Ambush Marketing- Is It Ethical

Ambush Marketing- Is It ethical? While a lot of discussion has been going on for quite some time on â€Å"Marketing ethics† including almost every aspect of marketing be it market research, market audience, pricing or marketing strategy. But none of these issues seem to be even close to the issues raised by the ethics of advertising and promotion and specifically â€Å"ambush marketing† in particular. Hence in this article we will take a quick look at the ever-increasing practice of ambush marketing, its origin, examples and its ethical concerns. Background: The term â€Å"ambush† in literal terms means â€Å"an attack from a hidden position†, this in fact, is the founding stone of the term â€Å"ambush marketing†. â€Å"Ambush Marketing† was coined in the 1980’s by Jerry Welsh, the renowned marketing strategist, while he was working as a manager for global marketing efforts for American Express. When he coined the term, he referred it as a creative and legitimate marketing strategy which could provide a level playing ground to the competitors of a thematic sponsor. Today, however, the term is associated with a negative connotation. According to Wikipedia â€Å"ambush marketing refers to a company's attempt to capitalize on the goodwill, reputation, and popularity of a particular event by creating an association with it, without the authorization or consent of the necessary parties. † It is an attempt of the ambusher to associate itself with an event without paying the fee and get some rub-off effects from it. When implemented effectively, it diminishes the value of the actual sponsors of the event by confusing the customers Fig:Typical example of ambush marketing Fig1. :Jet airlines putting a billboard â€Å"we’ve changed† Fig1. 2:Kingfisher took the responsibility of making them change Fig1. 3:Go Air cashed in on the success of the two billboards There is a thin line between Ambush marketing and effective marketing practice. All the marketing strategies adopted by a rival company in the midst of an event cannot be called as ambush marketing. An activity is termed as ambushing only if the m arketer is trying to endorse a specific product/event and by doing that the revenues of the main event are getting damaged. For example f spice jet shows its commercials in between a motor sports event, it will not be guilty of ambushing. But if Pepsi is launching a new ad campaign in between cricket world cup whose official sponsor is coke and it affects the sales of coke, it will be termed as an instance of ambushing. Fig:Pepsi ad during 1996 WC Strategies for ambush marketing can be broadly classified into two groups: Forging: In this form, a company misleads the people that the ambusher is one of the sponsors of the event by using a similar name or logo associated with the event while it is not. For example, in 2002 Sydney Olympics, Quantas airlines changed its slogan to â€Å"The spirit of Australia† which was very close to the games slogan â€Å"Share the Spirit†. This was a classic case of ambush marketing as the official airline partner of the event was Ansett Air but the slogan of Quantas airlines suggested otherwise. Fig:Quantas airlines Intrusion: Here the ambusher tries to give its own name or trade mark through the medium of publicity of the event without seeking the permission of the organiser. This strategy uses the attention created by the event to promote the ambusher’s product. This strategy is more popular with the ambushers now-a-days as forging can lead to legal actions and this is comparatively a risk-free strategy. A notable example of this strategy was in 2002 Boston Marathon, whose official sponsor was Adidas but Nike provided the runners with spray painted â€Å"swooshes† which suggested that the event was sponsored by Nike. Fig:2002 Boston Marathon In 2006 Bavaria Brewery gave away orange overalls called Leeuwenhosen to some of the fans to support the Netherlands football team with the brewery’s logo on them. The FIFA officials asked the fans to remove the orange overalls as Budweiser was the official sponsor. Fig: Supporters wearing Leeuwenhosen By this time you all must have guessed the issues with ambushing, but then too let us reiterate some of the important ones. The first and the biggest of them is that it reduces the effectiveness of the advertisements of the original sponsors of the event and decreases their revenues. It can also lead to withdrawal of some of the sponsors from the event such as IBM and Mars from the Olympic TOP programme. The sponsorships for these events are costly and by ambushing, these companies are deprived of their right to increase their visibility and thereby their customer base. Remedies for Ambushing: Ambushing has been gaining popularity ever since it came into existence which is causing a lot of concerns for the official sponsors of the event. Hence for better protection of the interests of the company certain strategies have evolved which could help the victim company to counter ambushing. The major ones are Learn How to Ambush: This measure is based on the premise that if the knows how to ambush then it will also know the vulnerable points on which it could be ambushed and then it can try to plug those gaps through stringent contracts. Leveraging: These are supplementary measures such as ads aimed at increasing public awareness about the official sponsors of the event. Limit a non-sponsors capacity to advertise: By limiting the non-sponsors ability to advertise in the proximity of the event reduces the probability of ambushing through physical stalls, outlets etc. This strategy is also known as â€Å"clean stadium† policy. Establish more control over advertising: This is one of the most important and one of the most difficult measures to exercise. Since reach of media to the viewers of an event is much more than the people actually coming and watching those events, it is very important for firms to try and limit the advertisements by non-sponsors. Educate Consumers: One of the most safest and effective measure is making the customers known about the official sponsors so that the ambushers cannot mislead the public. Legal Restrictions: Stringent legal measures can act as deterrents to the practice of unethical ambushing. Is it ethical? Ambush marketing has changed its shape and form from 1980’s till today. But what is constant is the debate on whether it is ethical or not. The answer is very subjective. If you are asking this question to the sponsor of the event he might say that it is synonymous with crime and to an ambusher it might seem to be an intelligent marketing strategy. The viewpoints become completely reversed if the ambusher is made the sponsor and vice-versa. My opinion about ambushing is same as the ambushers. Marketing as a field of study has always been associated with creativity and ambushing gives them a perfect platform for the same. In today’s world, where there is cut throat competition between corporates due to increasing competition and reducing margins, companies have to come up with such kind of measures to counter other. During the times of recession, when all the major economies of the world go to a standstill, it serves as a cost effective method of advertising. For me it is not breaking the law or doing illegal, it is an intelligent use of the loopholes in the marketing practices of the other firm. If my rival is not aware of its shortcomings, I should use it to my advantage. Also, competition is not a game with set rules; if I am refraining from using ambush marketing today does not mean that my rival facing the same condition would not use ambush against me. In my viewpoint, it is one of the best methods of marketing involving minimum capital and maximum gains. What you think of ambushing is up to you to decide.

Arming Teachers Essay

â€Å"The vast majority of teachers want to be armed with textbooks and computers, not guns,† said Kenneth S. Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services, in response to the national discussion on arming teachers and school staff, and armed volunteers in schools. Trump advises school districts against allowing teachers and school staff to be armed. Trump says that while gun control and gun rights advocates typically seize on school proposals to arm teachers to further political agendas, his opposition to arming teachers and school staff focuses solely on implementation issues, not political statements and beliefs about rights to bear arms. â€Å"School districts considering arming teachers and school staff with guns would take on significant responsibility and potential liabilities that I firmly believe are beyond the expertise, knowledge-base, experience, and professional capabilities of most school boards and administrators,† Trump said. He added that school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, school safety experts, and public safety officials he has talked with around the nation consistently do not believe that educators and school support staff should be armed. Trump, a 25-year veteran school safety expert who has trained and consulted with school and public safety officials from all 50 states and Canada, noted that school districts setting policy to allow teachers and school staff to be armed with guns would take on an enormous amount of responsibility and potential liability. Trump says allowing teachers and school staff to be armed begs a number of questions: Does the school board have appropriate and adequate policies and procedures governing the carrying and use of firearms by teachers and school staff? What type of â€Å"use of force continuum† has the school district created for staff to use firearms? How does that stand up in comparison to such standards held for police officers and others who are armed and deployed in a public safety capacity? What types of firearms (types of guns, caliber of weapons, etc.) are staff allowed to carry and not allowed to carry? Will staff carry their own personal firearms or school district-issued firearms? If the school allows staff to carry their personal weapons for the purpose of protecting staff and students, what responsibilities do school boards and administrators thereby assume for making sure the firearms carried are functional? Does the school district have regular â€Å"inspections† of staff firearms to make sure they are functional and appropriate to policy, and if so, who on school staff is responsible for that function and what is their level of expertise and training to make such decisions? What type of firearms training does the school district provide on a regular, ongoing basis to those staff it authorizes to be armed with guns? Will the school district build and operate its own firearms range? Who on school staff is qualified to provide such training, operate a firearms range, etc.? Will firearms certification and recertification be added to the school district’s professional development training program each year? What type of weapons retention training has been provided to staff who are armed and what steps have been taken to reduce risks of a teacher or staff member being intentionally disarmed by a student or other person, or for having a firearm dislodged from a staff member’s control when the teacher breaks up a fight in a cafeteria or hallway? How is the district prepared to prevent and manage situations where teachers and/or staff members lose, misplace, or have stolen their firearms while on campus? How will the school district manage an accidental shooting that could occur? What is the impact of this type of board policy and practice on the school district’s insurance and potential legal liability posture? If self-insured, is the district able to handle potential lawsuit judgments against them for cases resulting from this practice? If insured by a private carrier, what is the insurance provider’s position and concerns, or will they even insure the district for such a practice? Most importantly, what other options have we considered as school leaders? For example, if the school district is concerned about first responder response time from the community to the school, has the school district considered employing a school resource officer (SRO) or its own trained, commissioned and certified school police officer who is a school district employee, such as what is allowed in Texas, Florida and other states, and many other considerations. Trump has long supported school districts having school resource officers (SROs) who are city or county law enforcement officers assigned to work in schools. He also supports properly organized and operated school police departments, which are in-house school district police officers that are trained, commissioned, and certified professional peace officers in school districts where state law allows districts to have such departments. Trump says that the arming of teachers and school staff goes is a significantly different issue that goes beyond simply the issue of an individual’s right in a number of states to be licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Unlike an individual being trained and licensed under a state law to carry a firearm for personal protection at their home or on the streets, school districts that permit teachers and school staff to carry firearms on campus are in essence deploying those school employees in a public safety capacity to protect the masses with the expectation and assumption that they can and will provide a firearms-related level of public safety protection services to students and other staff. By tasking those employees with those responsibilities, Trump notes, the school district is also accepting responsibility and potential liability for implementation of such policies. â€Å"There is a huge difference between having trained, certified and commissioned law enforcement officers who are full-time, career public safety professionals that are armed and assigned the duty of protecting students and staff versus having teachers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other non-public safety professionals packing a gun in school with hundreds of children,† said Trump.

