John Bowlby s Theory Of Attachment - 1581 Words

According to Smith et al (2011) the most dramatic developmental changes occur in the prenatal development, infancy and childhood, as new-borns develop into young adulthood capable of becoming a parent themselves. This assignment will discuss the developmental stage of a chosen child scenario and apply to John Bowlby’s theory of attachment. It will also discuss the key safeguarding issues within the child scenario and how they could have been prohibited. Scenario The chosen child scenario for this assignment is Paul (see appendix). Paul is six years of age and is the middle child of three, as well as the only boy. Paul is neglected compared to his siblings who receive all the attention from their parents. His parents treat him poorly,†¦show more content†¦As stated by Santrock (2012) young children’s emotional lives and personalities develop in significant ways because of the continuing influence of family relationships. However, Paul is receiving negative influence from his parent that will later on affect his choices in life. I also believe that all children should be given equal amount of attention and love, however Pail’s parents favour his other two siblings. Furthermore, as an adult nurse student I wanted to research further how Paul’s child development will influence his adulthood. Theory The chosen theory for this child scenario is John Bowlby’s theory of attachment. John Bowlby was a psychoanalyst who believed that mental health and behavioural problems could be linked with early childhood. Bowlby’s (1969) theory of attachment suggests that children come into world biologically ready to form attachments with others, as this will help them survive. According to Bowlby (1980), attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another, a secure attachment being characterised by intimacy, emotional security and physical safety. The attachment theory describes the complexity of long-term relationships between humans, and explains how much the parents relationship with the child influences development. Bowlby (1969) states that an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional

The Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth

The Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeares Macbeth has been a theatrical favorite since Elizabethan times. Its timeless themes of ambition, fate, violence, and insanity collaborate to produce a captivating plot. The audience traces the disintegration of a tragic hero and his willful wife. Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeares most forcefully drawn female characters, plays an important role in the play Macbeth. She has a profound influence over the action of the play, and her character accentuates many of the themes. It seems evident that Lady Macbeth is motivated by repressed emotional complexes which lead to her insanity. Lady Macbeth is introduced as she reads a letter from her husband†¦show more content†¦She callously asks for her womanliness to be sacrificed so that she will be able to carry out her murderous intentions: Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, ................................................................... Come to my womans breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdring ministers. (I. v. 39-40, 46-7) In the harsh words of Lady Macbeths soliloquy, she substitutes ambition for her repressed sexual complex. Her strong-willed speech makes her appear to be very courageous when, in actuality, she is suppressing her genuine underlying cowardice (Coriat 219). Consciously, she believes in her volition; however, her unconscious complexes are the factors that determine her behavior (Coriat 222). As the time of the murder approaches, Macbeth begins to waver about implementing the plan. The domineering Lady Macbeth goads him on to his damnation as she calls him a coward and shows that she is fearless (Jameson 191). Her horrific words convince Macbeth that he must be a man and keep his word: I have given suck, and know How tender tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this. (I. vii. 54-59) Here Lady Macbeths repressed sexual complex for a child isShow MoreRelatedMacbeth Appearance Vs Reality1245 Words   |  5 PagesAn Exploration of Appearance and Reality in Macbeth As Plato famously said in Phaedrus, â€Å"Things are not always as they seem†, meaning that not everything is what it appears to be. In today’s society, many politicians appear trustworthy and are in reality crooked. Photoshop also manipulates appearance and reality. In literature, authors use appearance versus reality to create an interesting plot or characterize. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the theme of appearance versus reality is seenRead More The Cause of Macbeths Destruction in William Shakespeares Macbeth1062 Words   |  5 PagesDestruction in William Shakespeares Macbeth      Ã‚   In William Shakespeares Macbeth, Macbeth was a well-respected man of noble birth, but his fortune was reversed after he turned to darkness. He plummeted endlessly into a chasm of evil until his corrupt life was ended on the edge of Macduffs blade. Whose actions opened up the path of darkness to Macbeth? Whose actions led to Macbeths demise? The answer is threefold. The weird sisters set Macbeths fate into motion. Lady Macbeth goaded herRead MoreTaylor Travis . Mr. Ortiz. English 12. 27 February 2017.1321 Words   |  6 PagesTaylor Travis Mr. Ortiz English 12 27 February 2017 Unit 3: Comparison Essay Both Macbeth and Throne of Blood illustrate the negativity associated with extreme ambition and desire for power. The two titles tell the story of a greatly respected warrior and his wife and their eventual downfall after pursuing a higher position of power. Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, and Akira Kurosawa’s movie, Throne of Blood, share many similar aspects, ranging from plot to characters to setting. However, the twoRead MoreCauses of Macbeths Downfall1445 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Causes of Macbeths Downfall – Essay By Jordan Koorey Shakespeare’s Macbeth, based on a play written in 1605 explores the life journey of Macbeth as he climbs the ladder of the social hierarchy. Determined to become King, Macbeth will kill any and all that get in his way. Driven by ambition, Macbeth puts his faith in the words and prophecies of three witches after a prediction that Macbeth would gain the new title of Thane of Cawdor. Alongside with ambition, Lady Macbeth, is a key instrument toRead MoreMacbeth As A Tyrant Essay1281 Words   |  6 PagesThe Downfall of a Tyrant Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, during the reign of James I, who was James IV of Scotland before he became the King of England. James I, was a sponsor of Shakespeare’s theatre, so it is clear that Shakespeare’s work was affected by James I’s sensitivities. Murder and intrigue was a part of the Scottish Reign when James was growing, and in fact, James’s father was murdered when he was just a baby. 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He freely chooses a course of action which ultimately causes him suffering and brings him to a fatal end.(Campbell 129) Macbeth is the epitome of a tragic hero who rises high then falls rock bottom to his death. Macbeth, once a noble man, follows the advice of witches, finds himself King, abuses his power and then gets killedRead MoreMacbeth Historical Context796 Words   |  4 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s Macbeth the male characters Macbeth, Macduff, Banquo and Duncan really give you and insight in to the time the play was written. Shakespeare’s Macbeth was written in the Elizabethan era during King James’ reign as King over 400 years ago. King Duncan is introduced to the play in act 1 scene 2. King Duncan is seen as a great, noble, highly thought of King. He is in The Monarch which is the highest in the social order. â€Å"Go pronounce his present death, And with his formerRead MoreCharacters In Macbeth995 Words   |  4 PagesIn Macbeth by William Shakespeare, numerous of events occur. 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After Macbeth has heard the prophecy from the three witches and he has been named thane of Cawdor, he is led to a strong internal conf lict: â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair†¦ / Shakes so my single state of man that function / is smother’d

