Thursday, October 31, 2019
McDonalds of Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
McDonalds of Leadership and Management - Essay Example The competitive environment is studies through the use of Porter’s Five Forces. The combined analysis brings forth the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company which forms grounds on which suitable management and leadership strategies are built. Brief outline of company McDonalds is regarded as the largest chain of fast food restaurants in the world which serves as many as 68 million customers across 119 numbers of countries across the world each day. Based and headquartered in the US, the company had begun operations as a barbeque restaurant in 1940 and ran their business as a hamburger stand with the use of product line principles. The famous businessman Ray Kroc who had joined the organization as a franchisee agent subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers. Thereafter the company has seen widespread and rapid growth which eventually turned into immense success and victory. Some of the products which account for the USP of the company are hamburgers, chicken, cheeseburgers, breakfast items, French fries, shakes, soft drinks and desserts. Along with changes in consumer tastes and preferences, the company also has accordingly expanded its menu and included items such as wraps, salads, fruits and smoothies. Operated through both franchisees and affiliates the company earns its revenues through the fees, royalties and rent paid by franchisees and sales revenues through the company oriented restaurants. Almost 59% of the company’s restaurants are franchised; 21% of them are licensed to developmental licensees and foreign affiliates; and the remaining 20% are company operated (McDonalds, 2012). The company’s demonstrated huge growth between the years 2004 and 2007 which reflected through enhanced revenue of $22.8 billion and 9% increase in its operating income (MC Spotlight, 2012). McDonald’s success can be considerably attributed to its strength of alignment between suppliers and franchisees coup led with its business model which has enabled it to deliver consistent experience of a local restaurant to its customers and become an integral part of the communities which they serve. A customer focussed plan forms part of its global business strategy which is aimed to meet the changing tastes and preferences of customers and maintain sustainability in the market. The company’s business managed by numerous and a distinct geographic segment which includes countries in USA, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and also nations like Canada and Latin America (McDonalds, 2012). How the organization monitors its environment The company makes a thorough analysis of its social and environmental; environment and integrates them into the four business aspects which forms the key to its success and profitability. The company’s programs, policies and progress are appreciated by its investor community since the company is a member of Dow Jones Sustainability Index from th e year 2004 and is also named to many of the other socially
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
APPENDIX F Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
APPENDIX F - Assignment Example Write an equation that illustrates this situation. Use the same variables you used in part a. c) Use the equations from part a and b of this exercise as a system of equations. Use substitution to determine how many of each type of floor plan is available. Describe the steps you used to solve the problem. For part B: The x-axis intercept will be when y=0 or when x= 0 and for y-axis intercept will be when x= 0 , it will be at y = 0 This implies the straight line will be passing through point (0,0) mathematically called the origin. a) The sales representative here tells you they also have two floor plans available, but they only have 38 homes available. Write an equation that illustrates the situation. Use x and y to denote floor plan #1 and floor plan #2 respectively. b) The representative tells you that floor plan #1 sells for $175,000 and floor plan #2 sells for $200,000. She also mentions that all the available houses combined are worth $7,200,000. Write an equation that illustrates this situation. Use the same variables you used in part a. 3. You recently started the paperwork to purchase your new home, and you were just notified that you can move into the house in 2 weeks. You decide to hire a moving company, but are unsure which company to choose. You search online and are interested in contacting two companies, Heavy Lifters and Quick Move, to discuss their rates. Heavy Lifting charges an $80 fee plus $35 per hour. Quick Move charges $55 per hour with no additional fees. Answer: Let us tabulate the calculated cost of hiring against the required hours: Then graph for the range is drawn using MS Excel. The graph shows that after we cross the threshold of four hours and go above it in requirement, then the heavy Lifters offer a better
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Motivations for Reading Online Blogs
Motivations for Reading Online Blogs 1. Introduction Computer mediated communication (CMC) has brought about a great shift in the way we interact and look for information (Papacharissi and Rubin, 2000). Using the internet, today, users have access to thousands of sources, get information that is presented in a wide range of formats, and can also interact with people anywhere in the world. With the turn of the new millennium there has been a fundamental shift in the way people all over the world communicate even using the internet. This phenomenal change has occurred with the arrival of the Web 2.0 technology which has enabled increased amount of interaction and community formation. Of all the Web 2.0 applications, one of the most interesting and rising Web 2.0 innovations is weblogs, popularly referred to as blogs. Blogs are frequently-updated websites by the owner of the site, where multimedia content can be posted. Blogs form a new genre of computer-mediated communication (Blood, 2002). Blog posts are generally in the reverse chronological order and the older posts can be archived. Readers of blogs can comment, rate, bookmark or link to the blog. Such linking forms an entire network of highly connected people (Wilde, 2007). This clustered network of interconnected texts form what is called the â‚ ¬Ã…“blogosphereâ‚ ¬?. Simply put, the blogosphere comprises of groups of authors of content and their readers/ users. Blogs are rising in popularity. The total number of blogs in Technorati, a popular blog indexing site had reached a 133 million mark by 2008, with 900,000 blog posts in 24 hours (Sifry, 2008). With such exponential growth, in recent times the academia and industry has taken good notice of the medium. Research has been conducted on blog writer and reader motivations and final behaviour (Huang, Chou Lin, 2008). Studies say that motivation is a function of intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Guay, Vallerand Blanchard, 2000). Hence one can infer that motivation to use a blog will change with the type of blog. However, studies have not considered blog user motivations in the context of the blog types. Not much academic research has been done in studying blog readers (Huang, Chou Lin, 2008). This research is an attempt at developing an understanding of the motivations behind reading of blogs, in relation to different types of blogs. The present study aims at understanding the key drivers that motivate blog reading among Indians and hence develop a model which clearly brings out the association of these motivating factors with various types of blogs. The classification of blogs will be on the basis of reader perception. Hence, it is expected that the study will help developing a consumer-centric classification schema for blogs. Existing literature in the area of blogs indicates that little research has happened in this field. However, of whatever work has been done, most of the research focuses on the blog itself or on the blogger, and very rarely on the blog reader (Huang et al., 2008). This section talks about the existing body of knowledge on blogs. Huang et al., (2008), have suggested a good way of classifying the existing academic research on blogs. They say that â‚ ¬Ã…“previous research of blogs has investigated blog categories, motives for use, or motives for writing. Scholars also consider readers responses after reading blogs, such as trust and interactionâ‚ ¬? (p. 351). There are even studies done on the structural and systems aspects of blogs (Wilde, 2008; Herring, Scheidt, Wright Bonus, 2005; Schmidt, 2007) and blogging benefits (Baker and Moore, 2008). Looking at studies that have gone into the details of blog categories, a lot of work has been done by blog authors themselves (Herring, Scheidt, Wright Bonus, 2005). Some of the most important ones which are oft-quoted in literature are those of Blood (2002), Krishnamurthy (2002) and Herring et al. (2005), who have all significantly contributed to the field of classification of blogs. Blood (2002) classified blogs into three types on the basis of their functions as filters, personal journals and notebooks. Krishnamurthy (2002) went on to classify blogs into four types using two dimensions of a blogs orientation: personal versus topical and community versus individual. Herring, Scheidt, Wright, and Bonus (2005) used Krishnamurthys categorization and further developed a five-category scheme for classification of blogs on the basis of frequency of updating. Dearstyne (2005) suggests five types of blogs based on their uses. Corry and Mundell (2006) have arrived at a certain blog classification scheme on the basis of the purpose of existence of the blogs. However, all these classifications have either come from content analysis of blogs and do not take the readers view into consideration for classifying. There has been a lot of research done on specific genres of blogs. Apart from analyses of personal blogs, extensive research has been done on journalist blogs (Haas, 2005; Lasica, 2002; Matheson, 2004; Tremayne, 2006). Political blogs form another interesting topic of reserahc (Bahnisch, 2006; Bruns, 2007; Singer, 2005). A growing area of research is the role of blogs as organizational communication vehicle through corporate blogs (Charman, 2006; Efimova Grudin, 2007; Kaiser, MÃÆ' ¼ller-Seitz, Pereira, Pina, 2007; Kelleher Miller, 2006). Yet another practical use of blogs that is being studied is its use for expert communication and personal knowledge management (Ewins, 2005; Halavais, 2006; Walker, 2006) or professionals from other disciplines (Bar-Ilan, 2005). A second set of research work has been done on the blog users in general and their behavioural patterns. Numerous researchers have tried to look into what are the various factors that go into what users of blog do. Bloggers use blogs for several reasons including using it as a personal journal, as a discussion space, as a collection of links, as an opinion center among many others (Figueredo, 2005). It may be inferred that, due to its multifarious uses, there may be numerous motivations, both intrinsic and extrinsic, that lead to blog usage (Huang, Shen, Lin Chang, 2007). Baker and Moore (2008) have studied the perception of social well-being, social support and social satisfaction of bloggers as against those of non-bloggers. They found that bloggers social integration, reliable alliance and friendship satisfaction increased significantly compared to non-bloggers, suggesting that blogging has beneficial effects on social well-being, especially with respect to perceived social support. Trevino (2005) has tried to study the reasons why people are in the blogosphere concluded that the most important factor motivating peoples presence in the blogosphere is that self-expression. Shen and Chiou (2009) study the aspects that go into blog community formation and the factors which cause an individual to be a part of the blog community. They say that community identification increases willingness to be a part of the community thereby positively influencing an individuals attitude towards the community to remain a member of the community. There is another body of knowledge which discusses the issue of trust and self-disclosure on blogs (e.g., Qian and Scott, 2007; Ko and Kuo, 2009). Qian and Scott (2007) explore the issues of anonymity and self-disclosure on blogs. This study concludes that bloggers whose target audience does not include people they know offline report a higher degree of anonymity than those whose audience does. Ko and Kuo (2009) reveal that â‚ ¬Ã…“self-disclosure of bloggers significantly and directly affects a bloggers perception of social integration, bonding social capital, and bridge social capital, which in turn promote bloggers subjective well-being.