Assess the importance of International arbitration in international Essay

Assess the importance of International arbitration in international business - Essay Example The decisions of these arbitration tribunals are always binding and final, and it is important to note that in international arbitration of disputes, the parties are allowed to modify the terms of the dispute resolution in line with their needs. The question that then rises is how international arbitration works in international businesses. In most international business agreements, there are dispute resolution clauses that state how all disputes within the agreement can be referred to for arbitration and includes such modalities such as the language of the arbitration and the governing law of contract. Other agreements pertaining to international arbitration may also have a mandatory requirement foe a pre-arbitration mediation and whether the international arbitration will be ad hoc or institutional, the mode of selection of the arbitrators, limitations and whether there is the right of appeal from the arbitration award. International arbitration as used in the solution of internati onal commercial disputes is often a viable method but has a few disadvantages in challenging and enforcement of the award owing to the great influence of local courts in the states. The conventions that govern international arbitrations such as the New York Convention amongst others do not help the situation, as they are mostly silent on challenging and enforcement of awards (Kronke 2010, p.255). This causes hurdles in enforcement of awards that parties may refuse due to arguments based on sovereignty and public policy. International Arbitration in International Businesses It is important to note that arbitration is always adjudicative, binding and consensual in nature (Mann and Roberts 2013, p.60). Adjudicative nature of arbitration infers that the arbitrator must not have a conflict of interest in the matter at hand and must not communicate to any party in the dispute independently. The arbitrator must also treat all the parties to the dispute fairly and equally as well as permit the parties to respond to each other’s case judicially and adhere to the agreement between the parties and the scope of their mandate. The arbitration must be binding in the sense that the courts are able to transform an arbitrator’s award into a valid judgment that is executionable unless an adjudicative principle has been breached, there is a public policy ground not to do so or there is a pending appeal. It should also be consensual in that only parties who have agreed to participate in the arbitration are bound by the arbitrator’s award and third parties cannot be affected, while the agreement to arbitrate must show the location, language and the governing law as well as the rules of arbitration. The arbitration agreement can be in a series of clauses in the commercial agreement between the parties concerned even before a dispute arises, or an agreement as to the scope, rules and other matters such as the presentation of documentary or oral evidence. Interna tional arbitration in international businesses is important as they help in the resolution of businesses across borders or businesses situated in multiple jurisdictions. The degree of risk that is posed on businesses operating internationally require that businesses adopt

Women in the City of the Dead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women in the City of the Dead - Essay Example It implies that every woman has a city within her heart, a city that she nurtures from the cradle to the grave and from the womb to the tomb. The stories in this book explain how the women in Cairo (in that era) have to cope with their personal problems, domestic issues and the sociological challenges. It is a tough call viewed from any angle. It has been succinctly described by Helen Watson (1992, p.7) â€Å"Conflict and change tend to have a catastrophic effect on any highly structured system. Women’s increasing presence in the male world of work and money provides great potential for disruption of the complementary nature of male and female roles. This is a cause for considerable concern to both men and women.† The vast cemetery close to the centre of Cairo is the reality as well as the symbol of the past and present life there. The departed souls resting in peace in a number of graves must be watching with concern the developments taking place in the city due to the impact of industrialization, materialistic civilization, and the ambitions of the combustible generation, thousands who migrate to the cities in search of employment to better their prospects and adopt new lifestyles. The author describes about the worst part of this unchecked urbanization thus: â€Å"Families have moved into tomb buildings and ceremonial ante-rooms, and additional dwellings and extensions have been tackled on as required.†(p.4)

Assess The Value Of An Effective Human Resource Management Strategy To Essay

Assess The Value Of An Effective Human Resource Management Strategy To The Achievement Of Organisational Goals And Objectives - Essay Example Effective human resources strategies can make or break organisations. This essay shall assess the value of an effective human resource management strategy to the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. This essay is being carried out in order to help provide this student a better understanding of HR strategies in successful corporations and to provide possible cues for corporations in the improvement of their corporate performance using better HR strategies. Body Various companies and researchers believe that human resource management processes can help organisations secure and achieve various strategic options. However, only a few would agree on how the HR actually impacts on performance (HR Spectrum, 2005). HR’s impact includes basic aspects like identification or recruitment of top performers; training these top employees to work effectively; and monitoring employee progress and supporting employees in the accomplishment of company goals (HR Spectrum, 2005). Based on company’s economic processes and concepts, competitive goals and strategies, HR management usually controls various functions. To support the organisation’s competitive advantage, HR managers can support various tools and strategies in order to secure their goals. Some approaches often emphasize the importance of best practice. Another HR approach highlights best fit, and aligning such fit within the organisation and its general environment (HR Spectrum, 2 005). ... Until the employees understand how these HR strategies work and how they impact on their company’s success, these strategies would not likely have any impact or meaning. In order to understand the association between corporate strategy and employee output, it is important to establish and HR system which supports shared beliefs and attitudes among employees (HR Spectrum, 2005). HR practices can secure higher values for the organisation and for its human capital pool by focusing the employees’ actions towards the fulfilment of corporate goals. This can further be secured if employees are willing to stick with the organisation (Baird and Meshaulam, 1988). HR managers can secure flexibility and can align the corporate values by securing traditional functions and the application of HR strategies using cost-effective mechanisms. These managers can also consider beyond the traditions of their organisation and evaluate the current trends in contemporary business management, as well as the speed of change among organisations and the implications of these changes for employees and other stakeholders (Baird and Meshaulam, 1988). Managing companies strategically highlights the internal organisation and the management of issues. This would involve the acknowledgement of the corporate climate and culture as well as the alignment of employee values with corporate and social goals. For instance, in improving labour outputs and improving company flexibility, human resources can also provide a wide range of strategic choices, including higher shareholder return and competitive advantage (HR Spectrum, 2005). Due to the improved dynamics of the marketplace, HR goals must also be flexible. Flexibility includes processes which refer to improved accommodation for

For this assignment please write a one page letter to the editor Essay

For this assignment please write a one page letter to the editor. Limit your letter to 250 words and write on a topical issue, that is, one you find relevant, interesting or important - Essay Example The American constitution seems to be under assault. We now have a Congress and an executive that are attempting, actively, to lead the country to bankruptcy in order to void the constitution and draft another in their image, which will withdraw freedoms that the current constitution guarantees. Currently, America is going through fundamental transformation promised to us by President Obama. Our president, along with many senators, now considers the constitution a hindrance in pursuing their agenda. I am down hearted that some scholars openly proclaim the outdated nature of the American constitution, despite our founding fathers having established an amendment process in their wisdom. Every American who treasures peace needs to be worried as an assault is made on their freedom of speech, religious rights, and the right to defend themselves. There has been a continuous assault on our pursuit of happiness by this government that aims to take from its citizens. All that supports their ideas are idealist ideas whose end will be the destruction of the United States. Remember, the best government is that which governs the least. Rogers, Donna. â€Å"I have a Dream† To Fundamentally Transform the United States of America. 21 January 2013. Web. 22 February 2013

Second Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Second Language Acquisition - Essay Example This means that linguistic studies are extremely important as they investigate the matters are able to contribute to a better understanding of the human civilization. This paper will examine the differences between two notions: communicative competence on the one hand and linguistic competence on the other. Since the key to perceiving the differences between the above mentioned notions partially lies in the process of language acquisition, the paper will utilize three perspectives that were developed with regard to Second Language Acquisition, namely linguistic, psychological and social one in other to make the analysis objective as well as detailed. Each of the above mentioned perspectives will be analyzed in great detail and various frameworks within it will be used, such as Transformational-Generative Grammar and Universal Grammar, Functionalism and Neurolinguistics, Information Processing and Connectionism, individual differences of learners will also be utilized, together with m icrosocial and macrosial foci of the social perspective. To begin with, it would be particularly important to provide definitions of each of the concept so that the differences between then might become visible based on some fundamental aspect. Thus, it is suggested that communicative competence might be defined as â€Å"what a speaker needs to know to communicate appropriately within a particular language community† (Saville-Troike 2006, p. 100). As one can easily see, there are several key words in this definition. First of all, it includes a certain amount of skills and knowledge that is essential for acquiring communicative competence. Secondly, there is a word that defines the essential element of this notion – â€Å"appropriately†. In other words, a person might possess the above mentioned skills and knowledge, but their amount may not be sufficient in order to contribute to

