Cross-Cultural Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cross-Cultural Analysis Report - Essay Example The purpose of writing this report it to analyze the issues that Bran Company may face while venturing into the international market. Bran Company which is located in Australia and whose cultural perspectives used in the company relates to those of Australians plans to venture into the American market. The company deals with the manufacture of food products. I was appointed as a human resource team member in studying the market environment of the target country. The team identified various cultural issues in the other country. Some of these issues include differing social classes, religion, education background, social institutions etc. The team also carried out a market survey in order to establish the culture of people living in the regions where the company is to open up more business stores. It was found out that the American market is comprised of people from different races. Their consumption behavior depends on their social class, family set up and the level of education. Due to the prevailing market competition, businesses have been forced to expand through merging or through joint ventures. They mingle and associate with other individuals from different countries possessing different cultural backgrounds and language but participate well in business matters. Hofstede (1997) describes that it is important for managers in a particular company to be aware of the culture of that other country before venturing into the market. This is because being unaware about the culture and beliefs of the people in a country results to differences and misunderstandings between the customers and the sellers. It also makes the business environment unstable. To avoid this occurrence, it is necessary to involve intercultural training before planning to venture into the American environment (Aaker and Maheswaran, 1997). In this intercultural training, the participants or the company’s manager

The Inclusion of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Canadian Essay

The Inclusion of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the Canadian Constitution - Essay Example Opponents also point that the inclusion of the set of rights Americanizes Canadian politics. They disagree that Canada’s Constitution is not like the American Constitution, which incorporated the Bill of Rights and supports a strong sense of individualism among Americans. They argue that although the notion of individuality is important in Canada, the â€Å"Canadians also see themselves in terms of collectives or a part of a group† which they actualized in some legislative efforts. They claim that the inclusion â€Å"will erode collective tendencies.† It may be counter-argued that opponents value also individuality without sacrificing collective spirit of Canadians and since Canadians were able to show their collective efforts in Medicare and employment insurance under the present constitution, then working collectively under the present set up has confirmed the effectiveness of the present constitution for the collective spirit. It is hereby concluded that maint aining the inclusion of the Charter of Rights and Freedom under the present Canadian Constitution benefits Canadians more. Having explained and rebutted the opponents’ counter arguments, there is a basis to sustain the thesis of this paper. A constitution contains the government powers and maintaining the Charter therein is one way of preventing the abuse of these powers. Allan Cairns might be correct in saying that â€Å"from the evidence available, there is little possibility that a new constitution will emerge.†

Impact of the Acheson Report on Health Policy

Impact of the Acheson Report on Health Policy In what way did the Acheson Report represent a radical approach to health policy? How far did it inform New Labours policy on reducing inequalities in health? Introduction: A government commissioned report on health inequalities led by Sir Donald Acheson has been marked as extremely influential in shaping future UK health policies. The Acheson report highlights the area in which health inequalities could be reduced and provides the direction of health policies promoted by the Department of Health. The report focuses on several areas such as poverty that seems to have disproportionate effect on children. Increased benefit levels have been recommended for women of childbearing age, expectant mothers, young children and older people suggesting mothers on income support tend to have inadequate diets. The report also calls for more funding support to schools in deprived areas, better nutrition and the concept of health-promoting schools. Benefit levels for providing nutritional meals to children should be increased and food should be more affordable for fulfilling nutritional needs of children. The report also focuses on smoking and drinking problems urging for restrictions on smoking in public places, a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion, mass educational initiatives, increases in the price of tobacco and the prescriptions for nicotine replacement therapy. The Acheson report also suggests close links between health and mortality rates. The Acheson report has been instrumental in shaping, directing and implementing several changes in the NHS Health policy. Several studies and research reports have been published on the impact and influence of the Acheson report on changes within health care policy. The Acheson report identified three crucial areas on social gradient and health inequalities and suggested that a high priority should be given to the health of families with children; all policies likely to have an impact on health should be evaluated in terms of their impact on health inequalities; steps should be taken to reduce income inequalities and improve the living standards of poor households. The Acheson Report and UK Health Policies The Acheson Report 1998, an Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health was similar to the Black Report 1980 and can be considered as a Department of Health review of the evidence on inequalities in health in England. The Department of Health has responded to the Acheson report by taking an official course of action. The Department of Health mentions that tackling health inequalities is a top priority for the Government, and is focused on narrowing the health gap between disadvantaged groups, communities and the rest of the country, and on improving health overall. The strategy for addressing this problems is published in, Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action that lays the foundations for meeting the Governments target to reduce the health gap on infant mortality and life expectancy by 2010.A programme for action include a three-year plan for tackling health inequalities and to help local organisations improve the way services are delivered to disadvantaged groups. The programme for action in response to the Acheson report is based on Supporting families, mothers and children Engaging Communities and Individuals Preventing Illness and providing Effective treatment and Care Addressing the underlying determinants of health The Acheson report suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in health and expectation of life have been found in England for many years and there have been data identifying differences in longevity by ones socioeconomic position. Inequalities of health are measured in terms of mortality, life expectancy or health status and could be categorised by socioeconomic status, ethnic group or gender. The Acheson report suggested that there are differences in the health status of mothers, babies, people of lower socioeconomic status and people who smoke or drink heavily. The report definitely shows that death rates are falling in England and the rates have fallen since 1896. Thus life expectancy seems to have risen in the last few years although healthy life expectancy has not been rising. In fact the proportion of people with long standing illness has risen from 15 percent to 22 percent (Acheson Report, 1998). The Acheson report thus gave new insights on health policies and identified issues that contribute to an increased rate of mortality and possible ill health. It identified several socioeconomic determinants including income distribution and household below average income, education, employment, housing, homelessness, public sector, transport and health related behaviour. Following the report, the Choosing Health White Paper given by the Department of Health sets out the key principles for supporting the public to make healthier and more informed choices in regards to their health. Through the paper, the Government has provided information and practical support to get people motivated and improve emotional well-being and also provide access to services to encourage people to make healthy choices. The government has also drawn up a food and health action plan that focuses on the ways that better health can be achieved through better nutrition at all stages of life and for different gro ups in society, recognising and addressing different needs, particularly those of disadvantaged groups (Choosing Health, DH, 2004). The government has also set up the Health Improvement Plan and a new NHS plan for tackling health inequalities 81% of people in higher socio-economic groups consider themselves to be in good health now, compared with 61% of people in the lowest groups 76% of people in the higher groups expect to be in good health in 10 years’ time, compared to 53% of people in the lowest groups (DH, 2004). Putting forward the NHS improvement plan, the Government reiterated the NHS commitment that the NHS is motivated to prevent disease and improve health in general. The Government policies are focused on the fact that inequalities in health cannot be accepted and the fundamental objective is to create healthier choices for disadvantaged groups. The NHS Improvement plan was laid down in 2004 to not only counter health inequalities but also provide better quality of care to patients and provide safer and more effective treatment. The NHS Improvement Plan set out modernisation and health plans putting patients and service users first through more personalised care; a focus on the whole of health and well-being, not only illness; and further devolution of decision-making to local organisations. (DH, 2004) According to the Government report and Action Plan laid out in then Choosing Health White paper the nutritional priorities were given as follows: increase in the average consumption of a variety of fruit and vegetables increase in the average intake of dietary fibre to 18 grams per day reducing average intake of salt to 6 grams per day reduce average intake of saturated fat maintaining the current trends in reducing average intake of total fat reducing the average intake of added sugar (Choosing Health White paper, 2004) The Government took several steps to ensure that the recommendations of the Acheson report is considered for any further changes within the NHS. Accordingly major steps have been taken to ensure consumer awareness on the consumption of healthy foods and development of good food habits. Reducing the proportion of fat, salt in the diet has been recommended and retailers and caterers have been asked introduce healthier range of foods and offer such foods in convenient stores, centre locations and in remote areas of the city. In a plan to tackle health inequalities, the Government has focused on many plans including – Offer people personal health plans with support from the NHS. Recruit NHS health trainers to provide advice and support for people to develop their personal health plans. Provide services in the areas of highest need. Offer disabled people the option of taking up a health check. (DH, 2004) Considering the Acheson report on the exaggerated problems of health care among pregnant women and children, the government has also provided eligible pregnant women with vouchers that can be exchanged for fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and infant formula through a new scheme called Healthy Start. A Sure Start scheme is also in place for providing training, guidance and support for early years to children. Practitioners encourage changes in parental behaviour and improve the social and emotional development and physical health of children in the early years. Community Parental Support Projects are also in place that involves training of lead workers in 500 communities. ‘Healthy Schools’ programmes are encouraged to target deprived schools including Pupil Referral Units. The Government has promoted the concept of healthy schools by 2006, working towards a healthy school status by 2009. The concept of Healthy schools, Sure Start and the Concept for providing Parental Support as well as providing people with personal health plans are some of the steps that the government has taken to ensure the promotion of health. Some of the objectives of the Action Plan have been given as follows. Following the Acheson report, the government focus has shifted from the one aimed to meet national targets to a different approach that could be given as follows standards are the main driver for continuous improvements in quality; there are fewer national targets; there is greater scope for addressing local priorities; incentives are in place to support the system; and all organisations locally play their part in service modernisation. (Care Standards Planning Framework, 2004). Research Studies We discuss several studies which deal with the Acheson report. Oliver and Nutbeam (2003) point out that health inequalities has been considered seriously for an approach to improve health care and government policies have been developed to explicitly address existing health inequalities that has become an important issue since Labour has returned to power in 1997. The development of health inequalities policies, have been critically examined to assess how such policies could or should be developed. The authors point out that progress in the development of health inequality policies has been made although the progress is less than expected or ideal. Kisely and Jones (1997) have written on the issues of public health ten years after the Acheson report. They point out that the issue of communicable disease control and the role of public health medicine is of considerable concern in the light of outbreaks and NHS reorganisations. The Acheson report seems to have highlighted several issues in this regard. Yet as Kisely and Jones the Reports findings have yet to be fully implemented. The paper calls for a further review of public health function and should include the removal of the specialty from management costs, and the clarification standardisation of the roles of the Director of Public Health (DPH), CPHM and other members of the multi-disciplinary public health team (Kisely and Jones, 1997). Possible organisational implications for a public health approach have also been suggested. Tarlov (1999) has delineated four conceptual frameworks providing the bases for constructing public policy strategies for improving population health and this include: (1) Determinants of population health. (2) Complex systems: (3) An intervention framework for population health improvement. (4) Public policy development process with two phases of public consensus and policy action. The Acheson report can be judged in this context and has provided both a consensus and a policy framework. Conclusion: The research studies and analysis of the Acheson report suggests that the 1998 Acheson report has been extremely influential in shaping Health care policies in the UK and reducing inequalities in health. Bibliography Primary health care in Londonchanges since the Acheson report. BMJ. 1992 Nov 7;305(6862):1130-3. Tarlov AR. Public policy frameworks for improving population health. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999;896:281-93. Blane D. Health inequality and public policy: one year on from the Acheson report. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999 Dec;53(12):748. Williams A. Commentary on the Acheson report. Health Econ. 1999 Jun;8(4):297-9. Barnes R, Scott-Samuel A. The Acheson report: beyond parenthood and apple pie? J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999 Jun;53(6):322-3. Spencer NJ. The Acheson report: challenges for the College. Arch Dis Child. 1999 Jun;80(6):576-8. Better benefits for health: plan to implement the central recommendation of the Acheson report. BMJ. 1999 Mar 13;318(7185):724-7. Acheson D. Inequalities in health. Report on inequalities in health did give priority for steps to be tackled. BMJ. 1998 Dec 12;317(7173):1659. Oliver A, Nutbeam D. Addressing health inequalities in the United Kingdom: a case study. J Public Health Med. 2003 Dec;25(4):281-7. Kisely S, Jones J. Acheson revisited: public health medicine ten years after the Acheson Report. Public Health. 1997 Nov;111(6):361-4. Also see: DH publications: Choosing Health White Paper, DH, 2004 NHS Plan, DH publication 2004 Acheson Report, DH publication, 1998 Inequalities in health, DH publication 1998 NHS Improvement Plan, 2004 www.dh.gov.uk

