Strategic Positioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic Positioning - Essay Example A company with the aim of increasing competitive advantage becomes operationally effective from its rivals and produces extreme level of economic value by gaining advantage of cost or price premium in a distinct way. Competition exists among the companies through the internet for operational effectiveness. A company needs to develop distinctive strategic path in an attempt to be one step forward in this highly competitive world. Before implementing strategy a company provides emphasis on profitability besides growth. The company ought to improve its distinctive positioning even during the time of turmoil. The value chain needs to be highly integrated. A company needs to follow the six basic principles of strategic positioning with a view to maintain the distinctive positioning of strategy. The first principle is the ‘right goal’, which means higher return on long term investment. The economic value will be generated in sustained productivity as well as profitability by i mplementing strategy. The value of the economy is created when customer prices for the product exceed production cost. In the second proposition, the strategy of the company enables to set ‘value proposition’ which is different from that of competitors. ... This not only stimulates competitive advantage but make a strategy that is tough to replicate. The sixth or the last strategy is ‘continuity’ of direction; without it a company may not be able to develop distinctive skills and resources or create strong reputation with the customers (Michael Porter, 2001). Strategy positioning considers the industry structure of the organisation as a key independent variable in strategic analysis. The effective performance of the industry is based on the ‘strategy fit’ of the firm. The strategist identified the three generic strategies such as differentiation, low cost and focus from which one that fits the industry structure will be selected. The templates supplied by five forces find out the attractiveness of an industry. The industry attractiveness is depended on the five forces including power of buyer, power of supplier, substitute’s threats, threat of new entrance and intensity of rivalry among incumbents as a r esult revenue will be high. Strategy as ‘positioning’ balances both strategies as ‘planning’ as well as ‘SWOT’. It offered a technique that allowed in making accurate analysis of one of the key sections of the external environment of the industry (Business Strategy Review, 2003). 2.0 Criticisms The operational effectiveness associated with competition in a company leads to destructiveness and conflict for attrition. This will hinder the competition among the companies (Nirgudka, 2002). The models of Michael Porter are not valuable for strategy development and it has become useless tool from the manager’s tool box. This model can be best suitable in companies with new and traditional technique of management. Michael Porter is of the opinion

South Africa’s Peaceful Social Change Essay Example for Free

South Africa’s Peaceful Social Change Essay An integrated society or methodological system on resolving certain conflicts is perhaps one of the key factors in buoying up peace within the post-settlement environment. The ideological milieu to such a coherent series of statements leading from a premise to a conclusion is divulged by traversing over the key figures and conceptual entities such as the merging of distinct technologies, industries, or devices into a unified whole and post-settlement context. Moreover, notions with regard to civilizations, community concepts, resolving conflicts, and building peace and order are also acknowledged in contributing essential benefits to these key figures. Given the explication above, vestiges that are relying on experience and/or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory, are shown through an excerpt from Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy. Such contemporary issues concerning methodological systems of community development and/or resolving certain conflicts have led the people, particularly South Africa’s communities, into struggling to address the needs of every citizen, motivating the entire community to fight for their rights and privileges, and acknowledging the importance of democracy to the whole country. Hence, this paper unfolds how social change takes place in a successful manner along the way where a nation struggles against the end of racial segregation—a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa. Contemporary Issues and Challenges in South Africa Various countries around the world have admired South Africa’s strong transition to democracy. Many of them believed that the nation would gain its victory upon observing the number of African people struggling over apartheid. Therefore, numerous countries from across the world learned that the nation’s previous form of government would have led the entire country to a certain revolution. Susan Collin Marks, one of the thousands of South Africans, has committed herself to making the strategic system of obtaining the real freedom peacefully (â€Å"Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy†). Many of her compatriots believed that if they aim to create a peaceful world, which was free from unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power (which has been marked by cynicism and rancor, prejudiced hostility or animosity, battles and impending wars), they need to find ways to resolve the conflicts in democratic means. Therefore, South Africa has garnered invaluable insights toward the course of democracy. Apartheid, which has been the mode or form of government in South Africa, unleashed a state or period of time that was marked by violence often committed by those in power that produces widespread terror. Such a royal authority prolonged for over forty years and put the number of people to imprisonment. Hence, numerous countries have considered such event as cruel and merciless regime that the entire world has ever seen subsequently to the time of Hitler in Germany (â€Å"Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy†). Indeed, it has been an extremely outstanding or unusual event that South Africa was still able to obtain a peaceful transition to democracy despite the fact that the nation has suffered such ruthless circumstances. Marks’s Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy is truly a more compelling and inspiring book that unfolds the systematic ways, which have been used by Africans in order to obtain a peaceful change in their society—from apartheid to democracy. The history of such a racial discrimination against the native inhabitants of South Africa has begun when the first Europeans from Holland arrived in the country. A former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa has become outrageous during the rule of Dutch and British (â€Å"Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy†). A number of laws and acts have been passed, which undermined the position of non-white population; however, rampant discrimination has been acknowledged in the entire country. In the midst of 1980s, the United States of America and other democratic nations in Europe have merged their authorities in order to impose approbation against South Africa’s government leaders (Marks). Thus, the president was convinced to eradicate such a form of government in the country. When Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, too over the position of the late president, he continued working on a high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures especially of a governmental body to end the apartheid. In addition, he ended a 30-year ban of the African National Congress (ANC) members who have tried leading the Africans into a non-racial democracy and to the propagation of the black South Africans’ rights and privileges in the country. Moreover, he has not just freed the ANC members but also given their leader, Nelson Mandela, of freedom to be one of the key figures in the new South African government and negotiate with the United Nations for the peaceful implementation of democracy. Conflict Resolution during South Africas Transition to Democracy Marks’s book Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy is considered as the key figure, which has been used by the author in order to represent a vigorous effort to attain an end of the apartheid and begin living under democratic government and non-racial discrimination society. As an analysis of the entire conceptualization of her book, contemporary issues were dealing with a methodological system of obtaining the liberty or freedom without racial discrimination in South Africa. A number of African citizens have suffered the first heartless and ruthless government, which has seen by numerous countries from across the world. Marks, based on her book, experienced a variety of circumstances that have led her to gathering different stories concerning the upper levels of South African society’s movements on the implementation of 1991 National Peace Accord. Her book written with just the right mix of empathy and sensitivity, she then represented every life and work of the key people attempting to obtain the peace in which they put themselves in risk only to achieve South Africa’s change of society in a peaceful manner. They have made this happened through their courage and hope of peace. Activists have sat in line of the negotiating table of their torturers. They have made the negotiation in such a way in order for them to show their trust and hope for the liberty or freedom without attempting to declare the civil war. Most of their compatriots have put themselves in intermediate relation to wrathful group of people and police officers who were too eager to fight or contend. Moreover, every group of people attempting to end the apartheid and freedom has worked desperately for the change of their society. Therefore, as an analysis of the entire conceptualization and view of Marks’s Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy, it becomes quite easy for every individual to learn the fact from such stories, which have been unfolded by the author. For a better comprehension, it explicates and shows the world about the methodological and/or strategic ways that South African society used in order to end apartheid and give birth to the real democracy. Such a systematic process of resolving the conflict represents the great promise of John Burton’s view of the Basic Human Needs Theory in which he believes that such a theory will stipulate material basis that determines the sources of conflict and working on the process of resolving the conflict. Works Cited Marks, Susan. Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy. New York: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2000. 256pp. Rubenstein, Richard. â€Å"Basic Human Needs: The Next Steps in Theory Development. † The International Journal of Peace Studies. Published by George Mason University Press, 2009. 1-2

Pearl Harbor Essay -- World War II WWII

Bombing of Pearl Harbor World War II was a war that everyone will remember and will be remembered for many years to come. It could even be said that it killed more people, destroyed more property, and had far more reaching effects than any other war in history. New technologies were used in the war, such as the Atomic bomb, which opened up the nuclear age. Pearl Harbor was one of those events that will never be forgotten by Americans. Pearl Harbor was especially memorable to America because that caused us to get involved in the war and it outraged everyone in the country. The United States played a key role in the war. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a major turning point in World War II. The United States planned not to get involved in the war. The majority of the population in the country thought we should stay out of the war and remain neutral, although most American hoped that the Allies would be victorious. The Allies consisted of 50 different countries by the end of the war. The United States, Soviet Union, China, and Great Britain were among the Allies. Germany, Italy, and Japan made up the alliance known as the Axis. Six other nations joined the Axis later in the war. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the neutrality of the United States after the war had started. Roosevelt and other interventionists wanted to aid other Allie nations in fighting the Axis. Isolationists opposed the UNITED STATES aid to warring nations. Roosevelt was then accused of steering the UNITED STATES into a war they were not prepared to fight. Roosevelt’s strategy to defeat the Axis was to equip the nation, fight the Axis with ships, tanks, aircrafts and other war technologies. The whole situation of Pearl Harbor started in 1940; the Japanese forces were in China. The Chinese government leader, Chiang Kai-Shek and his government fled to central China. To force China to surrender, Japan cut off Chinas supplies reaching Southeast Asia to China. Japan also wanted the resources of Southeast Asia to themselves. Japan began building an empire called the Great Asia Co.- Prosperity Sphere. The United States opposed Japans expansion. Then in 1941 the Japanese began moving into Northern Indochina. The United States responded by cutting exports to Japan. This was very bad for Japan because the Japanese industries heavily relied on scrap metal, petroleum, and ot... ...rican people. It was desirable to make sure that the Japanese would be the ones to do this so that there should remain no doubt in any ones mind as to who were the aggressors†Ã¢â‚¬ . (Cavendish, 643). By Roosevelt saying this it makes him seem like he has control over human life. I think that Roosevelt did have a role to play in causing the bombing of Pearl Harbor but IM not for sure. In conclusion, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a memorable event for Americans. The Allied forces benefited greatly from the United States involvement in The Allied forces later went on to win the war. The United States World War II involvement insured the Allied victory concluding that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a major turning point in the war. Work Cited Cavendish Publishing Limited, America and Pearl Harbor, New York: Cavendish Press, 1986 Internet. 2001. Http//: www.letsfindout.com/Pearl Harbor May 19, 2001 Internet 2001. Http//: www.USWars.com/roadtopearlharbor. May 19,2001 Pearl Harbor’s History, Filmstrip Rice, Robert. The Pearl Harbor Story. Los Angeles: Van Rees Press, 1990 Wisniewski, Paul. Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. New York: Citadel Press, 1999 Pearl Harbor Essay -- World War II WWII Bombing of Pearl Harbor World War II was a war that everyone will remember and will be remembered for many years to come. It could even be said that it killed more people, destroyed more property, and had far more reaching effects than any other war in history. New technologies were used in the war, such as the Atomic bomb, which opened up the nuclear age. Pearl Harbor was one of those events that will never be forgotten by Americans. Pearl Harbor was especially memorable to America because that caused us to get involved in the war and it outraged everyone in the country. The United States played a key role in the war. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a major turning point in World War II. The United States planned not to get involved in the war. The majority of the population in the country thought we should stay out of the war and remain neutral, although most American hoped that the Allies would be victorious. The Allies consisted of 50 different countries by the end of the war. The United States, Soviet Union, China, and Great Britain were among the Allies. Germany, Italy, and Japan made up the alliance known as the Axis. Six other nations joined the Axis later in the war. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the neutrality of the United States after the war had started. Roosevelt and other interventionists wanted to aid other Allie nations in fighting the Axis. Isolationists opposed the UNITED STATES aid to warring nations. Roosevelt was then accused of steering the UNITED STATES into a war they were not prepared to fight. Roosevelt’s strategy to defeat the Axis was to equip the nation, fight the Axis with ships, tanks, aircrafts and other war technologies. The whole situation of Pearl Harbor started in 1940; the Japanese forces were in China. The Chinese government leader, Chiang Kai-Shek and his government fled to central China. To force China to surrender, Japan cut off Chinas supplies reaching Southeast Asia to China. Japan also wanted the resources of Southeast Asia to themselves. Japan began building an empire called the Great Asia Co.- Prosperity Sphere. The United States opposed Japans expansion. Then in 1941 the Japanese began moving into Northern Indochina. The United States responded by cutting exports to Japan. This was very bad for Japan because the Japanese industries heavily relied on scrap metal, petroleum, and ot... ...rican people. It was desirable to make sure that the Japanese would be the ones to do this so that there should remain no doubt in any ones mind as to who were the aggressors†Ã¢â‚¬ . (Cavendish, 643). By Roosevelt saying this it makes him seem like he has control over human life. I think that Roosevelt did have a role to play in causing the bombing of Pearl Harbor but IM not for sure. In conclusion, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a memorable event for Americans. The Allied forces benefited greatly from the United States involvement in The Allied forces later went on to win the war. The United States World War II involvement insured the Allied victory concluding that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a major turning point in the war. Work Cited Cavendish Publishing Limited, America and Pearl Harbor, New York: Cavendish Press, 1986 Internet. 2001. Http//: www.letsfindout.com/Pearl Harbor May 19, 2001 Internet 2001. Http//: www.USWars.com/roadtopearlharbor. May 19,2001 Pearl Harbor’s History, Filmstrip Rice, Robert. The Pearl Harbor Story. Los Angeles: Van Rees Press, 1990 Wisniewski, Paul. Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. New York: Citadel Press, 1999

