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The Hidden Agenda of the News Media - 1337 Words

The Hidden Agenda of the News Media People use many different sources in order to gain knowledge about current events. In America, historically, mass media and television have been the most dominant sources for information. Over the last decade, internet-based news sites and talk-radio shows have emerged as viable alternatives to the traditional media. While, obviously, the latest forms of news media are very different from their â€Å"elder† counterparts regarding the conveyance of the information, they share some of the same issues regarding the reporting of the news. News coverage can be, and usually is, influenced by many factors including, but not limited to: personal political ideology, religion, culture, and economics. The†¦show more content†¦Maybe the writer seems to think that the â€Å"provocative images† of the two boys â€Å"walking arm-in-arm† would stir up emotions and lead to more â€Å"violence in the region.† Arutz SHEVA The Arutz SHEVA article, written by International Affairs Correspondent Michael Freund, is blatantly subjective. The headline: â€Å"PA Terrorists Threaten Pop Star Madonna,† immediately places the blame on the Palestinian Authority. Freund cites the â€Å"UK daily The Sun† report that Madonna â€Å"received a series of ‘poison-pen letters’ from Palestinian Authority-based Arab terrorists in which they threatened to kill her and her two young children if she went ahead with the concerts in Israel.† (Freund’s source for his information is the â€Å"London tabloid† cited in the AP story in The Straits Times.) Freund goes on to quote The Sun’s anonymous source as saying that Madonna was determined to go ahead with the concerts, but, after receiving these â€Å"unbelievably scary† notes, she â€Å"freaked out when her kids were mentioned.† Freund uses quotes from The Sun to describe Madonna as a â€Å"strong woman† who â€Å"was not ready to take chances with her kids—they are her whole world.† Some of the terms and phrases used in this story are intended to appeal to the emotions of the reader. This story about a â€Å"strong woman† receiving â€Å"unbelievably scary† notes threatening her small children, who are â€Å"her whole world,† makes the reader feel sympathy towards MadonnaShow MoreRelatedThe Destruction Of The Human Race1437 Words   |  6 PagesHuman Race The influence of media in today’s world is having a negative impact on humanity. Today the media is more powerful than ever, not only in America but also globally. Media is everywhere in an abundance of people’s lives. Daily newspapers are being delivered to the front door, twenty-four-hour news channels and radio stations are broadcast in homes and businesses, and multiple social media outlets are available in the palms of people’s hands. Within seconds, news travels from the other sideRead MoreMedi Bending The Truth938 Words   |  4 Pages Media : Bending The Truth Most of all Americans get their news in one form or another, and with the introduction of smartphones and other technology to our daily life, receiving news has never been easier and more accessible. However, not all media outlets are equal. Many news media outlets contain bias and opinions. Some bias can be subtle, while other propaganda can be extremely obvious. Spotting the propaganda is not always easy, however it is important to know the difference between fact andRead MoreThe And New Zealand Media Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will demonstrate how both American and New Zealand media outlets shape and filter all their stories and decide what people see and think about, and how to think about certain stories; also known as ‘Agenda Setting’. New Zealand and America interpret news completely differently, what is important in America may have zero relevance to New Zealand media and vis versa. Agenda-setting is more obvious in the New York times, they report on specific events to endorse and highlight events orRead MorePublic Private Divide Structure The Priorities Of Human Rights Issues1110 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernments, most always has a hidden agenda when they choose what issues to privatize and what issues to publicize. American troops tend to ignore private issues such as domestic abuse and women’s education in Afghanistan because these issues are seen as private issues; however, when there is something to gain from interfering it becomes a public issue. Sharbat Gula is a young Afghan girl who for seventeen years was only a picture, lacking a name and a story in the American media. Seventeen years laterRead MoreHow Media Influences The Minds Of All Who Consume It1569 Words   |  7 Pagestext, meaning they are able to dissect the text and come to their own conclusions. On the contrary, a Passive audience member simply soaks up all information shown to them in a media text without any user interaction, just as the creator of the media form intended. Different scholars have differing theories on how the media influences the minds of all who consume it, and it is impossible to tell which theory is correct. However most theorists agree that one theory may fit one audience member, butRead MoreMedi Scientific Articles Versus Socially And Politically Motivated Biased Articles1204 Words   |  5 Pagesthis paper, I will be analyzing two types of media: Scientific articles versus socially and politically motivated, biased articles. This paper’s intended audience are my fellow ENC1101 students. This paper will challenge students to do further research then what they see after one search before forming an opinion on a subject. The audience of my paper will be aware of the subject, as the topic has been in the news in ad nauseam over social media, news outlets, newspapers, and personal conversationRead MoreMedia And Its Influence On The Public1646 Words   |  7 PagesNot only is the interest of the owners of large companies pushed out to the public, but also the interest of the companies who pay these media companies in advertising to citizens to sell their goods. Advertising is an important influence in what the public sees in media and has a direct influence on the public’s interest in the product (Rinallo, Basuray; 2009). Companies such as Nike and Coca-Cola can pay networks such as ABC and FOX large sums of money to advertise their companies through theirRead Moreyears and years the world has been blinded by the evils in society. There are three main matters1100 Words   |  5 Pagesyears and years the world has been blinded by the evils in society. There are three main matters that shade us from the truth every day. These are corruption/greed, media t akeover, and ignorance. Corruption is one of the worst evils to enter society; it has seemed to become a type of faith on its own. The way it is evil is that corruption has blinded society by the way we think and act, it allows people in society to think that doing evil things is an ok thing to do. The reason corruption has changedRead MoreAnalysis Of Stanley Cohen s Folk Devils And Moral Panics 1438 Words   |  6 PagesUniversity of Essex in the 60s, developed the concept of Moral Panic as a way to describe the media coverage of the violence that spawned between two rival youth gangs (the Mods and the Rockers) and to explain the following societal reaction to that era’s adolescent sub-culture. Since then the term has been regularly used in the media to refer to all sorts of anti-social and criminal behaviours.The use of media can create unnecessary panic about a range of different subjects, one of the most popularRead MoreEssay on The News Media1022 Words   |  5 PagesThe News Media Being objective has been an unrealistic ethic that defines the news media. Fallows agues that journalism and the news has provided largely entertainment fluff and has virtually selected unthinking news communicated to the American people; and Paenti agrees and states that the Media is big business and therefore is not independent, objective, neutral, informative, balanced, and truthful. Their ideas may seem outlandish and farfetched, but it is the fact of life for the media

