Thursday, October 31, 2019

Elasticity of demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elasticity of demand - Essay Example e behavior of price elasticity under monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly to determine the differences in price elasticity among the economic structures. Under monopolistic competition the price elasticity is high. One of the reasons this occurs is because there are many firms competing in the marketplace. Firms can enter easily into this market structure because there are no barriers of entry. An example of a firm operating under monopolistic competition is the fast food giant McDonalds. It is clear for customer that the prices between fast food chains change a lot based on the price moves made by others. When McDonalds introduced its one dollar value menu, competitors in the industry such as Burger King and Wendy’s followed with an economical menu of their own. The intense competition in under this market structure raises the price elasticity of demand for its players. In an oligopoly market structure the price elasticity of demand is medium. An oligopoly market is one in which there are a limited number of firms participating in the marketplace. Since there is competition the price elasticity of demand is affected by others. There are barriers of entry which limit the number of participants. The price elasticity of demand is lower in monopoly than in monopolistic competition since it now in the best interest of the participants for price wars to occur. Many fluctuations in price among participant in the market can be very damaging to the entire market structure. An example of an oligopoly is the airline industry. Airlines can not go in full price wars since their activities are interconnected as far as sharing resources from airports and the firm know the aggregate demand for flying is somewhat stable, thus a price war will only lower the total profits of all the participants in the market structure. The economic profits of firms participating in an oligopoly depend on the other players which lower the price elasticity of demand. A third market

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Where Should We Look to Find the Causes of Educational Inequalities Essay Example for Free

Where Should We Look to Find the Causes of Educational Inequalities Essay In this essay, I will be attempting to explain where I believe the causes of educational inequality lie. I will be focusing on 3 of the reasons that I believe there are such deep rooted inequalities in the education system. I believe that gender, ethnicity and class have the biggest impact on inequality in education. These are the issues which I will be discussing. The statistics are daunting, as Asthana, A (2010) states: boys are falling behind girls in 11 out of 13 learning categories by the age of five and Caribbean pupils are three times more likely to be excluded than any other ethnic group. I have chosen to focus on gender, ethnicity and social class in my essay, though these are by no means the only problems within the education system. I will start by discussing gender and educational inequality. Gender inequalities in education The impact on child attainment Women have always been allowed formal education, though formal education for all children has only been an ideal since about the mid-19th century. There were always a large proportion of people of both sexes who could not read or write, and many for whom formal education never went beyond basic reading and writing and simple arithmetic. Practical skills were more important for most people. Girls in ancient Greece and Rome for example, were educated, it was normal for women to be able to read and write, though most would not have had the same degree of education as boys. For girls, learning the practical skills to run a household would have been the most important part of their education. But some women did manage to make their mark as writers; Sapphos poetry was admired more than any other poet in ancient Greece except for Homer. Girls were often educated at home, though in medieval times for instance there were schools that educated children of both sexes. And upper-class girls sometimes went as boarders to nunneries. Among the upper classes it was commonplace for girls to be more literate than boys, because reading and writing were usually regarded as effeminate pursuits, a boys proper occupation was warfare. Grammar schools were normally only for boys, and in England, universities were open only to male students, though the proportion of boys who went there was tiny compared to the number who go today. Education for girls was of a fairly low standard during the 17th and 18th centuries, but from the early 19th century in America, and the mid-19th century in the UK, it was increasingly the case that all children were expected to attend school. Although boys and girls went to the same schools, they were not in the same classes and certainly were not taught the same subjects. Girls learnt subjects such as embroidery, needlework, music and writing as it was thought more important for them to study ‘accomplishments’ rather than academic subjects. Although a lot has changed regarding the differences between boys’ and girls’ education, there are still some issues that concerns us; the gender gap for example. The gender gap is the difference in attainment with boys and girls. In recent years, there has been a lot of worrying about the growing gap in attainment between boys and girls. By the age of 5, 53% of boys had reached the expected writing level compared with 72% of girls. They then underachieve at GCSE and not as many go on to university. Even once there, they are less likely to achieve a 2:1 or a first (Asthana, A 2010). Some contribute boys’ lower attainment to the changing notions of masculinity and differing attitudes to schoolwork. As Renold, E (2001) stated, many boys learnt the hard way early in their school careers that studiousness and academic success conflict with conventional forms of hegemonic masculinity. Renold (2001) then goes on to argue that as a result of the contradictory masculinities produced by the school, the boys invented an array of strategies and techniques to avoid what were perceived as ‘non-masculine’/ or ‘feminine’ classroom behaviours and to disguise both their desire for and the achievement of, academic success. As Connell (1996, cited in Renold, E 2001) claims, when he discusses ‘gender strategies for schools’, existing patterns of gender relation can only be altered or changed by paying close attention to the ‘dynamics of masculinity’, especially the means by which alternative masculinities are construed (peer support/ collectivity) and resisted (gender and sexualised bullying). Another issue is, of course the same sex school debate. I believe that Co-educational schools are better for children as it teaches them things that are not on the curriculum. It teaches kids maturity with members of the opposite sex. We can logically conclude that members from a coeducational school are generally more understanding of their opposing sex than those who are in a single-sex school. This doesn’t apply to students who have no siblings or are in relationships. It applies to the vast majority of students with any form of schooling. A sibling only has one personality, a girlfriend or a boyfriend only possess one personality. One must be able to understand and cope with members with different personality types to be counted as mature. Also, in a co-ed school, pupils form more diverse relationships. More diverse friendship types would supposedly lead to a bigger and better social life, which is important to have for school students as they progress in life. The logic behind this reasoning is that once you are in the working force, you must be able to deal with anyone that you work with, work for and assign work to. In the real world, we are not separated from the opposite sex so why are we separated in schools? Ethnicity and Inequality in education Ethnicity and inequality of education has always been, in my opinion, a delicate subject. There’s always the possibility of appearing racist or as though discriminating in some way. Rob Meyers (1994) when talking of educational inequality states; â€Å"with the passing of slavery, equality of education was one of the rights formerly held back that was now for Black people to take advantage of. With this equal starting ground, social integration would be a realizable dream. Yet after over 120 years, equality of education had been denied to Black children, thus preventing them from the amount of financial success white children have in life after school. Through benign neglect and the goal of some to find a genetic link to race and intelligence, Black students have been railroaded into low end jobs and inescapable poverty. As Bowles and Gintis have stated, the purpose of education is to preserve the existing class structure. Since the abolition of slavery, racist whites have used the educational system to keep their thrones and to keep blacks poor. Ideas of minority inferiority are spread, and the misinformed fall into the trap of believing that race determines intelligence, using skewed test data to help support their ideas. † Although I’m sure Meyers work has some implications of truth, I don’t believe that this is all about racism and it certainly isn’t all about black children. There are ethnic minorities from all over the globe who experience educational inequality and discrimination. For example, while some ethnicities like Caribbean boys receive negative discrimination I. e. teachers thinking that they won’t perform to as high a standard as the other children, thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, other ethnicities such as Chinese girls receive positive discrimination; teachers thinking that they will be able to perform naturally higher than other students for example, thus putting added stress and pressure on the students. Though one could argue that the fact Asian girls excel is not due to positive discrimination but because their families, friends and societies value hard work, discipline and educational achievement. It is however, very important to maintain high expectations for all students, no matter the race, social background or ability. In the UK, there is evidence that points toward black Caribbean pupils being excessively moved into for lower tier maths and science exams at age 14. Strand (in press, cited in Twining 2012) has shown that black Caribbean students are the only ethnic group to be regularly under represented, relative to white students in entry to higher maths and science test tiers. Furthermore, this under-representation is not a by-product of their lower prior attainment; nor of variances in gender, social class, and a wide range of contextual variables. Strand concludes it is possible that teachers’ conclusions of black Caribbean students’ academic possibility may be distorted by observations of their behaviour as more challenging than it actually is. This may, in turn, lead to a inclination to miscalculate their academic capability (Twining 2012). While black Caribbean children (especially the males) have been consistently labelled as being the underachievers in secondary level education, research has shown that white working class males actually make up around half of the number of low achieving school leavers (Kingdom and Cassen, 2007; Cassen and Kingdom 2007, cited in Twining, 2012). As Asthana (2010) convincingly states, â€Å"Once it was a story of black and white, in which racial discrimination was a major driving force. But in tomorrows report, the story of ethnicity is a complicated one – in which poor black boys underachieve, as do those from Irish Traveller families, but poor Chinese girls overachieve; Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities see different outcomes to Indian ones; and there is a growing group of mixed race children who in themselves have complex outcomes. Other issues students from other cultures face is the need to conform to British culture. I believe that the classroom would be a more efficient place to learn if students were allowed to incorporate knowledge from their cultures into it. Or perhaps teachers should be trained to understand other cultures and to try to teach students by referring to things they may have learnt in their communities.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Effect Of Anxiety On An Athletes Performance Psychology Essay

