Thursday, October 31, 2019

Developing and Improving Skills to Achieve Success Essay

Developing and Improving Skills to Achieve Success - Essay Example Relative to my strengths, it is noteworthy that I am willing to work on them and improve on them sufficiently. I believe that proper training, exposing myself to useful literature and gathering self-belief and confidence in aspects, which I engage in would be instrumental My paramount objective is set upon my skills as I aim at pursuing a â€Å"masters in business administration†. I find myself in a position that requires me to apply various skills to attain success in my studies. Hence, my objective is to access diverse categories of resources that will improve my existing skills, develop new skills, and change my flaws to strengths. I plan to do this by demystifying the skills I possess, improving them and finding ways of nurturing the ones I do not possess. Next, I need to illustrate my flaws, put effort into the ways of turning them into strengths and useful skills. As I mentioned earlier, I have already identified all the skills, both weak and strong skills, and in two ye ars’ time, I strongly believe I will achieve my objective. I am a fast learner and two years period is ample time for me to achieve my goals and put my skills to test. The following are my skills, both weak and strong, how I intend to improve on them and their usefulness in my life. Communication skill Communication is the act of transmitting information from one person to the other through different mediums. Communication needs qualities that act as a measure of how efficient one is in transmitting information to other people. I consider the communication skill as one of my strong points. Whilst undertaking my course on international business, I was exposed to different resources on the contact procedure. International business involves people from different regions and different cultures participating in the same business. In order to do so successfully, communication is a key skill that comes to play. This is because different people have different cultural beliefs and dif ferent ways of communication. Hence, when one is communicating with different people one needs to learn about their culture. In my quest to achieve my objective, I plan to improve my communication skills in various ways. One is by structuring my thoughts; in turn, I will be able to transmit verbally, well-structured information to the recipient (Barker 2010). Another area of interest that needs improvement to achieve a better communication skill is making better observations. In turn, this will enable me to develop confidence in what I say thus communicate efficiently. Regular summary processes on aspects, which I need to communicate is a way of improving my communication skills; furthermore, it saves time. I will develop my communication skills by improving the constituting factors thus enhancing success (Condrill and Bough 1999). Number skill The number skill is crucial in diverse societal processes making it crucial as an individual intends to address diverse stipulated goals. Ap parently, one of my flaws becomes manifest in Mathematics; I am poor in the discipline but one of my goals is to improve on my weaknesses and turn them into strengths, I will strategically develop my mathematics skill and use it in the future. Mathematics is a useful discipline when it comes to the study of the master’s in business administration; hence, it is one of my objectives to develop the skill (Nolting 2011).  

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Servicescape Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Servicescape - Coursework Example ines the impact of servicescape on Las Iguanas restaurant in terms of the emotional, cognitive and physiological effect that the business environment has on customers and employees. Las Iguanas is a popular restaurant chain in the United Kingdom with major branches in London, Liverpool, Newcastle and other towns and cities. The company’s restaurants are located in different environments with each environment bringing its unique opportunities and challenges to the company’s marketing strategy. This study is based on the company’s branch in Liverpool. The study employed a stratified sampling technique to collect data through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews based on a sample size of five employees and five customers of the restaurant. After a detailed analysis, it was clear that the physical environment and ambience of the company had a huge impact on the organization’s operations. All the respondents admitted to having been influenced by the restaurant’s physical environment and ambience. From the findings, 90% of the respondents were positively influenced by the restaurant’s physical environment and ambience, 8% were negatively influenced, while the other 2% were unsure as to whether the business’ environment had a role to play in their association with the restaurant. This studys objective was to focus on assessing the impact of servicescape on customers and employees of Las Iguanas restaurant in Liverpool. Servicescape refers to an organizations ambience and physical environment. This study applies the servicescape model on one of the prominent restaurant businesses in the UK, the Las Iguanas Restaurant. This will assess the impact of Las Iguanas physical environment and ambience on its marketing activities in order to provide appropriate recommendations to the management team of the business for necessary improvements. The study is guided by the research question, what is the emotional, cognitive and physiological effect that Las

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Marketing Practice From Islamic Perspective Marketing Essay