Pantene free essay sample

Professor John Kennedy prepared this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The author does not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The author may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [emailprotected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 1999, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2010-01-13 We are working to do a more effective job in globalizing our products. Currently, this involves five kinds of activities. First, while it is not always possible, we are focusing on the development of products that have global potential. Second, when a product is first introduced in a specific country market, we ask the people developing the marketing strategy to incorporate whenever possible into their strategy development the concept that it should ‘travel well’ to other countries. Third, when we take a product that is successful in one country and begin to introduce it in other countries, we push our people to avoid the ‘not invented here syndrome. ’ Fourth, you can lose competitive advantage if you are slow in getting a successful product into all the markets you serve. Therefore, we are taking steps to shorten the time period in which a successful product gets introduced across our operations. The final activity is an area that has become increasingly important to us. It is the development of a communication network that enables brand people in one country to learn quickly about successful marketing innovations in other countries. – John E. Pepper, president of the Procter Gamble Co. THE PROCTER GAMBLE CO. In 1990, the Procter Gamble Co. was a century and a half old organization headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The founding product line was soap. Over the years the company’s product offerings had grown, through both internal development and corporate acquisitions until, in 1990, the product line included brands in numerous categories: laundry, cleaning, paper, diapers, feminine protection, hair care, beauty care, food, beverages and over-the-counter drugs. The firm had expanded geographically as well, particularly in recent decades. In 1990, there were major Procter Gamble operations in 46 countries outside the United States, and PG brands were sold in more than 140 countries. The company sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1990 were $24. 1 billion, up 13 per cent over the previous year. Earnings were $1,602 million, up 33 per cent. This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. Page 2 9A99A038 THE HISTORY OF THE PANTENE BRAND Hoffman-LaRoche The Pantene brand grew out of research efforts in the early 1940s by Swiss scientists working for the pharmaceutical firm Hoffman-LaRoche. As part of their research, they discovered that a material with the name Panthenol actually penetrated the hair cuticle (outer layer) to improve the strength, elasticity and moisturization of hair. Pantene Hair Tonic, the first of what would become a narrow line of hair-care products, was introduced into the European consumer market in 1946. They were positioned as high-priced â€Å"treatment† products for both men and women, and were available only in a limited number of upscale outlets. The line quickly gained a reputation for excellence. Demand by Americans who had discovered the products while travelling in Europe led to the importation of the line to the United States in the early 1960s. The first retailer to carry the line was the pharmacy in New York’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This was quickly followed by distribution in upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. During the 1960s and 1970s, the product line was extended. Rather interestingly, shampoo, the product with the largest market potential, was not added to the product line until 1971. Distribution of the Pantene line was expanded geographically as Hoffman-LaRoche extended its operations to additional countries. However, the vast majority of sales continued to come from Europe and North America. In the 1960s a professional line1 was developed and sold in several European countries. The line was successful initially, but strong competitive pressures led to its discontinuation in the late 1970s. In 1976, Hoffman-LaRoche shortened the product line, repackaged it, and launched a print campaign. In the United States, this resulted in Pantene becoming the number one brand in department stores. Late in the 1970s, distribution was broadened by adding selective mass market drug chains: Walgreen’s, Long’s and Osco, where premium prices of $6. 00 to $17. 50 (per eight ounce/240 millilitre) per item were maintained. Richardson-Vicks Inc. Richardson-Vicks Inc. , a U. S. -based packaged goods firm, acquired Pantene from Hoffman-LaRoche in January 1983. Following an extensive review of the line, the decision was made by Richardson-Vicks to test the viability of moving the line from a high price, selective distribution one, to a lower priced mass market one. The concept of a Pantene line with lower retail prices, broadened distribution, and support from increased media spending was tested with shampoo and conditioner in two western U. S. states in 1984/1985. The test was very successful, and a national launch plan was in the process of development when the company was purchased by Procter Gamble in September 1985. Procter Gamble Inc. Procter Gamble continued with the development of the planning for Pantene and, in January 1986, began shipping to the U. S.  trade improved formulas of the shampoo and conditioner as part of a new line called â€Å"Pantene Prestige. † These products were phased into all major drug chains, mass merchandisers and selected food stores during the spring of 1986. At the same time, the Pantene line was phased out of department stores. Good distribution was obtained in the drug trade. There was much less success in 1 A line sold to and through beauty salons. This document is authorized for use only in G MBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. At the same time, many drug retailers in the United States priced Pantene Prestige at a premium, taking higher margins as a tradeoff for lower volume. This left North American pricing consistent with Pantene pricing in most other parts of the world. TAIWAN The island of Taiwan, 395 kilometres long and 142 kilometres wide, is by far the largest of the 86 islands that make up the country of Taiwan. Sixty per cent of the island is mountainous, and only about one quarter of the land is considered arable. The estimated 1990 country population of 20. 6 million people was almost entirely Chinese by origin, and was concentrated in the western and northern coastal fringes. Exhibit 1 provides information on the Taiwanese population by age group and gender. Taipei, the capital city, had a 1990 population of about 2. 6 million people, with an estimated further three million in adjacent communities. The next three largest cities, Kaohsiung, Taichung and Tainan, had a combined population of approximately 2. 8 million people. Ninety-three per cent of the population was literate. The country had enjoyed very high levels of economic growth over a period of many years. Unemployment figures were low at 1. 5 to 1. 7 per cent. The projected real year change in gross domestic product for 1990 was 5. 3 per cent. GNP per head for the same year was projected at US$7,990. Exhibit 2 shows that there had been substantial equity in the distribution of the large economic gains made in the country in the previous two decades. PROCTER GAMBLE IN TAIWAN Procter Gamble Taiwan started out in 1985 as a joint venture between PG and a local company, the Namchow Chemical Company. The joint venture was known as Modern Home Products. Namchow gave PG access to factories, an established sales and distribution network, and market knowledge and local contacts vital to doing business in a new market. Brands introduced during the first four years of operation included Pampers, Safe Free, Camay, Ivory and Joy. While sales volume grew significantly over these four years, the operation was not a profitable one. Towards the end of that time period, the PG American parent was shifting from a local focus to an increasingly global strategy. At the same time, Namchow had developed a new interest in other markets. Subsequently, the joint venture was dissolved in early 1990 with PG’s purchase of Namchow’s 50 per cent holding, and Procter Gamble Taiwan Ltd. was born. THE TAIWAN HAIR CARE MARKET The Taiwan hair care market in 1990 was a large one, with a shampoo market size of an estimated 10 million litres, and a conditioner market estimated at 1. 25 million litres. Market growth was forecast at three per cent per annum for the next few years, then tapering off to two per cent per annum. An early 1990 Habits and Practices study had determined that the previous three months usage of shampoo was 96 per cent — almost everyone used shampoo to wash their hair. This was twice the 47 per cent of people who had used a conditioner in the same time period. The average wash frequency was about 3. 5 times a week, with 89 per cent of respondents reporting an evening wash habit. Like the hair care markets in many other countries, there was frequent brand switching, especially among younger females. This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. Page 4 9A99A038 In terms of purchase habits, 43 per cent of consumers bought their shampoos in supermarkets, and 23 per cent in discount stores which were, for the most part, single-unit medium-sized operations. It was expected that the supermarket share would increase with the completion of a number of announced hypermarches, and that share of the discount stores would drop. Twenty-nine per cent of retail sales were made in government-related PX channels. There were three of these channels: military, federal government, and city government-based operations which were run like cooperatives and which sold only to members. This part of the market carried a limited number of brands and sizes, and used bargaining power to enable them to command price cuts of 20 to 25 per cent relative to other forms of distribution, which were called the â€Å"open† market. Retail margins were 18 to 19 per cent in the open market, compared to approximately two per cent in the PX market. A relatively small proportion of the market was serviced by wholesalers, who worked on margins of nine per cent, including a one per cent cash discount. The market differed from many other markets, including the North American one, in that there was no consumer or trade promotional activity. The shampoo market was very fragmented, with only four brands having more than a five per cent market share in early 1990. Based on Usage data, only Head Shoulders with seven per cent and Pert with 11 per cent had more than five per cent â€Å"Most Often Used Brand† levels. The leading firm in the shampoo market was Kao, a subsidiary of a Japanese firm, with a 25 per cent share of the market, made up of one of the four market share leaders and a multitude of other brands. Kao was also the leading firm in the conditioner market. Procter Gamble had first entered the hair-care market in 1986, with the introduction of Head Shoulders, which was positioned as an anti-dandruff shampoo. This was followed in 1987 with the introduction of Pert, the first two-in-one shampoo in the market, and positioned as providing soft smooth hair. Both Colgate Palmolive and Lever entered the Taiwan market through joint ventures about this time, and Lux’s first hair-care brand came on the market in 1988. Following the introduction of Pert, the two-inone shampoo segment grew rapidly, spurred by the entry of several new two-in-one brands, including Kao Sifone with a â€Å"soft smooth hair† positioning, and the very recent two-in-one line extension for Lux shampoo with a â€Å"shiny hair† positioning communicated via a celebrity endorsement. By early 1990, the two-in-one segment represented 25 per cent of the market. At the same time, Procter Gamble had grown to second position in the market with an overall company share of 18 per cent. While product sizes were not standardized, the most popular sizes were quite closely grouped around 200 millilitre and 400 millilitre sizes. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PANTENE CONCEPT IN TAIWAN John Lee, marketing manager for hair care products in 1989, commented, While we were pleased with our early success in the market place, we were looking for products, particularly in the two-in-one segment, that could grow us into number one in hair care. A Taiwan Habits Practices study (see Exhibit 3) showed that shiny hair and healthy hair (gives nutrition to hair, protects hair from split ends) were top hair-care attributes. Given that other key attributes — anti-dandruff and softeners/smoothness — were already addressed by Head Shoulders and Pert, we concluded that a positioning using shiny and healthy attributes, combined with two-in-one technology, could be a unique one. This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. Page 5 9A99A038 Some time earlier, the brand group had learned that there was a small brand called Pantene that PG had acquired from Richardson-Vicks. They now began to study it closely for its potential for reapplication in Taiwan. They learned that, in the United States, the brand had a â€Å"beauty through health† positioning, while in France the same product had â€Å"shine outside/strength inside† positioning. Qualitative research was designed and carried out on the three positioning concepts. The results showed that the â€Å"shine through health† positioning was perceived as more specific than the â€Å"beauty through health† positioning of the regular formula of the U.S. shampoo, and simpler than the â€Å"shine outside/strength inside† positioning of recently introduced French Pantene, which used an â€Å"Algrave† formula. We concluded that ‘shine through health’ positioning, combined with two-in-one technology, would provide a good mar ket entry point because the two-in-one technology was in the growth segment of our hair-care category. From this base, the marketing strategy for Pantene was built. In conjunction with the positioning decision, the determination was made that the Pantene introduction would be for the shampoo only. There were several reasons underlying this decision. The most important was the continuing growth of the two-in-one market and the belief in the need for PG to capitalize on its current product technology superiority over its competitors. â€Å"As competitive technology catches up with us,† said Mr. Lee, â€Å"performance advantages will be reduced. The name of the game will then be back to who has the better positioning and marketing — and who got there first with it! † The second reason was that the conditioner market was small relative to the shampoo market, and that a market entry with both products would blur the focus the firm wanted to put on the two-in-one market. Finally, the conditioner could be used as the lead product in a treatment line introduction for which planning was just starting. THE STRATEGY FOR THE PANTENE INTRODUCTION Brand Name: â€Å"Pantene Pro-V† in English; â€Å"Pan-Ting Pro-V† in Chinese Target Audience: Women, aged 18 to 35, who care most about the health of their hair. Positioning: Shine through health Product †¢ Full-strength â€Å"Algrave† formula with Provitamin B5 (Panthenol), in ivory colour. Perfume is â€Å"X2Y. † The â€Å"Algrave† formula had been a success in a number of countries in the Far East. This success was attributed to the fact that Oriental hair is coarser than Caucasian hair and needs more conditioning effect. Further, product testing in Italy had confirmed the better acceptance in that country of the full-strength â€Å"Algrave† formula versus a diluted â€Å"Algrave† used in some other European countries. The Concept Usage test had confirmed that the â€Å"X2Y† fragrance at . 45 per cent had strong acceptance by local consumers. †¢ Four versions: normal, oily, dry, permed This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. This decision was based on a 1989 Versioning study. Packaging †¢ Shape as shown in Exhibit 4. †¢ Colours in pearlescent pastel shades similar to the U. S. Pantene colour scheme: ivory for the oily version, yellow for normal, pink for dry, and lavender for permed. †¢ Graphics modelled after the U. S. Pantene pack and shown in Exhibit 4 as well. These decisions followed â€Å"Package Show† tests in Taiwan and Japan (see Exhibit 5) that confirmed that Taiwan graphics were â€Å"right† for the Far East and rated significantly higher than the latest Euro-Pantene design. Sizing: Two sizes; 200 millilitres, 400 millilitres Pert currently was offered in three sizes: 200 millilitres, 400 millilitres, and a 750 millilitre Pump. The two smaller sizes accounted for 90 per cent of the volume. Pricing: Eight per cent premium over Pert Concept Usage test data are in Exhibit 6. The data were collected in the context that the Taiwanese respondents were asked to respond to the questions after being provided with price information showing the retail price of Pantene to be 14 per cent higher than the (current market) price for Pert. The 14 per cent was very similar to the product manufacturing cost differences between Pantene and Pert. Purchase intent among Pert non-users was almost triple after using the product (19 per cent versus seven per cent), while comparable figures for Pert users were (13 per cent versus 12 per cent). Based on the CU test data, the projections were made that: †¢ the brand would generate 275,000 litres in Year 1 (excluding 25,000 litres in pipeline volume) and 665,000 litres in ongoing volume, which represented a three per cent and six per cent share, respectively; and †¢ the cannibalization of Pert would be only five per cent. The final decision was to set the Pantene retail price at an eight per cent premium to Pert, and equal to a planned Head Shoulders two-in-one product. This price represented a 30-plus per cent premium on Kao Sifone on a per millilitre basis, and an 18-plus per cent premium on a per bottle basis (see Exhibit 7). Advertising †¢ Creative: Focus on the â€Å"shiny hair through health† benefit. Use Taiwanese celebrities to get higher awareness. This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. Page 7 The concept was that â€Å"Pantene is a combined shampoo/conditioner containing Provitamin B-5 which penetrates the hair to fortify it. † Visualization of â€Å"two-in-one† was used to position Pantene in the growing two-in-one segment. Two 30-second commercials were created. The tone of these commercials was elegant, self-confident, aspirational and personal. Focus group tests of the advertising showed that consumers liked it because it clearly communicated the strategic benefit of shine-through-health. The visual transformation of the hair in the commercials communicated improving health of hair. The use of consumer language — like someone sharing personal experience instead of manufacturer talk — without demos enhanced the credibility of this copy. †¢ Media: a three-month media heavy-up with an estimated share of voice2 of 15 per cent, or 300 average four-week GRPs3 (80R/3. 8F) to achieve at least 60 per cent awareness after three months of advertising. These decisions and projections were in line with the introductory media level of Kao Sifone, which built 67 per cent awareness in three months. Year 1 media spending was budgeted at US$955,000. This translated into a projected share of voice consistent with the media spending of Pert in Year 1. †¢ Sampling: 2. 6 million 10 millilitre sachets4 in the first three months to reach 75 per cent of urban households (55 per cent of national households) to generate 25 per cent + trial. Sampling concentrated on door-to-door because face-to-face sampling at central locations is less efficient with high duplication in Taiwan. The budgeted cost was US$1 million. MARGINS The projected product costs for Pantene were 14 per cent higher than for Pert. Forty per cent of this increase was attributable to higher ingredient costs. The other 60 per cent constituted higher packaging costs brought about by the choice of pearlescent package colours and the decision to have a silver stripe engraved around the bottom of the package cap. The projected margin structure relative to Pert is shown in Exhibit 8. RESULTS Pantene Pro-V was launched in April 1990. It soon became apparent that the launch was a major success. The marketing plan had forecast a three per cent share of the market over the first year in the market. Six months after the introduction, the brand had already grown to almost twice that share. A post-six months Usage and Attitude Study showed that the media plan/copy plan had delivered brand awareness of 70 per cent and advertising awareness of 60 per cent. Cannibalization of Pert was limited, with Pert sales declining by only five per cent. Twenty-eight per cent of users who switched to Pantene stated that they did 2 Share of voice means PG advertising spending as a percentage of total category advertising for a given period of time. GRP is the abbreviated form of gross rating point. One gross rating point means that one per cent of the target population is expected to have media exposure. Gross rating points are measured over a time period, which is often a week. Further, they are composed of two parts. Reach, the â€Å"R† above, is the proportion of the target audience with an expected exposure of at least once. This number is divided into Total GRPs to give the average frequency, the â€Å"F† above, of expected media exposure. 4 A 10 millilitre sachet provided enough product to wash the hair twice. Research carried out in a number of countries had established that two hairwashings were sufficient to generate trial, whereas one was not. 3 This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. Page 8 9A99A038 so due to advertising. Twenty-six per cent of users switched to Pantene because of sampling. Further, the Usage and Attitude Study data indicated that respondents who had been sampled had five times the rate of trial and two times the rate of purchase of non-sampled respondents. This document is authorized for use only in GMBASG/Brand Management by Prof. Vivek Bali at SP Jain School of Global Management from February 2014 to June 2014. Page 9 9A99A038 Exhibit 1 TAIWAN POPULATION BY SEX AND AGE

