James Dickey [Choose a good topic for me if you can] Research Paper

James Dickey [Choose a good topic for me if you can] - Research Paper Example Dickey, in his early poems, described confrontations particularly in nature and war not as away of telling people his heroic past, but as an ingenious way for discouraging acts of aggression, mortality, and redefining good moral values. Instead of adopting formalism, Dickey favored a narrative approach typified with charged emotions drawn from his past experiences (Clabough 3-6). This paper aims to explore James Dickey. Specifically, the paper aims to explore his biography and how Dickey used things that happened in his own life in the stories, books, or poems that he wrote. This paper will explore a number of novels and even poems to make the points clear. Mini-Biography Early years James Dickey was born on 2nd of February 1923 to Maibelle Swift and Eugene Dickey in Buckhead, Atlanta (Thesing and Wrede 1). He went to North Fulton High School and joined Clemson Agricultural College in 1942. He only spent one semester at Clemson Agricultural College before joining the US army. While i n the army, he participated in the WWII and Korean War. The break in between the wars enabled him to enroll at Vanderbilt University to pursue courses in philosophy and English. These qualifications landed him a new job as a lecturer at the University of Florida. Career Apart from serving in disciplined forces, Dickey lectured at Rice University in Texas and at the University of Florida. He also worked for McCann-Erickson, an advertising company as a copywriter. This introduced him to written art and it never took long before publishing his first book in 1960. More books on poetry were produced in the following years. His recognition as a great poet earned him another job as a Professor of English at the University of South Carolina around 1970. Personal Life James Dickey married Maxine Syerson in 1948 and together they had two sons, Christopher and Kevin, before his wife passed on in 1976. A few years later, he married another wife by the name Deborah Dodson and together they had a daughter, Bronwen. Just like the father, Christopher and Bronwen are novelists and Kevin is a practicing radiologist. Before he died in 1997, Dickey was working as poet-in-residence at the University of South Carolina. He succumbed to problems associated with alcoholism, jaundice and fibrosis of the lungs. Explaining the Thesis Dickey had an exceptional vision and in most cases he drew a lot from his life experience. In fact, most scholars who have reviewed his work were tempted to classify him as a confessional poet (Hill, para. 7-8). Every piece of work he published was motivated by a life experience. Dickey wrote about personal experiences, particular places, situations and memories. The distinctive poem of Dickey is one of reflection on experience or memory. Since, Dickey came from the South at a time when slave trade had not been abolished; his poems like "Slave Quarters" were developed around memories relating to places he visited. In "Slave Quarters," the intention of Dickey was to deal with undisclosed moral issues-the guilt over slavery characterized by sexual abuse and killings. A similar style is captured in his poem, "The Firebombing." In "The Firebombing poem,† Dickey genuinely raised issues of consciousness, empathy, regret and lack of good will.

Kant & Hume, Comparative Study Essay Example for Free

Kant Hume, Comparative Study Essay Two of the modern world’s most followed and known, yet opposing philosophers. Immanuel Kant and David Hume both assert that all knowledge comes from experience, yet disagree on whether or not experience determines all knowledge, disagree on the causality of the universe as organized or unorganized, and disagree on God’s existence (or non-existence) within the world. Despite these vast differences, however, both philosophies have managed to co-exist in the modern world. Kant proclaims that all knowledge comes from experience, and that people are intelligent and rational enough to synthesize previous experiences into predictions (or fore-knowledge) of the future. On the other hand, Hume proclaims that all knowledge comes from experience and that just because something has occurred in the past does not mean that it will occur in the future. In regard to causality of the universe, Kant puts forth the notion that the universe was created in a way so that the nature of all things lays uniform and perfect despite the passing of time. Hume, however, puts forth the notion that the universe was created in a way so that all things change over time. In Kant’s eyes God’s existence or non-existence could never be proven or disproven, and because of this doubt God therefore exists. For Hume, the idea of God can exist, but the being most know as God cannot because the idea of god is specific and unique to every individual and therefore there cannot be one God for all—rather everyone has a unique and personal God. Kant and Hume pit each other down in philosophical battle after philosophical only to realize that they never agree on compromises to their ideas, and stay forever at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Kant and Hume both asserted that all knowledge comes from experience. Kant states that there â€Å"can be no doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience† (Pure). By this Kant asserts that all knowledge initiates from experience. However, Kant goes further by also stating that â€Å"we have no knowledge antecedent to experience† (Pure), which means that in order to understand something, one has to have experienced the happening/ occurrence at one point in time. Hume states that â€Å"causes and effects are discoverable, not by reason but by experience† (Enquiry). By this Hume asserts that all knowledge and any knowledge must come from experience and nothing else. Hume also states that real existence can come only from â€Å"either from the causes which produced it, or the effectswhich will arise from it† (Enquiry), which means that experience provides not only knowledge but the justification for existence that experiences define the essence/ being of an individual. Kant and Hume agree that all knowledge stems from experiences attained in the material world. By asserting that to have knowledge of something one has to experience that thing only once Kant sparks the disagreement between himself and Hume on whether or not the future can be known based on past experiences. Kant theorizes that although â€Å"knowledge begins with experience† it does not mean that all which follows â€Å"arises out of experience† (Pure). By this Kant states that experiences are building blocks the house of knowledge but not the house itself. Kant claims that people can know what happens in the future because reason allows for them to extend their experiences beyond what has happened to events that have not occurred yet. Kant justifies this by saying that people’s â€Å"conclusions from experience† stand enough to justify that the future will resemble the past (Pure). Hume theorizes that past experience â€Å"can be allowed to give direct and certain information† but only in relation to the â€Å"precise objects † to which past experience refers, and that â€Å"precise period of time, which fell under its cognizance† (Enquiry). Hume clearly states that the only pure knowledge people can have is knowledge of the past, which means that there can be no real knowledge of the future because it has not been experienced yet. Furthermore, Hume articulates that it is impossible to show that the â€Å"ultimate cause of any natural operation† can be found in â€Å"any single effect in the universe† (Enquiry). In this statement Hume tries to elucidate his point that just because something has existed before does not mean that it will exist again in the same form, that there is no â€Å"ultimate cause† but rather many causes that go into the producing of different effects. To capstone his point Hume says that one cannot have a golden rule that what â€Å"happens sometimes†¦ happens always†¦ with regard to some objects† for all things in existence because there is no †logic† or â€Å"process of argument† that â€Å"secures oneâ€Å" into this assumption (Enquiry). Hume explains that it stands impossible to predict the future because the future has not yet been experienced and therefore has no security of knowledge. For Kant, by a rational extension of logic, it can be determined that what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future are one in the same— yet or Hume, knowledge can come only from experience because If the future cannot be experienced then people have no bounds to determine what will happen in it. These suppositions then lead to the question of causality of the universe, to which Kant puts forth the notion that the universe was created in a way so that the nature of all things lays uniform and perfect— despite the passing of time— whereas Hume puts forth the notion that the universe was created in a way so that all things change over time. Kant presents that â€Å"nature is a being acting according to purpose† and creates a â€Å"natural purpose† that everything in the universe must adhere to (Judgment), which supports the notion that the universe was created in a way so that the nature of all things lays uniform and perfect because everything has its natural place in the universe and therefore maintains a natural purpose and a static order. Kant additionally expounds that â€Å"causality involves that of laws† and that these laws create a cause that has a specific effect that â€Å"must be produced† (Fundamentals). Due to this â€Å"law† that Kant references he insinuates that, despite time passing, what has happened will have to happen again based on the consistency of the laws of nature. To counter this, Hume presents his reasoning that â€Å"effect is totally different from the cause, and consequently can never be discovered in it† (Enquiry), which supports the notion that things change and no consistency stays in the universe because there is never a direct link between a cause, and the effect which results from it. Additionally, Hume goes on to dictate that effects fail to â€Å"be discovered in the cause† and that they â€Å"must be entirely arbitrary† (Enquiry). By this, Hume means that if an effect could be paired up with any old cause, that it would be completely random and therefore have no value in appraising cause and effect. By both these sentiments Hume conveys that a cause and effect have no solidified connection unless they are proven to be tied together, which leads to the assumption that the world shifts and changes over time because if the universe were static then everything would be the same and a golden rule for causality would exist but for Hume, it doesn’t. Kant and Hume stand at odds on whether the universe stays organized or frays at the ends because of their assertions that the universe was created perfectly, and in opposition the assertion that the universe was created imperfectly. After determining the organization of the universe, one question remains forthe philosophers: who or what, if anything, created the universe? To this Kant responds that God is unknowable and that this thought doesn’t disprove his existence or perfection while Hume responds everyone has their own unique God, and therefore one perfect and whole God cannot exist. Kant expounds that the â€Å"unavoidable problems set by pure reason itself are God, freedom, and immortality† and that for knowledge of God there is no â€Å"capacity or incapacity of reason for so great an undertaking† (Pure). Here Kant proclaims that because of reason’s inability to appraise the idea of God, that it is an unknowable topic and that everything stated about it can be marked as true because it cannot be disproven. Hume expounds that he â€Å"believe[s] [God] to be existent† and that Hume’s idea of â€Å"conception of the existence† dictates that the idea of God â€Å"lies not in the parts† or composition of the idea but in the â€Å"the manner in which we conceive it† (Treatise). Hume makes the point that he has his own idea of God, that his idea is unique to himself and the way in which he develops his idea. Hume also states that â€Å"God is existent† but only in the form in which â€Å"as he is represented to us† (Treatise). This statement definitively encompasses the idea that not everyone cannot know the same God because people can only conceive their notion of God from what they have experienced, and each person’s experience stays unique and separate. For Kant God exists by the pure reason that God can never be proven non-existent whereas for Hume, the idea of God can exist, but the being God that most people think of cannot because the idea of god is specific and unique to every individual. Kant and Hume pit each other down in philosophical battle after philosophical only to realize that they never agree on compromises to their ideas, and stay forever at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, which in a twisted way allows them to co-exist in the modern world. On philosophy itself, Kant states that one â€Å"cannot say how far the inferences from perception may extend†, which means that for as much as people can imagine, something can be real and by extension this means that there is security in being able to make up the reality that one wants (Pure). In adversion Hume states that philosophy may â€Å"prove useful† by â€Å"destroying implicit faith and security† and allowing only one answer to be proven correct and logical through skepticism (Enquiry). Kant and Hume can have no recourse from the dilemma that they face because at every turn Kant states that anything imaginable is possible and that skepticism, Hume’s philosophy, can never be reconciled with the idea that everything could be possible because they intrinsically contradict each other. Kant and Hume: two men divided by differing philosophies on the source of knowledge, the causality of the universe, and the definite existence of God who battled over answers to these question of life throughout their careers. While Kant asserted that by rational extension experience could unlock the key to all knowledge Hume countered that only experience could grant knowledge, and that anything beyond that bent the rules of the world and made all knowledge inconsequential. While Kant asserted that the universe was created in a perfect natural order that would exist forever Hume countered that the universe was created in an imperfect, unorganized fashion that would be ever changing. While Kant asserted that the existence of God could never be disproven and therefore had to exist Hume countered that it is inadequate to say that God has to exist as a result of doubt because every conception of God from every individual is different and people must therefore err on the side of skepticism and accept that God cannot exist as everyone wishes him to. While Kant and Hume tried to reconcile their differences on philosophy they never came to an agreement, and therefore co-existed in the denial that the others thoughts could possible hold any truth. Works Cited Hume, David. An enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Chapter on Cause and Effect. -. A Treatise of Human Nature. Source found @ http://www. gutenberg. org/files/4705/4705-h/4705-h. htm#2H_4_0027 Kant, Immanuel. Critique of Judgment, Source material found @ http://www. marxists. org/reference/subject/ethics/kant/judgment/teleology. htm -. Critique of Pure Reason. -. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals. Book provided by http://www. gutenberg. org/cache/epub/5682/pg5682. html.

