IFRS 15 Revenue from contracts with Customers Essay

IFRS 15 Revenue from contracts with Customers - Essay Example In addition, discussion of the key elements of the IFRS 15 and challenges facing entities will be undertaken. In conclusion, potential improvement in global performance reporting as a result of implementing the IFRS 15 will be identified. According to Wagenhofer (2013), effective and comprehensive revenue recognition framework plays a pertinent role in the provision of financial information to capital markets and facilitation of performance evaluation. Wagenhofer (2013) therefore noted that the information of revenue was important for the following purposes; informing capital providers, facilitation of performance evaluation and in the management of earnings. Revenue information underpins the effectiveness of the decision-making framework of capital providers (Holt 2013b). Information on revenue provides the basis of performance measurement by major companies thereby serving as the fundamental indicator of the financial status of the company. McConnell (2014) noted that the reporting on revenue provides the company’s financial information that includes gross income, gross profit and net income. Vis a vis, revenue provides capital marketers with vital valuation information within a given period. Assessment of t he revenue by financial analysts provides information on the size of the company and the trajectory of the growth pattern of the company. Additionally, revenue enables financial analysts to project future performance and growth of the company based on financial records such as market demand for the goods and services of the company. Therefore, comprehensive revenue information adequately advices investors and financial analyst on the current status of the company. Revenue information is further crucial in the management of the operations of a company. Revenue serves as a key tool in the evaluation of the performance of a company. According to Holt (2013c), most companies are guided by the statistics of their revenue in setting performance

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay Example for Free

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay In the mid-15th century, European nations started sending merchants, explorers, colonizers and missionaries to various parts of the world. Historians often referred to this phenomenon as the Age of Discovery, an era in which unknown seas were traversed, new lands and peoples were discovered and an astounding new phase in global encounters was initiated (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). The Age of Discovery played an important role in the political and economic development of Western Europe. Some of its key legacies included colonization, the development of large-scale horticultural industries and the spread of Christianity. The Age of Discovery, however, is usually portrayed as exclusively European and historically unique. It must be made clear that such a description is misleading and incomplete. Exploration and expansion are not historical novelties, and neither are they uniquely European. Furthermore, they have other motivations, attitudes and cross-cultural perceptions apart from the desire to discover other lands (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Muslim and Chinese explorers and traders have been traveling across Asia, Arabia and Africa centuries before Christopher Columbus set out from Spain in 1492. The journeys of Ibn Battuta in the mid-14th century, for instance, took him through the vast extent of the Islamic world. Zheng He, a fleet admiral who lived during the Ming Dynasty, sailed as far as the coast of east Africa in the mid-15th century (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Tunisian philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun traveled as far as Spain in the 14th century (Ahmed 102). But European and non-European explorers differed in terms of the motives behind their respective journeys. Non-European explorers traveled primarily to create extensive religious and trade networks. Muslims were partially bound by religion and commerce as a form of compensation for the near-absence of political unity in the Islamic world. Despite ethnic and regional differences, their adherence to Islamic laws and values provided them with a sense of unity and shared identity. The establishment of long-distance trading networks, meanwhile, allowed Muslim producers and consumers from different regions to communicate with one another, as well as with peoples of different religions (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Muslim traders therefore organized camel caravans to the frontiers of India and across the Sahara in Africa. They likewise established equally profitable trade routes by sea across the Indian Ocean. By the late 15th century, the commercial activity in most of the regions surrounding the Indian Ocean was almost under their control. Furthermore, certain localities in the Islamic world were gaining recognition for their excellence in specific industries. Persia, for example, was renowned in the 14th century for its exquisite glassware, jewelry and pottery (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Extensive trade and industry, in turn, provided the Islamic world with urbanized and cosmopolitan societies. Sophisticated commercial centers such as Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Timbuktu and Zanzibar attracted residents from distant regions that eventually converted to Islam. These new converts subsequently spread Islam and elements of Islamic culture to their respective homelands. The Delhi Sultanate of India and the West African kingdom of Mali are some examples of regions that were not originally Islamic but were later Islamized (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). In sharp contrast, the motive behind most European explorations was the pseudo-revival of the Reconquista (the struggle of the Spanish and Portuguese Christians to expel the Moors from their respective countries). In the 14th and 15th centuries, anti-Moor sentiment was still strong in Spain and Portugal – it was during these periods that Spanish and Portuguese Christians successfully expelled the Moors from Iberia. But this victory soon left many knights idle and looking for new adventures. Many knights thus joined overseas expeditions, viewing these as new opportunities to vanquish the hated Moors (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Certain economic conditions in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries were also responsible for the xenophobic attitude that many European explorers had during the Age of Discovery. In these eras, most European economies were still small, largely agrarian and geared towards meeting local needs. Muslim merchants and middlemen were the sole sources of spices and other luxury goods. In addition, Europe was politically fragmented – the continent’s monarchs wasted scarce resources and manpower in the numerous wars and conflicts that they waged against each other. Lastly, the Black Death (bubonic plague) killed millions and further weakened economies, adding to the pervasive atmosphere of dread and xenophobia (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Given the insular, backward and unsophisticated nature of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was no longer surprising that the expeditions from the continent had mostly detrimental effects. Many explorers viewed the natives that they encountered in foreign lands as â€Å"barbarians† that must be â€Å"civilized† by being subjugated to them. By the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore, many countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas ended up being the colonies of Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and France (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). In addition, the transatlantic slave trade occurred from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Mainstream historians had indeed painted a misleading and incomplete picture of the Age of Discovery. By claiming that the Age of Discovery was an exclusively European and historically unique phenomenon, they are implying that it was an event that was born out of Europe’s benevolent desire to discover other lands. But the truth is that the Age of Discovery should not be glorified. Exploration and expansion have already been taking place long before it happened – proof that the inhabitants of the regions outside of Europe are not savages. The Age of Discovery occurred at a time when Europe was still insular, backward and unsophisticated. Thus, many of the continent’s explorers exhibited a fearful and xenophobic attitude when it came to dealing with people not of their own race. This paranoia, in turn, led to the colonization of several nations in Africa, Asia and the Americas. In addition, slavery became a centuries-old practice. Works Cited Ahmed, Akbar S. Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society. New York: Routledge, 1989. Sanders, Thomas, Stephen Morillo, and Samuel H. Nelson. Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the Global Past, Volume II: From 1500. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Tension in The Red Room, The Cone and The Superstitious Mans Story Ess

Tension in The Red Room, The Cone and The Superstitious Man's Story 'The Red Room', The Cone' and 'The Superstitious Man's Story' are all short stories which were written before 1914. 'The Red Room' and 'The Cone' were both written by H.G. Wells and 'The Superstitious Man's Story' was written by Thomas Hardy. All three of these stories were written in Victorian Times (1837-1901). These were years of great scientific and technological developments. The authors of the three stories show us a diminishing belief in superstition and supernatural. The authors of 'The Red Room' and 'The Superstitious Man's Story' have written the stories in the style of a gothic one, although they don’t end up being supernatural. However, 'The Cone' has been written with no gothic features, but it shows technological development as the title itself contains the word 'Cone' which is part of industrial terminology. Also, the setting is industrial and shows the development. 'The Red Room' is about a man who goes to a house and in particular a room which is seen to have ghosts in it and, therefore, no one goes in that room. However, this man goes in to prove there is no existence of a ghost. We find out that no ghost is present in the room and there never has been and it's just that fear has overcome the person. 'The Cone' is about a man and woman who are having an affair. Tension is created as the man and woman who are having an affair are not sure whether the woman's husband has found out about what is going on. At the end the woman's husband kills the other man and then after throwing him off a bridge on top of the hot, melting iron at the bottom, he realises he has done something terribly wrong. In contrast 'The Superstit... ...nd creates more tension, whereas if it was daytime people wouldn't be as scared, although it may influence the readers as creating tension. Feelings of characters creates tension in all stories, as it puts us in the place of the character and the description makes us feel, how the character is feeling. This creates tension and also maintains it, as we don’t know what will happen next. Imagery such as metaphors, similes and personification maintains the tension during the stories. It makes us create a flamboyant picture, of what is going on. Sentence structure also gives us a sense of tension as the build up of sentences tells us an important part is coming up, which creates anticipation for the readers. The work of H.G. Wells and Thomas Hardy has been successful and the way in which all three pre 1914 stories create tension and the way it is maintained.

