Aims and Objectives for Teaching and Learning Essay

The successful teacher is the armed teacher. Lessons’ plans and repertoire of activities are our arms. In order to achieve genuine communication in the classroom, every lesson should be wisely planned and perfectly provided having balanced variety of activities. The teacher of ESOL must manage the class involving all the students all the time to make them active learners. First of all, the teacher is to create a comfortable atmosphere in the classroom according to TESOL general principles. They are: 1. â€Å"Look after your students. 2. Be a caring person. 3. Raise students’ self-esteem. 4. Give deserved praise. 5. Be yourself.† Every lesson should start with friendly chatting with students in a natural way to give them the opportunity to act in real life and to show them the teacher interest. E.g. Ask them about last weekend at the week beginning. It is absolutely important to pronounce the students names correctly. When having difficulties, we may involve the students in learning their names asking them to explain the name meaning and to correct our pronunciation. Paying attention to every student is a clue to a genuine communication. So, we are to look at all the students in the class. The caring teacher moves around the class as a ‘prowling lion’ to make the students feel encouraged, and changes their focus at the moment the subject of learning is changing. E.g. When talking about nature, move to the window and ask some student to describe the sky, another student to talk about the trees behind the window, and so on. We must care about the seating model of the classroom. Facing with standard rows we need to rearrange the furniture to circle or semi-circle/horseshoe to create the most comfortable communication. If rearranging is impossible the teacher may ask the students to walk around the class to find partners for pair/group work. Also, we can make groups asking one pair to turn round to another pair when seating in rows. We may see the separate tables for groups in some schools. This model is also appropriate as allows the teacher to move around the class prompting and explaining something to the table groups. The furniture arrangement may be dynamic, changing every lesson according to the activities. As to a groupwork, it is one of the best techniques of involving the students into communication. The preferred number of students for the group is five to have the opportunity to of major view because of an odd number. The group of five students is big enough to participate in communicative activities (e.g. role-plays, information/opinion gaps and collaborative work), and small enough for effective interaction. However, we may divide the students into smaller or bigger groups, pairs, and teams according to the activities. When organizing a pairwork/groupwork we should take into account some aspects: †¢ friendship. People in the group are to be pleasant to each other. We can make it clear asking the students to write the confidential lists of their preferences and dislikes; †¢ nationality. Teaching multi-lingual classes we shouldn’t put into groups the students of the same nationality to avoid the using of the mother tongue. †¢ streaming. Weak and strong students are to be mixed in pairs and groups to make cooperative work to be effective and helpful. †¢ gender and status. According to some contexts, we can’t put men and women into one group. Also, teaching business English, we should know the status of our students to be sure in the appropriateness of putting people together. We must always remember about L.T.T.T. as we want to achieve genuine communication. The more students speak, the more they learn how to do it. So, we should decrease our talking to increase the talking of our students. E.g. Explaining the grammar involve the students asking them for their examples of the point. Using the white/black board we must write clearly. It’s possible to print something if keeping a board in order is difficult. The white/black board is quite appropriate instrument for various activities as table filling, games, errors’ correction, etc. Encouragement is the cornerstone of communication in class. ‘No!† may discourage everyone. That’s why we should use the more kind intonation as ‘No, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Frequent use of ‘good’ is also appropriate, as in ‘Good, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Giving a puzzled expression to encourage a student to reformulate the sentence is good practice to keep high level of motivation to communicate. Grammar terminology needs to be minimized as it possible. Bur the teacher must know the grammar to keep the credibility. Encouraging students to learn English outside the classroom develops their receptive and productive skills. As for extensive listening, we can find various authentic materials on the Internet. E.g. news reports, radio podcasts, TEFL listening materials, TV shows, songs, etc. To develop the extensive reading we can build up a library of suitable books in our SAC. We can create the website to involve students in writing their blogs for informal communication. And we can go outside the classroom for speaking in an informal environment. Agency gives students the opportunity to make some decisions about the learning process and keeps them encouraged. Learning journals brings much sense helping the students to communicate freely and creating the dialogue between teacher and student. Questions are very popular in a communicative approach. But we should remember some rules: †¢ don’t address the question to keep the attention; †¢ use ‘wait time’ to encourage; †¢ don’t ask students in fixed order, be unpredictable; †¢ ask everyone equally. Two types of questions, i.e. closed and open-ended, help to activate students’ mind in various ways. The open question is appropriate for the lesson starting to focus the students’ attention on the topic. To manage the students successfully we must differentiate their work according to the abilities by task, by support, or my homework. We must be armed at all points to manage interruptions. For example, to have extra copies of textbooks, pencils, and rubbers in the case they may be forgotten; don’t wait for coming-late people; give an extra explanation for lost-on-point students; deal with personal problems outside class time. To help students to process information we should use a VAK presentation that allows different types of learners to accept the point using their best way, i.e visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Creating the successful classroom let us avoid the problem behavior of the students. Engaged and successful students with raised self-esteem have no t ime and purpose to behave badly.

