Uniforms In Public School Essays (2960 words) - Uniforms

Uniforms In Public School? Final Draft Quality education is critical to the future of America's children. However, we cannot educate our children in schools where weapons, gang violence, and drugs, threaten their safety. Many local school districts have made uniforms an important part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. Students resort to violence and theft simply to obtain designer clothes or name brand shoes. This instills a fear among the students and teachers. It is no secret that violent behavior has become a problem in public schools. For this reason more and more public schools are entertaining the idea of uniforms to get the minds of their students off of fashion and onto their education. Many parents and students support the uniform issue because they feel it makes all the students equal in the eyes of their peers and teachers. However, many parents feel that just like installing metal detectors, uniforms are a simplistic solution to a far greater problem. Some experts believe uniforms promise to cut down crime and reduce violence, but only if we take away that students individuality and freedom of expression. What does this promise? Uniforms have been used in an effort to try an reduce crime, and at the same time, remove peer pressure amongst students to try to ?fit in? so they can concentrate on their school work. President William Clinton agrees with this saying ?If uniforms can help deter school violence, promote discipline, and foster a better learning environment, then we should show strong support to the parents that try them?.(21) By mandating uniforms in public school, school officials hope to see a reduction in crime and violence. According to statistics, there are notable decreases in school violence and illegal offenses after the enactment of a school uniform or standardized dress code policy.(Lewis) Can uniforms really help in deterring violence and crime? Many parents and teachers say yes. Supporters of uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing and the school system will have more of a sense of community.(Nittel) Providing that a child's clothes does make a difference in school violence, then uniforms are exactly what our children need. Some parents feel uniforms will put the students' emphasis on schoolwork instead of dressing ?cool?, and they will help to lower school violence. Almost five years ago, the Long Beach School District made headlines when it became the first school district in the country to make uniforms mandatory for its elementary and middle school students. According to Phoenix school officials in Long Beach, California, attendance and test scores improved, incidents of students fighting decreased by 50%, student crimes decreased by 36% and student suspensions decreased by 32% after they enacted a uniform policy.(Will) Also other there were other steps to improve student behavior. Increasing the number of teachers patrolling the hallways during class changes, were also taken by the district around the same time the uniform policy was introduced. Dress codes were initiated in private schools as a standard. As violence, competition between students, and distractions from the educational system increased in public schools, administrators began to consider uniforms as a solution to the problem. In Baltimore, Maryland, school administrators found a 44% drop in assault and battery charges, a 50% reduction in assault with a deadly weapon, a 41% cut in occurrences of fighting and a 74% drop in sexual offenses. They also found drug abuse to be down by 89% and vandalism had dropped by 8%.(Stacey) These results and others caused many school districts to consider uniforms for their own schools. Uniforms seem to give students a sense of responsibility. It says that clothing is not that important. With this realization the students began to forget about their clothes and refocused their attention on education. Consequently their test scores and attitudes improved. One teacher stated that ? I have never seen so many children change their overall attitude in the classroom in just a matter of a few weeks.? Studies show school uniforms are more successful in elementary schools, where students are not so intent on their individuality.(Stover) And, experts recommend placing students in uniforms at a young age so they become accustomed to a program. This allows there to be no focus on material items and the children's focus remains on education from the start. Stover(1990) states that most supporters of uniforms agree the program will not succeed unless school officials gain the support of a large majority of parents from the beginning.

All About Like

All About Like All About Like All About Like By Mark Nichol Like is one of the most versatile of words, with senses encompassing multiple parts of speech. Here’s a review of its various meanings and uses. As a verb, like means â€Å"enjoy,† â€Å"feel affection for,† â€Å"regard favorably,† â€Å"thrive in,† or â€Å"wish to have.† It can also mean â€Å"approve† or â€Å"prefer.† The noun like refers to preference or something that one likes. In recent years, it has acquired the sense of â€Å"an acknowledgment given online in approval of content another person has posted.† The word appears as a noun in idiomatic phrases such as those in â€Å"We haven’t seen the likes of him for a long time† (meaning â€Å"Someone resembling him hasn’t been seen for a long time†) and â€Å"She’s partial to lavender and the like† (meaning â€Å"She’s partial to lavender and things that are similar to it†). As an adjective, like means â€Å"possessing the same or similar characteristics or qualities,† as in â€Å"They finally admitted that they did not have enough like interests to sustain a relationship.† As a suffix, it has an adjectival function. Treatment depends on what precedes it. Most words with the suffix are closed, with no hyphenation, as in â€Å"birdlike movements.† However, if the base word ends with l (â€Å"the cell-like room†) or is a proper noun (â€Å"a Christ-like bearing†), employ a hyphen. The adverb like, stands in for approximately or nearly, as in â€Å"It was more like a dark orange than a pale red.† When informally referring to measurements, the adverb is sometimes used interjectionally: â€Å"It was, like, as long as my arm† or â€Å"He seems to come around every few years, like.† Similarly, it is parenthetically employed in conversational English for emphasis (â€Å"I was, like, astonished†) or, paradoxically, to suggest an offhandedness (â€Å"They were, like, hoping somebody would offer them a ride†). Casually, it can also mean probably, as in â€Å"I’ll be there in time, like enough.† The preposition like means â€Å"comparable,† â€Å"similar,† or â€Å"typical†; that’s the part of speech that is essential in a simile such as â€Å"The grass, ruffled by the wind, looked like a rolling wave.† As a conjunction, like means â€Å"the same as† or appears in place of â€Å"as if† (â€Å"She looked like she was about to cry†). Informally, it is employed similarly to the casual adverb to introduce a quotation, paraphrase, or thought (â€Å"He’s like ‘Don’t even think about leaving now’†) or, following it’s, to express a widely held opinion (â€Å"It’s like, it’s not going to make any difference.†) As a preposition, like is often considered inferior to or even improper as a substitute for â€Å"such as,† but as with some other supposedly undesirable usages, this is acceptable in even formal prose. The adjective like derives from the Old English term gelic, meaning â€Å"similar.† Most of the other parts of speech derived from this usage, but the verb stems from lician, which means â€Å"please† or â€Å"be pleasing or sufficient†; the connection is perhaps that to be sufficient is to be suitable, which is to be similar. Words based on the root like include the following: alike: similar likeable: agreeable likelihood: probability likely: seeming to be right, suitable, or true, or very probable; also, promising or attractive liken: compare likeness: similarity likes: preferences likewise: in the same manner liking: the action or feeling of enjoying a person, place, or thing Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating ConjunctionsDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Punctuation Is Powerful

