macbeth and Banquo stumble upon some old hags, and they predict Macbeth’s future to him. This startles Macbeth and his hunger for power grows so much that he and his wife plot to murder the well-respected King Duncan. Under Macbeth’s reign, Scotland becomes a country of turmoil because of the wicked leadership. Macbeth murders his best friend and another friend’s family and because of this Tyranny, paranoia sets in on Macbeth who sees many ghostly visions of people he sent out to be murdered. Scotland greatly suffers under his reign, this turns Lady Macbeth mad, and she eventually commits suicide. Macduff, eventually goes to England to ask for the help of the noble king Edward, who is highly res pected for help to overthrow the leadership of Macbeth, and so the Anglo-Scottish revolt sees Macbeth to his death and Malcolm the son of Duncan is proclaimed king of Scotland. Macbeth is the main character in the play and starts the play as a very hard fighting, loyal soldier whose bravery had just led the way to a victory over the Norwegians. It could be an essay in its own right to talk about how the character of Macbeth develops and changes, at the beginning he is a god-like hero –a firm, strong, loyal character. But through allowing his ambition to suppress his good qualities, he becomes ‘this tyrant’ (act4 sc3 L12 –Malcolm), this ‘dwarfish thief’ (act5 sc3 L12 –Angus) and this ‘hellhound’ (act5 sc6 L42 –Macduff). The character of Macbeth is a study of how one person can degenerate from ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’ (act1 sc2 L55) to ‘this dead butcher’ (act5 sc6 L108). Ambition is his fatal weakness. He allows, first the witches’ prophecy act1 sc3 L46-50 and then his wife’s ambition... ... King Edward of England is the king least of all mentioned in the play, but still we can tell a lot about his character and what type of king he was. We can see that Edward was a good, loyal king, who wasn’t prepared to see others suffer. In act4 sc3 L141-145, a doctor comments on how some ill people touched Edward’s hand and were healed, Malcolm then after comments it is ‘a most miraculous work in this good king.’ Also, we can see that he is a good and caring king as he chooses to help Malcolm and Macduff in their Anglo-Scottish revolt. I have really enjoyed studying this play and it is most probably the best I have read. It is amazing how Shakespeare can make one man fall into evil just because of his lust for power, and not just that it is also the way in which he is able to do it, using his imagination, he is able to enthral his audiences into disbelief. It is clear to see Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship in the play as Malcolm lists the attributes towards a good king in act4 sc3. I think most of all that the moods of the people at the time would have been mostly in shock at this tragic tale and amazed at the way the playwright could achieve this most gripping story line. Macbeth - Kingship Essay examples -- essays research papers With detailed reference to the characters of Macbeth, Duncan, Malcolm and Edward in the play ‘Macbeth’, analyse William Shakespeare’s ideas and attributes towards kingship and assess what you think the audiences reaction to the play would be at the time. Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play. He shows that a king should be chosen by divine right and shows the attributes of what a good king should be. The play ‘Macbeth’ is set in medieval Scotland at the fictional time of King Duncan. Scotland is currently at war with the Norwegians when news of their victory comes through, with thanks to the two leaders of the army Macbeth and Banquo. On their travel home Macbeth and Banquo stumble upon some old hags, and they predict Macbeth’s future to him. This startles Macbeth and his hunger for power grows so much that he and his wife plot to murder the well-respected King Duncan. Under Macbeth’s reign, Scotland becomes a country of turmoil because of the wicked leadership. Macbeth murders his best friend and another friend’s family and because of this Tyranny, paranoia sets in on Macbeth who sees many ghostly visions of people he sent out to be murdered. Scotland greatly suffers under his reign, this turns Lady Macbeth mad, and she eventually commits suicide. Macduff, eventually goes to England to ask for the help of the noble king Edward, who is highly res pected for help to overthrow the leadership of Macbeth, and so the Anglo-Scottish revolt sees Macbeth to his death and Malcolm the son of Duncan is proclaimed king of Scotland. Macbeth is the main character in the play and starts the play as a very hard fighting, loyal soldier whose bravery had just led the way to a victory over the Norwegians. It could be an essay in its own right to talk about how the character of Macbeth develops and changes, at the beginning he is a god-like hero –a firm, strong, loyal character. But through allowing his ambition to suppress his good qualities, he becomes ‘this tyrant’ (act4 sc3 L12 –Malcolm), this ‘dwarfish thief’ (act5 sc3 L12 –Angus) and this ‘hellhound’ (act5 sc6 L42 –Macduff). The character of Macbeth is a study of how one person can degenerate from ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’ (act1 sc2 L55) to ‘this dead butcher’ (act5 sc6 L108). Ambition is his fatal weakness. He allows, first the witches’ prophecy act1 sc3 L46-50 and then his wife’s ambition... ... King Edward of England is the king least of all mentioned in the play, but still we can tell a lot about his character and what type of king he was. We can see that Edward was a good, loyal king, who wasn’t prepared to see others suffer. In act4 sc3 L141-145, a doctor comments on how some ill people touched Edward’s hand and were healed, Malcolm then after comments it is ‘a most miraculous work in this good king.’ Also, we can see that he is a good and caring king as he chooses to help Malcolm and Macduff in their Anglo-Scottish revolt. I have really enjoyed studying this play and it is most probably the best I have read. It is amazing how Shakespeare can make one man fall into evil just because of his lust for power, and not just that it is also the way in which he is able to do it, using his imagination, he is able to enthral his audiences into disbelief. It is clear to see Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship in the play as Malcolm lists the attributes towards a good king in act4 sc3. I think most of all that the moods of the people at the time would have been mostly in shock at this tragic tale and amazed at the way the playwright could achieve this most gripping story line.