Brand Loyalty from a Multi-Faceted Perspective Essay

Brand loyalty is the ‘Holy Grail’ to all marketing organizations. Marketing practitioners are consumed by it. They search. They try. They dream. They want to achieve the ultimate in brand loyalty, making it so airtight that no competition can lure their consumers from their brands of products. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fit-all methodology. Competition is dynamic. There’s no way to accurately anticipate what the creativity of their competitors can bring to the marketplace, which can lead to the eventual overwhelming of an established brand. There’s no telling how the motivations and perceptions of their customers may change, having inundated by communications in every conceivable fashion on a daily basis. Yet the organizations that can achieve strong brand loyalty for their products can ensure profitability for their stakeholders. Those who cannot shall perish in the war of the marketplace. Building strong brand loyalty for a company’s products is not just an idea, or a one hit wonder. Rather, building strong brand loyalty is a process that requires management excellence. For this reason we look at brand loyalty from a multi-faceted perspective. Somewhere out there, among the numerous ideas and theories, may lie one that may help turn the fortune of an organization. Hà ¤rtel, C., Russell-Bennett, R., Worthington, S. (2010). Brand Management. A Tri-dimensional Approach for Auditing Brand Loyalty, 17(4), 243-253. Retrieved from http://palgrave-journals.com/bm/. In this article, the authors outline a framework for conducting a brand loyalty audit that uses a tri-dimensional approach, which are, cognitive (I think), emotive (I feel) and behavioral (I do) response. With different levels and intensity of brand loyalty, the tri-dimensional approach allows the manager to target the significant market segments more effectively. The authors have very strong academic credentials from universities in Australia. Worthington is a Professor of Marketing at Monash University specializing in distribution of financial services. Russel-Bennett is an Associate Professor at Queensland University with research and consulting work on the role of emotions in organizational and consumer behavior. Hà ¤rtel is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Development and Director of the Social and Economic Interface Research at Monah University. In conducting the audit, the first step is to measure the current level of emotional, cognitive and behavioral loyalty, and then, in step two, prioritize the segments. Once the priorities are set, the manager will have to strategize to increase loyalty (if it is low) or maintain loyalty (if it is high). Thus, this article is for managers looking to evaluate the strength and flaws of their product, with the goal of brand loyalty in mind. This article has 24 references; nearly half of these references are based on the authors’ previous research involving brand loyalty and marketing, the other references help to build on concepts and research examples. The tri-dimensional audit faces two challenges. First, the framework is untested and therefore requires validation across product types. Second, the level of influence on priority and strategies is not knowable and therefore is subject to arbitration. More work has to be done on this model. Nevertheless, it introduces new ideas in understanding brand loyalty. Babur, M. N. & Naveed, F. (2011). Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. The Real Battle Starts Now; Moving Beyond Brand Management, 2(12), 629- 635. Retrieved from http://ijcrb.webs.com. This article looks to examine the steps an organization can take after establishing the brand to achieve sustained brand loyalty. This can be achieved through continuous advertising and managing ethical burden. The authors describe ethical burden as the necessity of company to charge real cost of doing business, ensure quality of products and services and develop strong customer relations. The focus group study with a sample of 50 business professionals contends that by managing ethical burden with continuous advertising, it can lead to creating positive brand image and hence, brand loyalty, that will sustain the brand in the long term through repeat buying phenomena. Babur is an Assistant Professor and Principal at ISRA University, Islamabad Campus Pakistan. Naveed is a Senior Research Associate at Riphah International University, Islamabad Pakistan. There are 15 references in this article. The authors use these references to elaborate on concepts relating to marketing in regards to ethical burden, brand image, brand loyalty and, advertising in general. The results of the study indicate that a large portion of the repeat buying behavior is due to unexplained factors across purchasing occasions. The authors state that this study has a 72% of reliability, but did not show the calculation of how the number was derived. The written English is weak and some descriptions are not so clear. Despite this deficiency, this article provides marketing managers with another perspective to sustain brand loyalty. In regards to the 72% reliability, further research can incorporate quantitative methods of research to indentify outliers, which can lead to a more accurate study. Furthermore, additional research should link the actual strategy of using ethical burden and continuous advertising to sustain brand loyalty – preventing or postponing the decline of a mature brand in its product life cycle. Alwi, S. F. S. (2009). International Journal of Business and Society. Online Corporate Brand Images and Consumer Loyalty, 10(2), 1-19. Retrieved from http://feb.unimas.my. This article examines how, traditionally, organizations build their brand image targeting consumers through media such as television, newspapers, and radio. With the advent of online media, the author evaluates if offline brand success can be translated to a positive corporate brand image perception in the online environment. Using the personification approach, a sample of consumers was asked to rank a list of companies (by imagining the company was a human being) based on five main criteria: agreeableness; competence; ruthlessness; chic; and enterprise. The results were, then, compared to several pieces of previous research from both offline, and online perspectives. Syed Alwi is a Professor in the Faculty of Business & Accountancy at the University of Malaya in Malaysia. She received an honors degree in Business Management, and completed her Masters in Marketing all at Salford University in the United Kingdom. She received her PhD in Marketing at the University of Manchester. Managers looking to integrate their marketing plans into the online environment would find this information extremely useful. The article has about 50 references; most of which are used to incorporate ideas and results from previous research. The other references are used to build concepts involving the transition of marketing and branding into online media. When applying the personification results to previous research, it shows that there is a high correlation between high scores in the categories of agreeableness and informality, when compared to a high level of brand loyalty of online consumers. Therefore, for an organization to translate previous brand success to online success, it must portray itself as pleasant, friendly, supportive, open, easy and outgoing to targeted consumers. Using a research method like this seems arbitrary and a more structured research method like a longitudinal study would probably give less erratic results. Anderson, K. & Sharp, B. (2010). International Journal of Market Research. Do Growing Brands win Younger Consumers?, 52(4), 433-441. doi: 10.2501/S1470785309201387 This article attempts to shed some light on the presumption that younger consumers are less loyal and more willing to try new brands than older consumers. The authors analyzed 230 brands from 12 categories such as coffee, beer, internet service provider, and mobile phone. By comparing two periods of data, the authors were able to determine which brands grew and which declined. The results of each brand were, then, compared to an age profile. Consumers under the age of thirty were defined as ‘young’, and those over the age of fifty five were defined as ‘mature’. The research concludes that younger consumers are slightly easier to attract. This is because young consumers are more willing to take risks and their styles are not so fixed, whereas older consumers are more attached to certain existing brands. It is not easy to change the loyalty of buyers, but it is possible. Brand loyalty is indeed alive and well, it is not entirely entrenched. Sharp is a Professor of Marketing Science and Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia. Anderson is a Research Associate at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia. Sharp has published several academic papers and books including, â€Å"How Brands Grow† published by Oxford University Pres. Only 10 references are used as most of their data was purchased from one source, the other references allow them to compare data with similar works and draw scholarly conclusions. This article provides a new perspective that while the presumption that it is easier to attract younger consumers is true, the established marketers, to whom this article is intended for, should not target the younger consumers exclusively. Further research should use a larger variety of sources emphasizing exactly how a growing brand should target certain demographic groups in order to achieve greater sales volume. Grzeskowiak, S., Krishen, A. S., Labreque, L. I. (2011). Journal of Brand Management. Exploring Social Motivations for Brand Loyalty: Conformity versus Escapism, 18(7), 457-472. doi:10.1057/bm.2011.12 The authors identify two central moderating variables that explain brand loyalty, which are product knowledge and self-image congruence. Self-image congruence enhances brand loyalty for consumers who desire to conform to the groups or societies they are in. However, those that want to break away from these groups are called escapism-motivated consumers. Escapism-motivated consumers derive their brand loyalty from product knowledge, but product knowledge inhibits brand loyalty for those who are bound to conformity. This study shows that common communications for these two groups are asymmetrical. Labrecque is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Northern Illinois University. She received her PhD in Marketing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Krishen is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Krishen logged 13 years of corporate experience before receiving her Masters and PhD in Marketing from Virginia Tech. The authors used about 60 cited references. However, only a handful of these references are used to expand on key concepts. Most of them are used to elaborate on results using graphs, tables, and cross tabulation. This study highlights the challenges facing the marketers when developing advertising messages for their intended audience. The marketers have to be mindful of the implication of their communications to their diverse group of consumers. This study, though, is limited to focusing only on two motivations – conforming versus escaping. But there are numerous other social motives that are likely to affect brand loyalty. Further research should be done to explore these boundaries. References Ahn, K., Hur, W., Kim, M. (2011). Management Decision. Building Brand Loyalty through Managing Brand Community Commitment, 49(7), 1194-1213. doi: 10.1108/ 00251741111151217 Alwi, S. F. S. (2009). International Journal of Business and Society. Online Corporate Brand Images and Consumer Loyalty, 10(2), 1-19. Retrieved from http://feb.unimas.my. Anderson, K. & Sharp, B. (2010). International Journal of Market Research. Do Growing Brands win Younger Consumers?, 52(4), 433-441. doi: 10.2501/S1470785309201387 Babur, M. N. & Naveed, F. (2011). Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. The Real Battle Starts Now; Moving Beyond Brand Management, 2(12), 629-635. Retrieved from http://ijcrb.webs.com. Balasubramanian, S. K. & Patwardhan, H. (2011). Journal of Product and Brand Management. Brand Romance: A Complementary Approach to Explain Emotional Attachment toward Brands, 20(4), 297-308. doi: 10.1108/10610421111148315 Grzeskowiak, S., Krishen, A. S., Labreque, L. I. (2011). Journal of Brand Management. Exploring Social Motivations for Brand Loyalty: Conformity versus Escapism, 18(7), 457-472. doi:10.1057/bm.2011.12 Hà ¤rtel, C., Russell-Bennett, R., Worthington, S. (2010). Brand Management. A Tri-dimensional Approach for Auditing Brand Loyalty, 17(4), 243-253. Retrieved from http://palgrave-journals.com/bm/. Kharaim, H. S. (2011). International Journal of Marketing Studies. The Influence of Brand Loyalty on Cosmetics Buying Behavior of UAE Female Consumers, 3(2), 123-133. doi: 10.5539/ijms.v3n2pl23 Kwok, S., Uncles, M. D., Wang, C. (2010). Journal of Marketing Management. A Temporal Analysis of Behavioural Brand Loyalty among Urban Chinese Consumers, 26(9-10), 921-942. doi: 10.1080/02672570903441454 Tsai, S. (2010). International Business Review. Fostering International Brand Loyalty through Committed and Attached Relationships, 20(5), 521-534. doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2010.10.001

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

South Africa - Essay Example It is important to note that 1948 was an election year whereby there were two major parties competing; i.e. the National Party and the United Party (Worger, 2004). The United Party on one hand had a soft stand on apartheid as it tended to lean towards integration of all communities and races, which was believed to be unavoidable. To the majority whites, this meant that all South Africans would therefore enjoy equal rights under the leadership of the party and therefore, there were fears among the whites that the non whites would increase competition in the job market especially if they were allowed to migrate to the urban centers, which would have also meant that the cost of labor in the industries would have gone up as the whites utilized cheap labor from the non whites. The National party on the other hand utilized this fear and came up with a pro-apartheid policy which it vowed to establish once it was elected into power and which saw its winning the elections and therefore produc ing the first prime minister under the apartheid regime (Thompson, 2001). The events that followed can only be termed as the worst historical injustices in the history of South Africa.

How Walmart is becoming a monopoly Research Paper

How Walmart is becoming a monopoly - Research Paper Example The company operates each store from the products it stocks to front end equipment in order to speed check out. Wal-Mart invested heavily on cross docking inventory technique in order to achieve and fully realize economies of scale in cost. Wal-Mart Company was launched in 1962 by Cornerstone Walton. Walton had a strategy on the business to expand its stores in order to achieve higher sales volume at prices in comparison with other competitors. Due to discounts gained from department stores Walton initiated chains in Rogers, Arkansas in that year. By the year 1967, the company opened 24 stores across the state of Arkansas and recorded a high volume of sales. The company has continued to expand to major parts of the world in its quest for new markets. By 1978, Wal-Mart expanded into Illinois. It penetrated new markets such as pharmacy, auto service and jewellery divisions. Currently, it is arguably the most emulated retailer. Economies of scale: Currently, Wal-Mart enjoys many monopolies. Everywhere in the county there’s a Wal-Mart. Based on the economic concept it has a large size as well as a huge market share in their existing market. The economic theory of monopoly arises through the smaller the number of firms in the industry and large share Wal-Mart has; therefore, monopoly is deemed to exist. Monopolies arise due to free market (Rand, 1982). Economist considers that monopoly existed due to the existence of one supplier of a good. Its net sales increased by 5 % to 466.1 Billion (Rand, 1982). It has no close substitute within a given geographical location. In most regions, Wal-Mart has created a monopoly up to an extent that no small business can survive alone. Wal-Mart has acquired its dominant position in the retail sector by being relentlessly competitive. It has done everything to keep its cost price as low as possible. It utilises extremely efficient inventory

The Truman Show Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Truman Show - Movie Review Example In the show, which must keep going in order to sustain its own world, Truman Burbank is the ultimate consumer: nothing about his life is secret to the viewer. He is doing what corporations want to observe people doing: acting naturally and making choices which seem to be those of free will. Going into a large corporate store, it is very easy to fill out surveys. Cameras are everywhere. There are parallels everywhere to the ways that consumers are scrutinized, just as Truman Burbank is scrutinized in â€Å"The Truman Show.† The motivation of the show’s producers is motivated to portray Truman Burbank as an ideal consumer so that the self-sustaining world of supply and demand can continue. The producers are the supply; Truman makes the demands. It is a symbiotic relationship, so the producers want to keep it going. They will stop at nothing to keep Truman from the truth, and this is part of what forms much of the tension in the second part of the movie. Overall, Truman Bu rbank is a typical ideal consumer, because he is the object of constant scrutiny and measurement. To me, the conclusion is the most important part of a short essay such as this one, because it really is the last thing that the reader is going to take away from the process. The conclusion here about the cycle of Truman’s routine was something that I completely agreed within this response because I also think that corporations are looking for habits and cycles in their consumers, and this is something that made Truman ideal.   

