Portrait of a Leader - Andy Warhol Research Paper

Portrait of a Leader - Andy Warhol - Research Paper Example The paper "Portrait of a Leader - Andy Warhol" discusses the leader of the pop art, Andy Warhol. As a leader of a time that was typified by a collaboration of the bizarre with the mundane, Warhol has left a legacy that remains powerful and enigmatic. Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928 to Slovak immigrants and was raised near the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. As a child, he was ill with scarlet fever which had the consequence of leaving him with an affliction known as St Vitus’ Dance, which left him with an involuntary jerking reflex in his limbs and face. The long term affects appear to have been a general lightening of the skin, hair, and eyes, which gave him a unique and ethereal look that was attractive to the art community of the 1960’s, but left him being unusual as a child. His own commentary about his high school years suggests that he felt isolated and apart from his peers. There are varying stories about the way in which Warhol grew up, partly because of the variety of stories that he himself spread in order to ‘create’ himself. One myth says his father worked in the coal mines of West Virginia and was home very little. He was then mostly raised by his mother, Julie, along with his brother. His father died in 1942 after a prolonged illness from drinking poisoned water after which his family struggled in poverty. Warhol claims that he had three nervous breakdowns in three consecutive years during his childhood - one each at the age of eight, nine, and ten.

PGCE- Primary Teaching Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PGCE- Primary Teaching - Personal Statement Example addition to my vocational qualifications in advertising, PR and Media, I would make to the position a proven ability to deal successfully and tactfully with children and colleagues. Although my course does not involve a subject in the national curriculum, I still possess a basis for primary teaching. Throughout my course, I have had to write advertisements and participate in field practical that have enhanced my communication skills. I can replicate this training in a classroom setting to capture children’s attention and have them respond appropriately. The nature of my advertising, PR and Media degree course has prepared me adequately for this position as there are areas that aid my understanding people’s thought processes when presented with information. Media training and advertisement has helped me understand the mechanics of communicating with wide and varied age groups. The learned PR skills will come handy in understanding children and develop strategies to aid learning. In addition to my strong theoretical basis for the course, I obtained practical experience for teaching. While on a three-week placement abroad, I observed that a teachers approach to the class has a far reaching effect on the learner’s ability. For example, a teacher often changed the ways he taught a class to maintain the interest of the children in those activities. She encouraged and celebrated children who were experiencing difficulties in certain activities. The motivation spurred them to try harder, and they succeeded in many cases. Her positive attitude reflected in children, giving them confidence in themselves hence an active learning environment. I had the opportunity to guide the class in story telling which preceded an ICT lesson that would require class discussions. It was evident that some children are happy to participate in this environment while others were not quite as keen. It is, therefore, imperative that teaching practitioners design strategies that would

Los Procesos Químicos Del Cuerpo

Los Procesos Quà ­micos Del Cuerpo Casandra Hernà ¡ndez Introduccià ³n A travà ©s de este trabajo la investigadora realizà ³ una revisià ³n de literatura relacionada a los procesos quà ­micos que ocurren en el cuerpo humano. Se comienza definiendo conceptos esenciales para comprender los procesos quà ­micos. Segà ºn Aguilar (2012) el cuerpo de los seres humanos es un sistema que està ¡ compuesto por cà ©lulas las cuales forman los tejidos. Mediante las cà ©lulas el cuerpo humano lleva a cabo las funciones vitales para vivir. El cuerpo del ser humano tiene procesos que son bà ¡sicos y que producen subsistemas esenciales donde un grupo de à ³rganos coordinados realizan las funciones esenciales del ser humano. El cuerpo humano tiene once sistemas que agrupan los à ³rganos esenciales para que funcione el cuerpo adecuadamente. Sistemas del cuerpo humano Estos sistemas son los siguientes: El sistema muscular que es el conjunto de mà ºsculos que tienen la responsabilidad de los cambios corporales, postura y locomocià ³n. El sistema à ³seo que es el conjunto de huesos que forman el esqueleto y protegen a los à ³rganos internos como el crà ¡neo y la columna vertebral. El sistema respiratorio que incluye a las fosas nasales, la faringe, la laringe y los pulmones que realizan el intercambio gaseoso. El sistema digestivo incluye la boca, el hà ­gado, el està ³mago, los intestinos y otros à ³rganos. Se encarga de realizar la degradacià ³n de los alimentos a nutrientes que luego asimila el cuerpo y utiliza en las actividades que realiza el organismo. El sistema excretor està ¡ compuesto por los rià ±ones y sus conductos los cuales funcionan para extraer los desechos metabà ³licos, osmorregulacià ³n y la homeostasis para mantener el equilibrio quà ­mico del cuerpo. El sistema circulatorio incluye el corazà ³n, vasos sanguà ­neos y cà ©lulas sanguà ­neas. El mismo sirve para llevar los alimentos y el oxà ­geno a las cà ©lulas. Ademà ¡s, recoge los desechos metabà ³licos que se elimina a travà ©s de los rià ±ones, en la orina y por el aire que se exhala por los pulmones. El sistema endocrino contiene las glà ¡ndulas productoras de hormonas que intervienen en la regulacià ³n del crecimiento, metabolismo y los procesos de la reproduccià ³n. El sistema nervioso està ¡ constituido por el cerebro, ganglios, nervios, à ³rganos de los sentidos para detectar, analizar los està ­mulos y crear las respuestas apropiadas. El aparato reproductor està ¡ compuesto por testà ­culos y ovarios para llevar a cabo el proceso de reproduccià ³n de los seres humanos. El sistema linfà ¡tico contiene los capilares circulatorios en los que se recoge y transporta el là ­quido de los tejidos. Ademà ¡s, transporta por el torrente sanguà ­neo los là ­pidos digeridos que vienen del intestino para eliminar y destruir las sustancias tà ³xicas. El mismo ayuda a que no se difundan las enfermedades a travà ©s del cuerpo. El sistema inmunolà ³gico està ¡ constituido por diferentes à ³rganos que està ¡n a travà ©s de los tejidos del cuerpo. Este sistema reconoce las estructuras y su principal propà ³sito es preservar su identidad. Està ¡ constituido por linfocitos y por anticuerpos. Se indica que el cuerpo humano es un mecanismo que se basa en los componentes quà ­micos para mantener un equilibrio en el mismo. El estado de equilibrio se le llama homeostasis. Cuando una o mà ¡s sustancias quà ­micas caen fuera de equilibrio por una disminucià ³n o aumento de los niveles, provoca que los sistemas del cuerpo humano trabajen de forma menos eficiente. Estos desequilibrios quà ­micos pueden suceder por un sinnà ºmero de razones logrando afectar el cuerpo de diversas formas (Melton, s.f.). La serotonina Segà ºn Melton (s.f.) la serotonina es un neurotransmisor que està ¡ en el cerebro. Cuando la serotonina se encuentra en niveles normales la persona tendrà ¡ una variedad de emociones y funcionarà ¡ eficientemente. Sin embargo, cuando los niveles de serotonina comienzan a disminuir por los cambios quà ­micos del cuerpo es por interaccià ³n farmacolà ³gica o por una enfermedad, que puede lograr que la personalidad del individuo cambie como: llegar a la depresià ³n y que aparezca el trastorno bipolar. De otra parte, cuando disminuyen los niveles de serotonina puede causar fatiga crà ³nica, trastornos del sueà ±o y cambios en el apetito. La insulina Tambià ©n, Melton indica que la insulina es una hormona que la produce el pà ¡ncreas y permite que la glucosa entre en las cà ©lulas del cuerpo. Cuando la misma se encuentra en niveles normales, se produce insulina suficiente y à ©sta es usada por el cuerpo para que la glucosa sea absorbida por las cà ©lulas del cuerpo para la obtencià ³n de energà ­a. Cuando los niveles de insulina comienzan a disminuir, se puede llegar a padecer de diabetes. La diabetes tipo 1 surge cuando el sistema inmunolà ³gico del cuerpo humano se vuelve en contra y a su vez destruye las cà ©lulas del pà ¡ncreas las cuales producen insulina. La diabetes tipo 2 ocurre cuando se producen las cà ©lulas que son resistentes a la insulina. Esto ocurre cuando las cà ©lulas no permiten a la insulina abrir las và ­as para que la glucosa penetre. El pà ¡ncreas produce una cantidad mayor de insulina cuando aumentan los niveles de glucosa en la sangre, pero las cà ©lulas no son receptivas y los niveles de g lucosa continà ºan en aumento. Desequilibrios hormonales pituitarios La glà ¡ndula pituitaria es una glà ¡ndula pequeà ±a que se encuentra en la base del cerebro. Esta glà ¡ndula produce hormonas que regulan la presià ³n sanguà ­nea, el crecimiento y algunos aspectos del sistema reproductivo. En algunas ocasiones ocurre el hipopituitarismo por el resultado de la disminucià ³n de los niveles de hormonas de la pituitaria. Cuando esto ocurre, puede causar trastornos en las funciones normales del cuerpo tales como la presià ³n arterial y la frecuencia cardà ­aca (Melton, s.f.). Cuando existe exceso de produccià ³n de hormonas hipofisarias, provoca una enfermedad llamada acromegalia. La misma puede causar la produccià ³n anormal de la hormona del crecimiento. Esta enfermedad se caracteriza porque algunas à ¡reas del cuerpo se vuelven mà ¡s grandes y fuera de proporcià ³n con el resto del cuerpo. Es un tipo de crecimiento excesivo que se da en las manos, pies y cara. Este crecimiento anormal surge en la edad madura despuà ©s que el proceso de crecimiento se ha parado. Si en la adolescencia se presenta gran cantidad de la hormona del crecimiento, se puede producir gigantismo (Melton, s.f.). Desequilibrios metabà ³licos Segà ºn Botanical Online (2015) el metabolismo permite funcionar, crecer y desarrollarse y realizar todas las funciones del organismo. Los alimentos producen la energà ­a mediante los nutrientes. El metabolismo tiene dos fases: Anabolismo: Tiene la funcià ³n de crear nuevas cà ©lulas, mantener los tejidos del cuerpo y crear reservas. Este tipo de proceso se conoce como metabolismo constructivo, asà ­ se forman los tejidos, los mà ºsculos o los nervios. Cuando ocurre esta fase el cuerpo gasta energà ­a. Catabolismo: Tiene la funcià ³n de descomponer los tejidos corporales y las sustancias de reserva para producir energà ­a. Se utiliza para obtener la energà ­a que el cuerpo necesita. Permite los procesos anabà ³licos como generar calor para mantener la temperatura corporal adecuada o proporcionar energà ­a que permite dar fuerza a los mà ºsculos. El metabolismo del individuo se relaciona con el peso, el apetito y los niveles de energà ­a del cuerpo. Cuando la glà ¡ndula tiroides no està ¡ activa puede causar enfermedades cardà ­acas, la fatiga y la obesidad. Cuando la tiroides produce demasiada hormona puede provocar que sea difà ­cil que una persona mantenga su peso saludable. Los trastornos en las glà ¡ndulas suprarrenales pueden producir cortisol en cantidad excesiva y causar que una persona gane peso en el à ¡rea del abdomen, esto se llama sà ­ndrome de Cushing. Tambià ©n, ocurren otros trastornos que logran niveles de cortisol mà ¡s bajos que los normales. El cortisol ayuda a mantener la presià ³n arterial, la glucosa en sangre y los niveles de energà ­a normales (Melton, s.f.). Principales procesos metabà ³licos Entre los principales proceso metabà ³licos se encuentran: la digestià ³n, que mediante los alimentos permite los procesos de creacià ³n de nuevos tejidos y el almacenamiento de las sustancias de reserva en forma de grasa corporal; la circulacià ³n de la sangre, en los cuales los nutrientes son trasportados por la sangre hasta el hà ­gado y las cà ©lulas del hà ­gado metabolizan cada sustancia para producir energà ­a. La eliminacià ³n de los productos de desecho mediante la defecacià ³n se elimina los residuos de la digestià ³n. La regulacià ³n de la temperatura corporal es la energà ­a producida por el proceso catabà ³lico genera calor que mantiene la temperatura corporal. Tambià ©n, existen otros mecanismos internos puede disminuir la temperatura corporal como el aumento del sudor o la dilatacià ³n de los vasos sanguà ­neos (Botanical Online, 2015). Desequilibrios del sistema reproductivo Segà ºn Melton (s.f.) los desequilibrios quà ­micos producidos en el sistema reproductivo pueden causar infertilidad y bajar el deseo sexual en ambos sexos. Cuando los niveles de estrà ³geno y testosterona està ¡n bajos, afecta el rendimiento sexual y la fertilidad. Los altos niveles de testosterona en los hombres pueden provocar un exceso de masa muscular. De otra parte, las mujeres con niveles altos de testosterona pueden experimentar calvicie de patrà ³n masculino y el crecimiento excesivo del pelo en la cara y el pecho. Otras mujeres pueden experimentar que su voz sea mà ¡s grave y llegar a ser mà ¡s masculino. Sin embargo, cuando los niveles de estrà ³geno son bajos en las mujeres tienen problemas con la menstruacià ³n, problemas para embarazarse y llevar el embarazo a tà ©rmino. Cuando las cantidades de estrà ³geno son excesivas, esto puede provocar cà ¡ncer de seno y otros tipos de cà ¡ncer en la mujer. Conclusià ³n El cuerpo humano està ¡ compuesto por una serie de sistemas que realizan cambios quà ­micos continuamente. Para que exista un balance, es necesario que todos los procesos està ©n sincronizados y no sufran ningà ºn desorden, ya que si existe alguno se afecta la salud de la persona. Es necesario que las cà ©lulas el cuerpo humano lleva a cabo las funciones vitales para el organismo pueda vivir adecuadamente. El cuerpo del ser humano tiene procesos que son bà ¡sicos y que producen subsistemas esenciales donde un grupo de à ³rganos coordinados realizan las funciones esenciales del mismo. Là ¡minas de los procesos quà ­micos del cuerpo REFERENCIAS Aguilar, J. E. (2011). Los sistemas fundamentales del cuerpo humano. Mà ©xico: Asociacià ³n Oaxaqueà ±a de Psicologà ­a, A. C. Botanical Online (2015). Metabolismo corporal. Recuperado de http://www.botanical-online.com/medicinalsmetabolismo.htm Melton, W. (s.f.).  ¿Cà ³mo un desequilibrio quà ­mico afecta tu cuerpo? Recuperado de http://www.ehowenespanol.com/desequilibrio-quimico-afecta-cuerpo-sobre_165852/

