Wednesday, October 30, 2019

KPMG case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

KPMG case - Essay Example Company had initial public offering in 2004 with a par value of $0.50 Price per share as of year end of 2007 plunged to $12.00 from $15.75 of 1st quarter quote with an EPS of $0.69. The company had approximately 9,500 holders as of February 29, 2008. This part will show trends of profitability, liquidity and solvency using ratios for the three year period. The trend analysis will present any significant fluctuation or movement in the three year operations that will have an impact in its financial operations. It will also be compared to industry sector using industry index as benchmark. (Reuters) Analysis will be presented in 3 parts, profitability, liquidity and solvency ratios. (See Annexes 1 and 2) Definition of financial terms provided by Investopedia. The comparison of the financial performance of the company against the industry (Reuters) where TMH belong and trend analysis of its own performance provided an insight on the strengths and weaknesses of the company and is presented below. Cash flows of the company consist of retained earnings and proceeds from loan transactions. The cash flows are used to pay debts, interests, taxes and other operating expenses. Retained earnings are not sufficient to fund payments for interests, taxes and long term debts. Accounts receivables and inventory of homes locks up cash for operations and affects cash flows. A slow turn over of accounts receivables and inventories reflects problems in the efficiency of management. The usual 120 to 180 loan repayments should be looked into as large amount of cash is tied up into this. 3.2. Complexity of underlying transactions. The sale of mortgage manufactured home contracts to unrelated financial institutions involves complex transaction particularly to default payments of mortgage borrowers. Recent economic crisis saw foreclosures of mortgage properties in financial institutions, and these losses could be passed on to TMH in cases of default. 3.3. Extent to

Monday, October 28, 2019

Anime Is Not a Cartoon Essay Example for Free

Anime Is Not a Cartoon Essay The anime is traditionally hand drawn, but now it has become commonplace in computer animation and are televised. In nowadays it becomes popular around the world. And many people are adopting the customs events and traditions like Japanese otaku parties,. Also there is a problem with the time of dubbing and the reproduction of the series, as well as some similarities and differences between the comic and anime. Manga is the word that Japanese from nowadays call comics or cartoon. In the eighteenth century drawings designated Japanese painter Hokusai, mixing images and text, then continued to use this word to other works, more or less fulfilling this requirement. However, the real start of the Manga as it is known today, came in 1947 with Osamu Tezuka, a broken doctor that copied the Disney style, creating a history of robots that became famous quickly, and in less than five years, and had created more than five new series, including the most famous and is known Tatsuwan Atom (Astro Boy), his most famous creation. However for the Japanese â€Å"Animeâ€Å"cartoon it refers to any animation, in the West this word is to refer to the cartoon that originated in Japan. The TV Anime, born in 1962, with the series Manga Calendar, which aired on June 25, 1962, and continuing until July 4, 1964. But the real beginning of the anime, this again by Osamu Tezuka, the animated version of Tetsuwan Atom, which was seen in Japanese homes since 1 January 1963 and ended on December 31, 1966. Tesuka also was Taitei Jungle (Kimba the White Lion), the first color anime. But, event when Anime is like a copy from the Disney`s style, there are some different characteristics between cartoons and Anime. The word anime is understood that this targeted to Japanese cartoons, but not all Japanese cartoons meet the requirements and characteristics of Anime. The first lies in that Anime being Japanese. Second, the Anime must have some ingredients that are action, love, suspense and / or adventure. Third, it must consist of highly innovative designs, qualities and features never before seen. And as a final point space or temporal location of the series should be given in Japanese territory or consider a series relationship between the country and Japan. The above features are highlighted by custom, this saw along most series. The main features of the anime, in ancient times are obviously the same as the Manga, but being cartoons, now includes new features: the action scenes are generally static and show different angles of the same situation, and generally keeping the same background, and try to as much as possible to save animations that its means that there are scenes that are repeated from earlier chapters, etc. But how can we differentiate these characteristics in the Anime? Well, the anime is classified by some of its characteristics. We can classify the Anime in the following basic categories: Kodomo, that is is more for young children. Shojo, that it main actress or actresses are girls or are focusing for girls. Shonen, in which the main actor or actors are guys or are focusing for boys. Seinen and Josei that are focusing for Adults. There are a more specific classify as: Magical Girl, Girls with powers. Mecha, Giant Robot. Mecha ai, romance between robots. Shonen ai, romance between men. Shojo ai, romance between women. Hentai, meaning â€Å"pervert†, sexual content. Soft Hentai, as the word says softer sex. Futanari, hermaphrodites. Loli kon, anime that are girls. Shota Kon, children. Yaoi, Gay men. Yuri, Lesbian women. Ecchi, sexual situations led to a comical way also tells Ero. Gore, Lots of blood and violence. Harem, Beautiful women are after the same man. Chibi, in Japanese means small, this anime stands out in less than 8 years old. People who watch Anime and have an extensive knowledge of this are called Otakus, one of the adopted terms of Japanese culture. The word Otaku is the term used by the Japanese to refer to any kind of hobby of collecting something, but this term has been a feature of Manga fans and anime, for Westerners, with the brief distinction of thought, what Otaku in Japan is an insecure, a refugee in the lonely world, where society is very separate from them, and only understand those who collect the same. In Nicaragua for the Expo Anime events (Meetings in Managua) we can meet a lot of Otakus wearing as their favorite Anime characters, sharing Anime shows, playing video games about Anime and singing the Anime sound tracks. The Anime is made originally in Japanese language and generally anime has a long delay time for coming to America, at least in regard to Latin America. The downside is translation. Usually there is a big difference between the year when the series was first in Japan and the year it was first shown in America is given between 3 or 4 years apart. Translation is delayed, increasingly more and more appear and this series makes the series (translated orally) will take longer, hence the different channels opted anime because some successful series translate into written form (is faster but not as exciting as if it were spoken). For dubbing, dubbing studios and those responding to the dubbing is the most important part of any anime that will be present in any country. In conclusion, the anime and Manga can be considered as an art, which rises to highest level spirit, feelings and thoughts of those who create this art, whose purpose is to entertain all the viewers or those who see the images captured on paper. And though the anime is almost a copy of the Disney style, there ragos that make a wide difference between them. It also has a more specific classifying them to North American cartoons. nd the popularity of anime around the world led to the incorporation of the fans in Japanese culture, although the difficulties in orginal language translation to delay the presentation of our anime in America is a problem, the networks have found a solution subtitling of the popular series. But remember, any Anime is Japanese, But no all Japanese cartoons are Anime.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIFE STRESS AND HEALTH INVENTORY SCORES IN A COLLEGIATE POPULATION :: essays research papers

ABSTRACT Scientific literature is replete with studies examining the relationship between stressful life events and the occurrence of compromised immune function as suggested by the presence of various illnesses. Forty college students answered questionnaires regarding the presence of stressful life events and the presence or absence of recent illnesses. The relationship between these scores was examined. Life stress scores were significantly positively related to scores indicating illnesses on a health inventory. As scores indicating the presence of stressful life experiences increased, scores suggesting the presence of illness also increased. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Each bodily physiological system has an individual established set point, or level of balance; however, some fluctuations in these levels are tolerated. The balance of any system can be, and regularly is disturbed by internal and/or external events of the mechanical, physical, chemical, biological, and/or social types. When this balance is disrupted, and involuntary mobilizations of biological processes are not able to re-establish it, an alarm reaction is activated (Schedlowski and Tewes, 1999). This reaction is referred to as a stress response, and the activating agent is the stressor (Selye, 1936).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recently, studies of stress have shifted from demonstrating relationships between psychological factors and somatic outcomes, to investigations of the mediational pathways involved in these associations. For example, (Cohen and Williamson, 1991) have built on the work of Lazarus’ model by suggesting that once an environmental event is encountered, it is appraised, and an affective response is made. After this response is made, a cascade of behavioral and physiological processes is activated. Behavioral factors such as increased alcohol use, reduced exercise, changes in sleep quantity/quality, and changes in diet, have shown to be related to stress. In turn, stress-related changes are associated with many hormonal fluctuations known to influence susceptibility to disease (Schedlowski and Tewes, 1999). There is overwhelming evidence that daily stress may be harmful to the overall health of humans (Cohen, Tyrrell, and Smith, 1991; Glaser, Rice, and Sheridan, 1987; and Schleifer, and Keller, 1991). The mechanism by which stress influences health outcomes is thought to involve the immune system. Rationale As reviewed, research has examined the interaction between stressful life events and the overall health of humans. This investigation will examine this relationship in a collegiate population, using two pen and paper surveys. Hypothesis Scores on the College Life Stress Inventory (CLSI) (Renner and Mackin, 1998) will be positively related to scores on the Health Inventory (HI) (Holmes and Rahe, 1967).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Vip Ltd. Industry : Moulded Luggage