Capitalism at its best Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capitalism at its best - Essay Example Once the insurance policies are cashed in, they are set to be invested in by a third party. This party continues to pay the required insurance policy premiums for the policy that he/she invests in. In so doing, the original beneficiary of the insurance policy gets to utilize his/her resources before death come knocking. On the other hand, the viatical settlement company profits from such operations by getting a percentage face value of the policy transacted under viatical settlement. After the original insurance policy holder dies, the settlement company or the third party that invests in the cashed in policy becomes the beneficiary. From the cashing in of the insurance policy to the sale of that policy to a third party, all the transactions involved are privately undertaken. On the same note, viatical settlement companies are private entities that operate alongside other private players in the economy setting. As a result, viatical settlement companies exhibit private ownership of resources, and consequently capital in their operations. These factors are the most critical when it comes to the definition of capitalism. Capitalism continues to be portrayed at its best in respect to the risks that viatical settlement companies take in allowing terminally ill patients to cash in their insurance policies. Viatical settlement practices are highly complex and critically prone to ethical issues Accountability is a critical factor to account for in the process of undertaking viatical settlements. The legal system regulates and governs viatical settlement transactions, thereby allowing players in that market to coexist and engage in healthy competition. The competition factor in viatical settlements further presents the capitalism aspect. Viatical settlement companies are not immune to the legal provisions that streamline business operations. Failure to comply with the set laws results in legal actions against the

Principels of organizational mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Principels of organizational mangement - Essay Example Hence, for instance, a UK manager who initiates business activities in the US business environment has to verify if his strategies conform to the business culture and institutional settings of the region. Researchers are of the opinion that the concept of HRM was the US contribution to the business world. American HRM started since 1890s with the emergence of NCR Corporation specifically when it initiated a separate personnel office (Ed. Pieper. 1990, p.41). In addition to this, several aspects including enterprise capitalism, free individualism, diverse workforce which comprised of immigrants also contributed to the growth of HRM in America (Ibid). Consequently, traditional business concept of ‘personal management’ gave way to collaborative business operation which gave much emphasis on creating large and diverse pool of human capital which would be cost effective and potential enough. Thus employee participation and managerial functions became the most inevitable part of American business organizations. As the new method was highly effective, it helped American organizations to be more competitive in the global market. Consequently, American organizations became highly competitive; and caught the attention of the entire business world. Organizations across the globe tried their own experiments on the strategic implementation of HRM. Despite the common features of all HRM models, as Bratton and Gold (2001) state, ‘there is a qualitative difference between HRM and traditional personal management’. According to the writers’ view, it includes strategic character of transformational leadership, and involvement of line managers as the notable features of modern HRM. The features of American approaches to HRM, according Schuler and Johnson include mainly five characteristics that make US model of business management distinctive from other European models (Cited in Fenton, Gooderham & Nordhang 2005). Given below are the

