Wednesday, October 30, 2019

1905 Revolution in Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

1905 Revolution in Russia - Essay Example The research paper will also discuss why the Russian revolution was unsuccessful. Any changes witnessed due to the revolution will also be discussed in the paper. Introduction The Revolution of 1905 in Russia began on Sunday, January 9. This was after military guards massacred more than one thousand children, women, and men outside the Winter Place of the Tsar. On that Sunday, which came to1 be regarded as the bloody Sunday, 150, 000 workers on strike together with their families marched through St. Petersburg. The reaction to the massacre spread across the industrial centers, which experienced spontaneous strikes of workers (Ascher 2004, p. 68). Moreover, the massacre marked the beginning of armed preparations of workers. Peasants in the countryside extended their views through numerous evictions of landlords. It took more than one year for the Revolution to end and save the reactionary Tsar regime. This was despite the massive support the regime got from reactionaries and capitalis ts. Prior to the 1905 Revolution, Russia had witnessed a significant strike in 1902 and 1903. However, this was not the key factor that triggered the 1905 uprising. The main factor that triggered the Revolution was the Japanese and Russian War in 1904. During this war, Russian troops felt humiliated since the Japanese troops defeated them. As a result, the workers and the capitalist class perceived that the Tsar regime in Russia could easily be defeated. These high hopes of defeating the military triggered the onset of the Revolution. In addition, the War with Japan burdened the peasants and workers; this increased opposition to the Tsar regime. The Revolution can be regarded as an uprising of the Russian people who wanted change in their government (Ascher 2004, p. 70). Timeline of the Events du2ring the Russian Revolution of 1905 A timeline of the events during the Russian Revolution shows the occurrences witnessed during the Revolution. From January 3-8, 120, 000 striking workers marched through St. Petersburg as the government warned them against the protests. On the bloody Sunday of January 9, 150, 0000 striking workers together with their families marched in St. Petersburg. Their main aim was to deliver a protest to the Tsar, but the Russian army shot them down (Ascher 2004, p. 71). The reaction to this massacre spread to the neighboring regions; industries experienced numerous strikes of workers. On February, the strike spread to the Causasus; Grand-Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was assassinated in the height of the protests. During the same month, Nicholas II ordered the creation of an assembly to report on the reforms of the constitution. The following month, the unrest and the strikes reached the Urals and Siberia. On April 2, the second National Congress of Zemstovs demanded a constitutional assembly; this saw the formation of the Unions of Unions. The government got embarrassed on May due to the sinking of the Baltic Fleet, which had spent seven months sailing round to Japan. On June, the government used soldiers to counter strikers in Lodz, and on June 18, Odessa was halted following a massive strike. From June 14-24, there occurred a mutiny of Sailors on Battleship Potemkin. The first conference of the Peasants union was held in Moscow on August; the same month, Nizhnii held the first Congress, which comprised of the Muslim Union (Ascher 2004, p. 72). On August 6, Tsar issued a 3manifesto that detailed the creation of a state Duma; however, this plan faced massive rejection from the revolutionaries on grounds of its weak structure. The treaty of Portsmouth on August

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Are Same Sex Sexual Relationships Morally Permissible?

