Read the Book Cures by Martin Duberman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Read the Book Cures by Martin Duberman - Essay Example In this text, the writer documents his own struggle with his personalized homophobia between 1948 and 1973 when he ultimately manages to become successful, attaining his own freedom as a forthrightly gay person via his engagement with political activism. This is a wonderful book that gives a clear insight into the life of self-confessed gay person, as well as giving us a view of how life is for such persons. On reading the book, I definitely liked every bit of it as it is a reality that most people fear to face, though an emotional one. The writer, first a very bright student, who later became a recognized historian, a successful author and a creative tutor. His remarkable predilection for academic success serves as a harbor away from his libido’s temptation and also as a fortification from his own psyche given to self-hatred and self-doubt when he is not filled with the duty of completing all the several projects at once (34-78). Eventually, after about twenty years of indiff erent failed attempts at relinquishing his homosexuality, we find that be becomes successful, attaining his own freedom as a forthrightly gay person largely via his engagement with political activism. ... Moreover, he captures outstandingly well the complexity as well as the indistinctness of his personal struggle by depicting himself as unquestionably harboring homophobic view whereas, concurrently, experiencing the enjoyment that comes with the homosexual intimacy (67-98). Correspondingly, he paradoxically demonstrates the vainness of the ‘cures’ with tales of his developmental discovery of the subculture of gay and the enjoyment he gets from his experiences of homosexual sex whereas concurrently making trips every week to the psychiatrist who was supposed to help him get out of the ‘pathological’ inclinations or habits. His story clearly demonstrates that, during these twenty years, the secret was the norm. The freedom lobby group was in the hands of just a few whereas the large number of the lesbians and gays all over the country, who were struggling with personal self-hatred and their routine struggle for the physical and psychological survival, always p aid very little attention or were never bothered at all concerning the growing movement for the freedom of an identity that they were dynamically attempting to refute (121-176). Nevertheless, the writer himself, now well acquainted with the facts regarding the history of the liberation of lesbians and gays, does not make any claim to have realized its emergence and developments, to have embraced them on some occasions when he actually realized them, or to have even known their significance as they were growing. His own entrenched denunciation of homosexuality as being a pathological forced him to belittle the efforts of lesbian and gay proponents to gain sight and to fight the stigmatization of the society. The internal struggles of Doberman

Children of a Lesser God Essay Example for Free

Children of a Lesser God Essay This film is based on a stage play of the same title. It tells about James Leeds, a man who teaches children with special needs in a school for the deaf and those who are hard of hearing. He is a devoted and inventive teacher who shows a deep compassion for his students, applying teaching methods he could think of just to draw out the interest of his students to learn, do more and accomplish things to the fullest of their capacity. James meets and falls in love with Sarah Norman, a beautiful woman who works for the same school and has been deaf since she was a baby. At first Sarah avoids James until he is able to draw her out from her shell and eventually he is able to convince her to live together. Sarah is full of bitterness, hurt and other emotional scars over the mistreatment she experienced while she was growing up because of her impairment and this jeopardizes their relationship. Sarah has to come to terms with her personal issues and needs to feel that she is an independent woman. In due course, they are able to settle things amidst the difficulties they come across in communication. The movie made me realize the significance of communication among people and people who have communication disorders should be given special attention in order for them to be heard. Even individuals who are fully capacitated physically have a hard time in getting messages understood. I just hope that there will be more teachers like James Leeds in this world who loves what he does and changes the lives of other people. The movie, which focuses mostly on the hearing impaired, is very much relevant to this course. It gives us the glimpse of how they live and struggle to be understood and to understand others. It portrays the complexity of their lives and helps us appreciate how difficult things are for them and moves us to do something for them. WORKS CITED Children of a Lesser God. Dir. Randa Haines. Perfs. William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, Phillip Bosco. VCD. Paramount Pictures, 1986.

The Ethics of Shopping at Wal-Mart Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive E

One has to work hard to consider their values in particular issues and how strongly they feel. This is the choice many people make when they invest in mutual funds, and have no idea where their mutual funds are invested. Many vocal opponents to shopping at Wal-Mart might discover they hold investments in the Wal-Mart. There are 1050 mutual funds that are invested in Wal-Mart, some of the largest mutual funds in the world. There are many people who have no idea where their investments lie. If you want to be true to your value against shopping at Wal-Mart, you need to be careful to remove yourself from investments that support Wal-Mart. You have to review your investments and find out where your money is invested. Let's consider the case of the prominent politician, John Kerry. John Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz was a highly vocal critic of Wal-Mart. An investigative journalist discovered that she had one million dollars invested in the company. She held a lot of stock in a company of which she was critical. This provides insight into the idea that you have to work hard to consider your values in particular issues and how strongly you do feel. Regardless of what you think of Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart is continually voted as one most admired companies in America by Fortune magazine. This is how Jerry Useem began the article he wrote for Fortune magazine: There is an evil company in Arkansas, some say. It's a discount store-a very, very big discount store-and it will do just about anything to get bigger. You've seen the headlines. Illegal immigrants mopping its floors. Workers locked inside overnight. A big gender discrimination suit. Wages low enough to make other companies' workers go on strike. And we know what it does to weaker su... ...oods they buy in order to have a saner, more livable lifestyle. 2 In conclusion, I agree with the noted shortcomings of Wal-Mart. But, I don't think people can argue that it's unethical to shop at Wal-Mart, that anyone who shops at Wal-Mart is unethical or believe it is ethical to point the figure at those who do shop at Wal-Mart. I suggest everyone first check their values and then their investments, and they'll discover they probably are supporting Wal-Mart, a company they believe is evil, via 401Ks or mutual funds. Works Cited Jerry Useem. Should We Admire Wal-Mart? Some say it's evil. Others insist it's a model of all that's right with America. Who are we to believe? Fortune Magazine February 23, 2014 From "No Place Like Home/Community and the Marketplace" (p. 191 - 193) How Cities Work by Alex Marshall, University of Texas Press Austin, 2013.

Th Future of Hip Hop Essay -- Hip Hop Music, Total Chaos

From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop. In Total Chaos, Jeff Chang references Harry Allen, a hip hop critic and self-proclaimed hip hop activist. Harry Allen compares the hip hop movement to the Big Bang and poses this complex question: â€Å"whether hip-hop is, in fact a closed universe-bound to recollapse, ultimately, in a fireball akin to its birth-or an open one, destined to expand forever, until it is cold, dark, and dead† (9). An often heard phase, â€Å"hip hop is dead,† refers to the high occurrence of gangster rap in mainstream hip hop. Today’s hip hop regularly features black youths posturing as rich thugs and indulging in expensive merchandise. The â€Å"hip hop is dead† perspective is based on the belief that hip hop was destined to become the model of youth resistance and social change. However, its political ambitions have yet to emerge, thus giving rise to hip hops’ criticisms. This essay will examine the past and present of hip hop in o... ... in which the expansion never ends, but all vitality is lost. The past shows us that hip hop has transformed and evolved; it doesn’t have to end and it doesn’t have to lose its momentum. Works Cited Chang, Jeff. Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-hop. New York: BasicCivitas, 2006. Print. Farley, Christopher J. "Rapper Nas Says Maybe Hip Hop Isn't Dead After All." Wall Street Journal, 20 May 2010. Web. Merwin, Scott. "From Kool Herc to 50 Cent, the Story of Rap -- so Far." Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, 15 Feb. 2004. Web. Nas. 2006. â€Å"Hip Hop is Dead.† Hip Hop is Dead. Def Jam Recordings. Nas. 2006. â€Å"Hope.† Hip Hop is Dead. Def Jam Recordings. Rose, Tricia. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk about When We Talk about Hip Hop - and Why It Matters. New York: BasicCivitas, 2008. Print. Williams, Saul. 2004. â€Å"Telegram.† Saul Williams. Fader Record Label.

