Friday, September 6, 2019

Communicate in a business environment Essay Example for Free

Communicate in a business environment Essay 3.1 Describe ways of verbally presenting information and ideas clearly 3.2 Explain ways of making contributions to discussion that help to move them forward 3.3 Describe methods of active listening 3.4 Explain the purpose of summarising verbal communications 4.1 Describe ways of getting feedback on communications 4.2 Explain the purpose of using feedback to develop communication skills Describe ways of verbally presenting information and ideas clearly to present any information or ideas I need clearly I often use simple language and short sentences this makes it easier for everybody to understand. Also I present the information is a variety of ways as some people understand things and concepts in different ways. For example; some people understand by hearing or seeing. Before I present any information or ideas I always plan out what I want to say, I often also take out any information that is not necessary. I also use active and personal language like ‘’you’ and ‘we’’. Explain ways of making contributions to discussion that help to move them forward To make conversation move forward, I often learn to listen to people and give importance for everybody’s ideas. This way I can make positive contributions that can lead to further discussion. I also often do not make a contribution to a subject who isn’t positive or may not affect me or my work. Describe methods of active listening In order to perform within LSG and to develop my skills listening is one the most important skills I should obtain. As it will portray the quality of my relationship with my team and clients. Listening is important as I need to often obtain information from others to learn new things. Methods of active listening include: Listening calmly without interrupting, so that I let the other person speak and show them that I care and respect them Asking others to repeat if I do not understand anything, in order to avoid mistakes Taking notes of important points, so that I do not forget or miss out on any important points Confirming what I have understood, so that there is no misunderstanding of information Explain the purpose of summarising verbal communications The purpose of summarising verbal communication is to identify major points, behaviours, thoughts and feelings that have been discussed. I then often collate all the information I have collected. By doing this is helps to have a clear precise outline of all communications. Describe ways of getting feedback on communications I believe that feedback completes the entire process of communication. Feedback helps us to decide if the communication was effects and useful. I often get feedback from my line manager Scott or I often get it from clients on the phone. If any feedback given is to improve on anything I often make note of the feedback and make a working progress for myself to include the suggestion in my work. Explain the purpose of using feedback to develop communication skills I use feedback for improve my work performance. It helps improve my work ethnic, team work and quality of my work. To help develop communication skills the feedback has to be received and acted upon. Once I have acted upon feedback I always let my line manager Scott know so that he can see I am willing to learn and enthusiastic and this may encourage people to offer me feedback in the future.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Philips Sense And Simplicity

Philips Sense And Simplicity The case describes the challenge faced by the CEO and newly hired Chief Marketing Officer to reposition the Philips brand and drive the organizational changes to support the new vision. Central to the version was the Sense and Simplicity marketing campaign, which came to embody a whole new way of doing business at Philips. The primary target of the Sense and Simplicity campaign was customers aged 35-55. Philips was not thought of as a cool and attractive brand by Generation Y consumers. Philips must rewire the Sense and Simplicity campaign for the Generation Y market. Answer the following questions- a). The results revealed that consumers across various countries seek simple technology, i.e., technology without hassles. In this background, how did Philips utilize its technological strength to connect with the customer? Philips has a brand promise of sense and simplicity and they differentiate themselves through their innovation process, the way in which they develop customer relationships and the focus from their own staff on providing a superior experience related to customer. But with the impact of Social Media becoming the most important activity on the web, they have identified that there are many areas into which they must expand their horizon to keep the customer promise fresh and focused. About more than 200 million users joined facebook in a single year and 34% of bloggers blog about products and brands. In this environment its not enough to know that this is happening you need to know what people are saying and you need to find the best way to react. With only 14% of consumers trusting advertising, companies need to be reaching and reaching positively the 78% of consumers who give and rely on peer-to-peer recommendations. First thing is to take note, and then the service teams can ENGAGE with and supply SUPPORT to the clients. Mainly where there is negative response, the plan is to change this into positive advertising. Likewise to other companies such as Apple and Dell, Philips is also driving channels for peer-to-peer support. More than 50% of question from customers are answered by other customers. All of a sudden its not just a conversation; its a community of support and commitment. Effectiveness on the whole is measured using very simple KPIs (upholding the brand statement) and the main focus is on the delivery of true support. Today Philips provide products and services in three main areas: Healthcare Philips is the leader in top-of-the-range medical diagnostic