Literature Research and PICO Question Annotated Bibliography

Literature Research and PICO Question - Annotated Bibliography Example Indeed, the authors argued that ascertaining the wishes or choices of the patient for their care is a fundamental requirement in establishing an effective care plan. The study found that around 42% of the 380 participants with advanced cancer preferred palliative care of a more conservative nature, with the said percentage of patients actually choosing only one or two modes of treatment. Still, in addition to this preference, the authors also looked at what demographic characteristics predict the possibility of a choice between CPM and AAMM. Maida, et al. (2010) found that younger, non-Caucasian cancer patients who have with them substitute decision makers (SDM) are more likely to prefer more aggressive means of coping with the disease condition. This study was chosen as a significant literature because it aimed to quantify the characteristics and preferences of patients with their end-of-life care. By doing so, the study provides a rich background for the PIO question exploring which could be more effective in providing comfort at the end of life, CPM or AAMM, as perceived by the patients themselves. Rose, J. H., O’Toole, E. E., Dawson, N. V., Lawrence, R., Gurley, D., Thomas, C., et al. (2004). Perspectives, Preferences, Care Practices, and Outcomes Among Older and Middle-Aged Patients With Late-Stage Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 22 (24), 4907-4917. Much like the earlier study by Maida, et al. (2010), this research aimed to look into the preferences of terminal cancer patients in their care at the end of life. However, this study took a more qualitative approach, actually exploring the preferences for the care of the patients, and the degree by which these preferences were perceived to have provided comfort to the patient before their death. By utilizing a more in-depth exploration of the perceived effectiveness of different palliative methods, the researchers were able to point out which methods were most effective in promoting comfort

Propaganda in World War I and why the US entered the war Essay

Propaganda in World War I and why the US entered the war - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the Great War (World War I) that erupted in 1914 pitted the allied powers (Great Britain, France, Russia against the central powers (Germany, Austria, Turkey). These European powers often engaged in fights for status and territory thus the Great War was no exception except that it attracted the whole world into the conflict. Not even the United States which had vowed to maintain its isolationist or non-interventionist policy was spared. Of most importance is that the US depended much on trade from both powers with trade from allied forces accounting for more than $ 800 million and from central powers $170 million. Further, trade from Britain and France depended on loans from American banks. No wonder the US was unable to sustain its to a non-interventionist stance. This was bound to be difficult for US thus the formation of the Creel committee to devise propaganda that would shape public opinion towards war support. There are various f actors that led the US to enter the war. First, it was the economic ties with Europe. The war would have jeopardized US trade thus it was reasonable to intervene. Secondly, it is the strong ethnic ties of US to the old world. America comprised of many immigrants from war torn areas hence it was bound to get involved in the war. Furthermore, President Wilson always held great admiration for British form of government hence sympathetic to its plight. Another important reason is that US was caught in the middle of commercial warfare with Britain blockade on one side and German blockade on the other.

Contributions of Siddhartha Gautama to Buddhism

Contributions of Siddhartha Gautama to Buddhism Ilinca Stingaciu Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha, is considered the founder of Buddhist religion. Many buddhist beliefs and teachings are based on the Buddhas discoveries and teachings. One of the most important ways in which the Siddhartha Gautama influenced Buddhism is by actually spreading the religion, and spreading this teachings to people, which drew in followers who continued to further spread buddhism (Alldritt, 2004, p. 25). After reaching enlightenment, Buddha found the answer to suffering, which is also referred to as the dukkha in religious scripts. Based on his realizations, he founded the Four Noble truths of suffering, an important concept in Buddhist teachings. The first of the truths, known as the Truth of suffering, essentially states that everything in life leads to suffering. The second truth, that of where suffering comes from, explains the realization that suffering stems from selfishness and cravings. The third truth teaches of the cessation or elimination of suff ering within ones life, and to let go of all cravings or desires that cause suffering (Gethin, 1998, p. 59).The fourth truth teaches what to do be able to eliminate suffering, essentially teaching followers how to come about attaining nirvana (Gethin, 1998, p. 80). The eightfold path, a common concept and symbol in Buddhism, was also established by the Buddha based on fourth of the Noble truths. This outlines eight concepts on how to live life, which guide a person to end suffering, and find fulfillment (Gethin, 1998, p. 82). Meditation is a key practice within Buddhist religion, one that like many, can be traced back the the Buddha. He taught followers how to meditate in order to separate themselves from their personal thoughts and emotions (Hope Van Loon, 1999, p. 38). He encouraged ideology that enlightenment and meditation is personal, so each person must find their way to enlightenment on their own (Ross, 1980, p. 4). Born into royalty, Siddhartha Gautama was raised in a life of luxury, sheltered from the realities of pain and suffering (Ross, p. 5). After one day going against his Fathers orders to stay within the palace walls, Siddhartha was given a tour of the city, where he learned of the three sufferings (Ross, 1980, p. 6). Outside, the prince saw the realities of illness, aging, and death. Siddhartha was scared of the fate of pain and death which awaited everyone, and no longer saw a purpose in anything after (Hope Van Loon, 1999, p. 13). He found no more value in wealth he had and in the pleasures of life, as he realized that it would all go to waste in the inevitability of suffering and death (Gethin, 1998, p.15). Siddartha wanted to find out how to find happiness, regardless of inevitable suffering (Ross, 1980, p. 6). He isolated himself from everyone, and sat under the Bodhi tree, until he fully understood suffering (Hope Van Loon, p. 19). Further inspiration came after Buddhas enlight enment. After discovering the true meaning of suffering, and how to accept it within ones life, he made it his mission to help others find this awakening, and understand the truth about suffering (Gethin, 1998, p.15). Although Buddha had attained Nirvana, he chose to stay on earth to teach others how to reach enlightenment just as he had. He believed everyone should have equal right be followers and learn the teachings of their religion (Ross, 1980, p. 5). This was his inspiration to spread Buddhist teachings, rather than to keep his awakening to himself (Ross, 1980, pg. 18). He drew in followers who continued to further spread Buddhism (Alldritt, 2004, p. 25), and encouraged followers to question everything he said in order to find a path to enlightenment on their own, in lieu of only following his word (Hope Van Loon, 1999, p. 7). He did not want to be seen as their religious leader, but rather as a teacher on how to reach enlightenment (Ross, 1980, p. 4). `All created things perish, he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain; this is the way to purity. (The Dhammapada, verse 277). Through this quote are reflected many core buddhist teachings, as many teaching surround the idea of transience, from one life to the next. It exemplifies how in order to reach enlightenment, and to be free of pain and suffering, one must realize what suffering truly is, and why it is present within all life. Buddha saw that suffering stemmed from greed and desire. This belief was outlined through the second of the Four Noble truths, realizing where suffering comes from. He believed that in order to end suffering, one must give up materialistic and selfish desires The quote can be translated back into the ideology of the Four Noble truths, as these truths outline the meaning of suffering within ones life, truths that must be realized in order to find enlightenment (Gethin, 1998, p. 59). The quote alludes to the need for this clarity and knowledge of suffering to achieve enlightenment. One of the many teachings of the Buddha are the three Marks of Existence. The first is dukkha, which is suffering. The second is the teaching of impermanence known as anitya, stating that nothing lasts, as everything is a transition into something else. The third, anatman teaches to be selfless, in the sense that a person does not live forever, so nothing considered to be part of ones personality will live on. Analyzing these teachings, they can be related to the idea set out in the quote, that of continuity and the inevitability of dukkha, or suffering. Out of these, the anitya, the second teaching, provides the clearest link to the meaning of the quote.ÂÂ   Anitya teaches that nothing lasts forever, just as the quote states that everything ends and this must be realized, which are in part done by understanding the Three Marks (Alldritt, 2004, p. 24). References Alldritt, L. (2004, October). Buddhism. Retrieved from ebooks.infobaselearning.com/View.asp x?ISBN=9781438106380InstID=7469 The Dhammapada, (n.d.). Full books. Retrieved from www.fullbooks.com/The-Dhammapada. html Gethin, R. (1998). The Foundations of Buddhism. Retrieved from search.ebscohost.com/logi n.aspx?direct=truedb=nlebkAN=12334site=ehost-liveebv=EBppid=pp_59 Hope, J. Van Loon, B. (1999). Introducing Buddha. Cambridge, UK: Icon Books. Ross, N. (1980). Buddhism: A Way of Life and Thought. Location:Vintage Books.

Essay on Internet Privacy - Invasion of Privacy on the Internet

Invasion of Privacy on the Internet       Invasion of privacy is a serious issue concerning the Internet, as e-mails can be read if not encrypted, and cookies can track a user and store personal information. Lack of privacy policies and employee monitoring threatens security also. Individuals should have the right to protect themselves as much as possible from privacy invasion and shouldn't have to give in to lowered standards of safety being pursued by the government.    Encryption is the best and most convenient way to ensure that e-mails and other files transferred via the Internet are kept private during transfer. The widespread use of strong encryption technology is essential to protect consumers and businesses against spies, fraud, and theft over the computer networks used in electronic commerce. The federal government has just announced a new policy that will maintain restrictions on the export of encryption stronger than 56 bits. Stronger encryption technology may be exported only to subsidiaries of U.S. companies in most countries, or to certain economic sectors in 42 countries (insurance, banking, or online merchants). Some law enforcement interests support legislation that would force U.S. citizens and residents to give the government access to the secret keys that read encryption. Government-mandated key recovery and controls over the strength of encryption are a grave danger to the privacy of law-abiding citizens and businesses, not only in the United States but all over the world. This compromises freedom and sacrifices basic privacy rights.    A new law, Senate bill 6027 (the E-Privacy Act), is trying to combat these sacrifices. This law would prohibit indirect controls or ties to encryption use... ...umers should demand that these stipulations be addressed and attended to. Invasion of privacy is happening more than many individuals realize, so staying aware and alert of exploitation is necessary. Privacy violation over the Internet is just as important as privacy in the home: it belongs to us and shouldn't be taken away by anyone. Sources Cited The E-Privacy Act--Analysis of the bill by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Key_escrow/1998/HTML/19980521_e-privacy_eff_analysis.html Privacy Invasion Links--Articles, organizations, and resources. http://www.larrysworld.com/privacy.html Personal Privacy--Steps to protect the consumer. http://www.larrysworld.com/articles/personalpriv.htm Internet Privacy Coalition--The latest news in Internet security through encryption. http://www.epic.org/crypto/

