Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Hard Times Essay Example

Hard Times Paper A 19th century university once described a Victorian Gentleman as a person of nature and one who never inflicts pain. Dickens uses Bounderby in the novel Hard Times to make a mockery of the Victorian Gentleman. Bounderby is seen as a Victorian gentleman, but it does not take too much analysis to appreciate that Bounderby is a fraud. Bounderby is a very proud man. He tells the story or his own raising from the gutter many times throughout the novel, this is a short extract from a conversation that he had with Mrs Sparsit in Book 1 Chapter 3 I passed the day in a ditch, and the night in a pigsty. Thats the way I spent my twelfth birthday. Not that a ditch was new for me, as I was born in one. I was so ragged and dirty, that you wouldnt have touched me with a pair of tongs. It is relevant that this is the first time we meet Bounderby he is telling of his hardships as a juvenile as first impressions are important. Dickens obviously wanted to give us the impression that Bounderby was inconsiderate and self-praising. This may have been Dickens way of suggesting that the social hierarchy in Victorian times was unreasonable. We will write a custom essay sample on Hard Times specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Hard Times specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Hard Times specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Not only does Bounderby constantly remind people of his bad childhood, but also he claims to have made it on his own Nobody to thank for being here but myself The 19th century definition of a Victorian Gentleman also says he never speaks with himself except when compelled. This is in fact the complete opposite to what Bounderby repetitively does throughout he essay as he also speaks highly of himself, and only himself. Although he is a best friend of local school headmaster, Mr Gradgrind, Bounderby is more interested in money and power than in facts. He himself is a fiction, and a fraud as Mrs Pegler turns up and tells of how Bounderby paid her i 30 a year to stay away from him Josiah in the gutter.. no such a thing My dear boy knows, he comes of humble parents Dickens didnt think highly of Victorian gentlemen, this is shown when he uses Mrs Pegler to notify us of how Bounderbys love for money means more to him than his love for his family. When Mrs Pegler reveals Bounderbys status as a fraud, we react with irritation towards him. His whole character is based around his own raising from the gutter, the fact that this is a lie, makes us lose our trust in him, if we had any to begin with. It is not only our trust for Bounderby that we lose, but our respect for him too. The book is written so that the reader has a blatant dislike for Bounderby, but one must respect him for working his way from the gutter to the top of the social hierarchy. Until we hear the truth, all our respect for him is about his own self-raising, when we discover the truth, we lose that respect and we have little or no respect for him. This news about Bounderby is discovered it is rather ironic, as he has gone through life with his often-repeated declaration I am Josiah Bounderby of Coketown This quotation shows his inflated sense of pride for the way he was raised (by himself) and for how he turned out, in other words, his wealth. Darren Cave Page 1 5/2/2007 Although as it turns out, Bounderby was not actually raised by himself from the gutter, his parents were poor but did love him. This should mean that he has sympathy for others who are like he was in his childhood. Instead, he believes that everyman should work himself to the top, starting from the bottom, supposedly like him. This is shown in his treatment of Stephen Blackpool. Stephen comes to discuss how he could go about getting a divorce from his wife. Stephen works for Bounderby and has had a very troubled marriage as his wife is a drunken and robs him. When Stephen questions Bounderby about a divorce, Bounderby asks him if he wishes to be fed on turtle soup and venison with a gold spoon as he has unreasonable aspirations for a worker. This amplifies the lack of sympathy and respect that Bounderby has for his workers. That comment is very sarcastic and Bounderby finds it funny. This says a lot about his character. Not only is the unsympathetic to a man with real problems, but he makes a joke of him to go with it. It seems as if Bounderby is actually shocked that a worker would ask a question like that to him because in Bounderbys opinion the answer is so clear cut. By his sarcastic comment it is as if he is trying to say to Stephen are you trying to be funny? .

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Excuse Me Flo, Where’d This Big Mac Come From

â€Å"Excuse Me Flo, Where’d This Big Mac Come From?† â€Å"Family farmers care about the land they farm. We need to keep as many farmers on their land as possible-for their sake and ours.† This quote comes from John Melloncamp who is the director of the Farm Aid organization. After growing up in a small country town I came to realize the hardships that family farmers have to endure. My grandfather farms cattle and pigs and I have witnessed the travesties that corporate America has caused them. In the following I will explain how the family farming dynamic has changed over recent years, how David C. Korten’s view on societal change applies to farming, and finally how one organization is trying to remedy this problem. Over the past few years several circumstances have come together to greatly increase the pressures on farming in general and small, independent farms in particular. In 1996 Congress passed the Freedom To Farm Act, which re-wrote farm policy and laid down a foundation and schedule for eliminating most farm subsidies and price supports. This legislation in combination with a number of severe weather events and the partial collapse of the global economy has led to an increase in the number of farmers facing either bankruptcy or the abandonment of their farms. In many cases, such as my grandfathers, these are farms that have been in the family for generations. The communities of which these farmers and farms have been a part have seen their lives undergo major change. Over these same years the primary action of Congress to meet these needs has been the appropriation of emergency aid funds. While this may be very helpful in the short run, this method has done nothing to change the evil systemic dealings in national policy. While the retail price of food over the years has generally remained stable, relative both to inflation and expenditure as a percentage of family income, the grower’s share of profits from ... Free Essays on Excuse Me Flo, Where’d This Big Mac Come From Free Essays on Excuse Me Flo, Where’d This Big Mac Come From â€Å"Excuse Me Flo, Where’d This Big Mac Come From?† â€Å"Family farmers care about the land they farm. We need to keep as many farmers on their land as possible-for their sake and ours.† This quote comes from John Melloncamp who is the director of the Farm Aid organization. After growing up in a small country town I came to realize the hardships that family farmers have to endure. My grandfather farms cattle and pigs and I have witnessed the travesties that corporate America has caused them. In the following I will explain how the family farming dynamic has changed over recent years, how David C. Korten’s view on societal change applies to farming, and finally how one organization is trying to remedy this problem. Over the past few years several circumstances have come together to greatly increase the pressures on farming in general and small, independent farms in particular. In 1996 Congress passed the Freedom To Farm Act, which re-wrote farm policy and laid down a foundation and schedule for eliminating most farm subsidies and price supports. This legislation in combination with a number of severe weather events and the partial collapse of the global economy has led to an increase in the number of farmers facing either bankruptcy or the abandonment of their farms. In many cases, such as my grandfathers, these are farms that have been in the family for generations. The communities of which these farmers and farms have been a part have seen their lives undergo major change. Over these same years the primary action of Congress to meet these needs has been the appropriation of emergency aid funds. While this may be very helpful in the short run, this method has done nothing to change the evil systemic dealings in national policy. While the retail price of food over the years has generally remained stable, relative both to inflation and expenditure as a percentage of family income, the grower’s share of profits from ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Speluncean Explorer Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speluncean Explorer Case - Essay Example The jury will hear the arguments from both the parties and then he will decide the truth or punishment. Normally in adversarial system the trial will be followed by an inquiry of the issue. In my opinion, the judge Natural who upheld the judgment, but reduced the punishment to 20 years life in prison, is more likely to be the best judge who acted as per the criminal justice system in Ukraine. In criminal procedures, the humanity or morality will only at the second place. At first place the as per the criminal justice system the judges need to analyze that whether the crime has been committed by the accused or not. They should confirm that enough evidences are there to sentence the culprits. So the first duty of the judges is to ensure that enough evidences are there against the culprit. The circumstances under which the crime has been conducted, comes only after the crime is established. The circumstances of the crime only used to determine how much punishment needs to be enforced. If the judge feels that the culprit has no other way other than the crime to escape, the judge can consider a liberal approach towards the culprit. Or in other words if the crime was conducted under no forceful conditions then the culprit needs maximum punishment. Here in this Speluncean Explorer Case, the crime was conducted only when there was no other way for the culprits to escape. So the judge can think of a liberal approach towards the culprits. But at the same time, under no circumstances, a person can take the life of another person because of its immense value. Since nobody can create a life in the laboratory, nobody can take the life of another person also. So in this case judge Natural is absolutely right in his judgment in my opinion. He has analyzed all the aspects of the crime both legally and morally. Though the culprits may be right legally, morally they were not. Capital punishment has to be reduced considering all the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Role of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Decisions Research Paper