equipment, helping surgeons in the battle against heart disease and cancer. Progressively more consumer health and well-being have also become a focus. Philips Healthcare is using Net Promoter and Social Media strategy to revolve health-care into human-care through the approach of active listening. They unite social media streams to NPS strategies to distribute a holistic experience for their customers. Supervision comes from a global level but delivery, execution and empowerment is based at the local level. Even as Marketing makes the promise to the customer, the Service association is then liable for keeping the promise. And the Social Media approach is part of delivering on the promise. Lifestyle Philips innovates in their lifestyle segment with their Ambilight TV and DVD recorders. The company has recognized a leadership position in lighting and has introduced electrifying new products such as the Senseo coffee concept. Technology Philips semiconductor and lighting products are embedded in the cars we drive, in the offices where people work and in sports stadiums. Philips proves its presence at world level; it illuminates monuments such as the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower and events like the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Philips Electronics has unveiled its newest brand movement, which focuses on bringing the impression of simplicity more rapidly to customers around the world. Building on the companys sense and simplicity brand positioning, the drive focuses on prominence the benefits offered by simplicity, as well as allowing consumers to openly experience simplicity first hand. The new drive spans TV, print, online and outdoor media in 10 markets across the globe China, France, Germany, U.K., U.S.A., Brazil, Russia, The Netherlands, Italy and India. The drive will also see Philips spread out on the creativity and uniqueness that has already been applauded for new ideas that advance the consumer experience, such as the sole sponsorship of CBSs 60 Minutes, a agreement to bring the contents pages of Time, Fortune, People and Business 2.0 to the first four pages of the magazines, and allowing visitors to access premium content on the Wall Street Journal and ESPN websites for free. To widen the envelope further outside traditional advertising means, Philips most recent campaign will also comprise experiential marketing activities for the first time in each of the countries to help allow customers to fully understanding simplicity in action. Some of these activities will comprise Simplify New York which will provide New Yorkers with free access to the premium online service from The New York Times, free copies of the magazine, The Week and a set of online tools to make their daily lives easier; the launch of SimpliCity.com, a website (www.philips.com.br/simplescidade) which will supply people in Sà £o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with the first central online resource to access and share valuable information and tips that simplify life in these cosmopolitan cities; and a Simplicity Squad in Canada providing customers with free vouchers for products and services to simplify their lives, as well as activities in other markets. To promote the discussion and debate about simplicity, Philips is also sponsoring an online forum to let people from all over the globe to voice their opinions and share their experiences of simplicity. The www.livesimplicity.net discussion forum allows people to contribute to online discussions and also begin thought of their own about simplicity in areas as varied as travel, business, communication, health and wellness, and technology. The site gives everybody a opportunity to have their say, interact with others and discuss problems. It is hoped that this interactive dialogue will contribute to helping find the solutions to meet future needs. b). New products, new services, new solutions, business creation, strategy, research, brand architecture, contact with customers everything must be driven by the brand positioning. What internal changes did Philips initiate, to link its processes with the theme of Sense and Simplicity? Sense and simplicity characterize the whole thing that Philips does and reflects that it is market oriented i.e. everything is intended to meet consumers needs and is based on customer insights. For more than a century, the company has been interacting with people in their daily lives. More than a million Philips products are purchased each day. It is trusted as one of the worlds top brands, with an incomparable understanding of how people interact with technology. Philips was established in 1891 and made lightbulbs an easy product. Right through the years the company enlarged its portfolio into technology products that became too complex for most users. When Philips realized this, it determined to make life easier and so launched a brand repositioning all about simplicity. The term positioning refers to where products and brands are located in a market. What is more crucial is where consumers see such products/brands being located in the market. For example, customers might see products as giving good value or poor value for money. They may associate a brand with high quality or low quality. It is key to carry out market study to spot suitable positions to take in the market. A suitable position is one that suits customers necessities. The term repositioning refers to a cognizant strategy to alter the site of products/brands in the market. The new best position should be based on market research. How Philips repositioned itself sense and simplicity is the brand guarantee that Philips has recognized through its research as the best one to take. Since the launch Philips has made immense improvement. This has been recorded by achieving milestones down the route. Excellent examples are the creation of a Simplicity Advisory Board (SAB) and the launch of a range of thriving products such as Senseo ®, a coffee machine that is stylish and simple to make use of. Creating a repositioning strategy A responsible