Annotated Bibliography For Gang Violence Research Paper Example

Annotated Bibliography For Gang Violence Research Paper Example Annotated Bibliography For Gang Violence Paper Annotated Bibliography For Gang Violence Paper Academic Search Premier Obscenest (accessed July 21 , 2014) In this article the authors focus on limiting or disentangling youth gang membership. They also talk about the violence associated with youth gang members. They explain and give data that supports violent and nonviolent offenses committed by youth gang members. Youths that report gang membership whether female or male experience some type of violence throughout their adolescence years. This article basically promotes how strongly gangs influence youths and how life situations can lead to criminal involvement. It highlights ways to prevent youths from turning to gangs for family support and love. The article also recommends interventions to shorten gang careers. This article will help me come up with ways to stop youths from becoming gang members and slowing down gang violence involving youths. Congress of the LLC. S. , Washington, DC. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Youth Violence and Gangs. Hearing on the status of the Juvenile Justice System in America, Focusing on Activities of Youth Gangs and Their Access to Guns, and How Programs Can Help Prevent the Violence Associated with Youth Gangs before the Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice of the Committee or the Judiciary. United States Senate, One Hundred seconds Congress First Session, (November 26, 1991) n. P. : 1992. Eric Obscenest (access July 21, 2014) This article discusses several different ways to prevent youth gang violence. It talks about how youth and gang violence is ruining the country. It enlightens you on how youths are being robbed, raped and killed by one another. It talks bout strengthen law enforcement and about securing a safe haven for the next generation. I had no idea youth gang violence was this massive. Gang violence involving youth membership has gained attention worldwide and this article will be useful toward research paper. Simon T, Ritter N, Menhaden R, editors. Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013 This article discusses different options on how to prevent youths from joining gangs, which will change the course of their future. It talks about how it requires the public health and safety professionals to work together to minimize youth membership and gang violence. It list key points on why youths join gangs. This article talks about supporting community activities and addressing substance abuse. It educates you on some great ways of resolving youth gang membership. This articles offers a lot of facts and solution to preventing youths from joining gangs and it will be very helpful in writing my research paper.

The isms That Shape An Ethical Debate †Ethics Essay

The isms That Shape An Ethical Debate – Ethics Essay Free Online Research Papers The isms That Shape An Ethical Debate Ethics Essay Absolutism, relativism, and pluralism are all â€Å"ism†s that can contribute to an ethical debate. Absolutism refers to the concept that if some concept or argument can be applied in one case, then it is relevant for every single person in every single case forever. A simple example is lying; is lying ethical just because it can be considered ethical in some cases? Relativism is the idea that nothing can be absolute; each case must be considered in its own time, culture, and situation. There are many different kinds of relativists, as the text described, and relativists can differ even amongst themselves as to how to apply their principle. Pluralism is the notion that because we live in such a diverse world, we must consider many different views on a matter before deciding a case, and we must take into account the equality of each point of view. The role of language is important in ethical reasoning. As we saw in reading the news story about the woman who attempted to kill her terminally ill son, language can have an effect on ethical arguments through bias. Depending on how you state a case, you could be swaying an undecided person to your point of view if you emphasize certain issues and not others. This is especially true in euthanasia cases; by emphasizing the torture the patient is going through, or the supremacy of individual choice, one can present this as a cut-and-dry ethical case to someone who did not have all the facts. The greatest happiness principle is one defined by John Stuart Mill in order to support his theory of utilitarianism. This principle states that we ought to make decisions whose outcomes will produce the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people. The problem with this principle is that it does not take into account the weakest members of society or the minority in society, which could include up to 49.9 % of the population. Rachels argued that he would rather be a dissatisfied human than a satisfied pig in order to combat utilitarianism. He meant that pleasure is not necessarily the best basis for ethical arguments in determining what is right, because whatever produces the most pleasure or happiness may not be the best choice in a matter. He felt that by basing ethics on pleasure, human beings would bring themselves down to the level of animals and lose their inherent intellectual superiority. Kant’s universalization rule states that whatever is right in one situation ought to pertain to everyone else is that exact situation forever more. If I argue that I slept through a Core midterm because I was up late the night before studying and should be allowed to take it later, then every other person who sleeps too late because they were up late studying also ought to be allowed to take the exam later. This is a little different from absolutism because it takes into account the individual situation and circumstances. Kant’s motive of duty is based on the idea that we ought to act out of a sense of duty rather than out of selfish motivations. Duty is defined as that which we ought to do based not only on our own inclinations but also on what is best for society as we have understood it. He wants us to act ethically out of our own volition, but he also believes that we have an obligation to act morally; hence, the term duty. Aristotle believed that virtue is a mean between two extremes, between excess and deficiency. He thought that we should act not out of rashness, but also not overthink things to the point where we do not act. Virtue is defined by him as the middle ground between the two extremes in a reaction to something, whether emotional or an action. Only by rational thought can we arrive at such a conclusion, according to him. Habits are those automatic actions that Aristotle believed we would develop from both watching others perform them and from intuition. Habits are to be taught by example by virtuous teachers and ought to be ingrained by nature. These habits are the good habits of character; they both define you as a good person and make you a good person. Rawls’s veil of ignorance is what you put on when you are making an ethical judgment. This veil is designed to blind you to what you can gain or lose by a judgment, and to make you ignorant of your place in the argument. By using this veil of ignorance, one can, according to Rawls, make the most ethical decision because one will no longer be motivated by what one can gain or lose; it is also important to note that with a veil of ignorance, one forgets other people’s places in society and what they can gain or lose. Thus, it is the most equal and impartial method of making an ethical judgment. Rawls’s original position theory is based on how people behaved before society imposed its inequities and prejudices on humans. It states that when faced with an ethical dilemma, we ought to remove ourselves from society and put ourselves back in that state of nature in which we were all equal, without social standing or consequence, and without considerations of money and other modern inconveniences. This theory ties in with his veil of ignorance to make decisions based on the most impartial method possible. II. 1. Purpose: To determine whether Claire Conroy should be taken off her feeding tube and allowed to die. 2. Key ethical question: Is it ethical to allow a person who is not in a persistent vegetative state but who is clearly not living a good life to die through passive euthanasia? 3. The facts: Claire is older, and she is not living a healthy, comfortable life as far as we know how life is for people in such states. She is not n a persistent vegetative state, but neither is she able to interact fully with those around her. Her nephew, who is her legal guardian, visits her regularly. He requested that she be taken off the feeding tube and allowed to die. What we don’t know: What are the motives for the nephew’s decision? Does she have money that he wants, or is he truly acting on her best interest? How did he become her legal guardian? Did she appoint him as such? Does she have a living will or some other statement saying her wishes in such a case? 4. Rawls would want more information in this matter, because in his view, the most important piece of information is missing, which is Claire’s wishes because she is the weakest member of this argument. He would want to know whether Claire had ever stated her feelings in the matter, and he would want to know what those feelings were. Barring this knowledge, he would probably argue that she be kept alive in the absence of knowing her wishes. Mill would argue from the utilitarian standpoint that it would be best for all those involved to take out the feeding tube because it would reduce her suffering, her nephew’s suffering, and relieve the stress of medical payments on her nephew. Kant would want more information as well, arguing that we do not know the intentions of the nephew; are his intentions good? Does he really have Claire’s best interests at heart, or are his best interests the deciding factor? And even if the nephew does have good intentions, is it right to let Claire die? Shouldn’t we preserve life at all costs, because that is the ultimate preservation of dignity? Also, what is her quality of life? And how much longer do the doctors believe she will live in such a state? 5. My first response would be to let Claire die with as little pain as possible. I am sure that seeing her in such a state for some time would have a great effect on her nephew, and I would agree with the nephew to let her go. I believe that the relieving of suffering is probably the most important point from which to view this matter. Claire’s life is not one that I can imagine is very fulfilling or happy. Whether she is fully aware or not that her nephew visits her regularly, is this enough to sustain her? While I do not necessarily believe in Hardwig’s Duty to Die, I do believe that in cases like this, it is ethical to make a decision to let someone die, although I agree with Quill’s thoughts that sometimes passive euthanasia is not necessarily the most humane; sometimes active euthanasia is necessary to relieve pain and to let someone die with dignity. Which would cause her the most pain, to live with a feeding tube and in such pain, or to die from star vation? I basically believe that euthanasia is ethically acceptable. 6. This sounds a lot like Debbie’s case from the text to me. Her personal choice was not necessarily known, since â€Å"Let’s get this over with† is debatable in its meaning. And while she was also in an obviously painful state, as Claire is now in terms of both physical pain from the incontinence and the fact that she is constantly curled up in the fetal position and mental anguish from the dementia, it is not clear whether she wanted to go naturally or immediately. Also, the doctor’s attitude towards Debbie is unclear, just as Claire’s nephew’s attitude towards her is unclear. We do not know for sure whether that doctor just wanted to go back to sleep, or whether the nephew just wants to go back to a normal life. Furthermore, this sounds like a case where Hardwig would argue that Claire has a duty to die; she is causing her nephew money and emotional pain. But does she really have that duty to die? I do not believe so. Her nephew mu st do what is best for her; thus I agree with Rawls’s position on this issue. What do the doctors think? Have they given her a prognosis? How much longer can she survive in such a state? Do they have an idea of what pain she is in? After knowing this, perhaps a decision could be arrived at more easily. I cannot imagine that the nurses are very happy with her situation; they are the ones that see her every day in this state, and that must be very hard emotionally to deal with. It seems that most of these points of view point to letting her go. 7. The most reasonable answer to Claire’s dilemma would be to take her off the feeding tube. It is more humane to let her die than to keep her alive in such an undignified and uncomfortable life. Although I believe it would be preferable to do what Debbie’s doctor did and provide Claire with enough medication to ease the pain and to effectively kill her than to make her suffer more through starvation, this is not necessarily allowed today. Keeping her alive would only prolong her suffering, something that I believe all parties involved would want to avoid. 8. If taken off the tube, Claire will die. She may take a few days to do so, as Teri Schiavo did, but at least that will end her pain and confusion and suffering. Her nephew will be able to move on with his life, and while depending on his beliefs he may have a pang of conscience when he thinks of his aunt, at least he can know that he shortened her pain. The nurses and doctors can know that they did not kill her, and that they were only following Claire’s legal guardian’s orders; thus they cannot be held responsible for their actions (logically speaking; of course, some may). And that opens up another room in a nursing home that may have a waiting list for people who need that care. In all, it seems that the most suffering is Claire’s, and that through passive euthanasia, that suffering can be shortened enough to warrant removing the feeding tube. Research Papers on The "ism"s That Shape An Ethical Debate - Ethics EssayArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Capital Punishment19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMind TravelComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenGenetic EngineeringResearch Process Part OneThe Fifth Horseman

Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Project - Assignment Example Net income for J.C. Penny Company has been decreasing over the past three financial years and the decrease identifies losses in the company’s last two financial years. The trend is further consistent and suggests that the company is likely to suffer worse degree of losses in its future financial years. Macy’s Inc. however offers good indicators in its net income. The income has been increasing in the past three financial years and the consistent trend suggests that the net income is likely to increase in future financial years. Macy’s Inc. was therefore better in profitability because it was profitable while J.C. Penny Company suffered losses. Profitability in Macy’s Inc. was also better because it improved from the previous financial period while that of J.C. Penny Company decreased from the previous financial period. The same trend is observed in the companies’ comprehensive incomes (Georgia State University, n.d.). The following table compares th e companies’ current and total arrest for the years ending 2011, and 2012. Table 2: Comparison of current assets Company 2011 2012 J.C. Penny Company 5081 3683 Macy’s Inc 8777 7876 The following is the graph of the companies’ current assets for the the years ended 2011 and 2012. ... Table 3: Total assets Company 2011 2012 J.C. Penny Company 11424 9781 Macy’s Inc 22095 20991 The following graph shows distribution of total assets Graph 3: Total assets Like in current assets, the two companies’ total assets decreased across the two financial years. The percentage decrease was however greater in J.C. Company, 14.38 percent, compared to Macy’s 5 percent and shows higher threat to long term sustainability of J.C. Company. Further, lower value of current assets in J.C. Company shows weaker leverage potential that in Macy Inc. (Georgia State University, n.d.). Trend in current liabilities within the two companies, together with trends in assets also offer a basis for comparing them. The following table shows the trends. Table 4: Current liabilities Company 2011 2012 J.C. Penny Company 2756 2583 Macy’s Inc 6263 5075 The following graph shows the companies’ current liabilities for the years ended 2011 and 2012. Graph 4: Current liabiliti es The companies’ current liabilities decreased from the year ended 2011 to the year ended 2012 with greater decrement in Macy’s Inc., 19 percent, than J.C. Company’s 6.3 percent. The trend also indicates improved liquidity at Macy’s inc. even though Macy’s Inc. has higher amount of current liabilities, it also has higher amount of current assets and this establishes its short-term liquidity over J.C. Company (Georgia State University, n.d.; J.C. Company, 2013; Macy’s Inc., 2013). Analysis of major rations for the two companies also offers a basis for comparing the companies’ financial positions and performance. The table below shows some of the comparative analyses for the companies’ financial statements. Table 5: Financial ratios

Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy - Essay Example Fossil fuels are an example of nom-renewable sources of energy. Energy can be changed from one form to another. This is upheld by the first law of thermodynamics which puts forward the fact that â€Å"energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only converted from one form to another.† Different examples can be used to support this statement. Natural gas which is a form of energy is changed into heat and light upon burning. The burning of coal can be used for the production of light and heat. Visible light from the Sun can be changed into heat and electrical energy. The energy from wind can also be changed into electrical energy. These examples uphold the fact that energy conversion from one form to another takes place (Chrias 2006; Miller et al 2008). Fossil fuels are energy sources which are recovered from beneath the ground. They are basically hydrocarbons which are also referred to as mineral fuels. Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. These fossil fuels are formed by t he decomposition of plants and animals which become buried inside the earth. This process has been estimated to take around millions of years. The decomposed material is exposed to the heat and the pressure from the earth’s crust owing to which it undergoes many changes and eventually results in the formation of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have become an essential source of energy in today’s world. ... They can be used as fuels for driving machineries. These benefits serve to provide for the attractions of fossil fuels (Miller et al 2008; Science Daily). Different alternatives to fossil fuels have been searched upon owing to the fact that the reserves of fossil fuels are starting to deplete. Nuclear power is an alternative source of energy. It can be used for the generation of heat, electricity as well as for making weapons. The advantage of nuclear power includes the fact that it can used for energy generation. It can also assist in preventing the quick depletion of the fossil fuels. It proves to be economically beneficial as well owing to the fact that it serves to create competition for other energy producers. This results in providing for a lower energy buying cost for consumers. Nuclear energy does not result in the release of greenhouse gases and thus it does not contribute to global warming as do fossil fuels. But this form of energy has its own disadvantages. The expenses r equired for the building of nuclear power plants are very high and therefore, it is an expensive form of energy. Nuclear energy can be used for building nuclear weapons which can prove to be very harmful for human beings. The waste of nuclear power plants is toxic and radioactive and there are no proper sites for disposing this harmful material. Furthermore, accidents in nuclear power plants can prove to be very harmful as they can create much havoc and destruction (In Foreman et al 1970; Miller et al 2011). Wind energy is another alternate source of energy to fossil fuels. Wind energy can be used for the generation of electricity. Wind turbines are built which utilize