Red Adair :: essays research papers

Intro - "I've done made a deal with the devil. He said he's going to give me an air-conditioned place when I go down there, if I go there, so I won't put all the fires out." A genuine American hero, Red Adair fought the most terrifying force of nature all over the world for more than 50 years. The oil fires were so hot they melt nearby cars and could roast a man in an instant. Red Adair was an innovator in the development of new fire-fighting techniques that make the oil fields safer and time after time he would risk his own life challenging the most disastrous oil fires of modern times. I. Birth and Childhood. A. Paul N. "Red" Adair was born June 18, 1915 in Houston, Texas. 1. His parents, Mary and Charles Adair, also had four other sons and three daughters. 2. The family lived in the Heights of Houston where his father worked as a blacksmith. B. After attending Harvard Elementary School and Hogg Junior High School, he quit Reagan High School to help support the family. He held many different jobs from the time he quit high school until he went to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1936. II. Career A. In 1938 Red was hired by the Otis Pressure Control Company, his first oil related job. B. Red continued to work at odd jobs in the oil patch until he was inducted into the United States Army in 1945. 1. Red served in the 139th Bomb Disposal Squadron through the end of World War II and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. 2. He returned home to Houston following the war and went to work for Myron Kinley, the original pioneer of oil well fire and blowout control. Red continued to work for and with Mr. Kinley until 1959. C. After fourteen years with the M. M. Kinley Company, Red resigned and formed Red Adair Company, Inc. to control oil well fires and blowouts. 1. Through Red Adair Company, Red pioneered the development of modern-day effective Wild Well Control techniques and equipment and earned his reputation as "best in the business." 2. Red and other members of his firefighting team averaged controlling over 42 oilwell fires and blowouts per year, inland and offshore, all over the world. Red and his men represent over a century of Wild Well Control and expertise, completing over 1,000 jobs internationally. III. Awards and Accomplishments A. One of Red's greatest tasks and accomplishments occurred in 1991 following the Gulf War with Iraq.

Pure Cultures Lab Essay

Introduction : Pure cultures are made of only one type of organisms and can be used to study their properties. A method used to isolate pure cultures is making a steak-plate, which is a dilution process in which culture is spread over an agar plate in a certain manner. Using a loop rod, culture was taken from the tube and dragged across area 1 several time,of the agar. The agar was then turned 90Â º, and the loop was flamed and cooled. Taking some culture from area 1, it was dragged over area two,and the same steps were done for areas 3 and 4.Another technique used was spread-plate, where the same culture is spread over the agar plate using a sterile L-shaped bent glass rod. The rod was dipped in 95% ethyl alcohol and flamed to sterlize. The nutrient agar was then placed on the plate, and spread with rod. An environmental plate was used to test the cultures of a random object, in our experiment, it was the ocular lens of a microscope. A cotton swab was dipped into sterile water, and a random item of our choice was swabbed. After mixing the swab back in the water, the contaminated water was applied to a spread plate. Results: See attached Discussion: All the plates were successful is isolating the pure cultures except the environmental. The reason for this may have been that there was no bacteria, due to the fact they had been recently cleaned. The slant agars were able to pick up on the bacteria to show the growth. The vial that had bright yellow bacteria growing was M.leuteus, showing the successful isolation and identification. Other vials that had M.Letues and S.marcescenes had a very slight shade of bacteria growth. Questions: 1. No because a when a broth culture is used, it has not been inoculated from a pure culture, the only way would be to use a streaking method or spread plate. A mix culture slant is hard to isolate, because bacteria is clumped together, getting a single colony is difficult. These may cause contamination to the bacteria during the inoculation period. 2. If there was more culture in quadrant 4 than 3, it is due to the loop being dragged back into quadrant 1. The nutrient agar that was in 1 came back to 4, and showed more culture.

