Marketing plan Essay

Kraft Food (Nabisco) has been working since the year 1898. For about 109 years, they have increase through natural growth, mergers and obtainments. This positive fact permits Nabisco to be the chief of the snack maker. Being the main snack maker has permit Nabisco to introduce a diverse selection of foods. However, Nabisco has been indisposed to adjust to the current market trends. The company had an idea to concentrate on creating and producing new versions of the existing products to make them more convenient for the consumers. However, Nabisco was overpassing that other companies were doing the same thing; they were creating similar products that were cheaper and healthier for consumers. Lately, Nabisco understood and found out about this trend so they began creating healthier foods such as low carb foods, 100-calorie snack packs and low fat foods. By creating and producing these new products, Nabisco has a greater opportunity to be the consumers option one and be the number one company for those people who wants to start a healthy life style. The new Fat Free Chips Ahoy that Kraft (Nabisco) will be presenting to the society next year will be setting Nabisco as a company that is ready to support those that have decide to have a healthy eating life style. Nabisco is expecting that the new Fat Free Chips Ahoy turn into the number one fat free snacks on the market. Nabisco also expects to increase and expand to other fat free products like Chips Ahoy ice cream, Chips Ahoy piecrust and snack size packages of Fat Free Chips Ahoy for vending machines. 2. Company description In 1903, James L. Kraft from Ontario, Canada, created a cheese-delivery business in Chicago. This business was named â€Å"Kraft†, it was producing cheese as well as distributing it, and with the past of the years the company expands in a big way. Karft-Phenix became a subsidiary of the National Dairy Product Corp in 1930 and in 1923 it was founded by Thomas H. Mclnnerney. Initially the firm was planned to execute in the fragmented United States ice cream industry but later it change idea and expanded into a full range of dairy products. This business expanded its brand internationally in more than 155 countries. It is consider the largest food company in the United States and in the number two position worldwide, behind Nestlà © S.A. The firm has two primary operating units–Kraft Foods North America and Kraft Foods International and its brands are divided into five main sectors: snacks, beverages, cheese, grocery and convenient meals. Seven through eleven of Kraft’s brands bring in more than $1 billion in revenues each year. â€Å"The company is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Its European headquarters is in Glattpark, Opfikon, Switzerland. Kraft is an independent public company, it is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and became a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on September 22, 2008, replacing the American International Group† (www.wikipedia.com). Kraft Food Inc., was concentrating in producing new versions of the existing products to make them more accessible to the consumers. However, they were overpassing the fact that others companies were creating similar products that were healthier and cheaper. Lately, Kraft realized this problem and began creating healthier foods such as low carb foods, 100- calories snack packs (fat free Chips Ahoy) and low-fat foods. The new Fat Free Chips Ahoy that Nabisco, a sister brand of Kraft Food Inc., will be introducing next year will concrete Kraft as a company that is well disposed to support those that have embrace that healthy eating life style. Nabisco (Kraft) is hopping that the new Fat Free Chips Ahoy will be the best and leading fat free snack on the market. 3. Strategic Focus and Plan Kraft food Inc., do business according to seven important strategies: 1) build superior customer brand value, 2) build supper demand through superior customer collaboration, 3) transform the portfolio, 4) expand global scale, 5) drive out cost and assets, 6) strengthen employee and organizational excellence; 7) and act responsibility (www.kraftfoodscompany.com). 1. Build superior brand value: consist in improving the Company’s products, using more value-added packaging, and develop innovative new products and managing price gaps effectively. 2. Build shopper demand through superior customer collaboration: recognizes the importance of the Company’s retail partners in fulfilling its vision. The Company and the customer works together in order to better understand the customer behavior in their stores, to develop in-store programs that can increase the shopper demand and decrease costs through more efficient store delivery systems. 3. Transform the portfolio: The Company is expanding the shift in its portfolio toward business through investment, innovation, acquisition and divestiture (whether global, regional or local) to offer the Company a sustainable competitive advantage, and will better enable its management to focus on opportunities that meet consumer needs and create long-term value of the Company. 4. Expand the Company’s global scale: they focused on increasing its growth prospects in key developing markets that offer the greatest growth potential. In addition, the Company is expanding its marketing and infrastructure investments in large, growing markets, such as Brazil, Mexico, China and Russia. 5. Drive out costs and assets: Contains the Company’s announced three- year restructuring program, with the objectives of realigning and decreasing its cost structure and optimizing capacity utilization. 6. Strengthen employee and organizational excellence: reflects the need to develop organizational capabilities and support employees in meeting the Company’s business challenges, wherever they work. 7. Act responsibly: As the Company struggle for sustainable growth, its seeks business success in ways that honor legal and legal standards and that it also respect people, communities and the natural environment. This strategy involves a commitment to a strong obedience and integrity programs and sound corporate governance, as well as a number of health and wellness initiatives, such as enrich nutrition labeling. Mission: The mission of Kraft Food is to assist people around the world to eat and live better (GLP). They have the idea to meet the consumers’ in order to found out their needs, so they can make the food healthier, easier and more enjoyable part of life. They want their consumers to consider them as their first snack food choice. They carefully let the consumers to know how they keep in their mind their wants and needs in order to create the products that will fix to their health conscious lifestyles. Vision: Their vision is to inform the world, customers, employees, consumers and communities where they sell and make their products. They stated the importance of health and wellness, but they also incorporate all the ways people can eat and live better, such as the comfort of a microwave meal, the enjoyment of a snack and the safety and value of their products. Goals: To introduce the Fat Free Chips Ahoy in January of 2012. To win new customers who are trying to take care of their weight by decreasing their fat intake. To make Chips Ahoy one of the leading fat free snacks on the market

Hawaiian Punch Short-Cycle Essay

How will two distinct manufacturing, sales, and distribution networks to stock and sever an identical beverage for the same customers fare? 3. Determining the roles each will play in sales, profitability, and equity of the Hawaiian punch brand. 4. Will Cadbury Schweppes restructure for growth take focus away from maintain market leadership? 5. Can they achieve sales need to capture an attractive profit margin? 6. What are the potential competitor reactions? Why now? The 2005 business marketing plan is one of the key factors to ensure successful growth with the newly consolidated corporations. We are currently towards the end of 2004. By when must the key person make this decision? (Include your reason for this time frame)To allow sufficient time for the plan to be properly implemented, Hoedebeck should have it complete by September 1st, 2004. Stakes: what does the organization stand to gain or lose if it makes a good or bad decision? Potential benefits of a good decisionPotential costs of a bad decision Increased profitsDecreased profits Maintained market leadershipFailed product line Diversified promotion strategyLoss of focus from core competencies Expanded product lineBankruptcy Larger target marketLost jobs Happy retailers and foodservice customersFailed marketing strategy Competitive sustainability Over/under estimation of product or brand line More convenient for distribution and retailersWrong information in her analysis Questions you should ask yourself as you complete the Long Cycle: 1. Who are Hawaiian Punch’s competitors? 2. What stage of the product life style is their fruit punch beverage in? 3. What pricing/promotion strategy should they use for their product? 4. How will the consolidation impact growth? 5. What is their brand positioning? 6. What is their product line and pricing?

