Media and Unrealistic Body Image Essay - 1053 Words

Rationale Today’s culture has placed women across the globe in a position where they are constantly flooded with idealistic images that depict what the media perceives as the â€Å"perfect body.† Quite often, young university-attending females, those who are involved in social identity formation, are exposed to numerous forms of media that fabricate various experiences relative to body image. In the past, researchers have surveyed women who are exposed to body-related standards using multiple forms of mass media as a unified entity, which has caused for limitations since each means -such as magazine advertisements- differs in relation to how a thin idealistic image is portrayed. In light of prior research, Harper and Tiggman established that†¦show more content†¦It will focus on two correlates of body dissatisfaction: social comparison and objectification theory. Literature Review Accompanying unrealistic images of women, the media spends billions of dollars yearly to advertise the various techniques that eliminate body discontents such as dieting pills and exercising machines, and exploits female magazine reader’s insecurities. Whether magazine advertisements aid in the gradual depletion of body image or fail to impact it at all will be the purpose of this investigation, supplemented by a literature review and organized by a theoretical framework, to support a firm analysis. Today’s culture has accredited women to focusing on their bodies as a strategy that sanctions them to determine how well others will treat them (Knoblock-Westerwick Crane, 2012). A meta-analysis conducted by Festinger and Botta, discussed social comparison theory which revolved around the paradigm that individuals made mental judgments in relation to their own qualities and compared them to others (image one below discusses the process of social comparison based on various factors). It was found that college-going females who were more appearance driven were more likely to suffer from body image dissatisfaction since they often compared themselves to those who were better off. Further studies indicated that students frequently conformed to such appearance related expectations to gain approval of peers (Ferreday, 2011)(Knoblock-Westerwick Show MoreRelatedNegative Influence on Women in the Media Melanic R. Salomes Article853 Words   |  3 PagesR. Salome , is about the womenà ¢â‚¬â„¢s misrepresentation of in media . Salome considers media as an important tool that affects American women in a negative way. Media has become of paramount interest in our lives, despite the fact that its negative influences on us are increasing at a rapid pace. Media promotes unrealistic and unattainable images that result in depression and dissatisfaction among people. Therefore, media reflects the image of society and the way people think about themselves. MoreoverRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Body Dissatisfaction Of Young Girls And Adolescents1214 Words   |  5 PagesThe media is an important aspect of the current society and is ever present to the public. With the creation of new technology, there are more and more ways the media can be received and displayed for people to see everywhere they go. There are so many media sights nowadays such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as new magazines, commercials and other media publications made every day that al low people to connect to current events and new trends. Although today’s media has the potentialRead MoreSocial Media Has a Negative Effect on Body Image and Self Esteem1202 Words   |  5 PagesSocial media has become one of the most popular sources of communication for the upcoming generation. For young people growing up in today’s society, social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have provided pictures and news that have become the first thing that their eyes see in the morning and the last thing that they see before bed. These pictures have provided unrealistic standards as to what is considered beautiful in today’s society. As young people refer to these images as aRead MoreAre You Beach Body Ready?1232 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Are you beach body ready?† This is a slogan of a controversial advertisement in the UK with a slender, yet curvy woman in a bikini. Even though this commercial is for promoting diet products, the focal unrealistic, idealized female body image in a bikini and her seductive eyes make the most women ashamed of their body images. Sweney reported, the advertisement was a controversial issue due to a reason of women’s sexual objectification and banned in the UK eventually. Even though the advertisementRead MoreTeenage Girls and Body Image Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagestheir lives. Mass Media is a key idea in one of the factors of socialization that become important to teenagers. Teenagers look to the media for a sense of entertainment. Whether it is movies, magazines, or even some aspects of social media, teenagers get a lot of influence from the media’s message. The problem with this is the media has a specific way of doing things and can be negative to a susceptible teenage girl. Media’s way of portraying a woman can be skewed and unrealistic way from what realityRead MoreThe Religion Of Thinness : An Spiritual Hungers Behind Women s Obsession With Eating Disor ders1452 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Michelle M. Lelwica author of The Religion of Thinness: Satisfying the Spiritual Hungers Behind Women’s Obsession with Food and Weight declared that ‘Thinness is worshipped in American culture. Unrealistic body images are promoted in the media and entertainment resulting in greater numbers of women and men who feel ‘too fat’ and suffer from eating disorders’† (Shell 1). Eating disorders are characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and bingeRead MoreThe Effects Of Beauty Standards On Body Image1090 Words   |  5 Pagesto the influence the media has on them. While cultural standards contribute to beauty standards, media carries most of the responsibility for swaying public opinion of attractiveness. In order to find an answer as to why certain beauty standards currently exist, one must examine the root cause: media. Literature Reviewed First Group of Studies Media and Body Image. In order to prevent continued negative effects on body image by the media, it has been suggested that images that have been changedRead MoreMass Media s Influence On Society962 Words   |  4 PagesOver the years mass media has become more available and favored by society through avenues such as magazines, television, newspapers, print ads, internet, and including social media. According to U.S. Census Bureau (2007), individuals spend nearly a total of 3,518 hours of their time on mass media outlets. Mass media has become widely popular among individuals, in particularly young adults.73% of U.S adults aged 18–29, have been reported regularly visit at least one of these outlet, and 42% use moreRead MoreSocial Media And Its Impact On Society1224 Words   |  5 Pages Social media is a variety of platforms provided to the public as a medium for expression and communication. Seemingly, social media could be viewed as a positive contribution to society, but one must consider the underlying effects of society. Many of us don’t take into account the role that social media plays in the way we perceive things, think, and live our lives. Social media plays a critical part in societal norms. â€Å"Social norms are rules of conduct that governs interactions among individualsRead MoreMedia Negatively Affects Body Image1153 Words   |  5 PagesMedia negatively affects body image. medias are technology based platforms for opinions and facts, and have a wide spectrum of views. Body image must do with how one sees themselves and it can be either positive or negative. Across the board, the biggest platforms media has used to distort the image of the body are social media, TV, and magazines. Body images have been an ongoing controversial issue througho ut history, especially with women, but with men as well. As technology grows and furthers

Oedipus The King By Sophocles - 1598 Words

The events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, suggesting a connection between man s free will towards perfection in life or fate which the ancient Greeks believed that Gods had given to them. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Both the concepts of fate and free will are a poignant factor and they play an indispensable role in the Oedipus destruction. Oedipus was a victim of fate when he was predicted from birth to someday marry his mother and to murder his father. This prophecy as a warning by the oracle of Apollo, and it certainly will happen, no matter what he would do to avoid it. His past actions were determined by fate, but what he did in Thebes, it was decided by his own will. â€Å"Fate was the will of the gods, a reality that could not be opposed, ritually revealed by the oracle of Delphi who spoke for Apollo himself,† (Higgins, n.p). Right from the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus s actions led to the downfall by himself created. Oedipus can wait for the plague to end, but with his compassion, he does not want his people suffer anymore, thus he sends Creon to see the oracle. â€Å"†¦for Creon, Menoeceus’ son, my own wife s brother, to the Delphic shrine of Phoebus I have sent that he might ask what act or speech of mine should save the state† (Mays,). This action was initiated and resulted in a tragic outcome, for it is the words of the oracle that cause the revelation of fate. The birth of Oedipus wasShow MoreRelatedOedipus The King By Sophocles848 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus the King, written by Sophocles, follows the tragic story of a king named Oedipus who goes from an all-powerful ruler to a hopeless blind peasant. Oedipus the King was written as a play and performed in front of an audience. Sophocles shows in Oedipus the King that one cannot escape the fate of the gods. Throughout the play Oedipus struggles to find a solution and change all the troubles in his lif e. The play observes the story of Oedipus who defies the gods and through the journey experiencesRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King884 Words   |  4 PagesKing of Thebes, owner of a family tree that identically resembles Medusa on a bad hair day, and the inspiration for a psychologically-riveting complex, Oedipus, tragic hero of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, exposes troubling truths about the human condition and, acting as an exemplary precaution for the entirety of humanity, demonstrates how a self-destructive struggle between love, anger, and fate, conveyed through an unorthodox love affair between mother and son (Who gets custody in a divorce?),Read MoreSophocles Oedipus The King1714 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"ideal tragedy† is the play â€Å"Oedipus the King† written by Sophocles. In this play, Sophocles utilizes the concept of tragedy as well the theory of the importance of scenes of recognition and reversal to create a setting, tone, and mood througho ut the play. Oedipus, the mythical king of Thebes, goes through a horrendous tragedy which includes moments of recognition and reversal. These moments are key to the fame and appreciation for the play, â€Å"Oedipus the King†. Sophocles’ use of Aristotle’s conceptsRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles950 Words   |  4 PagesThe people throughout Oedipus’ life trues very hard to allow him to escape his fate of killing his father and then marrying his mother. In the epic poem Oedipus the King, Sophocles tells the story of the tragic downfall of Oedipus. Although many people see the role of free will that brought upon Oedipus’ doom, no matter what choices were made throughout his life, his ultimate fate would always return. The choices made at the beginning of Oedipus’ life set him up to fulfill his prophecy. His parentsRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King992 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout tragedies in Greek literature, the hero always has one tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus’ main flaw is his overactive hubris, which in turn clouds his overall judgment. This is evident in the Chorus’ first ode to the city of Thebes as they try to ask the Gods for the banishment of the plague. Their answer does not come from a deity, but from Oedipus himself as he enters the palace and says, â€Å"You have prayed; and you prayers shall be answered with help and release ifRead MoreOedipus the King by Sophocles1393 Words   |  6 Pages Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate. There has been a great dealRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles904 Words   |  4 Pages In Sophocles play â€Å"Oedipus the King† a deadly plague has descended upon the kingdom of Thebes, and because of this plague a dark and iniquitous secret begins to unravel itself only to reveal a web of events connecting Oedipus and others as the culprits behind all the havoc ensued. No one is the sole source responsible for the unfortunate events that befall Thebes, as well as the royal family; In fact, those who unknowingly paved the path of destruction were themselves trying to prevent it fromRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King Essay1960 Words   |  8 Pages This would have been excellent advice for the main character in Sophocles drama, Oedipus the King. However, the drama was written as a result of Sophocles life and the influence of the humanistic culture in which he lived. Throughout Sophocles life, he gained military knowledge as the son of a wealthy armor manufacturer and received an excellent Greek education with emphasis on Homeric poetry (textbook). Furthe rmore, Sophocles was very involved in politics and served as a treasurer, a generalRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King871 Words   |  4 PagesThe plays written by Sophocles, â€Å"Oedipus the King â€Å"and â€Å"Antigone† are bodies of work displayed the meaning of what Aristotle defined as a tragedy. â€Å"Oedipus the King† is a story of a king trying to avoid the fate of his life that has been prophesized before his birth. In â€Å"Antigone† is story of a girl who devoted to her family, and regardless of the orders made the king Creon. In these stories the archetypes and hamartia of Antigone and Oedipus play a major role in the story. In â€Å"Antigone† the characterRead MoreOedipus The King, By Sophocles1407 Words   |  6 PagesWhen we think about a tragic play or protagonist, most people would think Shakespeare for his common theme of his plays to end with a tragedy. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, tells the tale of the protagonist Oedipus. Throughout the play, Oedipus searched for his past to discover the reason why his kingdom is plagued with wilting crops and illnesses. In the end, he becomes a tragic protagonist after discovering his past was related to the previous king’s death. While the search progressed

