Major and Career Research Paper Annotated Bibliography

Major and Career Research Paper - Annotated Bibliography Example The researchers noted that shortage in logistics contributed to the major challenges affecting the supply chain management process. The financial challenges contributed to the increase in demand and supply of goods and services. These shortages are operational and affect planning and controlling of supply chains. Finally, Andreas and Robert noted that the cost of logistics remains a major influence in the management of supply chains. Gadde, Hakansson and Persson focused on the supply chain companies. Their book provided a summary of twenty-five businesses in the area of selling goods and services. The book mainly focused on current issues connected to the supplier of goods and services so as to produce effective supply chain networks. The report is separated into three sections, and it started by exploring the challenges that affect the supply chain management. The second section of the book explored the different supply chain networks from the sellers’ interactional perception. The part looked at the selling activity and the structures of supply chain. The third part presented the boundaries in terms of the relationship between the supply networks, and how they can be designed. Finally, the book presented the efficiency of supply chains and how they can form a proper unit of analysis for example, several transactions, single transaction with one give supplier or different suppliers at a given system leve l. These researchers completed their project in four stages whereby they conducted a literature review, interviews, survey, and conducted an analysis of the findings as well as a report. Findings indicated that with the increase in new technologies, different supply companies are currently identifying the need of investment in modern technology. They recommended that organization should adopt strategies that can adjust quickly with the increase in technological development. Organizations should also allow suppliers to make their own decisions

The Swimmer Essay Example for Free

The Swimmer Essay Within John Cheerver’s, The Swimmer we can learn a lot about life choices and priorities. Cheerver demonstrates the effect of social standing in the novel through the eyes of the main character Needy. Needy has let his social standing overpower him, which eventually leads him to a life without social activity. Cheerver effectively communicates his message to the reader by combining a wide variety of symbolism and excitement. Throughout the novel the author uses a plethora of examples to display his message and even incorporates his views within the theme of the novel. A respectable theme in The Swimmer is the inevitable passage of time. This theme is clearly established through the protagonist of the novel, Needy. In the beginning of the story the author provides the reader with a clear background of Needy’s life. The information about Needy’s life is crucial to the story because it helps the reader understand and connect with the character. Needy believes that he does not have to keep in touch with his friends because the life he leads. With his high social standing, Needy believes that he is inferior to others. Life continues to pass by as Needy lives his life on the outskirts. It isn’t until it’s too late that Needy becomes aware of his surroundings and realizes he has wasted much of his life. The damage he has caused in life cannot be undone due to his lack of care and concern for others. Not only is Needy’s social life irreplaceable at the end of the novel, but he has become dependent on alcohol. It appears that Needy has grown to become his own worst enemy in life. On the contrary, Cheerver helps develop his theme of the novel through the use of symbolism. Within, The Swimmer, symbolism is frequently used as a technique to tie together the story. For example, the author portrays symbolism within the text through the multiple swimming pools Needy encounters. Each swimming pool Needy comes across represents a different time period in his life and a different group of friends Needy has known. As Needy swims from pool to pool he comes across his haunting past. Not aware of his surroundings, he continues on from pool to pool. Swimming pools arent the only symbolic object within the text. Empty houses are also part of the symbolism that is used within the novel. Needy reaches his own backyard to find an empty house with locked doors. This abandoned house becomes a symbol for Needy’s lonely and unsociable life. When Needy is at the house he finally comes to reality with his life. He finally comes to the realization that he has pushed away everyone close in his life . He has no one to talk to and feels as though he is lonely in the world. Not only does Cheerver use symbolism in his story but he also incorporates imagery. The author uses seasons as a way to help readers understand the different stages in Needy’s life. The author uses the warmer months to represent happier moments in Needys life while the colder months portray the weary and unsettling moments in his life. Seasons come and go, and so do people in our life. Needy thought that his life was untouchable, but soon came down from his cloud and realized what he had done. The theme of the inevitable passage of time truly represents the novel. People can take this story and easily connect it to their own lives. Coming from Cheerver’s past, this novel appears to be a mockery of his life. By mocking his own life, the author wants his readers to open their eyes and realize that the only thing that constantly changes is time itself. With that being said, Cheerver wanted to be a mediator for those who have started to jump into pools, and to those who have yet to jump. He warns those who have not â€Å"stepped† into the pool to step back from the edge and take a good look at what’s around them. He hopes to inform readers to never take anything for granted because nothings lasts forever.