Animals and Man Essay -- Analysis, G.W. Leibniz

G.W. Leibniz asserts that humans are superior to all other creatures. Admittedly, Leibniz’s ideas on this matter are somewhat ambiguous, making it difficult to ascertain his exact position. In some instances within the Discourse on Metaphysics, he appears to hold that animals do not have souls. On other occasions, however, he seems to express beliefs to the contrary. For example, Leibniz first expresses doubt about souls of animals when he questions â€Å"if they [animals] have any [souls]† (Leibniz, 11). In another example, on the contrary, he hints that â€Å"the souls †¦ of other bodies are entirely different from intelligent souls† (12). This gives the impression that both other bodies and humans (â€Å"intelligent souls†) have souls albeit different to some degree. Later, however, Leibniz definitively remarks â€Å"that animals have souls† (37). In The Monadology, any remaining uncertainty vanishes. Here, he first mentions that â €Å"nature has given heightened perceptions to animals, from the care she has taken to furnish them organs †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (71). Then, a few words later Leibniz vows to explain â€Å"how what occurs in the soul represents what occurs in the organs† (71). What he implies with this passage is that animals, just like humans, have souls which are influenced and impacted by sensory perceptions. Then, in XXVI of The Monadology, he explains that â€Å"[m]emory provides a kind of sequence in souls, which imitates reason, but which must be distinguished from it† (71). Leibniz continues, providing an example of a dog remembering abuse with a stick to suggest that animals have some form of memory or perception. As a result of the memories of abuse and a recollection of the pain, the dog flees when presented with a stick. In arguing as much, Lei... ...ecies. Since humans cannot catch prey, without the use of tools or weaponry, as efficiently as a lion, the lion could then be deemed superior. Reframing what supposedly makes man superior out of an anthropocentric view hopefully elucidate the idea that no trait makes any being superior over any other. I agree with Leibniz that a mind created in the image of God should, indeed, â€Å"act with knowledge in imitation of the divine nature† (39). This includes acting as moral agents to consider the good and inherent worth of all beings. After all, in many respects, animals and man are very similar. But, assuming human superiority is an abuse of our unique position as moral agents of God. Moreover, if we believe God has infinite and perfect virtues who acts in a divine nature, then it seems that such an omnibenevolent being would not value any creature over any other.

Use of Monetary Policy and Fiscal Policy During The Great Recession Ess

How can monetary policy and fiscal policy greatly influence the US economy? Keynesian economics says, â€Å"A depressed economy is the result of inadequate spending .† According to Keynesian the government intervention can help a depressed economy through monetary policy and fiscal .The idea established by Keynes was that managing the economy is a government responsibility . Monetary policy uses changes in the quantity of money to alter interest rates, which in turn affect the level of overall spending . â€Å"The object of monetary policy is to influence the nation’s economic performance, as measured by inflation†, the employment rate and the gross domestic product, an aggregate measure of economic output. Monetary policy is controlled by the Central Bank and influences money supply . Fiscal policy uses changes in taxes and government spending to affect overall spending and stabilize the economy. When lowering taxes the people have more to spend then the government decreases spending and the economy slows down therefore the economy stabilizes. The objective of fiscal policy is the governments’ typical use fiscal policy to promote strong and sustainable growth and reduce poverty. During periods of recession congress has the option to decrease taxes to give households more disposable income so they can buy more products. Therefore, lowering tax rates increases GDP. The steady growth of inflation in 2007 and 2008 suggest that the Federal Reserve applied discretionary powers to avoid tightening. Tightening is inflation growing too fast. In 2009 the feds needed to be concerned about the deflation because the average inflation rate dropped to -.4%. Inflation tends to follow movements and they are closely related to the business cyc... ... Okun, A. 1962. â€Å"Potential Output: Its Measurement and Significance.† in Proceedings of the Business and Economic Statistics Section, American Statistical Society. Washington, DC: American Statistical Association. Phelps, E. 1994. â€Å"The Origins and Further Development of the Natural Rate of Unemployment,† in R. Cross (ed.), The Natural Rate Twenty-Five Years On. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Romer, C. and J. Bernstein. 2009, â€Å"The Job Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.† January 10. Available at: http://otrans.3cdn.net/45593e8ecbd339d074_l3m6bt1te.pdf Skidelsky, R. 2001. John Maynard Keynes, Volume Three: Fighting for Britain 1937–1946. London: Macmillan. Tcherneva, P. 2011. â€Å"Permanent on-the-spot job creation—the missing Keynes Plan for full employment and economic transformation.† Review of Social Economics, forthcoming.

Discrimination with “A House on Mango Street” Essay

In the society of today, discrimination and other similar ideas are not suppressed so that they are free to roam our cities, states, countries, and finally the whole world. Still, different sides of the world have different types of discriminations. There are some about animals, race, etc. But the worst possible is discrimination against the opposite sex; cause then those people would be against about 50 percent of the world’s population of humans. So, those who oppose this would try to show the world that the idea of sexism is wrong, and Sandra Cisneros is one of then. She indirectly discusses it in a book, â€Å"House on Mango Street.† This book, â€Å"The House on Mango Street† by Sandra Cisneros, showed feminism and machismo in the Latino culture. For example, I quote, â€Å"I thought I would because he was so old and just as I was about to put my lips on his cheek, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn’t let go.†(p.55) In this quote, the man, who represents the machismo side, tries to take control of Esperanza, which is in the feminism side. This shows an example for power between each other and the thought that the sexes are unequal, unbalanced, and that the male side has more power. For, is the man in the story didn’t think that he could kiss Esperanza and get away with it because he has the right to do so, then he wouldn’t have done so. Just because the society that Esperanza lives in believe that women have no right in the governments or any other part of the society than to care for the family that she lives in and nothing else. So, taking the machismo’s side, first of all I think that it is wrong and that all people are on the same level of equality, its just that some prove themselves more valuable to others so that they have more power in the real world but no person has power over another person. Women’s rights is another important idea of discriminations. An example from this book would be, â€Å"Then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoor because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at.†(p.79) In this part of the story, the one on the feminism side is being locked up and prevented from doing what she wants to do. In my point of view, plus my previous experiences, I know that no one likes to be locked up and not enjoy  the joy while is possible to do so. Also, it affects how the affected person would respond to others when they are free because they would have never even touched the real world. It would have both physical and mental effects. In addition to that, the women shouldn’t be locked up and more they are limited, the more they would be afraid of the world outside and surrounding them. But, even though most women who are locked up in their own house would be afraid of the world outside, in the very inside, there would be a place where they are longing to transform the musty air they breath to fresh. The dull and bitter papaya and coconut juice would then change into sugar and bubbly drinks. All these would be incomplete without some equality in this society and world. There are places for everyone in this world, but sometimes there are a few people who will never know where they fit. These people are ignored and need places to belong to. For example, Esperanza needs a home of her own because the house she is living in now brings her and her family shame. In the hierarchy of needs, love and caring is one of the parts in it and when the hierarchy is incomplete, there would be problems and disorders. These women who are fighting hard not only for freedom, but also their lives, and they are least likely to succeed when the opposite sex are constantly harassing them and don’t make them feel that they belong. Some strong willed ones would find a way to escape their treacherous would, but that does not work for every abused woman. As a result, the men would give the women so hard of a time to live their lives that they would even fear to even think about escaping their present life. They are why equality must be achieved throughout the world. All that is done and said, there is only one thing left to do. Words may change people’s thoughts and ideas, but words without action is just like living on a deserted island, no point in doing so. That is why we must bring words and actions together to fight discrimination back to where it came from. Words alone would only give a new idea and would not change the world. Action alone would result in only hurting people. Still, words alone, like Martin Luther King or Caesar Chavez, would succeed, but it would take more time and the â€Å"inactive† people would suffer before the world changes. All that is asked is that ideas of how discriminations should be public so that everyone would know how the majority of the population feels and some or even all would change their ideas about how to treat one another and finally achieve equality. It is all about how in which perspective the ideas are seen. It would take a long and grueling process, but the rewards are always better than what is lost.