Methadone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Methadone - Essay Example Synthesis of the methadone molecule from these precursors is also described. The manufacturing process yields a racemic mixture with the levo rotator form being more active pharmacologically. This synthetic drug primarily mimics morphine in its ability to act at the  µ opioid receptors however with the advantage of lacking addictive potential. Introduction Drugs used for therapy in human and animal medicine may have a biological origin or may be synthesized artificially. Whatever the source, all drugs have a particular chemical structure and modifications in the structure have been attempted historically to enhance their therapeutic effect or reduce their side effects. Thus the subject of chemistry is extremely relevant to drugs used for therapy. Methadone is a prime example of a synthetic painkiller or analgesic drug which was developed by German scientists in an endeavor to develop an alternative to morphine, which had potential for addiction. The human experience of pain brought forth a need to alleviate it by artificial means and looking for natural pain killers was the first endeavor of the prehistoric man. Opium was the first substance discovered by man around third century BC which had myriad effects on the body (Gutstein & Akil, 2001). Besides alleviating pain, opium became a substance of abuse due to its profound intoxicating and euphoric effects. The active substance, morphine was isolated from opium by Serturner, who named it after the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus (Gutstein & Akil, 2001). Discovery and isolation of other alkaloids followed and these drugs were the mainstay of pain therapy during medieval times and continue to be used so in various forms as different congeners exert different pharmacological actions. During early use of these drugs, their mechanism of action was not well understood but research and discovery yielded the information that specific endogenous receptors existed inside the body to which the opioids got bound and exerted their biological actions. The receptors discovered till date have been labeled as  µ, ?, ? and the latest N/OFQ receptors (Gutstein & Akil, 2001). The various congeners exert their pharmacological actions by binding with specific class of receptors. Methadone is a molecule which interacts with the  µ receptors and produces profound analgesic effect as good as that of morphine. The molecule was first discovered by German scientists in the 1930s in their endeavor to find an analgesic drug without the addictive potential of morphine (CESAR). It is therefore classified as a synthetic, narcotic analgesic which has also been employed as a treatment to wean addicts away from the use of heroin which is a drug of abuse. Methadone has a longer lasting  µ receptor agonist action as compared to morphine. The drug exists as an enantiomer and the l-methadone form is 8-50 times more potent as compared to the d-methadone racemate (Gutstein & Akil, 2001). Methadone is a white crystalline powd er which melts at 233-236oC and is soluble in water as well as organic solvents like methanol and chloroform (drugtext.org). However, it is insoluble in ether. Methadone is available as a hydrochloride salt in its chemical form and possesses 21 carbon, 27 hydrogen, and one each of nitrogen and oxygen atoms along with the hydrochloride in its molecular structure

Global Energy Consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Energy Consumption - Essay Example As the report stresses  coal is a mineral that is mined either in underground mines or surface mines. Exploration is a process of gathering geological information from a number of different sources including existing data, seismic instrumentation, and geographical observation. Holes are drilled into the selected areas to determine the size and quality of the coal bed. Contributing to today's modern exploration methods are "microelectronics-based technology, such as; personal computers, digital down-hole logging, remote sensing, global-positioning systems, and vastly improved communications".This paper declares that  crude oil is drilled from wells located beneath the surface of the earth by forcing it up when pressure is applied inside the well. In addition, there are oil reserves beneath the oceans and other bodies of water that are tapped by offshore oilrigs. It is transported around the world on ships known as super-tankers, where it is off loaded at refineries typically built along the coast around the world. The quantity of oil, the quality, and the size of the oil field all impact the value of the field. Oil exploration is accomplished by utilizing the geological history of an area in conjunction with radar, sonar, sounding, and data acquisition techniques that look beneath the surface and reveal what may lie below.  Eventually, test wells are drilled to determine the depth of the oil, the quantity, and obtain more precise information on the layout of the field. ... Natural gas is a natural byproduct of fossil fuels and is found associated with oil fields and coal beds. A major problem with natural gas is transportation, which must be done primarily by pipeline. This limits it to inland applications, as trans-oceanic pipelines are impractical. Coal shale is a relatively new source of oil and extraction technologies are still being developed and improved. The process depends on the oil that is embedded in the rock and the sand where oil has accumulated. It is estimated that there is enough oil in the US oil shale reserves to meet our present oil demands for the next 200 years (The Benefits of Oil Shale Production, 2007). However, the process of grinding the shale rock and heating it to separate the material is an expensive process. In addition, moving the oil from the fields to the refineries within the US must be done by truck, and could also become expensive. At today's oil prices, it may be impractical, though with escalating demand and diminishing supplies its economic outlook may improve in the future (The Benefits of Oil Shale Production). In addition, it would free the US from the political concerns encountered when acquiring crude oil. There has recently been some debate within the Senate that would favor offshore oil drilling off the coast of the US. Advocates contend it is a necessary step to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. However, critics maintain that the amount is so limited and the production so far in the future that it will only have a marginal effect on supply or price (Jervis, Welch, & Wolf, 2008). In addition, environmentalists have objected to the lifting of

Sandy Springs Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sandy Springs Community - Essay Example I live in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a city full of life and robust business. Under the clear skyline on a sunny day, Sandy Springs has a spectacular view. The city has towering buildings that forms offices and business space. It is due to the high number of offices and business premises in the city, that Sandy Springs is always a buzz with activity. I am a Catholic, an astute follower of Christian doctrines. For four years, I played basketball in high school, winning different medals in different basketball competitions. I count myself as a motivational force to the young people, especially those who have the passion of pursuing sports as a career. Through my basketball talent, I was able to tour different places within and around Sandy Springs. Therefore, I frequently join them in our local church’s pitch and provide them with free training on how to become a successful basketball player. I also play the piano in my church, as well as take part in different social work. Sandy S prings has different hospitals, treating people with different kinds of sicknesses or injuries. Annually, I donate blood to these hospitals, with the knowledge that I play a big role in saving other people’s lives. Sandy Springs has different kinds of people. Wealth, education, career, religion and beliefs divide people into different classes and groups. Wealthy Sandy Springs dwellers substantially differ with the poor. Lifestyle is one of the differentiating factors between the dwellers. Although religion and beliefs play a significant role in differentiating people in Sandy Springs, its impact is rarely, felt like that brought about by the wealthy and the rich in the society. A common belief among the people in Sandy Springs, which doubles as a Christianity belief is the equality of all people before God. Thus, we do not judge people according to their religion. While Christianity is the dominant religion, Islam is also popular. Still, a section of Indians living in the city believes in Hinduism. There is also a temple somewhere at the middle of the city, where Jews worship. Churches are all over, with some of the newest established ministries and others, which have existed over a long time. No form of personality or character defines people in Sandy Springs in relation to their beliefs and religion. Most people in Sandy Springs city work in offices; others own different businesses in the city. This forms the class difference between the rich and the poor, as successful business owners have more wealth than the working class. There is no equitable distribution of wealth in the community. The richest people who live in the suburbs have better lifestyles than those living in the heavily populated estates. Down town, Sandy Springs is a buzz with all kinds of business, while the uptown has a cool and serene environment. These people afford to live in expensive homesteads, with guards and alarms connected to the police station. They enjoy personalized services like the EMS, have towering walls to themselves and receive reliable services such as internet connectivity, among others. Serenity defines these areas, with more vegetation cover in the surroundings, springs and grass . These are however the few minority with resounding influence in either the business or political classes in Sandy Springs. They take their children to good schools, can afford the best cars, wine and dine in prestigious hotels and restaurants. Rarely does the rich class take a bus to work, or wait for the train. Their children drive to school, of course in expensive cars just like their parents. Contrary to these people is the working class, which either takes a bus to work or boards the morning train. Their children afford to skate to school, or ride, but cannot drive. Even if they drove, their cars match less with those of the rich. They go to the general schools, with minimal specialization in the kind of learning they provide. These people live in the populated neighborhoods, with little security.

Steady- State Economics and Environmental Philosophy Research Paper

Steady- State Economics and Environmental Philosophy - Research Paper Example Here Mill postulated for a future where an informed human community could reign in the increasing population to achieve a comfortable standard of living and then look outwardly toward realign social issues. John Maynard Keynes, an influential economist of the twentieth century, also referred to a society that could focus on ends (happiness and well-being) rather than means (economic growth and individual pursuit of profit). Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen recognized the connection between physical laws and economic activity and wrote about it in 1971 in The Entropy Law and the Economic Process. His insight was that the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy law, determines what is possible in the economy. Georgescu-Roegen explained that useful, low-entropy energy and materials are dissipated in transformations that occur in economic processes, and they return to the environment as high-entropy wastes. The economy, then, functions as a conduit for converting natural resources into goods, services, human satisfaction, and waste products. Increasing entropy in the economy sets the limit on the scale it can achieve and maintain. Increase in environmental problems witnessed in the early sixties and their documentation by scientists in books such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962), Barry Commoner’s The Closing Circle (1971), and The Limits to Growth (Donnella Meadows et al. 1972) led to concerns of ecology and natural resource depletion and pollution.Out of this arose the in the final decades of the 20th century the discipline of ecological economics that envisaged the combining of environmental protection and economic sustainability. Environmental philosophy now started to become an integral factor in all growth and development strategies. The concept of a steady state or equilibrium as defined in ecological science refers to a state of a system which interacts within its multiple trophic levels such that there is a flow of energy and cycling of matt er. This steady state equilibrium has over the centuries assumed to have encompassed the entire planet such that the fluctuations in one trophic level resonated into the next and so on until an excited system vibrated within its amplitude of disturbance releasing and absorbing its energy flow within predetermined sinks to once again attain its equilibrium. Therefore it may be said that the earth has been in a steady state for centuries. The natural resources that took years to build in the form of fossil fuels, soil systems, the water and the mineral cycles, the biodiversity all remained within the limits of regeneration, replenishment and revival. With the advent of industrialization in the last century and the so called development within the cost benefit ratios of unlimited growth,a cycle of natural resource exploitation commenced..Global economic output surged some 18-fold between 1900 and 2000 and reached $66 trillion in 2006(Gardner and Prugh, 2008). An annual assessment of th e most significant risks to the world’s economies commissioned by the business-sponsored World Economic Forum found that many of the 23 diverse risks did not exist at the global level twenty five years ago. These included environmental risks such as climate change, the strain on freshwater