Little Cloud By Joyce Essays - Television, A Little Cloud

Little Cloud By Joyce James Joyce wrote the story "A Little Cloud"; the story was published in 1905. "A Little Cloud" takes place in Dublin. Which is known to be a dirty town. Little Chandler is a thirty-two year old married man with one son who is not quite one year old in the story. He is called little Chandler because of his appearance. He is slightly under stature height, which is he, under one hundred and eighty-five centimeters. He has small white hands, childish teeth and good nail care. Little Chandler has a fragile frame, silken hair and mustache; he has a quiet voice and refined manners. Little Chandler is an abstinent man, meaning he is sparing in eating and drinking. Little Chandler blushes very easily at almost anything. He appears to have a pretty good life; he works at the Kings Inn at a desk. He likes to read poetry and someday would like to write it. Little Chandler has never been in a great deal of trouble before in his life. He often thinks about his friend Ignatius Gallaher while at work, and how he has become a brilliant man in the Press. Little Chandler often thinks of his life, which makes him sad. Little Chandler meets up with his friend for the first time in eight years at a bar and for the first time he notices that Gallaher is more vulgar then what he remembered him to be, the way he talked about things and expressed himself. Gallaher is a wild man who drinks freely; he has borrowed money from all sides and got into some trouble with money and had to leave town. Everyone of their friends admired Gallaher and no one doubted that he had talent. Gallaher always keeps a bold face. He has a heavy pale face, which he keeps shaven. He has an unhealthy pallor to him, he looks sick from fear or illness. Gallaher works for the Press and leads a vagrant life; he has no definite direction in his life, he is always wondering from place to place. Gallaher is a very vulgar man with no manners. He is not married and he only plans to marry into money, so he will be set for life. The two men in this story are not very much alike. Little Chandler is a much more decent guy then Gallaher, he had very good manners. Gallaher is more vulgar then Chandler. Chandler loses a bit of respect for Gallaher during their meeting at the bar. How Gallaher won't marry unless he marries into money. Little Chandler married because he loved the women he married. Little Chandler wants so much to write poetry and is always thinking about it, but I think that because he is married with a child he feels that he will have no time to do it. Maybe the truth is, is that he isn't a very good poetry writer himself and he isn't willing to take the blame so maybe he is blaming it on his family. When he was trying to read poetry while holding his child when his wife went to the store. The baby started crying and he found he wasn't able to read it anymore so he yelled at the child to quit crying which made the child cry more, then his wife came in and got angry with him. "Little Chandler felt his cheeks suffuse with shame and he stood back out of the lamplight. He listened while the paroxysm of the childs sobbing grew less and less; and tears of remorse started in his eyes." Maybe this statement means that Little Chandler knows that it isn't the childs fault for the way his life turned out. Little Chandler could have been living in a dream world about his poetry. Now Little Chandler realizes it and feels bad for what he has done to his child. The title of the story "A Little Cloud" could refer to Little Chandler. A little man living in a little cloud of a dream world. And he doesn't realize until later that he is living in a cloud world and has punished his family for it. The saying "that there was no doubt about it, if you wanted to succeed you had to go away. You could do nothing in Dublin" Little Chandler could have just believed it because everyone else believed it. So everything Little Chandler has done was worthless in his mind, but really he had succeeded; he

Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice by Joffre Swait

Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice by Joffre Swait Abstract The purpose of this essay is to review the article â€Å"Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice† by Joffre Swait and Tulin Erdem. The article identifies the effects of brand credibility towards successful marketing. The authors have used an appropriate research design in order to get the best results.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on â€Å"Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice† by Joffre Swait specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the authors, trustworthiness is a powerful tool because it encourages many consumers to make positive purchasing decisions. New studies are critical towards exploring the benefits of effective marketing practices. Such dynamics can determine the success of every marketing strategy. The authors encourage future researchers to examine how consumers develop unique purchasing behaviors. This essay also supports our class text bec ause it offers the best insights to different learners. Critique The article â€Å"Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice† examines a unique issue affecting many consumers and marketers. Brand credibility is associated with â€Å"expertise and trustworthiness† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 193). The article goes further to analyze how brand credibility affects the decisions made by different consumers. The scholars have organized their article in a professional manner thus making it meaningful. The issues discussed in the article are easy to understand. The researchers have offered the best representations and discussions. The researchers have included an abstract in this article. The literature review informs the reader about the targeted objectives and findings. This approach makes the article clear and worth reading. Quality research articles should always have appropriate study methodologies. It is agreeable that the authors used the best research methodology in order to get quality results. To begin with, the authors identified three hypotheses to guide their study. The researchers used a simple analysis method (SAM) to examine how brand clarity influences the decisions made by consumers. The authors â€Å"identified six product classes in order to get the best results† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 193). These product classes included â€Å"cellular telecommunications services, athletic shoes, juices, headache medications, personal computers, and hair shampoos† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 192).Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The researchers identified the best respondents before undertaking their study. This approach made it possible for the researchers to get the best results. The scholars also interpreted their results in a professional manner. This article is relevant because it supports our course content. According to our class readings, marketers should use the best advertising models in order to achieve their goals. According to Erdem and Swait (2004), every consumer purchases the best products in order to satisfy his or her needs. That being the case, advertisers and marketers should ensure their brands are admirable. Brand clarity also plays a major role towards the success of different products. It is agreeable that brand trustworthiness is capable of affecting the choices made by different consumers. Brand trustworthiness is critical because it determines the success (or failure) of a given product. Many researchers have also analyzed how brand clarity affects the success of various products. This article is worth reading because it equips advertisers with useful marketing ideas. Every marketer wants to get the best results. The ideas and concepts presented in this article will ensure every marketer realizes his or her potentials. This article also supports my marketi ng skills and experiences. Many consumers â€Å"will have to trust a specific brand before purchasing it† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 194). This fact explains why every marketer uses the concept of brand clarity to attract more customers. Brand credibility makes it easier â€Å"for consumers to purchase the best products in order to fulfill their needs† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 196). Brand credibility makes it easier for consumers to make good decisions. This practice encourages them to purchase the best products. The ideas and concepts presented in this article support the expectations of many marketers. This knowledge will make it possible for them to achieve their marketing objectives.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on â€Å"Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice† by Joffre Swait specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article’s premises and conclusions are useful to every marketer. According to Erdem and Swait (2004), trustworthiness is something meaningful because it affects the decisions made by different consumers. This concept encourages consumers to purchase their favorite commodities (Erdem Swait, 2004). According to the author, several factors influences the decisions made by different customers. Credibility effects â€Å"are also common in different product classes† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 194). These arguments are useful because they support our course frameworks. The article widens our skills and competencies towards achieving every marketing objective. The article encourages future researchers â€Å"to examine how Choice Dynamics (CDs) can affect the decisions made by consumers† (Erdem Swait, 2004, p. 197). This article by Erdem and Swait widens our understanding towards effective marketing. Our class text offers useful models that can make every marketer successful. The article is a useful source of marketing ideas and sk ills (Erdem Swait, 2004). The class materials encourage every learner to apply different marketing models. The class text fulfills the needs of every learner. Scholars should undertake more studies in order to formulate the best marketing strategies (Erdem Swait, 2004). This practice will ensure every advertiser achieves his or her business goals. The presented course frameworks will ensure every student benefits from this learning experience. Reference Erdem, T., Swait, J. (2004). Brand Credibility, Brand Consideration, and Choice. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(1), 191-198.

Johnny Carson Ancestry and Family Tree

Johnny Carson Ancestry and Family Tree John William Johnny Carson (October 23, 1925 Ââ€" January 23, 2005 was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his tenure as host of The Tonight Show from 1962 until 1992. Born in Corning, Iowa to Homer Lee Kit Carson (no relation to the famous western hero) and Ruth Hook Carson, Johnny grew up with his parents, older sister, Catherine, and younger brother, Richard (Dick), in Nebraska. Johnny Carson married his college sweetheart Joan Wolcott on October 1, 1949. They had 3 sons. In 1963, Carson divorced Joan and married Joanne Copeland on August 17, 1963. After another divorce, he and former model Joanna Holland were married on September 30, 1972. This time, it was Holland who filed for a divorce in 1983. Johnny then married Alexis Maas on June 20, 1987, a marriage that survived happily until Carsons death in January 2005. Tips for Reading This Family Tree First Generation: 1. John William (Johnny) CARSON was born on 23 Oct 1925 in Corning, Iowa.1 He died of emphysema on 23 Jan 2005 in Malibu, California. Second Generation: 2. Homer Lee (Kit) CARSON2,3 was born on 4 Oct 1899 in Logan, Harrison Co., Iowa.4 He died on 9 Apr 1983 in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Arizona.5 Homer Lee (Kit) CARSON and Ruth HOOK were married in 1922.6 3. Ruth HOOK7 was born in Jul 1901 in Jackson Township, Taylor Co., Iowa.8 She died in 1985. Homer Lee (Kit) CARSON and Ruth HOOK had the following children: i. Catherine Jean CARSON was born in Dec 1923 in Hand Hospital, Shenandoah, Iowa.81  Ã‚  ii. John William (Johnny) CARSON.iii. Richard Charles (Dick) CARSON was born on 4 Jun 1929 in Clarinda, Page Co., Iowa.9 Third Generation: 4. Christopher N. (Kit) CARSON2,3,10,11 was born in Jan 1874 in Monona Co., Iowa. Christopher N. (Kit) CARSON and Ella B. HARDY were married on 28 Dec 1898 in Harrison Co., Iowa.12 5. Ella B. HARDY2,3,10,13 was born on 18 Nov 1876 in Magnolia, Jefferson Co., Iowa. She died on 20 Aug 1967. Christopher N. (Kit) CARSON and Ella B. HARDY had the following children: 2 i. Homer Lee (Kit) CARSON.ii. Charles E. CARSON3 was born about 1907 in Logan, Harrison Co., Iowa.iii. Raymond E. CARSON10 was born about 1913 in Logan, Harrison Co., Iowa.iv. Doris A. CARSON10 was born about 1918 in Logan, Harrison Co., Iowa. 6. George William HOOK14 was born on 27 Dec 1870 or 1871 in Lowry, St. Clair Co., Missouri.15 He died of a heart attack on 21 Dec 1947 in Bedford, Taylor Co., Iowa. He is buried in Fairview Bedford Cemetery, Taylor Co., Iowa. George William HOOK and Jessie BOYD were married on 19 Sep 1900.15-17 7. Jessie BOYD6 was born on 6 Jul 1876 in Taylor County, Iowa.16 She died of grief on 20 Jun 1911 in Bedford, Taylor Co., Iowa.16 She is buried in Fairview Bedford Cemetery, Taylor Co., Iowa. George William HOOK and Jessie BOYD had the following children: 3  Ã‚  i. Ruth HOOKii. John W. HOOK6 was born in 1904 in Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa.18 He died of peritonitis in May 1911 in Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa.19iii. Mary HOOK6 was born in Feb 1906 in Taylor County, Iowa.20,21iv. Florence HOOK6 was born in Feb 1910. She died in Feb 1910.22,23v. Jessie Boyd HOOK was born in Jun 1911.24 Fourth Generation: 8. Marshall CARSON11,25-28 was born on 14 Mar 1835 in Maine. He died on 21 May 1922 in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa. He is buried in Logan Cemetery, Harrison County, Iowa. Marshall CARSON and Emeline (Emma) KELLOGG were married on 17 Jul 1870 in Washington County, Nebraska. 9. Emeline (Emma) KELLOGG11,26-28 was born on 18 May 1847 in Fayette, Indiana. She died on 12 Feb 1922 in Harrison County, Iowa. She is buried in Logan Cemetery, Harrison County, Iowa. Marshall CARSON and Emeline (Emma) KELLOGG had the following children: 4  Ã‚  i. Christopher N. (Kit) CARSON.ii. Angie CARSON11 was born about 1875 in Nebraska.iii. Phebe CARSON11 was born about 1877 in Iowa.iv. Amilda CARSON11 was born about 1879 in Iowa.v. Ora CARSON26 was born in Jun 1881 in Harrison Co., Iowa.vi. Edgar M. CARSON26 was born in Feb 1882 in Harrison Co., Iowa.vii. Fred G. CARSON26-28 was born in Jul 1885 in Harrison County, Iowa. He died in 1923 in Harrison Co., Iowa.viii. Herbert E. CARSON26,27,29 was born in Dec 1890 in Harrison Co., Iowa. 10. Samuel Tomlinson HARDY10,13,30,31 was born on 1 May 1848 in Angola, Steuben Co., Indiana. He died on 21 Jul 1933 in at the home of his daughter, Mrs. C. N. Carson in Logan, Harrison Co., Iowa. Samuel Tomlinson HARDY and Viola Millicent VINCENT were married on 30 Jun 1872 in Iowa. 11. Viola Millicent VINCENT13,30,32 was born on 2 Apr 1855. She died on 3 May 1935 in Harrison Co., Iowa. Samuel Tomlinson HARDY and Viola Millicent VINCENT had the following children: i. Loyd HARDY13 was born about 1866 in Iowa.ii. Louis HARDY13 was born about 1870 in Iowa.5 iii. Ella B. HARDY.iv. Delaven H. HARDY13,30 was born in Aug 1879 in Iowa.30v. Bruce L. HARDY30 was born in Sep 1881 in Iowa.30vi. Gladys HARDY30 was born in Oct 1896 in Iowa.30