â‚ ¬? A subset of research on blog users is those on blog writers or bloggers. Some researchers have tried to understand bloggers motivations in great depth (e.g.. Blood, 2002; Blumenthal, 2005; Herring, Scheidt, Wright Bonus, 2005; Lenhart and Fox, 2006; Huang, Shen, Lin Chang, 2007). However, Nardi, Schiano, Gumbrecht and Swartz (2004) analysed this issue in detail. They conducted ethnographic interviews and concluded that bloggers have five fundamental motivations that drive them to blog: â‚ ¬Ã…“to document their life experiences, to provide commentary and opinions, to express deeply felt emotions, to articulate ideas through writing, and to form and maintain community forums. Huang, Shen, Lin Chang (2007) conducted an empirical study which concluded that interaction by blogging is driven by the motivations of self-expression, life documenting, and commenting while on the other hand, content gathering by blogging is found to be driven by the motivations of commenting, forum participation, and information seeking. They also went on to say that these motivations drive two types of behaviour: interaction-oriented behaviour and information-oriented behaviour. There is also an attempt at understanding self-presentation strategies that blog writers adopt (Jung, Youn McClung, 2007). This study shows that the reasons for hosting personal mini-homepages are entertainment and self-expression followed by the professional advancement and passing time. According to the uses and gratification theory, users are seen as active gratification seekers interacting with the media as opposed to passive recipients of media content (Goffman, 1959). Having said this, blog readers are consuming content, and have the choice to read content that they want to at any given point of time. While all the above mentioned areas of research lay huge emphasis on the blogger, the blog reader, who forms an important component of the blogosphere, has been sparsely researched on (Huang, Chou Lin, 2008). Huang, Chou Lin (2008) tried to study the fundamental motivators behind reading blogs. This research work has arrived at a causal relationship of motives with blog reader responses. After secondary research and exploratory research, the authors have used five distinct motives in their study: affective exchange, information search, entertainment, and getting on the bandwagon. The behaviours that the paper proposes are opinion acceptance, interaction intentions, and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. While looking at the existing literature on blog user behaviour (both blogger and blog readers), it has been found that most of the blogs are of the personal blogs type. However, researchers have not tried to explore behaviour on the basis of blog type. From the above literature review, it is evident that there is a void in the area of research that concerns blog readers as a category of individuals on the blogosphere. Also, there is no work that has tried to bring a readers dimension to classification of blogs. Hence, this study will aim at bringing about a relationship between the motivating factors for reading blogs and the various types of blogs that may eventually emerge from the blog-consumers perspective. 3. Problem Definition This research aims to study the various factors that motivate reading of blogs corresponding to the various types of blogs that exist. This is a study that will be conducted among Indian blog readers. 3.1. Research objectives The key objective of the study is to identify factors affecting blog-reading and try mapping them to the various types of blogs in order to better understand motivators that drive reading through this new medium. This main objective can be achieved through the following objectives. * To identify the various drivers that motivate blog-reading among Indian * To develop a customer-centric blog classification schema on the basis of these drivers 4. Proposed Research Methodology 4.1. Research Design The research design will largely be a combination of exploratory and descriptive methods. Since the model cannot be built without further exploratory research, the study will have a mix of qualitative and quantitative techniques. The study will be conducted in two stages. The first stage will involve exploratory research which will help arrive at the factors that motivate reading of blogs. The output of this stage of the research, i.e., the list of motivators would be the input for the next stage which would involve quantitative validation of the factors using a semi-structured questionnaire. Stage 1: This involves understanding the motivating factors for blog reading in order to make a comprehensive list. This list of factors would be obtained from  · Analysis of secondary data This involves collecting the list of motivating factors in existing literature in the area of blog reading and general online reading.  · Primary research: In-depth interviews To determine the various factors that influence blog reading among online users in a manner that facilitates respondents to interact freely while giving the interviewer also the scope to probe deeply. Stage 2: This is the point where descriptive research is carried out. This is done to understand the most important motivating factors associated with different classes of blogs.  · Primary research: Semi-Structured Questionnaire The questionnaire would carry the factors determined at stage 1 which would be rated by the respondents. Administration of the questionnaire to the respondents would be done online. 4.2. Proposed Method of Analysis After the questionnaire is administered and the responses, collected, data analysis has to be done in order to arrive at the final model that the research proposes to develop. The following analytical tools will be used in order to arrive at the motivational model.  · Factor Analysis: Factor analysis has been proposed in order to arrive at the most important set of motives for reading blogs after the exploratory research.  · Regression: The factors and their relationship with different blog types can be determined through regression. 4.3. Universe Definition The following are the specifications of the target group. SEC: A, B Age: 15 30 Element: Indian male or female individual having access to internet at home,                                           college or workplace who are readers of blogs. Place: India 4.4. Sampling Structure The sampling unit in this case is individuals. The sample design is described separately for the two stages as follows. Stage 1: Qualitative Study  · Sampling Technique Purposive sampling would be used for conducting the depth interview.  · Sample Size This would be conducted among 9 individuals.  · Sampling Plan The respondents would be blog readers selected from the city of Ahmedabad. Recruiting will be done on the basis of respondents frequency of reading blogs. Hence there will be three categories of blog readers with 3 individuals in each category extremely regular, moderately regular and irregular readers of blogs. Stage 2: Quantitative Study  · Sampling Technique Snowball Sampling would be used for administering the questionnaire. Taking the route of references will ensure response.  · Sample Size The proposed sample size for the study will be approximately 200. Depending on the number of variables in the final model, the sample size will undergo change.  · Sampling Plan The geographic dispersion will be taken care of at the stage of online administration of the questionnaire to account for the four major zones (North, South, East West) of India. 5. Expected Contribution So far, research has seen blogs mainly from the blog writers perspective. There is almost a dearth of academic research in the about blog readers. This research will contribute to bridging this gap in knowledge. Existing research talks about blog reading motivations without taking blog types into consideration. By taking blog types also into account, this research adds a very important dimension to the existing knowledge. There has been no published, academic research done on blogging behaviour in India. Being specific to Indian blog-readers, the will add to the Indian academic body of knowledge. Last but not the least, understanding the key factors that influence blog reading specific genres of blogs can help content producers tailor their blogs in a manner which appeals most to their readers. This finding will go a long way in helping brand managers in tailoring blog-based communication for their brands to engage their audiences. References Baker, J. R., Moore, S. M. (2008). Bloggingas a Social Tool: A Psychosocial Examination              of the Effects ofBlogging. CyberPsychology Behavior, Volume 11, Issue 6, 747-             749. Bar-Ilan, J. (2005). Information hub blogs. Journal of Information Science, 31, 297-307. Blood, R. (2002). The weblog handbook: Practical advice on creating and maintaining your              blog. Cambridge, MA: Perseus. Blumenthal, M. M. (2005). Toward an Open-Source Methodology: What Can We Learn              from the Blogsphere. Public Opinion Quarterly, Volumer 69, Issue 5, 655-68. Bruns, A. (2007). Methodologies for mapping the political blogosphere: An exploration              using the IssueCrawler research tool. First Monday, 12 (5). Retrieved September              21, 2007 from http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue12_5/bruns/index.html Charman, S. (2006). Blogs in business: Using blogs behind the firewall. In A. Bruns J.              Jacobs (Eds.), Uses of Blogs (pp. 57-68). New York: Peter Lang. Corry, W. and Mundell, J. (2006). Demystifying blogs Embracing objective              communication. Paper presented at the Marketing Research Society Annual              Conference, n.p. Dearstyne, B. W. (2005). Blogs: The new information revolution? Information              Management              journal, Volume 39, 3, 38-44. Efimova, L., Grudin, J. (2007). Crossing boundaries: A case study of employee blogging.              Proceedings of the Fortieth Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences              (HICSS-40). Los Alamitos: IEEE Press. Ewins, R. (2005). Who are you? Weblogs and academic identity. E-Learning, 2, 368-377. Figueredo, P. (2005). Blogs and Blog Advertising: Smart Online Marketing, or a Waste              of Money? Target Marketing, Volume 28, 37. Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J. Blanchard, C. (2000). On the assessment of situational intrinsic              and extrinsic motivation: The situational motivation scale (SIMS). Motivation and              Emotion, Vol. 24, No. 3, 175-213. Haas, T. (2005). From Public Journalism to the Publics Journalism? Rhetoric and              reality in the discourse on weblogs. Journalism Studies, 6(3), 387-396. Halavais, A. (2006). Scholarly blogging: Moving towards the visible college. In A. Bruns              J. Jacobs (Eds.), Uses of Blogs (pp. 117-126). New York: Peter Lang. Herring, S.C., Scheidt, L.A., Wright, E. Bonus, S. (2005). Weblogs as a bridging genre.              Information Technology People, 18, 2, 142-171. Huang, L., Chou, Y. Lin, C. (2008). The influence of reading motives in the responses              after              reading blogs. CyberPsychology Behaviour, Volume 11, 351 355. Huang, L., Shen, Y., Lin, C Chang, S. (2007). Bloggers Motivations and Behaviors: A              Model. Journal of Advertising Research, Volume 47, 472 484. Jung, T., Youn, M. A., and McClung, S. (2007). Motivations and self-presentation              strategies on Korean-based â‚ ¬Ã…“Cyworldâ‚ ¬? weblog format personal homepages.              CyberPsychology Behavior, Volume 10, Number 1, 24-31. Kaiser, S., MÃÆ' ¼ller-Seitz, G., Pereira Lopes, M., Pina e Cunha, M. (2007). Weblog-             technology as a trigger to elicit passion for knowledge. Organization, 14, 391-             412. Kaye, B. K. (2005). Its a blog, blog, blog, blog world. School of Journalism Electronic              Media, Volume 13, 73-95. Kelleher, T., Miller, B. M. (2006). Organizational blogs and the human voice: Relational              strategies and relational outcomes. Journal of Computer-Mediated              Communication, 11 (2), article 1. Retrieved September 13, 2009 from              http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue2/kelleher.html Ko, H., Kuo, F. (2009). CanBloggingEnhance Subjective Well-Being Through Self-             Disclosure? CyberPsychology Behavior, Volume 12, Number 1, 75-79. Krishnamurthy, S. (2002). The multidimensionality of blog conversations: The virtual              enactment of September 11. Internet Research 3.0, n.p. Lasica, J. D. (2002). Blogging as a form of journalism. In R. Blood (ed.), Weve Got Blog.              How Weblogsare Changing Our Culture (pp. 163-170). Cambridge: Perseus. Lenhart, A. and Fox, S. (2006, July). Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internets New              Storytellers. Pew Internet American Life Report, [URL:              http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP%20Bloggers%20Report%20July%2019             %202006.pdf]. Li, D. (2007).Why Do You Blog: A Uses-and-Gratifications Inquiry Into Bloggers              Motivations. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International              Communication Association, TBA, San Francisco,              http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p171490_index.html. Matheson, D. (2004). Weblogs and the epistemology of the news: Some trends in online              journalism.New Media Society, 6, 443-468. Miller, C. R., Shepherd, D. (2004). Blogging as social action: a genre analysis of the weblog.              Into the blogosphere. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/ (accessed Nov 18, 2009). Nardi, B. A., Schiano, D. J,, Gumbrecht M., and Swart L. (2004). Why we blog.              Communications of the ACM, Volume 47, 41-46. Papacharissi, Z., Rubin, A.M. (2000). Predictors of Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting              Electronic Media Volume 44, 175-196. Qian, H., Scott, C. R. (2007). Anonymity and self-disclosure on weblogs. Journal of              Computer-Mediated Communication, Volume 12, Issue 4, Article 14.              http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/qian.html. Schmidt, J. (2007). Blogging practices: An analytical framework. Journal of Computer-             MediatedCommunication, Volume 12, Issue 4, Article 13.              [URL:http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/schmidt.html] Shen, C., Chiou, I. (2009). The effect of community identification on attitude and              intention toward a blogging community. Internet Research, Volume 19Issue 4. Sifry, D. (2008). State of the Blogosphere. Retrieved on November 15, 2009 from              http://www.sifry.com/alerts/ Singer, J. (2005). The political j-blogger. Normalizing a new media form to fit old norms              and practices. Journalism, 6, 173-198. Tremayne, M. (Ed.) (2006). Blogging, Citizenship, and the Future of Media. New York:              Routledge.Bahnisch, M. (2006). The political uses of blogs. In A. Bruns J. Jacobs              (Eds.), Uses of Blogs, 139-149. New York: Peter Lang. Trevino, E. M. (2005). Blogger motivations: Power, pull, and positive feedback. Internet              Research, www.blog.erickamenchen.net. Walker, J. (2006). Blogging from inside the ivory tower. In A. Bruns J. Jacobs (Eds.),              Uses of Blogs. 127-138. New York: Peter Lang. Wilde, E. (2008). Deconstructing blogs. Online Information Review, Volume: 32,Issue: 3,              401 414.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Essay --
Introduction What is The Internet of Everything (IOE)? The IoE is a concept which is based on a connection between physical devices and the internet. The benefits of such a connection are convenience and satisfaction to the end user. On a lighter note it is bound to make the end user more of a couch potato. In today's technologically driven world, there are more things connected to the internet than there are people in the world. This fact shows that the internet is the future of doing business, learning as well as being a platform for innovation. This is where IoE steps into the picture as it is based on the concept of internet connected devices, and with the progress in terms of technology of everyday devices and objects, the possibilities are endless. IoE is starting to show glimpses of its potential to surround us with connectivity that skilfully responds to our needs and wants - which is called the Digital Sixth Sense. (Qualcomm) Key components of the IoE model are the smartphones we have become accustomed to using, cloud computing which has made remote storage and access a breeze, as well as wireless broadband networks which have been implemented in strategically viable locations for use by modern high broadband demanding devices. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology works hand in hand with this system. IoE is expected to be the fastest growing technological system within the next half decade. There are various many fields where IoE can be applied to and are listed below: †¢ E-Shopping †¢ Home Security Automation †¢ Socially interactive gadgets †¢ Emergency Response Systems †¢ Remote Management of physical objects Ethical and Legal issues of IoE Unlawful Surveillance There are a countless number of simple devices ... ...e implemented and these areas are; Environmental protection, agriculture, transportation as well as education. The future and prospects look exciting for China as it has the potential to achieve great things using this technology as it has the backing of its government as well as a good capital input from investors as the ROI is potentially great. It's becoming a household concept. (sciencemag) During October of last year, IT specialists visited Wuxi regarding the future of the 'Internet of Everything'. The prospects look promising as many good ideas were showcased. The advantage China has is that it takes a centralized approach rather than distributed one in terms of creation of application, which makes it easier for the various devices and applications to communicate and work hand-in-hand with each other thus creating a network of intelligent systems. (sciencemag)
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Crisis in Rwanda Brief Background Essay
The pre-colonial Rwanda was characterized by a fluid of ethnic divisions between the majority of the population (Hutus, comprising of about 85% of the population in 1999) and the minority of the population (Tutsis, comprising of about 8-14% as per the time of the genocide in 1994), and could not reportedly be considered as separate tribes. Inter-communal conflict did not exist. These existed even though Tutsis were dominant in the small Rwandan aristocracy. According to Wrage (2000), mass murder similar to the one in 1994 was unheard of and there were no common ethnic lines before 1960. The records of Belgium indicate that Rwandans had a sense of belonging to their nation. The Belgians, who took over the country during the World War I from Germans who had colonized the country from 1894-1916, ruled the country until their independence in 1962. The Belgians granted preferential status to the Tutsis and this was the root cause of the massive killing which led to a loss of about 800,000 people (Jones, 2000). According to Prunier, the Belgians highlighted the differences that existed among the two tribes and Tutsis (who had an appearance more like the Europeans’ compared to the Hutus) were considered the master race and were granted preference in the Belgium’s Rwandan auxiliaries by 1930. This earned them hatred from the Hutus. The identity cards introduced by the Belgians in 1933 designating people as Hutu, Twa or Tutsi played a role in the genocide because it helped genocide architects distinguish their Tutsi victims. The more educated and prosperous Tutsis led struggle for independence after the World War II and the Belgians switched to allege to the Hutus. In between 1959 and 1962, revenging Hutus murdered about 15,000 Tutsis and made more than 100,000 to flee to the neighboring countries. The assassination of the President Habyarimana on 6 April 1994 seemed to have been because of his acceptance to accommodate the Tutsis’ Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in the Rwandan government by signing a peace treaty, which was not welcome by some Hutus including those powerful in the government. RPF was formed by Tutsis in Uganda and had plans to invade Rwanda and overthrow the president. The opposing Hutus seemed to give a solution to the problem, instead of welcoming them. Tutsis were killed massively, and some Hutus who were assumed to be Tutsis. The daily death rate is said to have been at least five times that of the Nazi death camps and the most concentrated incident of genocide in human history, together with that of the Soviet prisoners-of-war (Prunier, 1995; Gourevitch, 1998). Implications of the genocide: Current issues that are affecting Rwanda to date that need more attention The Rwandan government released figures of a first major census in February 2002, aimed at an effort to establish the number of those who lost their lives during the genocide. The findings asserted that about a seventh of the population-1 million, and seventy four thousand people-lost their lives. Among these, 94% comprised of Tutsis. Men were the major target in this genocide. The number of men can only be estimated and there are suggestions that they were 75-80% (Jones, 2000). The Rwandan work force was affected whose effects on economy may be felt to date. According to Prunier, the Rwandan economy stills remains badly hurt and no signs of quick recovery. Many teachers died in the genocide and this has led to suffering of the education sector. Hutu and Tutsi extremists link solution