Brazil’s Communication Essay

Every country has unique, distinctive ways in which they interrelate and communicate with each other within their country. A country’s means of communication can be verbalized through verbal, non-verbal, and interpersonal communication channels. In the country of Brazil most people are not Hispanic but Latino, although many immigrant communities are from Europe, Africa, and Japan. The official language spoken in Brazil is Portuguese; however, Spanish, English, and French are other languages that are also spoken in Brazil. When greeting they expect a firm handshake with strong eye contact. When doing business in Brazil don’t be taken aback if they stand very close to you when speaking. Moving away may be interpreted as rejection. Brazil also uses many forms of non verbal communication. Much of this body language is comprised of culturally derived behaviors. When speaking to one another, it is not normal to take turns speaking. People will interrupt a conversation and will often speak at the same time as their peers. Another verbal communication pattern that Brazil practices is using first names when addressing a person. Also, one’s tone of voice is often high pitched when conversing with one another. Although daily conversation is conducted in a louder voice, it is not meant to express anger or hostility to anybody. In addition, verbal communication in Brazil is viewed as being theatrical and overly animated by other countries who are more reserved. In Brazil, physical appearance and surroundings are important and provide visual cues as to one’s status and tone of conversations. In many Latin countries, communication tends to be predominately oral rather than through written word. However, from the business aspect, when sending something in written format it is usually a good idea to follow up with a phone call or a visit in person. Over the last two decades, the telecom industry world over has grown and evolved at an incredible pace and has significantly changed the way people interact. Brazil Telecom offers long distance telecommunications services hrough some 8,034 million lines and 281,800 public telephones to customers in Brazil. Oi Telecom, formerly known as Telemar is the largest telecommunications company in Brazil, it was established in 2008 and has become the biggest company in Brazil on the Telecommunications sector. This company is present in 4600 cities in Brazil and it has influenced the price drop in the national level of the same services offered by competitors due to strength of its operations in the country.

My Research over Seminole Wars

The Seminole Wars U. S. History 1301. 046 Carissa Farley Professor Rumanuk April 3, 2013 The Seminole Wars was one of many wars fought during our nation’s history. Some of the wars in our history were fought over Indian Removal. According to Ron Soodalter, â€Å"The Second Seminole War erupted over broken treaties that repeatedly changed the boundaries of the Seminole reservation and finally sought to push the Seminoles out of Florida altogether†.That sounds a little harsh to try and control the land of the Indian tribes. However that is just the way things were back then. Back then the Indians were considered one of the United States biggest enemies. â€Å"The U. S Army and the Seminoles fought three wars between 1816 and 1858. † One of these wars that were fought was the Second Seminole War. The war was fought for seven years. But the Second Seminole War, fought from 1835-1842 cost upward of 530 million-more than the annual federal budget at the time-and resul ted in the deaths of nearly 1,500 soldiers (mostly from disease), the forced removal from Florida of between 3,000 and 4,000 Seminoles, and the deaths of countless others. † Some wonder why all these deaths happened and it all comes down to the military strategy and stopping the spread of disease. There were people who opposed the relocation of the Seminole Indians. Two important people that opposed the relocation were two Seminole chiefs named Osceola and Micanopy.They both planned the effort against relocation but were defeated by a U. S commander by the name of Thomas Sidney Jesup. Jesup’s tactics wore down the Seminoles and in the end helped the United States drive the Seminoles out of Florida. The people who didn’t oppose the removal of Indians included President Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, Thomas Jesup, Duncan Clinch, and most of the United States. The war was started due to a â€Å"conflict that was the direct result of the nation’s unbridled d esire for territorial expansion, and of President Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy. According to the constitution of the United States all men are created equal. So shouldn’t that include Indians? Seeing as how we are treating them as the enemy, I don’t think that the Indians were included as part of the all men are created equal line of the constitution. However some people would say that the Indians are the enemy and should be treated horribly. â€Å"Jackson believed Indians posed a threat to the peace and tranquility of the American nation and should be relocated or eliminated.He formalized his policy in 1830, selling his concept to Congress, which passed the Indian Removal Act by the narrowest of margins. Over the next few years Jackson continued his campaign to remove the â€Å"Five Civilized Tribes†- the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole- and drive them west of the Mississippi. † The Indians were divided in what to do. S ome chose to use non-violence while others decided to go to the Supreme Courts and let the Courts decide what to do. The courts ruled in favor of the Indians and that caused a problem for Georgia.Georgia went to Jackson and Jackson told Georgia to ignore the ruling. Georgia and Jackson decided to ignore the court’s ruling. Because of this the Cherokee Indians were removed in an event called the Trail of Tears. In 1834 Jackson had his sights set on Florida and the Seminoles. â€Å"Eleven years earlier the Treaty of Moultrie Creek had directed the Seminoles to surrender all land claims in the territory and move to a 4-million-acre reservation in central Florida. It also bound them to remain peaceful and to apprehend all runaway black slaves and other fugitives for the government.For its part the government would provide cattle and hogs, an animal annuity of $5,000, an interpreter, a blacksmith, and an Indian agent, and keep all whites from encroaching on Indian Land- the latte r an unenforceable provision. The agreement came with a 20-year shelf life. † Unfortunately Jackson broke the agreement and signed another agreement that would force the Seminoles to move to the Arkansas territory within a three year period and surrender all black runaway slaves. I feel like this is violating laws. It is violating treaty laws but making a previous treaty not being upheld.On the other hand it makes the United States gain more land. I don’t agree with President Jackson’s way of removing Indians and taking all the slaves back but to be fair â€Å"Jackson harbored a personal resentment towards the Seminoles for their practice of sheltering and adopting runaway slaves into the tribe. † However his resentment is violating a person’s right to having the freedom to make their own decisions. â€Å"According to several Army officers present at the treaty negotiations, the Indians had been â€Å"wheedled and bullied into signing†Ã¢â‚¬ . The government tried to justify why they did what they did to the Indians ut the truth is they violated civil freedoms. A turning point in the war happened in late 1835 when â€Å"the hawkish Seminoles judged one chief who had agreed to relocate one traitor to the tribe, and Osceola killed him. It soon became clear war would come-and soon. † Unfortunately Osceola killed the Indian agent on December 28 and anyone in the cabin. He then took treasure from the agent’s cabin. To me this looks like Osceola is out for blood but he isn’t. He is trying to protect his tribe from suffering having to move away from their homes. The agent’s death was avenged by Jesup.Osceola died from Malaria in prison. The war went on in a bloody fashion until it was finally ended by all of the Seminoles going to Arkansas and Florida being given to the United States. Jackson’s prejudice towards the Indians didn’t help. â€Å"In the midst of the War of 1812, Jackson, then in charge of the Tennessee militia, was sent into southern Alabama, where he ruthlessly put down an uprising of Creek Indians. The Creeks soon ceded two-thirds of their land to the United States. Jackson later routed bands of Seminoles from their sanctuaries in Spanish owned Florida. Bibliography SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 62-69. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). â€Å"Outline of the United States History† ——————————————– [ 1 ]. 1 SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 63. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 2 ]. SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 64. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). 3 ]. SOODALTER, RON. à ¢â‚¬Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 64. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 4 ]. SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 64. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 5 ]. SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 64. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 6 ]. SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 65.Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 7 ]. SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 65. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 8 ]. SOODALTER, RON. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 65. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 9 ]. SOODALTER, RO N. â€Å"ON REMOVING SEMINOLES. † Military History 29, no. 2 (July 2012): 66. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2013). [ 10 ]. â€Å"Outline of the United States History† (Unknown dates and author)

