Oakland, Illinois - a Typical American Town Statistics Project

Oakland, Illinois - a Typical American Town - Statistics Project Example The ethnic composition of the Oakland city is 98.20% Whites, 1.20% African American, 0.50% Native American, and 0.10% from other races. Latino or Hispanic of any race was just 0.90% of the entire populace (American Towns 1). The mean income for a family unit in the metropolis was US$ 38,167, and the mean income for a household was US$ 34,038. Men have a mean income of US$ 29,342 against $20,577 for women (American Towns 1). The â€Å"per head† income for the metropolitan was $15,964. Roughly 8.8% of households along with 10.8% of the population were underneath the poverty line, comprising of also 20.2% of those below age 18, as well as 7.6% of those above the age 65 (American Towns 1).The city, which was platted, in 1833, is a very small, like most, with a post office, high priced grocery stores, and gas stations being the majority of businesses. The filling stations mostly cater to travelers who pass by to fill their vehicles although the town citizens are also frequent clien ts. The city has a total of five grocery stores. The only good thing concerning these grocery stores is that they sell food, which is produced from the state alone. Oakland is one of those towns where everyone knows everyone, and there are no secrets between individuals. It can, in reality, be a good thing when everyone knows you, but also a bad thing when everyone is in your business. It takes away the privacy of someone. Another thing that can be seen in Oakland is the small schools and also the small classroom sizes. Even if, the populace of the town is small, at least the government should consider increasing the size of their classrooms in order for their children to learn properly. These classes feel literary like confinement (American Towns 1).

The Role of Management and the Union in an Organization Essay Example for Free

The Role of Management and the Union in an Organization Essay Corporations are important members of the society as they are responsible for providing substantial input in terms of goods and services as well as adding to the growth of the country as a whole. The employees of a company are the only assets which do not have a monetary figure assigned to them yet the benefit accruing from the continued use of the employees is substantial. In a wide range of industries, the employees are members of trade unions which regulate the way in which organizations hire, fire and deal with employees including workplace conditions and wage rates etc. It is imperative that the organizations and the unions are aware of their roles and responsibilities because a lag by either one would lead to inefficiencies with respect to corporate functioning which would have a negative impact on the economy. The paper also seeks to explore various strategies which could be implemented by both the management and the unions which would allow them to regulate themselves properly as well as encourage the effective functioning of a relationship between the management and the union. The Role of Management in an Organization  As per the agency principle, the management of the company is charged with the role of managing the affairs of the company in a way which is beneficial to the interests of the shareholders. Therefore, in order fulfill the aforementioned requirement; the management is required to exercise various roles and responsibilities. According to Mintzberg, managers within a company exercise a range of roles which can be broken down into three main categories including: Interpersonal Roles As the name suggests, managers within a company need to be good with interpersonal skills and sharing of ideas and information. The roles described under this ambit include: i. Figurehead: A manager must be inspirational in his conduct and should have the characteristics of a leader i. e. charismatic and influential so that people are able to relate to him and abide by his instructions (â€Å"Mintzberg’s Management,† n. d. ). ii. Leader: Building on the above mentioned concept, managers are to act as leaders in their capacity i. e. the same concept applies to lower level managers and to the executives who set a tone of how the organization will operate in the future (â€Å"Mintzberg’s Management,† n. . ). iii. Liaison: A company is not a closed entity i. e. the company constantly has to interact with individuals and entities inside and outside the company; therefore it is the responsibility of the manager to ensure that effective and working relations exist between all major internal and external stakeholders of the company (â€Å"Mintzberg’s Management,† n. d. ). Informational Roles The managers also responsible for ensuring that adequate information is available and is flowing throughout all relevant sections of the organization. i.  Monitor: The corporate environment today is constantly evolving largely due to changes like globalization and the ever so strict financial constraints. In such a competitive environment, it is imperative for managers to keep a track of all changes to allow effective strategy formulation. It is also important for managers to seek out patterns in internal performance and report regularly to the concerned individuals for prompt action (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Disseminator: The managers are required not only to track information but to disseminate the same to all the concerned people in a timely manner (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Spokesperson: Lastly, it is important for managers to realize that they represent a brand name therefore, it is important for them to act in the same capacity i. e. they should be able to comm unicate the corporate values and beliefs to the outside world in an effective and influential manner (Cieslinska, 2007). Decisional Roles Not only is it important for managers to track and communicate information but it is even more important to make proper use of the information to make informed decisions. i.  Entrepreneur: Within the employment capacity, it is the job of every manager to manage a certain unit responsible for adding value to the overall corporation. Therefore. it is important for managers to have skills to resolve issues, generate innovative new ideas and assist in the effective implementation of the same (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Disturbance Handler: It is impossible that an organization would run smoothly indefinitely i. e. there are bound to be obstacles and it is the responsibility of the manager to facilitate effective corporate functioning during these times (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Resource Allocator: The resources that an organization has access to are always scarce, be it material or labor etc. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that the resources ar e allocated efficiently (Cieslinska, 2007). iv. Negotiator: Lastly, based on the information that a manager possesses, it is important for the manager to negotiate favorable deals for the company with both internal and external stakeholders (Cieslinska, 2007). The Role of a Union in an Organization  Since employees are probably the most important asset of the company, trade or labor unions are formed in order to safeguard the interests of the same. The primary reasons why labor unions exist is to ensure that equal opportunities for employment exist throughout the company, that the employees operate in a healthy and safe working environment and that the employees are remunerated fairly for their efforts. Among the various responsibilities of labor unions, some of the important ones are as under: Wages All employees work for money and in return the employer extracts benefits through their services. It is important for organizations to realize the fact that the wages they pay should be proportional to the value they extract from the employees. It is the responsibility of labor unions to ensure that wage rates are adequate considering the environmental conditions like inflation and the consumer buying power, the time value of money i. e. $1 now will not be equal to $1 after a year; the labor unions today also take account of international trends with respect to labor wages in a particular industry and their negotiations are based on the results of the said analysis (Lacoma). Adequate Structure While the trade unions fight for the rights of their union members, it is important for the union itself to be structured properly i. e. the individuals who are the decisions makers and negotiators should be from among the workers, should have had an experience with how the industry operates. In addition, these members should be completely impartial from the company i. e. there should not exist any conflict of interest because the existence of the same would lead to decisions being made which would be in the best interests of either the industry or the employees (Lenin, 1922). A minimum of two (2) strategies/actions an organization can implement to create and maintain a conducive working relationship with unions Employee voice: In order to maintain good relations with unions, it is important that there exists an effective employee voice in the company. The meaning of employee voice in this context is the fact that all decisions made by a company should take into account the interests of the employees. If the companies make an effort from the start, they limit themselves to negative criticism from the union itself and in fact motivate the employees to work for the company. The main reason behind the implementation of the strategy follows the premise that â€Å"prevention is better than remedy† i. e. it would be much more effective if the organizations took initiatives on their own as opposed to responding to claims presented by the unions which might be hostile and might cause a rift between the organization and the unions. It is absolutely imperative that the management maintain trust and confidence with the union so that no animosity exists. It is important for the management to realize that the unions are highly influential in most industries and therefore it would be in the best interests of the company to act in a manner which is acceptable to the union heads (Lenin, 1922). Labor Management Committees: Another effective strategy which can be implemented by the company is the formation of Labor Management Committees. These committees would contain members from both the management and the labor unions. The committee would be required to meet on a periodic basis and all issues which are sensitive to either the management or the union would be discussed in the meetings. The findings discussed in the meeting should be documented and communicated to all members concerned within the management as well as within the union. This would promote integration and encourage effective communication between the two groups. The involvement of labor union members in corporate decision making would also be held in high regard y the employees as they would perceive that the organization actually cares about their needs and wants and as a result considers the observations of the unions regularly (Cain). A minimum of two (2) strategies/actions a union can implement to create and maintain a conducive working relationship with management The above mentioned strategies deal with the initiatives the management can take however it is also important to consider the initiatives which can be implemented by the union itself. Frequent Appraisals of Union Heads: Within the labor unions there should be regular appraisals and evaluations of the union heads. It is important that this activity is carried out because if the unions are headed by individuals who are corrupt or are involved in collusive arrangements with the management, it would hamper the effective functioning of the union which would not only lead to the loss of confidence of the members on the functioning and credibility of the union, but would also lead to an inefficient employee employer relationship which could be devastating for the entire industry. New people should be given the opportunity to represent the union and there should be triggers in place within the union to highlight if a potential conflict of interest is likely to take place. The results of these appraisals should be communicated to the management on a timely manner so that there is a unanimously accepted practice that the unions are subject to appraisal and the individuals dealing on behalf of the union are credible and impartial individuals. Frequent Appraisals of Union Members: Another effective strategy which could be implemented by trade unions is conducting an appraisal of its members working for the company and should put in place measures to combat malpractice and unethical conduct. It is important to note that the policies enacted by the management and the practices put in place by the unions are both directed to achieve a perfect tradeoff between employee efforts and the employee remuneration. While the unions are concerned with the level and adequacy of remuneration, they should also ensure that the performance of the employees is up to the mark and that they are actually adding value to the organization rather than merely being a liability. This is important because it would help create harmony between unions and the management because the management would perceive that the unions actually investigate instances where the employees are at fault and their malpractices and misconduct are dealt with in a timely and effective anner. As an extreme resort, the unions might even provide recommendations to the management in case they believe that an employee is not up to the mark to ensure that the skills mix within the company is as per the complexity and requirements of the concerned corporation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the management need to ensure that the voice of the employees is heard especially during strategic planning so that strategies are formulated effectively. In addition, employers also should formulate committees designed specifically to address the concerns of labor unions so that an effective working relation is created. On the flip side, the labor unions can also seek to establish strategies including conducting appraisals of both the unit heads and the members of the union to ensure that there exists no conflict of interest at the head of the union and that any misconducts by the employees are dealt with a manner which is effective and prohibits future instances. These strategies can only function properly if the management and the union are aware of their responsibilities. It is important for both parties to realize that they are important members of the corporate world and an effective working relation between the two would help promote harmony at the corporate level which would be in the best interests of the overall economy.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Essay -- LTTE women fighters

