Foster Care Personal Statement

I entered the foster care system at age 4 due to my birth mothers drug problems. I was immediately adopted to a family of 12 before I could even understand the reality of my own life. It hit quick when I was old enough to think for myself. I began to notice how emotionally abusive the adoptive mother was. She played me and my younger blood sister against each other and made sure I knew that I was worth nothing and would never amount to anything. Dealing with such a relationship made my preteen years unbearable, I turned to friends at school and the adoptive father for support and comfort.At age 14 I was place back in the foster system without a clue as to why. After a long, hard confusing year full of interrogations and mixed feelings, the conclusion was stated. I was in foster care because my adoptive father had sexually abused 4 of my siblings, including my younger sister. This was old news to the adoptive mother, which brought light to the reason why she acted the way she did towa rd me. The discovery of this left me feeling angry, sad and betrayed all at the same time. To think that someone I confided in and looked up to for 10 years of my life could do such a thing caused me to lose all trust and hope in people.While most teens transitioning to high school focused their mental energy towards worrying about their next exam and trying to fit in somewhere, mine included more hardships. I was more focused on trying to live comfortably with strangers, and not feeling like a burden to them. A lot of my energy went towards trying to be there for my little sister, someone I’ve never had a chance to build a good relationship with in the first place, in a time where I didn’t want anything to do with relationships.I was focused on things like learning to trust again, accepting the things that have happened in my life, and not shutting everyone out of my life. It was in this time frame that I turned to music for comfort. Music has honestly helped me throu gh the tough times, and has been the most consistent part of my life. I hope to someday make a career out of this passion. Ferris offers a well-rounded degree in music management. I feel it will help me become very accessible in the music industry. With the help of music, iv come through tough times, and I feel that I can succeed. Im driven to succeed. Foster Care Personal Statement I entered the foster care system at age 4 due to my birth mothers drug problems. I was immediately adopted to a family of 12 before I could even understand the reality of my own life. It hit quick when I was old enough to think for myself. I began to notice how emotionally abusive the adoptive mother was. She played me and my younger blood sister against each other and made sure I knew that I was worth nothing and would never amount to anything. Dealing with such a relationship made my preteen years unbearable, I turned to friends at school and the adoptive father for support and comfort.At age 14 I was place back in the foster system without a clue as to why. After a long, hard confusing year full of interrogations and mixed feelings, the conclusion was stated. I was in foster care because my adoptive father had sexually abused 4 of my siblings, including my younger sister. This was old news to the adoptive mother, which brought light to the reason why she acted the way she did towa rd me. The discovery of this left me feeling angry, sad and betrayed all at the same time. To think that someone I confided in and looked up to for 10 years of my life could do such a thing caused me to lose all trust and hope in people.While most teens transitioning to high school focused their mental energy towards worrying about their next exam and trying to fit in somewhere, mine included more hardships. I was more focused on trying to live comfortably with strangers, and not feeling like a burden to them. A lot of my energy went towards trying to be there for my little sister, someone I’ve never had a chance to build a good relationship with in the first place, in a time where I didn’t want anything to do with relationships.I was focused on things like learning to trust again, accepting the things that have happened in my life, and not shutting everyone out of my life. It was in this time frame that I turned to music for comfort. Music has honestly helped me throu gh the tough times, and has been the most consistent part of my life. I hope to someday make a career out of this passion. Ferris offers a well-rounded degree in music management. I feel it will help me become very accessible in the music industry. With the help of music, iv come through tough times, and I feel that I can succeed. Im driven to succeed.

Main Purpose of Education

Main purpose of education Nowadays,Hong Kong education system has an controversial issue which is about the teachers train their students in order to ensure they obtain the highest grade in public examination. As a result ,they do not know how to apply the knowledge they learned into the workplace. Teachers only teach the knowledge and students recites the information from the textbook,thus many secondary school graduates are lack of the ability to present their opinion and idea in a precise and organized way..The current education system ignores the main purpose of education which is to train the students’ critical thinking in the lesson. Practicing the critical thinking is definitely essential for the students because they have to contact with the hustle business environment after they graduate from the college. If they can elaborate their point of views in current affairs clearly before they graduate, they could compete with other candidates and have the higher opportunity to be hired by employer.The world is changing and going forward gradually, as Charles Darwin have said ‘Survival of the fittest’. There is a great deal of workers who has high education level in society, the employer tend to employ the people who can criticize and analyze social topic with valid reasons since well critical thinker can communicate effectively and easier to find solution of complicated problems. Provided that the students equip with critical thinking, they can be an independent and lifelong learners.Moreover , being a competitive worker should apply the critical thinking in the daily life ,instead of reciting the theory from the textbook. Even if students can comprehend the textbook’s knowledge ,it still have colossal difference between the theory and real condition. For instance, if you learned the marketing skill through the textbook, it is impossible to duplicate the whole theory in the varied business environment since there are numerous uncert ain and unpredictable factors such as adjustment of government policy to affect the decision making.Therefore, it is crucial for the students to learn how to criticize the issue since the secondary school education. After we understand the significance of critical thinking, there are several ways to exercise the students to equip with it by the parents and teachers. Firstly, teacher can change the teaching approach so as to make the students can ponder the same issue in various angles. They should adopt multidisciplinary education method instead of spoon-fed education method.They can inspire and motivate the students to think more about social issue and topic, whereas the students can express their notion to teacher and student. For example, when they learn the social condition in China, teacher can teach them the current social issue such as the problem of rural and urban disparity rather than using the outdated examples in the reference book. Having more opportunity to discuss the issue with classmates is an effective way to cultivate students’ critical thinking in the class.Secondly ,the parents can instruct their children through the social issue as many adolescents love to face the virtual environment and they overlook the social topic . When they receive the news from the media ,they will not analyze and assess the topic immediately because their parents force them to attend the tutorial and they only get the skill to answer the questions, not the ability of critical thinking.Being attentive to current affairs will enhance the competence of critical thinking,hence the parents can encourage their children to read more editorial in newspaper since the students can develop their own reflection on some issue after they comprehend other’s point of view . Ultimately, getting the highest grade does not equal to obtain the better occupation. The aim of education is not only to let the students learn the knowledge and apply it to the real situation. More importantly, it should train students to be well critical thinker for the sake of working in the society.

The Scientific Revolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Scientific Revolution - Assignment Example Starting by Galileo, he is one of the famous astronomers who attributed greatly to the concept of the effect of gravity in space. He found that the acceleration due to gravity does not depend on the mass of the object being pulled. To make it clearer, we can say that a very small satellite feels the same acceleration from the Sun as another huge satellite if both are at the same distance from the Sun. So, the gravitational acceleration is proportional only to the mass of the gravitating object and the distance from it, not to the mass of the aggravated object. This rule is the reason behind the feeling of `weightless', felt by astronauts orbiting the Earth. To put it clearer, astronauts, in the orbit, are continually 'falling' toward the Earth because of gravity. Also, other smaller and bigger objects inside the shuttle that orbits the earth are accelerating toward the Earth at the same rate. This results in the fact that all these objects in the shuttle remain at the same position r elative to each other, and they seem as if they are 'floating' around inside the shuttle (Strobel). In this context, it has to be mentioned that Galileo’s new astronomical theories had their great impact on the church. In particular, the scientific discoveries made by Galileo have paved the way for the science-religion conflict that shaped this era.

An Annotation of Incident by Countee Cullen Essay

An Annotation of Incident by Countee Cullen - Essay Example The author starts off with a nostalgic stanza; a nostalgia that is filled with the hope of meeting new people and gaining memorable experiences in Baltimore. He tells of his sojourn in Baltimore—‘once riding in old Baltimore’—with an emphasis on the word ‘old’ to perhaps inform his readers that Baltimore has changed a lot since the incident. Or perhaps to stress that ‘old’, racially prejudiced Baltimore is no more. Then he describes what he feels and thinks about while passing by ‘old’ Baltimore—‘heart-filled, head-filled with glee’ (Nielsen 29). He uses the words ‘heart’ and ‘head’ to express the delight that he felt and the hopeful thoughts that he has in seeing Baltimore. But instead of using the word ‘happiness’ he says ‘glee’, perhaps to moderate the intensity of his feelings. This gleeful emotion intensify when he suddenly encounters someone from Baltimore—‘I saw a Baltimorean’ (Nielsen 29); a Baltimorean that would quickly change his views of and hopes for Baltimore. He describes their encounter- ‘Keep looking straight at me’. His description of this encounter leaves the reader guessing: will this be a friendly encounter or a hostile one? The author then gives important details about this particular incident. The reader is informed that this story is a childhood memory—‘Now I was eight and very small’ (Lown & Steinbergh 106).... This revelation perhaps surprises the reader because of how vivid the author recounts the incident, as though it only happened recently. Knowing that the author was only eight years old when it happened heightens the essence of the story. It becomes a story about an innocent child who, at a very young age, already has something to share to the world through poetry. After revealing his age at the time of the incident, the author describes the ‘Baltimorean’- ‘and he was no whit bigger’ (Nielsen 29). This depiction implies that in terms of stature, they are clearly equal. And seeing that the ‘Baltimorean’ seems harmless, the author shows amicability—‘And so I smiled’ (Nielsen 29). However, immediately afterward, he reveals how the ‘Baltimorean’ responded to his friendly gesture—‘but he poked out His tongue/ and called me, ‘Nigger’’ (Nielsen 29). This revelation may have taken aback t he reader, for the author starts off his poem with a cheerful tone, and then drastically changes the mode into something unpleasant. The final stanza portrays how the incident affected the author’s perspective, not only of Baltimore, but the entire state of affairs during that time. It describes how, at a very young age, this very important incident scarred and opened the eyes of the author to reality. It shows how all positive expectations can be crushed by a single incident. The author equates this incident or, more particularly, the attitude of the Baltimorean toward him, to the entire Baltimore—‘I saw the whole of Baltimore’ (Lown & Steinbergh 106). He is implying that ‘old’ Baltimore is a racially prejudiced place. He then tells the reader how long he stayed in Baltimore, that is, ‘from May until

Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Macroeconomics - Essay Example In 2012, the performance for 2nd quarter was almost 50% lower than that of the first quarter. It appears that the most significant growth takes place in the 4th quarter. That happened in 2009 and 2011, but certainly not in 2012. In 2010, the growth rates were somewhat evenly distributed in each of the four quarters. Because of the recent thrust of the Federal Reserve to provide stimulus funds for the attainment of the ideal of full employment, 2013 should have a much higher growth rate and lower unemployment rate. On a per quarter basis, there is a 50% probability that the growth rate in the 2nd quarter will be higher than the first quarter. Since the 2nd quarter was lowest in 2009 and 2010, lower than the first quarter in 2012, but higher in 2011 than the first quarter, the probability of having a lower GDP growth rate is 75%. The 3rd quarter will be higher than the 2nd quarter and most probably higher than the 1st quarter since this is what happened in the past four years. By the 4th quarter, assuming no major calamities will disturb business operations, USA real GDP should experience the highest growth rate so far since the time of the recession. First, it is because the Fed has been supportive of the need for more money supply. There is a determination to bring down the unemployment rate in the USA. The People have been complaining about the high unemployment rates and performance of the Monetary Board in easing the financial difficulties of the country for several years now. Secondly, the government is more prepared to adjust to unfavorable climate changes. And thirdly, there has been news about improvements in the way the economic problems in Europe are being handled, e.g. the way Greece economic crisis is being resolved. Europe is a major trading partner of the

Marketing for Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing for Construction - Essay Example According to the CCS wesite, â€Å"The construction industry has a huge impact on all our lives, with many construction works in sensitive locations. If all construction sites and companies presented an image of competent management, efficiency, awareness of local environmental issues and above all neighbourliness, then they would become a positive advertisement, not just for themselves but for the industry as a whole.† The construction industry consists of the property owner, real estate business, legal and regulatory body, property seeker and buyers. The marketing environment for construction industry consists of the industry competitors, suppliers, buyers, threat of substitute and potential entrants. The factors influencing the demand and supply of the construction industry are the social and technological factors, political and legal conditions, economic and environmental factors. The social factors include the demographic factors like age, sex, education level, ethnic diversity of the target group, social groups, social attitudes and other. The political condition, law, regulations and policies, taxation are some of the factors of the political and legal environment. The economic factors includes the level of income, CPI, Inflation, employment, availability of funds/loans and the overall economic condition of the nation. Environmental factor include the factors like regulations, environmental impacts like contamination, construction waste, power conservation and others. This provides information on the segment rivalry. The numbers of firms are more than 192,404 small and big firms. This sector is one of the largest sector employing more than 200,000 people. The segment rivalry is high in the industry. The economic turmoil has intensified the segment rivalry. The high exit barriers of the industry are high due to heavy capital and investment requirements. The suppliers are integrated part any industry. This is a

Discuss three factors that explain why employees tend to become Essay

Discuss three factors that explain why employees tend to become unmotivated to do their jobs - Essay Example Organizations are essentially formulating and implementing strategies that seek to ensure job satisfaction among the employees. In this regard it has become essential for organizations to ensure motivation among the employees as it would lead to greater job satisfaction that would lead to generational of organizational excellence. Analysis The efficiency of an organization is directly linked to the extent to which the employees put their efforts in the workplace. The extent to which employees do so is directly linked to the levels of motivation of the employees. This has made it necessary to determine aspects that tend to de-motivate employees in an organization so as to formulate strategies that seek to ward off practices that can lead to employee de-motivation. Among the top three factors that generate employee dissatisfaction include improper working conditions, poor employee compensation and benefits and organizational policies (Brounstein, 2000). Improper working conditions in a n organization include lack of hygiene in the workplace, improper lighting, and not providing basic amenities to the employees working in an organization. Compensation is a very critical area that has the most significant impact on the motivation levels of employees.

