Political Cartoon Analysis Essay

In this political cartoon, â€Å"The Security Blanket† sketched by Eugene Payne (speaker), an Army veteran that later became an award-winning cartoonist, gave his thoughts over the Great Debate over gun control (subject) through this cartoon. The occasion surrounding this topic is the gun control in the US. This cartoon was directed towards the people (audience) who want more gun control (those who agree) and the hunters who want to be able to get weapons (disagree). It had first appeared in 1983 October 5 on the Charlotte Observer to present the readers with knowledge and the importance of the ongoing gun control debate. The purpose is that Payne is in favor of gun control and against the NRA’s belief in owning weapons. His tone in this sketch seems critical, because he is expressing his views over the gun control usage in which Payne clearly shows that hunters are ignorant, since they change their reason in owning a gun just for the purpose of keeping it. Now for Ethos, he establishes his credibility through his stand in opposing the NRA for being lenient on hunters. As for Pathos, he portrays the hunter as childish and babyish needing a â€Å"Security Blanket.† He represents this blanket, as the NRA and the Bill of Rights to explain that they use these excuses as a cover up to keep their fire arms. Thus with that information, he clearly established a Logos, since he explained the immaturity of hunters and the lack of reasoning they have to own a firearm. In this political cartoon, â€Å"The Security Blanket† sketched by Eugene Payne (speaker), an Army veteran that later became an award-winning cartoonist, gave his thoughts over the Great Debate over gun control (subject) through this cartoon. The occasion surrounding this topic is the gun control in the US. This cartoon was directed towards the people (audience) who want more gun control (those who agree) and the hunters who want to be able to get weapons (disagree). It had first appeared in 1983 October 5 on the Charlotte Observer to present the readers with knowledge and the importance of the ongoing gun control debate. The purpose is that Payne is in favor of gun control and against the NRA’s belief in owning weapons. His tone in this sketch seems critical, because he is expressing his views over the gun control usage in which Payne clearly shows that hunters are ignorant, sincethey change their reason in owning a gun just for the purpose of keeping it. Now for Ethos, he establishes his credibility through his stand in opposing the NRA for being lenient on hunters. As for Pathos, he portrays the hunter as childish and babyish needing a â€Å"Security Blanket.† He represents this blanket, as the NRA and the Bill of Rights to explain that they use these excuses as a cover up to keep their fire arms. Thus with that information, he clearly established a Logos, since he explained the immaturity of hunters and the lack of reasoning they have to own a firearm.

The Other Washington Monument: Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s Contentious Career

Modern stories of daughters of the American Presidents and their clutched lives have been exemplified by teenybopper movies such as Chasing Liberty and The First Daughter. These films typically tell of the heroine’s quest for individuality, freedom and love and usually end with their realization that their position as the President’s daughter holds as much responsibility as the President himself. The life story of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, first daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, would have catapulted into a bigger hit, if it gets to capture the drama, glamour and the controversies that highlight her long life of ninety six years.Amidst Turmoil and Catastrophe: A Picture of Determination and Character In February 12, 1884, Alice Lee Roosevelt was born in Manhattan to eighteen year old Alice Hathaway Lee and twenty four-year old, Republican member of the New York state legislature, Theodore. Her tragic birth seemed a sign of the turbulent life this American socialite would lead later on. A few days after Alice’s birth, both Theodore’s wife and mother passed away. The former died of a kidney disease and the latter of typhoid fever.Perhaps as a result of this, or of Theodore’s political ambitions to become mayor of New York City, Alice has never seen much of her father while she was growing up, so she was raised by Theodore’s sister Anna, whom she called Aunty Bye. Anna was unmarried but sociable and would fill in stories of her real mother to Alice, as a compensation for her apathetic father. Alice would also later comment that Aunty Bye was a significant and optimistic influence in her life (Beres, 1995).After three years under Aunty Bye’s care, Alice moved in (because of her stepmother’s bidding) with Theodore and her new wife, Edith Kermit Carow in Sagamore Hill, Long Island. She later became the eldest in a brood of six, but was believed to have a distant relationship with her family. Even though Alice gre w up without the care of a mother, she obtained the elegance and beauty which was widely adored by the public (Bingham, 1969). This occurred despite her contraction of polio in 1887, an infection which almost crippled her.In fact, she would later be praised for a flawless posture, which resulted from her stepmother’s recourse to stretch her legs every night as a cure for her viral disease (Beres, 1995) or, according to Cordery (1995), from wearing leg braces until she was aged thirteen. Teen Life at the White House Despite losing in the mayoralty race in New York in 1886, Theodore Roosevelt’s political career became one of the most unparalleled in the history of the United States. He battled corruption as he held positions in the US Civil Service Commission and the New York City Board of Police Commissioners.He became one of the youngest Presidents at forty two after having been sworn into office because of the assassination of then President William Mc Kinley in Septe mber 1901. Alice was seventeen years old then and seemed to struggle with her popularity to the media, as she thwarted when given the nickname â€Å"Princess Alice† by the journalists. She was also lucky (or unlucky, as she would later comment, that her celebration was a â€Å"dowdy† arrangement of her stepmother) to be the first Presidential daughter to have debuted under the Executive Manor, which incidentally, was renamed the White House by Theodore Roosevelt.During these times, Alice’s attitude was characteristic of today’s rich, famous and reckless teenage celebrities. Alice also had her share of the â€Å"Paparazzi moments†, rebellious attitude and controversies. She was a regular at the weekly publication â€Å"Town Topics† at Washington, DC, the predecessor of E-buzz in the 1900’s. Her favorite shade of blue, so called â€Å"Alice blue†, became a fashion fad and she inspired and popularized songs like â€Å"Where art t hou Alice† and â€Å"Alice Blue Gown†.She was widely imitated and her image represented the wrong kind of cool, as she was, as Beres (1995) states, â€Å"blunt, opinionated, scandalous, and highly unpredictable †¦ the smoking, drinking, racing around in cars and betting on horses†. This behavior brought negative publicity to her family. Perhaps to derail this trend, Alice was sent as an emissary of her father to Cuba and Puerto Rico, and to Japan, China, Korea and the Philippines during the 1905 Russo-Japanese war settlement (Cordery, 1995).But it was her marriage to Nicholas Longworth in February 17, 1906 that spoiled her rampage, much to her father’s contentment. They traveled after their famed honeymoon in Cuba and were accompanied by the royalty of Germany, France and England in their visit to Europe. Her Political Ascent and Demise Her fame as a politician, or somewhat, as a handmaid of the politicians, became eminent after her marriage, as she s upported her Father’s and Nicholas’ campaigns and became the center and promulgator of social events.However, during the 1912 elections, Theodore, who was then running for his third term at the Presidency, lost along with Nicholas who was also failed to win as Senator. With her help and support, his husband regained position in 1914, while she invested her time with issues concerning World War I, the League of Nations and the Ohio Republican Committee. With the loss of her father in January 6, 1919, she continued to strengthen her territory in the political arena. She championed the controversial issue on women suffrage in 1920, as Beres (1995) thought, not because she found it important, but because it was contentious.Two days after her 41st birthday, she gave birth to her only daughter, Paulina, who was rumored to be her child to Senator William E. Borah. Nonetheless, Nicholas, who died in 1931 while he was Speaker of the House, was a devoted father to their only chi ld. She declined when offered to run for her husband’s position but constantly graced the political field with presence. During the time of Hitler’s violent reign, contrary to her father’s legendary involvement on many international political concerns which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, she pioneered isolationism for the US.Her witty but frank and intrepid, mostly mean (Bingham, 1969) comments, aptly referred to as swordplay by Skow (1988), have earned her the reputation of being a major influential political and historical character in her time. In fact, according to Keegan (2006), she would have made an atrocious American Idol judge. She authored Crowded Hours in 1933 when she was 49 and continued to goad both politicians and the public in her ephemeral column My Day. She was also a constant critic of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and many other US presidents.Paulina, on the other hand, who had a constant appeal for her mother’s lo ve, committed what was thought to be suicide at her young age of thirty two. Alice took care of her granddaughter Joanna who had unrelenting loyalty for her until Alice’s death (Cordery, 1995). On the contrary, Skow (1998) mentioned that Alice lived alone for the remainder of her life. She was buried beside Paulina, when she died on February 20, 1980. References Beres, C. B. (1995). â€Å"Alice Roosevelt Longworth. † DISCovering U. S. History. Gale Research: [Electronic copy]. Retrieved September 6. 2007. In â€Å"Alice Roosevelt Longworth.† Great Lives from History, Frank N. Magill. (Ed. ) American Women Series, v. 3. Salem Press. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/HistRC/ Bingham, J. (1969). Before the colors fade: Alice Roosevelt Longworth. [Electronic copy]. Retrieved September 6, 2007. American Heritage Magazine, 20:2. http://www. americanheritage. com/articles/magazine/ah/1969/2/1 969_2_42. shtml. Cordery, S. A. (1995). Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth. Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 10: 1976-1980. Charles Scribner's Sons. Keegan, R. W. (2006).An American princess. Time Magazine. [Electronic copy]. Retrieved September 6, 2007. www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207827,00. html Longworth, Alice Roosevelt. (1933). Crowded Hours: Reminiscences of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Charles Scribner's Sons. Longworth, Alice Roosevelt. (2007). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved September 6, 2007, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/eb/article-9048900 Skow, J. (1988). Swordplay Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Time Magazine. [Electronic copy]. Retrieved September 6, 2007. www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967243,00. html

