Analysis of The Notebook Essay

The Notebook begins at a nursing home where an elderly man called â€Å"Duke† reads a love story that is written in a notebook to an elderly woman who is also a patient. The story is set in Seabrook Island, South Carolina where a local boy by the name of Noah Calhoun falls in love with a young heiress named Allie Hamilton. In order to get her to go on a date with him, Noah climbs up a Ferris wheel at the local carnival and threatens to jump off unless she agrees to go out with him. Their first date is at the movies and ends with the two dancing in the street. The end of their date leads into a beautiful summer love affair where the two fall deeply in love with each other. Allies parents are dead set against the two young people being together; this is mainly due to Noah’s status (being poor) in the world. Eventually the two break-up and Allie returns home to Charleston with her parents. Even though the two are apart they are still very much in love with each other. Noah writes a letter to Allie every day for one year; unfortunately Allies mother intercepts the letters and does not give them to her daughter. Since neither one hears from the other they decide that they have no choice but to move on. Noah goes on to fight in World War II, while Allie goes on to college and then volunteers as a nurse who cares for wounded soldiers. During her time as a volunteer Allie meets Lon; a young lawyer who comes from old money. The two date for a while and then one night while out with her parents Lon proposes to Allie and she accepts. Even though she is engaged to someone else Allie still thinks about Noah. In the meantime Noah returns home from the war and sees Allie eating at a restaurant with Lon and catches the two of them kissing. Noah decides to go back home and restore the plantations house, thinking that if he can finish it then Allie will eventually come back to him. One day while searching for her wedding dress Allie sees a picture of Noah and the finished house in the paper. Allie decides that she must go back and see Noah. Upon her arrival the two talk for a while and then eat dinner. L ater the next day he takes Allie for a boat ride out on the river and shows her the swans. On the way back it is storming and Allie finally asks Noah why he never wrote to her. Here she finds out that Noah did in fact write to her and after arguing for a while the two ends up making love. The next day Allies mother  shows up and gives her the letters that Noah had written all those years ago and tells her that she needs to make a choice. Eventually Allie chooses Noah and she breaks off her engagement with Lon. In the present we find that â€Å"Duke† is actually Noah and the elderly woman is Allie. The two have been married happily all of these years. The reason that Noah has been reading this notebook love story to her is because Allie has dementia and at times his retelling her the story helps her to remember. At the very end of the movie Allie asks Noah if he thinks that their love is strong enough to take them away together, meaning die together. He believes that it is and the two lie down on the bed wrapped in each other’s arms and die peacefully. I found this movie to be very touching, sad, and happy all at the same time. The way the tw o loved each other so fully and completely through everything is something that I believe is clearly lacking in today’s world. Through most of the movie we find Allie holding her emotions in, fearful of hurting those that she cares about. We can see this when she finally concedes to her parents’ wishes and moves back to Charleston. We also see this when she accepts Lon’s proposal, not just because she cares and loves him, but because he is what her parents would have chosen (and approved of) for her. Another major place where we see this is towards the end when she is trying to make her decision on whom to be with. In each instance we find her extremely fearful of expressing her emotions. Another issue that we see through the movie is inadequate interpersonal skills. This is one of the hardest communication obstacles to overcome. This is because many people simple do not know how to express their emotions. While this can be seen with all the arguing that occurs between Noah and Allie; we also see it more subtly with Allie and her mother. This is because Allie and her mother never simply sit dow n and talk to each other about the issue of the relationship between Noah and Allie. Instead of explaining to Allie from the beginning how she felt and why she felt that way about the relationship she instead decided to yell and hide the letters that Noah had written. Had the two learned to communicate better from the beginning it would have saved a lot of heartache. Through this movie we can also see the Socialization Theory at work. This theory talks about the different ways that men and women are taught to express their emotions. During this movie we see Allie’s mother hold her emotions in when it comes to anything other than he  daughter’s actions. Anne is what would be considered the perfect southern woman. She does not express any negative emotions in public setting; instead she keeps them to herself. We can also see this with her father and how he ever so eloquently addresses Noah and his unhappiness with him seeing his daughter. In both respects Allies parents act emotionally how the upper class of southern society would expected to. This movie shows every aspect of a relationship, from the good to the bad. It shows that no relationship is perfect; they all have their ups and there downs. While many different elements of em otional communication can be seen, for me the concepts of fear, inadequate interpersonal skills and the socialization theory are the most appropriate. I believe that this movie can teach all people something about relationships.

How Hilton Hotels Builds a Relationship with Its Customers

Introduction This study aims to apply the application of value chain to a selected organisation in a service industry. This study aims to use Hilton Hotels as the focus of this paper. The main purpose of this study is to examine how Hilton Hotels builds a relationship with its customers, how it improves the added value to retain customers and what should be improved under the context of value chain to improve the better services in order to effectively deliver customer satisfaction and exceed their expectation. The paper will start from providing brief information about Hilton Hotels and then move on to analyse and discuss the key issues. About Hilton Hotel Hilton Hotels is one of the leading international premium hotels in the world. The company was founded by Conrad Hilton (Hilton Hotels, n. d. ). It offers full-services hotels and resorts to customers in many major cities around the world. Through different kinds of customer service programmes, it attempts to develop a good relationship with the targeted market. It also attempts to use the ‘Hilton Honors’ which is customer loyalty programme to retain existing customers (Hilton Hotels, n. . ). The programme does not only enable Hilton Hotels to assess quality premium services from the hotel and its affiliated firms, but also helps them to experience the feeling of privilege. How effective are the organisation’s resources in delivering its service offering? Based on the concept of value chain, it can be assumed that Hil ton Hotels attempts to add value to its offerings with the use of effective support value chain activities. Hilton Hotels uses different support value chain activities to sustain the effectiveness of primary activities to exceed customer satisfaction and expectation. These can be explained below. Primary Value Chain Activities of Hilton Hotel Inbound Logistics Hilton Hotels have several suppliers in each country in order to have sufficient supplies as part of a good quality service for customers. There are three most important areas that Hilton Hotels pays a lot of attention on because they influence people to pay more for premium services. These include food and drink, pick-up and other motor service and interior design. For example, Hilton Hotels decides to use different suppliers for fresh meat and vegetables to get the best products from suppliers with specialised offers. Once the goods are delivered, food and catering department of Hilton Hotels will store them in the right temperature until they are required. Before they are put in the stockroom, catering staff will put different colour stickers on the package. For example, fresh meat will have the maximum lifetime of five days. If it arrives on Monday, the blue sticker with the word ‘FRI’ should be put on the package to inform the chef and other kitchen staff that it should be used by Friday or otherwise, it should be binned to avoid food poisoning. The same practice is also true for car courtesy service and interior design. For example, Hilton Hotels has a contract with Mercedes Benz and other luxurious car brands to support its car courtesy services, while its interior design is done by a professional firm which will be in charge for all events held at the hotel. Operations As previously explained, this stage involved with transforming the goods into the finished offerings for end users. At Hilton Hotels, there are many goods that need to get through the operations process before being delivered to the end users. For example, all rooms will be cleaned once the customers check-out to ensure that that they are ready to serve the next guest. Outbound Logistics This is about delivering the finished goods to final users. For Hilton Hotels, this is about the presentation of both tangible and intangible products to customers. For example, the room must be spotless and equipped with facilities as promised and advertised. Also, the food should be cooked in the right manner, such as if the customer asks for a medium rare steak, they should get what they have requested. Once the food is cooked, it should be served to the customer within five minutes and the table must be cleared within ten minutes. Marketing & Sale This is about developing the marketing communication and promotion strategies that meet the needs and demands of customers. The marketing communication message used by in the poster is ‘Never feel away from home †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ When living any of our over 514 hotels worldwide!!! ’ This slogan informs the target market that wherever they go, they can always be comfortable like staying at home at the Hilton Hotels which has more than 514 outlets worldwide. Hilton Hotels does give some discounts to customers during the low season. It does not do this on a regular basis like many budget accommodations. This is because it targets customers who are less price-sensitive and they are willing to pay more for premium services. Service Through the customer loyalty programme ‘Hilton Honors’ to monitor behaviour of customers. This loyalty program enables card holders to access other premium quality services from the partnership companies of Hilton Hotels, such as car rental firms and airlines. The loyalty scheme allows the hotel to improve the products and services to meet new demand in the market more effectively. Support Value Chain Activities of Hilton Hotel Firm infrastructure Hilton Hotels is an international hotel chain with many resorts and leisure accommodations in many cities around the world. Customers should expect to get the same quality standard of leisure hotel services. This is because Hilton Hotels has an effective system to control the performance of the company. There are five main factors that Hilton Hotels uses to maintain its performance in all cities. These include cleanliness, quality, service, maintenance and atmosphere (Roubi & Litteljohn, 2004). All hotel rooms and common areas of the hotel should be spotless, the service should be delivered in a professional manner, cars, tools and equipments should be maintained and checked to ensure that they work effectively when required and the interior design should provide comfort. All of these elements are part of the organisational culture of Hilton Hotels. Human resource management Both frontline and management workers of Hilton Hotels are well-trained to deliver a perfect customer serving. Hilton Hotels tends to select employees with the right skills and knowledge. It is revealed that Hilton Hotels welcomes and prefers employees who have degrees from hospitality institutes in Switzerland. However, those with appropriate experiences are also welcomed. All workers of Hilton Hotels are required to attend both on-the-job and off-the-job training programmes to ensure that they are equipped with the right tools to carry out a good customer service. At the same time, to motivate all workers to work towards the assigned tasks with their best effort, Hilton Hotels provides its workers with financial and non-financial rewards. Some employees who have been working for the hotel for more than two years are eligible for organisational rewards, which are in the form of shares that are sold to workers at a discounted price (Watson et al. , 2007). Technology department Like other companies in the hospitality segment, the technology development and web-technology is used by Hilton Hotels to improve customer satisfaction in terms of fast and instant customer service. Hilton Hotel develops an official website which enables customers to book a hotel room, make a request for the airport pick up and other additional services. The website of Hilton Hotels does not only make it easy for customers to access the services of the hotel, but it also enables the hotel to promote its brand and offers worldwide at the lowest cost (Lo et al. , 2010). Procurement Hilton Hotels is very selective about its suppliers. This is because it positions itself as the international premium hotel chain. Thus, apart from good quality products and services that these suppliers have to provide, they must also follow the rules set by Hilton Hotels. Hilton Hotels requires all of its suppliers to be environmental-friendly and should not be involved in any kind of unethical issues, such as sweatshop and using underage workers (Hilton Hotels, n. d. ). How is Hilton Hotel attempting to build a relationship with the customer? Under the concept of value chain, it can be assumed that the targeted customers of Hilton Hotels are those who are quality conscious and they are willing to pay extra for the best service. Hilton Hotels uses differentiation strategy to develop a good relationship with customers and this enables it to retain customers more effectively. Differentiation & Value Chain – Customer Service Based on the analysis in the previous section, it can be assumed that Hilton Hotels develops a strong bond with targeted customers through value chain differentiation strategy. This is done by making its customer service different from others in the same segment. Hilton Hotels aims to offer the best leisure products and services in the industry. This strategy does not only enable it to charge customers premium price, but it also allows Hilton Hotels to retain and influence the repeated purchase behaviour (Vukmir, 2006). The loyalty scheme ‘Hilton Honor’ does not just makes customers feel that they are more privilege than others, but also enables them to access many premium services. Hilton Hotels must work hard to ensure that the promised offerings are delivered to customers. Differentiation & Value Chain – Technology To keep customers updated with new offers, Hilton Hotels sends electronic mails to customers who sign up for the service. The technology makes it easy for Hilton Hotels to develop a customer database and this can help them to monitor the behaviour of targeted customers more effectively. Hilton Hotels also utilises other new forms of media to keep a good relationship with customers through social networks like Facebook and YouTube. This enables customers to share experiences about their stay at Hilton Hotels. At the same time, this also allows Hilton Hotels to keep customers informed about recent events and activities. Conclusion According to the analysis in the previous sections, it can be assumed that there is little evidence about customer satisfaction towards the services of Hilton Hotels. However, based on the review of Hilton Hotels on TripAdvisor website (2009), it can be seen that it receives four out of five stars and 87 percent of customers who stay at the Hilton recommend it to others. The only problem that many customers appear to complain about is the pricing tactic of Hilton Hotels. Thus, under the current difficult economic conditions, it seems that customers will become more price-sensitive as they have less disposal income or start being cautious about their spending habits. They may look for substitute leisure accommodations which offer quality lodging services at affordable and reasonable prices. This means that even customers with a high spending power may still want to stay in a hotel room without breaking a bank. Therefore, there are two possible tactics that Hilton Hotels can consider in order to add value to its offerings. These include (1) promotional offer or competitive deals; and (2) complimentary or free gifts. The first strategy does not only add value to the offerings and exceed customer expectation, but it is also attractive to those who look for value for money. By contrast, the second strategy will satisfy customers who pay a full price on services. Complimentary offers would be perceived by them as a thank you gift from Hilton Hotels. This tactic will also make high spending-power customers feel privileged. Thus, it can be concluded that both strategies should effectively add value to the offerings of Hilton Hotels and satisfy customers with different spending powers.