Essays --

Moral Implications in the Cuban Missile Crisis Morality has been a constant in the foreign policy of the United States of America (U.S.A.). When it comes to the affairs of the world the U.S.A usually tries to make things right and stop evil. Some of the examples of morality playing a role in America’s decisions in foreign policy are the decision to combat the Barbary pirates, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and most recently, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One thing that all of these situations have in common is that it involved the United States basically saying that she would not stand for immorality. One story that has not been investigated is the â€Å"morality element† card and the role of that variable in the choosing of a strategy in the Cuban Missile Crisis. This paper will examine the â€Å"morality element† and how by concentrating on that element the U.S.A successfully brought the Cuban Missile Crisis to an end. Cold War Reaches Boiling Point From 1945 to 1961, this â€Å"war† had some tense moments, but the Cold War hit its boiling point in 1962 with the Cuban Missile Crisis. During this time, John F. Kennedy was the leader of the United States while Nikita Khrushchev was the leader of the Soviet Union. When tensions began to rise in October 1962 these two men would decide whether the world would live to see another day or the world cease to exist. In regards to the Soviet Union and the threat of nuclear war, Kennedy stated that â€Å"[t[o be an American in the next decade will be a hazardous experience. [This nation] will live on the edge of danger. Freedom and communism are locked in a deadly embrace.† Kennedy would also state in his Inaugural Address that the United States w... ...iet Union now had missiles in countries that were very close to them. If the U.S. made the Soviet Union angry or vice versa then the world could be in danger of ceasing to exist. The next part of the Cuban Missile Crisis was very crucial to saving the future of the world. The Soviets Are Caught Red Handed As stated previously, the U.S. did not know about the missiles in Cuba, but that would change very quickly. One of the most crucial days of the Cuban Missile Crisis was October 13th, 1962. On this day, a U-2 plane flew over Cuba and took some photographs before returning safely to Florida where these photographs were developed, so that the U.S. could find out exactly what the Soviet Union was doing in Cuba. The information in these photographs was stunning. Basically what these photographs revealed was the missiles that had been put in Cuba by the Soviet Union.

Internal Conflicts Caused by Conformity :: essays research papers

Internal Conflicts Caused by Conformity Conformity can often seem like the best path to take in a situation. Going along with everyone else will cause less conflict for the group as a whole. Unfortunately conforming simply to protect other people's feelings can lead to powerful internal conflicts if a person does not fully agree with the situation. Ruth from A Raisin in the Sun, Langston from "Salvation," and Mama from "Everyday Use," all felt internal conflicts resulting from conformity. Ruth Younger is a caring mother who feels internal conflicts when she feels strongly about something her husband does not agree with. Ruth lives in a small apartment with her extended family. She tries to be a good wife, supportive of her husband's decisions but she also longs for a better life for her family. Gladys Washington, literary reviewer, points out that Ruth, "seems to hold fairly traditional ideas about motherhood, but she finds herself, without the counsel of her husband, considering abortion as an alternative to bringing another child into the world" (Washington screen 3). She would sacrifice the life growing inside her to ensure her current family had a place to sleep. When her mother-in-law presents them with the opportunity to move from their small run down apartment to a home of their own Ruth is overjoyed, but sees that Walter is furious with his mother for spending so much money on a home in a white neighborhood. Ruth wants so badly to be excited tha t she urges her husband to see the good that would come from moving. She says, "Please, honey -- let me be glad... you be glad too"(Hansberry 998). She tells him they should, "say goodbye to these Goddamned cracking walls!--and these marching roaches!--and this cramped little closet which ain't now or never was no kitchen!"(Hansberry 999). After being offered money by their white neighbors not to move in, Walter decides to take the money and keep his family in their cramped apartment. Ruth is being torn to pieces at the thought of losing the home she dreamed of but she has done enough pleading. She had already rebelled and let her husband know how she felt about the new home. Finally right before Walter signs the papers to accept the white community's money, his wife and mother's pleas get through to him. He turns down the white man's money and Ruth finally gets a better life for her family.