Jeannine :: Personal Narrative Papers

Jeannine She had seen things and experienced a life that I only knew about through the movies. She acted as though she knew I would not be able to understand her, but I could see in her eyes that she hoped I could. e stood in the driveway, physically closer than we had been to each other in two weeks. Jeannine, my sister, did not stay at home too much anymore. She had dedicated her existence to her boyfriend Steven and chose to live with his family so that the two of them could be closer. My parents were supportive and open, but they would never have let their seventeen year old daughter sleep in the same bed under their roof with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend. So after countless years of tension and arguments, my sister had achieved what she had sought for years, independence from her family, but most of all from her older brother. Now standing in that driveway, our childhood playground, as I prepared for the long journey to James Madison University, we realized that the past five years of our lives had been wasted. Her constant struggles to get out of the house coupled with my harsh attempts to see that she met that goal consumed our adolescent years, the period where we needed each other the most. My parents told me that they were ready to leave, and I gave Jeannine a long hug. It was the first time in half a decade that I gave her a meaningful show of affection. I met her with the love that I had suppressed for so long, rather than the hate and loathing that was quick to my aid in the many years of confrontation that we shared. It was then, as her head rested on my chest and her arms wrapped around me, that I realized the wrongs I had done to her. All of a sudden, I did not want to leave. I had my sister back, how could I abandon her again? No one can really claim to have a perfect childhood sibling relationship, but we were still very close. At times, we could even be proud of one another. Yet, as in all sibling bonds, these good tidings never lasted. Our games of tic-tac-toe or kickball with our friends would go from friendly backyard, Little- House-on-the-Prairie type moments to screaming matches in a matter of days. Jeannine :: Personal Narrative Papers Jeannine She had seen things and experienced a life that I only knew about through the movies. She acted as though she knew I would not be able to understand her, but I could see in her eyes that she hoped I could. e stood in the driveway, physically closer than we had been to each other in two weeks. Jeannine, my sister, did not stay at home too much anymore. She had dedicated her existence to her boyfriend Steven and chose to live with his family so that the two of them could be closer. My parents were supportive and open, but they would never have let their seventeen year old daughter sleep in the same bed under their roof with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend. So after countless years of tension and arguments, my sister had achieved what she had sought for years, independence from her family, but most of all from her older brother. Now standing in that driveway, our childhood playground, as I prepared for the long journey to James Madison University, we realized that the past five years of our lives had been wasted. Her constant struggles to get out of the house coupled with my harsh attempts to see that she met that goal consumed our adolescent years, the period where we needed each other the most. My parents told me that they were ready to leave, and I gave Jeannine a long hug. It was the first time in half a decade that I gave her a meaningful show of affection. I met her with the love that I had suppressed for so long, rather than the hate and loathing that was quick to my aid in the many years of confrontation that we shared. It was then, as her head rested on my chest and her arms wrapped around me, that I realized the wrongs I had done to her. All of a sudden, I did not want to leave. I had my sister back, how could I abandon her again? No one can really claim to have a perfect childhood sibling relationship, but we were still very close. At times, we could even be proud of one another. Yet, as in all sibling bonds, these good tidings never lasted. Our games of tic-tac-toe or kickball with our friends would go from friendly backyard, Little- House-on-the-Prairie type moments to screaming matches in a matter of days.

Ethics on Outsourcing Essay

Outsourcing is a very controversial topic with both positive and negative aspects. Before approaching to an answer of â€Å"Yes† or â€Å"No† to the above statement, I would like to keep an open mind and be able to see both sides of the situation in order to have an accurate view of the issue. According to wikipedia. com, outsourcing is subcontracting a process, such as product design or manufacturing, to a third-party company. In his book, â€Å"Crafting & Executing Strategy†, Arthur and his co-authors outlines that outsourcing involves a conscious decision to abandon or forgo attempts to perform certain value chain activities internally and instead to farm them out to outside specialists and strategic allies. Outsourcing has become one of the fastest growing trends in the business world. There are many reasons that a company would elect to use outsourcing. Among them is the fact that it provides an almost immediate opportunity for savings resulted from outsides that can often perform certain activities better or cheaper. Outsourcing allows a company to focus its entire energies on those activities at the center of its core competencies and that are the most critical to its competitive and financial success. In order to achieve deemed advantageous of outsourcing, following criterion have been discussed in the chapter 6 – Supplementing the Chosen Competitive Strategy of the book â€Å"Crafting & Executing Strategy†: 1. An activity can be performed better or more cheaply by outside specialists 2. The activity is not crucial to the company’s ability to achieve sustainable competitive advantage and won’t hollow out its core competencies capabilities, or technical know-how 3. It reduce the company’s risk exposure to changing technology and/or changing buyer preference 4. It improves a company’s ability to innovate 5. It streamlines company operations in ways that improve organizational flexibility and cuts the time it takes to get new products into the marketplace 6. It allows a company to assemble diverse kinds of expertise speedily and efficiently 7. It allows a company to concentrate on its core business, leverage its key resource, and do even better what it already does best While it’s possible for a company to outsource virtually any kind of service, several were especially common in the e-commerce arena where positive impacts have been demonstrated. Among them were IT management; logistics and order fulfillment; Internet video production, management, and distribution; customer relationship management; and Web site development and hosting. The ease and cost efficiency of handling different aspects of e-commerce in-house was easier and more cost-effective for some companies than it was for others, so companies outsourced services differently. Many companies looked to outside parties to handle online order fulfillment (filling and shipping orders they received via the Internet) instead of building or renting their own warehouse operations, which required special expertise for e-commerce. This freed them to focus on core competencies like creating new products and services, and marketing. When companies rely on third-party fulfillment providers, they normally manage the front end of e-commerce (the content and appearance of their Web site) and leave the rest to the third party. In other words, the third party receives orders from customers, manages the inventory of available products in its warehouse, and coordinates shipping. Some also provide value-added extras like customer service. Another example of outsourcing involves application service providers (ASPs), third parties who manage business applications for companies so they can focus more on their core business. These applications often involve things like payroll, billing, and customer service. The software systems offered by the ASP are sometimes Web-based, so that client companies do not have to host the software and devote resources to maintaining and updating them. Although ASPs held the potential to simplify things for client companies, they also moved long-held control over internal systems and data to outside parties, which made some organizations uncomfortable. The hierarchal structure of business is another area that has the potential to be impacted by outsourcing. If an aspect of a business, such as Human Resources, is controlled by an outside group, human resources are thus removed from an organization and its formal structure. An advantage to this would be the prospect of expanding into locations that have not yet been outsourced. At the same time, the departmentalization of the structure would most likely need to be altered to meet with the changes resulting from the outsourcing. Above mentioned outsourcing activities are considered as the best practice of one core concept introduced in the book â€Å"Crafting ; Executing Strategy†: A company should generally not perform any value chain activity internally that can be performed more efficiently or effectively by outsiders – the chief exception is when a particular activity is strategically crucial and internal control over that activity is deemed essential. Hence, above all seems to show the strong support to â€Å"view outsourcing as a means whereby a company can enhance its competitiveness and thereby better protect the jobs of the remaining employees. † However, before we come to a conclusion let’s take a step further to have a look at some statistics and what some economists say about outsourcing.

Free Essays on Acrchtypal Theory

Tolkien’s Archetypal Hero(s) When J.R.R Tolkien published the first book in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, in 1954 he broke ground and paved the way for fantasy all the way to the twenty-first century a century that still holds Tolkien’s works on a glorious pedestal that stands far and above those in his shadow. The complexity of Tolkien’s writing rules out a detailed overview of the entire hero’s quest through what is called †Middle Earth†. The essence of Tolkien’s trilogy can be found in this epitaph: Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie, One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind Them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. In the prequel to the trilogy, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins finds the â€Å"ring to bind them.† He stole this ring from Smeagol who has carried the ring for 500 years; all the while, the dark power of the ring has transformed him from a hobbit into a creature of the dark who cannot bare the light. It is the â€Å"dark power† which is connected to Gollum that makes him a pivotal character through out the whole trilogy. In the ending of The Hobbit, Bilbo passes the ring onto his heir, Frodo. At the beginning of The Fellowship of the Rings, the first book in the trilogy, Frodo departs, accompanied by his friends: embarking on the journey to destroy the ring by casting it into the Crack of Doom in the land of Mordor as he promised Bilbo. The second half of this book, all of The Two Towers, the second book, and the first half of the final book, Return of the King, are the details of sub quests that need to be overcome to get to Mordor. In the climax of the trilogy the ring i s destroyed, freeing Frodo and his surviv... Free Essays on Acrchtypal Theory Free Essays on Acrchtypal Theory Tolkien’s Archetypal Hero(s) When J.R.R Tolkien published the first book in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, in 1954 he broke ground and paved the way for fantasy all the way to the twenty-first century a century that still holds Tolkien’s works on a glorious pedestal that stands far and above those in his shadow. The complexity of Tolkien’s writing rules out a detailed overview of the entire hero’s quest through what is called †Middle Earth†. The essence of Tolkien’s trilogy can be found in this epitaph: Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie, One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind Them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. In the prequel to the trilogy, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins finds the â€Å"ring to bind them.† He stole this ring from Smeagol who has carried the ring for 500 years; all the while, the dark power of the ring has transformed him from a hobbit into a creature of the dark who cannot bare the light. It is the â€Å"dark power† which is connected to Gollum that makes him a pivotal character through out the whole trilogy. In the ending of The Hobbit, Bilbo passes the ring onto his heir, Frodo. At the beginning of The Fellowship of the Rings, the first book in the trilogy, Frodo departs, accompanied by his friends: embarking on the journey to destroy the ring by casting it into the Crack of Doom in the land of Mordor as he promised Bilbo. The second half of this book, all of The Two Towers, the second book, and the first half of the final book, Return of the King, are the details of sub quests that need to be overcome to get to Mordor. In the climax of the trilogy the ring i s destroyed, freeing Frodo and his surviv...

