Consumer Preception Towards Online Shoping

Council for Innovative Research www. cirworld. com International Journal of Management & Information Technology Volume 1, No 1, May, 2012 CONSUMER’S PERCEPTION TOWARDS ONLINE SHOPPING- THE CASE OF PUNJAB Pawan Singh Rathour ABSTRACT India has more than 100 million internet users out of which one half opt for online purchases and the number is rising sharply every year. The growth in the number of online shoppers is greater than the growth in Internet users, indicating that more Internet users are becoming comfortable to shop online.The capability of purchasing without leaving your place is of great interest to many consumers. Not only does online shopping offer really good deals, but also brings optimum convenience to the consumers. Moreover, the use of Internet tools for price searching and comparison provides an additional advantage in consumers’ final decision, as they can purchase their desired products in the lowest available price. This paper focuses on the unders tanding of demographic profiles of adopters and non-adopters of online shopping.For this purpose the data from 400 respondents was collected in the form of questionnaires. The study has been conducted in 3 cities of Punjab, a sample of urban respondents were selected from the Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar The paper also analyses the various reasons for adoption and non-adoption of online shopping. KEYWORDS: Online Shopping, Consumer Perception, Factor analysis, Adopters and Non-Adopters of online shopping REVIEW OF LITERATURE Bellman et al (1999) investigated various predictors for whether an individual will purchase online.These authors concluded that demographic variables, such as income, education and age, have a modest impact on the decision of whether to buy online, whereas the most important determinant of online shopping was previous behaviour, such as earlier online purchases. Standing (1999) stated that traditionally retail travel agencies have acted as intermediaries be tween airline companies and wholesale travel companies and the consumer. The Internet and the World Wide Web provide a whole new set of challenges and opportunities for this business sector.The major threat stems from airlines and wholesale travel companies offering their products and services directly to the customer without the assistance of travel agencies. Large online agencies have gained significant attention in the travel industry and provide some evidence of a restructuring of the travel industry sector. Leong (2001) examined the marketing strategies adopted by local hotel establishments in the competitive hospitality industry. It also analyses the adoption and role of information technology in strategic marketing.It was found that most hotels seemed to have embraced the marketing concept, given the existence of extensive marketing plans. Although most hotels appeared to have successfully incorporated information technology into their marketing campaigns, the level of commit ment seemed to be insignificant. Following a brief comparison with a similar US study, the paper concludes that there are only minor differences between US and Singapore hotels in terms of their marketing practices. Parasuraman (2002) stated that the motivations for this special issue and propose a conceptual framework pertaining to the issue’s theme.Using this frameworks a backdrop, they then offer an overview of the remaining articles by segmenting them into categories and discussing their relationship to the framework. They conclude by highlighting research avenues for augmenting our understanding of marketing to and serving customers through the Internet. Sigala (2003) stated that despite the exponential growth of e-commerce on the Internet, little is still known on how the new medium is transforming marketing concepts/practices and their effectiveness.This empirical study aims to fill in this gap. This article first analyzes the Internet's capabilities and features as we ll as the new virtual market space that Internet advances have fostered. After reviewing models and strategies for Internet marketing, an Internet marketing mix is proposed based on the Internet strategies of hotels in Greece that were investigated. Know and Lee (2003) explored consumers’ concerns about payment security and its relationship to online shopping attitude and actual purchases.They observed a negative relationship between attitude towards online shopping and concerns about online payment security. Consumers with a positive attitude seem to be less concerned about payment security. Bechrer (2004) stated that Internet marketing is a field that is continuing to grow, and the online auction concept may be defining a totally new and unique distribution alternative. Very few studies have examined auction sellers and their INTRODUCTION With nearly half of the Indian population being young and net savvy, there has been an extra ordinary rise in the numbers of online shopp ers.The recent growth in the mall culture in the country has in fact made consumers more aware about different options and encouraged them to search and eventually purchase online. India has more than 100 million internet users out of which one half opt for online purchases and the number is rising sharply every year. The growth in the number of online shoppers is greater than the growth in Internet users, indicating that more Internet users are becoming comfortable to shop online.Until recently, the consumers generally visit online to reserve hotel rooms and buy air, rail or movie tickets, books and gadgets and gizmos, but now more and more offline product like clothes – saris, kurtis, T-shirts – shoes, and designer lingerie, consumer durables are being purchased online. At present the market is estimated at Rs. 46000 crore and is growing at 100 percent per year. The two most commonly cited reasons for online shopping have been convenience and price. The capability of purchasing without leaving your place is of great interest to many consumers.Not only does online shopping offer really good deals, but also brings optimum convenience to the consumers. Moreover, the use of Internet tools for price searching and comparison provides an additional advantage in consumers’ final decision, as they can purchase their desired products in the lowest available price . On the contrary, privacy and security have been the great concerns, resulting many people to browse the Internet for informational matters than for buying online. 1|Page www. ijmit. com Council for Innovative Research www. cirworld. om International Journal of Management & Information Technology Volume 1, No 1, May, 2012 internet marketing strategies. This research examines the internet auction phenomenon as it relates to the marketing mix of online auction sellers. The data in this study indicate that, whilst there is great diversity among businesses that utilize online auctions, disti nct cost leadership and differentiation marketing strategies are both evident. These two approaches are further distinguished in terms of the internet usage strategies employed by each group.Ryan (2004) conducted a research on the mosaic of institutional issues associated with gaining credibility for internet marketing standards. Strong claims for a predominantly self-regulatory approach are reviewed in conjunction with other factors that inhibit credibility, namely: competing internet worldviews, weak moral coherency and offline ambiguity about respective institutional roles, especially as regards moral dimensions of notions of regulation and self-regulation. Wang (2006) conducted a research to examine the current use and predict future Web-based marketing activities of U. S. onvention and visitor bureaus. A survey was sent to 600 randomly selected American convention and visitor bureaus with a focus on assessing the applications included in the bureaus’ Web sites, their Web site promotion techniques, and customer relationship management programs in relation to these Web sites. The results indicate that most bureaus’ Internet marketing activities are relatively limited, focusing on providing travel information to prospective visitors. Bengtsson (2007) stated that adopting the Internet for advanced marketing operations opens up challenging opportunities for firms of all sizes.However, such adoption might destroy investments in present market channels and thus has the characteristics of radical innovation. The results of analysis show that composition of factors on which firms base their decision to adopt advanced Internet-based marketing operations varies significantly with firm size. Chin ting (2010) stated that few school or educational studies have simultaneously explored both internet marketing and organizational commitment, and of those that have, only direct effects were examined. This study clarifies the relationship between school organiz ation’s internet arketing and teachers’ organizational commitment by examining the mediating role of teachers’ job involvement and job satisfaction. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The study has been conducted to identify the consumer’s perception towards online shopping in Punjab. The specific objectives of the study are: ? ? To identify the demographic profile of adopters and non-adopters of online shopping in Punjab. To identify the various reasons for adoption and non-adoption of online shopping by the consumers of Punjab DATABASE AND METHODOLOGY The research is primarily descriptive in nature.The data was collected in the form of questionnaires. The study has been conducted in 3 cities of Punjab, a sample of urban respondents were selected from the Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar. The survey was carried out on 450 respondents. However, 31 Questionnaires were found to be incorrect or irrelevant, so a total of 50 questionnaires were deliberately rejected. Hence, the study sample was reduced to 400 respondents. The data was collected personally (and via emails) in the months of January 2012 to March 2012. The questionnaire was pretested in order to identify possible problems in terms of clarity and accuracy.Thus, several changes were made in order to improve the presentation of the items, based on comments and feedback. Apart from demographic-related questions, fivepoint Likert scale was used for all the questions concerning consumers’ expectations and perceptions about the online shopping. Most of the Respondents of the age group 36-45 years (44. 6%) were found to be adopters of online shopping (Table 1). Most of the Males (55. 3%) were the adopters as compared to females, where 53. 7% were non-adopters. The adopters were mostly post graduates (48. 9%) with monthly income in the range of Rs. 0000-Rs. 30000. The respondents those who use internet from 5 to 7 hours a day were found to be adopters of online shopping. The consumer respon ses ranked the retail websites at Number 1 with Electronics and comparison shopping websites at Number 2 and 3 respectively. Home items were ranked at Number 10 by the Punjab consumers (Table 2) Table 1 : Demographic profile of Adopters and Non Adopters Demographics Adopters No. Age: 15-25 26-35 36-45 Above 46 Gender: Female Male 84 104 44. 6% 55. 3% 114 98 53. 7% 46. 2% df=1 chi-square=53. 892 p=0. 000 34 67 84 03 18. 0% 35. 6% 44. % 1. 5% 45 72 91 04 21. 2% 33. 9% 42. 9% 1. 8% df=3 chi-square=48. 241 p=0. 000 % Non Adopters No. % Chi – square 2|Page www. ijmit. com Council for Innovative Research www. cirworld. com Education: Under Graduate Graduate Post Graduate Any Other Monthly Income: Under Rs. 10000 Rs. 10000-Rs. 20000 Rs. 20000-Rs. 30000 More than Rs. 30000 Not Employed Daily usage of the Internet 1 hour and below 1-3 hours 3. 1-5 hours 5. 1-7 hours 7 hours and above 21 38 56 65 08 18 37 78 55 00 31 43 92 20 International Journal of Management & Information Technology Volume 1, No 1, May, 2012 6. 4% 22. 8% 48. 9% 10. 6% 56 62 86 08 26. 4% 29. 2% 40. 5% 3. 7% df=3 chi-square=72. 452 p=0. 000 9. 5% 19. 6% 41. 4% 29. 2% 0. 0% 42 51 69 45 05 19. 8% 24. 0% 32. 5% 21. 2% 2. 3% df=4 chi-square=67. 453 p=0. 000 11. 1% 20. 2% 29. 7% 34. 5% 4. 