Charlotte Bronte writes in the famous novel Jane Eyre, â€Å"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will†. As the writer shows the freedom wills is rooted into the woman and they fight for their independence based on their situation. But most of the Asian culture defending the rights and portraying the women into the frames of concerned, beautiful, caring, weak and under estimating them. Women are expected to play a conservative role in the community. Especially they considered as the ‘Honor’ of the family who is responsible for preserving the prestige of the family. While it is true that women are beautiful, care and concern, it does not necessarily compulsion to determine this feature only define the woman. To deteriorate the subordination of women to men, a gang of women stood up against the violence where the whole world was stunned and surprised. It was a Sri Lankan Tamil nation diaspora named Liberation Tigers of Ta mil Eelam (LTTE) with female fighters who wanted to overcome social and cultural norms. They proved the nation as well as the whole world, that they, as women, are no longer inferiors to men. The involvement of LTTE Tamil female fighters in the battle of secession challenged the patriarchal social structure of Sri Lanka. The LTTE women fighters changed the conservative appearance of the Sri Lankan women to reflect the gender equality within the society. Generally a Sri Lankan Tamil woman is expected to be into the house, noiseless, conservative and must admit her whole life to the family. Especially through being conservative means to wear her traditional dress (Saree), having Bindi, a decoration worn by women and jewelries to reflect her cultural identity. In contrast, the L... ...about Iraq war and women. Mostly this source refers the international information not my included topic of essay. I cited this to compare the LTTE women fighters with the international fighters and women. So I quoted on line. For comparing obviously this source gives me evidence. Overall this source is not that much needed for this essay. Wang, Peng. â€Å"Women in the LTTE: Birds of Freedom or Cogs in the Wheel?† Journal of Politics and law, Mar 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2014. This is also a scholarly journal about LTTE and women fighters that describes well about the battle of the secession. This article is clearly depicts about the floor for the battle and its consequences. But this journal failed to differentiate the equality of the women in the battle and emancipation. So this article not that much used for my argument but it helps to know about the battle background.

Organisational Study at Bhel

Organisational Study At Bhel Organization Study EDN INTERNSHIP REPORT ON ORGANISATIONAL STUDY AT BHARATH HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED& MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT & CONTROLING Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of The M. B. A Course of Bangalore University Submitted By Veeresh (REGD. NO. 05XQCM6106) Under the Guidance and supervision Of Prof. Sumithra Sreenath M. P. Birla Institute of Management Associate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bangalore-560001 2006-07 M P Birla Institute of Mgmt 1 Organization Study EDN DECLARATION I here by declare that the â€Å"Internship report on Organization study & Microscopic Study on Quality Management & Controlling† at BHARATH HEAVY ELECTRICAL LIMITED, Bangalore is a record of independent work carried out by me, towards partial fulfillment of the requirements for MBA course of Bangalore University at M . P. Birla Institute of Management. This has not been submitted in part or full towards any other degree or Diploma. Date: Place: Bangalore Veeresh 05XQCM6106 M P Birla Institute of Mgmt 2 Organization Study EDN PRINCIPAL’S CERTIFICATE This is to certify that this report entitled â€Å"An Internship Report on Organization study & Microscopic Study on Quality Management & Controlling† at BHARATH HEAVY ELECTRICAL LIMITED, Bangalore has been prepared by Veeresh bearing register number 05QXCM6106 under the guidance and supervision of Professor Sumithra Sreenath of MP Birla Institute of Management, Bangalore Place: Bangalore Date: Dr. N. S. Malavalli (Principal) M P Birla Institute of Mgmt 3 Organization Study EDN GUIDE CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the report entitled â€Å"An Internship Report on Organization study & Microscopic Study on Quality Management & Controlling† at BHARATH HEAVY ELECTRICAL LIMITED, Bangalore done by Veeresh bearing registration No. 05 XQCM6106 is a bonafide work done carried under my guidance during the academic year 2006-2007 in partial fulfillment of†¦

Active Citizenship Coursework

This coursework is all about being an active citizen, and what it takes to be one. I will be giving an example of an activity in which I was being an active citizen. Then I will be showing how I have been an active Citizen. Brief Details of the Activity From late 2007 to the early months of 2008, I was taking part in a programme of activities known as the Duke of Edinburgh's award (D of E), at the silver level. This involved me carrying out work in different forms of activities with the aim of completing set objectives, as well as planning and training for an expedition by my D of E group to cover 14 miles in 2 days by foot. The activities context The role of other people/planning The D of E award required a lot of planning spread out over different aspects. Below I will explain the layers of planning required in order for me to have successfully completed my D of E. The first level would be organising the instructors. The instructors would have to be trained adequately in order to assist the participants. There are different areas in which they would have to be trained – they would have to have knowledge about the objectives which are required in order for participants to complete the award. Furthermore, if they area assisting with an expedition, they would have to have an even greater knowledge about what is required to complete the objective successfully (such as knowing about map reading or tents). All this training is important for them to be able to help us plan our D of E successfully. As we meet up regularly to check on the progress of our D of E, the instructors will be there to see if we are on target to achieve our set objectives, and their input can be important for us to have our D of E planned. With instructors being trained adequately, the next stage of other peoples planning would be my peers When we take part in the D of E award, we also have to take part in an expedition. In order for the expedition to be successful, a lot of different work will be needed to be carried out before we set out on our expedition. Firstly, the group needs to create a planned route that we set out on, and this requires full participation from all the group's members. After the route has been created, the next aim would be to organise where the camping location would be. Part of the team will be allocated the job of locating possible areas for the location. After possible locations are found, the group has to come together to make a decision on the best camping place, based on location, facilities (such as showers) and costs. Finally, after all the details are agreed on by the group, the instructors have to make sure the route they would take out would be feasible, based on the factors of its distance, contours (up/down hill), or if the route is safe to undertake. After the instructors have accepted the route, they will have to submit the route to the head D of E offices. This is required for the group to have their route validated, as well as make the personnel undertaking the award eligible for the insurance required to do the expedition. This final stage of the planning required lots of paperwork to certify the route to meet the criteria required, such as organising the insurance for the group. [improvement – possibly choose skills I have not already undertaken] What I have done for the award There is a large area of work which I have done in order for me to have achieved the award. My first step towards achieving the award is to sort out my activities I will be undertaking to meet the set objectives of the D of E – the skills, service and physical sections. In my skills service, I had the aim to encourage the discovery and development of practical and social skills and personal interests. I decided to play the piano for my skills section. Choosing to have piano lessons for my skills section was handy, as I already played the piano. I found there were lots of benefits I had when I undertook piano for my skills. It helped me a lot to manage my time, as playing the piano wasn't just about piano lessons, but also find the time to practice. For my service section, I decided to help the Bronze D of E group – the group that were starting doing their D of E for the first time. I helped them forwards in achieving their D of E, especially preparing them for their expedition, giving them advice or skills on map reading, setting up tents, lighting stoves (which could potentially be a hazardous task), and what to bring in your rucksack. I found that doing this voluntary work for my service was really enjoyable, as well as making me an active citizen by supporting and helping others in their goals. Finally, for my physical section, I decided to choose tennis lessons. I feel that choosing tennis for my physical recreation was a good choice, as it was something new, and it gave me a challenge. At the beginning, my tennis was not that good, but after a few months of playing, my tennis has improved. I thoroughly enjoyed taking out those activities, it provided me with an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal developments, which has improved my character, given me more self-confidence, and given me a sense of responsibility. What taking part means to me, and what I have learnt Taking part in the D of E means a lot to me. It means that I have achieved a lot personally, and have more confidence in myself. I didn't believe that it was possible for me to walk 14 miles in 3 days, carrying a 25kg rucksack on my back, but I have proved to myself that it is possible. Taking part has given me a range of experiences that I can learn from and improve. One of the experiences I have taken on board is for me to plan prior the routes I take – not just in an expedition, but in life. In one situation, I was stranded on a steep scree face, which I could not climb up. I was map reading, and I took a wrong route, and ended up slipping down a steep hill. I eventually managed to get back up to the top by changing my approach to the situation, but it was a scary experience, unable to crawl back up the hill. I have learnt that your major decisions should be made as soon as they can. Another lesson I have learnt whilst on the expedition is that if my approach to a problem, I need to change it in order to successfully achieve my goals. With this knowledge I have gained, if I were to encounter a similar situation like that one, or if I may encounter another one whilst doing my Gold D of E very soon, I would change my approach to find a solution, such as instead of me trying to climb back up, I could climb safely down and find a rendezvous point for my group. Another situation my group faced was right at the end, after walking around 13 miles, we thought we were in the right place for meeting the instructors, but we found out that we were lost. In this situation, we were very demoralized, exhausted and close to tears. After using the GPS, we found we were about another 2 miles from where we were meant to be. We had to co-ordinate the GPS reference with our OS map, and found out a new route we would have to take. Our legs were so tired, and we were cold, but we all decided to keep each other in good moral so we at least had the mental state to make it. Finally, about another half hour later, we made it to the end, as a group. After this experience, I have learnt that you don't have to make things harder then they are, and you have to make sure that the whole group is fine, because if just one person doesn't want to participate, then it could jeopardize the efforts from the rest of the team. Here we had to make sure that everyone was fine and was willing to carry on walking – otherwise if we didn't arrive back as a group, then they would have failed us for not sticking together, and we would have to re-do our entire expedition. If on my Gold D of E, or anywhere in my life I am working with a group, I have learnt to make sure that everyone in the group is ok, otherwise we won't be as productive as if they are working Problems suffered whilst undertaking the D of E When undertaking any D of E activity on any level, there are always going to be problems. The most common problems suffered were when my group was undertaking the expedition. As the expedition requires a lot of a person, both physically and mentally, it means that you have to prepare yourself; but however much you try to anticipate those problems, some problems which can not be anticipated may happen. One common example of this is when doing an expedition. You can anticipate the fact that there is a large amount of walking, but you can't anticipate the exhaustion you feel if you don't regularly walk that distance.

