Human Trafficking Essay Essay

Human trafficking is the fastest increasing criminal industry in today’s world, coming in second after illegal drug-trade. This type of slavery has been traced back to the ancient Mesopotamian and Mediterranean civilization and has continued to grow. What is human trafficking? Commonly referred to as â€Å"modern-day slavery† is the illegal trade of human beings for forced labor or for exploitation. Exploitation referring to the using others for prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, or the removal of organs. Woman and young children living in poverty are the ones who usually fall in the trap of the traffickers. Due to poverty many women are not educated and are not employed leaving them with no choice but to sell their bodies to provide for their families. An approximate of 17,500 foreigners are trafficked each year in the United States alone, the number of United States citizens trafficked within the United States are even higher. Human trafficking is a near-guaranteed death due HIV and AIDS women are infected with. Governments around the world are just beginning to address this problem and have realized just how strong this type of slavery has become. Poverty is the leading cause in human trafficking. It has been documented that poverty leads to a lack of education leading to no employment and that leading to sex trafficking by fighting poverty many believe that there will be an end to sex trafficking too. Women living in poverty countries will not be looking into sex driven businesses for employment. â€Å"Trafficking is inextricably linked to poverty. Wherever privation and economic hardship prevail, there will be those destitute and desperate enough to enter into the fraudulent employment schemes that are the most common intake systems in the world of trafficking.† (The United States Agency for International Development) In Kenya, It has been reported that parents have sent their daughters into town for prostitution because they were desperate for money to feed their families. More then 1,500 girls under the age of 18 and as young as 12 in Kenya have been reported to be working prostitution in bars. It is acknowledged that woman and girls who are trafficked to commercial sex are the ones who will most likely be infected with HIV/AIDS. The threat of the disease among the prostituted woman has not made sex trafficking and  prostitution less likely to occur, but has increased the numbers of younger girls being traded. Clients sense that these younger girls are â€Å"virgins† and are uninfected by the virus, making them more popular. BBC News reported South America and India are leading with the highest numbers of infected people with HIV/AIDS in the world. South Africa being the first, having 5.1 million living with the disease and India being second by having a rapid increase in numbers of infected woman due to sex trafficking. BBC News reported: â€Å"In big red light districts, such as Sonagachi in Calcutta, where at least 10,000 prostitutes make a living, some men continue to insist on sex without condoms.†, â€Å"The trafficked girls are forced to oblige. Many come from rural villages and do not know what Aids is before they are sold to pimps.†, â€Å"And as they are moved around the country they can unwittingly spread the disease.† The United States government is committed to fight against human trafficking at home and abroad. The Trafficking victims Protection Act was signed in the year 2000. Stated on humantrafficking.org this Act: â€Å"enhances pre-existing criminal penalties, affords new protections to trafficking victims and makes available certain benefits and serves to victims of severe forms of trafficking. It also establishes a Cabinet-level federal interagency task force and establishes a federal program to provide services to trafficking victims.† The U.S is also helping countries abroad by providing many anti-trafficking and development programs. Millions of dollars were provided to organizations all over the world to provide programs so human trafficking can be fought. The programs contribute on informing people the dangers of trafficking and strengthening the numbers of non-government organizations. Also stated on www.humantrafficking.org that: â€Å"The U.S. has assisted countries to enact anti-trafficking legislation, trained law enforcement officials, prosecutors, border guards and judicial officers on detecting, investigating, and prosecuting traffickers, and protecting victims and provided start-up equipment for new anti-trafficking police units.† The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act came out in 2003, dedicated to provide aid to approximately 20,000 victims that are trafficked into the U.S each year. President Bush had signed into law in early January the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. The United  Stated had started monitoring people who were being trafficked in 1994, and is continuing to do so until human trafficking is prosecuted. All in all, human trafficking is a serious crime that not many people are informed about. Young woman and children are forced into this sickening business everyday. Woman and children living in poverty do not know the meaning of human trafficking due to the lack of education. The highest percentage with people carrying the HIV/AIDS virus is for woman on this planet, many believing part of the percentage is because of human trafficking. Not many woman and children know the risks they are taking when they have no choice but to sell their bodies. Government all over the world should be providing information on human trafficking because no nation is immune from this crime Maria, a 15 year old girl, wanted to get a job and sell bread everyday at the street to increase her family’s little income. One day, A 35-year-old woman, Sofia, stopped by to visit Maria had a chat with her. Sofia and Maria became friends, and in 2004 Sofia recommended an offer to Maria. The offer was a promise to pay her a high salary that would permit her and her family fight poverty. Maria decided to take the offer however she did not inform her family that she was travelling. On the same day of the trip, Sofia made Maria drink something that made her feel really dizzy and unconscious. When she woke up, she found that both of them were in a cab arriving at a strange house in the capital. Inside this strange house, the taxi driver raped Maria. Shocked and broken, but feeling extremely defenseless to prevent what was happening, Maria was taken to a restaurant, where she was obliged to work as a waiter for a month .Sofia decided to be Maria’s mother and collected her i ncome, then moved her to a different restaurant in the town. There, Maria was again forced to work as a waiter and soon after that the servitude extended to sex with customers in a backroom. The cycle kept going on. This is an outrageous example of child labor. Another example of human trafficking is sex trafficking. In the movie Svetlana’s Journey, a young girl was abandoned by her mother. So, a family decided to adopt her when she was thirteen years old. Svetlana was very happy, but did not know that her adoptive family’s only concern was to advertise and sell her into the sex  trade. Svetlana was bought for 10,000 euro, trafficked away from her state, and ended up in Amsterdam where she got beaten and raped every day. She was deprived of all her dreams and ambitions as well as she lost her self esteem. She tried her best to escape many times, but never succeeded. After a period of six months of torture and suffering, she decided that there was no other way to free herself other than to commit suicide. She decided to jump from a window of the building she had been locked in; however, she survived the fall and was taken to a hospital. After that experience, she kept on trying to overcome the harrowing experiences of compulsory prostitution with the help of a non-governmental organization. These examples show that human trafficking is a serious issue that deprives humans, especially women and children, of their basic rights. Those victims of human trafficking are forced to work beyond their capability where their protests are unheard. In accordance with the meaning stated by the United Nations, human trafficking â€Å"involves the movement of people through violence, deception or coercion for the purpose of forced labor, servitude or slavery-like practices.† (Johnson, 2009) .Human Trafficking is a crime against human race that is happening worldwide. This crime involves an act of employing, transmitting, porting or receiving someone throughout a use of power and force for the purpose of exploiting them for commercial sex, debt bondage, or forced labor. Human trafficking is also described as slavery since traffickers utilize cruelty, intimidation, and other types of compulsion to oblige their victims to work against their spirit/strength and will. Every year, human trafficking deprives thousands of kids, teenagers, men and women of their human rights, standard lives, and freedom because they fall into the hands of traffickers, not only in their own countries but abroad too. Human trafficking is a $32 billion business; it is the world’s second biggest illegal trade after the drug trade. Victims of trafficking are forced to work with false promises of high pay and a superior life. Those victims work for little amount of income or no income and they are threatened with deportation, injury to family members, or imprisonment if they try to escape or report and inform their lives of servitude to law enforcement or other organizations. Because human trafficking is a process that forces people to conduct certain actions against their will, it should be universally prohibited in all its varieties. This paper will focus on  those three points: 1- Sex Trafficking 2- Child Labor 3- Children and human trafficking