Describe and explain the most important contributions of FDR to the Essay

Describe and explain the most important contributions of FDR to the history of the United States - Essay Example His name is also connected with one of the most significant chapters in the history of American foreign policy and diplomacy - creation of the League of Nations that is a prototype of the modern United Nations; establishment and normalization of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union; U.S. leading role in the anti-Hitler coalition and post war world. Roosevelt proved himself as an extraordinary, flexible and extremely cautious politician, able to guess the trend correctly and promptly and accurately respond to the changing mood of all social classes. His New Deal program not only balanced the finance industry of the country during and after the worst financial crisis, but also helped to minimize serious social and political upheaval. This set of laws, passed by Congress on the initiative of the President, was a bold experiment in the sphere of state regulation. Thanks to Roosevelt, the U.S. spent more than 40 years without any crises. Capitalism as the economic system has survived in America just because Roosevelt managed to humanize industrial relations and introduced the principles of social responsibility. Roosevelt started the transformation of American society into a regulated and socially oriented. Roosevelt did his best to preserve and develop the existing socio-economic system in the country and strengthen the dominant position of the United States in the world. Roosevelt, in contrast to many other Presidents, has always remained a sober and pragmatic

Why America isn't the greatest country in the world anymore Essay

Why America isn't the greatest country in the world anymore - Essay Example The level of literacy in America has been declining remarkably. Statistics indicate that the education system in the United States is failing. Estimates indicate, â€Å"ninety-three million American adults or about forty-five percent have limited math and writing skills† (Literacy Texas.). The statistics are startling since the low literacy skills can have negative effects on the global image of the United States. In 2003, an assessment pointed out that one adult in a group of three Americans is unable to display reading skills (Literacy Texas). Similarly, a section of the American population has low health literacy. The low health literacy has been pointed as a top predictor and contributor to mortality. In Texas, the literacy programs serve a small number of Americans in need of writing and reading skills. In effect, the declining levels of literacy displace America from the perceived top position on the globe. Thus, it is important to remedy the problem by boosting the lite racy levels. The statistics of infant mortality and life expectancy in the US are startling. The video clip indicates that the US is forty-ninth in infant mortality and hundred and seventy-eighth in infant mortality (Taube). A health report pointed out that Americans have a low life expectancy as compared to other wealthy nations. The short life expectancy is attributable to violence, especially from the people who possess guns. According to the estimates, â€Å"approximately six violent deaths occur in every hundred thousand residents† (Castillo).

Micro Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Micro - Assignment Example This will result in an outward shift of the PPF curve. 2) The reason why countries such as Costa Rica and Bangladesh are better placed to produce shirts and then export them to the United States is because of their competitive advantage, not an absolute advantage. Let’s use Vietnam as an example. The wages that have to be paid to Vietnamese workers are far less than those that would be expected by American workers. This means that it is better for America to import goods such as shirts from third-world countries because it can be produced far cheaper. Even with the added costs of transportation, this option is still better than America producing the goods domestically. So even though the United States has an absolute advantage in almost every good, it makes logical sense for them to outsource work that can be done cheaper somewhere else. 3) The reason why countries such as China and India use manual laborers is because it is cost effective to do this in those countries. Also, these countries may not have the same technological expertise to produce machines to do the work for them. Even if this is the case, the average wage is so low that it does not cost very much to pay for human workers. On the other hand, in the United States, the minimum wage is so great that is would be too expensive to have to pay individual laborers to perform the work. Also, the United States is a technologically advanced country and can thus produce street cleaning machines to do the work. The total cost of making and using these machines is probably less than what it would be to have to pay manual laborers; thus it makes sense to use heavy street cleaning machines. 4) The reason why there is so much opposition to international trade is that some people argue that it hurts the local economy because of the loss of jobs for home workers. While international trade can be a good thing for the

West Yorkshire Police And A Merger Research Proposal

West Yorkshire Police And A Merger - Research Proposal Example The goal being to incorporate the police together so they would ultimately be together under one unit. The proposal will investigate the issues that would arise for the public sector as a result of the mergers. In addition, the perception of the police regarding the merger will be examined. The purpose of the research on the merger is to investigate and present the action methods that will work best to formulate a decision regarding the merger and reach a conclusion as to the best and most ethical course. There are many fact ors to be taken into consideration regarding a merger.. Included in the Yorkshire Police merger are legal issues, A recent newspaper article re ported on these issues. That the government was being taken to the high court over its plans to merge police forces, while rebel Labour MPs plan to derail the scheme in the Commons. Cleveland police force is to seek a judicial review of the home secretary's plans to merge it with the Durham and Northumbria forces. Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 It further reportd thar While this was going on a group of Labour MPs led by John Grogan intends to sabotage the merger plans when they come through the Commons in the autumn. This twin opposition is John Reid's second major headache since being appointed at the start of the month, following the debacle of the failure to deport released foreign prisoners. The idea of bigger, better resourced, forces came in the wake of criticism of the small Cambridgeshire police force's response to the Soham murders. Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 My research concluded that a go od merger is contingent on good planning and research Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is not the responsibility of one single police service serving the general public; with the exception of various special police forces and of Northern Ireland (which has one unified force, the Police Service of Northern Ireland), police forces are arranged in geographical areas matched to the boundaries of one or more local authorities; in recent years being increasingly described as "territorial police forces". (Baskerville 2004 p 329) In turn, these forces are regulated by the laws of the appropriate country within the UK (administration of police matters is not generally affected by the Government of Wales Act 2006), i.e., Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. It is common for the territorial police forces in England and Wales to be referred to as "Home Office" police forces, after the government department which exercises control at a national level in England and Wales but this is erroneous as the description can encompass a number of miscellaneous forces subject to some kind of control by the Home Office but which are not the concern of the various Police Acts which control territorial police forces. (Bakersville 2004 p330) In 1981, James Anderton, the then Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police called for 10 regional police forces for England and Wales, one for each of the regions which would be adopted as Government Office Regions in England, and Wales.[2] A 2004 proposal by the Police Superintendents Association for the creation of a single national police force, similar to the Garda Sochna na hireann was rejected by the Association of Chief Police Officers, and the government has thus far agreed.[3] In September 2005, in a report[4] delivered to the then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary suggested that the

Sociology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Sociology - Assignment Example Within a few days of the disaster, the news coverage was being handled by outsiders and the international media that took over the role of primary producers of content. When the Haitians are given a chance to speak about or communicate about the events happening there in the aftermath of the disaster, the local perspective is obtained. However, because of the proximity of Haiti to the US and the fact that many international journalists have been around other disaster zones and hence the reporting is sensitive to the needs of the Haitians. However, the coverage would have been more vocal if the Haitians were commenting on their own affairs as the sense of despair and helplessness felt by Haitians can be captured only if they get a chance to express themselves. The point here is that the coverage has ranged from balanced to hysterical to paranoid depending upon the news outlet and the medium that is carrying the message. Hence, the question of who comments on the news is as important as who is reporting on the events. 2) A) Though I would not agree with Stephen Brunt’s generally negative view of athletes as role models, nonetheless, I find merit in his arguments about young boys and girls blindly aping the athletes. This is because I feel that athletes perform in a single area of sport and are uni-dimensional in that sense. However, their performances on the field are something to be emulated though the same cannot be said of their exploits off the field. Hence, one has to exhibit a sense of discretion when following athletes as role models. B) The male athlete who can be a good role model would be Roger Federer. This is because he is the epitome of discipline and focus and tennis being such a demanding sport needs lot of talent and practice to go hand in hand to make a champion that is Federer. Further, his off-court demeanor is exemplary as well in the way he takes care of his family and his humility as well as affableness add to

