Innovate the Pixar Way - 1285 Words

INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson Company Profile Founded: 1979 as Graphics Group, but 1986 as Pixar Founders: Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith Headquarter: Emeryville, California, U.S.A. Products: feature films, short-films, animations, commercials, softwares Key people: †¢ Ed Catmull, President,Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ Steve Jobs, former CEO of Pixar Animation Studios and member of the Board of Directors at The Walt Disney Company Owner: The Walt Disney Company (since 2006) About the book INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY (2010) by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson †¢ Authors of The†¦show more content†¦Intangible cultural measures: employee loyalty, freedom, collaboration†¦ Look at tangible and intangible measures Financial Measurement: Pixar ´ BoxPixar ´s Box-Office Results (in Thousands) Release Date 11/22/1995 11/20/1998 11/19/1999 11/02/2001 05/30/2003 11/05/2004 06/09/2006 06/29/2007 06/27/2008 05/29/2009 Totals Averages Movie Name Toy Story A Bug ´s Life Toy Story 2 Monsters, Inc. Finding Nemo The Incredibles Cars Ratatouille Wall-e Up 1st Weekend $29,140 $291 $300 $62,577 $70,251 $70,467 $60,119 $47,027 $63,097 $68,200 U.S. Gross $191,796 $162,798 $245,852 $255,870 $339,714 $261,441 $244,082 $206,445 $223,806 $2,131,804 $236,867 Worldwide Gross $361,996 $363,398 $485,752 $528,970 $866,592 $635,564 $461,982 $624,445 $532,936 $4,861,635 $540,182 Budget $30,000 $45,000 $90,000 $115,000 $94,000 $92,000 $70,000 $150,000 $180,000 $175,000 $1,041,000 $104,000 16 ways to get started Storyboarding – generates ideas graphically to expand team perspective „Plusâ€Å"-ing – originally from Walt Disney, you don ´t judge the work but plus the product or service „Try, learn, try againâ€Å" Training – design learning environment Transparency – remove barriers, decision making is cared out publicly Celebration – milestones, achievements and even failures Brain trust – group which discuss the unfinished work Postmortem technique – after each project identify things you would repeat and not repeat The Walt DisneyShow MoreRelatedInnovate the Pixar Way1279 Words   |  6 PagesINNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson Company Profile Founded: 1979 as Graphics Group, but 1986 as Pixar Founders: Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith Headquarter: Emeryville, California, U.S.A. Products: feature films, short-films, animations, commercials, softwares Key people: †¢ Ed Catmull, President,Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ Steve Jobs, former CEO ofRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Pixar1122 Words   |  5 Pagesof Pixar Overview In 1974, Ed Catmull was hired to manage the Computer Graphic Lab (CGL) at the New York Institute of Technology. The CGL also hired a few other computer scientists who shared ambitions about creating the world’s first computer animated film. In 1979, Ed Catmull and his team moved to the computer division at Lucasfilm. In 1986, Steve Jobs bought the computer division from Lucasfilm, paid $5million to George Lucas for technology rights and founded an independent company, Pixar. 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Research on Behaviorist versus Cognitive Theories of Learning Free Essays