A Review of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed Essay

Few educational thinkers have been more widely influential than Paulo Freire. His classic text, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, has been studied by numerous Left intellectuals, political activists, radical educationists and liberation theologians for almost four decades. Freire’s ideas and theories have been applied by academics, school teachers, adult literacy coordinators, church leaders, counselors, psychologists, social workers, health professionals, language learning specialists, and prison rehabilitation workers, among others. In addition, Freire has inspired (directly or indirectly) thousands of books, articles, interviews, theses, videos, and even theater productions over the years. When he died on 2 May 1997 Freire left an extensive body of written work and a legacy of memorable educational and political achievements. In this light, this paper reviews and critiques Pedagogy of the Oppressed and how this book relates to my work as an elementary teacher. Overview of the Book Drawing on his experiences with rural peasant communities and the urban poor in Brazil and Chile, Freire theorized an intimate connection between education and the process of becoming more fully human. Chapters 1 and 3 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed set out Freire’s ontological and ethical ideas in comprehensive and lucid detail, and Chapter 4 provides an extensive consideration of the politics of domination at a macro level. The discussion of education is primarily located in Chapter 2, and literacy does not figure as prominently as it does in a number of Freire’s other texts. Pedagogy of the Oppressed develops the distinction between banking education and problem-posing education. Freire rejects a banking model of the teaching process in favor of a problem-posing approach, and encourages students to adopt a curious, questioning, probing stance in exploring educational issues. Freirean education demands a deep commitment to the goal of building a better social world, and necessitates active resistance against oppressive structures, ideas, and practices (Roberts, 2000). Some of the theoretical areas explored in Pedagogy of the Oppressed include questions about structure and rigor in liberating education, the nature of critical reading and writing, legitimate and oppressive uses of authority in the classroom, and the process of study. Freire also explores the role of intellectuals in resisting dominant ideas and practices, dialectical thinking and education, the dynamics of dialogue, the distinction between facilitating and teaching, and the bearing language difficulties have on education. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire writes that most of Latin Americans living in economic and politically dependent part-societies feel powerless and have internalized the ruling group’s view of them as unalterably stupid. Before participating in the culture groups, words and other codifications in movies and television are seen by them as tools that can be wielded by the rich and powerful only, while they are fated to be objects of culture. This attitude changes as they become conscious of their feelings and social position. Then they begin to see that their condition worsens if they submit to the seductions of the modern consumer culture, spending what little money they have for packaged entertainment and manufactured goods. They discover they are giving up their birthright as creators of culture, turning against their own art and artisan work to gain the illusion of participation in the modern society. They are further motivated as they discover that only they can codify their unique experience. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire reports that after analyzing the unreal and sometimes contemptuous messages in many standard texts available to them, they want to create their own texts. Critique Freire views man’s nature which is humanistic and optimistic. For Freire, education is humanizing when it is critical, dialogical, and praxical (Roberts, 2000). Man is unique among animals in his ability to shape himself and his environment. While all things change, only man is a purposive agent in change. Man’s nature is to continually create himself through an interactive process of purposive reflection and action in life situations. Wherever these two aspects of human behavior are divorced, men are victims of a social system which encourages them to see themselves as acted upon, passive things, rather than subjects who act upon the world. Conforming, apathetic behavior is the evidence of repressive relationships. Welfare programs which rob men of their initiative amount to false generosity. For Freire, education should increase political consciousness. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, he argues that the oppression of peasants is partly maintained by their acceptance of their situation as an unalterable fact of existence. Freire feels that this fatalism reflects an internalization of the oppressor; thus, the oppressed is not for himself, but is ambivalent or even hostile to the idea of liberating himself. For this reason, liberation cannot be given to the oppressed; rather, the oppressed as an organized collective must take an active part in liberating themselves (Pitts, 1972). According to Torres (1993): â€Å"Freire’s global purpose transcends a criticism of the current educative forms, and goes on to virtually become a criticism of culture and the construction of knowledge. In short, the basic assumptions of Freire’s works lie in a dialectical epistemology for interpreting the development of human consciousness in its relationships with reality. † (p. 125) For Freire, the primary problems and issues of education are not pedagogical issues. Instead, they are political issues. The schooling system does not change society; instead, society can change the schooling system. However, the educational system may play a vital role in a cultural revolution, which implies the conscious participation of the masses. As a cultural praxis, critical pedagogy contributes to lifting the ideological veil in people’s consciousness. In addition, revolution itself is a meaningful pedagogy for the masses – Freire has spoken of revolutions as a continuing political workshop. Freire’s proposal is an anti-authoritarian though directivist pedagogy, where teachers and students are teaching and learning together. Since education is the act of knowing, teacher-student and student-teacher should engage in a permanent dialogue characterized by its horizontal relationship, which does not preclude power imbalances or different everyday living experiences and knowledge. This is a process taking place not in a classroom, but in a cultural circle. â€Å"There is not a ‘discursive’ knowledge but a knowledge starting from the living everyday and contradictory experience of teachers-students/students-teachers. Certainly this set of notions dismantles the most important framework of authoritarian pedagogy and, to this extent, appears as a ‘counter-hegemony’ practice and ideology within teacher training institutions. † (Torres, 1993, p. 126) One thing I like about Pedagogy of the Oppressed is that the oppressed are not seen as a passive force. In the book, Freire states that oppression must cease and it can; but the oppressed must liberate themselves. How can the oppressed, as divided, unauthentic beings, participate in the pedagogy of their liberation? According to Freire, for them to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, peasants and urban poor must perceive the reality of their oppression not as a closed world from which there is no exit but as a limiting situation which they can transform. The problem that arises from banking education is that the ruling classes are not merely contented with the defense of their material privileges; they also insist on the preservation of their cultural hegemony. The culture that co-exists with their economic dominance is one that demands silence, fatalism, superstition, self-contempt, subservience and all forms of false consciousness on the part of the masses. Education provided by these dominant classes must therefore be authoritarian and banking education. How then is one to carry out Freire’s program under the existing social order? Freire is aware of the problem and the further one reads, the more one senses that the Pedagogy of the Oppressed is really written for subversive elements already in action (Mkandawire, 1975). Freire’s egalitarian methodology for education as espoused in Pedagogy of the Oppressed is intended to be politically subversive of oppressive regimes. It seems likely, however, that it could serve to legitimate opposition to any routinized form of delegated authority. For Freire, development is nonmaterial, and the unit of development is not the nation but the individual. For these reasons, it is unlikely that any government will attempt to follow Freire’s methodology to its most radical implications (Pitts, 1972). The Pedagogy of the Oppressed has attracted many criticisms over the years. Those who consider education as a technical or neutral process have complained that Freire’s approaches politicize teaching and learning. Freire’s refusal to provide â€Å"packages† has irritated those who seek clear-cut methodological solutions to educational problems (Roberts, 2000). The use of the male pronoun in Pedagogy of the Oppressed and other early writings has been particularly attacked. Also, the idea of promoting a critical mode of consciousness has been questioned. Furthermore, Freire’s focus on social class (at the expense of gender and ethnicity) in his early analyses of oppression has been rendered problematic by a number of contemporary educational theorists. Others suggest that Freire should have devoted more space in his books to class theory. Some critics have argued that the pedagogy proposed by Freire, contrary to its professed aims, constitutes a form of cultural invasion. Finally, as post-modern ideas have gained increasing currency in recent times, universalist assumptions in Freire’s ethic, epistemology, and pedagogy have come under fire. Despite these criticisms, it is undoubted that Pedagogy of the Oppressed has left an important legacy to education. Application Freire knew the world and problems of teachers regarding pedagogy. The Pedagogy of the Oppressed answers my questions on how to move my students to become self-motivating learners. I learned that I could not move them. Following Freire’s pedagogy, teachers could only help their students learn to move themselves. The thoughts conveyed in the book are indeed seditious but they did not transform me overnight. However, Freire’s theories have planted on me seeds of a new way of thinking. Upon reading the book, I realized that the learners and their mindset is more fundamental than the curriculum – not more important, it is just more fundamental. In addition, I learned that one’s view of the world determines what can be learned. According to the book, learning is dependent on environment and emotion as well as on presentation, materials, and text. Importantly, the Pedagogy of the Oppressed suggests the danger to learning of oppression in the classroom environment. Thus, there should be no hierarchy in the classroom as the teachers and the students are both learners in this environment. Accordingly, instructions and curriculums should be oriented towards the learners creating and solving their own problems. In other words, knowledge construction and collaborative learning are encouraged. Conclusion This paper has reviewed Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and how this book relates to my work as an elementary teacher. This discussion of Freire’s ideas on formal education has been brief and selective. In so being, it does not communicate the immense richness of his thoughts on such matters as the universal nature of man’s humanity Freire’s rejection of and banking model of the teaching process in favor of a problem-posing approach. However, if the readers have gained from this review some appreciation of how Freire’s thoughts are applied in the classroom environment, the review will have served its purpose.

Real Irish Republican Army (IRA) Profile

Real Irish Republican Army (IRA) Profile The Real IRA was formed in 1997 when the Provisional IRA entered into negotiations for a ceasefire with Northern Ireland unionists. Two members of the PIRA Executive, Michael McKevitt and a fellow Executive member and common law wife Bernadette Sands-McKevitt, are the core of the new group. Real IRA Principles The Real IRA rejected the principle of non-violent resolution that formed the basis of the ceasefire negotiations. This principle has been stated in the six Mitchell principles and the Belfast Agreement, which would be signed in 1998. Real IRA members also objected to the division of Ireland into a southern independent Republic and Northern Ireland. They wanted an undivided Irish republic with no compromise with Unionists – those who wanted to join in a union with the United Kingdom.   A Violent Approach The Real IRA used terrorist tactics on a regular basis to hit economic targets as well as specific symbolic human targets. Improvised explosive devices and car bombs were typical weapons. The Real IRA was responsible for the Omagh bombing on August 15, 1998. The attack in the center of the Northern Irish town killed 29 people and wounded between 200 and 300 others. Reports of injuries vary. The devastating attack prompted severe hostility toward RIRA, even from Sinn Fein leaders Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams. McKevitt was convicted for directing terrorism in 2003 for his participation in the attack. Other members were arrested in France and Ireland in 2003. The group also involved itself in hunt-and-kill missions aimed at drug dealers and organized crime.   The Real IRA in the Millennium Although the Real IRA fractured considerably with the passage of time, MI5 – the UKs intelligence agency – called it the UKs primary threat in July  2008 based on surveillance evidence. MI5 estimated that the group had about 80 members  as of July 2008, all willing to conduct bombings or other attacks. Then, in 2012, the splintering RIRA merged with other terrorist groups with the goal of forming what the new group called a unified structure under a single leadership. The move is said to have been prompted by McGuinness shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth. In keeping with RIRAs vigilante efforts against drug dealers, one of these groups was Radical Action Against Drugs or RAAD.   Both RIRA and the media have referred to the group as the New IRA since this joining of forces. The New IRA has said that it intends to target British forces, police and the Ulster Bank headquarters. The Irish Times called it the deadliest of the dissident republican groupings in 2016, and its been active in recent years. The group detonated a bomb in front of the home of a Londonderry, England police officers home in February 2016. Another police officer was attacked in January 2017, and the New IRA is reportedly behind a series of shootings in Belfast, including that of a 16-year-old boy.

