Sensory Perception free essay sample

There are also other cases where what we think we see is not really what it is, â€Å"habits, interests, and biases, focuses and thus limits our perceptions. † (Kirby Goodpaster, 2007, pg. 56) I believe that our sensory information in most regards is accurate, without any sort of accuracy we would not depend on them as much as we do in our thinking and decision making. When we feel heat on a pan on the stove our senses alert us to the danger of being burnt and we proceed with caution. When we see that it is raining outside we know we will get wet and make a decision to bring an umbrella to keep warm. Hearing is another powerful sense that we use to listen to words, is crucial in communication, and is interactive with our thinking. When we hear a very loud noise close to us we are startled and our senses might kick in and tell us to take cover for safety. We will write a custom essay sample on Sensory Perception or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When we sense better, we in turn think better. 2. Identify and describe at least three factors contributing to the accuracy of sensory data. Sensory data is vital towards survival in the wild. Animals depend on their senses in hunting, fighting, and decision making. The senses of many predators have adopted and developed in many ways that allow them to be the best, most efficient hunters and at survival. Each animal has unique senses that allow them to have a much better chance at survival. Bats can hear at a higher frequency that allows them to locate capture predators easier, many invertebrates are able to analyze and see polarized light to help in the water. â€Å"Some snakes use infrared radiation to locate warm-blooded prey, and certain beetles can use it to sense forest fires. (â€Å"Senses, 2012†) In order for our sensory data to be accurate we need to ensure that our perceptions are sharp which will help us in better delivery of data to our brains. We also need to ensure that our observations are accurate, that we have gotten all of the facts right. Another factor to take into consideration is that â€Å"we need to perceive beyond appearances and behind false faces† (Kirby Goodpaster, 2007, pg. 54) 3. Discuss the roles of â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data. I think that in regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data that primarily in humans both nature and nurture are involved. We still possess the fight or flight primal sense for survival. On the other hand I think that our nurture has become a part of who we are and does affect our sensory data. As an example, a person raised in Japan and one raised in Mexico will have been raised with different senses of taste, smells, sounds or hearing, and with very different visual experiences. These differences in sensory data will affect who they are and their thinking. Yes, on a basic level we all feel pain, see, hear, but their experiences and how the nurturing affects them will be very different. As stated earlier, â€Å"custom in the form of habits, interests, and biases, focuses and thus limits perceptions. † (Kirby Goodpaster, 2007, pg. 56) I think we do act on our animal instincts in our human behavior but I also do believe that we think and behave in certain ways due to being taught to do so, our sensory data is a combined mixture of both that we take into consideration and sensing in our thinking and actions.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome essays

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome essays Imagine the thought of a mother going in to her childs room and kissing her baby good night. Expecting to hear the gentle breath of her baby all that she hears is silence. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history (Willinger, et al., 1991). More children die of SIDS in a year that all who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined. Many researchers now believe that babies who die of SIDS are born with one or more conditions that make them especially vulnerable to stresses that occur in the normal life of an infant, including both internal and external influences. SIDS occurs in all types of families and is largely indifferent to race or socioeconomic level. SIDS is unexpected, usually occurring in otherwise apparently healthy infants from 1 month to 1 year of age. Most deaths from SIDS occur by the end of the sixth month, with the greatest number taking place between 2 and 4 months of age. A SIDS death occurs quickly and is often associated with sleep, with no signs of suffering. More deaths are reported in the fall and winter and there is a 60-to-40-percent male-to-female ratio. A death is diagnoses as SIDS only after all other alternatives have b een eliminated: SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion (Willinger, et al., 1991). Risk factors are those environmental and behavioral influences that can provoke ill health. Any risk factor may be a clue to finding the cause of a disease, but risk factors in and of themselves are not causes. Researchers now know that the mothers health and behavior during her pregnancy and the babys health before birth seem to influence the occurrence of SIDS, but these variables a...

Economi politic Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economi politic - Term Paper Example Media freedom is deemed as a critical aspect in the development of developing democracies in the wake of social awareness and reforms. Indonesia has received a fair share of mass media revolutions that dates back to its rich history of authoritarian rule to the current state. This paper seeks to explore the development of mass media since independence focusing on the factors that promote media freedoms to encourage democratic growth. For one to understand the extent of mass media freedom in the present day, it is important to examine the history of media broadcast since Indonesia gained its independence. The relationship between the government and the media in Indonesia can be described as axiomatic with the media being on the receiving end. The media in Indonesia has always been at the heart of major transitions in the political arena. After independence, the media became organs for various political parties and their agenda, which saw an increased political biasness among media ins titutions. As such, the media were illustrated as pawns controlled by the political parties since they picked sides. A journalistic agency was established to remedy the media involvement in the prevailing politics and instil professionalism among the stakeholders. Although the gesture was noble, nothing much was achieved and consequently, most newspapers were easily described as political mouthpieces in the 1950s.1 Notably, President Sukarno abandoned liberal democracy to adopt a guided system that sought to influence the media and direct their activities. In its regulations, the regime alienated the opposition and propagated its political manifesto through the media. The year 1965 saw the ascent of General Suharto to power with the seizure of the only legal radio and television station in Indonesia. His government enforced stricter regulations that monitored and controlled the press and their organisation through the department of information. The government demanded mandatory memb ership to the PWI thus crushing the remains of press freedom at the time. Newspaper editors and journalists would receive threats after publishing investigative articles against the government or the Suharto’s family. In addition, bribery was a common occurrence for individuals seeking favourable article publications to boost their image. The threats and corruption served to impede press freedom, integrity as well as the quality of information disseminated.2 Some journalists stood their ground and formed a new organisation, which sought a difference from their government-controlled counterparts. This followed the closure and revocation of licenses of major publications by the government after they published articles criticising the government. The new organisation had not political affiliations whatsoever and focussed on freedom of the press an aspect that did not go down well with the government. Consequently, members of the new organisation faced arrests, discriminations, a nd victimisation for their work. Protesters and demonstrators derived from various non-governmental organisations and the society demanded reforms after the publication of provoking articles. The collapse of the oppressive regime marked the introduction of reforms that have allowed significant strides in media freedom. Presently, press freedom in Indonesia is considered as the most vibrant