Bullying and Teasing Essay

Abstract The importance of the recognition of bullying is to get people to notice and be aware of what’s going on around them. For them to see the damage and harm it is causing every individual. The statistics of bullying is so overwhelming that it awakening and frightening at the same time. Bullying and Teasing: No Laughing Matter Unfortunately, teasing is often part of growing up — almost every child experiences it. But it isn’t always as innocuous as it seems. Words can cause pain. Teasing becomes bullying when it is repetitive or when there is a conscious intent to hurt another child. If more people were aware of the harm and damage cause by bullying, people would try to prevent it more and there would be less victims of it. It can be verbal bullying (making threats, name-calling), psychological bullying (excluding children, spreading rumors), or physical bullying (hitting, pushing, taking a child’s possessions). How Bullying Starts Bullying behavior is prevalent throughout the world and it cuts across socio-economic, racial/ethnic, and cultural lines. Researchers estimate that 20 to 30 percent of school-age children are involved in bullying incidents, as either perpetrators or victims. Bullying can begin as early as preschool  and intensify during transitional stages, such as starting school in 1st grade or going into the middle school. Victims of bullying are often shy and tend to be physically weaker than their peers. They may also have low self-esteem and poor social skills, which makes it hard for them to stand up for themselves. Bullies consider these children safe targets because they usually don’t retaliate. Effects of Bullying If your child is the victim of bullying, he may suffer physically and emotionally, and his schoolwork will likely show it. Grades drop because, instead of listening to the teacher, kids are wondering what they did wrong and whether anyone will sit with them at lunch. If bullying persists, they may be afraid to go to school. Problems with low self-esteem and depression can last into adulthood and interfere with personal and professional lives. Bullies are affected too, even into adulthood; they may have difficulty forming positive relationships. They are more apt to use tobacco and alcohol, and to be abusive spouses. Some studies have even found a correlation with later criminal activities. Warning Signs If you’re concerned that your child is a victim of teasing or bullying, look for these signs of stress: * Increased passivity or withdrawal * Frequent crying * Recurrent complaints of physical symptoms such as stomach-aches or headaches with no apparent cause * Unexplained bruises * Sudden drop in grades or other learning problems * Not wanting to go to school * Significant changes in social life — suddenly no one is calling or extending invitations * Sudden change in the way your child talks — calling herself a loser, or a former friend a jerk How to Help First, give your child space to talk. If she recounts incidences of teasing or bullying, be empathetic. If your child has trouble verbalizing her feelings, read a story about children being You can also use puppets, dolls, or stuffed animals to encourage a young child to act out problems. Once you’ve opened the door, help your child begin to problem-solve. Role-play  situations and teach your child ways to respond. You might also need to help your child find a way to move on by encouraging her to reach out and make new friends. She might join teams and school clubs to widen her circle. At home and on the playground: Adults need to intervene to help children resolve bullying issues, but calling another parent directly can be tricky unless he or she is a close friend. It is easy to find yourself in a â€Å"he said/she said† argument. Try to find an intermediary: even if the bullying occurs outside of school, a teacher, counselor, coach, or after-school program director may be able to help mediate a productive discussion. If you do find yourself talking directly to the other parent, try to do it in person rather than over the phone. Don’t begin with an angry recounting of the other child’s offenses. Set the stage for a collaborative approach by suggesting going to the playground, or walking the children to school together, to observe interactions and jointly express disapproval for any unaccepted behavior. At school: Many schools (sometimes as part of a statewide effort) have programs especially designed to raise awareness of bullying behavior and to help parents and teachers deal effectively with it. Check with your local school district to see if it has such a program. Schools and parents can work effectively behind the scenes to help a child meet and make new friends via study groups or science-lab partnerships. If you are concerned about your child: * Share with the teacher what your child has told you; describe any teasing or bullying you may have witnessed. * Ask the teacher if she sees similar behavior at school, and enlist her help in finding ways to solve the problem. * If she hasn’t seen any instances of teasing, ask that she keep an eye out for the behavior you described. * If the teacher says your child is being teased, find out whether there are any things he may be doing in class to attract teasing. Ask how he responds to the teasing, and discuss helping him develop a more effective response. * After the initial conversation, be sure to make a follow-up appointment to discuss how things are going. * If the problem persists, or the teacher ignores your concerns, and your child starts to withdraw or not want to go  to school, consider the possibility of â€Å"therapeutic intervention.† Ask to meet with the school counselor or psychologist, or request a referral to the appropriate school professional. Bullying and suicide link together. Not many people see that. A lot of adults still see bullying as† just being a kid†. It is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects of victims, including suicide. People don’t see but a major portion of victims of suicide are linked to being bullied. The statistics on bullying and suicide are alarming: * Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it. * Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University * A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying * 10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study above * According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying Bully-related suicide can be connected to any type of bullying, including physical bullying, emotional bullying, cyber bullying, and sexting, or circulating suggestive or nude photos or messages about a person. Some schools or regions have more serious problems with bullying and suicide related to bullying. This may be due to an excessive problem with bullying at the school. It could also be related to the tendency of students who are exposed to suicide to consider suicide themselves. There are too many kids out there, which are being bullied and teased. I think; I know if more people were aware of this issue more and the damage it causes to each person’s life, they would try to prevent it. There would be a lower rate of bullied victims.

My experience of the game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My experience of the game - Essay Example The new view and attribute to things was not only on my side but also to my classmates. From the situation that I have witnessed, I have really had a feeling of great oppression. Playing the game involves a lot of mistrust among the classmates including ones closest friends. The role played by each individual remained uncertain, and therefore, created a very tense situation, as everyone remained suspicious off the other because of the different roles that individuals played. The different roles that individuals played in the game ideally changed my understanding of what really attributes freedom. Classmates who had always been friends were constantly seen to be betraying each other, clearly bringing into perspective an aspect that indeed there is very limited freedom when it comes to individual being. At every moment, I felt as if someone was always there to watch my actions and movements. The game involved many rules that had to be followed. Throughout the period, I had to remain very conscious about everything within my vicinity and myself. It was clear that the rules involved in the game were actually a hindrance to many and therefore, people had to be following them, though unwillingly, as every individual was constantly being watched by another. The game involved a situation in which one had to do that which he or she was supposed to do rather than that which one wanted to do. I constantly found myself in such situations, because going against the laid down rules was one situation that I had to avoid like a plague. In order to make sure that I never went against the rules and regulations, I had to keep a mental routine that I would constantly refer to in ensuring that in all the activities that I engaged in, I would be adhering to all the rules and regulations. Thought police was indeed a tough game. Whereas some students ignored the measures that were set up, and therefore, continuing with their daily routines as normal, for

Influence of Media on Jurors in Terror Trials Essay

Influence of Media on Jurors in Terror Trials - Essay Example The first hypothesis was supported in that political media exposure resulted in higher confidence ratings of guilt. There has been relatively little empirical research into the specific topics of juror bias towards terror suspects and the impact of media coverage of the trial of a terrorist on juror bias. The research regarding these variables has investigated Anglo-American and African-American ethnic biases (Abshire & Bornstein, 2003; Sommers & Ellsworth, 2001). This type of ethnic bias can be linked to other ethnic biases including against the ethnic group of a terror suspect. An examination of the cross-race effect in jurors at a mock trial of African-American defendant found that Anglo-American jurors were more likely to find the defendant guilty than African-American jurors (Abshire & Bornstein, 2003). There was a significant difference in the perceived credibility of eyewitnesses based on the ethnicity of the witness, with African-American eyewitnesses viewed as more credible than Anglo-American eyewitnesses. Nonetheless, the testimony of the eyewitnesses did not have an impact on the verdict, with Anglo-American jurors tending to perceive prosecution witnesses as more credible and African-American jurors tending to perceive defense witnesses as more credible. ... Another study of mock jurors found that modern Anglo-American jurors were more likely to demonstrate bias against an African-American defendant accused of committing a crime against an Anglo-American victim when the issues associated with the trial were not blatantly racial (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2001). The conclusion developed from this finding suggests that the modern attitudes against racial bias tend to create a greater degree of impartiality when the crime involves racial issues, but the attitude does not fully prevent bias. Strategies for reducing the impact of bias include insuring that juries are ethnically mixed and asking potential jurors about racial attitudes during voir dire. An investigation into the relationship between juror ethnicity and defendant ethnicity and for receptivity to mitigating evidence in capital cases, found a strong correlation for receptivity among African-American jurors when the defendant was African-American and the victim was Anglo-American (Brewer, 2004). The implications of these findings may be that jurors of different ethnicities tend to be equally receptive to mitigating evidence in capital cases in the majority of cases. When the case involves an in-group defendant that has committed a crime against an out-group victim, however, there is increased receptivity to mitigating evidence by jurors that are members of the in-group (Brewer, 2004). Hence, findings suggest that there is some degree of ethnic identification that occurs between jurors and defendants based on the ethnicity of the defendant and the victim. Related to the issue of juror perceptions based on the ethnicity of the defendant, are the reactions and explanations of individuals to terrorist attacks, these have the potential to influence juror attitudes

Social Inequalities and the Law 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Inequalities and the Law 1 - Essay Example However, the leave to enter in the UK with respect to Jane would have been conditional upon her and Tarzan’s intention â€Å"to live permanently† with each other as husband and wife.2 Tarzan and Jane were also required to satisfy the requirement that: Leave to enter would have been on a probationary basis since Jane and Tarzan had not been living together for four years.4 The probation will last for two years and will not be converted to indefinite leave if Jane does not satisfy the foregoing requirements. Based upon these legal requirements and the facts of Jane’s case it is conceivable that she is on probation and will unlikely obtain indefinite leave to remain in the UK since her marriage has all but been dissolved and she is unable to take care of herself and her children without public funds. Taken into account the political crisis in Uganda, Jane may wish to seek political asylum. She will be required to place an application with the Home Office under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.5 Moreover, Jane may apply for assistance as an asylum seeker under Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948.6 In R (on the Application of O) v Haringey London Borough Council [2004] EWCA 535 an HIV positive mother seeking asylum was provided with accommodations by the local authorities under Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948. 7 The court also ruled that the mother and the entire family qualified for assistance under Section 95 of the National Assistance Act 1948 as amended in 1999. Section 95 provides as follows: Considering the state of Jane’s marriage together with her financial situation, I would advise her that she is likely to fail her probationary leave to remain in the UK and should therefore seek political asylum. Having done so, as a person who is destitute or likely to become destitute she should apply for assistance from the Secretary of State under Section 95 of the National Assistance

How are Night Vision Devices Beneficial to Society Research Paper

How are Night Vision Devices Beneficial to Society - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that one of the filed that has solely relied in these devices is the military. Military has benefited on this technology close to a century. This has enabled them to perform most of their vital operations in the darkness. This paper declares that before the development of this technology the military carried out their main operations during the day. This technology of night vision devices was markedly enhanced with the advent of World War II. At this period, both Germany and Britain developed a basic infrared sniper. However, few of these innovations were used during this reign. This is because this basic apparatus only assisted in offering a perimeter defense. Additionally, they were extremely heavy and required continuous replenishing of power. This reduced their effectiveness and worth during this period. However, these challenges experienced at this time helped in development of improved technological materials. This led to the development of an advanced night vision technology. Most of the military leaders saw the usefulness of such technology beyond just operating under the cover of darkness. This potential existed in the use of night vision goggles, helmets and weapons that was to help armies o perate effectively under the cover of darkness. This meant that there was to be an improvement that would ensure there was no need of IR searchlight. This would ensure that the enemy could not detect the position of the soldier. (Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, n.d.). T