Speech and New York Times free essay sample

The aim of this course is to develop effective skills in speech communication. The detent examines how to generate topics, organize ideas, master elements of audience psychology and practice techniques of speech presentation in the public forum. All elements of speech production and presentation are considered. Basic Skills/Prerequisites Fundamentals of Speech 100 or 102 for non-native speakers is a required course for all students except Allied Health majors. Before registering for SPOIL, students must have completed or be exempt from English and Reading remedial. Evaluation Requirements of Students All assignments are to be prepared to college and professional standards. Work should be checked for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Keep in mind neatness counts! Assignments should be submitted on standard size paper, typed and stapled. You are expected to complete all assignments when they are due. As a rule, I do not allow make-ups for presentations or assignments except in cases of extreme emergencies. Tutoring is available in the Learning Resource Center room SASS. Those seeking counseling and advisement may go to room SASS or call (212) 220-8140. Required Text and Readings The Art of Public Speaking, 1 lath edition by Stephen E. Lucas choose from new, used, rented or electronic versions. The New York Times will be one of your three sources for information. Test will cover information from the textbook and class lectures. When you are absent you are still responsible for the work missed. Refer to the class schedule or contact classmates. Course Student Learning Outcomes (students will be able to. ) I Measurements (means of assessment for student learning outcomes listed in first column) | 1. Repaper presentations for the listeners. Present presentations using effective livery techniques including extemporaneous speaking, standard language, and eye contact with the audiences. Prepare presentations that locate, evaluate, select, and incorporate different forms of experimentalists, including visual aids. Demonstrate acceptable ethical standards in research and presentation of materials. Research and organize material to support a thesis. Listen critically and respectfully to others speeches | 1. Major presentations. Major presentations. Presentations and outlines. Presentations, outlines, and mid-term. Presentations, outlines, and final exam. Class feedback exercises I General Education Learning Outcomes I Measurements (means of assessment for student learning outcomes listed in first column) I l. Communication Skills- students will be able to write, read ,listen and speak critically and effectively. Information ; Technology Literacy students will be able to collect, evaluate and interpret information and effectively use information technologies. Values- Students will be able to make informed choices based on an understanding of personal values, human diversity, multicultural awareness and social responsibility. 1. Presentation and outlines. Informative and Persuasive presentations and outlines; mid-term exam; final exam. Ethical persuasive presentations I College attendance policy At the Borough of Manhattan Community College, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour than the number of hours a class meets in one week.For example, you may be enrolled in a three hour class. In that class, you would be allowed 4 hour of absences (not 4 days). In the case of excessive absences, the instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WWW grade. Academic adjustments for students with disabilities Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Accessibility. BOMB is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.BOMB policy on plagiarism and academic integrity statement Plagiarism is the presentation of someone elses ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as ones own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors.The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on Bancs web site www. Bomb. CUNY. Dude For further information on integrity and behavior, please consult the college bulletin (also available online). Grading policy Introduction speeches (3) minutes Typed answered questions, attached bibliography, index cards pats Informative speeches (6) minutes [_] pats Preparation and speaking outline, bibliography mandatory 3 sources of information, one source must be the New York Times. Persuasive speeches (6) minutes pats Commemorative speeches (3) minutes [_] 1 Opts Midterm exam pats Quizzes (2 exams opts each)[_] Opts Final exam Opts Homework (5 assignments opts each) Opts Participation, attendance and lateness * No eating or drinking except bottled water * cell phones must be on silent mode No hats or coats except religious head-gear * No entering late while a speech is being delivered, no leaving early except in medical emergency. * You are expected to arrive on time. If you are more than 10 minutes late or leave more than 10 minutes early, you will be considered absent. Dents at all times. Absence and late reconsidering Dates / / Class Schedule Weekly Course introduction, review syllabus and the text. Buy index cards and remember all assignments must be typed. 1st assignment is to complete the Student Introduction Questionnaire. Refer to chapter 4 Giving your first speech Self Introduction and Career Development speeches 1/30-2/4 All answers must be typed and submitted before introduction speech. Speak extemporaneously using a set of notes on index cards as a speaking outline.

Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent Research Paper Example

Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent Paper KIN 2510 Career Goals and Internship Assignment While everyone else is screaming about the quarterback who just scrambled for a touchdown on fourth-and-seven, that guy at the end of your row may be pondering a different number a 3 percent agents fee on $20 million in guaranteed money, perhaps. . Money hungry, sneaky, dishonest, unscrupulous. These are words that some athletes would use to describe a sports agent that they’ve had bad dealings with. Even a casual football fan has seen the impact of that scramble in the run-up to the current season. This past summer, universities across the South found themselves embroiled in controversies regarding player agent relationships, and one coach Nick Saban, of national champion University of Alabama angrily compared some agents to pimps. A good agent can help a professional athlete attain financial and mental stability during and after his career. An incompetent or dishonest agent can ruin an athlete’s playing career and threaten his financial security for years afterward. I aspire to be a great sports agent in the field of football with hard work, hands-on experience, dedication, and perserverance. What exactly is a sports agent? A sports agent works to market an athlete or products that are related to that athlete to promote the athletes career within his or her given sport. This means that the sports agent is responsible for meeting with team owners, managers, coaches and other individuals to promote the athlete that they represent. Much of a sports agents day is spent networking, talking with other professionals in the sport and keeping abreast of current trends and information that may affect decisions that the agent recommends to the athlete. We will write a custom essay sample on Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why I Want to Be a Sports Agent specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In team and individual sports the agent works to negotiate contracts that are in the best interest of the athlete. This usually means getting a better salary, making provisions for injuries, or taking other options in lieu of salary increases. The sports agent makes recommendations to the athlete as to which option is best for him or her or which options are better over the long-term as opposed to just short-term benefits. A professional athlete can protect himself from the disreputable agents by carefully choosing an agent and working closely with him. In summary, a good agent does more than help a layer convert his athletic skills into financial security. He protects his client’s rights and, as New York Yankee executive Cedric Tallis said, â€Å"keeps the player in a frame of mind where he can perform best for himself and his team†. The education required to become a sports agent includes a four-year college degree in business or a related major. Most earn a degree in either sports administration (not every school offers it), business administration, finance/accounting or law. A bachelors degree is almost required, although a lot of people even stay a few more years and earn a masters degree. The future sports agent may then also follow that with a law degree. Attending school is usually not enough. Aspiring sports agents will also need to intern and again experience working with a sports agency. If nothing is available, a lot of aspiring agents work somewhere in sports until an agency position opens up. The agent must also understand the market his or her professional athlete plays for. You need to understand what other players of your clients caliber are making, keep a close tab on the market and form a strong relationship with the owner and (sometimes) coach of the team. Sports agents need to have excellent communication skills. They must sell a service, which in this case is a professional athlete. They must present outstanding sales skills like persuasion, persistence and dedication. Agents also need to form a tight bond with the athletes they work for. The career path for a sports agent isn’t as easy as it looks. You aren’t instantly a millionaire either. Almost all sports leagues require sports agents to be certified. For instance,  the NFL requires all sports agents to not only have a post graduate degree but a specific certification as well. Certifications can range from paying a small fee and taking a few courses to spending time and gaining experience within the specific league. Needless to say, networking during these 7 or so years of education is key. Since sports agents are high in numbers and generally low in demand, it is necessary to put yourself in position with the right location and with the right people who can get you in where you want to be. The next step in moving your way up the ladder would be to scout some potential or up and coming sports professionals who you can represent. Chances are, if you do et the opportunity to represent an athlete, it will not be a big time professional right off the bat. Which is normal, your reputation is what you make of it, so starting small and following through will ultimately help you in the long run. Your success with one athlete will eventually attract others, and from there your reputation will begin to flourish. After gaining the degree, certification, experience, a nd clientele, it will be some time before you can really prosper. Big time sports agents have often times branched out of their specialized sport industry and gained clientele in other sports leagues after some time. In doing so, sports agents have the ability to represent a larger amount of professionals, and gain experience in a various amount of sports leagues. But be careful, each sports league has different requirements for its sports agents, how they can conduct business and how much they can charge for their services. Getting to know your league, sport, and industry is key. There are several websites listing endless internships. Whether they be paid or not should not matter when starting off. Experience is key. There is an internship opportunity from a law firm looking for a sports intern. I think that that would be a wonderful opportunity because it’s working with a law firm and so you get earlier hands on experience in the legal department than just interning for a sports team. Also, the Oklahoma City Redhawks have a job opening for Vice President in sponsorship sales. This opportunity would not be something that I would be interested in because I know almost little to nothing about baseball and the field in which I’m interested in doesn’t have much to do with selling sponsorships. But nonetheless it is a great opportunity for someone who is interested in that particular area. One particular internship that caught my eye was with USA Football. In Indianapolis, not far from where I live, a membership services intern is needed. There is compensation, and also I believe that it is a great starting internship because of its description. The job duties consist of researching youth football leagues throughout the USA currently in the database, entering additional league information into the internal database, responding to member inquiries received through online help desk as needed, and entering member data for affiliated organizations. It seems like a great way to get hands on in the business world of football. Even though it is for youth football, it is still experience. Sports agency is definitely the area I am most interested in, particularly the football field. With a lot of dedication, perserverence, hands-on knowledge and experience, I believe that I have what it takes to dominate in this field. Internship Sources Internship 1- http://www. sportsagentblog. com/2010/11/03/sports-law-internship/ Internship 2- http://pclbaseball. teamworkonline. com/teamwork/r. cfm? i=35768 Internship 3- http://footballjobs. teamworkonline. com/teamwork/jobs/jobs. cfm/Internships? supcat=321#35320