Important Facts on Argentinas History and Geography

Important Facts on Argentina's History and Geography Argentina officially called the Argentine Republic, is the largest Spanish-speaking nation in Latin America. It is located in southern South America to the east of Chile, to the west lie Uruguay, a small part of Brazil, southern Bolivia, and Paraguay. One of the main differences between Argentina and other South America countries is that it is mainly dominated by a large middle class thats heavily influenced by European culture. In fact, nearly 97 percent of Argentinas population is of European descent, with Spain and Italy being the most common countries of origin. Fast Facts About Argentina Argentina, which means the land of silver, has territorial rights to the eastern side of Tierra del Fuego and is home to Ushuaia, one of the worlds southernmost cities.Population: 45,095,386 (based on United Nations estimate, June 2019)Capital: Buenos AiresArea: 1,073,518 square miles (2,780,400 square kilometers)Bordering Countries: Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, UruguayCoastline: 3,100 miles (4,989 kilometers)Highest Point: At 22,834 feet (6,960 meters), Aconcagua is the worlds highest mountain outside of the Himalayas.Lowest Point: Laguna del Carbon, minus 344 feet (minus 105 meters) History of Argentina Argentina saw the first Europeans arrive when Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci reached its shores in 1502. Europeans did not establish a permanent settlement in Argentina until 1580 when Spain established a colony in what is present-day Buenos Aires. Throughout the rest of the 1500s, through the 1600s and 1700s, Spain continued to expand its territorial hold and established the Vice Royalty of Rio de la Plata in 1776. However, on July 9, 1816, after several conflicts, Buenos Aires General Josà © de San Martin (who is now Argentinas national hero) declared independence from Spain. Argentinas first constitution was drafted in 1853 and a national government was established in 1861. Following its independence, Argentina implemented new agricultural technologies, organizational strategies, and foreign investments to help grow its economy. From 1880 to 1930, it became one of the worlds 10 wealthiest nations. Despite its economic success, by the 1930s Argentina was undergoing a period of political instability. The constitutional government was overthrown in 1943. As Minister of Labor, Juan Domingo Perà ³n took over as the countrys political leader. In 1946, Perà ³n was elected as Argentinas president and established Partido Unico de la Revolucion. Peron was re-elected in 1952 but after government instability, he was exiled in 1955. Through the rest of the 1950s and into the 1960s, military and civilian political administrations worked to deal with economic instability, however, after years of uncertainty, unrest led to a reign of domestic terrorism that ran from the mid-1960s through the 1970s. On March 11, 1973, by means of a general election, Hector Campora became the countrys president. In July of that same year, however, Campora resigned and Perà ³n was re-elected President of Argentina. When Perà ³n died a year later, his wife, Eva Duarte de Perà ³n, was appointed the presidency for a short while but was ousted from office in March 1976. After her removal, Argentinas armed forces took control of the government, executing harsh punishments on those who were considered extremists in what was eventually known as El Proceso or the Dirty War. Military rule lasted in Argentina until December 10, 1983, at which time, another presidential election was held and Raul Alfonsin was elected president for a six-year term. During Alfonsins time in office, stability returned to Argentina for a short time, however, the country was still facing serious economic problems. After Alfonsin left office, the country reverted to instability, which lasted into the early 2000s. In 2003, Nestor Kirchner was elected president and after a rocky start, he was eventually able to restore Argentinas former political and economic strength. Government of Argentina Argentinas current government is a federal republic with two legislative bodies. Its executive branch has a chief of state and a head of state. From 2007 to 2011, Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner was the countrys first elected woman  to fill both of those roles. The legislative branch is bicameral with a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies, while the judicial branch is made up of a Supreme Court. Argentina is divided into 23 provinces and one autonomous city,  Buenos Aires. Economics, Industry and Land Use in Argentina Today, one of the most important sectors of Argentinas economy is its industry and approximately one-quarter of the countrys workers are employed in manufacturing. Argentinas major industries include chemical and petrochemical, food production, leather, and textiles. Energy production and mineral resources including lead, zinc, copper, tin, silver, and uranium are also important to the economy. Argentinas main agricultural products include wheat, fruit, tea, and livestock. Geography and Climate of Argentina Because of Argentinas long length, it is divided into four main regions: 1) the northern subtropical woodlands and swamps; 2) the heavily wooded slopes of the Andes Mountains in the west; 3) the far south, semiarid and cold Patagonian Plateau; and 4) the temperate region surrounding Buenos Aires. Thanks to its mild climate, fertile soils, and proximity to where Argentinas cattle industry began, the Buenos Aires the temperate region are the countrys most populated. In addition to these regions, Argentina has many large lakes in the Andes, along with the second largest river system in South America, the Paraguay-Parana-Uruguay, that drains from the northern Chaco region to the Rio de la Plata near Buenos Aires. Like its terrain, Argentinas climate varies, although most of the country is considered temperate with a small arid portion in the southeast. Argentinas southwestern portion is extremely cold and dry and is consequently considered a sub-Antarctic climate. References Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook- Argentina. April 21, 2010. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html Infoplease.com. Argentina: History, Geography, Government, and Culture. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/country/argentina.html United States Department of State. Argentina. October 2009. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26516.htm

Matilda essays

Matilda essays The Desert Storm In No Worries everyday Matilda would go to school, however many of her friends families were going bust and having to move. All the children were showing a sign of resistance, they did not want to go and left emotionally upset. In the book No Worries, there was a cash flow problem that slowly lead to going bust and Matildas parents just had one place to look, Uncle Kev and his taxis IN THE CITY. In the movie there was also a cash flow problem which was caused by the wool buyers purchasing for less. The Bells knew living would be harsh but thought they would make it through until... Once day when Matilda and her dad were feeding the sheep a giant sandstorm arose and annihilated all the defenceless sheep. The Bells survived but you could tell by the look in their faces there was only the city to turn to The play uses people to behave like sheep. This is not very effective as it does not tell the sheeps colour, body size or body shape. The movie uses real sheep which when you analyse can see the colour of the sheep, its size and its shape. Singers are used to tell words that show heat and death but a picture is worth a thousand words. The movie shows a heat haze, which gives a brilliant colour, that no words can describe, as words cannot make a flash before your eyes. You can also see in the dead trees that show death themselves, a few scavenging crows. That meant that there were lots of dead sheep around that was up for grabs. An actor had to pretend to be another object while performing in the play. It was not realistic, as there were no frequency sounds and no amplifier. In the play the radio actor had to just say something like; Listen, driver, that little girl of yours? Give me a description and Ill give it out to all the other cab drivers in the city. In the movie there was a real radio with all the sounds and the sounds on the radio w ...

Assignment 01 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

01 - Assignment Example If teachers lack protection and hence start being fired regularly, the students’ learning process will be disrupted. They will take time adopting and warming up to a new teacher. They will also be insecure to get close to the teachers in case they are fired and this will affect their psychological well-being. The judge let emotions take the center stage in the ruling and not fully acted on the evidence presented. I do not refute that some of the teachers are ineffective but ruling based on only 1-3% of the teachers is seemingly unfair and unjust to the teachers themselves bearing in mind over 90% of them are effective ones (Blume and Ceasar, 2014). The judge should have been more objective in his ruling. A child’s right to education is important but so is the child’s right to happiness and peace of mind which will not be the case if the teachers are constantly being fired hence disrupting the education of the students. Innocent teachers will be negatively affected by the end of the tenure and they are the majority ones. The ruling should have ensured a middle ground to accord the good teachers’ appreciation. A child’s life is not dependent 100% on school life and hence the private life at home and with friends may also contribute to his or her performance. By having the teachers take all the blame for the failure of the students is an ignorance of the other life outside school children have. Whether a teacher can be fired or not is not directly related to a child’s life outside of school. The court failed to consider this side of the argument. I think that after the courts and educators who supported the court’s ruling finally realize that the teacher’s tenure did not have everything to do with the learning and performance outcome of students; they will finally revisit this case and ruling and realize the

Schindler's List Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Schindler's List - Movie Review Example Events of the film are developed through the character of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman. From the beginning, Schindler is presented as a money making man who support Nazi Party and acts indifferent towards the afflictions of Jewish people. The event of Operation Reinhard in Krakow under the control of Amon Goeth affects Schindle’s mind deeply. As a result of this many Jews were transformed to force Labor camps, others were killed or shipped away. Killing of Jewish people in Nazi camps haunted Schindler’s mind and his mind undergoes some changes. He decided to save Jewish people through employing his company. Through his relationship with Amon Goeth, Schindler secretly recruits Jews and saves men, women, and children from death. The film keeps its difference from other war movies through its fact-based images. Its realistic presentation, especially the murder scenes force the viewers to the world of pity and fear. As Yosefa Loshitzky comments; â€Å"Schindlerâ⠂¬â„¢s List was evaluated in conjunction with only a certain type of image-a fact-based one that differed from earlier Speilberg productions† (Loshitzky, 27). The film makes available the realistic picture of human lust, greed, envy, anger, helplessness, and empathy and love.