Kayte Clark (case) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kayte Clark ( ) - Case Study Example To successfully bring a case of discrimination against her employer under ADEA, there are certain things that Kayte Clarke must prove. In the case of Palasota v Haggar Clothing Co., 342 F.3d 569 (5th Cir. 2003), the Court outlined what the plaintiff must prove to show that indeed there was discrimination that is actionable under ADEA. Citing the earlier case of Bodenheimer v PPG Indus., Inc., 5 F.3d 955, 957 (5th Cir. 1993), the Court enumerated the following: the plaintiff was discharged; he was qualified for the position; he belongs to the protected class at the time of the termination; the employer did any of the following to him (a) replaced him with another who is not within the protected class, or (b) replaced him with a younger person, or (c) simply discharged on account of his age. Applying the aforesaid in Kayte’s case, she must provide proof that she is 40 years old or above at the time of her termination and therefore within the protected class under s. 631(a) of th e 29 USC Chapter 14 (or ADEA), proof of her termination and her qualifications to the position and the fact that she was discharged on account of her age. Moreover, ADEA requires that the employer must have at least 20 employees to bring the case within its ambit under s. 630(b). An act of employment discrimination may be proved either directly or indirectly. Indirect proof is conducted using the â€Å"pretext† method prescribed in the case of McDonnell Douglas Corp. v Green, 411 US 792 (1973). In that case, which involves discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Court held that prima facie evidence from which it can be inferred that there was discrimination may be offered in lieu of direct proof. The employer is then given an opportunity to rebut it with contrary evidence, to which the plaintiff must counter-prove as a mere â€Å"pretext,† because the real reason was actually discrimination-based. On the other hand, if Kayte is to bring a suit under the ADA, she must prove the threshold requirements of the law, which are: she has a disability within the ADA context; she is a qualified individual under ADA, and; she has suffered an adverse employment action because of such disability (Huber 267). Section 12102(1) of Title 42 of the USC (known as ADA) defines disability as: physical or mental impairment significant enough to interfere with major life activities; is recorded, and; seen or regarded by others as such. Legal blindness is defined by the American Medical Association as an eye condition in which a person can see details only at a distance of 20 feet or less using the best conventional correction as opposed to the normal 200 feet vision reach of persons with 20/20 vision or can detect objects only at a field of 20 ° degrees or less (Corn & Koenig 6). In the case of Sutton v United Airlines 527 US 471 (1999), the Court ruled that a person who is legally blind, but whose vision impairment is correctable, is not disabled under the ADA. Under the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, the mitigating factor established in Sutton and similar cases was specifically rejected under s. b(2) thereof, but not the use of eyeglasses or contacts that â€Å"correct visual acuity or eliminate refractive error† which is now incorporated as s 12102(4)(E)(ii) and (iii)(I) of ADA. The implication of this is that Kayte may not qualify if her vision impairment is correctable by eyeglasses or contacts, but may qualify if instead of eyeglasses and contacts, the impairment is cor

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Essay Example To restore what had been lost Mr. Schultz brought back the original logo of the brown mermaid rather than the green mermaid. The purpose was to focus back on the nostalgia of the past and celebrate the long term successes of the coffee company. Remind the customer of the good times and tell them they will have more. Link to full article: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2008/id20080411_065581.htm Quote #1 The image of the twin-tailed mermaid inside the brown medallion harkens back to the chain's 1971 beginnings. The logo has evolved over the years, going from brown to green in 1987. This is the second time in three years Starbucks has trotted out the brown mermaid, inspired by a Norse woodcut. Back in 2006, she was resurrected to mark the chain's 35th anniversary. This time, she is a messenger for Chairman Howard Schultz, who is trying to restore some of the goodwill and warm feelings for the brand that have gone by the wayside because of increasing coffee prices, mach ine-made lattes, and bad press. Symbolic tenet shown in not what is shown or done, but what it means (Bolman & Deal, 2008). In an effort to generate the positive emotions of the past, Schultz is bringing out the logo (a symbol) of the past to try to regenerate those positive feelings.

Between Cinders and Thistles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Between Cinders and Thistles - Essay Example y. Exactly how similar they are brings me back to their structural simplicity. Western versions of Cinderella has been structured simply however complexity in the tales would prove more effective in relating to the reader the morals being implied in the stories. In Campbell Grant's Cinderella, the protagonist is being identified as an underdog who never questioned the injustices done to her. In this question on her innocence or guilt concerning the treatment she receives as the hand of her stepmother, Cinderella poses a pathetic figure, especially when all she could do is sit "weeping in the garden" (Grant) after all her sacrifices. She appears to accept cruelty as if she were born to suffer. And the sad thing about it she never seems to question or discover if there can be some way she could transcend her situation. In contrast, John Gardner immortalizes a stronger heroine in Gudgekin who, given the opportunity by the fairy queen, took her shot as this transcendence, motivated by her pity for others. Meanwhile it appears that Grant's Cinderella felt her persecution more intensely because of her apparent self-pity. Self-pity established this early appears to not have the same effect at wisdom compared to its later attainment in Gardner's ve rsion. Though Gudgekin concedes to her persecution, Gardner narrates the thread of her emotions and reasons for accepting her fate. As he writes, It was a bitter life, but she always made the best of it and never felt the least bit sorry for herself, only for the miseries of others. Cinders 3 the reader reflects on the particular complexity of Gudgekin. "At the stroke of midnight, the spell will be broken. And everything will be as it was before" (Grant), the rule that Cinderella must return from the ball by midnight implies that the fairy godmother has given the protagonist only a one-time magic offer with conditions and no promises. Moreover, it was not explained to the reader what exactly provoked the fairy godmother to help Cinderella other than her tears. The fairy never questioned why Cinderella wanted to go to the social event. It was only by the assumption perhaps that a girl is likely to want to go because all the others were also going or have already gone. With Gudgekin, it was clearly defined why they went to the royal ball, for the reason the fairy queen wanted to change Gudgekin's naive perspective as a means of self-awareness, "it's time you saw the world." (Gardner) And compared to Grant's Cinderella, the fairy queen worked her magic about three times without conditions, except to bring her home to her stepmother in time for her curfew. In Cinderella, the violence is being established collectively while in Gudgekin, the violence escalates gradually, with the stepmother increasing her demands of thistles so as never to be outdone at the market and figuring a way of ridding herself of her Cinders 4 ward. In the first version, the

Sleeping-Deprivation for College Students Research Paper

Sleeping-Deprivation for College Students - Research Paper Example As per the same study, almost 20 percent of the college students admitted to remaining awake at night, at least once a week (Medical News Today 1). It was also reported that more than 60 percent of the college students do tend to have disturbed awake-sleep cycles, and some of the college students resort to alcohol and substance abuse to combat the fatigue and stress caused by sleep deprivation (Medical News Today 1). Though the average sleep requirement for the young adults stands to be eight hours, it is merely thirty percent of the college students that manage to muster 8 hours of quality sleep at night (Medical News Today 1). When it comes to weeknights, 20 percent of the college students remain awake all night, at least once a month, while almost 35 percent of the college students tend to remain awake till 3:00am in the morning (Medical News Today 1). Surprisingly, it was observed in some studies that Asian and African American students tend to suffer less from poor sleep habits as compared to the Latino and White college students (Medical News Today 1). Considering their young age, many a times, college students tend to underestimate the relevance and importance of sleep in their academic and personal life. Students have been noted to compromise sleep during high stress periods without understanding that by doing so they tend to sabotage their physical and mental health. So, considering the available data, there is no denying the fact that the college students tend to be the most sleep deprived pool in the regular population. Importance of Proper Sleep in a College Student’s Life Sleep deprivation not only impacts a college student’s ability to remain awake in the class, but also has a direct impact on a college student’s academic performance. Sufficient and adequate sleep is vital for a college student who intends to remain alert and awake (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 1).