What is larning? Are at that place different types of larning? What affects a pupils larning? Why do some learn otherwise than others? These are merely a few of the inquiries that pedagogues, parents, and pupils themselves have posed for centuries. It is without a uncertainty a really complicated subject. The writer of this paper attempts to relieve some of these inquiries by turn toing the differences between behavioural and societal acquisition theory along with the necessity of utilizing cognitive schemes to help in the acquisition procedure. We will write a custom essay sample on Research on Behaviorist versus Cognitive Theories of Learning or any similar topic only for you Order Now Name of Theorist Name of Theory Main Concepts Research Conducted Ivan Pavlov Authoritative conditioning Impersonal stimulations + innate stimulations = a erudite conditioned response ( Slavin, 2009 ) How it may look in a schoolroom: pupils should be given many chances to get the hang a undertaking before traveling on to another undertaking. For illustration, if they are larning to multiply individual digit math jobs, a pupil must get the hang this before traveling on to generation of two-digit jobs. Research was conducted in 3 phases Phase one: An innate stimulation ( US ) ( nutrient ) solicited an innate response ( UR ) from the Canis familiaris ( salivation ) ( Slavin, 2009 ) . This phase farther showed that a impersonal stimulation ( NS ) ( bell ) would arouse no response from the Canis familiaris. ( Slavin, 2009 ) Phase 2: A learned stimulation ( CS ) ( bell ) was paired with the Canis familiaris nutrient ( US ) which caused the Canis familiariss to salivate ( UR ) ( Slavin, 2009 ) . Phase 3: The Canis familiaris was trained to salivate ( CR, conditioned response ) at the sound of a bell tintinnabulation ( CS ) ( Slavin, 2009 ) . E. L. Thorndike Law of Effectss Favorable effects to behavior elicit request of this behaviour ( Slavin, 2005 ) Unfavorable effects similarly will ensue in the behaviour less likely being repeated ( Slavin, 2005 ) How it may look in a schoolroom: instructors should utilize real-life experiences to learn and link constructs for pupils. For illustration, life accomplishments pupils will larn the importance of money buy really take parting in buying things from peddling machines and shops. This can besides use to science constructs. Students can break connect with it through experiential activities ( Slavin, 2005 ) . Cats were placed in mystifier boxes ; on accident the cats learned how to get away ( Slavin, 2005 ) . After repeatedly acquiring out they learned that if they went through the mystifier boxes, they gained freedom ( Slavin, 2005 ) . B. F. Skinner Operant Conditioning Support of behavior = frequent repeat of this behaviour ( Slavin, 2009 ) Unrewarded ( punished ) behaviour = lessening in repeat of the behaviour ( Slavin, 2009 ) . How it may look in a schoolroom: pupils that are on clip to category receive category vaulting horses ; belated pupils do non. I have found that those pupils that receive the category bucks that they can pass on things like free clip, prep buyouts, and public toilet base on ballss, strive to gain more vaulting horses. Skinner boxes used to develop animate beings. The boxes consisted of a saloon that the animate beings had to press to distribute nutrient ( Slavin, 2009 ) . What are the differences between the behavioural acquisition theory and that of the societal acquisition theory? Which theory offers the best penetration into how underdeveloped kids larn? To find replies to these inquiries, the factors of behavioural larning theories must be weighed against those of societal larning theories. Behavior acquisition theories are centered on the thought that larning takes topographic point because of legion chances to see a peculiar event. This event is believed to for good alter the said behaviour. Behavioral theories fall under one of two classs: classical or answering conditioning and operant conditioning. The classical/respondent conditioning theory, as demonstrated and made celebrated by Pavlov ‘s experiment, believes the behaviours that we exhibit are one ‘s that are learned by tie ining one thing to another ( Cherry, 2005b ) . This thought of automatic conditioning was happened upon by Pavlov as he studied Canis familiaris ‘s digestion ( Cherry, 2005b ) . . Within his survey of how much a Canis familiaris salivated at the sight of assorted things, nutrient and non-food points, Pavlov and his helper noted the sum of spit that was produced ( Cherry, 2005b ) . . In making so they found that Canis familiariss automatically or reflexively responded to the point placed in forepart of them, nutrient or non-food, after being presented with them intermediately for some clip ( Cherry, 2005b ) . This response he believed was based on conditioning or automaticity, which made it strictly physiological ( Cherry, 2005b ) . . His thought of conditioning was extended to human cond itioning by James B. Watson ( Cherry, 2005b ) . . Watson and his associate Rosalie Rayner wanted to prove the theory of classical conditioning on worlds in respects to phobias, to see if they would arouse similar consequences. Watson ‘s experiment was based on a small male child name Albert ( Beck, 2001 ) . When Watson and Rayner, foremost met Albert he was non afraid of a white rat, after a short clip with them he was afraid of mice and other furred points ( Beck, 2001 ) . The experiment introduced a loud noise that startled the immature male child as he played with the rat. This sound scared the immature male child so much that he started to shout and later exhibit fright when he saw a rat or anything furred. This proved for them that Pavlov ‘s thought that an innate stimulation would do an innate response and eventually that this innate response paired with a learned stimulation would arouse a learned response, or a automatic action ( Beck, 2001 ) . They believed this made the Pavlovian theory of conditioning plausibl e and accurate for worlds every bit good. The operant conditioning theory of B.F. Skinner focuses on larning based on the behaviour and the effects of the behaviour. Skinner ‘s beliefs were greatly influenced by E. L. Thorndike ‘s thought of Law of Effect. The Law of Effect, besides a conditioning theory, was based on the premiss that if an innate stimulation ‘s response is paired with a pleasant event than the response is stronger and more likely to be repeated. Likewise if the stimulation consequence is paired with a negative event, so the event is weaker and less likely to be repeated. Skinner found this a utile tool in understanding automatic behaviours that occurred and further strengthened his thought that behaviour was strengthened by a reinforcing stimulus or weakened by a punisher ( Cherry, 2005a ) . Reinforcing stimuluss are either positive or negative. Positive reinforcing stimuluss occur after said behaviour and are positive results for the behaviour ; whereas negative reinforcing stimuluss are negative results as the consequence of a behaviour ( Cherry, 2005a ) . Whether negative or positive the behaviour will increase. Punishers whether negative or positive will diminish a behaviour ( Cherry, 2005a ) . Positive punishers employ utilizing an unfavourable event to diminish behaviour ; negative punishers happens when the event is taken off in order to weaken the behaviour that has occurred ( Cherry, 2005a ) . Social larning theories contrary to behavioural theories focuses on larning that takes topographic point due to the observation and mold of behaviours, attitudes, and emotions exhibit by others around them. Albert Bandura, considered one of the governments within this theory, believed that behavioural acquisition could non explicate all the types of acquisition ( Cherry, 2005c ) .He said, â€Å" Learning would be extremely arduous, non to advert risky, if people had to trust entirely on the effects of their ain actions to inform them what to make ( Cherry, 2005c ) . † . He farther argued that larning had to hold some societal component to it to be successful. He stated that, â€Å" Fortunately, most human behaviour is learned observationally through mold: from detecting others one forms an thought of how new behaviours are performed, and subsequently occasions this coded information serves as a usher for action ( Cherry, 2005c ) . † The ideals of Bandura and other socie tal theoreticians are broken down into three basic constructs that explain the assorted types of behaviour: experimental acquisition, patterning procedure, and intrinsic support ( Cherry, 2005c ) . Observational acquisition provinces that larning takes topographic point through observation ( Cherry, 2005c ) .The writer ‘s three-year-old nephew learns much of his idiosyncrasy and behaviours by watching his household around the house and others at church. He has learned to work on a computing machine by watching her bash her work hebdomadally, to the point of copying precisely how she holds her custodies when typing and the tapping of her fingers at her desk when she is in deep concentration. This thought of experimental acquisition is so strong harmonizing to theoreticians that it can be achieved through unrecorded observation, verbally through direction, or symbolic ( displayed through another media ) means. Intrinsic Reinforcement goes against the ideal that behaviour is reinforced by extrinsic support merely ( Cherry, 2005c ) .Social theoreticians believed that a great trade of behaviour and acquisition will be based on intrinsic factors, which give the scholar a sense of pride and achievement. Bandura believes this is one of the most of import factors that separates the societal acquisition theory from behavioural theories and makes it more of a cognitive societal attack ( Cherry, 2005c ) . The Modeling Process hinges on the individual that is making the mold of a said behaviour and the perceiver and must follow certain stairss. First, in order for a individual to larn they must pay attending to the theoretical account otherwise there will be negative branchings. Therefore the mold must be memorable and keep the attending of the perceiver. Following, the perceiver must hold the ability to retain the information that is observed. Third, one must be able to draw the information from their memory in order to pattern the accomplishment further. Last, the scholar must be motivated plenty to utilize the behaviour they saw modeled ( Cherry, 2005c ) .This measure theoretical accounts show some similarities to behavior thoeries in that the usage of reinforcing stimuluss and punishers are cruicial to actuating the scholar. For illustration, if a pupils observes another pupil having category vaulting horses for engagement they are more likely to take part every bit good ( Cherry, 2005c ) . Social theories and behavioural theories are similar yet different. Both of the theories believe that larning and behaviour are connected yet each feel otherwise about whether the acquisition that each elicit is lasting. Social theories disagree that all larning leads to a alteration in behaviour, in fact they believe that new things can be learned without organizing new behaviours ( Cherry, 2005c ) . Before During After Picture walks – Students are guided by their instructors through a digest of images that illustrate the narrative line. This allows them to link to the text as they read. Predicting Students predict what they believe will go on in the narrative and read to prove the factuality of the anticipation ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . Synthesize Students take the new information that they have learned and unite it with their anterior cognition to come up with a new thought or new believing about the topic ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . KWL charts It allows they information to be organized earlier, during, and after reading Making Inferences Students are able to utilize their anterior cognition to believe outside the box and draw decisions about the text for deeper significance ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . Making Connections Students draw upon their ain scheme to understand the text they are reading ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . Text-to-self allows the reader to link to their ain lives and experiences to pull significance Text-to-text allows the reader to name upon their cognition from other text to demo apprehension of content Text-to-world allows the reader to do a connexion with more planetary and bigger issues within the text and the existent universe Overviewing This scheme allows pupils to plane or scan the text when they are looking for specific information and are unsure if the text contains it ( Harvey, 1998 ) . Imaging Allows pupils to better understand the text or job solve by organizing a image in their heads. Students are able to understand more of the text as they go along with the support of their instructor ( Chamot A ; O’Malley, 1994 ) . Alternate stoping Students prove that they have comprehended the assorted parts of the narrative by composing an surrogate stoping which fits in with the remainder of the narrative nicely ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . Brainstorming This scheme is a relevantly merely one in that it allows pupils to compose down, name out or categorise the things that they know about a peculiar construct or thought. The procedure allows all pupils of all degrees procedure clip to develop these thoughts. Questioning Readers are able to travel through the text and interact with it more as they search for replies to their inquiries ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . Allows pupils to supervise their comprehension and concept significance ( Harvey A ; Goudvis, 2000 ) . Sum uping Learning is a complex procedure by that requires much of the scholar. All of the scholars ‘ behaviours, attitudes, cognition and gained information factor into whether true acquisition has taken topographic point. The survey of knowledge purposes to assist us understand how learning takes topographic point and the assorted procedures that we go through to accomplish it. Students may non understand the how and why of knowledge, so it is the instructor ‘s occupation to learn them schemes to do certain that they have good cognitive accomplishments or accomplishments for believing about larning. The chart above has outlined the assorted schemes that pupils can utilize before, during, and after reading to beef up comprehension, but how does this cognitive schemes in general aid pupils larn? In order for schemes to work for pupils they must be cognizant of why they need to believe about the thought that takes topographic point as they learn ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) . Simply put, it is the manner that they can take ownership of their ain acquisition and it is what makes them good and great scholars. Garner farther establishes that puting intents for acquisition, work outing jobs, self-acting, monitoring, and self-assessment of their acquisition are all ways in which pupils can demo that they have good cognitive accomplishments ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) .. The above schemes are merely some of the ways that Garner says that pupils are able to form, survey, reappraisal, pattern, and eventually master assorted accomplishments ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) . Teachers must demo them how to utilize these schemes to their advantage to larn. There are some things that pedagogues can make to assist them pupils develop these cognitive accomplishments, ther efore assisting them go independent minds and scholars. Garner believes that the first thing that they can make is to learn pupils to supervise their thought efficaciously ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) . This can be done through demoing them how to analyse the procedure of believing as they work. They teach them to inquiries themselves on ways that they can better upon their thought as they try to carry through their end or whether or non they need help to carry through these ends. Harmonizing to Garner, pupils must cognize when they are larning and when they are non larning ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. ) . Furthermore, Garner says that when they realize that they are non larning they should be able to take another cognitive scheme to assist them accomplish their end ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) . Second, Garner believes pupils need to be taught to utilize more sophisticated schemes to demo that they are believing ( as cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) . Teachers should non accept the merely reciting of the text, they should necessitate that pupil synthesise the information and are able to offer legitimate sum-ups of the stuff ( Purdue, n.d. ) . Third, instructors must learn pupils the appropriate schemes to utilize with the assorted texts and content ( Purdue, n.d. ) . This is pertinent since it sets the phase for pupil acquisition. Think of it like constructing a house, if there is no foundation the house will non stand ; with a solid foundation the house could fire done, but the base from which to get down over is still at that place. Students might necessitate to reassess the schemes that they choose, but they can get down over if they have the foundational cognition of the schemes ( Purdue, n.d. ) . Fourthly, pupils must be taught to put personal ends for their acquisition. When pupils set their ain ends they are more likely to transport through with the schemes to see the success with them. Borkowski, Carr, and Pressley say â€Å" pupils with low self-prides who attribute success and failure to something other than attempt are improbable to originate or prevail in the usage of cognitive schemes † ( cited in Purdue, n.d. , ch.7 ) . If they do so, they fall into non utilizing their metacognitive accomplishments to grok the constructs ( Purdue, n.d. ) . Last, when instructors model for pupils how to utilize cognitive schemes they are assisting them develop higher order believing accomplishments. When they are taught to prosecute in higher order thought, they are taught how to place how they learn, think about textual jobs as they learn about them, figure out how to work out them, and eventually synthesise all the information at the terminal of the text. How to cite Research on Behaviorist versus Cognitive Theories of Learning, Essay examples