The Marketing Practice From Islamic Perspective Marketing Essay Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to analyze and study the marketing case in Malaysia, particularly, a Malaysian company must be chosen and our choice of company is Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad. Various aspects of study under the subject matter have been considered. This includes the target market analysis, marketing mix consideration which consists of product, pricing, promotion and distribution decision. In order to analyze the internal and external problems facing the company, we have done a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat).This is to highlight and raise several problems or issues facing the company locally or internationally. Market research on comsumer behavior and competition has also been carried out through a survey questionnaires and the summary or report of the summary have also been done. Mamee Double Decker Went Global Background of the company The company chosen for this case analysis is Mamee Double-Decker Malaysia Berhad. Mamee was founded in 1971 by Datuk Pan Ching Hin and headquartered in Malacca. Mamee Double Decker is Malaysia food processing, snack and diary product company. It mainly produces and sells instant noodles, snack, confectionery and beverages. Mamee Double Decker not only sells its product locally but had penetrated the international market as well. Today Mamee products are exported all around the world to more than 80 countries and area it serves includes Asia, Middle East, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania. Products produce by mamee are popular and well known to most households especially children. Marketing practice from Islamic perspective When mamee first came into existence, its products were only mamee monster noodle snack and double decker snack. Mamee later had gain recognition from several countries because of its distinct and unique feature of the snack that is square-ish noodle like and the adorable face of monster on its packaging while the double-decker snack , is a flavored snack with a choice of prawns chicken and cheese. The company then goes through a major diversification when it produces carbonated drinks under the brand cheers. Mamee instant noodles later was produced. However, different instant noodles are provided to cater different countries, For example mamee bihun, express noodles, and mi goreng are only available in Malaysia as it suits the malaysian taste, while these products are not made for the overseas market. The company has produce mamee oriental noodles for outside market. Marketing Mix Consideration Decision made by the company regarding to the price, promotion and distribution are the elements of marketing mix consideration that is being use in making a decision. . Product decision Initially, mamee mainly focus in producing snacks, but it had diversify its products in producing beverages such as soft drinks, cultured drinks and recently the new products by mamee, a juice under the brand Rio Fiesta a healthier options for drinks produced by mamee. All product produced by mamee comply to the standards required. The company had obtained Hazzard Analysis and Crtical Control Poiint (HACCP) certificate. The obtainment of this certificate means that mamee had adhered to food safety from raw material production, procurement and handling, manufacturing, distribution and the consumption of the finished product. From Islamic point of view, mamee had free from gharar or uncertainty by providing adequate products description and specification for all its products. This includes complete labeling and nutritious information, ingredients used and its expiry date. At the same time, other products evolve in the market under mamee double decker is nutrigen, is a cultured drink for children. Mister Potato was out of the market later after that, now, Mister Potato had officially become the global snack partner with Manchester United. Latest product by Mamee double decker is corntoz, corntoz is a crunchy snack came with different flavours and shapes. The main concern under this food processing, beverages and diary product industry is about whether the product are halal (permitted). Since this company mainly sells their products in Malaysia and in other Muslim countries, therefore mamee double decker products must be certified halal. As reported in Malaysia Halal Directory, Mamee Double Decker had obtained the halal certificate for all of their products. Their products are free from additives made from animal sources that are forbidden in Islamic Law. Stabilizers, Emulsion and colouring used in their production process are deemed as halal. Promotional Activities Mamee Double Decker, like many other companies in this competitive environment are driven to adapt an aggressive promotional strategies in order to gain market share. Mamee Double Decker had use various promotional tools including advertising and sales promotion to capture the market. As reported in The Star newspaper July 17 2002, RM 40 million was allocated solely for promotional activities in Malaysia. On the same year, Mamee had made an aggressive advertising in Myanmar and china to create brand awareness to familiarize their products in these markets. Recently, Mamee had become an official snack partner with Manchaster United. This joint-venture is important as it aims to boost its market share in Asia. One of the interesting activities that has been carried out through this partnership was The Ultimate Manchester United Experience contest. Lucky winners had been treated to a trip to Manchester united to meet their favorite football players. Mamee had also use Malaysia local celebrities, such as Mawi, Felix and Amalyea as ambassadors for mamee sllrpp products in Malaysia. In the recent festive season Hari Raya, Malaysia celebrity Shahizi Sam was featured in mamee sllrrp advertisement and they had conduct a Mamee Kusayang Contest. This shows that Mamee Double Decker had made several aggressive promotion activities throughout the years. Its promotional activities adhered to the basic Islamic principle of business and Mamee had ensure its product reach the target market in all around the world. Any promotional activities to stimulate the demand from consumers are permissible as long as it does not exaggerating or breaching the Islamic principle. Activities like free samples, cash rebates, joint promotion and contest conducted by Mamee are therefore deemed permissible. Pricing Decission Pricing of mamee product are reasonable and affordable for the interest of all. This pricing strategy enables it to capture the market share of various market segments. For example in Malaysia, mamee monster snack only cost 30cents and mamee Double decker snack cost only RM2.50. Mamee had made no price discrimination for all of its product. The company Charge same price for same good in respective countries, irrespective of different markets. Therefore Mamee pricing strategy is considered fair(Adil) and just. Distribution The distribution channels of mamee food and beverages in Malaysia consist of three stages (producer,retailer,consumer). Mamee which is the producer will sell its products in bulks to retailers (Giants, Tesco,etc) , and eventually retailers will sell it to the consumers. In international level, the distribution are being done through appointed subsidiaries. Mamee has favourable access to distribution networks in Malaysia. Mamee Double Decker has 13 distribution centers and has about 150 transport carrier for deliveries to about 1000 point of sales. Mamee Double Decker currently has five manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and one in Myanmar. Mamee Double Decker has centralized marketing and distribution system while Mamee have assigned an export manager in each manufacturing subsidiary. . There are three companies under Mamee Double Decker responsible in producing each of their respective lines and products for example snack food and chilled products (KMM), instant noodles (PP) and beverages (MDDB). Target Market Analysis Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad is good in quality and unique brand which targeted to all group of people according to the product offered. As the company began with a single product and consistently grown to 50 products, targeted people become more. The household products brands like Mamee Monster, Mamee Instant and Mamee sllrrp, and Mamee snacks, are targeted to people whose age is from 6 to 30 years old. Targeted group in this range of age includes, children, teenage, students, working class, and family. This is because not all of its products are targeted to the same group of people. Products like Mamee monster, nutrigen, Double Decker are an examples of products that targets mostly childrens. In Australia, mamee monster snacks is sold in their school canteen. This shows that these products mainly attract children. Nutrigen is a cultured flavored drink that is targeted kids from age 6-12 years old. The second group is students. Mainly, products of Mamee that attracts students are instant noodle like Mamee slrrpp, snacks like double decker, mister potato and jacker. This is because, most students who normally live outside or far from their home need something instant or something to munch in between their meals. This will also eliminate the need to cook or having to buy foods outside. Moreover, snacks like Mamee monster and Double Decker are the loyal companions for students as well especially in times of stress while studying. Teenage like students needs snack during their leisure time. From the family structure perspective, a mother with at least 5 children, usually will buy more groceries and household products. Children love to have snacks like Potato Chips, Potato Crisps and Cheer Beverage because the products are very convenient and it comes with different flavor based on their preferences. Furthermore, families who spend their spare time with picnic and party usually find Mamee products a reasonable choice. In term of target market demographically, though Mamee actually target low to middle income earners, high income earners are attracted to it as well because of its affordable and reasonable price. It is very clear that the size of the companys target market is very large and high. Everyone may be used and consume the product offered because it comes with varieties of food, snacks, beverages, instant noodles and to name a few. SWOT analysis Strength One of the strength pose by Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad is as reported in recent mamee double decker (M) Berhad annual report, the company had experienced 57.3% growth of profit before tax from 9.6 million. Mamee Double Decker(M) Berhad strength also lies in its ability to expand their business network by penetrating into new exports market. This is proved to be true as mamee experienced a growth of 6.2% in 2002 in its effort to venture to new exports market. The second strength of mamee is it has a good reputation among customers, since has become part of the choice made by household largely in Malaysia, mamee so far had not fail to impress its consumers all over the world by providing a tip-top service from the process of production to distribution, we can see that mamee products reach consumer easily as it is easily available in store from a small grocery store to large super markets. The third strength of mamee double decker is we can say that it has a quite strong brand name as according to their annual report, mamee had won several awards locally and internationally. The two local awards that mamee has honoured to receive are first, the chief minister awards for Promising local Company Awards in recognition of Mamee Double Decker Berhad (M) to local industries and the second award is by Malaysian Manufacturer packaging Council of Malaysia, given to one of Mamee Double Decker (M) Berhad product, that is Nutrigen Liteyo. Internationally, mamee had also been rewarded internationally recognized ISO 9002 togethe riwth China Awards Certificates. Weakness This includes the internal and external problem of Mamee Double Decker (M) berhad. The external problem pose by this company is as reported in the star newspapers 2007, mamee has not yet succeed in gaining a market share in China as there is a negative growth in Mamee double decker operation in China particularly,Mamee Double-Decker Food(Suzhou)Co. Ltd, demand for Mamee in China is low, thus generating low sales and revenue and consequently the company had incurred higher loss. however the company did not loose hope and have confidence in its China operation and Mmaee had appointed a consultant to resolve this issue. The second external problem face by Mamee is high dependency of raw material from Europe as such when there is a rise in Euro against USD the mamee double-decker earnings is affected since some of mamee products ingredients such as Mister potatao crips are imported from Europe, ,thus when the price of raw material increases, this gives pressure to its profit margin. In order to overcome this problem, mamee needs to do more reaseach and development to reduce its dependency from outside. One internal problem in mamee double decker lies in its small number of manufacturing facilities, considering that mamee products are marketed all over the world, with only five manufacturing facilities , limited production can be made per day. If mamee want to extend its product line, it will be restricted as there is a limited space for production. Opportunity Since now consumer are becoming more health conscious, one opportunity for Mamee Double Decker is to come up with a product that is more healthy as it will give customer a more options for healthy good food. Mamee Double Decker plans to obtain health food supplier in an effort to expand its product line. Mamee had identified several suppliers and the company plans to negotiates with this suppliers in providing good supplies of food Threat As customer becoming more educated and conscious about the food they consume, consumer tends to compare prices and quality of products with other brands. Currently in market there are various brands and product they offered similar to Mamee Double Decker. Thus, the threat of Mamee Double Decker is the competitors in market like for example, Munchys, Nestle, Unilever Foods. Mamee do not only pose an internal threat, but also external threat for example in terms of competitors in China is also obvious. Mamee face a greater threat especially in Shanghai, this is due to the complexity of market in China in addition to variety of snack food products produced by them. In Shanghai, mamee had to face competitors that have a greater market share like. Report on Consumer Behaviour for Mamee Double Decker In order to evaluate the consumers preferences on Mamee Double-Decker products, a survey has been conducted within a population of 100 respondents and 30 out 100 were taken as a sample to this research. There were 17 male and 15 female involved in this sample. A set of 22 questions were asked during the survey session which majority of the respondents came from different background and the survey were conducted online. Before the surveys were taken in place, a short description of the company was given so that the respondents somehow know what they would be expecting during the session. Questions were separated into three parts started with the personal background information then likert scale questions which evaluate their decision making in making purchases and the last part of the questionnaire cover their own given answer accordingly. Result follow suits right after the research conducted was done. Majority of the respondents were Malays which covers 91percent of the total sample taken. This is explained by the major ethnic in Malaysia is Malay followed by Chinese with 6percent and others 3percent. As for income level, most of the respondents categorized as middle class earners because their income level is range between RM1001 to RM3000 with 47percent are in this group while the remaining 44percent belongs to lower income earner like students and jobless teenagers. Within this sample, most of the respondents are in their bachelor degree staying in urban area and living single life which eventually led them to such consumption with the ration of 63:84:97 for all categories. 84percent of these respondents also admit that they enjoyed eating snack food and beverages with a typical consumption of 1 to 2 packs a day. Why this happening is because during the earlier age like teenagers in university, they are prone to having a quick and light food as on the go. This somehow explained the viability of the result. When it comes to factors to decision making questions, the result was significantly expected. Almost all the respondents agreed that they are very cautious in choosing their favourite snack foods and beverages because this factor has to do with their taste buds. While pricing became the second factor that influenced the decision making; 35percent agreed that price do play a vital role in their purchasing power. Morever, 55percent of the respondents were also somewhat agreed that Mamee Double-Decker do became their preferred brand and offer wide range of products under one roof with their given competitive pricing on the products compared to other brands. So most likely consumers can easily make decision in making purchases and less confusion. Unfortunately, Mamee Double-Decker wasnt still at the par in offering good taste for their products because only 47percent out of the total respondents were somewhat agree with the companys taste performance but the remaining disagree with it. However, 41percent of the respondents agreed that Mamee products are reachable in the market which eases them in making purchases. Majority of the respondents bought Mister Potatoes and Mamee Monster snack which are two of the most popular snack foods from Mamee Double-Decker and they usually bought it at convenience stores like 7-eleven and hypermarkets like Tesco. As for substitution for Mamee brand, they usually go for Jack n Jill brand and Nestle which are two of the top snack foods and beverages producers in the world. Thus this is threat for Mamee Double-Decker because of the stiff competition from these giant producers. Mamee Double-Decker should improve their products taste and perhaps packaging in order to stay competitive in the market despite having cheaper price strategy. In a nutshell, Mamee Double-Decker is a proud home-grown snack foods and beverages producer that went global. However, Mamee Double-Decker cannot be relied truly on domestic markets with their currents products either domestic market or international market, instead they should keep doing product development program in order to come out with new line of foods and beverages that suits the preference of the consumers worldwide. Report on Competition for Mamee Double Decker A survey has been conducted in order to evaluate the competition for Mamee Double-Decker products. Mamee-Double Decker (M) Bhd, which has made a name for itself with its snacks and confectionery products. A survey with a population of 50 was targeted and a sample of 30 was chosen for this research. Respondent consiste of 16 males and 14 females.The survey was a close ended survey requiring customers to answer a multiple chouce question with a 5 asnwer options. A set of 15 questions have been asked regarding their brand preferences. Mamee Double Decker have various competitors on market for example, Munchys, Nestle, Unilver Food. Under this company they too had offered various consumer or food products for example, maggi, a brand for instant noodle.Mamee to had rival branding for their beverages particularly cultured drink, for example, nutrigen cultured drink are competing against other various brands like yakult, vitagen and solivite. In a brief summary, 40% of respondents are quite loyal and repeat buyer for mamee products while 60% of them are somewhat in a middle as they also have other preferences and branding in buying consumer goods products. Based on the survey conducted, consumer prefers brand yakult and vitagen more compared to nutrigen which come from Mamee products. This is believe due to the reason that yakult are better in terms of quality as they contain probiotics . On the other hand their champions products like Mamee Monster, Mamee Noodles, Mister Potato, Double Decker and Nicolet Swiss Herb Candy are more preferred by consumers. In a survey, 65% od consumers prefer more of these products because of it tastes and the prices are affordable as compared to other products such as Pringles, Indo Mee, Maggi and etc. However, the remaining percentage of 35% do prefer other snacks brands like Pringles,Lays, Doritos as they may have perceive this brand are better in quality and tastier compared to mamee products. . Conclusion In conclusion, Mamee Double Decker is a company that have a potential to grow further and to compete aggressively with other products in the market. Since the company have established for quite a long time and has been consistently doing well, they have good prospects to progress in increasing its market share in foods and beverages industry in the future. Looking at its current marketing strategies and programs no doubt that this goal would be attainable. In our opinion, Mamee would not lose to its competitors in the market due to the fact that Mamee is constantly doing Research and Development (RD) to improve its quality of product and extends its product line. However, considering the change in behavior and lifestyle of consumers, that are increasingly, becoming more health conscious mamee should come up with a new products line that suit the changing need of customers.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay --

Abe Lincoln was Americas 16th president. He had served from 1861-1865 he had a vice president his name was Hannibal Hamlin. He had supported the Republican Party. Which means he believed each person is responsible for his/her own rights in society. Abe was 52 at the start of his presidency. Abe had little to no knowledge of anything, but he had a very strong interest in books this is where he obtained most of his knowledge. So you could say that Abe was a self-taught man. When Abe was a kid he had a variety of jobs such as: a shopkeeper, a surveyor and postmaster. For a while he even chopped wood. After that he had started his place in the government. He won a seat in the Illinois legislature when he was 25. Abe served in Illinois for several terms when he had served in Illinois he had started to study to became a lawyer. He had ended up running for U.S congress. He eventually ended up winning the seat. Abe served as a congressman for one term. A term is approximately 2 years. He tried to run for senate. Abe did not win. When he did run though his concern for slavery caught some people’s attention. In 1860 Abe ran for president. He was fairly new in the Republican Party which back then had a meaning that the northern states didn’t allow any states to succeed from the US. Or in other words leave the country and form there own. They were also against slavery. Abe was inaugurated in 1861which means he became president. The southern states did not want Abe to be president. Abe didn’t want slavery so all the southern states were getting mad because slaves could go to the north and be free. Before Abe officially became president the southern states began to succeed. The first to leave was South Carolina. Soon 6 more would leave ... ...d been bumped to General-in-chief of the whole union army. Grant led the union army against Robert E. Lee in Virginia. The both of them battled for over a year with grant winning over Lee in Virginia ion April 9th 1865 Grant offered some generouse terms for the confederate army so that they did completely destroy the south and there army. When Grant took office his popularity becamne more thatn ever before but when he tried to rin for his third term he was accused that his whole presidency was a scandal. Many of the people in his administration had stolen from the gaverment. After he didn’t win his third term he decied he should travel the world and meet all the countries leaders. Upon returning he tried to run for offcice again but was unsuccessful. So he started to write an auto biography. He later had died of throat cancer due to smoking cigars his whole life.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

“All the Pretty Horses”

In William Gilding's Lord of the Flies and Corm McCarthy All the Pretty Horses, the harassers have experiences with death and are victims of mature circumstance which lead them to ultimate moral reconciliation. Death is not a topic to be taken lightly, which the characters of Lord of the Flies by William Gilding discover, Stranded, adult-less, on a deserted Island, the boys In the novel have a growing subconscious fear of a beast on the Island.When one character, Simon, discovers that the beast is nothing but the darkness within each of them, he races to tell the group and is unfortunately mistaken for the beast. The boys lump upon Simon, beating him with sticks and ultimately forcing him off a cliff his death. The boys discover they have the power to kill upon Simony's death, causing them to reassess their strengths and abilities as a group of savages. Similarly, All the Pretty Horses by Corm McCarthy touches upon death and the forced self- assessment It provokes In a character.Prot agonist John Grady Cole gets In a physical fight while spending time at a penitentiary In Mexico. In an effort to save himself, Cole stabs his offender in the heart and, â€Å"the chiseler's knife clattered on the floor. From the red boutonnià ¨re blossoming on the left pocket of his [the cochlear] blue ark shirt there spurted a thin fan of bright arterial blood. He dropped to his knees and pitched forward dead into the arms of his enemy' (McCarthy 201). Cole, only sixteen years old, is forced to reassess his strength and necessary abilities in order to survive this fight.His exposure to death, much like that of the characters of Lord of the Flies, signifies a new stage in life, a new outlook, and a reassessment of how things are handled and how one reacts to certain things. Both Gilding and McCarthy utilize death as a tool to force characters to re;assess their motives, strengths, and moieties even sanity. Gilding's Lord of the Flies also stresses the abandonment of Innocence thr ough experience. By the novel's close, protagonist Ralph has seen two friends die, the rest descend into savagery, and himself capable of going insane, experiencing pain, and inflicting pain unto others.When the boys are finally rescued by chance from the Island, â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of Innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Plugs; (Gilding 202). Rally's, and the other characters', exposure to savagery and parting with innocence give not only homeless but the reader a sense of moral reconciliation. Ralph realizes that things and weeps for his inability to be blind to his surroundings and his inability to control them. He learns that although one can try to make the best of a situation and make every effort to maintain control and order, things do not always go as planned.Likewise, McCarthy All the Pretty Horses teaches its protagonist, John Grady Cole, the same lesson. Cole Journeys to Mexico in search of the glori fied cowboy life many tried to get a hold of at the time, and returns home having lost a close friend, killed another human being, and heartbroken at being unable to be with the girl he loved. Upon his return, Cole does not have the innocence he set out with because his experiences and the circumstances under which they occurred have opened his eyes.He is made to reconsider what he values, and settles with himself what his morals are, and what he believes in and stands for. All the Pretty Horses and Lord of the Flies force their characters and readers to learn a lesson, to reconcile their morals and values, and get a taste of extreme experience and circumstance. Experiencing the death of a friend and being forced to act maturely due to resistance led characters in William Gildings Lord of the Flies and Corm McCarthy All the Pretty Horses to self reassessment and moral understanding.While often times coming to this point includes a happy close, the novels display a different angle, a lesson learned without the fairytale ending the reader is so much hoping for. Moral reconciliation and the ability to assess oneself comes with maturity, and the authors of Lord of the Flies and All the Pretty Horses prove that sometimes obtaining this maturity comes at a heavy and painful cost in parting with one's innocence.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Problems Related to Internet Addiction on Children Essay

Internet could be considered as one of the best useful technological invention of our time. One can find every kind of information which s/he looks for on the internet. Because it is very useful, it is used by almost everybody especially by young people. Sometimes using internet too much may cause a serious problem named â€Å"internet addiction†, which affects mostly children. Internet addiction is a serious problem affecting especially children in two possible ways. Firstly addiction to internet influences children negatively regarding their socialisation. Children are affected by internet addiction because it takes too much time. For example, children who spend too much time with computer can not spend enough time with their family. They can not have fun enough with their family. So they evaluate a weak relationship with their family. In addition, spending too much time with computer instead of reading books may cause a weak talking skill. Moreover, not playing classical children games might affect children’s socialisation. Children who spend time with computer instead of playing classical children games with their friends because of internet addiction will probably have weak social relationships in future. Having good childhood friends is vital for having a good adulthood social life. Also, they can not learn how to struggle with real people outside because of lack of playing classical children games. It may cause being unsuccessful in their work life in future. Secondly, using too much internet might contribute to psychological problems in children. Overuse may cause increasing desire to use internet related to insufficient joy. Children addicted to internet can not get the same joy with their first internet using. The jot decreases day by day. They increase their daily internet using time in order to reach the same joy with the joy which they get previous day. Overuse may also cause being aggressive and anxious when being kept away from internet for a long time. These symptoms may even turn into symptoms of depression. Furthermore, children addicted to internet could become not to able to differentiate real life from online life. They may be extremely happy when they reach a higher level in an online game. They do not care about as much as they care about online games. They also identify themselves with virtual characters in online games. To sum up, internet addiction may cause two possible problems on which are related to their socialisation and psychology. Children should be protected from internet addiction in order to be raised as a healthy generation. Parents should make their children attend real activities (such as scouting). They also should limit their children’s internet using time.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Relatioships in Hills Like White Elephants Essay Example

Relatioships in Hills Like White Elephants Essay Example Relatioships in Hills Like White Elephants Essay Relatioships in Hills Like White Elephants Essay All relationships have conflicts, and some are even doomed. In Hemmingway’s, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† we catch a glimpse of a couple that are facing a precipice, because of an important decision that is looming. Throughout the short story the author uses a variety symbolism ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­. The constant motion of a train, a persistent reference to a white elephant, and even a barren landscape to represent the conflict and divergence of opinions, which will eventually lead to the end of their relationship. The limited time and space the story is set in serves as a symbol for the relationship. It is set at a train station, and the time at the station is very constrained. Hemingway shows a sense of time by beginning the story, stating that the two protagonists have limited time in the station: â€Å"the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid,† (Hemingway, 196). This framework gives you a sense that the piece is confined to fleeting moments; minutes to be precise. Overall the setting also serves as a perfect representation for this doomed relationship, because of the nature of trains. Trains are capable of moving along in only on direction, they move along only stopping momentarily for brief moments, are confined to tight time schedules. Their relationship is also like this. They are forced by time to make a decision, and like the trains, time is constantly moving forward. So, despite the characters obj ections or desires for, â€Å"it [to] be finejust like before,† (Hemingway, 197). That moment has passed and like the trains is arriving at a new destination. So, too has their relationship. The characters attempt to avoid the confrontation of this reality by ignoring it. Stating, â€Å"but I can’t just think about it. You know how I get when I worry,† (Hemingway, 198), or avoiding the subject completely by saying, â€Å"please, please, please,