Descartes’ Dualism

The concept of Dualism or the theory that there is a division between the mind and the body is not a novel one. It originated as early as the time of Plato and Aristotle. Rene Descartes’ concept of Dualism, otherwise known as Cartesian Dualism, is considered one of his greatest contributions in the history of philosophy. He was the first to argue that the mind is a non-material entity which is distinct and separate from the brain. He also identified the mind with concepts such as self-awareness and self-consciousness. It is widely regarded that the sharp division between the mind and the body is the most basic fact of our human existence. This essay will focus on Descartes’ concept of Dualism. The very foundations of his philosophy which led him to the theory of dualism will likewise be tackled. Concepts such as Cogito Ergo Sum will also be discussed since it serves as the foundation for Cartesian dualism. At the concluding part of this paper, I intend to state my position on Descartes’ Dualism Descartes’ Dualism In his work, Meditations, Descartes began his journey by clearing the mind of all the rubbish knowledge that had been handed down from generations to generations. He was aware that the ideas of his contemporaries were all shaped by biases and prejudices. He challenged himself to eliminate these prejudices so that he could arrive at the very foundations of knowledge. He also refused to accept the Aristotelian and Scholastic philosophy which had dominated the traditional philosophical thought throughout the Medieval Period. (â€Å"Rene Descartes†) He thought that if true knowledge is to be attained then we must start from the very foundation of our knowledge. He thus began his philosophy by doubting everything that he could not be certain. Descartes doubted everything around him. He doubted the existence of the physical universe and even his body. He thought that it is very much possible that he could be hallucinating about the existence of this physical world or his physical self. He even doubted his senses, to wit: â€Å"All that I have, up to this moment, accepted as possessed of the highest truth and certainty, I received either from or through the senses. I observed, however, that these sometimes misled us; and it is the part of prudence not to place absolute confidence in that by which we have even once been deceived. † He cautioned us not to trust everything that our senses tell us since they are deceiving. He even argued that there is a thin line that separates the walking state from the dreaming state – meaning, we cannot be actually certain whether as of the moment we are imagining or not. (Bryan Kidd) Descartes argued that on many occasions, he had actually thought that he was awake when in reality he was merely dreaming. It is possible, according to him that our whole life could be a dream. He also questioned the truths of logic and reason since it is possible that he could be deceived by a demon which has the power to make things appear to be logical. Despite all these skepticisms, Descartes argued that there is one thing that he could be certain of and that is he doubted. The mere fact that he was uncertain whether he is dreaming or awake manifests that he is in a state of doubt. If he doubted then this could only mean that he is thinking. Because he is thinking, then he is a thinking being. Thus â€Å"Cogito Ergo Sum† or â€Å"I think therefore I am. † This expression summarizes Descartes philosophy. Unlike his contemporaries who adopted the philosophical attitude of skepticism and began to doubt everything, Descartes believed that in reality it is not possible for us to doubt everything. But it is possible to arrive at true knowledge of certain things. Descartes proceeds to argue that he is sure that he has a mind that exists. Since he has a mind that thinks then it follows that the mind could exist separately from the body. He argues that he is sure that he has a mind but he still is not sure about the existence of his body since it is possible for him to be in a state of delusion still. It is possible for him to doubt that his body exists but it is not possible for him to doubt that his mind exists. He then concludes that he has a mind that is distinct from the body. He then proceeds to make a distinction between the mind and the body. The body is unconscious and is only an extension which takes up room in space while the mind which is conscious and does not take up room. The body is divisible and is subjected to the laws of physical science. The mind, on the other hand, is indivisible and is not subjected to the laws of physical science. We know that the body exists because we can perceive it. On the other hand, we know that the mind exists because of intuition. â€Å"The Argument for Mind/Body Dualism: Descartes†) Despite these differences, however, Descartes is assured after sufficient reflection that the body exists because God gave us sufficient senses of perception and the capacity to distinguish what is real from what is not. In Meditation VI, Descartes states that: â€Å" For there can be no doubt that God possesses the power of producing all the objects I am abl e distinctly to conceive, and I never considered anything impossible to him, unless when I experienced a contradiction in the attempt to conceive it aright. Further, the faculty of imagination which I possess, and of which I am conscious that I make use when I apply myself to the consideration of material things, is sufficient to persuade me of their existence. † The fundamental problem with dualism is how does the mind, which is non material and is not subjected to the laws of nature, interact with the body, which is material and is subjected to the laws of nature. It is a reality that the mind is able to influence and affect the body. The same is true with the body which can affect the mind. Descartes attempted this solve this problem in his letter to Elisabeth of Bohemia, Princess Palatine, he explained that there is an organ that links the mind from the body which is the pineal gland, a small gland in the center of the brain. With the help of this gland, the mind can control the body by sending signals to the body which enables it to walk, run or sit. Descartes emphasized however that the end goal of man is for reason to get control of the body. Since the body is associated with passions and feelings it is important for the mind to take control so that it will be able to behave rationally and rise above the needs of the body. Comments on Descartes’ Philosophy Descartes’ flirtation with the Mind and Body problem is a thorny issue which is full of complications. This is because scientific evidence itself is against this view. They consider that that the mind and the body are only one thing. From the scientists’ point of view, what Descartes’ called as the activities in the mind which is caused by non-material processes is actually caused by the neurological and chemical reactions in the brain. Nevertheless, I fully argue with his concept of dualism. The mind is not simply a result of the chemical reactions in the brain. Consciousness and self-awareness are concepts that are beyond the capacity of the material body to comprehend. Also, I believe in the immortality of the human soul which is the theory that the soul continues to exist even after it is separated from the body. The dualism of Descartes sufficiently explains why the soul continues to exist after the person dies and why it is not affected by the processes in the body. On Descartes’ theory that it is difficult to determine whether one is awake or sound asleep, I find the same to be very objectionable. I believe that if a person is thinking, perceiving, feeling, drawing inferences and making conclusions then one can be certain that he is awake and that he is not dreaming. According to Descartes, on several occasions, he had actually thought that he was awake when in reality he was merely dreaming. I believe that it is erroneous for one to say that one cannot tell the difference between being in a state of dream and being awake. Indeed it is not possible to state that a person is awake when he is really asleep precisely because when one is reflecting or thinking then he is not asleep. It would not be possible for a person to think when he is sleeping or dreaming. When one feels something then it is not possible for him to be dreaming. Indeed, experiencing the sensations of pain and pleasure are manifestations that one is awake and is not dreaming.

Multiple Sclerosis Case Study

Jamaal Jones III is a healthy, fit athlete who was been drafted to the New York Giants 2 weeks ago. After attending numerous practices and training sessions, Jamaal has earned a starting position as a wide receiver. He is 6’2 and 200lbs of pure muscle ready to run over any opposing cornerback. Jamaal Jones is pumped up; His first game is against the Philadelphia Eagles. All his fans are waiting for him, the weather is great (65 degrees), and his family is watching him at the front bench. Everything was going as planned until something happened. He strode out onto the field to the cheers coming from the stands when he lost his balance, tripped and fell. He felt his eyes roll back to the back of his head darkness slowly encroaching upon his consciousness. He felt nothing, just a numbing sensation as he convulsed, thrashed about and groped for the closest support. The stadium stood hushed as the scene unfolded in front of them, a pair of stretchers was brought out onto the field to carry Jamaal to the nearest hospital. The emergency room worked with fervor trying to rule out as many conditions as possible, performing a lumbar puncture and an MRI on his brain. From these test the doctors had confirmed what they had initially believed Jamaal had shown symptoms of. As the doctors entered the room Jamaal was lost in his own world dreaming of his grandfather, Jamaal Jones Sr. and how they would play football together as a child. Jamaal awakes from his stupor by the sudden intrusion in his room; he can see the grief and weariness on his parent’s faces. He looks on as the doctor beckons his parents to exit the room. The doctor tells his parents â€Å"Your son has multiple sclerosis. MS is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord resulting in loss of muscle control, vision, balance, and sensation. † The parents asked, â€Å"Is there a cure for MS? † The doctor tells them â€Å"No, we can only treat the symptoms which provides short term relief. Any long term â€Å"cure† for this disease has not been found. Jamaal’s mother asked the doctor how Jamaal could have acquired such a disease but the doctor could not provide and answer. With great sorrow in his voice the doctor tells Jamaal’s parents â€Å"Unfortunately, this disease is permanent and we cannot do anything to cure him. I am sorry. † Having been diagnosed with MS, Jamaal became a great advocate for MS awareness, organizing events through his former team, the New York Giants, to promote his cause.

Marketing Strategy & Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Strategy & Planning - Assignment Example reet from Port Clinton Square, which is home to numerous events throughout the year, and in the midst of a number of fine restaurants, 50% of our business each day is usually after dinner. In addition, The Company is fortunate to have tremendous landlords whom bring partnerships. (Liebebenson, 2014) The place is strategically chosen due to the population traffic and the availability of consumers. The firm deals in the provision of authentic Italian Gelato, ice cream products, provision of coffee and other products. The main include gelato and other, creameries, cakes and drinks. They also deal with shop fitting restaurants, designing and also deal with specialized events actions agency. (Villareal, 2011) The company serves mostly artisan gelato and sorbet (24 gelato flavors; 12 sorbet flavors) made fresh daily in their kitchen on site. They also serve specialty products made from dairy, including cakes, Frostbites (small balls of gelato/sorbet hand dipped in chocolate), milkshakes, sorbettinis (sorbet and Pellegrino), the worlds finest root beer floats and assorted coffee drinks. (Liebebenson, 2014) The business is growing steadily across the content. Over the last years the turnover has increased significantly. This has enabled the profitability of the company to also increase as the company opens other branches in UK, US and other Europeans countries. The upward trend has enabled the company to strategies in expansion. The ice cream in the US has saturated mature markets with 92% of household consumption. The ice cream sells about $25.1B in 2012 and its growth is 2.4% annually. (Corper, 2013) Frost gelato operates in a competitive environment. It lies within the perfect competition market where there is free entrance and exit of customers. There is perfect competition from Nestle and Uniliver who have about 24% and 18% respectively of market share. The ice cream in the US has saturated mature markets with 92% of household consumption. The ice cream sells