ABC Marketing Plan Cultural Environment of China

Executive Summary This research paper explores and identifies business opportunities in existence in China for the ABC Limited Company. Being the largest holder of market share segment, ABC is positively skewed to reap the benefits from this expanding market in China.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ABC Marketing Plan: Cultural Environment of China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Detailed appraisal of language, social institutions, values and attitudes inclination of China clearly indicate that the company can easy enter into this expansive market and sustain growth in the same. This forms the basis for feasible investment position. With an already existing marketing structure in Australia, though currently dysfunctional, ABC should apply cauterization of marketing distribution channels within its wide established network alongside a strong financial arm in China in order to succeed. The challenges that ABC may face in the entry bid include limited political, cultural, social freedoms encircled in the communist administration of China. Besides, there are legal restrictions. However, the opportunities available outweigh the challenges. Putting into consideration of the external and internal dynamics, ABC should enter the China biscuits market in the next 16 months. Introduction Comprehensively, this paper seeks to establish a meticulous research and documentation of the results of the possibility of the ABC Limited establishing its China market in an attempt to expand its geographical quarter of operation. Besides, the essay will integrate the language, social institutions, values and attitudes and socio-cultural segmentation of the China market. In addition, legal and political influences are covered. Also, this paper attempts to present a detailed analysis of the action plan of the company, and its choice of penetration technique into the China market. Notwithstanding, the marketing need s of a detailed and workable blend that the company might employ to determine the suitability of China as a new market is also discussed. In a bid to establish an international investment opportunity, China displays a big potential with the several million citizens as ready consumers of biscuits product.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As projected by the United Nations, China market will grow by 30 percent in the next two decade. Thus, foreign companies such as ABC are in a strategy position to tap this market for its products (Adler 2008). Doing Business in China.  Social Institutions Political Requirements Conformity The essential political requirements of ABC Limited towards the entry planning and development phases are those that impact directly on the stability of the China culture. The communist system of China is in the forefront of promoting investor opportunitie s. The rate at which the economy of China is growing is incredibly rapid and this has led to the diversification of the economy. Notwithstanding, this diversification of the economy has led to the definition of the inter dependence of ‘sectoral’ components of the economy that translate to the realization of a restricted business operation (Zou Lui 2011). Besides, the finance departments operating in China, foreign trade plays a great role in the market operations. Further, this interaction has a direct impact on the economic currency value of the country. Consequently, this could be the reason why the China authorities insist on promoting the available opportunities for investors (especially foreign) in an outlook of luring them to invest into the economy. In the long run, this will make it easier of ABC Company to penetrate into China’s economy. Demographic Segmentation The penetration strategy should be that which causes minimum disturbances to the company bot h in terms of financial resource and the daily organizational activities of the company. Almost one fifth of the world population dwells in China. The geographically huge country has very advanced civilization system which has existed for almost three millennia. The strong patriarchal hierarchical structure of family unit in China has been around for more than two and a half millennia as recorder in the Confucianism philosophy. The population of China stands at 1.35 billion and is projected to grow at 2.5 percent per annum. Due to the large population momentum, the big population provides ready market for finished product as they form the consumer bracket (Zou Lui 2011).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ABC Marketing Plan: Cultural Environment of China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The two general ways of differentiating and segmenting the China market would be through using the basic consumer based market s egmentation procedures and the enterprises’ opinion of the same. For consumer based segmentation technique, the company will be involved in the evaluation of the different groups in the given market and their specific and respective consumption needs. To a great extent this particular criterion lays strategic regards to the issue of the consumer involvement in the designing of the product. This type of consumer segmentation will be further categorized into several other processes of consideration (Byrnes, 2006). Sustainability and Freedom of the Media The second broad area of focus would be the suitability of the political arena for business. This will include the evaluation of the country’s history and present status of the political environment and its influences on the business cycles of a region. Basically, stable and peaceful political environments create room for the healthy interactions of the trade activities while unstable political situations would mean the i nverse of that. It is for this reason that ABC Limited should cautiously invest in China. To begin with, the ideological orientation of the persons of that region in terms of awareness through the freedom of communication or otherwise forms of personal rights administration may influence the performance of different products in an economy (Zou Lui 2011). For instance, in a country that freedom of expression is allowed and is independent for that matter there is the possibility of the general public getting to hear detailed information on products. In China, the freedom of speech is exercised within the controlled boundaries that will still enable ABC to practice media advertisement in these boundaries.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, under the political environment is the government’s involvement in business activities of a country. The extent to which the government is seen to intervene in the economic environments could deter the development capacities of the businesses involved (Adler 2008). As a matter of fact, if this involvement is without the constitutional boundaries, the government may seek to entirely extort foreign investors to its own gain. This could be through unfair hiking of tax rates, unreasonable maximum price controls and the rights issues of the office bearers. All of the above are certainly going to impact negatively on the urge to economically associate with a given country. In this case study, at present, China being a democratic country does not depict any of the above economic vices. This could be a substantial reason as to why ABC Limited would invest in this country (Zhan Zhan 2012). In this meticulous case, the investors at hand have established that the China government is supportive in the development of not only its own economy but also that of the foreign investors. Thus, ABC would have to exercise restraint in its interaction within the administration and available market (Zhu Wan 2012). Values, Attitude and Language The laws and regulations set of elements such a trade restrictions could be a turn off to potential investors in they are unreasonably high of stressful. In a way, no one will ever want to venture into an economy whose host country has rigid rules and regulations (Xiaowen 2001). Also if the legal requirements of putting up a business structure are excessively many and unrealizable, it becomes economical to let go. In marketing, this situation is best defines a scenario in which a potential opportunity translates into a challenge. China has a reputation of setting moderate legal expectations of a business which would other are a repellant to investors. Less legal hurdles are to be experienced by the marketer at hand (Travis 2007). For the social dimension of the evaluation of the China market for the biscuits products of ABC Limited, it is necessary for the company to tailor its products to suit the acceptable cultural norms. This way, it is necessary for the marketer who is carrying out the research to evaluate the literacy levels of the China people (Song 2012). This will include the evaluation of the China education system and levels. Most importantly is to link the findings to the target market of ABC Limited’s products. By doing this, the marketer will establish the level of awareness of the people of China and especially now that the products at stake deal with agricultural technological advancement (Pang Lui 2011). Several questions may pop up during this feasibility study. Comprehensively, it would be necessary to establish how conversant the people of China are to technological advancements constantly changing a cross the global arena. Research has it that China though very populous, have a high percentage of the literate in its population (Byrnes, 2006). China has a high number of literate young who would be consuming the products of ABC Limited. The company could take this up as a business opportunity. The languages used in this country are basically the Chinese and English. The fact that the participants of the trade activity from either country share a common language, that is, English will facilitate the entry of ABC Limited. The access to the market (exchange negotiations or otherwise) could be a factor that would influence the pattern of trade in the biscuit industry (Stuart 2008). China has improved infrastructure systems in transportation and communication. This has played a major role in the improvement of delivery of social utilities. Moreover, the documentation of import regulations has made it clear that they are binding and any ambiguities are excluded from the equation (Roberts 2005). The provision of patent and trademark rights in China has helped elimi nate the chances of fraudulent attempts on a company’s product to ensure that the company is not disadvantaged. ABC Limited could take up this as an assurance of the protection to be offered to their products against illegal dealers though the registration process is very expensive in time and cost (Adler 2008). Findings China is a large market share that may trigger profitability. The sale of the products offered by ABC Limited will increase as a result of the acquisition of a new market from schools, colleges, hospitals to government corporations in China. They may choose to develop a franchise negotiation with ABC Limited. Since these products are not high perishable, storage arrangements can be deliberated on by both parties. Similarly, due to the expansion and development of the market share, there might be other potential buyers who may seek to make their material purchases through the company directly. The mode of selling the biscuits products could be designed to suit the China conservative culture (Deer Song 2012). In addition, recent research on economic projection confirms that China has a stable exchange rate on the balance of payments echelon. Consequently, ABC stands to gain in China as profits made in the host country are repatriated in mother country (World Bank 2007). Recommendations As the China government seeks to re-invent the economy and restore investors’ confidence, China market currently enjoys a relatively peaceful and economically stable business environment. Factually, the China nation seems to be embracing the spirit of globalization and economic liberalization with an upbeat positive mood of better focused economic growth accompanied by development. Thus, it is recommended that ABC should maximize the available opportunity to establish a structurally feasible marketing program as it has the advantage of knowledge on the China market segmentation and demand trends (Ambler 2000). In line with periodic marketing analysi s, the entry should be fast tracked within a period of not more than 18 months For various reasons, the provision of these products would be best done by sales persons of China native. This will increase the chances of credibility and ease on the interpersonal variables during product promotion and provision. The company can hire China sales persons and orient them on the product’s features and production processes and later send them as representative of ABC Limited in China. At this stage, it would be necessary to encourage and facilitate the company-agent relationship which has been found to go a long way in the creation of a healthy trade environment (Bucknall 2000). The products of ABC need to be integrated into the achievement of various organizational goals through the distribution processes to ensure that the products reach all designated customers. Correspondingly, ABC organization may seek to offer different packages and sizes for its products and other associated s ervices so that those customers, who buy in relatively smaller quantities but in bulk, are integrated in the marketing plan (Czinkota, Ronkainen, Moffett, Ang, Shanker, Ahmad, Lok 2009). Besides, the plan will offer a variety of different distributions channels that will be vital in the attraction of new customers. Conclusion Conclusively, the location of China is suitable for establishing market networks for ABC products. The availability of the market for ABC Company in the populous China market is a positive factor to be integrated in the marketing plan. A rational investor would seize this as an investment opportunity. Moreover, the currency’s stability and its minimal fluctuations would auger well with the business profit making objective. Thus, this country is a potential region for investment due to its economic stability, ready market, and the untapped market. References Adler, N. (2008). International dimensions of organizational behavior. Mason: Thomson South-Weste rn. Ambler, T. (2000). Doing Business in China, Economic Policy Journal, 11(3), 25-41 Bucknall, K. (2000). Cultural guide to doing business in China. London: Butterworth- Heinemann. Byrnes, M. (2006). Australia and the Asia game: the politics of business and economics in Asia. New South Wales: Allen Unwin. Czinkota, M., Ronkainen, I., Moffett, M., Ang, S., Shanker, D., Ahmad, A., Lok, P. (2009). Fundamentals of International Business, Milton: John Wiley Sons. Deer, L., Song, L. (2012). China’s Approach to Rebalancing: A Conceptual and Policy Framework, China World Economy, 20(1), 1-26 Pang, C., Lui, J. (2011). Evidence on the Effects of Money Growth on Inflation with Regime Switching, China World Economy, 19(6), 19–36 Roberts, J. (2005). Defensive marketing: How a strong incumbent can protect its position. Harvard Business Review, 83 (11), 150-210. Song, Y. (2012). Poverty Reduction in China: The Contribution of Popularizing Primary Education. China World Econo my, 20(1), 105-122. Stuart, C. (2008). Enterprise Resource Planning Solutions for Growing Businesses. London: Palgrave Press. Travis, T. (2007). Doing Business Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Going Global. Hoboken: John Wesley and Sons. World Bank. (2007). Doing business 2008: comparing regulation in 178 economies. New York: World Bank Publications. Xiaowen, T. (2001). Managing international business in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University, Cambridge Zhan, J., Zhan, Y. (2012). Foreign Value-added in China’s Manufactured Exports: Implications for China’s Trade Imbalance. China World Economy, 20(1), 27-48. Zhu, C., Wan, G. (2012). Rising Inequality in China and the Move to a Balanced Economy. China World Economy, 20(1), 83-104 Zou, W., Lui, Y. (2011). Rural–urban Migration and Dynamics of Income Distribution in China: A Non–parametric Approach. China World Economy, 19(6), 37–55. This report on ABC Marketing Plan: Cultural Environment of China was written and submitted by user Amphibian to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value Essays