Monday, October 21, 2019

Inspiring Quotes to Share on International Womens Day

Inspiring Quotes to Share on International Womens Day International Womens Day is an annual observation on March 8 that celebrates women and their achievements. The event, first held in the U.S. in 1909, is observed today across the globe, as well as by the United Nations.   The first International Womens Day was held to commemorate the 1908 Ladies Garment Workers Union strike in New York City when some 15,000 women walked off the job to protest their working conditions. The event, sponsored by the Socialist Party of America, inspired Socialists in Denmark to declare an international counterpart in 1910. Following the outbreak of World War I, International Womens Day rallies in the U.S. and Europe became a platform for anti-war activists as well as womens and workers rights. More than a century after the first International Womens Day, women have made tremendous progress toward a more just and equitable society in the U.S. and elsewhere. Much still needs to be done to advance womens issues around the world. Let these quotes inspire you to celebrate the women who have been important in your life. Maya Angelou â€Å"I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life.† Bella Abzug The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes. Anne Morrow Lindbergh By and large,  mothers  and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacation-less class. Margaret Sanger Woman  must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression. Joseph Conrad Being a woman is a terribly difficult  task since it consists principally in dealing with men. Barbara Bush Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the Presidents spouse. I wish him well! Margaret Atwood Does feminist mean a  large unpleasant person wholl shout at you or someone who believes women are human beings? To me, its the latter, so I sign up. Anna Quindlen Its important to remember that feminism is no longer a group of organizations or leaders. Its the expectations that parents have for their daughters, and their sons, too. Its the way we talk about and treat one another. Its who makes the money and who makes the compromises and who makes the dinner. Its a state of mind. Its the way we live now. Mary Mcleod Bethune Whatever glory belongs to the race for a development unprecedented in history for the given length of time, a full share belongs to the womanhood of the race. Anita Wise A lot of guys think the larger a womans breasts are, the less intelligent she is. I dont think it works like that. I think its the opposite. I think the larger a womans breasts are, the less intelligent the men become. Rudyard Kipling A womans guess is much more accurate than a mans certainty. Charlotte Bunch Feminism is an entire world view or gestalt, not just a laundry list of womens issues.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Assignment #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

#2 - Assignment Example In addition, they structure human perception in a religious, political and personal level. Advancements in technology and globalization in the present century have intensified the changes in public viewpoints. In the main, matters pertaining to facts, uprightness, and even holiness are argued out based on conflicting religious, chauvinistic, cultural and ideological narrations. Barry Levinsons â€Å"Wag the Dog† is a petrifying political satire that is both worryingly conceivable and swift, side-splitting and endearingly mouth-watering. There is a media bombardment that accompanies any present-day international predicament. In the movie, it is clearly evidenced how easy it is to concoct public agitation and the dubiousness that accompanies the intentions. Levinsons movie is a satire of how reality can be altered to serve certain interest and produce a public perception. Stories are created and some cooked up with an aim of deceiving the press and influencing human reasoning. For instance, a representation of a smart bomb disintegrating into an Iraqi smokestack imprisons the nations imaginings to a point that their opinion on the government or the Iraq inhabitants changes. After watching the movie, one finds it hard to trust any information from any media outlet. The story evidences that human opinion is undeniably controlled by the office-bearers fo r their own personal interests. Joan Didion’s â€Å"Fixed Ideas† explores the government’s efforts to construct an imperial America based on the 9/11 assaults by extremists. This has largely created a disconnection among Americans who now hold varied opinions. As a result, the society demonizes personalities who do not uphold their standpoint or present dissimilar viewpoints. Didion prods into the logic and hidden agendas of the policymakers on matters concerning warfare. The narrative ideology is evident in the way the State House presents

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Salem Witch Trials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Salem Witch Trials - Essay Example There were even those who were wrongfully accused but were able to save their lives as they accepted that they had indulged in the act. These incidences took place in the region of Salem and these incidences were recognized as Salem Witch Trials. On the front the main reason for executing individuals was witchcraft, but the main reasons that are rational in nature are quite different. The rational reasons for the incidences of Salem Witch Trials include: post traumatic stress and disease called ergotism. Body The main cause of Salem Witch Trials was that two girls named Betty Parris along with her cousin accused an Indian slave named Tituba for practicing witchcraft on them and due to her practices; they ended up acting in an abnormal manner. There are various theories that explain why the girls were acting in an abnormal manner. Linda R. Caporael in her article titled as â€Å"Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem?† states that those girls who resided in the region of Salem wer e acting in abnormal manner because they were experiencing a disease recognized as ergotism (Caporael 1). These girls were experiencing ergotism because they had consumed bread that was affected by a fungus called ergot. The bread they consumed was made out of the rye grains on which the fungus had spread and these grains mostly grow during summers as well as warm springs. The symptoms of the disease called Ergotism are similar to the manner in which the girls who were thought to be under the control of the devil were experiencing. These symptoms includes: experience of something crawling inside the skin, headaches, experience of hallucinations and others. Since the behavior exhibited by the girls is similar to the symptoms experienced by those who experience ergotism, it is plausible that the girls were not under any spell and were experiencing ergotism. Another possible explanation of the events of the Salem Witch Trials has been provided by Mary Beth Norton in her article titled as â€Å"They called it Witchcraft† (Goss 63). She states that issues experienced by a human in their everyday life are quite commonly associated to witchcraft and similar practices. She further argues that these events are a response to the issue of post traumatic stress disorder experienced by the individuals as they were exposed to the war that took place between the American Indians and the Puritans. This is possibly a rational reason because those who were first held responsible for witchcraft mostly included Indian women including Tituba. Tituba and other American Indians were held responsible because Puritians did not like them due to the war and because the puritans were of the idea that these Indians were people who were chosen by God. The girls who accused Tituba as well as other Indian slaves might be holding a grudge against the Indian because they might be holding them for the death of their loved ones in the war. Another possible reason that can be attributed to the events of Salem Witch Trials is boredom (Roach xxiv). Those who are said to be under the spell were mostly young teenage females who had little or no entertainment and were always practicing religion and were not allowed to experience entertainment because of the rules of the Church. These teenagers might have thought that accusing Indian slaves of indulging in the act of Witchcraft might bring entertainment to their lives and they might become the center of attention of others. The outcome of these accusations was that several individuals were sent to prison and several of them were even executed for being a part of witchcraft. Conclusion Salem Witch Trials

Friday, October 18, 2019

Marketing Communication Tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Communication Tools - Essay Example Marketers and researchers in the field of marketing communication has observed that marketing communication has stayed in the core functional area of businesses and proved to be as vital asset for the organization as its financial resources are (Khosla, 2010). Schultz et al. (2004) identified the importance of marketing communication and the need to diversify use of marketing communication tools and stated that: â€Å"An approach concerns the integration of a wide range of activities and functions that influence and impact upon dynamic information flows between an organization and its stakeholders.   Because in reality consumers integrate all messages received from an organization. Thus, even if the organization has transmitted uncoordinated messages to the same consumer, that consumer will aggregate and integrate those messages according to some pattern. Unfortunately, in some cases, the criteria chosen by the consumer to make such integration can harm the organization and associ ated brand value. Hence the company must be able to manage the process according to its own interests and strategic purposes† (Schultz et al., 2004). Considering the importance of marketing communication tools and the diversified use of these tools, highlighted by Schultz, it can be asserted that the modern business environment might bring a number of challenges to the business. Due to the increased competition in the market place and the requirement of extensive marketing research to promote brands and services, organizations are compelled to adopt an alternative approach which focuses on using multiple sources of marketing and promotion and ensures healthy... The report stresses that marketers and researchers evaluate the benefits a business might achieve by selecting a communication medium. For this purpose, extensive market research is required which helps the market researchers to determine consumers’ preferences and their accessibility to different communication mediums. Once the medium is decided, the researcher then move on to weigh the benefits that an organization perceive it would achieve by selecting the said medium. This reportmakes a conclusion that the criteria to select an efficient marketing communication tool is to carry out a need analysis. The outcome of the need analysis would communicate to the marketers of a business about the expectations and perceptions of the consumers in the market place. Moreover, the organization can also select marketing communication tools on the basis of its targeting strategy. Suppose, if an organization is targeting youth for its energy drink offerings, it would select social network medium to interact with the target market and influence their behavior. While basing their decisions on the target markets and its dynamics for selecting marketing communication tools, organizations must asses its ability to be creative in the marketing campaign and be distinctive in creating compelling marketing pitch. The author of the paper talks that As the business environment and marketing challenges are new with every passing day, it becomes essential for organizations to integrate marketing communication in the core organization functions. Businesses would ensure that that each and every activity of the organization is carried out in a manner, that it markets the organizational values, norms, culture, products and services to the target audience.

Texas basic trial courts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Texas basic trial courts - Assignment Example The Supreme Court of Texas, is the final appellate jurisdiction in civil and small cases that issues writs. It has overall duties in Texas court system. Supreme Court has powers to implement essential regulations of civil trial practice, procedure, verification, appellate proceedings and publish rules of administration in the State. The Supreme Court has one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices who serve for six years (Brandon, Quarles and Mathew 2003). Court of Criminals Appeals is Texas’ criminal counterpart of Supreme Court. It constitutes of nine judges who are elected and appointed as justices of the Supreme Court. During the hearing of cases, the Court of Criminal Appeals sit in panels of three judges, of which two must agree on a conclusion. The Court of Appeals in Texas have intermediate jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases in each geographic Courts of Appeal District in the state. They have limited writ authority. The court of Appeals is divided into fourteen districts with one chief and two to twelve justices. Three justices may sit in a panel during case hearing and majority must agree on the decision (Berry, Goldman and Janda 2008). In District Courts, civil and criminal cases in Texas originated in this level. Both are considered Courts trial of General Jurisdiction. They handle small cases, felony criminal maters, and civil actions over 200 dollars, divorces and title actions. County –level Courts in Texas, is a trial Court with limited jurisdiction. Constitutional County Courts have jurisdiction of fines greater than 500 dollars or jail sentence. Civil matters between 200 dollars and 5000 dollars, and appeals from Municipal are also handled. County Courts have control over civil cases under 10,000 dollars and partial control over criminal matters and Municipal Courts (May, 1996). Municipal Courts