Famine, Affluence, and Morality Essay

In Peter Singer’s 1972 article titled â€Å"Famine, Affluence and Morality†, he suggests that wealthy nations have an ethical duty to contribute much more than they do to other nations who are suffering through a natural disaster, extreme poverty, famine or other issues. In this paper, I will describe Singers objective and give his argument with regards to this issue. I will describe three counter-arguments to Singer’s view which he addresses, and after that reveal Singer’s reactions to those counterarguments. I will explain Singer’s idea of marginal utility and also differentiate how it pertains to his argument. I will compare how the ideas of duty and charity alter in his suggested world. To conclude, I will provide my own position in response to Singer’s argument. The primary objective of Singer’s article is to express that we as people have the capacity to assist those in dire need as it is our moral duty to do so. He uses the disaster in East Bengal as an example. â€Å"Continuous poverty, a cyclone, and a civil war have turned a minimum of 9 million people into abandoned refugees; nonetheless, it’s not beyond the capability of the wealthier countries to provide sufficient help to decrease further suffering to very small proportions (Singer 1972). He thinks that there’s no reason at all for individuals to suffer if other people have the ability to assist and prevent it from happening or getting worse. It’s our moral responsibility to modify our way of living so as to achieve this important objective. They are overcrowded, hungry, dehydrated and need medical attention. Singer believes that we have the resources to decrease the suffering and pain yet we disregard the problem and do nothing at all, which can be immoral. We should modify our opinions of morality so as to develop a dedication to helping people in dire need. Singer provides counter-arguments in his work which I will talk about here. He offers his readers a scenario which involves a drowning kid and a witness. Most people would try to save the kid since it’s the â€Å"right† action to take. Singer proposes that this duty happens since lots of people know that a drowning kid is considered very bad and outweighs the fact they you have to get your clothes muddy and wet. The counter-argument in this situation proposes that because I am not the only individual seeing this event, why is it my duty to do something positive about it? Why must it be my ethical responsibility to assist this kid in case nobody else is doing anything regarding it? Singer explains, â€Å"In case it’s in our power to avoid something bad from occurring, without thereby compromising anything of comparable moral significance, we should, morally, to do it (1972). † He thinks that we are able to do what’s right however we should decide to do what’s right even when everybody else decides not to. Singer also touches on whether our moral responsibilities must be restricted to distance. The counter-argument in this instance proposes that because these suffering people are so far away, why is it my moral responsibility to help them instead of using it in my own area? According to Singer, â€Å"It makes no ethical difference whether the individual I can assist is a neighbor’s kid 10 yards from me or a Bengali whose name I shall never know, 10,000 miles away (pg. 232). † It’s still our moral obligation to do what’s right. Is it morally appropriate to discriminate against a suffering individual just due to their distance? Singer suggests, â€Å"In case we accept any rule of impartiality, universalizability, equality, or whatever, we can’t discriminate against somebody just because he is far away from us (or we are far off from him) (pg. 232)†. A person’s distance must not restrict our moral duties. Singer believes that everybody must give when it’s required. Many people are not contributing, so how much must I give without making myself or my loved ones worse off? The counter-argument here is whether to give more than can cause financial stuggle. He discusses the probability of contributing to the point of marginal utility. As Singer states â€Å"Because the situation seems to be that not many people are likely to give considerable sums, it makes sense that I and everybody else in similar conditions must give as much as possible, that is, at least up to the level at which by giving more one would start to cause acute suffering for oneself and one’s dependents-perhaps even beyond this level to the stage of marginal utility, at which by giving more one would cause oneself and one’s loved ones just as much suffering as one would prevent in Bengal† (pg. 234). To conclude, we all must give as much as possible so long as it doesn’t cause us to suffer in the process. Singer proposes that responsibility and charity is our ethical duty. We â€Å"ought† to assist unknown people in need of assistance if we are capable to and that it would be morally incorrect not to contribute. We must put on our old clothes instead of purchasing new ones just for the simple truth that you want to be well dressed. Duty and charity change in this future world since in this era, many people won’t give up certain luxuries so as to give to other people. Most people are selfish and would prefer to indulge in the finer matters in life rather than worry about contributing their hard earned bucks to other people in need of assistance. Individually, I support Singer’s point for many reasons. I do think that we must assist people in need when we are capable of doing so as long as it does not cause us to suffer financially. I agree that a few luxuries must be overlooked if it implies that a life can be saved. In case we were suffering or in an identical condition, would we wish or expect assistance? I agree that it’s the correct thing to do morally. I don’t believe that we must discriminate against a suffering person simply because that individual isn’t in our society. The life of an individual is invaluable and must come first of all. To conclude, Singer’s primary point is that it is our moral obligation to assist other people in times of need with regards to medical care, food, shelter or reconstruction. I agree that we must contribute our money and time to assist other people if it doesn’t create a bad impact on our own lives. In this era, lots of people are selfish as well as greedy and don’t usually stop to take into consideration other people in need of assistance. People need to understand that there are lots of people around suffering and may ultimately pass away if they don’t get the assistance they need as well as deserve. I agree that it is our moral duty to assist any person in urgent need even when it’s an individual thousands of miles away.

Physician Assisted Suicide -Legal Aspects in Health Care Essay

Physician Assisted Suicide -Legal Aspects in Health Care - Essay Example Serious legal and ethical issues are involved in both PAS and euthanasia because of the immense value associated with human life. Some people believe that PAS and euthanasia should be allowed legally when a person is in a critical state with fewer hopes for survival. On the other hand, many people argue against it citing ethical reasons. In their opinion, only the creator has the right to take one’s life back and granting permission for PAS or euthanasia will result in misuse of such freedom by the relatives of the patients. In America, even though the Supreme Court has not taken a stand in the above issue, states have different statutes with respect to PAS and euthanasia. This paper explains the similarities and differences of the statutes governing physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. Jane Roh written on Fox news dated January 17, 2006 about the hot debate going on in America, over the practical, moral and legal issues surrounding assisted suicide even though the Supreme Court in 1997 ruled unanimously against the physician-assisted suicide. She has also mentioned that Supreme Court in 2006 supported the Oregons physician-assisted suicide law which allows terminal patients to seek the services of PAS legally (Roh, 2006). In other words, Supreme Court has not taken a clear stand yet about the legality of allowing PAS and euthanasia. Supreme Court in many instances, pointed out that PAS is not a constitutional right. But it recognized the right of a patient to refuse treatment or taking pain medications â€Å"which may indirectly result in hastened death but not involve an intent to take life† (What Is The Current Law Regarding Assisted Suicide?, 1999). In short, Supreme Court doesn’t allow direct and intentional taking of life whereas it keeps a mean ingful silence over the issue of unintentional taking of life or issues like PAS and euthanasia. In US, only Oregon State allows PAS whereas all the other states

Developing an implementation plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Developing an implementation plan - Essay Example To convince hospital executives of the importance of adopting stress management progams, the proposal first has to show how the stress management program will relieve some of their concerns about the hospital For example, the association between less stress in the student population and reduced incidences of errors will show the hospital executives how they stand to benefit through fewer lawsuits or claims of unprofessional behavior if they agree to the implementation of stress management programs. It is also very important to show how, in the recent past, there are medical institutions that have successfully implemented stress management programs. Researching about stress management for hospital workers shows the hospital executives that the implementation of such programs within their own organizations could be successful while also bringing many benefits (Sohn, Kim, Kim and Han, 2006). When presenting a proposal on implementing stress management plans, it is also important to incl ude a plan with a practical program that could be implemented immediately. This shows the executives that this will not simply be another program that they are tasked with overseeing and constructing, and which, should it fail, will negatively affect their standing in the medical community (Vahey, Aiken, Sloane, Clarke and Vargas, 2004). Description of current problem, issue, or deficit requiring a change Health care occupations such as nursing have long been known to cause a lot of stress for nurses as well as other medical practitioners. In addition, these jobs also cause a lot of psychological distress because nurses are constantly dealing with death or illness in their patients; many of whom they develop close relationships with (Murphy, 2003). In medical institutions, nurses have to deal with work overload, other people’s pain and distress, the absence of role clarity when tackling infectious diseases and time constraints, particularly in incidences when there are nurse shortages. Such stressors physically and psychological affect nurses so deeply that their discharge of their duties is affected (McCauley and Irwin, 2006). Stress can result in common absenteeism in the nursing workforce, medical errors, and poor turnover. Moreover, worker-focused or organizational interventions can be quite effective in reducing stress among medical workers. Many hospitals at present incorporate stress relief programs for nurses that include meditation programs (Rambaldini, Wilson, Rath, Lin, Gold, Kapral and Straus, 2005). Moreover, these are rarely effective because they can only reduce stress on a temporary basis. The best solution, though, is one that combines both organizational and worker based components as these both include short-time and long-term treatment and prevention components (Mackay, Cousins, Kelly, Lee and McCaig, 2004). Hospitals should also seek to incorporate regular physical and psychological check-up programs for their workers. Hospitals sho uld also coordinate programs that allow for frequent sabbatical leaves which allow nurses to engage in personal stress relief methods. There are other ways in which hospitals can assist in the relieving of the occupational stress that regularly affects nurses. For example, hospitals can seek to ensure that every nurse’

Questionaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Questionaire - Essay Example competitiveness in the market, logistic issues, communication, price fluctuations, and worker strikes as some of the challenges facing the copper industry. The operations that the companies involve in include mining and processing with some companies undertaking trading of the finished products. The respondents are also satisfied with the quality of the final products from copper companies. All the companies record a profit from their operations and elimination of the challenges would enable the copper companies to increase the profits (Jessop, 2002). None of the respondents feels that his company contributes effectively towards the international copper market. Two of the respondents strongly disagree that their companies have an impact on the copper industry. Transportation of the raw material and finished products is beneficial to all the companies. The most influential as voted by more than one respondent are road and sea transport. The least significant mode of transport is air transport with railway transport being crucial to one company. Private copper operates have a small effect on the global copper industry which can not be neglected when evaluating the challenges affecting the copper industry (Jessop,

BYD Company analyse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

BYD Company analyse - Essay Example Furthermore, the organisation has also marked its presence in the automobile industry during the year 2003 and since, then this Strategic Business Unit (SBU) has witnessed a robust growth. In the current day context, the organisation has also earned the reputation of being the fastest growing automobile organisation during the last few years. It also has been the global pioneer in manufacturing energy vehicles, which includes pure electric models and Dual Mode electric models (BYD Company Limited 2015). In is also worth mentioning that the organisational growth is largely because of the development of Research and Development (R&D) team of the organisation. The R&D team of the organisation has largely contributed in the development of energy storage system, LED lighting, and solar energy products, amongst others (BYD Company Limited 2015). Contextually, the objective of the current study is to prepare a business report that would guide the organisation in effective expansion in the c ontinent of Europe by targeting the car market operating in Germany. Analysis of the macro and microenvironment of European hybrid-car industry is extremely important for the current study. However, in the study special emphasis is provided to the German market. In order to conduct effective environment analysis, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis are considered most suitable to increase the transparency and ensure effective development. Therefore, the underlying subheads address the analyses of the external as well as internal environment using these marketing tools. Alike most of the nations in Europe, Germany is also a democratic nation. It is notable that the political environment of Germany along with other nations of Europe is mostly stable. This considerably encourages investors from different nations to invest in European nations including Germany (Jerez-Mir and Vazquez 2009). Besides these, it is notable that the governments of

The Features And Problems Of The Educational Process Essay

The Features And Problems Of The Educational Process - Essay Example He insists that education is on the level of psychological and sociological, these two are combined to mold an individual in the society to be their own person in the civilized society that is and continues to be, it trains them to have use of all their capabilities. He purposes school as a social institution that should be used to simplify life for the young minds so that they do not become confused or have their capabilities develop prematurely (Dewey 463). It expounds and forms the social life that is installed at home, the information imparted in schools and lessons learned is a preparation for the future. The teachers in the school should not control or command the kids rather see influences that will positively affect the child’s future and examinations that test the child’s fitness for social life. The social life of a child is based on their social activities, thus the subject matter of the education taught in schools should progress civilization (Dewey 464). It should not be objective but help interpret past experiences and develop new attitudes and interests. The author tries to inform us that when a child is involved in a passive and absorbing attitude rather than active and experimental the result is waste and friction (Dewey 465). Laws and regulations should not be imposed because education is the moral duty of any society in order to shape itself in its own direction. John Dewey uses repetition and examples in his essay My Pedagogic Creed to convince his audience that is mainly the educators, parents of young students, and the community that instant education reform is of utmost importance for the proper social and psychological growth of children. He uses strong emotion and opinions on how the subject matter of the education should be and what he thinks is the duty of the teachers and the society in instilling education in a  child.