Sustainable Enterprise Free-Samples for Students- Myassignment

Question: Develop a Sustainability Indicators Monitoring System for that Enterprise. Answer: Introduction Monitoring systems A good monitoring system which is well designed should clearly describe the following things: Data collection methods and how the collected data would be used Purpose of the collected data Types of data that should be collected. The data should be quantitative as well as qualitative. The frequency at which the data should be collected. A good and well-designed monitoring system makes it possible to identify interventions early enough. By so doing, it would be possible to implement the interventions as required. The ready availability of data regarding the working of a particular policy, project or program provides the necessary information required during budgeting processes (Kusek Rist, 2004). Availability of the data also facilitates allocation of scarce resources towards interventions that would be greatly beneficial. An effective monitoring system should have the following characteristics: It should have the capacity to measure and report on outputs that point towards the organisations strategic objectives. The monitoring system should provide indicators which should be used by the organisation in its operations. The provided indicators should be measurable and be within the organisation such that their output can easily be measured and verified. Availability of indicators outside the organisation commonly brings challenges. It is difficult to measure and verify results that would be obtained (DuBrin, 2008). An effective monitoring system easily identifies arising issues. In addition, it identifies the root course of problems that are to be addressed. It must be affordable for the organisation. If it is not cost effective, then it would be needless for any organisation to invest in such monitoring system since the main aim of any monitoring system is to promote performance and output of any organisation of business entity. As a result, it must, therefore, be result oriented (Ekerd , 2012). A good monitoring system must also give the room so that it can also be monitored and updated accordingly. It must continuously follow the organisations policy reform processes and provide support where necessary. By so doing, it should provide a rationale for setting future performance targets. A good monitoring system should be user-friendly. Everyone in the organisation should not have difficulty in handling the system. In addition, the system should promote easy decision making (DuBrin, 2008). It must also be capable of reporting findings to the responsible persons. The responsible authorities can then make appropriate adjustments that would result in positive change in the organisation or in the business initiative. The findings report should be positively reported and all criticisms should be constructive and motivational (Kusek Rist, 2004). Characteristics of effective indicators Indicators are things that show whether a system is working well or not. It does so by pointing out issues or conditions. In the event that there is a problem, an indicator would provide information regarding the appropriate action that should be taken. There are varying types of indicators since the systems that they monitor are also many. Despite the big number of indicators, there are some common characteristics that effective indicators must possess. They include: Relevant An effective indicator must be relevant. It must serve its purpose for measuring. Take for example a gas gauge. Gas gauge is an indicator that measures the amount of gas in the gas cylinder at all times. The owner of the gas cylinder can, therefore, tell when there is enough gas and when the gas is almost running out and should be filled. However, if the gas gauge shows the rate of use of the gas, then it will be irrelevant since it will not be serving its purpose (Afgan Morte, 2004). Understandable A good indicator should be easily understood even by non-experts. An indicator should therefore not be very complicated in its operation. Since indicators are put in place to raise alarm for action when there is a problem, everyone within the business entity should be able to read and interpret and understand a good indicator (Welfens, Perrey, Irawan, 2015). Reliable A good indicator should provide correct information that can be relied upon. Provision of correct information would make people develop trust in the indicator. An indicator would serve its purpose only if people develop a belief in the results that it would be showing (Hamin, Silka, Geigis, 2007). An indicator may not be very precise, but its margin of error should be small at all times. Accessible data A good indicator should provide information when there is still enough time for an appropriate action to be taken. An indicator that raises an alarm when there is no room for action is useless and hence serves no purpose. However, this idea of sustainability poses a great challenge during the development of sustainability indicators. The best sustainability indicators are those that provide information when all the data is exhausted. Indicators that provide information when there is still some data available cannot effectively measure sustainability (Hk, Moldan, Dahl, Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment, 2013). Many organisations and business communities, therefore, prefer traditional data sources. Many people also prefer taking traditional measures for indicators. The traditional indicators have some additional advantages. In the first case, there is ready availability of traditional data. Traditional indicators also easily define areas where problems may arise. Fina lly, a combination of traditional indicators can bring about sustainable indicators. It should, however, be noted that traditional indicators also has one major challenge. They mainly advocate for traditional solutions that may have been the causing agent of the unsustainable situation (Afgan Morte, 2004). Bank of Adelaide The bank of Adelaide is based in Australia and has branches across the country. The bank has enjoyed huge success in the past. As a result of the success that has been recorded by the bank, it has attracted very many customers. Three years ago, the bank of Adelaide had the largest customer base in the nation. However, the bank has recently plunged into a financial economic crisis. The bank is facing a lot of competition from rival banks which have embarked on aggressive marketing campaigns, aimed at winning more customers (Bell Morse, 2012). The latest financial reports of the bank of Adelaide show that the bank made huge losses during the last financial year. Despite the fact that the bank opens every day and carries out its operations, it is not fully sustainable. There is fear among people that the bank may be forced to close business in the near future. The fear has gripped the banks customers too and many of them moved to other banks. In an effort to raise money for sustaining its operations, the bank has raised interest on commercial loans. The move has since backfired on the bank as very few people have come along to take the loans. Rival banks, on the other hand, have attracted many customers since their loan rates are currently lower than those offered by the bank of Adelaide (Hk, Moldan, Dahl, 2012). In order to return to sustainable productivity, there must be indicators that would show if there is something wrong. In addition, someone should closely monitor the performance of the enterprise. The management of the enterprise firm would then make appropriate adjustments. Sustainability Dimensions The three sustainability dimensions that include social dimensions, environmental dimensions, and economic dimension all apply to the enterprise. Social dimension The bank of Adelaide provides services that improve the lives of its customers and that of the community members in general. Many people within Australia have been able to acquire development loans from the bank. The banks also offer money saving services. In addition, people also earn salaries through the banks. The bank has therefore been able to raise the living standards of very many people through the services that they offer. Apart from the over the counter services that are offered by the bank, the bank also involves itself in community initiative projects aimed at supporting less fortunate people within the community (Kusek Rist, 2004). The bank through its management has constructed residential houses to some of the community members. The bank has also occasionally distributed food, clothes, blankets and other household goods to the community members during festive seasons as a sign of thanksgiving. The bank of Adelaide has branches spread all over the country. The increase d number of branches has been promoted by the increased number of customers which has steadily grown over the past years. Despite the increased number of customers, the bank has maintained high-quality work environments in all its branches (Cavagnaro Curiel, 2012). The banks employees and customers have applauded the effort that the bank has made in ensuring that the work environments are at all-time conducive. The bank as also exercised professionalism in its attempt to persuade and win more customers. Their employees have been respectable and responsible when attending to the needs of customers. Environmental dimension There are government laws and regulations that all banks in Australia are expected to abide by. The bank of Adelaide strictly complies with the laws of the land. The bank has therefore earned a good reputation in the country of Australia as a result of its law-abiding nature. There is a law in Australia requires all business organisation to conserve the environment. The bank of Adelaide has greatly minimized chances of the negative impact that it may have on the environment during its operations. Its employees have been trained to carry out their operations in a safe and responsible manner. In addition, they have ensured that their services and products dont have adverse effects on their customers and on the environment at large (Cavagnaro Curiel, 2012). Economic dimension The aim of the business enterprise is to maximize profits. The bank of Adelaide engages in activities aimed at attracting more customers who would, in turn, enable the bank to maximise profits. The bank offers services that interest many people. In addition, the services have been offered at relatively lower prices which are affordable to most customers. In an effort to support the local communities, the banks management purchase goods that they use from the local community members. Most of the banks employees are members of the local community. The bank has employed many people from the local community so that they can earn a salary and in turn raise their standards of living and that of the community in general. The bank of Adelaide is, therefore, a major contributor to the economic development of the local areas in which the banks branches are located (Scott MIT, 2003). Specific Sustainability Area Economic sustainability Economic sustainability refers to the process in which a business entity efficiently uses assorted assets to enable it to remain profitable as time goes by. Sustainability, on the other hand, refers to survival measures that any business organisation would employ in order to be in the business for as long as possible. Every business organisation must carry out its activities with a lot of curiosity so that the activities dont render them economically unsustainable (Ekerd , 2012). The best way that organisations can be assured that they are undertaking economically sustainable activities is through the employment of indicators. Indicators monitor the way in which business operations are carried out. They are therefore able to point out if there is a problem. Responsible personnel would then respond accordingly and ensure that the problem is addressed accordingly (Bartelmus, 2012). List and Assessment of Indicators for Monitoring Indicator name Its definition Its measurement Limitations Financial reports Financial reports are documents that describe how the organisations has utilised its financial resources over a given period of time (Ekerd , 2012) Financial report measures whether an organisations resources have been used economically or not It takes a long time before financial reports are compiled. Most business organisations release their financial reports once a year. Labour productivity Labour productivity refers to the contributions that the employees of an organisation make in the overall productivity of the organisation. Labour productivity measures the performance of the employees of the business enterprise Labour productivity is not easily measurable in an enterprise with many labourers Investment share in GDP It refers to the share of contribution that an enterprise directs in the national gross domestic product (Ekerd , 2012) (Bell Morse, 2012) Economic performance The information may be misleading in cases whereby there are very many business enterprises that contribute to gross domestic product Employment-population ratio This is a comparison ratio of the number of people who are employed by an enterprise to the total Employment Some duties require more employees and therefore the ratio may provide misleading information Financial reports indicator Every business enterprise must produce a financial report after a given period of time. The main aim of the financial report is to provide an indication regarding the performance of the enterprise. Stakeholders of any business enterprise would become happy if the financial report of the enterprise shows good business performance. However, if the report shows that the operation of the enterprise is increasingly becoming economically unsustainable then an appropriate action must be taken within the shortest time possible. In such event, the management of the enterprise must move with speed and come up with measures that would ensure that the enterprise return to productively. The absence of such indicator may result in the collapse of an enterprise on the ground of economic unsustainability (Hk, Moldan, Dahl, Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment, 2013). Labour productivity A business enterprise must carry out regular assessment programs aimed at monitoring labour productivity. There may be many employees in an organisation yet their contribution towards the productivity of the organisation is very small. It is, therefore, necessary that labour productivity is carried out after some time to determine whether the employees of the organisation are productive or not. Unproductive employees are the main agents of economic unsustainability (Hk, Moldan, Dahl, 2013). Economic performance It is important for all enterprises to keep a close watch of their economic performance. An enterprise that performs poorly in the economic market should be investigated immediately. Such investigations would likely suggest what may have been the problem. All enterprises within a country contribute to the GDP of the country. If an enterprise contributes a huge share of the GDP, then the enterprise is economically sustainable. However, if an enterprise contributes a very small fraction of the countrys total GDP, then such indicator would raise an alarm. However, there are some challenges that come about with this kind of indicator. Some nations are very rich and hence it is impossible to quantify the economic performance as either good or bad (Bartelmus, 2012). Employment-population ratio Business enterprises must frequently monitor the number of employees against the total number of people residing in a given locality. High employment to population ration would mean that almost every person within the locality is employed in the enterprise. The high ratio is uneconomical to the enterprise. Most of the resources employed by the enterprise would be directed towards payment of salaries. A very low employment-population ratio, on the other hand, is an indication that an enterprise doesnt a good number of people from the local area where the enterprise is located (Bell Morse, 2012). References Afgan, N., Morte, R. D. (2004). Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 1. CRC Press. Bartelmus, P. (2012). Sustainability Economics: An Introduction. Routledge. Cavagnaro, E., Curiel, G. (2012). The Three Levels of Sustainability. Greenleaf Publishing. DuBrin, A. J. (2008). Essentials of Management. Cengage Learning. Ekerd , J. (2012). The Essentials of Economic Sustainability. Kumarian Press. Hk, T., Moldan, B., Dahl, A. L. (2012). Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. Island Press. Hamin, E. M., Silka, L., Geigis, P. (2007). Preserving and Enhancing Communities: A Guide for Citizens, Planners, and Policymakers. Univ of Massachusetts Press. Kusek, J. Z., Rist, R. C. (2004). Ten Steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System: A Handbook for Development Practitioners. World Bank Publications. Paul J.J. Welfens, Jens K. Perret, Tony Irawan, Ev. (2015). Towards Global Sustainability: Issues, New Indicators, and Economic Policy. Springer. Scott, A., MIT. (2003). Dimensions of Sustainability. Taylor Francis. Simon Bell, Stephen Morse. (2012). Sustainability Indicators: Measuring the Immeasurable? Routledge. Toms Hk, Bedrich Moldan, Arthur Lyon Dahl. (2012). Sustainability Indicators: A Scientific Assessment. Island Press.