Thursday, October 17, 2019

A Very Different Age - Americans of the Progressive Era Essay

A Very Different Age - Americans of the Progressive Era - Essay Example During this era, the American society experienced various changes socially, economically and politically. The bulk of the book deals with how American people felt during the revolution and to what extent their lives changed. The book focuses on society as a whole, and does not emphasize on a particular person or event alone, there was a lot of struggle and opposition between people, as Diner writes "living increasingly in an interdependent society comprised of large institutions, individual Americans made numerous choices and competed with each other as never before to control their lives"( 3). A very different age narrates the efforts of and lives of different groups of people during the progressive era, including, businessmen and industrial workers, small businessmen and big businessmen, industrial workers and farmers, European immigrants and African migrants, middle class women and men, industrial workers and middle class workers, businessmen and professionals. The reform included the growth of "labour unions joined mostly by businessmen"(47), but these unions removed the "African Americans", women joined the workforce, immigrants accepted low paid jobs for the sake of improving their overall status, they were mostly employed in factories and mills. Inhabitants of America felt superior to the immigrants; farmers mostly had to depend on the vague capitalist system to earn a respectable income, "African American" had to fight for their rights to freedom, most of them flee the country, but it was the middle class that appeared to be the most powerful during the progressive era. According to Diner, despite the progress, there were many setbacks that occurred during the revolutionary era. Thousands of Americans still lived in poverty; African Americans struggled for their identity and "racism" (125) existed. The writer skillfully includes the work of many historians in his book; he praises some of the reformers of the time but criticizes many renowned progressives like "Teddy Roosevelt" (229) and "Woodrow Wilson (219)" who worked for their selfish motives instead of bringing change, Diner disparagingly asserts that "progressives, like other Americans, joined a contest for control under rules set by industrial capitalism" The author explains in his book that the "historians"(199) believe that the political behaviour of many Americans during the progressive era changed widely as fewer votes were cast and citizens no longer remained linked to their political parties as strict laws prevented them to cast votes. Furthermore, many social historians believed that common people were victims of intolerance and inequality, and there were many people who faced the harsh circumstances bravely and travelled from place to place in search of better jobs. People who left were mostly farmers and industrial workers, whereas, most of the urban came to America and urban population in South increased by 900,000(131), "Midwestern farmer's children went further west to buy more lands" and "African Americans" moved to rural areas. A diner is of the view that the progressive period though brought many gains but it at the same time ruined the lives of many. The "Industrial Revolution" had a different impact on different people; with its many accomplishments, it also created problems for many people. The revolution affected women’s lives most negatively and their lifestyle changed significantly.     Ã‚  

Contemporary Marketing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Contemporary Marketing Practice - Essay Example It is common to hear among the consumers that they are not subjects to marketing strategies. Most consumers never want to admit that advertisements have immense influence on their tastes and preferences as far as purchases are concerned. The researcher states that the concern on this essay is whether in reality this freedom is exercised or customer’s tastes are subject to marketer’s strategies. This study involves the issues of advertisement in relation to increase of obesity in the society. The paper is generally a review of various literatures. In conducting the study, the researcher explored a number of books, magazines and website articles on the relationship between obesity and advertisements. To ensure that the ideas are not from the same school of thoughts, this study involved experts from diversified fields, among them being nutritionists, educators, critical analysts, scholars and healthcares providers. One thing that was very common in all these sources is tha t adverts influences the decision making of the consumers, who tend to buy the products, despite their harmful effects on their bodies. The study drew much information from previous studies, particularly from published online books. In conducting the study, the researcher also explored the advertisement strategies of some prominent companies such as Unilever, Coca-cola, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Nestle, General Mills, Kellogg Co. and ConAgra Foods, all of which had one common feature - they all use a significant amount from their coffer in advertisements.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Management and leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and leadership - Essay Example It is a well-known and understood fact that it takes the display of very fine management skills in order to be a good leader. Generally, good leaders are first good managers. Body One of the most fundamental differences between managers and leaders is their way of motivating the subordinates or followers. While the managers usually are risk averse in their approaches, leaders tend to take risks. Some traits that differentiate a manager from a leader are; managers prefer routine over change whereas leaders prefer the other way round; the vision of managers is short-term generally whereas leaders tend to have a long-term vision, leaders visualize things in a broad perspective whereas managers work upon details to make the plans of the leader practicable; finally, as the terms suggest, managers tend to manage whereas the work of a leader is to leader, though it takes sound management skills to be able to lead. The foundation on which leadership stands is the commitment and obedience of the followers. A leader cannot do without the help, support, and compliance of the followers. It takes management to get the followers in the position where they are ready to accept the leader as an individual with power and authority over them. Leadership without management is like trying to lead a herd of wild buffaloes. No matter how hard a leader tries, the wild buffaloes would get scattered and the man would not be able to lead them to their destination. Management essentially tames the workforce so that they get in the mood to listen to the leader and give him/her the due respect he/she deserves for being in the position of a leader. Management is about inculcating the sense of work ethics, respect for the principles of work, and a willingness to abide by them in the workplace in the workforce. These factors prepare a worker mentally and psychologically to be submissive to the leader for the matters related to work. In turn, the level of obedience of the subordinates is raised and this has a very healthy effect on the relationship between the leader and the subordinates. When managed rightly, workers know that they have to listen to the leader to be able to work toward attaining the goal as a group while keeping their personal egos aside. In this way, management essentially set the stage for a leader to perform on. Without that stage, the leader might be called as a leader but he/she might not be truly recognized as a leader, and without the recognition of a leader as such, leadership cannot be thought to be effective. The duties and responsibilities of a manager and a leader are to a large extent similar. While not every manager is a leader, every leader has to be a manager also. Although the individual with the utmost powers and the decision making authority in an organization is usually one or a small group of people who are recognized as leaders, yet down the line, every manager is a leader for the people working under him/her. For example, letâ€⠄¢s take the example of the manager of kitchen in an organization. While the manager of kitchen has to follow the menu set by the leader and use only the ingredients made available to him/her by the leader, the manager of kitchen necessarily serves as a leader for the cooks, the chefs, the purchasers, the kitchen cleaners, and other workers working in the kitchen. Management in this example means providing the workers with the resources and help they require to achieve the tasks assigned to them individually and collectively, supervising them so as to make sure they are actually working and not wasting time in gossip and other activities, making sure that the kitchen is cleaned regularly and that

Contemporary Marketing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Contemporary Marketing Practice - Essay Example It is common to hear among the consumers that they are not subjects to marketing strategies. Most consumers never want to admit that advertisements have immense influence on their tastes and preferences as far as purchases are concerned. The researcher states that the concern on this essay is whether in reality this freedom is exercised or customer’s tastes are subject to marketer’s strategies. This study involves the issues of advertisement in relation to increase of obesity in the society. The paper is generally a review of various literatures. In conducting the study, the researcher explored a number of books, magazines and website articles on the relationship between obesity and advertisements. To ensure that the ideas are not from the same school of thoughts, this study involved experts from diversified fields, among them being nutritionists, educators, critical analysts, scholars and healthcares providers. One thing that was very common in all these sources is tha t adverts influences the decision making of the consumers, who tend to buy the products, despite their harmful effects on their bodies. The study drew much information from previous studies, particularly from published online books. In conducting the study, the researcher also explored the advertisement strategies of some prominent companies such as Unilever, Coca-cola, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Nestle, General Mills, Kellogg Co. and ConAgra Foods, all of which had one common feature - they all use a significant amount from their coffer in advertisements.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Impact of Gunpowder