JV CAPITAL SERVICES PVT. LTD www. sharetrading. in VIP LTD. INDUSTRY : MOULDED LUGGAGE NSE Symbol : VIPIND CMP 115 RISK PROFILE: MEDIUM BUY TARGET 210 Key Data : 52 week H/L : Market Cap (Rs Cr. ) : Face Value : Beta : P/E : Div % : BV : PBV : (Source : Company) 294/32 314 10 0. 92 26 0. 87 48. 9 2. 3 VIP Industries is engaged in the travel product business. The Company operates in two business segments: luggage & accessories and furniture. The products manufactured by the Company includes plastic moulded suitcase, plastic moulded briefcase and vanity case.The Company’s portfolio of brands includes V. I. P. , Carlton, Delsey, Footloose, Alfa, Aristocrat and Skybags. The Company’s subsidiaries include Carlton Travel Goods Ltd. and Blow Plast Retail Ltd. INVESTMENT RATIONALE Despite the slowdown in the global trends of economy, the luggage markets performed flat. VIP Industries is the largest player in Indian luggage market. One of the large segment of Indian luggage mark et is the canteen Store Department (CSD). VIP luggage continues to enjoy a prominent position and is one of the most respected brands in CSD.Apart from the domestic market, the company also exports sizeable quantity of luggage to Europe & gulf and has presence in Africa & many other countries. With a view to expand and to access the international markets, the company during FY09 has set up a wholly owned subsidiary in UK. The company has also acquired the well known international luggage brand ‘CARLTON’. These developments are expected to augment export sales of the company significantly. The company has been focusing on creating exclusive outlets to increase market share.Share Holding Pattern (%): 35. 73 % 43. 44 % VALUATION: 12. 90 % 0. 97% 6. 96% Promoters DIIs Others FIIs corporates Relative Performance Analysis: SENSEX VIP IND We are cautiously optimistic for the moulded furniture segment of the company. In case of luggage segment the management of VIP is very posi tive. The product portfolio of the company has been widened by introducing new products which offers good growth prospects. In FY08, earnings of the company have decreased. Revenues reflect a decrease in income from operation.Net loss reflects higher administrative, selling and other expenses with increased extraordinary items expenses. Currently the company is trading at a P/E 14. 14x of CY09 EPS. Albeit the price earning ratio of the company is high, we maintain a ‘BUY’ on the stock as it is in an expansion mode with a promising business model. (Rs cr) Financial Summary Year Net Sales Total Expenses PAT EPS FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 (Source : JVCS RESEARCH) 297 329 557 544 272 303 404 504 7. 27 7. 9 22 14 4. 73 4. 94 5. 20 6. 60 SEPTEMBER 02’2009 JV CAPITAL SERVICES VIP LTD. INDUSTRY PROFILEIndian Luggage industry is currently undergoing a consolidation phase. The luggage market comprises of three segments: the premium segment with 15% of total market share, the popular segment and the standard segment. VIP Industries is the most dominant player in the premium segment with a market share of 44% in popular segment The luggage market is dominated by the unorganized sector with 5% market share. Northern & western India are the biggest markets in the industry. The organized sector (8%) is growing at lesser pace when compared to the unorganized sector (25%) 50 200 150 100 50 0 I nde x e d Sa l e s Tr e nds BUSINESS UPDATES: In the moulded furniture segment, VIP industries enjoys a small market share, where the company has a huge potential to grow in this business. The company is now able to get the orders from Pune and is able to successfully execute the same in time. During the year, VIP industries has strengthened its distribution hold by significantly increasing its market presence through opening of new shops for Aristocrat & Alfa Brands across the countries. This will significantly contribute in the balance sheets of the company.J u n à ¢â‚¬â€œ 08 M a r – 08 D e c – 08 M a r – 09 S e p – 08 J u n – 09 FINANCIAL FORECAST: (Rs cr) Earning Estimates Particulars Mar ‘09 June’09 117 118 8. 5 3. 6 4. 30 -0. 3 1. 0 0. 34 205 172 32 4. 2 29. 9 5. 6 20. 1 7. 10 Sep’09E 112 102 11 4. 0 10 -. 7 4. 9 1. 6 Dec’09E 151 129 24 3. 0 25 4. 8 12. 8 5. 1 25 20 15 10 5 0 I nd e x e d Pr o fi t Tr e nds Net Sales Total Expenditure PBIDT Depreciation PBT 08 08 ar -0 -0 ar -0 n- p- D ec Ju M Se M Ju n- 09 -5 Tax PAT EPS (Source : JVCS RESEARCH) 8 20 10 0 8 9 †¢ 08 08 ar -0 -0 ar -0 n- p- D ec JuSe Ju n- 09 – 10 8 8 9 In Q1FY10, the company has posted a turnaround result for the quarter. Net profit for the quarter under review clocked at Rs20cr compared to Rs 1cr only. Healthy performance was due to spurted growth in operating profit by 640bps to 10. 4% % 33% fall in interest cost. During H1CY09, the company has launched school bags section priced range between Rs 3 00 & Rs 900 and it aims to sell 70000 bags by the end of FY10. The company is planning to expand its retail network in FY10 as the rentals have touched almost bottom.To grab the change in consumer trend, the company has launched two models with different ranges in hard luggage system. VIP has slashed prices following the decline in prices of raw materials. †¢ Operating Margin Net Margin M M JV CAPITAL SERVICES VIP LTD. OUTLOOK The luggage industry is expected to grow in the current scenario with the factors like: †¢ †¢ Improved travels on month on month basis, passengers carried by various domestic airlines grew by 27% Introduction of new lighter hard luggage with using polycarbonate as basic input. RISK & CONCERNSA major area of concern for the company is its dependence on China to produce most of the soft luggage. The recent changes in the economic scenario in the world along with the new labour regulations in China and the slowdown of production in China poses a mi x of opportunity in terms of reduction of rates but also the threat of rate increases. For hard luggage, the prices of major raw materials have come down in the last quarter thereby the company may get the cost advantage with more scope of better margins. RECOMMENDATION: Currently the stock is trading at a P/E of 14. 9x with an EPS of 8. 10, we maintain a buy on the stock. EPS for CY09 is expected to Rs 14. 19 as company returns back to profitability. Taking the historical P/E of 15x, we arrive at a price target of Rs 212 for a time horizon of 610 months. The price volume trend analysis depicts that the stock is moving in some strong hands. Increasing volumes by major institutional investors gives a clean picture of their keen interest in VIP Industries hence we expect the stock to give handsome returns of more than 80% in next 6 months. JV CAPITAL SERVICES VIP LTD.Research Desk Sajiv Dhawan Ashit Suri Sanjeev Kapoor Narendra Singh Rajeev Kumar Satyendra Singh Bijaya Swain General E nquiries Managing Director Head of Research Trading Desk Trading Desk Trading Desk Back Office Accounts Dept Tel: 011- 41654860 [email  protected] com [email  protected] com 011-41654860 011-41654861 011-41654862 [email  protected] com 011-41654874 / 75 [email  protected] com RISK PROFILE: Low Risk: Fundamentally Sound companies, with low beta. Expected market out-performance is 0—10% Medium Risk: Expected market out-performance is 10-20%.Preferably for the Investors with a maximum time frame of 6 months. High Risk: High Beta Stocks, expected market out-performance is more than 20%, Preferably for the investors willing to take advantage of market momentum and are aggressive in nature. Disclaimer Appendix This document has been prepared by the Research Desk of M/s JV Capital Services Pvt. Ltd and is meant for use of the recipient Ltd. only and is not for circulation. This document is not to be reported or copied or made available to others. It should not be considered to be taken as an offer to sell or a solicitation to support any security.The information contained herein is obtained and collated from sources believed reliable and we do not represent it as accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. The opinion expressed or estimates made are as per the best judgment as applicable at that point of time and are subject to change without any notice. JVCS Pvt. Ltd. along with its associated companies/ officers/employees may or may not, have positions in, or support and sell securities referred to herein. Investors are advised to maintain strict stop loss. JV CAPITAL SERVICES

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Advertising Campaign Case Study New BMW Series Essay