Pot vs Beer essays

Pot vs Beer essays How can it be that society permits the drinking of alcohol? Marijuana is badly shunned by our society so that makes me think, what makes drinking any better? It always puzzled me to find kids drinking and saying  ¡Ã‚ °hey at least I ¡Ã‚ ¯m not smoking ¡ or  ¡Ã‚ °its better then smoking ¡ how much better is it? I honestly would rather have a society that permitted smoking marijuana then a society that permits drinking. Every year thousands of lives have been lost due to drinking and driving, and hundreds to alcohol poison. How can our society over look this issue. When people are drunk they have no recollection or control over their actions and make stupid mistakes that changes people lives forever. It is hard to believe how many people drink alcohol and how many more lives that are endangered by that. Basically society is looking for ways to ruin and maybe even end peoples lives. There has never been great issue of lost of life with marijuana. You do know what ¡Ã‚ ¯s going on around you when your high and usually makes people concentrate and more cautious when behind the wheel. there is no way that you can overdose on marijuana the only way of death that marijuana causes is cancer, but what doesn ¡Ã‚ ¯t cause cancer nowadays. Alcohol is guilty in taking many more lives then marijuana. While on alcohol peoples emotions are very touchy and may cause people to become very angry or violent. People can take the little gesture way out of proportion and not just be mad but act on it.. Fights brake out when they could have been avoided. For some odd reason alcohol tends to give people enough confidence that they feel invincible and look for fights. Many of the fights that I ¡Ã‚ ¯ve seen or was involved in was due to alcohol and could have been easily avoided. And again society thinks its acceptable for alcohol to be legal. Marijuana just makes people very lazy and have very passive attitude. You never hear of ...

Trip to the Pole---Annie Dillard analysis essays

Trip to the Pole-Annie Dillard analysis essays In her essay, An Expedition to the Pole, Annie Dillard approaches the tricky technique of symbolism and metaphysical images to portray her thoughts on religion, while avoiding the dangers of making it too confusing, or too preachy. Descriptions combined with the narration of the absurd are effectively used even without informing the reader that her material departs from their own expectations of what is real. Her writing is filled with specific, memorable, seemingly random thoughts that eventually develop deep metaphoric power. On the whole, Dillard writes, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? This statement implies that institutionalized religion has somehow lessened the true emotions and freedoms of nature and experience. Perhaps the structure of an organized religion sometimes require us to hide our genuine feelings, and replace them with what we are suppose to be feeling, or following. Dillard writes in a sly witty commanding tone that shines a mystical light around ideas in the most straightforward prose. Even in the most surreal of sequences, we can still feel her confusion, anxiety, and frustration. She writes, The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. Dillard, like her fellow church-goers have come to this church in pursuit of the sublime, but the existence of many banalities and contradictions seem to insult her sense of dignity. She seems to be saying that an individual would be willing to sacrifice education, reason, and dignity for the sake of a glimpse of the sacred and holy. It seems like the church should be projecting a ...

How to Make Bubble Print Pictures

How to Make Bubble Print Pictures Bubble prints are like fingerprints, except made with bubbles. You can make bubble prints and learn about how bubbles are shaped and how pigments combine to make different colors. Bubble Print Materials Bubble prints are made by coloring bubble solution, blowing bubbles, and pressing paper onto the bubbles. You need brightly-colored bubbles in order to get a good picture. Tempera paint powder works really well, but you can substitute other water-soluble paints if you like. bubble solution (buy it or make your own)tempera paint powderpaperstrawssmall plates Make Colored Bubble Solution Pour a little bubble solution onto the bottom of a plate.Stir in paint powder until you have a thick paint. You want the thickest paint you can get, yet still be able to make bubbles using it. If you get the three primary colors of tempera paint then you can mix them in order to make other colors. You can add black or white paint, too. Primary Colors BlueRedYellow Secondary Colors - Made by mixing two primary colors together. Green Blue YellowOrange Yellow RedPurple Red Blue Make Bubble Prints Put the straw into the paint and blow bubbles. It may help to tilt the dish slightly. You can experiment with a few large bubbles versus many small bubbles.Touch the bubbles with a sheet of paper. Dont press the paper down into the paint - just catch the impressions of the bubbles.You can switch between colors. For multicolored bubbles, add two colors together but dont mix them. Blow bubbles into the un-mixed paints. Learn About Bubbles Bubbles consist of a thin film of soapy water filled with air. When you blow a bubble, the film expands outward. The forces acting between the molecules of the bubble cause it to form the shape that encloses the most volume with the least surface area a sphere. Look at the bubble prints that you have made. When bubbles stack, do they remain spheres? No, when two bubbles meet, they will merge walls to minimize their surface area. If bubbles that are the same size meet, then the wall that separates them will be flat. If bubbles that are different sizes meet, then the smaller bubble will bulge into the large bubble. Bubbles meet to form walls at an angle of 120Â °. If enough bubbles meet, the cells will form hexagons. You can see this structure in the images you make in this project.

Internet Sale (Consumer Law) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internet Sale (Consumer Law) - Essay Example This means that in this particular situation, Mr. Sissoko will have to go after the delivery company in order to have his new strips replaces, which is a timely and costly venture for him. The reason why the law is like this is that â€Å"the decision as to whether a broad or narrow approach would be adopted, could be dictated by the degree of flexibility perceived in the meaning of s. 20. However this may be over-simplifying the task of the courts who may be concerned about the potential impact of the broad approach on the scope and function of default rules in general† (Taylor and Naidoo, 2002). Any time good are purchased by an individual, he or she will expect to have certain rights when the product is delivered. This means that they believe that the product will be delivered in a timely and efficient manner, without any damage being done to the product. This is generally taken to mean that the consumer is protected under section 14 of the SoGA, as this section makes the seller completely liable for any damage that is done before the product arrives at the consumer’s door. In these situations, the consumer will rely on the seller to get the product to him or her, without any problem. Since the seller is thought to be the business professional in these situations and, therefore, should be more knowledgeable than the consumer. Since the seller has more knowledge in these situations, the customer is automatically at a disadvantage when it comes to the legal side of this procedure, which is exactly what happened to Mr. Sissoko. The customer would not wish to take any r esponsibility for a product being damaged while in transit and consumer laws are in place to ensure that this does not happen. Where the problem lies is when a third-party delivery company takes on the job of delivering a product to a consumer. In these cases, the seller’s obligation to the customer is completely satisfied once the product is in the hands on the

LOG501 MOD 5 case SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LOG501 MOD 5 case SLP - Essay Example The infrastructure comprises of every transportation mode from rail, road, sea and air to the economy of country as all of these factors collectively support the logistics development within the country (Lynch, 2010; â€Å"The transportation challenge: Moving the US Economy†, 2008). Despite increase in efforts of US government in the development of the logistics and transportation industry, it has been unable to achieve the targeted results. For instance, the government of US has allocated $2.3 billion of the federal budget for the development of the transportation infrastructure which is more than 5% as compared to last year i.e. 2010 (â€Å"Transportation Performance Index Update 2011†, 2011). It has been specifically mentioned in a report that the backbone of an effective supply chain and logistics system for any company is the transportation and logistics industry of the country as they need to have access to the right mediums for enhancing their transportation facilities as it facilitates their delivery mechanism. There is a requirement of a well-developed transportation and logistics sector because the rules and regulations are developed in accordance to the demands of the companies that are present in that sector. In order to compete effectively, the government of US has to ensure that the resources are effectively utilized and all changes are made slowly and steadily (â€Å"20th annual trends and issues in logistics and transportation study†, 2011). US had a strong sector which was growing steadily till 2008; after the recession, it had to undertake severe precautionary measures especially creation of stringent laws for safe and secured transportation and logistics activities (â€Å"24th annual state of logistics report†, 2012). The main factors that are impacting the infrastructure development are as follows: 1. Growth in

Literature and Film Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature and Film - Coursework Example Sile finds a wife and Stride faces his opponents and overthrowss them. However, both the stories do not end in the hero's glorifications. While Sile gets a wife, his other conflict is a notorious boy in debt of him and while Stride gets pass the cowboys, he still needs to avenge himself from those wanting him dead. This is concluded by someone else's dignity or courage being sacrificed to actually uphold the hero's glory. Sile's wife decides to finish off once and for all someone in debt of him through beating him up, thus gaining the fear of being in debt to Sile by the entire Zongo steet. Stride on the one-hand, held bait the Greer's by letting them go into town as his messenger, only to find Mr. Greer dead, but his enemies in hot pursuit of him, falling into his bait of luring them into the desert. In the end of both stories, one is left thinking if both heroes actually deserve to be called the heroes. Because, inasmuch as they altogether attained self actualization and peace of m ind in the end, the underdogs and the people they have outwitted actually did the dirty job for them. The difference between Mallam Sile and Seven Men From Now is their portrayal of a strong hero. In Mallam Sile, the hero is ironically puny and small, almost helpless, but gets his way at the end. In Seven Men From Now, he is a brave cowboy, dashing, fearless and wise but also is brave enough to face a cowboy "duel". The conclusions also vary by Sile getting his peace and restoration, while Stride, chasing after his sheriff position, in which the audience is left hanging if Stride actually makes it or not. Sile's love interest also becomes his wife while Stride's was left hanging in the end. Was there retribution at the end Definitely, and that is the biggest similarity of both the film and the story. It is a matter of the good guys finishing on top while the bad guys die, perish, or made to pay debts. Where is That Voice Coming From and Bullitt The overpowering similarity in the film and in the story, is again in the character. Although the dilemmas, the means of killing and the moral compasses of the stories were also similar, one justification boils down to the characters' essential trait: Indifference. Both characters are indifferent to the fact that what they are doing is actually getting a human life. They have been indifferent, to a certain point, so as they do their job well, achieve their goal and actually affirm themselves, whatever the means they do it so, and without consideration of the people involve. Of course, both means were by shooting. The essential difference of the two, is that Bullitt actually contemplates his guilt at the end, but, does he repent We do not really know for sure. On the one-hand, the protagonist of Where is That Voice Coming From actually owns up to his killing and is actually happy about doing so. Their drives and motives for killing are also very different. In Where is that Voice Comi ng From, the actual motive could be deeply rooted through hatred and envy, it could even be a racial slur. But in Bullit, the motive to kill was actually to do his job, and to bring about justice to the other people criminals have killed in turn. Second-guessing oneself is an essential theme in both the stories as well. In Bullitt, it literally is second guessing-that is having the wrong person accused of

