Monday, September 30, 2019

Depression Among The Hiv Victims Health And Social Care Essay

The survey aims at mensurating the degrees of depression among the HIV victims. The sample consists of two groups of the same gender i.e. adult females, viz. married and single ( individual ) adult females, between the age group of 25 to 35. Hence, the sample comprises of 60 adult females, 30 of each belonging to get married and single ( individual ) class severally. The sample besides belongs to the patients fit in to the governmental rehab centre, and they are being administered by the research worker through the standardised questionnaire – depression graduated table designed by Aaron T. Beck. The scale touches assorted facets like temper, , self-dissatisfaction, guilt, self-destructive thoughts, societal backdown, pessimism, sense of failure, deficiency of satisfaction, guilty feeling, sense of penalty, self hate, self accusals, self-punitive wants, shouting enchantments, crossness, indecision, organic structure image, work suppression, sleep perturbation, fatigability, lo ss of appetency, weight loss, bodily preoccupation, and loss of libido. Introduction Everyone feels down or at loss at some clip or the other during his or her life. In fact, ephemeral feelings of unhappiness or disheartenment are absolutely normal, peculiarly during hard times. Life is full of emotional ups and downs. But when the â€Å" down † times are long lasting or interfere with an person ‘s ability to map, that individual may be enduring from a common, but terrible emotional reverse which is universally known as depression. ( NIMH ) .Depression is an unwellness which involves the organic structure, temper and ideas which affect the manner a individual chows and slumbers, the manner one feels about oneself and the manner one assumes about things. Depression is a province of low temper and repulsion to activity. ( NIMH ) A down individual might hold one or any of these inclinations like experiencing sad, dying, empty, detering, helpless, worthless, guilty and frequently loses involvement in activities which were enjoyable to them earlier. They migh t besides hold symptoms like loss of appetency or over feeding and even self-destructive ideations. depression is an change in temper which affects a individual ‘s ability to work twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours. ( NIMH ) In the most up-to-date study from 2000, the World Health Organization ( WHO ) reported that depression is the 4th most onerous disease in the universe, with more than 120 million people enduring from it worldwide and it is expected that by 2020 it will be the taking planetary disease load ( WHO ) . Depression can look at any age. Anybody can see depression, be it adolescents, teens, grownups and if looked from the gender position, both work forces and adult females. However, Womans are more likely to go more down than work forces. Womans are about twice every bit likely as work forces to see depression. â€Å" Womans are genuinely more down than work forces, chiefly due to their experience of being female in our modern-day civilization † ( Dr. Ellen McGrath, a psychologist in Brooklyn Heights ) . As with other serious unwellnesss such as malignant neoplastic disease, bosom disease or shot, nevertheless, HIV frequently can be accompanied by depression. Depression is a really common status for people with HIV ( Depression and HIV, October 12. 2009, AIDS info ) . HIV ( human immunodeficiency virus ) is a lentivirus which is a member of retrovirus household, that infects cells of the immune system, destructing or impairing their map. It causes AIDS ( acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ) , a status in worlds in which the immune system begins to neglect taking to life- baleful timeserving infections. The infection with HIV occurs due to the transportation of blood, seeds, vaginal fluid, pre- semen or chest milk. The four major paths of transmittal are insecure sex, contaminated acerate leafs, chest milk and transmittal from an septic female parent to her babe at birth ( perpendicular transmittal ) . HIV in worlds is considered pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .HIV adult females are more likely to be depressed in comparing to work forces ( adult females and depression, November 2009 ) AIDS continues to be a major planetary wellness priority.The figure of people populating with HIV worldwide in 2008, was around 33.4 million, Of which the adult females constituted of 15.7 million.The entire figure of people populating with the virus in 2008 was more than 20 % higher than the figure in 2000. Asia which is place to 60 % of the universe ‘s population, and is following to the sub-Saharan Africa in footings of people populating with HIV ( 4.7 million ) in 2008. India being one of the most populated states of the universe, approximately half of Asia ‘s HIV prevalence. The proportion of adult females HIV rose from 19 % in 2000 to 35 % in 2008. It is estimated that around 2.3 million people are presently populating with HIV. ( UNAIDS ( 2008 ) ‘India: State Situation ‘ ) Theoretical base HIV being the deathly disease, researches have been go arounding around it. Surveies have been done in relation to depression and HIV ( Rabkin J, Rabkin R, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY. ) where the per centum of HIV-positive agony from depression and the badness of depression was measured. A survey found that depression was under-diagnosed among HIV-positive patients which was associated with emphasis, solitariness, low attachment, and insecure sex ( Depression in Patients With HIV Is Under-Diagnosed: A Cross-sectional Study in Denmark February 17, 2010 ) . Depression is common in people with sexually transmitted infections, a Canadian research workers study in the December edition of Sexually Transmitted Infection ( Michael Carter, Published: 18 December 2008 ) . The survey had 21500 individuals,15-49 old ages of age and it showed 8 % were sick persons of depression and work forces were less likely than adult females ( 6 % and 10 % severally ) . Some other rese arches aound this subject are Other reseaches are fects of Quality of Life and Coping on Depression among Adults Populating with HIV/AIDS ( C. Gore-Felton, C. Koopman, D. Spiegel, M. Vosvick, M. Brondino, and A. WinninghamEf, J Health Psychol, SeptemberA 1, A 2006 ; 11 ( 5 ) : 711 – 729. ) ; Use of Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors in the Treatment of Depression in Adults with HIV ( J. Caballero and M. C NahataAnn. Pharmacother. , JanuaryA 1, A 2005 ; 39 ( 1 ) : 141 – 145. ) ; Predicting Fatigue and Depression in HIV-Positive Gay Men ( J. Barroso, J. S. Preisser, J. Leserman, B. N. Gaynes, R. N. Golden, and D. N. Evans, Psychosomatics, AugustA 1, A 2002 ; 43 ( 4 ) : 317 – 325. ) ; Depression among Patients with HIV/AIDS: A Treatment Dilemma ( G. P. Overman and S. L. Anderson, Journal of Pharmacy Practice, DecemberA 1, A 2001 ; 14 ( 6 ) : 540 – 550.0 ) . Depression kills HIV/Aids patients faster than the virus within them ( Nirmala M Nagaraj, Bangalo re, TNN, Dec 1, 2009 ) . It has besides proven that depression degrees are more in HIV+ adult females than HIV+ work forces ( Women and Depression, November 2009, but the matrimonial position of adult females had n't been touched yet, hence research is ought to be done. Methodology The Beck ‘s Depression Inventory ( BDI ) , designed by Aaron. T. Beck, is being used to mensurate the degrees of depression among the HIV victims. It consists of 21 inquiries, each designed to measure a specific symptom common among the people with depression. BDI is divided into two chief subdivisions viz. , one comprising with the inquiries pertinent to emotional symptoms and the other incorporating inquiries pertinent to physiological symptoms. However, a 2nd version of the stock list ( BDI-II ) was besides developed but the 1st version of it is being personally administered by the research worker to the samples. The sample comprises of 30 adult females between the age group of 25-35, belonging to two different classs, married and single ( individual ) severally. Evaluation The critical rating has encounterd the undermentioned restrictions, and the survey would be executable because entree to the patients would be a officially permitted attack as the research worker would be provided with an hallmark missive from its establishment, which could be presented to the rehabilitation centres. Decision Depression though is common in both work forces and adult females, depression in the latter affects the household straight at that place by the society adamantly, peculiarly in India, where adult females are ever viewed weak and low-level to work forces. They are the more ignored slot and besides face terrible societal stigma in the society. Hence, this subject could keep good range in groking depression in adult females, and an effort is being made to switch the cogwheels towards the encouraging and soothing of the adult females victims.

Disadvantages of Globalization Essay

Globalization is any company’s target. However, it should be noted that globalization has disadvantages as well as advantages. One of the disadvantages of globalization is the over-standardization of products through global branding. Using Emirate Airline to illustrate this point, globalization will means that their services are standardized which aim to serve all customers. They would lose their uniqueness of the business culture after they go global. Also, the over-globalization will result in the lack of creativity and product diversity. Moreover, globalization can also create diseconomies of scale as not all countries have the same growth and economic cycle. For example, Emirate may operate very well in the Middle East and Europe market but expanding into Asia or America market will reduce their profit. This could be due to difficulties of coordinating activities in those new markets or the culture differences. It is also important to note that globalization will cause de- industrialization and high unemployment in the domestic market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Any business can not afford to promote their product in the similar ways using similar strategies. This is because not all products can serve the same requirements and demands. However, it is very important that customers are aware of the brand’s existence and the unique selling point of the product and brand must be well communicated to the user. Thus, businesses use segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) to find their customers and target them so that they can promote their product in the most efficient way. The first step of product promotion or even when product is just at its research stage is segmentation. Segmentation is the division of a broad market in smaller categories consisting of individuals with the similar characteristics. These individuals tend to show similar thinking and perception towards products and brands. When the market fluctuates or a new identical product is introduced to the market, customers in the same segment usually have the same respond to the market and the product. In a simple word, market segmentation can be called grouping as it group people with similar characteristics and thinking together. In the case of Nokia, market segmentation is very important as it significantly enhance the sales process and the brand image of the firm. Nokia has many different lines of products so segmentation is on crucial process in its operation. Nokia segmentation could be kids, male, female, high income customer, low income customer, young people and etc. Targeting is the next phase of the STP process. Targeting is done after the broad market has been segmented. Targeting involves devising various marketing strategies and promotional schemes according to the preferences of the different segments. Targeting is important as it could help an organization to reduce unnecessary promotion cost and also boost sale results of the product. As in the case of Nokia, they create phone for almost every segment so targeting them to the right segment will boost their sale results. For example, the Nokia cheaper line such as Nokia 1100, 1200, 1208 are aimed at people with lower income or as a secondary phone. On the other hand, Nokia 8800 is aimed at successful business man and their new smart phones are aim at young, middle income people. Positioning is the last stage of the STP process. After a company has done the market segmentation and targeting, it will work hard to create a good impression of its products in the target customers’ perception. Product positioning is what customers believe about the product’s value, features and benefits. It is important that the customers have a good perception over the product at the beginning stage of positioning otherwise, the product success will be quite challenging. By getting it right, positioning helps organization to create a good perception of the products in the minds of target audience. Using the case of Nokia, after they segment and target their customers, they could improve the product positioning by creating unique point of the product that fits well with the targeted customers. For example, for female target, Nokia could create product in more feminine colors such as white, pink and etc.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Teen Homlessness