Phenomenological Perspective And Theoretical Framework Sociology Essay

Phenomenological Perspective And Theoretical Framework Sociology Essay The aim in this chapter is to offer the foundations on which I base my methodological approach and data analysis. In this section I will clarify theoretical issues which I have examined and informed my work. I outline a framework that highlights the interconnectedness of the macro and micro in explicating the actions and policies of local government in implementing the renewed race relations approach. In this regard, the chapter covers a range of important issues and introduces a number of theoretical concepts relating to race relations and equality. For work of this sort to have meaning it has to embody a rigorous conceptual analysis which underpin a critical theory approach. These definitions are located in a broader theory of oppression and intrinsic discrimination and inequality. Below are the concepts which have informed my approach, these concepts will allow me to examine and understand the complex situation. Phenomenological perspective To state that research doesnt happen in vacuum / isolation acknowledgement of historical and social influences will shape the research Objectivity/subjectivity Positionality Structuration theory Through social action that structures and agency are shaped. Rejects Parsons functionalism subjectivity And also hermeneutics approach on agency He argues his theory of structuration reveals how the micro (personal) is shaped by the macro (social systems) Read Positioning chapter in 1984 book. Social practices ordered across space and time refer to the actions of individuals and groups understood in their social, cultural and historical context. A key element of this theory, therefore, is the attempt to understand reality in terms of structure the significance of social divisions and other aspects of social organisation and agency the exercise of choice. While many forms of social theory address either structure or agency, structuration theory is characterised by a focus on structure and agency and the ways in which they are intertwined. In understanding the ability to participate in community matters what is needed then is an appreciation of both structure and agency. It is not a matter of either or, nor is it an underemphasising of the role of agency by concentrating on the social structures to the almost total exclusion of issues of choices, intentions, wishes, fears and aspirations, or an overemphasising of the role of agency, failing to recognise the power role of social structure in shaping, enabling and constraining the actions of individuals and groups. Our agency is rooted in the complexities of social systems but is not determined by them. Racism, discrimination and oppression are also imbedded in those social systems. Power Power is a central feature of the struggle to promote social justice and equality. It is envisaged power in this study will be played out in many ways. In a practical sense, it is the local government who holds the power both with policy and resources (staff, time, organisation, money), in this case the dominant party, to eliminate the inequalities faced by minority groups. Power analysis is useful in identifying resistance to change as this does not rely solely on the While in the workings of organisations power is transparent in the formal decision-making process, work by Hunter study of decision makers and places of net-working , Mills study of power elite, Bachrach and Baratzs power is,exercised by containing the scope of decision-making to relatively safe issues (p. 6). Steven Lukes (1974) three dimensional framework of power identify other ways in which power may operate. In this study I am informed by Lukess three dimensional framework of power as it illuminates the different dimensions where power operates. Lukes theory is built on earlier theories on power which he addresses in his book Radical View. Dahls one dimensional model of power is conceived of as intentional and active in the political arena by political actor groups, and power consists in defeating the opponents preferences. The focus is on decision-making behavior on issues where there is an observable conflict of subjective interests as revealed by policy preferences. Criticism of this view, is that power is not only reflected in concrete decisions. Individuals can limit decision-making to non-controversial issues by keeping certain topics off the agenda and argued that power should be analysed by two-dimensional model of power. According to Lukes, the two-dimensional view of power is limited in that it focuses only on observable conflicts, whether overt or covert. Lukes claims power can also by influencing, shaping, or determining his wants and preferences. Another second criticism is that this view is too committed to behaviorism, that is to the study of concrete decisions, whereas inaction can also be the outcome of socially structured and culturally patterned collective behavior. The third point on which this view is seen as inadequate is in its claim that non-decision-making power only exists where there are grievances which are denied entry into the political process in the form of issues. However, Lukes argues that power can be also exercised by preventing grievances by shaping perceptions and preferences in such a way as to secure the acceptance of the status quo since no alternative appears to exist, or because it is seen as natural and unchangeable. This he refers to as the insidious/invisible third dimension of power, through which the relatively powerless came to internalise and accept their own condition, and thus might not be awa re of nor act upon their interests in any observable way. Lukes third face of power was inspired by Gramscis ideas about hegemony and manufacture of consent as the means by which the willing compliance of workers is secured in capitalist societies. In practical terms, Gramscis insights about how power is constituted in the realm of ideas and knowledge expressed through consent rather than force. Lukes contrasts two meanings of hegemony: the first as an unconscious psychological process that is cultural and internalised, and the second a more conscious, wilful and coordinated strategy of domination. Hinson and Healey (2003, 4) further write that [Invisible power] is exercised in part through control of the institutions that shape and create meaning: religious institutions, the media, mass consumer culture, popular ideas about government, etc. Although the concept of power is used, it is itself is highly contested. What accounts for the highly contested nature of the concept of power? One explanation is that how we conceptualize power is shaped by the political and theoretical interests that we bring to the study of power  Lukes 2005, p63.   Some theorists define power as getting someone else to do what you want them to do (power-over) whereas others define it more broadly as an ability or a capacity to act (power-to). Many very important analyses of power in political science, sociology, and philosophy presuppose the former definition of power (power-over). As Steven Lukes notes, Dahls one-dimensional view of power, Bachrach and Baratzs two-dimensional view, and his own three-dimensional view are all variations of the same underlying conception of power, according to which A exercises power over B when A affects B in a manner contrary to Bs interests (1974, 30). Similarly, but from a very different theoretical background, Michel Foucaults highly influential analysis presupposes that power is a kind of power-over; and he puts it, if we speak of the structures or the mechanisms of power, it is only insofar as we suppose that certain persons exercise power over others (1983, 217). Feminists refer to this kind of relation as a specific kind of power-over relation, namely, one that is unjust and oppressive, they also refer to this kind of relation as oppression, patriarchy, subjection, and domination to those over whom power is exercised, this oppressive power will be discussed below. For the above section should I include Huner and Mills ways in which way power is used to manage people , manipulation and coercion see separate document how power works Global effects local While this is local community study, I am drawing upon the study of international developmental work by Gaventa and colleagues. Firstly, they contend that effects of globalisation have changed the spatial relations of power, therefore, power increasingly should be understood not only at the local, national or the global level, but also in their inter-relationships p4 (ESRC undated). The ripple effects of 9/11 in the US and the increase in Islamophobia, the renewed race relations can be seen in this context. Places where power is held Although in the past it was the local government who controlled and made the decisions in the city and neighbourhoods, governance is now characterised by multiple intersecting actors, arenas and networks. The decision making arenas in which power may be found have become increasingly more varied and porous. Especially with the increase in arms-length-companies, social enterprises (joint private and public projects). Therefore attention to the decision-making in such spaces require equal focus in the study of power and decision makers. Who says they have become more porous? Gaventa There are different approaches to understanding and analysing power, I will use the powercube approach offered by by Gaventa and team which is based on Lukes three faces dimensions of power three faces. The power cube is an analytical device, which can be used along with other approaches to reflect on and analyse how strategies for change in turn change power relations: The approach, developed over the years is largely based on studies of community groups based in southern hemisphere. The theoretical approach grew originally as a way of exploring how powerful actors control the agenda through and the ability of less powerful actors to build their awareness and action for change.   The powercube is a framework for analysing the  levels,  spaces  and  forms  of power, and their  interrelationship.   It is useful in exploring various aspects of power and how they interact with each other.   The  levels  dimension of the powercube refers to the differing layers of decision-making and authority held on a vertical scale, including the  local,national  and  global. The  spaces  dimension of the powercube refers to the potential arenas for participation and action, including what we call  closed,  invited  and  claimedspaces. The  forms  dimension refers to the ways in which power manifests itself, including its  visible,  hidden  and  invisible  forms. The powercube can build on and be used to further explore the  expression of power:   power over, power to, power with, and power within. In the study, where the dominant group have to bring about change for minority groups, expressions of power such as power-over by actors who are instructed to make changes. The power lens will also help to identify partnerships which help to generate power-with across wider range of actors/ groups. The empirical work should highlight power-within as minority communities self-determine within the community to work towards improving their lives. In this respect, the power lens will illuminate sources of claimed space by the mobilisation of networks and supporters within the neighbourhood. John Gaventa takes invisible power further. In the powercube, invisible power need not be limited to intentional acts of thought control by the powerful, but can also be seen as self-reproducing social processes in which the thinking and behaviour of the powerful and powerless alike are conditioned by pervasive norms. Invisible power in the powercube can therefore embrace both meanings of hegemony its structure and agency and points to the need for appropriate strategies for engaging with both forms of invisible or internalised power. This third face of power is likewise treated by VeneKlasen and Miller (2002) as a multidimensional barrier to effective citizen participation, requiring well-designed tactics for building self-awareness, self-esteem and power within to challenge dominant norms such as gender and racial discrimination. Their practical methods are grounded in experiences of womens organising and empowerment, and recognises the direct links between gendered norms in society and the fragile condition of womens power within. Invisible power in this sense bridges agency and structure. The use of power analysis is effective in uncovering/ identifying resistence and compliance to changes rather than relying solely on the formal decision-making process. Critical race theory Relationship to other movements Critical race theory builds on the insights of movements such as anti-racism and radical feminism to which it owes a large debt. CRT also draws from certain European philosophers and theorists such as Steven Lukes, Antonia Gramsci, as well as from the American radical tradition exemplified by such figures as Sojourner Truth, W.E.B. Du Bois. race equality policies are developed by white people/the oppressors themselves. CRT also shares a sympathetic understanding of group empowerment. Racism/Discrimination The term race is problematic The term race itself is problematic, a clear understanding of the term race is paramount in understanding what is racism and what impact this has on institutions and people. While the term race is used, Miles and Phizacklea (1982), have suggested that race should be dispensed with as an analytic category because the very use of the term reproduces and gives legitimacy to a distinction, existence of different human races, that has no scientific status or validity. Thus, an analytic category helps to perpetuate and legitimises the notion that race is a meaningful term (Miles and Phizacklea 1984). Although this may be the case at one level, to deny the significance of race this also obscures the ways in which it has real effects both in material and representational terms (look up this quote and amend) (Anthias 1990). While it is clear that races do not exist, in any objective scientific reality, it is clear that it does exist as a category /group which is reflected in political and popular discourse (Solomos). Race is a way of constructing differences (Anthias and Yuval-Davis, 1993, Cashmore and Troyna 1983, Gilroy, 1987). Race is a social category used in reference to divisions within a particular society. Cashmore and Troyna, suggest that race should be seen as a stigmatized identity forced on other people. Similarly, Modood (1988) proposes that race relates to mode of oppression, how a group is categorised and subordinated. Race theorists such as Bonnet 1993, Gilroy 1987, Brah 1996 and others understand the notion of races as a social construct. As Bhavani argues the development of race as a spurious scientific category is a consequence of imperialism and colonization. It is this scientificism which informed, (and still informs), prevailing ideologies of biological superiority and inferiority among human beings on the basis of race. Jackson and Penrose (1993) argue that race is so rooted in the way we think about the world that we tend to take the category for granted. It is through the apparent naturalness and immutability that racist ideology works. Although the terms race and racism are themselves contradictory, the terms are useful as a way of categorizing the systematic mistreatment experienced by people from black and minority ethnic communities and is used in this study. Donald and Rattansi (1992) suggest that instead of starting with the question as to whether race exists, it is more useful to ask how the category operates and how racial frames of reference are articulated and deployed, and with what consequences (p1). Race and ethnicity used interchangeably The terms race and ethnicity are often used interchangeably, the terms are generally distinguished in that race evokes a biological and genetic referent while ethnicity refers to cultural and religious difference and kinship (Gunaratnam).  The term ethnicity has been preferred in some quarters; however, ethnicity is also linked to liberal notions of multi-ethnic societies and multi-culturalism which have a tendency to obscure the force of racism with their celebrations of benign pluralism. Race theorists argue the markers and signifiers that racism uses need not be those of biology and physiognomy but can be those of language, territorial rights or culture (Anthias p24). P.262 Rolston ethnicity slowly became term used to discuss the internal conflict in Northern Ireland not its history, inequalities, structural policies or action. p.257 Rolston use of postmodernist language in policies, work etc. there is not any mention of historical legacies such as Thus the unequal relationship s, where the Irish and blacks were the oppressed by the British suppressers is ignored, in a way attempts are made to blank out the history . Racism works through oppression, and the form of oppression can be through discrimination, bias, prejudice and bigotry Bluemenfeld. Anti-racist theorists have drawn upon theories of oppression to examine how racism works, two key themes are prevalent. Firstly, there is the awareness is a system of oppression that not only stigmatises and affects the dominated group but also does psychic and ethical violence to the dominator group as well. The second theme is that racism functions not only through overt, conscious prejudice and discrimination but also through unconscious attitudes and behaviours of a society that presumes an unacknowledged but pervasive white cultural supremacy. The concept of unmarked and unacknowledged norms bolsters the power position of the dominant group. For instance, by group identities, the dominant group have positive value, while labelling the dominated groups as minorities. While in the UK, racism is popularly understood to be white people having power over black people, Rolston points to anti-Irish racism, which exists in the UK. Rolston argues there are similarities between black oppression and Irish national oppression. In both cases, the root cause of conflict and inequalities is not addressed but hidden behind a veil of multiculturalism which is articulate through the use of postmodernist language. Ethnicity, diversity, integration, tolerance, difference,cultural awareness is considered to be all that is needed. The study of racism has shown that it operates through systems of oppression. This often involves a dominant group who knowingly or unknowingly exploit and reap unfair advantage over members of subordinate or target groups (Johnson 2004). The dominant group also has economic, political or social, power over the subordinate group. (Essed and Goldberg 2002)suggests that racism is created through routine practices by people. They describe racism as both structure and process. It is structure because dominance and discrimination exists and is reproduced through the formulation and application of rules, laws, and regulations and through access to and the allocation of resources. As a process, it exists in the everyday practice where it is reproduced and reinforced, adapting continually to the ever-changing social, political and economic societal conditions. It becomes normal to the dominant group to see others as different and inferior particularly in relation to the colour of their skin (Bhavnani 2005). Everyday racism refers to forms of discrimination that manifest themselves in systematic, recurrent, familiar practices. Everyday racism is infused into familiar practices, it involves socialized attitudes and behaviour (Johnson 2004). Racism also serves to deny full participation in economic, social, political and cultural life by the essence that they posit (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992; (Gunaratnam 2003). However, there is not a unitary system of signification that can be labelled racist nor is there a unitary perpetrator or victim. This position requires addressing the ways in which the categories of difference and exclusion or the bias of class, gender and ethnicity incorporate processes of racialisation and are intertwined in producing racist discourses and outcomes Anthias (1992 (p3). Include different levels that racism can operate from SCIP (Pincus). There more ethnicity and culture matters the more its characteristics are represented as relatively fixed, inherent within a group, transmitted from generation to generation, not just by culture and education, but by biological inheritance (Gunaratnam 2003). Cultural difference has largely displaced the notion of biological difference, as a basis for excluding or inferiorising, both in discourse and practice (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992) and recently faith has been used as categorising difference (Cantle 2007). Anthias and Yuval-Davis (1992) argue that exclusionary practices that are formulated on the categorization of individuals into groups whereby ethnic or racial origin are the criteria of access or selection then they are endemically racist. They content that racism is not just about beliefs or statements, but about the ability to impose those beliefs or world-views as hegemonic, and as a basis for denial of rights or equality. Racism is thus embedded in power relations of diff erent types. Whilst it is known that racism is not only carried out by white people but also by black people, it should not be confused with the occasional mistreatment experienced by whites, with the systematic and institutionalized mistreatment experienced by people of colour (Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992). The studies of oppressive behaviour, attitudes and structures have been studied by other oppressed categories such as feminists. Iris Young has oppression names a family of concepts and conditions, which can be divide into 5 categories: exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence (Young). Marxist explanations of racism is that class divide. In using the concept of race there is the danger of essentialising difference. There are difficulties and contradictions involved in working with the concept, as other concepts such as gender, class, sexuality, ableism also impact on how people live. Hall further argues that the interactive nature of racial or gender categories should be recognised as a complex process and a set of factors through which identity is formulated and contested. Constructions of race as of class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity interact, fuse with or displace each other in an on-going process of confrontation and negotiation (Hall, 1992). Culture Institutional racism While institutional discrimination had been recognised by anti-racist to exist, it was as significant marker in racism in that institutional racism was publicly exposed and put on the political agenda in the Macpherson Inquiry published in 1999. (Back et al 2002). For the purposes of the Inquiry the concept of institutional racism which was applied was The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people 6.34 Oppression can also be structural. Its causes are embedded in unquestioned norms, habits, and symbols in the assumptions underlying institutional rules and the collective consequences of following those rules. Some groups suffer as a consequence of often unconscious assumptions and reactions of well-meaning people in ordinary interactions, media and cultural stereotypes and structural features of bureaucratic hierarchies and market mechanisms in short, the normal processes of everyday life Young. Need to bring social structures and institutional contexts under evaluation as these are at least partly the cause of patterns of distribution of jobs or wealth. Young has noted three primary categories- decision-making structures and procedures, division of labour and culture (p22). Young argued that Justice should refer not only to distribution, but also to the institutional conditions necessary for the development and exercise of individual capacities and collective communication and cooperation (p37 Power to omit The decision makers have the power to keep and control the topic on the agenda for discussion. Thus by not addressing issues which are pertinent to minority groups the decision makers collaborate in the discrimination. Impact of racism on BME and WHITE communities The impact of racism in British society can be seen in the racialised and gendered forms of class exploitation either as homeworkers or in low-waged occupations on employers premises (Amrit Wilson). Race significantly affects black womens experiences of treatment in areas such as education, the health service and the labour market (Brah 1991). The influence how black people are represented in popular culture and the mass media (Modleski 1986) Points to include in definition of racism From the discussion above, the following points have been identified as appropriate to include in the working definition of the term racism which will be used in this study. Although the terms race and racism are themselves contradictory, the terms are useful as a way of categorizing the systematic mistreatment experienced by people from black and minority ethnic communities (BME). The systematic mistreatment experienced by people from BME communities is a result of institutionalized inequalities in the social structure. In denying people from BME communities, full participation in economic, political and social power, a self-perpetuating imbalance occurs. This imbalance consistently favours members of some ethnic and cultural groups at the expense of others. The consequences of this imbalance pervade all aspects of the social system and affect all facets of peoples lives. The systematic mistreatment of any group of people generates misinformation about them, which in turn becomes the explanation of or justification for continued mistreatment. Racism exists as a whole series of attitudes, assumptions, feelings and beliefs about people of colour and their cultures which are a mixture of misinformation, fear and ignorance. Participation and citizenship Participation of general population Big Society Although the concept of participation or community participation as it is often known, has been around since 1970s?, in the UK it has re-emerged with renewed vigour in the last decade. Participation and engagement are terms used intermittently today. While there are differences in the meaning of these terms there is also a lot of overlap. These terms are associated with the importance of involving wider groups of people in decisions, services and design, it is often thought services should be client-led, user-led for the service to be more effective. Concerns about a democratic deficit in the accountability of public services, and an increasing view that lay citizens, members of the public and service users have an important contribution to offer to the improvement of public-service provision, have given rise to a variety of new initiatives in local government, health and social care, and other fields (see, e.g., Barnes, Newman and Sullivan, 2007). Race perspective Participation from citizens rights to citizens responsibilities Participation allows people to be part of the democratic process, sense of belonging, and part of the decision making. However, the process of racial discrimination excludes black people from fully participating in society and being equal members in all the structures of the society. It is often the case, black peoples role is limited to being the clients service-users. Black people are excluded from participating to a greater extent. The multiculturalism policies did not address the deep rooted racism epidemic within the UK. It was merely about steel drums and samosas. As discussed earlier, racism excludes black people from fully participating in societies.