Making Solar Energy Economical PowerPoint Presentation

Making Solar Energy Economical - PowerPoint Presentation Example The demand for energy is dependent on properties of conversion means, technologies, and costs. Human energy makes use of resources that can be depleted in particular fossil fuels derived from the preferences. Market forces and cartels may guide a transition back to sources that are renewable. Energy as such has its effects and they come in terms of very heavy environmental costs. At the end of it they are incorporated into the energy cost and prices leading to overuse of energy and motivate policy inventions. Focusing on human utilization of the energy commodities and energy resources and the aftermath of that utilization is the main discussion of many experts. From an economist’s perspective the economic terminology, â€Å"energy† is inclusive of all energy resources and energy resources that have significant amounts of physical energy and as such can perform work. Partly, the study focuses on forces that lead economic agents to pursue alternatives in terms of other ec onomically efficient provision and use of energy resources and commodities. The role of alternative energy market and regulatory rules on the activities of producing energy is a point of consideration for these studies. There is a kind of energy that can be replenished in a short period of time called renewable energy, which comes from sources that frequently being recycled and usually less polluting than energy from fossil fuels. There are five main categories of renewable energy: wind and solar, biomass, geothermal, hydropower among which the solar energy, provided by heat and sunlight, has been utilized least yet. However, solar energy holds a number of benefits for societies and it has already proven to have positive effects on residential homes and industrial applications. For many years, the economic choice of energy to use has been solar energy in many industries. In this areas power is required at remote locations without government help, as the vast majority of systems used need few kilowatts of power. Also, solar energy is frequently used on transportation signaling. For example, offshore navigation buoys, lighthouses, and increasingly, road traffic warning signals are using solar power due to its power saving efficiency. Solar power’s great benefit here is that it is highly reliable and requires little maintenance so it is ideal to use in places that are hard to access. Following are some details of the major advantages of solar energy. Primarily, as mentioned above, solar power is particularly useful in remote areas where it is lack of regular electricity supply. Moreover, a lot of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, mercury or sulphur dioxide that come from many traditional fuels have been kept from releasing into the atmosphere, and it greatly contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions. Accordingly, solar energy is extremely environmentally friendly. In addition, solar energy systems are free of c harge substantially on conservation and will last for a relatively long period. Once installed, there are no recurring costs. They do not require you to add any fuel. More solar panels can be set up in the future with your energy requirements increase. Energy security is the guarantee of a reliable and stable supply of energy at reasonable economic prices. Relying on main energy sources such as oil and

Corporate Organ in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Organ in China - Essay Example The PRC Company Law 2005 has enhanced corporate governance, transparency and minority shareholders protection. The terms and conditions for the establishment of the liability companies and joint stock limited entities have been softened. The Company Law 2005 has barred the directors and management of the limited company from the violation and contradiction of their official duties and responsibilities towards the company. According to the law, in case of any mismanagement or financial manipulation, it is the controlling shareholder, director or senior manager, who is personally responsible for their failure to handle conflict of interest situation. The approach has been responsible for the lifting of corporate veil. The directors of Chinese public listed companies have been barred from participation in any matter, which has direct relevance with tier authority, based on interest. The approved PRC Company Law has encouraged the accountability process, and has recommended strong action against the controlling shareholder, if found guilty of abusing the profits and benefits of limited liability. The previous PRC Company Law failed to protect the legitimate and financial interest of minority shareholders. ... In case 1 if the company disapproves the disposal of its major assets, or in case if the company is involved in any merger or acquisition deal, the minority shareholder has the right to pressurize the company for the purchase of their shares. The minority shareholder also has the legal authority to take judicial action against the directors, if the directors are involved in embezzlement of funds, or breach of fiduciary duties. The PRC Company Law has authorized the .3% of the total shareholders to request the Board of directors, and seek their opinion and consideration towards the submitted proposals and agenda. The shareholders also have the right to call upon Board of directors meeting in case of violation of an article or law is observed. The PRC Company has further authorized 10% of the shareholders to seek liquidation of the company through submission of a petition in People's Intermediate Court2. The shareholders have the right to access and secure company's corporate records, accounts and articles. Limited Liability Companies: Gains for Minority Shareholder The PRC Company Law has abolished the previously approved system, according to which the company intending to launch their subsidiary were to contribute 50% ceiling on such investment activities. The PRC Company Law has encouraged the companies to establish their subsidiaries unconditionally3. The company law has further encouraged the involvement and participation of the local shareholders by increasing the non cash contribution from 20% to 70%. Even those shareholders having intellectual property rights have the grant to contribute and participate in shares transaction. However condition has been

The Elements of Argument Essay Essay Example for Free

The Elements of Argument Essay Essay In an argument essay, a writer simply argues a point or shall we say defend a side to a controversial issue. He defends his points by stating evidences and with logical reasoning. Many essays are basically argument essays. Most of the time we write essays to give out our opinion on something so that we may also persuade other people to have the same opinions. There are two basic elements to an Argument: a thesis and statement of evidence. The thesis of an argument is what a writer defends. An example of a thesis may be: Smoking is very hazardous. The strength of your argument will depend greatly on the strength of your thesis statement. The next element of an argument would be evidence. No argument will be complete without evidence supporting it. Most of time, reasoning alone will not suffice to strengthen your argument because a counter argument may easily be made to invalidate your claim. This is why evidence is very crucial to your argument. There are quite a lot of sources to find evidence for your argument, to name a few, experiences, books, surveys, polls, published articles, etc. Without these two elements in your argument your work will not be very persuasive to other people and so your essay will be no good. So it is very essential to find a good thesis statement and gather enough evidence to back you up. Argument used in The Declaration of Independence It is clearly seen how Thomas Jefferson uses argument in The Declaration of Independence and that the elements of an argument essay can easily be found. In the second paragraph we can find the thesis of the argument which is that all men are created equal and are all with unalienable rights. The main argument is that the King of Britain is clearly using his power to deny people of their rights. On most parts of the declaration we can find the second element to argumentative essays, evidence. Thomas Jefferson states a number of cases where the King of Britain is in clear violation of human and civil rights. These undeniable facts are what makes this essay very strong. The thesis is very well supported. Here we can see how the elements of an argumentative essay effects how good the work will be. The better use of a thesis and evidence makes your point very clear thus making your work more persuasive which is the overall goal of an argument, persuading people to share your idea.