Public Speaking Persuasive Speech Outline Imagine If You Didn’t Know Where You Were Going to Sleep Tonight Introduction: â€Å"If you don’t know where you’re putting your slippers at night, you can’t do algebra†. According to the National Coalition for the homeless, one out of every three homeless persons is under the age of 18. Between 1. 6 and 1. 7 million people under the age of 18 will experience homelessness this year alone.A homeless youth is someone who is 21 years of age and younger who is unaccompanied by a parent or guardian and is without shelter where appropriate care and supervision is available, whose parent or guardian are unable or unwilling to provide shelter and care or who lacks a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence. Thesis: Tonight I want to speak to you about the problem of homeless youth, and what you can do to help these teens. Body: I: The truth about being homeless You don’t always see homeless youth. They aren’t all â€Å"living on the streets† their living in cars, their couch surfing, their sleeping in peoples hallways or stays at friend’s houses. * It’s the youth that can’t get help because their under 18 and you have to be 18 to rent an apartment unless you’re emancipated. Most landlords won’t rent to teens based on the assumptions about age and irresponsibility and few have never rented before and have no previous landlord to list as references. . * The biggest problem for most youth under 18 is they don’t have the finances to afford an apartment.Most 1 bedroom apartments go for about $400 – $800 a month. Why are they Homeless? * Some leave home because of parents fighting * Domestic Violence * Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Mental Abuse, Emotional Abuse * Parents done take care of them There are so many reasons why teens leave home. Sometimes they have no other choice to leave home. II: Statistics * As of January 200 9 there were 132 homeless teens in Lewiston High School, 32 homeless teens in Auburn High School and 52 teen enrolled In the Ace Program. That’s 215 homeless teenagers. Most of the youth that are homeless suffer from severe anxiety and depression, poor health and nutrition and low self- esteem. They also suffer from other mental health problems and most have substance abuse issues, as well as age – appropriate development and behavioral disabilities. Many are survivors of abuse, neglect, and violence. * Homeless youth often lack life and social skills necessary to, for example, take care of themselves well, maintain personal relationships, and hold a job as well as maintain an apartment. Over 60% of the youth that use any of the New Beginnings Programs have a mental health diagnosed. Now that I have explained to you the real reason why teen are homeless let me show you some ways that can help out these teens. III: Places who help youth * Lewiston and Auburn does have N ew Beginnings Shelter (491 Main Street) that can help teens from the ages 11 – 19. They have 12 beds and you can stay there for a maximum of 3 weeks depending on your circumstances. It is considered a â€Å"dry shelter† which means you are not a loud to use drugs or alcohol during your stay.They operate 24 hours a day and offers programs and supervision during the day. * New Beginnings Transitional Living Program (597 Main Street) provides housing and supportive services to help youth ages 16 – 19. They help youth learn and develop skills to live independently. These apartments have 24 hour on site staff supervision. * New Beginnings Community Living Program (436 Main Street) helps teens 18-22 provides then with an apartment which they may have a roommate living with them. Also provides case management and helps develop living skills.Youth have to be in school or working towards their GED or be working to stay at the CLP. New Beginnings also has Community Living Program in the Farmington and Augusta area. * Volunteers of America’s Lewiston – Auburn Homeless Youth Program is an outreach program that provides case management services to connect youth with safe housing and resources. As with the CLP you have to be in school or working toward their GED. VOA recently received a TLP grant and plans to provide scattered site apartment transitional living in he future. * New Beginnings Outreach Program (245 Lisbon Street) is a drop in center for youth ages 14-21 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The drop in center, open Monday through Friday in the afternoon, provides meals, laundry facilities, and supplies and clothing. For youth on a tight budget, these services can help them save money to put towards rent and bills. Other services they include are group activities, case management, help finding housing, referrals to other community resources.This morning I have giving you why the teens in Lewiston Auburn need your help. I have talked about the possible reasons why they are homeless; I have given you some statistics about the homeless in Lewiston and Auburn High School and told you about the places that help the youth here in Lewiston and Auburn. I am passing out a list of things that you can donate and the place that you can donate then to. I hope when you do your spring cleaning here in a few weeks that you remember those teens that are out there in the towns that you live in and think say I can help them.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 42

Assignment Example With the right mindset while analyzing the data can make the difference between choosing two opposite arguments. For instance, knowing the intent of the people that produced the data will keep the reader objective about the so called facts (Graham 43). This approach might easily save the readers from falling victim to data mining or cherry picking. Having a little sense of accounting, finance, business and corporate laws can equip the readers with the right tools before making a decision of investing in the firm. The article in The Harvard Crimson, Death of Data by Raul Quintana declares that common populace lives in â€Å"post-truth† age of politics. This news article is in reference to the upcoming US presidential elections. It has become very easy to distort the facts statistically, as putting the stamp of individual belief on the data doesn’t rid it off the scent of spinning the data (Quintana). Representative Paul Ryan claims that Barrack Obama has doubled the size of the government, when in fact there is no data-matrix to confirm this. Institutes like Office of Management and Budget and Congressional Budget Office, and even Academia are facing criticism of being biased in their data projections or liberal bias. Instead of forming policies based on numerical facts, politicians formulate policies based on pre-existing ideology. What happens is that policies are made before objectively analyzing the data, and then to support the decision, the data is beaten to conform to the policy. Misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric are the predominant weapons used in twisting the data, and this is being done of regular basis. Data is no longer an objective input in a debate (Quintana). Showing one side of the picture is the most common tool for formulating policies that are based on an ideology. Politicization of data is one of the biggest challenges that the world (victims of policies/general public)

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Endgame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Endgame - Essay Example The play mirrors this chess approach by comparing it to life. Life is just like endgame in chess where there are few moves left, but the actual end is unknown and unwanted. Hamm talks of how his life is close to the end and he would like to finish it. According to Byron (2007), when Hamm says, â€Å"I hesitate, I hesitate to end. Yes, there it is, its time it ended and yet I hesitate to end,† (Byron, 2007) he talks about how the end is not the simplest choice (p. 2). To man, the world is seen as a source of suffering. Hamm says that that his mother, father and dog all suffer â€Å"as much as creatures can suffer†. He, however, insists than none of them experience â€Å"suffering that equals† his own. From this illustration, the world is depicted as not being understanding to other people’s pain. Repetition has been used by Beckett to emphasize certain themes and motifs of the play. For instance, the words ‘finished’ and ‘end’ have been used repeatedly to emphasize the nature of the end game. While Clov says, â€Å"Finished, its finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished† to show the never-ending nature of his task, Hamm uses it repeatedly to ask if his servant can ‘finish’ him (Byron,

China is in a better position than India to succeed in the new global Outline

China is in a better position than India to succeed in the new global economy - Outline Example Consequently, there is a panic in Middle East on this basis and it is possible that global consequences may follow (Cetron et al, 2006). "Looking across the Pacific and to Asia, the emerging powers of the previous decade are now key players and global economic powers. Asia, led by a dynamic China and India, has emerged to lead the global economic recovery; it will be essential for America to engage with Asia in all areas ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œeconomic, security, and energy† (India, China new global powers, 2010). This idea expressed by a representative of American government means that America is on the way of establishment a strong partnership though diplomatic and political complexities may occur. China China impacts global economy by its incredible growth. China is a well-known producer of 13% of world economic output and is the largest consumer of nickel, copper and oil in the world. This country exports cement and is the leader in this niche. Investments of China are wide-spread in t he world. Import and export has been growing for the last 25 years to the greatest extent. China entered WTO in 2001 and thus China’s trade has increased. Every year China’s export grows per 29%. China has shifted accents of its export from textile to electronics (A New World Economy, 2005). Moreover, China intends to produce and export cars and airplanes in the nearest future. China invests in its own economy as well as foreign investments are attracted to this country. International society is greatly concerned about investments in China. If to compare China’s development on this stage with Korea’s development, it would be clearly seen that China is more open for foreign investments and is able to create many labor places in different industries, and not only low-paid jobs in agriculture (Chen et al, 2001). China proves that it is a favorable country for skilled professionals, their training and education. Thus this country has a great potential and doe sn’t intend to take place of a competitive employer, exporter and importer. Nevertheless it is necessary to mention that development of China is a well-weight policy. For example, China has very quickly managed firstly to transform Beijing boulevards and then modernize Shanghai by numerous skyscrapers. China’s manufacturing resides in the Pearl River Delta Region and its virtuous financial services reside in Hong Kong. Investments inside of the country are also evident in infrastructure of the country (Chen et al, 2001). Transportation infrastructure is well-developed and impresses by its large-scale innovations developed. China is able to deal with millions of new cars joining country’s traffic every month. Thus transportation infrastructure is of high interest for China’s investments. Thus economic growth of China, its overall investments make it a powerful participant of modern globalization process. India India is another challenger for a global power . There is an interesting expression about role of China and India in the international arena: â€Å"China is the ?workshop of the world, then India has become the laboratory of the world† (India, China new global powers, 2010). India’s services make this country an outstanding competitor (e.g. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosystems and Wipro Technologies). Moreover, India’s intention to develop its manufacturing sector makes this country as competitive in this area as

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the content of Essay

The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the content of vitamins and supplements to ensure the American public is safe - Essay Example Dietary supplements are defined under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) as products that contain the one or a combination of the following dietary ingredients: vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids, hormones, concentrate or metabolites. Supplements usually come in the form of pill, tablet, liquid form or capsule with some being administered intravenously. They differ from pharmaceutical drugs for most of them have unproven therapeutic benefits and is considered more like a food product with the exception that they bear a ‘dietary supplement’ label. With the influx of dietary supplements in the marketplace, claims of medical benefits abound with little scientific proof. The problem is that human society have become so conscious with their health but so lazy to maintain it by exercise and proper food intake that dietary supplements have become so popular and so much in demand. In the face of this dilemma, there is only one possible resolution: for the FDA to strictly monitor and control the production and entry to market of dietary supplements. This paper aims to underscore this choice of action through an analysis of facts and events. A preliminary analysis to serve as a platform for a full scale research is presented in the following passages. Vitamins and minerals have long been recognized by medical science to have beneficial medical effects. For example, Vitamin C more commonly known as ascorbic acid, have been shown to stimulate the production and function of white blood cells thereby boosting the body’s immunity. It has also been found to prevent the formation of carcinogenic compounds such as nitrosamines. Vitamin A, a pale yellow primary alcohol, improves eyesight by aiding in the formation of mucous membranes and tear glands. Almost all vitamins have some