The Effect Of Anxiety On An Athletes Performance Psychology Essay Competitive state anxiety is defined as a tendency to perceive competitive situations as threatening and to respond to these situations with feelings of apprehension and tension.(Martens, Vealey Burton, 1990). Competitive state anxiety can be split into cognitive and somatic components, cognitive being negative mental thoughts and concerns about ability and performance for instance indecision and loss of confidence, with somatic being the physiological responses to anxiety such as increased heart rate and muscle tension. It is important to measure both intensity and direction to determine the effect of anxiety on an athletes performance as it allows interpretation of results and can subsequently be used to assist the athlete to alter their thoughts before a competition and to improve performance. The intensity component indicates the levels of competitive anxiety in relation to factors such as situational antecedents (Woodman Hardy, 2001), and direction allows interpretation of results as facilitative or debilitative to performance (Jones, 1995). The athlete in this study is an 18 year old female triathlete. The study was conducted before and after a British Universities Colleges Sport (BUCS) national duathlon championship. The event involved a 3.2km run followed by a 16km bike ride and another 3.2km run in which she came 12th in a time of 54 minutes 52.747 seconds, which was similar to her previous best performances. Results The results for cognitive A-state and somatic A-state anxiety from the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) are indicated in the table and graph below. The scores can range from 9 (low) to 36 (high) for intensity, and from -27 (very debilitative) to 27 (very facilitative) for direction. Cognitive Anxiety Somatic Anxiety Intensity 19 14 Direction -8 0 The CSAI-2 indicated that she had low to medium intensity cognitive anxiety and that this would be slightly debilitative to her performance. In contrast, she suffered from low somatic anxiety but had a direction score of 0 signifying that the somatic symptoms she felt would affect her performance neither positively nor negatively. In the interview it was discovered that she felt that the competition was quite important but was not a main race for her although there were a lot of elite competitors in the race. She also added that as it was a BUCS race she felt pressure from her coach as well as herself to do well for the university. The pressure helped her motivation to keep going through the middle of the race, which turned out to be similar to her previous performances. Prior to the race she felt worried but as the race started she kept setting aims to keep up with people and overtake other competitors. The race started early which gave her less time to warm up after a hard training week leading up to the race. Despite the amount of training in the week before the race, she said she had high energy which was helpful to her performance. Discussion The multidimensional theory of anxiety (Martens et al., 1990) indicates that as cognitive anxiety increases, performance will drop. This theory only considered intensity, however later research led to the direction aspect (Jones, 1995) being added and anxiety considered as debilitative or facilitative. Before the race, the athlete was feeling low-medium intensity cognitive anxiety, which should result in a medium to high performance. However, the CSAI-2 results indicated that the cognitive anxiety she was feeling would have a detrimental effect on her performance. Neither somatic or cognitive anxiety were seen as facilitative to performance and research has found that males consistently report higher facilitative perceptions than females (Wiggins, 1998). If cognitive anxiety levels increase too high then, combined with elevated physiological arousal, could lead to a dramatic decline in performance as explained by the catastrophe theory (Hardy Fazey, 1987). Wiggins (1998) also discovered that cognitive intensity was higher than somatic intensity but somatic direction was higher (more facilitative) than cognitive direction. This was evident with the athlete but neither component of anxiety was considered to be facilitative. Studies have shown that athletes intensity of cognitive anxiety is highest before competition and then declines significantly from pregame to postgame (Butt, Weinberg, Horn, 2003). This was evident for the athlete as anxiety eased as the race started. Prior to the race, she was experiencing low-medium cognitive anxiety and felt moderately nervous. The main symptoms of cognitive anxiety suffered by the athlete were concern about the competition, the race result and self-doubt as well as concern that others would be disappointed with her performance. This intensity and pressure helped her feel motivated and stay strong, and any nerves disappeared once she started the race and positive thoughts helped channel her focus on the task in hand. Somatic anxiety intensity has been found to fluctuate over time but direction remains stable (Butt et al., 2003). Intensity was found to be highest before the game and declined during competition. The athlete in this study suffered from low intensity somatic anxiety before the competition but this was not facilitative or debilitative. The main symptoms of somatic anxiety were nervousness, jitteriness and increased heart rate. It was evident that the intensity decreased when the competition started as the nerves eased and she felt energetic. A study of athletes (Hanton, Wadey, and Connaughton, 2005) found that many of the debilitating symptoms remained prevalent after years of many competitions, were reported to fluctuate closer to the event and particularly at higher levels of competition. The event that the data for this study was collected from was for the triathletes first BUCS competition. This shows that even after competing in many previous events as well as internationally, anxiety was still found to be a debilitating factor towards performance. Another discovery made by Hanton et al. (2005) was that an athletes main routine before a competition is to be physically prepared over mentally prepared. Physical readiness, such as warming up and training in the build up weeks, was found to allow the athletes to compete at an elite level despite debilitating anxiety symptoms. However, when comparing athletes who mentally prepared and those who did not, performance was higher in those who had mentally prepared. A problem for the athlete in this study was that due to the race start time being moved forward, she did not have sufficient time to physically warm up let alone to mentally prepare. Failing to warm up properly may have had a detrimental effect on her performance as a warm up can increase the speed of muscle contraction and relaxation, increases heart rate and blood flow to working muscles, in addition to mentally focusing on the task in hand. The coherence between the CSAI-2 questionnaire before the event and the interview afterwards was strong. The athlete felt low-medium cognitive anxiety from the CSAI-2 including self-doubts and concern about the result, and this was backed up afterwards in the interview when she said that she was worried and feeling pressure before the race. She also stated that she was suffering from nerves before the race in both the CSAI-2 and the interview. Conclusions and Recommendations From the CSAI-2 questionnaire and interview I can construe that the anxiety suffered by the athlete did not affect her performance negatively. The intensity of cognitive anxiety was low-medium and somatic anxiety was low intensity before the race. Too much anxiety would have a detrimental effect on performance due to high pressure, negative thoughts and attentional narrowing. Too little anxiety could lead to lack of concentration, focusing on unimportant cues from the environment, external distraction. I establish that the athlete had moderate levels of anxiety which can increase effort as the athlete is not overcome by pressure. In the interview after the race she said that any pressure and negativity was focused onto a positive attitude and setting goals to improve her position. Although I consider the athlete was unaffected by her anxiety levels, if the direction aspect of cognitive and somatic anxiety can be made facilitative, it may have a beneficial impact on performance. To do this there are a number of techniques that sports psychologists can use to manipulate an individuals judgment of a competitive situation, including self talk and imagery. A consistent finding across studies is that sport performers have a stronger preference for problem-focused strategies for overcoming anxiety, and perceptions of cognitive anxiety as debilitative are associated with behavioural disengagement and venting of emotions (Ntoumanis and Biddle, 2000). Self talk can be used to help anxiety responses such as self-doubt. This can be positive, having the ability to win, or negative, not being able to lose. Self-talk can help to increase concentration on the task at hand. Imagery can be used to improve self-confidence and overcome nerves. It involves mental picturing a perfect performance or remembering a previous performance that the athlete would like to repeat. It can be used with mental rehearsal, planning the events and tactics of the event or in the case of the triathlete, the race. She had positive thoughts during the race, but if these can begin before the race then her start may improve, as the pressure and worry may be relieved.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Tupac :: essays research papers

Tupac Shakur was one of the most influential music artist of the 20th Century. â€Å"Murda, Murda, Murda, and Kill, Kill, Kill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  these are they lyrics to one of the songs written by Tupac Shakur. Amidst all the controversy surrounding his personal life, this artist has managed to overcome all obstacles and spread his hope/hate message to a surprisingly receptive audience. Tupac’s music is borrowed from the styles of early rap and hip-hop yet its appeal rested in Tupac himself. His persona of â€Å"Thug Poet† opened up a portal into the new genre of â€Å"Gangsta Rap.† This new style of music revolutionized the music industry and allowed several new artists to break through in Tupac’s creation, Gangsta Rap, such as; G-unit, Eminem, and many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in New York City to Afeni Shakur, a Black Panther member since 1968. She gave birth to him 2 months after she was released from Women’s House of Detentions in Grenwich Village. She was charged with conspiracy to bomb several New York public locations and just had her bail revoked. In court she represented herself and won against the state of New York in a surprising turn out. In Incan dialect, his name Tupac Amaru means â€Å"shining serpent† and Shakur is Arabic for â€Å"thankful to God.† For most of his childhood his crack addicted mother shuffled Tupac between the ghettos of Harlem and the Bronx. Young Tupac began his performance career with the 127th Street Ensemble and then enrolled Baltimore School for the Arts where he was educated in ballet and acting. Tupac was forced to drop out of the school because he had to move to California with his mother, where his criminal career began. He left hi s house at the age of 17 because of the continuous fights with his mother he then began selling/doing drugs, and was homeless for about 2 years. His life was spiraling down wards at a rapid rate. Till one day he got his big break. Tupac always dreamt about being famous someday, now his dream was becoming a reality. He struck a recording deal with Interscope records. He was on his way to super stardom, but as we all know with fame comes problems. He was involved in the shooting of two off duty police officers, although the chargers were later dropped. He was also convicted of rape, and sentenced to 5 years in Clinton Correctional Facilities.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Organisational Culture- analysis of Oticon Essay