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Astronomy - Essay Example Technical terms are broken down for novice astronomers, more advanced issues can be found for individuals that yearn for more technical knowledge, and everyone can enjoy vivid pictures of the space shuttle, planets, moons, stars, and more. Overall this website could be given the grade of an A+. Educators and students have links on the NASA website. Educators can find classroom materials to use in their classes. Students can find help for their assignments about space related issues. All ages of students can use myNASA to bookmark articles of concern. These services are provided for free. The enormous knowledge of NASA is shared through these tools. The information is vast. Everything from the first moon landing to images from the Hubble is provided by this website. An opportunity for students to watch astronauts on the space station, shuttle lift offs, and images of the earth from orbiting satellites is available. Overall this is a very informational site for educators and students. Employees and policymakers (congressmen) can also access this website. A calendar, expense report, and general accounting for operations can be found under this link. The media has a link for questions about NASA operations, press passes, and events. Employees can view videos not available to the public. Policies are explained. For example, one article â€Å"NASA Hazard and Safety Reporting† directs â€Å"If you see a situation that might result in a death or injury or damage to equipment or property, report it! All reports will receive prompt and thorough attention† (NASA.com). A login for NASA employees is also found at this link. NASA also features a news and mission link. All of the latest news and news on the shuttles is found at these links. Pictures from the Hubble telescope, reports about the finding of water on the moon, and the latest videos are available at the news link. In the news this week, NASA the Atlantis launch is scheduled for

