Behavior Description Interview Essay

You have invested the time of several experienced employees and a good deal of expense to interview a number of promising entry-level accountants. However, you wonder if your interviewing techniques are really helping you hire the job candidates that will be superior performers and help your organization remain profitable. Your concerns may be justified if you are using a typical interviewing strategy in which there is no standard set of questions or a strategy in which interview questions do not explicitly focus on the past behavior of the applicant. Yet, there is an alternative. Studies in human-resource management suggest that behavior description interviewing may help you identify better performers from the rest of the applicants PRINCIPLES OF THE BEHAVIOR DESCRIPTION INTERVIEW The first principle of the Behavior Description (BD) interview is interviewers standardize or structure the interview. The most important aspect of standardization is asking applicants the same or highly Similar questions. This allows all applicants to have a chance to provide information about certain job-related concerns and allows interviewers to compare similar types of information. The alternative of each interviewer asking their own questions will have your organization comparing apples and oranges when trying to make hiring decisions. Often this leads to lower quality hiring decisions. An organization may also seek to standardize the location of the interview, the individual who conducts the interview, etc. Any efforts to ensure similar treatment of applicants should be encouraged. An additional benefit of standardizing interview questions is that the interview is more defensible in court. In the past, organizations that had standardized questions won employment discrimination lawsuits more often than those without standardized questions. The second principle of BD interviewing is to explicitly focus on past behavior. BD enthusiasts believe that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. They also believe more recent behavior is a better predictor of future behavior than older behavior and that longstanding trends are better predictors of behavior than isolated incidents. The belief in the effectiveness of using past behavior to predict future behavior leads BD interviewers to ask certain questions. These questions use a superlative adjective (e.g. most, least, toughest, etc.) to focus the applicant on one particular incident of behavior. For example, accounting firms need staff members who are willing to address both internal and client problems. To gather relevant information about an applicant, a BD interviewer might ask the applicant to â€Å"tell me about the last time a new idea of yours helped an organization or group work better.† The interviewer might also be ready with follow-up questions such as â€Å"how did you develop this idea,† â€Å"how did you convince your supervisor or client to adopt it,† and â€Å"how did it help the organi zation?† The follow-up questions may be answered as the applicant discusses a particular situation, but their presence alerts the interviewer that this information is important. In another instance, accounting professionals are often called upon to make presentations to groups such as audit committees or boards of directors. Accordingly, an interviewer might ask a job candidate to â€Å"tell me about the most difficult presentation you have ever had to make to a group of five or more people.† Probes might include â€Å"what was the presentation about,† â€Å"how did you prepare for it,† and â€Å"was the presentation evaluated or graded?† In each case, the BD approach to interviewing should yield a large amount of high quality information to the interviewer and can help the somewhat anxious applicant have a particular incident to discuss. The BD approach to interviewing can be strongly contrasted with more typical interviewing strategies. First, typical strategies suggest interviewers â€Å"let candidates take the interview where they want to,† â€Å"go with the flow,† or let the interviewee talk about any subject they desire so that you can best assess their personality. While this advice is encountered frequently, it is highly inaccurate. Studies contrasting BD interviewing to this approach show that the BD interview does a much better job of predicting job performance. In addition, studies that statistically combine the results of 10,000+ interviews from many smaller studies strongly suggest that various styles of interviews that standardize questions or other aspects of the interview work much better than the nonstandardized interview styles. Second, BD interviewing seeks to avoid making judgments of applicants’ personalities. Assessing personality characteristics in a 345 minute interview would be highly difficult for a psychologist. As a result, many professionals rely on well established tests to measure personality–they are cheaper to use and much more accurate. Additionally, many personality characteristics do not have a history of predicting job success. Currently, many human resource management professionals believe intelligence and dependability do differentiate higher performers from lower performers. Extroversion, considered by many to be a positive trait for auditing personnel, also differentiates higher versus lower performers in some situations. Other traits should be viewed with caution until they clearly are shown to relate to job performance. Care should also be taken in trying to match the personality type of an applicant to the personality of the office. While it is extremely difficult to measure either of the above, it is also potentially hazardous. The solution to this problem is to avoid using most personality traits and ask applicants about past behavior that may be similar to behavior required on the job. Finally, the BD interviewer tries to avoid hypothetical and self evaluative questions. In most cases, there is little evidence to suggest that most hypothetical questions actually distinguish between better and poorer performing individuals. This may be due to the difficulty of injecting enough â€Å"reality† in the situation to make it a good predictor of job success. Self-evaluative questions such as â€Å"describe yourself† or â€Å"are you computer literate† also have no history of predicting job performance. In addition, they ask the applicant to do your job for you. You should decide how competent applicants are in a particular area since you are worried about their contribution to your organization. Applicants’ answers are influenced to a large degree by their desire to land a job. BD interviews differ from situational interviews. Recent literature has confused the two approaches. While the BD interview focuses on past applicant behavior, the situational interview asks applicants how they would behave in future situations (extensive research is used to create real situations). The situational interview can also require different types of rating scales to be used at the end of the interview. While there are several differences between BD interviewing, situational interviewing, and typical interviews, there are also similarities. BD interviewers also believe it is important to break the ice with applicants, that they should ask for an applicant’s preferred name, that they should take notes, and they should close the interview in a professional manner. These guidelines are important in any style of interview. STEPS TO CONSTRUCTING A BD INTERVIEW Three steps should be used to develop a BD interview. They are illustrated in the following hypothetical example involving the hiring of entry-level accountants in a CPA . Interviewers need to analyze the job and determine the key results areas. Key results areas are the major tasks or behaviors that an entry-level accountant must be able to accomplish. Key results areas may be defined by many different strategies including a discussion among recruiters, managers, and partners. Key results areas might include: 1. Communicate with other individuals-a. In verbal and written forms with other accountants including supervisors and peers; b. In verbal and written forms with clients; 2. Diagnoses organizational problems; 3. Recommend solutions to organizational problems; and 4. Use common computer software (e.g., spreadsheet programs, data retrieval software, on-line services, or tax-preparation packages). The above behaviors or tasks should be examined to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that will enable them to be accomplished. Thus, an entry-level accountant should have: 1. Written communication skills to interact through letters and reports to clients and other accountants; 2. Verbal communication skills to communicate with clients and other accountants (not necessarily including making presentations to large groups); 3. Ability to diagnose problems in complex situations; 4. Ability to solve problems individually and in groups; 5. Ability to attend to large amounts of detail; 6. Ability to manage multiple tasks; 7. Knowledge of common software programs; The KSAs required lead to a selection plan that involves a series of BD questions. In this example it is assumed that there will be two interviews: a recruiting interview at the school and an invitation to the firm’s office. To evaluate the candidate’s KSAs the following questions and probes might be used. 1 Written communication skills a. Ask for a sample of writing from a professional or educational setting before the second interview. 2. Verbal communication skills: a. Watch for verbal communication skills throughout each interview and rate them at the end of the first and second interviews. 3. Ability to diagnose problems in complex situations: a. Tell me about the last time you recognized a problem in an organization in which you were involved. * How did you recognize the problem? * How did you study the problem? * How did you determine a solution to the problem? b. Tell me about a time in the last year in which you were gathering information from a person who was being uncoopeative. * What was the situation? * Why were they being uncooperative? * How did you feel? * How did you get the information you needed? * What was the result in this situation? 4. Ability to solve problems individually and in groups/teams: a. What was the most successful solution that you and a group of other individuals developed to a particular problem? * What was the problem? * What was your role? * What was the result of your solution? b. What is the toughest problem that you as an individual have solved in an educational or work setting? * What was the problem? * What was the result of your solution? 5. Ability to attend to large amounts of detail: a. Tell me about the last time when you had to gather large amounts of information to complete a project. *What was the project? *How did you organize the details? * What was the end result? * Did anyone assign you a grade for the project? b. Which class of yours required the most attention to detail. Please tell me how you dealt with the demands of the class. * How did it require attention to detail? * What was your strategy to deal with the detail? *What was the result? 6. Ability to manager multiple tasks: a. Tell me about how you managed your school work and extracircular activities during your busiest semester. * What made the semester so busy? * Did you have any priorities? * Where there any strategies that helped you cope? * How did the semester turn out (in terms of grades, activities, etc.)? b. Tell me about the last time you had to â€Å"juggle† several different responsibililties when you held a job. * What were the responsibilities? * Did you have any priorities? * Where there any strategies that helped you cope? 7. Knowledge of computer software programs: a. Please tell us about the most involved computer project that you have been involved with in school or in an organization. * What software was involved? * What was your role? * What was the result or grade? 4. Please tell us about the last time you learned a new piece of software. * What did it help you accomplish? * How did you learn it? * Did you enjoy the experience? c. Please tell us about any time that you used a spreadsheet program such as Lotus 1-2-3, Quattro Pro, or Excel. * Was individually or a group? *What did you need to accomplish? * What was the result or grade? Once the questions are developed, recruiters should organize the questions and probes into some logical order on an interview form. The form may provide reminders to greet the applicant warmly and any other reminders desired by the recruiters. It should definitely leave enough room for notes about the answer to each question. These notes can be extremely helpful when recruiters are trying to remember the remarks of each person recently interviewed. We recommend that recruiters practice with the new interviewing form. Recruiters may pair off and take turns playing the interviewer and the applicant, or they may wish to enlist a student to go through an interview. The trial interviews could be recorded on a video camera. The feedback from the video playback is often a very valuable learning experience. Lastly, an interviewer evaluation report should be designed to record ratings for each candidate. The process is relatively simple once the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required by the job have been listed. We suggest that recruiters list all the KSAs down one side of the paper as seen in Figure 1. (Figure omitted) This will allow a systematic consideration of each applicant against job requirements. Next, recruiters should choose a rating scale. We have – chosen a five-point scale anchored by â€Å"very little† of the KSA on one end of the scale and ‘a great amount† on the other end of the scale Scales should have from five to seven points and anchors meaningful to the recruiters. A place for notes or comments and a set of simple instructions is also recommended. Finally, there should be a place for an overall evaluation of the candidate. There are several different methods which can be used to generate an overall evaluation score. A recruiter can make an overall evaluation of the candidate on the same scale used for each KSA. Unfortunately, past research has suggested that this method is not very reliable. Another option is presented in the figure on page 77. In this case the recruiters add their ratings to form a final evaluation. This approach is relatively simple and often yields final recommendations quite similar to more complex methods. Furthermore, individual KSA’s can be weighted differently. In this case, each KSA evaluation score could be multiplied by its weight. All scores would be summed to obtain an overall score For example, assume that the first four KSA’s in the figure were assigned weights of .2 and the last three KSA’s weights of .1. A candidate might be given a rating of 5 on the first two KSA’s and ratings of 4 on the other KSA’s. The candidate’s overall evaluation score would equal 4.8 (5 x .2 + 5 x 2+ 4 x .2 + 4 x 2 + 4 x .1+ 4 x .1+ 4 x .1). Either of the last two approaches is recommended. The authors would like to thank Paul Osting (Vice-Chairman, Human Resources, Ernst & Young, New York, NY), J. Breck Boynton (Director of Human Resources, Elliot, Davis, & Company, Greensville, SC) and Patricia G. Roth (Clemson University) for their comments and suggestions.