Roles of AdministratorsWK3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roles of AdministratorsWK3 - Essay Example Staffing is one of the differentiators between both types of administrations, as private administrators can command their will freely in the staff management. Change management, on the other hand, is not easy to handle regarding policy shifts in public administration. Employees create a number of hurdles. The private sector uses the tools of profit and loss smartly to enhance performance. Coming to preferences, budget is very critical in public administration. There are procedural similarities, but cost planning is given higher importance in private management. Compare and Contrast the Roles of Administrators in the Public and Private Sectors Definition of Public Administration The core elements of public administration are policy management, resource management, and program management. These functions of public management are defined by the Interagency Study Committee on Policy Management Assistance. According to Mushkin’s Report, public management also includes personnel man agement, workforce planning, shared bargaining and union-management relations, appraisal of production and execution, organization, financial control, and examining study, program, and control audit. Regarding case studies, the public domain is in the learning stage only while analysis of case studies is one of the leading methods to manage functions in the private sector (Allison Jr., 2006). Similarities Between Public and Private Administration The general management functions, as summarized in the acronym POSDCORB, are similar: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting. All these functions are not necessarily connected and related (Allison Jr., 2006). Organizing and Staffing Organizing and staffing are integral functions to control internally. The manager creates structures and processes for shared functions. Staffing goes side by side by appointing the right individuals in the related job, both in public and private administration (Allison Jr., 2006). Directing Personnel and the Personnel Management System The strength of an organization, whether public or private, is reflected through the expertise and awareness of its workforce. It is the function of the personnel management system to recruit, finalize, train, reward, and punish the staff by showing the pink slip to a human resource. Such human resource functions, similar in both sectors, help an organization in achieving its aims by taking particular instructions from management (Allison Jr., 2006). Managing Performance Different management information systems such as operations and capital budgets, accounts, reports, and statistical systems, performance evaluation and product approximation help managers in both sectors in decision-making and in valuing growth in the realization of aims (Allison Jr., 2006). Differences Between Public and Private Administration Some labels could be similar in both public and private administration, but the meaning is different. Tal king about the differences in the internal segments of administration in the private sector, it is the topmost critical task of a chief executive officer to make a judicious selection of employees. Both private and public sector organizations can work remarkably when responsibilities are shouldered by right people (Allison Jr., 2006). The pathways of executives of both sectors in staffing are different. Private sector administrators can lock plants, shift leading managers, hire and fire at will. On the other hand, policy changes are

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Business Ethics - Essay Example Other research on lobbying behaviour and the effect of a proposed financial accounting standard on pro forma net income provides mixed results. For example, Watts and Zimmerman (1978) report that economic self-interests motivate a large firm to lobby for an accounting standard that reduces pro forma net income. Yet, other studies (Martens and Stevens, 1993; Dechow et al., 1996) find no relationship between lobbying behaviour and the effect of the proposed standard on net income. The present study extends prior research by examining whether economic self-interests affect corporate lobbying on disclosure, especially on Prior to the 1993 Exposure Draft (ED) on FAS 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, corporations provided relatively little information on the value of stock-based compensation (SBC) held by top management. Essentially, corporations reported the SBC for only the top five executives and only in annual proxy statements as required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The ED proposed recognizing for the first time in annual reports the amount of SBC for all employees. Comment letters to the FASB on FAS 123 almost exclusively opposed recognition of SBC. However, as Walker and Robinson (1993) note, a careful analysis of the substance of comment letters (i.e., analysis beyond simply counting ‘yes/no’ votes on recognition) can provide additional insights into the politics of the standard-setting process. The current analysis of the comment letters reveals that managers supported varying venues and formats of disclosure. Thus, the varying responses to the FASB on the ED for FAS 123 provide a unique opportunity to examine whether economic self-interest motivates lobbying on venues and formats of disclosure of information (Breton Wall Street Journal, 5 November 1993). The results of this study indicate that differences in corporate lobbying positions on disclosure are related to the value of corporate SBC. In

Online dating services Essay Example for Free

Online dating services Essay Online Dating Services, once a haven for the desperate and lonely are starting to attract a significant user and revenue base and are growing at an increasing rate. These services now attract over 30 million users a year in the U. S. and soon will be the highest revenue subscription content service on the Internet. The growth of online personals and many of the industrys characteristics are similar to those of products such as fax machines, DVD players, and the Internet itself. The main similarity is that the value of these services for each user increases with each additional user. However, many other characteristics hold true as well. It has significant economies of scale, requires highly complimentary products, and displays some semblance of standards and compatibility between its competitors. Since online dating services have proven to be so similar to other networked goods, much of the knowledge gained by examining these other services can be applied. This means that one can expect these services to continue to grow rapidly, gain mainstream acceptance and that subscription prices will remain low as long as the major services remain incompatible. Further, they likely will remain incompatible for a variety of technical and strategic reasons. Online dating services have been around since 19951. Computer dating services date (no pun intended) back as far as the 1960s2. However over the last three years these services have seen explosive growth. While other dotcoms reached their peak in 2000 and have since crashed, dating sites have seen explosive growth since 1999 both in users and revenue. The industry generated over $50 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2002, 550% year over year growth3. This growth has been so fast and successful that many of the Internet companies that survived the crash have turned to dating services for additional revenue and profitability4. This explosive growth and several of the industrys other characteristics are reminiscent of other technologies or innovations. The fax machine, VCR, and the Internet itself have all followed similar growth curves5. What online dating has in common with these sites is that they are all examples of networked products or services where each additional user increases the overall value of the good to all the other users. The following report provides an overview of the online dating industry and its recent growth. It then examines the characteristics of networks and whether these apply to the online dating. Based on these characteristics, it models an explanation for its recent growth and attempts to explain any potential shift in attitudes towards online dating. Finally, this report looks at the competition between services and the likely affect this will have on consumers utility, prices, the services themselves and societal welfare as a whole. The following section provides an overview of what online dating sites are, the major players, industry size and business models to establish a basis for comparing this industry to the characteristics of networked industries. Online dating services are simply websites that carry a database of singles for other singles to search. Typically users can visit the site and search based on sex, age and often certain characteristics of their profile, for example: I am a male seeking a female aged 18 to 24 in Toronto, ON. Only show ads with pictures. [insert screen shots here] From here visitors view a list of matching profiles and can click through on any of these to view the full profile. The full profile can contain one or multiple pictures, various stats on the user (age, sex, body type, sexual or religious orientation) as well as an opening headline, description and clever answers to profile questions. Registered users can then make contact with the user, usually through a messaging or chat system within the site and if the match is successful the relationship moves off of the site into the real world. Online dating services are big business. The online personals industry generated $53. 1 million in revenue in the first quarter of this year. That number is over 5 1/2 times the $8. 1 million total for that period in 2001. That number will likely continue to grow substantially this year once industry wide figures are available. Revenue at the leading service Match. com more than doubled in the third quarter of 2002 to $33. 4 million and this is a company with less than one third of the market. Nearly 34 million people visit personals sites each year6. The industry is dominated by two major players. Match. com is the biggest site with nearly 6 million visitors per month while Yahoo, at 3. 4 million, is the second most popular site, leveraging its large population of web directory and email users7. Following well behind these two are a dozen or so fairly evenly trafficked sites (see chart: Major Players in Online Dating). The business models for most of these sites are some combination of free and paid access. For all the sites browsing the ads is free. However users have to register and pay between $20 and $25 in order to post ads or respond to ads or both. Over 93% of online dating subscription prices are in the $5-50 range8. Both Match. com and Yahoo charge to post an ad and respond to ads. Lavalife (the 10th most trafficked site) is free to post ads but requires users buy credits in order to contact other users. Overall 98% of purchases at online dating sites are subscriptions. 54% of those subscriptions are monthly, 22% annual. The user population of online dating sites is about 60% male, 40% female9. The ages of users range from 18 to 80 with the largest percentage (32%) between 35 and 44 years of age. Followed by 24% for 25-35 year olds, 22% for 45-54 year olds and 11% each amongst 18 to 24 year olds and those 55 and over (see graph: age distribution)10. The fastest growing segment appears to be the 18-30 space. In the first quarter of 2002, fully half of the new users of Match. com have been under 3011. This suggests that dating sites are no longer just for the desperate, those over 35 and still single, but have become another source for those with time and looks on their side to accelerate their dating or improve their dating efficiency. 5 Online Dating Growth While spending on online content as a whole has increased, no category has increased more than online dating (see graph: Quarterly Growth of Consumer Spending by Category of Online Content). While the other categories such as business content and research have experienced steady linear growth, the growth curve for online dating is an exponential curve. Not only is it growing but the rate of growth quarter over quarter is also increasing. At its current rate by the time numbers are available for the rest of 2002 it will exceed business spending as the largest category of online spending. It is also the only category of online content that has significant consumption externalities. When purchasing any of business content, research, single player games, news, credit help, sports or online greeting cards, the number of other users of the product does not play more than a minor role in the purchasing decision. There is also plenty of room for the industry to grow in both revenue and users. Soon these services will have video chat capabilities12. People will overcome a lot of their negative perceptions of the practice as the number of users increase and many of these primarily US-based services will begin to expand internationally. Many products are not useful without a complementary product. Portable CD players are useless without headphones, and DVD players require DVDs to play. This is one of the factors that separate network goods from goods such as an apple which can be consumed by itself. Arguably online dating services could be the required complementary product to the Internet. With an Internet connection one needs content to look at, and certainly users of online dating services are required to have an Internet connection, so there is some complementarity here but this connection is somewhat weak. While CDs are needed for a CD player to be useful at all, dating services are not a requirement for the Internet to be useful. Further, even with the rapid growth in online personals, it still lags Internet growth and coverage so significantly that for at least the next little while the overall growth of the Internet will have a negligible effect on online dating when compared to the growth it will experience from existing Internet users. With the requirement many networked goods have for complementary products comes the need for compatibility and standards. The benefits of making goods compatible with others are clear. Consumers can benefit by being able to choose from a number of headphone choices knowing that for the most part (except on airplanes) these headphones will plug into their CD player, stereo, and computer. From a headphone manufacturers perspective it is far cheaper to build for a standard jack than specifically for every device. While there is not a single standard that all online dating services are based on to the point where a profile or other stored information from one service can be seamlessly transferred to any other, several competing platforms are starting to emerge. Nerve. com, after the rapid growth of the personals section of its website, spun the service off into a separate company, Springstreet Networks, which provides a standardized shared match making service for other content providers such as salon. com, bust, boston. com and others14. Match. coms database is shared with licensees including msn. com, nytimes. com and villagevoice. com to name a few. Relationship Exchange is another network that powers the personals services behind. cupidjunction. com, and personals. canada. com amongst others. Even some of the smaller dating sites like people2people. com are licensing their databases to online newspaper sites like sfgate. com. The competition is not necessarily amongst the dating sites themselves but the networks they supply and pull from. However, Yahoo Personals is independent and not licensed to other parties. It is banking on its existing position as the top website on the Internet15 and its large pool of users of its other tools to provide a large enough pool of users. Lavalife also has its own proprietary system and is banking on its unique features and credit based rather than subscription based system. While Yahoo and Lavalife are staunchly independent, the advantages to smaller sites are obvious. A personals site is only as valuable as its pool of profiles that match the user. If the user is unable to find people with the same interests, geography and whatever other characteristics determine a match, the user will not subscribe to the site for very long, nor be enticed to subscribe in order to contact a matching user. The larger the pool of people, the better the selection of people that may match, the more likely the user is to subscribe or purchase credits. 6. 3 Consumption Externalities The increase in value with an increase in users is the fourth characteristic of networked industries: consumption externalities. If there is one heterosexual person of each gender on one of these sites the possible number of connections is only one. However with five people of each gender the number of possible connections is 25. With 100 males and 100 females the number of possible connections is 10,000. Thus the total value of the network, as measured by the number of possible connections, increases by Vn = nm x nf where n is the number of users and m and f indicate male and female respectively.