Penguin Facts

Penguin Facts Penguins (Aptenodytes, Eudyptes, Eudyptula Pygoscelis, Spheniscus, and Megadyptes species, all in the Spheniscidae family) are perennially popular birds: chubby, tuxedo-clad creatures that waddle charmingly across the rocks and ice floes and belly flop into the sea. They are native to oceans in the southern hemisphere and in the Galapagos Islands. Fast Facts: Penguins Scientific Name: Aptenodytes, Eudyptes, Eudyptula Pygoscelis, Spheniscus, MegadyptesCommon Name: PenguinBasic Animal Group: Bird  Ã‚  Size: range from 17–48 inchesWeight: 3.3–30 poundsLifespan: 6–30 yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat: Oceans in the southern hemisphere and the Galapagos IslandsConservation Status: Five species are listed as Endangered, five are Vulnerable, three are Near Threatened. Description Penguins are birds, and although they may not look like our other feathered friends, they are, indeed, feathered. Because they spend so much of their lives in the water, they keep their feathers slicked down and waterproofed. Penguins have a special oil gland, called a preen gland, that produces a steady supply of waterproofing oil. A penguin uses its beak to apply the substance to its feathers regularly. Their oiled feathers help keep them warm in the frigid waters, and also reduce drag when theyre swimming. Although penguins have wings, they cant fly at all. Their wings are flattened and tapered and look and function more like dolphin fins than bird wings. Penguins are efficient divers and swimmers, built like torpedoes, with wings designed for propelling their bodies through the water instead of air. Of all the recognized species of penguins, the largest is the Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), which can grow to four feet in height and 50–100 pounds in weight. The smallest is the little penguin (Eudyptula minor) which grows to an average 17 inches in length and weighs about 3.3 pounds. Jurgen Christine Sohns/Getty Images Habitat Dont travel to Alaska if youre looking for penguins. There are 19 described species of penguins on the planet, and all but one of them lives below the equator. Despite the common misconception that all penguins live among the icebergs of the Antarctic, thats not true, either. Penguins live on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere, including Africa, South America, and Australia. Most inhabit islands where they arent threatened by large predators. The only species that lives north of the equator is the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), which, in line with its name, resides in the Galapagos Islands. Diet Most penguins feed on whatever they manage to catch while swimming and diving. Theyll eat any marine creature they can catch and swallow: fish, crabs, shrimp, squid, octopus, or krill. Like other birds, penguins dont have teeth and cant chew their food. Instead, they have fleshy, backward-pointing spines inside their mouths, and they use these to guide their prey down their throats. An average-sized penguin eats two pounds of seafood per day during the summer months. Krill, a small marine crustacean, is a particularly important part of the diet for young penguin chicks. One long-term study of the diet of gentoo penguins found that breeding success was directly related to how much krill they ate. Penguin parents forage for krill and fish at sea and then travel back to their chicks on land to regurgitate the food into their mouths. Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolphus) are specialist feeders; they depend on krill alone for their nutrition. Ger Bosma/Getty Images Behavior Most penguins swim between 4–7 mph underwater, but the zippy gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) can propel itself through the water at 22 mph. Penguins can dive hundreds of feet deep, and stay submerged for as long as 20 minutes. And they can launch themselves out of the water like porpoises to avoid predators below the surface or to return to the surface of the ice. Birds have hollow bones so theyre lighter in the air, but a penguins bones are thicker and heavier. Just as a SCUBA divers use weights to control their buoyancy, a penguin relies on its beefier bones to counteract its tendency to float. When they need to make a quick escape from the water, penguins release air bubbles trapped between their feathers to instantly decrease drag and increase speed. Their bodies are streamlined for speed in the water. Reproduction and Offspring Nearly all penguin species practice monogamy, meaning a male and female mate exclusively with each other for the breeding season. Some even remain partners for life. The male penguin usually finds itself a nice nesting site before attempting to court a female. Most species produce two eggs at a time, but emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri, the largest of all the penguins) raise just one chick at a time. The emperor penguin male takes sole responsibility for keeping their egg warm by holding it on his feet and under his folds of fat, while the female journeys to the sea for food. Penguin eggs are incubated between 65 and 75 days, and when they are ready to hatch, the chicks use their beaks to break the shell, a process which can take up to three days. Chicks  weigh about 5–7 ounces at birth.  When chicks are small, one adult remains with the nest while the other forages. The parent tends to the chicks, keeping them warm until their feathers develop in about 2 months, and feeding them regurgitated food, a period which varies between 55 and 120 days. Penguins reach sexual maturity between three and eight years of age. Sylvain Cordie/Getty Images Conservation Status Five species of penguins are already classified as endangered (Yellow-eyed, Galapagos, Erect Crested, African, and Northern Rockhopper), and most of the remaining species are vulnerable or near threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List. The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is the most endangered species on the list.   Threats Scientists warn that penguins worldwide are threatened by climate change, and some species may soon disappear. Penguins rely on food sources that are sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures, and dependent on polar ice. As the planet warms, the sea ice melting season lasts longer, impacting krill populations and penguin habitat. Sources Barbraud, Christophe, and Henri Weimerskirch. Emperor Penguins and Climate Change. Nature 411.6834 (2001): 183–86. Print.BirdLife International. Spheniscus demersus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22697810A132604504, 2018.Bradford, Alina. Penguin Facts: Species Habitat. Live Science, September 22, 2014.Cole, Theresa L., et al. Ancient DNA of Crested Penguins: Testing for Temporal Genetic Shifts in the World’s Most Diverse Penguin Clade. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 131 (2019): 72–79. Print.Davis, Lloyd S. and John T. Darby (eds.). Penguin Biology. London: Elsevier, 2012.  Elliott, Kyle H., et al. High Flight Costs, but Low Dive Costs, in Auks Support the Biomechanical Hypothesis for Flightlessness in Penguins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110.23 (2013): 9380–84. Print.Lynch, Heather J., William F. Fagan, and Ron Naveen. Population Trends and Reproductive Success at a Frequently Visited Penguin Colony on the Weste rn Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biology 33.4 (2010): 493–503. Print. Lynch, H. J., and M. A. LaRue. First Global Census of the Adà ©lie Penguin. The Auk: Ornithological Advances 131.4 (2014): 457–66. Print.Species Profile for African penguin (Spheniscus demersus). ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System, 2010.Threats to Penguins, Defenders of Wildlife.Waluda, Claire M., et al. Long-Term Variability in the Diet and Reproductive Performance of Penguins at Bird Island, South Georgia. Marine Biology 164.3 (2017): 39. Print.Waters, Hannah. 14 Fun Facts About Penguins. Smithsonian, April 25, 2013.

The American Dream essays

The American Dream essays Many residents of America as well as newly introduced immigrants first believed that America would be the land of the free. Most never dreamed it would be the land free of morals values, and integrity. However, during the last thirty-five years of the nineteenth century, that is exactly what it became. Some inhabitants of America thought it to be such a ring of the morally corrupt and dishonest politics that they were compelled to write literature based on the deceptions and misgivings of the time period. Upton Sinclair and Frank Norris, authors of The Jungle and The Octopus respectively, reflected the political manipulations and economic injustices during the period of 1865 to 1900. These authors used a manner of writing that depicted political corruption as harsh, cruel, and even tragic. Corruption ranged from the president and vice president to everyday people, including immigrants as well as Americans. Even Mr. President Ulysses S. Grant complied with requests from Jubilee Jim Fisk and Jay Gould to make the federal treasury refrain from selling gold. The president received $25,000 for his complicity and Fisk and Gould cornered the gold market. Not only accepting bribery, the presidents cabinet was full of favor seekers as well as incompetent. Then, in 1872, The Credit Mobilier scandal was made public. Insiders of the Union Pacific Railroad formed the Credit Mobilier Construction Company, hired themselves at inflated prices, and distributed shares of the company to a few key congressmen. It was also discovered that the vice president had accepted a sums of money from this corrupt company. The Whiskey Ring cheated the Treasury out of millions in excise-tax revenues, and the Secretary of War William Belknap pocketed bribes from suppliers to the Indian Reservations. President Grant may have been a fine general, however he was not an honest president when it came to the punishmen t o...

Discoveries Of Archimedes Essays - Buoyancy, Archimedes, Free Essays

Discoveries Of Archimedes Essays - Buoyancy, Archimedes, Free Essays Discoveries Of Archimedes The Discoveries of Archimedes Archimedes truly was a man ahead of his time. He forever changed the face of mathematics and one of his discoveries even helped change the face of the earth. Archimedes proved the law of the lever and invented the compound pulley. He reportedly once told King Hiero, king of Syracuse: Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the entire earth. The king challenged him to prove his boast. It is said that he moved a ship full of passengers using a system of pulleys. Archimedes also found that every object has a center of gravity. This is the area of an object that seems to be acted upon by the force of gravity. Archimedes did most of his work for King Hiero. He made one of his most important discoveries while working for the king. The king didnt think his knew crown the goldsmith had made for him was pure gold, that maybe the goldsmith had added some less costly silver. Archimedes found the solution while taking a bath. His solution was based on vol Bibliography World Book Encyclopedia

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Marketing - Essay Example A brand is said to be enjoying a strong position only when it has a valued place in the mind of a customer and that place is so unique and credible that a competitor would not be able to replicate it easily. Starbucks has been able to immune itself from rival onslaughts by effectively highlighting the points-of-difference and points-of-parity with competition and projects itself as a special place that promises not only exquisite coffee but also an ambient and benevolent environment ideal for free flow of opinions and languid conversations. However, it must be mentioned that my initial attraction towards Starbucks was essentially due to the perfect coffee served almost instantaneously by a brightly smiling attendant. If the basic product Starbucks served was not up to the quality it promised, all promotional campaigns would have surely had a negative and perhaps hostile reaction from me. The associated benefits of a fabulous ambience later became more visible and I have spent hours i n a Starbucks outlet sipping coffee and browsing the internet on my laptop courtesy uninterrupted and lightning fast Wi-Fi connections that are available for free.

Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economics - Assignment Example ple believe that market system can help in creating a positive investment climate because the society as a whole decides upon what they want to pay for a particular good and services. This decision cannot be influenced by any other force except buyers and sellers. The idea is that the buyers and sellers will work out the price and this price will be just. Because it is set by the people everyone will be happy. Also firms will try to avail the opportunity to earn profits and will come and invest. They will supply what they think people will demand and everyone in the society will benefit or in other words investment climate will improve. Market system is also supported by many due to the increased competition between firms. When many firms are operating and there are no major subsidies or restrictions laid down by the government then all firms have equal opportunity to excel. This brings all the firms on the same level and then innovation increases as the firms want to do better than the other firms. As a result consumers get a variety of products and monopoly of suppliers is hindered. This also improves the investment climate of a country. If a firm comes up with a great idea then it temporarily enjoys abnormal profits. But because there are no trade barriers other companies also try to replicate the same idea and the profits of the first firm come back to normal. This is how market system encourages a positive investment climate. The interests of the firms, the consumers and the society as a whole are preserved and this is why many people think market system as the best mechanism for allocating scarce resources. In a market system of economy people’s need are catered well. Firms supply product or services if the buyers demand a particular product or services. Also people spend money on things they think will improve their life style so they are more contended. People also believe that resources are distributed evenly in a market economy. This is because

United States History up to 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States History up to 1877 - Essay Example Correspondingly, young girls were the chief accusers involved in demonstrating against various people for numerous offenses comprising practice of witchcraft. The leaders in the community promptly reacted to these accusation. As a consequence, many people were killed while certain other people were jailed which forced these people to acquire debt for jail charges. Eventually, as a consequence of this incident there was a loss of land along with hampering dignity of people as well as loss of lives (Linder 1-7). The incident of witch hunt in Salem is ascertained to have happened due to various reasons and was widely prejudiced by the dread of the devil and the generally accepted belief that the devil would allocate witches with power to hurt people as a reward of their faithfulness. Salem was established by puritans during 1628. This era also reflected the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under the regime of King Charles I, the puritans were granted with a royal approval to colonize the area. However, Charles II revoked this charter in 1684 responding to the violation of charter rules by the colonists. These violations were mainly executed against the laws related with beliefs, religion and discrimination against Anglicans. These factors mainly represented the governmental causes behind the upheaval of the Salem witch trials. It can be argued that there were many other social and cultural factors that had significantly contributed towards the occurrence of Salem witch trials. In this regard, gender issue can be ascertained to be one of the major constituents related with the occurrence of Salem witch trials. Responsively, many scholars propounded that a majority of the victims who were accused and executed for practicing witchcraft were women. It has been further determined that the victims involving women were the ones who were perceived as â€Å"not fit into the typical Puritan framework of a good and obedient wife†

