Saturday, August 31, 2019

Essay on Harlow and Ainsworth

Compare and contrast research by Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth on understanding attachment Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth undertook studies aimed at providing a clearer insight into the processes associated with attachment. Even though both Harlow and Ainsworth chose a different approach to their research, they met with some similarities. This essay will therefore seek to both compare and contrast their researches, the methods they used as well as evidence gained through their respective researches.It is I feel important to have a brief understanding as to what attachment is, and thus help to provide a perspective in regards to what the experiments being conducted are aiming to define. Attachment can be defined as â€Å"a long term emotionally important relationship in which one individual seeks proximity to and derives security and comfort from the presence of another† (discovering psychology p. 193, 2012). As such both Harlow and Ainsworth through their different approach es sought to investigate the mechanisms inherent with infant bonding.Was it due to the carer providing for their emotional and physical needs or was it more deep-seated, in that infants were more inclined to seek attachment to stimulus that met their needs, such as warmth, and softness as suggested through the researches of Bowlby (1948) (discovering psychology p. 196 ,2012) Harlow in his approach chose to base his research solely on animals, in this case the Rhesus Macaque monkey. He chose this method in part due to the fact that these monkeys have approximately ninety four percent in common with human DNA.Coupled with this was the further factor concerning ethical issues, as it would have undoubtedly raised serious concerns had he chose to conduct his experiments on human infants. His observations were conducted entirely within the seemingly harsh surroundings metered through the laboratory environment, which differed in comparison to the research conducted by Ainsworth through he r responses to sensitivity. Through his research, Harlow noticed that the monkeys grew attached to sanitary pads placed in their cage, and suspected that the monkeys boned ith them and gained â€Å"contact comfort† from them, as they were the only soft item in their otherwise harsh environment, (discovering psychology p. 202, 2012) Harlow thus surmised that the softness of the sanitary pads along with the â€Å"contact comfort† the monkeys gained from them seemed a more important factor within the infant bonding process than the presence and supply of food. (discovering psychology p. 202, 2012)In order to further investigate his hypothesis, Harlow constructed two very different types of â€Å"surrogate mothers†, one being constructed of wire which lacked any form of tactile comfort, whilst the second was made of wood with a layer of sponge and covered with a soft layer of towelling. Both â€Å"mothers† had heating supplied by a light bulb and both had a f eeding bottle inserted through the body providing the monkey with food. Through his observations and experimentation, Harlow noted the monkeys bonded with the soft bodied â€Å"mother† regardless of whether it contained a supply of nourishment or not. discovering psychology p. 205, 2012). In contrast Ainsworth‘s research focused on human infants, in part through her observations with mothers and their infants. Whilst living in Uganda, Ainsworth observed a number of families with unweaned babies, and noticed that the more responsive the mothers were to the signals of the infant, the less the infant cried and the more confident the infant was, conversely the less responsive mothers were to signals the more the baby cried (discovering psychology p. 216, 2012).Ainsworth, though different in her approach, in her case observing children and their carers in natural surroundings which differed from that of Harlow, in that he observed monkeys in a laboratory surrounding, they bo th however reached the same conclusion. Infants that feel secure, in that they have a safe base, whether this is provided by a terry towel covered â€Å"mother† or a doting parent, the tactile stimulus provided by each is of paramount importance in infant and monkey bonding. At the centre of Ainsworth’s research was what became known as the â€Å"strange experiment†, which she conducted in America, and consisted of a series of even consecutive episodes within a controlled environment. The experiment involved three people, the mother, infant and a stranger. (discovering psychology p. 217, 2012). Ethical considerations have to be taken into account once more, for unlike Harlow’s monkeys who having been bred in captivity and could not choose to opt out, or indeed be comforted as in Ainsworth’s experiments, whereby should the infant become distressed the experiment was stopped and the infant immediately comforted.Monkeys though forming a complex hierar chical society are not deemed to be as complex as humans, as such the responses to various stimuli employed by Harlow in his experiments could be deemed as being easier to interpret. In contrast to Harlow’s experiment, Ainsworth through her more closely controlled observations, and in mind that humans exhibit a more complex behaviour, she was able to delve deeper into the mechanisms associated with infant bonding, whereby she was able to define four different types of attachment. (Discovering psychology p. 204, 2012)Clearly the relevant studies undertaken by Harlow and Ainsworth had both their advantages and disadvantages. Harlow for example based his researches entirely on monkeys, within the harsh confines of the laboratory environment. The fact that Macaque monkeys share ninety four percent of DNA with human infants does not necessarily denote that their subsequent behaviour would be similar to that of human infants. â€Å"There is a need to be very careful how one interp rets this genetic similarity, for a small difference in DNA can make a huge difference in a species’ anatomy and behaviour† (discovering psychology p. 04, 2012). Ainsworth on the other hand centred her research based on observations in both Uganda and America. She chose a more sensitive approach. Her observations were of infants interacting with primary care givers and strangers and gauging their reactions. Through this process she was able to delve deeper into the mechanisms of attachment, given that not only are humans more complex as exhibited through their interactions, it also offered further opportunities for her to expand and deepen her researches.This however had its own disadvantages, for Ainsworth it seems did not factor into account the country of origin or cultural backgrounds of the infants being studied, along with the infant’s mood or indeed if the infant was used to the situation they were being exposed to. (discovering psychology p. 219, 2012). T his situation did not arise in the research conducted by Harlow, as all the monkeys had been raised in captivity which in itself ensured a more general set of expected patterns of behaviour.Ainsworth’s study does not seem to reflect any innate behaviour in the infants, whereas the researches of Harlow’s, particularly concerning the wire and terry towel covered â€Å"surrogate mothers† seem to support his theory that regardless of species, that infants show an innate predisposition in forming attachments with carers who provide for their needs. This I feel was due to Harlow being able to look deeper into this facet of infant behaviour as he was not hindered by ethical considerations as was the case with Ainsworth.It is fair to say that both researchers had their work criticised to some extent by the scientific community at large. Obvious questions having been raised as to the validity of their findings, Harlow for his sole use of monkeys and how the research corr elated to human behaviour, whereas the work of Ainsworth in her not taking into account of the differences of nationality and thus the cultural background of the infant. The primary aim of this essay was by way of making an informed comparison between the works of Harlow and Ainsworth.Were they able through their researches to show a clear insight into the mechanisms associated with infant bonding? What evidence did their different methods of approach provide? Are animals an effective means of basing a premise as to the expectations of human behaviour? Researches that have insight into our innate tendencies allow us a glimpse into the hidden world of the psyche. Whether evidence provided has come via way of animal experiments, viewed as repugnant by many, or through closely monitored experiments with human infants. The implications can have a marked effect upon other avenues of research that come to follow.Undoubtedly the work of both Harlow and Ainsworth has had a marked import upo n and allowed for a deeper understanding into the mechanisms of infant bonding. The implications of their research has provided for a basis upon which to build a yet deeper and fare wider reaching insight, not only on the various stimuli associated with infant bonding, but also in regards to how the infant develops through their life and their wider range of social interactions. (Word count 1440) References Brace, N. and Byford, J. Discovering Psychology (2012), Milton Keynes, The Open University.

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Role of Leadership in Emplyee Performance