2% 47 53 71 39 02 22. 1% 25. 0% 33. 4% 18. 3% 0. 94% df=4 chi-square=77. 344 p=0. 000 Table 2: Most visited category of websites: Category of Websites Retail Consumer Electronics Comparison Shopping Computer Hardware Apparel Movies Books Flowers/Gifts/Greetings Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories Home itemsRank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mean 3. 45 3. 12 2. 98 2. 87 2. 64 2. 55 2. 03 1. 76 1. 46 1. 55 Reasons for adoption or non-adoption of online shopping The factor analysis was applied on the responses provided by respondents. Factor analysis is a good way of identifying latent or underlying factors from an array of seemingly important variables. In a more general way, factor analysis is a set of techniques, which, by anal yzing correlations between variables, reduces their number into fewer factors, which explain much of the original data, more economically. (Malhotra,2002).In the present study, the factor analysis was applied in order to identify the various reasons for online shopping by the consumers, the responses obtain were put to factor analysis and the result so obtain were Table 3 : KMO and Bartlett’s test subject to Kaiser- Meyer- Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity. The approximate chi-square value is 621. 103 with df 290, which is significant at 0. 000 level. (Table 3). The value of KMO statistics (0. 783) is also large (; 0. 5). Hence, all factors are not considered equally important for Television viewing.From table 4, it is evident that the first four variables represent the 62. 092 % of variance. Therefore, only these four factors with the variance greater than 1. 0 are retained and the other factors are not included in the model. T hus, from eigen values in table 3, we extract only 4 factors from the 13 variables. 3|Page www. ijmit. com Council for Innovative Research www. cirworld. com International Journal of Management & Information Technology Volume 1, No 1, May, 2012 Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. Bartlett's Test of Sphericity Approx.Chi-Square Degree of Freedom Significance .783 621. 103 290 . 000 Table 4: Total Variance explained Initial Eigenvalues Component 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Total 4. 150 3. 144 2. 718 1. 411 0. 892 0. 789 0. 618 0. 601 0. 590 0. 449 0. 332 0. 217 0. 189 % of Variance 27. 823 14. 230 10. 783 9. 256 6. 068 5. 130 5. 003 4. 781 4. 350 4. 263 2. 963 2. 788 2. 562 Cumulative % 27. 823 42. 053 52. 836 62. 092 68. 160 73. 290 78. 293 83. 074 87. 424 91. 687 94. 650 97. 438 100. 00 Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings Total 4. 150 3. 144 2. 718 1. 411 % of Variance 27. 823 14. 230 10. 783 9. 56 Cumulative % 27. 823 42. 053 52. 836 62. 092 Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings Total 3. 921 3. 101 2. 318 1. 290 % of Variance 27. 823 14. 230 10. 783 9. 256 Cumulative % 27. 823 42. 053 52. 836 62. 092 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis Factor loadings are simple correlations between the variables and factors. The most commonly used method is the Varimax Table 5:Rotated Component Matrix rotation procedure. This is an orthogonal method of rotation that minimizes the number of variables with high loadings of a factor, thereby enhancing the interpretability of the factors.Orthogonal rotations results in factors that are uncorrelated. Component S. No. Statements 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 I prefer to purchase online due to heavy discounts available online It is easier to buy online rather than going on to shop at store Shopping online gives you larger options to choose from It is easier to pay online through credit card or direct bank transfer The quality of products purchased online from trusted sites is very good and are available at economical pri ces Shopping online saves my time and money as I don’t have to go through heavy traffic besides saving fuel 609 . 361 . 212 . 341 . 425 . 380 .427 . 521 . 517 . 489 . 336 .379 . 389 . 412 . 656 . 316 .235 . 260 . 352 . 419 . 296 6 .552 .272 .461 4|Page www. ijmit. com Council for Innovative Research www. cirworld. com 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 International Journal of Management & Information Technology Volume 1, No 1, May, 2012 . 402 . 642 . 285 . 403 . 502 . 325 . 580 . 326 . 561 . 223 . 326 . 346 . 436 . 352 . 561 . 452 . 311 . 262 . 663 . 516 . 431 . 613 . 497 . 591 . 570 . 371 . 696 . 280I am a bit concerned about the security and privacy of my payments online I cannot buy all the products on discount but some selected products only There are some shipping delays in getting the product I do not use the credit card so I cannot often shop online I prefer to purchase online due to easement of online buying procedures I physically need to check the products before purchasing it I ca n read the reviews also before purchasing online which helps me to select the right product at economical pricesPrincipal Component Analysis under the rotation method (Varimax with Kaiser Normalization), rotation converged in 15 iterations. The following four components (Table 6) may be extracted: Component 1: Factor 1,5,8,13 (Price Consciousness) Component 2:Factor 2,3,6 (Convenience and Variety) Component 3:Factor 4,11 (Easy payment options) Component shopping) 4:Factor 7,9,10,12 (Challenges of online The rotated component matrix suggests presence of the four interrelated factors.Table 6: Naming of Factors Factor No. F1 Name of Dimension Price Consciousness Item No. 1 I prefer to purchase online due to heavy discounts available online Variables Factor loading . 609 5 8 13 F2 Convenience and Variety 2 3 6 F3 Easy payment options 4 11 F4 Challenges of online shopping 7 9 10 12 The quality of products purchased online from trusted sites is very good and are available at economical pr ices I cannot buy all the products on discount but some selected products only.I can read the reviews also before purchasing online which helps me to select the right product at economical prices It is easier to buy online rather than going on to shop at store Shopping online gives you larger options to choose from Shopping online saves my time and money as I don’t have to go through heavy traffic besides saving fuel It is easier to pay online through credit card or direct bank transfer I prefer to purchase online due to easement of online buying procedures. I am a bit concerned about the security and privacy of my payments online There are some shipping delays in getting the product.I do not use the credit card so I cannot often shop online I physically need to check the products before purchasing it .425 . 642 . 580 . 521 . 517 . 552 . 656 . 663 . 613 . 591 . 570 . 696 Price Consciousness: It is the most significant factor with 27. 823 percent of total variance explained. T his explains the intent of Punjab Consumers being price sensitive. Most of the consumers prefer to buy some selected products online because they will get heavy discounts in comparison to store purchases. Also, the consumers feels that there are good websites available which can be trusted for purchases. |Page www. ijmit. com Council for Innovative Research www. cirworld. com International Journal of Management & Information Technology Volume 1, No 1, May, 2012 Convenience and Variety: It is the second most significant factor with 14. 230 percent of total variance explained. The consumers perceive that shopping online gives them larger options to choose from. Shopping online is very convenient as one has to just open a laptop or PC to shop rather then getting ready and pass through rush hour traffics. Easy Payment options: It is the third most significant factor with 10. 83 percent of total variance explained. Consumers feel that carrying cash or credit cards all the way to the stor e is meaning less if one can purchase the same product from their home. Challenges of Online Shopping: It is the fourth most significant factor with 9. 256 percent of total variance explained. The only worry of consumers is regarding the trustworthiness of some websites, since they have to give their credit card details to shop online. REFERENCES ? Bechrer C. (2004). Characteristics and internet marketing strategies of online auction sellers.International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising. 24(1), 24-37 Bellman, S. , Lohse, G. and Johnson, E. (1999) ‘Predictors of online buying behaviour,’ Communications of the ACM, 42 (12), 32-38. Bengtsson M. (2007). Integrating the Internet and Marketing Operations: A Study of Antecedents in Firms of Different Size. International Small Business Journal. 25(1), 27-48 Chin ting S. (2010). The Effect of Internal Marketing on Organizational Commitment: Job Involvement and Job Satisfaction as Mediators. Educational Administrati on Quarterly. 9(4), 65-74 Know, K. and Lee, J. (2003) ‘Concerns about payment security of Internet purchases: a perspective on current on-line shoppers,’ Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 21 (4), 174-184. Leong C. (2001). Marketing practices and Internet marketing: A study of hotels in Singapore. Journal of Vacation Marketing. 7(2), 179-187 Parsuraman A. (2002). Marketing to and Serving Customers through the Internet: An Overview and Research Agenda. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 30(4), 96-105 Ryan P. (2004).Internet marketing standards: institutional coherence issues. International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising. 15(4), 84103 Schiffman L. (2007) Consumer Behavior , New Delhi: Prentice Hall India Sigalla M. (2003). Developing and Benchmarking Internet Marketing Strategies in the Hotel Sector in Greece. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. 27(4), 375-401 Standing C. (1999). Internet marketing strategies used by travel agencies in Australia. Journal of Vacation Marketing. 6(1), 36-42 Wang Y. (2006).Futuring Internet Marketing Activities Using Change Propensity Analysis. Journal of Travel Research. 45(2), 158-166 ? ? ? CONCLUSIONS It was seen from the study that most of the Respondents of the age group 36-45 years were found to be adopters of online shopping. Most of the Males were the adopters as compared to females, where 53. 7% were non-adopters. The adopters were mostly post graduates with monthly income in the range of Rs. 20000-Rs. 30000. The respondents those who use internet from 5 to 7 hours a day were found to be adopters of online shopping.Further, the factor analysis was applied to understand the various reasons for adoption and non-adoption of online shopping by the respondents. The following four factors were found to be significant Price Consciousness, Convenience and Variety, Easy Payment options and Challenges of Online Shopping. Most of the consumers prefer to buy some selected products onli ne because they will get heavy discounts in comparison to store purchases. Also, the consumers feels that there are good websites available which can be trusted for purchases.The consumers perceive that shopping online gives them larger options to choose from. Shopping online is very convenient as one has to just open a laptop or PC to shop rather then getting ready and pass through rush hour traffics. Shopping online saves time and money along with lesser effort is required in comparison to store purchases. Consumers feel that carrying cash or credit cards all the way to the store is meaning less if one can purchase the same product from their home. The educated consumers are aware of the buying procedures online which they feel are pretty simple.The only worry of consumers is regarding the trustworthiness of some websites, since they have to give their credit card details to shop online. Many of the consumers are aware of the various online scams due to which they are very concern ed and reluctant while providing their credit card information online. Also the online purchases take a longer time in shipments and deliveries. The psychology of an Indian consumer is still the same of checking the product physically before purchasing it, which creates a mental hurdle for online shopping. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6|Page www. ijmit. com