Are Same Sex Sexual Relationships Morally Permissible? Homosexuality has been for much of recorded human history a controversial topic, and has become even more so with the advent of religion. Most, if not all religious systems vehemently oppose homosexuality, so far as to condemn homosexuals to everlasting torture in the fires of hell. However, judging the immorality of a deed simply by referring to divine sources is fallacious; it runs contrary to established modern intellectual systems of determining what actions are right and what actions are wrong. In the twentieth century world, reason and well thought out and expressed arguments alone dictate the moral standing of deeds, and any other decision for that matter. The most appropriate method of arguing for or against an ethical issue in the context of its applicability to society is to test it against well-established moral/ethical theories and see how it stacks up. Thus, in this paper I shall argue that homosexuality doesnt contradict the major ethical theories, namely Utilitarianism , Kantian ethics (deontological perspective) followed by a rebuttal of some common arguments against homosexuality. Utilitarianism is a fundamentally consequentialist position, claiming that actions should be judged by their consequences, specifically the level of general happiness they bring about. Hence, in accordance with utilitarianism, one should evaluate the level of general happiness an action brings about versus the amount of pain/suffering it causes. All actions that increase the level of general happiness are morally permissible, and actions that bring about suffering are morally not permissible. To discuss homosexuality on utilitarian grounds, we must therefore first and foremost decide on its consequentialist standing i.e. where it stands on the utilitarian meter of increasing happiness and decreasing pain vs. increasing pain and decreasing pleasure. People who feel that that is what pleases them practice homosexuality. They do so out of personal choice and after much self-deliberation. In fact, since heterosexuality is the norm, converting to homosexuality would be akin to being a mas ochist, i.e. choosing to indulge in that which causes us displeasure in addition to having to face heavy opposition from relatives and society, and those types of homosexuals are beyond the scope of my paper. Hence, if you choose to accept that no individual who prefers a heterosexual lifestyle would adopt a homosexual one, then you agree that those who chose a homosexual lifestyle do so because it is what pleases them. Thus, homosexuality brings about pleasure to homosexuals, and so long as these homosexuals do not attempt to impose their homosexuality on heterosexuals (by harassing or raping them), then the heterosexual population has no right to claim that homosexuality causes them displeasure. For them to claim so, the only means by which homosexuality would have caused them displeasure is by disgusting them i.e. it is distasteful to their senses (since obviously it is not displeasuring them directly, it can only do so then indirectly by being distasteful). Such an argument woul d be fallacious and of the form: P1) All disgusting actions are immoral. P2) Homosexuality is disgusting. C) Homosexuality is immoral. While this argument is valid, it is unsound since the first premise is false. Not all disgusting actions are immoral. For example, collecting the trash is disgusting, does that make it immoral? Homosexuality does not cause any pain or displeasure. Stigmatizing homosexuality on the grounds that it is disgusting is faulty as we argued above. (Common arguments such as homosexual rapists harm children and other victims, homosexuality brings about STDs and so on are irrelevant since they apply to heterosexual acts in the same way they apply to homosexual actions.) Thus, homosexuality does not, and for that matter cannot, harm homosexuals. All it can do is bring pleasure to the people who willfully practice it (because it is what brings them pleasure). On utilitarian grounds, homosexuality increases pleasure (although for a specific part of the population) and does not cause any displeasure or pain. It satisfies the criteria for a moral act as outlined by the Utilitarian ethical system. Kantian ethics is a moral philosophy that is not a consequentialist one. It judges acts not by what their consequences are, but by how they hold under certain imperatives, and maintain the rational and free nature of humans. The principle of universizablity commits us to acting only on those maxims that do not lead to a self-contradictory maxim, and also, when universalized do not undermine the point of the action (class slides.) To test homosexuality against the categorical imperative we begin by formulating our maxim. Note that a common misconception is to formulate the maxim Practice homosexuality or some form of that. This is incorrect as this paper does not seek to argue that all people should be homosexuals, but rather that people that are homosexual are justified in acting homosexually. Let us suppose our maxim is Practice whichever sexual acts that bring you pleasure. Upon consideration, we see that this maxim brings about pleasure to whoever abides by it. Next we generalize this principle to a universal law and see its consequences. Assume a world where people practice whichever sexual acts please them, of course, without imposing their sexual desires on others. Such a world would be very similar to the world in which we live in, which is remarkably pleasant to live in as opposed to one that is a very morally tight society. Moreover, we note that such a maxim, when generalized does not lead to a contradictory world. Furthermore, as we shall see next, homosexuality holds under scrutiny by the principle of humanity. The principle of humanity defines a rightful or moral deed as one that does not use any other person as a mere means, but as an end in themselves. As discussed above, homosexual people choose homosexual acts because it brings them pleasure. Thus, when homosexual people indulge in homosexual activities as consenting adults, they both choose to do so. Since they both chose to indulge in this, and so long as theyre both content with this, then n either is using the other as a mere means, but as an end in themselves. To argue otherwise would be similar to arguing against other heterosexual acts. Other cases where the people do not consent to indulging in the sex are similar to cases of heterosexual people who do not consent to the sex they are having. Finally, we shall consider some common arguments against homosexuality and offer possible response to them in the context of the Utilitarian and Kantian moral theories. To begin with we shall consider the unnaturalness argument and its derivatives. A commonplace argument against homosexuality is that it is a misuse of the bodys organs. Such an argument violates the categorical imperative. To show this, let us attempt to generalize it into a universal law. We begin by formulating a maxim That action which violates the principal use of an organ is immoral. After generalizing this into a universal law, we run into a contradiction, as this yields a world we cannot live in. Consider for example applying this rule to any other body organ. The mouth is primarily for eating, and thus any other action apart from eating is immoral, and hence kissing, speaking, breathing from your mouth and so on would all become immoral. Thus the argument that homosexuality is immoral because it violates the p rincipal use of an organ is not applicable since it violates the categorical imperative. Furthermore, if the misuse of the reproductive organs is immoral because it doesnt lead to procreation, where does that place religious figures that take vows of celibacy? The nonuse of an organ is just as immoral as the misuse of one, since the immorality is based on its failure to result in reproduction. Moreover, another derivative of the unnaturalness of homosexuality argument is that homosexuality is unnatural in that it is not found in nature, i.e. animals do not practice homosexuality. First and foremost, the premise on which this argument rests is invalid, as studies have shown that there are certain animals that practice homosexuality. Moreover, basing our moral standards on the practices of animals is an incredibly fragile argument as one can easily observe that many of human practices are not practiced by animals, such as brushing our teeth, showering and so on. In addition, many prop onents of homosexuality argue that labeling homosexuality as not immoral would lead to the extinction of the human race. This argument is a gross exaggeration. An argument of the form P1) Homosexuals cannot reproduce. P2) If homosexuality were deemed not immoral then many people would become homosexual. C) The human race will eventually become extinct. Such an argument is invalid, and unsound as the second premise is faulty. If homosexuality were not to be frowned upon it does not follow that many people would become homosexuals. No heterosexual person would willfully choose to become a homosexual simply because it is not immoral to do so. This is because one chooses to indulge in homosexuality because it is a sexual preference. Moreover, while not a fundamental argument against the extinction of the human race argument, it would be thoughtful to consider whether a decrease in the rate of human reproduction would not actually be beneficial to the human society given the problems of overpopulation that we suffer from now. In conclusion, homosexuality cannot be deemed immoral as it holds under scrutiny by the major ethical systems: Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics. It increases the happiness of the homosexual community without causing any pain or displeasure to the heterosexual community. This of course is contingent upon the homosexual people not imposing their sexuality on others i.e. rape or harassment. It should be duly noted that even if some homosexuals raped or harassed other individuals, be him/her a homosexual or a heterosexual, this cannot be an argument against homosexuality per se as heterosexuals also rape and harass other heterosexuals. Moreover, it satisfies the categorical imperative in addition to the principle of humanity by not using anyone as a mere means. Homosexuals should not be discriminated against, as their sexual preference is their own personal choice, and solely their business. Given our rights to freedom of choice that we so proudly advocate and vehemently defend, we shou ld extend this right to include the freedom of sexual preference. Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio: Themes and Effects Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio: Themes and Effects Title: Discuss the implications of Sherwood Anderson’s introduction to Winesburg, Ohio: ‘The Book of the Grotesque’. Sherwood Anderson’s post-war ‘novel’ of America in microcosm, Winesburg, Ohio, was first published in 1919. Undoubtedly, the timing of the collection of linked stories all set in Anderson’s fictional ‘Winesburg’ (like Hardy’s Wessex) influenced the critical approbation it received. It represents a dislocated people torn and shattered by war: a ‘wasteland’ such as T.S. Eliot had created in his 1922 poem of that name. Like Joyce’s Dubliners (1914) the sequence of tales is connected by major themes which Anderson sees as either representative of, or a threat to, modern life. He creates a presence from an absence, a connected representative vision from a fragmented centre. Most of the themes, and their implications, on which Anderson focuses are revealed in the introductory story to the collection, ‘The Book of the Grotesque’ which was the original title of the collection. The fact that Anderson wanted to pla ce such emphasis on the ‘grotesque’ is of primary importance when attempting to locate the author’s themes and their implications. For Anderson, like the writer in the first story, ‘salvation’ from immersion into the grotesque comes not merely from the experience of moments of vision but also from the ability to incorporate them within life in order to re-vitalise it. Strikingly, theme and method interweave to create the consciousness of the visionary or surreal within the recognition of the espoused impossibility of completion. Anderson was determined that the real and the imagined should remain separate forces but also that both should maintain importance. Again, like the writer in his tale, he is constantly reminded of the intrusion upon each ‘world’ by the other and the implications of this: The distinction that he is making [†¦] is not between truth and lie, or between fiction and nonfiction, but between separate spheres of reality. Fancy for Anderson suggests imaginative and compassionate understanding of the beauty within the most grotesque of human actions.[1] The writer in the tale might survive becoming a ‘grotesque’ but he also fails to complete his writing and the immense implication of this is that even when the ‘grotesque’ is avoided, it appears inevitable that the intrusions of reality cause humanity’s plans to fail just as they are continuously altered by social, historical and political events. In a country so recently ravaged by war and about to undergo radical social upheaval, the implications of this are clear. Anderson chooses to make this implicit connection by citing the example of a man whose plans to have a carpenter alter his bed irrevocably change his life: The writer, an old man with a white mustache, had some difficulty in getting into bed. The windows of the house in which he lived were high and he wanted to look at the trees when he awoke in the morning. A carpenter came to fix the bed so that it would be on a level with the window. (p. 1). The full importance of this opening statement, with its beautifully simple syntax, does not strike the reader until much later in the story, perhaps not even until the completion of the reading of the stories as a whole. With the benefit of hindsight, the reader sees that Anderson’s theme is manifest from the first: the ‘old man’, physically impeded, desires to see further, to see ‘the trees when he awoke in the morning’, yet, what the subliminal reading invokes is that the desire to see beyond what we realise is not always present in our intentions; indeed, we may not even be aware of them. The ‘awakening’ comes not with the ‘morning’ but with the recognition of the interiorisation of longings influencing the human directive but being constantly obscured. Thus, though the ‘carpenter’ does indeed come to ‘fix the bed’ he does a lot more besides, in which the old man plays no directive part: ‘fo r a time the two men talked of the raising of the bed and then they talked of other things’ (p. 1). The ‘other things’, are what initiate the directive of the tale, as, Anderson seems to imply, they do with life, serendipity playing more of a role than we realize in our lives: Sherwood Anderson [†¦] was and still is a man of his times. His life and his career are a pictorial history of the unique mood of the modern America which produced them and made them possible.[2]. We are told that the carpenter ‘had been a soldier in the Civil War’ (p. 1) and this immediately gifts the narrative with a textual historicity which deepens its resonance (the Civil War is also referred to in another of the tales, ‘Godliness’: Part 1). Many of Anderson’s readers, after all, were within living memory of the war that split the American nation and again, its profound recognition of the nature of war, so fresh in the minds of those of the post World War era, to inflict pain beyond the immediate is recognized as significant: The carpenter had once been a prisoner in Andersonville prison and had lost a brother. The brother had died of starvation, and whenever the carpenter got upon that subject he cried. (p. 1) Again, the simplicity inestimably aids the poignancy of the telling; Anderson has no need to dwell upon the melancholy, it is self-evident. Moreover, the idea that the ‘ordinary man’, which the carpenter represents, has personal experience of the pain of loss in a past which continues to intrude upon the present; he cannot escape. Although Anderson states clearly that ‘the weeping old man with the cigar in his mouth was ludicrous’ (p. 2), avoiding the faux sentimentality of other contemporary writers, nevertheless, the writer’s plans are widely changed by him and the carpenter alters the bed ‘his own way’ (p. 2). The implication is not just that our plans are changed by present and future events but also that the past is never merely a memory but a constantly present inhabitant of life, a ‘reality’ beyond our reach to restrict or deny, and ‘stamped upon much of our contemporary fiction’[3]. Anderson has already l aid the foundation of the interchanging but ostensibly rigid boundaries of the actual and the imagined which are to cause perpetual interplay within the stories and in some sense all the characters and events are connected with himself: Sherwood Anderson is to be grouped among the most subjective of writers. He has created heroes with many different names; but each of them is the same man a projection in one direction or another of Anderson himself.[4]. Anderson begins now to build on these implications by obscuring life’s most basic and fearful boundary, death, by means of the old man’s imaginative sensibility. The carpenter has been instrumental in this, since he has brought into the narrative a death that is real, remembered and imagined; his memory is the conduit for this mutation of time and of feeling. The irony is that the author is haunted by death, yet: ‘ It did not alarm him’ (p.2 ). Death is inverted as a presence which revitalises the old man as ‘a special thing and not easily explained’ (p.2). Moreover, ‘something inside him was altogether young’ (p.2) and extraordinarily that ‘something’ is a ‘woman, young’. Anderson writes of this as like a pregnancy but what he gives birth to is an idea of the ‘grotesques’ of his previous life and relationships. Significantly, the writer switches subtly to address the reader more directly here, emphasising the idea that: It is absurd, you see, to try to tell what was inside the old writer as he lay on his high bed and listened to the fluttering of his heart. The thing to get at is what the writer, or the young thing within the writer, was thinking about. (p. 2) The ambivalent sexuality of the image is one of many which disturbed careful readers of the time, ‘back in 1919 the book was talked about only in whispers’[5].. Yet, its implications for authorship are important since an author is perpetually ‘giving birth’ and the idea of being both mother and father of his creations informs not just the sexual imagery of this story but also of others in the sequence, such as ‘Hands’ where the protagonist is accused of molestation: ‘Anderson sensed a mystery in human sexuality that defies an easy reduction’[6]. This represents a significant challenge to contemporary social attitudes towards sexuality, as women were accorded status principally allied to that of their male partners and sexual preferences were predisposed indisputably towards the heterosexual. As is typical of Anderson, he refuses to adopt or adhere to the rigidity of a society so recently war-torn and about to undergo a momentous per iod in its history from which it would not emerged unscathed or unchanged. By anticipating and pre-empting these changes, Anderson places his writing ahead of its time both in style and socio-political context. The old man in the tale now proceeds to invite into his consciousness the images of past passions, a theme he also alludes to in another of the stories, ‘Mother’. The reader is told that the old man has known people ‘in a peculiar intimate way [†¦] different from the way in which you and I know people’ (p. 3) and subsequently that ‘the writer had a dream that was not a dream’ (p. 3): this dream is the key to the subliminal implications of the tale as it is the precursor of the writing which does and does not take place: You see the interest in all this lies in the figures that went before the eyes of the writer. They were all grotesques. All of the men and women the writer had ever known had become grotesques. (p. 3). The introduction of the ‘grotesques’, not ‘all horrible’, is a pivotal moment in the tale, just as all the grotesques’ lives will be turned by such a moment in time, and the old man/writer’s perception of this is, like the reactions of the grotesques, crucial in their lives. In many ways, it is less significant that the book is not published than that it has been ‘seen’ by the author, who is gripped by ‘one central thought that is very strange and has always remained with [him]’, facilitating, we are encouraged to believe, the writing of his own book: The old man had listed hundreds of the truths in his book. I will not try to tell you of all of them. There was the truth of virginity and the truth of passion, the truth of wealth and of poverty, of thrift and of profligacy, of carelessness and abandon. Hundreds and hundreds were the truths and they were all beautiful. (p. 4) Hence, the imagined and the real feed one another but remain separate, for ‘truths’ are not the same as facts and ‘it was the truths that made the people grotesques’ (p. 5). Moreover, Anderson lays bare, here, the principal informatives of his sequence: The old man had quite an elaborate theory concerning the matter. It was his notion that the moment one of the people took one of the truths to himself, called it his truth, and tried to live his life by it, he became a grotesque and the truth he embraced became a falsehood. (p. 5) Anderson concludes his tale by making brief reference to the carpenter, one of ‘what are called the very common people’ (p. 5) yet contradicting this description by making him extraordinary as ‘the nearest thing to what is understandable and lovable of all the grotesques in the writers book’. (p. 5) Certainly, Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio set in ‘the critical decade which followed the world war’[7] can be seen as a groundbreaking novel, both in structure and content and ‘the failure of [Anderson’s] heterosexual relationships has often been cited as the reason for the â€Å"grotesque† nature of several of Winesburgs inhabitants’[8]. The stories confront issues that were to inform American writing and the socio-political post-war infrastructure as well as the realization of Modernist and post-Modernist fiction. A writer ahead of his time, Anderson is clearly shaped by the era in which he lived and was thus representative of the past, present and future as is the sequence of stories in his seminal ‘novel’ of ‘the troubled lives of the small-town individuals’[9]. Sources [1]  Adams, Timothy Dow, Telling Lies in Modern American Autobiography, (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), p. 44. [2]  Hatcher, Harlan, Creating the Modern American Novel, (New York: Hatcher, Farrar Rinehart, 1935), P. 155. [3] Hatcher, Harlan, Creating the Modern American Novel, (New York: Hatcher, Farrar Rinehart, 1935), P. 157. [4]  Loggins, Vernon, I Hear America : Literature in the United States since 1900, (New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1967), p. 151. [5]  Loggins, Vernon, I Hear America : Literature in the United States since 1900, (New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1967), p. 157. [6] Ellis, James, ‘Sherwood Andersons Fear of Sexuality: Horses, Men, and Homosexuality’, Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 30, 1993 (Michigan: Gale Group). [7] Van Doren, Carl, The American Novel, 1789-1939, (New York: Macmillan, 1940), p. 334. [8] Whalan, Mark, ‘Dreams of Manhood: Narrative, Gender, and History in Winesburg, Ohio’, Studies in American Fiction, Vol 30, 2002 (Boston: Northeastern University). [9] Thomas, F. Richard, Literary Admirers of Alfred Stieglitz, (Carbondale, IL.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1983), p. 65. Bibliography: Adams, Timothy Dow, Telling Lies in Modern American Autobiography, (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1990). Anderson, Sherwood, Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life, (New York: Modern Library, 1919). Angoff, Allan, American Writing Today: Its Independence and Vigor, (New York: New York University Press, 1957). Bryer, Jackson R., Sixteen Modern American Authors: A Survey of Research and Criticism, (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1974). Elliott, Emery, ed., The Columbia History of the American Novel, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1991). Ellis, James, ‘Sherwood Andersons Fear of Sexuality: Horses, Men, and Homosexuality’, Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 30, 1993 (Michigan: Gale Group). Fiedler, Leslie A., Love and Death in the American Novel, (Stein and Day, 1966). Fisher, Philip, Hard Facts: Setting and Form in the American Novel, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987). Hatcher, Harlan, Creating the Modern American Novel, (New York: Hatcher, Farrar Rinehart, 1935). Loggins, Vernon, I Hear America : Literature in the United States since 1900, (New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1967). Noe, Marcia, ed., Exploring the Midwestern Literary Imagination: Essays in Honor of David D. Anderson, (Troy, N.Y.: Whitston Publishing Company, 1993). Thomas, F. Richard, Literary Admirers of Alfred Stieglitz, (Carbondale, IL.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1983). Wagenknecht, Edward, Cavalcade of the American Novel: From the Birth of the Nation to the Middle of the Twentieth Century, (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1952). Whalan, Mark, ‘Dreams of Manhood: Narrative, Gender, and History in Winesburg, Ohio, Studies in American Fiction, Vol 30, 2002 (Boston: Northeastern University). Van Doren, Carl, The American Novel, 1789-1939, (New York: Macmillan, 1940).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Concept Analysis on Self Perception Essay -- Psychology