International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology Volvo. 2 NO. 5; August 2012 Impact of Leadership Development on Employees' Performance (Case Study: Employees of Customs Headquarters) DRP. Java Merriam Department of Public Management, Gavin Branch Islamic Cad University, Gavin, Iran DRP.Mohammad Their Organization Department of Management, Borderer Branch Islamic Cad University, Borderer , Iran Shirring Ensnare Department of Management, Borderer Branch Islamic Cad University, Borderer, Iran Baton Samuelsson Postgraduate of Business Management Panama- Mourn university, Tehran Share Ray unit and Educational Services Expert in university of Safaris, Iran Abstract Objective: The present survey has been conducted to study the â€Å"role of leadership development on employees' performance in Customs headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran†.Methodology: Descriptive-correlation method was used in this survey and the statistical population included employees of Customs headquarters equal to six-hundred seventy eight (678) persons. Sample volume was selected through random class sampling method that was equal to two-hundred fifty (250) persons. Questionnaire was used to collect the required data and data analysis was accomplished using Inferential statistics tests such as Pierson correlation coefficient and step by step regression analysis in addition to descriptive statistics Indexes such as mean and standard deviation.Findings: Findings reveal that there Is a significant and positive relationship among leadership development and Its dimensions with employees' performance. Conclusion: It Is concluded that authorization, education and development and empowerment have the highest impact on employees performance respectively. Key words: leadership development, coaching, education and development, empowerment, participation in decision-making, authorization, performance Introduction Leadership Is a mysterious process that has been considered similarl y by common people, scientists and researchers since the far past.It Is one of the major five tasks of managers In some guidance texts. Leadership meaner art of Influencing the subordinates so that they conduct pre-determined castles In the framework of certain purposes voluntarily and eagerly (Swahili Shrine, 1995: 15-19). It seems that human relations, his action would be led to satisfaction and improvement of employees' performance automatically. Today governmental and private organizations intend to enhance their service quality and this won't be fulfilled unless with a good management, suitable leadership and moving towards knowledge and technology advancement (Regain, 2005: 230-247). 54 O Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA www. Cabinet. Com As utilizing employees' abilities is not possible without effective leadership existence of leadership as the driving factor in employees' motivation, creating perspectives, enhancing employees' capability, education and development of the org anizational roses and compiling purposes and programs are very important to obtain organizational objectives (Moravia, 2009).Major task of Customs as one of the governmental organizations is to control imports and exports legally in order to get duties, preventing to import non-standard and unhygienic products, regulating importation and exportation of some products to regulate the internal market and etc.Violating the above cases would be led to social and cultural abnormalities in addition to their harmful impacts on the internal production and economic stagnation through changing the culture and taste of consumers towards nonstandard and smuggled products and creates disorientation in the economic system by dominance of foreign manufacturers on the internal markets and increases unemployment and the related problems.Since accurate and effective implementation of Customs' regulations and avoiding the above problems has a direct relationship with Customs' leadership and performance of its employees as economic frontiers of the country it is intended in the present survey to answer the following questions given to the above issues. Is there any relationship between leadership development and employees' performance in Customs headquarters in Iran? Is there any relationship among leadership development dimensions and employees' performance? Which dimension of leadership development has the highest impact on employees' performance?Research literature Leadership Leadership is the ability to encourage others to try eagerly in order to obtain certain purposes (Davis, 2010: 423). It is a process in which management of the organization tries to facilitate his tasks to fulfill organizational purposes by creating motivation and an effective relation and encourages employees to conduct their tasks eagerly and enthusiastically (Alvin, 1996: 137-138). Leadership development: past, present and future Leadership development is enhancement of abilities and creating perspectiv e for motivating and directing of individuals towards determined purposes.It includes components such as education and development, participation of individuals in decision-making, coaching, Job empowerment and authorization (Lowlier, Gold Smith & Karate, 2005). Leadership development has obtained achievements in two previous decades among which we can refer increasing of management development methods and coordination among the management and ore popular increasingly and causes more studies to be focused on leadership competencies and problems regarding non-coordination in working affairs and life (Werner-Brome & Hughes, 2009).Leadership development at work environment Nowadays innovators represent skills and techniques regarding leadership development through methods such as educational programs and coaching and apply them in real issues. People could obtain important skills by combining such directions and real commercial conditions and thus it is possible for organizations to fi nd important, synchronous and related issues and deal with them. Finally purpose of leadership development includes action not knowledge.Therefore, leadership development at present meaner providing learning opportunities for people through work not keeping them aloof from the work environment and obliging them to learning. Moreover, the best experience of organizations is to find out the leadership role as a key factor in all Job levels and that they are committed to create effective leaders across their organizations. Developing more individual and better leaders is not the only focusing point of leadership development although this issue is still very important.Leadership is increasingly defined in a way that it is not Just related to leader's acts rather it is a process which creates a new generation of leaders and effective relations that their focus is on leaders and colleagues' interaction (La]Verdi, 2011). Organizational performance Organizational performance is obtaining or ganizational and social purposes or going beyond them and conducting responsibilities undertaken by people (Heresy and Blanchard, 1996: 504). 55 Research hypotheses Primary hypothesis There is a relationship between leadership development and employees' performance. Secondary hypotheses 1- There is a allegations between coaching and employees' performance. 2- There is a relationship between education and development and employees' performance. 3- There is a relationship between empowerment and employees' performance. 4- There is a relationship between participation in decision-making and employees' performance. 5- There is a relationship between authorization and employees' performance.Conceptual model of the survey In this survey leadership development and its dimensions (coaching, education and development, empowerment, participation in decision-making and authorization) are regarded as independent rabbles and performance is regarded as dependent variable. Leadership development C oaching Performance Education and development Participation in decision-making Authorization Research methodology The present survey was conducted using descriptive- correlation method. Statistical population included employees of Customs headquarters in 2011.Volume of the statistical population was equal to 678 persons among which 386 persons were male and 292 persons were female. Sample volume was determined equal to 250 persons using Creakier and Morgan table and relative class sampling method was used. Therefore, portion of each class (male and female employees) was first calculated in the statistical population and the same ratio was observed in the sample too. Statistical sample of employees contains 142 males and 108 females by gender separation.Two researcher self-made questionnaires were used for leadership development and performance to collect the required data. Although these questionnaires were standard and normalized, views of advisor and guiding professors were review ed to determine validity of the questionnaires. Cockroach alpha coefficients of leadership development and employees' performance questionnaires ware equal to 0. 89 and 0. 86 respectively which illustrated high reliability of both questionnaires. Results were analyzed through SPAS software.Analyzing results As variables under study follow normal distribution Pierson correlation coefficient is used in this survey to study the relationship among variables. Secondary hypotheses Hypothesis 1: HO: there is no positive relationship between coaching and employees' performance. HI : there is a positive relationship between coaching and employees' performance. 156 Table 1- Pierson correlation coefficient between coaching and employees' reference Correlation between coaching and employees' performance Pierson correlation coefficient (r) +0. 76 Number (N) 250 Significance level (P) P;O. OOI Result Significantpositive Given to results of table (1) because the calculated amount for Pierson corre lation coefficient is significant at level a = 0. 01 it is inferred that hypothesis HO regarding nonexistence of relation is rejected by 99% confidence and hypothesis HI regarding existence of relation between the two variables is confirmed. Hypothesis 2: HO: there is no positive relationship between education and development and employees' performance.HI: there is a positive relationship between education and development and employees' performance. Table 2- Pierson correlation coefficient between education and development and employees' performance Correlation between education and development and employees' performance Pierson Given to results of table (2) because the calculated amount for Pierson correlation existence of relation between the two variables is confirmed. Hypothesis 3: HO: there is no positive relationship between empowerment and employees' performance.HI : there is a positive relationship between empowerment and employees' performance. Table 3- Pierson correla tion coefficient between empowerment and employees' performance Correlation between empowerment and employees' performance Pierson correlation coefficient (r) +0. 469 Number (N) 250 Significance level (P) P

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Application Of GPS To Disaster Management Information Technology Essay

Application Of GPS To Disaster Management Information Technology Essay GPS is particularly useful during disasters because it operates in any weather, anywhere and at all times. While it functions simply to give the location of the receiver, the level of precision of GPS makes it quite useful in disaster management. GPS find its greatest utility during the response and recovery phases; however it can also be utilized during preparedness and mitigation phases. An important application of GPS in EDM is tracking of emergency vehicles or supplies. In this application the GPS receiver attached to the vehicle and the location is overlaid onto a map. Other applications include the monitoring the height of waves. GPS units are fixed to buoys and the height of the units are can be determined to within centimetres any significant change in wave height or velocity can trigger an alarm for a tsunami or sea surge. Volcanoes can also be monitored using GPS. By measuring the deformation of the ground, inferences about volcanic activity can be made. Remote Sensing and Flooding Flooding is one of the most frequently occurring hazards. With flooding comes the risk of damage or disruption to normal living including communication, transportation, the environment and infrastructure. Given the magnitude of disruption that can take place, it may be difficult for disaster managers to gain access to remote areas or areas that have been cut off as a result of the disaster. Remote sensing as a technological tool would greatly assist this process as it would allow users of the technology the opportunity to view what is taking place in an affected area, without jeopardizing the safety of the user, since they will not actually be at the site. It is always going to be difficult, if not impossible, for planners to identify all the areas likely to experience flooding in any location. The use of technology however, in determining flood potential could highlight features of the geography that could make the community susceptible to the hazard. Types of flooding su ch as flash flooding, which usually take place in a relatively short time, with little or no warning could prove potentially dangerous for disaster managers if they attempt to physically go into an area that has been experiencing continuous rainfall. While the task of providing assistance to victims is critical and time dependent, a physical presence in the affected area could increase the persons at risk. Using remote technology however, would allow response workers to stay away from danger zones while at the same time gather pertinent information to facilitate timely response, rescue and relief efforts. Floodplain mapping is a useful indication of flood possibilities in an area and remote sensing can aid the process of identifying flood plains. The technology would generate satellite imagery of the area in question, which would allow for proper planning and timely rescue efforts should the need arise. The detailed photography produced from remote sensing provides accurate informat ion and can restrict efforts to the affected area. Other characteristics that could be identified about a geographic region using remote sensing include land-use classification, historical data, soil coverage, and soil moisture.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Global Context Of Modern Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Context Of Modern Business - Essay Example Globalization is increasing the interdependence among the economies. However, the developing countries are enjoying increasing access to markets of developed economy that facilitates easy transfer of technology and capital movements but it is increasing the inequality among the global economies. The negative aspect of globalization is that instability or downturn in any major economies of the world results in the downturn of the global economy as a whole. This is because the domestic economic developments of countries determined not only by the domestic policies but also by international policies and economic situations. Thus in order to implement any developmental policies not only the domestic impact but also the global impact of that policy has to be considered (Balakrishnan, 2004). Moreover globalization may create more unemployment problems because of increasing firm closure and lower wages of the employed. This is because increasing competition often wipes out the small firms t hat are incapable to compete and secondly more use of modern and advanced technology in production adversely affects some companies manufacturing unimproved machineries (Moffatt, 2011). There is coexistence of both positive and negative impacts in every aspects and globalization is no exception. Thus to study modern business in the global context the most important issue that need to be considered is the impact of the global financial crisis which triggered the global economy during 2007. Globalization has increased the financial movement across countries because of lucid monetary controls and regulations and thus financial globalization is associated with the financial crisis of 2007. The paper discusses the nature and impact of the crisis on the countries’ business environment. The Financial crisis – nature and impact The people of topical times are still living with the recollections of the Great Depression of the 30s. There has been no record of economic avalanche of same scale and duration till this date, but the recent global financial crisis is not less important. The economic recession of 2007 has already found its position in the records of American politics. It is less brutal than the great depression of 1929 but has thrown its shadows on worldwide politics and economy. The crisis of 2007 will be considered as a short follow-up to the 1929 depression. The government policies and concern have been held responsible once again for the financial crisis – â€Å"Americans have lost faith not only in the [Bush] administration, but in its economic philosophy: a new corporate welfarism masquerading behind free-market ideology; another version of trickle-down economics, where the hundreds of billions to Wall Street that caused the problem were supposed to somehow trickle down to help ordinary Americans. Trickle-down hasn’t been working well in America over the past eight years.† (Stiglitz, October 2008) The social, political and economic perils of the global financial crisis of 2007 will continue to persist for another few months. The American government and European Union have thrived for a united effort to counter the recession. It seems like a group action on the part of the national leaders will be more valuable in restoring the backbone. The world has altered a lot since the Second World War. The harmony among different nations and their joint effort to expand the world as a whole had come

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal Dissertation

The Effectiveness of Performance Appraisal - Dissertation Example Performance appraisal refers to assess and analyze a worker’s performance and results at the work place. It refers to a system of retaining employees, by providing them the guidance, fair treatment and a sense of motivation towards work. These are built-in outcomes of a formally set performance appraisal system. Organizations need performance appraisal system due to multiple numbers of reasons. Out of all one major reason is employee performance and other is employee retention through employee rights. This chapter will signify the importance of performance appraisal system in the organization, by uncovering the effectiveness of the system and the positive outcomes it brings for the organization, managers and staff. To truly grasp the concept of performance appraisal and its effectiveness, a critical evaluation of the literature will be made. Research Aims and Objectives To determine the role of human resource management in achieving organizational goals. To determine how human resource management benefits employees to achieve organizational goals in Chinese business market. To analyze and assess the impact of performance appraisal on organizational performance. The aim is to focus on performance appraisal as one effective method of HRM to bring organizational performance. To understand the relationship between effective performance appraisal and organizational performance. To determine the relationship between effective performance appraisal and employee performance. The aim is to test and measure the effectiveness of performance appraisal of a selected food company in Hohhot China. Literature Review The Markets of Buying and Selling Labor When markets start flourishing with the capitalist regime, they have to bear challenges in the labor section. Markets which undertake industrialists’ basing and hold a major share of foreign direct investment, there is a chance that labor gets sidelined in such markets. India being an emerging industrialist econ omy upholds this situation where there is an excess of labor conflicts and strikes all over. Similarly, China where there is a trend of buying and selling labor in replacement of commodities, monetary and nonmonetary benefits precisely holds the same trend of labors’ strike and protesting. According to Chan (2010), in the last decade capitalism has been encircling around the communist state of China. A major investment has been brought into the Chinese private sector business which has invited the Stake holder’s interest and influence into the business function. Due to more power in hands of stake holders, the rights of labor are being avoided and ignored, which have created the revolt situation in most of the private sector firms. The protestation of labor is a situation where manpower has lost its focus, its direction and its willingness to work and perform respectively. The political segment of the country is dealing with this challenge as it is more on the national ist trail and wants to resolve the labor conflicts. This is because the country’s bureaucracy realizes the importance of labor power (manpower) - a source which it feels to be the primary base of industrialization and urbanization in the country (The Economist, 2010). From organizational point of view, employee constraining affects employee’s performance. Likewise, when employees are constrained by any means i.e by the market trend where labor is intensively sold and bought, they simply keep their directions straight- continuing to the job