Rhetorical Appeals Essay

A pet is defined as a domestic or tamed animal or bird kept for companionship or pleasure and treated with care and affection. Some people believe that pets are the most loyal friends you will ever have. Anyone who owns or has previously owned a type of pet, whether it be a dog, cat, fish, rabbit, or anything else, understands what it is like to have something so innocent depend on you. When purchasing a pet, you are taking on the responsibility of nurturing and caring for someone other than yourself. I chose a commercial by the ASPCA that raises awareness about animal abuse. The goal of the ASPCA is â€Å"to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.† I chose this commercial because I am an avid animal lover and I have both a dog and a cat at home. They are a part of my family, and I would never let anything bad happen to them or mistreat them. The thought of poor animals being abused or neglected for no reason at all disturbs me beyond belief. Why would someone choose to purposely abuse an innocent creature who has no way to defend itself, and has done nothing wrong? I do not understand people who do this. Through this essay, I want to state the reasons why I was attracted to this commercial and how it swayed me to support the association. Additionally, my goal for this piece is to represent how rhetorical appeals can be used not only in writing, but also in media. Even though this commercial is most likely geared more towards animal lovers, it does an excellent job of grabbing the attention of viewers who may not have a strong connection with animals in their own lives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eXfvRcllV8 ************** Rhetorical Analysis through Animal Cruelty Imagine that you are walking through the mall and notice the pet store on your way to the nearest Macy’s. In the window of the pet store you see two healthy, happy, golden retriever puppies waiting for someone to come take them to a permanent home. You are in awe of how adorable they are. Unfortunately, you cannot afford a puppy right at that moment, so you move forward with your errands at Macy’s. Later that day, as you are driving home, you drive through a neighborhood that is in poor shape. Out in the front yard of one of the houses, there is a fenced yard with a somewhat large dog standing in the grass. As you drive by, you notice that the dog is extremely skinny and you can see the dog’s rib cage through its skin. Also, the dog seems to be limping around the yard. Twenty minutes later, you finally arrive home and the image of the poor dog is still in the back of your mind. You think to yourself how anyone could possibly treat an innocent animal that way. In 2006, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) created a commercial starring famous singer/song writer, Sarah McLachlan, to raise awareness towards animal abuse and to raise money to help the thousands of mistreated animals in the United States. The commercial starts out with clips of abused animals and slides with facts about these animals, and then moves on to Sarah McLachlan giving a speech about the society and how it would be beneficial to donate money to the foundation. All three of the rhetorical appeals (pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos) are used in this commercial in order to sway the opinion of viewers towards being against animal cruelty and helping to save the lives of countless animals. The first two rhetorical appeals used in the ASPCA commercial are pathos and kairos. They are demonstrated in multiple ways throughout the commercial. The first emotional appeal that viewers will notice is the somewhat sad music in the background, which is Sarah McLachlan’s â€Å"Angel†. Just listening to this song will evoke sadness. This is because the lyrics of the song are mildly depressing, and an example of this would be the lyrics â€Å"You’re in the arms of the angel, may you find comfort here.† These lyrics are symbolic towards the commercial because the ASPCA would be considered the angel, and the animals who are saved by the foundation would be able to â€Å"find comfort† when they are rescued. The next element in the commercial is the slideshow of pictures and videos of abused animals that plays along with McLachlan’s song. These pictures show many different types of animals that have been physically abused and malnourished. The melancholy music, along with these images, cause viewers to feel for the animals and want to help them. Thus, using pathos to cause the viewers to lean towards helping these innocent creatures, instead of ignoring the issue. Kairos is used in the way that everything in the commercial has perfect timing. The music immediately starts playing, which effects viewer’s emotions. Every element of the commercial comes in at the perfect time and is organized in the right way to persuade viewers. Ethos is the next rhetorical approach used in persuading the viewers to help the ASPCA and to stand against animal-related violence. Famous singer/song writer, Sarah McLachlan, is featured in multiple ASPCA commercials and is a strong supporter of rescuing animals in need and helping to raise awareness about animal abuse and neglect. In the video, she is petting a yellow lab, giving the impression that she is an animal lover and wants to help them. Also, the music playing in the background is Sarah’s song referenced above, which adds sincerity to the commercial. â€Å"Angel† was not written specifically for the commercial, but because the meaning of the song is relevant to the ASPCA’s cause, it was used. Viewers who see a celebrity such as her representing this organization may be more inclined to donate to the ASPCA. Although, some might question whether or not McLachlan is an expert on the subject and if the information she gives is credible. Towards the end of the video, she says â€Å"that for just $18 a month, you can save many animals from their abusers.† Through this statement, she causes viewers to feel like they will make a difference and become heroes, if they donate their money. By emphasizing the price, McLachlan wants convey to viewers that just a small amount of money, can go a long way in helping the foundation. This is a prime example of ethos because McLachlan uses her music fame to encourage the audience to support the organization, even though she is not an expert concerning animal abuse. Logos is the final rhetorical approach that ASPCA uses in their anti-animal abuse commercials. Certain facts are listed in order to show that this organization has made a difference in order to rescue animals that are abused and/or neglected. However, these facts cause the logical appeal to be weak because they are quite broad and non-specific. For example, the commercial stated that in the last year, thousands of animals were rescued. Then, it continues to say that for thousands of other animals, help came too late. This statement proclaims that there is a large number of animals who need to be rescued and/or helped, but it does not give specific statistical evidence as to exactly how many animals are in need. The amount of animals listed that need rescued may seem exaggerated, because there is not a specific number given. Also, it could seem like a rhetorical fallacy. For those who need these facts in order to be convinced of an argument, this may cause the viewer to lose interest or not believe the information in the commercial. In conclusion, I chose this ASPCA commercial primarily because of the way it appealed to my emotions. I was immediately drawn in while watching it and could not look away. The strongest rhetorical element for this commercial is pathos because of the strong emotional relation it creates. Ethos is equally represented in the commercial as well because of the celebrity reputation of Sarah McLachlan and her starring role in trying to convince viewers to help out the ASPCA through donation. Kairos is also well embodied through the element of excellent timing, and how each part of the commercial fell into perfect rhythm. Logos is the weakest rhetorical appeal represented because the facts listed are not detailed and quite general. Accordingly, I would argue that this commercial is extremely effective in showing the general public the seriousness of animal abuse. And because of this, viewers are more inclined to contribute to the association.