Operations Management for Creating Competitive Advantage Essay

Operations Management for Creating Competitive Advantage - Essay Example The report also evaluates the various financials behind the activities as well as the budget that may be required. PROBLEM FACED BY TESCO The problem faced by Tesco is that of sustaining its market leader position. Competition from Sainsbury and other leading retail stores is a big threat for Tesco and it does not want to lose out on market share to these competitors. Thus, improving on operations management is one of the basic things that it can do. The various issues that it primarily faces with respect to operations management are that of layout, location selection, supply chain management and inventory. METHODOLOGY The methodology that was used was that of secondary sources. Books were referred and internet resources were checked to get information on the general theories of operations management as well as the way operations management is used in Tesco. RESEARCH ON TESCO AND IDENTIFICATION OF KEY ISSUES OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT THAT TESCO FACES Founded in 1919, Tesco is one of United Kingdom's leading companies. It is an international chain, retail based, which initially used to sell grocery but with time, has diversified into general merchandising. In Britain, it has the prestigious title of being the top most and the largest retailer, if measured through global sales as well as the market shares that they have captured on a domestic level, within Britain. So be it be the domestic competition or the international competitors, Tesco has left them all behind. Tesco also has improved over the years and thus has secured the fourth best and largest retailer in the whole world in the top ten countdown of the year 2008. Thus, the whole alignment and setting of the top five retailers got altered because of the increase in... In this report, Britain-based company Tesco has been aimed and its operations management activities have been analyzed. Recommendations on how OM activities can be improved have also been given. The report also evaluates the various financials behind the activities as well as the budget that may be required. This paper makes a conclusion that the problem faced by Tesco is that of sustaining its market leader position. Competition from Sainsbury and other leading retail stores is a big threat for Tesco and it does not want to lose out on market share to these competitors. Thus, improving on operations management is one of the basic things that it can do. The various issues that it primarily faces with respect to operations management are that of layout, location selection, supply chain management and inventory. The methodology that was used was that of secondary sources. Books were referred and internet resources were checked to get information on the general theories of operations management as well as the way operations management is used in Tesco. Tesco is one of the largest retail stores of UK, thus it needs to constantly improve and out do its own self to maintain the leader position. For this, productivity and efficiency has to be increased with time. This can only be made possible if Tesco invests in better operations management, since it will give a sure shot competitive advantage to the company over its competitors.

How South Korean students make decision for choosing master course Dissertation

How South Korean students make decision for choosing master course abroad - Dissertation Example The primary objective of this research was to examine the choice factors that prospective South Korean students considered in choosing their master courses abroad, as well as the source of information employed in the decision making process. A non-probability convenience sample of 150 international students from 10 higher institutions abroad took part in the study. Data was obtained through questionnaires, which were distributed to the participants through their email addresses. The data obtained was analyzed through percentages and put in tables. The observations of the research suggest that job outcomes and prospects, parental influence and academic reputation ranked the highest significant choice factors. Beauty of the campus, co-curricular activities and the institution’s website rankings were the least significant choice factors. The internet was ranked the most useful source of information for potential students. Friends and institutional publications ranked the least us ed sources of information. 1.0 Introduction Internationally, higher education is experiencing significant changes, including the generation of partnerships (Newby, 2003), increased concentration on the universal market (Kwong 2000), and increased competition (Ehrenberg et al, 2006). Additionally, Baird (2006) denotes that higher education institutions also face financial pressures. These institutions are faced with increased prominence on technology, globalization, and transformation policies. Globalization has boosted competition through opening national and international boundaries. This makes it essential for such institutions to market themselves effectively. It is imperative for institutions to assess and re-assess their marketing strategies aimed at attracting potential master’s students. Over the past few years, there have been increased promotions, advertisements and other marketing stratagems evident in the higher education sector globally (Etzel et al, 2007). Moreov er, it is necessary for the higher education institutions to understand how to reach potential students and what to say in order to effectively communicate with them. Putting into account all the difficulties that these institutions go through, it is apparent that they will have to turn out to be more market focused (Lamb et al, 2005). An appropriate evaluation of the choice elements that South Korean students consider in choosing their master courses abroad, on top of the sources of information conferred with, will assist institutions understand how to target the prospect students. Numerous researches have been carried out in the field of marketing for non-profit making organizations including universities. Numerous scholars have examined the significance of institutional image in attracting students to choose the institution (Palacio et al 2002; Pabich 2003), on top of the choice aspects that students consider when registering with a university (Punnarach 2004, Gray & Daugherty 20 04). Marketing has been the only medium employed by higher education institutions to communicate with the prospective students. In reference to Abaya (2004), marketing a higher education institution is simple and multifaceted at the same time. Higher education institutions subsist primarily to offer a unique educational and campus experience to students. For this reason, higher

International Intercultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

International Intercultural Management - Essay Example ncient times, many different matters are in the need to be managed, control of army, population management, religious matters, practices and management of culture across borders is a matter present from thousands of years. Corporations and business is changed in recent times, now even corporations are working globally and keeping cultures and philosophies part of the key factor which they consider while working globally. This world has become a global world and in order to make best out of the business world, no one can survive alone and these cultural barriers are also been broken. Domestic Market has started expanding globally and this globalization came with a huge responsibility of maintaining peace and harmony amongst different cultures and countries, this management is the key factor to reach the top of this corporate world. Advancements within the technologies associated with connection and also transportation, plus the lessening charges associated with production, brings about an increasing number of corporations benefiting from your developing accessibility associated with worldwide areas. Management of resources and all other business related matters around the world is becoming easy and cultural differences are becoming minor factor in growth and development. Leadership can be described as a position of a leader who guides others and being a good leader requires many qualities and a person who possesses such qualities can be a good leader. Good or bad leadership defines the success or failure of the particular country. Leadership is a very important pillar of a country, whole nation depends on the one pillar which makes or breaks a country. In broader perspective it can be said that leadership of a country is responsible success or failure of a country. Nigeria, Pakistan and China are different in terms of leadership and style of Government in these countries is diverse. Being a democratic country Nigeria has this negative image in terms of leaders

Group portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Group portfolio - Research Paper Example One of the core values that Haier has is the rights and wrongs sense in which the product users are always right while the company need to improve itself2. The value acts as a motivator, hence forming values for customers. Therefore, the firm’s employees work their best to meet the customer’s requirements in addition to generating a wide variety of choices that they can choose from. The workforce has a mind-set, whereby, they feel the need to persistently advance themselves, which they perceive to be the only way they can continually refuse, dare and outdo themselves to realize triumph through establishment of innovation out of change. The organization, in addition, has an adaptive culture that has led to its growth, whereby, it maintains its pace with the social growth as well as remains in case of any world changes. Its innovativeness as well as the entrepreneurship character enables the firm to uphold a competitive benefit in the ever-changing market. That is to say, the more radical the world changes the quicker the speed of customer’s variation, hence, the more lasting the inheritance turns out to be3. In addition, the organization has employed the concept of two spirits, innovation and entrepreneurship, which is considered to be the gene for the company’s consistent culture. The gene ensures that all members of the workforce maintain their value as well as aid them in their individual development. It is also mandated for every employee to have the entrepreneurship and innovation spirits. Entrepreneurship is considered to be the spirit of pioneering work in which the company persuades all employees to have it4. They are encouraged to transform from being supervised and instead become their own managers. On the other hand, innovation specializes on creation of new value, which is majorly generated from creation of new product users. Lastly, the interest theory of â€Å"win-win model

Assessment Methods Essay Example for Free

Assessment Methods Essay What is assessment? Black and William (1998) declare that the term assessment is generally used to refer to all activities teachers use to help students learn and to gauge student progress. There are many different forms of assessment, however they can generally be divided into two main categories; formative and summative which can be formal or informal. Formative assessment focuses on the gap between where a learner is in their learning, and where they need to be. Marshall (2006) states that formative assessment gives you more flexibility, your assessments can focus on the individual needs of your learners. Formative assessment is usually carried out during the learning process and is a form of giving feedback to the learner, in order for them to understand how they are progressing and to identify areas that may require further attention and what they need to do to achieve the learning outcome. Summative Assessment on the other hand tends to be a formal measuring of the learning and focuses on the achievements of the learner at a particular time. This could be at the end of a term or at the end of a particular program of study. It is generally used to identify if the learner has achieved a level of competence and/or knowledge. Summative assessments can take the form of test, exams Practical, oral or written, the individual is usually given a score which can result in a pass or fail. Assessments can be Objective or Subjective. When assessments are objective, the questions asked have a single correct answer; these questions can take the form of multiple choice or true and false answers. When assessments are subjective, the questions asked may have more than one answer and can take the form of a written response such as an essay. There are also criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessments. A criteria-referenced assessment measures what a learner can actually do (their competence) and it is measured against a set standard, an example of this is the current driving test. Whereas, norm-measured assessment compares learners one against each other, an example being the IQ test. As a teacher in my teaching practice I use a variety of assessment processes. I use criteria based formative assessment in the skills-based Basic First Aid course; learners are expected to be able to perform effective CPR and to be deemed competent they are measured against a set criteria defined by the Resuscitation council and Health Safety Executive regulations. I use observation to measure whether they meet these criteria. However the assessment required for the First Aid at Work course, which is more in depth, requires a summative assessment, which takes the form of objective questioning to ascertain if the learner has gained clearly defined knowledge base and a practical skill test to ascertain if the learner is able to perform effective first aid. This assessment is a defined pass or fail. All learners on our NVQ program are measured by performance criteria which define the context for assessment laid down by the accrediting bodies, and both formative and summative criteria-based assessments are used. This allows the assessor to give students feedback on their development and on areas that may require further attention and also to observe when they have reached occupational competency. All assessment processes must first start with an initial assessment. Black and William (1998) suggest that this initial assessment (for learning) focuses on the gap between where a learner is in their learning, and where they need to be. This assessment is a good starting point to discover what skills your learner has and to direct them to the next stage. I carry out an initial assessment on candidates undertaking NVQ training. This is used as a tool to develop an individual learning plan for them. During this assessment process we would ask the candidates to complete different forms and questionnaires in order to gather the information for their plan. This would include a numeracy and literacy test to judge their level of skills and to ascertain if they will need to be referred for extra help and a learning styles questionnaire so that we can tailor any training towards their preferred learning style. Initial assessment can also be used informally at the beginning of a course as a tool to establish learners existing knowledge and expectations. This information can be used to bias the teaching towards the needs of the learners and also focus the learning towards the learners’ expectations. Other types of assessment can be used to judge whether a learner has made progress such as self-assessment. This is where the student reflects upon their own progress and assesses their own development and achievements made during their learning journey; or it can be a peer-assessment, where the learners peers (who are on the same learning journey) assess the learners developments and achievements through observation of their practice during the journey; or third party, which is where another person not on the learning journey, assesses the learners progress by examining how they have put the knowledge/ skills they have learnt into practice, (these would be a supervisor or manager). Assessment can occur in a number of ways including observation, watching and evaluating the learners progress which works well for practical skills-based courses; written questions to gain an understanding of the learners knowledge in their own words, although this can discriminate against those whose written English skills are less developed; Multiple Choice questionnaires, again this is to assess their understanding of the taught material, and ensures equal opportunities for everyone as it is suitable for those who may be concerned about their writing / spelling or who may be nervous. Please see assignment 8. 3. 6 record keeping in regard to assessment record keeping. REFERENCES Black, Paul, William, Dylan (October 1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Beta Kappan. Available at http://www. pdkintl. org/kappan/kbla9810. htm. Marshall B. (2006) Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector BTEC Level 3 Edexcel Limited London (page 81) Wikipedia (2009) Assessment (online) available at http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Assessment accessed on 11/12 Oct 09Ã'Ž