Troubling Short and Long-Term Violent Media Effects on Children Essay

Troubling Short and Long-Term Violent Media Effects on Children - Essay Example The two articles provide compelling evidence that violent media has significant short-term and long-term effects on children’s development of aggressive thoughts, emotions, and actions, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, intelligence, and parenting styles and characteristics. The two articles are similar in examining the effects of violent media on children. Anderson and Bushman conducted a meta-analysis on studies that investigated the impacts of playing video games on aggression, physiological arousal, or prosocial behaviour. They wanted to know if playing violent media is connected to aggressive thoughts, emotions, or actions, or all of the above, and what the underlying mechanisms are for these connections. Huesmann et al. also studied the effect of violent media on children, particularly how watching violent TV in childhood affected later young adult aggression. They conducted a follow-up study of the 1977 longitudinal study that the authors did on 557 children w ho lived in Chicago. They considered other factors too that can explain the media-behaviour relationship, including preference for violence and third variables. These two articles are both interested in studying the effects of media violence on children’s aggression levels. Though these studies share similar general research topics on violent media effects on children, the two articles are different in their research designs because Anderson and Bushman used a meta-analysis design, while Huesmann et al. continued their longitudinal study.

The Decision Making Process of Property Crime Offenders Research Proposal

The Decision Making Process of Property Crime Offenders - Research Proposal Example All social behaviors occur through a process of decision making, so does criminality. As seen earlier on the decision-making process is cognitive, and as odd as it may seem even criminal offenders go through the process of decision making. It is  a continuous process based on an individual’s interaction with the environment that ends when an acceptable or suitable solution is reached. The main motivation of criminology is the avoidance of pain and pursuit of pleasure. Property crimes have a greater percentage of all crimes that happen. If there is an intention to commit a crime, this is burglary. If none such breaking and entering into a place alone called illegal trespass of property. (Nee.C, 2003) Academic and policy-driven interest in situational crime prevention has stimulated a variety of offenses-specific research from the 1980s onwards. This has resulted in considerable development in both ‘grounded’ methodological approaches and our understanding of the burglar’s behavior and decision-making during the criminal event (Nee, 2003). It is of great importance to master the psychology of the person who commits the crime. Find out why, how and for what reason. It is also important to find out the various phases that the criminal offender goes through during different stages of the offense.

Troubling Short and Long-Term Violent Media Effects on Children Essay

Troubling Short and Long-Term Violent Media Effects on Children - Essay Example The two articles provide compelling evidence that violent media has significant short-term and long-term effects on children’s development of aggressive thoughts, emotions, and actions, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, intelligence, and parenting styles and characteristics. The two articles are similar in examining the effects of violent media on children. Anderson and Bushman conducted a meta-analysis on studies that investigated the impacts of playing video games on aggression, physiological arousal, or prosocial behaviour. They wanted to know if playing violent media is connected to aggressive thoughts, emotions, or actions, or all of the above, and what the underlying mechanisms are for these connections. Huesmann et al. also studied the effect of violent media on children, particularly how watching violent TV in childhood affected later young adult aggression. They conducted a follow-up study of the 1977 longitudinal study that the authors did on 557 children w ho lived in Chicago. They considered other factors too that can explain the media-behaviour relationship, including preference for violence and third variables. These two articles are both interested in studying the effects of media violence on children’s aggression levels. Though these studies share similar general research topics on violent media effects on children, the two articles are different in their research designs because Anderson and Bushman used a meta-analysis design, while Huesmann et al. continued their longitudinal study.

The Empowerment of People from a Vulnerable Segment of Society Essay

The Empowerment of People from a Vulnerable Segment of Society - Essay Example I would like to reach the highest level of professional excellence, both in terms of gaining knowledge and experience and at the same time, gaining appropriate status. My short term objectives are to gain experience in the field and strive to establish a good reputation as a person with an innovative and progressive approach towards the welfare of society. My focus would be on the empowerment of people from a vulnerable segment of society. Hence, efforts would include the creation of facilitating a platform for the acquisition of skills and necessary knowledge for their professional growth. University education has made me well equipped to meet the challenges of the current time. I am a highly creative person and my degree has further facilitated and widened my area of knowledge that would greatly help me to apply the informed choices in the manner that befits the needs of the people. Hence, five years hence, I see myself as a CSR consultant who would be devising ways and means for t he global businesses to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities. Last but not the least important would be the adoption of reflective practices in my personal and professional arenas. Looking back at our actions and critically assessing them provides an opportunity to improve and improvise the working techniques. In the professional arena, the feedback from the peer population and colleagues give important insight into the flaws of the methodologies adopted and give us a valuable chance to develop professionally. Thus, reflective practice in my personal and professional life would continuously help me to grow in the fast evolving environment of competitive business dynamics.

Competitive Advantage and Comparative Advantage Essay Example for Free

Competitive Advantage and Comparative Advantage Essay What is the difference between competitive advantage and comparative advantage? Answer: An advantage that a firm has over its competitors, that differentiates the Product or services offered by the firm and allows the firm to reduce it’s Cost or generate Higher Revenue or Margin is known as Competitive Advantage. A competitive advantage is something that a consumer views in a product or service as having higher value than the other competitors of the firm in the industry. It is an expertise that one firm has. There are many types of competitive strategy that a firm adopts so as to give a competitive advantage to the firm. E.g. Cost leadership: A firm produces the lowest cost product in the entire industry. Comparative Advantage: When one firm/country is able to produce Goods or Services at a lower Opportunity Cost over another firm/ country, it is said to have a Comparative Advantage. For E.g. if one country uses more machines and produces 10 units of each Meat and Clothes in one hour. And another country uses fewer machines and produces either 4 Meat or 6 Clothes in an hour, each country can gain from trade because their internal trade-offs between Meat and Clothes are different. The country that uses fewer machines has a Comparative advantage in producing clothes, hence it is more beneficial to produce and trade Clothes with the other country. The country that uses more machines has a comparative advantage in producing Meat, hence it is beneficial for them to produce and trade Meat with the other country.

