Friday, November 29, 2019

Branding as a Significant Business Strategy

Executive Summary According to economists and business analysts, the ability of a product to sell or to attract a higher clientele depends mainly on how it is packaged, marketed and advertised to the potential market segment. Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Branding as a Significant Business Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As such, it is always important to select a name and a presentation technique that will motivate the consumers to buy a product irrespective of the available substitute goods. In today’s society, branding has become a significant strategy to employ while trying to eliminate competition or/and competing effectively. Branding presents an organization with the opportunity to enhance its reputation and make itself known by the consumers. It is an important tool to utilize especially since consumer loyalty in today’s world can easily be swayed. Therefore, if an organiz ation intends to remain successful in the highly dynamic markets, it is imperative that they employ some cutting edge innovative brand in order to keep the consumers ‘wired’ to the products that the organization is producing. Introduction According to Walser, a brand can best be defined as a â€Å"name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers† (39). As such, it should be known that branding is not only about making the consumers buy your product but also a means of making them understand that your organization has the ultimate solutions for their needs and desires. It is an important concept because a product brand acts as a guarantee that the organization will always cater for the needs of the target consumers at all times. Consequently, branding plays a pivotal role in forging a long lasting relationship between the consumers and the product because they are assured th at the desired quality of the product will always be there. As mentioned earlier, brands are very important in the marketing process of a given product. This is mainly because a brand goes a long way in reputation building as well as creating an image for your organization. In most cases, consumers do not buy products because of the management and financial status of an organization but their decision to buy a product solely depends on how it is presented and its ability to satisfy a given need. Therefore, giving a product a good name or a relevant symbol will suffice in convincing the consumers that a given product is what they need. Brands are very critical towards the success of a business and often refer to what an organization is doing to make itself known to the general public. According to Randall, branding may range from posting an advert, tagging your car with the business logo, using an attractive letterhead on your invoices or letters with essential details on what your b usiness is all about. Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The author suggests that in so doing, it may not be a surprise when referrals start trickling in, phones start ringing or people recognizing your product when they see it. A marketing rule of thumb is that you must be seen, heard and remembered by your target market. Branding offers the avenues through which these aspects can be addressed simultaneously. It should be noted that consumers are often showered with different brands on a daily basis. Therefore, the best way to stay on top should be through effective branding. This can only be achieved when an organization does extensive research on consumer behavior as well as the new trends in the markets. Such endeavors ensure that the consumers are blinded from other products thereby cutting marketing and production costs that could have otherwise been incurred in th e process of introducing new products into the market. Types of branding There are various documented branding strategies. The decision on which brand an organization should use depends mainly on the targeted market, cost and the type of product or service that the organization is offering to its consumers. They include the following: Corporate brands These are brands used by companies which offer a specified benefit or service to their clients. The main advantage of using corporate brand is that everything that the organization does is linked to the brand that it has chosen. This is beneficial to the company because it reduces the costs incurred in advertising and introducing new products to the market. However such brands have a disadvantage associated with the use of a single brand for various products. As earlier mentioned, consumer loyalty can easily be swayed depending on how a product or service is presented. What seems fashionable today may not necessarily hold the same we ight tomorrow. Therefore, using a single brand for different products may not enable a company to compete effectively with a company which uses various brands for its products. In addition to this, failure of a product, affects the company as a whole because consumers will most likely associate the failure to the brand and consequently every product under the brand will be considered as a failure. Distinct Brand This type of brand is used by companies or organizations which choose to introduce all their products as independent brands for example Proctor Gamble. Most companies prefer this type of branding because each product is independent. As such, any problem that arises from the brand is not linked directly to the company. Additionally, the distinct benefits that can be accrued from a product are directly associated with their brand. Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Branding as a Significant Business Strategy specifically for you for only $1 6.05 $11/page Learn More The disadvantage of using this type of brand is that the product requires its own marketing strategy and a budgetary allocation which at times may be very expensive. On the same note, the success of a given brand may not be attributed to the brand of the company that manufactured the product. Hybrid Brand According to Haines this is the brand used â€Å"when a product extends the benefit of an overall brand or company† (176). It is a great strategy to use because the marketing and the branding can be done using the same budget and help build the overall reputation of the company. However, any problem associated with the product will affect both brands. An example of a hybrid brand is the merger of Firestone tires with Bridgestone tires. If the product they produce generates some negative feedback, this will affect both brands equally. Umbrella Brand Haines states that this brand applies â€Å"if a company offers different products with different benefits, but they all extend the same value to the customer† (179). A good example for this type of brand is Nike which produces athletic gears. It is much easier and cost effective to present such products under one brand. The advantage of using this brand is that each product contributes towards the satisfaction of the consumers thereby adding value to the overall brand. In addition to this, the marketing and branding strategies can easily share costs. The disadvantage of using this type of brand is that the company stands at a risk if a single product does not perform as expected. This will ultimately affect the whole brand. Arguably, whichever branding strategy that a company decides to adopt has its advantages and disadvantages. It is therefore important that an organization select a strategy that will attract more benefits than costs while choosing a branding strategy. Literature review It should be noted that analysis performed in branding range from those requiring simple tools (interviews and questionnaires) to others which require elaborate equipment (quality control research and experiments). According to Malhotra â€Å"the matter of validity as concerns the results obtained from such analysis largely depends on the procedures followed and measures undertaken during the test run† (187). The issue of consistency arises in that if there is no standardized way in which these analyses were carried out, then their validity cannot be reaffirmed time and time again. Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The desirable consistency can only be achieved if there is a set of well stipulated procedures and methods which are followed to the letter at all times. Therefore, the success of a brand will depend on the degree of organization showcased by the company during the production to the introduction of the product to the market. In the past, most organizations never gave much thought to quality control. Perhaps this had been due to the absolute power which traditionally lay in the hands of the person producing the products. The consumers of these products and services had in those instances been nothing but a passive recipient with no say over the affairs taking place. The tables have however turned around with the adoption of absolute customer satisfaction policies by institutes and the information explosion which can be attributed almost primarily to the internet. Due to these two factors, it is important that an organization produce quality products for its client. From this paper, it has been noted that the failure of a given brand may lead to the demise of a whole company. In as much as branding contributes significantly to the success of a product, matters pertaining to the quality of the product must be equally adhered to in order to avoid compromising situations. For example, the Firestone tire recall in the 70’s affected the whole company and tarnished the brand name for years to come. This may come as a shock especially since not all products put in the market had problems. Therefore quality goes hand in hand with branding when it comes to marketing a given product. Having discussed the need for the establishment of quality control, it would be prudent to outline how to go about this in the branding process. Malhotra affirms that there are a number of variables that can affect the success of a brand (226). These variables include but are not limited to the company’s knowledge of the current market trends, the strategy used and the inter pretation and reporting of the acquired results. Despite the existence of these variables, quality control can be achieved if the best practices and procedures are adhered to. It should be noted that these practices are not conclusive in nature now chronological. From the onset of the branding process, controls should be established for each of the procedures that may be undertaken. A control is a sample of a specimen whose result is already known. It acts as a benchmark and is vital for validating the results of the entire brand (Elliot and Percy, 197). These controls will be expected to yield results that are in the realm of some pre-prescribed criteria for acceptability. All research performed should strictly follow the physical parameters that have been established. This will lead to standardization in the performance since the same set of physical constraints was used in all similar tests. The consumer who is the center of attention for the organization should also be kept in the know of how the analyses are progressing. Lindstrom suggests that â€Å"not only will this lead to significant increase in the consumers trust in the given brand but it may also lead to faster recovery in cases where a brand has already been disqualified by the market† (72). It is further proposed that the organization should be reassuring to the consumers every step of the way until the launch of the brand. This can be done through advertising the new product which will prepare and make the consumers anxious to try out the new brand. Monitoring of the current brands and how best they meet the customers’ expectations should be done. As such, the current methods of testing and coming up with results should be analyzed and the satisfaction levels resulting from this both from the customers point for view and from a technical point of view analyzed. Having done this, it would be easy to assess how far off from the desired quality the current brand fall. A different kind of monitoring that would be desirable would be that of the substitute brands (Elliot and Percy, 193). This would be done periodically to ensure that best practices are being followed and at the same time see to it that the high levels of quality stipulated are continually followed. In addition to this, it would ensure that a given brand has a competitive edge over its substitutes making it more preferred by the targeted market. Lastly, the branding process should involve the identification and subsequent addressing of any errors that may have been noticed. To put it in another way, if a current method of getting things done is not effective and efficient, better methods should be come up with. The addressing of these problems may be done in a range of ways. Hoyer and Macinnis propose the involvement of the consumers in the re-evaluation of the brand (254). However, this can only be done to a point since if the flaw is of a procedural nature, the consumer would not be in a pos ition to offer any significant suggestions due to lack of expertise in the field. Major advantages can be reaped from a brand driven culture by both the consumer and the organization. The consumer will feel appreciated and hence have more faith in the product while at the same time giving more suggestions and opinions on the product. He will also return to the same organization in the future should the need arise. The organization will yield better results if the brand is accepted since there will be standardization of procedures and hence repetition of positive results from the product will be assured. Money will also be saved once a set of procedures have been adopted and used continuously therefore costs reduced. The risk of failure or inefficiency will also be reduced by a large percentage. For example, the manufactures of Mercedes Benz have continuously enjoyed a large market share due to the brand name. Their consistent production of luxury cars has made the company an icon in the motor vehicle industry. Due to this consistency, the company has developed a large consumer base based on the culture fostered by the brand. Marketing research According to a survey I carried out on the coca cola beverage brand, majority of the participators claimed that they had never grown an interest in other soft drinks other than their preferred choice. They attributed this to the fact that it is an international brand and that it meet their needs in terms of taste and design. Those that did not have any brand loyalty claimed that they choose their soft drinks according to how it is presented. That means their choice of drinks depends on how it is packaged, its name and how flashy it looks. On the same note, I also had a chance to interview various athletes about their choice in athletic gear. Those that preferred Nike claimed that the brand has been developing quality gear for a very long time thus making them reliable. From these interviews, I gathered that a brandâ₠¬â„¢s culture and history plays a pivotal role in influencing the consumers into buying those products. In addition to this, it became evident that the brand name does not necessarily reflect on the performance of the organization producing it. Most of the participants did not know much about the manufacturer of their products but only cared about the products that they get. This goes to show that branding is the most effective way of ensuring a place in the global market. However, the question on quality of the brand also had a significant effect on the brand’s success. Conclusion This paper reinforces the dire need for adopting branding strategies in today’s business world. The means discussed herein for creating quality brands in organizations are nowhere near being conclusive in nature but offer a solid platform from which definitive policies can be launched. It can also be clearly seen from the arguments presented championing the need for a brand culture that th ere is a great need to formulate some form of quality control method to avoid repercussions of immense magnitude both to the organization and also on the part of the consumers which may come about as a result of brands being flawed. The paper does recognize the various costs which will be incurred while ensuring a brand’s success and while it may be reasoned out by management that these costs are not a priority, given the many other areas that may need funding, the future economic advantages that can be accrued from adopting an aggressive branding strategy far outweighs the costs. The various types of branding have been addressed and their advantages and disadvantages mentioned. The various schools of thought presented by various scholars pertaining to branding have also been analyzed. Undoubtedly the assimilation of branding in the marketing of different products presents organizations with a chance to survive the turbulences that are presented by the ever changing markets . Works Cited Elliot, Richard and Percy, Larry. Strategic brand management. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Haines, Steven. The Product Manager’s Desk Reference. USA: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008. Print. Hoyer, Wayne and Macinnis, Deborah. Consumer Behavior. Chicago: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Lindstrom, Martin. Clicks, bricks brands. USA: Kogan Page Publishers, 2001. Print. Malhotra, Naresh. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. New York: Pearson Education, 2009. Print. Walser, Martin G. Brand strength: building and testing models based on experiential information. USA: DUV, 2004. Print. This term paper on Branding as a Significant Business Strategy was written and submitted by user Giancarlo Alvarez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Confidence Interval for a Mean When We Know Sigma