Impact of Gunpowder A Technology That Marked Major Progress Milestones in History GUNPOWDER INTTRODUCTION Technology is a group of learning committed to making instruments, handling activities and extricating of materials. Everyone have their own way of understanding the meaning of technology or in another word innovation. People use innovation to develop their capacities, and that makes humans as the most vital piece of any mechanical framework. Innovation can allude to techniques running from as basic as dialect and stone devices to the complex hereditary building and data innovation that has risen since the 1980s. These advances invigorated social orders to embrace better approaches for living and administration, and in addition better approaches for understanding their reality. One of that innovation completely changed the world was gunpowder. Gunpowder, also known as black powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive which was invented in china by a Chinese alchemist mistakenly. It is a blend of sulphur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (saltpetre). The carbon from the charcoal in addition to oxygen shapes carbon dioxide and vitality. The response would be moderate, similar to a wood fire, with the exception of the oxidizing operator. Carbon in a fire must draw oxygen from the air. Saltpetre gives additional oxygen. Potassium nitrate, sulphur, and carbon respond together to shape nitrogen and carbon dioxide gasses and potassium sulphide. The expanding gases, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, gives the propelling action. Gunpowder tends to create a considerable measure of smoke, which can hinder vision on a front line or lessen the visibility of firecrackers. Changing the proportion of the component influences the rate at which the explosive consumes and the measure of smoke that is delivered. (ThoughtCo, 2017) As per legend, during the Tang dynasty (9th century) this Chinese chemist was searching for a formula to make the remedy of life, or the mythical potion for immortality. Despite the fact that it was an accident, when they found the powder was exceptionally combustible, or consumed effectively, they chose to call it fire pharmaceutical. Not long after the disclosure, the Chinese weaponized the substance, or made weapons out of it, and during the time they would make numerous weapons utilizing gunpowder, including rockets, bombs, flamethrowers, and land mines before making guns and firearms. The most established weapon that utilizations explosive goes back to a bronze handheld gun made in north-eastern China in 1288. (Nathans Design Dissertation, 2017) Even though the earliest record of written formula for gun powder appeared in Song dynasty (11th century) this is listed as one of the four great invention in Chinese history. In any case, once the Chinese made sense of that it had dangerous capacities, they squandered no time in fusing it into their military. The Chinese could make a jump in military innovation and went from the standard sword and bows and arrows to a military with mines and flamethrowers. With the disclosure of gunpowder came the innovation of the fire arrow, an arrow with gunpowder on its tip, in the year 989. Roughly 11 years after the fire arrow, in 1000, the Chinese designed the flame thrower. The utilization of weapons be that as it may, did not rise in China until the mid-fourteenth Century. The military development that happened inside China in view of the black powder permitted China to have a more grounded and more propelled military, prompting a general more secure nation. (AP World History 2012-2013, 201 7) After the Mongols attacked China in the mid-13th Century, they proceeded with their conquests into India. In 1221, when the Mongols attacked India, they carried with them the information of gunpowder from China. By the 18th century, the Indians were able to make Mysorean rockets; the main iron cast rockets to be utilized by any military on the planet. But the secret of the gunpowder didnt stop spreading to the Middle East. From India, the gunpowder spread to the Middle East in the vicinity of 1240 and 1280. The last place to reach gunpowder was Eastern Europe. Like in India and the Middle East, it was brought into the area in view of the Mongol attacks. In any case, a portion of the learning of gunpowder was likewise transmitted to Europe through the Silk Road. At the point when the Europeans exchanged with the Middle East, the learning of gunpowder was carried into Europe alongside the exchange of merchandise. After getting the knowledge of gunpowder European chemists was interested in searching other alternative methods to improve the qualities of chemical contains. As a result of that European chemists made corned explosive. Corned black powder contained an indistinguishable chemicals from typical explosive however the refining procedure included blending the explosive into a wet substance and after that drying the blend. A German monk, Berthold Schwarz, is credited with developing the principal European gun in 1353. Guns which had been originated in China or the Middle East were enh anced by Europeans. Propelled European metal work strategies permitted European metalsmiths to make more long lasting and sturdy rifles; they likewise figured out how to compute the measure of drive of the gas in the load of the weapon. This learning help make weapons that shot more noteworthy separations. Europeans were all the while enhancing black powder a century after the Chinese had imagined the primary weapon. The European progressions of black powder would achieve China by a Portuguese ship in 1520. The Portuguese presented the gun, enhanced rifles and other European headways to the Chinese. Many years after the development of black powder the Europeans had given back the substance to its starting point and explosives voyage through Asia had turned up at ground zero. The Movement of Gunpowder from the East toward the West (AP World History 2012-2013, 2017) If someone asks what were the precursor circumstances that acted as the motivation for the technology the answer is the overwhelming need of power. The advancement of gunpowder was vital in fighting first for its mental impacts, as the Chinese utilized flying fire (explosive arrow) against their Mongol foes. At the point when the innovation relocated toward the West, notwithstanding, its genuine esteem was in its capacity to control fatal attack weapons and in the end put precise capability in the hands of common troopers. Prior to the innovation of the gun, attack weapons were huge, unwieldy and hard to build. Gunpowder as a fuel expanded the force accessible for anticipating rockets toward adversary emplacements, both expanding the harm these weapons could bring about and expanding their exactness also. Whats more, designers called sappers could burrow under adversary fortresses and pack their passages with gunpowder, bringing out stronghold dividers with unstable power. The scalin g down of gun into guns gave a comparative damaging capacity to normal fighters on the ground, permitting them a considerably more noteworthy successful range than they had with their past bows and crossbows. Guns likewise required less preparing than longbows, and the fast shots could even puncture the plate protective layer worn by knights of the time. At last, gunpowder required an entire revaluation of the specialty of fighting, and nations that were ease back to embrace the new innovation paid the cost on the combat zone. Other than military gunpowder were used in civil engineering and mining in early 15th century. The records of using gunpowder in mins come from Hungry in 1627. After that the technology was introduced to Britain by Germans in 1638. Other than mining gunpowder were used in the construction in canals and tunnels. The first gunpowder is not utilized today with the exception of in firecrackers and sparklers or as a boosting fuel for rocket launching. Like how it was for the most part utilized hundreds of years prior. It has been supplanted by a prevalent synthetic compound and utilized for the most part in slugs. A great deal more propelled mixes are utilized for explosives. One could state that the first gunpowder was the beginning stage for these current mixes. The most recent uses of gunpowder was Afghanistan war in 2001 which killed over 2000 and 22000 wounded, Korean war 1950-1953 which killed over 1800000 and 220000 wounded and world war 2 (1939-1945). Explosive has influenced todays general public by taking a great many lives and damaging a huge number of others. Gunpowder has additionally destroyed the lives of numerous families and companions of the casualties of contention. If this innovation didnt exist then there was a chance of preventing the wars and saving number of lives that co uldnt even count. On the opposite side of the gunpowder has likewise been utilized to make firecrackers which have conveyed extraordinary happiness to the world. If this technology has taken away the invention that found based on gunpowder wouldnt be able to reach to the mankind or use it for the present manufacturing processes. In spite of the fact that gunpowder and its present day subsidiaries do in any case have some significant uses today, all ammunition utilized as a part of firearms all through the world is stacked with smokeless powder. Even though the gunpowder was the main known explosive compound until the mid-19th century, present day there are other alternative ways that are in use and still in process. As an example the American navy has been already tested 30-kilowatt LaWS system at sea aboard the amphibious transport and hoping to deploy varieties of the laser weapon framework in the armada by 2020. (Nationaldefensemagazine.org, 2017) Other than laser weapon the alternative weapon system that still in progress is portable versions of rail guns. Besides the rail guns there might be a chance of producing projectile weapons which are electromagnetically accelerated or energy that transferred electronically to the projectile. (Cooney, 2017) When these technologies are known to the society in the future the gunpowder will be forgotten from the usage and the memory. Even though that happens there is a saying that old is gold. Anyone cant predict what will happen in the future. Reference List AP World History 2012-2013. (2017). Movement of Gunpowder from East to West. [Online] Available at: http://apworldhistory2012-2013.weebly.com/movement-of-gunpowder-from-east-to-west.html [Accessed 27 Mar. 2017]. Cooney, M. (2017). More railguns and lasers, less gunpowder the Navys future high-tech weaponry. [Online] Network World. Available at: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2880535/security0/more-railguns-and-lasers-less-gunpowder-the-navy-s-future-high-tech-weaponry.html [Accessed 17 Mar. 2017]. Jeannielin.com. (2017). Gunpowder Chronicles Behind the Scenes | Jeannie Lin. [online] Available at: http://www.jeannielin.com/gunpowder-chronicles/ [Accessed 30 Mar. 2017]. Monkeytree.org. (2017). Gunpowder in Europe. [Online] Available at: http://www.monkeytree.org/silkroad/gunpowder/europe.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2017]. Nathans Design Dissertation. (2017). Chapter One Inventions. [Online] Available at: https://nathanman.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/chapter-one/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017]. Nationaldefensemagazine.org. (2017). Energy Weapons: The Next Gunpowder?. [Online] Available at: http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2013/June/Pages/EnergyWeaponsTheNextGunpowder.aspx [Accessed 25 Mar. 2017]. ThoughtCo. (2017). Learn How Gunpowder Works. [Online] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/gunpowder-facts-and-history-607754 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017].

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Bubonic Plague :: essays research papers

Essay On Bubonic Plague In the early 1330s an outbreak of deadly bubonic plague occurred in the east. Plague mainly affects rodents, but fleas can transmit the disease to people. Once people are infected, they infect others very rapidly. Plague causes fever and a painful swelling of the lymph glands called buboes, which is how it gets its name. The disease also causes spots on the skin that are red at first and then turn black. Since China was one of the busiest of the world's trading nations, it was only a matter of time before the outbreak of plague in China spread to western Asia and Europe. In October of 1347, several Italian merchant ships returned from a trip to the Black Sea, one of the key links in trade with China. When the ships docked in Sicily, many of those on board were already dying of plague. Within days the disease spread to the city and the surrounding countryside. An eyewitness tells what happened: "Realizing what a deadly disaster had come to them, the people quickly drove the Italians from their city. But the disease remained, and soon death was everywhere. Fathers abandoned their sick sons. Lawyers refused to come and make out wills for the dying. Friars and nuns were left to care for the sick, and monasteries and convents were soon deserted, as they were stricken, too. Bodies were left in empty houses, and there was no one to give them a Christian burial." The disease struck and killed people with terrible speed. The Italian writer Boccaccio said its victims often "ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors in paradise." By the following August, the plague had spread as far north as England, where people called it "The Black Death" because of the black spots it produced on the skin. A terrible killer was loose across Europe, and Medieval medicine had nothing to combat it. In winter the disease seemed to disappear, but only because fleas--which were now helping to carry it from person to person--are dormant then. Each spring, the plague attacked again, killing new victims. After five years 25 million people were dead--one-third of Europe's people. Even when the worst was over, smaller outbreaks continued, not just for years, but for centuries. The survivors lived in constant fear of the plague's return, and the disease did not disappear until the 1600s.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Money Supply and Inflation Essay -- Economy, Macroeconomics

Money Supply plays an important role in macroeconomic analysis, especially in selecting an appropriate monetary and fiscal policy. Considerably, I am yet to come across theoretical work that has been done on this topic (analysis money supply and its impact on other variable i.e. inflation, interest rate, real GDP and nominal GDP). However some other topics similar to this one have been done by AL-SHARKAS, Adel, where he uses the same technique and models on the topic ‘out put response to shocks to interest rate, inflation and stock returns. His work investigates the relationship between the Jordanian output and other macroeconomics variables such as inflation, interest rate and stock returns. His paper employs the VAR approach method of Lee (1992) to analyze the relation and dynamic interaction among variables. The IRF and the FEVD from the VAR model are computed in order to investigate interrelationships within the system. The empirical results indicate that Interest rate and inflation are weakly negatively correlated and real stock returns and inflation is very weakly positively correlated for all leads and lags are negatively associated. Furthermore, the response of output (IPG) to shocks in stock returns (R1) is strongly positive up to the first 6 periods and after which the effect almost dies. This indicates that the relationship between stocks returns (R1) and real activity (IPG) is positive and inflation has a negative impact on IPG (Adel A. Al-Sharkas 2004). MONEY SUPPLY GROWTH AND MACROECONOMIC CONVERGENCE IN ECOWAS by WEST AFRICAN MONETARY AGENCY (WAMA) is a writes up similar to this topic. Where the relationship between money supply major macroeconomic indicator where investigated for countries in West Africa includi... ...mploys the VAR approach method of Lee (1992) to analyze the relation and dynamic interaction among variables. The IRF and the FEVD from the VAR model are computed in order to investigate interrelationships between money supply shocks and inflation the system. the empirical relations based on the VAR test conducted for the period 1990 to 2009 show that, Money supply and inflation are weakly positively correlated, Money supply and interest rates are very weakly and negatively correlated, Money supply and real GDP are strongly positively correlated, Money supply and nominal GDP are very strongly negatively correlated. Furthermore, the response of inflation to shocks in money supply is very weakly positive or has no effect since it is constant through out. This indicates that the relationship between money supply and inflation is not too significant.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Methods