Applying Standardized Terminologies in Practice Assignment

Applying Standardized Terminologies in Practice - Assignment Example Application of SNTs is fundamental to the advancement of nursing as a career (NANDA International, 2014). This article tries to identify related elements of North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA), Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). A patient scenario will be used in the identification of how the elements of NANDA, NOC, and NIC are applicable. The patient scenario will be created using the framework of Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom (DIKW). At a local hospital, in the Pediatric Acute room, a four year old female child gets an admission one week after undergoing chemotherapy. The child has a fever of 102.5 F. Her white blood cells (WBC) are 0.3 and the neutrophil count (absolute) is 0. A new central line was placed about 10 days ago. In addition, the child has nausea and vomiting (C/O). She also cries a lot and when the nurse approaches, she hides behind her mother. NANDA often comprises nursing diagnosis, which includes classifications and definitions (NANDA International, 2014). NOC comprises the categorization of nurse responsive results. It is a categorization of the nurse sensitive outcomes. The indicators and outcomes provide a chance for the measurement of the outcomes of the patient, community, or family at any juncture on a scale from most negative to most positive at different junctures. A name or a neutral label is used to characterize patient status or behavior. Also, there is utilization of list of indicators, which describes patient status or behavior. In addition, it involves a five point scale used in rating the status of a patient for every indicator (Iowa Outcome Project, 2012). NIC describes treatments used by nurses during practice in all facilities and all specialties. Actually, it comprises the interventions made by nurses. Further, NIC comprises a label or name, a definition,

An Overview of Health Promotion Programs

An Overview of Health Promotion Programs ASSIGNMENT: What are health prevention programs? What role do employers play with health prevention programs? Research health prevention programs and the various companies that offers them. Which company’s program do you prefer? Why? In November 2006, I began my journey to lose weight and become a healthy individual. When I was 203 pounds, I knew I needed to lose weight because I was currently vulnerable of succumbing to the many health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, joint problems and even exercise induced asthma. During my quest to lose 63 pounds, I began a health prevention program that overtime would eliminate or greatly reduce my chances of ever contracting a lifestyle related illness. I didn’t know it at the time, but many businesses today work to provide the same lifestyle I was seeking to achieve and still look to obtain today. If businesses look to provide health prevention programs, it would be a great idea to learn more about what health prevention programs entail. Health prevention programs are programs that are created to help the public fight off illnesses and overcome diseases. Health prevention programs stave off chronic diseases such as heart disease, various cancers, and lower respiratory infections such as COPD and asthma. Most of these can be prevented by stopping high-risk behavior such as smoking and overeating. The reason why health prevention programs are so effective is because, like the name says, these are programs that prevent illnesses as mild as obesity (which is in no way mild) and as severe as heart attacks and strokes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014). Chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are responsible for at least seven and as much as 10 deaths a year in the United States. Furthermore, treatment for the preventable yet chronic ailments costs over 75% of the over $2.5 trillion that is spent annually on health care costs. Finally, yet not exhaustively, obesity is responsible for a great deal of health costs. Because disease risks often related to various social activities like tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor diet, and alcohol abuse, this often results in unnecessary reasons for poor health and even more unnecessary reasons for chronic disease (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014). Businesses are interested in health prevention because of the indirect costs businesses incur for poor health in the work place such as absenteeism, physical disability, and reduced employee work output. These cause are further exacerbated by increased health insurance costs. These reductions in production due to preventable health issues have been known to cost employers in the United States as much as $1,685 per individual employee per year. Another ways to view it is that it costs employers $225.8 billion a year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014). This means there is a necessity to implement and then expand an evidence-based health prevention that will provide the opportunity to improve the health but also control health care spending in the United States. Health prevention programs have proven effective. Workplace health programs have influenced social norms; establish new health policies, promote healthy lifestyles, and generate health screenings like immunizations, and reduce on-the-job exposure to hazards that can cause injury and diseases. When evidence based health prevention programs are effectively executed, these programs can generate around a $3 profit for every dollar spent (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014). Health prevention programs have also benefited programs that focus on aging. Measures taking by the Administration on Aging is has implemented programs that benefit older adults manage and improve their health. Older Americans often suffer on a daily basis with chronic diseases, illnesses and injuries such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Health prevention programs are key in teaching older adults healthy behaviors and lifestyles. One of the best ways health prevention programs benefit older adults is through the use of community based wellness programs. These health prevention programs have been proven track record of increasing self-sufficiency and independence among older adults while decreasing trips to health care providers so that older adults are able to care and manage their health on their own for