Decision-Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decision-Making - Case Study Example Therefore, it can safely be said that it is not the acquiring of the knowledge itself, but the methods of choosing the relevant information and implementing it is a much more daunting task for the leaders and the management of an organization. In the year 2009, the American government announced a fiscal budget cut in the funds that it allotted to the Medicaid services. The Medicaid is an entity which is operating in all the states of the country under different names and which provides healthcare services to the eligible American citizens, most of whom are in the lower income bracket. A 15 % budget cut in this regard has brought the Medicaid departments all across the USA to a as to how they should operate on the fewer resources and which services and programs should be continued and which would have to be discontinued. Barondess (2007), notes that many of the long term facilities that Medicaid provides are already struggling to provide quality care to patients while juggling multiple problems such as a shortage of trained workforce, and a budget cut would only increase these problems and would almost surely eliminate funding for a number of programs that Medicaid runs, and the elderly will be the ones who get effected by it the worst. In such circumstances, as mentioned before, rises the issue of the importance of making an informed decision as the consequences of the choices made have a direct influence on the health standards of a large number of people. For this purpose, and to aid health services to make a well informed policy restructuring decision, the authors Rundall et al. have presented the concept of the Informed Decision Toolbox which â€Å"facilitates the use of research evidence in decision making†. the Informed Decision Toolbox is a set of standardized tools that instruct policy makers at health organizations on how they can find, access and adapt

Gary Kelly CEO of Southwest Airlines Research Paper

Gary Kelly CEO of Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example He has a background as an accountant (Fitzpatrick). He has proven himself throughout the years to be both a steady leader and a confident innovator. The airline industry is extremely competitive and profit margins are at the mercy of a number of factors beyond the control of even the most activist CEO. He is routinely called one of the best CEOs in the United States (McCann). His personal background is somewhat instructive. A story is told of him wanting to be an oceanographer as a young man, but then moving to Texas to play football in university. It was a bad season and he moved on to try something else: accountancy (Fitzpatrick). Throughout his life he is quick to size up errors and shift focus when things are not working out. There are few better qualities in the leader of a large business. In a sense Kelly comes to work in the shadow of the man who built Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, but he has distinguished himself from the founder in a number of ways. While most other air lines were seeking to charge customers for every pretzel, Kelly saw an opportunity. People thought he was crazy, but he decided to respect customers. He saw the market going one way, and he understood instinctively that space was opening for Southwest to seize. He refused to charge customers for baggage, and the company quickly shot to profitability. A recent article quoted Kelleher on his successor. "To be an excellent leader, you have to be a superb follower," Kelleher said. "Gary has provided great leadership. We transitioned for three years, and then he took over everything that I normally did. I'm very, very pleased and proud of his accomplishments" (LA Times). Being adaptable has helped Kelly and Southwest succeed in a way that few airlines have done in this day and age. Not only has he expanded Southwest's market, but he has become something of a legend. A story that business reporters like to quote goes as follows: When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans— Southw est Airline’s largest hub—the company’s service to the city dramatically dropped from 57 flights a day to just two. Â  But while the City of New Orleans was forced to lay off workers, Southwest was able to offer the option of relocation to all of its 250 New Orleans employees (McCann). For many other companies this would have been devastating, but for Kelly it was an opportunity. It is clear that his leadership style owes a great deal to seeing opportunity where others see disaster. He isn't afraid to pursue risky projects, but knows that customers come first. Recent problems with Southwest aircraft have given Kelly a chance to shine in front of the national media. In early April, a Southwest plane suffered from a tear in its fuselage. This attracted a great deal of attention and lead a number of news broadcasts. Kelly had a choice with this situation. He could have said that the problem was just a fluke, a once-in-a-lifetime structural defect. That would have been the easy thing to do. But instead he chose to show what kind of leader he is. He ordered the fleet grounded for inspection (Martin, et al). Kelly understood that branding and marketing are important, but that when it comes to basic issues of safety, airlines cannot afford to skimp. Recovering from the negative attention can only be done by showing that Southwest has a safety climate with a real abundance-of-caution philosophy. His actions were widely heralded, even if they were expensive and

Blockbusters and Star Wars Essay Example for Free

Blockbusters and Star Wars Essay If one views the top grossing films of all time, it becomes easy to see that most of the films rely heavily on computer generated images, whether to enhance live action or the animation of popular animated features. Many cinematic experts cite the fact that blockbusters in the last thirty years have relied increasingly on special effects to the point that they overshadow the plot, which in essence becomes superfluous. However, this is hardly the case, and most blockbuster films feature plotlines and ideologies that date back to the earliest days of cinema when special effects were scarce. One of the most popular film franchises in history, Star Wars contains not only special effects that helped change movie making, but it also features a plot with many of the same elements as classic western films, including the ideological battle of good versus evil, the wild frontier, and archetypal characters. In the first few years of its existence, cinema was nothing more than a novelty that possessed little artistic value. The idea of moving images was more than enough to attract audiences, though like all novelties, the public would soon grow weary of the invention without the efforts of men like Edwin S. Porter. Undoubtedly, Porter can be said to be the creator of the first blockbuster in movie history, with 1903’s The Great Train Robbery. The film advanced filmmaking in many regards, as not only the first western, but also by incorporating action, violence, frontier humor, color, special effects, and a full-screen closeup of a bandit firing his pistol at the audience. While a short film featuring only one reel of action, it soon led to the proliferation of the nickelodeon as the most popular and commercially successful film of the pre-nickelodeon era, establishing the idea that film could be a commercially-viable medium. This realization that films could make money would eventually become the driving force behind the Hollywood film industry, and the conventions of the western would serve as the perfect template for plots to the present day. When the Hollywood studio system emerged in the 1910s and 1920s, films were produced much in the way of automobiles, with an assembly line mentality and factory-based production operations that allowed the studios to dominate the movie industry in the U. S. and abroad. The impact of the western formula on the success of film was apparent and by the mid-1920s, nearly half of Universal Studio’s annual output of feature films was westerns. After remaining the most profitable genre of film for decades, by the 1960s the western had peaked both as a viable Hollywood commodity and as a national myth to ease Americas rural-urban transformation, in part brought low by a combination of market saturation and generic exhaustion. However, many of its familiar conventions would find their way into the plots of some of the biggest blockbusters in history. Over seventy years after Porter’s blockbuster, George Lucas would also change the face of cinema, relying on the basic plot techniques developed through the evolution of the western. Stars Wars is credited as ushering in not only the era of dominating special effects, but also remains one of the highest grossing blockbusters of all time, with a worldwide box office take of $797,000,000, not to mention another few billion from its subsequent sequels and prequels. While Star Wars contains amazing artistry in the scale and scope of its special effects, its plot still relies on the simple conventions of the western film, which are designed to be accessible to all audiences. Often considered the first blockbuster to star one of cinema’s greatest icons, John Wayne, the film Stagecoach is an adult drama that had deep roots and moral lessons that helped make it a timeless classic, whose plot is about a group of strangers thrown together on a journey and put under stress so that the strengths and weaknesses of the character within them is revealed; this same basic formula has been seen in blockbuster films like Apollo 13 and the biggest blockbuster in history, Titanic. While both of these later films are heavy with special effects, they feature these proven plot techniques, much like Star Wars. The first time viewers see the heroic Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, it almost looks like a scene from a western. The classic desert landscape, the flat, expansive land and the big sky are all classic icons of the western genre. It is this vastness that is a key characteristic in Star Wars and westerns. Specific settings for westerns include lonely isolated forts, the isolated homestead, the jail, or small frontier towns that are forming at the edges of civilization. Luke, much like the young heroes of westerns, yearns only to get off the farm and lead a life of greater excitement. It is only when the Empire storms through and kills his family is he forced to become a man and take on the evil forces conspired against him. Usually, the central plot of the western film is the classic, simple goal of maintaining law and order on the frontier in a fast-paced action story: â€Å"It is normally rooted in archetypal conflict good vs. bad, virtue vs. evil, white hat vs. black hat Often the hero of a western meets his opposite double, a mirror of his own evil side that he has to destroy† (Dirks). For Luke, the good, his opposition is Darth Vader, the evil. This point is even illustrated by the color of the clothing they wear, as Luke dresses in white and Vader is decked out in ominous black. This element of good versus evil, or white hat versus black hat is a key to western films and make it easy for viewers to delineate between good characters and bad characters is traditionally easy in conventional western movies. There is little question as to who the good guys and bad guys are. And, this is even seen in Luke’s sister, Leia, who begins the movie wearing an all-white dress. The white clothing of Luke and Leia link them through their apparent goodness, even though it is not revealed until later that they are brother and sister. The only character that is seen in both white and black is Han Solo, who wears a white shirt with a black vest. Unlike Luke and Leia, Han has elements of mischief and is also an outlaw. The white shirt signifies his goodness, while the black vest hints of his less than admirable qualitieshis greed, selfishness, and willingness to deal with shady characters. When Han is introduced into the movie, he kills an alien within the first few minutes. According to author Stephen D. Greydanus, this scene is typical of western films: â€Å"The saloon shootouts, of course, come from that other great American mythology, the Western. (So does Han Solo’s general cowboy look and demeanor. ) By the 1970s, though, the Western no longer enjoyed the hold on the popular imagination it once had, though its influence has continued to be felt in films [like] Star Wars†. With all the element of classic westerns, including cowboy-type characters, evil villains, and a plot filled with action, it would only seem appropriate that Star Wars also possessed a classic theme, as many popular westerns do. However, Han’s goodness is finally known and he becomes one of the rebels’ greatest assets and is one of the movie’s best examples of a western style cowboy. While Star Wars could be considered a western set in space, it certainly possesses more elements and intricacies of plot than are given credit. While none of the conventions are new, they helped infuse the modern blockbuster with the spirit of old Hollywood, to very profitable results. A few true westerns have become blockbusters in the past thirty years, most notably Dances with Wolves, which grossed $424,200,000 worldwide, and featured many of the same elements as Star Wars, including good versus evil, the encroaching omnipresent technological power, and the perseverant hero. Ironically, Dances With Wolves even won the Academy Award for best film, beating out the film Goodfellas, which actually ended with an homage to Edwin S. Porter’s original western; it featured one of the most sinister mobsters in the movie shooting his gun directly at the audience at the end of the film, almost exactly duplicating the ending of Porter’s film. This just goes to show that regardless of what genre today’s Hollywood blockbusters fall under, the plot elements of the American western permeate most, from the simple battle of good versus evil to the ultimate victory enjoyed by the pure-hearted hero. Bibliography All-Time Worldwide Box office, Internet Movie Database, 2008, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://imdb. com/boxoffice/alltimegross? region=world-wide. Dirks, Tim, The Great Train Robbery (1903), The Greatest Films, 2008, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. filmsite. org/grea. html. Dirks, Tim, Western Films, The Greatest Films, 2008, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. filmsite. org/westernfilms. html. Eyman, Scott and Gianetti, Louis, Flashback: A Brief History of Film, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1991. Greydanus, Steven D. , An American Mythology: Why Star Wars Still Matters,† Decent Films Guide, 2007, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. decentfilms. com/sections/articles/starwars. html. Levy, Emanuel, Oscar History: Western GenreBest Picture, EmanuelLevy. com, 2008, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. emanuellevy. com/article. php? articleID=7193. Lucas, George. Star Wars. Hollywood, CA, Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Schatz, Thomas, Cowboy Business, The New York Times, November 10, 2007, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. nytimes. com/2007/11/10/magazine/ 11schatz. html? _r=1ref=magazineoref=slogin. Schatz, Thomas, Studio System, Film Reference, 2007, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. filmreference. com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Studio-System. html. Williamson, Ed, John Waynes First Blockbuster Movie, Epinions, 2002, retrieved 2 April 2008, http://www. epinions. com/content_75406675588.