An overview of marketing

An overview of marketing Marketing according to Kotler and Keller (2006) is everywhere. We as human beings tend to portray a sense of belief that we make decisions out of our own will. However, in reality we receive hundreds of inputs consciously and unconsciously from brands and businesses marketing themselves, that tends to form the very basis of everyday decisions. It is done formally or informally in a number of ways by people and organisations, and businesses need to implement good marketing strategies in order to have beneficial success. Hence as Armstrong and Kotler (2009) state that marketing has a twofold goal of trying to attract new customers by promising superior value and to keep and grow present customers by delivering satisfaction. We are surrounded by companies marketing on every possible platform that they can possibly market on. But this is no accident that marketing takes place this way. Kotler and Keller (2006) state that it is done after careful planning and efficient execution. Excellence in marketing and its strategies are continually refined and reformed to meet the way consumers react to brands. But marketing to a wide range of people either locally or globally is tricky and has to be the Achilles Heel of many prosperous companies (Kotler and Keller, 2006). It needs to include what products need to meet customer demands, the product category, what price ranges they need to fall in, brand image of the business and brand loyalty of the customer. The brands and businesses that fail to carefully understand and monitor their customers and competition but try to keep a step ahead are at the greatest risk of failing to increase their value to the end customers. 1.1 Marketing! What is it? What really is marketing? How does it benefit to implement a marketing strategy? Does marketing really work? This is explained simply by Kotler and Keller (2006) as the identification and meeting of human wants and social needs, profitably. And to this the American Marketing Association introduced a formal definition help understand marketing which states that Marketing is an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to the customers; and for managing customer relationships in ways that are beneficial to the organisation as well as the stakeholders (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Armstrong and Kotler (2009), state that marketing is managing profitable customer relationships. Marketing has enabled exchanges of goods, services, events, experiences, information and ideas easily through various modes of communication from businesses to customers. Exchange according to Kotler and Keller (2006) is a core concept of marketing and to make any successful exchanges, marketers seek to elicit a behavioural response from the other party of consumer through analysis. But companies, businesses and brands have to understand that marketing needs to be radical and that the advantages of direct marketing are far greater. Using surgical strike advertising which as explained by Kotler and Keller (2006) are short, targeted ad campaigns helps create a emergent sense of belonging and part of a community, while making the brand or the brand image as the unifier of that community. This enables bringing about increased competition by introducing fresh, different marketing ideas and est ablishing loyalty and commitment among customers. 1.2 Do Brands really exist? Guzman cites Kapferer (1997) who states that before the 1980s the approach towards brands was different. Companies wished to buy a producer of chocolate or pasta: after 1980, they wanted to buy KitKat or Buitoni. This distinction is very important; in the first case firms wish to buy production capacity and in the second they want to buy a place in the mind of the consumer (p. 23). Guzman states that the shift in focus towards brands began when it was understood that there was something more than just mere identifiers. Also Kapferer (1997) stated that brands help perform an economic function in the minds of consumers, the value of the brand comes from its ability to gain an exclusive, positive and prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers (p. 25). Thus Guzman assertens that business need to build a brand and focus on developing brand value (Guzman, A Brand Building Literature). A brand as explained by Simoes and Dibb (2001), is the combination of features (what the product or service is), the benefits for the customer (what wants and needs the product meets) and the values (which the customer associates with the product or service). If marketing adds value to a product while differentiating it from the other products in the market which may have similar features and benefits, then we are able to create a brand that customers can relate to.Brands are thus intangible assets that are residing in the minds of customers. Though they are impetus to brand creation by marketing, Kotler and Keller (2006) state that brands end up as a perceptual entity that are deep rooted in reality but reflects the perceptions and perhaps even the idiosyncrasies of customers. As explained by Armstrong and Kotler (2009), many business owners and brands tend to make the mistake of paying more attention to the product rather than to the benefits and experiences produced by the product s and coined this as marketing myopia. Therefore companies and organisations have long tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors in many ways to be able to be top of mind for customers. These differences maybe functional, rational or tangible, i.e. related to the performance of the brand; however they could also be symbolic, emotional or intangible, which helps potential customers and repeat customers relate to what the brand intends to represent (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Perceptions from customers according to Chevalier and Mazzalovo (2004) are embodied in a name. However, the American Marketing Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (Kotler and Keller, 2006). It is thus an important visible part of a more complex reality and provides the mediation of the core values of the organisation and how consumers perceive its brand image. But what needs to be understood more importantly is that consumers are looking at a particular brand because they believe it has a guarantee of a specific quality, usually superior and this tends to help form a long-term strategy assurance for any relationship between the brand and customer (Chevalier and Mazzalovo, 2004). Brands thereby focus on keeping to their core-values and delivering the benefits consumers truly want. As seen from the HBR (2003), the Brand Report Card shows us that strong brands attributes such as staying relevant or pricing strategies are based on value that the consumer perceives, positioning the brand to make it desirable and deliverable, while constantly ensuring brand consistency and monitoring brand equity  [1]  . Any value that a brand carries along with it adds or minuses its overall brand awareness which Kotler and Keller (2006) state as the power of that brand which lies in the minds of existing or potential customers on what they have seen, read, heard and experience directly or indirectly about the brand. As stated by Coulson-Thomas (1983), the appeal of a brand may remain relatively constant even as product physical attributes may change, hence companies and organisations need to constantly resonate their core values and position themselves correctly in their tar get audiences minds, in order to increase brand awareness and higher brand recall. 1.3 Gaining an Identity for the Business through Branding Urde M. (1999), Brand Orientation: A Mindset for Building Brands into Strategic Resources, Joumal of Marketing Management, 15. 117-133 There has been research from previous case studies carried out on companies such as Nestle, DuPont, Tetra Pak, Volvo, and Phamiacia Upiohn Nicorette, to see how an organisations approach is affected when its operations and marketing and strategies revolve around the companies brand or particular products of the company (Urde, 1999). The organisation acquires an identity and increased awareness when it expresses its overall goals, values and positions through its brand and brand statement. But Urde questions whether we need to rethink the market and marketing concept while challenging the ever known assumption of whether the customer is always right? He also goes on to ask whether development of the organisation or brand should be based on satisfying the customers need and wants, even if the price is not right? (Urde, 1999). But through the case studies researched by him on the companies stated above, it shows that integrity and brand competence are required to create, develop and pro tect the brands while sending out the right message through the right channels to be able to establish a trust brand identity while customers can relate to and not just an image. Also Ewing and Napoli (2005) state that while doing this organisations need to monitor consumers brand perceptions, identify whether their attitudes confer with their own brand vision and thereby instigate strategies to reinforce positive brand beliefs or change any negative perceptions because as Haynes et. al (1999) state, from a brand management perspective, brands are likely to be more successful when an audiences perception of a brand mirrors the firms view of the brand concept and both are identical to the consumers original specifications since the products or services produced by a business need to meet the customers desires and not just their demands. 1.4 Brand Orientation: Brand-orientation has been a term that has been coined by Frans Mellin and Urde and through Urdes dissertation carried out in 1997 he states that it is an process where brands and companies revolve around the development, protection and creation of the brand through an ongoing interaction with targeted customers with an aim of achieving long lasting relationships which in turn ensures competitive advantage for the brand. Brands have always been seen as only resources and expressions of the company identity to establish themselves in the minds of customers. And they have thus been treated in a very superficial or general fashion. Urde cites Macrae who states that certain companies go the extra distance to not only satisfy customers wants and needs but to lend a strategic significance to brands, which enables them to acquire an emotional and symbolic value for the brand and organisation, thereby helping them ensure that they are living the brand through their marketing strategies (Urde , 1999). Urde states that though being industry and customer centric for the last half century, there are always questions arising with regard to product related questions. Is the product good enough? Is it what the customer really wants? These questions tend to dominate when we deal with brands and this is mainly because the functional advantages of any product can be easily imitated by competitors at a lower cost hence removing the competitive advantage entirely (Urde, 1999). Thus as stated by Kotler and Levy (1969) that The marketing concept holds that the problem of all business in an age of abundance is to develop customer loyalties and satisfaction, and the key to this problem is to focus on the customers needs (Urde, 1999). Thus when Drucker (1954) first articulated this idea being called the marketing concept, he made note that marketing was never a separate function of the management but on the contrary, the whole business needs to be seen from the customers point of view (Deshpande and Webster, 1989). The marketing concept often called the market concept which is considered a corner stone by Kohli and Jaworski (1990) and Drucker (1954) who were among the first people to argue that the marketing concept needs to be adopted as a fundamental basis for any brand or company to ensure a competitive advantage. Armstrong and Kotler (2009) also state that customer focus and value are the paths to higher sales and profits for any business. Thus it goes to say that by placing the customer in focus by the firm and revolving the companys strategies to satisfy customer wants and needs is key in any marketing concept. Many authors such as; McKittrick 1957; Felton 1959: Kotler 1977; Day. Shocker, and Srivastava 1979; Webster 1992; Day 1994; Hunt and Morgan 1995, have previously in their literature contrasted this concept of marketing with market orientation and hence customer orientation. And Urde describes market orientation as the organization wide generation of market intelligence pertaining t o current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments, and organization wide responsiveness to it (Urde, 1999). Businesses need to be able to maintain a healthy competitive advantage by differentiating their product or service through constant sensing of their market through regular interactions with customers and potential customers helping them cater to the end customers needs and wants, and thus as Melin (1997) points out enables them to form a barrier to entry. Thus brands are forced to become the unconditional response of the firm because following the strategy to tend to the wants and needs of customers can be ensured only through the right brand communication channels and thereby right segmentation and positioning. And this is possible as seen by Urde citing Day (1994) who argues that market sensing (the ability to continually sense, interpret foresee, and react to changes in the market) and customer linking (the ability to develop relationships with customers) are two particularly important aspects of the development of a market-oriented organization (Urde, 1999). Satisfaction of customers needs and wants Æ’Â   The brand as an unconditional response to customer needs and wants But Urde (1999) also goes on to state that if brand awareness and brand loyalty of customers is intended to increase the competitive advantage, then market orientation tends to come into conflict with any long-term brand development. If marketing the business as a brand is the true question then we need to see whether the customers and their changeable preferences provide sufficiently stable grounds for the brand as a resource. If brands tend to change just because of opinions and comments of consumers based on whatever position they think is popular at the time, then the business and its brand image loses credibility. This on the contrary shows that the business has not got a strong sense of identity and forms and opportunism for signs of weak integrity to the business and the organisations core values and goals (Urde, 1999). Establishing a brand as explained by Urde (1999) should be a starting point for businesses as an expression of a mindset. If all businesses relate to their products or services as brands and work on strategies to create, develop and protect these brands as strategic resources, it will help them achieve a competitive advantage which in turn increases brand identity for customers to relate to. Research done earlier has shown that identity of a brand for a customer is enhanced through value creation and meaning creation which enables customers to experience products or services as attributes that are valuable and unique, and this makes it difficult for competitors to imitate. Urde (1999) states that companies need to consciously and actively strive to give their brand a competitive advantage through an expression of intent by constantly managing the process through which they give the brand value and meaning. This helps the brand become a symbol of an ongoing interaction between the com pany and its customers. Hence Urde points out that by doing this, it has positive consequences on the company which helps it position, prioritizes, organizes, develops, and protects its brand resource base while increasing the companys knowledge of market intelligence for its product or service (Urde, 1999). 1.5 Businesses establishing themselves as Brands A conceptual framework Former head at Nestle, Camillo Pagano, was questioned by Urde on whether it was possible to create brand passion within an organisation. To this Camillo answers, As you get new consumers all the time, by changing consumer groups, habits, and trends, you have to keep the brands continuously refreshed. Thats a job that takes a tremendous amount of attention and passion! (Urde, 1999). A passion for a brand whether it is a business, organisation or even a product or service, it needs to come from within, and this can be seen not only from the way the employees of the brand work in the organisation but also by the way customers perceive the brand through their loyalty. Businesses thus need to be brand oriented in order to generate any sort of customer loyalty towards their brand, increase brand awareness and thus be able to communicate the right message to their potential end users. This ability to be able to transform a product or service by an organisation into a brand needs to constitute as a fundamental process for organisations. As stated by Urde (1999), a product fulfils a function, while a brand symbolizes values and a meaning in a social context. A brand with emotional and symbolic values is experienced and interpreted while carrying a personality and identity of its own provides a basis for a unique relationship. It symbolizes values and a meaning in a social context and brings about experience through its reality. The understanding of a company being brand-oriented can be summarised through a number of concepts and relationships. However, Urde (1999) integrated a companys reasoning about its strategy and direction with brand equity, brand awareness and brand identity, to obtain a conceptual framework called the Brand Hexagon. Any company that needs to portray its business or its brand out into the market need to answer basic fundamental questions such as: Why does the business or brand exist? What does the brand stand for? Who is the brand? How is the goal of the brand to be achieved? As stated by Urde (1999), if these questions are answered then it helps relate to the reasons for the existence of the business or brand as well as enabling identification of the core values, identity, personality, and strategy of the brand. Also if the vision of the brand is to be projected out to the end customer on a long term basis then the business needs to be able to communicate the right information of what they want to achieve for the brand and how they will go about realising this vision. 1.6 Communicating the Brand Functional and Emotional Values As stated by Urde (1999), brand awareness for any business is concerned both with its position in the market as well as the specific products or services that is made available for the consumer. From the Brand Hexagon model, the right side reflects the reference function (product or service category and product), while the emotional function that reflects the brand name or the business name is on the left side. Urde goes on to explain that distinguishing between intellectually explaining as well as emotionally communicating are the principle ways brands need to communicate to their target audience. We as individuals use our brain (i.e. reference function) and our heart (i.e. emotional function) to interpret a brand thus enabling us to experience the brand in its entirety. The task of communication is necessary to explain the product or service that a brand or business represent, however it is not to explain brands in terms of objective relationships. We need to emotionally and symbol ically experience a brand and hence the identity of the brand cannot be explained. And Urde firmly states that insight into the limitations of the intellect in understanding, and into the limitations of the emotions in explaining, is fundamental when a company communicates about its brands (Urde, 1999). The mission and vision are at lower part of the model and relates to the brand or businesses intentions, while the upper part shows the interpretation of the brand by the target audience. Through symbolic interaction a continual reinterpretation is created by the dynamics of brand development. Thus this has lead to the process of meaning creation which puts the core values and positioning at the centre of the model, thereby forming the complete brand hexagon showing how all the elements are linked and interlinked for the development of a brand. 1.7 Awareness. Associations and Loyalty Reflections of Brand Strength As we look at Urdes Brand Hexagon, we can see that the relationships between a brand, product or service and the target audience can only be established when there is awareness, right associations and brand loyalty. 1.7.1 Awareness: As cited by Macdonald and Sharp, Baker et.al (1986) state that if a brand is not recalled due to lack of awareness then it would obviously not be chose during the decision making stage. Awareness of a product or service, produced by a business, thus needs to be conveyed to the target audience and this helps to increase the brand building process. Farquhar (1989) states awareness is a important dimension of brand equity and Aaker (Emerald Backfiles 2007) strengthens this point to say that brand awareness is pivotal since it underlies the strength of successful brands. As Aaker (1991) states, the brand should be conceptualised as a node in memory which thereby allows other information about the brand to be anchored to it and this can only be done by creating awareness of the brand (Macdonald and Sharp, 1996). 1.7.2 Associations: The brand is able to differentiate their product or service, create favourability, attitudes and bring about congruity in the brand through unique associations (Keller, 1993). Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000, p.17) describe associations as anything that makes the consumer connect with the brand, including user imagery, product attributes, organizational associations, brand personality, and symbols. But as stated by Cochran (2002), associations will only result if all of the components of the brand make sense and are perceived by the target as an entity with which they would want to interact. Hence these associations will only be possible if there is a good communication channel between the brands and the end customer, since good associations would lead to better relationships and this would result in higher brand recall. 1.7.3 Loyalty: Loyalty as stated by Shocker (1994), marketers for brands need to understand and be able to leverage consumer-bonds which has become especially necessary in every marketplace since it is characterised by increasing unpredictability, diminishing product differentiation, and heightened competitive pressures and as cited by Fournier and Lao (1997), brand building activities have been placed back into the heart of business plans to develop consumer brand loyalties, partnerships and friendships. In addition, Aaker (Emerald Backfiles 2007) also states that by focussing on brand loyalty, this often is an effective way to manage brand equity since repeat buying patters of consumers as well as customer satisfaction are the indicators of a healthy brand and thus programs to enhance this will build brand strength. 1.8 The Core Values Centre of Gravity At the centre of the Brand Hexagon are placed the core values which enable to position a branded product and a branded company because Urde (1999) states that it is via positioning that the company expresses and interprets the core values. Positioning of the brand however but take place in relation to its competitors and always assert on attributes and benefits that complement the brand. This is usually achieved as Urde (1999) explains through using of metaphors that explicitly communicate the core values. As cited by Urde (1999), Phannacia Upjohn used the linguistic picture of Nicorette a helping hand to communicate its products for quitting smoking. Hence in principle, positioning ensures three dimensions of quality, personality and communication of the brand. 1.8.1 Quality: Quality as stated by Urde (1999) relates mainly to the product or service offered and as cited by Phillips et. al (1983), Porter (1980) cites that using quality as a differentiator helps insulate a business from competitive rivalry by reducing customer sensitivity to price, increasing customer loyalty and thus protect the business and brand. Personality: The personality of a brand are simply the human traits that consumers associate with the brand. As stated by Aaker (1997), research has been done to focus on how consumers express his or her own self, an ideal self or specific dimensions of ones self through the use of a brand. These personality traits thus are able to provide the brand with an emotional side and enables to position it in relation to other brands for the customer (Urde, 1999). Thereby Biel (1993) goes on to say that personality can be used as a central driver for consumer preference and usage. Communication: Communication is the basic human activity that helps link people and businesses together to create relationships. As stated by Duncan and Moriarty (1998), communication is at the centre of meaning-making activities which corresponds not only to marketing but also in political, social and economic areas to serve as a way to develop, organise and disseminate knowledge. Mohr and Nevin (1990) state it should be like the glue that holds the brands communication together in order to transmit information, receive feedback from the customer, and thereby help participative decision making. Thus through communication, businesses are able to chose the media channels through which they want to target their audience, use particular tones and styles in their marketing, and be able to reflect customers aspirations (cf. Kapferers (1997) reflections) (Cochran, 2002). Through this combination of quality of product or service, its brand personality and the right channels of communication, it makes it possible to position the brand clearly (Urde, 1999). There are certain values such as brand essence and brand soul that helps sum up a brand. As Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000, p.45) states that brand essence helps become a part of brand identity as it is viewed as the glue holding the core identity of the brand together and as explained by Urde (2003), is to define and describe the innermost core of a brand. Randazzo (1993) also states that the brands soul is in its spiritual centre, the core values that defines the business and brand and permeates through all other aspects of the brand (Randazzo 1993, p.17). But as stated by Urde (2003), if core values are to fulfil their function and role they need to be built into the product, expressed in behaviour and reflects the feel of communication; thereby giving the end customer an added value which the consumer associates as an advantage to be able to differentiate a brand from a commodity. Hence McCracken (1993) states that: Brands have value, it turns out, because they add value and Urde (2003) justifies by saying that the added value maybe either functional, emotional or symbolic but they need to be closely related to the core and organisational values. Through this act of interpreting and reinterpreting the core values of the brand to the customer, helps affect the image and identity of the brand (Christiansen and Askegaard, 2001). Thereby brands and business need to be very careful while communicating the right message to their customers because the most important task of core values according to Urde (2003) is to be the guiding light of the brand building process. Thus from the Brand Hexagon we see that consumer awareness of the product needs to be established through brand associations which will help bring out conditions that help relationships exist between the target customers and the brand. But as Urde (1999) states, the main significance of the brand is reflected by the positioning of brand and reflecting the core values of the business and brand. However, he goes on to say that the loyalty of a customer towards a brand or the relationship shared is established only through brand identity and recall. Any business or brand needs to see itself as a brand-oriented company by being an associative network that communicates to the target audience (Urde, 1999). As stated by Fiske (1990, p.42) Decoding is as active as coding, therefore the brand and end consumers need to be the co-creators of this whole process. Hence communication should not take place as a one-way network but rather as an interaction with the target audience (Urde, 1999). 1.9 Communication: Communication is thus a very vital aspect of the whole concept of marketing and brands. Whether to communication is not the question anymore but asking what needs to be said, how it needs to be said, through what channels, where is your target audience located, how easy is it to access your target audience and how often can this be done financially and logically are the more pertinent questions. Over the years, there has been an increase in products available locally and globally, the competitors have increased and the overall prices of products have reduced considerably. These factors have affected the ways brands communicate to the customer in order to gain higher market share as well as undivided attention (Kotler and Keller, 2006). This has however been overcome to a large extent due to the efforts of holistic marketers  [2]  who are creatively employing multiple different types of communication. 1.9.1 Traditional vs New media: According to Lutze, companies spend millions every year on marketing their companies as brands in order to gain more market share and reach more prospects. But how often are these same companies realising the brand that is already created by their loyal, current customers? (Lutze, Reinvent Relationships With your Customers Online). As stated by Duncan and Moriarty (1998), this increasing importance of communication in marketing is easily demonstrated by the ability to use new marketing approaches as compared to traditional media (television, radio, and print media). Also marketing through traditional media could not be directly tracked unless large organisations paid huge amounts of money to market research companies to learn what their end customer feels about their product but with the introduction of the internet and social networking media platforms, all this has been changed drastically (Lutze H., Reinvent Relationships With Your Customers Online). The new approach emphasises tw o-way communication between brands and businesses and their target audience which has enabled listening to customers and interactivity with the end users. This kind of engaged marketing involving both sides of the chain can build or destroy important brand relationships and brand loyalty. 1.9.2 The Internet: With the evolution of the internet, this has sparked a whole new digital revolution in the way communication exists and the way we use communication among each other. It has impacted lives of people as well as business to a large extent and according to Harris and Rae (2010), everything around us seems

