Stigma in retirement

Introduction:Company retirement is no longer stigma in today ‘s universe. More and more people are go oning to work after retirement age for a assortment of grounds. No uncertainty for a big figure the chief ground for working after retirement age will be fiscal, but for others accomplishing a balance between work and place life is an of import issue. Some people do really see the chance of halting work wholly as a chilling option and many will ease their manner into retirement by go oning to work but with more flexible or parttime hours. There are around 6 1000000s people between the age of 50 and retirement age still actively employed.Theory:Mortgages No Longer a Stigma in RetirementReflecting a monolithic alteration from the anterior coevals when a major end of retirement was to â€Å"burn the mortgage, † more than 55 per centum of boomers surveyed who presently hold mortgages do non be after to pay their mortgages off until their 70s, if of all time. This tendency wa s most marked in the Western US, where 31 per centum of those with mortgages do non of all time intend to pay them off, compared with 25 per centum in the South, 18 per centum in the Midwest and 11 per centum in the Northeast. Of the 500 boomers surveyed about two-thirds presently have mortgages on their abodes. The staying 3rd either rent or do non hold a mortgage. â€Å"Contrary to conventional wisdom, mortgages can really be a wealth-building tool for boomers throughout their retirement years†.In add-on to their revenue enhancement benefits, mortgages help liberate up financess that otherwise would be tied up in belongings ownership for investing in equities. 1 ) The normal retiring age for lasting employees is 60 ( 60 ) old ages. The retirement age of 60 ( 60 ) for ATS staff must be enforced, as agreed by Finance and General Purposes Committee, Mona, at its meeting held on September 27,1999. 2 ) An employee may be retired before the age of 60 ( 60 ) if he/she is found to be enduring from a chronic medical status, or is for good handicapped and, as a consequence, is unable to to the full or decently dispatch the undertakings, responsibilities and duties of his/her occupation, or comply with the footings and conditions of his/her employment. The effectual day of the month of retirement is the staff member ‘s sixtieth birthday. Therefore, the last on the job twenty-four hours would be the twenty-four hours on which he/she attains the age of 60.PensionMembers of staff who were employed and lending to the pension strategy prior to August 1, 2002, can bespeak a ball sum payment of their employee and employer ‘s part or purchase a pension with the returns from his or her Old-age pension. Members who joined the strategy on or after August 1, 2002 may merely buy a pension with the returns from their old-age pension.HealthThe University covers the full cost of wellness insurance for retired persons who are in reception of a pension from the University. Impermanent employment beyond retiring age may be granted up to the age of 65 ( 65 ) . In really exceeding instances, the University may see impermanent employment beyond the age of 65 ( 65 ) , but non beyond 70 ( 70 ) old ages. Retirees may merely be retained where the station has been advertised and a suited replacing is non found. If a suited replacing is non found and the retired staff member is to be re-engaged, there must be a interruption in service for a lower limit of two ( 2 ) hebdomads. The retired person will be issued a particular Contract for services by the Human Resource Management Division with footings negotiated between the retired staff member and the University. These footings will include an across-the-board amount, which will non needfully be the same as those for a regular staff member. Under this contract, the retired person will be engaged to supply specific services to the University under specific footings of mention. This contract should be of a fixed period non transcending one ( 1 ) twelvemonth and will include an terminal of contract tip of 10 % of the contract amount.The granting of such petition for re-employment is at the discretion of the University.The Finance and General Purposes Committee, Mona, established the following standards to be applied purely beyond 65 ( 65 ) old ag es, but laxly between 60-65 old ages.The employee must hold rendered outstanding service in a peculiar field and should hold demonstrated a proper work attitude. This should be clearly stated in a particular rating of the employee by the Head of Department and should be supported by a summarised research into the employee ‘s record by the Human Resource Management Division.The employee must be in a province of physical/mental fittingness, grounds of which should be corroborated by the employee ‘s medical history as recorded in his/her file.The Head of Department must be able to bespeak that the work of the Department would be adversely affected if the cognition, accomplishments and experience of the employee were non retained.Re-engagement of a retired person is capable to a satisfactory medical report..1. Normal IncreasesIf an employee is granted extension of assignment on a annual footing the Head of Department should do a recommendation for the granting of any one-yea r increase.2. Long Service AwardAn employee ‘s impermanent service beyond retirement will be regarded for the intents of finding eligibility for Long Service Award.3. Educational FacilitiesA retired person who is appointed on a impermanent contract beyond the retiring age, along with his/her wife/ hubby and/or kids, who has been accepted for entry to the University are exempt from paying tuition and scrutiny fees.4. Commissariats in the event of DeathThe University will pay to the widow or widowman, or if there are orphan dependent kids, to a legal guardian for their benefit, a particular grant of an sum equivalent to one twelvemonth ‘s wage at the rate at which a deceased employee on impermanent contract beyond retiring age was paid as at 1st August predating decease.PensionAt retirement, members of staff are paid the accrued value of their Federation Superannuation Scheme for Universities ( FSSU ) financess. If the member of staff is tenured and has served for more tha n 10 ( 10 ) old ages continuously with the University, an appraisal is done and, if necessary, a auxiliary pension is provided.HousingRetired members of staff who were housed in University lodging instantly prior to the effectual day of the month of their retirement, are allowed to stay in University adjustment for up to three months after retirement, nevertheless, they would be required to pay a monthly lease at the appropriate commercial rate.Book GrantStaff members traveling on retirement may utilize, within one ( 1 ) twelvemonth of their retirement, the balance of the Grant credited to their history at the day of the month of retirement.HealthThe University covers the full cost of wellness insurance for retired persons who are in reception of a pension from the University. Personal Rewards Outrank Economic Rewards as Reason to Work More than three quarters ( 76 % ) of boomers surveyed who are still working program to go on working after age 62, the age when they are eligible to have Social Security. A singular 40 per centum program to go on working into their 70s. For those who will go on working past age 62, the major ground cited ( 72 % ) to go on working was for the â€Å"intellectual and societal stimulation† work provides, followed by the end of keeping criterion of life at 51 per centum and to avoid tapping into nest eggs at 41 per centum. The form was the same for those be aftering to work into their 70s, with three quarters be aftering to maintain working for rational and societal stimulation and 39 per centum to keep their criterion of life. Economicss are non the primary ground these flush boomers are go oning to work. They are making the highest degree in their callings, doing more money, learning and developing the newer members of our workforce—work provides satisfactions good beyond their demand for income. Of those taking the study, 29 per centum describe themselves as being retired in the conventional sense, while 71 per centum are still employed. But in Britain retirement is non a stigma.They can non be denied from the occupation on the footing of age.Your Right to WorkRegulations in Britain mean that an employer can non know apart against workers on the evidences of age. These ordinances were brought into consequence in 2006 in order that older people have the same rights to employment, preparation and grownup instruction. It is improper for an employer to utilize age as a ground for favoritism on the undermentioned points: –Deny person preparationPrevent publicityDismiss person from their employmentDeny employment to personRetire person before the province employment age or the company ‘s ain retirement age without a valid groundHowever, an employer still has the right to decline person over the age of 65 or over said employer ‘s usual company retirement age, and they do non necessitate to give any grounds or justifications.Working and Your State PensionIf you are go oning to work after retirement age so you can either claim your pension or postpone it. If you choose to take your pension subsequently so you may be able to acquire a higher rate of pension subsequently on, or you may be able to take the deferred sum as a ball amount. The ball amount will be nonexempt but will hold added involvement and so you can get down having your normal pension. If you are sing either of these options so you will necessitate to detain claiming your pension for at least five hebdomads in order to have the higher rate. For the ball amount you will necessitate to detain for at least 12 back-to-back months.Finding WorkThere are eternal possibilities for older workers when it comes to happening employment. Many older employees wrongly assume that they will be passed over in favor of younger employees but this is non ever the instance. Some employers look favorably on older workers due to their dependability, accomplishments, and the fact that they take less ill clip than younger employees. There are authorities strategies specifically designed to assist older people find employment such as New Deal 50 Plus and New Deal for Disabled People. These strategies are designed to assist older people who are happening it hard to obtain employment or happening employment that pays a nice pay. Job-sharing is besides an first-class manner of working part-time or working to more flexible hours ; you can ever inquire your employer if they would see flexible hours. Asked about their figure one calling end over the following five old ages, most boomers ( 53 % ) will go on making their current work until they retire, while a one-fourth of boomers are seeking continued growing in their current callings. Merely 10 per centum citation â€Å"to halt working† as a end.Voluntary WorkVoluntary work is an first-class option if you are sing go oning to work after retirement age. Although normally unpaid, you can derive valuable new accomplishments, and some voluntary occupations will pay revenue enhancement free disbursals or reimburse your disbursals. Volunteer occupations can include working for the Citizens Advice Bureau ( CAB ) , working in tourer information offices and charity stores, voluntary drivers, or you can even go a local council member. Continuing to work after retirement is a popular and good pick for many older workers. The retirement age is merely a guideline when it comes to work there is no ground why you can non work long past retirement age if you are healthy and able to.Private Investment Accounts Fund RetirementsAsked what the chief beginning of support for retirement is, the largest figure of boomers ( 31 % ) cited investings outside of a retirement program as the â€Å"principal† beginning that will fund their retirement. â€Å"This happening supports the importance of keeping a robust personal investing program throughout a life-time, † says Jim Bell. â€Å"To have a comfy retirement, this coevals must augment traditional tax-deferred retirement nest eggs programs and pensions, with their ain investing program — ideally by using a healthy mix of equity investments.† Baby boomers ranked the â€Å"principal† beginning of retirement support as:Investings outside of a retirement program: 31 %Pension program: 23 %Company-sponsored programs such as 401 ( K ) : 19 %Individual Retirement Account ( IRA ) : 17 %Social Security: 4 %Survey MethodologyThe Affluent Boomer Survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation from April 1-6, 2008, among a random sample of 500 grownups comprised of 250 work forces and 250 adult females who were born in 1948 and have investible assets of $ 1 million or more. Bell Investment Advisors offers investing direction, comprehensive fiscal planning, and career/life planning services to assist investors be after and accomplish their personal and retirement ends. The house manages more than $ 500 million for its more than 650 clients. In 2007, Bell Investment Advisors was named one of the Bay Area ‘s 100 Fastest Turning Privately Held Businesss by the San Francisco Business Times for the 4th twelvemonth in a row.