Environmental Management System (EMS) in an Organisation

Environmental Management System (EMS) in an Organisation 1. How would you summarise the environmental challenge faced by industry at the current time? Since the start of the industrial age, economic growth and the environment have often been in conflict (Florida and Davidson, 2001). Motivated by more than just â€Å"altruistic concerns† (Florida and Davidson: 64) many companies are now taking initiative and incorporating the environment into their business strategy. The environmental challenge to industry comes from a huge number of sources, but it can generally be narrowed down to three directions, commonly known as the ‘green triangle’ (Gale, 1996). Firstly, environmental laws and regulations are forcing industry to improve their environmental performance. Secondly, there is a need to improve company image (Morrow and Rondinelli, 2002), and pressure comes from customers or voters who are interested in less environmentally harmful goods or services (Gale, 1996). Thirdly, an environmental challenge comes from the â€Å"financial, banking and insurance communities who are concerned about the cost of environmenta l accidents or mismanagement† (Gale, 1996). In fact, good environmental management leads to reduced risk which is highly valued by the financial markets (Feldman et al, 1996). 2. Describe the relevance of the First Law of Thermodynamics and the Law of Conservation of Mass to the economic system. The First Law of Thermodynamics is â€Å"the fundamental principle of physics that the total energy of an isolated system is constant despite internal changes†, and the Law of Conservation of Mass is the principle that â€Å"matter cannot be created or destroyed†. These laws apply to the economic system as â€Å"an irreducible whole that develops, maintains, and reproduces, or renews itself be mobilizing material and energy captured from the environment† (Ho, 2005). This is particularly significant to the relationship between the environment and economic systems, as the latter essentially depends on the flow of resources from the natural environment. Therefore, any entropic costs can either be endured by the economic system or the environment. Consequently, â€Å"when the cost of valuable (non-renewable) ecological resources consumed or destroyed are not properly taken into account, the entropic burden falls on the ecological environment rather than on the econo mic system (Ho, 2005). 3. What does the term ‘sustainable development’ mean for industry? The Bruntland Commission’s widely used definition of ‘sustainable development’ is â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs† (WCED, 1987: 43). It is often argued that this definition is intentionally vague with the intent of creating a consensus. And create a consensus it has – â€Å"no one in their right mind is against sustainable development† (The Economist, 2002) – and many international organizations, national and local governments, and businesses have incorporated the concept into their plans. For industry, the term has extended to â€Å"include the simultaneous consideration of economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity in business planning and decision making† (Rondinelli and Berry, 2000: 1). Many businesses, then, have taken on the concept of sustainable development, and have put into practice business plans that allo w them to meet their needs in the present whilst taking the environment into consideration, thereby ensuring that their industry can continue into the future. Any industry that is really striving for sustainable practices â€Å"must be phasing out its use of substances that are systematically at odds with a sustainable world, while measuring what share of the world’s limited regenerative capacity is occupied by its use of renewable resources† (White, 1999, in OECD, 2001: 11). 4. What are the potential benefits for a company successfully responding to the environmental challenge? The potential benefits (economic and environmental) for a company successfully responding to the environmental challenge are too numerous to include them all, so only a limited selection will be discussed here. Though the resulting environmental benefits may not create direct economic benefits for the company, the policies attract (and keep) customers by â€Å"establishing a strong image of corporate responsibility† (Morrow and Rondinelli, 2002:163). In economic terms, though environmental sensitivity is often viewed as being at odds with cost-effectiveness, a study of organizations that implement Environmental Management Systems (EMS) found that â€Å"the majority believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks† (Darnall et al, 2001). Some examples of how reacting to the environmental challenge can save companies money are by â€Å"improving efficiency and reducing the costs of energy, materials, fines and penalties† (Morrow and Rondinelli, 2002: 162). As mentioned previously, a company that can reduce their environmental incidents and liabilities not only gains from losing those fines, but also profits from decreasing risk, and becoming more attractive in the financial market. 5. Describe the relative advantages of anticipatory controls over continuing controls. Use examples to illustrate your answer. Environmental controls can be described as mechanisms that are used to limit environmental harm. A fundamental aspect of designing an EMS system is developing the controls that will be used. Environmental aspects (see below) must be identified to determine the â€Å"specific facility operations and activities associated with significant environmental aspects† (The Lexington Group, 2005: 40). From this, appropriate control procedures can be created for each activity to limit environmental impacts. Anticipatory controls are more advantageous than continuing controls because they allow an organization to attempt to avoid environmental harm in the first place, and take into account potential, impending environmental harm. If controls are changed in anticipation of a possible environmental impact, this control can attempt to curb damage before it happens. The alternative is continuing control that only changes after an event causes environmental damage and proves that the controls need to be changed. Given the â€Å"irreversibility† of much environmental damage, the advantage of anticipatory controls seems clear. 6. How would you describe the relationship between environmental aspects and impacts? Use examples to illustrate your answer. The ISO 14001 definition of environmental aspects are â€Å"feature[s] or characteristic[s] of an activity, product or service that affect, or can affect, the environment† (Praxiom Research Group, 2005), and environmental impacts are changes to the environment that can be positive or negative (Praxiom Research Group, 2005). Environmental impacts are produced by environmental aspects. For example, many industries often handle oil or other hazardous materials. When these activities are taking place, a possible environmental aspect is the â€Å"potential for accidental spillage† (The Lexington Group, 2005: 35). The effect of this environmental aspect, or the environmental impact, is the â€Å"contamination of soil or water† (The Lexington Group, 2005: 35). When determining the significance of an environmental aspect, it is important to take into consideration the probability, scale, severity, duration, and cost of reduction, of the environmental impact (The Lexingto n Group, 2005). 7. What is the role of the Environmental Policy and how is it defined by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO)? An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a â€Å"systematic approach for managing an organization’s environmental issues and opportunities† (The Lexington Group, 2005: 15). The â€Å"heart and soul† (same as last) of the EMS is the â€Å"environmental policy†, defined by the ISO as a â€Å"statement [that] expresses a commitment to the implementation and maintenance of an organization’s environmental management system and the improvement of its overall environmental performance† (Praxiom Research Group, 2005: 1). The role of environmental policy is to prevent any environmental damage, as well as to ensure any industry is observing any legal or other requirements. An environmental policy should also craft environmental goals, and function as a basic framework for action. 8. What training needs should be considered when implementing an environmental management system (EMS)? â€Å"Effective training programs, including those that raise the environmental awareness levels of all people in the organization, are a critically important element in implementing and maintaining the EMS† (The Lexington Group, 2005: 14). A training program must deal with the importance of the environmental policy with all of the employees, as they â€Å"must understand and recognize the commitments† for the EMS to be successful (Anthony, 2001: 4). Additionally, for an EMS to be successful, all employees must appreciate and comprehend their particular roles and responsibilities, as well as the possible â€Å"consequences of not following operating procedures† (The Lexington Group, 2005: 25). Employees of a given organization should be able to associate and understand how their particular function fits into the wider environmental policy (Anthony, 2001). Depending on who uses or has access to the facility, it may also be advisable to train people other than inte rnal staff, or at least raise their awareness of the EMS (Anthony, 2001). 9. What role does audit play within an EMS and what are the key features of a successful audit? An audit within the EMS system is â€Å"a systematic, documented, objective review of the manner in which environmental aspects of a program, project, facility or corporation are being managed† (APPEGA, 2004: 7). The audit is necessary both to determine the design of the EMS at the start, as well as evaluate the progress of the EMS on a continual basis. An environmental audit at the start ensures that an industry has a â€Å"good understanding of its environmental effects before it [designs a] competent strateg[y] to reduce its impact† (OECD, 2001: 41). The EMS audit is a crucial necessity for any facility’s EMS to ensure that the facility is meeting the requirements of the EMS, and that it is being properly executed and sustained (The Lexington Group, 2005). For an audit to be successful, it is vital that it be â€Å"independent, objective and impartial† (Praxiom Research Group, 2005). A sound audit must also concentrate on priorities, such as particular operations that are associated with high risk, or activities that were singled out in a previous audit. 10. How might you gain senior management approval for the implementation of an EMS and why is such approval important? The Lexington Group, a management consulting firm, states that â€Å"gaining the full and complete support of senior management is the single most important challenge in establishing a formal EHS management system in an organization or facility†. Without the full support of the senior management, an EMS is unlikely to succeed. For example, senior management may approve an EMS but not really be committed, with environmental talk being â€Å"rhetoric rather than reality† (The Lexington Group, 2005:47). An EMS may not be a high priority because the senior management does not recognize the potential benefits. Making the case about the benefits of an EMS may be vital to gaining genuine senior management support. Presenting an account of improved community relations, higher employee productivity, reduced safety incidents, and reduced insurance premiums, all within the framework of cost-reduction, may be the means of gaining the necessary senior management approval (The Lexing ton Group, 2005). Works Cited: Anthony, A (2001) ISO 14001 Environmental Policy (4.2), available from: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/ems/pdf/mod5.pdf APPEGA (2004) Guideline for Environmental Practice, available from: http://www.apegga.org/pdf/Guidelines/18.pdf Darnall et al (2001) ‘Environmental management systems: Opportunities for improved environmental and business strategy?’, Environmental Quality Management, 9(3) pp 1-9. The Economist (2002) The Johannesburg Summit: Sustaining the poor’s development, 29 August 2002. Feldman, S, Soyka, P. and Ameer, P (1996) Does Improving a Firm’s Environmental Management System and Environmental Performance Result in a Higher Stock Price?, ICF Kaiser International. Florida, R and Davidson, D (2001) ‘Gaining from Green Management: Environmental management systems inside and outside the factory’, California Management Review, 43 (3) pp 64-65 Gale, R (1996) ISO 14001 to Tackle Green Triangle, available from: www.web.net/ecoeco/iso14000.htm Ho, Mae-Wan (2005) Are Economic Systems Like Organisms?, available from: www.i-sis.org.uk/hannove.php The Lexington Group (2005), Best Practice Guide: Application of ISO 14000 Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) for Municipalities, available from: http://www.iie.org/programs/energy/pdfs/Applic%20ISO%2014000%20for%20Municipalities.pdf Morrow, D and Rondinelli, D (2002) ‘Adopting Corporate Environmental Management Systems: Motivations and Results of ISO 14001 and EMAS Certification’, European Management Journal, 20(2), pp 159-171 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2001) â€Å"Encouraging Environmental Management in Industry†, Science, Technology, Industry – Business and Industry Policy Forum Series, available from: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/32/2090553.pdf Praxiom Research Group (2005), ISO 14001 2004 Plain English Definitions, available from www.praxiom.com Rondinelli, D and Berry, M (2000), Environmental citizenship in multinational corporations: social responsibility and sustainable development, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina. WCED (1987) Our Common Future, the Brundtland Report, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cal Poly: Building for Sustainability? :: University Issues Essays