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Japan

Ivan Morris’ The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Japan is an appraisal and an attempt to restore the imaginary life of Prince Genji in the highly illustrious Lady Murasaki’s Genji Monogatari and, for the most part, to portray Japan’s regal, entrenched, strange yet vibrant world. The manuscript was both a source of pleasure to those who would want to enjoy the splendor of literature and a good source of knowledge regarding the Land of the Rising Sun – its history and culture – details that even history failed to recount. This book has, beyond a doubt, disclosed the most intriguing and accomplished culture in our world, mulled over Japan’s classical age of marriage politics and the turbulent political currents of court life, the rise of aristocracy, Buddhists’ and Confucians’ doctrines of salvation and impermanence, the pursuit for elegance and refinement, the roles men and women play, over and above women’s role in the patriarchal society during their time. Physically, little was known about the odd yet amusing country which was â€Å"divided into large estates ruled by feudal baronies, dominated by military men who for over a century had kept the islands in a state of almost perpetual warfare,† (p. xxiii). There was already a well-established religion, rooted in Buddhism and Confucianism. Religious leaders are, in general, wealthy, powerful, and often wielded political influence that they, at times, oppose with secular authorities in supervising the territories. Provincial warriors also rose during the Heian period. Although, the West might have thought of their supreme power since they are physically trained, samurai warriors enjoyed no prestige among the nobles. It was only later that they ascended, which eventually lead to taking power. The Heian epoch is indubitably considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court where sovereignty lays upon the emperor. Nonetheless, power was wielded by aristocratic families, particularly the Fujiwara clan. The emperor upholds dominion over most of the territory. But, he did not have much supremacy to rule with equal firmness over all of this vast territory compared to the aristocrats. The latter filtered out into various ranks. And it had been palpable that the imperative factor in determining an individual’s rank that time was the overall status of one’s extended family. In other words, hereditary privilege is an overwhelming factor in one’s general status. This is why landed gentry would most likely choose to marry those belonging in the upper crust for their personal gain and sustained stature. Aptitude and knowledge might enable someone to advance to some extent, but there was little room for social mobility. The members of the Japanese court have, indeed, lived opulent lives, concerning themselves with works of art aside from their primary occupation of managing lands and came to depend on a system of private estates (shoen) for revenues. A paradoxical fact of the condition of the lower class was also shown in the masterpiece and was noticed by Morris. Ignorant peasants in their society produce nearly all of the country’s wealth but for the most part are experiencing a filthy and wobbly life. The members of the imperial families put land tillers to work to enrich themselves rather than for the benefit of the whole country. Indeed, in the political sense, the period is known for the height of control of the noble families. On the other hand, Heian Japan is also noted for its cult of beauty. In other words, it is a culture that has put emphasis on â€Å"beautiful things† or the â€Å"splendid things. † History would tell us that the aristocrats, particularly the Fujiwara clan, fostered a court culture which devote much of their time on refined tastes and elegant aesthetic pursuits. Since the upper-class Heian life were believed to be confined in their palaces, men and women rarely venture the world outside their homes, â€Å"almost claustrophobic in nature, and living an indoor life to a large extent,† (p. 167), most of them had sufficient leisure time, giving them enough time to develop artistry. Consequently, they became great patrons of poetry, painting, calligraphy, music, dancing, and landscape gardening. Poetry, in fact, became one of the most important skills to develop. The mastery of its technique was necessary in both social exchanges and formal poetic gatherings. The central figure in the Tale of Genji, to whom this book was attributed, dwelt remotely from his relatives and would exchange notes, messages, or poems once they get to see each other, especially during family gatherings. Other spare time activities include sketching and painting depicted in Morris’ account of Genji’s sketches of the sea and the hills, during the Prince’s banishment in Suma, and arrived at a conclusion that â€Å"they were almost all amateur artists,† (p. 186). A popular form of drawing consisted of sketches of men and women. It appears that these sketches were erotic (p. 86), however, there were no other details provided that will substantiate the truth of this claim. But what is apparent is the influence of the Chinese even in the arts. These portrayals reveal to us a particular age and civilization of the extraordinarily sophisticated Japan – a part of the world away from the cultivation of the West, a country so outlandish yet very rich when it comes to art, literature, and culture. The remarkable sense of aesthetics, as Morris noted, and the extent to which aesthetic beauty substituted for moral goodness both defined the characteristic of this ancient society. The other element that should be taken into consideration during the Heian Period is the position of women in the society. The world before is, undeniably, patriarchal. Women are considered inferior to male; a mere shadow to male’s existence; living without freedom; living