Making a Central Bank Independent

Making a Central Bank Independent Why has the idea of enhancing the independence of a central bank gained such popularity in recent years around the globe? Do accompanying accountability arrangements matter? The desirability of Central Bank Independence (CBI) has snowballed since (Alesina, A 1988) stated that his paper argues tentatively that independent Central Banks have been associated with a lower average inflation rate and may have been responsible for reducing politically induced volatility of monetary policy and inflation. As a result, we may be lured into the assumption that CBI was the brainchild of Alesina or Rogoff (who produced literature with similar results around the same time) and that it is a brand-new, groundbreaking concept. However, the issue of CBI is as old as central banking itself with David Ricardo arguing its benefits (or certainly the drawbacks of non-independence) in a paper written in 1824. Keynes articulated his thoughts on central bank independence while testifying to the 1913 Royal Commission into an Indian central bank. He stressed that the ideal central bank would combine ultimate government responsibility with a high degree of day to-day independence fo r the authorities of the bank. Clearly, as it is government legislation that created and gave powers to the central banks, there has always been a relationship between the two and they cannot be entirely distinct. Debate surrounding CBI considers the appropriate level of distinction (if any) and the potential benefits to the economy at large that such a separation would provoke. So if the theory behind the benefits of independence is almost two centuries old, then why has its popularity only soared in the last few decades? (Goodhart, C.A.E 1994) utilises Friedmans analysis of the Phillips Curve (1950s) to suggest that stagflation in the 1970s is a primary factor behind the surge towards CBI. The Phillips Curve displays the apparent inverse relationship (when the pressure of demand in an economy is low) between inflation and unemployment. Thus, Phillips suggested that the authorities were able to choose an optimal combination, or find a sufficient trade-off between the two, which is exactly what Governments attempted to do in the 50s and 60s. However, this theory was shot to pieces in the 1970s when the rate of inflation consistent with a given level of unemployment kept rising: stagflation. Friedman explained this by stating that the inverse relationship only ran true in the short-run. In the medium and long-run, he argued that the Phillips Curve would in fact be vertical and that there was no trade-off between inflation and unemployment. The implication of this was that those in charge could now use m onetary policy as an instrument to control inflation in the medium and long term without compromising growth or employment within the same time horizon; thus enabling fiscal policy and supply side measures to be utilised in stabilising shocks in the short term. Governments soon adopted medium-term financial strategies for bringing down inflation and began to use supply-side measures for promoting growth. Herein lay the problem, in that now a conflict of interest arose for those in charge. In the short-run, with expectations given, expansionary monetary and fiscal policies would raise employment and allow excess growth above the long-term level. However, Ministers were aware that although it may take some time to show up, higher inflation will be the inevitable result in the long-run. (Goodhart, C.A.E 1994) holds a very cynical view of politicians and suggests that they may forgo their medium-term economic responsibilities and lower taxes or raise expenditures before elections to ind uce a feel-good factor that would get them re-elected. The resulting inflation would only rear its ugly head after the election when they could tackle it by raising interest rates and thus maintain the boom/bust cycle. If they did not get re-elected it would be the next Governments problem and hence political short-mindedness and lack of credibility is laid bare for all to see. (Fraser, B.W 1994) is a lot less sceptical of politicians and argues that it is uncertainty rather than exploitation of the short-term inflation/unemployment trade-off that can inject inflationary bias into the policy making process. He argues that because no-one knows with any confidence what the long-term growth capacity limits are or what the natural rate of unemployment is, it is very difficult for politicians to heed warnings about operating above these limits whilst under pressure from the electorate to maintain or stimulate growth. Similarly, they do not know the length of the lags between policy chang es and their impact on growth and inflation, thus Fraser implies that it is only natural for politicians to believe that they can push the economy a little bit further. Or, as William McChesney-Martin, the Governor of the US Fed from 1951 to 1970, said They may be reluctant to take away the punchbowl just when the party gets going. Irrelevant of your personal degree of cynicism towards politicians, it is clear that an independent authority with a long-term vision of price stability and no inclination towards inflation is the only remedy to rescue the electorate from a spiral of inflationary doom inflicted by governments. Pre 1971 a large degree of price stability was autonomous in the developed world with first the Gold Standard, then the Bretton-Woods system anchoring prices to a fixed level. (Fraser, B.W 1994) proposed that the earlier arrangements had imposed an international discipline on countries but when those arrangements passed into history, the responsibility for maintaining price stability reverted to national authorities. This perhaps adds more credibility to Frasers lack of scepticism as for example, (excluding war times) the UK government had not had this burden since 1717, a completely incomparable financial era. Coupling this 250 year knowledge gap, with the temptation of short-term benefits at long-term costs, it is of no surprise that Government-managed monetary policy was doomed to collapse. After this was realised, the move towards an Independent Central Bank evolved naturally as it solved both the politicians and publics concerns. Following over a decade of failure, politicians wanted rid of the price stability burden and someone else to blame for its failure (Kane, E 1980) and the public wanted monetary policy to be controlled by an institution with credibility (Rogoff, K 1985) so that their expectations were met. Despite conveniently tying together, these two arguments are not exhaustive in explaining the rise in popularity of CBI in recent times. Under the Maastricht Treaty, all states wishing to enter the European Union must have an independent national central bank so as to complement the ECB and the European System of Central Banks, whose job it is to ensure that the Euro area benefits from price stability. The EU has adopted such a hard-line stance on the basis that the success of the German economy of maintaining low inflation has arisen from the independent nature of the Bundesbank. Therefore, the installation of an independent central bank (the scope of independence is not legislated) has been forced upon all twenty-seven member states regardless of whether they had previously suffered inflationary problems. However, it must be noted that by applying to join the EU, each member state is already willing to concede its control over monetary policy in the long-term to the ECB, so an inte rmediate step to a national independent central bank would not present a significant hurdle. Many commentators have looked at who in the economy benefits most from CBI and have drawn conclusions on the reason for the growth of central bank independence from there. Those emphasising the interests of the financial sector as key are perhaps the most logical. (Posen, A 1993) and (Bowles, P White, G 1994) suggested that independence has been encouraged by financial interests and global institutions taking advantage of a crisis of governance in the 1980s and 1990s. The benefits for such institutions are obvious; a credible monetary policy allows for accurate expectations within a business plan and low inflation maintains real wages and ensures low interest rates for accessing credit. Therefore we can accredit some popularity of central bank independence to the shift in political power towards large corporations, with the most notable example being the USA. Linked to this, (Maxfield, S 1997) proposed that Governments in some fast-growing economies hold the perception that foreign investment from such large corporations will therefore be more forthcoming if they have an independent central bank. Other commentators have looked elsewhere in society with (Piga, G 2000), suggesting that the aging of some populations has promoted creditor interests. However, this is not supported by the speed of reform as although populations are aging, they do not do so suddenly whereas the popularity of central bank independence took off very rapidly. So it can be seen that there may be many different reasons behind the surge in popularity of CBI and as a result it seems natural to conclude that different levels or types of independence would be more suitable for these different variations. Similarly, the different nature of governance and democracy in countries dictates the need for a reasonable amount of flexibility and varying accountability within central bank independence. The norm within the literature is to follow Fischers (1994) dichotomy between goal