Clifton and Plath on the Feminine Identity Essay

Clifton and Plath on the Feminine Identity - Essay Example While they both appear to be in agreement on the nature of the feminine identity, their American perspectives differ vastly. Clifton, as an African-American, alludes to African themes, and brings into her poem questions about the duality within the African-American experience, and ultimately celebrates herself as a symbol of endurance. Plath's is decidedly different in its paradoxical nature. While her poem focuses on the vivacious and enigmatic legacy that she will leave behind, it is wholly centralized around her death, which creates a somewhat doomed undertone. But while both poets differ in their cultural perspectives, they both produce similar portrayals of the feminine identity as being one of strength, passion, and survival. Clifton brings many symbols to her poem that speak to the African-American, as well as the female experience. She describes herself as a "jungle girl/quick as a snake/a tree girl," (4-6). In aligning herself with such images as a jungle, a snake, and a tree-dweller, she is making a direct allusion to the African identity. Throughout American history, the image of the "African savage" was utilized as a means of persecution, keeping black-Americans under an oppressive rule by larger society. Africans were believed to be tribal jungle-dwellers, savage and uncivilized, and particularly dangerous for their lack of Christianization. Furthermore, the African religions were heavily focused on nature, spirits, demons, and magic, which made them even more frightening to white Americans, who were largely Protestant and highly hostile to Paganism and superstition. Clifton's reference to being "quick as a snake-" the snake being the Christian symbol of evil-seems to be an open embrace of the whi te-American view of the Africans as being aligned with evil and Satan-worship for their ritualistic beliefs. This embrace of a taboo culture is further emphasized in the repeated phrases: "I met me." She has met herself, meaning she has rediscovered her own identity-an identity that has long been buried under social beliefs that it was shameful, uncivilized, and even subhuman. But Clifton also brings a feminine element into her poem, calling herself a "jungle girl" and a "tree girl." Throughout western history, women have been aligned with nature, specifically with the cyclicality of nature, which is similar to the cyclicality of female fertility. Possibly even more revealing is Clifton's description of herself as being "quick as a snake." Snakes have also been ascribed to femininity as, in the Bible, it was a woman (Eve) who fell under the serpent's sway. On the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo went so far as to paint the serpent itself as having the face and torso of a woman. Thus, Clifton is rediscovering two socially repressed identities: her African identity, and her feminine identity. She goes on to write:

Newsclipping Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Newsclipping - Research Paper Example This article is thorough in its research and is very timely. The population of the United States is skewed towards individuals entering retirement. They will begin to experience more and more memory loss. Understanding these things from a biological perspective is important because it shows that things we do a young people can affect the quality of life we have later. The article and graphics are clearly presented and the scientific language is accurate but not too hard for the non-scientific reader to understand. Complex World of Soil Studied by Colorado State University Scientists Soil is incredibly important to all of the inhabitants of earth. Recent biological studies have begun to focus on the importance of the organisms that inhabit the soil. Nematodes, water bears, mites and springtails all have been ranging through the earth’s soils devouring carbon and nitrogen as zebras and lions devour grass and prey on the surface. But little has been studied about how these organi sms benefit larger ecosystems. Scientists at Colorado State University are remedying this. They are finding that disrupting soils by paving them or developing them in other ways is deadly for the soil ecosystem. Scientists are trying to quantify how much benefit these soil dwelling organisms do for us so that we can look at our development activities in a new light. Reading this article was pleasurable because the writing was clear. What was not so clear is how the studies from the scientists are really going to be applied. Mention of United Nations support of soil studies was made, but no specifics were given. There were no details about what is being done as a result of the research. It does affect our daily life because these organisms support life on earth, but action for their support was not clearly stated. Proposed EPA ballast water regulations criticized Ballast water has introduced many organisms into the waters of the Great Lakes that are not a part of the natural ecosyste m. These organisms, such as zebra mussels have crowded out native species. The EPA has developed new regulations over the discharge of ballast water by international ships. Environmental groups are not happy with the regulations because they say that up to ten live organisms’ can be discharged by each ship. Environmentalists and some scientists agree that this is not tough enough. They point to the fact that this amount of live discharge can lead to the introduction of new, destructive organisms. This affects daily life because we all depend on shipping that comes through the Great Lakes. Stricter regulations will make goods coming through these ports more expensive because the water will need to be treated before it is discharged. But his might be the price we have to pay to same native species in the Great Lakes ecosystem. This article was very informative, but was light on actual science. The article focused more on the governmental policies that are formed as a result of biological science than on the science itself. Worms' survival in space bodes well for humans, study says Twelve generations of worms have been successfully raised on board the space station. This is important for humans if we one day want to travel to Mars and beyond. Some of the biological challenges that the worms needed to overcome in order to reproduce and adjust to weightlessness may be good instruction

Clifton and Plath on the Feminine Identity Essay

Clifton and Plath on the Feminine Identity - Essay Example While they both appear to be in agreement on the nature of the feminine identity, their American perspectives differ vastly. Clifton, as an African-American, alludes to African themes, and brings into her poem questions about the duality within the African-American experience, and ultimately celebrates herself as a symbol of endurance. Plath's is decidedly different in its paradoxical nature. While her poem focuses on the vivacious and enigmatic legacy that she will leave behind, it is wholly centralized around her death, which creates a somewhat doomed undertone. But while both poets differ in their cultural perspectives, they both produce similar portrayals of the feminine identity as being one of strength, passion, and survival. Clifton brings many symbols to her poem that speak to the African-American, as well as the female experience. She describes herself as a "jungle girl/quick as a snake/a tree girl," (4-6). In aligning herself with such images as a jungle, a snake, and a tree-dweller, she is making a direct allusion to the African identity. Throughout American history, the image of the "African savage" was utilized as a means of persecution, keeping black-Americans under an oppressive rule by larger society. Africans were believed to be tribal jungle-dwellers, savage and uncivilized, and particularly dangerous for their lack of Christianization. Furthermore, the African religions were heavily focused on nature, spirits, demons, and magic, which made them even more frightening to white Americans, who were largely Protestant and highly hostile to Paganism and superstition. Clifton's reference to being "quick as a snake-" the snake being the Christian symbol of evil-seems to be an open embrace of the whi te-American view of the Africans as being aligned with evil and Satan-worship for their ritualistic beliefs. This embrace of a taboo culture is further emphasized in the repeated phrases: "I met me." She has met herself, meaning she has rediscovered her own identity-an identity that has long been buried under social beliefs that it was shameful, uncivilized, and even subhuman. But Clifton also brings a feminine element into her poem, calling herself a "jungle girl" and a "tree girl." Throughout western history, women have been aligned with nature, specifically with the cyclicality of nature, which is similar to the cyclicality of female fertility. Possibly even more revealing is Clifton's description of herself as being "quick as a snake." Snakes have also been ascribed to femininity as, in the Bible, it was a woman (Eve) who fell under the serpent's sway. On the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo went so far as to paint the serpent itself as having the face and torso of a woman. Thus, Clifton is rediscovering two socially repressed identities: her African identity, and her feminine identity. She goes on to write:

UK monetary policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK monetary policy - Essay Example United Kingdom has been working hard to recover from recession and support growth over the last few years. The policy mix has been of help in rebalancing the United Kingdom economy from recession toward external demand and investment. The government of United Kingdom has been implementing a strong fiscal consolidation with the aim of reducing budgetary risks. This paper focuses on the UK recession and the role played by the impact of the monetary policy in economic recovery. The United Kingdom has the chance to reduce the interest rates that have been set by the central bank now that the inflation seems to be well anchored (UK Parliament 2012). This is meant to create room for money to be injected into the economy. Consumer and business confidence in the United Kingdom remains weak even after the effort to rebalance the economy in the UK. The economic recovery has been supported by an emphasis on strengthening the bank balance sheet (Giudice & Kuenzel 2012). This has been done though building capital as opposed to reducing the assets (Allen 2012). The government of United Kingdom has adopted measures to ease credit acquisition (Holley 2012). The government is keen in eliminating constraints for both small and medium sized households and enterprises. The government has gone further to boost credit for infrastructure, business and housing (Duthel 2011). The reluctance to clear the government deficits and debts this year is understandable given the sluggish rate of growth of the United Kingdom economy (Giudice & Kuenzel 2012). Restraining the public employee wages has been a move by the government to lessen the effect of reducing deficits and debts to create the process conducive for economic growth (Allen 2012). The government intends to have space for added spending on infrastructure. Additional monetary stimulus should be considered if growth would not get the intended momentum. The government should also consider easing credit in that case (UK Parliament 2012) . Over the last few years, the rebuilding of banks capital has been taking place in the United Kingdom. This has been of much help given the amount of risks arising from the euro zone economic crunch and the consequent volatile financial market. The government of United Kingdom has embarked on raising banks capital (Duthel 2011). The government also advocated for a limitation in bonus payouts and dividends. This is contrary to selling assets. The move has paid off through a substantial economic recovery. According to international monetary fund, high level and quality supervision is vital for the growth of economy and establishment of the incoming government structure that is supposed to oversee the financial system of the United Kingdom. The government has enhanced supervision of financial institutions that are considered crucial for economic recovery (Holley 2012). United Kingdom has embarked on a robust regulation and development policies for raising capital and financial oversig ht duties (IME 2012). The recent United Kingdom economic crisis has posed extreme difficulties to the economic policies. Growth is considered anemic after deep recession (Giudice & Kuenzel 2012). The government of the United Kingdom remains extremely concerned about fiscal sustainability. The government is faced by a fast increasing public debt and large deficits compared to the ratio of gross domestic products (GDP)

