Thursday, October 31, 2019

Something interesting in Film Studies (Which University College Dissertation

Something interesting in Film Studies (Which University College London) will be interested - Dissertation Example The current research intends to fill the gap in research and aims to evaluate how the present day Cinematographers perceive the changes have impacted their work environment and also the quality of work that they perform. The current research is expected to explore the changing role of the cinematographers in major Hollywood studio, with the aim of understanding if the concept of director of photography has evolved or diminished over time. Research Question The main research questions that guide the research are: -Is the theoretical and practical knowledge of cinematography still more important than using latest technology? -What is the role of instinct, intuition and experience in the current arena of Cinematography? -How has the introduction of latest technology and technicians in Cinematography department altered the work environment, communications and cooperation    It is essential to ask this question as current day cinematography is largely about lights, animation, after-effe cts, audio-visual effects – activities that are undertaken post the shooting (Cunningham, 2005). The work involved in Cinematography today involves personnel other than the cinematographer (LoBrutto, 1999), and hence it becomes important to understand how the work of soft factors related to communications, work-interactions, attitudes and behaviors impact on the overall cinematic process.       Review of Literature The introduction of digital technology, the fast pace of technological advancement and the changing expectations of an audience that is increasingly tech savvy (Hoffmann, 2008), have posed wide challenges for film cinematography (Brown, 2011; Mascelli, 2009) and spawned a new generation of cinematographers. However, personal reports from cinematographers (Rogers, 2000; Rogers, 1998; Bergery, 2002; Ellis, 2011) and several prior researches (Schaefer and Salvato, 1986)   have provided insights about probable problems and issues that digital imagery and the invo lvement of multiple technicians the ‘Digital Imagery specialists’ brings to cinematographer’s job (Ballinger, 2004). While the technical quality of cinematography has improved tremendously (Greenhalgh, 2003), it appears that the intuitive and inherent talent of the cinematographers is perhaps not being utilized to the fullest (Malkiewicz and Gryboski, 2002). A preliminary review of the available literature has revealed that some work has been done, especially via interviews of cinematographer, to assess their experiences and perceptions about the profession. However, none of the previous research has aimed to specifically explore how the changes in the soft factors – the interpersonal interactions, communications, cooperation that the latest technology entails - impact on the work of the Cinematographers. The current research therefore aims to provide a more holistic insight about the changes that Cinematographers have to deal with, and the impact on their work. Research Methods In order to explore the current and changing role of cinematographers, both secondary and primary research is proposed. The secondary research is undertaken using an exhaustive

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Essay on Managing People Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

On Managing People - Essay Example Some of the theories which have been used are the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two factor theory, McClelland theory of motivation, Alderfer's ERG theory. Theories and their applications in the context of the case As per the goal setting theory, individuals generally have a clear drive towards reaching towards a certain state or goal. Reaching this end state is perceived as being a reward in itself. However the goals’ efficiency is affected by the following features, namely, specificity, proximity and difficulty. Such was the case with Steve Jobs. Jobs motivation was derived largely through his desire to change the world through his innovation. It is true that he was much lower in comparison to his competitors in terms of riches or wealth. However, it was not his motive to earn the reputation of being the wealthiest of his time; he was rather focused towards creating such innovative products which would be appreciated and accepted by all and would be ac cepted and perceived as such a thing which changed their lives. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow has presented the hierarchy of needs of individuals which can be explored to explain the context of the case study. ... Being the owner of Apple, which is one of the largest multinational organizations in the world, it is imperative to understand that he had reached the pinnacled of success in his career. Thus it can be said that all of his self esteem needs had been satisfied. However, the fact that he continued to work on innovation and creation depicts that he was still in the lookout to attain his needs to attain self actualization. His continuous strive towards enhancing his performance as being a leader as well as his people in the organization demonstrate his craving for the need of self actualization (Gorman, 2004, p.34). Herzberg’s two factor theory ‘Herzberg’s two factor theory’ is different from that of Maslow in that the former presents two categories of conditions which are known as ‘motivators’ and ‘hygiene factors’ respectively. Factors which contribute directly towards motivating people to work harder is named as motivators and facto rs which de-motivate employees in their absence but do not motivate them when present are known as hygiene factors. In the case of Steve Jobs, the fact of being the CEO does not act as a motivator for him. It is rather a hygiene factor for him. Even though he produced the successful iPod player and iTunes which was considered to be quite a revolution in recording industry he was not quite content with it. This was followed by the production of the iPhone and the Macbook Air in 2007 (Mullins, 2010, p.411-413). Such big achievements could not satisfy him much and thus they can be considered to hygiene factors. They did not contribute towards making him work harder; however, their absence could have acted as de-motivators in his career. The case reveals that Steve Jobs was not the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Psychological Care of a Patient | Neonatal Case Study

Psychological Care of a Patient | Neonatal Case Study Kathleen Gaule Nicolls indicates that the psychological skills should be routine provision. Discuss this statement using a case study from clinical practice. Discuss the relevance of psychology and how it is applied and integrated into a case study. Identify the medical and nursing problems and the related pathophysiology to set the context of the case study. (1000 words.) Portfolio 2 Psychological care refers to an approach of looking after the ill, (in this case also the parents) and should be integrated with nursing to provide an organised and practical psychological content to overall care. Krigger et al (2007). They also state it represents a big step towards meeting the requirements of truly holistic care. As mentioned it requires an organised approach with various skills and objectives and to deal with psychological issues arising from the event of illness. Firstly for psychological care there has to be an awareness. Secondly intervention and thirdly refer on if necessary for therapy. Nicolls states that it should be common provision’ in hospitals. He also states that common psychological reactions to illnesses include shock and even post-traumatic stress, confusion, distress and loss of self-worth, lowered self-control and even a collapse into dependency. Kevin (not his real name for the purposes of confidentiality) was a term +10 day baby. Spontaneous vaginal delivery. His birth weight was 3.2kgs. Apgar score was 9 at one minute of age and 10 at ten minutes of age. He cried at delivery, no resuscitation required just dried and suctioned. He was pink and given to mother for skin to skin. He was her first baby. At fifteen minutes of age baby was on the breast and sucking. All was well. At 30 minutes of age, mother’s partner noticed that the baby while still on the breast was not sucking and not breathing. He immediately called for help. The neonatal team came immediately. Cardiac massage was given, the baby was intubated and ventilated, and adrenaline 1:10,000 was given by three individual doses via the endotracheal tube. He was transferred to the neonatal unit. A team decision was made to start the baby on cooling as per cooling guidelines. Umbilical arterial and venous lines were inserted and he was commenced on morphine. Panc uronium (muscle relaxant) was withheld initially so the team could observe if there any abnormal movements. Continuous monitoring functioning was commenced. His mother Mary (not her real name) came down to the unit accompanied by her partner shaken and shocked at the fact that her baby had been taken away from her so suddenly. She went from euphoria the birth of her first baby a beautiful baby boy to a lifeless baby cold to touch in a cooling supported by a life support machine with bags of intravenous fluids, syringes and pumps. This for her was so surreal. After initially explaining to Mary how we were actually nursing Kevin being continually aware that it was pretty much going over her head but as Drewery in his article states ‘repetition is the prime influence in memory’ None of the team at this point could actually tell her what had happened because we did not know. We as a team were also shocked as to what happened. We tried to internalise the situation. The baby was pink, was at the breast and sucking. What happened? Each time Mary came to the neonatal unit she would spend long periods of time there sometimes on her own sometimes with her partner or family members. She appeared vague as if everything was going over her head and it was to a certain degree. Emotional and psychological care was paramount for her at this stage. By day four it was clear that Kevin would not survive without the ventilator, psychological preparation for that was of vital importance. Communication with the parents seeing exactly at what point each of them were at and bridging that gap. To build a bridge from where they were at that point and helping them cross that bridge metaphorically speaking where they needed to be without them falling. That was a huge challenge for us as a team. According to Egan (1998) Attending, Listening and Understanding are the three basics in communication skills. Attending which is being present for the person or persons. Listening which must be active listening as this will encourage the cli ents to talk and how they feel and what is going on for them at that present time. Egan (1998) also states we have to listen to nonverbal cues as very often as in this case the present was familiar (at least the baby was present) as opposed to the prospect of change. They appeared to have understood the consequences of withdrawing ventilation but their body language clearly stated they did not want it to happen The bond of attachment had already formed especially with Mary. As Bowlby (1989) states ‘attachment is a close emotional bond between infant and the care giver in this case between infant and mother. She said very little initially how she felt, just asked very appropriate questions regarding Kevin. It was difficult nursing him as we both knew the outcome but on the other side she had built up a relationship with us. One of trust one that had been formed on the basis of been open and frank with her and she with us. We left them decide when they wanted to withdraw ventilation. This bridge was built and crossed. The initial conversation about withdrawing treatment went completely over their heads, but as mentioned earlier Repetition is the prime influence in memory. Dewey (2012). Traumatic news sometimes cannot be processed. One can proceed to the responses of grief: denial, anger, bargaining and finally acceptance. According to Krigger et al (2007) grief often manifests itself wi th features similar to depression and it is vital as health care professionals can distinguish between the two, as this may require professional help example counselling or psychotherapy. With this particular case the parents had very good family support. CONCLUSION. In conclusion I agree from my experience of dealing with this particular case and other cases also that psychological care of a patient and in this case the parents is paramount. They must be treated in holistically, physiologically, psychologically and spiritual care is also of great importance. Holistic care is central to nursing and also intuitive. As Wynne (2013) describes palliative care is ‘an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing life threatening illnesses’. One has to care in a way that counts one has to be emphatic and kind also to look after one’s own needs to ensure that psychological care is of routine provision. REFERENCES.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Imagery in Othello Essays -- Othello essays