Marketing project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Marketing project - Essay Example The product spread to these countries due to the high population of the Islamic people who believe in their religion and cannot question their faith. The focus will be how to penetrate into the European country. The target market for the â€Å"HALAL† brand will be the Muslim people who believe in what is stipulated in the Quran to constitute a lawful meet among the Muslim religion. The brand position to be adopted is pricing the product high to presage the quality of the product (Cadogan, 2009). Messages would be sent to respective consumers telling them how the product is of high value to their health. In Qatar, the target customers have got different social-economic status as well as the variance in consumption rates due to the difference in preference and tastes. In this case, American will produce varieties of Halal meat putting into consideration the multinational diversity of the market segmentation. The current price of the Halal meat brand products like Baklava range is approximately $15.99. Though it can be seen as expensive, the underlying pricing objectives for the increase in price are to generate more profit from the sales, to meet the production and distribution costs and finally to demonstrate the products superior quality. The company will lower the price in future to increase further the demand as the law of demand and supply dictates. The objectives underlining the product promotion will be to increase the number of sales, attraction of more consumers, enhance the brand identity and recognition of the brand in the market. The company will select the best segment and design effective and sufficient strategies to facilitate the creation of consumers’ value and profitable customer relationships. American will utilize psychographic segmentation where it will target its client based on beliefs, religion, lifestyles, personal characteristics and

T. C. Boyles When the killings done Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

T. C. Boyles When the killings done - Essay Example Pinpoint five or six instances where environmental issues, including problems, become apparent. Perhaps the most spectacular feature of T. C. Boyle’s striking novel titled When the killing’s done is that on many accounts it escapes the stagnation that one might connect with a novel of its genre – the narrative is not only regarding animal rights as it may appear at first but in his story, Boyle showcases the dynamism and complexity that is associated with environmental activism, morality, ethics and the family life which shapes the actions and intentions of a human being. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the background for Boyle’s story by bringing to light the underlying environmental issues in the novel, in doing so the paper draws attention to five instances that are present in the book where problems and issues related to the environment become evident. In conclusion the essay examines the impact of Boyle’s novel in creating awareness r egarding aspects related to environmental activism such as biodiversity management, the issue of non-native species in habitats and the redesigning of ecosystems. At the crux of the narrative that is presented in When the killing’s done lies the conflict between Alma Boyd Takesue and Dave Lajoy. While, Alma seeks the absolute eradication of invasive species such as black rats and feral pigs on the islands of Santa Cruz and Anacapa, for Lajoy the killing of an animal regardless of its categorization as an invasive species is a grave violation of morality and â€Å"†¦that’s what he has to remember: save the animals† (Boyle p75). The varying perceptions and motivations of the two characters in advancing their environmental agendas is not only reflective of a conflict or problem that seeks resolution within the novel itself but also gives insight into the dilemmas associated with environmental activism in the real world. The fundamental question here is that wh en the benefits of environmental activism and protecting the flora and fauna are agreed upon on a widespread scale, why is it that human beings cannot collaborate in harmony to achieve a common objective? Due to its focus and analysis of the subjectivity associated with morals and ethics in environmental activism on a macro level, Boyle’s novel intends to spread a message that comprehends the need to strike a balance between values, morals and ethics for the overall good of humanity. Another aspect that is prominent in the novel has been crafted by Boyle in the background stories of the characters, in fact, it would be correct to state that Alma owes her existence to the island – the island saved Alma’s grandmother from possible death which could have been the consequence of a shipwreck that occurred in 1946. Furthermore, Lajoy’s girlfriend Anise Reed also shares a special relationship with the islands due to her mother’s employment at a ranch loca ted on the island. The implications of these relationships that have been woven within the narrative by Boyle necessarily enhance the dramatic element of the novel to portray the characters and their situations in a manner that is believable. Alma’s determination to promote her cause and garner the attention of the press on the issue of environmental concern also stems from personal reasons, which enhances the ambiguity of the criterion for right and wrong, thereby, enhancing the subjectivity that is associated with an individual’s motivation for environmental activism and selecting the best possible method of conservation. In essence, When the killing’s done documents decades of changes in habitats, ecosystems and the environment that have been brought about by the

Iraq War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iraq War - Essay Example It has also deepened the Federal Debt and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands. There is no winning this war just a matter of how badly people and America’s credibility on the world will be hurt which is proportionate to how long it lasts. Those who believe or argue that the U.S. strategy is finally working after five years fail to realize or admit that the ‘surge’ has only served to secure part of one city in Iraq and that 2007 was the deadliest year for U.S. soldiers. In addition, More than 12,000 Iraqi citizens were killed in 2007, â€Å"and thats not including combat deaths or those killed in sectarian violence† (Bedard, 2008). Most Americans now agree with what the rest of the world has known all along, that the invasion of Iraq was not in the best interest of western-Arab relations and was unquestionably illegal as defined by the International Court of Justice and the UN, the two most preeminent legal bodies on the globe. At best, the information provided to Bush was faulty, at worst his justification for war was based purely on fabrications. The alleged link between the terrorist group Al Qaeda and Iraq was referenced before the war and became the primary excuse of the Bush administration fo llowing the lack of weapons evidence. This flawed justification has since been proven to be untrue as well. However, because of the occupation of Iraq, the international terrorist organization Al Qaeda has grown in number, increased attacks worldwide and has infiltrated the borders of Iraq. According to the prophetic words of a current world leader, â€Å"If we don’t stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we’re going to have a serious problem,† George W. Bush, Jan. 2000 (â€Å"Vice President†, 2000). The instances of misused military power over the past half century have escalated in the past 15 years which has caused an ever-widening credibility