Confidence Interval for a Mean When We Know Sigma In inferential statistics, one of the major goals is to estimate an  unknown  population  parameter. You start with a statistical sample, and from this, you can determine a range of values for the parameter. This range of values is called a confidence interval. Confidence Intervals Confidence intervals are all similar to one another in a few ways. First, many two-sided confidence intervals have the same form: Estimate  ± Margin of Error Second, the steps for calculating confidence intervals are very similar, regardless of the type of confidence interval you are trying to find. The specific type of confidence interval that will be examined below is a two-sided confidence interval for a population mean when you know the population standard deviation. Also, assume that you are working with a population that is normally distributed. Confidence Interval for a Mean With a Known Sigma Below is a process to find the desired confidence interval. Although all of the steps are important, the first one is particularly so: Check conditions: Begin by ensuring that the conditions for your confidence interval have been met. Assume that you know the value of the population standard deviation, denoted by the Greek letter sigma ÏÆ'. Also, assume a normal distribution.Calculate estimate: Estimate the population parameter- in this case, the population mean- by use of a statistic, which in this problem is the sample mean. This involves forming a simple random sample from the population. Sometimes, you can suppose that your sample is a simple random sample, even if it does not meet the strict definition.Critical value: Obtain the critical value z* that corresponds with your confidence level. These values are found by consulting a table of z-scores or by using the software. You can use a z-score table because you know the value of the population standard deviation, and you assume that the population is normally distributed. Common critical values are 1.645 for a 90-percent confidence level, 1.960 for a 95-percen t confidence level, and 2.576 for a 99-percent confidence level. Margin of error: Calculate the margin of error z* ÏÆ' /√n, where n is the size of the simple random sample that you formed.Conclude: Finish by putting together the estimate and margin of error. This can be expressed as either Estimate  ± Margin of Error or as Estimate - Margin of Error to Estimate Margin of Error. Be sure to clearly state the level of confidence that is attached to your confidence interval. Example To see how you can construct a confidence interval, work through an example. Suppose you know that the IQ scores of all incoming college freshman are normally distributed with standard deviation of 15. You have a simple random sample of 100 freshmen, and the mean IQ score for this sample is 120. Find a 90-percent confidence interval for the mean IQ score for the entire population of incoming college freshmen. Work through the steps that were outlined above: Check conditions: The conditions have been met since you have been told that the population standard deviation is 15 and that you are dealing with a normal distribution.Calculate estimate: You have been told that you have a simple random sample of size 100. The mean IQ for this sample is 120, so this is your estimate.Critical value: The critical value for confidence level of 90 percent is given by z* 1.645.Margin of error: Use the margin of error formula and obtain an error of  z* ÏÆ' /√n (1.645)(15) /√(100) 2.467.Conclude: Conclude by putting everything together. A 90-percent confidence interval for the population’s mean IQ score is 120  ± 2.467. Alternatively, you could state this confidence interval as 117.5325 to 122.4675. Practical Considerations Confidence intervals of the above type are not very realistic. It is very rare to know the population standard deviation but not know the population mean. There are ways that this unrealistic assumption can be removed. While you have assumed a normal distribution, this assumption does not need to hold. Nice samples, which exhibit no strong skewness or have any outliers, along with a large enough sample size, allow you to invoke the central limit theorem. As a result, you are justified in using a table of z-scores, even for populations that are not normally distributed.