Clearwater Technologies Free Essays

Clear Water Technologies : A Case Study QTX is a sales support server that allows multiple users to simultaneously maintain their sales account databases. These databases covers contact information, quote histories, copies of all communications, and links to the customer’s corporate database for shipping records. The basic QTX package consists of a processor, chassis, hard drive, and network interface, with a manufacturing cost of $500. We will write a custom essay sample on Clearwater Technologies or any similar topic only for you Order Now The package provided simultaneous access for 10 users to the system, referred to as 10 â€Å"seats. Each seat represented one accessing employee. The product line consisted of 10-, 20-, and 30-seat capacity QTX servers. Each incremental 10 seats required $200 of additional manufacturing cost. Yearly sales were at the rate of 4,000 units across all sizes. In initial sales, approximately 30 percent of customers bought the 30-seat unit, 40 percent bought the 20-seat unit, and 30 percent bought the 10-seat unit. Customers who needed more than 30 seats typically went to competitors servicing the medium-to-large company market segment. Clearwater set a per-seat manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) that decreased with higher quantity seat purchases, reflecting the customer perception of declining manufacturing cost per seat. Clearwater also saw this as advantageous because it encouraged customers to maximize their initial seat purchase. Clearwater typically sold its products through value-added resellers (VARs). A VAR was typically a small local firm that provided sales and support to end users. The value added by these resellers was that they provided a complete solution to the end user/customer from a single point of purchase and had multiple information technology products available from various vendors. Using VARs reduced Clearwater’s sales and service expense significantly and increased its market coverage. These intermediaries operated in several steps. First, the VAR combined the QTX from Clearwater with database software from other suppliers to form a turnkey customer solution. Second, the VAR loaded the software with customer-specific information and linked it to the customer’s existing sales history databases. Finally, the VAR installed the product at the customer’s site and trained the customer on its use. Clearwater sold the QTX to resellers at a 50 percent discount from the MSRP, allowing the VARs to sell to the end user at or below the MSRP. The discount allowed the VARs room to negotiate with the customer and still achieve a profit. The Upgrade Initially, the expectation had been that the 30-seat unit would be the largest volume seller. In order to gain economies of scale in manufacturing, reduce inventory configurations, and reduce engineering design and testing expense to a single assembly, Clearwater decided to manufacture only the 30-seat server with the appropriate number of seats â€Å"enabled† for the buyer. Clearwater was effectively â€Å"giving away† extra memory and absorbing the higher cost rather than manufacturing the various sizes. If a customer wanted a 10-seat server, the company shipped a 30-seat capable unit, with only the requested 10 seats enabled through software configuration. The proposed upgrade was, in reality, allowing customers to access capability already built into the product. Clearwater knew that many original customers were ready to use the additional capacity in the QTX. Some customers had added seats by buying a second box, but because the original product contained the capability to expand by accessing the disabled seats, Clearwater saw an opportunity to expand the product line and increase sales to a captive customer base. Customers could double or triple their seat capacity by purchasing either a 10- or a 20-seat upgrade and getting an access code to enable the additional number of seats. No other competitor offered the possibility of an upgrade. To gain additional seats from the competitor, the customer purchased and installed an additional box. Because customers performed a significant amount of acceptance testing, which they would have to repeat before switching brands, the likelihood of changing brands to add capacity was low. The objective of this morning’s meeting was to set the price for the two upgrades. As QTX product manager Rob Erickson stopped to collect his most recent notes from his desk, he reflected: What a way to start the week. Every time we have one of these meetings, senior management only looks at margins. I spent the whole weekend cranking numbers and I’m going in there using the highest margin we’ve got today. How can anybody say that’s too low? He grabbed his notes, calculator, and coffee and headed down the hall. From the other wing of the building, financial analyst Hillary Hanson was crossing the lobby towards the conference room. She was thinking about the conversation she had late Number MSRP to VAR Unit Unit of Seats End User Price Cost* Margin** 10 $8,000 $4,000 $500 87. 5% 20 $14,000 $7,000 $700 90. 0% 30 $17,250 $8,625 $900 89. % TABLE 1 *Unit cost reflects additional $200 for memory capability for each additional 10 seats. **Margin _ VAR Price _ Unit Cost VAR Price Number Original Original Actual Actual of Seats Unit Cost Unit Margin Unit Cost Unit Margin 10 $500 87. 5% $900 77. 5% 20 $700 90. 0% $900 87. 1% 30 $900 89. 6% $900 89. 6% TABLE 2 Friday afternoon with her bo ss, Alicia Fisher, Clearwater’s CFO. They had been discussing this upcoming meeting and Alicia had given Hillary very clear instructions. I want you to go in and argue for the highest price possible. We should absolutely maximize the profitability on the upgrade. The customers are already committed to us and they have no alternative for an upgrade but with us. The switching costs to change at this point are too high since they’ve already been trained in our system and software. Let’s go for it. Besides, we really need to show some serious revenue generation for the year-end report to the stockholders. Hillary had not actually finalized a number. She figured she could see what the others proposed and then argue for a significant premium over that. She had the CFO’s backing so she could keep pushing for more. From the parking lot, Brian James, the district sales manager, headed for the rear entrance. He, too, was thinking about the upcoming meeting and anticipating a long morning. I wish marketing would realize that when they come up with some grandiose number for a new product, sales takes the hit in the field. It’s a killer to have to explain to customers that they have to pay big bucks for something that’s essentially built in. It’s gonna be even tougher to justify on this upgrade. At least with the QTX, we have something the buyer can see. It’s hardware. With the upgrade, there isn’t even a physical product. We’re just giving customers a code to access the capability that’s already built into the machine. Telling customers that they have to pay several thousand dollars never makes you popular. If you think about it, that’s a lot of money for an access code, but you won’t hear me say that out loud. Maybe I can get them to agree to something reasonable this time. I spent the weekend working this one out, and I think my logic is pretty solid. Price Proposals Once everyone was settled in the conference room, Rob spoke first: I know we have to come up with prices for both the 10-seat and 20-seat upgrades, but to keep things manageable, let’s discuss the 20-seat price first. Once that number is set, the 10-seat price should be simple. Because the margin on the 30-seat unit is the highest in the line, I think we should use that as the basis to the price for the upgrade. He went to a whiteboard to show an example: If a customer is upgrading from a 10-seat unit to a 30-seat unit, they are adding two steps of capacity costing $200 each to us, or $400. $400 /1-0. 90 _ $4,000 to the reseller, and $8,000 to the end user. We keep the margin structure in place at the highest point in the line. The customer gets additional capacity, and we keep our margins consistent. He sat down feeling pleased. He had fired the first shot, had been consistent with the existing margin structure, and had rounded up the highest margin point in the line. Brian looked at Rob’s calculations and commented: I think that’s going to be hard for the customer to see without us giving away information about our margins, and we don’t want to do that, since they are pretty aggressive to begin with. However, I think I have solved this one for us. I’ve finally come up with a simple, fair solution to pricing the upgrade that works for us and the customers. He walked over to a whiteboard and grabbed a marker: If we assume an existing 10-seat customer has decided to upgrade to 30-seat capability, we should charge that customer the difference between what the buyer has already paid and the price of the new capacity. So . . . New 30-seat unit $17,250 Original 10-seat unit $8,000 Price for 20-seat upgrade $9,250 It’s consistent with our current pricing for the QTX. It’s fair to the customer. It’s easy for the customer to understand and it still makes wads of money for us. It also is easy for the customer to see that we’re being good to them. If they bought a 20-seat box in addition to the 10-seat box they already have, it would be costing them more. He wrote: New 20-seat unit $14,000 A new unit provides customers with redundancy by having two boxes, which they might want in the event of product failure, but the cost is pretty stiff. Upgrading becomes the logical and affordable option. Hillary looked at the numbers and knew just what she was going to do. That all looks very logical, but I don’t see that either of you has the company’s best interests at heart. Brian, you just want a simple sale that your sales people and the customers will buy into, and Rob, you are charging even less than Brian. We need to consider the revenue issue as well. These people have already bought from us; are trained on our hardware and software and don’t want to have to repeat the process with someone else. It would take too long. They’ve got no desire to make a change and that means we’ve got them. The sky is really the limit on how much we can charge them because they have no real alternative. We should take this opportunity to really go for the gold, say $15,000 or even $20,000. We can and should be as aggressive as possible. All three continued to argue the relative merits of their pricing positions, without notable success. Jefferies listened to each of them and after they finished, he turned to a clean whiteboard and took the marker. I’ve done some more thinking on this. In order to meet the needs of all three departments, there are three very important points that the price structure for these upgrades must accomplish: 1. The pricing for the upgrades shouldn’t undercut the existing pricing for the 30-seat QTX. 2. We want to motivate our buyers to purchase the maximum number of seats at the initial purchase. A dollar now is better than a potential dollar later. We never know for sure that they will make that second purchase. If we don’t do this right, we’re going to encourage customers to reduce their initial purchase. They’ll figure they can add capacity whenever, so why buy it if they don’t need it. That would kill upfront sales of the QTX. 3. We don’t want to leave any revenue on the table when buyers decide to buy more capacity. They are already committed to us and our technology and we should capitalize on that, without totally ripping them off. Therefore, while Hillary says â€Å"the sky’s the limit,† I think there is a limit and we need to determine what it is and how close we can come to it. If we assume that those are the objectives, none of the prices you’ve put together thus far answers all three of those criteria. Some come close, but each one fails. See if you can put your heads together and come to a consensus price that satisfies all three objectives. OK? Heads nodded and with that, Jefferies left the conference room. The three remaining occupants looked at one another. Brian got up to wipe the previous numbers off the whiteboards and said: OK, one more time. If our numbers don’t work, why not and what is the right price for the 20-seat upgrade? How to cite Clearwater Technologies, Essay examples