Reviewing Films Depicting Supremacy of Artificial Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Reviewing Films Depicting Supremacy of Artificial Intelligence Essay There is without a shadow of a doubt that we are now living in a time when there is almost nothing we cannot accomplish. The outbreak of high technology all around the world is soaring, and day by day, improvements on what is already highly intelligent devices are being developed. From computers, to cellular phones, to MP3 players, everything has been made accesible to man. Because of this technology, man can bask in his creations and marvel at the genius that he has invented through the years. Half a decade ago, todays technology wouldnt have even been deemed as possible. Yesteryears most advanced technological developers probably wouldnt have even dreamed of the possibilities of what we now have today. But such is the development of the human mind: our intelligence is further developing and increasing, being able to establish new concepts and ideas to be used for our own benefits. Indeed, with this highly advanced technology, we are further establishing ourselves as the dominant species of the planet. For us, we are in charge of our own destinies, and no species of another kind can tell us otherwise. But one is lead to ponder about the marvels of our own creations. What if the articifial intelligence we created were able to evolve themselves? What if these computers suddenly became self-aware, and starts acknowledging its own existence? It is true that we are the one who controls the technology, but what if the technology were able to control itself? If it became self-aware, what if, all of a sudden, it starts to refuse to follow its human creators? And if not the computers themselves, what if one person controlling these technologies started using them for their own ulterior motives? With our main defenses relying on technological advances, what if these advances were suddenly used against us? Would the humans still be able to lay its claim as the rulers of the earth when a something else establishes themselves as more intelligent and dominant? Such is the fear that some of us have: the fear of having our own technology turned against us. We fear the idea that perhaps someday, these computers that we have in our homes would become intelligent enough to start recognizing its own existence. In the early nineties, technophobia became rampant among the adults, although this fear was largely based on the misconceptions on computers being too overly complicated. Still, for some people, the advancements in technology is reason for them to be cautious about our own inventions. Creating Technopobia in Movies Since early in the 1980s, there have been a string of movies depicting highly advanced technology being used woefully and without any regard towards others. These movies often show state-of-the-art gadgets or creations, which are used against the protagonists to further cause ruin and devastation. Oftentimes these gadgets are used for the wrong reasons, and with its infinite possibilities, it creates the fear that maybe what we have created may not be totally beneficial to us, and could possibly create more harm than help in the long run. Perhaps the most popular among the movies that came out during the eighties that depicted this theme was the 1984 movie Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a human cyborg sent back in time. In the future, Skynet, a computer system fights a losing war against the humans who built it, and who it nearly exterminated. Just before being destroyed, Skynet sends a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah, the mother to be of John Connor, the Leader of the human resistance. The terminator can pass for human, is nearly indestructible, and has only one mission: killing Sarah Connor. One soldier is sent back to protect her from the killing machine. He must find Sarah before the Terminator can carry out its mission (MGM. com). This movie portrays Skynet as a super computer, one that is capable to making decisions for itself. The super computer becomes self-aware, and recognizes the human race as a threat to its existence. It therefore wages a war against all of mankind, which almost led to the anniliation of the entire planet. In 1998, the movie Enemy of the State provided a different insight on abusing highly advanced technology. Robert Dean, the main character of the story, is just a successful and gutsy labor lawyer when he runs into an old college friend who was a big hurry. Unknown to him, that friend secretly drops a disc and viewer containing footage of a political assassination overseen by the senior advisor to the National Security Agency. Unfortunately, that politician soon learns what Dean has in his possession and secretly uses the vast resources of the NSA to find, investigate and stop him before he goes public. Soon, Dean finds himself on the run, with his assests frozen, his loved ones watched and actively hunted by NSA agents using all the survellience technology they have available. Not knowing what is going, Dean must stay one step ahead while trying to figure out the cause of this mess (Yahoo! Movies). This movie dwells on the idea of government surveillance and the invasion of our personal privacy by the government. We see from the movie that these technological advances could be easily used against us, and just as it could make our lives easier, it could also make it extremely difficult. We also find that if technology were to be used the wrong way, then those in power could have a commanding control over our very lives. Another movie that depicted computers going against humans was the highly acclaimed The Matrix. Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives: by day he is an average computer programmer and by night a malevolent hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines which live off of their body heat and imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents, super powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion (Whatisthematrix. com). The movie is almost identical to the concept of the Terminator, in which there is a computer mind that becomes self-aware of its own existence. Knowing that it has the power of technology, it sees the human race as disposable, and decides to take over and control the entire world. When Neo met Morpheus, he was awakened to the fact that they were being used by the computer systems as mere batteries to continue sustaining their own power. And it was up to them to reawaken the rest of the world from this nightmare that is the Matrix. The Fear of Control What these three films had in common was theme of technology taking over the human lives. The films shared similar highly advanced technology that in one way was very helpful, but at the other end caused problems that were catastrophic. This is what we are afraid of; that maybe perhaps at some point, our own creations would backfire on us and cause a lot of harm towards society, and it would perhaps be unstoppable when it happens. Perhaps what motivates the persistence of these kinds of themes is the fact that we all know that this fantasy that they try to present could and might become possible in the future. Fifty or so years ago, our technology today wasnt even thought of as possible. A lot of things are being developed today that our predescessors couldnt have possibly dreamed of back in the day. Nowadays, the sky is the limit. The human race is making every dream come to life, developing newer and better technology every single day. So deep inside, we know that this threat of computers taking over is not a long shot. We see that perhaps someday, artificial intelligence would become this advanced as to be self-aware. And if this happens, whats gonna stop them from taking over the world and eliminating the human race? In terms of humans going against fellow humans using technology, we ourselves could be comparable to this technology. Donna Haraway mentions how we are like the cyborgs, which are both part machine and part organism. She further states: In short, we are cyborgs. The cyborg is our ontology; it gives us our politics. The cyborg is a condensed image of both imagination and material reality, the two joined centres structuring any possibility of historical transformation. In the traditions of â€Å"Western† science and politics—the tradition of racist, male- dominant capitalism; the tradition of progress; the tradition of the appropriation of nature as resource for the productions of culture; the tradition of reproduction of the self from the reflections of the other—the relation between organism and machine has been a border war (Harraway, 516). With the peer-to-perr capabilities of networked computer communication today, it is likely to have a major impact on both the film and music business. Depending on how this technology is used, it could have either a postive or negative effect on these industries. Everything could be made easier with technology, films and music could be produced with relative ease, and everything to be made more accesible. On the other hand, changing the sytems could mean doing things a lot different, which could cause a chain reaction among those who are involved. Business could be done more efficiently, but it could leave people out of jobs. Human work might be replaced by much more efficient computers doing their jobs, and that could have an effect on the economy of the country. Looking back, technology has certainly come along way since back in the old days, when all of this conveniences didnt exist. It is easy to picture people being intimidated by these advancements, due to its infinite potential. Depending on how it is used, it could be very good for all of us, or it could be catastrophic to all. Only time will tell whether these technological improvements would come back to haunt us in the long run. Works Cited Enemy of the State. Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://movies. yahoo. com/shop? d=hvcf=infoid=1800021531 Haraway, Donna. â€Å"A Cyborg Manifesto. † The New Media Reader (1985). pp. 515-541. The Matrix Trilogy. Whatisthematrix. com. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://whatisthematrix. warnerbros. com/ The Terminator. MGM. com. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://www. mgm. com/title_title. php? title_star=TERMINAT

Worst Car Accident I Have Ever Had Essay Example for Free

Worst Car Accident I Have Ever Had Essay I felt a big thud at the front of my truck, and at that moment I did not know what had happened. Seconds later I felt my body turning with the vehicle. I grasped the wheel really hard with both of my hands, while the glass shattered in to pieces. My head, my chest, and my arms were soaking in blood. My heart was beating very fast. I thought it was the end of my life. That summer day on 2004, I was driving back from work in the afternoon and I took the South Beltway 8. When I was passing under the bridge on Harwin Street, the car in from of me suddenly move to the left lane. After that, I heard a heavy blow and my pick up truck went flying into the air. I did not know at that moment what happened. Later, when all was calm, I got out the truck, and I sat on the pavement. It was an amazing picture. I was very nervous while and arms bled from the wounds. Immediately, the paramedics and police had arrived, while a helicopter was flying over the area of the accident. I waited for the paramedics to come to my aid. Then they placed me on the stretcher very carefully and took me to the ambulance. The paramedics took my blood pressure and quicky wrapped my head in bandages. I also remember seeing a police officer who entered the ambulance only to put me a traffic ticket. I simply told the police officer that it was not my fault, that someone had left his car in the middle of the freeway. The ambulance took about ten minutes to arrive to the Southwest Memorial Hospital. I remember that in the Hospital they took many x-rays, and put me on a machine to get a scan. There was not found internal bleeding. Then the doctor said that the wounds were not so serious. I spent almost three hours at the hospital. I had not called my family, because I did not want them to worry. When I arrived at my home, I told my wife all about the accident. Finally, after a long day. I sat in a chair on the balcony of my house. I thought about the terrible accident that had happened. According to this experience I learned that life is to short and nobody knows the future and I never thought that I would had such a serious accident.

