Ethnic Groups and Racism Essay

Race and ethnicity are important concepts in the field of sociology and are ones that are studied a great deal. Race plays a large role in everyday human interactions and sociologists want to study how, why, and what the outcomes are of these interactions. A race is a human population that is believed to be distinct in some way from other humans based on real or imagined physical differences. Racial classifications are rooted in the idea of biological classification of humans according to morphological features such as skin color or facial characteristics. An individual is usually externally classified (meaning someone else makes the classification) into a racial group rather than the individual choosing where they belong as part of their identity. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, are often controversial due to their impact on social identity and how those identities influence someone’s position in social hierarchies. Ethnicity, while related to race, refers not to physical characteristics but social traits that are shared by a human population. Some of the social traits often used for ethnic classification include: †¢nationality †¢tribe †¢religious faith †¢shared language †¢shared culture †¢shared traditions Unlike race, ethnicity is not usually externally assigned by other individuals. The term ethnicity focuses more upon a group’s connection to a perceived shared past and culture. II. CONTENT/ CREATIVE REPORT DEFINITION OF RACE AND ETHNICITY Race is a socially defined category, based on real or perceived biological differences between groups of people. Ethnicity is a socially defined category based on common language, religion, nationality, history or another cultural factor. Sociologists see race and ethnicity as social constructions because they are not rooted in biological differences, they change over time, and they never have firm boundaries. Example: White The distinction between race and ethnicity can be displayed or hidden, depending on individual preferences, while racial identities are always on display. THE SOCIOLOGICAL MEANING OF ETHNIC GROUPS AND RACISM The classification of people into races and ethnic groups carries deep implication on the social and political life of different racial and ethnic groups. These classifications led to the notion of racial superiority and racial inferiority, culturally advanced groups and culturally disadvantaged, the use of derogatory undertones and parody, apartheid policy, discrimination and prejudice, and stereotyping of groups of people. Ethnic conflicts have been regular process within the same territorial borders and among the nations of the world. Ethnic conflicts have been pervasive and dangerous because they cause massive humanitarian suffering, civil wars, and destabilizing effects. Sociologically, â€Å"race† refers to a group of people whom others believe are genetically distinct and whom they treat accordingly. This term is commonly used to refer to physical differences between people brought about by physical characteristics of genetic origin. This commonness of genetic heritage may be manifested in the shape of the head and face, the shape and color of the eyes, the shape of the nose, lips, and ears, the texture and color of the hair, the skin color, height, blood type and other physical characteristics. Among the significant racial categories studied by early social scientists were the Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and the subgroups of primary and derived races. Racial differences are seen as physical differences singled out by the community or society as ethnically significant. It is preferable to refer to ethnicity or ethnic groups rather than race for its historical and biological connotations. An ethnic group represents a number of persons who have a common cultural background as evidenced by a feeling of loyalty to a given geographical territory or leader, a feeling of identification with and unity among historical and other group experiences, or a high degree of similarity in social norms, ideas and material objects. Members of ethnic groups see themselves as culturally different from other groups in the society and are viewed by others to be so. SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF MEMBERSHIP IN RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS. Membership in racial and ethnic groups influences people’s social status and roles as they interact with others. Physical characteristics, especially skin color and certain distinctive cultural traits, complexes, and patterns, become badges for social and economic status. Frequently, they establish a person’s or groups position in the social stratification system and make up the foundation for prejudice, discrimination, and other forms of differential treatment. Furthermore, when an ethnic group becomes a target of discrimination, such group may utilize the unique physical or cultural traits as the rallying force for promoting common loyalties and enhancing collective action. When people’s definition of physical characteristics greatly affects their relationship, such definitions generally become interlinked with cultural differences. A classic example is the white man’s justification of his technological, economic, political and military superiority. Examples are such ideologies as the God-chosen race, the white man’s burden and more recently, the apartheid policy. Since the early days of the United States, Native Americans, African-Americans and European-Americans were classified as belonging to different races. But the criteria for membership in these races were radically different. For Africans, the government considered anyone with African appearance to be purely African. Native Americans, on the other hand, were classified based on a certain percentage of Indian blood. Finally, European-Americans had to have purely white ancestry. The differing criteria for assigning membership to particular races had relatively little to do with biology; it had far more to do with maintaining a group’s defined roles and position. Racial and ethnic membership leads to a sense of people-hood. By this, we mean a sense of identification with a relatively small segment of the world’s population- those who by virtue of common ancestry or heritage we consider â€Å"our own kind†. Erich Fromm wrote in 1941: â€Å"The identity with nature, clan, religion, gives the individual security. He belongs to, he is rooted in, structuralized whole in which he has an unquestionable place. He may suffer from hunger or suppression, but he does not suffer from worst of all pains- complete aloneness and doubt. † PATTERNS OF ETHNIC GROUP RELATIONS. People who occupy a subordinate status are usually called a minority group. What determines a minority group is not the unique racial or ethnics traits nor their great number but the relationship of different groups in the society of which they are a part. A minority group, then is one that, because of the power of differences among the groups, is singled out for unequal treatment in the society. A minority refers to a group which, because of physical and cultural characteristics, occupies a subordinate position in the society and subjected to collective discrimination, in some cases, even segregation, oppression, slavery, peonage, military subjugation, religious persecution, and economic, political, educational, and social suppression. The patterns of ethnic group relations include the following: 1. Patterns of Racism a. Prejudice and discrimination †¢Racism – is behavior that is motivated by the belief that one’s own group is superior to other groups that are set apart on the basis of physical characteristics Structural racism refers to inequalities built into an organization or system. An example of structural racism can be seen in recent research on workplace discrimination. [37] There is widespread discrimination against job applicants whose names were merely perceived as â€Å"sounding black. â€Å" These applicants were 50% less likely than candidates perceived as having â€Å"white-sounding names† to receive callbacks for interviews, no matter their level of previous experience. †¢Prejudice – prejudged negative attitude or opinion about a group without bothering to verify the merits of the opinion or judgment The relationship between prejudice and discrimination is complex. Robert Merton’s study and typology of the relationship between prejudice and discrimination Four patterns 1. Unprejudiced nondiscriminatory – integration 2. Unprejudiced and discriminatory – institutional discrimination 3. Prejudiced and nondiscriminatory – latent bigotry 4. Prejudiced and discriminatory – outright bigotry In his study, (1974), Bulatao listed impressions on some ethnic groups by respondents from five Philippine cities: Ilocanos and Chinese were viewed as most industrious, serious, thrifty; Tagalogs, progressive; Bicolanos and Cebuanos, humble, friendly, warm, and peaceful; Warays, lazy but strong; and Ilongos, proud and extravagant. b. Discrimination refers to the act of disqualifying or mistreating people on the basis of their group membership or on ascriptive rounds rationally irrelevant to the situation. Whereas prejudice is a state of mind, discrimination is actual behavior. Prejudice and discrimination work hand in hand to create and sustain racial and ethnic stratification, (Jarry J. 1987) THEORIES OF PREJUDICE Light gives the following explanations on the origin of prejudice: 1. Economic Theory- assumes that racial prejudice is a social attitude transmitted by the dominant ethnic majority class for the purpose of stigmatizing some group s as inferior so that the exploitation of the group resources will be justified. 2. Symbolic Theory- asserts that prejudice arises because a racial or ethnic group is a symbol of what people hate, fear, or envy. 3. Scapegoat theory- maintains that human beings are reluctant to accept their mistakes for their troubles and failures so they look for an ethnic-minority to shoulder the blame. 4. Social norm theory- asserts that ethnocentrism is a natural development of group living. Hatred and suspicion for the out-group are the standard and normal way of doing things, particularly in dealing with people. c. Stereotypes are often simplified and unsupported generalizations about others and are used indiscriminately for all cases. A few examples are Ilokano, â€Å"bantay kuako† (heavy smokers) and â€Å"kuripot† (stingy); Pampangueno, â€Å"dugong aso† (dog blood or traitors); Batangueno, â€Å"balisong† (knife-wielding); Bicolanos, â€Å"sili† ( pepper or hot people). 2. Patterns of Competition, Conflict and Domination When ethnocentric attitudes are coupled with intergroup competition for territory and scarce resources, an explosive social situation may arise. When two groups both strive for the same things- and they perceive their respective claims to be mutually exclusively and legitimate- the stage is set for conflict. In modern societies, the state has become the vehicle that enables one group to dominate and keep the other group subordinate. In sum, competition supplies the motivation for systems of stratification, and ethnocentrism directs competition along racial and ethnic lines, but power determines which group will subjugate the other (Noel, 1972; Barth and Noel, 1975). 3. Economic and Political Subjugation The economic takeover of one nation by a more powerful one and the subsequent political and social domination of the native population is called colonialism. If the takeover of one nation is trough the military superiority of the more powerful one for the purpose of territorial expansion and establishing colonies, it is termed as military colonialism. On the other hand, if the economic takeover is made through the great technological superiority of the more powerful one, the institutionalization of their businesses in their former colonies, the control and domination of most of a colony’s natural resources, the imposition of trade policies and economic treaties favorable to their side; the establishment of outlets for their surplus capital; the need for more cheap labor, raw materials, and markets to fuel their growing economy, the process is termed neo-colonialism or economic imperialism. 