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

How often have we heard the statement â€Å"Two wrongs don’t make a right†? Yet, is this saying ever really applied to our lives? When do we ever turn the other cheek? As far as history is concerned, the human race has never felt the sting of a hand consecutively on both sides. Evidence to this can be found anywhere. Soldiers kill the enemy to win the war. Athletes become violent in order to obtain a trophy. And, in the judicial system, the ultimate crime of murder is dealt with the ultimate punishment of death. Yet, it poses the question does the end really justify the means? Can society’s practice of the death penalty be considered a moral disgrace? Justice is not without faults. Canadians Guy Paul Morin and David Milgaard were both wrongfully accused of murder. Both men spent many years serving out a penalty which should have never been bestowed upon them. Although, if the death penalty was common practice in Canada, these innocent victims may have been executed. They may have been killed. Murdered. All because of a guilty verdict and society’s desire to extinguish the flame of violence. The desire to have revenge. Yet, does the elimination of an offender bring back their victims or heal the wounds of the families? Should we consent to causing pain for another family by killing their child? If the offender was your child, would you want to watch them die? Of course, there is always the argument that the threat of death acts as a deterrent to threatening offenders. However, the claim that this act really does deter violent crime is inconclusive, not proven, and extremely difficult to disprove. For every set of statistics saying that it lowers the amount of violent crime, there is another to say it doesn’t and another that states it does both. Using such an ambiguous argument to support a controversial act is not only unacceptable, but it is irresponsible. If there is any validity to this argument, it is negated by the actual amount of time an offender spends on death row. Endless appeals, delays, technicalities, and retrials keep those condemned to death waiting for execution for years on end. If the majority of death row residents live to an old age anyway, why would anyone be afraid of capital punishment? It would be just as easy to sentence offenders to life of captivity and work in a prison.

Choosing a Secondary Storage Essay

Introduction Nowadays, data is the lifeblood for today’s digital organization. The integrity, availability and the protection of the date are vital to a business productivity and successfulness, therefore storage solutions are still the priority in IT budgets. G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd currently is facing a storage problem. Their storage system performance’s bottlenecks having a serious impact on their business productivity. The sluggish primary storage performance and maintenance issue were slowing down the company’s response to customer request which affecting the overall business productivity. Besides, their backup solution was becoming difficult to effectively protect date within ever shrinking back up window. Thus G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd now needed to search for a secondary storage which can solve all the problems. They require a storage that can optimize storage response time, ensure disaster recovery, implement a highly solution and the most important is to ensure a better access to customer date and protect more than 100TB of data without adding heavy cost and complex management. The era of data and information clearly shows that there is a rising demand for more storage. There are a numbers of options available in the market. The most prevalent would be direct-attached storage (DAS), network-attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN). There is no one is the best for everyone. It is important to focus on the specific needs and the business goals of the organization. Therefore, there are several factors to consider which include capacity, performance, reliability, data protection and budget concerns. We will look into that in more detail later. Many people will argue that SAN are more powerful that NAS, but for G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd, I suggest that the Network Attached Storage (NAS) would be the most suitable storage solution to solve their storage problems. The factors that affecting of choose a secondary storage will be discussed in the next section. NAS is a data storage systems with a specialized hardware and software attached to a network. NAS products is an information data storage server, they have converged to serve all in one servers for date based applications. A NAS is to provide storage and access to data. Picture 1.1 show the Network-attached storage. 2.0 Factors affecting of choosing a secondary storage A storage solution can be defined as a hardware whose main function is to store and sharing data or information. There are many types of storage with many different functions. The storage for business usually is in the form of servers. To choose a right storage for your business, there are several factors that need to be considering when choosing storage which include reliability, capacity and scalability, the budget concern. Capacity The first factor that need to taken into consideration when choosing storage is the capacity of the storage. It is very important that we should very clear that what is the size and scope of the data that you want to store and what capacity is needed to store it? The firm should choose the storage which suitable for the organization or business purpose and functions. The firm should also consider the types of data to store and the frequency of access the data when choosing a storage. NAS systems can provide many terabytes of storage in high density. G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd is a consulting firm which provides services in finance and business strategy to leading law firms and government agencies. They have a lot of date that need to store and share with customer which some of it might sensitive. Therefore it is suggested that they should choose a file-level storage. A NAS device is a single storage unit best suited for file-level storage connected directly to network. NAS often configures especially for file- sharing. Performance & Speed Different storage will have different return rate of speeds for data. If the date store is monthly use, means that you no need the fastest storage; if the date store will be use very frequently, is better to choose the fast performance storage. Knowing this can help you save in cost. A business normally will look for a better file access speed. G&J Consultation might need a fast performance storage since they are providing consultant services to customers which the date stored might be use frequently and need to response to customers very quickly. Transfer speed over the network is the primary indicator of a NAS because it uses file-level protocol when uploading or downloading large files. NAS can provide performance benefits. For example, NAS can take over the work of serving the email data, freeing resources on the email server for email-specific processes. Scalability Scalability is important in terms of both computing power and storage capacity. The performance and capacity should scale independently of one another. Scalability is important because the ability of the storage would need to be expanded in future in order to cope with increased use. NAS is a suitable storage which suggested for G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd because it is easy to set up and easy to use, even a non IT based staff can manage the NAS. Reliability Reliability of storage also is one of the factors which is very important and need to be concerned. Reliability is important because the loss of data and downtime can lead to loss in revenue and threaten the survival of the business. In today’s world, most of the people demand a highly reliability, shared storage device that is accessible to multiple network devices. NAS is the newer version of storage after DAS (data-attached storage), it use of highest-performing drives with premium components that been qualified to extreme premium environment. NAS is suitable for G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd since it produce the most reliable and highest-performance data storage solution. NAS is same reliable with normal server. From the storage functional system, concepts are equally. They both can act as server. Even lower end NAS systems have the high reliability features such as RAID and hot swappable drives and components. Cost or budget concern Usually is the main concern of an organization to purchase a certain products or services. Cost in here not only means the equipment cost, but management and maintenance cost as well. Management and maintenance cost at here meaning that the cost to maintain the storage, the cost to hire the IT consultant to give training on the ways to use the storage and so on. G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd is having a storage problem and they want to buy a suitable storage which can help them solve the problem they are facing currently without adding heavy cost for their business. Here, it is suggested to the firm that network-attached storage (NAS) would be a suitable storage solution which is less expensive if compare to others. The management and maintenance cost is lower also because NAS is easy to set up and easy to use. Security The firms have a lot of date and some of the data might be sensitive which relate to legal need to be store and share between customers, thus data protection can be one of the factors that need to be taking into consideration also. NAS provides data protection benefits in data protection plan and provide redundant storage for sensitive data. Every NAS appliance includes user security to allow or restrict file access based on username and passwords. Management Management here means the administrator who in charge of the storage solution. He need to be aware of the challenges that might be arise for the solution and consider what are the monitoring tools are available to monitor performance and warn for the possible failures. The storage should not be too complex to manage in order to save the cost of management and maintenance. 3.0 Advantages of seeking a higher performing storage A secondary storage device for computers are not only for storing back up files, they also allow computers users to expand their ability to transfer a large amounts of data from one computer to another. For G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd, as I mention earlier, the suggested storage that most suitable if the Network Attached Storage (NAS). There are several advantages of seeking a higher performing storage which suggested here. Mass Storage The capacity of the secondary storage is very high that allow us to store a large amount of data. We can store the data into the secondary storage in the form of gigabyte and terabytes. In that case, we can back up the all data easily and need not worry for losing data. Usually an organization will have plenty of data that need to be stored to support the business operations. For this, the primary storage would not be able to do it. NAS provide an efficient of sharing a large individual files among individual users. NAS can store and manage the data up to terabytes level. Besides, NAS allowed us to add more storage without shutting down the network. Reliability & Security It is considered safe that storing data into the secondary storage. The data can be store in the secondary storage which is the NAS in permanent form. Therefore the firm no needs to worry of loss of data or lack of data even after many years later. NAS provide data protection benefits so that it is safe to store the sensitive data. This is one of the advantages by choosing NAS because G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd is handle highly sensitive data. The data stored on live database server will be stored to NAS in the same time so that the data will exist even if the database server faced physical failure. Performance The computer could have a better performance with adding a secondary storage. This can help users to increase the speed of storing data, access data or transferring data which indirectly increase the productivity of the firm. With a secondary storage, the computer of the organization can fully operate effectively. Performance of serving files can be increase by a NAS because NAS included file-system storage. NAS is a system used for storing files in a central location, accessible through a network, so that other computer systems can store and retrieve the data files. Comfort The date store in the secondary storage can be accessed easily and immediately. The data can share with others such as customers very easily and convenient. This can increase the productivity of the organization and contribute to gain profit for the organization. NAS is a server which has the dual function of application serving and files sharing and provides a lot of flexibility in data access by virtue of being independently. The utility rate of NAS is high because the storage is shared across multiple servers. Multiple NAS systems or devices can be manage by a central and then it can conserving the time and resources, Economic The cost of a secondary storage is cheaper than adding the memory of the computer. For G&J Consultation Sdn Bhd, NAS is suggested to them as their secondary storage rather than a SAN. SAN requires the purchase of a Fibre Channel which is very expensive; NAS requires a standard Ethernet NIC which is much cheaper. This indirectly reduces the cost for storage devices. Furthermore, SAN is very hard to understand, it will cause the management and the maintenance cost increase; however NAS is easy to understand and easy to maintain, indirectly reduces the cost of management and maintenance for the firm. NAS is a simple and cost-effective way to achieve fast data access for multiple clients at the file level. 4.0 Disadvantages of seeking a higher performing storage There is nothing perfect in this world; there is no any storage which is the best. A secondary storage has several advantages and of course has several of disadvantages. Over Whelmed NAS can be used by many computers on a network. When everyone is trying to access the device at the same time, it might lead to overwhelmed. This could happen because of the limitation of network bandwidth, and the processing power within the device. When there is a large amount of users simultaneously access data, it will create the bottlenecks on the local area network and server. Besides, NAS device could become a single point of failure. To solve this issue, those important files across multiple units should be distribute, schedule and run regular remote backup routines. Financial Budget concern Getting a higher performance of storage, in other words that is one of the expenses cost for the Organization. No matter how valuable is the storage, it still will affect the financial budgeting for the organization for short term. The organization needs to allocate fund for the storage equipment cost, and also for the maintenance and management cost of the storage. This is just a very short term disadvantages because advantages of the secondary storage will contributes profits to the organization and then can cover the cost of getting the storage. Time consuming The staffs of the organization might need times to understand and make use of the secondary storage. The administrator would first study and understand in detail for the storage then he might need to give training to the staffs in order for them to know how to operate and maximize the usage of the storage. This is important because if the secondary storage not fully utilize by the organization would be wastage for the organization. However this might take some times to completely educate everyone in the organization to fully utilize the storage and it is hard to ensure whether the storage has been fully utilized. There will be a wastage and loss of money for the organization if the users of the organization not able to use the storage. That is no point of spending an amount of money for the organization to buying a powerful product but no one can fully utilize it. Backup challenge We can back up the data by NAS but because NAS is file-level storage, which means transferring data and storing data is by file-level. If users have millions of small files, it could be a problem to back up the data because NAS will store the data by file name. NAS cannot do image-level backup and cannot serve raw device. Besides, NAS is difficult to backup the data to tape. Large block of data A NAS is not able to move a large block of data which is important for bandwidth-intensive applications such as imaging, database or transaction processing. NAS does not offer fast data transfer while reducing input/output latency or server workloads. NAS also not provide high volume transaction processing especially the companies that conduct business on the web. Same with the backup issues, if the user has millions of small file that want to store or share to another, NAS is not an option to do that. The only way to solve this without adding budget to seeking for the other storage is adding the capacity of the NAS, since the scalability of NAS is high but of course it has its limit. 5.0 Conclusion Digital assets will only continue to growth rapidly in the future. It is important to choose the right storage and to implement technologies that based on the industry standard which can minimize the interoperability concerns and provides long term investment protection for the organization.