Why Top Female Athletes Stay in Male-Dominated Sports to an Elite Level

Abstract This study is focused on why top female athletes stay in male-dominated sports to an elite level and involves female athletes from different countries. Semi-structured interviews will be carried out on 15 participants. The study is characteristically interpretive and qualitative, and involves a four-year timeframe. 1. Background Sport is an institution that continues to create, reinforce, and maintain male hegemony. However, some of its aspects may also be seen as a product of collective effort. Gender diversity in sports are often placed in subtle, multi-level and ignored structures and behaviours embodied in sport organisations. Hence, there is a need for continued work on the matter (Fink 2008). The participation of female athletes in male-dominated sports will be explained by male hegemonic concepts as well as cultural and structural concepts.1.1 What prompted the interest in the topicWhat prompted the interest in the topic was the researcher’s own exposure in female sports where she was able to associate with elite female athletes of various ages from different countries, including those under Islamic rule and the Muslim region, such as Iran, Morocco, and Turkey. She has had worked closely with female competitors in over 50 members of the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA), and h ence considers the topic a realisable one. Since the researcher is into sports herself and associates with the likely respondents of the study, she finds the topic both interesting and challenging.1.2 Relevance to Previous ResearchThe relevance of the topic to previous research is that it serves as a supporting material to what has already been claimed of the participation of female athletes in male-dominated sports. Previous research has indicated the prevailing role of cultural and structural systems that produce and reproduce these sports as an exclusive realm of male athletes (e.g. Anderson 2008; Carty 2005). The present study confirms these notions, and likewise looks into patterns of possibilities whereby female athletes can be generally accepted and recognised within these once male-stereotyped sports.1.3 Contributions to the Research and the FieldThe study’s contribution to research is identified in its investigation of culture, and somehow, of gender issues, in the p articipation of female athletes in male-dominated sports. Its contribution to the field is its introduction of certain theoretical concepts that can explain why female athletes continue to delve into male-dominated sports and an analytical explanation of their intent to stay or move out of the system.1.4 Research Aims and ObjectivesThis study aims to ascertain why top female athletes stay in male-dominated sports to an elite level; the hurdles they face and how they overcome these hurdles. It also aims to draw out the similarities in challenges faced by these elite athletes and to see if such challenges are similar across cultures and religions. The study purports to use this understanding to help support women to stay in a specific sport once they are already participating. The objectives of the research are as follows: To review the existing literature on the subject of Sports Sociology in relation to women’s sports participation; To conduct interviews and surveys to elite female athletes from various countries; To find out gaps in knowledge within the field; and To provide recommendations for future research. 2. Literature Review This part of the research proposal identifies a range of works and studies related to the topic being investigated. It aims to establish the theoretical framework for the study and provide evidence to the topic.2.1 Trends in the Literature Relating to the Research TopicIn their work, Krane, Choi, and Baird et al. (2004) stated that female athletes live in two cultures: One that is characteristically masculine; and the other – the larger social culture – which celebrates femininity. The study was linked to feminist cultural studies and aimed to determine how female athletes negotiate femininity-based social expectations with athleticism. It involved 21 female athletes who served as participants in focus group discussions. Three themes comprised the data analysis, specifically the ‘influence of physicality, femininity, and athlete as other.’ The data revealed that being athletic is in contrast to being feminine and that the participants themselves felt being marginalised as athletes and expressed that others perceive them as being ‘different’ from typical women. Despite these, they were proud of their physical strength and developed bodies and regarded themselves as being empowered, which can be generalised beyond the context of sports (Krane et al. 2004). The use of focus group discussions in the study aimed at encouraging self-disclosure amongst female athletes with similar experiences and reducing the anxiety that might be felt in individual interviews. The authors also pinpointed the fact that focus groups are especially effective in feminist research (Krane, et al. 2004). According to Carty (2005), sport has been a social aspect that has traditionally prevented women from participating. Recent policy developments and broadening public support enabled girls and women to participate dramatically in sports that had been typically limited only to men. Female athletes had come out from those sports that had been stereotypically designated only to them, such as tennis and gymnastics, and can now play male-dominated sports such as hockey, football, rugby, and so on. Of equal significance is the revealing of masculinity constriction and the concept of gender differences. Hence, Carty explored social changes accompanying the broadening popularity of women in sports and some opposing messages in advertisements initiated by these changes. The qualitative method is used in the study to explore all the issues covered by the aims and objectives, which were tackled through semi-structured interviews. It may be inferred that Carty’s assertion on the constraint s placed against women in regard to participating in male-stereotyped sports is similar to the notion of Krane et al. (2004), specifically the marginalisation of female athletes and their being perceived as different from normal women. There is therefore congruence between the two authors in reference to their view of the situation of female athletes in male-dominated sports. On the other hand, Pringle (2005) emphasised that issues linked to female sport and exercise can be examined via Foucauldian theories. However, the Gramscian theory, which is used to examine the concept of masculine hegemony, remains dominant. The article made a comparison and contrast of the theoretical tools branching from Foucault and Gramsci’s writings in relation to investigating sport and masculinities. It was indicated that masculine hegemony does not simply point to a prevailing concept of masculinity but also to specific understandings of power that may be problematic to some. The discussion is useful to the study as it focused on the concept of masculine hegemony that can address the prevailing male dominance in sports, as well as male sports in general, which had once been (and continuous to be) considered an exclusive field for male athletes. It is important to note that Pringle’s assertion provides the groundwork for the situation of female athletes, as ex plored by the concept of masculine hegemony that explains women’s marginalisation, pinpointed earlier by Carty (2005) and Krane et al. (2004). Pringle’s concept of masculine hegemony was similarly described by Whisenant, Pedersen, and Obenour (2002) who cited the end of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) as the cause for sport administrators to deal with reestablishing their place as athletic directors. The study aimed at assessing the success ratio of these directors, focusing primarily on gender. The initial results validated the expected findings that masculine hegemony is a well-established concept within inter-collegiate athletics. This is note-worthy in the topic’s exploration of the hurdles faced by female athletes in male-dominated sports. On the other hand, Vincent, Imwold, and Masemann et al. (2002) made an investigation of female athletes’ receipt of equitable coverage in â€Å"women’s games.† The study made a comparison of six selected newspapers from Canada, Great Britain, and the United States and how they dealt with male and female athletes during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. The qualitative method and content analysis were used for the comparison of all articles and photographs of athletes on all newspapers involved. Albeit there were differences found, the results generally demonstrated an equitable amount of coverage for both male and female athletes participating in the games. The study confirmed the idea that female athletes receive increased newspaper coverage when they participate in major competitions. However, analysing critically Vincent et al.’s work against those of Pringle (2005), Krane et al. (2004), and Carty (2005), one may posit that the former tackled a rather neutral presentation of female athletes vis-a-vis male athletes, as demonstrated by the equitable newspaper coverage on them. Vincent et al. looked into the ‘outward configuration’ of the male-female dichotomous existence in sports, as against the internal focus made by Pringle (2005), Krane et al. (2004), and Carty (2005).2.1.1 The Role of Culture in SportsIn their study, Elling and Knoppers (2005) used a social-critical perspective to analyse symbolic sport inclusion/exclusion in relation to gender and ethnicity amongst adolescents. The findings suggested that dominant normative gendered images still influence young people’s preferences in sport participation. Sport can function as an integrating agent as well as a differentiating and discriminating tool amongst the youth. With regard to gender, sport participation is less predictable because of such circumstances as ethnicity interactions. Albeit ethnic minority females had the least participation in sport, a relatively higher value is placed on traditional masculine sports such as karate and soccer. Additionally, the potential circumstance of being labeled as ‘sissy’ serves as a powerful mechanism to exclude oneself from participating in conventional sports for girls. However, stereotypical images are continually challenged as well (Elling and Knoppers 2005). Viewing the earlier notions of gender-based explanations of the uneven perception between male and female athletes (e.g. Pringle 2005; Krane et al. 2004, and Carty 2005), Elling and Knoppers apparently provided a deeper explanation of the reason for such disparity. On the other hand, Pelak (2005) emphasised on how South African female football players negotiate ideological constrictions in participating in the stereotypically masculine sport. The author highlighted the micro-level experiences of situating athletes within social structures at macro level, such as apartheid. The study used a multi-method approach, including interviews, survey, observations, and documentary data. Various feminist sport frameworks and theoretical insights of Black feminists contributed to the analysis. The findings revealed an ongoing creative resistance amongst female soccer athletes against exclusionary practices in the sport. Pelak evidently upheld the findings of Elling and Knoppers (2005) with regard to symbolic sport inclusion/exclusion, as exemplified by social structures that serve as constraints to female participation in male-dominated sports. Meanwhile, the study of Anderson (2008) explored the cultural and structural elements that contribute to the breeding of anti-feminine perspectives amongst men in team sports. The authors initially led the readers to the view that men’s separation into a homosocial environment puts a limit to their social contact with women and promotes a hostile masculinity that induces the proliferation of orthodox views about women. However, the study also suggested that when these same men participate in a gender-incorporating cheerleading sport competition, they tend to reinvent their perspectives toward women. The author used a range of theoretical concepts and linked them to grounded observations and interviews, upon which a theoretical model was established. He specifically used a socio-feminist theory of masculinity that holds gender as being formulated by an intricate interaction of â€Å"organisational culture, institutional power, and individual agency.† The study involved a sample of 68 male cheerleaders who identified themselves as heterosexual and who used to play football. The findings suggested that the socially negative outcomes affixed to male sport athletes might potentially reduce through gender-incorporating sports (Anderson 2008). This study is relevant to the topic under study as it explains the male athlete’s propensities when participating in male and female stereotypical games, thereby contributing to its query on why women stay in male-dominated sports.2.2 Limitations and/or Gaps in the LiteratureThe existing literature on the topic is observed to include works that are not very recent, which hence suggests a need for updated findings. There are not many academic studies delving into the issue of culture as a prevailing factor for certain sports to be perceived as typically male; and most of which are discussed using gender-based criteria. Theoretical Framework Below is the theoretical framework of the study based on the literature: Figure 1: Theoretical Framework 3. Research Methodology3.1 Research ParadigmThe interpretive and positivist paradigms are utilised in this research. The interpretive paradigm states that social actors generate meanings about their interaction in the world. Social reality is hence interpreted as an attempt to interpret the world, thereby connoting a subscription to realist ontology (Scott and Morrison 2005). The use of interpretive paradigm is justified in this study as it attempts to gather interview data that are grounded on ascertaining perceived realities surrounding female athletes, as well as the meanings they append to these realities. The positivist approach, on the other hand, relies on the methods of the natural science (Lee 1991) and is seen in the study’s use of survey to assist certain inferences suggested by interview data.3.2 Research Design and MethodThis study is characteristically mixed methods (combination of qualitative and quantitative methods) in its research design. Qualitative methods hold that findings about human interaction (e.g. female athletes) can be understood better and more systematically when studied from the inside out rather than the opposite (Monsen and Horn 2008). Quantitative methods, on the other hand, maintain that phenomena can be explained by collecting numerical data (for this study is the survey) that are analysed through statistical methods (Mujis 2011).3.3 ParticipantsThe research participants for both interviews and the survey are 13-35 year-old female athletes from different countries with whom the researcher has frequent association, including those under Islamic rule and Muslim religion, such as Iran, Morocco, and Turkey. The sample size for the interview is 15, which is considered sufficient to generate findings. For the survey, the sample size is 35.3.4 Data CollectionPrimary and secondary data shall be collected. Primary data shall be generated from semi-structured interviews and the survey whilst secondary data shall support the pri mary data and shall be obtained from books and academic journals. An interview schedule and a survey questionnaire will be constructed.3.5 Data Analysis and DiscussionOnce the information has been established, data analysis will take place using the thematic analysis, which intends to find patterns/themes/meanings from a range of data sets (Hamdan 2009). The discussion will be towards addressing the research questions and will be backed by the literature.3.6 Weaknesses and LimitationThe study finds no weakness in its methodology. One limitation that can be identified is in terms of using interviews for data gathering, which is perceived to lack generalisability because of a relatively small sample (Ford 2012). This is addressed by using a larger sample (15 participants) (e.g. Waltz, Krumperman, and Zigmont 2011) and triangulation through the survey.3.7 Ethical ConsiderationsFirst amongst the ethical considerations that the study takes note of is the anonymity of the target participa nts, as well as the confidentiality of data to be collected. It is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure that participants provide informed consent prior to their participation and that they have the right to withdraw their participation at any point, without incurring any liability. The data collection shall take place vis-a-vis having informed the participants of the general purpose of the study and why their participation is being sought. Moreover, the data will be stored in a database using passwords that only the researcher knows, whilst the survey questionnaires will be put to safekeeping and disposed of upon the total completion of the research in order not to be accessed by anyone. The proposal shall require approval from an ethics committee.3.8 Significance of the ResearchThis study is significant in a number of ways, one of which is its contribution to the existing literature on female participation in what has been generally considered as male-dominated sport. Another is its confirmation of the prevailing role of culture and gendered images in such perception, as well as the continuing struggle of female athletes to situate themselves in the realm of sports, thereby adding to the existing knowledge on the subject.3.9 TimelineThe research timeline starts on February 3, 2014 and ends on February 16, 2018. The first part of the survey will be done in May 2014. The various aspects of the research are shown in the Gantt chart below: Figure 2: Gantt chart showing the research timeline References Anderson, E. (2008) ‘I Used to Think Women Were Weak’: Orthodox Masculinity, Gender Segregation, and Sport. Sociological Forum, 23 (2), 257-280. Carty, V. (2005) Textual Portrayals of Female Athletes: Liberation or Nuanced Forms of PatriarchyFrontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 26 (2), 132-172. Elling, A. and Knoppers, A. (2005) Sport, Gender and Ethnicity: Practices of Symbolic Inclusion/Exclusion. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34 (3), 257-268. Fink, J. S. (2008) Gender and Sex Diversity in Sport Organizations: Concluding Comments. Sex Roles, 58 (1-2), 146-147. Ford, N. (2012) The Essential Guide to Using the Web Research. First Edition. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Hamdan, A. (2009) Muslim Women Speak: A Tapestry of Lives and Dreams. Toronto: Women’s Press. Krane, V., Choi, P. Y. L., Baird, S. M., Aimar, C. M., and Kauer, K. J. (2004) Living the Paradox: Female Athletes Negotiate Femininity and Muscularity. Sex Roles, 50 (5/6), 315-329. Lee, A. S. (1991) Integrating Positivist and Interpretive Approaches to Organizational Research. Organization Science, 2 (4), 342-365. Monsen, E. R. and Horn, L. V. (2008) Research: Successful Approaches. Third Edition. US: American Dietetic Association. Mujis, D. (2011) Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS. Second Edition. London: SAGE Publications. Pelak, C. F. (2005) Negotiating Gender/Race/Class Constraints in the New South Africa: A Case Study of Women’s Soccer. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 40(1), 53-70. Pringle, R. (2005) Masculinities, Sport, and Power: A Critical Comparison of Gramscian and Foucauldian Inspired Theoretical Tools. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 29 (3), 256-278. Scott, D. and Morrison, M. (2005) Key Ideas in Educational Research. NY: Continuum International Publishing Group. Vincent, J., Imwold, C., Masemann, V., and Johnson, J. T. (2002) A Comparison of Selected ‘Serious’ and â€Å"Popular’ British, Canadian, and United States Newspaper Coverage of Female and Male Athletes Competing in the Centennial Olympic Games: Did Female Athletes receive Equitable Coverage in the â€Å"Games of the Women†International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 37 (3-4), 319-335. Waltz, B. J., Krumperman, K. M., and Zigmont, J. (2011) Foundations of EMS Systems. Mason, OH: Delmar Cengage Learning. Whisenant, W. A., Pedersen, P. M., and Obenour, B. L. (2002) Success and Gender: Determining the Rate of Advancement for Intercollegiate Athletic Directors. Sex Roles, 47 (9-10), 485-491.