Breast Feeding and Prevention of Breast Cancer Research Proposal

Breast Feeding and Prevention of Breast Cancer - Research Proposal Example This was particular for BRCA1, which is one of the breast cancer faulty genes. The other one is BRCA2, and did not show any response to breast feeding, regardless of the length. Since the Swedish study, researchers have been giving contradicting results about breast cancer and breast feeding (Carlson, 2012). This means that research is ongoing to try and further elucidate whether it is a myth or a fact. This study looks at experimental research to prove the fact that breast feeding will actually offer a protective advantage against breast cancer. Objective This research draws its hypothesis on already done researches to assume that there is a protective advantage against breast cancer in breast feeding. Therefore, the main objective is to find out the truth in the allusions that the earlier researches have come up with. It focuses on evidence to prove that there is truth in breast feeding having a protective effect on breast cancer. Further, the study also intends to give mothers and would be mothers the probable duration of breast feeding that will help to check the risk of breast cancer, despite it being a very personal decision how long one plans to breast feed. Background Globally, breast cancer accounts for almost 10.4% of all the cancers among women. A large percentage of this occurs in third world countries (Goldberg, 2009). Control would be gained among women and health practitioners if it was to be detected earlier before becoming critical. This means that ignorance has been the cause of high cancer mortality rates in developing countries around the world. Screening practices and breast cancer awareness will help a great deal in enlightening people about the disease. The level of ignorance about breast... To evaluate the hypothesis of a protective advantage against breast cancer in breast feeding, the research employed a cross sectional study method by use of a structured questionnaire in a period of two months. The questionnaire covered demographic principle and breast cancer risk factors. The main objective of the research is to find out the truth in the allusions that the earlier researches have come up with. The paper focuses on evidence to prove that there is truth in breast feeding having a protective effect on breast cancer. Further, the study also intends to give mothers and would be mothers the probable duration of breast feeding that will help to check the risk of breast cancer, despite it being a very personal decision how long one plans to breast feed. Further, the results provide evidence that women breast feeding for longer periods keep themselves protected against breast cancer. Additionally, there is evidence in the fact that most women in first world countries either do not breast feed or breast feed for shorter periods, hence there is high rates of the disease in those countries. Basing on evidence, breast feeding has a significant protective effect on breast cancer. The study above proves that women who frequently breast feed reduce their risks of getting the disease significantly in comparison to women who do not breast feed. Therefore, this study confirms the hypothesis. From this study, mothers should breast feed their babies for a period of at least one year.

Procurement - Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Procurement - Assignment 2 - Essay Example ent system is vital since the correct choice may help to avoid eventualities that might negatively impact on time, costs and quality; to ensure that the project’s goals are attained. One needs to consider a variety of factors from the project’s internal and external environment in which the industry operates. A point to note is that different projects may require different systems based on a project’s features (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Procurement systems are divided into three categories namely; traditional, management contracting and design and build methods. These three categories have different influences on each factor. The following factors are may be considered in the construction of site in Chelmsford. Time, complexity, price certainty, government policy, price completion, responsibility, risk avoidance and familiarity of procurement methods (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Time is of fundamental when deciding which procurement system to acquire for construction purposes. Time described here is from inception to completion stage. If the completion deadline is not met due to an inefficient procurement system, extra or overrun costs will be incurred by the contractor making the project expensive. The procurement system should monitor the lead-time schedules to ensure that the functional spaces are completed within the required time and start generating income. The client being a private firm, completion time of the project is truly crucial and of importance to them (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Therefore, the procurement system must be comprehensive in planning and its schedules to achieve deadlines and other timelines required. Time as a factor is affected by the given procurement methods in the following ways. Design and build method is advantageous for a client who wants a quick return on their investment. The client may employ manageme nt contracting method in order to reduce the project

Influence of packaging on consumer attitudes and perceptions in the Dissertation

Influence of packaging on consumer attitudes and perceptions in the luxury market - Dissertation Example Therefore, the process of packaging must evolve as consumer perceptions and expectations evolve. Packaging must reflect the authenticity and superiority of the products based on the consumer experiences and orientation. Luxury branding is more psychological than physical (Chevalier & Gutsatz 2012). Therefore, the cultural identity and the collectivism must play a significant role in addressing the consumer expectations. The situational stimuli and the social identity are necessary in ensuring that products and services meet the psychological standards set by the consumers (Heine 2012). These include the need for social recognition, show of might and satisfaction. In the United Kingdom, some luxury products believe that sustainability is necessary in the development of products. Therefore, luxury products are expected to be durable and classic. The uniqueness of products should be reflected in packaging and quality. For example, luxury cars are expected not only to be comfortable but durable. A growing number of luxury brands in the United Kingdom have devised products that are appealing to the social class especially after the purchasing power continues to decrease. The rationale of luxury concept is to develop differentiated products for the upper class (Michman & Mazze, 2006). This justifies the use of exclusive prices while marketing the products.... The logos and symbols are intended to identify with the consumers’ definition of superiority. Cultural factors influence consumer perceptions and hence the buying behavior. Members of different societies define luxury and uniqueness differently. Luxury brands in the United Kingdom market have been consistent in reflecting sophistication, national heritage, good taste and style to the consumers (Hines & Bruce, 2007). A telling example is the Victoria’s secret. The modern luxury brands in the United Kingdom market reflect liberalness and power of women (Mira, 2008). Consumers are willing to pay more for brands that capture their perception and expectations (Martinez, 2012). The current global trends have caused the world to be saturated with logos and symbols (Kapferer, & Bastien 2009). The interpretations of these logos and symbols are expected to lead to competitive advantage for the brands involved. The concept of logos and symbolic consumption is pushed by the need to have a status that is reflected in the symbols and logos. Therefore, it is important for luxury products to have competitive and visually appealing logos. Luxury brands are expected to have logos that carry the mission and vision of the company in a graphical and stylish manner (Chevalier & Gutsatz 2012). Symbolic consumptions rhyme with consumer expectations and the concept of perceptions and attitudes. Logos or symbols are known to reflect status and social classes (Kapferer, & Bastien 2009).The necessity of luxurious view on a product is largely influenced by the culture of a different society. With increasing competition, industry is unstable and the level of innovation has been on the rise (Martinez, 2012). Different strategies of packaging are used to ensure the

Procurement - Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Procurement - Assignment 2 - Essay Example ent system is vital since the correct choice may help to avoid eventualities that might negatively impact on time, costs and quality; to ensure that the project’s goals are attained. One needs to consider a variety of factors from the project’s internal and external environment in which the industry operates. A point to note is that different projects may require different systems based on a project’s features (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Procurement systems are divided into three categories namely; traditional, management contracting and design and build methods. These three categories have different influences on each factor. The following factors are may be considered in the construction of site in Chelmsford. Time, complexity, price certainty, government policy, price completion, responsibility, risk avoidance and familiarity of procurement methods (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Time is of fundamental when deciding which procurement system to acquire for construction purposes. Time described here is from inception to completion stage. If the completion deadline is not met due to an inefficient procurement system, extra or overrun costs will be incurred by the contractor making the project expensive. The procurement system should monitor the lead-time schedules to ensure that the functional spaces are completed within the required time and start generating income. The client being a private firm, completion time of the project is truly crucial and of importance to them (Hashim, Yuet, Chu, Hooi, Heng & Yong 2006). Therefore, the procurement system must be comprehensive in planning and its schedules to achieve deadlines and other timelines required. Time as a factor is affected by the given procurement methods in the following ways. Design and build method is advantageous for a client who wants a quick return on their investment. The client may employ manageme nt contracting method in order to reduce the project

Disparity Analysis Chart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disparity Analysis Chart - Case Study Example While it might be considered accurate and safe, it is a surgical procedure like any other surgery, places the patient at risk of experiencing morbidities or in other cases mortality (Bruenin & Schoelles, 2009). On the other hand, the process of removal of small samples of breast tissue through insertion of the skin by use of a hollow core needle is known as a core needle biopsy. The suspicious lesion is located by either imaging or palpation. The process is performed under local anesthesia. Multiple samples from the suspected area are taken for tests. The primary goal is to determine whether abnormality is malignant or benign. If the procedure suggests the lesion is malignant, then a follow-on surgical procedure is done (Bruenin & Schoelles, 2009). The comparison is shown in the chart below. Open surgical biopsies are more accurate while core –needle biopsies are associated with lower incidences of morbidity and harms. Women who are diagnosed with cancer by open biopsy undergo more treatment than those diagnosed by core-needle biopsy. Women diagnosed with breast cancer via open surgical biopsy often required multiple (surgeries) surgical procedures to treat the cancer while those diagnosed through core-needle biopsy would have the cancer treated by a single surgical procedure. Open surgical procedures have a high risk of complications than core needle biopsies. Automated gun core-needle biopsies procedures are associated with slightly less severe bleeding events than those by vacuum assisted procedures. Core –needle biopsy is cheaper and consumes fewer resources than open surgical biopsy hence is preferred mostly by patients. Women were also satisfied with core-needle cosmetic results procedures. In both groups, when women undergo the biopsy procedures and lead to positive findings, they often choose to undergo additional surgical procedures or undergo a single procedure that will ensure the removal of the entire lesion. On the other

To Build a Fire Essay Example for Free

To Build a Fire Essay Part 2 After you have read the original version of To Build a Fire, answer the following questions: 1.What is the setting of the story? It was on the Yukon Territory on a very cold day. 2.What is the central conflict of the story? What is the source of the struggle? The real conflict is Tom versus Hypothermia, but does to the lack of experience he has trouble. 3.What happens to Tom Vincent at the end of the story? What does he learn? He learns pride is really a man’s worst enemy, and he dies. Part 3 After reading the last three paragraphs of the second version of the story, answer the following questions: 1.What happens to the central character at the end of the second version? He builds a fire and limps off to safety. 2.Which one of these endings do you think more clearly meets the conventions of naturalism? Be sure to consider the concept of determinism as you list your reasons. I think that the version where he dies does, simply because it is survival of the fittest, and if he were to win that would be showing the wrong idea, prideful people get cut down, they do not succeed you must be humble to prosper. Part 4Â  For homework, write an essay addressing the Focus Question: How does To Build a Fire illustrate the elements of naturalistic literature? As you write, consider the story as a whole, the conventions of naturalism, and the philosophies that influenced Jack London. As I see it this novel is a piece of naturalistic literature because it shows man’s pride, his struggle to prove it and how he plans to survive. It breaks humanity down to a basic level, male dominance and basic survival instinct. Nothing is more natural than a man and his dog in the wilderness fighting to live. The outcome is also naturalistic because it shows how man’s pride can get him cut down; in his case he lost his life, that’s why I think this book shows naturalism.