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Coursework

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Venezuela as fierce people - Coursework Example The Yanomamo tribe of Venezuela lives in relatively small villages of around 40 to 250 people. For Chagnon, the Yanomamos are a â€Å"fierce people† because of their cultural practices. This particular group of people would usually express ferocity in several ways. First of all, the ferocious and violent tendencies of the Yanomamos are reflected in their decisions to initiate intervillage warfare in order to prevent another tribe to attack them in the future or perhaps simply in order to demonstrate their ferocity. Secondly, the Yanomamos would usually beat their wives when they want to vent their anger. Nevertheless, the unreasonableness of this act is no match for the fact that men would sometimes engage in a chest-pounding duel and take part in free-for-all club fights in order to settle disputes of insults and excessive demands. Lastly and certainly not the least, the Yanomamos prove themselves as truly a â€Å"fierce people† when they force their sons to fight each other in public duels while they parents rejoice in their fights. Thus, there is no way to diffuse the warlike image for this is inculcated in the Yanomamo even at a young age. All these violent and ferocious acts indeed somehow define the Yanomamos as a â€Å"fierce people.† The Yanomamos themselves have both a practical and a traditional or mythological origin for such ferocity that they demonstrate. The practical side to it is the idea that their ferocity is a â€Å"way of protecting valuable resources† and also a way of considering women and children as â€Å"valuable resources† (Robins, 2009). This means that the intervillage wars and the warlike predisposition of the Yanomamos serve either as a way to demonstrate superiority as well as to protect the tribe from attacks waged by other tribes. If the Yanomamos were not a â€Å"fierce people,† they would stand no chance against other tribes who would attack them at any time. Another justification of the Yanomamos for their being a â€Å"fierce† is mythological in origin. These people believe that people were â€Å"created from the blood of the moon† (Robins, 200 9). According to this origin myth, the moon was believed by the ancients to have devoured the souls of their children. Because of this, the human beings shot the moon with an arrow and from the blood that flowed out of this wound, the Yanomamos were born. The fact that the birth of the Yanomamos was one of blood and revenge in a way paved the way for them to believe that they are indeed a â€Å"fierce people† and in many ways they demonstrated and perpetuated this image. Question 3: In your own words, review the characteristics of peaceful societies and link these characteristics to two of the following five societies: the Ju/Wasi, the Semain of West Malaysia, the Inuit, the Xinguano of the Amazon region in South America, and the Buid of the Philippines. Peaceful societies maintain their peace by constantly aiming for a number of things. Firstly, these societies place a high value on developing the values of sharing and cooperation. This is to alleviate and avoid conflicts ov er material resources. Somehow, peaceful societies believe that if there is one thing that would disturb the peace among the members of the community, it would be the selfishness, greed and the refusal to share possessions. Thus, these characteristics are absent in a peaceful society. The Ju/wasi and the Buid of the Philippines are two examples of societies that exemplify peace. These two societies share similar qualities, all of which are focused upon the good of the community as a whole, and not over material things or the benefit of the individual. Another characteristic of a peaceful society is the condemnation of those who boast about their accomplishments, especially if this would most likely trigger hatred, envy or

Dippin Dots Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dippin Dots - Research Paper Example In 1991, they established their dealer network. 1994 marked the year of their first international account, which was in Japan. In 1995, they opened a new production facility that was 32,000 feet in Paducah. The facility expanded by 20,000 feet in 1997 and the company earned a spot on Inc. Magazine's 500 list of fastest growing companies. In 2000, the first franchise opened and the company went to court against imitators. In 2001, Dippin' Dots came in third behind Baskin Robbins and Dairy Queen as far as number of franchises. In 2002, Dippin' Dots was ranked 112th on the Franchise 500 list, 69th on the list of Fastest Growing franchise companies, and number one on the New Franchise Company lists of Entrepreneur's Magazine. Dippin' Dots also becomes available at San Francisco Bay area McDonald's restaurants during the same year. The awards and high rankings continue through 2005. In 2006, the company was restructured and Tom Leonard became president of the company. According to Improvement Network (2008), "A PESTEL Analysis can be particularly useful for groups who have become too inward-looking. They may be in danger of forgetting the power and effect of external pressures for change because they are focused on internal pressures. You can use this technique for a large or a small group activity. PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Environment and Legislative. It is a strategic planning technique that provides a useful framework for analyzing the environmental pressures on a team or an organization." Political There are political concerns that companies like Dippin' Dots need to take into consideration when operating their companies. Two of the most important are regulators and politicians (Improvement Network, 2008). Economic There are also economic considerations for Dippin' Dots. These include world trends, trends in the countries and states in which the company operates, and industry trends (Improvement Network, 2008). Social There are social considerations Dippin' Dots must pay attention to. These include cultural change, the expectations of consumers, changing demographics, and changes in the structures and habits of families (Improvement Network, 2008). Technology Technological considerations for the company are pretty self-explanatory. The ice cream treat is based on technology that was before its time, so it must maintain that expertise and quality. The company also needs to look for new innovations in order to keep growing. Environmental There are also a number of environmental implications for the company to consider. These include cost implications, public opinion, and sites and locations (Improvement Network, 2008). Legal Legal considerations for the company vary according to the state, territory, or country the company is operating in. They must follow United States legislation and directives, for instance (Improvement Network, 2008). SWOT Analysis Strengths The company's biggest strength is that it has a completely unique product that its founder created on his own. The product is also very popular among consumers. Weaknesses The company's biggest weakness is that its product has to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. This makes it difficult to transport. It also makes it impossible to carry in supermarkets or sell for take-home consumption. Opportunities There is not a lot of room in