Legalization of Cannabis in United States Essay

Legalization of Cannabis in United States - Essay Example The report said, â€Å"†¦we have concluded that society should seek to discourage use, while concentrating its attention on the prevention and treatment of heavy and very heavy use. The Commission feels that the criminalization of possession of marihuana for personal use is socially self-defeating as a means of achieving this objective† (National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse cited in McWay). Decriminalization of the cannabis primarily means replacement of penal sanctions with civil penalties that are significantly flexible than the period of imprisonment (Roffman and Stephens 328). Cannabis is a drug with a lot of uses and very little risks, so it should be legalized in the US. Medical purposes are the strongest reason why cannabis should be legalized. It is possible to use the cannabis for the treatment of myriad of diseases. Cancer chemotherapy causes such symptoms as vomiting and nausea in the patient. If cannabis is used for the treatment, its active ingredi ent THC helps alleviate the pretreatment anxiety and minimizes the nausea and vomiting. The patient loses lean mass and suffers from a low appetite in the AIDS. Selecting the cannabis for the treatment improves the patient’s appetite. In the case of muscle spasms, cannabis is useful because of its ability to reduce the spasms and ease the incontinence of the bowel. In addition to that, the cannabis also relieves the depression of the patient. Glaucoma is a sort of blindness caused by the build-up of pressure in the eye. Cannabis can be used as a treatment to release the pressure inside the eye. Cannabis also helps treat the asthma by opening up the lungs. Legalizing the cannabis will not only provide the patients with a legitimate way to get rid of the disease, but will also enable the scientists and researchers to conduct research on the cannabis in order to unveil more knowledge about their medicinal uses. Legalization of the cannabis means treatment of the drug abuse not a s a criminal issue, but as a medical problem. The US government has wasted a lot of money in taking measures to keep the cannabis from being available in the market in the past. According to an estimate, the US government incurs a total cost of about $10 billion on an annual basis in her efforts to make the country free of cannabis. On the other hand, the State of California produces the legalized medicinal cannabis for a total revenue of no more than $14 billion every year (â€Å"Pro's of Marijuana†). Therefore, if the US government legalizes the cannabis, she can tax the revenues and would gain additional money to use on the social well-being. This money can be used both to make the people aware of the negative effects of the consumption of cannabis on the health and also for arranging the treatment of the diseases caused by its consumption. The US has once seen the negative consequences of banning alcohol in the country. In the 1920s, selling and buying alcohol in the US w as officially banned. This put the control in the hands of the Mafia that both produced the alcohol and supplied it to the consumers. The corner drug dealers in the 1990s have followed the Mafia of the 1920s in the same footsteps. The unregulated trade of the black-market with the legalization of the cannabis would help reduce the number of yearly suicides and natural deaths in the US and would also cause a decline in the violence in the country. Presently, a significant population of prisoners in the US has been jailed

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the management of foot ulceration and its Literature review

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the management of foot ulceration and its efficacy within the lower limb - Literature review Example Wound in lower limb are common and have tendency to turn chronic. There are basically 3 types of ulcers which can present in the lower limb. They are venous stasis ulcers, arterial or ischemic ulcers and neuropathic or diabetic ulcers. It is important to identify the type of wound because management and prognosis are different for different types of wound. Venous stasis ulcers are mainly located below the knee and in the inner aspects of the leg just above the ankle, like the medial malleolus (Gabriel and Camp, 2008). They occur when inadequate action of the calf muscle to pump out blood results in venous hypertension (Gabriel and Camp, 2008). The base of the ulcer is usually red, the borders are irregular and the ulcer may be covered with yellowish tissue. Fluid drainage is a characteristic feature of venous ulcer. The surrounding skin will be discolored and swollen and may feel warm (Gabriel and Camp, 2008). Ischemic or arterial ulcers are usually located in the feet, especially in regions where there is friction between toes or parts of feet with shoes, or when there is a deformity. They are more likely to occur in the periphery where there is decreased blood supply. The ulcer base is yellowish, grey or black and does not bleed (Gabriel and Camp, 2008). The borders are initially irregular and later have a regular appearance. Neuropathic ulcers commonly occur in diabetic patients and they are usually located at pressure points on the plantar aspect of the feet. Neuropathy causes loss of foot sensation and also changes in sweat-producing glands increasing the risk of being unaware of foot trauma, injuries and callosities. The ulcers appear punched out with the surrounding skin callosed. The ulcer may appear pink or brown (Gabriel and Camp, 2008). Lower extremity ulcers have varied prognosis and are associated with many complications. They are the

Character analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Character analysis - Essay Example Despite the apparent similarities, these characters exhibit differences in expressing their loneliness: Laura resorted to collecting glass figurines, termed by her mother as glass menagerie; while Tom frequents the movie every night to get out of the apartment and avoid having to converse with his mother. As noted, Tom and Laura, both being victims of a life without their father seemed to be living a lonely and recluse life. Since their father allegedly left them a long time ago, both children must have to contend with living with their mother who could have been devastated when their father left them. The result was the feeling of being trapped in their lives where Tom had to resort to being the breadwinner for the family and supporting both his mother and his sister. The feeling of wanting to escape from the challenges and difficulties of life led to both characters finding ways to relieve their miseries and venge on other outlets such as watching movies night after night (for Tom) and collecting glass figurines (for Laura). The movies seemed the perfect outlet for Tom to venture into lives of actors and actresses who get to portray different roles and go to different places – a life he apparently longs for; but could not achieve. On the other hand, Laura’s form of escape was different from Tom since she had been afflicted with a disability when she was young and could not move freely without a brace. This situation is also perceived as a form of being trapped in the situation she currently is and the only way to get her mind off from this misery was through collecting glass figurines: fagile, beautiful, transparent, and as she described the unicorn, she averred that â€Å"hold him over the light. He loves the light! You see how the light shines through him?† (Willams 779). Her collections seem to mirror her traits: fragile, beautiful, but cold and detached. As emphasized, Laura is â€Å"so shy that she finds ordinary human relationships almost unbearable, she is totally unequipped for the romantic role in which her mother has cast her. She takes refuge among her glass figurines, the â€Å"glass menagerie† that is the symbol of her fragility and her retreat from reality† (The Glass Menagerie par. 3). Another point of similarity is their deceptiveness to their mother. Laura was thought to still be enrolled in a business school by her mother; only to be found out that she has dropped out of school, Her inability to explain the fact that she could not continue pursuing the program that her mother advised her to take, led to the deception. When discovered, it was already about six months that she had been trying to go out every day supposedly to attend her classes; but instead, she allegedly stayed in the park or engaged in other activities. Tom, on the other hand, was likewise confronted by her mother, who also believed that he was likewise deceiving her. His excuse for going out every night was to go to the movies. Her mother could not comprehend how he could do that time and again without fail and took him considerable lengths of time. These moves and behavior exhibited their inability to confront their mother and tell her the truth about their own feelings and what their hopes, dreams, and plans in life are. Both characters have inner secrets which they could not reveal to their

Applied research methods for Business and management Essay

Applied research methods for Business and management - Essay Example The 2006 record high of global acquisitions indicates the rampancy of Mergers and Acquisitions in the recent past (Saigol and Politti, 2007). The value of worldwide acquisitions stood at more than 4 trillion US dollars in this year. Out of the 4 trillion US dollars, 1.3 trillion US dollars worth of acquisitions were cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions (Saigol and Politti, 2007). The consistency of the trend spread to the first fiscal quarter of 2007 when acquisitions were valued at 1.13 trillion US dollars; making this fiscal quarter the busiest in the history of acquisitions (Henry, 2002). The value of completed acquisitions in the past two decades exceeds that of completed deals in the prior 30 years (Child et al., 2001). However, this recent upsurge comes along with the fact that about 80 percent of acquisition deals are unsuccessful (KPMG, 1999). Most empirical studies suggest that the reason for the immense failure in acquisitions is majorly the acquirers’ poor anticipation of the most probable challenges in the post-acquisition stages (Shimizu et al., 2004). The high failure rates coupled with the simultaneous high rampancy of acquisition transactions makes the concept of Mergers and Acquisitions an unexplained paradox (Arika, 2004). Academic and economic research efforts indicate that despite the failure of most acquisitions to achieve the objectives set in the pre-acquisition stage, Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions continue being popular and remain the main strategy multinational corporations use to invest directly in foreign countries (Rottig and Reus, 2005). The concurrent successes and failures of Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions beg for a well-targeted research study to examine the main causal factors for the high failure rates (Larsson and Risberg, 1998). Additionally, while numerous research hours have been devoted to the study of Cross-border