and instrument independence, although many different measures of independence have been investigated and published; most notably (Cukierman, Webb, and Neyapti, 1992) and (Grilli, Masciandaro, and Tabellini, 1991). Goal independence refers to the central banks capacity to choose policy goals without being under the direct influence of the fiscal authority (usually the Government). The Bank of England lacks goal independence because the inflation target, which is very specific measure, is set by the government. In the USA, the Humphrey-Hawkins Act requires the Federal Reserve to conduct monetary policy to promote the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. These goals are described in vague terms providing the Fed some leverage to translate these into operational goals and thus allowing it a high level of goal independence. Instrument independence alludes to the central banks ability to freely adjust its policy tools in pursuit of the goals of monetary policy (Walsh, C 2005). Despite lacking goal independence, the Bank of England has instrument independence: it is provided its inflation mandate by the government and then it is able to choose its instruments without any further direction. However, the Federal Reserve has complete instrument independence in addition to having a large degree of goal independence. How can a nation that prides itself for being democratic justify handing over complete control of monetary policy to a group of un-elected officials? In addition, such a system would surely not resolve the issue of uncertainty regarding inflation policy as the public, who clearly distrusted them before, now have to rely on politicians to choose suitable people to control monetary policy. The simple solution is accountability; if central banks make their decisions transparently and/or are held acco untable for their actions, the public can feel a lot more confident in making expectations. The reputation of a central bank plays a key role in how much accountability is required; the longer the CB has delivered its promises/targets, the more trustworthy it is deemed to be and the less accountability is required. The empirical evidence seems to support this assertion. The German Bundesbank, often compared to Rogoffs Conservative Cental Banker (Rogoff, K 1985), has a very high level of independence but almost no accountability and this is sustainable only because of its reputation. Since the hyperinflation of the 1920s the Bundesbank has been careful to reflect, or even cultivate a public acceptance of the need for price stability (Bank of England 1996). This means that the inflation-averse German people are happy to trust the Bundesbank to deliver low inflation because of its impeccable track record over the last 50 years. This suggestion is strengthened by the following graph, where low inflation is related positively to low accountability: At the other end of the spectrum, the Bank of England and even more so the Reserve Bank of New Zealand are held accountable for their results, despite their comparative lack of independence. This may be explained by their relative infancy within the realms of CBI (The BoE became independent in 1997 and the RBNZ in 1989) and so in either case there has not been enough time to build a reputation. With regards to the UK, the terrible collapse of the Medium-Term Financial Planning system under Thatcher may remain a coal stoking the fire of the publics political cynicism, adding further need for a high level of accountability. There are three main channels by which the BoE demonstrates its transparency and accountability to both the Government and the public at large. Primarily, the inflation target itself is the cornerstone of the authorities medium-term price stability objectives and provides an indisputable measure of failure or success that is simple to understand. This is in stark contrast to the MTFS where numerous measures (e.g. Â £M3, M1, PSL2), which were not immediately recognisable to the man on the street, were used and muddied the water if targets were missed. In addition the minutes of the meetings between the Chancellor and Governor, where monetary policy decisions are made and discussed, are published each month along with the Inflation Report, detailing the Banks own scrutiny of inflationary patterns. In comparison to The New Zealand Approach, where the Governor can be sacked for missing an inflation target, having the Governor of the BoE write a letter for the same crime seems particular ly soft. However, if we compare the relative successes of the two banks since they adopted independence, we see that until 2007 the BoE never missed a target and that in 1990 New Zealand had 8% (RBNZ Website) inflation when its target was 0-2%. This evidence seems to add credence to the suggestion that more accountability is required with a lesser reputation. The 1990s saw both developed and developing countries move in their droves towards increased central bank independence. This trend was sturdily influenced by empirical analysis of the relationship between macroeconomic performance and independence [see Alesina and Summers (1993), Jonsson (1995), andEijffingeret al. (1998)], which among the developed countries suggested a negative relationship between independence and inflation. For this reason alone it is of no surprise that CBI popularity grew, but coupled with the earlier stated reasons it seems to have become a necessity to successfully run a modern Government and economy. By adopting independence, a restriction on government interference in monetary policy is imposed; while making the central bank transparent and accountable imposes a restraint on how it utilises this independence. Both of these constraints are desirable as they allow those more knowledgeable to influence policy and provide those responsible for making policy someone else to blame if it fails. However, transparency by itself is not necessarily adequate for a monetary institution; after all, what good is the CB missing its objectives but just being very honest about it after? Instead, transparency can help the institution combat inflation bias and promote confidence in expectations, either by itself or in conjunction with central bank independence or even a formal central bank contract (Bank of England 1996), as in New Zealand. Finally, the empirical evidence linking independence, accountability and low inflation is conclusive. From the graphs above we note the inverse relationship between accountability and independence, which suggests that they are substitutes rather than compliments (Bank of England 1996). Hence, we can conclude that in terms of inflation targeting, accountability is equally as important as central bank independence, as one or the other (not necessarily both) is required for success. In addition the positive relationship between accountability and inflation history suggests that, at least for a short time period, accountability can be used as a substitute for a reputation of low inflation. Thus providing an instantaneous removal of the problems associated with the rational expectations model and allowing low inflation to be enjoyed by all. References: Alesina, Alberto. Macroeconomics and Politics. In NBER Macroeconomics Annual, pp. 17-52. Cambridge, 1988. Alesina A, Summers L.Centralbankindependenceand macroeconomic performance: some comparativeevidence. In Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 25: pp 151-62(1993) Bank of England. Central Bank Independence Accountability: Theory and Evidence. In Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, February 1996, pp-63-68 Bowles, P and White, G. Central bank independence: A political economy approach.In The Journal of Development Studies31(2) (1994), pp. 235-264 Cukierman, A., S. B. Webb, and B. Neyapti. Measuring the Independence of Central Banks and its Effects on Policy Outcomes. In The World Bank Economic Review, 6, pp. 353-398. 1992 Fischer, S. Modern central banking. In The future of Central Banking (1994), Eijffinger SCW, Schaling E, Hoeberichts M.Centralbankindependence: a sensitivity analysis. In European Journal of Political Economy 14: pp.73-88 (1998) Fraser, B.W. Central Bank Independence: What does it mean? In Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin, 1994. Grilli, V, D. Masciandaro, and G. Tabellini. Political and Monetary Institutions and Public Financial Policies in the Industrial Countries. In Economic Policy 6, pp 341-392. 1991 Goodhart, C.A.E. Central Bank Independence. In Journal of International and Comaparative Economics, 3. 1994. Jonsson G. Institutions and macroeconomic outcomes theempiricalevidence. In Swedish Economic Policy Review 2: pp.181-212. (1995) Kane, E. Politics and Fed Policymaking: The More ThingsChange, the More They Remain the Same,In Journal of Monetary Economics,6,2(April 1980), pp. 199-211 Maxfield, S. Gatekeepers of Growth: The International Political Economy of Central Banking in Developing Countries 1997 Piga, G. Dependent and Accountable: Evidence from the Modern Theory of Central Banking,In Journal of Economic Surveys vol. 14(5), December 2000, pp 563-95 Posen, A. Why Central Bank Independence Does Not Cause Low Inflation: There is No Institutional Fix for Politics. In R. OBrien (ed.), Finance and the International Economy. 1993, pp 40-65. Rogoff, K. The optimal degree of commitment to an intermediate monetary target.In Quarterly Journal of Economics100(1985), pp. 1169-1189 Walsh, C. Central Bank Independence Prepared for The New Palgrave Dictionary December 2005 RBNZ Website: http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/keygraphs/Fig1.html