Discuss the main differences between qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis in management research. Your answer should make reference to the philosophical assumptions which underpin these methodological approaches. Introduction Whenever a decision is made to undertake a piece of research a method for conducting the study is required. In scientific research the techniques typically used for data collection and analysis are those which allow the evaluation of data to test a predetermined hypothesis (Zikmund, 2000). An example of this is a laboratory-based experiment where the researcher can be in full control of all the variables involved and can therefore be sure that any change in the phenomena under investigation is a direct result of an identified and controlled stimulus. In marketing research however, which is usually reliant on some aspect of human influence, it has been proposed that such a uniform, rigid approach is not appropriate: â€Å"There is never a single, perfect research design that is the best for all marketing research projects, or even a specific type of marketing research task. (Malhotra and Birks, 2000: p. 70) The aim of this assignment is to critically evaluate the quantitative and qualitative approaches to research, specifically focusing on the marketing perspective. To do this, consideration is firstly given to the basic differences between the qualitative and quantitative approaches, considering the seemingly opposing theoretical paradigms from which they have origina ted. Subsequently the development of the marketing discipline is examined with a specific focus on how and why different research methods have been employed in the field. Attention is Page 1 of 1 iven to the need for marketing to address both the issue of verifying existing hypotheses, and the requirement to develop new theory. As there appears to be no ideal research method for use in marketing it would seem that what is important is being critically aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches available. Finally, therefore, the notion of pluralism, or methodological triangulation, is explored as such an approach is often used to exploit the strengths and minimise weaknesses in research design through the combination of two or more research methods, often from opposing theoretical paradigms. Basic differences between quantitative and qualitative research Qualitative research can be defined as: â€Å"†¦the collection, analysis and interpretation of data that cannot be meaningfully quantified, that is, summarised in the form of numbers. † (Parasuraman et al, 2004: p. 195) Whereas quantitative research can be defined as: â€Å"†¦the collection of data that involves larger, more representative respondent samples and the numerical calculation of results. † (Parasuraman et al, 2004: p. 195) Historically it has been considered that science based disciplines such as mathematics and physics are especially suited to quantitative research methods. Such methods are considered to be objective and lead to numerical, absolute outcomes, which can be verified through repetition and further testing (Zikmund, 2000); in other words the knowledge is external to the knower (Milliken, 2001), and therefore is available be found by whoever conducts the necessary research (Cunningham, 1999). This view of natural science can be considered to fit within the positivist paradigm, where a paradigm can be thought of as theoretical framework for looking at a situation and a basis upon which phenomena can be analysed and interpreted Page 2 of 2 (Gill and Johnson, 2002). Kuhn (1970) supports the need for paradigms on the basis that they bind disciplines together, and without them there would be no valid position from which to undertake research. Deshpande (1983) suggests that the acceptance of a particular theoretical aradigm is typically followed by a choice of a specific set of research methods that appear to fit within it. This is perhaps exemplified by the significant use of laboratory experiments in pure scientific disciplines. Within the social sciences however there has been a long-standing debate surrounding which philosophical standpoint, or paradigm, it is appropriate for research methods to be derived from (Milliken, 2001). Cohen et al (2000) consider there to be two m ajor, apparently contradictory, views relating to how research should be conducted within social science. The first aligns social science with natural science and therefore implies that research in the field should be directed towards the search for universal laws which regulate individual social behaviour. The second focuses on the human element of social science research, with recognition of the notion that people are not inanimate objects and therefore cannot be treated as such. Aligning social science with natural science arguably implies that data collection and analysis is best performed from a positivist standpoint. As research methods favoured by positivists tend towards those reliant on quantification (Gill and Johnson, 2002), it would follow that in management research the focus should be on quantitative research methods. Research conducted from the positivist viewpoint is usually considered to be reductionist in nature, and is often termed hypothetico-deductive, as it aims to derive a result in relation to a predefined hypothesis (Zikmund, 2000). Conversely, an approach to research which embraces human individuality and places emphasis on how people perceive and give meaning to their own Page 3 of 3 socially created world, can be considered constructivist (Hunt, 1994), and phenomenological (Gill and Johnson, 2002). The focus from this standpoint is therefore on understanding, interpreting and building theory rather than objectively testing, deducing and verifying an existing hypothesis. Such an approach can be considered inductive in nature and therefore favours the adoption of qualitative research methods. ollows: â€Å"†¦the most telling and fundamental distinction between the paradigms is on the dimension of verification versus discovery†¦quantitative methods have been developed most directly for the task of verifying or confirming theories and†¦qualitative methods were purposely developed for the task of discovering or generating theories. † (Reichardt and Cook, 1979: cited in Deshpande, 1983: p. 105 ) This can be explained further as At the extreme of the inductive spectrum lies the concept of grounded theory developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967). Here the researcher builds theory based entirely on the data obtained in a particular study without the influence of predetermined knowledge or preconceived hypotheses. Taking deduction to the extreme hypotheses can only ever be tested, raising the question of how it is possible to obtain a hypothesis in the first place. This presents a number of dilemmas with regard to research in the field of management, including whether it is more appropriate to test existing hypotheses or to develop new theory. The theory-testing versus theory-generation debate is particularly significant in the field of marketing as, due to the relative youth of the discipline, marketers are faced with the challenge of both obtaining and maintaining respect and credibility for the work that has been done so far (Bartels, 1983); and continuing to generate theory needed to develop a coherent, holistic body of knowledge which will clear up marketing’s existing â€Å"theory mess† (Gummesson, 2002: p. 349). Page 4 of 4 Development of research in the field of marketing The discipline of marketing, which came about as a departure from economics not long after 1900, originally had no identity of its own. There was no predetermined framework for its development, nor any real expectation of what it should, or could, become (Bartels, 1983). The way the discipline started to develop however led to a belief that it had â€Å"†¦meritorious scientific character† (Bartels, 1983: p. 34), which subsequently influenced ideas about the way in which credible research in the field should be conducted. Consequently approaches to research in marketing have historically been dominated by deductive processes (Hyde, 2000). Milliken (2001) supports this with the observation that within the marketing literature there has been little attention paid to qualitative research. If marketing was universally accepted to be akin to a pure science then this may be an acceptable situation. It has been suggested however that, rather than being a science, marketing is actually an art which belongs both to the world of business and the school of humanities (Halliday, 1999). It was noted by Deshpande (1983) that in the early 1980s there were only four major textbooks dealing with the metatheoretical issues in marketing, and it can therefore be understood that â€Å"†¦self conscious reflection on theory construction in marketing is of fairly recent origin. † (p. 104). Peter (1982), supported by Deshpande (1983), argues that the dominant philosophical approach applied in marketing is that of logical empiricism. Such a positivist approach forces a â€Å"†¦search for causality and the assumption of determinism† (Hunt, 1994: p. 7), which directs those conducting marketing research towards hypotheticodeductive methods for the verification of existing theories rather than development of new ones. Page 5 of 5 Goulding (1999) suggests that the popularity of the positivist paradigm may be down to the more transparent rules which it projects with regard to the basis of hypotheses and their testing, resulting in a clearer picture of what is a ccepted to be known and what remains unknown or untested. As marketing is a relatively young discipline, quantitative methods have therefore been regularly favoured over qualitative methods in an attempt to establish credibility and respectability (Bartels, 1983). Bass (1993) unreservedly supports quantitative research and the scientific view of marketing, on the basis of the need to make general laws and principles which can be widely applied. To emphasise his position further Bass (1993) repeatedly refers to the discipline as not as â€Å"marketing† but as â€Å"marketing science†. Despite this apparent favouritism of qualitative research, for establishing integrity and credence, it has been suggested that marketing as a discipline has failed to develop a coherent theoretical foundation due to the inappropriate selection and use of methods within the framework of logical empiricism (Leone and Schultz, 1980). criticises how qualitative research is implemented. Gummesson (2001) also He questions whether or not it is ppropriate to make a jump from a subjective answer given by a person, perhaps in the form of a questionnaire response, to hard facts about the population being studied, and furthermore if a model being selected for use in marketing research can be an appropriate proxy for the particular situation being studied. Gummesson (2001) instead advocates an interactive approach to research in marketing based on â€Å"†¦a humanistic, hermeneutic and phenomenological paradigm. (p. 40). Deshpande (1983) is in agreement with this and proposes that, rather th at the incorrectly using quantitative research methods, the shortfall in theory development in the field may lie in the inappropriate adoption of a quantitative paradigm where a qualitative one would be more appropriate: â€Å"If we ignore the qualitative paradigm, we also by definition exclude the principal systematic means of theory generation. † (Deshpande, 1983: p. 106) Page 6 of 6 The dominance of logical empiricism in marketing has therefore been seen as potentially detrimental to the discipline, because the successful development of an appropriate holistic and sound body of theory is necessary for the credibility of the field in both management and academe (Bartels, 1983). Hunt (1994) however observes that scholars in the field of marketing, particularly those reviewing papers for publication in academic journals, may themselves be responsible for the lack of theory generation by being over critical when reviewing the work of those who attempt to make an original contribution. According to Gummesson (2001) this behaviour reinforces the belief that to build a publications record, and a respectable reputation, marketers are being encouraged to test existing theory using quantitative methods rather than generate theory through qualitative investigation. This, it has been suggested, has resulted in there being no development in general management marketing theory