Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example The process by which consumers gathers information about a product by the internal stimuli and interprets can be defined as the perception of a consumer (Williams, 2008, p.27). Decision making about the purchase of a certain product by problem findings, information search and expected outcome evaluation can be defined as Decision making process of a consumer (Hoyer and Maclnnis, 2008, p.62). The study will uncover the effects of consumer personalities, perception and decision making process towards LG washing machine. For the purpose of study LG the company has been selected. The company initially headquartered in Korea, produced TVs, Radios, Refrigerators, Washing Machines and Air-Conditioners. LG is a Merge of two Korean Companies Lucky and Goldstar. Presently LG is a leading electronics company worldwide. Consumer Personalities A company may have to deal with seven consumer personalities to its products. 1) Customers of â€Å"Child-Like† personality is always are open to ev ery sales pitch. To sell a product to them is much easier. 2) The â€Å"Judgmental Authority figure† is the second personality spectrum. They are also open to sales pitch and moreover they believe in company’s promotional strategy. It is easy for a company to sell them the products. 3) â€Å"Socializes† is the third type of personality spectrum, who used to develop a good relationship with the marketers; they never argue but avoid the sales coordinators. It is little tricky for the marketers to sell them the products. 4) The fourth spectrum of personality is the â€Å"Relaters†. These types of customers have the tendency to agree with the marketers about the Products’ knowledge. It is much easier for the coordinators to sell the products. 5) The fifth spectrum is the â€Å"Argumentative Barterer† who used to negotiate with the marketers. According to company to sell them product is little difficult. 6) The sixth spectrum, where the main prob lem arises to the company, that is the â€Å"Bargain Hunter† who use to negotiate little bit harder. The personality of these consumers is to make a better deal. 7) The last type of consumer personality is â€Å"Mature Hunter†. It is very difficult for marketers to close a deal with the consumers as they use tricky negotiations (Hanan, 2011). Basis on LG French Door refrigerator the marketers have to face consumers such as personality of child-like consumer and Judgmental Authority. LG is a leading electronics brand globally. The unique features in the refrigerators, implementation of advanced technology and the easy and time consuming accessibility will attract the consumers. As a result the company does not have to face unfavorable consumer personality. Consumer Perceptions Consumer perception includes price perception, quality perception and risk perception. Price perception is all about the difference of actual price and the perceived price of products. The consume rs perceive about the price basis on the product accessories, size features and other existing products of the company. Quality is an intangible factor that may affect the products. The advertisement, promotional strategy helps the customers to perceive about the product quality. Quality perception is the difference between actual and perceived quality of the product. Risk perception depends upon the situation, people, product and culture, brand value of the company. Here consumers make the decision to buy a product without thinking about

The Age of Oversharing Essay Example for Free

The Age of Oversharing Essay â€Å"My battery in my phone is dying† or â€Å"Oh, he can tweet but can’t text back? † is what floods Twitter user’s timeline on a daily basis. Meghan Daum refers to this as the Age of Oversharing in her essay â€Å"I Don’t Give a Tweet What You’re Doing,† where she sarcastically dissects the controversies behind Twitter and how nearly fourteen million users have completely abandoned Twitter’s â€Å"initial function to serve as an information conduit between close friends and family† (233). Along with her beliefs of Twitter adding to our already compromised interpersonal skills she carries the tone of being bitter and harsh throughout her essay as she evaluates the many answers to the question â€Å"what are you doing? † with a better question â€Å"what the hell are we doing? † Although Twitter serves to connect others instantly it ceases human interaction almost instantly as well. We live in a world where everything around us is done almost instantly and more conveniently. Prime examples, fast food restaurants, self-serve salad bars, fast thirty day weight lost results and JG Wentworth’s â€Å"it’s my money and I need it now! We expect everything around us to move at a fast pace and that is exactly what is happening on Twitter, what you ate for breakfast, what article you read during lunch and your favorite show you watch every night before bed is now being shared with the world instantly with the click of a button. Daum refers to this as the Age of Oversharing, consecutive irrelevant post right after another which completely defeats the purpose of solely connecting with love ones not only because of geographical dispersions but also the reality of daily work and school commitments. Researchers at Harvard came up with studies that explain how Twitter has contributed to the Age of Oversharing and that is because nearly eighty percent of tweets on Twitter are of one’s own immediate experiences. This is because â€Å"researchers found that the act of disclosing information about oneself activates the same sensation of pleasure in the brain that we get from eating food, getting money or having sex† (Susan 2). That explains why every time I check my timeline someone either is willingly announcing that they are on the bus this morning for work or what kind of cereal that had this morning . I admit I am guilty of also tweeting about the day I just had or how I cannot wait for class to be over so I can watch Basketball Wives later that night on VH1. Our constant tweets reveal to our followers what we are truly about. Twitter can be obnoxious at times, constantly viewing irrelevant tweets from your followers on a daily basis. Daum takes the time to evaluate Twitter as if it were a person, stating that Twitter would be â€Å"an emotionally unstable person†¦that person we avoid at parties† (233). She goes further to add that Twitter will be the person we would view as mentally ill and will eventually feel sorry for. Her tone here towards Twitter is depicted as being fed up with users disclosed thoughts of one’s self. Daum examines these tweets as unstable and this is apparent because if you take away the whole purpose and backbone of Twitter, it is just mostly users microblogging their every move and thought. Looking at the bigger picture this is when â€Å"I don’t give a tweet what you’re doing† becomes notable. It is true that we all have that one friend that constantly rambles about something either random or irrelevant. My friend Bobby is that friend that mirrors Daum’s reflection of Twitter as a person. For instance, Bobby is always looking for attention and if no one is giving it to her she splats out something pointless just like most Twitter users do. I would rather not answer her phone calls because she can go on about herself and drift off upon pointless conversations becoming â€Å"the tragic oversharer† we would all like to avoid. Today since gestures like a wave hello or a polite smile are now being used more openly than before in emoticons through social networks, face to face interaction between people has now diminished. Daum asks the question of, are we tweeting because we truly want to communicate with a select group of true friends, or because typing has replaced talking? Being that free thoughts and videos are now instantly streaming to friends and family over Twitter, there leaves little room for story telling of a series of unfortunate events that can fit in a 140 character text box. It seems many prefer typing over talking, this can also explain the oversharing on social networks. Daum argues that we have misused Twitter for what it is really worth; instead of spoken words they are typed. I see this in my best friend Stephanie’s family where favors and questions for each other are preferred typed. Just last week I was over, Stephanie’s older brother sent her a tweet asking her â€Å"where is the remote? † Spoken communication becomes absent as connecting online becomes apparent more and more. Collectively, more ideas are being typed instead of spoken and excessive feelings are being squeezed into emoticons rather than expressed in person. In â€Å"I Don’t Give a Tweet What You’re Doing† Daum argues that this generation has entered the Age of Oversharing and has left the age of the telephone. Obnoxious and pointless tweets fed our ego’s.