strategy The stages involved in moving a product are: carrying out research to find out the weaknesses of the preliminary position researching a right track to take Creation plans and taking actions to improve the position. A difficulty that faced Philips in 2003 was that its media investment was somewhat unfocused and was spread thinly among too many different product segments. The table shows just four product areas and the target audiences for each, which were being addressed. In addition Philips products were marketed beneath lots of names, using a range of dissimilar advertising approaches. It was no wonder that there was great uncertainty in customers minds. The challenge in front of Philips, therefore, was to generate a clear vision that would help the company to reposition itself and all of its linked brands. A brand promise was then set out that is clear and easy to follow. The brand promise is sense and simplicity. In the recent high-tech age, consumers are faced with a lot of hard product choices. What most of us want are clear-cut communications about the settlement that these products will provide for us. This is as true of medical professionals ordering brain scanning equipment for a hospital as it is when you or I want to buy a light bulb, electric toothbrush or cordless kettle. Three main elements This is why the brand promise sense and simplicity is so significant to Philips. Creating consistency and direction In order to move ahead it was crucial to recognize the key issues. The difficulty facing the company was lack of loyalty and direction. Resources were being spread too thinly across too many products, with developments in numerous countries. Decision making within the wider Philips organization had develop into patchy. This was plain to see there were in addition many products, too many markets and a lack of consistency in advertising. For the customer it was tough to tell what was and what not a Philips product was. Meeting customer needs The first challenge was to modify the Philips image. This was built about sense and simplicity. The message that Philips is getting across at present is that the whole thing it does is focused on meeting customer needs. The entire thing that Philips does now is based on this concept. The message is spread through the organisation, making sure that all business processes are founded on sense and simplicity. Everybody who comes into contact with Philips, whether they are employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers or other stakeholders, should observe this brand promise. For example, it is publicized in the company logo and all the company operations from top to bottom. Sense and simplicity is shown in all the new products that Philips develops, as well as in existing ones. When the company designs a latest electric kettle, its concern is to offer a state-of-the-art, easy-to-use product. The same principle applies to medical equipment, flat screen TVs, and food mixers and so on. New Philips products are: advanced based on market leading technologies designed around you based on the result of careful customer research Easy to experience easy to use. Philips is also looking at all of its existing products to make sure they fit the wants of sense and simplicity. The third key element of sense and simplicity is communications. All Philips exchanges should be easy to understand. The message given is directed at the target audience and is simple to follow. One of the key ease milestones has been the launch of the Simplicity Advisory Board (SAB). This is a think tank of independent experts from the fields of information technology, healthcare, fashion, design and architecture. It has been able to give an outside-in view of what simplicity means and how this can be legal across the organisation. The members of the board were selected for their wide ranging knowledge and expertise. Illustrating the strategy products Philips image We can demonstrate the new repositioning strategy by taking the example of several of the high-tech products that Philips has just worked on. A good example of this is Senseo ®. Senseo ® Coffee System has been developed through a joint venture between Philips and Sara Lee, a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) supplier. The key aspects of Senseo ® are: cool design easy-to-use technology Amazing coffee. Between 2001 and 2005 more than 10 million of these coffee machines were sold in eight countries an impressive total. The product embodies what Philips is trying to achieve in everything it does. This is to join an exciting state-of-the-art product with simplicity. The coffee makers are combined with Douwe Egberts Senseo ® coffee pods to give customers the taste they want. Recently Philips launched its own Simplicity Event. This provided Philips with a prospect to share, with stakeholders, how far it has come in its assurance to sense and simplicity. Products that already deliver this promise were exhibited, together with living prototype demonstrations of how Philips envisions simplicity in the future. Senseo ® is one example of sense and simplicity in action. Communicating sense and simplicity At the heart of business achievement is good communication. This means sending messages from individuals or organisations to others (receivers). Good contact involves: communicating a brand promise, in this case sense and simplicity in a clear and easy to understand way to the right target audience Using the right media. There are a number of ways that Philips does this: As it is a worldwide company, it is essential to direct contact from the centre. This ensures that the Philips message is conveyed consistently. Philips believes that there should be a single insight for each product (not mixed messages). All innovative work carried out by advertising agencies must be based on the sense and simplicity promise. Television and print (for example, magazine) adverts are offered in a standard way at least three Philips adverts in a single magazine in a campaign that might last for eight publications of the magazine.