James Watt :: essays research papers

JAMES WATT James Watt, the son of a merchant, was born in Greenock, Scotland, in 1717. At the age of nineteen, Watt was sent to Glasgow to learn the trade of a mathematical-instrument maker. After spending a year in London, Watt returned to Glasgow in 1757 where he established his own instrument-making business. Watt soon developed a reputation as a high quality engineer and was employed on the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Caledonian Canal. He was also engaged in the improvement of harbours and in the deepening of the Forth, Clyde and other rivers in Scotland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1763 Watt was sent a Newcomen steam engine to repair. While putting it back into working order, Watt discovered how he could make the engine more efficient. Watt worked on the idea for several months and eventually produced a steam engine that cooled the used steam in a condenser separate from the main cylinder. James Watt was not a wealthy man so he decided to seek a partner with money. John Roebuck, the owner of a Scottish ironworks, agreed to provide financial backing for Watt's project. When Roebuck went bankrupt in 1773, Watt took his ideas to Matthew Boulton, a successful businessman from Birmingham. For the next eleven years Boulton's factory producing and selling Watt's steam-engines. These machines were mainly sold to colliery owners who used them to pump water from their mines. Watt's machine was very popular because it was four times more powerful than those that had been based on the Thomas Newcomen design. Watt continued to experiment and in 1781 h e produced a rotary-motion steam engine. Whereas his earlier machine, with its up-and-down pumping action, was ideal for draining mines, this new steam engine could be used to drive many different types of machinery. Richard Arkwright was quick to importance of this new invention, and in 1783 he began using Watt's steam-engine in his textile factories. Others followed his lead and by 1800 there were over 500 of Watt's machines in Britain's mines and factories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1755 Watt had been granted a patent by Parliament that prevented anybody else from making a steam-engine like the one he had developed. For the next twenty-five years, the Boulton & Watt company had a virtual monopoly over the production of steam-engines. Watt charged his customers a premium for using his steam engines.

How the women in two stories are treated by the men in their lives Essay

Examine how the women in two stories are treated by the men in their lives Two short fiction stories which show how women are treated by the men in their lives are The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion and Weekend. The first story is a pre-1914 story called ‘The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion’ and it is written by Thomas Hardy. The story is set in 1801 and it was published in 1891.The other story is a more modern story as it is set in the late twentieth century and was published in 1981. It is called ‘Weekend’ and it is written by a feminist writer called Fay Weldon. The main theme of The Melancholy of the German Legion is how a woman is treated with little independence and how the main female character, Phyllis Grove, tries to find her own freedom by forming a strong friendship with a German soldier that escalates into a relationship. Phyllis is a shy, young character who lives in a secluded manor house with her father, Dr Grove, who was a professional and well-respected gentleman. There now appears to be a lack of money in the Grove household. She is very wary of people due to her sheltered life of solitude, which is mainly the result of her father’s own seclusion,’ her social condition was twilight.’ She doesn’t appear to have a job as she is the unmarried daughter and she has to look after her father. This was very common for women in the nineteenth century as they didn’t have the freedom to go to work and make a career for themselves. Women who were of a low social class would have done very menial jobs, su ch as maid or dairy maid. Martha is the female in focus in the story Weekend. The story appears to be set in the late 1980’s to the early 19990’s. The social class of the family in focus is working class as they do not appear to be poor or extremely rich. Martha is a middle-aged market researcher who is married to Martin, a freelance designer and together they have three children called Jolyon, Jenny and Jasper. She has a rather hectic lifestyle looking after three children, running a home, holding down a full-time job and being at her demanding husband’s beck and call ‘ there was the car to unpack and the beds to make up and the electricity to connect, and the supper to make and the cobwebs to remove.’ The main theme of this story is how hard Martha has to work and how little recognition she receives in return. She has to play the role of the happy little housewife to please her domineering husband and informs us of how hard her life was made by her husband, the man who is meant to love her. Despite the way she is treated by her husband, she is educated to university standard and she is most probably going to overtake her husband in earnings. The main male characters in The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion each treat Phyllis in a different manor. Her father, Dr Grove, seems very over-protective of her and likes his life of seclusion. This may be because he lost his wife and feels that it is his duty to make sure that no harm comes of Phyllis and that he thinks he knows what is best for his daughter. When Humphrey Gould asked Mr Grove for his daughter’s hand in marriage, Mr Grove accepted without even consulting Phyllis. Mr Grove considered this to be a good move for his daughter as Humphrey’s family had a respectable social position in the community and he could provide for her. Even though Mr Grove treats his daughter with the respect she deserves, he still refrains her from having her freedom and the right to chose who she wants to marry. Humphrey Gould himself was a thirty-year-old bachelor from an old local family, who was ‘neither good-looking nor positively plain.’ He seemed extremely happy to have Phyllis as his wife-to-be and gave the impression that he would take good care of her and had great respect for her. He treated her as a lady with great respect, but despite the good image we get of Gould in the beginning of the story, we soon see a different side of him. He goes away to Bath and doesn’t keep Phyllis informed of his whereabouts and she is left questioning whether the engagement is still on or not. When he eventually returns he tells her that he has married another young woman, who he describes as being ‘a dear young belle.’ This action wasn’t very thoughtful on his behalf and even though Phyliss didn’t really want to marry him and didn’t love him, she still fells slightly betrayed. The only male in The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion who doesn’t treat women as though they are objects and treats Phyllis with the amount of respect and freedom she truly deserves is Matthaus Tina. He was a German soldier in the York Hussars regiment and was staying close to where Phyllis lived. He had travelled to England with his brother Christoph, due to The War of the Second Coalition, and had left his mother in his native town of Saarbuck. After Phyllis had first met Matthaus she couldn’t stop thinking about him and described him as ‘so striking, so handsome, and his eyes were so blue.’ He was twenty-two and had quite a high position in the German Army as a corporal. He treated Phyllis as though she were equal to him and there was no hint of a divide between them due to her being female. He respected her fully and never let her down, unlike Humphrey Gould who broke off the engagement. He may have treated her with more respect and freedom than the other main men in her life as he was German and in his country they may have been more hospitable towards women. Martin is the male in focus in Weekend and his is a very obnoxious character. He is married to Martha and he is a freelance designer and there are clues in the story which suggest that he is in his forties, for example ‘he watches the BBC2 news,’ which is typical of a middle-aged person. Martin treats Martha as more of a servant than a wife and he puts all of the responsibilities onto her. He seems to think that he is too good to be doing housework and odd-jobs and Martha is left to do long lists of chores, ‘prepare tea and sandwiches for the family: then she would strip four beds,’ the chores seem endless. Martin is also very particular about how he like things to be done, which means extra work for Martha. Martin thinks ‘ mash is stodgy and ordinary and instant mash is unthinkable,’ which means Martha has to take a long time to sautà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ the potatoes and he thinks pork is a dull meat if it’s not cooked properly, so she has to spe nd ages cooking it just how he likes it. Martha doesn’t say much in the story as she can’t get a word in edgeways because in his eyes he is the man of the house, even though Martha runs the household. She doesn’t have much of a chance to voice her opinions directly, but she does voice them in her thoughts as the story is mainly written in first person narrative with her as the narrator. She helps us to get inside her head and with her use of lists she helps to inform us of just how many things she has to do. She seems to scared to disagree with Martin and goes along with whatever he says ‘I expect your right,’ just to keep the peace. Martha and Phyllis are similar in many ways, even though they are in different situations and from different backgrounds. They are both overpowered by the men in their lives who are closest to them and they are both deprived of having their own lives. Neither of the women seem to have a say about what happens in their lives, for example Phyllis was told who to marry by her father and Martha was told what to with her life by her husband. Despite the number of similarities between the two women there are also some differences between them. Martha put up with her way of life and didn’t question it much, but Phyllis did decide to change things. She chose to carry on the affair with Matthaus Tina as she saw a break from her regimented lifestyle and went against her father’s wishes. Phyllis became quite rebellious when she was planning to escape to Saarbuck with Matthaus and Christoph. This is something that Martha would never have considered doing. Both of the women are victims in each of the stories, but I think that Martha’s suffering was worse than that of Phyllis as hers was constant and she never got a break from it. Phyllis is treated better than Martha in that respect as she had someone in her life who was treating her very well. That person was Tina as he was the only one who saw the true Phyllis and respected the true Phyllis. To me, Martha’s victimisation is worse than that of Phyllis’ as in 1981 Martha should have had more chances and opportunities due to the development of society, than Phyllis did in1801. I felt very sympathetic towards both of the female characters due to the fact that they are seen as victims and I also felt sympathetic towards Matthaus Tina. I felt sympathetic towards him as he did so much for Phyllis and did his best to keep her happy. It was very sad when he was killed at the end of the story and I again felt very sympathetic towards Phyllis as she lost the one person she truly trusted. The rest of her life is touched by the scandal, even though she was blameless for what happened. The type of language used in each of the stories is suited to the time that it was written and they are very different to each other. The language in The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion is formal and uses traditional English, such as ‘unsrupulous’ and ‘melancholy,’ as that type of language would have been used in the nineteenth century. It contains more complex sentences than that used in Weekend and they are sometimes harder to comprehend. The narrative in The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion starts in first person, which is Hardy’s narration to introduce the characters and scene to the reader. It then progresses into third person narrative to involve the reader in the story, before returning to first person narrative to tie of all loose ends in the story, for example Matthaus’ date of death. The use of third person narrative enables the reader to see more deeply into the story and become more involved in what is happening. The narrative style and language used in Weekend is less formal than that used in Hardy’s stories. There are many non-sentences, such as ‘Katy versus Janet,’ which do not contain a verb and are more of a thought .There are many compound sentences that use words such as then, but, and, so, which helps Martha to express how many jobs she has to do. This use of language is well suited to the date in which the story was set. The role and rights of women changed quite a lot in the period of time between when the two books were written. In 1801, nobody had the chance to vote and your right to a say depended on your position in society. Men with homes got the vote in 1867, all men got the vote in 1916 and women didn’t get the vote until 1926. This meant that for along time women were seen as being lower than men and were provided for by their husbands. Other turning points for women in this time span were that they were able to get jobs and were protected by The Sex Discrimination Act,1975. This explains why Martha had a job and Phyllis didn’t, but there is still no explanation to support why Martha was treated so badly in modern day Britain. My conclusion is that Fay Weldon was trying to get across that some traditions never change.