History And Contributions Of Helicopters History Essay

History And Contributions Of Helicopters History Essay The helicopter has earned a stout reputation as a workhorse for the myriad of tasks that they can perform. The ability of rotary wing aircraft to be able to not just fly in forward and reverse but to remain stationary in flight has helped American aviation in both the civilian and military realms. Tasks that would have previously required many more resources to complete or put additional workers at an increased risk have now been placed in the helicopters lap. Rotary wing aviation may be young in practical applications but the technology is not new. American aviation would be augmented not by space age marvels but from technology based off of an ancient toy. History Ge Hong It is thought that the first instance of a man-made rotary wing device dates back to ancient China. Around 400BC a man by the name of Ge Hong had noticed how a sycamore seed fell to the ground in a circular fashion. Using the sycamore seed as inspiration he built a toy called the bamboo dragonfly. It was a crude rotor system that featured feathers attached to a center stick. When spun in the hand the wings would lift the toy up and out of the users hands (Gibbs-Smith, 1962; Samuels, 2006). Leonardo da Vinci The next major instance of rotary wing design comes from the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci. In 1483 da Vinci had designed what was called the aerial screw (Samuels, 2006). Though it is not believed to have been built, the design for this crude helicopter did incorporate an onboard power unit (Gibbs-Smith, 1962). Some of his writings would go on to highlight the importance of some of the aspects of modern aerodynamics we understand today: center of gravity, center of pressure, and streamlining (Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). Sir George Cayley Sir George Cayley, known as the father of modern aerodynamics, had also studied the design of helicopters. Cayley had designed and built an unpowered helicopter glider that did fly, albeit only a few feet (Tucker, 2010). This was done using a design based upon an earlier helicopter toy created by Frenchmen Launoy and Bienvenu which took their design ultimately from those ancient Chinese toys (Gibbs-Smith, 1962). He felt that the original design could be perfected. His new designs would feature counter-rotating blades to help with the torque produced by a single rotor (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011) Sir George Cayley has been credited as stating To be of ordinary use, they [flying machines] must be capable of landing at any place where there is space to receive them, and of ascending again from that point (Gibbs-Smith, 1962). This would sum up precisely what helicopters should and would do. Igor Sikorsky Next we jump ahead to the 1930s with Russian immigrant Igor Sikorsky. Sikorsky had already established himself in aircraft design and construction through the S-38 clipper seaplane used extensively by Pan American Airlines as well as various other designs (Ingram Stansell, 2010). He had dreamed for a long time of creating a rotary wing aircraft and had studied Leonardo da Vincis designs (Turner, 2000). A German designer had created the first manned powered helicopter but it would be Sikorsky that would make the first mass produced design (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011). His VS-300 would be the first of Sikorskys helicopters and through military support would become the R-4, a design using a single main rotor and a single tail rotor (Turner, 2000; Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). Designs previous to this had two main rotors in tandem in order to counteract torque generated by a single rotor (Ingram Stansell, 2010). The Sikorsky R-4 would be one of the first designs to be u tilized in a theater of war. The U.S. Army and British Army would use them towards the end of WWII for rescue of downed aircrew in the Burma theater (Turner, 2000; Tucker, 2010). Civilian Applications We have seen how the modern design of helicopters progressed from simple toy to complex flying machine. The genie was out of the bottle and the capabilities were not lost on civil aviation in the U.S. The civilian populace has seen the helicopter used from rescue to construction work and agricultural use. It has helped to save countless lives and increase companies profits alike. Medical and Lifesaving The medical field has used the helicopter extensively in life-saving ambulance duties. With the introduction of helicopters first responders could now reach the scene of an accident in less time than a ground based ambulance. It would also allow rescuers to access areas that are either too remote or too distant (Chandrakanth Bangalore, 2011). A good example of this would be medical rescues from offshore oil rigs (Ozdamar, 2011). These air ambulances would carry all necessary lifesaving equipment to treat trauma patients enroute to the hospital for further care. Over the last few decades the number of helicopters being utilized for civilian air ambulance has increased to nearly 900 (Chandrakanth Bangalore, 2011). This increase in response time allows more lives saved through rapid treatment during what is known as the golden hour (Chandrakanth Bangalore, 2011). This is the critical time for a trauma patient to receive advanced care and surgical intervention to prevent long-term dam age to vital organs (Golden hour, 2009). Besides carrying patients onboard the helicopter, it can also be utilized to carry supplies for disaster relief on an external cargo hook. This can allow a greater amount of needed supplies, such as vaccines, to reach those in need than a ground vehicle can. This is especially true if the roads to access the disaster area are impassable (Ozdamar, 2011). Cargo Lifting It is from this external cargo capability where civilian aviation gains great use. Construction firms have used helicopters to aid in building construction where cranes might not be optimum or even possible. Igor Sikorsky again saw the potential of the helicopter in the cargo lifting role and designed what would become the crane helicopter or Skycrane (McKenna). During a dissertation Sikorsky would mention the need for a helicopter of this particular type to transport items that when preassembled were too bulky to transport by other means. His aim was to be able to deliver items that were preassembled and ready to use thereby cutting down the overall construction time required (McKenna). One incident that showcases the need for helicopters, as well as those with cargo capabilities, would be in December of 1967. A Chevron offshore oil rig experienced an emergency and required a replacement 8,000 pound hydraulic pump be delivered to restart operations. At the time the weather was foul and would not permit normal sea-bound delivery (which on a normal day could take up to 26 hours). Within 22 minutes a Skycrane had delivered the much needed pump and restored operations which in turn saved Chevron financially (McKenna). Utility Companies The electrical utility industry would utilize the unique capabilities of the helicopter but not for its cargo capability. Electric companies would seize the helicopter to perform daunting maintenance on high-power lines. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which contains a seven-state service territory and over 17,000 miles of power lines, has used helicopters for electrical line maintenance and inspection, setting poles, and stringing wire (Herring Feerst, 2005). This availability helps to reduce maintenance times and costs using minimal crew. This is critical especially in times of severe weather when needing to inspect and repair power lines. The TVA can get maintenance teams, with tools, to any spot on the line in quicker time than a truck and give the electrician a more stable platform to work from at height (Herring Feerst, 2005). Agriculture Farmers have used aircraft from an early start to help control their crops. Through the use of crop dusting farmers were able to keep pests from consuming crops and destroying a valuable source of income. Crop dusting would also be used to fertilize crops. Aviation had been seen as a time saver in that an airplane could cover a greater area in less time than a traditional machine. Helicopters would enable farmers to have even greater and more even coverage when spraying crops thanks to the ability to hover and enter tight, confined areas (Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). The downwash created by a helicopters rotor system would be the key to an even distribution of chemicals. With this the chemicals would be dispersed more evenly to include the underside of plant leaves. Another of the advantages given a helicopter over an airplane is that a helicopter can refill at the farm without having to make a return trip to an airfield, thus saving time (Aerospace: The Flight of Disco very, 1992). Military Applications The U.S. military has always looked for what the next great weapon can be. The helicopter was certainly one of those. Almost as soon as Igor Sikorsky produced the R-4 in quantity the U.S. military has found ways to implement them to great success. Much like their civilian counterparts the military helicopter has been used in lifesaving, transportation of personnel and cargo, but also with a new combat role. The helicopter gunship has become an indispensable tool in the U.S. militarys arsenal. Medical Evacuation Before weapon technology advanced and military planners knew what helicopters really could accomplish they were being used as a rescue platform. Towards the end of WWII the U.S. used the Sikorsky R-4 to rescue flyers that were downed in the water or in other hard to reach areas in the Burma theater (Turner, 2000). This was normally accomplished through the use of PBY-4 Catalina seaplanes. The R-4 helicopter could get to those pilots that were in the dense jungle or near a coastline. This capability would decrease the amount of time that both the downed flyer and the rescue aircraft were subject to engagement or capture by the enemy. Also in 1944 an R-4 (belonging to the Coast Guard) helped to deliver blood plasma to sailors wounded during an explosion aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011). From these moments in the waning days of WWII the helicopter would always be seen as a method of saving lives on the battlefield. During the Korean War a Bell design would earn the moniker of Angel of Mercy. The Bell H13 (Bell 47) was utilized extensively to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield and deliver them to Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (Seddon, Newman, Seddon, 2011; Driscoll, 2001). Thanks largely to the use of helicopters the mortality rate during the Korean War was 2.4%, the lowest to date for any major war (Driscoll, 2001). From the WWII, to present day conflicts helicopters are still widely used by the U.S. military for medical evacuation contributing to continued low mortality rates. The Bell H13 would be replaced by the Bell UH-1 Huey and eventually the Sikorsky H-60 series. Cargo and Utility Helicopters The Korean War was the first war where the U.S. military found widespread use for the helicopter. The helicopter would be used for artillery spotting and observation giving the observer a better view of the battlefield for calling in artillery support. Unlike the fixed wing counterpart the helicopter could loiter for longer and operate from bases closer to the frontline (Samuels, 2006; Tucker, 2010). Ground based combat units would come to utilize helicopters to transport not only personnel but much needed equipment by helicopter. With the use of helicopters ground commanders could reach areas previously unreachable through ground transportation or at least risk to lose valuable resources in effort. Helicopters could airlift artillery pieces to hilltops to quickly aid in ground support from high ground or deliver troops far behind enemy lines (Samuels, 2006). The war in Vietnam would become largely known as a helicopter war due to the extensive use of helicopters to wage war. It was from this war that much of modern rotary wing warfare doctrine was derived. Though the U.S. Marine Corps had first pioneered airmobile helicopter warfare during the Korean War it wouldnt be until the Vietnam War that this practice was employed in a wide spread fashion (Tucker, 2010). Cargo would follow closely behind. Helicopters that were designed with cargo transport as a primary mission were entering the scene for much the same reason. In order to deliver crucial supplies to remote locations in substantial quantity the U.S. would use helicopters such as the CH-54 Tarhe (Sikorsky Skycrane), UH-34 Choctaw, SH-3 Sea King, CH-47 Chinook, and its smaller cousin the CH-46 Sea Knight (Tucker, 2010; Polmar, 2012). The CH-54 had a payload capacity of upwards of 20,000 pounds depending on the model (McKenna). Heavy lift helicopters could deliver artillery, light tank s, or even bridges to the frontlines. Very little was beyond the capability of the CH-54 (McKenna). To demonstrate the versatility of cargo aircraft the U.S. Navy utilized first the UH-34 then later the SH-3 for retrieval of crewmembers from the ocean as well as retrieval of NASAs Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules after re-entry and splashdown (Polmar, 2012). Gunship The Vietnam War also saw the first uses of the gunship in combat. In previous wars the close combat support role was left to low flying propeller airplanes. The U.S. military found that helicopters could be a weapons platform given the ability to hover or operate in confined spaces without needing an improved airfield to conduct operations. Initially the U.S. military would use existing airframes such as the Bell UH-1 and attach offensive armament such as rockets and grenade launchers. Though crude it proved the gunships worth and would lead to development of more advanced purpose built gunships such as the Bell AH-1 Cobra, the first attack helicopter (Tucker, 2010). So important and versatile was the AH-1 Cobra that the U.S. Marine Corps still utilizes the Cobra today. It has gone through several avionics upgrades to meet current military aviation demands (Update on Cobra-Huey upgrade program, 1996). As technology advanced, with it too was the gunship. Using lessons learned from Vietnam the military looked for a new attack helicopter with even more capabilities. One of the early designs was the AH-56 Cheyenne. It could fly over 200 knots while carrying TOW anti-tank rockets and a 30mm cannon. It would also utilize advanced targeting systems. Ultimately this program would be cancelled in part to budget constraints (Prouty Yackle, 1992). The next gunship to be developed and used to this day would be the Boeing AH-64 Apache. It can fly 180mph, up to 1,100 miles in range, and carry 2.75 inch rockets, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, and a 30mm cannon (Aerospace: The Flight of Discovery, 1992). This airframe would become a flying tank killer. Presidential mission and the Osprey One mission that showcases how important rotary wing aviation has become to the U.S. was the decision to use helicopters to transport the President of the United States, the First family, and other members of government. The U.S. Marine Corps squadron HMX-1 has largely used the VH-60N, and the VH-3D (Corps unveils new presidential helicopter, 2005). Both of these were modified from existing airframes in service in the military to serve in Very Important Person missions. The U.S. Marine Corps has looked into replacing their current fleet of presidential helicopters with the MV-22 Osprey (Sanborn, 2011). The Osprey is already currently in use with the U.S. Marine Corps. This new airframe blurs the line between airplane and helicopter through use of large tilting engines and rotors. The MV-22 can start as a helicopter with the engines rotated vertically and mid-flight rotate the engines horizontal to fly as an airplane. This allows the Osprey great versatility in regards to areas of operation and mission types (Hanifen, 1995). The U.S. Marine Corps can use this airframe to transport cargo and equipment much like an airplane or cargo helicopter or insert a larger number of troops compared to the modernized UH-1 still in use by the U.S. Marines (Hanifen, 1995; Update on Cobra-Huey upgrade program, 1996). The U.S. Air Force has kept an eye on the Osprey as a contender for use as a combat search and rescue platform as part of its CSAR-X program thanks to its capabilities (Rotorcraft report, 2009). Summary and Conclusion Helicopter design started with humble beginnings as a toy in ancient China. Through the ages it has progressed to be a vital part of both civil and military applications. It has served in as many roles as the pioneers of the field can think of them. Countless lives have been saved by use of helicopters. Stranded mountain climbers and hikers or even people stranded due to natural disasters have come to expect rescue as a norm when before helicopters they would have been left to their own for survival. The U.S. military has seen helicopters as a vital tool to bring the war to the enemy regardless of terrain. With them the military can press the attack from a closer distance bearing powerful weaponry and just as easily ensure wounded receive critical care in a timely manner. Mortality rates are at their lowest thanks in part to the ability to transport wounded quickly from the battle to the hospital. Next on the horizon are unmanned aircraft to do those missions deemed dull, dirty, or dangerous. The hover capability of unmanned helicopters lends itself to observation, attack, or resupply missions without exposing crews to unnecessary risk. Same can be said for any utility companies that join in the project. Use of unmanned helicopters for wire inspection or even police duties would decrease the work hour cost while maintaining the same workload.