longer periods of time (HHS Administration on Aging, 2014). As alluded to earlier, businesses have benefited and have a heightened role in generating health prevention programs. First of all, companies can create three to five health intervention programs that often involve a combination of new programs, policies, and even environmental programs that highlight and celebrate nutrition and physical activity, while discouraging alcohol abuse, drug use and tobacco use in the workplace. One example of these programs include creating an inner and outer workplace environment that is completely tobacco-free while also subsidizing counseling to quit smoking and excess drug and alcohol issues. Another programs brings a local farmer’s market into the workplace. The farmer’s market not only provides the produce but also offers nutritional education and counseling, menu creations based on healthy, whole foods, non-junk foods in the workplace cafeteria and vending machines, counseling for weight loss and weight maintenance; and physical activ ity /lifestyle counseling, such as walking and running clubs. A successful workplace health prevention program will result in the full support and commitment of health prevention leadership and employees that are fully entrenched in all core health prevention programs that are created in a healthy lifestyle culture within the worksite (Health Promotion Programs, 2014). There are quite a few businesses that have excellent health prevention programs. First of all, SAS an international software company located in North Carolina, provides for its employees a wellness program that is built around its recreation and fitness center. This recreation and fitness center is open not only to SAS employees but also the employee family members and those who retire from SAS. Furthermore, SAS provides health checks, smoking cessation programs and incentives for accomplishing fitness goals. Finally though not exhaustively, the recreations and fitness center also provides preventative services as well as primary health care services to the SAS employees and their dependents (EHS Today, 2014). Another company that excels in generating health prevention programs is actually a university. The University of Alaska provides their employees an opportunity to complete a wellness profile so that they can uncover any hidden health concerns and then direct the employee to the right department in the university’s on-site health and wellness services. The university’s employees can then take part in applicable health screenings, health and fitness events, health and wellness coaching, and online health tracking. Employees who take part in the university’s health prevention programs are often reward for participating in the program (EHS Today, 2014). A third company that excels in providing a health prevention program is the Hamilton Utilities Corporation. This company health prevention program has the goal of providing a healthy workplace for all of their employees. The health prevention program encourages their employees to go beyond popping pills and submitting to surgeries for health maintenance but to look to maintain health from a holistic point of view. This involves measures such as a supportive work environment, workers safety, and employee empowerment programs. The company’s wellness team then evaluates and implements their wellness programs. Then the company’s management team provides support for the company’s wellness efforts through employee training, employee participation incentives, and implementing vending machines that provide healthy food choices in the workplace (EHS Today, 2014). Of all the programs, I am most impressed with the health prevention program that is found at SAS. Frist of all, I like how they provide a smoke free environment outside as well as inside. I remember one company I worked at where I needed to drop off an overnight package in a FedEx drop box that was right next to a prime smokers spot. I always had to hold my breath at that spot because that second-hand cigarette smoke was indeed quite intense. Furthermore, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of SAS to provide a fitness center that is accessible not only to the employees but also to the employees family and it’s available to the employees long after they retire. Finally, though certainly not exhaustively, I appreciate how SAS rewards employees for accomplishing fitness goals really touches my heart. I would love to work at a company that rewards a person for reaching his or her goal weight, completing a 10K and even anniversaries for each year an employee’s goal weight is maintained. I would be honored to work at such a company. Conclusion After completing this assignment, I’m even more encouraged to lose the thirty pounds I’ve regained. I want to live a long and healthy life and I can’t do that with a thirty pound excess weighing down my heart and challenging my breathing and joints. Furthermore, even with health insurance, managing the hazards of excess weight is expensive. I would rather spend money on tap dance classes and running 10Ks than on prescriptions for managing high blood pressure. Finally, though certainly not exhaustively, I have a six-year-old nephew that I want to watch grow up, graduate from college and get married. I’ve always said I want to dance at his wedding; and I can’t do that as well if dancing will cause breathing problems due to excess weight. I’m so thankful for companies that provide health prevention programs because they encourage me to maintain my own healthy lifestyle. References Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2014). Comprehensive Workplace Health Programs to Address Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Tobacco Use in the Workplace. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/nhwp/index.html EHS Today. (2014). Employers Take Active Role in Promoting Workplace Wellness. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from EHS Today: http://ehstoday.com/health/ergonomics/ehs_imp_81305/ Health Promotion Programs. (2014). Health Promotion Programs. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from Helath Promotion Promotion Programs: http://healthpromotionprogram.org/health-promotion-wellness-program-activities-design-and-implementation/ HHS Administration on Aging. (2014). Health, Prevention, and Wellness Program. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from HHS Administration on Aging: http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/HCLTC/Evidence_Based/index.aspx