The eNotes Blog I want to be under the sea Google Releases Street View of the OceanFloor

I want to be under the sea Google Releases Street View of the OceanFloor Attention Jacques Cousteau, Steve Zissou, and general oceanographer wannabes: you can now visit the sea beds of the world from your very computer. Thats because this week Google unveiled its latest addition to Google Mapsstreet views of six of the worlds most breathtaking coral reefs. Via this new addition, you can now view a   sea turtle swimming among a school of fish  in the Great Barrier Reef,  follow a manta ray, visit  an  ancient boulder coral  near Apo Island in the Philippines,   join snorkelers in Oahu’s Hanauma Bay,  and much more. To capture these amazing images, Google turned to  The Catlin Seaview Survey, whose team members occasionally dive into view of some of the photos. [The divers] used a specialized SVII camera to capture the images. Every three seconds while traveling at about 2.5 miles/hour, the camera captures a 360-degree panorama with geolocation information and a compass heading. Only two of the cameras are in existence worldwide. We just had to give it up for the amazing science and technology behind this project, which not only reminds us that the world is an awe-inspiring place, but also allows the landlubbers among us to discover every piece of it. Looking for interesting Science and Marine Biology QA? Weve got that! What is a red tide? What are some interesting facts about stingrays? How does oxygen naturally enter an aquatic ecosystem? What is the significance of the marine ecosystem on world biology? What is the difference between fresh-water biology and marine biology?

Bulleted Lists

Bulleted Lists Bulleted Lists Bulleted Lists By Maeve Maddox More than one reader has asked me to write about bulleted lists. The term takes its name from a typographical symbol called a bullet, a round dot used to mark or emphasize a paragraph or an item in a vertical list. Nowadays, typographical bullets are not limited to dots, but can be any geometric shape. They can even be little pictures or company logos. The English word bullet comes from French boulette, a diminutive of boule, â€Å"ball.† Until the 19th century, bullets were round. Bulleted lists are used to make items stand out from the text without implying order of importance. They may include punctuation marks like commas and semicolons, but for most blogging applications, it’s a good idea to keep punctuation to a minimum. Here are three models that will serve for most purposes. 1. Headline followed by items This format is suitable for a list of one or two-word items under a headline: What Not To Take On A Plane Sharp Objects Sporting Goods Firearms Tools When the items are expressed in just one or two words, it’s usual to capitalize them. 2. Introductory sentence introducing phrases This format is suitable for a list in the context of an article. The introductory statement is followed by a colon: In order to register, you must bring the following documents: an official copy of your birth certificate a recent photo ID a recent utility bill addressed to you or to a member of your family Items do not have capitals if they are fragments. 3. Introductory sentence introducing complete sentences Passengers will avoid losing luggage if they follow these guidelines: Put contact information inside as well as outside your bag. Put a distinguishing mark on your bag to make it easy to identify. Keep valuable items with you. Keep the stub of your checked baggage with you. Items that are complete sentences are capitalized and have end punctuation. If possible, keep each item to one line and observe parallel construction. If your item extends to a second line, start the second line under the first word that follows the bullet for that item. For other formatting that includes commas and semicolons, see The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition), sections 6.124 and 6.125. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?The Writing Process"To Tide You Over"

Marketing Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Financial Services - Essay Example The greatest asset of any consumer finance business is its base of customers. In the current competitive market, acquisition of profitable customers is tricky and tough. Nurturing the relationship into long-term profitable assets require lots of perseverance, innovation, and research. All customers are different, and to acquire the value they bring, they need to be treated differently. There are many methods to acquire customers. Advertising is one of the foremost methods. US Advertising Spending by Financial Services companies by media 2003 & 2004 (as a % of total spending).....Source: TNS Media Intelligence & Advertising, June 2005: 2003 2004 TV 27.7% 31.15 Newspaper 23.8% 22.4% Magazine 14..7% 15.5% Cable TV 12.9% 12.5% Internet 14.7% 12.5% Radio 3.2% 3.0% Outdoor 3.1% 3.0% Acquiring new customers through email and direct mail marketing are other methods that are fast and cost-efficient. With the help of thousands of interest categories demographic information, and behavioral targeting, you can find the exact people you are looking for and then giving you the information you need to convert these prospects into customers through email and direct mail marketing. CUSTOMER RETENTION Customer retention marketing is a tactically-driven approach based on customer behavior. It’s the core activity going on behind the scenes in relationship marketing, loyalty marketing, database marketing, permission marketing, etc. ... information, and behavioral targeting, you can find the exact people you are looking for and then giving you the information you need to convert these prospects into customers through email and direct mail marketing. CUSTOMER RETENTION Customer retention marketing is a tactically-driven approach based on customer behavior. It's the core activity going on behind the scenes in relationship marketing, loyalty marketing, database marketing, permission marketing, etc. Here's the basic philosophy of a retention-oriented marketer: 1. Past and current customer behavior is the best predictor of future customer behavior. Example: Take these two groups of potential buyers who surf the net: People who are a perfect demographic match for your site, but have never made a purchase online anywhere and people who are outside the core demographics for your site, but have repeatedly bought online at many different web sites If you sent a 20% promotion to each group, asking them to visit and make a first purchase, response would be higher from the second group than the first group. It works because actual behavior is better at predicting future behavior than demographic characteristics are. 2. Active customers are happy (retained) customers; and they like to win. They like to feel they are in control and smart about choices they make, and they feel good about their behavior. Marketers take advantage of this by offering promotions of various kinds, ranging from discounts and sweepstakes to loyalty programs and concept approaches such as thank-you notes and birthday cards. If you want your customers to do something, you have yo do something for them, and if it's something that makes them feel good, then they're

Social Support Group for People with Diabetes Research Paper

Social Support Group for People with Diabetes - Research Paper Example The role of social support in the health care profession is well accepted and has been shown to provide a certain degree of assistance in terms of alleviation of a number of illnesses and diseases (Sieloff, Frey, & King, 2007). However, there are also still a number of pathological fields that have yet to explore the efficacy of social support in terms of alleviations of symptoms and general recovery. Along these lines, this paper explores the hypothesis, â€Å"A social support group for people with diabetes will increase their medication compliance,† within the boundaries of relevant concepts, particularly social support. A total of eight articles are reviewed in this paper, offering insights on the population and sample, background literature, and significance of earlier studies made in support of the mid-range theory of social support. Some of these articles cover the theory of social support and its perceived effects on people with diabetes, while others focus on a more ge neral application of the theory on other diseases and medical conditions. The conceptual definitions of social support in nursing researches are largely the same, varying only in terms of the degree of intimacy that researchers agree upon. Operational definitions of social support, however, differ depending on the focus and the extent of the study. Different populations were used in the studies investigating the effects of the existence of a social support group. Since the particular hypothesis herein focuses on people with diabetes, the population utilized for a majority of the researches included in this review involves diabetic patients Social support: Review of Related Literature In a study by Patterson and Brewer (2009), social support was defined as â€Å"the informational, instrumental / practical, emotional, and affirmational resources that people can receive from others† (p. 178). Operationally, social support was measured in terms of the amount of â€Å"information , aid, strategy, or resource that helps the parent to cope with the stressors and challenges associated with parenting an adolescent with diabetes† (p. 179). In this study, the population considered were parents of children with diabetes and the sample consisted of nine parents (six mothers and 3 fathers) of children with Type 1 diabetes. The study explicitly mentions reference to theories of support (p. 179) and it supports the existing theory by showing that parents are necessary social support for adolescents with diabetes. In the second study reviewed, Goz, et al (2005) defined social support as â€Å"the assistance and protection given to others, especially to individuals.† Presence of social support was measured in terms of the presence of family, including parents, spouse, offspring, siblings and grandparents; friends; and, a significant other, in the form of boy/girlfriend, relative, neighbor, and doctor using a pre-piloted survey questionnaire delivered to the participants (Goz, et al, 2005). The population for the study consisted of patients with Type 2 diabetes while sample group consisted of â€Å"66 type 2 diabetes patients being followed up in the Diabetes Polyclinic of Kocaeli State Hospital in the Marmara

Finial Paper Worksite Development Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finial Paper Worksite Development Paper - Essay Example The executive do not show any respect or loyalty towards the leader. The only emotion visible on their faces after submitting their work for feedback and discussion is fear and loathing. The entire team is well qualified and intelligent yet they are not able to collaborate, the problems if any are not brought into the open till the last moment, there are sub groups in the team and they mistrust the "outsiders" to their group, even healthy comment and criticism is viewed with suspicion. The project manager has full faith in the abilities of the team leader and his executives but they are not able to 'get along' and this shows in the quality of their output. They rarely come forward with suggestions, just carrying on the instructions of their leader half heartedly to fill the working hours and get out of the office. It seems that the team leader is tone deaf to his subordinates. He is obsessed with getting them to work and deliver, yet forgetting that they are not machines which can be switched on at 9 in the morning. He lacks motivational skills, also while reviewing the work the feedback is more of a character assassination than artful critique, (Goleman p, 172). A plan has been chalked out by the HR division wherein the team leader would be asked to take self assessment tests on emotional intelligence. Lead... A plan has been chalked out by the HR division wherein the team leader would be asked to take self assessment tests on emotional intelligence. The tests being self assessment based would show him that he needs to improve his people handling skills in terms of motivational skills, conflict resolution, inter personal skills. Leadership is "getting the job done through high quantity and quality standards of performance, and (2) getting the job done through people, requiring their satisfaction and commitment" (Luthans, 1998, p 427). Thus he will have to develop empathy and trust towards his team. It does not mean that the empathy and trust are only towards the team, but it is the change in personality traits which would ultimately help his team mates. To have empathy he would necessarily be aware of his own emotions first, all the joys and disappointments that life offers. Once the sensitization happens towards own feelings, the same will be developed towards others emotions and perspectives as well. Once these two traits are well entrenched there will be definite change in body language which will communicate to the subordinates as well. He will be more open to new suggestions and willing to share ideas, lend sympathetic ear to knotty problem and lend a helping hand. The other trait which needs polishing is the art of giving feedback which motivates rather than destroys confidence and enthusiasm. He needs to recognize that getting angry and blowing up on employees only clamps them, makes them defensive and stubborn and shirk responsibility sometimes even losing a well trained and educated employee. Here the art of critique as proposed by Harry