4. Displacement and Segregation of the Native Population. Economic and political subjugation of a minority population by a more powerful group is not the only pattern of conquest that occurs when different racial and ethnic group meet. Displacement of native population can be made possible through the influx of powerful settlers or invaders with their vastly superior weapons. It is typically found in areas rich in natural resources and similar in geography and climate to the homeland of the invading group. Displacement takes the following forms: a. ) by attrition, that is, numbers of the weaker group may die of starvation or disease either deliberately or not; b.) by population transfer; and c. ) by genocide- deliberate and ruthless extermination of the weaker group. Segregation involves the enactment of laws and/or customs that restrict or prohibit contact between groups. Segregation may be ethnic or racial or based on sex or age. 5. Patterns of Accommodation and Tolerance Interracial and interethnic accommodation can be carried out through miscegenation or amalgamation- the intermarriage of members of the majority and minority groups. This can result in the blending of their various customs and values and the creation of a new cultural hybrid. This involves a cultural and biological blending in which the customs and values of both groups are to some extent preserved and their biological characteristics appear in the offspring. 6. Patterns of Acculturation and Assimilation Acculturation and assimilation are two very important concepts in sociology and anthropology that describe cross cultural effects on both minorities as well as majorities in societies that are multi ethnic and multi cultural in nature. Assimilation is a broader concept as described by sociologist Jean Piaget and refers to the manner in which people take new information. There are many people who think of the two concepts as same and even use them interchangeably. If you belong to a minority community in a country and retain your own culture but cannot remain isolated and are affected by the majority culture in such a way that you adapt to some aspects of the majority culture, the process is referred to as acculturation. Assimilation is a process whereby people of a culture learn to adapt to the ways of the majority culture. There is a loss of one’s own culture as a person gives more value to the cultural aspects of the majority community in the process of assimilation. What is the difference between Acculturation and Assimilation? †¢ Meeting of cultures always produces results in terms of changes in both the cultures, and acculturation and assimilation refer to two important and different changes in these cultures. †¢ Assimilation refers to the process where some of the majority community’s cultural aspects are absorbed in such a manner that the home cultural aspects get mitigated or lost. †¢ Acculturation is a process where the cultural aspects of the majority community are adapted without losing the traditions and customs of the minority community. †¢ Minority culture changes in the case of assimilation whereas it remains intact in the case of acculturation. 7. Patterns of cultural Pluralism or Ethnic Diversity Cultural pluralism refers to the coexistence of different racial or ethnic groups each of which retains its own cultural identity and social structural networks, while participating equally in the economic and political systems. (Light, 1985) In pluralistic society, each group retains its own language, religion and customs, and its members tend to interact socially primarily among themselves. Yet all jointly participate in the economic and political systems and live in harmony and peaceful â€Å"coexistence†. A prime example of such an arrangement can be found in Switzerland. There, people of German, French, and Italian heritage preserve their distinct cultural ways while coexisting peacefully and equally. No one group enjoys special privileges or is discriminated against. ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE PHILIPPINES Ethnic groups in the Philippines are classified according to certain physical, cultural, linguistic, religious and geographic criteria. A. According to distinctive physical traits 1. The Negritoes who are regarded as the aborigines of the Philippines. 2. The Indonesian- Malayan stock which is predominant among the Filipinos. 3. The Chinese who make up the largest national group. 4. The Americans and the Spaniards, and a few other Europeans who came as colonizers. B. According to cultural standpoints 1. Cultural minorities or cultural communities 2. Muslims 3. Christian groups C. According to linguistic groupings PANAMIN reports that there are about 87 ethno linguistic groups in the Philippines-e. g. , Tagalog, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Ilonggo, etc. D. According to religion 1. Roman Catholics 2. Muslims 3. Aglipayans 4. Protestants 5. Iglesia ni Cristo 6. Buddhists 7. Jehovah’s witnesses 8. Other religious sects. E. Muslims of Southern Philippines The Muslims make up the largest single non-Christian group. They have nine ethno-linguistic groups, namely: 1. Taosug 2. Maranao 3. Maguindanao 4. Samal 5. Yakan 6. Sanggil 7. Badjao 8. Molbog 9. Jama Mapun From the Spanish regime to the present, Muslim and Christian intergroup relationships have been characterized by animosity and suspicion. This has been expressed in the Muslims’ ongoing resentment of Christian settlers and attempts at secession to form an independent Mindanao. Muslim revolutionary groups the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Bangsai Moro Liberation Front (BMLF) want Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan to secede from the Philippines. THE CULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND THE CHRISTIAN FILIPINOS The non-Christian Filipinos now known as cultural communities make up 10% of the total national population. They have maintained their culture in their clothes, art, religion, ethnic dialect, customs, traditions and other superficial differences. There are 77 major ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines. A. Northern Luzon 1. Isneg 11. Ivatan/Itbayat 21. Malaweg 2. Kalinga 12. Ilocano 22. Yogad 3. Ifugao 13. Apayao 23. Pangasinan 4. Bontok 14. Balangao 24. Palanan 5. Kankanai 15. Bago 25. Kapampangan 6. Ibaloi 16. Kalanguya 26. Tagalog 7. Gaddang 17. Iwak 27. Bicol 8. Tinggian 18. Isinay 28. Negrito 9. Ilongot 19. Ibanag 29. Sambal 10. Ibalahan 20. Itawit B. Smaller Groups in Luzon 1. Aetas 2. Dumagats of Quezon Province 3. Mangyans of Mindoro 4. Hanunoo C. Visayas 1. Bataks 7. Aklanon 13. Solud 2. Keney 8. Rombloanon 14. Bukidnon. 3. Negritoes 9. Bantoanon 15. Boholano 4. Alangans 10. Hiligaynon 16. Cebuano 5. Masbateno 11. Kiniray-a 17. Waray 6. Abakon 12. Hamtikanon D. Mindanao 1. Tagurays 8. Mansakas 15. Kamiguin 2. Tagabilis 9. Maranao 16. Mamanwa 3. Bilaans 10. Sangil/Sangir 17. Butuanon 4. Mandayas 11. Ilanun 18. Kamayo 5. Manobos 12. Maguindanao 19. Bagobo 6. Tasadays 13. Tiboli 20. Kalagan 7. Magtisalugs 14. Subanon 21. Kalibugan E. In Sulu/Tawi-Tawi 1. Yakan 2. Sama 3. Sama Dilaut 4. Tausug 5. Jama Mapun F. In Palawan 1. Tagbanua 2. Agutayanen 3. Kuyonen 4. Molbog 5. Palawan 6. Batak 7. Tau’t Baten III. GROUP REFLECTION Within sociology, the terms race, ethnicity, minority, and dominant group all have very specific and different meanings. To understand the sociological perspective on race and ethnicity, it is important to understand the meanings of these concepts. An ethnic group is a social category of people who share a common culture, such as a common language, a common religion, or common norms, customs, practices, and history. Ethnic groups have a consciousness of their common cultural bond. An ethnic group does not exist simply because of the common national or cultural origins of the group, however. They develop because of their unique historical and social experiences, which become the basis for the group’s ethnic identity. For example, prior to immigration to the United States, Italians did not think of themselves as a distinct group with common interests and experiences. However, the process of immigration and the experiences they faced as a group in the United States, including discrimination, created a new identity for the group. Some examples of ethnic groups include Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Mexican Americans, Arab Americans, and Irish Americans. Ethnic groups are also found in other societies, such as the Pashtuns in Afghanistan or the Shiites in Iraq, whose ethnicity is base on religious differences. Like ethnicity, race is primarily, though not exclusively, a socially constructed category. A race is a group that is treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics. Because of their biological or cultural characteristics, which are labeled as inferior by powerful groups in society, a race is often singled out for differential and unfair treatment. It is not the biological characteristics that define racial groups, but how groups have been treated historically and socially. Society assigns people to racial categories (White, Black, etc. ) not because of science or fact, but because of opinion and social experience. In other words, how racial groups are defined is a social process; it is socially constructed. A minority group is any distinct group in society that shares common group characteristics and is forced to occupy low status in society because of prejudice and discrimination. A group may be classified as a minority on the basis of ethnicity, race, sexual preference, age, or class status. It is important to note that a minority group is not necessarily the minority in terms of numbers, but it is a group that holds low status in relation to other groups in society (regardless of the size). The group that assigns a racial or ethnic group to subordinate status in society is called the dominant group. There are several sociological theories about why prejudice, discrimination, and racism exist. Current sociological theories focus mainly on explaining the existence of racism, particular institutional racism. The three major sociological perspectives (functionalist theory, symbolic interaction theory, and conflict theory) each have their own explanations to the existence of racism. Functionalist theorists argue that in order for race and ethnic relations to be functional and contribute to the harmonious conduct and stability of society, racial and ethnic minorities must assimilate into that society. Assimilation is a process in which a minority becomes absorbed into the dominant society – socially, economically, and culturally. Symbolic interaction theorists look at two issues in relation to race and ethnicity. First, they look at the role of social interaction and how it reduces racial and ethnic hostility. Second, they look at how race and ethnicity are socially constructed. In essence, symbolic interactionists ask the question, â€Å"What happens when two people of different race or ethnicity come in contact with one another and how can such interracial or interethnic contact reduce hostility and conflict? † The basic argument made by conflict theorists is that class-based conflict is an inherent and fundamental part of society. These theorists thus argue that racial and ethnic conflict is tied to class conflict and that in order to reduce racial and ethnic conflict, class conflict must first be reduced.