INTRODUCTION Oticon, a Danish company founded in 1904 was the first company in the world to invent an instrument to help the hearing impaired. In the 1970’s, Oticon was the world’s number one manufacturer of the â€Å"behind the ear† hearing aids. During the 1970’s and 1980’s as the market for â€Å"in the ear† hearing aid grew, Oticon’s fortune suddenly declined and they lost money and market share. The main problem for all of this was that Oticon was a very traditional, departmentalized and slow-moving company. Even though Oticon had 15 sites and 95 distributorships around the world, Oticon was operating in a market dominated by Siemens, Phillips, Sony, 3M and Panasonic and most importantly, Oticon manufactured the â€Å"behind the ear† hearing aid but its customers preferred the â€Å"in the ear† product. Oticon also specialized in analogue technology whilst its customers were moving towards digital technology. In 1988, a new President of Oticon was appointed, Lars Kolind. With his appointment, he worked hard to turn the situation of Oticon around. Kolind implemented cost-cutting measures; he pared the company down, cut staff and increased efficiency, and reduced the price of a hearing aid by 20%. Nevertheless, this still did not achieve the results he wanted. He never gave up. He had been searching for a sustainable competitive advantage for Oticon. He wanted to create a new way of running a business. One that could be more creative, faster and cost effective and also compensate for technological excellence, capital and general resources which Oticon lacked. Kolind believed that Oticon could no longer compete with its technologically advanced competitors. By reinventing itself, Oticon showed that it could. Oticon drastically changed its organizational structure, ways of working and culture to let loose the human potential of the company. Kolind created a vision of a service-based organization and pursued it to gain a competitive edge. Employee involvement is crucial to successful change; especially in situations as Oticon’s that require attitudinal and cultural change. Planned and emergent perspectives stress that this is a slow, learning process. Rapid organizational transformations can only be successful if focus is on structural as well as cultural change. Kanter _et al_ emphasized that an organization’s structure can be changed relatively quickly through a ‘Bold Stroke’ but that cultural change can only be achieved by a ‘Long March’ requiring extensive participation over time. Oticon’s transformation was that of a rapid organizational change, which was based on the vision imposed on the company in a directive fashion by the CEO. This lead to the widespread change of attitudes and behaviours. Kolind’s vision was the reason for this rapid change in attitudes across Oticon. A more planned approach, facilitated by this change in attitudes was used to achieve this rapid structural change. This was then followed by a period of emergent change where staff had to develop and adjust to new ways of working with and behaving towards each other. Schmuck and Miles (1971) argue that the level of involvement required in a project is dependant on the impact of the change on people concerned. Building on earlier work by Harrison (1970), Huse (1980) developed this difference further. He categorized change interventions along with continuum based on the ‘depth of intervention, ranging from the ‘shallow level’ to the ‘deepest level’. The greater the depth of intervention, Huse argues, the more it becomes concerned with the psychological make-up and personality of the individual, and the greater the need for full involvement of individuals if they are to accept the changes. Therefore, linking levels of involvement to the types of change proposed is necessary. The key is that, the greater the effect on the individual, especially in terms of psychological constructs and values, the deeper the level of involvement required if successful behaviour change is to be achieved. The theory of cognitive dissonance of Burnes and James (1995) helps in seeking to understand and explain why major rapid attitudinal changes at Oticon were successful without a great deal of initial involvement. The theory of cognitive dissonance states that people want to behave in  accordance with their attitudes and usually will take corrective action to alleviate the dissonance and achieve balance. At Oticon, fundamental attitudinal change was achieved relatively quickly because management and employee recognized the need for change and saw why new vision is the only hope for the company’s survival. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, or CORPORATE CULTURE, comprises the attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization. It has been defined as â€Å"the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. An ORGANISATION’S CULTURE is affected by a number of factors including: The ENVIRONMENT in which the organisation operates. Internally, this is often conveyed by its physical layout which can, foe example, reflect warm friendliness or cold efficiency. The BELIEFS, VALUES AND NORMS of the employees within the organisation, particularly those communicated by top management. The formal and informal LEADERS who personify the organisation’s culture. The PROCEDURES that have to be followed and the behaviour expected of people within the organisation. The network of COMMUNICATIONS which disseminates the corporate image and culture. OTHER FACTORS could include the oeganisation’s size , history, ownership and technology. MODEL OF CHANGE- SEQUENCE OF EVENTS (SOURCE:MANAGEMENT. RICHARD L DAFT- 6TH ED.) Corporate culture is something that is very hard to change and employees need time to get used to the new way of organizing. Many people are not willing to change unless they perceive a problem or a crisis. For companies with a very strong and specific culture it will be even harder to change. Cummings & Worley (2005, p. 491 – 492) give the following six guidelines for cultural change, these changes are in line with the eight distinct stages mentioned by Kotter (1995, p. 2)3: Formulate a clear strategic vision In order to make a cultural change effective a clear vision of the firm’s new strategy, shared values and behaviours is needed. This vision provides the intention and direction for the culture change Display Top-management commitment It is very important to keep in mind that culture change must be managed from the top of the organization, as willingness to change of the senior management is an important indicator. The top of the organization should be very much in favour of the change in order to actually implement the change in the rest of the organization. De Caluwà © & Vermaak provide a framework with five different ways of thinking about change. Model culture change at the highest level In order to show that the management team is in favour of the change, the change has to be notable at first at this level. The behaviour of the management needs to symbolize the kinds of values and behaviours that should be realized in the rest of the company. It is important that the management shows the strengths of the current culture as well, it must be made clear that the current organizational does not need radical changes, but just a few adjustments. Modify the organization to support organizational change. The fourth step is to modify the organization to support organizational change. Select and socialize newcomers and terminate deviants A way to implement a culture is to connect it to organizational membership, people can be selected and terminate in terms of their fit with the new culture Develop ethical and legal sensitivity. Changes in culture can lead to tensions between organizational and individual interests, which can result in ethical and legal problems for practitioners. This is particularly relevant for changes in employee integrity, control, equitable treatment and job security. FORCES CAUSING AND RESISTING CHANGE WITHIN AN ORGANISATION (SOURCE: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO BUSINESS STUDIES- 3RD ED- BRUCE R JEWELL) NEED/ REASONS FOR CHANGE. In order to survive and prosper in a competitive and rapidly changing environment, organisations also need to change. This may be brought about by many influencing factors which may be internally within the organisation or in external environment of the organisation. EXTERNAL FORCES originate in all environmental sectors, including customers, competitors, technology, economic forces and the international arena. EXTERNAL INFLUENCES: POLITICAL factors including legislation or other government measures. Organisations are forced to change in order to meet, for example, health and safety, environmental or consumer protection requirements. ECONOMIC factors such as changes in levels of unemployment and interest rates which can have a major impact on demand. SOCIAL factors including changes in life styles and environmental issues which organisations must respond to if they are not to lose out to competitors. TECHNOLOGICAL progress such as word processing in the office or robots in the factory can change working materials, methods and practices and create the need for new skills. TRADE UNIONS can influence wage rates, working conditions and other aspects of industrial relations. COMPETITION and changes in consumer tastes and demand all impact on business organisations, making change necessary in order to respond. MEDIA reports which can influence consumers’ and employees’ perceptions of an organisation and its goods and services. INTERNAL FORCES for change arise from internal activities and decisions. If top managers select a goal of rapid company growth, internal actions will have to be made to meet that growth. New departments or technologies will be created. Demands by employees, labour unions and production inefficiencies all can generate a force to which management must respond with change. INTERNAL INFLUENCES: NEW PRODUCTS OR SERVICES which require change in order to introduce them. MANAGEMENT CHANGES, due perhaps to a merger, take over or the appointment of  new staff. This may affect the management style and culture of the organisation. QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS which are becoming increasingly important in organisations in order to meet changing customer expectations. PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY IMPROVEMENTS which often require change in systems or procedures in order to control or reduce costs and/or increase output. CUSTOMER SERVICE is now more crucial than ever for organisations in competitive markets because they can only survive and prosper if they satisfy customers. After the need for change has been perceived and communicated, change must be initiated. This is a crucial stage of change management- the stage where ideas that solve perceived needs are developed. Responses that an organisation can make are to search for or create a change to adopt. IMPLEMENTING CHANGE One frustration for managers is that employees often seem to resist change for no apparent reason. To effectively manage the implementation process, managers should be aware of the reasons for employee resistance and e prepared to use techniques for obtaining employee cooperation. Employees appear to resist change for several reasons and understanding them helps managers implement change more effectively. SELF-INTEREST. Employees typically resist a change they believe will take away something of value. A proposed change in job design, structure, or technology may lead to a real or perceived loss of power, prestige, pay or company benefits. The fear of personal loss is perhaps the biggest obstacle to organisational change. LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST. Employees do not understand the intended purpose of a change or distrust the intentions behind it. UNCERTAINTY. Uncertainty is the lack of information about future events. It represents a fear of the unknown. Uncertainty is especially threatening for employees who have a low tolerance for change and fear the novel and unusual. They do not know how a change will affect them and worry about whether they will be able to meet the demands of a new procedure or technology. DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT AND GOALS. Another reason for resistance to change is that people who will be affected by innovation may assess the situation differently. Often critics voice legitimate disagreements over the proposed benefits of a change. Managers in each department pursue different goals, and an innovation may detract from performance and goal achievement for some departments. These reasons for resistance are legitimate in the eyes of the employees affected by the change. The best procedure for managers is not to ignore resistance but diagnose the reasons and design strategies to gain acceptance by users. Strategies for overcoming resistance to change typically involve two approaches: the analysis of resistance through force-field technique and the use of selective implementation tactics to overcome resistance.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