Being famous to being rich

Being famous to being rich Introduction The human species vary greatly in various perspectives ranging from intelligence, size, milieu, and social status. Social status pertains to the different categories of famous people and rich people. Famous people include rappers and singers, actors and actress, producers, television and movies stars, models, chefs, teachers; any person can be famous (reComparison contributing writer, par. 2).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Being famous to being rich specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Comparatively, there are variety of rich people who have gain their wealth status through delusion, legacy, diligent work, live insurance policies regarding the death of family member or by hitting the lotto (par. 2). Social ladder In determining a person’s social status, many factors are considered. These factors include personal monetary value, a person’s family, who you know as well as how you tumbled upon y our fame or money. There is a wide variation between the famous movie idols and politicians. A movie idol will earn a high opinion and admiration from the public, whereas a famous politician will command a big scope of fans when they are still in the limelight (par. 3). Although millionaires and billionaires form the crest of the social status, in the young generation’s mind they fall short of fame since they seldom appear in the information media preferred by them. This is evident by the fact that a public spokesman can enjoy a higher social position relative to other private millionaires, if s/he is well-known (par. 3). The futuristic perspective of being rich to being fame Ironically the famous persons as well as rich persons can at any time lose their fame and money. Nevertheless, when an individual who is famous loses his/her social status, some small degree of their fame still remains. The expression â€Å"fifteen minute of fame† applies for those persons who hav e been put in the limelight by publicity experts converse to those who have been espouse glorious or those regarded as fascinating by the masses; their work and career will still persist regardless of the reason for their fame (par. 4). On the other hand, the rich can restore back his/her money after losing, by persistent hard work or by applying the same initiative that facilitated their success initially. According to those who are not rich, achieving a rich status has some mystery attached to it. Money goes to those who focus their thoughts to gaining wealth by applying very distinct steps which they uphold will result in success. The essentials of financial success are to some extent aligned with the laws of cause and effects (par. 5). Conclusion Being rich does not necessarily mean you are famous; conversely, being famous does not essentially mean you are rich. A rich person can lose his money any moment whereas a famous person can only have his fame diminished to some degree d etermined by the cause for the fame.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fame makes the social status easy to scale on the account of the big number of people know you, while a rich person can by his/her way up the social status. Although money can make one rich, it cannot necessarily make you famous; instead being famous is not a materialistic aspect of the society since any person can do something to become famous (par. 6). Work Cited reComparison contributing writer. Being Rich vs. Being Famous. reComaprison – Compare it Yourself. 2010. [Online article]  http://recomparison.com/comparisons/100414/being-rich-vs-being-famous/ 30 November, 2010.

Free Essays on An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge

Peyton Farquhar’s thoughts before dying and the details described in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce are both believable and convincing. The last scene in the story is very appropriate from a psychological standpoint. Peyton is a gentleman with strong beliefs about his place in society. He is extremely devoted to the Southern cause. Peyton is a planter, slave owner, and politician, respected for his loyalty. The story begins as Farquhar is about to be hanged for trespassing on a blockaded railroad bridge. Although his crime may seem minor, there are no exceptions to the liberal military code. While Farquhar is thinking of how he might be able to escape this dangerous predicament, he suddenly falls into the water below and loses consciousness. He is dead. However, his thoughts of escaping continue in his mind: He is shot at from the bridge above him but manages to rise to the surface of the water and get onto the land safely. He starts to fall asleep while w alking and dreams about his beautiful wife. Just as he is about to hug her, he feels a sudden pain on the back of his neck. He has been shot. Reality resumes as his dead body swings gently beneath the Owl Creek Bridge. Peyton’s thoughts while hanging from the Owl Creek Bridge seem quite convincing. He thinks first of his wife and children, which any loving husband and father would do while in their last moments. After thinking of his beautiful family, he decides it is too soon to give up hope, so Peyton begins thinking of how he might escape and survive. However, his survival is indeed impossible. Peyton falls into the water below and his body loses consciousness. His mind is still alive, however, and Peyton imagines how he could have escaped. In Peyton’s mind, he does break free and manages to get away from the soldiers. Although he is so close to freedom, he is too weak to move on. Thoughts of his family begin to fill his head once again. He thinks of a p... Free Essays on An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge Free Essays on An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge Peyton Farquhar’s thoughts before dying and the details described in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce are both believable and convincing. The last scene in the story is very appropriate from a psychological standpoint. Peyton is a gentleman with strong beliefs about his place in society. He is extremely devoted to the Southern cause. Peyton is a planter, slave owner, and politician, respected for his loyalty. The story begins as Farquhar is about to be hanged for trespassing on a blockaded railroad bridge. Although his crime may seem minor, there are no exceptions to the liberal military code. While Farquhar is thinking of how he might be able to escape this dangerous predicament, he suddenly falls into the water below and loses consciousness. He is dead. However, his thoughts of escaping continue in his mind: He is shot at from the bridge above him but manages to rise to the surface of the water and get onto the land safely. He starts to fall asleep while w alking and dreams about his beautiful wife. Just as he is about to hug her, he feels a sudden pain on the back of his neck. He has been shot. Reality resumes as his dead body swings gently beneath the Owl Creek Bridge. Peyton’s thoughts while hanging from the Owl Creek Bridge seem quite convincing. He thinks first of his wife and children, which any loving husband and father would do while in their last moments. After thinking of his beautiful family, he decides it is too soon to give up hope, so Peyton begins thinking of how he might escape and survive. However, his survival is indeed impossible. Peyton falls into the water below and his body loses consciousness. His mind is still alive, however, and Peyton imagines how he could have escaped. In Peyton’s mind, he does break free and manages to get away from the soldiers. Although he is so close to freedom, he is too weak to move on. Thoughts of his family begin to fill his head once again. He thinks of a p...

The eNotes Blog Charles Dickens GhostHunter

Charles Dickens GhostHunter Victorians were big on clubs.   Gentlemens Clubs.   No, the Brontes were not wearing pasties and stripping to Oh, Mother Take the Wheel Away! These were exclusive gatherings of writers and artists who came together to chill, drink, and probably scratch-and-spit.   No damned scribbling women allowed.   (Such a fun guy, that Hawthorne) . ANYWAY, Charles Dickens was one of those writers who was a high-profile member of a hoity-toity club called The Garrick Club until he got into a fight with William Makepeace Thackery.   Apparently a journalist was talking smack about Thackery, and what he knew could have only been found out through club connections.   (First Rule of Garrick Club:   Dont Talk About Garrick Club.) SO, Dickens says, basically, Screw you, Thackery. Im the biggest star youve got and Im taking my fame elsewhere. Plus, the journalist, Edward Yates, was a very close friend and the godfather of Dickens children. Dickens would eventually join the still-in-existence Arts Club (actress Gwyneth Paltrow is now its Creative Director). But before that, in 1862, Dickens became one of the founding members of The Ghost Club.   Until he joined and brought some legitimacy to the off-beat club, the press was not very complimentary, but his presence gave the organization a modicum of credibility. Its not much of a stretch to say Victorians were obsessed with ghosts.   In 1848, the Spiritualist movement was founded.   Believers postulat[ed] the belief that  spirits  of the dead residing in the  spirit world  have both the ability aspind the inclination to communicate with the living.   After two sisters, Margaret and Kate Fox of Hydesville, New York, reported receiving messages from a spirit haunting their cottage, this movement gained may adherents throughout the English-speaking world. The sà ©ance became a familiar family ritual in the last half of the 19th century. Notable figures such as the British writer Arthur Conan Doyle and the American psychologist William James became involved in psychical research, trying to judge the truthfulness of spiritualists beliefs. Dickens was intrigued and his club sought to try to get to the bottom of these stories.   For the next eight years, the Ghost Club investigated paranormal phenomena.   One of its earliest cases was of a pair of brothers who claimed to have a haunted cabinet and an ability to contact the dead.   The Ghost Club proved the haunting to be a hoax.   After Dickens’ death in 1870, the club activity sputtered, but by 1882, enjoyed a †¦ reincarnation, steadily gaining new members.   In 1911,  W.B. Yeats  became a member, and the club continues to exist today.   Every November 2, the names of deceased former members are read aloud.   And it is said that â€Å"deceased members were believed to have made their presence felt.† WHO YA GONNA CALL?   I wish I could photoshop a picture of Dickens and Yates in Ghostbuster garb