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Health Reforms in the U.S. and UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Health Reforms in the U.S. and UK - Essay Example The countries’ governments have indeed stated that the marginalised group of the society lacks proper healthcare due to the prevailing economic incapacities. Therefore, the governments feel the need to consider all citizens in offering healthcare services despite their societal status, races, demographic variability and economic variations. As a result, implementation of healthcare reforms in these countries has been given first priority (Weisfield, English & Claiborne 2012, p. 54). The aspects established in the reforms include cost reductions, quality enhancement criteria, patient satisfaction, stimulating ideal information technology approaches and improving overall service delivery in the health sector. Access to Health Care Individuals are entitled to efficient and effective healthcare services. In this case, the US advocates access to insurance cover that will cater for health-related issues. According to Tudor, the government ascertains that the reforms will further sec ure and ease the risk of loss for those with health insurance policies. On the contrary, the UK government advocates fair access to health services through the reforms. This emphasises the stringent measures over the health services delivered by private and public proprietors (Great Britain 2012, p. 78). The United Kingdom further advocates that proper health care systems will put patients into consideration, and to that extent, they will have the rights to express the types of services they seek. Most importantly, the UK reforms target to reshape and restructure the health system by approaching all societal groupings equally. In essence, the country understands the importance of all citizens and upholds their health as being significant to economic propulsion. The reforms consider improving the rate at which people gain access to health by allocating funds to the clinical commissioning groups and the founding of Public Health England. The bodies serve in intensifying health provisi on throughout the UK, thus reaching people in all dimensions nationwide. This aspect contrasts with the United States reforms, which imply that individuals ought to access insurance cover to stand viable to health services. On the other hand, the US government depicts that most of its citizens lack prompt access to health services due to high costs as compared to other nations. The reforms shall implement guaranteed access to the best health care among all citizens, thus enhancing social welfare. Through the reforms, the governments will subsidise the cost of insurance, hence making the policy cheaper and accessible by the marginalised group of the society (Truglio-Londrigan & Lewenson 2011, p. 49). An analytical approach portrayed that the US nation spends much on medical care but denies the citizens access because of the cost constraints. Therefore, suppressing the costs will propel health care throughout the nation. On the contrary, the UK government offers free health care throu ghout the nations, but inhibitions prevail over immigrants, and the time factor also matters since health facilities do not offer prompt services (Great Britain 2012, p. 79). Therefore, the UK reforms contrast with those of the US in accessibility to the extent that while one seeks to surpass costs, the other wishes to improve prompt delivery to all citizens despite their region and ethnicity. Health Quality Criteria A survey conducted upon the uninsured and insured patients inclusive of those

Monday, September 23, 2019

Infectious Diseases and the Immune System Assignment

Infectious Diseases and the Immune System - Assignment Example Tracheal cytotoxin then leads to the paralysis of the ciliated cells. Finally, the adenylate cyclase initiates the infection and causes reduction of the phagocytic activity. Non-specific immunity: It includes a nonantigen-specific method of immunization that ensures immediate maximal response by the body. The vaccine provides the antigen to initiate antibodies against the bacteria. Symptoms include low fever, sneezing, slight cough, and later whooping. Diagnosis can be through physical and visual examination of the patient accompanied by a laboratory test to determine the bacteria. Treatment includes the use of antibiotics. Acellular vaccination includes one where there is the use of inactivated bacteria and one or less concentrated bacterial components. The Whole-cell vaccination is a mode of vaccination where the vaccines are administered with diphtheria and tetanus (DPT) and are more effective. Pearl was a scientist from Wheaton, Illinois, who has suffered from whooping cough and recovered. The respiratory illness had surfaced in different continents leading to various deaths due to its way of transmission. After surviving from the killer disease, she engaged in research and other scientific activities to ensure that there was a cure to prevent more deaths. Other French scientists namely Jules Border and Octave Genguo motivated her work. She used her experience on the disease’s symptoms to understand how the bacteria reacted during the incubation period. Consequently, she teamed up with other scientist and begun working towards establishing an antibiotic for the disease. The antibiotics were attained through laboratory tests on the bacteria’s trends. The process reduces the baby’s chances of contracting the disease due to the pre-determined vaccination schedule. Additionally, it saves on costs because the prevention of a disease is substantially cheaper than its

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Differences have you found between Essay Example for Free

Differences have you found between Essay Metaphors are used to great effect in My Oedipus Complex. For example There was a bit of the magpie about Father and Father in his usual Santa Claus manner. This use of descriptive language, like the similes helps the reader get a better mental image of, in this case Larrys father. The use of lots of descriptive language in both stories helps the reader feel part of the story. A big difference in the language used is that Elizabeth Gaskell uses archaic language whereas Frank OConnor uses language that is much more modern. For example words such as bade and whom are used in The Half Brothers. This archaic language sets the scene of the Victorian age, it is more typically 19th Century. It also makes the passage seem more descriptive because of the wider variety of vocabulary. Elizabeth Gaskell overcomes the formality created by the use of archaic language slightly by using regional dialect. For example wee lassie. This regional dialect gives the story an identity and makes it sound more homely. It also makes the story seem more realistic as it is set in Yorkshire and requires the suitable language for it. Frank OConnor uses much more modern language, however there is still the occasional word that is slightly old fashioned. For example mere and fellows. These words are relevant because they remind us that the story is not set in completely modern times, it was still a fairly long time ago. The language in My Oedipus Complex seems less formal because it is more modern, however the formality of Larrys thoughts are a source of humour to the reader. For example Life without my early-morning conferences was unthinkable. This formality is humorous because Larry is only five years old and words such as conference and unthinkable would not be in his vocabulary. Also the formality of Larrys thoughts contrast strongly with the formality of the story in general putting more emphasis on this humour. The endings of the stories are very different because one is a tragedy and one has a happy ending. For example in The Half Brothers William asks God for forgiveness because he feels so guilty about bullying Gregory when he turned out to be a hero in the end. Whereas in My Oedipus Complex Larry and his father forgive each other and Larrys father goes out of his way to buy Larry a really nice model railway. This contrast in the ends of the stories shows that a situation can go either way depending on the characters involved. The endings are the most obvious difference in the stories because they define the whole story as either a tragedy or a comedy. The endings make the reader react in different ways. For example the ending of The Half Brothers makes the reader think, because of its regretful conclusion whereas the ending of My Oedipus Complex doesnt give the reader a lot to ponder on as it is a simple happy ending. This makes the stories suitable for different types of reader. If they want a light-hearted book My Oedipus Complex is more suitable but if they want a book that teaches them a lesson then they should choose The Half Brothers. Overall I preferred My Oedipus Complex to The Half Brothers. This is because it is set more recently and the language is easier to understand, I found it easier to relate to. Also it was humorous. The Half Brothers also had good points such as it made me think and gave me a greater understanding of Victorian language. The Half Brothers is a more educational story whereas My Oedipus Complex is light reading.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Adidas Market Entry Strategy