The Dairy Industry Of Pakistan Marketing Essay

The Dairy Industry Of Pakistan Marketing Essay The dairy industry of Pakistan is a very competitive industry and has huge potential. Unfortunately, dairy processors in Pakistan still have miles to cover before they can exploit full benefits of this industry. The milk production of the country has not been up to the mark and as a result the demand for dairy products outweighs the supply. Traditionally, people living in urban areas preferred to consume fresh milk delivered to their homes by Gawallas. However with the passage of time, as people became more and more health conscious there was a shift towards the consumption of UHT milk and its demand has been increasing ever since. In the UHT milk segment, firms like Nestle Pakistan Limited and Engro Foods Limited have emerged as leading market players. These firms with their bundle of financial resources have made huge investments in getting state of the art technology, manpower and strengthening their promotion efforts. Despite the fact that local dairy processing industries have b een able to match the quality standards of Nestle and Engro to a greater extent, these firms lack in their marketing efforts. Noon Pakistan Limited is one such firm which is being effected due to poor marketing efforts and has not been able to reap the benefits of the industry in which it operates. Noon Pakistan Limited is a venture of the Noon Family and has been marketing its products under the brand name of Nurpur. The firm enjoys market leadership in the category of butter. Initially when the firm launched its UHT milk the market response was good. However with the passage of time, the brand performance of Nurpur UHT milk has deteriorated due to mismanagement of marketing efforts. While management claims that they are able to sell whatever they produce, the market survey results prove that the prevailing performance of the brand has not been up to the mark. The firm relies on the selling concept which is a short term approach and little emphasis is being given to the concept of brand building. It is the need of the hour that Noon Pakistan Limited adopts a long term strategic approach if it wants to secure its position in the market for years to come. To study the issue being faced by Noon Pakistan Limited, a rigorous Literature review was conducted followed by interviews with employees of the firm, retailers and consumer surveys. Financial analysis and comparison with Nestle and Engro was done. Even though Noon Pakistan Limited does not match the financial strength of its competitors, there are many ways in which the firm can improve its position in the market. The first step in building strong brands is to ensure that the brand has a high salience. The brand should have top of the mind recall and recognition. Unfortunately the survey results analyzed using SPSS software proved that Nurpur milk is not the first brand which comes to the mind when a consumer wants to purchase UHT milk. Majority of the respondents could not even recall any advertisements of Nurpur milk. A major proportion of the respondents also highlighted the fact that Nurpur milk was occasionally short in the market. The results of the retailer interviews also prove that Noon Pakistan Limited has to improve its trade promotion schemes as majority of the retailers were not satisfied with current distribution practices of the company. The retailers highlighted the fact that the company should improve its promotion activities so that consumers start demanding Nurpur milk. Companies such as Noon Pak Limited, those fail to expand, eventually move to the phase out or withdrawal stage. This is because expansion ensures the continuity of profitability, brands, innovation and progress. It also creates employment opportunities and contributes to the growth of economy by improving the GDP. Noon Pakistan Limited however is not expanding and considering the intense competitive environment that prevails in the dairy industry, if they fail to expand in future; the company might have to face a stark fortune of a complete phase out and therefore should start redesigning their marketing and management strategies accordingly. Due to weak financial resources, Noon Pakistan Limited should utilize alternative strategies to maintain its position in the market. The firm needs to invest in consumer promotion activities like in store sampling and taste trials. The firm also needs to focus on its BTL activities in order to strengthen the perceptual positioning of the brand in consumer mind. The firm needs to revise its payment policies with retailers and start providing goods on a credit basis to those retailers who have a good reputation in the market. In short, Noon Pakistan Limited should revise its current practices and operations. The firm should let go its old concept of selling and instead focus on building the equity of its brands if it wants to strengthen its position in the market for the future. 2.0 Introduction 2.1 The Noon Group The Noon Group of Companies is being managed by the Noon family. The group has qualified and experienced professionals. The Noon Group of Pakistan strives to improve its profitability and safeguard its stakeholders interest while maintaining highest quality standards and serving the community1 The Noon Group of Companies has various business ventures and Noon Pakistan Limited is one such profitable venture of the Group. Apart from Noon Pakistan Limited a brief description of the other business ventures are as follows:- 1. Noon Sugar Mills Limited This venture was incorporated in 1964 and manufactures white sugar. Initial crushing capacity was 1500 MT of sugarcane which has been increased to 4000 MT over the passage of time.2 2. Pioneer Cement Limited Pioneer Cement Limited was incorporated in 1985 with a total investment of Rs.2660 million and production capacity of 630000 tons per annum. The plant is situated in Chenki, Khushab.3 3. Noon International Private Limited Noon International Private Limited is a trading company which was established in 1972. The company employs 43 people including a team of 15 professional sales engineers. This firm represents various international companies of repute in Pakistan and markets their equipment in the fields of textile, power generation, sugar, fertilizer, chemical, steel, cement, food and milling4 4. Textile Technics Private Limited Incorporated in 2004 with a total investment of Rs 100 million, Textile Technics is a joint venture between M/S Blue Reed of Spain and Noon International Private Limited. The project has a production capacity of 22000 meters of reed per annum5 5. Textile Services Textile Services was established in 1994 and provides services to over 200 customers of Sulzer Textile Projectile Weaving Machines. The company employs 32 people and provides training, technical service and spare parts for clients6 2.2 Noon Pakistan Limited Incorporated in 1966 with a total investment of 553 million, Noon Pakistan Limited produces various products namely Butter, Cheese, UHT milk, HCLF, Pasteurized milk, Flavored milk, Juices, Water, Desi ghee, Honey and Jam. Installed capacity of the plant is 72000 Liters/2 shifts and there are 700 employees. Noon Pakistan Limited has been marketing its products under the brand name of Nurpur. The plant is located in Bhalwal, Sargodha while the head office is situated in Lahore7 The year 2011 was a challenging year for Noon Pakistan Limited. Energy Crisis, security situation coupled with devastating floods had exerted significant pressure on the economy and cost of living. Higher inflationary trends continued impacting their key products particularly related to fresh milk when shortages led to a cost increase of 16% compared to last year. Additionally, higher growth of their products led to severe filling capacity constraints and the market demand could not be met fully. Due to reduced buying power, trend in the market is changing fast as consumers are looking for cheaper products in small packages. Therefore the management at Noon Pakistan Limited has made plans to reassess the market requirements and also further improve their production efficiency8 2.3 Vision The vision statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Our vision at Nurpur is to be a transformative force in our community and world at large and to serve as a model of a sustainable business alternative that nurtures social and economic well being in an environmentally sensitive manner9 2.4 Mission The mission statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Nurpur is committed to supplying the consumer and customer with the finest, high quality products and to be a leading industry in healthy and nutritious products. Nurpur supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies10 2.5 Core Values At Noon Pakistan Limited, consumers are at the forefront of everything they do. The core values of the company include the generation of Ideas that can be constantly challenged to develop next generation solutions, to conduct business openly and fairly while competing fiercely at the same time, to encourage teamwork with individual flairs, to set tough goals that can be challenged and beaten, to value preservation of the environment and ensure sustainability of organic agriculture, to value mutually supportive relationships among members of local and global communities11 2.6 Awards and Certifications Noon Pakistan Limited has won many prestigious awards and certifications which are First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005, Brand of the year award (2006-07) in the category of Butter, Brand of the year award (2007-08) in category of Butter, Cheese and flavored milk and Brand of the year award (2008-09) in the category of Butter12 2.7 The Purchase Department To study the operations of the Purchase Department, two interviews were conducted with the Purchase Manager. The findings of the interviews have been utilized to describe the function of the Purchase Department. The purchase department is responsible for purchasing all materials required by the head office and plant other then milk which is purchased at the milk collection centre in Bhalwal. Materials which are purchased by the department range from ordinary items like office and plant stationary to complex materials like Flavors, Spare parts for plant equipment and transportation vehicles, Chemicals, Fuel and everything related to the manufacturing process, Logistics and day to day operations. Demand for requisition comes from the factory and approval has to be given by the Managing Director. The purchase department currently has 4-5 employees. The department uses a manual system of keeping records and storing files. The purchase department always keeps 3 copies of requisitions and delivery challans. One copy is sent to the plant, one copy is maintained with the purchase department and one copy is kept by the Purchase Manager. The major suppliers of Noon Pakistan Limited are SMC, Sitara Che micals , Jason Foods and Danisco. Payments to suppliers are made either on cash or credit through the head office. Credit terms depend on contacts and relations with suppliers and can range from 15 days up to a month. According to the Purchase Manager, Noon Pakistan Limited believes in maintaining healthy relations with Suppliers and this is one of the key strengths of the department The Purchase Manager also stated that in case of materials needed from local suppliers, the purchase department is given no time and purchase has to be made immediately. However when imported materials are required from foreign suppliers, the Purchase department is informed in advance as shipping takes time. There is no fixed pattern of purchases made throughout the year and it all depends on plant and market requirements. The quality of materials purchased is checked at the plant and if there are defects the merchandise is returned to the supplier.13 2.9 The Marketing Department To study the operations of the Marketing Department of the firm, two interviews were conducted with the Marketing Manager. Marketing research activities are outsourced. The Marketing Department purchases monthly reports from different marketing research agencies like AC Nielson and Tetra Pak. In this way the marketing department stays in touch with the latest trends and competitor activities. Some of the agencies with which the marketing department works are SABB Marketing, Time and Space, Orient, HRK Communications, Aura Communications, TOPAZ Communications and ADZ Communications. These agencies prepare designs of print ads and commercials. The brand manager discusses the various designs with the Marketing Manager and after making necessary amendments and recommendations approval is given to Marketing agencies. The Marketing Strategy of Noon Pakistan Limited is Differentiation strategy. However the strategy to be adopted for each brand depends on the market performance and competitor activities. Since UHT milk is difficult to differentiate, the current strategy being adopted is to position it as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development. The target market of UHT milk is Housewives and working females as well as males. Different SKUs are being used to target different Socio Economic Classes like the 1000ml pack is targeted for SEC-A while the 200ml and 250ml packs are targeted towards low income households. The main competitor brands of Nurpur Milk are Olpers, Milk Pak, Good Milk and Haleeb. The marketing department does not go for an offensive strategy because Nestle and Engro are huge giants with bundle of resources. Noon Pakistan Limited can be classified as an Analyzer because it is operating both in a stable and dynamic market. Another reason for not adopting an offensive strategy is that volumes are low. The main weakness of the Marketing Department is that very little attention is being paid towards building brand equity. The department is focusing on increasing sales which is a short term approach rather than focusing on building their brands 14 2.10 Organizational Chart of the Marketing Department Figure 3 Organizational Chart(Marketing Department) Source: Internal Company Documents The Brand Manager is responsible for dealing with various Marketing Agencies and reports to the Marketing Manager. The Marketing Manager reports to the General Manager of Sales and Marketing15 2.11 The Sales Department Two interviews were conducted with the Sales Analyst of the firm to get insights regarding the operations of the Sales Department. The organizational structure of the Sales Department comprises of the General Manager of Sales and Marketing, National Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Field Managers and Sales Officers. Territories have been assigned according to location and comprises of Central Zone, Southern Punjab zone and Northern zone which includes RWL/AJK, Hazara belt and Pakhtoon.K belt. The process of forecasting yearly sales is that last years closing sales are doubled and the amount is set as the Sales Target for the next year. There are more than 280 distributors all over the country and each Sales Officer has to monitor and look after three to four distributors. If targets set in the year 2012 are met, the entire Sales Team will go on a vacation to Dubai on the companys expenses. Noon Pakistan Limited has also started exporting its products to countries like England, Kenya and