Business Strategy Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Strategy Bachelor - Essay Example The leadership model is leadership with a vision. Their expectation of management is that they will make sound management decisions and leadership that sets a company standard of excellence. A SWOT analysis is in essence a situational assessment of how a company or organization stands within the business that they do. There are three very distinct components that make it up and those are market assessment, the mission, the vision and values and the internal assessment. The SWOT itself is the Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of this organization. The SWOT for CHS would look like that following: S- CHS is a strong organization well supported by a large capital base with income from 120 hospitals and a large stockholder base. Many of the stockholders are employees and they have the opportunity for gain as well as the stockholders. The corporate leaders are highly recognized, in fact the corporate CEO, Smith, is recognized as one of the most important CEO's in the healthcare world. He has much experience and has gleaned a very loyal following in his leadership team (Watkins, 2002). W-It is no longer a surprise when CHS elects to take over a hospital or group of hospitals. This was a major advantage when they did the hostile takeover of the Triad corporation. This puts all hospitals on the alert when they see any type of negotiations that may reflect the involvement of CHS. Another weakness that is seen as a strength within the Corporation is the need to make every department in a hospital the same in every hospital. It does provide them with consistency within the Corporation but it does not allow any creative vision from the people within these departments. O-For a company like CHS, there are always opportunities. In this case there is the failing hospital in the medium size town that they have the cash to purchase, even though the hospital does not want to be. CHS, in their business model statement, clearly states that they concentrate on the effective integrating of acquisitions and improving hospital operations. The average number of Directors that leave a hospital that has been taken over by CHS is 6. This is definitely a weakness and shows itself in their postings for available positions. A position that is especially vulnerable is the CNO position (CHS, 2008). T-The threats to a Corporation like CHS is the bigger Corporation. Most of their threats are external in nature. Is it possible to have a Corporate take over from another company It is not likely but it was also not likely at the time that this would happen to Triad, either. This is always a possibility when you are a publicly traded company. This is real time trading today on the stockmarket. The strategic objectives for CHS are to continue

The impact of internet payment systems upon the retail sector Essay

The impact of internet payment systems upon the retail sector - Essay Example One of the most classical and beneficial advancements of the internet, that has been critically beneficial for growing cross-border trade and commerce, has been the internet payment system or e-trading concept; some other titles for the same are e-shopping, e-business, e-marketing – where ‘e’ simply implies conducting transactions via electronic medium. Classically, ‘shopping’ or ‘purchases’ took place face-to-face i.e. purchase against cash. With the advancements of the banking system, some purchases moved against the cheque system, and then against credit cards – plastic money. However, the arrival of the ‘e’ age, it became critical to have a reliable source of payments since purchases technically took place over the internet. Such situation gave birth to the need of a medium of payment other than credit and debit cards. Subsequently, there came third-party payment systems such as PayPal, Bank-transfers, Alert-Pay, E -Gold, etc. With the advancements of ‘e’ purchases, such third-party systems have assisted in providing enhanced sales. The Impact of Internet Payment System on Retail Sector The retail sector has significantly benefited from the advent and advancements of the internet payment system. In particular, as the said system has eased the process of e-shopping with added security features. Initially, this turned out to be a huge competitive edge for the smaller retailers as they embedded e-shopping along with internet payment systems, providing the ease of shopping from home comfort to the customers, pushing the competing bigger names to adapt the same strategy. However, initially, the advantages of this internet payment system were not known to be gone as far as they are today. In the initial phase, it was just assumed to provide comfort and ease of shopping, reducing the cost of selling for the seller, increasing margins, reducing the waiting-line phenomenon to a higher degr ee. Today, the cross-functional advancement of the MIS has led the firms into realizing the long-run potential of the various aspects of such payment systems. Prior to such advancements, the concept of home delivery and cash-on-delivery prevailed, which was not very encouraged by the retailers across the world in all sectors and industries. Fake order placements and false addressing were common issues; but internet based payment systems have reduced such issues to a much greater extent, and also made the consumer market much more mature. As a buyer now knows that internet based payment system reveals complete identity and contact information, and with IP tracking facility over the internet, there are lesser chances of individuals involving themselves in such or similar activities. The first and foremost advantage of the internet payment system is the ease of marketing for the marketers; marketers rely solely on the information and crave for reliable and authentic sources of informat ion. When purchases are made through paper money, the buyer remains unknown to the seller. However, when plastic money and internet payment systems are involved, the buyer no more remains anonymous; rather the buyer along with the buying habits and practices becomes visible to the marketer, and thus, marketers can develop groups and strata and segments to ensure that they target the right audience with the right combination of products and services. When it comes to e-marketing, marketers need as accurate of a data as possible, primarily due to the fact that e-marketing relies heavily on reaching the right customer –

Competitive Advantage Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Competitive Advantage - Case Study Example In such a scenario the firm will be able to sustain its competitive advantage. This becomes a great advantage to the company since it enjoys a long - term advantage free from imitations. No matter the magnitude of competition a good sustainable competitive advantage prevails. (Collis and Hussey, 2003) 1) The market positions - Under this we have the company's structural assets, financial, reputation assets, and lastly technological assets. All these assets can greatly determine the performance of a given company. followed. These guidelines help in the development of the firm and highly determine the competitive advantage of the firm compared to other firms. If a company takes the right path of the development track then it is likely to have a sustainable competitive advantage over the other companies and vice versa. Rolls Royce has various sources of competitive advantage some of which are similar to those practiced by Tesco while others are different. The company has introduced a reliable business approach that has assured consistency and wealthy business. (Gilbert, 1999) The company is applying merging and acquisition as a strategy for example the acquisitions of Cooper Energy Services, Allison Engine Company Vickers among others have helped the firm in creating new business opportunities for its marine, civil energy and defence industries. This has also widened its range of products thus creating new markets for the products. The company has a management team that takes care of all the customers requirements, attends to them and ensures that all customers are satisfied. All the company's planned goals are well delivered on the line of recruitment, the company has filled the senior management positions with new human force thus injecting fresh ideas in the company, two third of these senior management team are selected from within the company, they therefore know how the company runs while a third are recruited outside the company who bring new notions and suggestions on improving the company's business activities. (Gilbert, 1999) The company has got strategy of increasing the sales volume. New and modern engines have been delivered with boosted ripeness in the bass of installation. Overhaul and repair activities have also received a tremendous growth following the company's increased technological levels attached to the production of quality products. The company has realized increased assortments on its services. This had made its customer base to increase a thing that gives it competitive advantage over the other firms. Investing in new civil engines and the capability of powering a broader range of aircrafts has given it some competitive advan

Intention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Intention - Essay Example These elements are essential prerequisites for a valid creation of express trust. Trust being an arrangement, certainty of certain aspects must be present just as in a contract (Hudson, 2009). Certainty of intention The settlor should have actually intended to create a trust without giving an impression of imposing some moral obligations or gifting or acting in some other manner which cannot be a trust. As there is no prescribed wording for creation, courts are expected to examine what intention of the parties had been and whether those intentions are given effect to in the trust deed. The court is free to infer an intention from the circumstantial evidences including parties’ conduct. Thus, the inference may be had if the property owner shows a positive intention to share the beneficial ownership of his property with someone else, or if he transfers title of the property to a third party intending that he will hold it for the benefit of some other person. The intention must b e in the form of a trust deed and not as a gift or some other form. Though there are exceptions, written form is ideal to prove the existence of a trust and the certainty of intention. ... 950 he received as compensation for an injury, bank refused as they were not married. Hence, with the account in his sole name, he became the common law owner of the account. Later on the couple put both their monies in the same account and spent the money in the account for their common purposes. Once Mr Constance had told Mrs Paul â€Å"this money is as much yours as mine†. After Paul’s death, his wife claimed the money in the bank account stating that the balance in the account belonged to her husband and she was entitled to the bank account balance as per the Intestacy Rules. Although the widow of Mr Constance was entitled as his legal heir, court held his wordings â€Å"this money is as much yours as mine†. constituted an evidence to create a trust for the benefit of Mrs Paul as well as Mr Constance. The Court said that Mr Constance might have behaved in the manner above without being conscious of creating a trust and its legal implications. Courts are only uncovering an express trust and not imposing a constructive trust. In Re Kayford (1975), the mail order company, in anticipation of impending insolvency, set apart all advance payments from its customers in a separate bank account and withdrew from that account as and when supplies were made to each customer. This was done with the intention that in the event of becoming insolvency, customers’ monies not supplied with goods could be returned to them. When the issue arose as to whether the money in the separate account could be distributed to the existing creditors, the court held that the company had held the money in a separate account in trust for the benefit of unsupplied customers who had made advance payments. By creation of a separate account, the company’s intention to create a trust

Answer the questions in Bold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Answer the questions in Bold - Essay Example A single level of provider, or individual teams within a level, can provide assistance when others are unavailable or inappropriate. Responses appear to have improved since 2001 (Inglesby, 2011), but there are still concerns that need to be addressed. As the scale of a disaster increases, so does the involvement of multiple groups. The call for coordination begins at the instant that more than one team is attending to an emergency. Without properly integrating available services, there is little chance of providing the best possible assistance to those affected by the situation. Poorly strategized emergency services will cause overlaps and gaps in the allocation of personnel (Born et al., 2011). This deficiency would result in victims not receiving the appropriate help when it should otherwise be available (Geale, 2012). Poor skills management is also possible within a single unit, but is exponentially damaging as more teams become part of the system. Higher levels of emergency response will be activated as the situation increases in severity and, usually, in geographic impact. The damage caused by the faulty management of disaster assistance is severe when it occurs throughout high-level supervising authorities. The regular eval uation of these systems is a necessary step to ensure the minimization of losses due to emergency situations. The integration of emergency services at multiple levels is adequately but not perfectly supported by current United States policies. Local officials and organizations handle most emergencies, limiting the complexity of cooperative management and allowing for familiarity to develop between providers. When the state becomes involved it takes control of the operation while supporting and coordinating community efforts, which is appropriate given the duties and capabilities of state governments. Federal intervention is only