Selection and Decision Making in Recruitment Essay Example for Free

Selection and Decision Making in Recruitment Essay For this assignment I am required to produce an information leaflet, for a newly appointed manager, which will describe how to plan for effective selection interviews in order to appoint the perfect individual/s for the job. My chosen organisation is Tesco who conduct different selection processes for different jobs; I will be concentrating on the floor manager of a Tesco store. Newly appointed floor managers for my chosen organisation Tesco will have to plan ahead, communicate effectively and make discuss selection and decision making. One of the main things the manager has to do before the selection process even starts is prior planning, below is what the manager has to do before the interview takes place: The manager of Tesco has to plan prior to the interview; he/she has to select the interview panel. The manager of Tesco can select a supervisor and executive manager for the panel as these people are already working within the store and the manager doesnt have to go and get other human resources from headquarters which waste valuable time. Having a interview panel is effective as it makes sure discrimination against the applicant/s doesnt happen and also the panel can check if the level of techniques such as communicational skills are used throughout all the interviews, it makes sure standards dont slip. Types of interview: The manager has to decide what sort of interview he/she will have to under take, considering in this case the manager is a Tescofloor manager he/she should only consider group interviews if employing staff on a large scale such as floor staff, (shelf stackers, costumer service assistance etc) this will save time as larger number of applicants are interviews quicker, however, having group interview means not all skills of an individual may be known to the manager but this does not matter as much as these applicants are only floor staff. Also one-to-one interviews should be considered because these interviews discover a lot about the applicant as it is only one person and not a group, a one-to-one interview is suitable for a higher ranking job such as assistant manager as more skills are required compared to a shelf stacker. Tescos do not need to  conduct any other types of interviews such as telephone interviews because it is not suitable for the job they advertise. The amount of stages in the interview has to be considered, for Tesco the manager has a choice between singular staged or multiple staged interviews, it is suitable to have a multiple staged interview which Tesco currently do than a one staged interview, more stages means the applicant goes through intense testing and interviews meaning he/she is more likely to be suitable for the job. Doing a singular staged interview doesnt find out all the skills of a person and the wrong person may be selected for the job and also that person may perform bad on that one interview, whereas, having more than one stage means the performance can be averaged which is more fair. However, the more stages in interviews the more time, so, the manager has to consider time as it will take more time for multiple staged interviews. Other selection methods will have to be considered, Tesco currently undertake Psychometric Tests which measure the sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality of the applicant, this should be undertaken by the floor manager of Tescos as most of the staff will need good personality, memory etc for their job as they will be working with costumers. There are also multiple choice questions which are a series of question and usually four possible answers where one answer is correct, this usually finds out the technical knowledge of the applicant of the job. Finally, the manager must consider during the planning equal opportunities, he/she will have to undertake measures to make sure each applicant is treated equally and not discriminated; having an interview panel solves this problem as there is more than one person conducting the interview and less chance of discriminations. Also, a tape recorder can be used so if the applicant protests to the way he/she was treated, the tape can be used as evidence. Communicational Skills The manager has to consider his/hers/interviewers communicational skills; this is a vital role in an interview as it can make the applicant reject the  job due to inappropriate language used. Firstly, the manager has to decide whether to use effective, ineffective or a combination of both questions because asking too many ineffective questions may bore the applicant, whereas, having too many effective questions may make the applicant feel uncomfortable, so, I would recommend to use a combination of both effective and ineffective question so the applicant is neither bored or uncomfortable throughout the interview. As the floor manager will be looking for certain skills from his potential employees, asking various types questions would be ideal to find out the skills, this is an indirect way of knowing the applicants skills and is another way to check the applicant is not lying about his/her skills, a direct way of finding out about the skills is to look at the applicants CV, ask previous employer and/or ask direct questions to the applicant. I would recommend the manager to use various types of questions, below is what the manager should use or tell the interviewer to use during the interview itself: Open questions These are questions without a particular answer and makes the applicant feel less under pressure as its an indirect question, an example of an open question is Why do you want the job? or How do you handle stress?, the advantage of using these types of questions is that it lets the interviewer know the creative side of the applicant and is a way not making the applicant uncomfortable. Closed questions These are basically yes or no questions. They are very direct and I wouldnt recommend the manager to make use of these very much as they make the applicant feel uncomfortable, however, they do find out the relevant information and an example of a closed question is Do you have a criminal record? or Can you work in a group?. Hypothetical/ Situational These are similar types of questions, these are used to see if you would do the right thing during a situations e.g. the interviewer may ask what would you do if you saw someone stealing? this would be an ideal question as this person would be working in Tescos were stealing is quite common and the applicants answer should be something like I would inform security instead of saying something like I would ignore it which would send the wrong message out to the interviewer. The manager has to consider how personal information such as criminal records could be checked; he/she could either directly ask the applicant during the interview, check the applicants CV before the interview and/or check with the criminal records bureau to confirm any spent convictions. The manager of Tescos will also have to make sure the interviewer or himself make use of good body language, this means using the right tone of voice and not being rude, this makes the applicant feel welcomed and feel he/she is an ideal environment rather than in an environment where he/she is under pressure. At the same time the manager has to make sure that the interviewer listens to the applicant, it is always important to ask the applicant if he/she has anything to say rather than ending the interview with a goodbye. Furthermore, the interview is about the applicant not the interviewer, so, the applicant should be speaking more than the interviewer, and about 80% of the interview should be the applicant speaking. Analysis and summarisation of information gathered in the interview is vital as it is needed during short listing candidates, there are several ways in which the interviewer can gather information, firstly via a tape recorder, and this does not waste the interviewers time as he/she doesnt have to write much down. Secondly, the interviewer her/himself can simply use a pen and paper to gather information during the interview, however, this is time consuming and all information may not be accurate and finally, there could be two interviewers, on asking questions and the other gathering and analysing information, this is a good idea as this system also makes sure discrimination doesnt take place.