Illusion of American Dream

People, In one way or another, are continually and Invariably trying to Improve the quality of their lives. Some believe their happiness lies within materialistic goods and the freedom to buy them; while others believe their happiness Lies within the bonds and relationships they have. The American Dream is a combination of both. Stereotypically, the American Dream is to marry the perfect someone, move to a suburban house with a white picketed fence, have kids that attend private school, both parents work and do not have to worry about financial issues.Although in the ass's the Idea of the American Dream was exaggerated to match the glamour and luxury of the era also known as the Roaring Twenties. F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby exposes and emphasizes the American Dream as a failure and an Illusion. The failure and illusion of the American Dream is seen through the corruption of morals, purposeless lives of the aristocrats and the out-of-reach dreams fueled by the idea that anyth ing was possible.Arguably sexual attraction is what could have caused Myrtles immoral behavior and made her vulnerable to Tom's sexual objectification; however Myrtles affair with Tom Is an attempt to get a glimpse of the American Dream. Her desperateness results In her corruption of morals which leads her to become an object of desire to Tom. The description of their first encounter made it clear the intentions of the soon-to-be relationship. â€Å"He had a dress suit on and patent leather shoes†¦ † (Fitzgerald 40).In Myrtles recollection of the memory it is significant that she mentions his appearance for it is reflective of his wealth and is season she took interest in Tom. As she continues to retell the story to Nick, Toms actions proves the value he gives to her; ‘When we came Into the station he was next to me and his white shirt front pressed against my arm— and so I told him I'd have to call a policeman but he knew I lied. I was so excited that when I got into a taxi with him I didn't hardly know I wasn't getting into a subway train. (40). Tom's aggressive, domineering come-on shows he feels superior to her. Tom did not even have the decency to introduce himself. To Myrtle it did not matter because she knew she was out of her league chasing Tom and the social circle he revolved In, but hoped desperately and pathetically to Improve her situation. For Myrtle and those who are far from living the American Dream, the luxury and glamour this Illusion presents led her to devalue herself. On the other hand, Tom and Daisy seem to be living the American Dream.They have all the material possession one could ever need and such great wealth to securely fall back on, but all this and they are unsatisfied with their lives. Tom and Daisy's lives show that achieving or obtaining the American Dream leads to purposeless lives. During Nick's first visit at Tom and Daisy's house, Tom begins discussing his recent readings about the white supremacy. Nick made an observation that â€Å"There was something pathetic in his concentration as if his complacency, more acute than old, was not enough for him anymore† (18).Tom's satisfaction in life is no longer enough to shield him from his unhappiness, so he becomes absorbed with supposedly ‘scientific' books about white supremacy, hoping o find the root of his disillusionment. Later that evening Daisy shares with Nick conclusions she has made about life on the basis that she has â€Å"†¦ Been everywhere, young age of Daisy she feels she no longer has nothing left to do. With great fortune, social standing and material possession do not have much else to desire or seek in life thus putting into question the greatness and happiness that is associated with the American Dream.Gatsby experienced this greatness and happiness of the American Dream when he came so close to achieving it. Although he devoted all his time and effort toward his ultimate dream of winning Daisy back, it still proved to be unattainable due to his overblown idealization of her. Jordan Baker explains to Nick about Gatsby mysterious behavior that â€Å"†¦ It was no coincidence at all. Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be Just across the bay' (83). Gatsby entire presence is built so that Daisy will notice him.Despite the flashy parties and careless wealth that imply he is living in the moment, he is in fact stuck is the past. Nick attempts to reason with Gatsby naive thoughts about reliving the past but Gatsby simply responds â€Å"Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can! † (116). At the point it is foreshadowed, that once again, the great American Dream is unrealistic since Gatsby is leading an unrealistic life, based upon a reality that may soon come crashing down around him. Fitzgerald expresses his disillusioned view of the American Dream in the last line of the book where Nick reflects on Gatsby ending. Gatsby believed in the green light, the o rgiastic future that year by year recedes fore us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter ? tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther†¦. And one fine morning † (189) the dream is dead, just like Gatsby. The book ended with Fitzgerald disenchanted view of the American Dream. Regardless, he ends the story with hope. Even though no one really gets what they want in this story and the â€Å"American Dream† is seen to be a scam; he knows that people will still pursue their dreams, Just like Gatsby chased after Daisy.

Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment Essay

This is a critique of an article published in Chronicle of Higher Education, (v53 n30 pB6 Mar. 30, 2007) on â€Å"Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment: a Lesson in the Power of Situation† by Philip G. Zimbardo. This article discusses issues related to how good people can turn bad. SUMMARY In this article, Zimbardo looks at his previous social experiment on physical abuse in prison and discusses the issues related to the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard, the social power of groups, and how people would behave if they were brought into direct confrontation; whether it would turn good people bad. The author discusses his past social experiment on physical abuse in prison that was conducted in the basement of the Stanford Psychology department. PROBLEM SPECIFIED IN THE ARTICLE One of many of studies in psychology, the Stanford Prison Experiment reveals from its usual set point, the extent to which human behavior can be transformed and are readily accepting a dehumanized conception of others. â€Å"Even to readily accepting a dehumanized conception of others, as ‘animals,’ and to accepting spurious rationales for why pain will be good for them,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 4). The Stanford Prison Experiment is compared to the Abu Ghraib situation, and also discussed are the implications of this research to the criminal justice system. The problems specified in the article addresses the social power of groups and as to whether a person  could be influenced to exert power over someone else. The experiment called for twenty-four student participants to act as either a prisoner or a guard in the â€Å"prison† basement,† (Zimbardo, 2007, para 5). After the first day, the guards exercised their powers with increasing authority, forcing the prisoners to do things like making them say abusive things to each other and forcing them to participate in sexual perversion. The experiment was getting out of hand; Zimbardo himself was engrossed in his role. The problem with this experiment was that Zimbardo should have appointed someone with oversight over the whole project, in which could be terminated immediately if things were to go bad. This did not happen. Zimbardo was not only over the experiment, but he played the role of prison superintendent, but nobody to watch over him. STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT COMPARED TO THE ABU GHRAIB SITUATION In the Abu Ghraib situation, U.S. soldiers abused Iraqi prisoners, in which were stripped, and forced to wear bags over their heads, and were sexually humiliated. The guards would laugh and mock the prisoners while taking pictures of them in degrading positions. This abuse is similar to what took place in the Stanford Prison Experiment but in Stanford, the experiment was ended when it became known that the student guards were starting to do this to the student prisoners, unlike that of Abu Ghraib. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA The experiment was to last fourteen days but it was an outsider that made Zimbardo realize that he had gone too far. â€Å"That powerful jolt of reality snapped back into my senses. I agreed that we had gone too far, that whatever was to be learned about situational power was already indelibly etched on our videos, data logs, and minds,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 3). A colleague and fellow psychologist, Christina Maslach came to visit the mock prison and became very upset at what she witnessed. She seen the emotional breakdown of the prisoners, who were â€Å"lined up with bags over their heads, their legs chained, and guards shouting abuses at them while herding them to the toilet, † (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 3). Christina became very upset, and  yelled, â€Å"It is terrible what YOU are doing to those boys,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 4). Zimbardo realized what he had become in his newfound role and put an end to the experiment early on day 6. The criminal-justice system largely ignores situational forces and focuses primarily on individual defendants and their state of mind. Other factors should be considered by the criminal-justice system, such as what made them want to apply physical, psychological, and emotional abuse to the prisoners. AUTHOR’S CONCLUSIONS The author claims that people alone are incapable of criminal culpability. After reviewing the videotapes, Zimbardo argues â€Å"like the horrible behavior brought out by my experiment in good, normal young men, the situation and the system creating it also must share in the responsibility for illegal and immoral behavior,† (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 4). I am in agreement with the author in that the situation and the system creating it must also share in responsibility for illegal and immoral behavior because of the pressures of groupthink. CONCLUSION The Stanford Prison Experiment came about because at that time, social-science research did not have any studies with the direct confrontation of good versus evil against the forces inherent in bad situations. Psychologist Philip Zimbardo wanted to create a situation in a controlled experimental setting with â€Å"a host of variables, such as role-playing, coercive rules, power differentials, anonymity, group dynamics, and dehumanization, (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 1). The author wanted to know who would win if brought into direct confrontation; good people or an evil situation. References Zimbardo, P. G. (2007). Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment: a Lesson in the Power of Situation. _The Chronicle of Higher Education_, 53(30). Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA161992127&v=2.1&u=oran95108&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w.