1.0 Description of campaign-â€Å"DESIGNED FOR DRIVING PLEASURE†Ã‚  BMW is the German manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (as known as Bavarian Motor Works) which is one amongst the luxurious and advanced brand in motor vehicle industry, such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Its product is not only automotive vehicle, also refer to motorcycle and Formula One. However, BMW automotive is more well known than others. â€Å"Designed for driving pleasure†is BMW launched a new international campaign focused on design in Germany. The integrated global campaign highlights the dynamism of BMW design and features a TV commercial that portrays the BMW concept 4 Series Coupe in a highly dynamic way, using a surprising visual effect that is revealed at the end of the spot. Design and dynamics are also the focus of the print campaign. Ropes are used in the image to create the motion blur effect normally seen in real driving shots. See more: Strategic Management Process Essay Unlike previous global campaigns of BMW, this new Designed for Driving Pleasure features the all new 4 Series Concept, instead of a production models. The advertisement campaign also features a download app called AD Essence specially for IPad and Android phones. The design and presentation of this new app is thanks to Architectural Digest magazine along with BMW Group Design while the campaign will be aired on company web-side â€Å"www. Bmw.de† from today. This is a global campaign which will have a worldwide reach in the first quarter of 2013 drawing special attention to BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe. At the same time, the campaign brings to the fore all what BMW stands for, be it dynamics of design, sheer driving pleasure, enhanced performance, and vehicles with a marked degree of sportiness and elegance. The print campaign showcased the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe and the new BMW Z4 which is expected to be launched across Germany from March 16,2013. (Sagar Patel, 2013) 2.0 Market group-â€Å"Up-market† The main market group to whom the advertisement campaign from BMW-â€Å"Designed for driving pleasure† could be identified by demographic assessing variable aspects from consumers’ age, gender or income. Demographic analysis is used in two ways-as market segment descriptors and in trend analysis. To create descriptors of market segments, marketers match demographic and psychographic profiles of a segment with its consumer behavior. The demographic variables that correlate sufficiently with specific consumer behavior are then used to describe that segment. In this sense, demographics are used as a proxy for how consumers will behave, based on characteristics such as age, income level and ethnicity. When marketers do not have primary research, demographics information can be used to guide new development, product repositioning, brand extension, distribution strategies or media and creative appeals in communications programs. (Blackwell, 2000) The 4 Series advertisement from BMW is not only found to concentrate on a particular psychographic market, and it’s about promote a new car that stands for dynamic performance, sportiness and elegance. The target of BMW 4 Series is not only for achievers but also for strivers and other else who have ability to buy it. So, rather than psychographic, the BMW 4 Series campaign can be said to rely more on social-demographics. According to the demographics segmentation theory, the up-market, often referred to as â€Å"super-affluent†, represents the top quintile (20 percent) of consumers in terms of income. These holds often consist of two income-earners who place high value on time, because time is scarcer than money for them. They usually value extra services-such as offers of semi-prepared food, organic food at higher prices in some supermarkets or the shopping nights offered by David Jones or similar stores for exclusive attendance of their store cardholders that some retailers provide to capture new customers. (Blackwell, 2000) In the demographics theory up-market is the customers who prefer a good quality product or service even though it would spend more money such as BWM. BWM is one amongst the leading brands in vehicle industry as we known. And Compare to other car companies like Toyota, Holden, BMW is not cheaper than them, but it would has a better quality or service and the customers also have a different sense. For 4 series: Acceleration, breaking, taking fast corners-pure driving pleasure. BMW products promise sheer diving pleasure that clear lines and distinctively sculpted surfaces express this dynamism and motion even when the car is standing still. What is said above, the product which BMW campaign promoted, it is almost focus on the target of up-market. 3.0 Problem recognition When considering making a consumer decision, problem/need recognition is the first step. It is easy and helpful for marketers to identify the reasons for customers to buy their products, as the analysis of the problem recognition and buyer behaviors. The campaign of BMW is to make a ‘4 Series Coupe has its own character within the BMW family and combines all that BMW stands for: dynamic performance, sportiness and elegance.’(Horatiu Boeriu, 2013) Obviously, the problems that the advertisement seeks to address are providing a product which is practical and also elegant. BMW is a band which meets the needs of high quality car and showing the status of customers. When people driving a BMW across the road, the strangers on the road side may attractive by the design of the car, as BMW emphasizes making a good fist impression (John Brink, 2013). On the other hand, it is important for drivers to think about is the performance of the car (John Brink, 2013). BMW offers comfortable conditions of driving experience as well as passengers feeling. Customers may require a ‘smooth, balance, and capable’ journey when driving a car, regardless of straight motorways or narrow, and winding country lanes (John Brink, 2013). In addition, safety of the car is also an important element for consumers to consider. There is no end for BMW to quest the next innovation about safety (BMW, 2013). When having a fascinating appearance, safety can be a difficult and important part for BMW to do research and development. In general, the nature of the decision made by BMW of this 4 Series Coupe is to meet the needs of both attractive surface and car performance and safety. However, the potential risk of the 4 Series Coupe is that it is a high class of consumption. According to the research, the New BMW 4 series will sale at the end of 2013, which costs an expected price of  £28,000 (Luke madden, 2013). It is more expensive than 3 Series, and competitively with A5. That is to say, BMW 4 Series Coupe is a premium luxury item which is priced higher than any other car of its competitors. As a result, this risk leads to lose some of the customers who cannot afford it. 4.0 Theory and application BMW aims for a simple design and classic that attracts from every angle and that will age well. The core values of BMW brand is providing quality, technology, performance and exclusivity. For BMW, performance is the most concerned rather than speed (BMW Blog). Nowadays, BMW is launching an international campaign – Design for driving pleasure to introduce the concept 4 Series Coupà ©. â€Å"The BMW Concept 4 Series Coupà © has its own character within the BMW family and combines all that BMW stands for: sportiness, dynamic performance and elegance†, said by Karim Hbib, head of BMW Design (BMW blog). Like Mercedes-Benz, BMW stands for luxury and successful. Consumer motivation refers to the drive to satisfy both psychological and physiological needs through product consumption and purchase (Blackwell, D’Souze, Taghian, Miniard, Engel. 2007). Physiological needs are the most basic needs, including more than food and drink. Sometimes people may not feel hungry but they still want to eat something, this physiological need of consumption is the need for pleasure. For BMW crazy fans and collectors, the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupà © is newly introduced into market place. Those who have financial abilities may have the eager to purchase the fresh ground car even though they don’t lack of car. Furthermore, the 4 Series Coupà © is more focus on sportiness, this factor may attract more successful businessmen’s attention. They could drive 5 or 7 series BMW during business time, while they could drive 4 Series Coupà © during leisure time. As we could see, the 4 Series Coupà © has streamlined design, which adds more fashion elements to 4 Series Coupà ©, this factors may attract more young people and females, especially in fashion industry. Most people want to give a good impression to public and be perceived as complying with various social norms in order to gain social esteem and approval (Olof, 2006). We all want our family to be proud: some even want to be seen and recognized as successful and rich; others want to be viewed as attractive. This is called social image needs – the need to project a certain image of ourselves to our social environment (Blackwell†¦et. al. 2007). BMW represents successful. The new 4 Series Coupà © reflects not only young and fashion factors but also successful. According to Ozaki and Sevastyanova’s report, the relationship between the possibilities produced by technological innovations and actual sustainable outcomes is heavily mediated by consumers’attitudes towards those innovations. The 4 Series Coupà © brings the fashion, sportiness and luxury image of BMW to public, which drives new market consumption. Customer engagement refers to the engagement of customers with one another, with a company or a brand (Vaughn. 2012). BMW has already creates its company and brand loyalty during the past years. The new 4 Series Coupà © once is launched, BMW customers who are engaged with BMW would pay attention. 5.0 Strategy assessment and conclusion BMW is involved a high-involved buyer behavior, as it has a complex thinking and research process during buying a car. It is not like purchasing milk, customers have to compare and do more research about the products. This campaign uses marketing communication to increase the product awareness, including print, TV, social media and out of home advertising (Sagar Patel, 2013). The advertising is trying to use the vehicle’s design with the special visual effect as the product feature (Sagar Patel, 2013). Compare to the global campaign of BMW before, instead of presenting statistics of the models and the functions, this campaign use an image and an app called AD Essene, as the design of the product is the most important purchase reason (Horatiu Boeriu, 2013). The purpose of these promotions is to attract the target market customers and making them interested in this product. On the other hand, the dynamic moving car on the TV advertising which looks elegant and balance also make people feel the 4 Series Coupe is a good choice. Obviously, the 4 Series Coupe is target customers who are achievers, as it is a high class of consumption. The ads can be found not only on the TV, Internet, Magazines, but also on the out of the door globally, in other words, people can easily find the ads all over the world. As a result, the products can look attractive to everyone, especially for the high class people who are affordable to buy this product. In addition, this advertisement may target people who are fashionable, as the new design of the fascinating appearance. To fit within the whole campaign, the advertisement should make motivation for customers to buy this car. Currently, it is popular for a family to own a car, especially for the rich family, they can have more than one can in their home. That is to say, people who can afford BMW may consider about purchase more cars for their family. The advertisement can be posted and exposure frequently on the CBD office Building, the famous commercial magazines, as well as commercial and financial websites, so that potential customers can get the product information easily and simply.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Choose two authors writing about either Market forecasting; Competitor analysis or Environmental analysis The WritePass Journal