Attachment Theory And Implications For Therapeutic Counselling Social Work Essay

Attachment Theory And Implications For Therapeutic Counselling Social Work Essay Outline your understanding of attachment theory and describe the implications of this for therapeutic counselling? Illustrate your answer with reference to clinical work. Consider the implications of this theory in a modern society, which has many alternative family structures. Introduction: What is early attachment theory? John Bowlby originally proposed attachment theory and defined attachment as any form of behavior that results in a person attaining or retaining proximity to some other differentiated and preferred individual, usually conceived as stronger and/or wiser (Bowlby, 1973, p. 292). Attachment or bonding is the developing relationship to parents, a carer or carers and is necessary for ordinary development. Childrens attachments can have an impact on the rest of their lives. Attachment behaviours begin early in life. This trusting relationship which is developed in infancy forms the foundation for a childs development. If children have a secure attachment, they will grow up to view the world as a safe place and they will be able to develop other emotions. However, children who experience early separation and loss will express this through their behaviour. A secure attachment will lead to better general coping skills, and the cost of insecure attachment may lead to isolation (Bowlby, 1969). In this essay I will present material about attachment theory. I will explore the different views and my aim is to relate it to clinical work. My illustrations will be drawn from theory and personal experience. Theory: According to Vera Fahlberg (1988) the most common causes of attachment problems, the highest risk being in the first two years of life, are sudden or traumatic separation from primary caretaker through death, illness, hospitalisaton of caretaker, or removal of child from the care of the established attachment figure/figures. Furthermore, she claims there are other causes for attachment problems which include physical, emotional or sexual abuse, neglect of physical or emotional needs, illness or pain that cannot be alleviated by caretaker, and frequent moves and/or placements i.e. foster care, adoptions and changes of caretaker within the family setting. John Bowlby (1988) believes if no bond or attachment is formed during early life the child is more likely to be unstable and anxious as an adult. The work of John Bowlby seems to have been the most influential in attachment theory and I feel Bowlby highlights the important implications for the counselling relationship. Before Bowlby the behaviour of infants to seek attachment with adults was thought to be about an instinct to search for food (Bee, 1999). Bee (1999, p. 42) cites Freud (1856-1939) as saying love has its origin in attachment to the satisfied need for nourishment. Freud suggested that the baby forms a bond with its mother by satisfying its hunger. He calls this stage of development the oral stage which begins soon after birth. Freud believes if the child satisfies this related need then it should promote a feeling of pleasure therefore, returning to a comfortable state (Bee, 1999). However, according to Fahlberg there is some evidence that the social needs are more important to the attachment process than meeting the physical needs. Fahlberg refers to Ainsworths (1913-1999) 1952 findings, social interactions, not routine care, are the most important part of mothering (Fahlberg, 1988, p.27). Erikson (1902-1994) however, shared most of Freuds basic assumptions, but differed between inner instincts, and outer cultural and social demands. Unlike Freud who placed central emphasis on inner instincts. However, Erikson named his developmental stages as psychosocial stages as he believes a person goes through different stages through their lives. To be able to reach self acceptance they must first fully develop each stage. If this does not happen then problems will arise (Bee, 1999). According to Bee (1999) Erikson describes the first stage as basic trust versus mistrust. Bee went on to say Erikson believed that the behaviour of the major caregiver (usually the mother) is critical to the childs establishment of basic sense of trust. (p.45). Therefore, if the caregiver responds to the child consistently, in a way the child has become accustomed, and responds in a loving and predictable way, then trust will develop. However, he believes if that doesnt happen, and the child has had inconsistent care then mistrust may develop, which may lead to anxiety. Erikson believed that development went on through the entire life span, as the child, and then the adult developing a sense of ever-changing identity (Bee, 1999). However, John Bowlby disregarded these theories of attachment, believing instead that the process was much more complicated. He put forward the idea that babies look for physical closeness, comfort, food and familiar interaction (Bowlby, 1988). The young childs hunger for his mothers love and presence is as great as his hunger for food (Bowlby, 1969, preface xiii) John Bowlby brought this concept to the fore and as Robert Karen states in his book, Becoming Attached, Bowlbys theory was bold, full of common sense, speculative but grounded in science, and threatening to the older views (1998, p.101). However, all three theorists seem to agree that healthy secure attachments are very important for human development. Attachment helps the child: attain full intellectual potential; sort out what he or she perceives; think logically develop a conscience; become self-reliant; cope with stress and frustration; handle fear and worry; develop future relationships; reduce jealousy. (Fahlberg, 1988, p.13) According to Ainsworth (1913-1999), attachment is an affectional bond that has been established by having a continuous loving and caring relationship with another human being. an affectional bond is a long enduring emotional tie to a specific individual (Leather, 2004, pp.21-25). Studies of children raised in institutions have shown that adequate physical care is not enough. A primary person to whom the child can become attached, who responds to the childs needs and who initiates positive activities with the child is indispensable. Attachments are formed by the constant repetition of two very positive cycles of interaction: The arousal relaxation cycle and The positive interaction cycle Fahlberg, V. (1988) Fitting the Pieces Together. (Practice Series: 17) British Agencies for Adoption Fostering: The following diagram illustrates a successful interaction between the caregiver and child. The child cries because of its need for food, caregiver feeds the child, the child becomes calm, therefore the childs needs have been met which will then establish a secure and trusting attachment. This cycle must be completed to ensure a healthy development. Fahlberg, V. (1988) Fitting the Pieces Together (p. 25) The next diagram illustrates the positive interactions between caregiver and child. The caregiver interacts and plays with the child, meeting social needs, the child responds, therefore building a childs confidence. Fahlberg, V. (1988) Fitting the Pieces Together (p. 27) If the babys needs are not met consistently then the baby doesnt develop trust, becomes full of rage and perceives the world as a dangerous place. This is then carried through into adulthood, causing feelings of insecurity through to sociopathic behaviour depending on the degree of mistreatment or abandonment for the individual (Fahlberg, 1998). The three patterns of attachment are: Secure Attachment exploration from secure base active seeking of contact upon reunion. Anxious/Avoidant Attachment independent exploration active avoidance upon reunion. Anxious/Resistant Attachment Poverty of Exploration Difficulty separating on reunion. Source: Mary Ainsworth (1979).Research. Jeremy Holmes stated in his book John Bowlby Attachment Theory, Mary Ainsworth (1982) first used the phrase secure base to describe the ambience created by the attachment figure for the attached person. The essence of the secure base is that it provides a springboard for curiosity and exploration. (Holmes, 1993, p. 70) John Bowlby believed that a secure base was the most important aspect of parenting a central feature of my concept of parenting, the provision by both parents of a secure base from which a child or an adolescent can make sorties into the outside world (Bowlby, 1988, p.11). Cultural Implications: Studies in other countries support Ainsworths belief that some form of secure base is needed for all infants, however, there are indications that behaviour may have to be interpreted differently in other cultures. According to Helen Bee (1999, p.192) German researchers, for example, have suggested that an insecure/avoidant classification in their culture may reflect not indifference by mothers, but explicit training towards greater independence in the baby (Grossmann, Grossmann, Spangler, Suess, Unzner, 1985). Furthermore, in Japan a greater valuing of emotional interdependence is associated with limited separation experiences, therefore heightening the distress experienced by many Japanese infants (Harwood, Miller Irizarry 1995. p.14) Therefore, it would appear that the infant behaves in a manner that responds to the maternal behavior that is both intuitive and reflective of the behaviour in its community. It is stated in Helen Bees book The Growing Child some form of secure base behaviour occurs in every child, in every culture. (1999, p.192). Bee says, we have a long way to go to understand how cultural differences affect the development of children but they form a significant backdrop for all development and to understand nurture, we must first understand the part culture plays (1999). Children are born into a diverse range of family structures and these structures may change during the course of childhood. Attachment theory highlights the role of the primary caregiver and in the process puts the spotlight on the person who is most likely to undertake this role in our society the mother. This can lead to argue against mothers working. Wyse (2004) states, Once the child has developed an attachment they will protest at separation from that preferred person and will show fear of strangers (p. 23). However, Vera Fahlberg says the attachment figure does not have to be the childs mother. The initial bonding can be the father or even an adoptive or foster mother, as long as the care is consistent during the early years of development. Of course there are many alternative family structures and views have changed over the years. Many people feel marriage is outdated and prefer to just live together. There also is the difficulty that surrounds divorce and the impact this has on young children. According to Robert Banton Jack Straw, the home secretary, stated in a document called Supporting Families (1998) changes in family organization we have mentioned are really linked to the social problems (2004, p.33). With rising divorce rates, social acceptance of sexual relations outside marriage and single sex partnerships will all have an impact on the way in which children are raised and by whom. I believe parenting practices have a greater effect on children than marital status. I divorced my husband when my children were still at school. I maintained a healthy relationship with my ex-husband because I felt it was important for the children to still see us as a family unit. I was determined that my children had constant access to their father and that he played a part in their upbringing. This has certainly had an impact on my children and they often said it was a better arrangement than two unhappy people living together. Blakeslee Wallerstein stated in their book Second chances: Men, women and children a decade after divorce when referring to children from divorced families, They fear betrayal. They fear abandonment. They fear loss. They draw an inescapable conclusion: Relationships have a high likelihood of being untrustworthy; betrayal and infidelity are probable (1989, p. 55). Although my children experienced the trauma of divorce, I feel I kept that disruption to a minimum. Clinical references and Personal insight: Following the birth of my first child, I chose to go back to work when she was six weeks old. Childcare was shared out between my husband, my cousin and my aunty and this situation continued for some time. I then made the decision to send my daughter to nursery when she was three, but she would not settle and screamed hysterically when I left her. When I picked her up she would cling to my legs and cry if I talked to anyone on the journey home. This seems to follow the pattern of insecure attachment. In Dominic Wyses book, Childhood Studies an Introduction, Leather cites stages of separation behaviour as observed by Robertson and Robertson may be unwilling to trust parent if/when they return, or may become very clingy and refuse to let parent leave them in any situation (2004, p.23). However, my daughter is now in her late twenties, she suffers from periodic bouts of depression and anxiety attacks. She doesnt seem to be able to settle into long term relationships, but in spite of that, in her working environment she is a confident adult holding a managerial position. I feel however, my daughter has inherited traits from her father as he suffers with bouts of depression; furthermore, two of his siblings have had a mental breakdown. Leather says, children take traits from both the mother and father such as physical features, but they can also inherit illnesses (2004) There is now a large body of evidence saying that children are capable of forming attachments to two or three caregivers and if the care arrangements are of good quality, and the quality of parenting has been established, then the child stands to benefit. Furthermore, Fahlberg says, it is not unusual to share the job of mothering and that the child, providing the quality of care is good and that it is consistent, can do just as well as those attached to one caregiver (1994). My daughters carers were consistently part of her growing up therefore; I feel the hereditary factor does play its part in her development. However, after my son was born I chose to give up my job and stay at home. My son didnt experience separation from me as an infant until the age of four when he settled into nursery with no problems. As an adult he seems to cope much better with stress and frustration and he is extremely confident and self reliant. This seems to bear out the positive effects of attachment therefore, highlighting that the relationship formed in early development seems to create a prototype for future relationships. It is interesting to reflect on my own parenting. My mother died when I was twelve and I became the little mother to my father and brother until my father died fifteen months later. This has left me with my own insecurities to deal with. According to Bowlby women who have lost their parents at an early age not only are they likely to have marital problems, after the birth of a child, they can also have difficulty interacting with their child (Bowlby, 1988). Unfortunately, as I said earlier my marriage did breakdown, but I dont believe I had difficulty interacting with my child. On the contrary, I feel I was over protective, because of loosing my parents, and I was anxious for my daughter. This may have contributed to my daughters dependency on me. Furthermore, I take into account that she was the first-born and therefore she had been the sole recipient of my attention. It would have been a different experience for her brother. Through personal development I am aware I have carried through, into adulthood, a lot of unresolved issues. There have been moments where I have felt a great dependence on my therapist and I worked very hard being the perfect client for my therapist to accept me. However, through exploration of my own attachment history I was able to recognise why I felt this dependency and need for acceptance. As my relationship with my therapist grows I feel I am able to be more honest about my feelings. I believe it is through establishing this warm trusting relationship I am able to work towards self acceptance, and as my confidence grows I feel more comfortable with who I am, therefore I no longer feel a need to please others to earn acceptance. This has highlighted how a client, with similar insecurities, may feel in the therapeutic relationship. Like me, the client will bring his own history into the counselling relationship and I feel the therapist needs to be able to acknowledge, with a deep understanding the insecurities the client may be feeling. I feel it is important to explore the clients relational history to establish whether there may be an issue of dependency. It was not easy to explore negative feelings that have been buried for so many years, but my therapist was able to provide a safe space for this to happen. Therefore, although I had my secure base ripped from under me at an early age, I feel my therapy is now my secure base where I can unravel my history and make some sense of it. This intimate relationship I have established with my therapist has allowed me to challenge, explore and take risks with the confidence of feeling accepted. intimate attachments to other human beings are the hub around which a persons life revolves, not only when he is an infant or a toddler or a school child but throughout his adolescence and his years of maturity as well, and into old age (Bowlby, 1980, p. 422). Conclusion: There seems to be an agreement between all the theorists that a secure attachment between a mother and infant is the ideal first relationship, and that relationship is of primary importance. Feeling secure and having your needs met by a consistent caregiver, within all cultures during the early years, is imperative to a healthy development. I feel attachment is the same across all societies, and that fundamentally all children need a secure base. Relationships are of fundamental importance in: the development of personality and sense of self; the difficulty clients bring to therapy (relations with the self and relations with other people); the therapeutic process (the therapy relationship is the heart of the process) Paul, S. and Pelham, G. (2000, pp. 110 -126). Relationships are important for our wellbeing. Whilst attachment types have helped me to understand my history, they have also helped me to understand the important elements for development. Attachment is about a close relationship, and its impact last from cradle to grave. It is now accepted that this relationship can be with more than one person as long as the care is affectionate, consistent, and provides a secure base. It is also agreed that separation from the caregiver during infancy will predict how an individual forms relationships as an adult. As a counsellor it is important to be aware of the different attachment behaviours to be able to provide that secure base from which the client can explore his/her own relationship history. Therefore, the counsellor needs to be able to provide support with deep understanding, Bowlby says,.it is the emotional communications between a patient and his therapist that play the crucial part (Bowlby, 1988, p.156)