History of Folk Music in America Essay -- Music History Research paper

History of Folk Music in America "Hillbilly" music grew out of the rich tradition of British folk ballads, songs and hymns brought to North America by British settlers and then adapted to the peculiar circumstances, e.g., biographical names, place names, frontier concerns, of the North American wilderness. It is important to remember that all of the colonies were British, from Maine to Georgia. The exact ethnic origins of the south are difficult to determine and not well documented. The rural south did not attract large numbers of European immigrants in the great period of immigration (1850-1920); however, it is certain that by 1920 there had been considerable intermingling of a few ethnic groups (English, Welsh, Scottish, Scotch-Irish, German, Czechoslovakian, native Indian and African). Likewise, the ethnic origin of the music of the southern region is complex. There were Irish jigs, English and Scottish ballads and folk songs, hymns, etc. However, as Malone (1985:4) suggests, the end result of the musical melting pot was a product "more British than anything found in Great Britain today." The 1790 census report indicates that the population of the United States was 60.1% English, 14% Scotch-Irish and 3% Irish. These three groups made up 78% of the total population. The White Anglo-Saxon Protestant core culture dominated all of pre-Revolutionary America. However, for reasons we will examine later, the southern region produced a white and a black musical tradition which were significantly different from the rest of the nation. The British folk ballad is at the heart of the southern musical tradition. Three outstanding characteristics of the Briti... ...from the Middle Ages, used a four, five or six note scale which did not fall within tradition major or minor scales. The tunes were almost chants which rose and fell in pitch - usually peaking at the middle of the song and then diminishing. Instrumentation was usually non-existent and, when present, not very important to the song. In the U.S., harmony was much more important. This probably results from the importance of gospel singing. Sources Malone, Bill C. Country Music USA: Fifty Year History. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1985. Carr, Patrick (ed). The Illustrated History of Country Music. Garden City: Doubleday, 1979. Roebuck, Julian B. and Mark Hickson. The Southern Redneck: A Phenomenological Class Study. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1982.

Management Information System and Business Strategy

Technology was designed to make our lives easier? This Is what we are being led to believe. But Is It truly the case? In today's society many people are finding It harder to concentrate on the Job, at home or school because of the constant information flow. We are now required to continuously educate ourselves with the latest technological tools making it more challenging to focus on accomplishing the mission. Module 1 Case states, â€Å"Information overload!The phrase alone is enough to strike terror into the hardiest of managers; it presages the breakdown of society as e know it and the failure of management to cope with change. † During this module I will discuss information overload and how it has become a problem requiring additional time and energy to research information that may not be necessary. I will also discuss how we people should deal with information overload by limiting the amount of time they spend on information tools learning to organize what they learn. AN ALYSIS Search Engines provide us with a wealth of Information. Information that we need and Information we don't need.This causes us to become Inundated with more information than we can use. Networked Information should simplify and expedite our research time. For some this is not always true. The information available on the internet is overwhelming. Blair, A. States, â€Å"It takes only one or two pages of Google hits to overwhelm the average reader. † This is true in so many ways. For example, someone searching for a particular subject will first be bombarded with many links relating to his subject. The user will also receive unrelated pop-ups for advertisements causing other window browsers to open for viewing.These castrations are preventing you from focusing on initial search results. Next thing you know there Is Information coming at you through numerous open links and you find yourself closing pop-ups as quickly as new ones appear. This unnecessary work can be very s tressful and overwhelming. D. E. Broadband states â€Å"The Filter Model suggests that human senses have a limited â€Å"channel capacity† and that people easily become â€Å"overwhelmed† by too much information. † People are being overloaded with information at work, school, and even the safe haven of home.It's not healthy for the mind and can lead to stress and anxiety.. Benjamin Ellis states, â€Å"Being overwhelmed leads to high levels of stress, resulting in the fight or flight response. † E-mail is the perfect example of information overload in my office. It is constantly filling co-worker's in-boxes. Checking e-mail throughout the day takes your focus away from the Job. Dry. Glen Wilson said â€Å"The human brain finds it difficult to cope with Juggling lots of tasks at once and that constantly breaking off from tasks to check e-mail slowed the brain down. Stress Is then added on top of this because we are required to put In over-time to make up f or the lack of productively. Gregory Northeast states â€Å"Technology has made us much more efficient, but much less effective. Time is being gained but Quality of relationships is states, â€Å"Information overload was experienced long before the appearance of today's digital gadgets. † People can become overwhelmed when starting a new Job. They come into the Job expecting to impress but find them self struggling to learn the basics. If they researched the information needed to do the Job things will run more smoothly.People have not forgotten how to research information, but they may require help I organizing what they have learned. Networked information will continue to grow at a fast pace, and it's up to us to keep up with it. Being organized and wanting to learn more should not be a problem for anyone. You will become more knowledgeable when practicing organizing. It starts with a little organization in knowing where you place those reference notes. We are fortunate to have developed continuity binders in my unit. They come in handy when there is no overlap in a position or someone has taken extended emergency leave.Staying organized can save a lot of time in a society that depends heavily on the internet. Oliver Mark states, â€Å"Data in a computer is like having a continuity book; it's only in existence when you make something of it. † The information on the internet had to be entered by someone. And these people had to make this information available to the World Wide Web so that others may refer back to it. There is Just so much of the same information out there. People learn from one another and we learn by doing. Just like the social learning theory, the cognitive theory is similar.The cognitive theory states, â€Å"A cognitive theory of multimedia learning based on three main assumptions: there are two separate channels (auditory and visual) for processing information; there is limited channel capacity; and that learning is an act ive process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating information. † It is important to create your own preservation of notes, by sorting, selecting and summarizing to help overcome being overwhelmed by networked information. Blair, A. Describes to sort and keep notes of what you want to know.She states, â€Å"Today search engines can track the keywords chosen by individual users and writers, but e still need library cataloger and indexers who can identify relevant category terms that do not appear explicitly in the text and who can group related topics under consistent subject headings. Subject and index headings perforce change over time, as do the categories by which we remember and manage our own notes; they remain a uniquely powerful tool. † Next she describes to select only what you need to know and summarize it. With all the information out on the network you can sometimes have pages of information that you really don't need.Blair, A. States, â€Å"Ke yword earaches and data mining offer tempting alternatives to earlier methods used by readers and authors to select the â€Å"best bits† to store and later refer to. † Time management is part of being organized; Individuals that are organized will have less stress dealing with information overload, one really good network tool is outlook. In outlook you can create folders to help organize incoming emails. Above I stated that many individuals are overwhelmed or stressed because they have too many e-mail coming all at once. Outlook can synchronize them so that they can come back and read them later.Knowing how to use networked tools should make your life easier; however you must be willing to want to learn the new technology. Marks, O. State, â€Å"Machines communicate at ever more sophisticated levels with each other in bombarding us with information your time commitment can be significant. The flow of networked information into and through organization can be overwhelm ing, however, individuals must learn how to Just deal with what is coming their way and show initiative that they are willing to learn how these networked tools work to help them be organized, save time and be less overwhelmed.Networked information is like the news it reports what people want to hear and what the individual chooses to listen to, what people decide to take in is up to the individual to control how they are going to react. Blair, A. States, â€Å"It's important to remember that information overload is not unique to our time, lest we fall into doom saying. At the same time, we need to proceed carefully in the transition to electronic media. † EVALUATION I think technology is great, however it can be overwhelming. Many of us don't know how to research what we need or use because we always want to learn more.We overwhelm ourselves because we can't Just focus on a single thing. We would rather multi-task. But it is important that we learn how to take notes because someday our children may want the same information we have learned. Blair, A. States, â€Å"Like generations before us, we need all the tools for gathering and assessing information that we can muster?some inherited from the past, others new to the present. Many of our technologies will no doubt rapidly seem obsolete, but, we can hope, not human attention and Judgment, which should continue to be the central components of thoughtful information management.