The Role of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Decisions - Research Paper Example It is through such understanding that they grow up to become effective buyers and at the same time of the best products in the market (Wayne & Deborah, 2009). This will help avoid impulse buying among consumers hence invest in well. A good consumer should be able to portray the three major characteristics of a consumer namely a user, payer and buyer. This implies that relationship marketing is a vital aspect in the market decisions that are reached at by a buyer. Consumers in ant market setting are considered as the most vital aspect to the seller as they are a contributing factor to the profits that are made by the sellers. Branding Strategy The brands formed should be those that will help maintain the trust of the consumers. They are expected to be eye catching and convincing. It will serve as a form of company identity and it should be able to tell a lot about the company in question. As a government organization, our brand should be one that can be able to convince the consumers about our products or the services being offered. The company needs to define what its brand in order to be able to create a foundation for all the components that are to be included in it. It is through the brand that the company will be able to undertake a market evaluation and obtain all the required market related information and come up with practical strategies. The brand will also enable the organization to come up with objectives that will serve as a platform for working on (Edelman, 2010). Through the objectives, the organization will be able to focus on the target audience and this will enable them understand the consumer behavior. The company will also be able to set its market target in order to get the limit supply of their products to given consumers. This will become vital in avoiding unnecessary losses. In order to attract new hires, the company should discover and eliminate the brand barriers in existence. This is an analysis that will be undertaken in order to be a ware of the principle barriers that exist and can be responsible for the inability of the product to be successful. Branding is vital as it serves as identification in the market place. It communicates on behalf of the product and the company at larger and should be made in such a manner that it convinces the consumers (Wayne & Deborah, 2009). The target market has to be clearly defined and this is through a brand strategy where the consumers get to understand that you are talking specifically to them. To better understand your market group and consumer behavior, the company is expected to conduct an intensive market analysis. Competitors have to be known as they also influence the movement of goods in the market. Recommendations It is recommendable that as a company, we be able to consider people with common interests so that we can have goals that will enable the company adjust its strategies so that they are able to meet the market demands and competition. Communication is a vita l foundation through which the organization will build a good relationship with its consumers. Here ideas will be shared between the two parties and this will help the company to know where to improve on the services being provided. It is through communication that the company will be able to define better their brand strategy to their consumers in order for them to understand the company better. Secondly, the company shou

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Communication's course assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication's course assignment - Essay Example The tenets of rhetoric that facilitates the persuasion of the audience include logos, ethos, and the pathos. In addition to these, there are also the five canons which are also used in the design and package of the persuasive speech so that it becomes more palatable to the audience, they include the following; arrangement, invention, memory, delivery, and style. In the three presidential debates that took place between the incumbent president Barrack Obama and the former governor Mitt Romney, the duo extensively used rhetoric to persuade and appeal o the audience in all the three occasions they confronted one another in the debates. In the first presidential debate, rhetoric took a fair chunk of the time when the two presidential aspirants were asked about the inequalities at the work place. President Obama made the first remark on the ‘glass ceiling’ that his grandmother had to go through during her time working in a bank, this was a perfect pathos appeal used at the right time to emotionally connect with the audience. The anecdotic phrase propelled Obama and the women could infer that Obama understands the problem the women have faced thus stands the best chance to find solutions to them. Obama also extended by making passionate logos appeal to the women on this consciousness about them in the work place, in this regard he me ntioned the Lily Ledbetter Act that he signed during his first tenure as a vivid clarity that his concern for the women is real and not a pretence. Romney responding to the same did not score him any point given the emotional connection Obama created by using effectively the pathos and logos. Romney in response to the equality of the women at work place did not explore the effective use of rhetoric, in fact, his statement about women flexibility at work to enable them attend to household chores. This statement worked against him as it was interpreted that he perceive women as homemakers and not as people who