Imagery in Othello  Ã‚         The vast array of natural imagery in Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello dazzles the audience’s minds. Let us survey in this essay the varieties of imagery referred to by the playwright.    The vulgar imagery of Othello’s ancient dominates the opening of the play. Francis Ferguson in â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other† describes the types of imagery used by the antagonist when he â€Å"slips his mask aside† while awakening Brabantio:    Iago is letting loose the wicked passion inside him, as he does from time to time throughout the play, when he slips his mask aside. At such moments he always resorts to this imagery of money-bags, treachery, and animal lust and violence. So he expresses his own faithless, envious spirit, and, by the same token, his vision of the populous city of Venice – Iago’s â€Å"world,† as it has been called. . . .(132)    Standing outside the senator’s home late at night, Iago uses imagery within a lie to arouse the occupant: â€Å" Awake! what, ho, Brabantio! thieves! thieves! thieves! / Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!† When the senator appears at the window, the ancient continues with coarse imagery of animal lust: â€Å"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is topping your white ewe,† and â€Å"you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have coursers for cousins and gennets for germans.† David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies comments that the imagery in the play is quite mundane, and he tells why:    The battle of good and evil is of course cosmic, but in Othello that battle is realized through a taut narrative of jealousy and murder. Its poetic images are accordingly focused t... ...s Desdemona before stabbing himself to death:    Cold, cold, my girl!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even like thy chastity. O cursed slave!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whip me, ye devils,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the possession of this heavenly sight!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blow me about in winds! roast me in sulphur!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O Desdemona! Desdemona! dead! (5.2)    WORKS CITED    Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.    Ferguson, Francis. â€Å"Two Worldviews Echo Each Other.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare: The Pattern in His Carpet. N.p.: n.p., 1970.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cultural Event Paper

A cultural event that I have attended in the past that has had a memorable affect on my life was a Native American Powwow. This event takes place every year, Thanksgiving weekend in Tucson, AZ. I arrived in the late afternoon, as the sun was going down. I remember seeing many different types of people, from tourists to the different Native American performers. The physical setting of this particular celebration was outside, and based around, one main circle. Drums were beating so loud, you could feel the pound inside your chest. Different activities were going on all around, such as dancers, vendors, and a huge variety of foods to choose from. The circular dancing arena is known as the arbor, this area is blessed before any of the events begin (Schultz, 2001). This area is considered to be sacred ground, and is respected throughout the entire celebration (Schultz, 2001). The arbor was made of tree limbs and leaves. The four main entries into the festivities were used to resemble the four points of a compass (Schultz, 2001). The dancers entered from the east entrance, and the main announcer was located by the West entrance. Many spectators were sitting on blankets, and some on lawn chairs. The environment was relaxed, and a very friendly atmosphere. The activities included dance and drum contests, different ceremonies, and many different vendors. The crafts were all handmade and amazing. Each piece looked as if it were specially made from the heart. The Native American culture to me felt festive, warm, and very inviting. The dancer’s come from many different tribes. Their faces were painted, and their costumes consisted of beautiful festive colors. They were made of feathers, sequence, dye, and other natural fabrics. A powwow is a Native American gathering, or celebration that began with the Plains tribe, and continued to other Native American tribes through the years (Schultz, 2001). A powwow is also the oldest known public ritual of the Native Americans (Schultz, 2001). This culture considers this particular festivity, a celebration of the circle of life. They include much of their culture in their dance, music, art, food, and drumming, especially while performing these rituals (Schultz, 2001). In the past powwows took place around seasonal changes. This changed as non-natives began to join in celebrating these Native American customs (Schultz, 2001). Native American powwows earliest record dates back to July 4th, 1900 in a Missoula, MT newspaper (Schultz, 2001). Native Americans hold a type of esoteric concept that comes from their philosophy of preserving their environment as well as their kinship that ties them together (Access Genealogy, 2009). They not only have social ties, they are politically and religiously organized through their rituals, government, and other institutions (Access Genealogy, 2009). They work together to reside in a territorial area, and speak a common language (Access Genealogy, 2009). They are not characterized by any one certain structure (Access Genealogy, 2009). However, the society agrees on fundamental principles that bond together a certain social fabric (Access Genealogy, 2009). Different Native American tribes throughout the years have had different ideas, opinions, philosophies, which are not always predetermined by their past ancestors. The roots and customs of Native American tribes run deep. A feeling of respect and tradition is in the air. Every little detail has meaning and a certain level of pride and of importance to each individual taking part in the ceremony. According to Access Genealogy, 2009, â€Å"Humanities are studies of the human condition, whether it is the study of art, sociology, anthropology, literature, history, or any other human endeavor. † Humanities are the core of humanism, and are the product and creativeness of each individual society. Each culture’s has its own form of expression; in this case, it was the powwow. This was a way to entertain and promote awareness to the Native American culture. They are not afraid to show who they are, like other cultures, which can be more refined in the way they celebrate. Native Americans choose to embrace their heritage, and make it a part of their everyday lives. They are trying to hold on to a special place from their past, and not let it slip away. America is known as the â€Å"Melting Pot† with many different cultures, I believe that celebration is a way for each culture to hold onto their identity, and gain respect in a world that is constantly changing.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Historical Roots of Psychology Essay

Psychology is a relatively new science, having emerged as a formal discipline only during the 19th century. It, however, came into existence due to the philosophical aim of understanding and explaining the nature of the mind and the soul. Physiology was later integrated into psychology when the latter sought to discover the causes and the cure for mental illness. Historical Roots of Psychology Psychology is considered as one of the youngest sciences – it emerged as a formal discipline only during the 19th century. Ironically, the historical roots of psychology can be traced back to the ancient field of philosophy. Throughout history, philosophers and religious scholars have sought to understand and explain the nature of the mind and the soul. This objective, in turn, resulted in the institution of psychology as an official school of thought (MSN Encarta, 2008). Ancient Philosophers and Philosophies Greek philosophers started venturing into psychological topics from about 600 to 300 BC. They were said to be most interested in epistemology, a philosophical sub-discipline which studied the nature of knowledge and human existence. As a result, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle wrote extensively about topics such as knowledge, beauty, desire, free will and common sense (MSN Encarta, 2008). The immense interest of the Greek philosophers in epistemology led to the creation of cosmology, the â€Å"study of the universe as a whole, including its distant past and future† (MSN Encarta, 2008). They must have realized that the nature of the universe determined the existence of its inhabitants, including human beings. Contentions French philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes, however, disagreed with the views of the ancient Greek thinkers – he believed that the mind and the body were independent units. The body was a physical entity while the mind was a spiritual one – the pineal gland (a tiny organ found at the base of the brain) was their sole means of interaction. English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, meanwhile, argued that all human experiences (images, sensations, feelings and thoughts) were actually physical processes that took place within the nervous system and the brain. This belief eventually became the basis for monism, a philosophical school of thought which argued that â€Å"the mind and the body are one and the same† (MSN Encarta, 2008). At present, however, psychologists no longer recognize monism due to the immense scientific evidence that validate the intertwined relationship between the physical and mental aspects of human experience (MSN Encarta, 2008). Early Psychology It is widely believed that psychology became a science in 1879. In this year, physiologist Wilhelm Wundt established the first laboratory dedicated to the scientific study of the mind at the University of Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany. Since the late 18th and early 19th centuries, physiology has already been integrated into psychology. Some experts believed that specific parts of the brain were responsible for certain brain activities (MSN Encarta, 2008). This idea paved the way for the creation of psychological subfields whose theories and principles are being used in modern-day psychology. Functionalism Functionalism was one of the most well-known psychological schools of thought during the first decades of psychology. Its founder, William James, was a staunch advocate of Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory that â€Å"all characteristics of a species must serve some adaptive purpose† (MSN Encarta, 2008). Consequently, James created a psychological subfield which espoused the investigation of the purpose of consciousness instead of its structure. Functional psychologists later came up with the longitudinal research, a technique which was composed of interviewing, testing and observing one person over a long period of time. In using this system, the psychologist can make and record observations on a patient’s development and his or her response to different situations (MSN Encarta, 2008). Sigmund Freud Viennese neurologist Sigmund Freud was one of the most prominent figures in the field of psychology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his personality theory of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis operated on the premise that â€Å"people are motivated largely by unconscious forces (such as) strong sexual and aggressive drives† (MSN Encarta, 2008). Although humans have the capability to suppress their unconscious motives, it is necessary for them to find a suitable outlet if they wish to maintain a healthy personality (MSN Encarta, 2008). Psychoanalysis eventually became a form of psychotherapy through the technique of free association. Freud developed free association as a means of probing the unconscious mind. In this technique, the patient is made to lie down and talk about whatever thoughts, wishes and memories that come to his or her mind. The analyst, in turn, determines the psychological significance of these verbalizations by attempting to interpret them. For Freud, dreams were the â€Å"royal road to the unconscious† – the disguised expressions of deep, hidden impulses (MSN Encarta, 2008). Behaviorism Behaviorism was formed in the 1990s mainly as a response to Freudian psychology. Psychologists who followed the former contested the reliability and usefulness of studying invisible mental processes such as consciousness and unconsciousness. For them, it was better to analyze only behavior that could be directly observed rather than interpreting the vague manifestations of a given behavior. Because of its relatively more scientific methods, behaviorism dominated the field of psychology for almost 50 years (MSN Encarta, 2008). Two of the most well-known experiments in behaviorism are those by American psychologist Edward Lee Thorndike (1898) and Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1906). Thorndike’s tests on cats produced the law of effect, which argued that â€Å"behaviors that are followed by a positive outcome are repeated, while those followed by a negative outcome or none at all are extinguished† (MSN Encarta, 2008). Pavlov’s research on dogs, on the other hand, resulted in the Pavlovian conditioning (also known as classical conditioning). According to the Pavlovian conditioning, it is possible for an organism to relate one stimulus to another (MSN Encarta, 2008). Conclusion It is true that psychology emerged as a formal discipline only during the 19th century and is mostly a combination of philosophical and physiological concepts. But these did not hinder psychology from being a very advanced school of thought today. One of the most important contributions of psychology is the proper treatment of mental illnesses. Prior to the advent of psychology, mentally ill people were believed to be possessed with evil spirits. As a result, they were subjected to physical torture in order to release the malevolent beings that were â€Å"controlling† them. Furthermore, advances in the field of psychology that were geared towards improving mental health just goes to show that medicine has already progressed so much as well. Health is no longer defined as merely being free of disease but also having a vigorous mind. The body, after all, cannot function without the mind and vice versa. References MSN Encarta. (2008). Cosmology. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761564398/Cosmology. html MSN Encarta. (2008). Psychology. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761576533/Psychology. html