Importance of Corporate Governance

Importance of Corporate Governance 1. INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a definition of corporate governance and examines importance of, and the principles underpinning corporate governance. It also reviews prior research examining corporate governance disclosures and in particular, those which have investigated corporate governance disclosure in ECMs. 2. DEFINITIONS OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Modern corporations have dispersed ownership structure (Jenkinson and Mayer, 1994). Due to this, these corporate entities are characterised by contractual relationships between (shareholders) owners and managers (agents). Management is hired by owners (i.e. investors) to run the business on their behalf (Sarpong, 1999). Within the agency theory framework, it is theorised that managers may seek to maximise their wealth to the detriment of shareholders and bondholders through the consumption of perquisites (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Decisions of agents have the tendency of unfavourably transferring wealth from one principal to another i.e. from bondholders to shareholders (Watts and Zimmerman, 1978). John and Senbet, (1998 p. 372) define corporate governance â€Å"as a means by which stakeholders of a corporation exercise control over corporate insiders and management such that their interest will be well protected†. Similarly, it is proposed that â€Å"corporate governance i ssues arise in an organization whenever two conditions are present. First, there is an agency problem, or conflict of interest, involving members of the organization these might be owners, managers, workers or consumers. Second, transaction costs are such that this agency problem cannot be dealt with through a contract† (Hart, 1995, p. 678) To avert the agency problem, there is the need to ensure that adequate and effective corporate governance structures are put in place to prevent abuse of power by managers (Cadbury, 1992). Corporate disclosure through annual reports is one of the essential instruments for the monitoring of managerial behaviour (Watts, 1977; Watts and Zimmerman, 1978). This requires frequent evaluation of managerial activities and performances particularly, through independent non-executive directors (Roberts et al 2005). Berle and Means (2003) view corporate governance as a relatively new concept in both the public and academic domains, although the central issues the concept seeks to address have been in existence for a longer period. The most common definition of the concept has been provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED). It defines Corporate governance as: ‘ a system by which business corporations are directed and controlled. Corporate governance structures specify the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation, such as, the board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions on corporate affairs. By doing this, it also provides the structure through which the companys objectives are set and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance (OECD, 1999 p. 11). The influential Cadbury report defines corporate governance fundamentals and somewhat simplistically as ‘ the systems by which companies are directed and controlled (Cadbury 1992). This will require putting in place appropriate mechanisms which will ensure that corporate resources are safeguarded. Johnson and Scholes (1998) explained that corporate governance is concerned with both the functioning of organizations and the distribution of powers between different stakeholders. They argue that corporate governance determines whom the organization is there to serve and how the purpose and priorities of the organization should be decided. Thus, among other things, corporate governance is concerned with structures and processes for decision making, ensures accountability and controls managerial behaviour. It therefore, seeks to address issues facing board of directors, such as the interaction with top management and relationship with owners and others interested in the affairs of a company. The definitions outlined, directly or indirectly, share common elements. They all acknowledge the existence of conflict of interest between managers and shareholders as a result of the existence of separation of ownership and control in corporate activities. They further recognize the need to put in place effective corporate governance mechanisms to ensure that shareholders and investors interest are well protected. 1. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE As a result of globalization and the increasing complexity of business there is a greater reliance on the private sector as the engine of growth in both developed and developing countries. Organizations do not exist in a vacuum; they rather interrelate with a number of interest groups, known as stakeholders (Freeman, 1984). These stakeholders include shareholders, governments, regulatory bodies, creditors and the general public (Pease and Macmillan, 1993). Stakeholders are impacted by the activities of companies. In this regard, and in the context of this study, adequate and effective corporate governance disclosure becomes relevant to investors and other stakeholders from a number of standpoints. Effective corporate governance disclosure promotes transparency in corporate structures and operations. It strengthens accountability and oversight among managers and board members to shareholders (Bosch, 2002). This oversight and accountability combined with the efficient use of resources, improved access to lower-cost capital and increased responsiveness to societal needs and expectations leads to improved corporate performance. Many studies exist linking good corporate governance with better Performance. Fianna and Grant (2005) explains that good corporate governance helps to bridge the gap between the interests of those that a