without name. However, Morris was able to point out women’s position in the society that time. To know that women in Heian Japan were economically independent, or at least semi-dependent, surprised him. He added that they also benefit from total subordination from the domineering sex. This would suggest that Heian women, so long as they are financially stable, can do whatever it is that pleases them, without men dictating it. It is true that women are not quite affiliated politically, yet they were able to do well out of the freedoms that the Western women were not able to enjoy. Although, women were by and large branded as inferior, they could legally inherit and even own properties, as well as engage themselves in all sorts of leisurely activities. In fact, most of Heian prose writers were women. Lady Murasaki, who wrote the Genji Monogatari, along with other world-renowned writers flourished during this period. According to Morris, many of the women then had their own houses and being economically independent, were free to have such relations as they wished and also to terminate them. Part of their freedom is that they could refuse their favor to a man,; they could keep him waiting; they could send him away at any time; or replace him by another lover. This freedom was perceived by Morris as promiscuous, freedom that he himself was not able to characterize during his time. The society that surrounds them is filled with male supremacy but women in this period had a niche of their own – a nook that they know can satisfy them in some ways, in spite of the fierce standards of conduct during that time. Morris also stressed out the intricate relation between men and women of this milieu. Men can only converse with women if the latter were behind curtains. And there were even characters who lived apart from their female relatives and would see them rarely. Morris (p. 167) viewed this as an exaggerated case of formality with regard to the relation of men and women. Incongruously, though, there were some characters like Prince Niou who go to bed with Naka no Kimi on their first meeting and for Kashiwagi to do the same with Prince Nyosan before they have spoken to each other (p. 167). This gives us the impression that women are again classed according to their economic potential. Women can have freedom only if they can keep up with the challenges freedom entails. Women can have their choices granted so long as they can cope with the consequences of their decisions. In Morris’ account of the Shining Prince’s world, we were able to have a glimpse of a paradise located at one part of the globe. Their exquisite traditions, highly majestic politics, the rise and fall of aristocracy, exceptional artistic expression, the pursuit of elegance, and fascinating literature have been one of the world’s wonderful crafts ever hewn in the history of mankind. Overall, Morris’ attempt to discuss the narrative of an Eastern country was a brave endeavor to overcome Western ignorance. He was able to bridge distinct cultures, bringing forth understanding and high regard of unique civilizations, and in turn, minimizing indifference. There may have been lapses in the judgment of Morris regarding Japan’s mysteries, however, somehow his work was able to give a picture of Heian society of aristocratic reign, astonishing veneration for beauty and sophistication, and finally for the depiction of the interesting roles men and women played during that period of classical Japan. Indeed, Morris has produced a work of art that will not only entertain you about Japan’s lovely mysteries but enfold an interesting tale of the efflorescence of an ancient civilization.

Persuasive Paper on Video Game Violence Essay

=Today’s youth live in a time where video games are a fixture of entertainment. Video game consoles are found in almost every home, including a child’s bedroom. I believe that the portrayal of violence in video games is not the reason for the increase of violent acts committed by and against youth. Parents and the government should understand it is not the fault of the game itself. Modern parents should be engaged in the messages their children are receiving from video games and the images they are allowing them to witness. Creating more laws and legislations surrounding the sale and content of video games will not provide the protection that parents think they will. I believe that parents who refuse to engage in the content their children are exposed to must educate themselves actively and be aware of what their children are observing when they play video games. They need to actively seek out information about the game and what types of content it contains before their children start to play. Parents should not solely rely on the rating provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), an independent board that provides ratings to video games. Games with the rating of Everyone, or â€Å"E†, contain mild violence. According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association where 55 video games were played, â€Å"27 games (49%) depicted deaths from violence† (Thompson and Haninger). Parents who do not take the time to learn about a game first risk their children killing in the game that is rated for â€Å"Everyone†. Children need their parents to talk with them and explain that what they are seeing is not real and that violence like that is not appropriate behavior. A study by the American Psychological Association found that game players self-reported that â€Å"game playing was found to elicit more fear than anger, depressed feeling, or pleasant relaxation, and respectively; however it elicited more joy than fear† (Ravaja, Saari and Turpeinen). Desire to commit violence was not one of them. Parents also need to set clear boundaries on what is appropriate and what is  not for their children, based on their own beliefs. The violence portrayed in video games exists without