Splash Pages can be a Good Addition to Your Website :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

Splash Pages can be a Good Addition to Your Website The first question a beginning web developer should ask him or herself when designing a splash page for the website is not what image to use, but should a splash page be created in the first place. A splash page is â€Å"a branding page before the home page of your Web site† (O’Rourke). While this page can be good and serve as â€Å"gateways into web content† (â€Å"Internet Marketing Glossary†), one may choose not to use a splash page. Such a page can detract from the professionalism of the site; if a person or company wants to appear professional and wants the website to portray this, a splash page can ruin this desire. To seem professional, the rule in most cases is the simpler, the better, and a splash page does not simplify websites. In fact, these pages can be slow and add an additional step in the viewer’s process of arriving at the actual homepage. Designers of websites must keep in mind that viewers often decide in a matter of seconds wheth er they will stay at that site or not, and splash pages, if done incorrectly, can waste this time (Kyrnin). However, splash pages can be a good addition to a website. They gain immediate responses from the viewer, which can entice the viewer to enter the site. Also, if the designer is particularly proud of some graphic, animation, or other object that he/she has created, the splash page can be a good method to display this work. Similarly, it shows the designer’s skills with technology – a splash page that includes an original animated graphic tells the viewer that the designer not only can create websites, but can create animation. If the web developer does in fact want a splash page for the website, there are several issues to be discussed. First and foremost should be relevance. If the splash page shows a design of a political cartoon, the viewer would assume that the page is a political satire page, or at least a page related to politics. So if a viewer decides that, based on the splash page, he/she will continue on to view a site about politics, he/she would be upset and confused to see a site about guitars. The splash page sets the mood for the rest of the website, so designers should make sure that the appropriate mood is set.

Of Kind and Cruel Fates Essay

Irony, in its essence, is the humor of contradiction. It is contradiction, in the sense that where we would expect events to lean on one way, events instead completely take the opposite direction. A crude example would be where a string of freak accidents occur at a factory where the manager is showing off to his potential clients that his company is â€Å"accident-free†. Irony is humorous because if one saw it with impartiality, one would find it funny. Having a car accident right after a road is â€Å"improved† to avoid further accidents, would be funny. To study irony further, one could study an average person’s sense of humor. While as a child, he may delight in the curiosities of the environment, eventually he becomes adjusted to seeing it everyday, and eventually his enjoyment of it fades. Humor takes on a different characteristic for him. There is the slapstick comedy, where he finds the antics of the performers as funny and absurd, and there is the situational comedy, where he finds funny ordinary people falling to ridiculous situations. The common thread to this humor is that it attacks at something. Whether it is to ridicule a person behaving out of the social norm (as the slapstick), or to ridicule a person’s belief or principle that is generally viewed as absurd (the parody), the higher the degree of abuse at the object of humor, the funnier. Irony, then, is humorous in the sense that it attacks something, through its contradiction. As an impartial viewer, we may find funny things that we know to be true as envisioned by the ironic set-up, but which is obscured in the minds of those who are involved in the irony. Humor moreover has intrinsic values it seeks to instill to its impartial witnesses, and consequently irony occurs as some way to inform the viewer of a cosmic lesson. We can delve in this further through the study of three stories, Tartuffe, The Princess of Cleves, and Nathan the Wise. There are several ironic situations that occur throughout the play Tartuffe. The story revolves around a household scandalized by having its head (the father) entertain and welcome as part of the family a man who openly and vocally shows his displeasure at what he deems as vices borne by the various members of the family and the house. One of the first ironic situations occurs with the son, Damis, who hides in the room while Tartuffe has a private conversation with his mother, Elmire. His intention is to unmask Tartuffe to his father as a hypocrite and get him out of the house (Moliere, 39-46). When he finally sees evidence of the man’s scandalous behavior towards his mother and reveals it to his father, not only does his father not believe (owing to the hypocrite’s skillful use of words), but has Damis instead kicked out and even encourages Tartuffe to continue his scandalous behavior towards his wife, in order to spite his family (47-51). The humor in the situation centered on how big a fool the father was to believe in Tartuffe’s virtue, and an even bigger fool not to see the truth when it is right in front of him. This is further stressed in the next ironic situation, where after Orgon (the father) finally realizes the extent of his friend’s deceit, he tries to tell his mother, who was also fooled by the hypocrite. For all his protestations she does not believe him until she sees it herself (Moliere, 68-71). The irony is that where he once ignored the loud protests of his family, likewise his mother does not believe him, even for his loud protests. The final ironic twist, however, turns out for the good as the hypocrite Tartuffe, having been unmasked and set his plans for revenge, intrigues on the King and plans to have them all arrested, only to have him as the object of arrest, as the King was â€Å"wise† to his intrigues (77-80). The play has these alternating reversal of fortunes, and its ironic humor attacks two things: that blind faith without reason in open Virtue is folly, and that any malice masked in virtue never remains unpunished. A more tragic tale of irony is that of the Princess of Cleves. Introduced to a court as Madam Chartres, she wins the affection of the Prince of Cleves, who endeavor to marry her despite the protests of his father; she falls, however for someone else, the Duke Nemours (Lafayette, 15-17). The story then centers around him trying to find the opportunity to confess his love, and she, now married, desperately tries to stave off his affections while suppressing hers. We do not see the irony unfold until the very end: the Princess anguishes over her affection for the Duke throughout her marriage, but following the death of her husband suddenly she has a change of heart and is convinced that her husband was a far better man than the Duke (101-107). It is only after the husband dies and they finally have an opportunity to be together does she decide not to be with the Duke. The irony here attacks the notion that love borne from adulterous intention will eventually bear fruit. It might have been attack towards the growing acceptance of the public towards the notion of infidelity, (almost every character is involved in an affair with someone else) and their giving it idealistic fervor. The Princess of Cleves, despite the best of her intentions, continued to bear her love to someone else, and pined for that other person, and consequently, in her husband’s death she realized her folly too late, and chose to suffer the rest of her life in that guilt. Nathan the Wise has such a complicated string of ironies, that one who skims through even the slightest of details would not appreciate the ironies that eventually occur. Originally, the story of the Jewish merchant Nathan centered around the Muslim conqueror Saladin trying to fool him out of his money—and this tale has found itself in the pages of Boccaccio’s Decameron. Nathan answers so skillfully that ironically it was Saladin who was put to shame by his own question and humbled before the Jew (Lessing, 90-97). This story is, however, expanded by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, and this encounter between the Egyptian conqueror and the Jew becomes the main theme. The tale then revolves around a Templar, who was pardoned by Saladin for the reason that he resembled the conqueror’s brother (Lessing, 36); the consequences of his rescue of a Jewish maiden (and subsequent encounter of the grateful surrogate father Nathan), and the intrigues of the Patriarch who would have him either kill Saladin or turn over Nathan, who he found had raised a Christian child to the Jewish faith (the same Jewess he rescued) (37-40). The irony, from an impartial point of view, might have been to some degree absurd. The Templar, in almost the fashion of Oedipus, tries desperately to seek the truth, and unmask what he sees in his prejudice as malice committed by the Jew Nathan (Lessing, 109-127). And, also in the fashion of Oedipus, not only does he discover that the girl he was trying to save (and hope to marry) was his sister, but Saladin who he would have killed had he agreed to the Patriarch, was his uncle after all (165-172). The irony also hits Saladin, as his pardoning the Templar Conrad because he looked like his brother, redounds to the truth that Conrad was his brother’s son. While the ironic twist might seem ridiculous to the trained eye, in the sense it fits to the lesson first imparted by Nathan to Saladin: that all men are equal before God, regardless of Faith. This is a happier chide at the Medieval sensibility of hostility between Faiths. Irony is humorous, because we find that the contradiction it creates makes sense. We might have felt our sensibilities offended when we saw that the Princess of Cleves did not end up with the Duke Nemours, but the cosmic twist was to show to us that infidelity was wrong. We would have preferred that the Templar should have instead ended up marrying the Jewess, but the irony was there to impart the lesson that prejudice has, after all, no place in the world. We sometimes do not find ironic circumstances that funny, as if we lived the life of Duke Nemours or became as aghast as the Templar Conrad. But eventually, we will learn that the contradiction was to impart to us that our plans may go completely the other way, because they may not have been right in the first place. And, the wiser we become to this truth, the more we will realize that irony, though it might strike sad for us, has a reason. The better we accept this, the more we will be prepared to just take a step back, take a view of the bigger picture, and laugh. WORKS CITED Lafayette, Madame de. The Princess of Cleves. New York: Project Gutenberg. 27 Sept. 2008 . Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim. Nathan the Wise. New York: Page, Curtis. Project Gutenberg. 01 Mar. 2003. . Moliere, Jean Baptiste. Tartuffe. New York: Project Gutenberg. 26 Oct. 2008. .