There is no such thing as a rational decision. Discuss this assertion, Essay

There is no such thing as a rational decision. Discuss this assertion, and carefully justify the arguments and claims that you m - Essay Example This study aims at discussing rational decision-making and its existence from the roots. In order to throw light on every dimension of rational decision-making, the discussion would begin from understanding rationality, and will further assist in understanding what does rational decision signify. It will also include what elements assist one in understanding that the particular decision is rational enough. Apart from this, theories in relation to types of rationality would be discussed. The conditions considered for effective decision-making need to be understood in order to conduct a comprehensive analysis for stating whether rational decisions exist or it is just a myth. Rationality is considered to be a normative concept, which signifies any belief, desire or action. It signifies any conviction or concept, which is derived through proper reasoning (Adler, 1991). Rationality can be considered the characteristics of decisions which are supported by motives. Max Weber, a German socio logist proposed a theory of rationality, which explains four types of rationality. The first type of rationality put forward by him is purposive or instrumental rationality. This explains the expectation regarding the behavior of the other objects and the human beings present in the society. The second type of rationality is value or belief oriented. In this case the action is assumed to be essential for the person, such as ethics, religion, motives, etc. The third type of rationality is affectual, which assist in determining the specific affect of emotions or feelings. Weber considered this type of rationality to be meaningfully oriented rationality. The fourth type was habituation, which is traditional. Weber emphasized on these four types of rationality because he considered rationality and rational decision making to be the outcome of one of these types or a combination of these types of rationality stated by him. However, Weber’s point of view for rationality has been cr iticized by Habermansian, whose proposed theory was devoid of any social power or context, whereas Weber’s theory of rationality was strongly supported by values and power (Berg, & Hoffrage, 2004). A rational decision-maker actually chooses among the different alternatives or courses of action that are based on the ability of the decision-maker. This is because this process includes rational decisions that are not only backed by reasons but are also appropriate enough for achieving goals, and solving problems. While discussing the concept of rational decision-making, elements like rational choice and rational behavior of individuals needs to be also discussed. Rational choices are considered to be economic principles which are assumed to be made by those individuals who make logical and prudent decisions that benefit them and provide them satisfaction. This concept of rational decision-making is based on the rational choice theory. Rational behavior is the decision-making pro cedure which depends on the choices that would offer optimum level of utility or benefit. According to conventional theories of economics all those individuals who take part in any activity or action are rational. Rational decision does not always assist in generating profit because it is considered that sometimes

Tthe Supernatural story Essay Example for Free

Tthe Supernatural story Essay Now that Scrooge has seen those children that are poor and need help he can see how much he could help. It is a shock to him to hear those words and to really see where the money could have donated would have helped. Scrooge is then left alone by the spirit of Christmas present. The bell strokes twelve and the Spirit of Christmas yet to come enters. This spirit is the one that looks the most frightening. This ghost looks like the Grim Reaper without his sickle. Scrooge is scared of this spirit the most. His face is never seen and it never speaks. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. This spirit takes Scrooge round London in the future on Christmas day. They first see some business men that Scrooge knows. They are talking about the death of Old Scratch the business men talk of him as though he was quite rich: What has he done with his money? asked a red faced gentleman with a pendulous excrescence on the end of his nose, that shook like the gills of a turkey cock Left it to the company perhaps. He hasnt left it to me thats all I know its likely to be a cheap funeral. I dont mind going if lunch is provided But I must be fed if I make one. Scrooge is then taken to the pawn brokers shop where he sees four people in the shop. Three of them have brought things with them to pay off their debt. These people have taken these things from Old Scratch and couldnt care less that they were his belongings. The first person was a man who did not have much but he did have a seal or two, a pencil case, a brooch and some sleeve buttons. The next person was a woman called Mrs. Dilber. She had some sheets and towels, some teaspoons, sugar tongues and some boots but not much. The third and final person was the laundress who was obviously a ruthless woman. She had taken the bed curtains of the dead person and even the very shirt he was wearing at the time she was there. She had also taken his blankets. These people remarked that if they hadnt have taken his things someone else would have done because he had no real family and he did not need them any longer. This is Dickenss way of showing that poor people will do anything to stay out of the workhouses and prisons. These people will do anything to stop there families and there lives been as badly affected as Dickenss was. This is almost an autobiographical part of this book because like these people Dickenss family would have done and did do anything they could to stay out of Debters prison and the workhouses. Scrooge asked the spirit to take him to a place where there are some people that are affected by this death and show some emotion. The spirit takes him to see a young couple who are in debt and are both happy and sad that he has died. They are happy because on the one hand their debt could now be erased due to his death and on the other hand the debt could have been passed on to someone else. Scrooge is taken to see the dead man but darent look at his face in case it is Scrooge. This also upsets Scrooge. The spirit then takes him to the Cratchitt house. The family are upset coping with a death but not the death of Old Scratch, Tiny Tim has died. The children take Tiny Tims death better than his parents. Mrs. Cratchitt is very upset and is crying when Scrooge sees her. The colour hurts my eyes, she said. The colour? Ah poor Tiny Tim! Theyre better now, said Cratchitts wife. It makes them weak by candlelight; and I wouldnt want to show weak eyes to your father when he comes home, for the world. Bob walks slower without Tiny Tim on his shoulders and he misses Tim the most. I have known him walk with Tiny Tim upon his shoulder, very fast indeed. But he was very light to carry. We know Tim is dead because of the past tense verbs used in these sentences. Tiny Tim is still in his bed and Bob who misses him the most often goes to see him. He left the room, and went upstairs into the room above, which was lighted cheerfully and hung with Christmas. There was a chair set close behind the child, and there were signs of someone having been there lately. Poor Bob sat down if and when he had thought a little and composed himself, he kissed the little face. This upsets Scrooge who then listens to them talk of Bob meeting his nephew Fred earlier on and saying that if they needed any help he would help them. Scrooge is then taken away by the spirit. Scrooge questions the spirit and asks him if these shadows can be changed. The spirit, as ever, does not reply. Scrooge is taken to a cemetery and is shown a grave stone that has his name on it Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge clings to the spirit and starts begging. The spirit, all of a sudden, turns into one of Scrooges bed posts. The final stave sums up the story. Scrooge asks a boy in the street what the day is to which scrooge is told that it is Christmas. He tells the boy to go and buy the biggest Turkey from the grocers and then sends it to Bob Cratchitts house. Scrooge takes up his invitation and goes for Christmas dinner at his nephews house. The next day Bob is late to work. Scrooge plays with Bob and gets angry but then tells him that he is getting a raise. Bob does not know how to react but then sees that Scrooge is serious and he is happy. The men who were asking for money for the poor house are given enough money for this year and back payments as well by Scrooge. And . of course, Tiny Tim lives. A Christmas Carol is a social problem novel wrapped up in the supernatural style. Of course it works very well as a supernatural story as it has all the criteria needed for one. Dickens has written this book very well and gets the message across that the image of the poor is completely wrong. The books true moral is a hidden one that is picked up sub consciously by the reader. You may think that the moral of this story is that if you share your love and fortune you will be happier than if you keep them locked away for no one to see. The true moral of this story is that the poor need help by those that can afford to help. It does not matter whether your next door neighbour thinks that it is their own fault that they are poor. You should always help. Although not as autobiographical as his other novels this one still mirrors some part of his life. This novel is not the only one of Dickenss that has a social view wrapped up into a different genre but it is one of his most memorable novels. Because of this novel you hear people calling their family and friends Scrooges because they try to save their money up rather than spending it. The word Scrooge is even in the dictionary. In the Oxford English dictionary the word Scrooge is defined as A mean or miserly person This obviously means that A Christmas Carol is a very memorable piece and that the character of Scrooge is quite a significant one. I do feel, however, that A Christmas Carol is not a great Social Problem novel. A Christmas Carol does have the elements of social problem novels but not as strongly as others. In conclusion I do agree that Dickens does use A Christmas Carol as a vehicle for his own social views. Many other people would have written a similar novel but not included the severe poverty of the Cratchitt family, for instance. I believe that A Christmas Carol fits into the supernatural genre completely. This is because it has all of the classic ingredients of supernatural tales. A Christmas Carol has a setting, which is the big dark building in London that Scrooge is alone in all through the dead of night and his past, present and future. Atmosphere, the atmosphere is built up by the entry of the spirits. And a plot, the plot of A Christmas Carol is about Scrooge changing from a man who is clearly immoral to a humane person. This happens because of a visit from the three spirits. A Christmas Carol also has the main types of Supernatural characters. These are something from the paranormal world, in this case Jacob Marley, The spirit of Christmas past, present and Christmas future. Also there needs to be a person, usually the protagonist, who does not believe in the paranormal. In A Christmas Carol not only does the protagonist, Scrooge, not believe in the paranormal but he does not believe in anything but being rich. This is why he is visited by the paranormal world. The language that Dickens has used seems to be the language of the period although some language from this particular genre can also be found. Many of the sentences in the book have a feel for the supernatural and of his own views, especially when talking about the poor: The spirit smiled, and stopped to bless Bob Cratchitts dwelling with a sprinkling from his torch. Think of that! Bob had but fifteen Bob a-week himself; he pocketed on Saturdays but fifteen copies of his Christian name; and yet the Ghost of Christmas Present blessed his four-roomed house! That sentence has mainly the language of the period but it also has a little bit of supernatural language. This just goes to show Dickens views once again. He is writing as though it is shocking for some one to bless a poor persons little four-roomed house. Therefore A Christmas Carol is a perfect supernatural story and acts as a vehicle for Dickens views, but rather than it being a large vehicle of his views, like a social problem novel, it is a small vehicle which only has room for a small amount of his social views whereas other Dickens novels such as Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times fit into the social problem genre better than A Christmas Carol does. Having said that A Christmas Carol still gets the message across about the Victorian peoples anti-social and idiotic views about the poor and how they need to be changed. A Christmas Carol also gets the message across to a wider audience which means that more people realise that their views about the poor are wrong and that it really isnt their own fault if they are poor. This is where A Christmas Carol really becomes a vehicle for Dickens social views because it transports the views to people that wouldnt normally read a social problem novel.