Adidas Market Entry Strategy Adidas aims to achieve the mission of being the leading sports brand in the world. They aim to achieve this by the brands broad and unique product portfolio spanning from apparel and footwear for professional athletes to premium fashion (adidas-group, 2010). It allows Adidas to address multiple consumer needs, exploit market opportunities from various angles as well as be less affected by one-dimensional market risks. Adidas commitment to product innovation and its rich heritage differentiates the brand from competitors and provides a solid platform for future growth (adidas, 2010). For over 80 years the Adidas Group has been part of the world of sports on every level, delivering state-of-the-art sports footwear, apparel and accessories. Today, the Adidas Group is a global leader in the sporting goods industry and offers a broad portfolio of products. Products from the Adidas Group are available in virtually every country of the world (linkedin, 2010). Adidas is a brand name which comprises of a group of companies specializing in athletic footwear, clothes and equipment. After being founded in 1948, the company has several branches, joint stock enterprises and representative offices located around the globe. Its products are sold in more than 160 countries (intercomp, 2010). Today, the total staff employed by Adidas-Salamon AG group extends to 17,000 (intercomp, 2010). Of this number, over 3000 people are employed by two basic corporate centres- its headquarters in Herzogenaurach (Germany) and its operations centre in Portland, Oregon (USA) (intercomp, 2010). Al so located in Herzogenaurach are the strategic business units for Running, Soccer and Tennis as well as the Research and Development Centre. Adidas propose to work on a simple strategy that involves continuously strengthening their brands and products to improve competitive position and financial performance. The company also operates design studios and development departments at other locations around the world, corresponding to the related business activity. Adidas Sourcing Ltd., a fully-owned subsidiary headquartered in Hong Kong, is responsible for worldwide sourcing (adidas, 2010). Most marketers face many demands due to globalisation in todays marketplace. Globalisation in simple words can be said to be a trend expiring in the western world which can be easily taken into an emerging market (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). Globalisation involves global markets and global marketing which comprises of customers, competitors and the marketers who help companies to be successful. Global marketing can be defined as the marketing activities which are coordinated and integrated across multiple country markets, may involve standardised products, uniform packaging, similar advertising and coordinated sales campaigns across markets in several countries (Johansson, 2009). There can be five major classes of variables which propel companies towards globalisation in todays world. These are known as globalisation drivers and are market drivers, competitive drivers, cost drivers, technology drivers and government drivers (Johansson, 2009). Overview of Russia Russia is the largest country in the world, spanning 11 time zones and covering one-eighth of the worlds land surface. It is a combination of 89 different entities that constitute 16 autonomous republics, five autonomous regions, 10 national regions and several provinces and metropolitan cities and most of its residents live in urban areas (icmrindia, 2010). Russia is sometimes also referred to as the Russian Federation and hosts 141.9 million citizens descending from more than 100 ethnic groups (state, 2010). The capital and largest city in Russia is Moscow and is increasingly important as an economic and business centre; it has become Russias principal magnet for foreign investment and business presence. Moscow is rich in cultural tradition with many museums devoted to art, literature, music, dance, history, and science, as well as hundreds of churches and dozens of notable cathedrals (state, 2010). The second-largest city in Russia is St. Petersburg, which was established by Peter the Great in 1703 to be the capital of the Russian Empire as part of his Western-looking reforms. In Russian economy, the highest emerging industry is retail industry (Aslund, 1995). In recent years, Russia has appeared as a leading name among the countries contributing to retail environment. The fast development of retail trade and high consumer expenditure has been attracting large number of global companies to Russia (Voronkova and Lucey, 2005). Russian economy and businessÂÂ  are facing the boom period and are about to gain more momentum in the coming years. As per the estimates in the year 2007, the current financial year GDP would be around US $733 billion. As per the estimates, the GDP growth rate would remain above 5% till the year 2012 (mapsofworld, 2010).ÂÂ  Other participants ofÂÂ  Russian economy and businessÂÂ  sector are industrial productions, import and export business, agriculture and many others. The main centres of business at Russia are Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Vladivostok, St Petersburg and Novosibirsk (mapsofworld, 2010).ÂÂ   Recently thousands of private companies have been carrying out their business in Russia, adding revenue to the Russian economy (mapsofworld, 2010).ÂÂ   Overview of Bangladesh Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, is the second largest Muslim country in the world. The capital, Dhaka, has over 2000 mosques and is known as the city of mosques. Bangladesh is bordered on the west, north, and east by India, on the southeast by Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and on the south by the Bay of Bengal (mapsofworld, 2010). Bangladesh is one of the worlds most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal (bbcnews, 2010). Most of the people of Bangladesh are restrained to villages, with only 26 per cent living in urban areas. More than 98 percent of Bangladeshs population are Bengalis, who are largely descended from Indo-Aryans; the remaining two per cent includes Biharis and non-Bengali Muslims who had migrated from India. Bangladeshi culture, in many ways, reflects the culture of Greater Bengal (mapsofworld, 2010). Bangladesh has been in the course of a rough economic past. Two partitions led to wide economic neglect and even producing jute in large quantities contributed very little towards economic growth, as the country could not find much investment in this sector (mapsofworld, 2010). The foremost employer is agriculture, but it is unable to meet the demand for jobs. Thus many Bangladeshis in common with citizens from other countries in the region seek work abroad, sometimes illegally. The country is trying to diversify its economy, with industrial development a priority (mapsofworld, 2010). Overseas investors have pumped money into developed and the energy sector. Onshore and offshore gas reserves hold out some chance of future prosperity. Urbanization is proceeding rapidly, and it is estimated that only 30% of the population entering the labour force in the future will be absorbed into agriculture, although many will likely find other kinds of work in rural areas (mapsofworld, 2010). PEST Analysis All organisations operate in market places that are affected by forces outside their control (Jackson and Shaw, 2009, pp 300). Factors considered within the macro environment affect not only the company but all the other members of its micro environment, namely its suppliers, consumers, etc ( Easey, 1995). An analysis of the external factors that influence the firm is known as the PEST analysis i.e. Political, Economic, Social and Technological. PEST analysis of any industry sector investigates the important factors that are affecting the industry and influencing the companies operating in that sector. Political factors include government policies relating to the industry, tax policies, laws and regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs etc. Political factors affect both the producer and the consumer in various ways (Bohdanowicz and Clamp, 1994). A stable political surrounding is the basis for long-term decisions. The economic factors relate to changes in the wider economy such as economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and inflation rate, etc. Vignali et. al, (2008), express that economic trends are extremely important for the business and that they depend to a great extent on the governments politics. Social factors often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, changes in tastes and buying patterns, etc. Changes in lifestyle and opinions influence the demand and the way of selling products (Vignali et. al, 2008, pp. 364). The technological factors relate to the application of new inventions and ideas such as RD activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. As in all areas of industry new technology is making great inroads to improve quality of life and increase speed and quality of manufacture (Easey, 1995). 2.1 PEST Analysis of Russia (P)olitical factors The Russian economy underwent tremendous stress in the 1990s as it moved from a centrally planned economy to a free market system. In the political system established by the 1993 constitution, the president wields considerable executive power. There is no vice president, and the legislative branch is far weaker than the executive. Difficulties in implementing fiscal reforms aimed at raising government revenues and a dependence on short-term borrowing to finance budget deficits led to a serious financial crisis in 1998. Lower prices for Russias major export earners (oil and minerals) and a loss of investor confidence due to the Asian financial crisis exacerbated financial problems (state, 2010). Russia, initially Soviet Union has faced many economic difficulties in the past. The current President Russia is Dmitry Medvedev, but the government is still thought to be run by the previous President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (bbcnews, 2010). The budget deficit of Russia rise n sharply in 2009 to around $60bn (Â £42bn). Moscows revenues are sharply down because of the plummeted oil prices due to a drop in global demand. (E)conomic factors The Russian economy is largely dependent on its export resources, oil and gas. The energy giant Gazprom is controversially close to the Russian state and critics say it is little more than an economic and political tool of the Kremlin (bbcnews, 2010). The Russian labour force is undergoing tremendous changes. Although well educated and skilled, it is largely mismatched to the rapidly changing needs of the Russian economy. Official unemployment dropped to its lowest rate of 5.4% in May 2008, and labour shortages appeared in some high-skilled job markets (state, 2010). The economic crisis which began in late 2008, however, quickly reversed this trend and the ranks of unemployed swelled to an International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated 9.5% in the first quarter of 2009; 1.8 million Russian lost their jobs in the first quarter of 2009 alone (state, 2010). , President Dmitry Medvedev claimed Russias economy will shrink by 7.5% in 2009 (bbcnews, 2010). However, real disposable income s have doubled since 1999, and experts estimate that the middle class constitutes approximately one-fourth of the population. The economic crisis, however, caused real disposable incomes to drop by 6.7% year-on-year in January 2009, and wages fell by 9.1% year-on-year in January 2009 (state, 2010). (S)ocial and Cultural Factors Russias population was 141.91 million as of January 2009, a very slight decrease from the previous year according to the government statistics service and the Ministry of Public Health The birth rate in 2008 was the highest recorded in the last 15 years. Life expectancy remains low compared to developed countries, but rose to 61.4 years for men and 73.9 for women in 2007 (state, 2010).Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, traffic accidents, and violence continue to be major causes of death among working age men. Many premature deaths are attributed to excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. A truly healthy Russia will require serious improvements in the health sector and some major changes in current cultural norms. Russias educational system has produced nearly 100% literacy. About 7 million students attended Russias 1,090 institutions of higher education in 2006, but continued reform is critical to producing students with skills to adapt to a market economy (bbcnews, 2010). Unemployment is highest among women and young people. Russia has an area of about 17 million square kilometres (6.5 million sq. mi.); in geographic terms, this makes Russia the largest country in the world by more than 2.5 million square miles. But with a population density of about 22 persons per square mile (9 per sq. km.), it is sparsely populated, and most of its residents live in urban areas (state, 2010). (T)echnological factors Russian TV broadcasting is dominated by channels that are either run directly by the state or owned by companies with close links to the Kremlin. The government controls Channel One and Russia One two of the three main federal channels while state-controlled energy giant Gazprom owns NTV (bbcnews, 2010). For most Russians, television, especially via the national networks, is the main source of domestic and international news. There are more than 400 daily newspapers, catering for every taste and persuasion and the major nationals are based in Moscow. Around 38 million Russians use the internet (bbcnews, 2010). 2.2 PEST Analysis of Bangladesh (P)olitical factors The first government of new formed Bangladesh after partition was formed in Dhaka with Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Mujib) who was released from Pakistani prison in early 1972 as Prime Minister (bbcnews, 2010). The president, while chief of state, holds a largely ceremonial post; the real power is held by the prime minister, who is head of government. The president is elected by the legislature (Parliament) every 5 years. The presidents circumscribed powers are substantially expanded during the tenure of a caretaker government. In the caretaker government, the president has control over the Ministry of Defense, the authority to declare a state of emergency, and the power to dismiss the Chief Adviser and other members of the caretaker government. Despite serious problems related to a dysfunctional political system, weak governance, and pervasive corruption, Bangladesh still remains one of the few democracies in the Muslim world (state, 2010). H owever, democratic institutions and practices remain weak (bbcnews, 2010). (E)conomic factors Bangladesh has been through a rough economic past because of two partitions that led to widespread economic neglect and producing jute in large quantities contributed very less towards economic growth, as the country could not find much investment in this sector. The major employer in Bangladesh economy is agriculture, but it is unable to meet the demand for jobs. The country is trying to diversify its economy, with industrial development a priority. Overseas investors have pumped money into manufacturing and the energy sector. Onshore and offshore gas reserves hold out some chance of future prosperity (bbcnews, 2010). The Economist Intelligence Unit expects the fiscal position to remain weak in fiscal years 2009/10-2010/11 (July-June) as the government increases its efforts to implement a wide range of development projects (prlog, 2010). Real GDP growth is forecast to remain fairly stable, averaging 5.7% in 2009/10 and 5.9% in 2010/11, after the economy grew by 5.9% in 2008/09 (prlo g, 2010). Bangladesh deals almost equally in both exports and imports with total exports for Financial Year 2008 are $21.6 billion: capital goods, food grains, petroleum, textiles, chemicals, vegetable oils whereas total imports were $14.11 billion: garments and knitwear, frozen fish, jute and jute goods, leather and leather products, tea, urea fertilizer, ceramic tableware (state, 2010).