The Role Of God In Rene Descartes Meditations

The Role Of God In Rene Descartes Meditations In this essay I am going to argue that God plays a significant role in Renà © Descartes Meditations, as he argues for Gods existence using different arguments, however I find him to be incorrect in his conclusions, and I find he is not entitled to appeal to Gods existence in this way, and all of his arguments are either fallacious or unsound. In his meditations discuss his thoughts concerning the human mind body, true false, the essence and existence of material things and the real distinction between mind and body. As I previously said, God plays a significant role to Descartes Meditations, including the proof of Gods existence. Descartes goes through numerous proofs of Gods existence through-out his Meditations, starting in Meditation 3 and continuing onto the end. This is the first role God plays in Descartes system as it is like a building block, an essential part of the structure of the system, as he uses the idea of God (specifically a non-deceiving God) to prove conclusions and dispel any other doubts he may have. He dispels the evil-demon doubt through the proof that a benevolent God exists. He also uses God within the clear and distinct perception proof. In Meditation three Descartes states that there are three types of ideas: innate, factitious or adventitious. Innate ideas are ideas built into our minds from birth, factitious ideas are invented ideas we have produced from our imagination and adventitious ideas are from experience in the outside world. Descartes argues that God cannot be a factitious or adventitious idea and the idea of God must be built into our minds from birth: I did not derive it from the senses, nor did it ever arrive unexpectedly as the ideas of sensible things usually do when external objects impinge, or seem to impinge, on the sense organs. Nor was it fabricated by me, for it is clear that I can neither add to it nor subtract from it. Thus it follows that it is innate in me, just as the idea of myself is innate in meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.This is the artisans trademark imprinted on his work. (Med 3, p42-43) Along with these three types of ideas, you have varieties of idea: substances (persisting particulars), and modes and accidents (properties of substances). Substances can be either finite or infinite substances. Here is his first argument for the existence of God, his causal argument. Here he implies that whatever is possessed by an effect must have been given it to by its cause. For example, a rock cannot be produced by anything with less formal reality (such as a property like a colour), or a pot of water is heated up until it boils, it must have been subjected to heat from some cause that had at least as much heat. Moreover, something that does not have as much heat would not be able to cause the water to boil, because it doesnt have the necessary reality to bring about the effect something cannot give what it does not have. Now, it is evident by the natural light of reason that there must be as much reality in an efficient and total cause as in the effect of that cause. For I ask: where could the effect get its reality from, apart from its cause? Something which is more perfect in other words, that which contains more reality in itself cannot be made from that which is less perfect. (Med 3, P35) Descartes second argumentative question concerning God was could one exist in the absence of God? By the third meditation the meditator has established he exists, and therefore this existence must have a cause. The only possible cause for existence has to be one of the following: from himself, having always been in existence, his parents, something less perfect than God or God. Firstly the cause cannot be from oneself, as he would have been created perfect; assuming to have been in existence always also does not help as what keeps him in existence? As a dependent being, there is a need to be sustained by another. It cannot be from parents, as this would lead to an infinite regress (who caused and maintains there existence?), and it cannot be caused by a being less perfect than God as the idea of perfection that exists cannot have originated from an imperfect being, therefore God is the cause, and God exists. Descartes discussed the ontological argument for Gods existence. The meditator states that the idea of God, the essence, has a necessary connection to the idea of existence. Take an example the connection between mountains and valleys; if there were no mountains, there wouldnt be any valleys, and all land would be flat. Descartes claimed it is impossible for us to conceive of existence without conceiving there is a God, just as it is impossible for us to conceive a valley without a mountain. As previously stated, the proofs of Gods existence played an essential role in Descartes system, as he had established that he was created by an all-powerful, non-deceiving God, Descartes could then place a great deal of trust in his cognitive abilities. Meditation Six gives a clear example of this in its discussion of the mind and of the body. In Meditation Three, Descartes idea of clear and distinct The key part to Descartes system however is the Clear and Distinct Rule: Everything that I perceive very clearly and distinctly is true. To prove that what we see clearly and distinctly to be true is essential to establish a foundation to build upon. He proves both that God exists through the use of Clear and Distinct perceptions, and he proves that clear and distinct perceptions are true because of the existence of God. This argument can be represented in the following structure: P1) If God exists, then he is no deceiver P2) If God is no deceiver, then all I clearly distinctly perceive will be true P3) God exists __________________ C1) All I clearly distinctly perceive is true P1) All I clearly distinctly perceive is true P2) I clearly distinctly perceive the idea of God P3) The idea of God is true _________________ C1) God exists These two arguments create the Cartesian Circle, from which the conclusion of one argument exists as a premise in the other, and vice versa. He begs the question here, assuming the conclusion he is arguing for in both arguments. Throughout the Meditations God play an important role for Descartes and his system, however I do not believe he is entitled to appeal to Gods existence in this way. All of Descartes arguments for the existence of God- the ontological argument, causal argument, and the trademark argument are not convincing alone. The use of God in his defining of clear and distinct perceptions also falls short. At the time of publication, there were many objections raised to some of his meditative conclusions and, understandably at the time to disprove or argue against the existence of God would be considered heresy by the Catholic Church, however the proofs for the existence of God Descartes argues I find unsound. Firstly the ontological argument for the existence of God is a priori proof, which is independent of experience, and states that if we can imagine a perfect being he must exist. God could not be perfect without existence as existence is stated as a property of perfection. So therefore a perfect being/God must exist. This argument commits a bare assertion fallacy. It does not give any backup premise to prove what it is stating and it relies on us just believing what it is saying. You cannot define or imagine a thing into existence. The ontological argument states that if we can imagine a perfect being he must exist, however it generalizes that all people will have the same the idea of a perfect being/God, however as different cultures have different ideas of God, even people within one culture will have different ideas of perfection and different ideas of a perfect God. Therefore either the complete plethora of Perfect Gods is true and exists, or Descartes argument is unsound. We also cannot guarantee that our human perception of perfection is, in fact perfect. Our own conceptions of perfection are through our subjective experience; therefore the ideas of perfection are an expansion of own thoughts and collective ideas. The causal argument for the existence of God appears in Meditation Three. It states that everything must have a cause, and it is impossible to continue backwards to infinity with causes (infinite regress), therefore there must have been an original first cause, one which wasnt conditioned by a previous cause, and such a cause is God. The causal argument is flawed in that if you allow one thing to exist without a cause, you contradict your own premise. To say then that the idea of an all-perfect God must come from an all-perfect cause can be argued against. We can take the idea of goodness, intelligence, and kindness and amplify it, similarly to how we reach the idea of mathematical infinity. The concept of spontaneous generation also argues against the causal principle, where we can imagine the idea of life emerging from a non-living and non-sentient basis. The trademark argument states that the idea of God is innate, and built into us from birth, as that is God leaving his trademark on us. I strongly disagree with this argument. The idea of God is not innate, it is indirectly an adventitious idea, and idea through experience. This experience however is provided through teaching and influence. The idea of God for all beings, at the time of Descartes specifically, were brought up religious and instilled with the idea of God. This is again reflected on the fact that there are different Gods from different cultures and civilizations. The Romans, the Greeks, the Vikings etc., all had different distinct Gods, the ideas of which were instilled to them again through teachings and influence.