Youth in a changing world free essay sample

As society changes, so do people. Life now moves at a rapid paste that is often set by ever-changing technology. More and more everyday youths get caught up in this fast paste world. This is not a problem we face locally, more so one that threatens us internationally. Many factors contribute to this change, such as problems and challenges, responsibilities and lifestyle and geographic location and school. The way we are raised has a lot to do with who we are. Some children are raised to be children until they are considered old enough for responsibilities by their parents, others are put in a situation where they have to fend for themselves and the rest are taught responsibility by their parents. The youth of today are media-wired and gadget driven. Responsibility is said to shape us, so are all this media and gadgets good? The responsibilities and lifestyle we have when growing up, often predicts the person we turn out to be. We will write a custom essay sample on Youth in a changing world or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So why do parents still constantly spoil their children? Another question, why do parents so easily neglect their children? One hand doesn’t clap alone, so parents along with their children are responsible for the outcome. Yes there are many uncontrollable situations that can go both ways of a child wanting better for him or herself or turning to a life of crime and violence. With both parent and child playing their correct respective role maybe the rise in youth crime and fatality would decrease. In parts of the world where technology isn’t such a wide spread, boys provide for their family and women do house work. Some cultures children even get married at young ages and take on huge responsibilities. In the modernized parts of the world that isn’t heavily influenced by cultures and religion, parents see it as a â€Å"must† to send their children to school and ensure they optimize the best education they can get. Unlike in parts of the world that is heavily ridden by religion and culture some children don’t even know what school is. This problem is mainly faced by the female sex. The story of Malala Yousafzai allowed us to enter her world and see the struggle many girls are faced with when wanting to get an education. An influential story like that makes the saying â€Å"We often don’t appreciate what we have. † seem very true, while some fight for their lives to be able to earn an education more and more every day in the ‘modernized’ world people drop out of school. Are we losing sight of what is supposed to be important? If people are fighting to be able to earn an education, why would others give theirs away so easily? As important as an education is, in some circumstances some children don’t go to school because it is seen as a threat by their parents with the rate of teen bullying and teen suicide skyrocketing, but how will one survive without an education and a job secured for the future? In today’s world we face many problems and challenges that are out of our hands. Some of them may be school, for instance with Malala Yousafzai. Although her story is part tragedy what it teaches us is that we can over come our problems weather it’s as big as her or not. With technology heavily influencing the world youths tend to get caught up, spending all their time online, texting, calling, watching videos, television and playing video games to list a few. With all of this, where is the time to do home work and studies? Death and divorce are often the main challenges we have to face, but they aren’t impossible to overcome. We all classify our problems and challenges differently. Sometimes these challenges and problems get the best of us. We don’t over come them, instead people turn to drugs and alcohol to reduce the pain. Does this really do so, or is it just a mask for the pain? The youth of today are swamped by change. Yes, change is common to all generations of youth, but this generation has endured the most rapid change ever. Is all this change a good thing? Ironically, today’s youth don’t feel the changes taking place like older adults do. Though the impact on youth is still profound, change is normal to them. On the other hand civilization is about change and the world is progressing daily so is youth in a changing world really a problem or challenge to over come. Would every previous generation have this challenge? Or has this problem now arisen?

Free Essays on Crusades

Crusading, much like Imperialism in the 20th century, was all about expansion. During the middle ages however, it was more about the expansion of religion rather then power, or at least that’s the way it was preached. Crusading by definition is; â€Å" a holy war authorized by the pope, who proclaimed it in the name of god of Christ. It was believed to be Christ’s own enterprise, legitimized by his personal mandate† (1). This essay examines the background of the crusades to offer a better understanding as to why they occurred. It also examines the effects that the crusades had on the world. It is easy to look at the crusades as a violent meaningless act, but one must understand the type of setting this movement occurred during. This was a time when if you took part in the crusades, you were seen as a warrior of god, recruited by the pope. Any man who fought in the name of god would be rewarded in heaven. Popular belief in the 10th and 11th centuries was that the more you did for god, the less accountable you were for you’re past sins. The more deeds you did, the better your credit in the ‘Treasury of God’ (2). The Treasury of God is a summarization of the good deed outweighing the bad deed principle of the time. Acts of violence in the name of god are far less common in the world today. But, as seen with September 11th, jihad or holy war is still occurring. This essay gives a basic timeline and underlying principles behind the crusading missions. Justification for these acts remains unclear and is simply opinion based. To understand the effects of crusading one must be familiar with the background in which it took place. The major conflict that initiated the crusading endeavors occurred when the Seljuk Turks aggressively took Syria and Palestine. Turkish Muslims also invaded the Byzantine Empire and subjected all classes of people to their rule, even Christians. At the same time, Popes of the 11th century were trying to exte... Free Essays on Crusades Free Essays on Crusades Crusades were Christian military expeditions organized mainly to recapture Palestine during the Middle Ages. Palestine, also called the Holy Land, was important to Christians because it was the region where Jesus Christ had lived. Palestine lay along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and Muslims had taken control of it from Christians. The crusaders, who came from Western Europe, organized eight major expeditions between A.D. 1096 and 1270. This was a period when Western Europe was expanding its economy and increasing its military forces. The Crusades were a part of a broad Christian expansion movement. Kings, nobles, and thousands of knights, peasants, and townspeople took part in the Crusades. They had two goals, to gain permanent control of the Holy Land and to protect the Byzantine Empire, a Greek Christian empire centered in southeastern Europe, from the Muslims. But many crusaders also fought to increase their power, territory, and riches. The crusaders won some battl es and established a crusader kingdom along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, but their victories had no permanent effect. However, the Crusades increased already existing contacts between the West and the East. These contacts led to additional trade and commerce. The crusaders failed to accomplish their main goals. They recaptured the Holy Land for a time but could not establish lasting control over the area. Western and Eastern Christians united to fight the Muslims. But relations between the two groups of Christians, especially as a result of the Fourth Crusade, became so bitter that they led to a heritage of hate. The Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. In addition, the pope's prestige declined because some popes used the Crusades for personal and political gain. However, the Crusades also enriched European life. For example, they further stimulated economic growth by bringing increased trade between cities that bordered the Me... Free Essays on Crusades Crusading, much like Imperialism in the 20th century, was all about expansion. During the middle ages however, it was more about the expansion of religion rather then power, or at least that’s the way it was preached. Crusading by definition is; â€Å" a holy war authorized by the pope, who proclaimed it in the name of god of Christ. It was believed to be Christ’s own enterprise, legitimized by his personal mandate† (1). This essay examines the background of the crusades to offer a better understanding as to why they occurred. It also examines the effects that the crusades had on the world. It is easy to look at the crusades as a violent meaningless act, but one must understand the type of setting this movement occurred during. This was a time when if you took part in the crusades, you were seen as a warrior of god, recruited by the pope. Any man who fought in the name of god would be rewarded in heaven. Popular belief in the 10th and 11th centuries was that the more you did for god, the less accountable you were for you’re past sins. The more deeds you did, the better your credit in the ‘Treasury of God’ (2). The Treasury of God is a summarization of the good deed outweighing the bad deed principle of the time. Acts of violence in the name of god are far less common in the world today. But, as seen with September 11th, jihad or holy war is still occurring. This essay gives a basic timeline and underlying principles behind the crusading missions. Justification for these acts remains unclear and is simply opinion based. To understand the effects of crusading one must be familiar with the background in which it took place. The major conflict that initiated the crusading endeavors occurred when the Seljuk Turks aggressively took Syria and Palestine. Turkish Muslims also invaded the Byzantine Empire and subjected all classes of people to their rule, even Christians. At the same time, Popes of the 11th century were trying to exte...

Make Mind Maps that Stick with Labels

Make Mind Maps that Stick with Labels Adhesive address or shipping labels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which makes them ideal for a variety of activities in the classroom.   One way to use labels to encourage critical thinking in the classroom is to have students use labels printed with ideas or topics from a unit of study in order to create mind-maps or diagrams that visually organize information on a topic. The mind-map is an interdisciplinary strategy where a student or group of students build(s) off a single concept or idea: a drama, an element in chemistry, a biography, a vocabulary word, a event in history, a commercial product. The concept or idea is placed in the center of a blank sheet of paper and   representations of other ideas are connected to that central concept are added, branching out in all directions on the page. Teachers can use mind-maps as a review exercise, a formative assessment, or interim assessment tool, by providing students individually or in groups with printed labels and asking students to organize the information in a way that shows relationships. Along with the topics or ideas provided on the labels, teachers can provide a few blanks and ask students to come up their own labels associated with the central idea to add to the mind map. Teachers can vary the exercise according to the the size of the paper that allow a few students (poster size) or a large group of students (wall size) to work collaboratively on the mind-map. In preparing the labels, teachers select words, phrases or symbols from a unit of study that are critical to developing student understanding.    Some interdisciplinary examples: Concepts or ideas on labels for Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet (English Language Arts): Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Paris, Nurse, Friar Lawrence, a letter, a ring, Apothecary, Rosaline, â€Å"my only love sprung from my only hate†, â€Å"Two households, both alike in dignity.†Concepts or ideas on labels for a biography on Robert E. Lee (Social Studies): Washington College, West Point Military Academy,Mary Custis, Mexican War, Confederacy, President Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Traveller, Harper’s Ferry, Appomattox, the Army of Northern Virginia, Battle of Gettysburg.Concepts or ideas on labels for labels for iron (Chemistry): metal, atomic number, Earths outer and inner core, oxidation states, transitional metal, boiling point, melting point, isotopes, chemical compound(s), industry. Labels can be created in word processing software such as Word, Pages, and Google Docs and printed on products from manufacturers such as Avery or office supply stores. There are hundreds of templates for different sized labels ranging from full sheets 8.5† X 11†, large shipping labels 4.25 x 2.75, medium size labels 2.83 x 2.2, and small address labels 1.5 x 1. For those teachers who cannot afford the labels, there are templates that allow them to create their own without adhesive by using label templates made available by World Label, Co. Another alternative is to use the table feature in a word processing program. Why use labels? Why not have the students simply copy the ideas or concepts from a list onto the blank page? In this strategy providing pre-printed labels assures that all students will have the labels as common elements on each mind-map. There is value in having students compare and contrast the completed mind maps. A gallery walk that allows students to share the final product clearly illustrates the choices each student or groups of students made in organizing their identical labels. For teachers and students alike, this label strategy in creating mind-maps  visually demonstrates the multiple different points of view and learning styles in any class.