7 Ps Of Rural Marketing In India Marketing Essay

7 Ps Of Rural Marketing In India Marketing Essay Indias rural market holds high potential for increased consumer buying, as per the reports prepared by the NCAER. This paper explains the potential of the rural market and the issues of concern with regard to rural marketing. Rural markets are becoming important for reasons of economic growth in these areas and increasing interfirm rivalry in urban market. The rural buyer is less educated, price sensitive, more traditional and is keen viewer of T.V and video programmes. Products for rural markets have to be simpler, easy to use, visually identifiable, affordable, communicated in an interesting style and available at the customers door step. Rural consumer behaviour is a very complex phenomenon, which needs more efforts to understand, explain predict. In order to get a clear understanding of the same, every marketer should realize that consumer behaviour is, in fact, an assumption every marketing manager must make, if he plans to hit the rural market. The marketing program consists of numerous decisions on the mix of marketing tools to use. These tools consist of 4Ps of marketing i.e. product, price, place and promotion. The marketing mix is considered as the sole vehicle for creating and delivering customer value. 7 Ps of Rural Marketing in India ABSTRACT Indias rural market holds high potential for increased consumer buying, as per the reports prepared by the NCAER. This paper explains the potential of the rural market and the issues of concern with regard to rural marketing. Rural markets are becoming important for reasons of economic growth in these areas and increasing interfirm rivalry in urban market. The rural buyer is less educated, price sensitive, more traditional and is keen viewer of T.V and video programmes. Products for rural markets have to be simpler, easy to use, visually identifiable, affordable, communicated in an interesting style and available at the customers door step. Rural consumer behaviour is a very complex phenomenon, which needs more efforts to understand, explain predict. In order to get a clear understanding of the same, every marketer should realize that consumer behaviour is, in fact, an assumption every marketing manager must make, if he plans to hit the rural market. The marketing program consists of numerous decisions on the mix of marketing tools to use. These tools consist of 4Ps of marketing i.e. product, price, place and promotion. The marketing mix is considered as the sole vehicle for creating and delivering customer value. Intoduction What Rural Means Typically, from an Indian census point of view, rural has been defined with a deprivation orientation, rural being a landmass without access to continuous electricity, water, the stock market. There has been a correction in this view, however. Marketers today define rural as people living a different lifestyle as opposed to that of those who have settled in the bigger cities and towns. Rural is defined as pastoral in nature and as a mass of people who relate their income closely to the lands they till or use to raise their cattle and livestock. The Census of India defines urban India, says Gupta of TSMG. Urban India constitutes places with a population of more than 5,000, a population density above 400 per square kilometer, all statutory towns, that is, all places with a municipal corporation, municipal board, cantonment board, notified area council, etc. and with 75% of the male working population engaged in non-agricultural employment. All non-urban is rural. In simple words, we can say that rural India is a less developed countryside where the infrastructure is primitive, houses are of mud or brick but rarely painted well, the primary source of livelihood is agriculture, employment opportunities in the organized sector are negligible, eating choices are restricted to home-cooked, simple food, schools are far away, health facilities are rudimentary. Marketing Mix It refers to a set of actions, tactics, tools or variables that a company uses to promote and sells its brand and product in the markets. The 4Ps of marketing mix are: Product: refers to anything that is capable of or can be offered to satisfy need or want? Price: refers to the amount customers have to pay in order to acquire a product or services. 3 Cs of pricing Customer Values Competitor Prices Cost of Company Place: refers to point of sale Promotion: This refers to all the activities undertaken to make the product or services known to and preferred among the consumers. The Rural Market Environment in India The marketing man is a decider and an artist- a mixer of ingredients, who sometimes follow a recipe, developed by others and sometimes prepares his own recipe. And, sometimes he adapts his recipe to the ingredients that are readily available and sometimes invents some new ingredients, or experiments with ingredients as no one else have tired before. This paper is emphasized on understanding the marketing environment as it is the success key to effective marketing management for rural marketing. The rural market environment needs a separate examination as it varies significantly from that of the urban market. The rural customer shows distinctive characteristics which makes him/her different from urban buyers. 1. The Rural Consumer: Size of Rural Consumer Group: We all know that the heart of India lives in its villages and the Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers. 12.2% of the world lives in Rural India and to successfully tap this growing market is every marketers dream. Characteristics of Rural Consumer Group Location pattern:-Though the aggregate size is very large, individual subsets of this market tend to be rather small and disparate. Geographical, demographical, statistical, logistical differences are very apparent. Each of these market segments differs and requires different strategies to be formed. The face of Indian agriculture is changing from dry land and irrigated agriculture into high-tech and low-tech agriculture. Farmers in states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have reaped the benefits of adopting new age farming practices. This has radically changed the economics of farming, with the investment in these systems lowering the cost of cultivation, increasing yields due to integrated crop management practices and reducing the dependence on rainfall. As a result, disposable income has grown sharply. The aspirants are becoming climbers showing a sustained economic upturn as purchasing power is increasing in the rural markets. Further, due to the diversity of this market, mar keters need to think, plan and act locally. It is therefore essential to develop an accurate Marketing Mix for selling to rural India. Socio-economic position: The sudden lure of rural India can be attributed to the socio-economic changes sweeping rural areas today. Increased productivity meant more income in the hands of the farmer who now wanted to buy the same products as his/her urban counterpart did.The process of income generation creating hope for better standards of living was also accelerated by companies and banks adopting villages for an integrated rural development. So, while fertilizers companies interest in adopting villages lay in increasing consumption of their products, companies like TISCO, TELCO ITG made it a part of their social commitment. The Integrated Rural Development Programme encompasses education, health, modern farming practices, land development co-operative marketing of produce. Culturally a Diverse and Heterogenous Market:-The rural market is not only a scattered market, but is also diverse heterogenous. Rural consumers are diverse in terms of religious, social, cultural linguistic factors. Various tiers are present, depending on the incomes like those of Big Landlords, Trades, Small Farmers, Marginal Farmers, Laborers Artisans. State to State Variation in Extent of Development:-There is also great deal of difference between different states in extent of development. The study provided by IMRB shows that each sate have different various parameters such as availability of health education facilities, availability of public transport ,electricity, TV transmission, post offices and water supply so on. Literacy Level:-It has been estimated that rural India has a literacy rate of 28% compared with 55% for the whole country. The picture has been changing over the years. For e.g. a decade ago, the literacy rate in rural India was only 20%. The adult literacy programmes launched in the rural areas are bound to enhance the rural literacy rate in the years to come. Lifestyle:-The rural consumers are marked by a conservative and traditional bound lifestyle. But the fact is that the lifestyle is undergoing a significant change. The change can be attributed to several factors such as: Growth of income change in income distribution Growth in education Enlarged media reach Growing interaction with urban communities Marketers efforts to reach out the rural market. Buying Behaviour Undergoes Major Change In recent years, some convergence in aspirations seems to be taking place between the urban and rural markets. The trend seems to be stronger among the younger generations. It is been found that aspirations of youth are same in both urban rural market, the only difference is that rural youth are still not in a position to follow their aspirations as that of urban youth. No stereotype Rural Consumer: The low purchasing power/ low per capita income low literacy level are the common traits of rural consumers. Rural consumers are traditional-bound, with religion, culture tradition strongly influencing their consumption habits. But still, the rural consumers do not share a common buying behavior. There are consumers who can afford high-priced brands and are also willing to buy. There is thus great scope and need for segmenting the rural market on the basis of buying behavior. 2. The Rural Demands Steady Growth: The recent NCAER publication The Great Indian Middle Class further reveals that the Indian middle class consisted on 10.7 million households or 57 million individuals of which 36 per cent lived in rural areas. No wonder, the rural markets have been a vital source of growth for most companies. For a number of FMCG companies in the country, more than half their annual sales come from the rural market. Although with the substantial improvement in purchasing power, increasing brand consciousness, changing consumption pattern and rapid spread of communication network rural india offers a plethora of opportunities for marketer. Composition of Rural Demand:- Many new products have entered the consumption basket of the rural consumer, they have started buying and using a number of modern products, which were unknown in the rural market. There are several products which have already well established in the rural market such as packaged tea, bath soaps, washing soaps, detergents, safety razor blades, scooters, motorcycles etc. On the other side there are many products, the rural market has overtaken the urban as the demand of motorcycles is also more in the rural market than the urban market. Rural Marketing Mix Product: Product for the rural market must be built or modified to suit the lifestyle needs of the rural customers. The rural market is not a homogenous set of customers with preferences frozen in time. The company should keep in mind that before developing the products for rural market, marketers must identify the typical rural specific needs. Urban products cannot be dumped onto rural markets without modifications. For instance, shampoos or soaps with distinctive, strong rose or jasmine perfumes are very popular with the rural women in South India. The urban women do not identify as strongly with these perfumes. Sachetization is also a distinctly rural-driven phenomenon. As demand in several categories is being created, intensity of use is quite low. On average, rural folk would use a shampoo only once a week. Habits take time to change and making unit sachet packs affordable is the key to inducing trial and purchase. Systematic, in-depth research that can help understand the depths of the mind of the villagers, their buying criteria, purchase patterns and purchasing power are an essential input while developing rural specific products or services. In the rural market product developers should aim at eliminating all the cost-adding features, i.e., features which a rural consumer is unwilling to pay for as he sees no obvious utility. This would redefine value in the minds of the consumer and tremendously increase product acceptability. The product strategies to be followed in rural market: Newly/ Modified product Utility Oriented product Avoiding sophisticated packaging Application of Value Engineering Small unit packaging Example: Induce rural customers to buy and try the new product i.e trial by low unit packs, Sachets(HLL),Cavin Care -Chik, PG-Vicks Vaporub, Godrej with 6ml sachet , One Rasna sachet can make six glasses Social Cultural variations Combi- Packs Colgate offers toothbrush with small toothpaste Family Packs-Britannia , Priyagold Price: The villagers due to their price sensitivity are very cost sensitive.This does not mean that a rural consumer is a miser. He is not simply looking for the cheapest product rather he understands and demands value for money in every purchase that he makes. Pricing therefore is a direct function of factors including cost-benefit advantage and opportunity cost. Pricing offered to consumers should be for value offerings that are affordable. The consumer is looking for tangible price advantages today. It is believed that rural consumers believe in smart buying. A study revealed that the average rural consumer takes approximately 2 years to decide on buying a watch! He will not do so unless he is totally convinced that he is getting value for money. Impulse buys and purchases are very rare when considering the value for money factor that reigns supreme in most rural purchase decisions. It must be remembered that the rural consumer does not have a budget problem. He has a cash flow problem. This is because the village folk receive funds only twice a year. At these times, he is capable of making high volume purchases. So, when there is a cash flow crunch, marketers need to provide financial products, schemes or solutions that suit the needs of the rural population. The Pricing Strategies to be followed in rural market Large volume- low emerging Overall efficiencies and passing on benefits to the consumers Low cost/value for money products Low volume-low price Example: Low cost products i.e Clinic-plus in 50 paisa, one rupee, two rupee pack, Colgate at Rs. 50 /- HLL derives 50% of its revenue from rural areas, sells Lux shampoo in a four milliliter sachet priced at 50 Paisa and six-milliliter sachet priced at one rupee Place: A village as a pace of promotion, distribution and consumption is very different from town and city. The most crucial link in ensuring the success of rural marketing efforts is distribution. In Rural India, the selection and use of distribution channels is a nightmare. As in Rural Indias 3 million outlets are located in 6.3 lakh villages. Thus, marketers are faced with the problem of feeding 3 million shops located in vastly diverse areas each of which records an average sale of only Rs.5,000 per outlet. Further problem is that even this sale is mostly on credit. The diversity in the distribution of shops is the self-limiting factor in terms of servicing the rural distribution network. Rural distribution has a rigid hierarchy of markets that make channel decisions relatively structured. It is essential for rural marketing companies to understand this hierarchy. Rural folk are habituated to traveling once a week for their weekly purchases to a satellite town. For durables where the outlay involved is typically large, the purchase would be made in an assembly market for reasons of choice and availability of adequate cash flow. It is therefore not necessary for a marketer of TV sets to take their distribution channel all the way down to the village shop. A TV will not be sold there as the cash flow does not exist at that point in the hierarchy of markets. A television distributor must be present at assembly markets which are much smaller in number, more controllable, easier to reach and service. Keeping the hierarchy in mind will help decide the optimum level of penetration required to reach a critical mass of rural consumers. Haats are the nerve centre of Rural India. They are a readymade distribution network embedded in the fabric of rural society for over 1000 years. Right from the time of Chandragupta Maurya, Haats are seen as a place for social, cultural and economic interchange.One in every five villages with a population of over 2000 has a haat. A lot of re-distribution also occurs through haats. This is because, a large number of retailers and sub-wholesalers buy from haats for their village stores. What is most attractive to marketers is that 90% + of sales in haats are on cash basis. Traditionally, in village shops a lot of credit sales occur due to the fact that in a small geographic area of a village, everybody knows everybody. Apart from the 90% cash sale, 5 to 7% is conducted on barter system and the rest 3 to 5% is on credit. Also attractive to companies wishing to use the system is the low selling overheads. Participation fees at haats are a flat Re.1 to Rs.5 per stall and this rate is comm on to a giant like Hindustan Lever and the smallest local seller. Distribution costs must be reduced through optimum utilization of the network. Thus, incorporating haats in the distribution strategy of a rural marketing organization selling consumer goods and FMCG products (typically once a week purchase items) is a tremendous opportunity. Perhaps the other most important factor to consider while developing rural distribution strategy is that the move from transactional marketing to relationship marketing is most evident in the village market. A strong bond needs to be created with every consumer even in the remotest villages and smallest town. The distribution strategies to be followed in rural market: Segmentation Covering of villages having population above 2,000 Distribution to feeder market or mandi town Direct contact with rural retail. Example: Samsung van displays all the products, the company has tied up with local distributors to showcase the Samsung range in local melas. Promotion: Promotion aspects always create a challenge in rural areas as they have a very thin population density but are spreaded in the large remote area. There are a lot of barriers that militate against homogenous media and message delivery. The rural consumer likes to touch and feel a product before making a choice. Demonstrations are undoubtedly the most effective promotional tool that shapes purchase decisions of the rural population. In todays information era, it is very important for companies to wise-up on emerging technologies. It has in fact become a medium to attract larger audiences for a product demonstration. Technology must be used to prepare a database of customers and their requirements. The use of video using mobile vans and even large screen video walls at events should be arranged. Several visual communication and non-verbal communication are used by the companies to reach the rural audience as large proportion of the rural population cannot read or write. More importantly, in rural India, the word of mouth is the key influencer. Intermediaries are the foundation to rural distribution. If the intermediary understand s and is constantly reminded about your product, then the end user will not be allowed to forget. The re-use capacity and colour of the container in which the product is packed is also a crucial factor. Infact, reusable packaging is considered a major aid in promoting sales for products in the rural market. Consumer and Trade schemes such as discount coupons, off season discounts, free samples, etc. encourage spending. Lucky draws and gift schemes are a major hit in most states. The use of local idioms and colloquial expressions are an excellent way to strike a rapport with the rural consumer and must be borne in mind when developing media plans and public relations programmes. The rural consumer is very down to earth but equally discerning and marketers need to step into the shoes of the rural folk while creating product promotion campaigns. Another unique feature of rural markets is that the Decision making process is collective. The persons involved in the purchase process influ encer, decider, buyer, one who pays can all be different. So marketers must address brand messages in their campaigns at several levels. Apart from regular household goods, several agribusiness companies have also started providing gift schemes with offers for free jewellery that influences the ladies to pressure the farmers to purchase agricultural inputs from select companies. This promotion strategy thus makes women influence purchase decisions that they would ordinarily not be involved in. Youth power is becoming increasingly evident in villages. Rural youth bring brand knowledge to the households. This has forced several companies to change the focus and positioning of their products and services towards this segment that is growing in absolute number and relative influence. The promotional strategies to be followed for promotion in rural market TV Radio Print media Cinema Hoarding Example: 1. Films on products like Vicks, Lifebuoy, Colgate and Shampoos are shown in rural cinemas halls. 2. LIC and Private insurance companies have been showing short movies in rural theatres to create awareness about life insurance People:-An essential ingredient to any service provision is the use of appropriate staff and people. Consumers make judgments and deliver perceptions of the service based on the employees they interact with, therefore it is necessary for the companies to provide proper training to their staff. Staff should have the appropriate interpersonal skills, aptititude, and service knowledge to provide the service that consumers are paying for. Process:- It refers to the systems used to assist the organisation in delivering the service. Banks that send out Credit Cards automatically when their customers old one has expired again require an efficient process to identify expiry dates and renewal. An efficient service that replaces old credit cards will foster consumer loyalty and confidence in the company. Physical Evidence:- Physical Evidence is the element of the service mix which allows the consumer again to make judgments on the organisation. If you walk into a restaurant your expectations are of a clean, friendly environment. Physical evidence is an essential ingredient of the service mix, consumers will make perceptions based on their sight of the service provision which will have an impact on the organisations perceptual plan of the service. Cases of Rural marketing mix in India 1.Coca Cola When Coca -Cola re-entered the Indian Market in the mid-1990s , it took the high road to marketing and got nowhere. More recently it re-invented itself and its TV commercial showed Bollywood star Amir Khan first as a Punjabi Farmer and also in other rustic roles in different parts of India .Coca -Cola available at Rs. 5 a bottle Result was within months Coke was able to reach out to rural audiences in large numbers all over India . 2.Arvind Mills When Arvind Mills discovered even the cheapest brand could not make dent in the rural markets .It introduced ready-to-stitch RufTuf Jeans with price as low as 195 a Piece The Jeans were distributed using local retail outlets in villages with population up to 5,000 .Tailors were trained and given Machine accessories needed to stitch heavy denim In about year and a half Arvind sold 50 Lakh Rug Tuf kits because it had beaten the lowest-priced organized sector jeans around Rs. 300 at that time Conclusion Today, the rural market is blooming with the increase in the disposable incomes of the households. By nature, rural marketing is complex and studying the perception of rural consumers is always a difficult task unlike that of urban consumers. An effective communication not only provides information about products, but also educates the consumers regarding the use of products. Therfore, it is necessary that rural consumers have to be thoroughly studied so as to have better knowledge of rural marketing and work out appropriate marketing strategies. The essence of modern marketing concept is to satisfy the customer, and naturally all the marketing activities should revolve around the customers and their buying behaviour. The consumers need to be guided in the proper direction in order to make a decision. Theres a necessity to raise the emotional involvement of consumers in order to prevent brand defection. The marketers must recognize that rural marketing is primarily developmental marketing must be willing to take an approach of market seeding in the initial stages. It is often said that markets are made, not found. This is particularly true of the rural market of India. It is a market meant for the truly creative marketer.