Public Anthropology in Environmental Degradation Research Paper

Public Anthropology in Environmental Degradation - Research Paper Example The main concern of anthropologist is to find solution to major environmental problems by identifying the major and minor causes of environmental problems. In succint study of environmental degradation, both the ecological and environmental ecology are applied but environmental anthropology stands to be the one mostly applied in this study because it covers wide range of field. The environmental ecology encompasses such studies as political ecology, primate ecology, and evolutionary ecology. On the other hand, ecological ecology refers to a particular research concerning single ecosystem for instance environmental degradation. With this, the research paper provides an overview of contemporary anthropology in the area of environmental degradation. Environmental degradation is the destruction of the natural resources by intentional and or un-intentional activities by human beings of by natural phenomena. This encompasses the destruction of soil, trees and other natural scenes like rive rs and mountains. When the natural resources are polluted, the ecosystem is degraded. Hence, public anthropologists seek to find solutions to the adverse environmental degradation (Ervin 385). ... inally, public anthropology was concerned with cultural contexts in which human being relates to the environment and also appreciating different cultural differences. Public anthropology states that, environmental problems are as a result of cultural and historical configurations (Ervin 385). In addition, human beings are not only confronted by cultural differences and adaptation but also cultural commonalities in terms of resource scarcity and habitat loss as a result of environmental degradation. That is why public anthropology focuses on looking for possible solutions as a result of environmental degradation. Consumption rates in different countries affect the rate of environmental degradation. This is because the pollutants that lead to environmental degradation mostly come from the material goods that are consumed by human beings. Environmental degradation according environmental anthropologists does not only affect human race but also the living things in different habitats (Go ldschmidt 791). Thus, when human beings pollute the environment they affect other creatures in different habitats for instance sea creatures in the sea. Over time, public anthropologists focus on issues, which relate to environmental and social justice on issues concerning environmental degradation (Suhrke 475). They focus on environmental justice to solve issues on equitable distribution of resources and providing a clean environment for the human race and other species in a given environment. Environmental justice seeks to bring out issues concerning environmental degradation by ensuring that environmental problems are distributed equally in a given country. This is to reduce environmental burdens concerning the issues of preventing hazardous pollutants to the minority groups such as the

Intention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Intention - Essay Example These elements are essential prerequisites for a valid creation of express trust. Trust being an arrangement, certainty of certain aspects must be present just as in a contract (Hudson, 2009). Certainty of intention The settlor should have actually intended to create a trust without giving an impression of imposing some moral obligations or gifting or acting in some other manner which cannot be a trust. As there is no prescribed wording for creation, courts are expected to examine what intention of the parties had been and whether those intentions are given effect to in the trust deed. The court is free to infer an intention from the circumstantial evidences including parties’ conduct. Thus, the inference may be had if the property owner shows a positive intention to share the beneficial ownership of his property with someone else, or if he transfers title of the property to a third party intending that he will hold it for the benefit of some other person. The intention must b e in the form of a trust deed and not as a gift or some other form. Though there are exceptions, written form is ideal to prove the existence of a trust and the certainty of intention. ... 950 he received as compensation for an injury, bank refused as they were not married. Hence, with the account in his sole name, he became the common law owner of the account. Later on the couple put both their monies in the same account and spent the money in the account for their common purposes. Once Mr Constance had told Mrs Paul â€Å"this money is as much yours as mine†. After Paul’s death, his wife claimed the money in the bank account stating that the balance in the account belonged to her husband and she was entitled to the bank account balance as per the Intestacy Rules. Although the widow of Mr Constance was entitled as his legal heir, court held his wordings â€Å"this money is as much yours as mine†. constituted an evidence to create a trust for the benefit of Mrs Paul as well as Mr Constance. The Court said that Mr Constance might have behaved in the manner above without being conscious of creating a trust and its legal implications. Courts are only uncovering an express trust and not imposing a constructive trust. In Re Kayford (1975), the mail order company, in anticipation of impending insolvency, set apart all advance payments from its customers in a separate bank account and withdrew from that account as and when supplies were made to each customer. This was done with the intention that in the event of becoming insolvency, customers’ monies not supplied with goods could be returned to them. When the issue arose as to whether the money in the separate account could be distributed to the existing creditors, the court held that the company had held the money in a separate account in trust for the benefit of unsupplied customers who had made advance payments. By creation of a separate account, the company’s intention to create a trust

Public Anthropology in Environmental Degradation Research Paper

Public Anthropology in Environmental Degradation - Research Paper Example The main concern of anthropologist is to find solution to major environmental problems by identifying the major and minor causes of environmental problems. In succint study of environmental degradation, both the ecological and environmental ecology are applied but environmental anthropology stands to be the one mostly applied in this study because it covers wide range of field. The environmental ecology encompasses such studies as political ecology, primate ecology, and evolutionary ecology. On the other hand, ecological ecology refers to a particular research concerning single ecosystem for instance environmental degradation. With this, the research paper provides an overview of contemporary anthropology in the area of environmental degradation. Environmental degradation is the destruction of the natural resources by intentional and or un-intentional activities by human beings of by natural phenomena. This encompasses the destruction of soil, trees and other natural scenes like rive rs and mountains. When the natural resources are polluted, the ecosystem is degraded. Hence, public anthropologists seek to find solutions to the adverse environmental degradation (Ervin 385). ... inally, public anthropology was concerned with cultural contexts in which human being relates to the environment and also appreciating different cultural differences. Public anthropology states that, environmental problems are as a result of cultural and historical configurations (Ervin 385). In addition, human beings are not only confronted by cultural differences and adaptation but also cultural commonalities in terms of resource scarcity and habitat loss as a result of environmental degradation. That is why public anthropology focuses on looking for possible solutions as a result of environmental degradation. Consumption rates in different countries affect the rate of environmental degradation. This is because the pollutants that lead to environmental degradation mostly come from the material goods that are consumed by human beings. Environmental degradation according environmental anthropologists does not only affect human race but also the living things in different habitats (Go ldschmidt 791). Thus, when human beings pollute the environment they affect other creatures in different habitats for instance sea creatures in the sea. Over time, public anthropologists focus on issues, which relate to environmental and social justice on issues concerning environmental degradation (Suhrke 475). They focus on environmental justice to solve issues on equitable distribution of resources and providing a clean environment for the human race and other species in a given environment. Environmental justice seeks to bring out issues concerning environmental degradation by ensuring that environmental problems are distributed equally in a given country. This is to reduce environmental burdens concerning the issues of preventing hazardous pollutants to the minority groups such as the

Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard To Find Essay Example for Free

Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard To Find Essay Throughout Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard To Find, hints are given to the readers that foretell what is in store, foreshadowing the grotesque ending that is to come. These insinuations of the forthcoming become coincidences later in the story when they actually do develop into reality, creating mocking irony. The names within the story can be considered foreshadowing themselves. For example, the name of the town where the family is murdered is called Toombsboro. The word Toombsboro can be separated into two words: Tombs and Bury. These are words that signify death. The fact that the author chose this as a name for the town, implies the foul event that will insure later in the story. The first moment that foreshadowed the future was the article about the Misfit that the grandmother showed Bailey. She told him, A Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward FloridaI wouldnt take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it.(368) This moment sets up a major coincidence when the family later runs into the Misfit. Plus, it was an irony because the Grandmother had attempted to persuade the family not to go in the direction the Misfit was heading. Yet, unfortunately only June Star paid any attention to the comment, and the family did run into the criminal. Additionally, a less obvious evidence of foreshadowing occurred when June Star announced, She [The Grandmother] wouldnt stay at home for a million bucks. She has to go everywhere we go(368) This can be read as a direct foreshadowing of the order and occurrence of the grandmothers death. When the family comes across the Misfit, and each family member is taken into the forest, the reader wonders why every time Bobby Lee and Hiram return without the family member. Eventually, one realizes they have all been killed. So, June Stars comment that the grandmother goes everywhere the family goes can be read as a signal that she will meet the same end that they did. Plus, the fact that she follows the family indicated that she would die last.Furthermore, although the grandmother did not want to go to Florida, she still unpredictably dresses up. The grandmother wore, A navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a savvy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. (369) OConnor says that the reason for the grandmothers proper dress was, in case of an accident, anyone seeing her  dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.(369) She therefore foresaw her own death, or at least foreshadowed it. It also shows how she represents the properness and rich religious beliefs of the south. Yet another foreshadowing is portrayed when the family passed by a cotton field with five or six graves fenced in the middle of it, like a small island (370). It is not an accident that there are five or six graves, which evidently matches the exact number of people in the car. Five people and the sixth is the baby. The baby is not precisely a full complete person, hence the ambiguity of the number of graves. Flannery OConnor uses foreshadowing to give the readers slight hints of what is to come, foretelling the grotesque fate of the family. Insinuations are made through titles, comments, clothes, and sites, setting the scene for surprising irony later in the familys journey.