Design Limitations for Speakers

Design Limitations for Speakers Introduction There are many factors which determine the characteristics of a loudspeaker; to produce a successful design a careful balance of many factors must be achieved. Most of the challenges and considerations of loudspeaker design stem from the inherent limitations of the drivers themselves. Desirable Characteristics Real-Word Implementation For a coherent approach to loudspeaker design to be established, one may elucidate the problem by considering two main sets of criteria; the desired characteristics of the finished system and the limitations which impinge on the achievement of these desired characteristics. The key desirable characteristics for the finished system are listed below. Reproduction of all frequencies across input range Flat frequency response across input range Adequate Damping Good Efficiency Adequate SPL or perceived loudness Minimal distortion Minimal noise Many of the above considerations are quite obvious. In terms of frequency response it is desired that the response of the system as a whole should be as flat as possible, since to truthfully reproduce a signal all frequencies across the input range should be represented equally. Weems (2000, p.14) notes that â€Å"smoothness of response is more important than range†. Naturally noise and distortion are undesirable for accurate signal reproduction. Damping is an important concern; when a signal is no longer applied to a loudspeaker there will be a natural tendency for the cone to continue to move under its own inertia. Thus damping must be employed in order to ensure that the SPL generated by such movement is sufficiently low and relatively inaudible. Rossing (1990, p.31) refers to damping as â€Å"loss of energy of a vibrator, usually through friction†. This is a simplification, however, the back EMF generated by the driver and the varying impedance seen by the amplifier of the crossover/driver network play an important role. As Weems (2000, p.17) rightly says â€Å"there are two types of damping, mechanical and electrical†. Another quite obvious consideration is that the loudspeaker must indeed be loud enough. This is related to the issue of efficiency, since the more inefficient the speaker, the more power will be needed to drive it. The choice of enclosure design plays quite a significant role here, as will be seen shortly. In terms of limitations, there are several immediate problems posed by the nature of the drivers themselves that must be addressed. Firstly, the sound from the back of the speaker cone is 180 degrees out of phase with the sound from the front. This phase separation means the sounds will cancel each other at lower frequencies, or interfere with each other in a more complex manner at high frequencies; clearly neither is desirable. In some senses it would be ideal to mount the drivers in a wall with a large room behind, the so-called â€Å"infinite baffle†, having the sound from the rear of the cone dissipate in a large separate space, being thus unable to interfere with the sound produced by the front. In reality this is impractical; however some provision must be made to isolate sound from the rear of the cone. To this end, some sort of enclosure must be made for the drivers, yet this presents a new set of considerations. Without an enclosure, a loudspeaker is very inefficient when the sound wavelengths to be produced are longer than the speaker diameter. This results in an inadequate bass response; for an 8 inch speaker this equates to anything below around 1700Hz[1]. So the infinite baffle is terribly inefficient in terms of the SPL produced at lower frequencies. Furthermore, the free cone resonance of the speaker works against the flat frequency response that is desired; input frequencies close to the resonant frequency will be represented too forcefully. Another real-world complication is the fact that for high-fidelity applications, no one loudspeaker will be able to handle the entire range of input frequencies; â€Å"the requirements for low frequency sound are the opposite to those for high frequencies† (Weems, 2000, p.13). Higher frequencies require less power to be reproduced, but the driver must respond more quickly, whereas low frequencies require a larger driver and hence greater power to be effectively realised. In view of the above, multiple drivers must be used, with each producing a certain frequency range of the input signal; at the very least a woofer and tweeter are required. In order to deliver only the appropriate frequencies to each driver, a device known as a crossover must be implemented. This can take the form of passive filter circuits within the speaker itself, or active circuitry that filters the signal prior to amplification. In the latter case, multiple amplifiers are needed, making this a more costly approach. The fundamentals of crossover design will be dealt with in a separate document and are hence not dealt with in detail here. Enclosure Design Faced with the reality that an enclosure is in almost all cases a practical necessity, perhaps the most important aspect of speaker design in the design of the enclosure itself. The first step in producing a successful design is to decide upon the drivers to be used and use this as a basis for choosing a cabinet design, or to decide upon the desired cabinet type first and allow this to inform the choice of driver. In general, most of the design work with regard to the cabinet is focused firmly toward the woofer, since the enclosure design is most critical with regard to midrange/bass performance. In typical 2-way designs, the tweeter is mounted in the same box as the woofer, but it is the latter which largely defines the cabinet dimensions. In the past the design of enclosures was often something of a hit-or-miss affair, however the research of Thiele (1971) and Small (1973) has led to a much more organised design process. Most transducers today are accompanied by a comprehensive datasheet of Thiele-Small parameters, which allow most of the guess work to be taken out of enclosure design. Ignoring more exotic enclosure designs, the first question is whether the enclosure should be ported or sealed (it should be noted that in reality even â€Å"sealed† enclosures are very slightly open or â€Å"leaky† in order to allow the internal pressure to equalise with the surroundings). If a driver has already been chosen, this can be determined from the Efficiency Bandwidth Product, which is defined as: EBP = Fs / Qes(1) Where Fs is the free air resonance of the driver and Qes the electrical Q or damping. In general, an EBP of 50 or less indicates a sealed box, whilst an EBP above 90 suggests a ported enclosure (Dickason, 2000). In between, the choice of enclosure lies more or less with the designer and a driver that falls in the middle should perform acceptably in either closed or ported situations. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of sealed vs ported enclosures? A sealed enclosure is very simple to build, whilst a ported enclosure requires some degree of tuning to ensure the port is matched correctly to the driver – in the ported or â€Å"bass reflex† design a tube extends into the cabinet allowing some air to escape from inside; if correctly tuned the air that leaves the port is delayed in phase by 180 degrees, hence reinforcing the sound from the front of the cone. With a sealed enclosure the air inside acts as an approximately linear spring for the transducer cone and assuming the driver has a low Fs, a healthy bass extension with a gentle roll-off of -12dB per octave can be expected. The disadvantages are several; the enclosure may need to be quite large to achieve an acceptable Qtc (the damping value for a sealed system) and efficiency is poor. Further, with a sealed enclosure the driver reaches maximum excursion at resonance, which translates to greater distortion. Therefore a driver for use in a sealed enclosure requires quite a large linear throw to perform well. By contrast, in correctly tuned ported enclosures the driver is maximally damped at resonance, so a large linear throw is not critical and distortion is lower as a result. The basic methods of sealed and ported cabinet design shall now be explained. Sealed Enclosure Design To design a sealed enclosure the basic methodology is quite straightforward; the essential challenge is simply to find the optimum volume for the cabinet for the chosen driver. First one must decide on the value of the damping constant Qtc; the optimum value is 0.707 since it gives the lowest -3db break frequency and hence the best potential for bass extension, as well as good transient response. If the enclosure size is too large at this optimum value then Qtc may be increased, resulting in a trade-off between bass performance, transient response and enclosure volume. However, the more Qtc is increased, the more boomy and muddy the sound will become. Depending on the application, the enclosure size may not be important; in this case an optimum Qtc is encouraged. Once Qtc is known, the constant ÃŽ ± may be calculated using the below formula, where Qts is the total Q factor of the driver at resonance (this may be obtained from the manufacture’s data sheet). ÃŽ ± = [Qtc/Qts]2 – 1(2) Having calculated ÃŽ ±, the correct enclosure volume Vb is trivial to determine using the relationship below. Note that Vas is the equivalent volume of air that has the same acoustic compliance as the driver; again this may be obtained from the datasheet or experimentally. Note from equation (1) that a lower Qts will result in a higher ÃŽ ±, and hence a smaller enclosure. Thus for two transducers with equivalent acoustic compliance, a lower Qts will result in a smaller enclosure. Vb = Vas/ÃŽ ±(3) Assuming the required box volume is acceptable, one may then also calculate the resonant frequency of the system (fs is the free-air resonant frequency of the driver): (4) Once fc is known the -3db break frequency may also be found: (5) Recall that below this frequency the roll-off is -12dB per octave and one can gain a fairly good impression of the bass performance to be expected. Naturally it is desirable for f3 to be low for maximum extension into the bass area, hence a low fs is a characteristic one should look for when choosing a driver for sealed enclosure use. If it is felt that the break frequency is too high, then a different driver must be selected for the sealed implementation. Ported Enclosure Design For ported cabinet design, the equations are more complex and it is generally not practical to attempt to design such an enclosure by hand. Instead there are a number of free and commercial software calculators available that simplify the process. One good freeware calculator is AJ Vented Designer[2]. Using such a program enables the designer to quickly ascertain what size enclosure and port is required for a given driver and whether this is feasible – for certain combinations the port may not physically fit within the enclosure for example. In addition, the program also plots the theoretical frequency response of the design, which simplifies matters greatly. Acoustic Damping and Avoiding Resonance In addition to the type of enclosure and the calculation of the required volume, diameter and size of ports (if ported), there are several other design considerations. Firstly, standing waves within the enclosure must be minimised. Thus enclosures are often stuffed with fibreglass, long-fibre wool or polyurethane foam. In addition to standing waves and the resonance of the enclosure, one must also bear in mind the possibility of dimensional resonances with sealed designs. To avoid this it is prudent to ensure that length, width and height of the enclosure are all different and to not centrally mount the drivers. The choice of cabinet material and thickness are also factors that require careful consideration; in general wood is the most appropriate material and a thicker structure is likely to be more rugged and be less susceptible to undesirable vibration. The structure should also be isolated from the floor since vibrations passed to a floor (especially a wooden floor) can cause the floor to vibrate which will muddy or colour the sound. Spikes or stands are commonly used to achieve this. Conclusion There are many factors that affect speaker design but perhaps the most important is that of the enclosure itself. More exotic enclosures such as band-pass and transmission line configurations are beyond the scope of this document, however it should be noted that there are many different approaches beyond the common sealed or ported methodologies. As with any engineering problem, successful speaker design requires a careful balance of many often opposing factors to be reached. Sources Borwick, John. (2001). Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, Focal Press. Dickason, V. (1995). The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, Audio Amateur Publications. Rosenthal, M. (1979). How to select and use loudspeakers and enclosures, SAMS. Rossing, T. (1990). The Science of Sound, Addison-Wesley. Weems, D. (2000). Great sound stereo speaker manual, McGraw-Hill. 1 [1] Nave R, Coupling Loudspeaker to Air. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/hframe.html [2] http://www.ajdesigner.com/speaker/index.php