This is a concept analysis on self-perception. Self-perception is non-discriminatory in that it crosses all socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The effects of self-perception can be and usually are life altering. Self-perception can tear at the fabric of the victim's self-confidence, self-worth and trust in their perceptions when relating to life events, eventually causing a chasm or warped view of the inner self. The reason for examining self-perception relates to how it affects the healing process and the relationships with those providing care. Introduction Working in a healthcare system you encounter people from various ages and statuses. It has always been concerning to see how self-perception affects a person’s wellbeing. Understanding self-perception is to also understand how people change both internally and externally depending on the perception that they have of themselves and how professionals in the healthcare field can help to mend that self-perception. The long term effects of self-perception are both psychological and physiological and play a direct role in the healing process. Purpose The purpose of this concept analysis is to (1) understand self-perception (2) define and understand the critical attributes within the framework of nursing, philosophy, society and psychology (3) consider the long term effects of self-perception. To fully understand self-perception we must first understand how it is defined. The following definitions and explanations of the word ‘self-perception’ come from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 5th Edition. Self-perception is defined as an awareness of the characteristics that constitute one’s self; self-knowledge. Self-Perception is ve... ...self running low on self-esteem. (1995, November-December). Psychology Today, 28(6) Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA17537882&v=2.1&u=tel_s_tsla&it=r&p=PPPC&sw=w Modell, Arnold H. (1924) The private self. Copyright 1993 by the president and fellows of Harvard College. Library of congress cataloging in publication data. Riding, Richard J. & Rayner, Stephen G. (Eds.). (2001). International Perspective on Individual Differences. Self Perception. Vol. 2 (2) Liberman, Matthew D., Pfeifer, Jennifer H. The self and social perception: Three kinds of questions in social cognitive neuroscience. Retrieved from http://www.scn.ucla.edu/pdf/chapter7.pdf Goodwin, Renee & Engstrom, Gunnar. (2002). Personality and the perception of health in the general population. Psychological Medicine, 32, pp 325-332 doi: 10.1017/S0033291701005104

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (GPS), the pioneer in navigation technology, was launched by the government of USA for military purposes to guide the missiles and to move targets. The systems currently consist of 31 satellites (as of March 14, 2018) orbiting twice a day in circular motion at an altitude of 20,200 km. GPS provides precision in computing the velocity, position and time. Although, it is subsidized and maintained by Department of Defense, the civil users across the world use it, at free of cost for various purposes.TechnologyGPS consists of three segments namely, the satellite or the space segment, user segment and the control segment. The space segment consists of satellites, the user segment are the GPS receivers and the control segment helps to monitor the satellite operations. There are five control units to monitor the proper functioning of the satellites, and they are stationed in Krasnosnamensk (Moscow), Schtscholkowo (Moscow), Komsomolsk (Russia), St. Petersburg (Florida) and Ternopil (Ukraine). The location of the user is determined by the line of visibility of four or more satellites and measured by two factors: pseudorange and carrier phase. Usually three satellites points to the coordinates of the user and the fourth is for the user's clock error. The GPS tracking system which is augmented by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) which is orbiting at an altitude closest to the earth's surface provides comprehensive internet access to remote areas even with low intensive users. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones having integrates sensors and GPS receivers uses multicopter technology to fly and capture photos and videos. The drones are capable in identifying objects and avoiding collisions and quickly react to the environmental disturbances like wind, tress, buildings by adjusting their position and movements accordingly. Most importantly, the multicopters have an automatic landing when there is an interruption of signals. UsesWhen people affected by Dementia or Alzheimer's are lost, the GPS tracking device helps to locate the person. The devices are available in various forms to wear them as watch or as pendant around the neck or in the soles of shoes and or can be even attached to the clothing of the patient. Apparently, to avoid restricting such people within nursing homes, it maximised the autonomy and protected them from getting lost. Perhaps, these devices not only help to monitor the location of the person but has fall sensors to alert the caregiver in case of an emergency. The usage of drones in live sports telecasting is an added advantage giving stunning views and movements to the spectators. As they are smaller in size and less noisy, the drones are able to manoeuvre and get some closer shots which helps in decision making in the corresponding sport.Materials and MethodsResultsConclusionOver the years, there will be a paradigm shift for business running with GPS technologies by Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) or Galileo. GLONASS was the system developed by the Soviet Union whereas Galileo by the Europe Union (Rizos, 2003). Although, these satellites differ in orbital planes and the altitude from the earth, they provide accurate navigation to the military and the common man. Today, there are several networking and telecommunication companies like St-Ericsson, Qualcomm and Broadcom to offer devices supporting GPS and GLONASS.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Nundies Sase Study Essay