Best Man Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Best Man Wedding Speech This is the first time Kevin's ever brought me dinner and I?m too nervous to eat it. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kevin's younger brother and my full name is Bobby What are you drinking, so if you see me at the bar later don't hesitate to call me by my full name. Unfortunately every silver lining does have A cloud, and that is that you've all got to listen to me for the next 5 minutes. I'd just like to thank Kevin on behalf of the bridesmaids for his kind words I think you will all agree that they have done a fantastic job today and look absolutely beautiful. I'd also like to thank everyone for coming today to celebrate the marriage of Kevin and Lisa. Personally I wish you'd all stayed at home so I didn't have to do this!! First of all, I want to say a little bit about being the best man. I feel the title "best man" says a bit too much. The way I see it, if I am the best man, what the hell is Lisa doing with Kevin? So, I think I will be happy just saying that I'm a pretty good man, And Kevin can be the best man tonight. Actually, being the best man is an awesome responsibility and one that I don't take lightly. In life you can count your true friends on one hand, these being people who will be there in your hour of need. I remember when my hair starting falling out, Kevin was there kindly rubbing Immac into my head, when I lost my job, Kevin was there and ... ... it gives me immense pleasure (not to mention relief) to invite you all to stand and raise your glasses in a toast for Kevin and Lisa, Mr. and Mrs. xxxx no less, We wish them well for the future, and hope they enjoy a long, happy, and fruitful marriage. Kevin and Lisa. And while you're all standing I've just got a few last things to say... Kevin, you have been a great friend and a great brother and it has been an honor to be here today. You've made me an Uncle, You've made you're best man and if you can make me half the man you are today I wont go far wrong. I can honestly say for the second time in m y life I am truly jealous of you and I wish yourself Lisa and charlotte the very best for the future.