Monday, August 26, 2019

Mobile Phones Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Mobile Phones - Coursework Example (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) Phyically, it' very imilar to the iPhone 3G, much more o than the Diamond, complete with lim, candybar form factor, a large creen dominating the front panel and minimalit control. Compare the phone ide by ide and you'll find that dimenion are remarkably imilar too, though the Omnia i a little limmer, narrower and horter than the iPhone 3G, at 12.5 x 112 x 56.9mm compared to 12.3 x 115.5 x 62mm. o how exactly doe it tack up elewhere Well, a you'd expect from a modern Window martphone, there' a pile of feature and many of thee appear to match or outtrip the iPhone 3G equivalent. It ha a five-megapixel camera on the rear with an LED flah and a VGA video call camera on the front - the iPhone' i three megapixel le and it ha no video call feature. It alo ha HDPA of up to 7.2Mb/ec, a 624MHz proceor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a GP receiver and an FM radio. Plu it come with a decent helping of torage - either 8GB or 16GB with microD expanion a well. It creen, however, at 3.2 inche in't quite a luxuriouly paciou a the iPhone' and it 400 x 280 reolution i alo inferior. There' alo no 3.5mm headphone ocket and though a converion dongle i included in the box, we'd ooner not have to carry an adapter around jut to liten to muic and it eem a needle overight given the capaciou torage on offer. (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) The camera, however, i the main highlight here. ... You can ue the Omnia for proper nap - not jut contact profile picture. urpriingly for a Window Mobile device, the Omnia alo boat iPhone-like peed and reponivene and it' a darned ite nippier than the HTC Touch Diamond - even with the Diamond' latet firmware applied. Application launch peedily, browing the web on the phone' uperb Opera Mobile 9.5 web brower i zippy and the accelerometer, which rotate the orientation of the creen from portrait to landcape a you flip the phone around in your hand, work jut a you would expect it to, complete with fancy animation. amung' touch-driven uer interface i a valiant effort at dealing with the inadequacie of Window Mobile' UI, too. Interetingly, amung provide no tylu towage on the Omnia - the tylu attache to the phone' lanyard loop intead. Thi wouldn't be an iue, of coure, but unfortunately the one key area where the Omnia can't compete i with the iPhone' beautifully elegant operating ytem. It tart well. When you firt fire the phone up you're confronted with a blank creen and a crolling toolbar arranged down the left hand ide. Thi contain a number of attractive, graphical widget that you can drag into to the blank pace to diplay tuff like recent email, the time, currently playing muic track, phone profile, calendar, analogue and digital clock and o on. (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) Thee don't jut diplay information, though, they provide baic control too, o not only can you ee who your mot recent email i from, you can alo click it to read it in full, or croll back to ee who the previou mail wa from. Muic track can be paued and kipped and favourite contact can be added or removed a well. (Kelly , 2008, 04-22) It' an intereting approach and allow

HW4 MGM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HW4 MGM - Assignment Example For example, Coca-Cola FEMSA works in conjunction with communities and non-governmental organization, SOS Mata Atlà ¢ntica in Brazil in a bid to conserve forest water through Brazilian Forest Water Program. In Mexico, the company is involved in a major reforestation program, where the company plans to plant millions of trees. Through its active engagement in tree planting initiatives, Coca-Cola not only ensures forest conservation, but also reduces greenhouse gases emission into the atmosphere because forests are good absorbers of carbon, which is a major component of greenhouse gases. Coca-Cola also engages in recycling initiatives and water management programs as well as energy conservation, which remains crucial to its surrounding and business environment. The company ensures high and acceptable standard for sustainable packaging aimed at achieving zero waste and maximum package recycling. Coca-Cola has strong relationship with communities in which it operates. The company strive s to create a positive difference in the communities by working with local associates and actively supporting local employee engagement. Water is a vital element of life and by conserving it; Coca-Cola Company demonstrates its commitment to advance the welfare of the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The housing crisis in the U.S Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The housing crisis in the U.S - Coursework Example The current economic malaise in US constitutes an intertwined cobweb of factors hat have triggered a downturn in various economic dimensions and dynamics, on national and international scales. The crisis can be blamed on various factors characterizing the last 20 years period. The medium to short term triggers of the crisis can be traced back to 2005 when house prices surged and started dropping in late 2006.The crisis has burst the housing bubble which has even aggravated the current economic situation in the US which according to economists is already tantamount to a recession. The peak of the crisis heightened particularly remarkably in August 2008 with the U.S treasury declaring the collapsing housing financial system as the highly significant threat to the US economy.The raised foreclosure rates in the 2006-2007 period by US homeowners has resulted in a sub prime, mortgage, hedge and various fiscus dimensions even beyond the housing loaning systems. Many economic analyses have b een misguided in their attempt to break down and unravel the cobweb of factors leading to the build up of the economic and housing crisis held as most phenomenal after the great Depression in the 1970s in the US. Many analysts have attributed the collapse of the global financial system to the destabilisation of the mortgage and housing crisis. Salient provenances of the housing crisis which is inalienable from the economic crisis enlists in its core the lack of feasible and clairvoyant regulatory framework for the moderation and stabilisation as well as sustenance of the financial institutions in the US. The ramifications and ripples of the US economic crisis have swept across global landscapes owing to the long criticized financial system devised after the World wars in which the US economy is the heartbeat of global economic paradigm leaving the entire world susceptible to upheavals rocking the US economy. Root causes Steve Latter (2008) has listed the following as the top six causes of the financial crisis in their perceived order of significance. Although the first three are not directly related to the mortgage and housing paradigms the exploration of the housing or mortgage crisis in the US and in the state of Virginia particularly can not be intact without the streamlining of all variables of the multifaceted problem into perspective. 1. Indefinite and inaccurate regulatory edict which permitted financial firms to move to too high ratios of mortgage-backed securities to collateral debt. 2. The lack of substantial focuses on the banking and financial firms' ratio of assets to debt by banking and financial services company regulators. 3. New accounting regulations crafted Sarbanes Oxley (regulation passed after Enron) were too traditionalist resultantly leading to the undervaluation of assets like mortgage- securities. This in turn caused bank debtors to leverage on the bank. 4. Private companies and their leadership made lending decisions out of greed whilst also flouting money lending standards. This was done in the aims of pulling more interest returns by lending to clients who were in Latter's terms "very risky bets". 5. Consumers borrowed what was more that they could afford. The blame on this aspect can be applied on both the borrowers and the lenders although lenders are overly expected to be firm to principle and economic logic when making lending decisions. 6. Miscalculated financial law promulgations which for instance compelled financial institutions like Fannie Mae to avail more loans to lower income clients which amounted high risk money lending. The unraveling US housing financial system has seen the filing for bankruptcy by various mortgage firms like American Home Mortgage (AHM) which is ranked as the US 10th biggest home loan firm.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Research Methods for Business Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Methods for Business - Research Paper Example This study takes a more theoretical view towards the topic and considers the successful stories of three small businesses as the case to be analyzed. The abstract in the paper provides a sufficient view of the entire work done in the study. Besides this, the introduction provided in the first chapter of the paper also establishes an adequately contained framework of the research. By considering and studying the cases of three business organizations, the relationship between the two variables under the influence of leadership is taken into account. The study gathers the responses and required data through the telephonic interviews in the three distinct employee levels along with visiting and reviewing the websites for more information regarding the topic at hand. The academic articles answers the questions regarding the roles of leaders, the leadership strategies utilized to attain performance excellence initiatives, the challenges and issues countered by the leaders and the ways which the leaders used to overcome the obstacles. The literature review provided in the articles gives a good overview of the recent studies done by various researchers in the field of human resource management in general and leadership in particular. It properly defines the terms utilized in the discipline of HRM and used in this study. The journal article concludes the facts regarding the relationship of the quality management and customer satisfaction with the leadership strategies. It examines the role of leaders as encompassing an active involvement in the organizational activities and attempting to establish, maintain and sustain the long-term strategies, consistent transferring of messages and being available to the employees at the time of needs. The study suggests that the three companies involved in the small business utilized three strategies of leadership. Firstly, they formed teams to study the quality management concepts and, in doing so, they learned from one

Friday, August 23, 2019

Italy profolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Italy profolio - Essay Example Undercapitalization too, of banks in Europe contributed to it as they faced liquidity and debt problems. This also slowed down the economic growth in this zone as it was unevenly distributed within member states. Meanwhile, the governments of states mostly severely affected by this crisis have tried to coordinate their actions. A committee by the name ‘The Troika’ who has constituting member organizations are; European Commission, Central Bank and International Monetary Fund takes care of this issue. Fiscal policy stimulates the slowing of the economy through the tax cuts while the spending the rises. Increase in spending does take place quickly while the tax cuts may take a long time to cause an impact on gross spending and output. In monetary policy, through Federal Reserve Act, The Federal Reserve System and Federal Market Committee should be in the forefront in promoting some excellent employment goals, long term and mode rest interest rates with stable prices. Through this principle, Federal Reserve can regulate the value of money and credit plus their price-interest rates thereby influencing employment, output and general level of prices. The legislature is composed of the lower house, which is the chamber of deputies and the upper house comprising of senate. Despite the houses being legally equal, the Chamber of Deputies has influence that is more political and most Italy’s vocal politicians do fall in this chamber. All house members are elected by popular votes for a term of 5years in office. The Senate has 315 seats while that of Chamber of Deputies has 630 seats and another 10 seats reserved for ‘life members’ who includes past presidents and honorary nominees’. A voter must be of 25years of age to cast his or her vote for Senate while in other elections, 18years is the minimum age to vote. To vie for Senatorial seat, one has to be of 40 years and above, and for the Chamber

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Make a case for or against the study of popular verse Essay Example for Free