Physical Evidence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physical Evidence - Research Paper Example This follows that physical evidences always presents exhibits that are directly linked with the scene, the person who conducted the crime, as well as the things such a person may have been putting on during the time the crime was committed. Examples of physical evidences may involve the fingerprints of the criminals, the blood samples collected from the scene of crime, the weapons as well as remnants of the materials used to commit such crimes (Siegel, 2010). Exclusionary rule refers to the rules put in place to discourage the introduction of illegally obtained evidences in relation to certain cases involving criminal trials (Maclin, 2013). The introduction of such illegally obtained evidences in the case trials involving criminal activities may always lead to biased decision-making. This leads to inaccurate decisions from the juries thereby making their verdicts questionable as well as disputable. In addition, the introduction of such illegally obtained evidences in legal processes may deny the accused the right to free and fair trials. This rule provides that any evidence that may emanate from questionable sources and presented by the prosecution with the main aim of fixing the defendant, violating the defendant constitutional rights as well as subject the defendant to unfair trials should not be presented in any courts of law during the trials (Siegel, 2010). It is of crucial significance to note that confessions rule greatly differs with the exclusionary rule in legal terms. Confessions rules may either be judicial or non judicial (Kusonsinwut, 2008). In this regard, it is imperative to note that confessions may be either official or unofficial with regards to several legal perspectives. It is of critical significance to highlight that in relation to common law, each and every statement that is submitted of directed to may person in authority must be

An evaluation of human rights abuses and reconciliation of the past in Research Proposal

An evaluation of human rights abuses and reconciliation of the past in Nigeria 1966 -1999 - Research Proposal Example The formation of Truth Commissions to achieve transitional justice has been in vogue during the recent years, especially after the formation of the South African Truth Commission in 1996. The popularity that this South African TC achieved after the submission of its completed report in 1998 evoked much interest in the various academic circles and the human rights groups. It was hoped that this new process could be used in various transitional societies, for holding accountable those individuals that in the past took part in various deplorable acts of human rights abuse; while also assuring the victims of some sort of relief and justice. This chapter will mainly focus on the concept of Truth Commissions (TCs), its background history, and the contribution/ non-contribution of the Truth Commissions to the transitional societies, mainly in the African context. Background history There is no doubt that the formation of Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs) have become fashionable after the 1998 South African TC, and is now seen as an instrument to make a memorabilia of an authoritarian past, which is replete with political repression and violent human rights abuse. It has become the centre point for the transitional justice stratagem, and by 2003, we find that there were more than 25 TRCs formed worldwide.

Trace the evolution of the response of the United Sates to the Essay

Trace the evolution of the response of the United Sates to the Holocaust starting with the Evian Conference of 1938 through the end of 1945 - Essay Example Consequently, this war created a refugee problem in the west and raised a lot of concerns in the world. There was need to solve this problem and relocate the displaced Jews who were termed as refugees (Rossel, p13). The first response by the United States of America to solve this crisis was made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt who was the then US president. He acknowledged that the Jews problem was becoming an international crisis and convened the Evian Conference on 6th July, 1938. The conference was attended by 33 countries including Britain and her colonies, and other European and Latin American countries. The purpose of the conference was to come up with solutions to the problems that the Jews were facing as a result of the rise and expansion of the Nazi Germany (Grobman, p124). However, the conference failed to produce any constructive results. Most of the western countries including the US were very reluctant in opening their borders to the Jews who were being persecuted in Germany. They argued that the great depression had greatly affected their economies and increased the rate of unemployment in their countries thus accepting the Jews would increase competition for the jobs and cause further problems. The only country that agreed to open its borders to the Jewish immigrants was the Dominican Republic; it agreed to take in about 100, 000 refugees. The only achievements of the conference were the documentation of series of superficial and oral statements which implied that there was a refugee problem that required a solution and the creation of the intergovernmental committee on refugees (ICR) which was to continue working on the refugee crisis(Grobman, p299). In 1939, some Americans became concerned with the problems of the Jews in Germany and tried to rescue them but failed. For example, in response to the plight of the Jews, Senator Robert F. Wagner introduced a refugee aid bill in the United States senate on February 9, 1939 to help the

Should our racial identity be defined by our physical attributes Essay

Should our racial identity be defined by our physical attributes - Essay Example First off, one of the most significant attributes among people is their color of skin. It is a standpoint for racial conflicts and discrimination, therefore. Thus, humanity is well driven by analyzing characteristic features of individuals in relation to physical attributes, but not those which are more vital. It is all about, an individual’s reason, passion, talent, use for the society, etc. Black or white, Asian or Indian, - all these attributes make a huge part of the contemporary society run into misconception in possessing different things and stratum within the society. Living in America, many of individuals urge to create their identities in close relation to their physical attributes. In fact, it is taken for granted today, and no one can refuse that a person’s appearance is the core attribute to get well in this life. It is a â€Å"credit card† of an individual letting him/her know if he/she can go another step in the social stratification and in the car eer ladder as well. This is the truth of contemporary life. The society believes in this assumption just because it was delivered from one generation to another throughout the history of the United States. Such impulses are so strong that it seems impossible to fight them or somehow reduce. Even with the African-American president, the situation has changed not a jot. As an Armenian, I feel responsible to pay everyone’s attention to the topic that is not new for everyone living in a multinational country. It is really difficult to pay people’s attention to more reasonable and constructive decisions while communicating the ethnical equality which makes all individuals and citizens united and, therefore, strong in the national idea. However, communicating ethnicity is not suffice, as â€Å"the ethnic option is conceptualized in individual rather than collective terms† (Fong and Chuang 308). Thus, a person himself/herself chooses to either humiliate or defend someb ody as it concerns with one’s viewpoints on life and social inequality. To say more, racial identity as well as racial discrimination is a result of the historical development of the mankind. In this respect the era of colonialism, expansion, and enslavement â€Å"imprinted† and allegedly justified the winners and the losers of the â€Å"ethnical race,† so to speak. Individuals in majority are likely to put constraints for those in minority in order to make the presence and performance of the first pure, and genuinely more authentic. Unfortunately, the vast majority of contemporary people are perpetually haunted by various stereotypes regarding their identity. It seems taken for granted that African Americans and other minorities should stay behind the scenes of the national dialogue on equal rights just because they do not fit into a so-called â€Å"divine† image of a civilized person. In turn, it hurts and, frankly speaking, destructs people’s se lf-esteem and identity (Burke 85). Thus, social forces are still ineffective in, first, discussing and, second, solving the problem of misunderstanding widely spread over different ethnical communities nationwide. It is a challenge for the nation; it is a challenge for every ordinary individual being a part of the nation as well. Strange as it may seem, a man’s appearance is a prerequisite to estimate his/her talents, goals, and preferences. However, it sounds

Agile manifesto - what are the downsides Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Agile manifesto - what are the downsides - Essay Example This is championed because collaboration is much more crucial than understanding process and tools. Another element that is propagated is working software OVER comprehensive documentation. One might argue that documentation is required to have a successful implementation of software is much important than documentation. However, real testing of software happens in QA in which prototyping occurs. Another issue that is prominent with Agile customer collaboration and negotiation. In the boom and busting world of technology, building an innovative products through blocks can be waste of time, resources and scope of work. This is achieved through regular iterations of work, known as Sprints which enhance the product as depicted by the team. It is clear to understand that Agile enhances the churn by reducing defects and defining the product resourcefully. The team evaluated by practicing this technique to steer the direction of the product via this methodology. When a team stops and re-eva luates the direction of a project every two weeks, there’s time to steer it in another direction without spending quality time. The last core principle can be answered via was clear that teams understood an opportunity to know the life cycle of the project and limit the cycle work to two weeks. This enables teams to develop a work cycle is limited to two weeks, and allows stakeholders have to examine defects in the

International retailing and marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International retailing and marketing - Essay Example A review of literature has provided a consistent definition of the term International Retailing which is "the operation, by a single firm, of shops, or other forms of retail distribution, in more than one country" (Findlaey and Sparks, 2000: p. 40; Alexander, 1997:p. 27). This definition encompasses several types of company schemes such as the Body Shop and Bally which operates their own stores and franchise arrangements; GIB, Vendex, Aeon and Ahold which operate separate chains of stores internationally; and the IKEA, Sogo and Toys R Us which operate a single chain. Every business move must be thoroughly studied before application and given the complex nature of retailing in an international setting, it would be prudent to conduct a study aiming to determine the necessary scheme to be adapted by the interested company. There are many methods for determining business environment such as the Political, Economic, Social and Technological (PEST) analysis which is mainly concerned on the operating environment and the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis which considers also other competitors already present in the market. These analyses shall be used to determine strategies for a successful entry scheme. Retail companies can opt to establish presence by modes such as direct establishment of stores or franchising. Since any business is an on-going process of learning and growing, many retail companies find it necessary to incorporate strategic factors in their business plan along the way. III. Marks and Spencer: A Background Marks and Spencer PLC is a companyr, established in the late 1800s by a partnership and is currently one of UK's leading retailer of clothing, food, home products and technology. Last 2008, Tthe company employs more than 65,000 people with 339 stores in the UK and 155 stores franchised in 30 countries found in Europe and Asia. It is also involved in financial services such as loans, savings and credit cards. The company made news in 1998 as it posted a pre-tax profit of over than 1.15 billion pounds sterling but later suffered a downfall for several years until 2003. (MarksandSpencer, 2009a) The company operates primarily by producing high quality products carried by a recognized and valued brand name. Products are affordable but not necessarily cheap. The prevailing philosophy for advertising was only by word of mouth which was very powerful as many customers are likely to purchase in the shop favoured by those close to them. This method was also very cost effective as there was no need for expensive adverts. From its inception until 1998, it had the policy of sourcing only from British suppliers and thus endeared them to the British public. Marks and Spencer officially adapted and carried the brand 'St. Michaels' for middle age and young apparel distribution in its stores. Stores are mainly located centrally in capital cities and important venues so that critical mass (number or buyers) can be realized. M&S is in possession of several prime holdings around the globe and is using it to establish presence. The company experimented in internationalisation by exporting its 'St. Michael' line to