company, by increasing investor confidence and lowering the cost of capital for the company. Furthermore, they also add that it also helps in ensuring company honours, its legal commitments and forms value-creating relations with stakeholders. Coles et al. (2001) and Durnev and Han (2002, also found that companies with better corporate governance enjoy high er valuation. These studies results, helps in confirming the idea of good corporate governance, result in better decisions at all levels of the organization, not at top-management and board levels, but also in the better performance of the organization Again adequate and effective corporate governance disclosure ensures that corporate activities are run in an open and transparent manner (Brain 2005). Last, corporate governance practices boost market confidence and ensure effective allocation of capital in the market (Greenspan, 2002). From the forgoing discussions, the realization of the importance of good corporate governance practices is largely dependent on a number of internal factors. As a way of achieving this, a number of principles have been established. 3. PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DISCLOSURE A number of principles underpin effective corporate governance. These principles are business probity, responsibility and fairness or equal opportunity. Corporate entities are expected to exhibit these qualities to ensure good governance. Embracing the outlined principles will improve relationships between companies, their shareholders and the overall welfare of every economy. These principles are briefly discussed. Business probity requires individuals in charge of companies to be open and honest in the discharge of their activities. According to Brain (2005) openness implies a willingness to provide information to individuals and groups about the activities of a company. In this regard, it is important to recognize that shareholders and investors need to know the position of a company in order to evaluate their performance. Timely delivery of information will enable them achieve this purpose. Good corporate governance disclosure requires handlers of companies to be honest in the discharge of their activities. Honesty requires managers to deliver factual information. A sign of honesty is that statements of companies are believed. However, Brain (2005 p. 26) contends that â€Å"honesty might seem an obvious quality for companies, but, in an age of spin, and the manipulation of facts, honest information is perhaps by no means as prevalent as it should be.† Corporate governance requires handlers of corporate entities to be responsible in the discharge of their duties. Investors require confidence that companys financial systems are secured and credible. Managers are therefore expected to work in this direction to meet investors expectation. Responsibility in the context of corporate governance includes other issues such as transparency and accountability. These principles are vital to the survival and welfare of every company. Thus, managers have a duty to explain their actions to shareholders as well as investors so as to enhance their understanding of the direction of the companys activities. The principle of fairness requires impartiality and a lack of bias in corporate activities. In the context of corporate governance, the quality of fairness is achieved when managers behave in reasonable and unbiased manner. In this sense, to ensure good governance shareholders are expected to receive equal consideration. This means minority shareholders should be treated the same way as majority shareholders. References Berle, A.A. and G.C. Means (2003). The Modern Corporation and private property, New York, Macmillan Company. Bosch, H. (2002), The changing face of corporate governance, UNSW Law Journal, Vol. 25 No.2, pp.270-93. Brain, C. (2005) Corporate Governance, ICSA text Cadbury A. (1992) Financial Aspect of corporate governance Coles JW, Mcwilliams VB, Sen N. An examination of the relationship of governance mechanisms to performance. Journal of Management 2001; 29 (1):23-50. Durnev A, Han KE. The interplay of firm-specific factors and legal regimes in corporate governance and firm valuation. In: Paper Presented at Dartmouths Center for Corporate Governance Conference: Contemporate Governance; 2002. p. 12-3. Fianna J, Grant K. The revised OECD principles of corporate governance and their relevance to non-OECD countries, vol. 13. Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2005. p. 2. Freeman, R.E (1994). The Stakeholder Theory of Modern Corporations. Concepts, evidence and implications, Academy of Management Review Vol. 20, 65-91 Greenspan, A. (2002) Corporate Governance in Emerging Markets Hart, O. (1995), â€Å"Corporate Governance, Some Theory and Applications, The Economic Journal 105: 687-689 Jenkinson T. and Mayer C.P. (1994). Hostile takeovers defense attack and corporate performance. McGraw Hill. Jensen, M. C. and Meckling, W. H (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behaviour, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial economics 3(3): 305-60 John, K., and L. Senbet (1998), â€Å"Corporate Governance and Board Effectiveness†, Journal of Banking and Finance 22: 371-403. OECD (2005), Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State Owned Enterprises Roberts, J. T. McNulty, et al (2005). â€Å"Beyond agency conceptions of the work of the non-executive director: creating accountability in the boardroom†. Special Edition. British Journal of Management 16:S5-S26 Sarpong, K.K. (1999) Financial Reporting in Emerging Capital Markets: A Case Study of Ghana, PHD Thesis, The University of Warwick Watts, R. L. 1977. Corporate Financial Statements, a Product of the Market and Political Processes. Australian journal of Management: 53-75. Watts, R. L. and J. L. Zimmerman. 1978. Towards a Positive Theory of the determination of Accounting Standards. Accounting review: 112-34