Make a case for or against the study of popular verse Essay In order to understand the importance of poetry we first need to answer the question what is poetry? In reading a poem for its message, critics often appear to be saying that poems really mean something different form what they appear to mean, and may of us are often led to assume that the interpretation of a text is a matter of finding its hidden meaning. Poetry can be defined as genre by saying that it is different form other main literary genres, fiction and dramas. A second definition based on features of language distinguishes between the way poetry and so called ordinary uses of language. A third definition would differentiate poetry from prose on the basis that it is arranged differently on the page. Poetry means different things to different people and the way readers relate to poetry depends on the individual itself. One of the most obvious distinctions between poetry and most non-poetic discourses is that poetry is set out on the page in lines, whereas prose runs right to the far edge. There are different genres within poetry that signify why the study of poetry is important. Romantic readings of literary texts tend to focus on questions about sincerity of feeling, emotional response, and profundity of insight. These readings will trigger different emotions in readers, as they will relate what they read to their own experiences. They relate these poems with tears, laughter and love. A particularly rewarding and challenging way of reading poetry is the careful analysis of the interplay between the language and form of individual poems. Although many readers say that a poem ought to be enjoyed for its own sake, the critical reading of poetry involves trying to understand how that pleasure is produced. Poems achieve their emotional power by working the resources of the language to the limit. It could be argued that poetry represents real life. It tells about believes and about social issues for example some poems talk about racism and inequality in society. Some talk about God and his existence. It is important to note that these views are written from an individual point of view and although it does not give a clear view of what the society it was trying to represent was like it does give the reader an idea. Looking at poetry as a response to the reader it is difficult to explain. The assumptions that poetry is the expression of intense personal experience usually involve a related assumption about what we are supposed to do when we read such a poem. As stated above the response depends upon the individual reader. Some might find that that they feel sympathetic towards the poets intense feelings or experience the speakers sense of loss etc. Some of the most deep rooted preconceptions about poetry in our culture are that it records profound personal emotion and experience, that is often about nature, and that it should be imaginative. The way that poems are articulated and experiences told with powerful and deep emotions that makes the poetry so inspiring and joyful to read. Also from studying poetry the reader is encouraged to write poetry and meaningful experiences with other people. John Barrel has argued that we ought to ask questions of poems which have been neglected under New Criticisms influence: when it was written, whom it addressed, what was the function of any particular literary activity- writing epic poems, reading novels- at any particular period or for any particular kind of reader. In other words he is proposing that poems need to be regarded as discursive acts produced within specific institutions and discursive networks. The major implication with this theory of discourse is that the poems need to be understood not in terms of uniquely individual thought of its author but in terms of the general belief system of the period as it adapted to historical circumstance. In conclusion poetry is not one thing but many things. This is not only because we have different ways of describing things.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Marketing Research- Starbucks vs. Coffee Beans Essay Example for Free

Marketing Research- Starbucks vs. Coffee Beans Essay Market segmentation is defined as the process of dividing a market into distinct subsets of consumers with common needs or characteristics and selecting one or more segments to target with a distinct marketing mix (Schiffman, Bednall, Cowley, OCass, Watson and Kanuk, 2001). Different companies have different abilities that enable them to serve their target market better, which is why some companies choose to focus much of their attention to specific segments. Starbucks primarily chooses to focus on the demographics, psychographics and lifestyle of their customers. It is with the information gathered regarding these segments that Starbucks can better serve its customers. Demographics are things such as age, sex, marital status, education, occupation and income. Starbucks targets both males and females, mainly 18-30 year olds, but really does cater for everybodys needs. And because young children dont usually drink coffee, Starbucks offers a range of non-coffee beverages to cater for the whole family. Hanging out in Starbucks gives the impression of being very with it and most of the people you see sitting in the stores exude a certain coolness and give off the image of having some sort of social status, with lots of money to spare. Starbucks customers are mainly in their final years of high school, in university or just starting to work. But whatever it is, they all have had a good education, and if they do have a job, it almost certainly includes a big income as well. Demographics help to locate a target market and this information is often the most accessible and cost effective way to identify a target market (Schiffman et al, 2001). Even though factors such as personality and behaviour are often first used to define a market segment, the consumers demographic characteristics must be known in order to assess the size of the target market and to reach it efficiently (Schiffman et al, 2001). Psychographics are based on the consumers activities, interests and opinions, so its basically how they spend their time, what their preferences and priorities are and how they feel about events and issues. Psychographic research is closely related to psychological research, and  especially when it comes to personality and attitude measurement. This form of applied consumer research has proved to be a valuable marketing tool that helps identify consumer segments that are likely to be responsive to specific marketing messages (Schiffman et al, 2001). Starbucks is very heavily involved in charity and the arts, and is making significant efforts to be a socially and environmentally responsible company. For example, Starbucks actively participates in AIDS benefits, and for every city that has a store, Starbucks sets up at least one shelter for the underprivileged children and donates money as well. By participating in various different positive causes and events, Starbucks gains a lot of favourable exposure. Starbucks has sponsored the Special Olympics, the hip Lilith Fair music festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, the International Film Festival in Washington DC and the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA. Just by looking at these examples, we can see that Starbucks aims to target and reach people who are generous and charitable, as well as people who like to have fun and enjoy the creative and entertaining side of life. Starbucks also has a strong commitment to the environment and the companys policy to recycle and conserve wherever possible is exemplified by the 10% discount it provides to customers who reduce waste by using their own mugs or refillable coffee bags. Starbucks offers these discounts to help stimulate environmental responsibility amongst its customers. As Starbucks grows and reaches new markets, the company has made a commitment to continue to be a strong supporter of non-profit organisations and events in all communities. Consumer research has found evidence that within each of the social classes there is a constellation of specific lifestyle factors (shared beliefs, attitudes, activities and behaviours) that tend to distinguish the members of each class from the members of each class from the members of all other social classes (Schiffman et al, 2001). Starbucks sells a lifestyle, to both customers and employees, and has followed the successful examples of other big corporations such as Coke, Nike and Sony by linking its brand with all things cool and in. Starbucks has created a style and ambience that has infused a certain new  chic and appeal into coffee, an age-old beverage, making it the hippest drink of today. Starbucks chooses to associate itself with all things bustling, active and vigourous. That is why locations of all the stores are carefully selected for convenience and Starbucks specifically targets places that are heavy with pedestrian street traffic. Some of the places that you would find a Starbucks, either in the form of a large store or a just a small kiosk (both ideal for just popping in for a quick take away coffee or for a nice light lunch break) would be at shopping centres, airport terminals and supermarket foyers, which are all places that are always hectic and filled to the brim with people who have busy lifestyles and are always on the go. Starbucks competes directly against specialty coffees sold at retail through supermarkets, specialty retails, and a growing number of other specialty coffee stores. In addition, Starbucks competes for whole bean coffee sales with franchise operators and independent specialty coffee stores. In virtually every major metropolitan area were Starbucks operates and expects to expand there are local or regional competitors with substantial market presence in the specialty coffee business. But Starbucks biggest competitor in the coffee industry is the Coffee Bean. Coffee Bean was started by Herbert B. Hyman in 1963 in California and became the pioneers in retailing whole bean coffee and loose tea leaves. Coffee Bean are the oldest importers, roasters and multi retailers of specialty coffee and tea in the United States. Like Starbucks, Coffee Bean offers a diverse range of original coffee, ice blends and roast styles as well as four varieties of daily brews including flavoured pre-ground coffee. Another similarity with Starbucks is that Coffee Bean also has a large offering of food and beverages that appeal to all age groups from all walks of life. In terms of needs, motivation and personality, Coffee Bean is all about building meaningful and respectful relationships with customers by finding or concocting a flavour for them. Coffee Bean will also toast your bagels, heat your pastries and personalise and custom make the drink or blend just  the way you would like it. With perception, Coffee Bean is a big believer in teamwork (just like Starbucks) as they feel that success is achieved by working together. Coffee Bean staff are friendly, and maintain amicable relationships between customers and each other. The employees have respect for each others values, opinions and individual personalities and are honest and truthful to themselves and each other. Another similarity with Starbucks is that Coffee Bean is actively involved with helping communities and make it their mission to develop the most complete community based programs around. As well as donating gift baskets, gift certificates, coupons, coffees and teas, Coffee Bean will gladly consider a donation to any organisation for various charitable events that directly benefit local community programs and local schools. Due to the phenomenal growth of the international coffee market, Coffee Bean has decided to solely concentrate on international franchises at the moment. Unlike Starbucks, who have a target mass market being the United States, most of the Coffee Bean outlets are in Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan etc.) and the Middle East (Israel, United Arab Emirates, Dubai etc.) Unlike Coffee Bean, Starbucks does not personalise their coffees or have different products to suit different countries tastes. Coffee Bean offers more food meals (pastas, soups,) and not only light meals (sandwiches, pastries, desserts) like Starbucks. Starbucks allows other distributors to sell its coffee, but Coffee Bean does not and Starbucks is affiliated with things such as the Herald Sun Newspaper and Hear Music. And the main advantage that Starbucks has over Coffee Bean is its effective use of celebrity appeal, which is a form of reference group

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Consumer Decision Process of Nike