a call to action. The games do not command players to go outside of the game and commit the same acts. It is also not the duty of lawmakers to limit accessibility or ban content all together because they fear that the violence could incite an incident. The British Medical Journal originally published findings from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study. The study was conducted over 10 years and included more than 11,000 children. It â€Å"did not find associations between electronic games use and conduct problems, which could reflect the lower exposure to games and/or greater parental restrictions on age-appropriate content for games† (Parkes, Sweeting and Wright). Parents should determine what is right for their children and what is not. The boundaries of every family are different and need to be enforced by the parents. The creators and retailers of video games often become the scapegoat for lawmakers and government officials when a violent act occurs that involves or is perpetrated by youth. Parents rely on their legislators to take up their causes and seek out laws that will promote their cause. Regulating video games on their behalf is one of those causes. Legislative bodies across the country are looking for ways to prevent incidences of violence, especially gun violence like what occurred in Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut and the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The state of New Jersey outlined a plan last year that included measures to limit and restrict how retailers merchandise games in retail outlets and would require parental consent for kids to purchase games rated â€Å"Mature† or â€Å"Adults Only† ( Friedman). The state of Massachusetts  also considered legislation that would assemble a group to â€Å"investigate the influence of violent video games and to find if there is a connection with real world violence† (GamePolitics Staff). However, these, and other laws being debated across the country, face a significant legal road block. Video game retailers already take precautions and preventative measures to keep certain games from being purchased by children and further regulation on a legal level is not needed. The Supreme Court heard Brown v. EMA, a case against California’s laws that restricted the sale of certain games to teenagers based on state’s determination that they were violent. The basis  of the case came down to a First Amendment issue because California’s specifically singled out video games and no other form of media. The Court struck down California’s law and ruled â€Å"the games, like books and movies, are protected under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech. The Supreme Court also said it found no convincing link between the games and real world violence† (Friedman). Justice Antonin Scalia stated, â€Å"Psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively† (Friedman). Regulation by the government is a clear-cut defense for parents who battle with their kids about certain games being purchased and played. It is easier to tell a child that they cannot have something because someone else restricts it and not because the parent forbids it. It means the child is not upset with the parent and diverts their displeasure. Parents do not have to be the â€Å"bad guy† because a law takes care of that for them. I have personally witnessed parents telling kids that they cannot purchase a particular game because it is too graphic or not for their age. Most of the children are less than pleased by the response and show it. I imagine most parents want to avoid that reaction from their child in a store. Creating legislation that the Supreme Court found infringes on the collective’s First Amendment rights or circumventing the current self-regulation of the video  game retailers is not the solution. Today’s parents should stop seeking a solution for interference outside of their own decisions as a parent by increasing legislation on games. Parents to the next generation are severely taxed by the demands of day to day life. The one item that they cannot be relaxed about is the entertain they choose for their children. Buying a video game console and unleashing a child into the world of gaming is almost a rite of passage for parents, especially parents that grew up playing Super Mario Bros. It is unwise to do so without rules, boundaries, and some due diligence on their part. They should be educating themselves on the games and need to be reviewing game content information available from web sites like IGN.com. Parents should be supervising their kids playing the games that they may not be familiar with yet many do not. They should also be looking at what they can control in their own home, including utilizing  parental control settings on the consoles themselves and restricting online and downloadable content. Parents should not lean on lawmakers to establish those confines for them nor does not lie in society’s hands. The ultimate responsibility lies with parents who are willing to unplug what video game content they do not want their child to play. Works Cited Friedman, Matt. â€Å"Game over? Christie’s plan to restrict video games would likely be overturned, experts say.† 24 April 2013. NJ.com. Web. 3 March 2014. GamePolitics Staff. Massachusetts State Senator Proposes Study on Violent Video Games. 14 November 2013. Web. 3 March 2014. Parkes, Alison, et al. â€Å"Do television and electronic games predict children’s psychosocial adjustment? Longitudinal research using the UK Millennium Cohort Study.† British Medical Journal (2013). Web. Ravaja, Niklas, et al. â€Å"The Psychophysiology of James Bond: Phasic Emotional Responses to Violent Video Game Events.† American Psychological Association (2008): Vol. 8, No. 1, 114-120. Thompson, ScD, Kimberly M. and Kevin Haninger. â€Å"Violence in E-Rated Video Games.† Journal of the American Medical Association (2001). Web.