Choose two authors writing about either Market forecasting; Competitor analysis or Environmental analysis INTRODUCTION Choose two authors writing about either Market forecasting; Competitor analysis or Environmental analysis , 93) The market interaction of a foothold as a new means of doing business or to interact with the consumer base is a response to the competitor analysis of competitive benchmarking.   The competitor rivalry between firms in the market place is purported by Upson et al to be driven by the use of footholds to enter and leave new markets.   â€Å"Foothold moves (attacks and withdrawals) can-have important implications for the nature of rivalry between firms.†Ã‚   (Upson et al, 2012, 93)   The use of foothold moves may   determine competitor reaction when willfully responding to a foothold strategy.   The foothold allows for a reactant, which is a market competitor to create a strategy in response to a market move from a much larger market competitor operating in a parallel market likely in the same industry. The aforementioned analysis is supported by the following past research provided by Upson et al.   â€Å"Karnani and Wernfelt suggested that a â€Å"mutual foothold equilibrium† wherein each of two firms owns a small share of a market that the other dominates can reduce rivalry, because each firm â€Å"has a stick with which to discipline the other firm† (1985: 90).†Ã‚   (Upson et al, 2012, 93) The same logic does apply when two firms own a large share of the market.   If the competitor to the foothold firm makes an attempt to aggregate a larger share of the market, the foothold firm can counter with innovating within the foothold market by adopting a new technique or methodology to the underlying functionality of the technology that is competing in that particular space, for example, server software. The research specific to the contribution of Upson et al is to reduce the space between the knowns and unknowns   known about footholds with respect to potential importance to competition† (Upson et al, 2002, 94†Ã‚  Ã‚   Upson particularly does examine â€Å"how competitor analysis influences foothold attacks and withdrawals.†Ã‚   (Upson et al, 2012, 94) Competitor analysis is therefore a sequential movement of activity between competitor firms that try to gain market share in either their established market or to a foothold market via retaliation. This approach to competitor analysis is interesting to the current business environment due to the focus on entrepreneurialism and on innovation as a means to business success. The second compare and contrast article is entitled ‘Competitor Analysis and Interfirm Rivalry: Toward a Theoretical Integration’, by Chen (1996). The title ostensibly parallels the same framework as the previous study as the interfirm rivalry is likely to refer to direct competitors operating in the same sector within the same industry. The main function of competitive analysis   provides an understanding that allows one to â€Å"predict the rivalry, or interactive market behavior, between firms in their quest for a competitive position in an industry (Caves, 1984; Porter 1980; Scherer Ross, 1990).†Ã‚   (Chen, 1996, 100-101) Chen points to Caves et al research as the primary theoretical approach used to define the causal methodology necessary to identify competitive analysis. The rivalry is therefore considered to be predictable relative to the interactivity of market behavior as firms compete for greater market share in their industry. Chen has chosen the Caves et al research which establishes the rivalry between firms as a means to measure the level of competition through market channel interactions.   The market interactions are analyzed on the premise that rivalries will respond to each move with a more competitive move.   Chen points to competitive analysis research that does not necessarily distinguish the market as either superior or inferior.   The superior market will be the market with larger or the largest market share and the inferior market will be the equivalent of a foothold market or essentially a secondary/auxiliary market. The clumping of market competition will inherently view any move against a rival as relevant to competitor analysis without necessarily distinguishing the response based on the level of market share relative to the market share held by the rival. Porter’s (1980) five force’s is used by Chen to identify the means to which competition is driven.   Porter’s Five Forces, has remained most within academia and out of the perspective of industrial operations. .  Ã‚   Chen isolates the strategic-group approach (Barney et al) as the most relevant to competitor analysis the strategic-group approach (Barney Hoskisson, 1990; McGee Thomas, 1986) is by far the most popular and relevant.†Ã‚   (Chen, 1996, 101) This use of the strategic-group approach within Chen’s theoretical framework   does point to the lack of a market context that researchers apply to the study of competing firms. Competing firms directly engage each other in the market and to the level of direct competition between each competing firm.   The analysis from the research into competitor analysis relative to the findings of Barney et al reveals that a lack of study between the interaction and the direct competitive responses betw een firms. This may have to do with the lack of identification by researchers of the market moves by competing firms in response to interacting market forces and in obtaining greater market share. The focus inherently shifts to areas of competitor analysis that have remained neglected from study.   Areas where researchers previously ignored the market context that drove business decisions relative to rivalries and competitor analysis are inherently under investigation for further clarification. â€Å"Thus far, some of the most fundamental questions in competitor analysis have remained unexplored (Gatignon, 1984; Weitz, 1985). For example, how can researchers studying competition differentiate among players in an industry to explain each player’s market behaviors?† (Chen, 1996, 101) The aforementioned question is inherently the issue with regard to research competitor analysis. Competitor analysis is inclusive of having the ability to differentiate between industry players and their reactions to competitor moves as to whether each move and subsequent move is a function of competitor rivalry. ANALYSIS OF VIEWS The research by Upson et al is essentially subsequent to the Chen research. Upson et al isolates the rivalry response to be within the possibility of the secondary market or the foothold. The identification of the foothold as a means to check the power of a rival firm operating in the primary market of a two-firm rivalry is ostensibly the focus of the Upson et al research which is a complement to the Chen research.   The authors seemingly agree that competitor analysis is a market research based activity that seeks to distinguish the primary, secondary, and tertiary forces.   These forces do enable interlink between industry competitors and further identify industry competitors as possible industry rivals. â€Å"How can a firm, before launching an attack, assess its prebattle relationship with a given rival and the resultant likelihood that this rival would retaliate? How can a firm gauge which opponent is most likely to attack its markets? How can strategists differentiate amon g a set of competitors to allow the firm to allocate appropriate resources and attention to each?† (Chen, 1996, 101) The aforementioned are more relevant to internal firm analysis than external competitor analysis given the weaknesses and threats a firm may face inherent to its industry and market and with respect to the competition. The question posed by Chen of whether a firm will retaliate is interlinked with the Upson et al research regarding the foothold.   The interpretation of the foothold strategy with regard to retaliatory strategy in competitor analysis is that of a leverage tool to have a competitor firm think twice about increasing industry competition in the primary market.   If the rival does not have a market foothold and is inherently weaker in the primary market strategy, a competitor firm may be able to attack the rival firm without retaliation. The importance of establishing a foothold is identified as the primary measure to prevent retaliatory practice and to which a competitor firm does respond to a rival attack.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Any given foothold is especially valuable as a deterrent in relation to the competitor that has the highest market commonality with the firm that owns the foothold. A focal firm is most vulnerable to rivalrous moves by this competitor; thus, holding a foothold as a hedge against such moves is likely to be seen as useful.† (Upson et al, 2012, 96) The foothold therefore becomes the means of deterrence for rival firms to not pursue attack strategies. The foothold then becomes a defensive tool or mechanism to prevent attacks against the firm from rivals. Even should the foothold lose money, its presence as a possible attack or retaliatory mechanism is perhaps enough of an intrinsic value to protect against losses from an attack where there not a foothold presence in place. Upson et al and Chen draw o n complementary research to provide a contiguous analysis of the issue of competitor analysis. SUMMARY Upson et al and Chen bring to light several issues with respect to competitor analysis. The research presented by the two authors is more comparable than is contrasting with respect to the definition of competitor analysis and the use of competitor analysis in industry and practice. The Upson et al research presents a theory that answers the questions surrounding competitor analysis posed by Chen. The use of a foothold in the market as defined by Upson et al is the retaliatory measure or the gauge to provide a measuring tool to keep the rival from competing too harshly. Chen’s research sought to identify how firms retaliate toward each other as a market move may just be a market move performed by the firm due to the firm seeking to position itself relative to its best interest. Therefore, the move will not inherently be an attack against the rival yet the perception may be that of an attack against the rival to which retaliation may follow. The main comparison between the researchers is the identification of competitor analysis as a direct and indirect means of performing market research relative to the identification of competitive positioning. Upson et al provides the theory of foothold market analysis that complements Chen’s research. Chen will likely agree that use of the foothold is a rival response to a competitor market move as well as use of the foothold as a potential measure of attack to which a retaliatory response in the primary market may follow. The inter market dynamic of competitor firms operating in the same industry and sector is identified by Upson et al and Chen via use of the same scope and measure of framework. The framework of identifying competitor analysis by use of underscoring the firm rivalry and the market moves relative to the market positioning of the rivals is the inter market dynamic that is agreed upon to be the concrete link between the Upson et al and Chen research. The authors share similar business views as they seek to define the underlying causes regarding the rivalry relationship between firms undergoing competitor analysis. The analysis of market activity within the scope of firm rivalries provides a framework to identify market moves and the potential motives behind each market move. Is the firm taking advantage of a market weakness or is the firm attacking a rival? The foothold theory attempts to provide a means to analyze such a question and render an analysis that describes the move with respect to the relationship to the current market position of the rival. The key takeaway is the identification of the importance of market context relative to the firm rivalry interaction and the strategy of each firm as identified by the sequential market move of each firm in the market place. References M-J. Chen, Competitor Analysis and Interfirm Rivalry: Toward a Theoretical Integration. Academy of Management Review Vol. 21. No. 1, 100-134. 1996 http://gatton.uky.edu/Faculty/ferrier/Chen%201996.pdf D Ketchen Jr. A. Ranf, J. Upson, Competitor Analysis and Foothold Moves. Academy of Management Journal Vol. 55. No. 1, 93-110. 2012 http://amj.aom.org/content/55/1/93.full.pdf+html

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on South Africa

World War II In 1939 war finally began, causing the second global conflict. Many things had sparked World War II. After World War I, Germany’s pride was hurt, hurt because they were humiliated. And since their pride meant everything they would someday repay or regain their pride. So Germany’s eager for revenge was high. As the present of communism was spreading towards the US, the threat of it came along with it. It wasn’t only a threat to the US but to its religious freedom as well. Even though the threat of fascism was growing to the threat of communism out weighed it by a lot. So with the distraction of communism, Hitler’s forces were able to build up. Germany’s desire for revenge led them to attack a weakened country, France. France after the World War I wanted peace. And the German forces knew that France would not attack back. So Germany then invaded France causing the problems that sooner or later led to the 2nd World War. Although America remained neutral for a period of time they soon became involved in preventing World War II. Doing this by trying to give Hitler what he wanted while Hitler gave up on conquering other countries. But this did not work. Hitler did not give up causing countries to become madder at him for not following the deal. America’s business may have led to WW II also, because America remained neutral. We remained neutral at the beginning because supposedly we were to busy ourselves. This also adds on the poor leaders of the Allies. If some of leaders would have tried to prevent Hitler from spreading anymore may have helped prevent war. The most important factor that started war was the invasion of Poland. The invasion led the rest of the world to become mad and upset with Hitler and his forces. If Germany would have agreed to the appeasement the break out of anger may have prevented the whole thing. Even though this was not the only thing that led to the war, it had a great imp... Free Essays on South Africa Free Essays on South Africa World War II In 1939 war finally began, causing the second global conflict. Many things had sparked World War II. After World War I, Germany’s pride was hurt, hurt because they were humiliated. And since their pride meant everything they would someday repay or regain their pride. So Germany’s eager for revenge was high. As the present of communism was spreading towards the US, the threat of it came along with it. It wasn’t only a threat to the US but to its religious freedom as well. Even though the threat of fascism was growing to the threat of communism out weighed it by a lot. So with the distraction of communism, Hitler’s forces were able to build up. Germany’s desire for revenge led them to attack a weakened country, France. France after the World War I wanted peace. And the German forces knew that France would not attack back. So Germany then invaded France causing the problems that sooner or later led to the 2nd World War. Although America remained neutral for a period of time they soon became involved in preventing World War II. Doing this by trying to give Hitler what he wanted while Hitler gave up on conquering other countries. But this did not work. Hitler did not give up causing countries to become madder at him for not following the deal. America’s business may have led to WW II also, because America remained neutral. We remained neutral at the beginning because supposedly we were to busy ourselves. This also adds on the poor leaders of the Allies. If some of leaders would have tried to prevent Hitler from spreading anymore may have helped prevent war. The most important factor that started war was the invasion of Poland. The invasion led the rest of the world to become mad and upset with Hitler and his forces. If Germany would have agreed to the appeasement the break out of anger may have prevented the whole thing. Even though this was not the only thing that led to the war, it had a great imp...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Verbification at Work