The Craigs Case Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers

The Craig's Case Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers The Craig's Case While reading this case I couldnt believe how similar Craigs problem was to my own from couple years ago. I tried to recall all the facts from my own experience and compare them to Craigs. Even though I never had a steady job and I worked only couple of summers, I am pretty sure that many people had experience like this at one point in their careers. Every person in the world is different, and I believe that each person would behave differently in this case. To be fair maybe the outcome would be the same in some instances, but the decision process would be unique to every individual. This is where ethics come into the play, according to this term everyone should act the same in any given situation. Craig is facing very serious decision, just like in Shakespeares Hamlet to be or not to be? He is to choose between his physical well being and his conscience. According to Hobbes, in humans nature is to be egoist, and one should always look out for ones best interest, in this case keep the job and graduate from college. On the other side there are many stakeholders depending on the decision he will make, and according to the definition of ethics, it is not about me, it is about others. Clearly, consistently with the definition Craig is not facing a dilemma but a definite choice to speak out for himself and the customers that are depending on his decision. Craig must not sign the evaluation sheet and must do the only right and ethical thing. He must take this issue to the top management and complain about the wrongfulness of the previous actions of his superiors. If he is threatened with his tuition reimbursement and even if his job is on the line, he must proceed with his intentions and go to the authorities that are responsible for such cases. Craigs duties and obligations in this case are numerous. According to the text, there are seven basic duties for good and bad conduct. One must keep explicit and implicit promises, where Craig must keep promises given to himself, company, and his customers. For example he must keep the implicit promise given to the customers where he is to do what is in his power to protect their best interest. One must make sure that the goods are distributed justly, where in this case only a half dozen out of hundreds have been acted upon. One must not harm others, where Craig by not acting immediately is harming some policyholders who can not afford other means of care or whatever the policy stated in the first place. (Trunfio, 28-29) There are many moral common sense principles that are addressed and violated in this case. The most obvious one would be lawfulness, where is stated that the laws must be obeyed, and clearly in this instance it is not so. Also, Human worth principle is violated, where his manager is evidently harming Craig. (Trunfio, 24) Craigs manager Nancy, deliberately or not, is not respecting him as a human being and is pushing him to do what he is told, not what is right and legal. My opinion is that Craigs boss Nancy knows the situation, and is deliberately transferring the responsibility on Craigs shoulders. These are only couple of moral principles being addressed in this case. The fact that the actions of this firm are not legal is probably enough for Craig to report this case to the authorities. If he doesnt act immediately many clients of the firm will be damaged. Furthermore this could lead to a lawsuit which could damage the wellbeing of many employees of the firm as well as their agents all over the United States. If he ignores the issue, and I must add that this is not just a minor flaw or mistake but illegal act that will eventually be discovered by the authorities, the results would be the same, he would loose his scholarship and his job and he would possibly be held legally accountable for not acting upon these matters. This fact should be an eye opener for Craig, in sense that if he

114307175500 Essays - Quantitative Analyst, Valuation, Free Essays

114307175500 Essays - Quantitative Analyst, Valuation, Free Essays 114307175500 TANYA 11328 EUCLID AVENUE, APARTMENT 302 , CLEVELAND, OHIO 44106 C: (216) 694-1356 | [emailprotected] Dear Hiring Manager, I wish to express my interest for the position of Early Learning Intern at The Centers for Families and Children, which I saw posted on Indeed.com. With its outstanding reputation, The Centers for Families and Children has long been on my "dream list" for places to work. I feel that my combination of skills and experience in Financial Management and my passion towards finance makes me a qualified candidate for this position. My professional goal is to apply my commitment to service, excellence and creativity towards creating a difference in the financial world. One of my favorite quotes from Rumi (and words to live by) is "let the beauty we love be what we do." When there is passion behind the work we do, it fuels us to work for the change we believe is possible. After learning about the challenges and opportunities at Peninsula Family Service, I believe the work role there directly aligns with my strengths and experiences. My background and training in Finance has provided me with the abilities necessary to succeed in this fast-paced and intense field. I am adept at performing analyses and utilizing the resulting data to determine appropriate actions, identify and resolve issues, and develop strategies and procedures. In my previous job positions, I conducted quantitative analysis of financial data to forecast revenue, identify future trends and identify risk associated with capital expenditure, acquisitions, and joint-venture projects.I as well performed ad-hoc analysis and reporting. My professional goal is to apply my commitment to serv ice, excellence and creativity towards creating a difference in the financial world. While I was regularly challenged at my work, I returned to school to further develop my leadership skills. In my second semester at Case Western Reserve University, I was selected as the Vice President of Finance, Graduate Student Council to give monetary advice to the Council, oversee and maintain an accurate and detailed financial record. Additionally, I along with a classmate, developed a business strategy and presented an action proposal for a financial advising and asset management. A panel from CWRU'S LaunchNet selected us the winners of the business Case Competition, and we are in the process of drafting our initial business strategy plan. I hope you will take the time to review my resume as I believe it will provide you with additionalinformation on how could I contribute to Peninsula Family Service 's vision of delivering a " __ ". Thank you in advance for your time. Sincerely,Tanya I wish to express my interest for the position of Data Collection Intern at Main Street Launch , wh ich I saw posted on indeed.com . Wit h its outstanding reputation, The Centers for Families and Children has long been on my "dream list" for places to work. I feel that my combination of skills and experience in Financial Management and my passion for making a positive impact in the society make me a qualified candidate for this position. One of my favorite quotes from Rumi (and words to live by) is "let the beauty we love be what we do." When there is passion behind the work we do, it fuels us to work for the change we believe is pos sible. After learning about the challenges and opportunities at The Centers for Families and Children, I believe the work role there directly aligns with my strengths and experiences. My background and training in Finance has provided me with the abilities necessary to succeed in this fast-paced and intense field. I am adept at performing analyses and utilizing the resulting data to determine appropriate actions, identify and resolve issues, and develop strategies and procedures. In my previous job positions, I conducted quantitative analysis of financial data to forecast revenue, identify future trends and identify risk associated with capital expenditure, acquisitions, and joint-venture projects.I as well performed ad-hoc analysis and reporting. Beyond my knowledge and experience in financial management, I have also volun teered for non-profits in India. My aspiration and passion to strengthen the society and bring a positive change has brought me all the way from India to join the MBA program at Case