Ink and Paper Communication Essay

People say that the art of letter writing is dead. But my idea of heaven is writing a letter to a dear friend in a far away town, a note to my cousin saying â€Å" thankyou † for the dinner we had this weekend, a fan letter to the writer whose story I read and admired. I love to write something, be it a short story, a poem, a serious article or just letters. It is so magical to gather the right words and put them together on the paper†¦ I write a couple of letters a day, and suffer from bouts of guilt, thinking I may perhaps be over burdening my friends and relatives with my written material. Letters have been very important in my life, those that I have written and received. I have treasured the ones which are very dear to me, to read them again and again reveling in the magical spell they cast on me every time unfolding something new. It was a hobby that started from my childhood, when I wrote letters to my school friends, teachers, relatives and strangers as well. I std lX, when suddenly half the nation was consumed by the passion of acting, I too was one of them. I wrote my first fan letter to the great ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ and received from him a typed reply and his autographed photograph. His letter, the special handmade greeting card, and the letters written by my friends are the most treasured possession. Recently when I revealed my letter writing habbit to my friend, I was told, †but my dear, no one writes letters anymore! Where’s the time?† Agreed! I know people who never write letters for whom its just a waste of time. How easy it is to reach for the telephone type a few digits and talk to person miles away from you†¦ no pondering over thoughts no addressing of envelopes and no waiting for response. No doubt, the telephone is more efficient and instant but I doubt whether it is, on the whole as effective as a letter. Letters have a certain power, your heartbeat ticks rhythmically with every comma and a full stop†¦ you can preserve a letter , read it study it, carry it around like a cherished possession. It is not momentary as a telephone call, quickly done and quickly forgotten. As I have grown over years, I have matured and hopefully become wiser. I have learned to think twice before dropping a letter written in a melancholic mood. I have regretted it because by the time the letter is received the gloominess is banished and then one is left anxiously thinking about the reaction at the other end. There were moments when shyness led me to writing letters. I would have never been able to make friends with strangers had I not been a keen writer. I cannot dream of calling up a writer, actor, painter whose work I admire, until and unless I know them personally. But without hesitation I write them letters of appreciation, and if my letter is welcomed, it is answered and if not, I’ve got nothing to lose. Its funny but I’ve maintained friendships solely through letters that may, I fear, break if there is a face to face encounter. So keep in touch. The pen and paper you use does not matter— the voice coming from the heart does. The next time when you write a letter notice for a second the magical tune that your pen plays on your paper , the rhythm of the flow of your thoughts, like the first raindrops touching the mother earth. You feel as if you are actually sitting in front of the other person reading out thoughts, collecting thoughts, coloring them with ink and presenting them paper to loved ones†¦.. anxiously waiting for the reply†¦. Letters have their special brand of magic.