Module 7 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Module 7 - Case Study Example Both these can be utilized to effectively achieve the objective at hand. 2. Being a group product manager at Proctor & Gamble there are several ways in which the information available from the store audit can be effectively utilized to increase overall laundry detergent sales and increase overall productivity. As a group product manager it is my responsibility to keep in mind that whether the goal is to shrink or comply with regulatory requirements a thorough store level audit process is significant to protect and authenticate company assets and facilitate the reporting process. Furthermore it also provides the administration with real time information that plays a big role when it comes to concentrating on identifying and resolving issues. The value of store audit information is reflected in the core advantages that result from the use of audit technology that enhance major aspects of a business. These being, enhanced audit productivity, improved operational effectiveness and superi or reporting capabilities. Reference Malhotra, N K (2010), Marketing Research, An Applied Orientation, 6th edn, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

Neurorehabilitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Neurorehabilitation - Essay Example In addition, such programs call for intricate installations as well as competent personnel, reasonably dissimilar from the sports services provided by gymnasia as well as the like at the moment (Perez et al., 2007, p.143). Besides, numerous chronic MS patients find it exceptionally hard to depart from their homes as well as access places with the suitable facilities, thus hampering observance to programs (Perez et al., 2007, p. 144). Currently, there is no known treatment for the condition. However, various studies have suggested physiotherapy for primary progressive MS. In essence, my review critically evaluates a case report whose objective of was to present as well as test successful communal incorporation after physiotherapy intervention with a bias on enhancing autonomous workout routine in ameliorating of a person with MS. Moreover, RW (the patients’ name due to anonymity purposes), presented in this case study, is a fifty-year-old man diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis five years prior to self-referral to a pro bono physiotherapy clinic (Zalewski, 2007, p.40). During the intervention, RW (not his real initials) was a 58-year-old man diagnosed with primary progressive MS five years prior self-referral to a pro bono physical therapy clinic. RW reported that his inception of MS was unexpected as well as incapacitating; whilst at work as an electrician, RW underwent an unexpected electrocution that led to in inability to utilize his legs. He accepted as true he had been electrocuted in completing his work and was taken without delay to the hospital for assessment. Through consult as well as follow-up with a neurologist, he was notified that the symptoms experienced did not correlate to a potential electrocution, and he received his diagnosis of MS. RW stated that he never recovered entirely after that preliminary attack and

Module 7 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Module 7 - Case Study Example Both these can be utilized to effectively achieve the objective at hand. 2. Being a group product manager at Proctor & Gamble there are several ways in which the information available from the store audit can be effectively utilized to increase overall laundry detergent sales and increase overall productivity. As a group product manager it is my responsibility to keep in mind that whether the goal is to shrink or comply with regulatory requirements a thorough store level audit process is significant to protect and authenticate company assets and facilitate the reporting process. Furthermore it also provides the administration with real time information that plays a big role when it comes to concentrating on identifying and resolving issues. The value of store audit information is reflected in the core advantages that result from the use of audit technology that enhance major aspects of a business. These being, enhanced audit productivity, improved operational effectiveness and superi or reporting capabilities. Reference Malhotra, N K (2010), Marketing Research, An Applied Orientation, 6th edn, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

Training & Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Training & Development - Essay Example Consequently, there is a need to ensure that the company remains ahead of the competition. Management realised that there is no better way to achieve this rather than through the use of training and development. (Paisley, 1999) Policies at M&S will be measured against the backdrop of ‘best practise’ models. The model is based upon the belief that when organisations adopt certain human resource strategies, they are able to make their employees highly motivated. As a result, those employees will become more efficient and they will help in the realisation of competitive advantage within the organisation. Best practice applies to various sectors that include retention of employees, performance improvement, enhancing and promoting training and development, enhancing corporate culture, enforcing organisational structure and also in the determination of pay costs. However, for purposes of this report, we shall mainly focus on training and development. The Research primarily focuses on the use of secondary sources of data. This is because secondary data gives an overall picture of the situation at Marks and Spencer. It allows one to obtain all the relevant information to the research question and compile them to come up with new answers. If primary sources like interviews had been used, it would have been difficult to see the overall picture as results are mostly person centred. (Schutt, 2006) Secondary data allows comparisons between different elements of the research that would otherwise have been too complex to collect using primary sources. Consequently, there are very accurate results that come out of the usage of such a source of data. (Banta, 2007) However, one must not under look the disadvantages of this method of data collection. First of all, it does not allow the progression from developing a research question, collecting data and formulating a hypothesis

Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest in Poland Essay Example for Free

Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest in Poland Essay Poland is officially the Republic of Poland in Central Europe. We will be briefly going through all the sights that attract tourists. The annual number of visitors to Poland has increased rapidly since 1990. In 2002 there were 14 million visitors in Poland. The major tourist attractions in Poland are the resorts along the Baltic Sea, the Lake District south of the coast, the Karpaty and Sudety mountains, and the country’s numerous national parks and its museums (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2005). Poland’s borders are marked by the Sudety mountains (Sudetes) in the southwest, the Carpathian Mountains (Karpaty) in the southeast, the Odra and Neisse (Nysa) rivers in the west, and the Bug River in the east. On the northeast, the country is bounded by a section of the Baltic Sea – all breath-taking places to visit (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2005). Warsaw, Polands capital since the late 16th century is by far the biggest and fastest developing Polish city. It is visited every year by thousands of tourists from all over the world, especially during the summer. Wroclaw, the capital of Lower Silesia (Dolny Slask) amazes with its volume of Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture. Several musical and theatre festivals, as well as its busy nightlife, attract innumerable visitors from all over Poland and abroad (tourism in poland.com). Krakow is probably the most beautiful and fascinating city in Poland. The attraction is not just the splendid architecture and the treasures of art – but also the unique ambience of the former Jewish district and the masterpieces of Polish Art Nouveau. Thanks to an amazing density and variety of bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants, Krakow sparkles with life. Anyway, there is no point in merely talking about its attractions – everyone should see Krakow with their own eyes (staypoland.com). Places to see in Poland include, Zakopane, Polands premier mountain resort, is one of the countrys most popular holiday destinations, both in the winter for skiing, and in the summer, for hiking and camping. Tricity (the Triple City also called the Treble City, in Polish Trà ³jmiasto) is the metropolitan area consisting of the three Polish cities Gdaà ±sk, Gdynia and Sopot. They are situated very close to each other on the coast of the Gdansk Bay on the Baltic Sea, in Eastern Pomerania. Sopot has a great geographical location lying between the beautiful woods of the TriCity Landscape Park, and the numerous sand beaches of the Bay of Gdansk. Sopot is known for its sanitaria and countless artists and tourists, who visit the city especially during summertime. Gdynia is a young, but quickly expanding harbor city situated just at the seashore, offering many tourist attractions as well as splendid shopping opportunities and a lot of entertainment (tourism in poland.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Great Masurian Lakes is an area in northeastern Poland. Masurian Lakeland are known in Polish as land of a thousand lakes. It is the paradise for sailors, hikers, anglers, canoeists and also photographers (tourism in poland.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many national parks in Poland awaiting tourists, these include the Babia Gora National Park, Bialowieza National Park, Biebrza National Park, Bieszczady National Park, Bory Tucholskie National Park, Drawa National Park, Gorce National Park, Gory Stolowe National Park, Kampinos National Park, Karkonosze National Park, Magura National Park, Narew National Park, Ojcow National Park, Pieniny National Park, Roztocze National Park, Slowinski National Park, Swiety Krzyz National Park, Tatra National Park, Wielkopolska National Park, Polesie National Park, The Warta Mouth National Park, Wigry National Park and Wolin National Park (tourism in poland.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With readily available transport facilities and money exchange offices Poland with all its cities, health resorts, tourist resorts, national parks and its history is a very fascinating vacation spot. References Poland. Microsoft  ® Encarta  ® Encyclopedia 2005  © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Tourism in poland.com. All rights reserved tourisminpoland.com ©. Retrieved from http://www.tourisminpoland.com/ Stay Poland.com All rights reserved StayPoland Sp. z o.o.Retrieved from http://www.staypoland.com/poland-attractions.htm