Selling and offering information on the internet brings with it a list :: Computer Science

Selling and offering information on the internet brings with it a list of legal and corporate issues. Legal and corporate issues The growth of e-commerce has enabled M&S to involve and expand their business from their stores to the world of internet. Marks and Spencer is increasingly using the internet for electronic commerce, selling goods to consumers and also offer a range of information about the available products and services. However selling and offering information on the internet brings with it a list of legal and corporate issues. These issues are designed in order to protect the customers from fraud of misuse of personal data and also laws to consider disabled consumers who may be using the internet site, therefore will require special features. M&S corporate identity, including the corporate logo design and the company corporate identity and branding is the most important information that this company can convey to its customers, therefore specific consideration are designed in regard of protecting the companies identity. Legal Issues Data protection considerations The Data Protection Act lays puts down a serious of rules that M&S must obey under their co-operation. Therefore as a successful trader any personal data that the company collects from its customers, such as name, address and billing information such as credit card details must be protected from fraud. Therefore M&S must deal fairly with the info they receive from consumers and tell the customer what data the have collected, upon that they must tell them what you are going to do with that information, and consult with the customers before taking any actions. For instance they must ask for permission before sharing the information with a third party, therefore the most important point to consider is to Keep the data collected safe and secure. Website terms and conditions ---------------------------- The terms and condition are important and must be informed to the consumer before making a transaction. Different companies have different terms and condition therefore M&S must make sure they make it clear for their consumers the terms an condition of making this transaction. These terms and condition inform the customers of the Data protection act considerations, which is designed in interest of the consumers comfort in the transaction, reassuring them that the details they provide is kept safe. M&S must include these terms and condition to reassure their customers that using their e-commerce will be safe and secure. M&S must also include a clear privacy policy explaining how they will use the information collected on the site. It is also crucial to contain a clear "conditions of sale" which includes details of when the contract is actually formed (E.g. the order

Terrorists Attack: a Media Analysis :: essays research papers

Terrorists Attack!!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 26, 1993, the day that terrorists made the biggest attack on American soil to that point. It was early afternoon on a Friday, 12:18 pm to be exact, a car bomb ripped through the guts of the now infamous North World Trade Center twin tower. It happened very quickly, and without warning, normal people were simply going about their daily business, when all of a sudden, the building shook, the power went out, and smoke began to fill all 110 floors of the towers. Many wondered what had happened, had a plane struck the building, was it an earthquake? D, none of the above, some crazed maniac had decided to kill 5 people and injure many more just to get some point across.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This event graced the front page of newspapers and news magazines across the country, the New York Times was the newspaper closest to the action. Covrage in this newspaper was published one day after the event, and coverednot only the event but the ensuing traffic chaos it caused. Being a newspaper local to New York City, the site of the attack, the newpaper catered to the interests of its local readers. The New York Times, however, is also circulated around the country, and around the world. This required the newpaper editors, publishers, and writers to remain sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of readers in the broader reading audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newsweek Magazine also published coverage of the attack. Their primary audience is a national one, and consequently, the coverage is geared toward a broader audience. Also, seeing as the magazine is only published once a week, rather than daily as the New York Times, Newsweek had more time to gather facts and evidence. This added time for research leads more to a fact based coverage than a question based coverage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One interesting observation is that it seems both sources immediately assume that foreign terrorists were the primary perpetrators of this attack. Neither article comes right out and says it, however both are rather ambiguous about it. Newsweek does mention the possibility of a domestic source for the violence, but spends much more time and effort explaining the possible foreign sources. Overall both articles seem rather straightforward in their representation of the event, and remain rather simplistic, so as not to confuse the reading audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When an event of this magnitude occurs, emotions are bound to play a role in the coverage.

Spanish El Recado :: Papers

Spanish El Recado Analasis de El Recado Elena Poniatowska escrita durante una epoca de cambio en Mexico. Antes de sus obras las mujeres mexicanas eran sometidos, docil, y pasivo. En la tiempo de sus obras las mujeres estaba tratando salir de los estereotipos de antes. Esta problema social tomo un afecto en Elena. Aunque ella no viene de un movimiento literatura directamente, ella escrita con el concepto de compremetido. En su narrative El Recado ella crea un mujer estereotipical que no puede controlar sus emociones. La titula es eso porque ella viene a ver su amante, pero el no esta, asi ella escribe las cosas que sentia. La perspectiva es de un personaje y ella nunca interacta con otros personajes. En facto la unica descripcion de un personaje otro de la protagonista es de su amante Martin. Habla de otros personajes, pero solamente de sus acciones. Porque ellas es la unica perspectiva que tenemos es sencillo a sentar compasion para una protagonista de quien nombre no aun sabemos. Ella da la descripcion de toda que vea, y mas importante todo que se sienta. Tambien tropos y figuras retoricas dan un tono significante al poema. Estos sentimientos de la portagonista y el tono emocional de la narrativa transporta una tema de una mujer estereotipical y debil quien quiere ser reconocido. El Recado es un cuento de la esperanza y amor. La protagonista viene a visita Martin, pero el no esta en su casa. Entonces ella esperas en peldano, y esperanza que el aparece pronto. Esperanza es una palabra muy importante en el cuento. La palabra es usado directamente tres veces en la obra 26, 31, y 39. Tambien en el principio de el cuento todo es de un afecto sensual. Mientras ella esta en el peldano vea el jardin de Martin. Da caracteristicas humanos (personificacion) a los flores en el jardin ( 6-7), estos caracteristicas como honesto y graves probablamente tambien de su amante. Luego ella hace una comparacion directa entre el y el jardin â€Å"Todo el jardin es solido, es como tu, tiene una reciedumbre que inspira confianza.† Este oracion no solamente tiene un simil, pero tambien ayuda en mostrando la comparacion a un mujer de un hombre. El hombre es personificado con palabras de fuerza, mientras todo el cuento muestra una mujer debil.