Measuring Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value Essays Measuring Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value Essay Measuring Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value Essay Measuring Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value In a competitory market place where concerns compete for clients, client satisfaction is seen as a cardinal discriminator and progressively has become a cardinal component of concern scheme.Customer satisfaction is an unsure and abstract construct. Customer satisfaction is a step of client outlook from the merchandises and services supplied by a companyThe province of satisfaction will change from individual to individual and product/service to product/service. In concern term I The province of client satisfaction depends on: Psychological variables which covers motive ( safety, love, self assurance, belongingness ) , Personality ( aggressive, unprompted, dogmatic, introvert ) , Perception ( low hazard, high hazard, quality, monetary value ) , Attitude ( positive, negative ) , Learning engagement. Psychographic variables- is a description of consumers on the footing of their behavioural features derived from psychological factors.It screens Activities ( avocations, holiday, shopping, athleticss ) , Interests ( manner, diversion, nutrient, media ) , Opinions ( social/political issues ) , Lifestyles etc.The degree of satisfaction can besides vary depending on other options the client may hold and other merchandises against which the client can compare the organisation s merchandises. Measuring Customer Satisfaction There are several ways to garner input from clients. The simplest manner to happen out how clients feel and what they want is to inquire them.Customer studies with standardised study inquiries insure that will roll up the same information from everyone. The client is asked to measure each statement and in term of their perceptual experience and outlook of public presentation of the organisation being measured.Focus groups are good ways to acquire informal input from a group of clients or chances. You bring in 5-10 clients or chances and inquire them inquiries or have them respond to stuff.Few of the possible dimensions for mensurating Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value are ; quality of service velocity of service pricing ailments or jobs trust in the employees of the company types of other services needed placement of the company in clients headsFor mensurating Customer Satisfaction Index at Maruti True Value inquiries from clients are asked in following countries: Sat isfaction degree Documentation Loan Availability Availability of theoretical account After gross revenues service ChargingHarmonizing to the undermentioned steps a set of questionnaires is develop to happen the client satisfaction index at Maruti True Value. Satisfaction degree: 1 ) Are you satisfied with the procedure of rating of your auto?2 ) What do you hold to state about the expertness of check-up squad?3 ) Did they follow proper check-list process? Documentation: 4 ) Are you satisfied with the certification providedI. Insurance record of vehicle?II. Registration certification of vehicle?III. Transfer missive from original buyerIV. Police record, if anyV. Accidents, if any5 ) What did you felt about the response clip? Loan Availability: 6 ) How will you rate reactivity of recognition section?7 ) Ease in availing loan in footings of paperss demanded?8 ) Transparency in regard of footings and conditions account? Handiness: 9 ) Did you got the theoretical account you were looking for?10 ) Are you satisfied with the status of vehicle?11 ) Did they provide you the specifications that you wanted? After gross revenues service: 12 ) How much are you satisfied with figure of free check-up services?13 ) Are you satisfied with their response clip? Charge: 14 ) Responsiveness in charging procedure on graduated table of 1 to 5.15 ) Transparency adopted in footings of proper and elaborate charge on graduated table of 1 to 5. Aid: 16 ) What do you state about attitude of employees?17 ) Expert aid in footings of certification.18 ) Aid in taking right theoretical account harmonizing to your budget.19 ) Aid provided in managing ailments From the Survey it is found that Maruti Udyog was ranked highest in client satisfaction because every True Value Maruti Car which is sold consists of following comfortss with it: gt ; gt ; 120-Quality Checks by Maruti Suzuki trained Engineers. gt ; gt ; Bonafides of the Seller are verified gt ; gt ; RTO documents are transferred in your name. gt ; gt ; All autos refurbished with Maruti Genuine Parts. gt ; gt ; Maruti Suzuki Warranty up to 1 twelvemonth gt ; gt ; 3 free services. gt ; gt ; Get a Warranty brochure and certification. gt ; gt ; Nationwide True Value web While buying Maruti Car, it satisfy both Psychological variables A ; Psychographic variables gt ; gt ; Provides auto of every scope, i.e. for every category. gt ; gt ; Offer trial thrusts gt ; gt ; Explaining the vehicle s characteristics. gt ; gt ; Available in assorted theoretical accounts A ; colourss. gt ; gt ; Minimum paper work. gt ; gt ; Make available the auto at their doorsill. gt ; gt ; Customers describe higher satisfaction because they are able to have their vehicles with no engagement clip gt ; gt ; Have its ain the zero tenseness auto insurance policy gt ; gt ; Easy finance installation through ICICI Car Loans, CITI Finance, etc.