Personal Narrative - Driving Test :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Driving Test As I walked out of the courthouse and down the ramp, I looked at my mom in disappointment and embarrassment. Never wanting to return to that dreadful place, I slowly drug my feet back to the car. I wanted to curl up in a little ball and I didn't want anyone else to know what I had done. Gaining my composure, I finally got into the car. I didn't even want to hear what my mom had to say. My face was beat red and I was trying to hide my face in the palms of my hands because I knew what was about to come; she was going to start asking me questions, all of the questions I had been asking myself. Sure enough, after a short period of being in the car, the questions began. "Honey, how could we have miscalculated six months? My frustrated reply to every question was, "I don't know!" Maybe this was a sign I was going to fail. I could only imagine how my brother and sister were going to make me feel. They had teased me about studying so hard for the permit test. Now here I was, not actual failing the drivers test, but failing to go on the correct day. Exactly one month later, all of the fears that happened in the past were returning. Was I going to fail? Was I going to get the same, strict instructor? As I slide out of the car and slowly shut the door, I could only hope that the same person wouldn't be there when I attempted to take my driving test last time. With that thought running through my head, my brain was in overdrive. All the wheels were turning as fast as they possibly could. I tried to zone out the negative stories I heard by telling myself, "I can do this. I just drove through town on a practice run and I did perfectly fine." Of course, the fear of failure kept popping in my head and I couldn't get rid of it.Sluggishly, I made my way to the entrance of the courthouse. As I reached for the door, I let out a sigh of worry. I moseyed down the stairs trying to stall as long as possible. All that I could picture was the instructor with dark, slanted eyebrows that made a wrinkle between his two critical eyes.

Differences Between Counseling and Psychotherapy :: essays research papers

Differences Between Counseling and Psychotherapy Counseling Theories August 3, 1995 Running head: Coun. v. Psychotherapy Counseling v. psychotherapy is there a difference between the two? This paper will attempt to prove that there are several differences between counseling and psychotherapy. While counseling and psychotherapy have several different elements in each, the following information will also attempt to show the reader that there are some areas where the two overlap. At times this was a confusing topic to research. A fine line distinguishes the two topics and one must look hard to see this line. Definition of Counseling One survey taken by Gustad suggests a definition of counseling where he included three key elements. Counseling is a learning-oriented process, carried on in a simple, one to one social environment, in which a counselor, professionally competent in relevant psychological skills and knowledge, seeks to assist the client by methods appropriate to the latter's needs and within the context of the total personn el program, to learn more about himself, to learn how to put such understanding into effect in relation to more clearly perceived, realistically defined goals to the ` end that the client may become a happier and more productive member of his society (1957, p. 36). In lay terms counseling can be described as a face to face relationship, having goals to help a client to learn or acquire new skills which will enable them to cope and adjust to life situations. The focus is to help a person reach maximum fulfillment or potential, and to become fully functioning as a person. Definition of Psychotherapy Psychotherapy is the process inwhich a therapists assists the client in re-organizing his or her personality. The therapist also helps the client integrate insights into everyday behavior. Psychotherapy can be defined as "more inclusive re-education of the individual" (Brammer& Shostrom,1977). Objectives of counseling The objectives of counseling according to the Committee on Definition, Division of Counseling Psychology, American Psychological Association are to "help individuals toward overcoming obstacles to their personal growth, wherever these may be encountered, and toward achieving optimum development of their personal resources" (Arbuckle, 1967). In a paper written by Dr. T. Millard, it is stated that "Counseling provides clarity and a positive and constructive venue for the individual to sensibly examine the instinctive-emotional and rational (or irrational) motives which determine the drive, content, and even the form of human conduct." This shows the part which counseling plays in a clients treatment.

Case Unilever †Marketing Essay

So, the decision process of buying detergent has become Habitual Decision Making process. 2. 2. Influences on consumer decision making â€Å"There are different factors influences the consumer decision making process. Marketer needs to understand these influences and which ones are important in the purchase process to make effective marketing decision. † (Solomon, Marshall, Stuart, Barnes, & Mitchell, 2009) 2. 2. 1. Internal Influence Lifestyle, Personality, and Perception are some of the internal influences involved in making the decision to buy the detergent.Lifestyle: As per Case study, the women in Northeast region treat washing the clothes as a pleasure activity and utilise the washing activity to meet and chat with the friends. Since, washing act as an integral part of their lifestyle, decision of purchasing detergent depends on this lifestyle. ? Personality: Personality has strong pressure in Northeast region because the region has implicated by low income which is very much evident in Exhibit 1 on the case study. Infant mortality is high and GDP/capita is low in Northeast region when comparing to other region of Brazil. This personality is directing Northeast people to buy low cost detergent. Hence, the characteristic of personality has crucial impact on decision making.Perception: People in Brazil have expectation when buying the detergent. They have interpreted the detergent in six different attribute and expects these attributes to be attained in the detergent powder. So, perception plays a critical role to make a decision on buying the detergent powder. 2. 2. 2. Social Influence Social Influence like social class and culture will also affect the consumer ecisionmaking process. ? Social Class: As per Exhibit 2 in Case Study, 53% of population in the Northeast region lives on less than two minimum wages when compare to 21% in the Southeast. This shows that more than half of the population was implicated by low wages in the Northeast region. This leads people to think on buying detergent based on their affordable price or living class. So, the social class plays a significant role in making decisio n to buy a detergent in Brazil. ? Culture: As per case study, People in the Northeast and Southeast have differed in symbolic value when it comes to cleanliness. Apart from these main players, the local marketers are giving competitive challenge to main players by capturing low income segment through small retail shops. 3. 1. Unilever and their current strategies ? Until 1996, Unilever’s detergent products had a dominant market share in a low growth market. But in 1996, Unilever has become an outright front runner in detergent powder with 81% of mark share in Brazil which has been achieved with three brands. ? Unilever might have segmented the consumer market in Brazil based on the Demographics. In Brazil, people have different kind of income in different region.

Definition essay on the word “Passion” Essay

Passion is a distinct characteristic that not every person has the opportunity to experience. When one is said to have passion, that means that this person is driven and full of enthusiasm. Passion can be expressed in many different ways, and in many different situations. The dictionary has several definitions for the word â€Å"passion.† Passion is described as a powerful emotion, such as love, hate, joy, or anger. Anyone can be joyful, but when someone is passionately joyful, it takes the meaning of â€Å"joyful† to a whole new level. A person can â€Å"fly into a passion,† meaning they are experiencing intense rage and emotion. The television show â€Å"Passions† revolves around all of these emotions, therefore incorporating its title into every episode it airs. The second dictionary definition of the word â€Å"passion† elaborates much more on the powerful emotion of love. The word â€Å"passion† also refers to undying love, sexual desire, and lust. When a relationship between two people is said to be passionate, it means that they are madly, deeply in love with one another. It can also be mutual sexual desire and lust between two people who may or may not be in love with one another. An unknown individual quoted the following statement: â€Å"Passion is not having sex; passion is making love forever.† A person described as â€Å"passionate† is generally very motivated, enthusiastic, and full of life. Companies involved with advertising are incessantly looking to recruit passionate people, because their enthusiasm affects a potential customer’s decision positively in the company’s favor. F.M. Foster summarized this thought quite well when he said, â€Å"One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.† Passion can also be the object of one’s enthusiasm. When a particular item or activity is one’s â€Å"passion†, it becomes not just something they like to do, but rather a part of them as a person. If a boy is passionate about hockey, it means that he lives, breathes, and sleeps hockey. It means that he spends a great deal of time not only playing hockey, but also thinking about hockey. A person’s greatest â€Å"passion† is that person’s obsession; it is, at least in their eyes, their purpose in life. A life without passion would be a life without purpose. The absence of passion means the absence of love, joy, and excitement; it also means the absence of hatred, spite, and anger. Life without passion would be meaningless, empty, and boring. Henri Fredric Amiel perhaps said it best in the following statement: â€Å"A man without passion is only a latent force, only a possibility, like a stone waiting for the blow from the iron to give forth sparks.† Life is full passion, and without it, there would be no quality of life.

Hip Bursitis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hip Bursitis - Essay Example Most of the sports activities require lot of physical activities and hence the chances of injuries for the sports persons are more compared to others. Most of the sports activities require a combinational effort of most of the human body parts. For example, while playing football, the player need to use his legs, hands, head etc. Moreover he needs to do lot of running, kicking, and also some kind of waist twisting for executing certain shots. In all his playing efforts the hip area plays a vital role and hence it more likely to be injured if some of the actions performed using may not be done properly. Hip Bursitis is one of the common problems found especially in sports persons.â€Å"The hip/thigh/leg continues to be the area of the body most frequently injured (17.3%), followed by the forearm/wrist/hand (15%), knee (14.5%), and ankle/foot (14.2%).† (NATA Injury Information) â€Å"Hip bursitis is a common problem that causes pain over the outside of the upper thigh. A bursa is a fluid filled sac that allows smooth motion between two uneven surfaces. When the bursal sac becomes inflamed, each time the tendon has to move over the bone, pain results. Because patients with hip bursitis move this tendon with each step, hip bursitis symptoms can be quite painful. A bursa is a closed fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between tissues of the body. The major bursae are located adjacent to the tendons near the large joints, such as the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. When the bursa becomes inflamed, the condition is known to as "bursitis. (Shiel) The picture given below shows the Hip Bursitis the bursitis which causes pain on the hip area. Our body is filled with sacs which contain little fluid called bursae. This busae is the mediator between the bones and muscles. It acts as a cushion. While playing or engaged in some kind of physical activities this busae can inflamed due to accidents or over strain. The inflammation of