The Innate Immune Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Innate Immune Response - Essay Example The defense mechanism is categorized in three types; i. External barriers, comprising of skin, nostril hairs etc. which tries to prevent the pathogens from entering the body. In fact the external barriers include physical, mechanical and chemical barriers. For example, skin and nostril hairs are termed as physical barriers; tears and extraction from genitourinary tract are the form of mechanical barriers. Similarly secretion of skin, eyes, oral cavities and respiratory tracts in the form of sweat, tears, saliva, and mucus containing anti-microbial peptides are the form of chemical barriers. As the term 'innate' suggests, the innate immune system is the inherent immune system we are born with. In fact some antigens are also present in our body, but the defense mechanism learns to live with it and together with these types of proteins, the immune system gains strength over time. The innate immune system is entrusted with; The type of innate immunity system, available in the form of protein chemical is known as 'innate humoral immunity'. Body's complement system, interferon and interleukin are some of the examples of such a system. The complement proteins together with interferon and antibodies form the all important white blood cells in the body. The complement system is a defense mechanism involving a group of more than 30 interacting soluble plasma proteins. These cell proteins provide the early warnings by way of triggering inflammation and synthesis of enzymes, so that reproduction and multiplication of viruses can be blocked. Allergies and inflammation are the forms of innate immune response. Redness, swelling, heat and pain are some of the initial responses of the immune system against the infection. The innate immunity system tries to highlight the ferocity of the pathogens by such actions. The inflammation occurs when tissues are injured by bacteria, trauma, heat or toxins. The damaged tissues release some chemicals like histamine, serotonin or bradykinin. These chemical substances in turn cause the blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, which causes swelling. This helps in taking appropriate response e.g. medication and precaution. The innate immune response is generated by the white blood cells, natural killer cells (NK cells) and T

Paper 4 uses at least two quotations from a secondary source found in Essay

Paper 4 uses at least two quotations from a secondary source found in the Literature Resource Center database - Essay Example s to do with motherhood, and mother and daughter relationships, it focuses more on the struggle and necessity for determining one’s own self, in terms of identity and freedom of choice. Olsen’s characters, mother and daughter, depict two people desperately striving to find their ‘self’, independent of each other, and within the realms of a society that continually places expectations on its people, especially women. The narrator embarks on a valuation of her role as a mother, which includes â€Å"her own responsibility, her own failure, and finally her need to reaffirm her own autonomy as a separate human being who cannot be defined solely through her parental role.† (Frye p.130) Emily, the daughter grows from a small sickly, innocuous child and teenager, lacking in self confidence, to a nineteen year old who realizes her ‘self’ through comedy and is finally happy in her ability to make her own choices. The entire story is seen from the narrator’s – the mother’s perspective, wherein she provides a sequential accounting of her past; this past life description is often interrupted by reference to present needs, "Ronnie is calling. He is wet and I change him," (611) which helps to illustrate the never ending work and her responsibilities involved in being a mother and the lack of time for her to even gather her thoughts for a moment, â€Å"†¦and there will be an interruption and I will have to gather it all together again.† (608) The narrator provides an insight into the hardships of motherhood and her plight in having to raise her daughter on her own during the depression, â€Å"I was nineteen. It was pre-relief, pre-WPA world of the depression,† (609) and the inadequacies of child care, â€Å"when she [her daughter] was eight months old I had to leave her †¦ with the woman downstairs,† (609) and â€Å"the only way† she â€Å"could hold a job† (609) was by placing her daughter in an inadequate nursery, but â€Å"it was the only place there was.†

Architecture of Bramante Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Architecture of Bramante - Term Paper Example Peter by Pope Julius Caesar. Bramante meticulously designed and centralized the basically around a large cupola. Before Bramante, earlier Gothic and Antic architectural work had completely missed the finer points in gracing buildings. For example, most 15th century artists had completely ignored inclusion of a charming and graceful outlook suggested by buildings, as revealed in living subjects (Anonymous, 1996). Importantly, it was Bramante who revolutionalised the earlier dull renaissance by incorporating aspects of human anatomy, and making architectural work charming and with finer details to reveal more to the eye, a concept which had all along being ignored. Bramante ideologies largely emanated from his love for nature, from which he was ready to study and had a good understanding of antique styles collaborated by his enlightened patronage (Onioans, 1984). The awakening in classical ideas dates back to between 1400 and 1600 when Renaissance period marked changes in architectural work throughout Europe. The main features of renaissance were symmetrical arrangement of doors and windows, triangular shaped pediments, extensive use of pilasters and classical columns, square lintels, niches, and sculptures, arches, and domes (Onioans, 1984). These designs looked monotonous and evoked no human feelings to Bramante; who was earlier inspired by both human anatomy and nature. To modify the above artistic styles in evoking feelings, Bramante began his new career at the Church of S. Maria Presso, a small nineteenth century church; the church had no chancel; a street outside had limited the span of a t-shape as most churches were designed (Pile, 2005 ). Using his knowledge in optical perspectives, Bramante initiated a new artistic work in Renaissance. The main contribution in this was to make the end wall of the church into an illuminating deep space using a painted vas relief where when viewed from the nave direction looks as a barrel – vaulted chancel which ap pears to complete the cruciform plan (Pile, 2005). Another breakthrough that was remarkable in high Renaissance was the monastery of S. Peitro in Montario, Rome. Bramante having proved his amazing designs was awarded the task of reconstructing the cloister to include a small chapel. In this, Bramante plan included a circular sphere surrounded by a ring of columns that matched the order that wrapped the round chapel with sixteen columns portico supporting an entablature (Pile, 2005). It was such interesting designs that Bramante was requested by the Pope to redesign and plan St Peter’s Basilica, which was earlier designed by Michelangelo. The architecture in this case put more emphasis on the harmony of proportions, making all volumes simple through a cylindrical structure, with the circular plan symbolizing Devine perfection (Kleiner, 2009). The church therefore illuminated both the antique styles, while at the same time representing the Christian memorial. These were the hum anistic feelings that Bramante in all his architectural work invented a new dimension in High Renaissance. Bramante in St Peter’s Basilica came up with a complex plan which had to include a domed crossing, four radiating arms which formed the Greek cross, and several smaller domed chapels at the resulting corners. Though the basilica has over the time undergone major changes, his designs and plans were maintained except the cross which