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Oil And Food Commodities Prices. Oil prices effect on agricultural commodity prices in Latin American Nations - Term Paper Example To achieve this objective, this paper investigated the agricultural food prices for seven major farm products namely meat, oilseed, egg, rice, wheat, milk and sugar. On the other hand, the macroeconomic investigated were fossil crude oil prices, agricultural food prices indexes, GDP and consumer price index around Latin America as from 1963 to 2007. The study applied the use of Scree test and the magnitude of the variance method for measuring the optimal value of the common factors. The relationship coefficient that existed between the obtained principal function or component and the macro-economic index fluctuates between 0.87 for Latin America GDP and 0.36 for the consumer price index (CPI). According to the findings, agricultural food production index has the largest impacts on the macro-economic index and similarly the crude fossil oil has the greatest influence on the agricultural food production index and as a consequent, the prices of crude has a direct impacts and influence o n the agricultural food prices in Latin America. In the economic advancement process, food supply and its security are imperative issues. Therefore, food prices are an essential effective variable that have a direct effect on its supply and demand. Ever soaring food prices and cases of food riots across the globe and more important in Latin America have heightened concerns about the world food supply and food security. Food prices of major arable agricultural products

Questions to be answered (memo 11) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Questions to be answered (memo 11) - Coursework Example Coughing also allows for foreign things to be spit out of the lungs protecting the body. The diaphragm is a vital organ for human respiration and is a dome-shaped muscle situated below the lungs. When inhaling, the diaphragm pushes downwards resulting in the creation of a vacuum allowing air to be sucked into the lungs. When exhaling the diaphragm pushes outward and downwards resulting in the carbon dioxide being forced out of the lungs. The downward, upward, and outward movements of the diaphragm are responsible for the breathing in humans making the main functions of the diaphragm to be inhaling of fresh air and expulsion of carbon dioxide from the lungs. The other role of the diaphragm is to separate the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity. The urinary system consists of kidneys, urethra, bladder, and ureters that collectively perform several functions in the body. The urinary system functions include blood PH regulation, regulation volume and pressure of blood, waste elimination, and electrolytes and metabolites level control. Vitamin D synthesis and red blood cells production are the other functions undertaken by the urinary tract system. The nephron refers to the structural and functional kidney unit tasked with filtering blood to ensure the concentration of soluble substances like salts and water concentration is optimum. The main functions of the nephron include removal of excess water and other unwanted substances, regulate the amount of sodium, phosphate, phosphorus, and potassium, secretion of glutamate, solutes, and carbohydrates. The nephron also functions in reabsorbing of substances needed by the body before excreting the remains as urine. Regulation of blood pressure, blood PH, volume, and control of electrolytes and metabolites levels in the blood are the other functions of the nephron. E. I found particular confusing that the functions of

Financial Reporting Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Financial Reporting Appraisal - Essay Example Many authors have dealt with the issue of clarity and understand ability of the annual reports (Lee and Tweedie, 1975; Smith, 1992; Keane, 1977). In fact many authors emphasised the fact that shareholders tend to read the narrative part of the annual report which normally includes good news, rather than reading statutory part and usually investors make their investment decisions depending on those good news (Tauringana and Chong, 2004; Smith and Taffler, 1992). However In order to make an informed investment decision, an investor who is contemplating investment needs to understand both the potential rewards and the associated risks (IOSCO, 1995). The main aim of this report is to summarise what has been proposed so far about improvement in effectiveness of annual reports in shape of 11 models discussed in ICAEW report. A judgement criterion has also been prepared according to which the annual reports of three company Johnson Matthey plc, Smith and Nephew plc and Smiths Group plc will be analysed. An award will be granted to the Company, which has adopted most of these models in order to improve business reporting and serving the needs of the users. Problems addressed: With the changing business methods and environment the values playing important part in business has also changed. The label of assets has transformed from tangible to intangible assets. In this scenario it is become difficult for the users to analyse the future performance of the company. The companies mostly practise the old traditional accounting techniques according to which intangible assets such as knowledge brand etc are not included in the financial statements as assets. Although in today's business scenario it is important for the users to have complete knowledge of these intangible assets in order to undertake their decisions accordingly. Solution provided: The authors of the model proposed that in order to help the investors and users to evaluate the value of the company the information provided needs to be more transparent regarding the intangible assets as compare to the past. The model suggest that all the tangible and intangible assets need to be continuously, means used to their fair values and should be reported in order to provide the clear and transparent information. The model gives three dimensions to the information 1) Assets and their configuration represented by company. 2) Information on assets relating to external environment management process and value. 3) Time. The model suggests the businesses to reveal information about their mission, strategy, and business process and risk management. The model can best serve the purpose of today's users since it provides information in many segments, which can help the user to find out the information, related to him. The model is the best way to respond to the needs of openers and transparency, which will be the most attractive value generating forces in the future. Criterion no. 2: Hermes Principle: (ICAEW, p. 65) Problems