1. How would you characterize the situation facing Advanced Materials with respect to Nundies in January 2008? Nundies means no undies which are disposable thin panty that made for woman who like invisible panty lines and wish to wear thin liner instead of wearing traditional under wear. Nundies sell its product through different channels but mainly through women’s specialty shops which counted 242 in 2007. It also distributes its products online at its official website as well as many other store websites. The main purpose of Nundies is to offer women who dislike underwear a convenient and comfortable product. The biggest advantage for Nundies is that there are only substitute products available in the market, the product it offers has no direct competitors. Now the primary problem Nundies facing is that Nundies’s expectations are failed due to the low store repurchase rate. Apart from the initial purchase, only approximately 6% stores placed additional orders for extra units and only 10% of reorders are included in the total units sold. In addition, although the online activity is considered to be positive, it is not used frequently enough in terms of reorder. The amount of panties included in a single package is another problem and will be discussed in the next question. Other problems includes the sales person in stores do not promote Nundies enough. They think Nundies can sell themselves because they are already displaying on the shelves. So sales person do not talk about the product or recommend Nundies to their customers. Actually, customers with interest to Nundies seem to be embarrassed by showing their interest in stores. Therefore the passive attitude of sales person has a direct impact on the sales of Nundies’ products. Moreover, Nundies’s products displays together with other merchandise in shops means its products merge in with other goods, customer would possibly miss Nundies’s products and this result in a  big loss in sales. As a result, if store personnel do not suggest or promote Nundies’s products and Nundies are not properly displayed in stores, Nundies will face a decrease in sales as well as affect the reordering from other companies. This will impact Nundies’s profits and sales. Advanced Materials Inc is a manufacturing company with large industrial customer base. It changed its strategy to focus on promoting its own product and transforming the capabilities of its product development to be customer based. The main target markets are medical and consumer market. Core capability of AMI is to produce single use medical grade products. Therefore the launch of Nundies was very innovative for AMI. 2. How would you describe the introductory program for Nundies, including the market target, value proposition, and each marketing mix element? Advanced Materials Inc.’s new product Nundies is very different from the past products manufactured by Advanced Material Inc. It represents the company’s transition to consumer and proprietary medical products from foam fabricator manufacturing business. The manufacturing costs to produce a single liner include material and labor cost which is estimated to be $0.6 per unit. Three colors, buff, black and assorted would be produced in a package. And 5 count plastic pillow packages would be created to package the liners and each cost $0.45 to produce. Nundies provide retail stores 5-count package with the wholesale price of $7 and selling price to customers is $15. Furthermore, for each 5-count packages sold, Nundies offers 12% commission on the wholesale price to its agents. This agent’s responsibility is to increase Nundies’s distribution coverage amoung specialty stores for Nundies as well as women’s boutique stores. According to the marketing research of Nundies, 30.9 percent, which is the largest percentage in women’s underwear sales goes to women’s boutique and specialty shops. Department stores rank the second with the number of 30.7% and followed by 29.1% from mass merchandise and warehouse club stores. Internet retailers and other retail outlets account for the smallest percentage which is 9.1%. Based on the survey research from 1042 women aged 18-49 years old, 84% of women have interest in eliminating panty lines products. Among them, 58% women tried to eliminate panty lines by wearing no-seam panties. Only 22% women wear no  panties at all as a solution for eliminating the panty lines. This means the majority customers prefer to wear something than nothing. 81% of women are interested in not underwear product that has the function to provide comfort and hygiene benefits. 35% of women would wear this kind of product 3-5 times per week which ranked the highest followed by the group of people who prefer only to wear 1-2 times per week with the percentage of 29%. Among the people who would wear 3-5 times per week, age 30-35 ranked the highest which account for 39.8% while 41.7% of people age 18-24 show that they would use this kind of product only 1-2 times per week. About the distribution channels, 64% respondent said that they prefer to purchase no panty line product from mass-merchandise stores such as Target and Walmart, followed by midlevel department stores 49% and online purchase 41%. Women’s boutique ranked the last, only 28% customers would shop this product in there. However, 53.1% of customers would seek out this product online/internet if they knew it was for sale which ranked the highest among other channels. Therefore, online selling have bigger potential and should not be neglected. In order to emphasize the product’s display concept as well as investigate user impressions, another focus group research was conducted. Participants are women who have over $25000 annual household incomes and aged 21-60. Nundies’s display and packaging are favored by these participants. The locations they expect are â€Å"cotemporary concepts† location in shops as well as lingerie stores. Participants express the idea that demonstration is helpful to attract customers. Therefore knowledgeable sales persons are necessary to increase product sales. The products are expected to be found and purchased in department stores by all participants. Although online purchasing is seen as positive, it is infrequently for reorders. These research studies have revealed that Nundies have a good market potential because large amount of women are interested in this kind of no panty-line and convenient product. Nundies meet their expectations by offering protections while allowing them to be free at the same time. So Nundies is a single-use, disposable panty that sticks to the inseam of women’s leggings, athletic wear, shorts and jeans. When women decide they don’t want to wear underwear, Nundies helps provide a protection as well as being convenient at the same time. The target market for Nundies was 36.7 million aged 15-60 women who has a household incomes over $25000 annually. And the selling price was set to $15 which was considered to be high by participants. Although it was not a main problem for the target market, participants still found 10 liners in a $15 package would be more reasonable. However, Nundies set its price to $15 was based on competition from alternatives, manufacturing cost, retail margins and profit goals of the company. Moreover, Nundies were more popular among higher end specialty stores and upscale department shops. Customers in these higher end channels show better interest in Nundies. There for Nundies keep this selling price to gain higher margin. Nundies’s launch has limited media advertising support and no consumer-oriented advertising was involved in the promotion. Nundies was introduced by print advertisement through retail trade magazines. Also, these retail trade buyer magazines such as Southern Vanity, Women’s Wear Daily and Fashion put complimentary feature articles to help Nundies gain awareness. Additionally, for major celebrity events like Grammys, and 2007 academy awards, Nundies promoted its product by placing its sample package in the gift bags to give away to celebrities. It also took the advantage of New York and Las Vegas’s Lingerie Trad Show to exhibit its products. This brought Nundies great opportunity as these showrooms were visited by buyers for women’s boutique and specialty stores, they decided which accessory lines to carry. 3. Looking again at Nundies target market, value proposition, and each marketing mix element, how has each contributed to Nundies performance to date? By the end of 2007, there were 232 women’s boutique and specialty stores selling Nundies as well as 10 upscale department stores across 40 states. Nundies had shipped 11383 units of products to these channels, among them, 1777 units were accounted for reorders from 15 stores. 285 units were distributed for online purchase. To see from exhibit 6, it is clearly to see Nundies had the highest sales record with 4506 units ordered in the second  quarter which includes April, May and June. The third quarter July, August and September ranked the second with 3552 units ordered. This record may because of the warmer weather. Women tend to wear dresses, shorts and skirts in summer season so they would choose light product that do not show any panty lines and provide them protection at the same time. Nundies’ orders declined dramatically after summer season with only 1656 units ordered in October November and December. The poor sales performance may because of the following reas ons. First, Nundies’s target market is represented by15-60 year old women which accounts for 23% of total population. It is important to notice that the concentrate of this population is among the age 25 to 52 which accounts for 80.83% of this population. So Nundies should especially emphasize on this target group to be more efficient. Secondly, Nundies currently offers only 5 panties per package. Nundies have the opportunity to increase the panties amount in single unit. Because with the current selling price to customer set to $15 per unit, customer found that it would be more attractive if this price is for 10 per package. Thirdly, with the distribution channel Nundies currently place its product, it is missing out the mass-merchandise stores such as Target and Walmart and midlevel department stores like JCPenney. Although women’s underwear are mainly sold through women’s boutique and specialty shops, it is not the best option for Nundies. From the survey result, the majority of participants (64%) expect to purchase Nundies in mass-merchandise stores. The second channel customers expect was midlevel department stores, 49%. However, Nundies’s products were mainly distributed to women’s boutique and specialty stores as well as upscale department stores and online which less customers would expect to purchase from. Nundies is missing out 59.8% of two large markets that would attract the most potential customers. Fourthly, Nundies launch has limited media advertising support and it lacks of consumer-oriented media advertising. Many people don’t know this product exist or have no idea what is used for. So in order to increase sales,  Nundies’s primary task is to increase brand awareness by raising media advertisements via commercial or print media. Other factors that affect Nundies performance include the impact of sales personnel. Sales staffs are unclear about how to merchandise Nundies. They think Nundies would sell itself by displaying it in stores. However, many Nundies displays seem to merge in with the rest of other merchandise items. Moreover, many customers feel embarrassing to show interest in Nundies apart from those customers who are already panty free. Therefore an informative brochure or advertisement is needed for departments and retail stores so sales personnel could mention and suggest Nundies to customers clearly. In addition, Nundies display should be suggested and checked by Nundies agents to ensure Nundies occupies a favorable position and does not get lost with other items. 4. Mr Mortensen asked his team to revisit the market and sales potential for Nundies. How large is the market for a product like Nundies and Nundies sales given its current marketing program? 36.7 million of women aged 15-60 is seen as Nundies target market. Among them, Nundies’s focus is largely emphasized on 25-54 year old customers with the targeted segment to be 29669 which account for 80% of the total target market. Most of them have annual income over $25000. According to the survey, more than 36% of women are interested in Nundies product’s idea (plus 41% maybe). They accounted for 13.2 million (plus 15 million) of the target market. 28% of women said they would seek this product in stores (plus 49% maybe) and they accounted for 3.7 million (plus 6.5 million) of the market. About 1.07 million target customers would use Nundies 1-2 times a week, 1.3 million would use 3-5 times a week and only 0.7 million would use it 6 or more a week. Users for special occasions purpose ranked the last with only 0.63 million. As a result, Nundies’s total yearly usage reached 365million or 73 million units. 5. What are the pros and cons of the proposals identified for Nundies Proposal one: Continue development of the women’s boutique and specialty store channel. Based on the performance in 2007, sales revenue was $34150, variable cost was $13887, and therefore margin was $20263. Net income equals margin minus fixed expenses which was $14400. So Advanced Materials’s net income achieved $5863 in 2007. As a result if AMI continues its development in women’s boutique and specialty channels, it will result in profit and would possibly be enough for the firm to cover all the fixed expenses. Another scenario for the company is break even. The sales of Nundies have to achieve at least 1618 packages or 8090 units with the total sales revenue of $24283. Pros for this proposal includes it only cost $14400. It is inexpensive and saves costs. Also it allows AMI to gain more profit on the basis of last year’s performance. Considering the worst case, AMI could still achieve break-even if it sells 8090 packages. This is not a big task so AMI should have no pressure to achieve this goal. Another advantage is that the exhibition and display in these channels would help increase the sales opportunity because Nundies maintain its awareness to customers. This also increases the brand recognition. Cons for this proposal includes as AMI’s agent’s ability and responsibility only restrict to find stores that are willing to sell Nundies and collect orders. They are not responsible for any process involved in merchandising Nundies at stores. So many variable factors in retail stores have the potential to affect Nundies sales. Proposal two: Pursue the upscale department store channel.   There are two types of buying practice in upscale department which are centralized buying and decentralized buying. In centralized buying, retail sales consultant contact the department store account directly and provide the account information about target market, market size and sales displays. There are 300 stores in the chain of top five upscale centralized buying department stores and 350 in the chain of top five upscale decentralized buying department stores. The commission for AMI’s agents on wholesale price would be 12%. The cost is much higher compared to women’s boutique and  specialty store channel which cost $20000 to $30000 for the sale presentations and retail consultant fees. Other costs such as warehouse, catalogue and pay line cost around $35000 to $55000. Based on 2007’s performance, 242 department stores sold 11383 units. Therefore for the 300 centralized buying department stores, an estimated number of 2800 packages can be sold, while for the 350 decentralized buying department stores, an estimated number of 16500 units can be sold. Pros for this proposal are with the number of department stores, Nundies could be more exposed to the target market. Ads and displays would be presented to customers more clearly. Cons includes this channel requires higher costs so the cost of goods sold per unit increased as well. Lower profit is another disadvantage for this channel. Proposal three: pursue midlevel department store accounts. Midlevel department store accounts include stores such as JCPenney with 1000 stores and Kohl’s with approximately 930 stores and they all use centralized buying strategy. Midlevel department stores are treated as house accounts as well and retail sales consultants are involved. This proposal requires Nundies with different package materials and graphics. Also 2 extra liners are included in every package with the selling price to be $8-$10. However the percentage for retail margin remains unchanged as for current department store accounts. Pros are the market size is huge. There are over 1793 stores with centralized buying which is a big market for Nundies. Also the cost of goods sold is lower per unit. Cons includes this proposal requires to change brand name and packaging. Nundies’s awareness and recognition among customers was a problem all the time. If it changes brand name and packaging, it would confuse customers. In addition, this proposal requires a increase in the amount of panties but the MSRP do not increase enough. Also the expense is between $25000 to $35000  which is relatively high, means the profit margin is lower. Another con is increase in fees. Nundies need to pay a estimated cost of $35000 to $55000 for department store chains. Proposal four: a combination of channels Pro for this channel is that products can be produced and delivered documented and in the right quantity. The combination of channel consist both 300 upscale centralized stores and 1793 midscale centralized stores which means this helps increase advertising and the distribution expansion would reach more customers. Cons: However the higher fees and costs are the major problem. It would cost AMI vast amount of money. Proposal five: fashion magazine advertising Pros: The extent of audience for fashion magazine is very wide. 56% of 13 year old above women prefer to purchase product that is recommended by fashion magazines. And the target market for fashion magazines are the same target market for Nundies. So Nundies could take this opportunity to promote its product more efficiently. Cons: The cost is too high to place advertisement on fashion magazines. It costs $115000 and $200000 for Cosmo Girl and Cosmopolitan respectively. So Nundies margin would be very low. Proposal six: metropolitan-area advertising Pros: the cost is lower than advertising on magazine. The advertising period is longer. It targets people at large which would attract more potential buyers instead of end users. Also the advertisement is near stores where Nundies are available. It could boost sales in those areas. Cons: it does not focus on its target customers would possibly lead to advertising inefficiency. Also less people seek fashion inspiration from newspapers so newspaper may not be a good media for Nundies. Proposal seven: search engine marketing Pros: when people search relative word to intimate apparel, Nundies will show with a link to its website. This brings Nundies more opportunities as people all around the world would get to know Nundies instead of only where Nundies sells. Cons: reorder rate is less online. And the cost per month is too high. With the selling price and cost of goods sold of Nundies, if the market demand is low, the margin will be lower. 6. What are the likely sales and profit impact of these proposals? For women’s boutique and specialty stores, cost of goods sold per unit is $3.45, with wholesale price of $7. The continual sales cost is $14400 plus 12% commission. And for the worst scenario, the break-even point is 5313 packages which are 26565 liners produced. Therefore the profit at full capacity equals $39800. The second is upscale department stores, cost of goods sold and wholesale price remains the same as boutique costs which are $3.45 and $7 respectively. Upscale department stores have additional upfront costs which are $195000- $305000. It does not include continual sales cost. For the break-even case, 70422 packages or 352110 liners are produced. Therefore the profit is negative, $179000. Third is midscale department store. The cost of goods sold is lower, $3.26 with lower wholesales price which is $4.65. The upfront costs are $225000-$340000 and no continual sales cost as well. The break-even scenario requires 205036 packages or 1435252 liners to produce. As a result, the profit comes to negative $265143. 7. What is you recommended course of action? Why? As a conclusion to the above analysis, boutique stores are the most profitable distribution channels for AMI. Because the entry cost into this channel is the cheapest. The margins are higher than other proposals. Also, production limits are more compatible in this channel. Furthermore, it is the only feasible proposal that do not require huge expansion. As 13 times the packages sales are required to break-even for upscale department stores  and 54 times the Nundies sales are required to break- even for midrange department stores. With limited capital amount, these two proposal seem to be less feasible. For the success of Nundies, AMI could give away free samples to fashion bloggers or youtubers and let them promote the product instead. This would increase the brand recognition and awareness of Nundies, as well as gain a word of mouth through these bloggers. Also, another cheaper way to promote Nundies is utilize Youtube to introduce instructions for use. Let audience know what is it and how to use it instead of just displaying in the store. As for stores, sales tips should be provide to retailers. And the display should avoid merging in with other merchandise products and become more attention getting. Train sales personnel to be informative and to be more proactive to suggesting and demonstrating Nundies to customers. Pamphlets and samples should be offered as well. Nundies can also be advertised using kiosks. As for reorders, AMI could offer discount to encourage repurchase. Reference 1. Kerin, R.A., and Peterson, R.A. (2013). â€Å"Nundies case study†, Strategic Marketing Problems Cases and Comments International Edition, 2013 Pearson. ISBN13 9780273768944