In the play Capulet wants Juliet to have a good life Essay

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic 16th century Shakespearean love story set in the Italian city of Verona. The life of a father and daughter in our lifetime at the moment would vary considerably from the one Capulet and Juliet lead in the play. In the 16th century women were expected to do many things for men. Men’s expectations for women in the 16th century were that they cleaned the house looked after the children and were treated as second class citizens. Men expected women to obey them and do anything they say if the women disobeyed the men they would subject to punishment in the version of getting hit in those days because there wasn’t strict law and order in those days. So if a women married a man they would become the sole property of their husband. In the 16th century the father was the man of the household who would finalise everything. When they’re daughter was around 14 the father would chose who she would be married to, but as in the play some daughters didn’t feel that their fathers choice was correct and if they turned down his offer they would also be subject to punishment. The rejection of their father’s choice would also make their fathers feel hurt because his daughter had rejected his offer of happiness, the father also feels that his daughter is not proud of her parents and doesn’t thank them. In the play Capulet wants Juliet to have a good life and thinks he’s chosen the right type of man for his daughter . He believes that Paris will give her a stable life. Increase the reputation of his family because Paris has class and is a well-known celebrity who when people know he is part of the Capulet clan and Capulet’s son in law they will like Capulet better. As well as that and the money that Paris earns he believes that Paris is a respectable man of society. That he will also take care of his daughter, e. g. if she is sad he will make her happy and comfort her if she is scared, he will make her feel safe and secure in her home and environment. So all in all he thinks that he has chosen a peach of a man who is respected in aspects of his criteria for his daughter. I believe that in the play Capulet wants his daughter to marry Paris because he feels out of love for his daughter that he has found the right person for his daughter who will take care of her and tend to her when she is sick. Plus love her like he does, but as well as this he also chose Paris who is a very wealthy and popular well-known business man, rather than that his family is at war with the Montague family and would like a celebrity backing to increase his chance of winning. Capulet feels it is tradition at the time for him to select supposedly the lucky man to marry his daughter and when he does this he also expects Juliet to be pleased that he has chosen her such an admirable husband. He hopes that Juliet will feel the same way he does and that it is someone who will care for her and make sure she is given the best love and affection around. In parts of Romeo and Juliet you see the examples of Capulet being a loving and caring father. One of these parts is in Act 1, Scene 2, line 7-11 when Capulet says † My child is yet a stranger in the world, she has not seen the change of 14 years, let two more summers wither in her pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride†. This shows that he is loving because he is saying to Paris she is only young and just turned 14 give her two more years and you can marry her. Although he says this to Paris when his daughter disagrees with his choice he doesn’t accept her reason or anything he just keeps having a go at her. Whatever reason Juliet gives her father will not accept her reason and keeps forcing her to chose Paris. In conclusion I believe that in the 16th century daughter, father relationships were very different from nowadays. Nowadays the daughter has the freedom to do as she pleases apart from in some certain religions where the marriage is organised between 2 people before they can walk. So in most of the world today women have a free right but in some areas they have stuck to the old fashion way of arrange marriages.

The Role of a Manager

The Role of a Manager Running Head: Roles 3Starr L. HaywoodThe Role of a ManagerInstructor Bridgette HardyMGT/251 ManagementFebruary 22, 2014Managers are a vital part of any business or organization. Understanding the role of a manager will help not only the workers, but the manager's position also. Management expert and professor, Henry Mintzberg developed a theory based on the 10 roles that managers play. These 10 roles are broken down into three categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional. By implementing these various roles that managers can play, and organization can strive in all aspects of company growth.The interpersonal category is broken down into the roles of a figurehead, leader or liaison. A figurehead is a person that is looked up to for authority. An example of a figurehead in an organization is the manager of supplies. This person holds authority in ordering office supplies and is the overall decision maker for that duty.English: Low resolution logo of the Documentary Or...As a figurehead one must cultivate humility and empathy for people. Next, a leader manages the responsibilities of a team (Mintzberg 2011). A leader typically inspires personnel and they are not afraid to step up to the plate to assist in organizational duties. Lastly, a liaison communicates with external as well as internal contacts in order to network for the organization. An example of this can be a Booster Club Treasurer. The treasurer works with local businesses in order to gain donations for an organizational function to give away.The informational category consists of the monitor, disseminator or spokesperson. As a monitor, a manager is constantly seeking out information related to their industry (Mintzberg 2011). A monitor is also responsible for observing team productivity and the overall well-being of the members. A disseminator communicates useful information to the team. For instance the manager of the finance department...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Definition and Examples of Epideictic Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Epideictic Rhetoric Epideictic  rhetoric (or epideictic oratory) is ceremonial discourse:  speech or writing that praises or blames (someone or something). According to Aristotle, epideictic  rhetoric (or epideictic oratory) is one of the three major branches of rhetoric. Also known as  demonstrative rhetoric  and ceremonial discourse, epideictic rhetoric includes funeral orations, obituaries, graduation and retirement speeches, letters of recommendation, and nominating speeches at political conventions. Interpreted more broadly, epideictic rhetoric may also include works of literature. In his recent study of epideictic rhetoric (Epideictic Rhetoric: Questioning the Stakes of Ancient Praise, 2015),  Laurent Pernot notes that since the time of Aristotle, epideictic has been a loose term: The field of epideictic rhetoric seems vague and laden with poorly resolved ambiguities. EtymologyFrom the Greek, fit for displaying or showing off Pronunciation:  eh-pi-DIKE-tick Examples of Epideictic Rhetoric Daniel Webster in Praise of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson:Adams and Jefferson, I have said, are no more. As human beings, indeed, they are no more. They are no more, as in 1776, bold and fearless advocates of independence; no more, as at subsequent periods, the head of the government; nor more, as we have recently seen them, aged and venerable objects of admiration and regard. They are no more. They are dead. But how little is there of the great and good which can die! To their country they yet live, and live for ever. They live in all that perpetuates the remembrance of men on earth; in the recorded proofs of their own great actions, in the offspring of their intellect, in the deep-engraved lines of public gratitude, and in the respect and homage of mankind. They live in their example; and they live, emphatically, and will live, in the influence which their lives and efforts, their principles and opinions, now exercise, and will continue to exercise, on the affairs of men, not onl y in their own country but throughout the civilized world.(Daniel Webster, On the Deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, 1826) Oprah Winfreys Eulogy for Rosa Parks:And Im here today to say a final thank you, Sister Rosa, for being a great woman who used your life to serve, to serve us all. That day that you refused to give up your seat on the bus, you, Sister Rosa, changed the trajectory of my life and the lives of so many other people in the world.I would not be standing here today nor standing where I stand every day had she not chosen to sit down. . . . Had she not chosen to say we shall not- we shall not be moved.(Oprah Winfrey, Eulogy for Rosa Parks, October 31, 2005) Observations on Epideictic Rhetoric Persuasion and Epideictic Rhetoric:Rhetorical theory, the study of the art of persuasion, has long had to recognize that there are many literary and rhetorical texts where rhetoric does not aim directly at persuasion, and their analysis has long been problematical. To categorize speeches aimed at praise and blame rather than at decision-making, speeches such as funeral orations and encomia or panegyrics, Aristotle devised the technical term epideictic. It can readily be extended to take in literary and theoretical texts insofar as they also do not aim directly at persuasion.(Richard Lockwood, The Readers Figure: Epideictic Rhetoric in Plato, Aristotle, Bossuet, Racine and Pascal. Libraire Droz, 1996) Aristotle on Epideictic (Ceremonial) Rhetoric:The ceremonial orator is, properly speaking, concerned with the present, since all men praise or blame in view of the state of things existing at the time, though they often find it useful also to recall the past and to make guesses at the future.(Aristotle, Rhetoric) Cicero on Epideictic Orations:[Epideictic orations are] produced as show-pieces, as it were, for the pleasure they will give, a class comprising eulogies, descriptions, and histories, exhortations like the Panegyric of Isocrates, and similar orations by many of the Sophists . . . and all other speeches unconnected with battles of public life. . . . [The epideictic style] indulges in a neatness and symmetry of sentences, and is allowed to use well-defined and rounded periods; the ornamentation is done of set purpose, with no attempt at concealment, but openly and avowedly . . ..The epideictic oration, then, has a sweet, fluent and copious style, with bright conceits and sounding phrases. It is the proper field for sophists, as we said, and is fitter for the parade than for the battle . . ..(Cicero, Orator, trans. by H.M. Hubbell) Aims of Epideictic Rhetoric:If we speak in praise . . . if they do not know him, we shall try to make them [the audience] desire to know a man of such excellence since the hearers of our eulogy have the same zeal for virtue as the subject of the eulogy had or now has, we hope easily to win the approval of his deeds from those whose approval we desire. The opposite, if it is censure: . . . we shall try to make them know him, in order that they may avoid his wickedness; since our hearers are unlike the subject of our censure, we express the hope that they will vigorously disapprove his way of life.(Rhetorica ad Herennium, 90s BC) President Obamas Epideictic Rhetoric:Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, noted that there were many forms of political discourse. . . . She said Mr. [Barack] Obama excels at speeches read from a teleprompter to a mass audience, not necessarily at the other forms. And his best speeches, she said, were examples of epideictic or ceremonial rhetoric, the kind we associate with conventions or funerals or important occasions, as opposed to the deliberative language of policymaking or the forensic language of argument and debate.They don’t necessarily translate to, say, selling major legislation, a skill mastered, for example, by Lyndon B. Johnson, hardly a compelling orator.It’s not a kind of speech that’s a valuable predictor of one’s capacity to govern, she said. I don’t mean to say it doesn’t forecast something. It does. But presidents have to do a lot more than that.(Pete r Applebome, Is Eloquence Overrated? The New York Times, January  13, 2008)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The mind-body connection and how this impacts how we learn Research Paper