Behavioral Loyalty and Brand Associations †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Behavioral Loyalty and Brand Associations. Answer: Introduction: One of the most crucial aspects of marketing is to understand the behaviour of the consumers. Consumer behaviour is the learning of the behaviour patterns of the people in the market (East, 2016). It is the study to know how they make decisions to buy a particular goods and services to satisfy their wants and needs. In this report, we will discuss the concept of consumer behaviour through analysing my own personal purchasing pattern in the market. The report aims in developing an understanding of the key principles for buying a product by applying my own thoughts or actions as a consumer (Terpstra, Foley Sarathy, 2012). I will provide detail information about the process of purchasing three high involvement items, which are as car, furniture and diamond jewellery set. The items selected are of high involvement as it involves complex buying behaviour and is generally an irregular purchase. High involvement products are those products that require extensive thought process and consume rs considers of choosing different variables before ultimately arriving to a final purchase decision (Jobber Chadwick, 2012). The report will include pre- purchase search, need recognition and post- purchase evaluation of my chosen products. This report will further elaborate on the analysis of external and internal influences that is affecting my decision as a consumer to buy a product. Need recognition for the product is the very first stage for purchasing a product. While purchasing a car, I went through a lot of thought process before making the final decision. As the distance was too much between my campus and the part- time job, which I recently took during summer. I recognised the need for a car for my comfort and safety and save my time. My actual state was commuting through public transport, which took a lot of time. Henceforth, my overall performance was being affected that is when I got aware of the problem and desired to purchase a car. This perception of difference between the actual state and desired state triggers the need recognition decision. To satisfy my needs I had to purchase a car. This was not one of my ritual purchase but for the very first time I was purchasing a car. It was about purchasing a new car that would cost a fortune so the decision making process was complex and required a lot of effort. Pre-purchase search or Information Search It required high involvement of my time for searching the information as well as I involved my peers and family to help me out before purchasing the car. I searched the internet and browse respective company websites for fuel-efficient and less maintenance car with a good after sales services. My friends further helped me in giving reviews about different brand and the cars with the best mileage. Therefore, while purchasing it not only I, as a consumer was involved but also included the public reviews about the car as well as its brand name. Furthermore, I also went to the nearby automobiles showrooms and did test drives. Once enough information is collected, I moved on to the evaluation of alternative solution. Based on the various parameters like the price of the car, its brand name, model and size with more internal space, performance, safety ratings and warranty the evaluation process is to be done. The purchase price was the first factor that I took into consideration while purchasing a car. In addition, the non- monetary variables like the quality and reliability was important. The socio- economic attributes also plays an important role as the product is going to reflect the personality and social class of the consumer (Solomon, 2014). I wanted a sports car with high mileage and low fuel consumption cost. The age and gender also plays an important role in choosing the car type choice. After evaluating all the alternatives, I finally decided to purchase a sports car with high mileage, as it would go with my personality. After the information search and evolution of various alternatives, finally comes the stage of purchase. The actual purchase decision-making process is the vital and more complex (Romaniuk Nenycz-Thiel, 2013). I really wanted a car for my convenience but the decision was still pending whether to go for purchasing a luxury car or not. I always imagined my first car to be a red sports car and above all to purchase it from my own money. Purchase decision was strongly affected by the attitudes of my friends and family. I am closely related to them and their opinion matters the most and had greatly influenced my purchase decision. I finally purchased a sports car as it was matching my personality and lifestyle and my social status. Moreover, the purchase intentions can further be influenced by some unexpected situational factors.r The final stage is the post- purchase evaluation where the consumer evaluates the good and service they have purchased (Alvesson, 2012). I was satisfied with my red sports car and it was as par to my expectation with all the qualities I always desired to be in my car. The car is supported with high mileage engine and has low maintenance cost. No, i did not suffer from any post-purchase dissonance as the product highly satisfied my demand. The company was involved in post- purchase phase like the one providing warranty, after sales services and payment was to be done in several instalments. It further influences my decision to purchase the products. I was strongly influenced by the facilities provided by the company and it increased my brand loyalty towards the car. The company should know the post-purchase consumer behaviour also because if the product fails to fulfil the buyers expectations, it will negatively affect the sales of the company in future. Need Recognition for Buying Diamond Jewellery: Usually, the first step to make a buying decision is the need recognition for the product (Jobber Chadwick, 2012). It was my mother birthday and the desire to please her by giving her something special was like an internal stimuli. After seeing a diamond jewellery advertisement, the urge to buy it became more prominent and I made the decision to gift my mother a diamond pendent set on her birth anniversary. Last year, I gifted a ring so this year I decided to make it big by giving her jewellery set. The next vital process was the information search for buying the jewellery. I searched for the information from various jewellery brochure and magazines. I bowsed the websites of different jewellery stores and found information on different types of jewellery and their designs. As it was a surprise for my mother, i did not disclose it in my family but recommendation from my friends helped me in choosing the best brand for diamonds. Jewelleries are the speciality products and the price is quiet high especially of diamonds (Giovannini Thomas, 2015). I used to evaluate the diamonds from their colour, clearness and reliability. I excluded the local stores, as I did not trust their brand value. I started evaluating the alternatives whether to buy it from the internet or from the same old trusted store, where I purchased last year. Finally, after the evaluation process, I decided to purchase the diamond jewellery from the branded store recommended by my friend. Recently he purchased a pendent from the same jewellery store and the design was marvellous. Moreover, the sales person was cordial and displayed the best designs present in the outlet. I purchased the best jewellery set for my mother from the selected branded store. After purchasing the jewellery set, I suffered from post- purchasing cognitive dissonance, as I was unsatisfied with my purchase. Cognitive dissonance is a major issue after purchasing a product (Sharma, 2014). After few days of purchase, I found out that the few diamonds studded in the lower part of the jewellery set was missing. I was greatly disappointed and suffered from anxiety, as my mother`s birthday was approaching near. The next day I went with my friend to the branded store and told them to look into the matter as soon as possible or else returns back my money. The company at once took action to correct their negligence and gave me the option for exchange policy of the jewellery set chosen. With no other choice left I opted for the exchange policy but I was greatly affected by their carelessness and the company has now created a negative brand image and thus as a consumer it has affected my loyalty towards the company. Problem or Need Recognition: I decided to redesign my home and the old furniture was looking quiet boring and worn out in the living room so I decided to purchase a new furniture that would enhance the beauty of my home as well uplift my style of living. My actual state was using the old worn- out furniture while my desired state was to use latest designed furniture present in the market that would raise my standard. Buying furniture was a high involvement decision. Before buying furniture, I had to look for the best match that would go with my living room and the wallpaper colour. I wanted the best sofa quality with my budget. The selection procedure was time-consuming and very confusing. I did online research and browse several home furnishing sites. The information was gathered on warranty, payment terms and after- sale services. I also collected information from relatives and friends. Advertisement in magazines and television also helped me in choosing the latest design of furniture. After gathering enough information, I entered the third stage of buying decision process that is evaluation. While evaluating the different alternatives, i decided to choose for a product that would enable to meet my needs. The price and quality of the furniture was the most important criteria for me while selecting through the alternatives. The fabric of the sofa set and the comfort it provided was also a major attribute, as most of my valuable time with my friends and family are going to be spent in my living room. Purchase Decision for Furniture: Purchase is the stage, when the consumer finally decides to purchase the product (Solomon, 2014). I finally purchased my furniture through an online website. The furniture was well designed with a modern and comfortable look and the purchasing conditions were acceptable to me so I purchased the furniture. The furniture matched my