Product Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Product Life Cycle - Essay Example 5)." With this definition, it becomes apparent that marketing is not just about selling goods and services to customers. At the heart of marketing is delivering customer value to satisfy and even delight buyers. This calls for the efficient establishment of a marketing mix which takes into account all the essential factors in marketing commodities. In marketing a product, the extended marketing mix is used and is comprised of seven decision areas (7Ps) namely, product, people, price, promotion, place, process, and physical evidence. The Product Life Cycle (PLC) model is an indispensable model which can be utilized in coming up with a well crafted marketing strategy. It is stated that "the product's current PLC position suggests the best marketing strategies (Kotler and Armstrong 355)" and that "the resulting marketing strategies affect product performance in later life-cycles stages (Kotler and Armstrong 355)." This report will look at the use of PLC model as a tool in crafting an efficient and profitable marketing mix for Starbucks Corporation. The first section will give a more in-depth background of the PLC model. Next, it will be used to come up with a marketing mix for Starbucks in China and US. Another section will also be devoted in explaining how certain strategies extend the life cycle of a product in a certain market. The paper will conclude with its recommendations on using the PLC as a potent aid in making product policy decisions. The Product Life Cycle Model: An Overview The PLC model recognized that the life of a product in the market takes commonly follows five distinct stages. The first course is the product development stage which begins when the company finds and develops a new product idea. Introduction phase is the period where the product is finally launched into the target market. This stage is characterized by huge expenses which significantly drive down profit levels. Next is the growth period where the product goes through rapid market acceptance and increasing profits. The maturity stage is commonly the longest stage in the product life cycle which is characterized by slowdown in sales growth due to its general acceptance. In effect, profits typically level off or decline as the company makes efforts to defend the product against competition. The last stage is decline when the product's sales fall off and profits drop (Kotler and Armstrong 354). Product Life Cycle in the Starbucks Context According to Hoovers, Starbucks is the number one specialty coffee retailer having 10,000 coffee shops around the globe. Contrary to the common knowledge that the main product of Starbucks is coffee, an executive of the company declares that Strabucks doesn't sell coffee. Instead, Starbucks goes beyond selling premium quality coffee but it sells "an experience." According to Howard Behar, "We're not in the business of filling bellies, we're in the business of filling souls (qtd in Kotler and Armstrong 58)." With this in mind, Starbucks has conquered the globe with its coffee shop to share the "Starbucks experience." In this section, we will utilize the PLC in crafting marketing

Information system management - The Kiwi Experience Assignment

Information system management - The Kiwi Experience - Assignment Example The paper tells that online reviews provide a rich source of information for customers, which have numerous implications on various managerial functions and activities such as building of a brand, customer attraction and retain, diversification of a product, and quality assurance. Arguably, â€Å"A person’s reputation is a valuable piece of information that can be used when deciding whether or not to interact or do business with† Lytras, Damiani & Ordonez. It gives an opportunity for sale, payment of products and services on demand basis as income is generated monthly, since it allows customers to pay after consumption. Due to the ability of the users to share in the sites, web 2.0 creates more trust to customers and service and products providers. It also uses multiple channels such as sharing of files or pictures. In addition, common features of a web 2.0 are blogs that offers an opportunity to interact with users, whereby they can share ideas, thoughts, and offer im portant information to the users. In a blog, posting entries is in accordance to their dates and there is an enabled response to and classifying comments. Events and calendars in a web 2.0 enable the provider to keep clients up-to date with current activities. The content in the website is downloadable via copies of a portable document format documents. Clients can also request for forums and the providers can provide the same information online. Response to special offers is also possible with web 2.0. 2. Wiki experience is a web 2.0 version operated by Tourism Holding Limited, a New Zealand tourism Company, which is a major player in the tourism industry in the country. Its major target client is the youthful travelers who wish to have fun throughout the touring experience. The kiwi experience uses various features of web 2.0 technology that include the ability of the previous customers to upload pictures of themselves during and after their experience and this is a way of people who meet in the course of touring to remain in touch with one another. This feature, an indirect marketing tool appeals to people for they can keep memories of the tour fresh for a long time and maintain the contacts made. Apart from building more trust on the website, it also makes it more authentic to people. The other feature of wiki experience is the ability for people to book for trips online and make payment arrangements online without having to visit a travelling agency. By the fact that this is easy, it appeals more to people, saves them time wasted in booking and making payments the normal way. The website also uses social media making it possible for people to communicate on the website, post comments of their experience. Client can make contacts of ahead of their travel and this makes it more fun to choose to travel with the company, giving Tourism Company Limited a competitive advantage over other players in the market. Apart from offering direct feedback to the company regarding the quality of their services and analyze their customer satisfaction, online marketing also offers an opportunity for customers to know

Reader's Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reader's Response - Essay Example Her new house is in a squalid neighborhood that she is embarrassed of. Because of her house, her race and culture are more defined and the more she is shameful of it. However, Esperanza realizes that her identity is her own doing. After being raped, she resolves to free herself from her house, but not completely enough to forget its role in shaping her identity. â€Å"Everyday Use† uses the quilt as a symbol of the interconnectedness of traditions through the people who believe in its validity through lived experiences. The quilt stands for rural tradition that only Maggie understands. Like the quilt, Maggie and Mama have not changed at all, and they are happy with their simple rural life. Dee rejects this everyday use of their cultural artifacts: â€Å"[Maggie] probably be backward enough to put [the quilts] to everyday use† (Walker). Mama believes that she knows better, when she gives the quilts to Maggie. To use it every day is what their traditions are. Traditions are meant to be experienced and not hidden in a museum. Nathaniel Hawthorne studies the loss of innocence in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† through the symbol of pink ribbons. These pink ribbons stand for the innocence of his wife and the purity of the church. Because of his dreams in the woods, the pink ribbons have turned into tools of deception. His dreams shook his faith and destroyed its pink ribbons that he once believed in. These symbols show how objects can be related to human issues and beliefs. A house can mean isolation and redemption. A pink ribbon reflects both innocence and delusion. A quilt stands for interconnection and traditions. Thus, these symbols acquire significance because these authors embedded meaning into their purposes and

The Half Brothers Essay Example for Free

The Half Brothers Essay The two short stories The Half Brothers and News of the Engagement differ in terms of tone and emotional feeling between a mother and son and the authors portray this in different ways, however they both use the theme of widows and marriage. News of the Engagement differs from The Half Brothers in many ways. The author in News of the Engagement uses a completely different tone to the other short story. Its tone is slightly humorous and self-mocking. The mother states, Thats Mrs Dawsons new servant, but she neednt think Im going to lend her my best, because Im not. I shouldnt if I were you I supported her. This shows a short of kind and loving bond between the mother and son, at the same time with a sense of happiness about them. There is also a sense of intimacy and shared experience between them. The relationship between the mother and son in News of the Engagement is also very open and nothing is kept from each other. The son discusses, She knew all my friends by name. This shows that they never kept anything from each other. However it also shows that the mother was protective, as she knew of everybody that her son mixed with, inferring that as a mother she felt it was important that she protected her son. The relationship between the mother and son from the outside seems perfect and faultless. However it really is not like that. Even though the mother and son think that they know everything about each other they really do not. The son notes, I was all that my mother had. This shows that the son felt that all his mother had was him and that she had no other feeling for anybody else, but really she did. He did not believe that she would be able to love somebody ever again, because of what she had been through in the past, but he forgot that she was also a human who could have feelings for other people as well. It shows that he is self-centred and unconcerned with his mothers feelings. The son declares, I liked Mr Nixon, but I was not too well pleased by this information, for I wanted to talk confidentially to my mother. This is a great example of the son being completely self-centred. The thought that his mum may have had something to tell him important did not even cross his mind. The love between the mother and son is very clear in News of the Engagement. The son states, I said nothing about my own engagement that night. I had never thought of my mother as a woman with a future. I had never realised that she was desirable, and that a man might desire her and that her lonely existence in that house was not all that she had the right to demand from life. This shows that even though the son is selfish and self-centred and did not believe, up until now, that his mother had a life to live, he still does not mention anything about his engagement. This is because he would rather let his mother be the woman of the moment, instead of him spoiling it with his news. This shows the great love he has for his mother. The tone of The Half Brothers is completely different to the one of News of the Engagement. It is very sad, regretful, remorseful and confessional. The little sister dies very early in the story, which basically sets the tone for the rest of the story. The relationship between the mother and the son was one of true love. The son does not really know his mother, because she died so early in his life but it is clear that there is a very loving feeling between them. We know that the love between the son and the mother is so great, because he gives up his life so that he can see her. This also shows the strong bond between the mother and son and their his willingness to do anything in his power to see his mother. One night Gregorys half brother does not return from an errand of his fathers and Gregory goes out onto the moors to find him. He does so and gives up his own life in order to save his half brother. All this was done out of love for his mother and brother. Gregory was thought to be the idiot in his family and his mother was the only person who loved him. This is something that brought him and his mother even closer, because he was not liked by anybody else apart from his mother and Adam the shepherd, however Adam the shepherd was not someone he could turn to in a serious crisis. When his mother died his love grew even more towards his mother. Overall I feel that the two short stories have some similarities in the way the author writes about the theme of mothers and sons, but there are also many differences between them both. In News of the Engagement the author portrays the theme of mother and sons with a slight sense of humour and in The Half Brothers the author portrays the theme of mothers and sons on a sad and more serious note. The tones of the two stories are also very different, because News of the Engagement has a lighthearted tone, whereas The Half Brothers has a sombre melancholy and remorseful tone. They both show the tremendous love between the mothers and sons, which is something that can be recognised between nearly every mother and son. In both of the short stories the mothers are widows and get married again. However in News of the Engagement the mother marries a man out of free will and in The Half Brothers the mother is forced into marriage, because of her poor financial situation. This would have affected the sons in different ways. The son in News of the Engagement was brought up by his mother and the son in The Half Brothers was brought up by his father. Overall the two short stories do deal with the theme of mothers and sons, but mainly in very different ways.