ÂÂ  Urbanization has occurred rapidly in recent years and it is estimated that only 30% of the population entering the labour force in the future will be absorbed into agriculture, although many will likely find other kinds of work in rural areas (mapsofworld, 2010). (S)ocial and cultural factors The area that is now Bangladesh has a rich historical and cultural past, combining Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Mongol/Mughul, Arab, Persian, Turkic, and west European cultures. About 98%, Residents of Bangladesh are ethnic Bengali and speak Bangla, thus called Bangladeshis (mapsofworld, 2010). Urdu-speaking, non-Bengali Muslims of Indian origin, and various tribal groups, mostly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, comprise the remainder (mapsofworld, 2010). Most Bangladeshis (about 88.3%) are Muslims, but Hindus constitute a sizable (10.5%) minority (bbcnews, 2010). English is spoken in urban areas and among the educated. Bangladesh is one of the worlds most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal. Poverty is deep and widespread; almost half of the population live on less than one dollar a day. However, Bangladesh has reduced population growth and improved health and education (state, 2010). (T)echnological factors The main broadcasters Radio Bangladesh and Bangladesh Television (BTV) are state-owned channels and are considered government-friendly. There is little coverage of the political opposition, except in the run-up to general elections when a caretaker government takes control. TV is the most-popular medium, especially in cities. Foreign, especially Indian, TV stations have large audiences in Dhaka and other cities. State-run radio covers almost the entire country. BBC World Service programmes in English and Bengali are broadcast on 100 MHz FM in Dhaka. Newspapers are diverse, outspoken and privately-owned. English-language titles appeal mainly to an educated urban readership (bbcnews, 2010). 2.3 Adidas Entry to Russian Market Adidas boasts a 25 year history of success in the Russian market (intercomp, 2010). Its products are currently sold through 700 outlets in Russia and the CIS, and it owns 70 signature stores in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Novosibirsk, and other places in Russia and the CIS countries (intercomp, 2010). Adidas has also proven to be successful previously in Russia and other European economies. Russia has been a successfully emerging market within the last decade in comparison to Bangladesh. The gross domestic product and geographical comparison of both countries also identifies Russia to be more sound economically and larger than Bangladesh. Russia Retail Market will grow from RUB10.87trn (US$425.0bn) in 2007 to RUB22.58trn by 2013 (prlog, 2010). The other factor which supports the move of Adidas towards Russia is the 100% literacy rate in Russia which makes it easier for Adidas within an educated workforce. Bangladesh on the other hand still is a developing country with deficiencies like poverty and uneducated workforce holding the progress of the country to some extent. Similar to Adidas many other international brands have been attracted to Russia such as Nike. The emergence of free market entry in 1993 in Russia significantly made them a potential target for international brands. Bangladesh has been a target of bitter rivalry between two women- Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia both former prime ministers. They both had been jailed for suspected corruption but were released to contest the vote (bbcnews, 2010). The rivalry between these two women has been ongoing for past two decades has been a major factor in the slow economic growth of Bangladesh. Both these economies possess potential to attract international brands but Ba ngladesh still lack behind Russia in order to be the choice of market for Adidas. Higher GDP, more educated workforce, previous history of success, larger geographical area and political support are some factors which make Russia the choice of market for Adidas. ENTRY METHOD Entering an international market is never simple or nor automatic for any international brand (Burnett, 1993). There are many different ways to gain entry for companies which are largely dependent on their internal strengths and competitiveness in comparison to the regional competitors. In practice, many firms use a customised approach to entering a market. They determine their competitive advantage over other firms at home or overseas and then plan their entry strategies accordingly (Blythe, 2003). Jeannet and Hennessey (1992) cited by Blythe (2003), identified the primary market entry strategies which are more recently considered to be divided into three main groups: Exporting, Joint Venture and Direct Investment or Strategic Alliance. Exporting can be described as selling of a product in another country without making a commitment to the local production (Burnett, 1993). Exporting is further divided into direct and indirect exporting. Joint Ventures are joining of a foreign company with an outside partner to share the stock ownership of the new company. Strategic alliances are the recent method of entry into a foreign market and involve more effort than a joint venture (Burnett, 1993). The entry method of choice for Adidas to move into Russia should be either indirect exporting or by creating local manufacturing. Local manufacturing might be more useful as it will obtain create more jobs for local people and that will help in creating a good image for the company and the product. On the other hand indirect exporting has been proven to be successful in many European companies for example Japanese soap company Kao (Burnett, 1993). COMMUNICATION STRATEGY A communication strategy of a company must be integrated across the whole range of marketing activity, should include a feedback system, reflect organisational objectives and finally competition (Blythe, 2003). Careful integration and co-ordination of many communications Channels to deliver a clear, consistent and compelling message about the organisation and its products is referred as Integrated Marketing Communications (Kotler, 2001). Push and pull strategies can be described as marketing strategies with different objectives and operational methods. A pull strategy attracts customers to a brand through advertising and other communications, with the aim of persuading customers to seek the brands and products. On the other hand, push strategy involves incentivising retailers to carry and self stocks (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). Push strategy greatly depends on the personal selling ability of retailers and stockists. Adidas needs to use the pull strategy in order to successfully move into the Russian market as previously, Adidas has been creating their brand name with heavy advertising on Russian TV channels. For most Russians, television, especially via the national networks, is the main source of domestic and international news (bbcnews, 2010). Adidas, the second largest brand in the market has always flirted with fashion more overtly than nearest rivals. Adidas retain the services of global advertising agencies and use of promotional tools such as costly TV campaigns and guerrilla marketing (Tungate, 2008 ). The other factors in Russian market discussed in the PEST analysis of Russia such as stable political structure, business culture dominant environment, growing economic conditions, high growth potential, positive demographic trends, innovative/business retail culture and niche opportunities within the retail structure provides strong basis for the use of Pull strategy by Adidas (Hines and Bruce, 2001). 4.1 Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Market segmentation refers to the process of identifying a division of a wider market in order to target it effectively within the marketing mix. The selected market segment needs to be sufficiently homogenous to respond to a single integrated marketing mix (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). Although every customer is different, it is possible using segmentation, targeting and positioning techniques, to place them into understandable group and to then ensure that we deliver the right fashion products to them (Thorne cited by Jackson and Shaw, 2009, pg51). Market Segmentation takes place on many different basis such as demographic, purchasing behaviour, geographic and psycho-graphic segments of the market. The demographic segmentation relates to topics like age, gender, race, religion, family size etc, purchasing behaviour relates to benefits, loyalty level, user occasion and readiness to purchase, geographic relates to country, town, city, climate, hemisphere, travel time and psycho-graphic relates to social class, lifestyles, spending behaviour and attitudes (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). Although these factors listed above are the most common and relevant, changes in the socio-culture can force marketers to re-evaluate these according to the situation. The ultimate purpose of market segmentation is to select a target market or markets. The targeting of a market includes segments that company intends to serve and the process of determination of these segments is called target market determination (vignali et.al, 2008). Three marketing strategies can be undertaken by Adidas to identify their target market which are undifferentiated, differentiated and concentrated marketing. Undifferentiated can be described as the strategy where the company ignores some of the market segments in order to achieve benefits and thus creates and enters the market with a completely unique marketing mix. The advantage of this strategy lies in lower costs: as the identical product, promotion and price and sales efforts for the whole market ensures low costs (vignali et.al, 2008). Concentrated this approach is suitable for companies with insufficient resources for differentiated market and concentrates on one or several segments (vignali et.al, 2008). Differentiated this approach focuses on covering all the segments of the market with different marketing mix for each segment. This is appropriate for large international brand names in order to create and spread their brand to every consumer (vignali et.al, 2008). Adidas will be successful in using differentiated strategy as they will be able to concentrate on each individual segment and create their brand name with the help of right promotional tools. This approach will also be useful as Adidas has been able to advertise heavily using TV adverts previously. Positioning Positioning is the development of a service and a marketing mix to occupy a specific place in the minds of customers within target markets (vignali notes). Positioning begins with the customer. But positioning is not so much what you say about your products or company as much as it is what your customers say about you. Regis McKenna, Relationship Marketing (vignali notes). Positioning implies adjustment to all marketing activities to the consumers expectation in the given segments. The basis for product or brand positioning is market segmentation and Positioning creates competitive advantage. Adidas needs to identify their target segments, and then needs to utilize the right marketing strategy in order to provide right market positioning for their product in Russia. Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer has claimed Russia to be the biggest market in Europe for Adidas (retail news, 2008). Positioning can be achieved in six major possible ways which are specific product features, Benefits, problem solution, or needs, specific usage occasions, user category, against another product and Product class dissociation (vignali notes) 4.2 Branding and Brand Equity The purpose of a brand is to differentiate a product or service from competitor offerings, and to achieve effective positioning. (Bruce and Barnes, 2005 as cited in Littler, 2005) A global brand is one that is available in most countries in the world and shares the same strategic principles, positioning and marketing in every market throughout the world, although the marketing mix can vary. It has a substantial market share in all countries and comparable brand loyalty. It carries the same brand logo. De Mooij (2005). Branding provides visual cue to convey messages to consumers, it directs customers buying behaviour, differentiates from competitors, acts as positioning, help develop and sell brand extensions and also provides brand equity to company. Brand equity can be described as the total value of a brand including tangible and non tangible assets such as brand name, loyalty, perceived quality and associations (Jackson and Shaw, 2009). BUSINESS RISK Adidas moving into Russia have many advantages; however it also posses the potential for a few unwanted risk such as Political risk, Economic risk, Commercial risk, Taxes and legislation relating to company incorporation (Vignali notes). The political risks comprising of foreign policies and the risk of new government policies into action, economic growth is on the rise but Russia did face a crisis in 2008 from which they only recently have recovered (bbcnews, 2010), risk to competitors locally and internationally create a high risk of failure and finally the taxation and other legislation can be quite expensive and have an effect on the marketing strategies of the company. CONCLUSION/ RECOMMENDATIONS Russia and CIS countries are set to become Adidas groups biggest market in Europe by 2010, says chief executive Herbert Hainar (retail news, 2008). Russia is a very dynamic country and is known for world-class athletes as well as enthusiastic fans. By expanding our own retail network in Russia and the CIS countries, we are giving consumers access to a unique brand experience and to achieve their personal best. Martin Shankland, managing director of Adidas group in Russia and CIS (retail news, 2008). The new ÂÂ  BMI Russia Retail report predicts that the countrys total retail sales will more than double in local currency terms by 2013, growing from RUB10.87trn (US$425.0bn)ÂÂ  in 2007 to RUB22.58trn by 2013 (prlog, 2010). Rising disposable incomes, an expanding middle class and rising levels of credit penetration are key factors behind retail market expansion. . Russia has around 14 cities with more than 1mn people, and consumers are increasingly looking to modern retail outlets for aspirational purchases. The countrys large population and in particular the affluent urban population of the capital Moscow, is providing a solid base for the expansion of the retail market (prlog, 2010). Being an emerging market Russia possesses the potential for being successful for international brands and also poses some threats or risks. Adidas business entry strategy needs to be very cautious and similar to the strategies used before by them in Russian market. They also needs to have contingency plans in case of failure of the current strategies adopted by the company and also needs to carefully consider the promotional tools.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Identifying Personal Development And Learning Styles Personal Development Essay