Globalization of health care Essay

The world, as you know it, has changed as a result of globalization. Local or nationalistic perspectives is transforming to broader outlook of an interconnected and interdependent world with free transfer of capital, goods, and services across national frontiers. To be more specific, due to the development of transportation and telecommunication that the globalization plays an important role of life is irreversible. It presents in plenty of aspects of life, namely trade, culture, tourism, sports, medical treatment,†¦ People now find it much easier struggling to deal with things, ranging from daily demands to huge decisions not only domestically but internationally as well thanks to the advanced technology brought about by efforts of nations. For example, contacting with friends, even visually in distance is just like a piece of cake with a mobile phone or laptop. In terms of transports, it now allows you to make it to the opposite side of the Earth within few days. Concerning health care, receiving the same quality treatment but lower cost is not unthinkable, it is a reality to developed citizens who dare travel to developing areas. Our group chose this name because it was the first potential name crossing our minds after the question was raised. In order to adapt to the world, it is essential that you first of all become a globalized student. Approaching the globalization requires general and detailed knowledge of specific fields. For instance; if you want to send an email, then you learn how to write an email; if you want to call a partner, then you must have the numbers; if you want to use airplane service, then you must know how to make it to the waiting lounge. Simply speaking, you want to fly, you must have wings first. We not only hope for the best but also prepare for the worst. How does this name relates to International Business? Plainly in evidence that chapter 1 of the subject tells the importance of the name. It represents not only as the foundation of the study but as the future of how students establish their points of views towards economic, financial, trade, and communications integration. Students planning to work in multinational enterprises or run their own business have to master and learn how to be a globalized students in the range of university,  specifically in class of home before any further matters can be discussed. Frankly speaking, learn how to swim well at pool first or else you are going to be drown in deep ocean. 1.A decade ago the idea that medical procedures might move offshore was unthinkable. Today it is a reality. What trends have facilitated this process? The conventional concept of receiving medical treatment abroad some decades ago was something rare or even unthinkable. However, in recent years, this whole traditional idea has completely changed. The trend has shifted dramatically from the point which the citizens of many countries traveled to the United States and to the developed countries of Europe to seek the expertise and advanced technology available in leading medical centers, to the situation nowadays wherein citizens of highly developed countries choose to bypass care offered in their own communities and travel to less developed areas of the world to receive a wide variety of medical services. This significant change is brought about by the two main factors: the relentless development of technology and the cost advantage The relentless development of technology The 21th century has witnessed many outstanding breakthroughs in technology, especially in telecommunication, transportation and medical field. The development in telecommunication, in which the Internet is the biggest example, allows medical treatment abroad to be carried out in a faster and more convenient way. For example, with Internet, radiologists in the US can beam images to India where they could be interpreted by the Indian counterparts. Moreover, since India is on the opposite side of the globe, the interpretation of the images could be done while it was nighttime in the United States and be ready for the attending physician the following morning. Also, the advance of transportation makes possible the travel from one country to another in the shortest time and the least expensive way. Furthermore, the improvement in the medical field also provides developing countries to not only develop their domestic health care services but also expose to higher technological equipment. This contributes to the expansion of a global health care supply chain. As a result for people who seek overseas medical treatment, they can get access to a more various marketplace that provide the services. Some typical examples are India, Thailand, †¦ The cost advantage Although technological advance plays an important role in bringing about the overseas medical treatment, still the strongest driving force that facilitated the globalization of health care is the cost. In developed countries such as the US, the expenses are far greater than that of those provided in less developed or developing countries. This alone has persuaded a large amount of patients to find treatment elsewhere. In fact, it also gave birth to a new trend which is called â€Å"medical tourism†, wherein patients would visit a foreign land to receive complex, sophisticated and often serious medical or surgical care. Following the treatment the â€Å"tourist† can experience personal medical attention in a luxurious setting with first class accommodation and subsequently has the chance to enjoy vacation for a short time before going back home. Howard Staab is an ideal example for this cost advantage. Mr. Staab underwent a leaking heart valve surgery in New Delhi and toured the Taj Mahah afterward with the total price of $10.000, which is a lot cheaper than the $60.000 cost alone for the operation cost in the US, without the visit to the Taj Mahal. Others Besides the two main drivers mentioned above, there are some other factors involving in the decision – making of the consumers in this overseas health care services. Some people who had undergone medical care in a foreign country said that they did it to circumvent the delays associated with long waiting list. This so called â€Å"long waiting list† phenomenon recently has made as 40 veterans died while awaiting care at the Phoenix VA hospital. Also, the involvement of insurance companies by offering enrollees the option of getting treatment abroad for expensive surgeries could provide this trend a big boost. 2.Is the globalization of health care good or bad for patients? Globalization is becoming more and more a part of our society. The health care industry is also affected by globalization. Physicians are traveling to other countries to perform volunteer work and patients are traveling to other countries to receive medical care. This has both beneficial and harmful influence on the patients’ health. Positive impacts Adequate care for patients in developing countries Globalization has brought access to medication from manufacturers to less developed countries where patients can either not afford it, or would not have access to it. Patients in these countries also have a lack of diagnostic capabilities and poor transport options. The Glievec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP) is an international program that works with drug manufacturers to distribute medication to patients. Under the program, the manufacturer provides drugs at no cost directly to eligible patients. This program helps over 18,000 patients worldwide each year. Furthermore, physicians, students, and other professionals volunteer to travel to other countries and provide medical treatment to those who live in countries that do not have adequate health care. For instance, sub-Saharan Africa has roughly twenty-five percent of the global disease burden, yet only three percent of the global health care workforce. Since globalization of the health industry is currently in process, physicians from around the world are participating in â€Å"medical missions† to developing countries to administer medical care. The circulation of patients The outsourcing of medical procedures to nations where medical professionals are paid lower could clearly benefits consumers. The movement of patients is a more recent phenomenon. Though still marginal, so called ‘medical tourism’ is becoming more important. Treatments offered in western Europeans countries attract infertile couples from United States because they cost half or one third of those provided in North America. Elective surgery offered in highly sophisticated Indian hospitals tends to cost only 10–20% of identical treatment in western countries. There is also a shift from personal initiatives to national incentives. Tunisia, for example, organized a conference at the beginning of December 2004 to attract health care purchasers from abroad. Purchasers, even those belonging to public systems can potentially be interested, when a reduction of costs by as much as 50–80% can be realized. Negative impacts Developing international standards in medical education and health care delivery can help improving quality in health care all over the world. Nevertheless, two problems remain. Potential of such developments to improve the quality in health care within the world International standards cannot be created that will fit the cultural, social, and economical contexts of very different countries. It is often assumed that, simply demonstrating compliance with quality processes, will lead to a result (of the treatment) that will be the same, whatever the country or the professionals involved. But it cannot be definitely sure that applying North American (or European, or for that matter African or Asian) procedures and quality rules in other countries will lead to adequate quality. Issues of access to health care and ethical dimension Countries which continue to accept patients from other lands for expensive services run the risk of either pricing out poorer citizens, or creating a second tier of medical care in those countries. Further, ethically speaking, it is not acceptable to exclude the local population from the benefits of care that is provided in their country for rich strangers, even if this organization allows less rich countries to develop employment in the health care sector. In addition, medical tourism may shift services from  preventive public health measures, to less effective and more expensive private clinics. The treatment standards in countries such as India may not be up to the standards found in the United States, and that the process takes some control out of the hands of the consumers. Finally, there are some of the potential dangers of volunteerism. When students or physicians with little education or knowledge of the culture they are in or volunteer, patients of those countries run the risk of making their symptoms worse. In conclusion, with healthcare globalization, patients in less developed countries can receive medication and care that they would not receive otherwise, doctors and physicians can volunteer and travel to other countries to provide care and treatment. Patients also have the ability to travel to other countries to receive care that would normally be very expensive in their own country. However, globalization runs the risk of patients in other countries not receiving quality care due to volunteers lacking in education, as well as ethical dilemmas. 3.Is the globalization of health care good or bad for American Economy? In general, there are many concerning about globalization of health care that have been proposed by Americans economists. In fact, many aspects has come up to this problems. Here are the examples. Impatient Americans seeking medical care are increasingly making trips far from home, often at their own expense—not just short hops to Caracas for a nip and tuck or dashes across the frontier for cheap Mexican pills. As Mr. Steele’s testimonial suggests, they are now travelling across the world for knee and heart surgery, hysterectomies and shoulder angioplasties. One motive is to save money. America’s health inflation has consistently outpaced economic growth, making it the most expensive health market in the world. The average price at good facilities abroad for a range of common medical procedures is, by Deloitte’s reckoning, barely 15% of the price a patient would have to pay in the United States (see table). But costs have long been much higher in America than in poor countries, so this alone does not explain the new exodus. Two other factors are now at work. One is that the quality at the best hospitals in Asia and Latin America is now at least  as good as it is at many hospitals in rich countries. The second, more worrying, factor is that America’s already imperfect insurance safety net is fraying. Over 45m Americans are uninsured, and many millions more are severely underinsured. Such people may find it cheaper to fly abroad and pay for an operation out of their own pockets than to find the money for deductibles or â€Å"co-payments† charged for the same procedure at home. Arnold Milstein of Mercer, a consultancy, calls them America’s â€Å"medical refugees†. Big business may soon join this wave. Epstein, Becker & Green, an American law firm, says that in the past year big employers have become interested in promoting medical travel among the employees they insure. Many are struggling to cope with soaring health costs and some, they report, are willing to take radical steps to save money. Behind the mask How will that affect the health systems in rich and developing countries? Listen to critics of medical travel, and you might think that all of this is a tragedy. It has come about, they argue, because of the terrible state of America’s health care, and its consequences for developing nations will be dire. The flow of foreigners will encourage capital and trained staff to flee state-run health-care systems in poor countries in favor of better-paying jobs catering to foreigners and local fat cats. It is surely right that medical tourism is partly the result of the failings in America’s health system. Moreover, recent research by the World Bank does indeed suggest that â€Å"internal brain drain† is a worry in some countries, especially those with few doctors and nurses. However, in many huge net exporters of doctors and nurses, such as India and the Philippines, an internal brain drain is hardly much of a worry, because there are plenty of medics to go around. And shortages, in countries where they exist, can be alleviated by reforms changing the way nursing education is funded, for instance, that would help to improve their ailing state-run health systems. 4.Who might benefit from the globalization of health care? Who might lose? Throughout history people have always shared information, traded commodities and exchanged some forms of currency across various borders, which proves globalization an enormous interest of human being. Consequently, health care  industry is no longer a norm of services provided where the patients located. The links between globalization and health are complex and globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon that can affect health in myriad ways. Its consequences can be either direct, at the level of whole populations, individuals and healthcare delivery systems, or indirect, through the economy and other factors, such as education, sanitation and water supply. For the health community, globalization offers opportunities but also poses significant challenges to many sectors. The customers (the patients) Benefits: †¢Quick response to deceases with lower costs: Due to the imbalance between supply and demand of health care in the United States, the patients have been undergoing overloaded treatment with high costs. The shortage of radiologists in America cause patients’ diagnostic medical images (including X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans and ultrasounds) to be read and interpreted for longer hours. However this can be resolved more quickly by beaming the images over the Internet for Indian radiologists. Another situation of Howard Staab, who completed his leaking heart valve cure in New Delhi, India for $10,000 instead of paying $60,000 for American hospitals, proves financial benefits for patients. †¢Chances for traveling: Medical tourism is a second mechanism through which the patients can benefit through trade liberalisation in healthcare. Taking advantage of abroad trips for medical services, patient could also travel for convalescence in famous tourist attractive destinations, which costs totally lower than treatment in the United States. Losses: †¢Spread of infectious deceases: The flip side of the above benefit is that due to the rapid mobility of people across borders for health care services, the spread of infectious diseases is a threat to everyone, particularly the poor. It is entirely possible that a person in the early stages of an infectious disease could travel halfway around the world in 12–15 hours, which functions as a vector for that disease to spread into non-immune populations. The recent epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is the best contemporary example of serious damages to the community due to  globalization of health care. †¢Involved risks due to absence of international insurance policy: Since the U.S Government-sponsored medical insurance program, Medicare, would not pay for services done outside of the country, patients without international medical insurance could be harmed. The developing countries Benefits: †¢Improve health care status & create employment opportunities for health care and tourism: Several decades ago very few hospitals in developing countries could claim to offer the highest quality of health care. Due to globalization of health care, hospitals around the world are striking to meet the stringent requirements, improving health systems standards to attract foreigners, which also benefits local patients. Besides, it would also be useful to encourage developing countries to tax medical tourism and use the proceeds to support their domestic healthcare system. Consequently, health care globalization is creating more works for local health care and tourism industry. According to the management consultancy McKinsey & Co., medical tourism was a$2.3-billion industry in India in 2012. Losses: †¢Internal brain drain of medical professionals: Another dilemma that seriously affects people in developing countries, as well as poorer communities in the industrialized nations, is a lack of health professionals. If there are going to have a global world, then people who have these needed skills should be paid appropriately, which induces them to work for well-paid medical industry. The developed countries (the United States) Benefits: †¢Potential gains for the economy: The U.S government could attain profits on providing education of modern technological medical system for developing countries. Besides, insurance companies could offer international healthcare vouchers to be secured while using foreign facilities and sharing their savings. Losses: †¢A small fraction of work and treatment moving offshore: Even though the U.S  regulations require that a radiologist be licensed in the state and will not pay for international medical treatment through Medicare, there would be a small fraction of patients travel abroad for health care due to their overweighed benefits. Reference Question 1 http://carey.jhu.edu/one/2009/fall/globalized-health-care-driven-by-technology/ http://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2014/08/no_proof_veterans_on_waiting_l.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2234298/