Consumer Decision Process of Nike In this century, customers are the potential buyer of products. Most of the companies are focusing on improving the relationship between with customers. The result shows that improving the relationship between companies and customers can retaining customers loyalty and attracting new customers, this relationship is importance to most businesses. If a company having good relationship with customer they understand customer needs and wants and to satisfy the customers. Example: Nike Company have provide good customer services, when customer facing problem of Nike product customer can send e-mail with question relating to purchases and Nike Company will solve the problem within 1 working day or contact to Nike Company telephone lines of customer service to get the solution. Customer can log in Nike website to check the latest Nike products, make ordering, shipping and returns. Customers can solve the problem easily by send e-mail or calling and without going any outlet customers can buy their products through Nike website. COMPANY BACKGROUND Nowadays, Nike Inc is the world largest markets of athletic shoe and apparel, also the world leading company of supplier athletic footwear, accessories, sportswear, and main manufacturer of sports equipments. Nike is worldwide brand and the products that sold in about 110 countries, Nike Company had more than 30,000 employees around the world. In 1962, Philip Knight was track athlete of middle-distance runner team member as an undergraduate at University of Oregon. Philip Knight travelling to Japan communicates with Onitsuka Tiger to import some athletic shoes to United States; Philip Knight believed that Japanese athletic shoes would break the German athletic shoes dominance in United States with Japanese product. In 1964, Philip Knight partnership with Bill Bowerman was track coach at University of Oregon. Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight was the founder of Nike, at the time Nike originated known as Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1968, Bowerman had worked long time to designs and modified of prototype Blue Ribbon Sports, his designed shoe was successful which known the shoe as Cortez. In 1972, Blue Ribbon Sports was manufacturing the products overseas by their own line by themselves and import to United States. At the same time, the company introduced the new symbols with Swoosh trademark and the brand name Nike it mean the Greek goddess of victory. In 1978 Blue Ribbon Sports had rename the company name to Nike Inc. In 1988, Dan Wieden who created the slogan called Just Do It for 1988 ad campaign and nowadays this slogan had became the recognized trademarks. In 1999, Nike had begun selling athletic shoes and other products by used e-commerce and directly selling products to consumer through company website. CONSUMER DECISION PROCESS The consumer decision process (CDP) model is important for making marketing decision; CDP is the stage of consumer goes through before, during, and after buying the product or service in decision making processes. In first stage of CDP starts with need recognition, the buyers understand what their problem or need in between current motivation state and desired motivation state. For example, I saw a commercial for brand new series pair of Nike shoe, to stimulate me that I need a new Nike shoe. Customer may need to pass through the stage step by step in every purchase. However, in daily purchase customer can skip the stage of information search and evaluation straight to purchase decision. For example, I feeling hungry need to buy food and I straight forward to make purchase decision to buy my favourite food McDonald. The next stage of CDP is information search; under information search consumers can search information according to internal or external sources of information. Internal sources of information are the information retrieved knowledge from memory and the information may be based on a person past experience, past conversation, or articles read previously. External sources of information can get from environment can be the new sources of information and include friends, family, salesperson, advertisements, brochures, websites, and media article. The marketers will identify which target markets of information sources are most influential, the impact of these sources of information will depend on the products and customers. For example, I want to buy new pair of shoe and before I buy I will take advice from my friends of their experience on different brands of shoe and search information about the company brand product quality. The third stage of CDP model is evaluation of alternatives, which the consumer evaluation alternative bounds in the choice set by using information. Evaluation is an important determinant of the degree is whether the customers feel involved in the product. By involvement, that means the extent of perceived relevance and importance that accompanies with the own choice. The involvement had categories into low-involvement purchases and high involvement purchases. Low-involvement purchases mean have simple and low expenses in evaluation process. For example, buying soft drink and food in the supermarket is under low-involvement purchases. High involvement purchases are usually branded goods and involve in high expenses or personal risk. For example, doing business, making investment, buying house and car are under high-involvement purchases. Nike shoe is categorising in high-involvement purchases because is branded goods and comparing with other brands Nike much more expensive than usual ly brands. The fourth stage of CDP model is purchase, the stage that consumer actually buy the product. For example, after I read the advertisement Nike shoe, I consider buy the Nike shoe to satisfying my need or want. The buying decision may take place immediately or in few weeks later. The seller may need to attributes the product by compared with the competition with own advantages and giving trial or sampling of the product hope the sale increasing. The final stage of CDP model is post-purchase evaluation, after customers buy the product and used, the customers will compares it with expectation on their past experience either the product is satisfied or not. The cognitive dissonance concept will commonly occur when the customers experience concerns after making purchase decision. Cognitive dissonance mean the customers buy new product is preferable than the product is using and customers may not repurchase the product is using or switching other brands. For example, before I bought Nike shoe I was wearing Bata shoe, I feel like Nike shoe is more comfortable and good quality so I may not repurchase Bata shoe and changing the mind to purchase Nike shoe. To manage the experience success is the job of the marketers to persuade the potential customers to purchase the product will satisfy their needs, for the customers that purchased the product should be encouraged that their decision making is right to repurchase the product and avo id them changing their mind to choose other product. For example, I had bought Nike shoe and wearing it, I feel that Nike shoe giving more comfortable and good quality than other shoe. In future purchase decision I will repurchase the Nike shoe because it satisfies my needs. Psychological core The process of perception, motivation, learning and attitude is under the internal process of psychological core. Perception There are three stages in the process of perception starts with consumer exposure and attention to stimulus the consumer to interpretation. Exposure and attention are state as highly selective mean that consumer only can use small section of the available information. Perception process which we attach meaning to the surrounding world, how consumer affect by the five senses (sight, sound, touch, smell and taste). The first stage, exposure is the extent to people aware stimuli that within range of their sensory receptors. For example, (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers) such common stimuli as sound, colour and smell. Second stage of perception process is attention, attention happen when the stimulus activates the receptor nerves and send the result of sensations go to the brain for processing. For example, Nike has created visual identity with their ads through television, newspaper and to captures consumer attention. The final stage of perception process is interpretation, interpretation mean that people assign to sensory stimuli. Two people doing the same event but their interpretation maybe different with each other. For example, a glass filled with half water, person A say the glass was half full and person B say the was glass half empty. Learning and Memory Learning can defined as relatively permanent change in organization of long-term memory or experienced behaviour or in the content and is the result of information processing. There are two categories memory, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). STM is known as working memory, STM only store information for limited period of time and its capacity limited, to prevent short lived memory must always repeating the information though maintenance rehearsal. For example, to remember the presentation speech in capacity limited I must constantly repeat the speech again and again to prevent the memory in short lived. LTM is allow to store the information for permanently and its unlimited capacity. LTM consist into two type of memory there are semantic memory and episodic memory. Semantic memory refers to the person feeling and knowledge of the concept. Episodic memory is related to the sequence of event that is personally relevant. For example, a young child who has almost drowns and causes the child phobia to the water even when the child grown up. There are two situations in learning and memory which are high and low-involvement learning. The situation of high-involvement learning is motivated to process or learn the data by consumer, and low-involvement which the consumer has little or no motivation to the process or learn in data. Normally consumers learning happen in relatively low involvement contexts. The way of communication should be structured by the customer to expect what they have from different depending on the level of involvement. Motivation There are two motivation theories which are Maslows Hierarchy of needs and McGuires psychological motives. The theory of Maslow has 5 basic motives which general terms and not useful in marketing. McGuire theory is fairly detailed set of motives for specific aspects and developed a classification these theories into 16 categories. Attitude An attitude is define as long-lasting organization of motivation, emotional, perception, and cognitive processes with the learned predisposition to express that person like or dislike to an item and also the way one think, feels, and acts to some aspect of our environment. Attitudes serve four key function for individuals which are knowledge function, value-expressive function, utilitarian function, and ego-defensive function. Knowledge function is the result of need for order, structure or meaning that formed by attitudes. This need is often present when a person is in an ambiguous situation or is confronted with a new product. Value-expressive function attitudes are perform a value-expressive function express the individual central values and self-concept. For example, people who protection the environment they will recycle, reuse, save energy and purchase green product. Utilitarian function is concern to the common principles of punishment or reward. We develop some of our attitudes for these products offer pleasure or pain. For example, A person like to drink Vanilla Coke the person will have the positive attitude for the Vanilla Coke. Ego-defensive function means the attitudes of people that are formed to protect them-self either in internal feeling or external threats. For example, products like Marlboro cigarettes promise to help to man build macho image will attract the consumers who are interest of masculinity. The attitude has three components which are affect, behaviour and cognitive and known as ABC model of attitudes. Affective component consists of the consumer emotion or feeling about specific product or a brand. For example, a man is in sad mood when he see his favourites food, he not interest it. Behaviour component consists of the consumer undertake specific behaviour or action on the attitude object by the consumer tendency or response, and refer the actual action or the intention to buy the particular products. Cognitive component consists of the consumer beliefs about particular product, and expecting form of belief in the future. For example, lower price product mean lower quality. Consumer Environment Culture Nowadays, in the culture most people are concern about their health so those people are preferred to do exercise. Doing exercise they needed exercise accessories and requiring having good quality and comfortable shoes to wear and prefer to Nike products. Subculture http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Nike-Company-History/171750 http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/17404.html http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/NIKE-Inc-Company-History.html http://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt6.html http://html.rincondelvago.com/consumer-decision-process.html http://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/buying_decision_process.asp http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=OIC2801 http://www.sykronix.com/tsoc/courses/cb/cb_cog.htm BB Chapter Nine : Learning and Memory from BBAdvisor (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })()

Ethnographic study at McDonalds Essay -- globalization

This essay focuses on the topic of globalization, taking along several other factors with it. Increasingly in the world, it becomes obvious that the globalization is affecting almost all the businesses of the world. Every market in some way or the other is following the principles of globalization. For example, McDonalds is a chain of restaurants working in collaboration to deliver their customers with the best product and to achieve this McDonalds follows the concepts of globalization. This essay will discuss anc ethnographic study at McDonalds examining whether it confirms or denies the claims made about globalization. The ethnographic study took place at McDonalds’ shop, Leeds, local market in the afternoon of Monday, 17th January 2011. From away I could observe the huge logo of McDonalds. I stood at the entrance and stared at the shop for few seconds. The shop was far more elegant than the average McDonald’s. The interior has a minimal style with posh chairs, tables, black art deco fixtures, beautiful paintings and attractive lights and draperies. There were large windows so it was impossible for customers to see into the Harvey Nichols store. Also, outside were window boxed filled with flowers or greenery. I could hear some relaxing music. At first glance, I noticed that customers were people with different age groups, genders, ethnic classes, social classes and cultural backgrounds. The language which was more spoken was English. [Without thinking, I was moving towards the counter, I faced] the girl behind the counter [; she] was wearing a red t-shirt with a cap and a hut. She see med to be in a rush to handle the orders. Despite that, she was friendly and with a smile on the face to welcome the customers. The most co... ...International Economics. Krishnan, R. (1996). The first revolt against globalization. Monthly Review, vol.48, no.1. Krugman, P. (1994). Does Third World Growth Hurt First World Prosperity? Harvard business review Oman, C. (1994). Globalisation and regionalisation: the challenge for developing countries. Paris: Development Centre studies. Osland, S.J. (2003). Broadening the Debate, the Pros and Cons of Globalization. Journal of Management inquiry, Vol. 12 no. 2, pp.137-154 Rodrik, D. (1997). Has Globalization Gone Too Far. Washington: Institute for International Economics. Rosenau, N. J. (2006). The Study of World Politics: Globalization and governance. Abingdon: Routledge. Valaskakis, K. (1998). The challenge of strategic governance: Can globalization be managed? Optimum, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 26-40. http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ (accessed 15/01/2011)

Monday, August 19, 2019

From Oppressed Slaves to Champion Soldiers :: American America History

From Oppressed Slaves to Champion Soldiers This is just a small example of the doubt and hatred that was bestowed on the African American soldiers. However, during the war, they proved themselves to be brave and courageous men on and off the battlefield on many occasions. Despite deep prejudices and harsh criticisms from the white society, these men were true champions of patriotism. The cause of the Civil War was tension between the North and the South. The sectional division between the areas began in colonial times, largely resulting from geographical differences. The South was ideal for growing tobacco due to the warm climate and the fertile soil. Plantations brought in black slaves from Africa to provide most of the labor required for growing the crop. In time, other plantation crops such as cotton, sugar cane, indigo, and sugar beets were to thrive in the South. "By the onset of the Civil War, 2.4 million slaves were engaged in cotton production" (Long 16). A rural way of life that supported an agrian economy based on s lave labor was quickly established in the South. The North, however, was a cooler, rockier climate that would not support the development of plantations. As a result, the North's economy came to depend more on trade and industry than on agriculture. This economy supported the growth of cities, although many lived in rural areas during the colonial period. The sectional division between North and South had widened enormously by the mid - 1800's. The United States had expanded all the way to the Pacific Ocean and was rapidly becoming a major industrial and commercial nation. However, industry and commerce were centered in the North. The Northerners welcomed modernization and the constant changes it brought to their way of life. Their ideals included hard work, education, economic independence, and the belief that the community had the right and responsibility to decide whether an action was moral or immoral. While Northerners looked forward to a different and better future, Southerner s held the present and past dear. They enjoyed a prosperous agricultural economy based on slave labor and wished to keep their old way of life. By the 1800's, northerners viewed slavery as wrong and began a movement to end it. Even though an antislavery minority existed in the South, most Southerners found slavery to be highly profitable and in time came to consider it a positive good. From Oppressed Slaves to Champion Soldiers :: American America History From Oppressed Slaves to Champion Soldiers This is just a small example of the doubt and hatred that was bestowed on the African American soldiers. However, during the war, they proved themselves to be brave and courageous men on and off the battlefield on many occasions. Despite deep prejudices and harsh criticisms from the white society, these men were true champions of patriotism. The cause of the Civil War was tension between the North and the South. The sectional division between the areas began in colonial times, largely resulting from geographical differences. The South was ideal for growing tobacco due to the warm climate and the fertile soil. Plantations brought in black slaves from Africa to provide most of the labor required for growing the crop. In time, other plantation crops such as cotton, sugar cane, indigo, and sugar beets were to thrive in the South. "By the onset of the Civil War, 2.4 million slaves were engaged in cotton production" (Long 16). A rural way of life that supported an agrian economy based on s lave labor was quickly established in the South. The North, however, was a cooler, rockier climate that would not support the development of plantations. As a result, the North's economy came to depend more on trade and industry than on agriculture. This economy supported the growth of cities, although many lived in rural areas during the colonial period. The sectional division between North and South had widened enormously by the mid - 1800's. The United States had expanded all the way to the Pacific Ocean and was rapidly becoming a major industrial and commercial nation. However, industry and commerce were centered in the North. The Northerners welcomed modernization and the constant changes it brought to their way of life. Their ideals included hard work, education, economic independence, and the belief that the community had the right and responsibility to decide whether an action was moral or immoral. While Northerners looked forward to a different and better future, Southerner s held the present and past dear. They enjoyed a prosperous agricultural economy based on slave labor and wished to keep their old way of life. By the 1800's, northerners viewed slavery as wrong and began a movement to end it. Even though an antislavery minority existed in the South, most Southerners found slavery to be highly profitable and in time came to consider it a positive good.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Zoroastrianism Essay -- essays research papers