Are school lunches actually healthy? Essay

Don’t you think that school lunches should start providing healthy lunches? You will not like to be surprised by a hair or something disgusting in your food. Is there’s times that when you eat school lunches and you’re waiting in line you see the food and think are these school lunches actually healthy? In the past 10 years schools actually provided unhealthy school lunches. The school lunches contain about the same amount of fat as a happy meal at McDonalds’ does. In my opinion I think that school lunches aren’t actually healthy. When you are eating you need to make sure you’re eating the right amount of calories. In school lunches aren’t as healthy as you think. The school lunches don’t provide the right amount of calories you should consume in one of your meals. When you’re eating more calories than what you usually need it could lead you to some serious health problems. The health problems that you can when you aren’t eating the amount of calories you need are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or even diabetes. In the website called American diabetes association it says that people that eat a lot of sugar could get diabetes. Students are consuming 30%-50% of their calories they need in one meal. Teenage girls need about 1800-2400 calories per day. Teenage boys need about 1800-2600 calories per day. In the website called myfitnesspal.com it states that the pizza given at school contains 332 calories. The 1% milk contains 140 calories. There are some students that eat more than 3 slices of pizza which is actually bad because in just eating 3 slices they’re consuming about 1328 calories. Same with the milk there some students that drink about 2-3 milks which is also bad because if they’re drinking the chocolate milk they’re consuming a lot of sugar. The students need to consume at least 500-600 calories only in one meal. In my opinion I also think that school lunches aren’t actually healthy because some of the food that is given at lunch contains pink slime. Especially the burgers and chicken nuggets contain it. Pink slime is processed beef that was originally used in pet food. Pink slime is often contaminated with dangerous bacteria such as coli. Pink slime is really bad because is treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill bad germs. Even thought the United States department of agriculture believes that the pink slime is totally safe, pink slime is still treated with ammonia. Pink slime has been used in schools for many years. Food that contains pink slime has been served since the meat developed in the 1990’s. I can tell that parents were getting kind off upset about the food been served at school. I could tell this because the parents of the students started complaining about the food at school that contain pink slime, the united states department of agriculture gave them a choice which was keep buying food that contains pink slime or other beef products that didn’t. School lunches aren’t just unhealthy they’re also unsanitary. Most of the time you’ll be finding hair in your school lunches. When you find hair in your school lunches is because the people serving the food don’t wear the hair nets. Not only finding hair in your school lunches makes the school food unsanitary but another thing that makes the school food be unsanitary is not cooking the food right. There are times that you’re waiting line to get served and you look at the food and see that it has a different color than what it should look like. A person from the Oakland press wrote that the Pontiac school district program had been closed. They closed it down because of unsanitary conditions, this includes rodent infestation. Starbuck middle school needed to shut down their whole sanitary system. They needed to shut it down because many students had been complaining about the tortillas. The tortillas had been causing illness to some students. I realize that there’s has been a little bit of progress on the school lunches. We all know that Michelle Obama has been doing this thing to change the school lunches. She limited the calories that are supposed to be giving at school. Now the food giving at school has to be 850 calories. She removed all the bad things that were giving to us for example all the cookies and the read which were sweet and contain a lot of sugar. Now she’s providing more vegetables and fruits. However the school lunches still contain a lot of calories, pink slime, and are unsanitary. School lunches need to start been healthier. We are still hoping that the schools provide healthier food with not a lot of calories, not food or beef products that contain pink slime, and we also hope that the school lunches start been more sanitary. So far most of the schools in the country are providing unhealthy lunches.

Satying in one place

Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better Job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving In search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion People are coming from varying communities with different backgrounds. Some of them prefer to stay and live In one country as long as they have a shelter, a decent lob, and good friends.However, others may prefer to move around looking for a better life and good living onditions. As far as I concerned, I give more advantage for the late opinion for some First of all, people who adopt traveling in their life are more likely to be reasons. successful and reach their ultimate goals. That is to say, if anyone dreamed to be distinguished, he/she should acquire wide information in his/her major. A biology field is one example that is required a biologist to have a clear vision and abundant i nformation about hormones, creatures, fossils, and so on In order to get a tremendous success.Therefore, moving from one place to another is a great way for im/ her to have a huge background and being exposed to different concepts and Another reason Is that these people who are familiar with moving perspectives. and changing their llvlng place acquire certain, unique characteristics that differs them from other people. Because these who have the tendency to live In more than one country are open minded, flexible, adaptable, and even cosmopolitan people. In my country for example which has one of the toughest regulations and tribal traditions is receiving more and more foreigners who are interested in living here for a while.When people asked them about their reasons, they might say to break the monotonous routine of their lives, maybe to be exposed with different cultures, or even to better off their financial means. In fact, changing the living place is a merit to enhance and devel op someone's personality. To sum up, † east or west home is best † is one way to convince ourselves to live In one place whether it's good for us or not. In contrary with ambitious people who believe In chasing their fortune whenever It goes. In my point of view, changing the residence Is good as long as we get the advantages and benefits from each experience we have.

eLETRONIC BANKING essays

eLETRONIC BANKING essays The Electronic Banking Association (EBA) is a non-profit organization established to do one simple thing-help more people get started with electronic banking. Here's why. Who taught you how to write paper checks? Probably your parent's right? Well, who's going to teach you how to write electronic checks? Probably NOT your parents. That's where they come in. E-banking is so much more convenient and so much quicker that everyone should know about it. The EBA was established as an independent source of helpful information about electronic banking for consumers and businesses. Financial institutions, merchants, and other financial service firms actually provide financial e-commerce services, but the Electronic Banking Association (EBA) monitors progress in the financial e-commerce industry and provides information that will enable users of those services to become better informed and to locate providers of the services they seek. Everyone hates paying bills. It's time-consuming, frustrating, and you have to lick that awful envelope glue. But not with e-banking. You'll spend less time paying bills, and more time doing fun stuff. Here are some advantages to e-banking: Your computer remembers who you write checks to. You simply enter an amount then point-and-click. You'll never run out of checks again. You can schedule your payments in advance, so they'll get paid while you're on vacation or away on business. Electronic payments are processed quickly, in as little as 24 hours to 5 days (unlike a paper check sent in the mail, which takes an average of 10 days to post). No envelope glue. No paper cuts on your tongue. And you can stop writing your return address again, and again, and again. It takes forever to write checks and addresses every month. E-banking cuts ...