History of Graffiti Essay

The term â€Å"graffiti† is derived from Greek word graphein meaning to write was originally used to characterize the words and names scribbled on the walls of ancient Roman architecture (Kincheloe and Hayes, 98). This singular term graffito however, is derived from the Italian graffiare which means â€Å"little scratching. † Vern Bullough and Bonnie Bullough asserts, it â€Å"may be applied to at least three types of inscriptions: public, private, and personal† (251). Public graffiti include names, initials, cryptic symbols, and the like, which were usually drawn on walls or fences, trees and so on, as markers for gang terrorists, or as symbol of personal pride and courage or simply as reminder of someone’s presence. Private graffiti on the other hand, are inscriptions in more secluded locations such as restroom walls and toilet stalls and were usually of â€Å"intentionally anonymous authorship† while personal graffiti are tattoos and scar that are intended â€Å"to beautify to disfigure, to indicate status, or to adorn the human body† (Bullough and Bullough, 251). There seems to have not enough information as to when graffiti started or who were the first individual or people to have started it. Bullough and Bullough cited that recent archeological efforts on the coast of France revealed cavers submerged beneath â€Å"the encroaching seas for tens of thousands of years, with their walls â€Å"filled with arcane products of Paleolithic graffitists† (252). But as Pereira pointed out, the study of graffiti throughout history â€Å"shows that, from the Neolithic period onwards, nomads left traces of their survival and successful passage by scratching signs on rocks† (16), which means that graffiti or writing on walls or rocks have been the customs and traditions not only of the ancient peoples but of the human beings in general. Historically, graffiti were used under various circumstances. Pereira noted that during the time of Roman persecution of Christians, Christian believers took refuge in the catacombs where they carved symbols into the rock which served as â€Å"cryptic messages for the rest of the community† (Pereira, 16). This was also the case during the sixteenth century wars of religion to which the carved images on the wall along with a message expressing their feelings and opinion of the scenario they are witnessing. Graffiti were also used during the age of enlightenment and the French revolution as means of radical political expression and propaganda. The height of the use of graffiti reached its climax in the 1920s and the 1930s with the publication by the French photographer Brassai of a photo-essay on graffiti (Pereira, 21). The 1940s also saw the importance of graffiti with Nazis who employed it as weapon, â€Å"smearing the walls with their hate-filled propaganda against Jews and other enemies of the Third Reich. Obviously, what could be drawn in the past is a concept that graffiti is a system of communication and expression â€Å"depicted by writings, drawings and scribbling on surfaces† (Price, 28). Today however, graffiti is seen as part of the urban culture or the so-called street culture which is a unique way of self expression through writing on walls. Despite the negative image in view of obscene language used, graffiti is a global phenomenon and its art is now seen as icon of popular culture and its techniques, and styles are generating increased interests worldwide (Gottlieb, 7).

Find out What the Pelagic Zone Is

Find out What the Pelagic Zone Is The pelagic zone is the area of the ocean outside of coastal areas. This is also called the open ocean. The open ocean lies over and beyond the continental shelf. Its where you’ll find some of the biggest marine life species. The sea floor (demersal zone) is not included in the pelagic zone. The word pelagic comes from the Greek word pelagos meaning sea or high sea.   Different Zones Within the Pelagic Zone The pelagic zone is separated into several subzones depending on water depth: Epipelagic zone (ocean surface to 200 meters deep). This is the zone in which photosynthesis can occur because light is available.Mesopelagic zone (200-1,000m) - This is also known as the twilight zone because light becomes limited. There is less oxygen available to organisms in this zone.Bathypelagic zone (1,000-4,000m) - This is a dark zone where water pressure is high and the water is cold (around 35-39 degrees).  Abyssopelagic zone (4,000-6,000m) - This is the zone past the continental slope - the deep water just over the ocean bottom. This is also known as the abyssal zone.Hadopelagic zone (deep ocean trenches, greater than 6,000m) - In some places, there are trenches that are deeper than the surrounding ocean floor. These areas are the hadopelagic zone. At a depth of over 36,000 feet, the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in the ocean.   Within these different zones, there can be a dramatic difference in available light, water pressure and the types of species youll find there. Marine Life Found in the Pelagic Zone Thousands of species of all shapes and sizes live in the pelagic zone. Youll find animals that travel long distances and some that drift with the currents. There is a wide array of species here as this zone includes all of the ocean that is not either in a coastal area or the ocean bottom. Thus, the pelagic zone thus comprises the largest volume of ocean water in any marine habitat. Life in this zone ranges from tiny plankton to the largest whales. Plankton Organisms include phytoplankton, which provides oxygen for us here on Earth and food for many animals. Zooplankton such as copepods are found there and also are an important part of the oceanic food web. Invertebrates Examples of invertebrates that live in the pelagic zone include jellyfish, squid, krill, and octopus. Vertebrates Many large ocean vertebrates live in or migrate through the pelagic zone. These include  cetaceans, sea turtles and large fish such as ocean sunfish (which is shown in the image), bluefin tuna, swordfish, and sharks. While they dont live  in the water, seabirds such as petrels, shearwaters, and gannets can often be found above, on and diving under the water in search of prey. Challenges of the Pelagic Zone This can be a challenging environment where species are affected by wave and wind activity, pressure, water temperature and prey availability. Because the pelagic zone covers a large area, prey may be scattered over some distance, meaning animals have to travel far to find it and may not feed as often as an animal in a coral reef or tide pool habitat, where prey is denser. Some pelagic zone animals (e.g., pelagic seabirds, whales, sea turtles) travel thousands of miles between breeding and feeding grounds. Along the way, they face changes in water temperatures, types of prey, and human activities such as shipping, fishing, and exploration.

Disscuction Example

Disscuction Example Disscuction – Article Example Collaborative Programs in Schools Approaches for improving collaborative programs in schools Collaborative programs inschools usually involves those programs which give and offers an extra multidisciplinary experience for pupils and students that are admitted or enrolled in two or more different and independent institutions (Doorley and Witthoft, 2012). These institutions are certified for this collaborative by relevant authorities for example health programs and law programs. The programs are important since different children in schools come with different and complex medical, social and education challenges and no one can meet these challenges hence a need for collaboration between teachers, parents and other professionals in different institutions (Gimpel and Collett, 2010).ApproachesCollaboration with other profession: Due to increase in language diversity and student with special needs, it’s posing a challenge for affected parties to work together to meet the needs of th ese students (Harrison, 2001).Collaboration with the community: This helps community building efforts both in and out of the school. The surrounding community usually influences the students how they feel about themselves and their attitude towards education. Issues like socio economic status, family background and health usually affect the children’s motivation and interest learning.Collaboration with the state law: State laws enhance and in some instances need collaborative efforts in meeting the needs of the children (Doorley and Witthoft, 2012). For example in No Child left behind act of 2002 it need that each school should come up with processes for ensuring good ways to enact and collaborate with parentsGoalsEthics: It plays fundamental role in education concerning decision making since the actions and words uttered by the educator influences greatly the being of the student character. Since the children are going to meet different dynamic environment, the collaborative programs exposes him/her early to these different types of environment (Doorley and Witthoft, 2012).Legal concerns: Since now day’s courts are more frequently involved in matters that take place in school it has forced teachers and students to be aware of legal issues ranging from students and their rights to teaching contracts (Gimpel and Collett, 2010). Through the collaborative programs, it has enabled institutions to share their legal structure hence enhancing awareness among the stakeholders.Promotes a learning communityCollaboration programs in schools especially in this case, with the community will enhance values like sharing ideas through team and group work, valuing the importance of communalism (Harrison, 2001). Parents and students are also part of school decision making through collaboration program and creation of new policies.References Doorley, S., & Witthoft, S. (2012). Make space: How to set the stage for creative collaboration. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & S ons.Gimpel, P. G., & Collett, B. R. (2010). Collaborative home/school interventions: Evidence-based solutions for emotional, behavioral, and academic problems. New York: Guilford Press.Harrison, B. (2001). Collaborative programs in indigenous communities: From fieldwork to practice. Walnut Creek [u.a.: AltaMira Press.