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is the ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran that survives there in isolated areas and, more prosperously, in India, where the descendants of Zoroastrian Iranian (Persian) immigrants are known as Parses, or Pareses. In India the religion is call Parsiism. Founded by the Iranian prophet and reformer Zoroaster in the 6th century BC, the religion contains both monotheistic and dualistic features. It influenced the other major Western religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ancient Greeks saw in Zoroastrianism the archetype of the dualistic view of the world and of man's destiny. Zoroaster was supposed to have instructed Pythagoras in Babylon and to have inspired the Chaldean doctrines of astrology and magic, could be considered the arch-heretic. In more recent times the study of Zorastrianism has played a decisive part in reconstructing the religion and social structure of the Indo-European peoples. Though Zoroastrianism was never, even in the thinking of its founder, as aggressively monotheistic as, for instance, Judaism or Islam, it does represent an original attempt at unifying under the worship of one supreme god a polytheistic religion comparable to those of the ancient Greeks, Latins, Indians and other early peoples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Its other salient feature, namely dualism, was never understood in an absolute, rigorous fashion. Good and Evil fight an unequal battle in which the former is assured of triumph. God's omnipotence is thus only temporarily limited. In this struggle man must enlist because of his capacity of free choice. He does so with his soul and body, not against his body, for the opposition between good and evil is not the same as the one between spirit and matter. Contrary to the Christian or Manichaean attitude, fasting and celibacy are proscribed, except as part of the purifacatory ritual. Man's fight has a negative aspect, nonetheless: he must keep himself pure; i.e., avoid defilement by the forces of death, contact with dead matter, etc. Thus Zoroastrian ethics, although in itself lofty and rational, has a ritual aspect that is all percading. On the whole, Zoroastrianism is optimistic and has remained so even though the hardship and oppression of its believers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The religion of Iran before the time of Zoroaster... ...tises written during the brief renascence under Islam in the 9th century. Finally there are books written in Persian, either in verse or in prose. The latter include the correspondence exchanged between the Aoroastirians of Iran and India and the teatise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zoroastrianism is not the purely ethical religion it may at first seem. In practice, despite the doctrine of free choice, a Zoroastrian is so constantly involved in a meticulous struggle against the contamination of death and the thousand causes of defilement, and against the threat, even in his sleep, of ever present demons, that he does not often believe that he is leading his life freely and morally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apart from this attitude, the belief in the power of destiny sometimes culminates in fatalism. The latter is easily associated with Zurvanism, itself sometimes tainted with materialism. In the it is stated that though one be armed with the valor and strength of wisdom and knowledge, yet it is not possible to strive against the fate. On the whole, however, as RC Zeahner notes, the theological premisses of Zorastrianism are based on an essentially moralistic view of life.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Fracking: Water and Hydraulic Fracturing