Solid Waste Management

Solid Waste Management Introduction Solid waste management has significantly gained attention in the present century. With the impacts of globalization, there is a persistent need for transformative mechanisms of solid waste management. Evidently, most nations continue to experience challenges in solid waste management. Particularly, the developing nations are the highly affected (Singh Ramanathan, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Solid Waste Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apart from the available waste management technologies, municipalities face various dilemmas. Specifically, this regards the choosing of either private or public system of solid waste management. Based on an article describing solid waste management in Canada, this paper focuses on this topic. The paper researches and examines the issue of privatization in solid waste management in Canada. Argument on Privatization of Solid Waste Management The a rticle reveals crucial debates on the issue of privatization of solid waste management. Observably, there are present potential arguments on the issue of solid waste management. Generally, the debates are based on public and private management of solid waste (Kumar, 2009). Personally, I encourage the adoption and practice of privatization in solid waste management. This decision is informed by the several advantages of a privatized system of solid waste management. As indicated in the article, privatization of the process leads to the realization of high levels of efficiency. Municipalities are able to integrate of enforce quality management systems due to this approach. Indicatively, the relevant municipality can adopt various transformative measures such as performance contracting. Such initiative would enhance the capacity of private partners to manage and dispose all solid wastes according to the appropriate provisions.  A privatized system of solid waste management enables fu ll compliance by the organizations to various regulatory frameworks. Apart from this, the system allows an easier and flexible manner of conducting compliance monitoring initiatives (McDavid, 1985). Various municipalities around the globe have failed to manage the solid waste in a proper manner. Therefore, privatization enables such municipalities to act as oversight authorities in the disposal and management of these wastes. The approach also minimizes the public expenditures on solid waste management. Thus, more municipal resources are saved and may be utilized in other development projects. Privatization and Improvement of Service Quality Privatization has a significant impact on service quality. The article clearly presents the outcomes on the service quality recorded from a privatized solid waste management system in Canada. It is simple to regulate and contract private firms (Uriarte, 2008). This process is attainable through provision of realistic and competitive service targ ets.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These targets must be provided or issued to all private firms involved in the management of solid waste. Through engagement of private partners, the solid waste management process becomes more compliant and simple. The municipality only has to provide competitive measures during bidding and p tendering processes. The existence of several players within the private sector increases the rate of competition. Consequently, this situation also leads to the development of high standards for service delivery.  The municipalities are more inclined to offering tenders in consideration of the capacity of individual firms to provide excellent and high quality service. However, it is imperative to note that privatization of solid waste management do not lead to a reduction of cost (Kumar, 2009). Specifically, this is notable in the v arious private entities that are involved in waste management. They incur great expenses due to high competition and demand for strategic and more transformative solid waste management programs. The individual solid waste generators also have to pay expensively for the services of private firms. The Community and Management of Solid Waste There are several factors considered by a community in the adoption of a privatized or public system of solid waste management. Poor road networks make the public to advocate for privatization of the solid waste management (Anand, 2010). However, this decision is likely to be revoked whenever the collection costs for solid wastes increases. Therefore, high collection costs charged by the private waste handlers make the community to shift to public waste management strategies. Increased compactness of solid waste increases the likelihood of the community to seek for a privatized system of waste management. Highly compacted solid waste might be diffi cult to transport, dispose or manage at household or community levels. Effective transportation is a crucial component of solid waste management. However, most solid wastes might be difficult to transport. This depends on several factors including the nature of waste, availability of adequate and improved road network and other required equipment. Regional proximity determines whether the community would opt for a privatized or public solid waste management practices. Facilities located far away from the residence areas of the community might increase the chances for a privatized waste management strategy (Uriarte, 2008). It is evident that the community plays a fundamental role in the determination and dictation of market options in solid waste management.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Solid Waste Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of their practices do not promote competitive bidding markets. Most private organizations involved in the management of solid waste are confronted by serious challenges. Analytically, these challenges emerge from the community factors. References Anand, S. (2010). Solid waste management. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. Singh, J. Ramanathan, A. L. (2010). Solid waste management: Present and future challenges. New Delhi: I.K. International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. Kumar, S. (2009). Solid waste management. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre. McDavid, J. (1985). The Canadian Experience with Privatizing Residential Solid Waste Collection Services. Public administration review, 602-608. Uriarte, F. A. (2008). Solid waste management: Principles and practices : an introduction to the basic functional elements of solid waste management, with special emphasis on the needs of developing countries. Diliman, Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.

The Palace of Minos at Knossos in Ancient Crete

The Palace of Minos at Knossos in Ancient Crete The Palace of Minos at Knossos is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Located on Kephala Hill on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece, Knossos palace was the political, social and cultural center of the Minoan culture during the Early and Middle Bronze Age. Founded at least as early as 2400 BC, its power was greatly diminished, but not completely dissipated, by the eruption of Santorini about 1625 BC. Whats perhaps more important, perhaps, is that the ruins of Knossos Palace are the cultural heart of the Greek myths Theseus fighting the Minotaur, Ariadne and her ball of string, Daedalus the architect and doomed Icarus of the wax wings; all reported by Greek and Roman sources but almost certainly much older. The earliest representation of Theseus fighting the minotaur is illustrated on an amphora from the Greek island of Tinos dated 670-660 BC Palaces of the Aegean Culture The Aegean culture known as Minoan is the Bronze Age civilization that flourished on the island of Crete during the second and third millennia BC. The city of Knossos was one of its main citiesand it contained its largest palace after the shattering earthquake that marks the beginning of the New Palace period in Greek archaeology, ca. 1700 BC. Palaces of the Minoan culture were likely not simply residences of a ruler, or even a ruler and his family, but rather held a public function, where others could enter and use (some of) the palace facilities where staged performances took place. The palace at Knossos, according to legend the palace of King Minos, was the largest of the Minoan palaces, and the longest-lived building of its type, remaining throughout the Middle and Late Bronze Ages as the focal point of the settlment. Knossos Chronology In the early 20th century, Knossos excavator Arthur Evans pegged the rise of Knossos to the Middle Minoan I period, or about 1900 BC; archaeological evidence since then has found the first public feature on Kephala Hilla deliberately leveled rectangular plaza or courtwas constructed as early as the Final Neolithic (ca 2400 BC, and the first building by Early Minoan I-IIA (ca 2200 BC). This chronology is based in part on that of John Youngers plain-jane Aegean chronology, which I highly recommend. Late Helladic (Final Palatial) 1470-1400, Greek take over of CreteLate Minoan/Late Helladic 1600-1470 BCMiddle Minoan (Neo-Palatial) 1700-1600 BC (Linear A, eruption of Santorini, ca 1625 BC)Middle Minoan (Proto-Palatial) 1900-1700 BC (peripheral courts established, heyday of the Minoan culture)Early Minoan (Pre-Palatial), 2200-1900 BC, court complex started by EM I-IIA including the first Court buildingFinal Neolithic or Pre-Palatial 2600-2200 BC (first central courtyard of what would become the palace at Knossos begun in FN IV) The stratigraphy is difficult to parse because there were several major episodes of earth-moving and terrace building, so much so that earth moving must be considered a nearly constant process that began on Kephala hill at least as early as EM IIA, and probably starts with the very end of the Neolithic FN IV. Knossos Palace Construction and History The palace complex at Knossos was begun in the PrePalatial period, perhaps as long ago as 2000 BC, and by 1900 BC, it was fairly close to its final form. That form is the same as other Minoan palaces such as Phaistos, Mallia and Zakros: a large single building with a central courtyard surrounding by a set of rooms for various purposes. The palace had perhaps as many as ten separate entrances: those on the north and west served as the main entry ways. Around 1600 BC, one theory goes, a tremendous earthquake shook the Aegean Sea, devastating Crete as well as the Mycenaean cities on the Greek mainland. Knossos palace was destroyed; but the Minoan civilization rebuilt almost immediately on top of the ruins of the past, and indeed the culture reached its pinnacle only after the devastation. During the Neo-Palatial period [1700-1450 BC], the Palace of Minos covered nearly 22,000 square meters (~5.4 acres) and contained storage rooms, living quarters, religious areas, and banquet rooms. What appears today to be a jumble of rooms connected by narrow passageways may well have given rise to the myth of the Labyrinth; the structure itself was built of a complex of dressed masonry and clay-packed rubble, and then half-timbered. Columns were many and varied in the Minoan tradition, and the walls were vividly decorated with frescoes. Architectural Elements The palace at Knossos was renowned for its unique light emanating from its surfaces, the results of the liberal use of gypsum (selenite) from a local quarry as a building material and ornamental element. Evans reconstruction used a grey cement, which made a huge difference to the way its seen. Restoration efforts are underway to remove the cement and restore the gypsum surface, but they have moved slowly, because removing the greyish cement mechanically is detrimental to the underlying gypsum. Laser removal has been attempted and may prove a reasonable answer. The main source of water at Knossos initially was at the spring of Mavrokolymbos, about 10 kilometers away from the palace and conveyed by way of a system of terracotta pipes. Six wells in the near vicinity of the palace served potable water beginning ca. 1900-1700 BC. A sewer system, which connected toilets flushed with rainwater to large (79x38 cm) drains, had secondary pipelines, lightwells and drains and in total exceeds 150 meters in length. It has also been suggested as the inspiration for the labyrinth myth. Ritual Artifacts of the Palace at Knossos The Temple Repositories are two large stone lined cists on the west side of the central court. They contained a variety of objects, that were placed as a shrine either in Middle Minoan IIIB or Late Minoan IA, following earthquake damage. Hatzaki (2009) argued that the pieces were not broken during the earthquake, but rather were ritually broken after the earthquake and ritually laid down. The artifacts in these repositories include faience objects, ivory objects, antlers, fish vertebrae, a snake goddess figurine, other figurines and figurine fragments, storage jars, gold foil, a rock crystal disk with petals and bronze. Four stone libation tables, three half-finished tables. The Town Mosaic plaques are a set of over 100 polychrome faience tiles which illustrate house facade), men, animals, trees and plants and maybe water. The pieces were found between in a fill deposit between an Old Palace period floor and an early Neopalatial period one. Evans thought they were originally pieces of inlay in a wooden chest, with a linked historical narrativebut there is no agreement about that in the scholarly community today. Excavation and Reconstruction The Palace at Knossos was first extensively excavated by Sir Arthur Evans, beginning in 1900. in the earliest years of the 20th century. One of the pioneers of the field of archaeology, Evans had a marvelous imagination and a tremendous creative fire, and he used his skills to create what you can go and see today at Knossos in northern Crete. Investigations have been conducted at Knossos off and on since then, most recently by the Knossos Kephala Project (KPP) beginning in 2005. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guides to the Minoan Culture, and Royal Palaces, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Angelakis A, De Feo G, Laureano P, and Zourou A. 2013. Minoan and Etruscan Hydro-Technologies. Water 5(3):972-987. Boileau M-C, and Whitley J. 2010. Patterns of Production and Consumption of Coarse to Semi-Fine Pottery at Early Iron Age Knossos. Annual of the British School at Athens 105:225-268. Grammatikakis G, Demadis KD, Melessanaki K, and Pouli P. 2015. Laser-assisted removal of dark cement crusts from mineral gypsum (selenite) architectural elements of peripheral monuments at Knossos. Studies in Conservation 60(sup1):S3-S11. Hatzaki E. 2009. Structured Deposition as Ritual Action at Knossos. Hesperia Supplements 42:19-30. Hatzaki E. 2013. The end of an intermezzo at Knossos: ceramic wares, deposits, and architecture in a social context. In: Macdonald CF, and Knappett C, editors. Intermezzo: Intermediacy and Regeneration in Middle Minoan III Palatial Crete. London: The British School at Athens. p 37-45. Knappett C, Mathioudaki I, and Macdonald CF. 2013. Stratigraphy and ceramic typology in the Middle Mnoan III palace at Knossos. In: Macdonald CF, and Knappett C, editors. Intermezzo: Intermediacy and Regeneration in Middle Minoan III Palatial Crete. London: The British School at Athens. p 9-19. Momigliano N, Phillips L, Spataro M, Meeks N, and Meek A. 2014. A newly discovered Minoan faience plaque from the Knossos town mosaic in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery: a technological insight. Annual of the British School at Athens 109:97-110. Nafplioti A. 2008. â€Å"Mycenaean† political domination of Knossos following the Late Minoan IB destructions on Crete: negative evidence from strontium isotope ratio analysis (87Sr/86Sr). Journal of Archaeological Science 35(8):2307-2317. Nafplioti A. 2016. Eating in prosperity: First stable isotope evidence of diet from Palatial Knossos. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 6:42-52. Shaw MC. 2012. New light on the labyrinth fresco from the palace at Knossos. Annual of the British School at Athens 107:143-159. Schoep I. 2004. Assessing the role of architecture in conspicuous consumption in the Middle Minoan I-II periods. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 23(3):243-269. Shaw JW, and Lowe A. 2002. The Lost Portico at Knossos: The Central Court Revisited. American Journal of Archaeology 106(4):513-523. Tomkins P. 2012. Behind the horison: Reconsidering the genesis and function of the First Palace at Knossos (Final Neolithic IV-Middle Minoan IB). In: Schoep I, Tomkins P, and Driessen J, editors. Back to the Beginning: Reassessing Social and Political Complexity on Crete during the Early and Middle Bronze Age. Oxford: Oxbow Books. p 32-80.