Friday, November 22, 2019

International Financial Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Financial Strategies - Essay Example The paper tells that the concept of corporate governance has undergone tremendous changes since its origin. Management always pays attention to update their corporate governance strategy in accordance with the needs of the time. The corporate governance policy also maintains the relationship between the stakeholders and the objectives of the organization. Top level managers always focus on the impact of their corporate governance strategy on economic efficiency in addition to a strong emphasis on shareholder values. Since a series of corporate failures in 2001 were attributed to accounting fraud, today organizations focus on internal check policies while formulating their corporate governance strategy. Likewise, corporate scandals of various forms during the last decade attainted public and political interest, which greatly contributed to the strict regulation of corporate governance. However, it seems that corporate governance principles always give emphasis to the rights and privil eges of shareholders. In addition, the principles of corporate governance clearly point out the role and responsibilities of the board, firm’s integrity and ethical behavior, and concerns of disclosure and transparency. The main point of difference in corporate difference between the United Kingdom and the United States is that in the UK, the CEO generally does not hold the chairmanship of the board whereas, in the US, the CEO also serves as the Chairman of Board. Corporate governance in the UK In the opinion of Roberts (2011), the balance of power between the board of directors and the general meeting primarily constitutes corporate governance of a UK company. Generally, the term â€Å"governance† is used to refer to principles mentioned in the UK Corporate Governance Code. As cited in Harbottle and Lewis (2010), the UK Corporate Governance Code 2010 is a set of corporate governance principles which aim the improved performance of the listed companies on the London St ock Exchange. Financial Service Authority’s Listing Rules demand the public listed companies disclose how they have abided by the proposed code and explain where and why they have ignored the rule. Private companies are also encouraged to follow these corporate governance guidelines even though it is not a compulsory requirement in private firm accounts.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Safety Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Safety Plan - Essay Example The manager should give details about the operation parameters and design of the air-conditioning system, heating, ventilating in the warehouse. The manager ought to identify the source and quantity of fresh air delivered to each occupant in the breathing zone. The employer should also disclose if there has been any recent renovation of the warehouse that could be a source of impurities or contaminants. The renovation process could comprise of painting, pesticide application, and HVAC system disinfection and ventilation system. Also, the manager should make known of any recent alteration might have taken place in the warehouse such as installation of partitions, repositioning of air intakes or relocation of exhausts. In an interview, both the employer and manager should give all the possible information that will assist to identify the origin of the problem (health, 2013). All workers of the warehouse should be interviewed to give their complaints and disclose the nature of illnesses. They should reveal all the symptoms they are experiencing and tell if the symptoms clear up after leaving the warehouse. They should explain on the occurrence and frequency of the symptoms. The ailing workers should tell whether there is any particular area or event that could have triggered the symptoms. Besides they should disclose of any rendered medical care. In additional, the workers need to reveal their characteristics such as allergies, disabilities, smoking and pre-existing illnesses. In regard to information obtained from the manager and employees, the conduction of walk-around inspection will help a lot to verify this information. It is paramount to note that inadequate ventilation is the major cause of indoor air quality problems. Therefore, the walk-around inspection should be used to examine the ventilation systems. In this respect, the investigation

Monday, November 18, 2019

Possible causes of destruction from space (solar storms and possible Essay

Possible causes of destruction from space (solar storms and possible impact from an asteroid or comet) - Essay Example The rise of scientific temperament rather than dispelling further consolidated these fears by extending new knowledge and information about space and the associated phenomenon. In that context, the longevity of earth is to a great extent a matter of coincidence and the spatial phenomenon like solar storms, and collision with asteroids or comets do have the potential to give way to an apocalypse. Solar Storms Before delving on the possible apocalyptic consequences of solar storms, one needs to delve into the scientific basis of these solar phenomenons. Simply speaking, a solar storm may refer to solar flare, Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) or a geomagnetic storm. The solar flares mostly get noticed as an abrupt brightening on the surface of the sun (Shipman, 1987, p. 266). This brightening of the solar surface is often interpreted as a massive release of energy of gargantuan proportions (Shipman, 1987, p. 266). The solar flares result into large scale ejections of atoms, ions and electron s from the sun’s corona into the space (Shipman, 1987, p. 266). These ejections of atomic and subatomic particles resulting from a solar flare do manage to reach the earth’s atmosphere. ... drastically jeopardize the modern life by causing natural disasters, earthquakes, Tsunamis, disrupting communication technologies, giving way to genetic mutations, jamming radio and satellite signals, and a plethora of other scientifically valid possibilities. It is a possibility that the very life nurturing potential of the sun could someday lead to an apocalypse. Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), simply put is a large scale burst of magnetic fields, solar wind and plasma from the sun’s corona into space (Ridpath, 1997, p. 102). CMEs do have the ability to disrupt the life on earth. In case, per chance, a CME is directed towards the earth, it could give way to shock wave of solar particles impacting the earthly life (Ridpath, 1997, p. 102). It is a known fact that there exists a direct correlation between the solar activities and the geological and biological life on earth. In case the sun turns into a cycle marked by massive solar eruptions and flares, shooting high energy partic les into the earth’s atmosphere, it could give way to unprecedented and unheard of apocalyptic possibilities. The consequences may be as innocuous as the disruption of electric grids and communications networks, bringing to knees the contemporary technology driven civilizations, or as threatening as the disruption of earth’s atmosphere resulting in large scale natural disasters, genetic mutations culminating in morbid diseases and food shortages giving way to wars, riots and large scale genocides. While delving on the physical, magnetic, atmospheric and climatic consequences of solar activity, one simply could not ignore its ramifications for the social, political and economic life on earth. It is a known fact that a great many wars are being fought for amassing scarce natural and mineral