Educational system through the use of new ICT resources Essay

Educational system through the use of new ICT resources - Essay Example It is very important to consult the customers of education business because the demand is logically generated by their willingness to patronize the enterprise. In this case, the students are the customers. Any investment in ICT by Mid Wales University would have to satisfy needs of mostly students through faculties, educational systems and resources, along with strategies for implementing plans and programs. The average ratio of staff to students in UK universities is 1 per 18.1. At Buckingham, it is only 1 staff for every 10.5 students (The University of Buckingham 2013). For purposes of this scenario analysis, let the assumptions be as follows: (a)Mid Wales should aim to have a staff to student ratio of 1 is to 12 in order to aspire for quality education through closer supervision of individual educational performance. (b)Following a similar statistics identifying who are the students of Buckingham University, wherein 52% are British; 14% come from Asian and Pacific countries like Australia, China, India, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Langka, Singapore, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, and New Zealand; 13% are from Africa and islands somewhere in the Indian Ocean; 11% come from countries belonging to the European Union; 5% are made up of people from America including USA, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua, and other Caribbean countries; 3% from Middle East and North Africa e.g. Bahrain, Israel, Algeria, Palestine, Syria, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, Oman, Turkey, and Libya; and 2% from other European countries and Central Asia, such as Russia, Georgia, Macedonia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. Therefore, the customers are from many nations worldwide. (c) Most of these students, about 73%, are employed on full time basis as they study, while 15% went back to school for further studies. Only 7% are employed but work only part-time. 1% went to school while on volunta ry work. Only 3% are self-employed and only 1% unemployed. (The Buckingham University2, 2013) Due to the changing UK trend of jobs in demand, the courses have to be considered as well. Assumption (d) would be the eventual inclusion of 10 courses related to the forecasted high demand work for the near future. Business, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Statistics, Liberal Arts, Engineering, and General Science will remain. However, it is assumed in this scenario that Genetics, Environmental Engineering, Mental Health and Psychology, Food Production, Software Engineering, Information Security, Medicine, Language Interpretation and Translation, Computer Engineering, and Civil Engineering will become integrated in the coming years due to the demand for such jobs in the near future (Zabala, R. 2012). A Powerful, Flexible Server for Short to Long-Term Educational Enterprise A. Infrastructure For educational institutions, technology of teaching and learning should consider not only the stude nts and courses or curriculum, but also the enhancements for the effective delivery, progress monitoring, and advancements in education, supposed to be found in infrastructures. Mobile and digital technology owned by the learning population have become the means to access information. This situation demands certain requirements from the ICT Infrastructure within the campus. The server room must provide for networking in terms of wireless access points (WAP). It should have a

Classroom Environment and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Classroom Environment and Education - Essay Example Rules and expectations are clear and consistent set policies that govern the day-to-day student's behaviors outlining the expectation and achievement from the learning process. Moreover, these policies issue the students with steps to undertake certain tasks in the class. The optimal class environment requires the teachers and related professional have to formulate rules and procedures that give the student a role towards understanding the policies in a positive way, which eventually help them to understand their expectations accordingly. Furthermore, harsh rules only distract the students’ emotions that read to the negative view of the learning process, which necessitate the need for a proper policy-making process.Schedules are the time-oriented timetable set for the students for the learning of various modules. The schedule should be such that it allows students to have ample time to socialize, which eventually improves their social skills. Consequently, this leads to a clas s environment that offers both intellectual knowledge and facilitates the social skills of the students. Social skills play an influential role in the learning process from the improved curiosity, confidence, communication, and cooperation skills of students.Routines and procedures are the set guidelines for students to follow while in class. The optimal classroom environment is met by ensuring that the teacher formulates clear and explanatory routines and procedures that the students are expected to follow.... urthermore, harsh rules only distract the students’ emotions that read to the negative view to the learning process, which necessitate the need for a proper policy making process including the students concerns aptly. Schedules are the time-oriented timetable set for the students for the learning of various modules. The schedule should be such that it allows students to have ample time to socialize, which eventually improves their social skills. Consequently, this leads to a class environment that offers both intellectual knowledge and facilitate the social skills of the students. Social skills play an influential role in the learning process from the improved curiosity, confidence, communication, and cooperation skills of students. Routines and procedures are the set guidelines for students to follow while in class. The optimal classroom environment is met by ensuring that the teacher formulates clear and explanatory routines and procedures that the students are expected to f ollow. In addition, the procedures should evoke a sense of positive acceptance within the students to enable the student feel that their emotions are emotionally considered. The routines for writing down and submitting the assignments should include clear instructions and the dates for submission, which avoids the discouragement that the student gets when an assignment is rejected because of late submission. Classroom climate refers to the feeling of the students, either physically, emotionally or both, in a classroom. The teacher should not evoke stimuli among the students and should ensure that all the students in a class feel a sense of positive attitude concerning the inclusion in the learning process. A favorable classroom climate ensures that it offers support to the students

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals Term Paper

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals - Term Paper Example It carries out various campaigns around the world to stop cruelty and ill treatment towards animals. They believe that animals deserve the rights to have their best interests taken into great consideration. Its slogan is â€Å"animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.† The organization has three hundred employees and more than two million followers and supporters. PETA focuses on the four major areas where animals are subjected to suffer: In Research Laboratories In Garment Industry/Clothing Trade Entertainment Industry Factory Farms In addition, it deals with issues of killing animals in a cruel manner, the suffering of domestic animals, and the killing of birds and pests. Ingrid Newkirk states, â€Å"When it comes to feelings like hunger, pain, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy† (p. 4). In general, animal rights demands that all the animals should be used and treated humanely. Animals can be used for various types of purpos e, but the humane treatment and duty of care lies mainly with the human being. Like the animal rights theory, it upholds that we have no ethical explanation for using nonhuman animals for human purposes. The main aim of animal rights is to get rid of the use of animals. PETA encourages veganism, a philosophy of rights of animals far more fundamental than vegetarianism. Veganism is a strict vegetarian that does not eat any animal or dairy products at all. PETA also protests in opposition to animal testing of various types of cosmetics that apply to animals’ skin or eyes to test for protection and toxicity. Many companies such as, Johnson and Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and L’Oreal all use animal testing for their products. Through PETA’s ongoing protests, many companies have stopped the use of animals for experimentation. Method: This organization has helped diminish the cruelty of animals through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns. PETA also uses various celebrities for most of their assertive promotion and campaign activity with the intention to grab their audiences’ attention. Such celebrities are, Drew Barrymore, Pamela Anderson, Stella McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, Khloe Kardashian, and Alec Baldwin. PETA activists work hard for the rights of the animals. They educate the people about the sufferings of the animals. They make sure that people know how animals are treated in research laboratories, farming enterprises, and other areas where they are used. If they find any animal being subjected to cruelty, they figure out a plan to rescue it or grab attention. PETA adapts different schemes for its publicity. One could say that its publicity pattern has played a major role in getting such a huge response from people all around the world. Their slogans are thought provoking. â€Å"Meat is murder,† â€Å"I’d rather go naked than wear fur† are some of the slogan that have grabbed a lot of public attention. The organization aims at the eradication of cruelty to animals. They known all the tactics needed in pulling the crowd, some of which include the use of short phrases, eye-catching images, and banners. They would discuss some issues related to animals in their chat show, organize debates and also try to involve as many people as possible. PETA

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts Paper Term - 1

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts - Term Paper Example (Robbins, & Judge, 2010). Similarly, it has become possible for organizations to manage a clientele from all parts of the world since no matter how far they are, they are always just a click away. This technological revolution, however, along with all its marvels, brings numerous challenges for the organizations as well, which need to be handled proactively. One such challenge is that of delegating an effective and efficient organizational behavior uniformly throughout the organization. (Robbins, & Judge, 2010). Organizational behavior basically encompasses everything pertaining to human interaction and their relationships in any particular organizational setting. (Kinicki, & Kreitner, 2006). It includes intra-organizational interaction (i.e. among employees of all levels), inter-organizational interactions (i.e. with partners, competitors, distributors, suppliers, etc.) as well as extra-organizational interaction (i.e. interaction with customers). (Hellriegel, & Slocum, 2007). It de als with the culture that prevails within the organization, the relationships the employee share with each other as well as with various stakeholders and the image a company exuberates as a whole. (Kinicki, & Kreitner, 2006). ... (Keyton, 2010). It is a set of norms and principles pertaining to the behavior of the employees and their interaction with each other as well as the stakeholders. (Schein, 2004). It is the general environment of the organization that stems from the various values and attitudes defined by the organization. The organizational culture may be weak or strong. A strong culture inculcates an environment of unity and mutual trust. Employees tend to align themselves with the organizational values and rules and adhere to them strongly. (Robbins, & Judge, 2010). Organizational commitment is higher, employees take ownership of what they do and there is higher employee motivation and loyalty. (Keyton, 2010). In order to induce a strong organizational culture, the organizational values should be clearly defined and should be uniformly followed across the board. The consequences should be similar for all and the compensation should be equitable. (Hellriegel, & Slocum, 2007). Source: (New Horizons, 2009). http://www.nhorizons.ca/en-change-culture-change.asp Ideally, the values should be properly listed down. Moreover, the employees should be reminded of them in a polite and interesting manner every now and then. Various team building exercises and sessions may help strengthen the culture. (Schein, 2004). However, one drawback of a strong culture may be the presence of Groupthink, that is, when everybody tends to follow or agree with what one member of the group does or says in order to avoid mental effort as well as conflicts. (Keyton, 2010). This can be avoided, though, through encouraging the employees to voice their opinions and concerns on an individual basis instead in the form of a group. (Schein, 2004). Organizational