Nordstrom SWOT Essay

Representing people with disabilities in their catalogs since 1997, which is rare. This is a strength because it represents all customers of Nordstrom, not leaving out certain groups because of industry ‘norms’. This speaks volumes to all customers that Nordstrom recognizes them as individuals, but also, as O’Connell mentioned in an interview, â€Å"people with disabilities represent a significant marketing opportunity with $225 billion in discretionary income†¦ and companies that understand this will have a competitive advantage.† Has a customer first attitude to differentiate Nordstrom from other high-end retailers and department stores and build customer loyalty. They are in a highly competitive market involving high fashion, quality items at a premium price, but their service is what drives their business in. They invest in high quality staff, greet customers by name, write personal thank you notes, make follow up calls about satisfaction with prod ucts, have large well lit stores and fitting rooms, have a price match system, as well as a very lenient no questions return policy, all combined to keep their customers as satisfied as they can. Find a study that talks about service driving in customers, customer surveys, reports, etc. Nordstrom has different brands and product lines to reach different market segments and keep up with trends. These include: Rack, Haute Look, Treasure & Bond, and Trunk Club. This offers mid price markets opportunities to join with regular high price markets, online exclusive shoppers to join the Nordstrom network and fashions, appeal to â€Å"give-back† shoppers, and gives men a new online shopping experienced linked to the perks of Nordstrom’s inventories and in store tailors. This is a strength of the company because it creates a larger customer base to represent and build markets in, allowing the company growth in a variety of areas that competitors are not hitting. Compared to retail apparel competitors, â€Å"Nordstrom Inc. reported Total Revenue increase in the 2 quarter 2014 by 6.13 % year on year. The sales growth was above Nordstrom Inc.’s competitors average re venue growth of 0.99 %, recorded in the same quarter. With net margin of 5.4 % company  achieved higher profitability than its competitors.†   The Nordstrom Brand name and size are also strengths of the company. The Nordstrom brand has been around long enough to build relationships with suppliers and attain exclusive brands to carry, and establish lines of distribution, which puts them above new entrants because it is difficult to gain licensing for exclusive brands when you are not already established as well as establish your distribution system. They also have a size advantage having 118 original Nordstrom stores, 162 Nordstrom Rack locations, 2 Jeffrey boutiques, 1 clearance store and they also reach customers online in 96 countries through Nordstrom.com and reaching customers online through HauteLook and NordstromRack.com as well. The high brand awareness, and availability is what competes in department and apparel retail. The company carries unique products; exceptional, high quality brands that are not going to be found at discount retailers to create the exclusive feel for customers. They also new experiences an d brands within the company through their Spa and Restaurants within some of the Nordstrom front-line stores. These differentiate Nordstrom from direct competitors, but also from restaurants competition by using quality, sustainability, and responsibility as their guide to the best experience. (http://wwwiebe.com/nordstrom-customer-service-first/) Find article about competitors with restaurants and spas, and how this makes a difference compared to their revenues and restaurants too. Has established online presence in 96 countries and built network through their multiple websites for each store brand, built their own app to shop from your phone, and gotten involved in social media, more specifically Instagram with their â€Å"Instalog† while keeping all of this integrated with their mortar stores. They also understand that â€Å"when you stop evolving with your customer, you die,† as Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores, has said. They are building fulfillment centers to accommodate online shopping more quickly, use RFID chips to keep their perpetual inventory system for stores and online to share, and invested more into online growth than brick and mortar stores,  knowing that this is where their growth is coming from. â€Å"Over the next several years Nordstrom expects to derive half of its sales from the Rack and from its online units, versus 38 percent today,† and that’s because â€Å"the U.S. Commerce Department estimates that electronic commerce amounted to 6.2 percent of total retail sales in the first quarter of 2014.† Analysts have also been saying Nordstrom has thrived compared to competitors because it is a pioneer in perks like free shipping and also having the unique diversity of products online. Their expansion into Canada this year also gives them an advantage against competitors who have not branched out internationally yet. This opens their market up to Calgary shoppers, Canada’s strong economy, an area underserved of luxury items, shoppers who are familiar with the brand, and expectation to grow to a total of 5 Canadian stores within 2 years. If their expansion continues in a positive way like their first opening, they will continue to have this s trength over their competitors. Weaknesses: Because Nordstrom focuses mainly on their customer service and does price matching on their items, they are at risk to be directly affected by price fluctuations and economic trends. The fluctuations in the market are out of Nordstrom’s control, but their choice of pricing strategy to match prices are internal choices that they are choosing to be vulnerable to. If they don’t want this as a weakness they would try to reinvent their pricing strategy to keep competitive pricing without matching competition because that is directly relative to the market. Offering free shipping does improve their customer loyalty, but it also comes with a high cost for the company. This is a weakness because they internally chose to make this sacrifice for the greater good of the company and take the hit on spending, but is hard to measure the direct effects of customer loyalty because of  free shipping. Nordstrom has the opportunity to invest more into their credit business because many of their competitors have more resources in this area giving them an advantage. Their competition is external but the choice to not invest highly in their credit business is a weakness of Nordstrom. The company would have to look into how they allocate their resources to see if there is room to invest additionally into this sector of business and if it would bring sufficient benefit to them. Opportunities: Already reaching 96 countries with their online retailing, Nordstrom continues to have room for growth in this area. New technology is keeping the market on their toes with ideas to expand and take advantage sooner than competitors, which is why Nordstrom is spending to grow fulfillment of network for direct sales channels to make delivery faster, and improve mobile app and in store personalized experience. They already have an app that was revealed earlier this year, Instagram, and multiple online stores with Nordstrom.com, NordstromRack.com and HauteLook.com, with plans to introduce Canadian Nordstrom Rack soon. The company plans to invest $150 million into its’ online retailing. They plan to hire up to 400 people for their e-commerce group, including Kirk Beardsley, the former director of business development at Amazon. Their acquisition of HauteLook changed their ecommerce capabilities, and they continue to look for integration opportunities to grow expansion further. They need to continually understand new markets such as the discount merchandising market, which they have recently made their footprint grow Rack sales by 20% in the