Film studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film studies - Essay Example It may appear to be an example of â€Å"films which were accepted as realistic by one generation often appear ‘false or dated ‘ to the next†, but is still an important aspect of an era. The film is undoubtedly old fashioned and out of date with regard to modern cinematic styles and technological advances, but its themes and messages on racism and prejudice remain as relevant today as they did then. Definition of Social Problem Films: Durgnat, (1997) contended that â€Å"The social problem film is hardly a genre† (p.59) but went on to say, in relation to ‘Sapphire’ and ‘Victim’, that they may be described as â€Å"by narrative structure†¦detective mysteries.† However, such films sought to explore the real issues faced by that society. Ealing Studios in the 1950s encouraged the production of films that were not only melodrama or thriller, but that delivered a universal moral message. Issues such as juvenile delinquency, violence, sexuality and racism were incorporated into dramatic narratives that would engage audiences but ask them to look at their society and their own values, perceptions and prejudices. Jonathan Wright (2002) described processes involved in this, when examining British Social Realism, (quoting Lay, 2002) â€Å"First the film-maker must have intended to capture the experience of the actual event depicted. Second, the film-maker has a specific argument or message to deliver about the social world and employs realistic conventions to With ‘Sapphire, Dearden and Relph did that, linking the detective/thriller narrative, with character, form, tone, pace and dialogue, in fact all the film elements that succeeded in reflecting the state of a nation in transition and the effects of racism and prejudice. Historical Context: The race riots of 1958 in Notting Hill, London had raised the consciousness of post-war Britain, bringing doubts about their conservative, conventional values, and alerting them to changes. Immigrants from

Analysis of Accounts Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of Accounts - Case Study Example This report presents an analysis of Margate plc’s financial performance in the past five years while comparing it with industry peer, Herne Bay Ltd. In addition to this, the report also presents an analysis of cash flows of the company during the past 2 years and at the same time states how financial ratio analysis may not be effective enough for presenting an accurate and useful financial analysis for analysts and investors. At the end of the report, conclusion and recommendations are presented for High Deen plc as far as investment in Margate plc is concerned. Financial Ratio Analysis Based on the information provided in relation to the financial performance of Margate plc in 2012 and 2011, following is an analysis of it performance through selected financial ratios. The financial ratios presented below also take into consideration the ratios determined for the company for the financial years 2010, 2009 and 2008. In addition to this, for conducting a comparative analysis of the company with its competitor, ratios for Herne Bay Ltd have also been determined for the years 2012 and 2011. Return on Capital Employed The return on capital employed for Margate plc increased in 2011 due to significant increase in the revenues but then in 2012 with a decline in revenue, the ratio declined. On the other hand, one other reason for this decline is increase in the total capital employed by the company, which ultimately reduced this ratio. However, while comparing Margate plc’s return on capital employed with the Herne Bay Ltd’s ROCE, it can be observed that the company has almost maintained its position in relation to its competitor (Peterson & Fabozzi, 2012; Jiambalvo, 2010; Helfert, 2001). Ratio Margate plc Herne Bay Ltd

Paper critic for program evaluation Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critic for program evaluation - Research Paper Example Jemmott III, PhD; Loretta S. Jemmott, PhD, RN; Ann O’Leary, PhD; Zolani Ngwane, PhD;Larry D. Icard, PhD; Scarlett L. Bellamy, ScD; Shasta F. Jones, PhD; J. Richard Landis, PhD;G. Anita Heeren, MD, PhD; Joanne C. Tyler, DSc; Monde B. Makiwane, PhD, tries to give a clear perceptive of what are factors behind this worrying trend in South Africa. This paper will critically analyze the article in various ways such as the methodologies used, settings, aims and objectives, theoretical and empirical perspectives and much more. Background Setting- the study focused on the primary schools in a large, black township and rural settlement found near Cape Province. The setting of the study seems to focus mainly on the rural and poor families. But the reality is that HIV is a pandemic affecting every member of the society-either directly or indirectly-despite or his/her economic or social status. In this regard, there is some biasness as far as the setting of the study is concerned. Particip ants- random sampling method was used to select nine of 17 matched pairs of schools. The selected students were mainly in their sixth grade. However, the researcher had the consent of the parents or guardians before interviewing the students. This is a rather good move as far as the study is concerned. ... Stakeholders-stakeholders are different types of people who have direct or indirect interest on the outcome of the study results. Stakeholders regularly hold competing and occasionally combative perceptions on the appropriateness of the study. The interests of the stakeholders are affected by the outcome of the result. There is no clear identification of the concerned parties throughout the study. This is because of unclear definition of the significance of the study. Program theory The results of the study represent a theory based, contextually appropriate methods for HIV/AIDS reduction among the South African adolescents. The meta-analyses indicates that results from the school level were almost similar to the results obtained from individual level, although slightly more significant statistically. While logic models and program theory are frequently used interchangeably, the more accurate definition of a logic model is the graphical theory. The importance of logic models in this t ype of study cannot be ignored. This is because logic models are used as tools to plan, develop, manage, communicate and evaluate program or study. The logic models are effectively used in this study. For example, tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 give description of logic models as used in the study. Table 1 shows the number of students used in the study. 558 girls and 449 boys participated in the study. Linking this to the logic model, then Table represents the input section of the model. Table 2 presents descriptive statistics for sexual behaviors through intrusion condition and assessment period. This is the activity section of logic model. Table 3 is a representation of the estimated intervention effects during the follow-up period, intra-class correlation

Interview project assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview project assignment - Essay Example This paper reports an interview with marketing manager in a five star hotel exploring his career path, job duties and personal feelings about a career in the hospitality industry. Career Path of the Interviewee According to the sales personnel, getting to the position of marketing manager was not an easy ride. He has been working at the hotel for the last twenty-five years. From the information that he divulged, he was one of the few lucky who was recruited through graduate trainee program of the hotel. After working in different departments for two years, he was absorbed into the hotel because of his astounding performance as a management trainee. His main aspiration was to land in the position of a marketing manager one day. Having pursued a bachelor degree in hotel and hospitality management, he felt that he really needed to pursue a marketing degree, which would make him a more suited candidate for the job. As such, he enrolled as a part-time student for a degree program in marke ting. After completing his marketing course in three years, it took another two years before he was promoted to the rank of assistant marketing manager of the hotel. ... Job Duties From the interview it emerged that the main responsibility of a marketing manager is to maximize revenues for the hotel through development of strategic programs that would ensure maximum use of the hotel’s facilities. He or she must be informed of current factors that influence the performance of the hotel industry and also know the need of the customers as well as their attitudes. He is responsible for marketing coordination and promotional drives aimed at meeting or exceeding the expectations of customers. He must work in conjunction with other staffs of the hotel in order to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction at all times. Basically, the interviewee mentioned his main duties at the hotel as research, promotion, creation of awareness, maintaining good customer relationships and develop training program for marketing staff. According to the information obtained, as a marketing manager, one must research on factors that appeal to the customers of the hotel . It is crucial to monitor comments by customers on the hotel’s website or on the hotel’s booking sites so as to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel. Research also involves direct interaction with clients and making follow-up calls so as to discover areas that need improvement. Developing promotion programs is an intrinsic responsibility of the marketing manager. There is usually the need to increase occupancy during low seasons. Promotion drive may include running special events and giving coupons. Ensuring easy accessibility of the hotel to customers is also another important duty of the marketing manager. The manager should ensure that current information about facilities; services and rates are available to customers on websites and brochures. The marketing

Art Management & Marketing Assignment Case Study

Art Management & Marketing Assignment - Case Study Example These factors contribute towards positioning the company as market leader in the artificial jewellery industry. Products offered by the company will cater to the needs of all age groups and classes of people. The essay will provide further details about the business plan, which will help to portray viability of starting this business in United States. Jewellery business falls in the category of art business hence it is obvious that it should be treated from an imaginative point of view. The business plan for Beauclaire will reflect imagination, creativity and it has not followed the traditional business plan formulation approach. The mission of Beauclaire is to design and sell innovative art jewelleries. Through sale of attractive art jewellery, the company aims to attract maximum number of customers from all classes. Services provided by the company desires to exceed expectation of customers. The vision of Beauclaire is to be the leading jewellery selling company of United States within next few years. Core values of the company comprise providing appropriate quality of goods and services to customers. Beauclaire would not compromise on quality and standard of the products offered so as to retain core values developed (Graham 72-74). As US lacks Egyptian style of jewelleries, it would be easier for Beauclaire to target the market of United States. Aim of the company is to be a leader in the artificial and antique jewellery industry of United States. The company desires to cater to the needs of individuals across various age groups, especially women. The specific objective of the company is to penetrate and gain 50% leadership of the artificial and antique jewellery market. Besides that, Beauclaire would ensure that shelf life of the jewelleries is short and not more than a week. The jewelleries will also be sold online and in various galleries of U.S. For