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Transformational Leadership and Service Quality in UAE Hospitals

Transformational Leadership and Service Quality in UAE Hospitals The paper under the study is a research article titled Transformational Leadership and Service Quality in UAE Hospitals. An academic scholar and a hospital official, Naceur Jabnoun from Department of Business Administration, the University of Sharjah, and Aisha Juma Al Rasasi from Medical Records Department, Al-Thaid Hospital, wrote this article. It was published in 2005, and its subjects matter is the concerns management of service quality in UAE hospitals.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Transformational Leadership and Service Quality in UAE Hospitals specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper investigates the relationship between transformational leadership and service quality through conducting a research of various UAE hospitals. In addition, the paper analyses hospital employees perception of dimensions of service quality and those transformational and transactional changes in their leadership. In co nclusion, the relationship between service quality dimension and the transformational and transactional leadership is categorically discussed in the paper after an all-inclusive investigation. A research study was conducted through comprehensive research method comprised of the use of questionnaires addressed to a sample of hospital employees and patients who acted as respondents. The questionnaires in the study were grouped into two. One group of questionnaires, distributed to patients, addressed service quality by using SERVQUAL, while the next questionnaire was given to the employees from the similar hospitals. The questionnaires were used to address transactional and transformational leadership by means of multilevel management. The keywords or phrases that kept on replicating were transactional leadership, customer service quality, transformational leadership, hospitals and the UAE. Transformational leadership is defined as a process through which leaders influence radical chan ges in the behaviors of their followers. Transformational leadership is associated with or concerns the performance and altitudes of employees. According to the paper, service quality has ten determinants which are responsiveness, tangibles, courtesy, reliability, competence, credibility, communication, security, access, and understanding the customers. In the context of the paper, the statements that are deemed significant include a health care sector where service quality has become a focus of competition among the organizations. The instrument for measuring transformational and transactional leadership known as multifactor leadership questionnaire includes seven factors to check according to the particular type of leadership. The study reveals a general satisfaction with the services quality rendered to patients. In addition, the employees have a low rating perceptive of their employers regarding the 3 dimensions of leadership.Advertising Looking for critical writing on b usiness economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While reading the research paper, it is clearly articulated and easy to understand everything that is written and explained in the context. The writers clearly and with immense writing experience follow the format of a research paper. The flow of information draws closer understanding of the explanation on the given discussion. In addition, the use of scientific analysis tools and interpretation facilitate in better understanding and conformation to the details of the research conducted. The ideas presented are common and familiar to me since they are every day experiences in a majority of hospitals in regard to the service quality in the United Arabs Emirates. In addition, the scenarios of employees with leadership factor are the same in the majority of the industrial sectors. The research paper is a tremendous piece of writing because the writer uses both the corresponden ts as well as the patients and the employees to access the quality of services provision, thereby minimizing biases. In addition, the use of sample questionnaires and scientific analysis provides ground to examine the precise truth concerning the conditions in UAE hospitals. The fact that the writers chose six UAE hospitals for their research study gives us a clear view of what other hospitals in the region are. Moreover, the writers of the article propose some recommendations like training and counseling aiming at averting some of the negative attributes of leadership in the hospitals. However, the authors do not presumably end the study without proper solutions and recommendations for further studies in a bigger sample size; this leaves the study open to other potential scholars. Application of service quality to the business world is similar to that of the hospitals. The relationship between the employees and the leadership is identical. As a result, many business investments hav e failed and shown minimal performance due to poor leadership that has resulted in development of unpleasant relationship between employees and their employers. Practically, following transactional and transformation leadership works for improvement of service quality. Issues, such as training and counseling, help improve the way leaders relate with their employees, hence contributing to conducive working environment and, as a result, increase in the outcomes and profits gained. The article is an academic paper that every prospective and performing business investor and/or managers from various institutions should read to improve their quality service delivery. It expands the horizon of new business ventures and tactics of management through highlighting crucial guidelines for mangers on the dimensions of leadership.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Transformational Leadership and Service Quality in UAE Hospitals specifically for you for only $1 6.05 $11/page Learn More Enhancement in such dimensions will be as a result of improvement in service quality in the industry or organization. There are multiple learning techniques teaching vital lessons that are relevant in an institution if they are applicable and/or become polices of running an organization.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Constitutional and administrative law The WritePass Journal