Friday, November 15, 2019

Social Media In The Business World

Social Media In The Business World It is hard to believe that there once was a time when horses were the latest thing in media technology. Horses were a means of communication over large amounts of land, which as a technological innovation changed the course of history (AMTEC). Media and technology has come an incredibly long way since that time. The rate in which technology is advancing makes it hard to keep up. Todays society revolves around the latest technology and what is current in the mediam everyone wants the latest and the greatest. Technology today gives people endless possibilities at the touch of their fingers at any time of day. A study done by The Nielsen Company projects that by the end of 2011 Smartphones will overtake feature phones in the United States. They also believe that one in two Americans will own a smartphone by Christmas of 2011. Smartphones, which are mobile phones that offer more computing ability and connectivity than feature phones, make it possible to communicate with and connected to anywhere in the world at any time. Smartphones are just one example of the technological revolution we are experiencing today. Social media is a part of the obsession people have with media and technology today. As stated above, technology makes it extremely easy to communicate with people and social media makes it even easier. It is no longer required for someone to be at a computer in order to long onto their favorite social media sites. Smartphones have teamed up with these sites to create applications that allow you to access your social media profile right from your mobile phone. This makes it possible to be literally connected and able to communicate with people twenty-four hours a day. The popularity of social media sites is unbelievable. Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? asks Erik Qualman, founder of Socialnomics, which works to provide social and mobile statistics. One of the most popular social media sites, facebook, has attracted more than 500 million active users since it was created in February of 2004. Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months (Qualman). In contrast, it took the television thirteen years and the internet four years to reach 100 million users. Facebook is not only used by people in the United States. About 70% of its users are outside of the United States and it is available in over 70 different translations, as stated on facebook.com. Also, people spend over 700 billion minutes per month of facebook. A survey done in a College Writing II class at Marist College showed that 100% of the students in the class have a profile on a social media site. The business world is certainly not being left behind by the social media revolution. Contrary to popular belief social media is not solely used for social purposes. As the popularity of these social media sites continue to grow at a rapid rate, businesses are starting to jump on the bandwagon. Businesses can certainly benefit and also be harmed in a number of ways by social media sites. As a result, Social Media is becoming a big factor in employment, affecting both job seekers and employers. People are mistaken when they believe that socializing is the only purpose of social media sites. Besides facebook, twitter and youtube, which are mainly used for social purposes, there are also sites that are used for professional business purposes. These sites are benefitial and present opportunities to both job seekers and businesses looking to hire new employees. One of the more popular professional social media sites is known as LinkedIn. The site defines itself as, A networking tool to find connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners. With nearly 25 million users LinkedIn serves almost any industry and professions explains Jake Swearingen a reporter for BNET. On LinkedIn users simply make a profile including all their professional information, and start searching and networking. In his article for the CBS Interactive Business Network, Swearingen states that it is easy to create a profile but it takes work to make it as useful as possible. In the article he outlines steps to making a LinkedIn profile that will benefit the user the most. He says before a user connects with other users they must first create a profile with their detailed professional history. Simply copying and pasting their resume on the site will not cut it. A successful LinkedIn profile should reflect professional interests, passions and ambitions (Swearingen). The site is helpful in making sure that the user fills in all areas of their profile but, Swearingen believes there are two specific areas that are crucial in making a profile as effective as possible. The first is the section located right under the users name on their profile. This section is a short headline which is usually four or five words. This will be the first thing people see on a LinkedIn profile besides the users name. In other words, this will be the first impression made on all viewers. This section should be a simple explanatory headline that contains keywords that will help users find eachother, for example, Senior Project Manager at MacDonnell-Douglas or, High-Performing Aeronautical Engineering Projects. The second section contain past job experiences and ambitions for the future. Swearingen informs that when listing past job experiences users should make sure to use verbs as much as possible. It shows that passion about what the user learned from each job. Also, non-jobs can also be listed here. These include positions such as leading a group project. Mrinal Desai, a former LinkedIn evangelist and current vice president at CrossLoop, Inc recommends including what you want to do in the future in this section. After creating the best profile possible on LinkedIn, the user can get and receive recommendations. People who are happy with someones work can write a brief description of their experiences on that persons profile. These recommendations can be seen by anyone who views that specific profile. Recommendations serve a similar purpose as references someone would use when filling out a job application. Having recommendations from past and present colleagues and, or bosses shows that this particular person has good working habits, trustworthy and reliable. All of which are qualities companies look for in employees. As well as being helpful to people looking for jobs, LinkedIn is also extremely beneficial to companies looking to hire new employees. 40% of Fortune 100 companies are using LinkedIn recruiting solutions as of August 2009 (Srinvasen). Businesses can post open positions right on LinkedIn and users can search through the jobs posted for the ones that apply. Then companies can use the LinkedIn Recruiter which searches the entire site for the best possible candidates based on what the company is specifically looking for. The company can then contact the candidates directly through LinkedIn mail. This process is quick, easy and saves companies money. Social media used for pre-employment purposes poses many benefits for people who utilize its tools; however it also can be harmful. The popularity of social media sites makes it extremely easy to acquire information about almost anyone. For example, there are 500 million people on facebook anyone could get to know by poking around their profiles. As a result of this popularity, businesses are beginning to use social media as a part of the hiring process. The purpose of a job interview is to learn something about the candidates personality but that person tries to make the best possible impression on the interviewer. This impression may not depict the persons true personality. Employers want to make sure they are making the best choice before hiring someone and content on social media sites can tell a lot about someones true personality. CEO Max Drucker believes, I personally think were moving away from the one-page resume. I think were moving toward where your online history is your resume. Do you have content on your profile you would not want a possible employer to see? 45% of companies use social media sites to research potential job candidates according to a survey of more than 2,000 HR professionals which was commissioned by CareerBuilder.com. That is nearly half of all companies. In addition, another 11% are planning to start similar practices in the near future. Out of the companies who admitted to using social media as a hiring tool 35% said they had actually rejected a candidate based on content they found during their research. But what exactly do companies find to cause such decisions? Having provocative pictures or information was the main reason employers opted out of hiring someone. Sharing content that involved alcohol and drugs was not far behind. Also, companies dismissed candidates for bad-mouthing previous employers, co-workers, or clients on social media sites. Even the use emoticons or smiley faces that have become very common when communicating technologically are seen as a negative to companies. This does not mean job seekers can no longer reminisce with their friends about the party they went to last weekend on social media sites. Facebook, as well as other social media sites, have made it possible to make your profile private. There are many different settings that can be changed in order to make sure only desired people can see a full facebook profile. The settings can either be set to everyone, which means everyone can see everything on that specific profile, friends of friends, friends only, or custom. Custom makes it possible to block certain friends, but not all friends. Each of these settings can be applied to each aspect of a facebook profile separately. For example, say someone wants everyone on facebook to be able to see their profile pictures, but only wants their friends to be able to see their posts. The everyone setting can be applied specifically to profile pictures, while the friends only setting can be applied to all posts. Also, say someone is friends with their Aunt Joan on facebook, but does not want her to see pictures of what they do on the weekends. Aunt Joan can specifically be blocked from all pictures, still be able to see other sections of the profile and still remain friends with her family member. Users can also make themselves unsearchable, which means if someone types their name in the search bar, at the top of the facebook homepage, their profile will not come up. This assures extra safety from employers looking to do some online research. Researching job candidates online sounds like a convienient way for employers to find out about their personality, but theres a catch. Companies need to be aware of legal issues when doing online research. Michelle Sherman described which information about job candidates is off limits in her article for the Social Media Law Update Blog. She described that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion and gender when making employment related decisions such as, hiring, discipline and termination. The Age Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against people who are 40 years or older, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against those who are qualified disabled. Many states add other factors to the list of information that is off limit. For example, the state of California adds sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, cancer, political affiliation, genetic characteristics, and gender identity to the list. Companies can easily gain information about the factors stated above by investigating social media sites. Michelle Sherman said, The challenge for employers who are researching job applicants, or monitoring the social media activity of their employees, is to not let this protected status information bleed into their employment decisions. On the other hand, Renee M. Jackson of the National Law Journal believes, Employers should consider whether the benefits of using social media to research applicants outweigh the risks. She also states certain guidelines employers should consider if they decide to screen social media sites. One guideline describes that companies should have a neutral party screen social media sites and filter out any information that is considered off limits under federal law. This neutral party can then pass on acceptable information to the individuals making the hiring decisions. Whoever is doing the online research should never friend a candidate in order to gain access to information. Finally, employers must be able to state a legitimate and nondiscriminatory reason for the decisions they make with documentation to support their claim. CEO of Social Intelligence Corp. Max Drucker says, Look, the employer is damned if they do, and damned if they dont. If they do screening themselves, its a legal landmine. If they dont, they open themselves up to negligent hiring. The presence of social media in the business world does not disappear after the hiring process is complete. People believe that employees who use social media sites while at work can actually benefit the business. It is said to result in external business generation. Considering the popularity of social media today it is the fastest way to advertise to the public. In 2009, Sodexo, a food company, got a lot of buzz because they had their employees tweet under the company name (Welstead). To put this into perspective, if 100 employees get involved, each employee has an average of 100 friends on their social media profile, and they post one company-related status per week that status will reach 10,000 or more people per week. In a matter of minutes a company can advertise to tens of thousands of people they may not be able to reach otherwise. Companies dont always have to rely on their employees to advertise on social media sites. Facebook has made it possible for businesses to create business accounts. Business accounts are different than personal accounts and are designed mainly to as a place for companies to advertise. Once a business creates a business account on facebook it can edit the businesses profile and add photos, videos and events. For example, Honda has its very own facebook page. The page contains information about the company, pictures and videos of the different types of cars, links to pages dedicated to one specific type of car, and promotions of their latest products and campaigns. In addition, businesses can also create ads that will show up on the side of the facebook homepage when the user logs on. Each company can choose their audience by location, age and interests when displaying their ad on facebook. Although, using social media for advertising creates a lot on benefits, it also may harm companies. It is obvious that if employees spend their entire day on social media sites production may decrease, but that is a small speed bump compared to the damage that could be done. The biggest risk is the unauthorized disclosure of confidential company information (Jackson). Leaking confidential company information can cause the company embarrassment, public relations issues and damage to the employers brand or reputation. As a result it is suggested that each company have a social media policy that all employees must follow. It is unrealistic to ban social media as a whole considering the amount of people who own smart phones. In other words, if social media sites are blocked on the company computers, employees can still log on using their mobile phones. Renee Jackson outlined some possible guidelines in her article for the National Law Journal. She described that companies should make it clear that the misuse of social media can be grounds for discipline and even termination. After that is made clear, it should be prohibited for employees to disclose confidential company information, trade secrets or proprietary information. Employees should keep company logos off their personal profiles and bring work-related complaints to human resources before writing about it on the internet. Also, employees should be prohibited from using their company e-mail address to register for social media sites. These are just a few suggested policies companies should consider there are many more additions to this that can insure further protection to the company. Social media has been and can be a source of friendships, which can carry over to the work place. Renee Jackson believes, Employee use of social media can result in an internal creation of a collegial atmosphere through less formal interaction and shared experiences between co-workers. In other words, social media allows co-workers to interact in a less formal manner. They can communicate online in addition to having face-to-face conversations while at work. This strengthens the relationships between co-workers creating a pleasant and strong work environment. The closer employees are the better they work together in a team atmosphere. In contrast to the quote stated above, Renee Jackson also states, On the other hand, employee use of social media can create awkward and potentially harassing situations when such use turns inappropriate. An example of this is if a supervisor wants to be a subordinates friend on a social media site. If the subordinate accepts the request the supervisor now has access to all the information on their profile. On the other hand, if the subordinate decides not to accept it may create an awkward situation in the work place because the supervisor may be offended. Misuse of such sites can cause sexual harassment or create a hostile work environment in more extreme cases (Jackson). Social media is not just a fad. Since facebook first launched in 2004 it has gained over 500 million users. The rate in which it gained popularity was faster than that of any other technological innovation. Social media is beginning to permeate the business world. It can be extremely beneficial to business, but also very harmful. If social media is going to continue to be used in the business world, it needs to be used correctly. For job seekers, site used strictly for socializing should be protected from professionals looking to gain insight into personalities. Professional social media sites make job hunting and networking quick and easy, but in order for them to be successful they need to be developed fully. For companies, social media sites are a convenient want to research possible employees, but they need to make sure they stay clear of all legal issues. Facebook has made it easy for companies to advertise on the site, and they can use their employees to reach more possible cus tomers. However, companies should have a social media policy that all employees must follow in order to make sure all problems are avoided. The concept of professional social media can be extremely beneficial to Generation Y when they being the career search, since they are the majority of the users on social media sites. If they learn how to use social media properly it will put them in a better place for the rest of their lives. They can use social media as a tool to get them a good job. Once they are hired they can use it to make business better. The key to successful and safe social media use is know how to use it safely and to the best of its ability.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How Do the Major Theories of Child Development Essay