Advertising Message

Advertising Messages and Creative Approaches †¢ Whether advertising converts people into becoming brand-loyal customers or acts as a defensive shield to reassure current buyers, and whether central or peripheral cues are required, there still remains the decision about the nature and form of the message to be conveyed: the creative strategy. †¢ In practice, the generation of suitable messages is derived from the creative brief. For the sake of discussion and analysis, four elements will be considered.These concern the balance, the structure, the perceived source and the presentation o f the message to the target audience †¢ The Balance of the Message †¢ With high-involvement decisions, where persuasion occurs through a central processing route, the emphasis o f the message should be on the information content, in particular, the key attributes and the associated benefits. †¢ It is evident from previous discussions that the effectiveness of any single message is dependent upon a variety of issues.From a receiver's perspective, two elements appear to be significant: first, the amount and quality of the information that is communicated, and, second, the overall judgement that each individual makes about the way a message is communicated. †¢ The Balance of the Message †¢ This suggests that the style of a message should reflect a balance between the need for information and the need for pleasure or enjoyment in consuming the message.It is clear that when dealing with high-involvement decisions, where persuasion occurs through a central processing route, the emphasis of the message should be on the information content, in particular, the key attributes and the associated benefits. This style is often factual and product orientated. If the product evokes low-involvement decision-making, then the message should concentrate upon the images that are created within the mind of the message recipient. This style seeks to elicit an emotiona l response from receivers.There are, of course, many situations where both rational and emotional messages are needed by buyers in order to make purchasing decisions. †¢ Likeability †¢ Likeability is important, because learning and attitude change may be positively correlated with the degree to which consumption o f the message is enjoyed. †¢ An issue that has been gaining increasing attention since the beginning of the 1990s concerns the level of likeability that an advertisement generates. Likeability is important, because learning and attitude change may be positively correlated with the degree to which consumption of the message is enjoyed.This means that the greater the enjoyment, the greater the exposure to the message and the lower the probability that the message will be perceptually zapped. †¢ Biel (1990) found that changes in product preferences were considerably improved when receivers had `liked the commercial a lot'. This compares with those who were less enthusiastic or neutral towards the advertisement. Haley (1990) reported that advertisements that create a belief that the product is excellent and where messages that are liked are commercially more successful.In other words, a message that is well liked will sell more product than a message that fails to generate interest and liking. †¢ This begs the question, `what makes a message liked? ‘ Obviously, the receiver must be stimulated to become interested in the message. Having become emotionally engaged, interest can only be sustained if the credibility of the advertisement can also be maintained. The style of the message should be continued, in order that the context of the message does not require the target audience to readjust their perception.This is particularly important for low-involvement messages, where receivers have little or no interest. If the weak theory is adopted, then `liked' advertisements will tend to be those for whom the receiver has prior exp erience or exposure. Messages that are well liked appear to consist of the following components (du Plessis, 1998): 1. The advertisement needs to be entertaining. This usually means that the advertisement is new and people are curious. 2. People like advertisements with which they can identify and which show them in a good light 3.People appear to like advertisements that refer to products that are new, that tell them how the products might be useful to them and which show them how to use products. Otherwise, perceptual selection will ensure that messages for products of which target has no experience, or which the target has no interest in, will be screened regardless of the quality or the likeability of the communication The likeability level that an advertisement achieves is not the sole reason or measure of an advertisement's success or effectiveness (Joyce, 1991). Research from The Netherlands suggests that interest is also an important and interrelated factor. Stapel (1991) st rongly suggests that advertisers should make their messages interesting, as this will probably lead to liking and overall effectiveness. †¢ However, likeability and associated interest are new and interesting contributions that need to be considered when the style of an advertising message is determined. †¢ Message Structure An important part of message strategy is the consideration of the best way of communicating the key points, or core message, to the target audience without encountering objections and opposing points of view. The following are regarded as important structural features which shape the pattern of a message †¢ Conclusion Drawing †¢ Should the message draw a firm conclusion for the audience or should people be allowed to draw their own conclusions from the content? Explicit conclusions are, of course, more easily understood and stand a better chance of being effective (Kardes, 1988).However, it is the nature of the issue, the particular situation and the composition of the target audience that influence the effectiveness of conclusion drawing (Hovland and Mandell, 1952). Whether or not a conclusion should be drawn for the receiver depends upon the following: 1. The complexity o f the issue Healthcare products, central heating systems and personal finance services, for example, can be complex, and for some members of the target audience their cog nitive ability, experience and motivation may not be sufficient for them to draw their own conclusions.The complexity of the product requires that messages must draw conclusions for them. It should also be remembered that even highly informed and motivated audiences may require assistance if the product or issue is relatively new. 2. The level o f education possessed by the receiver Better-educated audiences prefer to draw their own conclusions, whereas less educated audiences may need the conclusion drawn for them because they may not be able to make the inference from the message. 3. Whether immediate action is required If urgent action is required by the receiver, then a conclusion should be drawn very clearly.Political parties can be observed to use this strategy immediately before an election. 4. The level o f involvement High involvement usually means that receivers prefer to make up their own minds and may reject or resent any attempt to have the conclusion drawn for them (Arora, 1985). One- and two-sided messages †¢ This concerns whether the cases for and against an issue or just that in favour are presented to an audience. Messages that present just one argument, in favour of the product or issue, are referred to as one-sided.Research indicates that one-sided messages are more effective when receivers favour the opinion offered in the message and when the receivers are less educated. †¢ Two-sided messages, where the good and bad points of an issue are presented, are more effective when the †¢ receiver's initial opinion is opposite to th at presented in the message and when they are highly educated. Credibility is improved and two-sided messages tend to produce more positive perceptions of a source than one-sided messages (Faison, 1961). †¢ Order of Presentation Further questions regarding the development of message strategy concern the order in which important points are presented. Messages which present the strongest points at the beginning use what is referred to as the primacy effect. The decision to place the main points at the beginning depends on whether the audience has a low or high level of involvement. A low level may require an attention-getting message component at the beginning. Similarly, if the target has an opinion opposite to that contained in the message, a weak point may lead to a high level of counter-argument. †¢ A decision to lace the strongest points at the end of the message assumes that the recency effect will bring about greater levels of persuasion. This is appropriate when the receiver agrees with the position adopted by the source or has a high positive level of involvement. †¢ The order of argument presentation is more relevant in personal selling than in television advertisements. However, as learning through television is largely passive, because involvement is low and interest minimal, the presentation of key selling points at the beginning and at the end of the message will enhance message reception and recall. A decision to place the strongest points at the end of the message assumes that the recency effect will bring about greater levels of persuasion. This is appropriate when the receiver agrees with the position adopted by the source or has a high positive level of involvement. †¢ The order of argument presentation is more relevant in personal selling than in television advertisements. However, as learning through television is largely passive, because involvement is low and interest minimal, the presentation of key selling points at t he beginning and at the end of the message will enhance message reception and recall. A decision to place the strongest points at the end of the message assumes that the recency effect will bring about greater levels of persuasion. This is appropriate when the receiver agrees with the position adopted by the source or has a high positive level of involvement. †¢ The order of argument presentation is more relevant in personal selling than in television advertisements. However, as learning through television is largely passive, because involvement is low and interest minimal, the presentation of key selling points at the beginning and at the end of the message will enhance message reception and recall. Source of the Message †¢ The effect of source credibility. on the effectiveness of the communication, and in particular the persuasiveness of a message, should not he underestimated. †¢ The key components of source credibility are, first, the level of perceived expertise (how much knowledge the source is thought to hold) and the personal motives the source is believed to possess. What degree of trust can be placed in the source concerning the motives for communicating the message in the first place? No matter what the level of expertise, if the level of trust is questionable, credibility ,will be adversely affected. Establishing Credibility †¢ Credibility can be established in a number of ways. One simple approach is to list or display the key attributes of the organisation or the product and then signal trustworthiness through the use of third-party endorsements and the comments of satisfied users. †¢ A more complex approach is to use referrals, suggestions and association. Trustworthiness and expertise, the two principal aspects of credibility, can be developed by using a spokesperson or organisation to provide testimonials on behalf of the sponsor of the. advertisement. Credibility, therefore, can be established by the initiator of the advertisement or by a messenger or spokesperson used by the initiator to convey the message. †¢ Credibility Established by the Initiator †¢ The credibility of the organisation initiating the communication process is important. An organisation should seek to enhance its reputation with its various stakeholders at every opportunity. †¢ However, organisational credibility is derived from the image, which in turn is a composite of many perceptions. Past decisions, current strategy and performance indicators, level of service and the type of performance network members (e. . high-quality retail outlets) all influence the perception of an organisation and the level of credibility that follows. †¢ Credibility Established by the Initiator †¢ One very important factor that influences credibility is branding. Private and family brands in particular allow initiators to develop and launch new products more easily than those who do not have such brand strength. Brand ext ensions (such as Mars icecream) have been launched with the credibility of the product firmly grounded in the strength of the parent brand name (Mars).Consumers recognise the name and make associations that enable them to lower the perceived risk and in doing so provide the platform to try the new product. †¢ The need to establish high levels of credibility also allows organisations to divert advertising spend away from a focus upon brands to one that focuses upon the organisation. Corporate advertising seeks to adjust organisation image and to build reputation. †¢ Credibility Established by a Spokesperson †¢ People who deliver the message are often regarded as the source, when in reality they are only the messenger. These people carry the message and represent the true source or initiator of the message (e. g. manufacturer or retailer). Consequently, the testimonial they transmit must be credible. There are four main types of spokesperson: the expert, the celebrity, the chief executive officer and the consumer. †¢ The expert has been used many times and was particularly popular when television advertising first established itself in the 1950s and 1960s. Experts are quickly recognisable because they either wear white coats and round glasses or dress and act like `mad professors'.Through the use of symbolism, stereotypes and identification, these characters (and indeed others) can be established very quickly in the minds of receivers and a frame of reference generated which does not question the authenticity of the message being transmitted by such a person. Experts can also be users of products, for example, professional photographers endorsing cameras, secretaries endorsing word processors and professional golfers endorsing golf equipment †¢ Credibility Established by a Spokesperson Entertainment and sporting celebrities have been used increasingly in the 1990s, not only to provide credibility for a range of high-involvement (e. g. An gus Deayton for Barclaycard and Marianne Paithfull for Virgin Atlantic, and low-involvement decisions (e. g. David Beckham for Brylcream) but also to grab the attention of people in markets where motivation to decide between competitive products may be low. The celebrity enables the message to stand out among the clutter and noise that typify many markets. It is also hoped that the celebrity and or the voice-over will become a peripheral cue in the decision-making process: Joanna Lumley for Boots Opticians and AOL email, Gary Lineker for Walkers Crisps and Heather Lockyear for L'Oreal. There are some potential problems which advertisers need to be aware of when considering the use of celebrities. First, does the celebrity fit the image of the brand and will the celebrity be acceptable to the target audience? Consideration also needs to be given to the longer-term elationship between the celebrity and the brand. Should the lifestyle of the celebrity change, what impact will the chang e have on the target audience and their attitude towards the brand? Witness the separation of the (then) England football coach, Glenn Hoddle, and his wife, and the consequent termination of the Weetabix advertisement set around the family breakfast table. †¢ This matching process can be used to change brand attitudes as well as reinforce them. BT wanted to change the attitude that men had to telephone calls.Rather than being just the bill payer and the gatekeeper of calls to other members of the family, the role Bob Hoskins had was to demonstrate male behaviour and to present a solution that was acceptable to all members of the family. Attitudes held by men towards the telephone and its use changed significantly as a result of the campaign, partly because Hoskins was perceived as a credible spokesperson, someone with whom men could identify and feel comfortable. †¢ The second problem concerns the impact that the celebrity makes relative to the brand.There is a danger that the receiver remembers the celebrity but not the message or the brand that is the focus of the advertising spend. The celebrity becomes the hero, rather than the product being advertised. Summers (1993) suggests that the Cinzano advertisements featuring Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter are a classic example of the problem: `The characters so dwarfed the product that consumers may have had trouble recalling the brand'. †¢ Issues such as brand development can also be impeded when identification by an audience with the celebrity is strong.Sony had to fade audiences away from its association with John Cleese by using a Robot/Cleese look-alike for a period. †¢ Richard Branson is used to promote Virgin Financial products and Victor Kiam `so liked the razor that he bought the company' (Remington). Here, the CEO openly promotes his company. This form of testimonial is popular when the image of the CEO is positive and the photogenic and on-screen characteristics provide for enhan ced credibility. Bernard Mathews has established authenticity and trustworthiness with his personal promotion of Norfolk Roasts. †¢ The final form of spokesperson is the consumer.By using consumers to endorse products, the audience is being asked to identify with a `typical consumer'. The identification of similar lifestyles, interests and opinions allows for better reception and understanding of the message. Consumers are often depicted testing similar products, such as margarine and butter. The Pepsi Challenge required consumers to select Pepsi from Coca-Cola through blind taste tests. By showing someone using the product, someone who is similar to the receiver, the source is perceived as credible and the potential for successful persuasion is considerably enhanced. Sleeper Effects †¢ The assumption so far has been that high credibility enhances the probability of persuasion and successful communication. This is true when the receiver's initial position is opposite to th at contained in the message. When the receiver's position is favourable to the message, a moderate level of credibility may be more appropriate. †¢ Whether source credibility is high, medium or low is of little consequence, according to some researchers (Hannah and Sternthal, 1984).The impact of the source is believed to dissipate after approximately six weeks and only the content of the message is thought to dominate the receiver's attention. This sleeper effect (Hovland et al. , 1949) has not been proved empirically, but the implication is that the persuasiveness of a message can increase through time. Furthermore, advertisers using highly credible sources need to repeat the message on a regular basis, in order that the required level of effectiveness and persuasion be maintained (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1991). †¢ Presentation of the Message The presentation of the promotional message requires that an appeal be made to the target