over recent decades, leaving marketing as an array of disjointed theories and ideas founded on arguably obsolete principles Gummesson (2001). The lack of credibility given to qualitative research techniques in marketing from the academic perspective does however appear somewhat ironic given that such methods are widely adopted in marketing research in industry (Deshpande, 1983). Although it may appear that qualitative marketing research is a relatively recent revelation, Deshpande (1983) argues that this is not the case. He observes that there was significant interest in the topic in the 1950s and 1960s. In the early 1980s, Fern (1982) suggested that the reason one specific qualitative technique, focus groups, had failed to gain prominence was a lack of empirical testing, which would allow the theory development necessary to acquire credibility. In other words a qualitative technique struggled to generate recognition because it could not satisfy the positivistic evaluation criteria needed to do so. This is perhaps indicative of the historical power of positivism in marketing academia in determining what can be accepted as credible Page 7 of 7 nd what cannot, regardless of whether or not techniques are accepted in the commercial environment. Malhotra and Peterson (2001) suggest that for marketing to move forward in the twenty-first century it is necessary to bridge the gap between the academic and commercial positions. There is evidence of increasing acceptance of qualitative methods in marketing research, especially in managing research as the marketplace evolves. For example Kozinet z (2002) developed â€Å"netnography† as a technique for gaining insight into online communities based on a combination of the principles of ethnography and focus groups. Quantitative techniques it would appear still have their place in marketing research too, despite the criticisms levelled at them. The SERVQUAL questionnaire for example, originally developed by Parasuraman et al (1988), relies on the collection of data which can be statistically manipulated to determine levels of service quality. Notwithstanding the substantial criticism it has received (see Buttle, 1996), it is still being used in marketing research today (see e. g. DeMoranville and Bienstock, 2003). What it would consequently appear important to recognise is that both quantitative and qualitative methods have their place in marketing research; neither is sufficient on its own, and there is potentially for significant advances to be made if marketing researchers acknowledge this (Deshpande, 1983). Triangulation and methodological pluralism There is a place in marketing research for both qualitative and quantitative research. There is also a significant risk that overly staunch advocates of a single paradigm will forego the quality of their research by valuing the methodological choice above the aim of the particular Page 8 of 8 study (Bartels, 1983). From a marketing research perspective the importance therefore lies in recognition of the relative advantages and disadvantages of both the qualitative and quantitative research and the understanding of the strengths and weakness of particular methods. Cahill (1996) supports this with the recognition that qualitative and quantitative techniques can be complementary, and Milliken (2001) suggests that the reality of a real research situation demands compromise between the seemingly opposed philosophical standpoints on which the methods are based. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods presents the researcher with an opportunity to compensate for the weakness in each approach. (Deshpande, 1983), and within the field of marketing there appears to be a significant move towards combining qualitative and quantitative research methods (Milliken, 2001). Perry (1998) emphasises the benefit of case study methodology in marketing and suggests that there is no need to consider induction and deduction to be mutually exclusive when selecting a research method. He emphasises that realism is the most appropriate paradigm from which to undertake marketing research as it allows the building of new theory whilst incorporating existing knowledge. Strength in method combination does not necessarily have to include qualitative and quantitative approaches. Hall and Rist (1999) present a marketing study based on the triangulation of purely qualitative research methods including focus groups, observation and document examination. They argue that doing this eliminates the risks of relying on a single method and therefore enhances research quality and strengthens the credibility of qualitative techniques. Page 9 of 9 Methodological pluralism, whilst appearing to offer reconciliation between opposing theoretical paradigms in relation to research method choice, does itself introduce debate and criticism. Gill and Johnson (2002) for example note that embracing realism can be seen as accepting positivism at the cost of phenomenology as it may involve the †¦operationalization and measurement of social reality (stimuli) and action (response)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 170). Consequently, combining research methods can itself become part of the argument rather than a solution. Conclusion The decision of whether to adopt qualitative or quantitative methods in management research historically appears to be based on the philosophical assumptions upheld by the individual researcher or the discipline in which he or she is work ing. A paradigmatic dichotomy between positivism and phenomenology (or constructivism) would seem to have resulted in a situation where, in some instances, the research methodology choice is deemed more significant than the subject of the particular study. Marketing is a relatively young discipline within the field of management and, as such, is faced with the challenge of obtaining and maintaining credibility. To do this it has been proposed that it needs to both test existing theory and generate new theory, however the processes required to achieve these two goals can be seem to stem from diametrically opposed paradigms: theory-testing being achievable through deductive methods; and theory generation relying on an inductive approach. This incommensurability has however been challenged with the assertion that what is important is selecting an appropriate methodology for a particular study, rather than fitting a Page 10 of 10 study to a method. Methodological triangulation has been suggested as a means of achieving this, with a move towards a paradigm of realism where the relative advantages and disadvantages of a number of research methods can be embraced. Whilst at face value this approach may appear to offer a compromise offering the best practical solution to the methodological choice dispute, it also introduces criticism of its own which, in turn fuels the debate further. The general aim of this discussion, to consider the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods, has itself been conducted from an ostensibly positivistic standpoint. In fact any discussion, comparison or assessment of research methods is arguably starting from a predetermined premise that an objective evaluation is being undertaken (Gill and Johnson, 2002), and can therefore be seen to be embracing positivist ideals. Taking into account the amount of attention that has been paid to philosophical approaches to management research; the ambiguities that are apparent; the ongoing search for the most suitable and appropriate means for conducting studies; and the motivation to establish and maintain credibility, it would seem unlikely that end to the debate regarding research methods in management is in sight: â€Å"Like the earth being round, thus lacking a natural end, the journey in Methodologyland has no end. You search again and again and again, just as the term says: re-search, re-search, re-search. (Gummesson, 2001: p. 29) Page 11 of 11 References Bartels, R. (1983), â€Å"Is marketing defaulting its responsibilities? †, Journal of Marketing, 47(4), pp. 32-35 Bass, F. M. (1993), â€Å"The future of research in marketing: Marketing Science†, Journal of Marketing Research, 30(1), pp. 1-6 Buttle, F. (1996), â€Å"SERVQUAL: review, critique, research agenda†, European Journal o f Marketing, 30(1), pp. 8-32 Cahill, D. J. (1996), â€Å"When to use qualitative methods: a new approach†, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 14(6), pp. 16-20 Cohen, L. , Manion, L. and Morr, K. 2000), Research Methods in Education, 5th Edition, Routledge: London Cunningham, A. C. (1999), â€Å"Commentary confessions of a reflective practitioner: meeting the challenges of marketing’s destruction†, European Journal of Marketing, 33(7/8), pp. 685-697 DeMoranville, C. W. and Bienstock, C. C. (2003), â€Å"Question order effects in measuring service quality†, International Journal of research in Marketing, 20(3), pp. 217-231 Deshpande, R. (1983), â€Å"Paradigms Lost: On theory and method in research in marketing†, Journal of Marketing, 47(4), pp. 101-110 Fern, E. F. 1982), â€Å"The use of focus groups for idea generation: the effects of group size, acquaintanceship, and moderator on response quantity and quality†, Journal of Marketing Research , 19(1), pp. 1-13 Gill, J. and Johnson, P. (2002), Research Methods For Mangers, 3rd Edition, London: SAGE Publications Ltd Glaser, B. G. and Strauss, A. L. (1967), The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research, Aldine Publishing Company: Chicago Goulding, C. (1999), â€Å"Consumer research, interpretive paradigms and methodological ambiguities†, European Journal of Marketing, 33(9/10), pp. 59-873 Gummesson, E. (2001), â€Å"Are current research approaches in marketing leading us astray? †, Marketing Theory, 1(1), pp. 27-48 Gummesson, E. (2002), â€Å"Practical value of adequate marketing management theory†, European Journal of Marketing, 36(3), pp. 325-349 Hall, A. L. and Rist, R. C. (1999), â€Å"Integrating multiple qualitative research methods (or avoiding the precariousness of a one-legged stool)†, Psychology & Marketing, 16(4), pp. 291304 Page 12 of 12 Halliday, S. 1999), â€Å"I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like: resonance, relevance and illumination as assessment criteria for marketing research and scholarship†, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 17(7), pp. 345-362 Hunt, S. D. (1994), â€Å"On rethinking marketing: Our discipline, our practice, our methods†, European Journal of Marketing, 28(3), pp. 13-25 Hyde, K. F. (2000), â€Å"Recognising deductive processes in qualitative research†, Qualitative Market Research, 3(2), pp. 82-90 Kozinets, R. V. (2002), â€Å"The field behind the screen: Using Netnography for marketing research in online communities†, Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), pp. 1-72 Kuhn, T. S. (1970), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd Edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press Leone, R. P. and Schultz, R. L. (1980), â€Å"A study of marketing generalizations†, Journal of Marketing, 44(1), pp. 10-18 Malhotra, N. K. and Birks, D. F. (2000), Marketing Research: An Applied Approach, 3rd European Edition, Harlow, Engl and: Financial Times Prentice Hall Malhotra, N. K. and Peterson, M. (2001), â€Å"Marketing research in the new millennium: emerging issues and trends†, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 19(4), pp. 16-235 Milliken, J. (2001), â€Å"Qualitative research and marketing management†, Management Decision, 39(1), pp. 71-77 Parasuraman, A. , Grewal, D. and Krishnan, R. (2004), Maketing Research, Boston, USA: Houghton Mifflin Company Parasuraman, A. , Zeithaml, V. A. and Berry, L. L. (1988), â€Å"SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumers perceptions of service quality†, Journal of Retailing, 64(1), pp. 12-40 Perry, C. (1998), â€Å"Process of a case study methodology for postgraduate research in marketing†, 32(9/10), pp. 785-802 Peter, J. P. 1982), â€Å"Current issues in the philosophy of science: Implications for marketing theory – a panel discussion†, in Marketing Theory: Philosophy of Science Perspectives, Bush, R. F. and Hunt, S. D. (eds. ), Chicago, American Marketing, pp. 11-16 Reichardt, C. S. and Cook, T. D. (1979), â€Å"Beyond qualitative versus quantitative methods†, in Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Evaluation Research, Cook, T. D and Reichardt, (eds. ) Beverley Hills, CA: Sage Zikmund, W. G. (2000), Business Research Methods, 6th Edition, Orlando, USA: The Dryden Press, Harcourt College Publishers Page 13 of 13