to annihilation of the other, and this could lead to another wave of killings. Issue 1: Loss of human labor necessary for growth of the Rwandan economy, due to the massive killing in the 1994 Genocide killings †¢ An estimated number of males killed consisted of 75-80% of those who died in the genocide. There are reports that indicate low percentage of adult male, such as the 20% of adult men consisting of 20% of the whole population in Gitamara district in Central Rwanda (Gough, 2000). This was because of the gendercidal killings which have led to demographic imbalance which may continue for longer (El-Bushra; cited in Jones, 2000). It is obvious that the killings resulted to loss of human labor in all sectors of the Rwandan economy. Low food productivity in highly attacked areas has been linked to physical inability of women. Issue 2: The number of the HIV and Aids victims in the present Rwanda is partly because of the genocide killings †¢ Women were forced into sexual relationships with the killers with the threats that they would be killed if they refused (Jones, 2000). This resulted into transmission of the killer disease. Rapes, forced â€Å"marriages†and mutilation of the vagina and pelvic areas with weapons was also experienced by women (‘Shattered Lives: Sexual violence During the Rwandan Genocide and its Aftermath’, 1996). According to McGreal (2001), orphans whose fathers were killed by machetes and mothers by HIV would be in tens of thousands. In 2001, two thirds of the tested 1200, of the 25000 Tutsi women belonging to the Widows of Genocide organization (Avega) were HIV-positive (McGreal, 2001). Issue 3: The current indication of lack of trust, and suspicion may indicate that there is potential for another massive killing like that experienced in the 1994 †¢ According to Jones, many Hutus feel proclaimed guilty by association, many Tutsis’ convictions that repressing Hutus will assure them of their survival, and the belief by extremists on both side that annihilating one another is the only solution. The situation may spark another wave of killings. Recommendation Regarding Crisis in Rwanda The following are recommendations that may alleviate the current situation in Rwanda, regarding the economy, security stability and sexual violence and HIV and AIDS illnesses. †¢ Recommendation for the sexual violation 1. The families of those whose rights were sexually violated continue to suffer to date. The government should strengthen its support for the children of the families where rape cases were witnessed resulting in the contrasting of the HIV and Aids. The government should put in place a national program to search for the victims regardless of their tribe and support their children by funding for their education to completion. 2. The government should encourage and fund support programs by the local authorities for the women who were mutilated on their genitals and who experienced gang rape. The support program must include compensation to the victims which will help them establish business and other self-help ventures. The people who were the sources to root causes of the genocide event like Belgians, and who participated in one way or the other must come in and support the country in compensating for the victim. †¢ Recommendation for the shortage of labor 1. The government should continue to invest on current-technological labor force while the population balance is set to increase in the near future. The government should identify areas that were massively affected and launch special programs to ensure production of food and other labor shortages are catered for. 2. The government should look for outsourced labor from the neighboring countries to take care of the human power shortages like lack of enough teachers and other personnel in other fields. Besides, the government should focus more resources on funding the education system to raise more professions. This is by funding education for the poor and the economically disadvantaged that form the majority of the population. 3. The government should ensure that the public and the private sectors have arrangements to work through out for 24 hours to increase man hours for production and rendering of quicker services. The government should also look for the possibilities of removing all the barriers affecting or delaying production processes and investments in any way. †¢ Recommendation on potential for another genocide event 1. The government should have institutions that are all-inclusive in all sectors for different social groupings. The government must always venture into constructive consultative means of making its major decisions in order to avoid conflicts on political issues and defiance by the masses which may be linked to certain interest groups like the tribe groupings. Besides, criminals must be deals with as provides the law without any discrimination, favor or fear. Those who were involved in the genocide and are yet to be prosecuted must be made to carry their own cross without any consideration to their political inclinations and background. This is by ensuring that the country has an all-inclusive, proper constitution and judicial system. Bibliography Chris McGreal. â€Å"A Pearl in Rwanda’s genocide horror†. The Guardian. UK, December 5, 2001. Retrieved 15 November 2008 from http://www. gurdian. co. uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4313577,00. html Gough. â€Å"Husband-hiring hastens the spread of Aids in Rwanda†. The Guardian. February 8, 2000. UK Gourevitch Philip. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998, p. 3 Jones Adam. â€Å"Case Study: Genocide in Rwanda, 1994. †2000. Retrieved 15 November 2008 from http://www. gendercide. org/case_rwanda. html Prunier G. â€Å"Rwanda’s Struggle to Recover from Genocide,†Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99 Prunier G. The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide. Columbia University Press, 1995. p. 261 Shattered Lives: Sexual Violence During the Rwandan Genocide and its Aftermath. Human Rights Watch, 1996. Retrieved 15 November 2008 from http://www. hrw. org/summaries/s. rwanda969. html Wrage. (2000). â€Å"Genocide in Rwanda: Draft Case Study for Teaching Ethics and International Affairs. â€Å"
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Categorizing Funding Requirements Essay
Each requirement should be funded in different ways. In other words, the nature of the funding requirement dictates the preferred type of funding. For example, core funding needs as a general rule will be satisfied by equity funding and, if available, long-term debt. Short-term cyclical funding and contingency requirements usually are satisfied by shorter-term bank lines. Analyzing the total funding needs of the business into these three categories calls for judgment as to which requirements are core and which are cyclical and of short-term or medium-term duration. There is no one correct answer, and much depends on the nature of the company’s business. For example, a property investment company might categorize funding to pay for completed property developments as core funding for a long-term asset, while a property development company would categorize the costs of a development as cyclical short- to medium-term funding for an asset it confidently will expect to sell on completion of the development. †¢The long-term funding requirements of a business are the funds needed to finance its core business assets such as land, buildings and equipment. Every business has core assets, although it is not always readily apparent what they are. For example, the core assets of airline companies at one time were their fleets of aircraft. Now, however, many airlines avoid owning aircraft, preferring to lease them, and their main core assets have become information technology systems and landing slots at airports. Some hotel groups have ceased owning the hotels they manage, and their core assets are the management contracts for hotels that are owned by third parties. †¢Most companies are subject to cyclical or seasonal fluctuations in their cash flow, often reflecting a seasonal trading pattern. Even companies with no apparent cyclical influences on cash flow, receiving a relatively constant stream of income, might in reality have a short-term cash flow cycle. They might, for example, accumulate cash receipts at a steady rate throughout each month but make bulk payments (for materials and wages and salaries) only one or two days each month, or just once every quarter (for rent payments). Business cycles, and their associated cash flows, can span several years, for example in the development of agricultural and forestry businesses. †¢Contingency funds are to meet unexpected requirements. A company should have access to contingency funding for a number of reasons. There could be an unexpected downturn in one of its markets or the opportunity to make an acquisition. The level of contingency funding depends on such factors as: †¢the volatility of the markets in which the company operates †¢the vulnerability of the earnings stream to market recession †¢the dependence on one or just a few major customers for achieving sales targets †¢Management’s desire for growth by making acquisitions.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Difference Between Relative and Absolute Location
Difference Between Relative and Absolute Location Both relative location and absolute location are geographic terms used to describe the location of a place on the Earths surface. They are each unique in their ability to pinpoint a location on Earth. Relative Location Relative location refers to locating a place relative to other landmarks. For example, you could give the relative location of St. Louis, Missouri as being in eastern Missouri, along the Mississippi River southwest of Springfield, Illinois.  As one drives along most major highways, there are mileage signs indicating the distance to the next town or city.  This information expresses your current location relative to the upcoming place. So, if a highway sign states that St. Louis is 96 miles away from Springfield, you know your relative location from St. Louis.  Relative location is also a term that is used to indicate a places location within a larger context.  For example, one could state that Missouri is located in the Midwest of the United States and is bordered by Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. That is the relative location of Missouri based on its location within the United States.  Alternatively, you could state that Missouri is south of Iowa and north of Arkansas. This is yet another example of relative location. Absolute Location On the other hand, absolute location references a place on the Earths surface based on specific geographic coordinates, such as latitude and longitude. Based on the previous example of St. Louis, the absolute location of St. Louis is 38 °43 North 90 °14 West. One can also give an address as an absolute location. For example, the absolute location of St. Louis City Hall is 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103. By providing the full address you can pinpoint the location of St. Louis City Hall on a map. While you can give the geographic coordinates of a city or a building, it is difficult to provide the absolute location of an area such as a state or country because such places cant be pinpointed. With some difficulty, you could provide the absolute locations of the boundaries of the state or country but most of the time its easier to just display a map or describe the relative location of a place like a state or country.