Free Essays - Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie :: Glass Menagerie essays

Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie In life we face many obstacles in which we must deal with in order to move on. Many times we unattach ourselves from reality in order to keep our hopes up. In The Glass Menagerie, every character but that of Jim O'Connor experiences a loss of reality due to the difficult situation they live in. To some degree, Jim also does but he is the most realistic character in the play. We as human beings always seem to look back on our youth as the "glory days" of our lives. Amanda Wingfield, Tom and Laura's mother, frequently recalls her youth to the point that Tom knows exactly what story is coming. Her lust to relive the past and her hope that Laura will one day follow in her footsteps controls most of the plot of the story. Amanda regularly speaks of the seventeen gentlemen callers she received while living in Blue Mountain (Gale 127). She describes the men as if they are either wealthy or have died tragic or heroic deaths; but the man she married is regarded as unsuccessful and irresponsible (Gale 128). The fact that he left them plays an important part in developing the story. Mr. Wingfield is viewed as the cause of the misery they live in and Amanda is often worried that Tom will follow in his father's footsteps. It seems whatever it was that drove Mr. Wingfield away was destined to finally drive Tom away. While there are those who view their past as the best days of their lives, you will find many who focus on the future and what happiness it shall bring. Tom has many dreams he wants to fulfill but he is held down by having to care for and support Luara and Amanda. Free Essays - Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie :: Glass Menagerie essays Escape from Reality in The Glass Menagerie In life we face many obstacles in which we must deal with in order to move on. Many times we unattach ourselves from reality in order to keep our hopes up. In The Glass Menagerie, every character but that of Jim O'Connor experiences a loss of reality due to the difficult situation they live in. To some degree, Jim also does but he is the most realistic character in the play. We as human beings always seem to look back on our youth as the "glory days" of our lives. Amanda Wingfield, Tom and Laura's mother, frequently recalls her youth to the point that Tom knows exactly what story is coming. Her lust to relive the past and her hope that Laura will one day follow in her footsteps controls most of the plot of the story. Amanda regularly speaks of the seventeen gentlemen callers she received while living in Blue Mountain (Gale 127). She describes the men as if they are either wealthy or have died tragic or heroic deaths; but the man she married is regarded as unsuccessful and irresponsible (Gale 128). The fact that he left them plays an important part in developing the story. Mr. Wingfield is viewed as the cause of the misery they live in and Amanda is often worried that Tom will follow in his father's footsteps. It seems whatever it was that drove Mr. Wingfield away was destined to finally drive Tom away. While there are those who view their past as the best days of their lives, you will find many who focus on the future and what happiness it shall bring. Tom has many dreams he wants to fulfill but he is held down by having to care for and support Luara and Amanda.