Market realities and the maximalization of consumer good Essay

Market realities and the maximalization of consumer good - Essay Example For purposes of definition,a monopolistic competition will be defined as a type of competition that is defined by the fact that only one business or individual can provide the needs of the larger economyConversely, oligopolistic competition will be one in which only a few very large companies offer the given good or service to the market. Likewise, due to the fact that so few players exist within the oligarchic model of competition, it is easy and often common for them to cooperate in order to stifle any entrants to the market. As a function of seeking o understand each of these models to a greater degree, the forthcoming analysis will seek to provide the levels of differences that exist between the two as well as showing some figures that illustrate the ways in which the market behaves under these different models of competition. Lastly, a value judgment will be made with respect to which of these is the best model of competition to maximize consumer good within the economy. Althoug h it is useful to seek to provide a contrast between the two so that the reader and/or researcher can best judge how these two forms of competition act within the given economic system, there are a level of similarities between the two that cannot be ignored. In both of these models, the consumer is at a price disadvantage due to the fact that the price maker(s) is holding almost all of the power and has the ability to set the price according to non-market regulated means. (Lu, 2011). Likewise, also from the consumer’s perspective, the level of selection of goods or services between both models is similarly constrained. Due to the fact that one or a handful of firms are holding the means of production and/or distribution firmly within their grasp, the availability of substitutes is greatly diminished (Marini & Zevi, 2011). Conversely, the differences that exist between the two market realities also help to differentiate the two models. The first of these revolves around the f act that a monopoly allows for much lower level of consumer choice than does the oligarchic system. Although both systems necessarily constrain the choice to the consumer, it is impossible to consider a situation in a monopolistic model in which a price war would take place (ZHELOBODKO et al, 2012). Conversely, although rare, price wars can and do take place within the oligarchic model due to the fact that a particular firm or group of firms may seek to leverage an advantage and further reduce the competition by driving one of the participants out. Figure 1 and 2 below seek to point out the key means by which monopolistic and oligarchic competition affects the supply and demand curves of the traditional representation of the economy. Due to the ways in which these are warped from the standard representations, the reader can gain a degree of inference with respect to how these effects will be passed along to the end consumer within the markets. Figure 1.0 Oligarchic Competition Figur e 2.0 Monopolistic Competition Consequently, the reader and/or researcher can understand that with regards to the maximizing the good of the consumer, the oligarchic model is most appropriate due to the fact that although it provides the consumer with only a few options between firms or between products, it necessarily exhibits a greater level of offerings than does that of monopolistic competition. Moreover, due to the fact that the firms within an oligarchic system compete, at least to a small degree, some utility is able to maximized on behalf of the consumer (Essen & Hankins, 2013). This is a function of the fact that the monopolistic system is the price maker and the consumer is the price taker. Although one can argue that in the oligarchic system the same is true, the fact of the matter is that it is reduced due to the reality of the small level of continuing and ongoing competition that is present. Though few realistic examples exist within the world with regards

Rapid-Cycling Populations of Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rapid-Cycling Populations of - Essay Example It has already been established that there is a lot of variation in the attributes that distinguish intraspecific taxa. Another weakness is that despite their importance and diversity, there is little genetic information available on brassicas and radish (Williams & Hill 1386). This is brought about (partially) by the long reproductive cycles (6-12 months or more) for majority of horticultural types. There is a close connection between this paper and my experiment this semester. The connection becomes evident when one reads the sections of the paper that detail the various uses and applications of brassica its related species. Economic uses like the production of edible and industrial oils are an indication of the chemical components of brassica. In addition to this, use of brassica as animal fodder, vegetables, and in the production of condiment mustard is testament to the fact that brassica are made up of minerals and other components which are of nutritional value to both humans and

Jury Nullification Paper Essay Example for Free

Jury Nullification Paper Essay In this paper I am going to explain whether ethnicity influences courtroom proceedings and judicial practices, and give some examples of ethnicity-based jury nullification, a sanctioned doctrine of trial proceedings wherein members of a jury disregard either the evidence presented of the instructions of the judge in order to reach a verdict based upon their own consciences. It espouses the concept that jurors should be the judges of both law and fact. Ethnicity in court is an important factor depending were your venue of court is located, and the jurors selected to the court. If in a court room there are jurors that are all white and are jurors for a case involving a white man that killed a African American man, may cause the jurors to listen to the white man case rather than the African American individual. In some cases if the white man story is little probable to happen the jurors will then have to take more time and listen closer to both of the stories. Jurors are told when in court that they have to judge by the facts and not by preferences in ethnic groups or color of skin, some do listen some do not take any facts they just prefer to select the person who is less guilty or if they see a similarities in themselves with an offender. One example of a preferred jury was a case that took place on the night of February 26, 2012, in Stanford, Florida, George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old African American high school student. George Zimmerman, a 28 year old Hispanic, was the neighborhood watch coordinator for the gated community where martin was temporarily staying and where the shooting took place. Martin and Zimmerman where in a confrontation while martin was walking thru the gated community while on the ground Zimmerman shot Martin killing him. When officers arrived on scene they took Zimmerman into custody and attended his injuries, then questioned for five hours. Under the state law of Florida it is legal to defend yourself while being under attack and you are able to use lethal force. Zimmerman stated that martin was reaching toward Zimmerman’s gun but no evidence was found. The jury decided that Zimmerman was not guilty, there was controversy in this case because martin was a young black kid who dressed different and was judged by that. The jury I believe looked at Martin as a bigger threat than Zimmerman. In this case a young black male was judged incorrectly by people who saw him as kid that was not going on the correct path, and on the other side they see a person who was keeping a watch on his community and keep them safe. Some people just see a Hispanic male getting away with murder and a African American kid who was killed harshly. For this case 5 of the 6 jurors were considered white and 1 mixed race, in this county were the case took place in Florida only 10 percent of the population are African American. Even though when selecting a jury there is people who make sure there are no bias selection of jurors, sometimes jurors when in court change their minds because they relate to the case or because some similar situations have happen to that juror or a close relative. When jurors relate to cases it starts to become a bias situation, for example if a case of a women that was beaten by a husband because of infidelity, some jurors if women will take the women side and will maybe go against the husband. Otherwise if the jurors are mostly men the men will tend to reduce sentence or even find a reason to liberate the husband accused of beating his wife due to infidelity. When facing a court case such as the famous case of Rodney King the jurors gave a harsh punishment to the police officers not because they were bias, but because the footage of the people who are there to serve and protect were acting like animals and very unprofessional. In this situation the jury were mainly concerned that these officers that were in duty to serve and protect the community can act so savagely, in this case there was a clear bias situation the jurors were not looking at the officers as heroes because they took down a man that was drugged up, the jurors saw the police beating  a man that was defense less and without any help. There will always be all sorts of bias and sometimes racism inside of the court room, jurors are chosen the best as possible but sometimes it just is not enough to sentence a case correctly. Jurors have the responsibility to give the case to the innocent person and to help the judge make the correct decision, but sometimes jurors make mistakes and are guided by their emotions and not the facts, when that happens the case becomes a bias case and usually in favor of the person the jurors think is innocent. In my opinion jurors should be taught and learn on how to use the facts to see all the details of the case, jurors should also be taught different types of classes on looking at all the evidence in favor and not in favor, the jurors should also take in mind that the person being sentenced also have families and deserve a fair opportunity on their criminal case. The diversity on the juror stand should be always permitted I believe there should not be more Whites or Blacks or Hispanic jurors there should be a fair amount of jurors for all ethnicities this will bring a balance and a fair judgment of all the cases in court. This will bring more fairness and belief to the court system and will help the judges job easier and trust the people of the juror stand. To conclude, jurors should be a very great help for criminal cases but they always have to judge with intelligence and with fairness.