Augustine's and Aquina's Justification of the exercise of social and Essay

Augustine's and Aquina's Justification of the exercise of social and political ruling - Essay Example Though the god has created both but they have different wills and desires (Book XII ). Thomas Aquinas was born in southern Italy in 1225. He was greatly influenced by Aristotle whom he called, the Philosopher. He began his main socio- political work, Summa theologie in 1266. Aquinas, though never contradictory to Augustine, presented a soft and optimistic view of human governance of its affairs. Clearly Influenced by Aristotle's philosophy Aquinas attempted recovery of Aristotle in the west. He has presented a milder and more optimistic theory which does not show intolerance of Augustine's stringent unworthiness of the worldly affairs. Aquinas did not find anything wrong with the Aristotle's humane, rational and ordered world. For him the interest of this world and the next can coexist and it is the duty of every individual to make best of the both these worlds. He respects Augustine's other world or heaven but do not find anything inappropriate in attaining this world's goods and achieving that world's bounties as and when time comes. He, however, emphasized that the meaningful existence in the former should lead to get entry in the latter. More than once the reader is forced to analyze Aquinas' effort stating forcefully as to why one should abandon the present living and think of divine and also his treatment to duty and philosophy as separate entities. Aquinas is highly inspired by Aristotle's famous maxim 'men is by nature a political animal' or Man is a social and political animal (4-6). The simple and comparative explanation clarifies Aquinas' thinking Animals are provided for their defense and food by the nature while man is not. Animals have thick and dense hairs to withstand harsh weather. Animals also have claws, long and sharp teeth to scare away or destroy their enemies. The food for survival is available in plenty for animals. Man lacks these facilities in him but is given power to reason to get these for his existence. But for that the man has to live in companionship with other fellow human. The communication and reason enable man to live in a society with others of his tribe. Augustine's neoplatinism does not believe in earthly politics. His duty is to please the divine and be a citizen of heavenly city. He stated that rules of such a society viz. prohibition and command are counterproductive since these increase desire to break the ru le and indulged in sinful deeds (City of God, XIII:6). Augustine elaborated that social structure or governance may be indispensable to the well being but not for preservation, of members of society, nevertheless, it was hardly a noble phenomenon or an appropriate object of devotion. According to Augustine the governance led to increase in selfish interest and blocked the vision to attain true and greater good e.g. salvation to the city of god. Aquinas favors governance that since a societal living is necessary for orderly existence there should be some management or governance of society. Augustine also contradicts Aquinas views on society of men and its collective efforts to own nature's free bounties or snatch these from animals by using his ability to reason and communicate. He prefers that it should be equally available to man and animal and whosoever gets it first should be allowed to have judiciously since that is divine law. Augustine's views show extreme disliking

Managing projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing projects - Essay Example It mainly depends upon three factors namely project goal, project milestone and project order and timeline. Now the basic principles of project management are stated below: - Be Clear: - The most essential aspect of a project is the clarity. It is the duty of the project manager, to ensure clarity in the project. The two basic elements of clarity are direction and focus. Direction is about making everyone to work towards the same objective and Focus is about ensuring every team member gets a clear idea about the scope of the project. Maintain a Positive Attitude: - It is important to maintain a positive attitude at the work place. In addition, there are several benefits for maintaining a positive attitude. For example, it improves the relationship with the stakeholders and also helps to deal with the project challenges. Communication: - Superior communication is probably the most important criteria towards the success of a project. It enhances the coordination among team members and also helps to inform the stakeholders about the happenings (project-management-skills, n.d.). Success Failure Criteria According to Standish CHAOS Report of 2004, there are some factors which are commonly found in a successful project. The factors are mainly user involvement, proper planning, clear statement of requirements, clear objectives and vision, smaller project milestones, and realistic expectations among others. Similarly there are some factors which force projects to fail. For example, errors pertaining to estimation and planning, implementation factor, and also human factor may lead to project failure. Hence, to let the team members know about the reasons behind the success and failure of a project, it is important to define success and failure criteria. In addition, it also helps to monitor a project. Benefits of Managing Projects There are several techniques by which a project can be managed (Lasa Information Systems Team, 2003). The benefits of some of the systems are presented below: - Project Management Technique Benefits PERT 1. This method is useful in controlling the cost (Mittal, 2006). 2. It uses graphical displays, which allow the team members to understand the project better. CPM 1. This method highlights the critical path and also emphasizes on the slack time. 2. It is mathematically simple (University of Illinois Springfield, n.d.). PRINCE 2 1. Greater control over the resources. 2. It helps to manage the risks associated with a project more effectively (Maserang, 2002). SECTION II Project Initiation Document A project initiation document is considered as the top level project planning document. Through the project initiation document, a company can gather all the information needed for a project to begin (Mindtools, n.d.). In order to portray the importance of project initiation document, a draft will be presented. To illustrate it with an example a health care project is considered. Project Goals – To examine Hepatitis  œ B of the entire population in a village. Scope – The project has the scope to reduce the number of

The immune response Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The immune response - Coursework Example The macrophages engulf the pathogen entering the body and with the help of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) combine with the receptors on the T Cells. The type of pathogen entering the body depends as to where it would be taken by the antigen presenting cells. If it belongs to the group of viruses it would be presented to the CD-8 positive cytotoxic cell whereas if it is a microbe it would be presented to the CD-4 positive helper cells. The T Cells also have to be activated with the help of the lymphokines which are released by both the macrophages and t helper cells. The helper T cells produce lymphokines which further activate the inactive t helper cells and convert them to memory t cells which would be helpful in interacting with the pathogen on the second response. These lymphokines also help to enhance the MHC proteins on the antigen presenting cells and convert the immunological response into a broad spectrum of events. It is then that the T cells function by either d elaying the reactions of hypersensitivity or by killing the infected cells of the body (Hall & Guyton 2011; Levinson 2008). B Cell Response B cells constitute an important part of the humoral immunity by secreting antibodies against the antigens. The response of B cells to antigen is kind of different as the b cells themselves do not act upon the antigens. The B cells react by forming a complex with the antigens. They form similar B cells which are then converted into plasma cells. These plasma cells produce antibodies which can then act upon the antigens. These B cells also produce memory cells like the T cells which can act like quickly upon second exposure to the antigen. These antibodies can then perform different functions and deactivate the pathogens. Agglutination is one function of the antibodies through which they can destroy the pathogen (Ganong 2005; Levinson 2008). Passive Immunity Passive immunity is the type of resistance which one forms through antibodies which are pr eformed in another host. These antibodies are administered for certain types of bacteria and viruses. In some cases it is seen that passive immunity is also transferred naturally through fetus to the child and through breast feeding to the child. The advantage of passive immunity is that it helps to administer antibodies promptly whenever required, however the effects of antibodies are only limited and may last for a certain time (Levinson 2008; Kumar et al 2005). Active Immunity Active immunity is the type of resistance produced after contact with foreign antigens. This involves the usage of vaccines in the human body which allows exposure to a dead organism. This dead organism then helps to produce antibodies against the organism. In this case the immune system responds with a wide production of white blood cells and thus it is more helpful in preventing diseases. As the memory cells are formed in this type of immunity it is helpful in long term to prevent diseases. One disadvanta ge of active immunity is that the onset of the immunity is slow as compared to the passive immunity. It is because of this reason that in certain cases Passive-active immunity is preferred in which both the antibodies and vaccines are injected (Guyton & Hall 2011; Levinson 2008). Primary and Secondary Response Human body encounters the foreign antigens through different mechanisms. When a foreign antigen first enters the body the immune response is quite slow. The