Afghanistan.16 2.12 Marketing Mix of Nurpur UHT milk Nurpur UHT milk has been positioned as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development.17 The milk is packed in Tetra Aseptic Packaging which allows long lasting storage and shelf space. Currently three SKUs are available in the market which are 200ml, 250ml and 1000ml. Initially the pricing policy adopted for Nurpur milk was market penetration pricing, which means prices were low compared to competing brands. Recently the pricing policy has been changed and now the pricing policy is competitive pricing policy as shown :- Product Packing Unit/Ctn Retailer Margin Trade Price Consumer Price 1.UHT MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 1000ml 12 6.09% 1018 84.83 1080 90 200ml 24 4.35% 391 16.29 408 17 250ml 27 5.97% 586 21.7 621 23 Table 3 Price List of Nurpur UHT milk Source: Company Internal Documents Due to low volumes produced the company has adopted the policy of selective distribution. The company offers various discounts to retailers to push their products into the market18 . The indirect distribution channel being used is shown below:- Figure 5 Distribution Channel Source: Company Internal Documents 2.13 SWOT Analysis Strengths Market leadership in selected product categories Strong and Experienced Sales Team Strong Supplier relationship Brand Loyal Customers Strict adherence to Quality Standards First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005 Weaknesses Weak coordination among departments No emphasis on building brand equity No formal HR Department Centralized Decision Making No policy of recruiting fresh blood Selective Distribution Opportunities Exporting products to foreign countries Increased demand for dairy products due to urbanization and increasing population Ensuring availability in untapped markets Launching innovative products for health conscious consumers Going for backward integration Threats Reliance on few suppliers Rising prices of sugar Rising prices of oil increasing transportation expenses Energy and Power Crises Procurement of Quality Milk as milk production fluctuates Rising Inflation decreasing purchasing power of consumers 3.0 Literature Review Pakistan has been classified as the third largest milk producing and consuming country in the world. There is a huge potential for liquid dairy products because 94% of the total population still consumes unpackaged milk. Dairy Processors in Pakistan are coming up with innovative products. An example is Tea Creamer which has been quite successful because drinking milk with tea accounts for 32% of total milk consumption in Pakistan. Consumption by low income consumers in developing markets is forecast to increase by from about 70 billion liters in 2011 to 80 billion liters in 2014 and many of these consumers are expected to switch in coming years from drinking loose milk to packaged milk19 According to Tetra Pak, global consumption of liquid dairy products is set to rise by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.9% in 2011-2014, accelerating from 2.5% growth in 2008-2011, led by buoyant demand in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Asia, Latin America and Africa are all expected to record higher growth rates in consumption in 2011-2014 than in 2008-2011. Asia is forecast to consolidate its position as the worlds biggest market for liquid dairy and dairy alternatives, while Latin America is forecast to overtake Western Europe as the worlds second biggest market by 2014, the research shows. Demand in Asia-Pacific is forecast to rise by 4.6% (CAGR) in 2011-2014 to some 165.3 billion liters20 The research shows that there is a huge potential for dairy processors and demand for dairy products especially UHT milk is likely to go up in future years to come. This demand for dairy products will not only exist in Pakistan but also in developing countries abroad. The demand for milk in neighboring countries also provides huge opportunities for dairy processors and they can expand their operations in those countries by either exporting their products or setting up plants. This research by Tetra Pak provides sound evidence that the future for dairy processors is bright if they can overcome certain issues of availability, quality of milk and reduce operating expenses. Pakistans milk and dairy products industry has already reached $26 billion as of March 2012. Engro is the market leader in the UHT milk segment with a share of over 44%21 A major issue being faced by the dairy industry of Pakistan is that the total production of milk in the country is not fulfilling domestic needs. While human population and consumption per capita has been increasing at the rate of 3% annually, milk production in the country is not increasing at the same pace22 In Pakistan, Buffalos are the main source of milk production with a contribution of 66%, followed by Cows with a contribution of 32% and Goats and Sheep which contribute 2% of the total milk produced. The major Buffalo breeds are Nilli-Ravi and Kundhi, while Sahiwal and Red Sindhi are dominant cow breeds. A majority of small holding farmers, who fulfill 90% of the total milk requirements of the country are not linked to the formal dairy market. The reasons which have been attributed to low productivity of animals are low genetic life of cattle, delay in puberty, scarcity of feed resources, high disease incidence, disorganized marketing system and traditional farming practices. The low production of milk in the country places a huge burden on dairy processors and in the year 2008-09, dry milk products worth Rs. 1.1 Billion had to be imported due to shortfall of milk production23 This article provides information regarding the major sources of milk in the country. It also clearly indicates a major issue being faced by dairy processors in the supply chain, which is procuring quality milk for further processing. Milk is the major raw material for dairy processors and insufficient milk production means that dairy processors have to operate with constrained capacity and cannot expand into new markets to meet future demands of milk. As the article highlights that not only is the productivity of animals low but majority of farmers do not have access to the formal dairy market. In Pakistan, 97% of milk produced is consumed by producers in far flung areas and only 3% is being processed and marketed through formal channels. Demand for milk is present not only in Pakistan but neighboring countries like Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Philippines which can be harnessed to advantage. Apart from bacteria of tuberculosis and hepatitis that naturally occur in milk, the Gawala adds many more impurities specially contaminated water for milk dilution. Other impurities like ice slab, soda bicarbonate, and formalin are added to prevent the milk from intense weather. Improper marketing channel is one of the major constraints being faced by the dairy sector. The informal private sector comprises of various agents in the supply chain each performing specialized roles. These comprise of producers, collectors, middlemen, processors, traders and consumers. Seasonal fluctuation hampers milk production and consumption in Pakistan. Milk production is maximum in the months from January to April due to availability of green fodder and reaches minimum in months of May to August. Alternatively milk consumption is high during summers and low in winters. Cold storage facilities are limited in Pakistan due to high cost of operations and shortage of electricity. Dairy processors like Nestle are looking at options to reduce or eliminate their reliance on small farmers due to milk adulteration and delays in getting the quantity of milk which hampers production. Dairy processors should vertically integrate their activities by Corporate Farming and offer additional services and support to medium and large farmers in order to get bulk quantities of milk from them24 This article highlights that opportunities exist for dairy processors to export their products in neighboring countries. It also explains how milk is collected and various contaminations which are added to raw milk. Procuring bulk quantities of milk is a big issue for dairy processors and their viable options are to reduce their dependence on small farmers. The constraint of seasonal fluctuation and ensuring quality standards is also a prime concern for dairy processors since all these factors hamper production and ultimately sales. The milk marketing chain in Pakistan can be classified into an informal marketing chain and a formal marketing chain. The informal milk marketing chain is highly unorganized and milk is delivered under unhygienic conditions. The formal marketing chain on the other hand is more organized and utilizes Cold Storage Tanks to deliver milk from collection centers to processing units25 The informal marketing chain provides the end consumer with low price dairy products at the cost of poor quality standards and unhygienic conditions. The formal marketing chain on the other hand is more conscious towards meeting health standards. However consumers also have to pay more for purchasing their products26 The demand drivers of the dairy industry include increased spending on healthy dairy, increasing nuclear families and working women, increase in demand for functional dairy, organized retail and private label penetration, changing demographics and rise in disposable incomes and increasing urbanization. The challenges being faced by the dairy industry are that milk productivity is still too low, R D is low, human resource challenges have to be addressed, supply chain hindrances have to be minimized and quality standards need to be improved27 The processing of UHT milk involves six steps. In the 1st step fresh milk from cows enters into the UHT process at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit and contains 50 kinds of bacteria most of which are harmful to health. In the 2nd step the milk flows through pipes in which the temperature gets hotter and hotter until it reaches a holding tank and bacteria gets killed as the milk flows through the pipes. In the 3rd step the milk is heated to 278 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 seconds which kills 99.9 % of the bacteria. In the 4th step the milk is quickly cooled down to 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit which preserves essential nutrients and vitamins. In the 5th step the UHT milk is packed in Tetra packing within seconds to prevent bacteria from entering again in closed pipes and tanks. Finally in the last and 6th step the packed UHT milk is ready to be transported28 Tetra Pak is the pioneer in aseptic packaging. In this type of packaging the product and the package are sterilized separately and then combined and sealed in a sterile atmosphere29 The reason why dairy processors like Noon Pakistan Limited use Tetra Packages is because it allows products to be stored for up to a year without refrigeration which increases shelf life of milk. Branding is one of those marketing concepts which has immense importance since times immemorial. This is because it is the distinguishing feature between various goods and services. Customers perceive a concept of brand as something with which they can easily associate attributes of a product and to build a strong trust over time. This in turn results in brand equity which is long lasting and is a result of effective marketing efforts on the part of management of the company. With the advent of technology and trends of packaged products, branding is no more a source of identification of a product but way more than that. It is now used for building emotional attachments to both the companies and the products. Apart from the mere identification of the product there are other attributes of branding such as customers involvement, stress on higher quality and standards and other intangible attributes which are related to the brand name and in particular its symbol. Branding helps in creat ing images in the minds of consumers so that they can be ensured that their product is unique and different from the rest. Therefore, it can be said that a brand can only be recognized as a strong entity if it continues to provide attributes that it has been promising and are provided consistently. This shows the importance, growth and need for branding a product and service in recent times. This is because initially, consumers associated the brand with something that can be used for identification purposes only. However, now we can see that branding is way beyond that and is concerned with perceptual positioning of a product more than a distinguishing feature alone. Also a brand can emerge as a strong and well established brand only if the consumers are able to experience consistent delivery of attributes that have been promised by the company. Therefore, no brand can survive in the market if it is unable to fulfill its brand promise and this is a new phenomenon towards which we are seeing a paradigm shift in the market30 The concept of brand awareness is all related to the mind of the consumer. If a brand has a strong presence in the mind of the consumer he is said to be aware of it31 . It is also defined as a measure of the percentage of the target market that is aware of the brand name32 In order to create brand awareness in the mind of consumers33 ,companies can take use of advertising by marketing their product again and again which will create a few competitive advantages to them. For example: Brand familiarity Name familiarity will prove commitment to the brand If a brand isnt recalled during the point of purchase it is of no use and brand salience ensures that Brand awareness will be the most durable intangible asset According to Aaker, companies can generate brand awareness through two steps by firstly broadening the sales base and then by improving their skills beyond the regular mediums of advertisement34 . There are several ways to measure the brand awareness of a company and these attributes are described below: Brand Recognition: Brand recognition in simplest terms refers to the brand identification when consumers are provided with merely a cue about the brand prior to the actual exposure. This means, that this brand can be easily differentiated from others based on previous knowledge about the brand35 Brand Recall: Brand recall basically refers to the aptitude of the consumer for remembering the brand from the minds memory when provided with category of a product or any other cue36 Top of mind Brand: The brand which is named by the consumer first when provided with the product category or classification is known as top of mind brand37 Dominant Brand: When asked from the consumers, if a brand name is recalled by the majority of the respondents then that brand is said to be the dominant brand38 Therefore from the above research it can be analyzed quite easily the significance of the brand awareness. A brand which is able to achieve maximum brand equity and becomes a dominant brand can undoubtedly become the largest market share holder amongst the competitors. Building brand awareness however, is a challenge that is faced by the companies and they need to make their marketing efforts strong in order to ensure that among a huge pool of consumers, the brand awareness of their brand is most dominant as it will provide both economical and perceptual benefits to the compa