How to Find Your GED Records

How to Find Your GED Records Every state in the U.S. has official General Education Diploma (GED) records for  everyone who  has earned a GED in that state. Records can be accessed by the GED holders themselves or by others who have obtained their consent. Reasons to Locate GED Records If you are applying for a job, for example, you will likely need to provide your GED completion date as verification of your education history. You may also need to provide this information as part of a background check if you volunteering at an organization. Finally, you may need to locate GED records if you are a hiring manager and you need to verify the information provided by a job applicant. How to Find GED Records Whether you need a copy of your own GED records  or you want to verify that a job applicant truly earned a GED, there are several steps you need to take: Determine in which state the GED credential was earned.Check the states education website to determine that states requirements for records requests.Get authorization from the GED holder. Most states require:Full name and all past last namesDate of birthSocial Security number (some require only last four digits)Date of records requestSignature of GED holderEmail or mailing address where verification is to be sentSend required information by whichever means the state requests (some have online request forms, but all require the GED holders signature). The turnaround time in many states is only 24 hours, but requests should be made as early as possible. Remember that the only information that will be sent is verification that an official credential was earned and the date on which it was earned. For protection of privacy, no scores are provided. Common Challenges In some cases, you may encounter challenges when you request GED records. Each state has its own guidelines for storing and accessing this information, and some are more compliant than others when it comes to granting requests. The date of testing may affect how easy it is to obtain GED  records. Recent records are more likely to be stored in a digital archive, accessible by computer, while older records are more likely to be found in a physical archive that is less easily searched. To help archivists locate older records, you should be prepared to provide as much information as possible, including past names. Fulfilling requests for older records may take additional time, even up to several weeks. You should take this into account when submitting a  records request. If you are looking for your GED records but missing some of the information listed above, you may still be in luck. In Texas, for example, File IDs are attached to records without  Social Security numbers. GED holders can work with the state education agencys help desk to find out their File IDs and access their complete records.

World Trade Organization College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World Trade Organization College - Essay Example The impact has, however, been uneven. Developed WTO members have enjoyed expanded imports under GATT/WTO while there has been little impact of WTO membership on imports in developing WTO members. The role of WTO stimulating international trade is paramount, however, from the perspective of empirical evidence and economic models, WTO's role seems to be controversial in some aspects. The transition from the GATT to the WTO was a significant event, though it did not occur abruptly but as a gradual response to evolutionary changes that have occurred since the original agreement was signed in 1947 and have continued even after the transition in 1995 (Barton et al. 2006). The first evolutionary change such change involved the gradual expansion of the membership in the GATT and the WTO. The original 1947 agreement was signed by twenty-three member states. The number grew over the next decades, with the Dillon Round involving 26 states, 62 states in the Kennedy Round, and 123 in the Uruguay Round (Bagwell and Staiger, 2002). The major consequence of this growth has been a shift away from dominance of the trade system by the United States and a rise in dominancy by other states, notably those of the Europe (Barton et al. 2006). The second evolutionary change includes the expanding scope of the GATT... Uruguay Round, from 1986 to 1994, the subjects included tariffs, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, textiles and clothing, intellectual property, as well as ten other topics (O'Brien et al. 2000). ANALYSIS The WTO requires participants to decrease import barriers but there are important reasons to expect membership to influence exports in the same manner. Members participate in the WTO and motivate their join with their comparative advantages and disadvantages (Kelly, 2009). Participants choose industries and economies, to which they provide protection and simultaneously they aim to obtain access for their competitive industries, preferably those having political support (Feenstra, 2004). If members only eased import controls and did not receive broader market access, only few countries would actively pursue membership (Feenstra, 2004). Second, members produce an extensive amount of work, attempt various strategies as well as apply litigation procedures to secure their rights to foreign markets (Kelly, 2009). Practically, WTO's dispute resolution mechanism represents one of the major advantages of the WTO. For many members it provides legitimate procedures to file costly and, what is m ore important, time consuming litigation that their import/export products are not being given their rights under WTO legislation (Bagwell and Staiger, 2002). Third, countries that participate in the WTO have unique opportunity to export to other states while conducting domestic protection (Feenstra, 2004). Practically, this give an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of free trade, and simultaneously adjusting national economies to global trading regime. It is well-accepted that the GATT/WTO's achievements are outstanding, especially in tariff liberalization (Bagwell and Staiger,

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 15

Philosophy - Essay Example However, most of these literary writings have vanished, as only some tattered bits are available now. Plato wrote around twenty-three philosophical dialogues, which Socrates had with his followers. Plato’s republic is the most important of such writings, as the same is being investigated philosophically, even in the current materialistic technological age. Plato’s Republic is recorded in Book, numbered 1 to10. This paper will discuss mainly the topic from book one. As per the Plato’s Republic, book one, while discussing on various issues, Socrates poses the question regarding the definition of happiness and justice, to his followers and critics. Socrates is not able to answer this question directly, even when he rejects the others’ views on â€Å"what is justice†.. However, Plato has given a rich and detailed theory of justice as detailed by Socrates, in the books of Republic.(337b) Plato’s Republic details the Socrates views on the issue, which is for the critics also to review. Although, the early dialogues reveals the position of Socrates viewing this on moralistic values, the later dialogues involve theories related to metaphysics, religion and psychology etc..These dialogues recorded in detail in books from 2 to 10 As per Plato’s Republic, its book 1 details about the returning of Socrates and his friend Glaucon, from a religious festival, when they meet young Polemarchus. On the insistence of this young noble, Socrates visits the home of Polemarchus, where the visitors also meet his aging father Cephalous Socrates starts conversation with the old man on the growing age. However, soon the topic of discussion turns to justice. Cephalous is a respected elder man of the region who is rich as well. During such conversation, Cephalous is of the view that justice means meeting one’s obligations and being honest towards others.(330) However, as per the Plato’s version in Republic book 1 and 2, Socrates is not able to agree

Managing Patient Safety Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Patient Safety Report - Research Paper Example This risked the life of a patient, and a subsequent cardiac event killed him as a result (Sullivan and Ferriter, 2008). The aim of this report is to examine this event in detail and determine what could have been changed to prevent this happen, and to decrease the likelihood of a similar event happening in the future. Patient Safety Advances in knowledge and technology have created a system of healthcare that is highly successful, and able to effectively treat a wide range of conditions. However, these factors have also led to the growth of the complexity of the healthcare system. This is an aspect of considerable concern, and the development of complexity brings considerable risk, and the potential of harm occurring to patients as the result of human or system factors (National Patient Safety Agency, 2004). There are many arguments for why the current systems of care are ineffective at preventing harm to patients, but one of these is that it has a strong reliance of systems and appr oaches that are outdated and based on previous techniques that are no longer relevant (Carayon, 2007). Whatever the driving factors, it has become clear that the safety of patients in healthcare is something that needs to be addressed, and preventable incidences of harm need to be minimised. There has been an increased interest and focus on health safety throughout the world, as well as in the scientific literature. Estimates suggest that approximately ten percent of all patients admitted into NHS hospitals experience at least one incident where patient safety is compromised. Furthermore, it would be possible to prevent a large number of these incidents (National Patient Safety Agency, 2004). Medical errors are a significant problem in the healthcare industry, and a 1999 report identified that up to 98,000 people die every year in hospitals as the result of medical errors that were preventable (Kohn et al., 1999). This report has become well known, and way one of the driving factors for the focus on patient safety. The interest in the area has generated many specific terms that are used to describe what is occurring within institutions, and the desire to prevent such incidents. Two prominent terms are patient safety and adverse events. The concept of patient safety is the prevention of any harm or adverse events occurring to the patient. In literature, the term is used prevalently, but defined rarely. For example, the 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine which spurred the focus on patient safety uses the term extensively throughout the paper, but the authors do not define what the phrase actually means (Kohn et al., 1999). It can be reasonably assumed that health safety is not explicitly defined, both because the term appears to have an intuitive definition and because this makes determining the exact meaning of the term difficult. However, understanding patient safety is a crucial aspect of effectively discussing or implementing this. Therefore, to approa ch this, we will first consider what an adverse event is, then examine how this definition can be used to help define patient safety. The National Patient Safety Agency defines an adverse event as â€Å"Any unintended or unexpected incident that could have or did lead to harm for one or more patients receiving NHS-funded healthcare†. This definition is also taken to apply to the terms patient safety incident and

The New Stimulus Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The New Stimulus Bill - Essay Example It is well known to everybody that current global economic crises has its roots in the United States, where one of the biggest financial institutions collapsed due to non payment by borrowers to whom the banks freely lent huge amounts against various mortgages, specially house mortgages. The banks and financial institutions badly suffered with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the United States. The banks and financial institutions World over hurt the public trust as they stopped or restricted further lending to housing industry as well as business. All these circumstances added to the worst global economic crises. The World vide economies went to worst recession after the Second World War. (PlentyMag 2009) Different countries took different steps they considered suitable for boosting up their own economies, United States gave two stimulus packages, one by the Bush Administration and the other by the Obama Administration. Bush Administration pumped in billions of dollars prior to current economic crises. It was specially meant for housing industry that was indicating something worst. Obviously that much money failed to give the desired results and ultimately the banks and financial institutions either became bankrupt or reached close to bankruptcy. It is understood that when the financial system of any country either collapse or it looses the public confidence than the economy of that country can not move forward. Therefore, The American President decided to float in the Congress another economic stimulus bill for about $825 billions. An economic stimulus bill is a sort of federal legislation needed to step in money into the economy to curb the economic recession. On Feb 17, 2009, a ne w economic stimulus package was passed and signed into law by President Barack Obama with just three Republican votes to promote