Verbification at Work Verbification at Work Verbification at Work By Maeve Maddox Trudy Ripka writes I have come across recipes which are made into healthier versions of the original.   My problem is accepting the word HEALTHIFIED.   There is a particular site which uses this and a lot of the readers dislike the term; I am included.   This could be a case of verbing adjectives. Whatever we call it, something is going on. Apparently just about any word can be turned into an -ify verb and then back-formed into a -tion noun. healthify and healthification: â€Å"Healthified† Fluffy Orange Fruit Dip â€Å"Healthified† Chicken Pot Pie `Healthification and the Promises of Urban Space Fit or Fad: The Healthification Of Starbucks Foodstuffs greenify and greenification: Greenify for Better Business 5 Ways to Greenify Your Home How have you greenified your home? The Greenification of Walmart friendify and friendification: Youll now receive a Friendifcation Notification. . . when a member adds you to their friends list. our current MySpace policy is to friendify anyone with an interesting looking avatar . . . If you get friendified by someone you dont know, its probably because you have a cool avatar. blogify and blogification: Creativity Has Now Been Blogified So we have blog-this and blog-that, basically everything has been blogified . . . blogify: To dramatize or overexaggerate. To describe otherwise bland subjects in a horribly depressing and/or dramatic manner. To make dreary . . . Urban Dictionary I’m wondering when the schools are going to get around to grammifying their students. I’d say that a little grammification is in order. Joking aside, use drives usage. When a word is felt to meet a need by a large number of speakers, it will find a place in the language. The word gentrification, for example, has won acceptance with the meaning The process by which an (urban) area is rendered middle-class. OED The fate of these new -ify verbs is uncertain. Many of the writers who are using them are uncomfortable enough to enclose them in quotation marks. Writers and speakers who don’t want them to catch on can choose not to use them. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"When to Form a Plural with an Apostrophe10 Terms for the Common People

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Managerial Coaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managerial Coaching - Essay Example Having professional leaders will guarantee effective management of the trainee and other employee of the program. The training must take place each day with each of the athlete attending the training as required. Training is a must and trainees perform poorly due to skipping training secessions. Individual in charge of training must be having experience in coaching and at least an undergraduate degree (Park, 2007). The program must have a counseling psychologist to offer guidance and counseling to the trainee. Most of the trainees end up in drug abuse and availability of counseling will help them to cope with different situation. Stress management training will be offered by the psychologist to ensure that the trainees are socially and psychologically stable. The program must be free from corruption to ensure that only the best candidates are employed and the trainees are recruited in respect to talent. The progress of the program must be evaluated in regular bases like in two month to solve the problems in order to ensure smooth running (Allamby,

The Making of A Quagmire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Making of A Quagmire - Essay Example The government will not hesitate to invent a story to hide their cruel actions. I cite the example tendered by the author about â€Å"Thich Quang Duc who had come to the square as part of Buddhist procession had been doused in sharp contrast to walking people around him† (113). The dubious version of the Government read thus: â€Å"†¦. ...that Quang duc’s fellow priest had set him on fire, and that he had been unable to feel any pain because he had been heavily dosed with morphine† (113-14) The real issue was the religious revolution in Vietnam. But for the press taking up the issue, America would have considered it as an act of terrorism. Politicians have just one agenda—selfishness and plans for aggrandizement of wealth and they will go to any extent to achieve their nefarious objectives. The citizens of a country therefore have a great responsibility. They need to remain ever vigilant and analyze the information with a correct perspective and take independent decisions. The published statements of the politicians may not be always authentic. 2. Madame Nhu is the important personality in the book, and this refers to the negative aspect of her personality. She stands apart from majority of the traditional Vietnamese women. She was crazy to be in the limelight and considered herself as the potential leader and was power-hungry. God had blessed her with beauty, wisdom, and power. The author writes, â€Å"Madame Nhu was strikingly beautiful woman, and she was well aware of it; yet she looked too perfectly manicured, too much like someone who had just stepped out of a beauty shop, to be leading a country at war†(24). She was able to exert tremendous influence in Vietnam and NGO family. She was responsible for the oppression and death of many monks and her anti-Buddhist outbursts were famous. With her quixotic statements, she was able to exert great influence on Diem. Her hatred to Buddhism was open and intense. She commented upon the self-immolation of the Buddhist monk as a very normal â€Å"barbecue.† The author writes, â€Å"To Madame Nhu this event was simply a barbecue and an affront† (113). She was so cruel against the Buddhists that she expressed her views that she was willing to clap at such burning incidents. American President Robert Kennedy did not like her actions and in Vietnam, there was lots of internal discontent. American policy turned hostile towards Diem government and ultimately led to the coup of Duong Van Minh’s. 3. As for the Vietnam War, dual perspectives prevailed in America. The press was mostly on loggerheads with the Government on this issue. The press had no vested interest and I strongly feel that the Press was right. The correspondents were reporting from the actual battlefronts, with great danger to their personal safety and they were interested in reporting the truth about the war and its gruesome aspects. The American tax-payer was entitled to know the truth about the Vietnam War and the reality reports were forthcoming from the Press. On the other hand, the Government was giving only one side of the total picture that was convenient from their point of view. For instance relating to the battle of Ap Bac, America was hiding the vital information relating to American losses to suppress the anti-war sentiments of the American citizens, as would be read from the comments from Admiral Harry, as reported by the author: â€Å"Yes, that's right. It was a Vietnamese victory. It certainly was†

Friday, October 18, 2019

Abortion (The Right To Abortion) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abortion (The Right To Abortion) - Research Paper Example Ethical and moral questions have been raised to this effect about the justification of abortion (Henshaw et al, 1999). To this effect, laws and regulations have been formulated for and against abortion since the period prior to the scientific discovery. The controversy has been stepped up across religious, political, medical and social circles on the right to abortion as laws evolve with changing times (Henshaw et al, 1999). Putting the controversy aside, the right to abortion is necessary as the foregoing discussion indicates. The right to abortion gives the woman the chance for her life to be saved. Abortion is a necessary action to take when the pregnancy puts the mother’s in danger. This happens when the mother is having health complications and/or serious illness such as high blood pressure. In such a situation, the pregnancy can be a risk to the mother’s life because in such a case, the mother is not in a position to maintain the pregnancy. In addition, the pregnant woman could be experiencing complications such as having to succumb to an ectopic pregnancy. This is a very dangerous health complication that can lead to death of the pregnant woman if not treated. A woman with an ectopic pregnancy could die as a result of rapture and severe loss of blood (WebMD, 2010). The only treatment for this complication is ending the pregnancy which is abortion all for the sake of saving the woman (WebMD, 2010). The right to choose as one of the concepts of reproductive health rights is another important reason that justifies abortion. Reproductive health rights refer to the right of both the man and woman to decide on the spacing and number of children (Socialist Worker, 2004). In the contemporary world, most women are working due to the economic and financial demands. Women are increasingly contributing to the family income and some are becoming bread winners in the family. Hence they have the right to take part in the decision making processes on the

Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Media - Essay Example In the article â€Å"New media, counter publicity and the public sphere† the authors provide the overview of the work of Habermas and his main ideas. In the works of Habermas, where he depicts the ups and downs of the public sphere, the special attention is paid to the special place of the public that criticizes media. He noticed that because of some changes, which happened due to the development of mass media, the public sphere had to change as well. It is unacceptable to allow media to create certain pattern of the vision that is imposed on the society. Moreover, the horizontal communication was changed to the vertical one. Dawney and Fenton state that â€Å"in other words, horizontal communication between citizens is increasingly replaced by vertical communication between mass media, greatly influenced by both the state and capital, and consumers. The space for participatory communication is severely constricted† (Dawney and Fenton 2003:185). Habermas would like to p reserve the rational essence from becoming the ideological one. The public sphere is the unique field for citizens to communicate equally and it is the direct way to form the democratic society. Habermas presented his own vision of the public sphere of the 20th century. ... In the modern society media actively communicates with people. We can see that non-mass media has been developing in different forms. Habermas raises important issue in his work trying to find the answer to the question, whether the independent public fields are able to create a debate with the help of mass media. He also notices that such independent public fields influence the mass media in general, but only in special conditions. According to Dawney and Fenton, â€Å"Habermas recognizes not only the existence of alternative public spheres but also their capacity for challenging domination. While he maintains that his analysis of the public sphere infrastructure still pertains to a mass media largely subordinate to the interests of capital on the one hand, and the state on the other, he has in the meantime revised his pessimistic opinion of the public.†(Dawney and Fenton 2003:187) It has become clear that we are going through the crisis and need to find the solution. It was mentioned above that Internet provides a great variety of opportunities making necessary information accessible (Sunstein, 2001). World web makes its possible to find any information very quickly and represents a perfect platform for advertising. It represents a perfect tool for communication and information exchange. However, despite all the pluses, the word web has it minuses Pluralism is one of them. It is essential to remember that Internet can be used in different purposes and it can be used by everybody. The fact that modern society is created by the mass media and not vice versa is the most dangerous (Verstraeten, 1995). It should be said that the political public fields arising as a part of the independent public fields can cause the fragmentations in the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Rhetorical essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetorical - Essay Example The ad that caught everybody’s attention read â€Å"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. Youll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before† (Trevorrow, 2012). Curiously, a young intern name Jeff Schewensen (Jake Johnson) who works at a magazine based in Seattle embarked on an investigative mission to find the author of the strange posting. He assembled the oddest team with her friends Kenneth (Mark Duplass), Arnau, and Darius. Darius found out that the source of the ad came from Kenneth Calloway and so she made contact with Kenneth and from there, the story took unusual turn that made it interesting. It has to be noted that The idea of time travel in the film ‘Safety Not guaranteed’ is obviously not feasible and the film’s narrative is not meant to elucidate with using some technological discovery or marvelous science but to make the audience smile with how the odd characters in the film reacted with such technological possibility with each with their own agenda that reveals human nature. Thus, the story is told not from the logos or logical point of view but rather from pathos or emotional appeal to make the film entertaining (albeit not necessarily believable). Synthesizing the film through the lens of rhetorical devices made one realize that the film is not trying to convince or persuade the audience of any argument or some position of the author. Looking at it from the point of logos, the film does not make sense because time travel is not possible (at least in real world application but only in theory) and its technological possibility is not even explained. Even the sequencing of events such as placement of an ad that invites time travel with no safety guarantee to Darius and Kenneth’s trysts are just improbable in