living room ambience and my personality. The last and fifth stage is the evaluating the product after its purchase (Sheth Sisodia, 2015). I was greatly satisfied with my purchase, though it required a lot of my time and effort but it in the end it was worth it. The furniture besides being comfortable enough was also enhancing the beauty of my home. I did not suffer from any cognitive dissonance after purchasing the furniture. In fact, my family and peers were also pleased with my choice and purchasing decision. I am now positively loyal to the brand purchased. Internal influences are the factors that arises from consumer own way of thinking and lifestyle. Consumers own feelings, attitude, perception and motivation are responsible for influencing them. The internal influences are also known as the psychological influences. The consumer identifies the feelings, gathers and examines information, develop an idea and beliefs for the product and take some action to purchase the product (Cavalcanti, Oliveira Foxall, 2013). The factors that influence my buying decision are as follows: Personal Needs or Motives: The most important internal influence, which affects the consumer purchasing decision, is their own motives and personal needs (East, 2016). The need for a product generally arises when there is absence of something at present or the rising difference between his actual and desired state (Jobber Chadwick, 2012). Motive is the personal state of mind that encourages in satisfying the specific needs. Like, the need for car was to satisfy my own personal need and motive. Consumer buying behaviour is affected by the own personal attitudes (Schiffman, 2012). Attitude is related with the individual own feelings and thought about something. Once an attitude is created or formed by an individual, it becomes very difficult to change. High Involvement products affect the behaviour and attitude of the consumer. Purchasing car, jewellery set and furniture will influence my attitude by raising my status and living standards. Personality is a psychological characteristic that helps in both determining and reflecting a person reaction to their environment (Muruganantham Bhakat, 2013). While purchasing the car my personality is reflected, which is adventurous and sporting in nature and I always like red colour car because the colour matches my personality. Moreover, I like to go for branded products while choosing from the alternatives. It can also be seen that while choosing the furniture I had to select from different stylish designs to match my taste and preference. Learning is the permanent change in individual behaviour after gaining some experience related to the product (Jobber Ellis-Chadwick, 2012). It is a process, which evolves and changes the consumer buying behaviour due to the newly acquired knowledge (Davies, Lee Ahonkhai, 2012). Like during the purchasing of jewellery, I learnt about a new diamond jewellery store from my friend and purchased the jewellery set. Lifestyle of the consumer is also a crucial internal factor responsible while purchasing high involvement products (Zheng et al., 2015). The consumer living standard and way of thinking set a benchmark for the consumer to purchase the products that matches their standard of living. While purchasing car I ensured that the car should not only be purchased for my convenience but rather for raising my status also. Modern furniture was purchase so that it matches my lifestyle. Analysis of External Factors during Purchase: External factors are those factors that are outside our control and affect the purchasing decisions (Alvesson, 2012). They have a direct or indirect impact on our lifestyle, behaviour and attitude. Here are many external influences that we face in our day-to-day life that are stated as follows: Culture greatly influences the consumers buying behaviour, as they are the values and norms of the society in which they exist (Giovannini Thomas, 2015). It influences consumer behaviour and passed from one generation to another. Like in my case, giving gifts in my family is an age-old tradition, so I purchased jewellery set for my mother on her special day. As culture evolves, the product can be also change if it no longer serves the society. Changing the living room by replacing the furniture is also a part of culture and beliefs. Culture is learnt and helps in satisfying needs Social class is generally the people with whom we share an equal position in the society. Social class is known by different parameters like occupation, income, education of an Individual (Wind, Thomas Sheth, 2014). I belong to a high social class family so i have to consider my status before purchasing a car or giving gifts to my friends and family. Giving diamond jewellery as a gift to my mother would acknowledge my social status. Family is the crucial factor that strongly influences the behaviour of a consumer. It is the most important of the entire primary social group (Alvesson, 2012). The children learn the family customs and tradition and they further imbibe various behavioural patterns through their family members. I always wanted to purchase a sports car because my brother has one. The behaviour patterns of the family members make a great impact on each other lives. Friends or peers are the collection of those individuals that shares same interests, attitude and beliefs (Solomon, Russell-Bennett Previte, 2012). Peers highly influence the buying behaviour of a consumer while purchasing a product. My friends recommendation while purchasing the car, jewellery and furniture was always kept in mind. Moreover, I even purchased the jewellery set only after being recommended from my friend, who purchased it from the same branded store. Besides friends and family there also social groups that a consumer often hang- out with (Jobber Ellis-Chadwick, 2012). There group from games or gym also influences the buying pattern of an individual. While purchasing my car I took opinion from my group in gym also as few of them already have that high mileage sport car, which I was looking for and their suggestions too influenced me a lot before making the final purchase decision. Age and life cycle of the consumer are also two most factors influencing the purchasing pattern of the consumer (Lee et al., 2012). While purchasing the products I wanted the product that matches my personality, age and lifecycle. I purchased a red sport car because of me being young and adventurous with a sporting personality. Moreover, I chose modern furniture in a pastel shade as it matches my taste, suit my living room wallpaper, and enhance the vibrant ambience. Conclusion: Thus, from the above discussion it can be concluded that consumer behaviour is a broad concept as the consumer behaviour changes according to the purchase of different products and under different conditions. At first, the consumer recognizes its need and takes adequate action to satisfy the need. Then he makes a purchasing decision after gathering information about the product. Finally, after purchasing the customer evaluates the product that whether the product satisfies his want or not. While undergoing the above stated process, the consumer is influenced by several factors that are the internal and external factors. To explain the above theories I have given my own personal experience of purchasing high involvement products. Moreover, the report provides a deep insight of the consumer reaction to several influences present around them that greatly affects the consumer buying behaviour. Reference List: Alvesson, M. (2012).Understanding organizational culture.Sage. Cavalcanti, P. R., Oliveira-Castro, J. M., Foxall, G. R. (2013). Individual differences in consumer buying patterns: A behavioral economic analysis.The Psychological Record,63(2), 259. Davies, I. A., Lee, Z., Ahonkhai, I. (2012). Do consumers care about ethical-luxury?.Journal of Business Ethics,106(1), 37-51. East, R., Singh, J., Wright, M., Vanhuele, M. (2016).Consumer behaviour: applications in marketing. Sage. Giovannini, S., Xu, Y., Thomas, J. (2015). Luxury fashion consumption and Generation Y consumers: Self, brand consciousness, and consumption motivations.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,19(1), 22-40. Jobber, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012).Principles and practice of marketing(No. 7th).McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Lee, E. M., Park, S. Y., Rapert, M. I., Newman, C. L. (2012). Does perceived consumer fit matter in corporate social responsibility issues?.Journal of Business Research,65(11), 1558-1564. Liu, F., Li, J., Mizerski, D., Soh, H. (2012). Self-congruity, brand attitude, and brand loyalty: a study on luxury brands.European Journal of Marketing,46(7/8), 922-937. Malik, M. E., Ghafoor, M. M., Iqbal, H. K., Ali, Q., Hunbal, H., Noman, M., Ahmad, B. (2013).Impact of brand image and advertisement on consumer buying behavior.World Applied Sciences Journal,23(1), 117-122. Moshrefjavadi, M. H., Dolatabadi, H. R., Nourbakhsh, M., Poursaeedi, A., Asadollahi, A. (2012).An analysis of factors affecting on online shopping behavior of consumers.International Journal of Marketing Studies,4(5), 81. Muruganantham, G., Bhakat, R. S. (2013).A review of impulse buying behavior.International Journal of Marketing Studies,5(3), 149. Romaniuk, J., Nenycz-Thiel, M. (2013). Behavioral brand loyalty and consumer brand associations.Journal of Business Research,66(1), 67-72. Schiffman, L., O'Cass, A., Paladino, A., Carlson, J. (2013).Consumer behaviour.Pearson Higher Education AU. Sharma, M. K. (2014). The Impact on Consumer Buying Behaviour: Cognitive Dissonance.Global Journal of Finance and Management,6(9), 833-840. Sheth, J. N., Sisodia, R. S. (2015).Does marketing need reform?: Fresh perspectives on the future. Routledge. Solomon, M. R. (2014).Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being(Vol. 10). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Solomon, M., Russell-Bennett, R., Previte, J. (2012).Consumer behaviour.Pearson Higher Education AU. Terpstra, V., Foley, J., Sarathy, R. (2012).International marketing.Naper Press. Wind, Y., Thomas, R. J., Sheth, J. N. (2014).Organizational buying behavior.SAGE Publications. Zheng, X., Cheung, C. M., Lee, M. K., Liang, L. (2015).Building brand loyalty through user engagement in online brand communities in social networking sites.Information Technology People,28(1), 90-106.