Baroque Period Essay Example for Free

Baroque Period Essay During the reign of King James I of Great Britain, the Puritans continued to grow.   Some Puritans were unhappy with James’s religious practices and fled first to Holland, and then to the Americas.   While religious conformity continued to be the desired agenda, the Protestants were granted freedom of worship by Parliament, but the Roman Catholics were not granted the same. The Roundheads and Cavaliers were enemies.   Roundheads were members of the Parliamentarian party during the English Civil War.   The Cavaliers were Royalists.    The main difference between the two groups was that the Roundheads had their hair cut short, while the Cavaliers kept their hair long.   The Cavaliers kept their hair long because the king found it more convenient to let his hair grow than to wash his neck.   Roundheads, on the other hand, were mostly barbers. The etiquette of the French court prescribed the activities of every person at court.   For instance, the King’s day was ritualized from the moment he woke up in the morning.   The highest-ranking person assisted with dressing the king.   Rules also governed how long the trains of the ladies’ dresses should be. Clothing in Spain was different from other countries because the Spanish tended to be more conservative than other countries.   Therefore, Spain kept styles that the rest of Europe had already abandoned. The farthingale, also known as a verdingale, is the structure by which skirts were expanded by bone or wood.   A mantilla is the veil worn by women that covers the hair.   This has come to be associated with traditional Spanish dress.   Guardinfante is the style of the oval skirt that has full, slashed sleeves and a horizontal shoulder line.   The basque is the extension of the bodice below the waistline.   A modeste is the outer layer of a skirt, while a secret is the underskirt, or second layer.   A doublet is a garment worn over men’s shirts that were tied to the breeches.   A stomacher is a U-shaped section of the front of a gown.   The mantua was the shaping of the new cut of women’s dresses. During the Baroque period, the Spanish preferred dark colors, but the French favored light shades of all colors, and rich colors such as gold and silver. Rococo Period During the reign of King Louis XV, France was engaged in costly wars that the country lost.   There was also a fiscal crisis and the king’s court was incredibly lavish, which contrasted with ordinary people’s lives.   During the reign of King Louis XVI, however, feudalism was abolished and France began to write a constitution.   The country also suffered defeats in wars with Prussia and Austria and the French Revolution ended the monarchy.   The court became less important, mostly because Queen Marie Antoinette found French court etiquette stifling. During the Rococo period, King George III ruled England.   Social life in England centered on the upper classes.   For example, men who did not have to work would wake late, eat breakfast, and then, in his nightgown, receive guests.   In the afternoon, he would go shopping or to popular spots.   After dinner, he would go to a coffeehouse or to a play.   During the summer, affluent men would vacation at a spa.   Affluent women spent their mornings receiving guests while lying in bed.   Dressing often took several hours, and after that, she would visit friends or drink tea.   Dinner was around four in the afternoon, and the evenings were spent dancing or playing cards. Frock coats were coats that men wore where the cut was looser and shorter than dress coats.   They also had flat, turned-down collars.   Panniers were wide hoops that went under skirts that made the hips look twice as large.   A robe a la Francaise was a new style of robe that had a full, pleated cut at the back and a fitted front.   A robe a l’Anglaise was a new style of robe that had a close fit in the front and at the back.   Engageants were sleeves that ended below the elbow, finishing in ruffles.   A polonaise was a petticoat and overdress in which the overskirt was puffed and looped via rings and tapes that were sewn into it.   A bustle or a hoop supported the skirt. Men in the eighteenth century who could afford wigs wore them.   Long, â€Å"full-bottomed† wigs were worn until the 1730s, but the fullness gradually shifted toward the back.   They also brushed the hair straight back from the forehead, into a slightly elevated roll.   After 1750, hair was dressed higher, and in the 1780s hair was dressed wider.   Other popular styles included wigs with queues, a lock or pigtail at the back, and club wigs or catogans with queues doubled up on themselves and tied at the middle.   King Louis XIV began the trend of wearing wigs because he was going bald.   Hats fell out of use when wigs became widespread. The hats of the day included three-cornered hats, large, flat hats that were carried under the arm, and two-cornered hats.   Men wore caps instead of wigs at home.   Common styles for the cap was a cap with a round crown and flat, turned-up brim that fit close to the crown.   Women in the eighteenth century wore simple hairstyles that replaced fontage styles.   Hair was generally waved loosely around the face and twisted up into a small bun on top of, or in back of, the head.   For formal occasions, women sometimes powdered their hair.   Women’s hats for indoors included pinners, circular caps with single or double frills around the edge, worn flat on the head, mob caps with wide, flat borders that encircled the face with high, puffed-out crowns located toward the back of the head. Lace trimming was often used, and indoor hats could be worn outdoors under other hats.   Outdoor women’s hats included hoods, small silk or straw hats with narrow ribbon bands and narrow brims. The technology that was developed that related to clothing during this time was advancements in the textile industry that expanded textile availability and lowered costs. The costume design could be inaccurate. Portraits of people wearing these clothes are many, but artists sometimes felt that portraits were not to reveal fashionable dress, but rather timeless dress.   Therefore, museum collections of these clothes and pictorial representations could be inaccurate.   For example, Sir Joshua Reynolds, a prominent English portraitist, hated fashion and urged artists to disregard what they found to be fashionable by way of dress, to only paint those characteristics that are everywhere and the same.