Smartphone and Social Media Usage in the Healthcare Profession Research Paper

Smartphone and Social Media Usage in the Healthcare Profession - Research Paper Example As the report declares to put the issue of social media and Smartphone usage into context, it is essential to understand HIPAA requirements on the same. HIPAA privacy rule 164.502 states that a covered entity or any of its associate may not use or disclose cosseted health information, except as permitted or required by sub-article C of 160 of this rule. Sub article C outlines the circumstances under which, a medic or a medical entity can release a patient’s personal information. According to the essay findings the exceptions for disclosure are highly limited to criminal activity on the part of the patient. In essence therefore, social media and Smartphone use by medics seems to read from different pages with HIPAA. While social media is geared towards sharing one’s surrounding environment, HIPAA overrules such disclosure and can lead to serious consequences including license cancellation. From a medic’s perspective, Smartphones and social media can be a great mental relaxation tool, which in turn helps one assist patients better. By nature of their work, healthcare professionals have to work long hours. This causes mental and emotional strain, which if unchecked can lead to reduced concentration, and negative consequences to the patients. With the advent of social media, a medic can now get in touch with family and friends and release some work related steam. A light moment with a friend while on a ten minute break can go a long way in rejuvena ting a medic.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Rhetorical essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetorical - Essay Example The ad that caught everybody’s attention read â€Å"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. Youll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before† (Trevorrow, 2012). Curiously, a young intern name Jeff Schewensen (Jake Johnson) who works at a magazine based in Seattle embarked on an investigative mission to find the author of the strange posting. He assembled the oddest team with her friends Kenneth (Mark Duplass), Arnau, and Darius. Darius found out that the source of the ad came from Kenneth Calloway and so she made contact with Kenneth and from there, the story took unusual turn that made it interesting. It has to be noted that The idea of time travel in the film ‘Safety Not guaranteed’ is obviously not feasible and the film’s narrative is not meant to elucidate with using some technological discovery or marvelous science but to make the audience smile with how the odd characters in the film reacted with such technological possibility with each with their own agenda that reveals human nature. Thus, the story is told not from the logos or logical point of view but rather from pathos or emotional appeal to make the film entertaining (albeit not necessarily believable). Synthesizing the film through the lens of rhetorical devices made one realize that the film is not trying to convince or persuade the audience of any argument or some position of the author. Looking at it from the point of logos, the film does not make sense because time travel is not possible (at least in real world application but only in theory) and its technological possibility is not even explained. Even the sequencing of events such as placement of an ad that invites time travel with no safety guarantee to Darius and Kenneth’s trysts are just improbable in

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Explain, with reference to decided cases and statutory provisions, the Essay

Explain, with reference to decided cases and statutory provisions, the extent to which terms may be implied into both a contract for sale of goods and a contract of employment - Essay Example Simply put, if you promise that you will do something for another person and in return, that person agrees to pay you something, then you and that person have made a contract. A contract can be in verbal or written form but the most important thing is that there would be an agreement especially between two parties. Likewise, according to the labour laws of many countries, both the worker and the employee are bound by certain statutory regulations that would ensure that no party will breach the agreed contract. Indeed, when a person has decided to enter into an agreement with someone, both parties should have a common ground of understanding of the nature of the contract they would be agreeing upon so as to avoid conflict and misunderstanding in the future. There different factors that are taken into consideration when forming a valid contract between two parties. The most important thing in the formation of a valid contract is that there must be an agreement between the parties involved. There should be mutual understanding between the two parties involved so as to avoid unnecessary conflict in the future. Each party is expected to be very clear about the terms and conditions of the contract otherwise it may be invalid if the other party involved is not aware of the contents of the agreement. Forming an agreement is based on the notion that each party is aware of the contractual obligations to fulfil which are legally binding. Another key element for the formation of a valid contract is its legality. A valid contract ought to conform to the norms and values of the society. For instance, if a person promises to steal something in order to get payment in return, then this contract is unacceptable since it is against the societal norms a nd values. The parties entering into a contract should have the legal power to do so. In any given scenario, minors may not enter into a valid contract with adults since it

Monday, October 14, 2019

Should television be Switched Essay Example for Free

Should television be Switched Essay TV or not TV? -Thats the question. We may not all be Hamlet, but we all struggle with our own existential issues and since television plays a major role in our existence it becomes an issue. The days are long past when we could consider TV to be an innocent, innocuous part of daily life or a casual baby-sitter. It is a powerful, persuasive teacher and a primary companion for children, many of whom spend more time in front of the television than in school. Considering that some members of the average family watch more than seven hours of television per day, it is not surprising that contemporary research indicates that human development and behaviour are affected by television to a degree far exceeding earlier judgments. Unfortunately, this medium, which has been used for much good, has increasingly been misused. The number of programmes and commercials that conflict with gospel standards are steadily rising, and few viewers demonstrate enough self-discipline to resist. Some of us dont even realize what hidden messages were receiving-and little by little we subconsciously come to accept them as normal or appropriate. There is a large body of research that documents the way in which exposure to television influences children generally, and much of this relates to the effects of exposure to violent content in programming. Children who view programmes where violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or left unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they observe on television. The impact of television violence may be immediately evident in a childs behaviour or it may surface years later. Children who spend their time alone will learn behaviour from television, which is considered to be acceptable. Several studies have also highlighted that children may become immune to violence, gradually accepting it as a way to solve problems. Young children are very impressionable, and it follows that they see things on television, and at the movies, that they may consider as normal. For example, Americans accept that there is a tremendous amount of violent crime in their country. They hardly flinch when they hear about horrific murders; theyve heard it all before. However, in the UK we still find it horrific when someone holds a shootout at a school or murders a child. This is because we dont come across it very often. Unfortunately though, because of the amount of detail in newer films, we are beginning to get used to violence. Take for example the recent film, Hannibal starring Anthony Hopkins, where the consuming of a human brain is featured in graphic detail and the exploitation of cannibalism is continued throughout the film. How then can parents compete with the film industrys glamorisation of violence? Violence is becoming part of our society, and some of it must be attributed to the amount of violence that we are subjected to in the media. As well as an influencing effect on behaviour, television has a significant impact on self-image and overall health and well being of a person, despite claims that there are advertisement campaigns promoting a healthy diet and exercise. However in perspective, ninety eight percent of the time, commercials are glamorising the sedentary lifestyle with promotion of junk food and new technological advances that mean you can stay in the comfort of your own home and use the television or internet to do your weekly shopping. The effects of commercialism cannot be underestimated. Children are besieged by manipulative commercial messages day in and day out, on TV, and even at school. Companies hire psychologists to help them target children and manipulate them; we call this the art of whine-making. Perhaps the mobile phone is the biggest example of discontent among teenagers as every seventeen days on average there is a new model on the shelves. The bombardment of commercial messages has created a sense of chronic dissatisfaction in children and, many psychologists think, has contributed to the increase in teenage depression. With the technological and social development in the world, television hasnt fallen behind and companies seem to have left no stone unturned; every taboo is consistently addressed in day to day viewing. Intense and disturbing imagery, including scenes of extreme violence but including other extreme taboos such as cannibalism, were once found only in films of extreme violence. More and more, these images are appearing on television and satellite broadcast. Particularly for children and teens, these images have an effect that can best be described as a reduced version of post-traumatic stress disorder. The intense and disturbing images return unbidden and at times obsessively since the children have little ability to process and sublimate the images. However a lack of respect and courtesy is a serious national problem and sixty per cent of people have stated that it is getting worse. This relates to increased aggressiveness, lack of consideration of others and public vulgarity, all types of behaviours that are normalized by increasingly vulgar and rude television shows. Take for example the notorious Jerry Springer Show where there is uncalled for language that is consistently unsuitable and features that are far from ordinary. Firstly, the guests language is censored because of daytime viewing and because of this it is extremely hard to make out what is being said, as there seems to be more bleeps than actual words. Next in question are the discussion topics featuring occurrences that are extraordinary, some are actually so unbelievable that they become humorous. It is unquestionable that television has shaped and accelerated this trend, rather than simply reflecting it, as television executives are fond of claiming. Rude and vulgar behaviour on television regiments the behaviour and breaks down the social barriers that help children understand when certain behaviour is appropriate and not appropriate. Unfortunately, television doesnt have to be violent or vulgar to have a negative effect. Excessive television watching of any description has clear psychological and physiological effects on people. The Couch Potato Syndrome demonstrates that the benign television content decreases childrens creativity and imagination, decreases physical activity and thus increases obesity. Each year the average child watches approximately twenty two thousand commercials-five thousand of them for food products, the majority of which are high-calorie, high-sugar, low-nutrition items and meals portrayed on prime-time television are anything but balanced and far from relaxed. On TV, snacking is almost as common as breakfast, lunch, and dinner combined. During daytime weekend childrens programs, snacking comprises forty five percent of all eating events, while regular meals constitute only twenty four percent. Fruits are chosen as snacks on television only four to five percent of the time. Clearly, TV does not promote good eating habits. Adding to this affluence and power are common themes of some of the most popular shows on current prime-time television. Some programs consistently glamorise materialism and glorify products. With high-fashion wardrobes, luxurious estates, and insatiable appetites for wealth, these TV characters portray the false idea that greed brings gratification and Life-styles portrayed on these programs often promote self-satisfaction rather than sacrifice, greed instead of charity, and conceit rather than humility. Perhaps the most harmful messages TV brings into our homes relate to intimate physical relations. In the past several years, there has been a marked increase in the frequency of flirtatious behaviour and sexual innuendos on TV. Storylines and settings that include revealing or enticing apparel and explicit camera angles are on the increase. Moreover, references to intimate physical relations on TV, whether verbally insinuated or contextually implied, occur most often between unmarried partners-five times more frequently than between married couples. References to such relations with prostitutes come in second. Together, references to sexual conduct between unmarried partners and with prostitutes account for about seventy percent of all references to intimate physical conduct on television. Television is undoubtedly a sex educator of children and a potentially powerful one. Contemporary television entertainment is saturated with lessons that are likely to have an impact on young viewers sexual development and behaviour. The notorious soap, Coronation Street, is thought to be suitable for family viewing, yet a teenage pregnancy, a few years ago was aired and the particular girl has apparently benefited from it and at present is living with her boyfriend, to whom she is expecting a child and who she is blissfully unaware of the fact that he is a homosexual. In this particular instant, three taboos are referenced and broken at once; living together before marriage, pregnancy before marriage and the exploitation of homosexual tendencies and behaviour. When asked, my grandmother said that television had definitely developed but, in doing so took a wrong turn. She told me, I would have never dreamed of two teenagers having relations outside marriage, let alone watching the actual process, during family time viewing. It definitely seems that the television industry needs to sort their act out in order to ensure that not too much over exaggeration is broadcasted daily on the TV screen. So why in effect is television portrayed as having a positive influence to any extent on someones life? The only depiction of television in a good light is the broadcasting of childrens television programmes aimed at those between the ages of two and five. However, even at this, companies are negligent and inconsiderate. Programmes of such description are usually aired at unsociable hours of the morning or night as they dont make for high viewing interests and thus companies lose out, so how can a child view a beneficial programme when its broadcasted at times when a child cant watch it? However it has also been proven that such educational programmes also have a negative effect on children. Programmes like the Teletubbies and Boo-Bahs have been shown to cause a steady rise in speech impediments, as proper vocabulary has not been demonstrated, with Eh-Ho replacing hello. Hence the underlying, negative aspects outweigh even issues that are supposed to be in favour of television. Excessive TV viewing is a behaviour pattern acquired by frequent repetition that sometimes becomes involuntary. For many families, watching television is more than a habit; its a dependency, marked by withdrawal and dysfunction when the TV set is not available. It is becoming a pattern that requires diligent effort to break. In effect, when taken to excess, the impact television has on a person is undoubtedly pessimistic; it certainly can give someone a thoroughly dull mind and a huge waistline.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