Social experiences play a vital role in the development of children. Theories of child development have been created to help us to understand how children’s minds develop, taking into account the differences between cultures around the world. Some of these theories explore the possibility that children gain knowledge, develop new concepts and bridge new ideas through interaction with experience and cognitive schemata. Some theories explore the theory that development also plays a role in social experience. There are many theories of development, but some are more influential and have inspired a lot of research. There are four main contrasting theories of child development that not only help us to understand child development as a whole, but also assist us in the understanding of the role of social experiences in child development. These four theories of development are often referred to as the ‘grand theories’ as they cover all aspects of child development, not just specific parts. The four grande theories are behaviourist theory, the social learning model, constructivist theory, and social constructivist theory. This essay will discuss and outling the four main theories of development, compare and contrast some of the concepts of the main theories, then discuss whether or not the theory is able to explain the role of social experiences in child development. Behaviourism used to be the most dominant theory in psychology throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. The evidence provided by the behaviourist experimental technique has been was very important to the discipline of psychology, and many of the theories have stood up to the test of time. Behaviourist psychologists such as were Ivan Pavlov, John Watson and B. F. Skinner. They used techniques such as conditioning (classical conditioning and operand conditioning) to explore the theories of child development. The behaviourist view on child development is that children learn by conditioning, which means that children’s behaviour is affected by a series of rewards and punishments. This learning theory suggests that children are not active in the process of learning; it is as though they are allowing themselves to be shaped by agents in the environment around them, such as teachers and parental models. One criticism of the behaviourist approach is it’s inability to explain the role of social experiences in child development. This is because behaviourism is primarily focused on experimental and scientific methods, and it is limited in the respect that it does not take into account aspects of human nature which can not be measured by the experimental method alone. Emotions and feelings require can not be fully understood by observation alone; it requires a certain degree of introspection. The behaviourist model has explained some very important aspects of cognative development and learning, but more recent theories have shown that the shaping of a child’s mind is far more complex than conditioning alone. In the 1960’s, the social learning model was created and it was proposed that children learn through simply observing other people around them. Role models are an important part of the social learning model. Research has shown that children will often imitate aggression that they have witnessed through watching other people (Liebert et al. , 1977). This is in contrast with the behaviourist learning theory that children learn through reward and punishment. In 1965, Bandura conducted a study where he explored the hypothesis that children can experience social learning without conditioning. He argued that while children learn by observing and mimicking others, they are also extracting concepts and ideas from what they are observing, and making sense of situations on their own. This is in contrast to the behaviourist view that children are not active agents in their own learning. One criticism of this research is that while this is an insight into how children learn by observation, it tells us very little about the cognitive processes and the development of social schemata. The constructivist view of development was formed by Piaget in the 1920’s and 30’s. Jean Piaget’s stage theory suggests that there are four stages of development that every child will experience and progress through, regardless of culture. Piaget also developed the concept of schemata, and the theory that children gained knowledge through interaction between experiences and schematic concepts. Piaget’s theory is contrary to the behaviourist model as he believed that through observation, children ‘construct’ their own understanding of the world, based on their own experiences and prior knowledge. Piaget believed that this type of learning was more influential than instruction from a teacher or caregiver. Piaget and Binet conducted research into the role of cognitive schema and it’s involvement in the process of learning. They carried out an experiment where they conducted a series of intelligence tests on both children and adults. From this research, Piaget found that children and adults look at the world differently, which as a result causes children to build upon their own schemata on their own term. This is because their reasoning differs from that of adults, so they need to make sense of the world using their own rational. Piaget emphasised the importance of interaction with peers in development. Children learn through socialising with one another, and surprisingly they do not appear to benefit in the same way from contact with Adults. Piaget reasoned that children benefit from exposing one another to conflicting perspectives, which causes them to adapt and develop their cognitive schema. This development does not occur when children are in contact with adults, as they see adults as authority figures, and thus would be willing to accept an adult viewpoint without questioning it, which does not allow them to form new ideas or critique old ideas. The fourth and final theory of development that will be discussed is the social constructivism theory. This theory is similar to the constructivist theory as it proposes that children are active agents in their own learning and development. The social constructivism theory extends the constructivism model by introducing the roles of other agents, and by emphasising the role of interaction in the process of learning. The constructive theory places emphasis on social interaction as an important tool in cognitive development, and that schema are formed by children mostly through social interaction, not just through creating the ideas on their own . Vygotsky was a social constructivist whose theories can be contrasted with Piaget’s contructivist theories. Piaget believed that children are the main agents in developing their own knowledge and cognitive schemata about the things they have experiences in the environment. In contrast, Vygotsky placed more emphasis on the development of social schemata through the internalisation of social interactions using cultural tools such as language and expressions. The social constructivist model can be contrasted with social learning theories because it emphasises interaction with people and the environment, and put less emphases on observation. It can also be contrasted with behaviourism as the theory does not appear to value the possible effects of reward and punishment. The main differences between Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s theories is that Vygotsky believed that children play the most important part in shaping their cognitive development, which is in contrast to Piaget’s theory of the four universal stages of development. Vygotsky did not incorporate stages of development into his theory, and instead tended to focus on more social factors and role of language and other social tools. Vigotsky’s (1978) social constructivist approach was able to explore the social influences on cognitive development. Piaget’s theory was more focused on children creating new knowledge and cognitive schema through their own self exploration. Crain (2000) believed that some theories focus too much on learning by instruction, and that children were able to learn on their own and through social interaction, so it it important to allow them to explore this in order for them to be active, imaginative and ‘childish’. However other theories have suggested that if the process of learning under instruction is left too late then it may be too late to teach children more dult styles of thinking and reasoning. The social learning theory is possibly the model that places the least emphases on social experiences out of the four primary learning theories. The social part of the theory is the process of learning through observation. This theory does not place much emphasis on how social experiences relate to the development of cognitive schema, or how cognitive schemata facilitate social experiences. Children gain knowledge and bridge pathways through simply watching others in the environment around them. It can be seen from the descriptions of the four main theories of development that not all of them take into account of the role of social experiences in child development. They all appear to make valid claims about the different ways in which children develop complex ideas about the world. From studying these four theories, it seems as though children develop through many different means. Internal structures, role models, and traditional teachings in school, all play an important role in shaping a childs development. Social interaction is possibly equaly as important, if not more important in facilitating normal development in children.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Meteor Missile