The Discovery and Colonisation of America

The Discovery and Colonisation of America In 1492, America was discovered by Christopher Columbus. It had, however, already accidentally been discovered by Scandinavian Vikings about 500 years earlier. The Vikings were not alone when they discovered America. It was an unknown fact that Native Americans had come to America and inhabited it much earlier. Because this wasnt acknowledged, the Native Americans were never seen as the original discoverers. In 986, Bjarni Herjolffson set out from Norway in an attempt to reach Iceland and eventually Greenland. Greenland was the land Bjarnis father, also an adventurist, had failed to completely colonize on his fleet, led by Erik the Red. Bjarni got lost on the way to Greenland because of fog and storms. Eventually, he did find the land he was searching for. Bjarni did not discover America, but he was the first to make it out while he was at sea. Back in Norway, one of Erik the Reds sons, Leiff, became interested in the story Bjarni told. He decided he wanted to continue the adventure and find out which land Bjarni had seen on the horizon. In search of the best landscape to land on, Leif Eriksson and his crew sailed along the eastern coast of America. After passing the Baffin Island and what is now Labrador, they picked the best environment. They named it The Wineland. Leiff Erikssons crew inhabited the area, where they found grapevines and other products to bring home. They built houses, stayed for the winter and returned home with wine and food. The Discovery of America: The Spanish and Portuguese The first explorations and conquests were made by the Spanish and the Portuguese. In 1492, a Spanish expedition lead by Christopher Columbus sailed to the continent America and introduced the New World to the Western World of that time. He began studying the civilizations that he had encountered : the friendly Native Americans. After this, European conquest, exploration, and Colonisation quickly followed and expanded. After the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, approved of by the Pope, Spain and Portugal divided the entire non-European world between themselves, with a line drawn through South America. This first occurred along the Caribbean coasts on the islands of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Cuba, and beginning in the early 16th century, extended into both North and South America. In 1498, Columbuss third trip reached the South American coast. With help from their powerful Indian allies, the Spanish rapidly conquered territory. As a result, they gained control of much of western South America, Central America and Mexico by the mid-16th century. Over this same period, Portugal colonized much of eastern South America, which is now Brazil. The Colonisation of America During the early and mid-sixteenth century, the English tended to view North America as a base for piracy and harassment of the Spanish(In the late 1560s a rebellious act broke out in the Netherlands, and the rebels were Protestant. British Queen Elizabeth aided these rebels. Spain, being Catholic, saw these rebels as a threat. Because of the fact that the British helped the Dutch Protestants, Spain became resentful towards England). By the end of the century, the English began to think more about North America as a place to colonize: as a market for English goods and a source of raw materials. The English claimed that New World Colonisation offered England many advantages. Not only would it enrage Catholic Spain, it would supply England with raw materials and provide a market for finished products. America would also provide a place to send the English poor. America also satisfied more personal needs : rigorously religious English felt that they were not accepted in England, and Ame rica would create a more liberal environment. Spain and England were hostile towards eachother over trade and colonisation. On August 8th, 1588, the English defeated Spain in the Spanish Armada. England was now able to colonize North America. English Joint Stock companies founded Jamestown in 1607. They failed because they were looking for gold, didnt farm, and drank contaminated water. They came during spring, which was deceiving. They didnt plan for winter. Many died the first winter. John Smith, who had been to America in the winter before, saved them. He said, Work or Starve. So, they started farming, and everybody was fed. The English Joint Stock company sent over 50 women to help repopulate Jamestown. The Pilgrims werent called Pilgrims until 150 years later. These strictly religious immigrants called themselves Saints. The Saints left England because they were not accepted for their religion. They went to the Netherlands, but they didnt want their children growing up being non-Englishmen. For this reason, they came to the New World. Early other European Colonisations in North America included the French colonies of Acadia and Canada, the Swedish colony of New Sweden, and the Dutch New Netherland. Also Sweden participated in occupying North America. As the colonies started to grow, Britain decided on the policy of salutary neglect : the British American colonies were to be obedient towards Great Britain. Conflicts between Britain and America The Seven Years War resulted in the decisive turning point in British-colonial relations. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 criticized Britains control of the seas and trade, as well as its sovereignty over much of the North American continent. To fund this war, Britain, unable to borrow any more money from other countries, raised its taxes. This had a very heavy effect on the citizens. Also, bureaucracy arose in England in order for the government to get all the money they could. Britain found it North Americas responsibility to aid them in their war expenses. However, New world institutions of self-government and trade, used to the policy of salutary neglect, refused and rebelled against this demand. The war developed and Britain became more dependant on North America : Military supplies and an increased demand for goods contributed to the wealth of the North American Colonies. The 7 years war had put Britain into great debt, so the Parliament insisted on a raise of taxes once again. The British government believed the colonies should pay their fair share to the nations expenses. Because the colonies were not represented in the Parliament, the North Americans found the raised taxes intolerable. The orthodox British view, dating from the Glorious Revolution of 1688, was that Parliament was the highest authority in the empire, and so anything Parliament did was constitutional. In the colonies, however, the idea had developed that the British Constitution recognized certain fundamental rights that not even Parliament could violate. The American Independence The concept of American Independence began when many more colonists began to reject the authority of the Parliament, since they werent represented, but were expected to pay taxes. They believed this violated their rights as Englishmen. The colonies petitioned King George III for intervention with the Parliament. To force him to do so, they boycotted British goods but kept their loyalty to the British crown. These acts were ignored. The colonists proceeded to create an army. Following acts to achieve the same goal were seen as rebellion and treachery. In 1776 the Colonies responded by declaring their independence Frances government secretly provided supplies to the revolutionaries. France eventually entered the war in 1778 along with the Spanish and Dutch. They treatened to invade Great Britain and put the English army, which wasnt so strong, to the test. Due to Great Britains naval power, it was able to occupy coastal cities in America. The more rural areas, where most of the population lived however, were less easy to control. The French involvement proved to be beneficial when the French naval victory at Yorktown in 1781 to the surrender of a British army occurred. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris ended the war and recognized the sovereignty of the United States. http://news. softpedia. com/news/How-Did-Vikings-Discover-America-49891. shtml http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/European_Colonisation_of_the_Americas http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/database/article_display. cfm?HHID=670 http://mr_sedivy. tripod. com/america. html http://www. taxanalysts. com/museum/1756-1776. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Salutary_neglect http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War