college essay :: essays research papers

Æ’Â ´Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€¢Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€"ƒÙƒÞƒÙƒÃ ¤Ã†â€™Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ¸Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ¾Ã†â€™nƒßƒÃâ€"Æ’nÆ’Â ½Ã†â€™Ãƒ ©Ã†â€™Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€¢Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ"Æ’Ãâ€"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The definition I would place upon myself would consist of what I look like on the outside and what I feel and believe on the inside. In my opinion they way you look and how you dress and present yourself is hyped up a lot in the world today. What you wear has such an impact on how someone thinks about you.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I personally don ¡Ã‚ ¦t wear the GAP, Abercrombie & Fitch, or Old Navy clothes not because of the people who wear them, or because I don ¡Ã‚ ¦t want to be considered  ¡Ã‚ §trendy ¡Ã‚ ¨, I just don ¡Ã‚ ¦t wear them. I will go into the stores to look for something to buy, and I just never seem to find anything that I like. Stores I most often shop at are Pacific Sunwear, DEB, and Aeropostle. The style I guess you could categorize me into would probably be skater/ glam, at least that ¡Ã‚ ¦s what my dad would call it. My personal style does represent me in a lot of ways it ¡Ã‚ ¦s clean cut, yet edgy, and it ¡Ã‚ ¦s full of color, not a lot of black and white in my wardrobe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Appearance wise I ¡Ã‚ ¦m pretty much the same way as I am with my wardrobe. I love to play with make up. I like a lot of color. I love to play up my eyes; on occasion I will load up the eyeliner. My role model for clothing and make up is Gwen Stefani, the lead singer of No Doubt. She has such an awesome style; she just seems to be so together and knows what she wants. I love that! Sometimes I feel that way about myself, but it ¡Ã‚ ¦s just not as often probably.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The location of which I live isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t what you would expect the inside of my house to look like. At least that is what I think personally, only because my family lives in an apartment in downtown Auburn, Maine. From the outside it isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t anything fancy, and then once you step in through the front door, you ¡Ã‚ ¦ll be amazed how a little decorating can go a long way. Having my parents divorce in 2000 meant downsizing our house so it was hard on me. No matter where I live it ¡Ã‚ ¦s always home, and that I am very thankful for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My family is something I cherish dearly. My father is a very close friend of mine he is somebody I can talk to about anything with, even things most kids usually get all nervous about when it comes to telling their parents mostly my dad just lets me know his opinion, (which sometimes I may not like) and that ¡Ã‚ ¦s about it.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Paranoid Schizophrenia: They’re Out To Get Me Essay example -- Mental

Introduction Paranoid Schizophrenia is a serious psychotic disorder that impairs a person’s perception of reality, causing the mind to lose contact with the real world. This disorder greatly affects one’s ability to negotiate the activities of everyday life, such as school, work, or social situations. In 1898, Emil Kraepelin was to the first to provide information regarding schizophrenia naming it â€Å"dementia praecox†, and defining it as a psychosis with an early onset of intellectual deterioration (Schiffman & Walker, 1998). Ten years later, a Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Bluler renamed the disorder using a combination of the Greek words â€Å"skhizein† and â€Å"phren† meaning split mind (Barlow & Durand, 2011). He believed the unusual behaviors were a split from the basic functions of personality and reality. Today, there are misconceptions about the term schizophrenia in which society confuses a split mind with a split personality, or multiple persona lities. The broad definition of schizophrenia continues to be researched and narrowed into subtypes with specific presenting characteristics. Paranoid schizophrenia is one of the five major sub-types listed in the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Text-Revised (DSM-IV-TR) with the list continuing to expand as the criteria identifies specific related symptoms or behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Although this disorder only afflicts 1% of the total population of the United States, this amounts to over three million people living with the disorder. Diagnosis Diagnosis of this syndrome typically occurs in late adolescence through early adulthood with the onset of behaviors marking deterioration in the ability to perform normal... ...000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders- fourth edition-text revision. Washington, D.C.: Author. Barlow, D. H., & Durand, V. M. (2011). Abnormal psychology: An integrative approach (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Foerschner, A. M. (2010). The history of mental illness: From "skull drills" to "happy pills". Student Pulse, 02(09), 1-4. Maguire, G. A. (2002). Comprehensive understanding of schizophrenia and its treatment. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacists, 59(5), 4-11. doi: 1079-2082/02/0901 National Institute of Health. National Institute of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. (2009). Schizophrenia (09-3517). Schiffman, J. & Walker, E. F. (1998). Schizophrenia. In H. Friedman (Ed.) The Disorders: Specialty Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mental Health. Academic Press: New York.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis Essay

Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a tragic tale of Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, who turns into a gigantic vermin one morning. Gregor’s fate is blamed on his family’s over-dependence to him and Gregor’s inability to break free from his imprisoning responsibility. Gregor assumes the responsibility of providing for the family. Even before his metamorphosis, Gregor’s relationship with his family slowly deteriorates as he realizes he only exists for his them. He also hates his job as he laments,†O, God, what a demanding job I’ve chosen!†¦ The hell with it all†(Kafka, F. , 2004, p. 2). He continues to complain about travelling, train connections, bad food and superficial human relationships. But no matter how much discomfort he gets from his job, he cannot quit for the sake of his family. Worse, his father’s debt makes him stuck to his job for a very long time. Clearly, Gregor’s family causes him to transform into a vermin. Worse, after the metamorphosis, all his capabilities to provide ceases and his family see him as useless. The very people whom he cares for loathe him: his mother faints at the sight of him, his sister rejects him and his father bombards him with apples which cause an infection to his back. Finally, they plot to get rid of Gregor and start a new life On the other hand, Gregor himself is partly responsible for his fate. He loathes the bad situation that he is in as he has cursing thoughts at the beginning of the story. He wants to break free; but he is not able to do that because he thinks of the welfare of his family. He submits, albeit unwillingly, to his role. In fact, when he discovers his transformation that morning, he worries more about his family and how to get to work than his disgusting appearance: â€Å"†¦ In any case, right now I have to get up. My train leaves at five o’clock† (Kafka, p. 2). The metamorphosis symbolizes Gregor’s empty and insignificant life, his personal alienation from his family, as well as from the outside world, and the effects of his numbing job. Work Cited: Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Kessinger Publication (2004).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Stay in Hometown or Move