Medicare and Medical Nutrition Therapy Essay Example

Medicare and Medical Nutrition Therapy Essay Example Medicare and Medical Nutrition Therapy Paper Medicare and Medical Nutrition Therapy Paper p. 3, 10). A Brief Comparison of the Nutrition Care Process for Nutrition Education and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Nutrition Education may be defined as the strengthening of the fundamental or vital nutrition-related information while Medical nutrition therapy is a more detailed application of the whole nutrition care process in any medical setting which centers mainly on the examination and management of ailments. As compared to nutrition education, Medical nutrition therapy involves a deeper assessment of the nutrition level of a certain individual. In nutrition education, interested persons often take the initiative to go to healthy nutrition classes or to consult a physician while in Medical nutrition therapy, the primary care provider sends the dietetics professional or registered dietitians (DTR or RD) written referrals for examinations of kidney related diseases or diabetes. In nutrition education, the dietetics professionals inquire about the person’s concern and any nutritional questions and sometimes they often make the person answer a certain questionnaire prior to setting up an appointment. In MNT the Dietetics professional himself gauges the nutrition level using the MNT Evident-based guidelines and the best available client information such as the medical records and then makes his diagnosis after proper analysis. In nutrition education, dietetics professional gives the client information about nutrition and taking care of the heart and body and relays information as to what he needs to most but in MNT; the good thing is that the dietetics professional himself identifies the client’s needs and sets up goals to be achieved by the client. After setting up the goals and motivating the client, the registered dietitian arranges several visits in order to monitor and check if the client is indeed doing some adjustments in his lifestyle in order to solve his nutritional problems and medical condition (The American Dietetic Association, 2006). Training is essential for a registered dietitian in order to attain a cost-efficient medical nutrition therapy program. Registered dietitians are recommended to attend seminars and special classes in order to hone and enhance their skills. Medical nutrition therapy follows a certain guideline in order to guarantee that the patient is getting the best care and treatment possible. The main purpose of evaluation in medical nutrition therapy is to find out and measure the persons’ need for therapy and to set the boundaries and generate ideas as to how to develop an effective plan that should give the best results on the individual. The medical background and history of an individual is necessary in order to administer the proper care to the individual. Prior operations, medication and maintenance should be investigated because it may affect the outcome of the therapy. A prior history of paralysis for instance, may affect the person’s capacity to eat thereby restricting his mobility and increasing the risk of complications which calls for a good nutrition intake in order to be cured. Some medicinal components may react badly and impede with the absorption of nutrients. Several dietary supplements and vitamins may also cause nutritional imbalance (Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z, 2008). Physical assessment for medical nutritional therapy includes information about the individual like the sex, body mass index, weight and height. Physical feature is also necessary because some nutritional deficiencies manifest in appearances such as iron deficiencies which appears in the hair and nails. Weight history is also important because sudden increase or loss of weight indicates a nutritional dilemma (Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z, 2008). Psychosocial assessment pertains to the profile of the person’s financial status, cultural and ethnical background, educational attainment, career or occupation, mental health and access to proper food source in order to consistently achieve good health. These factors help determine a person’s ability to follow through on his therapies. If a person is living in a house plenty of occupants or has a small income, there is a tendency of limited food access. Some exceptional situations provide for a total change in living environment in order experience development in his nutritional health. For example, a person with amputated legs has been diagnosed with diabetes and is living alone may eat only once or twice a day. There is a big possibility that his access to food may be very limited due to the difficulty of his situation. It would be best if he transferred to another facility where he can ask for assistance anytime. Reviewing the dietary history is a necessary assessment. It can be evaluated through the use of a food questionnaire or a food diary. In determining the quantity of sodium and fat in the diet, examination of the food preparation methods is necessary (Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z, 2008). Studies show that there are several public related health benefits of medical nutrition therapy. The American Diabetes Association recommended a new guideline that prioritizes nutrition intervention as an essential part of a change in lifestyle which is extremely necessary in diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention. It is also beneficial to put attention on the totality of the dietary pattern of a person as compared to individual nutrient approach. Studies also show that there is a twelve percent decrease in the risk of heart disease if the dietary regimen of a person focuses on increasing fruit and vegetable intake and avoid eating sodium rich products. A combination of diet therapy and food consumption of garlic, low cholesterol and low fat diets would greatly lower the risk for the development of a chronic heart disease. Research provides that counseling provided by registered dietitians produce more effective results in decreasing the cholesterol level as compared to the counseling done by physicians (Health Steps, Rx, n. d. ). Medical Nutrition Therapy plays a very significant part in improving the quality of care of persons who have various complications and diseases. Most of the time, people with chronic kidney diseases do not consult a dietitian is because of the deficiency of insurance treatment for medical nutrition therapy. Undergoing this therapy can help improve their health and lifestyle. As a matter of fact, it is encouraged that even people without sickness should have their nutritional assessment just to make sure that they are getting the right amount of nutrition the body needs. When it comes to a person’s health, it pays more to be careful. Most people go through life day by day without realizing that little by little their nutritional intake is going to a dangerous level that might cause or aggravate any present disease that they have. weber. edu/WSUImages/athletictraining/Medical%20Nutrition%20Therapy%20%5BCompatibility%20Mode%5D. pdf References American Dietetic Association. (2009). Medical Nutrition Therapy. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from eatright. org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs. xsl/advocacy_2162_ENU_HTML. htm Benedict, M. (2008). Medical Nutrition Therapy. Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from faqs. org/nutrition/Kwa-Men/Medical-Nutrition-Therapy. html Berlin, R. (2009). What are Payroll Taxes?. Law. com. Retrieved April 28, 2009 from alllaw. com/articles/tax/article5. asp Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2007). Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from cms. hhs. gov/apps/media/press/release. asp? counter=3200 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2005). Medical Nutrition Therapy Services. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from cms. hhs. gov/MedicalNutritionTherapy/03_BeneResources. asp Global Legal Information Network. (2008). Medicare Improvements for Patients and providers Act of 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from glin. gov/view. action? glinID=63996 Health Steps Rx. ( N. d. ). Evidence Supports Medical Nutrition Therapy for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from healthstepsrx. com/services/other/files/MNTevidence. pdf (2000). Medicare. The Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery. The Thompson Gale Group Inc. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from answers. com/topic/medicare Investment Dictionary. (N. d. ). Medicare. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from investopedia. com/terms/m/medicare. asp Investopedia Staff. (2009). What Does Medicare Cover?. Investopedia, A Forbes Digital Company. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from investopedia. com/articles/05/030405. asp? partner=answers Medicare Coverage of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). N. d. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from www. rd411. com/diabetes_center/article_download. php? ID=26pro Medicare. (2008). Medical Nutrition Therapy. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from medicare. gov/Health/nutritiontherapy. asp Medicare. com. (2008). Medical Nutrition Therapy. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from medicare. com/services-and-procedures/medical-nutrition-therapy. html Medicare premiums and coinsurance rates for 2009. (2008). Medicare. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from http://questions. medicare. gov/cgi-bin/medicare. cfg/php/enduser/std_adp. php? p_faqid=2100 Moon, M. (2002). Medicare. The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health. New York; MacMillan. Snetselaar, L. (N. d. ) Nutrition Counseling Skills for Medical Nutrition Therapy. Retrieved April 28, 2009 from http://books. google. com. ph/books? id=kXaiWrLYLbACpg=PA3lpg=PA3dq=definition+of+medical+nutrition+therapysource=blots=LlPrjejFPbsig=A5nP8fm343viXPhmWvi402k5QNAhl=tlei=5oL2SZq_F4yIkAWRp6X3Cgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4#PPR5,M1 The American Dietetic Association. (2006). Comparison of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Nutrition Care Process for Nutrition Education Services and the ADA Nutrition Care Process for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Services. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from eatright. org/ada/files/chart_of_mnt_vs__nut_ed_revised_short_version_8_06. pdf

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Case Study Example However, not all information may be divulged by public authorities. Those relating to matters of national security, for example, cannot be given, as well as those which can be properly classified as secret information even of foreign governments or international organizations. Prohibition in these areas is considered absolute and no amount of reconsideration may reverse the same. Other areas, on the other hand, are exempted, subject to some qualifications. In these aspects, the public authority concerned has to decide where the public interest would be subserved more: in maintaining the exemption or not. In case a request is denied, the requesting party may ask for reconsideration from the Information Commissioner who has the power to reverse the decision of the public authority who previously denied the request. This decision, however, may still be appealed to the Information Tribunal, a special tribunal especially created for the same. In relation thereto, the Government per se may interfere and override the decisions of the public authority, Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal.   In short, every right has its own limitations. The national interest cannot be bargained away in exchange for the public's right to know. The Information Act 2000 recognizes this inherent right of every state, the government, in particular, to maintain some qualified information which may prove detrimental to the national interest. The public's right to know, although recognized, is inferior to the national interest, and cannot be placed above and beyond the so-called national interest since the latter affects the country as a whole. Another important consideration is the prohibition on request for personal information, despite the fact that some of them are being kept and recorded by an agency of the government. Since this involves not just public information but mainly personal data of the state's constituents, requests for this kind of information are properly covered by the Data Protection Act 1998. Personal right of individuals and entities are considered beyond the ambit of the state's disposition.

Cubism and Fauvism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cubism and Fauvism - Essay Example By means of comparison, fauvism was a form of artistic representation in which strong and unnatural colors for a particular object or individual utilized; with the specific goal of evoking strong emotions. Naturally, the utilization of 3-D imagery was all but nonexistent within this particular approach to artistic representation. A prime example of fauvism in artwork can be seen with regard to Henri Matisse’ â€Å"Woman with a Hat†. Whereas the analysis has thus far focused upon the level of dissimilarity that exists between these two particular approaches to artistic representation, it must be noted that a peculiar similarity has to do with the fact that both of these are forms seek to represent meaning and understanding based upon different norms Michael and at least as compared to what had been represented as art for many generations and years prior to the advent of these two approaches. In essence, both of these approaches are similar due to the fact that they seek to represent meaning in a new and contrasted manner as compared to the way in which previous artists have described the world. Regardless of the definitions that have thus far been given, perhaps the greatest similarity that exists between these two art forms has to do with the fact that they were both new and expansively modern means of representing the world; means that prior artists had not considered and that were, at that time, considered as â€Å"avant guarde†. No matter what metric is analyzed, the Great Depression was an extremely difficult time.

Nursing theory in practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing theory in practice - Essay Example The purpose of Orem’s theory relates to the holistic approach to nursing. According to Orem, a human being is someone who â€Å"is an integrated whole composed of an internal physical, psychologic, and social nature with varying degree of self-care ability† (Bridge, Cabell & Herring, 2007). The essence of the theory is that all patients are able to take care of themselves. The role of nursing is this regard is that nursing serves as an art, which allows nurses to provide specialized care to people with disabilities of such a nature that more than usual care is required for fulfilling the daily needs of self-care and to intelligently take part in the delivery of care from the physician to the patient. In Orem’s perspectives the environment can be considered as a collection of various dimensions, which include physical, chemical and biologic features and socioeconomic features. The socioeconomic aspect of the environment primarily encompasses the family and the com munity and includes elements such as gender and age roles, norms, and cultural values. On the other hand, the physical, chemical and biologic features would entail the atmosphere, pollutants, weather conditions and pets amongst other factors (Bridge, Cabell & Herring, 2007). ... However, critics have come to common grounds with respect to the world view of the theory. It is common consensus that Orem’s perspective on the interaction between the person and the world is representative of the reciprocal interaction world view. Orem further regards her world view as an illustration of moderate realism (Bridge, Cabell & Herring, 2007). This entails that human beings are actively involved in an ongoing process of development and are struggling for their self-ideal, along with the owner of absolutely human traits like free will (Banfield, 2008). The theory presents the notion that people are able to maintain their life and well-being by caring for themselves (O’Connell, 2009). Orem classified the needs and requirements of the patients into three groups. These include the universal self-care deficits, developmental self-care deficits and health deviation requisites. The critique of SCDNT ranges from it being explicit and simple to generality. According to Marriner-Tomey and Alligood (2006) the terms that Orem has used in the description of the theory are very precise. The language that has been utilized is in compliance with the language deployed in action theory and philosophy. Moreover, the entire length of the theory conforms to a congruency in the usage of the terminologies. This can be exemplified from the fact that the term self-care has an array of meanings in different contexts. However Orem’s dexterity lies in her ability to precisely put forth a definition of self-care which is not only uniquely presented, but does not conflict with other interpretations of the concept. Critics have also