Chapter Two: Design

Chapter Two: Design 2.1 Chapter Overview This chapter presents a summary of the the review of literature regarding the subject of design and captures various aspects and thoughts on this. Various thoughts, process and research particularly related to the design process are explored. This chapter encompasses the definitions, characteristics, discussions and applications of design. It is intended that this chapter should give some clear background on the understanding of the design process and its development in todays world of design research. While the literature review provides a useful background of current research in the material, process and RM systems, the literature available on the design aspect for RM products is severely limited. First a review of the literature for definition of the term design is presented. A discussion of the act of designing then follows. Next, the type of knowledge associated with design has been discussed. Finally, various thoughts of process of design have been reviewed. This introduction should provide the reader with a context for interpreting the remaining chapters of this report. The full version of this chapter can be referred to Appendix 3. 2.2 Chapter Summary Design is a complex activity, involving artefacts, people, tools, process, organisations and the environment in which this takes place. This chapter has explored and discussed the subject of design and captures various aspects and thoughts on this. Various thoughts, process and research particularly related to the design are explored. However, the assumption that there exists a set of universally accepted design process is an area that can be further explored. Conclusively, design is seen as a possible but subjective process. This leads to different sets of interpretation being used by different researchers. Whilst there may be some dispute about the precise definition of the term design, it is recognized as a purposeful and creative activity. In summary, design seeks to create things with the purpose of satisfying certain requirements in new ways that improves the quality of lives. In product design, a variety of requirements must be considered ranging from functionality and usability to pleasure. However, design is more than just translating a set of requirements into a product. Also, and more importantly, it involves finding new requirements. Thus, design involves finding problems and solutions simultaneously, and this is where creativity is important. Designing a product involves a constant decision making process that includes problem solving in a sequential fashion and analysis of constraints at each step. Product designers conceptualize and evaluate ideas, making them tangible through products in a more systematic approach. The role of a product designer encompasses many characteristics of the marketing manager, product manager, industrial designer and design engineer. The role of the product designer combines art, science and technology to create tangible three-dimensional goods. This evolving role has been facilitated by digital tools that allow designers to communicate, visualize and analyze ideas in a way that would have taken greater manpower in the past. (This appears in identical form in Wikipedia!) A number of formal structures and frameworks to better understand the design process have been suggested from many different disciplines by many researchers. Most of them have converged upon the general form proposed by Pahl and Beitzs. Pahl and Beitz (1996) outline a model of the design process for mechanical design that considers not only the sequence of stages, but also what the output of each stage. They divided the design process into four phases that includes planning and clarification of the task, conceptual design, embodiment design and detail design. However, this research is concern with the understanding of the design process for Rapid Manufactured products. One of the objectives is to understand how the design process works and how it is learned and performed by professional and expert designers. The aim of the research is to support the design process with the aid of computers. Finally, this chapter has given some background on the understanding of the design process and its development in todays world of design research. Chapter Three: Computer Support Tools for Design 3.1 Chapter Overview This chapter presents an overview of various tools to generate CAD models for RM processes and the decision support systems, tools and techniques used to support the design process. The full document of this chapter can be referred to Appendix 4. 3.2 Chapter Summary Computational tools play an essential role in providing support for the designer, because of their speed and capability for handling huge amounts of information at fairly low costs. There are various methods to aid designer to generate CAD models such as CAD softwares, reverse engineering and haptic devices. CAD traditionally refers to computer tool to visualize, describe, edit and test manufactured artefacts, which are now an essential part of all manufacturing and production processes. CAD systems often involves more than just shapes. CAD has evolved to incorporate several other applications of computer integration with engineering, manufacturing and simulation. CAD now offers the capability of freeform surface modelling and solid modelling operations that allows user to create almost any complex geometry and photo realistic rendered images. Reverse engineering is an important tool to generate CAD models. To reverse engineer a part, the part is measured by a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) or a 3D laser scanner. The use of reverse engineering technology not only increases the overall accuracy, but also improved the productivity of manufacturing process. There are various areas of applications of haptics devices. In manufacturing, haptics can assist design for assembly and for rapid design and prototyping. In computer-aided design, designers can experience real time details with their hands, such as wanted or unwanted artefacts of a design which are difficult to display visually. It is also possible to assess human maintainability of complex systems before they are built . The increasing power of computer has lead to the development of software, tools and techniques to support the design activity particularly to make design decisions. Most of the decision support tools are related to the knowledge base systems or often called as expert system. Expert systems are computer programs that are derived from a branch of computer science research called Artificial Intelligence (AI). AIs scientific goal is to understand intelligence by building computer programs that exhibit intelligent behaviour (Boyle 1989). It is concerned with the concepts and methods of symbolic inference, or reasoning, by a computer, and how the knowledge used to make those inferences will be represented inside the machine. The main characteristics of the Expert Systems can be briefly described as: reduced decision making time, enhancement of problem solving capabilities, a capture of limited expertise and its diffusion, an increased output, productivity and quality; accessibility to know ledge, ability to work with incomplete information and provision of training(Ziemian, Crawn 2001). There are several methods used to support the decision making process such as Case-Based Reasoning (CBR), fuzzy logic, Artificial Neural Network, Rule Base System and Ontology. CBR is a problem solving technique based on the adaptation of previous examples that are similar to the current problem(Maher, Balachandran Zhang 1995). An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is an information processing paradigm that is inspired by the way biological nervous systems, such as the brain, process information (Moridis, Economides, 2009). Fuzzy are developed using the method of fuzzy logic, which deals with uncertainty. This technique, which uses the mathematical theory of fuzzy sets, simulates the process of normal human reasoning by allowing the computer to behave less precisely and logically than conventional computers (Shu-Hsien Liao 2005). Rules are probably the most common form of knowledge representation and they are present in most Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications such as Expert Systems and Decision Support Systems (Obot, Uzoka 2009). Rule base system uses rules as the knowledge representation for knowledge coded into the system i.e. knowledge is stored as rules. Rules typically take the form of if then statement. Ontology in both computer science and information science is a formal representation of a set of concepts within a domain and the relationships between those concepts (Shu-Hsien Liao 2005). Ontology is a system of vocabulary, which is used as a fundamental concept for describing the task/domain knowledge o be identified. This vocabulary is used as a communication basis between domain experts and knowledge engineers. On the other hand, there are a number of selection tool for RP system has been developed since 1993 (Masood, Soo 2002). The selection of the most suitable RM process is dependent on factors such as build envelope, accuracy, material, build speed and other machine related parameters. This chapter has explored and discussed the general overview of the various tools to generate CAD models for RM processes and the decision support systems, tools and techniques to support the design process. Various CAD data development systems and tool have been explored. Furthermore, various expert systems technologies that support the decision making process have also been explored. Conclusively, CAD and reverse engineering technology are the most well known CAD data development systems. In addition, expert systems are the most well known decision support tool that have been used for various applications. Having become widely used for a broad range of applications, some elements of an expert system could be considered to have the capability to be a design aid tool that could realise the DfRM tool. In the context of design support systems for RM technologies, due to the direct manufacturing of products from CAD data, the cost and time are low mainly because complex objects can be generated without the use of conventional machines. So far within the RM field little attention has been given to the product design phase, emphasis is normally on the development of the technology itself (processes, materials, building strategies, system selection, manufacturing parameter optimisation etc). On the other hand the operation and choices which take place during the design phase are crucial for the quality of the product produce.

Essay --

Let’s Improve our Writing through Reading Do you know that successful and famous writers read a lot! They read different types of materials ranging from books, magazine, newspapers etc. Why do they read a lot? Does that indicate something and have a meaning? Reading a lot help the reader to understand and get the art of language. In addition, it helps the reader appreciate the finer words. Reading a variety of written materials motivates the reader. It helps the reader to identify a gap which provides the reader with a chance to address the issue that has not been addressed by other writers, while failure to read variety of written materials limits a person’s vocabulary. This might kill the dream of becoming a successful writer. A person yearning to become an author must make reading a habit and personal passion. This is through looking for reading materials and creating much time to reflect on the reading. Students must be ready to read widely. This is through combining both old and current pieces of writing. This would help students to understand the progress that has been made by authors. This is important in helping the reader to come up with a unique piece of writing that will catch the attention of people and make a change in the society. Reading increases students’ confidence, knowledge, skills, and strategies. As a result, for students to become successful writers they need to read a lot; write down and note as many point and vocabularies as possible and sharpen both reading and writing skills as much as possible. When a student is young, the student is unable to write effectively, as the student is exposed to reading materials, the writing skills become more effective. This is the case for a person or student who is pl... ...s and journal etc. to obtain new ideas in different and variety of fields, learn new vocabularies and fall in love with writing. When reading, it’s important to write down and note the important points and ideas. In addition, it’s important to write down your own thoughts and ideas as they come. These are important in composing your ideas into a piece of writing. When reading, ensure that you analyze the character, plot or theme. This is through breaking down the book. As a reader, you should analyze why the writer make the choices in his book, how did the character convey their qualities and how did the book start of lay out the whole plot. In addition, it’s important to understand how the theme was portrayed in the book. This helps reader to be able to understand how to draft an attractive theme, plot and qualities of the characters. This makes you a great writer.

Images Of Light And Darkness I :: essays research papers

In his play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare weaves a timeless tale. Although it is over 400 years old, Romeo and Juliet, is as interesting today as it was at its inception and my guess is that its appeal lies in its subject matter. Shakepeare picked a theme that’s been known to cause indigestion and sleep loss for centuries. And yet, regardless of the ills associated with it, it remains a topic of worldwide interest. And that is simply, love. My mother says that love is one of the most overused, misunderstood words in the English language. Over time, I’ve asked friends what they thought â€Å"it† was. I’ve always received differing answers. It’s when he opens the door. It’s when she does the laundry. It’s that thing that causes insanity. It doesn’t exist. It existed only in the middle ages. It’s what everyone is hunting for and no one can find. Forget about it. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Tenth Edition) defines it as: 1. (1): strong affection for another rising out of kinship or personal ties. 2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion. 3: unselfish loyal and benevolet concern for the good of another. 4: to thrive on. Spiritual masters say that love is all there is. They also say in order to truly know something, one must know it’s opposite. To know hot, one must experience cold. To know sorrow, one must have known joy. To love, one must hate. (Or at least come pretty damned close to it.) Without darkness, one cannot appreciate light. Professors of English say that the greatest writers are those who can â€Å"hook† their readers. Those who can propel a story forward. Divide and contrast. Divide and contrast, they say. Friction produced by opposing forces creates great drama. Shakespeare is a great dramatist. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare opens with a prologue that basically outlines the entire play. After finishing line fourteen, the reader isn’t required to continue reading because he/she knows the outcome. Shakespeare has given the reader the end. There really is no reason to read on. And yet they do. The reader continues because Shakespeare was a genius at creating dramatic tension. In Romeo and Juliet, he uses two main vehicles to do so. One is the theme of love (Romeo and Juliet) versus hate (The Montagues and the Capulets). The other is the theme of darkness and light. For purposes of this paper, I will look briefly at the use of light and dark imagery as it is associated with the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet.