Briefly Describe The Term Operation Management Information Technology Essay

Briefly Describe The Term Operation Management Information Technology Essay Chapter 1: 1. Briefly describe the term operation management. The observation operations management relates to the management of methods or processes that produce goods or provide services. These procedures require planning, coordination, and execution of all actions that produce goods and services. It is also been described as the maintenance, control, and improvement of organizational activities that are required to produce goods or services for consumers. For the most part, Operation management has traditionally been associated with manufacturing activities; however, it can also be applied to the service sector. The measurement and evaluation of operations are usually undertaken through a process of business appraisal. Efficiency and effectiveness may be monitored by the application of ISO 9001 quality systems, or total quality management techniques (William, 2009, p. 4). 2. Identify the three major functional areas of business organizations and briefly describe how they interrelate. The three primary functions are operations, finance, and marketing. Operations are concerned with the creation of goods and services. This is done by making best use of the businesss staff, machinery, building and raw materials. Marketing is concerned with promoting and/or selling goods or services. They do this by maximize the level of sales by carrying out market research and promoting the goods or service through a motivated sales team. Finance is concerned with the provision of funds necessary for operation, have the task of producing the goods or service in the most efficient way. They do this by keeping a record of all money coming in and going out of the business. Last, they have responsibility for securing finances for future expansion and paying staff and suppliers (William, 2009, p. 4). 11. Why might some workers prefer not to work in a lean production environment? For the most part, workers do not like to work in a lean production environment because there are fewer opportunities for an employee to advancement within the company. Pursuant to a leaner production line, more workers become stress due to higher levels of responsibility. This is a result of fewer managers. Moreover, Workers also experiences larger variability and expansion of job requirements. This is where a worker is required to do more with less. Such cases of companies within the American auto industry have become lean to reduce cost and waste. Last, such cuts backs have allow the U.S. auto industry a second chance to be more competitive with other companies (William, 2009, p. 29). Chapter 2 6. Contrast the terms strategies and tactics. Strategy is the fundamental approach used by a company to attain its goal where tactics are the actions taken to accomplish strategies to carry out operations. The importance of strategies cannot be overemphasized an organizations strategies have a great impact on what the organization does to achieve its organizational goals. Strategies can be long-term, intermediate, or short term. In order to be effective, strategies ought to be designed to support the organizations mission and its goals. In contrast, tactics are the methods and actions used to accomplish strategies. They are more specific than strategies, and they provide guidance and direction for carrying out operations, high need detailed plans and decision making in an organization. Last, most consider tactics as the how to part of the process and operations as the execution part of the process (William, 2009, p. 43). 8. Explain the term time based strategies and give three examples. Time-based strategies are approaches that focus on lowering the time required to conduct the different activities in a procedure. The logic is that by curtailing the time, costs are generally smaller, productivity is larger, quality is improved, new products appear on the marketplace much earlier, and customer service is enhanced. Last, organizations have achieved time reduction in some of the following: Planning time: The time needed to react to a competitive threat, to develop strategies and select tactics, to approve proposed changes to facilities, to adopt new technologies, and so on. Product/service design time: The time needed to develop and market new or redesigned products or services. Processing time: The time needed to produce goods or provide services. This can involve scheduling, repairing equipment, methods used, inventories, quality, training, and the like. Changeover time: The time needed to change from producing one type of product or service to another. This may involve new equipment settings and attachments, different methods, equipment, schedules, or materials. Delivery time: The time needed to fill orders. Response time for complaints: These might be customer complaints about the quality, timing of deliveries, and incorrect shipments. These might also be complaints from employees about working conditions (e.g., safety, lighting, heat or cold), equipment problems, or quality problems (William, 2009, p. 51). 10. List some factors that can affect productivity and some ways that productivity can be improved. The factors that can affect productivity are methods, capital, quality, technology, and management. The various ways productivity can be improved. For instance, since, productivity measures all operations it helps to eliminate bottlenecks. Another improvement would be to solicit new ideas from workers that reduce unnecessary waste. Sometimes the formation of work teams helps a firm to be organized with their activities. A further improvement is the study other firms. From this, a firm can reexamine its work methods where it cans reestablishment new goals for improvement. Other features also include support from management, rewards, and publicize improvements, and lastly, it is significant not to confuse productivity with efficiency because productivity to an organization as a theory is concededly broader than efficiency (William, 2009, p. 59). William, S. J. (2009). Operations Management. New York: McGraw-Hill. page 35-36. Chapter 2: 6, 8,and 10,   page 61. These are due by Monday in the Discussion Board. Please have your responses to the questions submitted to the Discussion Board by DAY 5 Monday. This will give everyone the opportunity to discuss them before the end of Seminar 1. 2. Chapter 2 Case Study Paper Read the Case Study Home Style Cookies, found in Chapter 2, page 64-65. 2. What are two ways that the company has increased productive qty? Why did increasing the length of the ovens result in a faster output rate? The use of automation in the mixing process resulted in a reduction in waste; cookies are cut on a diagonal; and the company recently increased the length of its ovens (i.e., more cookies can be baked at the same time). 3. Do you think that the company is making the right decision by not automating the packing of cookies? Explain your reasoning. What obligation does a company have to its employees in a situation such as this? What obligation does it have to the community? Is the size of the town a factor? Would it make a difference if the company was located in a large city? Is the size of the company a factor? What if it was a much larger company? All companies have a moral obligation to their employees. Small companies with local owners, particularly in a small community, are more likely to be influenced by such considerations than large companies, in large communities, even with local owners, and even less likely to be influenced if owners are distant, or uninvolved in operations. The issue is a difficult one, often without easy solutions. Cost and efficiency may favor layoffs, but ill will and the effects on morale of employees that remain are important considerations. 6. What advantages and what limitations stem from the companys not using preservatives in cookies? By not using preservatives, the product probably appeals to health-conscious buyers, and there are fewer ingredients to purchase, store, and mix, but without preservatives, the shelf life is limited. 7. Briefly describe the companys strategy. The companys strategy is to provide a high quality (good food) cookie that appeal to a particular market niche. Then, respond to questions 2, 3, 6, and 7. Be sure to answer each of the questions posed (even if there are questions within questions).   Please send this  case study  via  the Assignments Link.   This assignment is due on Day 6 Tuesday. 3. Weekly Summary Please submit your Weekly Lessons Learned via the Assignments Link. Due no sooner than Tuesday and no later than Wednesday. NOTE:  ALL Weekly Lessons Learned (Weekly Summary) for Weeks 1 -6 must adhere to the following: Summarize what you have learned from the text reading, class discussions, assignments, etc.  You can even include (in addition to the aforementioned) how what you have learned each week has or can help you professionally.  Therefore, it should not be merely a listing of topics covered each week in your textbook.  Also, this assignment should be a minimum of 200 words. PARTICIPATION: Please submit at least 2 meaningful comments per day to the discussion board (for at least 5 of the 7 days of the week) to receive full participation points. ItemWeek 1 Discussion Questions Discussion Questions: Please respond to the Discussion Questions: Chapter 1: 1, 2, and 11, page 35-36. Chapter 2: 6, 8,and 10,   page 61. These are due by Monday in the Discussion Board. Please have your responses to the questions submitted to the Discussion Board by DAY 5 Monday. This will give everyone the opportunity to discuss them before the end of Seminar 1. >> View/Complete Assignment: Week 1 Discussion Questions ItemWeek 1 Case Study Paper Chapter 2 Case Study Read the Case Study Home Style Cookies, found in Chapter 2, page 64-65. Then, respond to questions 2, 3, 6, and 7. Be sure to answer each of the questions posed (even if there are questions within questions).   Please send this  case study  via  the Assignments Link.   This assignment is due on Day 6 Tuesday. >> View/Complete Assignment: Week 1 Case Study Paper ItemWeek 1 Lessons Learned Weekly Summary Please submit your Weekly Lessons Learned via the Assignments Link. Due no sooner than Tuesday and no later than Wednesday. >> View/Complete Assignment: Week 1 Lessons Learned ItemWeek 1 Particiption Please do not post anything here.   I will post your points earned for participation this week.   Please refer to the course Syllabus for information on how participation points are earned.

Changes in Marriage Equality Laws

Changes in Marriage Equality Laws Compare and contrast how your views of a traditional nuclear family, cohabitation and sexuality might differ from those of your parents. The ever changing world as we know it has led to differences in lifestyles and contemporary views towards how families should be run in modern society but the core values of family life still remain the same. Families are still mediums whereby people can enjoy security, companionship and a refuge from an often harsh and uncaring world. Structures of families have changed along with society in general but the traditional nuclear family of mother, father and children still remains an ideal. Many variations of the traditional nuclear family have arisen in the years since world war 2 that have changed the current generations views to that of our parents and grandparents generations. In previous generations the mother was expected to look after the household and not partake in paid employment while the father was considered the bread winner and sole source of income for the family. This perception of the nuclear family has changed vastly due to major changes in social structure, education, the feminist movement etc. These forces have changed how we view the modern family along with the increase in cohabitation, decline in marriage, rise in divorce rates and the prolonged postponement of union formation. Single-sex marriages, single-parent families, cohabitation and single living have increased in regularity. Increases in the rate of divorce has lead to a growth in the popularity of cohabitation whereby more couples live with each other before marriage, somewhat as a testing period, and couples are marrying later in life. Marriage has become less relevant in our generation compared to the golden age of marriage during the 50s and 60s where marriage was an important institution in society. Changes in laws such as those concerning same-sex marriage have led to this attitude. In the last two decades there has been a dramatic increase in cohabitation in the US. Between 1970 and 1994, the number of unmarried couples living together rose from about 500,000 to almost 3.7 million. Between 1965-74 just 11% of marriages were preceded by cohabitation whereas between 1980-84 44% of all marriages involved at least one spouse who had cohabited (1). Cohabitation has been prevalent in previous generations where couples were unable to marry due to the fact that they werent able to afford marriage or were not lawfully able to marry. Couples also believe that it is easier to end a cohabiting relationship than it is to end a marriage. For one tenth of cohabiters, cohabitation is a long term relationship which does not lead to marriage (1). In the space of a couple of decades cohabitation has nearly replaced marriage as the regular choice of a first union. In France, a massive rise in cohabitation occurred between 1965 and 1995 when the proportion of couples starting their union by cohabitation increased from 10% to 90% (2). During the 1990s marriage was still the superior marker for first union entry in the south of Europe whereas in juxtaposition most western and northern European countries and the United States cohabitation had surpassed marriage as the preamble for first partnership. The mean age for which people enter marriage has increased for many reasons. The prolonging of many transitions to adult life(finishing education, leaving the parental household, starting a first job) along with the rise in young adults entering unions without marriage has added to the mean age. Nowadays marriage is no longer seen as the singularly appropriate avenue for childbearing. People who decide to have a child do not feel rushed into marriage and being pregnant is not seen as a determinant for marriage. This attitude can be compared to those of prior generations where pregnancy before marriage was frowned upon and unmarried cohabitation did not last very long due to social pressure. In our parents generations the normal route of marriage followed by childbearing has been steadily replaced by a number of different pathways: in some countries, the sequence of cohabitation followed by marriage and then childbearing has become the most common path, while in other societies, cohabitation first followed by first or second birth and then marriage has become the most popular pattern and an increasing number of couples with children opt to not marry at all (3). In the United States the number of children born to parents who cohabitate nearly doubled between 1984 and 1994, growing from 6% to 11% (4). In recent times marriage instability has increased, this along with less-stable living arrangements have led to an increase in the numbers of single parent families and a high frequency of single motherhood across Europe. In Europe a substantial percentage of children are exposed to living with a single parent before reaching the age of 15. The total exposure ranged from 11-18 percent in Southern Europe (Italy and Spain), Belgium, Poland, and Slovenia; to 39-41 percent in Austria, Germany, and Latvia; and, outside of Europe, to a very high level of 52 percent in the United States (these figures are period life table estimates based on the FFS data). In agreement with the evidence provided by the census data in Table 6 above, the authors argue that, while the pace of family change has varied across countries, the shift of childrearing from married parents to single mothers is universal in Western societies, and has been proceeding faster than the shift to cohabiting parents and stepfa milies (5). In our parents and grandparents generations there was a fundamental belief that marital union should be between a man and a woman. Same sex couples were shunned and granted none of the rights that were enjoyed my heterosexual couples. Throughout the world same sex couples and those in support of equal rights for same sex couples have campaigned for what they feel are basic human rights that should apply to everyone; the right to have their relationship recognised lawfully and the right to marry. Homosexuality has gradually become decriminalised since the 60s in most countries but is still criminal in some countries run by religious laws. Pressure from these groups seeking equality for same sex couples and recognition of their union along with the increase in cohabitation has led to law reforms that allow these couples to achieve a specific legal status when the register their partnerships. Although same sex couples are gaining momentum in their continuous battles to secure recognition there are still pockets of resistance and intolerance. The introduction of civil partnership to the United Kingdom has granted same sex couples more rights including employment, pension and inheritance related rights. This increase in rights is a stark contrast compared to the limited rights allocated to same sex couples in our parents and grandparents times. References Cohabitation: A Snapshot by Hilda Rodriguez, 1998 Cohabitation is here to stay by Touleman, 1997 Children born outside marriage in France and their parents: recognitions and legitimations since 1965 by Munoz-PÃÆ'Â ©rez, F., and F. Prioux, 2000 Larry Bumpass, 2002 Shifting childrearing to single mothers. Results from 17 Western countries by Heuveline, P., J. M. Timberlake, and F. F. Furstenberg, Jr., 2003