The Functions Of Discourse Particles English Language Essay

The Functions Of Discourse Particles English Language Essay According to Loraine K. Obler and Kris Gjerlow (Language and the Brain,1999, pp. 131-132), many bilinguals, in addition to speaking two or more languages fluently, have ability to employ elements of both languages when speaking with another bilingual and this is known as code-switching and it is governed by internalized rules. Code-switching is a very normal phenomenon in many parts of the world and one has always to take into account the distinction between, on the one hand, community (or national) and the other individual bilingualism and multilingualism and they are not necessary closely related. (Pride, The Social Meaning of Language, 1971, p. 26) There are many types of code-switching such as tag switching, intrasentential switching and intersentential switching. Kamisah Ariffin and Shameem Rafik Galea (Code Switching as a Communication Device in Conversation) found that their subjects employ code switching as a personal communication strategy. The strategies they employed are signalling social relationships and language preferences, obviating difficulties, framing discourse, contrasting personalisation and objectification, conveying cultural-expressive message, dramatising key words, lowering language barriers, maintaining appropriateness of context, showing membership and affiliation with others and reinterring messages. What is Malaysian English? Malaysian English or more commonly known as Manglish, is the colloquial version of English spoken in Malaysia and it is similar to Singlish, which is Singapore English. While Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, English is still widely used and is the second language in Malaysia. Many Malay words are being introduced into Manglish. The most common example is suffixing a sentence with the -lah particle which does not have any specific meaning on the sentence. Besides the influence of Bahasa Malaysia, there are also influence from other languages and dialects like Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese and Tamil in Malaysian English. Language as Social Semiotic Halliday (1973, 1985) proposed a systemic, functional view of language which sees it in the social function it serves. He believes that language is a systematic resource for expressing meaning in context, not the set of all possible grammatical sentences. (Jordan, Theory Construction in Second Language Acquisition, 2004, p.6) He believes that there are two main functions of language which are ideational function and the interpersonal function. Ideational function allows people to deal with their ideas, perspectives and feelings on a particular subject whereas interpersonal function allows people to deal with each other. He believes that the social function of the languages is more important than the grammatical aspects of the languages. For example, a person may not be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence but he/she is able to convey their idea effectively and is understandable by others. Communication Accommodation Theory According to Howard Giles and Peter F. Powesland, accommodation through speech can be regarded as an attempt on the part of a speaker to modify or disguise his persona in order to make it more acceptable to the person addressed. (Speech Style and Social Evaluation, 1975, p. 158) When we speak to people from different age, status, culture, etc, we tend to switch to a mode which the person we are speaking to is comfortable in. For example, when speaking to babies, we tend to use simpler words and shorter sentences and this is called baby talk. On the other hand, when speaking to a professor, we tend to switch to a formal language and use jargons in the field that we specialise in. Maya Khemlani David (Tolerance and Communication in Multi-ethnic Malaysia) found that the particles lah and meh are used in informal settings to signify emphasis on something or to soften a speech act like requests. The data collected from her research found that even though the Chinese students in that particular school are proficient in English, they tend to code switch for many reasons such as to emphasis, to quote someone else, for distancing or making a formal complaint and to signify solidarity with members of their group. Hence, she concluded that her findings show that people from other ethnic groups accommodate and switch to a language they are comfortable in when communicating with each other. It is very common for us to use the particles lah, ah, mah, etc in our daily life because we are so used to them and we often use them in our daily conversation. These particles only exist in Malaysian English and Singapore English. However, what are the functions of these particles? Hence, this paper is going to examine the functions of these particles in a conversation. Method A 15 minute conversation was recorded and transcribed. The conversation was among four ladies aged 24 and they are all university graduates. They are proficient in English and Bahasa Malaysia. Besides that, they are also proficient in their mother tongue. The reason this conversation is used is because it was a casual conversation among them. Casual conversation is chosen over formal interviews because we tend to switch to a formal language when we are in a formal setting. Hence, the result of the study will not be accurate because in standard English, we do not use the particles. These particles only exist in casual conversations because there is a need for the speakers to accommodate with each other. The transcription was analysed for the discourse particles used throughout the 15 minute conversation. Results and Discussion Particle Number of times Examples Ah 18 You apply where ah? Your father drive ah? Three or four ah. Aiyah 1 Aiyahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Haiya 1 Haiya, just now we talked about Patricias video, we should record mah. Haiyo 2 Yea lah, haiyo. Haiyo, that one another big story lah. Hor 3 Just now he came horà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Then hor, he eat a lot you knowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Lah 37 Just say lah. I think is last minute work lah. Its always like that one lah. Leh 2 I dont know leh. The clutch is like, dont know lehà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Lor 4 Two lor got subtitle. The second day one ok lor, senyap lor. Mah 6 Lagi syok mah. Orang Teluk Intan mah ok lah. They should mention mah they give one weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Wei 1 What are you doing wei? Wor 4 Eh, so nice wor Pangkor. Cantik wor tempat tu. I forgotten already wor. From the transcription, 12 particles were identified, namely ah, aiyah, haiya, haiyo, hor, lah, leh, lor, mah, wei, and wor. Based on the result we can observe that the particle lah is the most frequently used particle followed by ah, mah, wor, loh, hor, leh, haiyo, aiyah, wei and haiya. Most of the particles derived from Chinese expressions like mah, wor, lor, hor, leh, haiyo, aiyah, wei and haiya. On the other hand, particle lah derived from Malay expression. The results show that the particles can be divided into five categories according to their functions which are; asking a question, affirming a statement, expressing disappointment, explaining something and expressing uncertainty. Function Particles Asking a question Ah, wei Affirming a statement Ah, lah, mah Expressing disappointment Aiyah, haiya, haiyo Explaining something Hor, wor Stress the obvious Lor Expressing uncertainty Leh Particle ah which is a common expression in Chinese, functions as filler or breaking points and it is used to bring out a question force like No point helping friends who are not interested, do you agree with that, ah? (Mohan K. Muniandy et al, 2010) The data collected shows that the subjects tend to attach the particle ah and wei in their questions like Your father drive ah? and What are you doing wei? Besides that, the data also shows that particle ah is used when the speaker affirms a statement like Three or four ah. Particle lah derived from colloquial Malay and they have various functions. For example, they are used in declarative sentences whose functions may be termed informational, which is to say the speakers purpose is to let the addressee know something like Aku ada appointment lah. (Goddard, 1994) This particle lah is now common feature of colloquial Malaysian or Singapore English and they are used widely in conversations. From the data collected, we can see that the speakers used the particle lah when they are affirming a statement like I think is last minute work lah. The speaker was trying to tell her addressee that she feels that the problem caused was due to last minute work. Particle mah derived from Chinese and it has similar function with lah that is to affirm a statement like They should mention mah they give one week which means that if the person addressed in the conversation is given one week to settle something, she should be informed earlier by the relevant authorities. Particles aiyah, haiya and haiyo have the same function, which is to express disappointment. For example, Haiya, just now we talked about Patricias video, we should record mah shows that the speaker is expressing disappointment because she did not record their conversation on her friends video clip. A browse into Urban Dictionary shows that the expression aiyah originates from the Cantonese expression of disappointment or displeasure when something bad or wrong happens. Wee (2002) noted that Cantonese has a particle lo which shows some similarities with Singapore English lor. Hence, particle lor might originate from Cantonese. There are numerous functions of particle lor but according to the examples from the transcription, particle lor was uttered when the speaker was trying to explaining something that is obvious to the other speakers. For example, Two lor got subtitle. Hence, lor in this example is to stress the obvious. (Wee, 2002) When explaining something, the subjects tend to use particles hor and wor like I forgotten already wor. The speaker is trying to explain that she has forgotten the important information when she was asked about something. Particle leh was used when the subjects was explaining uncertainty. It is also originate from Cantonese. For example, one of the subjects uttered I dont know leh when she was asked about something because she was uncertain on what is happening or how to answer the question asked. Conclusion We can observe that most of the sentences uttered by the subjects were not grammatically correct. However, according to Halliday, the meanings conveyed in the utterances were more important than the grammatical aspect of it. There are numerous reasons why the subjects code switch to the particles when conversing in an informal situation. The main reason lies in the Communication Accommodation Theory whereby the subjects accommodate with each other by using the particles in the sentences they utter and this is known as convergence accommodation. This is because, they are from different ethnicity and have different mother tongue, so they need a common language to communicate effectively and Malaysian English is chosen over Standard English because they are comfortable communicating in Malaysian English. From the data collected, we can observe that most of the particles derived from Chinese, specifically the Cantonese dialect and also from Bahasa Malaysia. Two of the subjects are Indians but they do not use any particles that originated from Tamil. One possible reason is that these particles are widely used in their community hence they picked up these particles and use them in their conversation to add a better feel towards the subject they are talking about. There are limited research studies regarding to the use of the particles in Malaysian English. Not much research has been done to identify the functions of the particles in our Malaysian context. There is a need to have research studies that can identify origins and functions of the particles correctly. There are also questions left unanswered in this topic like how does a person know what particle to use when conversing? As mentioned above, most of the particles originate from the Cantonese dialect, so, how does a person from a different ethnicity understand and know what particle to use when he/she communicates with other people?

The Theme of Prejudice in the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare :: Merchant Venice Essays Shakespeare

The Theme of Prejudice in the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's satirical comedy, The Merchant of Venice, is an examination of hatred and greed. Prejudice is a dominant theme in The Merchant of Venice, most notably taking the form of anti-Semitism. Shylock is stereotypically described as "costumed in a recognizably Jewish way in a long gown of gabardine, probably black, with a red beard and/or wing like that of Judas, and a hooked putty nose or bottle nose" (Charney, p. 41). Shylock is a defensive character because society is constantly reminding him he is different in religion, looks, and motivation. He finds solace in the law because he, himself, is an outcast of society. Shylock is an outsider who is not privy to the rights accorded to the citizens of Venice. The Venetians regard Shylock as a capitalist motivated solely by greed, while they saw themselves as Christian paragons of piety. When Shylock considers taking Antonio's bond using his ships as collateral, his bitterness is evident when he quips, "But ships are but board, sailors but men. There be land rats and water rats, water thieves and land thieves -- I mean pirates -- and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks" (I.iii.25). Shylock believes the Venetians are hypocrites because of their slave ownership. The Venetians justify their practice of slavery by saying simply, "The slaves are ours" (IV.i.98-100). During the trial sequence, Shylock persuasively argues, "You have among you many a purchased slave, which (like your asses and your dogs and mules). You us in abject and in slavish parts, because you bought them, shall I say to you, let them be free, marry them to your heirs... you will answer, `The slaves are ours,' -- so do I answer you: The pound of flesh (which I demand of him) is dearly bought, 'tis mine and I will have it" (IV.i.90-100). Shakespeare's depiction of the Venetians is paradoxical. They are, too, a capitalist people and readily accept his money, however, shun him personally. Like American society, 16th century Venice sought to solidify their commercial reputation through integration, but at the same time, practiced social exclusion. Though they extended their hands to his Shylock's money, they turned their backs on him socially. When Venetian merchants needed usurer capital to finance their business ventures, Jews flocked to Venice in large numbers. The Theme of Prejudice in the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare :: Merchant Venice Essays Shakespeare The Theme of Prejudice in the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's satirical comedy, The Merchant of Venice, is an examination of hatred and greed. Prejudice is a dominant theme in The Merchant of Venice, most notably taking the form of anti-Semitism. Shylock is stereotypically described as "costumed in a recognizably Jewish way in a long gown of gabardine, probably black, with a red beard and/or wing like that of Judas, and a hooked putty nose or bottle nose" (Charney, p. 41). Shylock is a defensive character because society is constantly reminding him he is different in religion, looks, and motivation. He finds solace in the law because he, himself, is an outcast of society. Shylock is an outsider who is not privy to the rights accorded to the citizens of Venice. The Venetians regard Shylock as a capitalist motivated solely by greed, while they saw themselves as Christian paragons of piety. When Shylock considers taking Antonio's bond using his ships as collateral, his bitterness is evident when he quips, "But ships are but board, sailors but men. There be land rats and water rats, water thieves and land thieves -- I mean pirates -- and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks" (I.iii.25). Shylock believes the Venetians are hypocrites because of their slave ownership. The Venetians justify their practice of slavery by saying simply, "The slaves are ours" (IV.i.98-100). During the trial sequence, Shylock persuasively argues, "You have among you many a purchased slave, which (like your asses and your dogs and mules). You us in abject and in slavish parts, because you bought them, shall I say to you, let them be free, marry them to your heirs... you will answer, `The slaves are ours,' -- so do I answer you: The pound of flesh (which I demand of him) is dearly bought, 'tis mine and I will have it" (IV.i.90-100). Shakespeare's depiction of the Venetians is paradoxical. They are, too, a capitalist people and readily accept his money, however, shun him personally. Like American society, 16th century Venice sought to solidify their commercial reputation through integration, but at the same time, practiced social exclusion. Though they extended their hands to his Shylock's money, they turned their backs on him socially. When Venetian merchants needed usurer capital to finance their business ventures, Jews flocked to Venice in large numbers.

Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - Power of the Witches :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Power of the Witches in Macbeth      Ã‚   Myths and religions often include divine or devilish beings with incredible powers. William Shakespeare incorporated witches with bizarre powers in his play, Macbeth. These witches possessed devilish powers to set the course of events in the plot and added to the flavor of the story. The witches' powers included omnientness, vision and apparition creation, and the ability to set the conditions for disaster, and the utilization of these abilities sets the movement of the play.    As opening characters in the story, the witches establish the major theme of the tale and predict future events. Upon hinting of their insight to the end of the war and revealing their relationship with demonic forces, the witches call out, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair,"(I, i, 12). In his first meeting with the Weird Sisters, Banquo questions the witches powers and asks, "If you can look into the seeds of time and say which will grow and which will not?"(I, iii, 65). The witches prophecies linger through the story and reveal their accuracy, and Banquo takes notice and comments to Macbeth, "I dreamt last night of the three Weird Sisters. To you they have showed some truth,"(II, i, 25). The witches prophecies place an underlying thought in Macbeth and Banquo's minds and hide there throughout their actions with an ever-present influence.    Another influential power of the Weird Sisters was their ability to create visions and apparitions. Early in the murder scene of Duncan, Macbeth sees a bloody dagger   and in a phantasmagoric state, remarks, "Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going, / And such an instrument I was to use,"(II, i, 51). Macbeth also states, "Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings,"(II, i, 60). Both of these statements may suggest a supernatural force in the affair. The witches' powers also extend to the summoning of apparitions that foretell future events. The three apparitions tell Macbeth, "Beware the Thane of Fife,"(IV, i, 81), "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth," (IV, i, 91), and "Macbeth shall never be vanquished be until / Great Birnham Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him,"(IV, i, 106). These visions and apparitions, as seen later on, have a profound effect on Macbeth's actions.    The most significant power of the Weird Sisters lies in their ability to set the conditions for disaster.

HOW ARE TENSION AND SUSPENSE BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED IN AT LEAST TWO :: English Literature

HOW ARE TENSION AND SUSPENSE BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED IN AT LEAST TWO GOTHIC HORROR STORIES? The original use of the term `Gothic Horror' was applied to a group of novels, including Mary Shelley's `Frankenstein', written before 1914. These novels usually included some or all of the following characteristics, which seem demonstrative of the original use of the term `Gothic': An emphasis on portraying the terrifying, a common insistence on archaic settings, a prominent use of the supernatural, the presence of highly stereotyped characters, barbarism as opposed to elegance, and the attempt to set up and perfect techniques of literary suspense. Bram Stoker's `Dracula' would be another example as the novel includes most of the characteristics above. The setting would generally have a sense of eeriness and darkness and there is usually a lack of an escape route. This can make a character experience a dramatic loss of self-control and overwhelming emotions. A sense of helplessness or vulnerability heightens the dramatic climaxes of these stories. As well as vulnerable characters appearing in these stories there would also be a rational, scientifically thinking character. He, or she, would represent the newly literate middle class and would have lent credibility to the tale. ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ is an example of a pre 1914 Gothic Horror story. It is about a man who receives a paw which can allow people to make a wish but can also cause evil things to happen. Mr White wished for two hundred pounds, which he was given, but as compensation for the coincidental death of his son. Mrs White came up with the idea to wish for their son to come back. Mr White, knowing that his son would be mutilated after being buried for nine days, wished for everything to be back to normal after they received a strange knock on their door in the early hours of the morning. ‘The Red Room’ is about a protagonist who visits ‘Lorraine Castle’, in a deserted place, to see whether the stories of a haunted room were true. After a long walk through the castle he gets to the room. On his way there he encounters ordinary objects which look menacing due to the contrast of the moonlight. Once in the red room strange things started happening. What made the room feel haunted was fear. In the Victorian era, pre 1914, people were very rational. People in the 19th Century had just come out of the Industrial Revolution, they were more educated than before and by then they had became less superstitious ‘of the myths about earls, countesses or the timid wife’, mockingly alluded to in 'The Red Room'.