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

30 Quotes From Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls

30 Quotes From Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingways novel For Whom the Bell Tolls was originally published in 1940 and follows a young American guerrilla fighter and dynamiter named Robert Jordan during the Spanish Civil War as he plots to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia. Along with The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls is regarded as one of Hemingways most popular works, and is quoted in conversation and English classrooms alike across the United States, even to this day. The following quotes most exemplify the eloquence and ease with which Hemingway addressed the turmoil and strife of living the American dream during the 1920s through 40s. Providing Context and Setting Through Quotes For Whom the Bell Tolls relies heavily on Hemingways own experience reporting on the conditions in Spain during the Spanish Civil War as a journalist for the North American Newspaper Alliance, as he saw the brutality of the war and what it did to both domestic and foreign fighters for and against the fascist rule of the time. International soldiers helping overthrow the rulership had it especially hard - at least in terms of fearing for their lives, as expressed in Chapter 1 when Hemingway writes I would always rather not know. Then, no matter what can happen, it was not me that talked and again later in the chapter when he writes I dont like that sadness, he thought. That sadness is bad. Thats the sadness they bet before they quit or betray. That is the sadness that comes before the sell-out. Religion played a large role in Spain at the time (and currently, for that matter), though the protagonist of Hemingways piece grappled with the existence of God. In Chapter 3, Hemingway wrote But with our without God, I think it is a sin to kill. To take the life of another is to me very grave. I will do it whenever necessary but I am not of the race of Pablo. In the following quote from Chapter 4, Hemingway masterfully describes the details of Spanish life at the time, especially for foreigners like the protagonist. One cup of it took the place of the evening papers, of all the old evenings in cafà ©s, of all chestnut trees that would be in bloom now in this month, of the great slow horses of the outer boulevards, of book shops, of kiosques, and of galleries, of the Parc Montsouris, of the Stade Buffalo, and of the Butte Chaumont, of the Guarangy Trust Company and the Ile de la Cità ©, of Foyots old hotel, and of being able to read and relax in the evening; of all things he had enjoyed and forgotten and that came back to him when he tasted that opaque, bitter, tongue-numbing, brain-warming, stomach-warming, idea-changing liquid alchemy. On Loss and Ugliness In Chapter 9, Hemingway says that To make war all you need is intelligence. But to win you need talent and material, but this almost lighthearted observation is overshadowed by the following grief at experiencing the ugliness of wartime in Spain. In Chapter 10, the protagonist grapples with having to behold the horrors mankind is capable of committing: Look at the ugliness. Yet one has a feeling within one that blinds a man while he loves you. You, with that feeling, blind him, and blind yourself. Then, one day, for no reason, he sees you as ugly as you really are and he is not blind anymore and then you see yourself as ugly as he sees you and you lose your man and your feeling... After a while, when you are as ugly as I am, as ugly as women can be, then, as I say after a while the feeling, the idiotic feeling that you are beautiful, grows slowly in one again. It grows like a cabbage. And then, when the feeling is grown, another man sees you and thinks you are beautiful and it is all to do over. In the next chapter, Hemingway discusses dealing with loss itself: You only heard the statement of the loss. You did not see the father fall as Pilar made him see the fascists die in that story she had told by the stream. You knew the father died in some courtyard, or against some wall, or in some field or orchard, or at night, in the lights of a truck, beside some road. You had seen the lights of the car from down the hills and heard the shooting and afterwards you had come down to the road and found the bodies. You did not see the mother shot, nor the sister, nor the brother. You heard about it; you heard the shots; and you saw the bodies. A Reprieve Mid-Novel Halfway through For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway allows the protagonist Jordan a moment of reprieve from the war in an unexpected way: the quiet cold of winter. In Chapter 14, Hemmingway describes it as almost as exciting as battle: It was like the excitement of the battle except it was clean... In a snowstorm it always seemed, for a time, as though there were no enemies. In a snowstorm the wind could blow a gale; but it blew a white cleanness and the air was full of a driving whiteness and all things were changed and when the wind stopped there would be the stillness. This was a big storm and he might as well enjoy it. It was ruining everything, but he might as well enjoy it. But even these moments are tainted in wartimes. Hemingway describes the idea of going back while the war is still raging on in Chapter 18 by saying Here it is the shift from deadliness to normal family life that is the strangest. This is largely because, after a while, soldiers get used to the mentality of battle: You learned the dry-mouthed, fear-purged purging ecstasy of battle and you fought that summer and that fall for all the poor in the world against all tyranny, for all the things you believed in and for the new world you had been educated into.- Chapter 18 The End of the Novel and Other Selected Quotes In Chapter 25, Hemingway writes In war cannot say what say what one feels, and in Chapter 26 he revisits the notion of self-awareness and governance: It is right, he told himself, not reassuringly, but proudly. I believe in the people and their right to govern themselves as they wish. But you mustnt believe in killing, he told himself. You must do it as a necessity but you must not believe in it. If you believe in it the whole thing is wrong. One character in Chapter 27 was described as not at all afraid of dying but he was angry at being on this hill which was only utilizable as a place to die... Dying was nothing and he had no picture of it or fear of it in his mind. and further expanded on the thought later in the chapter in his observation of life: Living was a hawk in the sky. Living was an earthen jar of water in the dust of the threshing with the grain flailed out and the chaff blowing. Living was a horse between your legs and a carbine under one leg and a hill and a valley and a stream with trees along it and the far side of the valley and the hills beyond. On soldiers, Hemingway wrote in Chapter 30 I guess really good soldiers are really good at very little else and again in Chapter 31 There is no finer and no worse people in the world. No kinder people and no crueler. But still, Hemingway applauds those who fight because, as he says in Chapter 34, It was easier to live under a regime than fight it.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Stronger, Faster, We Have The Adapdability