Brand Equity to Customer Loyalty Essay

An examination of brand equity leading to customer loyalty in the clothing industry using the Loyalty Ladder model. Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine if there is a correlation between brand equity and brand loyalty. The author will research the sources of brand equity for three international clothing companies: Abercrombie & Fitch, Marks & Spencer, H&M and apply each company to the Loyalty Ladder. Methodology – Secondary literature was used throughout this study, mainly including; Annual Reports, Academic Journals & Datamonitor reports. Findings – All three companies have a strong brand image and they do have many customers’ who are loyal to their products. All companies experienced growth in revenue in 2010. The companies examined are now in the process of growing their businesses in emerging markets. The loyalty of customers does remain but it is mainly due to the companies innovative marketing strategies, which have resulted in increased revenues within the companies. Constant brand re-enforcement is extremely important to keep customers loyal to a brand. 1.0 Introduction Keller (1993) recognised two reasons to study brand loyalty; for financially based reasons and to improve marketing productivity. Tolba & Hassan (2009) studied the correlation between brand equity and customer loyalty which has seen significant research over the years. The authors conducted an in-depth study of 17 brands within the automobile industry. The findings showed that loyalty and satisfaction were the strongest predictors of brand preference and intention to purchase. The research was broken down into three areas; those who had never tried the brand, those who had tried once and those who had purchased the product. (See Figures 1.0-1.2). For those who had never tried the brand, they would not have been satisfied or loyal to a brand as they had never tired it. Perceptions of the brands image and value towards the brand impacted the results, therefore branding is fundamental in creating a personality and image of the brand that the customer can relate to. Patwardhan & Balasubramanian (2011) have taken brand equity one step further and discuss consumer â€Å"attraction† to brands. The authors believe that attraction and romance with a brand will increase loyalty to a higher level; a deeper and more intense level. The customer will experience security and trust the brand. â€Å"We define brand romance as a state of emotional attachment (evoked in response to the brand as a stimulus) that is characterized by strong positive affect toward the brand, high arousal caused by the brand, and a tendency of the brand to dominate the consumer’s cognition. Brand romance is subject-specific. Different consumers may enjoy different levels of romance with respect to the same brand†. Pawardhan & Balasubramanian conducted a study on numerous undergraduate students and asked them specific questions in relation to brand loyalty. The outcome of the study found that brand romance did exist even though the feelings and emotions behind the romance were not explained. There were a certain brands which kept re-occurring as brands with which students felt romantic about. These were Nike, Ford, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, Cingular, Sprint and Abercrombie & Fitch. The author of this paper believes that if marketing managers could harness this idea and â€Å"connect† customers’ emotions and feelings to their brands, it may increase loyalty; especially in such a competitive market it could help to retain more customers. If a customer experiences â€Å"romance† they may have a longer lasting relationship with a brand. Marketers have created the concept of the â€Å"The Loyalty Ladder†. The rungs on the ladder represent; prospect, customer, client & advocate. (See Figure 2.0).The idea of the romance being that a customer would remain on the top rung of the ladder for longer if the relationship was on a deeper level. 2.0 Abercrombie & Fitch Aaker and Mc Laughlin (2007) highlight the sources of brand equity (See Figure 3.0); brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality & brand loyalty. Brand awareness relates to the presence of the brand in the mind of the customer. Brands with high visibility tend to be purchased more frequently and also need to be maintained in the marketplace to re-enforce the brand awareness. As stated above, Abercrombie & Fitch is a brand name which people felt strongly about; it has international brand awareness and brand association. The brand is perceived as high quality, trendy and â€Å"American†. Abercrombie & Fitch have a huge loyal customer following. Lane (2007) describes the brand as being targeted at 18-22 year olds, mainly college students. The company was established in 1892 and went bankrupt in the 1970’s. The company was re-branded in the 1980’s to become a huge success. The annual report states that â€Å"The Company considers the in-store experience to be its primary marketing vehicle. The Company’s marketing strategy emphasizes the senses to reinforce the aspirational lifestyles represented by the brands. ..The Company also engages its customers through social media and mobile commerce in ways that reinforce the aspirational lifestyle of the brand†. Abercrombie & Fitch Annual Report 2010. Abercrombie & Fitch advertisements are all very consistent; black and white, topless men, beautiful males and females and often very sensual. (See Figure 4.0).Abercrombie and Fitch are famous for having had many controversial pieces of clothing and advertisements in the past but this has added to their brand image and increased media awareness. When the recession threatened many companies, Abercrombie & Fitch did not reduce sales prices, as they did not want to take away from the brands image and perceived high quality. The company did suffer a reduction in sales, however, to overcome this, management opened stores in new and emerging markets as the American market was maturing. Abercrombie & Fitch opened their first store in London in 2007 and have opened their doors in Japan to a new loyal market of young advocates. (They also sell online to the Chinese market). In the past few years there has been a shift in Chinese and Japanese culture. Teenagers