first quarter of the year, compared to comparable stores that only grew 6.4%. The reason their growth opportunities online and in different markets remain an opportunity is because technology, online trends, and consumer preferences are always changing. They need to continue to stay on their toes with the online retail market since growth is higher than physical stores currently. Currently Nordstrom is â€Å"developing a strategy to secure their supply  chain in a resource constrained world will enable them to leverage their customer service brand image† by investing in recycling, transportation, paper and packaging, energy, water, human rights, organic food, and community support. They have the opportunity to continue this path of enhancing social and environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and supply chain management to appeal to environmental supporting markets. The Canada debut of stores is their first branch into international markets, which says the company is in a stable enough spot to take on these new complex roles in the market. They have a good economy with a high median family income at $90,000 in the areas they plan to continue growth in. According to government data, this is the highest in metropolitan areas in Canada, giving the company the opportunity to expand and capture their market. There are not current plans to expand beyond Canada, but if they succeed there then that again leaves open an entire new box of options for the company to move overseas. Nordstrom will also be opening up Nordstrom Rack locations in Canada once they accomplish their mission with front-line stores, opening up opportunities to reach the middle class Canadian consumers who want designer brands at a bargain. Continuing to be an innovative brand will be an opportunity for Nordstrom to take advantage of. They launched their â€Å"first time private-lab el brand that will give 5 percent of its earnings to Girls Inc. and other nonprofits that seek to empower women and young girls. The move comes amid the increasing popularity of â€Å"give-back† fashion.† The charitable boutique Nordstrom opened in New York’s SoHo neighborhood in 2011, Treasure&Bond, will be available at 86 stores around the country and online as well to promote their â€Å"give-back† persona. There will be constant opportunity to follow trends and compete in the market with things such as these, and Nordstrom has the opportunity to continue its’ successful planning to meet them and conquer.   Disposable incomes in the US are rising, for instance June 2014 were at an all time high at 13021.20 billion versus the previous month at 12969.70 billion. What this means for Nordstrom and all retailers is that spending will begin/continue to increase and they need to be the brand/company that captures those sales. Their expansion, online presence, and quality need to continue to improve, and there marketing strategy relying heavily on word of mouth may need re-evaluation to determine if this is the best way to promote the brand while maintaining their high image.   Sales per square foot vary company to company and your ability to stock, merchandise, and turnover quicker than your competitor is an opportunity to capitalize on. Maintaining highest sales per square foot is a competitive tool in the retail industry and in 2013 Nordstrom had the highest sales per square foot at $400 in comparison to direct competitors Macy’s at $173 and Saks Fifth Ave at $350. Their ability to stock more into a space and turnover that merchandise faster than competition is a strength of Nordstrom in the external market. Threats: The department store and apparel industries are highly competitive, with direct competitors of Nordstrom being: Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Saks Fifth Ave, and Neiman Marcus. As consumer preference continues to shift, and incomes continue to rise the market will only continue to be more and more competitive, leveraging many opportunities for each company. There is also a lot of indirect competition of Nordstrom including food service, spas, boutiques, discount retailers, online retailers, and specialty stores. This creates significant competitive areas and factors in position including their customer service, unique fashion trends, selection, quality, environment, location, and convenience. Further threats for the company to consider while making decisions also include plans for growth, market share, pricing, supply chains, brand image and much more. There is also indirect competition for Nordstrom’s credit business like banks, credit card companies , and other stores that offer a store card such as JCP, Saks,  Dillard’s, Macy’s and Dillard’s. Because some of the competitors in this area have more financial marketing and resources to dedicate to their credit business, it makes it a huge threat to Nordstrom The economy will continue to be a threat not only in the US but also in their new Canadian expansion. The US economy and Americans spending is going up, as listed in the opportunities column, but because the past decade has been rough its effects may still linger and possibly shift into Canada’s economy as well. The threat of an economic downturn is something that all businesses face though, so to be safe Nordstrom should continually set realistic expectations and plans for what they would do in that situation. Price changes and increasing costs also threaten Nordstrom’s supply chain of designer and high-end brands. Because of the global climate changes and shortages in resources, the market for material, labor, and transportation are not as stable. This threatens Nordstrom because higher costs for them are not good if they’re not producing higher sales or profits, and the environmental effects on their business is completely out of their control. Online expansio n of all retailers especially a dominator like Amazon has put up many obstacles for Nordstrom. It is difficult and expensive to constantly and quickly transition to new technological changes. Nordstrom is threatened by these changes to see if it can successfully invest and continually update to the markets demands. Their repositioning online and through social media with the wave of technology seems to be going well so far, but time will tell if they are able to continue on top or if they will fall behind the industry. In Canadian market they just entered there is a battle for the luxury market, which is not sufficiently claimed yet. Hudson’s Bay Company has Canadian roots and just bought Saks, with plans to move them up to Canada as well. This will harshly threaten Nordstrom’s pull on luxury market share in Canada. There is  also the 177-year-old brand Holt Renfrew that announced expansion in its Calgary luxury store, which is in the same place as the first Canadian Nordstrom. This is again a direct threat to their business in Canada and how their expansion will determine if they can grab and hold onto market share. There are also not many to choose from talent wise in Canada because the luxury market is not prominent so there is little experience to find. There is also a higher average wage in the area they are stationed because of the oil-fueled jobs in the Calgary area, so they will have higher labor costs demanded as well. References: http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2024579800_nordstromcanadaxml.html?cmpid=2628 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nordstrom/id474349412?mt=8 http://www.luxurydaily.com/nordstrom-integrates-instagram-to-create-shopping-experience/ http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/ci_26254983/models-disabilities-star-nordstrom-catalog http://wwwiebe.com/nordstrom-customer-service-first/ http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2024313399_nordstromearningsxml.html http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2024291908_nordstromstorexml.html http://www.internetretailer.com/2014/05/19/nordstrom-invests-heavily-e-commerce http://callisto.ggsrv.com/imgsrv/FastFetch/UBER1/306343_GDRT31838FSA