The CRM Value Chain Essay Example for Free

The CRM Value Chain Essay The meaning of those three letters, CRM, is hotly contested. For some, CRM is simply a bridge between marketing and IT: CRM is therefore an IT-enabled sales and service function. For others it’s little more than precisely targeted 1to-1 communications. But both of these views deny CRM its great potential contribution. Because CRM, at its most advanced, answers questions like ‘who should we serve?’ and ‘what should we serve to them?’ and ‘how should we serve them?’ it could, and often should, be positioned as the fundamental strategic process around which the business is organised. CRM decisions impact on marketing, certainly, but also on operations, sales, customer service, HR, RD and finance, as well as IT. CRM is fundamentally cross-functional, customerfocussed business strategy. The CRM value chain The CRM value chain (figure 1) is a proven model which businesses can follow when developing and implementing their CRM strategies. It has been five years in development and has been piloted in a number of business-tobusiness and business-to-consumer settings, with both large companies and SMEs: IT, software, telecoms, financial services, retail, media, manufacturing, and construction. The model is grounded on strong theoretical principles and the practical requirements of business. The ultimate purpose of the CRM value chain process is to ensure that the company builds long-term mutually-beneficial relationships with its strategically-significant customers. Not all customers are strategically significant. Indeed some customers are simply too expensive to acquire and service. They buy little and infrequently; they pay late or default; they make extraordinary demands on customer service and sales resources; they demand expensive, short-run, customised output; and then they defect to competitors. What is a strategically significant customer? We’ve identified four types of strategically significant customer (SSC). Selfevidently, the high life-time value customer is a key SSC. These must be the focus of customer retention efforts. Life-time value potential is the presentday value of all future margins that might be earned in a relationship. Tempting as it may be to believe, not all high volume customers have high LTV. If they demand JIT, customised delivery, or are in other ways costly to serve, their value may be significantly reduced. We know of one company that applied activity-based costing disciplines in order to trace process costs to its customer base. They found that 2 of their 3 biggest customers were in fact unprofitable. As a consequence the company re-engineered its manufacturing and logistics processes, and salespeople negotiated price increases. A second group of strategically significant customers we call ‘benchmarks’. These are customers that other customers copy. A manufacturer of vending machine equipment is prepared to do business with Coca Cola at breakeven. Why? Because they can tell other customers that they are supplying to the world’s biggest vending operation. The third group of SSCs are ‘inspirations’, customers who inspire change in the supplying company. These may be customers who find new applications, come up with new product ideas, find ways of improving quality or reducing cost. They may be the most demanding of customers, or frequent complainers, and, though their own LTV potential is low, they offer other significant sources of value. One insurance company modified its claims process to satisfy one particular car fleet operator; this process eventually became the company’s default standard. The final group of strategically significant customers we call ‘cost magnets’. There are customers who absorb a disproportionately high volume of fixed cost, thus enabling other, smaller customers to become profitable. One oilseed processor, for example, has two major customers, a manufacturer of snack foods which buys oil in bulk and a retail multiple which buys consumer packs. Although they account for 60% of oil-seed processing time, they absorb 85% of fixed costs between them. Five steps to profitable relationships The five steps in the CRM value chain are customer portfolio analysis, customer intimacy, network development, value proposition development and managing the relationship. Although we don’t discuss them here, at each stage of the value chain there are concepts, tools and processes to help create and implement successful strategy. Very briefly, the CPA step analyses the customer base to identify customers to target with different value propositions. The second step involves the business in getting to know the selected customers as segments or individuals and building a customer data-base which is accessible to all those whose decisions or activities impact upon customer attitude and behaviour. Step three involves building a strong network of relationships with employees, suppliers, partners and investors who understand the requirements of the chosen customers. Step four involves developing, with the network’s compliance, propositions which create value jointly for the customer and company. The fifth and final stage is to manage the customer relationship. The focus here is on both structure and process. From observation of failure it is clear that CRM solutions cannot be transplanted into any organisation in the absolute certainty that the business will flourish. For success to happen, CRM needs a supportive culture: it’s unlikely to yield dividends in companies which only pay lip service to customer focus. Neither will it succeed in organisations wedded to product-based structures or reward systems based on sales volume. Similarly, if IT, human resources and procurement processes are not aligned with the CRM agenda, it’s unlikely to flourish. For example, we know one IT company which is trying to implement CRM strategy whilst still recruiting up-and-at-‘em salespeople who are quota driven. Another company is in the throes of a cost-reduction programme and procures least cost inputs to its manufacturing process without due regard to the impact on customer satisfaction and buying behaviour. Customer Portfolio Analysis CPA, the first step in the CRM value chain acknowledges that not all customers have equal value to the company. CPA asks the question: ‘who are our SSCs?’ The answer can be pitched at sector (e.g. food retailing), segment (e.g. food retail multiples) or individual (e.g. Tesco) levels. Companies which have no customer history on which to base their analysis can use segmentation approaches to identify potential SSCs. When CPA has sorted the actual or potential customer base into different groups, they can be taegeted with different value propositions. An important consideration is to analyse and sort by profit potential, not by volume, whether that is by sector, segment or individual. One CPA tool sorts customers into 4 strategic groups: sack, re-engineer, nurture and invest. Sackable customers are those who have no present or future profit potential or life-time value. The ‘invest’ group contains customers who are both valuable currently and have significant future potential. The ‘reengineer’ group contains customers who are not presently profitable but who could become so if the relationship were re-engineered. Options may include reducing the level of customer service, disintermediation, or telesales, rather than face-to-face sales representation. The final segment ‘nurture’ contains those customers who are currently profitable but have little future potential. The task here is to address, possibly in consultation with those customers the reasons for pessimism. It may be that they can jointly find solutions which suggest a more profitable future relationship. Customer intimacy Choosing customers to serve is one thing. Get ting to know them well is altogether different. Most companies collect customer data. Some industries are overwhelmed with information – scanner data, loyalty card data, complaints files, market research, geodemographic data. The challenge is to use the data to better understand the who, what, why, where, when and how of customer behaviour. Mining data intelligently is, of course, a source of huge competitive advantage, and it enables a more refined CPA to be undertaken. Develop the Network Company does not compete against company. Network competes against network. For example, Sainsbury does not compete against Tesco. Their respective networks compete. Tesco’s network, which includes partners such as Royal Bank of Scotland (for its retail banking offer) and Privilege Insurance (for its insurance offer) currently seems to be performing better than Sainsbury’s. A company’s network position i.e. its connectedness to other parties who co-operate in delivering value to the chosen customer, is a source of great competitive advantage. An innovative software house partnering with IBM, for example, enhances its network position. IBM also benefits, as well as their joint customers. Networks consist of partners like these, employees, suppliers and owners/investors. CRM is not a quick fix; it requires owners and investors who will commit to the long-term investment in the people, processes and technology to implement CRM strategies. Employees will probably need reorienting and reskilling, if not redeployment. There is clear evidence that employee performance in moments of truth with customers influences customer satisfaction and purchasing intention. It only takes a short leap of faith to link employee satisfaction to customer satisfaction to business performance. Suppliers also need to understand who the customer is trying to serve. According to the consultants A T Kearney, companies are going to continue vendor reduction programmes over the next several years, as they try to build closer relationships with fewer partner vendors. CRM is becoming twinned with SRM, supplier relationship management. Kearney reckons 20% of current in-suppliers will be de-listed by 2003. For CRM to succeed, the network of suppliers, employees, owners/investors and partners must be aligned and managed to meet the needs of the chosen customers. Value proposition development By the fourth step of the CRM value chain, you will know who you want to serve and will have built, or be in the process of building, the network. Now the network has to work together to create and deliver the chosen value(s) to the selected customers. Great value is found more effective and more efficient solutions of customer problems. Although it is traditional to focus on the product as the main source of value, many companies are finding that people, process and service offer more competitive advantage as products become more commoditised. How things are done with and for customers process is particularly important. There may be small processes, such as how complaints are handled; or big processes, such as how new products are jointly developed with customers. The value star (figure 2) illustrates sources of customer value in a retailing context. Price Managing the relationship For relationships to succeed with strategically significant customers, companies are having to re-invent structures and process. On the way out are hierarchical structures and product managers. Replacing them are flatter organisations with empowered front-lines and customer or market managers. We encourage companies to replace their single marketing strategy with a trio made up of a Customer Acquisition Plan, Customer Retention Plan and Customer Development Plan. Each of these has different metrics from those found in run-of-the-mill marketing strategies. New measures include customer acquisition costs, customer retention rates, share-of-customer and customer development targets alongside more conventional measures such as customer satisfaction and sales volume, and additional measures relating to the performance of network members.. Final thoughts CRM is widely misunderstood by marketing management and seriously misrepresented by software houses. Companies are being sold front-office and back-office solutions, but are missing out on the fundamental, strategic benefits that CRM can provide. CRM at its most sophisticated has the potential to integrate all business processes around the requirements of strategically significant customers, a fact that most IT solutions fail to acknowledge.