Cola Wars Group Case Analysis Essay

After reviewing the case and doing an in-depth analysis of the industry, we found that the concentrate industry is profitable for a variety of reasons. Chief amongst the reasons for the industry’s profitability is the remarkable net profit percentage at 35% (Exhibit1). When compared to the yahoo finance page that we viewed in class, the concentrate industry would rank amongst the top ten most profitable industries. If we compare the concentrate industry to the bottling industry, we see that the concentrate industry dwarfs the bottling industry meager 9%. In fact, if we compare it to retail and CPI (measure of the average change in price of consumer items over time), it is evident that the price growth in the concentrate industry performs better than both measures from 1988 to 2000 (Exhibit 2). This suggest that not only is the concentrate more profitable than the retail function, but also, the concentrate industry is performing better (from a revenue standpoint) than the average house hold good. We can also see that from 1970 to 1998 on Exhibit 3 in the case, the consumption of carbonated drinks has consistently increased, whereas most other liquids have been inconsistent. Since carbonated drinks are dependent upon the concentrate producers, this data would suggest that he the concentrate industry has longevity along with the carbonated soft drink industry. Despite the great profitability of the concentrate industry, there have been very few firms to successfully enter the industry. Using Porter’s Five Forces model, it is apparent why so few firms enter the concentrate business. Two of Porters’ Five Forces are very low, the power of buyers and the power of suppliers. The power of buyers is very important in any industry, and the lower the power of those buyers the better for the industry as a whole. However, there are two ways of looking at the power of buyers in the concentrate industry. First, the bottlers who are buying the concentrate and mixing it with the carbonated water and other ingredients have very low power. Coke and Pepsi have both consolidated bottlers and changed them because of price changes and other factors. Therefore, these buyers have no power because they can be easily replaced at a very little cost to the concentrate producers. The second way of looking at buyers in this industry is the consumer who is actually buying the end product. These consumers have a great deal of buying power. For example, the entire soda industry has been declining in recent years due to a higher awareness of health concerns of drinking soda as well as other replacements being more appealing to customers, such as flavored water and sports drinks. Coke and Pepsi have been competing for market share and customers are the factor that affects market share. The companies are competing for the customers’ business, giving them higher power in the industry. The power of suppliers is also very low. The raw materials that supply the concentrate industry are not hard to find and have been replaced many times throughout the history of the concentrate industry. The suppliers of the raw materials have no power over the concentrators and will not be able to affect the prices they sell their product for. This in turn, makes the industry that much more profitable because of this low power of suppliers. Another one of Porter’s Five Forces is threat of entry, which is very low for the concentrate industry due to the presence of so many entry barriers. There are seven barriers to entry; supply-side economies of scale, demand-side economies of scale, customer switching costs, capital requirements, incumbency advantages independent of size, and restrictive government policies. Supply-side economies of scale means when producing larger volumes, the cost per unit decreases. Coke and Pepsi concentrate producers have economies of scale due to the fact that they have huge capacity. With this large capacity, their fixed costs are lower than any rivals. The case stated that one concentrate plant could serve the entire United States. This increases the power that Coke and Pepsi concentrate producers already have. They also have demand-side economies of scale, meaning the existing concentrate producers have a very extensive network, and new entrants would be at a disadvantage if they decided to enter because Coke and Pepsi already dominate the industry. Customer switching costs are low if talking about the end consumers of soft drinks, because consumers can easily switch from Coke to Pepsi without incurring extra costs. With respect to the customers being the bottlers, who buy the concentrate and finish the production process, their switching costs are much higher. The case mentioned contracts that the bottlers have with Coke and Pepsi, and if switching, the bottlers would have to go through extensive paperwork and deal with legal concerns. Another barrier to entry is capital requirements. The concentrate industry is very unique and actually does not require very much capital investment to start things up. The majority of the concentrate producers’ costs are in marketing efforts, rather than the production of concentrate itself. However, this barrier is still high because all the investment Coke and Pepsi have put into building their brands is very high. If a new concentrate producer were to try to enter the industry, they would have to invest a lot of money into getting their name out there, and gaining a sizeable market share would be nearly impossible. This established brand leads to the mention of another entry barrier, incumbency advantages independent of size. Everyone knows who Coke and Pepsi are, and they have very high brand equity. This makes entry into the concentrate industry very difficult. There is also the experience aspect. The current concentrate producers know exactly what to do to keep costs down and produce a consistent product efficiently. A new entrant may run into some roadblocks strictly due to lack of experience. Both Coke and Pepsi have been in the industry for a very long time, so they have an immediate advantage. Unequal access to distribution channels is another very high entry barrier for the concentrate industry. Coke and Pepsi have established relationships with suppliers and buyers of their product. A new entrant would have difficulty accessing channels of distribution, because they have all already contracted with one of the existing companies. The final barrier to entry is restrictive government policies. The case mentioned several issues with regulation when speaking of Coke and Pepsi’s efforts to go international. For example, â€Å"When Coke attempted to acquire Cadbury Schweppes’ international practice, it ran into regulatory roadblocks in Europe and in Mexico and Australia, where Coke’s market shares exceed 50%† (Page 14). There is also mention of a mandatory certification for bottled water. This certification caused smaller local brands to fail. After analyzing all the barriers to entry, it is obvious that the threat of entry into the concentrate is very low, contributing even more to the industry’s profitability. Threat of substitutes, another of Porter’s five forces, is also low in the concentrate industry. The soda industry is very profitable, with Americans drinking soda at higher levels than any other beverage. Traditional substitutes such as water, coffee, tea, and milk have never served as a real threat in concentrate producers’ 100 plus year history. In recent times, consumer trends have brought the emergence of other alternatives including Diet Sodas and â€Å"non-carb† beverages. The Large concentrate producers have been on the vanguard of these trends, adapting new alternatives with a changing market. However, the primary concentrate companies, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper still dominate the market. The brand power that has been established over the last century is not likely to be challenged by a newcomer despite the low startup costs for concentrate factories. In essence, the major concentrate companies have become their own substitutes, transferring losses due to substitutes. Porter’s fifth force is rivalry among existing competitors. While the two major concentrate industry’s competitors initially had fierce competition, the threat of competition outside of Coke and Pepsi is relatively low. The phase of price driven competition ended and now the Coke vs. Pepsi war is played out with differentiation through advertising and brand lifestyle. This form of co-operation, where prices remain relatively high with only temporary store promotions, increased the overall profitability for Coke and Pepsi. The brand loyalty established over the last century means that the threat of substitutes is low and competition is generally for marginal changes in market share. Rivalry among concentrate companies has also expanded to new venues, such as sports drinks and bottled water. But aside from the primary concentrate companies, there is no real threat to market share. This analysis confirms that all of Porter’s Five Forces are low, meaning industry profitability is high. Although high profitability would in most cases attract new firms to enter the industry, there are a variety of reasons that is not the case for the concentrate industry, as mentioned above. Coke and Pepsi have almost created an oligopoly out of the concentrate industry, and their strong brand identities will keep them far ahead of any possible entrants.