Constitutional and administrative law Abstract Constitutional and administrative law has given powers to the Secretary of State to undertake certain administrative tasks such as the licensing of tyre storage and their destruction. A statement was also made that any decisions on the part of the Secretary of State cannot be challenged in a court of law, and the Secretary of State is given wide discretionary power under the statutory provisions. With this in mind and following certain concerns by three different companies, as well as a pressure group, the question has arisen as to whether or not the powers exercised by the Secretary of State in these scenarios could be subject to judicial review. Introduction The paper here will look, firstly, at the legal principles associated with judicial review, including identifying who may bring an action to judicial review and the grounds for such action, before applying this to the set of facts presented in relation to the individual entities in this case study. Judicial Review – Rules Judicial review provides a procedure whereby an individual or relevant group of individuals can bring an action in court to argue that a public body acted in an unlawful manner (IRC, 1982). Broadly speaking, judicial review will fall into one of three categories: where a public body has acted illegally, i.e. failing to apply the law in the relevant manner; has acted irrationally by making a logical decision; or has undertaken some form of procedural impropriety which means that it has not followed the correct procedure. Where an action for judicial review is successful, the court may then quash the act undertaken by the public body or may require it to review the situation or may refrain the body from acting in the manner that it has been acting, previously. A typical example of this would be a declaration by the High Court that the public body had acted in an unlawful manner and would therefore require it to act differently, in the future (Fulham Corporation 1921). Firstly, it is noted that judicial review is available against a decision made by a public body and, in this case, the Secretary of State for the Environment is a public body making public decisions and would therefore be potentially subject to judicial review, regardless of the statement that it cannot be held accountable in court (Hampshire Farmers Market Ltd., 2004). The individual bringing the action must also have sufficient standing in order to make the application (as defined by Section 31(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981). In accordance with this section, it is stated that the permission shall not be given to bring an action, unless it is considered that the applicant has sufficient interest in the matter to bring the action (Gough, 1993). Having been allowed to bring an action to judicial review, the next stage is to identify the grounds for challenge of the public authority’s behaviour. Each of the three grounds will be looked at in turn, as each is potentially relevant, in this case. The classification of the grounds that will be discussed here was first established in the Minister for the Civil Service case decided in 1985. Under the heading of illegality, there are several grounds for challenge, with one of the most common aspects of this being where there are allegations that the legislation has been misinterpreted (Anisminic 1969).Crucially, a decision can be deemed to be illegal for the purposes of judicial review, if the decision making body has ignored relevant considerations, or is taking irrelevant considerations into account when making decisions. This is particularly relevant when it comes to a situation whereby the public authority has a relatively high level of discretion in applying the rules and regulations by which it is guided. It is however noted that where the public authority is taking into account legally relevant factors and the decision they make is ultimately rationale this cannot then be queried simply because one of the parties does not agree (ex parte Westminster City Council 1986). L Diplcok also placed a large emphasis on the second ground for challenging the actions of the public body which is on the basis of irrationality. He stated that the decision would be deemed to be irrational if it could be seen as â€Å"so, outrageous in its defiance of logic or accepted moral standards, that no sensible person, whether applied his mind to the question that have arrived at it.† (Associated Provincial 1948)This ground for judicial review is somewhat different than the other two in that it looks at the substance of the decision, but will only allow for judicial review where the decision is outrageous and again, not simply because one of the parties disagree (Barnett 2010). Secondly, also under the umbrella issue of irrationality is that of proportionality meaning that the public body needs to make proportional decisions in order to achieve the underlying aim of the powers given to the public authority. For example it may be seen as disproportionate to prevent a particular protest march from taking place where it would have been possible to protect public safety by simply choosing an alternative route. Proportionality is seen as being particularly relevant when it comes to the European convention on human rights is also an issue that is dealt with when looking at decisions relating to the application of the European convention on human rights under UK law. Fundamentally therefore, where the public body has acted in a way that is disproportionate this could be used as an example of irrationality and therefore offer an opportunity for judicial review (Daly, 2001). Finally there is the category of procedural impropriety which deals with an allegation that the public body has not used the processes and procedures required in order to make the decisions that it has made (Oliver 1987). A distinction is drawn between a procedural requirement which is perceived as being mandatory and a simple direction with any breach of a mandatory requirement allowing for judicial review on the grounds procedurally proprietary. There are also rules associated with natural justice, which are linked to procedural requirements and where it has been a breach of natural justice it is likely that judicial review of the procedurally proprietary will be allowed (Lloyd, 1987). For example, there are specific rules of natural justice, which ensured that no bias is shown and that each individual has the right to a fair hearing. An individual will have a legitimate expectation of how their case should be dealt with and a failure to offer the opportunity to have a fair hearing could result in procedural impropriety (Nottinghamshire CC 1986). Unlike other countries there is not a general requirement under English administrative law to give reasons for decisions however it may be required by statute to provide reasons and this would then prevail. Rules relating to legitimate expectation are also likely to be relevant as it is only reasonable that individuals form expectations on how their own situation will be treated and failure to comply with this can result in procedural impropriety (Fairmount 1976). Once an action for judicial review is successful, there are several different remedies which may be available, including a declaration of incompatibility as well as options for the court to nullify the decision made by the public authority by the requirement for the relevant authority to revisit their decision and to comply with the public authority duties that are relevant (Liverpool Corporation 1972). Bearing in mind the various different issues associated with judicial review the position in relation to the four possible claims for judicial review will be looked at in turn. Alpha Ltd (A) Two decisions have been made that A is confused by. These issues are firstly, the refusal to offer a grant for the recycling expansion due to environmental concerns and secondly, the requirement to cease trading due to the lack of licence. A stores no more than 1000 tyres at a time and these are shredded within 12 months. Schedule 1 (B) states that a licence is not required where the tyres are stored for less than 12 months and there are less than 1000 stored at any point in time. Based on this interpretation it would seem irrational that the Secretary of State for the Environment failed to allow the exemption to apply and this would result in a declaration being made and the position having to be re-considered. By contrast it is simply stated that a recycling grant would require the applicant to show that the waste to be recycled will not be harmful to the environment. It is argued here that the belief by the Secretary of State that the chosen recycling approach by A would be harmful and as such it would be appropriate to refuse the grant and could not be deemed to be irrational or disproportionate as it would seem reasonable to disallow a grant that would potentially support some form of non environmentally friendly approach. Beta Ltd (B) An application for a licence has been rejected by the Secretary of State by B as it is using technologies that are seen to be safe and have been proved as such in Germany but has not gained approval in the UK as is required under the statutory provisions. This presents a reasonably difficult position when it comes to judicial review as it could be argued that the Secretary of State has followed the requirements under the statutory provision yet has potentially acted in a disproportionate manner and has failed to take into account the tests that have taken place in Germany. Despite the potential argument of irrationality that B could put forward, it is suggested on balance that the Secretary of State has followed the processes contained within the statutory provisions and therefore it is unlikely that judicial review will be successful in this situation. Gamma Ltd (G) G has also been refused a licence despite having a strong environmental record. G was initially afforded a licence automatically however this was reneged and G was told to apply for a licence which was ultimately refused due to the previous investigations relating to the theft of tyres, this was not an environmental issue. It is also suggested that bias is being shown as the decision maker was involved in the original investigation. Bearing both of these points in mind it is suggested that the judicial review would be successful on the grounds of procedural improprietary on the grounds of bias as well as illegality as the rules contained within the statutory provision have not been applied appropriately with the relevant investigations needing to be environmental in nature if a licence is to be rejected. Tyred Out (T) T is a special interest group looking at environmental issues associated with the disposal of tyres and is arguing that Delta (D) should not be granted a licence due to a poor environmental record. Firstly it is concluded based on the concepts of material interest that T is able to bring an action for judicial review as it has sufficient interest. Secondly it has been put forward by the Secretary of State that a licence was granted based on the devastating potential on the employment in the area despite poor environmental records. It would be necessary to look therefore whether the decision was rational and proportionate, something which it is suggested based on the facts here that the decision was indeed appropriate and could not be deemed irrational. Discretion is given to the Secretary of State and this discretion has seemingly been applied appropriately making it unlikely that judicial review will be successful. Conclusions By looking at the specific rules and applying this to the four scenarios presented, it could be seen that there are mixed results with judicial review being likely to be successful in the case of Gamma Ltd and partly in relation to Alpha Ltd but would be unsuccessful in the other areas. References Anisminic Ltd v.Foreign Compensation Commission [1969] 2 AC 147 Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v. Wednesbury Corporation [1948] 1 KB 223) Attorney-General v. Fulham Corporation, ex relatione Yapp [1921] 1 Ch 440, Barnett, H (2010) Constitutional Administrative Law, Taylor Francis Bradley, A.W. and Ewing, K.D., (2003) Constitutional and Administrative Law, Pearson. Council of Civil Service Unions v. Minister for Civil Service [1985] AC 374 Fairmount Investments Ltd v. Secretary of State for the Environment [1976] 1 WLR 1255 IRC v. NFSESB [1982] AC 617. Lloyd v McMahon [1987] AC 625 Nottinghamshire CC v. Secretary of State for the Environment [1986] 1 AC 240 Oliver, D (1987)Is the Ultra Vires Rule the Basis of Judicial Review? [1987] P.L. 543 R(Daly) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] 2 AC 532 R (on the application of Beer) v. Hampshire Farmers Market Ltd [2004] 1 WLR 233 R v. Gough [1993] AC 646 R v. Liverpool Corporation, ex parte Liverpool Taxis [1972] 3 WLR 224 Constitutional and Administrative Law Introduction Constitutional and Administrative Law IntroductionBibliographyRelated Introduction In British constitutional theory and practice there is a clear-cut distinction between law and convention.   Law derives from common law and statute, and is enforceable by the courts.   Convention derives from constitutional principle and practice and is not enforceable by the courts.   Law remains in force until changed by statute.   Convention may change with changing times.   Law, at least if statutory, is ascertainable in precise form.   Convention is often imprecise and may be nowhere formulated in categorical terms. (Professor H.W.R. Wade) Is this an accurate explanation of the distinctive nature of law and convention in relation to the British constitution? Professor H.W.R Wade produced a statement highlighting a clear-cut distinction between the nature of law and convention in relation to the British Constitution. Throughout this essay I shall critically asses the validity and accuracy of his explanation by taking an in depth look at key concepts, doctrines and comments to evaluate whether a distinction exists   between the nature of law and convention. Whilst Britain does not have a single codified document called ‘The Constitution’, it would be deceptive to assert that the constitution is unwritten. Indeed, Britain’s constitution has been cultivated from multiple key constitutional sources which make it possible to approach a description of the constitution. These sources can be found in the decisions of the courts in the form of dictum or in the interpretation of statute. With Britain being a member state of the European Union part of the constitution can emanate from EU Law, the Royal Prerogative, and a distinct part is found in historical arrangements and practices known as conventions. I shall be focusing primarily on the nature of law and conventions, in relation to the British constitution in order to assess whether a distinctions is visible between the two constitutional sources. Professor Wade asserts that â€Å"Law derives from common law and statute, and is enforceable by the courts. Convention derives from constitutional principle and practice is not enforceable by the courts†. Accordingly, it would be just to establish that from a precise detailed point of view, this statement can be seen to be contentious. This is primarily because Professor Wade highlights that the â€Å"Law derives from common law and statute† however what he seizes to base emphasis on is the mere fact that conventions set a key agenda in the crafting of statute and common law reasoning; in the words of Sir Ivor Jennings â€Å"conventions provide the flesh which clothes the dry bones of the law†[1] Thus, evidently the legal hierarchy of the British constitution is everywhere penetrated, transformed and inherently effected by an inevitable element of convention, and a failure to adhere to an important convention might lead Parliament to cast a disputed practice int o legislative form. An example of this is The Parliament Act 1911, which was enforced after the House of Lords exceeded conventional limits on its power, rejecting, in 1909, a finance bill (Lloyd George’s ‘People’s Budget’). This consequently undermines, to some extent, the clear-cut distinction Professor Wade respectively explains, in that, if conventions are so interconnected in the cultivation of   the natural form of law as mentioned above then a distinction cannot be clear-cut or even made, and this connection will always bind the natural law and conventions. Evidently the natural form of law is enforceable by the courts. Professor Wade makes a distinction here between the nature of law and convention by stating that â€Å"Law is enforceable by the courts.Convention is not enforceable by the courts† The issue here arises with regards to the validity of this statement. Are conventions indeed distinctly dissimilar to the nature of law in that they are not enforceable by the courts? Indeed, conventions are rules and are part of the constitutional order, interrelated and interwoven to some extent, however relatively distinguishable from the natural form of law as Professor Wade asserts. The key distinction is in the nature of the enforcement and of the sanction. As mentioned above the natural form of law is inherently enforced in the courts; however it could be debated as to whether conventions are fully applied in courts (discussed further below), conventions are most certainly non-legal but nonetheless binding rules of constitutional behaviour. A good example of this is the convention of ministerial responsibility. It is a convention which holds ministers wholly and individually responsible to Parliament. If a minister knowingly misleads parliament for example he or she will be expected to resign from office. If no resignation is forthcoming the minister would be acting unconstitutionally and NOT illegally. A court of law could not compel a resignation in this situation. Nonetheless, in the case of R. v Secretary of State for the Home Department Ex p. Hosenball[2] the court had relaxed the rules of natural justice â€Å"for the protection of the realm† in a case were the Secretary of State had considered information that Mr.Hosenball, while resident in the United Kingdom, had sought and obtained for publication information harmful to the security of the United Kingdom. This case proves that the courts were willing to shape up the natural form of the law and enforce a convention for public interest in order to ensure the security of the ‘realm’. A key point to address in this case was that the Secretary of State had not arguably acted fairly in that Mr.Hosenball was denied a fair trial. In today’s court this would infringe article 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998. Therefore, it would be fair to establish that in today’s courts the judiciary would have taken a different approach to tackling the aforementioned case. So is Professor Wade accurate in explaining that a distinction between the nature of law and convention exists on the basis that law is enforceable by the courts and convention is not? Certainly the above case contradicts to this to some extent; however a reluctance of the modern courts to enforce conventions has crafted this distinction, making Professor Wade’s distinction relatively accurate on this basis. However as highlighted by the convention of ministerial responsibility a distinction can be formed between a convention and the natural form of law on the basis that acting unconstitutionally differs from acting illegally as highlighted above. Professor Wade explains that a distinction exists between the nature of law and convention on the basis that â€Å"Law remains in force until changed by statute, and convention may change with changing times†. Accordingly Professor Wade is to some extent right in this distinction, in that we have seen numerous acts of parliament being superseded and changed by more modern statutes. Furthermore, it would be fair to establish that courts accept the validity of the acts of Parliament and have validated the concept of Parliamentary Sovereignty, and although the courts do not directly challenge legislation passed down by Parliament, a strong part of the constitution comprises of common law and not solely statute law, particularly in certain cases involving private law including tort and contract law. Thus to some extent it could be inaccurate and problematic to assert that â€Å"law remains in force until changed by statute†. Furthermore, Professor Wade, establishes that â€Å"conventions may change with changing times†. He is indeed relatively accurate in making this statement, as proven by the ‘Widdicombe Convention’ which was formally recorded to resolve any conventional ambiguities with regards to the media and publicity campaigns. This convention was effectively the result of the growing media and the influence it had on society. This convention inherently proves the accuracy of Professor Wade’s explanation that ‘conventions may change with times’. However the legitimacy of this distinction is inaccurate in a sense on the grounds that even the law may change with time, after all, this is why we have a parliament and a superior court system. With changes in society comes change in the law, this is the basic foundation of any competent legal system. Alas, this asserts that Professor Wade’s distinction is relatively inaccurate as both the natural form of la w and conventions change with time in order to sufficiently meet the ever changing needs of our society. Another distinction Professor Wade explains in his statement is that the â€Å"law, at least if statutory, is ascertainable in precise form, convention is often imprecise and may be nowhere formulated in categorical forms† To some extent it can be rather contentious to assert that statutory law is precise in its form. This is merely because a broad term may be used in a statute which can give rise to confusion and uncertainty, developments in society can make the words used in a statute out of date and they may no longer cover the current situation. An example of this is in Section 53, Coroners and Justice Act 2009 c. 25[3]. However the important distinction made here is the statement asserting that â€Å"conventions are often imprecise and may be nowhere formulated in categorical form†. A good authority which validly contradicts to this inaccurate distinction is the convention of ministerial responsibility which is included in the Ministerial Code, which is issued upon appointment to all ministers by the Prime Minister.   The convention clearly sets out the conventions and codes of practice as a minister. Thus, in conclusion after critically assessing Professor Wade’s explanation of the distinctive nature of law and convention in relation to the British constitution I have established that some of the distinctions he explains are more accurate than others. Initially the Parliament Act 1911 proved that failure to adhere to an important convention might lead Parliament to cast a disputed practice into legislative form which undermined Professor Wade’s explanation, and proves that convention can indeed constitute into law. Furthermore the case of R. v Secretary of State for the Home Department Ex p. Hosenball[4] proved that a convention could to some extent be enforceable in order to ensure the protection of the ‘realm’. I also established that Professor Wade was accurate in asserting that a â€Å"convention may change in time† as proven by the Widdicombe Convention, however his distinction could be seen as inaccurate as even the natural form of law can be changed in time to suit the needs of society. The convention of ministerial responsibility’s clarity contradicts Professor Wade’s distinction which stated that â€Å"that convention is imprecise in comparison to the precise form of law†. Therefore the aforementioned examples highlight that Professor Wade’s respective explanation although rightful in some aspects; the distinctions made can seem too broad and relatively inaccurate in some arspects in defining a convention and comparing it to the natural form of law. Bibliography Ward, R. (1997) Cases on Constitutional Administrative Law 4th edition, Pitman Publishing Horsey, K. (2009) Tort Law, Oxford University Press Leyland, P. (2007) The Constitution of the United Kingdom, Hart Publishing Turpin, C. (2007) British Government and the Constitution 6th edition, Cambridge University Press