Unilever Brazil Essay Example for Free

Unilever Brazil Essay Executive Summary Unilever is assessing whether to enter the low-income NE market. Our analysis shows that there is a profitable opportunity to offer detergent powder to low-income customers living in Northeast Brazil and capture market share in a high-margin, high-growth market. We recommend that the firm keeps the existing brands but deploy a horizontal extension of the Campeiro brand adding better scent / softness and utilizing specialty distribution network, thereby marginalizing Invicto, an inferior but better-known competitor. Situation Overview NE Brazil has long lagged behind the rest of the country in terms of technology and income. However, economic reforms instituted by Finance Minister Cardoso has seen the purchasing power of the poorest Brazilians increase dramatically. These reforms, combined with tax incentives for investment in the NE has led to a 17% annual growth in detergent powder. In NE Brazil, detergent is still primarily used to supplement soap in order to make the clothes whiter and smell better. Campeiro, Unilever’s current budget offering detergent powder, competes primarily with Invicto. These products are offered at the same price ($1.7/kg) and have roughly the same market penetration (6% for Campeiro vs. 5% for Invicto) – even as consumers view Campeiro as a superior brand. The problem for Unilever is Campeiro’s brand penetration, which lags approximately 15% behind Invicto. This is because of the decentralized purchasing habits of women in NE Brazil. This situation is an opportunity because if Unilever improves market penetration, it will drive sales in this high-margin, high-growth segment of the laundry industry. By contrast, the soap industry has slower growth (6%) and lower barrier to entry, which makes it tough to sustain high margin. In addition, the market is very fragmented, with â€Å"other† producers supplying 64% of the market, making it tough to systematically beat competitors and capture market share. Therefore, at this time we do not think it makes sense to enter this market. Action Overview Strategy We will target the following market: †¢Customer: Low-income consumers in NE Brazil †¢Company: Unilever †¢Collaborators: Special store owners as low-income consumers do not shop in wholesale and get financing and advice from specialty owners †¢Competitor: Invicto †¢Context: Increasing purchasing power in NE and role of powder as fragrance / softening agents Our value proposition to this segment will be: An affordable detergent powder with a â€Å"special touch.† We will deploy the strategy as follows: Tactics †¢Products: â€Å"New and improved† Campeiro with enhanced smell and softness oSmell / softness is ranked second only to whiteness in perceived importance by consumers, but going after whiteness has potential to cannibalize OMO (see Action Rationale section for more details) oThe added fragrance should be at a level just enough to set Campeiro apart from Invicto, but far enough from Minerva to prevent cannibalization †¢Brand: Campeiro †¢Price: Same price – whole sale of 1.7 / kg †¢Distribution: Specialized distributors that can increase awareness of target audience at a lower variable cost than generalist wholesaler; specialized stores are significant influencers of target customer’s behaviors †¢Incentives: Launch new Campeiro via specialized distribution as larger campaign to influence small shop owners; give away free samples to specialized store to promote awareness to small shops; use more point-of-purchase marketing as small shop owners are more susceptible to such tactics †¢Communication: â€Å"New and Improved Campeiro† or â€Å"add something special to your clothes at affordable price† Action Rationale The proposed strategy is best suited for Unilever’s goal of finding a profitable entry into low-income NE market because: †¢Profit growth from increasing market share in Campeiro is significantly higher than Minerva soap oMargins for laundry detergent is superior to soap ($2520 per ton vs. $1250 per ton) oPowder market is experiencing a higher growth (17%) compared to that of soap (6%) o Increase New Campeiro market share by 6% would have and additional benefit of 1.38MM in year 1 and 2.21 MM in year 3, compared to 1.19 and 1.42 if we increase Minerva soap market share by 5% (See exhibit 2) ï‚ §Increasing market share in soap is already a big challenge given the fragmented market †¢Campeiro has a strong brand name – by giving it a new feature such as smell, it can separate itself from the generic Invicto and other smaller producers of â€Å"no frills† powders †¢RD cost of formulating should be low as Unilever already has a fragrance-based brand Minerva †¢Cost of matching fragrance / softness is too prohibitive for ASA and other small, regional competitors †¢Cannibalization is optimized cannibalization % is better if Campeiro targets smell / softness instead of whiteness (see Exhibit 1) †¢Campeiro is a better extension candidate than Minerva as Campeiro has a better break-even cannibalization rate (See Exhibit 1) †¢Significant barriers to entry also make it difficult for additional firms to compete at this price point †¢Using specialty store distribution makes sense as low-income NE residents tend to shop at smaller supermarkets †¢Improvement to Unilever brand image as being at the forefront of helping rural Brazil Potential Drawbacks †¢There is still risk that a fragrance / softness based brand extension will cannibalize Minerva beyond the threshold calculated, thereby decreasing profit †¢Cost of re-formulating Campeiro may be higher than expected †¢Unilever already owns a 75% market share; therefore, there is a finite additional share for Campeiro to absorb †¢Unilever premium brand equity may suffer as Unilever makes investment in lower-end products †¢Most low-income household do not own washing machines, so it would be hard to absorb additional market share currently owned by competitors’ soap brands with a powder product †¢There is always the risk that ever-changing socioeconomic and political factors will defer target segment from purchasing powder Conclusion Based on the analysis above, our team believes that the appropriate strategy to grow in the low-income NE market would be to extend the existing Campeiro brand while keeping the same price point. Distribution through specialty stores instead of wholesale will best position Unilever to grow in this high-margin, high-growth market.

History Of The Cinema Evolution Film Studies Essay

History Of The Cinema Evolution Film Studies Essay The Frenchman Louis Lumiere is always credited and he actually is known as the inventor of the motion picture camera in 1895. Other inventors preceded him, and Lumieres achievement should always be considered in the context of this creative period. Lumieres portable, suitcase-sized cinematography served as a camera, film processing unit, and projector all in one. He could shoot footage in the morning, process it in the afternoon, and then project it to an audience that evening. His first film was the arrival of the express train at Ciotat. Other subjects included workers leaving the factory gates, a child being fed by his parents, people enjoying a picnic along a river. The ease of use and portability of his device soon made it the rage in France. Cinematographes soon were in the hands of Lumiere followers all over the world, and the motion picture era began. The American Thomas Alva Edison was a competitor of Lumieres, and his invention predated Lumieres. But Edisons motion picture camera was bulky and not portable. The promoter in Lumiere made the difference in this competition. (Yahnke, 1996) For the first twenty years of motion picture history most silent films were shortonly a few minutes in length. At first a novelty, and then increasingly an art form and literary form, silent films reached greater complexity and length in the early 1910s. The films on the list above represent the greatest achievements of the silent era, which endedafter years of experimentationin 1929 when a means of recording sound that would be synchronous with the recorded image was discovered. Few silent films were made in the 1930s, with the exception of Charlie Chaplin, whose character of the Tramp perfected expressive physical moves in many short films in the 1910s and 1920s. When the silent era ended, Chaplin refused to go along with sound; instead, he maintained the melodramatic Tramp as his mainstay in City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936). The trademarks of Chaplins Tramp were his ill-fitting suit, floppy over-sized shoes and a bowler hat, and his ever-present cane. A memorable image i s Chaplins Tramp shuffling off, penguin-like, into the sunset and spinning his cane whimsically as he exits. He represented the little guy, the underdog, someone who used wit and whimsy to defeat his adversaries. Eisensteins contribution to the development of cinema rested primarily in his theory of editing, or montage, which focused on the collision of opposites in order to create a new entity. One of the greatest achievements in editing is the Odessa Steps sequence, in his film Potemkin (1925). Eisenstein intercut between shots of townspeople trapped on the steps by Czarist troops, and shots of the troops firing down upon the crowd. Members of the crowd became individual characters to viewers as the montage continued. Within the editing track the fate of these individuals was played out. A mother picks up her dead child and confronts the troops. Then she is shot. A student looks on in terror and then fleeshis fate uncertain. An old woman prays to be spared, but she is killed by a soldier who slashes her face with his saber. When a woman holding her baby carriage is killed, she falls to the steps, and the carriage begins a precipitous declineshots of the baby crying are intercut with wide sh ots of the carriage rolling down the steps. To Eisenstein, each individual shot contributed energy within the editing track that yielded far more than the sum total of shots. In other words, the combination of shots through editing created a new entity, based on the expressive emotional energy unleashed through the editing process. Although the technology for making movies was invented in 1895, a significant realization of the potential for film as art occurs with the appearance of D. W. Griffiths 1915 full-length epic, Birth of a Nation. In this film Griffith utilized crosscutting (parallel editing) effectively, particularly at the climax, when a number of editing tracks play off one another. He also portrayed battle scenes magnificently, with action in one set of shots moving from left to right, while action in another set of shots moves from right to left. But Griffiths work is diminished severely by the overt racism employed in characterizations and plotting. Then comes German Expressionism, and it was from 1919 to 1925. German got an innovative art, newly urban subject matter and refinement of technique. At that time Germany was politically, socially, economically crippled. But they influenced and thus the German directors deserve credit for their experimentation with unusual camera angles and complex stage settings. Two examples of this approach is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) by Robert Wiene. The latter is also credited with perfecting the use of visual language in The Last Laugh (1924), a film about a lonely old man who is ridiculed by others. Few titles are used in the film because Murnau is able to communicate meaning by virtue of well-placed visual cues. They also got and directed mythological film like Metropolis which was spectacular. Then they brought vampire kind of films which were again something new to cinema. After that chamber play film came which was not much of expressionistic. During that time the Last laugh was t he finest German silent film. The 1920s was a miraculous golden age for Soviet cinema, both for features and documentary. The films were meticulously curated and handsomely presented collection convey the incredible excitement filmmakers felt at the opportunity to participate in the construction of the worlds first socialist state. Freed from the need to make money that drove the Hollywood industry, they could focus on educating the new Soviet population. All the films were originally released between 1924 and 1930. Each has a nifty new musical score, using both previously composed and original material. Robert Israel compiled four of them; his score to the early morning Moscow street scenes in The House on the Trubnaya makes ingenious use of Sergei Prokofievs piano cycle, Fugitive Visions, to set the mood. Lev Kuleshov not only made films, but also wrote extensively on film theory. His imaginative parody upends negative Western preconceptions about Russians and Bolsheviks, even as it consciously imitates the sty le of the American action films he so admired. With an all-star cast that includes the manic, leering Aleksandra Khokhlova and cameo appearances by two directors (Boris Barnet and Vsevolod Pudovkin) reaches its Buster-Keaton-like climax in a memorable chase sequence. In 1926, Kuleshovs style had dramatically changed, becoming less artificial and more moody and psychological under the influence of German expressionism. The coming of sound fueled a number of genre developments in Hollywood cinema. One obvious example is the film musical. Less obvious is how the horror genre also dramatized and explored potentials that synchronized sound brought to Hollywood films. Hollywood cinema was suggested by the exhibitors weekly Harrisons Reports when it explained the success of The Jazz Singer: It was the talk that Al Jolson made here and there and his singing of his Mammy song, chiefly the singing of Mammy. It was so successfully done that people were thrilled. The sight of Mr. Jolson singing to his mother, sitting in the orchestra, stirred the spectators emotions as they were stirred by few pictures; it brought tears to the eyes of many spectators. Warner Bros is best known for its innovations in sound technology. In 1925 Warner partnered with Western Electric to develop a sound system. This involved a massive investment as the company had to reconvert all its theatres. Two years later, with much fanfare, the studio released The Jazz Singer. It was herald as the first talking picture and was a huge international success, eventually grossing 3 million dollars. The sound was recorded on discs that each had a total playing time equal to one reel of film. Because this form of synchronized sound was rather unreliable, it was soon replaced by sound recorded directly onto film.