The mind-body connection and how this impacts how we learn - Research Paper Example As Weiss (2014) maintains, the body does not exist merely for carrying the head around. Instead, the whole body is engaged when a person thinks and learns. Learning involves numerous novel neuron connections that result into new structures in the brain from time to time. These neurons consist of several receptors, which are proteins that vibrate and change shape over time. Hydrolysis of proteins produces peptides and research has shown that the same peptides discovered in the brain were in the rest of the other systems of the body (Weiss, 2014). This is proof that the connection between the body and the mind is actually physical. This body-soul connection affects learning in various ways. The plasticity of the brain depends on ability of a person to generate novel brain cells, something that has to do with the body. Brain plasticity denotes the capability of the brain to learn continuously while updating its database. Throughout one’s life, new brain cells that are functional are generated each day. Scientists have maintained that the human brain emerges as an organ that has organic tissues that are most complex, numerous connections. Studies have shown that these connections do not occur exclusively during the learning process but also transpire to a greater degree in those people who are physically active as compared to those who are less active in physical terms. This is in line with recent data collection that shows that physically active people have a relatively large cortical mass in comparison to their less physically active counterparts. The fact that the bodily stimulations instanced by being physically active enhance the ability of the cells of the n erve to connect translates to ameliorated learning process (Kotz, 2010). Without doubt, the mind-body connection has an important role in enhancing the learning process and this needs consideration to ameliorate learning in

Friday, October 18, 2019

World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

World War II - Essay Example The article, which features a documentary film â€Å"Touching the Tigers,† focuses on the idea that China was an ally of the United States in WWII, and hopefully seeks to instill the notion that it is so until now. In fact, one of those who were responsible for Beneda’s survival was then military commander Li Zongren, who went on to become President of China in 1949 (Friedersdorf, 2012). The truth of this matter is implied to have been confirmed by Beneda’s widow, Elinor Beneda, who was mentioned in another article (â€Å"Documentary,† 2011). In fact, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries have even wanted everyone to know about such friendship that China fostered with the United States, through Beneda’s story (Friedersdorf, 2012). This is perhaps a political strategy to use World War II anecdotal evidence in order to help neutralize the increasing tension between the United States and China. Nowadays, China opposes U.S. sanctions on Iran (Censky, 2012). Moreover, China complains that the United States has not been particularly open to Chinese investors (Censky, 2012). China has also recently challenged the Philippines, an ally of the United States, in the dispute over who has a right to the Scarborough Shoal (Boot & Kirkpatrick, 2012). These misunderstandings plus the fact that China has been rumored to surpass the U.S. in terms of size of economy in 2016 and the fact that Pres. Obama â€Å"will not stand by when [the United States’] competitors don’t play by the rules† (Censky, 2012). However, the article seems to shed a more positive light on these aforementioned matters. Through the article, as well as through the influence of the documentary film it describes, U.S.-China relations will hopefully end up in a more positive light, or as what Henry Kissinger describes as â€Å"†¦a strong, prosperous, and successful China that plays

Online Shopping Behavior of Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online Shopping Behavior of Women - Essay Example Previous research studies have already identified several differences in the shopping behavior of males and females in conventional "bricks and doors" retail stores. For each of the key questions below that will guide the online shopping research, a summary of what we already know is provided. The surveys and other sources will yield further information about men's and women's online shopping habits. Analysis will show whether men and women continue to exhibit the same patterns, or develop new ones based on their experiences and preferences in the visual-only online shopping environment. Among a host of other factors, how does the lack of physical store buildings, touchable merchandise, and interaction with live people, both other shoppers and sales personnel, change the browsing, shopping and buying patterns of men and women of various ages Not according to Paco Underhill, marketing consultant and author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping (Simon & Schuster, 2000). His research shows that both men and women spend time shopping -- in specific and widely differing categories -- without having a specific need in mind as they shop. His company, Envirosell, has done marketing studies for large computer retailers which show that 17% of the male customers interviewed come into the stores more than once a week just to look around. Computer equipment, video games and DVDs have replaced cars and music systems for many men as their technology focus. They go to the store to gain information as well as to buy, as was noted from how intently they read the packaging of software and accessory hardware for their computers. Men prefer to get their information firsthand, off the box or from a brochure, rather than ask a salesperson. For other purchases, such as clothing and shoes, men go into a store, pick out what they need, and try it on. If it fits, they buy it. Women assess clothing, particularly shoes, on many criteria besides fit to close the deal on a purchase. These include price, color, fabric care and if the garment makes them look good overall or makes certain features look better or worse. Many a pair of pants or shoes have been rejected, even if they fit well, for the subjective reason that "they make my butt look too big," or "they make my legs look fat." Shoes also must fit the season (summer or winter), and the activity where they will be worn. These range from dancing; dating; management meetings; taking the kids to a soccer game, ad infinitum, which is why there are so many more styles of shoes for women than men. 2. Are the buying decisions of male shoppers more rational than those of female shoppers Traditional research shows that in certain situations, males shop no more rationally than females. A primary case in point is the supermarket. Grocery industry studies show that sixty to seventy percent of supermarket purchases by both men and

International marketing - the case of Mcdonald's Essay

International marketing - the case of Mcdonald's - Essay Example Differences in culture, behaviour and customer needs across nations have posed new challenges while also providing new opportunities in international marketing. These have altered the segmenting, targeting of the market and product positioning. Thus international marketing strategy is a comprehensive effort which entails deployment of the marketing mix to create a sustainable advantage in the international market place (Wong and Merrilees, 2007). The right marketing mix and the marketing decision can change the brand perception and enhance the firm’s reputation leading to strong brand performance. The power of global brands can be used as a means of international entry but such brands also have to adapt to cultural and other environmental conditions. 2. Company Background McDonald's is one of the most respected and recognized brands in the world. Its success is ascertained from the fact that the organization has over 33,000 franchisees across the world, operating in 119 countr ies and serving over 47 million people each day (Han, 2008). McDonald's has achieved success purely because of its ‘think global, act local’ strategy that it has adopted in all its markets. Initially however, McDonald's had an ethnocentric approach to international marketing as it tried to replicate the home country elements overseas. However, through experience and knowledge it adopted the polycentric approach and focused on the demands of the host country. 3. Standardization and Adaptation Gilani and Razeghi (2010) do not consider it necessary to adapt to the elements of the marketing mix to suit to local tastes as markets have become globalized. However, globalization has not homogenised cultures. Standardization which pertains to identical product lines at identical prices, distributed through identical distribution lines with identical promotional programs (Zou, Andrus, Norvell, 1997), is not feasible in the changed business environment as this demonstrates a produ ct-centred approach whereas organizations need to have a customer-centric approach. McDonald's, in order to fit in to the new market demands, adjusted the entire marketing strategy including how they distribute and promote their brand. The company re-designed its marketing mix based on the product positioning, branding and design. 4. Product Positioning Product positioning is the product’s positioning and image that lends it a distinct value and place in the target segment’s mind (Liu and Chen, 2000). Since buyers differ in their attitudes, lifestyle and behaviour, these differences help in market segmentation. Within each segment product positioning strategy has to differ. McDonald's initially positioned itself as the market leader with low-priced quality food (Need Coffee, 2005). McDonald’s continuously strives to serve the customers better as its vision is to be the ‘world’s best quick service restaurant experience and ensure that every customer in every restaurant smiles (Andidas, 2003). However, as it entered the Asian markets, particularly China, it had to reposition itself. Burgers in China are perceived by the elders as providing nutritional value while the youth seeks taste (Anderson and He, 1998). Even though they do not relish pizzas or fast food, but the Chinese consumers would like to be seen at fast food outlets. McDonald's strategy was to provide the ambience, music and the environment that attracted the Chinese consu

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Business in Asia Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business in Asia - Speech or Presentation Example This strategy resulted in the problem of low motivation and incentives for workers in industries along with misallocation of resources among different sectors. By employing improved strategy for material incentives, China was able to infuse new soul into the people by creating new resources and allowed them to be used by sectors deprived of the facilities (Dorn & Xi, 1990). Chinese learnt from their bad experience of economy that autonomy must be granted to micro-organizations which will ensure the availability of resources to deprived sectors and provide incentives to workers. Thus, Government still focused on its priority areas while autonomous enterprises were looking after low incentives as well as flow of resources into the low priority sectors. Chine underwent the reform based on the strategy of organic, gradual or incremental approach. This process is sequential and often involves experimenting with the available resources. Privatization of industries is not done on the large scale. It is an approach towards decentralization of resources so that rights could be distributed at small scales. The approach of China towards the reforms was quite innovatory. The government opted for experimental and bottom-up approach instead of more conventional, comprehensive and top-down approach towards reform. It was believed by economists that liberalization, stabilization and privatization are the key to boosting a country’s economy and a treatment called â€Å"shock therapy† is quite essential for reforming. China had its own ideas and revolutionary thinking. The reform of China began at the end of 1978, when GNP went quite high and prices were kept stable to a large extent (Cao et al, 1997). Elevation of importunate market strength of heavy industries in China gave rise to agrarian economic gesture of the Chinese markets around the world; there were limited products for export. Except for some small and low level agricultural products, nothing was contri buting towards the market that could gather external investments from the world which was already facing detrimental consequences after the Russian economic up thrust and polarization. The interest rates were also high. The above mentioned reasons were some of the major problems in pre-reform era. The interest rates and market trends changed later in 1952s five year plan in which interest rates were lowered down first because the increased interest rates were not market friendly for the heavy industries. People could not mobilize the heavy lump-sum amounts for international import of heavy products. Another major aspect that was a hurdle in China’s reform was concentration of labor force in those industries that were less focused by the Government. The productivity of agricultural industries was not quite up to the mark that could contribute towards raising the economy of China. During the reform, the labor force was moved from low productivity sites to high profitability are as. This process is different from reforms in Eastern Europe and Soviet Union owing to the fact that labor force is not concentrated in low productivity area there. China began reforms by improving the low incentives in low productivity industries by providing new flow of resources. The resources for heavy industries were kept the same to maintain their productivity at the same level as before. New