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Benito Mussolini And Adolf Hitler

Benito Mussolini And Adolf Hitler Throughout history, many leaders have impacted their countries and the world around them. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini are two brutal yet significant leaders who came to power in their nations during a time of inflation, depression, and devastation. They both gained their power similarly and improved their country’s conditions after the devastation of World War I. During their rule they ruined many people’s lives and negatively impacted other countries. Hitler and Mussolini benefited their county’s economy. These leaders used totalitarian regimes as a way to gain order and control. Despite their many similarities, they also have many differences such as their very different principles. Hitler’s principle was based on the racial superiority of the Arian race. Mussolini empathized nationalism based on remembering Rome’s glory. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini had many similarities and differences; however their role in history impacted their co untry and World War II both negatively and positively. There are many similarities between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy were unhappy with the outcome of World War I. â€Å"Italians are showing great sympathy for the Hitler government in Germany. They consider the Treaty of Versailles cheated them of the fruit of victory (New York Times, 1933).† Germany and Italy had serious social and economic problems caused by the outcome of World War I. Hitler promised to end reparations, and create jobs through the creation of public works programs. It employed people by having them, build highways and housing. Mussolini promised a strong and stable government. Hitler and Mussolini had a totalitarian style in which they ruled their countries. A totalitarian government is regulated with only one leader that makes all the decisions for the entire country and regulates every aspect of a citizen’s life. Hitler and Mussolini both used this form of go vernment to help their counties Germany and Italy out of a deep economic depression after the devastation of World War I. Hitler and Mussolini became allies during the axis pact. They formed forces before gaining their power. Hitler formed the Nazi party. The Nazi Party stands for the Nationalists Socialist German workers party. The Nazi party supported violent racial nationalism and anti Semitism. Mussolini formed the black shirts. They chose violence over the democratic process. The black shirts used violence, censorship, and extreme propaganda. â€Å"Propaganda must not serve the truth, especially as it might bring out something favorable for the opponent (Hitler, 582).† Hitler explained that, â€Å"All propaganda must be popular and its intellectual level must be adjusted to the most limited intelligence among those it is addressed to. Consequently, the greater the mass it is intended to reach, the lower its purely intellectual level will have to be (Hitler, 583).† They both were anti- communist. Hitler and Mussolini used terror and force to gain more power. â€Å"The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason: terror and force (Hitler, 600). They both had scapegoats. Hitler blamed the Jewish for everything, especially for the loss of World War I. Mussolini blamed anyone that went against him. They formed alliances with each other before the start of World War II. Hitler and Mussolini both were talented speakers helping them gain support of the people.