Hearing impairment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hearing impairment - Essay Example There are various reasons that cause deterioration in the level of education among indigenous Australians. Implementation of effective methods can raise the level of education among such people. It is also essential to identify the cause of hearing impairment and appropriate preventive measures should be adopted to manage the prevalence of this disorder. There are several policies and strategies implemented by the government to increase the level of education among the indigenous Australians with hearing impairment. In the past 30 years a lot of efforts have been made to increase the level of education among the indigenous Australians with hearing loss. There are various policies and strategies implemented by the government and the non government organization to curb this issue of education among such people. In spite of it, there still needs to be considerable progress made in the level of education among the indigenous population of Australia. The difference in the level of education among the two sections of the community in Australia affects its literacy rate. A study has revealed that 20 percent of the indigenous students meet the reading standards while 30 percent of them meet the righting standards. About 70 percent of the non-indigenous students meet both the righting and reading standards [Cronin, 2001]. One of the major causes of this difference is hearing impairment among the indigenous population of Australia. About 11 to 60 percent of the indigenous students suffer from hearing loss [Prevention of hearing impairment from chronic Otis media, n. d]. Australia's dominant culture, cultural misunderstanding and prejudices, family background and socio-economic status also attribute to lower level of education among such people. [Cronin, 2001]. The education process existing due to the racial discrimination between the indigenous and the non-indigenous population of Australia also has its implications on education of the indigenous population. Due to this racial difference sometimes, the teachers do not respond well to the needs of indigenous students. However, the major cause of concern is the hearing impairment that persists in this section. Hearing impairment is most prevalent among the indigenous population present in the central and northern Australia. This is mainly caused due to chronic Otis media. The risk factors that lead to this disease are overcrowding and exposure to wood, cigarette smoking, poor hygiene, inadequate housing, and high rate of naso pharyngeal colonization with pathogenic bacteria, Eustachian tube dysfunction, inadequate and unavailable health care [Prevention of hearing impairment from chronic Otis media, n. d]. Poor hygiene is also a main cause for several types of ear diseases which in turn leads to hearing impairment. It generally occurs during childhood, which is the most crucial stage in a person's development. A large percentage of the Australian children suffer from ear infection, which subsequently leads to hearing loss. Most of the infants have perforated eardrums. Hearing impairment affects the overall developmental activity of a child. The nerve between the inner ear and the temporal cortex of the brain is essential for the growth and development of speech and language in children. The language and numerical ability of such children retards due to

Art Management & Marketing Assignment Case Study

Art Management & Marketing Assignment - Case Study Example These factors contribute towards positioning the company as market leader in the artificial jewellery industry. Products offered by the company will cater to the needs of all age groups and classes of people. The essay will provide further details about the business plan, which will help to portray viability of starting this business in United States. Jewellery business falls in the category of art business hence it is obvious that it should be treated from an imaginative point of view. The business plan for Beauclaire will reflect imagination, creativity and it has not followed the traditional business plan formulation approach. The mission of Beauclaire is to design and sell innovative art jewelleries. Through sale of attractive art jewellery, the company aims to attract maximum number of customers from all classes. Services provided by the company desires to exceed expectation of customers. The vision of Beauclaire is to be the leading jewellery selling company of United States within next few years. Core values of the company comprise providing appropriate quality of goods and services to customers. Beauclaire would not compromise on quality and standard of the products offered so as to retain core values developed (Graham 72-74). As US lacks Egyptian style of jewelleries, it would be easier for Beauclaire to target the market of United States. Aim of the company is to be a leader in the artificial and antique jewellery industry of United States. The company desires to cater to the needs of individuals across various age groups, especially women. The specific objective of the company is to penetrate and gain 50% leadership of the artificial and antique jewellery market. Besides that, Beauclaire would ensure that shelf life of the jewelleries is short and not more than a week. The jewelleries will also be sold online and in various galleries of U.S. For

Comparing the ideas of Plato and Aristotle Essay

Comparing the ideas of Plato and Aristotle - Essay Example His ideas of politics and the government considered a city as a natural community that gave more importance to the family. He covered politics as an organism other than a machine, as well as, a collection of parts, which can exist without others. The political philosophy of both Plato and Aristotle were relevant and of reasonable concern because a person’s character, vices, virtues and desires, and most importantly education help in making a correct or relevant government. The two philosophers also agreed that governments and politics were vital to the characteristics of mankind. However, although the two philosophers agreed on some issues about government and politics, those opinions differed in one way or another. First, Plato was mostly concerned with the question of justice where he asked question of what a just state was, as well as, an individual. He states, â€Å"As concerning Justice what is it?† The question of what a just society is according to Plato is wide in the sense that it looks at the idea state where it is looked at a broader perspective (Plato, 47). Where a just society should have leaders who govern the society and who provide laws that should be followed by the society and individuals. Additionally, a just society is a society where each person performs their function without infringing in the rights of the others. Plato was having an argument an argument with Socrates and Polemarchus where they concluded, â€Å"Justice can be acknowledged not to be for the interest of the stronger, when the rulers unintentionally command things to be done, which are to their own injury (Plato, 56).† Therefore, justice is the obedience because the subjects render their comman ds. Aristotle, on the other hand, looks at political leadership where he views politicians as lawmakers who frame the appropriate constitution for the state to ensure that there is justice in the society (Aristotle, 188). Aristotle looks at justice in a government perceptive

Of Morality and Spirituality Essay Example for Free

Of Morality and Spirituality Essay The moral sacred Philippines started from a dream, and now that it continues to progress it can be one good evidence that as long as someone believes in an idea, it can be possible. As long as its aim is for the goodness of the citizens, it can be a reality. This concept does not want to create a world of perfection but rather a world of morality and spirituality. That world is where we can clearly distinguish the right ones from the bad. It is where we can not only think about ourselves but also the community, the government, and the nation. This dream can all be possible if we just go and believe that the land where we stand can be a better habitat of mankind. From Genesis 1:27, God created mankind in His own image. This verse proves that each of us is spiritual at heart. We just have to go and find the path through our hearts. We are created in His likeness which gives us the realization that all living things have something good in the inside. If we believe, make something to make this work, the moral sacred Philippines will make sense. A. WRITING AS A SOCIAL ACT The event connects with how writing can be a social act. In the said event, one does not only think about himself but also for the people around him. As for writing, a writer does not only write for him or for him to understand but also for his readers and audience. You write alone, but you always write for others. Readers matter. Once a writer sets his or her thoughts to any medium, whether paper, blog, status update, there is the potential for audience interaction. Ideas and creativity are created outside ourselves. Writers can never be more creative without the experiences and thoughts the people have. They continue to interact with people. Writing is a social act. Writers choose to see the beauty and brilliance of the world around them. Writing is nothing without the world and mind that surrounds them. B. WRITING AS A MORAL ACT Morality and spirituality is what the event focuses on. As for writing, writers do not only write everything that flows from their thinking, he must be careful. Something that anyone who writes words of any kind would do well to remember. Words have their moral consequences. The responsibility is particularly great for writers who deal with spiritual issues. Every word they write leaves its mark upon their soul and upon the souls of those who read their work. Their words may become sacraments, visible signs of an invisible grace, or they may turn to poison and ashes. It may signify the abyss or nothing at all. Writers must strive against mediocrity in one’s work, aiming always higher for lucidity of thought and beauty of expression with still being careful with the words they use. Every piece they make has an effect in this world. They are part of our moral conversation as a society. They weigh in. The creation of literature worthy not only its high artistic calling but of his stature as a creature created in the image and likeness of God.