The State of Nature and its Implications for Civilization in Hobbes and

The State of Nature and its Implications for Civilization in Hobbes and Rousseau In his Leviathan Thomas Hobbes expresses a philosophy of civilization which is both practical and just and stems from a clear moral imperative. He begins with the assertion that in the state of nature man is condemned to live a life â€Å"solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.† It is in the interest of every man to rise above this â€Å"state of nature† and to give up certain rights so that the violent nature of the human animal can be subdued. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s vision of the state of nature parallels that of Hobbes but for its more optimistic tone: â€Å"I assume that men reach a point where the obstacles to their preservation in a state of nature prove greater than the strength that each man has to preserve himself in that state.† In general, Rousseau’s words prove reasonably less severe than Hobbes’s. According to Hobbes the bestial rights that a man is forced to give up must also be given up by every other man if civilization is to quell the state of nature. This surrendering of rights then forms covenant of peace which mankind has agreed upon collectively to rise above the state of nature. Hobbes argues that it is human reason that has necessarily led men to embrace this covenant: â€Å"And Reason suggesteth convenient Articles of Peace, upon which men may be drawn to agreement . . . .† These Articles of Peace Hobbes calls â€Å"Laws of Nature† and argues that while they do not exist in a state of nature they are nonetheless natural laws which potentially exist there. â€Å"A Law of Nature (Lex Naturalis,) is a Precept, or generall Rule, found out by Reason, by which a man is forbidden to do, that, which is destructive of his life, or taketh away the means of preserving the same; and to omit, that, by which he thinketh it may be best preserved.† That is, a n atural law is a result of a reasoning which commands that each man protect his own life. With the state of nature as terrible as Hobbes describes it, it is reasonable for a man to wish to put an end to it, as he then has a greater chance of protecting his own life. Without certain agreements between individuals they interact in a manner in which they are all a constant threat to one another. Therefore Hobbes arrives at the first fundamental law of nature: â€Å"That every man, ought to endeavour Peace, as farre as he has hope of obtain... ...iety, both agree that their contemporary world is not a world of the human animal. Changes have occurred not only in the way humans are ordered, but in humans themselves as well. Their theories differ in their beliefs about these changes. Hobbes is able to recognize the current state of man as having transcended its most basic nature. Rousseau agrees with Hobbes but assumes even more of man. He believes that it is possible not only for humans to be at peace but also to be free. Just how far society has transcended the state of nature in today’s world is debatable, but one gets the feeling in reading these two authors that Hobbes underestimates human nature and Rousseau overestimates it. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle, for many societies today are barely able to achieve peace within their borders, while a handful can truly be said to have a liberated populace. It is certainly no coincidence, however, that Rousseau’s vision of society heralds liberty a s its highest ideal and that the most progressive states of today do likewise. Mankind’s ever evolving flight from the state of nature moves people to continually expect more from their society – as well as themselves.

Alcohol :: essays research papers

Should alcohol production, sale, and consumption be prohibited? I think not. For hundreds of years, man has had choices – choices pertaining their food intake, their living quarters, and their life mates. Whether or not to consume alcohol has been a choice that man has had through recent history and is a choice which I believe should remain just that – a choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been only one period of history where alcohol purchase and consumption was limited. During the 1920’s, specifically 1920 to 1933 (and 1917 to 1919 in Canada) beverages such as beer, gin, rum, whiskey, and wine were forbidden to manufacture, sell, or transport. Supporters of prohibition believed alcoholic beverages â€Å"endangered mental and physical health† (World Book Encyclopedia). Results of the Volstead Act, passed by Congress that enforced prohibition, were disastrous. Underworld gangs controlled the sale of alcohol in communities. Was this a sign of good â€Å"mental or physical health†? During prohibition, the cost of this illegal alcohol skyrocketed costing people hundreds of dollars. I know what causes unsatisfactory mental health for me and that is having less money in my pocket. If this was such a good idea, why did Congress reverse it?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sure there will always be irresponsible people. And absolutely the irresponsible use of alcohol has produced disastrous results. But look at me. I’m a responsible person. When I drink I always make sure that I have a designated driver. Why should I be punished by the few who can’t handle that responsibility? How about my grandparents? They believe in having a glass of wine with their dinner. Its an old family custom which has maintained by my generation. Should I be told what I can and can’t drink?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was reading Time Magazine recently and a recent study has been released which states that a glass of wine a day has been shown to improve liver function, lower cholesterol and lessen the chance of heart disease (Time – June 1999). Now if alcohol sale or production was abolished, how could have that study been done. Especially in this decade when heart problems are at an all-time high due to the high availability of high cholesterol foods, I say you do anything you can do to help. Alcohol :: essays research papers Should alcohol production, sale, and consumption be prohibited? I think not. For hundreds of years, man has had choices – choices pertaining their food intake, their living quarters, and their life mates. Whether or not to consume alcohol has been a choice that man has had through recent history and is a choice which I believe should remain just that – a choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been only one period of history where alcohol purchase and consumption was limited. During the 1920’s, specifically 1920 to 1933 (and 1917 to 1919 in Canada) beverages such as beer, gin, rum, whiskey, and wine were forbidden to manufacture, sell, or transport. Supporters of prohibition believed alcoholic beverages â€Å"endangered mental and physical health† (World Book Encyclopedia). Results of the Volstead Act, passed by Congress that enforced prohibition, were disastrous. Underworld gangs controlled the sale of alcohol in communities. Was this a sign of good â€Å"mental or physical health†? During prohibition, the cost of this illegal alcohol skyrocketed costing people hundreds of dollars. I know what causes unsatisfactory mental health for me and that is having less money in my pocket. If this was such a good idea, why did Congress reverse it?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sure there will always be irresponsible people. And absolutely the irresponsible use of alcohol has produced disastrous results. But look at me. I’m a responsible person. When I drink I always make sure that I have a designated driver. Why should I be punished by the few who can’t handle that responsibility? How about my grandparents? They believe in having a glass of wine with their dinner. Its an old family custom which has maintained by my generation. Should I be told what I can and can’t drink?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was reading Time Magazine recently and a recent study has been released which states that a glass of wine a day has been shown to improve liver function, lower cholesterol and lessen the chance of heart disease (Time – June 1999). Now if alcohol sale or production was abolished, how could have that study been done. Especially in this decade when heart problems are at an all-time high due to the high availability of high cholesterol foods, I say you do anything you can do to help.

Eastman kodak Essay

Evaluating the financial condition of Eastman Kodak can be troublesome. Per my evaluation of their quarterly report which was found at http://www. kodak. com, some red flags have appeared that the auditors should be aware of. These stand out and should have special focus on. This quarterly report is based on the companies’ business activities as well as their subsidiary companies between the reporting periods of January 1, through December 31, 2011. It has been speculated that some of the previous reports have not been dealing on actual performance data basis (Avery, 2012). While many believe this to be impossible and untrue, however, there seems to be that there were no exceptions reported or noticed on prior reports. Once again, while analyzing this report there seems to be correspondence in regards to data exclusion from the outsourced operations and data for leased facilities were indicated. The cash flow analysis of Kodak has always been cause for concern. The Kodak companies the past several years have had many issues as seem by the financial statements. â€Å"The internal cash flows are negative indicating that this company has a financial problem (Arnold, 2012). Items such as the operating costs, investing, and the use of the cash and its outflow when it has cash are what we consider internal cash flows. Kodak company is aimed its focus on funding numerous functions and operations. This funding was to make sure that the IP licensing strategy would a hit. For this to be applicable, the company would have to sell its assets. â€Å"Thus in order to be successful in the IP portfolio strategy EASTKOD 3 Eastman Kodak set there sites aimed at getting funds of over $200 million and then to have licensing transactions to generate between #250 and $350 million dollars (Anderson, 2012). Some of the red flags that they should be aware of can be economic factors, earning problems, excessive debt. With these factors in mind it is clearly visible that Kodak focused on clearing their work on the idea of sustainability that they had place in process within the 2011 fiscal year. For Kodak to stay competitive they had to initiate new programs to generate business in the areas in which they operate. These programs would boost business. â€Å"After the 2011 quarterly report, Kodak was more sustainable and looked to prosper and take advantage of their customer’s economic, environmental, and social performance in order to maintain and attain a profitable , sustainable, and digital company (Anderson, 2011). With these red flags mentioned, Kodak and its position economically, either would attract or not attract investors. This is due to the fact that the economic factors such as the earnings of an organization give an idea of what its profits, and the shareholders value to be. The public willingness to invest and to get companies to fall in line with them, Eastman Kodak is not an attractive company. This is true due to its low profits the company makes based on its last quarterly report. Kodaks last quarterly report and its last 3 previous years indicate that the company if financially falling. During the audit procedure they should be alerted that Eastman Kodak has adjusted its financial statements making its return on capital and its economic stability unreliable. Eastman Kodaks free cash flow is well below par. Their strategy has failed, and this will not attract new investors. The financial statement show that the cash flow has reduced and this is partly contributed to the board and the lack there of on their fiduciary duties.