Starbucks Is The Leading Retailer And Roaster Marketing Essay

Starbucks Is The Leading Retailer And Roaster Marketing Essay My assignment strives to outline the marketing strategic approaches to be undertaken for the next year by the Starbucks is the leading retailer and roaster for brand specialty coffee in the world. It has over7,500 stores located worldwide. As Starbucks continues to expand, it will encounter all sorts of new product markets, with new and demanding customers for unique and appealing products. Entering this new market, Starbucks will face many challenges to compete and to retain brand recognition of its primary products, yet increases awareness of its new product line. Situational analysis Company As Mathew Carmean and his fellows (Sewer, Andy,January 26, 2004 p.70) tell us: Starbucks is the leading retailer for roaster and brand specialty coffee in the world. It has over 7,500 stores, which are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and the MiddleEast. Besides high quality coffee drinks, Starbucks sells bottled coffee drinks, such as Frappuccino andStarbucks DoubleShot. [ibis]Starbucks revenue is growing by 20% a year and is opening approximately three stores every day.Starbucks is capable of managing its successful operations by having steady market growth. It achievedthis by financing through their cash flow instead of franchising, selling stock or increasing their financialleverage). Its strategy to success is blanket an area completely. This approach is to cuts down ondelivery and management costs, shortens customer lines at individual stores, and increases foot traffic forall the stores in an area, that gives Starbucks a competitive advantage. Customer At first only professionals and educators went to Starbucks, but now it attracts a much wider demographic of customersincluding people of different ethnic backgrounds and ages. Today, Starbucks has the striking number of 25million visitors in its stores each week. This success is due to the combination of high quality drinksand friendly environment with good music, comfortable chairs, and good services. This creates theStarbucks experience which customers can relate to that lead to brand loyalty. In addition, Starbucksneeds to deal with customers cultural preferences in all its worldwide locations to maintain customers loyalty. Competitors To ensure further market growth and be competitive, Starbucks is developing new products for non-coffee drinkers. Starbucks provides its current customers and attracts new customers not only with quality products but also with varieties flavors that customers desire. Starbucks two largest competitors are Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme, both are national chains. These companies use aggressive price-cutting, up to 20%, for their drinks. Other competitors are small local coffeehouses, and other coffee brands like Tullys and Petes Coffee. Their direct competitors for the new product line are Orange Julius, Jamba Juice, fast food chains such as McDonalds and Burger King, and other small coffee alternative providers. Complementors Starbucks has teamed up with Bank One to offer the Starbucks Card Duetto Visa. This is a stored-value card and traditional credit card. Starbucks has also introduced a T-Mobile Hotspot service which allows the Starbucks customer to have access to wireless internet for a fee.  Offering more services like the Visa card, wireless internet and customized CD will add more value to the Starbucks experience and help draw more customers to Starbucks which will lead to higher revenues. Managerial Problem Starbucks strategic goal is to increase market share of the non-coffee drinker; they have begun byintroducing an extension of a product line targeted to this segment. To ensure market growth, Starbuckshas repositioned one of its current products, the Frappuccino line, this product has been extended toinclude 3 new flavors; Double Chocolate Chip Crà ¨me, Vanilla Bean Crà ¨me, and Strawberries Crà ¨me,introduced throughout the summer months. Faced with the challenge of entering a new competitivemarket Starbucks must compete to retain brand recognition of its primary products, yet increaseawareness of its new product line by expanding the retail stores in the international markets. SWOT analysis  will help emphasize exactly what Starbucks is doing right or wrong. It will provide us an insight on what the company is good at, and in what areas Starbucks could use assistance. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) are described below: Starbucks SWOT Analysis Strengths It is a global coffee brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 17,000 stores in 49 countries.   The organization has strong ethical values, commitment to the environment, and community activists. Weaknesses The organization has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three quarters of its cafes located in the domestic market. In order to reduce business risk, expansion is needed. Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time, and product acceptance will come to a halt eventually slowing growth. Opportunities The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge. Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential. Threats Starbucks success has led to the market entry of many competitors and copycat brands that could pose potential threats. How they combat these threats will determine their future. Starbucks is exposed to rises in the cost of coffee and dairy products. Starbucks is a large company with a competitive advantage that is shrinking because of its huge success. This is because Starbucks model has been copied successfully by its competitors and this poses a serious threat to the company. If Starbucks cannot retain its differentiator strategy, it is doomed to fall out of popularity, as it would end up being a store that is selling nothing more than a cup of coffee.   With majority of its stores concentrated in United States, Starbucks is also limiting its growth and exposing itself to risk. Any negative changes in the domestic market could severely hurt Starbucks viability as a firm. If Starbucks can retain its strengths and build on opportunities, while suppressing weaknesses and extinguishing threats, it will be able to grow throughout the world market. The SWOT analysis also gives a starting point for a discussion on what Starbucks can do to reduce its weaknesses. Due to its large size, Starbucks sets trends for the industry that can be backed up by the volume of their delivery. Exactly how long Starbucks can dominate the market depends on Starbucks itself. Starbucks has a large number of stores for coffee outlets, all of which are owned outright by the corporation and no franchisees. Minimal revenue requirements have been placed on each store, and those that fall short are closed. The company closed down over 600 stores that fell short of its revenue requirements (Fiscal 2008 Annual Report). The large number of stores is a huge asset or a liability, depending on how one assesses the situation. If there is a strong economy and people have disposable income, then there is a benefit on having so many stores to generate revenues. On the other hand, during economic downturns, the vast number of stores will become a huge financial liabi lity. By consistently enforcing revenue requirements for each store, Starbucks will able to maintain or increase its same store sales, and while at the same reducing one of the weaknesses of being so large. The company has managed to maintain the competitive advantage because it has offered conveniences and an atmosphere customers can enjoy. As long as Starbucks fulfills its customers wants and needs, Starbucks will continue to be a leading force in the market. Starbucks should continue to create more value at its stores. Starbucks has created a perception that it is focused not just on profits, but also on societal agendas. The companys stores have become a medium for people and communities to come together and promote a better place to live in an environmentally conscious society. Starbucks found a niche market where it identified what makes its customers happy, and has delivered it to them. Continuing to accomplish this will allow Starbucks to maintain its competitive advantage for years to come. Marketing Vision and Mission statement of Starbucks Mission Statement of Starbucks To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Vision of Starbucks   Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. Marketing Objectives of Starbucks To create a Starbucks experience that makes people come for the coffee, stay for the ambience and environment, and return for the connection. To build an image separate from smaller coffee chains. To clearly communicate the values and commitments of the Starbucks business to their customers, instead of only growth plans publicized in the media. Marketing strategies Implemented by Starbucks Growth Strategy This well-known marketing tool was first published in the Harvard Business Review (1957) in an article called Strategies for Diversification. It is used by marketers who have objectives for growth. Ansoffs matrix offers strategic choices to achieve the objectives. There are four main categories for selection. Ansoffs Product/Market Matrix Market Penetration With this approach, Starbucks will try to sell more of the same product to the same customers at a competitive price. Here itwilladvertise, introduce a loyalty scheme, launch special promotions, to encourage more people within the existing market to choose its products, or to use more of it. By working toward this goal, Starbucks wants to open new stores in both new andexisting markets, expand their product development process, and cater to customersneeds to eventually improve their financial position and dominate market share. Market Development With this approach, Starbucks will target new markets or new areas of the market. It will try to sell more of the sameproducts to different people. However,we will target different geographical markets at home, use different sales channels, such as online or direct sales if weare currently selling through the trade, target different groups of people, perhaps different age groups, genders or demographic profiles from our normal customers. Product Development With this approach, we will sell more things to the same people with new products. Here we will extend our products by producing different variants, or packaging existing products in new ways. Starbucks can apply the following product development strategy Fresh and rich brewed Italian espresso Offers pastries and other appetizing confections Sells coffee-related accessories (mugs, coffee makers, cups, espresso, etc.) Expanded sales into supermarkets of whole bean coffee Introduction the widely popular drink, Frappuccino, to the public Strives for satisfied customers and a welcoming environment Works to have highest standards of excellence in way of business Offers newspapers and other reading material, popular music, and Internetaccess Ansoffs matrix is one of the most well know frameworks for deciding upon strategies for growth. CompetitiveStrategy Porter five forces Generic strategies were used initially in the early 1980s, and seem to be even more popular today. They outline the three main strategic options open to organization that wish to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Each of the three options are considered within the context of two aspects of the competitive environment: Sources of competitive advantage   are the products differentiated in any way, or are they the lowest cost producer in an industry?  Competitive scope of the market   does the company target a wide market, or does it focus on a very narrow, niche market? Michael Porters Analysis of Starbucks Michael Porter, a Harvard Professor introduces his ideology of the Five Forces model that shapes the competition in the industry.    Each force is interrelated and therefore leads into the other to show the elements directly involved in the further success or ultimate success of the firm.   Ã‚   Starbucks Coffee Company, throughout its existence since 1971, with its great management team, innovative style of thinking and strong will to succeed in compliance with its mission and vision statements has and continues to overcome its barriers by recognizing such strategic planning as those included in Porters five forces model. The model includes such components as Barriers to Entry, Supplier and Buyer Power, Threat of Substitutions, and most importantly the Industry Competitors. Starbucks throughout its existence has addressed each and every one of Porters forces with a positive edge that has greatly contributed to the success of the company. Starbucks took manyrisks and spent capital that it really did not have.    To build a corporation based on intuition and a trip to Italy has undoubtedly paid off in the long run which is evident throughout the year that Starbucks has been in operation.    Howard Schultz, CEO and founder of the company, has stuck to his conviction not to sacrifice long-term integrity and values for short-term profit.    He knew if he played his cards right and stuck to his guns it would only be a matter of time that Starbucks would become the world largest coffee industry in the world.    He wanted the company to become and international outlet for coffee consumers which not only included men and woman but also addresses the needs and wants of those of all ages and nationalities, children, students and any other category of people that have and interest in Starbucks diverse product line. With constant dedication to the companys vision and mission statement and believing in the value of market share and name recognition and how critical they are to the success. (http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Michael-Porters-Analysis-Starbucks/33231) Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning Segmentation One dimension of segmentation will be demographics (age and household status). Starbucks have to selected married couples age 23 50 with children to be our primary target market. According to the research, it is found that these households spend more than other households on non-alcoholic beverages away from home. The Company will evaluate each segment based upon potential business success. Opportunities will depend upon factors such as: the potential growth of the segment the state of competitive rivalry within the segment how much profit the segment will deliver how big the segment is how the segment fits with the current direction of the company and its vision. Starbucks does not have any special segments or we can say that it is not focusing on a specifically group rather than company is focusing on the people who want to relax themselves by a taking a cup of coffee and company is providing them the environment that the customers want. Targeting As the Starbucks is extremely careful ineach step of coffee making, it is trying to maintain a long-standing relationship with its customers and similarly they do not have any real competition threats.Starbucks is will target office workers, with middle to high incomes, who have a desire topurchase premium products.While evaluating the consumer market the conclusion is that the ideal consumers economic profile will beUpper Middle Class, Privileged Class, While the age demographics will be Students and Youngsters, Professionals, Families, and Mature Consumers. Gender and Ethnic or Religious Background is researched to have minimal or no effecton the choices concerning coffee. Positioning Positioning is undoubtedly one of the simplest and most useful tools to marketers. After segmenting a market and then targeting a consumer, you would proceed to position a product within that market. Remember this important point. Positioning is all about perception. As perception differs from person to person, so do the results of the positioning map e.g what you perceive as quality, value for money, etc., and is different to my perception. However, there will be similarities. This is the main strength of this tool. Marketers decide upon a competitive position which enables them to distinguish their own products from the offerings of their competition (hence the term  positioning strategy). Store Ambience Goal: To make customers want to linger Social Appeal-Offer a sense of community, a place where peoplecan come together. Physical layout Seating areas to encourage lounging Appear upscale yet inviting Aromas Smoking is banned in all stores Employees are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes orcolognes, and prepared foods are kept covered socustomers would only smell coffee aromas. Sounds Play soothing CDs that are also for sale Often offer live music Customer Service The company sees a direct link between customer satisfaction andcustomer loyalty. The company believes that employee satisfaction leads to customersatisfaction (Moon). MARKETING MIX Product Starbucks should try to position themselves as a premium product in the coffee industry in Asia bycreating a high standard, introducing innovative products and providing excellent service.They should open new retail stores in the downtown area and also try to maintain the quality control of the coffee beans throughout Asia.  Consumers can enjoy theexperience; they encounter at Starbucks, and now for those who seek a high quality non-coffee drink canenjoy the same experience. By introducing these new summer drinks, Starbucks will enjoy an entirelynew segment to market its products in Asia. When looking at the sales revenues for the summer drinks it isimportant to consider that some of the existing customers will inevitably cross over and begin consumingthe new drinks. In the end, the expansion of the product line is a wise decision because of the ease ofadoption to Starbucks reputation for quality as well as the low cost of implementation. Price Price and quality determines the value of the product. Therefore, Starbucks have to base their price strategy on the competition of quality.It alwaystries to deliver the high value promised to the consumers. They have to buy the quality beans,give effective and efficient training to staffs, and moreover, make an atmosphere to enjoycoffee. These all justify theirpricing and show how price supported their positioning. Place Distribution channels links the organizations product or service to its consumers; andin a producer-consumer (direct supply) channel, as in the case of Starbucks, maintaining apersonnel relationship with the customers is significant (BrassingtonPettitt, 2000). However, from a distribution point of view Starbucks has an advantage by sticking on to itswinning store location formula for its new stores (refer case study). Starbucks always selectedhighly visible locations and opened stores as clusters. As demandwill grow, as these store clustersmake them able to manage the increased traffic and to keep their competitive position.In thesame way, they can take care about the services provided in the stores. Starbucks invested heavily in training their staffs and did innovativetactics to manage their human capital. Thus they differentiated themselves in the market byconstantly providing higher quality services Promotion One advantage that may set Starbucks apart is the having a solid online marketing program. It should hire qualified online marketing managers to oversee its websites functions and appeal so that consumers to patronize the site will see all the humanitarian work Starbucks is doing and use it as a competitive edge to retain customers and curb product substitution. A search engine optimization campaign should be launched to ensure that anyone searching for terms related to the services Starbucks offers finds the Starbucks website and spends a significant amount of time there. Blogs and forums discussing the humanitarian work of the company may be added to increase consumer awareness of the companys activities. Artworks can be designed to boasteach citys personality, and it is used on traveler mugs and T-shirts, recruitlocal ambassadors from new partners and from customers to promote their brand.The Company is not using advertising but they can use those funds for acquiring key locations and establish a national dominance before others about specialty coffee bars. Relationship Marketing Starbucks Relationship Marketing activities can be done in two common ways like internally and externally. For example, internally, relationships are enhanced by introducing a cooperative and goal oriented organizational structure with effective control systems, retaining competent management, employing effective operational processes and international expansion strategies. Employees are   referred to as partners with both part and full time staff treated equally by offering both stock options and full medical coverage. Externally, Starbucks core strategy should be centered on building lasting customer relationships through trust and commitment with its stakeholders (Refer case study). After analyzing the information about what media the target audience prefers, we should come up with the following: newspapers, internet, outdoor, magazines and radio. Two certain types of magazines are mostly used. Those are womens interest and news and entertainment weeklies. Some of the specific vehicles for magazines will be Better Homes and Garden, People and National Geographic. As for newspapers, it should be locally distributed carriers that run the Parade supplement. The internet usage varied across a wide variety of content. Therefore, a key word association will be the most local choice to select their certain interests as well as the name Starbucks itself. Radio is also another that will have to change as far as format is concerned. This will vary depending on the market the radio is in. They do share common listening times. These times are from 10am to 3pm, Monday through Friday, and 3pm to 7pm on the weekends. Outdoor being another selection of media to reach our target audience it is a way of being in the community as they transit from one place to another. The location of this will be selected based upon spot market rating for the most showings in the specific areas. FUTURE PROMOTION AND EXPANSION PLANS: Starbuckswill be launching more branches all over Asia after developing an evenfirmer hold on the local western markets. The expansion will be planned for the nextyear that is 2011. The next targets should be India, Srilanka, Pakistan, and in cities of China.For that purpose again the launch will not be very extravagant, but the alreadyestablished repute in the metropolitan of western and the attachment of TV programsand stars will do the required marketing. Ads will be published in the leadingnewspapers and some bill board advertising should also be done. But overall it will below key marketing activity.Allocated budgetshould be kept in mind while launching the product in the Asia. Conclusion As stated earlier, Starbucks historically positioned itself as an upscale brand. Due to the economic downturn and increased competition from large quick-service restaurant chains and specialty retailers, the company sees its profits being eroded. The company introduced new products that would appeal to price-skittish customers and implemented techniques that would standardize its stores and reduce costs. The new strategy carries with it its own risks. Since Starbucks enjoyed such a rapid growth in its business, the company can expands its stores anywhere in the globe where there is a more profitability. It means that Starbucks stores are as readily available as McDonalds and as such the Starbucks experience the company asserts it provides, might be seen as no different than the experience of McDonalds. As in the case of appealing to mass market with bottomless coffee, Starbuckss core customer might move to other stores where they perceive the experience is still being provided. If Starbucks continues to increase its storeswhile measuring and implementing of its various cost cutting initiatives, Starbucks is likely to see increased profitability. The company is also introducing 100 new stores in US, and 200 new stores in International markets, which might positively affect the company provided they are successful. Aggressive adoption of no-frills products to bring in new customers could also affect Starbuckss profitability. Until now, any increase in commodity prices are more or less offset by companys high prices, but a no-frills products would put downward pressure on companys profitability, and possibly even damage Starbucks image as an upscale brand. Biblograhy 1) Mathew Carmean, Julie Anstett, Julia Toochette, Joel Ennis, Joey Eaton, Trang P. Huynh ,: 2003 The Starbucks: The Non-Coffee Treat 2) KatieTewell, Bethany Odom, Kelly Snider, December 12, 2006, Starbucks Marketing Plan 3)www.Marketingteacher.com 4)http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Michael-Porters-Analysis-Starbucks/33231