The Meteor is a fast and highly manoeuvrable Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) air-to-air weapon. Guidance is provided by an active radar seeker benefiting from enhanced technologies drawn from the MBDA Aster and Mica missile programmes. The meteor was designed to equip the Euro fighter Typhoons of the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF), Germany's Luftwaffe, Spain's Ejercito del Aire and Italy's Aeronautica Militare Italiana, the British and Italian F-35s (both in the Air Force and Navy), the Dassault Rafales of France's Armee de l'Air and Marine Nationale, and the Saab JAS 39 Gripens of Sweden's Flygvapnet. The missile is allocated targets from the launch aircraft radar and is capable of engaging air targets autonomously by night or day, in all weather and in severe electronic warfare environments. The increasing proliferation of state of the art Air to Air threats, that are challenging the already in service Air to Air combat system is a critical challenge for modern Air Forces which is answered by the Meteor. The missile’s ramjet propulsion system gives Meteor its high speed performance and the energy to defeat fast, manoeuvring targets at long range. Meteor is equipped with both a proximity and impact fuse to ensure total target destruction in all circumstances. The missile trajectory is controlled aerodynamically using four rear-mounted fins. Meteor's control principles are intended to allow high turn rates while maintaining intake and propulsion performance. MBDA Meteor is capable of engaging air targets autonomously, whether fighters, bombers, transport aircraft or cruise missiles by using its active radar seeker by day or night and in all weather or dense EW (Electronic Warfare) environments. Meteor’s solid fuel variable-flow rocket/ramjet propulsion system will ensure a range in excess of 100 km and a speed of more than Mach 4 and high terminal velocity. Even when launched from extreme stand-off ranges, the missile will have the energy in the end game to defeat fast, manoeuvring targets. To ensure total target destruction, the missile is equipped with both proximity and impact fuses and a fragmentation warhead that is detonated at the optimum point to aximise lethality. Guidance is ISN, two-way data link and active Ku-band radar seeker. It can receive targeting data after launch from the launching fighter or another fighter. The two-way data-link partially solves the IFF problem at long ranges. It is designed to defeat current and future threats; Meteor provides the long stand-off range and high kill probability which combine to ensure air superiority and pilot survivability.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Read The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain

Read The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain Fairly early in his career – with the publication of numerous tall tales, comic essays  and the novels Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Mark Twain earned his reputation as one of Americas greatest humorists. But it wasnt until after his death in 1910 that most readers discovered Twains darker side. Composed in 1896, The Lowest Animal (which has appeared in different forms and under various titles, including Mans Place in the Animal World) was occasioned by the battles between Christians and Muslims in Crete. As editor Paul Baender has observed, The severity of Mark Twains views on religious motivation was part of the increasing cynicism of his last 20 years. An even more sinister force, in Twains view, was the Moral Sense, which he defines in this essay as the quality which enables [man] to do wrong. After clearly stating his thesis in the introductory paragraph, Twain proceeds to develop his argument through a series of comparisons and examples, all of which appear to support his claim that we have reached the bottom stage of development. The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain I have been scientifically studying the traits and dispositions of the lower animals (so-called), and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me. For it obliges me to renounce my allegiance to the Darwinian theory of the Ascent of Man from the Lower Animals; since it now seems plain to me that the theory ought to be vacated in favor of a new and truer one, this new and truer one to be named the Descent of Man from the Higher Animals. In proceeding toward this unpleasant conclusion I have not guessed or speculated or conjectured, but have used what is com ­monly called the scientific method. That is to say, I have sub ­jected every postulate that presented itself to the crucial test of actual experiment, and have adopted it or rejected it according to the result. Thus I verified and established each step of my course in its turn before advancing to the next. These experiments were made in the London Zoological Gardens, and covered many months of painstaking and fatiguing work. Before particularizing any of the experiments, I wish to state one or two things which seem to more properly belong in this place than further along. This in the interest of clearness. The massed experiments established to my satisfaction certain gener ­alizations, to wit: That the human race is of one distinct species. It exhibits slight variations (in color, stature, mental caliber, and so on) due to climate, environment, and so forth; but it is a species by itself, and not to be confounded with any other.That the quadrupeds are a distinct family, also. This fam ­ily exhibits variations – in color, size, food preferences, and so on; but it is a family by itself.That the other families – the birds, the fishes, the insects, the reptiles, etc. – are more or less distinct, also. They are in the procession. They are links in the chain which stretches down from the higher animals to man at the bottom. Some of my experiments were quite curious. In the course of my reading I had come across a case where, many years ago, some hunters on our Great Plains organized a buffalo hunt for the entertainment of an English earl. They had charming sport. They killed seventy-two of those great animals; and ate part of one of them and left the seventy-one to rot. In order to determine the differ ­ence between an anaconda and an earl (if any) I caused seven young calves to be turned into the anacondas cage. The grateful reptile immediately crushed one of them and swallowed it, then lay back satisfied. It showed no further interest in the calves, and no disposition to harm them. I tried this experiment with other anacondas; always with the same result. The fact stood proven that the difference between an earl and an anaconda is that the earl is cruel and the anaconda isnt; and that the earl wantonly destroys what he has no use for, but the anaconda doesnt. This seemed to suggest that the anaconda was not descended from the earl. It also seemed to suggest that the earl was descended from the anaconda, and had lost a good deal in the transition. I was aware that many men who have accumulated more millions of money than they can ever use have shown a rabid hunger for more, and have not scrupled to cheat the ignorant and the helpless out of their poor servings in order to partially appease that appetite. I furnished a hundred different kinds of wild and tame animals the opportunity to accumulate vast stores of food, but none of them would do it. The squirrels and bees and certain birds made accumulations, but stopped when they had gathered a winters supply, and could not be persuaded to add to it either honestly or by chicane. In order to bolster up a tottering reputa ­tion the ant pretended to store up supplies, but I was not de ­ceived. I know the ant. These experiments convinced me that there is this difference between man and the higher animals: he is avaricious and miserly; they are not. In the course of my experiments I convinced myself that among the animals man is the only one that harbors insults and injuries, broods over them, waits till a chance offers, then takes revenge. The passion of revenge is unknown to the higher animals. Roosters keep harems, but it is by consent of their concu ­bines; therefore no wrong is done. Men keep harems but it is by brute force, privileged by atrocious laws which the other sex were allowed no hand in making. In this matter man occupies a far lower place than the rooster. Cats are loose in their morals, but not consciously so. Man, in his descent from the cat, has brought the cats looseness with him but has left the unconsciousness behind (the saving grace which excuses the cat). The cat is innocent, man is not. Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity (these are strictly confined to man); he invented them. Among the higher  animals  there is no trace of them. They hide nothing; they are not ashamed. Man, with his soiled mind, covers himself. He will not even enter a drawing room with his breast and back naked, so alive are he and his mates to indecent suggestion.  Man  is The Animal that Laughs. But so does the monkey, as Mr. Darwin pointed out; and so does the Australian bird that is called the laughing jackass. No!  Man  is the Animal that Blushes. He is the only one that does it or has occasion to. At the head of this  article  we see how three monks were burnt to death a few days ago, and a prior put to death with atrocious cruelty. Do we inquire into the details? No; or we should find out that the prior was subjected to unprintable muti ­lations. Man (when he is a North American Indian) gouges out his prisoners eyes; when he is King John, with a nephew to render untroublesome, he uses a red-hot iron; when he is a reli ­gious zealot dealing with heretics in the Middle Ages, he skins his captive alive and scatters salt on his back; in the first Richards time he shuts up a multitude of Jew families in a tower and sets fire to it; in Columbuss time he captures a family of Spanish Jews and (but  that  is not printable; in our day in England a man is fined ten shillings for beating his mother nearly to death with a chair, and another man is fined forty shillings for having four pheasant eggs in his possession without being able to satisfacto ­rily explain how he got t hem). Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it. It is a trait that is not known to the higher animals. The cat plays with the frightened mouse; but she has this excuse, that she does not know that the mouse is suffering. The cat is moderate – unhumanly moderate: she only scares the mouse, she does not hurt it; she doesnt dig out its eyes, or tear off its skin, or drive splinters under its nails – man-fashion; when she is done playing with  it she  makes a sudden meal of it and puts it out of its trouble.  Man  is the Cruel Animal. He is alone in that distinction. The higher animals engage in individual fights, but never in organized masses.  Man  is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and with  calm  pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out, as the Hessians did in our Revolu ­tion, and as the boyish Prince Napoleon did in the Zulu war, and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel. Man  is the only animal that robs his helpless fellow of his country – takes possession of it and drives him out of it or destroys him.  Man  has done this in all the ages. There is not an acre of ground on the globe that is in possession of its rightful owner, or that has not been taken away from owner after owner, cycle after cycle, by force and bloodshed. Man  is the only Slave. And he is the only animal who en ­slaves. He has always been a slave in one form or  another,  and has always held other slaves in bondage under him in one way or another. In our day he is always some mans slave for wages, and does that mans  work; and  this slave has other slaves under him for minor wages, and they do  his  work. The higher animals are the only ones who exclusively do their own work and provide their own living. Man  is the only Patriot. He sets himself apart in his own country, under his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous uniformed assassins on hand at heavy ex ­pense to grab slices of other  peoples  countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of  his. And in the intervals between cam ­paigns, he washes the blood off his hands and works for the universal brotherhood of man, with his mouth. Man  is the Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Ani ­mal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion – several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as  himself,  and cuts his throat if his theology isnt straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brothers path to happiness and heaven. He was at it in the time of the Caesars, he was at it in Mahomets time, he was at it  in  the time of the Inquisition, he was at it in France a couple of cen ­turies, he was at it in England in Marys day, he has been at it ever since he first saw the light, he is at it today in Crete (as per the telegrams quoted above), he will be at it somewhere else tomor ­row. The higher animals have no religion. And we are told that they are going to be left out, in the Hereafter. I wonder why? It seems questionable taste. Man  is the Reasoning Animal. Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute. Indeed, my experiments have proven to me that he is the Unreasoning Animal. Note his history, as sketched above. It seems plain to me that whatever he is he is not a reasoning animal. His record is the fantastic record of a maniac. I consider that the strongest count against his intelligence is the fact that with that record back of him he blandly sets himself up as the head animal of the lot: whereas by his own standards he is the bottom one. In truth, man is incurably foolish. Simple things which the other animals easily learn, he is incapable of learning. Among my experiments was this. In an hour I taught a cat and a dog to be friends. I put them in a cage. In another hour I taught them to be friends with a rabbit. In the course of two  days  I was able to add a fox, a goose, a squirrel and some doves. Finally a monkey. They lived together in peace; even affectionately. Next, in another  cage  I confined an Irish Catholic from Tipperary, and as soon as he seemed tame I added a Scotch Presbyterian from Aberdeen. Next a Turk from Constantinople; a Greek Christian from Crete; an Armenian; a Methodist from the wilds of Arkansas; a Buddhist from China; a Brahman from Benares. Finally, a Salvation Army Colonel from Wapping. Then I stayed away two whole days. When I came back to note results, the cage of Higher Animals was all right, but in the other there was but a chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones – not a specimen left alive. These Reasoning Animals had disagreed on a theological detail and carried the matter to a Higher Court. One is obliged to concede that in true loftiness of character, Man cannot claim to approach even the meanest of the Higher Animals. It is plain that he is constitutionally incapable of  approaching  that altitude; that he is constitutionally afflicted with a Defect which must make such approach forever impossible, for it is manifest that this defect is permanent in him, indestructible, ineradicable. I find this Defect to be the Moral Sense. He is the only animal that has it. It is the secret of his degradation. It is the quality  which enables him to do wrong. It has no other office. It is incapable of performing any other function. It could never hate been intended to perform any other. Without it,  man  could do no wrong. He would rise at once to the level of the Higher Animals. Since the Moral Sense has but the one office, the one capacity to enable man to do wrong – it is  plainly  without value to him. It is as valueless to him as is  disease. In fact, it manifestly  is  a disease. Rabies is bad, but it is not so bad as this disease. Rabies enables a man to do a thing, which he could not do when in a healthy state: kill his neighbor with a poisonous bite. No one is the better man for having rabies: The Moral Sense enables a man to do wrong. It enables him to do wrong in a thousand ways. Rabies is an innocent disease, compared to the Moral Sense. No one, then, can be the better man for having the Moral Sense. What now, do we find the Primal Curse to have been? Plainly what it was in the beginning: the infliction upon  man  of the Moral Sense; the ability to distinguish good from evil; and with it, necessarily, the ability to do evil; for there can be no evil act without the presence of consciousness of it in the doer of it. And so I find that we have descended and degenerated, from some far ancestor (some microscopic atom wandering at its pleasure between the mighty horizons of a drop of water perchance) insect by insect, animal by animal, reptile by reptile, down the long highway of  smirchless  innocence, till we have reached the bottom stage of development – nameable as the Human Being. Below us – nothing. Nothing but the Frenchman.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company †Research Paper