audience. The appeal is important, because u nless the execution of the message appeal (the creative) is appropriate to the target audience's perception and expectations, the chances of successful communication are reduced. †¢ There are two main factors associated with the presentation. Is the message to be dominated by the need to transmit product-orientated information or is there a need to transmit a message which appeals predominantly to the emotional senses of the receiver?The main choice of presentation style, therefore, concerns the degree of factual information transmitted in a message against the level of imagery thought necessary to make sufficient impact for the message to command attention and then be processed. There are numerous presentational or executional techniques, but the following are some of the more commonly used appeals. †¢ Appeals Based upon the Provision of Information †¢ Factual †¢ Sometimes referred to as the `hard sell', the dominant objective of these appeals is to provide info rmation.This type of appeal is commonly associated with high-involvement decisions where receivers are sufficiently motivated and able to process information. †¢ Persuasion, according to the ELM, is undertaken through the central processing route. This means that advertisements should be rational and contain logically reasoned arguments and information in order that receivers are able to complete their decision-making processes †¢ †¢ The establishment of credibility is vital if any message is to be accepted.One of the ways in which this can be achieved is to present the message in such a way that the receiver can identify immediately with the scenario being presented. This process of creating similarity is used a great deal in advertising and is referred to as slice-of-life advertising. For example, many washing powder advertisers use a routine that depicts two ordinary women (assumed to be similar to the target receiver), invariably in a kitchen or garden, discussing the poor results achieved by one of their washing powders. Following the advice of one of the women, the stubborn stains are seen to be overcome by the focus brand. The overall effect of this appeal is for the receiver to conclude the following: that person is like me; I have had the same problem as that person; he or she is satisfied using brand X, therefore, I too will use brand X. This technique is simple, well tried, well liked and successful, despite its sexist overtones. It is also interesting to note that a number of surveys have found that a majority of women feel that advertisers use inappropriate stereotyping to portray females roles, these being predominantly housewife and mother roles. †¢ Demonstration A similar technique is to present the problem to the audience as a demonstration. The focus brand is depicted as instrumental in the resolution of a problem. †¢ Headache remedies, floor cleaners and tyre commercials have traditionally demonstrated the pain, the dirt and the danger respectively and then shown how the focus brand relieves the pain (Panadol), removes the stubborn dirt (Flash) or stops in the wet on a coin (or edge of a rooftop – Continental tyres). †¢ Whether the execution is believable is a function of the credibility and the degree of life-like dialogue or copy that is used. Comparative Advertising †¢ Comparative advertising is a popular means of positioning brands. Messages are based upon the comparison of the focus brand with either a main competitor brand or all competing brands, with the aim of establishing superior. †¢ The comparison may centre upon one or two key attributes and can be a good way of entering new markets. Entrants keen to establish a presence in a market have little to lose by comparing themselves with market leaders. †¢ However, market leaders have a great deal to lose and little to gain by comparing themselves with minor competitors. Appeals Based Upon Emotions and Feelings †¢ Appeals based on logic and reason are necessary in particular situations. However, as products become similar and as consumers become more aware of the range of available products, so the need to differentiate becomes more important. Increasing numbers of advertisers are using messages which seek to appeal to the target's emotions and feelings, a `soft sell'. Cars, toothpaste, toilet tissue and mineral water often use emotion-based messages to differentiate their products. There are a number of appeals that can be used to solicit an emotional response from the receiver. Of the many techniques available, the main ones that can be observed to be used most are fear, humour, animation, sex, music, and fantasy and surrealism. †¢ Fear †¢ Fear is used in one of two ways. The first type demonstrates the negative aspects or physical dangers associated with a particular behaviour or improper product usage. Drink driving, life assurance and toothpaste advertising typify this form of appeal. The second approach is the threat of social rejection or disapproval if the focus product is not used. This type of fear is used frequently in advertisements for such products as anti-dandruff shampoos and deodorants and is used to support consumers' needs for social acceptance and approval. †¢ Fear appeals need to be constrained, if only to avoid being categorised as outrageous and socially unacceptable. There is a great deal of evidence that fear can facilitate attention and interest in a message and even motivate an individual to take a particular course of action: for example, to stop smoking.Fear appeals are persuasive, according to Schiffman and Kanuk (1991), when low to moderate levels of fear are induced. †¢ Ray and Wilkie (1970), however, show that should the level of fear rise too much, inhibiting effects may prevent the desired action occurring. This inhibition is caused by the individual choosing to screen out, through perceptive selection, mess ages that conflict with current behaviour. The outcome may be that individuals deny the existence of a problem, claim there is no proof or say that it will not happen to them. †¢ Humour The use of humour as an emotional appeal is attractive because it can draw attention and stimulate interest. A further reason to use humour is that it can put the receiver in a positive mood. Mood can also be important, as receivers in a positive mood are likely to process advertising messages with little cognitive elaboration (Batra and Stayman, 1990). †¢ This can occur because there is less effort involved with peripheral rather than central cognitive processing, and this helps to mood protect. In other words, the positive mood state is more likely to be maintained if cognitive effort is avoided.Yellow Pages have used humour quietly to help convey the essence of their brand and to help differentiate it from the competition †¢ It is also argued that humour is effective because argumen t quality is likely to be high. That is, the level of counter-argument can be substantially reduced. Arguments against the use of humour concern distraction from the focus brand, so that while attention is drawn, the message itself is lost. With the move to global branding and standardisation of advertising messages, humour does not travel well. While the level and type of humour are difficult to gauge in the context of the processing abilities of a domestic target audience, cultural differences seriously impede the transfer of jokes around the world. Visual humour (lavatorial, Benny Hill type approaches) is more universally acceptable (Archer, 1994) than word-based humour, as the latter can get lost in translation without local references to provide clues to decipher the joke. †¢ Humour, therefore, is a potentially powerful yet dangerous form of appeal.Haas (1997) reports that UK advertising executives have significantly higher confidence in the use of humour than their US cou nterparts, but concludes that ‘humour is a vague concept and that its perception is influenced by many factors'. These factors shape the context in which messages are perceived and the humour conveyed. †¢ Animation †¢ Animation techniques have advanced considerably in recent years, with children as the prime target audience. However, animation has been successfully used in many adulttargeted advertisements, such as those by Schweppes, Compaq, Tetley Tea, Direct Line Insurance and the Electricity Board. The main reason for using animation is that potentially boring and low-interest/involvement products can be made visually interesting and provide a means of gaining attention. A further reason for the use of animation is that it is easier to convey complex products in a way that does not patronise the viewer. †¢ Sex †¢ Sexual innuendo and the use of sex as a means of promoting products and services are both common and controversial. Using sex as an appeal in messages is excellent for gaining the attention of buyers. †¢ Research shows, however, that it often achieves little else, particularly when the product is unrelated.Therefore, sex appeals normally work well for products such as perfume, clothing and jewelry but provide for poor effectiveness when the product is unrelated, such as cars, photocopiers and furniture. †¢ Haagen-Dazs premium ice-cream entered the UK market using pleasure as central to the message appeal. This approach was novel to the product class and the direct, natural relationship between the product and the theme contributed to the campaign's success. †¢ The use of sex in advertising messages is mainly restricted to getting the attention of the audience and, in some circumstances, sustaining interest.It can be used openly, as in various lingerie, fragrance and perfume advertisements, such as WonderBra and Escape, sensually, as in the Haagen-Dazs and Cointreau campaigns, and humorously in the Locketts brand. †¢ Music †¢ Music can provide continuity between a series of advertisements can and also be a good peripheral cue. A jingle, melody or tune, if repeated sufficiently, can become associated with the advertisement. Processing and attitudes towards the advertisement may be directly influenced by the music.Music has the potential to gain attention and assist product differentiation. Braithwaite and Ware (1997) found that music in advertising messages is used primarily either to create a mood or to send a branded message. In addition, music can also be used to signal a lifestyle and so communicate a brand identity through the style of music used. †¢ Many advertisements for cars use music, partly because it is difficult to find a point of differentiation (Independent, 18 October 1996), and music is able to draw attention, generate mood and express brand personality (e. . Rover, BMW, Nissan Micra, Peugeot, Renault). †¢ Some luxury and executive cars are advertise d using commanding background music to create an aura of power, prestige and affluence, which is combined with strong visual images in order that an association be made between the car and the environment in which it is positioned. There is a contextual juxtaposition between the car and the environment presented. Readers may notice a semblance of classical conditioning, where the music acts as an unconditioned stimulus.Foxall and Goldsmith (1994) suggest that the stimulus elicits the unconditioned emotional responses that may lead to the purchase of the advertised product †¢ Fantasy and Surrealism †¢ The use of fantasy and surrealism in advertising has grown partly as a result of the increased clutter and legal constraints imposed on some product classes. By using fantasy appeals, associations with certain images and symbols allow the advertiser to focus attention on the product. The receiver can engage in the distraction offered and become involved with the execution of t he advertisement.If this is a rewarding experience it may be possible to affect the receiver's attitudes peripherally. Readers may notice that this links to the earlier discussion on `liking the advertisement'. †¢ Finally, an interesting contribution to the discussion of message appeal has been made by Lannon (1992). She reports that consumers' expectations of advertisements can be interpreted on the one hand as either literal or stylish and on the other as serious or entertaining, according to the tone of voice. This approach vindicates the view that consumers are active problem solvers and willing and able to decode increasingly complex messages.They can become involved with the execution of the advertisement and the product attributes. The degree of involvement (she argues implicitly) is a function of the motivation each individual has at any one moment when exposed to a particular message. †¢ Fantasy and Surrealism †¢ Advertisers can challenge individuals by prese nting questions and visual stimuli that demand attention and cognitive response. Guinness challenged consumers to decode a series of advertisements which were unlike all previous Guinness advertisements and, indeed, all messages in the product class. The celebrity chosen was dressed completely in black, which contrasted with his blonde hair, and he was shown in various time periods, past and future, and environments that receivers did not expect. He was intended to represent the personification of the drink and symbolised the individual nature of the product. Audiences were puzzled by the presentation and many rejected the challenge of interpretation. `Surfer' and `Bet on Black' are more recent Guinness campaigns which seek to convey the importance and necessity to wait (for the drink to be poured properly).To accomplish this, it portrays a variety of situations in which patience results in achievement. †¢ Fantasy and Surrealism †¢ When individuals respond positively to a challenge, the advertiser can either provide closure (an answer) or, through surreal appeals, leave the receivers to answer the questions themselves in the context in which they perceive the message. One way of achieving this challenging position is to use an appeal that cognitively disorients the receiver (Parker and Churchill, 1986). If receivers are led to ask the question `What is going on here? ‘ their involvement in the message is likely to be very high. Benetton consistently raises questions through its advertising. By presenting a series of messages that are socially disorientating, and for many disconcerting, Benetton continually presents a challenge that moves away from involving individuals into an approach where salience and `standing out' predominates. This high-risk strategy, with a risk of rejection, has prevailed for a number of years. The surrealist approach does not provide or allow for closure †¢ The conformist approach, by contrast, does require closur e in order to avoid any possible counter arguing and message rejection.Parker and Churchill argue that, by leaving questions unanswered, receivers can become involved in both the product and the execution of the advertisement. Indeed, most advertisements contain a measure of rational and emotional elements. A blend of the two elements is necessary and the right mixture is dependent upon the perceived risk and motivation that the target audience has at any one particular moment. †¢ The message appeal should be a balance of the informative and emotional dimensions. Furthermore, message quality is of paramount importance.Buzzell (1964) reported that `Advertising message quality is more important than the level of advertising expenditure'. Adams and Henderson Blair (1992) confirm that the weight of advertising is relatively unimportant, and that the quality of the appeal is the dominant factor. However, the correct blend of informative and emotional elements in any appeal is paramo unt for persuasive effectiveness. †¢ Advertising Tactics †¢ The main creative elements of a message need to be brought together in order for an advertising plan to have substance.The processes used to develop message appeals need to be open but systematic. †¢ The level of involvement and combination of the think/emotional dimensions that receivers bring to their decision-making processes are the core concepts to be considered when creating an advertising message. Rossiter and Percy (1997) have devised a deductive framework which involves the disaggregation of the emotional (feel) dimension to a greater degree than that proposed by Vaughn (1980) (see Chapter 12 for details). They claim that there are two broad types of motive that drive attitudes towards purchase behaviour.These are informational and transformational motives and these will now be considered in turn. †¢ Informational Motives †¢ Individuals have a need for information to counter negative concer ns about a purchase decision. These informational motives are said to be negatively charged feelings. They can become positively charged, or the level of concern can be reduced considerably, by the acquisition of relevant information. †¢ Transformational Motives †¢ Promises to enhance or to improve the user of a brand are referred to as transformational motives.These are related to the user's feelings and are capable of transforming a user's emotional state, hence they are positively charged. Three main transformational motives have been distinguished by Rossiter et al. (1991): †¢ Various emotional states can be associated with each of these motives, and they should be used to portray an emotion that is appropriate to the needs of the target audience. †¢ One of the key promotion objectives, identified earlier, is the need to create or improve levels of awareness regarding the product or organisation.This is achieved by determining whether awareness is required at the paint of purchase or prior to purchase. Brand recognition (at the point of purchase) requires an emphasis upon visual stimuli, the package and the brand name, whereas brand recall (prior to purchase) requires an emphasis on a limited number of peripheral cues. These may be particular copy lines, the use of music or colours for continuity and attention-getting frequent use of the brand name in the context of the category need, or perhaps the use of strange or unexpected presentation formats. Advertising tactics can be determined by the particular combination of involvement and motives that exist at a particular time within the target audience. †¢ If a high involvement decision process is determined with people using a central processing route then the types of tactics shown in Figures 21. 2 and 21. 3 are recommended by Rossiter and Percy(1997). If a low-involvement decision process is determined with the target audience using a peripheral processing route, then the types of tactics shown in Figures 21. and 21. 5 are recommended. †¢ The Rossiter-Percy approach provides for a range of advertising tactics that are oriented to the conditions that are determined by the interplay of the level of involvement and the type of dominant motivation. These conditions may only exist within a member of the target audience for a certain time. Consequently, they may change and the advertising tactics may also have to change to meet the new conditions. There are two points that emerge form the work of Rossiter and Percy.The first is that all messages should be designed to carry both rational, logical information and emotional stimuli but in varying degrees and forms. Second, low involvement conditions require the use of just one or two benefits in a message whereas high involvement conditions can sustain a number of different benefit claims. This is because †¢ persuasion through the central processing route is characterized by an evaluation of the alternative s within any one product category