Nutrition concepts and controversies

Mammals, like humans, have a unique way of bearing an offspring. They carry this offspring in their womb for several days or months until their offspring are ready to face the world. This process is called pregnancy. In scientific terms, pregnancy is the phase from conception until birth wherein a fertilized develops into a fetus inside a mother’s womb. Pregnancy is a delicate situation, and needs utmost care and attention. During pregnancy, a mother is exposed to a lot of risks, so risky practices should be avoided. One practice that should be avoided is doing strenuous sports, particularly sports with risks of falling. A fall would cause an impact, and this impact may initiate the separation of placenta from the uterus, a condition known as placenta abruptio. This might cause an excessive loss of blood to the mother. Death to the unborn child would be the other risk. Another habit that should be avoided is smoking. This increases the risk of miscarriage for the mother, and possible health problems and lower birth weight for the offspring. This might also trigger an event known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).   Another practice that should be avoided is drinking alcohol. A drunken mother is more prone to accidental fall which may trigger a miscarriage, and therefore excessive loss of blood or death of the unborn child. The child might also have some health problems after birth like a heart problem. Drinking great amounts of caffeine are also strictly prohibited for pregnant mothers. Caffeine affects the nervous system, making you more nervous, irritable and unable to sleep. Too much caffeine in a pregnant mother’s body might increase the likelihood of a miscarriage. This would either lead to excessive bleeding and loss of blood to the mother, and death to the offspring. Lastly, a pregnant mom should also avoid hot bath tubs and sauna baths/steams. These practices increase the core body temperature of the mother. This would increase heart rate to increase the blood flow on the body. It makes the heart work even harder and therefore might result to fainting. The increased heat in the environment of the fetus might also have a significant impact on the health of the child after birth. Reference: Children and Youth Health. (2007). Pregnancy – risks. Retrieved May 1, 2008 from http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=304&id=1964   

Analysis of The Telegram a short story by writer Iain Crichton Smith Essay

‘The Telegram’ is a short story by writer Iain Crichton Smith. The story follows two women’s experiences as the fate of their sons. The writer uses character and setting to increase the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Through the use of setting in terms of time and place the writer increases the reader’s enjoyment of the story. The story is set in a Scottish costal island during the Second World War. The two women live in a one road village and war is alien to them. Not just the women but the whole village does not understand the purpose of the war: â€Å"It came as a strange plague.† The village of the women was a very close knit community and this meant that everybody knew everybody else. To the village people the war was an attack on them rather than the country because the war was killing their young men and they felt that it was not their war to be part of. The Telegram itself had an impact on the village as it felt like ‘a strange missile’ because it would only cause havoc and destruction amongst the village people and most importantly ruin their lives. The setting of the story is effectively used by the writer to influence or have an impact on the characters, this use of setting increases the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Crichton Smith description is mainly focused on the thin women, the writer uses the imagery of a bird: â€Å" The other more aquiline, more gaunt, or to be more precise, more like a buzzard.† The thin women is perceived to be a person who is not very pleasant. The thin women has had a very hard life to cope with and because of this she is very independent. Through the imagery of a buzzard, a bird of prey, the thin women gives the impression that she is better than everybody else and like a buzzard she is stronger too. The use of the buzzard is also significant because the story is set in Scotland and the buzzard is Scotland’s most common bird of prey. However, even though the thin women is portrayed in a bad way, the thin women has been forced to make a lot of sacrifices. The thin women only received ten shillings in pension was forced into not buying new clothes. The realisation of the harsh circumstances that the thin women has faced make the reader enjoy the story more because the reader has sympathy for the thin women and knowing that her son is not dead gives the thin women hope. Despite all the sacrifices , the thin women saved and saved until she could send her son to university. This is a reason why the thin women thought she was better than everybody because others could afford to send their children to university but chose not because they thought of it as snobbish . The fact that the villagers thought education is snobby gives the reader insight into society the women lived in, the society that would not send their children to university in case that someone spoke ill of them. To deal with the hardships, the thin women has had to develop a lot of discipline and self-control to survive. The hardships the women has faced have left her to show no emotions and sympathy towards anybody but herself. However, for a moment the thin women tries to comfort the fat women in her time of need, this change in character is unusual because the thin women does not expect sympathy from others but now she is sympathetic towards someone else. Iain Crichton Smith uses the setting to show how it influences or has an impact on the characters, this use of setting increases the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Like the thin women, the author uses the imagery of a bird to describe the women: â€Å"†¦a fat domestic bird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The fat women is described like ‘a fat domestic’ this suggests that the fat women is very dependant on others unlike the thin women. The word fat’ gives the reader the idea that the fat women has had it all in her life. Through the writers use of domestic bird’ it is suggested that the fat women. Due to the different lives both women lived they have differing views on things, this causes arguments between them: â€Å" Well, I just thought they’re better off.’ said the fat women in a confused tone, ‘ they get better food and they get better conditions.’ â€Å" The fat women is jealous how the thin women’s son is better off than her son even though the thin women is poorer e.g. the thin women’s son is of higher rank and gets better pay than the fat women’s son. The writer gives insight into the fat women when she explains why she did not risk sending her son to university in case others thought she was snobbish. Despite not sending her son to university it is evident that the fat women loves her son unconditionally, unlike the thin women, the fat women does not expect compensation from her son for bringing him up, this make the fat women a likeable character thus increasing the reader’s enjoyment of the story. When the fat women knows that the elder is not coming to her house she is all excited but then she realizes that it could be the thin women’s son who has died and only then does the fat women realise what the thin has gone through and tries to sympathy but she cannot. The reasons for the fat women showing no sympathy are that firstly, she does not like the thin women and because the thought of losing her own son has emotionally drained the thin women. The setting adds to suspense and tension throughout the story and especially the climax. From the thin women’s window they can see the entire village: â€Å" As the watched they could see at the far end of the street the tall man in black clothes carrying in his hand a piece of yellow paper. This was a bare village with little colour therefore the yellow was both strange and unnatural.† The fact that the women could see the man at the end of the village from the thin women’s window emphasise to the reader how small the village is, the village being small suggests that it is a very close knit community. The village consists of one road and as the elder walks along the road the suspense and tension builds and the reader expects the elder to visit the homes of the women however this does not happen. In the end the reader is shocked how it is actually the elder’s son who has died and the suspense and tension that leads to this increases the impact. In conclusion, Iain Crichton Smith successfully uses setting, character, imagery as well suspense and tension to increase the readers enjoyment of the story.

Communication in Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Communication in Economics - Essay Example It is, hence, no surprise that, as of this writing, statistics showed that more than half of the total population of Zimbabwe is now living below poverty line. â€Å"According to the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry, some 620 companies have closed shop since July 2000. The unemployment rate is at 80 percent and the official inflation rate has officially topped 782 percent, by far the highest in the world, while the International Monetary Fund puts the real rate at more than 900 percent† (Chigugu, 2006) The IMF has emphasized on the needs and urged the Zimbabwe government to implement certain policies. These policies according to IMF should aim at â€Å"strong fiscal adjustment; cutting state expenditure; full liberalization of the exchange rate regime; adoption of a strong monetary anchor by reducing money supply; fundamental structural reform, including price deregulation and public enterprise reform; strengthening of property rights and halting invasions of commercial farmland; and improvements in governance.† By the year 2005, the International Monetary Fund has already rang the alarm bells about the economic state of Zimbabwe. The interest rate was on a record of seventy percentages in year 2005 while the inflation was more than three hundred and fifty percentage. The IMF further underscored the fact that the country’s gross domestic product will likely shrink another seven percent this year while some economists predict that by years end inflation could reach 1,000%. (Franceschi, 2005) And so if these problems are left unchecked, the IMF predicted an economic collapse very soon. These highlighted how poor the condition of Zimbabwe’s economy has become. Not a few literature has explored the case of Zimbabwe and its political and economic system as well as its future. For this paper, I start with the fact that Zimbabwe governmental policies in place are self-destructive in a way that repressive political and economic