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Bible: An Eternal Canon

The Bible: An Eternal Canon When one thinks of the word Bible, it evokes images of revelation at Sinai, full of lightning and thunder, where an awestruck nation received the ten commandments. It conjures images of Isaiahs soaring prophecies, the anguish of Esther, and the courage of Daniel. However, despite the history within it, the Bible is not a history book. One who turns the pages and reads the ancient words will find promises of the rewards that await those who do good and the punishments that come in the wake of evil. The Bible is a roadmap to living life wisely; it gives advice and guidance, comforts the aggrieved and inspires the crestfallen. It illuminates events and helps place them in perspective. It is not an old storybook and not just a book of law but rather a compilation of the periods and people whose actions hold relevant lessons to be learned, even thousands of years later. When they compiled and finalized which books would be included in the biblical canon, it was understood by the ancient Jewish authorities that it was to be a guide for generations on how to live life. A central part of Judaism is the study of Torah in order to learn and adhere to the laws and way of life that is expected by God, as it says in the book of Joshua this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success[1], meaning that one who studied the Bible would glean from it what the correct thing to do in their own life was and therefore, would find success. As such, while there were likely other books written, and certainly there were many other prophets and prophecies experienced, before the redaction of the biblical canon began, not everything was worthy of eternal inclusion. A crite rion for inclusion was that each book chosen by the ancient Jewish authorities was a selection which provided teachings, be they ethical or moral, that would be applicable and relevant for all future generations, regardless of time and place. If the Jewish authorities did not feel that it would still be relevant to be studied by future generations, regardless of how interesting it may have been, they did not include it. The biblical canon is meant to shape people. It is logical to believe that the Creator of the Universe provided man with a code of conduct, as it says God insist[s] that His worshippers live up to strict standards of ethics and morality[2]. God, through His actions, displayed the moral and ethical path that one should strive to emulate. When the ancient Jewish authorities compiled the biblical canon, it was clear that they were including the books that presented examples of upright and holy behaviour that future generations should strive to emulate. The biblical canon also endeavours to bring people who read its ancient pages closer to God. The books included in the biblical canon were selected with the intention that these timeless words would have an impact on all future generations and would still create a framework for a relationship with God, even thousands of years later. Another of the criteria for being included in the bible was that the works be composed during the era of prophetic revelation; that is, no later than the time of the building of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the returned exiles from Babylonia[3]. Books and prophecies that emerged after this cut-off date were not included in the biblical canon. It is for this reason that the Books of the Maccabees were not considered for biblical inclusion, since they were written after the period of prophetic revelation had ended. An opinion as to why this was the cut-off date for inclusions is that it was believed that no addition would be on the holy level of the books originally included in the bible. This is because the era of divine prophecy had concluded. There was also a feeling of being post-biblical Jews, meaning they felt that no matter how good a proposed new book for the Bible was, it did not matter since the Bible was closed for new additions. However, there is evidence that as late as the second century CE there was an ongoing debate occurring regarding certain books that had originally been included in the biblical canon that some rabbis believed should be removed. This debate is displayed in a Mishnah where the books Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are discussed with the concept of ones hands becoming impure following contact with these holy books.[4] A difficult concept to understand, the essence of the idea is that if holy books make ones hands impure, they would be handled more delicately, and the very few hand-written copies in circulation at the time would be protected from too much use. An additional explanation for this idea, is that there was holy bread that people would place next to the holy books, thinking that since both were considered holy it was an appropriate thing to do. However, it was found that rodents nibbling on the food would also gnaw on the scrolls, thereby damaging them. Therefore, the rule was put in place to prevent damage to the books. The debate regarding this rule with respect to Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs in this Mishnah is whether the two books mentioned render ones hands impure, meaning are they considered holy like the other books that compile the biblical canon. The Mishnah brings several differing opinions on the subject, and it is clear that while both books remain in the Biblical Canon and are considered holy like all the others, there was, at some point, a debate about whether they should have continued to be included. It is evident that the ancient Jewish authorities recognized the centrality of the biblical canon to Judaism and took the task of compiling which books were appropriate for inclusion very seriously. Working with an understanding that the collection of books they were putting together would be studied intimately and thoroughly for thousands of years, they made the decision that only those books whose stories had applicable lessons for future generations would be included. Potential volumes that told of times where no lasting life instruction could be gleaned were dismissed. Materials that did not help to further ones relationship with God were also dismissed, since a key component of the biblical canon is to bring individuals closer to God as well as to teach individuals what God expects from them, ethically and morally, through Gods actions in the bible. A final criterion for inclusion in the biblical canon was the time in which an event happened. If the book was written after the er a of revelation had stopped, it was automatically disregarded since the biblical canon was closed to new additions that were not divinely inspired. The ancient Jewish authorities and their rabbinic heirs did not subscribe to the New Testament or the Koran because they did not agree with the belief that those books were of divine inspiration. Thus, their criteria for inclusion was intended as a protection against future man-made and human-inspired works that potentially negated or contradicted the precepts of the Torah. In sum, the ancient Jewish authorities were aware of the tremendous responsibility of compiling a canon of books that would be relevant for future generations and would hold strong the ideal of emulating Gods ways with fealty and steadfast allegiance. With that in mind, they established detailed criteria to follow to ensure that even thousands of years later, an individual could open these books to look in the creased pages of time to reveal eternal knowledge and wisdom of how one can transform their experience of life today. References Segal, Eliezer. Introducing Judaism. Vol. 4. Routledge, 2009 [1] Joshua 1:8 Bible RSV [2]Segal, Eliezer. Introducing Judaism. Vol. 4. Routledge, 2009, 147. [3] Ibid. 15 [4] Mishnah Yadayim 3:5

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Influence of Frank Lloyd Wright on Frank Gehry in the Design of his