Stronger, Faster, Better, we have the adaptability Moments before its life is abruptly ended, a particularly sneaky and cleaver mosquito pushes its needle into the back of a man who lives in Africa. Unfortunately for our African friend, the mosquito carried with it the disease known as malaria. More unfortunately was the fact that the malaria had already been in contact the African’s blood, which normally would most likely result in a nasty case of malaria. However, all his life this African carried with him a genetic disorder known as Sickle Cell Anemia. While this disorder can be life threatening when ill treated, it makes our African friend immune to malaria. After years and years of malaria outbreaks, many people in Africa have adapted to their environment. This is human adaptation at its best, the human observes a problem in its life and slowly it changes itself to live in harmony. The Human body is an amazing organism that is capable of adapting to nearly any environment or situation. It is this ability to chang e with the times that have lead us down the evolutionary path to dominance. Humans are at the top of the food chain, they have overcome against all odds and evolved from single celled organisms into the complex being that we are today. Chevalier de Lamarck was a famous scientist throughout the eighteenth and seventeenth centuries. He was a professor of zoology at the museum of Natural History of Paris. While working at the museum he developed his own theory of evolution that made him one of the pioneers of evolutionary theory. â€Å"He conceived of evolution as the result of the adaptation of organisms to the environment and that this adaptation was transmitted from parent to offspring† (Comas, 55). Lamarck believes that something changes in the environment and individually organisms change to best fit their needs. After a series of similar adaptations the species will change and possess these new tra... Free Essays on Stronger, Faster, We Have The Adapdability Free Essays on Stronger, Faster, We Have The Adapdability Stronger, Faster, Better, we have the adaptability Moments before its life is abruptly ended, a particularly sneaky and cleaver mosquito pushes its needle into the back of a man who lives in Africa. Unfortunately for our African friend, the mosquito carried with it the disease known as malaria. More unfortunately was the fact that the malaria had already been in contact the African’s blood, which normally would most likely result in a nasty case of malaria. However, all his life this African carried with him a genetic disorder known as Sickle Cell Anemia. While this disorder can be life threatening when ill treated, it makes our African friend immune to malaria. After years and years of malaria outbreaks, many people in Africa have adapted to their environment. This is human adaptation at its best, the human observes a problem in its life and slowly it changes itself to live in harmony. The Human body is an amazing organism that is capable of adapting to nearly any environment or situation. It is this ability to chang e with the times that have lead us down the evolutionary path to dominance. Humans are at the top of the food chain, they have overcome against all odds and evolved from single celled organisms into the complex being that we are today. Chevalier de Lamarck was a famous scientist throughout the eighteenth and seventeenth centuries. He was a professor of zoology at the museum of Natural History of Paris. While working at the museum he developed his own theory of evolution that made him one of the pioneers of evolutionary theory. â€Å"He conceived of evolution as the result of the adaptation of organisms to the environment and that this adaptation was transmitted from parent to offspring† (Comas, 55). Lamarck believes that something changes in the environment and individually organisms change to best fit their needs. After a series of similar adaptations the species will change and possess these new tra...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Work with an Indecisive Boss

How to Work with an Indecisive Boss There’s an unspoken truth in the world of work- although we usually get to pick our jobs we don’t get to pick our bosses. If we’re lucky, we get to work with the sort of boss whose a pleasure to be around- fair, pleasant, supportive, decisive, and encouraging. If this is your reality, then count your blessings and try to appreciate your situation. However, if you have a boss who’s something else, then it can pose some real challenges. One category of tricky boss includes the one who never seems to know what he or she wants. They either constantly waste time dragging their heels and delaying making any type of clear decision, or they’re forever changing what they tell you to do. Both of these types can be quite difficult to work with and can really impact your ability to perform your job effectively. But it’s not exactly easy to confront a boss who never seems to know what they want- so what do you do when you’re in this position?Learn your boss’s quirksTry your best to get to know your boss- including their decision-making behaviors and habits- as well as you possibly can over time. Although it can be tricky to expect the unexpected, as you get to know your boss more you may get better at anticipating how they’ll react to any given project or during any key decision-making moment, which may help minimize the ill-effects of their indecisive nature.Stay calm and kind, even when you want to screamYour best bet is to remain patient and do your best to anticipate your boss’s needs- and shifts- and try to work with them, not against them. First off, an indecisive boss is usually an anxious person by nature, and adding to their anxiety by developing an adversarial relationship with them will only serve to make matters worse. With the way many workplaces are structured, the fact is that you have to answer to your boss’s professional whims, as fickle as they may be. Once you know your boss oper ates this way, brace yourself and expect it. Knowing the madness is coming makes is a little easier to swallow.When you find yourself at a crucial point that requires a final decision from your boss, try and make the moment as stress free as possible. Also, do your best to reduce any external distractions that may make it challenging for your boss to concentrate and focus on the decision at hand. If it’s your job to present your boss with information so they can make a decision, be as clear and straightforward as possible. Always try to approach your boss in a calm and patient manner when a decision needs to be made- this will help put them in their best mindset to determine what they want at any given time.Keep a paper trailAlthough these strategies may prove helpful in a variety of decision-making moments, chances are it won’t completely fix the problem. The truth is, it’s hard for a leopard to change its spots. A boss who doesn’t know what they want wi ll likely remain this way- it’s just human nature to revert to your â€Å"core programming† and making lasting change is hard. That said, it would be helpful for you to get things from your boss in writing, so if they change their mind later on they can’t hold you accountable if projects go over budget and off schedule. Physical proof is always a good way to minimize the effects of their indecisiveness on your productivity and work reputation.A boss who never seems to be able to make up their mind and determine what they want when a decision needs to be made can be a challenging situation for you, but it doesn’t have to be an insurmountable obstacle. Use the strategies and advice provided here to make the best of a tough situation, and hopefully with a little time, experience, and luck, things will get better (or your next boss will know what they want and when they want it).

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Democratic Capitalism and Individual Liberty 201 Essay

Democratic Capitalism and Individual Liberty 201 - Essay Example Thomas Paine in Common Sense argued North America was a â€Å"natural manufactory† where laying out money to build a navy was paramount because it would protect commerce (Paine 36). Thus, free trade and individualism go hand in hand with each other but when businesses are not allowed to fail, the result is socialism. When Alexis de Tocqueville toured the U. S. in the 1830s he was impressed with Americans’ industriousness. However, de Tocqueville also saw problems of having slaves as part of a southern workforce. The white Ohioan, as de Tocqueville put it, â€Å"is obliged to exist by his own exertions† while the â€Å"Kentuckian scorns . . . labour [and] lives in an idle independence† (Casper & Davies 117). As the nation grew, laws, such as the abolition of slavery in 1865 and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1892, promoted individualism and fair play in business. The recent government bailout did not promote individualism and goes directly against Smith’s idea that when regulations are â€Å"completely taken away, the obvious and simple system of natural liberty establishes itself of its own accord† (Burton & Dworkin 145). Allowing business to fail is the natural order of supply and demand. When businesses are not allowed to fail, but propped up with a supply of government money, the system is no longer individualistic but

Friday, October 18, 2019

Financial Trends Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Trends Paper - Essay Example Also if we were to analyze the debt/equity ratios the decreasing leverage of the company has correspondingly increased not only its profitability but also increasing return on assets and increase in the net profit margin (money central, ten year summary). The article I am summarizing was published in Economist "The ones that get away: Accounts are increasingly more art than science". The author introduces the argument that although net profits of Amazon, online retailer, had fallen substantially while that of Sprint, telecom, had increased significantly share prices rose for both companies (Economist, 00130613). Author quotes Enron and WorldCom and stresses that people have become shy of profitability figures as these figures tend to be "malleable" (Economist, 00130613). There is a further argument that these errors start to creep in because companies are increasingly making use of estimates in their financial statements. The accrual method of accounting where expenses and revenues are entered into accounts when "incurred" (Economist, 00130613) have made the issue difficult and to compound it fair value accounting practices have introduced their own difficulties.

Indian Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Indian Religion - Essay Example They comprise of two distinct parts, one is the Brahmanas or the knowledge, which deals with the direct realization of God and the Karma Kanda, which deals rituals and their performance. The Vedas are four in number Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda and Atharva-Veda. No Hindu religious text can be based on anything other than the Vedas; hence, the Puranas or Epics are also based on the authority of the Vedas. In the epics, the Divine Incarnations of God are described. These Divine Incarnations also, followed the precepts of the Vedas implicitly, thereby setting an example to the common man. As such, the Vedas are unchangeable and eternal; nothing can be added to, reduced or changed in them. The Puranas serve to illustrate the injunctions laid down in the Vedas. The very same Brahma Vidyas of the Vedas, or direct methods to realize the Ultimate Reality, are to be found in the Puranas. However, the emphasis in Puranas, as they deal with Divine Incarnations, is on Faith or Bhakti. The Bra hmanas with their emphasis on Brahma Vidyas, are what comprises the Path of Knowledge to realize God. It must be emphasized that Sanatan Dharma has many paths or methods to realize God. It is a highly developed religion and has a very strong base in practical religion. Initially the emphasis was on the Path of Knowledge but over a period of time it was realized that such logical reasoning to arrive at the ultimate truth was not possible for everyone. The path of Bhakti or Faith was found to be uncomplicated and very easy.

Markets and Division of Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Markets and Division of Labor - Essay Example This paper illustrates that social cohesion and division of labour market are the two aspects that have come under association that dates back to several decades. From the olden times to the modern times, the ideas and notion about the market and division of labor whether encourage or discourage has come under numerous discussions and various opinions. Social cohesion comes under classification when the people within a society work in collaboration with each other for a common goal that includes the people coming from cultural diversity. Besides, dedication, acquaintance, and creation of a community are the pivotal aspects that form the social cohesion. Here the people have a shared approach as a single unit surrounded by a committed system, so that the strategies and guiding principles incorporating the economic, social, health and educational assist and support to the society and its members. While the other aspect of the report exhibit the division of labour, which is no new conce pt as it has its origination back to late eighteen century. Although various thinkers and philosophers considered it as a significant principle, but history reveals the fact that Adam Smith was one of the initial people who made an effort to undertake a theory of it. However, this phenomenon in the contemporary time of today has come under vast development that everybody is very much aware of this trend. The division of the labour refers to the area of interest that defines the productive output of the labor that aids in improving the economical growth. This comes under implementation from breaking the bigger activities into smaller chunks that the labor can perform as his expertise that can increase his productivity (Zupi and Puertas, 2010). Historical and authentic substantiation indicates that the few countries of European region initiated an experiment with a core purpose to make its economy liberated from other aspects of life including the social and political control that adm inistered the economic conditions, in order to free the socially rooted markets that subsisted for a very long time. Therefore, the development of the free market came into institution by splitting up the markets that has the origins on social factors. As consequence, a new type of economy came into emergence that did not considered the impacts on society and modified and transformed value of several components including the goods price and labor (Wood, 1984). The Adam’s idea of division of labour articulates that the larger jobs must be divided and break down into small components that can come under relation to the specialized workforce. This makes each worker and labour a proficient and specialist for the areas of production, and hence the efficiency and output of the labour boosts. Nevertheless, this idea of division of labour also hoards quite a few resources including capital and time, as the labours being an expert in a particular component would not have to make excha nge tasks and responsibilities. However, this also leads to an unanticipated issue that the propensity increases that a worker may become ignorant and disappointed from the work because the technological advancements would lead and induce the individuals to perform mundane and repetitious tasks (Reisman, 1976). Smith also states that in order to have a productive labour, they must be assigned the tasks that best fit their capabilities and abilities. This is for the reason that this assignment of labour according to their expertise would lead them to produce substantial and surplus products that can come under reinvestment into the production process. Adam Smith also has a leading concern towards the origins of the value, which has come under recognition in two different forms: use value and exchange value, and concluded that labour is the primary source of value (Reisman, 1976). The data and records provide clear evidences that the division of