Real ‘Angle of Mercy’ During the Crimean War Essay

Do you agree with the view that Mary Seacole , and not Florence Nightingale , was the real ‘angle of mercy’ during the Crimean War? During the Crimean war, both Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale showed aspects of being angels. The word ‘angel’ suggests a heavenly person who is attentive to the soldiers’ needs, and ‘mercy’ means showing kindness and forgiveness, and the ‘angel of mercy’ basically suggests a compassionated and kind-hearted person who empathizes and helps soldiers in need. Although Nightingale had showed the aspects of being an â€Å"angel of mercy†, the amount of work and commitment Seacole had put in outweighs Nightingale’s; therefore I believe Mary Seacole deserves the title of the real â€Å"angel of mercy†. Florence Nightingale actions mainly focused on the hygiene and cleanliness, and the organization of the hospital since the majority of the death was due to neglect of sanitation. Source U is a lithograph of one of the wards in the Barrack Hospital in Scutari, where Nightingale was in charge of. It showed the hospital was clearly clean and organized with windows opened, clean floor, wide space between organized beds, suggesting that the soldiers’ conditions were getting better. Nightingale was also very hardworking, because even at night she used to walk around the hospital carrying a lamp to check on the patients, hence she is also known as the â€Å"The Lady with the Lamp† throughout the history, which shows her commitment in her work as a nurse. She certainly had â€Å"formidable gifts of organization† as it says on source V, and her involvement in the war had also made a huge impact on the death rate, which reduced from 42 per 1000 to 2 per 1000 in June 1855. Despite the fall of the death, 5000 men died in her hospital due to poor hygiene in the winter of 1854-1855 before the sanitary commission arrived, yet she refused to acknowledged that it was from the lack of sanitation and said the men were â€Å"half dead† when they were brought in, because at that time she didn’t know that the hospital was built on top of a cesspool. On top of that, it was revealed in the letter written by Lord Palmerston to Lord Panmore that the sani tary arrangement was actually done by Dr. Sutherland and Dr. Grainger, and still Nightingale took all the credit. Even though, Nightingale has made positive impacts on the course of the war and paved a way for improving in the nursing field, her actions aren’t enough to fit the image of an â€Å"angel of mercy†, since she was a harsh, cold woman who criticized her own nurses and only checked the patients from a distance, completely neglecting the importance of consoling and communicating with the soldiers, as it is also shown on the source U – on the lithograph Nightingale is seen leading the wounded; however, she keeps a distance inbetween. This shows that Nightingale is recognized through the image of the clean organized ward, rather than a kind-hearted and compassionated nurse treating the patients, and the ‘angel of mercy’ ought to provide both physical and mental needs to the soldier as the title says, since they will not only suffer physical attacks but will also be mentally affected by the war, and Nightingale failed to provide mental treatment. On the other hand, Mary Seacole’s engagements fit the image of the â€Å"angel of mercy† and source V praises Seacole and her involvement during the war, despite being rejected by the British authorities due to her race and background. She went to Crimea by herself to help the wounded, whereas Nightingale who went there in request of the Minister of War, Sidney Herbert, to go to help in the war. Seacole had no hospital to take care of the wounded, but she built her own â€Å"British Hotel† in Balacava by her money, unlike the government funded â€Å"admirable hospital† in Scutari, which took days of boat trip from the battlefield. In source v, it also tells how Seacole was â€Å"in the very front line† treating the wounded, which was truly a heroic act because during that time females were seen weak and delicate, let alone belong on the battlefield, but â€Å"she showed courage under fire†, â€Å"unlike some officers† and risked her ow n life to save others. This also links to the idea of ‘angel’ because like a guardian angel she was protecting them, and she may also have appeared physically like an angel to some of the soldiers as she drifted through the battlefields healing people. This shows the bravery and effort of Seacole puts in helping the soldiers, and the fact that she treated the wounded at the scene might have contributed with the drop of death-rate. Her â€Å"British Hotel† was also an important refuge to the soldiers, which again comes to the idea ‘mercy’, as it says in source V that the soldiers felt more at ease with â€Å"Mother Seacole† than in the hospital, because the hotel was more homelike. Unlike Nightingale, briefly checking the patient and ordering the nurses, Seacole was more socializing and hands on approach to the individuals, therefore she was closer with the soldiers since she ran the hotel by herself and did everything by herself, on the other hand Nightingale did ver y little nursing and more works on the running and organizing of the hospital, which shows that she was more of an administrator than a nurse. Seacole approach of treating wounded and â€Å"patients suffering from cholera and dysentery† was more effective than Nightingale’s method, showing that Seacole was more skilled and had more knowledge on medicine. Source V points out that, Seacole was certainly kind, caring, empathizing like an ‘angel of mercy’, because she was the figure of a ‘mother’ to the soldiers and â€Å"attentive to their practical needs†. She nurtured them, like a mother would for their children, providing physical and mental when they are away from home and family, and also providing them with pocket handkerchief for the winter. She was admired and loved by the soldiers and that is how she received the name â€Å"Mother Seacole†, and the soldiers also arranged an event after the war to thank her. However, media neglected Seacole’s achievement because of her race and attributed the title of â€Å"angel of mercy† to Nightingale. But there are evidences which prove that the hospitality that Seacole provided was better and more effective than Nightingale’s. Seacole not only treated the wounded because she was a nurse, but that helping soldiers was her passion; the strong, brave, determine, motherly characteristic of Seacole allowed her to provide the best for the soldiers during the war. She did everything from scratch on her own, whilst Nightingale was just appointed to run the hospital; on top of that Seacole put in more effort in taking care of the soldiers and was more compassionated than Nightingale. â€Å"Mary Seacole was on hand for the troops in the long months when nothing much appeared to be happening† just like a ‘mother’, which is figuratively close to an ‘angel’, showing that she was indeed the real â€Å"angel o f mercy†.

Stan’s Future Self and Evil Cartman: Pop Culture Assignment

Stan’s Future Self and Evil Cartman: Pop Culture Assignment By: Sachman Aul In the article Stan’s Future Self and Evil Cartman, Shai Biderman’s purpose of writing this article is to explain the idea of personal identity in South Park. This part of the book is targeted towards anyone who is studying or learning philosophy due to the fact that Shai explores the views of many philosophers that you have to know to understand his point that he is trying to make in this chapter. Biderman uses South Park as a clever way to get the attention of new readers, or teenagers.Therefore, the article allows people to read on philosopher’s theories on personal identity, in such a way to target and adult audience. Shai’s argument in this chapter is that South Park contains the questions and answers of many of the most asked philosophic question: what makes us, us? In order for Shai to support his argument, he uses several philosophers’ views such as John Locke , David Hume and lastly Thomas Reid. At the start of the article, readers begin exploring Shai Bidermans argument on personal identity, and how many episodes of South Park are discussed where personal identity comes into question.For instance, the retelling of stories on the bus, Stan meets his alleged future self and when the boys find an alternate Cartman which deals with being in the same place at the same time, Stan’s clone, Jenifer Lopez being Cartman’s hand, and Cartman drinking Kenny’s ashes. Biderman states that the most important thing in personal identity happens to the be brain, therefore people will soon enough change over time due to the changes of the brain. But in the episode â€Å"The Biggest Douche in the Universe,† Biderman explains how the actor Rob Schneider’s new film, changes his characters however is still portrayed as Rob Schneider himself.David Hume states that each of us appear to be â€Å"a bundle or collection of differ ent perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement†. The concept behind Hume’s theory is that we all consist of feelings, consistently changing thoughts, and attitudes. In the article, it is quite clear that memory also plays its role in personal identity, and the change over time; therefore it is one’s memory that allows he or she to be the same â€Å"type† of person over time.John Locke happened to support the idea of memory, and stated â€Å"thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places† (pg. 207). However, Thomas Reid seemed to point out a downfall in the idea of memory, it may be important, but it doesn’t explain the true purpose for personal identity (pg. 208). Shai Biderman states that overall the question of personal identity is still in place. But what truly is it? Is it a sense of psychological experiences over time or better yet, physical experiences?It is without a doubt that this article tackled the arguments that were made by many supporting theories and the use of philosophers and other views. Therefore, it made it quite easy for any reader to get a general idea on the subject and the facts that were made related to pop culture, thus creating an interest for many. I truly believe that Shai Biderman’s arguments were definitely well supported with the evidence that was given, as well as the use of south park episodes to back up the argument.