Aboriginal history in north america-the circle of life with mention of Essay

Aboriginal history in north america-the circle of life with mention of the medicine wheel - Essay Example There were numerous ways in which the circle of life is interpreted, all of which illustrate the need for harmonious existence with others and nature. The medicine wheel is a physical manifestation of spiritual energy, through which one can visualize surrounding events, which allowed the Aboriginals to be in harmony with the self and nature by creating notions of new life and renewal (Liebmann 69). The circle illustrates continuity of nature and in human beings, while the four points bear different meanings, for instance, nature’s four elements that are: fire, earth, air and water are all part of the same physical world and should be respected (The Sacred Foundation of Aboriginal Education 5). In addition, it is indicative of human development stages as well as the human potentialities, which include mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. The circle of life also teaches that the symbolic races are part of the same human family, and should live in harmony as brothers and sisters. In this regard, as the Europeans explored the new territory, they would be compelled to respect nature and other races present before them. Thus, the Aboriginal people continued with their beliefs regardless of the prevailing new influence and culture (Bramadat and Seljak 266). Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cultural & Spiritual Values The Sacred Foundation of Aboriginal Education 2012, Sustaining our Ways: Educating for Sustainability. 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

Assignment 5 Practice Problems Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

5 Practice Problems - Assignment Example Depending on the government it can be adverse or favourable. If the US dollar is strong against another currency, it leads to increased demand of imports as prices go down. This inturn weakens export as foreign goods appear to be expensive outside the country. Importers prefer strong local currency while exporters prefer weak local currency (Econedlink par 11) For an export business based in the US the ideal situation would be if the dollar weakens, this makes it attractive for foreigners to buy goods from US, but if it appreciates it, makes foreign goods seem expensive. To balance this fluctuation the company needs to cut the dollar price to match the prices in pounds (Econedlink par 11). 4. Suppose that you are a U.S. producer of a commodity good competing with foreign producers. Your inputs of production are priced in dollars and you sell your output in dollars. If the U.S. currency depreciates against the currencies of our trading partners, b. your competitive position is likely worsened. When the dollar appreciates, this makes foreign goods seem cheaper and this improves their position in the market, but when the dollar depreciates the price of foreign goods seem expensive and this may probably worsen the position of foreign business (Econedlink par 11). 5. Suppose your firm invests $100,000 in a project in Italy. At the time the exchange rate is $1.25 = â‚ ¬1.00. One year later the exchange rate is the same, but the Italian government has expropriated your firms assets paying only â‚ ¬80,000 in compensation. This is an example of It does not matter the exchange rate, what counts is the fact that the government has taken over a private own business. The government does this without the owner’s consent but there must be compensation (Meridian Finance par 1). Upenn.edu Chapter 1 Globalization And The Multinational Firm Suggested Answers To End- Of-Chapter Questions. 2014,

Two Kinds and Everyday Use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two Kinds and Everyday Use - Essay Example The mother sees being in America a tremendous opportunity to succeed in life, as when she said, â€Å"of course, you can be a prodigy too.† This is synonymous with her dreams of making it big in America and be a success in life through her own daughter. In fact, she believed anyone can be anything what one wanted in America (open a nice restaurant and be an entrepreneur or be self-employed, work in government and get a good salary and a good retirement package too, buy a house with little or no down payment at all, to get rich, or to become famous). In other words, the conflict between the mother and daughter in this story is that of the clash of cultural norms, attitudes, and values in which the mother saw the need to work hard to be successful while the daughter sees it differently. Her daughter wanted to be left alone, so to speak, to pursue her own desires and dreams, to be not dictated by anybody, not even her mother. Their personal conflict is intensified due to this cultural difference, in which the two of them are working on different paradigms (or mindset). In other words, the title â€Å"Two Kinds† could mean an entirely different thing, that of two worlds, China and the United States (Bloom, 2009, p. 2). In the case of Maggie, people would naturally be sympathetic to her because of what had happened to her. She got burn scars when their house burned down, which some readers had suspected to be set by Dee because she intensely disliked their old and run-down house of which she is ashamed to even invite her own friends over to their old house. Besides, the character of Maggie is that of a shy girl, introverted and demure to the extent she did not bother to attend the school in their area to get a proper education. In a sense, she is the epitome of what a good kind of daughter that every mother wants a daughter to be, one who is obedient and submissive. The character

Communist manifesto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communist manifesto - Essay Example Not only were the form of governments and personnel altered but the entire basis of government were changed leading to emergency of society encompassing gender roles, human rights, nationality, and social class. It is noted these revolutionary social and political trends continued and became established in the nineteenth century, manifested through nationalist and democratic uprisings and movements against foreign or arbitrary rule throughout Europe, in the campaign against slave trade and slavery in the transatlantic ocean, and in to some extend demanding gender equality (Weightman 2010, 23). Emergence of industrial revolution led to emergence of another wave which reinforced revolutionary dynamic. Social, economic, and political changes emerged at the end of 19th century sweeping across the globe. Industrial revolution led to advances to substitute inanimate and machine sources of power for replacement of domestic and craft guilds production and human labor by the reformulation of business into cartels or corporation and manufacturing systems of the factory. This approach was similar to the replacement of the feudal rulers with political revolutions with new forms of government establishment and election of leaders. Similarly, industrial revolution was analogical to political revolutions which were exemplified through increased involvement of citizens in the government. This was in the sense that the resulting organizational and technological changes led to an impressive increase in production resulting into industrial society’s economic growth (Anderson 2011, 21). Effects of industrial revolution were felt in regions such as United States, Belgium, France, and Germany leading to emergence of new manufacturing cities. As a result, new class differentiation emerged and a new form of labor was conceived such as the middle class and the skilled labor respectively. Nevertheless, industrial revolution gave birth to rampant exploitation of workers and unplan ned urbanization calling for government regulations and interventions. Responses were manifested through Public Health Boards, Poor Laws, and Factory Acts. Evolution of labor unions was as a result of workers gaining the rights to vote. Socialist movements emerged due to resistance of workers demands leading to Karl Marx reasoning that was presented in Communist Manifesto which claimed that capitalist revolutionary overthrow was the only means for workers to emancipate themselves. On the contrary, Americans and Europeans expanded their influence and power due to the technological, organizational, and financial resources. Colonization, military domination, economic encroachment in the non-industrialized states was mated by little resistance thus resulting into new imperialism (Anderson 2011 33). Property rights exalted enlightenment to the status of a bulwark of liberty. Power in the older Europe accompanied property; however, aristocratic rule was the inevitable belief that justifie d the power. It was believed that wealth was right given by God and the traditional Christianity was conceived to balance this wealth. Nevertheless, European civilization was profoundly affected by industrial revolution. Industrialists viewed themselves as creators of wealth. Significant movement was the gradual expansion of voters’ rights which was initially focused on the working men but later included the women. Economic security and independence was argued to be achieved through the perception of liberty. The conception was based on the notion that natural laws yielded freedom rather than the theological

Discuss the process of making meaning in the face of confusion, loss Essay

Discuss the process of making meaning in the face of confusion, loss or limitation using the spiral Jetty and the documentry bomb it as resources - Essay Example One of the greatest art masterpieces is Spiral Jetty performed by Robert Smithson. The monumental earthwork Spiral Jetty (1970) is located on the Great Salt Lake in Utah. â€Å"Using black basalt rocks and earth from the site, the artist created a coil 1,500 feet long and 15 feet wide that stretches out counter-clockwise into the translucent red water† (Smithson Robert:Spiral Jetty). Those tourists who have visited this place of art energy claim it to be the greatest monument they have ever seen. The sculptor built the Jetty when the water level of the lake was quite law, therefore in several years it disappeared under water after the spring flood. Then it reappeared several times during the history of its existence and since 2005 due to the drought it gives the chance for everyone to admire it. Imagine that you have to construct such monument in a very short period of time because of the rising tides and you have to do a lot of things: to make the project of the masterpiece, to find proper funding, to hire the working group and to cope with all those problems that arise during the process of creation. I believe that the author had multiple problems while fabricating this piece of art, but he managed to do it. And now the walk along the salty rocks and the red path encourages other people to cope with their problems and fills them with enthusiasm. The thought that they have may be something like this: â€Å"If he managed to subjugate the elements, then I can solve my trifle problems easily and everything is going to be OK†. I think that admiring such grandeur pieces of art as Spiral Jetty brings meaning to our lives. Another example that I had to analyze and connect it with making meaning in life is performing graffiti art. The documentary presents the video about those guys who cannot imagine their lives without bringing colors on the walls of the houses, on the brick fences and sometimes on vehicles. The movie tracks the competition

The Home Front Letter Essay Example for Free

The Home Front Letter Essay How have you been? This War has everyone really going. The War will be over in a matter of months and our lives will back to normal. However, I am quite annoyed, just like most of my neighbours and colleagues, about the DORA. It has restricted the way we live. For example, we can no longer feed the dog. The news these days is just totally intolerable. Most of the news has to be censored, so how is one supposed to find out what is going on around the country. Those Germans are hated by every single Briton in this country. You should see some of the things they do. There are posters of Germans killing innocent babies and children for fun and raping women. It is just so inhuman. Recently, they have started sending in huge airships and bombing many of the large cities, including London. This has just got to end some time soon! My son, George, has also joined the army. My family and I are so proud of him. I feel that he will make a big difference to the war, just like the many other men that have joined. This whole war will blow over in the next few months. I dont think those Germans will last long at all. Take care of yourself. Yours sincerely, John.

Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Industry: Nandos

Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Industry: Nandos Topic: How customer loyalty can be increased in the restaurant industry? The case of Nandos. Why customer loyalty is important? What Nandos is doing and how it can be better develop? Loyalty marketing, loyalty programs, how to manage it? Techniques? Benefits? Problems? Conclusion. Loyalty Marketing: Definitions Of Customer Loyalty The main change concerns in the organization of marketing activities are certainly one of the more remarkable doctrines marketing. The concept of traditional marketing put at the centre of its priorities the creation of a preference for the service, the needs and desires of consumers. The marketing approach, as observed in the theory and practice in recent years focused more on the notion of exchange and the relationship is the focus of analysis. More recent approaches of marketing focus on the customer and make the quality of the relationship the key to loyalty. Indeed, a quality relationship inhibits choice and represses the effect of preferences. Thus, the relationship with the client becomes a primary concern managerial and academic. The market-oriented generates necessary behaviours to create superior value delivered to customers (Kohli and Jaworski 1990) and place the interests of the client first (Deshpande et al. 1993) for a continue satisfaction, permanent, which undergone constant refinement. This satisfaction is no longer about the only service provided by the company, but includes elements of the relationship, such as trust and commitment. For this, we seek an ongoing relationship and oriented in the long term in the context of a relationship marketing (Dwyer, Schurr et Oh 1987, Sheth et Parvatiyar 1994) and in this context that develops loyalty policies (Dawkins and Reichheld 1990). Kyner and Jacoby (1973) define loyalty as follows: Loyalty is defined as a behavioural response bias because non-random (not spontaneous) expressed over time by an entity decision, finding one or several brands taken in an overall, according to a decision process.† In this definition, loyalty requires: A repeat purchase behaviour resulting from several background variables and complement each other; A positive attitude of consumers that must be controlled or directed. This attitude reveals a favourable perception towards the brand, service, differentiating it to the loyalty from routine behaviour. For others loyalty rooted quality and delivered on the positive gap between perceived expectations and post-purchase evaluation. For Shapiro and Varian (1999) loyalty is to the consumer when efforts to change brand, product or supplier are too large to expect a significant gain change. The authors of this school of thought attempt to explain loyalty by exit barriers that prevent a kind of free choice of the client (a client may be considered faithful to a company only because it has characteristics of geographical proximity). Another school of thought on the loyalty is that which gave birth to the management of customer relationship management (CRM) with the emergence of ideas of Life Time Value. It aims to analyze the lifetime value of its current contribution but also on the basis of its potential to better allocate the resources of the company. It is now for an analysis in terms of portfolio of clients (each client has a value for the company that can be measured by the margin gen erated). Customer loyalty can be defined as the tendency of a customer to choose one company or product/service over another for a particular need. Customer/s can be described as being brand loyal because they tend to choose a certain brand of product more often than others. Customer loyalty is evident when it is the customers who make choices and take actions. Customer may express high satisfaction levels in a survey with a product or company, but there is a big difference between satisfaction and loyalty (Kumar (2008). Loyalty is shown by the actions of the customer, who can be satisfied and still not be loyal. The satisfaction with the product is ultimately a condition for loyalty. In fact, satisfaction is necessary for loyalty but not sufficient. It is true that the satisfaction is not only based on the product and service but also the relationship with the staff. Satisfaction towards the product concerns intrinsic attributes: quality, features, design, durability, benefit. Ultimately, th e quality-price emerges as a global assessment. The service specifically covers guaranteed delivery, solving problems and handling complaints. It introduced the relational aspects of accessibility, courtesy, competence and communication. Experience has shown that the first reason why customers leave a company with whom they do business, is that they do not feel that their needs are important to the company, and vice versa for the remaining loyal to the company for a long time, they feel valued and important. This perception and feeling to be considered is the emotional bridge between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Ghaury and Cateora 2006). Companies use a series of programs as relationship marketing, Database marketing, permission marketing or customer relationship management (CRM). Loyalty has a direct effect on sales of a company, and even better on its profits. However, the increased level of loyalty stems directly from the attitude and behaviour staff to clients. Motivation staff is the most powerful vector loyalty which itself contributes to profits. Meanwhile, business processes influence largely on how the staff behave with customers. It is in the interest of the company to develop a long-term relationship with clients where both parties benefit each other. It is much less costly for the company to keep its existing customers than to seek new ones. The scale of customer loyalty has 5 types of customers starting with: Suspect: A suspect is someone who comes across the companies promotion. They are a potential suspect for the company. Prospect: If the person is interested in the promotion they become a potential prospect. Customers: A customer is someone who purchases either the product or service. Clients: Clients are those who come back to the company. Advocates: Promotes the business on the companys behalf. They are so happy about the product/service that they tell others. (http://www.learnmarketing.net/ladder.htm Accessed on 02/08/2009) Marketing And Loyalty There are many definitions of marketing applying to loyalty programs. Several of them have focused these objectives in view of the value of the customer more profitable for the company. Today, programs and loyalty cards are found everywhere on standard credit cards, restaurants, etc Loyalty programs are widespread in all sectors that deliver goods or services used. They rely on marketing databases built from information from the loyalty cards that identify the client and record information about its behaviour. Their rules often refer to the use of methods from the traditional promotional techniques, encouraging consumers to increase and sustain their purchases in order to obtain a reward. In this context, they can be distinguished from the sales promotion of their defensive focus to longer term. The objective of the promotion is offensive, and when it stops, there is nothing that prevents consumers to come back to their old habits (Ehrenberg et al. 1994). In contrast, a loyalty progr am seeks to preserve market share by locking consumers through tangible benefits deferred (promotional techniques) or intangible (individualization, privileges, etc) and acts somewhat like a permanent promotion in the long term. The effectiveness of a loyalty program thus depends on its characteristics and tangible benefits but also intangible, that is to say, the expected value of the potential relationship that is likely to generate and develop. The consumer joining a loyalty program seeks, in making their purchases at shopkeepers, obtaining dividends, gifts. The trader in investing in this program seeks to seduce and imprison the consumer. This method, better known as retention, is actually a rather simple technique by which the consumer is faced with the efforts invested in the bonus points and is losing everything in case of abandonment of the program. A loyalty program is a relationship between the customer and the merchant in which, technically, the 2 parties have benefits. I n promoting their businesses, traders undertake several actions to attract customers. For the management of immediate rewards, they offer special discount store. By managing customer loyalty program, they offer rewards delayed. In contrast to the sales promotion where earnings appear at the same time as the cost or effort, this ratio is reversed in the context of delayed rewards, since an individual must first make an effort to more or less long term for earnings in the future. Investigations on human behaviour have shown that some individuals possess a strong motivation to engage in efforts leading to the award of future earnings (Atkinson 1957, Nicholls 1989). It is this aspect that loyalty programs appropriated in the construction of systems with delayed gratification the aim of managing the length of the relationship (retention) and discrimination. (Meyer-Waarden (2002). P. 2-88). Curiously this strong motivation is akin to the quest for a reward. In other words, the effort is motivated by greed. Some experts say that consumer motivation fades over time as more becomes aware that the bonus is spaced in time, the more likely he become discouraged with the efforts required for obtaining the reward. (Meyer-Waarden (2002), P 2-89) Thus, programs must allow consumers to obtain the benefits of the program while also locking in this program. To counter this behavioural aspect, 2 types of programs are offered: proportional and landing. The first principle is to proportionately reward the best customers. The second system encourages them to consume more to reach the next threshold points providing more benefits. Thus, it offers a minimum of points to small unprofitable consumers, maximum points for customers who are very profitable, and few points to very large consumers who buy anyway. (Meyer-Waarden (2002). P. 2-89) Greed is thus increased to obtain a value of gift supported by the consumers effort. The number of points necessary for obtaining a reward is related to the amount invested in the market by the consumer. By cons, consumer choice to join or not this kind of program that demonstrates the lure of gain accessible to long-term investment requires not only money but also time. There are several types of loyalty programs. Some programs offer a specific product free after a number of agreed purchase (coffee, compact disk, etc..) Or reductions applicable on each purchase while the issuers of credit cards offer privileges such as trave l insurance and car insurance during a rental. Some cards also allow a percentage discount or return money. In practice the system of loyalty cards is simple. It is generally sufficient to consumers to use when buying the card issued or accepted by the merchant to qualify for benefits. The card companies also offer credit to their customers bonus points programs. Unlike cards issued by participating merchants, using credit cards leads automatically, no matter where it is used, the accumulation of points and can sometimes match the accumulation of these points to another program loyalty. It is important to mention the strategy department stores growing strongly consumers use their credit cards to earn double the points they would get by paying cash or get loyalty points better at the price of an interest rate up to 28.8%. More specifically, programs that offer frequent flyer points accumulated encourage consumers to use the card as often as possible when making purchases to earn poin ts available for every penny spent, which will be redeemable against products or services available through a catalogue of premium or cons of coupons or discounts available with designated partners. (Benavent. Christopher. and Lars Meyer-Waarden. 2001. Loyalty Programs: Strategies and Practices). Some loyalty card segment their customers by offering them the opportunity to pay an additional fee to join an enhanced program that offers them a better ratio spent pounds / points accumulated. The holders can be considered as incidental to their privileged relationship with the issuer of the card. From the outset, the consumer, by joining the loyalty program, provides data that feed the database of the issuing company. Subsequently, all transactions for which the loyalty card is used by the consumer are stored in this database comes to prepare a record of its habits. The program relies on both the declarative, where the consumer fills out the questionnaire affiliation, but also on buying behaviour, thanks to its history. (Frenove, A.S. Hivet, N. Joly, P and Josquin, C. 2003. Topic: The Ethics of supermarkets). The ultimate goal of these programs, in addition to customer retention is to allow traders to analyze the data collected in order to increase the value of the customers shopping cart. The Concept Of Customer Life Cycle And Types Of Loyalty The Concept Of Customer Life Cycle: One of the key concepts of customer-oriented marketing is the life cycle dynamics of the customer, based on the idea that the flows of revenues and costs vary over time as requirements change in customer / business relations, contrary to the classical analysis and static demand. The first feature of the approach is that it is done individually and not aggregated, underscoring again the importance of marketing database, made possible thanks to the performance of information technology. Another interesting aspect is that the analysis is performed dynamically. The main idea is that the opinion of a client may occur more or less intense, and we can assume that it is forming a cycle. Practically, these cycles represent changes in purchasing power, but also modes, changing preferences, the phenomena of learning and forgetting. These cycles depend on several factors: the first is age. During the aging characteristics of opinion trends, tastes and attitudes can occur. Aging is characterized by a higher loyalty, more conservative, more risk aversion. Another factor is the generation based on the assumption that successive generations have value systems and own beliefs relatively distinct from others. This generation effect partially covers the different types of experiences. This manifests itself in innovative behaviours that vary with the gap between innovation and generation. This management based on cycles of life is clear to solve three problems: acquiring the customer, maintain, expand consumption and profitability. According to Dwyer, Schurr and Oh (1987), in the sense of relationship marketing, the life cycles of the relationship between a brand, product and a consumer have three distinct phases characterized by changes over time the amount used: (1) initialization or acquisition, (2) maturation or development and (3) breaking. The beginning of the cycle is quite understandable and is in customer acquisition, with a time of discovery of the other as a potential partner. Both parties calculate the attraction of the relationship, the