Rain Boots Essays

Rain Boots Essays Rain Boots Essay Rain Boots Essay Essay Topic: The Winters Tale Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then precipitated- that is, become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides suitable conditions for many types of ecosystem, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation. Interesting information Rain is also known or suspected on other planets, where it may be composed of methane, neon, sulfuric acid or even iron rather than water. Raining animals is a rare meteorological phenomenon in which flightless animals rain from the sky. Such occurrences have been reported in many countries throughout history. One hypothesis offered to explain this phenomenon is that strong winds traveling over water sometimes pick up creatures such as fish or frogs, and carry them for up to several miles. The English language idiom it is raining cats and dogs, referring to a heavy downpour, is of uncertain etymology, and there is no evidence that it has any connection to the raining animals phenomenon. Note that this is a regular occurrence for birds, which can get killed in flight, or stunned, and then fall (unlike flightless creatures, which first have to be lifted into the air by an outside force). Sometimes this happens in large groups, for instance, the blackbirds falling from the sky in Beebe, Arkansas, United States on December 31, 2010. [ Red rain in Kerala From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Rain water sample (left) and after the particles settled (right). Dried sediment (center). Red rain collected in stainless steel vessels The Kerala red rain phenomenon was a blood rain (red rain) event that occurred from July 25 to September 23, 2001, when red-coloured rain sporadically fell on the southern Indian state of Kerala. Heavy downpours occurred in which the rain was colored red, staining clothes pink. [1] Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported. [2][3][4] Colored rain had been reported in Kerala as early as 1896 and several times since then,[5] most recently in June 2012. 6][7] It was initially thought that the rains were colored by fallout from a hypothetical meteor burst, but a study commissioned by the Government of India concluded that the rains had been colored by airborne spores from locally prolific terrestrial algae. [5] It was not until early 2006 that the colored rains of Kerala gained widespread attention when the popular media reported that Godfrey Louis and Santhosh Kumar of the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam proposed a controversial argument that the colored particles were extraterrestrial cells. 3][8][9] Red rains were also reported on November 15, 2012 in eastern and north-central provinces of Sri Lanka, where scientists from the Sri Lanka Medical Research Institute (MRI) are investigating to ascertain their cause. [10][11] Impact Effect on agriculture Rainfall estimates for southern Japan and the surrounding region from July 20–27, 2009. Precipitation, especially rain, has a dramatic effect on agriculture. All plants need at least some water to survive, therefore rain (being the most effective means of watering) is important to agriculture. While a regular rain pattern is usually vital to healthy plants, too much or too little rainfall can be harmful, even devastating to crops. Drought can kill crops and increase erosion,[110] while overly wet weather can cause harmful fungus growth. [111] Plants need varying amounts of rainfall to survive. For example, certain cacti require small amounts of water,[112] while tropical plants may need up to hundreds of inches of rain per year to survive. In culture Cultural attitudes towards rain differ across the world. In temperate climates, people tend to be more stressed when the weather is unstable or cloudy, with its impact greater on men than women. [117] Rain can also bring joy, as some consider it to be soothing or enjoy the aesthetic appeal of it. In dry places, such as India,[118] or during periods of drought,[119] rain lifts peoples moods. In Botswana, the Setswana word for rain, pula, is used as the name of the national currency, in recognition of the economic importance of rain in this desert country. 120] Several cultures have developed means of dealing with rain and have developed numerous protection devices such as umbrellas and raincoats, and diversion devices such as gutters and storm drains that lead rains to sewers. [121] Many people find the scent during and immediately after rain pleasant or distinctive. The source of this scent is petrichor, an oil produced by plants, then absorbed by rocks and soil, and later released into the air during rainfall. [122] 1. Cherrapunji, India:    498 Inches more rainy place in the world What to wear on rainy day? With the June gloom we’ve been experiencing across the US recently, I’ve received tons of emails from you guys wanting outfit ideas for rainy days. It can definitely be tough to dress for a rainy day because there are so many things to consider. From what type of material you can wear (suede shoes are a no-go) to how to stay dry without sacrificing style, dressing well when it’s rainy out requires a little planning in advance. Don’t worry, though! It’s easier than most people think to dress for a rainy day. Here are some rainy day fashion tips, as well as six outfit ideas for rainy days. Rainy Day Fashion Tips Add color! Don’t be scared to wear something bright and fun on a rainy day. Bad weather can be depressing, so why not go out of your way to wear something non-depressing and cute? A cute umbrella can be an accessory. There are so many adorable and cheap umbrellas available at stores like Target, so there’s really no excuse to stick to basic black. Buy a couple in your favorite colors if you live in a really rainy area and use them to add color to your look. Kids umbrellas are cheap, cute, and perfect for one person. I mentioned this in my article 25 Fashion ; Style Tips to Brighten Your Day as well, and though I’d repeat the tip here. Why not save a little cash, have some fun, and buy a really ridiculous kids umbrella? Don’t spend a lot on an umbrella. If you’re anything like me, you’ve lost more umbrellas than you care to remember. That’s why you should never spend much on them. Even if you aren’t prone to misplacing them, umbrellas still aren’t investment pieces – you don’t use them every day! So buy a cute one from Target and pleeeease skip the $250 Burberry version. A classic trench coat is always perfect for rainy weather. There aren’t many inexpensive and cute trenches in stores right now as it’s summer, so I didn’t include many in the outfits below. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love them! The trench coat is SUCH a classic ; essential piece that’s perfect for all occasions and especially rainy days. Be careful of the materials you wear in rain. I’m sure you probably know this already, but just in case†¦ Suede is off-limits in rain because water usually ruins it, and leather that hasn’t been treated with a protectant can easily be damaged by water as well. Don’t risk ruining your clothes – go with rubber, pleather, or protectant-treated leather shoes in rain and leave your favorite suede handbag at home. At the same time, don’t worry too much about a 100% waterproof jacket. If you plan ahead and have your umbrella on hand, your jacket won’t get wet enough for waterproofing to matter. Go crazy when it comes to rain boots. There are so many cute rain boots out there today to fit any sense of style – they literally come in every color under the sun. Have fun and find a pair you love! Much like umbrellas, you can go completely nuts with your rain boots and no one will mind. 6 Rainy Day Outfit Ideas Outfit #1 When it rains in the summer, you can get away with rain boots paired with shorts, a tee, and cardigan. By forgoing jeans in favor of shorts, you avoid having soaked pants all day. In the outfit below, I added some color with a bright scarf. Product Information: Cardigan – Forever 21, Tie-Dye Scarf – Aeropostale, Tee Shirt – American Eagle, Denim Cutoffs – Pacsun. com, Umbrella – Target, Rain Boots – Gabrielle Rocha, available at Zappos. com Outfit #2 The inspiration for this look came about when I found the adorable umbrella with an NYC subway sign print and had to find a way to include it in an outfit! A plain black dress becomes more interesting layered under a mustard acket (worn unzipped, of course), and pair of ultra trendy green Doc Martens. Product Information: NYC Subway Sign Umbrella – Target, Dress and Jacket – Forever 21, Green Patent Doc Martens – Zappos. com Outfit #3 This outfit would be perfect for a day when it’s REALLY raining. The jacket is a â€Å"Pac-a-Poncho† from TopShop, so it’s super waterproof. But unlike the typical ugly yellow poncho, this one actually has style. When paired with neutral grey rain boots and a bubble umbrella with a hint of pink, the overall look is functional and cute at the same time. Product Information: Rain Boots – Target, Pac-a-Poncho – TopShop, Skinny Jeans – Charlotte Russe, Clear Bubble Umbrella – Target Outfit #4 For those of you who love a classic trench coat, you can keep your rainy day outfit simple by pairing your trench with jeans, and bright rain boots of your choice. Honestly, that’s all you need. The heart shaped umbrella, of course, is a cute extra. Product Information: Trench Coat – Miss Selfridge, Skinny Jeans – American Eagle, Heart Shaped Umbrella – Umbrellaheaven. com, Polka Dot Rain Boots – Target Outfit #5 If you’re not the type to rock a typical rain boot, you can always wear regular boots with a bit of a heel. Layering a pretty, summery dress under a long-sleeved cardigan and 3/4 sleeve jacket will add dimension to your outfit as well as keep you dry. Add black tights and a simple umbrella and you’re set! Product Information: Umbrella – TopShop, Jacket – Newlook. co. uk, Cardigan – TopShop, Boots – Nine West, available at Zappos. com, Dress – Pacsun. com, Footless Tights – TopShop Outfit #6 Here’s a very simple outfit that you could throw on in 5 seconds and wear on a rainy summer day. A striped dress is a step above basic layered under a classic denim jacket. I added some cute pink rain boots, because, well, why not? If pink’s not your thing, you could always wear some basic black motorcycle boots instead. Oh, and how great is the cloud umbrella? Completely genius if you ask me. Do’s ; Don’ts In Monsoon Fashion * Do not wear too much makeup this monsoon, use waterproof ones but in minimal quantity. * Do not use too much synthetic fabric. * Try to stick to some pure blends. * Try not to use those metals which can react to moisture in air. Keep yourself fashioned this monsoon. How big are raindrops? Raindrops are much smaller than we think! They are actually smaller than a centimeter. Raindrops range from 1/100 inch (. 0254 centimeter) to 1/4 inch (. 635 centimeter) in diameter. The largest rain drops ever recorded measure a minimum of 8. 6 mm (0. 338 inches) across and have been detected in Brazil, september 1995 and Marshal Islands, july 1999. The rain drops were measured and imaged while falling by a laser instrument and the results were published in Geophysical Research Letters in 2004. 0 interesting facts about rain 1. In Portugal, the rain is a good reason not to go to work. 2. Rain was the cause of the weather forecasts on the radio. When the American owner of the station was caught in the rain, he established a new category of the weather forecasting, which talked about the rain several times a day. 3. The game of darts appeared because of rain. Once the archers in the competition was caught in the rain. Going to a bar, they started throwing shortened arrows at a target on the wall. 4. In fact, rain has no smell. Flavor of what we refer to the smell of rain, in fact, isolated actin and cyanobacteria. The substance, which gives the smell of rain is called geosmin. 5. People of Uganda are not scared of thunder, since it rains with a thunderstorm about 250 times a year 6. The citizens of Para synchronize the clocks by rain, as the rains come every day at the same time. 7. In arid Botswana people use instead of greeting the word â€Å"poola†, which means â€Å"rain†, as the national currency in the country is also called â€Å"rain†. 8. In Cuba, it rains only during a siesta, and in Thailand – only at night. . In the XVII century in the United Kingdom was passed the law about rain, according to which forecaster can be executed because of incorrect prediction of rain. 10. A person can remain completely dry in the rain, if it rains in the desert. In fact, there are rains in the desert, but it is impossible to know whether it rains or not, because the drops evaporate unde r the impact of hot air. 11. All phrases of Hydrometeorological Center about the rain have a specific meaning. For example, the phrase â€Å"short rain† is meant that the duration of rain will be no more than 3 hours. The phrase â€Å"rain is expected† means the duration of the rain for at least half a day. The phrase â€Å"without significant rainfall† does not mean that rain will not, it means that rain will fall no more than 0. 3 liters per square meter. 12. The rainiest city in the world is Cherrapunji (India). During the year 26 460 mm of rain falls there. 13. The acidity of normal rain is pH 5. 6. If the pH level is lower the rain is called  «acid rain  ». At pH 5. 5 the rain kills the bacteria, but at pH 4. 5 kills insects, amphibians and fish. 14. In the town Winesburg, Ohio, each year on July 29 will certainly rain, it lasts for a hundred years. 5. Today it is possible to make up the artificial rain. Particles of dry ice thrown from the plane directly to the cumulus cloud. In a cloud, carbon dioxide is enveloped with water, and falls as a snowflake, heating on the road and turning into rain. Thus, we can combat with drought or to disperse the clouds. 16. Every year, on t he ground is poured 519,000 km3 of rain (every km3 – a billion tons of water). 17. About one in a hundred million people suffer from allergy to the rain. Any effect of water on the skin can cause redness, swelling, caught in the rain, such people can die. 8. In San Francisco weather station reports about rain with a degree of probability, for example, 4/6. Simply 10 local meteorologists vote on whether it will rain or not, and the result announce in â€Å"relative† form. 19. The heaviest hailstones rained from the sky in Gopalganj 14/04/1986. Weight of one hailstone exceeded 1 kg, from this â€Å"a rain,† 92 people died. 20. The rainiest places on the planet are caught short of water during the winter. After the rainy season, there comes a dry winters so that residents have to buy water in other cities.