If you walk up Poly Canyon Road and take a left, crossing Brizzolara Creek, you will come to the agriculture portion of main campus. The abbotoir stands next to the bull pen and the creek. The bridge crosses a fish ladder to aid the salmon back up the creek to where they can spawn. If you continue walking you will come to a reservoir with pumps and machinery used by engineering students. On the other side of the reservoir, there is a small bird sanctuary and beyond are fields that are often full of students learning how to survey the land. Behind you a stand of trees blocks out the bustle of campus life and in front of you the fields are ringed by beautiful mountains. But this is all about to change. The abbatoir is going to be moved and the fields will become the concrete foundations of a new residential complex: Student Housing North. Student Housing North is a huge residential development that was approved and added to the Master Plan in 2001 and is projected to be completed in stages beginning in 2007. The complex will be comprised mainly of apartment style upper class housing but will also include restaurant and retail spaces. The plan is to double the number of students living on campus. The project will include two new parking structures in order to support the increase of students. A lot of controversy surrounds this aspect of the new project. The development aims to reduce traffic and congestion because 2,700 students will be living on campus instead of commuting to school everyday. But the problem is that Student Housing North is going to sit right next to Brizzolara Creek, an environmentally sensitive area, and a new bridge will have to be built to accommodate the road leading to the complex and the new parking structures which will have a negative influence on the creek. But on the other hand it will reduce the number of commuters and will create a living and learning community. The plan includes a village center with shops and dinning facilities so the inhabitants will not feel the need to drive off campus.

lord of the flies :: essays research papers

The leading characters in this book are Ralph, Jack and Piggy. The other boys are mentioned often but most of it is about those three boys. Ralph and Jack are both "leaders". That's because they are so "loud", everyone listen to them. Piggy is really different from Ralph and Jack, he is kind, he does what others want him to do, he seems to be quite shy too, but he is also very clever, he has good ideas but it is hard for him to be heard. The environment where everything happens, is on an island that looks very nice, it’s a paradise palm trees, white sand, coco-nuts, clear ocean water, beautiful starry nights with the sound of the ocean crashing on the beach. "The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers were a hundred feet up in the air. The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coco-nuts and palm saplings. Behind this was the darkness of forest proper and the open space of the scar.† Lord of the Flies is about a group of English schoolboys who are from 6 to 12 years old. They have been set on a fate island somewhere in the south Pacific after a crash. This could have been a dream situation for the boys; no teachers, no parents and no rules that tell them what to do or not do, but the dream situation develops in to a hard society where rules are set up and everyone has its own task.. They started to hunt and live a life like if they never would be rescued. After a while this big group became divided into two smaller groups with Jack and Ralph as leaders. This "competition" developed a bloody fight on life and death. long environmental descriptions make the book very interesting, depicting the scenery so clear. If you use your imagination it can feel like you’re there. I like Lord of the Flies because it was exciting and it showed how we humans can be, I think shows people how bad we actually are in a hard situation, but that's also what I think William Golding wanted to say with this book, he did also show the difference between two different kind of leaders.

Biography of Charles Cromwell :: English Civil War Generals Military Essays

Biography of Charles Cromwell As a general on the parliamentary side of the English Civil War vs. Charles I, Cromwell helped bring about the overthrow of the Stuart monarchy, and he raised his country's status to that of a leading European power since the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Being a man with strong character made him one of the most remarkable rulers in modern European history. Although he was a convinced Calvinist he believed deeply in the value of religious toleration. Cromwell's victories at home and abroad helped to vitalize a Puritan attitude of mind, in Great Britain and in North America, which has continued to influence political and social life until recent times. (Gaunt, 1996) Cromwell, the only son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward was born in Huntingdon, England in 1599. His father, who was active in local affairs, had been a member of one of Queen Elizabeth's parliaments. Robert Cromwell died when his son was 18, but his widow lived to the age of 89. Oliver went to the local grammar school and then for a year attended Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. After his father died he left Cambridge to go care for his mother and sisters but it is believed that he studies at Lincoln's Inn in London, where gentlemen could acquire a smattering of law. In 1620 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Bourchier, a merchant in London. They had five sons and four daughters. (Kathe, 1984) Both his father and mother were Protestants who had profited from the destruction of the monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII, and they probably influenced their son in his religious upbringing. Both his schoolmaster in Huntingdon and the Master of Sidney Sussex College were enthusiastic Calvinists and strongly anti-Catholic. In his youth Cromwell was not very studious, since he enjoyed outdoor sports, such as hunting; but he was an avid reader of the Bible, and he admired Sir Walter Raleigh's The History of the World. Cromwell learned that the sins of man could be punished on earth but that God, through His Holy Spirit, could guide the elect into the paths of righteousness. (Kathe, 1984) In the early parts of his married life Cromwell, like his father, was quite conscious of his responsibilities to his fellow men and concerned himself with affairs in his native fenlands, but at the same time he had a spiritual and psychological struggle which confused him and damaged his health.

Conflict Identification and Resolution

Conflict Identification and Resolution BUS 610: Organizational Behavior Currently I am employed at Bank of America, they [Bank of America] established a new department called the Enterprise Estate Unit where deceased customers accounts are handled. When we the employees were notified that the Enterprise Estate Unit was being established everyone was excited because it was a chance to move into a different line of business.Bank of America associates are not allowed to â€Å"post out† or apply for different positions until they have been at their current position for at leas a year, however when associates were notified about the new department the advice given by human resources was all associates could apply with approval of their manager. With that new information associates (new hires and tenured associates) apply to be in the new department. The conflict arose when new hires were being hired to move to the new department over the tenured associates and the tenured associate s did not think that was fair.After complaints were issued to the site leader about new hires being picked over the tenured associates, the site leader had to investigate why new hires were being allowed to post out to different positions. After investigation the site leader found out the information given by the human resource department was incorrect, only associates that had been with the company for a year or more were allowed to apply for the position. Recruiters that interviewed associates for the position also knew that only associates that had been with the company for a year or more could apply for different positions.Poor communication was the cause of this conflict. There was a lack of external communication, the communication between â€Å"the company’s staff and clients, suppliers, and vendors (Kondrat, 2009). † Applications were sent to a third-party recruiting company that did not know the policy of only posting to positions after being with a company fo r a year. Because employees did not receive clear direction, the rule is that associates could only apply for positions after a year of being with the company, however the posting stated that with supervisor approval, anyone could post for the position.Consequently, employees self managed and created their own rules and priorities, which differed from the organization. Poor communication is a big problem that causes conflict in an organization. Chris Joseph said in his article that in a workplace setting lack of communication leads to conflict, which can harm an organization, and poor communication creates conflict in a number of ways, the types of conflict that could arise due to the lack of communication or the lack of communication are: creating uncertainty, lack of loyalty, and rumors and gossip, (Joseph, 2012).In the situation previously described the two biggest conflicts that arose because of the lack of and poor communication was the lack of loyalty and rumors and gossip, wi th rumors and gossip being the biggest problem. â€Å"If employees don’t know the intent of their co-workers or the company, they may resort to speculation. Whether rumors develop regarding a company merger or about favoritism toward a single employee, gossip creates a hostile work environment (Baldwin, 2012). Distributing correct information would reduce gossip and also ease employees mind and make them feel like they are valued. In an organization effective communication is an essential element, especially in a successful organization. Effective communication is needed to process and send information, ideas, thoughts and ideas between members of the organization. Lack of loyalty is also a result of lack of communication. A sense of employee identification fosters company loyalty [†¦] With a lack of communication, your employees may identify less with your organization. They may look elsewhere for a job in which they feel a vested interest (Baldwin, 2012). † The feeling of a lack of loyalty is another conflict that arose due to the lack of communication. Many of the associates that were looked over for the position left Bank of America and found positions with other companies because they felt the time that they invested with the company was not valued.Unfortunately the site leader had to play the role of the â€Å"Devils Advocate† but, the conflict was resolved and certain measures were taken to make sure that a situation like this would not happen again. The site leader did not revoke the position from the new hires that were offered the position in the Enterprise Estate Unit, however the new hires that had interviews scheduled for the position were unable to interview, and the tenured associates that did not get interviews offered to them because the interview quota was filled were able to get interviews and if qualified they were hired.The site leader gathered all of the associates together and made sure associates understood tha t no matter what postings say that if you [associates] had not been with the company at least a year they were not allowed to apply for positions. Also a new rule was applied, and that rule is that all applications are not allowed to go straight through to the recruiters; they had to go through human resources to make sure the employees are qualified. References Baldwin, A. (2012).Lack of communication as a weakness in organizations. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/info_8773766_lack-communication-weakness-organizations. html Joseph, C. (2012). How does a lack of communication cause conflict in the workplace?. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com/lack-communication-cause-conflict-workplace-10470. html Kondrat, A. (2009, February 12). Effective communication in the workplace. Retrieved from http://suite101. com/article/effective-communication-at-workplace-a95815

Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge Essay

â€Å"To What End? † is the last chapter of Edward O. Wilson’s book, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, one of the most skillful, and gifted scientists of which he wanted a joining together of the different sciences such as the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. This chapter focused mainly on social and environmental problems. The picture of the global environment as well as the discussions on global warming, environmental ethics and overpopulation are being emphasized. The limitations of land suitable for cultivation, the deforestation and the clean water as well as the mass extinctions of plants and animals present an enormous problem in the whole world today. Something must have been done of which the world preservation is the focus for further human development and cultural consciousness. There is a great diversity in the living world. In order to live successfully, an organism must fit into its surroundings. There are still some countries or islands, such as Galapagos Island, that are rich as far as biodiversity is concerned. Biodiversity is an important characteristic of ecosystems that is associated to the number of different species they contain. It is the wealth of all life-forms on Earth today that is the product of billions of years of evolutionary history. Biodiversity is often associated with tropical rain forests. Though tropical rain forests account for only 7 percent of the total land area of the world, it harbors more than half of the 1. 7 million species of living things documented worldwide. What happened to them? Many of them make their home in the forests. However, virgin tropical rain forests are almost vanished, transformed into agricultural lands, and sooner or later abandoned as wasteland or used as residential areas. However, current levels of biodiversity are threatened by what scientists describe as a modern, anthropogenic mass extinction-a†human meteor†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Picard 22). As a result, some of our wildlife species are endangered and as susceptible to extermination and sometimes classified as severely endangered. Deforestation is, therefore, the single greatest cause of species loss. The direct causes of extinction of species aside from habitat destruction, but as well as overexploitation, introduction of exotic species, pollution and global climate change. Man’s activities have ruined his own environment. His intervention with the ecological balance has opened the eyes of the world. Man must face environmental issues and bring his activities back in balance with the natural world. The role of humans in their environment is clear, they are not merely a biological species but also a social species which by their resourcefulness and skillfulness, make and remake their environment. The kind of environment they have therefore replace the values, attitude, skills and knowledge or ignorance behind the decision they make. The future generations should be genetically conservative (Wilson 3). We go a step further when we practice the fields of biotechnology. Biotechnology is the general term used to describe the modification of biological processes through human intervention. This may be done through genetic engineering aimed at modifying or improving the hereditary traits of certain organisms. The main purpose of genetic engineering is to improve agricultural productivity. Hence, Genetically Modified Organisms are perceived to be beneficial to humans since it creates new varieties of organisms. However humans should be careful in their use of what we called the genetic modification, the direct manipulation of an organism’s genes. Some people now a day became worried of potential problems or harmful side effects of Genetically Modified Organisms. For instance, an engineered lawn grass that remains short and therefore does not need trimming and a grass runners that spread out fast may outgrow the native grass species that support local insect pollinators. Humans use genetic methods to improve life here on Earth. But the main issue about Genetically Modified Organisms, whether or not to adopt them is still unresolved. The actuality remains that genetic engineering accelerate speciation. In nature, it is anticipated that it takes between 2 000 and 100 000 generations for new species to evolve. Scientists continue to search for better ways to improve human lives and the world we live in. It takes alterations of our physical world and the development of â€Å"superior† living organisms to realize such objectives. Humans have been working on plant and animal breeding for centuries. Once a sought-after trait, or organism, has been produced, it must be maintained and passed on to future generations. The desire to make domestic plants and animals more suitable for human needs has been the motive for the intensive study of genetics, and this has resulted in wonderful improvements. With the rise of genetics and the growing knowledge about the environmental needs of both plants and animals, the possibilities of further improvements have become greater. Many people would like to see genetic principles applied to the biological improvements of humankind. Plans for the improvement of humans have been formulated and to some extend put into effect. However, most of these plans are not founded on reliable scientific data. Hence, the means to be used in bringing about these improvements are so questionable that reputable geneticists refuse to support them. On the other hand, the author also emphasize that such conservatism should not be confused with the pietistic and selfish libertarianism into which much of the American conservative movement has lately descended (Wilson 3), of which what he meant is the ethical side of the argument. As you go around some places, you see loads of uncollected trash. You see swarms of flies and cockroaches crowded over the garbage. How do you feel about it knowing that microorganisms are causes of diseases and those unhygienic conditions that can speed up the growth of bacteria? Values of good health and sanitation must be developed. Cleanliness in the environment must be observed. Personal hygiene such as washing one’s hands before eating must be practiced. You developed the values of neighborliness and collaboration by keeping the surroundings, the school building, the grounds, and other facilities sanitary. You must report cases of communicable diseases to proper authorities so that corrective measures can be undertaken. In this case, the value of concern for the well being of others is manifested. As you examine your environment, you must realize that the diversified forms of existence are possible only because of the works of God. Somehow, the value of spirituality that involves faith and love of God will inspire you as you marvel at the complexity of life. It warns the present and future generations to be cautious in the rapidly dependent on machine-aided ratiocination, such as the use of computers and other devices. We invent a variety of machines to help us do our work more easily and faster. Moving from one place to another is now possible. We can even circle the world in just a matter of days. With all the machines invented, we are forced to build power plants to provide us with the energy we need to run these machines. It resulted to treating everything delicate in such a way that we tend to forget the importance of live, the very nature of our existence, our ancient heritage and the feeling of being nothing at all because of over dependence on machines. What can we do to prevent the selfish and total destruction of the environment and conserve natural resources? What is our role in preserving ecological balance? Do we have the responsibility to preserve (Picard 22)? Morally yes! Man is responsible of God’s creatures and the need to preserve them. Are we morally obligated to do so (Picard 23)? The aim of any human being is to protect and improve the environment and to put together the environment together with the policies of the government and in the world as well. Nature provide us and other living organisms with the essential elements needed for continued existence. The environment is the source of life-sustaining substance. Balance in nature exists when the various ecosystems are stable, and humans play an active role in maintaining the balance in nature. No organism is completely independent. Each organism is dependent upon other organism as well as the environment for continued existence. For example the attractiveness of a fragile coral is very much enhanced by the green alga living on it. Humans are instrument in upsetting and restoring the balance in nature. We can either preserve it or cause its destruction. We are dependent for our needs on the environment; as a result, the balance in nature is upset. As we satisfy our needs and ensure our comfort, we accidentally change our natural environment. We depend on our environment for all our necessities. We apply technology to all aspects of food production. When a forest is cleared or a field is cultivated, the natural, balanced environment is altered. Not all plants and animals can become accustomed to their new environment. Those that cannot either perish or move around to other places. Often, the balance in nature is seriously disturbed, and plants and animals that are more adaptable become pests. And with the up to date advancements in the fields of genetics, we are now pursuing plant and animal cloning. The changes we have made in the environment have considerably affected the equilibrium in nature. It has been a common observation that some of these changes have not achieved the objective of improving the quality of life. Some of them actually have caused an imbalance in nature. Even though humans have eliminated potential predators, controlled diseases, and make the most of the energy flow of ecosystem into the production of food, they have also exploited the natural ecosystem and contaminated air and water with human and technological wastes. In the long run, nature continues to be ill with as it is consumed, exhausted, and corrupted. We humans play an on the go role in maintaining the balance in nature and safeguarding biodiversity. The Earth’s resources are limited that is why they should be appropriately managed and used wisely. We should also consider the impact on the environment as we get hold of and use these resources.

Poverty in Africa Essay

Poverty is an unfortunate condition that exists throughout Africa. It is a widespread condition that affects the entire populace, resulting in Africa being the poorest continent. Poverty in Africa is derived from the many existing problems, and continues to cause devastating effects. However, a number of reforms are being implemented to resolve the problem of poverty. There are a number of existing issues in Africa, which leads to the derivation of poverty. Whether there is a civil war or a quarrel among its countries, Africa constantly remains one of the top locations for conflicts (â€Å"Poverty in Africa†). The effects of warfare, including the shifting of the population, the destruction of fields, crops and infrastructures, and the immigration of people from their homelands contribute to the rise of poverty. The destruction of fields and crops weakens the economy, which results in poor agriculture. With poor lands and agriculture, the availability of food and resources are greatly reduced. The infrastructures are crucial to the prospering of a nation. The lack of infrastructure in Africa results to the low availability of potable, clean water. Also, Africa does not have railways and roads that connect in a significant way, hence any transportation to and within Africa is very difficult (â€Å"Poverty in Africa†). Warfare can also result to refugees, which increases the number of people who are living in destitution. A weak government is also a root of poverty, thus an inefficient government will eventually lead the fall of the economy. It is difficult for a corrupt and an unproductive government to obtain the supplies and provide the people with the basic necessities, such as a providing the people with a proper education, building required infrastructures, and providing the people with enough food and water. Without a productive government, the country will not thrive and as a result, more people in the country will live in poverty.