Free Cuba Essay -- Cuban History Historical Essays

Free Cuba I. Introduction: Cuban history, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have experienced colonial subjugation and imperial interference, is highlighted by tumultuous rebellions. Ever since the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who took up arms with his slaves to liberate Cuba from Spain’s colonial grasp, the existence of insurrectionists and adamant government opposition in Cuba has flourished. Social revolution and a strong will and practice of nationalism has indelibly characterized Cuban history. Nevertheless, the outcomes of particular movements and struggles for social justice have consistently frustrated revolutionary and radical leaders. Government regimes throughout history have in some manner or fashion, whether by force or by will, degenerated popular radical aspirations. For example, it was the North American intervention in 1898, during the second Cuban war for independence that opposed the popular will to establish an independent s overeign nation. Moreover, corrupt military regimes headed by opportunists such as Machado and Batista have also tainted and disregarded popular aspirations for national affirmation, human dignity, and democratic order 1. Consequently, Cuban history has proven that aspirations for social reform and a democratic republic have consistently gone arie. It is within this historical context of failed national ambitions and aspirations that Fidel Castro defines La Revolucion. Fidel Castro, in his program manifesto of the 26th of July movement, described the M-26-7 movement as a revolution "resolved to take up the unfulfilled ideals of the Cuban nation and to realize them 2." Castro’s dream of achieving Cuba’s "unfulf... ...I- cite taken from page 38. 7.) ibid (6) 8.) ibid (6) 9.) 26th of July Movement, "Program manifesto of the 26th of July Movement," in Cuba in Revolution, ed.R. Bonachea and Nelson Valdes. (Garden City, NJ, 1972) 113-140. 10.) ibid (9) 11.) ibid (9) 12.) Fidel Castro, "History Will Absolve Me." Closing speech in trial for the 1953 Moncada attack. Excerpt taken from: The United States, Cuba, and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy? Ed. L. Langley ( Lexington, Mass, 1970). 13.) Ernesto "Che" Guevara, "One Year of Armed Struggle," in Guevara, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1968) pp.196-227. 14.) Perez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, Legacy. (New York, 1993), "Introduction" and chapters I & II. Free Cuba Essay -- Cuban History Historical Essays Free Cuba I. Introduction: Cuban history, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have experienced colonial subjugation and imperial interference, is highlighted by tumultuous rebellions. Ever since the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who took up arms with his slaves to liberate Cuba from Spain’s colonial grasp, the existence of insurrectionists and adamant government opposition in Cuba has flourished. Social revolution and a strong will and practice of nationalism has indelibly characterized Cuban history. Nevertheless, the outcomes of particular movements and struggles for social justice have consistently frustrated revolutionary and radical leaders. Government regimes throughout history have in some manner or fashion, whether by force or by will, degenerated popular radical aspirations. For example, it was the North American intervention in 1898, during the second Cuban war for independence that opposed the popular will to establish an independent s overeign nation. Moreover, corrupt military regimes headed by opportunists such as Machado and Batista have also tainted and disregarded popular aspirations for national affirmation, human dignity, and democratic order 1. Consequently, Cuban history has proven that aspirations for social reform and a democratic republic have consistently gone arie. It is within this historical context of failed national ambitions and aspirations that Fidel Castro defines La Revolucion. Fidel Castro, in his program manifesto of the 26th of July movement, described the M-26-7 movement as a revolution "resolved to take up the unfulfilled ideals of the Cuban nation and to realize them 2." Castro’s dream of achieving Cuba’s "unfulf... ...I- cite taken from page 38. 7.) ibid (6) 8.) ibid (6) 9.) 26th of July Movement, "Program manifesto of the 26th of July Movement," in Cuba in Revolution, ed.R. Bonachea and Nelson Valdes. (Garden City, NJ, 1972) 113-140. 10.) ibid (9) 11.) ibid (9) 12.) Fidel Castro, "History Will Absolve Me." Closing speech in trial for the 1953 Moncada attack. Excerpt taken from: The United States, Cuba, and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy? Ed. L. Langley ( Lexington, Mass, 1970). 13.) Ernesto "Che" Guevara, "One Year of Armed Struggle," in Guevara, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1968) pp.196-227. 14.) Perez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, Legacy. (New York, 1993), "Introduction" and chapters I & II.

Starbucks Weakness

Starbucks, as we all know, are one of the globally popular companies, but like everything else, it has its own weaknesses. Here I will suggest some solutions to help solve the problems faced in their inventory management processes. Starbucks follows the EOQ model, which involves heavy calculations and predictions. Without the formulas and some basic information about the demands from customers, the cost of placing orders, and other variables, the calculation of the EOQ model will not be able to reach its optimal potential. From this, collecting the accurate information for the calculations is vital, the company has to acquire reliable and timely sources. Conveying surveys, searching data online from sources like Google Analytics about the spending behavior, and carrying out research are among the ways to collect vital info from current and potential customers. By doing this, it can help determine the annual demand of the company, which can help solve or at least ease on the uncertainties of demand. Having skilled or experienced employees/ staff is also crucial as they are considered by some are the most valuable assets of a company, which they experience customer feedback firsthand. These ‘customer feedback’ are useful to further improve the customer of said company. Listening to employee feedbacks can also help to execute certain operations, selling products to customers, and how to do things better (Vos 2013, p. 1). Other than that, having good employees that takes charge of the calculation, for example the calculation of the EOQ model, are vital because they are needed to calculate the best possible figures of ordering. Through this, it can help narrow down the EOQ model predictions. Also, they can help predict through experience without completely relying on the calculations. Calculation based on the EOQ model also requires constant set of data. For example, the demand for the year has to be known (which has been covered on the second paragraph on accurate data collection), the cost of ordering has to be same throughout the year and also the lead time must not fluctuate and remains consistent. Having a good supplier can help solve the consistency of ordering cost and also constant lead time (Ready Ratios, 2013). A good supplier will be able to achieve expected results, offering good quality of products and delivering goods on time are among some of the benefits of having a good supplier. Building a good relationship with the supplier will get you more benefits, such as priority as a valued customer, competitiveness (in terms of pricing, quality, reliability ahead of the competition, in this case, Starbucks, is facing), innovation and also product development (Bob Reiss, 2010). Other than that, having good material handling can also help cope with the unpredictable usages or the uncertainties of demand. By having good material handling, the company can improve the efficiency of the production this will save time and indirectly save labor cost as productions run faster. It can also maximize space utilization by storing materials in the way it should, it also can reduce cost by saving on inventory carrying cost which is not properly handled. All of this are necessary to make sure if something goes wrong in the calculation, the loss can hopefully be covered by the savings in material handling, making the loss easier to swallow. Having good transport of goods is also beneficial by having shorter lead time and at the same time transporting more goods are both time and cost saving. Furthermore, keeping a contingency plan at the ready can also help the company in case of unpredictable situations happening, such as natural disasters, shortage of raw materials usually hits us by surprise. So, to keep the company on their toes, to be ready to face emergencies such as this, the company can either keep additional safety stocks, or have another backup supplier from another region to provide with the supplies just to counter the sudden changes and to prevent stock outs to happen. Other than that, the appropriate application of the contingency plan can showcase how the company can utilize and prove to others that the company can manage themselves well, inviting more investors to join in the company. Moreover, advancement of technology plays a part in the inventory management of Starbucks. They can use it to keep track of their inventory much faster and efficient. This allows them to keep track and keep updated with how many units they have. With this said, they can improve their inventory flow and also quickly order materials that are needed for fear that miscalculation happens in the EOQ model which leads to surplus or shortage of materials, with the help of inventory management system (IMS) that Starbucks uses, they can further improve their services and provide better quality products. To wrap things up, to have a successful company, one needs to have more than a capable workforce, it needs to have a blend of luck and some daring decisions to start up something new. For instance, Starbucks Corp. which was founded by a few teachers and their friends, and with a simple idea of a company selling overpriced coffee with decent atmosphere. Who could’ve thought that it could be this successful? References 1. Bob Reiss. (2010).  Build a Good Relationship With Suppliers.  Available: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/205868. Last accessed 15th June 2013. 2. Readyratios.com. 2013.  Economic Order Quantity Model (EOQ). [online] Available at: http://www.readyratios.com/reference/analysis/economic_order_quantity_model_eoq.html [Accessed: 16 Jun 2013]. 3. Vos, L. 2013.  People: The Most Important Asset of Any Company. [e-book] Georgia: p. 1. Available through: Georgia SBDC http://www.georgiasbdc.org/pdfs/vos09.pdf [Accessed: 16 Jun 2013].