Queuing Theory

Waiting Line Models ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The Structure of a Waiting Line System Queuing Systems Queuing System Input Characteristics Queuing System Operating Characteristics Analytical Formulas Single-Channel Waiting Line Model with Poisson Arrivals and Exponential Service Times Multiple-Channel Waiting Line Model with Poisson Arrivals and Exponential Service Times Economic Analysis of Waiting Lines Slide 1 Structure of a Waiting Line System ? ? Queuing theory is the study of waiting lines. Four characteristics of a queuing system are: †¢the manner in which customers arrive †¢the time required for service the priority determining the order of service †¢the number and configuration of servers in the system. Slide 2 Structure of a Waiting Line System ? ? Distribution of Arrivals †¢Generally, the arrival of customers into the system is a random event. †¢Frequently the arrival pattern is modeled as a Poisson process. Distribution of Service Times †¢Service time i s also usually a random variable. †¢A distribution commonly used to describe service time is the exponential distribution. Slide 3 Structure of a Waiting Line System ? Queue Discipline †¢Most common queue discipline is first come, first served (FCFS). An elevator is an example of last come, first served (LCFS) queue discipline. †¢Other disciplines assign priorities to the waiting units and then serve the unit with the highest priority first. Slide 4 Structure of a Waiting Line System ? Single Service Channel Customer arrives ? Waiting line Multiple Service Channels System S1 Customer leaves System S1 Customer arrives Waiting line S2 Customer leaves S3 Slide 5 Examples of Internal Service Systems That Are Queueing Systems Type of System Customers Server(s) Secretarial services Employees Secretary Copying services Employees Copy machine Computer programming servicesEmployees Programmer Mainframe computer Employees Computer First-aid center Employees Nurse Faxing service s Employees Fax machine Materials-handling system Loads Materials-handling unit Maintenance system Machines Repair crew Inspection station Items Inspector Production system Jobs Machine Semiautomatic machines Machines Operator Tool crib Machine Clerk Slide 6 Examples of Transportation Service Systems That Are Queueing Systems Type of System Customers Server(s) Highway tollbooth Cars Cashier Truck loading dock Trucks Loading crew Port unloading area Ships Unloading crew Airplanes waiting to take off Airplanes RunwayAirplanes waiting to land Airplanes Runway Airline service People Airplane Taxicab service People Taxicab Elevator service People Elevator Fire department Fires Fire truck Parking lot Cars Parking space Ambulance service People Ambulance Slide 7 Queuing Systems ? ? ? ? A three part code of the form A/B/k is used to describe various queuing systems. A identifies the arrival distribution, B the service (departure) distribution and k the number of channels for the system. Sym bols used for the arrival and service processes are: M – Markov distributions (Poisson/exponential), D – Deterministic (constant) and G – General istribution (with a known mean and variance). For example, M/M/k refers to a system in which arrivals occur according to a Poisson distribution, service times follow an exponential distribution and there are k servers working at identical service rates. Slide 8 Queuing System Input Characteristics = 1/? =  µ= 1/ µ = = the average arrival rate the average time between arrivals the average service rate for each server the average service time the standard deviation of the service time Slide 9 Queuing System Operating Characteristics P0 = Pn = Pw = Lq = probability the service facility is idle robability of n units in the system probability an arriving unit must wait for service average number of units in the queue awaiting service L = average number of units in the system Wq = average time a unit spends in the queu e awaiting service W = average time a unit spends in the system Slide 10 Analytical Formulas ? ? For nearly all queuing systems, there is a relationship between the average time a unit spends in the system or queue and the average number of units in the system or queue. These relationships, known as Little's flow equations are: L = ? W and Lq = ? Wq Slide 11 Analytical Formulas ? ?When the queue discipline is FCFS, analytical formulas have been derived for several different queuing models including the following: †¢M/M/1 †¢M/M/k †¢M/G/1 †¢M/G/k with blocked customers cleared †¢M/M/1 with a finite calling population Analytical formulas are not available for all possible queuing systems. In this event, insights may be gained through a simulation of the system. Slide 12 M/M/1 Queuing System ? ? ? ? ? ? Single channel Poisson arrival-rate distribution Exponential service-time distribution Unlimited maximum queue length Infinite calling population Examples: †¢Single-window theatre ticket sales booth Single-scanner airport security station Slide 13 Notation for Single-Server Queueing Models ? ? = Mean arrival rate for customers = Expected number of arrivals per unit time 1/? = expected interarrival time ? m = Mean service rate (for a continuously busy server) = Expected number of service completions per unit time 1/m = expected service time ? r = the utilization factor = the average fraction of time that a server is busy serving customers = /? m Slide 14 ? Assumptions 1. Interarrival times have an exponential distribution with a mean of 1/?. 2. Service times have an exponential distribution with a ean of 1/m. 3. The queueing system has one server. †¢ The expected number of customers in the system is L = r? /? (1 –? r) = /? (m? – ? )? †¢ The expected waiting time in the system is W = (1 / ? )L = 1 / (m – ? ) †¢ The expected waiting time in the queue is Wq = W – 1/m = ? / [m(m – ? )] â⠂¬ ¢ The expected number of customers in the queue is Lq = ? Wq = ? 2 / [m(m – ? )] = r2 / (1 – r) Slide 15 ? The probability of having exactly n customers in the system is Pn = (1 – r)rn Thus, P0 = 1 – r P1 = (1 – r)r P2 = (1 – r)r2 : : ? The probability that the waiting time in the system exceeds t is P(W ; t) = e–m(1–r)t for t ? ? The probability that the waiting time in the queue exceeds t is P(Wq ; t) = re–m(1–r)t for t ? 0 Slide 16 Problem: ? Consider the situation where the mean arrival rate is one customer every 4 minutes and the mean service time is 2. 5 minutes. Calculate the following †¢Average no. of customer in the system †¢Average queue length †¢Average time a customer spends in the system †¢Average time a customer waits before being served. Slide 17 Problem: ? ? ? Arrivals at a telephone booth are considered to be Poisson, with an average time of 10 minutes between one arrival an d the next. The length of a phone call is ssumed to be exponentially distributed with mean 3 minutes. What is the probability that a person arriving at the booth will have to wait? The telephone department will install a second booth when convinced that an arrival would expect to have to wait at least three minutes for the phone. By how much must the flow of arrivals be increased in order to justify a second booth? Slide 18 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? M/M/1 Queuing System Joe Ferris is a stock trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for the firm of Smith, Jones, Johnson, and Thomas, Inc. Stock transactions arrive at a mean rate of 20 per hour.Each order received by Joe requires an average of two minutes to process. Orders arrive at a mean rate of 20 per hour or one order every 3 minutes. Therefore, in a 15 minute interval the average number of orders arriving will be ? = 15/3 = 5. Slide 19 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Arrival Rate Distribution Question What is the probability that no orders are received within a 15-minute period? Answer P (x = 0) = (50e -5)/0! = e -5 = .0067 Slide 20 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Arrival Rate Distribution Question What is the probability that exactly 3 orders are received within a 15-minute period? Answer P (x = 3) = (53e -5)/3! 125(. 0067)/6 = . 1396 Slide 21 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Arrival Rate Distribution Question What is the probability that more than 6 orders arrive within a 15-minute period? Answer P (x ; 6) = 1 – P (x = 0) – P (x = 1) – P (x = 2) – P (x = 3) – P (x = 4) – P (x = 5) – P (x = 6) = 1 – . 762 = . 238 Slide 22 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Service Rate Distribution Question What is the mean service rate per hour? Answer Since Joe Ferris can process an order in an average time of 2 minutes (= 2/60 hr. ), then the mean service rate,  µ, is  µ = 1/(mean service time), or 60/2. m = 30/hr. Slide 23 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ?Service Time Distribution Ques tion What percentage of the orders will take less than one minute to process? Answer Since the units are expressed in hours, P (T ; 1 minute) = P (T ; 1/60 hour). Using the exponential distribution, P (T ; t ) = 1 – e- µt. Hence, P (T ; 1/60) = 1 – e-30(1/60) = 1 – . 6065 = . 3935 = 39. 35% Slide 24 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Service Time Distribution Question What percentage of the orders will be processed in exactly 3 minutes? Answer Since the exponential distribution is a continuous distribution, the probability a service time exactly equals any specific value is 0 . Slide 25Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Service Time Distribution Question What percentage of the orders will require more than 3 minutes to process? Answer The percentage of orders requiring more than 3 minutes to process is: P (T ; 3/60) = e-30(3/60) = e -1. 5 = . 2231 = 22. 31% Slide 26 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Average Time in the System Question What is the average time an order must wait from th e time Joe receives the order until it is finished being processed (i. e. its turnaround time)? Answer This is an M/M/1 queue with ? = 20 per hour and m = 30 per hour. The average time an order waits in the system is: W = 1/( µ – ? ) 1/(30 – 20) = 1/10 hour or 6 minutes Slide 27 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Average Length of Queue Question What is the average number of orders Joe has waiting to be processed? Answer Average number of orders waiting in the queue is: Lq = ? 2/[ µ( µ – ? )] = (20)2/[(30)(30-20)] = 400/300 = 4/3 Slide 28 Example: SJJT, Inc. (A) ? Utilization Factor Question What percentage of the time is Joe processing orders? Answer The percentage of time Joe is processing orders is equivalent to the utilization factor, ? /m. Thus, the percentage of time he is processing orders is: ?/m = 20/30 = 2/3 or 66. 67% Slide 29 Example: SJJT, Inc. A) Solution ? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F Poisson Arrival Rate Exponential Service Rate Operating Character istics Probability of no orders in system Average number of orders waiting Average number of orders in system Average time an order waits Average time an order is in system Probability an order must wait G ? m H 20 30 Po Lg L Wq W Pw 0. 333 1. 333 2. 000 0. 067 0. 100 0. 667 Slide 30 M/M/k Queuing System ? ? ? ? ? ? Multiple channels (with one central waiting line) Poisson arrival-rate distribution Exponential service-time distribution Unlimited maximum queue length Infinite calling population Examples: Four-teller transaction counter in bank †¢Two-clerk returns counter in retail store Slide 31 1 ? P? n ? m ? P0 , for (n ? k) ? n! ? ? n ? ? m ? P0 , for (n ? k) ? ? ? 1 n k ? 1 1 km ? ? ? ? n! ? m ? ? k! ? m ? km ? ? ? ? ? 1 ? k! k n ? k P? 0 P w ? n ? k ? 1 ? n ? 0 ? n 1 ? ? P(n ? k ) ? ?m? ? k! ? ? k km P0 , km ? ? k ?m ? ? m ? ? ? ? ? ? L? P0 ? 2 m (k ? 1)! (km ? ? ) W? L ? , Lq ? ,r ? km Lq ? 1 ? L? , Wq ? W ? ? m m ? Slide 32 General Operating Characteristics Little' s F low Equations : L (or W ? ) ? Lq (or Wq ? ) ? L ? ?W L q ? ?Wq W ? Wq ? 1 m Slide 33 Problem: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?A Tax consulting firm has four service stations (counters) in its office to receive people who have problems and complaints about their income, wealth and sales taxes. Arrivals average 80 persons in an 8 hour service day. Each tax advisor spends irregular amount of time servicing the arrivals which have been found to have an exponential distribution. The average service time is 20 minutes. Calculate the average no. of customers in the system, average no. of customers waiting to be serviced, average time a customer spend in the system, average waiting time for a customer in queue. Calculate how many hours each week does a tax advisor spend erforming his job? What is the probability that a customer has to wait before he gets service? What is the expected no. of idle tax advisors at any specified time? Slide 34 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? M/M/2 Queuing System Smith, Jones, Joh nson, and Thomas, Inc. has begun a major advertising campaign which it believes will increase its business 50%. To handle the increased volume, the company has hired an additional floor trader, Fred Hanson, who works at the same speed as Joe Ferris. Note that the new arrival rate of orders, ? , is 50% higher than that of problem (A). Thus, ? = 1. 5(20) = 30 per hour. Slide 35Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Sufficient Service Rate Question Why will Joe Ferris alone not be able to handle the increase in orders? Answer Since Joe Ferris processes orders at a mean rate of  µ = 30 per hour, then ? =  µ = 30 and the utilization factor is 1. This implies the queue of orders will grow infinitely large. Hence, Joe alone cannot handle this increase in demand. Slide 36 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Probability of n Units in System Question What is the probability that neither Joe nor Fred will be working on an order at any point in time? Slide 37 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Probability of n Units in Sy stem (continued)Answer Given that ? = 30,  µ = 30, k = 2 and (? / µ) = 1, the probability that neither Joe nor Fred will be working is: 1 P0 ? k ? 1 ( ? / m )n (? / m ) k km ? ( ) ? n! k! km ? ? n? 0 = 1/[(1 + (1/1! )(30/30)1] + [(1/2! )(1)2][2(30)/(2(30)-30)] = 1/(1 + 1 + 1) = 1/3 = .333 Slide 38 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Average Time in System Question What is the average turnaround time for an order with both Joe and Fred working? Slide 39 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Average Time in System (continued) Answer The average turnaround time is the average waiting time in the system, W. Lq = ? µ(? / µ)k (k-1)! (k µ – ? )2 P0 = (30)(30)(30/30)2 (1! ((2)(30)-30))2 (1/3) = 1/3 L = Lq + (? / µ) = 1/3 + (30/30) = 4/3 W = L/ (4/3)/30 = 4/90 hr. = 2. 67 min. Slide 40 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Average Length of Queue Question What is the average number of orders waiting to be filled with both Joe and Fred working? Answer The average number of orders waiting to be filled is Lq. This was calculated earlier as 1/3 . Slide 41 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Formula Spreadsheet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A B C D E F Number of Channels Mean Arrival Rate (Poisson) Mean Service Rate (Exponential ) Operating Characteristics Probability of no orders in system Average number of orders waitingAverage number of orders in system Average time (hrs) an order waits Average time (hrs) an order is in system Probability an order must wait G k ? m H 2 30 30 Po =Po(H1,H2,H3) Lg ## L =H6+H2/H3 Wq =H6/H2 W =H8+1/H3 Pw =H2/H3 Slide 42 Example: SJJT, Inc. (B) ? Spreadsheet Solution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A B C D E F Number of Channels Mean Arrival Rate (Poisson) Mean Service Rate (Exponential ) Operating Characteristics Probability of no orders in system Average number of orders waiting Average number of orders in system Average time (hrs) an order waits Average time (hrs) an order is in system Probability an order must waitG k ? m H 2 30 30 Po Lg L Wq W Pw 0. 333 0. 333 1. 333 0. 011 0. 044 1 . 000 Slide 43 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Economic Analysis of Queuing Systems The advertising campaign of Smith, Jones, Johnson and Thomas, Inc. (see problems (A) and (B)) was so successful that business actually doubled. The mean rate of stock orders arriving at the exchange is now 40 per hour and the company must decide how many floor traders to employ. Each floor trader hired can process an order in an average time of 2 minutes. Slide 44 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Economic Analysis of Queuing Systems Based on a number of factors the brokerage firm as determined the average waiting cost per minute for an order to be $. 50. Floor traders hired will earn $20 per hour in wages and benefits. Using this information compare the total hourly cost of hiring 2 traders with that of hiring 3 traders. Slide 45 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Economic Analysis of Waiting Lines Total Hourly Cost = (Total salary cost per hour) + (Total hourly cost for orders in the system) = ($20 per trader per hour) x (Number of traders) + ($30 waiting cost per hour) x (Average number of orders in the system) = 20k + 30L. Thus, L must be determined for k = 2 traders and for k = 3 traders with ? = 40/hr. nd m = 30/hr. (since the average service time is 2 minutes (1/30 hr. ). Slide 46 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Cost of Two Servers P0 ? 1 k ? 1 (? ? n? 0 / m )n ( ? / m ) k km ? ( ) n! k! km ? ? P0 = 1 / [1+(1/1! )(40/30)]+[(1/2! )(40/30)2(60/(60-40))] = 1 / [1 + (4/3) + (8/3)] = 1/5 Slide 47 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Cost of Two Servers (continued) Thus, Lq = ? µ(? / µ)k (k-1)! (k µ -? )2 P0 = (40)(30)(40/30)2 1! (60-40)2 (1/5) = 16/15 L = Lq + (? / µ) = 16/15 + 4/3 = 12/5 Total Cost = (20)(2) + 30(12/5) = $112. 00 per hour Slide 48 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Cost of Three Servers P0 ? 1 k ? 1 (? ? n? 0 / m )n ( ? / m ) k km ( ) n! k! km ? ? P0 = 1/[[1+(1/1! )(40/30)+(1/2! )(40/30)2]+ [(1/3! )(40/30)3(90/(90-40))] ] = 1 / [1 + 4/3 + 8/9 + 32/45] = 15/59 Slide 49 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? Cost of Three Servers (continued) (30)(40)(40/30)3 Hence, Lq = (15/59) = 128/885 = . 1446 (2! )(3(30)-40)2 Thus, L = 128/885 + 40/30 = 1308/885 (= 1. 4780) Total Cost = (20)(3) + 30(1308/885) = $104. 35 per hour Slide 50 Example: SJJT, Inc. (C) ? System Cost Comparison 2 Traders 3 Traders Wage Cost/Hr $40. 00 60. 00 Waiting Cost/Hr $82. 00 44. 35 Total Cost/Hr $112. 00 104. 35 Thus, the cost of having 3 traders is less than that of 2 traders. Slide 51