Oscar Wilde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Oscar Wilde - Essay Example The main male characters reflected society as viewing the rich as being effeminate dilettantes. In today's society, the rich are not viewed in this same way. There was also some indication that the plays contained subversive homosexual codes, in that the main male characters were really gay, and Wilde couldn't show this because polite Victorian society would not have condoned it. It would be different in contemporary American society, as contemporary American society is much more accepting of homosexuality in general, therefore, if a playwright wants his character to be gay, he would just be gay. And there is also a portrayal of the hypocrisy of Victorian society – how the accepted mores of how things should be was in direct contradiction to how people actually behaved. This is similar to American society, where there is also hypocrisy. Thus, the plays of Oscar Wilde reflected Victorian society, and these same plays would mean something different to American society, because A merican society today is completely different from Victorian society during Wilde's time. Homosexuality Sinfield states that one of the hallmarks of Wilde's comedies is the effeminate man, and that, since Wilde was a known homosexual, this was his way of disguising the content – the content being homosexuality. He couldn't just write about gay men – he had to write about them in a subversive way. ... Algernon's Bunbury, like Jack's Ernest, was allegedly an invalid brother in bad health, who was in constant need of care. Sinfield states that Bunbury not only denotes that Algernon, and Jack for that matter, lived a double life, much like a homosexual, but also denotes homosexuality just by its name – Bunbury. Bunbury could have been British slang for a male prostitute, according to Sinfield (1), and others state that Bunbury could have also been used as slang for a homosexual pickup (2). Furthermore, Algy and Jack in The Importance of Being Earnest demonstrate their feminine qualities, according to Sinfield, by the fact that they are idle, do not care about moral conventions, exploit their romantic devotions to their women and make suggestions regarding future profligacy – such as when Algernon complains about how difficult it is doing nothing (Wilde, 683). Sinfield also states that the play Lady Windermere's Fan contained homosexual subversive messages. Sinfield stat es that Cecil Graham is a â€Å"dandy† in that play (3). This is shown through the language of Graham in the play – he refers to Mrs. Erlynne as being â€Å"handsome,† (Wilde, p. 487), and that he, Graham, was â€Å"one of her admirers† (487). Further, Sinfield states that when Graham was asked how long he could love a woman who didn't love him back, when his reply was â€Å"all my life,† this meant that Graham might â€Å"have a preference for relations that never get anywhere† (3). Sinfield further states that there are other effeminate characters in this play. Lord Augustus is one of them – Sinfield states that Lord Augustus is effeminate because he is flabby, other men make fun of him, he falls to easily for feminine charms, has been

Employability Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employability Skills - Essay Example The nature of the position, reputation in the organization employing as well as other similar variables affects the choice/. The Important contact theory suggests taking that approach that a candidates ordeals while engaging with the organization performs a crucial role with decision doing. For illustration, how the staff engage together, the work environment and identical factors are very important. This theory is even so more realistic with skilled professionals (Watkins et al, 2000). These theories means that candidates employ a free will to settle on employers and also careers. Actually, the scarcity of jobs opportunities and strong competition for certain required jobs rigorously skews the choice making procedure of the job seekers. My career choice is accountancy. Those who engage in this versatile profession are referred to as accountants. As a profession, the job description includes but not limited to measurement, processing and communication of financial information about economic entities. This is achieved by the production of reports and accounts such as the statements of financial position and audit reports. Successful accountants can also be business advisors and/or consultants to provide additional value services (Watkins et al, 2000). Accountancy is a profession that cuts through all the sectors in the economy engaged in any form of business and commerce as it underpins any form of monetary transaction. This is because all financial transactions require to be accounted and reported. Accountants can opt to practice accountancy within independent accountancy firms in which case they will be more likely to be Chartered Accountant or work within an organization or business. In the latter case, they would become certified accountants. Accountancy work can be divided into two broad wings, Management and Financial accounting. The accounting that relates to compiling

The wealth and poverty of nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The wealth and poverty of nations - Essay Example Other people in the world should try to understand how the expansionists Europeans have grown very rich. He also stated that relative poverty today is the result of failure on the part of political, religious and mercantile elites to pass the tests of maintaining and regaining independence from and assimilating the technologies demonstrated by the people from Europe (DeLong, 1998). Landes demonstrated that Europe was the center and basis of economic development. He also pointed out that the reason why Eurasian civilizations had an edge in technological advancement over non-Eurasian is the climate. According to Landes, it is impossible for human beings to live in any numbers in â€Å"temperate† climates before the invention of fire, housing, tanning, but that once the technological capability to live where it snows has been gained, the "temperate" climates allowed a higher material standard of living (DeLong, 1998). I am not really convinced about this argument that Landes had presented. Though, I can say that climate can be one of the factors affecting the developments of an economy, it need not be of great impact as what Landes had pointed out. In our world today, a lot of counties gifted with rich natural resources and great climate are suffering from great economic issues and belonged to the less developed countries.

Recycled toothbrushes make sense Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Recycled toothbrushes make sense - Assignment Example Therefore, it simplifies its logistics and supply chain management and makes it low-cost. Hudson could send motivators to schools and colleges, to build awareness amongst the young people regarding the advantages of using recycled plastic products. These personnel should make concerted effort to project the usage of recycled plastic products as the hallmarks of an alternate lifestyle, which is not only eco-friendly, but also modern and trendy. As Hudson has access to desirable raw material for free, he can set the price of its products competitively lower than the comparable regular products (Zimring 45). Availability of low-cost, eco-friendly products will certainly add to his customer base. Hudson should make it a point to educate the prospective customers that the raw material for his products comes from the packaging of branded food stuff, and is hygienic and safe. This will dilute the lack of acceptance that some customers may feel about products like recycled toothbrushes. Answer: It is vital for Recycline to understand that selling recycled products is not merely about products, but offering an alternate life style. This eco-friendly life style is not only increasing in popularity, but its followers have strong emotional and ethical attachments associated with it. So, at present Recycline is basically a small contributor to this new but fast spreading way of life. As the company grows larger and as it gets access to desirable capital, and customer base, it could exploit its brand appeal to enter into industries that project eco-friendliness and sustainability. Such industries could be like organic food, recycled paper, herbal medicines, etc. The primary objective of the company should be to use its growth and brand equity to carve out a larger share from the market for eco-friendly products and

Research mothodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research mothodology - Essay Example The qualitative method is founded on a sound theoretical basis whereby a comprehensive literature review aimed at exploring the research topic is included. The theoretical aspect of the research in turn focuses on two key aspects, which include formulating a typology and analysing the current approaches and processes, employed by small firms. The deduction of the typology is used to help in embodying the findings and conclusions observed from previous research studies on similar topics. The observations made therefrom are likely to contribute immensely in arriving logical conclusions. The quantitative method, which is based on empirical data, includes collecting primary data through survey method, which involves collecting the necessary data through questionnaires. These include semi-structured questions aimed at managers of SMEs in the UK. The effectiveness of any research methodology is based on the philosophical underpinnings with regard to the approaches adopted. It also depends on the appropriateness of the research methods implemented and the level of accuracy of results derived therefrom against the knowledge required for the given study. Hence, the key assumptions made of crucial significance for conducting and for achieving effective evaluation of the data collected. This chapter aims to discuss the philosophical assumptions, the design strategies, research approaches and strategies used for the purpose of this study. Furthermore, this chapter also discusses the research instruments used, the methods of data collection and methods of analysis of the data used in this study. A research approach comprises of detailed plans and processes that elaborates on the broad assumptions with regard to the research topic and the detailed methods applied for data collection, analysis as well as interpretation (Crewel, 2013: p. 3). For the purpose of this study, different

Iraq War Was Wrong Essay Example for Free

Iraq War Was Wrong Essay The Iraq war was a horrible thing. It caused many things to happen. I’m against going to war with them because there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as the US government claimed. One of the main reasons listed by George W Bush for the war was to secure Iraqs chemical and biological weapons, which did not even exist. Secondly, there were no terrorists in Iraq, and Iraq had no connection to Sept. 11. We should have focused our resources in Afghanistan where the real terrorists were. Thirdly, we were underprepared for the occupation of Iraq and couldnt deal with the insurgency that followed. And lastly, the war was a huge waste of resources which the US gained nothing from. The United States lost over 1,040 American soldiers fighting in this war that we got nothing from. The war has hurt our country economically greatly. Over $151.1 Billion has been out towards the war. I feel since from this outcome that we shouldn’t have gone to war with them. It’s a hard thing to put our country through. Iraq was attacked by the United States in the year of 2003. The US went to war with Iraq, because on either the administration or disinformation, and the started reason have changed over the time. The main reason given by the administration of George W. Bush was that Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq was engaged in having nuclear weapons. Many thought that Hussein might use these weapons to attack against The United States. One of the main reasons for the attacks on Iraq was to disarm them of any weapons of mass destruction that they have. This makes sense to prevent future terrorist attacks, but no weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq. Iraq did use weapons of mass destruction in the 1980’s but not since then. Almost all of Iraqs weapons of mass destruction were destroyed or otherwise made unusable in the 1990s. Also, Saddam wanted to stay in power. Using weapons of mass destruction would mean a sure end to his power. This calls into question whether or not invading Iraq was justified because the Bush administration should have known that weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were effectively contained. Because Iraq is effectively contained, it was no longer an imminent threat to the United States or any other countries anymore. Saddam Hussein had never threatened to attack the United States or to use weapons of mass destruction offensively. Sure, Iraqs surrounding countries such as Kuwait and Iran hated Saddam Hussein, but they were not afraid of him. They knew that Iraq was the weakest country in the region. Iraq had been weak and under control since the Gulf War and has not troubled its neighbors. If Iraq is not a threat, there was no reason to be attacking them. Iraq was not involved in the September 11th attacks. So why did we go to war with them? Since, the war had continued, because the forces of the US were attacked by Iraqi guerillas. The US supported a new democratic government within Iraq, which was opposed by various Islamic groups that held power in the country. The US attempted to control the flow of oil from Iraq, one of the largest petroleum producers in the Middle East.