Study of neuromarketing analysis

Study of neuromarketing analysis After having read a substantial amount of the current literature on the fascinating science of Neuromarketing, I find it hard to believe that it took so long for marketing and science to find together to create an academic field of its own right. The works of the human brain and psychology have always been a passion of mine; but my initial professional career took me deeply into the fields of marketing. In fact, I implemented marketing strategies for two of the most controversial industries today: the cigarette and the pharmaceutical industry. Although in both cases, we used the most advanced instruments of modern marketing, I was always curious if there would not be a way to market a product more scientifically than we did at that time and that was despite the fact that all companies I worked for were major global players in their respective field. So when I stumbled upon Neuromarketing in the scope of this Masters degree, I was immediately intrigued by it. Neuromarketing promises to give answers to some of the most important questions of marketing, namely why do we buy things, and what does it do to our brain? I would like to express my gratitude to Malaika Brengman who enabled to seize this unique opportunity to write this thesis. Furthermore, I would thank my mother Ayse Sayin, who kindly shared her extensive knowledge about scientific problems and supported me throughout the complete working process of this paper. Finally, I would like to thank my partner Max Obenaus, who deeply shared my interest in the subject, and whose relentless effort and stimulating discussions has enabled me to write this paper. Brussels, May 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Neuromarketing, bridging marketing and neuroscience, is a rapidly growing area of research, which introduces a scientific layer to the academic field, and hence creates some high expectations on the one hand, and a lot of critique on the other. The vast amount of data retrieved through neuroscientific analysis promises to provide a better understanding of consumer behaviour, and raises the hope that the marketing strategies of the future will be more efficient and better targeted to the consumer. In fact, the controversy around the mythical buy button shows that the scope and limitations of the scientific field of neuromarketing are not yet properly defined. The horror scenario of complete corporate control of consumer behaviour often stands in the way of a proper analysis of the risks and potentials of neuromarketing; at the same time it seems that a fundamental distinction has to be made between an academic and a corporate approach to neuromarketing. In both cases the willingness to advance the science of neuromarketing should be immense. For corporations, obviously, the prospect of exerting vast scientific control over consumer behaviour is most attractive. For the academic world, it will be a challenge on many different levels. First, it is about exploring the scientific limits of consumer analysis, taking into account the subconscious forces that are at play when a purchase is made. Secondly, and more importantly, the development of neuromarketing raises fundamental moral questions. Freedom of choice, free market and ethics need to be addressed, leading to the formulation of neuroethics. Following this, a legal framework for neuromarketing needs to be defined, which decides whether or not individual consumer rights need protection via a newly defined private sphere, or if we even trust enough the dynamics of the free market to sufficiently self-regulate these moral and legal grey areas. A literature review in this field will give an idea on the studies in this nascent science that is claiming worldwide recognition and possible areas for further research. 2. DEFINITIONS 2.1. Neuromarketing This interest in neurosciences has eventually caught the attention of both businesses and academia that are involved in a subset of economics, i.e. marketing. Being able to understand how the brain processes information and reacts to marketing stimuli, to eventually come up with purchasing decisions would provide a huge leap in marketing science as well as leading to huge profits through triggering the desired consumer responses. In other words, it would be the discovery of the well publicized buy button (Wells, 2003). As a result, marketing has also started to benefit from neurosciences. The resulting multidisciplinary science is termed as neuromarketing or consumer neuroscience. Neuromarketing is broadly defined as a sub-area of neuroeconomics that addresses marketing relevant problems with methods and insights from brain research (Fugate, 2007; Lee et al., 2007). Neurosciences could provide inputs to marketing in different areas such as providing a deeper insight of consumer behaviour and decision making processes, better understanding of advertising, a clearer make-up of branding, an analysis of the market and eventually politics which benefits from all of the above. The first use of fMRI as a marketing tool was reported by Gerry Zaltman of Harvard towards the end of the 1990s (Addison, 2005). However, the term Neuromarketing was only coined by Professor Ale Smidts in 2002, and it was not until 2004 that the first ever Neuromarketing conference was held at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston (Dawis,L. 2005). The tools and methods used for neuromarketing analysis are rapidly developing, enabling better visualization of the subconscious customer responses. Fugate indicates that the use of neuromarketing, if proven through use, has the capability of fundamentally changing how we design, promote, price, and package our products (Fugate, 2007) Consequently, neuromarketing is fast becoming mainstream, widening its applications within marketing. In fact, the increasing popularity of neuromarketing could be traced from Google, where the search for the specific word shows a phenomenal progression from just a few hits in 2002 to thousands in 2010 (Morin, 2011). 2.2. Neuroeconomics Traditional economics considers human beings as rational and unemotional beings that have stable, well-defined preferences that can make rational choices with those preferences (Camerer Thaler 1995, 209). However, the reality hardly matches this classic theory of economic modelling. The decision-making processes are highly influenced by numerous past experiences, emotions and subconscious processes, which alter significantly the expected behaviours. Kenning points out that These anomalies were not proven to have been included into the earlier theories of traditional economics which was based on rational behaviour. (Kenning Plassmann 2005, 343; Schmidt 2008, 8-9.) The developments in neurosciences in recent decades, enabling researchers to determine the physiological and neurological responses have led other disciplines to utilize the methodologies and findings in neurosciences to verify the assumptions in their own fields. Thus, the application of neurosciences to verify the assumptions of economics has led to neuroeconomics. Braeutigam defines neuroeconomics as a new and highly interdisciplinary field, drawing from theories and methodologies employed in both economics and neuroscience, aiming at understanding the neural systems supporting and affecting economically relevant behaviour (Braeutigam, 2005). Consequently, neuroeconomics uses brain research methods to understand and explain economic phenomena, as well as facilitating and promoting the integration of neurological findings into economic sciences. Sanfey points out that Although both economists and neurologists attempt to understand and predict human behaviour, they have used quite different methods in the past. Whereas economic research has tried to explain behaviour through observational data and theoretical constructs such as utility or preferences, neurology contemplates the physiological elements and somatic variables that influence behaviour. Neuroeconomics, which evolved from the combination of both disciplines, proposes an interdisciplinary approach and specifically examines the neural correlates of decision-making (Sanfey et al., 2006). 2.3 The Conscious vs. the Subconscious The importance of neuromarketing lies in the dual nature of perception processes, i.e., conscious and subconscious. We know why we take certain purchasing decisions but not the others. In fact the majority of our actions fall under the latter category. Hausel (2007) and Szymkowiak (2011) indicate two different types of brain activity which could lead to this. The conscious mind can process 40 bits per second, whereas the subconscious mechanism is much faster, processing up to billions of bits per second. Furthermore it is always at work. As a result, everything that cannot be processed by the conscious falls into the realm of the unconscious, which functions as an autopilot that takes over when the conscious cannot process any more. In fact, consciousness is closely connected to focusing attention. In that sense, what we perceive attentively for example when we listen forms the conscious perception, whereas the background noise of all types are recorded in the subconscious. A similar situation is valid for visual perception. Usually the peripheral vision constitutes the realm of the subconscious while the conscious records what we look at attentively. 2.4. Subliminal Messaging Subliminal is derived from the Latin words sub (below) and limen (threshold), referring to the perception below the threshold of human consciousness. The presentation of audile or visual images at a speed or form that cannot be identified by the target person would be perceived by the individual, though not consciously. These subconscious perceptions, whether it is audible or visual, make it possible to influence that individuals decision-making processes, without that person being aware of this activity. An expected consequence would be the possibility to persuade that individual to purchase goods or services, which he/she would not be making otherwise. Although the practice of subliminal messaging was identified at the end of nineteenth century, the widespread recognition was in 1957, when market researcher James Vicary, using the term subliminal advertising for the first time, set up his Subliminal Projection Company and made his well known pop corn/coke advertisement during a Kim Novak film shown in New Jersey. He claimed that by quickly flashing the words Drink Coca Cola and Hungry? Eat popcorn for 1/3000 of a second, at five-second intervals on the movie screen during every presentation of this film, he had influenced people to purchase more food and drinks, selling 57.8% more Coca Cola and 18.1% more popcorn. Vance Packards book, Hidden Persuaders, published the following year included this experiment and had wide repercussions. Although Vicary admitted later on that he had lied about the experiment, there were widespread sentiments against the practice. Life treated subliminal advertising as fact and discussed its potential not only in selling but also in gaining support for anti-litter campaigns and even promoting political candidates while The Saturday Review, addressed his readers: Welcome to 1984. (OBarr,2005) The widespread belief that subliminal messaging could lead to brainwashing led to subsequent banning of subliminal advertising in various countries. The publishing of the book Subliminal Seduction by Dr. Wilson B. Key in 1973, marked another outrage against subliminal advertisement, leading to limitation of broadcasting with subliminal techniques. (Lindstrom,2003) The use of subliminal messaging had also been used in politics, the most famous being the TV Ad for George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign. It showed words (and parts thereof) scaling from the foreground to the background on a television screen. When the word BUREAUCRATS flashed on the screen, one frame showed only the last part, RATSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦((OBarr,2005). Music played in shops sometimes have embedded messages to spend more or discourage theft, leading to a decrease in thefts and increase in sales, which the consumer is unaware but is effective (Lindstrom, 2003) Subliminal messages could also be utilizing the associations and judgments of the consumer, fulfilling the subconscious sensory expectations from a product or service. Lindstrom argues that different aromas pumped into casinos, airplane cabins, hotel rooms, and just off the assembly line cars could be considered subliminal messaging as the leathery smell of a new car comes out of an aerosol can (Lindstrom, 2003). 2.5. The Senses Everybody perceives the surrounding world through 5 senses, that is: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Perception involves the reception through our sensory organs and the processing by the brain. However the perception depends not only on the external stimuli, but also on the genetic set up and residues of the previous experiences of the individual, formed by learning and memory. 2.5.1. Seeing The eyes are the visual information receptors. The impulse goes through the cornea and is projected on the retina, which is composed of a layer of millions of photoreceptors that are specialized neurons transforming the light inputs into electrochemical signals, codified in the brain. Out of the two types of photoreceptors, the rods sense motion, especially in dim light or dark, predominantly in the peripheral vision, while the cones work under intense light and are responsible for sharp details. The cones are most densely packed in the centre of the retina known as the yellow spot, producing the sharpest images. (Zurawicki, 2009) The saccadic movements of the eye enables sensing parts of a scene with greater resolution, helping build up a mental map of the scene while another eye movement, the involuntary micro saccades refreshes this image. The visual attention is focused at the upcoming target locations, shifting the activations in saccade and attention areas of the brain, some hundredth milliseconds before an eye movement, (Rolfs, Jonikaitis, Deubel Cavanagh, 2011). The saccades and micro saccades are considered to be important indicators for studying the observers specific point of interest and attention focus (Zurawicki 2009, Laubrock et al.2007) recorded with the use of eye tracking camera like electronic devices. However there are also claims doubting the validity of the use of micro saccade movements in this field Horowitz et al, 2007) Each eye directs visual signals through a million of fibres in the optical nerve to the optic chiasm, where they are integrated. After passing from the optic chiasm, the optical tracts end in thalamus, which subsequently relays them to the upper layers of the cortex. The information from the two eyes are still separate in the thalamus and get integrated in the cortex where the binocular vision is created (Zurawicki 2009). The cortex sends the re-processed signals back to the thalamus. Zurawicki states that Visual cortex is divided into 6 different areas each performing a distinct function and specializing respectively in various sub modalities of visual perception, that is: exploratory and general pattern recognition, stereoscopic vision, depth and distance, colour, complex movement, and determination of the absolute position of the object as opposed to the relative one. (Zurawicki 2009) The frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital cortex, thalamic nuclei, the claustrum, the caudate, the lentiform nucleus and the culmen, declive and vernis in the cerebellum are activated during visual perception and visual mental imagery (Ganis et.al.2004) The brain uses previously stored data from the memory, to provide meaning to what is being transmitted. The brain also has the capacity to make up for missing images, referred to as blind vision (Zurawicki 2009). 