Invention and History of Volleyball

Invention and History of Volleyball William Morgan invented volleyball in 1895 at the Holyoke, Massachusetts, YMCA (Young Mens Christian Association) where he served as Director of Physical Education. Morgan originally called his new game of Volleyball, Mintonette. The name Volleyball came about after a demonstration game of the sport, when a spectator commented that the game involved much volleying and game was renamed Volleyball. William Morgan was born in the state of New York and studied at Springfield College, Massachusetts. Ironically at Springfield, Morgan met James Naismith who invented basketball in 1891. Morgan was motivated by Naismiths game of basketball designed for younger students to invent a game suitable for the older members of the YMCA. William Morgans basis for the new game of  Volleyball. was the then popular and similar German game of Faustball and a few other sports including: tennis (the net), basketball, baseball and handball. The Morgan Trophy Award is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female collegiate volleyball player in the United States. Established by the William G. Morgan Foundation in 1995 during the centennial year of volleyball, the trophy is named in honor of William Morgan.

Critical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Women in Advertisements in Saudi Arabia

Critical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Women in Advertisements in Saudi Arabia Aims of the Dissertations The steady economic growth and increasing political stability in the Middle East has set it up as a market targeted by many of the top global brands aspiring to have a portion of the business. As a result of this increased focus, there have been activities and developments to open up opportunities for businesses. These activities have centered on marketing, development, and distribution of new products.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Critical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Women in Advertisements in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marketing forms an essential part of all business ventures. The success of any business is dependent on its marketing strategies. The past decade has seen businesses in Saudi Arabia invest heavily in marketing to attract potential buyers to consume their products. As competition for market share intensifies, many companies have opted to take their marketing strategies a notch higher by using models, actors, and celebrities to promote their products. However, the effectiveness of using women in advertisements is yet to be established considering the high levels of male chauvinism in Saudi Arabia. This report aims to establish if the use of women in an advertisement is effective in influencing chauvinist males in Saudi Arabia to buy products and the extent of this effectiveness (Al-Olayan Karande 2000).  To arrive at its findings, the report will employ the use of both primary and secondary research strategies. A critical review of literature on the subject will be carried out to establish research gaps and to develop strong and credible background information on the subject. The literature review will encompass concluded research work on the influence of women on men in Saudi Arabia, the extent to which women are used in advertisements, and consumer perceptions. Information for literature review will be gathered from credible journals, books, websites, databases, newspapers, and magazines. These will act as the background for revealing the gaps for focusing on the study’s objectives.  Multiple data collection methods will be employed, as they have been proven to be effective. As such, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups will be used to collect data for analysis and evaluation. The results shall be processed through the use of one way analysis of variance to realize the attitudes and perceptions regarding the use of women in advertising in Saudi Arabia. Further analysis involving the relationships between the different variables shall be done through correlation and regression measures.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Methodology Theatrical Back Ground Advertising is one of the most widely relied upon forms of sales promotion. Advertisements may serve t o draw attention to a new product, encourage the use of older ones, and get entrance and acceptance to new market or niche markets. In this competition to gain attention and draw consumers to the advertised item, the advertisers are desperately competing to produce the best adverts so as to draw the attention of the unsuspecting consumers (Erdem 1998). The key ingredient to successful advertising is being able to communicate the value of the product or service so that it elicits the desire for the advertised commodity and assure the consumer that the product has the capacity to respond to that very need. The second ingredient is that advertisement must achieve the goal of the advertisers since advertising is expensive. To capture consumer attention, most adverts focus on emotions of fear, humour, contrast, worth, novelty, music or sexual arousal. The use of women as sex objects in advertisement is a well-documented one (Walters 2008; Waller 2000). However, for any advertisement to s ucceed it must fit within the context of the moral, social and religious practices of the target market. The extra conservative and male chauvinistic market of Saudi Arabia presents a tricky situation for the Western advertisements and especially the use of women in advertising (Bjerke Polegato 2006). The Research Objectives This work aims at the following objectives: To determine the factors affecting the choice of women in advertisements by businesses in Saudi Arabia. To determine the consumers perceptions and attitudes towards the use of sexy women in advertisements in Saudi Arabia. To determine the trends in the use of women in advertisement over the last 10 years in Saudi Arabia. To determine the nature and context of the role women play in advertisements in Saudi Arabia. Research Questions What are the main factors affecting the choice of women in advertisement in Saudi Arabia? What are the major perceptions and attitudes of the consumers regarding the use of women in adve rtisements in Saudi Arabia? What are the trends regarding the use of women in advertisements in Saudi Arabia? What is the nature and context of the roles played by women in advertisements in Saudi Arabia? The Sampling Design and Framework Quantitative Research A set of 30 questions shall be presented to respondents from which they will respond on a 5 five point hedonic scale ranging from 1 to 5; (where 1=dislike extremely and 5 =Like extremely). The first ten shall focus on the factors affecting the choice of women for use in advertisements in Saudi Arabia. Questions 10-20 shall focus on the perceptions and attitudes of the consumers on the use of women in advertisements in Saudi Arabia. Questions 20-25 shall deal with the notable trends regarding the use of women in advertisements in Saudi Arabia. The last five questions are targeted to investigate the various roles and contexts in which women are used in advertisements in Saudi Arabia. Respondents shall then be grouped on the bas is of demographic representations such as: age, educational background, marital status, profession, gender, number of children, occupation, and religion. Sampling frame shall encompass the respondents randomly selected from the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Critical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Women in Advertisements in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The simple random sampling technique shall be used to target a sample size of 400 to 650 persons. A response rate of at least 80.5% shall be accepted. The questionnaires shall be filled by the respondents themselves but limited help will be given by researcher only where it is absolutely necessary. Qualitative Research The reliability analysis model (the Cronbach alpha reliability analysis model) will be used as a tool to determine and confirm the reliability of the questionnaires. The descriptive statist ics will be used in the evaluation of the standard deviations for the 30 questionnaires to give the various levels of importance to the respondents’ answers. The ANOVA table precisely will be used to show the direct effects of the major independent variables. These variables, noted as culture, control, emotions, and women appeal or attitudes as shall be used as a test of the significance of the model. Both the regressing and correlation models shall be employed to understand the relationship between the factors responsible for the use of women in advertisement as well as the trends observed in their use (Baker Churchill 1977). Brief Literature Review Advertisements often use sex appeal as a tool to affect the cognitive responses and attitudes toward advertisement in order to enhance brand credentials on the mind of the consumers leading to increased likelihood of purchase. The attention seeking may be desirable or a turn off especially where the advertisement clashes with th e cultural, moral, and religious views of the target market. Human beings it has been argued, possess a sense of rationality and that they will make a wise choice based on the presented information (Ajzen Fishbein 1980). However, it is apparent that there must also be positive pressure and that any contentions present are not at all effective with the consumer. The advertisers therefore concentrate on effects of emotions of fear, humour, worth, novelty, difference, animation, sexual arousal or music.  