costs and benefits of continuing it. Marked by the process of adoption and learning, this phase is characterized by a positive rate of consumption growth, but with high costs. In a second phase, presumably the consumers level of consumption stabilizes after having fully explored the use of the service. The expectations of the relationship and its benefits are confirmed, which leads to a continuation trade and then the notion of commitment, which results in the ignorance of competitive offers. Incomes of the company increase first and then level off as costs decrease. Finally, a third cycle is where a revival / reactivation, retention or separation from the client must be considered because the contribution weakens. The decrease in sales of service may occur at any time or gradual ly, indicating a process of wear or a more brutal, reflecting the substitution phenomena. Indeed, the dissolution occurs when the unmet expectations of increased transaction costs, the weakening of the switching costs of changing needs. Both partners must make a trade off between the benefits and costs brought by the relationship to decide whether or not its continuation. Any company engaged in the marketing approach dynamic client needs to adapt its strategy according to these phases. Three types of strategies should be considered in terms of life cycles that match: The customer acquisition, The loyalty and customer retention, And the augmentation of customer loyalty which represent a real challenge. Abandonment is considered when the costs of retention are higher than income generated by the client. (Abandonment=Costs loyalty > Income generated by the client). Once the company has determined the position of the life cycle by customer segment, it becomes clearly evident that this strategy must lead to an individualized approach to lead to a balanced allocation of resources. The problem is that each individual has a different value each time t for the company, which requires segmentation based on the potential and value of customers. Types Of Loyalty Customer loyalty is the result of well-managed customer retention programs. Before developing these successful programs, its important to know there are two types of loyalty: behavioural loyalty and the emotional loyalty. Behavioural loyalty is the loyalty to a brand demonstrated by repeat sales and responses to marketing campaigns by the customer. He behaves exactly like the company wants, by purchasing good or service. Behavioural loyaltys measures include response rate to direct marketing to the customer base. Emotional loyalty is the loyalty to a brand driven by favourable perceptions, opinions and giving recommendations. The customer feels empathy and attachment to a company or brand and he is willing to recommend it around him. It is better for the company if the customer has the both types of loyalty, but when its not the case specific strategies are developed to achieve both. (Chauffey, Chadwick, Mayer, Johnston (2006)). Benefits Of Efficient Customer Loyalty Management First, a loyal customer will continue its purchases over the years. Its purchase volume should also normally increase simply by economic growth and inflation. It should accept offers for complementary products and additional (Cross-Selling and Up-Selling). In any event, transaction costs should not increase proportionately. Consequently, they will decrease as a percentage of the cost and improve profitability (Kumar (2008)). Finally, a satisfied customer refers an average of 3 customers should in the best case follow the same progression. A study by the Harvard Business School published in the journal of the same name, shows an improvement in the percentage of loyal customers by 5% per year for 5 years to double, not sales, but profits.(CRM Odyssey Inc (2003)www.crmodyssey.com Accessed on the 09/08/2009 Another benefit from customer loyalty is it creates allow to the company to protect its markets from competitors; the more the customer is satisfied, the less he will be to buy to another product or service to the competitors. Automatically barriers are created against the competitors trying to enter in the market(s) (Ghaury and Cateora (2006)). Finally the word of mouth behaviour of loyal customer increase brand awareness. Customer share their positive feelings and experiences with their friends, family or mates when they are loyal to the company or product. They still purchase to the company and recommend it to others. It means a reduction of advertising cost; the money can be used to boost the word of mouth by making strategies to reward loyal customers. Reichheld goes even further in 1996 in his book The effect of loyalty by writing: the benefits of loyal customers are increasing over time and can recruit new consumers at reduced cost by using the legal Customer faithful because it is supposed to be a good speaker for the company.† It also shows in his work as a loyal customer makes purchases more often, he tends to buy for a higher amount and is less sensitive to the variable price. He becomes a captive of the company and therefore gives a kind of barrier to entry for potential competitors. The work of the TARP (Technical Assistance Program Reseach) supports these observations. They show that winning a new customer returns four to five times more expensive than keeping a customer is already active. Jones and Sasser (Jones 1995) focused on the relationship satisfaction / loyalty and showed a sense of satisfaction may not necessarily result fidelity as a loyal customer may nevertheless want to take advantage of a promotion with another supplier, test another product or refer to another offer. By cons, they also show a sense of dissatisfaction may cause disloyalty if dissatisfaction is not taken into account by the company. These gains must obviously be taken with caution because they rely heavily on industries. There is however no doubt that customer retention can benefit a significant leverage effect on profitability. The main reasons are: lower costs for customer acquisition, the net margin updated on the life of the customer to cover these costs; reduced management costs, a loyal customer knows the business better and less prone to use his front office to make purchases (reservations) effect of recommendation; Increased revenue per customer The Cost Of Lost Customers: A defensive marketing is cheaper than an offensive marketing, which often requires a direct confrontation with the competition. The cost of keeping a customer is five times less than the cost of converting a prospect, and it can cost up to sixteen times more to achieve with the new customer, the profitability of a customer acquired. So its the rate of customer retention rate that is essential, and not the attraction. The company must carefully monitor the defection of customers and minimize the amplitude. There are four stages: Define and measure retention. This may be the reuse of the services. Know the different reasons for discontinuation, and identify those which can be remedied. Estimate the lost profit per customer lost. Calculate how much it would reduce defections. Profitability: We have already mentioned the theory of Reichheld and Sasser that a company can improve profitability by 25% to 85% by reducing its rate of defection by 5%. Thus, loyal customers are often more profitable than occasional customers. Specifically, in the service activities and the Business to Business, customers of a company tend to increase their purchase from the company as they know it and appreciate it better. A positive word of mouth: In many cases, loyal customers of a business will spontaneously promote to their surroundings, and become, through word of mouth, very effective recruiters because disinterested and credible. For all these reasons, the loyal customer service of a company is considered a real capital, called the customer capital. Retention and its challenges: This new focus puts the customer and his control in centre of our concerns. Given the incredible proliferation of professional works in the field, it seems essential to discuss strategic issues and objectives of retention, by reviewing customer orientation and loyalty policies to give a definition and a clear positioning of loyalty. The retention strategy: Loyalty, recognized as indispensable goal of any customer relationship strategy, not confined to mere promotional programs: Some rules must be respected. Rule 1: Be selective: Customers do not all contribute equally to the profitability of the company. Therefore, retention should be selectively adapting any loyalty action from an analysis of customer value. Rule 2: Propose an attractive loyalty offer and truly innovative. The loyalty offers are numerous, but not all have the same impact. The company can arbitrate according to its objectives between different options: Immediate benefits often focus on value and price (price preference ); Privileges, providing intangible benefits to customers (priority systems, assistance ); Rewards delayed in time, seeking to establish lasting relationships with customers the most profitable and likely to extend their relationship with the company. Whatever the choice of the selected offer, interest for customers is based on five attributes, determining its overall perceived value: The perceived value of any premium or net worth; Attractiveness; Accessibility through time; The freedom given to the customer in the choice of options; Simplicity of the offer. Rule 3: Anticipating the costs: The need to assess the costs in advance of any approach to loyalty is essential. Too often, a company focused on profits resulting from the proposed strategy, without taking into account the costs generated before and repeatedly. These costs may be related to both the growing number of customers affected, and ways and means of dealing with relationships with clients, sometimes completely new to the company. Rule 4: Consolidate and exploit customer information: The challenges that the company have just highlighted described the need to build its strategy of strong customer loyalty for the company. Two main lines of action are considered: †¢ The opportunity to integrate operational databases (sales / billing, marketing ) in a baseline. †¢ The interest of exploiting every opportunity to contact customers to gather information about them. This database will allow the tracking of the customer relationship over time, and identification of customer profiles profitable and unprofitable, which will determine the choice of targets to retain. Problems Linked To Customer Loyalty Difficulties In Marketing: Obtaining a good efficiency requires a good understanding of customer behaviour and causes of abandonment. One must distinguish the causes of termination which are inevitable (and often unpredictable) from other, more or less predictable and can be combated. The causes are unavoidable, for example: a change of personal or professional lifestyle, financial problems, death Preventable causes are: inadequate tariff, a history of poor service and complaints. The challenge is to build something, based on information often dispersed. In anticipation of the termination for inadequate tariff, must be able to say what was the invoice for each client if they had chosen the optimum rate? How much would he have saved? From what current difference between invoice and optimum bill is there a risk? To anticipate the claims for termination, you must classify all types of call to customer service (there are easily hundreds) and identify those that increase the probability of termination. We must also take account of differences in behaviour related to age, family status, and place of residence and recover to the extent possible this information. Difficulties In Management Retention also poses problems of management, for example the coexistence of a culture of acquisition and a culture of loyalty: In a young market, corporate culture is naturally directed towards the acquisition. This orientation manifests itself in several ways, for example, budgets are allocated primarily to sales, what is important here is the market share of sales. In these circumstances it is difficult to make a place to loyalty because it is cultural opposition on both fronts: its budget is in competition with the acquisition, because what is important here is the retention of customers and not flow of customers. Difficulties In The Organization: When the market is young, the sales should be focused on conquering, the measure of the rate of effectiveness is still difficult, and loyalty is part of the Marketing. Then improving customer knowledge, customer service records terminations, understand the causes, loyalty becomes profitable and worthy of large budgets, customer service becomes legitimate to ensure loyalty. In consumer, all sale actions are public, as far as loyalty is confidential. Loyalty is indeed a clear competitive advantage. It allows to keep or to take market share in all discretion. Confidentiality is necessary for a second reason: do not create perverse behaviour on the part of customers, who know the rules of the game could benefit for future benefits. (Jean Baptiste COUMAU and Henri WIDMER, La Jaune et la Rouge,2002) Rejection Of Customers: The approach of loyalty can lead to bias by virtue of its objectives: there is concern that the benefits accorded to consumers more loyal to the product or service concerned and not the enterprise. There is a risk of great loss of power marketing consent. Moreover, the strong competition leads to a generalization of loyalty operations that can not only cause fatigue but also a rejection of the approach by customers. The multiplicity of material resources such as loyalty cards generalized in various companies in portfolios causes both a reaction to the trivialization of operation for the customer and a loss of power to the business on target. The implementation of a loyalty operation is tricky: the company must choose carefully because the target must be loyal customers, those holders of profits. This targeting is difficult and requires the development of a database of well-informed. This base is also used to monitor quantitatively and qualitatively loyal customers. These are consider ations of costs related to these investments in information that may be a limit. (Fotso Tagne Achille Rostand, La fidelisation client http://www.ougagner.fr/fidelisation.html Accessed on the 09/09/2009) Means And Factors Influencing Loyalty Factors Influencing Loyalty If they are well structured and well implemented, customer loyalty programs cited above can bring measurable benefits to the company that would stand out positively of competition by reducing costs and in the same time increase its income. This situation is favoured by: Attracting new customers; A high retention rate of existing customers for a long period; Increasing the frequency of visits by the existing customers; Increasing expenditure on new and existing customers; Making customers in good conditions so they feel appreciated and satisfied then they promote products or services through word of mouth around them. (Memberson (2008) http://www.memberson.com/Loyalty/CustomerLoyalty.aspx Accessed on 01/08/2009) Some factors are essential to create and maintain the Customer loyalty. Showing 6 success factors that make some companies