Identifying Personal Development And Learning Styles Personal Development Essay It is obvious that as a practicing first-line manager, your own success is more likely if you use your talents (strengths) to their full extent to exploit the opportunities that present themselves to you. Also, its important to understand your weaknesses so that you can manage them out of your daily work activities and thereby also eliminate any threats which may affect your potential to progress. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis (Stanford Research Institute 1960-1970) is a useful technique to identify and analyse, in a proactive manner, these four areas. Not only that, but it also provides a good framework for reviewing your own personal development needs and enables you to work on your personal strengths and abilities to distinguish yourself from your peers and hence forward your career My own personal SWOT analysis has been appended to this assignment (see Appendix A). Own Learning Style(s) Identified Honey and Mumford (HM) use the terms activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist to represent the four key learning styles (or preferences). These correspond to stages in the learning cycle and are based on earlier work by David Kolb (and indeed are used interchangeably by some authors with the terms in the Kolb model). Both models are particularly interesting from the perspective that they offer a way to understand peoples different learning styles but also explain a cycle of experimental learning which can be applied to everyone. The four HM key stages and styles are typically presented at north, east, south and west on a four-stage cyclical flow diagram. This actually expresses a four stage cycle of learning in which having an immediate or concrete experience provides a basis for reviewing/reflecting on the experience. These reflections are assimilated into conclusions from the experience producing implications for action which enables the planning for the next step, i.e. the creation of a new experience. In theory, the learner should visit all four points of the diagram i.e. a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking and acting. They, and their relationship with Kolbs learning styles, are explained in the Table A below: Table A -Comparison of HM Learning stages/styles with Kolb learning style Kolbs Learning Style HM Learning Style/Stage Preferred learning opportunity Personality characteristics of learning style Accomodating Having an Experience/Activists Practical, hands on Here and now; seek challenge and immediate experience; Bored by implementation Diverging Reviewing the experience/ Reflectors Gather information, consider and analyse Stands back; Thoughtful; listens before speaking Assimilating Concluding from the Experience/ Theorists Logical approach, gathers facts to form theories Rational, objective, dismisses subjectivity Converging Planning the next steps /Pragmatists Seeks new concepts, problem solving Likes quick decisions, bored with long discussions Most people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style. Various factors can influence this and Kolb defined 3 stages of a persons development and suggests that the integration of the four different learning styles improves as a person progresses through the development stages. I have completed an HM Learning Style Questionnaire and my preferred learning styles are Theorist and Pragmatist. This means that I have a preference for a concise and logical approach to learning. For me, ideas and concepts are more interesting than people. I do require a good, clear explanation; however, one slight difference to this learning style is that I like to see that the theory can work in a practical situation as well. I enjoy technically related tasks such as gathering and understanding wide-ranging information and trying to organise it in a logical format. In a formal learning situation, my preferences are reading and lectures and having time to consider things. I like to solve problems and make decisions by finding answers to questions. This was not particularly surprising because my job role as an Assurance Specialist involved in auditing actually demands a logical style of approach to deliver work effectively. Furthermore, problem solving is also a key skill for me in advising teams on how to resolve issues with their management processes. Analyse Learning and Development Options and Identify Barriers and Support mechanisms Two learning/development options one for self, one for organisation My personal SWOT analysis identified two development options as follows: To improve my soft skills such as assertiveness, communication and the effectiveness of my decision making. This would help in meeting the needs of the organisation and of the needs of my immediate team. To gain a better understanding of how Environmental Management is applied by Network Rail at a Project level. This would help me to gain an insight as to how I could apply some of the information I learnt on my Institute of Environmental Management (IEMA) course in a practical scenario. I have added both of these onto a Personal Development Plan, which is attached as Appendix C to this assignment. In terms of development opportunity (1), I could make use of the many e-learning tools available via the Network Rail Intranet site as well as obtaining support from my line manager to check my progress as well as him giving me tasks which will help to develop my soft-skills. I could monitor the success of this personal development through regular (once a month) one-to-ones with my line-manager and via my 6-monthly performance reviews. Listening and learning from what has worked well for him in the past would align itself well with the pragmatic approach I prefer to learning. With respect to my own personal development opportunity (2), there is a course offered through Network Rail about Environmental Management within Projects. I have booked a place on this course and intend to follow it up by conducting audits on Environmental Management across Infrastructure Projects as part of the 2010-11 National Core Audit Programme. In this way, I shall be able to speak to Environmental Specialists who apply Environmental Management techniques as part of their daily activities an gain a deeper understanding of what is involved. Identify Barriers to learning and how to overcome them Some potential barriers which could prevent or slow down my progress are time-constraints, distractions and issues with the suitability of e-Learning to my own learning style. These barriers could be overcome by planning a time-out for learning within my weekly schedule and ensuring that I commit to not allowing any work activities to interfere with it. Im unsure as to whether e-learning will complement my learning style because the courses do not present practical situations to apply what has been learnt. However, perhaps regular feedback sessions and suitable tasks set by my line-manager may serve to complement the e-learning courses. Considering the Environmental Management training I have identified, after completing the course, I will need to liaise with the staff drawing up the National Core Audit Programme so that I can be included for the Environmental Section of at least 2 of the audits across the Investment Projects portfolio. The auditing aspect will require me to make careful preparation before visiting the Programme so that I have a full awareness of how they are managing the Environment. This could involve looking at their Environmental Management Plan in detail and compiling a series of relevant questions before I make the visit. Both the training and my IEMA qualification should enable me to do this and carry out the audit effectively. Support mechanisms for self-development I would look to support from my line-manager and team members through the use of formal (1-2-1s) and ad-hoc reviews of my progress. Regular teleconferences or face-to-face meetings with members of the cohort who attended the same Leading and Managing Teams course could also be set up, where we could discuss our own personal progress and problems. These may prove to be extremely beneficial from a learning perspective for all concerned. I would also like to involve the Investment Projects Environment Manager and Environmental Specialists from the Programmes from the perspective of them being there to provide expert advice on technical questions. Two other support mechanisms which suit my learning style are testing and feedback. I am most comfortable with regularly testing my new skill sets as demonstrated with the Environmental training taking what I have learnt and applying it to actual situations in the workplace and obtaining feedback on what I did well and what I should look to improve on next time. This would provide me with the assurance that, not only do the techniques work, but also that I am progressing in the right direction. It would be an invaluable confidence builder both in my abilities and that the learning plan is delivering the desired results. Monitor and Evaluate Self-development One method to monitor and evaluate self-development I would monitor and review my learning using a learning log. This could be used to plan learning activities as milestones on the way to achieving the completed development activity and as a reference to check that milestones are being completed on time (through one-to-ones with the line manager). The log allows the user to focus in on the particular learning areas which are important to him, and to visualise the progress being made. For me, this would apply to areas such as assertiveness, communication skills and Environmental knowledge, for example. The log will allow others, such as team members and the line manager to understand what it is that an individual is trying to achieve and provide assistance and feedback where it is required. In addition, the learning log is a good tool for recording feedback, enabling the noting down of what went well and what could be improved with each learning activity as well as how the approach can be changed next time. Eventually, it should indicate for me, whether soft skills are still a learning area of me or whether I have shown, through practical demonstration, that I have mastered them. An example of a real learning log (extract) is attached as Appendix B to this assignment. For feedback to be effective, the Action Impact Do/Develop/Different model should be applied That is, the person giving the feedback should provide examples of what was done, its impact on the situation, and what should be done differently next time. This would allow the recipient to consider a different approach and modify his behaviour accordingly This is particular relevant to the skills I am trying to develop. Appendix A Personal SWOT Analysis Weaknesses I have a strong compulsive need to do things quickly especially when my to do list is long. Sometimes this has compromised my decision making ability. My need to keep the customer happy can sometimes lead to me acquiescing to his needs rather than defending my own position. I have a tendency to over-analyse what has happened in certain situations (even after I have prepared really well for them) when events have moved on and I can no longer do anything about them. I get a little nervous about presenting to members of the team and to customers. This can mean that these types of Presentation do not engage the audience as much as Id like. Strengths I have good analytical skills. I enjoy looking through data to determine conclusions and action planning to improve the current situation. I am very conscientious and deliver all work to the very best of my ability. I pride myself in organising my work so that it is always delivered on time. I go out of my way to satisfy or delight the customer. I am completely committed to the success of the team that I work for and creating a good impression of what we do to our customers/stakeholders. I have worked in Assurance/Quality related roles for over 20 years and have experience in most aspects of these functions. My job means a lot to me, I take it very seriously. Threats Potential future reorganisations meaning redundancy. Assurance becomes no longer a priority for the company. Perceptions and criticisms by customers and own team. 2012 move to Milton Keynes and the feasibility of commuting there on a daily basis. My current need for a lot of support from my line manager could be perceived that I no longer feel comfortable in taking decisions without someones help. Opportunities We are currently developing a customer feedback questionnaire which we will get our main stakeholders to complete. The output from this should help us to determine the areas we need to improve on going forward We have a lessons-learnt process and are always looking to improve the auditing process. That I take the knowledge Ive accumulated from the Leading and Managing Teams course and consistently look back on it and apply it to my day job. That I continue to work with my main customers to build a reputation with them so we are clear about what we expect from each other and that this leads to a positive working relationship which delivers results. Appendix B Learning Log (extract only) Date From Date to Activity What went well? What didnt go well? What you will do differently next time Nov. 09 Dec. 09 E-Learning Course Assertiveness The course was completed and all of the intermediate assessments passed There was no interaction element to the course how do you know it works in practice? This needs to be incorporated into 1-2-1 meetings to get feedback from line-management on how I am progressing/if this is still a development area for me. 23/11/09 23/11/09 Opening Meeting CrossRail audit All of the points on the agenda were covered Organisation was poor jumped from one topic to the next and then back again in a haphazard fashion Improve preparation plan out exactly which points to cover and at which times 12/01/10 12/01/10 Closing Meeting CrossRail audit Far more relaxed, bought the correct key people to the meeting deflected difficult questions to them at the right time Nothing to report do it the same next time. Carry this lesson forward for the 2010-11 National Core Audit Plan (NCAP). 15/02/2010 15/02/2010 One-day training session Environmental Management on Projects A good internal training session about how to apply the requirements of the Network Rail Environmental Management Handbook (Guide to Railway Projects Delivery Manual 04) on Projects Additional time to built into the course to go through some of the worked-examples in further detail. This knowledge needs to be applied in future as part of the 2010-11 NCAP audit of Environmental Management. Opportunity to be sought to take part in this section of the audit. Appendix C PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Preferred Learning Style/s Pragmatist/Theorist What do I want or need to develop? What actions / development will I do to achieve this? How will success be determined? Target dates for review and completion 1.My soft skills; e.g. Assertiveness, Listening, Coaching abilities E-Learning. Mentoring from my Line Manager. Experiences in my role. 1-2-1s; performance review meetings; improved confidence April 2010 (end of year review) 2. Understand Environmental Management on Network Rail Projects Network Rail course Environmental Management within Network Rail assisting National Core Audit Programme with Environmental auditing aspects. I will be able to carry out effective Environmental Audits of Network Rail Programme/Projects as determined both by Environmental Specialists on the Programmes and by the Investment Project Environment Manager. October 2010 and April 2011