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Dominican Republic Essays - Greater Antilles, Free Essays
The Dominican Republic Essays - Greater Antilles, Free Essays The Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is one of the many Spanish speaking countries in the world. The Dominican Republic, republic of the West Indies, compromising the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The word Dominican Republic in Spanish means Republica Dominicana. The capitol of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo. The population of the Dominican Republic is of mixed Spanish and black-African descent. The society is about sixty five percent urban. The population of the Dominican Republic in 1995 was about seven million, nine hundred and fifteen thousand (7,915,000) people. This gives the country a population density of about one hundred sixty two person per square kilometer. The Dominican Republic is divided into twenty nine provinces plus the Distrito Nacional . It also includes the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. Each province is subdivided into municipalities and townships. Some important cities are Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballlereos, San Pedro de Macrois. Santo Domingo is the leading port and has an estimated population of two million and four hundred thousand (2,400,000) persons. Santiago de los Caballeros is a trade and transportation center with a population of half a million people. San Pedro de Macoris, a seaport has a population of seventy eight thousand and five hundred sixty two(78,562) persons. The Dominican Republic consists of mainly Spanish speakers. Spanish is the official language of the Dominica Republic. English is also spoken and a French dialect is spoken. The religion of the Dominican Republic mostly Roman Catholicism. There is small Protestant community and some are Spiritists. The Dominican Republic has a length of in an east to west direction of about three hundred eighty kilometers and a maximum width, in the west, of about two hundred sixty five kilometers. The frontier with Haiti is about three hundred fifteen kilometers long. The Dominican also have possession to many islands. Such islands as Beata and Saona. The Dominican Republic is a very fertile land, well watered and very mountainous. About eighty percent of the country is covered with a series of mountain ranges, extending in a northwestern to southeastern direction. The most fertile region is in the Valley of Cibao and the coastal plains are also very fertile. The Dominican Republic has many rivers and streams. The Dominican Republic has a semitropical climate. Temperatures of more than seventy four degrees Fahrenheit are registered in the lowlands throughout the year. During the summer months temperatures range from eighty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit in the lowlands. The highland are much cooler and receive about sixty inches of precipitation each year. The wet season is from June to November. Tropical Hurricanes occur occasionally. The main resources of the Dominican Republic is mainly agriculture. The fertile soil is instrumental to farming and many of the mountains are covered with forests. The country also has valuable deposits of nickel, gold and silver. The Dominican Republic?s vegetation is much like that of the other islands of the West Indies. The vegetation varies and luxuriant. Among the many species of indigenous trees are mahogany, rosewood and pine. Many species of useful plants and fruits are common, including rice, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, yams, banana, pineapple and grapes. The history of the Dominian Republic starts at the aboriginal inhabitants of Hispaniola were Arawak people, engaged principally in farming and fishing. They eventually became extinct as a result of exploitation by Spanish colonists. Black slaves were later imported to take the place of the Arawak. In time the Spanish migrated from Hispaniola to South America, and for about a century the island was sparsely populated. In 1697, by the Peace of Ryswick, the portion of Hispaniola that had been occupied by French adventurers was formally ceded to France and became known as Saint-Domingue; it is now Haiti. The remaining Spanish section, what is now the Dominican Republic, was called Santo Domingo. In 1795, Spain finally ceded Santo Domingo to France. During the years that followed, the country was caught up in the convulsions of neighboring Haiti, as well as indigenous mixed-race and black people. When Haiti removed the French in 1804, Santo Domingo remained under French occupation for another five years. Then the French were expelled and Spanish rule restored. After 1814, however, the Spanish administration became increasingly tyrannical, and
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Antigone Compare Contrast Essay
Antigone, a tragic heroine in the self titled Sophocles play, fights against male power demonstrating courage and determination. Although Jean Anouilh and Sophocles both create the character Antigone to be a spoiled, scrawny princess, they create different personas out of her. In Anouilh’s version of Antigone is honest, soft spoken and an unhappy person, in Sophocles version Antigone is a strong willed, brave and powerful individual who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Both tragedies share various similarities and differences in the content, themes, and conflicts; specifically focusing on the comparisons between the themes of power, corruption and responsibility throughout. Ultimately the outcome of both tragedies is a result of Antigone’s selfless act and the effect it has on others. Creon is the most diverse character between the two versions. In Sophocles Antigone Creon states that once the news is released to the public that Antigone buries Polynices, he has no power over the decision any longer. In Anouilh’s Antigone Creon does not make an immediate decision to execute Antigone, he gives the decision thought. This is proven when Creon states â€Å"Very well. Now Listen to me. You will go straight to your room. When you get there, you will go to bed. You will say that you are not well and that you have not been out since yesterday. Your nurse will tell the same story. And I’ll get rid of those three men. †(Anouilh, 41). In Sophocles he treats Antigone’s consequence as if he does not have to follow the law he enforces with his power, as opposed to Anouilh’s where Creon uses his power and sends Antigone to her room to think about his decision. Next, Creon demonstrates an inner power in both plays by viewing his decisions based upon being a king rather than a villain. He believes he has to make decisions based on the duties of a king rather than his own personal opinions. This is shown when Creon says â€Å"I agree my trade forces me to be. We could argue whether I ought or ought not to follow my trade, but once I take on the job I must do it properly. †(Anouilh, 48). In both plays the end decisions result in Creon following through with the laws he enforces. He values his role of being king more than his role of being an uncle. Finally, Creon’s decision to execute Antigone not only demonstrates his power but also the corruption that causes Haemon, Ismene and Eurydice to all take their lives as they are unable to cope with the loss of Antigone. This is shown when Creon states â€Å"I have had them laid out side by side. They are together at last, and at peace. Two lovers on the morrow of their bridal. Their work is done. †(Anouilh, 69). If Creon chooses not to follow his duties as a king, he will not feel the remorse and guilt like he does for the consequences of his actions. Antigone first demonstrates a sense of power and bravery in both plays when deciding to bury Polynices despite Creon’s law against it. Using her power, Antigone attempts to convince Ismene to join in upon the act of loyalty with her, but being the innocent sister Ismene is not in agreeance. This is proven when she says to Ismene â€Å"The punishment for disobedience is death by stoning. So now you know. And now is the time to show whether or not you are worthy of your high blood. †(Sophocles, 127). Subsequently in both plays Antigone takes advantage of being a princess and Creon’s niece, and goes ahead with her choice to bury Polynices. Although she knows the possible outcomes of her choice, this does not stop her as she believes Creon will be more sympathetic towards her. Antigone proves this when she says â€Å"Poor Creon! My nails are broken, my fingers are bleeding, my arms are covered with the wells left by the paws of your guards- but I am queen! †(Anouilh, 50). Therefore she takes advantage her relationship with Creon in order to gain power. Lastly, the outcome of Antigone at the end of each play was the same, but the amount of power she obtains is the difference. In Sophocles there is no doubt that Antigone’s death is tragic and heroic. However the tragedy seems to be more heroic in Sophocles Antigone than it does in Anouilh’s. This is demonstrated when Antigone says â€Å"I have given my brother burial. What greater honour could I wish? All these would say that what I did was honorable but fear locks up their lips. To speak and act just as he likes is a king’s prerogative. †(Sophocles, 140). After Creon executes Antigone in Sophocles the play drags on to emphasize how powerful a character she is in Anouilh’s Antigone is killed and the story ends shortly after as if what she does is not heroic. Haemon plays a very important role in Antigones heroic journey to tragedy in both Sophocles and Anouilh’s play. He is engaged to Antigone and is the son of Creon which gives him power over Antigone to begin with. Using his power, in both plays he tries to convince Creon that the execution of Antigone will not bring only sadness to others, but tragedy to his own life. This is shown when he says â€Å"Live as you say! Live a life without Antigone? A life in which I am to go on admiring you as you busy yourself about your kingdom, make your persuasive speeches, strike your attitudes? Not without Antigone. I love Antigone. I will not live without Antigone. †(Anouilh 62). Haemon is similar to Antigone because he takes advantage of his power to try and help in the end. In Anouilh’s version of Antigone there is a significant change in affection shown by Haemon towards Antigone. The play features more romance between the couple that is not in Sophocles version. Haemon is able to gain power over Antigone through devotion as she is so blinded by love and romance she does not realize it. An example is when Haemon says â€Å"Antigone, darling, I love you exactly as you love me. With all of myself. †(Anouilh, 27). Although Haemon does not take advantage of Antigone’s love, he does have more control over their relationship because of it. Lastly, Haemon’s power and corruption comes through at the end of both plays when he attempts to kill his father Creon and proceeds to murder himself. This is proven when he says â€Å"That sight I’ll never see. Nor from this hour shall you see me again. Let those that will be witness of your wickedness and folly. †(Sophocles, 147). This shows Creon causes the corruption by taking Antigone away from Haemon. This is Haemon’s desperate attempt to seek power and get revenge against Creon for all the pain he has suffered. It is clear that the reoccurring theme of power is present throughout both versions of Antigone and demonstrates this through the actions and tragedies of the characters Creon, Antigone and Haemon. Both Sophocles and Anouilh’s tragedies share similarities and differences in the content, themes and conflicts. These comparisons are present between the themes of power, corruption and responsibility shown throughout the play. The tragedy of Antigone in both plays is inevitable as the choices she makes foreshadow her outcome and affect the people around her. The end result is a tragedy due to the power that is lost, the corruption that is caused, and the responsibilities that are maintained.