Disadvantages Being A Woman Entrepreneur Sociology Essay

Disadvantages Being A Woman Entrepreneur Sociology Essay Interview two women entrepreneurs find out whether they believe the tasks of being an entrepreneur any different for them than for their male counterparts. What are the disadvantage advantage of female entrepreneur? Are these different substantial or minor? When you are debating with someone, it is easy to pull out one anecdote or fact that furthers just one point of view. TechCrunch posts about women have done that of late. A recent article claimed that women dont want to run startups and that they would rather have children instead. If you consider TechCrunch, this viewpoint makes some sense. They are focused on Silicon Valley, where young white men start most of the companies and traits like aggression and arrogance are positively rewarded. These companies need to grow rapidly in order to stay ahead of the trend. In the world of entrepreneurship, there will be some women who would rather have children than run lifestyle business. Startups require ridiculous amounts of work, and most are doomed to failure. That being said many men feel exactly the same way. They dont want the stress either. Many women have had children while running startups and many others have also chosen to not have children. In recent research done into startup companies, there were some very interesting findings. It was found that the average age of a successful tech company founder is 39. Founders of these companies tend to be married and generally have two or more children. They tend to start these companies because they are tired of working for someone else and want to make their own money with which to retire. They use their work experience to their advantage. The biggest hindrance to people taking this leap is a fear of failure. The question we ask is: What is the difference between male and female founders? The findings were very surprising. There were almost no differences between male and female founders. Both males and females wanted to increase their wealth, capitalize on great ideas, were attracted to the startup culture, had wanted to own their own company for years, and were tired of working for someone else. One key difference, however business partners gave women slightly more money than men. The ages of male and female founders were on average the same too. Also, both male and female founders started their companies with similar numbers of kids. The only difference was that men were more likely to be married. There is an imbalance coming in on the tech side though. In 1985, 37% of computer science students were female. Today it is 19%. It is thought that this comes from the fact that many girls arent encouraged by their parents to pursue math and science in school and study them further. Just one percent of high-tech startups have a woman as a CEO, and there are next to no women as chief technology officers. When speaking to big players in the tech game, it came out that many of them said that their success depends on hiring the best people for the job. These companies knew they were missing out on good talent because of the stereotype that women dont make good tech people. One of the ways around this is to interview at least one woman for each open position in the company. This doesnt mean they should hire people who arent the best for the position, but it ensures that they get to see a broad range of candidates. In the experience of these companies, when those hiring had the chance to meet female job seekers, they were more likely to hire females. To level it further, all companies should also consider having at least one woman on the hiring team. These are just small ways we can change things. All thats necessary is to break down these dangerous stereotypes. Discriminating against people is always wrong, no matter what criteria we use. If we all work together we can solve a problem that we all know to exist. If you are a woman thinking about starting a business, it is important to know that you have a lot of advantages in doing so. If you are a guy, well, its time to get back in touch with your feminine side. Disadvantages Being a Woman Entrepreneur: We have a tendency to Think multi-tasking is normal and pride ourselves at being good at it. Have an Ill do-it-myself attitude. Not even consider hiring a team of helpers like housekeepers, personal assistants, accountants, virtual assistants and business coaches until its absolutely necessary. Have a problem receiving. So we either charge less than our male competitors or forget to put ourselves on the payroll. Focus almost completely on the day-to-day tasks and are reluctant to set goals or make business plans. Want our work to be perfect more than we want it to be profitable. Not really know what our business dreams are. Believe the act of self-care to recharge ourselves is selfish. Delay success by focusing more on why we are not doing something rather than pushing through the fear and just doing it. All we have to do to overcome these disadvantages is change our beliefs. Financial Barrier One of the most significant barriers to female entrepreneurship is the capital financing barrier. When starting a business, entrepreneurs need to line up capital to get the business off of the ground. According to Mai Nguyen, female entrepreneurs often get their initial funding from family loans, savings, credit cards and home equity loans. However, women can obtain capital from government startup programs, self-funding and venture capitalists, among other sources. When women have promising business ideas, it is less difficult for them to obtain startup capital. Therefore, having solid business plans with persuasive product or service ideas helps reduce the finance barrier for women. Lack of Networks Female entrepreneurs are more likely to encounter difficulty because they are less likely to be associated with networks of people who can help them launch and sustain businesses. Networks include people who provide mentorship, referrals, help and valuable information to entrepreneurs. Men tend to dominate the highest levels of corporate leadership. Therefore, there are fewer women available to provide valuable advice to female entrepreneurs. Women also face customer/supplier discrimination, which occurs when customers or suppliers discriminate against women-owned firms. In response, women business leaders can create their own networks to cultivate the success of female entrepreneurs. However, these networks should include men who can also be helpful to fund-raising, business strategy or other critical areas. Family Considerations In the United States, women are more likely to shoulder a greater share of child-rearing duties. Children may demand their mothers undivided attention, which can be a challenge for female entrepreneurs to deal with. Building and running a new business requires a great deal of time, which may conflict with ones family obligations. Women in this situation must balance their family life with their duties as entrepreneurs. For example, parents can communicate about the need to devote some time during the day solely on business, while other times can be devoted to family matters. Confidence Although both men and women can face issues of self-doubt, or lack confidence to compete in the business market, men do not suffer from the same degree of prejudgment as do women entrepreneurs. For example, male business leaders may not believe that their female counterparts can compete or innovate to the degree that men can. The basis of these views are stereotypes about women. Having female mentors and confidants can help instill self confidence in your abilities as a female entrepreneur. Advantages Being a Woman Entrepreneur: While female entrepreneurs only represent a small portion of the overall number of businesses in the country right now, make no mistake that percentage will continue to climb. The research shows that the growth of female owned businesses is growing at twice the rate of male owned ones. The more women take the leap and open their business, the more others will follow in line. And because of these advantages, among others, they should have a pretty good chance of succeeding. Below are advantages. Social Networking: Women are natural networkers. They love to talk, mingle, and rub elbows. This is the very reason why husbands rarely ever manage the social calendar. In todays business environment, mastering social media is mandatory, and the ladies absolutely have a leg up! Intuition: They call it womens intuition for a reason. Women in general can size up another person much faster than her male counterpart. In todays ultra-fast paced business environment, you need the ability to quickly identify the allies and the enemies. Regardless if you are a male or female, you need to trust your gut. Pain Tolerance: Women definitely have an advantage in this area. This is irrelevant. But while children are born, women can handle a lot more than men can. It is not just physical pain, it is emotional too. In business world, there are a lot of painful moments during work. Multi-tasking: Women are known for juggling many tasks at the same time and still being able to produce excellent results. Conversely, the guys are masters at focusing on one thing. Still, the advantage in todays distracting environment goes to women. Patience: Women inherently seem to have more patience. And in todays business environment, patience is key. Aggressive business strategies are not paying off like they once did. Slow and steady wins the race in this category. Listening: A friend of mine went to buy a new bed at a small bedding store owned by a husband and wife team. The female owner approaches my friend and asked all kinds of questions about why they needed a new bed, if they could fix their old bed, what else they were considering, etc. She asked questions and listened closely. She clearly showed that she cared about helping to meet their needs. My friend was moments away from buying any bed that she recommended. But just then, the frustrated husband on the sales team ran up and said let me handle this. Then he