A League of Their Own Essay Example for Free

A League of Their Own Essay In A League of Their Own, a girls baseball league was started while the professional male baseball players, along with many other men, were across seas fighting in World War II. This movie takes place in 1943. A group of ladies left their homes to become part of the All-American Girls Baseball League to keep the baseball traditions alive. In this movie, gender roles are crossed. After years of perpetrating the image of the docile little women who sat at home caring for her lord and master, American society suddenly found that it needed women who were competent to do hard skilled work during World War II (Ebert). This was alarming to the nation and threatening to some. During one of the scenes, a radio announcer announces that the league was dangerous to society. She called it sexual confusion. Much of the country began to worry about what type of women the men would have to come back to. Society believes that women should be sensitive and nurturing, not competitive. At this time, women were also running the businesses and factories. Working in factories and playing competitive sports were considered to be the role of the males. Women are to be sensitive, nurturing, and open (Johnsen). By playing sports and working in factories, women began to take over some more masculine traits. This was threatening to the men. They saw this as loosing control. Women play many parts in mens struggle for control. One part that women play is to support the idea that men and women are fundamentally different because this gives men a clear and unambiguous turf masculinity on which to pursue control in competition with one another (Johnsen). This threatened mens role and their sense of control. This threatened their masculinity. Even though women were now taking over the factories and sports while the men were away, there still were many politics involved. Instead of this new baseball league being looked at as a competitive sport, it was more of a show. One of the scouts in this movie did not want to take one of the most outstanding baseball players because she wasnt pretty. The scout finds her too homely for the league (Brown). Also, they were forced to wear skirt outfits to play in the dirt. When the women complained about that, the male instructor commented that they should be glad he isnt going to make them all wear bathing suits to play in. As if the uniforms werent discrimination enough, each and every girl had to take classes at a charm and beauty school. Here, they taught these women how to be ladies. They critiqued them in every way. They walked around and inspected each one, ordering for haircuts, eyebrow waxings, etc. When they reached the homely Marla, they were stumped as to what to do. They didnt see anyone being able to make a lady out of her. One instructor asked the other what she suggested. All the women could reply back was a lot of night games. She said this about one of the best players in the league. Also at the school, the ladies were taught how to sip not slurp tea, cross their legs appropriately, walk with grace, and balance a book on their head to promote a more graceful, feminine posture. As the movie continues, this so called womens league wasnt drawing in any profits and was threatened with closing down. This devastated the girls in the league. This league gave them something to speak of, something of their own, a sense of pride rather than just cooking and cleaning. In order to keep the league continuing, the girls had to draw attention and draw a crowd. It started to turn into a circus. The girls had to do splits to make plays more interesting, slid while the guys on the sidelines got a glimpse up their skirts, anything to make it more interesting and less threatening. At first the women were not given the respect they deserved for their hard work. Nobody believed that these housewives could play hard ball. Once the girls proved themselves, the men and the rest of society got threatened and still didnt watch. Until the sport became a show, it wasnt approved of. The girls had contests with the game to make it more interesting. One contest was called Catch a foul, win a kiss. This helps to illustrate that women are objects to be competed for, possessed, and used (Johnsen). Once the women began to make a show of the sport, the bleachers filled. Headlines began to read things such as Trading oven mitts for baseball mitts! and Diamonds, a Womens Best Friend. Women didnt receive their own league until it was the way the men wanted it. They werent to play competitively. It was to be more of a show. Women have gained only what men have been willing to grant; they have taken nothing, they have only received (Beauvoir). This is because men fear competition from women. If they are playing baseball and working in the factories, then what is the male role? Every woman who goes into medicine or law robs them of a job (Beauvoir). The men were threatened to what else the women would begin to do. Hollywood threw out its romance scripts and started making movies about strong, independent females and it was discovered that women could actually excel at professional sports (Ebert). This is a phenomenal movie that shows the power of women. It gets women out of the house and into the work force. It gets them doing just as the men. This was just the start of the women getting out of the house. Once the men came back from war, the women fought to keep their league alive. Many of the women in and outside of the league went on to be doctors and lawyers. Women were breaking out of the house whether the men were ready for it or not. The first girls in the league now have the own spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I believe that these women truly deserve this. Works Cited http://www.rottentomatoes.com.review.sn:usr/ns-home/cgi-bin/ad/adq.cgi, Joe Brown, 1992 http://wwwsuntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1992/07/764762html, Ebert, 1992 Johnson, Allan G. 1997. The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press Beauvoir, Simone de. 1953. The Second Sex. Trans. And ed. H.M. Parshley. New Yourk: Alfred A. Knopf. Friedan, Betty. 1963. The Feninine Mystique. New York: Dell. (20th ann. Ed. Published by W.W. Norton, 1983.) A League of Their Own, 1992.

Why Have Strategic Alliances Grown in Popularity?