Crm of Pizza Hut

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON BRAND PERCEPTIONS: THE CASE STUDY OF ESTEE LAUDER DISSERTATION By PALESA MAHLOELE Presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc Marketing University of Wales APRIL 2011 ABSTRACT Social media has evolved through many generations and eras, it has been defined in various ways by different authors, researchers as well as academia. Some argue that it stems from the very early forms of interpersonal communication via email, while others solely accept it as the more recent form of social interaction on social media sites.Despite all the different arguments that exist regarding social media, extant academic literature on the topic is rather sparse. That being said however, the topic of brand perceptions has been studied and researched in depth in both the academic and corporate worlds. The understanding of brand perceptions has been the source of many debates which has resulted in a wealth of literature to draw o n for this research study. This research study sought to assess the impact that Social Media has on brand perceptions of consumers, with a specific focus on Facebook and the Blogosphere.In order to add structure and guidance to the research study, three research objectives were set. The first objective was to review extant conceptual models and theoretical frameworks related to social media and brand perceptions. The second was to evaluate Facebook and consumer blogs in their role as reference groups on consumers. The final research objective was to determine optimal strategies to improve sales and brand reputation of cosmetics through an increased presence on social media platforms; specifically Facebook and blogs.The researcher deemed it appropriate to conduct this investigation from a qualitative research paradigm. Given the nature of the topic under investigation, qualitative research would allow the researcher to delve deeper into the subject matter. Consequently, the study was carried out in an inductive approach using a case study strategy where data was collected from Estee Lauder and using multiple sources of evidence. This data collection was coupled with online survey in-depth as well as semi-structured interviews for both employees of the company understudy as well as regular consumers of cosmetics products.For the purposes of analysis, thematic data analysis method was chosen based of the fact that it would be most appropriate for qualitative analyses. This method of data analysis allowed the researcher to draw major themes that arose from the data collected as well as the few permeated themes that came through. The findings from this research study revealed that in principal, consumers and management accept and appreciate the importance of the impact that social media has on brand perceptions. It would seem, based on the results that the challenges boil down to the execution of social media marketing activities.Essentially, Facebook and the blogo sphere fulfil distinctive roles in communicating marketing messages, both consumer and company generated. Where Facebook is considered to be a social interaction space, blogs are seen to serve an information providing role. Based on the results of this research study, cosmetics companies have failed to recognise these critical differences. Despite the fact that Facebook is considered a private interpersonal communication space, the findings suggest that adding tangible value in holding a presence on Facebook can yield positive results on brand perceptions.Results from this study reveal the untapped potential residing in social media provided strategies that have consumer needs and desires are critically considered. Chapter One Introduction 1. 1Enquiry Overview The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of social media on brand perceptions using Estee Lauder as a case study. Social media in the context of this research study specifically refers to Facebook and Blogs. This research is qualitative in nature and is largely focused on proving the feasible solutions for Estee Lauder concerning leveraging social media.This enquiry overview seeks to provide the reader with an outline of what to expect from the rest of the paper. Each chapter of the study is concisely summarised to as to achieve this. The first chapter of the study opens up with a comprehensive introduction to the study. This section leads the reader into the study by providing the essential background and justification of the study. Moreover, the aims and objectives without which the paper would have no direction are laid out in this chapter and equally important are the research questions which the research seeks to answer.The subsequent chapter then delves into literature review of existing material on the subject of social media and brand perceptions, and where possible, literature on cosmetic marketing was also investigated. The purpose of this chapter was to build solid theoretica l foundation from which the rest of the study could be built. Additionally, chapter two is aimed at ensuring that the ‘wheel is not re-invented’ where certain relevant subjects had previously been researched and could therefore enhance this study. Chapter is primarily concerned with research methodology utilised in the study.Importantly, chapter attempts to rationalise the chosen research path. Further on to this, the research paradigm, the selected research instruments as well as the sampling methods, ethical considerations and pilot study are discussed in this chapter. This chapter provides the reader with a full understanding of the way in which the research aims and objectives are bridged with the direction the study takes. Chapter four is essentially focused on presenting the data and then analysing it. More interestingly, in chapter four the reader is taken through the data collection and analysis process.It is in this section that the research questions are mainl y addressed. Thematic analysis, which is the selected data analysis tool for this research study is discussed and justified at the same time; alternative analysis tools deemed to be unsuitable for the study are discussed therein. The study concludes with a chapter which proposes feasible recommendations to Estee Lauder concerning the way in which social media can be realistically leveraged in order to positively impact brand perceptions among its target audience.These recommendations are based on the empirical findings from this research study, discussed in the preceding chapter. Importantly, chapter five seeks to examine the findings of this research in relation to the research aims and objectives set out at the beginning of the study. 1. 2Research Aims and Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Social Media sites on brand perceptions, with specific focus on the cosmetics industry using Estee Lauder as a case study.This study will have a two-facet appr oach. It will analyse the impact of exposure of cosmetics brands, on Social Media sites from the influence of content generated by consumers or general members on Facebook and blogs; and on the other hand, this study will investigate the impact of content generated by cosmetics companies. Consumer generated content, in particular through blogs and ‘conversational’ interactions on Facebook by way of individual or private comments, status updates and photographs.Company (brand) generated content will specifically be focussed on fan pages created by cosmetics companies; using Estee Lauder as a case study. This research aims to achieve the following objectives. 1. To review extant conceptual models and theoretical frameworks related to social media and brand perceptions 2. To evaluate Facebook and consumer blogs in their role as reference groups on consumers 3. To determine optimal strategies to improve sales and brand reputation of cosmetics through an increased presence o n social media platforms; specifically Facebook and blogs. 1. 3Research QuestionsIn order to assess the effectiveness of social media platforms as a means of influencing brand perceptions of cosmetics, using Estee Lauder as a case study; the following questions must be answered through this research study. 1. What role do reference groups play in the purchase decision-making process of cosmetics? 2. Is there a link between exposure of brands on Facebook and blogs the consumer’s propensity to purchase cosmetics? 3. Are social media sites, specifically Facebook and blogs effective marketing tools when used in isolation in the absence of monolithic marketing programs? 1. rationale of the study Marketers are presently faced with the ever-increasing challenge of creatively developing communication techniques that will effectively reach their target audience. Where in previous years, consumers did not have access to a wide array of product information or choices, today; consumerism is dominating all aspects of life (Rahman and Rahaman; 2008). Industry expert, Raphael Viton (2009) postulates that social media marketing strategies work best for â€Å"high involvement† categories where information, feedback and testimonials from trusted sources play an important role in buying decisions.He further posits that this being the case for beauty products makes social media â€Å"perfect for cosmetics† Viton (2009). What has been clearly evident over recent years is that although numerous cosmetics companies have made efforts to have some presence on social media sites, very few are truly committed and many are unsuccessful in their approach. Many such companies embarked on a social media marketing campaign in the height of digital euphoria but did little to nothing in order to maintain these campaigns.According to research conducted by Forrester Research (2009) traditional advertising is on the decline with the rise of social media in the UK and the USA. This research further indicates that Social Media spending will increase to $3,113 (in millions) in 2014 from $716 in 2009 representing a compound annual growth rate of 34% – the highest percentage gain in the marketing mix. This spending activity also ranks it as the third most prominent program behind search marketing and display advertising.Edelman (2010) proposes, â€Å"Though  marketing strategies that focused on building brand awareness and the point of purchase worked pretty well in the past, consumer touch points have changed in nature. For example, in many categories today the single most powerful influence to buy is someone else's advocacy. Social Media presents marketers with a less costly means of micro-targeting their audience effectively. Whereas as previously, exorbitant budgets were required for mass reach, social media is able to achieve the same at a fraction of the cost.A paradigm shift has occurred where consumers are getting product information and in teracting, this revolution calls for an appraisal on the part of companies wishing to remain salient. Whereas more traditional promotional techniques, specifically, television, radio and print advertising once dominated product promotions; offline channels are now taking over. Owen (2010) claims that, â€Å"It's important to realise that an expanding audience in one channel does not automatically mean a decline in another. â€Å"As much as social media marketing is on the rise, evidence proving the effectiveness of these platforms used in isolation is scant.Social media is a fairly young discipline and many marketing managers are uncertain on how to effectively approach it in terms of coupling it with traditional marketing methods. Evidence is equally meagre with regards to how brands’ exposure on social media platforms affects their image either through brand fan pages or friend’s communication Galak and Stephen (2010) put forth that while social media was once the domain of younger, tech-savvy, early adopter consumers who were faster to adopt new technologies, it has now evolved into mainstream and covers a broad demographic spectrum.Today, 75% of Internet-using adults in the United States are active on such social media Bernoff et. al. (2009). This large number of users makes it critical to understand not only how social media influences consumers, but also how it operates alongside traditional media. Findings from this research study will add value to the development of effective social media marketing strategies for cosmetics companies (brands) going forward. 1. 5Scope and Limitations The generally accepted definition of Social Media spans to cover a wide spectrum of innumerable online tools.The extensiveness of existing social media platforms spans further than this research is able to cover. Financial restraints as well as time constraints inhibit this research study to cover the entire scope of social media platforms available today. Th is research will strictly concern itself with investigating social media in as far as it includes Facebook and beauty blogs. The study will also be purely focussed on the impact of brand perceptions on Facebook and blogs on the cosmetics industry using Estee Lauder as a case study.Moreover, data collected for this research will be limited to what is accessible through Estee Lauder company reports and secondary information that is publically available. Lack of access to internal marketing and sales data may limit the robustness of the Estee Lauder specific information. In addition to the above stated restraints, in order to achieve a more focussed study, it was deemed necessary to exclude the plethora of demographics that are also active on Facebook and blogs; consequently, this study will only focus on the female consumers between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five that purchase cosmetics at least once a month.Consequently, some may regard the generalisation of these findings as i nconclusive or rather narrow. There may be product specific factors that affect the outcome of these results as pertaining only to the cosmetics industry and not necessarily to other product categories across the board. There may also be factors that may uniquely affect people within that specific age group that will impact the outcome of the results of this research study. However, the findings of this study will contribute the understanding of social media on brand perceptions albeit for a specific industry.Notwithstanding the above-discussed limitations, this study will establish a foundation on which to build on when organisations embark social media marketing strategies to enhance their brand reputations. 1. 6Background of the study Boyd and Ellison (2008) define social media sites as â€Å"web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, a nd (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site. † For the purposes of this research study, all mention of social media sites refers specifically to Facebook and Blogs. The research will consider both consumer and company (marketing) generated content on these sites. An increasing number of people across the race and age spectrum are spending significant amounts of time online, socialising with friends through a variety of social networking sites.Traditionally, visitors to these social networking sites visited such sites primarily for the purpose of interacting with friends and publicly sharing details, comments and photographs of their lives. Human beings are social and have an innate need or desire to feel accepted and to fit in. Accordingly, they tend to be heavily influenced by the people around them or with whom they spend the most time on making purch ase decisions. Such people range in the type or relationships, including- family, friends, colleagues or even just casual acquaintances.Such groups of people help form and shape perceptions of brands. The word used to define this group of people is reference group. Solomon et. al (2010) define a reference group as â€Å"an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s evaluations, aspirations, or behaviour. † These are the people that consumers often rely on for product information they can trust. Stallen et. al clarify this concept further by explaining that, â€Å"decision-making is often influenced by the behavior of others.For instance, people frequently make similar decisions as their friends do (e. g. teenagers may choose to wear clothing that is identical to that of their buddies); while they also often choose differently than the ones they do not like (e. g. the clothing should not be identical to what i s worn by â€Å"uncool† kids). † As social media sites are where many people are now spending most of their time, these interactions are now taking place on such platforms. Over time, the social media landscape has evolved into a space where a broad range of information is disseminated.Consumers are now looking to these sites for product information that they can rely on from trusted sources-friends and family online. Thus, social media sites have in themselves, evolved to become a â€Å"reference group† as such. Casteleyn et. al (2008) suitably notes that the information that people display on their Facebook pages is constructed to communicate their personality to their friends and to the rest of the world. More often than not, these are the ‘desired’ perceptions that people would like others to have of them.Nonetheless, a myriad of information is propagated through these channels and reaches a wide spectrum of people beyond any geographical borders . This type of information dissemination is known as online Word of Mouth (WOM). WOM is commonly defined as an unpaid form of promotion in which a satisfied customer tells other people how much they like a product or service or even sharing a positive experience. The same is applicable in a negative sense, in which case a customer may have had a distasteful experience with a business, product or service and shares that with their online network.Cheema and Kaikati (2010) propose that word of mouth (WOM) communication is central to the exchange process as consumers often rely on others for assistance with purchases, especially for products with high financial or psychological risk. Several studies have empirically demonstrated that WOM is more persuasive than traditional media channels Godes et. al. (2005) WOM is considered to be one of the most credible forms of promotion because a person puts their reputation on the line every time they make a recommendation and that person has noth ing to gain but the pleasure of being heard.Traditionally the spread of WOM was limited to those within one’s geographical area and was bound to a close network of people with whom a relationship was shared. In modern times, the proliferation of the Internet has expanded the network exponentially. The growth of the Internet and particularly the rapid increase in popularity of social networking sites as a preferred medium of communication has broken down the boundaries that once limited WOM communication.As a result of this, coupled with the recent surge in technological developments worldwide, particularly pertaining to the Internet and continuously advancing social media sites- traditional marketing seems to be losing power and space with a majority of companies. The cosmetics industry is one that has had a significantly increased presence on social media sites. Extensive fan pages have been created on Facebook by both companies and consumers; wishing to share new product in formation, product experiences and recommendations. Similarly, there has been an equally considerable growth of beauty and cosmetics blogs.The definition of cosmetics is considered to comprise of skincare products (body and facial), make up, personal care products including deodorants, body washes and soaps. From this point on, for the purposes of this research study, all reference to cosmetics includes only skincare products (body and facial) and make up. Typically, cosmetics are advertised in glossy fashion and beauty magazines as well as on television. However, at present, beauty product marketers are searching for new ways to expand their consumer reach beyond the traditional avenues of fashion and beauty magazines.According to Decoursey and Sloan (2009)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Concerns, particularly for smaller companies, include magazine clutter, increased ad rates and policies concerning rotation of advertisers in prime space. And virtually all marketers worry about harried consumers, who have less spare time to pore over fashion and beauty books. † As a result of the above, social media sites have emerged as an increasingly popular avenue for beauty product marketers to explore as a medium to reach their consumers, where social media sites form part of the consumers’ reference group.Consequently, the following research study aims to assess the impact of social media sites on brand perceptions of cosmetics products, using Estee Lauder as a case study. Further to this, the changing role of social media sites as consumption reference groups for brand exposure and product sales of cosmetics brands will be analysed. 