Inhalants(toluene) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inhalants(toluene) - Research Paper Example Toluene can be difficult to identify especially without any chemical tests since it smells like most other hydrocarbons and most people might pass it for any ordinary hydrocarbon. Like other hydrocarbons, toluene is soluble in organic solvents and does not dissolve in any polar solvent such as water. Therefore, to test its presence using chromatography, t has to be dissolved in an inorganic solvent. This way, it can be able to be separated by chromatography. This allows it to be tested from other substances including blood to check if someone has inhaled it. This is a physical separation technique for separating volatile mixtures. It is practiced in areas such as pharmaceuticals, environmental conservation and cosmetics. Due to their volatility, human breath, secretions, and other body fluids can be analyzed using this technique. It can also analyze air samples for various compounds. This is one of the analytical methods that are used to test toluene. This technique came up in early 60s. Among the various forms of GC, gas-liquid chromatography is the most popular method. Combined with techniques such as mass spectrometry, it becomes invaluable to separation and identification of molecules. This technique has been applied in the separation of toluene from other compounds for a very long time. Various kinds of detectors can be used to separate toluene and the other components in the substance. They include flame ionization detector, thermal conductivity detector and electron capture detector. Factors influencing the separation process include the stationary phase’s polarity. The polar compounds have strong interactions during this phase. This causes polar compounds to have a longer retention times than their non-polar counterparts. The temperature also affects the process by reducing the retention time. Chromatographic detectors react differently to each compound. To

Translating Strategic plans into Operational Plans Essay

Translating Strategic plans into Operational Plans - Essay Example The picture is broken into many parts and all the micro-detailing are carried out to get the picture, the essence of translating long term objective into operational plan. The journey of achievement of long term objective is achieved through milestones, annual operation plan and medium term business plans. Business plans falls somewhere between long term objective and operational plan so it has a mix of the elements from both these types of planning approaches. The annual operational plan is a all about how to achieve the annual milestone. It breaks the planning into distinctly different areas / aspects. These include the daily / weekly /monthly output targets, resource deployment, financial plans-both the expenditure and income side, marketing plan, human resource plan and all other associated activities like statutory, safety, investment etc. It has been recommended that the plans should be simple and easy to understand as it is essentially a communication to work force about the goals or results which the firm wants to achieve daily, weekly, monthly or on an annual basis. The quality of planning goes a long way in making the plan successful. It will be more beneficial to involve a large cross section of people during the planning exercises.

Team Week Three Reflection Essay Example for Free

Team Week Three Reflection Essay This week Learning Team was tasked with understanding three objectives. Those objectives were as follows: 2.1 State the purpose of the business research. 2.1 Develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses. 2.3 Identify dependent and independent variables in business research. Our learning team discovered that business research is designed to increase your understanding a given management dilemma by looking for ways others have addressed or solved problems similar to yours. Business research can be applied in any number of ways in a business setting, such as determining what kind of business strategy your competitors are using, and finding ways that other businesses have countered that strategy in the past. Business research can also be used to determine how to market a product coming to market by creating research panels to determine how potential customers will react to the product. We also learned that unless proper research questions are developed along with a meaningful hypotheses, any research conducted will be flawed or incomplete. For instance, without asking potential customers in focus groups what they don’t like about your new product or service you may launch the new product and see dismal sales as customers reject your product because of the faults you failed to find or correct. A corresponding hypothesis will help direct the research once the correct questions are asked, as well as leading to further questions to help complete your research. Questions and hypothesis are therefor intertwined, and can be considered together when creating a research plan. Finally, we discovered that independent variables are unchangeable, such as a research population’s social status. An independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, and the manipulation causes an effect on the dependent variable. There is usually more than one independent variable, and each of them are usually â€Å"correlated† to some extent.

Study Proposal for a Social Studies and Premedical (Premed) Student Ess

Study Proposal for a Social Studies and Premedical (Premed) Student As a Social Studies and premedical student, I aspire to lead an international health and development non-governmental organization (NGO). Combining my skills as a physician and practitioner of development, I plan to enhance the health of marginalized, persecuted, and exiled populations. Through direct interaction with government bodies and humanitarian NGOs, I hope to highlight and curb the medical and psychological burdens stemming from human rights violations. Building on my skills as a humanitarian law and refugee tracing instructor, I also wish to train international and indigenous relief personnel to ensure the sanitary, nutritional, and health standards of uprooted populations. Aspiring to bring holistic leadership to the health and humanitarian sector, I must thoroughly understand and know to confront the social, political, and cultural factors linked with poor health. I therefore propose to pursue and academically focussed MPhil in Development Studies preferably from Oxford U niversity or from the Univers...

Coffee Culture Essay

Coffee has been around for a very long time. It is no coincidence that such an influential and integral drink has created a cultural realm of its own. According to â€Å"Hot and Bothered: Coffee and Caffeine Humor† by Elise Decamp with Catherine M. Tucker, coffee humor has been depicted to be one of the compliments that has culturally elevated coffee-drinking to a another human aspect – humor. Humor can be interpreted and expressed in more ways than one. There are no set rules of what constitutes humor in any society; therefore, humor comes in many shapes and sizes. So, how is increasing coffee humor relayed to â€Å"caffeine culture? † Each culture and point in time is different, but coffee has always had a strong correlation to a â€Å"caffeine culture† that stemmed from the physiological and mental attributes that coffee, or caffeine, imposes on its consumer. Because of its notorious effects coffee has on its consumers, drinking coffee has been portrayed as an energizing, riveting, and delectable image. The article also makes references to cartoons and sketches about consuming coffee in the mid-1900’s and how it depicted the consumption of coffee and its effects. This is perhaps because during that span, societies were emerging as more work-oriented lives that led to the more practical use of coffee, or caffeine. Coffee humor emerged as a way of interpreting coffee consumption and its effects by portraying the consumers as very alert, alive, and even somber. The articles also notes that research on caffeine consumption not only may make a person more energized and alert, but also relaxed and at ease. This eventually led to the relationship coffee had with its consumers by allowing avid coffee drinkers to demonstrate their affinity and devotion by either wearing it as a shirt, bumper sticker, or on a description via social media. Eventually, coffee humor has contributed to the image many coffee drinkers hold and has been an essential method of showing the world the many faces of drinking coffee. Drinking coffee, however, has not always been portrayed as a positive influence. Through coffee humor, modern preoccupations about coffee or other aspects of modern life have been revealed to be a concern for the consumption of coffee. The article explains the use of caffeine as drug, known as dopamine, which is responsible for the effects it has on its consumers. Those effects being alertness sleep depravity, high-energy, and an increase in blood pressure. Caffeine not only causes these effects to take place during its intake, but like many other drugs, it leads to withdrawals that bring forth anxiousness, depression, muscle fatigue, insomnia, and headaches. These withdrawals, however, only last a couple days, unlike stronger drugs with longer lasting withdrawals. Consequently, coffee humor has taken an interpretation of the effects of coffee consumption by portraying what would happen if someone was to go without drinking coffee and their lives would be different. What may seem like an innocent joke at first, could actually be analyzed as a portrayal of a social issue of the potential dangers and misinformed lifestyles many choose to be a part of.