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Odd Couple :: essays papers

Odd Couple Themes and characters are most often the key factors that influence a writer's work. Most of the time the author has no control over this influence. This is clearly shown in Neil Simon's play, The Odd Couple. Not only is Simon's own life depicted in his play, but also the lives of those close to him, can be parallel to his work. Neil Simon's life is depicted in his characters and themes of his play, The Odd Couple. Marvin Neil Simon was born in the Bronx on July 4, 1927. His father, Irving, was a salesman in Manhattan's garment district; his mother Mamie worked in Gimbel's department store. The family moved to Washington Heights, in northern Manhattan, when Simon was young. Irving was an errant husband who occasionally abandoned the family altogether, leaving Mamie, a frustrated and bitter women, alone to deal with Neil and his older brother Danny. Eventually, the parents were divorced, and Neil went to live with relatives in Queens. From an early age, he exhibited a quick wit and an active imagination. He loved films and was often asked to leave the theater for laughing to loud. In high school, Simon was sometimes ostracized as a Jew, an experience that would later inform his work. Meanwhile, he and his brother began collaborating on comedy material that they sold to stand-up comics and radio announcers. Simon graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1944 at the age of sixteen(Magill2216). He entered New York University under the US Army Airforce Reserve Program. Throughout his military career, he wrote for many military newspapers. Discharged in 1946, Simon took a job in the mail room at Warner Brothers in New York, where Danny worked in the publicity department. The brothers were soon hired to write for Goodman Ace of CBS, and over the next decade they provided material for many popular comedians. During the summers of 1952 and 1953, they wrote sketches for a professional acting company at Camp Tamiment, in Pennsylvania. At Camp Tamiment, Simon fell in love with a young actress named Joan Baim, and the couple was married on September 30, 1953. Five years later, Joan gave birth to a daughter, Ellen; a second daughter, Nancy, was born in 1963(Magill2261). In 1956, when Danny Simon moved to California to be a television director, Neil stayed in New York and wrote for many popular television shows. He also adapted broadway plays for television. By the later 1950's, however, he wanted more independence

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Defective Senses in Eliots The Cocktail Party Essay -- Eliot The Cock

Defective Senses in Eliot's The Cocktail Party T.S. Eliot's play The Cocktail Party, among all its banal or peculiar occurrences, is laced with images of defective senses and perception, particularly of sight. The muddle of reality and illusion confounds the main characters, and their attempts to escape drive the plot. Within five lines of the play's beginning we are confronted with defective senses: "You haven't been listening," (p. 9) complains Alex to the confused Julia when she asks about the tigers in his story. Julia exhibits another confused faculty, that of taste: at first she claims "What's that? Potato crisps? No, I simply can't endure them," (p. 15), but later says "The potato crisps were really excellent" (p. 21). Soon she adds sight to the list: "I must have left my glasses here, / And I simply can't see a thing without them.... / I'm afraid I don't remember the colour, / But I'd know them, because one lens is missing" (p. 33). Even with her glasses, Julia's sight will be impaired. And the glasses turn out to have been in her handbag all along. Yet Julia's glasses, though often lost, through their very existence allow her to see better. The spectacles may indeed be a symbol for the play's theme of blindness, but for Julia they provide an excuse to "see" more -- to spy on her companions , as she admits when she says "Left anything? Oh, you mean my spectacles. / No, they're here. Besides, they're no use to me. / I'm not coming back again this evening" (p. 86). The other characters of Eliot's play all exhibit their own failings of perception. Alex finds no mangoes or curry powder in Edward's kitchen, only eggs -- no exotic or intense tastes, only the bland and prosaic. Alex says of his egg concoction that ... ...cent obliviousness "may remember the vision they have had" (p. 139) -- but is "vision" here an apparition or a way of seeing? Do those who retreat from Celia's discovery abandon a dream, or an entire sense? Reilly claims the retreat to normal life "I could describe in familiar terms / Because you have seen it, as we all have seen it" (p. 141), but, if Celia presses on, "the destination cannot be described.... You will journey blind" (p. 141) -- our normal senses fail us, for we need some higher perception. An illusion or mirage is a failure of vision, so what of vision and mortal existence, whose illusion Celia has pierced? Such higher senses, perhaps, belong to the Guardians of Eliot's half-hidden mythos. True sight may be granted only through travel "on the way of illumination" (p. 147). Works Cited: Eliot, T.S.,The Cocktail Party, Faber and Faber, 1950.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Gore-Tex Case Study Essay

1) Explain what happened to the Gore-Tex brand after the patent expired. What activity can firms use to try to maintain any advantage developed during the patent protection phase? When a patent expires, generally around 20 years after the original filing; the inventor no longer has the exclusive rights to his or her invention thereby opening up the said patent to everyone to use. At this point other companies can offer comparative products at reduced prices. Gore-Tex was smart to take advantage of their own patent and expand the product line to include other products using the same technology. The company is overall smart by also not just relying on only the Gore-Tex technology but also expand into other areas. 2) List some of the wide range of products where the Gore-Tex fabric has been applied. Some of the wide range of products where the Gore-Tex that has been applied are breathable fabric for coats; advanced the science of regenerating tissues destroyed by disease or traumatic injuries; developed next-generation materials for printed circuit boards and fiber optics; and pioneered new methods to detect and control environmental pollution. On their website they even offer they offer Raincoats, coats, back-packs, shoes, trousers, soft shell jackets, gloves, socks, hunter hats, baseball hat, gaiters, and bike hats all for men, women and kids. 3) It seems that Gore Associates is heavily oriented towards technology; what are some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology? Some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology are, losing employees to competitors, creating products that can cost your organization to lose money if it is not selling, and the product being created could be too complicated for the targeted audience. When too many projects are going on based on technology the costs can become astronomical and can weigh down the company by tying up resources, both physical and monetary. Sometimes in developing more and more companies will lose sight of the initial goal and/or come up with too many variables and loose the opportunity. 4) Cooperatives and share-ownership schemes provide many attractions and benefits, but there are also limitations; discuss these. The limitations of cooperatives and share-ownership schemes are that, any decrease in performance and fall in value of the shares can cause enormous resentment within the firm as they see the value of their savings decrease. 5) What has been the Gore strategy to achieving success in its markets? How is this strategy now being challenged? The Gore strategy to achieving success in its markets has been its diversity of the product and allowing employees to have opportunities to invest. Being creative in branding also helps the company’s image.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Macroeconomics and Government Essay

1. Give an example of a government policy that acts as an automatic stabilizer. Explain why this policy has this effect. According to our text, automatic stabilizers are changes in fiscal policy that stimulate aggregate demand when the economy goes into recession without policymakers having to take any deliberate action. Automatic stabilizers come in the form of our tax system and government spending. As an individual’s income increases, they get put in a higher tax bracket. When the economy goes into a recession, the amount of taxes the government receives falls. The amount of taxes that the government receives is tied into economic activity so as earnings and incomes fall in a recession, the government’s revenue falls as well. In a recession, more and more people become eligible for benefits such as unemployment benefits, welfare benefits, and other forms of income supplements for the poor. The increase in government spending stimulates the aggregate demand at the same time that the aggregate demand is insufficient causing the economy to be more stable. Automatic stabilizers act in a quicker fashion than if the government were to create laws in order to stabilize the economy. This would mean that they would have to recognize when a recession is occurring, create, and then enact the law to stabilize the economy. But by the time the effects of the law can be recognized, the recession could have been gone and over with. 2. How would a downward change in the money supply affect you personally? How would it affect your career? What impact would rational expectations have on your decisions in this situation? 3. What is the theory of liquidity preference? How does it help explain the downward slope of the aggregate-demand curve? The theory of liquidity preference states that the economy’s interest rate adjusts to balance supply and demand. The first piece of the theory of liquidity preference is the supply of money. The Federal Reserve is who controls the money supply. They buy government bonds which are deposited into banks turning the money into funds for the bank reserves. They sell government bonds which make the bank reserves fall. These changes lead to changes in the banks’ ability to make loans and create money. The Federal Reserve can also alter the money supply by changing the amount of reserve required for each bank to hold or the interest rate at which banks can borrow from the Fed. The second piece of the theory of liquidity preference is money demand.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Murdering of Innocents