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Task of Living a Sustainable Lifestyle is the Responsibility of Essay

The Task of Living a Sustainable Lifestyle is the Responsibility of the Individual, not Governments, Corporations or NGOs - Essay Example Having defined the basic concept of sustainable living, let’s now plunge deeper into the matter, giving special importance to the concept of carbon footprint. â€Å"A carbon footprint is a term used to describe a person's, family's, or company's impact on the environment around them† (Audet 2012, para.1). It involves the measurement of CO2 that we release in the atmosphere through our routine activities on daily basis. This CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases that are causing global warming. When we say that the task of living a sustainable lifestyle is the responsibility of the individual, we mean by this that it is the responsibility of every individual to be aware of his carbon footprint (Cambridgeshire Horizons 2011), and every person should take steps to minimize his carbon footprint (Amberlinks 2012, para.1-2), in order to make the environment go green (Blue 2012, para.1). Hence, it is not the responsibility of governments and NGOs to reduce people’s carbon footprints. When an individual is aware of this fact, he will make informed decisions to lesson down his negative impact on the environment. To make such decisions, the individual must first be aware of what impact his presence on the earth is creating on the environment. ... They must use one resource on multi-functional basis, like using one thing for many purposes. They must be able to fulfill their needs in more than one ways. They must use the productivity of the system to fulfill the requirements of other parts of the system. They must reproduce things in a way that is not destructive to nature. They must be resilient in their needs. When they have used their required resources, they should give the surplus to those who are in need of them. These are some of the ethical principles that must be considered when individuals carry out their responsibility of achieving a sustainable lifestyle. Potential attainment also requires that individuals carry out measures that reduce their impact on the system. It is known that, â€Å"The average American family of 2 generates about 41,500 lbs of emissions per year† (Audet 2012, para.3). This calculation has been done by web page calculators that calculate carbon footprints. By knowing this calculation, on e can make educated decisions about how to minimize his negative impact. Another thing that we can do in this context is making changes in energy efficiency. These changes are inexpensive, and thus convenient. For example, if we lower down the thermostat by two degrees in winters, and make it go up by two degrees in summers, we â€Å"can save as much as 2,000 lbs of carbon emissions and add up to nearly $100.00 a year in savings† (Audet 2012, para.4). We can also use energy savers that save lots of money and reduce the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere. These little changes that we can bring to the energy efficiency can guarantee our sustainable living. Other important changes that individuals can bring to their lifestyle, and that minimize carbon footprint are: bringing changes in diet;

Marketing Blog Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Marketing Blog - Article Example Distribution is intended to avail a product to the consumer in the right form and at the right time. Therefore, the chain of distribution has major stakeholders including the producers, wholesalers, retailers and the final consumer. When the distribution chain is full with many middlemen, it is the final consumer who feels much pain since, many middlemen increases the final price of the product. Due to changes in technology and also the exploitation by several middlemen, there has emerged the new electronic form of distribution of products such as music pieces and books can be distributed through electronic medium. This has made it easier for people to receive music and books of their choices just through electronic shopping. Last week alone, I remember watching several videos of my favorite artistes through the online subscribed service where the videos are available. Again, most of my books I purchase through kindle, hence I enjoy the reduced gap in the distribution chain that has been created by the electronic

Property Tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Property Tax - Essay Example Assuming that David is having more than property in UK, assuming that David new property at 12, Mudchute Court is second property owned by him or one of the many properties he owned, then, for reducing his capital gain tax, he can claim the following as a deduction from the capital gains earned on the disposal of 12, Mudchute Court namely fees paid to solicitors, all professional fees paid to estate agents, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and expenses incurred for improving the property. Further, as David lived in the new property bought for few weeks, he can term it as â€Å"principal private residence† to avail exemptions between properties he owned as he is planning to sell it after two years. However, David has to establish some corroborations that he lived there for some time albeit even it is for short-term. If David resided in that house even for some weeks in the new property which should be his second or one of the many properties owned by him, which facilitates him to write off the past three years of capital gains when David decides to sell it after two years. Thus, David should elect the new property as his residence and should inform the Income-Tax Authorities within two years of purchase of 12, Mudchute Court. It is to be noted that the choice can be changed by the David if he wants to select some other property he owned. If he fails to inform about his â€Å" principle private residence â€Å" to tax authorities , then , he would be losing hi s chance to claim exemption from capital gain taxes under the above scheme4. It is to be noted that just living in the property for avoidance of capital gain taxes can prove to be costlier to David as held in Court of Appeal in HRMC5 case where the defendant employed an intricate chain of derivative transactions to minimise capital gain tax on  £10.7 m. The court opined that any

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Advance Accounting Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Advance Accounting Theory - Essay Example he traditional budgeting is the performance budgeting where the budgeting is done on the basis of the evaluation of the performance at the end of the financial year which can affect the preparation of budget since the preparation of budget at the end of the year can result in the deficiencies since under traditional budgeting the budget is prepared on the basis of the historical cost and on the basis of the past data and information and traditional budgeting is unfavourable for establishing cost and benefit relationship since the process of traditional budgeting is very complex in nature. 15 The concept of beyond budgeting have been introduced in order to overcome the deficiencies of the traditional budgeting which explains that beyond budgeting is considered as the most appropriate method of budgeting which includes responsiveness, flexibility and coordination. The concept of beyond budgeting has been introduced in order to abandon the concept of traditional budgeting since the beyond budgeting will focus on both financial as well as on non financial measures. This process of beyond budgeting is required to focus and establish standards or benchmarks and identify its competitors rather than framing or establishing its internal targets. The concept of beyond budgeting has become popular in the recent years among the various multinational companies for example a Scandinavian bank has adopted the concept of beyond budgeting which has facilitated the bank to undergo cultural change from establishing of budgets to setting of targets and the improvement in the performance th at has resulted in the cutting down of cost. Beyond budgeting has facilitated each unit to have different and separate profit centre. Therefore beyond budgeting is considered as an important budgeting that will overcome the limitations and the disadvantages of the traditional budgeting (Hope and Fraser, 2003). 16 In the light of recent trends, companies voluntarily furnish their social activities

First Article Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

First Analysis - Article Example According to the article in order for the corporate sector to fully implement and embrace the CSR’s true meaning and act on them, several parties have to intervene and even impose regulations and strict observatory measures to ensure this results. One of these parties is the company itself. The company can have self-regulatory measures which mean forfeiting some of their profits to honestly support and act in favor of social welfare. This has proven to be a hard decision by most corporations though some do try. The other is having watchdogs like the civil society movements to bring about accountability and criticize the companies that do not act according to the true meaning of CSR. The downside of this is that most civil society lack financial resources to ensure this watchdog role fully. Finally however there is the government which has not only the resources but also has mandate to impose rules and regulations or policies that will ensure that the CSR role and true meaning is fulfilled by all corporations. Karnani, Aneel. â€Å"The Case against Corporate Social Responsibility.† The Wall Street Journal, June 14th, 2012. Retrieved from:

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Property Tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Property Tax - Essay Example Assuming that David is having more than property in UK, assuming that David new property at 12, Mudchute Court is second property owned by him or one of the many properties he owned, then, for reducing his capital gain tax, he can claim the following as a deduction from the capital gains earned on the disposal of 12, Mudchute Court namely fees paid to solicitors, all professional fees paid to estate agents, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and expenses incurred for improving the property. Further, as David lived in the new property bought for few weeks, he can term it as â€Å"principal private residence† to avail exemptions between properties he owned as he is planning to sell it after two years. However, David has to establish some corroborations that he lived there for some time albeit even it is for short-term. If David resided in that house even for some weeks in the new property which should be his second or one of the many properties owned by him, which facilitates him to write off the past three years of capital gains when David decides to sell it after two years. Thus, David should elect the new property as his residence and should inform the Income-Tax Authorities within two years of purchase of 12, Mudchute Court. It is to be noted that the choice can be changed by the David if he wants to select some other property he owned. If he fails to inform about his â€Å" principle private residence â€Å" to tax authorities , then , he would be losing hi s chance to claim exemption from capital gain taxes under the above scheme4. It is to be noted that just living in the property for avoidance of capital gain taxes can prove to be costlier to David as held in Court of Appeal in HRMC5 case where the defendant employed an intricate chain of derivative transactions to minimise capital gain tax on  £10.7 m. The court opined that any

First Article Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

First Analysis - Article Example According to the article in order for the corporate sector to fully implement and embrace the CSR’s true meaning and act on them, several parties have to intervene and even impose regulations and strict observatory measures to ensure this results. One of these parties is the company itself. The company can have self-regulatory measures which mean forfeiting some of their profits to honestly support and act in favor of social welfare. This has proven to be a hard decision by most corporations though some do try. The other is having watchdogs like the civil society movements to bring about accountability and criticize the companies that do not act according to the true meaning of CSR. The downside of this is that most civil society lack financial resources to ensure this watchdog role fully. Finally however there is the government which has not only the resources but also has mandate to impose rules and regulations or policies that will ensure that the CSR role and true meaning is fulfilled by all corporations. Karnani, Aneel. â€Å"The Case against Corporate Social Responsibility.† The Wall Street Journal, June 14th, 2012. Retrieved from:

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Feet by Seamus Deane Essay Example for Free