To what extent is Lord of the flies a pessimistic book? Essay -- Engli

To what extent is Lord of the flies a pessimistic book? Lord of the Flies highlights the flaws in human nature and shows how they affect the societies we create. Lord of the flies has a pessimistic atmosphere throughout. Although to begin with the book seems to be quite positive, (the boys have fun and are optimistic about being rescued) the atmosphere is slowly transformed into one of savagery, fear and betrayal. The ending of the book leaves the reader feeling pessimistic about human nature and sorry for Ralph. The first time the boys meet together there is a positive atmosphere, the boys are excited and their progress towards constructing a civilized society makes us hopeful. They vote for a leader and Ralph is chosen,' This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch.' The way both the conch and voting are expressed as 'Toys' reminds us that these are small children. They need toys to keep them busy. It is almost as if they are playing a game and this is Golding; first ominous hint that there is trouble ahead- the language suggests that the boys do not see the seriousness of the situation. In chapter 1 Ralph Jack and Simon search the island. It seems beautiful, 'every coign of the mountain held up trees-flowers and trees'. This optimistic atmosphere is increased by the description of the island and the mood of the boys, 'this time Ralph expressed the intensity of his emotion by pretending to knock down Simon; and soon they were a happy, heaving pile in the under-dusk.' However this is a great contrast to later in the book, the violence becomes real rather than playful when, 'Roger sharpened the stick at both ends.' The last time this had been done was to stick a pig's head, which Jack and h... ...ere is evil within man. I think Golding's point is quite a realistic one, society around us is shaped on the natures of the people with in it and how easily they are swayed or how manipulative they are. If they can manipulate many people they can do what they want and take control, however if a person is easily swayed they would make a weak leader. I found this book very interesting as it put forward many interesting views and questions. I found it quite pessimistic. I think this is because Golding concentrated on the flaws in mans nature rather that the positive aspects. Maybe this is because Golding thought that it is easier for man to do wrong than to do right and that the brutality within can come out with less effort then it takes to do good. Ralph certainly reflects my feelings when he 'wept for the end of innocence and the darkness of man's heart.'

Why Feng Shui? Essay -- Philosophy

The word Feng Shui (fung shway) literally means wind and water in Chinese. These major energy sources underlie the belief that environmental factors influence people greatly and this is the basis of Feng Shui. The bagua chart indicates how elements, directions and aspects of life can be of influence. There is a wealth of information on the subject from practitioners and journalists that prove the benefits of Feng Shui. Disbelievers that began to practice it brought great prosperity and luck into their lives leading them to become advocates of the practice. Therefore, it stands to reason that though there is a counter argument against the argument that Feng Shui is hugely beneficial; it is disproven by successful business people, converts and journalists. Business tycoons, financial institutions, architects, offices and homeowners use Feng Shui principles. Many highly successful and intelligent people spend time and money incorporating this ancient art, and yet there are the skeptics that attempt to prove it to be a waste of time. Feng Shui is now a global phenomenon it brings wealth and well-being, yet it is surrounded with skepticism; even the skeptics eventually change when they are deluged with its benefits. Feng Shui is an ancient art which originated in Asia thousands of years ago. It is based on the bagua chart which gives readings and decides on the best actions to take when designing buildings or arranging furniture in the interior of a building. The chart is based on the I Ching, an ancient Chinese text that includes ancient cosmic principles and divination methods. There are eight directions on the chart, which give instructions on what the practitioner should do to manifest good energy, and attract the desired outcomes... ...nne. "Feng shui puts your furniture and your life in order." The Wall Street Journal (1996): 12. Proquest. 9 Apr. 2012 . Lagatree, Kirsten. "Ancient chinese wisdom for the modern workplace." Training and Development 51.1 (1997): 26-29. Proquest. 9 Apr. 2012 . Weltman, Barbara and Michael, Hayes. "Feng Shui for Beginners." Journal of Accountancy 200.6 (2005): 36-39. Proquest. 9 Apr. 2012 . Asis-Leif Designs. 2001/2012. 6 May 2012 Bankrate.com. 2012. 6 May 2012