Understanding Present and Past Participles

Understanding Present and Past Participles In  traditional English grammar, a participle is a  verbal that typically  ends in -ing (the present participle)  or -ed (the past participle).  Adjective:  participial. By itself, a  participle can function as an  adjective  (as in the sleeping baby or the damaged pump). In combination with one or more  auxiliary verbs,  a participle can indicate tense, aspect, or  voice.  Ã‚   Present participles end in -ing (for example,  carrying, sharing, tapping). Past participles of regular verbs end in -ed (carried, shared, tapped). Past participles of irregular verbs have various endings, most often -n or -t (broken, spent). As linguists have long observed, both of these terms- present and  past- are misleading.  [B]oth [present and past]  participles are used in the formation of a variety of complex constructions (tenses) and can . . .  refer to  past, present, or future time (e.g., What had they been doing? This must be drunk soon).  Preferred terms are -ing form (which also includes gerund) and -ed form/-en form (Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, 2014). EtymologyFrom the Latin, share, partake, participate Examples of Present Participles Ahead of Perenelle, a crowd gathered around a young man with a  dancing bear. (Stephen Leigh, Immortal Muse. DAW, 2014)Newport harbor lay stretched out in the distance, with  the rising moon  casting a long, wavering track of silver upon it. (Harriet Beecher Stowe,  Uncle Toms Cabin, 1852)Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing. (Robert Benchley)The ducks come on swift, silent wings, gliding through the treetops as if guided by radar, twisting, turning, never touching a twig in that thick growth of trees that surrounded the lake.(Jack Denton Scott, The Wondrous Wood Duck. Sports Afield, 1976) Examples of Past Participles During the thunderstorm, the frightened cat hid under the bed.[T]he clock, its face supported by plump cupids of painted china, ticked with a small busy sound. (Robert Penn Warren, Christmas Gift. The Virginia Quarterly Review, 1938)The new home stood beside the macadamized new road and was high and boxlike, painted yellow with a roof of glittering tin. (Elizabeth Bishop, The Farmers Children Harpers Bazaar, 1949)One January day, thirty years ago, the little town of Hanover, anchored on a windy Nebraska tableland, was trying not to be blown away. (Willa Cather, O Pioneers! 1913)The Bibles Jezebel came to an ugly end. Thrown from a balcony, trampled by horses, and devoured by dogs, the middle-aged queen has had few good days since. (Review of Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible’s Harlot Queen by Lesley Hazleton. The Week, November  29, 2007)I believe in broken, fractured, complicated narratives, but I believe in narratives as a vehicle for truth, not simply as a form of en tertainment. (Stephen Greenblatt, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W.W.  Norton, 2004) Source of the Terms Present and Past [There is] an apparent contradiction  in  our selection of terminology for  the present and past  participles. We have described the participles as non-tensed, and yet we have used the terms present and past to distinguish them. These  terms, in fact, derive from  the most characteristic uses of the participles, in constructions such as: Sue has made a sponge cake Sue is making a sponge  cake In (1) the making of the cake is located in past time and in (2) it is located in present time. Note, however, that it is not the participles themselves that suggest this difference, but rather the total contructions. Consider: Sue was making a sponge cake Here the making of the cake is certainly not located in the present but rather, as was indicates, in the past.  We thus wish to retain the  traditional terms on the grounds that they relate to the characteristic uses of the two forms, but at the same time insist that the forms are  tenseless: there is no  tense contrast between them. -(Peter Collins and Carmella Hollo, English Grammar: An Introduction, 2nd ed. Palgrace Macmillan,  2010) Examples of Present and Past Participial Phrases Leaking from restaurant walls, beamed into airports as they landed and automobiles as they crashed, chiming from steeples, thundering from parade grounds, tingling through apartment walls, carried through the streets in small boxes, violating even the peace of desert and the forest, where drive-ins featured blue musical comedies, music at first overwhelmed, then delighted, then disgusted, and finally bored them (John Updike, The Chaste Planet. Hugging the Shore: Essays and Criticism. Knopf, 1983)   Participles as Quasi-Adjectives As modifiers of  nouns, present and past participles of verbs function very much like adjectives. Indeed, they are sometimes regarded as adjectives when they modify nouns. A present participle attributes a quality of action to the noun, which is viewed as undertaking the action, as retreating of legs in [109]. A past participle views the noun as having undergone the action expressed by the participle, as prefabricated of buildings in [110]. [109] . . . the cripples envy at his straight, retreating legs[110] various prefabricated buildings Thus, the present is an active participle and the past is a passive participle.(Howard Jackson, Grammar and Meaning. Longman, 1990)Participles as Verbs and Adjectives Participles occupy an  intermediate position between verbs and adjectives. Like verbs of a clause, participles may function as predicates and take complements and adjuncts, in fact they refer to situations.  Since they are atemporal, they can, like adjectives, also function as modifiers of nouns.(Gà ¼nter Radden and Renà © Dirven, Cognitive English Grammar. John Benjamins, 2007) Participles as Sentence Openers When the  participle is a single word- the verb with no complements or modifiersit usually occupies the adjective slot in preheadword position: Our snoring visitor kept the household awake.The barking dog next door drives us crazy. . . . While the single-word participle generally fills the preheadword adjective slot, it too can sometimes open the sentence- and with considerable drama: Exasperated, she made the decision to leave immediately.Outraged, the entire committee resigned. Youll notice that both of these openers are past participles, rather than the -ing present participle form; they are, in fact, the passive voice. -(Martha Kolln, Rhetorical Grammar. Pearson, 2007) Pronunciation: PAR-ti-sip-ul

Free Essays on Ditching

How Ditching Took Over, and How I Took Over Ditching Whenever I am opening my locker and getting out my books, I see my S.A.R.B. contract that I signed not to long ago saying that I wouldn’t ditch anymore, and it reminds me of my problem at the beginning of the year. Earlier in the year I ditched at least one class a day, that’s pretty sad when a student only has three classes a day. In my essay I will describe to you a day at the beginning of the year, a day of school now, how I overcame my problem, and how I plan to act in the future. In the begging of the year I had four classes, because I had a tutorial. I would almost always ditch my tutorial class. Then, when the bell would ring I would go to my locker and get my books for my next class. At the time, I had plenty of friends that had cars, so it was easy to leave the school campus. So, if I didn’t get to leave the campus that period I would try again the next period. Sooner or later I succeeded. My problem got so out of hand that I would skip all day. Now, when I get to school I don’t have a tutorial because I dropped it at semester and that way I get to socialize with my friends in the mornings. Then, when I go to my locker to get my books for my next class I see my pick copy and the S.A.R.B. contract I signed about two weeks ago, and when I look at this pink sheet it motivates me to go to class. I was addicted to ditching and I couldn’t stop. It was sad to know that everyone knew that my group and I rarely ever went to class. I over came this problem by setting goals for myself. My goals started at ditching only once a day, then three times a day, and then down to twice a week. I was pretty proud of my self, but once or twice a week wasn’t good enough for my parents. My mother and my father helped me out a lot to quit ditching. They understood that I couldn’t quit all at once, so they agreed with my goals. So they gave me time and had faith in me. My p... Free Essays on Ditching Free Essays on Ditching How Ditching Took Over, and How I Took Over Ditching Whenever I am opening my locker and getting out my books, I see my S.A.R.B. contract that I signed not to long ago saying that I wouldn’t ditch anymore, and it reminds me of my problem at the beginning of the year. Earlier in the year I ditched at least one class a day, that’s pretty sad when a student only has three classes a day. In my essay I will describe to you a day at the beginning of the year, a day of school now, how I overcame my problem, and how I plan to act in the future. In the begging of the year I had four classes, because I had a tutorial. I would almost always ditch my tutorial class. Then, when the bell would ring I would go to my locker and get my books for my next class. At the time, I had plenty of friends that had cars, so it was easy to leave the school campus. So, if I didn’t get to leave the campus that period I would try again the next period. Sooner or later I succeeded. My problem got so out of hand that I would skip all day. Now, when I get to school I don’t have a tutorial because I dropped it at semester and that way I get to socialize with my friends in the mornings. Then, when I go to my locker to get my books for my next class I see my pick copy and the S.A.R.B. contract I signed about two weeks ago, and when I look at this pink sheet it motivates me to go to class. I was addicted to ditching and I couldn’t stop. It was sad to know that everyone knew that my group and I rarely ever went to class. I over came this problem by setting goals for myself. My goals started at ditching only once a day, then three times a day, and then down to twice a week. I was pretty proud of my self, but once or twice a week wasn’t good enough for my parents. My mother and my father helped me out a lot to quit ditching. They understood that I couldn’t quit all at once, so they agreed with my goals. So they gave me time and had faith in me. My p...