just tried to hard close the sale. He was pushy, telling them what he recommended and what they had to have. Guess what? The sale was lost the second he began speaking! They walked out. I am sure he blamed her, but it was him. The key is to ask questions and really listen. Quite frankly, any great sales person knows this, man or woman, it just seems that the ladies are naturally better at doing it. Common Factors Gender Discrimination Women entrepreneurs need to understand that it has always been and still is a mans business world and that the male of the species is not going to make it easier for females to get a foothold. Interestingly enough, studies show that men may be the dominant force in society not because they want to, but that their sympathy for the suffering endured by their mothers as they struggle to nurture and raise the brood brings out the males protective instincts and this ultimately translates into men dominating and subjugating women. Mothers need to coach their offspring to understand that the true value that the mother brings to the brood is much more than just nurturing the brood. They also need to understand that nurturing the family without the direct help and support of the male counterpart is as complex an achievement as starting and successfully running a small company in the business world. Women entrepreneurs need to push that concept even further along and fight to be taken seriously by their male counterparts. They need to be more assertive and also to be prepared to deal with explosive situations which women tend to want to avoid unlike their male counterparts. They need to understand that when explosive situations are managed correctly, the results are no different than managing the set of explosions that comprise a good fireworks display. Balancing Work and Family Women entrepreneurs need to balance the mix of work and family. This is nothing more than proper time management. Society has deemed that because the woman spends 9 months gestating the fetus and then because she also lactates, she is expected to provide nurture and care for the brood while the father can take a hike and hunt or farm for food which she still has to prepare so that the brood can have sustenance. I hate to say it, and some of my male counterparts and my born again Christian friends will get on my case, but if God had been a woman, she would have balanced the responsibility for nurturing and caring for the brood across both male and female by making him lactate and suffer the same emotional and hormonal changes that accompany the close bonding between a suckling infant and a lactating parent. Then and only then would the male admit to how truly powerful it is to be a mother and at the same time aspire to perform tasks outside the nest. The woman entrepreneur needs to make the male understand and accept the joint responsibility for everyday care of the brood. . She needs to strike a balance between caring for the family and working outside the nest. Self Confidence Women entrepreneurs need to believe in themselves and have confidence in the viability of the business ideas they bring to the table. They need to understand that it is not the idea that is great, but rather the execution of the business model behind the idea that leads to success and bring value to the business proposition. Women plan and execute as well as men and because they have less to prove themselves in a Jockless Culture they tend to be more productive more quickly. Our male dominated culture is driven by our captivation with sports and combat and since most sports were invented to satisfy the yearnings of the males in society we have a tendency to believe that only males can be the quarterbacks or the gladiators. Women entrepreneurs need to make the men understand that if they give the women the weapons and step out of the way, theyll see combat that they never thought possible. Network Building Lastly, women entrepreneurs need to spend time paving the way for the next generation of female entrepreneurs. Their male counterparts have been able until now to build their networks and good old boys clubs with no competition from the females. The woman entrepreneur needs to understand that shell continue to get minimal if any help from her male counterpart. She need to grab for the next rung on the ladder and pull herself up while leaving a map that her younger counterparts can easily follow. Today the woman entrepreneur is still a pioneer and she needs to come to grips with this. Conclusion Women entrepreneurs bring a different set of perspectives into decision making in the 21st century. They are an underutilized talent pool in an increasingly talent-constrained business environment and it is time they go after what they should have had from the very beginning.

Frankenstein Essay examples -- essays papers

Frankenstein The Monster, The True Victim Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, symbolized a person’s necessity for acceptance by society. Society labels everything as good or bad, right or wrong, rich or poor. Although some of these labels may be correct, many are misconceptions. The monster, needed to be accepted by society, but instead was scorned, attacked, and shunned because of his outward appearance. The treatment of the monster was on the assumption that he was actually a monster. The only justification of this treatment was his outward appearance. The death of Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s father stirred his interest in prolonging life. He had noble intentions of helping humanity. As death is a part of life, he became obsessed with death. He felt he had to experience death to a certain point. â€Å"To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death.† (Shelley 36) Dr. Frankenstein started studying the effects of death on the human body. This study became an obsession with him. He wanted to be able to create life. If he could create a living, breathing being, then he would be God like. Unlike God, Frankenstein abandoned his creation. Dr. Frankenstein’s creature was somewhat like Adam in that they were unique and individual. Adam was created and given a companion, Eve. He received loving care and had the presence of a father. Even though Adam and Eve were ejected from the Garden of Eden, his father never deserted him. Adam was created with unselfish intentions, and was not punished by God until he had violated the law. The monster cannot be held accountable for his abandonment, for he was forsaken and unloved from the moment he was created. Frankenstein never processed any loving feelings for his creatio... ... before conceiving a child. It is entertaining to think that Shelley, herself, probably never had the luxury of choice, whether it was due to the lack of family planning technology or her own emotional obstacles. Frankenstein’s journey of Faustian beginning with his neglectful parent actions, is a deeply interconnected and richly developed expedition within the novel. I feel that the greater part of this work is the speaking of one woman’s fears, and the fears of most parents. Mary Shelley asked if an un-mothered child who undergoes much pain, can ever mature into a moral, considerate member of society? Levine says, â€Å" . . . the Frankenstein metaphor implies great ambiguity about where the burden of good and evil rests† (31). This signifies the importance of acceptance by society and that without love and affection we all could be acceptable to a violent nature.

The Positive Short-term and Long-term Affects of Smaller Class Sizes on

The Positive Short-term and Long-term Affects of Smaller Class Sizes on Students The size of a class has had or will have a larger affect on a person’s life than most people know and affect more aspects than are visible to the human eye. A large percent of the human population will go through or has gone through, a type of schooling. The size of classes in school affects more than just a student. The faculty has to deal with size too, for example if a classroom can’t fit enough students in one class, another teacher may have to give up their room during their break time to lend the room to another teacher. There is a demand for teachers in the work force and with a more difficult working environment; it could turn people off from that profession. In my high school, we had teachers who were referred to as â€Å"floaters† because they didn’t have a classroom of their own and had to keep all their belongings on a cart and push it into a designated room for their next class as a result of overpopulation. Too large of a class also a ffects the teacher because with more students, the chances of students misbehaving are increased. A large classroom is not horrible, but is not as effective or as useful as a smaller class size. There are many short-term and long-term positive affects of small class sizes. The positive affects of small class sizes on students can differ. A huge factor is that a small class size means more attention from the teacher or professor. It also allows for more interaction with other students. Participation is usually a key factor in a class and connects with the grading so smaller classes allow a higher level of communication in the class. Small class size has influenced me personally in many diff... ...nds and made the combined money available to states for a variety of education programs.† The NEA opposed this fund. According to this statement the funds are slowly depleting. Although class size is an important topic, it seems to our government there are more important issues. The short-term and long-term benefits of a smaller class size are many as you have read. The benefits attributed to class size are improving the students learning abilities, improving on teacher/student relationship, and student to student relationships, communication in and out of the classroom, the positive effect on discipline, and increases test scores. Smaller class sizes are one of the most important things in schooling and are not taken fully advantage of, but should be used more often than it is. There are obviously more affects from class size that remain unseen to the human eye.