Chapter Two begins with the introduction of Thomas Gradgrind, â€Å"a man of realitiesSfacts and calculations. † He always introduces himself as Mr. Gradgrind and spends his time in constant cogitation. He is the Speaker, previously unnamed and he now takes it as his duty to educate the children (â€Å"little pitchers before him†). He identifies a student, called Girl number twenty, who replies that her name is Sissy Jupe. Gradgrind corrects her that her name is Cecilia regardless of what her father calls her. Jupe's father is involved in a horse-riding circus and this is not respectable†¹in Gradgrind's opinion. He advises Cecilia to refer to her father as a â€Å"farrier† (the person who shoes a horse) or perhaps, a â€Å"veterinary surgeon. † The lesson continues with Gradgrind's command: â€Å"Give me your definition of a horse. † While Girl number twenty knows what a horse is, she is unable to define one. Another child in the class, a boy called Bitzer, easily defines the animal by means of biological classifications (quadruped, graminivorous, etc. ). After this, the third gentleman steps forward. He is a government officer as well as a famous boxer and he is known for his alert belligerence. His job is to remove â€Å"fancy† and â€Å"imagination† from the minds of the children. They learn that it is nonsense to decorate a room with representations of horses because horses do not walk up and down the sides of rooms in reality. Sissy Jupe is a slow learner, among the group of stragglers who admit that they would dare to carpet a room with representations of flowers because she is â€Å"fond† of them. Sissy is taught that she must not â€Å"fancy† and that she is â€Å"to be in all things regulated and governed by fact. † After the gentleman finishes his speech, the schoolteacher, Mr. M'Choakumchild, begins his instruction. He has been trained in a schoolteacher-factory and has been conditioned to be dry, inflexible and uninspiring†¹but full of hard facts. His primary job in these preparatory lessons is to find â€Å"Fancy† in the minds of the children and eradicate it. Analysis: â€Å"Murdering the Innocents† replaces the suspense of the previous chapter by establishing names and identities for the previously anonymous social roles that were presented earlier. As is to be expected from Dickens, the names of the characters are emblematic of their personality; usually, Dickens' haracters can be described as innocent, villainous or unaware of the moral dilemmas of the story that surrounds them. The characters' names are almost always an immediate indication of where the character fits on Dickens' moral spectrum. Thomas Gradgrind, â€Å"a man of realities† is a hard educator who grinds his students through a factory-like process, hoping to produce graduates (grads). Additionally, Gradgrind is a â€Å"doubting Thomas†Ã¢â‚¬ ¹much like the Biblical apostle who resisted belief in the resurrection, this Thomas urges that students depend exclusively upon the evidence in sight. He dismisses faith, fancy, belief, emotion and trust at once. Mr. M'Choakumchild is plainly villainous and he resembles the sort of fantastic ogres he'd prefer students took no stock in. Cecilia (Sissy) Jupe is unlike the other characters in almost every possible way. While there are other female students, she is the only female identified thus far in the novel. Unlike the boy â€Å"Bitzer† (who has the name of a horse), Sissy has a nickname and at least in this chapter, she is the lone embodiment of â€Å"fancy† at the same time that she is the single female presented as a contrast to the row of hardened mathematical men. Her character is, of course, a romanticized figure. Despite the political critique of Dickens' simplification and over-idealization of females and children (and girls, especially), Cecilia's character does have some depth that allows her development later in the novel. Her last name, â€Å"Jupe,† comes from the French word for â€Å"skirts† and her first name, Cecilia, represents the sainted patroness of music. Especially as she is a member of a traveling circus, we can expect Cecilia to represent â€Å"Art† and â€Å"Fancy† in contrast to M'Choakumchild, one of 141 schoolmasters who â€Å"had been lately turned at the same time, in the same factory, on the same principles, like so many pianoforte legs. Besides the allusion to St. Cecilia, Dickens alludes to Morgiana, a character in the classic story † Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves†Ã¢â‚¬ ¹one of the Arabian Nights tales. The reader should always note the irony in Dickens' allusions: while Dickens' characters argue against fanciful literature, Dickens' is relying upon it to compose his story. In this case, Dickens' simile presents M'Choakumchild's search for â€Å"the robber Fancy† in terms of Morgiana's searching for (and hiding of) the thieves in â€Å"Ali Baba. The metaphor of the children as eager â€Å"vessels† is made explicit when the â€Å"vessels† before M'Choakumchild become the â€Å"jars† before Morgiana. And the motif of robbers and villains is finalized when we remember that Ali Baba and the forty thieves were more hero than criminal. M'Choakumchild is labeled â€Å"gentleman† but his intention to seek and destroy â€Å"the robber Fancy lurking within† makes â€Å"the robber Fancy† (childish imagination) a more noble personification. Instead, the teachers are the ones who seem criminal. The most important allusion of the chapter is the title: â€Å"Murdering the Innocents. † The reader should expect Dickens work to be full of Biblical and Christian allusions as he is writing to a largely sentimental popular audience. While the reference may be more inaccessible, erudite or unrecognizable for modern young readers, Dickens' 1854 British audience immediately saw the reference to King Herod. Soon after the birth of Christ, Herod fears for his throne and has all of the male babies in Bethlehem executed (in the hopes of murdering the Christ child). In literary circles, the phrase â€Å"murder of the innocents† is exclusively used to describe this Biblical story. While the students are not literally danger (M'Choakumchild), their childish imagination has been targeted for annihilation. This completes the archetype of youth vs. age, and foreshadows that whoever is being targeted and singled out (Cecilia Jupe and her imagination) will ultimately escape this tyrant, but other innocents will be less fortunate (Bitzer). But we might expect as much from the same author who had written A Christmas Carol a decade before. The major theme of the chapter can be easily inferred from Dickens' description of Cecilia in the classroom. The â€Å"horses† and carpeted â€Å"flowers† are all double symbols of her femininity and youth, but most important, Cecilia represents Art in opposition to mechanization. Dickens is not arguing against education, science or progress. He is arguing against a mode of factory-style, mind-numbing, grad-grinding production that takes the fun out of life. But even worse than the loss of â€Å"fun† or â€Å"leisure,† Dickens is arguing that art requires an inquisitive and desiring mind. Especially as Dickens is known to have read and enjoyed Arabian Nights in his youth, we can see a bit of autobiography in his tender treatment of Cecilia†¹perhaps if he had come under a Mr. M'Choakumchild, he would have proved incapable of becoming an artist. The life of modern mankind is presented very negatively and ignorantly by Matthew Arnold in the poem Dover Beach by the fact that religious faith evanesce with the Industrial Revolution. Arnold creates the image of the dark future for the people without unwavering faith or religion. Modern men are bastardised with the thought that new the Industrial Revolution will give them advantage over nature. This thought of gaining superiority made humans arrogant by which this appearance is broken by the reality of nature’s dominance. People also seem ignorant with the wishful thought. These pebbles which ‘the waves draw back, and fling’ are completely powerless and are thrown around by the waves that move these â€Å"pebbles† at ease. Arnold uses pebbles as a metaphor for humans to show the inferiority in comparison to nature. The ignorance of humans is emphasised by the historical allusion to Peloponnesian War. In the dark, soldiers could not differentiate between their own army and the opponents; and so they killed their own soldiers. This is used by the poet to show the stupidity of modern man throwing away the religion which was everything to people before the Industrial Revolution; something to believe and rely on when people prayed. However, this old belief is thrown away and Arnold sees it as a very naive decision. The Industrial Revolution gave the source of arrogance and confidence which took place among the Western countries. This revolution was revolutionary itself; humans could mass produce, with improved quality, and at ease. These machineries became the limbs of human society. What came with the industrial revolution was the idea of realism. People could nearly produce goods to near-original standards, all thanks to improved technologies and science, and hence began to doubt the existence of God and supernatural beings. Realism contrasts the theology which is all about belief without questioning that God exists; and people believed it before the times of the machineries. It gave people hope and modesty under the mighty existence of God. However both hope and modesty disappeared with the Industrial Revolution which Arnold laments for. Bitterness is suggested when Arnold exclaims ‘Ah, love’ to show that in this changing world, one can only rely on the partner, and be trustful and true. Sarcasm is used to describe the modern world as a ‘land of dreams’ as there is no more hope for the world, as there is no more faith. As the poem proceeds, the transition of mood is noticeable as the grief of the loss of faith extends to a sense of resignation towards the end and having a sarcastic, sour approach to the ssue. The ‘tremulous cadence slow’ helps to convey the gradual process of the wane of doctrine which adds to the idea that the change of people’s lives is almost unnoticeable. This gradual process hurts Arnold because people are caught unaware of the changes taking place and so do not think it is particularly wrong and sinful. Arnold presents his sorrow with the historical al lusion to Sophocles who, was a Greek playwright, had heard the sound of waves crashing as the ‘eternal note of sadness’. The ‘sadness’ of the mankind turning away from religious beliefs is a parallel to the ‘melancholy†¦ withdrawing roar†¦retreating’ of the waves. Before the development of science and technology, people had truly believed in the religion and thought that they were in total control of god. The metaphor ‘Sea of Faith’ which presents the religious faith people have, used to be ‘full and round Earth’s shore’ but now is ‘retreating†¦ down the vast edges’ which shows the decreasing religious beliefs. Arnold points out that, without faith, humans are ‘naked’ and have no protection and defence which reflects the vulnerability of man and their lives. With carefully chosen words, Arnold presents the uncertainty of the future of humans. The new industrialised world seems â€Å"so various, so beautiful, so new† but it is again a mere appearance. The reality is that this mechanic, stiff world will have â€Å"neither joy, nor love, nor light† because this mechanics cannot feel love, hence no joy, and no vision as humans need love and the warm characteristics of humanity. It is thus deducible that the future will have no â€Å"certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain† which are the essentialities of humans. Humans can only survive the harsh world when everybody believes and trusts each other, and this will be broken with the introduction of industrialisation. This change of the world will bring â€Å"confused alarms on struggle and flight† which creates an imagery of a â€Å"darkling plain†; a dark vision for humans. Furthermore, the â€Å"turbid† ebb and flow shows the cloudy, uncertain future of ‘ebb and flow’ which is the repetitive cycles of nature. Can humans only survive when they make harmony with the nature, and to go against the natural cycles can only mean extinction of humans. The ‘cliffs’ of England ‘gleams’ and ‘glimmers’; gleams and glimmers have a sense of shakiness, precariousness and unknown which echoes the uncertain modern man. Also the alliteration of ‘g’ and ‘m’ creates a stuttering tone which adds to the idea of uncertainty. This imagery portrays the withering away of cliffs as a decline of religious beliefs and whatsmore, deterioration of the Earth itself as humans exploit resources out of the Earth which the modern development enabled men to do. The flaws of modernism and realism are expressed in this poem. The flow of the poem is cut off by uses of caesura which is a parallel to the imperfect modern world. Arnold gives a hint that modernization of the world will have some flaws which will inevitably bring loss of faith and result in loss of equilibrium. In science, there is no hope; everything is measured out and exact. Hence in the modern world reality there can be no hope as it looks vain. Again, Arnold sympathises with the loss of hope in reality. In a different sense, the calm, naturalistic description of a beach at night in the first stanza is the appearance which contrasts to the reality that is sad, unhopeful, ‘retreating’ and ‘tremulous’. Human beings are inferior over nature and the spiritual beliefs as to an extent that people cannot control anything. The abandonment of the doctrine of religion with the help of the Industrial Revolution is only a vain act against the power overwhelming nature. Religion and faith should remain in humanity and ignoring it should result in the uncertainty and vulnerability of modern man.