Running head: FRACKING AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Effects of Hydraulic Fracturing and the Potential for Solutions Mark Hatcher ITT Technical Institute Full of beauty and bounty, for all who seek it, the dream of that new discovery or the find of a lifetime, awaits us whose desire is to have the plan that will fulfill a destiny, if we only work together and are determined to rise above the challenges to meet the aspiration.Those who believe and are willing to reach beyond normal capacity are most of the time able to accomplish the needs of the many, which in turn help further the cause for our existence and the anticipation of things to come. In doing so, many resources have been revealed fitting and useful over the course of time to assist us in our daily needs and social settings, allowing us the ability to sustain ourselves throughout history. However, as those resources grow smaller and our economy demands grow greater, we recognize the need to expand the search for other means of re conciliation to survive.In today’s economic struggle and political upheavals, we are ever so more seeking out new ways to take care of our own and retrieve new ways of self-dependence upon resources known to exist; only the means to extract are at hand. As most of us know, one of our most precious and well utilized resources to date is oil, black gold, which found far beneath the earth’s layers, in turn sent the Beverly Hillbillies to stardom. The need for oil and the byproducts that come from it are in great need and the costs are rising daily.Our requirement to ascertain this product has caused some concern and revealed the necessity to seek out new ways of locating this liquid assurance, for meeting our future demands. Although, there may be many ways of retrieving this from beneath the many depths of the earth, there has only been one way, truly effective for reaching areas untouched by normal means, which has become the center cause of debate in recent years. I wi ll, through the use of various reports and studies bring forth analysis and discovery that highlights the use of hydraulic fracturing and the effects hat seem to shadow over this seemingly burdened tactic of extraction. Before immersing ourselves in the myriad of reports, studies, and personal accounts concerning the results of this approach, we should understand what hydraulic fracturing is and the process it takes. Understanding the process, through which this approach is considered, we will be able to seize what the issues are and the potential for ushering in an agreement to a solution. We must first recognize what shale is and what it offers. Is this the answer to our economic future and interdependence on oil?Shale is a very compacted rock with fine sediment that is found to be with a large amount of minerals and other resources. â€Å"Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich resources of petroleum and natural gas. Sedimentary rocks are rocks formed by the a ccumulation of sediments at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale† (ShaleTech Shale Training and Education Center, 1995). We know that there are many resources we can extract from this area and the plays will require a unique technique to draw the required material out.Plays are noted to be spread out, throughout the United States and furthermore, the other side of the great pond is known to have several locations found to be worthy of the dig. â€Å"Shale gas maps show â€Å"plays† are found throughout the Mountain West, the South and throughout the Northeast's Appalachian Basin. The Barnett shale play in Texas, for example, is 5,000 square miles and provides 6 percent of U. S. natural gas. The Marcellus shale play that stretches across Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia covers ten times the square miles of the Barnett, but has only recently started to be developed† (EnergyFro mShale, 2012).There is much to do, in order to gain access to much of the plays that have yet to be discovered. As we progress in the direction of needed acceptance, we must consider the reasoning behind the need for access and what implications it may bring. â€Å"The U. S. Energy and Information Administration (EIA) reports that over 750 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas and 24 billion barrels of technically recoverable shale oil resources in discovered shale plays exist† (EnergyFromShale, 2012). This knowledge should propel us to continue to esearch necessary ways of extracting such a rich resource. However, within the last 50 years, there has been a means of retrieving this valuable resource for our future existence and economic progress. This activity has been possible through the actions of many drilling companies by the use of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a unique way to obtain the oil reserves by drilling in a horizontal pattern and gaining access to those many billion barrels of oil and natural gas waiting to be released.First, we must completely understand what hydraulic fracturing is and what it represents to the public. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing is the process of drilling for natural gas and oil underneath the ground. Water mixed with other  components is pumped into the ground to create cracks (also referred to as fissures or fractures) to release the gas into wells that have been built for collection† (WhatIsFracking, 2013). As the fog of understanding is slowly starting to lift, we again have to understand that there is a process, in which this occurs and will be noted in later pages, as to the affects of this procedure.Note that this has not gone on for such a period, as to not be studied and time given to organizing the pros and cons of this operation. In order to gain access to the far reaches of the plays that holds the resource, the utilization of various fluids and sand is used in th e process. It is vital to comprehend the need for monitoring the steps, as they occur and the overall engagement of the wells development. Steps are established, for this must have a great deal of regulatory involvement, while the entire flood of activity occurs. Water, sand and additives are mixed at the surface and pumped at high pressures down the wellbore. The fracturing fluid flows through the perforated sections of the wellbore and into the surrounding formation, fracturing it while carrying sand or proppants into the cracks to hold them open. Experts continually monitor pressures and fluid properties during the process, and adjust operations as necessary. This process is typically completed in multiple sections of the wellbore, commonly referred to as stages.Typically stages are isolated using a plug to allow energy or pressure to be applied to a smaller portion of the formation to help maximize the fractures created in the target formation. The plugs are removed from the wel lbore and the well’s pressure is reduced during the flowback process, leaving the sand in place to prop open the cracks and allow natural gas and oil to flow. Naturally occurring produced water, collected during the flowback process and throughout the life of the well, is properly disposed of or treated and re-used in the next hydraulic fracturing operation† (Chesapeake Energy, 2013).As the process dictates, it is very in-depth and must have an enormous amount of oversight, in order to accommodate the issues that may arise during any given point. Now that we have a clearer picture of the process, we should learn of the historical track that played out, in the early days. The first recorded effort to gain access to the plays that hold the natural gas and oil deposits was in the year 1947 by Pan American Petroleum Corp. This was noted as being a test platform, in which there was to be hydraulic fracturing compared directly with acidizing.This well, located in Grant County , Kansas, home of the Hugoton field Kelpper Well No. 1, was used as a tool for simulation productivity of oil and natural gas wells (Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2012). As time progressed, it became more and more popular, as a greater amount of drilling companies began to see the possibilities and growth potential in this process. Now we find ourselves faced with several years of activity and lessons learned to cope with, from various issues that have found their way to the open public.After many years of hydraulic fracturing and the horizontal drilling effort, there have been noted disruptions by what has been occurring through the need to extract methane from the shale rock. Therefore, further analysis is necessary to investigate the potential cause of all the reports being tethered through local, state, and the federal governments. The impact of this drilling weighs heavily on the residents that are local to the drilling process.The concerns stem from the possibility of contam ination that may be chiefly caused by the various fluids that are transferred through the well system, in order for the fracturing process to transpire. There is great concern that life threatening incidents may be a great risk to the area being fracked. With this issue and many others on the horizon, the Environmental Protection Agency has been very inclusive in all the debate. Through many regulatory policies and formal laws, there have been continued discussions, in regards to hydraulic fracturing.Before we discuss the major policies that have been implemented, it is necessary to bring about the detailed issues that have raised such awareness. An astronomical amount of reports had perforated the airways and given some reason for there to be fear in most of the residents’ eyes, when it could affect their very living conditions and livelihoods. â€Å"Areas of concern include perceived lack of transparency, potential chemical contamination, water availability, waste water di sposal, and impacts on ecosystems, human health and surrounding areas† (University of Michigan, 2012).The potential for there to be a complete downfall of an industry that had found an answer to locating and retrieving the well needed resource was now at the forefront of controversy and having to prove its place in this progressive economy. The report would continue to show the prospects of being an enormous loss to the residents of Michigan. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing has the potential to touch issues that virtually all Michigan residents care about: drinking water, air quality, Great Lakes health, water supply, local land use, energy security, economic growth, tourism and natural resource protection,† Hoffman said. In the end, our goal is to provide valuable insights and information to help address these important and legitimate concerns here in the Great Lakes State† (University of Michigan, 2012). The reports would not stop here, they would continue around the nation. â€Å"A U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) report found traces of methane, ethane and phenol in a monitoring well in rural Pavillion, Wyo. , where residents say fracking has contaminated their drinking water† (Colman, 2012). As noted, this was going to be a continual issue, needing mitigation and regulation by an appropriate authority.Along with this report came other stories, following the same circumstances and leading to the same conclusions. At this point there needed to be an in-depth study to completely comprehend the issues that have drawn so much limelight and bring about a report that would lead to the needed answers and come to some final conclusions. This is where the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Interior (DOI) came together in an multi-agency agreement to work toward efforts to engage this potential problem. In March 2011, the White House released a â€Å"Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future† (Blueprint) –a comprehensive plan to reduce America's oil dependence, save consumers money, and make our country the leader in clean energy industries. The Blueprint supports the responsible development of the Nation's oil and natural gas, with the specific goals of promoting safe practices and reducing energy imports. The Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior (DOL), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each will have a critical role to play in this mission† (Majumdar, A. Hayes, D. J. , Perciasepe, B. , 2012). Marching orders were therefore given to the multi-agency force and each would take measures, as to not go into redundancy and use each other’s fields of expertise and resolve conflicts, as they arose. As the EPA will continue to work in a multi-agency capacity to continue learning answers from their in-depth study, it is important to know that they did do an earlier study in 2004 on underground sourc es of drinking water, as it referred to hydraulic fracturing.While the main portion of the fracturing is conducted in a particular place, many of the other sections of vertical and horizontal well sections may be set up over several thousands of feet away. â€Å"Fluids, commonly made up of water and chemical additives, are pumped into a geologic formation at high pressure during hydraulic fracturing. When the pressure exceeds the rock strength, the fluids open or enlarge fractures that can extend several hundred feet away from the well.After the fractures are created, a propping agent is pumped into the fractures to keep them from closing when the pumping pressure is released. After fracturing is completed, the internal pressure of the geologic formation cause the injected fracturing fluids to rise to the surface where it may be stored in tanks or pits prior to disposal or recycling. Recovered fracturing fluids are referred to as flowback. Disposal options for flowback include disc harge into surface water or underground injection.Surface water discharges of the flowback  are regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, which requires flowback  to  be  treated prior to discharge into surface water or underground injection prior to discharge. Treatment is typically performed by wastewater treatment facilities. Underground injection of flowback is regulated by either EPA Underground Injection Control (UIC) program or a state with primary UIC enforcement authority. Injection of natural gas production wastes would be considered a Class II injection well† (Environmental Protection Agency, 2012).As seen, there are restrictions in place to prevent any issues with contaminants from ground water penetration. Even with these restrictions in place, there are clear indicators that there is a more graphic understanding what is coming out, as a result of fluids being pressurized through the system. â€Å"Along with the int roduced chemicals, hydrofrac water is in close contact with the rock during the course of the stimulation treatment, and when recovered may contain a variety of formation materials, including brines, heavy metals, radionuclides, and organics that can make wastewater treatment difficult and expensive.The formation brines often contain relatively high concentrations of sodium, chloride, bromide, and other inorganic constituents, such as arsenic, barium, other heavy metals, and radionuclides that significantly exceed drinking water standards† (danps, 2011). There needs to be a very serious conversation of how this is cleaned up and an answer, as to whether it is enough. There is clearly a lot of work put into the actual cleaning of the ground water, prior to the actual point, in which we, as citizens are able to partake of the needed substance for consumption. No matter how clean it is when you actually consume it, the process of getting to it is unbelievably dirty. Even the USGS acknowledges as much: â€Å"While the technology of drilling directional boreholes and the use of sophisticated hydraulic fracturing processes to extract gas resources from tight rock have improved over the past few decades, the knowledge of how this extraction might affect water resources has not kept pace† (danps, 2011). This is only one aspect of where this all goes.So many other areas of research are in need, to better understand the process, in which the fracturing is utilized. Further research was conducted and it was through the use of several interviews and questioning of a myriad of employees from various locations, concerning the extraction of Coal Bed Methane† (CBM). EPA researched more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, interviewed approximately 50 employees from industry and state or local government agencies, and communicated with approximately 40 citizens and groups who are concerned that CBM production ffected their drinking water wells† (United States Environmental Agency, 2004). After the many reviews and interviews conducted, the EPA came to some conclusions and presented them in chapter 7 of this current report. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing may have increased or have the potential to increase the communication between coal seams and adjacent formations in some instances. For example, in the Raton Basin, some fracturing treatments resulted in higher than expected withdrawal rates for production water.Those increases, according to literature published by the Colorado Geologic Survey, may be due to well stimulations creating a connection between targeted coal seams and an adjacent sandstone aquifer (Hemborg, 1998). In the Powder River Basin, concerns over the creation of such a hydraulic connection are cited as one reason why hydraulic fracturing of coalbed methane reservoirs is not widely practiced in the region. Some studies that allow direct observation of fractures (i. . , mined-through studies) also provided evidence that fractures move through interbedded layers, sometimes taking a stair-step path way through complex fracture systems, and sometimes enter or propagate through geologic strata above the coal† (United States Environmental Agency, 2004). The EPA finished out their report with concluding comments that were found to be not as alerting than what might have been expected. Based on the information collected and reviewed, EPA has concluded that the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into coalbed methane wells poses little or no threat to USDWs and does not justify additional study at this time. Although potentially hazardous chemicals may be introduced into USDWs when fracturing fluids are injected into coal seams that lie within USDWs, the risk posed to USDWs by introduction of these chemicals is reduced significantly by groundwater production and injected fluid recovery, combined with the mitigating effects of dilution and dispersion, adsorption, and potentially biodegradati on.Additionally, EPA has reached an agreement with the major service companies to voluntarily eliminate diesel fuel from hydraulic fracturing fluids that are injected directly into USDWs for coalbed methane production† (United States Environmental Agency, 2004). Several other reports came into sight, throughout the country concerning the use of hydraulic fracking and the potential for impacting, not only the land, but the economy for a given area, as well. Reports stemming from a community that namely has an array of vineyards for the production of wine, have thrown a red flag of concern over the entire region.This rise of apprehension over their displeasure of drilling companies simply ushering themselves in and going to work on their well, without concern for the nearby residents and their land. The mounting anxiety over this issue has occurred from the noticeable problematic reports of events that literally sprang up in the area. â€Å"This past June, a methane geyser was found in Pennsylvania’s Tioga County. Yes, a geyser — shooting methane-infused water 30 feet up in the air.Once the geyser was discovered, the county immediately turned to Shell, which was drilling in three nearby locations. Shell and the Department of Environmental Protection began investigating, and it was correctly suspected that an abandoned well from the 1930s contributed to the problem† (Figueroa, 2012). This, being an erroneous event was later found to be an old existing well from the 1030s, where the fluid from a nearby well, being hydraulically fractured, leaked over near the old well and burst up through it, creating the 30 