The relationship between board diversity and firm performance

The relationship between board diversity and firm performance The Research Questions In the course of their research on the Demographic Diversity in the Boardroom, Miller and Triana sought to answers the questions bothering on the relationship between board diversity and firm performance using mediating variables reputation and innovation and how board diversity impact firm performance using mediating variables of innovation and reputation. Theoretical Framework Underpinning the Study There are two theories underpinning the study and these are: the Behavioural Theory and the Signaling Theory (Miller and Triana 2009). The behavioural theory as proposed by Cyert and March (cited in Miller and Triana, 2009) suggests that there is a direct correlation between the availability and use of information in a decision-making process and innovation in a groups decision. In other words, the more the information available, the better the decision making process will be which leads to creativity. Arthurs, Busenitz, Hoskisson and Johnson (2008) view signaling as a way of bringing to notice the innate worth or value of a firm and that any signal must be noticeable and hard to emulate or replicate. The Signaling Theory posits that firms use visible signals to gain reputation and status among the public (Miller and Triana 2009: 756). Methodology In testing their hypotheses, Miller and Triana presented three sets of variables: independent variables, dependent variables and control variables. The independent variables which were board diversity, innovation and firm reputation were investigated using Blaus index (1977) of heterogeneity, Research and development expenses as proxies and 2004 Fortune Corporate Reputation Survey accordingly. The dependent variable; Firm Performance was measured using and Return on investment and Return on sales and finally, Control variables which as key components were vital to the research and they were firm age, liquidity, size, product and international diversification. The research explored the empirical link between these variables and four hundred and thirty two Fortune 500 firms which were selected in investigating innovation as mediating factor between board diversity and firm performance and also three hundred and twenty six Fortune 1000 firms which were selected to investigate reputation as mediating factor between board diversity and firm performance. The result from the test of the various hypotheses was then analysed using the Least Squares (OLS) Regression (pg 768). The methods of research were disputable and therefore open to further research due to two noticeable reasons. First, the inconsistency and ambiguity in the selected year of assessment. The research explored the empirical linkage of board diversity, reputation, innovation, and performance (pg 765) but did not specify a year or period of assessment for which they gathered their data. Example, sample of firms selected were for year 2003, measurement of board diversity was for year 2002, measurement of innovation using research and development expenses were for year 2003, measurement of reputation were for 2003 and finally firm performance is measured in 2005, lagged two years to allow time for mediating effects of reputation and innovation to occur (pg 767). The effect of this inconsistency is that it would be difficult to know the accuracy of result arrived at. Rather it would have been a lot of easier if the various data gathered were being assessed for a period of time e.g. data betw een years 2002 and 2005 to ensure uniformity in the assessment. Secondly the sample of Fortune 500 firms chosen were because these firms represent leaders in their industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.had external reports listing the race of board members as a way of validating data (pg 765) but no mention was made on a report of gender of board members. Result The answer to question bothering on the relationship between board diversity and firm performance using mediating variables reputation and innovation was striking as the authors were of the opinion that increasing diversity on the board leads to more varied ideas, perspectives and networks (Miller and Triana 2009:764). In other words, in a multitude of opinions as a result of diversity, cogent and innovative ideas usually emanate. This view is supported by Hillman, Cannella and Harris (2001) where they reasoned that each director is unique and different and when all their skills and proficiencies are put together, various ideas spring forth which could enhance firms performance. However, Adams and Ferreira (2008:305) argue that the more dissimilar directors are, the more they could disagree and the more conflict there could be on the board which could eventually impede firms performance. The result for the question on how board diversity impact firm performance using mediating variables: innovation and reputation proved arguable as the authors posits having a gender and racially diverse board signals that the firm is well positioned to meet the needs of a diverse market (Miller and Triana 2009: 762) but from the test of their hypotheses, it was discovered that there was no correlation between gender diversity and reputation (pg 775). This could have been as a result of the method of research which could have led to a biased opinion. Dalton and Dalton (2010) observed that there has been a lot of criticism and reservation due to the presence and achievement of women on Fortune 500 boards. This shows that generally the opinion that women can hold positions of top management is still not been accepted by multitudes. However, Krishnan and Park (2004) argued that the presence of women as leaders is usually appreciated in an environment that calls for a lot public relations and that they are able to break grounds in an otherwise impossible situation due the emotional side of their personality which results in them working with a lot of passion. Conclusion The research was interesting as it provided the first empirical analysis of the correlation between boardroom diversity and firm performance using innovation and reputation as mediators. However, the research involved the use of secondary data i.e. data collected by someone else and most likely be subject to sample limitations (Anonymous 2008). This could infer that data collected were collated originally for a different purpose and therefore be biased. Also the research highlights that diversity using mediating factors innovation and reputation has benefits as Cox and Blake (1991:45) reasoned that a well managed, diverse workforce (board) holds potential competitive advantages for organizations but for it to be fruitful and effective, it comes with a price and firms have to be able to look at their structures and be guided in their cultural needs; either gender or racial and be able to discern between what is needful or unnecessary as Slater, Weigand and Zwirlein (2008) argued that achieving productive diversity is not easy and that diversity if not managed properly usually leads to a high level of turnover. Therefore, based on all the information gathered and analysis carried out, would it be ideal to say that board diversity positively impacts firm performance?

Racial Controversy Surrounding the Assassination of Martin Luther King,

The Racial Controversy Surrounding the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The impact of Martin Luther King, Jr. today is no doubt revered. He is commonly called the â€Å"Father of Civil Rights,† and is looked upon as a national icon, in an almost presidential-type light. His achievements have not only begat a national holiday for his birthday, but also helped lead to the creation of Black History Month. However, his accomplishments were not so regaled in his own time. In fact, most Caucasian Americans refused to even recognize any ban or barrier he and his cohorts attempted to change. African-Americans were just simply not respected by most whites in the 1950s and 1960s because they were considered â€Å"inferior.† This resonates with Baldwin’s opinions of whites’ refusals to accept that they may have made a mistake, and instead of taking responsibility for that mistake, they dump it on African-Americans and other races. A good example of this â€Å"dumping† of responsibilities occurred with the assass ination of King. It may be a possibility that the many different conspiracy theories that evolved after King’s assassination were created in a way to avoid Caucasians admitting that a single white person shot and killed the head of the Civil Rights Movement. Along with the many different conspiracy theories, there has been an uncovering of faults in the FBI’s investigation, some of which include not taking African-Americans’ eyewitness testimony seriously. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s first step into the world of civil rights occurred in Montgomery, Alabama, in December of 1951. After she refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating the city’s segregation ... ... Luther King, Jr.: Conspiracy Theory #4†. Infoplease. 8 Apr. 2004 . Frank, Gerold. An American Death: The True Story of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Greatest Manhunt of Our Time. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972. â€Å"King Report—Part 2†. U.S. Department of Justice. 8 Apr. 2004 . "Martin Luther King, Jr.". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 8 Apr. 2004. Library Gateway, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. . Ripley, Anthony. â€Å"Funeral Is Ignored by Whites But Some Atlanta Stores Close.† New York Times 9 Apr. 1968: 1-2. ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times. Library Gateway, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. 11 Apr. 2004 .

Acquiring a jewelry company

Nowadays, the trend in companies establishing strategic alliances has become more apparent as compared to the trend in 1980s and 1990s.Companies have viewed that diversity in the global market has been increasing rapidly and such formation of alliances may help them achieve a fast and a long-term profitable growth for their businesses.   The establishment of strategic alliances is a technique of expansion and diversification, accomplished through the strategic implementation of merger and of acquisition.Merger and acquisition are two different terms that are often interchanged because the purposes in determining these two strategic implementations are often very similar.   These two methods start with the acquisition strategy where a company attempts to find an appropriate company to merge with.Accordingly, a merger occurs as two companies agree to stand as a new single company where the original identity is maintained.   On the other hand, acquisition occurs as a company purch ases and takes over another company to venture into a new separate business.Most companies who decide to merge with or acquire another company have the goal of ensuring stability and growth of their businesses in the future.   However, every company also has distinctive goals that relate to their business.A company may decide to merge or acquire to save its collapsing business, to operate with reduced competition, or to diversify its services or products.   In the process of merging and acquiring, these goals of the companies are coupled with advantages and potential disadvantages as well.This paper aims to discuss the potential benefits that Zale Corporation will obtain as it pursues its plan of merging with or acquiring Blue Nile, Inc.   In addition, this paper aims to analyze each of the company by providing a company backgrounder and a comparative financial statement analysis, which includes liquidity analysis, activity analysis, profitability analysis, and capital structu re analysis.Furthermore, this paper aims to provide a company valuation of Blue Nile, Inc. as well as information on mergers and acquisitions that Zale Corporation need to consider prior to pursuing its plans.COMPANY BACKGROUNDERA. Zale CorporationZale Corporation is one of the largest specialty retailers of fine jewelry.   Morris Zale, Ben Lipshy, and William Zale founded the company in 1924.   It is now operating 2,203 retail locations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.   More so, Zale Corporation has established several different business units.   These include:Zales JewelersZales Jewelers, also known as the â€Å"Diamond Store,† is recognized nationally as an authority in fine jewels.   It has grown into an international jewelry corporation relying on its commitment to excellence as well as its strong traditions.   The focus of Zales Jewelers is to provide a range of choices for the majority of jewelry customers.   Apart from fine jewelry , it also offers brand-name watches, which provides customers a variety of merchandise at a scope of price points. Zales OutletThe stores of Zales Outlet are tied-up with the national marketing programs of Zales Jewelers.   Thus, it has gained recognition with customers.   It competes with well-known retailers; however, it tops the fine jewelers of the outlet market.   Zales Outlet offers a diversified range of merchandise including certified diamond engagement rings, colored gemstones, platinum jewelries, and Swiss watches from famous makers.   It has established a loyal customer base that specifically seeks for tremendous value of discontinued styles. Gordon’s JewelersThe target market of Gordon’s Jewelers is the upper moderate customers who seek a complete selection of diamonds and fine jewelry.   Gordon’s Jewelers has created an expert sales team that offers a rare combination of value, service, and quality to its customers.   Its marketing strategy includes direct mail and newspaper inserts and regional television features.   The stores of Gordon’s Jewelers are designed in an appealing environment with friendly sales staff. Peoples JewelersPeoples Jewelers is the largest national jewelry retailer in Canada.   Its focus is to provide a varied selection of fine jewelry and brand-name watches at affordable prices.   Peoples Jewelers has developed its exclusive 100-facet Peoples Canadian Diamond Collection, which is mined, cut, and polished in the Northwest Territories.   It ensures its customers that the hottest trends in jewelries including titanium, stainless steel, gemstones in all colors, gold fashions, circle pendants, and cultured pearls are offered in its stores.Mappins JewelersMappins Jewelers also caters to customers in Canada who seek classic fine jewelry and watches.   Mappins offers a varied range of merchandise from engagement rings to modern and contemporary jewelry.   The marketing programs of Mappins establish strong commitment to excellence as well as strong traditions.   Its television campaigns aim to carry out gift-giving programs while its direct mail campaigns aim to provi de special values and strong communication with customers.Piercing PagodaPiercing Pagoda started from a single retail location to chains of kiosks.   It is the largest specialty kiosk retailer of extensive selection of gold charms, rings, body jewelry, bracelets, earrings, chains.   It also offers stainless and silver jewelry.Piercing Pagoda was acquired by Zale Corporation in 2000 to broader the range of customers specifically in the younger customer category.Zale Corporation believes that this market appreciates quality jewelry at level price points.   In return, the acquisition of Piercing Pagoda has opened the opportunity to capitalize on the resources of Zale Corporation and modernize the look of Piercing Pagoda in order to provide its customers with more desirable products.ZLC DirectZLC Direct is the online base of the brands of Zale Corporation, which provides e-commerce web stores for both Zales and Gordon’s Jewelers.   It provides direct access to customers w ho prefer to purchase quality merchandise on the Internet.   The quality and service found in the stores of Zale Corporation is also exhibited in the sites of ZLC Direct as it also offers value, excitement, and convenience for online shoppers of today.Zale Corporation has established its mission of being the best fine jewelry retailer in North America.   Its goal is to innovate and market unique jewelry assortments as well as to offer superior customer experience.   Zale Corporation is committed to establishing strong and lasting relationships with its customers and at the same time build value for its shareholders.   It assures its talented workforce of continues success through trainings and rewards as well as permanency of jobs.