Careful Media Selection Contributes to a Successful Campaign for British Airways :: Business Management Studies

Careful Selection of Media Contributes to a Successful Campaign for British Airways Within BA they understand that the most powerful tool to getting a persuasive message across is through media advertisement, media advertisement allows BA’s message to capture wide audiences depending which type of media it is. The media can contribute mass target audiences which is very useful for objectives like increasing customers and capturing wider target groups this means in other words getting BA’s message across to wide range of the population. Depending on the type of media advertisement enables BA to get recognized as well as lets the public know about their activities, but different media has different effects and can attract certain people this means in other words the contribution of the different media has certain results like for example when advertising in a sports magazine the message gets to that magazines audiences which might be 18 – 35 healthy living individuals. By using different and more than one advertising media helps the company to attract different and wider target groups, which will then help them to get a successful campaign through effectively communicating to their target groups. There are different types of advertisement media that companies use to communicate to their customers and potential customers, each of the different types of media has an advantage which can help promotional campaigns to be more accurate in getting messages across to target groups. The different advertisement medias are: Â · Newspaper advertisements – this type of advertisement contributes to a campaign a clear message whether it is through an image or simple text, it helps promotional campaigns to reach newsreaders depending on the type of newspaper (local, or national). A local newspaper enables the BA to communicate to local residents readers this means in other words through local newspapers this advertisement method helps BA’s promotional campaign to get publicity within the city or local residents. National newspaper like for example The Sun gets the message across to wider readers across UK to see BA’s advertisement. Newspaper media advertisement attracts readers such as older generation because they tend to read more than the younger generation. Â · TV advertisement – for BA this is the most effective way of advertisement and getting the message across to wider target groups, this methods contributes to the success of promotional campaign a visual expression of BA’s services by using color and live motion advertisement. This methods enables the individual person who is watching a description of the service that BA is advertising and visual features which might be appealing. The different audiences can be targeted through careful planning of what channel to advertise

The Extent To kill a Mockingbird critiques the cultural values of Mayco

‘To kill a Mockingbird’ is a strong reflection of Harper Lee, the author’s, upbringing. Having been raised in the small town of Alabama in the 1920’s she was frequently exposed to prejudice and this inspired her to write a book, her only to date, loosely based on her early days. Tom Robinson’s trial, set in Maycomb County, is a parallel to the Scottsboro Trial, which was an infamous case during Lee’s childhood, where a ‘negro’ was accused of rape. However the emphasis is based more on the lawyer, Atticus Finch, who defends him, as the book is written from the perspective of his daughter, Jean Louise, known as ‘Scout’. Throughout, an importance is placed on the fact that ‘it's a sin to kill a mockingbird’ as they only ‘sing their hearts out for us’ and ‘don't eat up people's gardens’. This is a comment on the fact that Maycomb society victimises Tom Robinson, despite the fact that he is harmless and only does good, just like the mockingbird. This symbolic meaning resulted in the title ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ rather than the initial name ‘Atticus’ as the publishers felt the book was not solely based on Atticus as a person. On the contrary, they felt the values of Maycomb society such as social division and status, racial prejudice, double standards, integrity and courage were the focuses of the book. It is important to appreciate the advantages a child narrator brings to a novel of this kind, due to Scout’s innocence and youth she does not understand certain social infrastructures which complicate the adult world, thus exposing Maycomb in a way that an adult narrator could not. This allows Harper Lee to critique the values of Maycomb society in a more subtle manner, for example Scout does not judge people, but instead explains... ...ociety to a vast extent. It comments on the foundations of Maycomb as an isolated and inward looking society which allows racial prejudice to grow. The social division, stereotyping and prejudice are also emphasized as each family has a ‘streak’ and Tom Robinson’s case is as simple as ‘black and white’ Harper Lee also exposes the double standards and hypocrisy of the citizens of Maycomb, by using irony and giving the reader a perspective that the charters cannot see. At the forefront of all of the happenings in this book is Atticus Finch, who is represented as an honest man with strong values, he is a contrast to most people in Maycomb, and he shows us what it is to be a gentleman. Although Harper Lee does allow the reader to see some hope for Maycomb society and the changing racial attitudes within it, she generally criticizes their values to a much deeper extent.

How important are the chapters one to three in Great Expectations? Essa

How important are the chapters one too three in Great Expectations? What does the reader learn about the social and historical, from these chapters? The setting from the start of the book is very important, from the unwelcoming and stereotypical graveyard that give the book a starting tense and exiting mood, and the humble blacksmiths that acts as a platform for Pip's expectations and the opposite setting to much of the grander scenery in London. The graveyard at the start of the book is typical example of how the setting contributes so well to the story and the atmosphere; this is just one of the more obvious examples. Starting the book in a graveyard quickly informs the reader of a lot of information about Pips history that under different circumstances would have taken a lot longer to explain; things like Pips parents and family were quickly and briefly explained to the readers via the gravestones and Magwitches asking "Where's your mother?" and Pip's response being "There sir" as he points to his Mother, Father and five sibling's gravestones. The graveyard is...

Economic conditions Essay

In this essay I’m going to argue that social, political, or economic conditions cannot alter the nature and meaning of art, with specific reference to works of art from Baroque and Rococo epochs. Evaluating a work of art is always a complicated task. Since the perception of art and beauty is highly subjective, it’s hard to think of universal criteria to measure artistic qualities of a certain piece. However, there is a broad consensus among the critics that there are certain criteria they apply when judging an art work. It’s possible to focus on four main criteria to judge an art work. First and foremost, the piece should be aesthetically pleasing, i. e. correspond to the all-common notion of beauty. It should be harmonious and evoking positive, elevated feelings. While there is a trend among some contemporary artists to make their pieces arouse indignation and disgust with a view to delivering a certain message or merely astonishing the public, I strongly deem that art and aesthetics are inherently linked. For instance, a typical example of baroque sculpture — St. Theresa in Ecstasy of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome created by Bernini — is perfect in its form, since it captures the beauty and harmony together with motion and energy. Same is true about Rococo sculpture: looking at ‘Amour menacant’ created by Etienne Maurice Falconet, it’s impossible not to admire the high degree of sophistication and perfection the statue of the little angel embodies. The second criterion I’m going to use is quality of workmanship, i. e. the mastery of artists’ skills. Another criterion which is very important is the uniqueness of artists’ manner. Great artists stand out for the peculiarity of their individual style. Some of them prefer to pioneer new forms and techniques, yet this is not a prerequisite for creating a style of your own. Many talented artists don’t break away from the tradition but simply find their own niche within the existing patterns of expression. While some artists of the Baroque and Rococo epoch were considered rebellious, e. g. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, they didn’t violate basic rules of harmonious and aesthetically pleasing artistic expression. Jean-Honore Fragonard’s manner was also innovative in many instances, sine he introduced a delicate interplay of light and shadow as well as implicit eroticism into mainstream French painting, however he adhered to the generally accepted notion of what beauty and art are. Finally, the forth criterion is the message the piece is trying to send. Here it’s necessary to take into account the importance and relevance of the message as well as how successful the piece is in delivering it. Baroque and Rococo painters mainly focused on the depiction of mythological and religious scenes as well as the scenes from the daily life of the upper circles of society. While both themes that dominated the artistic discourse might seem to be detached from the real life, they served an important goal of educating the public about mythological and religious narratives or captured the spirit of their times through the portrayal of the privileged members of society The most persuasive proof of the thesis that social, political, or economic conditions cannot alter the nature and meaning of art is the fact that nowadays we still admire great works of art irrespective of the epoch they belong to.