The growing importance of business ethics

The growing importance of business ethics This essay discusses the growing importance of business ethics in todays business world. It identifies and analyses the dilemma the multinational corporations are facing and the standards and principles they need to apply when facing these situations. It also identifies how a companys code of conduct can help it to achieve its ethical standards in its global market and create an image of a responsible company providing fair working environment and high ethical standards. In addition, It critically discusses the role and responsbilities that how an MNC can encourage ethical business practice in todays complicated and competitive business environment. The business world is becoming a global village. Various countries markets are becoming available to foreign investors and companies, this allows companies to go across the international borders to do business. It also results in greater competition and opportunities. Many companies become multinational corporations in this process. Multinational corporations are active and important players in todays international business. MNC refers to firms that have extensive and intensive involvement in global market, it also refers to firms that engage in foreign direct investment and own or control resources and activities in more than one country MNC generally coordinate their activities from a central headquarters, but may also allow their affiliates or subsidiaries in foreign markets considerable latitude in adjusting their operations to local circumstances. Businessmen nowadays are not merely satisfied with their home countrys markets and will go overseas to gain a market share in its global business. This leads to globalisation. Globalisation is defined as the expansion and deepening of ties across national borders, has gained ground in all aspects of the business environment. (Morrison, J 2006, p448) It enables individuals, corporations and organisations to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before. It is the product of a particular form of governance rooted in the domestic political economies of the early industrialisers. (Prakash, A Hart, J 2000, p32) Some people argue that globalisation enables firms from developed countries to increase unemployment rate from their home countries by transferring job opportunities to a foreign country with low labour cost and serious environmental protection issue. According to the law of comparative advantage, the citizens of each nation can gain by spending more of their time and resources doing those things where they have a relative advantage. (Carbaugh, R, 2007, p14) Success in international trade comes from the interaction of four country-and firm-specific elements. Porters national competitive advantage Porters Diamond Factors conditions Includes not only land, labour, capital factors, also include factors such as educational level of workforces and infrastructure of a county Demand conditions A large and complicated domestic consumer demand would enable the country and companies to compete more effective and more competitively advantaged with other countries. -Related and supporting industries This includes industries supporting the main industry of the country. For instance, Swedens strong paper industry enables its country to have a strong truck manufacturing industry such as Scania. -Firm strategy, structure, rivalry This factor recognises the positive aspect of competition. Thus government might establish an environment that fosters such factors. The problem of international resource allocation, determinants of the pattern of world trade, and gains from trade, all relate to trade, profits and benefits. (Meier, G 1998, p417) However, when a MNC explores its foreign markets, there are cultural and ethical barriers. A MNC will have to encounter a variety of business practices, moral behaviour, ethical standards and cultures which are quite different from their home country. . The main dilemma is MNC are required to use more than their corporate code of conduct, they are also encouraged to apply a higher standard level of ethical business practice. Ethics are defined as the process of distinguishing the right and good from the wrong and bad, and they imply a moral duty to pursue the good and the right. Business ethics is the good or bad behaviour companies carry on in their business. It shows that business should act responsible rather than just seeking profit and economic gains. It forces the companies to adapt themselves in a more ethical and morally correct behaviour and enable companies not only consider profits also have to take the whole society into consideration such as environmental issue. A companys code of conduct sets out what a company can do and what a company cannot do. It establishes a level of business ethics when it operates both in host and home country. A MNCs ethical behaviour should be consistent in its global market. MNC should apply laws and ethical standards at home country and foreign markets where they operate. It should be followed consistently anywhere the MNC has its international business. A universal business ethics standard should be enforced for a MNC to the all the counties where it operates. Its ethical values and integrity should not be changed or damaged to pursue an economical gain or profit. The most important thing is that right ethical vales must be applied in anywhere in the world where the corporate operates its business no matter where it is. A good corporate code of conduct should have the following characteristics: a uniform standard of ethics in its global market set it as high and as practical as possible apply the code of conduct strictly and consistently employees should be fully aware of the code A strong code of conduct would assist a company to gain respect and support from its customers, local authorities even its competitors. To achieve success in todays competitive environment, a MNC should adopt a global