Emily Dickinsons Symbolism of Death

Emily Dickinsons Symbolism of Death Emily Dickinson is thought to be â€Å"one of the greatest American poets that have ever existed† (Benfey 5). Her poems can be directly linked to her life and many of them are about death. Only seven of Dickinsons poems were published while she was alive and her works were heavily criticized. However, despite the harsh criticism her works on the subjects of life and death are now among the most riveting in the English language. Dickinson was antisocial and refused to leave her home or have visitors. Some biographers say that in the early 1860s Dickinson went through an emotional crisis because of her isolation. Her emotional state was further disturbed when her father died in 1874 followed by a close family friend, Otis Lord, a couple years later. Dickinson herself described what she felt at that time as an â€Å"attack of nerves† (Cameron 29). Dickinsons remorse inspired her to write more poems: in 1862 she composed over 300 poems. â€Å"Her absorption in the world of feeling found some relief in associations with nature; yet although she loved nature and wrote many nature lyrics, her interpretations are always more or less swayed by her own state of being† (Benfey 22). â€Å"The quality of her writing is profoundly stirring, because it betrays, not the intellectual pioneer, but the acutely observant woman, whose capacity for feeling was profound† (Bennet 61). The seven poems that were published during her lifetime were published anonymously and a few without her consent. â€Å"The editors of the periodicals in which her lyrics appeared made significant alterations to them in attempt to regularize the meter and grammar, consequently discouraging Dickinson from seeking further publication† (Fuller 17). After Dickinsons death all her poems were published and she was acknowledged as a poet ahead of her time. Some critics thought that, â€Å"Her work was often cryptic in thought and unmelodious in expression† (Bennet 64). A poem written during her attack of nerves in 1862 titled â€Å"This is my letter to the World† is written, as the title implies, as a message to the world after her death as if she were speaking beyond the grave. â€Å"The plea that she be judged tenderly for natures sake combines an insistence on imitation of nature as the basis of her art with a special plea for tenderness towards her own fragility or sensitivity; but poetry should be judged by how well the poet achieves his or her intention and not by the poem alone, as Emily Dickinson surely knew† (Bloom 297). â€Å"This particular poems generalization about her isolation—and its apologetic tone—tends toward the sentimental, but one can detect some desperation underneath the softness† (Bloom 298). Another poem, â€Å"Tell all the Truth, but tell it slant-â€Å" is full of her slant rhymes which make the reader get lost in her puzzle of words. â€Å"The idea of artistic success lying in circuit—that is, in confusion and symbolism—goes well with the stress on amazing sense and staggering paradoxes which we have seen her express elsewhere† (Eberwein 171). She seems to enjoy keeping truths from being revealed, as if we are not ready to know the truth. . â€Å"On the very personal level for Emilys mind, â€Å"infirm delight† would correspond to her fear or experience and her preference for anticipation over fulfillment. For her, Truths surprise had to remain in the world of imagination. However, superb surprise sounds more delightful than frightening† (Bloom 89). Dickinsons famous poem Success is Counted Sweetest, is sagely and complex. â€Å"It proceeds by inductive logic to show how painful situations create knowledge and experience not otherwise available† (Eberwein 18). The poem begins with underdogs in their struggle for success and their indomitable will to succeed. Then the poem gains momentum by stating that only those with the most thirst can comprehend what they need to succeed. â€Å"Having briefly introduced people who are learning through deprivation, Emily goes onto the longer description of a person dying on a battlefield. The word â€Å"host,† referring to an armed troop, gives the scene an artificial elevation intensified by the royal color purple. These seemingly victorious people understand the nature of victory much less than does a person who has been denied it and lies dying. His ear is forbidden because it must strain to hear and will soon not hear at all† (Eberwein 19). Even though this poem is com plex it has a cheerful side and paints excellent images. â€Å"On the biographical level, it can be seen as a celebration of the virtues and rewards of Emily Dickinsons renunciatory way of life, and as an attack on those around her who achieved worldly success† (Bloom 158). Of all her poems â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz—When I Died—† follows Dickinsons style and infatuation with life and death most devoutly. The start of the poem has great impact. She describes the moment of her death, so you are already aware she is dead. â€Å"In the first stanza, the death rooms stillness contrasts with a flys buzz that the dying person hears, and the tension pervading the scene is likened to the pauses within a storm. The second stanza focuses on the concerned onlookers, whose strained eyes and gathered breath emphasize their concentration in the face of a sacred event: the arrival of the â€Å"King,† who is death. In the third stanza, attention shifts back to the speaker, who has been observing her own death with all the strength of her remaining senses† (Eberwein 201). As her senses start to leave her she makes a will of her material possessions so people can remember her and starts to saunter slowly towards death. â€Å"But the buzz ing fly intervenes at the last instant; the phrase and then† indicates that this is a casual event, as if the ordinary course of life were in no way being interrupted by her death† (Bloom 365). â€Å"The flys â€Å"blue buzz† is one of the most famous pieces of synesthesia in Emily Dickinsons poems. This image represents the fusing of color and sound by the dying persons diminishing senses. The uncertainty of the flys darting motions parallels her state of mind. Flying between the light and her, it seems to both signal the moment of death and represent the world that she is leaving† (Bloom 365). â€Å"In â€Å"This World is Not Conclusion,† Emily Dickinson dramatizes a conflict faith in immortality and severe doubt† (Bloom 55). The last eight lines were omitted by the publishers because of its controversial content. The altered poem no longer retained its original meaning. â€Å"The complete poem can be divided into two parts: the first twelve lines and the final eight lines† (Eberwein 89). The first four lines speak of the afterlife and how we should intuitively know it exists. The next four lines are about struggling and surviving. â€Å"Even wise people must pass through the riddle of death without knowing where they are going† (Bloom 55). â€Å"In the next four lines, the speaker struggles to assert faith. Her faith now appears in the form of a bird that is searching for reasons to believe. But available evidence proves as irrelevant as twigs and as indefinite as the directions shown by a spinning weathervane. The desperation of a bird aimles sly looking for its way is analogous to the behavior of preachers whose gestures and hallelujahs cannot point the way to faith† (Bloom 56). The poem ends with the message that no one can be rid of doubt, not even the preachers themselves. It manages to make the reader question whether there is an afterlife. Finally, the poem â€Å"This Consciousness That Is Aware† starts off by talking about how experiencing death changes a person. â€Å"The poem opens by dramatizing the sense of mortality which people often feel when they contrast their individual time bound lives to the world passing by them† (Eberwein 49). In the next stanza the order of the words are reversed to show that the speakers life has been flipped upside-down. â€Å"The speaker anticipates moving between experience and death—that is, from experience into death by means of the experiment of dying. Dying is an experiment because it will test us, and allow us, and no one else, to know if our qualities are high enough to let us survive beyond death† (Bloom 137). As in her other poems, Dickinson seeks answers through death. It is as if she is courting death through her poetry. Dickinsons poems, even this small sample, touch upon death. Shes a spiritual person who prefers to look inward for answers. This inwardness explains her preference to being isolated and her fascination with death as those close to her died. It difficult to say exactly how many of her poems touch on the subject of life and death, but certainly most of them mention it. This is not surprising considering that a small New England town in the 1800s had a high mortality rate. Because of this there was death all around her. â€Å"This factor contributed to her preoccupation with death, as well as her withdrawal from the world, her anguish over her lack of romantic love, and her doubts about fulfillment beyond the grave† (Cameron 114). What is fascinating is that she tackles the sensitive issue of death in a way that her â€Å"Readers tend to be impressed by her sensitive and imaginative handling of this painful subject† (Stonum 83). â€Å"If nothing else had come out of our l ife but this strange poetry we should feel that in the work of Emily Dickinson, America, or New England rather, had made a distinctive addition to the literature of the world, and could not be left out of any record of it† (Benfey 66). Dickinsons poetry is a quest to the answers within us all concerning life and death.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essay -- essays papers

A Raisin in the Sun In the book â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, there were characters whose dreams were stated, some of which were shattered by greed and misfortune and others which would eventually come to be true. The first dream that came about was Walter’s dream of one day owning and maintaining a liquor store. He would do anything to attempt to get his dream to come true, but his mama wanted anything but that to happen. His mama had a dream of her own though, she dreamed of one day owning her own house, where her whole family could stay comfortably. She dreamed this because in the apartment that she resided in was too small, and dumpy, as Ruth called it. Her grandson Travis had to sleep on the couch, and all that she wanted was for him to have a bed of his o...

Every Child Counts :: Teaching Education Careers Essays

Every Child Counts Growing up I loved being surrounded by children. Looking back on my earlier years, I realize that teaching has always been a desire of mine. As a child I read to my dolls, pretended to be a teacher to my friends, and baby-sat every opportunity that arose. No matter what the situation was, if there were children involved, you could count me in. I love the feeling of being around children; the joy they bring to a room is what makes them so special. Children are wonderful beings that make me laugh and realize how precious life can be. I have chosen to teach elementary age students because these are the most crucial years they will encounter as they are shaping who they will become. I believe I am taking my God-given gift of loving others, especially children, and using it to benefit the people around me. So many students are neglected, ignored, and abused because people fail to see their worth. I know that kids are creative, spontaneous, loving human beings and they have a hunger to learn. I feel I have many gifts to offer these children and hope I can have a true impact on their lives. My hope is to learn about each individual and touch them each in different ways. I know I will have classrooms filled with diversity but it will be a priority to learn something unique of each student. One thing I have noticed that happens a lot in our world is prejudices. Children are so vulnerable to different cultures and are quick to make judgments. It is my job to teach my students about these different cultures so when they see someone unlike themselves they will not make fun of them. Instead I want these children to be curious and willing to understand why people are different because it is what makes our world unique. While I am learning about them, my hope is that they are willing to learn about each other as well. I hope to unite children of all cultures by teaching them to be curious about others, learn about them, and appreciate their differences. In doing this maybe we can stop some of the prejudices they may have and build a loving community of people who think about each other instead of only themselves.