JWT China Case Study Essay

I. Summary This case studies the business strategy and expansion of JWT China from the late 1990s to 2008. As part of one of the world’s largest marketing communications network, JWT China grew into one of the largest integrated communications companies in China operating from offices in various parts of the country. The case delivers a thorough history of and inclusive insights into China’s advertising industry and the challenges for foreign and domestic firms operating within a highly regulated media environment controlled by the Chinese government. Moreover, this case offers understandings and perceptions into the structure of the highly segmented Chinese consumers market, exploring the socio-economic disparities in income access as well as culturally determined consumer behavior across different regions and urban and rural areas. The case allows us to explore how these trends might impact JWT’s advertising and marketing strategies in the future and how to evaluate JWTâ €™s business expansion in China dealing with local and foreign competition. II. Problems and Situation: The biggest problem of JWT is how to adapt with China’s fast-growing economy and rapid rise of consumption. With the growing economy, there will be more competitors from both international and local areas. Therefore, JWT China has to strategize its expansion to take advantage of a bigger market share. The second problem of JWT China is â€Å"their consumers were becoming increasingly individualistic and demanding participants in the marketplace† . This change requires JWT to constantly re-evaluating its channel and advertising approaches for a more sophisticated consumer markets. In the other words, JWT China has to always investigate and learn about their consumers’ trends, cultures. characteristics, wants and needs to meet their changing requirements. III. Key Issues: The foreign company should be careful by making business in China because of the Chinese consumer behavior, their history and culture. As a major advertising agency, JWT should be very careful with the multinational commercials in order to avoid the conflict and have a positive impact. Since  Chinese consumers can be characterized as very highly traditional, their culture and history should be taken in high considerations. As one of the major companies on the Chinese market, JWT is able to quickly and easily secure its great market share and major role on the market. However, as there is a problem with Chinese income gap, the company should try to target cheaper goods and services, which can bring more profit and advantages. By using marketing and advertising strategies for more affordable products, JWT will explore different segments of Chinese consumers; it will affect them and will bring the positive impact over itself. Although China is the fastest grow country and has a great ability of inventing the new technology, adopt the new and transform its traditional media understanding to the new media, TV, newspapers and radio still have the greatest impact over the Chinese population. Having in mind, every second person of China uses computer and internet; Chinese consumers are not willing to adopt the new advertising media as a primary source. Using the data from some research we can say that China is a country without a middle class. Because of the difference in the social status of Chinese, there is a significant problem- how to find and determine that middle class. The government also has a great impact over the advertising agencies in China. The law has some regulation for advertising contents, and prohibits some wordings that are not appropriate for the Chinese consumers. Advertising agencies in China were subject to the Advertisement Law of People’s Republic of China. Dealing with local clients also is a challenge for JWT compared with foreign clients since it is difficult to convince the local ones to implement advertising strategies that had long-term brand vision instead of focusing solely on quick returns. In addition, it is harder to develop the loyalty of local clients, which leads to a shorter relationship between JWT and local clients. IV. Advantage and Disadvantage Advantage: – JWT China is one of the largest integrated communications companies in China, and their Shanghai office become the largest creative center of the company. It means they have a big market share and their brand has already established securely in Chinese’s eyes. In addition, being a pioneer in  marketing and communications industry mean JWT China has the advantage of a trend setter and a wide spreading image. – JWT China has built a strong team which is diversified, talented and creative. It ensures they will manage the growth and competition in a quick, effective and creative method. From their recruiting and training processes, JWT nurtures leadership skills and creativity and talent of its employees as its powerful assets. – JWT China operated as a multinational company. This brings them the chance to be transparent and product-oriented work environment under excellent international leadership. – JWT China optimizes its services by synergize th e Team JWT â€Å"solar system†, including JWT Shanghai, Always, Glendinning and RMG Connect. This powerful team allows JWT China to manipulate the nationwide smart promotion management network. It also enhance JWT China to adapt with various demands and changes from different level of clients. Disadvantage: -Based on Chinese culture and media understanding, JWT could have some problems with staying at the top in advertising world. First we can say that China was considered as an â€Å"old media† market. Although, every family member owns a personal computer, Chinese consumers do not rely on Internet commercials. In China, television, radio and newspapers are still predominant. If the company continues to develop print and TV ads it will have a great success. On the other hand, if the company starts to work more on Internet advertisements and leave the standard commercials behind, it will not be able to continue establishing a good and profitable business in China -.With China being such a vast and diverse place with various tiers, and customs and values of people differing from province to province; thus, it requires a variation approaches to be successful. JWT China, as a big enterprise, may have disadvantage in quickly adapting and customizing to each specific consumer’s cultures and interests in regards of disparity of region and income. – Along with the mentioned culture difference, JWT will need more time and effort to understand the sophisticated difference between Chinese and Western, compared to domestic or local agencies who operated by entirely Chinese people. V. Conclusion/ Outcome The future of JWT in China will eventually lead to expansion and growth to meet with the fast growing China’s economy. However, to keep their pioneer position in China advertising industry, JWT has to solve many arising concerns regarding the conflicts among JWT’s different disciplines within their company. They also have to find an efficient strategy to win over their domestic competitors regards of scales, market shares and client’s relationships. In addition, although JWT China already possessed a deep understanding of Chinese’s cultures and history in the past , they still need to focus on any hidden and sophisticated changes reflects the social-economy changing. In conclusion, the future for JWT China is promising, but there are many challenges and difficulties to overcome.

Gangster films as a genre essays

Gangster films as a genre essays For this exercise, I have opted to take an in depth look at a particular genre, this genre being gangster films. In order to see how a film from this genre fits into the category of gangster I have also opted to study a film called The Untouchables. By doing this I will be able to look at characteristics that have put this film in the gangster genre and characteristics that do not belong so much to the said genre. Firstly, when we think of gangster films we think of hard-hitting crime dramas. This is most often true, but as with all genres, there are always anomalies. For example, the film Bugsy Malone, has all the stereotypical features of a gangster film but is in fact a comedic musical. The same goes for the film I have chosen to study. Although it is considered a gangster film it also falls under the sub-genre of Action. We also tend to think of gangster films in a certain era, this usually being the 1920s 1950s. This tends to be true, as this was the pinnacle of the gangster period and organised crime in general. There then seemed to be a hiatus in criminal activity between the 1950s and late 1970s, when a new wave of law-breaking began in the casinos of Los Angeles and Miami, another stereotypical setting for the gangster movement. There has yet to be made, a gangster film that is set outside of the twentieth century. There is also a trend that is vital to the setting of gangster films. Most, if not all gangster films happen in the hustle and bustle of the city or at least suburbia. There is a reason for this. Gangster films are extremely family orientated. The mob or mafia, is actually considered a family by the people who belong to it. The mafia, for example has a godfather that acts as the leader, who receives unconditional respect. Family is often pivotal to the gangster storyline. If a gangster wanted to wreak vindication (if that is possi...