standards and a common set of values which it can apply to everywhere it operates business. Besides establishing an ethical culture of a company, a good conduct code will also help the company to create an image of responsible and fairness in its global market. Moral principles might become a minor issue when a company explores its opportunities in a country where laws are not strong enforced and a fragile legal system exists. MNC might adopt a lower standard of moral behaviour in foreign countries where laws are not restrictive as in their home countries. The questions for MNC might be: Are we still going to stick into our principles? Are we going to accept and adapt ourselves to principles and standards that are lower than ours? A recent case is that Levi Jeans. It exited Chinas jean market a few years ago because of its notorious human rights records. The violation of human rights in China makes Levi in a dilemma whether it continues to operate in China or not. However, its global high standard of business ethics make it exited this major market because they cannot lower their moral standards so as to gain pure economic profits in China. In the world of business ethics today, the impact of ethical standards on MNC activities is becoming more and more important. As business ethics becomes more integrated into activities, we must pay attention to the risk of applying ethical standards from the home country to host country where MNC operates. For example, should an American company apply the same ethical behaviour and standard to a developing country such as Thailand? MNC also have to consider how to respect the local culture and apply to the ethical standards of the host country. An important problem for corporations is how to define ethical and unethical behaviour in a variety of countries. In todays world, the behaviour seems difficult to define and distinguish. If MNC apply correct behaviour, it would increase its image and reputation of good corporate governance, otherwise they will damage their reputations in its global market. As differences in the nature, methods, and scope of regulation highlight variations in models of economic organization, these can tighten trade tensions (Pollack, M Shaffer, G 2001p179) The more MNC interacts in a foreign market and country, the more they are going to testify whether their own values and moral judgment are right and absolute since the standards varies from one country to another. However, MNC should be aware that cultural differences and local traditions can be so different that they are contrary to MNC standard in their home country to a large extent. An MNC is usually expected to find itself unprepared in dealing with ethical behaviour in a foreign country. Even if the problems are the same in a foreign country, the ways to solve it might be different. A typical example here is gift-giving. In many countries and cultures, gift giving is allowed and tolerated. For example, in Japan, give giving is not unethical and often encouraged. It represents a kind of relationship between business and business or business and governments. This is quite different from the perspective of western society or ethical standards. This clearly illustrates the importance of nature of differences between different counties and cultures when evaluating different practices, while MNC have to consider whether it complies with its global ethical standards and principles. The main ethical dilemma here is what kind of ethical behaviour should MNC adopts when values conflict with another. Should a company invest in a country where weak labour laws exist or environmental issues are not considered seriously? Or should a company invest in a country where bribery is a common practice? Business ethics can help employees to be prevented from exploitation by profit seeking companies. It is quite clear that some activities are unethical and would not be tolerated no matter where it happens. For instance, forced labour should not be allowed in anywhere in the world. A recent case is that in Thailand, almost 200 people were killed in an international toy manufacturing factory. The cause of the deaths not only pointed to the ineffective sprinkler system, it also because the management level the facotory locked employee in the factory and eventually caused 200 deaths. This kind of behaviour should not be allowed and tolerated in any ethical standards and norms. Responsibilities of MNS to encourage ethical business practice Bribery issue There are two kinds of corruptions: State Capture Individuals, organizations, corporations exercise their power to influence the formation of regulations and policies to benefit themselves to some extent, usually achieved by bribing government officials Administrative corruption Government official use their power and influence to force companies, individuals, groups to pay certain fees by distorting laws and regulations. MNC will often encounter different practices, standards of business behaviour and cultures. They might face the situation that whether to bride a local government official in order to obtain a business contract or deal. A major and common problem in todays international business is how MNC can deal with bribery. In theory, there is no any country on this planet would allow businessmen to bribe government officials and officials are not allowed to take bribe offered by a businessman. However, in practice, this happens quite often. Corruption is a mutual mechanism. Corruption will never happen without demand and supply. Many MNC said that they would not accept and tolerate any kind of bribery. They would prefer not to compete for the business contracts if bribery has to be taken in the whole process. In many developing and less developed countries (LDC), a main problem is that the rising of corruption and bribery in local governmental bodies is leading to both politital and social instability. This problem is more prevalent and serious in these developing or less developed countries law