Byzantine-Seljuk Wars and the Battle of Manzikert

Byzantine-Seljuk Wars and the Battle of Manzikert The Battle of Manzikert was fought on August 26, 1071, during the Byzantine-Seljuk Wars (1048-1308). Ascending to the throne in 1068, Romanos IV Diogenes worked to restore a decaying military situation on the Byzantine Empires eastern borders. Passing needed reforms, he directed Manuel Comnenus to lead a campaign against the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Seljuk Turks with the goal of regaining lost territory. While this initially proved successful, it ended in disaster when Manuel was defeated and captured. Despite this failure, Romanos was able to conclude a peace treaty with Seljuk leader Alp Arslan in 1069. This was largely due to Arslans need for peace on his northern border so that he could campaign against the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. Romanos Plan In February 1071, Romanos sent envoys to Arslan with a request to renew the peace treaty of 1069. Agreeing, Arslan began moving his army into Fatimid Syria to besiege  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Aleppo. Part of an elaborate scheme, Romanos had hoped that the treaty renewal would lead Arslan away from the area allowing him to launch a campaign against the Seljuks in Armenia. Believing that the plan was working, Romanos assembled an army numbering between 40,000-70,000 outside Constantinople in March. This force included veteran Byzantine troops as well as Normans, Franks, Pechenegs, Armenians,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Bulgarians, and variety of other mercenaries. The Campaign Begins Moving east, Romanos army continued to grow but was plagued by the questionable loyalties of its officer corps including the co-regent, Andronikos Doukas. A rival of Romanos, Doukas was a key member of the powerful Doukid faction in Constantinople. Arriving at Theodosiopoulis in July, Romanos received reports that Arslan had abandoned the siege of Aleppo and was retreating east towards the Euphrates River. Though some of his commanders wished to halt and await Arslans approach, Romanos pressed on towards Manzikert. Believing that the enemy would approach from the south, Romanos split his army and directed Joseph Tarchaneiotes to take one wing in that direction to block the road from Khilat. Arriving at Manzikert, Romanos overwhelmed the Seljuk garrison and secured the town on August 23. Byzantine intelligence had been correct in reporting that Arslan had abandoned the siege of Aleppo but failed in noting his next destination. Eager to deal with the Byzantine incursion, Arslan moved north into Armenia. In the course of the march, his army shrank as the region offered little plunder. The Armies Clash Reaching Armenia in late August, Arslan began maneuvering towards the Byzantines. Spotting a large Seljuk force advancing from the south, Tarchaneiotes elected to retreat west and failed to inform Romanos of his actions. Unaware that nearly half his army had departed the area, Romanos located Arslans army on August 24 when Byzantine troops under Nicephorus Bryennius clashed with the Seljuks. While these troops successfully fell back, a cavalry force led by Basilakes was crushed. Arriving on the field, Arslan dispatched a peace offer which was quickly rejected by the Byzantines. On August 26, Romanos deployed his army for battle with himself commanding the center, Bryennius leading the left, and Theodore Alyates directing the right. The Byzantine reserves were placed to the rear under the leadership of Andronikos Doukas. Arslan, commanding from a nearby hill, directed his army to form a crescent moon-shaped line. Commencing a slow advance, the Byzantine flanks were struck by arrows from the wings of the Seljuk formation. As the Byzantines advanced, the center of the Seljuk line fell back with the flanks conducting hit and run attacks on Romanos men. Disaster for Romanos Though capturing the Seljuk camp late in the day, Romanos had failed to bring Arslans army to battle. As dusk neared, he ordered a withdrawal back towards their camp. Turning, the Byzantine army fell into confusion as the right wing failed to obey the order to fall back. As gaps in Romanos line began to open, he was betrayed by Doukas who led the reserve off the field rather than forward to cover the armys retreat. Sensing an opportunity, Arslan began a series of heavy assaults on the Byzantine flanks and shattered Alyates wing. As the battle turned into a rout, Nicephorus Bryennius was able to lead his force to safety. Quickly surrounded, Romanos and the Byzantine center were unable to break out. Aided by the Varangian Guard, Romanos continued the fight until falling wounded. Captured, he was taken to Arslan who placed a boot on his throat and forced him to kiss the ground. With the Byzantine army shattered and in retreat, Arslan kept the defeated emperor as his guest for a week before allowing him to return to Constantinople. Aftermath While Seljuk losses at Manzikert are not known, recent scholarship estimates that the Byzantines lost around 8,000 killed. In the wake of the defeat, Arslan negotiated a peace with Romanos before permitting him to depart. This saw the transfer of Antioch, Edessa, Hierapolis, and Manzikert to the Seljuks as well as the initial payment of 1.5 million gold pieces and 360,000 gold pieces annually as a ransom for Romanos. Reaching the capital, Romanos found himself unable to rule and was deposed later that year after being defeated by the Doukas family. Blinded, he was exiled to Proti the following year. The defeat at Manzikert unleashed nearly a decade of internal strife which weakened the Byzantine Empire and saw the Seljuks make gains on the eastern border.

Is Small Healthy essays

Is Small Healthy essays Is small healthy? Or did Seckler quite early in his research? Both of these questions arose to me after reading the two articles: Malnutrition: An Intellectual Odyssey by David Seckler and Small but Healthy by Gretel H Pelto and Pertti J. Pelto. In the next couple of pages I hope to compare and contrast these two articles by examining both hypothesis by each. Then, Im going to give my opinion on the subject. To start out I would like to briefly explain Secklers hypothesis. He gives the Idea, which goes against nutritionists assumption about malnutrition, that people who are short in stature do to mild to moderate malnutrition are in fact healthy and well adapted to the amount of nutrition he or she receives. Seckler believes that In childhood children adapts to the low intake of nutrients by slowing down the rate of growth and by reducing growth he states that the body doesnt need the amount of nutrients considered to be properly nourished stated by nutritionists. According to Seckler small but healthy individuals make up 80 to 90% of the population of developing countries who live in areas of food scarcity. If Seckler is correct then international food and nutrition programs can be redirected to a much smaller amount of people who suffer from serious malnutrition. The food aid budgets could by reduced by an exceptional amount because these small but healthy people are actually healthy and are not in need. Thus, giving relief to humanitarians who thought that hundreds of millions of people were suffering from malnutrition are actually healthy. This brings me to the explanation of why the article Small but Healthy by Pelto and Pelto was written. After Seckler wrote the malnutrition article a lot of arguments were raised against Secklers article Pelto and Pelto wrote that Seckler failed to extensively define what ...