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay For my business studies coursework, my new business will be a Junior Tennis Academy for talented tennis players aged 3-18. Its name will be named after where it is based, at St Georges College, Weybridge. Therefore its name will be The Weybridge Tennis Academy. It will provide top coaching for young talent, as well as providing state of the art facilities which include four indoor tennis courts, three artificial clay, eight acrylic and three grass courts, as well as a gym where the players can train to help get fitter and stronger to help give them that physical edge over their competitors. We offer these services because tournaments are played on many different surfaces and we need to train our players to the highest possible standard. We also offer a re-stringing service at extremely competitive prices as well as official Weybridge Tennis Academy merchandise supplied by a top sports company, which is available for purchase at a discounted price. These facilities will help the business because Tennis Parents will see that our company has better facilities for their child than another tennis academy down the road. Tennis is a very expensive sport, so therefore our business is not only aimed at the players playing, but also the parents paying. Tennis parents are notoriously pushy people and they are usually quite well off, so therefore the more facilities we can offer, the more likely they will come to us. Usually, when money isnt a factor, people go for the best product, and by offering so many facilities, we have that competitive advantage over our competitors. With our location being in Weybridge, we automatically have good transport links, such as the M25 and Addlestone and Weybridge train stations. This will target all people living in and around London. London is the biggest city in Britain, so therefore we have many more potential customers compared to a tennis academy in for example Northumberland. My business aim is to fill a gap in the market. It will meet a demand for a Tennis academy open to all standards, rather than one where you have to be invited to join. For example the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, a 32 million pound facility is only open to players who have been invited. The Weybridge Tennis Academy is open to young players of all standards but with the same facilities as the National Tennis Centre. Therefore many more players will pass through the doors of my academy because it is open to a wider range of players. This will then lead to my business making a profit because there is not any other competition in the local area. During this coursework I will need to investigate the potential market and location to enable me to situate my business in the best possible location to help make as much profit as possible. I will also have to research the local competition to identify my main competitors and the buying habits of the local consumers to see what they look for most when investing in a product. The importance of Marketing Marketing is selling the right product, at the right place, at the right time and at the right place. The marketing mix, sometimes known as the four Ps is used to describe the key elements that a consumer wants and needs when buying a new product. I will need to find out what a consumer looks for, and make sure I find the right elements to help make my business successful. My business has to offer the customer a better thing than the local competition otherwise my business will fail. This means that my business will have to offer the customer something that no other tennis academy offers in the local area. This is because obviously if every academy offered the same thing as my business my business would have no competitive edge which will lead to failure. The Weybridge Tennis Academy needs to offer the customer what they want and need. This will then identify the first stage of the marketing mix which is product. The second stage of the, marketing mix is place. Place means how the customers are going to access my academy. There are many factors affecting this decision. It has to be in a place where customers can easily get to, as well as somewhere where there are many potential customers. My business will be situated in St Georges College, Weybridge (hence the name of the business). By being in Weybridge, there are many convenient transport links, such as the M25 or Weybridge or Addlestone train station. Addlestone train station is in fact situated less than a mile away from the centre, which means that there are many good transport links. This will then draw customers in from all around London and the South East. The third section of the Marketing Mix is Price. The Price is how much the product is being sold for. The price is very important to any business because it is normally one of the first things to be looked at when a consumer is considering buying a product. The customer has to think that the business is good value for money, and by comparing the prices of local competition, I will come up with an appropriate pricing method for my business. It is important that I take into account how much the business has cost to build because obviously if the expenditure is higher than the income, I will have made a loss rather than a profit There are many pricing strategies available to me, for instance cost plus pricing, which means setting a price by adding a fixed amount or percentage to the cost of making the product. This means that however much I spend on my Tennis Academy; I will add a percentage of money to this amount and charge the customers that amount. By doing this, I will always make a profit because I will be getting my money back on the expenditure, plus an added amount. The second pricing strategy I could use is to set a price based on competitors pricing. This means that I would look at the price of my competitors product and I would make that cheaper or better value to help make customers buy into my product. The fourth and final section of the Marketing Mix is the promotion. Promotion means how your product is shown to the customer, obviously if the customer does not know the business is there they cannot buy it. One example of this is advertising. There are many ways of promoting a business; it could be through a newspaper, television, internet and radio. These are examples of advertising through the media. Another way of promoting your business is through merchandising. This is a crucial way that I plan to promote my business through players buying official Weybridge Tennis Academy Merchandise, wearing it to tournaments and promoting the company through people seeing the companies name or logo on a back of a players shirt. Most players at my academy will be competing against players from other academies. This is a way of promoting because other players will see the companys logo and the tennis parents may well look into the possibility of sending their child to my academy. However ways such as sales promotion, which could include special offers, price discounts or free gifts, would not be appropriate because my business is looking for long term customer rather than short term customers. To get the best results I will conduct numerous experiments and research which will help me to find what the customers want and need. I will conduct questionnaires, surveys and interviews with other people finding out what they look for in investing in a tennis academy. I will also research statistics such as the number of competing juniors in the south east and also the amount of tennis academies in that area. This will then help me gain a competitive advantage over my competitors. Market Research Market Research is used by a business to try and find out what people want and also what competitors and doing and planning. Market Research helps find out who the customers are, whether they will like the product, how the business can be promoted, how much the customers willing to pay, what type of customer will be interested, how the profile of the customers can be built, whether the business is in the right location and how the products will be distributed. There are two main ways of conducting research. Field/Primary research is used to find out new information, and Desk/Secondary research is useful for looking at an entire market, and analysing trends for future reference. I will use both to research how my business can best achieve its goals and how it can beat competitors to getting customers. Field/Primary research is the process of manually entering the population and asking first hand questions. The advantage of using this method is that it is specific to my business, meaning that it is up to date and relevant. This means that I can ask any questions on any subject, and receive answers that are highly relevant and suitable for my research. There are many techniques which can be used, such as surveys, questionnaires and interviews. I believe that by conducting the research in the area where my business will be situated, I will achieve the most relevant and suitable results. However, to ensure that the data is accurate you need to use large field samples which can be expensive and very time consuming. Desk research is useful for looking at an entire market, whilst analysing past trends for future reference. For example I would have to look at the trends of tennis academies across Britain. Desk research has already been researched and accessed by other companies, so it therefore already exists and therefore it takes no time to conduct or find the data you want. The data can be accessed through the internet, newspapers, government records and market research. Desk research is good because it is easy to obtain and it is cheap. The disadvantage is that it is not specific or relevant to your business. It can also be biased or out of date which severely affects the reliability. I will try and collect Qualitative data so I can then see exactly what people want, as well as their thoughts and feelings. This will then help me know what customers want which will help me gain an edge over the competitors. I will do this by interviewing a select amount of people and finding out what they look for in a tennis academy. The questions asked will be based on how much people will pay, how the location will affect their decision and once again what they look for when investing in a tennis academy. After I have found out the information, I will access it and make it relevant to my business. By knowing what customers look for in a company, I will know what to include when I am trying to promote my business. For instance if a lot of people want indoor courts to make sure that it can never be cancelled or so that there child can play all year round, I will make sure that the fact that my academy has indoor courts is highly publicised. Also, by knowing what customers want, I will have an advantage over my competitors. Evaluation Number of Competing Juniors: Berkshire-149 Essex-343 Hampshire-274 Kent-338 Middlesex-450 Surrey-536 Total number of competing juniors in the south east-2090 Information obtained from www.lta.org.uk Juniors includes all players born in 1990 Tennis academies in the south east: Clive Asprey Tennis Academy-Aldershot Sutton Junior Tennis Centre The National Tennis Centre-Roehampton Win Tennis-Bisham Abbey Esporta-Croydon Westway-London These are all TENNIS ACADEMIES this does not include any LAWN TENNIS CLUBS. Lawn tennis clubs are open to any people and are therefore not relevant to my business. These academies are my main competitors because it is invitational only. There are roughly 2000 competing juniors in the South East and there are six tennis academies (not including my academy) in this area. Therefore on average there are around 300 children to every academy. Obviously this would not be the case in reality but it gives a good idea of the Academy/Player Ratio. INFORMATION OBTAINED BY WWW.YELL.COM 1st Interview 1) What are the 3 main things that you look for in a tennis academy? The three main things I look for are the ability for the academy to get my child to its full potential, therefore I know that I am paying for excellence and I know my moneys being put to good use. The ability to play all year round is very important because I therefore know that sessions can never be cancelled due to weather and my child can therefore train all year round. Lastly the coaches have to be highly qualified and I would like to know a bit about them so I know that they can emphasize with players when they are going through tough times. 2) How would the location affect your decision of where to send your child? There would have to be good roads such as motorways because obviously I dont want to be travelling all the time. Also if my child is of an age that he could travel on his own, I would like there to be easy to access buses and trains for him/her to use. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? I wouldnt mind paying a lot of money as long as the results were shown. Also if I had a younger child, I would want to pay less at first until I see that he/she was improving and that he was committed. As he/she improves I would be more inclined to pay more. 2nd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I would firstly look at the academys credentials, for instance its results of members, and the proof of its results. It would also have to be good value for money, so therefore I would need to be seeing an improvement in my childs progress. Also the location is important because I dont wish to be travelling all the time. 2) Why is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? I have got a busy life and I dont wish to be travelling all across the countryside after Ive had a long day at work. It has to be easy to attend so therefore good transport links are vital. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? Obviously there is the factor of whether it can be afforded but the price is not important. I would have to see that my money is being put to good use so therefore the investment has to match the progress. 3rd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I look at the facilities of the academy, for instance whether it has indoor courts. I would also like to know the standard of the players that attend the academy and the background of the coaches. The attitude and the atmosphere of the academy are crucial because I have to know where I am sending my child. 2) Is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? Obviously I dont want to be travelling too much and it has to be reasonably local otherwise well spend more time travelling than actually playing. Also I dont want to be paying a fortune for the transport fees, for instance petrol or train/bus fares on top of the price of attending the academy. 3) Is the cost important? The cost is obviously very important otherwise our whole life would be being run by tennis. I would prefer to pay less at the start and once I have seen an improvement or a commitment start to increase the price. Evaluation of Questionnaires: I have found out that what most people want is value for money. This means that however much they put in, they want out. This therefore means that the more they pay, the bigger the improvement in their childs ability they would expect to see. Therefore I think I will give special offers to new customers, such as they get the first term half price so that they know that it is what their child wants to do and also if they do not see an improvement they have the opportunity to pull out. This was suggested to the people that I interviewed and it seemed a popular idea. Secondly, they found the factor of indoor courts crucial as that meant they could play all year round. As my academy would have this facility, this is a good thing, however many other academies have indoor courts and this therefore does not separate us from our competitors. Many people thought that the location was an important factor. Many parents have busy lives and they do not wish to be travelling all over the place. My academy is situated in a place with good public transport links, there are two train stations within two miles of the academy, and it is situated two miles from the M25. This was once again explained to the interviewees and they seemed to be in favour of the placement of my academy. Many people didnt mind about the cost of the academy, as long as they saw the results. This was touched upon earlier and I will use a penetration pricing method, which means that I will make the price quite low at the start to try and draw customers in and then increase it as they see an improvement. This was a major aspect that the people that I interviewed would look for in tennis academy and this will help me gain that competitive advantage. Overall the research I conducted was extremely useful as it told me what customers wanted and needed, as well as giving me statistics that would help me gain a bit more knowledge in this type of business. I found out the amount of competing juniors in the south east, as well as the number of academies. It also told me how customers felt, for instance about the price and location of the academy. The information I have found out will help me in making the decisions about the academy, such as the pricing, structure and promotion of the business. Conclusion/Judgement Overall I believe that my tennis academy will work. There are six full time academies in the South East, not including my one, and there are over two thousand regularly competing juniors in the same area. This means that the ratio of Academies/Players is 6:300. Obviously in reality some academies have more players than others because of reputation, facilities, transport and cost. My academy has state of the art facilities, as explained earlier. It is also situated in a place where there are good channels of distribution and good transport links. This means that customers will be attracted because it is easy to get to. The cost will be determined by a Penetration Pricing Method. This means that my prices will be low for new customers, so that parents then know that their child is improving, or enjoying the experience. Most parents interviewed wanted their money to be payed back through improvement of their childs development. Therefore if I charge low prices at the start, for instance half price for your first term, and the child makes a big improvement, the parent is more likely to want to pay more from then on. If the child does not improve, the parent will then be giving the option of continuing with the programme. This will then help company/customer relations. This will then help my academies reputation, which will then attract more customers. As my academies reputation builds, more profit will come in and we can start charging higher prices. To help promote my academy, I will seek sponsorship from sports companies such as NIKE, Adidas, Wilson, Babolat, Prince, Head, Dunlop, TTK and Lacoste. I will also sell official Academy merchandise such as training kit, match play kit, and tracksuits which will be worn to tournaments by players and other players will see them. This is a way of free advertising as the children/parents would be paying for the kit and wearing it around showing it off to other players and parents. I will also look to gain funding from the Lawn Tennis Association who gives funding to academies that have regularly competing juniors. These are called Satellite Clubs and they are given funding which helps pay for the costs of balls, rackets and other training equipment. As my academy builds in reputation, I will look to gain more funding which will help me make more profit. Overall there is a lot of potential in this product. I believe that people will be attracted to my product because of the facilities, meaning the product itself; the price, meaning that I will make it cheaper at the start to draw customers in; the promotion, for instance the official merchandise that will be seen in tournaments; and finally the place; meaning the channels of distribution. This will attract customers because of where it situated, meaning that it is easy to get to. However my tennis academy does have a lot of competition, which means that I will have to use the knowledge that I found out through the market research to help gain the competitive advantage over my rivals.