Age of the Euro essays

Age of the Euro essays On the 1st of January 1999 the euro became the official currency of over 300 million Europeans in 11 of the worlds most developed nations. Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain have all opted to gradually phase out their national currencies and join the euro-zone, in a move that will lead to the largest European monetary union since the Roman Empire. The concept of a single European currency is not a new one. It was first proposed in the 1970s but was abandoned until 1991, when it was given the go ahead by the European Union. This decision was taken with the view of completing the single market for goods, services, people and capital in Europe, and of enhancing the welfare of citizens within the EU. Since then there has been an on going debate over the soundness of this decision and the effects it is likely to have on both the European and World economies. One of the most obvious advantages of the euro is the resulting ease of transactions across the countries of the EU. For businesses this means that they no longer have to pay the hedging costs, which they do today in order to insure themselves against the threat of exchange rate fluctuations. Businesses will also find it easier to expand their operations within the member states. This is because rather than having to set up separate accounting systems, banks, etc. for transactions in countries other than their native one, the euro will make it simple to operate from a single central accounting office and use a single bank. The elimination of exchange rate variations would benefit consumers as well. Consumers would not have to change money when traveling within the euro zone, and would encounter fewer problems and legal constraints when transferring large sums of money across borders. Travelers and tourists would also no longer be forced to change their money into other currencies and pay banks the com...

A day in the life of a nurse

A day in the life of a nurse If you ask your favorite nurse what a typical workday is like, you might get a laugh. No day is â€Å"typical† in the healthcare world, with all the different kinds of situations (both emergency and not) that you may be facing on any given shift. But if you’re thinking about becoming a nurse, it’s important to think about what to expect on the job. So based on stories of real-life nurses, here’s what you might expect to see and do on a typical shift. Nurses can work any time of day, but let’s look at a day shift’s responsibilities and tasks for a hospital nurse. The early wake-upMany daytime nursing shifts start early (often by 7 a.m.), so that means the snooze button is not your friend. Exercise, breakfast, coffee, shower- whatever the morning routine is, it may be happening well before the rest of the world is ready to motivate for the day. If you’re more of a â€Å"saunter in ten minutes late, check your email† kind of person , then nursing might not be the ideal career choice.Checking inA hospital isn’t like a factory, where one shift ends before another starts and no communication needs to happen. The night nurses and the day nurses are a team, and making sure that patients get seamless care means that there’s a daily handoff of information at the start of every shift. The day nurse gets intel on what happened overnight, if patients have specific needs, or if there’s anything important that the nurse needs to know for his or her shift. This is also a chance for the nurse to read up on any physician notes, examine patient charts, prepare for their roster of patients, and review assignments and instructions. This may include checking email, coordinating schedules for the day with doctors, arranging for particular tests, or setting up equipment. Basically, everything that will keep the shift better organized happens up front.This is also a chance for the nurse to check supplies and in ventory too, to make sure they have enough for a shift. This is especially crucial in the emergency room or intensive care wards, where a high-stress situation could arise at any time and when you least want to run low on basic supplies. Everything the nurse does for a patient is usually noted, updated, and charted right away- you don’t want to risk not making an important note on a patient, then getting sidetracked by something else.Morning roundsA lot can happen between shifts, so much of the morning is spent checking in with each patient (new or existing) and tracking their status. It’s common to do bloodwork in the morning, do glucose tests for diabetic patients, take vital signs, etc. Nurses also administer any scheduled medications for their patients during this time. If patients need to be prepped for procedures, it’ll often happen in the morning.Patients that are ready to be discharged from the hospital are ready for their exit procedures, like getting d octor sign-off, removing IVs or other equipment, processing any last tests (like vital signs or bloodwork to confirm that they can safely be discharged), and educating patients (or their family members) on any follow-up care needs.On these morning rounds, nurses also typically help their patients with daily living tasks, like eating breakfast (for patients who can’t do it themselves), bathing, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, or walking around.Mid-day/lunchLunchtime for nurses is rarely a set time period. Obviously eating lunch is necessary if you want to keep up your energy, but having the time to do it can be a luxury when you’re dealing with an endless list of patients who have immediate needs all day. Many nurses grab a quick bite somewhere nearby (either in the hospital or close by) when they can. Lunchtime could be cut short by an emergency or just a bustling schedule. Meal times and personal time during the day are definitely at a premium for nurses, depe nding on the workload and the type of facility where you work. A clinic with set appointments is likely very different from a hospital or urgent care situation, when you could be needed at any time. Strategic food (like something you bring from home and can eat fast if necessary, or food you can grab from the cafeteria) is key.Afternoon roundsMuch like the morning rounds, afternoon rounds are kicked off by a check-in process to see if there are new patients, if patients have been discharged, or if any patent’s status has changed since the morning. Nurses do a new round of checking in with each patient, reviewing their charts for updates, making notes as necessary, and again- keeping close track of everything happening with his or her patients. Afternoon is also time for a new round of meds being distributed to patients, as well as any follow-up tests or previously scheduled procedures. Nurses help prep the patients as needed.The afternoon might also include visiting hours, so nurses are often tasked with updating family members on a patient’s condition, educating them about what the patient’s medical needs will be once he or she leaves, and answering patient questions.For a post-surgical ward, nurses may also start seeing an influx of patients coming out of surgery and recovery. The nurse follows up with surgeons and physicians as necessary, setting up each patient for his or her next tests, procedures, or milestones. The nurse is also likely to help with things like changing bandages or dressing and ensuring that these post-surgical patients are comfortable.And if there’s time in between all of these many tasks, the afternoon may have some chances to catch up on administrative tasks like patient charts, making notes, or email. But like with lunch or personal breaks, there’s never really a guarantee that the nurse will have a full chunk of time to sit down and attend to these things.Checking outJust like at the beginning of t he day, the end of the day sees the shift handover process between day nurses and night nurses. There’s the nurse-to-nurse download of information, either in person or via detailed notes and patient charts. The day isn’t over just yet- the nurse needs to make sure that the transition to the next shift goes just as seamlessly as his or her own shift started in the morning so that patients are getting consistent care. That means checking and double-checking the patient information to make sure everything’s as accurate and clear as it can be.Before leaving, the nurse may also start prepping for the next day’s shift: reviewing appointments, checking email, reviewing assignments. At that point, the nurse gets to leave, only to start the process again in about 12 hours.What a nurse’s day is like can vary in a few different ways. For example, a home nurse will have a different set of tasks than a hospital nurse, who will have a different day than a nurse in a private practice. And no matter what a nurse does and where he or she does it, there’s always the unpredictability of working in the medical world. You always need to be sharp, and ready for emergencies or urgent needs- patients don’t care if you were out late last night or if you really just need a mental break for a few minutes to clear your head. It’s an incredibly demanding field, but can be a highly rewarding one.And if you’re thinking about taking on this daily nursing life, we have the tools to help you get started.How to Become a Labor and Delivery NurseThe Complete Stress Management Guide for Nurses14 Things You Need to Know as a New NurseTop 3 Survival Traits of New NursesJob Spotlight: Clinical NurseCreate a Winning Registered Nurse ResumeHow Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse?What You Need to be a Stellar Nurse

Global operations and logistics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global operations and logistics - Case Study Example Each and every store of Home Depot operates with the concept of large warehouse style buildings. The largest store of Home Depot is situated in Union New Jersey. The organization achieved huge popularity due to its â€Å"do-it-yourself† concept. According to the concept, the home owners and several individuals generally purchase home improvement products and tools. Then they repair or improve their home on their own. The organization not only prioritizes their customer service through this concept but also provides effective clinical and practical workshop training and development to the customers in order to enhance their customer service process. This â€Å"do-it-yourself† concept helped the organization to retain their existing clients. In addition to this, Home Depot got success to attract new customers through effective customer service (Ferrell and Hartline, 2008, p.584). The owners of the organization encouraged the sales associates to develop strong relationship with the customers to maintain their leading position in the competitive marketplace. This report will analyze the logistics and customer service activities of home depot throughout the years. Moreover, the study will discuss about the merchandising, store operation and vendor management activities of Home Depot in order to draw an effective conclusion. Historical and Current Development in terms of Production, Operation and Marketing For the first 20 years, Home Depot became popular and well recognized due to its focus on customer services, significant sales growth rate and dynamic entrepreneurial spirit. Initially, the organization used the concept of big box format stores. All the customers could find and purchase all the necessary home improvement products. They introduced â€Å"Do it yourself† concept to enhance their customer service. The owners of the organization encourage the sales associates to take care of the satisfaction level of the customers to develop a signi ficant client base (Paper, 2007, p.39). Home Depot organized several effective workshop training and development programs for the customers to fix home problems by their own. These strategies helped the organization to secure their leading spot for 20 years. In 2001, CEO Nardelli changed the product development and distribution process due to rising cost, falling sales and stiffening competition. The organization started to provide specialized goods and services to the smaller professional customers. The CEO had the intention to attain professional business growth. Nardelli implemented several change strategies to improve the productivity. He motivated headquarter of Home Depot to recruit talented and skilled associates to bring more specialization. Moreover, he appealed for simplification of the job function of each and every store associate. He also worked hard to standardize the logistics activity. Introduction of the concept of â€Å"inventory velocity† helped the organiz ation to track their stocks effectively. CEO Nardelli made a decision to employ 227, 000 associates to reform its in-store operation activities. In spite of achieving significant growth rate, CEO Nardelli tried to make some changes in business operation to secure future growth rate. Organizations like Walmart implemented advanced technology in their business operation

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 22

Business Ethics - Essay Example During lunch hour between 1 pm and 2 pm, I interacted with Stephanie my best friend. She asked me whether she looked fat in her dress. In response I lied to her that she doesn’t look fat in her dress because I didn’t want to tell her she is gaining a lot of weight and definitely looks heavy. During the weekend around 10am to 11am we visited the mall with my best friends Stephanie, Richard and Alex. I attempted to steal an item in the supermarket. Unfortunately, I was caught stealing the item. I refused to admit the shoplifting offense and instead said that I saw somebody else commit the offense. I did this to avoid the long arm of the law which would end me up to the jail. After the Christmas holiday my brother Mike, brought a gift to me that I did not like. I lied to him that the Christmas gift he gave to me was great because I know he put a lot of thought into picking up the gift for me. After classes around 4pm and 6pm, I visited my brother’s friend in Michigan who had just concluded constructing a house. The house was really small and cramped. For this reason I did not like the house. I lied to him that I liked the house because I did not want to dampen her excitement. During the evening classes my friend Stanley came to class with a new haircut. Many students noticed the haircut and admired it. To me the haircut was unpleasant and not appealing to the eyes. I did not want to hurt his feelings by telling him that I hated the haircut but instead told him that the cut was really good. During my interaction with the students and one of the members of the society within the 3 days, I realized that women told most of the lies more than men. According to the journal article ‘lying in everyday life’, research was made in colleges and the community and it was recorded that women told many lies compared to men. College students conveyed lying in roughly one out of every