Contact Information Essay

Charlotte, NC (January 1, 2013) – Johnson C. Smith University is having a Whitney Houston tribute on February 20, 2013. The school choir along with President Carter is organizing a beautiful tribute on campus. The tribute will be held in Biddle auditorium on that Wednesday. President Carter emailed students to find out who wanted to volunteer for the event and receive community service hours. Johnson C. Smith University will be selling tickets as well. The prices are 2$ for JCSU students, and 5$ for everyone else. Special guests will be Mariah Carey, Brand, and Chris Brown. The event has been posted in local charlotte area newspapers and it will also be discussed on the local news. President Carter said â€Å"This event is a must see, I think myself and everyone who helped did an awesome job. I suggest everyone come out and see this tribute†. After the event Johnson C. Smith University will have food sponsored by FDY food services. The food is free after admission and drinks are free as well. There will also be an autograph signing from the special guests after the event. Special guest Mariah Carey says â€Å"It’s always a pleasure doing events like this. Anytime I can help, and give back, I’m always willing to†.

101 Peer Review Professor Ramos Blog

101 Peer Review Speed Review Quick Write What questions do you have about the essay? Speed Review What story are you analyzing? What are you looking at in the story? What scenes are you looking at? In-Text Citations One author: (Ramos 23). Two Authors: (Ramos and Smith 23). Three or more authors: (Ramos et al. 23). Quote from the article â€Å"Sandra Cisneros’s Modern Malinche: A Reconsideration of Feminine Archetypes in  Woman Hollering Creek† by  Alexandra Fitts: Cisneros reevaluates, and in a way revalues, the three most prevalent representations of Mexican womanhood: the passive virgin, the sinful seductress, and the traitorous mother, idolized in the figures of the Virgin of Guadalupe, La Malinche, and La Llorona. Peer Review Keep these things in mind. Peer edit the same way you revise your own work. Be specific in identifying problems or opportunities. Offer suggestions for improvement. Praise what is genuinely good in the paper. Peer Workshop Workshop looking for structure and evidence, â€Å"Chips and Salsa.† Find the chips for your essay and the salsa to make it good. Make sure you have the right amount of salsa for each chip.

How to prepare your kids for career success

How to prepare your kids for career success If you’re a parent, chances are you spend a great deal of time worried about your kids. You do your best to ensure that they grow up happy and healthy, prepared for the world around them, and well positioned to achieve fulfillment and success in life. The truth is, some of what will happen to your kids in their lives will be out of their control- and your control as well. That said, as a parent, there is plenty you can do to help set them up for their best shot at success. Use the following tips to help guide your kids along the right path.Build a learning partnership.When it comes to the job of educating your children, the truth is that it’s best envisioned as a collaboration- a partnership of sorts- between you and your child’s teachers. Make time to work closely together with them to ensure that your child’s needs are met and that they are getting the most out of their educational experiences. Get involved and stay involved in their educational developm ent.Make learning a lifelong pursuit.Learning should not begin and end in the classroom; it’s a lifelong journey, and those who learn early in life that we are constantly surrounded by opportunities to learn and grow are best positioned for success. Create an environment in which your child can develop a love of learning and a fascination with the world.Encourage their passions.The most successful and fulfilled people in life aren’t necessarily the ones who make the most money. Rather, they are often those who have discovered the things in life that they are truly interested in and passionate about and have found a way to make it a significant part of their life- either as a profession or a hobby. Encourage your children early on to explore the world around them and find something that truly excites them, and then support and encourage them to follow their passions.Instill the value of lifelong friendships.Building strong social bonds early in life can be invaluable. H elp your child recognize the value of building and cultivating solid friendships early in life. It will help them recognize the importance of having a strong network of support- to find new opportunities, face obstacles, overcome challenges, and make the most out of life.Dare to fail.Too often in life, we avoid trying something new- and potentially wonderful- for fear that we won’t be good at it, or worse, that we’ll completely fail at it. This can be a great way to completely miss out on success and happiness in life. Instead, teach your children that it’s okay to fail, that life is a learning process full of trial and error, and that the only way to know what they’re truly capable of is to test their limits, step outside of their comfort zones, and be all right with the notion of potential failure.Face the future.Many people are really good at putting things off that they don’t want to confront- sometimes until it’s too late. Like it or no t, the future is coming for all of us, and those who plan for it as early as possible are most likely to be prepared for a variety of outcomes and develop a winning strategy for success.Although we can’t guarantee success for our children, as parents we want to make our best effort to help our children have successful futures. Use the tips here to guide your kids as they learn, mature, and grow, and you’ll be setting them up well for achieving their goals in life. Good luck!

American Perspective on Racism MexicanLatin American Studies Program Essay

American Perspective on Racism MexicanLatin American Studies Program - Essay Example On the contrary, ethnicity and nationalism have grown in political importance in the world, particularly since the Second World War. The United States has a long history of racism and racial discrimination. For centuries conflicts have taken place between the Whites, blacks, Mexicans and the Asians. Race hatred often leads to the violence. The people guilty of race discrimination often form extremist groups to defend their country from minority takeover, and ultimately increase the tension and hatred between the two races. Many surveys have been conducted to study the nature and intensity of Racism in American culture. According to General Social Survey, conducted in 1990, 40 to 56 percent of the whites were of the view that Hispanic and Blacks are prone to violence and prefer to live off welfare (Steeh and Schuman, 1992). The minority of Hispanics includes Mexicans, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, or other Hispanic heritage. They are consists of more than 500 tribes with almost entirely different cultural heritage, traditions, languages and ancestry. The 2000 census showed that the Hispanics are the Americas largest minority. According to the Times magazine 58 percent of this minority is of the Mexican origin. The majority of Mexican Americans are most prominent in the areas, which were formerly the part of the Mexico, i.e. Southern California and Texas. The largest of Mexican Americans community was located around the Los Angles in Southern California, El Paso in Far West Texas, and the metropolitan areas of the South Texas. The Mexican American, just like the other minorities of the United States, reside in the non-economically viable ethnic enclaves: isolated, and other forms of ethnic discrimination. Mexicans are a mixed race, most of them are white having Spanish ancestry, but almost half of them are not white. They are mestizos. It has been observed that among the Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants, mestizos are in the worst condition (Gamio, 1971). According to the Auditors of Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Mexican Americans and especially the non-white Mexican Americans experience discrimination in the housing market from realtors and lending institutions. The auditors have also found out that the Mexican Americans faced discrimination due to their skin color and not due to their Mexican accent. Most of the Mexican Americans are the offspring of the Mexicans who voluntarily migrated to United States in the 20th Century. Hence it is the duty of the community, to which they have migrated, to assist them in adapting and absorbing them to American Society, but they were then busy in a war and colonization. This had fundamental consequences for the ability of these enclaves to provide resources to the generations of Mexican Americans. Hence, although many people thought that the increasing immigrations of Mexicans into the United States is a Mexican problem, it is actually an American problem.

An industry analysis of HMV company in the UK Essay

An industry analysis of HMV company in the UK - Essay Example Consumers have various products to choose from, either purchasing in blu-ray disc formats or on-line music downloads in MP3. Challenges of piracy and illegal downloading in the market have been playing a great role in the physical sale of music. Plans for dealing with piracy and illegal downloads would be to increase growth of live entertainment and ticketing, as stated on the HMV group website. As stated on Complete Music Update (2012) home page, HMV competitively shared the market for music entertainment with Amazon, with HMV having 19.9% and Amazon, 19.2%, though HMV’s percentage growth of its market share has faced considerable challenges from play.com, iTunes and supermarkets. Like any other company going through the various stages of growth which are market introduction, growth, maturity and saturation and decline, HMV has gone through different growth stages since its opening in 1921, which marked its market introduction stage. The company progressively grew, expanding its markets and consequently increasing sales, human resources and advertising, competition being minimal at the time (Reynolds et al., 2004). In the 1960s, HMV experienced tremendous growth. It expanded and doubled in size so that by 1976, HMV was the leading retailer in the UK, specializing in music and other entertainment products. Despite the completion which was slowly arising in the market at the time from the likes of Virgin Megastores and Our Price, HMV was more popular and somewhat unbeatable compared to its competitors. HMV purchased Waterstone’s book store chains in 1998 and joined it with Dillons. HMV saw its floatation in the London Stock Exchange in 2002, which was a significant indication of its maturity. However, it started trading poorly from 2003. Other competitors in the market arose, more so online music stores which competed with HMV for the same market share and saw its decline in the market share. This eventually led to low sales, low profits and closur e of some HMV outlets. HMV still bought some book store chains and music retailers, for example, Ottakar’s and Zawi. HMV’s performance in the market deteriorated progressively, some of its shares were up for sale so as to purchase other outlets, but its sales kept going down up to the selling of most of its outlets in London, including Waterstone’s chains. This marked HMV’s decline stage due to high costs of running, low sales and minimal profit margins. See the appended map of HMV Product Life Cycle. The main competitors of HMV, who offer a similar line of products, are Amazon.com, iTunes, supermarkets and Play.com, which have online music stores besides other online retail products. Amazon has a wide range of music and digital products and has been a stiff competitor of HMV, competing for the same market share but more so doing it online. iTunes by Apple Inc. also provides products along the same lines. HMV’s move to digitizing their music and vi deo clips has helped to catch up with the market trends and technology as its competitors in the market. Play.com deals in online retail of similar products as HMV and Amazon.com. With the tremendous innovation in technology and online trading, HMV’s competitors’ venture into online trading put them ahead of HMV which is embracing online trading. Supermarkets also offer competitive products though HMV provides a considerable wider product range than supermarkets, which would often