Market segmentation and marketing mix of LG and SAMSUNG

Market segmentation and marketing mix of LG and SAMSUNG Definitions Market segmentation The dividing of all possible customers into groups based on their needs, age, income, education etc. (Cambridge Business Dictionary, n.d.) Marketing mix The combination of actions a company uses when selling a product or service. These are often described as the four Ps: Product, price, promotion and place. (Cambridge Business Dictionary n.d.) Aims This piece of work aims to analyse and assess the market segmentation and marketing mix characteristics of and potential for Samsung compared with LG. Due to the very broad market sectors and product ranges of both companies, this report will concentrate on the relatively new product sector of fitness monitors when considering both market segmentation and mix. Interest in these products has grown due to the availability of ‘wearable devices’ and the suitability of technology, particularly Smartphone apps, to assist in this pursuit. There has also been increased awareness and concerns about keeping fit and healthy. According to Vecchione (2012) the market for self-monitoring functions such as high blood pressure and blood glucose levels using wireless wearable devices is growing faster than Telehealth (the official NHS version of technology to monitor patients remotely in their own homes). The proportion of wireless devices used to monitor health conditions is predicted to increase from a low level of 5% in 2011 to as high as 80% by 2016 (Ibid), with the resulting readings being stored and analysed on smart phones. Company background An Introduction to Samsung Samsung was founded in Suwon, Korea in 1969. Its vision 2020 is stated as being â€Å"Inspire the world, create the future† (Samsung website, n.d.) Samsung Electronics is a global leader in semiconductors, telecommunications and digital media technologies with sales of 143.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2011 and 221,730 employees spread across 72 countries (Ibid.) Samsung has been the worlds largest television manufacturer since 2006 and is the worlds largest producer of LCD panels. The company also has the greatest share of the global market for memory chips. With the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S mobile, the company has taken the lead in global sales figures for smart phones as of 2013. Samsung has also established a prominent position in the tablet computer market with the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab offering strong competition against the iPad from Apple. The headquarters of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. are situated in Suwon, South Korea and this is also the flagship company of the Samsung Group. In 2013 the president of Samsung Electronics was Boo Keun Yoon; and the goals of the company encompassed both quantitative ($400billion global sales and number one spot in the global IT industry); and qualitative (design products that enrich people’s lives and contribute to a socially responsible future). This is a real sign of the times as organizations increasingly have to demonstrate corporate responsibility and contribution to social or shared value, i.e. doing well by doing good; an approach which can provide additional competitive advantage (Kramer, 2011). Roy (2013) explains this further as being the next stage of business thinking, embedding contributions to wider society as an integral part of corporate strategy. Samsung operates in Western Europe, the Far East, and the United States; increasing its share of the mobile phone market in Western Europe over the past three years at the expense of companies such as Apple and Nokia. In 2011, for example, Samsung had only a 14% market share in Western Europe (compared with Apple at 21% Nokia at 20%). By 2013, Samsung’s had increased its share of the Western European market to 45%; Apple’s share dropping to 20%, and Nokia’s market share plummeted to just 5%. Other competitors including Blackberry fared even worse, losing practically its 17% market share to Samsung and Apple. HTC’s Android smart phones also struggle to compete with the two market giants, especially Samsung, who managed to generate more income than Apple in 2013 (please see Figure 1 below). Figure 1 – Samsung and Apple profits 2011-2013 ($ billion) Source: Statista Thirteen Samsung products have held the number one spot for market share including televisions, semi-conductors (the first product which the firm originally manufactured) and mobile phones (Samsung, n.d.) Samsung is continuing to research and develop new innovative products such as LCDs and semi-conductors. An introduction to LG There is some resonance in the LG story compared with Samsung: LG is also a Korean company and it too was founded about half a century ago in 1958, originally known as Goldstar. It was founded on the ethos of creating a happier, better life (LG website, n.d.) Since 1958 it has progressed into the digital age through technological development, originally of home appliances such as washing machines and radios. Then in 1995 the company was renamed LG Electronics, acquiring the United States based company Zenith (Ibid.), hence opening up the vast American market. This was followed in 1997 by LG developing the first digital mobile handset and being the first company to be certified for the production of digital television sets. In 1998 the company developed the 60 inch plasma TV followed by a joint venture with Phillips to create LG Phillips LCD (Ibid.) 2002 sees LG export GPRS1 colour mobile phones to Europe and in 2003 achieve monthly export volume of 2.5 million units. By 2005 LG had become the fourth largest supplier of mobile handsets worldwide; plus the firm was the pioneer of notebook computers (LG website, n.d.) 2008 sees the company launch a new global identity: â€Å"stylish design and smart technology, in products that fit our consumers’ lives† (LG website, n.d.). In 2009 LG becomes the third largest supplier of mobile phone handsets worldwide, and 2010 saw the company launch the world’s first 3D LED TV. According to their website LG brand identity focuses on self expression and a promise of satisfaction to its customers; using the phrase â€Å"delightfully smart† as its strapline. The LG logo itself is said by the company to represent a circle around the customer epitomising the corporate value of establishing a lasting relationship with and achieving highest satisfaction for customers. This is the basis of relationship marketing and is key to attracting and retaining customers in a world where consumers are bombarded with sales messages. Market segmentation As Drucker neatly put it, â€Å"the purpose of business is to create customers† (Swaim, 2010, p.14) and to do this requires looking from outside the company from the customer’s point of view and answering questions about market segmentation, including â€Å"what does the customer buy† and â€Å"what is value to the customer†? Samsung and LG market segmentation Information to guide segmentation can be collected through carefully planned market research; and the analysis of questionnaire surveys. Here are some market segments that will be most relevant to the fitness monitor market: Students tend to be the most technology-literate and represent a well defined segment in terms of the early adoption and use of new technologies. They also assist in promoting and recommending products through the social media methods; plus can be helpful in co-production and the development of the product. The importance of the use of social networking sites (SNS) in the consumer buying process must not be underestimated; seeking opinion from other consumers is now a pre-requisite of the purchase decision-making process. Interbrand (2012) suggests this may always have been the case but a feature of the past few years is the increase in the speed with which opinions and consumer influence can be spread. Nielsen (2010) discovered that most internet users seek out reviews and consider the brand recommendations of fellow consumers before finally deciding on a purchase (Figure 2). The graph illustrates that recommendations from friends and family are the main source of information most trusted. A key factor to note here, however, is that official brand websites can be as influential as online consumer opinions but they have to be more than just promotional messages. In comparison, advertising in newspapers and on radio and TV are less trusted by consumers. Figure 2 – Percentage of consumers who have trust in different forms of advertising Source: Nielsen, 2010 Young professionals are another market segment for these types of products; the main difference with the student sector is the considerably higher income and hence greater willingness to spend more on the product. This group is arguably carrying on the great tradition of early adopters too; the UK market has always been at the forefront of adopting new technology, including broadband, digital TV and Smartphone take-up (Ofcom, 2010). Wireless technologies such as these fitness monitors have been no exception with the digital age being fully embraced by the early adopters in the UK as soon as the new products have been released by the major manufacturers including Samsung and LG. There is a third key market segment for fitness monitors revealed by research evidence and that is young women who tend to be more interested in health and using exercise as a way to keep slim as much as keeping fit (Clohessy, 2014). The functionality of the new generation of fitness monitors includes features such as the number of calories being burnt off as exercise progresses, with different consumption rates depending on the type and intensity of activity. These last two market segments also have the advantage of containing a greater proportion of working people who are consequently much less influenced by the absolute price of the product. They are also proactive Twitter and Facebook users and contributors, reading reviews and providing comment as part of the consumer decision-making process. Marketing mix The marketing mix, or four Ps (product, price, promotion and place) is a tool integral to the development of marketing strategy; the specific tactics for the major parameters of the product or service can be defined. In more recent literature, the marketing mix has been expanded to include the seven Ps (Kotler, 2012,) encompassing more elements as shown below in Figure 3. The basic four mix elements remain but are joined by the new criteria of ‘people’, ‘physical evidence’ or ‘environment’, and ‘process’; these are considered by some to better describe the marketplace influences. Kotler (2012.p.31) describes it as: ‘holistic marketing’ which â€Å"recognizes and reconciles the scope and complexities of marketing activities†. Figure 3 – the seven Ps of the Marketing Mix Source: Kotler, 2012 However, this report will be concentrating on the four core marketing mix elements of product, price, promotion and place. Samsung marketing mix In the case of Samsung, the tactics adopted to satisfy some of the marketing mix elements might be considered to be: Product – The Samsung fitness monitor is called ‘Gear Fit’ (Figure 4) and is designed for the wrist; it has a curved display and several apps including a built-in heart rate monitor and work out management system. Promotion – Celebrity endorsement is not a new concept and has a long history dating back to the early 1900s. For example, according to Ketcham (2001), Buffalo Bill Cody was pictured on a trade card and supplied a testimonial for the back of the card, in which he praised the benefits of Kickapoo Indian Oil. Another