After they complete their university studies, some students live in their hometowns. Others live in different towns or cities. Which do you think is better -? living in your hometown or living in a deferent town or city? Give reasons for your answer. There are various reasons why a university student chose to stay in their hometown or leave.Relocating to another city or a country may be due to better Job opportunities, safer environment for the family, and better quality of life for the family. For those who stayed behind may be u to satisfaction within the community, personal commitment to work In and Improve the community, and the family Is deeply Involved with the customs and traditions of the community for generations. A student deeply rooted In the local traditions chooses to continue to live and work In the community he or she grew up In.He may Introduce new concepts to Improve the livelihood and quality of life of the other members. Sometimes It Is the camaraderie among the me mbers that makes the person stay rather than pursue opportunities elsewhere. On the other hand. Some graduates opt to relocate in search of greener pastures. If the family were living in an unsafe environment that threatens their livelihood, they would most likely relocate. A better location can give them a better quality of life.They can have peace while pursuing their careers. Their children can also concentrate in their studies because they are assured that they are free from any harm. In summary, most university graduates would relocate to seek greener pastures that offer a better quality of life for the whole family. For those who stayed behind they would rather work and contribute to the community where they grew up in. 251 words (body)

Governments Should Not Negotiate With Terrorists Essay

Would you give a thief $100,000 to get your stolen purse back? If you were to give a thief $100,000, you would make him think that he can make a profit out of stealing purses. The thief would also use the $100,000 to buy a gun or other weapons or vehicles that would help him steal future purses. Now think about the thief as a terrorist and you as a government. Should governments negotiate with terrorists? Terrorism activities have increased these past few years due to faulty decisions made by governments when dealing with terrorists. Many have made the mistake of compromising with terrorists, which makes them appear weak and targetable, which only sponsors future terrorist acts. The outcomes of past government agreements with terrorists have only worsened and perpetuated this situation. The paying of millions of dollars as ransom to terrorist kidnappers and hostage/takers has also fueled future terrorist attacks and has only made terrorism profitable, making it more attractive to terrorists. Governments legitimize terrorism by compromising; therefore governments should not negotiate with terrorists, rather marginalize and weaken their organizations by refusing them any concessions and targeting individuals within their groups. The reasoning behind terrorism is that violence can be used to attract the attention of governments and the general public, who as a result, succumb to the terrorist’s ideas and/or desires. Unfortunately, this terrorist tactic is sometimes effective, like in the 2004 Madrid Bombings. On March 11, ETA, a terrorist organization, bombed four commuter trains in Madrid. Their objective was to cause a political change in Spain; the elections were that same weekend. Before the bombings, the People’s Party was the voter’s favorite, but ETA’s terrorist attack caused a drastic change in the ballot and the Socialist Party won. After winning the election, the Socialist Party decided to remove the Spanish troops in Iraq, which is what ETA wanted. Because of this turn of events, Downing says: â€Å"†¦the terrorists would be able to claim that their bombings had influenced both a European election and the situation in Iraq. † (Downing 38-39) Since the people and the government reacted to the attack the way ETA wanted it too, the terrorists could have considered the attack successful, and as a consequence may attack again. The message the government sent ETA is that if they want a change, they should just use violence to obtain it. Governments must be careful with terrorist’s interest and their own interests when making controversial decisions, especially those made shortly after terrorist attacks, like the bombings in Madrid. In that case, the decision was whether or not to remove Spanish troops from Iraq. ETA wanted them removed, and the Socialist Party decided to remove them because of the pressure they were put under. Removing the troops was a mistake because it just pleased the terrorists; it made the terrorists feel they can manipulate the government through pressure induced by brutality. Governments should always include terrorist interests in important decision-making, but not to make the decision in the terrorist’s favor, rather to make the decision in a way that terrorists are not satisfied by it and cannot take any credit from it. Governments must show that they are strong, and that they are not and will not be influenced by terrorism. (Downing 38-39) Governments make themselves appear weak by succumbing to pressure, and sometimes the pressure does not even come from the terrorists in the situation, but from other governments, leaders or groups. Even if they might want to interfere for the most pacific reasons, peace negotiations with terrorists do not have the best outcomes. First of all, they are terrorists; therefore, their favorite and only way of attempting to achieve their goals is through violence. This means that if they do not receive what they desire through force, they believe they cannot get it through peace either. Secondly, terrorists are unpredictable; they cannot be trusted. Thirdly, most terrorists do not back down, especially jihadists, because they are willing to lose their life for what they believe in. Lastly, if a government makes peace with terrorists, and the terrorists do not keep their end of the deal, then the government will appear weak and defeated, while the terrorist will appear victorious. These are the reasons for which governments should not attempt to make peace with terrorists. They should try to end terrorism instead of making a truce with it. A perfect example of why governments should not seek peace from terrorists is an incident the U. S. government had in Fallujah. U. S. Marines attempted to compromise with jihadists in Fallujah after being pressured by European officials and human rights groups. The U. S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said they wanted peace instead of war in Fallujah, but the jihadists misunderstood and considered the compromise a victory over the Americans. (Rubin 19-20) As a result, the misunderstanding led to 30 car bombings. Not only did the U. S. appear weak because of this failed compromise; it also encouraged the jihadists to carry on with their terrorist acts because the jihadists believed they defeated them, and that they were capable of defeating them again. Truces with terrorists are very tricky and unpredictable, and should always be avoided because an unfavorable outcome can be catastrophic and can lead to more violence. Just as truces with terrorists can be very tricky, negotiating with terrorist kidnappers and hostage-takers can be very tricky as well. Recently terrorists use these tactics to create an audience full of suspense. These tactics now create more attention than massacres and bombings because people are getting more accustomed to them as they happen. (Rubin 22) Kidnappings/hostage takings are becoming more and more popular and sadly, governments have been making it even more popular by making it profitable. They make it profitable by negotiating and paying ransoms to terrorists because negotiating with kidnappers legitimizes their act and as a result further proliferates terrorism. It has spread terrorism because the terrorists have learned that kidnapping/hostage-taking has become very profitable. (Rubin 23) In March 2000, Muammar al-Qadhafi, a Libyan leader, paid Abu Sayyaf, a hostage-taker based in the Philippines, a $25 million ransom for the release of priests, teachers, and children he had kidnaped from a school. (Rubin 23) After receiving the money, Abu Sayyaf expanded his terrorist group from a couple hundred to more than a thousand members and bought speedboats and weapons, which were used for other kidnappings. By paying the terrorist such a large ransom to keep the captives from getting harmed, Muammar al-Qadhafi funded future kidnappings, putting more people in danger. The paying of the ransom also made kidnapping productive for Sayyaf, because they technically rewarded him for terrorism, encouraging him to carry out more terrorist acts because he will get money or other concession out of them. The same case occurred in Sahel. The â€Å"Bin Laden of the Desert†, Ammari Saifi, took 32 European vacationers in the Algerian desert, and held them hostage for 177 days. The German government paid a five million euro ransom and they were released, but Ammari Saifi used the money to buy weapons and vehicles. (Rubin 24) The German government funded future kidnappings similar to how the Libyan leader did. It is a pattern: terrorists kidnap citizens; they ask for reward in return for the hostages; and then they use the ransom they get paid to repeat this cycle more effectively (with new and more members, weapons and vehicles). Governments should not keep rewarding terrorists with million dollar ransoms because all they have been doing is perpetuating the cycle instead of ending it. Governments should use force to recover captives and avoid rewarding terrorists with ransoms. It is an actual U. S. government policy â€Å"to deny hostage takers the benefit of ransom, prisoner releases, policy changes, or other acts of concession. † (â€Å"Counter-Terrorism: History, Strategy and Tactics† Web) Western governments should also respond to kidnapping by thinking about the safety of the majority of their citizens instead of an individual. Even though it could end in injury or death of the captive, in the long term it prevents further kidnappings. (Rubin, 24) So governments should try their best to recover captives, but without the use of ransoms because in the long run, a short tragedy is better than the endangerment a larger amount of citizens. Governments should not appease with terrorists, they should use intelligence to take them down instead. â€Å"In a war between networks, the side with superior intelligence wins. † (Garreau 60) The more information and technology is obtained, the better the chances of defeating the terrorists are because more effective strategies can be put into action. Governments should use this knowledge to find the leader and how to target them. The leader of the group is key because the disruption or terrorist leaderships weaken terrorist organization and causes them to struggle and expose themselves. (Rubin, 27) This has been happening with Osama bin Laden and his terrorist organization: â€Å"The loss of bin Laden and these other key operatives puts the network on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse. † (â€Å"Country Reports on Terrorism 2011† Web) Be careful with this strategy: â€Å"Better the devil you know. Like [Libyan dictator][Moammar] Gaddafi, keep him alive, because you know him. Who knows what sort of clever mastermind might replace him. † (Garreau 60) Past concessions to terrorists have proven that government negotiations with them make terrorism productive; therefore governments should marginalize, isolate or eliminate the threat. Doing so would make terrorist acts unprofitable for those who carry them out. In order to avoid the further proliferation of terrorism, governments must take a firm stand against these foes and send a message of zero tolerance against terrorist acts. ? Works Cited â€Å"Chapter 1. Strategic Assessment. † U. S. Department of State. U. S. Department of State, 31 July 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. . â€Å"Counter-Terrorism: History, Strategy and Tactics. † Counter-Terrorism: History, Strategy and Tactics. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. . Downing, David. â€Å"Madrid Bombings. † The War on Terror. Mankato: Arcturus Publishing, 2008. 38-39. Print. Garreau, Joel. â€Å"Intelligence Gathering Is the Best Way to Reduce Terrorism. † At Issue. Are Efforts to Reduce Terrorism Succesful? Ed. Lauri S. Friedman. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2005. 57-63. Rubin, Michael and Suzanne Gershowitz. â€Å"Governments Should Never Negotiate with Terrorists. † At Issue. Should Governments Negotiate with Terrorists? Ed. Amanda Hiber. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2008. 15-29.