Human brain Essay

Blood is the elixir of life. Without blood, the human body would not be able to perform several of its normal functions. In fact, blood can be said to perform functions that are relevant to the cells, the heart, the brain and the organs. It acts not only as a medium for transporting nutrients but also as a medium for taking out the trash so to speak. Containing necessary minerals, glucose, iron and oxygen, the blood is essential for the survival of the body cells, as well as the organs. If the blood was not able to carry these nutrients, the body would go into shock and not be able to function. Therefore, it can be said that the first function of blood is as a carrier of essential nutrients and oxygen to the different parts of the body. Another function of the blood is as a cleaning agent. Since the cells cannot dispose of the useless substances, wastes and toxins on their own, the blood is necessary. It carries these wastes and toxins to the kidney and the liver in order to filter the blood and dispose of these harmful toxins. If the blood is not present, there would be an unhealthy build up of these substances that would cause the body to cease carrying out its functions and result in death. Finally, the blood is important in that it carries white blood cells and encourages the healing process. It also encourages the healing process by distributing the white blood cells all over the body to raise its resistance. Also, white blood cells have anti bodies that prevent other viruses and diseases from taking over the body. As a whole, blood is extremely important if not crucial to the continued operation of the human body and its functions. The blood acts as a transmitter of the essential nutrients, as a waster disposal unit for all the unwanted wastes and toxins and finally, as a healing solution to ensure that the body is protected and functions well at all times. This is on top of the fact that it carries oxygen to all the other parts of the body, most especially the human brain.

Amanda Wingfield in “The Glass Menagerie” Essay

The Character of Amanda Wingfield in â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† supplies an example of a complex individual whose communication and actions convey a slightly irritating and lonesome mother. Scene IV of â€Å"The Glass Menagerie,† demonstrates these unique characteristics of Amanda. The scene takes place at about seven am the day after Tom and Amanda get into a major argument. From this scene we can reveal that Amanda’s obviously an overstressed and psychotic single care taker with insufficient mothering skills. Amanda’s stubbornness and complexities always irritates her son Tom (the narrator of the play). Although Amanda is hysterically stuck in her past, she is a woman of great liveliness. Amanda’s past experience with her husband has made her bitter, and that bitterness is what motivates her to make her children become something. Her foolishness, stubbornness and selfishness makes her cruel to her children without the intention. Amanda, Tom, and Laura all fantasize and have their own individual ways of escaping from their realities. In this case, Amanda escapes reality by fantasizing about the gentleman callers she had in the past, however she denies the fact. She doesn’t tolerate her children’s fantasizing, which makes her blindly hypocritical. Amanda loves her Children dearly and she wants them to be happy and have good fortune. Tennessee Williams illustrates Amanda’s attitude in scene IV, while she’s talking to Tom after he apologizes to her. She takes the blame so she can pamper him into finding Laura a gentleman caller. This makes Amanda seem very selfish because she uses Tom for her own desires. Amanda, expects Laura to fulfill the dreams Amanda once had for herself which rushes Laura into doing things she’s not prepared to do. Amanda has hope in her crippled, (that she refuses to admit) and shy daughter whom isn’t capable of fulfilling Amanda’s dream. Amanda goes on to pasteurizing Tom about finding someone for Laura, yet small things like this irritate Tom and make him want to leave and never come back. This small scene gives the reader an image of Amanda and how she  contributes to the play. Her attitude and her values shape the other characters as well. In retrospect it is understood that one of the main reasons Tom left in the end of the play was because of his mothers selfishness, her constant nagging, and the many desires Amanda had for her children that Tom didn’t want to put up with.

Defining Emotional Intelligence

Earliest roots can be traced to Darwin’s work on importance of emotional expression for survival and second adaptation. In 1900s, traditional definitions of intelligence emphasized cognitive aspects (IQ) and then later on begun to recognize the importance of non-cognitive aspects from which the term â€Å"social intelligence† was coined. Similarly it was in 1940 even David Wechsler joined in the bandwagon and argued that all emotional intelligence models will not be complete unless all the non-intellective factors could be defined. But it was in the 1970s and 80s that Emotional Intelligence as a theory was fully developed by the works and writings of Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer, however, it was the works of Daniel Goleman who published â€Å" Why It Can Matter More Than IQ† in 1995 that made the term widely popularized. Defining Emotional Intelligence The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. Goleman defined EQ as being a different way of being smart. It includes knowing your feelings, and using them to make good decisions, managing your feelings well, motivating yourself with zeal and persistence , maintaining hope in the face of frustration, exhibiting empathy and compassion, ability to interact smoothly at the same time managing relationships effectively. And all of these emotional skills matter immensely in marriage, families, in our careers for health and contentment. Different approaches and models have been developed to fully explain what EQ. Substantial disagreements exist in relation to both the terminologies at the same time its operationalizations. The definitions are so varied and researchers have been re-evaluating, re-defining it based on their own unique way of understanding it. So for now we would be defining it based on three main models : 1 . Ability EI Model, Mixed Model and Trait EI model, however we will be focusing our understanding to the model that made the term popular, which is the Mixed Model by Goleman. Ability EI Model Salovey and Mayer's conception of EI strives to define EI within the confines of the standard criteria for a new intelligence. Following their continuing research, their initial definition of EI was revised to â€Å"The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.† The ability based model views emotions as useful sources of information that help one to make sense of and navigate the social environment.The model proposes that individuals vary in their ability to process information of an emotional nature and in their ability to relate emotional processing to a wider cognition. This ability is seen to manifest itself in certain adaptive behaviors. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: 1. Perceiving emotions – the ability to detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures, voices, and cultural artifacts—including the ability to identify one's own emotions. Perceiving emotions represents a basic aspect of emotional intelligence, as it makes all other processing of emotional information possible. 2. Using emotions – the ability to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities, such as thinking and problem solving. The emotionally intelligent person can capitalize fully upon his or her changing moods in order to best fit the task at hand. 3. Understanding emotions – the ability to comprehend emotion language and to appreciate complicated relationships among emotions. For example, understanding emotions encompasses the ability to be sensitive to slight variations between emotions, and the ability to recognize and describe how emotions evolve over time. 4. Managing emotions – the ability to regulate emotions in both ourse lves and in others. Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative ones, and manage them to achieve intended goals. The ability-based model has been criticized in the research for lacking face and predictive validity in the workplace. Trait EI Model Petrides and colleagues proposed a conceptual distinction between the ability based model and a trait based model of EI.Trait EI is â€Å"a constellation of emotional self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality†. In lay terms, trait EI refers to an individual's self-perceptions of their emotional abilities. This definition of EI encompasses behavioral dispositions and self perceived abilities and is measured by self report, as opposed to the ability based model which refers to actual abilities, which have proven highly resistant to scientific measurement. Trait EI should be investigated within a personality framework. An alternative label for the same construct is trait emotional self-efficacy. The trait EI model is general and subsumes the Goleman and Bar-On models discussed above. The conceptualization of EI as a personality trait leads to a construct that lies outside the taxonomy of human cognitive ability. This is an important distinction in as much as it bears directly on the operationalization of the construct and the theories and hypotheses that are formulated about it. Mixed Models of EI This is the model that was introduced by Daniel Goleman and focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance. Goleman outlines four domains of EI based on two types of competencies: Personal Competency and Social Competency. Personal Competency 1. Self Awareness- the ability to recognize and understand over one’s emotions as they occur 2. Self Management- One’s ability to manage internal state, impulses, and emotional reactions to situations and people Social Competency 1. Social Awareness – One’s ability to understand emotions in people, this means understanding what others are thinking and how they are feeling from one’s own 2. Relationship Management – One’s ability to arrange interaction with others effectively