trade card depicted the image and name of Sarah Bernhardt, connecting her with Carters Liver Bitters (Ibid.) Samsung has already successfully used celebrity endorsement to promote its products, using the sportsmen and women at the Sochi Winter Olympics (Samsung, n.d.) This philosophy can be extended to engage the younger sports-oriented consumer, with the careful selection of sports stars providing a strong enticement for consumers to try the product. It might be a footballer or tennis player, perhaps connected with a major sporting event. Price – If a premium price is to be charged for the product, Samsung needs to provide a strong competitive advantage for the Gear Fit over the competition, particularly LG. A good way of securing willingness to pay a higher price for a product is to add value through additional features or extra services. Samsung is well regarded for its innovative products and is number one in the smart phone market currently. This kudos will most probably rub off onto the fitness monitor too provided the right approach is adopted in terms of engaging the consumer through the social media focusing on Facebook and Twitter. Place – With its domination of the Smartphone and tablet computer markets, Samsung will be able to exploit not only its on-line presence for sales of the Gear Fit monitors but also capitalize on the goodwill and very strong presence in the high street. All the mobile phone network companies will be keen to stock the innovative Samsung products including fitness monitors, as will the supermarkets and electronics stores. Samsung already produces medical monitoring equipment for the hospitals and clinics; this fitness monitor could be added to the product range for healthcare too. LG marketing mix The marketing mix tactics adopted by LG could conceivably include: Product – In terms of the fitness monitor, LG has developed a couple of complementary products; the Lifeband wristband (Figure 5), with a touch screen; and the heart rate earphone monitor. The Lifeband plays music, receives calls and texts, has a three axis accelerometer and altimeter for recording exercise effort, and can track the route of the wearer using a Smartphone app. Promotion – aligning a brand with major events to create and maintain an identifiable profile is central to the promotion strand of the marketing mix. The natural target events for the promotion of the Life band will include the London Marathon and the Great North Run; monitoring the heart rate during a marathon event assists with pacing and avoids straining the heart (Sinha, 2014). Price – maintaining a premium pricing policy would be possible with such an expanding market, but LG needs to ensure the consumer is willing to continue to pay that premium through constant product enhancements such as the music functionality and GPS capability. These enhancements need to be communicated and discussed with consumers through engagement through social media hopefully developing that relationship with the customer central to the LG ethos, as depicted in the encircling logo. Place –Apart from the company website there must be considerable scope for collaborating with franchise/nationwide gyms; and exercise equipment companies to promote the LG Life band. There will also be increasing potential in tendering for Clinical Commissioning Group contracts for Telehealth2 and telecare 3 products; the wearable fitness monitor providing a cost-effective and simple to use way for patients to monitor their own condition and feel more in control of their health. Conclusions * Both Samsung and LG Electronics have identified the fitness monitor market as a potential area for considerable growth over the new few years. * They have both developed attractive products to promote to the particular market segments highlighted in this report, including students, women interested in staying fit through calorie counting as well as exercise, and young professionals. * Pinkse and Slade (2004) remind us that competition is greatest amongst brands that are most similar and it seems that these two large Korean electronics firms need to distinguish themselves from the other in order to create a unique selling proposition (USP) for their product(s) and to generate a desire for the product and organisations. Recommendations 1. It would be beneficial to take a longer term view of demographic trends, particularly in view of the ageing demographic, to predict any change in the potential market for fitness monitors. Such information is supplied by the Office for National Statistics Census 2011 data and population projections (ONS 2011). 2. Exploiting the potential of social media to promote the brand identity through taking advantage of the buzz around the social side of fitness and exercise; which exists particularly amongst younger target market segments. 3. Celebrity endorsement is a really effective way to promote products that are the subject of culture and desire, particularly amongst the youth and young adult market. Samsung used sports men and women at the Sochi Winter Olympics to promote their products (Samsung, n.d.); perhaps they can continue this and maybe LG could find their own set of celebrity endorsers for their products? 4. However, considering the increasing life expectancy combined with the ageing demographic (a greater percentage of the population being aged over 55, 65 and particularly 75 there is a considerable untapped market for promoting fitness monitors to this group of consumers. The lengthier retirement periods experienced by many people nowadays provide considerable potential for promoting a regular exercise regime to be built into their daily routine. The fitness monitor is well suited as an aid to a healthier old age as it is simple to use, portable and wearable, and can be promoted as positively reducing the likelihood of long term illness or disability. This is backed up by the evidence that highlights regular physical activity as the single most important lifestyle behaviour change for keeping healthy (Colberg et al, 2010) preventing type 2 diabetes, reducing high blood pressure and vastly reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. 5. Pursuing the fitness monitor market and expanding it into the Telehealth sector will have considerable potential too as the NHS and healthcare professionals are increasingly encouraging people with long term conditions to be more proactive about self-care and management. The Department of Health (2011) estimates there are around 15 million people in the UK with long term conditions; and that as many as 80% of these people could be supported to manage their own condition including though the use of effective self-monitoring. Not only will this reduce pressure and costs on NHS services, including keeping people out of hospital; but there is evidence that outcomes for patients are improved too with people more confident and experiencing a better quality of life (Challis, 2010). Word count = 3,093 References Colberg, S., Sigal, R., Fernhall, B., Regensteiner, J., Blissmer, B., Rubin, R., Chasan-Taber, L., Albright, A. Braun, B. 2010. Exercise and Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care;Dec. 2010; 33(12) pp.147-167. Cambridge Business Dictionary. N.d. [On-line] Available @ http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english [Accessed 11/10/2014]. Challis, D., Hughes, J., Berzins, K., Reilly, S., Abell, J., Stewart, K. 2010. Self care and case management in long term conditions: the effective management of critical interfaces. London: HMSO. Clohessy, K. 2014. The best heart rate monitor for weight loss. [On-line] Available @ http://www.livestrong.com/article/380969-the-best-heart-rate-monitor-for-weight-loss/ [Accessed 13/10/2014. Department of Health. 2011. Ten things you need to know about long term conditions. London: Department of Health. Fournier, S. Avery, J. (2010) The Uninvited Brand. Boston: Boston University. Interbrand. 2012. Branding in the post-digital world. London: Interbrand. Ketcham, S. (2001) Celebrity Endorsements are a thing of the past (and Present) [on-line]. Available from: theoldtimes.com. [Accessed 11/10/2014]. Kotler P. et al. 2012. Marketing Management (2nd Ed). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Kramer, M. 2011. Corporate Social Responsibility vs. Corporate Social Value – what’s the difference? [On-line] Available @ http://www.fsg.org/KnowledgeExchange/Blogs/CreatingSharedValue/PostID/66.aspx [Accessed 12/10/2014]. LG website [On-line] Available @ http://www.lg.com/uk/about-lg [Accessed 11/10/2014] Nielsen. (2009) Global advertising consumers trust real friends and virtual strangers the most. [On-line] Available @ http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2009/global-advertising-consumers-trust-real-friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most.html [Accessed 11/10/2014]. Ofcom. 2010. UK consumers revealed as early adopters of new technologies. [Online] Available @ http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/news/uk-consumers-revealed-as-early-adopters-of-new-technologies [Accessed 12/10/2014]. Office for National Statistics (ONS). 2011. 2010-based national population projections. [On-line]. Available through ONS website @ http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/npp/national-population-projections/2010-based-projections/rep-2010-based-npp-results-summary.html [Accessed 09/10/2014]. Pinkse, J. Slade, M. (2004). Mergers, brand competition and the price of a pint. European Economic Review: 48 (2004) 617-643. Roy, S. 2013. Corporate shared value – the new competitive advantage. [On-line] Available @ http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/01/corporate-shared-value-new-competitive-advantage [Accessed 12/10/2014]. Royal College of Nursing website. N.d. Telehealth and telecare. [On-line] Available @ http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/e-health/telehealth_and_telecare [Accessed 11/10/2014]. Samsung. 2013. Samsung Electronics Annual Report. Suwon: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Samsung website [On-line] Available @ http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/samsung_group/history [Accessed 09/10/2014] Sinha, A. 2014. Heart Monitor Training. [On-line] Available @ http://www.marathonguide.com/training/articles/heartmonitortraining.cfm [Accessed 13/10/2014] Swaim, R. 2010. The Strategic Drucker: Growth Strategies and Marketing Insights from the works of Peter Drucker. Singapore: John Wiley Sons. The King’s Fund. 2013. Transforming our healthcare system: Ten priorities for commissioners. London: The King’s Fund. Vecchione, A. 2012. Health monitoring devices market outpaces Telehealth. Information Week [On-line] Available @ http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/health-monitoring-devices-market-outpaces-telehealth/d/d-id/1104636? [Accessed 11/10/2014]. 1 GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is a technology enabling phones to transfer data quickly, whilst still allowing telephone calls to be made. 2 Telehealth (or telemedicine) is defined as the remote monitoring of physiological functions including blood pressure, temperature and blood sugar levels, particularly as an aid to the self-management of long term conditions by patients in their own homes (Source: RCN website, n.d.) 3 Telecare covers a number of systems of sensors and alarms which monitor the safety of the living environment enabling people to remain living at home who otherwise would require care in a community hospital or care home. Examples of telecare devices include fall detectors, personal alarms, flood detectors and extreme temperature detectors (Source: RCN website, n.d.)