Many of Frank Gehry’s early works reflect a refined manipulation of shapes and structures, whereby many of his buildings present distorted shapes or apparent structures. From the Guggenheim museum to the Walt Disney concert hall, Frank Gehry’s architecture is close to none. He cleverly plays with shapes and geometries. In this essay, I shall start with a brief analysis of Gehry’s house and the influences in the design of the house. I shall then analyze the extent to which Frank Lloyd Wright has inspired and influenced Gehry in the design of his house through a comparison with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Jacob’s house. Gehry draws his inspiration from famous paintings such as the Madonna and Child which he qualifies as a â€Å"strategy for architecture† (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 42) and which he used as an inspiration for a project in Mexico . Through his interpretation of the paintings and artwork, Gehry looked for a new kind of architecture. His search for a new type of architecture culminated in 1978 with his own house in Santa Monica. What was once a traditional Californian house would be redesigned to become one of the most important and revolutionary designs of the 20th century, giving Gehry international prestige and fame. Frank Gehry’s â€Å"Own House† uses a mixture of corrugated metal, plywood, chain link and asphalt to construct a new envelope for an existing typical Californian house. This house has been inspired by Joseph Cornell, Ed Moses and Bob Rauschenberg. Gehry comments on his house by saying that there was something â€Å"magical† (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 54) about it. He admits having â€Å"followed the end of his [my] nose† (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 54) when it came to constructing the â€Å"new† house, which led Arthur Drexler, former Director... ...nian architects. Frank Lloyd Wright, on the other hand is considered as one of the founders of modern architecture but what is certain is that they have both had a tremendous influence on the world of architecture today. Works Cited (2000, August-November 12). Retrieved December 15, 2010, from http://www.arcspace.com/gehry_new/index.html?main=/gehry_new/html/ar.html Carter, R. M. (2001). Frank Lloyd Wright. London: Phaidon Press Limited. Friedman, M. (2003). Architecture+ Process Gehry Talks. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. Friedman, M. (2003). Gehry Talks. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. Humphries, L. (1970). Programs and manifestoes on 20th-century architecture. Cambridge Massachusetts: Michael Bullock. Maddex, D. (2000). 50 Favourite houses by Frank Lloyd Wright. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd. Zevi, B. (1998). Frank Lloyd Wright. Boston: Birkhauser.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Course Work on Effective Speech Writing Essay

The following three deliberative speaking occasions and their expectations are discussed here under: (1) Political Assemblies. In these occasions, the speech to be delivered by political candidates is expected to be informal because they are talking to the masses. It should be somehow emotional so as to be able to appeal to the emotions of the listeners. It is expected to be not too long so it won’t bore the listeners. The language style should be that of the common people. It should present facts and figures to convince people to vote for him/ her as a candidate and to lay down platforms or proposals of changes in the government. The speaker is also expected to identify with the listeners by referring to one’s own experiences that will relate to their experiences. (2) Sales Presentation. The type of speech in this speaking occasion presents a product or service and it tries to persuade and convince the listener-customer to buy. Thus, the speech is expected to be informal, brief and concise, quiet emotional and attention-getting. It must provide evidences to explain and support the benefits of the product or service being promoted and it must also make a comparison and contrast between that product or service and that of a competitor to illustrate that the product or service is far better than others. (3) Legislative Speeches. The speeches delivered in legislation are expected to have a high degree of formality. These are lengthy and have a low emotional intensity. They must present data to prove the claims on the positive benefits of a bill if it is passed into a law. The speaker should also form a sense of identification with his listeners so as to persuade and convince them to believe in what he or she believes is true and right. The three general types of ceremonial speaking occasions and the expectations in these occasions are explained below: (1) Acceptance Speeches. These are delivered when an individual is given an award or recognition for a job well done. The acceptance speech must be formal, brief and direct to the point. It is a little bit emotional especially that the speaker will have to express his or her feelings of gratitude and happiness over his or her receiving the award or recognition. It might have supporting materials such as citing one’s work but it should dwell on the expression of thanks to those who have given him or her the award or recognition and to the people who have helped him or her achieve that. (2) Introduction Speeches. The speech of introduction is delivered when a person comes to deliver a speech and the audience is to be prepared in listening to him. Hence, it is the task of the introducer to arouse the interest of the audience towards the speaker. It should be formal in tone, brief yet succinct. Most of all, it should grab the attention of the listeners. It also needs to present the speaker’s background as well as the qualifications and expertise to explain why he or she was chosen to be the speaker for that theme or topic. (3) Speeches of Tribute. The speech of tribute is delivered to express praise to a person during his birthday, oath to office, retirement and even death. The emotions involved in this speech would depend largely on the occasion. If it is for the person’s birthday or oath to office, it has cheerful tone. But if it is during a person’s retirement or death, the emotions range from pain to sorrow to regret because there is a need to say good bye to that person. This type of speech is expected to provide accurate information about the person being spoken of. The following are the types of speeches that combine ceremonial and deliberative speeches. The expectations for each of the types are included. (1) Commencement Addresses. A commencement address is always delivered on the graduation day of students. Thus, a speaker is expected to motivate and inspire the graduates to reach their goals, dreams and ambitions in life. The tone of the speaker should not be too formal, nor should it be too long. A 45 to 60 minute talk would be enough. A rather long speech might bore the graduates. The speaker is not emotional but he expresses his congratulations to the students who are graduating and his happiness for their achievement in life. Facts, figures and statistics also show support to whatever he will try to persuade his listeners to do such as becoming productive citizens of the country and of the world. (2) Commemorative Addresses. To celebrate an event or occasion, a speaker needs to speak about the background of the person or event being celebrated. It should present the achievements of the person or the positive after effects of that event so as to inspire and motivate the listeners to achieve their dreams. The speech ought to be formal, not lengthy and full of emotions. (3) Keynote Addresses. In a seminar or a conference, almost always there is a keynote address. This type of speech is expected to explain the theme or the subject matter of the seminar or conference as well as to give an overview of the entire proceedings of the seminar or conference. This is when the participants become interested, inspired and motivated to listen to the lectures and discussions during that seminar or conference. A keynote address must have formality, is lengthy, and there is no emotional attachment involvement. The speaker, of course, should be objective in presenting his speech. Former President Richard Nixon’s farewell speech on August 9, 1974 is an example of a combination of the forensic, deliberative and ceremonial speaking occasions which include the five elements of decorum. These elements are formality, length, intensity, supporting materials and explicitness of identification. Nixon’s speech is not too formal because it was delivered to the White House staff with whom he has been familiar with and also to his supporters who were always there by his side. In fact, they are seen laughing once in a while to something he has mentioned in his speech. Its length is not long because it took about 18 minutes for him to finish his speech. This is probably because Nixon considers it â€Å"spontaneous†. It is very emotional considering he has to say good bye to the people who has worked for him and who has supported him. It involved emotions of pain, sorrow and regret for leaving a position he has occupied for the past five and a half years. The supporting materials he included were the experiences of his father, his mother and the former president Theodore Roosevelt or â€Å"T. R. † These supporting materials especially about his father and mother tell the audience that he is just an ordinary person like them. Thus, he explicitly identified with his listeners. As for the expectations of the situation, the speech of Nixon is expected to be emotional, to clear him out of the accusations made against him and his administration, to inspire and motivate the White House Staff to continue with their work and to express gratitude and recognition to the Staff for their untiring efforts to serve the government. Based on analysis, these expectations were fulfilled in Nixon’s farewell speech. During his speech, Nixon was teary-eyed and he even shed tears. He defended himself and his administration by saying â€Å"We can be proud of it – 5 ? years. No man or no woman came into this administration and left it with more of this world’s goods than when he came in†¦ Mistakes, yes. But for personal gain, never. † He ended by saying â€Å"Thank you very much. † References CAS 100C Lesson 11 Commentary Nixon, R. (1974, August 7). Nixon’s Final Remarks To The White House Staff. April, 2008, from http: //www. watergate. info/nixon/resignation-speech. shtml.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Literary Analysis Death in Frankenstein Essays