Good: Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION â€Å"Customer Satisfaction is a business term of how the products and the services supplied by the company meet or surpass the customer expectation. It is the key performance indicator within the business.† †¦Berlin AsongWHY ORGANIZATIONS FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION? Businesses monitor customer satisfaction in order to determine how to increase their customer base, customer loyalty, revenue, profits, market share and survival. Although greater profit is the primary driver, exemplary businesses focus on the customer and his/her experience with the organization. They work to make their customers happy and see customer satisfaction as the key to survival and profit. Customer satisfaction in turn hinges on the quality and effects of their experiences and the goods or services they receive.NEED OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION The most important asset of any organization is its customers. Satisfied customers pay their bills promptly which greatly improves ca sh flow – the lifeblood of any organization.BUSINESS TECNIQUES OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION One of the key customer satisfaction techniques is the need to provide front line employees with the ability to respond to customer situations quickly without the need to ‘ask for permission’. Innovation drives customers' satisfaction. As customers' needs keep changing, an innovation-driven company is capacitated to exceed customers' expectations. To provide after sale services.Listen actively and carefully. Anticipate that the customer will be asking questions. They may be easy, they be hard. But encourage them anyway. If you cannot provide an answer, promise to find out the answer from someone who can. Be patient, look from the customer's point of view and work from there. This point of view will always give you the best outlook on the situation. Always keep a smile on your face when dealing with customers which can lead to customer satisfaction. This positive attitude can r ub off and turn a potentially negative situation into a positive experience.WHY MEASURE THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION? Customer satisfaction is tied directly to profitability. Well-established research by Bain & Company found that, for many companies, an increase of 5% in customer retention can increase profits by 25% to 95%. The same study found that it costs six to seven times more to gain a new customer than to keep an existing one.CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MEASUREMENT A basic and effective base line customer satisfaction survey program should focus on measuring customer perceptions of how will the company delivers on the critical success factors and dimensions of the business as defined by  the customers. Organizations need to retain existing customers while targeting non-customers. Measuring customer satisfaction provides an indication of how successful the organization is at providing products and/or services to the marketplace.Customer satisfaction is an abstract concept and the ac tual manifestation of the state of satisfaction will vary from person to person and product/service to product/service. The state of satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and physical variables which correlate with satisfaction behaviors such as return and recommend rate. The level of satisfaction can also vary depending on other factors the customer, such as other products against which the customer can compare the organization's products.FOR EXAMPLE: Service Promptness Courtesy of Staff Responsiveness Understanding the customer problem, etc.The findings of the company performance should be analyzed both with all customers and by key segments of the customer population. The essential starting point for Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CMS) is exploratory research. Since satisfaction is about an organization’s ability. To meet customer requirement one has to start by clarifying with customers exactly what those requirements are. This is done through explora tory research using focus groups or one to one depth interviews. Two main factors determine the accuracy of CMS. The first is the asking the right question and the second is the asking them to the right people sample of customers which accurately reflects the customer base.Three things decide the accuracy of a sample. They are: 1. It must be representative. 2. It must be randomly selected. 3. It must be adequate enough.NEED FOR MEASURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONâ€Å"Customers are too good to lose  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Lets keep them happy! â€Å"Customer is the king.† â€Å"Marketing starts with the customer and ends the customer†. †¦Peter Drucker. So no organization, small or big ignores the customers. â€Å"Earth is not the center of universe but revolves around the Sun†. †¦Copernicus. Similarly, we have come to believe that business firm is not the center of economic universe but revolves around the customer.REVIEW OF LITERATUREAbout customer satisfaction Cust omer satisfaction occurs when the experience obtained from transaction match expectation. Customer may forget experience that match expectation although, customers will generally notice and also remember those experience that deviated from expectation.Methodologies The Kano model is a theory of product development and customer satisfaction developed in the 1980s by Professor Noriaki Kano that classifies customer preferences into five categories: Attractive, One-Dimensional, Must-Be, Indifferent, Reverse. The Kano model offers some insight into the product attributes which are perceived to be important to customers. Kano also produced a methodology for mapping consumer responses to questionnaires onto his model.SERVQUAL or RATER is a service-quality framework that has been incorporated into customer-satisfaction surveys (e.g., the revised Norwegian Customer Satisfaction Barometer) to indicate the gap between customer expectations and experience. J.D. Power and Associates provides ano ther measure of customer satisfaction, known for its top-box approach and automotive industry rankings. J.D. Power and Associates' marketing research consists primarily of consumer surveys and is publicly known for the value of its product awards. Other research and consulting firms have customer satisfaction solutions as well.These include A.T. Kearney's Customer  Satisfaction Audit process, which incorporates the Stages of Excellence framework and which helps define a company’s status against eight critically identified dimensions. For Business to Business (B2B) surveys there is the Info Quest box. This has been used internationally since 1989 on more than 110,000 surveys (Nov '09) with an average response rate of 72.74%. The box is targeted at â€Å"the most important† customers and avoids the need for a blanket survey.RESEARCH METHODOLOGYINTRODUCTION Research is an art of scientific investigation through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge. It is a mo ment from known to unknown. Research always starts with a question or a problem.  Its purpose is to find answers to questions through the application of the scientific method. It is a systematic and intensive study directed towards a more complete knowledge of the subject studied.â€Å"My Research based on Descriptive Research.† Descriptive research is also called Statistical Research. The main goal of this type of research is to describe the data and characteristics about what is being studied. The idea behind this type of research is to study frequencies, averages, and other statistical calculations. Although this research is highly accurate, it does not gather the causes behind a situation.Descriptive research is mainly done when a researcher wants to gain a better understanding of a topic for example, a frozen ready meals company learns that there is a growing demand for fresh ready meals but doesn’t know much about the area of fresh food and so has to carry out research in order to gain a better understanding. It is quantitative and uses surveys and panels and also the use of probability sampling.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 46

Case Study - Essay Example The academic advisors also aim to ensure that all the students get an advising experience that is well rounded to navigate challenges and opportunities to fulfill career related and educational goals. They also work with students to transform their unique skills and, thus, create transformational change for their families and themselves (Kelly, 2003). Finally, the goals set by the academic advisers are to help their students to successfully navigate college, whatever their background, and to provide them with the tools they need to thrive in the university. However, there are several obstacles in attempting to improve leadership. One has to do with giving motivation to those one is leading, especially because the students will not go far if they do not feel motivated to achieve the set goals (Gilbert, 2012). Those who lack focus or interest in their goals will undermine the leader’s authority and efforts, although this could be fixed by clearly communicating the mission. Leaders also, sometimes, find it difficult to cultivate an experience of leadership. In order to be effective, a leader must ensure that he/she is capable of effective leadership. Skills that are required to execute particular goals cannot be learned in a classroom setting and, as such, they require some experience so as to execute them. For this reason, lack of experience is an obstacle to improvement of leadership capabilities. Lack of open communication is also an obstacle to improvement of leadership. This could involve finding a way for them to be approacha ble sans losing their authority. For a leader to improve he/she has to depend on open communication and this proves to be an obstacle sometimes. Finally, it is difficult to encourage those that one is leading to be proactive and to take risks with innovations (Gilbert, 2012). According to Matthew L.

Alcohol & other drug counselling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alcohol & other drug counselling - Essay Example The book, (Tracy J Jarvis & Jenny Tebbutt & Richard P Mattick & Fiona Shand 2005, p. 88), could be a great ray of hope. The Elevation of Alcoholism The elevation of alcoholism as well as other drug abuse has encouraged many treatments to appear in the market. There are different types of drug treatment which are entirely dependent upon the seriousness of the matter. Now, each drug has its own side effects. The ill effects of the drugs like heroine and coke is immense. It is potent enough to cause hallucination therefore known as hallucinogen. Addiction to alcohol and other drugs not only triggers the health but also social and family matters. Excessive consumption of morphine, coke, heroin can also lead to death. The rate of Juvenile offenders has also increased along with crimes like rape, murders, theft and etc. Families fall apart due to this curse of alcoholism. (Cengage Education Alcohol and Other Counselling Book 1. - Theory and terminology, Sociological aspects, Effects of sub stances use, Assessment and referral, Treatment approaches, Brief intervention strategiesm 2008, p. 10)Â  provides intricate information regarding the effects on family, society and etc. Sharing needles among the users welcomes deadly diseases such as jaundice, AIDS, hepatitis and all other severe blood borne diseases (Cengage Education Handbook 19481S -Health care workers on alcohol and other drug problems 2008, p. 15). Australia is worried about the usage of cannabis as per the press reports provided by ABC News. The effects of smoking cannabis are much adverse in people from 30-50 age groups. There are many rehabilitation centers that are helping Australian by initiating drug abuse and alcohol counseling.

Ikea company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ikea company - Case Study Example Through an integrated marketing communication approach, a consistent message will be delivered to the customers. Being an international company IKEA should adopt a globalised approach however, because of significant impact of culture in furniture industry, localised advertisement approach will be selected. The localisation approach can create consistency problems for IKEA (Wells, Burnett, & Moriarty, 2006). To keep the consistency in message while focusing on localised approach, it will be ensured that message of the ad conveyed through different mediums has significant consistency in its content, positioning of brand and feel of the ad. Therefore, advertisements for all mediums will be developed in consideration to target market, brand positioning etc. To target the diverse customer segments the primary media for IKEA will be Television. TV advertisements can convey the mood and image of the brand to develop an emotional appeal (Belch & Belch, 2003) therefore, TV is the most suitable broadcast media. Secondly, booklets of IKEA’s products can be printed which can be distributed via direct mail to the potential customers. Moreover, these booklets can be also made available at

The Concepts of Professional and Professionalism Essay

The Concepts of Professional and Professionalism - Essay Example The professions have fallen under criticism for being elitist and protectionist in their efforts to act as a barrier to entry into the profession and a social shield for their members to protect their income as well as their reputation. Professional associations today are required to be more responsive, informed, ethical, and conscientious in their role of protecting the profession from unwarranted disgrace while reinforcing the public perception of integrity and honor within the professional association. Technology and specialization have resulted in the fragmentation of many professions. Membership in a professional association is most often based on specific skills and qualifications. Today, an association defines the occupation and categorizes the knowledge and skills according to the rigorous guidelines set by the state or the industry. The traditional model of the Professional Association as a limitation to entry into the profession has evolved into a post-modern taxonomic mode l at the cost of producing a student's well-rounded experience in teaching and learning. The professional association (PA) has been a natural outgrowth from the antiquated system of apprenticeship that gained acceptance into the craft, tradesmen, and occupational guilds of the middle ages. With the advent of the 16th century, more complex systems of economics, trade, specialization, and accountability emphasized the critical need of specific occupations to maintain the social order and provide for the governmentality of the nation-state (Evetts, 2003, p.405). By the middle of the 19th century, professionals would form associations that would serve to differentiate their members from the excluded non-members. Scottish accountants were forming PAs under the Royal Charter system for the purpose of gaining legitimacy. The monopolistic hold based on mystification and cultural capital needed for membership has eroded as we have seen in the legal profession. Medicine has been exposed to greater outside pressures and has lost much of their power due to a diminished autonomy. The blurring lines in education between higher education and further education have weakened occupational closure in the field of education. New delivery systems, online learning, continued professional development, and specialty courses have made the professions more accessible than ever.