Performance Analysis of Littleton Manufacturing Essay -- Business Anal

Performance Analysis of Littleton Manufacturing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Littleton Manufacturing facilitates poor upward and downward communication throughout all levels of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a result of the ineffective communication system, Littleton faces a number of issues which ultimately has affected the bottom line of the company. Key challenges to note are low employee morale, low level of unity within the organization, poorly designed organizational structure and confusion in interpreting procedures and rules. Improving the accuracy and speed of the flow of communication should be an important first step in the resolution of the presented issues, thus allowing the organization to function more effectively and efficiently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The importance of organizations and their reasons for existence are outlined in Exhibit 1. Littleton currently is performing poorly across all of these factors, decreasing their importance and contribution towards society. Littleton is categorized as a large-batch, mass production manufacturing system (Daft, 246). Based on this, Littleton should be, but aren ¡Ã‚ ¯t carrying out properly, a mechanistic organizational structure with standardized jobs and formalized procedures to ensure efficiency (Daft, 248). Top management seems to be aware of this point, but they are not communicating the rationale and need for a mechanistic structure to the rest of the organization. Littleton ¡Ã‚ ¯s two units (fabrication and components) serve different domains and therefore  ¡Ã‚ °have different performance and accountability needs ¡Ã‚ ±. Although these two units obviously require different structures, they are viewed and treated as one by management and employees, which causes communication barriers through inconsistencies in management style and rule implementation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All three symptoms of structural deficiency are present at Littleton. There is delay and lack of quality in decision making. Information linkages in either the vertical or horizontal direction may be inadequate to ensure decision quality (Daft, 120). The organization does not respond innovatively to a changing environment, this is caused by the fact that departments are not coordinated horizontally (Daft, 120). Also, too much conflict is evident. Organization structure has to specify a single set of goals for the entire organization (Daft, 120). Littleton seems to have a lack of st... ...a are further clarified in appendix 2. ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enhance both upward and downward communication across all levels of the organization ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Improve management effectiveness ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Help improve employee morale ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feasible in regards to cost ?6 ¦1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Be timely and enable Littleton to adapt to changes quickly. The following alternatives were generated for Winslow to consider implementing: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sell off either the Fabrications of Components part of Littleton. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Redesign the organizational structure emphasizing an effective and efficient communication process. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Initiate job rotation/cross training between departments. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continue to function as it currently is. Exhibit 1 (Daft, 13) Organizations exist to do the following 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bring together resources to achieve desired goals and outcomes 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Produce goods and services efficiently 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Facilitate innovation 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Use modern manufacturing and information technologies 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adapt to and influence a changing environment 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Create value for owners, customers, and employees 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accommodate ongoing challenges of diversity, ethics, and the motivation and coordination of employees

Essay on Verbal and Situational Irony in The Pardoner’s Tale of Chaucer

The Pardoner’s Tale:  Ã‚  Use of Verbal and Situational Irony  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In â€Å"The Pardoner’s Tale,† Geoffrey Chaucer masterfully frames an informal homily.   Through the use of verbal and situational irony, Chaucer is able to accentuate the moral characteristics of the Pardoner.   The essence of the story is exemplified by the blatant discrepancy between the character of the storyteller and the message of his story.   By analyzing this contrast, the reader can place himself in the mind of the Pardoner in order to account for his psychology.   In the Prologue of the tale, the Pardoner clearly admits that he preaches for nothing but for the greed of gain.   His sermons revolve around the biblical idea that â€Å"the love of money is the root of all evil† (1 Timothy 6:10).   Ironically, however, the Pardoner condemns the very same vice that he lives by, as he proclaims â€Å"avarice is the theme that I employ in all my sermons, to make the people free in giving pennies—especially to me†.   Thus, covetousness is both the substance of his sermons as well as the mechanism upon which he thrives. He clearly states that repentance is not the central aim of his preaching, by mentioning â€Å"my mind is fixed on what I stand to win and not upon correcting sin†. Rather, his foremost intention is to acquire as many shillings as he can in exchange for his meaningless pardons.   In this regard, one can argue that although the Pardoner is evil, he is not a dissembler.   His psychology is clearly not guided by hypocrisy because he does not conceal his intentions under false pretences.   Chaucer clouds the genuine nature of the Pardoner’s psychology in ambiguity.   Upon r... ...nations of his thought processes, it is clear that the Pardoner does not practice what he preaches.   It is ambiguous, however, as to whether the Pardoner believes what he preaches, but just doesn’t follow his preaches or whether he doesn’t believe what he preaches at all.   It is evident, though, that the Pardoner has an astute mind.   He is highly effective in what he does.   Although he exploits the church for his own personal designs, he succeeds at obtaining that which he pursues.   The efficacy of his strategy is confirmed by Chaucer’s description of the Pardoner as being a â€Å"noble ecclesiastic† and as being unmatched in his trade .   Thus amidst all of his flatteries, there exists a spark of genius that complements his minimal level of ethics.   This intellectual finesse is the riverbed from which all of the products of his mind flow.

Othello Essays -- essays research papers

â€Å"Othello’s stature as a tragic hero is severely compromised by the alacrity with which he turns against his wife, and by his failure to achieve any real self knowledge† To what extent do you agree? Othello’s stature as a tragic hero is severely compromised by the speed and ease with which he turns against his wife, and by his failure to achieve any real self knowledge. In the Shakespearian tragedy of Othello, we witness the character of Othello fall from a position of control in Venetian society due to a combination of different reasons. Othello has a deep self-love for himself, and it is because of this he turns against his wife Desdemona with a great speed and ease. A traditional ‘tragic hero’ portrays four major characteristics: firstly, the tragic hero is a figure of high standing/esteem in the community; secondly, there is an agency that leads to the fall of the hero whether within the hero himself or from an outside figure/source; the third characteristic is a moment of self-realisation or self-awareness and the last characteristic is that the fall of the hero results in death. Othello is portrayed as a well-respected citizen within the Venetian society. He can be seen as an intelligent and heroic military leader whose skill is indeed very valuable and necessary to the state and he knows this. His military success has promoted his position within Venetian society, and as a ‘Moor’ within the white dominated society, he has a strong desire to maintain his social standing, and is prepared to sacrifice anything which threatens his reputation, which leads to the eventual death of Desdemona. Othello is trusted by everyone in Venice being called, â€Å"valiant Othello† and â€Å"brave Othello† and described as â€Å"...more fair than black† (I, iii, 286). He has been given full martial and political command of Cyprus and is a figure of high standing and esteem within the Venetian community. Othello’s flaw or weakness lies in his hubris, or exaggerated pride in himself, and he continually refers to it saying â€Å"Let [Brabantio] do his spite, my services which I have done the signiory / Shall out-tongue his complaints...† (I, ii, 17-19) and that â€Å"...[his] parts, [his] title, and [his] perfect soul / Shall manifest [him] rightly...† (I, ii, 31-32). It is due to his obsession with his pride, his self-esteem and his self image which leads to his loss of self control and hi... ...the sweetest innocent / That did e’er did lift up eye† (V, ii, 197-198), that she was false, and rather than realising his weaknesses and flaws, he takes the blame away from himself saying the murder was planned by fate: â€Å"...O ill-stared wench!..† After he has committed the crime, Othello makes sure that he is remembered as the hero he believed himself to be, once again his hubris encompassing him, saying: â€Å"...I have done the state some service and they know’t: ...Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice...speak Of one that loved not wisely, but too well; Of one not easily jealous but, being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme...† (V, ii, 335-342). Othello’s never accepts his tragic flaw as self-knowledge, nor does he accept responsibility for the death of his innocent wife Desdemona. Othello is unable to see himself as a member of the Venetian society, and â€Å"it is the tension between Othello’s victimisation at the hands of a foreign culture and his own willingness to torment himself† along with the alacrity with which he turns against his wife and his failure to achieve self-knowledge which severely compromise Othello’s stature as a tragic hero.