Why Have Strategic Alliances Grown in Popularity? Who gains from strategic alliances? â€Å"Google and Lycos Europe Announce Strategic Alliance† (Google press center, 2003), â€Å"Bayer Healthcare and Intendis announce strategic alliance† (Wayne and Montville, 2007), â€Å"Fiat and Chrysler Announce Strategic Alliance† (Car News Gluckman and Kurcezski, 2009), â€Å"City Bank and American Express announce strategic alliance† (Dhaka, 2009). Alliances have become increasingly popular. Over the past years the number of firms forming strategic alliances has risen constantly. â€Å"According to Securities Data Corporation, the number of alliances has increased about 25% per year for the last decade.† In fact some eight out of ten electronics companies now have alliances or are negotiating new ones (Kolasky 1997). The above listed examples show that the trend of forming alliances not only concerns the electronics companies but all business sectors. This essay will critically evaluate on the basis of various examples why strategic alliances have grown in popularity and who gains. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what strategic alliances are and in which types they can appear. A uniform definition of strategic alliances does not exist. Porter (1990, p. ) defines strategic alliances as â€Å"long-term agreements between firms that go beyond normal market transactions but fall short of merger.† According to Dussauge and Garrette (1999, p. ) alliances can be defined as â€Å"a cooperative agreement or association between two or more independent enterprises, which will manage one specific project, with a determined duration †¦ in order to improve their competences. It is constituted to allow its partners to pool resources and coordinate efforts †¦ to achieve results that neither could obtain by acting alone. The key parameters surrounding alliances are opportunism, necessity and speed.† All in all alliances are partnerships, in which merit is combined in order to achieve a mutual goal and to increase sales volume without bearing all the risks. As there are many ways to define strategic alliances there are also many ways of classifying them. To tie in with Dussauge and Garrette (1999) strategic alliances can be divided into partnerships between non-competing firms and alliances between competitors, which are specified in the following. Partnerships between non-competing firms are relationships between companies from different industries, which therefore are not in direct competition with each other. They implicate international expansion joint venture, vertical partnerships and cross-industry agreements. International expansion joint venture opens a new market to the foreign partner and offers the local partner a product to distribute, e.g. Renault and Diesel Naciona, SA (DINA). Vertical partnership is collaboration at two successive working stages within the same production process, e.g. McDonalds and Coca Cola. Cooperations between completely different industries (cross-industry agreements) aspire the diversification of t he activities of companies through a leverage of their abilities, e.g. Philips and DuPont de Nemours produced surface coatings for data storage. Alliances between competitors are divided into three categories, which are shared-supply alliances, quasi-concentration alliances and complementary alliances. Within shared-supply alliances rivals come together to share elements when the display for a particular production process is much greater than for the whole product. The products remain within each company, e.g. Volkswagen and Renault produced jointly automatic gear boxes. In a quasi-concentration alliance just one common product is developed, produced and marketed by all allies, e.g. the collaboration of British Aerospace, DASA and Alenia in the case of the Tornado fighter plane. In the event of complementary alliances a product produced by one company is marketed with the help of the distribution network of another company, e.g. the distribution of Mitsubishi cars by Chrysler. Strategic alliances have gained popularity across many industries. The typification of alliances mentioned above show that alliances are not industry specific, but mostly cross-sectoral. They include amongst others automobile, pharmaceutical and aerospace industries. The reasons for the growing popularity of strategic alliances are quite evident. According to Segal-Horn and Faulkner (1999) one of the primary drivers of strategic alliances is the growing globalisation and regionalisation of markets. Several forces that resulted from the globalisation make the strategy of alliances very important. â€Å"The steady reduction of trade barriers has led to the dramatic growth of cross-border cooperation between companies† (Segal-Horn and Faulkner, 1999, p. 205). The blurring of industry boundaries forces companies to face new rivals. Alliances can provide the companies with capabilities that they need to front global competitors. â€Å"Alliances can provide firms with many benefits such as access to new knowledge, complementary resources, new markets and new technologiesto learn, exploit economies of scale and scope, share risks and outsource various activities along the value chain.† (Gulati et al. 2000 cited in Segal-Horn 2004, p. ) Gulati ´s statement shows that strategic alliances can offer many opportunities and advantages. In respect to technology development the companies can learn from each other as there is an exchange and sharing of technologies, know-how and expertise. This expertise and technology sharing allows the companies to achieve faster the joint aims. To cite Wagonor (2001) manager of GM, â€Å"leveraging on someone who does it better allows you to get there faster.† Canon and HP shared their technologies in copier business. Canon developed the technology for toner and toner cartridges and HP developed the software and computer chips to operate the cartridges (Acredula, 2001). Concerning the market development collaboration can facilitate international expansion and the companies can benefit from a faster entry to new markets. In the case of the alliance between Coca-Cola and Proctor and Gamble (PG), Coca-Cola benefited from a faster entry into the snack and non-carbonated beverage market (Acredula 2001). An alliance partner can also help a company that enters a foreign market with local knowledge, logistics and domestic behaviour as well as with the governmental requirements. Another advantage that an alliance offers the companies is maintenance of the market position and production at lowest cost locations which leads to a very important advantage, cost reduction. Allies in cooperation can for example share costs for advertising and marketing as well as the costs for research and development (RD). In the case of failure the partners of an alliance share the risk as it is spread between all allies and can therefore minimize their damage and losses. This makes the companies more willing to take a risk as they would be alone. Finally, the shrinking product life cycle which cause growing pressure for innovation and growth has forced companies to look outside their own borders for new ideas (Bannerman, 2005). To sum up, strategic alliances allow firms to share risks and resources, gain knowledge and technology, expand the existing product base, and obtain access to new markets. The named advantages of strategic alliances can help companies to keep pace with increasingly complex technologies and constantly changing global markets (Kolasky, 1997). Forming alliances seems to be a useful tool to adopt to the changing market conditions and to stay competitive in a global business world. According to Johnson and Scholes (2008) enterprises sometimes cannot cope with increasingly complex environments only with interior resources and competences. They may see the need to obtain materials, skills, innovation, finance or access to markets through other cooperation s. A single firm is unlikely to possess all the resources and capabilities to achieve global competitiveness† (Dussauge and Garrette 1999, p.). Collaboration is often necessary for the survival and growth of a company. Alliances are a useful strategy to pool competences, technology know-how, skills and resources together to create a new unit (De Wit and Meyer, 1998). Toshiba believes that â€Å"a sing le company cannot dominate any technology or business by itself†. That is why Toshiba chose the strategy of developing relationships with different partners (e.g. IBM, Siemens, GE, Ericsson, Microsoft, Samsung) for different technologies which helped the company to become one of the leading players in the global electronics industry. Toshiba is successful with that strategy because of a thorough alliance partner selection. Toshiba has chosen Apple Computers as a partner to develop multimedia computer. Toshibas manufacturing expertise combined with Apples software technology was an achievement because the alliance allowed both companies to gain from each others competences (Kotelnikov, 2001). However, not only companies come off as winners from strategic alliances but also suppliers, employees, consumers, the government as well as shareholders of the allied companies. It is obvious that companies gain higher sales and therefore higher profits, e.g. the collective revenue for the partnership of the Star Alliance is at more than $63 billion. Furthermore, suppliers gain new clients. The increasing number of clients leads to more orders that in turn lead to more turnovers and more profit. The exchange of know-how and expertise mentioned before benefit the employees. The special knowledge makes them more employable and can assure a safer workplace. As companies are able to produce their products at lowest cost locations, reduce costs and diversify their product range consumers can profit from a wider range of products to more favourable prices. The increasing consumptions and more exports than imports lead to a higher Gross National Product (GNP) in the country of the producin g company. As a positive side-effect the shareholders benefit from higher dividends because increased sales force leads to higher turnover and higher share prices (Acredula, 2001). The last two paragraphs show that strategic alliances present several potentially beneficial advantages. However, alliances also have been criticised. Their high failure rates – half of the alliances fail show the other side of the coin (Acredula, 2001 b). Some organisations may only have one option – namely going it alone. This can be in the case of â€Å"working in a field which is breaking new ground or where there are no other suitable partners available† (Johnson and Scholes, 1999, p. ). The risk of exposing competences and technical know-how to partners who can become future competitors and disputes as well as issues that result from working with other partners, sharing of profits and advantages, less autonomy and control are also significant points that have to be considered. For example, one partner may go into an alliance for short term learning gain, whereas the other partner may see the alliance as more strategic, long term and replacing one area of i ts value chain. Dutch KLM and Alitalia could not avoid the failure of their full merger as partners compatibility did not exist and Alitalia did not come up with arranged expectations. Like most alliances they have failed due to differing objectives or motives of the partners (Witt and Mayer 1998). The companies have to be aware that alliances require a clear strategy and hard work. Careful planning like a clear definition of core competencies, goals and objectives as well as a limitation of the partners role and relationship and a timeline – a deal structure with an exit plan are essential to eliminate or rather to avoid disadvantages as well as to succeed. â€Å"According to a survey of 455 CEOs, the most important factor in designing a strategic alliance is the selection of the right partner (chosen by 75% of the CEOs)† (Holohan, 1998). But one has also have to go beyond the visible peak of the iceberg and consider the main fundamentals of a successful alliance including communication, transparency and trust (Johnson, 2005). Although, alliances are often criticised for being a slower form of development and despite the high failure rate the constant growth of alliances will definitely continue in the future (Johnson and Scholes, 1999). References De Wit, B. and Meyer R.J.H. (1998), Strategy – Process, Content, Context: An International Perspective (2nd edn), London: International Thomson Publishing Dussauge, P. and Garrette, B. (1999), Cooperative Strategy: Competing successfully through strategic alliances, Chichester: John Wiley and Sons Inc. Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Text and Cases (8th edn), London: FT Prentice Hall Porter, M. E. (1998), The competitive advantage of nations: with a new introduction by the author, London: Macmillan Press LTD Segal-Horn, S. (2004), The Strategy Reader (2nd edn)., London: Blackwell Publishing, , p 355-366. Segal-Horn, S. and Faulkner, D. (1999), The Dynamics of International Strategy, London: Thomson Business Press, , p 205-236. Aarons, R. (no date) ‘Ten Reasons to Create a Strategic Alliance, [online] Available from URL: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/strategic_alliances_main.html (accessed 10 November 2009). Acredula Newsletter (2001) `Strategic Alliances Gain Popularity Over Mergers and Acquisitions`, August 2001, Vol. II No.9, [online] Available from URL: http://www.bricker.com/Publications/articles/523.pdf (accessed 14 November 2009) Bannerman, P. (2005), `Strategic Alliances in Education and Training Services ,A Literature Review`, Joan Spiller CORDS Pty Ltd., Australian Graduate School of Management, The University of NSW and the University of Sydney , May 2005, [online] Available from URL: http://www.aei.gov.au/AEI/MIP/ItemsOfInterest/05Interest26b_pdf.pdf Car news Gluckman, D. and Kurczewski, N. (2009), `Fiat and chrysler announce strategic alliance`, January 2009, [online] Available from URL: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/09q1/fiat_and_chrysler_announce_strategic_alliance-car_news, accessed on 12 November 2009. Dhaka (2009), `City Bank and American Express announce strategic alliance`, 7 November 2009, [online] Available from URL: http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/pc/2009/citybank.asp, accessed on 15 November 2009. Google press center (2003), `Google and Lycos Europe Announce Strategic Alliance`, 5 June 2003, Mountain view, California/Gà ¼tersloh, Germany, [online] Available from URL: http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/lycos_de.html, accessed on 12 November 2009. Holohan, M. Paul (1998), `Business alliances: how to find a good partner`,International Journal of Business Performance Management 1998, Vol. 1, No.1, pp.79 – 89, [online] Available from URL: http://www.inderscience.com/search/index.php?action=recordrec_id=4546prevQuery=ps=10m=or Johnson, L. C. (2005) ‘Understanding the Role of Cross-Sector Strategic Alliances in The Age of corporate social responsibility, 12 April 2005, p47-55, [online] Available from URL: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/research/2005/Johnson.pdf, accessed on 10 November 2009 Kolasky, J., William Jr. (1997), `Antitrust enforcement guidelines for strategic alliances`, presented at the Federal Trade Commissions, Hearings on Joint Ventures, Washington, D.C. Kotelnikov, V. (2001) ‘Strategic Alliances: Why and how to build them, [online] Available from URL: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/strategic_alliances_main.html accessed on 10 November 2009 Wayne and Montville (2007), `Bayer healthcare and intendis announce strategic alliance to co promote yaz drospirenoneethinyl estradiol for treatment of moderate acne`, 7 May 2007, [online] Available from URL: http://www.intendis.com/scripts/pages/en/press_amp_media/news/bayer_healthcare_and_intendis_announce_strategic_alliance_to_copromote_yaz_drospirenoneethinyl_estradiol_for_treatment_of_moderate_acne.php, accessed on 12 November 2009. Acredula (2001), Newsletter,  ´Not All Strategic Alliances Are Successful ´, September 2001, Vol. II No. 10, [online] Available from URL: http://www.bricker.com/publications/articles/528.pdf accessed on 14 November 2009 Cartwright, S., Cooper, C. L. (1996) Managing mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances: integrating people, 2nd edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford Jarillo, J. C. (1995), Strategic networks: creating the borderless organization, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Velasquez, M. G. (2002) Business Ethics – Concepts and Cases, 5th edn, Prentice Hall, London. [emailprotected], University of Pennsylvania (2008) `Thought Leaders II: Collaborating To Compete: The Rise of Coopetition and Strategic Alliances, March 2008, http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/ebuzz/0803/thoughtleaders2.cfm, accessed on 10 November 2009. Segmentation: E-business market Segmentation: E-business market 1.0 Introduction This report will cover some outlines of segmentation and how to target the potential market for our new E-business in the market it is important that we understand what kind of requirements there are for effective segmentation. I would try to compare and contrast some of the important points give some examples. Also to keep our position safe in market and to keep running a successful business first we need to consider different segmentation processes and then I would define the business model according to our E-Business. 1.2 Identify the target markets for Complete Training Solutions intended expansion. The school will need to consider the demographic, geographical, psychographic, and consumer characteristics of there identified markets. For that school need to understand the market segments which are as follows. 