Essay --

Why Is Managing Inbound Logistics Important To An Organization? Inbound logistics relates to the movement of goods or the materials from suppliers and vendors into manufacturing procedures or storeroom facilities. Inbound logistics basically comprises of two functions that are the purchase of materials and the logistics that are the procurement and planning. The management of inbound logistics is important to organizations for two major reasons, one that relates to the organization and the other that relates to the suppliers and vendors. Of course, reducing costs by effective management of inbound logistics does not mean that suppliers and vendors are effective negatively. There got to be a way where both take advantage of effective management of inbound logistics otherwise there would be costs increment at other instances (Gonzalez, 2002). Managing inbound logistics is important because managing the expenses of movement of goods all the way through the supply chain is an enormous t ask for both the shippers and deliverers.  A particular consignment comprises of both inter and the intra organizational dealings and exchanges. During this interchange and communication, data and information is required by different people in addition to customers, vendors, transporters, customer service agents, secretarial, acquisition, product management, inventory supervision, storehouse administration, and completion. Companies procure transportation services with specific carrier partners that both meet their requirements for price & service and have a solid understanding of the nuances of their business needs.   Additionally, these companies establish business processes and rules of engagement to facilitate the efficient flow of information and m... ..." References Aldrich, D. (1998) The new value chain – Today’s digital age means companies must rethink how they deliver what their customers value. Information Week, September 14, 1998. Gonzalez, Adrian (2002) Inbound logistics drives strong demand for transportation systems Warehousing Management; Radnor McGinnis, Michael A. and Cancro, J. Patrick (2003) â€Å"Logistics Basics for Purchasing and Supply Professionals†, http://www.google.com.pk/search?q=cache:bviDnM1ZSCYJ:www.ism.ws/ResourceArticles/Proceedings/2003/McGinnisHH.pdf+inbound+logistics+important+to+an+organization&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 Rayport, J.F. & Sviokla, J.J. (1995) Exploiting the virtual value chain. Harvard Business Review, 73(6): 75-86. Tyran, Craig K. and James Coakley (2000) Supplemental Class Notes: The Value Chain, http://www2.bus.orst.edu/faculty/coakley/BA471_web/Lectures/Value_Chain_Class_Notes.htm