Miranda Lambert Essay

Although most will probably say someone close to them is inspiring, like their mother, grandmother, sister. In my opinion, they are your family, and you will always love and be inspired by them. Therefore I decided to write this on how a singer is inspiring to me. Her name is Miranda Lambert. Almost none of my friends have even heard of her. I guess because maybe she’s a country singer and they don’t really like country music? Who knows, but she is quite an amazing person. She grew up in a small town in Texas. â€Å"Not having money toughened me up a bit, but I’ll always be grateful. Texas people are really strong in their roots. I started writing and playing guitar at 17. I’ve always loved music, and my dad is a singer-songwriter. † Miranda once said. She was influenced personally by her father to take an interest in music. Her music is wonderful, and she has a beautiful voice. She writes almost all of her own songs, and they are full of meaning. For example a hit song of hers, ‘Gunpowder and Lead’, is about women and how they should not take any shit from any one, let alone a man who hits them. I’m even sitting here writing this, listening to her music. I mean not all of her songs have such a deep meaning, but they all are certainly songs you can just sit back, and rock out too. I’m in love with it, and such a huge fan. In my eyes, Miranda is unlike any star. She isn’t a skinny, overrated, prissy little bitch who is only popular for one song, or how pretty they are. Miranda isn’t even that main-stream, but still does what she loves. When she was a teen, she was on a show kind of like American Idol that got her career started. She went to Nashville, and came back to Texas almost immediately because she hated the â€Å"pop† sound of music, and wanted to stay original, and straight up country. She’s a country-rock girl, with meat on her bones, a strong head on her shoulders, and doesn’t take shit from anyone, and will speak up if she has too. I mean, I don’t know the woman personally, but she sure comes off as this way, and it rocks! Oh and who wouldn’t be inspired by her! She is only engaged in my opinon, to the best man in country music, Blake Shelton! Ha Ha. Well, anyways, I saw her in concert a few months ago, and it was outstanding. I was so close, and as crazy as it seems, I think she made eye contact with me at one point! I sound so cheesy, but she is a real role model for me. She is so successful in life, and just acts herself at all times. â€Å"There are a million blonde chicks who can sing. I’ve always wanted to be different. This quote, straight from Miranda’s mouth, has inspired me a lot. I know I cannot sing what so ever, and I’m not blonde, but I want to be different, and for the most part I am. I am my own person, and I hope I can continue to be true to myself, and not let anyone tell me otherwise. I’m not here to please anyone, or do what they want, I’m here to please myself, and do what I like, and what makes me happy. And Miranda is a great example of this. This is why Country Singer, Miranda Lambert inspires me.

The Apprenticeship System – Summary

THE APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM Aims of apprenticeship * To provide a peaceful transition from slavery to freedom * To guarantee planters an adequate supply of labour during the period and prepare for full freedom * To train apprentices for freedom especially working for wages * To enable the colonial governments to revise the system of justice and establish institutions suitable for a free society. The SMs were retired naval and army officers on half pay, appointed from Britain who were accustomed to rough conditions and enforcing discipline.They were chosen because they were not connected to the planter class and it was felt that they would not be biased. Duties of stipendiary magistrates * To supervise the apprenticeship system * To settle disputes between masters and apprentices * To visit estates at regular intervals and hold court * To inspect jailhouses and workhouses * To assist in fixing the value of negroes who wanted to buy their freedom These duties were strenuous and led to th e death of many SMs who were not accustomed to tropical conditions and could not afford the high cost of medical treatment.Conditions of employment Salary – ? 300 for the first year then increased to ? 450 for travel expenses and housing. There was no pension for dependents if the SM died in service. There was no sick leave and he had to pay his own fare back home if he was dismissed or out of service. These bad working conditions prevented SMs from performing their duties satisfactorily and many were easily bribed by planters. They were also overburdened by work because they were so few in numbers. Those who tried to do their duties were sometimes persecuted.They were abused physically, verbally and via the press. They were all obstructed in the performance of their duties as planters sometimes refused to allow them on the estates. Success of stipendiary magistrates * They listened to complaints from both sides and acted as a buffer between masters and apprentices. * They in formed apprentices of their rights, they did not have to listen to gossip or obtain information from newspapers. * They helped apprentices to organise their lives better by giving advice.However, they had very little to formulate schemes to improve the social conditions of the apprentices. They were unable to prevent apprentices from being punished harshly. Punishments Apprentices were usually sent to the workhouse, however SMs had no control over what happened there. The most common form of punishment in the workhouse was the treadmill. There was also the whipping post and apprentices could be put in penal gangs. Females often had their heads shaved. Time lost in the workhouse had to be repaid by the apprentice by working for his master during his free time.Controlling apprentices on the estates * It was illegal for apprentices to leave the estate without written permission. * Valuations on able-bodied slaves were often inflated. * High fees were charged for the use of the markets and for licences to work off the estates as carpenters, blacksmiths and so on. These licences and tickets to sell in the markets could be withdrawn. * Planters refused to give customary allowances. * Planters found faults with apprentices' work, which had to be done over in the apprentices' free time. Apprentices were locked up on false charges which would often be dropped before the arrival of the SM. * Apprentices' fruit trees would be cut down and they were forbidden to own livestock. * The 401/2 hours per week were spread over five days instead of four. *Low wages would be paid; unfair deductions from wages would be made; and the wages were generally paid late. The End of Apprenticeship Apprenticeship ended for ALL apprentices in 1838 because: * The system was not achieving its aims. * The antislavery society exposed the abuses in the system and began to campaign for full freedom. The planters feared violence if domestic apprentices were freed before field apprentices. * Some pl anters felt that it was cheaper not to have to provide for apprentices and only to employ the number of labourers they needed. Note: Antigua granted full freedom to its slaves. The planters decided against apprenticeship. The apprenticeship system came to an end in 1838 when the colonial governments in each colony voted against its continuation. http://www. youthlinkjamaica. com/cxc/history20100302. htm