How Combinations and Permutations Differ

How Combinations and Permutations Differ Throughout mathematics and statistics, we need to know how to count. This is particularly true for some probability problems. Suppose we are given a total of n distinct objects and want to select r of them. This touches directly on an area of mathematics known as combinatorics, which is the study of counting. Two of the main ways to count these r objects from n elements are called permutations and combinations. These concepts are closely related to one another and easily confused. What is the difference between a combination and permutation? The key idea is that of order. A permutation pays attention to the order that we select our objects. The same set of objects, but taken in a different order will give us different permutations. With a combination, we still select r objects from a total of n, but the order is no longer considered. An Example of Permutations To distinguish between these ideas, we will consider the following example: how many permutations are there of two letters from the set {a,b,c}? Here we list all pairs of elements from the given set, all the while paying attention to the order. There are a total of six permutations. The list of all of these are: ab, ba, bc, cb, ac and ca. Note that as permutations ab and ba are different because in one case a was chosen first, and in the other a was chosen second. An Example of Combinations Now we will answer the following question: how many combinations are there of two letters from the set {a,b,c}? Since we are dealing with combinations, we no longer care about the order. We can solve this problem by looking back at the permutations and then eliminating those that include the same letters. As combinations, ab and ba are regarded as the same. Thus there are only three combinations: ab, ac and bc. Formulas For situations we encounter with larger sets it is too time-consuming to list out all of the possible permutations or combinations and count the end result. Fortunately, there are formulas that give us the number of permutations or combinations of n objects taken r at a time. In these formulas, we use the shorthand notation of n! called n factorial. The factorial simply says to multiply all positive whole numbers less than or equal to n together. So, for instance, 4! 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 24. By definition 0! 1. The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time is given by the formula: P(n,r) n!/(n - r)! The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time is given by the formula: C(n,r) n!/[r!(n - r)!] Formulas at Work To see the formulas at work, let’s look at the initial example. The number of permutations of a set of three objects taken two at a time is given by P(3,2) 3!/(3 - 2)! 6/1 6. This matches exactly what we obtained by listing all of the permutations. The number of combinations of a set of three objects taken two at a time is given by: C(3,2) 3!/[2!(3-2)!] 6/2 3. Again, this lines up exactly with what we saw before. The formulas definitely save time when we are asked to find the number of permutations of a larger set. For instance, how many permutations are there of a set of ten objects taken three at a time? It would take awhile to list all the permutations, but with the formulas, we see that there would be: P(10,3) 10!/(10-3)! 10!/7! 10 x 9 x 8 720 permutations. The Main Idea What is the difference between permutations and combinations? The bottom line is that in counting situations that involve an order, permutations should be used. If the order is not important, then combinations should be utilized.

Leaders as agents of Socialization Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Leaders as agents of Socialization - Term Paper Example That is, the gradual shift from an unfavorable environment to a more favorable one has the likelihood to reshape the initial cognitive cycle of the child, thereby emphasizing the role that conscious educational environments could create for the child. Essentially, inequality in educational achievement has been attributed majorly to the physical environment that the child grows in. The cultural capital theory helps to explain disparities in educational attainment based on the environmental setup that children grow in (Meyer, 2007). Intellectual ability is assessed through educational attainment of individuals. However, the interaction between such achievement and the socialization has prompted wide research into the impacts of social structures on the individual’s ability to socialize (loosely translated into the ability to interact freely and intelligently with other members of a social setup). Socialization is a key factor in the determination of the skill development in young children. Consequently, a great deal of attention has been concentrated to understanding how cultures create a social structure, and how such structures affect the ability to socialize (Turner, 2006). From the dimension of a school leader, the above argument presents a state to redefine the way children socialize. That is, irrespective of their cultural background. The leader aims at creating a supportive environment that recognizes the existence of each member of a society, and attempts to genuinely offer them equal opportunity to develop their social skills. In order to address the disparities between various members of a community, it is essential to create a transformative environment that will enable convergence of interests and encourage those who are seen to be underprivileged to come out more boldly and confront their past misgivings. The transformation environment created by a school leader cannot be complete without

Customer Retention (Marketing report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Customer Retention (Marketing report) - Essay Example The entire report will focus on TESCO retail segment and discuss on the strategic focus of TESCO in the customer retention domain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategic marketing planning is defined as an organization based planning designed in a way to understand the market opportunities, correlate the opportunities with the external environment and target audiences. While planning for strategic marketing the expected decision must be focused on the vision, mission, resources available and internal strengths of the company.(Hanna an 1992; Kotler & Andresen 1996; Andresen & Kotler 2003; Meek & Meek 2003). It is also evident that the strategic marketing planning is regarded as sub process in the context of corporate planning. (Gardner & Thomas 1985; Schendel 1985; Hanna an 1992; Meek & Meek 2003). Corporate management is a process of directing an organization either by deploying or manipulating resources to achieve higher rates of profit and also customer satisfaction. The above strategies and values of strategic planning are analyzed to identify the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats (SWOT Analysis) of the company with respect to the competitors. Interpretation of analysis reveals that the entire organization in involved and work together as a big task forces to achieve the goals of strategic planning. Apart from investigating the weakness and strengths of the company, strategic positioning is also an integral aspect of strategic marketing planning (Kotler & Andersen 1996; Hooley et al. 1998; 2001) for customer retention.   According to Chew (2003), strategic positioning is regarded as the differentiation in the level of positioning from the others who belong to the same society. It is justified that strategic positioning allows organizations to have a competitive advantage over their opponents. One of the disadvantages of competitive advantage does not ensure the continued success

Community Health Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Community Health Nursing - Assignment Example These flies can easily spread the disease when they come to contact with clean food to be consumed by human beings. This often leads to an outbreak of cholera, a deadly disease if treatment is not quickly sought. However, of notable concern is the fact that cholera is a preventable disease if necessary precautions are taken. As such, the nurses play different roles in environmental health. They can take a leading role in educating people about the need to maintain a clean environment in order to prevent the outbreak of deadly diseases such as cholera. These health professionals can also enlighten people about the importance of taking safety precautions such as washing hands before eating any food. These are preventive measures that can help mitigate the problem identified. The nurses can also educate people about the measures they can take once they have witnessed symptoms of deadly diseases like

Sunday in the park with George Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sunday in the park with George - Essay Example The particular song, â€Å"Finishing the Hat† was chosen because of the several meanings that it has throughout the song. The focus in this song is based on George and losing his loved one. When he approaches this, he calls it finishing the hat, which works as a metaphor to the incomplete piece that he is feeling at the moment. This universal theme of losing love is able to tie together to the rest of the emotions that George is feeling as well as the absence of his loved one at this particular moment. Even though this is the main theme of the song, there are other interpretations that can be added into this and which are noted from the lyrics as well as the musical techniques that are used through the piece. The â€Å"Finishing the Hat† song is not only interesting because of the main themes that George is singing about. There are several musical changes that are used throughout the piece to create different expressions. When listening to this piece, one is able to tie it into the rest of the musical, while allowing this particular theme to stand on its own. This combination of elements allows the piece to be one of the strongest in the musical and provides a deeper understanding to what is occurring in different parts of the song. This allows one to develop a specific relationship to George, the situation and what is occurring, specifically through the musical techniques. The song â€Å"Finishing the Hat† is used as a pause in the main story line to express the emotions that are occurring through the plot line. The first way that this relates to the plot line is through the main theme used with â€Å"Sunday Park in the George.† This musical was known to be taken from the painting that was a part of the time frame of 1884 (see Appendix A). The artwork that was depicted during this time is one of the most renowned pieces that are from the different

Financial reporting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Financial reporting - Research Paper Example Both CarMax and AutoNation engage in the sale of used vehicles; however, they also trade new vehicles. This report sheds light on the US automotive industry which experienced sale of 15,600 vehicles in 2013. The report further assesses the past financial performance of CarMax and AutoNation. Among the financial aspects that would be analysed include, the revenue and working capital. Additionally, the report analyses the strategies that are used by both AutoNation and CarMax to maintain a competitive edge at the market. AutoNation is rated as the largest automotive firm that retail vehicles in the US (Morningstar 1). It is also considered the top company that offers both used and new vehicles to the market. With its foundation dating back to 1996, the company runs more than 260 dealerships in the United States (AutoNation 1). The company’s headquarters is based in Florida. According to AutoNation, the management of the company consists of the Chief Executive Officer, Mike Jackson and the COO (Chief Operation Officer), Maroone Mike. AutoNation experienced revenue of $17.517 billion as of 2013 (1). However, the total equity stood at $2.061 billion in the same year (AutoNation 1). On the other hand, Morningstar shows that CarMax is the largest company that engages in the selling of used cars (1). The company was founded in 1993 (CarMax 1). Currently, the company boasts of one-hundred and twenty-eight stores where the pre-owned vehicles are sold (CarMax 1). The headquarters of the company is located in Virginia, US. Under the leadership of the Chairperson, Mr. Tiefel William, the Chief Executive Officer, Folliard Thomas and the Chief Finance Officer, Mr. Reedy Tom, CarMax managed to record revenue of $12.547 billion as of February 2014 (CarMax 1). This report is set analyse the economic features of the US automotive industry. Additionally, the report would assess the strategies that are used by AutoNation and CarMax. The report would finally analyse the

Ersatz Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ersatz Happiness - Essay Example However, this kind of euphoria is clearly false and robs a person’s right to a substantial life. The different characters in the story also portray hints that being in the new world is not really satisfactory. In the same sense, all the other methods that the Utopians have such as the â€Å"feelies† in order to have a â€Å"happy† life are blemished. The feelies is a kind of a movie theater that is supposed to be the main source of entertainment. In this cinema, the senses are falsely generated. Thus, Utopian’s ersatz happiness equates to a meaningless existence. The author, Huxley, cautions his readers against scientific utopianism. Though his novel was published in 1932, the principles that may be derived from his work are still quite applicable today. Unlike the contemporary utopian novels of his time such as â€Å"A Modern Utopia† by H.G. Wells, he sought to picture a pessimistic future. This may be influenced by the industrial revolution that w as quite apparent in the 20th century. There were also particular companies that advocated advancements concerning science and technology such as Imperial Chemical Companies (ICI). In its prime, it was known as the â€Å"biggest chemical group in the UK† (Bawden 1). This may have influenced Huxley’s portrayal of pharmacological achievements. ... A number of them could have viewed cutting-edge science as a savior. In addition, due to the unemployment at that time, the use of marijuana was introduced by Mexican immigrants (Monroy 27). Some people used this psychoactive drug to escape reality and experience a moment of elation. This is somehow parallel with Soma which was used to annihilate negative moods. In the story, there are indications that the Utopians felt that something was missing in their existence. They have occasional inklings of dissatisfaction. â€Å"Happiness is not a static state. Even the happiest of people- the cheeriest 10% -feel blue at times† (Wallis 2). There is a need to experience painful emotion to truly feel happiness. It is the healthy combination of negative and positive emotion that helps people to make a sense of reality. Without feeling low, it is difficult to realize the opposite. Hence, the people in the new world did not really have euphoria in the real sense. The difference between the so called perfect world and that of the outside is portrayed when the difference between the Savage Reservation and the new world was described. This is especially noticeable in John who was known as â€Å"the savage†. He spent his early childhood in the Reservation and was brought to Utopia. Indeed, he did not have the culture that denotes a very stable society. However, he still possessed quite humane characteristics such as truthfulness as well as benevolence. Comparably, people who are genuinely happy have more positive attributes. â€Å"Kindness might create a virtuous cycle that promotes lasting happiness and altruism† (Dixon, â€Å"Kindness Makes You Happy and Happiness Makes You Kind). According to the