River And Water Management Flood Control Environmental Sciences Essay

River And Water Management Flood Control Environmental Sciences Essay Floods are a major concern in many parts of the world due to the many losses experienced in time of floods. Therefore, flood management techniques are very important in areas that are prone to frequent flooding. Flood management techniques are structures designed with the aim of containing floodwater in order to control floodplains. The designing of flood control techniques entails estimating the levels of water that causes floods and then measuring the required height that will create a working flood defense. Flood defenses are strong barriers that prevent water from flooding floodplains (Woods Woods 2007, p.5). Floods generally occur when flowing surface water spills over the restraining banks into dry land. Floods are a natural occurrence in almost all river systems. Areas that are prone to flooding include those that are located downstream of dams and low lying areas. Flooding causes vast losses which include human and animal life, soil erosion, damages of properties, destruction of vegetation and other environmental damages. Also, areas that are affected by floods could also be prone to droughts. This can even cause further loss of human and animal lives. Flood waters are usually polluted with harmful bacteria resulting from sewage. This means that people affected by the floods are at greater risks of getting infective diseases (Proverbs, et al., 2011, p. 221). However, floods also have positive impacts on ecosystems. One benefit from flooding includes more fresh water for domestic and irrigation usage. Other benefits include large deposits of minerals and nutrients into affected areas. Apart from these, floods also help to improve the condition of water ecosystems. However, they can be considered to be the most damaging compared to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes due to their frequencies. Therefore, strict measures must be in place to prevent the massive losses occurred during floods (Gruntfest Handmer, 2001, p.12). Methods used to control floods Techniques that are applied in controlling floods involve the adaptation of the river environment and areas which are close to the river. Flood control techniques can be applied on the river channel, floodway or on the floodplain (Ghosh, 1997, p.55). Techniques applied in floodplains Floodplains are areas that lie below the flood elevation and entirely on the floodway and river channel. The majority of techniques applied on floodplains lie far from the river but they are designed to reduce flood damage. Levee/Floodwall around structures This technique involves the construction of a levee/floodwall around structures that are located in floodplains. Levees can either be permanent or temporary. Construction of the levee usually requires the use of strong, artificial or natural material that can endure pressure from the floods (Hyndman Hyndman, 2010, p.356). The principle of using levees and other barriers is to raise the height of structures located in floodplains which floodwater must then climb in order cause flooding. These structures are there to offer protection to structures. However, they put other structures at a high risk of flooding due to the then increased water retention in the floodplains. Furthermore, serious damage to protected structures can then occur when the levees are unable to hold back floodwater. This is because the pressure that the floods hit the structure is extremely high compared to when there is no barrier (Green, 2004, p.36). The use of levees, dykes and floodwalls has a negative impact on the natural river processes (Harmancioglu, 1994, p.42). Ideally, developed water spills should form a natural channel which provides a way for the floods to flow. Therefore, levees would reduce the ability of the floodplains to process floodwaters. The inability of the floodwaters to flow freely within the floodplains would interfere with fish in their aquatic habitat. The river would respond by creating other channels in order to allow excess water to flow. The developed channels clear the backwater as well as reduce habitat complications (Harmancioglu, 1994, p.43). Off-stream detention pond The main aim of creating detention ponds in floodplains is to collect the floodwaters once the river has reached its maximum capacity. Detention ponds are constructed away from the floodway but must be within the floodplain catchment. When directing water into the detention ponds it will have an impact on reducing the amount of water a river carries. This will have a negative impact on natural river processes due to the reduction of water flowing downstream. Reduced amount of downstream flow could then cause a reduction in sediment transport, which may lead to the rising of the ground level of the channel and deposition of fine sediments. In addition, allowing water to flow into a detention pond may cause more water to flow into the pond than expected. This may lead to an increased development of river channels (Ali, 2002, p8.3). Detention ponds also create new surroundings for the breeding and maturing of fish. However, the construction of detention channels must be done in a way that creates a connection between the pond and the mainstream so that the rivers natural environment can be maintained. Severe damage to the environment can occur when the detention ponds break down leading to flooding in the floodplains. Techniques applied on floodway The floodway is made of river banks and the active channel. In general, the floodway forms the part of land that is immediately next to the river. This piece of land allows flood waters to pass without raising the floods depth upstream. One characteristic of floodways is the presence of small banks, either due to cuts made by previous floods or natural levees due to deposits from previous floodwater (Mambretti, 2011, p.66). Reducing the bank slope This technique consists of cutting the riverbank backwards to produce a gentler slope (Masoudian, 2009, p.14). It may involve replanting or resurfacing the bare bank using materials afterwards. Reducing the bank slope will have an impact on the increasing flood transportation at the channel level due to the increased bank width. This usually happens because reducing the bank slope increases the surface area of the bank channel, which then increases the volume of bank flow. However, if slope reduction is done through planting vegetation, it is likely that the bank stability will be increased. This has an effect of creating a natural containment, which reduces the velocity of water. A reduction in the velocity of water then decreases the rates of soil and bank erosion. Vegetation along river banks may also trap sediments within flows, which may then lead to a buildup of banks, increasing the effectiveness of banks in controlling floods (Masoudian, 2009, p.16). The fact that reducing the bank slopes then also reduces erosion along the river banks has a negative impact on natural river processes. Without erosion on the river banks there will be a reduced amount of sediments, a reduced level of wood debris and a reduced amount of channel migration. Therefore, the erosion occurring naturally along river banks is vital in maintaining an active balance within river systems. Aquatic habitats will also be affected; reducing bank slopes has a negative impact of clearing areas where fish may hibernate during the day in order to be safe from predators. Juvenile fish usually hide in undercut river banks making it an essential component of an aquatic habitat (Masoudian, 2009, p.17). Reinforcing riverbanks This technique involves adding supportive material to riverbanks in order to increase their stability and in resisting flood flows. The most commonly used reinforcement method involves planting natural vegetation as it acts as a stabilizer and increases the ability of riverbanks to control floods. Planting vegetation on riverbanks can be done through hydro seeding, which involves various methods to add a mixture of water, fertilizer and seeds into riverbanks. The planted seeds will then grow and form a vast network of root systems. The root system helps in holding the soil together, which then strengthens the riverbanks. The other method used to introduce plant material on riverbanks is hand planting. In this technique, mature plants are inserted into riverbanks to continue with their growth (Stokes, et al., 2007, p.50). Planting mature plants has the advantage of providing immediate protection against floods through flow reduction. The other method involves the use of plant mats, which are either natural or synthetic materials implanted with plant seeds and fertilizers. The mats are then spread on the riverbanks, and then the watering process follows to allow the seeds to germinate and support the following growth. Apart from irrigating the plant mats, continued instabilities in the river level can help in germination and supporting growth (Beek, et al., 2008, p.33). The main impact of introducing plants along river banks is the formation of strong riverbanks that can withstand pressure from flowing water. The other impact is the prevention of enhanced channel migration. Floods that may occur along banks with sufficient plant material may be less severe compared to those occurring in areas without plant stabilizers. The use of plant stabilizers provides a long-lasting solution to control of floods. This technique also offers an environmental friendly method of flood control, which is easy to maintain. Continued increases of vegetation along riverbanks increases channel roughness and reduces the water velocity. The use of plants also comes with the advantage of providing food for the aquatic life in the protected rivers. Fish may also find a natural habitat in the vast root system generated by plants (Beek, et al., 2008, p.34). Gabions Gabions are constructed using wire mesh baskets that are filled with stones of two-six inches. Like plants, gabions are meant to strengthen river banks, which boosts the river banks ability to resist pressure from flowing water. However, for gabions to be effective plants should be added to them. Gabions also deteriorate in time, which means that replacements are required when they stop functioning properly. The use of gabions reduces the natural erosion that occurs along riverbanks. This then reduces the amount of sediments delivered to downstream habitats. In addition, flows that are deflected by the gabions may create new river channels (Mascarenhas, 2011, p.82). Gabions also lead to an increase in water velocity, which has the disadvantage of reducing the amount of backwater that is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic life. Well-designed gabions may serve as a reliable source for spawning gravel as well as habitats for aquatic life. Techniques applied along the river channel Sediment trap/mining This technique involves excavating or dredging a depression on the riverbed. Construction of sediment traps requires the proper assessment of sediment load within a river in times of flooding. Maintenance of sediment traps require continued mining of sediments after every serious flood event. Sediment mining reduces the amount of sediment deposits in the river channel, which in turn increases the channel volume as well as the flood transportation. Removing sediments could only have a short term impact of improved flood transportation because of the continued deposition of sediments downstream. Therefore, continued removal of sediments is necessary to prevent incidences of flooding (Mascarenhas, 2011, p.105). Removal of sediments within the river channel affects natural river processes. One effect of sediment mining is the change of the channel morphology. Any changes in the channel morphology affect the way the water flow and the river bed interact with each other. Removing sediments from the river channel changes the channel gradient. These changes then have further impacts on the gradient both upstream and downstream. An increase in the gradient in one location of the river may lead to the formation of a v point or otherwise known as a nick point. This leads to increased erosion in the channel, which extends to a point where the gradient is stable or where there is bedrock resistant to erosion (Raudkivi, 1993, p.35). The removal of sediments affects aquatic habitats in several ways. When fine sediments are removed, there is a creation of a spawning habitat for a variety of fish species. On the other hand, removal of spawning gravel reduces the level of spawning habitats (Raudkivi, 1993, p.41). Flow realignment This technique of flood control involves the digging of new and deeper channels on the river bed but with a different position compared to the existing channels. When flow realignment is done to increase flood transportation, there is a reduction in frequency and severity of floods. Flow realignment creates different structures for the river flow. This interferes with natural river processes both upstream and downstream. The most significant impact of flow realignment is obviously on aquatic habitats. The use of heavy equipment to make flow realignments creates disturbances on the river bed; this alters existing aquatic habitats. Therefore, usage of flow realignment techniques needs thorough assessment of potential impacts on the aquatic ecosystem (Fleming, 2002, p.47). Word Count: 2,108