Urban Safari Essays - Christian Music, Christmas Music,

Urban Safari Urban Safari There are times when having a brother with twenty more years of age, experience, and wisdom, can adversely effect your credibility. This is especially true at nine years old. I found this to be the case one Christmas day many years ago when my brother Tom came home for the holidays. It appeared to be the start of a special Christmas, for my brother was coming to visit. I was even more excited than usual for a nine-year-old boy at this time of year. I wondered what new presents would be under the tree? In the past, Tom always got me such neat stuff. I could hardly wait to start shaking the gifts and guessing. As usual, I was up before dawn, tearing into my gifts with all the fervor with which the drowning seize life preservers. My folks, along with my brother, had now joined me in the gift-opening ceremony. Saving the best for last was out of the question; it was the gift from my brother that I tore into first. My dreams had come true. My prayers were answered. There it was, bigger and shinier than anything in the display case of any Western Auto store in the world. It was a B B gun. Finally, I had entered the ranks of the big kids. The prestige of such a gift! I anticipated the glory of shooting my first bird. This was truly a present for a twelve years old, maybe even a teenager. While reveling in my grandeur, I hadn't noticed that my Mother was watching with obvious disapproval. Apparently she had other plans for the B B gun. You can't shoot that thing in the yard! she barked. You'll have to go to the riverbed. With those words, I was instructed to leave the B B gun under the tree with the less attractive presents. You can open your other gifts now. Tom will watch you while we go visit Auntie Mabel, and don't forget, leave the B B gun alone, Mom ordered. No sooner than they were out the door my brother grabbed the gun and headed towards the back yard. Wherere you going? I asked. To test your gun out before Mom and Dad get back was his reply. I thought this was a grand idea. Our back yard was full of potential targets. My brother's first choice was two cases of empty mason jars my Mom used for canning fruit. Somehow this didn't seem like the right thing to do, but surely Tom would know right from wrong. He stacked up all twenty-four jars and shot them into a deadly pile of broken glass and jar lids. I had wanted a turn with the gun, but he said, I have to sight it in first. With the jars demolished, Tom decided to find a few new targets. First was the neighbors' weather vane: an aluminum rooster high atop their barn. As each shot connected with its intended target, paint chipped off the rooster. This looks like fun. Can I have a turn yet? I asked. His reply was an adamant No! After this target was exhausted, he moved on to the neighbor's porch lights. What a good shot he was, as the various outside lights of all three surrounding houses burst one by one. I was anxious for my turn, but now Tom was taking aim at the windows of a nearby work shed. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he shot out four window panes with consecutive rapid-fire shots. When will it be my turn? I cried, about to wet my pants with anticipation. You can't shoot the gun in the yard, he snapped. You'll have to go to the riverbed. With that shocking statement Tom marched into the house and tossed the gun back under the Christmas tree. Of course I was furious for not getting to shoot my own gun, especially with such good targets. It was too late, though, for by now my parents had returned home. Nothing was said about the target practice that went on in their absence, but I was sure they would find out soon. I was also sure my brother would be long gone before all the damages were

The US 19001909 essays

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The Importance Of Transparency In Lobbying Laws Politics Essay