Cadbury Communication Mix Essay

What is the communication mix of Cadbury? The marketing communications mix consists of five major modes of communication 1. Advertising – in the case of Cadbury, advertising is used to build a long-term image of the product – Cadbury must therefore through its media posture be the market champion and carry the brand message – Television is the advised primary medium of communication as it has mass reach, a favourable image, high prestige value and is attention getting – Cadbury also advertise through magazines, radio, promotions, online etc – Consumers might believe that a heavily advertised brand must offer good value – The ‘taste’ of Cadbury’s chocolate has long been the focus of Cadbury’s advertising. This has been supported by the slogan ‘a glass and a half of full cream milk in every 200 grams’, accompanied by a picture of milk pouring into the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate block. The image has become an integral part of the packaging design and has been featured in magazines, and on buses and trains, billboards, and of course television. 2. Sales promotions – Cadbury use sales-promotion tolls to draw a stronger and quicker buyer response – It can be used for short-run effects to dramatise product offers – The Go Another Cadbury promotion encourages customers to purchase  promotionally marked Cadbury products for a chance to win free chocolate bars. This is just one of the many Cadbury promtions. 3. Public Relations – The thought behind public relations, is that it provides advertising to a large audience as well as generates a welcoming community likeness about the company – Well-thought-out programs coordinated with the other promotion-mix elements can be extremely effective – Cadbury are committed to a strategy of â€Å"growing community value around the world† and are focussing on investments in the principal areas of education and enterprise, health and welfare and the environment. Cadbury recognise that prosperous, educated and socially inclusive communities are central to its success. Cadbury are proud of their investment in the community and the contribution made by employees around the world. Creating value in the community is part of their heritage and integral to achieving the core purpose of working together to create brands people love. – Some of the major events and projects that Cadbury support are the Students In Free Enterprise, Foodbank, Variety Club, Melbourne Cup Carnival, Royal Show, World’s Largest Annual Easter Egg Hunt and the three time AFL premiership champion Brisbane Lions Personal Selling – is the most effective tool at later stages of the buying process, particularly in building up buyer preference, conviction and action. Direct Marketing – use of mail, telephone, fax, e-mail or internet to communicate directly with or solicit response or dialogue from customers – in the case of Cadbury this deals more with customers such as supermarkets to help with the set up or organisation of promotions, displays or location Which media seem to be the most important and for which marketing purpose? CDM is undeniably the leader brand of not only the Cadbury’s basket but also the chocolate segment as a whole and is in a sense almost generic to the category in the country. CDM must therefore through its media posture be the brand champion and carry the brand message. With half the advertising spends of Cadbury’s, CDM must build on the brand equity through a premium marketing strategy that reflects in the media communication and positioning as well. This would translate to large and continuous brand presence. Television is the advised primary medium of communication as it has mass reach, a favourable image, high prestige value and is attention getting while having low cost per exposure for a high absolute spend. The media will go hand-in-hand with the advertising in reaching the expanding target audience the brand is reaching out to. Herein, the media must also supplement the youthful exuberance and rebelliousness of the advertising communication. Caution should be maintained not to dent brand equity while increasing penetration in smaller towns by using locally targeted media channels in a manner that will allow capitalisation of the ‘premiumness’ of the brand. A strategic brand n the Cadbury’s inventory, it is the only brand facing competitive ad spend from Nestle in its sub-category and so must build on its strengths and plug its weaknesses within its restrictions. The target audience is well defined and an entirely different gamut with regard to communication strategies including media vehicles. The primary target is school-going children and though mothers as buyers are enticed by the advertising message of ‘goodness of milk’ it is primarily the children who act as influencers and are to be spoken to through the advertising and consequently the media. The media again acting as a support of the advertising proposition and being a high-visibility strong presence and  recall value brand with the TG. A comparatively tight budget calls for media innovation, which may include reaching out directly to schoolchildren via direct marketing strategies to supplement other media channels. This can be kept in mind while considering the implementation of the media posture. Cadbury’s communication, like its brand personality is a reflection of the relationship it shares with its consumers. Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is the brand leader and in effect the mouthpiece of the Cadbury’s range, through which it successfully attempts to remain the almost generic leader of the category, defining its own territory and the segment it operates in. Media priority therefore is CDM, which is the brand image and should therefore be the prime-mover in retaining top of the mind recall through its advertising and media channels. Cadburys has identified these brand values and adjusts its advertising strategies to reflect these values in different markets. Its strategy can vary from increasing brand awareness, educating potential customers about a new product, increasing seasonal purchases, or as is currently the case in the ‘Choose Cadbury’ campaign to highlight the positive emotional value of the brand. After identifying brand values the marketing manager must match these to the specific market. For this reason it is important to identify possible segments that have specific needs, and to highlight appropriate brand values that will promote the brand in that market. The Cadbury product range addresses the needs of each and every consumer, from childhood to maturity, from impulse purchase to family treats. For example an analysis of the ‘gift’ sector highlights the importance of developing innovative products to address specific markets. Cadbury designs products to coincide with Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s, Mother’s and Father’s Day and other calendar landmarks. Cadbury use marketing strategies such as the ‘Choose Cadbury’ strategy to encourage a link between chocolate and these events ensuring there is a Cadbury chocolate product suitable and available for every occasion. The confectionery market is full of brands that need to fight for our attention. The role of advertising is to keep a brand in the mind of the consumer. We are constantly presented with countless brand images and messages on a daily basis. During the lifetime of a brand, companies will develop marketing strategies that communicate brand identity and core values to gain our attention. In order to keep its product competitive and contemporary, these messages need to change over time. Cadbury provides one of the most successful examples of how an advertising message can be modified from one campaign to the next to attribute new values to a brand giving consumers more reasons to buy Cadburys. Healthy brand equity or brand strength is critical in an impulse-driven, competitive market. Advertising plays a key role in maintaining this strength. Cadbury employs all types of advertising from the internet to posters, from TV, radio and cinema to print media. This same creative message is then communicated through point of sale, merchandising, package design and public relations. The ‘Choose Cadbury’ Marketing Strategy The ‘glass and a half ‘, corporate purple and flowing script has become synonymous with Cadbury: these design elements have been used to great effect in developing the connotation of goodness that this imagery suggests. In the 1980s another vital attribute – taste – was highlighted. Regardless of national preferences about how chocolate should taste (e.g. dark chocolate is traditionally more popular in Europe whereas Australians prefer creamier milk chocolate) the implication was clear – Cadbury offers taste and texture that appeals to all. In the 1990s further emphasis was placed on ‘taste’. The strapline ‘Chocolate is Cadbury’, which was built upon previous brand values and allowed Cadbury to stake its claim and taking ownership of the word ‘chocolate’ and the chocolate eating experience. Earlier this year, Cadbury introduced a new global marketing strategy called ‘Choose Cadbury’. This strategy came about as a result of extensive research into consumer behaviour and perception. It is a campaign that perfectly illustrates how a brand can evolve and how different messages can be  communicated without losing the core strength and brand values that are already established. The classic icons have played a major role in establishing the look and feel of how Cadbury’s advertisements should look through successive campaigns. These key ‘look and feel’ icons were heavily researched to ensure that the messages they impart are always relevant to the Cadbury consumer. In depth customer research is conducted to ‘test’ these messages. Research results confirmed that colour recognition of dark purple is strongly associated with Cadbury. Its logo is readily recognised and scores a ninety six per cent recognition level alongside other global brands such as Coca Cola and McDonalds. The glass and a half symbol, which plays a key role in the current ‘Choose Cadbury’ strategy, continues to communicate the quality and superior taste of Cadbury’s chocolate. The central message of the ‘Choose Cadbury’ strategy hinges on the established glass and a half symbol. Is the glass half full or half empty? Cadbury suggests that the glass is always half full appealing to our emotions. Therefore, in choosing Cadbury we are taking a decision to embrace the positive. This optimistic metaphor is, according to consumer testing in the UK and Australia, well understood amongst consumers. In this ‘Choose Cadbury’ campaign, the product ingredient of milk has been elevated from a practical, rational platform to an emotional one Cadbury can deliver on optimism, happiness and a feel-good factor. If a brand can do all this, the decision to purchase this brand over all other chocolate brands seems to be logical and inevitable. The ‘Choose Cadbury’ strapline is a call to action designed to motivate us. We are not expected to simply absorb the advertising message, we are being called upon to make a conscious purchase decision. We are reassured that the Cadbury product will remain unchanged, (Cadbury is Chocolate and it still tastes good), but we are given more reasons to remain brand loyal (Cadbury is Chocolate – feels good i.e. positive, uplifting, mood enhancing, providing enjoyment and happiness). At no stage in the evolution of the Cadbury brand has there been as much reliance on taking ownership of the emotional side of eating chocolate as there is now. Owning the emotional territory for chocolate helps Cadbury to  elevate its product in the mind of the consumer. With the ‘Choose Cadbury’ campaign consumers are being offered both logical and emotional reasons to buy a Cadbury product as a first option on every occasion.

Cultural Conceptualizations of Emotions Essays

Cultural Conceptualizations of Emotions Essays Cultural Conceptualizations of Emotions Essay Cultural Conceptualizations of Emotions Essay Cultural Conceptualizations of Emotions Introduction The interaction between culture and language has attained theoretical advancements that have proven to be paramount (Sharifian, 2015). Cultural conceptualizations and language bring a broader frame that clearly defines the existing relationship between culture, language and conceptualization through improving the notion of cultural cognition. Collective cognition brings the interaction between members of a speech of a given community over a period of space and time. This model is explained through using different disciplines such as science, cognitive anthropology, and cognitive linguistics. Cultural Linguistics Cultural Linguistics is the leading research that focuses on the study of language and its relation to a culture that dates back to the seventeenth century in addition to the scholarly works of Wilhelm Von (1767-1835), Franz Boas (1858-1942), and Edward Sapir (1884-1939). Cultural Linguistics emphases on the role of culture to conceptualize different human experiences and its relationship to culture, language, and conceptualization. According to various studies of cultural linguistics, the language of a given group of people contributes a lot to their emotional experiences since language is one of the ways in which people express their innermost feelings everywhere in the world. Cognitive linguistic on the one hand is associated with linguistic anthropology and the study of language and culture. Language thus plays a significant role when it comes to defining the different views of separate communities on the concept of emotions and its relationship to culture (Sharifian, 2015). There are those that see language as a cultural activity while on the same note, there are those view language as an element that shapes the thought of a group of people in the society. The concept of language and culture conceptualized in a way that it brings out a precise definition of conceptualization and its relationship to language and culture. The conceptualization of language and culture clearly defines the emotional experiences of different groups of people in the society. Language also assists in determining the form of imagery constructed by a cultural belief and this means that cultural imagery governs figurative language, grammar, narrative, semantics, discourse, and phonology. Imagery brings out the picture of what one wants to see in their mind before bringing it out through verbal images arranged in complex categories. Cultural Conceptualization and Concept of Culture Many metaphors explicate the concept of emotions as a universal phenomenon influenced by an individuals culture. In most cases, emotions are observable through the behaviors and expressions of individuals. Even though emotions are a universal phenomenon, sometimes it depends on the experiences of the individual that depicts these emotions and their cultural backgrounds and specific events and the perception of the society surrounding them. Metaphors of social constructionists believe that emotions are often aligned with cultural influence even though its components are universal. The most common types of emotions that are universally recognized are such as; sadness, surprise, happiness, anger, disgust and fear and these six emotions have ignited different arguments and discussions amongst sociologists, psychologists and anthropologists globally. It is not easy to comprehend the concept of emotions unless one fully understands how culture affects the behaviors and expressions of individuals in the society. Different cultures vary when it comes to cultural background and experiences, and this means that they are derived from diverse experiences. When an individual is annoyed, it is evident to see it in their facial expression and the same thing when they are happy, and this remains to be the most prominent and universal manifestation of emotions in the modern world. Other studies agree with the arguments since these forms of emotional expressions observable on different continents around the globe even though sometimes some forms of emotions are not always easy to read through an individuals facial expression. One of the ways of giving this argument a ground was through taking pictures with faces that depict facial expressions of sadness, happiness among other forms of facial expressions and these photographs were taken to different continents for people to match the looks and what emotions they display and the result was similar in all the continents. In other arguments by other theorists, emotions are viewed as a faces neuromuscular activity, and this means that the concept of emotions is much deeper than what was initially thought to be. Some communities have diverse ways of displaying their emotions, and this is observable when one looks at how a woman and her children communicate either when they are alone or with other people. The reactions of women and children of Western culture and those of African origin do not depict similar climax of emotions during emotional responses. There are those children who respond quicker to emotional caress while others do not even show any form of interest in sensitive touch. Most African women from rural villages do not depict similar responses to those from the town in similar events, and this is the same case among Westernized communities from the city and those from the villages. It only means that the argument can take a different angle of discussion to reflect the ideology and concept and its relation to culture. In some communities, its hard to note expressions of sadness because their culture teaches them that anger is associated with evil thus as a way of disassociation to evil and anything that relates to it, everyone shuns from expressions of anger. The argument on cultural conceptualization and its relation to a cultural background is quite debatable because not everyone within the same community can depict different reactions during an event. ;;;;;;;;;;;It is evident that even in a family everyone does not have similar reactions during an event since there are those that are much happier than others and others are more reserved when it comes to different incidents. One can argue that emotions do not have to be associated with culture to give its meaning since one can have unique emotional responses that do not necessarily represent their culture.;

Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston English Literature Essay All through literature and stories, words and characters will always represent different meanings and symbols. Readers will continue to venture deeper and deeper into the meanings of the words a writer puts on paper. The writer of the story may not even have a deeper meaning to the writing but we as humans have a need to explore. The short story known as â€Å"Sweat† by Zora Neale Hurston may also be one of those types of stories. The short English literature story â€Å"Sweat,† written by Zora Neale Hurston, shows Sykes as the husband of the leading character Delia in the story. During the story it seems as though Sykes gets easily upset and angered at his wife Delia.  Ã‚  Sykes takes his frustration out on Delia all throughout the story by hurting her physically, cheating with another woman, and teasing her with one of her biggest frights, which are snakes.  Ã‚  Even though Sykes’ behavior should not be accepted or followed, he possibly could show signs of a mental problem that is not fully addressed or dug into during the story. Sykes may also feel threatened because Delia is the sole provider of the house. He wants to feel as if he still has the â€Å"man† power and control over the marriage. More often than once he tries to take Delia and make her feel lesser to him as he feels it should be.    During this time many women may have backed down after being yelled at or threatened by their husbands but Delia did not back down however. She took a stand against Sykes by saying to him,†Mah tub of suds is filled yo’ belly with vittles more than yo’ hands is filled it.  Ã‚  Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it† (Hurston 408). In the story the reader can almost tell and feel that Sykes also does not want to be reminded that he was unsuccessful in making a complete family or the fact that he has failed to take care and provide for his family. Betty Nosa m writes in the book, â€Å"Sweat, Looking for a Man`s place†, â€Å"In Sweat, the husband named Sykes is frequently exposed to his let down and failures to provide for his family, his wife by her recurring talks of ‘her’ carriage, pony, other physical items† (Nosam 66).   Hollering, screaming and yelling all seem to fail, which will make Sykes feel the need to resort to other means of making Delia listen, violence.  Ã‚  All Through the story Sykes will be threatening Delia and informing her that he will hit her physically in one way or another. Author of the book,  forming a Straight punch with a curved fist, Loren Bruckheimer, will explain how, â€Å"Zora Neale Hurston uses descriptions of the whip to propose a people of manliness expressed in an over powering nature and deeply seeded in ethnic tyranny† (Bruckheimer 44).  Ã‚  This would imply that Sykes hits Delia only because the only way of manliness that he has known is the kind that th e white townsmen seem to portray.

The Use of Psychotropic Medication in Hospital Settings Research Paper

The Use of Psychotropic Medication in Hospital Settings - Research Paper Example From the study it was evident that the factor which was strongly associated with fall was medication. Other risk factors determined by the study were level of activity, age of the patient,confusion, depression, history of fall in the past. staff vigilance and number of inpatients in the ward. According to Blair and Gruman (p. 353), it is very important for the staff of the hospital to know that risk assessment for falls in elderly patients must be continuous because the status of risk can change quickly, especially if the patient is on some psychotropic medication. They opined that a fall prevention program must be present in all hospitals admitting elderly patients and nurses and other staff must be educated about strategies to prevent falls in that population. Another important aspect of medication is the inappropriate dosing of psychotropic medication which can increase the risk of falls. This aspect was studied by Peterson et al (p.802). The researchers studied the association be tween appropriateness of psychotropic medication and in-hospital fall rate. From the study, it was evident that inappropriate dosing of psychotropic medication is strongly associated with falls. As such, psychotropic medications are associated with several side effects including falls leading to hip fractures, over sedation and delirium. Geriatric patients who are vulnerable may suffer from various injuries disproportionate to the fall when on psychotropic agents because; these medications are used frequently, slow the rate of metabolism and decrease physiologic reserve (Peterson, p.803). According to a meta-analysis by Leipzig et al (cited in Riefkohl, p.726), psychotropic drugs are strongly associated with falls. The data for... From this paper it is clear that several medicines have been attributed to cause falls in the elderly population. In this regard, psychotropic medicines which are frequently administered for older people for various psychiatic and cognitive problems are studied widely and are known to increase the risk of falls. Medicines, especially psychotropic ones, cause orthostatic hypotension, confusion, oversedation, delirium, dizziness, cognitive changes and psychomotor impairment and thus contribute to falls. Other medications which can increase the risk of falls are diuretics, antihypertensives and cardiovascular medicines. In this research article, the association between use of psychotropic medications and falls in elderly people admitted to hospital settings will be studied through review of suitable literature.As the discussion highlights  inappropriate dosing of psychotropic medication is strongly associated with falls. As such, psychotropic medications are associated with several si de effects including falls leading to hip fractures, over sedation and delirium. Geriatric patients who are vulnerable may suffer from various injuries disproportionate to the fall when on psychotropic agents because; these medications are used frequently, slow the rate of metabolism and decrease physiologic reserve.  Falls are a major source of concern among elderly patients admitted to hospital. Several risk factors are present which can be assessed using risk assessment scales.

Prejudice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prejudice - Assignment Example of political prejudice was against the election of a particular political candidate in the Senate because he believed that that candidate was not suitable for office. He utilized any opportunity he got to campaign against a candidate. Those who listened to his stereotypical arguments against him would discriminate and support his opponent after being convinced of that particular candidates inability to lead. During that particular election, the candidates opponent made it into the senate. It was so relieving for the instigator. The candidate whom he had so much supported for office got into office and the developments of the area he represented in the senate stagnated. It was so disappointing for the people who elected him into office. Before even his term could end, people were already tired of his leadership and they tried to oust him from office but it was not possible. During the following election, the senator was unable to win even in the primary elections. The candidate who had lost in the past elections won in both the primaries and also in the general elections. When he took office as the senator of the area, he was able to change and improve the area to a noticeable point. The instigator was so ashamed of his attitude towards such a great leader and took more interest in his leadership. If only the instigator had not built the belief towards the good senator, probably, was elected into office in the previous term, then, the area would not have suffered bad

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example Wordsworth attempts to prevent the poetic figure from losing its natural passion, from repeating itself as an empty, mechanical device of style... Poe writes a poem packed with cliches in order to show that those cliches cannot succeed in remaining empty, that there is also a natural passion involved in repetition, that the mechanical is of a piece with the profoundest pain. (Bloom, 24) Poe was born on the 19th of January 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, to David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe- both established actors. He had an older brother named William Henry Leonard Poe and a younger sister, Rosalie Poe. In 1810, Poe’s father abandoned them, and within a year, their mother died of consumption also known as tuberculosis, a highly contagious bacterial infection. Poe was too young to be influenced by the death of his mother at the time it occurred, but later reflections in adulthood led him to grieve for how much better his home life would have been, if he never had t o live with a foster family. His mother’s death by the dreaded disease of the time, tuberculosis, would be a common source of death in others who would matter much later in his life. Edgar and his brother and sister were split up and sent to live with different families; Edgar went to live with a man by the name of John Allan who was a Scottish tobacco merchant living in Richmond, Virginia; who was always abusive toward him. . â€Å"Although Poe seemed happy, deep inside he was confused. Because he was never formally adopted, he felt uncertain about his position in the Allan family and his doubt often made him cross and dejected.† (Poe & Bagert, 5)They fought constantly, and Edgar finally enlisted in the Army just to get away from him. John Allan was often under the influence of alcohol during the fights but out of respect for the Allan Family, Edgar took the middle name of Allan. Edgar began to write poetry regularly when he was in his early teens. He fell in love wit h a girl named Elmira, and they eventually pledged themselves to each other. In 1826, he was sent to the University of Virginia to study law. His rich foster Father John Allan with whom Edgar always had a chaotic relationship gave him a mere $100 to cover his yearly expenses that totaled to an estimated $450. Under such circumstances, the young man got highly indebted and began gambling in an attempt to make up for his losses. On top of this, Elmira’s letters to him had been intercepted by their parents and having received no encouraging replies from Edgar; she was persuaded to get engaged to another man. After this tragic event, Edgar began drinking seriously. He had little resistance to alcohol and easily became violent and irrational whenever he drank too much. By the end of the year, Mr. Allan pulled Edgar from the University and after loud and spiteful fights with his foster father; Edgar left home and made his way to Boston. In 1827, he published his first pamphlet of T amerlane and Other Poems, which is so rare nowadays that a single copy was sold in 2009 for $660,000. â€Å"This is known as the Black tulip of U.S. Literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wahlgren). However, at that time Poe enlisted in the army as Edgar A. Perry at the age of eighteen, stating on the application that he was twenty-two in order to earn a living. In 1829, after his beloved foster mother died, he applied to West Point military academy with the support of his commanding officer and foster father. By 1832, Edgar began to write fiction with the idea of entering story contests. He