Comparing Islam and Christianity Essay -- Religion Compare Contrast Ch

Comparing Islam and Christianity Although they share several basic theological ideas, Christianity and Islam differ on countless key characteristics. The most prominent differences include atonement, the identity of God, heaven, view of Jesus, and the perception of the Christian Bible. It is these not-so-subtle contrasts of thoughts that separate the two most prevalent religions in the world. One of the most important differences in Christianity and Islam is the concept of atonement. In Christianity, Jesus’ death on the cross allows Christians to repent from their sins and gain forgiveness from God. Conversely, in Islam there is no atonement from sins with Allah, though they still repent and confess their sins. While Christians believe that their sincere repentance provides them with a new, clean slate with God, Muslims believe that, despite their repentance, their sins will always be held against them when judged on the final day. These differing views on forgiveness set the tone for each respective religion, with Christianity seen as a forgiving, loving religion, and Islam being viewed as a hard-nosed, action-based religion. Another important difference between Christians and Muslims is their views of God. Despite the fact that Muslims claim Allah is the same as God the Father, Christians deny such claims, citing the fact that they worship the Holy Trinity. Christians follow a triune God, equal parts God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though each has specific roles and responsibilities, Christians view them as one God. This differs from the Islamic point of view of a singular God, called Allah, holding a similar role as creator and maintainer as God the Father. Interestingly, Muslims apply a similar role ... ...s the Hebrew Messiah, thus finally saving the Jews from their sins. His death on the cross and resurrection provided Christians with the opportunity to be forgiven from their sins and have a chance to live with God for eternity in heaven. While Muslims respect the teachings of Jesus, they view Him only as a great prophet, but not as great as Muhammad. They believe that God replaced Him with Judas on the cross, thus dispelling the Christian belief that His death saved them from their sins. While they are conceptually similar, the major differences between Islamic and Christian theology become obvious upon further inspection. The aforementioned differences, most importantly each religion’s view of Jesus, prevent Muslims and Christians from agreeing on anything theological, and have created a chasm between the two cousin religions currently dominating world theology.

Pest and Porter’s Five Forces Analysis of Barclays Bank Essay

PEST Analysis Barclays Bank identified the sustainability as a means of recognizing and managing the economic, social, and environmental issues across the Group, and at the same time, contributing to the wellness of the society. PEST analysis is created to identify the factors that might affect the sustainability of the organization. Political Analysis The sustainability of Barclays’s agenda has expanded rapidly. It reflects the company’s increasing focus on the wider nature of business and made the stakeholders growing interests in competitive world of business. There is now a great awareness about the global challenges such as climate changes, poverty, scarcity of resources, and demographic shifting. The responses came from the government and from different businesses, as well as the non-profit organization helped the Barclays made it possible for the sustainability. Economic Analysis The approach to the sustainability program is useful and encourages the company to be open and transparent to the issues such as the initiatives in further research and development, dialogue with the government and various organizations, and their priorities. Barclays enable to broaden their focus on corporate responsibility to prove that they play an essential role in establishing an economic advantage in the country where they operate. Social Analysis The sustainability strategy focuses in their objective to improve the value of the business and their stakeholders. They give importance on the customers and clients such as maintaining the understanding of their needs and promoting the company by measuring satisfaction. It can be only possible  by focusing of their global performance by their assurance to develop an innovative solution and enhancing performance. On the other hand, the people working under their organization make a great advantage in the performance of the business. In addition, they attract employees to collect the talent, develop them according to the competent world, and retaining them as much as possible. Technological Analysis The Barclays uses the means of technology for their business especially in the areas of inclusive banking. Their aim to help the people in fight against poverty is possible through their financial system. The technology makes it possible to empower the system and establish a competitive advantage. Pioneering the new ideas, adding the skills and operational excellence are part of the guiding principle of the organization. Read more: http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2010/09/pest-and-porters-five-forces-analysis-of-barclays-bank.html#ixzz14SgOwmCo

A Midsummer Nights Dream: Battle of the Sexes

Option #1 Battle of the Sexes In Shakespeare’s play titled A Midsummer Nights Dream, there are a few underlying themes throughout the play. The one I will be focusing on is the battle of the sexes that occurs in the play between the couples in the fairy world, and in the â€Å"real world. † We see unusual styles of courting women, and paradoxical qualities of love dramatized with the battle of the sexes that occurs throughout the play. Shakespeare is able to portray a battle of the sexes through Oberon’s jealousy of Titiana’s new love, and through Helena’s desperate determination to have Demetrius love her as much as she loves him.We are fist confronted with this battle for love when Titiana and Oberon meet and begin to dicuss who will have â€Å"custody† of the changeling child. We see Titania show extreme affection for the boy, and I believe that is out of jealousy and anger toward Oberon who has been sleeping with other women like Phillida and Hippolyta â€Å" Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love, to amorous Phillida† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 261 lines 67-68). The boy is a child to one of Titania's worshippers that has passed away and seems to be of interest to Oberon.Shakespeare ties this battle between the two fairies to the change of the weather and the winter coming. Oberon mentions that this bad weather that is created and the entire fight could be stopped if he could have the changeling boy as his henchmen â€Å" Do you amend it then; it lies in you. Why should Titania cross her Oberon? I do but beg a little changeling boy, to be my henchmen† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 262 line 118-121). Titania responds by saying, â€Å"The fairy land buys not the child of me† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 262 line 123). This infuriates Oberon and causes him to act drastically.Oberon knows he has to win Titania's love back to get what her wants and Shakespeare makes it very intere sting the way he approaches Oberon’s courtship. Instead of winning back her love with flowers and attention, Oberon intends on drugging his Queen and has her fall drastically in love with the next object or creature she lays her eyes on. The battle of the sexes that Shakespeare has started is just starting to heat up. Oberon cannot stand that he is not getting his way with this changeling that Titania is obsessing over and that she does not obey her King.This situation amy be compared to a husband and wife fighting over the possession of a child when going through a rough point in his or her relationship. Although currently, I do not believe that a magical flower exists that can drastically change a person’s affection level toward you. In Shakespeare’s world, this item does exist and causes more bad then good in this play. Titania is ready to brawl over the possession of the boy and Oberon does not like it â€Å" Titania: We shall chide downright, if I longer s tay. Obe: Well; go thy way. Thall shalt not from this grove. Till I torment thee for this injury† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg.   262 lines 145-147).It is obvious that the two are at each other’s throat and need some fairy marriage counseling. We can see a superiority complex form here in Oberon where is willing to try drastically to get what he wants even if he has to drug his own queen. This is an aggressive way to court your lady if you ask me and would not fly by today’s standards of courting a woman. The next couple we see participating in the battle of the sexes is Helena and Demetrius. Demetrius has been given Hermia’s hand in marriage from her father and becomes enraged when she runs away with her true love Lysander.Helena, who loves Demetrius, tells him Hermia is running away with Lysander in hopes he will pay more attention to her and love her for telling him of the event that is taking place. This does not turn out the way Helena plans and Demetrius runs after Hermia cursing at Helena the whole time â€Å"I love thee not; therefore pursue me not† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 262 line 189). Helena shows desperation here and chases after Demetrius love while saying, â€Å" I am your spaniel; and Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 263 lines 203-204).Through this line, it is obvious that Helena will stop at nothing to have Demetrius’s love. This battle of the sexes in both couples’s situations was stemmed from jealousy in my opinion. Helena seems to blame Hermia’s beauty as the reason behind all this trouble with Demetrius and we can see a comparison between Helena and Hermia happen in Act. 2 scene 2 â€Å" Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies, for she hath blessed and attractive eye. How come her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears; If so, my eyes are oft’ner wash’d than hers. No, no; I am as ugly as a bear ;† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 264 line 90-95).The jealousy displayed by the fairy couple is slightly different from that of Helena and Demetrius. Oberon displays jealousy toward Titania because she is in control of the changeling and will not allow Oberon to make him his henchmen. Oberon displays this jealousy through frustration and anger that he cannot get what he wants. â€Å" Well; go thy way. Thou shalt not from this grove. Till I torment thee for this injury† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 261 lines 67-70). Oberon is not the only one either; Titania displays jealousy and anger toward Oberon for not being faithful to her â€Å"Why art thou here?Come from the farthest steep in India but that, forsooth, the bouncing amazon, Your buskin’d mistress, and your warrior love† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 261 line 67-70). Titania is jealous at the other women in Oberon's life and angry with Oberon for not being faithful and disregards any of his requests as a way of getting back at him. Shakespeare can work these themes into his play through the main characters ever so beautifully and touch on many areas of love. Shakespeare does in fact bring in a few paradoxical qualities of love into his plays and seems to add moral value to this play by doing so.Through the characters in the play, Shakespeare can instill these moral values and touch on them throughout the play. Shakespeare discusses how love is blind to some, and mainly men in this situation by using the characters in his play. We have Helena speaking of how one should not look for love not with your eyes but with your mind â€Å" Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 259 lines 233-234). Later in the paragraph, we also see Helena say that Demetrius made an oath to her to only be faithful to Helena but when he saw Hermia, those oaths seemed to melt away.Almost as if love is a game to him which Helena hopes to win. What seems to be a constant theme in this play is that men are asses and are attracted only to physical beauty not true love even when true love comes chasing after them in the woods. We see bottom back this up with his recollection of his â€Å"dream† â€Å"I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about expound this dream† (Riverside Shakespeare, 1997, pg. 275 lines 205-206). Shakespeare seems to be playing with the idea that true love always prevails by making the end of the play end where Helena is paired with Demetrius finally.Oberon gets what he wants but realizes the issues he has created because of his ignorance and fixes the mess he created. The moral values that are instilled in this play such as true love is not in the eyes but in the mind and that true love will always prevail are instilled and displayed through the characters of the play. Shakespeare can portray the battl e of the sexes in this play through the themes of jealousy, true love, and desperation that the couples in the battle of the sexes display.