Point and Counterpoint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Point and Counterpoint - Essay Example Such a leader has the ability to influence others on a personal level and not just through exercising authority. Thus, great leaders are experts in their field, lead by example, are fair in their dealings, have a natural charisma, have good knowledge and insight, are good at communicating and influencing others. Leadership may therefore be defined â€Å"as the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations† (Kouzes, 2002:30). It makes people â€Å"want to be part of the organization and not just work for the organization† (Covey, 2004:217). However, the nature of today’s globalisation also demands that leaders are not only adept in analytical and emotional intelligence but also in cultural intelligence. This is the leader’s â€Å"capability for successful adaptation to new cultural settings† (Earley, 2003) and the capability of influencing people of other cultures. These in turn requires a good â€Å"conceptual understanding of differences among cultures† (Wang, 2006), expertise in handling physical aspects of cultural differences such as greeting rituals, and emotional aspects such as appreciating the complex relationship dynamics in a diverse workforce. Global and multicultural organisations nowadays seek those who have good cultural intelligence. Whilst all the aforementioned qualities are perhaps universally accepted as essentials of good leadership, as Andrew Ma (2009) points out with respect to altruism, there can be important differences between cultures in the perception of leadership values. In a comparison of the Chinese concept of altruism based on Confucian teachings (ren) and the Western concept based on Christian teachings (agapao), the author notes, â€Å"the scope and nature of altruism is different in the two philosophies/religious traditions.† Whereas the Chinese value ‘graded love’ by loving their closer relations more dearly than others, Westerners (at least those who are more faithful to the Christian religion)

Capital Expenditure and Depreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Capital Expenditure and Depreciation - Essay Example Acquiring fixed assets like building, land, plant and machinery, motor vehicle and furniture fittings are regarded as the capital expenditure. The assets are not to be sold for making profit but that assets should be retained in the business. Capex generally yields gains over a long period of time (Banerjee, 2010). Capex on a financial statement is important as the investors are interested in the amount of capital improvement that he experiences. The declining capex will make the investor cautious as well as abnormal increased values signals that the investor should also be cautious (Jennings, 2006). The different types of capex are the following: Expenditure resulting from the acquisition of permanent assets: Any asset that can be converted into cash later. The money spent to acquire the asset is called capex (Warren, 2009). Expenditure resulting from purchase, erection or receipt of a fixed asset: The expenses in addition to the purchase price that are incurred for manufacturing th e asset for use are added to the cost of the asset and thus is regarded as capex. The examples are the wages that are paid to the workers for manufacturing machines, the cost of the place where the machine will be manufactured and the interest on the loan raised to purchase a fixed asset. Expenditure resulting from improvement of the fixed asset: If the profit earning capacity increases because of the expenditure, through lowering of cost or increase the output level, it is capital expenditure. Expenditure incurred to get the right to carry on business: The expenses that are needed for establishing a business or acquiring license is capital expenditure. The cost of patent is also capital expenditure. Expenditure resulting from acquisition of tangible asset: The expenditure incurred on a non profitable asset is treated as capital expenditure. Factors that add to the cost of capital expenditure (with examples) Cost of capital expenditure i.e., the interest payments and the cash-flow, that affect cash that are available in the capital goods. Example: If one borrows ? 10000 to buy a new coffee maker and it brings with it an additional ?1000 / month of profit but the monthly interest that are to be paid for the loan is ?1120, then it is said to be the bad expenditure with a negative impact on the business. Now if the same person borrows the same amount but bring ?1500 profit/month it is a good investment. Thus, there are different factors that add up to the cost of capital expenditure and can make an investment unprofitable and even profitable. How does capital expenditure lose value over time? A product when capitalized the value of the item is placed in an asset that increases the total value of the company. The reason behind these is that the items are considered to lose their value slowly or increase over time. The asset is listed on the company’s property tax inventory and the asset is provided a number for tracking purposes (Elmaleh, 2005). The company gets bill for taxes on the value of the assets and the listing of an asset that is depreciating decreases in value each year until it is considered to have no value (Hoofman, 2009). After capitalizing, the item is allowed to depreciate over a period of time, such as 3 – 5 years of time. After depreciation the entire cost of the item is not revealed in the expenses at one time,

RAW #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RAW #4 - Essay Example Bell shows this through Philips’ conversation in which he postulates that Constitutive communism formed the basis upon which Nazism was propelled in the old times. He posits that it is an idea that cannot thrive in the modern society where people have continually integrated in one universal community (Bell 95). He postulates that due to the unrealizable ideal of Gemeinschaft there has been deliberate and continuous movement of the societal ties to the new and modern world Gesselshaft. He buys the idea that communitarianism is a barbaric venture that is both dangerous and archaic (Bell 99). He further potent that the Gemeinschaft ideals are simply unrealizable in the contemporary societies where the growth and concentration of capitalism has led to the breaking up of traditional small scale societal ties so much so that the implementation of communitarianism is simple impossible (Bell 100). He postulates that Gemeinschaft ideals have become static as people of today do not just assume and fulfill socially given obligations as before. The dichotomy as presented my Philip is challenged by Anne who thinks that in the contemporary society, people think of themselves neither as undifferentiated communitarians existing in self-sufficient and small villages nor as self-secluded and modern people. It is shown by Anne that even in the modern society, people still have communal attachments and peoples’ loyalties do stretch to more than one community but to families, home-towns and nations (Bell 99). It is important for the contemporary people to appreciate the fact that we do identify with not only our communities but with many communities in our lives. She brings out a clear knowledge that communitarians due place special interests on communal life. The justification for communitarian ideal emphasizes on the experience that people bound up with our lives in particular communities in which we live (Bell

Point and Counterpoint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Point and Counterpoint - Essay Example Such a leader has the ability to influence others on a personal level and not just through exercising authority. Thus, great leaders are experts in their field, lead by example, are fair in their dealings, have a natural charisma, have good knowledge and insight, are good at communicating and influencing others. Leadership may therefore be defined â€Å"as the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations† (Kouzes, 2002:30). It makes people â€Å"want to be part of the organization and not just work for the organization† (Covey, 2004:217). However, the nature of today’s globalisation also demands that leaders are not only adept in analytical and emotional intelligence but also in cultural intelligence. This is the leader’s â€Å"capability for successful adaptation to new cultural settings† (Earley, 2003) and the capability of influencing people of other cultures. These in turn requires a good â€Å"conceptual understanding of differences among cultures† (Wang, 2006), expertise in handling physical aspects of cultural differences such as greeting rituals, and emotional aspects such as appreciating the complex relationship dynamics in a diverse workforce. Global and multicultural organisations nowadays seek those who have good cultural intelligence. Whilst all the aforementioned qualities are perhaps universally accepted as essentials of good leadership, as Andrew Ma (2009) points out with respect to altruism, there can be important differences between cultures in the perception of leadership values. In a comparison of the Chinese concept of altruism based on Confucian teachings (ren) and the Western concept based on Christian teachings (agapao), the author notes, â€Å"the scope and nature of altruism is different in the two philosophies/religious traditions.† Whereas the Chinese value ‘graded love’ by loving their closer relations more dearly than others, Westerners (at least those who are more faithful to the Christian religion)

RAW #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RAW #4 - Essay Example Bell shows this through Philips’ conversation in which he postulates that Constitutive communism formed the basis upon which Nazism was propelled in the old times. He posits that it is an idea that cannot thrive in the modern society where people have continually integrated in one universal community (Bell 95). He postulates that due to the unrealizable ideal of Gemeinschaft there has been deliberate and continuous movement of the societal ties to the new and modern world Gesselshaft. He buys the idea that communitarianism is a barbaric venture that is both dangerous and archaic (Bell 99). He further potent that the Gemeinschaft ideals are simply unrealizable in the contemporary societies where the growth and concentration of capitalism has led to the breaking up of traditional small scale societal ties so much so that the implementation of communitarianism is simple impossible (Bell 100). He postulates that Gemeinschaft ideals have become static as people of today do not just assume and fulfill socially given obligations as before. The dichotomy as presented my Philip is challenged by Anne who thinks that in the contemporary society, people think of themselves neither as undifferentiated communitarians existing in self-sufficient and small villages nor as self-secluded and modern people. It is shown by Anne that even in the modern society, people still have communal attachments and peoples’ loyalties do stretch to more than one community but to families, home-towns and nations (Bell 99). It is important for the contemporary people to appreciate the fact that we do identify with not only our communities but with many communities in our lives. She brings out a clear knowledge that communitarians due place special interests on communal life. The justification for communitarian ideal emphasizes on the experience that people bound up with our lives in particular communities in which we live (Bell

Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass Essay Example for Free

Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass Essay Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, author, salesman, and reformer. Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African American history and a formidable public presence. He was a firm believer in equality of all people whether they were black, women, native Americans or immigrants. He was fond of saying I would unite with anybody to do right and nobody to do wrong. Frederick was born a slave in Maryland. He was only with his mother for a couple of weeks, he was raised by his grandparents. His mother, Harriot Bailey, died when he was only seven years old. The identity of his father is obscure. It was said that his father was a white man, perhaps his owner. He later said he knew nothing about his father. At the age of six his grandmother took him to the plantation and left him there. At the age of eight he was sent to Baltimore to live with his owners brother Hugh Auld. It was shortly after he arrived that Mrs Auld started to teach him the alphabet and how to read. Her husband thought it was wrong saying that he would become dissatisfied with his life and have a desire for freedom. Hugh forbid his wife to continue so Douglass took it upon himself to learn. The white kids in the neighborhood helped him learn and in return Douglass would give away his food. At the age of twelve he purchased a book called The Columbian Orator. It helped him to gain a different look and understanding on the power of the written and spoken words. Frederick returned to the eastern shore at the age of fifteen he became a field hand. During this time he had an encounter with the slave breaker Edward Covey. Covey restored his sense of self-worth after the fights. At the age of eighteen he was sent back to live with the Auld family. In September 1838 he succeeded in escaping from slavery by impersonating a sailor. he then moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts where he and his newly married wife Anna Murray begin to raise a family. When he had a chance, he went to abolitionist meetings. In October 1841 after one of the meetings he became a lecturer. He became partners with William Lloyd Garrison. This work led him to public speaking and writing. He also participated in the very first womans right conventions. He also wrote three autobiographies starting with Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass followed by My Bondage and my Freedom in 1855 and ending with Life and Times of Frederick Douglass which he wrote after the civil war in 1892. When he returned to the United States he published his own newspaper The North Star. Douglass was recognized all over the world as an uncompromising abolitionist, indefatigable worker for equal opportunity and justice. Douglass fought for equality for his people. He was also recognized for a defender of womens rights. Douglass became a trusted advisor of Lincoln, recorder of Deeds for Washington, D. C, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, and Minister-General to the Republic of Haiti. In 1872 Douglass was the first African American to receive a nomination for Vice President of the United States. During the campaign, he neither campaigned for the ticket nor even acknowledged that he had been nominated. In 1877 he was appointed to United States Marshal. He was appointed to the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia in 1877. After his wife died in 1882 he was in a state of depression until his associate Ida B Wells brought meaning back to life for him. Douglass remarried in 1884 to Helen Pitts, a white feminist from New York. The couple faced a storm of controversy as a result of their marriage since she was a white woman and nearly 20 years younger than him. Later in life Douglass was determined to find out his birthday. He adopted February 14th because of his mother, she used to always call him her little valentine. On February 20th 1895 Douglass attended a meeting of the National Council of Women in Washington D. C. Shortly after the meeting he returned home, Douglass died of a stroke or a massive heart attack in his adopted home town of Washington D. C. He is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York. Frederick Douglass was sought to exemplify three keys for success. Believe in yourself, Take advantage of every opportunity, and Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and society. Douglass also stated that Whatever is possible for me is possible for you. By taking these key words and making them his own, Douglass created a life of honor, respect and success that he never would have dreamed of when he was a younger boy living on the plantation. Works Cited http://www. frederickdouglass. org/douglass_bio. html Douglass, Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Christian Age Office. 1895 http://www. history. rochester. edu/class/douglass/part4. html. Fight for Emancipation. Accessed April 19, 2007.