Sexual Harrasment

Sexual Harassment Topic: Human Resource Management/Sexual Harassment Characters: Paula, Management trainee in the Production Department of a medium-sized company Steve, Vice President of Production and Paula’s Manager Richard, Paula’s coworker and a Manager in Production Paula, a recent college graduate, is a newly hired manager in the Production Department of a medium-sized US Company. The first woman selected for this production training position, Paula takes her work very seriously. She has been with the organization for three months.For the first two months, she performed her duties very well, but during the last month, Steve, her boss, has noticed a change in Paula. She seems more tense and uneasy and is to not concentrating on her work as conscientiously as she previously did During the last month, Paula has been continually harassed by Richard, a coworker. At first she tried ignoring his jokes and sexual banter. However, his persistence has caused Paula have very uncomfortable feelings while she is at work and at home as well.Paula looked into the employee’s handbook concerning sexual harassment policies and found none. She really did not know what to do. Finally, after noticing her continually declining work, Steve asked her what was bothering her. She told him the problem and showed him information concerning the EEOC laws dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace she had found in a human resources textbook from college. She also said that she was considering taking action against Richard if his actions continued.Steve told her he was totally unaware of the problem but agreed something should be done. He asked her to investigate what the organization needed to do to stop this from occurring now and also to anyone else in the future. He also thanked Paula for her patience and honesty and also promised her that something would be done. What Are the Ethical Issues? 1. What is sexual harassment, and why is it prohibited? 2. What obligations does a company have to deal with sexual harassment issues?Does an organization have an obligation to establish written policies on sexual harassment? 3. What obligations does a manager have to deal with accusations or established incidents of sexual harassment among his subordinates? How should such incidents be handled? 4. What should be done with individuals who are accused of sexual harassment? What would be appropriate penalties for individuals found to have been involved in sexual harassment of others? 5. What obligation does a company and its managers have towards the victims of sexual harassment?What Actions Should Be Taken? 1. What actions should Paula take? 2. Should Steve address this current problem before he asks Paula to draft a harassment policy for the organization? 3. Is Paula the best choice to develop this document? 4. Should Richard be fired? Punished? 5. What are the choices Steve can take, and which would you choose? Why? 6. What ethical theories mak e the most sense (utilitarian, rights, justice) concerning this case? 7. What actions should Steve take? Sexual Harrasment Sexual harassment is a two word phrase which hopes to never be brought up in a fire department, legally or just in conversation. It is a despicable practice that is widely acceptable around the nation in fire departments and in business. However, it is not tolerated on the legal front, nor should it ever be condoned in a professional environment. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender is absolutely intolerable and is a plague on today’s fire service. Claims on sexual harassment arise all the time and are never short of horrendous and demeaning acts, as well as crude remarks against the plaintiff.Many legal issues arise when it comes to sexual harassment as so many aspects play into a claim of sexual harassment. The term ‘sexual harassment’ is defined as – â€Å"Unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to or rejection of this conduct affects an individualà ¢â‚¬â„¢s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment† By J. Curtis Varone, Legal Considerations for Fire and emergency services, 2nd edition, page 421.Accordingly sexual harassment claims tend to include almost all the above elements as well as many more elements, be they physical or verbal. It is also broken down into two main categories. The two categories of sexual harassment are ‘quid pro quo’ (this for that) and ‘hostile work environment’. Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment – â€Å"Occurs when the employee’s employment opportunities or benefits are granted or denied because of an individual’s submission to sexual advances or requests for sexual favors. † Varone, 421.Such examples of this kind of sexual harassment would include a female firefighter being denied a promotion unless she submitted to a perverse act entirely u nrelated to the typical means of promotion. Often times, such harassment only occurs whereby the supervisor is the harasser, making the employer strictly liable for the claim. Hostile Work Environment sexual harassment â€Å"Occurs when unwelcome sexual conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or has the effect of creating an intimidating or offensive work environment†Varone, 422. Such related examples do not even need to relate to employment opportunities or anything related under ‘quid pro quo’ harassment. It is possible for hostile work environment harassment to occur when either the employer or supervisor should have known about the event occurring, or that the said supervisor should have done something about it. Possible examples include sexually oriented comments, display of sexually oriented material in the workplace, sexually oriented demeaning names or obscene remarks or jokes to the harassed individual.Often more time s than not, hostile work environment harassment is more common than quid pro quo. Statistics on sexual harassment are surprisingly low compared to other types of harassment or discrimination. Sexual harassment is under-represented due to fear of punishment or disciplinary action. The EEOC puts out statistics every year on the matter. The year of 2011 was the lowest amount of claims year in the past decade; however, the damages done are no less degrading. The below table is based upon EEOC statistics. EEOC Sexual Harassment Claims: 2011 Statistics |Total Claims filed | 11,364| % of Charges Filed by Males | 16. 3%| | Claims Resolutions by Type: | Number | Percent | Settlements | 1,367| 10. 9% | Withdrawals w/Benefits | 1,150| 9. 1% | Administrative Closures | 2,635 | 21. 0%| No Reasonable Cause | 6,658| 53. 0%| Reasonable Cause | 761| 6. 1%| Successful Conciliations | 288| 2. 3%| Unsuccessful Conciliations | 473| 3. 8%| Merit Resolutions | 3,278 | 26. 1%| Total Settlement Dollars | $5 2,300,000| Compared to previous years, 2011 has been substantially lower in amount of claims of sexual harassment.Also seen is the financial burden that sexual harassment carries. It is by no means unreasonable for the amount and extent of damages that occur for the affected individuals. Real examples of sexual harassment in the media are ever prevalent today. One such recent example comes from Phoenix, Arizona. The female plaintiff alleges that she endured years of demeaning names and remarks as well as having been passed up for promotion where it was due. She issued a $70,000 lawsuit against the City of Phoenix. A case very similar to this is the Julia M.O’Rourke v City of Providence case from the early 90’s, which I think will be similar to the final outcome of the City of Phoenix case. Julia M. O’Rourke was one of the first female firefighters in the history of the Providence fire department. She started with 6 other women in the process of the fire departme nts academy in January of 1992. After which, O’Rourke was hired under the city’s new affirmative action policy. It wasn’t until this point that the Chief of the department made a sexual harassment policy. The policy stated was to keep sexual related content, be it media, or remarks out of the department.It also stated that the supervisor of each station was responsible to enforce the policy. Also added was a course on sensitivity training as well as a sexual harassment course. Prior to even being fully employed, Julia experienced many instances of sexual harassment during the academy. Almost every instance can be tied to hostile work environment sexual harassment. On numerous occasions, one specific academy member, Ferro, was found to be discussing overly sexual opinions, displaying pornographic content to other members as well as making remarks specifically to O’Rourke.In one specific event, Ferro pointed to O’Rourke’s breasts and claimed t hat she was â€Å"stacked†, in the company of many other students at a water training exercise. Ferro continued to be a general problem for O’Rourke during the course of the academy. Even after making through the academy and being hired on at engine 5, B shift, the harassment did not stop, in fact, it got worse. Instead of just from a co-worker, harassment was now coming from the company officer on her shift. A specific event occurred where the company officer threw pieces of paper with O’Rourkes number out of the engine while going past a bar in the own. Despite being asked to stop by O’Rourke, the company officer continued and laughed. Also at one point, she was warned that there was the possibility of there being a closed circuit camera in her bunk room. She felt completely invaded and violated in a place that should feel at the very least safe. Volatile treatment like this continued to occur for the next 2 years. Finally in September of 1994, Oâ€℠¢Rourke sought out the City’s EEO officer. This finally got the ball rolling to straighten out and shed justice on the issue.Final verdicts won for O’Rourke throughout the year of 1997 on numerous cases on the basis of hostile work environment sexual harassment. O’Rourke was victorious in receiving her dues on the basis of sexual harassment. I feel that the Phoenix Arizona case will play out similarly, but only time will tell as there is not much information so far on the exact events or court trials. Ultimately, sexual harassment will continue to plague the fire service until people become more tolerable of others differences.Sexual harassment is immensely degrading for the affected individual and is nothing short of driving a person to inadequacy. It should never be tolerated in the workplace or professional environment and certainly has no place in the fire service. The main virtue is that a person can do the job. That is the only merit that holds true, but d iscrimination on the basis of gender or sexual preference simply isn’t a proper means of deciding whether or not an individual should be able to perform in this job.It is my hope that there will continue to be a downward trend in sexual harassment claims and actual occurrences as the practice of such is horrendous. Works Cited – Varone, J. C. (2006). Legal considerations for fire and emergency services. Delmar Pub. Resendez, M. E. (Writer) (2012). In ABC 15. Phoenix, AZ: ABC. Retrieved from http://www. abc15. com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/70k-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-prompts-big-changes-at-the-Phoenix-Fire-Department Eeoc. Retrieved from http://www. eeoc. gov/ Sexual Harrasment Sexual Harassment Topic: Human Resource Management/Sexual Harassment Characters: Paula, Management trainee in the Production Department of a medium-sized company Steve, Vice President of Production and Paula’s Manager Richard, Paula’s coworker and a Manager in Production Paula, a recent college graduate, is a newly hired manager in the Production Department of a medium-sized US Company. The first woman selected for this production training position, Paula takes her work very seriously. She has been with the organization for three months.For the first two months, she performed her duties very well, but during the last month, Steve, her boss, has noticed a change in Paula. She seems more tense and uneasy and is to not concentrating on her work as conscientiously as she previously did During the last month, Paula has been continually harassed by Richard, a coworker. At first she tried ignoring his jokes and sexual banter. However, his persistence has caused Paula have very uncomfortable feelings while she is at work and at home as well.Paula looked into the employee’s handbook concerning sexual harassment policies and found none. She really did not know what to do. Finally, after noticing her continually declining work, Steve asked her what was bothering her. She told him the problem and showed him information concerning the EEOC laws dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace she had found in a human resources textbook from college. She also said that she was considering taking action against Richard if his actions continued.Steve told her he was totally unaware of the problem but agreed something should be done. He asked her to investigate what the organization needed to do to stop this from occurring now and also to anyone else in the future. He also thanked Paula for her patience and honesty and also promised her that something would be done. What Are the Ethical Issues? 1. What is sexual harassment, and why is it prohibited? 2. What obligations does a company have to deal with sexual harassment issues?Does an organization have an obligation to establish written policies on sexual harassment? 3. What obligations does a manager have to deal with accusations or established incidents of sexual harassment among his subordinates? How should such incidents be handled? 4. What should be done with individuals who are accused of sexual harassment? What would be appropriate penalties for individuals found to have been involved in sexual harassment of others? 5. What obligation does a company and its managers have towards the victims of sexual harassment?What Actions Should Be Taken? 1. What actions should Paula take? 2. Should Steve address this current problem before he asks Paula to draft a harassment policy for the organization? 3. Is Paula the best choice to develop this document? 4. Should Richard be fired? Punished? 5. What are the choices Steve can take, and which would you choose? Why? 6. What ethical theories mak e the most sense (utilitarian, rights, justice) concerning this case? 7. What actions should Steve take?

What Factors Do You Think Make Some Organizations Ineffective at Managing Emotions?