The Employment Code of Conduct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Employment Code of Conduct - Essay Example Disciplinary procedures are an important part for any organization, it is the disciplinary procedures that determine the complete directive of the firm that the employees are supposed to follow, it may also include the code of conduct. (Gennard, J. & Judge, G., 2005) All the ill effects of not following the terms mentioned in the disciplinary procedures are also mentioned in the same document, like suppose the penalty or punishment for misconduct such as abusing fellow workers is suspension from the company without pay, (Hall, R. & Stewart, J., 2001) so here the term in disciplinary procedure will be as follows: All the employees working for Bodgitt and Blastit limited should not use abusive language against any other employee, manager, stockholder or a general part of the company, or even in the office premises; failing to do so could lead to a suspension of the key employee. (Russell, Kate, 2004) In the above procedure and term, the problem was very clearly stated and so was its penalty. Therefore preventing the company from being a victim by means of a penalty from the employment tribunal. If any such information is not mentioned in the disciplinary procedures or even worse, if the company does not have a disciplinary procedure until now, this could be much worse, the employment tribunal may also force the company to not only let the â€Å"suffered† employee get back to his post in the company, but also the responsible (or rather, irresponsible) employee could also get some compensation out of the whole deal.

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Microeconomics - Essay Example The exchange rate at which the two currencies will be exchanging in the forward contract at the preset future date is fixed and thus the investor is saved from the risk of adverse exchange rate movements. This method eliminates the downside risk but also puts a cap on the profits that could have been received if the exchange rate moved favourably instead of unfavourably. The Purchasing Power Parity is an important concept which links prices, exchange rates and inflation. ‘Three versions of PPP have traditionally been used in the literature.’ (Clark, Bartolini, Bayoumi & Symansky, 1994) These versions include the law of one price, absolute PPP and relative PPP. ‘In relative terms, PPP says that exchange rate move in line with the interest rate differential.’ (Rochon & Vernengo, 2001) On the long-term basis, the lower the inflation the more the currency appreciates and the higher the rate of inflation the greater is the magnitude of the currency’s depreciation. In terms of the of the Ireland and US, the exchange rate went down from $1/â‚ ¬0.70 to $1/â‚ ¬0.65 for the US dollar indicating the depreciation of US dollar in terms of Euro and hence signalling inflation in the US market. On the other side of the picture an appreciation of the Euro signifies low inflation and high growth in the Irish market. In terms of the goods the US dollar could buy â‚ ¬ 0.7 worth of goods one year back and now it can afford only â‚ ¬ 0.65 for the same dollar. Thus the US dollar depreciated indicating inflation in the US market and showing an appreciation of the

Rhetorical Problem Solving Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rhetorical Problem Solving - Case Study Example Additionally, for last quarter the sales dropped by 5%, when he goes for lunch he sometimes fails to report back to work and for the last one month Mason has been absent for seven days. Mason has reached his retirement years at sixty-two, but he has refused to retire voluntarily. He looks forward to retiring after three more years of work when he will be sixty-five years. However, Doakes has pointed out that Mason has been diligent on his duties all along until recently. His public relations have also been excellent before. Mason has been grooming Doakes to take his place when he retires, and this also explains the reason the recommendation job had to be given to me. My solution to this problem is to make Doakes assume Mason’s responsibilities, leave Mason’s salary as it is today and raise Doakes’ salary. One of the quickest solutions to this problem would be to retire him against his wishes, but this would be unfair to Mason because he has been of great service to the company for the last twenty-five years. His experience and loyalty for all those years is enough reason to keep him for extra three years. It is worthwhile noting that corporate social responsibility starts from the internal practice. Dealing with employees harshly or ignoring the feelings of the community hits companies very hard down the line. It is necessary that the company maintains good relationship with its workers, make the long-time serving workers feel valued as part of the company. While not every employee’s wishes will be respected in terms of extending their terms, Mason’s case is a special one and it has to be dealt with every caution possible with the fact that he has been very instrumental to the company for years. Am interested in knowing reason for Mason’s stay in the business for three extra years. It could be that he needs the salary, or he needs to complete a project he began. For either reason, it is for the best interest of the

Design option evaluation report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Design option evaluation report - Essay Example Moreover, direct radiation are normally scattered by the atmosphere (Heard, 2006). Alterations of temperature have been depicted to appreciably affect reaction speed for particular trace compounds. Facts that strongly influence the design of a smog chamber and its corresponding auxiliaries for studying reactions under diverse simulated tropospheric conditions are mainly concentration of chemicals and temperature. Low concentration of members within the chemical reactions presents both analytical complications and stringent demands on the underlying cleanliness of the air utilized to make up the reaction mixture (Burrows, Borrell & Platt, 2011). Humidity ought to be controlled. The materials of construction ought not to introduce appreciable concentrations of impurities or react with the existing components of the reaction mixture (Heard, 2006). The radiation sources employed for irradiation of the smog chamber contents ought to simulate the intensity and peculiar distribution existing within the lower troposphere in the spectral locations and corresponding temporal distributions in the reaction chamber ought to be as even as feasible. In China, some small volume smog chambers have been developed to study gas-phase kinetic mechanisms, which precisely temperature controlled indoor smog chamber made of FEP Teflon film to study the SOA formation. Nevertheless,the small volumes of these smog chambers impact the disadvantage of relatively large wall effects thus making it cumbersome for the experiments of long durations. There exist numerous means to study photochemical smog, with the most common one being utilizing data from a smog chamber to establish a reaction model (Burrows, Borrell & Platt, 2011). Smog chamber facility is utilized to excite atmosphere photochemical reactions processes through irradiating primary pollutants namely NOz and corresponding hydrocarbons within the chamber. In 1952, a serious case of

Transparency in Corporate Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Transparency in Corporate Governance - Essay Example Transparency in a company is vital because it increases the confidence in the management of the company by its shareholders and other stakeholders. This consequently leads to the shareholders willing to invest more in the company which in turn, eventually, reduces the cost of capital. Being transparent also helps a company’s management to fight off corruption and fraudulent activities that would otherwise be rife and detrimental (Hermalin &Weisch, 2007). With all these factors put together, the company’s productivity, and eventually, its productive capacity increases. For a long time now, corporate governance has undergone different overhauls so as to increase the level of transparency. This is through various means such as an increased control on how financial reporting gets done and who exactly does it. These control mechanisms ensure that what gets measured, accepted and reported to the public is true and fair. There are also various trends currently in the market th at give the procedure on how a company should be audited. Auditing is when an external entity, separate from the company, goes through the company’s reports and records. It gives its assessment and opinion of fairness and truthfulness of the company reports to the public (Shleifer, 1996). There are also other measures that ensure transparency gets achieved. These measures include laws, policies, Companies Act, Parliamentary Acts (Hermalin &Weisch, 2007). Reporting and adhering to these policies, laws and acts, however, comes at a price. Governments around the world exempt the small companies from fully complying with these stringent measures. It is mandatory, however, for these small companies to prepare their own reports as a performance measuring tool (Hermalin &Weisch, 2007). In the McBride scenario, the CEO of the McBride Financial Services receives an email from a recently added investor. The Beltway Investment is the investor that has invested in McBrides Company. It is in the email sent by their principal in who reiterates the need for transparency and use of best practices. He tells the CEO to run his company as would see fit but in turn, the investment firm would need to be shown the reports of the company’s progress. This is a way of ensuring transparency in corporate governance gets achieved by equitable treatment and rights of the shareholders getting observed. The management should do this by openly and effectively communicating the information to the stakeholders. They should also encourage them to participate in the company’s general meetings, so as to give their thoughts and opinions (Solomon, 2010). In the scenario, one also sees the management chain of command. The CEO, Hugh McBride makes the crucial decisions such as who will sit in the company’s board of directors and his subordinates implement these decisions. They deal with a wide range of matters from public relations to issues to do with governance of the com pany (Solomon, 2010). We also see that when the stakeholders, in this case Beltway Investments, know of their rights and practice these rights keeping the management on toes. This gets clearly seen when Doug, the Beltway Investment’s principal sends the CEO the email. The CEO, in the following days, communicates to his subordinate to get an accounting firm to audit their reports. The urgency becomes also portrayed when he says