Evaluating the Role of the warehouse in postponement Strategies

Evaluating the Role of the warehouse in postponement Strategies Introduction The rapid changes occurring in customer-supplier relationship has resulted in shortening the product life cycle along with the product variations, which could meet the complex customer satisfaction demands. As the customer requirements changes rapidly, it increases the complexity of planning and demand forecasting to suit the changing demands. Hence, postponement strategies are able to help in solving such complex issues. The strategy involves delay in the production process to the maximum possible time, while delaying the point of product differentiation. As the whole strategy is related to the value of information, it can be maximized with delay in production decision time, giving more time to receive and analyze the customer requirement and demand. Hence, the postponement strategies help in improving the quality of decision, while also optimizing the quality of product planning and demand forecast. The relevant strategy also allows for the flexibility in the production scheduling, where the actual demand, in real terms, can play an effective role in the complete supply chain network. While Alderson introduced the concept of postponement strategy in marketing, for the first time in 1950, the postponement applications have been extended to areas like manufacturing and distribution, as well as, process re-design. Later on, the delayed product differentiation enabled the postponing the product design and manufacturing process, to improve the relevant product quality. Similarly, the concepts involved would include the point of differentiation and the level of postponement, which would refer to the warehousing facilities needed at different locations for storing the products. However, the motivation for implementing postponement policy in manufacturing process confined mainly to the provision of incentives for reducing cost and improving the level of service, while increasing product variety to suit the changing demands of the customers.(Zhang Tan, 2001) Role of Warehouse The role of warehouse for any manufacturing or trading organization relates to the policies concerning their logistic postponement, as its main aim should be to maintain the full anticipatory of inventory at a single or multiple warehouses located at different places. Accordingly, the process involves postponement of changing the inventory location to the maximum possible time, while using the risk pooling concept for stocking the chosen differentiated products at certain centrally located warehouses. The process would require total coordination between the retailers and wholesalers. This strategy would also involve manufacturing operations being performed before the logistical operations, which in turn are purely customer-order initiated. With the re-organization of warehouses on the above lines, there would be lesser lead times, while resulting in increased on-time deliveries. With centralized warehouses, the inventory costs would reduce as it would reduce the need for frequent stocking of products which are in more demand at the local warehouses. However, the strategy could result in an increment of shipment costs as smaller packets may need to be shipped at faster speed from the central locations. In any case, this strategy requires clear definition on the role of distributors and retailers in regards on storing of products in warehouses. While distributors would be responsible for making decisions on product assortment and stock localization, they should be able to own and manage the central and connected warehouses. In addition, they must be able to evaluate the response time for the retail markets while the distributors should be focusing on the total logistics which includes transportation, warehousing and cust omer servicing. The retailers responsibilities include owning and managing local warehouses will be linking directly with the consumers and evaluating the response time for the consumer demand on variety of products.(Battezzati Coletta, 2008) However, warehouses can play an important role for large organizations by storing generic parts and subassemblies and components so that they can be readily assembled as per the customers demand. This would include performing all finishing work at the warehouse facility which include kitting, assembly and packaging among other operations. (McCrea, 2005) Types of postponement Strategy While there are many definite patterns of postponement policies for manufacturing and inventory processing, the four main postponement strategies concerning the production processes are manufacturing, assembly, packaging and labeling. Manufacturing postponement This strategy involves shipping of basic materials and components to warehouses whereby the products is being assembled at the appropriate time. The manufacturing is completed as per the customers requirements. This will saves the unnecessary transportation costs. Several soft drink companies, particularly in Brazil will ship the basic syrups to the warehouse of bottling companies whereby other ingredients like sugar and water are added and mixed at the local warehouse to obtain the end product. However, this could increase the delivery time of the end product. On the other hand, there will be saving on the cost for transporting the material, like sugar etc. for the above mentioned soft drink products. Assembly postponement This means delay in the assembly of the final product until the customer order is received. This type of postponement strategy is suitable for the products that have number of differentiations. The basic components remain same but however, the final configuration would change according to the customer requirements. Marketing of computers is an ideal example, where assembly is postponed till the last stage, when the final product is assembled as per the customer specifications. As computers would have different hardware and software combinations, the assembly is delayed until the customer specifies the type of hard disk, Ram drive and other hardware required to make the final product. Similarly, the software applications loaded on the assembled computer would vary as per the customer order. This strategy allows the computer being manufacture offering the maximum choices to consumers while reducing the cost of inventory at their end for the finished goods. The concept of assembly postponement strategy was first introduced by Caterpillar, Inc, as the firm innovated offshore manufacturing by creating the necessary production and distribution system at different places. By doing so, the company could beat the global competition by creating customer service capabilities as tools to beat the competition. In addition, the central warehouse plays an important role in this type of strategy. The base product is required to be delivered to the warehouse whereby the additional attachments are being assembled to the base product as per the customer requirements. However, the inventory costs and the cost of production may increase when using assembly postponement strategy. The assembly and production expenses are usually more at the warehouse level than at the manufacturing level. Nevertheless, it saves the organization on transportation costs which are huge for the finished goods as compared to the base products.(Zinn, 1990, page2) Packaging postponement This type of strategy is most suitable for the packaging of articles in different sizes. Shipping and other costs are saved by using this strategy. For example, packaging of wine and other liquor bottles can be postponed until the specified instructions are received from the customer end. Similarly, packaging calculators and or other electronic gadgets from US to Europe may be delayed as the instruction manual needs printing in different languages. This must be done at the localized warehouse points thus the final packaging can be delayed accordingly under such postponement strategy until the last point of delivery as the instruction manuals are printed in the required language, to be packed along with the gadgets received from the centralized warehousing location. The bulk shipment of the original equipment without the manuals can result in the huge savings in transportation costs. However, the packaging cost at the individual distribution centers may go up, while packaging in diffe rent sizes would consume more time as well. (Zinn, 1990, page 1-2) Labeling postponement This type of strategy is helpful for the companies which send out their products under more than one brand name hence different brand labels would be required to meet the customer requirements. Normally the central warehouse sends the goods without any labels to the local distribution centers and after the labels are put on the products according to the specific order specifications. For example, food products may be sold by multi-national companies under different brands at various locations, the base manufacturing unit or central warehousing facility might use the original brand meant for the consumers of parent country. The final labeling would be done at different warehouses or distribution centers to meet the customers specific demands. This also helps in promoting the popular brand in a particular region. By postponing the labeling operations, the cost of carrying the necessary inventory of labels would be reduced largely at the central warehousing facility. However the labelin g cost may increase marginally if the same is done at the individual localized warehouses since labeling in smaller lots at such warehouses would be more expensive than adopting to the policy of large-scale labeling done at the manufacturing end. (Zinn, 1990, page 1) Apart from the postponement classification as mentioned earlier, Lee and Billington stressed on the form and time postponement strategies with the purpose of reducing the cost at different stages related to the manufacturing of goods while Bowersox and Closs focused on the types of manufacturing and logistic postponement that aimed to reduce the risk of anticipatory product or market commitment. The following table describes the postponement strategy categories, while the same have positive affect on the working of supply chain network, for any organization: (Zhang Tan, 2001, pages 4-7) (Source: http://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1087context=pacis2001, page 7 ) The time postponement strategy results in delaying the differentiation of product by many weeks thus saving the processing and transportation costs. The shipping of products from factory to individual distribution centers at various locations across the world can take many weeks. For example, marketing of HP desk-jet printers involved the strategy of design for localization, while postponing the localization step in the process from factory to the individual distribution warehouses. This has resulted in huge savings in time and cost for the company. Similarly, form postponement type of strategy enables the organization to defer the point of differentiation in particularly when the standardization of components is required for better product integration.(Lee Billington) Warehouse role in supporting postponement strategies The role of warehousing facilities has been traditionally limited to the stocking of inventory; the modern trends in warehousing policies have brought economic benefits to the organizations bringing customer service benefits as well. While customer service benefits would include full line and spot stocking, the value-added services are performed at the localized warehousing facilities. The economic benefits include seasonal sort-age as well as consolation of goods. As inventory handling and storage have been the basic functions of the warehouse, the handling functions are now extended to support the postponement strategies adopted by the companies periodically. These would include supporting the cross-docking, break-bulk and consolidating functions while postponement strategies are effectively supported with extended storage facilities that balance the supply and demand while keeping the track of market expectations. (Bowersox, Supply Chain Logistics Management) In addition, the role of warehousing facilities has been described above with specific application for supporting the particular type of postponement strategy. Its every organizations goal to achieve reduction on the inventory levels in the maximum possible while postponing the operations at individual warehouses until the time and definite instructions from customer end are received. However warehouses have to realize that customer satisfaction should be the goal of all strategies, while achieving the same is an integrated process, involving all stages of supply chain management, from product manufacture to delivery. Conclusion While discharging the traditional function of inventory stocking and providing good customer service to the customers, warehouses have gone beyond these basic responsibilities as they are now recognized as the nerve centers for the companies that help the organization in meeting the customer requirement as well as speculating the same correctly. This is in particularly true for multinational companies which operate at global level as the regional warehouses support their postponement strategies for meeting the regional demands. However the type of postponement strategy should match with the warehouse function to produce the best coordinated results. Therefore it is essential that warehouse staff has the necessary training to upgrade their skill for meeting the aim of postponement strategies, in terms of economic and service benefits.

Lord Of The Flies: Human Nature :: essays research papers

Lord of The Flies: Human Nature "We are all murderers and prostitutes - no matter to what culture, society, class, nation one belongs, no matter how normal, moral, or mature, one takes oneself to be." R. D. Laing British psychiatrist. R.D. Laing obviously backs up William Golding's point of view that human nature is evil. Human nature is directly affected by the environment; and is constantly changing due to the experiences of the individual. Oscar Wilde once said "The only thing that one really knows about human nature is that it changes. Change is the one quality we can predicate from it. The systems that fail are those who rely on the permanency of human nature, and not on its growth and development. The error of Louis XIV was that he thought human nature would always be the same. The result of his error was the French Revolution. It was an admirable result." Human nature depends upon the environment in which they are immersed. The idea that children, not humans in general, are swayed by the ideas and actions of their parental figures is also a central idea of the book, "The Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. Because of the war in England where the boys were from their human experience was one of war. If there was no war going on in England at the time they were evacuated from England, there would've been no deaths, no Lord of the Flies, and certainly no beast. Because if they had came with a good human nature then how would there have been a beast which Golding classified as the basic evil inside all of us. Another thing that ties in with this that children try to copy what they see adults do so if a child sees an adult smoke up or drink then he may believe that it is okay or it is right because their parents do it. As George Orwell once said "Part of the reason for the ugliness of adults, in a child's eyes, is that the child is usually looking upwards, and the adults are rarely looking down. Yet no matter what they will always adore, look up to and love their parents." But as was just said sometimes that can be a bad thing. So what must we do? Well for starters why not try to teach our children better and try at all costs to set good examples for our children so that our society will hopefully be salvaged from the god forsaken wrath of evil. Children who's parents smoke have a 40% higher chance of smoking than

Hamlet’s Love for Ophelia

Hamlet is noted as being one of Shakespearean most puzzling and darkest plays. While the play has a concise story, there are numerous doubts relating to different issues behind the plot. One issue that is never truly resolved deals with the true feelings of Prince Hamlet, and whether he in fact loves Aphelia. The word love is extremely commanding, and the concept of love may be hard to grasp when one of the lovers remains undecided. In Act Ill, Scene 1, Hamlet claims to have lovedAphelia; however, four lines later, he states that he does not love her anymore. This makes it difficult to decipher when Hamlet is truly in love, as his feeling towards Aphelia regularly change. This confusing cycle is due to Hamlet's â€Å"madness†, and is further influenced by Hamlet constantly being pushed to his limits due to anguish and sorrow. Hamlet is portrayed as an unconventional lover, which explains why he sends mixed messages that confuse Aphelia, making her question whether or not his f eelings for her are true.Two people who are in love would not want to risk the chance of hurting one another because to them it is not worth it. Hamlet does not think in this manner, which raises the question of whether the love between them is strong enough to have lasted through the chaos and difficulty in Hamlet's life. It is true that Hamlet's love for Aphelia is debatable; however, when analyzing the â€Å"go thy ways to a nunnery† interaction, the dispute with Alerter, and Hamlet's twisted affection towards Aphelia, one can see that his love is authentic.

Explored by Mary Shelly’s Novel Frankenstein Essay

The morals and views explored by Shelly display those of modern days in so much as how they are portrayed, and societies reaction towards these issues. In Shelly’s novel ‘Frankenstein’, people’s reactions are very similar to those of modern society. The attributes that people have to be susceptible to in society to try to avoid being an outcast are alike those of modern day society. People are still narrow-minded and nai ve to anything that is unusual or stands out of context with society. The novel is not set in a specific era of time; this is done deliberately to create a sense of mystery. Also I believe that this displays the belief of Shellys, that the opinions that were existent to anything different in Shelly’s time would be existent for years to come as these are traits of society itself they are not exclusive to a period of time or a gender, just society as a whole. The Novel starts with letters from Sir Walton, to his sister; this gives us an insight into the emotions and ambitions of Walton. This automatically will embrace any reader to continue throughout the book, the natural curiosity of human nature will make the audience want to discover more about the subject (In this case Sir Walton). This opening has the same effect on a reader as a personal diary would. Once the reader has read the letters they feel they have a bond and an understanding of the character, this is an effective weapon used by Shelly because when the story begins the reader can comprehend the feelings of Walton and will want him to succeed but will also realise the sufferings of the crew, â€Å"This breeze, which has travelled from the region towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climbs. † Letter 1 Pg15 This is just one example of Walton’s ambition; any audience would find this want of success and fame commendable. If Shelly did not include these letters his actions would be view as arrogance. This entices the reader as they will try to relate to this situation and will ask themselves what actions they would take if they were in a similar situation. The reader will also acknowledge that there are no specific dates set for these letters of this novel alone. This is done for a few reasons, a practical reason is that if Shelly does not limit herself to a certain time period then she is able to create certain advances in technology that if combined with others may stretch over many time periods yet in this novel are related together. It also implies that Shelly intended this novel to appeal to readers for many years to come, not just her era. This method alone displays Shelly’s unique ability to appeal to any vast audience.