It is through this rationalization that sexual appeal has been exploited as a tool for sales promotion. Specifically, women are used in a manner that exploits sexual nudity, sexual imagery, innuendo or the use of double entendre (Reichert 2002). Furthermore, Courtney and Whimpple (1983), suggest that the use of sexual appeal in advertisements has always taken the form of nudity, physical arousal, sexual behaviors and interactions as well as other important factors such as setting co ntext and the use of camera effects. There have been a series of reported misrepresentation of women in advertisements observed in many countries.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The issue has raised several theories why women are used in advertisement. According to the sexist theory, women do not like advertisements as much as men do. It therefore suggests that human beings often give up something they in exchange of a product superior to whatever they given out. This implies that since men are the ones most affected by advertisements, women are used to play to this desire. This then elicits sensual feelings to arouse desire for a particular product or service. Furthermore, it has been suggested that in some situations, women get into advertisements and allow themselves be used due to poverty. Much as this may be true, there is also recognition of psychological reason for this phenomenon. Some women who are well off may indulge in sensual advertisement for purposes of demonstrating a sense of liberation, independence, and power. From this perspective, the whole idea would be to achieve a sense of psychological satisfaction. In addition, there has been an as sociation of the use of women in advertisement with the rise and speed of globalization. Specifically, the bridging of barriers between the West and the East has accorded the citizens in the Middle East the opportunity to experience the life of the West. This has had influence particularly among young people and specifically on the teenage girls who desire to ape the sophisticated culture of the West. Lastly, the current business environment seems to thrive on the idea of increased consumerism at whatever cost. This consumerism culture has fueled the cut throat competition witnessed in advertisements thus propelling the use women playing sensual roles (Clow Baack 2009). The challenge to most companies attracted to the emerging markets of the Middle East, is the ability to customize their sales promotion tools and especially advertisements to capture the acceptable conducts of the people. Balancing between the use of women sensually in advertisements with the religious and cultural practices is the challenge every business has to face. The cultural practices of the communities in Saudi Arabia consider women lowly and their use as suggestive objects to arouse male desire is a taboo. This discrepancy stands in the way of businesses’ successful entry and exploitation of this market segment (Das 2000). Some studies have aimed at the realization of better ways to reach out to the Middle East market that do not raise much controversy. The fact is any adverts raising major controversies will always prove counterproductive. The focus has been on advertisers’ ability to customize their adverts to the specific niche market rather than assume a global appeal. This customization may take several forms including placing women in advertisement roles that are traditionally acceptable. For example, women may always be presented in a home environment and among men, rather than as independent, self-asserting individuals. The other way that may be applied is to inv oke the religious practices of the people. The Muslim community is extremely conservative and does not like extravagance and pomp. Adverts which are designed to appeal to better utilization of resources and modesty will be more effective at achieving a desired outcome more than those that use women as sexual objects. Apart from the appeal to conservative nature of the consumers, it has also been suggested that higher effectiveness with advertisements may be achieved through appeal to humour, fairness, morality, and incentives strategy. The truth of the matter is that there will be a continued growth in business and advertisements in the Middle East as the global and local firms compete for a share of the market. The rapid expansion in the media and the wide spread communication are grounds enough for enhanced activity in advertising. However, all this development is taking place against a backdrop of a strict, male chauvinistic culture that does not look kindly upon women displaying any sexual undertones. This work will determine the value placed on women in advertisements in Saudi Arabia and particularly the attitudes and perceptions of the consumers on this matter (Waller 2005). Resources/Data Access The work will deal in documents available in public domain and advertisement agencies plus a collection of past and present advertisements on TV, cinemas, newspapers, magazines, cartons, paintings, billboards and internet. Much of the current advertisement uses the platforms being developed within the context of expanding media to reach consumers. The study will therefore take advantage of this development.  The matrix below gives a layout of the time plan for the conception to implementation of the project. Reference List Ajzen, I Fishbein, M 1980, Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Al-Olayan, F Karande, K 2000, ‘A Content Analysis of Magazine Advertisements from the United States and the Arab World’, Journal of Advertising, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 69-82. Baker, M Churchill, Jr, GA 1977, ‘The impact of physically attractive models on advertising evaluations’, Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), vol.14, no.4, pp. 538-555. Bjerke, R Polegato, R 2006, ‘How well do Advertising Images of Health and Beauty  travel across cultures? A self-concept perspective’, Psychology and Marketing, vol. 23, no. 10, pp. 865-884. Clow, K Baack, D 2009, Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communiation, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. Courtney, A Whipple, T 1983, Sex Stereotyping in Advertising, Heath, Lexington, MA.  Das, M 2000, ‘Men and Women in Indian Magazine Advertisements: A Preliminary Report’, Sex roles, vol.43, no. 9/10, pp. 699-717. Erdem, OT 1998, ‘Advertising agency scene in Saudi Arabia’, Management research news, vol. 21, no.1, pp. 1-8. Reichert, T 2002, ‘Sex in Advertising Research: A Review of Content, Effects, and Functions of Sexual Information in Consumer Advertising’, Annual Review of Sex Research, vol.13, pp. 241-273. Waller, D 2000,’ Cultural Values and Advertising in Malaysia: Views from the Industry’, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol.12, no.1, pp. 3-18. Waller, D K 2005, ‘Advertising of controversial products: a cross-cultural study’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 22, no.1, pp. 6-13. Walters, P W 2008, ‘Global strategy in the international advertising industry’, International Business Review, vol.17, pp. 236-249.

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