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company – Research Paper Free Online Research Papers The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) was started in the Philippines on November 28, 1928. The Philippines Legislature granted PLDT the franchise to establish and be able to operate telephone services, following the merger of 4 telephone companies under a common US ownership. It was in 1967 when General Telephone and Electronic Corporation sold PLDT to a group of Filipino businessmen. The Philippine government’s intention to integrate the Philippine telecommunications industry made way for PLDT to purchase the Republic Telephone Company in 1981. Now, PLDT is the leader in providing telecommunication services in the country. The company’s business can be divided into three main business areas: fixed line, wireless, and information and communication technology. The fixed line business provides local calls, national and international long distance services, which operates around 2.1 million access lines. The wireless segment provides cellular, satellite, and VSAT services. PLDT provides cellular services through SMART, while Piltel is a reseller of SMART’s digital GSM capacity under its own branding and pricing strategy for both voice and text messaging services. The information and communication technology provides solutions for internet applications and multimedia content delivery, with use of internet protocol-based solutions. The internet access are provided by Infocom – a subsidiary of ePLDT. And other investees of ePLDT provide e-commerce, call centers, and other IT-related services. Common shares of PLDT are listed and traded on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). These are also listed and traded on the American Stock Exchange and Pacific Exchange in the US, prior to October 19, 1994. During October 19, 1994, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), were issued with each American Depositary Share (ADS) that represented one PLDT common share. The ADSs are listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pacific Exchange in the US. II. Statement of the Problem What actions can PLDT take to sustain their position and maintain their current market? III. Objectives To study how the company reached their success To identify strategies how the company can maintain the top position To suggest ways on how the company can improve existing services to the customers IV. Areas for Consideration STRENGTHS Owns top position – PLDT owns the top position in the Philippines for the telecoms industry. They initially provided fixed line to the Philippine market during the early times, and have now extended their market for wireless technology. By acquiring SMART as their wireless partner, they became the number 1 provider for wireless phones. As technology continued to boom, then came the internet, which started as dial-up connection and eventually produced the broadband connection, widely known as the DSL. Then came ePLDT, which stood as the technology arm of PLDT. ePLDT gave the answer to internet problems and also took the top position. Majority of Philippine market share – Having a wide range of products, from fixed line, wireless line, and internet connection, PLDT was able to capture majority of the Philippines market. PLDT holds the Philippine market for fixed line. By taking a gamble of getting SMART during the time when the GSM (Global Service for Mobile Communications) service and cellular market growth was still uncertain, they now earned the market for wireless lines, used of mobile phones, which accounts for 52% of PLDT Group’s revenues. As technology was taking over the public’s attention, PLDT also caught the market in broadband and narrowband internet. They launched the product Vibe for dial-up connections, and DSL for broadband connections. Industry specialists – With the long history and very vast knowledge in the industry, PLDT has invested on their people. As technology becomes more sophisticated, the company provided trainings to their employees to keep them up to date with the latest technologies and be at par or better than their competitors. PLDT provides training with a trainer and by use of online materials. National and global coverage – After successfully capturing majority of the market in the Philippines, PLDT decided to go global by expanding their market in Hong Kong. They launched the 1528 Smart to cater for the Filipino people in Hong Kong. This was a partnership of Hong Kong CSL Ltd and PLDT (HK) Ltd. It allows the Filipinos in Hong Kong to access Smart mobile services and content, which includes Smart Money, Smart Load, Smart Pasaload, and Smart Padala – the world’s first text-based remittance service. This also provides a cheaper rate for OFWs when they make long distance calls or send text messages to the Philippines. The cost is much cheaper by as much as 50% as compared to using foreign networks. Creative marketing strategies – PLDTs marketing proved to be one of the best by continuously coming out with new ideas to capture the Philippine market. Aside from the products that they already sell to customers, they think of ways on how they can satisfy the needs of the people by providing more reasonable and affordable rates and give chance to the less fortunate to experience the new technologies available in the market. Conquering the mass market – Most of the population in the Philippines represent the masses, so PLDT thought of ways to capture the mass market. With a wide range of products they can offer, they transformed them into smaller forms to make it more affordable to the majority of the public. For the fixed line, they came out with the â€Å"Telesulit†, which offered a prepaid version of the fixed line. This enabled PLDT to retain their customers who cannot afford the normal fixed line, and resulted to 33% more fixed line users from a year ago. For the Vibe, the dial-up internet connection service, they also offered a prepaid version, by allowing customers to purchase scratch card that contained the connection details, which only amounted to 100 and allows the customer to use 20 hours of internet. If we calculate it in a per minute basis, it only costs 8 cents per minute. Aside from the prepaid internet offered for the Vibe, it also has what they call the pay-per-surf. Using this kind of package, the customers will only pay for the minutes they use. For the wireless services, SMART introduced the Smart Load, which enabled the prepaid customers to make a reload for as low as 30 pesos (based on 2004 data). WEAKNESSES Customer service – When PLDT launched its Vibe and DSL products, which allowed customers to have a faster connection to the internet using broadband, there were a lot of complains regarding the service provided. Much of the complaints were because of the slow connection which didn’t meet the customer’s expectations. And that complaints made or reported were not attended at a reasonable time. This kind of situations may cause customers to decide and change their providers, who they believe are much better in providing the service needed. Foreign Investments – PLDT is very much exposed to the risk of peso weakness because 98% of its US$2.5 billion is denominated in foreign currency. Around half of the company’s total debt are covered by the US Dollar, which is equivalent to around USD$351 million. The risk of the depreciation of peso is mitigated by the linkage of about 40% of PLDT’s revenues to US dollar. Since about 18% of PLDT’s US dollar linked revenues are from the monthly charges payable by the postpaid fixed line customers, these monthly charges may increase if the peso depreciates. OPPORTUNITIES Venture for new technologies – Ideas of introducing a new technology to the market is a good move, especially if the product is very attracting to the public. People are very much interested for new products that are launched in the market, and how it can add do the current technology they are using. Being the very first to release a new technology will have a good chance of capturing the market sales, therefore increasing in customers and revenue. An example for this is the text messaging for mobile phones. Dropping prices of PC and laptops – As more and more people are turning into the computer business, it is predicted for prices of PCs and laptops to go down to affordable prices, as other computer manufacturing companies are trying to offer lower cost for these equipments. The more affordable these electronic equipments go, the more people will be willing to purchase one. And as more computers are sold, there will be a bigger demand for broadband service. Partnership with other establishments – With the internet becoming part of the everyday life nowadays, people are looking for ways to connect to the worldwide web wherever they go – restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, resorts, and other public places. Having a broadband socket or hotspot in place may attract more people in choosing this certain area other than their competitors. This may result for the establishment to gain more customers and at the same time, generate more revenues. THREATS Fixed line market drop – There are predictions that the fixed line market will drop as the future nears. With new communication technologies coming out at a very fast rate, the public are now considering of using those new technologies that offer more comfort and convenience. Even for PLDT, who holds the market for fixed line, may be affected of this drop in sales. Industry competitors – Presently, there are already different competitors providing the same services as PLDT and SMART have, not to mention other competitors that may still enter the playing field. If one of those competitors will be able to introduce a new product that may interest the public, then there’s a chance that customers will consider having a deal with those competitors. SWOT Diagram Strengths Weaknesses Owns top position in the industry Majority of Philippine market share Industry specialists National and global coverage Creative market strategies Conquering the mass market Customer service Foreign investments Opportunities Threats Venture for new technologies Dropping prices of PCs and laptops Partnership with other establishments Unstable Economy Fixed line market drop prediction Industry competitors PEST Analysis: POLITICAL PLDT evaluates the short and medium-term threats posed by government instability, adverse economic policy-making, deterioration in the business environment and external shocks. Risks PLDT assess explicit short and long-term risks to political stability; latest ratings, rankings and trends for the Philippines risk are compared with Asia regional and global averages. Current Administration and Policy-Making in the Philippines Threats to the continuity of Philippine economic policy would likely change the business operating environment. War Threats Continuous operations of the company may be interrupted due to this factor similar to what happened in 1942-46. ECONOMIC PLDT’s economic forecasts for the Philippines are key assumptions for the global economy covering growth, inflation, employment, trade and investment, interest and exchange rates. Stability and Exchange Rates The countrys per capita income has barely grown in the past 21 years. The per capita income of P12,913 in 2003 is only P318 higher than P12,595 in 1980. The value of the peso has depreciated by as much as 1,373 percent against the dollar. In line with their aim to ensure business stability to meet its debt reduction target, PLDT may be greatly affected when economy fluctuates more so of its balance debt as of 2003 of $2.5 billion dollars. Competitors Stiff competion. PLDT’s main competitors are Globe Telecom and Digitel in both the fixed-line and mobile (via