enforcements are not so strong or undeveloped. Child labour issue Another main unethical practice facing MNC is the use of child labour. The labour market difficulties in developed countries are important and deserve full consideration (Michie, J 2003, p194) In most developed countries, use of child labour morally not allowed and more importantly it is prohibited by legislation. Hence, MNC operates in developing and LDC countries are expected to apply the same standards and rules. However in some countries in the world, use of child labour are often allowed and sometimes encouraged. Children are often expected to help their parents to sustain financial problem. This has been a culture or tradition in those countries. This is mainly because of the poor education provided by the local government and insufficient funds to help those children to be well educated. In this instance, children would not be able to survive if they do not work. MNC have to face these situations when they operate in these countries. In these countries, child labour is encouraged to have economical gains. Further, because these societies often do not have the finance, facilities and manpower to provide necessary and appropriate education, children would not be able to survive if they do not work. In Europe, it is concerned with the upheaval caused by globalisation. It must determine how best to use education and training to commit European countries to a process of job creation, whilst ta king control of the globalisation and economy. (Prakash, A Hart, J 2000 p90) However, for MNC, they should not employ children without assessing the consequences. A detailed analysis should be conducted by MNC to assess whether children are suitable to conduct work for them. In addition, they should also provide a fair and safe working environment for those children. Another effective way is to work and cooperate with the local government to provide necessary education and ensure children have necessary education and training before they can start in the workforce. Conclusion: Multinational corporations have become an important and active role in todays globalisation. They have strong power and influences on a foreign countrys policies, regulations even legal issues. The way how they perform in a foreign market has become quite important for both the home country and host country it operates. The moral and ethical standards and principles MNC applies overseas should be consistent with those standards in their home countries. They have a strong responsibility to encourage, promote and apply a globally consistent ethical standards and principles.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Female Genital Mutilation Essay -- essays research papers fc

The practice of female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, occurs throughout the world, but it is most common in Africa. Female genital mutilation is a tradition and social custom to keep a young girl pure and a married woman faithful. In Africa it is practiced in the majority of the continent including Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Mozambique and Sudan. It is a cross-cultural and cross-religious ritual, which is performed by Muslims, Coptic Christians, Protestants, Catholics and members of various indigenous groups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female genital mutilation is usually performed on girls before they reach puberty. It is a procedure where either part or the entire clitoris is surgically removed leaving a reduced or total lack of sexual feeling. This procedure is an attempt to reduce the sex drive of women, making them less likely to be sexually active before marriage or engage in extra-marital affairs. Although this procedure can be seen as a means to control a woman’s sexuality, the act of female circumcision determines the gender identity of women. A circumcised woman is a virgin, ready for marriage and to bear children for her husband, â€Å"Girls who are infibulated will probably not find husbands. In most cases they will become outcasts.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female genital mutilation is not a new practice. In fact circumcised females have been discovered among the mummies of ancient Egyptians. A Greek papyrus dated 163 BC refers to operations performed on girls at the age they received their dowries. A Greek geographer reported the custom of circumcision of girls he found while visiting Egypt in 25 BC. In Africa female circumcision has been reported in at least twenty-six countries and can be viewed as a public health problem â€Å"because of its wide geographic distribution, the number of females involved and the serious complications caused by the operation.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female genital mutilation is practiced in three major forms: â€Å"Sunna† circumcision, Clitoridectomy, and Infibulation. Sunna circumcision consists of the removal of the tip of the clitoris and/or the prepuce (covering). Clitoridectomy, also referred to as excision, consists of the removal of the entire clitoris (both prepuce and glans) and removal of the adjacent labia. Infibulation, also referred to as phara... ...s, and aunts footsteps, which would bring shame against herself and tarnish her family honor. Female genital mutilation is such a brutal and barbaric practice that it is amazing it is still occurs today. The health hazards associated with it should be enough to have it terminated. However, the reasons women have forgoing through with the operation is the custom of female genital mutilation is so engrained in their sociocultural system. The importance of family honor, virginity, chastity, purity, marriageability, and childbearing in these societies cannot be overstressed. Therefore in the minds of the people who adhere to this belief, the benefits gained from this operation for the girl and her family far outweigh any potential danger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Female Genital Mutilation. See: http://www.religioustolerance.org/fem_cirm.htm Female Genital Mutilation Research Homepage. See: http://www.hollyfield.org/fgm/ Kouba, Leonard and Judith Muasher 1985 Female Circumcision in Africa: an Overview. African Studies Review 28:95-110. Van Der Kwaak, Anke 1992 Female Circumcision and Gender Identity: A Questionable Alliance? Social Science and Medicine 35(6):777-787.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