Case Study of Market for Tuna Company :: Business Analysis

PRICING To be able to understand how the four types of market affect pricing decisions we must first look at the factors considered when setting prices. As per discussion in class, competitors; consumer perception of price and values; market and demand all together contribute to the pricing decisions. According to the study of Economics these factors are present in the four types of market: Monopoly, Oligopoly, Perfect competition and Monopolistic competition. In monopoly, where there is only one provider of a product or service, the company controls the pricing decision. Seeing that there is none, if not limited, existing competition in the market proves that the company is not dependent on the pricing decision of other electricity service suppliers. A common local example would be Meralco, although there are other electricity providers outside Mega Manila, Meralco is still considered the largest and the most income generating electricity supplier in the country. Being the largest assumes a big bulk of the population demanding and relying on the services it provides, there is not much choice left for the consumers but to patronize Meralco, in effect the charges that the company asserts (under the government’s approval) will always be assimilated by the consumers. The unavailability of other options gave them the position to take control of the pricing of charges. In oligopoly the market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers. Since it is dominated by a small number of sellers, each one is mindful on the act of the other and decisions of each other firms influence one another. There is a concern on the reactions or responses of the other sellers in the markets thus the pricing decision is thought of carefully against the competitor’s pricing decisions, it now becomes dependent on the other participants in the market. The local examples are the prominent landline telecommunication service suppliers such as PLDT, Bayantel, Digitel and Globelines. Based from observations on ads and promotions every time one seller initiates a call charge reduction the other sellers automatically follows the trend. The whole idea in this kind of market is that firms are actually after price decrease, with the hope of gaining a bigger share of the market. Either pricing decision indicates a decrease or increase all actions will create a price wa r response with other sellers. A perfect competition market describes a market setting wherein the buyers and sellers are so numerous that the market price of commodity is no longer in control of either the buyers or the sellers.

Psychological Critical Perspective Essay

The utilization of a psychological critical perspective in literature entails the utilization of a specific psychological perspective to be used in the assessment of the various elements within the text as they are related to both the author and the intended audience of the work. Bernard Paris (1997) states that the use of psychology in the analysis of a literary text enables us â€Å"to understand the behavior of characters in literature from the past, to enter into their feelings, and to enrich our knowledge of ourselves and others through an understanding of their inner conflicts and relationships† (p. xii). In line with this, what follows is a psychological analysis of the representations of life and death in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. Within Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the psychological representation of death is evident in the representation of the sphinx. The sphinx, as a mythical creature, represents perplexity and death. In its many versions, the sphinx may be said to be a representation of perplexity in its employment of riddles in its interaction with human beings. Furthermore, it may be said to be a representation f death since it is depicted as a creature that brings death [or at least bad luck or misfortune] to those who cannot solve its riddles. In Greek mythology and drama, this creature is depicted as a beast with a feminine gender. Though generally regarded as an unhappy monster, the sphinx also serves as a symbol of femininity, power and confusion. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, one may infer that in Greek tragedy, sufferings and tribulations are intertwined with the hero’s existence. To a certain extent, one may say that in the case of Oedipus Rex, the sphinx defines the existence of Oedipus; his ‘being a hero’, so to speak. The same holds true for the sphinx. In other words, the hero and the villain define each others’ being. Note for example that within the text itself, Oedipus’ existence is intertwined with the Sphinx in the sense that the Sphinx and hero are twin-born. In terms of its monstrosity, the sphinx is depicted in many ways. These depictions are as follows. In Oedipus Rex, she is depicted as a singing sphinx that has permitted the oversight of dark secrets as well as a winged maiden with crooked talons who sang darkly. Oedipus’ incapacity to discern both the oracle at Delphi and the true nature of the sphinx and its closeness to himself present us with a rather different view about human nature and the ancient Greeks’ belief in fate. The sphinx reminds us of two things. First, it reminds us of our inability to fully know ourselves because of human nature’s enigmatic character. Second, it poses significant questions with regards to human freedom and our capacity for choice. In other words, it toys on the idea whether freedom and choice are mere illusions that human beings would like to think that they possess when in fact, they do not. Within this context, life and death are represented within Oedipus Rex in such a way that it places emphasis on the difficulty of discerning the conditions of life. Such a difficulty is mirrored in the portrayal of the Sphinx as well as the Sphinx’s relation with the hero of the text. As opposed to this, Susan Glaspell portrays life and death differently in Trifles. Trifles recounts the tragedy that occurs within marriage during instances wherein there is an absence of homosocial dimensions in a woman’s life. Within the text, life and death are represented in such a way that they are made to be seen within the context of a masculine gaze. The reason for this lies in the subjectivity of the portrayal of both freedom and objectivity within the text. Consider for example the case of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peter who both tried to conceal the evidence of Minnie’s crime. One might note that such a decision mirrors a certain amount of freedom on both characters’ part. Both characters may be said to possess freedom in the negative sense that they may choose to omit specific information that they have however the subjectivity of this freedom is evident if one considers that the psychological reason for omitting such an information may be traced to their embeddedness within a masculine point of view that requires them to maintain the existence of order within their immediate surroundings. Life and death, within Trifles, may be said to be determined by a patriarchal point of view. Such a point of view, however continuously contradicts the feminists perspective as can be seen in the controversies that arose as a result of Minnie’s death. References Bernard, P. (1997). Imagined Human Beings: A Psychological Approach to Character and Conflict in Literature. New York: NYU P. Glaspell, S. (2003). Trifles. Np: Thomson Wadsworth. Sophocles (1991). Oedipus the King: Oedipus Rex. Trans. George Young. London: Dover.