1. 8 SUMMARY This chapter comprehensively introduced the research study. It provided an overview of the study by stating the aims and objectives of the research and providing the rationale of the work.Finally the chapter closed with a discussion of the scope and limitations and the background of this study. Chapter Two seeks to systematically inv estigate extant literature on the topic. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1INTRODUCTION The focus of this section of the paper delves deeper into present research that has been conducted in fields related to the area of focus of this study as laid out in the preceding chapter. The purpose is to gather theoretical literature to make for a solid study together with the data that will be collected in this investigation.Research in the area of social media sites and consumer behaviour has only recently become of great interest to researchers in the past three to five years. The reason is two-fold 1) although social media sites have been around since the late nineties; they’ve only recently started to truly flourish in the past few years. 2) Brand marketers started identifying such sites as a suitable channel to communicate with their consumers over approximately the same period. To begin with, this chapter will explore a conceptual clarification of the terms social media in the w ay it is intended for this paper.Following that will be an interpretation of brand perception in the way that it relates to and will be studied in this research. In addition to this, further relevant literature on the topic will provide a broader scope into the subject under research will also be considered and examined. 2. 2Conceptual Clarifications Although social media is a relatively new construct in the communication world, a great many researchers and authors have provided their own interpretations of what it can be defined as (Chung and Austria, 2010; Dutta, 2009; Hoffman, 2004; Cova & Pace, 2006 Jones, 2009).As varied as the understandings may be from author to author, one thing remains consistent; social media is growing at a phenomenally rapid pace. Furthermore social media has revolutionised the way in which people communicate and that brands communicate with their consumers. Chung and Austria (2010) postulate that Social media includes various methods of online communica tion such as social networking, user-sponsored blogs, multimedia sites, company-sponsored websites, collaborative websites as well as podcasts.This definition includes just about the entire scope of the activities that a majority of individuals who participate in online communications would be involved with. Dutta (2009) further reiterates this point by stating â€Å"it’s no secret that social media—global, open, transparent, non-hierarchical, interactive, and real time—are changing consumer behaviour and workplace expectations. † It is becoming increasingly difficult and in some cases, impossible to follow traditional communication structures of non-transparency and hierarchy when people communicate via social media platforms.This is particularly true of business communication. Consumers now have more access to information than they ever had before. Hoffman (2004) supports the above statement, â€Å"the Internet makes available numerous information sour ces that consumers may draw on as they search for information and construct choices about commercial offerings. These information sources include social media sites, online product reviews (either by peers or experts), and uncensored in-depth product information on a variety of Websites, among many other sources. Cova & Pace (2006) put orth that â€Å"consumers in consumer-generated brand communities want to become influential participants and regard brands as ‘belonging to us’ and not as companies that supposedly own them. They are driven by a similar passion or ethos to form and engage in online brand communities, thereby producing their own cultural meanings around brands. Social media is a fundamental shift in the way we discover and share information. It provides individuals and particularly retailers with the ability to cultivate and have ongoing conversations and touch points with their customers and potential customers.Every retailer has a unique tribe of custo mers or a niche group of consumers. Social media helps broaden that group and engage with them like never before. Jones (2009) summarises it well in stating that â€Å"Social media essentially is a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking, and bookmarking online. † From the above, it is evident that social media sites as a construct have evolved over time to encompass a considerably wider scope of the consumers’ online experience. When consumers make a purchase, they are buying more than just the product; they are buying into the brand.Keller (1993) maintains the above statements by putting forth that brand perceptions are attributes in consumer memory that are linked to the brand name. Solomon et. al (2010) defines perception as the process by which stimuli are selected, organised or interpreted. Marketers play a crucial role in shaping and defining brand perceptions in consumers. Findings from several research studies prev iously conducted indicate that brand perceptions play a pivotal role in the consumer purchase experience because they are said to influence consideration and evaluation, and therefore ultimately, purchase (Nedungadi 1990; Keller 2003).Several factors may influence brand perception, the factors include but are not limited to elements such as; price of the product, the way in which the product is packaged, where the product is sold, reviews and feedback by reference groups on the product, and indeed how product information is disseminated or advertised. This research study will explore the impact of social media sites, namely Facebook and blogs on brand perceptions- including but not exclusively the above-mentioned elements that often shape it.This review will be focussed on three aspects of the impact of social media on consumer purchasing behaviour as researched in previous studies: 1) The History of Social Media 2) The impact of WOM through social media sites 3)The role of opinion leaders and opinion seekers on social media sites as reference groups 4) Shopping as a social activity on social media sites 2. 3history of social media There are opposing schools of thought as to when social media was born. Some argue that social media did not begin with computers, and that it was born on â€Å"line† specifically on the phone.The era of Phone phreaking or the Rogue exploration of the telephone network of the 1950s was a period when techno-geeks-people who were very clued up on technology- began to investigate ways to allow them to make free or cheap calls. â€Å"These early social media explorers built â€Å"boxes† which were homemade electronic devices that could generate tones allowing them to make free calls and get access to the experimental back end of the telephone system. Borders (2009) While on the other hand, others argue that social media came in considerably more recent years.Boyd and Ellison (2007) claim that â€Å"the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegree. com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists. Each of these features existed in some form before SixDegrees, of course. For instance, profiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites. Classmates. com allowed people to affiliate with their high school or college and surf the network for others who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list Friends until years later. SixDegrees. com was the first to combine these features. As defined by Boyd and Ellison (2007), the generally accepted present-day understanding of social media and what it has become would however suggest that these platforms as we interpret them today, concurs with the latter date of origin. 2. 3. 1ORIGINS OF FACEBOOK Facebook was originally born out of the trivial concept of allowing students to judge each other based on their facial appearance. Over a relatively brief period, Mark Zuckerberg-founder of Facebook evolved the platform and introduced innovative ideas into the network, and added some useful features like a comments section, amongst other things.Within a few months most of the schools and universities in the United States and Canada were on board, and a surprisingly large number of people had joined Facebook. In September 2006, the network was opened to any individual who had an email address and was over the age of 13. Subsequently, Facebook rapidly grew into the most popular social networking website. 2. 3. 2ORIGINS OF BLOGGING Miller and Pole (2010) define a blog as a website containing dated entries, or posts, presented in reverse-chronological order.Blog features commonly include archives (previous posts, typically grouped by month and year), a blogroll (a list of recommended blogs), and a reader comment section. Today, most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the b logs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites. Brown et. al (2007) acknowledge that word of mouth (WOM) communication is a major part of online consumer interactions, particularly within the environment of online communities.The relative simplicity required to set up and participate in a blog allows for any individual that has a basic understanding of how a computer works to be involved in this online activity. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Increasingly, blogs are now emerging as a new form of interactive advertising tool on the Internet.Cho and Huh (2008) The origins of modern blogging are often a point of great contention. There is a school of thought that believes that the ‘Mosaic's what's new’ page in 1993 was the first weblog. The ‘Mosaic's what's new’ in 1993 a list of links some people passed onto others. However, it wasn't until December 1997 that Jorn Barger coined the term â€Å"weblog† in his Robot Wisdom Weblog. In 1998, only a handful of blogs existed, and many of the bloggers knew each other and linked to each other's sites. Rebecca Blood, author of The Weblog Handbook, notes that one preeminent site listed only 23 blogs in existence at the beginning of 1999.The media started noticing blogs later in 1999 and drew attention to the phenomenon. But it was the proliferation of free weblog-creation programs in 1999 that made blogging into a hugely popular pastime. Before this software was widely available, most weblogs were hand-coded by web developers and others who taught themselves HTML. The new programs made it easy for anyone to create their own weblog. Blogger was released in August 1999 and was an immediate hit. This simple weblog application allows users to create any kind of weblog they desire.By October 2000, Blogger users were creating 300 new blogs a day, and the Blogger directory had over 5,500 blogs listed. In November of the same year, the 10,000th Blogger weblog was created. As of 2002, Blogger claimed over 750,000 users. The rise of tools like Blogger also changed the content of weblogs. While they had begun as link-driven sites offering alternative viewpoints on news and other subjects, weblogs began to collide with online journals. Blogger-style tools allowed links and commentary to quickly grow into longer essays and diaries on the Web.Online journals had existed before this, but weblog applications made journals easier to manage for those who didn't know HTML. 2. 4The impact of WOM through social media sites Both scholars and practitioners of marketing are particularly interested in WOM communication behavior in the context of online communities because of the extraordinary popularity, growth, and influence of such communities. Arndt et. al (1967) defines WOM as a consumer-dominated channel of marketing communication where the sender is independent of the market.It is therefore perceived to be more reliable, credible, and trustworthy by consumers compared to firm-initiated communications. Some literature reviews of studies in the field of social media sites reveal that the rapid spread of WOM on such sites concerning products and brands is one of their most distinguishing benefits. â€Å"A key finding from research indicates that 10% of new consumer packaged goods (CPG) account for 85% of viral buzz, but this does not necessarily indicate a direct link with sales generation. Niederhoffer. (2007) Furthermore, the once accepted belief that word of mouth influence comes only from the elite, highly connected few has been challenged. Consumption-related online communities essentially represent WOM networks, where individuals wi th an interest in a product category interact for information such as purchase advice, to affiliate with other like- minded individuals, or to participate in complaint or compliment interactions (Cothrel, 2000; Kozinets, 1999; Hoffman and Novak, 1996).While it can be argued that the WOM communication going on within these online communities has limited social presence in the traditional sense, these communities provide information and social support in both specialized and broadly based relationships, and are becoming an important supplement to social and consumption behavior. Wellmanet. al. (1996) A study conducted by Cyber Atlas (2001), for example, cited 84% of Internet users having contacted at least one online community.The popularity of these emerging consumption-focused online communities, and the WOM communication going on within them, highlights a need for increasing scholarly attention to be paid to online WOM communication. Smith et. al (2007) state that â€Å"Research s uggests that most people are moderately connected and are as willing as the highly connected to share marketing messages. † Increased accessibility to the Internet and thus, social media sites has exacerbated the connectivity of people through an increased number of touch points such as mobile phones.Whereas previously people who did not own or have access to personal computers or home Internet connectivity, were not able to access social media sites, now through their cell phones they are active participants on such sites. This research proposes that people have an innate desire to share messages with one another-including marketing communications. Social media sites have a unique distinguishing factor that traditional marketing methods lack and that is an ability to stimulate and enable two way dialogue between companies and their consumers and vice versa.An added advantage of this two-way dialogue is that it is possible for it to take place in real time and instantaneously. Consumers on these platforms are able to engage with companies that were traditionally out of reach to them on matters concerning their brands or products. Likewise, companies (brands) are able to gain insights into their customers and customers’ perspective, as well as directly address any issues or concerns at hand. In some cases, consumers engage with one another without the brand intervening at all; sharing opinions and experiences.In the same breath however, John Marshall Roberts, communications strategist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Worldview Learning, training and Research Company for change makers,  highlighted the importance of the need for transparency and honesty, he warns that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"half-truths and ‘green washing’ are quickly exposed on today’s social media networks. † It is imperative that companies with a presence on social media sites maintain an uttermost level of integrity in their communication with consumers, as the truth can almost always be uncovered.In such cases, a positive reputation that a brand may have built over many years can be destroyed in a matter of days and indeed in an instant. Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955) in one of the earliest research studies on WOM concluded that WOM two times more effective than radio advertisements, four times more than personal selling, seven times more than print advertisements. This research, was investigating traditional WOM in the absence of social media and indeed the Internet. Such WOM was bound by geographical location, as people were limited to the people that they were physically able to interact with.The Internet and indeed, the exponential growth of social media sites, have eradicated this constraint. Trusov et. al. (2009) find that WOM referrals have a strong impact on new customer acquisition. In their research, they conclude that the effectiveness of WOM referrals on social media sites have resulted in a direct positive effect on sales of pro ducts. The creation of social media has meant that WOM can be directly tracked in relation to its impact of consumer behaviour with regards to individuals’ decision-making process. There are several motivations that lead consumers’ WOM referral behaviour.These two motivating factors have found to be the primary drivers such as extreme satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Dichter 1966; Richins 1983; Yale 1987), commitment to the firm (Dick and Basu 1994) and novelty of the product (Bone 1992). When a consumer has had an exceptionally pleasing experience with a brand, or on the other hand, a particularly unpleasant one they are more likely to share this with as many of their peers as possible. Depending on the experience, this could lead to extreme benefit on the part of the company behind the brand or it could be detrimental to its image.Equally significant is the level of loyalty that a consumer may have to a brand or company. Once a consumer has a reached a stage of extre me brand loyalty, they develop a deep connection with the brand as they would with a person. There have been various schools of thought on the motivating influences on spread of WOM. One of these was that consumers who communicate marketing messages to other consumers were previously assumed to engage in this behavior as a result of altruism or reciprocity or to attain higher status (Dichter 1966; Engel, Kegerreis, and Blackwell 1969; Gatignon and Robertson 1986).However, according to findings conducted by Kozinets et. al. (2010), the motivators are more multifaceted including the individual’s personality, specifically at whether they are opinion leaders or opinion seeker; this topic will be discussed in greater detail further on in the next section of the literature review chapter. Additionally, their research study suggests that the sharing of WOM marketing messages is â€Å"personal in a communally appropriate manner. † Therefore, advocating that WOM is heavily infl uenced by personal characteristics of an individual in a communal setting.Wiedmann et. al. (2007) address the question of why certain personal sources of information have more influence than others to identify general market-place influencers and use them for more effective product and message diffusion. They support that factors such as source expertise (Bansal and Voyer 2000; Gilly et al. 1998), tie strength (Brown and Reingen 1987; Frenzen and Nakamoto 1993), demographic similarity (Brown and Reingen 1987), reference group influence (Bearden and Etzel 1982) and perceptual affinity (Gilly et al. 998) have been identified as important antecedents of WOM influence. 2. 