SUblime Songs :: essays research papers

40 oz. to Freedom '89 Vision 100 Wieght of Collie Weed =5446 (That's My Number) Adult Books Ain't No Prophet =All You Need Babylon Stone =Badfish Ball & Chain The Ballad of Johnny Butt =Big Salty Tears =Boss D.J. Brand New Day =Burritos =Caress Me Down Chica Mi Tipo Chick On My Tip =Cisco Kid Crazy Fools D.J.'s Daccau Cabana The Dance Can't Go On (Without the D.J.) =Date Rape Dr. Woo Doin' Time Doin' Time (Acapella) Doin' Time (Bradley Version) Doin' Time (Eerie Splendor Remix) Doin' Time (Instrumental) Doin' Time (Marshall Arts Remix) Doin' Time (Pharcyde Acapella Remix) =Doin' Time (Snoop Dogg Remix) Doin' Time (Uptown Dub) Doin' Time (Wyclef Instrumental Remix) =Doin' Time (Wyclef Remix) Don't Push Don't Push (Original) Don't Push (Robbin' Remix) Drunk Drivin' Dub Medly II (From Sinsemilla '86 - '96) Ebin Eireen Eye of Fatima =Falling Idols Fighting Blindly Foreman Freestyle =Free Loop Dub Freestyle (From Sinsemilla '86 - '96) =Freeway Time in L.A. County Jail =Garden Grove Get Ready =Get Out! =Greatest Hits Greatest Hits Extended Ground Zero Guava Jelly Had a DAT Hope =I Don't Care Too Much For Reggae Dub I Don't Pay Attention I Love My Dog It's Who You Know Jailhouse Judge Not KRS-One Legal Dub =Let's Go Get Stoned =Lincoln Highway Dub Little District =Live at E's Loser Lou Dog Went to the Moon Make a Decision ('89 Vision New Version) =Mary Minor Threat =New Realization =New Song New Thrash One Cup of Coffee Paddle Out Pass Me the Lazerbeam =Pawn Shop Pay to Cum Perfect World =Pool Shark =Q-Ball =Raleigh Soliloquy Pt. I =Raleigh Soliloquy Pt. II =Raleigh Soliloquy Pt. III Redemption Song Right Back =Rivers of Babylon Romantic Girl =Romeo Roots of Creation =S.T.P. (Secret Tweeker Pad) =Same in the End Same in the End (Extra Take) =Santeria =Saw Red =Saw Red (Acoustic) Saw Red Bandelero Scarlet Begonias Seed Slow Ride =Smoke Two Joints

Monday, September 2, 2019

Close Analysis on Hippolyta a Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Hippolyta is a dominant character in the play; A Midsummer night’s dream. Some views on the play may suggest that Shakespeare represented her as the Queen- Queen Elizabeth I. This may be illustrated through Act 4 Scene 1 where Hippolyta marries Theseus and becomes the Queen of the Amazons. Shakespeare bases Hippolyta’s character on the ancient Plutarch’s portrayal of her in his ‘life of Theseus’. This ideology covers the big mythological battle between Theseus and the Amazons. In the play Hippolyta uses long silences when speaking, this could show her expressions towards her wedding; there is no hurry for her wedding night. There are slight disagreements between Hippolyta and Theseus in the play where it is shown that they have a tense relationship, and the long silences used represents anger. ‘Four days will quickly steep themselves in night, four nights will quickly dream away the time’ is a memorable quote in the play. It can be viewed by some readers that it represents the disagreements between the couple; showing animosity, tension and anger. In the Elizabethan times, society was patriarchal; where the males were the dominant figure heads. The Elizabethan views on the Amazons were that they are a symbol of passion that should be governed by reason. In this idea the reason would be men; therefore Hippolyta has an acceptance of being a ‘trophy wife’ to Theseus where he is in control. As men are known as reason, women are known for emotion. Women should be governed by men in Elizabethan times and therefore in today’s society the text could be perceived in different ways. The Faerie Queen’ a narrative poem by Edmund Spencer had the same idea that women should be governed by men as they were produced in the same era. Hippolyta shows how men are controlling as in act 4 scene 1 she shows the power in which men have; ‘I was with Hercules and Cadmus once, when in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear’. This illustrates the ideology of the Elizabethan era, where no only are men controlling and powerful but also protective. A critic Louis Adrian Montrose had a view on the play in which Hippolyta’s submission to Theseus enacts as a fantasy about a female ruler submitting to male authority. This is what Queen Elizabeth I refused to do. Hippolyta can be seen to be a bit of a romantic, when Titania confesses about one of her sexual affairs and accuses Oberon of having a steamy relationship with Hippolyta; ‘the bouncing Amazon†¦ Your warrior love’. The Elizabethan audience would expect the queen of Amazons to be defeated as she represents passion and therefore this is used as reassurance. The account of ‘moon’ is used and interpreted in many different ways in the plays, Hippolyta says ‘Moon†¦ like a silver bow’. This is reassurance that she is not going to get defeated as this creates an image of a bow carrying Amazon women. The educated Elizabethan audience would see the moon as an image of Diana; she is the Goddess of Hunting, fertility and justity. However the moon can represent that itself. She also uses the moon many times in the play to represent good spirits, ‘the moon shines with a good grace’. Hippolyta can be seen as a nice and thoughtful character as she shows a concern for Hermia at the beginning of the play. Although Hippolyta is sympathetic for the lovers, she turns out to be quite a snob as she critics the mechanicals throughout their bumbling and amateur performance. As she says ‘I love not see wretchedness o’er charged.. , when duty in his service perishing. This means that Hippolyta hates to look at poor people especially when they are such lousy actors. She also shows an open mindedness for the lover’s adventures. She may show a fear that the mechanicals might be humiliated.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