Momentum trading and Business Cycle Risk: Evidence from BRIC Countries

1. Introduction. BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries are growing at an alarming rate. This growth can be attributed to a number of factors including globalisation, financial liberalisation which has led to an increase in cross-border capital flows, technological developments and the internet. These countries are forecast to witness tremendous growth in the years ahead. The alarming growth of BRIC countries has attracted investors in search of suitable environments for portfolio diversification to consider BRIC countries as potential destinations for diversifying their portfolios. This paper presents a proposal to study the link between business cycles and momentum trading in the BRIC stock markets. The paper aims at understanding how business cycle risk affects momentum profits in BRIC countries. The study also seeks to provide an understanding of how momentum profits are affected by firm specific characteristics such as firm size and book-to-market ratios in BRIC countries. 2. Objectives of the study The objective of the study is to determine the impact of business cycle risk on momentum profits and thus momentum trading in BRIC countries. Research Questions The study aims at answering the following questions: Are there momentum profits in the stock markets of BRIC countries If so, what is the impact of Business Cycle risk on these profits What are the regulatory implications of momentum profits in BRIC countries Significance of the Study The study is significant to market regulators in that it will enable them design regulatory requirements aimed at reducing inefficiencies in BRIC stock markets thereby increasing their ability to attract capital. The study will also help foreign investors to gain more confidence in BRIC countries. Finally, the study will serve as a reference point for future researchers interested in conducting research on momentum profits. 5. Literature Review. A momentum trading strategy is a trading strategy that is designed based on past performance. The trading strategy is based on the assumption that â€Å"history will repeat itself†. A momentum trading strategy is therefore a strategy, which assumes that the return performance will persist in the medium term (Signos and Chelley, 1994). Momentum profits were first observed by Jegadeesh and Titman (1993). Accordingly, the study observed that stocks that performed well in a previous period also performed well in the current period, while those that performed poorly in the previous period also performed poorly in the current period. This means that a trading strategy that went long on previous winners while shorting previous losers would result in positive abnormal returns. In particular Jagadeesh and Titman (1993) observed the realisation of positive abnormal returns of 1 percent with the momentum strategy. In addition, a number of other studies have observed significant positive abnormal returns with the momentum trading strategy (e.g., Moskowitz and Grinblatt, 1999; Jegadeesh and Titman, 2001; Liu et al. (1999), Hong and Tonks, 2003; Gregory et al., 2001; Griffin et al., 2003; Gregory et al. 2001; Rouwenhorst 1998). The implication of the existence of such a Band Wagon (money making strategy) is that markets were not efficient. According to the weak- and semi-strong form efficient market hypotheses, all information available to the general public is already reflected in stock prices. This means that investors cannot realise superior risk adjusted returns by adopting a particular trading strategy such as the one proposed by momentum trading (Ross et al., 1999; Bodie et al., 2007). Attempts to attribute this finding to inefficient markets have been opposed by Fama and French (1993, 1995, 1996) who argued that observing momentum profits cannot be attributed to inefficient capital markets. Rather the single factor capital asset pricing model (CAPM) has been criticised for not being able to properly explain the variability of the cross-section of stock returns. This model suggests that stock market returns depend on a single factor (i.e., the return on the market portfolio). However, Fama and French (1993, 1995, 1996) contest this view and argue instead that stock returns could be explained by additional factors such as the book-to-market ratio and firm size. A three factor model is therefore proposed which takes into account the impact of size and book-to-market ratio and is found to perform better than the single factor CAPM (Fama and French, 1993, 1995, 1996). In addition, the three factor model was extended to a four-factor model to include a momentum factor w hich measures the difference between the return on portfolios of stocks that performed well in the previous period and the return on portfolios of stocks that performed poorly. Including a momentum factor in the three-factor model thus making it a four-factor model enabled the model to be able to explain the momentum profits observed in Jagadeesh and Titman (1993) and the other studies identified in the Literature. In summary, Fama and French argue that anomalies such as those observed in momentum trading cannot be attributed to inefficiencies in capital markets. Rather they should be attributed to inadequacies in the models that are used in explaining the cross-section of stock returns. Other explanations have been offered for the observation of momentum profits. According to behavioural finance theorist, momentum profits are a result of slow movement of information. Behavioural finance theorists are against market efficiency theorists who argue that information is rapidly reflected in stock prices. Among behavioural theorists, Hong and Stein (1999) argue that momentum profits can be attributed to slow diffusion of information across interested investors. This means that some investors receive information about stock prices earlier than others and as such appropriate action faster than others. By so doing, investors who have quick access to information are capable of making superior abnormal returns while those who do not have quick access to information tend not to make superior risk-adjusted returns by using such information as a basis of trading. Barberis et al. (1998) argues that momentum profits can be attributed to overreaction or underreaction of stock prices to news. The explanation from behavioural theorists conflict with those of Fama and French because behavioural theorists also suggest that there is nothing like an efficient market. Given the conflict between behavioural theorists and proponents of market efficiency, alternative explanations have been provided by recent studies. These studies argue that momentum profits are influenced by business cycle variables (e.g., Antoniou et al., 2007; Liew and Vassalou, 1999). Contrary to this view Griffen et al. (2002) in a study examining the link between business cycle variables and momentum profits across many countries argue that momentum profits are not a function of business cycle variables. While many studies have investigated the relationship between business cycle variables, most of these studies focus on developed markets with very little attention paid to emerging markets such as those of BRIC countries. Given the increasing role that BRIC countries play in the global economy, it is important to understand whether there are momentum profits in these countries as well as the role that business cycle risk has on momentum profits. This study is therefore a positive step toward contributing to the literature on momentum profits and business cycle risk by extending previous studies to stock markets in BRIC countries. 5. Research Methods This study will employ an econometric model to study the relationship between momentum profits and three sets of variables: (i) business cycle variables; (ii) firm specific variables (iii); and behavioural finance variables. The relationship between momentum profits and these variables can be represented using the following econometric model: (1) Where is a measure of the momentum profit of country i at in year t; is a vector of firm specific variables; is a vector of the past cumulative raw returns; and are the sensitivities of the momentum profits to changes in firm-specific variables and past cumulative returns respectively. The magnitude of the effect of these variables will be determined by testing the significance of the parameters at the 5% level of significance. In order to study business cycle variables, a model was developed by Chordia and Shivakumar (2002) and later extended by Antoniou et al. (2007). The model is an econometric model which establishes the relationship between momentum profits and business cycle variables. The model can be stated as follows: Where is the return (inclusive of dividends) of firm i in month t, BC is a vector of j (j=1-6) macroeconomic variables representing business cycle variables (DY, Rf, TERM, DEF, FX, and GDP), and is the error term of stock i in month t. DY is the dividend yield; Rf is the risk-free interest rate; DEF is the premium for default risk premium which is estimated as the difference between the yield on long-term corporate bonds and the yield on long-term government bonds; The term spread (TERM) is the difference between the yield on long-term government securities minus the yield on short-term government securities; FX is the foreign exchange rate; and GDP is the change in GDP (Antoniou et al., 2007). As earlier mentioned, stock returns depend on two factors: market factors and firm-specific factors. There is a trade-off relationship between the manner in which each group of factors affect stock returns. That is the higher the impact of firm-specific factors, the lower will be the impact of market factors and vice versa (Antoniou et al., 2007). To estimate equation (1) equations 3 has to be estimated and its parameters used as inputs to equation (2). After estimating equation (2) its parameters can then be used as inputs to equation (1). In this study, both time-series and cross-sectional regressions are used. Cross-sectional regressions are preferred over time series regressions because they help to avoid data-snooping biases which tend to occur in time-series regressions. In the time-series regressions, individual stocks are used which help to reduce the degree of loss of information that tends to occur when portfolios are used. Using first-pass time series regression, which allows the parameters to also fluctuate with firm-specific variables. The firm-specific factors include firm size and book-to-market ratio. The first-pass time-series regression can be stated as follows; is the return on firm i at time t, BC is a the vector of business cycle risk variables identified earlier, FF (Fama and French factors) are the firm-specific variables. Once equation (3) has been estimated, the parameters will be used as inputs to the second pass regression equation (4) below: Where is the output of equation (3). It is the unexplained variation from equation (3). These include the intercept coefficient and the residual term (+) of the regression equation (3); is a vector of firm characteristics, which include firm size and book-to-market ratio for security i at time t. represent the three sets of past cumulative raw returns (for m=1-3) over the second through third (RET 2-3), fourth through sixth (RET 4-6) and seventh through twelfth (RET 7-12) months prior to the current month t. (Antoniou et al. 2007). 6. Data Stock price data for stocks in the BRIC countries will be retrieved from the Thomson Financial Datastream Database. Data on dividend yields will also be retrieved from this database. The database also reports data on exchange rates. GDP, interest rate and exchange rate data will be retrieved from the IMF International Financial Statistics (IFS) database. Stock price data will be used to calculate the monthly return for each stock over the 60 monthly holding periods from January 2007 to December 2011. The returns will be used as inputs to the first-pass regression. References Griffin, John M., Martin, J. Spencer and Ji, Susan, â€Å"Momentum Investing and Business Cycle Risk: Evidence from Pole to Pole† (March 18, 2002). AFA 2003 Washington, DC Meetings; EFA 2002 Berlin Meetings Presented Paper. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=291225 or DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.291225 Antoniou A., Lam H. Y.T., Paudyal K. (2007). Profitability of momentum strategies in international markets: The role of business cycle variables and behavioural biases. Journal of Banking & Finance volume 31, issue 3, pp. 955-972. Liew, Jimmy K.yung Soo and Vassalou, Maria, (1999). â€Å"Can Book-to-Market, Size, and Momentum Be Risk Factors That Predict Economic Growth?† Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=159293 or DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.159293 Rouwenhorst, K.G. (1998). International momentum strategies, Journal of Finance 53, pp. 267–284. Wu, X. (2002). A conditional multifactor analysis of return momentum, Journal of Banking and Finance 26 (2002), pp. 1675–1696 Jegadeesh N., Titman S. (1998). Returns to buying winners and selling losers: Implications for market efficiency, Journal of Finance 48, pp. 65–91. Barberis N., Shleifer A., Vishny R.W.(1998). A model of investor sentiment, Journal of Financial Economics 49, pp. 307–343. Fama E.F., French K.R. (1996). Multifactor explanations of asset pricing anomalies, Journal of Finance 51 (1996), pp. 55–84. Hong H., Stein J.C. (1999). A Unified Theory of Undereaction, Momentum Trading, and Overreaction in Asset Markets. Journal of Finance. Vol. 6, pp 2143-2184 Chelley-Steeley, Patricia and Siganos, Antonios, (2004). â€Å"Momentum Profits in Alternative Stock Market Structures†. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=624583

Paraphrase Sample

Unit II Assessment Question 2 Ramesh Punna Columbia Southern University Original Passage Large-Scale Complex IT Systems (Ian Sommerville, Dave Cliff, Radu Calinescu,Justin Keen, Tim Kelly , Marta Kwiatkowska,John McDermid, and Richard Paige): Complexity stems from the number and type of relationships between the system’s components and between the system and its environment. If a relatively small number of relationships exist between system components and they change relatively slowly over time, then engineers can develop deterministic models of the system and make predictions concerning its properties.However, when the elements in a system involve many dynamic relationships, complexity is inevitable. Complex systems are nondeterministic, and system characteristics cannot be predicted by analyzing the systems constituents. Such characteristics emerge when the whole system is put to use and changes over time, depending how it is used and on the state of its external environment . Dynamic relationships include those between system elements and the system’s environment that change.For example, a trust relationship is a dynamic relationship; initially, component A might not trust component B, so, following some interchange, A checks that B has performed as expected. Over time, these checks may be reduced in scope as A’s trust in B increases. However, some failure in B may profoundly influence that trust, and, after the failure, even more stringent checks might be introduced. Complexity stemming from the dynamic relationships between elements in a system depends on the existence and nature of these relationships.Engineers cannot analyze this inherent complexity during system development, as it depends on the systems dynamic operating environment. Coalitions of systems in which elements are large software systems are always inherently complex. The relationships between the elements of the coalition change because they are not independent of how th e systems are used or of the nature of their operating environments. Consequently, the nonfunctional (often even the functional) behavior of coalitions of systems is emergent and impossible to predict completely.Paraphrase for above passage: Minimizing the relationships among the entities in large scale system reduces the complexity. Complex systems are not very scalable and would be huge effort when we need to do any changes over time. Relationships should be changing depending on their performances over the life cycle of application to be more robust and granular. Dependency between the software systems must be identified in design phase to make a large scale system and failure to do this process would result in unstable and fragile software system.