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Pregnancy as it pertains to MRI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pregnancy as it pertains to MRI - Essay Example These particles produce signals due to Radio waves that are collected by a receiver within the scanner. These signals are characterized with the use of varying magnetic field and are further processed by a computer in order to create ultra sharp images of tissues in the form of "slices" that can be viewed in any plane and from any direction. The key advantage of MRI is that it causes no pain and the responsible magnetic fields cause no damage of any kind to human tissues. The MR scanner used may generate considerably loud tapping or knocking noises during the process but it can be prevented using earplugs. A patient can easily communicate with the technologist or radiologist at any instant with the use of an intercom. The magnetic field generated in the MR system is quite powerful and will attract Ferro-magnetic objects and can cause them to move suddenly and with a considerable force. Thus, there can be a risk to the person in the flight path of the object. Due to this reason, great care is taken and ferromagnetic objects like screwdrivers and oxygen tanks are not allowed into the MR system area. A patient is asked to remove all kind of metallic belongings like watches and jewelry before going for an MRI. The magnetic field of the MR system is of considerable magnitude and can pull on any iron-containing object in the body like medication pumps or aneurysm clips. Every MRI facility has a strict protocol that ensures that the MRI technologist and radiologist know about the presence of all metallic implants and materials so that special precautions can be taken. Sometimes, even the exam may have to be canceled. In case a bullet or other metallic fragments are present in the body, there is a risk that it could change position leading to an injury. A metallic implant can not only distort the MR images but also make it difficult for the MRI system to tune to your body. It is not possible to avoid it but allowance can be made while interpreting the images only if the radiologist is aware of their presence. Some MRI examines a gadolinium that may be injected into a vein in order to help the interpretation. a gadolinium is a contrast agent that does not contain iodine like those materials which are commonly used in x-ray process and hence rarely causes any problem or allergic reaction. Preparation for MRI The patient is asked to wear a special gown during the MRI study. The person (generally a friend or relative) accompanying you will be asked questions regarding the presence of implants and will be instructed to remove all metal objects from pockets and hair even before entering the room. A screening form is filled to ensure that the patient may safely enter

W3 Disc Innovation Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W3 Disc Innovation Strategy - Essay Example 1). Concurrently, the mission and military objectives are also expressly stated. These are openly communicated to all stakeholders, as evident from its being published online. The leadership checklist also indicates that the U.S. Army, through its leaders are committed to continuous thrusts for encouraging the development of innovative strategy. As emphasized, through leadership training courses, particularly the Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES), soldiers are trained â€Å"how to lead at varying levels from Sergeant to Command Sergeant Major. Each course is specifically designed for each level of increased responsibility and accountability† (U.S. Army, n.d., p. 1). Likewise, processes and resources in the U.S. Army support and complement leadership, as well as the mission and vision statements. As noted, the command policy and programs contain all the crucial information that governs effective conduct and behavior of all soldiers (U.S. Army, 2007). In addition, the resources encourage solicitation of new ideas through leaders’ initiative and effective communication strategies. Overall, using the checklist for innovation strat egy, one could deduce that the U.S. Army assumes a proactive stance and is always ready to implement an innovation

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Pregnancy as it pertains to MRI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pregnancy as it pertains to MRI - Essay Example These particles produce signals due to Radio waves that are collected by a receiver within the scanner. These signals are characterized with the use of varying magnetic field and are further processed by a computer in order to create ultra sharp images of tissues in the form of "slices" that can be viewed in any plane and from any direction. The key advantage of MRI is that it causes no pain and the responsible magnetic fields cause no damage of any kind to human tissues. The MR scanner used may generate considerably loud tapping or knocking noises during the process but it can be prevented using earplugs. A patient can easily communicate with the technologist or radiologist at any instant with the use of an intercom. The magnetic field generated in the MR system is quite powerful and will attract Ferro-magnetic objects and can cause them to move suddenly and with a considerable force. Thus, there can be a risk to the person in the flight path of the object. Due to this reason, great care is taken and ferromagnetic objects like screwdrivers and oxygen tanks are not allowed into the MR system area. A patient is asked to remove all kind of metallic belongings like watches and jewelry before going for an MRI. The magnetic field of the MR system is of considerable magnitude and can pull on any iron-containing object in the body like medication pumps or aneurysm clips. Every MRI facility has a strict protocol that ensures that the MRI technologist and radiologist know about the presence of all metallic implants and materials so that special precautions can be taken. Sometimes, even the exam may have to be canceled. In case a bullet or other metallic fragments are present in the body, there is a risk that it could change position leading to an injury. A metallic implant can not only distort the MR images but also make it difficult for the MRI system to tune to your body. It is not possible to avoid it but allowance can be made while interpreting the images only if the radiologist is aware of their presence. Some MRI examines a gadolinium that may be injected into a vein in order to help the interpretation. a gadolinium is a contrast agent that does not contain iodine like those materials which are commonly used in x-ray process and hence rarely causes any problem or allergic reaction. Preparation for MRI The patient is asked to wear a special gown during the MRI study. The person (generally a friend or relative) accompanying you will be asked questions regarding the presence of implants and will be instructed to remove all metal objects from pockets and hair even before entering the room. A screening form is filled to ensure that the patient may safely enter

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Behavioural finance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Behavioural finance - Research Paper Example It is imperative to note that the mistakes made by portfolio managers, brokers and other market participants are driven by behavioral biases. This paper seeks to analyze major behavioral biases that cause the investment mistakes and the reasons as to the participants fall in the trap. During the decision making process, investors should fame the questions that will guide them in the process. According to Tversky and Kahneman 1124, the framing of a problem highly influences the decisions made by the investors. Framing bias entails the failure to reframe the choices given. As a result, investors suffer losses that can be avoided if the questions are reframed by the participants during a research. In order to ensure appropriate choices are made Lim 2540 depicts that managers should consider various factors. First, they should ask themselves whether or not they are addressing the actual problem. Secondly, they should integrate gains and losses in the choices available. Thirdly, they need to reverse the questions. For example, if there are sellers they should evaluate their behaviors assuming they are buyers. Fourthly, managers must frame the questions to cover the entre aspects of an investment for instance the total costs. In addition, managers must emulate an inten sive perspective during framing. The section below analyses some of the major statistical errors that are associated with framing bias. Representativeness heuristic is adopted by people to evaluate the probability based on the fact that an event A resembles and event B. For example, if an event B is highly representative to an event A, then it means that the probability that A originated from B is high (Tversky and Kahneman 1124). One of the major courses of errors that are related to representativeness is the use of similarity to determine the relationship between events. This is based on

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Increase Of Private Labels Of Grocery Products