in particular have become â€Å"Americanised†. Abercrombie & Fitch is a very popular brand in these countries as it represents the â€Å"American way of life†. In a study conducted by Parker et al (2004) it was found that the three most important aspects to a teenager were style, look and fit. Abercrombie and Fitch certainly contain these three elements. Tully (1994) supports the idea that it is relatively easy to form a â€Å"global teen strategy† & suggests that it is â€Å"†¦easy to form a global teen strategy, as teens around the world tend to have similar attitudes†. The research conducted by Parker et al (2004) showed this to be slightly untrue as US and Japanese teenagers tend to have more similarities towards the Chinese teenagers, as teenagers in China have less disposable income. However this is changing as China is an important emerging market. The Abercrombie & Fitch annual reports state that stores across China and Hong Kong are due to open in 2012. The author of this paper believes that the Abercrombie and Fitch brand is a perfect example of a brand romance. There are no loyalty cards or personal accounts to entice customers to climb the ladder. The famous brand and its image is enough to create an intense and emotional feeling within teenagers and young adults to become advocates of the brand. The loyal advocates (mainly 18-22 years old) of the brand remain perched on the top rung of the ladder until the next generation takes its place. The loving relationship lasts for approximately four years, until the customer topples from the top rung of the ladder. Abercrombie and Fitch also have other brands (Hollister & Gilly Hicks), which are not discussed in this article. What is different about this brand is how the company do not offer cards, accounts etc. like many other companies. Through their website they offer the chance to work in their stores and become a â€Å"store model†. Another perfect example of how aspirational this brand really is. (Abercrombie & Fitch official website) 3.0 Marks & Spencer (M&S) As mentioned earlier Aaker and Mc Laughlin 2007 highlight the sources of brand equity (See Figure 3.0); brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality & brand loyalty.. Marks and Spencer (M&S) were famous for their fleeting sales even before the recession and were faced by a takeover bid by Sr. Philip Green. M&S did not reduce their premium prices and instead invested heavily in a marketing campaign which eventually proved to be a success. (Marketing Society UK 2010). The net profit was  £526.3 million in the financial year ending 2010, an increase of 3.6% over 2009. (See Figure 5.0) Campaigns to re-enforce the M&S brand included the â€Å"125 years campaign†, taglines included â€Å"quality worth paying for† and â€Å"quality worth every penny† (See Figure 6.0). These campaigns also feature famous celebrities such as Twiggy, Mylene Class & Danii Minogue. (Marketing Society UK 2010). Walshe (2008) discusses M&S in the marketplace (See Figure 7.0). He describes the market as â€Å"weak†, the business as â€Å"ok† and the brand as â€Å"strong†. If a marketing strategy can successfully increase awareness of the brand then sales will increase. M&S experienced a lot of volatility in the marketplace and discusses how it was the business that was â€Å"temporarily broken† and not the brand. Through a strategy of changing product ranges, motivating employees and reminding customers about the brand and what it stood for, the company increased its profits. Throughout the marketing campaigns, the message of quality and good value was kept consistent so the brand association remained the same. Different forms of advertising have been researched to identify which types can affect brand association. The discussions are mainly broken into two categories; price and non-price advertising. (Kaul et al 1989, as cited by Clayton & Heo 2011). Non-price advertising can be described as differentiation or reminder advertising (Mitra and Lynch 1995, as cited by Clayton & Heo 2011). In a study conducted by Clayton and Heo (2011) on whether advertising affects brand association, the study concluded that promotional based messaging lowers the brand image, attitudes and perceptions of the brand. The authors do state that value-oriented messages have the ability to deteriorate brand associations. M&S have also created their brand as an association to corporate social responsibility, including expenditure in areas of climate change, sustainable raw materials and waste. (Datamonitor 2011 (a)). Customers perceive M&S to be a brand of high quality which the company constantly communicate in advertising campaigns. Tresidder (2010) in an article discussing a food campaign by M&S describes how the slogan is â€Å"This is not just food†. The advert ‘‘directs perception’’ by creating/reinforcing ‘‘signposts’’ of the M&S experience. â€Å"Thus, the text directs perception while guiding the social and cultural significance of the images used;, a conversion process takes place in which meaning is guided by changing perception through various techniques such as the use of text, changes in context and the meaning of the gastronomic experience† (Marshall, (2005) as cited by Tresidder (2010)). As stated earlier the loyalty ladder consists of four components; prospect, customer, client and advocate. In Tolba and Hassan’s (2009) research discussed earlier, the research showed that people who never tried a brand based their assumptions on which brands they preferred based on the image and attitude. In relation to M&S, a prospect customer will rely on advertisements, word of mouth, physical outlook of store and any other media surrounding the brand. M&S are opening new stores in emerging markets and will have many more prospect customers as opposed to the maturing domestic market. Once prospect customers have stepped up the ladder from prospect to customer, M&S offer a M&S credit card which gives the cardholder points. A premium card is also available got frequent shopper who are clients and advocates which offers treble points. (marksandspencer.com). Clients and advocates of M&S tend to be of a mature age and trust the M&S brand. More recently M&S have used celebrities in their adverts to gain a younger market share. The company is also