Causes and Effects of the Amazons Deforestation

Causes and Effects of the Amazons Deforestation Dr. G. Leckebusch Deforestation in the Amazonas Basin and the Climate Policy of Brazil – A Critical Review The contemporary issue of deforestation is seen as a rising global concern involving the complete clearance of forests either by cutting or burning. Forest clearance is seen to fluctuate however rates of decrease across the Amazon basin where as large as 30% between 2001 and 2002 (Santilli et al, 2005). Optimistic climate change models show that the median distance between the areas in the Amazon rainforest and their closest future (2050) climate model according to the prediction based on temperature and precipitation change increase to over >475km (Feeley and Rehm, 2012). Deforestation affects the Amazon basin on a large scale whereby rates have exponentially increased since 1991 (Fearnside, 2005). Cattle ranching within the Amazon are seen to account for 70% of the clearing activity (Fearnside, 2005). This argued upward trend of deforestation is set to continue due to cattle, pastures and highways (Nepstad et al, 2001). Prior to this the Amazon remained largely intact until the â€Å"modern† wave of deforestation in 1970 due to the transamazon highway. Therefore due to modern issues such as global population increase, increased demand for land and resources forest degradation is becoming an important concern which needs to be addressed. With the original extent of the Amazon forest covering approximately the area of Western Europe (Fearnside, 1993a); reliable estimates are needed to monitor deforestation levels. Recent values of deforestation are seen in Figure 1. It can be argued that there is no real explanation as to why deforestation rates fluctuate therefore Fearnside Barbosa (2004) question whether the statistics produced are valid. However these estimates are needed in order for protocols to come into action. As high deforestation rates are contributing to the global concerns such as loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas warming as well as the destruction of such valuable resource. Protocol’s can monitor these fluctuations however before prevention takes place the causes of deforestation need to be addressed. Causes Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest can be attributed to many different factors. Although the expansion of the highway infrastructure can explain part of the deforestation in the 1970s and 1980s it cannot be the sole reason (Schaeffer et al, 2005). As it does not provide the explanation for the issue in the 1990s when the infrastructure development came to an end however the rates of deforestation still remained high. Nowadays the current expansion of highways is seen as a consequence rather than a cause as blaming governmental organisations masks the real reasons. The primary underlying forces behind deforestation in the Amazon region are combined effects of cultural, demographic, economic, technological, political issues (Schaeffer et al, 2005). Then underlying governmental policies, as well as institutional, socio-economic factors interact among themselves and function as one, driving deforestation within the Amazon (Schaeffer et al, 2005). More recently there have been different drivers of deforestation such as soybean and beef production which have therefore required a larger portion of land for production and the infrastructure involved due to globalisation. However these new drivers have not replaced existing ones they have been added to the ongoing list of deforestation drivers. These new plantations involve new infrastructure development which can expect to destroy more forest alone (Fearnside, 2001c). Infrastructures developments are seen as an added effect as the Forest loss in the 1990s would have been notably less severe were it not for the preceding infrastructure standing in its way. These transportation links are seen to accelerate the clearing of rainforests. The Avanca Brazil Program created a development package for the period 2000-07 which included a US $20 billion development in infrastructure within the Amazon region (Laurance et al, 2001; Nepstad et al 2001; Fearnside, 2002a). This development was driven by the perceived need to transport the new production of soy beans. Particularly damaging roads where the BR-163 and BR-319 highways (Fearnside, 2005). Large landholders are seen to be the most sensitive to economic change such as variable interest rates, financial returns, land prices and inflation. With Tax drivers been a strong driver of deforestation rates in the 1970-80’s (Mahar, 1979). With government subsidised credit at rates considerably lower than inflation meant that they became much scarcer after 1984. However in 1994 when Brazil set out the plan for a â€Å"Plano Real Reform† (Fearnside, 2005) hyperinflation dominated the economy however this resulted in land been at peak price reaching levels which were justifiable for production. As a result deforestation enabled claims to land and cutting for cattle pastures was the cheapest and most effective method (Hecht et al, 1988; Faminow, 1998; Fearnside, 1987/2002b). Due to Brazil’s recession deforestation rates declined throughout 1987-1991 as ranchers were unable to expand as quickly due to the government lack of funds for infrastructure developments. H owever the â€Å"Decree suspending incentives† (Fearnside, 2005) came into practice in mid 1991 which was the result of the most effective decline; evident in figure 2. It has been argued that the peak in 1995 was a result of economic recovery due to the Plano real response however due to this the fall seen in 1996 and 1997 was a logical decision of the Plano Real to cut the rate of inflation; shows fluctuation in deforestation rates (Fearnside, 2005). These major rates of fluctuations where due to money availability, inflation rate due to most of the clearing been done by those who invest to medium/large cattle ranchers. In figure 2 it is clear to see that deforestation rates climbed per year which then remained constant for 4 years followed by a steep rise in 2002 to a new level. Timber extraction has seen to be a cause of such rises as increased forest flammability has meant higher rate of loss. This undetected deforestation leads to severe damage that is visible on landsat imagery as deforestation (Cochrane et al, 1999; Nepstad et al, 199b). The role of logging increases the chance of forest fire as fires dry out large areas making a wider catchment susceptible to fires. Verissimo et al (1992) notes that forest fires create the damage of almost twice the volume of trees being harvested. Similarly a major resulting concern is the number of rainless days needed for a logged area is much lower to reach flammable conditions than for one that hasn’t (Nepstad et al, 2004). Due to the above causes a global climate impact has occurred. Global climate impact Deforestation creates a large global climate impact which includes loss of biodiversity, reduced rainfall and global warming contribution; similarly a loss of productivity, soil erosion, nutrient depletion and soil compaction. A change in the hydrological regime impact involves watershed functions been lost and flooding. The percentage of water recycled within the Amazon basin is now seen to be 20-30% (Lean et al, 1996) rather than the previous figure of 50% (Salati Vose, 1984). This at a policy view is not appreciated (Fearnside, 2004) as current levels of available water worldwide is seen as low. Results show that currently 150 million people live in cities with a persistent water shortage (defined as â€Å"having less than 100L per person per day†) and by 2050 is set to increase to almost 1 billion people (McDonald et al, 2011). The deceptive view of the potential deforestation rates increasing global precipitation levels misleads the idea that deforestation is bad. Biodiversity loss is a result of deforestation which impoverishes the earth’s biodiversity (Capobianco et al, 2001). Net emissions of greenhouse gases are increased as a result of deforestation through forest fires. Amazonian deforestation distinguishes a greater concern due to potential future emissions. In 1990 the net commission emissions from Brazilian deforestation represented 5% of the global total from a variety of sources (Fearnside, 1997b). However the concern is in the carbon stock in biomass within the Amazon which represents 38% of the tropical total (Fearnside 2000a:129). Likewise this release of carbon through tropical deforestation showed a release of 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon (GtC) to the atmosphere annually throughout the 1990’s; which can be seen as 20% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. It can be seen that global climate models show that as precipitation decreases linearly there are increasing amounts of precipitation. The climate of Brazil changes due to the loss of tropical rainforests to pasture; the surface temperature increases by approximately 1 ° to 3 °, precipitation increase and a decrease in evapotranspiration. This heating out the surface leads to localised upward motions that cause the formation of clouds which in turn produces more rainfall (Shukla et al, 1990). Similarly compared to rainforest cover the degraded pasture is seen to have a higher albedo value, with lower surface roughness and a shallower and sparser root system and lower available storage capacity for soil moisture (Shukla et al, 1990). Thus cannot retain the high levels of precipitation leading to higher rates of surface runoff. Due to deforested areas been drier and more susceptible to forest fires, the ENSO triggered an extended dry condition in 1997-98 across the Amazon. This meant an increase in tree mortality and forest flammability especially in logged areas due to large areas burned releasing carbon to the atmosphere (Page et al, 2002). However even in non ENSO years global warming has been observed to be putting tropical regions at risk. Over the last 5 years droughts within the basin droughts have been detached from ENSO events but have collaborated with some of the highest temperatures on record (Gullison et al, 2007). If these droughts become more frequent and severe or the dry season lengthens due to deforestation or a reduction in rainfall due to global warming then a proportion of the carbon stored in the tropical rainforests will be released into the atmosphere (Santilli, 2005). So as Malhi et al (2004) states the undisturbed rainforests act as a â€Å"sink† for the atmospheric carbon w hich is yet to be released. The effects of Amazon deforestation upon climate change is investigated using numerical experiments of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) with set global sea surface temperature and the same AGCM joined to an ocean GCM (CGCM) over the global tropics. The joined model demonstrated a reduction in rainfall which was 60% larger compared to its control run (Nobre et al, 2009). Nobre concluded that amazon deforestation affects climate change and is dependent on AGCM’s. However there is a general agreement that amazon deforestation results in a local reduction in rainfall and an increase of surface temperature. This abundant cheap land within the amazon needs caps on it to ensure all is not sold. As this means destructive, fire-based agriculture, such as cattle ranching and slash-burn-farming, will continue to thrive. In the Amazon an area the size of France has already been deforested, a large fraction of which is now degraded cattle pasture with minimal benefit for the natives (Schaeffer, 2005). Therefore sustainable development is the step forward.

Importance of Setting in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

The Importance of Setting in Jane Eyre Jane Eyre is a novel, written in the Victorian era by the author Charlotte Bronte.   Bronte uses different setting in order to show what the characters are feeling.   The setting is often a reflection of human emotion.   The setting also foreshadows certain events that are going to occur.   A use of setting to portray a character's emotion is essential to a novel.   It gives the reader more of a feel for what is going on. An example of this is when Rochester proposes to Jane.   Jane is dazzled and excited about the idea.   The setting echoes her excitement.   "A waft of wind came sweeping down the laurel-walk and trembled through the boughs of the chestnut..."   Another instance is when Jane is walking through the Eden-like garden on "a splendid Midsummer, skies so pure, suns so radiant...".   The perfection of the day reflects Jane's return to Thornfield where she feels acceptance, contentment, and love. The setting can also show the gloom and despair of the character's emotion.   Jane is looking for a place to stay, is refused and made to stay outside in the weather. She weeps with anguish, feels despair, and rejection.   The setting echoes her in that it is "such a wild night".   There is a driving rain and it is cold. The setting can be a reflection of just about any human emotion. The setting plays a big part in the novel when the author uses foreshadowing.   After Rochester proposes to Jane, the weather turns and the horse-chestnut tree, is split in half.   "...the great horse-chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away." This displays the coming of tragedy and the separation of Jane and Rochester. Another instance is on the eve of their wedding day. The setting is a cloudy windy night with a red moon,   "her disk was blood-red, and half-overcast..." This night prefigures what's going to happen the following day: Jane's going to find out the truth about Rochester.   Rochester's description of how he sees Thornfield, "that house is a mere dungeon... filled with slime... cobwebs... sordid slate...