Cross-cultural business issues Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross-cultural business issues - Coursework Example Most of them concentrate more on basic commodities, and luxuries such as extra hard engines may have a poor market penetration. The national language is Chinese, and very few people understand English. This makes communication between the marketers and the Chinese nationals difficult. Translations from English to Chinese may lose some of the intended meaning and impact (Emery and Tian, 2010). Chinese people have a slow decision making and response tradition. They have to scrutinize every detail before making their judgment. The marketers take long before getting the response, which slows down the marketing process. Gender differences are experienced in china. Men are regarded as social figures of authority, influence, and respect. Male marketers are therefore more effective than female counterparts. Social relationships (Guanxi) are family ties, relationships with strangers, and relationships with familiar people. Marketers will be regarded as strangers at first. The Chinese people h ave little ties with strangers, and may fail to communicate with them. This will hamper effective marketing for the engines. However, these ties may improve with time when the two parties become more familiar with each other. Cross-cultural communication refers to the use of language during marketing. In china, the Chinese language is dominant, and a larger percentage of the population does not understand English. The marketing staff has to engage the Chinese in word of mouth. This occurs during discussions for customer expectations, satisfaction, and product quality. English marketers may fail to explain all engine qualities or collect all expectations from the customers. Translators are required, which increases the marketing cost and the process may take longer. Marketing also requires advertisements through billboards, television, radio, internet, and newspapers. The advertisements are in Chinese language or a combination of both. Translations from English to Chinese lose some o f the intended meaning affecting the impact of the products on the consumers. The locals have to develop friendship with foreigners before they interact with them according to guanxi. Cultivating these relationships may involve dining with them or attending their social gatherings. This prolongs the marketing period (Emery and Tian, 2010). Ethnocentrism refers to reluctance to accept foreign goods. The Chinese people are reluctant to accept foreign goods, and the company requires promotions, marketing slogans, and staff training. Slogans used should not conflict with their beliefs. Staff training helps the marketers understand the culture of the locals to avoid conflicts due to different perceptions. Female marketers have to engage with the male citizens differently compared to the male marketers. Effective communication requires empathy. The two parties must try to understand each other’s ideas, feelings, and experiences. The Chinese people may be reluctant to share their id eas, expectations or feelings with the Americans. The company will therefore take long to understand the customer expectations, and the products will take long before market establishment. Cross cultural ethical differences have significant impacts on marketing. Gift giving in china is a sign of respect and business etiquette. The gifts however require careful choice to avoid influencing the decisions of the recipient. In such cases, the gift is considered as a bribe,

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

International marketing - the case of Mcdonald's Essay

International marketing - the case of Mcdonald's - Essay Example Differences in culture, behaviour and customer needs across nations have posed new challenges while also providing new opportunities in international marketing. These have altered the segmenting, targeting of the market and product positioning. Thus international marketing strategy is a comprehensive effort which entails deployment of the marketing mix to create a sustainable advantage in the international market place (Wong and Merrilees, 2007). The right marketing mix and the marketing decision can change the brand perception and enhance the firm’s reputation leading to strong brand performance. The power of global brands can be used as a means of international entry but such brands also have to adapt to cultural and other environmental conditions. 2. Company Background McDonald's is one of the most respected and recognized brands in the world. Its success is ascertained from the fact that the organization has over 33,000 franchisees across the world, operating in 119 countr ies and serving over 47 million people each day (Han, 2008). McDonald's has achieved success purely because of its ‘think global, act local’ strategy that it has adopted in all its markets. Initially however, McDonald's had an ethnocentric approach to international marketing as it tried to replicate the home country elements overseas. However, through experience and knowledge it adopted the polycentric approach and focused on the demands of the host country. 3. Standardization and Adaptation Gilani and Razeghi (2010) do not consider it necessary to adapt to the elements of the marketing mix to suit to local tastes as markets have become globalized. However, globalization has not homogenised cultures. Standardization which pertains to identical product lines at identical prices, distributed through identical distribution lines with identical promotional programs (Zou, Andrus, Norvell, 1997), is not feasible in the changed business environment as this demonstrates a produ ct-centred approach whereas organizations need to have a customer-centric approach. McDonald's, in order to fit in to the new market demands, adjusted the entire marketing strategy including how they distribute and promote their brand. The company re-designed its marketing mix based on the product positioning, branding and design. 4. Product Positioning Product positioning is the product’s positioning and image that lends it a distinct value and place in the target segment’s mind (Liu and Chen, 2000). Since buyers differ in their attitudes, lifestyle and behaviour, these differences help in market segmentation. Within each segment product positioning strategy has to differ. McDonald's initially positioned itself as the market leader with low-priced quality food (Need Coffee, 2005). McDonald’s continuously strives to serve the customers better as its vision is to be the ‘world’s best quick service restaurant experience and ensure that every customer in every restaurant smiles (Andidas, 2003). However, as it entered the Asian markets, particularly China, it had to reposition itself. Burgers in China are perceived by the elders as providing nutritional value while the youth seeks taste (Anderson and He, 1998). Even though they do not relish pizzas or fast food, but the Chinese consumers would like to be seen at fast food outlets. McDonald's strategy was to provide the ambience, music and the environment that attracted the Chinese consu

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Cross-cultural business issues Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross-cultural business issues - Coursework Example Most of them concentrate more on basic commodities, and luxuries such as extra hard engines may have a poor market penetration. The national language is Chinese, and very few people understand English. This makes communication between the marketers and the Chinese nationals difficult. Translations from English to Chinese may lose some of the intended meaning and impact (Emery and Tian, 2010). Chinese people have a slow decision making and response tradition. They have to scrutinize every detail before making their judgment. The marketers take long before getting the response, which slows down the marketing process. Gender differences are experienced in china. Men are regarded as social figures of authority, influence, and respect. Male marketers are therefore more effective than female counterparts. Social relationships (Guanxi) are family ties, relationships with strangers, and relationships with familiar people. Marketers will be regarded as strangers at first. The Chinese people h ave little ties with strangers, and may fail to communicate with them. This will hamper effective marketing for the engines. However, these ties may improve with time when the two parties become more familiar with each other. Cross-cultural communication refers to the use of language during marketing. In china, the Chinese language is dominant, and a larger percentage of the population does not understand English. The marketing staff has to engage the Chinese in word of mouth. This occurs during discussions for customer expectations, satisfaction, and product quality. English marketers may fail to explain all engine qualities or collect all expectations from the customers. Translators are required, which increases the marketing cost and the process may take longer. Marketing also requires advertisements through billboards, television, radio, internet, and newspapers. The advertisements are in Chinese language or a combination of both. Translations from English to Chinese lose some o f the intended meaning affecting the impact of the products on the consumers. The locals have to develop friendship with foreigners before they interact with them according to guanxi. Cultivating these relationships may involve dining with them or attending their social gatherings. This prolongs the marketing period (Emery and Tian, 2010). Ethnocentrism refers to reluctance to accept foreign goods. The Chinese people are reluctant to accept foreign goods, and the company requires promotions, marketing slogans, and staff training. Slogans used should not conflict with their beliefs. Staff training helps the marketers understand the culture of the locals to avoid conflicts due to different perceptions. Female marketers have to engage with the male citizens differently compared to the male marketers. Effective communication requires empathy. The two parties must try to understand each other’s ideas, feelings, and experiences. The Chinese people may be reluctant to share their id eas, expectations or feelings with the Americans. The company will therefore take long to understand the customer expectations, and the products will take long before market establishment. Cross cultural ethical differences have significant impacts on marketing. Gift giving in china is a sign of respect and business etiquette. The gifts however require careful choice to avoid influencing the decisions of the recipient. In such cases, the gift is considered as a bribe,

The Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

The Legalization of Marijuana Essay The legalization of marijuana is one of the many controversial debates in America today. Some people believe that marijuana is a gateway drug and is very harmful, marijuana enthusiast argue that cannabis isn’t harmful and can drastically improve the American economy. â€Å"Marijuana prohibition cost America $7.7 billion dollars a year.†(Head 2012) The legalization of marijuana would avail many people. If marijuana is legalized then the American government could tax it and help pay the U.S. debt also, another benefit of legalizing marijuana is that it can be used for several medicinal purposes, and lastly the legalization of marijuana would save the Americans tax dollars for not having to take care of prisoners who would be arrested dealing with marijuana. Approximately 440,000 people die a year from smoking tobacco products and alcohol poisoning kills 50,000 people annually, while no one dies from smoking marijuana. â€Å"Alcohol and tobacco, though are legal, are for more harmful than marijuana.†(Head 2012) Over 4000 harmful chemicals are in cigarettes that cause countless deaths each year but tobacco is still somehow legal. Many people say that marijuana is a gateway drug but over 60 million people try marijuana, if marijuana was really a gateway drug millions of crack heads and heroin addicts would be running around America right now. Since marijuana is the most popular drug in America of course people who abuse other substances have tried marijuana. America is more than 10 trillion dollars in debt. â€Å"The legalization of marijuana would create another item that could be taxed.† (Messerli 2011) The taxation of marijuana could drastically increase Americas Economy. Over 20 million people in America smoke marijuana on the regular basis. â€Å"A study found that legalizing marijuana and taxing it can produce considerable revenue for America.† (Head 2012) Marijuana is already a major cash crop in the United States and billions of dollars are made from soliciting the drug. If marijuana was taxed then the United States will not have to worry about being in a debt crisis. The government would also make money if marijuana was grown in the United States and sold to other countries around the world. Marijuana is not only used for pleasurable purposes but it also used for medicinal purpose as well. Marijuana can be used for people suffering from many different kinds of sicknesses. Marijuana can be used as a pain reliever; marijuana can also help head trauma victims, stroke victims, and  people who suffer from anxiety or depression. THC is a potent anti-oxidant which doctors rely for stroke and head trauma victims. Cannabis can be used for a cancer patient that is going through chemotherapy; marijuana would act as a nausea reducer which will help the patient be able to eat. If marijuana was legal then more studies would be done to help created more medicinal purposes for the herb. The prohibition on marijuana cost tax payers millions of dollars annually. â€Å"The marijuana prohibition cost 7.7 billion dollars a year.† (Head 2012) Marijuana illegality is helping other countries become wealthier, while the United States is losing money, by importing the substance in to America. The United States government arrest over 700,000 people a year for a charge dealing with marijuana, the money used for taking care of those offenders are coming out of the United States tax payers pocket. Tax payers are throwing away thousands of dollars to feed and shelter people who got arrested for having a plant. â€Å"Marijuana legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio fuel to reduce carbon emissions.† (Unknown) The legalization of marijuana could better this world, marijuana has an untapped potential to make everything better in the world. In conclusion, the legalization of marijuana could benefit everyone. If marijuana was legal the United States of America debt would drastically decrease. Also tax payers would have more money in their pockets since they will never have to pay for the marijuana fugitives in prison. If marijuana was studied more then maybe diseases would be cured that people thought would never be cured. It is no reason that marijuana should be illegal since tobacco and alcohol kills thousands a year while marijuana kills none. As Sir Paul McCartney said â€Å"I support decriminalization. People are smoking pot anyway and to make them into criminals is wrong. It’s when you’re in jail you really become a criminal.†

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Clostridium Difficile Infections Biology Essay

The Clostridium Difficile Infections Biology Essay The organism known as Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive bacillus bacteria which has the ability to form spores, as well as produce a number of toxins. The toxins produced by these bacteria are presently considered to be one of the forefront causes of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).In addition, infection of this bacteria and the subsequent damage which is instigated by the organisms invasive toxins can lead to several serious gastrointestinal conditions including pseudomembranous colitis (PHAC, 2011). According to the Centre for Disease Control (2012), Clostridium difficile is proposed to be the causative of between 15 and 25% of all AAD cases in Canada. Due to its specific pathogenesis, this organism is easily spread throughout a given population, with increased risk attributed to various factors which contribute to a higher level of exposure. Given this, there are often outbreaks experienced within healthcare facilities, as well as within community settings. In addition , the organism has well known epidemiology, with certain patient attributes, exposure to high-risk environment, medical conditions and various medications contributing to an increased risk of both the asymptomatic Clostridium difficile colonization (CDC) or the symptomatic and sometimes deadly Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Infection by Clostridium difficile can also lead to various chronic and adverse effects after the initial recovery such as recurrent infections, surgeries being required to rectify the damage which has been caused by the toxins effect on the patients bowels (3). As a result of this persistent organisms observable damage and tendency to spread, any sort of CDI outbreak has definite implications on the healthcare system, both from a fiscal as well as a resource and time-allocation standpoint. CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE Pathogenesis Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) are gram positive, spore-forming bacillus bacteria which, as an opportunistic pathogen, inhabit the anaerobic conditions of the human gastrointestinal system. It is also the leading cause of health care-associated diarrhea (Bourgault, 2011). As reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), Clostridium difficile can be isolated from the stool of 3% of healthy adults and up to 80% of healthy newborns and infants (Kujiper, 2008). The reason that it can be so detrimental in the case of an infection is that along with a number of other virulence factors, it produces two toxins, known as toxin A and toxin B (CDC, 2012). In patients who display either a colonization or infection, the normal gastrointestinal flora is depleted due to a number of extenuating risk factors. Provided with these circumstances, the C. difficile bacteria are able to flourish and overrun the patients bowel. The major agressins (Borriello, 1998) of C. difficile are u ndoubtedly toxins A and B, however, there are a number of other virulence factors possessed by the organism which contribute to its potential to cause harm. According to Borriello, C.difficile is influenced by its ability to adhere the intestinal wall, which may be caused by the organisms intrinsic slight positive net charge. This attracts to the negatively charged host cells [and] may contribute to gut colonization (Borriello, 1998). Both toxins A and B are cytotoxic to a very large number of different cell types, both cause increased vascular permeability, and both cause haemorrhage (Borriello, 1998). In addition, toxin A appears to cause fluid accumulation, whereas toxin B does not (Borriello, 1998). Clinical Features Immediate clinical symptoms of C. difficile can include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and tenderness (PHAC, 2011) as well as watery diarrhea. The diarrhea is a by-product of the toxins produced by the multiplying bacteria as they invade the mucosa of the intestines. This causes profuse inflammatory diarrhea secondary to destruction of the lining of the colon (4). In more severe cases, it can cause pseudomembranous colitis, bowel perforation, sepsis, and even death (PHAC, 2011). Diagnostic Methods There are currently several reliable, widely-used laboratory tests which are used in the diagnosis of C. difficile colonization and infection. Microbiological stool culture is the most sensitive test available (CDC, 2012) and is considered the confirmatory test, but it also carries the highest incidence of false-positives. This occurs when the patient is infected with a non-toxigenic strain of C. difficile. PCR assays have been developed for the gene which encodes for toxin B. In addition, antigen detection by either latex agglutination or immunochromographic assays (CDC, 2012) provides a fast way to detect the presence of Clostridium difficile. Again, it is non-specific for toxigenicity. Toxin testing tests for specificity to toxin B, while enzyme immunoassays can detect either toxin (CDC, 2012). As studied by Kinson in 2009, additional testing for various markers is also being investigated as a means of detecting infections. Examples of this include fecal lactoferrin, a marker for intestinal inflammation (Kinson, 2009) as well as glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), which is C. difficile-specific [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] however GDH positivity is independent of toxigenicity in strains of C. difficile (Kinson, 2009). Although its presence does confirm Clostridium difficile is present in the patient, it does not confirm that the strain present in this patient is toxigenic. Therapeutics According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, mild cases of CDI can resolve with only supportive treatment such as intravenous fluids to combat dehydration (PHAC, 2011). Additionally, the Centre for Disease Control states that up to 20% of cases will resolve within two to three days of discontinuing the antibiotic to which the patient was previously exposed (CDC, 2012). In more severe cases, the infection can usually be treated with an appropriate course (about 10 days) of antibiotics, including metronidazole, vancomycin (administered orally), or recently approved fidaxomicin (Aylin, 2011). If the bacteria have severely damaged sections of the bowel, it may have to be removed surgically as well (Louie, 2004). EPIDEMIOLOGY Risk Factors for Infection The incidence of infection by Clostridium difficile is affected by a number of risk factors, which is depicted in Figure 1 (Owens, 2008). Being hospitalized greatly increases the chances of becoming infected with C. difficile. These bacteria are shed in the feces, and are usually transmitted between patients either by healthcare workers, or by surfaces or equipment not being fully sanitized between patients (Louie, 2004). However, there has been an increasing trend of community-acquired infections as well. In a study performed at Harvard Medical School, it was found that community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection may account for more than a third of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea overall (Leffler, 2012). In addition, the use of medications such as antibiotics, particularly fluoroquinolones (Bourgault, 2011), as well as proton pump inhibitors (used to supress production of gastric acid in gastrointestinal conditions) have been shown to increase the risk of a Clostri dium difficile infection. In a study by Haider et al, it was shown that while the use of proton pump inhibitors appears to lead to an elevated risk of developing severe CDI (Haider, 2012), another widely used type of gastric acid suppressant medication known as histamine 2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) actually appears to decrease the risk of an infection (Haider, 2012). Gastrointestinal surgery is also a known risk factor for severe infection with Clostridium difficile (Louie, 2004). According to Public Health Ontario, infections are more likely to be considered severe in an elderly or immunocompromised patient (OAHPP, 2011). However, it has been shown that the presence of multiple medical conditions, or co-morbidity, is actually a better predictor then age as to the outcome of the infection. Severe CDI occurs more frequently with advancing age. However, age, per se, has no effect on mortality (Dharmarajan, 2000). IMPLICATIONS IN PUBLIC HEALTH Resource Allocation It has been shown that both the financial implications, as well as the allocation of resources within the health care system produced by Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) are quite significant. Public Health Ontario stated at the time of their study in 2010, that the cost of CDI readmissions alone is estimated to be a minimum of CAD $128,200 per year per hospital (OAHPP, 2011). A more extensive look in to the associative costs was completed in 2008 at Washington Universitys School of Medicine. Dubberke studied a population of CDAD patients and proposed that a cost of $2454 was attributed to each case of CDAD, with that cost increasing to $5042 per patient if their stay exceeded 180 days of hospitalization (Dubberke, 2008). According to the study conducted in by Dr. Forster et al (2011), an infection with C. difficile extends the patients hospital stay from an average of 8 days to an average of 34 days (Forster, 2011). This not only increases the burden on health care wo rkers, but also utilizes time and supplies which are quite preventable. CONCLUSION