Kurt Cobain :: essays research papers

Many people have their own theories about the 5th of April is 1994, for those of you who don't, know that this is the day Kurt Kobain's body was found in the garage of his home. Some critics have come to the conclusion that Kurt had tried to make himself a legend by killing himself. But such ideas seem to overshadow the tragedy of the death of one the most popular and influential musicians of the 1990's. (Melody Makers, web2.epnet.com 12/08/2001) There is no question of Kurt Cobain's death. Many people think he was murdered, many people think it is pretty impossible to shot yourself in the head with a shotgun, but truly it isn't. Kurt Cobain was found on the floor of his garage, when he was found he had been dead for some time from a single "self administered shotgun wound to the head." Around him on the floor were some personal possessions and a had written suicide note which read "I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven I've become hateful towards all humans in general" (Iain Shedden, "Smells Like a Dead Man"). Cobain had grown up in a small town named Aberdeen. Washington. His childhood was disrupted by the divorce of his parents when he was eight. The success of Nirvana gave Kurt the authority to be the "spokesman" of his generation. Nirvana's music gave way to hundreds of other underground bands, but with this success came the media's attention and the almost total loss of privacy that came with it (Kurt Kobain's Obituary). Kurt had secretly suffered from an illness that caused severe stomach pains for more that seven years, which caused him to contemplate suicide almost everyday. This constant abdominal pain led to deep "melancholic depression verging of schizophrenia, and frequent bouts of narcolepsy" (Kurt Kobain's Obituary). Doctors were of no help to him, so he found escape in heroin. For years he fought his addiction, but compared to the severe stomach pains, heroin was unimportant (Kurt Kobain's Obituary). Kurt Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, and their daughter, Frances, brought some real happiness into his life. But the media's constant prodding and increasingly frequent period of depression finally pushed him over the edge. In the end, death was the only thing that he saw that could relieve his pain (Kurt Cobain's Obituary). A famous photograph of Kurt Cobain after a concert in 1991 shows a disturbed young man trying to gain control of his life. Kurt Cobain :: essays research papers Many people have their own theories about the 5th of April is 1994, for those of you who don't, know that this is the day Kurt Kobain's body was found in the garage of his home. Some critics have come to the conclusion that Kurt had tried to make himself a legend by killing himself. But such ideas seem to overshadow the tragedy of the death of one the most popular and influential musicians of the 1990's. (Melody Makers, web2.epnet.com 12/08/2001) There is no question of Kurt Cobain's death. Many people think he was murdered, many people think it is pretty impossible to shot yourself in the head with a shotgun, but truly it isn't. Kurt Cobain was found on the floor of his garage, when he was found he had been dead for some time from a single "self administered shotgun wound to the head." Around him on the floor were some personal possessions and a had written suicide note which read "I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven I've become hateful towards all humans in general" (Iain Shedden, "Smells Like a Dead Man"). Cobain had grown up in a small town named Aberdeen. Washington. His childhood was disrupted by the divorce of his parents when he was eight. The success of Nirvana gave Kurt the authority to be the "spokesman" of his generation. Nirvana's music gave way to hundreds of other underground bands, but with this success came the media's attention and the almost total loss of privacy that came with it (Kurt Kobain's Obituary). Kurt had secretly suffered from an illness that caused severe stomach pains for more that seven years, which caused him to contemplate suicide almost everyday. This constant abdominal pain led to deep "melancholic depression verging of schizophrenia, and frequent bouts of narcolepsy" (Kurt Kobain's Obituary). Doctors were of no help to him, so he found escape in heroin. For years he fought his addiction, but compared to the severe stomach pains, heroin was unimportant (Kurt Kobain's Obituary). Kurt Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, and their daughter, Frances, brought some real happiness into his life. But the media's constant prodding and increasingly frequent period of depression finally pushed him over the edge. In the end, death was the only thing that he saw that could relieve his pain (Kurt Cobain's Obituary). A famous photograph of Kurt Cobain after a concert in 1991 shows a disturbed young man trying to gain control of his life.