Alcohol abuse among college students at univeristy of south carolina

Alcohol is a drink made by mixing yeast with sugary substances such as corn, barley and rye. The mixture is then left to ferment for some time. Once consumed it is absorbed into the body systems through the stomach and the small intestines and affects the mind making the person who had consumed it lack proper coordination. It leaves the body by being excretion through the kidney, lungs and the liver.Many college students consume alcohol as a way of forgetting certain situations in their college life that is stressing them, make friends and even maintain them. But in actual sense alcohol only suppresses the problem for a very short duration of time after which the negative effects to the individual manifest themselves such as poor personal health, poor concentration in school and financial constrains.Excessive use of alcohol leads to neglect of major responsibilities such as schooling and this state is termed as alcoholism that has no cure but can only be controlled (Presley, Meilman, & Cashin, 1996).Starters mainly consume alcohol varieties that are less concentration but upon advancing they get to very concentrated brands that eliminate the desire to drink fast.Alcohol Abuse among College StudentsThe African-American students within the campus drink less compared to white counterparts. The students who engage in heavy drinking are usually aged between 18-29 years and drink up to three times in a week with very few going up to five days; this clearlyindicates that alcohol is readily available within the campus and that the alcohol-control policies are somehow lenient.Though this should not generalize that all students drink, a good number of students have never tasted alcohol within the institution.The availability of alcohol within the community surrounding the Campus draws students towards alcohol even if the campus authorities are against it.In order to lower the levels of alcohol abuse among students of drinking age which is set at 21 years by the federal l aws, the university encourages students to drink responsibly and behave in a mature manner (O’Malley & Johnston, 2002).To reduce alcohol abuse the university has ensured that those students selling alcohol within the campus premises have a commercial license that governs their conduct.  The university has ensured that alcohol is sold in designated points such as the students centre and not just anywhere and this helps reduce its accessibility thus reducing its abuse. Any misconduct upon being drunk should be reported to the campus dean within twenty four hours of such offence and appropriate punishment administered according to the law (Presley, Meilman, & Cashin, 1996).

Energy Summary Essay

In this paper we explain some current environmental problems and how some people are looking for quick and temporary solutions without taking into consideration the environment. These solutions might be beneficial for the human existence in the present time or for a short period of time but the imminent destruction of the environment will be permanent due to the damage caused by the last generations, which are now seeing the consequences of the irresponsible way in which nature has been exploited. Today there are more laws, organizations, and measures to minimize or deny a holding that will favor some nations for a short time but forever destroy the environment without thinking about the next generations. In addition, we explain how United States is dealing with nuclear waste, the biggest threat to the environment; even small amounts can be extremely dangerous for the humanity. Here we will see how the location of these plants could be threatened by underground geography, and natural distastes as earthquakes. The arctic National Wildlife Refuge The arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to thousands of species of animals and plants that are exclusive to the area. This refuge was created to protect these species from human development and interests because of how fragile the ecosystem is in this area. â€Å"The organisms living here have adapted to their environment, but any additional stress has the potential to harm or even kill them. Thus, arctic organisms are particularly vulnerable to human activities† (Raven, P. , Berg, L. & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). The primary energy source in the area is crude oil. It has been said that the area contains enough oil to supply our nation’s needs for approximately a decade, which would temporarily reduce the nations need for dependence on foreign oil. The oil reserves that have been found in Alaska are some of the largest reserves that have been found in our nation, which helps continue to fuel the discussion for drilling to begin. The o ther argument for drilling is the need to reduce dependency on foreign oil. The economic impact that drilling these oil reserves would be huge, but it would be temporary. The money spent each year on foreign oil would be reduced and utilized for other needs of the nation, but once that oil is gone and used up the nation would be back in the same position it was currently facing. The stakeholders in this case are the animal and plant species native to the area, as well as the businessmen in the oil industry and the consumers. Advocates for conserving the area will stress for the need to keep the area untouched for the sake of the life forms there. The businessmen and the consumer will continue to advocate for the drilling of this land as long as fuel prices remain high, and as long as the nation’s dependence on foreign oil remains so substantial. There are numerous solutions that can be found to the oil problem, but none of them are cheap. Technology exists today for vehicles and businesses to run on natural gas, solar power, and even bio-diesel. These technologies are safer on the environment as well as safer for the health of the consumer. Big business leaders resist these technologies because it will cut into the profits they already make off of the oil industry. The Yucca Mountains The Yucca Mountains, which are located roughly 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas has been identified as a location to store nuclear waste by the US government (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). In 1954 the government made the decision to be responsible in the disposal of high level nuclear waste. The first of the actions taken by the US government involved storing nuclear waste in the salts beds near Carlsbad, New Mexico (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). At this time although the Yucca Mountains has been chosen as a location to store the waste, the actual disposal process has not yet started. There is discussion and observations of nuclear power and its impact on the environment. Nuclear waste is a result of nuclear power releasing amounts of ionizing radiation in the atmosphere. Looking at the current economics the supply of nuclear power is guessed to last 100+ years leading to the planning of waste disposal as long as it is used. Experiments show that the waste level is lower than other energy sources but has extreme concerns of risk from catastrophic accident which include water pollution and long term health issues when exposed. Take for example the Chernobyl Accident of 1986 where a plant explosion and fires released at up to 5% of the radioactive reactor core in to the atmosphere and downwind, (â€Å"Chernobyl Accident 1986†, 2012). As a result of the accident there were fatalities and injuries and now showing cases of illness due to exposure. With the governments interest in taking responsibility in the disposal of nuclear waste using the Yucca Mountains has convinced them that the location is the right place. But before it can be executed there is more testing and experiments that are being conducted. There is still much work to in order before execution of the disposal plan. The remote profile of the location makes for a good place. Billions of dollars have been spent by the government conducting feasibility of the area (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). There is a delay in the planning to use the mountains because there is an argument that regardless of the remoteness it is still near an area where earthquake and volcanic actions can still occur. Monitoring continues and the government over-see’s the expenses as part of their interest and responsibility to the environment. As researchers continue explore the study of nuclear power and its waste the limited resources remain around this topic. Carlsbad had offered to dispose some of the waste but the Yucca remains to be a target. With Nevada’s best interest at hand the delay to deposit the waste may have been an indirect positive benefit right now. As an alternative strategy the as Nevada and the government try to come to an agreement suggestions of alternatives should and must be discussed. Looking at a short term solution the nuclear waste maybe disposed in substitute locations. Another strategy to act in assistance to the concern might be to limit nuclear waste until other arrangements can be put in place by the government and participating businesses. The Three Gorge Dam The Three Gorge Dam, located on the Yangtze River (is the third largest river in the world) in China, is the world’s largest hydropower project. The dam supplies water to the hydroelectric plant. Advantages of the dam include helping control the downstream flooding and waterway navigation purposes. River navigation is the only means of long-distance, cost-effective transportation of freight. (â€Å"Three Gorges Dam†, n. d. ). The Three Gorge Dam project has a great abundance of water currently available but the environmental impact is great. Environmental impact includes soil erosions, industrial water pollutants, loss of ecosystems, endangering species (biodiversity), disruption of local species habitat (fish migration) and siltation. (Min, n. d. ). Hundreds of factories, mines, and waste dumps were submerged creating industrial pollutants in the reservoir. Erosion from the downstream riverbanks causes landslides and changing ecosystems. Pristine and biologically diverse river basins are being used for the construction of hydropower. Another environmental concern is the actual weight of the reservoirs water increasing seismicity. Economical and ethical issues include the project funding, the relocation of more than 1. 2 million people (to more inland urban cities), agricultural shifts, and the flooding of numerous cities, villages, and towns. (â€Å"Three Gorges Dam, China†, 2009). Vital farmlands would be submerged (along with million dollar metal mines) and the lack of replenishing land will affect the countries agriculture prices. Additionally the reservoir would trap over 75% of the sedimentation (â€Å"natural fertilizer† for the downstream Delta). Relocating over one million people is an incredibly difficult task. The Chinese government is solely interested in this project to produce more efficient power for the country (generating 84 billion kilowatt/hour (kW/h) of hydroelectric power each year). That is equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants or large coal power plants. Given the severe air quality problems facing China and its current reliance on imported energy, this is a great advantage. Possible strategies for creating alternative energy sources are limited. Solar energy is a great way, but China does not have much ground space for solar systems. Conservation is weighed on both sides of the argument. To preserve the existing land, ecosystems, and waterways would be the best choice in conservation. But, hydroelectric power is cheaper than fossil fuel power. And since the dam in already in place, it is time to conserve for future species and their offspring. Ongoing studies of critically endangered species should be of primary concern. Also, conserving the rest of Chinas agricultural land is important, since a percentage was lost creating the dam. Conclusion Even though many countries around the word are looking for new sustainable energy solutions, trying very hard to minimize the impact on the environment, the leading energy companies are still not willing to make the necessary investments. These companies should receive the proper incentive and political support to start investing in our energy future. In the last few years the â€Å"go green† culture is getting stronger and is attracting more followers every single day. There are government programs incenting the purchase of energy efficient cars, home electronics or green homes. Only a hand full of countries are willing to see this problem as a priority and it will take more time and damage to the environment until the entire world will come to the same realization. Hopefully, in the near future clean and sustainable energy will be the norm and the damage to the environment will be stopped or at list minimized.