E-business Innovative Marketing Strategy

E-business Innovative Marketing Strategy Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background The term E-business is todays popular form of business by using old business models with the interaction of technology and gaining the most out of customer value and profits which is the future way of doing business. In E-business as like bubbles are bursting there is constant threats about security, but e-business is increasing to a whole new level, and will most likely keep doing so in the near future. In the latest years Internet has proved as a very important marketing tool. By the use of the Internet the companies have developed relationships with the customers by using different systems in promotion and sales. So the inception of Internet has had effect on the way the individuals and organizations communicate around the world (Doole and Lowe, 2004). Briefly, in the last years marketing has gone online taking advantage of the market opportunities. The estimates regarding the amount of business conducted electronically vary widely, but it is clear electronic business and electronic commerce have gained tremendous momentum worldwide over the past decade. Much media attention was given to the dot-com boom, but has since waned following the dot-com bust and economic downturn of the early 2000s. Despite the dot-com bust, it is clear many successful electronic businesses will evolve and thrive for many years, e.g., eBay and Ocado. Nonetheless, E-business sector has become an increasingly competitive and dynamic business environment within the past decade. Consumers perceive firms having a web site as more customer-oriented, responsive, informative, high-tech, sophisticated, and likely to stay in business longer (Griffith et al., 1998). These discerning and demanding consumers have led many innovative organizations to look for appropriate marketing strategy on the internet marketplace with the aim of building better business position; on the one hand value into service offerings, satisfying and maintaining loyal customer and on the other hand effectively making strategic decisions thereby increasing the overall business performance. The ability to retain and lock-in customers in the face of competition is a major concern for online businesses, especially those that invest heavily in advertising and customer acquisition stares. However, creation of loyal and a satisfied customer base is an important determinant of marketing success. Research shows that loyal customers buy more of company’s product, they are cheaper to serve, less sensitive to price and brings in more customers by word of mouth (Reichheld, 1996). Therefore, developing, managing and maintaining loyal marketing relationship of the internet market place for instance is harmonious to how well you are marketing. Thus knowing how well you are marketing as a firm and making innovative marketing strategy to perform better in future which is required and inevitable in such a marketplace as the internet. Obviously, decision making is essential about organization strategy to determine the future direction (Johnson Scholes, 1997). The prime function of management is perhaps to make the right strategic decisions. According to Johnson Scholes, (1997) strategic or long-term decisions are concerned with an organizations overall objectives. Such corporate decisions include major capital investments, sources of finance, and product and market choices. Practically, the long-term directions are affected by strategic decisions of an organisation and are generally about attempting to complete some benefit for the company. Therefore, with the range of a company’s action are likely to be affected: Does (and should) the company focus on one area of action, or does it have many? The issue of range of action is fundamental to strategic performance (Johnson Scholes, 1997). In marketing strategy pricing is one of the most talked about but least understood of all the key marketing levers (DiCamillo 1996). Price is also the easiest of the marketing mix variables to manipulate and can be done so very quickly (Guiltinan and Paul 1985). The proliferation of e-commerce has already had a significant impact on how and where consumers shop. It also has the potential to make dramatic changes in the way goods are priced and how purchase decisions are made. In Internet shopping the cost (in both time and money) of comparison shopping is drastically decreased and price is a major element in purchase decision. A marketing manager strategically sets pricing to achieve the company’s objective. 1.2 Rationale In e-business innovative marketing strategy change over the life cycle of a firm (Miller and Friesen, 1984) the strategy systems emerge over time, in response to changes in strategic goals, the business environment and the size of the firm. However the question of which marketing strategy is required for achieving to a goal or an objective. In this sense what marketing e-strategy required for? Implicitly, related to the current study by evaluating marketing e-strategy one firm going to make their future crucial decisions to improve their firm’s more in online business. Needless to say, marketing strategies depend upon basis for decision making and reflect the customers needs as well as the firms simultaneously. Companies and researches reflects the customers satisfaction and needs by calculating price, feature, amount, cycle time, effectiveness, output etc., of the products, services, and procedure as long as ways to calculate those things have to be present (Tapinos et al, 20 05). What is new and has attracted little attention to some extent is to evaluate marketing e-strategy using decision- making variables and to see the impact on strategic decisions. This clearly shows those not only find the appropriate marketing e-strategy but in order to better control, understand, and improve what firms do and must do. In this research there are two different cases virtual company; one is basically auction store eBay and another grocery store Ocado. The main reason to select different category companies because both are doing e-business and through this research it’s going to be defining their marketing e-strategies and implementing in the market are approximately same. That’s why this study evaluates two different category virtual stores and compares their marketing e-strategies. Therefore this study goes beyond just required marketing strategy using the internet as a market place but is a bold attempt to evaluate e-strategy using decision making variables and to see the impact on strategic decisions. 1.3 Significant of the Research The marketing discipline has been showing to different changes and powerful challenges into the business stadium with the induction and dispersion of the online phenomenon. Constantly since this new multimedia surroundings of exchange appeared, many research have been performed about how it will influence the nature and prospect of marketing activities. This research is an attempt to categorize and summarize the literature about online marketing and enlighten the study routes that will contribute to the development of the discipline. In reality, most firms will need to plan marketing strategies for both traditional or place aspects of the business, and the fast developing electronic or space dimensions of the business (Rayport ; Sviokla, 1994). Both approaches need to be co-ordinated in a cost effective manner whilst providing the customer with an effective and integrated solution. Some research has reported that the early adopters of e-business show a trend towards cost reductions and administrative efficiencies from e-procurement and self service applications used by customers and employees. By contrast, more mature users focus on strategic advantage and generate this through an evolutionary model of organisational change (Ash and Burn, 2005). Researchers have also recognised the importance of the extension of e-commerce use to small and medium sized businesses in order to realise improvements in efficiency and effectiveness (Hauge et. al, 2004) Managers need to contemplate their strategic approach to the electronic business opportunity in terms of both internal and external considerations at a particular point in time. Based on recent research (Perrott, 2002), this paper proposes a tentative framework that will assist managers to determine their organisation’s strategic positioning in the electronic arena. 1.4 Aims Objectives Aim To identify what might be appropriate marketing strategies for this new era e-business. Objectives To review literature on current developments in online marketing strategies. Identify the e-strategies of the cases eBay and Ocado. Review the strengths weaknesses of e-strategies. Identify immediate competition and implications for the cases eBay and Ocado. How do customers react to the marketing e-strategies? 1.5 Purpose and Research Questions The purpose of this thesis is to define required innovative marketing strategy of virtual stores using decision-making associated variables sternly to evaluate the impact on strategic marketing decisions. There are many issues connected to this research problem, but we will only focus on certain aspects and a complete picture will therefore not be provided. The research questions we intend to answer are: RQ1. What are the objectives for online marketing? RQ2. How can the online product offer be described? RQ3. How can the online pricing strategy be described? RQ4. How is the Web site used as a communication, promotion medium, distribution and transaction medium? RQ5. What influential innovative marketing e-strategy evaluation variables or indicators are associated with strategic marketing decisions in the online marketplace? 1.6 Scope and Limitations This research will show the continuing progress in digitization and networking that is manifested in the rapid spread of the internet, information about product attributes, marketing strategy and especially in pricing process – which has long been considered a concomitant part of any article placed on the market – is now distributed independently from the product itself. The growth in digitization has significantly increased a company’s freedom to both combine and diversify products, thereby enabling them to easily produce and offer a wide variety of product versions to their customers. Moreover, progress in networking has substantially increased the speed at which various product-related information can be distributed. At the same time, it has considerably expanded the range over which such information can be disseminated. This research identifies the major scope and content of the studies about Internet marketing and displays the current state of the discipline. It also enlightens the main avenues or niche routes for future research by clarifying under investigated or unsettled areas. The framework of this review can serve as a skeleton explaining the accumulated state of knowledge about Internet marketing and can be a useful starting point for studies aiming to expand the views about this area further. The current research has been limited and concentrated on required innovative marketing strategy up to company-level eBay and Ocado. The research is focused on evaluating virtual store marketing strategy for strategic decisions. Consequently, plethora of researchers have measured marketing strategy from diverse perspectives such as the financial perspective, process and supplier’s perspective, employee’s perspective innovation and development perspective. The current study mainly focuses on the customer’s perspective. The primary focus was on the online marketplace industry where the business model is emerging and fast spreading. Further the focal point will be on business to consumers (B2C). The companies studied involve UK firms providing service to UK users. The firms studied are eBay and Ocado. The study was limited to customers or users within London, city in UK. 1.7 Signposting of the Study Chapter One: Introduction In order to improve a product or services to satisfy a need of a customer, once have to be able to improve or change it to meet their needs. In order to improve or change it, there is the need to know what the customer desire or want. In order to know and understand it, once have to be required innovative marketing strategy in online market. This first chapter will present the background and rationale behind innovative marketing e-strategy especially in pricing and the impact on strategic decisions in the online marketplace. Further this section will present the issue regarding marketing e-strategy which will lead to the purpose of this study. Chapter Two: Literature Review This chapter provides relevant existing theories and models of marketing e-strategy specially pricing in the online market place as well as a model modified by the author. The working model builds upon the presented theories and is used as a foundation for the following analysis. Chapter Three: Research Methodology Strategy In this chapter, the research methodology strategy is presented. The research approach that has been adopted in order to answer the research questions and to meet the purpose is described and motivated. The research methods used in this work are as well described and discussed. Chapter Four: Empirical Analysis In this chapter the results of both the qualitative and quantitative research are presented. The results will follow the outline of the working model. A brief companies overview are also presented. Chapter Five: Analysis In this chapter the analysis and discussion of the empirical data will be presented. The analysis is assessed through the two major issues in the study along with the working model. Chapter Six: Conclusion This chapter includes the conclusions of the research as well as reflections for recommendations, a discussion of the limitations and suggestions for further studies. Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Online Marketing Objectives Online marketing can be described as a system for selling products and services to target audiences who use the Internet and commercial online services by utilizing online tools and services in a strategic manner consistent with the company’s overall marketing program (Janal, 1997, p. 39). Before going online, the company needs to have a marketing plan that is consistent with the goals and objectives set by the company. It is necessary to decide what the company wants to accomplish by going online (Janal, 1997). Pitt, Berthon and Watson (1996) point out that the objectives for marketing through Web sites vary depending on the company, but that many organizations do not even have clear and quantified objectives for being present on the WWW. Companies must divert from the thinking that even a bad Web site is better than none at all, because without clear objectives it will be hard to make appropriate marketing strategy through the Web site’s effectiveness. The Web site can be characterized as something of a mix between personal selling and advertising and can move the customer through the six phases of the buying process: need recognition, information processing, develop specifications, search and evaluation, purchase and post-purchase evaluation. By attracting Internet surfers, establish contact with interested surfers, transform some of the interested surfers into interactive customers and keep these customers interactive, the Web site is acting as a mean to push the customer through the buying process. Converting surfers into customers can be considered a six-stage conversion process. The efficiency of the Web site in reaching the marketing communication objectives set for it, as well as in taking the surfer through the six stages of the conversion process, is shown in Table 2.1. (Pitt, Berthon Watson, 1996) Even though most companies wish their Web site to generate direct response orders and thereby set marketing communication objectives, there are many other objectives that can be achieved by marketing online (Mathiesen, 1995): Generate direct response orders. Increase brand awareness or corporate image. Gather information about customer preferences to help guide future product development. Improve customer service. Test consumer response to discounts or other special offers. Build a list of prospects for future promotions. Find business partners, dealers, or franchisees for company’s products. Recruit talent members, employees, subscribers, etc. Table 2.1: A Model of the Conversion Process on the Web *An overall average Web site efficiency index, which can be thought of as a summary of the entire process. Source: Adapted from Pitt, Berthon Watson, 1996, p. 8 According to Janal (1997), the Internet is the world’s most efficient marketing tool and helps companies disseminate sales and marketing messages, create one-to-one relationships, educate prospects and support existing customers on a worldwide scale. The Internet provides the possibility to deal with customers worldwide that have pre-selected a specific company. Firms can use the Internet to generate revenues by increasing sales to existing customers and by attracting new customers (Peterson, Balasubramanian Bronnenberg, 1997). The Internet is an important marketing tool because the market prefers the decentralized, open-access environment presented by the WWW for E-commerce (Hoffman Novak, 1996b). The Internet possesses unique features making it appropriate for creating close customer relationships (Honeycutt, Flaherty Benassi, 1998). Janal (1997) proposes that the flexible publishing platforms of the Internet and commercial online services gives the marketer the possibility to establish relationships with the consumers. The relationships are created through online sales, support and service. On the Internet, the customers and the company are interacting with each other and this gives a very intimate selling situation (Janal, 1997). However, no physical intimidation exists between buyer and seller and no middle parties may interrupt the communication process (Samli, Wills Herbig, 1997). Quelch and Klein (1996), as well as Sanden (1998) claim that the Internet is not constrained by either location or time. For the millions of individuals connected to the Internet, traditional limitations of time and distance no longer apply. The computer in Sweden or Hong Kong is just as close are the office next door. Messages can be sent to thousands of potential customers simultaneously with one keystroke (Cronin, 1994). Furthermore, the Web site is completely accessible, since it can be read 24 hours a day, 365 days per year (Samli, Wills Herbig, 1997). The Web site can be used to create customized sales presentations affecting several senses and appealing to logic and benefits. Consumers can pick the sales presentation and information they want (Janal, 1997). By using a variety of Internet resources, the company can create a customer-oriented environment while obtaining information about customers’ specific interests, responses to new product offerings and feedback on the company’s performance. Additionally, the Internet offers the possibility for online ordering and delivery. Customers logging on to the Internet can continue to receive enhanced support services through the network. (Cronin, 1994) The Internet provides quick feedback on the effectiveness of marketing activities, enabling performance-based marketing (Burke, 1997). Marketers can test both new product concepts and advertising copy over the Internet for instant feedback. In addition, the Internet permits new types of measurement tools, such as online surveys, bulletin boards, e-mail marketing lists, customer identification systems, advertising measurement and Web visitor tracking. (Quelch Klein, 1996) The fact that the Internet is neither time- nor location-bound can have a major impact on costs. Customers do much of the work that would normally be handled by office-clerks or human tellers (Sheth Sisodia, 1999). According to Sandà ©n (1998), the Internet increases the company’s efficiency. By publishing information on the WWW, the sales process can be improved and thus, the productivity rises considerably. In addition, the time spent to process orders is lowered dramatically. Less errors and facilitated processing has led to substantial time-savings. The automation of various administrative tasks is another reason for the increased efficiency and the possibility to serve a vast amount of customers effectively (Sheth Sisodia, 1999). Administration costs related to paper-based processes such as postage, printing, and handling, will be reduced. (ibm.com) The WWW is the least expensive printing press and offers the seller an unlimited amount of space to describe and demonstrate the product range. Add to this the low rent compared to storefront, and it is clear that selling online means low cost of entry (Hoffman Novak, 1996; Janal, 1997). Jà ¤ger and Winberg (1996) underline the cost-effectiveness of the WWW by claiming that the costs are independent of the number of people exposed to the message, as well as how much information that is to be presented. They compare the WWW to a printed catalogue, where the costs are very much depending on these factors. It is proposed that performing direct marketing through the Internet may be one-fourth less costly than through traditional channels. The great segmentation possibilities and the low cost for creating differentiated messages on the WWW are also mentioned. As a conclusion, Jà ¤ger and Winberg (1996) point out that the cost-effectiveness for presenting messages on the WWW is dependin g on whether the target group is on the Web. The success of the campaign in relation to the costs of executing it must also be considered in order to evaluate the cost-effectiveness. By marketing online, the company gains competitive advantages compared to companies who are not online. The Internet also reduces the issues of company size, since consumers only care that they find the product needed at the right price. (Janal, 1997; Sandà ©n, 1998; Sheth Sisodia, 1999) 2.2 The Online Product Offer According to Brà ¤nnback (1997), the focus in marketing automatically changes from physical to informational when uses the Internet. In the traditional marketplace, the idea of the product is physical or tangible and occasionally accompanied by intangible features or services. On the Web site, a picture or description of its features will replace the physical product, and thus, the product becomes informational rather than tangible. Not all products are suitable for online marketing. Peterson, Balasubramanian Bronnenberg (1997) categorize products and services along three dimensions that are relevant when discussing the product’s suitability for online marketing. The dimensions are: value proposition, degree of differentiation, and cost and frequency of purchase. Concerning the first dimension, goods can either be low-cost, frequently purchased goods, or high-cost, infrequently purchased goods. The product is more likely to fit internet-based marketing if it is infrequently purchased and expensive. Goods can be classified along the second dimension according to whether they are tangible and physical, or intangible and service related. Online marketing is particularly well suited for certain types of intangible or service related goods. The third dimension reflects to what extent the product is differentiable or not. The Internet is an effective segmentation tool when it comes to products or services that can be subject to differentiation. Peterson, Balasubramanian and Bronnenberg (1997) illustrate the product and service classification grid presented below. (Table 2.2) Table 2.2: Product and Service Classification Grid Low outlay, frequently purchased goods Value proposition