Ritz-Carlton Hotels

Case Application – Making you Say Wow (Chapter 3 page 68-69) When you hear the name the Ritz-Carlton Hotels, what words come to your mind? Luxury? Elegance? Formal, or maybe even dull and boring? Very expensive? Three words that the company hopes come to mind are exemplary customer service. Ritz-Carlton is committed to treating its guests like royalty. It has very different corporate cultures in the hotel and lodging industry, and employees are referred to as â€Å"our ladies and gentleman. † Its motto is printed on a card that employees carry with them: â€Å"We are Ladies and Gentleman serving Ladies and Gentleman. And these ladies and gentleman of the Ritz have been trained in very detailed standards and specifications for treating customers. These standards were established more than a century ago by founders Caesar Ritz and August Escoffier. Ritz employees are continually schooled in company lore and company values. Every day at 15-minute â€Å"lineup† sess ions at each hotel propoerty, managers reinforce company values and review techniques. And these values are the basis for all employee training and rewards. Nothing is left to chance when it comes to providing exemplary customer service.People looking to get a job in this hotel are tested both for cultural fit and for qualities associated with a real passion to serve customers. A company executive says, â€Å"The smile has to come naturally†. Although staff memebers are expected to be warm and caring, their behaviour towards guests had been extremely detailed and scripted. That is why a new customer service philosophy implemented in mid-2006 was so different from what the Ritz had been doing before 2006. The Company’s new approach is almost the opposite from what the company had been doing till 2006.Do not tell employees how to make guests happy. Now they are expected to figure it out. Says Diana Oreck, vice president, â€Å"We moved away from the heavily prescriptive , scripted appproach and toward managing to outcomes†. The outcome didn’t change, though. The goal is still a happy guest who’s really happy and delighted by the service received. Howevery, under the new approach, staff members interactions with guests are more natural, relaxed, rather than sounding like they are reading lines from a book.

Puddle Girl Essay

She gazes out the window, self-consciously adjusting the straps of her shirt. She shivers as a chill creeps out from the weathered window pane and draws a limp cardigan from the overstuffed chair she has perched herself upon. The pounding of the rain slowly begins to abate and diverts into a soft, gentle roll of tears from the sky. She clasps the cardigan closer to her body, as she mentally counts off the number of ribs she can feel through the heavy, wool blend. Haplessly she utters the sigh of a woman far beyond her years and reaches to open the beckoning door. Her frail, ivory hand encloses on the scuffed brass door knob and she abruptly looks about her, as if she is waiting for someone to reprimand her. She braces herself against the wind’s knocking chill and steps out into the blighting, crisp, after-rain air. Though she is wearing the two layers she had previously dressed herself in that grey morning and the four other layers she had wrapped herself in throughout the day , she still shivers, the drizzle gently pinpricking her spine. The soft, baby hairs rising on her arms, she raises her diminutive hand to touch the baby-fine smattering of gold silk upon her head, to find that it drifts off through her bony fingers to the earthen ground. She touches her head again and this time her gaze lands upon the aimless settlement of one golden strand. Whirling and twirling, it’s angelic decent is cushioned by the tender rain’s droppings that had accumulated into a softly swirling puddle. In an impulsive childish manner, she squats down alongside the water mass and peers at the blustery, silken strand. As it writhes and dances across the still body of water, it creates perfect, symmetrical ripples of movement and sooner than later, to the young girl’s objections, the hair is stifled by the peaceful puddle’s saturation. And just as her lips utter yet another far-matured sigh, a reflection subsequently appears and the girl, in a melancholy, self-induced habit stares at the image impressed upon the water’s glass. There is a girl in the puddle and she stares back with a desolate stare. Where once sparkling blue eyes glistened is now replaced with the color of grey misery, the twinkle engulfed in the world’s shallow appetite. Her cheeks sunken with the sharp edge that only appears with years of self-destruction and facial expression contorted into the tightness of concentrated self-loathing. Convulsing, the young girl abruptly shatters the ebbing puddle girl’s image, sending her nose, eyes, and tight-lipped un-smile into all directions. Trembling from  anger, fear, pain–a mixture of such pure and raw emotion that to describe it would be impossible–the young girl crumbles down onto the cold, unyielding cement. Cradling her head, allowing the swirling torrent of feelings to take over her being†¦once again the rains begin to fall and as each drop rolls down her once rosy cheeks, she sobs and thinks of days gone past.

The Role of Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of Music - Essay Example This essay discusses that music is a powerful medium in the society that helps in controlling communication. Songs assist in sharing meaning and promote development and maintenance of individual groups. For instance, the protest songs are used in showing the composition of social conditions that are prevalent in a society during a particular time. Protests could be used to fight against racism, an abolition of hierarchy, elimination of women suffering and crudity. In the community, protest songs are a powerful tool that helps individuals explore some of the iconic and evocative moments in history. The primary function of the work songs is to mental rather than physical. During the enslavement of the Negros, the white people encouraged them to sing these songs as an illusion for the body to work mechanically. The songs sang accommodated the type of work that they did and, as a result, some songs were developed. Work songs help individuals to be more efficient.This paper declares thatà ‚  music promotes unity in the society. The protest songs are formed as a result of people coming together in agreement to oppose a particular thing. They give a sense of unity and allowchange; this especially can be seen throughout the American history. The use of music at work allows everybody to take part in the discourse practices of labor activities with a uniformity of the mind.  Blue music helps in the relaxation of the mind, during leisure time or when traveling long distances.

The Indispensability of Business Simulation Exercise Essay

The Indispensability of Business Simulation Exercise - Essay Example The team has not worked well as it was expected to. There has been a lack of cohesion, lack of a collective attitude and members have rarely communicated to share on individuals’ progress and challenges that have faced them in the simulation process. We have also lacked identifiable qualities of good teams that perform collectively. The group’s inability to merge its potentials eliminated positive effects of diversity, effects that promote collaborative work towards successful outputs. This means that our individual output levels have been less than the level of quality that we could have achieved had we incorporated ourselves into a single group and explored our knowledge for completing the simulation (Belbin 2012, n.p). The lack of teamwork also undermined interdependence for encouragements and motivation (A & amp; C Black 2009, 14- 15). The team’s weak collectiveness also identifies communication challenges as a barrier to cohesion. This is because the team me mbers have never communicated with each other. Only one member has been effective in communication. Lack of interest in each other’s contribution, poor attitudes, and cultural differences are possible causes of the realized poor communication into a less collective team (Means 2009, p. 12). The team did not illustrate significant signs of strength because even its existence was not felt in facilitating its objective. It however communicated diversified weaknesses that range from leadership, managerial and communication inefficiencies. Poor communication was a major factor because members, except one person, did not make efforts to consult with other team members on the simulation’s scope.

Health Care Fraud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Care Fraud - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the Patient Protection Affordable Act which was formulated in 2010 helps resolve the problem of increased healthcare cost by reducing fraud and abuse. The above act has been adopted by many organizations as the guiding principles in the fight against fraud. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act implemented in 2009 helps direct government resources that help in law enforcement efforts of fraud prevention. Some the organizations geared toward the control of health care fraud include the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association which controls Insurance related fraud cases in healthcare. The Public-Private Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership among public and private sectors whose sole purpose is to detect and prevent fraudulent payments and claims.As the study highlights  the United States has achieved great success in the fight against health care fraud through the partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Depar tment of Justice. The above two organizations have been in charge of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program. This program has been instrumental in implementing fraud control prevention, detection and reporting systems.   In 2009, the DOJ and HSS formed the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team. The HEAT has also been instrumental in ensuring defendants are convicted, and millions of fraudulent billings are detected and prevented.

Consumer Behaviour in Action Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Behaviour in Action - Coursework Example Need recognition results from imbalance between actual and desired states as a result of a stimulus that motivates the individual to make buying decision (Lamb et al. 2011). Stimulus may be internal such as hunger or external such as an advert. Need may arise if current product malfunctions, runs out or discovery of a more superior product. This prompts the buyer to start the decision process by gathering necessary information. However, if a product is available which satisfies the need, there is no need for information search. Information may be internal or external and depends on whether the buyer is highly involved with the product or not. The level of involvement depends on previous experience, interest, perceived risk, and situation (Lamb et al. 2011). Routine purchases and low-cost goods are low-involvement; therefore, do not require a lot of information. The buyer may even skip searching for information and make purchases. If buyer has previous product experience but is unfamiliar with current brand, he/she may search for little information hence low-involvement. However, if perceived risk is high, the buyer is highly involved thus extensive information is sought (Blythe, 2008). For example, a routine product like hotdog does not require more information while an expensive car or home is a high-involvement product requiring more information. Information can be from: personal sources like family, co-workers, friends; commercial such as advertising, salespeople, displays; public such as newspaper, TV, consumer organisations or experiential such as using the product. Information sought regards price, quality, compatibility, capability, among other attributes. Once buyer gets information, he/she carries out evaluation to determine the right choice among alternatives.