To Introduce Dameware Mini Remote Control Software to our Research Proposal

To Introduce Dameware Mini Remote Control Software to our InformationTechnology Section - Research Proposal Example It helps to monitor and control remote sites so that people are not required to be there physically. It is efficient when used to remote control servers so that they can be managed from remote locations. This paper will analyze the use of this software and how this software will help reduce expenses for most operations. Chapter 1 1.1 Thesis and focus The proposal is aimed at investigating in the Dameware mini remote control software and its effectiveness and efficiency to the organization. Currently, organizations are after high productivity. In undertaking this research, information technology department will be interviewed on the usefulness of the Dameware mini remote control software. In addition, training will also be carried out so that they get the right skills to run the department. In adopting the Dameware mini remote control software the organization will be in a position to formulate policies with much ease. The purpose of the proposal is to test my ability on whether I can actually research on a business proposal, will also check on whether I have the ability to plan an extended business proposal, if I can cite locate, and even criticize on data that has been done by other scholars during my proposal writing and finally to assess my ability if I can outline special features of various types of proposals. The purpose of this statement will be to evaluate the implementation of Dameware mini remote control software in the information technology department. The specific objectives of the proposal will be to establish the benefits accrued from the Dameware mini remote control software, to evaluate efficiency of Dameware mini remote control software before it is implemented in the IT department, and to identify the defects that may be associated with Dameware mini remote control software. The proposal is aimed at increasing efficiency of organization. Technology currently has taken over every aspect that is being done in any organization. In many organizat ions, an estimate of 80% of the total work being done is mainly done by the support of technology. In employing the Dameware mini remote control software in an organization, productivity is greatly improved. On the other hand, there are other operations which are harmful to human beings, technology will do it best. Lastly, in using technology, time will be saved thus work will be efficient to the users. 1.2 Introduction The Dameware mini remote control software  is remotely supported software that is in place in many organizations. It is a software program that mainly deals with remotes. It is related to the Virtual Network Computing, but the difference is that it has other functionalities like; it can install the server on a demand, smart card support and pass through authentication. It is also termed Dameware mini remote control software. It is enabled in such a way that it can support many more that one monitor in a given environment, including other functions such as encryptio n and the transfer of files have been enabled currently. It is an enterprise system management application meant for windows that give administrators the control on the remote client computers. It offers an integration of composed Microsoft Windows NT administration utilities that has been incorporated in a centralized interface for management of remote in the window servers and workplaces. Majority of the standards utilities are added into the explorer-style

Media Production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media Production - Essay Example This essay describes The Brock Group company, that has its presence in America, Canada and South America where its employees serve their clients in multiple areas. One of the main objectives of the company is to aid heavy industrial customers as a one stop provider of complementary services. In this essay main vision and values are described and analyzed. Safety is the core mission which sees that everyone is committed to the prosperity of the organization. The fundamental goal is to alleviate occupational injuries and illnesses through dedicated comprehensive safety training and the administration of safety programs. Commitment and safety commitment, that are considered more than the goals or the commitment of the organization. Safety culture is upheld that ensures risks are identified and eliminated. Ultimately, popular culture and artistic talents, nurtured and conserved by actions of communities such that of Brock Community. In conclusion of the essay, culture is of major importa nce and must be preserved from generation to generation as a learning tool of our origin and birth of creativity. The Brock Community has in no doubt made an impeccable contribution to the society it exists. Through its social responsibility, Brock community has demonstrated that the events which are organized by its members bring positivity to the world. Ultimately, popular culture and artistic talents, nurtured and conserved by actions of communities such that of Brock Community.

Problem Set Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem Set - Assignment Example The old formula works better. Two people who took the old formula felt relief in less than 20 minutes, compared to none who took the new formula. Also, the worst result – near 120 minutes - was the new formula. The average time for the new formula to relieve a headache is lower than the average time for the old formula. I would conclude that people taking the new formula will tend to feel relief about 20 minutes sooner than those taking the old formula. The number of patients in the two groups is not the same so there is no fair way to compare the two formulas. A baseball fan likes to keep track of statistics for the local high school baseball team. One of the statistics she recorded is the proportion of hits obtained by each player based on the number of times at bat as shown in the table below. Which of the following graphs gives the best display of the distribution of the proportion of hits in that it allows the baseball fan to describe the shape, center, and spread of the variable, proportion of hits? Reasons: For item No. 6: The percentage of scores having 30 or below is about half of the lower 25% as the box both for section 1 and 2 as shown in their respective boxplot. For item No. 7 The same as in No. 6. Since 80 is the median score the upper 50% are having scores 80 and above for both sections. For item No. 8 The best presentation is plotting the percentage of hits to the number of players who made it. Graph C best represents the trend. It tells how many students make the highest percentage hits, and so on and so forth.

Writing a physics report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Writing a physics report - Essay Example nal velocity â€Å"v† (of the centre of mass) in terms of â€Å"x† and â€Å"t† for the object to roll a distance 1m along the plank in average time t for each side of the plank (experimental velocity). The disk exhibits both rotational motion and transitional motion as it rolls down the plank. Since it rolls without slipping, its bottom is momentarily at rest and the distance, velocity, and acceleration of the centre of mass is directly related to the angle of rotation, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of the centre of mass. The total mechanical energy of the disk is the sum of its kinetic energy of its centre of mass, rotational energy about its centre of mass and gravitational potential energy of its centre of mass. The total time for the sides are different, time for when the plank is warped concave up is longer than when the concave is warped down since the disk faces higher friction when the concave is warped up hence taking more time and energy in overcoming friction to reach the end Predicted velocity is lower on both cases as evidenced by the data i.e. predicted velocity is 0.7672m/s while velocity in the first and second case are 0.7968m/s and 0.813m/s respectively. This is so because predicted velocity does not take care of friction effects and errors in performing the

Problem Set Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem Set - Assignment Example The old formula works better. Two people who took the old formula felt relief in less than 20 minutes, compared to none who took the new formula. Also, the worst result – near 120 minutes - was the new formula. The average time for the new formula to relieve a headache is lower than the average time for the old formula. I would conclude that people taking the new formula will tend to feel relief about 20 minutes sooner than those taking the old formula. The number of patients in the two groups is not the same so there is no fair way to compare the two formulas. A baseball fan likes to keep track of statistics for the local high school baseball team. One of the statistics she recorded is the proportion of hits obtained by each player based on the number of times at bat as shown in the table below. Which of the following graphs gives the best display of the distribution of the proportion of hits in that it allows the baseball fan to describe the shape, center, and spread of the variable, proportion of hits? Reasons: For item No. 6: The percentage of scores having 30 or below is about half of the lower 25% as the box both for section 1 and 2 as shown in their respective boxplot. For item No. 7 The same as in No. 6. Since 80 is the median score the upper 50% are having scores 80 and above for both sections. For item No. 8 The best presentation is plotting the percentage of hits to the number of players who made it. Graph C best represents the trend. It tells how many students make the highest percentage hits, and so on and so forth.

Importance of Measuring and Managing Performance Essay Example for Free

Importance of Measuring and Managing Performance Essay It is very important to measure and manage employee performance at Leyton Sixth Form College. The consequences if they don’t manage performance is that teachers won’t know whether they are progressing or not. Whether they’re way of teaching is effective or not. It is important for new employees to assess their performance so that management can make judgements on measuring performance will enable teachers to know where they stand and have a clear view on what skills they need to improve on. Motivation is important in LSC because it gets the employee to work as hard as possible. t helps push employees to achieve targets set. By identifying areas where an employee may be losing his colleagues, a personal development plan can be put in place. Similarly, if a negative trend is seen among a number of employees, company controls and procedures can be evaluated to address these problems at a general level. Measuring and managing performance helps LSC look at employee progress to see whether they are achieving all their targets. Also the importance of managing performance is to give good motivation for employees to work hard since they are being evaluated. LSC do an employee evaluation that gives teachers constructive criticism and an idea on what they need to work on and what they doing a good job on. Measuring performance benefit LSC as they reveal the good and bad aspects of a given job. They improve the relationships and moral within the organisation. Another important matter is that measuring and managing performance helps improve the performance of individuals to ultimately improve the efficiency and productivity of the company. Which in LSC case is the staff by doing performance developments and appraisals can help employees reach their full potentials.