Friday, October 18, 2019
How Families Deal with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer's Research Paper
How Families Deal with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer's - Research Paper Example Mild cognitive impairment is viewed as a form of forgetfulness attributed to ageing. While this disorder is a symptom of AD, it is not a must for people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment, to contract AD. Causes and Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease The well known risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease is old age, mostly when people hit the age of sixty years. It is not considered normal for aging people to suffer from the disease. It is also easier for one to have the disease if a close relative such as your sister or mother had suffered from the disease. One can also contract the disease if you happen to have certain genes that are linked with the disease. Other susceptible factors include suffering from blood pressure; however, this is yet to be proved. The disease is classified under two types which include the late and early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Late AD disease affects people who are at the age of 60 and above (â€Å"Coping with Alzheimer's disease,â₠¬ n.d.). The early onset of Alzheimer's disease is known to affect people before they attain the age of sixty. This type of disease has a fast rate of getting worse. The role of genes in this type of disease has already been established, that is why it is prevalent among family members. The common symptoms of the disease are associated with the functioning of the brain. One of the symptoms of this disease includes the individual’s inability to communicate properly. The patient will forget how to read or write or even talk. They also are emotional, increasingly aggressive and paranoid. This is as a result of increased memory loss. When the disease has progressed, Alzheimer's patients require assistance in almost all tasks which include bathing and dressing. They will often forget their relatives’ names and forget events that take place. Their judgments and thinking capacity reduce to a substantial level and they will not realize that they are in danger when something arises (Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Alzheimer's Association, n.d.). It reaches a point where the patient has to be taken care of all the time to ensure their safety. Recognizing early symptoms of the disease will ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. It is important for family members to recognize some attributes that could indicate onset of the disease. Symptoms such as loss of interest in activities that one was recently interested in is the first sign a family can identify (Brijnath, 2011). Forgetting one’s history can also be an early symptom of the disease. They will also execute tasks that require thinking for longer periods of time. When the family recognizes these symptoms, the patient should undergo a series of test to determine if they are suffering from AD (Sell, 2008). The tests will include a complete physical checkup with a mental examination. Family members of the affected person should ensure that the doctors check for brain tumor, severe depr ession, chronic infection or thyroid disease. An AD diagnosis is made when certain symptoms are present and other causes of dementia named above are not present. Taking care of the patient who suffers from the disease can be challenging (James, 2008). This is especially to the family members of the patient. It is important to ensure their safety and wellbeing and how to care for the patients will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs of this paper.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN DOVE REAL BEAUTY Essay
AN ANALYSIS OF THE PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN DOVE REAL BEAUTY SKETCHES - Essay Example The film, which compares, the images of women and strangers about various women uses numerous persuasion techniques to capture the attention of the viewers. An analysis of the persuasion techniques that the film uses is essential in understanding the reason why the video captured a market of fifteen million viewers within one month. Cialdini’s Weapons of Persuasion Cialdini describes successful marketing as a science rather than magic or luck. The author argues that public proof is one of the principles of successful persuasion, and marketers should make use of it by proving to their customers that other people have also tried their products or services (Cialdini, 1993). The Dove film uses social proof by showing the viewer the participants of the research, and how they described themselves. A viewer sees the women who took part in the research, and how they described themselves while behind a curtain. Viewers can also see the artist who sketched the appearances of the women a s well as the strangers who described them during the study. This creates an impression in the mind of the viewer that there are other people who believe that they are beautiful more than the way they think (Perloff, 2010). ... The strangers who describe the women also take part in the study in the same location and they answer the same questions (Dove, 2013). The viewers of the film think that the experience is real because of this consistency that the firm maintained throughout the study. Therefore, the audience is persuaded by the reality factor in the film, and they begin to view themselves in a more positive way. Older women also begin to view themselves as young and enthusiastic beings as Cialdini argues that they are more prone to inconsistency (Sullivan, 2008). The researcher argues that they prefer consistency and commitment more than the young because of their old age, which takes away most of their energy. Therefore, the consistency in the film may capture the attention of the elderly more than the young. Aristotle’s Artistic Proofs Aristotle argues that speakers have to persuade to their audience using their personal characteristics, proving to them, and ensuring that they influence their minds (Heinrichs, 2007). The lack of these elements is unproductive leading to low sales and profits for marketers. Ethos is the first technique that Aristotle describes as the art of creating authority and credibility to the audience (Oshaughnessy, 2004). This means that the audience is persuaded by speakers who have the qualifications to perform the tasks. The Dove film uses ethos in that the artist who sketches the women has the knowledge of sketching images in a perfect manner. Gil, Zamora, the artist is a forensic sketch artiste who has experience in drawing the sketches of over three thousand criminals (Dove, 2013). The artist also speaks in an authoritative way as he asks women to describe their
The Educational System in the United States Research Paper
The Educational System in the United States - Research Paper Example From this discussion it is clear that everyday conversational skills such as writing, reading and collaboration can truly solidify the foundation of the student’s cognitive and linguistic skills. In the process of learning an additional language, ESL students must keep up with the daily strains that are placed in their program of studies. ESL students must learn to excel in time management skills. Indisputably, each student has a unique set of literacy development needs. Most ESL students have a strict schedule and must be accommodated with personalized program of activities that is managed by the staff itself. One can only imagine the surreal experience of international students, who at times felt hopeless as a foreign student in a North American School. The point is to acknowledge that internationals students are faced with academic, social, and emotional challenges in every aspect of life, which makes learning English much more difficult.This study highlights that lea rning and applying that knowledge is a fairly non-trivial challenge for the average American. But what of non-natives who are required to learn and master one of the most grammatically complex languages? This is a struggle which is unquantifiable and difficult to overcome. Many non-native English speakers who often feel confused, frustrated, and pressured to achieve in an environment of native English speakers are in continuous pressure to excel in academics.... Clearly, it is vital that students should ask for help and set goals on how to overcome each issue. Therefore, â€Å"procedure†becomes a necessary element to facilitate student growth as the tutor advises them to set goals and helps them accomplish these goals. In addition, it affords students the opportunity to discuss with the tutor any concerns they have.             For majority of the ELL students, grammar is the biggest focal point. ESL students are often very knowledgeable in grammar yet fall into the trap of superfluity. ESL students are constantly struggling to write like their counterparts, yet they traditionally fall short because they approach the problem with a skewed mentality. ESL students aim for a high status instead of learning from experience.  The challenge of writing like a native English student extends beyond writing the ‘right’ word as the language itself contains multiple-word meanings. In addition, the American standard demands effective argumentation and synthesis at higher levels. This standard challenges students not only adapt to different writing styles, but to acknowledge other writing method - a seemingly painless task which is continuously compounded by a lack of familiarity with the language and its intricacies.            As a tutor, it is important to account for the differences in writing style prevalent between ESL and native English speakers. The lack of context and organization present in ESL students’ writing stems from an overemphasis on grammar. Nevertheless, these differences do not correspond to a deficiency. Most ESL students get so caught up by wanting to get their papers fixed that they fail to understand the objective of the tutoring session, which
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Barriers that will inhibit my success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Barriers that will inhibit my success - Essay Example I lack strict time management. This is an issue since my understanding capabilities are highest in the morning. On several occasions, I have postponed revising for assessment tests scheduled for noon the next day with the promise that I would rise up early and revise accordingly. However, I have ended up frustrating myself by waking up late the next morning and ended up performing poorly in the tests. Additionally, postponing is a dreadful habit that I need to eliminate for my educational goals to remain valid. Poor financial planning will also hamper the attainment of my educational goals. I would say that I am good at saving money whenever I have some, but I am very poor at prioritizing school needs (Myers 74). Consequently, I end up using my money to purchase items out of peer pressure even when the money is sufficient to visit a library or I need little more to buy a useful
International and strategic marketing Assignment
International and strategic marketing - Assignment Example The several challenges faced over the years have also helped to propel the company into new heights. These include fierce competition from other consulting firms, the credit crunch which saw the company barely survive and the restructuring we had to do to increase efficiency and serve our clients better. The International Market After long consultations with the directors and other stakeholders, it was agreed that the company should move to another level and expand into the international market. This will be a great privilege to the company. After the marketing team completed its analysis on the first location outside the UK that the company should base its services on, we decided to take the business to Paris, France due to a number of reasons that will be outlined later. With the expansion to Paris, the company will also introduce a new product in the market. This is an area that the company has researched on and found high demand for, especially in Paris. The new product involves training programmes for International marketing. The most obvious reason as to the choice of this product is due to the fact that Paris, being a renowned historical city in the world, attracts several local and international tourists every year. The training programmes in International marketing will thus be very useful to the market. ... Secondly, new products in the market usually earn higher profits than old ones because of their unique qualities and the fact that competitors would not have caught up yet. This is especially advantageous in launching new products in new markets where such products tend to generate curiosity from the market. Thirdly, limiting the company to old products may make the company lose out on emerging markets or existing clients who eventually get bored of the same products presented in the same old ways (Husig & Kohn 2003). Seasonal variation in demand for products may mean that firms’ revenues keep fluctuating. Development of new products which are customized to be profitable during different times is one of the ways companies can use to ensure consistent revenues throughout the year. Technological advances today, especially in Information Technology have made it easy for companies to easily develop new concepts at a faster rate and with lower costs. Developing new concepts therefo re helps companies keep abreast with technological advancements (Kotler & Gray 2008). The first step undertaken included the brainstorming of ideas. Once it was made known that the company was going international, the employees in the company were very enthusiastic to pitch in ideas to help in the development of a product that would hit in the international market. Brainstorming on ideas is usually a great way to get new ideas on the table (Cateora & Graham 2002). Apart from contributions by the employees and other experts hired to do the job, clients of the company were also asked for their contribution and the feedback received was very useful. After the ideas were sifted through, the marketing department did further research on the most viable ideas and the ideas were screened. The