One day in the 16th through 17th

One day in the 16th through 17th centuries the pilgrims met in thechurch of England. They met there because they didnt have their ownreligion, they had to follow the England religion. they were planning to movesomewhere where they could have their own religion. They were building a ship called the Mayflower to come to America,so that they can be free in practicing their religion. When the ship wasfinished they put it in the water and waited to leave. They all met where theship was. Then they all boarded the Mayflower and set off. It was a rough journey coming to America. The pilgrims all had to eatfish every day. The food that they brought rotted. They all ate during thenight because they didnt want to see what was crawling on their food. Atnight when they slept there was not enough room so they were very tight. They all had to sleep together and some had to sleep on the floor. All of these hardships were because of the religious problem inEngland. America was their only hope. America was a free country and that A kid on the Mayflower was playing with gunpowder and almost blewit up. Luckily he did not. They made it to America and built homes and grewfood. They had some trouble with the winter and the Indians, but theysurvived, and were free to practice their religion. The Pilgrims finally were able to have their own religion. They didnthave any more problems trying to have their own religion, and the Pilgrims

Organizational change is inevitable but how change is implemented Essay

Organizational change is inevitable but how change is implemented depends upon the organizational culture - Essay Example This suggests that barriers to change could occur from different sources. Managers are the change agents that shape the conditions for change (Saka, 2003). However, they too have to deal with the external environment which includes the organizational culture, the employees, and the top management. In addition, their skill and knowledge to cope with the change process is also critical for the success of the change management process. Despite the importance given to managing change, the change management process at most organizations is a difficult task. Thus, this paper evaluates the change dilemmas and decisions during mergers and the factors that influence change. It also evaluates the role of motivation in implementing change. Change has always been associated with resistance. Resistance can occur when the purpose of change has not been communicated in an appropriate manner. Lack of effective communication can lead to resistance because it disturbs the equilibrium of the workforce that is used to set patterns (Hoang, 2007). Additionally, the change agent may lack the skills, competencies and the ability to manage the change process. They may also fail to recognize that adjustment to a new environment takes time (Kee & Newcomer, 2008). This would make them push the employees toward change which can lead to frustration. Apart from resistance, employees may demonstrate a demoralized attitude and indifference to work. Gollan (2006) clarifies that management of people is more important than the combined effect of strategy, product quality, service, technology or even investments in research and development. If the staff is not taken into confidence they feel demoralized and they could give vent to their emotions of distrust, shock and anger. According to Schramm (2007) the change management program should be initiated much before the change process so that the transition and change is smooth. AT&T appears to have adopted the right change management strategy as the y linked their HR strategy to the strategic goals of the organization. AT&T merged two its business units in 1992 and the outcome was the new Global Business Communications Systems (GBCS). When AT&T merged two business units they faced dilemmas as they encountered several problems in the change process. Human resource effort is necessary to recast policies and programs into tools for linking the new business principles to daily life. The organization recognized that reorganization of the HR function was essential to support the strategic linkage. The change manager at AT&T was asked to examine every aspect of people dimension which emphasized the need to engage the workforce and create an environment that would support their people as the only sustainable, competitive advantage (Plevel, Lane, Nellis & Schuler, 1993). This conforms to Alimo-Metcalfe and Alban-Metcalfe (2005) who contend that transformational leaders must be able to articulate a strong vision and purpose to the follow ers. Transformational leaders must take on teaching role whenever necessary and this is precisely what the leadership at AT&T organized. The supervisors were asked to work as partners of the employees. The change management process was initiated much in advance. The employees were taken into confidence and the purpose of change was adequately communicated. To counter the apprehensions of the employees, AT&T initiated extensive communication at the beginning of their change process (Christen, 2005). An

Innate Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innate Intelligence - Essay Example Evaluating intellectual, logical, analytical and rational skills and capacities, the IQ measurement and scoring paradigm was perceived of by society as the definitional competence measurement methodology and the predictor of performance and success potentialities. Those who scored high on the IQ measurement were assumed to possess the requirements for success and leadership. This assumption, predicated on belief in the scientific accuracy and comprehensiveness of the IQ test and measurement, sustained the usage of IQ measurements for several decades. Perceptions regarding IQ as the ultimate, and most comprehensive, measurement of intelligence and as the predictor of success and leadership potentiality began to wanes, consequent to the intervention of psychologists and psychological research. The arguments raised maintained that while IQ could function as a partial predictor of success, it was hardly a predictor for leadership potentiality or, for that matter, long-term sustainable success. Long term, sustainable success and leadership potentiality were determined by the possession of the "ability to tune into the world, to read situations and connect with others while taking charge of their own life". Emotional intelligence has been popularly portrayed as critical to human success and sometimes even more important than IQ (D. Goleman, 1995), yet sparse evidence exists supporting such a claim. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on the construct of intelligence during this century, but especially during the past 50 years. The examination of specific abilities that extend beyond the concept of general undifferentiated intelligence has been especially important. In the 1960s, in particular, a growing number of cognitive theorists studied neuropsychology, neuroscience, and higher mental processes. These efforts, described as the cognitive revolution (Miller, Galanter & Pribram, 1960), had a substantial influence on theoretical psychology and more recently in applied psychology. The cognitive revolution has impacted the way intelligence is conceptualized and measured. Spearman (1904), who invented the technique of factor analysis and applied it to the measurement of intelligence, defined intelligence in terms of the over arching construct of "ease or rapidity of problem-solving ability." More specifically, according to Spearman, an intelligent person apprehends experience (i.e., recognizes and understands the various elements that constitute a given situation), understands the salient interrelations among elements of the situation, and has the capacity to extrapolate those interrelations to new and unfamiliar situations. Spearman's (1904) factor analytic data suggested that various measures of intelligence loaded on a single factor, labeled Intelligence. Thurstone (1938) proposed seven reasonably distinct primary mental abilities (verbal comprehension or understanding word meanings; facility with numbers; perceptual speed or ability to rapidly discriminate between complex visual presentations; word fluency or rapid and flexible usage of words, such as making rhymes or