Neighborhood Planning Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neighborhood Planning - Annotated Bibliography Example iii. The City of Surrey has an OCP defined by goals and policies, which lead to the city’s planning operations. Surrey’s OCP offers direction for Surrey’s physical organization, management of land, transportation priorities, community growth, use of farmland, and ecological awareness.3 iv. Fraser Basic Council developed an OCP for taking action against climate change and raising awareness about the phenomenon. Local authorities approved the development of the OCP as a form of bylaw under which activities assumed by Fraser Basic Council would be consistent with the OCP.4 v. The Ministry of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development under the Government of British Columbia undertook an OCP in 2014 that its cities and regional constituencies developed.5 This OCP is a long-term reflection of the community that determines locations, sums, types, and concentration of suburban developments required by the Local Government Act  section 875. vi. The City of North Vancouver first undertook an OCP in 1980, revised it in 1992, and continued it to date. The OCP aims to balance the social, ecological, and economic requirements of the community of North Vancouver.6 Gansmo, Helen Jà ¸sok. "Municipal planning of a sustainable neighborhood: action research and stakeholder dialogue."  Building Research & Information  40, no. 4 (July 2012): 493-503.  Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2015). Researcher Gansmo attempts to find the most appropriate way to foster the change to greener neighborhoods. Determining whether planners can start an improved dialogue to facilitate stakeholder participation in planning, construction, and residing in greener neighborhoods.7 The article describes and implements methodical procedures that find the core contributors to greener neighborhoods and implementing the dialogue approaches in the early stages of planning for the project. Aditya, Trias.

Jaws Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jaws - Case Study Example Both the anterior and posterior facial heights, inclination of the mandible and the angle of the gonial are considered. The maximum force of a bite is produced by the combined effect of jaw elevator muscles which are produced by jaw biomechanics and reflex mechanisms. The modification and elevation of jaw muscles results in higher magnitude of bite force. The masseter-temporal muscle is thicker in individuals with short faces hence stronger bite force. With a more vertical ramus and an acutely gonial, a greater mechanical advantage is produced by the elevator muscles. However, a long face cranial morphology based on mandibular inclination produces smaller bite force values (Koc et al, 230). 2. Size is one of the cranial facial factors since it plays a vital role in establishing the magnitude of a bite. This is because they control the muscle forces. For instance, in mammals the masseter-muscles comprises 60 to 80% hence easy adaptation to their feeding habits that require maximum bite force (Cox et al. 2012). 5. The other findings that are consistent with this information include experimental studies, observations, tests and other model based forces used to estimate the exertion of muscle forces (Erdemir et al, 140). 7. The resolution of the case regarding the relationship between jaw size and muscle thickness and the magnitude of the bite is correct. We might, therefore, expect to find that larger animals that require high magnitude bites have thicker muscles, and larger jaw sizes to enable them in proper chewing. Raadsheer, M. C., van Eijden, T. M., van Ginkel, F. C., & Prahl-Andersen, B. â€Å"Contribution of Jaw Muscle Size and Craniofacial Morphology to Human Bite Force Magnitude†. Journal of dental health. (1999). Vol. 78 (1): Pp.

Neighborhood Planning Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neighborhood Planning - Annotated Bibliography Example iii. The City of Surrey has an OCP defined by goals and policies, which lead to the city’s planning operations. Surrey’s OCP offers direction for Surrey’s physical organization, management of land, transportation priorities, community growth, use of farmland, and ecological awareness.3 iv. Fraser Basic Council developed an OCP for taking action against climate change and raising awareness about the phenomenon. Local authorities approved the development of the OCP as a form of bylaw under which activities assumed by Fraser Basic Council would be consistent with the OCP.4 v. The Ministry of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development under the Government of British Columbia undertook an OCP in 2014 that its cities and regional constituencies developed.5 This OCP is a long-term reflection of the community that determines locations, sums, types, and concentration of suburban developments required by the Local Government Act  section 875. vi. The City of North Vancouver first undertook an OCP in 1980, revised it in 1992, and continued it to date. The OCP aims to balance the social, ecological, and economic requirements of the community of North Vancouver.6 Gansmo, Helen Jà ¸sok. "Municipal planning of a sustainable neighborhood: action research and stakeholder dialogue."  Building Research & Information  40, no. 4 (July 2012): 493-503.  Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed January 23, 2015). Researcher Gansmo attempts to find the most appropriate way to foster the change to greener neighborhoods. Determining whether planners can start an improved dialogue to facilitate stakeholder participation in planning, construction, and residing in greener neighborhoods.7 The article describes and implements methodical procedures that find the core contributors to greener neighborhoods and implementing the dialogue approaches in the early stages of planning for the project. Aditya, Trias.

How Does the Film “the Breakfast Club” (1985) Perpetuate Teen Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

How Does the Film â€Å"the Breakfast Club† (1985) Perpetuate Teen Stereotypes Essay â€Å"The Breakfast Club† shows the typical stereotypes of before, specially the 80s. The snob girl that thinks she shouldn’t be there, the popular sports boy, the rebel that is not understood, the nerd that doesn’t want to be in trouble, the outcast that is ignored, and the teacher that thinks to highly of themselves and thinks that teenager equals problem. In the 80s â€Å"The Breakfast Club† became really popular. This could be because the teenagers that saw it found themselves identified with the characters. It also made adults and teenagers see from the outside what was happening, and that stereotypes did exist. Nowadays these stereotypes still exist in a way, but not as marked as before. Now teenagers could communicate with other people from different groups, not like in the film, were the â€Å"popular† girl doesn’t think the rebel, nerd or outcast should be with her there. She thinks to highly of herself. Internet has also helped people not label others as much. Now people sometimes meet though internet, and this makes the first impression useless in what it refers to appearance. Teenagers get to know each other more, so they don’t fall for the stereotypical appearance of others. I find that what has also changed between the 80s and now, is that studies have become more important. It is true that we still think a lot about our appearance, clothes, etc. but the society has made us more aware of the fact that without studies we maybe wouldn’t be able to go far. More information on TV has also influenced, now people are informed better on what’s happening around the world. Teenagers now know there is more apart from school and friends, and are more worried about their future and world-wide problems, than to belong to a group. We are more understanding on what is around us, we are less narrow minded. Know we know there are people the same as us, so we give more opportunities. However, are stereotypes still giving problems? Many adults stereotype teenagers as being lazy, unmotivated, and undetermined individuals. Loud, obnoxious, rebellious, out of control, and up to no good†¦ Many people in different generations sincerely believe that all teenagers are guaranteed trouble no matter where they are. I am not arguing that teenagers like that don’t exist, because there are plenty of them out there, but it is bothering that one type of teenager has been able to spoil the image of all the others. Things like long or coloured hair, black clothes, heavy make-up, ect. Create a wrong idea of the person. Things like saying that a teenager is bad just because they are trouble makers is wrong, someone could be just having fun and act serious somewhere else. People, specially teachers and parents, think that all teenagers are always ready for the battle, that they are not capable of reasoning, listening, or saying something interesting. In an external point of view, I personally find teenagers more interesting than any other group of ages. We are in the middle of children and adults, our view of the both is split into two and our exposure between them is different, this creates a wider point of view. Therefore, a different opinion. In conclusion, Stereotypes have changed throughout the years, people don’t label as much. However, it’s still there, and is still harmful.