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Wal Mart case study analysis :: essays research papers

Central Issue The main issue facing the management of Wal –Mart was how to sustain their extraordinary growth. As the domestic market reaches saturation, a strategy for at home and for global expansion will be necessary. Recommendation Wal-Mart needs to identify and nurture the primary core competency that fueled their growth: fulfilling customer needs with a wide spectrum of products at â€Å"everyday low prices†. This competency is the product of the aggregate of competencies across individual skill sets and organization boundaries: Wal-Mart is a leader in channel management, inventory control, distribution and customer service. This is a result of the company’s ability to coordinate a complex information management and distributing network and to efficiently manage supplier relations, through the use of new technologies and the seamless flow of information. Wal-Mart’s extensive communications network connects all stores, warehouses, offices and suppliers. This enables Wal-Mart to not only provide value to its customers by offering a wide variety of goods at the lowest prices, but also to provide value to its suppliers as a large, ever present channel for sale of goods. This channel also prov ides a highly efficient feedback loop on unit sales, demand and inventory, facilitating a just in time supply management system and an effective needs-based position. Through careful bargaining and sheer-size, Wal-Mart has power over the suppliers, and can purchase goods cheaper than the competition. Wal-Mart can also differentiates through private branding, i.e. Sam’s Choice. In addition to the added differentiation, they can become less dependent on branded manufacturers, further eroding the power that suppliers may wield. This also allows them to exploit their initial strategy of opening stores in rural areas that were traditionally neglected, by maintaining a steady supply of low priced goods with low inventory costs. This raises the barriers to entry. By offering such a broad spectrum of products at the lowest prices, Wal-Mart reduces the threat of bargaining power of buyers. Wal-Mart was a leader in Uniform Product Codes scanning. For the two years that it took K-Mart to implement their system, Wal-Mart had, at least temporarily, a competitive advantage that was both valuable and rare. Another characteristic that is valuable and difficult to imitate: a loyal and motivated workforce. It requires time to develop a company culture of dedication and commitment to hard work. Providing value to the customer through low prices and excellent customer service, the threats of substitution are reduced. Customers won’t switch to competitor chains.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Usefulness of Methods in Language Teaching Essay -- Education, Tea

Introduction: Recently a big debate has been aroused on the issue of teaching methods and their usefulness to the actual practice in classroom. Some writers start to claim that methods are dead and are no longer considered in the teaching/learning process such as Brown(2002) . Whereas some others like Bell (2007) think that method still play a vital role in the teaching learning process. This essay will examine both views with relation to my own experience as a teacher and teacher trainer. First I will give a summary of both points of view then will review the usefulness of methods in relation to my profession and context. Summary of the two points of views: Brown (2002) claims the death of methods signaling the post-method era where there is no place for formulas in the second language teaching. Basing his literature in the linguists' findings about the failure of methods to solve the learning/teaching problems. The main attack over the methods is that: Methods are too prescriptive, they are 'laden with interested knowledge' and they can't be empirically proved to work in real classroom. He goes towards the Principles Approach to language teaching with its twelve principles and the three stages of the 'crafted process' of diagnosis, treatment and assessment' to match the different contexts and situations. However, the fact of the uselessness of methods seem to be just in the theoretical phase of it, and as a debate among the linguists according to Bell (2005). David Bells conducted a survey study to measure the extent to which methods are/are not considered in practice in classrooms as an attempt to investigate Block's claim that "Whereas the notion of method no longer plays a significant role in the thinking of applied... ...ot depart from the books they were typed in. How can I - as a teacher- develop certain 'unknown' techniques based on unclear principles? Approaches are always ambiguous specially to the less trained or experienced teachers Richards & Rodgers (2001). We as teachers will always need prescribed methods, not to follow rigidly, but to have more choices. It is always a fact that "there is never was and probably never will be a method for all" Nunan(1991 :228). And there are always " aspects of all methods which might usefully be incorporated into one's classroom practice"( Ibid:248). Conclusion: To conclude, Though methods do not give one-one solution to the problems of teaching and learning, they always give us a rich source of solutions to adapt, modify and develop in our own contexts. We may not be able to claim their death, neither now, nor in the near future.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Hole in the Wall

Hidden treasure in the big city One thing that all people can relate to is the love for wonderful food. You never see people not wanting to share a great dining experience with friends, family, or the world through social websites. In every person you see the excitement of trying new foods and restaurants. We have all had that perfect dining experiences that have made an imprint on our lives. Well what I want to share with you is a place that is hidden within the growing metro of Magmata in an unlikely place.This little place is a hole in the wall restaurant allied Baa Not, this little restaurant strives to deliver an authentic Vietnamese experience to their customers in the big city of Magmata. Let me go into the history of Baa Non briefly. As explained by the owner, this restaurant is being managed by two men a Filipino and a Vietnamese, who got all the dishes from his grandmother. Which also became the name since Baa Non meaner grandmother in the father's side in Vietnamese. Baa N on puts pride that they serve some of the best authentic Vietnamese food in manila.Well enough about the history, let's get down to business, I know what you all want o hear. Let's talk about the FOOD. Well in total I tried nine different dishes each with its own individual flavor that stood out from the rest. First off the bat would be the Pooh Boo which is a homemade beef noodle soup with spices and fresh herbs. The broth was tasty without being overpowering that would normally overpower the flavors of the spices and the fresh herbs but this was not the case you could taste every flavor in the dish.The balance of the dish is worth mentioning since you rarely get such good beef noodles which is not overpowering in taste. What also interested e was the fact that in the menu, there was a guide on how to eat the dish. First, you need to squeeze the lime on your pooh then add the bean sprouts and the basil after that, put the chili depending on your taste and finally, add the black bea n paste and stir or mix it. We decided to try the two kinds of spring rolls they had to offer, it was Go Con and Chaw Gig and the difference between the two is that Go Con was a fresh spring roll while the Chaw Gig was fried spring roll.Go Con is made of pork, shrimp and vermicelli attractively rolled in rice paper served with their famous meant sauce which I think was a marvelous peanut sauce. It had lots of flavor and also was not to thick a great accompaniment to the Go Con . The Chaw Gig is a mixture of ground pork, shrimp, taro, and black fungus wrapped and deep fried and served with fresh greens and traditional NCO AMA dipping sauce. Between the two spring rolls I have to put my money on the Go Con which was very well balanced and add that with the peanut sauce, you are asking for a recipe for success.We had four main dishes for our meal. We chose all the house-favorites/recommendations. The first of the dish was the Boo Luck Lack stir-fried spiced beef served with fried basil . The beef was cooked medium rare with sesame seeds and the beef had a good flavor and when eaten with the fried basil it blends since the basil was fried the intense flavor was mellowed to allow a good combination with the beef. The owner told us meat could not meet the standards of the owners.The second dish was the Ga Among which is grilled chicken in rich lemongrass marinade. The grilling of the chicken was amazing it was moist but also tasty and the taste of the lemon grass was intense which gave it a nice flavor. The third is had Soon Mongo Xa, pork rabbets flavored with their special lemongrass fusion, pan-fried and served with soy-chili sauce. This dish was a tad plain but I still got the good fusion of flavors but it was not strong enough to compare to the other two dishes I tried earlier.The That Hoe KHz Truing is a sweet-savory dish of pork and egg simmered in coconut Juice this dish I think was a mistake to order. It was very salty and didn't fit with all the other dishe s we ordered. The main course was good overall with three hits and a miss. We had Ban Dan Loon for our dessert. This dessert made everything worthwhile; the dish is eke a mixture of Spain-Spain and stating but with a filling in the middle topped with a coconut cream and sesame seeds.The dish was sweet but not too sweet to make you forget all the other flavors you had during your meal. I think this is one of the highlights of our dining experience. For the drink I had their new Vietnamese Blended Mocha which is not yet in their menu since the owner is still testing it out and is looking for feedback from guest before placing it on their menu. The flavor of the strong coffee and the nice sweetness of the chocolate made the drink a big plus n my books. The drink was balanced and very good since that day was quite hot.Well I guess this has to conclude recount of my visit to Baa Not. I will leave you with this, everyone has good dining experiences but it takes a good combination of servi ce and food to make this experience a memorable one and I must say Baa Non has made an impression of me. I for one am confident to call it a hidden treasure. So why not try it yourself to see if what I wrote is true. I bid thee farewell and hope you had as much fun reading as I had recalling and writing this article.