Mission Critical: A Closer Look into the Performance Appraisal Process Essay

The performance management cycle begins with objective setting where the appraisee ought to be oriented about performance expectations for the given performance period. Throughout the period, performance is measured officially through the performance appraisal exercise, where the appraiser is given the chance to give performance feedback through an interview. The performance management system is meaningfully linked to rewards based on outcomes or results. Following all these, modifications are implemented to objectives and activities, including the drafting of an individual development plan for closing competency gaps (Clarke, Rogers, & Miklos, 1996). Types of Performance Appraisal Systems Traditionally, employee performance has been evaluated solely by supervisors. Recently, however, organizations have realized that supervisors see only certain aspects of an employee’s behavior. For instance, a manager might see only 30% of his staff’s behavior; the rest is observed by customers, peers, and support staff in other parts of the organization. Furthermore, the staff might behave differently around her supervisor than around other people. Consequently, to obtain an accurate view of the staff’s performance, these other sources should provide feedback. The buzzword for using multiple sources to appraise performance is 360-degree feedback (Gruner, 1997). Sources of relevant information include supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers, and self-appraisal. According to Conway and Huffcutt (1997), there is often very little agreement in the way that two supervisors evaluate an employee or that a supervisor and a peer might rate an employee. Interestingly, supervisors whose self-ratings agree with others’ ratings tend to be better performers than supervisors whose ratings are not consistent with others’ (Witt, 1996). Supervisor Appraisals By far, the most common type of performance appraisal is the supervisor rating. In fact, Bernardin & Beatty (1984) estimated that over 90% of all performance appraisals are conducted using supervisors’ ratings of performance. Supervisors are best able to evaluate the extent to which an employee contributes to the overall success of the organization. Through supervisors may not see every minute of an employee’s behavior, they do see the end result. A superior may not actually see a staff sign up customers but will review the overall output for the day. Peer Appraisals Whereas supervisors see the results of an employee’s efforts, peers often see the actual behavior. Peer ratings usually come from employees who work directly with an employee. An employee may be rated by those in the same level or position. However, other employees in the organization, those who often come in contact with the employee, can also provide useful information. Research has shown that peer ratings are fairly reliable only when the peers who make the ratings are similar to and sell acquainted with the employees being rated (Mumford, 1983). Most important, peer ratings have been successful in predicting the future success of promoted employees as they correlate highly with supervisor ratings (Cederbloom, 1989). But even through peer ratings appear promising, few organizations use them. One reason could be that peer ratings are lenient when used for evaluation purposes bit not when they are used only to provide feedback (Farh, Cannella, & Bedeian, 1991a). Research suggests that certain employees are more lenient in their peer ratings than are other employees. Saavedra & Kwun (1993) found that high performers evaluate their peers more strictly than do low performers. This difference in ratings is probably because employees compare others to themselves. Thus, the average employee does not appear impressive to a high performer but may to a less productive employee. Though peers may provide a unique view of performance, employees tend to react worse to negative feedback from peers than they do to feedback from experts (Albright & Levy, 1995). Employees who score high in self-esteem, high in self-monitoring, and low in individualism react most favorably to peer ratings (Long, Long & Dobbins, 1998). Subordinate Appraisals Subordinate feedback, also called upward feedback is an important component of 360-degree feedback, as subordinates can provide a very different view about a supervisor’s behavior (Whetstone, 1994). However, with the exception of students rating teachers, formal methods are neither common nor well regarded by managers (McEvoy, 1990). Subordinate ratings can be difficult to obtain because employees fear a backlash if they unfavorably rate their supervisor, especially when a supervisor has only one or two subordinates. However, subordinates’ feedback can be encouraged if supervisors appear open to employee comments (Baumgartner, 1994) and if the ratings are made anonymously (Antonioni, 1994). Interestingly, subordinate ratings correlate highly with upper management ratings of supervisors’ performance (Furnham & Stringfield, 1994). Research indicates that subordinate feedback can enhance managerial performance, especially that of poorly performing managers (Walker, 1997). This improvement in performance holds especially for areas targeted for improvement (Clarke et al, 1996). Customer Appraisals Though it would be unlikely that an organization would ask customers to fill out a performance appraisal instrument on an employee, organizations do value customer feedback. Informally, customers provide feedback on employee performance by filing complaints or complimenting a manager about one of his subordinates. Formally, customers provide feedback by completing evaluation cards (Farh et al, 1991a). Self-appraisal Allowing an employee to evaluate her own behavior and performance is a technique used by 12% of a sample of organizations (Lazer & Wikstrom, 1977). Research on self-appraisal, however, has demonstrated that self-appraisals tend to suffer from leniency (Meyer, 1980) and correlate moderately (r=. 29) with actual performance (Mabe & West, 1982) and poorly with subordinate ratings (London & Wohlers, 1991). However, when evaluations are made with clear rating standards and social comparison information, agreement is increased between self- and supervisor ratings (Keeping & Sulky, 1996). The leniency found in the self-ratings of US workers may not generalize to other countries. Farh, Dobbins, and Cheng (1991b) found that the self-ratings of Taiwanese workers suffered from modesty rather than leniency However, Furnham & Stringfield (1994) and Yu and Murphy (1993) found leniency in the self-ratings of Mainland Chinese employees. Further research is still needed to investigate potential cultural differences in Mainland Chinese ratings. Self-appraisals of performance appear to be the most accurate when the purpose of the self-appraisal is for either research or performance appraisal review interviews rather than for such administrative purposes as raises or promotions (Williams & Levy, 1992), and when employees believe that an objective record of their performance is available with which the supervisor can compare the self-appraisal (Farh & Werbel, 1986). Systems for Evaluating Performance  Trait-focused appraisal systems. A trait-focused system concentrates on employees’ attributes such as their dependability, assertiveness, and friendliness. Though commonly used, trait focused performance appraisal instruments are not a good idea because they provide poor feedback and thus will not result in employee development and growth (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). For example, in a performance review meeting in which the supervisor tells an employee that she received low ratings on responsibility and friendliness, the employee is likely to become defensive. Furthermore, the employee will want specific examples the supervisor may not have available (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). Behavior-focused performance appraisal systems. Behavior-focused instruments focus on what an employee does. Instead of rating them on personal traits, a behavior-focused instrument would rate him or her on specific behaviors. For example, in the case of a bank teller, some behaviors that may be rated on are as follows: â€Å"Knows customers’ names†, and â€Å"Thanks customer after each transaction. The obvious advantage to a behavior-focused system is the amount of specific feedback that can be given to each employee. Further, the focus on behavior rather than traits does not only reduce employee defensiveness but reduces legal problems (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). There are various methods for rating behavior, as follows: Graphic rating scales. The most common rating scale is the graphic rating scale. Such scales are simple, with 5 to 7 points accompanied by words such as good and poor anchoring the ends of the scale. The obvious advantage to graphic rating scales is their ease of construction and use, but they have been criticized because of their susceptibility to such rating errors as halo and leniency (Kingstrom & Bass, 1981). Behaviorally anchored rating scales. P. C. Smith and Kendall (1983) developed behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARSs), which use critical incidents (samples of behavior) to provide meaning to the numbers on a rating scale. To use the scale when actually rating performance, the supervisor compares the incidents she has recorded for each employee to the incidents on the scale. This can be done in one of two ways. The most accurate (and time consuming) method compares each of the recorded incidents to the anchors and records the value of the incident on the scale that most closely resembles the recorded incident. The value for each incident is summed and divided by the total number of incidents recorded for that dimension; this yields an average incident value, which is the employee’s rating for that particular job dimension (Smith & Kendall, 1983). In the second method, which is easier but is less accurate, all of the recorded incidents are read to obtain a general impression of each employee. This general impression is compared to the incidents that anchor each scale point. The scale point next to the incident that most closely resembles the general impression gained from the incidents then becomes an employee’s score for that dimension (Smith & Kendall, 1983). Evaluation of Performance Appraisal Methods We now come to the question of assessing which appraisal method is best. Research has shown that more complicated techniques such as BARS, forced-choice scales, and mixed standard scales are only occasionally superior to inexpensive and uncomplicated graphic rating scales (Giffin, 1989). In fact, behavioral anchors sometimes bias supervisors’ ratings by forcing them to concentrate on specific behaviors (Murphy & Constans, 1987). Yet graphic rating scales are seldom superior to these more complicated rating methods. Although the more complicated techniques are only more psychometrically sound, they still have some advantages over graphic rating scales. Because employees are directly involved in creating techniques such as BARS, they tend to see performance evaluation results as being more fair. Furthermore, many supervisors who make such ratings prefer many of the more complicated behavioral approaches. Finally feedback from BARS may lead to greater increases in future performance than feedback from graphic rating scales (Hom, DeNisi, Kinicki, & Bannister, 1982). Though many of the behavioral methods yield similar results, the same is not true when comparing subjective and objective ratings. A meta-analysis by Bommer, Johnson, Rich, Podsakoff, and Mackenzie (1995) indicated that objective and subjective results are only slightly correlated (r=. 39). Interestingly, there was a stronger relationship between objective and subjective ratings of quantity (r=. 8) than between objective and subjective ratings of quality (r=. 