ECH125 T5CulturalInstructionalStrategies Essay

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD MARIA IS AN OUTGOING, HAPPY SECOND-GRADER WITH STRONG LITERACY SKILLS; IN FACT, SHE IS BILINGUAL, SPANISH/ENGLISH. HER FAVORITE PART OF SCHOOL IS READING AND WRITING STORIES. SHE ALSO ENJOYS MATH. SHE IS VERY ACTIVE AND ENJOYS RECESS AND CREATING DANCE STEPS IN PE. SHE IS SENSITIVE AND CAN GET HER FEELINGS HURT EASILY. CULTURAL (ANTI-BIAS) AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: ? USE THE READING AND WRITING LOVE AND HAVE READING AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS/ACTIVITIES IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH. ? INTRODUCE MORE COMPLEX READING LEVELS, WORK ONE ON ONE WITH HER TO  BEGIN WRITING STORY SUMMARIES AND IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA. RESULTS OF MENTOR TEACHER DISCUSSIONS: WE DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OR REALLY HORNING IN ON STUDENT’S STRENGTHS TO PUSH HER TO ENSURE THE STUDENT IS LEARNING SOMETHING NEW. Ashley SIX-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY IS THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE CHILDREN. SHE IS VERY SHY AND CLINGS TO HER OLDER SISTER EACH DAY WHEN SHE BRINGS HER INTO THE FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM. ASHLEY IS CURIOUS; HER FAVORITE PART OF SCHOOL IS DOING SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS. SHE READS AT A PRIMER LEVEL, BUT ENJOYS HAVING PEOPLE READ TO HER. CULTURAL (ANTI-BIAS) AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: ? INTRODUCE STRATEGIES FOR HER TO FOCUS IN ON HER CURIOSITY AND BLOSSOM THROUGH HER LOVE FOR SCIENCE. ? TURN FOCUS TO SIGHT WORDS AT HER LEVEL AND START WORKING ON GETTING HER INTO A TITLE READING GROUP SO SHE CAN GET THE EXTRA WORK IN READING. RESULTS OF MENTOR TEACHER DISCUSSIONS: WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFY WHEN A CHILD NEEDS EXTRA WORK SUCH AND A TITLE READING GROUP AND ABOUT HOW EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN A OUTSIDE READING GROUP THEY STILL NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CLASSROOM READINGS AS WELL. Xavier XAVIER IS A KINDERGARTENER WHO REALLY ENJOYS SPORTS, PARTICULARLY BASEBALL. HE HAS LOW LITERACY SKILLS. HE IS VERY SOCIAL AND ENJOYS INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER CHILDREN DURING RECESS, CLASS ACTIVITIES, AND AT THE COMPUTER. HE IS A HANDS-ON LEARNER, CONFIDENT, AND A RISK-TAKER. CULTURAL (ANTI-BIAS) AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: ? USE HIS INTERESTS IN SPORTS AND COMPUTERS TO HELP KEEP HIM INTERESTED IN READING. ? BUILD ON HIS CONFIDENCE AND HAVE HIM LEAD OTHERS STUDENTS WHEN  © 2014. GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PLAYING TEAM ACTIVITIES OR WHEN COMPLETELY GROUP ASSIGNMENTS. RESULTS OF MENTOR TEACHER DISCUSSIONS: AGAIN WE DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEING STUDENT’S STRONG POINTS. EVERY KID IS DIFFERENT IN WHAT THEY ARE GOOD AT. GOOD TEACHERS NOTICE WHAT KIDS ARE GOOD AT AND HELP THEM THRIVE EVEN MORE. Paul PAUL IS A THIRD-GRADER WHO IS A VERY STRONG READER. HE CHOOSES TO SPEND MOST OF HIS TIME READING AND ENJOYS MANY DIFFERENT TOPICS. HE WRITES LONG AND COMPLEX STORIES DURING WRITER WORKSHOP AS WELL. PAUL SELDOM ENGAGES SOCIALLY WITH OTHER CHILDREN; IN FACT, HE IS QUITE TIMID WITH BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS. CULTURAL (ANTI-BIAS) AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: ?HAVE HIM WORK IN SMALL GROUPS WITH OTHER CHILDREN ON ASSIGNMENTS OR HAVE HIM PARTNER READ WHEN APPROPREAITE. ?INTRODUCE AND HIGHER READING LEVEL AND MOVE ON TO MORE ADVANCE PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS. RESULTS OF MENTOR TEACHER DISCUSSIONS: WE AGAIN TOUCH ON THE TOPIC OF NEVER STOPPING WITH A CHILD, EVEN THOUGH A CHILD MIGHT BE GREATLY ABOVE THE GRADE THEY ARE IN OR THE GRADE YOU ARE TEACHING IT’S HIGHLY IMPORTANT TO GO FIND MORE CHALLENGING WORK FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Jamaica THIS FOUR-YEAR-OLD PRESCHOOLER HAS EXCELLENT FINE AND GROSS MOTOR SKILLS. SHE ENJOYS GAMES WITH OTHER CHILDREN, JUMP ROPE, AND PE CLASS. SHE IS A CREATIVE ARTIST AND PARTICULARLY EXCELS AT PAINTING. HER LITERACY SKILLS ARE AVERAGE. SOCIALLY, SHE IS OUTGOING AND EASILY ACCEPTED BY HER PEERS. CULTURAL (ANTI-BIAS) AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES: ? ALWAYS ALLOW HER TO USE HER CREATIVITY AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. ? INCORPORATE READING AND WRITING IN A CREATIVE WAY TO SHOW HER WRITING AND READING ARE FUN AS WELL. RESULTS OF MENTOR TEACHER DISCUSSIONS: WE TALKED ABOUT HOW PRESCHOOLERS WHO ARE â€Å"AVERAGE† AND THAT ARE SOCIAL SOMETIMES SLIP BY, IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE TEACHERS WORK ONE ON ONE WITH ALL STUDENTS AND WORK AT THEIR LEVEL AND CONTINUE TO PUSH THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL.  © 2014. GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Polygraph Research Essay

I began my research thinking I wanted to find out where we were today in our advancement of the lie detector machine and its accuracy. There was a time it was heard of often and considered quite controversial in its legitimacy. My research took me on a different journey then I had expected. A journey discovering that the Polygraph Machine is not only just as controversial today as ever, but also that there appears to be behind the controversy then simply its technology. The Polygraph Machine was traditionally known for its use in lie detection within law enforcement. So I began my search in the Criminal Justice data base of our school library. I came across an interesting article, â€Å"The Truth Surrounding Lie Detection Technology†, written by Rebecca Kanable, a freelance writer specializing in law enforcement topics for the periodical Law Enforcement Technology. Her article, although informative of the details in how the polygraph machine works, what it detects physiologically, and why it might be considered inaccurate, revealed to me there may be more behind the controversial system then simply its technology. She would reference an important sounding entity called the APA (American Polygraph Association), explaining the APA founding, their development, and purpose. After discussing the APA and its extensive research and technology, another official sounding entity was introduced, the NAS (National Academy of Sciences). The NAS reported that contrary to the APA’s pride in their more than 80% accuracy in detecting deception, a majority of the research was unreliable, unscientific, and biased. The APA responded that the NAS findings were confined to a review of the research on polygraph testing in particular, and how it relates to personnel screening. The APA said the NAS relied on 57 of more than 1000 research studies available. The NAS in turn responded that a century of research in psychology and physiology provided little basis for expecting the polygraph test could have extremely high accuracy because the physiological responses are not uniquely related to deception only. At this oint a third entity was introduced, the NACVSA (National Association of Computer Voice Stress Analysis), who also bashed the APA as a flawed method and flawed technology. They would tout how they were supported in agreement by the NITV (National Institute for Truth Verification), yet another official sounding entity. This back and forth seemed a bit odd, as though one or the other had an agenda. That is what redirected my research into whom these entities were, and who was considered more rel iable for the truth about lie detection. First stop was the APA web site (APA. org). I discovered it was a profit driven business selling technology, instruments, research, and advanced training and education programs, as well as advertising their APA magazine. Their primary customers were law enforcement, the legal community, and private sector security screening. It certainly was official, but only in the business sense. Ironically, in my search for the APA web site, it was paired with Antipolygraph. org web site. A location for message board discussions against the polygraph, most of which was specifically directed at the APA. I then moved on to the first entity contradicting the APA in Kanable’s article, the NAS. NASonline. org had nothing to sell, but rather a non profit society established by an act of congress signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and extended by President Woodrow Wilson charged with the mission of providing independent objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. It definitely carried some weight in legitimacy, but to be sure it was not a bias source about this topic, I search its site database for this particular topic, and although it spoke about the technology of the polygraph, it made no specific mention of the APA itself. I was unable to do the same of the APA site as you had to be a paying member to access their database. I felt the NAS response to the APA research was legitimate coinciding with their purpose. What about the NACVSA? It turns out they are a direct competitor of the APA. Upon arriving at the CVSA1. com web site, it was immediately obvious in their solicitation of CVSA software and training. Also solicited were funding assistance through grants from both Walmart and Target to purchase the technology. They tried to hide behind government looking signs and symbols to appear more â€Å"official†. They covered the bases offering insight of cases solved by their technology, who was using their technology, and the history of their technology. They would repeatedly indicate their direct support from the National Institute for Truth Verification. Of course this institute must be official and have a web site. A Google turned up nothing for the NITV, and any mention of them would link you to the CVSA1. com web site. An attempt at Wikipedia also only had them listed as a vendor and tied to the NACVSA. Returning to the CVSA1 website for further investigation, I noticed in small print in the corner the following, â€Å"the NITV is the manufacturer and sole source for the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer†. That certainly did explain their avid support of the CVSA technology. One last scroll through all the sites having mention of the NITV, I noticed a Government site with their mention. Eforia. bis. doc. gov. was a public posting of government documents from the department of commerce. It displayed 11 charges against the NITV of illegal exportation as a private business. So much for that. Realizing I only had information from either the biased private businesses of technology, or the seemingly unbiased sources of government documents and a science society founded by congress, I now wanted to find others with something to say about the polygraph. I went back to the school library database with a refinement for only magazines and newspapers. First was a eye catching title of an article in the Atlantic Monthly by Alan Berlow called â€Å"The Wrong Man†. I gave accounts of cases leading to the conviction and eventual carrying out of death sentences of what would turn out to be discovered as wrongful conviction down the road. The tie with the polygraph came in that the results of the polygraphs, although not admissible in court, did find in agreement with what resulted in their convictions, even in contradiction of there being no physical evidence. This article revealed why the DA in one of those cases was so adamant in ignoring the lack of evidence for guilt and continuing till a conviction. He had knowledge of, and was influenced by, the non admissible results of the polygraph. The Wall Street Journal offered opposite perspectives on the polygraph. In 2003, an Article by Sharon Begley called â€Å"Inertia, Hope, Morality, score TKO’s in Bouts with â€Å"Solid Science†. The dispute with the polygraph was no different then others but with her particular method and terminology of expression. The second Wall Street Journal article, â€Å"For The Polygraph Paradox; Lie Detectors Aren’t Perfect; But convicted Sex Offenders Concede, They May Be Good Enough†, by Laurie P. Cohen. Although alluding to a positive use for the polygraph in spite of its controversy, I doubted the weight of this perspective as the only source of data was that of those who were convicted. It has no opposite data of those who were not convicted. I didn’t take either article as being to far out of bounds as the Wall Street Journal is widely known as quite reputable, whether you agree with a particular article or not. So I then narrowed my search to the immediate locality, and took an article from the Telegram & Gazette. It was a General interest periodical in 1989 with no specific author. It was merely stating a factual outcome of the Massachusetts Supreme Court having ruled the polygraph test as inadmissible in this state. My research into the polygraph, although somewhat informative about its accuracy, was far more revealing about the source of opinions about the polygraph.