Literary Analysis Death in Frankenstein Essays Literary Analysis Death in Frankenstein Paper Literary Analysis Death in Frankenstein Paper Essay Topic: Frankenstein Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, death is a major theme. Each death in the story affects Victor Frankenstein differently. The death of Victors mother and her dying wish sets the mood of the story. The murder of his brother William causes him to feel devastation. The execution of Justine and the guilt Victor feels over not trying to intervene on her behalf to prevent an unjust sentence. Clervals assassination causes Victor to be ill for two months. The killing of Elizabeth on their wedding night was the worst of all for Victor. The death of Victor’s father, shortly after Elizabeth’s death, and the painful memories he must leave behind which leads Victor to go after the monster to destroy it. As Victor’s mother is on her deathbed, she sets a gloomy mood to the story. Her final wish for Victor and Elizabeth, â€Å"My firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union.† pg. 28. His mother died calmly and this filled Victor with despair and grief. His own mother, that brought him into this world is dead. Who wouldn’t that upset? After that he comes to a conclusion that he still had duties that he ought to perform. So because of this event, Victor departed for his trip to Ingolstadt which is the start of the journey where Victor wants to learn about human anatomy, has the idea of creating something and bringing it to life, and when things go dreadful. The search for Victor’s missing brother William went until nightfall. Early the next morning they found William, a boy who was healthy and active, lying motionless on the ground. He had fingerprints and markings on his neck. Elizabeth unjustly accused herself of being responsible of William’s death because he teased her to let him wear a valuable miniature that was possessed by Victor’s mother. She believed that this tempted the murderer to take it from William and strangle him so he couldn’t tell. This all being told in a letter, filled Victor with devasta