The Importance Of Transparency In Lobbying Laws Politics Essay This paper underlines the importance of understanding that only setting laws for regulating lobbying practices as anti-corruption measures is not enough. Making the practice as transparent as possible is the key to reach out to civil society. This paper will focus on the lobbying system in Lithuania, where despite having lobbying laws/ regulation of interest groups it has been unsuccessful in integrating the support of civil society. I argue that this is due to the lack of transparency in the lobbying system. This essay will apply a model on how effective it would be to make lobbying costly combined with transparency, that would result in lowering corruption and integrate civilian advocacy in political systems to step up to the democratization process. Outline of Paper: SECTION I INTRODUCTION SECTION II INSIGHTS OF INTEREST GROUPS AND LOBBYING IN DEVELOPING DEMOCRACIES SECTION III CASE OF LITHUANIA SECTION IV ANALYSIS SECTION V RECOMMENDATION-MAKING LOBBYING COSTLY SECTION VI CONCLUSION SECTION VII BIBLIOGRAPHY SECTION I-Introduction All political regimes have organizations like interest groups whether the type of system is democratic, authoritarian or totalitarian. Interest groups have not been studied extensively or analyzed in developing democracies the way they have been in developed democracies. An important characteristic of interest group organization in developing democracies is the history of their authoritarian past. These better described as power groups, tend to dominate interest group and lobbying activities. They differ from the more institutionalized and formalized interest group activity of developed democracies. By institutionalization we are referring to an increasingly independent civil society, a rising range of interests and interest groups and a political culture that views interest group activity and lobbying as legitimate and vital to the long term sustainable democratization process. (Thomas, Hrebenar, 2008). In order for a constitutional democracy to emerge, general societal behavioral change must occur in which a) no significant political group attempts to overthrow the democratic regime; b) even during severe political and economic predicaments, the public will seek political change from within the democratic process; and c) all political players will act to resolve conflict through established constitutional standards. (Przeworski, 1991; ODonnell, 1992; Linz and Stepan, 1996). The objective of this paper is to show that making interest group and lobbying activities transparent and regulated, could result in the emergence of not only a constitutional democracy but in decreasing corruption levels within the political system. In section 2, I will present the specificities of developing democracies interest groups, while in section 3 I will focus on Lithuania. I will analyze the Lithuanian findings in section 4, recommend a blend of transparency lobbying laws coupled with making lobbying costly (based on models) as a corruption deterrent in section 5, and conclude in section 6. SECTION II-Features of interest group systems in developing democracies One of the major roles that interest groups perform in established democracies is being a major medium of representation for various sections of society. This is not really the case in developing democracies. In advanced democracies, because a large percentage of the population belong to interest groups, there is more transparency in their activities and may be even more important than political parties in performing a mass representational task (Thomas, 2001). In developing democracies there are common patterns of interest group activity that are typical of their authoritarian days. This can obstruct the development of an independent civil society and the establishment of an extensive and effective interest group system. The restricted independence of interest groups from the past, where in some countries they were banned as in communist systems may influence their independent functioning under a developing democracy. Special interests were often generally viewed as illegitimate in authoritarian regimes. The general public was socialized to believe that interest groups worked against the national interest. Many developing democracies face a major challenge to foster a political culture that includes acceptance of interest group activities and a belief in their political efficiency so that extent that citizens will join and use them as a major means representational voices. (Thomas, 2001) Informal groups were the norm under the authoritarian regimes and remain a dominant force as opposed to institutionalized structures. Therefore, a very narrow range of groups likely exists when the system begins to transition to democracy. Elites have been very successful in using power groups and so have little incentive to develop formalized and institutional interests that might reduce and destroy their power. Therefore there is little interest group and lobbying structures in a newly democratizing country to provide the foundation for the development of a professional advocacy sector. In 2005 in Lithuania there were only seven individuals who could be considered contract lobbyists, (Thomas,2001) in Bulgaria there were none till 2006. (Thomas, 2004). There are less formalized lobbying strategies and tactics in developing democracies to voice political preferences as compared to those in established democracies. The main tactic used is through insider contact of elite-power groups with public officials. In many societies corruption and payoffs also form major influence. Though protest groups may emerge through the course of these actions, and demonstrations may be used, they seldom affect efficient public policy decision making. (Thomas, 2001). SECTION III-Case Study of Lithuania The lobbying community in Lithuania is underdeveloped, corrupt and negatively perceived by society. This is attributable to their legacy of communism which heavily influences the efficiency with which interest groups and lobbyists operate. This results in rising suspicion among the eyes of the public and government officials which impedes the development of an effective lobbying community. Lithuanian interest groups do not use sophisticated lobbying practices and access is largely based on personal connections and corrupt practices. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). Two international indexes illustrated how modernized Lithuania has become since the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to the Heritage Foundation the 2006 Index lists Lithuania as the 23rd most Free Nation. Transparency Internationals 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index holds Lithuania as its 44th least corrupt nation. Overall these international indexes portray Lithuania as a country with moderate levels of corruption, a growing and active interest group system with business interests balanced by an efficient labor movement, with a civil society comprised of a responsible media and the general public willing to engage in regular interest group politics. This, however, is not the case according to a 2005 University of Utah research project, where they found that Lithuanian interest groups and lobbyists were majorly characterized by interests of government elites and business leaders. Interest group and lobbying activity in Lithuania is underdeveloped and unsophisticated in the sense that it is repressed by low perceptions of political effectiveness by the general mass and dominated by business interests. Negative perceptions of lobbying and the ineffective lobby laws contribute to the burgeoning and unrefined state of lobbying in Lithuania. These pessimistic public attitudes are amplified by the effects of communist attitudes and the Lithuanian lobbying law which presents significant obstacles to the formation of interest groups (extensive registration processes) and the implementation of lobbying activities. The prevalence of corruption and long-established personal connections are major lobbying tactics and result in a dichotomy in the minds of the public in differentiating between private and public interests. The present law also fails to elucidate increased transparency and legitimacy of lobbying activities, which are the core artifices of an efficient democ racy. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). Labor is weak as a political and lobbying force in Lithuania due to the legacy of its control by communist leaders, and it results in its failure to use modern strategies of lobbying. The labor sector is small and fragmented. However, the business community has transitioned to sophisticated interest group and lobbying systems. This is due to its extensive resources and contacts that the business communities have with the Lithuanian Parliament and the executive branch. It can be said that only those interest groups with a great deal of resources have power in Lithuania. A significant factor to take into consideration in business lobbying is the financial resources that these communities have and that there are more than 100 members of the Lithuanian Parliament that have business connections and interests but only four that represent labor. There are few professional lobbyists who are registered (only 11 registered lobbyists in Lithuania in 2005). Many groups come to the Lithuanian Par liament with their complaints but fail to suggest possible solutions and courses of political action to solve these problems. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). The lack of a professional lobbying community in Lithuania may persist in the future because the use of personal contacts to contact public officials makes the development of a lobbying bodies redundant, the lack of knowledge among groups about sophisticated lobbying tactics may include a lack of knowledge about the value professional lobbyists, and the small population of Lithuania infers that informal politics prevails as a result of personal contacts. Hence, there is not enough pressure or incentive to develop advanced interest group techniques including professional lobbying groups. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). Corruption is widespread in Lithuania and affects the interest group system. It affects how people go about lobbying, including using bribes to public officials, passing contracts to friends etc. Corruption in the system contributes directly to the very negative view of interest groups and lobbying by the public (Baltic Times, 2004). Corrupt methods of lobbying (bribery and gratuities) are not accepted as ethical, but identified as the most effective and practiced methods of lobbying that can be used for interest group to achieve desired results. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). The lobby law is unsuccessful in Lithuania because it is too restrictive. While many individuals engage in activities that are legit lobbying, negative views on the part of the public and public officials along with a troublesome registration process and expensive registration fee, dissuades most individuals engaged in lobbying activity from registering. The general consensus is that the lobby law is not feasible, is ineffective and is likely not applicable to a developing democracy with an emerging interest group system like Lithuania. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). Since there are very few registered lobbyists, most lobbying is conducted through unregulated and non-transparent means. Thus the law does not account for the predominant amount of the actual lobbying that takes place in Lithuania. A regulatory system that would be more efficient is a monitoring system which requires reporting of lobbying activity, more information and transparency on lobbyists and their interests, and also providing information on the money that is spent on lobbying. Since the Lithuanian lobbying law is associated with corruption and negative perceptions, registering is a major disadvantage to those who legally register as paid lobbyists. (Hrebenar; McBeth; Morgan, 2008). Overall, there is a disincentive to do so. By simply integrating lobbying laws into a regulatory system will not result in dramatically reducing corruption levels. Lobbying practices should be transparent to the public, the civil society needs to understand the need for the lobbyists activities and be active advocates of it, and therefore transform them into a crucial component of a functioning democracy. SECTION IV-Analysis In order for a successful democracy to emerge, it is vital that the civil society has the confidence in their political infrastructure. Interest groups and lobbyists work towards the benefits of society, and it is important that the general public feel safe and confident in order to integrate voices in parliament. Building an effective interest group and lobbying system in burgeoning democracies requires taking more aggressive steps to fight corruption altogether, since it lies deeply rooted in their systems. Interest group politics and lobbying must be included into the medias discussion of politics. As a matter of fact, in order to tackle it from the bottom, regulated media scrutiny is required. Taking into account the suspicion that most citizens hold and is wary of most political moves, they must learn and understand that such politics are legitimate and acceptable. To achieve this, it may be plausible to introduce studies of legitimate lobbying activities in school/university curriculums. In the Lithuanian system the more difficult aspect to change is probably the civic society ideals and beliefs and the attitudes of the Lithuanian population and elites. An effective interest group and lobbying system is especially difficult to build in a post-authoritarian state, given their ingrained be lief systems and ideals. Lithuanian democracy is nearly two decades old and clearly the interest group and lobbying system has not emerged as a strongly constructed cornerstone. The lack of citizen knowledge about the significance of an independent and politically sophisticated civil society to modern democratic politics indicates that the core requirement of a transparent lobbying system was amiss from the beginning. SECTION V-A Recommendation-Making lobbying costly A way in which extraneous and meaningless lobbying can be overcome is by making the activity itself expensive. Someone considering whether to become a lobbyist has to consider the costs of lobbying activities. These costs consist of organizational costs and informational costs. If they want to perform seriously as lobbyists, they have to show that the information that they obtain is reliable and based on sound evidence and information. In some cases, intricate technical information is difficult and costly to obtain. Lobbyists may have to pay for high costs to obtain expert information to credibly provide what is demanded by the authorities in question. These high costs may sometimes dissuade certain lobbyists from entering the entire race altogether unless they have credible motives to do so. We can refer to Potters and Van Winden (1992) model of persuasive costly lobbying and try to understand it in mathematical equations: Lobbyist incurs a cost C ≠¥ 0 when lobbying  · when C = 0 informative lobbying only occurs when d ≠¤ ( ÃŽ ¸H ÃŽ ¸L ) / 2  · when ÃŽ ¸=ÃŽ ¸H there is no risk of false reporting  · when ÃŽ ¸= ÃŽ ¸L and C > 0, the lobbyist now has to incur a cost to report. Hypothesis: policy maker takes lobbyists claims at face value, and interprets lack of lobbying as ÃŽ ¸= ÃŽ ¸L To understand the incentive for the lobbyist at equilibrium cost, when ÃŽ ¸=ÃŽ ¸H the lobbyist incurs the costs only when (qH qH d) 2 C ≠¥ (qL qH d) 2 C ≠¤ (qH qL) (2 d + qH qL) when q = qL the lobbyist refrains from lobbying only when (qL qL d) 2 ≠¥ (qL qH d) 2 C C ≠¥ (qH qL) (2 d (qH qL) ) There is a range of lobbying costs for which the lobbyist communicates with the policy maker in the high states of the world. In this case the policy maker acknowledges this and always implements his preferred policy. Is the lobbyist better off when costs are positive and d > ( ÃŽ ¸H ÃŽ ¸L ) / 2? C = 0 ⇒ p = E ( ÃŽ ¸ ) and E (ul(p,q)) = 0.5 ( ( E ( ÃŽ ¸ ) ÃŽ ¸H d)2 + 0.5 ( ( E ( ÃŽ ¸ ) ÃŽ ¸L d)2 C > 0 : E (ul(p,q)) = 0.5 ( d2 C ) + 0.5 ( d2 ) = d2 C/2 the lobbyist is better off when C < (qH qL)2 / 2 From this model, we clearly get the intuition that if registered lobbying activities are made costly the lobbyist will have lesser incentive to engage in unnecessary meaningless lobbying activities. Therefore, transparency coupled with making lobbying costly could discourage selfish lobbying practices. SECTION VI-Conclusion In any political power structure the actual bodies that create laws as well as the tools for implementing them are usually at the top of the political hierarchy. Here, we seem to be finding more and more, that it is easier to compromise amongst themselves than to continue guarding and representing the more plebeian interests. This is even more true today where we have a vital separation between national politics and globalization which in principle are at loggerheads. As a result politicians are even more compromised and helpless against the over-powering globalized corporate interests and instinctively know that it is a losing battle to fight against them. As we are now witnessing, politics everywhere is bereft of political ideology and entirely married to economic priorities. In such an atmosphere, creating moral strictures to hem the growing influence of special interest bodies (a majority of which are corporate or backed by very powerful groups (NRA and the Jewish Lobby in the USA are examples) is a dead cause. The BEA scandal in the UK is a fine example of how Politicians hide under a a blanket cover (they have specially created for their own benefit) of national security a catch 22 situation, because, according to them, it cannot be transparent for the very same reason that it is secretive. Increasing, governments everywhere have found this the most useful tool to degrade democracy everywhere. Organizations which use corrupt practices will not take to transparency operation and regulation of lobbying. They will feel exposed as this is associated with changes in laws such as the political parties in proportion to its funding, in terms of laws governing the methods of financing campaigns. While discussing lobbying, unions should also be taken into account, which often become the most influential lobbyists. In the process of building a representative democracy it is necessary to create mechanisms which openly discuss issues that they can be resolved in favor of society and not just for the benefit of private or group interests. A cornerstone to this objective may be a combination of effective and modern lobbying laws, meeting the goals of representative democracy based on principles of transparency and publicity. In developing democracies like Lithuania, it is vital to keep the civil society informed about regulated lobbying activities which are designed to benefit the public . Otherwise there is the risk of them being left to speculate the evils of interest group activities, which their legacies have socialized them to do so.