Role Of Technology In Teenagers Lives English Language Essay

Role Of Technology In Teenagers Lives English Language Essay Technology plays a vital role in the lives of teenagers. It is a medium used by Generation Y for a myriad of different purposes; communication, leisure and education. Teenagers employ the use of mobile phones and personal computers; they access the internet via these platforms using them to communicate with their peers. Throughout this essay I will be analysing the impact inflicted upon teenagers (16-18 years) communication levels with the rapid development of technology. The rapid development of technology, communication and its impact on teenagers will be the focus of this essay. The Oxford English dictionary defines technology as the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment (Technology. (n.d.), Dictionary.com, 2010). The concept of technology interrelated with communication refers to communication via various avenues such as internet platforms (msn, twitter, flutter, etc.) which can also be connected to handheld devices such as mobile phones. Technology aids teenagers in communicating more easily and efficiently. The role of technology has changed greatly in recent times, and is not a new phenomenon. It is one that has been developing constantly and improving its efficiency over many years. Technology has extended peoples ways of communication. To get by their everyday lives people require a great deal of social communication. It has become apparent that in order to increase our awareness of the greater possibilities and options in life, we require greater levels of communication. Teenagers are the next generation; they have grown up with elevated expertise with regard to technology as opposed to the older generations. Technology has allowed for the manipulation of words via msn messengers or phone sms etc using chatiquettes (Netiquette, 2010) which are simpler and more convenient, yet grammatically incorrect. The question is whether technology users have become more educated or less educated via technology. As part of the research for this topic a questionnaire was conducted where a large amount of data was compiled from a certain age group with regard to their view on the topic of this essay. This allowed for an extra focus on the age group 16-18 where there were 53 participants. My main method of research was asking questions to generate evidence. This evidence was consequently compiled into sets of data to provide information about how teenagers are affected by their increased use of communicative technology. The students all attend a high school in suburban Melbourne. The results of the questionnaire will be discussed in a later part of the essay. The findings incorporated in the essay are the findings of Pew Internet Projects. These resources will provide an insight into the ways teenagers experience writing and technology in their lives and it will give a clear insight into whether technology users have become more educated or less educated via technology. This will help to determine the true implication that the rapid development of communicative technology has on the teenage age group (16-18) with regard to their communicative skills. This will be achieved by discussing both the negative and positive effects that technology has had on the communication of a teenager. From the discussed information it will be possible to determine the implication of the improvement of technology. PART 1: The Lives of Teenagers and their Technology The role of technology in teenagers lives continues to grow. Almost all teenagers nowadays have access to the internet via phones, computers and laptops. Moreover, technology is increasingly found in homes and schools. Teachers often expect students to have access to technology in order to have better presented work that is printed and easier to read. It seems that technology has overwhelmed the lives of teenagers although as mentioned before, it is developing constantly and improving in its user interaction efficiency. Also used to promote technology is the concept that the better technology the student has, in this case school attending teenagers, the more likely they are to excel in school, as it facilitates greater opportunities for education. In general, phones and computers are used by teenagers to keep records of events, to socialize with friends and family and for entertainment, be it gaming, movies and/or as an educational tool. In the questionnaire participants were asked: How often do you engage in some kind of format of electronics (instant messaging, sending emails, texting or posting comments)? Graph 1: correlation between boys and girls As seen on the graph, modern day teenagers accomplish a large part of their communication via technology. For internet-illiterates to understand these teenagers they need to implement similar language conventions that teenagers employ whilst using the internet. It is not to say that the original methods of communication have been eliminated, they have been modified through technology. This modification has aroused the concern of many people, with regard to the effect of the use of technology in this way and whether it has a positive or negative effect on them. It can be argued that teenagers communication levels have deteriorated by using shortened wordings like abbreviations or chatiquettes as used in online chatting systems . Nearly all teenagers use the internet. The internet usage has grown over the years; it has become apparent with many companies as they are providing offers of higher internet usage at lower prices, which indicates as to the demand of internet usage by people. It is fitting to say that since teenagers spend most of their time using technology then they would be the largest consumers of internet usage. The concept of technology in this essay is its interrelation with communication. There is a direct link between teenagers use of new media and how it allows them to enhance their communication techniques. Teenagers attempt to access communicative technology from various locations. Schools and libraries play an important role in the internet a teen can access outside the home. Now with WAP (wireless application protocol) students can access the internet on their phones, meaning students are constantly up to date even when they are not at home. Teenagers access the internet through credit or through the latest most advanced technologies known as Hotspots/WIFI hotspots. They allow you to access the internet from that specific place for free. Hotspots can be found in public areas and include places like Mc Donalds, schools and libraries. Yet, there are limiting factors to using the internet while at school or in the library which include, connection speed, the presence of internet filters, firewalls, and also blocked sites. Therefore it is evident that advancements in technology have allowed for solutions to most communication problems. As the world is becoming more wirelessly connected it is beginning to revolutionise the way in which teenagers go about with their daily lives. Many teenagers go online daily on social networking sites where you comment and post issues, popular among students these days. These interactive activities involve large volumes of written text and have become one of the essential daily bases of life to most teenagers, since such activities are required multiple times a day. According to the survey I conducted, teenagers have become heavily reliant on technology. In fact 39 out of 53 students say they are constantly engaged in some kind of electronic communication throughout the day, in short 73% of these students are evidently surrounded by electronic devices (Mohamad K, 2010). These devices are being used when a person is bored, while doing homework, before sleeping or as soon as they wake up. Students update themselves for the weather forecast, events or even check their email. In this da y and age individuals socially communicate via the internet. Being switched on has allowed individuals with opportunities never before fathomed. Nowadays we are able to communicate extensively with our community. One student noted I love using Skype; I speak to my sister in Abu Dhabi. Its great because I only see her once a year (Mohamad K , 2010). Rapid developments in technology have created an environment where information is accessible from all parts of the globe. This data is free and easily accessible, for teenagers this means they have access to a range of information resources, all at the click of a button. The internet has paved the way in communicating information. No longer do students need to have access to physical texts. They can extend their vocabulary, grammar and language conventions all by use of the World Wide Web. When students do not have access to books they can access so much textual context provided by the internet proprietors. Literacy is improved in many ways when a student reads a magazine, an article or even song lyrics they gain different levels of understanding in the way that these different types of pieces are structured. It also helps students understand different phenomenas they are not aware of, by using online thesauruses or dictionaries students are able to widen their vocabulary. Teenagers tend to make meaning from anything they see be it visual, written, or spoken texts. Teenagers as mentioned before have developed with technology and Pew internet and American Life project says that seven in ten students have a mobile phone, and six in ten have a desktop or laptop computer. Yes, six in ten teenagers are likely to have a computer but that is not the only communication tool being used. Mobile phones are perhaps one of the most used communicative technologies and have grown rapidly among teenagers. In general, phones and computers are used by teenagers to keep records of events, to socialize with friends and family and for entertainment, be it gaming, movies, and/or as an educational tool. PART 2: Teenagers and Their Writing Habits Having outlined and discussed the way teenagers interact with technology and their dependence on it, a discussion of the effect that this development in communicative technology has on them will allow for a better understanding of the implications of communicative technology. References to writing will be made mainly with regard to academic writing and social writing as they form the main bulk of writing undertaken by teenage students. It is apparent in teenagers that some enjoy writing or are gifted in writing while others are not. Taking into consideration the fact that writing, inside and outside of school writing is usually different in the lives of teenagers, it is possible to categorise them as formal and informal pieces of writing. Writing is essential to a person and it is crucial for people to develop writing skills especially teenagers attending school as it is their main form of communication (exams and tests). Todays teenagers write a significant amount at school and outs ide of school, yet the writing done outside of school such as emailing, instant messaging and texting are classified as informal writing. When teenagers use the internet they do not employ the proper use of language conventions however, according to Luke and Freebodys Four Rescource Model (refer to appendix 1) they are text decoders, participants, users and analysers. Language is always going to remain as such, though there are many forms in which a language, in this case English maybe manipulated by different people. The presence of slang English which refers to common day language has no grammatical basis in the English language; this is the best example of the manipulation of language. The same concept of slang language can be applied to the method of shortening words and abbreviating employed by teenagers during their communication through technology. These modifications to the language are not without reason. The abbreviation of words is usually either simply a result of the convenience of shorter words or due to the limitation by certain technology as to the size of the pieces of writing. Therefore the way people apply their language skills is different and will always be different its up to the teenagers in this day and age to ensure their increased usage of incorrect slang English language does not affect their basic English language skill s as the constant use of a certain form of the language will alter the basic underlying grammar principles. The digital age presents a paradox (Lenhart et al., 2008, pg(i)). Most teenagers now spend a great deal of time sending texts, it remains sceptical as to whether or not this text driven habit is inspiring a new appreciation for writing. As for school writing, the most common type of writing is note taking, writing essays and answering questions. All teenagers that attend school are predisposed to these types of work in most subjects and thus they form the need to improve their formal language skills, it can be safe to assume that formal language is far from being significantly deteriorated at this time in history, as technology is still dependent on formal language to convey ideas and information. As such though teenagers have developed differing writing habits with the use of technology for communication, the fact that they attend school ensures their link to basic formal language is not severed completely. In addition as a teenager most students believe that socially oriented writi ng they do using electronic devices is considered e-communication and therefore not writing (Lenhart et al., 2008). Students still hold the traditional definition of writing so technically their understanding of writing is not being deteriorated by technology (Lenhart et al., 2008). In my questionnaire the question asked was Do you think that electronic text is a form of writing? produced the following result. Graph 2: Amount of boys and girls who answered no to the question above In relation the graph, it can be understood that students do know the difference between electronic text and formal writing. All for one, the internet is a primary source of research for school writing and assignments and is an informative, communicative way that is everywhere and is present anywhere at once. The internet is not only used for school assignments, most commonly it is used for social networking, and communicating and media related activities. The writing students compose in school is basic and compulsory although writing composed outside of school is a piece that you mostly enjoy writing about that you mainly express yourself in. This type of writing outside of school enhances the writing capacity of teenagers in school and excels them overtime. PART 3: Electronic communication the relationship between writing, communication and technology ownership Teenagers are known to use the internet for many reasons. A study suggests that the communicative functions of the internet and mobile phone are the main reasons why teenagers use these technologies (Lenhart et al., 2008). These technologies have increased the methods of completing written works and the connection between people. Since technology together with the internet have promoted these types of writings and they have become widely known and popular. It is a worry for some people that students might become attached to these practises of writing and continues to write using the language of the internet. A study confirms 64 percent of youngsters ages 12 to 17 have used emoticons, text shortcuts and informal language in school assignments, the survey found (Horowitz E, 2008). Another question asked to the participants was, do you prefer using text language over acceptable English language in your essays? Graph 3: Amount of students who prefer using acceptable English language rather than text in essays To reinforce this I conducted a questionnaire which consisted of 12 questions that precisely devised and simple to understand. The difficulties and challenges encountered while creating this survey was first to actually understanding what students really thought about the influence that technology can have, and whether or not students understood that this rapid development is unhealthy for some of them. All in all everyone has different opinions; I had difficulties understanding some of their extended responses because some students did not answer accordingly. Also the fact that technology has become a part of our lives means it has become virtually invisible because it has become a need in todays society not a want. So its difficult to ask the students if technology has improved their writing or has degraded their writing, since technology has always existed in these teenagers lives. Therefore, students may not be aware of the impact technology may have on them. Teenagers in general have had different experiences with writing, as everyone writes for different reasons according to their interests. Nowadays when using the internet it provides you with more words and a wider range of ideas and aspects although it will not change the quality of writing it serves as a good information source, quality of writing comes with time and to establish this a wide range of vocabulary is required. According to my questionnaire many students believe that abbreviations such as; textonyms and chatiquettes could possibly be a way of speech sooner or later. Students said they can maintain the basic difference within their mentality between these languages and seem to imply that they will not make informal language become inherent within their language habits. Although, social analysts believe its highly likely with the rapid technology development. Many students have different views to this issue; some say that a text message would represent the way they speak however, with abbreviated words. And some say it depends on whether a person likes formal English speaking/writing or not. These are what some of the students had to say: The questions asked was do you think will soon speak the way you use text language? Why? Sarah Thomas: year 12 says: hopefully but I think its inevitable with the amount of technology surrounding us using this kind of speech. Zahra Ahmad: year 12 says: yes, its happening already, people, especially the younger generation, think its cool to talk this way. Because of so much use of the internet people will soon be speaking in the way of text language. Fatima Abou-eid: year 12 says:no because I like to read I love proper grammar and spelling others, however, who do not like English as much, might result in speaking in texting, eventually. Arian Behbahani: year 12 says: yes, it is how we communicate by the means of our main ways of communication. Nur Hannah: year 12 says: speak? Isnt text whatever you speak but with some letters omitted? Many teenagers use informal writing in school work, this consequently affects their language skills, according to Pew Internet Projects 50% of teenagers say they sometimes use the informal writing styles in the writing they perform for school. (Lenhart et al., 2008). It is not surprising that teenagers have adopted these writing skills and apply them to school writing. Given that, the daily lives of teenagers is being consumed by technological communicative systems it is most likely that they incorporate textonyms, acronyms, chatiquettes and abbreviations into school writing, examples of these are LOL (laughing out loud), ily (I love you), hru (how are you). Using these types of colloquial communicative methods outside of school is not the only factor that contributes to technology based writing in school work. It depends on the students attitude as well if a student considers that this type of writing electronic communication is considered writing than he or she is likely to use informal writing in school work and vice versa. Teenagers acknowledge the writing of slang in their work, but also overcoming this habit has various difficulties depending on the person though usually it is a matter of revising work to ensure the absence of informal writing. Overall, students in school are prompted to write about novels and articles which involve a great deal of formal language implementation. School writing helps them to achieve higher grades, excels their grammar their language skills and gives access to schools, universities. Therefore this would form an important motivation for students to perfect their formal language skills instead of allowing technology based language (sms, email, messenger style writing). Whilst the writing teenagers do for their selves expresses emotions releases stress its simple a chance to keep in touch. Many students value their formal work because its an accomplishment towards better writing. CONCLUSION This essay was and evaluation of the impact inflicted upon teenagers (16-18 years) communication levels with the rapid development of technology. Through research it is apparent that technology has extended our avenues of communication. It has done this via social networks and new media; they have paved the way for varied communication methods. Teenagers use these technologies to communicate and converse with their friends and family. Teenagers nowadays have grown up in a developed technical world. The research illustrated the ways in which teenagers use technology and apply it with writing skills, this was investigated due to the development of technology and the question of has technology impacted our youth communication levels?. Teenagers have adapted to technology and its widespread use in society. The findings that have emerged from this investigation is that teenagers use informal language on social networking sites the same way they use slang to communicate with friends. Both types of language would not be employed in a formal manner. As presented in my study, teenagers would use formal language when writing academic text, and could differentiate between the different styles. The research conducted as part of this study illustrated how technology improves and extends teenagers literacy skills. It proposes the importance of technology in a world dominated by new mediums. The study highlighted that teenagers could distinguish between formal and informal communication, and could determine the correct time and place to use either communication method. Whether technology or education is the reason for students adopting the slang style of language is a topic that can be further taken into consideration. What Education standard an individual is subjected to for e.g. Private school or a state school is a factor that contributes to an individual adopting slang language and that can be further understood due to different environments, teachers, and students. Although the final decision is for that individual to take, it is up to that individual to speak the way they want to speak. Technology on the other hand is a device students become familiar with easily. In implying this technology has paved ways for better and more effective communication around the globe. Do not be surprised when a student writes so very formally and talks in a manner that is colloquial. It is natural for a teenager to be at work having to complete an assignment/oral, and in doing so they will with no doubt speak/write in an improved formal manner. Technology and education maybe factors that contribute to an individual speaking colloquially, but these causes cant be to blame solely. The cutting down on letters in a word during a chatting session results in individuals chatting colloquially and that is what technology is made for, to make communication easier. BIBLIOGRAPHY