Submit your posts to the Case Study Discussion for Module 3. Read the Case Incident 1, â€Å"Is It Okay to Cry at Work† on p. 124 of your textbook. Post a response to one of the questions listed at the end of the case study that has not been previously addressed by another group member. This initial posting is due by February 8, 2013 at 11:30 pm CST. Next, respond and build on a posting made by two of your group members. This follow- up postings are due by February 10, 2013at 11:30 pm CST. The rubric for grading this assignment can be viewed in the syllabus and your grade will appear in the ‘Grades' section of Blackboard. Questions 2.Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or does covering your true emotions at work lead more problems than it solves? 3. Have you enter worked where emotions were used as part of a management style? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this approach in your experience. 4. Research shows tha t acts of co-workers (37 percent) and management (22 percent) cause more negative emotions for employees than do acts of customers (7 percent). What can Laura’s company do to change its emotional climate? 1. What factors do you think make some organizations ineffective at managing emotions?There are many factors that make organizations ineffective with managing emotions in the workplace. Human beings complex thinking is one of the factors that make the organizations hard to manage the emotions. Every person is different and has his/her own emotions (Robbins 2013, p. 160). Each person may not act in the same way in a same situation due to cultural background (Robbins 2013, p. 162). Therefore, organizations face difficulties when they are dealing with their employee’s emotions. This is becoming a problem when the organization is very large and contains many employees from different background.In addition, sometimes the top managers of the organization cannot control thei r own emotions as well. On the other hand, organizations are unable to relate to their employees, and their lack of constant contact with their staff can be other factor. By keeping strong connections with workforce, organizations can ensure that emotions and moods are up-beat and energetic. It is important to be in constant contact with employees and make sure they feel comfortable to communicate to their managers anything and everything on their mind.Some of the organizations have not practiced the suitable business culture. For example, they will yell and shout at the employees when things go wrong just like the second case mentioned. This shows that some of the organizations still do not concern to manage the emotions effectively. This is due to factors such as: the inability to read emotions of employees and managers, An organization needs to make sure they keep strong connections with their workforce to ensure that emotions and moods are up-beat and energetic.Next, it’s important to remember that bottling up your true inner emotions and keeping them to yourself, will only make things worse. Organizations need to be in constant contact with employees and make sure they feel comfortable telling managers anything and everything on their mind. When I worked at IBM, they would call in each employee individually to the manager’s office every month for a â€Å"check-in† appointment. This is where managers would get very friendly with employees so that we would tell them what was going good, what was going bad, and our thoughts on the current tasks at hand.I learned that the staff would look forward to these monthly meetings and would relay a lot of useful information to the managers during this time. Even though organizations want employees to relay their true emotions, I don’t think crying at work is acceptable. This is an emotion that should be saved for home due to the fact that it could hurt your image and current position at wor k. When I say crying at work is unacceptable, I don’t mean that employees should bottle up their emotions.There is a time and place for everything and I believe you should save the crying for home and confront your manager alone in a professional way once your†¦ 1. What factors do you think make some organizations ineffective at managing emotions? Firstly, I think that the complex human thinking is one of the factors that make the organizations hard to manage the emotions. Every person has his or her own emotions. Although in a same situation, they may not act in the same way. Thus, the organizations face difficulties when they are dealing with their employees.This problem is even becoming worse when the organization is very large and contains many employees from different background. Furthermore, the authority of an organization sometimes finds out they themselves cannot control their own emotions as well. Besides, due to the business culture and etiquette which are sti ll remain poorly in some of the organizations, it becomes a problem for the organizations to manage the emotions effectively. Some of the organizations have not practiced the suitable business culture.For example, they will yell and shout at the employees when things go wrong just like the second case mentioned. This shows that some of the organizations still do not concern to manage the emotions effectively. Moreover, emotions are automatic physiological responses to the environment. It will be very hard for one to control his or her emotions by hiding their true feelings within their heart. It revealed automatically. Even people that are trying to cover their true emotions can be discovered from their facial expression.Thus, this is not the fault that the organisations cannot manage the emotions effectively. This is because it is not an easy work to control the emotions of whole organisations. 2. Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or does covering your true emotions at work lead to more problems than it solves? By covering one's emotions can sometimes ensure a work to be done perfectly. However, people that are always covering their own emotions will always find themselves in a stressful situation and they are very hard to communicate with others.Consequently, that kind of people can be easily frustrated and lose their confidence in their jobs. Problems such as unsatisfied towards the jobs, depression, low job performance and so on will then arise. At the end, it creates more problems than what it wants to solve at first. Through the strategic use and display of emotions, the employees can express their emotions in a manner way. They have to know the ways to control their emotions even though†¦ http://www. scribd. com/doc/127040062/Case-Study-Discussion-Module-3

Human Indifference Essay

In the article â€Å"Americans are shopping while Iraq burns†, Bob Herbert implies that Americans are deeply absorbed in their own interests and are therefore apathetic to developments in Iraq, and by extension the developments in any other place where the United States is at war like in Afghanistan. On the contrary, renowned photojournalist James Natchwey is of the opinion that Americans would like to be informed of what really is happening so that they can act responsively. This must have been his conviction before embarking on his mission to film footage for the documentary â€Å"War Photographer†. A number of credible sources underline this apathetic stance adapted by many Americans regarding the suffering that emanates from wars waged by their nation in their name. This research paper aims to identify both their stances in detail with the aim of establishing which perspective is closer to the truth. It also pays a tribute to James Natchwey’s exemplary journalism. The State of the American Society Bob Herbert creates a reference for his argument on Thanksgiving Day here in the U. S. Shopping malls opened at midnight as Americans gleefully spend on the celebration. In the meantime, over 200 civilians had been killed by car bombs in the Iraqi city of Sadr. This is just one incident: a majority of Americans go about their business oblivious of the suffering Iraqi civilians endure on a daily basis or the fatalities American troops encounter at the battlefields. If indeed they were conscious of the repercussions of the war, we would be up in protest opposing these wars whose benefits to the American society cannot be ascertained. The apathy demonstrated by Americans may originate from the fact that very few Americans are concerned with the nation’s foreign policy. As Ole R. Holsti points out, there is â€Å"absence of sustained public attention to international issues† (Holsti 2004, 285). This is demonstrated in the circumstances that led to the invasion of Iraq: the Bush administration alleged without sufficient proof that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (Smith 2005) and connected the Baghdad regime with the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, and the American public was ready to believe these charges in the pretext that Iraq really was a threat to national security (Holsti 2004). Media in the U. S. as made it hard for Americans to know what to believe in or what to value. There is insufficient coverage of the destructiveness of the war as media executives strive to make profits in an overly commercialized industry. The importance of news is diluted as news is â€Å"stripped of its credibility and the audience will have no ability to differentiate between the values of news and other forms of entertainment† (Dadge & Schechter 2006, 103). As Bob Herbert points out, most Americans have no personal stake in the Iraqi war and are consequently indifferent to its outcomes. A short survey reveals that very few citizens would be willing to join the military, no wonder most go about their business bearing indifference to the effects of the war on Iraqi civilians whose lives are shattered by war (Gott 2002) and U. S marines who die in the line of duty. The suggestion by Representative Charles Rangel that the Draft be reinstated implies that American politicians would be reluctant to approve of war if the possibility of their constituents being called into active service was real. With these facts out in the open, Herbert’s position is obviously more credible. Media apathy, domestic lack of interest in foreign policy and general disinterest have all contributed to the absence of a collective sacrifice and sharing of the burden of responsibility on the war. This is supported by the other sources cited in this paper. Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy is a comprehensive text describing in detail American foreign policy since September 11th. Why War: The Cultural Logic of Iraq, the Gulf War, and Suez is a thought-provoking text which pushes a reader beyond the periphery of conventional sociological thought. David Dadge and Danny Schechter’s book exposes the ease with which the American public is in most case willing to acknowledge intelligence reports without the desire to validate the background information. War Photographer James Natchwey demonstrates true heroism as he delves deep into some of the most dangerous and desolate spots on earth to bring pictures of what really goes on here to viewers. His work captivates audiences and instills empathy by relaying the destruction and heartbreak occasioned by conflict. He is an embodiment of courage, professional dedication and humanitarianism.

Individual Assignment Essay

Determine which level of measurement— nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio—is used in the following examples. The Association of Accountants is conducting a survey to determine the ranking of the top 100 accounting firms in the world. Ordinal How many years did it take you to earn your college degree? Ratio On a questionnaire which asks for gender, males are coded as 1 and females are coded as 2. Interval Respondents are asked to rate a list of high-tech companies as excellent, good, fair, or poor in terms of their service delivery. Ordinal Cereal brands are arranged in an ordered sequence in which an equal interval exists between each point. Interval LeBron James wears the number 23 on his jersey. Nominal The length of time it takes the winner of a marathon to cross the finish line. Ratio Students are asked to rank computer manufacturers. Interval The brand of charge card used by a customer. Nominal The pin number used to access your checking account. Nominal Which sampling method—simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster, convenience, judgment, quota, or snowball—is most appropriate for the following examples? The unemployment rate is calculated each month by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey consists of 50,000 households in about 2,000 counties and cities in all 50 states. Simple Random A researcher for Kraft Foods selects five states randomly, and then selects 10 supermarkets chains within each state to call for a phone survey as test markets for a new cookie. Quota A new pr oduct researcher would like to investigate the use of virtual teams. After conducting an interview with a manager, she asks for the names of other managers that use virtual teams. Convenience A news reporter asks people on the street their opinion about the president’s new bill. Snowball Jamie select Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; and San Diego, California as test markets for a new potato chip line base on her experience with these markets. Judgment A researcher instructs field interviewers to interview customers of different cell phone companies in a nearby shopping mall so that they each interview 10 AT&T, 8 T Mobile, 6 Verizon, and 4 owners of other cell phone providers. Convenience The Consumer Price Index represents a sampling of 90,000 items from 364 categories, chosen from 20,000 retail stores in 85 geographically distributed areas that are chosen to be as similar as possible. Cluster A finance professor wants to know how many MBA students would be willing to take a course in international finance this summer. She surveys students in the class she is currently teaching. Convenience Which hypothesis-testing procedure would you use in the following situations? The mean time an American family lives in a particular single-family dwelling is 11. 8 years. A sample of 100 families in the Sycamore, OK area shows the mean time living in a single family residence is 12. 7 years. Can we conclude that the time people live in Sycamore is significantly more than the national average? One Sample Z-Test A researcher would like to know if there is a significant difference in clothing purchases between full-time working women, part-time working women, and women who are homemakers. ANOVA Eighty percent of those who play the state lottery never win more than $100 in one play. A sample of 500 players was drawn and the mean winning was $125. One Sample Z-Test A drug manufacturing company conducted a survey of customers. The research question was as follows: Is there a significant relationship between packaging preference (size of the bottle purchased) and economic status? There were four packaging sizes: small, medium, large, and jumbo. Economic status was categorized as follows: lower, middle, and upper. Regression Hypothesis Test A company has 24 salespeople. The test must evaluate whether their product knowledge has improved or remained unchanged after a training program. T-test of dependent samples A computer company has a brand loyalty rating of 6. 8 on a 7 point scale. Is this company’s rating significantly different from the industry average of 6. 4? Two-tailed One Sample T-Test The manager of an office supply store wanted to determine which color folders she should discontinue based on low sales. The colors stocked were black, blue, red, green, and purple. ANOVA