Organic Foods in India Essay

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumers’ decision-making process for purchase of organically produced foods in India Design/methodology/approach – Using already existing research model and scale, forming hypothesis, and testing its validity in Indian context. Using convenient sampling (Tier 1, 2 B school Graduates) to gather data for factor loading. Type of Research – Descriptive Research Introduction Organic production system is a system that produces organic foods in harmony with nature and the environment. In other words, this is a unique system which ensures that the â€Å"best practices† in the area of production are utilized to ensure that the output is a healthy and safe apart from having a positive symbiotic effect with the environment. Thus, one can say in lay man’s terms that an organic food product is one that has been produced using only natural agents in the production process. For the vast majority of human history, food has been produced organically. It was only during the 20th century that new synthetic chemicals were introduced to the food supply. Under organic production process, the use of conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is heavily regulated. In the case of livestock, they are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Scenario in India Organic foods are fast changing from a fad to a serious proposition in India. Today, the reach of organic foods is expanding to gradually find its way into the average Indian household. An indicative reason for the same is the rising health consciousness among Indian consumers. Pegged at Rupees 6. 5 billion in 2010, the organic food market is witnessing the shift from being an elitist to a healthy product. Although production and consumption figures for organic food in India are way behind the world average, the market is now showing signs of a strong growth trend. Slowly the deterrent of high price is being out-weighed by nutrition, quality and a chance to shape a safe environment. The organic food products market has been continuously facing the issue of absence of recognizable brands, small range of products, high prices and faulty government policies and a general lack of retail presence which has translated to low demand in the domestic market. In spite of this industry players are optimistic about the future prospects, as they are of the opinion that this industry holds a lot of promise. The export industry remains undeveloped with most producers being either small or marginal farmers, small cooperatives or trade fair companies. The small farmers, scattered across the country, offer an incomplete product range that are mostly available as a local brand. This is especially an issue in developed countries where the shelves of an average supermarket is stocked with a large range of certified organic foods. Problem Statement The question on everyone’s mind is where exactly is the organic food industry falling short? What are the main factors that influence a consumer’s decision to purchase organic foods? The fact of the matter is that this area has suffered from lack of interest/attention and a very low level of research. Thus, our Problem Statement is as follows â€Å"What influences the decision to buy organic food products in India? † Research objective The purpose of this assignment is to understand the primary influencers that motivate our target study group of individuals belonging to the upper middle-class category in their decision to buy organic foods products in India. Since the students of the top B-Schools either belong to or will be a part of the aforementioned category and will be starting new families, they are part of core prospective customer segment for this market. Hence, we have decided to focus our research on them. Literature Review Scope This research study focuses on understanding the primary influencers motivate our subjects (individuals from the upper middle class category) to buy organic foods. Students of B-Schools are from diverse backgrounds and origins. Most belong to the upper middle class category and we can safely assume that those that aren’t will be a part after they graduate. Moreover, they are also in that stage of life where they start a family of their own and assume additional personal responsibilities. This makes them appropriate subjects for this study. This study will analyse their responses with respect to knowledge about and attitude towards organic food, and their sensitivity to the health and environmental benefits associated with it. Sources and their Details: Honkanen, P. (2006), â€Å"Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice†, Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 5, pp. 420-430 The paper tries to investigate the role of ethical motives in consumers’ choice of organic food. The relation between ethical food choice motives, attitudes and intention to consume organic food was studied by estimating a structural equation model. We were able to comprehend ethical motives better and were thus able to incorporate it under environmental Consciousness. Donovan, P. , McCarthy R. (2002), â€Å"Irish Consumer preference for organic meat†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 353-370 The paper tries to examine Irish perception of organic meat. It identified three consumer groups. Beliefs and purchase intentions of consumers and non-consumers were differentiated. Proposed factors leading to purchase intention were Health Consciousness, Perceived value, Income and environmental concern. After validation checks they had had to make the constructs less abstracts due to low values. Aertsens, J. , Verbeke, W. , Mondelaers, K. , and Huylenbroeck, G. V. (2009), â€Å"Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review†, British Food Journal, Vol. 111 No. 10, pp. 1140-1167 It uses theliterature concerning personal determinants of organic food consumption. This is the ? rst paper providing a comprehensive overview and linking the literature on organic food consumption to the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour, including the role of personal norm and focusing on emotions. The proposed integration of mental processing in an organic food consumption model leads to interesting hypotheses and recommendations for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders involved in the organic food market. Padel, S. , Foster, C. (2005), â€Å"Exploring the gap betweenattitudes and behaviour, Understanding why consumers buy or do notbuyorganic food†, British Food Journal, Vol. 107 No. 8, pp. 606-625 Its results show that most consumers associate organic at ? rst with vegetables and fruit and a healthy diet with organic products. Fruit and vegetables are also the ? rst and in many cases only experience with buying organic product. The decision-making process is complex and the importance of motives and barriers may vary between product categories. The motives and barriers provided herein helped us in adapting the survey questionnaire. Baker, S. (2004), â€Å"Mapping the values driving organic food choice, Germany vs the UK†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No.8, pp. 995-1012. This study explores the reasons why the behaviour of consumers in the UK and Germany has been so divergent despite both groups of consumers holding similar attitudes about organic foods. This was done by investigating the underlying values driving food choice behaviour using means-end theory and Laddermap 5. 4 software. The dominant means-end hierarchies were uncovered and the cognitive process mapped. {draw:frame} Makatouni, A. (2002), â€Å"What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK? , Results from a quantitative study† , British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 345-352 Its main objectives are to identify beliefs, with respect to organic food, of parents who buy and do not buy organic food; the positive as well as negative attitudes towards organic food of those who buy and do not buy organic food; the impact of those attitudes on food choice for parents who buy and do not buy organic food; and to model the food choice behaviour of parents with respect to organic food. It employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. This paper also uses the means-end chain approach. The key idea is that product attributes are a means for consumers to obtain desired ends. It provides a very detailed means end chain which helped us finalize some aspects of our questionnaire. Magistris, T. , Gracia, A. (2008), â€Å"The decision to buy organic food products in Southern Italy†, British Food Journal , Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 929-947 Its findings provide more evidence on consumers’ underlying motivations to buy organic food to the already existing evidence in Europe to evaluate the future implementation of the Regulation (EC) no. 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products. In addition to this the empirical results would help local policy makers to establish appropriate market strategies to develop the future demand for these products. It indicates that consumer’ attitudes towards organic food, in particular towards the health attribute and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers’ decision-making process for organic food products. It has been found that larger information on the organic food market, which drives to a higher consumers’ organic food knowledge, is important because it positively in?uences consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products. It also that consumer who try to follow a healthy diet and balanced life are likely to have more positive attitudes towards organic food products and towards the environment, inducing a more likely intention to purchase organic foods. This paper provided with the adequate Structural equation model. It also possessed the relevant constructs and variables which could be easily adapted to Indian requirements. Since for the target segment of our paper income is not an issue, it proved easy to adapt to the theoretical model according to our needs. The questionnaire has been validated, which has been duly adapted by us. Outcome Through this study we hope to drawing links between knowledge about and attitude towards organic food, and their sensitivity to its health and environmental benefits and the decision to buy it. Also, we can gauge as to which are the primary contributors to the purchase decision. This can go a long way in helping a player in the organic food industry understand the market and position himself appropriately to achieve success. Research framework and hypothesis specification A study on the food choice is a complex phenomenon that represents one of the most important parts of human behavior, where several cognitive and behavioral factors can vary sharply between individuals. In other words, whether the consumers intent or decide to purchase organic foods is a difficult task because it depends on many factors that cannot be directly observed. Thus based on the above mentioned paper by Magistris, T. , Gracia, A.(2008), it can be conclude that the more favorable health and environmental attitudes consumers have, the more likely they will buy organic food product. In accordance with this, the first hypothesis of the proposed model is defined as follows: Hypothesis1: When consumer’s attitudes towards organic food (H1-a) and towards the environment (H1-b) are positive, consumers’ intention to buy organic food products will also be more likely to be positive. Hypothesis 2: When a consumer has higher organic food knowledge, he/she will be more likely to have positive attitudes towards organic food products. Hypothesis 3: Consumers’ lifestyles related to healthy diet and balanced life influence internal factors of consumers, such as, attitudes towards organic foods (H3a) and attitudes towards the environment (H3b) during the decision process to buy organic food products. Proposed Research Model {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Explanation of factors and observed variables Intention to purchase organic foods Intention is the cognitive representation of a person’s readiness to perform a given behaviour, and it is considered the immediate antecedent of behaviour. Findings from many studies reveal that consumers’ attitudes towards different organic food attributes (human health, safety, etc. ) and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers’ decision-making process for organic food products. Organic knowledge Knowledge It indicated the knowledge the consumer possesses about organic food Definition Does the consumer know that, â€Å"_Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, arti? cial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge_†? Healthy diet and balanced life Exercise Processed food. Fruits and vegetables Red meat Additive free Health check ups Balanced life The observed variables are self-explanatory Environmental attitudes Pollution Belief that the current developmental path and consumeristic culture will end up destroying the environment Damage It quantifies the feeling that unless we do something the damage to the environment will be irreversible. Conservation Describes whether one performs conservatory tasks. Recycled Preference for consuming recycled products Recycling Whether one partakes in recycling of products Attitudes towards organic food products. Health Does on believe that organic products are healthier? Quality Do organic products have superior quality? Taste Are organic products are more tasty? Research Methodology Data will be collected from a survey conducted across the top B-Schools of the country. It is our opinion that the budding managers from these institutions are (or will be) part of our target group of affluent customers for organic food products. The ? nal sample will include 200 students selected through convenience sampling. This method has a reputation of being less reliable but it is the best suited due to its convenience and low cost. Moreover, it is known to work with a sample that contains students. A questionnaire will be designed to analyze the knowledge of organic food, attitudes towards organic foods and purchase behavior of the selected students. The ? rst question was related to their knowledge on organic food products. The second set of questions comprised of those related to organic food consumption (consumption level, intention) purchase, frequency of purchase, perceived quality, place of purchase, etc.). The third and final question includes several questions on consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products and environmental aspects. The questionnaire also contains questions on socio-demographic characteristics (i. e. sex, family size and composition, age, education, income and lifestyles). The questionnaire format will be validated using a small pilot survey before being administered to the students. Questionnaire Would I buy organic food products? How will you rate your knowledge on organic food products? What is your opinion on â€Å"Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, arti?cial fertilizers, humanwaste, or sewage sludge â€Å"? I do exercise regularly I avoid eating processed food I often eat fruit and vegetables I avoid eating food products with additives I take regular health check-ups I try to have an organized and methodical lifestyle Is the current development path is destroying the environment? Unless we do something, environmental damage will be irreversible I practice environmental conservation tasks I prefer consuming recycled products I partake in product recycling Organic products are healthier Organic products have superior quality Organic products are more tasty Activity and time based plan Data Analysis/ The Data analysis will be carried out on the valid survey responses obtained from the respondent pool to which the survey is administered to. We will be using SPPS 17. 0 to carry out various correlation tests to figure out what factors affect the ‘intention to buy organic foods’ and also what sub-factors affect them. This will also allow us to point out which all factors show strong correlations and which all show less correlations. Bibliography Honkanen, P.(2006), â€Å"Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice†, Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 5, pp. 420-430 Donovan, P. , McCarthy R. (2002), â€Å"Irish Consumer preference for organic meat†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 353-370 Aertsens, J. , Verbeke, W. , Mondelaers, K. , and Huylenbroeck, G. V. (2009), â€Å"Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review†, British Food Journal, Vol. 111 No. 10, pp. 1140-1167 Magistris, T. , Gracia, A. (2008), â€Å"The decision to buy organic food products in Southern Italy†, British Food Journal , Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 929-947 Padel, S. , Foster, C. (2005), â€Å"Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour, Understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food†, British Food Journal, Vol. 107 No. 8, pp. 606-625 Baker, S. (2004), â€Å"Mapping the values driving organic food choice, Germany vs the UK†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 8, pp. 995-1012 Makatouni, A. (2002), â€Å"What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK? , Results from a quantitative study† , British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 345-352 Zanoli, R. and Naspetti, S.(2002), â€Å"Consumer motivations in the purchase of organic food: a means-end approach†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 8, pp. 643-53. Yiridoe, E. K. , Bonti-Ankomah, S. and Martin, R. C. (2005), â€Å"Comparison of consumer’s perception towards organic versus conventionally produced foods: a review and update of the literature†, Renewable Agriculture and Food System, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 193-205. 10. Soler, F. , Gil, J. M. and Sanchez, M. (2002), â€Å"Consumer’s acceptability of organic food in Spain: results from an experimental action market†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 8,pp. 670-87. 11. Connor, R., Douglas, L. (2001), â€Å"Consumer attitudes to organic foods†, Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31, Issue: 5 12. Grunert, S. C. and Juhl, H. J. (1995), â€Å"Values, environmental attitudes, and buying of organic foods†, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 16, pp. 39-62. 13. Chinnici, G. , D’Amico, M. and Pecorino, B. (2002), â€Å"A multivariate statistical analysis of the consumers of organic products†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 Nos 3/4/5, pp. 187-99. 14. Shepherd, R. , Magnusson, M. and Sjoden, P. O. (2005), â€Å"Determinants of consumer behaviour related to organic foods†, Ambio, Vol. 34 Nos 4-5, pp. 352-9.