The Increase of Illicit Stimulant Use on College Campuses

The Increase of Illicit Stimulant Use on College Campuses Stephanie Lobe Upper Iowa University December 5, 2011 ABSTRACT Numerous studies are finding that college students in the United States are relying on stimulant medications prescribed for ADHD without a prescription and for nonmedical reasons, most commonly because students believe these medications can enhance their cognitive performance. Research finds that students report these stimulants have become a part of the college culture and are easier to obtain than alcohol.This paper will discuss the prevalence of use on college campuses in the United States and both the academic and nonacademic motivations these students use prescription stimulants illicitly. In the United States, the domestic sales for prescription stimulant ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) medications such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedrine are increasing at significant rates. Between 1991 and 1999, sales of these prescription stimulants increas ed over 500 percent. As the rate of legal use increases, so does the rate of illegal or nonmedical use, especially on our college campuses.Data shows that these drugs have high abuse potentials and produce effects very similar to cocaine. Because of the potential for physical and psychological dependency and risk of abuse, the US Drug Enforcement Administration classifies these stimulants as Schedule II substances (Woodworth, 2000). Unfortunately, most students consider these drugs safe and do not realize the potential side effects and risk for abuse. There is a perception that nonmedical use of these drugs is morally acceptable if used for academic rather than recreational purposes (DeSantis, 2008).In, 2002, there had not yet been a lot of research conducted on illicit stimulant use on campus. At this time, Graf Low and A. E. Gendaszak surveyed undergraduates at a small college in the United States to gather information on the legal and illegal use of stimulants on the college camp us. The authors also wanted to explore how perfectionism and sensation seeking behavior contributed to abuse of both legal and illegal stimulants. Low and Gendaszak hypothesized that students influenced by perfectionism would be likely to abuse prescription stimulants (i. e.Ritalin, Adderall) and sensation seeking students would be more likely to abuse both prescription stimulants and illegal stimulants (i. e. methamphetamines, cocaine). Of 160 questionnaires distributed to students in an undergraduate psychology course, 150 questionnaires were returned. The questionnaires assessed selected demographic variables and the abuse of prescription and illegal stimulants during the previous 12 months. It is important to note that for this study, illicit stimulant use is defined as taking prescription stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, etc) without a prescription.Illegal stimulant use is defined as taking the illegal â€Å"street† stimulants cocaine or MDMA (ecstasy). Participants were a lso questioned about their reasons for using stimulants. Two measures that have demonstrated reliability and validity with college students were administered to assess possible correlates of use: the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale and the Sensation Seeking Scale. Ten percent of the students participating were prescribed stimulants by a medical professional and researchers automatically categorized them as non-abusers.In this journal article, the authors do not report the total number or percent of participants that were considered illicit users. They do report that analysis of the illicit users showed that 10% abused stimulants monthly and 8% weekly. There were a significantly higher number of men than women reporting illicit use, but no difference in their motivations for use. The common motivations for use were: to improve intellectual performance, to be more efficient and to use in combination with alcohol. Of the total of students participating, 34% reported taking cocaine , MDMA or both within the last 12 months.It was found that illegal stimulant use was highly correlated with illicit use of prescription stimulants. Researchers also found there was a correlation between having a prescription for stimulants and using illegal stimulants. Eighty-eight percent of the illegal users reported using MDMA vs. cocaine with men reporting greater use than women. Almost always, the motivation for illegal stimulant use was for recreational purposes. Sensation seeking and perfectionism were dichotomized based on a median split to produce categorical variables for analysis of variance.A two by two analysis of variance was carried out (high or low perfectionism by high or low sensation seeking) with the illicit use of prescription drugs as the dependent variable and gender as a covariate. The main effect for sensation seeking was significant, but perfectionism was not associated with self-reported use. However, the two-way interaction between sensation seeking and p erfectionism was significant. High sensation seeking perfectionists had the greatest self-reported abuse of prescription stimulants (Low, 2002).In the research study, Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications on a College Campus: a Multimethodical Approach, both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews were conducted to collect data on college students’ perceptions of illicit prescription stimulant use and the prevalence of use. With the combined methods, 1,811 undergraduate students from a large, public, southeastern research university participated. Seventy-eight of these students had a prescription to treat ADHD and were removed from the study, leaving a total of 1,733 participants.This study found that of those participants, 34 % of used prescription stimulants illegally and for nonmedical reasons. The results suggested that illicit use of the stimulants was more common in Caucasians, men, upperclassmen, and students belonging to Greek organizations. Interviews with students allowed researchers to gather detailed information about their perceptions of stimulant prescription drugs, the circumstances of the first time they used a stimulant and what their motives were.During the interviews, it was discovered how prevalent illicit use of these medications are as well as how casually this use was discussed on campus with many students stating, â€Å"it’s no big deal†. Of the illegal users in the study, 63% used stimulants for the first time in college and for most the first time of use was at a time of high academic stress. For more than two-thirds of these users, this occurred during finals or when they had multiple tests in one day. First time users had little knowledge about the side effects of stimulant medication, the appropriate doses, or the legal consequences of using these drugs illicitly.Of illegal users, 72% reported using the drugs to stay awake and study longer or to concentrate on work. Many students claimed they cou ld be more productive and reported being able to study for up to 3-5 hours straight without getting distracted or taking a break. Others reported the stimulants made them â€Å"smarter† because they were able to memorize & retain information, grasp ideas and recall information better. One participant’s description of the drug Adderall was, â€Å"the stuff is like an academic anabolic steroid†. There were a few students that reported use of the stimulants for nonacademic purposes.Some these reasons included that the drugs gave them the ability to stay up all night for parties, be more talkative and social at parties and feel the effects of alcohol quicker. Students also reported that when crushed and snorted, the drugs produced a high similar to cocaine (DeSantis, 2008). In the study, Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulant Medication Among College Students, authors also investigate how prevalent illicit use is at a Midwestern campus as well as why students are abu sing these drugs. Three different methods were used to recruit students for the study.A list of randomly selected students residing in residence halls, 500 female and 500 male, was obtained from the university’s registrar office. A cover letter and questionnaire were sent to these students and then a second questionnaire was mailed to those who had not responded within two weeks. The researchers also held three sessions that were open to introductory psychology students who would receive credit for completing the questionnaire. The last effort to recruit students included researchers going door to door on men’s wings in residence halls.The combined total of responses was 552. The survey completed consisted of 85 items with the first section including questions about demographics and personal information. The questions on the remainder of the survey used a Likert-type scale (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral, 4=agree, 5=strongly agree). Questions were separated into two sections for statistical analysis. The second section obtained specific information from individuals who reported they had illicitly taken stimulant medication.Results from the survey found that 17% of the men surveyed and 11% of the women surveyed had used prescription stimulants for non-medical reasons. Forty-four percent of the students surveyed reported that they knew someone who had used prescribed stimulant medication illicitly for academic or recreational reasons. Authors found that the main reason for use was to increase alertness and energy and use was associated with experiencing time and academic pressures of college life (Hall, 2005). The purpose of a study published in the Journal of Human Pharmacology andDrug Therapy was to explore illicit use of specific prescription stimulants among college students and the reasons and routes of administration associated with illicit use of these drugs. The study was conducted at a large Midwestern university in 2005. A ran dom sample of 5,389 full-time, undergraduate students were selected from the total population of 20, 138 full-time students. In order to produce reliable prevalence estimates for minority racial and ethnic groups, researchers oversampled 652 Hispanic, 634 African American and 244 Asian students.Students in the sample were mailed a letter describing the study and inviting students to self-administer a confidential web survey. Participants were eligible for a sweepstakes that included cash prizes, travel vouchers and other prizes. The final response rate exceeded the average rate for national college based studies of alcohol and other drugs with a 66% response rate. The final sample closely resembled the demographics of the overall student population and consisted of 4,580 undergraduate students.The results from the survey indicated that 8. 3% of the participants had used illicit prescription stimulants in their lifetime and 5. 9% had used them in the past year. Three out of four of t he illicit users reported taking Adderall and one out of four illicit users reported taking Ritalin. Unlike other studies of this nature, the authors report there were no differences in past year illicit prescription stimulant use between men and women. They did find statistically significant ethnic-racial differences in past year use with 8. % of Hispanics having used illicit prescription stimulants, 7% of Caucasians, 3. 4% of Asians, 1. 9% of African Americans and 3. 6% of those categorized as other. Sixty-five percent of the lifetime users began using illicit prescription stimulants during college rather than before starting college. Logistic regression showed students who began using prescription stimulants illicitly before entering college were three times as likely to use these drugs during college compared to those who had not used them before entering college.When looking at the motivations of students using illicit prescription stimulants, researchers found significant diff erences between gender and ethnic-racial groups. Men were more likely than women to report using these drugs to experiment, get high, and counteract the effects of other drugs. Women were more likely than men to report using prescription stimulants to lose weight, to help study, and to increase alertness. There was not a difference between sexes regarding the most frequently cited motive which was to help with concentration.There were no African Americans that reported using illicit prescription stimulants to get high, but over 20% of Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians, and others reported this as a motive. The results for experimenting as a motive were similar. Most African American students who reported using prescription stimulants illicitly listed the motives to help concentrate or to help study. Students who reported using prescription stimulants illicitly before entering college were more likely to use these drugs during the past year to get high, lose weight or experiment.Students who did not start using prescription stimulants until enrolled in college were more likely to report the motive to help study. The results of this study also revealed findings about the routes in which students administered illicit prescription stimulants. Ninety-five percent of illicit users reported oral administration. Thirty-eight percent reported snorting the prescription stimulants and a very small percentage reported smoking, inhaling or injecting these drugs. Neither gender nor race-ethnicity were associated with routes of administration.However, students who began using illicit prescription stimulants before college were more likely to report snorting the drugs than those who started using during college. The authors report their study is the first to empirically document the claim that use of Adderall is the primary prescription stimulant used illicitly by college students. Hypothesizes to why the use of Adderall may be growing relative to other stimulants such as Ritlan, generally fall into three categories: availability, pharmacokinetic differences between stimulant drugs, and pharmacologic differences.In another study cited by the authors, college students reported Adderall was used more frequently because it was easily accessible, caused fewer emotional ups and downs, and was believed to work better overall. The authors explain that there are differences in the mechanism of action of Adderall that may result in this drug being more appealing to college students. The effects of the drug will last longer and may generate higher dopamine levels in the brain than occur when taking Ritalin (Teter, 2006).A study done by Rachel Judson & Susan W Langdon investigated illicit use of stimulant medications on college campuses considering the theory of planned behavior. This theory states that attitudes, beliefs about social norms, and perceived control work together to create intentions which predict health related behavior. The study included a total of 33 3 participants from two small competitive New England college campuses. Two survey forms were distributed – one for current stimulant prescription holders and one for non-prescription holders. The surveys were self-administered online.The study found that 20% of all participants reported illicit use of stimulants. Of the prescription holders, 46% reported illicit use (using for reasons other than prescribed or at increased doses) and of the non-prescription holders, 18. 