Symbolic And

Their efforts seem to have paid off, as evidenced by the enduring well-defined, and strong images of some of the world's popular brands (e. G. Marlboro, Ivory, Pepsi). In line with this evidence, theorists and practitioners (CB. Gardner and Levy, 1955; Park et al. , 1986; Rise and Trout, 1 986) have recommended that developing, communicating, and maintaining a brand's image is crucial to its long-term success. 32 Brand image important The importance of a brand's image in its long-term success necessitates having a framework for strategically managing the image over the long term Park et al. , 1986).Brand managers have had very little direction for setting up such a conceptual framework. One notable exception is brand concept management (BCC) proposed by Park et al. (1986). BCC proposes that every brand image should be based on a brand concept or a brand-specific abstract meaning. In its general form, a brand concept can be either symbolic or functional, and thus comprises one aspect of a brand's image. Functional brands satisfy immediate and practical needs. Symbolic brands satisfy symbolic needs such as those for self-expression and prestige, and their racial usage is only incidental.For example, in the category Of wrist watches, the brand Cassia would be considered a functional brand since its usefulness lies primarily in its ability to tell the time correctly. The brand Moved, on the other hand, would be considered a symbolic brand since it is used primarily for its status appeal, and its ability to tell the time is only an incidental reason for its usage. Once a concept is selected for a brand, park et al. (1986) advise that it should be maintained over the brand's life for sake of consistency. Symbolic or functionalWhile the notion of brand concept management is intuitively appealing, the proposition that brands can be either symbolic or functional in their appeal to consumers raises a number of interesting issues. The first issue is whether symbolism and functionality are two distinct concepts or are two ends of one brand concept continuum. In addition to the uniqueness of these two concepts, park et al. (1986) assume that each of these concepts is unidirectional. Whether that is really so has not been examined in empirical research to date.Also, to our knowledge, no measures or scales have been plopped that would assess whether a particular brand is symbolic or functional. Thus, empirical research has not directly examined these related issues. An understanding of such issues would also be very useful to marketing managers in planning positioning strategies for their brands. In this exploratory study, a set of scales are developed to assess a brand's symbolic and/or functional value to consumers. In the process, we JOURNAL OF CONSUMER MARKETING, VOLT. 15 NO. 1 1998 up. 2-43 @ MAC UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0736-3761 examine the issue of distinctiveness and dimensionality of the two brand incepts. Two schools of thought Brand concept Backgro und There is a long tradition of research into human needs and motivations. While there are a large number of theories and models that explain the nature of human motivation for consumption behavior, a simple typology would suggest two distinct schools of thought. The rational school or the â€Å"economic man† model suggests that consumers are rational and try to maximize total utility.They do so by buying products based on objective criteria like price per ounce or gallons per mile (Coffman and Kane, 1994). In arriving at this excision, consumers generally go through a variety of cognitive operations that include deciding the importance of each attribute in a product category, gathering information about competing brands' attributes, judging the levels of each attribute in competing brands, and finally using a judgment rule to decide on the optimal brand (for an exhaustive review of the information processing literature, please see Bateman, 1979).A number of researchers, how ever, contend that the rational model is appropriate only for goods which consumers value for their tangible and utilitarian benefits, and does not adequately capture their motivation for consuming products that satisfy their emotional wants (CB. Levy, 1959; Ditcher, 1960; Holbrook, 1980). For example, Hiroshima and Holbrook (1982) note that the rational model does not capture the multistory imagery, fantasy, fun, and emotions associated with the consumption of some products.They refer to this type of consumption, based on individual tastes and intangible product benefits, as hedonistic consumption. Thus, in contrast to the rational or information processing approach, the emotional or hedonistic school holds that consumers' motives are motional in nature. In this perspective, individuals use personal or subjective criteria such as taste, pride, desire for adventure, and desire for expressing themselves, in their consumption decisions (Coffman and Kane, 1994). Consumer behaviorist's have long recognized the importance of both types of motivations (CB.Katz, 1960; Metal, 1983). Empirically, several researchers have noted the existence of these two different types of motivations and the different product attribute categories that tap into these motivations (CB. Metal, 1988; Metal et al. , 1990; Sahara and Siring, 1991). Thus, both theory and research support the idea that consumers' needs are driven by functional/ utilitarian as well as by symbolic/expressive motivations. In keeping with this tradition, park, Gasworks, and Manacling (1986) noted that consumers' needs could be classified as being either functional or symbolic.They assert that functional needs are related to specific and practical consumption problems whereas symbolic needs are related to Selfridges and social identification. To tap into these two different types of needs, Park, Gasworks, and Manacling (1986) proposed that all brands should have a â€Å"brand incept†, which is an overall abst ract meaning that identifies a brand. They suggested that a brand concept be either symbolic or functional, thus tapping into consumers' symbolic and functional needs respectively. Park et al. S (1986) brand concept management framework advises managers to select a specific concept for a brand at the time of its introduction and then use the marketing mix to support and reinforce it over the brand's life. This helps consumers understand with clarity what a brand can do for them. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER MARKETING, VOLT. 15 NO. 1 1998 33 Functional or utilitarian deeds The existence of different types of motivations among individuals suggests that within most product categories, consumers' needs could be either functional or symbolic in nature, and brands could be positioned to satisfy either of these two types of needs.Thus, functional or utilitarian needs of consumers could be exploited with a â€Å"functional† brand, I. E. One positioned with a functional brand concept or meanin g. Similarly, a brand could be positioned as a â€Å"symbolic† brand to tap the needs of those who wish to enhance their self-image or their social image. Park et al. Rather argued that brands should be positioned to appeal to either one of these types of needs, but not both, for a number of reasons. A brand concept that is both functional and symbolic poses problems for consumers because they cannot clearly relate the brand to either their functional or their symbolic needs.In addition, it increases the number of competing brands and makes brand image management difficult. This argument, however theoretically compelling, has not been tested in empirical research. In one related research, park et al. (1991 ) Were able to show that nonusers' reaction to functional extensions of functional brands was more favorable than their reaction to prestige extensions of functional brands. In the same study, consumers also displayed a more positive reaction to prestige extensions of prest ige brands than to functional extensions of prestige brands.Please note that, in this study, the authors assumed that brand concepts could be either functional or prestigious (not symbolic). Unanswered questions Several questions, though, remain unanswered. Are functional and symbolic brand concepts adequately distinguished in consumers' minds? If so, what are mom characteristics that help in distinguishing these brand concepts? Is the prestige of a brand an adequate representation of a brand's symbolism to its customers? Are functionality and symbolism merely the two ends of a continuum?In any event, is there a mechanism to assess the functionality or symbolism of brands? The paucity of research to illuminate these issues resulted in this study. This study was set up to answer the preceding questions: to investigate the phenomenon of the functionality or the symbolism of brand image and to develop scales that would help classify a brand as functional or symbolic. Apart from the the oretical contributions, the issues raised in this study have a number of managerial implications for brand positioning.Method In line with this study main objective of exploring the issue of brand mage functionality or symbolism, scales containing items thought to measure a brand's functional or symbolic value to consumers was developed. The scale was validated by testing the scale's ability to discriminate between brands a priori identified as functional or symbolic. Correlations among the items in the scale and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the data were seed to investigate the dimensionality of brand functionality and symbolism.Stimuli lie Pairs of brands were identified in a few commonly used product categories, such that one brand in each pair was, a priori, thought to be functional and the other symbolic. In other words, the first brand was thought to primarily satisfy functional needs whereas the second brand was thought to mainly satisfy the symbolic needs of consumers of the product category. The pairs of brands which were selected are shown in Table l. 34 Product category Symbolic brand Functional brand Watches Role Timex 2 Sports shoes Nikkei Converse 3 Cosmetics Lana ¶me Amiability 4 Hair cream Paul Mitchell Suave 5 Ice cream Hagen Dads Scaliest Table l.Item generation Adjectives or phrases thought to indicate a brand's symbolism or functionality were first generated by the authors and a focus group of graduate students at a university. The focus group noted the difficulty of coming up with adjectives describing functional or utilitarian appeal. Based on these processes, three adjectives and phrases were identified as relating to functionality and 17 as relating to symbolism. Three sets of questionnaire items Three sets of questionnaire items were developed for the 20 adjectives and phrases.The first set of questions sought respondents' agreement with various statements about individuals' use of a brand to express themselves. Th e second set of items sought respondentBrand symbolism The 17 adjectives and phrases representing brand symbolism were assessed with three sets of items. In the first set of items, respondents were to agree with these statements: (1) â€Å"people use (brand) as a way of expressing their personality'; (2) † (brand) is for people who want the best things in life†; (3) â€Å"a (brand) user stands out in a crowd†; and (4) â€Å"using (brand) says something about the kind of person you are†. The second set of items sought to evaluate these brand characteristics: (1) hemolytic; (2) prestigious; (3) exciting; (4) status symbol; and (5) distinctive v. Invitational. The third set Of items evaluated these characteristics Of the brand's user: (1) sophisticated v. Simple; (2) not at all v. Very romantic; (3) not at all v. Very successful; 35 (4) unique v. Ordinary; (5) stylish v. Plain; (6) expressive v. Subdued; (7) glamorous v. Sedate; and (8) not at all v. Very ele gant. Survey design and administration Two separate questionnaires were prepared with questions on five of the ten stimulus brands such that each questionnaire contained questions about one f the brands within a product category.Thus, a subject would answer the above questions with respect to either a symbolic brand or a functional brand within a product category but not both. This procedure was used to eliminate any comparative biases in responses. The survey was administered to 62 graduate students at a major south-eastern university. Rest Its Analysis of correlations TO obtain a preliminary idea of the pattern Of relationships among these items, the correlations among the items were first examined.