TV Violence :: essays research papers

The average American child watches an average of three to four hours of television daily. Over a year’s time that add up to about 12,000 violent acts witnessed on television (Television†¦Children). After a child has witnessed a violent program, they tend to act different. Parents need to be able to distinguish between dramatic or imaginative play and imitation. During dramatic play children create new and varied roles which represent different experiences in their lives. However, during imitative play children simply repeat stereotyped roles from the screen, often repeating scripts or sound bites from the television. In drama play language may be made up, use codes, and special names. Numerous studies have been done in the last thirty years about the problems with viewing programs that contain violence. The majority of research done has been on television/cartoon violence; focusing on how viewing violence causes aggressive behavior in the viewer (The Effects†¦Violence). One study, done by Athena Huston, Ph.D., used 100 preschool children. Half of them were males and the other half females. The little children were observed before and after they viewed violent and non-violent shows. The group that viewed the violence were more likely to hit out at their playmates, argue, disobey class rules, and were less willing to wait for things and turns than the group that viewed non-violent material (Violence and Television). It seems that children who view large amounts of violence on television are likely to become desensitized to all kinds of violence-televised or real, and more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways towards others (Violence on Television). Ch ildren become physiologically aroused and express impulses during and after seeing it on television. For example, the Power Rangers, Batman, and many other cartoons show fighting is good. The characters â€Å"beat up† the bad guys and get praised for doing so. While the child is watching he/she sometimes acts out what is being seen. No one dies in these shows, however, the wrong idea about fighting and violence is being taught to our kids (Television Violence). A study investigated the effects of the â€Å"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers† on aggression. It found that young children in a group who watched a televised episode committed seven times more aggressive acts in a two minute play period than did a control group (Television†¦Children:Boyatizis,1995). As children grow they are able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. This usually happens around the age of seven or eight.

History of Parental Involvement in Education Essay examples -- Parent

History of Parent Involvement Prior to the 1850’s, before public education existed, parents and families were responsible for the education of their children. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s education in schools became wide spread. As public education grew and teachers became professionals many began to believe that professionals alone should be responsible for educating children (Stein and Thorkildsen). As years went by, families showed some concern about this new view on who should be in charge of their children’s education. Parents began to show their concern for this division in education in the 1987 when the National Congress of Mothers, the foundation for the Parent Teacher Association, was formed (Stein and Thorkildsen). Since 1987 many more steps have been taken in an effort to evaluate the importance of parent involvement in education and to encourage parents to be involved in their child’s schooling. Family Structure Parent involvement in a child’s schooling has proven to be beneficial to the child regardless of the situation. The amount of the effectiveness of the parent involvement is directly related to the structure of the family that the child comes from. A National Household Education Survey (NHES) from 1996 shows that children from dual parent homes are more inclined to excel academically and become involved in extracurricular activities. More so, they are not as likely to repeat a grade or be given a suspension, especially if their fathers show interest and become involved (Nord). In 38.5 percent of dual parent households parents actively help their child with homework three or more times a week (National Center for Education Statistics). In today’s ever changing society dual parent ho... ... EBSCO Database. Retrieved March 8, 2002 from Eric Database. U.S. Department of Education. (1991). Other middle grade resources, Parent involvement at the middle school level. National Committee for Citizens in Education. Retrieved February 18, 2002 from the World Wide Web: www.middleweb.com/ParntInvl.html This is a well designed web site that provides resources for parents and teachers of middle school aged children. Articles, news stories, diaries, chats, newsletters, and hot links are available on this web site. Wherry, J. (2002). Selected parent involvement research. The Parent Institute. Retrieved April 11, 2002 from the world wide web : http://www.par-inst.com/edresources/research/research.shtml This bit of selected research comes from the parent institute web site. The information provided on this page is supported by numerous references.