Financial reporting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Financial reporting - Research Paper Example Both CarMax and AutoNation engage in the sale of used vehicles; however, they also trade new vehicles. This report sheds light on the US automotive industry which experienced sale of 15,600 vehicles in 2013. The report further assesses the past financial performance of CarMax and AutoNation. Among the financial aspects that would be analysed include, the revenue and working capital. Additionally, the report analyses the strategies that are used by both AutoNation and CarMax to maintain a competitive edge at the market. AutoNation is rated as the largest automotive firm that retail vehicles in the US (Morningstar 1). It is also considered the top company that offers both used and new vehicles to the market. With its foundation dating back to 1996, the company runs more than 260 dealerships in the United States (AutoNation 1). The company’s headquarters is based in Florida. According to AutoNation, the management of the company consists of the Chief Executive Officer, Mike Jackson and the COO (Chief Operation Officer), Maroone Mike. AutoNation experienced revenue of $17.517 billion as of 2013 (1). However, the total equity stood at $2.061 billion in the same year (AutoNation 1). On the other hand, Morningstar shows that CarMax is the largest company that engages in the selling of used cars (1). The company was founded in 1993 (CarMax 1). Currently, the company boasts of one-hundred and twenty-eight stores where the pre-owned vehicles are sold (CarMax 1). The headquarters of the company is located in Virginia, US. Under the leadership of the Chairperson, Mr. Tiefel William, the Chief Executive Officer, Folliard Thomas and the Chief Finance Officer, Mr. Reedy Tom, CarMax managed to record revenue of $12.547 billion as of February 2014 (CarMax 1). This report is set analyse the economic features of the US automotive industry. Additionally, the report would assess the strategies that are used by AutoNation and CarMax. The report would finally analyse the

Consider Carvers view on marriage Essay Example for Free

Consider Carvers view on marriage Essay Marriage is defined by dictionaries as a formal union of a man and a woman, by which they become husband and wife. However, books containing a list of words adjacent to their definitions do not fully define the concept of marriage. Some argue that marriage is about love and trust; others think of it as a permanent commitment between two people. In the stories with which Carver presents us in his book, Will You Please Be Quite, Please? marriage is about love, where love is not an experience of high excitement but a form of available reassurance, security and comfort. In Carvers view, love involves alleviating fear and providing the feeling of security that one is not alone. In the late stages of a marriage, mature couples tend to pay attention to the fear of loneliness, the fear that all human beings, such as their partners, are mortal which makes them feel vulnerable. In The Students Wife, Carver presents us with his first view of marriage through a couple, Mike and Nan. Mike and Nan live in an urban area with their children. Mike and Nan are in a late stage of marriage and have grown apart from each other. In the story, Carver emphasizes the lost affection of a person towards their partner. In this case, Mike has become unresponsive towards Nan.  Mike and Nan have been married for a long period of time; In The Students Wife, Carver describes Mikes fading affection towards his wife. Mike enjoys reading poetry, but Nan is indifferent to it. This is evident when she fell asleep while Mike was reading poetry aloud to her (she closed her eyes and drifted off). From Carvers description of the bedroom scene, we can conclude that the couple do not share common interests. The story continues with Mike constantly implying his feelings towards Nan (He groaned extravagantly); and, when he was asked for help, he gets out of bed reluctantly. Mike finds Nan unalluring, (He thought she looked like a hospital patient in her white night gown) and feels that his wife does not arouse him with desire. When Nan tries to engage him in a conversation, Mike accuses her of living in memories of the past (that was a long time ago, Nan). With Mikes accusation and gestures, Nan feels that she has lost her identity as a wife and as a woman (Id like to be touched when Im not expecting it); she has become humiliated by having to initiate physical contact in her marriage. As the story progresses, Mike falls asleep while Nan lays awake. Her growing desperation to lose consciousness (Please, God, let me go to sleep) has failed her (she tried to sleep); her frustration kept her awake all throughout the story. She seeks comfort from her husband (Mike, she whispered) because she couldnt bear the sound of silence (There was no answer). Nan felt alone when her husband did not respond to her need. When the night was over and the morning became visible, Nan walked towards the window to welcome the sun. As the sun rises, it dawns on her that there is no longer love in her marriage (she learned a sunrise was as terrible as this). She undergoes a traumatic shock. Her marriage has failed. In this relationship, love was once present, but as the couple have grown apart, it is no longer an issue. In The Ducks, Carver presents us with his second view of marriage. In The Ducks, Carvers ideas are interpreted to us by a couple whose names are not mentioned. The couple live in a remote area and are in the later stages of marriage. Carver sets the mood by using a meteorological soundtrack: rain falling, which is repeated frequently in the story to remind us of the situation. The rain is used to symbolize time passing. In this marriage, Carver suggests that a change of scenery can make a difference. At the beginning of the story, Carver gives us a description of the meteorological conditions: a wind came and bringing gust and rain. He sets a gloomy scene. The setting of the story is set in the house of the main characters, he and she. The dialogue starts with a conversation between the couple about the trip to Reno. As the story develops, the husband expresses his feelings towards his wife (dont you feel good?); this shows that he is highly aware of his wifes feelings. Unlike the husband in The Students Wife, this husband is very responsive and tactile towards his wife (he touched her hips, pinched her dress). In this relationship, the couple have no problem with communication. The wife  seeks reassurance from her husband (kiss me bye); she initiates physical contact without the fear of humiliation because she knows that her husband will respond to her needs. This marriage shows that time does not weaken love.  The husband comes home early from work owing to the death of his work-mate (he shook his head); he becomes aware of how quickly a life can end. On that night, the death of Jack Granger brought him and his wife closer together (held hands); this action specifies that physical reassurance is present in their marriage. The couple decide to alleviate their fear by having a sex, (well sleep in late); they are making the most of the simple pleasures in life. The husbands growing awareness of the rain leads him to think of time passing. As the night carries on, the couple reflect on the past, (remember when you got me this?); distant memories give them the pleasure of remembering how they used to live. The husband has been living in the same house for a long period of time and believes that a change of scenery (someplace else) will change his spirits a place where is it not raining. In the process of making love to his wife, his mind was not devoted to the physical activity. He could not bring himself to focus on her needs (How much he loved her or if he loved her). He is frustrated and his thoughts drift to his fears (he could hear it all over the house). The sound of rain is introduced again, which disturbed him. After making love to his wife, he lies awake. His attempt to prevent the rain from falling and the time from passing keeps him alert most of the night. He begins to feel frightened (I hear something outside); he realizes that he needs his wifes reassurance. He needs her to tell him everything is going to be all right. In How About This?, Carver presents us with another view of marriage. He writes about a couple, Harry and Emily, who have travelled from San Francisco to the isolated farm houses of western Washington in search of a new place to live. Harry had always lived in cities and felt that leaving the city would grant him more happiness (a simpler life was what he had in mind); he feels that moving into a rural area will suit his needs (just the essentials) and would like a change from urban living. As they approach the house, where Emily spent most of her childhood, Harry feels disappointed (nothing he really wanted); rustic living did not level up to his expectations. Sensing Harrys disappointment, Emily reminds him of what she said before they reached the house (I told you not to expect too much); she tries to ease his dissatisfaction but finds that she cannot relieve his frustration. After touring the house, Emily feels Harrys discontentment and comforts him (Harry, we just have to love each other). She signifies that, wherever they may end up, all they have to do is to love each other in order for them to be truly happy. This marriage shows us that location is not relevant when it comes to loving a person. When Harry found that rural living was not what he wanted, Emily was there to face the consequences with him. To Carver, marriage is about a couple who are willing to be together till death parts them. He presents us with three unconventional stories suggesting different outcomes of a long-term marriage. The simplicity of Carvers semi-autobiographical stories gives us an insight into the reality of modern couples. Based on contemporary marriages, his stories are ironic compared to the stories we once read. In conclusion, marriage can be a comfort in knowing that when a person is going through pain and suffering or joy and happiness, that person is not alone.