2.5.2. Hearing The sounds funnel into the ear, reaching the eardrum, which is a membrane which vibrates at different speeds, that is, the more acute the sound, the faster it vibrates. Small bones of the middle ear (the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup) amplify the signal from the membrane and transmit it to the inner ear. The coiled part of the inner ear the cochlea is equipped with approximately 16 000 hair cells, which detect each sound frequency separately and in response to it move at a certain rhythm. This activates up to 30 000 of neurons of the auditory nerve pathways which carry the sound information via the thalamus to the temporal gyrus: the part of the cerebral cortex involved in receiving and perceiving sound. Our audiary system processes all the perceived signals in the same manner until they arrive at the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe. Here when speech is differentiated from other sounds, neuronal signal is directed to the left hemisphere where the language is proce ssed. (Zurawicki 2009). Audiary neurons are specialized, some responding to high frequencies and others low. Furthermore there are some which marks the beginning and others the end of a sound. Although some process of sound focalisation take place in the ears, sound recognition through specific harmonics of the sound is performed in the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe. 2.5.3. Smelling AKÃ…Å ¾AMA YAZCEM Ä °NÃ…Å ¾ALLAH!!! 2.5.4. Tasting BUNU DA!!!! 2.5.5. Touching BUNU DA!!!! 2.6. The Brain The brain is the central processing centre for all the motor and sensory information coming from different parts of the body. The stimuli received that are processed and distributed from the brain leads to different thoughts, as well as muscular and behavioural patterns. The processing of incoming information is carried out in different parts of the brain, that is to say there is a distinct functional differentiation within the brain. However, in spite of this functional differentiation, it is important to keep in mind that the brain is an extremely complex structure with strong inter-linkages among its billions of nerve cells (neurons) that take place within the brain, and that the brain functions as a whole. In order to get a better insight into the functional neuroanatomy of the brain, it may be useful to analyse the parts of the brain the functions of which have been more or less identified. The brain is covered with an outer layer called Cerebral Cortex. Neocortex, often referred to as grey matter takes place on the outer part of the cerebral cortex, while amygdala, cingulated cortex, hippocampus, and basal ganglia takes place in the grey pockets located within the white matter underneath. The brain is subdivided into four lobes, and two hemispheres with the deep folds. These four lobes have different functions: The frontal lobe, located under the forehead is where organising/planning, short term memory, judgement and controlling behaviour take place. Temporal lobe, which is under the ears and temples are related to understanding what we hear, speaking and memory he. visual memory is processed. BUNUN DEVAMI GELCEK!!! 2.7. Neuroimaging 2.7.1. Psychophysiological Measurement Techniques Facial expression, heart rate and skin conductance are the most relevant methods of autonomic measurement used in advertisement research. Emotional reactions to advertisement are measured by facial electromyography, which registers facial muscle activity. In facial EMG, electrodes that register muscle contractions are placed on the corrugator and zygomatic muscles. The corrugator muscle is located above the nose close to the eyebrow and contractions in this muscle are involved while frowning. The zygomatic muscle is situated around the cheeks and controls smiling (Poels and Dewitte,2006). The research of Hazlett and Hazlett has shown that facial EMG is a more sensitive indicator of emotional reactions to TV commercials and that the facial EMG responses were closely related to emotion congruent events during the commercial( Hazlett and Hazlett,1999). However, facial EMG has the drawback of being conducted in unnatural lab settings and making the subject self conscious. Skin conductance (SC) or electrodermal activity gives an indication of the electrical conductance of the skin related to the level of sweat in the eccrine sweat glands, which are involved in emotion invoked sweating (Poels and Dewitte, 2006). Either very pleasurable or very repellent advertising stimuli evoke large SC responses. However there are considerable personal variations and factors such as fatigue, medication etc can influence SC responses (Hopkins and Fletcher, 1994). The beating speed of our heart can provide clues as to attention and arousal related to commercials as well as an indication of valance of emotional response (Poels and Dewitte, 2006). In general, positive stimuli lead to an increase in the heart rate, while the negative stimuli does the opposite. Poels and Dewitte advise not to use heart rate as the single measurement method of emotional response (Poels and Dewitte, 2006). As the heartbeat is measured from the finger, it is quite convenient for the subject and is generally considered to be an easy and cheap way to measure reactions evoked by advertising (Lang, 1994). 2.7.2. Brain imagery How brain reacts to different types of stimuli is recorded through brain imagery. The major advantage of brain imagery is its objectivity, leaving out the possible response biases. Motte defines Brain imaging as a term that encompasses a set of techniques that allows for visualization of the regions of the brain that are activated in response to a certain stimulus, and Brain imaging systems as a set of techniques that allow visualizing the regions of the brain that are activated when (emotional) stimuli are presented(Motte, 2009). There are different methods for measuring and mapping brain activities related to neuromarketing. Lewis in his 2005 article refers to three brain-imaging techniques being used in Neuromarketing as fMRI (Functional magnetic resonance imaging), QEEG (Quantitative electroencephalography) and MEG (magnetoencephalography) and considers fMRI as the one which has captured the greatest interest of the market researchers among these and has enjoyed the widest publicity (Lewis, D.2005). Morin in his recent article cites electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as the only three well established non-invasive methods for measuring and mapping brain activity (Morin, 2011) EEG, in spite of its being a rather old technology in neurology, is still considered to be a good way to measure brain activity, as it is significantly less costly. Motte points out that although the price of high quality, research-purposed EEG systems can range from $10,000 to $100,000, cheaper EEG systems exist that can cost from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars (Motte,2009) To see how EEG works, it should be kept in mind that our neural circuitry consists of over 100 billion neurons and trillions of synaptic connections. When faced with a particular stimulus, these neurons fire, producing tiny electrical currents. The brainwaves, which are the differing patterns of frequencies of these electrical currents that correspond to different states of arousal, are recorded at very short time intervals, reaching up to 10,000 times per second in some of the new EEG bands, an important characteristic when attempting to evaluate the incoming high speed information coming through our senses. However, EEG, which has become very popular among neuromarketing agencies in the last 5 years as it is considered to be helpful in assessing the value of a piece of advertising at a relatively low cost is considered by some cognitive scientists as being weak, if not dubious for the purpose of understanding and predicting the effects of advertising. (Morin, 2011) QEEG, is another brain imaging technology, which is used for neuromarketing purposes. David Lewis and Darren Bridger from Neuroco, a Neuromarketing research consultancy, have used QEEG analysing the responses of viewers to television commercials and other forms of advertising, exploring the effects of looking at happy or sad facial expressions (Lewis, D.2005) They claim that although the spatial resolution of QEEG is poor, it is capable of producing a continuous recording of the ongoing neuronal activity. The benefits of QEEG, is backed by more than 2,500 research papers published in peer reviewed journals (Rothschild M et al.,1986, Rothschild M and Hyun YJ. 1990, Smith ME and Gevins A,2004) MEG is yet another non-invasive neuro-physiological technique that measures the magnetic fields generated by neuronal activity of the brain. It measures the integrated magnetic signals emitted by activated neurons (Motte, 2011). The spatial resolution of MEG is usually superior to EEG as the magnetic signals it operates on are not as easily disturbed by the skull or brain tissues, as the electrical signals processed by EEG. MEG has been used for neuromarketing purposes, although to a far lesser extent. (Lewis, D.2005) A MEG system was used in the study of Braeutigam et al., where the team investigated real-life product choice in a retail store. (Braeutigam et al., 2001) In one study MEG was used to measure decision making among consumers in a virtual supermarket. The authors reported that the right parietal cortex became active only when faced with a preferred brand and concluded that this region was involved in making conscious decisions about shopping choices, and, perhaps, for more important life choices too. (Brautigam S et al.,2001) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines are powerful magnets that can provide an accurate internal image of the human body. The MRIs are used primarily in the functional imaging mode (fMRI), in order to monitor the miniscule blood flow changes that correspond to increased activity levels within the human brain. Visualization of the brains activity and structure is enabled by the iron content of the haemoglobin molecules within the red blood cells that carry oxygen to the brain. The increased use of oxygen of the nerve cells during excessive activity of these nerve cells, and the change in the magnetic properties of haemoglobin after it delivers oxygen to the nerve cells in the brain makes it possible to follow the signals that point out to activations in the brain. The major benefit of fMRI is that it can pinpoint these activations with millimetric precision. Many consider fMRI the best technological innovation ever developed to conduct clinical and experimental research on the brain (Morin, 2011)   The first use of fMRI as a marketing tool was reported by Gerry Zaltman of Harvard towards the end of the 1990s (Addison T.,2005). fMRI permits matching a specific product experience to the regions involved in pleasure and emotions in the brain. (Motte,2009) The studies using fMRI can be very costly as the price of these machines ranges between 1 and 3 million dollars. While a moving-image fMRI machine (acquisition cost: $2.5 million) is rented for $1,000 an hour at Emory University in Atlanta; A single experiment, which includes at least 12 participants, can cost $50,000 (Wells, 2003). When these three technologies are compared as to their applicability in neuromarketing, QEEG is mostly preferred as technology of choice in due to its being less expensive, simpler to use, and enables the recordings to be made in a wide range of natural environments. NERDEN BULDUM BUNU BEN:))BULAMAZSAM GÄ °DER!!! 2.8. Memory and Learning 2.8.1. Memory Magnetic resonance imaging 2.8.2. Learning 3. CRITIQUE AND MORAL IMPLICATIONS Martin Lindstrom, one of the most prominent supporters of neuromarketing, makes a convincing argument against neuromarketings potential to endow powerful corporations with something like a buy button to control our consumer behaviour. After all, it is nothing but a scientific tool that has to be put to right use, and it is the responsibility of whoever launches a neuroscientific study to take into account the appropriate neuroethical ground rules, , which have been discussed in the previous chapter. Ä °YÄ ° DURUYO DA NERDE DEMÄ °Ãƒâ€¦Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ °Z TAM OLARAK -NEUROETHICS 3.1. Academic vs. Non-Academic Research Neuroscientific research is a cost-intensive undertaking: a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanner alone is worth $4 million (Lindstrom, 2008, p. 8). This is where the controversy starts whose interest is behind a given multi-million neuromarketing study? The answer is simple, and it divides the field into two basic categories: academic and non-academic neuromarketing. In case of the latter, it is safe to assume that whether we are talking about a large-scale corporation or a political party, a powerful interest is behind the funding of a project, looking for a concrete result that justifies the large sum of investment. Academic studies, on the other hand, can probably be trusted to be more neutral in this respect. 3.2. The Buy Button-Myth Neuromarketing is by default a hybrid of corporate and academic culture and as such is doomed to experience much more intercultural turmoil than other sciences. Indeed it seems that in its young history, there has already been a vibrant exchange of critique among the fractions involved. The common media image of neuromarketing as the science in search of the buy button in our brain does not find much support on either side. German psychologist Frank Szymkowiak points out that neuromarketing, like other cognitive sciences, simply analyses the reactions of the human brain to cognitive stimuli. This, in his view, may lead to a more diversified and consumer-targeted use of marketing rather than it constitutes a threat to becoming to tool of omnipotence on behalf of the advertising agent (Szymkowiak, 2010, Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, p. 83). 3.3. A Shallow Science? Szymkowiaks, however, does have a critical view on neuromarketing, and it is far more detrimental than the buy button-allegation. For him, neuromarketing is shallow by nature and inaccurate in its analysis of scientific testing. When confronted with subconscious phenomena, neuromarketing indulges in some kind of catalogisation, counting bits of neurotransmission rather than looking for a qualified causal context. It recognises subconscious brain activity lacks the capacity to account for it. In this respect it is inferior to more substantial sciences such as depth psychology which, building upon the foundations laid by its founding father Sigmund Freud, is able to generate an explanation for subconscious behaviour by accounting for underlying motives of the human psyche (Szymkowiak, 2010, Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, p. 84). This lack of depth is due to a simplistic definition of the subconscious that neuro-marketeers. Here, the totality of the human brain activity is, just like computers, is captures in bits, and only 40 out of 11mio bits are actually processed by the rational part of the brain. The rest falls under the category of subconscious without any further explanation. Depth psychology, on the other hand, is said to delve deeply into the spheres of the subconsci