Buyers Behaviour Virgin Atlantic

Applied Buyer Behavior in Global Context Module Code: MGT 5A1 Applied Buyer Behavior in Global Context Module Code: MGT 5A1 Analysis of Virgin Atlantic Commercial 2010. Available link at: http://youtu. be/lGyp1I39eho Module tutor: Jenny Bratherton Word Count: 2606 Analysis of Virgin Atlantic Commercial 2010. Available link at: http://youtu. be/lGyp1I39eho Module tutor: Jenny Bratherton Word Count: 2606 By Maria Timchenko By Maria Timchenko Table of Contents: 1.Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. page 3 2. Target Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. page 3 3. Service offered†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 4 4. Seasonality†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 4 5. Positioning of the commercial†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦page 5 6. Reason for the commercial†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 5 7. Perception†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 5 8.Persuasive analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦page 7 9. Buying process†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 10 10. Involvment levels and risk perception†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 10 11. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 11 12. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 12 1) Introduction. This essay will analyze the advertising campaign of Virgin Atlantic 2010. Richard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in the early 1980s.Originally it was called British Atlantic Airways, later changed to Virgin Atlantic Airways. The first flight was from Gatwick to Netwark on the 22nd of June 1984 (Virgin Atlantic, 2012). The company launched a ? 6 m advertising campaign in 2010, which was James Bond themed (Guardian, 2010). The new advertisement helped the company recover from the recession. Now I will examine how exactly it was achieved and what methods were used to obtain the best performance of the advertisement. 2) Target Market.Market segmentation is a way of separating the consumers into different sections by their shared needs and personalities (Le on. G, 2010, p. 28). The needs and values depend from person to person according to his culture (Leon. G, 2010, p. 366). The VALS (values and lifestyles) segmentation system clearly shows the type of audience this commercial is aiming at (Leon. G, pp. 84). This system divides consumers into eight distinctive subcategories, which consist of: thinkers, achievers, experiencers, believers, strivers and makers.The subcategories this advertisement will appeal to are: innovators because they are receptive to new technologies and who can experience the innovated technologies at a Virgin Atlantic flight; achievers because they are goal oriented consumers who like to display success to their piers, which they can display by flying Virgin Atlantic as it is high class airlines; experiencers because they like to spend their income on fashion, socializing and entertainment which Virgin Atlantic offers through great service, food, entertainment and their flights are considered as ‘trendyâ₠¬â„¢.The social comparison theory states that the consumer with higher purchase ability tends to have a higher status; this is a proof why achievers like to spend on luxurious products and services (Leon. G, 2010, p. 338). This commercial appeals to all the five effective target-marketing segments (Leon. G, 2010, p. 73). It is identifiable as it clearly distinguishes the shared needs, age and gender of the consumer. The consumer is a businessman or career orientated workingwoman who prefers high-class service. The age would appeal to Generation Y that is born from 1980 and on wards (Leon.G, 2010, p. 410). The Generation Y spends 150 billion annually and is into innovation and luxury while Generation X is considered as ‘sophisticated’ group. Virgin Atlantic Airways allows children ages 5 and above to travel or should be accompanied by an adult (16+). Pets are accepted if they accompany a disabled person (Virgin Atlantic, 2012). 3) Service offered. The marketing mix shows what kind of service/product is offered by dividing the elements to: product, price, place and promotion (Leon. G, 2010, p. 58).The service being offered is not just a flight from one destination to another; it is an experience at a high-class level of the Virgin Atlantic flight where the costumer will be served at a high class, with security, entertainment and with maximum comfort. It is a high-involvement purchase, which requires considerate thought and cognitive process, as the price is high (Leon. G, 2010, p. 231). The flight can be purchased online or at a flight ticket office. The company offers promotion such as: flying club card, ticket sales and discount codes/vouchers (Virgin Atlantic, 2012).The price and quality relationship the company has is low- price tickets in comparison with their competitors and with a high-class service. 4) Seasonality. The time of placing the advertisement is very important, as there are competing companies to take into consideration. The order effect research has shown that the advertisements presented first (primacy effect) and last (regency effect) has a greater effect on the consumer (Leon. G, 2010, p. 302). The release date was 26 October 2010, which was a great push to recovery from recession. British Airways and American Airlines are the biggest competitors.American Airlines released their commercial in May 2010, which had a primacy effect where as Virgin Atlantic Airlines gained a regency effect. The James Bond 007 Blood Stone video game was released on 5th of November 2010(IMDB, 2010). This shows that the commercial was released 10 days before the release date of the game. This strategy used by Virgin Atlantic is a very clever marketing move, as their advertisement is James Bond themed and during that period of time all sorts of media (TV, newspapers, online, word of mouth and billboards) had James Bond game advertisements.Virgin Airlines got increased attention to their advertisement by publishing their advertise ment at time coinciding with Blood Stone’s release. 5) Positioning the commercial. The advertisement is transmitting through mass media as well as through new (non traditional) media (Leon. G, 2010, pp. 294-296). The commercial is played on TV where it addresses wide range of consumers (i. e. via mass media) and through YouTube where it is addressable and interactive, while response – measurable.It was also played during the flights on the Virgin Atlantic TV channel where it exclusively targets its audience (i. e. via target media). 6) Reason for the commercial. The consumer behavior consists of searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating, disposing of products and services that in their belief will fulfill their wants (Leon. G, 2010, p. 23). The commercial was created in order to persuade and make aware the audience of the fact that the service being offered by the airlines is luxurious, entertaining and high-class, to convince that this kind of service will satisfy there needs. ) Perception. â€Å"Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world. †(Leon. G, 2010, p. 175) This advertisement appeals to emotional motives, which are affection, status and pride in this case (Leon. G, 2010, p. 110). The advertisements mood is sexually charged and is putting the buyer into a state of excitement by: James Bond themed music and graphics, illustrations of high-class adventure and good-looking actors in the commercial.Abraham Maslow created the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which identifies the five basic levels of human needs (Maslow, 1987). The advert is aiming to satisfy all the five needs of the potential consumer. Egoistic needs will be satisfied during the flight on these airlines, as it is illustrated as a prestigious flight. Egoistic needs include the need of good reputation, status and recognition from others, which advert convi nces that the consumer will have, if he/she chooses Virgin Atlantic Airways.Need of Self-Actualization will be satisfies as shown in the advert, by flying on this flight the customer will feel self-actualized by getting high-class service which he/she deserved or earned themselves. Social Needs are to be satisfied by communication with good-looking staff. The Virgin Atlantic cabin crew was voted as the most attractive staff in the whole world by the surveys of travelers (Daily mail, 2011). Richard Branson has always stated that the appearance of the flight crew must be important in order make the customers enjoy a memorable flight.Cabin staff of Virgin Atlantic Airlines are told that: ‘You'll be the face of the airline. As such, your grooming should always be immaculate – even after a long, tiring flight’ (Daily mail, 2011). As flying on an airplane has a small risk of security, the advert is aiming to convince that their flight is safe and is a pleasant experien ce where there is nothing to worry about. Physiological needs will be satisfied by the high-class food and beverage service that would be offered during the flight by good-looking staff.Air and shelter will also be present, as the designed with up to date technology. This commercial is aimed at visual consumers that prefer and take information better through visual images or messages as sources of information (Leon. G, 2010, p. 147). While watching the Virgin Atlantic advertisement repetitively on TV or Online passive learning is occurring and it changes the consumer’s attitude regarding the product (Leon. G, 2010, p. 232). The theme message delivered through this advert is: ‘Your airline's either got it or it hasn't'.There is a message resonance in the wording, which adds a bit of humor to it and will make the viewer remember the commercial (Leon. G, 2010, p. 301). The theme message has comparative advertising technique to it where Virgin makes the viewer compare their airlines to Virgin Atlantic (Leon. G, 2010, p. 303). The sexiness in advertising is present in order to grab the attention of the viewer (Leon. G, 2010, p. 308). The hostesses are wearing short dresses in red color and the man who is passing the security check hasn’t got underwear on. Virgin is trying to show that their flights are ‘sexy’. ) Persuasive analysis. | Chromatic scale is red and black, which is eye catching. The flight attendances are tall, stylish and beautiful. | | Shot of men wearing suits doing a pole dance around the fork with a shrimp. This is demonstrating that the food they are offering is high-class and ‘sexy’. | | Very few cuts in the filmmaking, instead has transitions that are much more flowing and make it much more difficult to look away. This is a shot of a transaction, which is made through a disco ball. | | The transition from the airplane saloon to the red lips. | The shot of the crewmember falling in and disappearing in the carpet after she gives an ice cream to the customer. This could be symbolizing submission as well as it is a large eye catch that keeps the viewers attention. | | Shot of flying destinations. | | Shot of flying destinations. | | Shot of flying destinations and the smooth transaction appearing in the background. | | Shot of the flight crew standing on the wing of the Virgin airplane, which is a really good imagery. On the top there is the headline: â€Å"Your airline’s either got it or it hasn’t†.The headline tries to indicate that the Virgin Airlines truly has all the qualities, which will satisfy your needs, and that other competitors may not. | | This shot demonstrates the high-level service done by a good-looking crewmember in a very fashionable saloon. | | The shot of people going through the body scanners. The men going through the body scan are good-looking businessmen, which represent the targeted consumers. The person in the middle coming through th e scanner hasn’t got underwear, by which he shows that the body scanning isn’t just safe but it is also sexy. | Transaction from the sunglasses of the crewmember into the next scene, which is airplanes and female flight crewmember flying in the air. There is no cutting in the transactions. | | This is the shot of the flight attendances showing the airline safety check in a very stylish and sexy manner. | | A man being tucked in by a beautiful giant woman into a cloud, which is dreamlike, and it suggests that the customers are going to be truly taken care of. | | The shot has focus towards the center of the pilot’s head. Behind his head there is a ray of light, this light looks as an angel like aura.This technique tries to show the security the airlines provide (angel like). The flight team is very good looking and is walking with self-assurance, which adds confidence to the image of the company. The runway lines and the red carpet represents the luxurious servic e. | | Transition from the safety demonstration to the airplane saloon is done without editing cuts, which is very eye-catching. | | The shot of people sitting around of a pool of martini and playing with the olive, which represents entertainment, beverage and luxury the airlines offer to their customers. 9) Buying process. â€Å"The consumer decision making can be viewed as three distinct but interlocking stages: the input stage, the process stage and the output stage†(Leon. G, 2010, p. 36). This advertisement is designed in order to influence the input and process stage in order to make the consumer come to the output stage. This advert influences and increases the consumer’s recognition of the service need. The information is delivered to the consumers through the marketing efforts of the commercial, which will influence not only media but also word of mouth marketing.The Psychoanalytical Theory of Personality created by Sigmund Freud explains the drivers of the out put stage (Leon. G, 2010, pp. 137-139). According to Freud’s theory this commercial will affect superego and id to make the purchase. The superego will be gratified when purchasing this service because he/she will become socially and fashionably acceptable, as Virgin Atlantic flight is ‘trendy’. Id will be gratified if the consumer will make the purchase because the airlines offer the basic requirements such as food, shelter and security. The consumer will make a trial or a repeat purchase when buying this service (Leon.G, 2010, p. 497). The consumer might be new to the company or be a frequent loyal customer. 10) Involvement levels and risk perception. Involvement is a very important factor in how much attention is paid to the message sent to the viewer and how it is understood. There are different ways to measure the involvement of the viewer. There are two ways of involvement, high-risk and low-risk purchases. The higher the risk, the higher the involvement an d research will be. The flight purchase is a low-involvement product and consumers prefer congruent context of the message delivered (Leon.G, 2010, p. 293). The mood of the consumer is very important, if he/she is in a bad mood, the content of the commercial might cause a bad reaction of the viewer. Psychological noise may be distracting the viewer from the commercial and the advertisement has contrast in the imagery in order to keep the viewers attention. 11) Conclusion. The advertisement created by the Virgin Atlantic airlines in my opinion was successful . The James Bond theme imageries and soundtrack had a great impact on the effectiveness of the commercial.Every time the consumer will watch James Bond movie or play a James Bond game, the commercial will subconsciously come to their mind and the other way around. The time it was released was perfect, as they needed a push to get out from the recession. The commercial had a bit too much sex advertisement in it, which may led to w orse effect tan could have achieved and made the competitors (American Airlines) stand out more, as they had a touching TV commercial that gave gratitude to the men in uniform, veterans and their families. Sexual advertising may distract the consumer’s attention from the message content being sent.This technique may have a little influence on the buyers purchasing intentions and a risk of spoiling the image of the company. This advert is targeting businessman, but there is the family audience with children and generation X, which they are risking of loosing. The commercial is based mostly on emotions and only in one short scene the viewer can see the seats with the monitors. The saloons, seats and the exact food of Virgin Atlantic Airlines are not shown, but they are very important to be shown, as the consumer wants to see the comfort he/she will have during the flight.The fact that the advertisement shows a man being tucked into a cloud and not airplane seat could make an im pression that the airlines are hiding something and their seats are not good enough to be shown in the advertisement. This advertisement could have been improved by focusing the viewer’s attention much more on the design of the saloon, comfortable seats and delicious food. Nonetheless, overall this was a very well executed and effective advertisement with successfully reached hearts and minds of customer 12) References. 1. Leon G. Schiffman, Leslie L.Kanuk and Joseph Wisenblit, 2010, Consumer Behavior. 10th ed. Pearson Press. 2. Virgin Atlantic Airlines (2012) History [Online] Available full link at: http://www. virgin-atlantic. com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/history. jsp [Accessed 30 November 2012] 3. Mark Sweney (2010) Virgin Atlantic takes off with ? 6m James Bond-style ad push. The Guardian Online, [Online] Available full link at: http://www. guardian. co. uk/media/2010/oct/01/virgin-atlantic-ad-muse-feeling-good [Accessed 25 November 2012] 4. Virgin Atlantic Airlines (201 2) Travel information [Online] Available full link at: http://www. irgin-atlantic. com/gb/en/travel-information. html [Accessed 27 November 2012] 5. IMDB (2010) James Bond 007: Blood Stone [Online] Available full link at: http://www. imdb. com/title/tt1692489/? ref_=fn_al_tt_1 [Accessed 2 December 2012] 6. American Airlines, 2010. American Airlines Commercial ‘Putting them first’ [Video online] Available full link at: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=x6iAMiJUu5g [Accessed 27 November 2012] 7. Maslow, A. H. , 1987. Motivation and Personality. Third edition. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc.