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The Educational System in the United States Research Paper
The Educational System in the United States - Research Paper Example From this discussion it is clear that everyday conversational skills such as writing, reading and collaboration can truly solidify the foundation of the student’s cognitive and linguistic skills. In the process of learning an additional language, ESL students must keep up with the daily strains that are placed in their program of studies. ESL students must learn to excel in time management skills. Indisputably, each student has a unique set of literacy development needs. Most ESL students have a strict schedule and must be accommodated with personalized program of activities that is managed by the staff itself. One can only imagine the surreal experience of international students, who at times felt hopeless as a foreign student in a North American School. The point is to acknowledge that internationals students are faced with academic, social, and emotional challenges in every aspect of life, which makes learning English much more difficult.This study highlights that lea rning and applying that knowledge is a fairly non-trivial challenge for the average American. But what of non-natives who are required to learn and master one of the most grammatically complex languages? This is a struggle which is unquantifiable and difficult to overcome. Many non-native English speakers who often feel confused, frustrated, and pressured to achieve in an environment of native English speakers are in continuous pressure to excel in academics.... Clearly, it is vital that students should ask for help and set goals on how to overcome each issue. Therefore, â€Å"procedure†becomes a necessary element to facilitate student growth as the tutor advises them to set goals and helps them accomplish these goals. In addition, it affords students the opportunity to discuss with the tutor any concerns they have.             For majority of the ELL students, grammar is the biggest focal point. ESL students are often very knowledgeable in grammar yet fall into the trap of superfluity. ESL students are constantly struggling to write like their counterparts, yet they traditionally fall short because they approach the problem with a skewed mentality. ESL students aim for a high status instead of learning from experience.  The challenge of writing like a native English student extends beyond writing the ‘right’ word as the language itself contains multiple-word meanings. In addition, the American standard demands effective argumentation and synthesis at higher levels. This standard challenges students not only adapt to different writing styles, but to acknowledge other writing method - a seemingly painless task which is continuously compounded by a lack of familiarity with the language and its intricacies.            As a tutor, it is important to account for the differences in writing style prevalent between ESL and native English speakers. The lack of context and organization present in ESL students’ writing stems from an overemphasis on grammar. Nevertheless, these differences do not correspond to a deficiency. Most ESL students get so caught up by wanting to get their papers fixed that they fail to understand the objective of the tutoring session, which
International and strategic marketing Assignment
International and strategic marketing - Assignment Example The several challenges faced over the years have also helped to propel the company into new heights. These include fierce competition from other consulting firms, the credit crunch which saw the company barely survive and the restructuring we had to do to increase efficiency and serve our clients better. The International Market After long consultations with the directors and other stakeholders, it was agreed that the company should move to another level and expand into the international market. This will be a great privilege to the company. After the marketing team completed its analysis on the first location outside the UK that the company should base its services on, we decided to take the business to Paris, France due to a number of reasons that will be outlined later. With the expansion to Paris, the company will also introduce a new product in the market. This is an area that the company has researched on and found high demand for, especially in Paris. The new product involves training programmes for International marketing. The most obvious reason as to the choice of this product is due to the fact that Paris, being a renowned historical city in the world, attracts several local and international tourists every year. The training programmes in International marketing will thus be very useful to the market. ... Secondly, new products in the market usually earn higher profits than old ones because of their unique qualities and the fact that competitors would not have caught up yet. This is especially advantageous in launching new products in new markets where such products tend to generate curiosity from the market. Thirdly, limiting the company to old products may make the company lose out on emerging markets or existing clients who eventually get bored of the same products presented in the same old ways (Husig & Kohn 2003). Seasonal variation in demand for products may mean that firms’ revenues keep fluctuating. Development of new products which are customized to be profitable during different times is one of the ways companies can use to ensure consistent revenues throughout the year. Technological advances today, especially in Information Technology have made it easy for companies to easily develop new concepts at a faster rate and with lower costs. Developing new concepts therefo re helps companies keep abreast with technological advancements (Kotler & Gray 2008). The first step undertaken included the brainstorming of ideas. Once it was made known that the company was going international, the employees in the company were very enthusiastic to pitch in ideas to help in the development of a product that would hit in the international market. Brainstorming on ideas is usually a great way to get new ideas on the table (Cateora & Graham 2002). Apart from contributions by the employees and other experts hired to do the job, clients of the company were also asked for their contribution and the feedback received was very useful. After the ideas were sifted through, the marketing department did further research on the most viable ideas and the ideas were screened. The
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Defiance and Resistance Essay Example for Free
Defiance and Resistance Essay In both works The Crucible and The Bride Price by Arthur Miller and Buchi Emecheta, superstition and hysteria play key roles in destroying the morale of the Puritan and African communities. The setting in which both take place in between pre and post modernization effect the odd behavior demonstrated. In both texts, behavior different from that which is customary and accepted is interpreted as supernatural witchcraft. The fear of the unknown as well as jealousy fashions agitation, which in turn provokes individuals to turn on one another going against values and beliefs. In the play-write The crucible, Miller demonstrates the theme of the story which was rising over adversity, and standing for the truth even to death. Miller is displaying his interpretation of rise over adversity through John Proctor. John, in the beginning, wanted to keep distant from the trials. He did not want to associate or disregard his personal values by being part of the trials. When Elizabeth was arrested, he was forced to become part of it. He went to court first to set his wife free but after watching the proceedings, he saw that the evil was not only being done to his own wife but many others like his wife. As a result, he worked even harder to free the other innocent people, getting himself arrested. Despite this drawback, he did not give up. He had the chance to free himself if he testified against the others but he realized that this would be wrong, and even though he wanted to free himself, he would not if it meant bringing trouble upon others. He cleansed himself at the trial, standing for what he knew was right and died a righteous person. Though he stayed away from church, he became more pure than the common Puritans, dying as a martyr like the original apostles. He learned what truth meant through his suffering. In the novel, The Bride Price, Emecheta displays defiance and resistance through her protagonist, Aku-nna. In the Ibuza culture, it is not proper to marry or even associate ones self with an oseu. As the story builds to a climax, so does Aku-nnas courage build. Her courage, in turn, builds her defiance. After Aku-nnas menstruation has become public knowledge, she refuses to eat the chicken that has been slaughtered in her honor. At this point in the story, Aku-nna registers what very well might have been her first defiant thought. She was beginning to feel that it was unjust that she was not to be allowed a say in her own life, and she was beginning to hate her mother for being so passive about it all. As she stands in front of Okoboshi, the young man who has kidnapped her as a potential bride, Aku-nna loudly and forcefully speaks out in an attempt to save herself. It is out of fear of not only being raped but also of being deprived of ever seeing Chike again that she finds her voice and creates a story so vile that Okoboshi leaves her alone. The vile story that she creates is a lie, but the lie represents the epitome of her defiance. She tells Okoboshi that she is not a virgin; and, furthermore, she lost her virginity to a descendant of a slave. In so doing, Aku-nna risks everything, possibly even her life. Her uncle would surely kill her on sight but if she was forced to live with these people for long, she would soon die, for that was the intention behind all the taboos and customs. Anyone who contravened them was better dead and when you were dead, people would ask: Did we not say so? Nobody goes against the laws of the land and survives. Although Aku-nna has made her own choice to run away from her arranged marriage and marry Chike against her parents wishes, she cannot let go of the myth that plagues her: If a girl wishes to live long and see her childrens children, she must accept the husband chosen for her by her people if the bride price was not paid, she would never survive the birth of her first child (168). Though Chikes father offered to pay Aku-nnas bride price, her uncle simply refused to accept it, and therefore cursed her to die. In the end of the story, Aku-nna dies in childbirth, and her legend is used to further reinforce the threat of grim results for women who make their own choices. These stories remind its readers of an ugly blemish on human history. It reminds one that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes. However, even with these mistakes, we can cleanse ourselves and purify ourselves by making what is wrong right. As in The Bride Price where Aku-nna stands for what she believes in and what she loves and John Proctor standing for what he valued, both were defiant against their setting or community. The sufferings become to the sufferer like a crucible, and one must pay the price be it a bride price or the price of life. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Phase Model of Globalization