Greek Tragedy Exemplified in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare

Greek Tragedy Exemplified in Shakespeare's Hamlet For several thousands of years, drama has existed among mankind. The ancient Greeks are accredited with the creation of drama, which began as simple religious rituals and eventually evolved into the more complex forms of tragedies and comedies. The first rules of drama, not surprisingly, were also written by a Greek--the famous philosopher and intellectual, Aristotle. Aristotle took note of the what qualities created a successful dramatic piece by observing a plethora of plays written by different Greek dramatists. As a result of what he observed, Aristotle compiled a set of guidelines to define the perfect tragedy. So influential, thorough, and well crafted were his writings that many poets and playwrights since have patterned their own works after them. Aristotle noted six basic requirements for a good tragedy--plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song. The most important of all of these is obviously the plot. The plot needs to have a beginning, which doesn't necessarily follow any event; a middle, which follows the beginning and causes the ending; and of course the finale, which is caused by the middle and does not itself cause any other event. Common sense, therefore, dictates that all of the acts need to be skillfully woven into one another instead of each act abruptly starting and abruptly ending. The last need of a good plot is the incorporation of situation reversals and scenes of recognition. These are almost always the most powerful parts of any good plot, as they invoke emotional interest in the viewer. Character is the next most important aspect of the perfect tragedy after the plot. Every tragedy needs to contain a tragic hero. A complete vil... ...oetic form of all of Shakespeare's plays is always well crafted and problems with wording are nonexistent. Hamlet also contains some of the most famous soliloquies that Shakespeare ever wrote. Hamlet's "to be or not to be" speech is probably one of Shakespeare's best known speeches outside of Mark Antony's "friends, Romans, county men, lend me your ears" speech from Julius Caesar. Elements of song are also found in this play through the character Ophelia when she is in her maddened state. Hamlet is most definitely a shining example of an ideal tragedy. Its plot, characters, and wording are all masterfully crafted. It is well thought out and flows smoothly. William Shakespeare has truly embraced Aristotle's idea of the perfect tragedy through his own Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Global Shakespeare Theatre Series. 1996.

Child Development Theories Essay

While theorists have different ideas and perspectives, insight on child and adolescent development can assist teachers and parents in helping children reach their full developmental and learning potential. Having knowledge about the development of a child and adolescent provides clues in understanding behavior and what is â€Å"normal,† or typical, in growth and development in the early months and years of life. Three developmental theories are broken down to understand the concepts, points of similarity and difference, and the interaction of cognitive, physical, and emotional development of a child. The three theorist perspectives analyzed in this essay include Erikson, Kohlberg, and Piaget. Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage Theory Erikson’s view Erikson’s theory is from a psychoanalytic perspective, which believes that development forms by uncontrollable forces that drive human behavior. He expands on Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, but Erikson focuses on social changes instead of sexual (Heffner, 2004). Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development breaks down in eight stages throughout the human lifespan, and believes â€Å"personality is influenced by society and develops though a series of crisis† (Papalia, D. & Olds, S. & Feldman, R., 2006). Each of Erikson’s stages are described as a crisis in personality requiring a positive and negative trait. When the outcome of each stage (or crisis) is  successful, a virtue (or strength) develops. The eight stages include: Basic trust vs. mistrust (birth to 12-18 months); baby develops sense of whether the world is a good and safe; the virtue is hope Autonomy vs. shame (12-18 months- 3 years); child develops balance of independence and self-efficiency over shame and doubt with virtue of will Initiative vs. guilt (3-6 years), child develops initiative without guilt with the virtue being purpose Industry vs. inferiority (6 years to puberty),child must learn skills of culture or face feelings of incompetence; the virtue is skill Identity vs. identity confusion (puberty to adulthood), adolescent must determine sense of self, or confusion about roles may be experienced; the virtue is fidelity Intimacy vs. isolation (young adulthood), person seeks to make commitments to others and when unsuccessful, isolation and self-absorption may result; the virtue is love Generativity vs. stagnation (middle adulthood), adults are concerned guiding the next generation or feels personal impoverishment; the virtue is care Integrity vs. despair (late adulthood), acceptance of own life and death, or despairs over inability to relive life; the virtue is wisdom (Papalia, et al., 2006, table2-2) Kohlberg’s Moral Understanding Stage Theory Kohlberg’s view Kohlberg builds off of Piaget’s moral reasoning theory, but Piaget’s  viewed the concepts of development of children as fairness through interaction of peers; whereas, Kohlberg thought â€Å"all social relationships offer opportunities for social role-taking—taking the perspective of others—and thus stimulate moral development† (Papalia, et al., 2006). Kohlberg’s focus was a child’s development of right, wrong, and justice; he argues that child developments progress consecutively, and are based on spirituality and God through stages of â€Å"thought processing, implying qualitatively different modes of thinking and of problem solving† (Cory, 2006). Kohlberg explains moral reasoning in three levels and divides each into two stages. The first level, from ages 4 to 10, Kohlberg calls preconventional morality. Stage one of reasoning in preconventional morality level is a child’s orientation toward punishment and obedience. In this stage, children obey rules to avoid punishment. In stage two, instrumental purpose exchange, children â€Å"conform to rules out of self-interest and consideration for what others can do for them† (Papalia, et al., 2006). Conventional morality is the second level, reached after age 10. Maintaining mutual relations and getting approval of others, wanting to please and help others happens at stage three. In stage four, an individual begins social concern and having a conscience, and understanding the principles of authority. In level three, post-conventional morality, development is in early adolescence, young adulthood—or never. Stage five of level three describes a person developing, or understanding morality of contract, individual rights, and democratically accepting the law. In this stage, people are aware of principles and think rational deciding between human need and the law. Morality of universal ethical principles is the concept of stage six. Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage Theory Piaget’s view Jean Piaget’s theory focused on cognitive development as mental operations mature based on â€Å"simple sensory and motor activity to logical, abstract thought† (Papalia, et al., 2006). Piaget’s view was that growth occurs as a child matures and interacts with his or her surroundings; he  looks at the human mind as a focal point and base for everything around it (Heffner, 2004). Cognitive development occurs in three interrelated processes, according to Piaget. The interrelated processes are organization, adaptation, and equilibration. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development are broken down and explained in a web page created by James Atherton: Sensori-motor (0-2 yrs) Differentiates self from objects and recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise; Achieves object permanence: realizes that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense Pre-operational (2-7 years) Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words. Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others. Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of color. Concrete operational (7-11 years) Can think logically about objects and events; Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) .Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series along a single dimension such as size. Formal operational (11 years and up) Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systematically; becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems. (Atherton, 2009) Similarities, differences, & key concepts The major points of similarity, or agreement, in each viewpoint are; development occurs in stages in all three perspectives, and all theorists believe development begins from birth. One of the differences is each theorist’s interest. Erikson’s interest was in how children socialize and how this affects their sense of self. His concept was that if a stage of  crisis were unsuccessful, the result would be an inability to get to the next stage; which in turn contributes to an unhealthy personality and sense of self. Kohlberg’s interest was how children get a sense of right and wrong, with a theory that originates from character of God. Piaget’s interests were intellect and the ability to see relationships mature, with a concept based off sensory and motor activity. A difference between Kohlberg and Piaget’s theory is that Kohlberg’s theory may not apply equally to genders and cultures; whereas, Piaget’s theory is believed to be a fixed order in all children and cultures, with ages of each stage varying from child to child. The importance of understanding normal child and adolescent development Conclusion Indeed, while theorists have different ideas and perspectives, parents and teacher who have some knowledge have a better chance in helping children reach their full developmental and learning potential, and they will be more aware when development and growth are in the normal range. References Cory, R. (2006, August 13). Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development. Retrieved June 29, 2009, From Aggelia Internet Publishing: http://www.aggelia.com/htdocs/kohlberg.shtml Heffner, C. L. (2004, March 21). Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved June 29, 2009,from All Psych Online: The Virtual Psychology Classroom: http://allpsych.com/psychology101/social_development.html Papalia, D. & Olds, S. & Feldman, R. (2006). A Child’s World: Infancy Through Adolescense . NY, NY: McGraw-Hill.