The Increase Of Private Labels Of Grocery Products How customers make product selection is a vital concern in marketing theory. A vast briefing and a growing stream of models have been developed seeking to throw light on this issue. Implicit in mainly of this work is that consumers are choosing among rival company brands. In todays FMCG markets private brand increasingly competes with manufacturer brands noticeable at very unusual price levels. The increase of private labels of grocery products is a sign of a major change in the product mix offered by seller. Store brand offer consumers with a competitive substitute to national brands. Private brands offer low prices due to their low manufacturing costs, low-cost packaging, nominal advertising and lower overhead costs. For retailers, store brand offer a chance to increase store traffic and build store loyalty. Though private brands are generally priced lower than manufacturer brands, the higher margin earned on these products allow retailers to increase into lower volume categories for which success depends on greater per unit contribution margins. More prominently, the accessibility of proprietary brands not sold elsewhere may support store loyalty and boost store traffic. Once inside the store, the consumer also become a prospect to which to sell the whole grocery basket due to cost of time involved in multi store shopping. Consumers frequently make judgments of product quality on the basis of substitute or indirect indicators. Surrogate measures are product connected sign that consumers think are linked with real objective measures of product quality. Surrogate sign are used in quality assessment because they can be interpreted, assess and review easily when considering a variety of brand alternatives. Therefore, it would seem helpful for store brand managers to understand which substitute variables are in use by households when inform store brand quality and how different groups of consumers diverge in their consumption of such indicators in brand choices. Retailer who sell both private brand and manufacturing brands, which is often accurate for frequently acquire consumer products, is confront with describe his private brand market. It is vital for him to know whether the sales of his private brands are reason for the impulse buying of consumers who switch to his store at the time of purchase or whether his brands customer are loyal to his brand and comprise a particular market segment. In fast moving consumer goods normally get pleasure from very slim profit margins in their product categories. It is therefore very important that the retailer be aware of the impact of the introduction of a store brand on customer demand for both the store brand and manufacturing brands. Retailer have turn out to be more powerful and global, they have gradually more focused on their own brands at the cost of manufacturer brands. Rather than just selling on price, retailers have changed private label into brands. Consequently, such a Johnson Johnson, Nestle, Procter Gamble and Unilever and all other locally and multinational manufacture now compete with their largest retail and wholeseller customers like Metro, Makro, Aghas and Naheed. The development in private labels has huge inference for executive on both sides. So far, brand manufacturers still stick to their outdated assumptions about private labels. Most vital, the lay out actionable approach for opposing against or work together with private label supplier. Private labels enable managers to steer beneficially in this radically altered landscape. Private label market share usually goes up when the economy is distress and downward in stronger economic periods. Manufactures of brand name products can have major influence on the importance of the challenge create by private label goods. It is not easy for managers to look at a competitive risk objectively and in long term situation when day to day performance is suffering. Lot of private label commodities are more complicated than their rivals similar products. Once chosen for less prosperous buyers, private labels have enjoyed growing attractiveness among all consumers. Private brands are, in reality, altering the branding, product development marketplace, and retailing which was already changing in reply to globalization, more rapidly development, and superior consumerism. Private Brands are growing into full fledged alternative, capable of competing productively with these national brands on quality as well as on price (Harding Quelch, 1996) and contributing significantly to profitability, Store discrimination and store loyalty (Lal Corstjens 2000). Sales Volume and market shares of store brands, as well as their appeal to consumers have gradually increasing. A lot of retailers come into view themselves increasingly as active marketers of their own store brands, rather than as iactive distributors ofnational brands. Private brands can help retailers to attract consumers traffic and build loyalty to the store by offering exclusive product lines and quality products. In addition, store brands can help project a lower price reflection for retailers, increase their bargaining influence over manufacturers and producers of major national brands and point to increased control over shelf space. Carrying store brands comes with sevral advantages, one of whic h is the comparatively high gross margin, which can be more than a manufacturers brands. The high margin results from the more proficient marketing effort, lessening of middleman, and economies of scale get hold of distribution. Furthermore, they present worth to customers by offering a mishmash of good quality and superior products and strenghten the retailers name both on the shelves and in customers homes (et al Richardson, 1996 and Fitzell 1992;). The idea of store brands is often used interchangeably with terms such as private label brands or own brands. (cf. DelVecchio, 2001; Dick et al., 1996;Hoch and Banerji, 1993; Raju et al., 2001; Sethuraman and Cole, 1999). The positioning of the brand is a gathering of many different variables, such as the image of the store, quality of the products, price of the products, variety of the products and drive of the retailer to invest in its promotion (Kapferer, 1994 and Davies, 1998;). In most of the cases the private brand is closely linked with the store itself, for example in the case of Makro, Metro, Naheed, Aghas and D-Mart where own brands are sold exclusively. In other cases, the store brand is one of lots of brands available in the store. This situation is distinctive for most retail stores. 2.1. Development of Intention How do retailer attributes influence consumer valuation of store brands? Even though retail stores are facing difficulties in discriminating themselves due to the lack of a apparent core product/service and the need to address the broadest possible range of consumers and purchase situation, (al et Dick 1995). For Suppose that the store image acts as an important sign of store brand quality. Store image is reflected in the stores physical environment (al et Richardson 1996b), Observation related to its commodities, and perceived service quality (Golden Zimmer 1988, Baker et al., 1994).Custmers use these indication to form an overall assessment that will influence their attitude toward the store as a whole, and potentially towards its store brands. This can give explanation why store brands do better than manufacturer branded products in some cases. Consumers buying decisions will thus be subjective by their experiences with the retail environment, the merchandise and the level of ser vice: (al et Semeijn J. / Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 11 (2004)) A well-recognized and established brand image is one of the most important assets a firm possesses. Brand managers and manufacturers are worried with managing brand equity and capitalizing on the value of a brand image (Aaker, 1991). A product or retail establishment has many relations which combine to form its total intuition. Only some would disagree that consumers form impressions of brands, and that these impressions afterward put forth a major influence on store choice decisions and shopping behaviors. Favorable images of brands surely influence patronage decisions and purchase behaviors, while unfavorable images unfavorably influence such decisions and behaviors. In other words, the images linked with the brands a store carries influence a stores image, which in turn, influences consumers decision-making process and behaviors. As a result, brand image and Store image are inextricably connected to one another. 2.2 Store image The concept of store image first came of interest when Martineau Pierre (1958) explain the qualities of the retail store. Since that declaration, it has usually been recognized that, over time, consumers form opinion and feelings associated with stores, and that these overall imitation strongly influence their shopping and patronage behaviors. Retail store image is an overall intuition of a store as perceived by consumers (Keaveney and Hunt, 1992). One of the normally conventional formal definitions of retail store image is an individuals cognitions and feeling that are contingent from perceptions or memory inputs that are emotionally involved to a particular store and which represent what that store mean to an individual (Jacoby and Mazursky, 1986 Baker et al., 1994; ). In addition to developing explanation of retail store image, researchers have also recognized multiple extent of the concept. Retail image is normally explain as a combination of a stores well-designed qualities and the psychological characteristic consumers link to these. Where as the exact dimensions have varied over the years, the well-known classification of image characteristic have consisted of some combination of functional and psychological characteristic. For example, some of the more common proportions identified by researchers have been linked with: trend, choice, and excellence of merchandise; customer services and sales personnel; and the physical conditions and ambiance of the store (Golden and Zimmer, 1988, Lindquist, 1974-1975; Martineau, 1958;). A strong brand image offers an organization quite a few important strategic advantages. A brand differentiate the goods and services of one seller from those of rival. A powerful brand identity creates a major competitive advantage; a well known brand encourage repeat purchases. Thus, a brand acts as a indicator to consumers concerning the source of the product and defend customers and manufacturers from me-too products that may come out identical. Brand image consists of consumer knowledge and thinking, stored in memory as associations, about brand attributes and the consequences of brand use (Olson and Peter, 1994). These relations are usually organized in some meaningful manner (Aaker, 1991). Brand images are important because they form worth for manufacturers in at least five means (Aaker, 1991). 1st, brand images help consumers retrieve and process information. 2nd, brand images give a basis for discrimination and positioning of a product. 3rd, brand images involve product attributes and customer benefits that give consumers a basis to purchase and use the brand. 4th, brand images create relations that make positive attitudes and approach that are transferred to the brands. 5th, brand images provide the source for product extensions, by creating a sense of fit among the brand and the new product or by giving consumers a basis to buy the new product. The value brand images create for manufacturers are also expected on to the image of retail stores that hold the brands. One way consumers explain retail stores is in terms of their assessments of the brands accepted. (JOURNAL OF PRODUCT BRAND MANAGEMENT, VOL. 6 NO. 6 1997) Store brands are usually owned, controlled, and sold exclusively by particular retailers. The products sold under these brand names are generally developed and packed by retailers rather than manufacturers and are marketed solely through their own stores. The entry of a store brand can aid retailers in a number of ways: First, store-brand entry can strengthen the bargaining position of retailers v/s national brand manufacturers. The retailers channel power is supposed to increase as a result of store-brand entry, which changes the nature of the manufacturer-retailer dealings. Store brands may permit the retailer to negotiate lower wholesale prices on national brands. In addition, retailers can strategically position store brands in the product space to strengthen their bargaining position when negotiating supply terms conditions with manufacturers of national brands. Store-brand entry may increase the importance of the entire category and increase category sales. In fact, store-brand entry may shake up a dormant category. The store brand itself may make profits because of its high unit margin and potentially high volume. Store brands make shopping easier for consumers, and they enhance the stores image and store loyalty by improving store differentiation v/s other retailers. The retailers marketing tactic for store brands should think about manufacturers interest in developing store brands and consumer interest in store brands. Regardless of the potential power of a store-branding marketing strategy, and although its great attractiveness in a variety of sectors, applying a store-brand strategy does not necessarily promise instantaneous success. To a certain extent than viewing development of a store brand as a dependable recipe for success, retailers need to study the brands positioning and financial characteristics in depth to choose how and whether to apply a store-brand strategy. Several characteristic should be measured: The strength of competitiveness in the division. Retailers that work in less competitive markets essentially hold large market shares. Because these retailers get pleasure from regular traffic by consumers, they can offer wide range in leading and non-leading national brands as well as store brands. As a result, it is more likely tha t consumers will believe the private brand to be a good buy. These brands thus help strengthen tie between consumers and the retail chain and increase loyalty to the chain. Economies of scale. Because large retailers can exploit their strength to reduce distribution costs, they can easily ask manufacturers to manufacture a store brand for them at lower cost. The savings achieved permit large retail chains to present quality brands at reasonable prices. The depth of the retailers product mix. Customers at retail chains with low positioning look forward to find a more limited range of brands, ranging from store brands to leading manufacturers brands. Because the majority of consumers in these chains tend to buy non-leading national brands, it is more expected that the store brands will sell and become a regular attribute in the shopping baskets of the chains customers in time. The retailers experience in diverse product categories. Consumers in specialty stores develop only a weak reliance on national brands because they seek exclusive brands rather than the standard brands offrerd in most stores. Against this conditions, the prospects grow for the specialty shop to build up a line of store brands. Price difference. Research demonstrate that when there is a large difference between product prices (national and private) in certain categories, the rivate brand has better prospects for success. As the gap grows smaller, the prospects of store brands similarly reduce . Promotion. Promotion activities by national brand manufacturers, such as concession on their own brands, direct to a loss of status and influence for store brands, mainly among price-sensitive consumers. When distributors strive to fight national brands through alike promotion activities, they may end up deteriorating the private brand and enhancing sales of national brands, as promotions can make consumers recognize the store brand as lower in quality than the national brand. (Ram Herstein and Eugene D. Jaffe are based at the Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel.). 2.2.1 Price of Store Brand Price and extraordinary promotions have been used to attract customers to a retail store and create an increased level of store traffic (Berden and Lichtenstein, 1989 Krishnan, Monroe and Grewal, 1998). According to the trade publications, retailers use of price promotions to draw attention of customers and the want to maintain margins have always been at odds with each other. The disagreement has become more acute as price promotions have failed to build sales (Grocer Progressive, 1992). In addition, although price discounting can generate traffic in a retail store, such discounting can have negative effects on the brands quality and internal reference prices. Price discounting may even spoil a stores overall image. 2.2.2 Quality There was a distinctive gap in the level of quality between private label and national brand products. Now that gap has narrowed; private-label quality levels are much higher than ever before, and they are more consistent. The distributors that bond for private label manufacture have improved their procurement processes and are more cautious about monitoring quality. For a long time, the critical assumption that a product will best satisfy the customer as long as it has desired benefits was, unexpectedly, completely foreign to store-brand marketers in emerging developed markets. Consumers were hesitant to accept store brands because they did not offer functionality benefits that indicated quality, freshness, high performance, resilience and etc. Only recently have some managers in the best-performing store brand markets learned what the store brand actually means to the customer, and they have consequently improved its functionality and quality. (Launching store brands in emerging markets: resistance crumbles by: Jaffe D. Eugene and Herstein Ram) 2.2.6 Ambiance Is it not enough to offer a well familiar product range at a best price in the right place? A good layout is a matter of customer satisfaction. Of course, there are also viable factors that argue in favor of the significance of a good layout. A good layout provides you with the opportunity of influencing store turnover. The proper shelf layout, the display of the product range or a well-thought out spot for special offers all have a direct outcome on turnover. So a good layout may very well create a boom in a stores turnover. Each store has its own best explanation for logistics problems. This applies mainly to stores with a quick turnover of goods, stores that sell products that are not easy to market or products that take up a large amount of space. One of the major purposes of the layout is certainly to create smooth customer flow all the way through the store. To accomplish this, it is important to create the right balance between fast and smooth (consumer) flow on the one hand a nd provision of space on the other. Creating smooth (consumer) flow is essential in stores that have a high frequency of customer visits. Of course, a good layout has other purposes as well. In accordance with the belief that first impressions count, the layout can either catch the attention of customers or put them off. A layout can provide solutions or it can cause difficulties.