The Road To Cashless Economy Using Technology Finance Essay

The Road To Cashless Economy Using Technology Finance Essay Technology advances almost everyday and affects almost every part of our lives and in every industry. The latest advancement, or idea, is a cashless economy. This would eliminate the need for cash in our economic system. Are Americans ready for this? Can this really work? Americans will definitely need a lot of information before adjusting to this change. The younger generation seems all for it, and is already mostly using debit and credit cards. With so much fraud and counterfeit, could checks and cash soon be a thing of the past? What is a Cashless Economy? A cashless economy is a system where payments are made by electronic means rather then using cash or check to pay for goods or services. In an economy that is cashless, a person would pay with plastic methods like credit cards, debit cards or smart cards. This type of transaction electronically moves money from one account to another rather then using the traditional forms of exchanging printed currency or checks. In the time period of 1999 to 2005, the amount of card-swiping terminals tripled to the number of 6.9 million. (Samuelson, June 2007) This figure compares to the fact that 9.1 billion bills are printed each year in the United States, but 95% of that is to replace old and worn out bills and not to expand the supply of paper currency in circulation. In 1996, checks and cash were the payment method for 80% of transactions in the United States and that figure is now reduced to half. (Samuelson, June 2007). It is predicted that in 2010, cashless options will be used for 70% of transactions. For some situations, cash is no longer an option. American Airlines will no longer take cash for payment in flight for drinks and snacks offered. (Associated, May 2009) Other businesses will not accept checks as a form of payment and will only accept cash or electronic options. These facilities include major chains like Subway, McDonalds and Burger King. The largest retailers, Target and Wal-mart, will accept a check, but it is processed electronically rather then the paper deposits and paper trails of yesterday. Woodfords Model of Cashless Economy There has been much debate over Woodfords model of a cashless economy by many experts in the field of economics. Most experts believe that although some of the ideas brought forth make sense, the model is still incomplete because in real world economics, central banks can affect nominal interest rates. In Woodfords model, he assumes that this does not relate to the real world economy. Woodfords argument is that banks have committed themselves to straightforward objectives to control inflation but price stability creates a basis for economic performance. The basic questions brought about by Woodfords theory are: Should central banks control interest rates? As of now, banks follow a rules-based approach through interest rate targeting which is the preferred policy option. The most relative concepts of Woodfords model are: a pure credit economy, natural rate of interest, cumulative process and rules for monetary policy. In Woodfords model, markets are perfectly competitive, prices adjust continuously to clear markets, and there exist markets in which state-contingent securities of any kind may be traded. In this case, no one would have to hold money and all payments could be handled by transfers or other assets. Basically, all base money would be held in and transferred between bank accounts. In Woodfords cashless economy, he analyzes the need for money to hold according to household demands by holding stocks of assets by which the bank can still profit by generating flows of credit. In this setting, there would need to be perfect competition and complete financial markets making nominal assets that substitute for money. According to the rules of this system, the bank would become the price-taker, not the price-maker. Unfortunately, there is no such th ing as a perfect or complete market, so Woodford allows for central banks the power to vary their price, however, in this scenario it takes away from the purpose of the model in that it is no longer free of monetary friction. Woodfords model of a cashless economy is a concept that may not have an opportunity to be implemented by the central bank system because shortcomings may halt the process of converting to a pure credit economy. Woodford will admit that his model does have its own set of problems. The only way his price setting theory could work is if the environment is in low inflation; it is impossible for the system to work if inflation is accelerating. Experts seem to differ in opinion about a conversion like Woodfords and are not sure if the issues associated are more semantics but the general consensus is that while the model is a step towards a cashless economy; there are many wholes in the system as well. Pros and Cons of a Cashless Economy It almost seemed impossible 20 years ago that the currency that we use for our everyday activities and purchases would be replaced by electronic funds creating a cashless economy. Credit cards use to be the new thing on the market in the 80s but as times have advanced and Americans have embraced the idea, its a thing of the past and part of our economic growth system. The big idea behind the credit cards and direct deposit was to keep money out of the peoples hand and into the banks. Even though cash transitions are not in decline, cashless purchases are steadily increasing and surpassing cash purchases made. It seems to have accomplished its goal because at least one American or household has at least one credit card, if not more. Furthermore, smart cards are squeezing their way into the economy as well. But, with any shift of change especially affecting the economy, there is always a negative and positive side to things. There are many positive ideas about moving toward a cashless economy. The first idea is that in a world without cash, payment is made by using electronic means merely to change the numbers on peoples bank statements. Banks prefer this because its a less expensive way to shift value between people. In many circumstances, handling cash can be troublesome, risky and inconvenient. Surprisingly, we have no figures for the number and value of cash transactions, though we have excellent data for non-cash transactions. (Sydney, 2004) Another positive aspect is that when we talk about employers being paid, electronic funds always seem to be the better way and fastest to get paid. Employees are opting to get there paycheck direct deposited in their bank account rather than receiving the traditional paper check which is almost extinct. According to a survey conducted by the Australian Retailers Association in 2001, cash accounts for only about 40% of the value of all payments received by the su rveyed retailers. (Sydney, 2004) Smart cards on the other hand, are convenient for consumers. Checks are still the most popular way people pay their bills but now there are faster and more convenient ways to do it with the internet, smart cards and over the phone. They would eventually replace all other existing cards such as: credit cards, ATM cards, debit cards etc. Another benefit would be the fact that smart cards remember every transition that was made eliminating the need to save receipts for proof of payment. Third, smart cards would mean less cash handling for merchants. Currently it costs businesses and banks about $60 billion each year to handle cash and coin. Consider that cash gets counted at least five times between you, the merchant, and the bank. (Manchester, 1997) Fourth, it would mean less fraud for banks. Smart cards would virtually eliminate the need for banks to set aside money to cover fraud loss. Fifth, it eases the burden of the government. Collecting taxes fr om citizens could become much easier if taxes were collected from the cards. Even though smart cards seem to be the best thing that will hit the economic market, it has disadvantages to the consumer, and merchant. To begin with being that everything will be transferred to the card there is a need to know what is going on behind the scenes. In other words, when we handle cash or pay for purchases with cash we know exactly how much we paid and how much we have left. But, with the smart card, a transaction is non personal and with that comes usage fees. Another area of concern is the idea of consumer privacy. What information is actually kept private and the information that is being stored, what is it being used for? If your smart card is not properly programmed and secured, a merchant could access your health records, driving record or any other information on the card. (Manchester, 1997) Furthermore, will consumers accept the new card or reject them? Will the smart card require an upfront fee to purchase and fees thereafter? Plus, will the card be accepted an ywhere? Just like credit cards and ATMs there will always be malfunction problems and transaction problems that will need to be addressed. And when we talk about purchases and buying things online from merchants, we have to keep in mind that the merchants will have to update their machines to accept the cards and may have to pay a fee for the convenience of using them as well. So while we count up the advantages and disadvantages of the card the consumer, merchants, banks and government need to consider all of the components the smart card has to offer. America seems to be shifting into a microwave market meaning that they want it right now and dont want to wait. Even the childhood game, Monopoly has gone cashless. Sometimes cashless isnt the best thing, following the old sayings that if its not broken dont fix it. Will the smart card be the ultimate downfall or turning point of the economy? The years to come will only tell, but cash is still here to stay for a while. Electronic Methods of Payment One method of electronic payments is the debit card. A debit card is a bank issued plastic card that is directly linked to a bank account. When you use a debit card, money is deducted from your bank account right away. (Ellis, 2009) This card is beneficial because it allows the user to pay immediately and not pay any interest amount on the purchase because they are using money that is available immediately. Benefits of a debit card include the fact the user pays no interest and its convenience. Negative things about a debit card could be the high bank fees at some institutions and the possible increase of being vulnerable to identity theft of a card linked directly to a bank account. Another method of electronic payment is the credit card. Credit cards can be issued by banks, other financial institutions, retailers and oil companies. There are two different kinds of credit cards and those are credit cards and charge cards. Credit cards allow a line of credit and the user to pay a minimum amount each month and charge cards require the user to pay the full amount charged each month. (Columbia, 2006) Benefits of a credit card include the ability to pay immediately and the convenience. The negative effects would be the often times high interest charged for using the credit card. A third method of electronic payment is the smart card. A smart card is a plastic card the size of a credit card that has a microchip loaded with data. (Security, 2009) A smart card can be loaded for many different applications including dialing a connection to a mobile phone, establishing identity, using at parking meters, giving data at hospitals to avoid filling out forms, or purchase online at electronic stores. Smart cards are currently being used primarily in Europe but are expected to become a larger use of electronic payment as technology continues to advance. Summary A cashless economy seems to have many advantages and disadvantages. It creates less risk for the financial institutions, as well as saving them money. The smartcards save time for the consumer and the financials. The debit and credit cards offer many advantages for financial institutions and consumers as well. As research continues and different methods are explored, time will tell if cashless is the best way to go.