the leading department store retailer in the UK. The clothing and fashion segment is estimated to have led to such leadership. (Datamonitor 2011(a)) . Huang & Huddleson (2009) conducted a study on own brand products and concluded that own-brands can often have a product advantage over competition which creates a competitive advantage because the retailer is creating their own products, they put more effort into the production and image of the product. Marks and Spencer have launched an internet channel through â€Å"M&S Direct†. Customers can shop online and a new facility called â€Å"Shop your Way† enables customers to order online, in stores or over the phone. Products are delivered free of charge to the nearest store. Through M&S direct, customers can join discussions and see what is happening in their local stores. March and Quinton (2009) discuss viral communities and how they impact the on loyalty ladder. They state how impostant social networks are for marketers and how they act as a â€Å"conduit for intra customer dialogue†.The authors posited the idea of a â€Å"social network contributor ladder† for online users. â€Å"This understanding will enable marketers to communicate more effectively with both the influencers and other members of the social network ladder†. (See Figure 8.0) March and Quinton (2009) 4.0 Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) A prime example of a strong own brand image is the Swedish company H&M. Mc Coll & Moore (2010) conducted a study to examine own brands and product brands. It has been increasingly competitive in the past few decades with companies setting up stores internationally. The authors discuss that own brands such as H&M will be more successful if they reflect the corporate brand image which must also be strong in the marketplace. Own brands have more control over products which gives them a competitive advantage. (Mc Coll & Moore 2010). H&M is a global brand based on its â€Å"value creating retail concept†. H&M have built their powerful brand based on a business model of fashion and quality at the best possible price. (Ilonen et al 2010). H&M mainly create brand awareness through television, internet,and mobile phone. H&M have an iphone application and online game â€Å"Mytown†, where players can view â€Å"virtual goods†. (WARC news Sep 2010). In April 2011 H&M launched it’s free Android application. This enables customers to browse clothing, check out offers and watch exclusive videos. There is a huge international brand awareness of H&M, with stores operating throughout Europe, South Korea & Israel. The company is now focusing on new emerging markets such as Romania & Croatia and opened their first stores in these countries in 2011. H&M have sponsored celebrities in the past to create a strong brand association. They chose those who they perceived were most suitable to position H&M as an upscale fashion retailer offering clothing at best price, Roberto Cavalli, Jimmy Choo & Madonna are examples of celebrities who endorsed the H&M name. (Datamonitor 2011 (b)) H&M has a fast retail policy & quickly follows market tends to deliver merchandise to its outlets daily. The loyal customers of H&M tend to be young and fashion conscious. H&M has kids, women and men’s clothing shoes and accessories. The company has experienced revenue growth year on year even throughout the recession ( See Figure 9.0). In relation to the loyalty ladder, as discussed earlier by Tolba & Holsan (2009) a prospect customer will purchase based on perception and image of the brand. There is no doubt that this brand has a strong market presence. Also, as most of the customers are younger there will be more of an influence by friends, peers and the fashion industry to conform to trends. (Parker et al 2004) . Some companies’ have reduced mobile marketing communication during the recession but as mentioned earlier, H&M rely heavily on mobile marketing. They use technology to communicate discounts etc. very often people who receive these messages send them on to friends, this results in a usually a 50% increase of people in-store. H&M see this as a success in creating massive â€Å"footfall in their stores. (Carter 2008).This form of marketing is also useful as when people send on these messages, it can draw prospect buyers into the stores. Once the prospects have climbed to the next rung of the ladder and become customers, H&M offer an account. This account allows customers to have limited access to the â€Å"virtual dressing room† and other benefits such as communication via internet, mobile phone applications and offers which draw the customers back in-store time and time again, to eventually become clients and advocates of the H&M brand. 5.0 Conclusion All three companies discussed in this paper have strong brand images which are constantly communicated to the public. Customer loyalty does remain as a result of strong marketing strategies and constant brand re-enforcement. In relation to M&S and A&F, sales have slowed down as their domestic markets are maturing and people have less disposable income due to the recession. However, both companies have weathered previous recessions. Many customers still desire to buy these brands and the strong brand image will help increase sales in emerging markets. Both M&S and Abercrombie & Fitch had an increase in 2008, which dropped in 2009 but increased in 2010 again. H&M has a steady increase year on year. Abercrombie & Fitch is due to open in Dublin at the end of this year and also due to open in Paris and Milan. All three companies are concentrating on new and emerging markets as their domestic markets mature. (See Fig 10.0) The author of this paper has posited a new loyalty scale as opposed to the loyalty ladder, see (fig 11.0). The loyalty ladder does not account for customers who are dissatisfied or â€Å"anti† a brand. Customers begin as prospects and can go up or down the scale depending on their experience with the brand. The internet plays a crucial part in communicating with customers and creating relationships to strengthen bonds with them through social networking sites and discussion fora. With so many global brands in society, it is important to keep re-enforcing brands to keep customers firmly perched on the top rungs of the loyalty ladder.