What is the meaning of Responsibility

The ultimate word in life is â€Å"responsibility†. What is responsibility you ask? Responsibility is â€Å"doing the right thing†. Doing the right thing means living a life where every move or decision you make is all your own and you do things that will not harm others. It is a moral belief that as individuals we must behave ethical and be accountable for our actions, and be conscious of our decisions and the impact it has on society. In today’s world I believe we have even more responsibilities then our ancestors. If we do not take responsibility for our actions innocent people can be hurt. You will be frowned upon and will lose the trust of others. Behaving in a responsible way can improve our quality of living. In life we all want freedom and with freedom comes responsibility. So many people today do not want to take responsibility for their actions and the impact it has on others. I know as a child, my mother, repeatedly told me that I must take responsibility for my actions, which I should always think twice before I do something, because my actions could result in a negative outcome. As human beings we are given by God free will. If we make certain choices based on our free will, we must be willing to take responsibility for the effects our decisions may have on the people around us, as well as ourselves. So many people think that if you are a responsible person, you may be a boring person. That is just not true. Just because you choose to be a responsible person, you can still have fun and contribute interesting things to the world. I remember another famous quote by Abraham Lincoln, he stated, â€Å"One cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today†. I remember a famous quote from Albert Einstein that states â€Å"Man must cease his problems to the environment, and learn again to exercise his will – his personal responsibility†. Sometimes freedom can be dangerous and could destroy our society. So many people believe freedom means you have the right to do as you please, however, that is not 100% true. As soon as you stop taking responsibility for what you do in life, it is almost certain you will be doing things that will be harmful to others. This is why it is so important to have laws that society must abide by. As an example, let’s say you are having a get together and you have you stereo on a little too loud. To you and the people attending your party the music is just fine, but to your neighbors it is entirely too loud and disruptive. Wouldn’t you be a responsible person if you made sure that the music was loud enough for you and your guests to enjoy, but not too loud that it would annoy your neighbors? When one recognizes that they are 100% responsible for their life, they will soon see the great achievements that come with being a responsible person. Responsibility is a very valuable trait in all that we do. Taking responsibility for one’s self leads to a more optimistic life and one is able to accomplish all that they want. Sometimes taking responsibility can be a very difficult thing, but in the end one is usually happy that they did. If one chose’s to lead an irresponsible life, they will soon see that they will be living a much uncontrolled life and therefore grow to be very pessimistic. One’s health is also affected by the choices one makes. When we choose to blame others for the wrong doings in our life, we soon see that we have no control. Everyone wants to be in control of their own lives. One must remember that when we are responsible we are willing to accept the outcome be it good or bad. People who take responsibility in life are confident and will have a very high self esteem. The thing we have to remember is what happens to you in your life, or where you may end up at in your life is a result of either taking responsibility or not taking responsibility of one’s actions in the past. We all have the right to choose our own destiny. Another great example is what if we didn’t have laws that we had to abide by and everyone was a loud to just do as they wanted and when we committed crimes, no one would be held accountable. Can you imagine the amount of destruction that would be taking place in this world? So as you can see from my examples, it is very important to be a responsible person.

Joseph and Potiphars Wife essays

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife essays Joseph was his fathers favorite child and because of that, his brothers hated him. One day they ganged up on him and threw him into a pit. Midianite merchants came and found Joseph and lifted him out of the pit. They sold him for twenty pieces of silver to Ishmeelites who took Joseph into Egypt. Potiphar, who was an officer of Pharaohs and captain of Pharaohs guard bought Joseph as a slave. Thus, Potiphar became Josephs master or owner. Because Potiphar was captain of Pharaohs guard, it stands to reason that he was prosperous and well paid and thus, able to afford to buy a slave. The King James version of the Bible says Potiphar saw that the Lord was with him [Joseph] and that he made all that he did to prosper in his hand (Gen. 39:3). In other words, Potiphar is a perceptive individual. He sees that Joseph does everything well and has good judgment. Joseph, meanwhile, appears determined to make something good come from his situtation. He works hard and takes good care of Potiphars home and business. Because of his honest efforts, Potiphar gives him more and more control over his affairs. He made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand (Gen. 39:3). Potiphar trusts Joseph to do a good job and look after his interests. Joseph is such a gifted manager that Potiphar benefits more and more from Josephs presence. As the Bible puts it, ...from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field (Gen. 39:5). Thus, Potiphar must have felt very fortunate to have someone supervising his household so well. He didnt have to worry about anything because Joseph was taking care of everything. According to the story, he left ...

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Explained

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Explained Maslows hierarchy of needs is a theory by Abraham Maslow, which puts forward that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Key Takeaways: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs According to Maslow, we have five categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.In this theory, higher needs in the hierarchy begin to emerge when people feel they have sufficiently satisfied the previous need.Although later research does not fully support all of Maslow’s theory, his research has impacted other psychologists and contributed to the field of positive psychology. What Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? In order to better understand what motivates human beings, Maslow proposed that human needs can be organized into a hierarchy. This hierarchy ranges from more concrete needs- such as food and water- to more abstract concepts such as self-fulfillment. According to Maslow, when a lower need is met, the next need on the hierarchy becomes our focus of attention. These are the five categories of needs according to Maslow: Physiological These refer to basic physical needs, such as drinking when thirsty or eating when hungry. According to Maslow, some of these needs involve our efforts to meet the body’s need for homeostasis; that is, maintaining consistent levels in different bodily systems (for example, maintaining a body temperature of 98.6 degrees). Maslow considered physiological needs to be the most essential of our needs. If someone is lacking in more than one need, they’re likely to try to meet these physiological needs first. For example, if someone is extremely hungry, it’s hard to focus on anything else besides food. Another example of a physiological need would be the need for adequate sleep. Safety Once people’s physiological requirements are met, the next need that arises is a safe environment. Our safety needs are apparent even early in childhood, as children have a need for safe and predictable environments and typically react with fear or anxiety when these needs are not met. Maslow pointed out that, in adults living in developed nations, safety needs can be more apparent in emergency situations (e.g. war and disasters), but this need can also explain why we tend to  prefer the familiar  or why we do things like purchasing insurance and contributing to a savings account. Love and Belonging According to Maslow, the next need in the hierarchy involves feeling loved and accepted. This need includes both romantic relationships as well as ties to friends and family members. It also includes our need to feel that we belong to a social group. Importantly, this need encompasses both feeling loved  and  feeling love towards others. Since Maslow’s time, researchers have continued to explore how love and belonging needs impact well-being. For example, having social connections is related to better physical health and, conversely, feeling isolated (i.e. having unmet belonging needs) has negative consequences for health and well-being. Esteem Our esteem needs involve the desire to feel good about ourselves. According to Maslow, esteem needs include two components. The first involves feeling self-confidence and feeling good about oneself. The second component involves feeling valued by others; that is, feeling that our achievements and contributions have been recognized by other people. When people’s esteem needs are met, they feel confident and see their contributions and achievements as valuable and important. However, when their esteem needs are not met, they may experience what psychologist Alfred Adler called â€Å"feelings of inferiority.† Self-Actualization Self-actualization refers to feeling fulfilled, or feeling that we are living up to our potential. One unique feature of self-actualization is that it looks different for everyone. For one person, self-actualization might involve helping others; for another person, it might involve achievements in an artistic or creative field. Essentially, self-actualization means feeling that we are doing what we feel we are meant to do. According to Maslow, achieving self-actualization is relatively rare, and his examples of famous self-actualized individuals include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Mother Teresa. How People Progress Through the Hierarchy of Needs Maslow postulated that there were several prerequisites to meeting these needs. For example, having freedom of speech and freedom of expression, or living in a just and fair society, aren’t specifically mentioned within the hierarchy of needs. However, Maslow believed that having these things makes it easier for people to achieve their needs. In addition to these needs, Maslow also believed that we have a need to learn new information and to better understand the world around us. This is partially because learning more about our environment helps us meet our other needs; for example, learning more about the world can help us feel safer, and developing a better understanding of a topic one is passionate about can contribute to self-actualization. However, Maslow also believed that this call to understand the world around us is an innate need as well. Although Maslow presented his needs in a hierarchy, he also acknowledged that meeting each need is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Consequently, people don’t need to completely satisfy one need in order for the next need in the hierarchy to emerge. Maslow suggests that, at any given time, most people tend to have each of their needs partly met- and that needs lower on the hierarchy are typically the ones that people have made the most progress towards. Additionally, Maslow pointed out that one behavior might meet two or more needs. For example, sharing a meal with someone meets the physiological need for food, but it might also meet the need of belonging. Similarly, working as a paid caregiver would provide someone with income (which allows them to pay for food and shelter), but can also provide them a sense of social connection and fulfillment. Testing Maslow’s Theory In the time since Maslow published his original paper, his idea that we go through five specific stages hasn’t always been supported by research. In a 2011 study of human needs across cultures, researchers Louis Tay and Ed Diener looked at data from over 60,000 participants in over 120 different countries. They assessed six needs similar to Maslow’s: basic needs (similar to Maslow’s physiological needs), safety, love, pride and respect (similar to Maslow’s esteem needs), mastery, and autonomy. They found that meeting these needs was indeed linked to well-being. In particular, having basic needs met was linked to people’s overall assessment of their lives, and feeling positive emotions was linked to meeting the needs of feeling loved and respected. However, although Tay and Diener found support for some of Maslow’s basic needs, the order that people go through these steps seems to be more of a rough guide than a strict rule. For example, people living in poverty might have trouble meeting their needs for food and safety. However, these individuals still sometimes reported feeling loved and supported by the people around them- meeting the previous needs in the hierarchy wasn’t a prerequisite for people to meet their love and belonging needs. Maslow’s Impact on Other Researchers Maslow’s theory has had a strong influence on other researchers, who have sought to build on his theory. For example, psychologists Carol Ryff and Burton Singer drew on Maslow’s theories when developing their theory of eudaimonic well-being. According to Ryff and Singer, eudaimonic well-being refers to feeling purpose and meaning- which is similar to Maslow’s idea of self-actualization. Psychologists Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary built on Maslow’s idea of love and belonging needs. According to Baumeister and Leary, feeling that one belongs is a fundamental need, and they suggest that feeling isolated or left out can have negative consequences for mental and physical health. Sources: Baumeister, Roy F., and Mark R. Leary. â€Å"The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation.† Psychological Bulletin 117.3 (1995): 97-529. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7777651ï » ¿Kremer, William, and Claudia Hammond. â€Å"Abraham Maslow and the Pyramid That Beguiled Business.† BBC (2013, Sep. 1). https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23902918Maslow, Abraham Harold. â€Å"A Theory of Human Motivation.†Ã‚  Psychological Review  50.4 (1943): 370-396. http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1943-03751-001Ryff, Carol D., and Burton H. Singer. â€Å"Know Thyself and Become What You Are: A Eudaimonic Approach to Psychological Well-Being.†Ã‚  Journal of Happiness Studies  9.1 (2008): 13-39. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-006-9019-0Tay, Louis, and Ed Diener. â€Å"Needs and Subjective Well-Being Around the World.†Ã‚  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology  101.2 (2011): 354-365. http://psy cnet.apa.org/record/2011-12249-001Villarica, Hans. â€Å"Maslow 2.0: A New and Improved Recipe for Happiness.† The Atlantic (2011, Aug. 17). https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/08/maslow-20-a-new-and-improved-recipe-for-happiness/243486/