History of Transformational Leadership Essays - Leadership

History of Transformational Leadership Essays - Leadership History of Transformational Leadership Paul Boyle, David Portion, Steve Garthe, Tina Zerkle, Diallos Holmes Transformational Leadership is a recent theory James Burns cited in 1978 Transformational leadership is defined Focus on moral values Concentration on motivation Leaders have a power of inspiration Leaders sets example Further Transformational leadership analysis Bass also did extensive work with the subject Bass cited that there are certain values in a transformational leader Bass work put this theory in to book form The author reinforced earlier beliefs about transformational leaders Transformational Leadership Transactional Leadership Differences between Transformational and Transactional Leaders Understand leaderships purpose Set values and morals Nurture Relationships Self disciplined and motivated Have Heart and Compassion References Terry, Robert, W. Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action, 1993. pg. 84, and Action Wheel Publishing University of Phoenix. (2014). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, LDR300 website.

Free Essays on History Of Islam

Three of the most famous writings from ancient civilizations are the writings of Confucius, Hammurabi's code of laws, and Egypt's Book of the Dead. At first, they seem very different, they're from different times, regions, and religions, but they all offer a peek into what values ancient people considered important. One of the values that all three civilizations is justice and fairness. I feel that this is best viewed in Hammurabi's laws. All of the penalties for the crimes are very stiff, but fair. I feel that it is fair that "If he has broken the limb of a patrician, his limb shall be broken" It's like in the Bible "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." In Egypt, in the Book of the Dead, a man couldn't proceed into the after life unless he was found innocent of any wrong doing on Earth. In Confucius' writings, he never actually says the word "justice", but he does say "Great Man cherishes excellence; Petty Man, his own comfort. Great Man cherishes the rules and regulations; Petty Man special favors." To me, that mean "Great Man is fair, Petty man is unfair." The second of these three values is responsibility and respect to one's family and elders, and responsibility and respect to others families and elders. This is most evident in Confucius' writings. He is constantly stressing family values and responsibility. One quote that shows this is "Let the sole sorry of your parents be that you might become ill." This stresses personal responsibility and respect to your parents. Hammurabi showed responsibility by saying "If a builder has built a house for a man, and has not made his work sound, and the house he built has fallen, and caused the death of the man's son, the builder's son shall be put to death." That quote shows a man's responsibility for himself and his family. In Egypt, during the ritual of the dead, it is said that the dead man, in order to pass into the afterlife, must profe... Free Essays on History Of Islam Free Essays on History Of Islam Three of the most famous writings from ancient civilizations are the writings of Confucius, Hammurabi's code of laws, and Egypt's Book of the Dead. At first, they seem very different, they're from different times, regions, and religions, but they all offer a peek into what values ancient people considered important. One of the values that all three civilizations is justice and fairness. I feel that this is best viewed in Hammurabi's laws. All of the penalties for the crimes are very stiff, but fair. I feel that it is fair that "If he has broken the limb of a patrician, his limb shall be broken" It's like in the Bible "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." In Egypt, in the Book of the Dead, a man couldn't proceed into the after life unless he was found innocent of any wrong doing on Earth. In Confucius' writings, he never actually says the word "justice", but he does say "Great Man cherishes excellence; Petty Man, his own comfort. Great Man cherishes the rules and regulations; Petty Man special favors." To me, that mean "Great Man is fair, Petty man is unfair." The second of these three values is responsibility and respect to one's family and elders, and responsibility and respect to others families and elders. This is most evident in Confucius' writings. He is constantly stressing family values and responsibility. One quote that shows this is "Let the sole sorry of your parents be that you might become ill." This stresses personal responsibility and respect to your parents. Hammurabi showed responsibility by saying "If a builder has built a house for a man, and has not made his work sound, and the house he built has fallen, and caused the death of the man's son, the builder's son shall be put to death." That quote shows a man's responsibility for himself and his family. In Egypt, during the ritual of the dead, it is said that the dead man, in order to pass into the afterlife, must profe...

An investigation weather the Nintendo Wii attract females more than Essay

An investigation weather the Nintendo Wii attract females more than males - Essay Example Using a purposive sample of 107 Nintendo Wii gamers, the present study suggests that males are more likely to be attracted to using or playing the Wii more than their female counterparts, as attested to by their higher ratings on beliefs, subjective norms, and behavioural intentions. They concurred only on one subscale, which is perceived behavioural control, suggesting agreement that there is adequate control on excessive use of the Nintendo Wii. On the Theory of Reasoned Action, it was found that males tended to give higher ratings on the beliefs, subjective norms, and behavioural intentions that are related to the use of the Nintendo Wii. ... Students’ gender differences in their response to technology use have been identified and explained by many researchers who have had varying results in their studies. For instance, in a study by Vasil, Hesketh, and Podd (1987), it was found out that females do not prefer being involved in technological activities and that they are less participative in technology-related events compared to males. Gender differences have also been evident in the use of the Internet and the computer in general as findings of Shashaani (1997) showed how boys take more interest in computers compared to girls. Nonetheless, Internet usage has become common not just among males but among females as well. Computer games, meanwhile, have been obtaining a great deal of attention than previous years as a source of pleasure and enjoyment among young individuals. The gaming industry along with well-accepted media has recognized the usage and play of women when it comes to digital games (Beasley and Standle y 2002). The increasing popularity of video games and the improved sales of game titles may point out that members of the female population have taken part in the expanding gaming audience. Previous research about females and their associations with video games has mainly been divided into two main areas- the assessment of female representations in video games (Heintz-Knowles and Henderson 2002), and the surveys or interviews conducted among female players with regards to their interests, level of play, and overall thoughts about video games and the gaming culture in general (Yates and Littleton 2001). A number of studies on virtual games suggest that

Personal Finance Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Finance Concepts - Essay Example With respect to an individual's financial security, this implicates the need to intelligently plan one's investments and retirement plan, not only to secure a good life for the future, but also to ensure safety from unprecedented economic crisis and financial problems. As an individual seeking to secure a retirement plan, investing in a house, gold, and retirement insurance such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) will be top priorities. After careful consideration of the market, these three products present the most profitable and secure values, which are crucial factors that must be considered in making an investment. First, a person's home is perhaps his most important investment. Not only does it provide an important use at present, but, given proper maintenance, ownership of a house and lot can reap high returns. Depending on the location of a house and the possible development plans in that community for the future, home values can appreciate up to 100% in a span of ten years. Furthermore, it is also a valuable asset, which could be mortgaged in times when large sums of money are needed. In addition, given its high appreciation values, houses can also be very useful for retirement, which could be sold in order to pay for membership in a comfortable retirement house in the future, or rented to earn a sizeable monthly income despite retirement. A second investment of importance are pension plans such as IRAs and 401(k)s. These pension plans, which acts like savings accounts, allows individuals to save money form their salaries before taxes and deposit them into a fund, which through the years could grow into a sizeable sum. Its importance lies in the manner that it is saved. First, since they are automatically deducted from salaries before taxes, it makes sure that a regular amount of money will be saved every month, eliminating the chance for individuals to skip payments. Furthermore, it decreases one's gross salary, decreasing income tax, which gives individuals a higher disposable income if analyzed properly. Thus, it is an efficient investment for retirement. Lastly, another investment, which is of importance, is gold. Unlike other investments, gold provides the most stable, hence safe, investment for retirement even in times of economic crisis and financial instability. On the average, its value has been increasing throughout the years. Thus, it is no question why it has endured as a viable form for keeping wealth in centuries. Another reason why gold is an important form of investment for a retirement plan is its negative correlation with the US dollar (van Eeden, 2000). There has been numerous forecasts regarding the weakening of the dollar in the coming yeas, thus, gold provides individuals with a greater sense of security. Furthermore, owning gold allows one to diversify his domestic portfolio and diversify the risks present in his other investments. Thus, gold is an important investment for retirement because it allows individuals to diversify his portfolio, hence, shielding it from the risks that could be brought about by a deeply integrated world economy, ensuring that one's retirement plan is secure. A house, an untaxed investment, and gold are three important components of a retirement plan because they are relatively stable, diverse, and could still be used in the present during hard times in mortgages and loans giving them value