Smarts competition with Globe) markets. Bayan Telecommunications (BayanTel) is also a major fixed-line competitor. SOCIAL PLDT assesses levels of transparency, flexibility of labor market, tax burden, infrastructure and IT, and trade liberalization in the Philippines Strain in Making Consumers Need the Product With PLDT’s diversified services and various products, several marketing strategies be develop in order to impose a greater impact in building the need to want the services and products being offered in the market. Position a Product That Caters to Various Market Segment In proportion to Philippines’ demography on income earners, PLDT needs to explore more on areas where possible consumers limits its purchase power to their level of income. TECHNOLOGICAL PLDT assesses development on technology, the effects from its these development and cost structure Fast Technological Change PLDT is faced with a constant threat of innovation to its products and services to keep up with the fast evolution of technology in order to sustain a competitive advantage in the market. Demand For Technological Change Would Redefine Cost Structure Cost is incurred in developing or adapting to new changes in technology. V. Alternative Course of Action For our Alternative Courses of Action we present the following: ACA #1: Improve PLDTs approach customer service Pros: The company will earn customer loyalty and confidence on their products. Having customer loyalty and confidence, the public will be the one to look for PLDT whenever a new product comes out. The company will not only gain sales through marketing and advertisement, word of mouth from these loyal customers will bring other customers who are new to the company’s product. Having a good branding on the public will make it easier for the company to sell their products if they release new ones in the future, because the people will have in mind that whatever they buy from PLDT, they can be sure that there will always be someone to support them in case they encounter any problems. Will avoid their existing Cons: Funds will be needed to hire more people to accommodate the numerous customers needing the service Employees who are less performing may be spotted when management looks closely to the performance of each member ACA #2: Acquire exclusive contracts with different establishments to provide broadband connection or other new products to be introduced, with a reasonable price for customers to pay Pros: The products of PLDT, like the DSL/broadband internet, can installed in the location of its partners, like hotels, resorts, restaurants, shopping malls, and other places where most of the people usually go. The broadband internet is quickly becoming one of the necessities, especially for working people. People who are not yet familiar with PLDT broadband will be introduced to the product. And if the public experiences the fast connection, they may also consider having that at their home. Or change their existing ones to PLDT As their product gets known to the people, PLDT will also earn from what is being charged from the customers for the use of broadband Cons: If the establishment doesn’t give a good impression to the public, then there will be lesser opportunities for the installed broadband to be exposed to the people PLDT needs to cash out some money to install the devices in those establishments and make sure that everything is well maintained and secured Market for other establishments with existing agreements with other competitors may no longer be available ACA #3: Introduce new technologies to the market Pros: PLDT will become the pioneer of the new product to be launched and will get the market for that new technology Employees and the company itself will be exposed to new technology and can prepare themselves more for the other technologies to come in the future, as technology evolves from one existing one to a new one Cons: Money needs to be spent for RD of new product and also to manufacture the new technology and to market the product Spending will also be necessary for training to be conducted to employees on how to handle the new technology If the new product launched doesn’t catch the interest of the public, the money spent on research and manufacturing will go waste Competitors will quickly think of ideas on how they can produce the same product or similar product with added functionalities ACA #4: Expanding of its fixed line and broadband network capability, coverage, and services Pros: PLDT will be able to reach areas where their services are not yet available. With this they further cement their hold on the market by gaining new customers and improving their existing services. With longer reach and a bigger share of the market, PLDT’s sustainability will increase. Also by improving existing services, they can maintain their hold on their current customers With expansion comes new opportunities and with it comes new jobs for Filipinos. PLDT can rehire those that have been retrenched before or even reach into our country’s pool of top talent. Cons: A significant amount of resources as well as research and development will be needed in order to achieve discernible results. A better monitoring system should be put in place especially since the new areas are a distance away from the mother office in metro manila. Therefore to maintain their outstanding quality certain monitoring practices should be developed. ACA #5: Setup partnership with computer companies to embed their microchips in laptops Pros: By tying up with certain computer companies PLDT can have these companies integrate their broadband roaming systems directly into the laptops. This should equate into a moderate profit for the company. Cheaper laptops? Cons: PLDT will have to pick their companies well, as competition is fierce in this industry. PLDT will have to devote time and money on developing new technology or improving on existing technology in order to make this happen. ACA #6: Provide free internet service for public schools and public hospitals Pros: PLDT will benefit from good publicity and gain positive news coverage, giving their shareholders more confidence and peace of mind.With this also comes an increase in customer loyalty. People will see that PLDT is not heartless company with just profit on their minds. By giving public schools access to the internet, With the breadth of information available on it, PLDT is providing for a now increasing need for e-learning. Further improving the Philippine Public school system in the process. Cons: Yet again a significant amount of funding will be needed, depending on the number of computers to be bought, not to mention the resources they are going to eat up by providing these public schools with free internet access. VI. Conclusion/Recommendation Conclusion Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), together with SMART, is currently the country’s leader in the telecoms industry. Although that’s the case now, we may never know when one of their competitors will suddenly go pass them, or when a new competitor will come in to play. Without proper and well-planned short-term and long-term strategies, the company could lose its position in the market. As with their current products, they are currently the leader. But PLDT should not just reply on what products they have now or the scope of market they have. PLDT should also consider widening their span of customers. Having more opportunities of getting more customers to buy their products, the more they have the chance to make their profits grow. When they earn much more, the company will be able to plan for more programs or projects to promote to the public. These new projects may result to more expansion or introduction of new products that may capture the public’s attention. In order to continue and secure their market position, PLDT would need to make the necessary means to make their customers always satisfied with their products and the services that they provide. Recommendation The group ultimately believes that in order for PLDT to thrive in the competitive world of telecoms, they must focus on 3 main aspects of the business: customer service/logistics improvement (ACA #1), new technology introduction (ACA #3) and expansion of current products (ACA#4). The most important of the ACAs chosen is ACA#1. Before the company can even do expansions or introduce new products, they should first evaluate and improve their current customer service. Customers will not continue with deals with PLDT if they don’t get enough support in cases they encounter problems with their products. To get retain the loyalty of the customers, the company should provide a better quality of service. When the customer service (ACA#1) is stable, PLDT can now focus on doing ACA#4 – expansion of current products. We believe that PLDT has not penetrated most areas in the country for their broadband services. With the ongoing positive trend for broadband, they should explore untapped markets and regions to generate more profit and sustain their leadership in the telecom industry. This move can give PLDT more customers from other provinces of the Philippines. But it is important for PLDT to put up a strong infrastructure of expansion, as not to get bad criticisms, especially from the new customers. In time, PLDT can also consider offering an edge over the others and bring customer satisfaction to a new level by improving their customers’ experience and offering something new (ACA#3). People of this generation are very much interested in new products and technologies. They always thrive for new things and ideas that can help make their lives easier. Being the 1st one to introduce something in the Philippines will help them catch majority of the market. But in implementing these recommendations, PLDT should consider their budget. They should plan every idea carefully, that they will have proper funding to complete the whole project. The company should look at all possible options and risks that may negatively affect them, before finalizing any decisions. VII. Implementation Plan VIII. References PLDT Thinking Ahead fujitsu.com/ph/casestudies/pldt.html PLDT keeps eye on prices of PCs for opportunities sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/01/14/bus/pldt.keeps.eye.on.prices.of.pcs.for.opportunities..html PLDT’s eLearning Experience: Riding the Wave with LearNET! http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:rRwjHAY9YckJ:www.ijcim.th.org/v12n2/pdf/p105-110-Kibanoff_pldt-LearNet.pdf+pldt+training+employeehl=tlct=clnkcd=1gl=ph Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company Intelligence Report the-infoshop.com/study/iti29928-philippine-l-d-telephon.html GOOD NEWS FOR OFWs: SMART COMMUNICATIONS GOING GLOBAL WITH PLDT newsflash.org/2004/02/be/be002921.htm PLDT’s Php10/call Permanent PLDTs Php10/call permanent Lousy PLDT DSL Service pinoytechblog.com/archives/lousy-pldt-dsl-service?cp=23 PLDT’s ID-DSL Service PLDTs ID-DSL Service A complaint to PLDT petitiononline.com/pldtdsl/petition.html PLDT DSL Sucks PLDT DSL Sucks! PLDT DSL Problems http://bleuken.i.ph/blogs/bleuken/?p=160 Time to Redefine Telecom broadband-internet.mangusts.com/11968.php Business Satellite Internet Products Compared 2005 broadband-internet.mangusts.com/18390.php secinfo.com/d2CA9.z19.htm pldt.com.ph/prod-serv/business/pldtport.htm pldtvibe.com/ http://smart.com.ph/pinoy/svcofw_1528.htm computerbusinessreview.com/companyprofile.asp?guid=BD00FAD9-2B7B-46E3-8FB4-FCF0C7877890CType=Background http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access Research Papers on Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company - Research PaperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductTwilight of the UAWInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export Quotas