2.0 What are the market segments are? Market segmentation may be defined as Jobber says that â€Å"the identification of individuals or organistaions with similar characteristics that have significant implications for the determination of marketing strategy†. â€Å"Where segmentation is the first and one of the most important steps† (Yan, 2008). Where as according to Lancaster Reynolds market segmentation is defined as â€Å"the process of breaking down the total market for a product or service into distinct sub-groups or segments where each segment may conceivably represent a separate target market to be reached with a distinctive marketing mix. 2.1 Market segmentation A segment is a unique group of customers or potential customer who share some kind of common characteristic that make them different from other groups. Proctor thinks that different segments may have different needs, they may ask for different versions of the same product, pay different prices, buy in different places and they may be reached by different media. Every one has the own opinion and own choices. It is very important for us to keep a healthy relationship with the customers and to do this they need to understand their customers demand. According to Proctor in consumer markets customers and prospective customers can be grouped together or segmented by attitude, lifestyle, age, gender, stage in the family, lifecycle, job types, level of earnings and many others relevant variables. These things should be kept in mind whenever introducing any new brand because if we want to maintain our image in the market then we need to fully understands the logic of customers and their purchasing behaviours. It is very important for us to identify what each segment wants, what it can afford, whether it is loyal to a particular competitor and how it might respond to an offer is vital information. As mentioned by Proctor that market segmentation and accurate targeting keeps a firm close to the market. It reduces waste, finds the best customers and helps to keep them satisfied. Segmentation is very useful tool. But it is necessary for us to understand each and every sub-group in order to get the positive result from customers and to compete with competitors in the market. As mentioned by Croft the methods of separating the market according to similarities that exist among the various subgroups within the market. Characteristics, needs and desires may be the common similarities. Market segmentation comes about as a result of the observation that all potential users of a product are not alike, and that the same general appeal will not interest all prospects. Therefore, it is essential to develop different marketing tactics to effectively cover the entire market for a particular product. There are four basic market segmentation strategies: behaviour segmentation, demographic, geographic, and physiographic segmentation. 2.2 Demographic segmentation Involves dividing the market on the basis of statistical differences in personal characteristics, such as age, gender, race, income, life stage, occupation, and education level (Anon 2002) We could focus on customers age because user needs and wants change with their age although they still want to learn the same types of courses. In order to introduce the new ideas in market and we should look at the design of the courses and what will be the learning outcomes we could meet the user demands of different age group. Income is another popular basis of segmentation. Customers will be more attractive towards the less income. We need to understand this point that in marketing the courses that appeal directly to the customer is relatively low prices. So therefore other variables of demographic are as important as mentioned above and they should not be neglected. 2.3 Psychographic segmentation It is based on the assumption that the types of products and brands an individual purchases will reflect that person personality and patterns of living. Generally to promote the product marketers are using celebrities, such as football team. If we use this technique for her new courses then we could create a big image in front of users. As it mentioned in the definition that every one has different life style, they have there own opinions but it could be influenced by other people personalities. This is benefit for us because for example if David Becham is learning the team building strategies from our institute then the user influencing his fans to join in the same course. 2.4 Geographic segmentation Lancaster Reynolds said that geographic is consists of dividing a country into regions that normally represent an individual sales persons territory. This is mostly suitable for broad companies and these massive regions are then broken down into areas with separate regional manager controlling salespeople in distinct area. This will help only if we expand our company our institute international, so far there is need of geographic segmentation. The geographic segmentation method is useful where there are geographic locations differences in consumption patterns and preferences but in our case we need to think about that because our institute is more about online courses so we have to consider about that. 2.5 Behavioural segmentation As stated by Lancaster and Reynolds behavioural segmentation is based on actual customers behaviour towards products. It has the advantages of using variables that are closely related to the product itself. Such as: brand loyalty, benefits sought, occasions (holidays, events which stimulate point for marketing) etc. As Lancaster Reynolds stated that the customers that can be divided into number of groups according to their loyalty, or their propensity to repurchase brand again is called brand loyality. Actually we have to think about if we will provide the those learning facilities are those are enough for the learner requirement with that they can bring some more students for the reappearing in the same courses or tell others to participate in those courses those are good and according to the your standards this is some sort of the advertisement when any costumer tell other customer for the same product just we need to think about if, if the user doesnt like our learning style then what will be our next plan to satisfied the learner. 3.0 Effective segmentation The needs of customers should be central to all business decision making so therefore Effective segmentation can be achieved by solving the problems of users. The major dimensions are price, service, product and quality for example an image of institute. Therefore it is necessary to identify all the requirements of user so realistic segments could be targeted. Kotler said that, â€Å"A customer orientation toward marketing holds that success will come to organizations that best determine the perceptions, needs, and wants of target markets and satisfy them through the design, communication, pricing, and delivery of appropriate and competitive viable offerings†. According to Xu, Jianfeng â€Å"An accurate and effective segmentation technique is the basis of the ideal dynamic heart modeling†. One author state that effective segmentation is about customer needs, demands and other is telling the importance of effective segmentation. Each segment should be evaluated in terms of its overall size, projected rate of growth, actual and potential competition and customer needs. According to the targets we need to decide which criteria is appropriate for assessing different bases. 3.1 Measurable According to Recklies it has to be possible to determine the values of the variables used for segmentation with justifiable efforts. This is important especially for demographic and geographic variables. For an organisation with direct sales the own customer database could deliver valuable information on buying behaviour (frequency, volume, product groups, mode of payment etc. 3.2 Accessibility Lancaster Reynolds researched that accessibility base used should ideally lead to the company being able to reach selected market targets with their individual marketing efforts. 3.3 Validity Reynolds and Lancaster mentioned the extent to which the base is directly associated with the differences in needs and wants between the different segments. Given that segmentation is essentially concerned with identifying groups with different needs and wants, it is vital that the segmentation base is meaningful and that different preferences or needs show clear variations in market behaviour and response to individually designed marketing mixes. 3.4 Substantial According to Lancaster Reynolds substantial is the base used which lead to segments which are sufficiently enormous to economically and practically worthwhile serving as discrete market targets with a distinctive marketing mix. If we need to make segmentation effective it is important that we know that where and who we targeting. Segmentation is the basis for developing targeted and effective marketing plans. 4.0 Targeting Lancaster Reynolds mentioned that after market has been separated into its segments, the marketer will select a segment or series of segments and target them. Each segment has different tastes and demands unique marketing mix in order to make the product or service more attractive to those customers who occupy that market segment. The process of manipulating the marketing mix in terms of differentiating products, methods of communication and other marketing variables is known as ‘target marketing. After the process of segmentation the next step is for us to decide how it is going to target these particular group(s). There are three options Undifferentiated marketing Differentiated marketing strategy Concentrated Marketing We should use differentiated marketing because we can use several segments and develop distinct courses with separate mix strategies at the varying groups. Mr Jobber stated that â€Å"When market segmentation reveals several potential targets, specific marketing mixes can be developed o appeal to all or some of the segments†. As Siklos and Abel says that â€Å"Thegiving inflation targeting an additional credibilityboost many emerging markets†. Comparing these two definitions of different authors its becoming noticeable that targets play an important roll to achieve goals. It would allow us to identify specific customers groups with different needs and wants and also the unfilled gaps in a market can be apprised and then satisfied through unique product or promotional offering (Lancaster Reynolds 1999). Target marketing can thus be said to be the process of identifying market segments that will be the most likely purchasers of a companys products, and devising inventive marketing approaches to suit these specifically distinguished needs (Lancaster Reynolds 1999). After segmentation process has taken place as Lancaster and Reynolds mentioned that each segment should be identified and must be assessed in order to decide whether or not it is worthwhile serving as a potentially profitable target market with its own distinctive marketing mix. Where there is good sales and profit potential the favourable attributes of a target will include segments. If competition is not too intense and where the segment might have some previously identified requirements we should able to serve them. 5.0 Mix marketing As mentioned by Lancaster and Reynolds that the marketing mix describe the functional aspects of marketing over which the company has control. This includes what E Jerome McCarthy dubbed the ‘four Ps in 1960, namely, Product, Price, Promotion and Place. In addition to these four Ps, is sometimes added a fifth P People, which includes the people who mainly carry out the function of marketing and who interface with customers. These have been described as the key elements of the marketing function. There are two further Ps that specially relate to the service industry because of its tangible nature. These are Process and Physical evidence. These are called the seven Ps of service marketing. However we should understand the notions of four Ps which are still prevails in marketing litre. The elements of marketing mix are all related in terms of how they combine in the marketing planning process. Lancaster Reynolds pointed out that it is the skill of marketing management to ensure that the combination chosen is a successful one. â€Å"Marketing is seen as a strategic management activity aimed at developing customer relationships. Concepts such as the four Ps (product, price, place and promotion), marketing plans, the marketing mix, segmentation, promotion and evaluation are identified and discussed in relation† (Wakeham, Maurice 2004). According to these authors we can see that with marketing mix we could raise the strong relationship with users and with the concept of 4 Ps we can identified and evaluate the segmentation. Lets expand on these 4 Ps and see how we can link them with our new online learning facilities of Team Building, Assertiveness, Coaching Skills and Delegation Skills for the Busy Professional. Mission statement draft: A learning experience that prepare students to contribute in a dynamic, global, and diverse business environment. Our mission is to provide training to all level of the users who ever is connected with their business, Including team building, assertiveness, coaching skill and delegation skill for the busy professionals. Objectives Aim Our school of intelligent learners is for the users who wants to build up there extra qualities for to compete the new era requirements. And our aim is to provide them up to date training which is purely concerned for the business levels. Our school is one of the best schools in Bradford. Currently we are struggling for more students that is why we are moving online and we will provide online courses for the relevant business. That was the our main reason to be online but there is one more reason to be online is that before we were enable to mark the global market now we can mark the global market by choosing online learning facilities now we can provide our service across the glob where ever any one and any type of user can access us and learn what ever they want from our main courses. We will provide online video and audio conferencing which is the solution to save the cost of the booking hotels and halls. Our main concern is to think about the user from different back ground from any part of the world we can arrange there course in any language. Our basic and main aim is to provide them solution for their problems. Value proposition: For the learners satisfaction school has to think about the language, course compatibility, learning facilities for the disable people which we dont have at the moment so we have to concerned about those problems and we have to satisfy the learner needs by that as a distance training provider we will have to save their time and they can chose there own learning style and they can manage their staff as possible as they want they can call more people if they want they can organize big halls for more people and they can provide the requirements for the disable peoples as well by using the our video and audio libraries. Product and services: The school will provide Team Building, Assertiveness, Coaching Skills and Delegation Skills for the Busy Professional. That will be a complete training for the bingers as well as for the expert. Expert can learn new techniques and binger can develop some skill too for the requirements of the new era. School will also provide some extra courses as well whoever will join the school for instance, web development in visual basic oracle it is good for the companies for there advertisement and for account as well. Learning on internet is the best learning style then old time styles you can learn while sitting at home at your own pace. The school will provide you the services of all the documentation and applications with which the students and companies can enable to access the schools resources. Business models: There could have been taken several attempts to categorize all the business models emerging with the coming new economy in order to understand how e-companies are making money or not making money. Some of are the company see there business model highly exposed such as the reverse action model of Priceline or online grocery model of shield. But still, is at all so clear so far? For instance, ebay.com might be typical of an Agora B-web like in Chicago but all the same as ebay.com and the main function is to be a online merchandiser. All of them have the same object but the different perspectives. Is there any better or could be worse way to explain or justify the business models? Are those comparing with each other or allowing comparisons? Do they help customer to categories the different actors in the same category, for instance online grocery shop? Do they explain why some of them benefits from the financial figures? Nowadays new business models do not finish emerging in electronic c ommerce and can become a major stake in the e-business game ((Maitre and Aladjidi (1999), Kalakota (1999)). It is even possible to patent them in some countries (Pavento (1999)! Research issue is important to understand the new business for to helping to design but not covered so well until now. E-business modelling has similar as to enterprise modelling in general. Modelling helps the companies to develop their business visions and strategies, redesign and align business to operations, share knowledge about the business and its vision and ensure the acceptance of business decisions through committing stakeholders to the decisions made (Persson, Stirna , 2001). A business model is nothing else than the architecture of a firm and its network of partners for creating, marketing and delivering value and relationship capital to one or several segments of customers in order to generate profitable and sustainable revenue streams. The E-Business Model framework is therefore divided into four principal components. The products and services a company offers, representing an ample value to a target customer (value proposition), and for which he is eager to pay. The relationship assets the firm creates and maintains with the customer, in order to suit him and to generate sustainable revenues. The communications and the network of partners that is necessary in order to create a good customer relationship. And last, but not least, The financial aspects that can be found throughout the three previous components, such as cost and revenue structures. If we think in depth how the school is related to the business models and how it will work to generate the more revenue. Basically the intelligent learners is associated with several business models. The main models include business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C). B2B consists of companies and school doing a business with each other, whereas B2C involves selling directly to the end consumer (students). When intelligent learners first began, the B2C model was first to emerge. B2B transactions were more complex and came now. Conclusion: some of the benefits associated with online intelligent learners are include the availability of information 24/7. Students and companies can log onto the Internet and learn about products, as well as purchase them, at any hour. Intelligent learners can also save money because of a reduced need for a sales force. Overall, intelligent learners can help you to expand from a local market to both national and international marketplaces. And, in a way, it levels the playing field for big and small players. Unlike traditional marketing media (like print, radio and TV), entry into the realm of Internet marketing can be a lot less expensive and offers a greater sense of accountability for advertisers.