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

2 - Assignment Example uence on children could not meet the case to label the photograph as "obscene", as there is partial display of genital hair and the photograph was pasted in Oncore premises, where children do not go. The most imperative reason to pursue Kathys argument and to conclude that the photographs, the art work are not obscene encompasses its social rationale. The photograph had a purpose, a motive to generate civic awareness about the safe sex with an intention to avert the cases of AIDS, one of the most dreaded and incurable diseases of the present epoch. AIDS has emerged as the leading cause of death under forty in Seattle area, hence display of safety measures cannot be considered obscene, it is also in compliance with the definition of material being obscene as per Blacks Law Dictionary. The art work is aimed at homosexual community. "Community standards" involved are those of the gay community rather than city at large. However, Oncore possess clientele of such communities but awareness is equally imperative among general community as well. Kathy pin-pointed homosexuals as they are the frequent visitors at Oncore, but if the issue is related with generating awareness about the safe sex to combat AIDS, then engendering consciousness in the mass is of greater significance. Kathy has shaped her arguments in the most logical and methodological manner by integrating the facts from basic law dictionary to the Mass Media Laws and also incorporated "Contemporary community standards" to reflect on the trustworthiness of the argument. Katy has meticulously placed each and every fact in a practical and coherent manner which are enough to gain the support of readers and audience to a greater extent. Display of obscene photograph which does not abide by the rules and norms set by the "Washington State Liquor Control Board", is again a violation of rules. The photographs were rejected on the basis of "partially exposed private parts of male anatomy". The photograph could not