Phase Model of Globalization The intention of this paper is to give an outline of the stages in the phase model of globalisation. It will talk about each of the four stages and some associated advantages and disadvantages with each. Also this paper will be looking at companies within Australia that represent each of the stages in the phase model. Introduction Globalisation is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. (StateUniversityofNewYork)Globalisation is a defining word of our age and the way in which we live; globalisation affects people, companies, their workforce and consumers. It affects all aspects, not just of the corporate world, but transactional and cultural relationships generally and so affects how we live and how we interact, no matter where we live (Stanley J. Paliwoda 2009). Globalisation has been accelerated by falling trade barriers, the spread of free trade and trade harmonisation in an electronic age, bringing a reduction in the bureaucracy surrounding international trade and increased speed to the way in which communications relay changes anywhere in the world (Stanley J. Paliwoda 2009). There are four stages in the phase model of globalisation they are Export ing, Cooperative contracts, Strategic alliances and Wholly owned affiliates (McWilliams 2010). In the following paper all four stages will be analysed and using Australian companies who operate at each stage the risks and major disadvantages will be identified and outlined. Body With todayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s more and more globalised world the yearly value of global trade in the form of exports and imports is expected to exceed $12 trillion. In most recent years world trade has consistently grown at a more rapid rate than world productivity (BusinessVictoria 2008). The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country, in summary it means selling domestically produced products to customers in foreign countries (McWilliams 2010) the main risks with exporting are high financial costs, ever increasing trade barriers, and greater political, legal and cultural complexity. An example of an Australian company that uses exporting is the iconic Australian swimwear brand Speedo who export their items to countries such as UK, Japan, France, Italy and Germany (Speedo 2010), also many other well known Australian fashion designers such as Lisa Ho, sass bide and Ksubi (AustralianGovernment 2010 ) have increased the exportation of their designs and lines internationally over the past decade. The next phase in the model is known as cooperative contracts and it comprises of two commonly used types; Licensing and Franchising. Licensing is an agreement in which a domestic company, the licensor, receives royalty payments for allowing another company, the licensee, to produce the licensorà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s product, sell its service or use its brand name in a specified foreign market (McWilliams 2010). The use of licensing in industry can open up gaps for risks to occur, such as the licensor giving up control over the quality of the product or the service sold by the foreign licensee also licensees can eventually become competitors, especially when a licensing agreement includes access to important technology or proprietary knowledge. In Australia Telstra is a main company which is using licensee stores, the Telstra Licensed shops (Telstra 2010) can be located in all major cities and shopping centres. A business or company also has the option of franchising; th is is a collection of networked firms in which the manufacturer or marketer of a product or service, the franchisor, licences the entire business to another person or organisation, the franchisee (McWilliams 2010). Compared to licensing its risks are more numerous; at the end of the franchise term, the franchisor is not obliged to renew the franchise, in which case the business and its goodwill revert to the franchisor. Some franchises have restrictions in place which means you are limited where you may operate and/or promote your business; franchisees generally have to operate the business according to the franchisors operations manual. In Australia we have many well known franchised companies one being The Coffee Club which has 270 stores across Australia, New Zealand and Thailand (Reed 2010)and the popular chain of Healthy Habits which now has 32 stores nationally (Reed 2010) The Strategic alliance phase is an agreement in which companies combine key resources, costs, risk, technology and people (McWilliams 2010). Strategic alliances are becoming more and more prominent in the global economy, more than 20,000 corporate alliances have been formed worldwide over the past two years, and the number of alliances in the USA has grown by 25 percent each year since 1987 (Elmuti and Kathawala 2001). There are four types of strategic alliances; joint ventures, equity strategic alliance, non-equity strategic alliance, and global strategic alliances. The most common form of strategic alliance is joint ventures which involve two or more companies or individuals in a partnership for a particular purpose (Bambi Faivre Walters 2008-2010). The more valuable the complementary assets held by a local firm, the more likely a foreign firm will choose a joint venture as a means by which to enter a host market (Chiao, Lo et al. 2006). Some major disadvantages with this stage are ; the overcoming of language and cultural barriers, clash of egos and company cultures, dealing with conflicting objectives, strategies, corporate values, and ethical standards and the time consuming for managers in terms of communication, trust-building, and coordination costs (Ellay 2009). A recent joint venture was the merger of Vodaphone and 3 mobile who now fall under the joint company of VHA. VHA markets its products and services under the Vodafone brand, but retains exclusive rights to use the 3 brand in Australia (Gedda 2009) Wholly owned affiliates is the final phase in the model, these companies are foreign offices, facilities and manufacturing plants that are 100% owned by the parent company (McWilliams 2010). There is a distinct primary advantage to this which is that the parent company receives all of the profits and has complete control over the foreign facilities, but the biggest disadvantage to the use of this phase in business is the expense of building new operations or buying existing businesses, this is phase is also commonly referred to as build or buy. In situations of non-firm-specific assets, joint ventures are superior to wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are highly exposed to environmental uncertainty. In situations involving firm-specific assets, wholly-owned subsidiaries may reduce the risks of delay and opportunistic behaviour by partners in uncertain environment (Chiao, Lo et al. 2006). Mitsui EP Australia Pty Ltd (MEPAU) is an example of Australian company that is wholly owned affili ates. It is a 100% affiliated company of Mitsui Co., Ltd and Mitsuià ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s main investments are largely in the Australian and New Zealand energy sector (Mitsui 2010). While the payoff can be enormous if wholly owned affiliates succeed, the losses can be immense if they fail, because the parent company assumes all of the risk (McWilliams 2010) Conclusion In summary, all of the four stages in the phase model of globalisation have immense impact on how businesses and companies evolve through time. Some businesses may choose not to follow the phase model step by step, they can opt to skip stages on the way; there are also a majority of businesses choosing not to follow this phase model at all (McWilliams 2010). At first, globalisation was about taking advantage of minor expenses in offshore destinations, but now thriving globalisers recognise the additional major advantages to this and are taking on these advantages, where unsuccessful organisations are not. Each stage or phase of the model inherent its own levels of risks; but to make sure there is successful implementation of these phases requires conscientious planning, and also requires continuing management, and strong dedication from the business and organisation leaders.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Convergence in Technology Essay -- Essays Papers
Convergence in Technology The concept of a â€Å"global village†or a united community around the world has only in these last few years become a concept widely thought of. However, it seems that the idea of a large-scale sharing of information has long been developing, whether intended or not. The tools of communication have long served a single purpose, that of transmitting information from people to people. Direct communication was long ago realised with sign language and speech, but when people spread out, a kind indirect communication was needed. Thus we created (or rather, hired) the messenger. (Necessity is the mother of invention.) This evolved later into a postal service, connected around the world by a network of synchronised offices of a similar nature. For a long time, indirect communication was the only way to communicate over long distances. Once the telegraph came along, however, people were able to instantly communicate information over long distances. This evolved somewhat into the telephone, which spawned the radio and television. As these were developed, the efficiency and clarity of these transmissions improved, and this allowed the world to know what was happening anywhere else in the world at any given time. At this same time, programmable computers were finally coming to be used. Information was input to these machines and stored on tapes that could be put onto different computers to be run. This paralleled postal mail in a form of indirect communication. However, computers were also already based in intercommunication, because computers are systems of smaller functioning devices connected to perform a function or process. The evolution of computers’ communicating then evolved by extending direct connections between these large systems, sharing information. With the invention of the modem, computers could communicate piggybacking a system that people already used. As the modem developed, communications speeds increased. The state of convergence began when people were communicating increased types of information through these computers. First program data, statistics, stock market quotes, news, specific interest information, and finally personal information. Computers became a method of communication within themselves. The increased usage of modems for things like e-mail and on-line forums came about even... ... to use our computer, connected through the internet via our TV cable outlet and displayed on our High-Definition TV, to watch a â€Å"TV show†broadcast via the internet. The ultimate point of convergence I envision for the future is a single fibre-optic cable in our homes (perhaps brought to us by ShawTel?) as a conduit to what we know now as the Internet. Fad appliances like WebTV will be eliminated due to their inadequateness and will be replaced by integrated systems within a household. They will provide for our entertainment needs with interactive broadcast programs, news reports of only the stories or areas we request, and communication via a video and audio connection to anyone, anywhere in the world. This battle for supremacy over who will control the future of communication will be fought largely between the telecommunications companies and the Cable TV companies. Perhaps mergers will be sought, or some companies will be run out of business because of their inability to keep up. Millions of dollars will be lost and billions will be made, but the end product will create a closely-knit global community, able to communicate instantly regardless of language or location.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Auditory Localization Essay -- Hearing Sound Perception Essays
Auditory Localization Auditory localization is the ability to recognize the location from which a sound is emanating (Goldstine, 2002). There are many practical reasons for studying auditory localization. For example, previous research states that visual cues are necessary in locating a particular sound (Culling, 2000). However, blind people do not have the luxury of sight to help them locate a sound. Therefore, the ability to locate sound based only on auditory ability is important. It is also important to study different auditory processes. For example, when studying a way for a blind person to maneuver through an environment, it is helpful to know that people can most accurately locate sounds that happen directly in front of them; sounds that are far off, to the side, or behind the head are the least likely to be properly located (Goldstein, 2002). Three coordinate systems are utilized when attempting to locate a specific sound. The azimuth coordinate determines if a sound is located to the left or the right of a listener. The elevation coordinate differentiates between sounds that are up or down relative to the listener. Finally, the distance coordinate determines how far away a sound is from the receiver (Goldstine, 2002). Different aspects of the coordinate systems are also essential to sound localization. For example, when identifying the azimuth in a sound, three acoustic cues are used: spectral cues, interaural time differences (ITD), and interaural level differences (ILD) (Lorenzi, Gatehouse, & Lever, 1999). When dealing with sound localizaton, spectral cues are teh distribution of frequencies reaching teh ear. Brungart and Durlach (1999) (as seen in Shinn-Cunning, Santarelli, & Kopco, 1999) believed that as the ... ...Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 26 (6), 760-1769. Goldstein, E. (2002). Sensation and perception (Rev. ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth-Thomsom Learning. Lorenzi, C., Gatehouse, S., & Lever, C. (1999). Sound localization in noise in hearing impaired listeners. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 105 (6), 3454-3463. Lorenzi, C., Gatehouse, S., & Lever, C. (1999). Sound localization in noise in normal hearing listeners. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 105 (3), 1810-1820. McDonald, J., Teder-Salejarvi, W, & Hillyard, S. (2000). Involuntary orienting to sound improves visual perception. Nature, 407, 906-907. Shinn-Cunningham, B., Santarelli, S., & Kopco, N. (1999). Tori of Confusion: Binaural localization cues for sources within reach of the listener. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 107 (3), 1627-1636.
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