Financial Globalization Essay

Financial globalization is not a new term; it has existed since along time as there were capital flows. These capital flows were mainly in the form of long term bonds. As most of the countries were backed by the gold as their currencies the standards were even set according to the gold rates. After the First World War the first global crisis came into being which led to the great depression and the Second World War. After the Second World War the countries restricted trade and looked upon their monetary policies. In 1970s this came to an end and another wave of globalization ran across the world in the form of investment in oil. The financial globalization connects the different countries financially and in the financial integration of the developing countries. The financial system has been evolving since a long time for the better performance of the economy. There came a time when financial instruments were easily being divided into its further components. Risk could be sold or even bought. There is a cycle through which there is a recession period and a boom. After a very long period of boom there are certain reasons which lead into a recession period. Financial crisis can be caused due to several reasons like currency crisis, bank crisis and etc. These crises occur when an asset or something loses its value to a very less amount. There have been recession periods in the past even but the most recent one occurred in 2007. This was also called the great recession. It collapsed very large institutions. Many banks even closed down and several companies had to face severe consequences due to these factors. Now the question arises what caused recession? What were the factors that contribute towards recession? The major reason behind all this in 2007 was the real estate and subprime issues. The investors in real estate were encouraged by the bank and other loan providing authorities to take up on loans on a relatively easy term. These easy terms meant on low interest rate at a reasonable initial payment and etc. Due to these things the prices of the houses started to increase but when the inflation started to raise the prices of property started to decline and hence many of the loan schemes became a loss making for both the provider and the user. The user would lose all the initial payments made while the provider will have to bear the loss due to the inflation. The subprime lenders were moving towards bankruptcy. The main reason for the economic problems today is the expansion of global credit, deregulation and restricting the alternatives of the policies. There could be many reasons which might have led to the crisis in 2007 but the main reasons among them were the value of dollar in international market with respect to the trading of oil, the debt cycle due to the housing schemes and the economic inequality trends. The growth in the inequality trends meant that the gap between the highly paid people and the low paid people kept on increasing in terms of their salaries. Due to this, the consumption was affected as purchasing power would decrease due to low income. To solve this problem plastic money was bought in, plastic money means the use of credit cards, this allowed people to buy things even if they didn’t have cash. The use of plastic money increased the GDP of US and hence its use became more and more common. The concentration of wealth has had a great deal of affect on the political activities even. Lot of people had so much money which they didn’t even know where to spend. The number of donors therefore increased in the system as there people in need of money on the other end (Allan, 2010). The private sector debt has brought a great deal of increase in the crisis. The credit card debt was a little concern over the concern of mortgage debts. Today the crisis is faced due to three main reasons. The change in baking policies, the buying of houses even with a low income and the policies on debts which allowed people to borrow money to buy their houses were among those reasons. The dollar has been the currency in which trading was done. US a few decades back was a creditor and now has become a debtor and that too the biggest one. The depreciation of dollar was due to the trade being taken place in other currency like Iran started trading oil in its local currency and other currencies like Euro and Pounds appreciated causing the value of dollar to depreciate in the international market which even led to the crisis. The problems started to surface when the ‘well’ of credit started to dry up. Bringing credit into the economy cuts down the flow of money and it decreases the growth of the economy. The use of credit is not a bad thing as it promotes growth and jobs, but when they are used wisely. Financial globalization started in late 1980s which was assumed to bring in more growth to a country especially the developing countries. It is largely believed that financial globalization has led to financial crisis but there are very less evidence to support this finding. FDI has become an alternate equity way to the debt financing ways. They are considered to be more stable and are less prone to risk. They bring in more benefits like transfer of managerial and technological expertise. The entries of foreign banks have a positive impact on the financial growth of a country. The foreign banks are much more experience and expertise to deal with issues with problems in an economy. The debts are accepted by the people who are willing to take up risks. It is largely believed that the financial globalization affects in three ways, in financial development, policies and quality of the financial sector. Financial globalization has bought a lot of benefits to the developing countries but because of the financial crisis these benefits have been turned in the opposite ways. Even the supporters of financial globalization believe that risk is involved in it. Financial globalization allows the country borrow in bad times and lend money when the other countries need in good times. Thus it shares the international risks. When country is not financially global it has to look upon the matters regarding to the domestic investors only but when it is financially global it has to take into consideration the foreign investors even which requires a lot of time to solve problems regarding the crisis situations of a country. Even the imperfection of international financial market can lead to crisis. Due to the imperfection fundamentals can also be deteriorated. Even those countries with sound fundamentals can be affected by the importance of external factors in the international market. For example the interest rates, these external factors are a way to judge a country’s capital flows. The shock transmitted through different countries is another way through which financial globalization is affected. For example, if two countries are competing in the same market and if the value of one country’s currency depreciates it will disturb the other country’s competitive advantages. Thus both the countries will have an adverse effect on their currency due to the depreciation of one country’s currency. Another form of shock can be through the information. The investors rely on the market; they see and then speculate according to the position of the market the future of their business. Therefore there can be problems for the economy of a country. There are 4 main agents in the financial globalization, government, borrowers, investors and financial institution. The government restricts the domestic financial sector and capital flows and gives preference to the foreign trade. The opening of foreign companies has increased the investment of foreign countries in a country. To smooth their consumptions the countries have started borrowing from abroad which makes it easy to finance activities as the other countries might be interested in investing in other countries than itself due to several reasons like low risk and higher rate of return. This has made easy for the company and individuals to invest abroad through shares in the companies, providing loans and etc. Financial institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF) provide a mix of services which are available in different countries all over the world. One of the benefits of financial globalization is the development of financial sector. It has increased the amount of capital present for investment. These advantages come with different sorts of disadvantages even mentioned above. There are different ways through which a government can minimize the risk of financial globalization and maximize its benefits. The government should have proper policies regarding investment in foreign countries, should control capital flows. The transactions which are based on foreign country should be backed institutions which can help in the times of crisis. There should be proper ways to manage the risk and returns. The rules and regulations made should be properly disclosed to enable proper dealings. Managing risk from the beginning might be prevention to the country from several crises and then when crisis do occur they can help the country to solve the problem easily and come out of it smoothly. If the country loses its confidences there are chances of the currency to depreciate therefore proper measure should be taken to support the crisis. This can also happen when there is a change in the foreign currency, as well as the country’s own currency. Thus it can be concluded that the financial crisis of 2007 due to the heavy mortgages and easy borrowings might have led many people to become wealthy but those who were poor became poorer. The effect of the crisis which mainly started in US had its effects all over the world as many of the countries are interlinked with US and hence change in the value of the dollar would affect the other country even. Other its effects on the currency the financial crisis have led to bankruptcy and bailout of many banks and companies. Some of them which were lucky enough were merged with other companies to save the bad economic conditions of the country. Many people had to give back their houses to the government, banks or any other lender which caused a lot of problem to the lenders as well as the owners. This period was known as the recession period where many of the employees lost their jobs due to the shutdown of many organizations all over the world. Even though it has been few years since this recession, its effects can still be visible now. Many places in US still have high rate of unemployment. Thus the financial crisis doesn’t have a good effect on financial globalization. One could say they are interlinked with each other, financial crisis can put a stop to financial globalization and excessive financial globalization can even cause financial crisis. Therefore it is very important to look into matters when investing in foreign companies, those policies which might seem to be more profitable for the short term should be avoided and making decisions on just speculation should not be the only way, there should be a calculation done to measure the amount of the risk a country could face. Though these crises are short lived but sometimes they can leave its effects for a very long period of time.