24). From a legal perspective, courts are more interested in the due process afforded by a performance appraisal system that in its technical aspects. After reviewing 295 circuit court decision regarding performance appraisal, Werner & Bolino (1997) concluded that performance appraisal systems are most likely to survive a legal challenge if they are based on job analysis, if raters receive training and written instructions, if employees are allowed to review results, and if ratings from multiple raters are consistent. Rating Errors Some of the errors that may be committed in appraising performance are discussed below: Distribution errors. A common type of error in evaluating employee performance involves the distribution of ratings on a rating scale; such errors are known as distribution errors. One kind of distribution error is called leniency error because certain raters tend to rate every employee at the upper end of the scale regardless of the actual performance of the employee. A related error is central tendency error, which results in a supervisor’s rating every employee in the middle of the scale. Still another error, strictness error, rates every employee at the lower end of the scale. These types of errors pose problems for an organization because two employees doing equal work will receive different ratings if one employee is supervised by a lenient rater and another by a strict rater. This problem can be eliminated partly by having several people rate each employee (Kane & Lawler, 1979), although this is not often feasible, especially in small brand offices with only one manager or supervisor. Halo errrors. A halo error occurs when a rater allows either a single attribute or an overall impression of an individual to affect ratings that she makes on each relevant job dimension. Halo effects occur especially when the rater has little knowledge of the job and is less familiar with the person being rated (Kozlowski, Kirsh, & Chao, 1986). Usually, halo error is statistically determined by correlating the ratings for each dimension with those for the other dimensions. If there are highly correlated, halo error is often said to have occurred. However, some authors argue that many times consistent ratings across several dimensions indicate not error but actual employee performance. Halo errors may or may not be a serious problem, but they can be reduced by having supervisors rated each trait at several times. That is, the supervisor might rate the employee on attendance one day and then rate her on dependability the next day (Balzer & Sulzky, 1992). Proximity errors. Proximity errors occur when a rating made on one dimension affects the rating on the dimension that immediately follows it on the rating scale. With proximity error, only the dimensions physically located nearest a particular dimension on the rating scale are affected; the reason for the effect, in fact, is the close physical proximity of the dimension rather than the overall impression (Balzer & Sulzky, 1992). Contrast errors. The performance ratings one person receives can be influenced by the performance of the previously evaluated person. These errors can occur between separate performance evaluations of the same person. That is, the ratings received by one person on one performance appraisal will affect the ratings made on an appraisal six months later (Bravo & Kravitz, 1996). Contrast effects occur only when the person making the evaluation actually sees the employee perform and rates the employee during both rating periods. Even if a new supervisor reads that an employee’s previous evaluations were excellent but observes poor performance by the employee, she will probably continue to give excellent ratings – even though the employee’s performance deteriorated. Smither et al (1988) call this rating error assimilation. Sampling Problems Recency effect. Performance appraisals are typically conducted once or twice a year. The evaluation is designed to cover all of the behaviors that have taken place during the previous 6 months to a year. Research has demonstrated, however, that recent behaviors are given more weight in the performance evaluation than behaviors that occurred during the first few months of the evaluation period. Such an effect penalizes workers who performed well during most of the period but tailed off toward the end, and it rewards workers who save their best work until just before the evaluation (Bravo & Kravitz, 1996). Infrequent observation. Another problem that affects performance appraisals is that many managers or supervisor do not have the opportunity to observe a representative sample of employee behavior. Infrequent observation occurs for two reasons. First, managers are often so busy with their own work that they often have no time to â€Å"walk the floor† and observe their employees’ behavior. Instead, they make inferences based on completed work or employee personality traits (Conway & Huffcutt, 1997). This problem can be alleviated somewhat by having several raters evaluate the employee. Other raters can be other supervisors, peers, and even customers. A meta-analysis conducted by Conway and Huffcutt (1997) indicated that supervisor ratings on the average correlate . 34 with peer ratings. Thus, even though the two groups tend to agree with one another, the agreement is certainly not perfect. Cognitive Processing of Observed Behavior Observation of behavior. Just because an employee’s behavior is observed does not guarantee that it will be properly remembered or recalled during the performance appraisal. Cooper (1981) indicates that raters recall those behaviors that are consistent with the general impression of an employee (a halo). And the greater the time interval between the actual behavior and the performance rating, the greater the probability that halo and distortion errors occur. Furthermore, raters who are familiar with the job being evaluated recall more judgments about performance but fewer behaviors than do raters who are unfamiliar with the job (Cooper, 1981). But even though memory-based ratings lead to more distortion, in many circumstances they are more accurate than ratings made immediately after the behaviors occur (Murphy & Blazer, 1986). The reason for these increases in halo and accuracy is not clear. Supervisors perhaps realize that it will be a long internal between observation of employee behavior and the formal evaluation of that behavior and that they will not be able to remember specific behaviors. Thus, they form an overall impression of the employee and an ideal and a poor employee and evaluate the employee on the basis of comparison with the ideal (Murphy & Blazer, 1986). Emotional state. The amount of stress under which a supervisor operates also affects her performance ratings. Srinivas and Motowidlo (1987) found that raters who were placed in a stressful situation produced ratings with more errors than did raters who were not under stress. This finding is important because performance evaluations are often conducted hurriedly as supervisors evaluated employee performance so that they can return to their â€Å"real† work. Raters who like the person being rated may be more lenient and less accurate in rating employees than are raters who neither like nor dislike their employees. But this does not mean that a person who is liked will always receive higher ratings than someone who is disliked. The rater may overcompensate in an effort to be â€Å"fair†. The rater’s feelings or affect, toward an employee may interfere with the cognitive processing of actual performance information (Srinivas and Motowidlo, 1987). Research has also indicated that racial bias exists in performance evaluations. Kraiger and Ford (1985) conducted a meta-analysis of 74 studies and found that White raters gave higher performance ratings to White employees and that Black raters gave higher ratings to Black employees. Interestingly, this bias occurred only with studies involving real organizations; laboratory research seldom reveal racial bias in rating. Communicating Appraisal Results to Employees Perhaps the most important use of performance evaluation data is to provide feedback to the employee and assess his or her strengths and weaknesses so that further training can be implemented. Although this feedback and training should be an ongoing process, the semi-annual evaluation might be the best time to formally discuss employee performance. Furthermore, holding a formal review interview places the organization on better legal ground in the event of a lawsuit (Field & Holley, 1982). Normally, in most organizations a supervisor spends a few minutes with employees every six months to tell them about the scores they received during the most recent performance evaluation period. This process is probably the norm because most managers do not like to judge others; because of this dislike, they try to complete the evaluation process as quickly as possible (Field & Holley, 1982). Furthermore, seldom does evaluating employees benefit the supervisor. The best scenario is to hear no complaints, and the worst scenario is a lawsuit. In fact, one study demonstrated that dissatisfaction and a decrease in organizational commitment occurs even when an employee receives an evaluation that is â€Å"satisfactory† but not outstanding (Pearce & Porter, 1986). Finally, in the â€Å"tell and sell† approach to performance appraisal interviews, a supervisor â€Å"tells† an employee everything she has done poorly and then â€Å"sells† her on the ways in which she can improve. This method, however, accomplishes little. There are certain techniques that will make the performance appraisal interview more effective, and these are discussed in the following sections. Both the supervisor and the employee must have time to prepare for the review interview. Both should be allowed at least 1 hour to prepare before an interview and at least 1 hour before the interview itself (Pearce & Porter, 1986). The interview location should be a neutral place that ensures privacy and allows the supervisor and the employee to face one another without a desk between them as a communication barrier (Rhoads, 1997). Performance appraisal review interviews should be scheduled at least once every 6 months for most employees and more often for new employees. Review interviews are commonly scheduled 6 months after an employee begins working for the organization. It is important to note that while formal performance review interviews occur only twice a year, informal â€Å"progress checks† should be held throughout the year to provide feedback (Rhoads, 1997). While preparing for the interview, the supervisor should review the ratings she has assigned to the employee and the reasons for those ratings. This step is important because the quality of feedback given to employees will affect their satisfaction with the entire performance appraisal process (King, 1984). Meanwhile the employee should rate her own performance, using the same format as the supervisor. The employee also should write down specific reasons and examples that support the ratings she gives herself (King, 1984). At the outset of the interview, the supervisor should communicate the following: 1) the role of the performance appraisal – that making decisions about salary increases and terminations is not its sole purpose; 2) how the performance appraisal was conducted; and 3) how the evaluation process was accomplished. It is advisable that the supervisor also communicate her own feelings about the performance appraisal process (Kelly, 1984). The review process is probably best begun with the employee communicating her own ratings and her justification for those ratings. Research indicates that employees who are actively involved in the interview from the start will be more satisfied with the results. The supervisor then communicates his ratings and his reasons for them (King, 1984). At the conclusion of the interview, goals should be mutually set for future performance and behavior, and both supervisor and employee should understand how these goals are met (Cederbloom, 1982). On the whole, the performance appraisal process, with its inherent difficulties, may be leveraged on to improve organizational productivity. Proper management of this process shall help motivate employees, and ultimately, bring more to the enterprise’s coffers.