Internet Marketing strategy concepts and definitions

Internet Marketing strategy concepts and definitions This chapter aims to present a complete theoretical framework in order to justify an analysis of the previous findings. In the literature review, the evolvement of Internet marketing strategies will be evaluated. Previous research related to digital marketing strategy and the factors affecting customer satisfaction will be clarified. The review forms the principles on which the research is built, by identifying relevant theories and concepts that will be analysed using primary data. This chapter focuses on e-commerce, e-retailing, Internet marketing strategy and consumer behaviour. 2.2.1 Internet Marketing Since business to consumer (B2C) online marketing is becoming increasingly popular in recent years, the population of online consumers is turning more mainstream and diverse (Kotler, 2008). Internet marketing strategy provides consistent direction for an organisations e-marketing activities, defined by Kotler (2007, p493), is becoming one of the mostly rapid increasing technologies of direct marketing and widespread use of the Internet and has a variety of impacts on both buyers and marketers. Therefore, the term Internet marketing refers to an external perspective of how the Internet can be utilised in connection with traditional media to supply and deliver services to customers (Chaffey, 2009). Smith and Chaffey (2008) state that: E-marketing can identify, anticipate and satisfy customer needs efficiently Identifying needs from customer comments, enquiries, requests and complaints solicited via the web sites e-mail facility Anticipating the Internet provides an additional channel by which customers can access information and make purchases evaluating the demand is key to governing resource allocation to e-marketing. Satisfying achieving customer satisfaction through the digital channel, this relates to customer relationship management. Efficiently in an automated way, probably should mean efficiently, increasing lifetime value and maintain the vast armies of not-for-profit marketers. [Chaffey and Smith, 2008, page 18] The Internet brings convenience to consumers and has also permitted the creation of virtual retailers, which are characterised by having only an online presence, such as Amazon.com (Henderson and Er-Radi, 2000). Moreover, the key reason that drives business organisations to access online is to add value for customers by providing them with attractive and effective web sites. Kotler et al. (2008) consider that widespread use of the Internet and other technologies has given marketers a brand new way to create value for customers and build strong relationships with them. The web has basically changed customers concept of convenience, speed, price, product information and service. The authors also suggest that the success of click only companies, such as Amazon, eBay and others to re-examine how they served their markets (Kotler, et al. 2008, p839). The importance of an Internet marketing strategy was underlined by Chaffey et al. (2009), who said that a strong strategy is needed to provide consistent direction for an organisations e-marketing activities. Additionally, the Internet marketing strategy is a channel marketing strategy and determines the strategic significance of the Internet related to other communication channels which are used to communicate with customers at different customer touchpoints; for Internet marketing, many online organisations intended to use search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, affiliates and e-mail marketing (Chaffey, et al. 2009, p201). Obviously, the marketing mix (Kotler, 2001) can be applied by marketers to notify their Internet marketing strategy; the extension of 4Ps 7Ps include: Product, Price, Place and Promotion, People, Process and Physical evidence (Booms and Bitner, 1981). The marketing mix is applied frequently to marketing strategy since it provides a simple strategic framework for changing different aspects of a companys products helping to influence the demand for product within the target markets. Especially for an organisation which is involved directly in transactional e-commerce, digital media have implications for the significance of different marketing mix for different markets (Chaffey et al, 2009). Additionally, Lauterborn (1990) suggested the 4Cs framework the 4Cs imply more emphasis on customer wants and concerns than do the Ps: Convenience for the customer; Customer value and benefits; Costs to the customer; and Communication. This customer-centric approach also applies well to online mark ets; it follows that the selection of marketing mix should be based on detailed knowledge of buyer behaviour gathered through market research (Chaffey et al, 2009, p 279). Dennis and Harris (2002) also indicate that one development has merit as being descriptive of the way marketers think about the customer. The 4Cs are as explained below: C1 Convenience for the customer Place (from the 4Ps), can be thought of as Convenience for the customer, recognising the customers choice to purchase in ways that feel convenient to them. C1 also includes key aspects of website design, such as navigation, layout and ease of purchase. C2 Customer value and benefits Product, can be thought of as Customer value and benefits. E-retailers now specify products to a much better extent than previously, evaluating relationships to the customer and appreciation of benefits that customers want. When customers are buying online, they are far less likely to ask for help than when they are in store. E-shoppers need to be especially careful about describing products explicitly in terms of customer value and benefits. C3 Cost to the customer Price is represented as Cost to the customer, the real cost that the customer will pay, including packaging and shipping fee. Consumers often have a perception that prices should be lower online than in-store. Retailers often offer further pricing options includes: discounts; add-ons and extra products and services; guarantees and warranties; refund policies; order cancellation terms (Chaffey et al, 2009) C4 Communication and customer relationships Communication is equivalent to Promotion. It is a two-way process also involving attitudes and feedback from customers to suppliers. Dennis and Harris (2002) state that retailers spend more on advertising than manufacturers do, and they are closer to customers and have more access to customer feedback. Successful e-retailers often use offline advertising and promotion such as magazines and posters, integrated with online marketing communications. Online methods include banner ads and pop-ups, paid-for listings in search engines and affiliate programmes. E-retailers find it difficult to gain and satisfy customers emotional needs and wants. To achieve this, e-retailers can create a web atmosphere using techniques, such as music, visual download and videos. Moreover, e-retailers can build a picture of products most likely to be bought by individual customers. For instance, Amazon (www.amazon.com) matches new books to existing customers who maybe interested in them, based on prior purcha ses and makes recommendations accordingly (Dennis et al, 2004 pp2-8). 2.3 E-commerce Reynolds (2000) demonstrates that the Internet is changing the way people conduct normal business, whether this is finding new ways of revenue, obtaining new customers, or managing a new business supply chain. E-commerce enables businesses to sell products and services to consumers worldwide. According to Warrington et al. (2000), the intricacies of electronic commerce via the Internet and the World Wide Web have offered marketers an abundance of opportunities and challenges. E-commerce is growing at a tremendous rate, using the Internet initially as a communication and promotional tool, and later to perform distribution channels, discovering an entirely new situation of consumer purchasing behaviour. De Kare-Silver (2000) suggests that interactive technologies are doing away with the need for people to visit shops. The number of UK regular home web users has risen to 16.5m, time spent by home web users is also growing up, because they search for and use websites more (Gibson, 2002). Oz (2002) consists that consumers prefer to shop and buy on the Internet for three major reasons: convenience, saving time and comparative shopping. Ginn (2010) also demonstrates that online sales are a huge and growing part of the UK retail sector, and currently account for a quarter of all new retail businesses; online sales are predicted to reach  £78 billion during 2010. Despite the increasing levels of Internet adoption and usage, Internet shopping in the UK represents less than 10% of all purchases and online shopping remains popular for certain products only (Soopramanien et al, 2007 cited in Office of National Statistics Omnibus survey, 2003). Moreover, Internet shopping is considered both safe and easy by many millions of consumers (Econsultancy, 2010). Therefore, selling products online offers huge potential opportunities for retailers; it also instantly enables businesses to reach customers who would not have visited their bricks and mortar store. An ecommerce of long-lasting relationships has become a significant factor for marketers due to the increasing awareness of the financial benefits in maintaining customers (Sahota, 2004). According to cited from Reicheld and Schefter.s research (2000), the unique economics of e-commerce make customer retention a necessity for the e-retailers survival in the digital world. Chaffey et al. (2009, p628) indicates that since 2001 many retailers have accepted the Internet as a durable trading environment and have set about working out how to shape their companies to cope with the demands of trading and interacting in a virtual environment. The author also suggests that companies are able to discover substantial competitive advantages and customer value. Dennis et al. (2004) point out that there are a number of advantages for e-retailers. Firstly, location is not important; according to Amazon, the e-retailers can sell equally well to anyone anywhere in the world. Secondly, size does not ma tter; small e-retailers can compete on equal terms with large ones. Thirdly, the socio-demographic profile of e-shoppers is attractive to many retailers. Finally, online selling saves on the salary costs of traditional sales people. Amazon.co.uks E-retail Mix Convenience According to Dennis et al. (2004, pp47-51), there are several factors which increase the level of customer convenience which can be a vital part in gaining and maintaining new customers. First and foremost, the amazon.co.uk search engine is fast and safe, as customers can quickly look up the desired products. Moreover, the site provides value-added services such as book reviews and ratings, and shows a comparison prices against its own price; thus, customers can see how much they are saving from Amazon. Besides, Amazon offers shopping technology which streamlines the customer buying process by maintaining personal information such as credit card number and shipping address, in order to save time and reduce problems. In some cases the website provides a guarantee that, if the transactions are unauthorised, it will reimburse the money to customers. The authors also state that the main aim of Amazon.co.uk is to maximise customer convenience; one way of doing this is to inform the customer of product availability. Furthermore, the website also displays other books in the same category when customers are searching for similar books. The facility allows customers to have better choice and can increase sales. Customers can view their personal account anytime, which involves information about their previous orders with shipping details. In addition, customers can use account information to make their estimation and recommendations about other books that customer will consider (Dennis et al, 2004, p47). Cost Brynjolfsson and Smith (2000) justifies that Jeff Bezos, believed that online customers considered selection and convenience are more crucial than price. It is apparent that customers want to get a great price with excellent customer service. Most of the books from amazon are available at a discounted price; consumers can easily see three prices: list price, our price and how much you save. Communication Jeff sets the aim of Amazon to be a customer-centric company, so that customers can opt in if they wish to receive more information. Amazon keeps watch on the customers ordering process through the database environment that suits all the details to the website. Therefore, it can follow the trail of the speed and customer performance of every step in a transaction, such as adding items in a shopping basket, completing an order and e-mail notification to the customer. In addition to that, Amazon usually recommends similar books relating to what other customers have bought. These traits lead customers make their choice quickly and they can they can read spotlight reviews by others. Every user can express their viewpoints about authors while publishers and authors can also contribute. Moreover, Amazon uses an integrated marketing communication strategy consists of advertising, public relations, promotions and online marketing. Online activity includes search engine marketing and front pa ges such Yahoo and MSN. The associate program uses other sites to promote Amazon by linking directly take users to Amazons site. Computing Amazon has developed a customised information system and dedicated ordering system, which is linked with suppliers to automatically order books. The companys software processes the orders through interfaces or electronic data interchange with suppliers and the supply chain is computerised. Therefore, the company builds up a strong relationship with customers and suppliers. According to a customer research survey carried out by amazon.co.uk, 70 per cent of sales are collected by repeat customer of whom 97 per cent are satisfied or very satisfied with the service. Its FAQs part is informative as it displays all the key issues encompassing ordering process, delivery charges and return policies. According to Saunders (2001, p76), customer value proposition is a vital feature defined by several factors, including cost, quality, speed of delivery, service during the interaction with the company, and innovation. Cost. Customers usually want to pay the least money for the same quality of products they get. Quality. Customers expect to pay to get the promised quality. Speed. Companies can provide quick delivery is practicing this value proposition. Service repair and replacement. Customers hope if they can call a company at anytime 24 hours a day to solve problems. Innovation. Customers focus on the fastest, the newest, and the most advanced technology in the computer field. Companies often introduce new features to attract and obtain customers. Additionally, Saunders(2001, pp103-106) also suggests that Amazon processes orders and ships books, CDs, videos and so on, however, customer satisfaction comes not only from timely and safety delivery of orders, but also from understanding customer expectations and meeting or exceeding their needs. Moreover, there are some elements may influence customer satisfaction: Leave visitors to the site with a positive impression. Stimulate potential buyers for visiting the store. Make a customers encounters with the company a delight. Personalise and customise service. Perform as promised. Exceed expectations. Communicate the importance of customer satisfaction. Do something better than anyone else does it. Market knowledge as well as product. Consequently, Dennis at el. (2004) summarises that Amazon has become one of the worlds largest booksellers. The company has achieved this position through specific customer centric factors by enhancing customer experience. Kargar (2004) supplements that Amazons marketing strategy was designed to strengthen and broaden the brand name, enhance customer visiting frequency to its web sites; build customer loyalty; encourage repeat purchases and develop increased products and services revenue opportunities. The company delivered several of media, business development activities and promotions to achieve these goals. Chaffey and Smith (2008) also demonstrate that collaborative filtering helps Amazon to identify and anticipate what customers might offer similar books those buyers who have similar interests. 