History of Mathematics Teaching in the National Curriculum

History of Mathematics Teaching in the National Curriculum This research paper is to discuss about the nature and history of mathematics, how it has taken its place within the National Curriculum; the framework for teaching Mathematics in Secondary and finally investigation on a series of three lessons designed for Year 7 on Algebra. INTRODUCTION Education has made a difference in my life, the knowledge I have gained has given me the potential to explore, think and make decisions accordingly. In other words, Education is a powerful tool and plays a vital role to shape up a strong economy of a country. As a Mathematics teacher, I clearly understand my key role in imparting knowledge and skills to the younger generation to make full use of their potential. The perception of mathematics has been changed over the years. Hence, it is important to look back at the nature of mathematics, how it has taken its place within the national curriculum; how the teaching and learning of mathematics has been guided by the National Strategies Framework. LITERATURE REVIEW Nature of Mathematics Even though mathematics is one of the many subjects in schools, there is a greater pressure on pupils to succeed in Mathematics other than subjects like History, Geography; why is that so? As part of my investigation into the nature of Mathematics I referred to two sources that gave substantial evidence towards the nature of Mathematics. The Enquiry Committee: A Major Enquiry Committee was set up in 1978 to consider the teaching of Mathematics in Primary and Secondary schools. After 4 years of study and research the committee came out with a report called The Cockcroft Report. It would be very difficult perhaps impossible to live a normal life in very many parts of the world in the twentieth century without making use of mathematics of some kind. (The Cockcroft Report (1982), Mathematics counts) This fact itself for a thought is sufficient to reason out the purpose of importance given in teaching and learning mathematics in Schools. The usefulness of Mathematics can be perceived in different ways; as arithmetic skills needed to use at Home and Office, as basis for development of Science and Technology and usage of Mathematical techniques as management tool in commerce and industry. Therefore, the Enquiry Committee in their report (The Cockcroft Report) concluded that all the perceptions on usefulness of mathematics arise from the fact that mathematics provides a mean of communication which is powerful, concise and unambiguous. Hence, providing a principal reason for teaching mathematics at all stages in the curriculum. According to American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), mathematics is closely related to Science, Technology and being greatly used in real life. The association has launched a program called Project 2061 where they relate mathematics into Science and Technology. Project 2061 is an ongoing project that was launched in 1985 in America, where its main objective is to help all Americans to literate in Science, Mathematics and Technology. As part of the project, it has been clearly defined that mathematics does play an important role in developing Science and Technology in real life. Besides communication, Mathematics can be used to present information by using charts, graphs and diagrams. As what AAAS has mentioned about the Mathematical representation, manipulation and derivation of information based on a mathematical relationship formed; the enquiry committee as well does mention in its report the usage of figures and symbols in mathematics for manipulation and to deduce further information from the situation the mathematics relate to. They gave 3 scenarios; A car that has travelled for 3 hours at an average speed of 20 miles per hour; we can deduce that it has covered a distance of 60 miles. To find the cost of 20 articles each costing 3p, the area of carpet required to cover a corridor 20 metres long and 3 metres wide In the 3 scenarios, we made use of the fact that: 20 x 3 = 60; hence it provides an illustration of the fact that the same mathematical statement can arise from and represent many different situations. This fact has important consequences. Because the same mathematical statement can relate to more than one situation, results which have been obtained in solving a problem arising from one situation can often be seen to apply to a different situation. Thus this characteristic of Mathematics does show its importance in the study of science and Technology as mentioned by both the Enquiry committee and the programme Project 2061 (AAAS). History of Mathematics By looking at the history of Mathematics; it has been further proven how the development of mathematics had impact on development of Science and Technology. The 17th century saw an unprecedented explosion of mathematical and scientific ideas across Europe. Galileo, an Italian, observed the moons of Jupiter in orbit about that planet, using a telescope based on a toy imported from Holland. Tycho Brahe, a Dane, had gathered an enormous quantity of mathematical data describing the positions of the planets in the sky. His student, Johannes Kepler, a German, began to work with this data. In part because he wanted to help Kepler in his calculations, John Napier, in Scotland, was the first to investigate natural logarithms. Kepler succeeded in formulating mathematical laws of planetary motion. This explains the relationship between mathematics and science or another word, how knowledge of mathematics has been used to develop science over the years. The 19th century saw the beginning of a great deal of abstract algebra. Hermann Grassmann in Germany gave a first version of vector spaces, the British mathematician George Boole devised an algebra that soon evolved into what is now called Boolean algebra, in which the only numbers were 0 and 1 and in which, famously, 1  +  1  =  1. Boolean algebra is the starting point of mathematical logic and has important applications in computer science. Abel and Galoiss investigations into the solutions of various polynomial equations laid the groundwork for further developments of group theory, and the associated fields of abstract algebra. In the 20th century physicists and other scientists have seen group theory as the ideal way to study symmetry. The 20th century saw mathematics become a major profession. Every year, thousands of new Ph.D.s in mathematics was awarded, and jobs are available in both teaching and industry. Therefore, from the 20th Century is where importance has been given to teaching of mathematics. National Curriculum of Mathematics This further explains how the national curriculum for Mathematics has been formed in Britain. Lets look at the various views of Mathematics usage in Industry before the Enquiry Committee was set up; From 1973 to 1976 there were a large volume of complaints which seemed to be coming from employers about lack of mathematical competence on the part of some school leavers; In his speech made at Ruskin College, Oxford in October 1976, Mr James Callaghan, at that time Prime Minister, said: I am concerned on my journeys to find complaints from industry that new recruits from the schools sometimes do not have the basic tools to do the job that is required. There is concern about the standards of numeracy of school leavers. Is there not a case for a professional review of the mathematics needed by industry at different levels? To what extent are these deficiencies the result of insufficient coordination between schools and industry? Indeed how much of the criticism about basic skills and attitudes is due to industrys own shortcomings rather than to the educational system? (The Cockcroft Report (1982) In written evidence to the Parliamentary Expenditure Committee, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) stated: Employers are becoming increasingly concerned that many school leavers, particularly those leaving at the statutory age have not acquired a minimum acceptable standard in the fundamental skills involved in reading, writing, arithmetic and communication. This shows up in the results of nearly every educational enquiry made amongst the CBI membership, and is backed up by continuing evidence from training officers in industry and further education lecturers that young people at 16+ cannot pass simple tests in mathematics and require remedial tuition before training and further education courses can be started. (The Cockcroft Report (1982) In oral evidence to the Expenditure Committee a CBI representative stated: Mathematics, I think or arithmetic, which is really the primary concern rather than mathematics themselves is the one area which is really brought up every time as a problem. It seems that industrys needs are greater in this respect than almost any other. This is the way, certainly, in which shortfall in the education of children makes itself most manifest immediately to an employer. (The Cockcroft Report (1982) Written evidence to the Expenditure Committee from the Engineering Industry Training Board (EITB) stated: The Engineering Industry Training Board, over the last two years, received from its industry increasing criticism, with supporting evidence, of the level of attainment, particularly in arithmetical skills, of school leavers offering themselves for craft and technician training In the view of the Engineering Industry Training Board the industry needs a higher level of attainment in basic mathematics among recruits than it is now getting and believes that, with closer cooperation between school and industry, children can while still at school be motivated to achieve this Mathematics is, however, not simply a question of basic manipulative skills. An understanding of the concepts is also needed and these are better taught by innovative methods, which also appear to enhance the ability to acquire planning and diagnostic skills, of great importance to craft and technician employees. The Cockcroft Report (1982) These are the examples of complaints received and the main reason for the enquiry committee to set up in 1978 to investigate complaints about low levels of numeracy among young entrants to employment and the need for improved liaison between schools and industry. Hence we could deduce that due the mathematical knowledge demand in the work force has brought mathematics an important place in the national curriculum to promote numeracy skills among the young people. Programme of Study (POS) The national curriculum through the Mathematics Programme of Study (POS) aims to develop; Successful learners where pupils should be numerate, creative and able to tackle problems with more than one approach and to solve open-ended problems. Confident Individuals Pupils are given the opportunity to express their ideas using strategies that they are familiar and secure with. Responsible citizens the emphasis on analyzing and justifying conclusions in mathematical situations helps prepare pupils for taking critical and analytical approaches to real-life situations. The framework has set out a number of key concepts that pupils need to know in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding of Mathematics; Competence should be able to apply a range of mathematical techniques to assess risk, problem solving and decision making Creativity Able to combine understanding, experiences, imagination and reasoning to construct new knowledge and usage of existing mathematical knowledge to create solutions Application and Implication of Mathematics Able to understand that mathematics is used as a tool in a wide range of contexts, such as for Financial issues, Engineering, computer security and so on Critical Understanding Recognizing the limitations and scope of a model or representation. For example, mathematical skills are required to compare different methods of borrowing and paying back of money but the final decision may rely on other factors like comparing the merits of using a credit card that might offer the lowest overall costs. The framework has a set of key processes for both Key Stage 3 and 4 that are essential skills that pupils need to learn to make progress within the Subject. Representing Identify the mathematical aspects of a situation or problem, able to choose between representations to simplify a situation or problem in order to represent it mathematically, using appropriate variables, symbols, diagrams and models to select mathematical information, methods and tools to use. Analysing Use mathematical reasoning, pupils should be able to: make connections within mathematics use knowledge of related problems visualise and work with dynamic images identify and classify patterns; make and begin to justify conjectures and generalisations, considering special cases and counter-examples; explore the effects of varying values and look for invariance and covariance; take account of feedback and learn from mistakes; work logically towards results and solutions, recognising the impact of constraints and assumptions; appreciate that there are a number of different techniques that can be used to analyse a situation; reason inductively and deduce. Use appropriate mathematical procedures Pupils should be able to: make accurate mathematical diagrams, graphs and constructions on paper and on screen; calculate accurately, selecting mental methods or calculating devices  as appropriate ; manipulate numbers, algebraic expressions and equations and apply routine algorithms; use accurate notation, including correct syntax when using ICT; record methods, solutions and conclusions; estimate, approximate and check working. Interpreting and evaluating Pupils should be able to: form convincing arguments based on findings and make general statements; consider the assumptions made and the appropriateness and accuracy of results and conclusions; be aware of the strength of empirical evidence and appreciate the difference between evidence and proof ; look at data to find patterns and exceptions; relate findings to the original context, identifying whether they support or refute conjectures; engage with someone elses mathematical reasoning in the context of a problem or particular situation; consider the effectiveness of alternative strategies. Communicating and reflecting Pupils should be able to: communicate findings effectively; engage in mathematical discussion of results; consider the elegance and efficiency of alternative solutions; look for equivalence in relation to both the different approaches to the problem and different problems with similar structures; make connections between the current situation and outcomes, and situations and outcomes they have already encountered. The framework sets out an outline for teachers to follow in teaching the key concepts and key processes. The range and content for both Key stages are as follow: Key Stage 3: Number and algebra rational numbers, their properties and their different representations rules of arithmetic applied to calculations and manipulations with rational numbers applications of ratio and proportion accuracy and rounding algebra as generalised arithmetic linear equations, formulae, expressions and identities analytical, graphical and numerical methods for solving equations polynomial graphs, sequences and functions Geometry and measures properties of 2D and 3D shapes constructions, loci and bearings Pythagoras theorem transformations similarity, including the use of scale points, lines and shapes in 2D coordinate systems units, compound measures and conversions perimeters, areas, surface areas and volumes Statistics the handling data cycle presentation and analysis of grouped and ungrouped data, including time series and lines of best fit measures of central tendency and spread experimental and theoretical probabilities, including those based on equally likely outcomes.Rules of arithmetic: This includes knowledge of operations and inverse operations and how calculators use precedence. Pupils should understand that not all calculators use algebraic logic and may give different answers for calculations such as 1 + 2 X 3. Calculations and manipulations with rational numbers: This includes using mental and written methods to make sense of everyday situations such as temperature, altitude, financial statements and transactions. Ratio and proportion: This includes percentages and applying concepts of ratio and proportion to contexts such as value for money, scales, plans and maps, cooking and statistical information (eg 9 out of 10 people prefer). Accuracy and rounding: This is particularly important when using calculators and computers. Linear equations: This includes setting up equations, including inequalities and simultaneous equations. Pupils should be able to recognise equations with no solutions or an infinite number of solutions. Polynomial graphs: This includes gradient properties of parallel and perpendicular lines. Sequences and functions: This includes a range of sequences and functions based on simple rules and relationships. 2D and 3D shapes: These include circles and shapes made from cuboids. Constructions, loci and bearings: This includes constructing mathematical figures using both straight edge and compasses, and ICT. Scale: This includes making sense of plans, diagrams and construction kits. Compound measures: This includes making sense of information involving compound measures, for example fuel consumption, speed and acceleration. Surface areas and volumes: This includes 3D shapes based on prisms. The handling data cycle: This is closely linked to the mathematical key processes and consists of: specifying the problem and planning (representing) collecting data (representing and analysing) processing and presenting the data (analysing) interpreting and discussing the results (interpreting and evaluating). Presentation and analysis: This includes the use of ICT. Spread: For example, the range and inter-quartile range. Probabilities: This includes applying ideas of probability and risk to gambling, safety issues, and simulations using ICT to represent a probability experiment, such as rolling two dice and adding the scores. Key Stage 4 Number and algebra real numbers, their properties and their different representations rules of arithmetic applied to calculations and manipulations with real numbers, including standard index form and surds proportional reasoning, direct and inverse proportion, proportional change and exponential growth upper and lower bounds linear, quadratic and other expressions and equations graphs of exponential and trigonometric functions transformation of functions graphs of simple loci Geometry and measures properties and mensuration of 2D and 3D shapes circle theorems trigonometrical relationships properties and combinations of transformations 3D coordinate systems vectors in two dimensions conversions between measures and compound measures Statistics the handling data cycle presentation and analysis of large sets of grouped and ungrouped data, including box plots and histograms, lines of best fit and their interpretation measures of central tendency and spread Experimental and theoretical probabilities of single and combined events. Functional Skills in Mathematics The revised mathematics programme of study has given importance in embedding Functional Maths into teaching. Functional Mathematics requires learners to be able to use mathematics in ways where it make them effective and involve as citizens, able to operate confidently in life and to work in a wider range of contexts. The framework has divided the functional skill into two levels, where level 1 is linked to key stage 3 and level 2 to key stage 4. (Please refer to Appendix 1) The key concept of competence emphasises the need for students to be able to adapt and apply their understanding in a widening range of contexts within the classroom and beyond. This is also at the heart of functional skills. In this way functional skills are much more than a set of technical competencies in mathematics; students have to use mathematics to tackle tasks and problems. All teaching needs to be designed in a way that contributes to the development of functional skills. When planning opportunities for students to develop and understand functional skills you should consider whether you have: provided opportunities for different skills you are focusing on in representing, analysing and interpreting to be developed in combination ensured that students understand that they are learning skills that they will use and apply in a variety of contexts given students the chance to select the skills and tools (including ICT) they need for a particular task provided opportunities for students to apply these skills for real purposes and contexts beyond the classroom. For example, a year 10 project asked students to recommend to school managers a method for electing representatives for the school council. Students explored methods used in politics, including first past the post and different methods of proportional representation. They collected data about different voting methods and carried out simulations, which enabled them to produce a clear recommendation with justification. This project has the potential to be developed in conjunction with ICT, English and citizenship colleagues as it addresses wider curricular issues and also offers opportunities to develop functional skills in ICT and English as well as mathematics. The following are case studies on Functional skills taken from the National Curriculum website (http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk); Wellacre Technology and Vocational College Objective: To help learners understand the relevance of mathematics in real life Year 9 science project and a Year 7 design and technology project. Both required pupils to solve real-world product design problems; In the year 9 science project, skiing was used as a context for developing learners understanding of pressure, mass, surface area and speed. Pupils had to work out how wide skis would need to be for individual pupils to ensure that their skis did not sink into the snow. This required pupils to rearrange formulae and calculate the surface area of their feet and pressure. For the year 7 design and technology project, pupils were given a budget and challenged to raise as much money as they could for  their partner school in Newcastle, South Africa. Pupils considered a range of products before settling on key fobs. Maximising the amount of profit was the main design criterion and pupils were encouraged to use tessellation to ensure their designs minimised waste. As part of the project they also use formulae to calculate break-even points, profit and loss. In both projects, working with real figures proved both an incentive and a challenge pupils were not able to fall back on a set of answers in a textbook. This generated discussion as pupils collaborated to check their calculations. The nature of the tasks also encouraged learners to think independently and creatively to solve problems. Opened ended mathematical Enquiries- Lancaster Girls Grammar School Objective: to develop pupils functional mathematics and problem-solving skills Introducing open-ended projects that required pupils to use mathematics to solve real-life problems Mobiles and Mathematics in year 8 and Music and Mathematics in year 10. Both projects were based around open-ended problems without a right answer. Pupils were given the broad topic areas and told to devise their own projects. Pupils were given two months to prepare, which encouraged them to make their own choices about how they would work and what they would explore. The range of investigations devised by pupils was broad. Year 8 pupils explored different tariffs, compared costs between pay as you go contracts and investigated different usage patterns of people over and under 30. In year 10 pupils were encouraged to make links between mathematics and music. Some considered what kinds of functions might be used to model sound waves. Others explored the connections between the Fibonacci sequence and the layout of a keyboard. In both projects, pupils defined their own problem, decided on the data to collect and how to collect it, gathered information from a number of sources, including their parents or other pupils, considered how to analyse their data, used and applied mathematics skills and drew conclusions. At the end of the projects, they presented their findings and evaluated how successful they had been. Staff and pupils embraced the new way of working. The head of department acknowledged that it was a considerable risk to introduce this way of teaching but it paid off. Initially, staffs were concerned about setting problems when they didnt know the answers but once the work was underway they enjoyed a different way of teaching. The projects offered opportunities to stretch pupils and encourage them to make connections between different parts of their learning. Many of the pupils were nervous about working on a project when they didnt have an indication of what type of project to make. However they soon began to enjoy the freedom of the approach. At the end of the project, a year 8 pupil reflected: This was a break from everyday work and we can use our imagination as we arent being spoon fed the information. We could decide what we wanted to do I have learnt to make decisions. There were different ways to present information on this project and this made it even more exciting. I could be creative with my choices as I didnt have to do exactly what the teacher said. ASSESSING PUPILS PROGRESS IN MATHEMATICS (APP) Finally, in my literature review, I am going to look into embedding APP guidance into teaching and learning of mathematics. Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) is a structured approach to periodic assessment, enabling teachers to: track pupils progress over a key stage or longer; use diagnostic information about pupils strengths and weaknesses to improve teaching and learning Using APP materials, teachers can make more consistent level-related judgements in National Curriculum The APP focuses on how as mathematics teacher can use AFL (Assessment for learning) strategy in lessons in order to generate evidence pupils learning. The diagram shown below tells how the APP cycle works. Review a range of evidence for periodic assessment (APP) Collect and feedback to pupils evidence of their progress during day to day teaching and learning Plan for progression from learning objectives (Secondary Framework and Planning toolkit) Make level related assessment using APP Criteria Adjust Planning, Teaching and learning by referring to Secondary Framework The focused assessment materials are on the APP assessment criteria and organised in National Curriculum levels. There is a set for each level from 4 to 8. The materials include examples of what pupils should know and able to do and some probing questions for teachers to initiate dialogue as to assist in their assessment judgement. The following is an example from the level 6 focused assessment materials. Add and subtract fractions by writing them with a common denominator, calculate fractions of quantities (fraction answers); multiply and divide an integer by a fraction Examples of what pupils should know and be able to do Probing questions Add and subtract more complex fractions such as 11 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾18 + 7 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾24, including mixed fractions. Solve problems involving fractions, e.g.: In a survey of 24 pupils, 1 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾3 liked football best, 1 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾4 liked basketball, 3 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾8 liked athletics and the rest liked swimming. How many liked swimming? Why are equivalent fractions important when adding or subtracting fractions? What strategies do you use to find a common denominator when adding or subtracting fractions? Is there only one possible common denominator? What happens if you use a different common denominator? Give pupils some examples of adding and subtracting of fractions with common mistakes in them. Ask them to talk you through the mistakes and how they would correct them. How would you justify that 4 à · 1 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾5 = 20? How would you use this to work out 4 à · 2 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾5? Do you expect the answer to be greater or less than 20? Why? Probing questions are an important tool in a lesson as it could be used to confirm pupils understanding in a particular topic or their misconceptions. Before we talked about it I always thought if the shape had three numbers you just times them. But now I know that you split the shape into rectangles and I can find the area of a rectangle. Its so easy. I understand it fully now. (Source: APP: Secondary Mathematics Guidance) That was a comment from a pupil after dialogue about understanding and using the formula for the area of a rectangle using the probing questions. KANGAROO MATHS http://www.kangaroomaths.com/index.html Kangaroo Maths is the home page of Bring on the Maths where interactive activities for teachers can be purchased from Key stage 2 to A level. It has an APP page that provides supporting materials for teachers from Key stage 1 to Key stage 3. The assessment policy from the website (Appendix 5) has been rewritten to reflect the APP and to help with the on going development of APP, it has an evaluation tool (Appendix 6) where it allows teachers to self evaluate themselves in focusing, developing and establishing APP criteria with regards to pupils engagement, lesson planning and evidence gathering. Further more, to understand the assessment criteria on the A3 grid, Kangaroo maths has developed the levelopaedias that provide exemplifications and probing questions for each of the assessment criteria. DISCUSSION/FINDINGS: To add on to my findings, I am going to look into the topic Algebra and analyse how it has developed across the levels using the APP criteria (Appendix 7a) and Kangaroo maths Level Ladders( Appendix 7b). Then, based on level 5 work on Algebra, I am going to design 3 series of lesson plans with the guidance of the level ladders. The word ALGEBRA seems to be a put off to most students when unknown numbers or using formulas to real life context. It is a topic that requires accumulative understanding building on from level 2 onwards as shown below (taken from APP guidelines); Algebra Level 5 Construct, express in symbolic form and use simple formulae involving one or two operations. Level 4 Begin to use simple formulae expressed in words Level 3 Recognise a wider range of sequences Begin to understand