Black Holes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Black Holes - Research Paper Example The fundamental question is how do black holes come into existence? Stars go through phases in their life cycle where they convert a healthy supply of hydrogen into helium through a process known as nuclear fusion. This is possible due to the high pressure and temperature that occur in the core of the star. At the end of a star’s life, it begins converting helium into other denser elements. Depending on the size of the star will depend whether a black hole will form. Black holes occur usually with massive stars. What happens is that the star begins to collapse on it, pushing toward a single point on the space-time continuum. Eventually, the star collapses in on itself at a singular point in space, which creates a quantum singularity, or black hole. At this point, the gravity is so immense that nothing can escape the pull of gravity, not even light, which moves at 3.0 x 109 m/s (Ferguson 6-8). The mechanics of a black hole can be simply put into the metaphor of a water drain th at sucks up water. The first important component of a black hole is understanding the limits and properties of a black hole. The first is the Schwarzschild radius, which is where the beginning of the black whole’s influence begins. ... The Principle of Cosmic Censorship describes this phenomenon in that because there is so much discrepancies between the laws of physics inside and outside the black hole, that scientists can ignore the laws of physics when studying inside the black hole (Wald 115). Even though the existence of black holes has been proven, it is hard for scientists to find the evidence to support the existence that these invisible entities exist. This is due the fact that they do not emit any type of energy on their own; the only way that scientists can study black holes is by watching them interact with other astrological phenomenon (hence why they were termed black holes). Thus scientists have had to develop new technologies in order to see the complex interactions that black holes have on celestial objects. One of the ways in which scientists can study black holes is how they interact with normal matter in space. The vacuum in interstellar space does not contain much normal matter, as it is mostly concentrated in the form of stars, solar systems, nebulas, etc. Due to the intense gravitational forces and the angular centripetal force, any matter that gets caught in the event horizon is suddenly accelerated through space. This friction and acceleration causes the temperature of the matter to rise exponentially due to speed and friction. As the matter spins around, it gives off different types of forms of radiation, which can then be picked up by scientific instruments. Sometimes, jets of accelerated energy will be emitted from the black hole, but the mechanics of how this occurs still is unknown to scientists. This shows that there is a black whole in the region interacting with objects (Wheeler 209-20). As stated previously, when matter is brought into

"Unethical conduct" during a negotiation Essay

"Unethical conduct" during a negotiation - Essay Example Lewis (1985) expresses the idea that it is difficult to determine which practices in business are ethical and which not. There is no definition which business practices are considered unethical. There is no common denominator as to what is unethical in business negotiations. Peoples views about ethical behaviour vary, depending on their culture, upbringing, age group, educational background and possibly even gender. Even though, there is no definition, it will be fair to admit that as long as participants are willing to approach each others arguments in an honest way and exchange information in a socially agreeable way without abusing their powers this is an ethical business negotiation (Lewis, 1985). Negotiating is indeed conveying the information in a way that persuades the counterpart (Lewicki and Robinson, 1998). Thus, the primal source for unethical conduct lies in the honesty of the exchanged information. In this train of thought, bluff, lies and deception all come as natural tools and negotiators use them to manipulate in order to turn the deal in their favour. Threatening can also be interpreted as an unethical practice and a way to demonstrate who has the upper hand. However, Lewicki et al (2001) suggest that power in negotations should not be viewed as coercive or absolute. Even though the power in negotiations is the capacity to influence and get the desired outcome, there should be a clear line between using power in interpersonal situations and that of applying it in business environment. According to Lewicki (1983), when negotiators decide to use lying, it is to gain power over the opponent by providing false information. Lying can take the form of bluffing or deception. Sometimes such practices can be considered as a strategy in the business game. Business ethics should not be confused with morals and ethics in the private life. By and large bluffing is morally right and is accepted in

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

Descartes - Essay Example There must be a proper procedure of metaphysical verification through which the mind can get certain of what it thinks and there must be strong emphasizing proofs for his. But later on refuting has own arguments to some extent, Rene argues that since he is certain about the fact that he is thinking about something, so he can conclude on this tautology that man is something which has the ability to think. Existence of God is one of the most important and centric circle of attention for the mediator. He builds the proofs for the existence of God by building an argument based in the human mind processes. He says that the human mind of packed with the idea of existence of God and if by any means this idea is created then it must be created by God himself. Humans are weak and don’t have powers to illusion the minds so impeccably so this lead to the fact that this idea of God’s existence is injected in the human minds by the God himself which depicts the existence of God. ... He argues to get rid of all the dogmas and really believe. In this paper, one out of six meditations will be summarized and discussed. Explanation In the sixth meditation, concerning the Existence of material things, and the real Distinction between Mind and Body, Rene tries to explore the hidden phenomena in the clear distinction of one’s self with external events and object along with the strong emphasis to prove that things outside self and God exists. While discussing the credibility of mind-body dualism, meditator argues that the human behind always feel the internal needs for something that are triggered by the external factor but this cannot be felt outside the body for example he says that he can feel heat, pressure, tickling and hunger within his body but he cannot feel these physical characteristics and happening outside his body. He asks a series of question and says why is human body self centric and why we cannot feel the physical variants of other people (Descart es and Stanley, 193). The main argument which is built by the meditator is that human body and body yare not interdependent and they can exists without each other for example he says that human body has a certain characteristic of extension which is inherent in it. The human body gets extended with the passage of time but the human mind is not extendable and remains of the same size this means that this basic characteristic of extension does not co-exist in the human mind and body so human mind and exist without body and work on its own. The meditator then argues that the human mind and body are dependent upon the physical objects and substances which do not only cause the triggering of internal demands of the human mind and body, they also play a colossal role to satisfy

Residential Housing Essay Example for Free

Residential Housing Essay KB Home, one of the major housing companies in the market made a statement telling the public that they do not see housing sector to stabilize by this year. Number of housing companies has been acquiring great losses by the end of 2005 as disposable income of consumers’ declines as the consequence of lowering down of per capita income in the economy. According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of KB Home, Jeffrey Mezger, they have suffered to a staggering loss of nearly $10 per share during the first quarter of 2007 (Steverman 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deutsche Bank’s economists, Peter Hopper, said that the housing correction works sluggishly just like a ‘slow-motion train wreck’ which made worse the housing sector of the economy. Moreover, the said loss of KB Home worse than what they have expected. Analysts expects around $7 loss per share which is very far from the $10 per share loss accounted last quarter. Therefore, with the further worsening of the stock prices in the stock market, this only means that there will be no improvement in the coming first quarter of 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To make the situation worse, there has been a rumor in the market regarding the bankruptcy of Countrywide which supplies loans and mortgages worth 2 million and 9 million respectively. Countrywide suffered from 25 percent losses as of January 8 of this year. Meaning, there would be a shortage on the supply of loan and mortgages in the financial market just in case Countrywide is really approaching to bankruptcy. Moreover, the shortage of supply of loans and mortgages in the economy will only worsen the purchasing power of the consumers, giving way for a further deterioration of demand to housing industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible reason behind the turmoil in the housing industry would be the oversupply of homes in the market creating a pressure for its prices to decline. By the time price level of housing units starts to decline, profitability of housing companies begins to deteriorate giving way for experiencing a low return on investment in the next quarter. Driven by speculation, investors will start to pull out their stocks in the housing sector causing stock prices to turn down. In this regard, the connection between the oversupply of housing unit in the market with the deterioration of stock prices is already established. Moreover, it is not only the oversupply of housing units in the market that caused the instability of the housing sector. The growing competition also adds up to the growth of the problem. At the end of the day, market analysts still believes that housing sector will not recover this year based from the current degree of losses that housing companies and financial institutions had experienced on the last quarter of 2007. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is true that the turmoil in the housing sector started during the last quarter of 2005 when consumers have high disposable income. During then, consumers spent more in the housing market attracting the housing companies to produce more house units next quarter. By the start of the first quarter of 2006, per capita income of consumers starts to decline giving them a limited disposable income for housing sector. At this point, the housing industry experienced oversupply of housing units since companies did not anticipate the deterioration of consumer’s disposable income. The said oversupply caused the price level of the housing companies to decline causing the return on investment to depreciate which later on forced stock holder to withdraw their stocks in the market. The increasing competition in the housing sector also add up to the lowering down of housing unit prices since companies in this industry starts to compete each other through price competition. Meaning, housing companies tries to lower down the prices of their home units in order to attract more customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The negative effects of eh oversupply of housing units will not be that severe if there is only adequate number of financial institutions that will provide loans and mortgages to uplift the purchasing power of the consumers, therefore, improving the demand on the housing industry. But the problem now would be, even financial lenders is also having a hard time providing loans and mortgages due to the low income level of consumers in the market which imposes the threat of bankruptcy   to the financial lenders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would be best if the government would start making action by offering low interest rate on credit. The federal bank must structuralize a special credit scheme for housing sector customers, e.g. low interest rate on borrowing or longer payment period, in order to solve the problem of over supply on the said industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way by which the government could solve this instability of housing sector would be to provide financial aids to Countrywide which, as what have already pointed out during the first part of the paper, plays a major role in uplifting the purchasing power of consumers though provision of loans and mortgages that can be used in purchasing housing units. The said government aid may be in the form of monetary of fiscal Moreover, the government could also increase the wage rate of the workers in the economy in order to improve the current level of disposable incomes of consumers in the market. By the time the disposable income of consumers increase, they will now have enough money to purchase housing units which will solve the problem regarding the oversupply of home units. Works Cited Steverman, Ben â€Å"Housing: A Fresh Jolt of Bad News.† 8 January 2008. Business Week. 11 February 2008 http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jan2008/pi2008018_503594.htm?chan=search.