Nursing Practice over the Last Two Centuries Essay

Nursing Practice over the Last Two Centuries - Essay Example In addition, nurses stated getting profession training in nursing schools. Nurses acquired their skills through apprenticeship. While the practice enabled the nurses to handle their patients because of the knowledge they had acquired, they did not have the theoretical comparisons that they could make. In the twentieth century, nursing practice registered more changes where nurses acquired professional training as well as joining professional bodies. The setting of more nursing school has promoted standardization of the nursing practice (Mosse & Harayama, 2011). In nursing school nurses do not only learn how to handle their patients, but also how to handle social and administrative issues. Initially, nurses took a diploma or an advance diploma. The introduction of bachelor degree and masters degree programs enables nurses to embrace the most modern trend of disease analysis and patient care. The mode of practice also registered changes with many nurses combining spiritual and medical practice while attending to the patients. Other changes include information management in the nursing practice. Although the nursing practice has relied on patient information since the olden days, in twentieth century, record management was critical in nursing practice (City TownInfo. Com, 2010). Administration as well as working codes for nurses has also faced numerous changes. Some of these changes include practice methods and social approval of the practice among others. My views on BSN v ADN My views have greatly changed following the BSN course. With the advanced diploma course, I was only able to handle specific cases in nursing whereas the BSN prepared me to handle complex exercises, which nurses with advanced diploma in nursing cannot handle. For example, delivery health care may pose challenges to nurses with advance diploma. The content of information and research conducted in this area at BSN level is instrumental in handling these cases. Largely, the training covers the biological, physical, and behavioral sciences, which are critical in handling patients. While advance diploma covers most of the aforementioned areas, it tends to specialize of a given area. For instance, ADN in perioperative cases exposes the nurse to handle issues within his specialization as opposed to other areas. It is evident that specialization limits the ability of a professional to handle multitask. I believe BSN offers in depth coverage on administrative skills that

E-Commerce Strategy Truly Scrumptious Assignment

E-Commerce Strategy Truly Scrumptious - Assignment Example Our company objective is to import a variety of traditional and non-traditional sweets, package them and distribute them to retailers across UK. While we have a good network of retailers who carry our goods, we have no way to reach directly to our consumers or to market directly to them. In this regard there is an opportunity for Truly Scrumptious for increased market penetration and to sell to individuals who would like to purchase our sweets at the whole sale prices or in greater quantity. While the costs in opening our own distribution outlet can run extremely high, including rental, shop interior and exterior, recruiting and training counter salespeople, a change in distribution routes and marketing - a much more efficient and technology enabled option is to invest in a company website. Objectives and design of Website: The main object of the website is to communicate with our consumers, to tell them about the quality and variety of our products and to persuade them to purchase t he sweets on at least a trial basis. Our long term plan will be to retain a loyal consumer base of individuals who become regular visitors to our website and purchase consistently. The e-commerce strategy will be a StoreFront model- providing all the traditional options of a physical store in a digital medium for the customer. The secondary objectives will be to provide a forum for customer feedback and product information for interested retailers who wish to start a business relationship with us. In order to fulfill these objectives the website will need to have certain features: 1. An attention grabbing, yet focused and uncluttered design 2. Product categories will be neatly laid out and easy to access 3. Pricing, ingredients and nutrition information will be available with each product description 4. The product description should be catchy and attractive 5. Shopping cart and online payment options, with easy save and change 6. Comments sections 7. Customer service communication options 8. Discounts, bundle pricing and other promotions 9. A separate page for interested vendors and retailers with contact and product information These features will be catered specifically towards a customer base of the middle and upper-middle class who are comfortable with online shopping and treat sweets like an indulgent pleasure. The whole website experience should be easy to navigate with eye catching visuals and elegant descriptions which will grab the reader’s attention and convenient use of shopping cart and payment options will allow impulse buying. The E-retailing atmosphere is steadily getting crowded. New merchants are appearing every day and through continuous reviewing of operations and strategy websites are competing for the top spots of the industry. For our website to break through clutter, attract traffic and increase sales we need to have a clear, focused objective from the start. Technical and Practical steps The website building will involve three m ain steps namely 1) Content and designing 2) Hosting the website (external storage, capacity and bandwidth etc) 3) Marketing and promotion. Afterwards our main priority will be maintenance, updating content and reviewing impact on sales. The actual sales, distribution and customer service will still be controlled by the respective departments with support from the IT department in integrating the physical aspects