A detailed explanation of the principles of marketing that are applied to the development of “Douwe Egberts” coffee

I intend to carry out a successful marketing campaign for â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee; I have chosen this product because coffee is a well-loved product by the majority of households worldwide. During this study I will show how the principles of marketing are applied to the development of â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee. Objectives. My main objective is to increase sales of â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee. I intend to do this by creating a sophisticated image of the product through various promotions and advertising campaigns. In order for these campaigns to be carried out to full effect, before carrying them out I intend to find out peoples opinions of â€Å"Douwe Egberts† and Coffee in general. This will be further explained in my next paragraph on â€Å"Planning†. Planning. I think the price of â€Å"Douwe Egberts† should be slightly above the average price of coffee yet not too expensive, hopefully this will make the consumer assume that â€Å"Douwe Egberts† is of better quality than the average coffee and I think the target market would be willing to pay a little bit extra, obviously I can prove how correct or incorrect this theory is when I carry out surveys later on in the assignment. I shall also need to consider â€Å"Douwe Egberts† own costs and overheads before pricing the coffee. I think â€Å"Douwe Egberts† should sell their coffee to a wide range of supermarkets, coffee shops restaurants and hotels. â€Å"Douwe Egberts† should definitely not sell to ‘cheap' places (e.g. shops such as: Pricerite, Lidls, Aldi`s or ‘greasy spoon' style cafes) if they want to keep their upmarket image. I have various promotional ideas in mind for â€Å"Douwe Egberts† such as free samples given when completing an online questionnaire on â€Å"Douwe Egberts† web page, I could also contact ‘food and drink' magazines and ask them to give away free samples. I also think it would be a good idea to contact well known cafes/coffee shops and negotiate a special offer with them such as giving a free â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee away with an order, Cafes/coffee shops are likely to comply with this offer as it would bring business in for them. It would also be good for â€Å"Douwe Egberts† because the cafes/coffee shops would hopefully continue to buy from â€Å"Douwe Egberts† after the promotion expires. â€Å"Douwe Egberts† could also put out magazine, television and radio advertisements, although I feel that â€Å"Douwe Egberts† would benefit best from advertising on the internet because it costs very little to put banners on other websi tes and it reaches a worldwide audience. I also feel that advertising in supermarkets in-house magazines would be a good idea because the consumer will see the product and be able to purchase it directly from the store – so perhaps advertising â€Å"Douwe Egberts† with a ‘money off voucher' would be quite effective. â€Å"Douwe Egberts† do a wide range of coffees including roast and ground coffees, Le cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ range, the select range, the organic range, Instants and Speciality instants. â€Å"Douwe Egberts† packaging will be of high quality, it shall be packaged in a glass jar with a glass lid so it looks of a higher quality than most coffees that have plastic lids, the wrapping on this glass jar shall be made of glossy coffee coloured paper with gold lettering – this shall vary with different types of coffee. I have a few ideas about finding out peoples opinions of â€Å"Douwe Egberts† and coffee in general, firstly I think questionnaires would be a good idea rather than do these through the post or face-to-face I think it would be much better to do these questionnaires via email or relevant websites. This would take a lot less time and would be a lot more cost effective; it would also reach a wide range of people. I think the target audience will be towards people aged between 25 and 50, in my opinion people seem to drink more coffee while in work and people in employment such as office work and teaching are more likely to be coffee drinkers, I shall be sure to confirm my opinions by including questions such as these within the questionnaire. Collect Data. I am going to collect data mainly via the Internet; I can get many figures from the national statistics site. I shall also be collecting a lot of my data from results from questionnaires put out on relevant sites and questionnaires sent via email. I mentioned in an earlier chapter that I intend to get cafes to give away free samples of â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee, I could also ask them to give out a small card with this free sample asking what the consumer thought of the coffee and this could be sent back to the company. Analyse and evaluate data. When all data is collected I think it would be best to put it into a simple graph so the results can be clearly seen, I could also use pie charts or scatter graphs for this. From these graphs I should be able to see whether there is actually room in the market for â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee, what my target audience is and what price I should give â€Å"Douwe Egberts† coffee. Communicate findings. To communicate my findings I shall firstly write up a report on all information that I have found. I shall then go about planning a small presentation. To convey the information clearly I could use a number of aids to help me such as OHP, diagrams on the board and handouts. I should also prepare a section at the end of my presentation for my audience to ask questions, I should therefore prepare possible questions and answers I could give to them.