Two stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two stories - Essay Example The boy realized that it is easier and simpler to control temper and anger, than to hammer the nails into the wooden fence. Finally, the boy was capable of completely control his anger and temper. He informed his father concerning the new situation of experiencing no anger. The father ten directed the boy to remove the each nail, for the days he was incapable of managing his anger. The weeks passed, and finally the boy informed his father that all the nails have been removed from the wooden fence. The father led his son by hand and led him to the wooden fence. He instructed his son to observe the holes left in the fence. The holes distorted the surface of the fence. In a similar situation, anger distorts and leaves a noticeable scar. The father informed the son that if he strikes somebody with a knife and immediately removes it; the wound will forever be there, despite numerous apologies to the victim. Acha was a famous and renowned artist and sculptor in the ancient world. His sculptural work closely resembled the real inspirational object. On a certain day, Acha had a unique dream. The dream illustrated that immediately after the fifteenth day; he will be captured and taken by the death demon. To protect himself, Acha produced nine statues of the exact image of himself. During the fifteenth day, Acha heard of the coming of the death demon. He immediately stood between the nine statues. The death demon failed to identify him among the statutes. The demon was surprised to see ten, instead of one Acha, uncapable of making a decision, the death demon decided to report back to his master, the death god. The death god was so annoyed; hence he decided to capture Acha himself. On reaching the venue, he saw the ten Achas; the real Acha stood motionless, expressionless and alert. The ten Achas perplexed and confused the death god. He carefully analyzed the situation and then loudly remaerked that the sculpture will

Editing my answer papres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Editing my answer papres - Essay Example The warehouse was burgled and the company suffered a loss of $30,000. The insurance company claimed that the insurance policy did not cover burglary and therefore refused to pay. Duty of care was breached when Daniel failed to check the content of the insurance policy. When Quality Sofa expected to collect insurance it was faced the losses of 30,000 $ which affected its financial state, because he did not carefully check the statement and should be held liable for it. If Daniel is unaware of nature of insurance policies, because he is an accountant, it is no excuse to just sign the policy. He should have spent time and even requested legal advice if necessary not to be held liable in this particular case. As for his liability in duty of loyalty, he is liable for getting personal benefit by offering a client of Quality Sofa Bed a discount that not the company’s interest, but rather his own interest. If the client had approached Daniel as an individual, then he would not be held liable. Although Daniel should have disclosed that the warehouse that Quality Sofa and Bed purchased was his, he saved for Sofa and Bed 5,000 $ because the fair value was valued +5,000 $. In the specific incident he kept his self-interest aside and put the company’s benefit on the first place. Although Daniel did not technically breech his duty of loyalty in the warehouse incident, he definitely breeched his duty of care with the insurance contract and his duty of loyalty with the personal gain he benefited from. There were two violations of duties. I think that although he sold his warehouse for less than fair value and since he insisted on the directors to purchase his warehouse, he should have at least disclosed that he owned the warehouse or even restrained from voting. Since he already breached one duty of care and one duty of loyalty he can’t be considered a reliable director. Corporate governance has failed miserably to alert of send signals to everyone that

The Personal Challenge That I Face Essay Example for Free

The Personal Challenge That I Face Essay The personal challenge that I faced mainly dealt with my health. Ever since I was child, I was very sick physically. The doctor recommended that I not play or participate in any type of sports because of my poor health. This led to a lack of confidence in myself to perform my best. I have always thought that there was a barrier somewhere in my life, and I could not pass that barrier because if I did then my life would certainly be in ruins. I was told that no one could perform many tasks at once and be successful. Ever since, I always have an image that if I participated in activities at school then I would do poorly in my school work. I never pushed my limits to the maximum to challenge myself. It was as if there was a wall standing in front of me blocking me from being successful. I was always afraid that the consequences might be permanent and my grades would drop. For years, I have always focused my energy and time into studying and being successful for my future. I never participated in any activities in or outside of school. I would sometimes help my mom take care of the housework because they have to work hard to keep the house financially stable. Maintaining a 3.7 or higher GPA throughout my middle and high school years, I was very happy with my academic accomplishments. In my sophomore year, my vice-principal and counselor encouraged me to join an after-school activity so that I would be qualify to be a member of the National Honor Society during my junior year. I gave a lot of thought to this during sophomore year, and I decided that I should at least try one sport. I joined the softball team, but because of my lack of skills, I was cut from the team. However, I did not give up because my motto is Once you give up, you give up everything including life. I always go by this simple principle and this is what keeps me going on even today. Then I tried outdoor track and found myself struggling and being the slowest person in school. I did not run any race during the meet for that entire year. I was angry at myself for the year. I told myself, If others can do it, then you can too. Throughout my life, I have always tried to challenge myself by trying to succeed. I always have set high standards in myself. I would never let myself be ranked low among others whether it is school work or anything else. At first, I thought that something would have to be  sacrificed because it is natures law to make man not perfect. No one can do well in more than one thing and that is what I believed for the first half of my life. That philosophy however had been shattered by a boy who I met while running for the track team. He was the most perfect boy I have ever met in my life. He was valedictorian of the class of 90 and an outstanding athlete. He opened the gateway to another world for me. I told myself, If He can do it, then I can certainly do it also. From then on, I realized that there is no limit to what a human can do if they put their mind to it. This opened another world to me. I enjoy sports, especially running and swimming. During my junior year, I joined cross country, indoor track, the swim team, and outdoor track. My time in running has improved dramatically, especially during my senior year. I am now captain of the cross country team and co-captain of the swim team. I have improved my time after ever swim meet, track meet, or cross country meet. Even more importantly, I still was able to maintain a very high GPA. This proved to me that I can do anything if I only try. The insight which I have gained from this experience has given me a great boost of self-esteem. I learned that there are no limits to what a human being can do if he or He only does their best. To further prove my theory, I got a job during the summer and kept it during the school year. I am also currently taking four Advanced Placement classes during my senior year along with after school activities. I am doing this to help myself be prepared for college and to further improve my life, because I am spending more time doing other activities such as sports, homework, and going to work. I am hoping to continue being conscientious throughout my college years, as I strive to do my best academically.

A Birthday Gone Bad Essay Example for Free

A Birthday Gone Bad Essay While I was standing inside the kitchen of my home, preparing the food for my daughter’s twelfth birthday party, I heard the terrible screams of my daughter crying out for help. Without any hesitation at all, I dropped everything in my hands and ran to the back yard where all the guests of the party were at. I found my daughter sitting on the concrete floor next to our hot tub, holding her foot and sobbing in horrible pain. As soon as I sat next to her, she ripped a three prong gardening rake out of the arch in the middle of her left foot. I thought for a moment that I was going to be sick to my stomach. The gardening rake was dirty and rusted, and punctured a deep hole right in the bottom of my daughters left foot. I picked her up and rushed her into the bathroom where I began to clean the wound to the best of my abilities. She started to tell me how she managed to get a rake stuck in the middle of her foot when my husband walked in to the bathroom. He stopped her in the middle of her sentence to examined lesion and agreed with me that she needed to be taken to the hospital incase major damage was done into the inside of her foot. So I rushed her to the nearest emergency room. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay On our way to the emergency room she was finally able to tell me what had happened to her. My daughter informed me that she was simply jumping outside of the hot tub in the attempt to jump into the pool. However, she failed to notice the gardening rake just lying about on the floor and landed right on it. When we got to the emergency room the doctor quickly informed me that my daughter was going to need tetanus shot to eliminate the risk of major infection. This information completely freaked my daughter out and made her want to leave the hospital that very minute because she was deathly afraid of needles. After some time of convincing, she agreed to hold still for the shot to be administered. After the shot was given the doctor ordered a MRI and an x-ray of my daughters’ foot to see if there was any damage done. When the results came in the doctor informed me that when she ripped the rake out of her foot, she managed to rip multiple ligaments and tendons inside of her foot. The only way to completely heal her foot was to put her in a leg cast that went all the way up to her knee and leave in on for four weeks. By the time the doctor had finished putting the cast on, she was already complaining about having to use crutches and how everyone at school was going to make fun of her. When we got home my daughter had just had it with the day. It was suppose to be a great day and it so quickly turned into an ugly day. Nobody wants to spend their birthday in the hospital. Unfortunately for my daughter, she is one of the unlucky ones who has unexpected things happen to them in the blink of an eye.