Feet by Seamus Deane Essay The following extract is taken from the book- Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane written in 1996. The extract focuses on one of the chapters in the book titled as Feet. The extract is based on a young boy hiding under the table viewing the death of his sister and how she is taken to the hospital. Through the style, setting and characterization, the reader is able to understand the thoughts and feelings portrayed by Deane. The extract is written in an autobiographical style, from the point of view of a young boy who narrates the story. The repetition of I gives the extract a personal touch. Using the boy as the narrator allows the writer to acquire greater intimacy and sympathy for the character. In addition, it makes the extract comic and light hearted, even though it talks about death and loss. This fusion of comedy and tragedy reflects the idea that life is a series of sorrows and joys. The extract is set under the table. Throughout the extract, the boys name is not revealed which allows the reader to explore other characters in the extract through his perceptions. The reader gets the impression that the boy is young and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve. He is not aware of the seriousness of the situation as he loved the names of the diseases. He finds the names peculiar and compares them with Italian football players, racing drivers and opera singers. The dog is symbolic of what the boy feels. The whimpering and quivering of the dog reflects the boys inner feelings. I became deaf to their words and alert to their noise presents the idea that the boy has become like the dog, behaving in the same way. Deane mentions feet in the first line of the extract which reinforces the importance of the title. Also, the repetition of feet suggests the importance and significance of the title since the young boy sees everyone from under the table judging them only on what shoes theyre wearing. Deane uses visual and aural imagery to captivate the readers attention in line 1 and 2- I could only see their feet. But I could hear the noise and some of the talk Deane uses heavy sensory imagery to emphasize the importance of feet as the title. He describes the characters and their social status through the shoes theyre wearing. For instance, in lines 30-34, I recognized Uncle Manuss brown shoes: the heels were worn down Uncle Dan and Uncle Tom had identical shoes, heavy and rimed with mud and cement Dans were dirtier but they werent good shoes. The detailed description of the shoes allows the reader to make judgments about the characters. The description is used for characterization- mud and cement, give the reader the impression that theyre working men at a construction site. Heavy suggests that theyre strong, muscular men and develops their personality in the readers mind. But they werent good shoes suggests that theyre not very rich people. The predicament of the extract is presented through specific and short sentences. Una. My younger sister, Una. This sentence clearly brings the focus on Una, to highlight the importance of her character. The writer tells the readers that she is going to die and goes into great details describing her illness and pain. That morning, Una had been so hot, pale and sweatyshe had made me think of sunken fires her eyes shone with pain and pleasure, inflated from the inside. The coupling of pain and pleasure reinforces the idea that joy and sorrow go hand in hand. With his style, use of imagery, setting and characterization, Deane creates an intriguing story which reflects harsh ideas of death and reality through the innocent, happy world of a young, naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve boy.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Effects of Architecture on Public Behaviour in India

Effects of Architecture on Public Behaviour in India INTRODUCTION India and its cities is often associated with poverty and disorder in the eyes of both foreigners and nationals alike. The roads and streets are littered, walls are indiscriminately scared by blood red paan, old and unmaintained infrastructure is found vandalized as though its sole purpose was to act as a medium of defiance towards the government’s inefficiency; and any dark niche becomes a place for defecation. This phenomenon, of public acceptance toward urban uncleanliness is experienced in almost all cities of India. India is a country which has a deep rooted history and has many ancient cities. All of which have been documented with awe in the eyes of the writer, talking of their beauty and intricacy. One of the oldest civilizations on the planet, built their haven along the banks of the Indus. Their cities showed a sensitivity toward cleanliness; and the great baths and the sew-age system are a testament to that. Yet today, Indian cities are looked upon as filthy, unhygienic and unorganized. No Indian culture preaches of such treatment towards their environment yet the problem still remains in front of our eyes. However, I believe that the solution to this urban phenomenon may lie in the way we design our built environment. It is widely accepted that the environment we are placed in, plays a major role in affecting how we behave in it. This brings me towards my research question: How can architecture affect the behaviour of the public in order to curb the menace of littering and vandalism, hence maintain cleaner and healthier cities? LITERATURE SURVEY My research will aim at finding a long term, objective answers towards three core topics Vandalism as a cause of social defiance. Littering as a cause of social negligence. Sense of place as a tool to earn respect of the people. Vandalism Almost all major Indian cities date back at least to the colonial era and they see their fair share of social unrest in the form of strikes, riots or revolts and some even have seen war between empires. Unrest has always existed between different classes or casts over the history of our cities and in the present context it mainly exists between different religious communities and much more between the public and its government. Vandalism is one of the by-products of this unrest. My research has found that vandalism is strongly associated with defiance. This defiance can be rooted toward any cause, institution or a government body. This anti-social activity has been enabled by poorly designed built environments which lack surveillance be it manned or automated. This has also led toward increase in crime rate in many high-rise and has eventually reduced the desirability of the housing project. In Oscar Newman’s book ‘Defensible Space’, his research is directed towards how crime can be reduced in the housing projects of New York by designing urban spaces which will affect the behaviour of people and affectively prevent crime from occurring in the first place. The author defines Defensible Space as ‘Defensible space is a model for residential environments which inhibits crime by creating the physical expression of a social fabric that defends itself.’ (Newman, Oscar 1972) His work revolves around how simple gestures in the planning phase can have a vast impact on the inter relationships of multiple users in an urban environment. His work revolves around generating spaces which are surveyed by the community, or a group rather than an individual because when people begin to protect themselves as individuals and not as a community, the battle against crime is lost. (Newman, Oscar 1972) Further his book talks about the need for a site to create a defined territory which can be surveyed by the users of that territory. There is much usefulness in this approach as the potential criminal perceives such a space as controlled by its inhabitants, leaving him an intruder, easily recognized and dealt with. (Newman, Oscar 1972) Edge conditions are also a vital consideration as the outside space becomes more defensible if they are clearly demarcated for the use by one household or a small number of households, and if they are observable by residents, neighbours and passers-by. (Cisneros, Henry, 1996) When interiors are designed, the author has found that ‘attitude towards interior finishes and furnishings creates an institutional atmosphere, not unlike that achieved in our worst hospitals and prisons. Even though the materials are in fact stronger and more resilient to wear, tenants seem to go out of their way to test their resistance capabilities. Instead of being provided with an environment in which they can take pride and might desire to keep up, they are provided with one that begs their ability in tearing it down( in comment of Pruitt Igoe) (Newman, Oscar 1972) Taking inferences from these approaches I aim to see whether similar principles of design can help prevent vandalism in India’s urban spaces, hence develop further inferences towards how cultural differences can affect this stream of though and how it can be used to my advantage if possible. Further, I would like to ascertain whether this approach can also be applied towards prevention of littering in public spaces as well. Another method of reducing vandalism takes a nonphysical approach a particular area involves community involvement by means of fund raising in Jefferson School District, Daly City, California where vandalism had been a concern (average daily attendance 6,100), for many years. Several schools were consistent targets for graffiti and broken windows. Maintenance crews devoted Monday mornings to sweeping glass and repainting surfaces. It was time consuming, costly, and most discouraging.(Brietler,B , 1988) An Idea came in 1985 from the newly appointed superintendent, Joseph DiGeronimo. His plan was to offer an incentive program to the students. Each school would have $500 put into a reserve account for eventual use by students-that is, unless the money was first consumed by the costs of vandalism. The money would go to the student body to use as it wished, as long as the expenditures were legal and in good taste. (Brietler,B , 1988) The scheme was successful enough that it was able to reduce incidents from 114 in 1985-86 to 51 incidents in 1986-87. (Brietler,B , 1988) Even though my research is focused in finding a prevention rather than a cure, secondary measures will only help to reinforce the former. Since, in the Indian context, where monetary gain is the main incentive to get work done efficiently, schemes of a similar nature be implemented so as to facilitate maintenance of our urban spaces. Littering I was initially filled with the notion that vandalism and littering are done by the same social strata and for similar reasons. But on further studying I realized that they are two distinct behaviours and are motivated by different factors. Vandalism had been associated in almost all my readings as an act of defiance of the people of the lower class or people who believe have been neglected by a governing body. It would be wrong to assume that it is the lack of awareness or literacy that is the root cause of littering. The most common sight of littering is that of plastics bags, disposable containers, plates and spoons Items which are attributed with the consumerist classes i.e. the middle class and high class. The Indian department of sciences and technology states: Most of todays plastics and synthetic polymers are produced from petrochemicals. As conventional plastics are persistent in the environment, improperly disposed plastic materials are a significant source of environmental pollution, potentially harming life. Therefore Littering is not merely an eye sore but also a health hazard and, it should be a matter of concern that we keep our cities clean so that we can benefit in the long run. Another fashion of littering is very unique to India owing to a recipe that is unique to Indian culture. Almost all public spaces can be distinctly associated with the splashes of paan cud, commonly seen at every corner of a staircase or the end of a passageway. Paan is made using a single beetle leaf with a filling which is usually constituted of areca nut, lime and cured tobacco. This form of paan is not meant to be swallowed and so spitting is inevitable. The areca nut is what is responsible for creating the blood red coloration which is the key identifier of paan cud. Paan is cheaply available to both the poor farmer and the rich merchant, and is an Indian man’s pass time, chewing constantly to while away the long and monotonous day. The primary cause of this gross negligence towards correct disposal of rubbish, is because of the lack of far-sightedness of the common man. The lack of a united spirit in the city, where every man is out there to fend for himself be it status, earning or justice and this has led to a fragmentation in the urban society. This is what has eluded the minds of the people, that, even trivial acts such as littering can add up to larger consequences. Liberalization has granted the benefit of private ownership of land, but this has allowed people to assume the corollary, that, what is not owned by them is not under their jurisdiction completely forgetting the democratically It belongs to him but at the same time, also to his fellow countrymen. This blatant thinking of in and out, mine and not mine has deluded the spirit of a common in urban society which manifests itself in the form of negligence. Vassos Argyrou argues that depending on one’s position in space people may find things to be in place (have positive value) or out of place (have negative value) or, they may be invisible to the observer†¦ Therefore, the like beauty, litter is in the eye of the beholder. (Argyrou, Vassos, 1997) Depending on these characteristics society way either be proactive or they may be negligent towards littering. Peoples understanding toward cleanliness is mainly defined by their way of life. The fact that some people treat littering as eyesores is presupported by ’the ability to detach oneself from the world and constitute it as an object of contemplation and reflection.’ (Argyrou, Vassos, 1997).. This portion of society’s ability is rendered possible by the division between mental labour and physical labour. This is possible in those who are economically well off and have the luxury to contemplate the world and its problems. The do not need to partake cumbersome labour (like brick laying and farming) in order to fight the elements of nature, rather, they would prefer to do the same through â€Å"sport† (by going rock climbing or hiking). They tend to contemplate the world as an aesthetic reality. Trying to treat nature as a body whose truths assessed and aliments cured. By contrast, for many people the world is far from a comforts and conveniences, and the possibility to contemplate the world is distant. These people are compelled to work on days which, most people would take the day off. To them, the world is a battle field and life a daily struggle. Out of this confrontation – akin to physical combat the world emerges as a formidable adversary and the Self emerges as a physically and mentally strong individual who, far from being deterred by the challenge, welcomes and even provokes it.(Argyrou, Vassos , 1997)They are too obstinate to give up on the challenges that face them and, given these circumstances, their aggressive approach towards life, to them avoiding littering is a far too gratuitous an act to be seriously considered. However, it would be premature to assume that the cause of this uncleanliness is because of the lower working class and that the middle and higher classes are devoid of this attitude towards our cities. This only suggests that different conditions of existence predispose people to view the world and themselves, in different ways. The author later goes on to say that the middle class claim is that people litter because they are ignorant. Rather, it is that people are ignorant because they litter. The distinction is significant because it implies that litter is a self- evident truth accessible to everyone. If the middle class can perceive it as a problem, villagers and urban working classes can see it too. But, as middle class rhetoric has it, they choose to ignore it and this is what makes them ignorant This act of negligence towards the city is well illustrated by Sudipta Kaviraj, in his paper’ Filth and the Public Sphere: Concepts and Practices about Space In Calcutta (1997), talking of the notions, of what is public in the eyes of Indians, in the city of Calcutta. He talks of how Hindu culture is responsible for the concept for ‘apan/par’ in which people only look at their property as their world, which requires attention and has to be kept clean. Whereas the surrounding is of no importance to the dweller. The inside of a Brahmin house was often kept impressively clean, including utensils and other household goods. Interiors of houses were swept and scrubbed with punctilious regularity. Indeed, there was an interesting connection between these duties and the religious markings on the times of day. The household’s internal space had to be cleaned at the hours of conjunction between light and darkness, at dawn and dusk, which coincided with time for worship (puja). The form of this puja, especially at nightfall, was to light the auspicious lamp, which had an understated piety about it and was performed by women, who shared a strong connection with the symbolism of the interior. It would be considered odd, and faintly sacrilegious, to take the auspicious lamp into a room that had not been cleaned in preparation for this most ordinary form of thanksgiving. Thus, the cleaning chores were considered quasi-religious duties for household members (mostly women). Yet the garbage collected from this obsessive house-cleaning would be dumped on a mound right in front of the house. This owed not to a material-geographic but a conceptual distinction. When the garbage is dumped, it is not placed at a point where it cannot casually affect the realm of the household and its hygienic well-being. It is thrown over a conceptual boundary. The street was the outside, the space for which one did not have responsibility, or which not one’s own was, and it therefore lacked any association with obligation, because it did not symbolise any significant principle, did not express any values. It was merely a conceptually insignificant negative of the inside, which was prized and invested with affectionate decoration. Thus, the outside—the streets, squares, bathing Ghats, and other facilities used by large numbers—were crowded, but they did not constitute a different kind of valued space, a civic space with norms and rules of use of its own, different from the domest ic values of bourgeois privacy. (Kaviraj, S 1997) Kaviraj also mentions that cast is not the only factor but the differences in perceptions between the different classes also is responsible for the littering. The middle class who were capable of affording an education attach much sentimental values to their public parks, but the lower class cannot understand the importance of the latter as much of the middle class’s sentiments had aroused from historic contexts which the lower classes could not relate to due to lack of an education. What this shows is that there were two different codes for using social space, one mapping of inside/outside and another of public/ private.(Kaviraj,S 1997) This study has helped me grasp the gravity of the situation. That there is a cultural link towards the way we maintain our public sphere and that there lies a differences of conceptual approach towards the term ‘public’ by the different economic strata of society. Another concept I would like to focus on is the broken window theory, which says that a crime is more likely to happen if the physical environment is already abused. This phenomenon is necessary to understand as it acts as the spark to the fire if not tended to. The corollary of the theory can also be tested to see if extremely clean environments can also be used to create a social unacceptance toward uncleanliness of our public spaces. CONCLUSION Littering is a social and health problem. It may be harmless in small quantities, but when it is upscaled to the urban level, it becomes a menace and a cause of concern. Today the Indian government has tried to curb littering by means of promotional messages on television. And people are well aware that it is illegal to litter. Under this circumstance, littering is not merely an act, but also a statement whose message echoes through all people who see it. Citizens who see their streets and roads littered will be filled with the notion that their government is incompetent and incapable. This eventually will lead people to be lax, not just towards littering laws but also towards other restrictions, quoting the latter failure as an example. Owing to its visual nature, littering spreads like a disease in the spaces of the citizen minds and then into the spaces of the city. This will eventually breed negligence among the masses and destroy community culture. This further translates into more extreme cases where our urban spaces will be vandalized to vent out anger. Therefore it is of at most importance that we take immediate action and strongly reinforce these actions with preventative measures in order to maintain a physically and mentally society. From my literature survey it has come to my knowledge that littering and vandalism have been looked at from a very objective point of view and research is directed more towards these phenomena as reactive measures and not a long term preventative measures. Therefore I would like to focus my future efforts into finding ways in which we can prevent littering and vandalism before it can even happen. References: Newman, Oscar 1972, Crime Prevention through Urban Design Defensible Space, the Macmillan Company, New York. Colquhoun, Ian, Design out of crime Creating Safe and Sustainable Communities, Architectural Press Canter, David 1977, Psychology of Place, The Architectural Press Ltd. London G.P.D, 2004 , Economics and Political Weekly , Vol. 39 ,No. 9. The British Medical Journal Vol .2 No. 4255 1942 ,Towards The Clean City, BMJ Kaviraj,Sudipta 1997 , Duke University Press, Filth and the public Sphere: Concepts and practices about Space in Calcutta, Public Culture. Keizer, Kees, 2008 American association for the advancement of science, Vol. 322, No. 5908 Science, New Series. Brietler, Bruce 1988 ,Taylor Francis, Ltd., Vandalism: The carrot instead of the Stick, Vol. 61, No.8 Argyrou, Vassos 1997,Wiley on behalf American Anthropological Association, â€Å"Keep Cyprus Clean† : Littering , Pollution, and Otherness, Vol. 12, No.2 Hazards of plastic, 2009, viewed 20 July 2014 TIFAC, http://www.tifac.org.in/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=739itemid=205