Ethical Dilemmas in a Business

Ethical Dilemmas in a Business Introduction Ethical Dilemmas often occur in business situations as well as everyday life. These could be simple problems such as whether to lie about deadline requirements in order to get work done faster, or something complex such as manipulation of facts and figures in financial statements. The core value system of the person making any such decision plays a huge role in the extent of his or her ethical manipulation. Competitve pressure on the other hand can force people to make ethical decisions radically different from what their value system might relay. This is a problem that is widespread in todays business environment, where stepping on someone else ensures an easier platform for growth. The model of The ends justify the means has overwritten a lot of the value based ethics which was heavily ingrained in our psyche. This report hopes to make simple guidelines which will allow one to make decisions keeping a humane as well as ethical approach which emphasizes the Right decisions, not the Easy ones. Business Scenarios Entailing an Ethical Dilemma Some of the best learning regarding any Ethical dilemma occurs when one experiences it firsthand. These problems occur when we are unprepared for it, thus a pre-determined framework would prove extremely useful. Ethical decision making deals with moral issues: A moral issue is present where ever individual actions, when freely performed, may harm or benefit others (Jones, 1991, p. 367). An ethical decision is defined as a decision that is both legal and morally acceptable to the larger community whereas an unethical decision may be regarded as either illegal or morally unacceptable to the larger community (Jones, 1991, p. 367). Thus let us have a look at some examples of Ethical Dilemmas which would require such Ethical Decision Making. Company Bankruptcy and Employee Loyalty Lehman Brothers which was a premium investment bank until its Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration in September 2008 was a preferred employer for over 25000 people and their families. The company evoked a vehement sense of loyalty and pride, but bankruptcy changed all that. Lehman Brothers Services India LTD, which is the outsourcing and knowledge center in India received the news on a Monday, employees which included the author himself resolved themselves to jumping ship before even trying to see if they could do anything to help the firm. This is an ethical dilemma since on the one hand the employer has helped support the families of its employees, however on the other hand the employee has to decide quickly about the future course of action which will affect his or her family. A possible solution which would have been feasible was for the employees to provide their utmost support to management in order to steer the company out of rough waters. This is a difficult decision to make since it may even involve no pay during the period of bankruptcy, and hence almost no employee chose this decision. Service Bonds in Companies A widely used vehicle in corporate culture today is service bonds, issued by the company against almost all its new employees. These simply state that the employee must stay within the employ of the company for a certain duration before switching companies and/or leaving the job, failing which he or she would be penalized a certain amount of money. The Ethical Dilemma appears here mainly when the employee gets hired by the company while he or she may have an offer or opportunity in the near future. A prime example is when freshers are hired out of college, but they are waiting for an MBA admission. The job is just a failsafe option, and as soon as said MBA admission goes through, the employee will leave the firm. This is an Ethical Dilemma on both fronts, from the point of view of the employer as well as the employee. On the one hand, the bond is in itself a vehicle which does not hold any value in a court of law. Thus most companies will harass the employee but ultimately they are unable to recover any of the amounts mentioned in the bond, however they do withhold experience and relieving certificates. On the other hand the employee himself signs up for the training knowing full well that he or she may be leaving the job early, it is a very hedonistic approach, and is done only for self benefit, he or she does not care whether the company hired him or her keeping in mind requirements, and does not bother about the damages the company may incur due to a sudden loss of an employee. A possible solution here, which is unfortunately infeasible is a full disclosure on the part of the employee while joining up a company, this would usually result in the employer not hiring said employee to prevent any problems should the employee suddenly leave. Credit Sharing in the Workplace As rational human beings most of us understand the value of teamwork. The workplace however emphasizes this in order to have smooth and uninterrupted functioning. Teamwork is a prime requirement for any employee who joins any firm. One of the biggest ethical dilemmas faced both as an employee as well as a manager is how best to recognize individual contribution in a team based environment. It would be wishful thinking to assume that all employees contribute equally to the success of a project, thus the emergence of performance rewarding was born in the workplace. Here employees are gauged on individual performance in a team context, their contributions, mistakes as well as ideas are all assessed and suitable reward systems are kept in place. This however results in what is known as Credit Sharing whereby employees try to gain credit for work that they had a minimal contribution in. This usually happens when the work itself provides a sizeable benefit to the project, either in terms of revenue generation or cost minimization. Employees who were unrelated to this work still try to leverage it since it could provide a boost to their immediate future in terms of salary raise, or promotions. A possible solution to such a problem unfortunately cannot be found, this is simply because it is highly dependent on individual ethics to determine how low he or she may be willing to stoop to gain credit where credit was never due. Management unfortunately also cannot efficiently monitor this since it might result in inefficiencies in overall management of the project. Guidelines for Self for Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas An easy way to create a guideline for self to deal with Ethical Dilemmas, one needs a reference model of some kind which will allow for such a guideline to be created in the first place. Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Dilemmas both share a common thread in that they deal with moral issues at their core. Thus for a decision maker to act ethically he or she must (a) recognize a moral issue, (b) make a moral judgment, (c) give priority to moral concerns and establish a moral intent, and finally (d) act on the moral concerns (Selart and Johansen, 2010, p. 3). Thus logically it would be a necessary condition that the moral agent in this case the decision maker should be able to recognize a moral dilemma. This is highly relevant since pressure or competition usually dull our senses in this regard, since profits or immediate gains will be present and must be decided upon. However the severity of the moral dilemma elicits a moral impulse which could be radically different from what rationality tells us to pursue. What this means is that we may be more prone to making moral/ethical decisions, when we are able to identify the severity of the problem at hand. This is referred to as moral intensity and is a prime candidate for allowing ethical decisions to be made. Let us have a look at how some external factors could influence decision making and use them to form a basic guideline for dealing with ethical dilemmas. Effect of Stress or Competition on Ethical Decision Making Stress is deemed as having a negative effect on leaders decision making by preventing them from recognizing ethical/moral dilemmas which their decisions could entail. Time related deadlines have an effect which could result in limited focus and to cognitive biases. It also makes leaders have less access to external information sources (Selart and Johansen, 2010, p. 11). Thus a primary rule of thumb which we should ensure while dealing with any decision that could involve moral issues is Prevent or reduce stress while making a decision, since studies have shown that stress influences ethical decision making primarily through its effect on pro-social behavior or the willingness and motivation to take others interest into account (Jex et al., 2003) Studies also show that a root cause of stress related problems comes from the reward or lack of thereof which results in stress related ethical failings in managers (Selart and Johansen, 2010, p. 12). Effect of Globalization on Ethical Decision Making Globalization is the new mantra by which todays companys move. It ensures competitive advantage by reducing costs and promoting more profitable sales opportunities, it also results in a diversified and distributed workplace. This is one of the prime causes of ethical dilemmas. Being distributed could result in marginalization of branch employees when decisions affecting corporate culture or financials get made; this is often seen in the case of a lot of the leading multinationals which operate with an IT arm in India. Another great challenge for managers in global business is the misunderstanding of their decisions due to conflicting moral compasses of their stakeholders from different cultures, which could result in their best decisions being, confounded (Thompson, 2010, p. 1). An effective tool suggested to counter this is the Global Moral Compass which allows for managing complex moral challenges that business leaders cannot ignore, as well as providing an adaptive framework which allows for linking diverse value propositions and wisdom traditions (Thompson, 2010, p. 1). This is the global moral compass for business, its 4 parameters include. Vision Moral vision is the true north of the moral compass; the spiritual, affective aspect of moral identity expressed in the power of myth, narrative, and images representing core values. Code it is the moral code by means of which one lives ones life, this code is enhanced by personal experience and is ever changing. Fitness Moral fitness is the symbolic aspect of moral agency; it is ritualized action that expresses and reflects the vision and values of moral identity. Performance Performance is the proof of the pudding the intentional aspect of moral agency demonstrated in concrete decisions and behavior (Thompson, 2010, p. 13-14). Thus some more rules of thumb can be generated via the means of globalization and its effect on ethical decision making Globalization requires a more complex set of moral principles which guide decision making; this is enhanced by the use of the global moral compass which can be used to point decisions to the right direction. Globalization requires that the culture, socio-economic situations, geographies as well as history of stakeholders involved be understood to a certain degree, before a decision benefitting them all can be made. True value addition can be had when all the stakeholders are in almost full or full agreement with decisions made, thereby we may need a certain degree of inclusivity to be incorporated in decision making to ensure that stakeholders are completely in sync with the decisions being taken. Effect of Monetary Gain in Ethical Decision Making In recent times a lot of unethical decision making has been uncovered in terms of financial misreporting done by CEOs and other top ranking officials of various companies. The lure of money is thus viewed as a serious barrier in ethical decision making; this is something even laymen can understand. Simple financial incentives like bribes given to government officials influence how fast they perform work, and as such is an ingrained habit in the minds of people today especially in a corrupt bureaucracy like Indias. However studies have found that it cannot simply be narrowed down to the lure of financial incentives that lead to such behavior, other factors including CEOs narcissism, shareholders expectations and subordinate silence as well as CEOs dishonesty could all be possible causes for such unethical decision making (Chen, 2010, p. 1). Now the study also aims to look just beyond financial remuneration as a source of ethical failing on the part of the CEOs, since a lot of them have contributed to charities of some kind or the other (contributions themselves being significant). Thus this evidence suggests that simply CEOs character flaws cannot conclusively be used to resolve this ethical failing (Chen, 2010, p. 2). Some factors which could influence this include Moral or Ethical standards present in the country of origin, cultural norms which influence managerial behavior, corporate and individual corruption levels in the country of origin and incorrect assessment of information due to inflated self expectations in terms of performance. All of these factors can lead to unethical decisions being taken mainly in regards to financial reporting of the firms performance. However we must also identify the effect that stakeholders can cause on mangers when it comes to financial reporting or ethical decision making. Ever increasing expectations, continuous percentage improvement requirements and unrealistic targets all have a direct influence on managers and CEOs making the decisions that they do. However most people are ready to brush this aside as it would result in the blame being spread across people rather than rest squarely on a single person, this unfortunately is a Scape-Goat mentality and is highly ingrained in the psyche of the general populace as was amply demonstrated by the victimization of Mr. Kalmadi in the Commonwealth Games scandal in India. More attention needs to be paid to the responsibilities of shareholders, financial analysts and the financial press in setting realistic expectations for companies. Simply focusing on improving the ethical behavior of individual CEOs without removing this root cause is unlikely to have much effect on the level and frequency of misreporting (Chen, 2010, p. 15). Thus the rules of thumb which we can garner from the above include. While making financial decisions, it is better to make it keeping multiple trustworthy people in the loop, this ensures that decisions although signed off by a single entity (the CEO) would still be ratified by multiple people. The key point here is that decisions made collectively have the possibility of dissonance among stakeholders making said decisions, which would lead to further questioning of the decisions and thus a more refined and correct decisions can be made. Altruistic perspectives aside, stakeholders themselves should be able to handle negative results and management must have enough moral fiber to take the right decision in letting the stakeholders know of any failings without fear of castigation. Effect of Communication in Ethical Decision Making In todays competitive environment, communication or a lack of thereof can lead to decisions being made which may seem unethical. Information is a powerful tool which can prevent decisions which can negatively affect people. Thus communication of this information from the holders to the decision makers becomes paramount to ethical business decisions being made effectively and efficiently. Communication on corporate culture itself can have a positive impact on ethical decision making in the workplace, we thus explore the use of a Business Code of Ethics or BCE which is a pre-requisite in recent times for any company in operation. The BCE simply conveys acceptable behavioral norms and rules which are active in the workplace, and could prove to be an efficient tool in curbing unethical decision making which managers might make in the absence of such an instrument. Studies however show that such a BCE comes with several limitations, this could include, frequency of communication of the BCE, quality of communication used, reinforcement of the BCE via actions of top management, level to which the BCE is ingrained in the decision making of middle and lower level management and finally overall adoption of the BCE via the general populace in the workplace. Communication in this regard is mainly seen via the means of this code of ethics. Now this could result in certain limitations with respect to achievable targets, or patterns of behavior which can be deemed acceptable to meet said targets, however in the long run it is observed that this has a positive impact on both the quality of work culture ingrained in the organization, as well as individual ethical standards which permeates through the employee base (Kaptein, 2010, p. 16). Thus some takeaways from communication and BCE include Effective communications of acceptable ethical standards have a significant positive impact on both workplace culture as well as individual ethical/moral standards improvements. Although a certain degree of compromise must be made in terms of performance for enforcing said ethical standards, it will have a positive impact in the long run and will allow the company to overcome any future negative impacts which may have occurred had such a provision not been in place. Conclusion Thus all throughout we have seen that just external factors alone cannot be used as the final determinant of ethical decision making abilities of an individual. He or she can also influence the surroundings and make decisions which can be both Right as well as beneficial to the maximum number of people, not just his or her organization. This is illustrated by the use of effective communication, utilizing the moral compass, reduction the impact of stress and financial incentives and finally realizing that the individual has to take the ultimate responsibility of his or her decision, and although redemption may be found by attributing any fallacies to external factors, the price will still have to be paid by the individual who made the decision.