2.2.5 Consumer behaviour Internet consumer behaviour Internet consumer research (Brown et al., 2001) indicates that convenience is the main reason why consumers use the Internet for the purpose of purchasing. E-shoppers tend to be concerned mainly with functional and utilitarian considerations (Dennis et al. 2009). The authors also demonstrate that functional considerations influence consumer attitudes towards an e-retailer, which in turn has an impact on consumers choice of e-retailer and then on actual e-retail activity, including shopping and continued loyalty behaviour. According to a survey by NPD online, 75 per cent of online shoppers said that good customer service would make consumers shop at the site again (Solomon et al. (2006) cited from Gilbert (1999), p316). Another recent study suggested by Wolfinbarger and Gilly (2003) four factors were predictive of customer judgments about quality and satisfaction, customer loyalty and attitudes towards a website: Fulfilment/reliability. (a)The accurate display and description of a product so that what customers receive is what they thought they ordered. (b) The delivery of the right product within the time frame promised. Website design. This includes all elements of the consumers experience at the website (except for customer service), covering navigation, information search, order processing, appropriate personalisation and product selection. Customer service. This needs to be responsive, helpful, willing service that responds to customer inquiries quickly. Security/privacy. This involves the security surrounding credit card payments and the privacy of shared information. Chaston (2001, p25) identifies a five-phase customer purchase process, as shown in Figure 2.1, these are recognition of need, search for information, evaluation of alternatives, the purchase decision and post-purchase evaluation. Need recognition Information search Information evaluation Post-purchase evaluation Purchase decision Fig 2.1 A five-phase customer purchase process Therefore, in presenting a process model, it is apparent that the e-commerce purchase model builder need to recognise that the market attention should be given to how the factors of involvement, the creation of clear difference between a companys product and competition and time pressure may influence customer behaviour (Chaston, 2001, p30). Furthermore, a customer who is becoming a loyal user must experience satisfaction during the post-purchase evaluation phase. Kristensen et al. (1999) draws upon the customer satisfaction model, the combined influence of these factors causes the customer to reach results about both perceived value for money and overall level of satisfaction. Dennis et al. (2009, pp. 1123-1130) demonstrate factors influencing internet consumer behaviour, the conceptual foundations are illustrated in Figure 2.3: Figure 2.3 The basic model The authors propose that: P1. E-consumer attitude towards an e-retailer will be positively influenced by customer perceptions of e-retailer image. P2. E-consumer intentions to purchase from an e-retailer will be influenced by positive attitudes towards the e-retailer. P3. Actual purchases from an e-retailer will be positively influenced by intentions to purchase from an e-retailer. P4. Intention to shop with a particular e-retailer will be positively influenced by past experience. P5. Actual purchases from an e-retailer will positively influence experience. P6. E-consumer trust in an e-retailer will positively influence intention to e-shop. P7. Past experience and cues that reassure the consumer will positively influence trust in an e-retailer. P8. E-consumer attitudes towards an e-retailer will be positively influenced by e-interactivity. From the viewpoint of marketing organisations, a marketing strategy is intended to enhance the probability or frequency of consumer behaviours. Understanding consumers is a critical issue in developing marketing strategies, not only for retailers to adapt to consumers, but also to change what consumers think and feel about a variety of market offerings (Peter et al, 1999). Laudon and Traver (2003) demonstrate that some demographic groups have much higher percentages of online usage than other groups. The demographic profile of the Internet and e-commerce has changed greatly since 1995. There are several factors that influence the consumer behaviour, including gender, age, ethnicity, community type, income level and education. Consumers usually choose to shop online because it can save time and offer a wider range of products, by not going to store; can shop when stores are closed; might find better prices. Transaction cost reduction happens to be the main motivator for selecting th e online channel. However, there are two major criticisms of B2C marketing (Peter and Olson, 2008, pp2-16): firstly, it reaches only a small number of populations; secondly, consumers shop on the website to collect information about products and services but do not purchase. Consequently, several aspects could influence online consumer behaviours, for instance: whether consumers who want products are also Internet users; the size of the targeted e-retail market for the product or service and its geographic segmentation; whether buying the product or service through the Internet provides benefits to potential consumers. Turban et al. (2002) illustrate that e-commerce can be referred to as a new distribution channel; as a result, the task of attracting customers to an online company, customer acquisition, can be difficult and expensive, because it is necessary to first convince unwilling customers to shop online at first. Companies must build brand loyalty with new and existing customers, many successful e-retailers are using innovative technology to provide extra value is aiming to attract and maintain customers (Solomon et al, 2006). One of the benefits of doing Internet business is that it enables companies better understand their customers demands and buying habits, which will allow them to improve and customise their future marketing achievements (Turban et al, 2001, p128). For instance, Amazon can e-mail customers with announcements of new books published in a customers area of interest. Brown et al. (2001) point out that the Internet has transformed the social and spatial aspects of shopping for many consumers, thus, the Internet plays the role of facilitating the information search for consumers. The product acquisition process is increased by enabling consumers to access a significant amount of detailed information with regard to attributed product, comparative price, availability, and overall value proposition. Additionally, Peter and Olson (2008) state that marketing to consumers via the Internet has various benefits for marketers and that online B2C marketing requires marketers to achieve customers dema nds, just as traditional marketing does. Besides, online marketing allows products and services to be offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, therefore, offering products and services globally in an efficient and cost-efficient manner, more precisely, online marketing provides ways for developing one-to-one relationships with consumers and establishing consumer databases to be established for conducting online research. However, Solomon et al. (2006, p319) state that e-commerce has its limitations. First of all, security is one important aspect. Some consumers credit cards and other identity information has been stolen. Secondly, is related to the actual shopping experience. Perhaps consumers will be satisfactory to buy digital cameras or books online, however, buying apparel in which customers should touch and try it on is necessary may be less attractive. Even though most companies have very liberal return policies, consumers still dissatisfied with large delivery and return postal charges for items. Some pros and cons of e-commerce are summarised in Table 2.2. Table 2.2 Pros and cons of e-commerce Benefits of e-commerce Limitations of e-commerce For the consumer For the consumer Shop 24 hours a day Lack of security Less travelling Fraud Can receive relevant information in seconds Cant touch items from any location Exact colours may not reproduce More choice of products on computer monitors More products available to less-developed countries Expensive to order and then return Greater price information Potential breakdown of human Lower prices so that less affluent can purchase relationships Participate in virtual auctions Fast delivery Electronic Communities For the marketer The world is the marketplace Lack of security Decreases costs of doing business Must maintain site to reap benefits Very specialised businesses can be successful Fierce price competition Real time pricing Conflicts with conventional retailers Legal issues not resolved Source: Solomon et al. (2006) cited from Solomon, M. and Stuart, E. W. (2001) Welcome to Marketing.com: The Brave New World of E-commerce. Consumer decision making According to Solomon (2009), a consumer purchase is a response to a problem, there are several steps of consumer decision making (1) problem recognition, (2) information search, (3) evaluation of alternatives, and (4) product choice. Before purchasing a product, consumers have to consider a variety of problems. Moreover, a useful way to characterize the decision making process is to consider the abundant efforts that relates to the decision each time it must be made. Peter et al. (1999) emphasis that consumer decision making is based on the knowledge, meanings, and beliefs activated from memory and the attention and comprehension processes involved in exploring new information in the environment. Thus, consumers make purchasing decisions about which behaviours to perform to achieve their goals and to solve the problems. To develop effective marketing strategies, marketers should know the types of problem-solving processes their consumers usually make purchase decisions. Marketers target several consumer segments, with different decision-making processes, may develop multiple strategies to affect the different decision outcomes (Peter and Olson, 2008). Gefen and Struab (2004) identify the concept of perceived risk in an individual purchase behavior model, and concluded the shopping behaviour can be regarded as a form of information gaining behaviour. Therefore, consumer choice of type of shopping is mainly affected by three factors: merchandise features, shopping device attributes and consumer characteristics. The consumers decision to purchase or not to purchase the product or service is a significant factor for most marketers. It can express whether a marketing strategy has been wise, insightful, effective and efficient, or whether it was weakly planned (Schiffman et al, 2008). Thus, consumer behaviour is not only making a purchase decision or the action of purchasing, but also includes the full range of experiences associated with using or consuming products or services. Moreover, it also consists of the sense of pleasure or satisfaction delivered through possessing or collecting products (Schiffman et al, 2008, p98). Customer Satisfaction Hill and Alexander (2006) point out that in recent times, organizations have increasingly understand the importance of customer satisfaction. It is far less costly to maintain existing customers than to obtain new ones. Companies have invested enormously in improving performance in making a strong contribution to customer satisfaction, such as quality and customer service. Therefore, the authors supplement that the fundamental justification for measuring customer satisfaction is to provide the information which enables managers to make the right decisions to maximise customer satisfaction and improve customer retention. (Hill and Alexander, 2006, p9) Additionally, anyone involved in measuring customer satisfaction must have a specific understanding of the ways in which customers make and evaluate their purchase decisions. Lee et al. (2006) propose that a satisfied customer tends to return for future business and thereby contributes to the retention rate of the existing customers. Additionally, a satisfied customer is probably to offer positive word-of-mouth products or service about the purchasing experience. The World Wide Web spreads a virtual market place for customers to search for and purchase. Previous researches conducted that there were no remarkable difference between online and offline shopping environments which regard to customer satisfaction (Lee et al. cited in Smith and Rangaswamy (2003), pp.65). Besides, Szymanski and Hise (2000) investigate that the vital components of customer satisfaction framework are focused on the customer relationship management concept, including website convenience, provision of product i nformation, web page design, and security concerns. Amazon customer review With the Internets increasing popularity, online consumer reviews have turned into a vital resource for consumers substituting and complementing other forms of business-to-consumer and offline word-of-mouth communication about product quality (Zhu and Zhang, 2010). Therefore, online consumer reviews can enormously influence consumers purchasing decisions. In order to reduce the search costs for reviews, Amazon has recently modified the way to display star levels for each item. Although it previously showed only an average star rating, it shows how many people rated the item with each of the 1-5 stars, thus, readers can choose to read reviews for a given star level. An investigation by Chevalier and Mayzlin (2006), on average, reviews tend to be positive, they demonstrate that the addition of new, favourable reviews at one site results in a growth of the sales of a book at that site relative to the other site. Moreover, they also find an incremental negative review is more powerful in decreasing book sales than an incremental positive review is increasing sales (Chevalier and Mayzlin, 2006, pp.345-347). Consumers regularly read and respond to written reviews, not merely the average star ranking summary provided by the website. Moreover, the authors conclude that customer reviews tend to be positive at both sites and that