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

5 Things to Say to Your Boss if You Want to be Successful

5 Things to Say to Your Boss if You Want to be Successful Are you super professional and a little bit frightened of screwing up in front of your boss? That’s totally natural. But being meek and respectful and never challenging your employer can sometimes  backfire. Some bosses prefer input and feedback from their employees. Make sure you’re giving it! Here are 5 things you should start incorporating into your interactions with your boss to form a more constructive relationship for the two of you.1. â€Å"You’re wrong†While you would never say this in a snide way, it is always important to be honest. If you can practice saying this with enough respect, you might just be able to prove your smarts and talents to your boss when she misses something and you see how you might save the day. If you just let her make an error, that’s on you. Be confident enough to point out what you see. That’s why you were hired! (Not to be a robot.)2. â€Å"No†Nobody wants a doormat. If something is a bad idea or you know you can’t deliver a project under the parameters set, then it is preferable to say â€Å"no† early rather than fail needlessly. Some bosses really like this, provided it clearly comes from a place of respect. Similarly, if you’re asked to do lots of things outside of office hours and you can’t keep it up, stand up for your work-life balance!As long as you’re doing your job and doing it well, setting boundaries for yourself is always a good idea. You’ll gain more respect that way than not.3. â€Å"I’m fixing it†So you screwed up. Nobody likes to greet their boss with that bad news. But a good boss would rather be alerted to problem early on- particularly if you can say, in that same breath, that you’re already on top of it and there should be very little fallout. It shows you’re trustworthy and good at coming up with solutions, even under fire: all great boss-impressing traits!4. â€Å"My mistake†On e of the hardest things to do is admit you’ve made an error- and not to make a million excuses immediately to let yourself off the hook. But if you can go to your boss, explain what you’ve done, and cop to it’s being a mistake? This shows your character and can actually lead you to a valuable learning experience. You may even expose a gap in the training for your position. Plus, you’re likely to not make the same mistake again.5. â€Å"I have an idea†In some ways, this is a magic phrase. Most CEOs are starving for good ideas. If you have one, speak up! Don’t be shy. Especially if your idea would save the company money, time, or other resources and streamline things. Be part of the progress!It might be scary to approach your boss and go off the script you learned at your first internship, but showing up this way as a grown-up and self-possessed employee can have major gains over the course of your big-kid career.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Cell Biology ADHESION WRITE UP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cell Biology ADHESION WRITE UP - Essay Example Cadherins are found as trans-membrane proteins (Rastogi, 2007). There are four main types of classical cadherins, with the epithelial cadherin playing an important role in the growth of tumours (Asano et al, 2004). Cells possessing cadherins generally adhere to other cells possessing cadherins. By exploring these cell adhesion mechanisms with an assay, it is possible to understand more fully the role of the intracellular matrix and the reactions which occur within it. The assay described below relies on the interesting effects that trypsin has on these cadherin molecules. In the presence of calcium and trypsin, the cadherins are protected from cleavage, but in the presence of a trypsin and EDTA mixture, the cadherins are removed from the cell surface and thus the cells stop aggregation. Results Trypsin is commonly used to detach the adhering cells (Humphries, 2001). Prior to the addition of trypsin, the cells were adhering to each other forming a suspended clump of cells within the w ells. However, after the trypsin was added, there was less evidence of adhesion and the cells were in the matrix singularly. After fixing, only the adhering cells were found in the well. This again gave a ‘clumped’ look to the cells. After viewing this, the wells were stained with methylene blue, and this the wells had a typical blue appearance in the top two rows, suggesting normal adhering cells were present. ... Raw Data 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 A 0.935 0.685 0.798 0.857 2.35 2.323 2.253 2.523 2.427 2.809 2.58 2.416 B 0.445 0.488 0.632 0.401 2.165 2.13 2.308 1.708 0.774 0.851 1.072 0.814 C 0.028 0.023 0.037 0.028 0.025 0.025 0.025 0.025 0.026 0.025 0.026 0.027 D 0.029 0.031 0.027 0.029 0.028 0.023 0.029 0.026 0.027 0.026 0.035 0.03 E 0.027 0.033 0.028 0.03 0.022 0.013 0.029 0.028 0.032 0.022 0.032 0.03 F 0.028 0.024 0.026 0.028 0.027 0.028 0.022 0.028 0.017 0.014 0.021 0.027 G 0.028 0.032 0.024 0.026 0.037 0.021 0.029 0.017 0.018 0.016 0.024 0.034 H 0.032 0.019 0.025 0.023 0.025 0.014 0.028 0.014 0.018 0.013 0.022 0.025 Graph 1 A1-4 A5-8 A9-12 B1-4 B5-8 B9-12 Mean 0.819 2.362 2.558 0.492 2.078 0.878 Standard Dev. 0.105 0.115 0.183 0.100 0.258 0.133 Graph 2 A1-4 A5-8 A9-12 B1-4 B5-8 B9-12 Mean 0.201 0.370 0.346 0.158 0.325 0.407 Standard Dev. 0.009 0.023 0.067 0.020 0.031 0.021 Discussion ECM Component Preference As was previously discussed, cadhesins are of various different types and thus may have different preferences for the extra-cellular matrix in which they react. In the data above, the cells A1-4 represent matrix 1, A5-8 represent matrix 2, and A9-12 represent matrix 3. The cells B1-4 represent the BSA and B5-8 and B9-12 represent tube 1 and 2 respectively. In this case, the data obtained experimentally shows that there is a definite component preference for matrices 2 and 3, with the first one having a very low absorbance value and thus a very low amount of adhering cells. The sample data also show a similar trend, although the amount of adhering cells in matrix 1 are not so low as in the experimental data. There is another small difference in

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Back to our place(Someplace of my memory) Essay

Back to our place(Someplace of my memory) - Essay Example In America, I suppose it would be a Vehicle Testing Station. As I remember, there were hundreds of taxies, so it might even have been a cab company, like Yellow Cab. In the mornings, it used to be a little crowded, with neighborhood people complaining about the waste oil flowing downhill from the top, to the housing area. This is the only bad memory that comes to mind about that place. However, residents did nothing more, other than to murmur sulkily to express displeasure about that oil. Around midday on Sundays, after having a light lunch, my family would take four badminton rackets, a few shuttlecocks, and some water to drink, and would step inside the 400 square yards area of that big car park up the hill. With a light heart, we would pass by the black written sign "Car Inspecting Office of Eastern Part", as if the sign did not exist. A few neighbors would already be there, playing side by side, as everyone had fun, and enjoyed their games. It seemed as though nobody cared about original purpose of the place. Instead, It played the role of a little camping spot and family play area. For my family, the white lines for car parking became the perfect place to play badminton, the markings were just right. We would start for home at dusk, cooled by a fresh breeze, smelling the sweet scent of sweat that wafted skywards on that gentle wind, tired but happy. On weekdays, around the... If we put those lines, that looked like a chessboard, together as a set of twelve, it became a great soccer field, or the place for dodge ball played on a group of lines, in exactly the same way. We would never go back home until darkness fell, making us afraid. The only exception that would stop our play for a time was when we heard our mother's voices. They would call us loudly for dinner, sounding very far away in the darkness. Those friends, and sound of my mother's voice, filled with alarm, have been a pattern and part of my life throughout my entire childhood and beyond. The scenes from those times remain unforgettable to me, for all my life. But sometimes things did not always happen that way, and the happy scene would be disturbed. We would hear another voice coming toward us, not the loving concern heard in our mother's calls. There were two sides to this place, a different aspect that stays in my memory. The office would never be totally empty, even though we hoped it would be. After 5.00 PM, when the workers went home, a few people would always be on duty there. Though they did not often confront us, there was a sort of competition, as they did not want to let the balance of power between neighborhood and workers, pass to our side, making us the winners. To assert their position of being 'in charge', sometimes, the person on duty would make us leave, and we had a lot of fun hiding from them and watching carefully for a chance to get back inside the car park again. But in my memory, I can see that they were only human too, the same as we were, and we saw that side of them often. When they became bored sitting in the office, they would come out and play with our soccer