Ethics of Marketing to Schools in America Essay

Public schools across America are struggling with their budgets and looking to outside corporations for help. Conveniently, private corporations realize the potential buying power of students and have decided that elementary schools are the best channel to reach them. It has become routine for corporations to market there products in schools, and in exchange these schools receive various financial benefits. This new partnership has become the focus of much controversy as 80% of Americans feel that corporations should have no place in schools (). The two most cited concerns are the health of children and the growing commercialization of schools. This paper looks at this issue in detail by answering the following two questions. Is it ethical for corporations to market products in schools? What is the most socially responsible course of action for corporations to take? This paper will use a utilitarian and distributive justice framework to prove that marketing in schools is unethical and propose that the most ethical arrangement is to make schools commercial-free zones. This paper will also discuss the issue of corporate social responsibility through shareholder and stakeholder lenses to prove that there is a strong business case for corporations to? Children in schools are marketed to in a variety of ways. Schools can participate in incentive programs where a school receives funds to take part in a specific activity such as collecting box tops (). Some corporations offer free educational materials to schools that promote their corporate message. Pepsi encourages a â€Å"thirst for knowledge† on a popular textbook cover(). Each year over half of the students in schools in the United States receive free textbook covers(). McDonalds, Burger King and Dominos sponsor reading projects in schools with free meals(). Other schools receive free electronic equipment like computers and satellites for participating in programs like channel one. This is an arrangement where school receive free electronic equipment for having their students watch a 10 minute broadcast of which 2 minutes are corporate sponsored commercials (). All of these marketing techniques pose there own unique ethical dilemmas, however the most controversial type of marketing in schools today is the use of exclusive agreements. This is when corporations give schools a percentage of their profits in exchange for the right to be the sole provider of a product or a service(). The most prominent example of this is the soft drink company, Coca-Cola and their exclusive distribution rights with schools. As a result, Coca-Cola advertisements have become the most visible types of advertisements in schools today (). A US National School Health Policies study found that students could purchase soft drinks in 60% of elementary schools and 83% of middle schools (). Of these schools over 85% were under an exclusive contract with the Coca-Cola company (). For the aforementioned reasons the remainder of this paper will use the soft drink giant Coca Cola as a symbol to make it easier to understand the larger debate of marketing in elementary schools. A deontological framework can not determine whether this issue is ethical or unethical. In 1990 under $100 million was spent on advertising targeted at kids, just a decade later that number was up more than twenty times to over $2 billion (). This large increase in spending indicates that there is a strong motivation for corporations to market to youth. One way to determine if marketing in schools is ethical is to deconstruct these motivations through a deontological framework. The motivation for companies to market in schools could be a philanthropic opportunity to contribute to education. However, I do not believe this because companies like Coca-Cola make schools sign exclusive agreements, which means that they block competition and are profitable. I believe the main motive for companies to market to youth is to make money. Marketing to students in schools is an effective strategy as it reaps both short and long term rewards. Children in elementary schools have a lot of spending power. Kids ages 4-12 spend $40 billion each year (). Furthermore, these same kids influence $600 billion of household spending (). It is wise for companies to try to earn a share of this large market. Surprisingly, the sales of sodas in schools account for a miniscule slice of soda sales worldwide, less than 1 percent of soda’s 66billion dollar industry (). Clearly profit in the short run is not the main motivating factor for companies like Coca-Cola. Marketing in public elementary school promises long run benefits. Soft drink companies can create brand loyalty with their consumers at an early age. In other words, they foster and retain a captive audience for its products. If you consider the cutthroat competition among soft drink makers for customers, this brand loyalty becomes a vital business pursuit. A deontological framework can better help us deconstruct the ehics of marketing to youth purely for financial reasons. Specifically, this paper will employ some of W. D. Ross’ duties. It can be argued that marketing in schools violates the duty of non-malefiicence (to do no harm). Some children will substitute a nutritious meal for a sugar laden soda. That is harmful to their health. Marketing in schools also violates the duty of gratitude. It does not thank customers for their business by protecting their health. Instead, companies like Coca-Cola continue to aggressively market their unhealthy product to vulnerable youth. On the other hand, if one considers a corporation a person, then a corporation fulfils Ross’s duty of self-improvement by marketing in schools. It improves its own condition by increasing its profits in the short and the long run. Additionally, if a company honestly abides by the contract it signs with a school then it is upholding Ross’s duty of fidelity. The framework of deontology is inadequate to determine the ethics of marketing in schools because it presents us with conflicting duties and no hierarchy to put them into. There is an incompatible difference between the various duties. However, this situation did not become controversial simply because some believe that a corporation might have bad ethics, instead people are worried about the consequences of marketing in schools. A utilitarian framework shows us that marketing in schools is unethical. Marketing in elementary school is controversial because it offers many direct benefits to schools, but negatively impact students. Through a utilitarian framework this paper will deconstruct the pros and cons of the scenario to determine whether marketing in schools is ethical. This paper will conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine what results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The main players that benefit in this scenario are schools, shareholders of the Coca-Cola company, and employees. All of these players benefit in financial terms. Vending machines are a valuable source of revenue for schools. They support programs that might otherwise go unfunded. Elementary schools have reason to be concerned about their finances, the state of California cut the elementary school budget by $10 billion dollars in 2003 (). If a school district signs an exclusive contract with a soft-drink company it can generate an additional $3 million per year (). School districts receive all of this money for virtually no additional work on there part. This is why the cliche that: â€Å"one day our schools will have all the money they need, and the Air Force will have to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber† could become true (). Company shareholders benefit in the long run if we assume that marketing in schools create brand loyalty among consumers. Company employees also benefit from the sales of sodas in schools, simply because their company is continuing to be competitive in the marketplace and provide work for them. However, the positive impact of selling sodas in schools impacts company employees considerably less than other players in this scenario, because these employees will not be receiving a pay raise as a result of this practice. While there are some positive effects of marketing in schools, I feel that the cons greatly outweigh the benefits. Students bear the burden of the negative effects of marketing in schools. Marketing to youth perpetrates problems of childhood obesity, materialism, eating disorders, violence, and family stress (). This is especially problematic because children are more cognitively immature and prone to believe that products marketed in school carry their school’s endorsement. For instance, if a school sells soda it signifies that it is acceptable to consume drinks that are high in sugar and have poor nutritional quality. A child’s health is not an acceptable trade-off for increased revenues. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in America. One-quarter of children in the United States are overweight which means they are at risk for lifelong health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cavities (). Competitors also suffer in this scenario because ? exclusive agreements’ create a monopoly on a school and therefore promote unfair competition and can charge whatever price they want. The difficulty of examining ethics from a utilitarian perspective is that is impossible to predict the future. It is not clear how much the financial revenue schools gain from executive agreements helps them to fulfill their purpose of teaching. It is also not clear how high the correlation is between marketing in schools and negative outcomes like obesity. What is known is that most of the negative consequences (and there are a lot of them) fall on the shoulders of the students. Having the burden of this issue fall on the shoulders of millions of students nationwide is bad for society as a whole. Children need to be educated in a healthy atmosphere so that they can become productive members of society one day. It is detrimental to the future if children are not provided with the best learning environment possible. The best learning environment possible is one that is free from commercial influences. The Distributive Justice framework shows that monopolies are unethical. According to John Rawls we should determine ethical dilemmas like whether marketing in schools is ethical by making the decision from behind a â€Å"veil of ignorance. † The distributive justice framework tries to ensure that the interests of the worst off in society are considered. According to this theory, students well-being should be put before business interests because students are the most vulnerable group in this scenario. However, there is an inherent conflict of interest within this framework. Corporations believe that marketing in schools is ethical because they are exercising their 1st amendment right to free speech. Everybody has this right, thus they are utilizing the equal liberty principle: equal rights to liberties as long as all may be provided such liberties. The problem is that not even all corporations are being provided the liberty of free speech. As previously mentioned Coca Cola has an exclusive agreement with 85% of elementary schools in America, this is just a nice way to say that Coca Cola has a monopoly on the elementary school market (). Companies that engage in exclusive distributive contracts are trying to block competitors. They can not justify this action on the ground that they need to do this to spur innovation, they want a monopoly so they can control the school market. Thus the difference principle comes into play because the inequality that these companies are creating in the market place needs to be addressed. The most ethical thing to do is to make schools commercial free zones. Marketing in schools is unethical. The most ethical thing to do is to make elementary schools commercial-free zones. Students should be able to pursue learning free of commercial influences and pressures. Eighty percent of adults in the United States agree that schools should be commercial-free zones as well (). While this may be the most ethical course of action, it seems highly unlikely as marketing in schools has become entrenched. Schools continually need more money and the government is unable to provide it. If marketing in schools must continue at the very least it should be regulated. It does not seem probable that the industry will regulate itself, so it should be subject to more government oversight. Right now there is very little the government has done to restrict marketing in schools. Laws forbidding it are perceived to be a breach of the 1st amendment. A study found that only nineteen states currently have statues or regulations that address school-related commercial activities (). This number includes states that have statues that encourage commercial activities. The government should establish an independent commission to regulate marketing in public schools. This agency should make regulations that encourage schools to provide a healthy learning environment for students. The agency could regulate the sale of foods high in fat, sodium, and sugars. For example, it could decide that vending machines can not be stocked with sodas; however juices (100%) and water could still be sold. There would be greater social acceptance of this issue if it were implemented more appropriately. The business case for CSR prevails. This paper has established that the most ethical thing for corporations to do is to stop marketing to students in schools, or at the very least to regulate what they market to children. If a company were to stop marketing to children for the aforementioned ethical considerations it would be following a normative line of reasoning. The company would be interested in doing the right thing for society with little regard for how the proposition would effect its own bottom line. While I would applaud its efforts on a moral basis, this would be a very poor reason to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. There needs to be a business incentive for corporations to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. A company has to be successful financially if it is going to survive in the long run. However, there is always a business case for corporate social responsibility with respect to companies that sell consumer products. In the long run the closer a company aligns with the values of society the more successful it will be. Good ethics and good business are mutually reinforcing. In this case 80% of society wants commercial-free schools or at least commercialism that is regulated. It is socially responsible for a company to accommodate the wishes of society because it is in their long run interest to build a good reputation. A company like Coca-cola may be more successful at recruiting, retaining, and engaging with its employees and customers if it demonstrates that it is socially responsible. Critics might argue that this is just mere â€Å"window dressing. † However, a good reputation leads to higher sales in the long run. Both shareholder and stakeholder frameworks would support the business case for corporate social responsibility in this scenario. Milton Freidman is an advocate of the shareholder theory which maintains that a companies corporate social responsibility is to maximize profits without breaking the law or violating basic rules of society. Coca-Cola is not breaking any laws by marketing in schools, it is merely exercising its first amendment right to free speech. It is also not violating any social norms, children get to choose whether they want to buy unhealthy products. On one hand it may seem that Freidman would say that corporations should continue to market in schools because they are making a profit and therefore helping society. However Freidman would agree that companies need to balance there short term gains against their long-term interest. In this case, Freidman would advocate for the restriction of marketing in schools because it is in the long run self-interest of the company because companies like Coca-Cola needs to reassure their customers that they care about them. . An alternative approach to corporate social responsibility is the stakeholder theory. This theory maintains that companies should balance the interests of all stakeholders involved. In this scenario the stakeholders would be the students (customers), parents, teachers, corporations, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and society. Students are harmed by marketing in schools because marketing is correlated with problems like obesity and materialism. On the other hand these same students benefit because their schools are receiving additional funding for programs. Parents suffer because they have less control over what their children are exposed to, and it could undermine their values. Shareholders may benefit in the short run from marketing in schools, but in the long run the values of the company must be aligned with society if it is going to succeed. Therefore, the stakeholder theory would advocate a business case for Corporate Social Responsibility as well: to limit marketing in schools. Marketing in schools is a complex issue with many players. In this case, students are the most important players because schools are public institutions and schools are supposed to make students a top priority. Marketing in schools can not stop on its own, it needs to be either strictly prohibited or at the very least limited by the government.