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Role of Marketing Research at Nike :: Business Management Studies

The Role of Marketing Research at Nike This essay answers the following six questions concerning Nike. Q1.) Should Nike switch from a focus on celebrities to a focus on its products in its advertising? Discuss the role of marketing research in helping the Nike management to make this decision. What kind of research should be undertaken? Q2.) Discuss the buying behavior of consumer with respect to athletic footwear. Q3.) What is the management decision problem as it attempts to retain its leadership position? Q4.) Discuss marketing research problem facing Nike, given the management decision problem you have identified? Q5.) Develop two suitable research questions and formulate two hypotheses for each. Q6.) How can internet be used to help Nike in conducting marketing research and in marketing its product. Q1.) Should Nike switch from a focus on celebrities to a focus on its products in its advertising? Discuss the role of marketing research in helping the Nike management to make this decision. What kind of research should be undertaken? Answer:- Yes, it should change its focus from celebrities to its product as we can see that the Nike Shox was a run away success in U.K and U.S. Marketing research will help Nike management to find out eh effectiveness of celebrities focused adds to product feature adds. Descriptive research should be undertaken as it gives a conclusive result. Q2.) Discuss the buying behavior of consumer with respect to athletic footwear. Answer: - People buy things for obvious and hidden reasons. The importance of the product determines the amount of thought and effort into the purchase. For instance buying behavior of athletic footwear will be different for serious sports athletics and different for other consumers. Athletic footwear can be categorized into 3 types: Athleisure = Casual athletic styles, canvas, suede, etc. Recreational Boots = Hunting, Fishing. Waterboot etc. Sports based = Golf, Basketball, Soccer etc. There are essential factors that consumers take into consideration before purchasing a new pair of Athleisure shoes. Stability?the shoes should have a balanced and secure feel throughout range of motion. Flexibility?the shoes should allow for a good degree of give at the base of the toes, providing smooth motion. Comfort?walking shoes should comprise contours and padding conformed closely to the feet, providing a snug fit at the heel and midfoot, with ample room in the forefoot. There are essential factors that Athletics take into consideration before purchasing a new pair of Sports based shoes. Heelcounter?the area of the shoe that holds the back of the heel, just