5The role of opinion leaders and opinion seekers on social media sites as reference groups Bearden et. al. (1989) state that the pervasive use of spokespeople in product and service endorsements reflects the widely held belief that individuals who are admired or who belong to a group to which other individuals aspire c an exercise an influence on information processing, attitude formation, and purchase behaviour. Consumers influence other consumers in numerous ways.They act as models that inspire imitation among those who observe their purchase and consumer behaviour, either directly or indirectly. Flynn et. al (2001) propose that consumers spread information through word of mouth, as consumption is a major topic of social communication. They further influence one another by directly giving out advice and verbal direction for search purchase and use. Research reveals that the time spent online and the benefits pertaining to product information and brand awareness for consumers are impacted on by individual personality traits.Personality traits in this context are discussed as they pertain to â€Å"opinion leaders† and â€Å"opinion seekers†. Solomon et. al (2010) clarify the term opinion leaders by defining them as â€Å"people who are knowledgeable about products and whose advice i s taken seriously by others. † These people tend to be respected in their knowledge of specific products and hold great social power, as people tend to go to them for recommendations and advice. Opinion seekers on the other hand â€Å"are more likely to talk about products with others and to solicit others’ opinions as well. Solomon et. al (2010) Research conducted by Acar and Polonsky (2007) reveal that â€Å"gender and extroversion predict online social network size and time spent online; that opinion seekers spend more time online and have larger networks relative to opinion leaders; and that opinion leaders are more likely to communicate their brand use online† This research further found the â€Å"mediating role of opinion leadership and opinion seeking in explaining the impact of general personality traits online brand communication and social networking. †From this definition it is established that although people may seek information from various sources, there are certain individuals whose advice carries more weight than others. Opinion leaders also tend to be socially active and highly interconnected in their community. Opinion seekers on the other hand, are often seen to be followers of opinion leaders. They are constantly in search of information from others. This could explain the reason that they would be most active online as revealed in research discussed above by Acar and Polonsky (2007).Research conducted by Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) concurs that the set of associations consumers have about a brand is an important component of brand equity. According to the findings from this research, consumers gain a certain level of psychological benefit from using or associating with certain brands. Consequently, the way in which the opinion leader is perceived will have a bearing on the brand perception to those that interact with him.Escalas and Bettman (2003) found that â€Å"students are more are more likely to develo p a self-brand connection when there is a strong usage association between a reference group and the brand and there is a strong connection between the reference groups and the consumer’s self-concept. † Therefore, in this research, if a student has aspiration or actual associations with a certain reference group, whichever brand(s) that are popular within that group or have a high usage rate within that group will in turn have a level of appeal to that student.It stands to reason then, that with the copious amounts of time spent online by consumers, and the loads of information imparted particularly by opinion seekers, that social media sites would now form a pivotal role of this brand reference and purchase decision making construct. Social media sites have in themselves evolved dramatically over recent years, occupying a more extensive space in today’s society. The advancement of social media has allowed it to reach a point where it could be considered to play a pivotal role in consumer interaction with reference groups.Childers and Rao (1992) put forth that the reference- group construct has supplanted the notion of group membership as one that explains group influence on individual behaviour. An important point to note is that the relationship between an individual and a reference group should be motivationally and psychologically significant for the influence to be considerable. Lessig and Park (1978) identified and examined three motivational reference group functions (RGFs) that lend themselves easily to the proposition of social media sites as reference groups.The functions are: informational, utilitarian, and value-expressive. These two researchers defined the terms in the following way. â€Å"An informational reference group imposes no norms on the individual. Instead, an influence is internalized if it is perceived as enhancing the individual's knowledge about his environment and/or his ability to cope with some aspect of it. T hus, the likelihood that an individual will accept information from this reference group as evidence of reality increases if he feels uncertainty associated with the purchase and/or lacks relevant purchase related experience. In line with this thinking, consumers in the process of purchasing products may visit Facebook or a blogging site in order to get product information, often from people with whom they have a personal relationship or connection. The influence of a utilitarian reference group on the other hand as outlined by the research conducted by Lessig and Park (1978) refers to â€Å"influence on individuals from a different approach from the informational reference group, these groups are seen to motivate an individual to realize a reward or to avoid a punishment mediated by some other individual or group or is expected to conform to the other's influence. The success of this phenomenon is achieved only if the individual feels that his actions are visible or will be known. Individual profiles are visible to everyone that participates on Facebook as well as blogs other than those with a private setting. Individuals subscribing to this form of reference group would tend to want as many people as possible to see their profile and thus display their group associations. The third motivational reference group function explored by Lessig and Park (1978) is the value-expressive reference group. An individual utilizes a value-expressive reference group for the purpose of expressing himself and/or bolstering his ego to an outside world. The degree of cohesiveness or norm specificity of the reference group is irrelevant for this function. What is important is the psychological image associated with the group whether the group is real or imaginary. A number of well-known cases exist in which attempts have been made to use the value-expressive reference group function in promotions.Consider the following examples: the â€Å"young generation† promoted by Pe psi, the ‘seaman image† promoted by Schlitz and the â€Å"sophisticated and liberated woman† concept promoted by Virginia Slim cigarettes. † Social media sites have now created a platform whereby people are enabled to create, aspire and join certain group. This information is more readily accessible and visible to the general public, thereby allowing individuals to display their affiliations with much more ease and higher reach.Childers and Rao (1992) further establish that from marketing and consumer- behaviour perspectives, the influence of reference groups on individual behaviour is often manifested in the types of products and brands purchased by individuals. 2. 6SHOPPING AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES A third view into social media sites and consumer buying behaviour show that these two concepts are intrinsically connected as shopping or sales in themselves are a social activity based on mutual trust.According to Shih (2009), â€Å"relation ships can sometimes even trump price as the deciding factor in purchase decisions. † Product information from a trusted source like friends, family or other people that may form a part of one’s reference group could result in the purchase of a product just from the mere fact that the information is coming from that specific person. It has been accepted for decades that shopping is more than the mere acquisition of products but rather it is more about the enjoyment, experience and entertainment.Dennis et. al (2009) state that â€Å"as well as its functional role it includes the pleasure of browsing, impulse buying, discovering new shops, topic for casual conversation, focal point for planned and unplanned activities with other people. This statement is particularly true among women. Researchers have drawn attention to the importance of social and affiliation motivations for shopping. Shim and Eastlick (1998) Social networks lend themselves as an ideal platform for the a bove-mentioned motivations for shopping.These networks have drastically revolutionised society in the way people engage and socialise. â€Å"Nearly half (49%) of the thirty million Internet users in the UK have used social networking at least once in the last year and 70% of people and households are Internet users. Dutton et. al. (2009) Young females are over-represented as users of social network websites. Research carried out by Lenhart and Madden (2007) reported that 70% of females use social network sites and 48% of teens visit social network websites like Facebook daily.Findings from research conducted by comScore (2010) reveal that social media users spend, on average, one and a half times more time online than the typical web surfer. In fact, heavy Facebook users spent an average of $67 online during the first quarter of the year—compared with less than $50 for the general netizen. Social networks essentially facilitate social shopping or social commerce as the terms tend to be used interchangeably to take place among users. Social Shopping is a method of shopping where shoppers' friends and family become involved in the shopping experience.Social shopping attempts use technology to mimic the social interactions found in physical malls and stores. 2. 7cosmetics and social media Estee Lauder has demonstrated willingness and innovation within the cosmetics category in terms of exploring social media sites to enhance brand perceptions and ultimately increase its sales. In 2009, Estee Lauder launched a business to consumer (B2C) social media marketing campaign for their cosmetics division, with their â€Å"Lets Play Makeover† initiative.As a prestigious and global skin care and Cosmetics Company, Estee Lauder saw an opportunity to tap into the increasing share of older women – mothers in particular – who were using social media. They thus created the Estee Lauder â€Å"Let's Play Makeover† Facebook application, which in essence is a virtual makeover tool. Women could upload their photos and use Estee Lauder products to create virtual make-up. This is a significant change to cosmetics marketing because it allows potential consumers to test and trial make-up in the privacy of their own homes before making purchases.This innovative application saves time and also lets them experiment with make-up at their own leisure. The effectiveness of this application is underscored by how it also integrates the full shopping experience by indicating to users which specific makeup they are using, from the eye-shadow to foundation colour – and seals the deal by allowing them to purchase their chosen products online, thus making the purchase experience more convenient for the consumer. The sharing aspect of social media is also encouraged, as the application lets users share their makeovers and before/after shots with friends.Social media campaigns should not just be considered as a separate entity. It's effe ctiveness in B2C marketing especially can be enhanced with other marketing methods. This example in particular shows how to effectively tie in offline promotions with social media marketing. The underlying strategy with Estee Lauder's â€Å"Lets Play Makeover† campaign is thus to use social media as the major point of purchase, but at the same time, offer alternatives for users to make purchases, ultimately allowing them to fully engage with their products and services whichever way they prefer.Proctor & Gamble’s Olay brand was another successful story in pioneering of cosmetics category of products to explore the use of online interactions through such sites. It rolled out an online interactive diary for the Olay Regenerist anti-ageing skincare brand in 2006. The diary provided detailed information on the skin each week for the first eight weeks of product use, taking the consumer through the process, as the effects of the product were not immediately visible.Research conducted post this activity revealed that Olay had produced a four to six times higher intent to purchase among the target group, with 78% of the sample saying they had purchased the brand within the last year. According to a report by Stylophane (2010) â€Å"if a user joins the fan page as a result of viewing an advert, this action is logged on the advert itself, which means friends of the user can see this action, prompting them to also become a fan of the brand. † Thus highlighting the effectiveness of the spread of WOM on such sites even in the most passive or subtle situations.Another successful cosmetics brand that has seen great success through its presence on Facebook is MAC. As at March 2010, MAC had the greatest number of fans (542,613) – more than double that of the second most popular brand, Carol’s Daughter. Nichol (2010) 2. 8SUMMARY This chapter was dedicated to the clarification and expansion of existing theoretical studies on the topic under re search. The terms Social media and Brand perception were defined and clarified in the way in which they are intended for this study.Additionally, further research that offers a robust consolidation of theories to support the research at hand were examined and discussed. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1INTRODUCTION The previous chapter comprehensively explored extant literature on the topic under research. Focal points of discussion in the preceding chapter were on conceptual clarification and literature most pertinent to the topic in this study. The core purpose of this chapter is to expound and justify the chosen methodology of collection of primary data for this research.This chapter identifies research aims and objectives in relation to the research methodology employed. Moreover, this chapter discusses the chosen research paradigm or philosophy as well as its motives. Following onto this, the chapter explores the research approach, research strategy options as well as the selected data collection methods. Finally, this chapter deliberates the strengths and weaknesses of the research methodology for this study. 3. 2RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVESIt is imperative that the research aims and objectives mentioned at the beginning of the study are reiterated at this stage of the study as they form a crucial basis of the work going forward from this point. The research aims and objectives feed into the research methodology selected for the research. Therefore, at this point, it is prudent to reaffirm that the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Social Media sites on brand perceptions, with specific focus on the cosmetics industry using Estee Lauder as a case study.This research rests on the following aims and objectives; firstly the study set to review extant conceptual models and theoretical frameworks related to social media and brand perceptions. The following objective was to evaluate Facebook and consumer blogs in their role as referenc e groups on consumers. The final objective is to determine optimal strategies to improve sales and brand reputation of cosmetics through an increased presence on social media platforms; specifically Facebook and blogs. The above mentioned aims and objectives guide the researcher in the formulation and design of the research methodology.It is paramount that these aims and objectives are assiduously concomitant with the methodology employed in order to ensure the success of this research study. 3. 3RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY Galliers (1991) defines research philosophy as a belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analysed and used. Epistemology which is, what is known to be true, is contrary to doxology, what is believed to be true encompasses the various philosophies of research approach. Latu (2007) elaborates this rationale in stating that the purpose of science, then, is the process of transforming things believed into things nown: â€Å"doxa to episteme †. As discussed by Hussey and Hussey (1997), there are two key research philosophies that have been identified in science and those are positivist (scientific) and interpretivist (antipositivist). According to Weber (2004), positivists attempt to build knowledge of a reality that exists beyond the human mind. Their research is based on a belief that human experience of the world reflects an objective, independent reality and that this reality provides the foundation for human knowledge.On the other hand, interpretivists are attuned to the belief that knowledge they build reflects their individual structure of interpretation that is based on distinct human experience, background, culture and other such divergent factors that may impact the way in which they interpret results from their studies. Interpretivists in other words, try to make sense of the world, acknowledging that their sense-making activities occur within the framework of their life-worlds and the particular goals they have for their work.Knowledge is built through social construction or interpretation of the world. This research study is conducted from an interpretivist point of view. The results and findings of this study rely heavily on human interpretation as it relates to human perception which is essentially, the way people psychologically organise the world around them. There is a significant human socialisation interpretation involved in the analysis of the way in which social media sites impact on brand perceptions of individuals.The term perception by its very definition is based on an individual’s interpretation of the world around them. It would then stand to reason that an interpretivist research philosophy would be employed in the conducting of this research study. As is stated by Levin (1998), positivists believe that reality is stable and can be observed and described from an objective viewpoint; it would seem a fundamentally flawed approach to take on a positivists vie w when conducting this research-considering the subjectivity of the topic under research of human perception.This study is involved with the interpretation of brands exposed on Facebook and blogs by various individuals. The way in which one individual construes the presence of cosmetics brands on Facebook and blogs will invariably be different from the way another may view it- based on their differing understanding of the world. The human element which is inextricably associated with the topic under research could be overlooked in the investigation were it to be conducted from a positivist philosophy.Therefore, in investigating the impact of social media on brand perceptions, the research philosophy germane and most appropriate is interpretivism. The two principal disadvantages of a positivist application to the study at hand are these; firstly, its quest for rigid laws and perfect standards of scientific methodology and analysis are improbable when dealing with social phenomenon. P ositivism standards are meant to be applicable repeatedly overlooking the variations in human behaviour. The second drawback is positivism’s inconsideration of the subjective and unique aspects of social phenomenon.Whereas, in dealing with the interpretation of individuals’ brand perceptions, the researcher must factor in varying social backgrounds, brand and brand communication preferences, natural scientists w