Business-accounting information systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business-accounting information systems - Essay Example The purpose of this report is to provide a company with an inadequate accounting system the basic elements of an accounting system and which computerized accounting system can provide assistance for the company. Accounting is the information system that identifies, records, and communicates the economic events of an organization to interested users (Weigant & Keiso & Kimmel, 2002, p.2). The identification process involves the recognizing economic events which create activity that affects the bottom line of a business. These activities include expenses, sales of physical goods or services, purchase of materials or inventory, payroll, accounts payables, account receivables, recognition of liabilities and equity investment transactions. The activities must be recorded in a book called the general journal which can be either manual or electronic. The general journal is a simple system which records transactions as two input transactions where a debit and its corresponding credit are recorded for every economic transaction. In all accounting systems the sum of all credits must equal the sum of all debits. The reporting of the financial results of a company is illustrated within its financial sta tements. These must be created at the end of an accounting cycle which is typically a one year cycle. The four basic financial statements are The Income Statement, The Balance Sheet, The Statement of Cash Flow and the Statement of Stockholders Equity. In order for a company to create the end result of the accounting system which is the financial statements, a series of procedures occur over the course of a year which is called the accounting cycle. Appendix A provides a flow chart which illustrates the 9-step process of the accounting cycle. The accounting discipline is self regulated and people practicing accounting must follow a strict set of standards which are called generally accepted accounting

Right to Die - Financial Objections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to Die - Financial Objections - Essay Example And each new day makes it less and less likely. Her eyes are closed, but its not just that. Her face seems dead. She just has the same look all the time, like she was when she first collapsed. Its sort of a smile, but I think its a grimace. But it never responds, never changes. Its like looking at a corpse thats just barely breathing. Then the money problems make it so much harder. I wouldnt want my Mom to die because its hard to pay for her, but it just is. Her money is starting to run out. The ventilator, the doctor visits, the nurse checkups... they cost, and insurance doesnt cover it all. Im working two jobs to cover it. One of my jobs has insurance, but one pays just about minimum wage. I work the graveyard shift. I cant even be there to hold her hand because it costs so much money. American Hospice Foundation. â€Å"Coma and Persistent Vegetative State: An Exploration of Terms†. Cheryl Arenella, MD/MPH. http://www.americanhospice.org/articles-mainmenu-8/caregiving- mainmenu-10/50-coma-and-persistent-vegetative-state-an-exploration-of-terms . Web. Accessed

Symphony No 1 (Brahms Analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Symphony No 1 (Brahms Analysis) - Essay Example The popularity and success of this Symphony are richly deserved. It is a work of perfect technical achievement and profound emotion, of beautiful melody and detailed counter point. The most important structural feature, and that is undoubtedly original with Brahms, is the acquisition of a short but striking phrase which introduces the exposition, and for which the phrase basic motive seems most appropriate, since it principals the entire movement, either as a component or as a generating factor. The themes are all based on it, or obtained from it. The subordinate Theme is, for scant measures, similar to the principal one: such a likeness between the chief themes has been frequently done before and is identified as one of the conditions of the early symphonic movement. The first codetta also shows remarkable likeness to the principal theme; the basic motive is set forth in the upper most tones, but the principal theme is given to the basses.... This introduction was composed after the remainder of the piece had already been scored. The allegro section of the movement is a huge orchestral sonata, wherein musical ideas are developed, clearly expressed and restated with changed relationships among them. The key of the allegretto is A-flat major. The allegretto starts with a tranquil, stepwise tune in the clarinet. The four bar figure experience an extension making it an asymmetrical five bars resulting from a small bridge between the phrases by the strings. The â€Å"A† theme in the allegretto is rounded off by the clarinet making the invasion of the first five bars audible. The B the infiltrates in m. 11 and then features a dropping dotted eighth pattern in the clarinet, bassoon, and flute with the falling arising figures of the rhythm being echoed by the strings. A appears to emerge with the violins repeating the first theme and a longer, chromatic bridge segment which lengthens the phrase composition to seven bars. D and C themes are different from A and B in the sense that they are more angular and shorter rhythmically. The first two themes are almost persistent eighth note pizzicato in the string. On the other hand, C and D have more complexity to the sixth note pattern that is interlocked accompanying the wind. The movement to F minor from the major mode marks the sections as apart from heralding material. The contrast that is obvious in mood and character can make someone to think of the D and C sections as a trio appearing within them first allegretto section in the greater ternary form shown by the whole movement (Wilson 137). The symmetry of the whole is reflected in the symmetry of each section. The A†