3% reported illicit use. The two most predominant motives were to improve concentration and to increase alertness or stay awake. This indicates that academic reasons were more prevalent than recreational reasons for taking the medication. For non-prescription holders, the results were consistent with the theory of planned behavior.Attitudes, perceived norms and a sense of low control held by illicit users may act as rationalizations for their illicit use of stimulant medication (Judson, 2009). Many studies hav e been done investigating how perceived harmfulness influences nonmedical drug use and there have also been separate studies done investigating the association between nonmedical drug use and high sensation-seeking characteristics. This study takes both variables into consideration and explores whether the association between perceived harmfulness and nonmedical drug use vary by level of sensation-seeking.Participants included 1, 253 first year college students from a large, publicly-funded university in the mid-Atlantic region with an ethnically diverse student body. Personal interviews were conducted with participants and then participants were followed up with twice at six month intervals. Researchers examined the association between the two variables of perceived harmfulness and level of sensation-seeking characteristics because they believed it was important to consider the possibility that sensation-seeking characteristics can influence risk perception.Results from this study indicated that one in four students perceived a great risk of harm from occasional nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and analgesics. Low perceived harmfulness and high sensation-seeking were independently associated with increased risk of nonmedical use. At most levels of sensation-seeking, high perceived harmfulness did affect nonmedical prescription drug use; however, among high sensation-seekers, perceived harmfulness was not related to nonmedical use of prescription analgesics.This study found that individuals with low perceived harmfulness were approximately 10 times more likely to use prescription drugs for both stimulants and analgesics, as compared to those individuals with high perceived harmfulness. Another important finding was that individuals with low or moderate sensation-seeking tendencies were especially susceptible to the influence of perceived harmfulness (Arria, 2008). An article published online, New Findings on the Misuse of ADHD Medications by College S tudents, reviews one of the largest studies conducted regarding nonmedical use of stimulants on college campuses.In 2001, nearly 11,000 students attending 119 nationally representative, 4-year colleges in the United States were surveyed about their nonmedical use of prescription stimulants. The involvement of such a high number of universities across the country overcomes one of the major limitations of other studies done on this topic. Because most studies collect data from only one college, the results cannot be accurately generalized to college populations outside of that type of institution or region. This study found that the average rate for nonmedical use of stimulants during the participant’s lifetime was 6. %; during the last year was 4. 1% and during the last month was 2. 1%. The rate of use of stimulants varied dramatically across the campuses surveyed with rates ranging from 0% to as high as 25%. Findings from this study indicate that the highest rates of nonmedic al use of prescription stimulants are highest at colleges with competitive admission standards. More than 80% of schools with a past year prevalence rate higher than 10% had highly competitive admission standards and were located in the Northeast or Southern United States.Results of the motives for illicit stimulant use were comparable to other studies with the three top motivations being to help with concentration, to help with alertness and to get high (Ashley Children's Psychology Center, n. d. ). Most research studies regarding the illicit use of prescription stimulants on college campuses use a randomly selected sample size of over 1,000 participants. In the study, Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications on a College Campus: A Multimethodological Approach, students participating in part I of the research, a quantitative survey, are recruited through a large introductory communications course.This course is a social science requirement and was selected to represent students from different majors across the campus. To ensure the upperclassmen were also represented in the study, additional surveys were distributed in an upper division communications course as well as the general student body. The second part of the study included qualitative interviews with 175 full-time, undergraduate students. The authors fail to report how these students were recruited.It is not know if these students were randomly selected from the general student population or if they were selected from the group of students who completed the survey. This research was done at a large, southeastern research university in the United States (DeSantis, 2008). Studies relating to the illicit use of stimulants on college campuses have found a significant variance in the prevalence of usage depending on factors such as admission standards and location of the university (Ashley Children's Psychology Center. (n. . ). Due to this, the study done at this southeastern research university canno t be generalized to the college population as a whole. This study used both quantitative and qualitative studies. Data was collected from surveys administered in the classroom as well as from scripted, in-depth interviews with students. The authors designed and pretested the 25-item survey for this study by conducting a pilot study of 94 students. After receiving feedback from the students, question wording and survey structure were revised.The interviews were conducted by students who had all completed an upper-division research methods course and were certified by the university’s institutional review board. Interviewers were assigned specific demographic groups to facilitate the comfort and trust levels of interviewees. Interviews with students allowed researchers to gather detailed information about their perceptions of stimulant prescription drugs, the circumstances of the first time they used a stimulant and what their motives were. Interviews revealed that many student s viewed illicit prescription stimulant use as part of the culture of ampus life (DeSantis, 2008). This study showed that 34% of the students who participated in the study had used prescription stimulant medications for nonmedical purposes. This rate is significantly higher than most published studies about stimulant use on college campuses; however, studies have found that rates vary greatly depending on demographic factors (Teter, 2006). The authors offer three explanations as to the reason their study reported a significantly higher prevalence rate of use on campuses: 1.ADHD stimulant use may be rising nationwide and as time passes, this phenomenon continues to grow; 2. Rates of use may vary on different college campuses and this campus may have a higher prevalence of use; and 3. The relatively high proportion of Greek students in the student body may have contributed to the higher prevalence rate. In relation to explanation 2, it was also noted that this study took place in a st ate that has been ranked as one of the top three states in the nation for ADHD diagnosis.To estimate the proportion of individuals who used illicit stimulants by demographic category, the number of users in each category was divided by the total number surveyed in each category. Using results displayed by demographic category use and non-stimulant use, data was cross tabulated by the same demographics factors and a chi-square analysis was conducted to examine statistically significant differences. The resulting data suggested that illicit prescription stimulant use was more common in men, white students, upperclassmen, and members of Greek organizations. Most other studies have published similar results (DeSantis, 2008).The study, Illicit Use of Specific Prescription Stimulants Among College Students: Prevalence, Motives and Routes of Administration found that there is a significantly higher prevalence of use in Caucasian and Hispanic students. These two ethnic groups reported rates of use at 8. 5% and 7%, respectively. Use for African Americans students was only 1. 9%. Another notable difference related to ethnicity was that while over 20% of Hispanic and Caucasian students reported one of the motives of using prescription stimulants was to get high; 0% of African American students reported that motivation (Teter, 2006).Quantitative data showed students’ primary motive for taking ADHD medication was to earn better grades in school. With the augmentation o the qualitative data, researchers discovered a myriad of more subtle motives defining when and why these students took stimulants. Researchers found that most students used prescription stimulants during finals week or periods of high academic stress. They also discovered some what some of the non-academic motives were such as staying up all night for parties, getting drunk quicker, and to be more social (DeSantis, 2008).Other studies have revealed similar findings with other non-academic motives bein g to help with losing weight, to get high, to experiment and to counteract the effects of other drugs (Teter, 2006). As discussed, the possible biases of this study were the fact that there was a high number of students in Greek organizations in the student body and that the study focuses on one campus noting the prevalence of use can vary greatly depending on the region the university is located in as well as other factors such as the competiveness of the school.The authors did not attempt to control these biases in their study, but in future studies an oversampling of students not involved in Greek organizations as well as a sample from several schools across the country could help control these biases (DeSantis, 2008). Each of these studies identifies the prevalent, increasing illicit use of stimulant medications for nonmedical uses, primarily motivated by academic reasons. It is apparent that most students do not know the dangers or risks of taking these medications and prescrip tion stimulants are more socially acceptable than other drugs.Many students appear rationalize their use because it is for academic reasons rather than recreational reasons. This is a terrifying trend that can result in many unwanted outcomes, the worst being death. References: Arria, A. M. , Calderia, K. M. , Vincent, K. B. , O'Grady, K. E. , & Wish, E. D. (2008, July 17). Perceived harmfulness predicts nonmedical use of prescription drugs among college students: Interactions with sensation-seeking. In National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2574828/ Ashley Children's Psychology Center. (n. d. . New Findings on the Misuse of ADHD Medications by College Students. In Ashley Psychology. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://ashleypsychology. com/Articles/010608. html [pic] DeSantis, A. D. , Webb, E. M. , & Noar, S. M. (2008, November). Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications on a College Campus: A Multimet hodological Approach. Journal of American College Health, 51(3), 315-325. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from EBSCOhost. Hall, K. M. , Irwin, M. M. , Bowman, K. A. , Frankenberger, W. , & Jewett, D. C. (2005, January). Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulant Medication Among College Students.Journal of American College Health, 53(4), 167-174. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from EBSCOhost. Judson, R. , & Langdon, S. W. (2009, January). Illicit Use of Prescription Stimulants Among College Students: Prescription Status, Motives, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Knowledge and Self Diagnostic Tendencies. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 14(1), 97-104. doi:10. 1080/13548500802126723. Low, G. K. , & Gendaszek, A. E. (2002, August 1). Illicit Use of Psychostimulants Among College Students: A Preliminary Study. Psychology of Health and Medicine, 7(3), 283-287. doi:10. 1080/13548500220139386Teter, C. J. , McCabe, S. , LaGrange, K. , Cranford, J. A. , & Boyd, C. J. (2006, October 26). Illicit Use of Speci fic Prescription Stimulants Among College Students: Prevalence, Motives and Routes of Administration. The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 26(10), 1501-1510. doi:10. 1592/phco. 26. 10. 1501 Woodworth, T. (2000, May 16). DEA Congressional Testimony. Presented to the Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families. Retrieved November 13, 2011 from http://www. dea. gov/pubs/cngrtest/ct051600. htm.