Blue Nile and Diamond Retailing Essay

1.What are some key success factors in diamond retailing? How do Blue Nile, Zales, and Tiffany compare on those dimensions? Key drivers of customer purchases in diamond retailing include quality and range of products offered, reputation, professional advice offered, and customer perception and emotional bonds, including a positive buying experience and customer service. Success is also dependent upon obtaining economies of scale through such avenues as preferential access to resources, an effective supply chain and marketing strategy, as well as an ability to control facilities and operating costs and manage inventory effectively. Blue Nile’s, Zales’, and Tiffany’s key success factors in dealing with customers are related to the characteristics of their individual target markets. Blue Nile, for example, offers high quality diamonds and fine jewelry online that are comparable to Tiffany’s but with markups that are lower than Tiffany’s and Zales’. Blue Nile, which was founded in 1999, focuses on customers who want good value and who prefer to shop conveniently from home and without incurring high pressure sales tactics. They also provide customers with easy-to-understand jewelry education, as well as the ability to design custom jewelry. However, its customers must forego a hands-on purchasing experience as well as the instant delivery offered by Tiffany’s and Zales’ retail locations. Tiffany, which opened in 1834, is an independent, specialty jeweler that offers premium-priced diamond rings, gemstone and fine jewelry, watches, and crystal and sterling silver serving pieces. Tiffany’s exclusivity and prestigious brand image, extensive service, and fashionable locations allow it to maintain and gain luxury market share domestically and globally. In contrast, Zales, a specialty retailer of diamond fashion jewelry and diamond rings in the U.S. since 1924, has high name-brand recognition and appeal to value-conscious shoppers. Zales’ chain of retail venues for its middle-class target customers includes Zales Jewelers, Gordon’s, and Piercing Pagoda’s mall-based kiosks that appeal to teenagers. Zales offers more moderately priced and promotion-driven products compared to Blue Nile and Tiffany. It also competes with discounters such as Costco. Economies of scale and sourcing are achieved differently by each company. Blue Nile has the most cost-effective business model because of exclusive supplier relationships that allow the online retailer to offer a manufacturer’s diamond inventory without purchasing it until needed. In addition to low warehouse and inventory costs, Blue Nile avoids the facilities investment expense and operating costs of the bricks-and-mortar retailers. U.S. retailer Zales is able to obtain economies of scale because of its large number of stores, but high inventory costs due to extreme changes in product offerings and marketing strategy in 2006-2007 confused its traditional customers and severely hurt its bottom line. Tiffany sustains high profit margins through its globally dispersed locations and online presence, established third- party sourcing as well as in-house manufacturing which provided 60 percent of its products, and by utilizing centralized inventory management to maintain tight con trol over its supply chain and reduce operational risk. 2.What do you think of the fact that Blue Nile carries over 30,000 stones priced at $2,500 or higher while almost 60 percent of the products sold from the Tiffany Website are priced at around $200? Which of the two product categories is better suited to the strengths of the online channel? Blue Nile is able to successfully offer diamonds priced up to $1 million or more online by emphasizing the large variety of certified high-quality stones available and a markup that is significantly lower than that of its store-front competitors. The main source of Blue Nile’s competitive advantage over traditional, store-based retail jewelers is that it has lower facilities cost and inventory expense. Only one central warehouse is needed to stock its entire inventory although outbound transportation costs are high because it provides customers free overnight shipping. Additionally, through exclusive supply relationships, the firm is allowed to display for sale the inventory of some of the world’s largest diamond manufacturers/wholesalers. Selling high-priced diamonds online works for Blue Nile because its competitive strategy is based on the priorities of its target market customers. These online customers want high-quality diamonds, but place strong emphasis on receiv ing good value for the cost and on product variety, are willing to wait for their jewelry, and often prefer to customize their purchases. In comparison, Tiffany successfully uses a combination of over 180 exclusive worldwide retail stores and an online channel to benefit from the strengths of both channels. Approximately 48 percent of the company’s net sales come from products containing diamonds, with more than half of retail sales coming from high-end jewelry with an average sale price of over $3,000. Its online offerings, however, focus on non-gemstone, sterling silver jewelry with an average price of $200. The company offers a wide variety of these low demand items with high demand uncertainty, and they account for more than half of its online sales. Online sales are facilitated by Tiffany’s already-in-place centralized inventory management system, in-house manufacturing, and strong supply chain and information infrastructure. These lower-priced products increase the firm’s potential customer base and improve margins by reducing operating costs. Tiffany’s sales of sterling silver jewelry priced around $200 are more suited for the strengths of the online channel than are Blue Nile’s thousands of stones priced at $2,500 and above. With the growing popularity of e-business, competition with Blue Nile’s sole business model is increasing. In addition, with its well-to-do but price-conscious customer base, the company is more affected by the effects on difficult economic times on purchasing behavior than is Tiffany with its less price-sensitive global customers who demand luxury goods at any price. Blue Nile is also more susceptible to the rising costs of diamonds and of labor because it does not purchase the majority of its diamonds until a customer decides on a purchase. 3.Given that Tiffany stores have thrived with their focus on selling high-end jewelry, what do you think of the failure of Zales with its upscale strategy in 2006? Tiffany’s upscale strategy, affluent customer base, and business model evolved over a period of more than 100 years, and changes such as adding an online distribution channel were made gradually and as an extension of Tiffany’s current business practices. Zales, on the other hand, handled a strategic shift to upscale retailing within a time period of one year and failed drastically as shown by the following chain of events. Feeling the pressure from discounters Wal-Mart and Costco, Zales decided to give up its long-time strategy of selling promotion-driven diamond fashion jewelry and diamond rings in order to pursue high-end customers. In this 2005 ambitious move to become more upscale, Zales invested heavily in higher-priced diamond and gold jewelry with higher margins and dumped its inventory of lower-value pieces. Led by an ambitious CEO, this new strategy initially sounded as if it would work. However, trying abruptly to undo an 81-year-old strategy and brand reputation for selling moderately-priced items was doomed to fail. The company lost many of its traditional customers who were put off by the suddenly higher prices, and it did not win the new ones it had targeted. As a result, Zales abandoned its new strategy in 2006, hired a new CEO, and began transitioning a return to its traditional strategy of attracting the value-oriented customer. This change involved selling off nearly $50 million in discontinued upscale inventory and spending nearly $120 million on new moderately-priced inventory. The actions severely affected Zales’ bottom line for at least the next two years, not to mention alienating its middle-class customer base. The situation was further compounded by rising fuel prices and falling home prices in 2007 which caused a decrease in consumer discretionary spending. 4.What do you think of Tiffany’s decision to open smaller retail outlets, focusing on high-end products, to reach smaller affluent areas in the United States? Opening small, fashionable retail outlets in smaller affluent cities is a good move for Tiffany. Doing so provides the company a quicker, more cost-effective way to expand its store base and its target-market reach in the United States. A smaller store format offers lower operating costs and a shorter payback period on capital investment, both of which help increase margins and returns. With it strong brand equity attracting well-to-do customers and with efficiencies in terms of a high ¬Ã‚ ¬-margin product mix, lower inventories are required, faster turnover results, sales per square foot are higher, and overall store productivity is increased. 5.Which of the three companies do you think was best structured to deal with the downturn in 2009? Zales was most affected by the 2009 economic downturn in the U.S. which severely damaged the country’s retail jewelry industry. The Texas-based company, with retail stores located only in North America, was more vulnerable to adverse U.S. market conditions than the geographically-dispersed Tiffany and Blue Nile. The company was still trying to regain market share among its middle-class customers and handle merchandising issues in light of its failed strategy begun several years earlier to go upscale. Additionally, a new CEO in 2006 who began the company’s return to its traditional strategy based on diamond fashion jewelry and moderately-priced diamond rings, had not been able to restore the company to profitability. Blue Nile, with its already low operating costs and small inventory holdings, was in a better position than Zales to weather the economic downtown. Because Blue Nile does not purchase the majority of its diamonds until a customer places an order, its bottom line was not as severely impacted by customers who began purchasing less expensive jewelry and by those who stopped buying completely because of strong price-sensitivity. Before the downturn, the company had already increased its international Web site presence by launching sites in Canada and the United Kingdom and opened an office in Dublin. The Dublin office offered free shipping to several western European nations, while the U.S. office handled shipping to Asian-Pacific countries. In spite of the above, Blue Nile saw its first decline in sales in the third quarter of 2008. Tiffany, as a jeweler and specialty retailer, was the best structured of the three companies to deal with the 2009 U.S. economic downtown. There is not as strong a correlation between its sales and consumer confidence levels as there is with Blue Nile’s customers. With over 100 stores in international markets, Tiffany’s operations are much more globally diversified than Blue Nile’s. In addition to its extensive global and domestic retail outlets, Tiffany also has the benefit of its e-business distribution channel and of catalog sales. With its strong business model and high margins on a broad range of offerings, tightly controlled supply chain, and the exceptional power of its brand image, Tiffany fared better than Zales and Blue Nile during the economic downturn. 6.What advice would you give to each of the three companies regarding their strategy and structure? In light of the previous answers, I would recommend the following: 1) Zales needs to expand to markets in other than North America to lessen the severity of the effects of future economic downturns in the U.S. With its longstanding presence in the U.S. retail jewelry industry, it should also focus on reinforcing the value of its brand with consumers in its target market. Zales should increase its marketing efforts and continue to expand its e-commerce business. This will generate revenue and improve its margins by lowering operating costs. 2) Blue Nile should continue focusing on its low price for high-quality diamonds and on its unique online customer experience to further differentiate itself from Tiffany’s and other retail jewelry competitors. It definitely needs to expand its international presence by launching more country-specific Web sites, as well as continue enhancing its current Web site. Just as importantly, it needs to diversify its marketing efforts to online communities and to the public in general to increase its brand name recognition and appeal. 3) Tiffany should continue to increase its small-store formats in the U.S. and develop a stronger presence in its direct selling channel. It needs to grow its sizable international operations, particularly the fast-growing Asian luxury market, in addition to entering untapped emerging markets. With the increasing cost of diamonds and gold, it might assess the advisability of participating in sales promotions which it has never before done. Most importantly, Tiffany should continue increasing its supply chain efficiency and protecting its brand equity at call costs.