Corrymeela, a Community of Forgiveness :: Christianity Religion Religious Essays

Corrymeela, a Community of Forgiveness Corrymeela is a dispersed Christian community of reconciliation. There are 180 members, Catholic and Protestant, who commit themselves to search together for the path of peace, as they discover what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. In all our work, Corrymeela seeks to establish a "safe place" where people feel accepted and valued. During a stay at Corrymeela, a person is invited to become part of a "community" that transcends the divisions, which are so powerful in much of life in Northern Ireland. In a secure atmosphere, there is an opportunity to grow in understanding as we listen to one another’s life experiences. We find that "listening" to others, and "telling" our story is a way of growing closer together, and of discovering the vulnerability and humanity of the "other." We find that such an experience can face a person with new choices for their future, as prejudices are uncovered, misunderstandings corrected, and fear is replaced by trust. — Timothy Kinahan, A More Excellent Way: A Vision for Northern Ireland Introduction My deep interest in Northern Ireland is from an unknown source. In part, I know that I was deeply affected by the stories of both frustration and reconciliation that my friend, Jenny, told me after her return from a summer volunteering at the Corrymeela Community. However, Jenny’s parents are from Ireland, her roots are there. Perhaps my heart is there for a reason that will soon be revealed. I am planning on completing my Field Education in Northern Ireland next summer and would like for six of the ten intensive weeks to be spent at the Corrymeela Community near Ballycastle, on the Antrim Coast (see a map of the area, below). I spent four amazing days in Northern Ireland last summer, talking with some of the key players in the ecumenical movement while planning for my Field Education program. I spoke with Trevor Anderson, the Director of Corrymeela at their office in Belfast, I spoke with Johnson McMaster, the Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics who offered to be my men tor next summer. I also spoke with David Stevens, the Secretary for the Irish Council of Churches, and this is only listing a few! The Corrymeela Community that is located on the Antrim Coast is a retreat center which hosts groups and conferences from all over Northern Ireland and the world. Most of the year is spent with different types of groups, including youth, and the summer is spent hosting families who have been affected by the Troubles either financially, by violence, or both.

The Last Yankee Summary :: essays research papers

The Last Yankee by Arthur Miller is about a woman named Patricia Hamilton who is about to be released from a mental institution. The story takes place around the 1960 the New England Area. The play contains four characters. Their names were Leroy Hamilton, Patricia Hamilton, Leroy Frick, and Karen Frick. Leroy Hamilton was a relative of Alexander Hamilton. Frick and Hamilton’s wives knew each other as they were friends in the institute. Frick is a rich, young business man. He works with oil companies and other things as well. Hamilton, was a member of an elite family and he was a carpenter. Hamilton described himself as a Yankee as did his wife. The behavior of a Yankee according to his wife was they could be abused and taxed as much as they want, they still would not do anything about it but complain and get even sadder. In the first act, Hamilton and Frick got into a heated discussion. Earlier they talked about how their wives got into the institute in the first place. Karen Frick, got into the hospital because she had a nervous breakdown in which she would alienate the outer world from herself. She locked herself at home and would not go out. Before, that occurred she was a real estate agent. Patricia was a home make and became a depressive. Patricia had been in the institute two times already in the fifteen years of her falling out. This was her third time and she was improving. Hamilton, got mad when Frick talked about labor as if it was a bad thing. Hamilton said nothing was wrong about being a carpenter and nobody was proud to be in labor it was just something people talked as if they were so low in the dirt. In the second act Karen and Patricia talk about their lives. Karen often trailed off into her own thing, while Patricia tried to talk about herself. Patricia talked on how she grew up in Sweden and how her family was full of beautiful people. Her brothers had died by committing suicide. Her mother’s beauty was everlasting until she died at 81 years old. Also, she talked about how she stopped taking her medication and then was gradually getting better. She had been off drugs for 21 days. So now she could be able to do much more. All that she wanted was to make her husband happy and how the church she like d and the preacher who would talk to her.

Interest Groups Essay

Are interest groups useful or harmful? Interest groups, also referred to as: special interests, pressure groups, organized interests, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), political groups, lobby groups and public interest groups, are organized collections of people or organizations whose goal is to influence public policy (511). ‘Interest groups’ is a term that encompasses a variety of organized groups including public interest groups, business and economic groups, governmental unites, and political action committees(512). Through lobbying, interest groups prove useful in increasing public awareness about important issues, helping to frame the public agenda, and monitor programs to guarantee effective implementation. Interest groups exist for nearly every type of person who is willing to work together with others who share their goals. Interest groups that define themselves as ‘public interest groups’ seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit th e membership or activists of the organization(512). Today we see examples of this in civil liberties groups, environmental groups, and groups that speak for those who cannot (children, the mentally ill, or animals (512). ‘Economic interest groups’ have the goal of promoting the economic interest of their members, for example, trade and professional groups (513). ‘Governmental units’ are the state and local governments that lobby the federal government to make decisions in their favor. Mostly, these state and local governments are lobbying to attain ‘earmarks’ or funding from the federal budget that an appropriations bill designates for specific projects within a state or congressional district (513). In 1974, after amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act, it became legal for these interest groups to form political action committees (PACs), or officially registered fund raising organization that represents interest groups in the politica l process. Unlike interest groups, PACs do not have formal members; they simply have contributors who seek to influence public policy by electing legislators sympathetic to their aims. By having so many different kinds of interest groups and PACs, we see that everyone’s opinion comes into consideration politically. Although members of interest groups do not run candidates for office, they become politically active when their members believe that a government policy threatens or affects the group’s goals. Lobbying is quintessential of interest groups. The term lobbying is used to  describe the activities of a group or organization that seek to persuade political leaders to support the group’s decision (521). When interest groups become active politically, they use the technique lobbying to make their interests heard and understood by those who are in a position to influence or cause change in governmental policies, usually by testifying at hearings or contacting legislators directly(521). Interest groups often lobby congress by making a congressional testimony on behalf of the group, writing letters from interested constitutes and making campaign contributions. It is no surprise that some of the most effective lobbyists are former members of Congress, staff aides, and other Washington insiders. Lobbying in Congress, as in all lobbying is successful when the lobbyist has a good reputation for fair play and provides the people they are trying to persuade with accurate information (522). Interest groups can lobby one or more levels of the executive branch of government to influence policy by, again, providing accurate information and a clear sense of where the public stands(522). Interest g roups also lobby the courts. When interest groups are lobbying the courts, they either use the form of ‘direct sponsorship’ or the filing of ‘amicus curiae’ briefs. Direct sponsorship is when the lobbyist provides resources to direct a case through the judicial system. If a case comes up that an interest group is interested in, but not sponsoring, they can file an ‘amicus’ brief to inform the justices of the group’s policy preferences (523). No matter who is being lobbied, most interest groups have found that they are most successful when ‘grassroots lobbying’ is put into play, where the masses are informed as to what the interest group’s goal is and there is high public awareness of the issue. In addition to lobbying, interest groups play a key role in the electoral process. Interest groups will recruit, endorse, and/ or provide financial or other support for political candidates to focus voter’s attention on candidates who advocate policies that will help achieve the interest group’s goals. Some ideological groups will go as far as to rate the candidates to provide a clear guide for their members and the general public as to how they feel about the candidate. In addition to simply endorsing the candidates of their choices, there have been many get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts. PACs are allowed to raise money to contribute directly to political candidates in national elections. Interest groups are essential during an  election because they do the research on candidates for people who would normally not do so(525). Like in any type of group, there have been some cases of corruption among interest groups. In 2006, Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to corruption charges which led to the passing of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act in 2007. The act restricted and reformed a lot of the practices that had been going on. It banned gifts to members of Congress and their staffs, made extensive disclosure requirements, and increased the time limit on moving from the federal government to the private sector (529). Interest groups are essential to U.S. politics in that, through their influence, they enhance political participation by motivating like- minded individuals to work toward a common goal. When the right leaders, funding, and members interest groups can take pride when they know they have made a difference in election outcomes.