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Using Argument and Persuasion in Writng Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using Argument and Persuasion in Writng - Essay Example Even though this story was only the figment of writer Caspian Tredwell-Owens imagination. It is not something that is too far from the reality that we currently face in the fight to prevent the cloning of human beings. The proponents of Human Cloning do so in the name of science. Their stand being that by cloning humans, we will gain the much needed medical advantage and understanding of illnesses and easily be able to avert, cure, or create person specific vaccines for the recipients of Human Cloning technology. Although these supporters have sound and valid arguments, they fail to see that Human Clones are just as their name implies, human beings. Even though they are the final product of a highly complicated medical science, it does not erase the fact that these people shall, in the future, be born into this world as innocents. They will experience life and live their lives until some doctor tells them they can no longer live because their body parts are now needed. In other words, Human cloning turns their creators, the doctors and clone nurturers into gods. Having the power to give and take a life at their own convenience and hide the murder of another human being behind the cloak of medical science and technological advancement. Man was not created in a manner that he can be allowed by natural forces to live forever. Our bodies were not designed to be like car parts that can be replaced once it is worn down. Transplant technology is one thing. Such a technology is governed by rules and often comes from donors who are no longer part of this world. Such an argument cannot be used in support of human cloning. It is one thing to take a perfectly good body part from a person whom you know no longer has any use for it and another to harvest a body part from an exact genetic replica of a person in order to save his life. Think about it. What good is it to save the life of one if it means that another must die in order

Friday, November 1, 2019

Qualitative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Qualitative Research - Essay Example Students who go to teach abroad have experience and deal better with diversity issues and hence when it comes to employment, employers prefer these students as they can be able to handle students better as students are not the same. The interview has yielded three different coding after undergoing in depth analysis of the themes mentioned above. The first is that teaching abroad leads to a re-evaluation of an individual’s personal values having experienced the lifestyle of other people different from what one is used to. The second is that this experience of different cultures eventually leads to acculturation and this marks the end of stereotypes against people and communities. Lastly, there is the issue of the student having a broader perspective not only on the issues of teaching but about life in general as they get to live another life totally different from theirs and get to understand what life is really about as well as know the importance of not taking things for