The Communication Revolution: Blessing or Burden

The twentieth century has seen a remarkable revolution in communication and information technologies. But whether the fruits of this revolution are a boon or a curse is a moot point. Development of Thought: The technologies of information and communication have made impressive advances. The Information Revolution did not begin in our century. It began when the hunter painted pictures of animals on the walls of his cave. The nineteenth century saw the advent of the telegraph, the telephone and the camera along with the development of the automobile. But it is in our century that the giant leap was made into the sky with the help of the aero plane, radio, television, satellite communication and planetary travel. Man can now hear, speak and see at the speed of lightning. While it has brought people together and fostered a feeling of global village, it also provokes fears of cultural invasion and invasion of privacy. The dilemma of the phenomenal advances of communication is at one level to find out how much of entertainment and consumption produce true contentment and at another to discover how much of information yields true wisdom. But like every other invention of man, the Communication Revolution has its uses as well as misuses. Conclusion: Technology and the way of life it has ushered in. is as much a burden as a blessing. It has brought as much problems as it has benefits. Ultimately it is by cutting down human wants that happiness can be achieved. It has been an eventful century, a century which has witnessed the collapse of the European empires that had held the various continents under their sway, a century in which another empire rose and fell the Soviet Union, a century in which the atom was split and its awful potential demonstrated, proving that the smallest of small can be more powerful than the biggest. But the nuclear bomb is not the only symbol of the century. There is yet another the microchip, also small, also potent, which bears out the poet's averment that the world can be seen in a grain of sand and eternity held in the palm of one's hand. The technologies of information and communication have made impressive advances. The Information Revolution did not begin in our century. It began when the hunter painted pictures of animals on the walls of his cave; it took a step forward when speech was invented and a further one when early societies carved symbols first on stone, then on pottery, papyrus, palm leaf, birch bark, cloth and paper, to record individual impressions and feelings. Then came printing by wooden blocks and later by movable types and identical copies could be prepared of communications and books. The power of books was recognized quite early. The Vedas were books, the Dharmapada was a book, the Bible was a book, the Kuran was a book. They bore out what Bacon said of books that â€Å"they cast seeds in the minds of others, provoking and causing infinite actions and opinions in succeeding ages†. The book was not the vehicle only of safe and comforting ideas but ideas that could and subvert authority and prevalent norms. That is why the Church and the State devised censorship and book burning even before books were mass produced by the simple that Gutenberg and his followers conceived. The communication giant grew up in the nineteenth century with the advent of the telegraph, the telephone and the camera along with the development of the automobile (The steam locomotive had been assembled a century earlier). But it is in our century that the giant leap was made into the sky with the help of the aero plane, radio, television, satellite communication and planetary travel. Man can now hear, speak and see at the speed of lightning. He has at his command machines which have extended the capacity of his memory and is speed of recall a million times. Entire which normally would have required multi-storey buildings libraries can now be stored in a cabinet? The must complex sums can be solved in the wink of an eye. There is a direct relationship between communication and quality of life. There is no disagreement over the fact that information and communication are vital input for any security. The role of communication in health care, family planning and many other aspects of the quality of life cannot he exaggerated The knowledge base (science and technology) is the most important thing in the present day society and so how knowledge is spread and made use of by various sections of the society becomes an extremely crucial consideration. This places immense responsibility on the groups/agencies, particularly development agencies and action groups, who collect information, analyze and then communicate it to the society. Those for whom the developmental programmes are meant should have full information about the various projects and programmes launched for their benefit by the government. Modem mass media (television, radio, VCR/cable TV, print media, etc. ) have proved to be of great potential in information transfer, motivation, agenda setting, training, mobilization and feed-back and feed-forward loop. The needed techno logy is available and what we need is imaginative software and the use of media that can address both demand and supply issues. Communication strategies have the ability to narrow down the socio-economic gap between the various segments of the society, even without major structural changes at the macro level. However, Mass communication has been used as well as misused. Radio and television have been praised for their contribution to making participatory democracy meaningful. But in their early years, they also presented a temptation to the State to use them for the implantation of qualities, of attitudes that it considered most desirable. The attitude most desired, whatever the complexion of the State in terms of its objectives, was docile acceptance. Hitler and Goebbels used radio to propagate doctrines of one race, one nation and one leader. And in the eastern end of Europe, the communists used their radio and television for thought control, evoking in George Orwell the terror and the nightmare of the Big Brother watching every citizen. Thirty-five years and many million deaths after Orwell wrote his â€Å"Nineteen Eighty Four† came the real 1984 and found the Big Brother sadly sapped of his certitude. And in another six years he was gone. The larger question is what caused this disintegration. The cause obviously is the failure of the economic system of the Eastern bloc to provide the goods to meet the needs which no amount of propaganda could cover up. In making the citizens aware of this failure of their masters, satellite communication had a major role to play. Once satellite television began to rain down pictures of everyday life in the â€Å"decadent† capitalist countries, Soviet citizens could not but compare what they had been told with the evidence of their own eyes. Satellite communication made censorship and travel restrictions in fructuous. The success of the Soviet educational system (in striking contrast to the failure of its economic system) had meanwhile produced millions of people who could think for themselves, although they lacked the courage to speak out what they thought- And now satellite technology enabled even the child to proclaim that the emperor wore no clothes. Communication today is the ultimate empowered whom no emperor can withstand. It is not to be imagined that television has always and invariably been the good angel carrying the gift of freedom Not has it turned out to be the universal educator that some of its pioneers had hoped it would be. In our country, and in a large number of country, television like its elder sibling, the cinema, has been the seller of impossible dreams. If it provided only escapist fare, the indictment would be mild. What it does, unfortunately, is to extol a violent way of life and also to foster an insatiable consumerist appetite. Media organizations claim that their function is information, education and entertainment. But the mix changes depending upon the seriousness of a particular institution. Totalitarian states (including the larger number of fundamentalist societies, which burn books and issue decrees for jailing and killing authors), do as medieval Christian church did, ordain a totally political role for the print and electronic media. In democracies, the media are free to criticize established institutions and they assist the process of open self-examination which is the essence of self government. But in the world in which communication technology is becoming increasingly expensive, journals, radio and television are becoming steadily more dependent upon big money. The cost of production of a newspaper today is several times more than the price at which it is sold. The difference plus the profit have to earn from advertisements. And advertisements are not an ally to self-examination). A few newspapers of known standing may be able to withstand the pressure of the advertiser, as well as of the State, but the weaker, the needier and the more opportunistic go along. Television is more glaringly involved with big money, having largely become a part of big entertainment rather than of enlightenment. An American tycoon was candid and picturesque in proclaiming that a television franchise was just a license to print one 's own money. Because of its emphasis on diversion, television. In the opinion of some social scientists, is engineering a new kind of illiteracy of the literate, to whom a five-minute treatment of a problem gives the illusion of adequate knowledge and discourages any effort at a more painstaking study. Likewise the availability of machines that store information and disgorge it at the touch of the button subtly alters one of the basic functions of memory- internalizing facts', perceiving, and priorities and crystallizing insight. Television has been called the chewing gum for the eyes. The same charge was leveled earlier at films. Yet we know that serious cinema has produced great works of imagination. It has even been said that cinema is the creative medium of our century, as novels were of the nineteenth. But if we praise books, we are ready to concede that very few books, in fact, are the precious life blood of master spirits. Nine-tenths of the books that make their way to the best seller list are monuments to the triviality of popular un-taste. Yet the chewing gum theory sums up what happens when a medium of culture contends itself with being a medium of entertainment. It has been pointed that the three major television networks of the United States-CBS, NBC and ABC- have not sponsored a Shake spear play or even a series like Kenneth Clark's ‘Civilization' in fifty years. Yet it is another television organization, BBC, which is praised for doing so. Therefore, the failure should not be put against the medium as such but the attitude of the managements of certain media institutions. The anomaly of high-technology communications is that instead of building communities it contributes to disquiet. Yet it would be dishonest to deny the power to television (and documentary films to perform the job of reportage and enable it to be an eye-witness to the history in the making. The same American networks which have been criticized for their neglect of mind enrichment have shown (and aroused) intense concern for social problems like racial disparities and community neglect. Television ranks alongside the press in being a political watchdog. The same relationship that exists between politics and the press exists between politics and television. The importance of a free press for the functioning of democracy was underscored by Thomas Jefferson when he declared long before modern newspapers with a mass reach had evolved. That if he were asked to choose between government without newspapers and newspapers without government, he, would choose the latter. Millions today seems to have actually made that choice. The major positive point of the communication revolution is that it has brought people together and fostered a feeling of a global village. Some of the minus points must also be taken note of. The very trend towards the internationalization of the human being provokes fears that identities are being affected, that specific cultures are in peril. The same technology of satellite communication which has been the bearer of the message of personal freedom seems as a fomenter of fissions in many societies. â€Å"The dilemma of the phenomenal advances of communication is at one level to find out how much of entertainment and consumption produce true contentment and, at another, to discover how much of information yields true wisdom. Is right to regard modern communications as a blessing which has turned- into a burden? Is there anything that can be done? Of course, there is. The starting point is to transfer television, at least partially, from a boredom-killing but money-making business to the realm of education which is universally accepted as a social responsibility. Governments have proved inept in using television for this purpose. Private enterprise does not care. There must be a more serious attempt to devise organizational forms, Public Broadcasting Systems, which are under real popular and not governmental control, which are charged with the task of using television for enlargement of people's minds. Which are endowed with adequate resources to perform that function, which have links with the universities and the Arts, and which run parallel to commercial television but are not measured by the mundane actuarial yardstick. It is difficult to forecast, or even speculate in H. G. Well's manner, what new discoveries the next century might bring in the various realms of science. It is an even more daunting task to indicate how the hound that has been unleashed can be controlled again. As the awareness grows that technology and the way of life it has ushered in will pauperize the non-renewable resources of the world. Science has lost its overweening self-assurance. Realism may force us all to adopt what the sages have all along counseled that a sure way to human happiness is the simplification of wants. Preserve Articles is home of thousands of articles published and preserved by users like you. Here you can publish your research papers, essays, letters, stories, poetries, biographies, notes, reviews, advises and allied information with a single vision to liberate knowledge.