Virtual Reality Research Paper

Technology has transformed people’s perception of the world by either creating new environments for them to traverse, or by providing them passage to corners of the earth they will never otherwise visit in their entire lifetimes. Technology has put to reality what people in the past could only dream of. Virtual reality, briefly defined as an environment that is computer-simulated, has transcended social and geographical barriers ever since its applications have been increasingly used by everyday people. Social and geographical barriers are just terms of the past and do not anymore apply on the strictest sense. Everyone can be anyone online. Whereas before it was limited only to labyrinth and high-cost applications availed of by expert users, virtual reality has now broadened its breadth to encompass the general public – which optimizes the Internet to configure, share and create virtual communities – benefitting society in the areas of education, law enforcement, medicine and industries. Defining Virtual Reality Virtual reality is an environment, which is computer-simulated, and the simulation could be that of an imaginary world, or a real one (Gajera, n.d.). Virtual reality environments are mainly three-dimensional â€Å"visual experiences† that are â€Å"displayed either on a screener through special or stereoscopic displays,† and enhanced by sensory information such as sounds that emanate from headphones or speakers (Gajera, n.d., p. 3). There are modern applications that provide force feedback or tactile information, which are generally used for gaming and medical applications. To experience this, multi-modal devices such as the omni directional treadmill, the Polhemus boom arm, or a wired glove is used, as in Figure 1 at Appendix Page (Gajera, n.d.). Michael R. Heim, in his book entitled, â€Å"The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality,† has named seven applications of virtual reality: network communication, full-body immersion, telepresence, immersion, artificiality, interaction and simulation (Gajera, n.d.). In light of these, a virtual environment may be defined as a digital space in which a user’s activities are monitored, and â€Å"his or her surroundings rendered, or digitally composed and displayed to the senses, in accordance with† those activities (Fox, Arena & Bailenson, 2009, p. 95). According to Jesse Fox, Dylan Arena, and Jeremy N. Bailenson, the critical element of the most fascinating virtual reality experiences is the hindering real, sensory impressions; a user’s senses are engaged in the virtual world, with the body consigned to a reality engine, as in Figure 1 at Appendix Page (Fox, Arena & Bailenson, 2009, p. 95). Technically, the virtual reality system uses both software and hardware which allow developers to produce virtual reality systems (Riva, 2009). The hardware elements are equipments, such as the central processing unit, the monitor, and other peripheral tools that receive inputs coming from devices that are manipulated by the user, and sends â€Å"multi-sensory output† to generate an imagery of a virtual world (Riva, 2009, p. 337). Meanwhile, the software element of a virtual reality system does not really create the virtual world. Rather, there is a separate software which projects the virtual world through the use of the virtual reality software system (Riva, 2009, p. 337). Hence, a virtual reality system is made up of a graphic rendering system, a â€Å"database construction and virtual object modeling software† and the input and output tools (Riva, 2009). The Impact of Virtual Reality on Society Virtual Reality has taken the world by storm, and is now tagged as the next dominant technological development. In the same way as the Internet, virtual reality was created for a specific purpose – but modern technology has made it more versatile. At first, virtual reality was conceptualized as a new medium of entertainment; but as time passed, it has found more useful uses from providing online education, to applications in the medical field and giving hope to people with terminal diseases. Currently, virtual reality is used in (i) businesses, specifically in the presentation of graphs and charts, (ii) industries like the automotive industry’s manufacturing arm, (iii) military for simulations and training, (iv) medical field for treatments of various ailments and disorders, and (v) education, specifically in laboratories, online education and virtual museums (Fortune City, 2010). It is foreseen that in the future, virtual reality will further enhance training at medical schools, commercial airlines, the Air Force, and will even be utilized by clothing manufacturers in the form of virtual reality shopping (Fortune City, 2010). 1. Education Educators and scientists have joined forces all throughout the U.S. to establish virtual reality education to students and teachers alike, through the use of head-mounted displays (HMD), Immersawalls, ImmersaDesks and Cave Automated Virtual Environments (CAVEs), see Figure 3 at Appendix Page (Rusch, Sherman & Thakkar, 2002, p. 205). CAVE has a standard size of 10’ x 10’ x 10’ space and has a floor, ceiling and three walls. Students utilizing this system don stereographic glasses which intensify images, and use a CAVE wand to assist that user as, i.e., molecule, or pedestrian, or fish, in navigating the virtual environment (Rusch, Sherman & Thakkar, 2002, p. 205). This is just a bird’s eye view of the role that virtual reality will play in education. Despite the fact that there are a good number of educational applications of virtual reality being availed of in the U.S. these days, the development of virtual reality has not yet achieved its maximum potential in the classroom (Rusch, Sherman & Thakkar, 2002, p. 205). The field of Career Technical Education has begun to benefit from virtual reality. Students can explore operating rooms, submarines, a prototype car, airplane cockpits, biotech laboratories, crime scenes and agricultural farms without having to travel, through the use of virtual reality (Ausburn & Ausburn, 2008). Again, through the use of CAVEs and HMDs, students are provided with three-dimensional simulations to give them a â€Å"sense of ‘being there’† (Ausburn & Ausburn, 2008, p. 43). This is not only beneficial in giving students a feel of the real thing but is also highly cost-effective for them. Those who cannot afford these courses in the past because of costs associated with training are now able to enroll in CTE courses because of virtual reality. A good number of careers necessitate learning that will allow individuals to safely carry out their tasks amid dangerous circumstances. In the past, students had to actually go through the tests using real-life situations. Because virtual reality is supremely realistic, it enables the student to benefit from active involvement with accurate and intricate visual scenes (Ausburn & Ausburn, 2008). Hence, training programs utilize virtual reality for railway and mining operations, dangerous driving scenarios, handling of hazardous materials, nuclear energy, marine exploration, space and aviation exploration, emergency medical operations, firefighting, military and law enforcement (Ausburn & Ausburn, 2008). The aim of these training programs is to teach students how to efficiently and effectively respond under high-cost, high-risk and complex circumstances, without damaging equipment and endangering personnel while still at training. There is no need for students to be apprehensive about the trainings because they are all simulated and safe. Despite being safe, they resemble the real scenarios such that students learn what they need to learn to equip them with the skills needed to respond according. The military uses simulated environments for its engineering squad to allow them to build or dismantle structures under different constraints without the personnel's lives in danger. Educational programs for courses like spray painting, bio-technology, aircraft maintenance, crime scene investigation and forensics, engineering, dentistry, surgical technology and welding also benefit from virtual technology. Because the technology is still fairly new, CAVEs are expensive to avail of. Moreover, it is also expensive to implement and sustain, because of the specialized skills that are needed to set it up and maintain it. Nevertheless, as technology continues to evolve, there is much promise for virtual reality systems that may be used through laptops or desktops, utilizing special software that are based on JAVA, Flash and QuickTime technologies (Ausburn & Ausburn, 2008). Figure 4 illustrates how virtual reality may be accessed from a web system (Ottoson & Holmdahl, 2007). Because of the benefits offered by virtual reality technologies, there is a high degree of enthusiasm surrounding it in the world of the academe. Figure 5 summarizes the benefits of virtual reality in education. 2. Law Enforcement Taking its cue from the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. has been innovating on taking protective measures preserve the security of its citizenry. One effective way of doing this is through the use virtual reality for training and intelligence gathering purposes. The U.S. intelligence community has been using virtual reality to simulate â€Å"actual battlefields in the future,† utilizing cyber weapons for initiating attacks against terrorists and other potential adversaries (Wilson, 2008, p. 4). Military use of virtual technology is efficient and effective in training personnel manage better under potentially risky scenarios. Participants utilize avatars in virtual environments that simulate, i.e., a checkpoint in Iraq, or a New York subway tunnel subjected to terroristic chemical attacks (Wilson, 2008). The downside is that a study conducted in 2007 showed that American firms are not ready to take the lead in embracing Web 2.0 technology which is the foundation of virtual technology in the years to come. The leaders in this area are (i) India, with plans of escalating their virtual reality investments by 80%, (ii) Asia-Pacific companies, by 69%, (iii) European companies, by 65%, (iv) Chinese companies, by 64%, (v) North American companies, by 64%, and (v) Latin American companies, by 62% (Wilson, 2008, p. 4). Number one in the list, India, has been showing a strong economic presence in the global markets. Figure 6 indicates its industry production forecast until 2012 (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2010). The implication here is whether the U.S. can protect its citizens if its virtual reality servers and communication systems were operated by another country – very much possible, by an enemy nation. Under wraps in the virtual reality program of the military is â€Å"Sentient Worldwide Simulation,† which will depict mass casualty events, that not only need military action but medical interventions as well. Hence, this program includes virtual reality hospital rooms that emulate military and civilian facilities, populated by avatars representing victims, casualties, nurses, the National Coast Guard and other first responders. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, virtual reality was used as a training ground for emergency responders in the event of man-made or natural disasters. Other training simulation modules are â€Å"Urban Resolve,† for urban war fighting in Baghdad in the year 2015, with over two million simulated objects (Wilson, 2008, p. 5). In addition to this, â€Å"Noble Resolve† is being developed, which is a training exercise covering â€Å"homeland security scenarios† in the event of a terroristic attack in various strategic locations in the country (Wilson, 2008, p. 5). This allows personnel the opportunity to hone their skills in coordinating and responding. Meanwhile, police units utilize virtual reality programs such as the Meggitt Training System, which teaches basic firearms skills and responses in â€Å"both shoot/don’t shoot decision making (Griffith, 2009). The Los Angeles Police Department uses the IES Milo System; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department uses the Advanced Interactive Systems; and, the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department uses the IVR-300. Most of these systems permit multiple students in the virtual environment (Griffith, 2009). 3. Medicine Techniques in virtual reality are increasingly being utilized in medical education, treatment and diagnosis (Yellowlees, 2009). Early adoptions of virtual reality in the field of medicine pertained to representation of intricate data emanating from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) (Yellowlees, 2009). Recently, virtual reality has been applied to virtual colonoscopy in which information from â€Å"contrast enhanced abdominal CT scan† is utilized to present a â€Å"fly-through of the colon† which is then used for screening for colon cancer. Virtual reality is also used to let medical professionals study the heart and the brain without causing damages to these organs in real people (Yellowlees, 2009). They can examine different diseases in simulated environments, as well as, responses necessary to prevent patients suffering from fatal attacks. Phobias and post-traumatic stress disorders are also being treated now using virtual reality, Figures 7 and 8 illustrate virtual environments for the treatment of agoraphobia (Cà ¡rdenas, Munoz, Gonzà ¡lez, and Uribarren, 2006). These virtual environments can help patients confront their fears by recreating them using computer technology. In particular, training for medical students are enhanced by the use of a virtual psychosis environment, wherein they have the opportunity to experience visual and auditory hallucinations of schizophrenic patients (Yellowlees, 2009). As mentioned earlier, indispensable training may be provided by virtual reality for mass casualty, as well as for disaster response and medical emergencies. Although it has been found out that the use of standardized patients for training such as these were more effective because of the realism element, virtual reality simulations were more cost-effective, it was also advantageous in the sense that the simulations may be repeated unlimitedly, so that skills may be practiced and mastered (Yellowlees, 2009). Virtual reality has been used in other areas of medicine like in chemotherapy distraction intervention, providing leisure time opportunities for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, brain damage rehabilitation for stroke victims, smoking cessation, physical therapy, autism, mental retardation and other relevant areas. 4. Business Marketing efforts for businesses have been greatly enhanced by virtual reality. Business owners can now advertise their products over various multi-media, and depict a 360-degree image of products that they are manufacturing, marketing and selling. Websites have been high-tech critical missions for Top 500 companies, triggering a competition on virtual reality advertising (Kassaye, 2006). Figure 9 depicts a chart tracing these new breed of competitors and how they fare through their communication objectives (Kassaye, 2006). Meanwhile, virtual reality is also useful for the manufacturing process, because layout planning for assembly systems and machines require â€Å"more data than the basis geometry (Okulicz, 2004). Moreover, 3D CAD Systems are not effective for plotting out production processes, and virtual reality has no restrictions as the two aforementioned processes (Okulicz,2004). In addition to this, virtual reality provides semi-immersive and/or interactive immersive visuali zation that is essential for the visual estimation of each manufacturing process (Okulicz, 2004). With some slight overlap with the aforementioned field of Education, virtual reality platforms are valuable in training and education for businesses. For instance, â€Å"developing, testing and operating† sophisticated machinery and fixing it under tight tire pressure when it malfunctions are some skills that employees in the industries have to master (Blumel, Termath and Haase, 2009). Companies benefit from investing in learning platforms like the Fraunhoffer IFF Learning Platform which utilizes virtual reality in customizing training modules to suit its end users’ levels of knowledge through configuration (Blumel, Termath & Haase, 2009). Virtual Reality in the field of business encompasses a much broader scope, and development in this area is anticipated to be quick and impressive. In some industries, particularly that of construction, virtual reality has been applied to simulate office environments wherein real-time coordination can be done. This is very useful in project management wherein the main participants are located in different locations. They can simply log on to the virtual environment and provide updates for others to see. There is no need to call on meetings in a physical location because this can be done in virtual reality. Conclusion People have benefited from virtual reality in more ways than one, attesting to the fact that it has positively impacted society in general. Education has been enhanced by virtual reality, and students have been provided a new dimension of learning that prepares them for their chosen careers more efficiently. The dangers associated with real situations have been eliminated because they can already be replicated using virtual reality. Students get the benefit of the trainings without facing real dangers. Meanwhile, security measures being adopted by the government have been highlighted with modern technology, especially virtual reality. Police and military forces can now be trained for highly-dangerous scenarios, without actually exposing them to great risks, which is similar to what students do. The military and special forces in particular greatly benefits from virtual simulations because they can rehearse their acts before going to missions in dangerous lands. On the other hand, the medical field has furthered its growth due to the advent of virtual reality. Of the advantages of virtual reality, this is one of the most significant because of its potential in assisting scientists discover life-saving technologies and techniques. Lastly, business enterprises also benefit from virtual technology, to enable organizations to compete more in international markets. Virtual reality has a long way to go, and more benefits are anticipated for humankind. Its potentials are still great and th e possibilities remain vast for applying virtual technology to life.