foot geyser.There too, have been issues regarding the location of the wells near vineyards and the potential for disruption in the soil content and an economical impact, for the soil is worked to contain the right content for growing the vines for the fine wine. As well, if the land soil is tainted, there is a possibility of an econo mic suffering from the loss of profit if tastes change and are possibly contaminated. â€Å"Vineyard owners in California are  growing increasingly wary  of fracking as gas companies begin preliminary operations. Venoco has started exploring Monterey Shale for both oil and gas drilling.Last year, the company filed an application for drilling permits in Monterey County, according to Simon Salinas, a member of the county’s Board of Supervisors, and it already holds hundreds of thousands of acres in the formation has drilled more than 20 wells and has invested $100 million in oil exploration. With vineyards and farmlands covering 200,000 acres of Monterey that help make up an $8 billion agricultural business, Salinas told the  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, â€Å"Anything that can taint our water and food supply could be devastating to our economy† (Figueroa, 2012).Reports even go deeper than this, where there are believed to be detrimental damage and even death to anima ls that are near any wells in the area. It may be a reality as more and more livestock are raised near fracking sites. Hundreds of animals have already been  affected  after coming into contact with fracking fluid. â€Å"Last year, 28 beef cattle in Pennsylvania were exposed to the fluid. Only three of the 11 calves these cattle gave birth to survived. In Louisiana a few years ago, 16 cows dropped  dead  after drinking fracking fluid† (Figueroa, 2012).These are all alarming reports and individuals that are in the area have every reason to be upset and concerned over the events taking place. The question is, does this warrant further investigation or simply better legislation to control the problem or the potential, there of? As all of this sounds incredibly scary and one may ask the whereabouts of such legislation, it is understood that all the problems that have come about, are those that have mostly to do with water and how it affects surrounding land and the owners .This, being the case is under the written regulations of the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. The UIC program has developed certain guidelines for all involved with the use of a fluid injection process to extract the shale oil and natural gas that is so plentiful, throughout our region. The guideline begins the use of diesel fuel for the injection process, in the following statement: â€Å"EPA has developed draft Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class II permitting guidance for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing activities using diesel fuels.This document describes information useful in permitting the underground injection of oil- and gas-related hydraulic fracturing using diesel fuels where EPA is the permitting authority. EPA's goal is to improve compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements and strengthen environmental protections consistent with existing law† (United States Environmental Agency, 2012). There i s further guidance, in regards to the injection of possible contaminants that may affect ground water supplies, as dictated by the process from hydraulic fracturing.Through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which is authorized by the Clean Water Act, the following claim states, â€Å"industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters† (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009). Until further guidance comes out of the primary study, presently occurring, there seems to be a number of statutes in place to maintain a great deal of oversight and must be used to maintain what has continued to draw an enormous amount of controversy and surely will continue throughout the course of the process.The new study is to take a look at the vastness of what water goes through, during the hydraulic fracturing process. This being the call from congress, for the EPA to utilize its resources to re ad deep into the full cycle, in which the water passes, as it is used in the extraction of oil and natural gas from the shale plays. â€Å"At the request of Congress, EPA is conducting a study to better understand any potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water and ground water.The scope of the research includes the full lifespan of water in hydraulic fracturing, in regards to five primary points; the plan to study the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, an approach to the science, quality assurance ; integrity, a peer review, and the transparency of the practice† (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). The complete final report will not be made available until 2014, where it will be made public for review and comment.Before this final report makes its way to the public, the EPA has issued an official progress report and has detailed the path that the study will go, as far as, how it will attain complete unders tanding of the process that water takes through the lifespan of hydraulic fracturing. The EPA is using computer model to match the conditions, in which the water travels through hydraulic fracturing. It will be identified through hypothetical and realistic scenarios, by which water acquisition, well injection, and wastewater treatment and waste disposal stages of the water cycle are identified and given fair study and representation.All of this is being addressed as it relates to the Upper Colorado River Basin in the west and the Susquehanna River Basin in the east (US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Washington, DC, 2012). While it has been thoroughly discussed, as to the potential causes of awareness and a reason for alert, it is paramount that we discuss the hopeful answer to the issues that have been raised. There may be a possible olution, regarding the practice of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling; it may simply be an overall accept ance, until regulations can be the agreeable key to a solid outcome of this environmental squeeze on reality. Before we get to a proposed solution to the mind raking issues that have plagued this storyline, there is a cost to all of this and a place to put the responsibility on the shoulders of the bearers to this environmental struggle for clarity.With fracking, being a well spread operation and bringing with it a toll of polluted areas, such as water, air, and torn up land across the nation, we are faced with the need to not only find resolution to this growing land grievance, but we need to recognize that there must be a means of restoration to the areas effected and the costs associated, dealt with during the process. Let it be known there is a high price tag in pursuing a cleanup and hopeful reversal of the damage done by the fracturing. Methane contamination of well water poses a risk of explosion and is often addressed by removing it from water at the point of use. In Dimock, Pennsylvania, Cabot Oil ; Gas reported having spent $109,000 on methane removal systems for 14 local households in the wake of drilling-related ethane contamination of local groundwater supplies. In addition, the company spent $10,000 on new or extended vent stacks to prevent the build-up of methane gas in 17 residents’ homes.Such measures do not remove methane from groundwater supplies, but merely eliminate the immediate threat to residents’ homes† (Tony Dutzik and Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group John Rumpler, Environment America Research ; Policy Center, 2012). However, water is not the only issue that is under the gun, there is also the effect that each fracking site has on the air surrounding it. The air we breathe highly contributes to the health of all those associated with residency in the area of drilling. A 2004 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document, referring to the work of a Federal roundtable on environmental cleanup technologies, estim ated the cost of air sparging at $150,000 to $350,000 per acre. Adjusting for inflation, and assuming that the extent of the seep was correctly estimated by Encana at 1. 3 acres, one could estimate the cost of the sparging operation in 2012 dollars at $248,000 to $579,000. In addition, as of May 2012, Encana and its contractors had collected more than 1,300 water samples since the seep began. Again, the cost of this sampling and testing is unknown, but could e conservatively estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Cabot Oil ; Gas, for example, incurred $700,000 in water testing expenses in the wake of concerns about groundwater contamination from a fracking well in Dimock, Pennsylvania† (Tony Dutzik and Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group John Rumpler, Environment America Research ; Policy Center, 2012). In order for the companies out there that are working toward reducing the amount of pollution coming from fracking, they are looking at a high rate of dollars to keep it at a minimum. The clearance of forest land in Pennsylvania for fracking is projected to lead to increased delivery of nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake Bay, which already suffers from a vast nutrient-generated dead zone. The cost of reducing the same amount of pollution as could be generated by fracking would be approximately $1. 5 million to $4 million per year† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). It is important, not only to understand what it takes to cleanup at an actual location, but the cost incurred through repairing the lanes to the site, because of the variety equipment and how it damages the roadways. The truck traffic needed to deliver water to a single fracking well causes as much damage to local roads as nearly 3. 5 million car trips. The state of Texas has approved $40 million in funding for road repairs in the Barnett Shale region, while Pennsylvania estimated in 2010 that $265 million would be needed to repair damaged roads in the Marc ellus Shale region† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). Infrastructure is important to have an ability to get to the site and out of the site safely, however there is a cost, when it comes to the other friends of our environment. Fracking has several negative impacts on farms, including the loss of livestock due to exposure to spills of fracking wastewater, increased difficulty in obtaining water supplies for farming, and potential conflicts with organic agriculture. In Pennsylvania, the five counties with the heaviest Marcellus Shale drilling activity saw an 18. 5 percent reduction in milk production between 2007 and 2010† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). This, being only one part of the issue, we also must consider the other end of the animal kingdom, our wildlife in the wilderness. Gas operations in Wyoming have fragmented key habitat for mule deer and pronghorn, which are important draws for the state’s $340 million hunting and w ildlife watching industries. The mule deer population in one area undergoing extensive gas extraction dropped by 56 percent between 2001 and 2010† (PennEnvironment Research ; Policy Center, 2012). In this great land of ours, we are living in a generation that now must deal with a new healthcare system and be able to still afford the normal living expenses that come our way.With healthcare cost rising and now the fight for the issues that have been rising over the industrialization of our resource gathering techniques, we are at the foothills and must climb up and rise above the extraneous costs that come from this means of extraction. â€Å"Drinking water contamination:   In Dimock, Pennsylvania, permanently replacing residents’ contaminated drinking water with a new source was estimated at more than $11 million and health costs from air pollution:   in Arkansas’ Fayetteville Shale region, air pollution from fracking operations impose health costs estimated at $9. million in one year. In Texas’ Barnett Shale region, those costs reach $270,000 per day during the summer smog season† (Environment America, 2012). This now seems, as though it is not going anywhere anytime soon, so where is a possible solution to this environmental peril we find ourselves in? Is there an answer? Or are we destined to sit and wait for an answer that may never come. Now, we find ourselves staring at a withering wilderness without any better days likely to come over this industrialized beat down.Now that there is a more comprehensive understanding of what fracking is all about and the impact it has on the environment directly and indirectly, through the social health issues, we must be able to curtail what is being identified as hazardous and stop it in its tracks. In order for this to occur, shouldn’t there be a means of determining the location of where the fracking fluid is mostly traveling, so we can diffuse the situation and potentially protect the surrounding regions from contamination and the spread of this devastating spiral of events.Having a way to track where the fluid travels is one of the possible solutions to keeping the public safe from the probability of causing more harm among our citizens. â€Å"Currently, there is little courts can do to determine the truth of claims that fracking contaminates waterways. One popular suggestion, proposed by many stakeholders and creative scientists, is to include some type of tracer device, such as a color or a chemical, to follow fracking fluids through the environment.This solution wouldn’t track the leaching of natural gas through old mines or fissures, but it would help companies, overseers, and policy-makers understand how chemicals flow deep underground, especially when multiple companies are drilling in one area. Such tracers would hold companies accountable to the environment, to landowners, and to stakeholders† (Lamers, 2012). The question is, w ould this continue to add to the already polluted scene, or would it meet a solution to have a better understanding, as to the route this fluid seems to take to contaminate our groundwater systems?We also may have an opportunity to set stricter laws, as to the actual location of these wells, in relation to it being positioned within residential areas. â€Å"Policies and recommendations vary widely about how close shale gas sites should be to lakes, rivers, ponds, houses, wetlands and protected areas. As many counties and states begin to lease or sell land, drill sites are beginning to cross into state or county parks and pass into or through rivers and streams† (Lamers, 2012).Having the ability to force drilling companies to be at a particular range from any residential or other protected area would be a promising solution to creating safer barriers for the general population and individual wildlife areas to be safe from the untidiness of a fracking site. While we look for th e government to come up with more legalistic approaches to this devastating thorn under the environments skin, maybe the answer is more profound and can be drawn from unique sources, rather than a traditional loom. â€Å"Most of the water used to free the gas and oil is trapped underground.But a new option is to swap water for propane gas, which is then recaptured as it escapes from the earth. Canadian company GasFrac Energy Services is already employing propane instead of water. A single fracking job can use between two million and six million gallons of water while most of that water remains underground, the fluid that does return to the surface has to be disposed of as contaminated wastewater† (Stone, 2011). Another approach is found to be one of the greenest found, to date. Not only is the amount of water being reduced, but the solution involves utilizing a biodegradable source to accomplish a safe means of eusing this product. â€Å"Houston-based oil field supplier Flot ek Industries has found another solution that replaces traditional chemicals with extract from orange peels, turning the conventional mixture of water and toxins into a biodegradable blend† (Stone, 2011). This idea opens up a whole new scheme in the desire to continue our search for self sustainment and future drilling opportunities. However, it is not the only solution to hit the community, as there has been something stirred up in the Halliburton camp with the utilization of solar panels and electricity making its way to the oil fields. Halliburton calls its two-year-old solar-powered invention the SandCastle. It has rolled out dozens of SandCastles in the U. S. By replacing diesel engines to move sand from the trailers, Halliburton estimates the devices have saved 950,000 gallons of diesel and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 20 million pounds in the first nine months of 2012. Halliburton and the other three largest oil-field service providers spent $2. 04 billion on res earch and development in 2011, up 32 percent from two years earlier. Some of that went to finding ways to make fracking more eco-friendly.Other green-leaning players include Chesapeake Energy (CHK) and General Electric (GE), as well as oil-patch interlopers such as Verenium (VRNM), a biotech concern, and Ecologix Environmental Systems, which makes wastewater-treatment systems† (Wethe, 2012). What does all of this mean? It simply means that drilling companies are seeing the need to make changes to the way they conduct business, so as it does not interfere with our environment anymore. It means that we can no longer stand by, as residents of this great land of ours and simply be good with how they conduct their business.It means that, we the people of this beautiful landscape we call planet earth, have a voice and will be heard. It means, as long as we celebrate our land together as citizens, we have the aptitude to develop the means necessary, to guide the direction, in which w e will continue to move forward. As mentioned at the beginning of this paper, we will continue to dream of that new discovery, launching us into a new direction. We are a people of continuous change and workmanship; we will find a way forward. We’re a people that will come together and meet the need of our mother earth. References Chesapeake Energy. 2013). Hydraulic fracturing facts. Retrieved from http://www. hydraulicfracturing. com/Process/Pages/information. aspx danps, (2011, April 30). The high cost of fracking – and the movement against it. 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Evaluation of impacts to underground sources of drinking water by hydraulic fracturing of coalbed methane reservoirs . Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/ogwdw/uic/pdfs/cbmstudy_attach_uic_ch02_methodology. pdf United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2012, May 9). Hydraulic fracturing background information. Retrieved from http://water. epa. gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulic fracturing/wells_hydrowhat. fm United States Environmental Agency, (2012, September 6). Hydraulic fracturing under the safe drinking water act. Retrieved from http://water. epa. gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/hydraulic- fracturing. cfm United States Environmental Protection Agency, (2012, February 14). Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources: Progress report. Retrieved from http://epa. gov/hfstudy/ US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Washington, DC, (2012, December ). Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources progress report.Retrieved from http://epa. gov/hfstudy/pdfs/hf-report20121214. pdf University of Michigan. (2012, November 29). Fracking: Researchers study potential impact on health, environment, economy. Retrieved from http://www. labspaces. net/125572/Fracking__Researchers_study_potential_impa ct_on_health__environment__economy Wethe, D. (2012, November 29). For fracking, it's getting easier being green. Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/articles/20 12-11-29/for-fracking-its-getting- easier-being-green WhatIsFracking, (2013, ). What is hydraulic fracturing?. Retrieved from http://www. what- is-fracking. com/what-is-hydraulic-fracturing/